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Post by Daos on Feb 6, 2018 10:41:10 GMT -8
The party follows Theron to the makeshift prison. Upon closer inspection, the single occupant is indeed, a goblin. She is badly beaten and malnourished, and winces visibly at the bright light coming from Ryan's stone. Shielding her good eye (the other haven swollen shut from bruising), she asks, " Chon ste em?" Blinking, she appears surprised. "You are not Bloody Spear...you are... Villkru? Here? Why?" ȝɂɉɈǺɍɎȿǺȿɇǺȗǺȱɂɉǺɃɍǺɃɎșȖȼɌȘȖȼɌȘȰɃɆɆɅɌɏǺȗǺȦɃɎȿɌȻɆɆɓǺɎɌȻɈɍɆȻɎȿȾȆǺɃɎǺɇȿȻɈɍǺȁɎɌɃȼȿǺɉɀǺɎɂȿǺɎɉɑɈɍȈȁǺǺȣɎǺɌȿɀȿɌɍǺɎɉǺȻɈɓɉɈȿǺɑɂɉǺɆɃɐȿɍǺɃɈǺȽɃɐɃɆɃɔȻɎɃɉɈȆǺɃɈɍɎȿȻȾǺɉɀǺɎɂȿǺɑɃɆȾȿɌɈȿɍɍȈǺǺȣɎǺɂȻɍǺɍɉɌɎǺɉɀǺȼȿȽɉɇȿǺɎɂȿɃɌǺȽȻɎȽɂȇȻɆɆǺɎȿɌɇǺɀɉɌǺȻɈɓǺɂɏɇȻɈɍȆǺȿɆɐȿɍȆǺɁɈɉɇȿɍȆǺȾɑȻɌɐȿɍȆǺȿɎȽȈØ ŊŠųŸŠğŲŤŭŲŤŲğŭŮğŬŠūŨŢŤğťűŮŬğųŧŤğŦŮšūŨŭĭØ |
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Post by Ezeze on Feb 6, 2018 11:07:27 GMT -8
"You speak Tardish." It's an observation, not a question.
Katya moves closer to the makeshift cell door, looking it over, trying to get a sense of how best to let the goblin 'prisoner' out. Is it as simple as moving the boulder out of the way? How difficult does it look, and how much noise would it make?
"My name is Katya. We - " here she gestures to her companions "-are from Buho, the walled village to the East. We were brought here by Gonto's prophet to prevent a war."
Nothing she said was untrue. Not technically. Garnet was with them, and had confirmed that they should be in this cave. Better not to mention Ubisek's help just yet. Not while they knew so little about their new friend.
"From the look of it" she continues "you are not Bloody Spear either. What is your name?"
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Post by HorizonsDream on Feb 6, 2018 15:06:56 GMT -8
Ladonna moves to stand next to Katya as she speaks to this woman. She looks around for a way to get her out of the cell. "What has happened to you?" she asks. "Have the Bloody Spear done this to you?"
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Post by Nuke on Feb 6, 2018 20:24:35 GMT -8
Using his free hand, Ryan shields the direct light from the eyes, allowing the others to ask the questions.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Feb 7, 2018 4:37:30 GMT -8
Lillian joins the others by the cell. She has her rapier on the ready, in case of a threat.
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Post by Daos on Feb 7, 2018 12:01:30 GMT -8
"My lord taught me the Tardish language," she says. "He believed it would prove useful some day. Perhaps he was right." There is undeniable respect and reverence in her voice when speaking of her lord. Kayta examines the boulder. Moving it should be enough to let the goblin out. It would take four small-sized people or two man-sized people working together to move it, though. As for noise, it's hard to say. It will certainly make some noise, if moved. "Gonto's prophet? Then...you were not sent here by my lord, Chief Ubisek of the Woodfang Tribe?" She seems disappointed to learn this. "I am called Nak’skree," she adds. "I am my lord's top scout. He sent me to keep an eye on the Bloody Spear, but I failed him and was captured. Despite this, I have refused to tell my captors anything. I would die before betraying my people."  |
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Post by Ezeze on Feb 7, 2018 14:24:56 GMT -8
Katya hesitates for just a moment. She can't pin down the source of her unease. It might be because Ubisek didn't mention anything about a scout. It might just be her old prejudices about goblins. She does answer, though; "Gonto sent visions. Ubisek provided context."
