"Ok then, lets go" - Roryx agrees - "I am sure we can arrange that" - and leads the way to the bar.
"Feel free to order something to drink, and let us start from the beginning - what do you know of this Carrion King? What is the talk among the Three Jaws?"
"Carrion King is big boss. He strongest gnoll ever. He make gnolls extra strong." Dashki tells and gestures the dimensions of those extra strong gnolls which seems to be impressive.
"Dashki never seen Carrion King. But Carrion King knows everything. You better not get on bad side of Carrion King. All want be strong gnolls. All do what Carrion King says." Daski tells the things that are obvious to him.
His bar tab lists an impressive amount of liquor, but due to the nature of the establishment and the kind of alcohol Dashki usually consumes it sums up to 112 silver including the collection of bottles he intends to take away this time.
"Understood" - Roryx nods - "And what do the others from the tribe think about you coming and going to and from Kelmaranes? They do not mind? Does the tribe deal with humans at all - trading or anything like that?"
"Gnolls not do trade. Gnolls send Dashki to see humans stay in village and not come for mountains."
Ohrmizd restrains from offering Dashki a fist payment and let's Roryx, who seems less moved by the treason deal with. Despite that, the Keleshite's lips clench and shake as they walk back to the bar for drinks.
Taking sit, the man puts three bottles in front of Dashki to start over. As the questions progress, Ohrmizd adds up "I wonder how did you manage for the gnolls not to just kill you after the first step you made into their territory"
"Gnolls killed Dashki family and raised Dashki."
"Dashki not know how Carrion King make gnolls strong."
"Humans not staying in village?" Dashki inquires.
"Who are we to deny the man a drink?"
With a playful shrug, he took Dashki over to the bar, slightly grimacing as he stopped short of taking one himself since that likely won't be a good idea on the job.
"Do you know why the Carrion King has an interest in this Rovagug being?"
"Carrion King say Rovagug strong and Lamashtu be weak. Carrion King is strong - Carrion King is right."
"Why are they so worried that the humans stay in the village? And so... You are here to spy? Is that it?" - Roryx chuckles.
"You come to village and kill Kullids tribe. Kullids tribe stupid to stay in human village. Die for big human. But gnolls not trust humans who kill gnoll tribe."
"The Carrion King is uniting the gnoll tribes to wipe us out of the board. Are you with the gnolls or are you only spying on them?" Ohrmizd notices the danger that Dashki poses to the mission and looks at him inquisitively trying to take the truth out of his marrow if needed.
"That is lies! Gnolls not go to war." Dashki objects starting a staring contest with Ohrmizd.
5 ranks +3 trained +2 wis
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"That is not the report that has been given to us. Instead we have been told of the Carrion King uniting the tribes to take Kelmarane. So you have been with the Three Jaws. Can you be sure that the other tribes are the same? Has the Carrion King sent emissaries to the Three Jaws?"
Ohrmizd holds his 'look' on Dashki trying to find any taint of falsehood "You are either blind to what is going on in the gnoll lines or we have been badly roused by this Zayifid friend"
The man says this while holding his 'look' on the "gnoll-expert", merely raising an eyebrow as he waits for answers to Omari's questions.
Dashki loses interest in staring down Ohrmizd and turns to Omari. "Dashki not know what going on in other tribes. But Three Jaws not preparing for war. And Three Jaws are proud warriors. Three jaws being first in war!"
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While Ohrmizd and Omari are quizzing Dashki, Manuun takes Roryx out of earshot.
"You have heard that Dashki is supposed to warn the gnolls if we leave the Town. I think it would be wise if he could be delayed for a few weeks in town. I am Sure with enough free dinks he could be easily convinced."
"So we ended up on the wrong footing in that case," he winced. "To be fair, they did try to kill us in our own tents..."
He decided to pivot towards something else. "Anyways, is there a way to convince the Three Jaws not to attack?"
Ohrmizd continues to look Dashki waiting for him to answer Heshan. As he finishes his aura scan, the Keleshite tries to scan other auras on Dashki, but for that this time he needs to say a few words. Touching Sarenrae's symbol he says обнаружить магию, and then looks at Dashki as intensely as he has done before, trying to detect magical auras this time.
