"We all have hair," Nodjeim points out in a confused and curious tone.  "And all apes piss."  Still, he pokes the gnoll with his spear - the pointy end - just enough to make sure they know it is there.  

Threl looks taken aback at the vulgar words of the beast, and swells with anger. But, he remembers that they have awoken this foul creature for a reason, and he calms himself. 

He steps forward, hands by his sides, not threatening, since he is playing the part of the good cop, and he bends down to one knee, and talks to the Crowned Gnoll "Listen, you are currently tied up. You have nowhere to go, and we could use some information. You could be nice and give it to us. I can't make sure my friends will let you go, but I can promise that you'll get to die in service to your...is it a god? Demon? Demon-god?"

Persuasion check: 20

The gnoll spits. "Ha! I forever serve him! Why I tell you nothing, shit-brain? Shred your guts."

“I’m trying to be nice. Maybe my friend can talk some sense into you” Threl steps back and motions for the other crow to try. Bad cop time!

“You are making me very happy.” Veldruk said to the crowned gnoll after nodding to Threl. The warlock approached the prisoner for a moment, stomping between its thoracic and abdominal cavity areas. With enough strength to cause pain and enough care to avoid having the creature black out. The moment the blow was given he stepped away. Should the prisoner’s anatomy be anything like that of the other humanoids he knew, its diaphragm would have been hit. “You see, I’m working as a mercenary. The moment you survived our onslaught I suggested to my contractors torturing information out of you. Truth is, I’m a drow and they know I just want a new toy so they refused. But now?” His voice was controlled, smooth, and carried an eerily calm tone. He imparted excitement into his voice the best he could, but his expression betrayed the fact he was pretending. Good thing they blindfolded the monster. “Now you are leaving them no option but to let me have my way.”

d'Uktan took a piece of rope from his pack and let it fall rather audibly. He turned to his companions waving a ‘no’ with the index finger of his left hand.

“Normally I would start by pinning needles under your nails but the way you are tied... I mean, I can still do that with your feet but flaying is funnier.” Veldruk kept his silent negative. “And you get some food – your skin. The salt will go on your raw flesh but don’t worry. You’ll taste it so well you’ll sing.” He then up-turned the right palm, and extending and retracting his fingers, beckoning Threl. “My friends will ask where you came from, who are your allies, what you are doing. They’ll stop me if you talk and we don’t want that, right? I even have healing ready if you get too weak during our fun.”

At that point he hoped Threl would stop him, promise an alternative to his suggested cruelty.

Notes: Veldruk makes his best impression of Ramsay Snow uses his threats as a Help action to have Threl convince the crowned gnoll that its in her best interest to answer any questions.

“As much as I would think it fun to have my friend here play wit his new ‘toy’, I want to give you one more chance to reconsider my offer: tell us what we want to know.” 

Persuasion check: 25 (9 or lower on the die is treated as a 10)

The gnoll smiles at the corporal threats, their own red blood lining their teeth. "Ehh...hegheheheh... playtime... gonna have a real fun, drow. I knows you kind, you ain't scares onto me. Cook me up real good, you drows is all the same. You feeds me me... good, tasty, ain't a better death than being eat by Yeenoghu. I his mouth, so you feeds me me, he eats me, see? Real good. Do it! I wants to feel his teeth. You gonna feels his teeths too, soon. Auntie gonna do that. And shoosuva, shoosuva... hegheh... gonna split you up, warty pisser."

(If you like, you may make an insight check.)

Anyone who gets a 10 or above Insight:

Insight 8 :(

Insight check: 5 (probably going to fail)

"You made your choice. My friend here would like to chat a bit more" Threl smiles threateningly, motioning for his companion to step forward and have some fun.

Intimidation check: 6

Nodjeim Insight:  14

     Nodjeim frowns as he comes to understand that this creature is not going to provide anything meaningful.  Nodjeim feels the urge to just kill it and put it out of it's misery, and the group as well - Listening to this thing is painful.  He's not convinced the others are ready to give up trying though so Nodjeim holds his attack, for now...

