"Which I am aware of. As I have said I fear we aren't going to make our deadline with all the extra things we have done." Guilim says as he returns his own scowl right back to the orc. He goes quiet after that though but the scowl returns tenfold as he looks at the elf. The handling wants to clearly gut them on sight, his hand going to his halberd within a second. 

"I say we let him go first and weaken whatever is there already... Or better yet kill him since none of those unnatural excuse for a so called elf can be trusted." 

History: 11

Insight: 7

Grugga watches the tense interactions from the sidelines, choosing to stay quiet.

18 (to decide if the elf hears Guilim's comments) 

 The elf smirks.  "I'm trying to picture that... 'Zorocon the Ageless; slayer of Strythillmimus; bane of Zegengeze; sole survivor of the feyguard; killer of Count Kristofferson; #1 most wanted by the Imperial Legion, the Tsaurian Theocracy, the whitecloaks of the Elves, and the Quicksilver Demon; liberator of Lonesome Light; godfather to the Queen of Fidelis; five-time archery grandchampion of the Autumn Games... laid low at last by an over-muscled halfling with a poleaxe too long for him by half.'  No.  I just don't think so."

Insight DC 14:

 He looks over at the rest of you.  "Look, I'd love to sit around and make friends and convince you all that deep down I'm a super cool guy and all... but it's time now to finish the monsters that are hiding within and below that cottage.  If you want to make some coin and help me... great.  We can talk strategy.  If not... then I'll have to do it myself.  In that case, I suggest you head back the way you came and forget any of this ever happened."

Insight: 5

Grugga scoffs at Dawntreader's list of "feats," "there's never been an Ancient Elf competitor in the Autumn Games; he's lying - and Godfather to a queen? You may as well make believable lies... but still, we're here now and Maggie did vouch for how capable he was." He looks to Rohuzar, "I say we take the offer." He whispers to him, "I'm not so sure we can get this skull without some help, and the skull in the hands of a half-trustable Ancient Elf is better than in the hands of a necromancer. We do know with our own eyes that a necromancer is after this too, after all."

If the group agrees to help the Elf, Grugga will suggest that they take on the house. He mentions that he thinks he can limn ((faerie fire)) the whole group of undead to help them fight.

Rohuzar takes the potions. 

“I vant guarantees. Half the coin.” 

Aubrey insight: 11

Aubrey stays quiet too, hoping for a peaceful settlement of terms.

Insight: 18

 Leelan observed the negotiations with elf. He definitely seems and sounds capable enough. But, he finds it hard to trust such a person. He will defer to Rohuzar on it.

The elf rolls his eyes at Rohuzar and digs into his pack.  "Fine.  I'll do you one better.  Here's the whole 600pp."  He tosses a velvet bag onto the forest floor in front of you, the familiar sound of coins jingling as it rolls toward your feet.  "Just keep in mind... if you run off or try to skimp out without doing the job, I'll find you.  All of you."

"If that's settled, we just need to agree on a gameplan.  I fully expect to do the heavy lifting here but I need to know that the package isn't going to slip out the other exit before I get there.  This storm has kept them holed up here so far but once we attack they will take their chances on the run."

"I need you to take and hold one of the exits.  Either mop up these undead and whomever is inside the cottage - most likely one or more of the necromancers - and then hold the tunnel entrance to make sure no one escapes this way from the caves.  Or else I can take the cottage and head down from this end, in which case I need you five to go down the hillside and hold the cave entrance.  Make sure no one slips out that way."

"If you have a preference, say the word."

Rohuzar picks up the sack of coin. 

“Some of us are injured. Do ve have time to patch our injuries?” 

Grugga pats his right bicep, where mere minutes earlier there had been a bloody mess. It looks all healed over now, but it's still lumpy like the scar from a burn. "I'm feeling fit now, but I don't mind waiting if someone needs a moment to rest. Maggie promised a storm until dawn." But he looks to the human and the halfling  and says, "it's only going to get darker though..."

