>>18033403
Keep watching. Secretly side with out hag.

>>18033416

After the better part of two hours, the four grekls leave the hut, none of them looking totally satisfied. The most happy looking one is a tall, formidable-looking specimen with a strange bluish tint to her skin. The least happy looking on is...your own Grekl.

She stomps up to you and says in a mixture of elf and goblin "Why you stand do nothing? Help sons! Make food!"

She then storms off.

>>18033416
Grow/track down some food. Maybe after she's filled her stomach, she'll be in a less antagonistic mood.

*checks map again*
These damn random portals, man.

>>18033567

You go over to some nearby wild carrots and pour some river water on them, using your biomancy to speed up their metabolism. The grekl is yelling at her men, and in between that muttering the word "fools" over and over.

As you work, the tall, bluish hag comes up to you.

"Elf," she says with an expressionless face, "An elf on the northern prairie?"

She's using the trade tongue that you're mostly fluent in.

>>18033688
"I'm with her tribe." Point over at our Grekl.

>>18033688
Tell her we were captured by orcs.

>>18033706
>>18033814

You tell her a short summary of your story.

"How strange," she says, "orcs planting trees? What could they have wanted with them?"

She looks back at you.

"Well, if you're an elf, show me some life magic. Maybe if you impress me, I'll tell you something that might pertain to your future."

>>18033857
Have we finished growing those carrots? If so, pull the massive plumpers out and show her.

>>18033872

That takes much longer, unfortunately. The carrots won't be ready until tomorrow, at least.

>>18033857
Let's just grow some vines or summat like that.

>>18034044
What about having a whole ton of little birds fly down and perch on us? Make them thing we look super-comfy and safe or something.

>>18034072
Better yet on the goblin.

>>18034072

Animals move faster than plants. You raise an arm and let the birds know that you are a tree and that the hag is actually just a clever imitation of a hag. A crow flies down and lands on your hand.

"I see I have not been misinformed about your people. If you can do that, then you can no doubt tame wolves, entice deer to the trap, bring fish to the nets, and ripen the grains."

She smiles in a friendly manner that is rather undermined by her mouthful of steely tusks.

"And many other things, in the forests from which you hail. Yes, I've been much further from these lands than anyone else you'll meet here. And met more people too. Now, for my side of the bargain."

As you talk, she's been leading you behind a large tent, where you are unlikely to be observed. Some of her own hobgoblins approach, but she motions for them to stand aside.

"The meeting of the Witch-Mothers, the grekls in our language, is in recess until tomorrow. They are saying that we will come to a compromise. But there will not be any compromise. Grekl Yama wants to turn around and rush the orc forts in sequence with our combined numbers. Grekl Ruu thinks that if we work together for long enough, we can overcome the force that protects the orcs from our curses. And of course, Grekl Shtath, your current guardian, wants to flee across the hills."

She shakes her head in disgust.

"Has she told you what's beyond those hills?"

>>18034315
"No, she hasn't."

>>18034315
Ask her what's beyond the hills

>>18034315
What kind of deal does she want to make?

>>18034462
>>18034630

(sorry for the long delay)

"The hills themselves are the lair of mountain giants. They slumber until someone foolishly tries to climb, at which point they stand up and throw boulders the size of cauldrons with surprising accuracy. The only way to avoid them is by following the river along the pass."

She frowns. Its better than her smile.

"That is guarded by humans. The mutual enemy of both our races. Some have tried to break through them and raid the lands beyond, but the humans have...some powerful force at their command. Deadly, winged demons were summoned. Not a member of the invading army survived."

"If I know Grekl Shtath, she will break away from the others and try to cross over with just her own tribe. And you will all be slaughtered."

>>18034753
Perhaps she will seek peace with the humans or the giants?

>>18034753
Ask her if we would be able to trade for passage through the human lands as she speaks a trade language

>>18034753
"And you, ma'am? What would you have us do?"

>>18034841

She laughs at this.

"You met her. You've traveled with her. If you were a leader of any competence, would you want her and her brigands setting foot on your land?"

>>18034844

"Perhaps I could do this, were these humans not already weary of goblin raids and trickery. This can be a longterm goal, should opportunities present themselves. But at the moment, I see no good way of making inroads."

>>18034857

She smiles again. Damnit.

"I want to scour the prairie free of greenskins, and for things to be a little different from then on. The other two agree, even if they have foolhardy ideas on how to do it. The only one who won't go along is Shtath."

rolled 61 = 61

>>18035006
"And your method, ma'am?"

>>18035006
Maybe the humans would reconsider if they knew of the orc threat?

>>18035047

"A possibility, if the orcs were to come closer. I think that that is exactly why the orcs haven't come closer. But I like the way you think."

>>18035029

Her smile widens. Ugh.

"Meet me tomorrow morning before our next productive and mutually satisfying meeting of the grekls," she says, "if you're still curious, that is."

Then she just turns and leaves.

And...I'm really tired tonight. Still mildly sick.

Quest will be back on Wednsday night. Hopefully for a nice, full-length thread.

>>18035501
Sounds like a plan to me. Get better.

If our tribe is wiped out, we're free. We just have to make sure we're not wiped out with them. If we join these other goblins we're just extending our slavery, and possibly being cursed by our Grekl for running away. It's not like our Grekl would listen if we tried to persuade her either. I'm mildly curious what they want but also worried that they could take us by force if we go to meet them secretly and then refuse to help. We've got a good thing going here, let's not ruin it. It's not like they really have a chance to wipe out the orks who massively outnumber them and are individually superior anyway.