"Smart girl." The orc nods as he steps backward and away. He is trying to create a little distance before he lowers his axe. "Now then, I'll tell ya something going on that'll grab your attention. The gobbo tribes in the area have banded together and have started to militarize. Lucky they are just a buncha runts, but they got a few bugbears with them. One fancies himself a king, Klarg or some such. These gobbos attacked my clan when we refused to bow. It sounds like they are workin' for a Drow. At least that's what our last gobbo captive said before we wrung his neck.

"This whole area is losin' it's appeal. My clan is thinking of moving out. Doesn't help that there's a dragon on the loose. You guys adventurers?"

"Something like that," Song nods slowly. "We just escaped the Underdark."

"Hah... the sky is just as terrifying. I suggest you pack up and leave."

"Running with your tail between your legs from a handful of goblins?" raises an eyebrow Khessa "Is this what a clan of proud orc warriors wants to do?"

"I believe you deserve a better fate..." the blonde arcane warrior suggests "Let's join forces and crush these goblins before they are fully organized. If we act as a diversion and you as a shock force, they will have no escape ".

"Their base will be a better field to organize a defense" insists the tall adventuress. "And this dragon too... will probably prefer to choose easier prey than a battle-hardened orc clan occupying a fortified position!"

"Hah!" The orc guffawed loudly at Khessa's words. "You talk real tough, but it makes sense. Tell you what, tell me where you're hold up and I'll pay a visit... or, if that seems too bothersome, send a smoke signal when and where you want to speak. I'll talk to the chief about it. The gobbos are gettin' big for their breeches, so a team up could be beneficial. We'd have to talk details n' make a pact, o' course. As for the dragon, we'd have to really talk. Maybe after we take care of those puny runts. Until then, I'll keep an eye out for any smoke, eh?"

"I want to settle this matter as soon as possible" Khessa declares. "This place might not be a bad place to live in at all... if only we avoid killing each other!" she finally decides to sheath the Cabbage Patch Avenger "And speaking of this: one condition for us to collaborate is obviously that you, from now on, avoid attacking other settlements! You shouldn't have any real need, given that you have just concluded a raid  here and that the goblins will also have supplies for us to take. Be our allies and you will never regret it. United, we will become a force that no one will want to mess with. We will all live safer and better. How much time do you need, to talk to your boss? Can I send the smoke signal tomorrow?" she holds out her hand, finally "My name is Khessa, Khessa Cabbagefield, by the way. And you?"

"Name's Perg." He takes Khessa's hand and firmly shakes it, not trying to show off his brute strength, but clearly respecting Khessa's own strength. "Send the signal tomorrow, we'll be there. I can't speak for my clan, but with regards to, heh, raiding other places... You best tell them to stop huntin' us down. We lived here our whole lives. Now they got a little town running south of here n' they keep trying to purge my people from the land. You want the truth? We will stop botherin' them if they repay us in blood... or gold."

“I know nothing about the city you speak of, Perg,” Khessa admits. "I just arrived in this area. But if you guys team up with me, I will definitely go and tell them to stop hunting you!" the blue eyes shine with determination "If there is a goblin militia that is growing in power and a dragon that runs around undisturbed, it would be really stupid to divide the forces, instead of uniting them! We would only end up being all wiped out. You'll see, just like the I have explained to you now, I will explain it in this town too. To the south, you say? I will find it. Is it a town of humans?"

(Forgive me, the renaissance festival that happens near me took all of my attention!!)

"Its a small town, honestly we could wipe it out if we wanted to." Perg picks his ear. "Full o' humans, for sure. Bunch of bastards, no offense. The elder told us it used to be home to dwarves, so I guess having humes is a step up. Anything else?"

(OOC: Great! Must have been nice! I'm glad for you - and your son. Welcome back!)

"Nothing I can think of now, Perg!" Khessa pats the orc on the shoulder "Go ahead! I'll free the prisoner in the basement, then I'll probably go check out the town!"

"But try not to generalize..." the blonde arcane warrior recommends "I'm a human too, right? Yet, I spared your life... And you are an orc, and yet you will probably become my ally... the differences sometimes inspire distrust... they are not easy to accept... but if you manage to accept them, collaboration often takes you further than conflict".

