Gumbog, answers Belkas with a mixture of pride and resignation.
"Many tens in tribe at camp in hills (he points to the east.) Me and Uguk leaders of small gang, bring back goods for tribe. Fight for glory, kill many enemies. You kill Uguk and rest, only me left."
When Zyllith calls out for the hafllings, the six of them return, treading tenuously through the tall grass. When they gather near Elion, the more fit ones in the group, take to looking after those who seem more frightened and tired.
Overall, of the six, there are two females and four males. All of them are relatively young, and you would guess them to be either late teens or early twenties.
Ooops... I forgot about the sleeping orc that's about 50 feet away from you over there in the grass. It's easily been one minute since he fell. We'll say that he's just starting to stir out of his magical induced slumber. As you're talking with Gumbog, his eyes open and his sits up, seemingly confused.
Gumbog calls for his companion and speaks a few guttural phrases to him in the orc language. The second orc stands up with his axe still on the ground next to his feet, and looks at you all, then looks at the rest of his fallen brothers and then looks back at Gumbog, as is for guidance.
Arisa looks at her companions. She’s clearly not certain this is the wisest thing to do, but she doesn’t feel killing the Orcs after their surrender is right. She decides to test the Orc’s humility.
“Leave your weapons and gear with us, promise you will never enslave free people again, and you may go back to your tribe. If we see you again, we will not be so merciful.”
If this actually works, Arisa will let them go.
we loot the bodies of the dead, Arisa burns the dead Orcs in a funeral pyre (with multiple firebolts) and we invite the halflings to travel with us to goldenfields, Arisa trying to get them to open up with friendly banter.
Gumbog and his companion capitulate and agree to your demands, although it’s painfully obvious that they’re demoralized and frustrated at having to accept a humiliating defeat, with no visible path for glory, only an unceremonious death if they were to fight.
After dropping their packs, the two orcs leave their weapons behind and stomp off, walking straight east through the grass.
Looting their gear, you find a total of 70 gp, 96 sp, and 7 pieces of quartz that you figure are worth about 10 gp each.
You also find a whole bunch of random items of moderate value, things like copper mugs, silverware, a few necklaces and other small trinkets, all of which the halflings say belong to them. They are items that the orcs stole during their raid. One of the halflings, a brown haired fellow called Nob explains, after thanking you profusely and breaking down in tears.
”Those nasty, bloody brutish monsters raided our village, plundered our homes, stole all these things and took some us for slaves... or worse. We were surely destined for untold suffering if you hadn’t come along when you did.”
”Ww have no need to go to Goldenfields, we simple want to go home. We would be grateful if you took us there, it’s just a couple hours walk from here, and help us return all this stuff they stole. If you would be so kind, I know that our mums and dads would be so grateful for saving us. I’m sure they would fill your bellies with a nice home cooked meal, as well! Please. We don’t feel safe going alone after what we’ve been through.”
"Aye, good home cooked meal sounds mighty tasty. Rarely get a chance ta' savor such a luxury while on tha' road." Zyllith offered the halflings a smile, happy to return their belongings while taking advantage of their offer.
Arisa says “Sounds wonderful, and not far out of our way. Let’s go. Say- before Vernon- who is your real hero here, asks- do halflings make any good cheeses? “
Belkas looks for a memento from the dead orcs - a ring, bracelet, necklace, charm, or even a tiny strip of their armor.
As he walks by Vernon, he touches the gnome's shoulder and says, "Well fought. That was impressive shield and hammer work. A real pleasure to watch."
To Osmord he says, "Thanks for the warning about the sleeping orc. I had completely forgotten about him."
He wanders over and sits in the long grass beside Elion. "You did good there. It probably would have been wiser to run or stay hidden, but you're alive, and the halflings are free, and that's what matters in the end. You may need to have someone start writing epic poems about you."
As the party starts getting ready to accompany the halflings to their home, Belkas stares off in the direction the orcs left. He feels a small weight settle on his shoulder, and Crowley says, "Having second thoughts about letting them go free?"
Belkas sighs, "Not really. I think it might mean a lot to Arisa, Vernon, and Elion to do the right thing, and I don't want to cause problems within the party." He smiles wryly. "I was planning to ask you to finish off the final orc once it was out of sight, but two of them make it too risky. In any case, we know where they live now. We can find them later. Come on, let's go to the halflings' feast."
