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Cloudia Birthmire... AC: 8 w/o armor, 10 w/o armor, while ensnared

wonders why she isn't dead. The realizes that this ragged band may not be completely captured at all but negotiating; and that these gnolls would have killed her already if they wanted to. She certainly gave them enough reason.

She ceases struggling and says in a calm and measured voice:

"Ask them to unbind me, please. Tell them I'll give them no more trouble," she says to the skinny one who seems to be translating.

Loyn-Dwarf fighter

He shakes his head and says to Bugs…“I think the ancestral home our new friends are referring to is one of the Caves of Chaos! Remember, me Dad told me some were more dangerous than others!” He slowly pulls out his map of the caves.

Loyn clears his throat loudly and speaks to the gnoll leader…“I am Loyn son of Groyn…We’ll met! Your ancestral home you speak of, is it on this map? ”

Bugs

He chuckles at Tarlac. "It's going about as well as expected. Where's Da, by the way."

Bugs waves at the newcomer. "Hey there. I'm Bugs. We'll get this all sorted out soon. I believe in Gyb."

Haldric perks up a bit about the idea of heading back to the Caves. But he likes the idea of a good nights sleep even more...

Where’s Peppy?
Attack First Attitude
Cloudy, Evening

Gyb ignores the command from the as-of-yet unknown woman in the net, so she is left ensnared on the ground where she sits uncomfortably.

Tarlac shakes his head at Bugs and sighs loudly. "I was hoping you were he, so I obviously have no idea where he is. He slipped away when these a-holes attacked us, and I've been waiting for a rescue ever since."

The traveling monk continues to translate, all the while hearing the other gnolls still growling out their less favorable opinions about how to deal with these trespassers. But when Loyn pulls out his map, it's all their leader needs to see. He looks over the ravine layout, pointing to each of the cave openings before stopping his long, hairy digit on the highest cave, speaking to Gyb. "This was gnoll cave before dead came. We want cave back and are willing to let you live......if you blood promise to help us."

He growls loudly at his kinfolk, apparently trying to maintain his position as spokesman, but only Gyb understands the words: Actions?

Bugs Donato: Gnome T2 AC3 16/16
Haldric Hammerhearts: Dwarf C AC3 9/12 CLWx3 Tipsy
Rida: Human F AC2 -2/10 Unconscious
Loyn Shortbeard: Dwarf F AC5 11/12
Gyb the Meager: Human M AC10 6/8 Lantern
Keya Redd: Half-Elf C/R AC5 -1/12 CLWx2 Unconscious
Cloudia Birthmire T1 AC6 6/6 Ensnared

Rida

Still out.

Gyb

Gyb does his best to convey the gnolls' discussion.

"Most of them are angry. Wanting death or slavery for us. The leader has a better idea. Their cave is on Loyn's map. Where the dead live now."

"The leader wants us to swear to help them. He knows we have no quarrel with the gnolls.
But the undead are a problem for us all.
He wants us to take back the cave for them".

Gyb rests his throat from all the growling and barking for a moment. He notices the woman in the net. "You are a prisoner too, it looks like. The gnoll chief will give freedom to prisoners who swear to fight undead and get gnoll cave back. Would you swear this?"

He takes a mouthful of wate. "If Gyb and friends swear," he asks the chief, "when would we go to the caves? Today? Tomorrow? Would we fight alone? Gnolls know the way the caves are."

Haldric resigns himself to helping face some undead. He should have definitely stayed back in town a bit longer. However, he isn't foolish. "There is just no way tonight is going to happen. Half of our group is unable to fight - let alone remain conscious. It will take a day or two at least to be ready to enter a cave we know nothing about."

Veronica

"Yes! I swear!" Veronica says to the one who is translating. "Just get them to release me!" reckoning that befriending the gnolls will give her time to plot her revenge.

Loyn-Dwarf Fighter

Loyn shakes his head in agreeance…Not many options at this time, but to help. Although that means we’ll need to watch our backs and his! I believe he wants our help, but the other gnolls may mutiny. He gestures toward the rest of the gnolls who want them dead.

Bugs

"Seems like we want the same thing, to deal with the caves. Works for me." Bugs remains at ease, knowing that things will work out.

"Hey Gyb. Could you ask about the grey gnome? I think it's my Da, and I want to know where he went."

Gyb

Gyb informs the leader that the group agrees to his terms. He points to Cloudia. "She swears to fight the Unrelenting Dead also. If released from the net."