While Ohrmizd and Omari are quizzing Dashki, Manuun takes Roryx out of earshot.
"You have heard that Dashki is supposed to warn the gnolls if we leave the Town. I think it would be wise if he could be delayed for a few weeks in town. I am Sure with enough free dinks he could be easily convinced."
"I understood differently Manuum - I have been moving around the region recently without any issues from either Dashki or gnolls. We ourselves went out for an exploration without any issues" - Roryx pondered - "So I was under the impression he meant some larger movement? But you may be right. Though trying to keep him here might raise even more suspicion?"
The half orc looks at Dashki again from afar - "I say we wait, let him depart, and once he is away we take our own leave?" What do you think?"
"If Carrion King says go to war, Three Jaw tribe go to war. Nothing humans can do about that. But Carrion King did not say go to war."
The only aura about Dashki is of the olfactory kind. And this aura is strong.
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"I understood differently Manuum - I have been moving around the region recently without any issues from either Dashki or gnolls. We ourselves went out for an exploration without any issues" - Roryx pondered - "So I was under the impression he meant some larger movement? But you may be right. Though trying to keep him here might raise even more suspicion?"The half orc looks at Dashki again from afar - "I say we wait, let him depart, and once he is away we take our own leave?" What do you think?"
"We have quizzed him pretty hard about that Carrion King. even if he does not suspect anything the people who send him here will notice.
On the other hand if we let it be known that we he received some post here in Kelmarane for his part of freeing the city nobody might suspect something if he never comes back.""Or if you want to let him leave we should let it slip that we will travel to Ipeq toheal the emir and help him reclaim the land. That way he might tell his masters that we are savely out of the way and nobody will be looking for us."
"Who this Zayifid who tells lies?" Dashki inquires.
Ohrmizd rises the right eyebrow "Zayifid is wanderer and faithful of Sarenrae who seeks for peace in Kelmerane without a bloodshed. This is also what we want Dashki. We want to avoid a war between the gnolls and Kelmerane"
"Are you sure you would know if the Three Jaws leaders had been ordered by the Carrion King to prepare for war?" the Keleshite keeps trying to find out if Dashki is laying.
"Dashki know more than human priest. Human priest get gutted when coming to gnoll lair. How do priest know?"
"...hold on a moment." he walked back towards Manuun to speak to him privately. "Now he's saying that Zafiyid should have died. He never had to meet the gnolls to know this information... did he?"
Ohrmizd pours more of the terrible alcohol into Dashki's cup "Here. Take this Dashki. Keep talking"
"Why humans not go ask Carrion King? He know. He tell humans, before gut humans." Dashki becomes annoyed by that talk which goes in circles.
"I understood differently Manuum - I have been moving around the region recently without any issues from either Dashki or gnolls. We ourselves went out for an exploration without any issues" - Roryx pondered - "So I was under the impression he meant some larger movement? But you may be right. Though trying to keep him here might raise even more suspicion?"The half orc looks at Dashki again from afar - "I say we wait, let him depart, and once he is away we take our own leave?" What do you think?"
"We have quizzed him pretty hard about that Carrion King. even if he does not suspect anything the people who send him here will notice.
On the other hand if we let it be known that we he received some post here in Kelmarane for his part of freeing the city nobody might suspect something if he never comes back.""Or if you want to let him leave we should let it slip that we will travel to Ipeq toheal the emir and help him reclaim the land. That way he might tell his masters that we are savely out of the way and nobody will be looking for us."
"I do not think we have any legitimate, clear reason to keep him here against his will" - Roryx ponders Manuum's ideas - "But there is nothing stopping us from allowing him to run a tab on us for... A week? For all his forthcoming info?" - he smiles - "And in the meantime hint at the fact that, like you suggested, 'we are traveling to Ipeq for our own reasons'?" - he adds - "It may give us some time, in case he is planning to run back and spill his guts to the gnolls. Though, I am no good at this lying and sending false messages stuff..."