And indeed, when the orc goes on his way, the tall adventuress goes to check the basement - and if she finds a prisoner there, she frees them.

In the cellar you find a man tied up and gagged! After freeing him, you take notice that he is an older human man with white hair and a white, curly mustache. 

"Thanks for saving me, missy! Now let's give 'em orcs what for!"

"Here we go..." Aster sighs as Song chuckles. 

“We've already had to 'handle' the orcs that attacked you, buddy” Khessa smiles at the man, “or we wouldn't have been able to get to you. You know, they didn't seem to be in the mood to just let us pass... But I understand that they are not the only problem... I also heard from goblins and dragons! Or am I wrong?"

"Yer godsdamn right there's a dragon," the old man spits, which flies across the room into brass spittoon, making a satisfying TING sound. "I ain't seen any goblins up here, but the dragon's a menace. He took my fine cow Bessy, now I bet he ate Petunia while I've been trapped down here for the last couple days... speaking of... mind if I make us some lunch? I'm STARVIN'!"

"Well, this one's quite the character, isn't he?" Aster slyly comments as Song simply nods.

Khessa also nods, smiling, at Aster's comment.

In the meantime, inside herself the blonde arcane warrior is facing a small moral dilemma... The man spoke of his 'fine cow Bessy'... There is therefore a very good chance that that is the cow that was 'adopted ' from the refugees! On the one hand, she would like to return it to its rightful owner. But then again, the refugees have just emerged from the Underdark with little more than their tattered clothes... they probably need it more than this man!

'No...' the tall adventuress finally decides, while the faces of all the needy refugees pass through her memory 'It's not even stealing... We simply found her and fed her... I won't say anything about the cow. I will consider it as this man's 'spontaneous reward' for saving him from the orcs'.

"Certain!" Khessa smiles brightly at the man "It sure will do you good to eat something! You certainly haven't had a good time... But things will get better, you'll see!" she pats him on the shoulder "My name is Khessa, by the way - and my two intrepid companions are Aster and Song! What's your name, friend?"

(OOC: And after the man responds, assuming he says his name is X)

While the man proceeds with the preparations, the blonde arcane warrior tries to obtain some more useful information: "Well, X, nice to meet you! Listen, can I ask you for a couple of pieces of information in the meantime? First of all, upon reaching this ranch of yours, I came across a village that seemed completely abandoned..." (and she indicates its location) "Do you happen to know why it was abandoned? A simple orc incursion shouldn't have been enough to evacuate an entire village... Is it because of the dragon? Or do you know there was some other problem there? And apart from that... can you tell me how to get to an inhabited village instead? There must be one nearby, right?"

He introduced himself as Alfonso Kalazorn, but insists you call him "Big Al."

This man proceeds to cook a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon, hash browns, and many other breakfast staples (imagine a gruff American Cowboy and what he might eat for breakfast!!) as he hears you out. He serves the meal and as you and you allies eat, it seems to be nourishing you more than you could imagine. After all in the Underdark you just ate what you could... this is a real meal!!

(Everyone's HP is fully restored! I'll edit the hps in my notes asap.)

"Huh, only place that'd be abandoned like that is Conybery, but you'd have to pass either my ranch or Phandelver to get to it... it sounds like you didn't pass Phandelver. That's the only nearby town that's populated. Conybery, if you believe the rumors, was raided into oblivion back a few hundred years ago along with Phandelver. Local orc tribes didn't take kindly to the dwarves inhabiting Phandelver, so they raided. Guess they figured they'd take out the humans while they were at it.

I gotta assume you didn't just pass me by on your way to Conybery... tell me true..." he looks you in the eyes, a deep sadness flooding them, "was there a town further south you found trashed and raided or frozen by dragon breath? That would've been Phandelver... if that godsdamn dragon killed all those people..." he gripped his knife very tightly as he got lost in thoughts of revenge.

Khessa takes advantage of the 'real meal' offered by Alfonso and in the meantime continues the conversation: "Then we must have ended up in Conybery. No, Big Al, we haven't come across any other settlements before... neither abandoned nor inhabited. But we are not from around here - we were probably lost. We'll try to get to Phandelver. Which way should we go? Or is there a road?"

