“Yes, I come with you, fine. No danger if we quiet. But, by the way, my name Yek, you call me ‘she’, not ‘it’. I may be short, I may be enemy, but I am person. I help you now, you let me go,” says Yek.

“I help, too, you let me live, too,” says the second goblin who has been watching this whole exchange with large eyes. She turns to Yek, “Boss Hark stupid to keep villagers. I think Snigbat right. She better leader, especially now ogres gone.”

Both goblins stand up and lead you east around the southern side of the stalagmites, opposite of where the other goblin ran at the end of the fight. They hesitate when they approach the enormous brown bear, but assuming Bearamble makes way for them, they continue around to the passage in the northeast. Stopping at the entrance to this passage, Yek whispers, “Quiet now. Bats no like noise. Your people in there.” She gestures down a ten foot passage that opens up into a chamber. You can just make out that the floor is sunken several feet below the level of the main cavern and passage. From here, you don’t immediately see any people.

Taking another look for any hostile parties around the main cavern behind you, Daerthe notices a small figure crouched by one of the northern stalagmites. Just as she is deciding whether to point it out, you all notice the figure who seems to be trying to hide from your view.

(What do you want to do?)

"My proposal is to rescue the villagers as soon as possible, evacuate the cave and deport them to the Nightstone"- the sorcerer messenger will suggest the group then she'll proceed to talk, "I'll guard these prisoners till everything settles down here, you ladies and gentlemen go ahead and save the day." Sphyboe has sent the goblins a knowing glance as if she were going to do something. She believes that the act might not be approved by the party members, especially D. Thus it has to be done unilaterally.

Essie follows the goblins easily enough. They've had a pretty rough time, what with her own group attacking them, too. At the mouth of this newest tunnel, the one where the townspeople should be, she stops and looks down it. A quiet hum leaves her. "We'll be quiet so we don't wake the bats, don't worry," she tells the goblins. "Thank you for showing us the way."

Prisoners? she thinks as she hears Sphyboe's comment. But as she looks over her shoulder to say something to her, she catches a glimpse of the hiding figure. "Oh, hello," she calls out to them. "May we help you with something?"

Daerthe will move over to the hiding figure, forming one of the purple blades of energy in her hand. With swift motion she throws it over there head to let them know she is aware of them. "Come out now. I can see you cowering."

A goblin with reddish brown skin, spiky brown hair, and scraps of leather armor steps out of the shadows, holding her hands up and nervously looking around behind her. “I mean no harm. I wish to parlay. My name is Snigbat. Is it true that you have slain the ogres? If so, I beg your help with another task, one that would strengthen our clan and end problems with Nightstone.” She is clearly speaking to you all, but also watches the two goblins with you to gauge their reactions. “Boss Hark has been poor leader for long time. His treatment of Nightstone only makes enemies. This is bad for us. I would be better leader. Not cause problems with neighbors. If ogres dead, Boss Hark is weak, easy to kill or drive out. I watch you to see if what Blik reports is true.”

Sphyboe had decided to keep her words and release the two goblins from their responsibility to lead the way which had been achieved through coercive means. The situation has changed, and they are considering the adventuring party as a friend rather than perceiving them as a potential enemy. She will try to gauge the reliability of the fact or words offered by the female goblin.

Wisdom: Insight 13

"Stop wasting our time. The villagers deserve the priority to be rescued first. What will you do if your boss Hark decides to return earlier than the due time? Will you help us or try to stab us in the back? I see you're good at the later act."

Ryndar nods, "Aye. We make sure the villagers are safely out of this cavern first. If you are found to be trustworthy at that point, we can then discuss whether we will assist you with ridding you of your boss."

Daerthe lets the energy fade from her hand as she instead crosses her arm. She listens to what is said but merely frowns, turning to look towards the others. "Well shall we parlay with these goblins?"