She considers the taller members of the party who have gathered close and selects- "Ladonna. Would you be so kind as to help me move this?" Katya bends to get her arms around half the boulder, but she's reasonably certain she'll need her companions' help to get it rolling. She could ask Ryan, but she is ill at ease asking the cleric for more help than she has to. Lillian already has her rapier out and is watching for trouble. Theron is a little too short to get his arms properly around the thing. That only leaves Ladonna, since everyone else is hanging back away from the bars.
It might make noise, but those rock-things falling on them had made noise too and no one had come running.
"If you were scouting when you were captured you may know a bit more than we do. Ubisek called the leader of the Bloody Spear the 'Hooded One.' The sign on the back of the mine said 'Soul Devourer.' Are they different names for the same person?"
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Post by HorizonsDream on Feb 7, 2018 14:39:40 GMT -8
"Me?" Ladonna asks in surprise as she walks over to the other side of the boulder to help Katya. "I'm not sure I'm going to be of much help," she adds. At this point though, she lowers her voice so that only Katya can hear. ǴȓɄȷDzɋɁɇDzɅɇɄȷDzɆȺȳɆDzɆȺȻɅDzȻɅDzȳDzȹɁɁȶDzȻȶȷȳȑDzȥɁȿȷɆȺȻɀȹDzɅȷȷȿɅDzɈȷɄɋDzɁȸȸDzȳȴɁɇɆDzɆȺȻɅDzɅȻɆɇȳɆȻɁɀǾDzȳɅDzȻȸDzɆȺȻɅDzȹɁȴȾȻɀDzɉɁȿȳɀDzɉȳɅDzɂȾȳȵȷȶDzȻɀDzȺȷɄȷDzɂɇɄɂɁɅȷȾɋDzɆɁDzȹȷɆDzȻɀȸɁɄȿȳɆȻɁɀDzȸɄɁȿDzɇɅǾǴDzɅȺȷDzɅȳɋɅȀDzǴȥȺȷDzɀȷȳɄȾɋDzɅȷȷȿɅDzɆɁDzɉɁɄɅȺȻɂDzȺȷɄDzǴȾɁɄȶǴǾDzȳɀȶDzȧȴȻɅȷȽDzɀȷɈȷɄDzȿȷɀɆȻɁɀȷȶDzȳDzɅȵɁɇɆDzɆɁDzɇɅȀǴÌ |
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Post by Ezeze on Feb 7, 2018 15:01:57 GMT -8
Katya turns her head to continue the whispered conversation with Ladonna. ųƚŸƾűƿǀDžűDŽdžǃƶŽűƿǀųűDŽƹƶűƲƵƾƺDžDŽſűųƓdžDžűLjƹƲDžűƺDŽűDžƹƶűƲƽDžƶǃƿƲDžƺLJƶƐűƝƶƲLJƶűƹƶǃűƹƶǃƶƐűƤƹƶűƾƺƸƹDžűƳƶűƽNJƺƿƸŽűƳdžDžűDŽƹƶűƾƺƸƹDžűƳƶűDžƶƽƽƺƿƸűDžƹƶűDžǃdžDžƹſųÌ |
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Post by Nuke on Feb 7, 2018 16:56:50 GMT -8
Ryan step forward and speaks "We have worked with Chief Ubisek before." before lending his shoulder to the rock moving task.
