Gibson finally manages to unfold himself from where he was crouched trying to hide behind the table, joints popping and clicking, one hand still to his bloody face. His eyes narrow as he considers the human's offer. Stepping forward, a huge smile creeps over his face and he extends a hand to Felix. "I gew you't see sense, son." Clasping hands, Gibson jerks the man in closer as his bloody hand shoots out revealing a concealed dagger that he thrusts toward man's abdomen. Releasing Felix's hand, he gently shakes his sleeve to produce another dagger and stabs again.

Dagger - Attack: 11 Damage: 3

2nd dagger - Attack: 15 Damage: 2

Leaning in, Gibson whispers, "Five silver on whose guts hit the floor first."

"Hyup." Felix takes the first dagger in the gut, and as he falls backwards, Gib's second dagger only nicks the internal leather armor. Still there is a very large crimson stain on the armor that is slowly spreading.

"Do it, you bastards. Finish it!" Felix mutters thickly, his hands wrapped around the dagger, pulling it out and dropping it to the floor.

(Arvastan or Hugh -- he literally has one hp left, so one of you can put him out of his misery.)

Hugh will lean over with a grim smile as he presses the sharp end of his axe straight down through Felix’s chest.

(Not sure if I need to roll to attack but here it is.)

Attack: 25 Damage: 20

With one last, wet gasp, Felix expires, laid out across one of the crates of very fancy silks containing the royal crest.

The room gets very quiet, the only sound is the crackling of the dying flames that are burning themselves out in Balin's beard and hair.

And with that, you're out of combat.

Since he was already invested in the money these three were carrying, Gibson grabs whatever's left on the table and in their pockets.

Investigation: 16

"Hopefully this can pay for someone to fix the money maker once we get back to town," Gibson says, motioning to his wrecked face before spitting blood on Balin's lifeless body.

Gibson, on the card table is 3 gold and about 120 silver. The deceased scouts are dressed in leather armor. Felix is carrying a short sword(10 gp) and has a shortbow strapped to his back (25 gp). Balin's burnt corpse has a light hammer (5 gp) and a similar shortbow (25 gp). Other than the clearly smuggled goods in the room, there is nothing else here.

Gibson gathers everything and addresses the group. "Can any of you violent-types make use of these weapons? Otherwise I'm just going to sell them back in town." He emphasises "violent-types" as he wipes the gore from his daggers on a body and re-conceals them in his sleeves.

As the dust settles, Gibson rights one of the overturned chairs, sits and heaves a deep sigh. "You kids mind if we take a breather? I haven't gotten this much exercise in a flumph's age..."

Tul slowly brings her breathing under control. In the heat of the fight, she felt old anger and heat rising in her and only the fact the fight didn’t last long kept her from the kind of uncontrollable rage that flows in Hugh.

She kneels next to the two dead pirates and wishes them well on whatever journey they are now on. They were greedy and hard men but she didn’t think they were much different than those she had crewed with. Few were truly evil. With time they could have found some redemption. But time was not on their side today. She whispers one last apology to them and then stands and faces the others.

”They mentioned others that needed to be woken. Perhaps they were down the dark passage. Do we go that way or seek out the hobgoblins?”

"I've a sneaking suspicion that if we search for one we'll find both," Gibson says grimly, wiping the blood from his face with a scrap cut from Balin's shirt. "They said the water's that way," he gestures with his head. "Should we go there first or see what's back that way?" He waves the opposite direction with the bloody rag. Noticing what he's doing he frowns and tosses it to the floor with a wet plop.

"Do you need a moment first, Gibson?" Tul asks. "A couple of us could scout out the dark passage while you catch your breath."

"Sure sure sure... Scout away! I'll catch up with you in a moment. Or two." Gibson waves Tul off with a hand, takes a deep breath, and lets his shoulders slump as he lets it out and leans back in the chair.

Tul, as you lead the others out of the cavern opening back into the passageway, you see immediately in front of you, bent over the body of the dead smuggler Cyril, two hulking orange hobgoblins. One is bald with a bushy beard, the other younger with a topknot and thin sideburns that run the length of his face. The younger one sees you first and stands up slowly, one hand moving to his sword, the other touching his companion on the shoulder. They both see you, but neither makes any move towards you. They both seem to be...waiting.

Tul, Dimma, Arvastan, Hugh...what are you doing?

Hugh prepares his axe, but doesn’t attack, allowing the party to possible talk with the Hobgoblins first. 

Tul eyes the hobgoblins, wondering if the words they saw on the paper is in their language. Unfortunately, languages are not her forte and even if she had the paper she would be reluctant to attempt to speak their language.

Where was Gib when you needed him. She looks to the others to see if any might attempt talking to the hobgoblins.

Dimma looks between the hobgoblins and the rest of her group. She whispers just loud enough for her party members to hear, "Strange they haven't attacked us yet... What do we do?"

(I'm going to bot Arvastan for the time being until @inkedwolves can rejoin us.)

Arvastan carefully puts his trident at thigh level so as he's not making any threatening moves in front of the hobgoblins. "These buggers are obsessed with honor and respect martial prowess and strength." He looks at Hugh and Tul. "One of you should try talking to them. Be strong. And I'll jump in next time we have to negotiate with pirates." Arvastan's tone is light, but he says it without smiling.

The older hobgoblin, with the bushy beard stands now, and you see him a bit more clearly. He's absolutely massive, built like a brick outhouse, and he's dressed in a black scalemail that is shined to an almost absurd degree. He very gestures to the corpse of Cyril. "You were the ones who did this? The others in the passage you came from. Did you slaughter them as well." He speaks in a stern stentorian baritone, but he isn't making any threatening gestures. Yet.

Tul bows her head slightly to the hobgoblin who has spoken.

"We did kill them. We took no pleasure in it, but it was our duty to investigate what was happening and make it safe for the people of Saltmarsh. It became necessary to kill them," Tul says, maintaining eye contact with the hobgoblin.

The older hobgoblin looks to his companion and jerks his head in what looks like a nod.  They speak in a guttural growling language that you don't understand very briefly, before the elder one turns back to you.

"Your duty? I see. And the dwarven wizard? Is he still among the living? If not, I would know which of you struck the killing blow."