Answering Belkas, Elion, who is rather shaken up after the whole ordeal, replies, "Thank you, friend Belkas. That probably would have been a better choice, but I know enough about orcs to know that they should all be thwarted at every turn. Honestly, I know not what got into me. Every muscle in me told me I should remain hidden in the grass, especially given the fact that I already found myself on the wrong side of an orc weapon, but I could not bear to imagine the horror an orc tribe would have inflicted onto those poor halflings. In my mind, there was nothing so glamorous or intriguing about imagining their deaths, just sadness."
"Also, I think I was influenced by our encounter with Felogos... I found myself pondering the fact that if a real dragon stopped and spoke to you all with attention and the interest that he's apparently paid you, then you are all much more capable and important than I had originally imagined. I guess I felt motivated to step up and earn some worth in your eyes instead of playing it safe. Either way, it was all very exciting and I'm glad I didn't not end up stuck to the ground beneath that orc's axe. I thought for a moment that this would be my fate, but it seems that Milil decided that he wants more poetry from me before I leave this world."
He simply chuckles when you mention the notion of epic poems being written about him.
There are plenty of possible choices for Belkas to pull a personal moment from the bodies of the dead orcs before you all drag them into a pile. You realize that burning them could in fact spark a grass fire, which has the potential to grow into a larger blaze. Alternatives include dragging them a ways to a clearing or burn them on the road.
Nob insists that you leave them for the ravens and buzzard, which is more than they deserve, he says in a dismissive tone. However, he and the others are relieved when you agree to accompany them back to their village, and after dispatching with the orcs, you all begin heading west through he fields towards the low sun, which is making its way towards the horizon. They halflings are all quite tired, and shell shocked from their ordeal, but their general moods and energy levels perk up when you start walking.
Regarding Arisa's question, Nob answers, his mood instantly perking up,"Why yes, what would life be without cheese? We make a couple of different kinds in our village, a nice soft buttery cheese that you can smear all over your mourning bread, and a nice semi-hard cheese with a nice rustic flavor that's perfect for snacking on with a glass of wine or cider. You'll get to taste both!"
(Arisa will deal with the corpses safely, if possible, burning them where they won’t cause a fire, she’s reiluctant to leave them lie for fear of them being used for necromancy.).
She spends the time on the journey to the halfling village getting to know all about the halflings, their village and customs, and learning more about what there is of interest in this area. She also introduces them to the Tressym, hoping that might help take their mind off their trauma.
Vernon is listening intently to the discussion of cheese, nodding along in all the right spots. He is attempting to maintain a cheery mood as if orc-clobbering were a perfectly normal, ho-hum part of adventuring, with cheese being a much more exciting part of life.
As you walk through the tall grass fields with the group, you learn that they come from a halfling village called Stouthollow, which is set in some low, rolling hillsides that surround a small lake a few hours west of Goldenfields. In fact, the people of Stouthollow occasionally conduct trade with Goldenfields, often exchanging their cheese for other staples with the larger agricultural town.
Stouthollow doesn't see much traffic, as it's not on any major or minor roads, although there are a couple of small paths that lead to and from the village, so aside from the few people who make the trip to Goldenfields, the rest of the village is pretty secluded and the people mostly keep to themselves. For the most part, it's pretty secluded, and even those passing nearby may not even realize that the village lies close by.
For this reason, they rarely have need to defend themselves from invaders, and in fact, aside from this horrific orc incursion, which was the worst episode anyone can ever recall, most of the people in this group speak of only one time when a roving band of goblins passed through and caused quite a ruckus. Fortunately, no one was hurt. And most people have heard the heavily embellished tale the village elders share about the time when a solitary ogre came through and ate one of farmer Littlefoot's sheep, but that was decades ago, and no one in this group was even born yet when it happened. The most dangerous outsider that Stouthollow usually encounters is the rare mischievous fey that enacts harmless pranks.
They're quite intrigued by the Tressym, and Rillix responds to their attention with a mix of accepted affection and coy aloofness. As he often does, he disappears for short periods of time as he explores the surroundings, but always returns for a nap on someones's shoulder, usually Arisa's.
After a couple hours of walking you crest a shallow rise and arrive at a small lake that's surrounded by a cluster of small, stone houses with thatched roofs and wooden doors, and a few burrows dug into hillsides with windows that look out onto gardens of flowers, beans and potatoes. A handful of sheep, a cow and three billygoats graze in the grass inside a small pen.
