"Ok, ok, im sorry pal. Look, I just want to know, first, was it your choice to do this or not? second, where was your base of operations? Maybe if you tell us, the caravan would go easy on you."

(I was venting a bit. I let my sister type it in and she put that last part) 

Persuasion:9

(in case of advantage:8)

Reverie watches all the members for a moment and then to Theren as she hears the voice of the captives. More likely, she understands about Froskan and Katrina's reactions. Soon, her steps move towards Katrina and pets on her shoulder gently. Then she sits next to a bandit, on the opposite side of Theren. "You were captured and forced to work for the bandits while you were supposed to be a guard to protect people? What a shame." She mutters sarcastically, resting her chin onto her palm and looking at him with a smile. "...Well, I think this is another trial for you to get through. Tell what we are asking you to answer. I'm sure the caravan would give you another chance to live properly."

Persuasion (if I can help Jack) - 7

(In case it is getting confusing, when I say bandit (lower case "b"), it is either one of the prisoners. "Bandit" (with a capital "B") is the weaker, newly recruited peasant. "Thug" is the hardened, experienced bandit.)

Jack, and now Reverie, are having trouble getting through to the Thug. You are guessing he has been interrogated by the law before, making him a tough nut to crack. (OOC: There have been enough bad rolls, I doubt you can get him to talk to you truthfully. But I'm open to you tricking or manipulating the dumb, greedy evildoer.)

Theren is working on the Bandit, showing some sympathy. (OOC: I'm not sure what Theren has in mind, but if it makes the story interesting, I'll go with it.)

Jack whispers to the Thug. "look, I was once a bandit too. How about this, you tell us where your base is and the others will go easy on you, ok?"

(no one can hear this, Right? im whispering.) 'Deception':8 oops. should be 6

Quote from BoboBoombang >>

'Deception':8

 (I think Jack has dug a very deep hole for himself, and has found that all attempts to fix it are just getting him deeper.

At this point, he is best served to think of actions that won't require a check roll with this Thug, or he can help someone else.)

"Hey Katrina, could you help me with this guy? he won't talk." If she joins me, i'll Help her. (hehe. irony.)

Theren looks at the bandit with a knowing smile. "That's such hard luck, friend. Of course any of us could have been press-ganged into doing their dirty work if the battle had gone the other way. My friends and I are keen to protect our caravan, and these roads from the man who did this to you. Perhaps we can bring him to justice with your help. Do you know where he might be?" Theren asks, concealing his knowledge of the bandit's lies.

Bandit to Theren: "He came with us, threatening to beat or kill the slaves (like me) unless we won the fight. He wasn't with our group, but he was out there. Look for his body among the dead. He was a big guy, splint armor, scars on face."

(OOC: The bandits, thugs, and half-ogres that your group fought were wearing hides, leather, or studded leather armor. Also, remember that the Bandit was knocked-out before the end of the battle, so he didn't see everything you saw.)

Katrina squats near the Bandit with a big smile. "Things are looking pretty bad for you, huh?" she says cheerily. "Look, I honestly don't want to hurt you. I don't want my friends to hurt you. But we can't afford to just let you walk away and warn your friends that we're coming after them. So how about this? You tell us where your base camp is. We'll leave you here, still tied up, while we go and hunt them down. I'll give you my word that you and your pal here won't be hurt, as well. And then as soon as we get back, we'll untie you and let you leave with your head intact!"

Persuasion - 5

((Edit: Dang it, at the rate Kat's gonna snap. She's never been bad at anything before, and DOES NOT like it.))

"Ah yes, I saw him. Sorry, I meant the leader of the gang. We saw a man in the distance who seemed to be controlling the group, do you know who he was?" Theren asks.

(Katrina, I'm helping, advantage!)

Reverie hums in amusement as she watches her friends trying to talk out of him to get information of the base. However, the bandit seems to open up slowly as he talks with Theren. She remained in silence as she tries to hear more from them.

Froskan pulls the others that aren't actively questioning the bandits aside, speaking quietly so the bandits can't hear.  "The thug over there doesn't seem likely to tell us anything.  I have a different idea.  What if we were to let him go.  Or better yet, allow our 'sloppiness' to give him an opportunity to escape.  Maybe the ropes aren't quite tight enough and the guard on watch tonight 'falls asleep'.  Then we follow him back to his camp."

((Oh shoot you're right. Didn't know about the help = advantage thing. I'll do the other roll now.))

Advantage - 20

(Theren: The only bandit you saw wearing heavy armor, like splint mail, was the guy in the distance that you saw walk off. It was too far away to see if he had scars on his face, but that was probably who the Bandit was describing. He doesn't know any more personal details about the leader, as the Bandit was at the bottom of the gang hierarchy. The Bandit does say that the leader showed up about half a year ago, and made the gang much larger for this caravan attack.)

(Froskan: It occurs to you that, if the Thug or the Bandit "escape", he might just run away. You ponder what will make him want to go directly back to their main base, if he thought he got away.)

(Jack: I do want a bit of role-playing for the help, or a description of how you are helping. In this situation, I'll assume that Katrina is the "good cop" to your "bad cop", and she gets the Advantage.)

Thug to Katrina: "I don't give a turd about that scum over there. But you seem eager to steal from our loot. Real eager. You'll never find it without my help. I need a much better offer: untie me, a horse to escape, food and water... and 20, no, 100 GP!" (OOC: After so many poor rolls, the good roll means he will continue talking, but not that he will cooperate.)

"Hey pal, do you know what we've done? We killed an army of plants, and giant goats, and goblins. What do you think they're going to do to you if we hand you over to the others. Just tel us where the base is." (I'm bad cop. That is a threat.)

Deception:17

"I think you're overestimating your importance, buddy," Katrina says with a small laugh. "We don't have to track anyone down. We could just be on our way and defend the caravan again next year. Really, you're not as important to us as you seem to think. My offer, the one where you live? That's the best you're going to get. Really, is your loyalty to the others that important to you? They left you behind. Doesn't really scream 'we're willing to die to help you' to me. Why should you be willing to die to help them?"

Persuasion (Adv.) - 13

Thug: "Die to help them? I'm not dying. There are laws about killing your prisoners. You got witnesses." (Eyeballs the caravan merchants and the villagers who are cleaning up the wreckage.) "You kill me, you suffer a worse fate... I still don't think you will find our base. And me going to prison while you steal my loot... Doesn't sound like a good deal to me."

(OOC: Hold off the check rolls for now. State your words and actions and schemes. I'll let you know when to roll again.)

“Sounds like a cultist would say. How can you be so sure that we will suffer a worse fate by taking your life? Also, we are not the bandit or thugs like you.” Then she sighs deeply, resisting an urge to kick the thug’s face. ”Since the leader left you here, I am sure he would not come back to find you or accept you... But to give you death.”

Katrina laughs, a slight edge of hysteria in her tone. "Witnesses? Really, now, you think they would rat out their guards over the life of a thug like you? Someone who's been looting them mercilessly for years now? I'm telling you your options here. Either you tell us where your base is, or you die. It's as simple as that."

((Poor sod, thinking the was talking to a Lawful Good character. Kat's the epitomy of 'for the sake of the greater good' style of Neutral Good. Cold-blooded murder of a bandit isn't a problem for her.))