"If you say so. Might as well be Dwarvish to me." Darien looks around, his head just barely clearing the top of the tall grass surrounding them. "Perhaps we should start making our way to the others? We shouldn't stop here for long."

"Agreed" says Nigel. He takes a moment to sense which direction Archie is at since he had been keeping an eye on the others. "That way." He points the direction out to Darien.

The party reunites without issues after chasing down the escaping goblin. Darien and Nigel can share the loot they found with the rest of the party. Pinja and Drako feel a bit tired after chasing down the goblin, but not enough to be exhausted.

Grikiltha, as you hold onto the goblin, it initially tries to resist and break free from the rope, but fails miserably. As you threaten it, the goblin speaks in broken Common, barely able to form coherent sentences, begging to be spared pathetically. Its voice quivers with fear, and its eyes dart around desperately, searching for any means of escape. The rest of the party watches, the loot they recovered now in hand, as they decide what to do next.

Nigel relays what was discovered from their investigation of the attackers and offers each their share of the electrum. 

Looking to Drako he asks, "How do we proceed? Did we learn anything from the captive? Should we continue on? I feel we can move on."

Drako makes his shine like lightning and gets down to look the goblin straight in the eye. He speaks calmly but firmly, "You tried to attack us. The rest of your companions are dead. So I recommend you answer our questions." He asks for Bahamut's guidance for the interrogation. "Let's start with a simple one. What group do you belong to?"

Nigel puts on a stern face and crashes his arms. Archie Flys to perch on his shoulder. Nigel hopes the display will help facilitate the interigation.

Pinja slides over and grins winningly at the goblin with her angled wererate face. “Tell us everything you know about this area and maybe we’ll let you go. If you don’t then I might not be able to contain my hunger for your sweetly smelling flesh. The choice is yours.”

(rolled deception =8)

The goblin trembles in Grikiltha's grasp, its eyes wide with terror as Drako looms over it. In broken Common, the goblin stammers, "G-group... eaten by dragon. Some survive... then you... kill rest. Please... no more! Spare... me!" It looks up at Drako, hoping for mercy, its fear palpable in the tense air.

The goblin's eyes widen even further in sheer terror at Pinja's threat. "No, no, no! Please, no eat Brigax! I co-co-copeerate! I tell you anything! Just... please, no eat me!" it pleads, its voice high-pitched and frantic, desperate to avoid the grim fate Pinja has suggested.

Brigax, trembling, manages to explain in his broken common, "This place... good for ambush. Tall grass... we hide easy. Small, sneaky. Travelers... not see us until too late."

Brigax, still shaking with fear, pleads desperately, "Please... spare Brigax. Brigax will guide you... keep you safe to where you go. Know the way... know the dangers. Just... don't hurt Brigax."

[ Essentially, if you keep the goblin as a guide, I will not roll any more random encounters to-and-from Butterskull Ranch. This does not mean I won't roll on the Dragon's Location table. That is independent to the Random Encounters. And I will answer Beard's questions as if Grikiltha asked them, just to move it along. ]

Brigax stammers, his eyes wide with fear, "Dragon... last saw it fly north... maybe day ago. Big, scary... my group saw it. Flew away... that direction." He points with a trembling hand, hoping his information will be enough to save his life.

Brigax continues, his voice quivering, "Butterskull Ranch... bad place. My group not go there. Big group of orcs... made home there. Many, many orcs. Dangerous... very dangerous." His eyes dart around nervously, clearly exaggerating the number of orcs in an attempt to emphasize the danger.

Pinja’s fur rustles and recedes into her skin, the sharp and oddly elongated limbs contracting until she is once again herself. She flicks back her messy black hair. “Seems like a keeper to me,” she says glancing towards her companions. “Perhaps we can soothe his wounds a little? And if he’s been a good guide, then when our quest to butterskull is complete, and we reach the outskirts of Phandalin, we can let him go on his merry way having atoned for his brash attack on our persons. Thoughts?”

