Evelyn searches her brain for anything she knows about gnolls. They were pretty violent creatures, she thought. Maybe this one would be interested in vengeance?

"We could help you get back at whoever sent the lying doggies," she says now. "We are nice friends to have, very helpful."

"mm.." The ogre rumbles. "You no hurt and Bartusk tell. My Auntie say I help doggies, I do what she say. Auntie friends with doggies but they bad playmates. Mean and ugly! Doggy that speak man-tongue and giant-speak command Bartusk and doggies to go kill little humans, then she make them wake up and take them away. Master doggy say new group coming that had more bodies. But only you come. She gone hours ago now."

"We won't hurt you, we think the doggies are mean and ugly too. Could you tell us who Auntie and the Master Doggy are?"

Persuasion: 21. If the total is lower than an 18, it becomes an 18.

"Auntie's my Auntie. Master Doggy's a weird doggy with a metal crown Auntie gave her. They both mean, but Auntie's giant-mean, and doggy's just mean-mean."

"Where is your Auntie and the Master Doggy now?" Evelyn asks, worried that reinforcements might be on the way.

Olan moves a little further back as Evelyn seems to have gained some trust from the ogre. He keeps an arrow nocked just in case.

"Master Doggy left early today. Auntie lives up in the mountains."

OOC: Can we see mountains from where we are? What direction are they?

(The hills kinda turn into mini-mountains a bit further south from here.)

While they are chatting, Nodjeim does look around the outside of the structure a bit to see if there was a way to peep inside at the ogre they are talking to, perhaps see if they are alone in there or not.  A gap between boards, a window, whatever...  Investigation:  19

"Do you know where the Master Doggy went?" asks Evelyn. Her voice is calm and soothing.

Nodjeim can find a gap in the boards easily enough, the ogre has smashed a hole through the front of the house, it's kind of wrecked. He just sees the mass of the ogre.

"Uhh.. other-way-from-north. Now go away."

Threla tries to read the ogres tone of voice, determining if it is about to get violent [Insight: 14]

It sounds a bit fearful at your larger numbers, but at the same time, it is a very large ogre with a device capable of firing juvenile tree trunks at breakneck speed. It might just try and take one of you down with it.

Threla whispers in Evelyn's ear "We should leave. I do not want to test the patience of this brute." She turns back to the giant "One more question, Bartusk, is it? Do you mind if we go talk for a minute before leaving"

Persuasion (if the roll is lower than an 18, it becomes an 18): 17

"One question, then I blow you up with crossbow."

Olan takes up the tension on his bow, ready to intervene if things get interesting.

Threla takes a step back, motioning for the party to follow. Once a safe distance away from the ogre, she speaks in a hushed tone "It looks like if we want to get rid of the gnolls, we have to find this 'master doggy' and this ogres 'auntie'. From the sound of it, we should head south."

     At the threat of the crossbow Nodjeim starts looking to see if there is a way he could possibly sneak into the house without the Ogre noticing?  A backdoor or something.  If things do turn sour and the Ogre decides to attack, Nodjeim sure would love to be secretly behind him and ready to strike himself...

Nodjeim can't really find a door, besides the smashed-open front (that I assume no one here has been standing next to, on account of the crossbow's threat) and perhaps a few small holes in the roof or walls, which would be difficult to attack through (though not impossible).