Studying Snigbat as she speaks, Sphyboe gets the sense that this goblin is eager to take control of the clan and would love to have you all as allies. She responds quickly, “Boss Hark hides in his little cave, afraid to show his face, I think. He will let you take the villagers now. See? He didn’t think. Of course people come to rescue them! Now he just hopes you leave him alone. I go watch the passage to his lair, you get people out. If he come, I make loud noise, yes?” She looks now at the two goblins you hold prisoner. “Yek, Gwerk, you help me, right? You see how Boss Hark get us killed? Snigbat is smarter, yes? I keep clan safe.” 

(If you seem to agree with at least the beginning of her plan, she will scamper off to the passage on the northwest side of the main cavern. If anyone plans to enter the northeast passage into the bat caves quietly, roll Stealth.)

Bearamble realizes that he has no reason to enter a confined cave with scared prisoners and bats that are skittery. Instead he will follow the goblins from a distance and stop about halfway between where the goblins stop and the party with the light sources. He will continue to rely on his nose more than sight. He also hopes that with his position North and West of the fleeing prisoners that they might not even notice his presence to get spooked.

Helena has her owl move to watch the goblins. She will follow the others onward towards the villagers.

Stealth: 4

Sphyboe will attempt to cover the light emitting magically from the dart with the palm of her hand, then she will follow Helena to enter the northeast passage.

Stealth 3

Essie watches the back and forth between her friends and the goblins quietly, head tilted to the side. Just listening. But the talkative one appears to want to help them, so Essie gives Snigbat a nod. "That sounds like a fine plan," she says. "We'll listen for your noise. Thank you."

Then she moves toward the northeast passage to rescue the villagers.

Stealth: 4

Bearamble shakes his head at the noise coming from his party. He will make one round of pacing North then South north of the stalagmites. He will try and be stealthy, seeing how these paws pad the floor of the cave.

Stealth: 10

Ryndar shakes his head following the rest of the group, not seeing much use for being stealthy at this point. He keeps his bow at the ready, anticipating conflict arising from the group's general clumsiness.

Daerthe cringes at the noises the others make but will do her best to stay hidden in the darkness, feeling that she is in her element.

Stealth: 21

As Helena starts down the passage she skids a loose rock down the path ahead, then lets out a very unlady-like curse as she nearly falls. Bracing a hand on the wall, she causes a few more stones to clatter down onto the floor. Looking to the others, and seeing them having little more luck at being stealthy than she has had, she nearly starts chuckling out loud, and ends up snorting, again not very lady-like, as she works to bite back the laughter.

Essie was really trying to be quiet, she swears. She's also never really had much use to be stealthy before. A six-foot woman in full chain mail with white eyes? She sticks out no matter where she goes. And there's only so much she can do; her chain mail armor just has a tendency to make a lot of noise. And given the stone walls of the cave, it echoes. Every little step she makes, she rattles. 

She does make a little face at the rest of the group. "Sorry," she whispers.

Sphyboe has previously believed that she would be able to move forward stealthily and cautiously through the passage. But when she started to move she found the hardened sole of her boots making unnecessary noise, and to her dismay she had sounded as if she were stomping on the ground of the cave. The noise was somehow amplified by the reflexive interior of the cave and there were echoing sounds around her that definitely disturbed the peace of the local dwellers. 

After about ten feet of echoing, clattering, rattling movement you come to the lip of a larger, sunken chamber. It is about 25 feet across and the floor is about ten feet lower than the level of the passage. The center slopes down to a 5-foot wide opening to a lower cave where you can hear the fluttering of many, many bats. You see a couple of the flying creatures rise out of the opening and fly around the cavern. Around the north, east, and south edges of the chamber are raised alcoves where you can just make out huddled, fearful people. They look at you with wide eyes. Standing at the edge of the southern alcove closest to you, a male dwarf with black braided hair and beard, waves at you all with both hands, points down at the lower opening, and puts his finger to his lips forcefully. He then watches the opening for a moment and lowers himself carefully down from the alcove and creeps over to you.

“You’ve got to be quiet or the bats will rise up!” he whispers. “Did Lady Nandar send you? Are we rescued? We’ve got about thirty souls here, men, women, and children, what need to be guided out of this hell hole. Is it safe to go?” He looks over his shoulder as a few more bats fly out of the hole.