A fresh start

[The_Muffin_Man]

"You don't think I could dice in the afterlife? I swear, I could probably swindle something nice out of a demigod or something."

[JadedDM]

"I may not know gnolls that well," Amon admits. "But I do know people. And I believe these gnolls will leave us in peace."

[Jenara]

"They are your problem now Amon." Brax comments as she turns away from the group.

"I will meet you all back at the inn." With that she walks away slowly.

[HorizonsDream]

"If they come back, then the town guard will deal with them properly," Echo says to the rest of them. "They gave us information in exchange for freedom. I see no reason to back down on that deal."

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos claps Gunter on the shoulder. "Stick with me Muscles. Maybe we'll end up with our own... I don't know, whatever demigods use for mansions..." He then follows after Brax calling a little "wait up bright eyes! I left an ale at that inn."

Over his shoulder, Searos calls to Amon. "You may think you know people, Lord Mage, but I suspect you'd be shocked what they are really capable of. And just keep something in mind. No matter how well you know people, gnolls aren't people, ya feel me?"

As he falls in step with Brax he mutters to her "Glad its not my village. Town guards? Really? Its a wonder these people haven't been sold to a nasty group of slavers or something..."

[Breila]

The gnolls look at Amon with questioning eyes. "Are we free to go, then? Khchk asks.

Geraldine hastens after Searos and Brax. "Please wait for a moment. We should agree on what we tell the village first, to avoid fuelling rumours by different tales."

[Robbo]

Gunter shoots the gnolls a nasty look and turns to follow Searos and Brax, kicking a stone and muttering something under his breath.

[Jenara]

"And what do we tell them Amon?" Brax asks with a smile, seemingly happy to follow the mages lead on this. "Either we tell them we found them, or not, personally I think we bring them along, they might prove useful."

[JadedDM]

"I say we tell the Council the truth. What they choose to tell the townsfolk, if anything at all, is up to them," Amon says.

"We will allow you to leave," he says to the gnolls. "I will fetch you some cloaks to hide your appearance, and we will escort you out of town." He hands them his full waterskin and the iron rations he never used.

[Jenara]

"If that is your choice Amon.." Brax shrugs, "If we are asked, we will say to ask Amon. Unless you wish us to say we healed them and let them go?" There is no sarcasm in her voice, she appears to be speaking her mind honestly.

"Now you wish to come with me Master Searos? The Mean and Scary Drow doesn't look so mean and scary does she? I comparision." Grinning she waits to see if anyone comments before leaving.

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos drops his head and stops. He turns around walking up to Amon. "Look, I get it. Your precious council seems so true and virtuous. But we can't rule them out yet which means I don't think you should tell them anything about the gnolls. If one of them is in on the smuggling, you put the gnolls' lives in danger, which is no big loss really, and you put our investigation in danger. Leave the council out of it for now. I'll tell anybody any lie you want after that and give it my best Ol' Honest Searos smile too. (Searos demonstrates said smile) Until we at least get bright eyes over there to her dinner date with fatso, I'm asking you not to mention the dog men to anybody. Okay?"

He looks over his shoulder at Brax. "Whoever said I was scared of you because you were a drow?"

[Jenara]

"Because that is the usual reason, my heritage scares many people."

[JadedDM]

Amon frowns. He simply could not fathom why Searos was so unreasonably paranoid about the council. Perhaps he comes from a place where corruption is so rife, but Saltmarsh is nothing like that. Still, the abjurer considers his words. "Well...the council does need to know. I suppose there's no immediate need to tell them right now. Alright, I'll consent to waiting until after Brax's dinner, if you really think it is so important."

Still, this didn't sit well with him. He feels...guilty. Turning his thoughts away from it, he says, "I'm going to go get the gnolls some cloaks so they aren't spotted as we walk them out of town."

[Stik]

Martin rounds on the party surrounding him, looking at each person in turn. "On. Your. Hands. All of you, if you go along with this.

"There are times when I pray that I am wrong, and this is one of those times. But you might as well go out and kill a few peasants yourselves as trust the promise of these two, unwatched and left to their own devices.

Martin saves Amon for last and says to him: "And what are you going to say to dear old dad when some poor traveler finds himself looking up at his knees from the ground? Oops? I made a mistake…but they seemed so sincere during the six-and-a-half minutes I spent speaking with them, you know, right before I had the priestess heal their wounds, gave them disguises and helped them sneak out of town.

“The seventh movement of the brief symphony ‘The Strange Village’ by the great composer Aleksandar Živojinović is called: ‘Nikogda ne povorachivaites’ spinomonstra’ which translates into the common speech as ‘Never turn your back on a monster’. That is precisely what we are doing here.

“And it is worth mentioning that the ninth movement in that same symphony is called ‘Monstry sygraet’ – Monsters (reprise). They always come back.

"Not to mention that even if they remain peaceful, somebody is going to attack them, eventually. Turning them loose is a death sentence for them.

"I am all for sparing their lives, but I believe we would do well to keep them close to us until we can get them far far away from this place, or can turn them to our cause."

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos rolls his eyes at Brax. "Maybe one morning when we're still deep in our cups, you and I will have a little heart to heart. Or at least as close as either of us can get to such a thing."

To Amon he says "Two days ago you thought the most illegal thing that happened in this town was that stable hand drinking on the job and some fishermen maybe getting into a brawl here and there. Now that we've discovered that a smuggling ring tok up residence, what do you think the odds are that maybe that little fairy tale of a notion might be dead."

To Drake "You know, Patches actually has a point. Luckily for me, I don't call this village home so whatever ends up happening to it after I get paid isn't really of my concern. Perhaps though, those of you who do care what happens to fish-ville might want to take a trip to the more cynical side of life."