Readied Attack:  Nat 20 for 27 to his and 17 piercing damage with his spear... 
Attack is triggered if/when party decides to kill the beast or the beast tries to attack in any visible way.  ((Go figure I get Nat 20 on a readied attack that may not even trigger. lol))

“Oh, dear.” Veldruk said in a condescending tone, as if talking with a particularly stupid child. “No one said you would be fed through the mouth. Or killed.” He then gestured to the others, moving his thumb across his throat in a slicing motion before shrugging – something he hoped made for a clear, albeit silent, question if they should finish the creature. “When my friend asked for your allies he never said which. Stronger things than any of us have met your ogre and your witch.” At least he suspected Auntie was some kind of witch, going by everything they heard on the ruined village. “She can no longer do a thing and not because she was killed. You see, there are ways to bind a soul in an object. Forever.” The drow didn’t know if that was true, but he really tried to make it sound as if he did. “And it just so happens that we have such a way here.” He tried to put excitement into his voice. “My fun is finding the best condition to leave you in before putting you into a small stone. After that the torment will not end. You will not be taken by your lord. You will never again be able to feel him. And if you truly are his mouth then you will damn him to starve. If you are not then you will just drain some of his power, uselessly. You’ll be enemy and wound for you beloved master and your will means nothing in this matter.” The last thing any zealot would wish. “Don’t come with the speech about the soul stone being too precious to spend on this. You told the creature was mine if it didn’t collaborate.”

The protest should at once cue Threl into offering an alternative to being sealed into a stone and make it natural that the torture didn’t start again.

Notes: Another helping action to persuade/fool the gnoll.

Evelyn watches, aghast, as Veldruk threatens the gnoll. Even though the creature is a gnoll, it or she perhaps is still their prisoner. It feels wrong to be so cruel to a bound creature who can't exactly fight back. Unsure what to do, Evelyn hangs back, her expression unhappy and pained, as the two Drow play the good constable, bad constable routine. Evelyn knows Veldruk is playing a part, but she is still disturbed by how easily it seems to come to him. She thinks back to how uncomfortable she had felt in his presence and, to a lesser extent, in Threl's. Threl was a bit different, as half the time they presented as feminine, and the wizard had always felt more at ease in the company of other women. She'd never exactly been very good with men, always stumbling over her words, never knowing what to say. It was one of many reasons she preferred to stick to her studies.

Olan stays quiet, watching the interplay between the three characters in this deception. "Veldruk seems to be really getting into character" he thinks, "or is the mask slipping?"

"Then again, who am I to criticise disguise and deception."

Threl takes the hint and steps forward, pretending to shove Veldruk out of the way "Whoa, whoa! Let's hold on for a second. Binding souls is all nice and well, but I'm sure you can be more useful to us than a waste of a gem" he says to the Crowned Gnoll "Of course, my companion wants to imprison you forever in eternal torment as you languish in an unascapeable prison unabler to serve the being you revere most" he says, hoping to get at least a glimpse of fear from the beast "But we could negotiate for a different arrangement. We need information, and you have it. But, it's fine if you don't want to talk, my friend here loves playthings." 

Persuasion check: 14 (minimum of 10 on the D20)

Threl turns to Veldruk, still speaking loud enough for the Crowned Gnoll to hear "As you were so rudely threatening our friend here, you were so caught up in your rant about your power over this...person" he says 'person' in such a way that you can tell he does not think this beast a person "You forgot one key feature of the imprisoning crystal: you can summon the thing trapped inside whenever you want, but they have to stay within a certain range of the crystal. You know what that means, right?"

Intimidation check: 12

(This would be deception, not persuasion, considering that Veldruk’s whole angle is just a flat out lie. Also, I your dice look like they failed to roll, could you try ‘em again? Otherwise I can just roll for you when I get to my computer)

(rerolled for Threl, rolled an 18, beating the gnoll's shitty insight roll. Also rolled its int to tell what you actually meant by the second bit. It has no idea, but your first bit was enough.)

"You kin do that? Nah, you... you a skinny-head pink wormy blood brained bastard mud rat and you ain't... but you... I gonna kill you! Gonna- gonna rip your throat to itty-bits!" The gnoll struggles against its bonds, but is unable to break free, its jaws snapping at Threl and Veldruk. "...**** your dumb face to Hell! Bastard you! Wart! Pimple! I..." The gnoll stills. It looks down.

"...You kill me, I tell you things."

"What do you mean? If we kill you, you'll still be able to talk. Won't you be dead?" Threl inquires, trying to sound at least a little bit curious and friendly

Persuasion check if needed: 16 (minimum of 18, as normal. Hopefully the dice work this time)

“I tell you but only if you kill me!”

Olan looking confused mimes to the others "kill before or after he's talked?"