He also turns to the Ancient Elf and asks, "Why does the storm keep the necromancers at bay? Are they so that sure they're safe, that they're willing to stay here? Or is the rain magical in nature?" He holds his hand up to the raindrops and looks up into the storm cloud and shivers. If the group decides to rest, Grugga will pick the Elf's brain for information about hags; if he knows anything about them in general, what they're capable of, what magics they employ, if they can "spy" on people through water, and if cults sacrifice to them... and how to defeat them.

The elf nods to Rohuzar.  "We can spare a little time.  But not so close to the cottage."  He leads you all a little way back into the forest, until your reach a thick grove of pine trees.  The canopy isn't enough to keep you completely dry, but it at least breaks up the sheeting rain.  A canvass sheet is tied between two of the trees and it looks like this may be where the elf has been sheltering while keeping watch on the enemy.  There is also a fine looking horse waiting here as well, and Dandelion slowly walks over to introduce herself.

"I wasn't sure the storm would work. I bet on the fact that they wouldn't want to brave the forest in the cold wet dark.  I'm not sure what kind of ordeal Maggie put you through, but this wood can be a dangerous place if she doesn't want you here.  I can only guess at what these bastards endured getting here in the first place.  If they had access to teleportation magics, though, they would already be gone.  But they are still here, so it seems like it worked."

(Everyone may take a short rest.  Anyone still down HP from displacer beast encounter can roll hit dice.)

The elf is content to tell Grugga some stories about hags.  He mentions one particularly nasty encounter... he wasn't there personally, but he had sent a team of adventurers out to deal with a hag coven.  There had been a couple of experienced bards and druids, a paladin, and then some trainee wizards.  "That was the day we lost Willie the Whimsical... the worst musician you ever heard but a damn funny guy.  He was eaten by a tree, if you can believe that.  That's the thing about hags.  Individually, it is all about stealth and trickery and running away, mostly.  But when they come together in a coven, they act like force multipliers on one another.  The become greater than the sum of their parts and they're capable of some really powerful magics."

"But it is mostly illusion and deception... tricks... control spells.  They might make you think you are at a grand wedding ceremony in a castle somewhere, when you are really walking into their swamp.  Or they might cast illusions of the party calling out to you... to lure you away from your real friends and then deal with you one by one.  Even as a coven, they won't try to fight an entire party.  They'll deceive, confuse, demoralize you.  Then try to pick you off when you are at your weakest.  Oh.  And they don't fight fair.  If possible they will use leverage, friends, pets, dreams... anything they can use against you, they will."

His eyes sharpen for a second, looking down at his left hand.  "I didn't even think of that."  He looks back to Grugga.  "You might appreciate this.  One of the bards who fought the hags with Willie that day was Emmerich the Charmed.  That was back before we lost him to your... um... god."  

Guilim glares and looks ready to end the Elf at that instant, cursing in his native language. It is unclear if it is foul language or if he is actually wishing a curse upon the Elf. "If I even suspect he is trying to con us I will put the blade through his neck." Guilim mutters as he taps his weapon, going off to the side where he has a constant view of the elf..

Hit Die: 8

Grugga sits down at the camp and makes himself comfortable, plopping his backpack in the mud and sitting so as to block the Elf's view of his creation. However, Grugga does lighten up over time; he still doesn't want the Elf seeing any artificer creations, but he chats pleasantly for the hour.

Grugga stares out into the falling rain while Dawntreader describes Hags. "They sound terrible," Grugga replies flatly. After hearing of Emmerich he says, "Aye, I'd say most everyone in Pentwater knows of Saint Emmerich - anyone outside of the especially rural villages, anyroad. And anyone who's been to the Autumn Games has heard the Last Ballad of Willie the Whimsical - it's commonly played in between some of the more serious performances as a - um - palate cleanser. But I suppose you would know that, as a 5 time archery champion... I've been thinking about it, and I can remember a few times that some of your - well, some Ancient Elves were invited to compete, but I don't think any of them were invited back 5 times... I think I would have heard of it. So what's the story? Illusion magic?"

Grugga also speaks to Rohuzar during the break. That's a lot of money we've just come into, but if we're thinking about sticking together for a while, that sword might be a better investment - something like that would be extremely rare and valuable, I think. You know your way around a weapon, can you imagine wielding something like that? Rohuzar Giantsbane, they'd call you.

