The Alchemist Lab

[thesniperknight1]

Eirenaios nods and waits for the goblins to answer Thorgrim's question

[Rukellian]

Ruken's extended hand was not returned. The gnome gets the hint and retracts it slowly.

Persuade Check 23% [1d100] = 15

"I see, well then... uhh, my friends don't seem to like you guys, but to me, you three have done nothing bad yet, short of insulting a couple of dwarves. Now, I think we can all still gain from this encounter, no need for it to get violent." Ruken says this to both parties with raised hands, his own and the orc's.

"We were looking for a lost caravan around here, and so were you apparently. Perhaps we can exchange information, share what we know. You all have a stake in this island's wealth, just as much as we do, right? We can work together to help find it..." The gnome looks back at his group and quickly adds in, "temporarily."

It must be strange to see a little gnome try to pacify the situation and broker a deal with a rough looking bunch of orcs, but, stranger things HAVE happened.

[tooleychris]

The orcs kind of eye each other for a minute and the biggest one snorts and nods to another who unslings his pack from his back and reaches in. The group tenses but the orc pauses. He slowly pours the contents out instead. A flint, a wrapped piece of meat, some feathers, and a rolled up copper scroll spill out. He scoots the scroll toward Thorgrim.
"A ways back me mates be findin dis'ere scroll, see. It be showin a trade route froma beardy basta...er...dwarfy mine. Ders a number of da load. Never got sent or kept. "
He nods to the gnome.
"Can't figure how yous would be knowin 'bout it tho. Lookin ta be older den da hills it is."

[GreyWolfVT]

Throm "Look ere we aint gonna kill yah if yah'd stop callin us dwarfs names alright? An I'll keep me tongue bout callin yah more n just orcs. But what were yah doin in a dwarf mine?"

[Dram]

Craxzus- Let me see this scroll you have. We've seen no cart.

[Rukellian]

Craxzus- Let me see this scroll you have. We've seen no cart.

Ruken raises an eyebrow when Craxzus says this.

Are we playing a lying game? Cuz if so, I will warn you all now, Ruken is a horrible liar.

Tyrion(NPC) Goes into the forest to gather some wood. He comes back a few moments later dragging long branches in each hand behind him with small logs and a rotted wagon wheel on top.
"Got us some wood fer a fire an found dis ol' wagon wheel a bit down da hill. Queer eh?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Throm "Eh I still wanna know bout this dwarf mine."

[Blazeguard]

Craxzus- Let me see this scroll you have. We've seen no cart.

Ruken raises an eyebrow when Craxzus says this.

Are we playing a lying game? Cuz if so, I will warn you all now, Ruken is a horrible liar.

Tyrion(NPC) Goes into the forest to gather some wood. He comes back a few moments later dragging long branches in each hand behind him with small logs and a rotted wagon wheel on top.
"Got us some wood fer a fire an found dis ol' wagon wheel a bit down da hill. Queer eh?"

Well Tyrion brought back a rotten wagon wheel but the rest of us didn't "see" any wagon so technically he's not lying.

[thesniperknight1]

Eirenaios's curiosity peaks a little bit forcing him to ask the orcs, "So you are after a wagon, what are you hoping to find on such wagon? Wouldn't be easier for you to simply loot the roads and pillage villages as such it is to be expected from your kind", the elf gives a courteous bow that somehow feels genuine, "I mean no offense of course, everyone has their own...'traditions' and ways to survive in this world but why go out of your way on this wild-goose chase? I never pegged orcs to be adventurers seeking excitement, fame or a life goal, so were you tasked with this? Did your chief send you on the orders of a third party perhaps?", Eirenaios waits for an answer but after rethinking it, he suspects that he read too much into it.

[tooleychris]

The orc looks a bit embarrassed then irritated.
"Aye. Weez followin da map ta da mine. But it got demins wit iron skins guardin it. Some big as an orc. Strong as an ogre. Tore ol' Astunps arms off like'e was dry twigs. Threw'em in a pit still screamin. Weez figured da shipment weren't there no ways so weez left. "

[tooleychris]

The orc looks to the elf and spits. "Youz new comin peoplez comin on yet fancy rafts o'er da waves kill mosta us off long time ago. Buildin yer stone towns and sendin steel into da wilds ta hunt orc. We fights but for nothin. Kill most orcs. We don'a be takin what aint ours an not 'nuff us left ta do much anyway. We hide and live. "
He snorts and spits again.
"Da map says a wagon a silver bars ne'er made it ta where it were goin. See? Da map shows da mark dat da bars were shipped but ne'er no mark for receivin. Musta got lost on da way. Orcs take silver ta maybe buy us wanna dem fancy rafts. Find new tribe. Dis land is big but gettin smaller."

[Rukellian]

Ruken listens closely to the orc's final statements. Most of the beginning parts matched the group's own experience, but as the gnome listened further, he could tell that not everything said by the orc was truthful. He lets his group members know with some subtle body language, facial expressions.

"I'm sorry to hear of your loss. The mine you spoke of, we took a peek as well, found those iron statues and demons too, just like you said. We wouldn't have gotten far with them so we left. If you all can describe the location of where the wagon was supposed to go, perhaps we can help you track it down? We've got the numbers now to cover lots of ground."

[Blazeguard]

Thorgrim slowly raises his crossbow slightly and very deliberately targets the largest orc. "If you don't start telling the truth" he snarls, "you will not be leaving here alive. Now, do you want to change your answers?"

[thesniperknight1]

Once the elf heard silver bars he sighed in disappointment, silver and gold are of no importance to him but when he sees Ruken's sympathy towards them he says, "I suppose if you wish to help these orcs then I can lend a hand, though I do not know why you would want to do such a thing"

Eirenaios witnesses Thorgrim's inquisition, "I don't think they are stupid enough to lie when their lives are dangling by a thread", he stares menacingly at the orcs.

[tooleychris]

The larger orc snarls under his breath and barks: "Done told youz all we be knowin! Cept dis'ere cave gots pony bones & harnessin." He nods towards the wagon wheel Tyrion brought out of the woods. "Maybe youz not all dat truth tellin, eh? Youz sayz youz help da poor orcs find da wagon. Maybe youz done found what weez been searchin fer? " His muscles tense and his anger grows. "Maybe youz playin us's!"

[Dram]

Craxzus - We searched the cave last time we were here and found no silver.

[GreyWolfVT]

Throm "Aye saw a demon, did na think I was in a dwarf mine though. Ain't ne'er seen metal constructs in a dwarf mine afore."

[thesniperknight1]

Eirenaios scuffs, "Why would we lie, we have no reason to do so, what say you this wagon is the same as the one you are searching for? And if we had whatever was in there then what would we gain by asking you all these questions?", he sighs, "So since Ruken wants to help you I suppose we can team up and split the reward, so, what are the other leads that leads us to the treasure?"

[Blazeguard]

Thorgrim jabs his crossbow at the orc menacingly, "Playin' you?! Ha! You're not worth the effort. The wheel was scavenged for firewood but we didn't see any wagon. Now where exactly did you 'find' this map?"

[tooleychris]

"Da map be showin a route from yonder mine ta ta a shrine er temple down o'er der." he says indicating to the south. "Weez been searchin dis trail fer weeks and findin nuttin till now. Elf down da hill took out a couple me mates wit a magic bow shootin lightnin 'fore we kill'em good. Now youz and yer wagon wheel sayz you aint seen no wagon it come from. the orc searches faces for a moment. "Maybe youz dont be knowin. Maybe weez close ta where it be tho. We shares. Where dat wheel come from, eh?"