"This gnome is Bugs. We are looking for his father. He was fishing with the other man. Do you know where he is? Did he run from you?"

Where’s Peppy?
Attack First Attitude
Cloudy, Evening

Regarding Bugs Da, the gnoll nods his head. "The little old one was slippery and escaped us when we tried to kidnap them. Old man was easier to catch. We were going to ransome him to stone castle, to ask if metal guards would help us."

Roughly released from the net, Cloudia rushes to the pile of clothing to grab her armor again. The other gnolls don't look happy about her being released in the least.

Gyb continues to speak to their leader, trying to add what the others suggest without muddying the conversation further. It is starting to seem like the leader is winning a few of the others over, but it's a slow process.

"We have gnoll scouts out there now, waiting and watching. In 5 moons they return here to explain what they learned, and let us know if possible to attack again."

"If some of you return here at that time, we can plan attack together."

"If you really swear to help us, we make pact." He pulls out a dagger from his belt and slices one paw open with a wide cut through his hairy flesh, dripping a trickle of blood onto the ground. He hands the dagger to Gyb next, nodding for him to do the same as he holds his bleeding paw up to the nervous translator. "This will unite us in the eyes of my people."

Actions?

Bugs Donato: Gnome T2 AC3 16/16
Haldric Hammerhearts: Dwarf C AC3 9/12 CLWx3 Tipsy
Rida: Human F AC2 -2/10 Unconscious
Loyn Shortbeard: Dwarf F AC5 11/12
Gyb the Meager: Human M AC10 6/8 Lantern
Keya Redd: Half-Elf C/R AC5 -1/12 CLWx2 Unconscious
Cloudia Birthmire T1 AC6 6/6

Cloudia dons her armor and takes a quick inventory of her gear. Then she moves over to mingle among the non-gnoll adventurers. If the others cut themselves she reluctantly does likewise.
"Thank you all for getting me out of that fix. You can call me 'Twofer'." on account of having been captured twice and escaped both times unscathed (sheet updated)

Gyb

Uneasy at the thought of facing undead, Gyb accepts the dagger. Despite the gnolls giving them little choice in the matter he feels responsible for his part in making the deal.

Gyb holds the dagger to his palm and cuts. "Gyb will go". He holds the dagger out for the next person.

Rida

Out, but drips a trickle of blood onto the ground.

Haldric looks at the condition of the dagger and has second thoughts about slicing himself with the filthy thing. Instead he offers up support, "Thank you Gyb! I believe you have just pledged our support on all of our behalves! We will honor the bargain struck!"

"By the way, can you ask our new friends what these undead creatures look like? How they act? How many there seem to be?"

Bugs

He seconds Haldric's position. "But if they need it, I guess so."

"Do ask about any info they have on the caves and these dead. Also, which way did he go?"

Where’s Peppy?
Attack First Attitude
Cloudy, Evening

Once her armor is donned again, Cloudia introduces herself to the group as Twofer, glad she won't be lugging around water and cooking for these wandering monsters anymore.

The lead gnoll nods his furry head when Gyb rubs slashed palms with him. "Gyb! GYB!!! Listen to me Gyb!!!! I am called Tammuz. I lead gnolls for now, but that task is......never secure."

He doesn't seem bothered if the others cut themselves or not, but doesn't actually stop anyone from doing so. "Condition of cave and enemy will be discussed after scouts return." No details are actually given out, but the undead were described earlier as the simple variety, likely skeletons and zombies.

Once Gyb relays the question as to where Peppy ran off to, Tammuz responds coyly. "Old gnome ran to river. Jumped in. Swam away from gnolls. Gnolls wont go in river. Too many things under water that want to eat gnolls. So we let grey haired gnome swim away." He points in the direction of the river that heads roughly eastward from these trees.

As the groups prepare to part ways for a few days, Gyb hears calls from the gnolls in their tongue that Tamuz better be making the correct decisions, offering up a pact with these hairless ones.

Actions?

Bugs Donato: Gnome T2 AC3 16/16
Haldric Hammerhearts: Dwarf C AC3 9/12 CLWx3 Tipsy
Rida: Human F AC2 -2/10 Unconscious
Loyn Shortbeard: Dwarf F AC5 11/12
Gyb the Meager: Human M AC10 6/8 Lantern
Keya Redd: Half-Elf C/R AC5 -1/12 CLWx2 Unconscious
Cloudia Birthmire T1 AC6 6/6

Twofer checks her person like an absent-minded grandfather looking for his glasses. Everythings to be in order here. Lets get out of here.