Vondal snorts, but again would keep his tongue in check. At the very least Karl is given the added satisfaction of a nod and grin, prior to him focusing again on the cult leader.

The cultist looks put out by all the talking in Dwarvish, folding his arms over his chest. "We have a tribute," he says warily. "We were waiting until an appropriate time to present it. And, no, it isn't one of our number," he says in an "Are you an idiot?" tone of voice.

Vondal, he seems to be telling the truth, however carefully. He clearly doesn't trust you fully.

Vondal held up his hands in faux surrender, or as much as he could while still keeping the axe slung over a shoulder. "No need to get so uppity. Just, I iz concerned is all. Most who show such devotion to.... let's say, powerful beings, have the tendency to go quite extremes, or so I've heard." He explained. "Which is why I am even more curious. By what do you mean 'appropriate time'? Are you expecting more tribute to come from your fellows beyond here? Or to find more in ruin?"

He then narrowed his eyes again. "Or perhaps you had in mind to make sacrifice of other old man in town? If so, I not blame you. He would likely wish to work against you either way, if he knew of your intent to court the "evil" dragon." Vondal said in air quotes. "Mayhaps you wait to see best way of catching him unaware, hm?" He goaded, hoping for a few more magical words to either absolve or damn the cultist.

Persuasion: 10.(if needed)

Nif tries the door and if he finds it unlocked, will attempt to unlock it.

SoH: 27

Nif, you try the door. It doesn't appear to be locked, but it won't open. Would you like to convert your roll into a strength check to try to break open the door?

Haha i don't like my chances:

STR: 11

OOC: I just wanted to know if you were interested in breaking down the door. I'm going to use the rolls you made in #2570 since I didn't need to use them for thieves' tools. And they're good.

Nif takes a couple steps back and runs at the door, lowering his shoulder. Hitting the door at just the right spot, it seems, there is another loud crack, and the door opens a couple inches. There are a couple sounds of people being caught by surprise on the other side.

Back at the front door, the cultist opens his mouth to respond to Vondal when the crack of Nif breaking the door open causes him to turn to look in the other room abruptly. There is a flurry of activity in the room behind the cultist. He turns and faces Karl and Vondal. "What is going on here?!"

Karl gives a slow clap as Nif bursts through the other door and comments "well done young 'un! Looks like you learned somethin' after all?"   

Vondal just slowly brings a hand up to his face, and just squeezes his eyes shut while pinching the bridge of his nose. At even an utterance of insistence he speak from the cultist, he immediately holds up a halting finger, before then returning to the pinching once more. Eventually there's a sigh and some headshakes. "I was this close, Uncle. I could feel it in ma jelly... All we needed was one confession, and then a scott free axe'n." He said dwarvish, and then looked up.

"Welp. Enough ***** footing around the subject. That one--" He gestures with his axe over to Nif. "Was supposed to surprise you, if you had bad intentions. Which, I had hope to ascertain in questions. Which if you answered right, maybe we not end you for being bad people. We at least warn of plans to fight dragon, and that you should go chasing another. If answered wrong, and turned out to be bad people, well..." He shifts the battle axe so that both hands rested on it.

"Pretty straight forward answer from there. Now things are a bit awkward."

Nif grins at his uncles praise and then turns to Vondal, "Sorry brother, I didn't realise you were talking to them. Must have lost tract of time outside."

Nif, with your superior darkvision, you can see the interior of the house is dusty and strung with cobwebs. The only furnishings are a small stove, a table, two chairs, and a single bunk. The one cultist stands just on the other side of the interior doorway 20 feet away talking with Karl and Vondal. Five other humanoids dressed in the same black masks and cloaks huddle along the west wall looking at you ... well, scared.

"We have no intentions of fighting the dragon," the cultist spits. "Now, please leave."

after making his observations, Nif makes his way to Vondal and whispers to him, "all the others look quite scared, i don't think they share the same beliefs as the talkative one."

Vondal frowned, but brushed off the act to nod slowly in agreement to Nif. "At least that's something." He quickly whispered back in dwarvish. "No intentions? Aye, you made clear earlier. But, you see... we do. Foolishly as some of us may feel it so. And we don't want no trouble at our backs. So, we give choice. You and yours can go find some other dragon to worship elsewhere. Or, we beat you up, tie you up, and maybe come back for you if we survive." He then looks to the other if at all visible, and give them a toothy smile. "What do you all think? This is good idea, yes? No promises that if things get rough, we won't be doing a bit more than give you a few bumps on head."

Adrom grabs his hammer and stands behind Vondal, trying to be intimidating.

DM rollz: 10

It's hard to judge facial expressions when all you can see of somebody is their mouth and chin. The cultist pauses after Vondal's speech. Then, still looking in the direction of the dwarves, asks a question in a language none of the party understands. There is a pause, then a tentative response in the same language from the other room. "Why do you want to hurt the dragon? Has it wronged you?"

Nif looks to Karl for an answer to this question.

Vondal looks taken aback for a moment. "Well... Not personally, no. In fact, if I'd just as well as leave it be, presuming it didn't mess with phandalin a few hundred years down the line or so." He admits as much. "But, there's two things I cannot abide by: One. If my family says they wish to do something dangerous, and I can't talk'em out of it, then I certainly won't be abandoning them. And two, maybe we not hurt dragon. Maybe we talk and it proves to be ally. But given signs, this one does not sound like goodly dragon. So, we'd be doing folk a favor by removing it." Vondal admitted as much, and then turns to Karl.

"Up to you though, Uncle. We can always come back from dragon after rescue'n our friend. I doubt it'll want to leave this area any time soon. Perhaps we'll even be stronger, or you even have better axe in hand, hm? Is good deal." He said in dwarvish.

Karl looks at Nif and nods at Vondal as if to say 'let him answer that question!"

Seeing things are being left in his hands more or less, Vondal kind of quirks a brow at Karl, then turns to the cultist with expectant looks. "That's the long and short of it, it is. Besides, shouldn't most of you be elsewhere? Doing things far less dangerous than chasing dragons? Because if you haven't gone to pay it a visit by now, you'll never do it. No bounty you can offer is so great that they just won't take it after eating you. And sitting around here twiddling your thumbs while in its territory? That's just asking to get scooped up someday."

(DOn't know if you want a check or not DDP, but... can I keep that nat20 from before if so? ;~;)

The cultist pauses, then smiles. "You might be right."

Within the last 15 seconds or so, though it didn't really warrant much attention, someone was moving around behind the cultist in the bigger room. Now, Karl and Vondal, who are focused in on the cultist, hear Daran say quietly to Adrom, "Who is that? Is that one of them?"

Adrom looks to where Daran is indicating and can see a humanoid wearing a black mask and cloak hurrying north through the trees along the eastern side of town. They look like they're trying to be stealthy, but doing a poor job of it.

"You've given us something to think about," the cultist continues to Vondal.