"Yes."
Paying very little attention to the goblin, Indo walks closer to Bedu and murmers quietly I would not kill something that means us no harm if I can avoid it, but I am very comfortable scaring him until we have all that he can give.
He claps Bedu on the back and winks.
Now, my friends...about those bandages.
Pindara steps toward the edge, careful to keep the width of the hole between herself and the goblin. She looks down into the darkness, and after a moment makes a dissatisfied grunting sound. Finally looking back up at Bedu, she nods her acceptance of his plan.
Knowledge: Local check (1d20 4=9)
Lotus doesn't trust this goblin any farther then she can throw him and pays close attention (Perception +3 (1d20+3=23)) to him. She notices that he is hiding something and immediately relates this to Bedu. He's hiding something Bedu. It's obvious there is more.
"Would someone kindly scare some truth out of this lying goblin. For all we know he could be a demon too?" Bedu adds.
The dwarf waddles over to the lying goblin, and smiles very briefly, "my friends are getting angry with you and I fear I cannot help you more. Goodbye."
Slowly he steps backwards away from Pakus, drawing his scimitar as he goes.
(Bedu makes sure that there is no escape route to the doorway or hole, unless the rest have it covered).
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Pakus's eyes go wide as Bedu draws his scimitar. "No, no, mighty round dwarf lord! It's just it's all I gots! I wanted to takes something with me, something to retire on in my old age. I not lies, I not hides nothing!"
With shaking hands, he reaches into his pockets and lays 3 small clay vials on the floor.
Lotus:
Lotus notices the response of the goblin to Bedu giving up on him. But she has also seen him hide more in a place she doesn't want to go: the goblin undies. To solve her problem she goes over to Bedu and tells him: He has more hidden... in his loincloth.
Skittle stands up, starts waiving his sword around, and yells, "Tell that filthy goblin to strip, Bedu!" I'm getting tired of this and am gonna slice him up if he doesn't stop playing games!"
"Tell him yourself, Skittle. The phrase is Unnark Uffik!" Again Bedu shakes his head at the goblin.
DM
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The shouting and screaming seems to have an effect. Having already removed his armor, Pakus is wearing little more than a filthy loincloth and assorted rags. A look of sadness crosses his face as he removes the last of his rags and stands before you, pitifully naked. For a moment nothing happens, then a small purple gemstone drops from between his legs onto the floor.
Pakus sighs and gives a little sniffle. "That all I gots. Nothing more. Unless you want me to bends over and cough."
A pang of guilt suddenly hits Lotus and she feels sorry for the goblin. Do we need the armor and the sword? I don't think we can use those. The other stuff we can sell for a nice amount of gold I'd say. What do you guys think? At least he'll be able to protect himself and get another job.
"Pakus, we could give you back the sword and armour but for that you must tell me what the red and black splashes on these vials mean."
Bedu shows the goblin the vials and waits.
"I agree with you Skittle," he adds in common to the rest.
Pindara narrows her eyes as if she could stare a hole through the goblin. "I'm fine with giving him back the armor," she finally says in quiet common. "But why exactly do we want to give him back his sword?" Her eyes are narrow, her voice hard. "From the look of his gear, I'd say he's been a successful mercenary. And I'd imagine that around here, one gets to be a successful goblin mercenary," she posits, her face drawing into a grimace, "By killing the folk of Iskandria." She shakes her head, glaring at the pitiable goblin.
"Letting this creature leave with his weapon may lead to deaths in this city, and I don't want to be party to that."
The dwarf nods.
"Good point. Well made."
Indo kicks the sword over against the wall. Get your armor on as you leave, little one. If we ever hear that you have plagued human kind, we will sell you to the Moburba tribe of monkey goblins. You know what things they'd do to a wretch their own size?
Indo faces the rest of the party. Let's be done with him. I'll tend my wound and then we can proceed.
He strolls back to his pack and begins to sort through his supplies.
"The blessing of the god-kings is upon you." A wholesome feeling of completeness descends upon Liet's companions as he invokes his deity's power.
"Thank you for your generosity. I feel better and I was not harmed."
Skittle lowers his sword and shakes his head. "He can take his all of his stuff, as far as I'm concerned," he says. "I want nothing to do with goblins or their things."
Well I'm not averse to picking up what he used to own. Lotus tells the principled Skittle. If you guys don't mind I'll hold onto his stuff until we get back to town to appraise it properly. Lotus takes a quick look at the purple gem to get an inkling of its value, but just as quickly decides that she'll need an expert to make an accurate valuation (Appraise +5 (1d20+5=11)).