Seeing Alfonso's reaction to the thought of the dragon, the blonde arcane warrior is filled with deep pity: "This dragon must truly be a terrible threat, Big Al... Has he already taken the life of someone dear to you?" she approaches him and puts an arm around his shoulders "Don't be afraid... I... I don't like domineering bullies - not even when they're dragons. I don't think I have any hope of beating that beast in a direct confrontation... yet. But I assure you that I will find a way to get rid of it, even if I have to resort to the dirtiest traps that I can come up with or the most unlikely alliances that I might forge. This dragon that gives you (and the other common folk around) so much pain..." a light of iron determination replaces for for a moment the pain in his blue eyes "will not stay. If not, perhaps, as a stuffed trophy".

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Khessa takes advantage of the 'real meal' offered by Alfonso and in the meantime continues the conversation: "Then we must have ended up in Conybery. No, Big Al, we haven't come across any other settlements before... neither abandoned nor inhabited. But we are not from around here - we were probably lost. We'll try to get to Phandelver. Which way should we go? Or is there a road?"

"If you follow the road south, you'll find Phandelver. If what you say is right, that town should still be okay. I don't think the damned thing would try to attack a whole town, but you never know... I didn't get a great look at it, but it's a young'un, I think."

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Seeing Alfonso's reaction to the thought of the dragon, the blonde arcane warrior is filled with deep pity: "This dragon must truly be a terrible threat, Big Al... Has he already taken the life of someone dear to you?" 

Big Al is holding back tears. He looks up at the ceiling, recalling what must be a truly painful memory. He says, "The dragon ate my dear Bessie... My finest cow!"

Aster is making a face, but Song shushes him before he can even speak.

"All I got left is Petunia. My ranch, my home, I named it Butterskull Ranch, you hear? I can churn and mold a butter so fine it'll make you taste heaven. All I got left is Petunia... but I bet he's already eaten the poor girl. She was never very bright,  but she did produce a lot of milk. Not as much as Bessie, mind you... but still a respectable cow."

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

she approaches him and puts an arm around his shoulders "Don't be afraid... I... I don't like domineering bullies - not even when they're dragons. I don't think I have any hope of beating that beast in a direct confrontation... yet. But I assure you that I will find a way to get rid of it, even if I have to resort to the dirtiest traps that I can come up with or the most unlikely alliances that I might forge. This dragon that gives you (and the other common folk around) so much pain..." a light of iron determination replaces for for a moment the pain in his blue eyes "will not stay. If not, perhaps, as a stuffed trophy".

"Missy, if you take care of that dragon... I'll give you free butter for life. I'll even sculpt it in any shape you'd like." Big Al's eyes burn with determination too. "Hell, I'll even give you my prized position, aside from Petunia if I find her, I'll give you the enchanted armor my grand pappy gave me that was past down from generation to generation, back to the time of the war with the orcs here."

Aster whispers to Song. "What're the odds we can convince him to had it over now?"

Khessa smiles at Alfonso's numerous promises: "You really want to see that dragon dead, huh, Big Al? Well, like I told you, I really want that also... And speaking of that..." a deep interest lights up in his blue eyes "You have just mentioned something very important, which could be a help that makes the difference, in such a... challenging undertaking".

"Do you have an enchanted armor that was past down from generation to generation? Now..." the blonde arcane warrior explains "since this armor is a family heirloom, I imagine you'll want to keep it where it is now... Safe ..." she sighs "And unused... waiting to be passed on to your next heirs... Which is obviously a completely legitimate wish, Big Al".

"However, allow me to point out to you that, if you were willing to provide this magical armor to me in advance... that is, already now..." the tall adventuress continues "it certainly would be a welcome help in the fight with the monster - or in impressing any allies and convince them to follow me on a dragon hunt. It would be one more chance to speed up the disappearance of that vile beast".

"Hmmm..."

(Give me a persuasion check. He is likely to give in.)

Khessa's Persuasion: 6

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Khessa's Persuasion: 2

Lol! My current armor is not too bad, after all, I guess... 😉

"I'm none too sure... here, how about this deal: find me Petunia and I'll hand it over... What do you say, young lady?"