"Hooray!! Home at last!! Welcome to Stouthollow! Thank you so much for bringing us back. Now let's get you fed!!"
Nob and his group lead you down the hill to the center of the village. Some of the inhabitants see you coming, and within minutes, your arrival has garnered quite the attention of a growing group of halflings that gather to greet you and praise you teary-eyed for the return of their companions, who they figured were gone for good.
Arisa is enchanted with hearing of the halflings and how they live. Trying to get her mind off the combat and the Orcs, she enthusiastically greets the villagers.
Zyllith is quite enthusiastic about meeting this new village of halflings and wastes little time trying to make a grand impression. Stepping forward from the group she calls out to all the nearby folk who can hear her, her golden eyes sparking in the sunlight as she presented to group. "Hark ye fine friends of cheese an' merriment! We bring ye kin and kind, taken from tha' vile clutches of large an' terrible orcs, whose bodies now feed tha' weeds along tha' road. We be tha' Dragon's Aces! Adventurers Grand, One 'n All! An' we be humbled an' hungry fer what ye' offer! So lets begin wit' introductions. I am Zyllith, Grand Swashbuckler with wit as sharp as me blade!" She bowed with a great flourish before waving her arm in a grand gesture to allow the rest of the group to introduce themselves.
Arisa smiles and says “I am Arisa, cleric of Mystra, goddess of magic. I am also an herbalist and healer. Happy to meet you and glad we were able to save your villagers.”
Belkas murmurs a few words, and using Minor Illusion, creates a five-foot-tall playing card of a Dragon Ace floating ten feet over the heads of the party. He then smiles at the halflings and bows his head in greeting.
Gumbog, answers Belkas with a mixture of pride and resignation.
"Many tens in tribe at camp in hills (he points to the east.) Me and Uguk leaders of small gang, bring back goods for tribe. Fight for glory, kill many enemies. You kill Uguk and rest, only me left."
When Zyllith calls out for the hafllings, the six of them return, treading tenuously through the tall grass. When they gather near Elion, the more fit ones in the group, take to looking after those who seem more frightened and tired.
Overall, of the six, there are two females and four males. All of them are relatively young, and you would guess them to be either late teens or early twenties.
Osmord approaches Belkas and whispers quietly.
"He is not the last, his companion is sleeping. A harmless effect." the Tortle nods toward the sleeping Orc lying in the grass behind them.
DM - Caves of the Kobold Slave Masters
Ooops... I forgot about the sleeping orc that's about 50 feet away from you over there in the grass. It's easily been one minute since he fell. We'll say that he's just starting to stir out of his magical induced slumber. As you're talking with Gumbog, his eyes open and his sits up, seemingly confused.
Arisa turns to look at the groggy Orc, and addresses the one she’s been talking to. “tell your friend the battle is over”
Gumbog calls for his companion and speaks a few guttural phrases to him in the orc language. The second orc stands up with his axe still on the ground next to his feet, and looks at you all, then looks at the rest of his fallen brothers and then looks back at Gumbog, as is for guidance.
Gubmog says to Arisa, "I tell him. Fight over."
Arisa looks at her companions. She’s clearly not certain this is the wisest thing to do, but she doesn’t feel killing the Orcs after their surrender is right. She decides to test the Orc’s humility.
“Leave your weapons and gear with us, promise you will never enslave free people again, and you may go back to your tribe. If we see you again, we will not be so merciful.”
If this actually works, Arisa will let them go.
we loot the bodies of the dead, Arisa burns the dead Orcs in a funeral pyre (with multiple firebolts) and we invite the halflings to travel with us to goldenfields, Arisa trying to get them to open up with friendly banter.
Gumbog and his companion capitulate and agree to your demands, although it’s painfully obvious that they’re demoralized and frustrated at having to accept a humiliating defeat, with no visible path for glory, only an unceremonious death if they were to fight.
After dropping their packs, the two orcs leave their weapons behind and stomp off, walking straight east through the grass.
Looting their gear, you find a total of 70 gp, 96 sp, and 7 pieces of quartz that you figure are worth about 10 gp each.
You also find a whole bunch of random items of moderate value, things like copper mugs, silverware, a few necklaces and other small trinkets, all of which the halflings say belong to them. They are items that the orcs stole during their raid. One of the halflings, a brown haired fellow called Nob explains, after thanking you profusely and breaking down in tears.