"Are you suggesting we just go straight to pay a visit to the Carrion King at the House of the Beast without stopping by the other tribes?" Ohrmizd rises the other eyebrow while keeping close watch of Dashki reactions.
"Dashki not care where humans go to get killed. You say Carrion King plan war. You not believing Dashki. Why ask other gnoll? Gnoll not talk to humans. You not believe gnoll anyway."
"Are you suggesting we stay here in Kelmerane and wait to see who is right if the human wanderer or you?" Ohrmizd stares at Dashki trying to decipher what the group is supposed to do.
"You have problem Dashki can not solve. It not matters what Dashki suggests."
"So you admit we have to solve it and we cannot just stay here and wait. Let's come back to the Carrion King home." Ohrmizd pours in more alcohol into the gnoll's-expert cup "Take more. Do not worry, we pay. Have you been at the House of the Beast? What do the gnolls tell about that temple?"
Dashki empties the cup into his throat. "Dashki not seen House of Carrion King. Gnolls not talk about houses. Only talk about becoming strong gnolls."
Ohrmizd quickly replenishes the cup the gnoll expert just emptied "Cool. Let's leave boring houses aside. Why should we expect you gnolls to know about houses. Explain us more about that other thing. How do gnolls work to become strong?"
"They go there to house of Carrion King. And if Carrion King like them they come back big and strong. Carrion King do magic?" Dashki shrugs and downs the mug again.
Ohrmizd takes mental note Dashki did not fend off when he included him into the gnoll group "Interesting..." the Keleshite makes sure Dashki's mug does not remain empty for more than a few seconds "Do you know a few of those strong gnolls that went to the Carrion King? I guess they must be very knowledgeable of the gnoll weapons or have strange powers to deserve the attention of the King..."
"How would Dashki know. Dashki never be worth it." He downs another mug and then falls off his chair, knocked out by the strong booze.
"I thought you said that they come back big and strong, how do you know if you have not seen them?" Ohrmizd startles how can he sense no lies on Dashki when his discourse is erratic and contradictory.
The Keleshite is up to refill the mug when Dashki falls unconscious "Well guys... I think Dashki will be prevented to go back to the tribes before we are well ahead on our way to the Pale Mountain" the man kneels by the unconscious body and checks for any hints that point Dashki has been sent here into a mission, while also tries to pull his hair back and check if his face is real or this is in fact a gnoll trying to impersonate the gnoll-expert.
If Dashki has any items of note, Ohrmizd takes note for what they might mean, like a present from the Carrion King himself, but he does not loot the man. Ohrmizd only wants information and will leave Dashki's possessions be for he does not want to create a grudge with him.
"Manuun and I was just discussing the possibility of opening him a bar tab paid by us" - Roryx approaches - "That alone might be enough to keep him interested in staying in Kelmaranes a few more days?"
Then he turns to Manuun, and back to Ohrmizd with a smile - "While we travel to... Ipeq for personal business"
Swiper sniffs curiously at the fallen Dashki, but otherwise leaves him be.
Dashki only has the gear you've already seen on him including a dead pugwampi as a trophy.
Ohrmizd checks if he is really a man or a gnoll disguised. He goes as far as touching him and looking below the clothes.
Ohrmizd goes on a daring journey. For even though Dashki is a human through and through, he has the personal hygiene of a gnoll and that is not pretty.
Other than Kurrelak who got the opposite treatment and now smells like peaches and has soft fur. The smell reminds you suspiciously of Haleen.
"Well, in this state, he's not going to be a guide for us, that's for certain. Omari casts a glance over Kurrelak and the other patrons, and says, "Let us discuss this matter privately"
He leads the group to a corner where they will be difficult to overhear, and then talks quietly: "Roryx, I assume there is a need to keep public disorder under control here in Kelmarane. Roryx, let your patrol have him for 3 or 4 days to sober up (and get the shakes), on bread and water... We set him up with a pre-paid tab with Kurrelak here, with instructions (for Kurrelak) to give him the strong stuff as a 'thank you for his help'. The patrol will be picking him up again in no time. Let's see if we can get the cycle to repeat a few times, which should keep him busy while we go about our business... The only flaw is, how trustworthy do we think Kurrelak is?"