"Do you like Grol?"

Yeemik just shrugs and says "meh, if it wasn't him we'd be under Targor's boot, or someone else's."  "That's what always happens to goblins when the hobgoblins and bugbears and orcs are around."

Fraac adds "I think he's crazy, trusting that Spider guy and thinking he's going to rule the whole world or somethin."  "I was hopin' Klarg would challenge him."

(I second passing Inspiration along to Bacon!  Let's avoid having one person fill all of the party slots too often though, haha, but she deserves it too!)

((Awe you guys are sweet. I dont mean to take up all the slots, i just spend to much time on this website))

"Do you think you'll be able to keep your own once we get rid of Grol and the Hobgoblins?"

Yeemik shrugs again.  "Dunno, but we can try, and we can have more goblins come live with us if it's safe.  Maybe if we're nice to it that weird cat, or that bear-owl-thing will stay and scare people off.  I could live without the spiders though."  He shudders.

(No worries, it helps move things along and we'll never say no to RP.  If we took 24 hours for every line of dialog we'd never get anywhere.  My main thing would be not entirely ending a scene too quickly  until we've had 24-48 hours so everyone has had a chance to chime in and RP.  I think we've allowed plenty of time for resting and chatting with the goblins now though, so we can move on whenever the party is ready, or we can keep chatting.  Either works for me, I'm having fun.)

Elra nods sympathetically, "Ya, I know how that feels. I hate spiders..."

Zeke listens with interest the exchange between Elra, Arvel and the spiders while keeping his eyes peeled for anyone (or anything) that might approach their encampment.

'Master Trickster, are you comfortable with this plan? Can we slip into the castle and free our friend?'  

(OOC: Happy to have Elra lead here, think it even works from a RP standpoint.  Zeke wouldn't contribute anything more than a couple of scowls and grunts anyway :). I'm on vacaction the next couple of days so mught be sporadic here!)

"What would you all say to the old 'Fake Captives' routine? Etan, can you rig it so everyone except me and the goblins look like their hands are bound but in knots that can be easily escaped from?"

"Oh sure, I know a bunch of knots that can be undone with a pull. I should be able to make it look like bindings, but with a tug on the right part, it all just falls away."

Ethan pulls out his rope and a dagger and starts cutting up smaller segments and testing some knot variants.

(I fully support the artificer knot proficiency!)

Fae would offer her wrists for Ethan to knot up.

Ethan starts trying a few hitch knots on Fae's wrists, getting Fae to try pulling the release line while bound.

Once they have found the knot that looks the best and is easy to release, Ethan turns to the others.

"Ok we can try a double Evenk Hitch Knot."

Ethan points to Fae as she demo's the setup.

"Quick inspection from others will show that you are bound."

"But if you hold each of the release lines in the opposite hand and then just pull outwards, rotating at your wrists, the knots just full away."

Ethan indicates for Fae to demonstrate.

Wait, why do we need the fake captives routine? Didn't Yeemik just tell us a back way in? Let's just go in that way. I'd rather not be seen as long as possible rather than walk in the front door and get everyone's attention!

(ooc) We spent the day by this cliff so it should be getting late now, do I have time of day right?

(Ethan is of course perfect in his knot execution with that roll!)

(Yes it is later afternoon / early evening but you probably have a couple of hours before the sun fades on you.)

"I think the idea is that Arvel is going to make himself look like the spider and he Yeemik, Fracc, and Ikket 'escort' us to the King so he drops his guard and it makes it easier for us to stop him... right?" Elra asks.

Ethan considers for a moment,

"Yeemik, is the castle very empty, or are there a lot of people on guard or wondering around, normally?"

"Do you think we could get to the king without being noticed and everyone coming for us all at once?"

"Mostly just goblins around while the hobbies are out patrolling the main road.  The King is usually in his room with his pet next to where we can sneak in.  No trouble if we don't get the other goblins upset.  Leave that to us."

Elra nods, "Maybe we can save the Black Spider idea for later? When the Hobgoblins return maybe?"

"We could change the idea to impersonate the King after we kill him maybe?"

Ethan look to Arvel for his thoughts.

Ah, that plan seems sound. Kill the alpha wolf and take his place.