Chapter One: A LMoP Adventure

OOC: I think it's the Herr Doktor Professor and Gruxx who understand Goblin.

OOC: Whoops. You're right. Here I was thinking Glynquinal had an upper hand and could understand all that the goblins were saying.

OOC, That is true, Glynquinal could understand only a little of what was being said, so he operated off of that small portion like what happened to Klarg. The rest of it sounded like white noise to Glynquinal.

Glynquinal, coming into the chamber where he'd left the goblins with their captive says in common to the goblin party, "I have brought Klarg's head as you asked. Now let your captive go."

Gruxx doesn't say anything, leaving the talking to those who are better at it.  He just stands menacingly with the head of Klarg resting on his head.  He also doesn't want to give away that he understands Goblin just yet.

There is a pause after Glynquinal's demand. Finally, Yemmik asks a little hesitantly, "His head?"

Glynquinal motions to Gruxx, "His head is right here. It makes a fine hat now that Klarg doesn't need it any more."

Gruxx bites his lip in a struggle to contain his laughter from Glynquinal's comment in an attempt to continue with his intimidation.

The second voice exclaims something in the goblin tongue. (Only Glynquinal knows it's the second voice. And the voice is trying to be quiet enough that, even though Herr Doktor and Gruxx are awake and listening, the words don't carry enough to be understood.) "Very good," the voice that identified itself as Yeemik says in Common. "Now, as for this human, we only require ..." The voice pauses, then asks quietly something in the goblin tongue. The second voice responds. The two go back and forth a little bit before Yeemik finishes with "Pay us 20 gold pieces for the human, and you may all leave with your lives."

Glynquinal asks the others, "Herr Doktor. Gruxx, I caught part of what was said in Common but not all of it. Did either of you two get the rest of what was said?" 

Looking to the small goblin party, "I think you misunderstand the position you are in, but I will be more than happy to take 20 Gold to take the captive off your hands."

Yeemik chuckles. "If you do not want the human, that is fine. We can end it right now and do us both a favor." The point of the scimitar is again pressed into the human's side. The old man begins to moan through his gag as the blood rose on the side of his shirt blooms.

The Herr Doktor Professor answers Glynquinal in Elvish: "The first goblin that spoke appears pleased that we have slain Klarg. Was he the one giving orders earlier? It appears he is the one setting the ransom for the human."

Glynquinal in Elvish responds, "The one that just spoke claims to be Yeemik. He seems to be in charge."

The Herr Doktor Professor addresses the goblins as a group, speaking in the Common tongue: "We would like to negotiate for the release of the human, as well as any other prisoners you might have in these caves.

"However, do not expect  us to pay a ransom! We seek to return your captives to earn a reward for ourselves. We are not willing to exchange coin for your captives, but we may be willing to exchange a service."

The Herr Doktor Professor points to Klarg's head, now worn as a cap by Gruxx. "It appears you have a bugbear problem in these caves. We might be able to rid you of this problem in exchange for your captives."

Persuasion check: 18

"That bugbear was our only problem," Yeemik snaps, sounding impatient. "Pay us the 20 gold or this human dies." He then says in an undertone in the goblin tongue, "Get ready." The human is looking like he's barely able to stand. His exposed skin has scrapes and bruises as if he has been abused. The side of his shirt where the scimitar has been pressed into the flesh is almost completely red.

Ian calls out in Common I have your gold right here. Come get your gold, and we can all be on our way.

Glynquinal, noting the condition of the captive agrees, "That weak human hardly looks like he can stand much longer. I have some of your gold here Yeemik. You are welcome to come and get it." 

Digging into his pouch that holds the ball bearings and caltrops, Glynquinal clinks the metal together invitingly.

"Reconsider our offer, Yeemik," the Herr Doktor Professor says in Common. "If you force us to pay for the human, then we will leave you and your tribe to face the wrath of King Grol alone. If he sent Klarg to boss over you, it will not be long before he sends another bugbear to take Klarg's place. You and yours will find yourselves back in the same place, under the boot of another bugbear."

Gruxx would like to try to determine how many goblins there are total in sight.

Perception:  3

Gruxx peers around his comrades lined up in front of him and at the beings facing them. The human is easy to see. Gruxx can also easily make out the goblin standing just behind/partly beside his legs — the one holding his scimitar to the man's bloody side. The size of the beings behind the human, the narrowness of the passage, and the heaviness of the shadows make it impossible for the human to tell how many creatures there are in total. He can tell it is more than three, but less than 10.

Following Ian, Glynquinal, and Herr Doktor's invitations and warnings, there is a low growl. Not like a wolf's growl, but like a humanoid grumbling.

The second voice asks in the goblin tongue, "Will Grol send another now that he has the dwarf?"

"I do not know," Yeemik responds in the same tongue.

"We should abandon the caverns," the second voice says nervously in Goblin. "Or maybe we should take this one to Cragmaw Castle and say we escaped those that murdered Klarg."

"Shut up!" Yeemik chides in the goblin tongue. "Go get our gold. We should get rid of these outsiders." Changing into Common and raising his voice, Yeemik says, "Meet Bayak half way. Give gold to Bayak and then you leave with human. Don't come back, or we will kill all of you."

"Me?" the second voice asks in the goblin tongue? "But, Yeemik —"

"Go!" Yeemik commands in Common.

The goblin holding the scimitar moves more behind the human and another goblin moves around it, moving tentatively. It looks over its shoulder and then back at the group of strangers. Squaring its shoulders and attempting to arrange its face into something stoic, it walks to meet someone half way.