Endless Whispers, Locale: The Warrens

An army marches on its stomach.

-Napoleon Bonaparte (attributed)

WARNING: SOME IMAGES NSFW (IF YOU'RE A PRUDE)

Welcome back!  This post details The Warrens - the second location available in the Endless Whispers Campaign.

The keenest of your warband have made mention of strange sounds coming from a series of low hills just outside the Village.  The villagers themselves are either reluctant to speak of the area or actively advise you to stay away.  You never were one for advice.




The smells of amazing food draw you closer to the hills.  Upon inspection, you find a series of pipes which must emanate from stoves underground.  Tiny faces appear and disappear from the underbrush, watching you.

Eventually, you uncover wooden doorways cunningly concealed in the hillsides in such a manner that they appear natural.  Before you can try the first, it pops open and out steps the largest goblin you have ever seen.  Disquietingly, a pair of horns top his head - more disquietingly, he is bare except for a chef's hat!

Blessedly, he is friendly.  What's more, he explains that he and his kind are kept here as slaves.  Or, perhaps, pets.  The villagers use them for mundane tasks - such as cooking - and have concealed their existence from outsiders.  Rhirhook the Cook, as he names himself, begs you to help him and his diminutive kindred escape from bondage.

You are about to provide an answer when a second warband approaches, aided by several villagers.  It seems this will take more than words to settle...

THE CHARACTERS

THE GAME

Determine the scenario at random from the list of standard scenarios.  Rhirhook the Cook and D3 Grot Serfs will aid the active warband.  D3 villagers chosen at random will aid your opponent.

VICTORY

The winner sees the loser off and gets to choose how to resolve the slavery of the grots.

CHOICE 1: FORCE THE GROTS TO REMAIN ENSLAVED
You decided to agree to keep the Village's secret.  Rhirhook attacks you, and you are forced to kill him.  Upon his death, the rest of the goblins become subdued.

Skip rolling for injuries for any of the villagers who died, it is assumed that you did not deliberately hurt them.

The grots remain enslaved and you receive D6 Supplies and 1 Secret in return for your silence.

CHOICE 2: FORCE THE GROTS AND VILLAGERS TO COEXIST
Disgusted by the practice of slavery in such trying times, you force the village to acknowledge the existence of the Warrens.  The villagers are to exist peacefully, side-by-side with the grots from now on - or else.

Rhirhook joins the Village as an NPC who may be hired by any player for 3 Supplies.  Any player may hire up to 4 grot serfs in place of villagers at the same rate.  There are assumed to be an unlimited supply of grot serfs in the Warrens (or, disgustingly, that they replace themselves).  You do not ever need to roll for injury for grot serfs.

CHOICE 3: GRANT THE GROTS THEIR FREEDOM
You unshackle the grots and grant them autonomy.  You receive 1 Secret in thanks.

Rhirhook the Cook joins you as an NPC.  Furthermore, you may expend one supply before any battle to add D3 Grot Serfs to your force (you may do this only once per battle).

Angered by your favoritism of the greenskins, your standing with the Village decreases by 1 Level.

CHOICE 4: WICKED HEART
You promise to aid Rhirhook, but the moment his back is turned, you plunge a dagger through his heart.  The remainder of the grots are rounded up into the warrens, the doors sealed before the whole network is set ablaze.

Any villagers accompanying your opponent's warband are put to the sword.  This senseless slaughter decreases your standing with the Village by 1 Level.

You gain D3 sacrifices if appropriate for your warband.  You gain 2D6 supplies to represent the loot gained.  You gain 1 Secret.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES