Tura scoffs at the mention of the gods and then she spits at the utterance of the Orc gods. She laughs at the idea of a place being abandoned and then talks.
"Goblins just need us to put the fear of the Gods in them, then they will run. They are not very smart but crafty. I too don't speak goblin, I do know my weapons do!" She says with a smile as she then looks at the others.
"As for your gods keep them, I follow a great spirit, one who awoke within me great powers and thus I shall keep them in my heart. They have yet to steer me wrong" She says smiling as she touches the orcish symbols strewn together seemingly random, Rabbit, Fire, Star, Bond. Why they were together only she knew.
"Pardon! I speak the Goblin tongue! They do not keep themselves to Avistan!" Almost every word is a bark. He let the religious talk pass through his ears. In theory, he worshipped Irori, but the dietary restrictions were intolerable.
"They'll only want it because that's what they do." Hadri says referring to the goblins. "They're greedy and uncivilised. But you've got the guy 'ere to rid them for ya." At this point he is positively beaming.
"So when do we leave?"
Lar speaks up, with the air of a man who has addressed large crowds more than a few times.
"Well, since everyone is eager for us to get underway, we'll be leaving soon. Those who can ride will have a light horse while those who can not can ride in one of the wagons. We'll stop when the sun sets, set camp, and feed and possibly even entertain you a little." Lar looks meaningfully at Pan as he pauses, before facing each of you in turn.
"Rodan, you should be able to scout ahead about a half an hour - a little less, ideally, for safety - and turn around and come back to let us know what you see. Extending the deadline beyond an hour is possible but the guidelines for such 'work-release' programs encourage less than an hour, so we're already trying to be looser in our strictures. We apologize if the limits chafe but we hope it's not such onerous work and the... honest intentions are rare for endeavors such as this. Speaking of intentions, there should be arrows a plenty near Chateau Douleurs. If you can wait for that, you should have a better selection available than here."
"Tura, we shall not seek to change your religion, as long as your intentions are just. Even during the darkest days against the Whispering Tyrant, orcs and half-orcs fought against him, and we hope to judge you on your actions and intentions rather than your background."
"Cole, the same holds true. Sarenrae and Pharasma are both merciful, in different ways, and we've allied with every stamp of the Pharasman faith in our past adventures. Your interest and enthusiasm is appreciated."
"Shintaro, thank you for speaking to the goblins for us. You and the rest may wish to consider all the approaches to getting us the information we need, from the politest of diplomatic requests to the rudest of insults and all the half-truths that lie between. It's not our usual approach but maybe that's why we had to seek out your aid. Please feel free to discuss plans for diplomatic volleys as well as ruses and strategy for the next week of travel."
"Borkandors, So and I can't seek violence - So and I must offer mercy. We must, however, protect you, first and foremost. You are free to meet the goblins on their terms in ways that we are not, and not just in the manner of your speech. If they offer only violence, we shall encourage you to respond in kind. Unless we feel that a goblin is beyond salvation, though, we shall be your shield only."
"Hadri, we know Torag prefers those who give allegiance to his people. In their own, sometimes bestial way, that's the nature of the goblin. It's not clear from what's happened that the goblins are not cursed as Rodan suggests, so we hope you show restraint as well as valor."
"Question will there be beer? I mean are we taking beer or ale? Cause who doesn't go adventuring without ale?"
Cole snorts at Tura's question about ale.
"I don't. One of the things I first learned from the Pharasmans. Never go undead hunting while inebriated. When adventuring, alcohol is only for wounds and celebrating AFTER everybody gets home alive. I tend to agree with them. Goblins may be less scary than skeletons, zombies, or ghouls... but they are dangerous nonetheless."
With all due respect Mister Lar, Torag teaches us to look after our own ye be right. But ye got to understand this goes back more years than any of us have seen. I will do what I just to regain my freedom, but I also need to clear my families honour. I'll have my guidance, and teachings. You have my word I'll show restraint as long as we are doing something that isn't helping them."
He turns to Tura and smiles. "I like yer thinkin'"
"Goblins are as individual as any other race! I will use every resource to help!"
”We can have beer - mead, to be precise - fairly easily. Wine too if you prefer. There’s an old halfling spell to convert regular water into beer. We’ll have a barrel of beer for any who want it tomorrow after I prepare the spell. Any other requests?”
