Westeros - a Homebrew D&D Campaign

I completely ignore Thorne and the hobgoblin, but respond to Karrius instead, "What a great idea, buddy, ol' pal!"

I attempt to grapple the hobgoblin by the feet.

STR/DEX Save: 15

If that succeeds, I will dangle the hobgoblin upside-down and start to shake him."You say you're not a cultist, huh? We'll see about that." 

Intimidation: 17 (14 + 3)

Quote from LucasTheDuck >>

I completely ignore Thorne and the hobgoblin, but respond to Karrius instead, "What a great idea, buddy, ol' pal!"

I attempt to grapple the hobgoblin by the feet.

STR/DEX Save: 15

If that succeeds, I will dangle the hobgoblin upside-down and start to shake him."You say you're not a cultist, huh? We'll see about that." 

Intimidation: 17 (14 + 3)

STR save: 21

Titanus grabs the hobgoblin, who nearly escapes from his grasp, but he manages to hold on, flipping the hobgoblin upside-down. "Whoa!" By the time you begin shouting, he's nearly crying. "Help! Help! Someone stop him! I'm innocent! I was merely following orders!"

"Orders from whom?" Karrius asks.

Quote from MOE10WRECKER >>

"Orders from whom?" Karrius asks.

"Orders? No, I didn't say orders. I said...hoarders! Yes, hoarders! I was just following my hoarder friend." It doesn't take an Insight check to tell that he's lying. You can hear his teeth chattering and his quick gasps of air. 

(OOC: Note - after about 3:25 EST on April 9th, I'll be off DDB for two weeks.)

(That’s oddly specific. Can I roll an insight on you? lol)

”You better start talking and telling the truth ‘friend’ or this big brute here might just keep shaking you until brain is all scrambled.”

Quote from scorch19 >>

(That’s oddly specific. Can I roll an insight on you? lol)

”You better start talking and telling the truth ‘friend’ or this big brute here might just keep shaking you until brain is all scrambled.”

"Fine! Fine! What do you want to know?"

(OOC: :/ bring on your worst)

"First, why did you raid the village? Second, who were you obeying?"

I shake him a little more.

Intimidation: 13 (15 with advantage).

"If I must." He takes a deep breath in, reluctant to give away information but valuing his life over any secrets he is keeping. "We were ordered to attack by our leader, who was told this by the Great and Mighty Maglubiyet in a dream. But I ran away from them after we raided the village, fearing that our leader was being distrustful. For I saw him speaking to a strange man, cloaked, and I wondered if he would disobey the orders of Maglubiyet. And, true to his word, they have stayed in the village, preparing for some moment."

“Do you know what they are preparing for? And do you have any more details about this cloaked man — height, appearance, dialect?

Quote from scorch19 >>

“Do you know what they are preparing for? And do you have any more details about this cloaked man — height, appearance, dialect?

"I could not hear them, so I'm afraid not, o Strong Warrior. And I am merely a motley bard, there for the entertainment of the others - and sometimes for the magic I wield. I would not know the plans of Maglubiyet, but I urge you to continue on your quest. Do not stray towards the camp, for I believe they would be too powerful for you." He looks around at all of you, anxious but relieved you're not killing him -- yet. "Now, will you please let me down?"

Nodding to Titanus, “I think we’ve learned all we can here. Let him go after he relinquishes his possessions to us.”

Quote from scorch19 >>

Nodding to Titanus, “I think we’ve learned all we can here. Let him go after he relinquishes his possessions to us.”

"Oh. Well, shit." He quickly gives you everything he has (or so he says), emptying his pockets relatively quickly. His possessions are a lute, a longsword, 50 GP, and an explorer's pack, which he dumps on the ground in a pile in front of you. "May I go, o Great Warriors? Or shall you be requiring my services even more?" He looks longingly at the lute, but says no more. 

"You will stay with us and serve us for life as a prisoner of war."

Quote from SquirmyWyrmy >>

"You will stay with us and serve us for life as a prisoner of war."

"What? No..o Mighty Warrior!" You hear him speak the last few words with a twinge of sarcasm. His eyes dart around, looking for an escape. 

“Yeah I’m with him on this. Not sure I want a previous enemy at my back 24/7. Seems a stressful way to live.”

Quote from scorch19 >>

“Yeah I’m with him on this. Not sure I want a previous enemy at my back 24/7. Seems a stressful way to live.”

(OOC: So it sounds like you're returning to the road?)

(Yes, without the prisoner. lol)

Quote from scorch19 >>

(Yes, without the prisoner. lol)

(OOC: Since no one has dissented, I'm assuming that's the party's choice.)

You allow the hobgoblin to scamper away, and he does just as quickly as you'd expect. Walking down the mountain (obviously the road is somewhere down there), it takes a surprising amount of time to find the road -- cutting through bramble and bush, it's near afternoon once you spot the path. Getting back on it towards Port Ilsyn, you continue your travels. 

The rest of your travels are uneventful, and by nightfall on the next day, you're peering down the mountain towards the jumble of lights that comprise Port Ilsyn. Stretching from the large manors near the top of the mountain to the hodgepodge of buildings on the water, the city emanates hospitality and a pungent smell of fish.