”Those nasty, bloody brutish monsters raided our village, plundered our homes, stole all these things and took some us for slaves... or worse. We were surely destined for untold suffering if you hadn’t come along when you did.”
”Ww have no need to go to Goldenfields, we simple want to go home. We would be grateful if you took us there, it’s just a couple hours walk from here, and help us return all this stuff they stole. If you would be so kind, I know that our mums and dads would be so grateful for saving us. I’m sure they would fill your bellies with a nice home cooked meal, as well! Please. We don’t feel safe going alone after what we’ve been through.”
"Aye, good home cooked meal sounds mighty tasty. Rarely get a chance ta' savor such a luxury while on tha' road." Zyllith offered the halflings a smile, happy to return their belongings while taking advantage of their offer.
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Arisa says “Sounds wonderful, and not far out of our way. Let’s go. Say- before Vernon- who is your real hero here, asks- do halflings make any good cheeses? “
Belkas looks for a memento from the dead orcs - a ring, bracelet, necklace, charm, or even a tiny strip of their armor.
As he walks by Vernon, he touches the gnome's shoulder and says, "Well fought. That was impressive shield and hammer work. A real pleasure to watch."
To Osmord he says, "Thanks for the warning about the sleeping orc. I had completely forgotten about him."
He wanders over and sits in the long grass beside Elion. "You did good there. It probably would have been wiser to run or stay hidden, but you're alive, and the halflings are free, and that's what matters in the end. You may need to have someone start writing epic poems about you."
As the party starts getting ready to accompany the halflings to their home, Belkas stares off in the direction the orcs left. He feels a small weight settle on his shoulder, and Crowley says, "Having second thoughts about letting them go free?"
Belkas sighs, "Not really. I think it might mean a lot to Arisa, Vernon, and Elion to do the right thing, and I don't want to cause problems within the party." He smiles wryly. "I was planning to ask you to finish off the final orc once it was out of sight, but two of them make it too risky. In any case, we know where they live now. We can find them later. Come on, let's go to the halflings' feast."
----
Investigation: 3+2=5
Answering Belkas, Elion, who is rather shaken up after the whole ordeal, replies, "Thank you, friend Belkas. That probably would have been a better choice, but I know enough about orcs to know that they should all be thwarted at every turn. Honestly, I know not what got into me. Every muscle in me told me I should remain hidden in the grass, especially given the fact that I already found myself on the wrong side of an orc weapon, but I could not bear to imagine the horror an orc tribe would have inflicted onto those poor halflings. In my mind, there was nothing so glamorous or intriguing about imagining their deaths, just sadness."
"Also, I think I was influenced by our encounter with Felogos... I found myself pondering the fact that if a real dragon stopped and spoke to you all with attention and the interest that he's apparently paid you, then you are all much more capable and important than I had originally imagined. I guess I felt motivated to step up and earn some worth in your eyes instead of playing it safe. Either way, it was all very exciting and I'm glad I didn't not end up stuck to the ground beneath that orc's axe. I thought for a moment that this would be my fate, but it seems that Milil decided that he wants more poetry from me before I leave this world."
He simply chuckles when you mention the notion of epic poems being written about him.
There are plenty of possible choices for Belkas to pull a personal moment from the bodies of the dead orcs before you all drag them into a pile. You realize that burning them could in fact spark a grass fire, which has the potential to grow into a larger blaze. Alternatives include dragging them a ways to a clearing or burn them on the road.
Nob insists that you leave them for the ravens and buzzard, which is more than they deserve, he says in a dismissive tone. However, he and the others are relieved when you agree to accompany them back to their village, and after dispatching with the orcs, you all begin heading west through he fields towards the low sun, which is making its way towards the horizon. They halflings are all quite tired, and shell shocked from their ordeal, but their general moods and energy levels perk up when you start walking.
Regarding Arisa's question, Nob answers, his mood instantly perking up, "Why yes, what would life be without cheese? We make a couple of different kinds in our village, a nice soft buttery cheese that you can smear all over your mourning bread, and a nice semi-hard cheese with a nice rustic flavor that's perfect for snacking on with a glass of wine or cider. You'll get to taste both!"
Osmord watches the two orcs depart somewhat disappointed. Worm lands on his shoulder and sounds a questioning caw.
"No... all is well worm. Of the dead ones that remain we may take our due."