"It is my thought that this red potion heals and so should go to a warrior , someone best placed to save others. Not Liet or myself who can already. The black potion makes you go "poof!". This is not something I am sure about. Who would wish for this?"
Bedu holds up the red and black marked vials.
"I agree with Bedu's suggestion."
I also agree and I think that going *poof* sounds amazing. I'd like to try it some time. Lotus looks for other reactions. When none come forward she picks up the black potion.
Bedu hands over to Lotus the black vial. "Good luck with this goblinbrew. I hope it isn't poison."
He chuckles and moves off. The dwarf next looks down the hole trying to make out any signs of life.
Lotus accepts the potion and quickly stores it. In her mind doubt rages at Bedu's comment. Poison? Why would it be poison? Ah stupid dwarf is trying to mess with my mind. Of course it isn't poison... is it??? But then she shrugs it away. So we go down now?
Pindara stands at the edge of the hole, her face creased with deep frown lines as she searches for the ladder or rope that the goblins and their associates must use to climb down into the hole.
"Are we certain we have enough torches," she asks after a moment. "We don't want to run out of light and become trapped down there. Demon goblins and anything else that's down there must not need light to see."
If you don't mind, I am willing to hold one of the potions. I feel I will be in this position again, soon.
Bedu, I've got a rope in my backpack. Shall we tie that to something here so we can descend and ascend again easily? I don't have a light though.
Bedu hands one red potion to Indo and the offers the other to Skittle and Pindara.
"As agreed, Liet, they may not be wish to seem grasping and that is a fine quality in a man, or a woman. This humble servant's poor joke at the expense of Lotus about goblinbrew was a mistake. I apologise to you for such cruelty. Now which one of you two wishes to carry the last of the potions?"
The dwarf waves it theatrically in front of both. "Come on my fine companions."
Bedu uses his innate vision to see if there is more to the dark room.
Liet starts blessing weapons to set them alight.
"I suggest we have ready cloaks to hide the lights in, in the event we need to move unnoticed."
The portly dwarf nods to Lotus and Liet in appreciation.
He grins again, "Lotus, my trust is as a new spring, it flows until it runs out. You do not need to ask."
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Bedu: Looking through the hole with darkvision, you can't see much more than without, although it seems more rubble covers the floor. Perhaps the excavation actually begins in the chamber below.
If you put your head down into the hole to take a look:
Bedu pokes his head inside the hole, looks about and then comes back up.
"I see many things, the floor is covered in rocks. It will hamper us. There tunnels leaving from each wall and two statues grin at each other across the chamber."
"Perhaps these are signs of demon-goblins for they each represent a large worm-like creature with humanoid arms and a goblinoid face surrounded by four tentacles. These I have never heard of before."
Statues? Cool, I want to take a look at them. Do you think we can get them up and out to the city, if they are worth something? an eager Lotus asks Bedu as he tells them what awaits them.
Indo tugs the rope mightily, and tests its distance to the hole.
If it will hold me, I believe it will hold all of you.
He appraises Bedu for a moment,then sheepishly tugs the rope with both hands.
It will hold.
Bedu is busy checking his backpack and belted equipment. Far to busy to notice Indo's sideways glance.
Eventually he hikes the belt up and beams at Lotus, "Of course. You asked about the statues. Sorry I was deep in thought about not falling off the rope and onto the rubble. Bit too much of me to get damaged!"
"The answer is difficult to tell at the moment, perhaps when we reach the goblin statues we will be able to appraise them thoroughly."
Skittle declines a light source and is clearly chomping at the bit. "I know, Father," he says, looking toward the ceiling, "too much talk." He then drops through the hole from his place on its edge.
Liet follows after his companions.
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Everyone clambers easily down the rope into the room below. Your lights reveal a chamber that seems to be an even older level of ruins than the one above. Rubble chokes the floor of this wide chamber and the mouths of the four tunnels leading off from it (west, south, and two to the east). Two hideous statues face you from opposite ends of the room (north and south, ), each representing a large worm-like creature with humanoid arms and a goblinoid face surrounded by four tentacles.
Knowledge (dungeoneering) check DC 13
Bedu and Indo:
Rob:
Dungeoneering (1d20+3=16)
Indo wonders whether he has seen similar statues in his travels, in order to place them geographically. That is until shadows at the end of his field of vision alert him to company.
Indo flips his big blade until he is running down the corridor with it behind him. When he nears one of the assailants, he lends both hands to the cause, swinging up and carrying his momentum into the blade.