>>5806830A few moments passed while goblins—and men—watched expectantly. Eventually, the goblin-man’s fingers started to tremble, and his toe to tap. His yellow, wofish eyes dilated, his already large pupils widening to near saucers. He began to hunch slightly, and took long, steadying breaths, in and out.
“New colours,” he muttered. “Different than the other colours. Shirin’s never… I’ve not seen these ones before, boys.”
“Oi,” the female scoffed.
“Boys and Shu-Sia,” he corrected, and then looked to you. “This is real. It’s shirin, but… New shit. Different shit.”
The goblins seemed to regard you with rather more respect now. You puffed out your chest a little and squared your shoulders, endeavoring to appear imperious. You weren’t sure it worked.
“So, about my price?”
“You want to know about what happened twenty years ago in Goblintown, HAwksong way, right?”
That was Yok-Brot. You looked to him, and he crossed his arms and glared at you. He’d been less than forthcoming about that when you’d asked him before, as you recalled.
“Whow ants to know?” he demanded.
“Me,” you said pointedly. “The man with the shirin.”
“Half-a-man,” he said, making you twitch a little bit. “Really a bit girly, even for a knife-ears.”
“More of a man than you,” Pearce interjected protectively. “Lay off him.”
The goblins glowered at him—well, except the one presently staring into the middle distance, seeing new and unusual hues.
“You know what I mean,” Yok-Brot eventually said, moderating his tone as he shifted his deadly glare from Pearce to you, and his expression softened JUST a little. “You’re asking for us to rat, essentially, right? Tell you about… Something bad, that we were MAYBE, ALLEGEDLY caught up in… Family of ours, you figure. Well say we were there, or know ones who were… What happens to us?”
“Nothing,” you said appeasingly.
“Bullshit,” he resorted. “What, you just… Want to know, for your own selves? Who sent you lot? What do THEY want? What is this, Paladin shit? Or… Mages’ Tower, Inquisition-type shit? The bloody Prince of Purges, not happy enough to see us dead or gone, now he wants to punish us more who lived and left? Come off it. Who fucking SENT you?”
You told him…
>You were out here alone, to help a friend who was in a bad spot [+altruism, +Izirina relations]>You were actually acting AGAINST those in power, attempting to uncover a conspiracy [+suspicion, +Izirina rivalry]>You were here on behalf of powerful people, but if the goblins cooperated you would see they suffered no consequences [lie]>It was none of his or any goblin’s bloody business, and if he kept asking questions the deal was off [intimidate]>Write-in 