Osmord takes out his dagger and salvages a few choice morsels from the smouldering orcs before following the others.
DM - Caves of the Kobold Slave Masters
(Arisa will deal with the corpses safely, if possible, burning them where they won’t cause a fire, she’s reiluctant to leave them lie for fear of them being used for necromancy.).
She spends the time on the journey to the halfling village getting to know all about the halflings, their village and customs, and learning more about what there is of interest in this area. She also introduces them to the Tressym, hoping that might help take their mind off their trauma.
Vernon is listening intently to the discussion of cheese, nodding along in all the right spots. He is attempting to maintain a cheery mood as if orc-clobbering were a perfectly normal, ho-hum part of adventuring, with cheese being a much more exciting part of life.
As you walk through the tall grass fields with the group, you learn that they come from a halfling village called Stouthollow, which is set in some low, rolling hillsides that surround a small lake a few hours west of Goldenfields. In fact, the people of Stouthollow occasionally conduct trade with Goldenfields, often exchanging their cheese for other staples with the larger agricultural town.
Stouthollow doesn't see much traffic, as it's not on any major or minor roads, although there are a couple of small paths that lead to and from the village, so aside from the few people who make the trip to Goldenfields, the rest of the village is pretty secluded and the people mostly keep to themselves. For the most part, it's pretty secluded, and even those passing nearby may not even realize that the village lies close by.
For this reason, they rarely have need to defend themselves from invaders, and in fact, aside from this horrific orc incursion, which was the worst episode anyone can ever recall, most of the people in this group speak of only one time when a roving band of goblins passed through and caused quite a ruckus. Fortunately, no one was hurt. And most people have heard the heavily embellished tale the village elders share about the time when a solitary ogre came through and ate one of farmer Littlefoot's sheep, but that was decades ago, and no one in this group was even born yet when it happened. The most dangerous outsider that Stouthollow usually encounters is the rare mischievous fey that enacts harmless pranks.
They're quite intrigued by the Tressym, and Rillix responds to their attention with a mix of accepted affection and coy aloofness. As he often does, he disappears for short periods of time as he explores the surroundings, but always returns for a nap on someones's shoulder, usually Arisa's.
After a couple hours of walking you crest a shallow rise and arrive at a small lake that's surrounded by a cluster of small, stone houses with thatched roofs and wooden doors, and a few burrows dug into hillsides with windows that look out onto gardens of flowers, beans and potatoes. A handful of sheep, a cow and three billygoats graze in the grass inside a small pen.
"Hooray!! Home at last!! Welcome to Stouthollow! Thank you so much for bringing us back. Now let's get you fed!!"
Nob and his group lead you down the hill to the center of the village. Some of the inhabitants see you coming, and within minutes, your arrival has garnered quite the attention of a growing group of halflings that gather to greet you and praise you teary-eyed for the return of their companions, who they figured were gone for good.
Arisa is enchanted with hearing of the halflings and how they live. Trying to get her mind off the combat and the Orcs, she enthusiastically greets the villagers.
Zyllith is quite enthusiastic about meeting this new village of halflings and wastes little time trying to make a grand impression. Stepping forward from the group she calls out to all the nearby folk who can hear her, her golden eyes sparking in the sunlight as she presented to group. "Hark ye fine friends of cheese an' merriment! We bring ye kin and kind, taken from tha' vile clutches of large an' terrible orcs, whose bodies now feed tha' weeds along tha' road. We be tha' Dragon's Aces! Adventurers Grand, One 'n All! An' we be humbled an' hungry fer what ye' offer! So lets begin wit' introductions. I am Zyllith, Grand Swashbuckler with wit as sharp as me blade!" She bowed with a great flourish before waving her arm in a grand gesture to allow the rest of the group to introduce themselves.
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Arisa smiles and says “I am Arisa, cleric of Mystra, goddess of magic. I am also an herbalist and healer. Happy to meet you and glad we were able to save your villagers.”
Belkas murmurs a few words, and using Minor Illusion, creates a five-foot-tall playing card of a Dragon Ace floating ten feet over the heads of the party. He then smiles at the halflings and bows his head in greeting.
"I am Belkas. A wanderer and friend."
Osmord listens to the others introduce themselves before doing likewise,
"My name is Osmord, a Tortle and a student... of many subjects." he gives a small bob of his head in greeting.
DM - Caves of the Kobold Slave Masters