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Post by notARobot on Feb 7, 2018 16:57:56 GMT -8
Seeing Katya and Ladonna begin moving into position to attempt move the boulder, Theron moves forward, gives Katya a stern look, and makes a subtle gesture with his hand while shaking his head: four fingers extended, palm downward, quickly drawn across his throat.
Then he approaches the goblin calling herself Nak’skree. He walks toward her slowly, both hands raised with his palms facing her. "As my companion has said, we have come here for our own reasons. Before we made the journey here, though, we talked to Lord Ubisek of the Woodfang tribe. He spoke with our leaders, warning them of the Bloody Spear's intention to make war against our village. A truce was declared; both your people and ours saw it was in our mutual interest to put aside our differences, so that the Bloody Spear can be stopped."
Theron continues. "In light of that, if you truly serve Ubisek as you claim, we may be inclined to free you from captivity. The Bloody Spear goblins we have encountered on our way down here, though...they have proved themselves treacherous and deceitful in the most dangerous ways. I am not convinced that we can trust you, Nak’skree of the Woodfang tribe."
"What useful information can you share with us about the Bloody Spear goblins or this 'Hooded One' who apparently leads them? What were you able to learn in the course of your scouting, before you were captured? Demonstrate your good will to us by telling us what you know, and we will free you."
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Post by Ezeze on Feb 7, 2018 17:08:59 GMT -8
In light of both Ladonna and Theron objecting Katya does not move the boulder with Ryan. The opposite - she subtly leans against it, holding it in place. At least for now.
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Post by Daos on Feb 8, 2018 13:23:44 GMT -8
Nak’skree looks puzzled. "The leader of the Bloody Spears does call himself the Hooded One. But what is a Soul Devourer? What sign do you speak of?"
Garnet steps forward. "She means an oknog."
"Oknog? I thought those were myths. They are..," Nak'skree struggles with her words. "Demons? Monsters? Stories meant to scare children into behaving. I've never actually seen one before. They are not people, though. The Hooded One may have an oknog under his control, but he is not one. He is a goblin. I'm sure of that."
"Then things are more dire than I thought," Nak'skree says. "He had told me of his plan to involve the Villkru, but only as a last resort. Only if there was no other way to stop the Hooded One."
"Why...only as a last...resort?" asks Ingot.
"Because the Villkru have a history of treachery and betrayal," she says matter-of-factually. "My lord wishes peace, but he is not naive enough to trust you would not throw him to the worgs if it was in your own best interest to do so."
"She's not wrong about that," Finbul notes wryly.
"I am not Bloody Spear. Or are we goblins all the same in your eyes?" she asks. "If what you say is true, and you are ally to my lord and the Woodfang tribe, then I am not your enemy. If anyone should be suspicious, it should be me. Why should I trust you? Perhaps you cut a deal with the Bloody Spear to avoid the war, and are servants of the Hooded One, and are trying to trick me into betraying my lord and my people."
"I know where the Hooded One is," she says. "I can tell you how to find him. But first I need food and water. I have not been fed in three days. And I wish to be freed first. If you are truly allies to my lord, you have no reason to leave me here to rot. Prove to me your own good will first."
At this point, she slumps down into a sitting position. It's clear all this talk has drained her of what little energy she had remaining.
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Post by Ezeze on Feb 8, 2018 14:46:38 GMT -8
Katya looks to Theron and to Ladonna. She had been ready to free the goblin before she answered Theron's questions, and she was no less ready to do so now.
If the two have no further objection she will bend to move the boulder, then feed the goblin from her own stores - though she is out of water herself.
"I have no intention of pressing for information about Ubisek. You can keep your peoples' faith. If you can lead us to The Hooded One, that is enough."
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Post by HorizonsDream on Feb 8, 2018 19:00:05 GMT -8
Ladonna still seems suspicious but she motions for Ryan and Katya to go ahead and free the goblin. "Once we move the boulder, I'll give you some of my rations. That is the most that we can do when it comes to food at this point. What can you tell us about the Hooded One?"
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