"Don't care as long as it has alcohol in it" She says smiling as she smiles liking Pan even more.
"Pan I think you are my new favorite person!" Tura chuckles as she heads over to the wagon."Do we get pillows in the wagon? I didn't get any in my cell"
"Fresh fruit and veggies, not the rotten stuff that they have been feeding us. Oh and some nice cheese if you could." nodding to Pan.
Cole acts dismissive.
"As long as we have something better than watery-gruel and some fresh air, I won't complain. Lead on."
"Of course we have pillows! The boys don't sweat the details like that but that's one of the things I have always insisted upon. To be fair, So doesn't sleep, but if he did, I'm sure he'd prefer a pillow. There's some feta, chèvre, and mizithra. We don't really trade with Taldor so you may find it more tart than you are used to eating but I imagine you'll enjoy it. Whether you do or do not, I'll prepare a Bountiful Banquet each morning for us in the Qadiran style."
The party breaks camp and sets out on the road, with So taking his armor off momentarily to summon horses with a tingle of electricity in the air before casting another spell to put it back on quickly. As you ride, you notice So occasionally looping around the caravan, making sure to look at each of you in turn as he travels.
Lar appears in good spirits like an old man going to see a childhood home. Pan appears slightly maternal in her quiet listening to old stories from his time there, stories she has likely heard a dozen times before.
Camp is set and food is served shortly afterwards. A variety of bottles like you'd use for Holy Water or simple potions are offered and the contents appear to be a basic mead, simple but palatable. A few hold wine of a similar 'house red' quality.
Pan actually cooks the meal, and takes great care in examining the produce used, trimming the ends off the onions and cleaning the carrots and chopping the celery herself.
Tents are passed around and pillows and blankets also. It's a very odd camping trip, especially since So requests you keep the tent flap ajar or stick an uncovered foot out for him to keep watch on you.
Once a camp site has been found. Rodan on his horse trots over to Lar.
"I am going to scout up ahead for a bit. I like to know the lay of the land that we are going into. I will try and be back in thirty minutes, but I might take a little longer. I will be back in before forty five minutes."
Rodan starts down the road at a quick pace, not really needing to know what is a head, unless something has changed in the year that he has been under lock and key. Rodan grew up hunting in these woods. He knew that only about one and half miles ahead is the two intertwined trees that from a 'Y' and fifty paces north from there is an old oak tree that caught fire and below that is a few items from is last job hidden below it. It's the same spot that he has used a few times before, right near an apple tree.
Finding the 'Y' trees Rodan takes a good look around to make sure no one is in sight.
Once he feels that the coast is clear, he slides of the horse and leads the pony into the tree line counting off the paces. one, two, thee,....forty nine, fifty. and he is standing next to the burnt out oak tree. Quickly searching and digging he finds the large rock covering the small sealed sack. "There you are my goodies." He looks at the sack to make sure nothing was damaged or ruined and places it in his saddle bags. Looking at the sun he knowing that he still has a lot of time before he needs to be back, he goes over to a apple tree and picks some big juicy apples, giving a cut up one to his horse. "This is so you don's say a word of our little side track." Smiling to himself, as he walks the horse back to the main road. Rodan takes another good look around before he walks out into the open. Once Rodan feels it is still clear he climb back on the horse and continues his scouting.
Rodan returns to the camp about forty minutes after he left and he checks in with Lar and gives him a report on the road conditions up a head. Once that is done he takes care of his horse and moves the small sack from the saddle bags to his backpack. He walks over to where Pan set up her cooking area.
"Here you go, I thought you might have a use for these." As he hands her the dozen or so apples in his saddle bags.
Once that is done Rodan goes to get cleaned up and ready for dinner.
Sitting at breakfast the next morning, Cole finally speaks up again.
"So our main goal is to find out how/why the goblins managed to take the keep? Is that my understanding? We are cleaning them out too. Right?"
Lar winces at the word 'cleaning'.
