(OOC - I'm happy with group initiative. Played it before and it seems to work well.)

Genken disengages (bonus action) from the hobgoblin that attacked him, moving away from him and around towards Ondrej. As he runs, he draws an arrow and fires it at the hobgoblin that attacked him.

Shortbow Attack: 18 Damage: 6

With the combination of Arisys and Genken's attacks, the final hobgoblin crashes to the ground. Quiet falls over the room, its only living inhabitants being yourselves, the five sleeping goblins, and the figure in the doorway. They finally step forward into the light, and you see a grinning, robed goblin woman. She walks towards you slowly, hands held in the air, seemingly at ease and unafraid.

"Who are you?" Arisys asks, looking the woman up and down. "Why are you helping us?"

"I am Grenl," she replies in heavily accented Common. Continuing to walk forward, she kicks the fallen leader in his metal breastplate, huffing a laugh. "I was chief before this aruul'daan came." She looks back up, her sharp-toothed smile and dark beady eyes slightly unsettling. "Now I am chief again." 

"It is very nice to meet you. I am Arisys Albaratie and these are my companions. We are trying to get below. We don't want to harm anyone if we don't have to." She looks to Ondrej. "Well most of us anyway. We are looking for some missing individuals from the nearby village, do you know anything about their wearabouts?" 

Ondrej stands over the hobgoblin leader's body, his heavy breathing slowing as his battle rage fades. He strides over to the goblin he had pinned to the wall and pulls his javelin free.

At Arisys' comment he pouts and gestures at the goblin now slumped on the floor. "They started it" he grumbles petulantly.

Returning to the hobgoblin leader he nudges the fallen blade with his boot and inspects the weapon. Glancing up at Grenl he asks "Was that you with all the magic? I could have taken them in a fair fight you know."

(I'm fine with the group initiative too, seems like it makes sense in this format.)

"They're idiots. They attack anything that moves, including each other," Grenl says with a dismissive wave. "You were defending yourselves, and you have done me a service, so I will look it over."

Turning to Ondrej, she gives a small pat to his lower arm. "I'm sure you could have."

"As for the adventurers, many have passed through, one group every year. But if you speak of the most recent four, the two survivors went below. They were put at the mercy of Belak, just as the others before them. I don't know what he does with all of them, just that none come back."

"At the mercy of Belak?" Genken says as he recovers his arrows, "What does this Belak do? And you said there were only two survivors of the recent four. What happened to the other two before the survivors went below?"

(I'm cool with group initiative as well. We do it in my third edition group.)

Summer nodded as she looked from Genken to Grenl. "Is there anything useful you can tell us about this Belak? I'd like to be well prepared. This little encounter was cutting things far too close!"

"I just told you I don't know what he does. He's a mad scientist; it could be anything." Grenl sighs, looking a bit irritated at the prospect of having to explain everything to you.

"Thirteen years ago, Belak and his cronies came into our home The cronies took the tribe, and Belak took the tree. He built his lab and started experimenting on the rats and plants. But, it wasn't enough and that summer he tricked a group of adventurers like yourselves into coming here and going below. The next summer was the same, as was the one after that, and every summer since then."

"As for your dead adventurers, well," she pauses to glance at the sleeping goblins, "the idiots got to them"

(Can I inspect the hobgoblin leader's weapon while this conversation is happening?)

Genken shakes his head, "Of course it was all a ruse." He thinks for a moment, then looks about, "Well, we're here now, might as well continue our journey. While there probably isn't any magic apple, we can look for items of value, or at least take payment from this Balek for his troubles."

Ondrej, you see that the leader wields a longsword. At first glance, there’s nothing that immediately jumps out at you as extraordinary. What specifically are you looking for (markings/carvings, magical properties, etc.)?

“The apple is there, but it is well-guarded by Belak,” Grenl says.

(Just looking for a new longsword, haha. I'll take it.)

Ondrej picks up the longsword and gives it a few test swings in the air, then adds it to his belt.

"Hmm, can you tell us anything about these protections Belak holds around the apple?" Genken gives a toothy smile to the goblin as he tries to glean the last of the information that he wants from her.

“I haven’t been to the Grove in many years, but I know that he has many creatures at his service, as well as a wall of thorns and briars around the area,” Grenl replies, growing tired of your questioning but obliging, for now.

Genken bows his head, "Many thanks, mistress goblin. Sorry to, uh..." he gestures around the room, "mess up your quarters as such, but it seems these brutes were in need of a gentle push out the door." He flashes her a toothy grin and makes his way over to the other hobgoblin that Ondrej has not searched and check him for any coin or valuables (Investigation: 18).

Grenl simply huffs in response, walking over towards where the goblins are sleeping. She kicks each one sharply in the ribs, shouting commands at them in Goblin. They hurry to stand at attention, then a few seconds later disperse through the various doors of the room.

Genken, you see that the hobgoblin has chain mail armor, a shield, and a longsword that all appear well-made and in good condition. Attached to a chain around his neck that was tucked under the armor is a translucent white gemstone.

Quote from SpieltJoos >>

Genken bows his head, "Many thanks, mistress goblin. Sorry to, uh..." he gestures around the room, "mess up your quarters as such, but it seems these brutes were in need of a gentle push out the door." He flashes her a toothy grin and makes his way over to the other hobgoblin that Ondrej has not searched and check him for any coin or valuables (Investigation: 23).

(Just to clarify, Ondrej didn't give him a thorough search, he just grabbed the weapon. You could still check him for loot , Ondrej just isn't interested.)

(The leader has had his sword taken but has not been searched. One of the other hobgoblins also has not been searched. If you want to search them, make a separate investigation check for each.)