Dok arrived just in time to hear their foe exclaim in Goblin  “Ashtagatog!  Viligorg!” and although the Hill Dwarf Cleric of Helm was blocked by his companions from launching a direct attack against said foe, Dok was close enough to provide the translation!

((OOC: Dok knows Goblin))

"Is this unsightly creature trying to say its last words?", Gerdar brandished his axe, ready to move in and strike should the bugbear try to move.

Dok offers up a rough translation, "Attack not, I surrender!"  The second word he isn't quite familiar with but seems to be a plea to a higher power (Gorg?) for aid.

Luck seemed to have tired of the bugbears and now smiled on the party.  Several vicious hits rendered one bugbear dead and the other badly wounded.  It called out something and Doc quickly translated that the buigbear was surrendering.  "Everyone hold your attack.  Alive he could be valuable" Hornet hoped to question the bugbear and find out more about the cave and what lay inside.  

Soledad focused her violet gaze upon the wretched bug bear and spat back in the goblin tongue, "Drop to your knees if you wish to live! You will be a cooperative friend and answer all of our questions sure and true, yes?"

((OOC: Soledad knows Goblin as well and is now speaking Goblin to the bug bear)

The bugbear heard Soledad call out in goblin.  It looked at her and nodded.  The creature then looked down and with its foot pushed its morning star away from it.  It then dropped to its knees and put its hands on the ground, carefully keeping them well away from where it pushed its weapon.  

It then looked at the witch again and replied in goblin.  "I will cooperate.  I will assist.  You will have truth."

*I know not everyone has posted, but since you have some peple who speak goblin and the party seems to have decided to talk to it I didn't see a need to wait before we get to the Q&A session.  I may post quickly in response to question put to it so as to avoid having the discussion take 4 weeks.  Of course, if anyone wants to resume the fighting that can happen as well. So, discuss and get your question together and fire away.

Dok leaned forward with his own direct question, "Are there any prisoners held captive by any Goblins or other dark creatures, such as your own species? If so, where are they hidden and how can we get to them to set them free?"

Uthal rushes over to join the group as they question their new captor.

Lily watched as one of the Bugbears fell and the other withdrew after seeing more of the party gain the ledge.  She heard the creature utter some gibberish, that she didn’t understand, and lifted up her hoopak, and charged at the other one.  She heard one of the party (Dok) say something, but she was yelling her fierce battle cry and didn’t catch it and continued her charge.

"Everyone hold your attack.  Alive he could be valuable" Hornet spoke aloud and that she heard just before she struck at the Bug Bear.  Skidding to a halt she looked at the Hornet with disbelief.  With a sigh and a shake of her head, she moved away from the creature, leaving the group to question this creature.

While they questioned the living bugbear, she went to check on the other one and give it the coup de grâce, if needed.  Once she is sure it is dead, she will check it’s body for anything of interest.  If the interrogation continues after she is done, she will look around the rest of the ledge, looking for anything and keeping and eye out for Goblins, Bugbears, etc., and for any exits from this ledge, other than the party they came up.

Lily charged at the bugbear as the battle raged, only barely holding back before striking the creature.  She had not expected a surrender to be accepted in that way.  But it was and she listened t her mates.  As one of the dwarves started to question he creature she moved to make sure the other one was truly dead.  It was.  Rummaging through its gear she found a couple of daggers and the equivalent of 10 gp in various coinage. As the questioning continued she also scouted out the flat area on which the pyre sat.  It was about 150’ from end to end, narrowing towards the northern and southern ends and only about 50’ wide at its greatest.  A nearly vertical wall stretched hundreds of feet above it as the Blacktooth Ridge went straight up.  The cliff looked climbable for someone with a great amount of skill in climbing or a spiders natural gifts but for a normal Kender or other person, it was impassable.  Most of the flat area was barren rock and dirt, although there were a few trees on the northern end.  A small pile of wood, recently dragged up here judging from the marks all over the ground near it and leading to the path, was in the middle.  The remnants of a large pyre burned near the southern edge of the area.  Clearly it had once been a roaring fire of large size.  Now it still burned, but was greatly reduced in size.  A glance at the fire clearly indicated that it had been used to burn bodies, a large number of bodies.  Charred bones stuck out from the ash everywhere and several skulls glared sightlessly at the Kender when she looked at them.  But it didn’t take eyes to know the purpose of this fire – the sickly smell of burned flesh hung over the area, enough to make several of the members of the party nearly gag. 

               Despite the smell, the rest of the party seemed intent on offering Dok questions with which to interrogate the bugbear. 