"What we are about to do is unlikely to be clean but it should be just. I've spent over two decades trying to understand my dream and anticipate Sarenrae's will. It's driven me a little mad in my own neat and orderly way to try to find order from the chaos that is prophecy and dreams. I don't know what exactly will happen but my goals are to protect you, recover the paladins who were stationed there or their remains, try to redeem the goblins, and smite any who are not worthy of redemption. I oppose the doctrine that the only good green skin is rotting so I expect restraint, but I am a realist. I don't know how far words will carry us but it's my goal to seek knowledge and offer mercy before violence erupts. As to the violence that's inherent in the endeavor, my dream leads me to believe that my sword arm must be held back. I wish I could draw it in anything but a display of competence and I hope So will be similarly reluctant."
"So a 'cleansing' flame is appropriate only once it's necessary as there's no justice in a barrage of Fireballs."
"No word on whether you will be as reluctant to draw steel as I will be, old friend?" Lar asks, slightly surprised.
"So I will do what I must to protect you and our new allies from all foes." So says.
- • I will protect my allies with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together.
- • I will seek out and destroy the spawn of the Rough Beast. If I cannot defeat them, I will give my life trying. If my life would be wasted in the attempt, I will find allies. If any fall because of my inaction, their deaths lie upon my soul, and I will atone for each.
- • I am fair to others. I expect nothing for myself but that which I need to survive.
- • The best battle is a battle I win. If I die, I can no longer fight. I will fight fairly when the fight is fair, and I will strike quickly and without mercy when it is not.
- • I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they will not turn toward the light, I will redeem them by the sword.
- • I will not abide evil, and will combat it with steel when words are not enough. I do not flinch from my faith, and do not fear embarrassment. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky.
- • I will show the less fortunate the light of the Dawnflower. I will live my life as her mortal blade, shining with the light of truth.
- • Each day is another step toward perfection. I will not turn back into the dark.
Hadri sits in quiet contemplation at the recent turn of events. When Lar talks about the redeeming of goblins he laughs. " Yer'll have t'have a very fine tooth comb to find any who are worthy of redemption Mister Lar. But just supposin' I'm right and they need redeeming in the best way, are you wantin' us to deal with them so you can keep yer sword clean and held back?"
Cole immediately goes quiet again, stewing on his own thoughts. Regardless of the paladin's wants, the needs of the moment will be obvious.
Goblins will burn.
"Don't go out of your way to start a fight, but if one breaks out, you're free to stop the enemy combatants forcefully."
Tura sits on the wagon as she was not one to ride horses, instead, she rode on the cart until the camp was set up. She ate and slept after drinking.
"Grunt and if the goblins don't like it kill got it" She says with food in her month eating some bread she took from the feast earlier.
"Ooo Goblin booze, let's check to see what sorta stuff they have"Tura says wiping crumbs form her fangs.
"Do not underestimate my charm! Hheh. As a constable I have learned all races, like all individuals, are rarely all good or bad! For instance, I have never met a goblin who rapes! Pre-judgement leads to sloppy mistakes!"
Hadri perches himself down on a wagon. "Yer mind if I ride here? Never really got the hang of horses. How long is the ride?"
Cole climbs in the back of the wagon. He then appears to relax casually on his travel pack without a word.
"So every day is about eight hours of travel by horse, wagon, or whatever else makes sense. So that results in an average speed of 16 miles because of the wagon. So that means a week of travel but with a week to plan, enjoy your freedom, however limited it may be, and come up with a strategy, we should be well prepared when we arrive." So says to the 'Are we there yet?' questions.
Cole seems to manage setting up the campfires every night, mostly by himself, and each is always carefully created and managed with extra gathered firewood nearby for each. He does this without a word and never talks about it, even if questions are asked. He always fall asleep closest to a campfire and drifts off with his eyes focused on the dancing flames.
After a week of good food, safe travels, and getting to know each other a little better, you arrive at Highwall Keep. Lar insists that breakfast be taken about 100 feet from the walls of Highwall Keep, with the wagons parked, a sort of staging area set, and everyone fully armed for the battle.
"I want them to know we're here and that we seem to be peaceful, so do your best to pretend this is business as usual, and we're what passes for diplomatic envoys or investigators. Feel free to call us what you wish as long as you don't claim any noble titles."
There's a twenty foot wide path between a checker pattern hedge maze and you see the walls of the keep in the distance, with occasional curious goblins straining to see you from the walls and from the entryway to the keep, an additional thirty feet inside.
