"Intriguing Meepo, tell me more of this outcast please." Selene continues, realizing that Meepo is quite useful after all.

"Only that he has scary twig monsters as pets. They are numerous below in the twilight grove."

"The plot thickens my dear Meepo. Do you think Yusdrayl might consider helping us reaching the twilight grove if we help her to reclaim Calcryx first?"

"If you return our dragon I am sure he might offer aid in your endeavors," Meepo replies getting excited to see his dragon again 

Daerryl yanks on Selene’s sleeve. “I’m not sure helping Kobolds to raise a dragon is a good idea.“

Selene slows down to let Meepo get ahead and then whispers to Daerryl "I agree, but I don´t really plan that far ahead, things will work out I believe, at least they always do in Silverymoon. Are you finished with your examination of this chamber yet?" and then she fires off a disarming smile when she looks up at Meepo again.

(OOC: As Selene just is telling Meepo what she thinks he wants to hear in order to make him go on sharing information this might still need a deception roll I guess.)

Deception to make Meepo go on talking if needed: 26 (that should beat his passive insight I hope)

Raadox has been following this whole conversation with great interest.  "Hmmm.  Meepo, do you know anything about needle-like wounds?   Do goblins use small weapons which would cause such wounds?"

To the others, he explains.   "The landlord said that the local watchmen were too busy worrying about some recent attacks on cattle and some people, which looked like needle-like wounds.  I'm wondering if they could also be the goblins and this Outcast."

Turning back to Meepo he continues, "Also, Meepo, who or what is the Outcast?  Is he a big goblin?  Or something worse?  Any information would help us prepare I feel."

Meepo nods, "Those are from the twig monsters. The outcast is a human who lives deep in the citadel. Meepo don't know much else."

"Ah ha!  So this 'Outcast' is a human and appears to be responsible for most of the woes around these parts.  The twig-monsters are causing issues for the local town.  His goblins are causing issues with the kobolds by stealing their dragon.  He (or she?) needs to be taken care of.  And the good news is, humans are definitely mortal.   Errr, I've heard.

How are the twig-creatures getting to the surface?  Do they come this way or is there some other route?"

"They are on the surface? Meepo hasn't seen any going past the kobolds."

"Interesting.  Well, perhaps the best way to find out more is to press on?  Shall we?" Raadox asks the group.

"Ready when you are Raadox" Selene says looking at the door to the left of the dry fountain and continues "I have been pondering the dead cattle issue, I agree it would seem as the twig creatures are responsible but perhaps the ones on the surface somehow came from the fruits that the goblins brought there. I suspect this will become clear when we confront this Outcast" Selene shudders at the thought of nature being corrupted into monstrous creatures. "If this is the case we would have to cleanse the tree of the foul curse it has been subjected to, or the curse could spread over Faerûn with the seeds of these fruits."

"Okay, so the goblins are through this door, Meepo?" Raadox asks, pointing to the door to the left of the basin (the one leading to area #30 from #29).

Raadox prepares to open the door if that's the one the kobold indicates.

"No, the goblin territory is through the door we passed earlier, right Meepo? I think Daerryl found something in the dust making him want to explore this part of the citadel first, so I suppose we continue now and then turn back for the goblins later." Selene says waiting for Daerryl or Raadox to take the lead.

"Oh, sorry, I was in a world of my own, thinking about twig-creatures."  Raadox will give the door ahead (#29 -> #30) a quick check over.  He will do so, avoiding the pit trap.  He'll also take the time to cast Detect Magic as a Ritual.  

Investigation (+5, Advantage as I'm assuming someone [Daerryl?] is giving me some help:  25

The only magic you sense is still the evocation from the fountain. It looks similar to the one you saw earlier. Otherwise all you see are the same set of footprints. Rats and the four humanoid going into room 30 and three humanoid leaving room 30

Okay, Raadox will draw one shortsword and open the door with his other hand.

An oppressive smell suffuses the air, rising from chewed carcasses of cave rats, smaller vermin, and a few humanoid-looking creatures. The bodies lie upon a floor of filth, old bones, hair, and fur that combine to make a particularly large and vile nest. 

 Three giant rats scurry about the sides of the room, hiding to ambush you. You all fail to notice the huge bloated rat hiding under the bodies that leaps out towards you. (You are all surprised by the bloated one) 

Initiative:

Rats - 13

The Bloated One - 20

The giant, bloated rat leaps towards Raadox as he opens the door. Attack: 6 Damage: 6, if that hits make me a constitution save. 

"Let´s see what fate the fourth set of footprints met with" Selenes says with some anticipation ready for whatever is behind the door.

Raadox initiative:  9