Turn 24A -- A Deal is Struck

Talimar and Dain with Burukkleyet

Talimar frowns at the thorny issue before him. "Mayhap we should have just slain all the goblins in the first place, he says to Dain in Elven. He then continues with Dain back on the subject at hand, "Well, I don't know if we can deactivate the ring, a dispel magic will only have a temporary effect. Perhaps you could try out that identify spell. If we know the exact nature of the magic we may have something greater to go on."

Talimar then turns back to the goblin shaman and continues in Common, "Would you be willing to trade or sell the ring? I am sure we could find something similar, perhaps this broach we found?" He pulls out the broach the party took earlier from the orcs. "I am sure it would impress the tribe," Talimar finishes in a persuasive tone.

Burukkleyet appears to truly want to work out a deal, the goblins really do wish to just be left alone and he knows that if a deal isn't made here that the tribe's livelihood would be threatened but he will not give up what his tribe considers to be a gift from their god without something of equal measure, "After all, if my people believe it is a gift from our God then it truly is," he adds with a grin to Talimar and Dain.

"The necklace is pretty," continues Burukkleyet, "But it would not have the same effect on my people as the ring. I will give you the ring if you can produce an identical one to it so that my people do not know the difference and I will also require a magical item in return for giving up mine. Do we have a deal?"

Back in the cave

Making his way back to the first cavern within the complex, Kre finds the earlier goblin guards engrossed in their dice game.

"Mind if I join you?" asks Kre of the guards. He pats his coin purse for emphasis. The guards exchange curious looks among themselves and a discussion arises between a few of them before the largest goblins speaks up in Common, "Join if you want. We take coins from anyone." The other goblins then laugh as Kre takes a seat cross-legged on the cavern floor.

The goblins are playing some modified form of Hi-Lo with a very strange die and it takes several turns for Kre to figure out the game. No big loss though as the goblins are only playing for copper pieces. After a few minutes, Ortho enters the cavern and joins the game beside Kre.

After an hour or so playing the goblins strange game, Ortho is down 5 coppers but Kre is up about 20. Ras then enters the cavern and addresses his companions, "Hey, get your stuff together. Tal and Dain have worked out some type of deal and we're leaving. Tal says we'll meet outside the cave to discuss it." With that the halflin walks back into the central part of the cave to meet with the others, Kre and Ortho follow him out.