"I see no reason not to. A solo goblin won't last long by itself so releasing it is akin to killing it. May as well make use of it." states Nigel flatly.

Drako snarls a bit as the goblin just mentions the idea of ambushing travelers, but he has to agree with Pinja and Nigel. Perhaps its being forced to do good may kindle a spark of rehabilitation. "Very well." he says. "Brigax, looks like you'll be with us for a while."

[[ added the 2 electrum ]]

"Sounds like a plan," Darien says, holding a small braid of grass that he'd absentmindedly created while watching the others interact with Brigax. He lets the braid fall to the ground and tightens the straps of his pack. "Shall we continue on towards Conyberry then? Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'd rather face the wererats again than face 'many many orcs,' especially if they've already dug in and made a home at the ranch."

"Told ya there was no rush to that ranch, survivors have already been delt with by now at that place." Grikiltha sets the goblin down and unties them, "Remeber how easily we ran you down before you go having any wild ideas. Who knows prove yourself useful, you might even find your time with us profitable." 

Nigel shows everyone the map so that an informed decision can be made.

Brigax, nodding fervently, agrees to behave and guide the adventurers to Conyberry and Butterskull Ranch. As he does so, the party hears his belly grumble loudly. Brigax tries to ignore it, pretending it didn't happen, but the sound is unmistakable. His eyes shift nervously, hoping the adventurers won't comment on his obvious hunger.

Following the Triboar Trail, the group travels for about two hours at a normal pace, led by the anxious goblin. Throughout the journey, Brigax does his best to guide them through any potential traps or dangerous areas, warning them of spots where other creatures might ambush. Despite his nervousness, Brigax's knowledge of the terrain proves invaluable, and no harm befalls the party.

As they approach the outskirts of Conyberry, the ghost town comes into view. It is just as the stories described—a somber, abandoned place. The remains of stone buildings stand in ruins, their structures battered by time and neglect. The echoes of the past linger in the air, a stark reminder of the devastation wrought by the barbarian attack years ago.

Map:

Pinja casually passes the goblin two apples during the trek. “Can’t have your tummy rumble give us away to any potential enemies,” she mumbles.

When they arrive at Conyberry, she turns to the goblin. “Brigax, do you know this area? Anything we should watch out for as we travel through?”

Pinja also investigates to see if anything looks familiar.

[investigate roll- 20] 

As Pinja offers the apples to Brigax, he hesitates a little at first, but soon his stomach grumbles again and he quickly devours them.

"Brigax thank you... Brigax quiet now..." He says, worried that if he makes any more noises, you might get rid of him.

When Pinja asks Brigax for information about Conyberry and it's dangers, he would say:

"Brigax not be here long time... But this good place to hide... Quiet, abandon... Be careful..."

[ Pinja would not recognize anything in the immediate vicinity, but she does begin to pick up a familiar scent. Three scents, which she would recognize from the previous night. It seems that the rangers kept their word and passed through here at some point. ]

As the group approaches the village, Darien’s guard goes up. He looks keenly around for threats, even with the goblin as their guide, and anyone paying close attention would notice the red tattoo down his arm shifting slightly, the fanged serpent poised to strike at the slightest sign of danger. At Pinja’s comment about staying quiet, he pauses the group. “Before we get too far, we should decide how we’re handling this. Do we want to attempt full stealth as we enter the village and investigate, or just move about with our guard up? I can help with stealth, but if we think a fight is inevitable, I’d just as soon save the energy for that.”

[[ Perception 11 without any help or guidance. Also will cast pass without trace if a majority of the group wants to really attempt stealth but it’s my last 2nd level spell for the day if I do. ]]

"I'd say to save our prowress for combat." says Drako, "We came here to find wererats. May as well be in good shape." He readies his flail in hand and looks at his armor, "I can stay back with Grikiltha is needed."

"I'll send Archie to look around." says Nigel. Archimedes flies off without a sound. The owl flies around the ruins up to 100 feet away. Nigel relays what he sees even though he can't hear any replies.

Archie perception with advantage: 14+3=17