Would Grugga know anything about such a sword? Power, worth, rarity, origin?
Arcana: 22
History: 13

Not having any injuries to tend to, Leelan will spend the hour of the short rest reviewing his manuscript and probing the Dawntreader with question about the undead that they will face and any other he might have encountered in his long prestigious career. He will also do his best to write down any information he can about hags while Grugga questions him.

Grugga, you'd recognize such a sword as belonging to a class of magically enchanted weapons that target and do grievous harm to a particular class of monsters - giants, in this case.  It is uncommon to come across magic weapons of any kind, but something like this would be considered especially rare.  Based on the power of the item alone it would not be a surprise to see it fetch 8000 to 10000gp, and potentially more than that if the item has a history or other hook that would endear it to a collector at auction.  Of course, any such sale would be through proper channels and would entail taxes and fees which would eat away at the profits (posting this outside spoilers as I imagine Grugga would not be hiding this).

The elf rolls his eyes in exasperation.  "You do realize there was a point in time, not so long ago, where no one had ever heard of an 'Ancient Elf'?  Gods... when I discovered my heritage and tried to warn the people of this land, it was a nightmare finding anyone who would even listen to my story.  So no... no 'Ancient Elf' holds any records at your games.  But once, a century ago, before even I knew who I was, I regularly dominated the field in those games.  I would have won the singing contest a few times too but I... got distracted."

He listens to Leelan's questions on undead.  "I don't think you'll see anything more dangerous than skeletons or zombies in there tonight.  Skeletons are simple enough.  Zombies can be tricky.  They don't want to stay dead.  Sometimes have to... I don't know how to explain it... overkill them?  The last shot to put them down needs to be enough to break the spell animating them... or else they just get right back up.  But they are slow and stupid so as long as you're not slower or stupider, they shouldn't be a threat.  It's the mages themselves you need to watch for.  If you come against one, ignore the undead, ignore everything else, and put the wizard down.  If they're just scribes or horde-wranglers they may not be much of a problem.  But if you run into one who knows how to fling fire or lightning, you'll regret focusing on the undead first."  He thinks some more on undead.  "I wouldn't try tangling with any more powerful undead without some spells at your disposal.  Ghouls, ghasts, mummies, vampires... you're going to need spell support before you can even think about tackling them."

Rohuzar sits and begins to wrap his bruised back and arms injured with the mephits and the displacer beast. 

“No, Grugga. Ve are not here for magic sword. Ve need money. Ve could not even pay taxes on the sword.” 

In a bit of a break from his usual character, Rohuzar winks at Guilim, and looks away.

Hit dice

5 and if needed 6 

Grugga wrinkles his brow in confusion when Dawntreader says he got distracted, then he chuckles, "Ahhh... I see. Yes, Pentwater women are renowned for their beauty." He switches subjects, "So, you were somehow born here before the Ancient Elves ever arrived on these shores?..." He stares out of the shelter for a moment in silence, then asks, "What was it like seeing an army with your face for the first time?"

To Rohuzar's comment, Grugga nods and says, "You have the right of it. A shame that we need the money so badly, I would have liked to study the sword up close. Ah well."

Grugga looks past the Elf to Guilim and smiles wanly at him, "You're the most experienced among us, I think, Guilim. Have you ever seen the deathless before? Before this, I mean."

Neither Aubrey has any wounds to tend to but he follows the others back to Dawntreaders shelter, appreciating the cover from the pouring rain. He listens attentively to what  Dawntreader has to say about hags and necromancers. "So, is it possible we deal with the cabin dwellers together before you assault the cave entrance?" He suggests to the Ancient Elf.

The elf looks up at Aubrey.  "I think that would be a mistake.  If the ones in the cottage are able to get warning down to the caves before we silence them, there will be no one below to prevent an escape."  He sighs.  "It would make the timing easier if we had this end tied off, though.  Do you have any means of silencing a spellcaster?" 

Rohuzar draws his javelin, in the style of the legionnaire (pilum?) and shrugs. “Perhaps ve take the tunnel so to hide and surprise any escapees.”