"Are there any prisoners held captive by any Goblins or other dark creatures, such as your own species?    If so, where are they hidden and how can we get to them to set them free?"

Bugbear:  “Prisoners in the caves.  The caves you attacked yesterday.  Yes, prisoners.  I know where.  Last time I looked – two humans and a halfling.  I know where.”

(The following questions are taken from the Q&A to move things along.  Follow ups are easily possible.)

Dok:  Is there a back entrance to the caves?

Bugbear:  No.  Only one entrance known.  There is lower level that goes . . . somewhere.  But they don’t go down there.”

Dok:  “What forces are there?”

Bugbear:  “In the garrison?  Not sure.  Goblin Lieutenant runs the place.  A base for raids.  Good base.  After your attack, I think he might be getting ready to leave.  It no longer seems safe.”

Dok:  “What forces are there still?”  (Repeat since not directly answered.)

Bugbear:  “Twice what we had here?  Less than you killed yesterday.”

Dok:  “Any traps?”

Bugbear:  “No.  Not at the entrance if you mean pits and such.  But Maglerud thinks you might return. So, now?  Do’'t know. Guarded, I’m sure.  See.  I help.  No need to hurt me.  I help.”

Dok:  And what are the goblins up to? Why are they massing in such numbers? Who's their big boss? I'm not talking Red Caps, I'm talking the overlord. Is it the Horned One?

Bugbear:  “I know Redcaps.  Maglerud is lieutenant.  Boss goblin is Rottenkip.  He rarely here.  South.”  At the mention of the Horned One he looks at Dok.  “Horned One gone a long time ago.  Maglerud has plan of some sort.  He wants be boss goblin, maybe?”

(Dok – Based on an insight check, you sense that something was up when he answered the question.  You don’t think he way lying about the Horned One, but something didn’t seem right.)

Thaoran via Dok:  “Have you seen any elvish prisoners?” 

Bugbear:  “Several prisoners taken from region recently and sent North.  I don’t see all of them.  I don’t see any elves.  Mainly humans.  Simple folk.”  He looks at the group hopefully.  “See, I help.  I not fight you anymore.  Let go?”  That last bit was said hopefully.

Overall, his answers struck Dok as truthful with the one exception noted above.   (Based on insight checks.)  Remember, this isn’t a guarantee one way or another – just a statement that the roll of the dice offers no other insight.  Feel free to continue asking questions.

When writing this I forgot that Soledad also spoke goblin.  She agrees with Dok's interpretation of the creatures words.  She also sensed no lies - although she didn't get the sense of something off whith the question on the Horned One.

"Are we done questioning this thing? And do we need it alive?"

Hornet listened to the answers their prisoner face and it send it was being truthful. "One last question.  When days the next shift report to the pyre?  Maybe e we can catch another small group before e we enter the cave again.  We promised we would not kill this creature and it surrendered and acted in good faith.  I cannot condone murdering it in cold blood.  I suggest we tell it to run far away and watch it leave.  Let it know if we see it again we will kill it for certain."

Bugbear:  "Next shift?  There is no other shift."  Here the creature slowly points to the pyre as it burns down.  "Bodies almost all gone.  Job done.  We were to finish, then report to barracks."

While the interrogation continued, Lily had searched the definitely dead bug creature. She studied it and grimaced at it’s strangeness, they had nothing like this back from whence she came.  She still wondered where she was right now.  Strange party mates, strange creatures.  Nothing looked familiar to her right now.  It was strange, but yet not too strange for her.  She liked strange in a way, it was exciting to see things she had never encountered before in her travels.  And these bug creatures were interesting.   

The creature didn’t have much on it’s body, a couple of unremarkable daggers, which she took and stuck them into the ground nearby; maybe one of her companions might want them.  The coins, were more interesting, but not for their monetary value, but the strange designs on them were ones she had never seen.  The coins went into one of her pouches, perhaps she might spend them on a meal for her party once they found a place to have a nice meal, and a soft bed.  That sounded good to her. 

She sighed as she heard the questions being thrown at the creature, while she couldn’t understand most of it, unless someone was translating the questions and responses.  In any case, she was bored.  She kept an eye on their surroundings, and walked around the ledge looking for anything that would peak her interests.  If she found nothing, she would wait impatiently for the party to decide upon their next move.  She really didn’t care on what they decided to do.  She didn’t care really, as long as it was something exciting. 

((OOC:  She has no questions, and really doesn’t care, she will go along with whatever the party wants to do next))

"Well it seems we have learned all we can from this creature.  I suggest we bind hishands and feet and then head into the cave.  From what he said we have weakened the garrison and they probably do not expect another attack."