Lar says, "So if no one has any better plan, we'll go forth, and Shintaro will do the talking. We're the first non-merchants to arrive, and the goblins didn't respond to any attempts to communicate by the merchants, so we need to approach them in their own tongue. Feel free to use any skill in your repertoire to convince them to speak to us and reveal what's happened and how. Violence may be inevitable but the more we know about the inner workings of the keep and the goblins that hold it, the better."
"So does anyone have a better plan?
"If you want Lar, I can break away and climb the steps to keep you covered from above?"
As he pulls his bow off his back.
"What in Torag's name are these?! They've got tails!" Hadri exclaims as he tightens his grip on his Warhammer. "Go say hello Shintaro." he says, then mutters quietly "But not to nice, if yer get my gist" with a grin on his face.
Shintaro bows smartly, hands folded plainly in front of him.
"Mach! Huukec-dhuuch, Shaagaar ac Rhagaan! Kuuc ghuul o draaklaar arlec druuc, ac rhec ghuul or dhegaan rhaan! A al Tekaguun! A al maagaan duun dakakhaan dhuur daaraan ghaac! Daan druun khruur den dhuur shuulkar, okec duun kaar!
So says, "So that's a decent plan, Rodan, if you wish, but I worry that I will have difficulty reaching you quickly should you be attacked. So I'd rather you stay with us."
The party approaches the keep at sundown, and the waiting goblins appear to snap to attention as Shintaro begins to speak.
The goblins pause, unused to such nice language, but appear suitably respected to lower their weapons a notch.
"Okaan ghuulkaac del'daan A dakakhaan!"
"They ask what we bring for them!" Shintaro says to the paladins.
Rodan shrugs his shoulders.
"Your the boss, I will keep an eye out from down here."
Watching the interaction between Shintaro and the goblins.
I should learn goblin one day
"Well, we have this. Say 'flower' followed immediately by 'dawn' after setting the glass bead on the ground to activate it. A magical campfire will appear and when extinguished normally it will return to bead form for twice as long as it burned. We also have food, as you've seen, but I don't know how well they'd take to a magical feast and whether we'd have enough to feed all the goblins we've seen on the walls. Pan could whip up less palatable fare and save the feasts for the higher ranked goblins. What else does everyone think they may want?" Lar asks, handing over a Campfire Bead carefully.
Looking disquieted at haveing to offer anything, Cole will offerspeak up.
"I have an Everburning Torch. It's not real fire however. And a bottle of Alchemist's fire. What exactly are we paying for? Access? Not to be eaten today? Shouldn't we clarify something before we start handing over possibly dangerous items to these creatures?"
"Your generosity speaks well of you, but we do not seek your items. We seek your advice. We aren't used to facing anyone who is neither strictly good nor strictly evil. The good are easy to work with once common ground is found, and the evil are to be destroyed if they do not seek mercy. We've never 'gone shopping' for goblins so we don't know what a keep full of goblins may wish in exchange for information."
" Offer them food, food is something everyone needs and booze never huets"[/ b] she says as if it was obvious, I mean the one with the most food to offer is the most desirable after all"
" Offer them food, food is something everyone needs and booze never huets" she says as if it was obvious, "I mean the one with the most food to offer is the most desirable after all"
"I'll give them somethin' for sure. Be clear what yer want from these evil creatures, else they'll take everythin' yer got and you'll get nout in exchange." He says with slightly gritted teeth. You get the impression giving them things doesn't sit naturally with Hadri.
"Yer need to specify exactly what yer want from them" he repeats to Lar.
"Tura, booze Is easy. Pan can make a barrel and a half of wine or mead a day. Given the rate she's been making that this past week, and the rate that everyone consumed it, she's probably got a half dozen barrels left over. Food is more likely a feast for 30 or so people but we'd want to feed the higher ranking goblins and not the grunts sent to scare away the curious. Hadri, like Cole, you're right that anything more valuable or dangerous should not be handed over too eagerly, but we could use our gifts like a lure to fetch the bigger fish from the depths of the keep, right?"
"No matter their beliefs, most folk want to be listened to! We should ask about them in addition to whatever else we want to know!"