Pielorinho
Iron Fist of Pelor
Some of you folks seem to have missed the paladin in the group. 
Look. The bad guys have made a huge sacrifice, by retreating and releasing all the villagers. You like that, right? You want to encourage that behavior, right? If you reward truces with treachery, it's the villagers who are going to suffer.
I see your options thus:
1) Use magic to gain the information you need from the sorcerer. Zone of Truth probably won't be helpful, since folks can choose to remain silent, but suggestion or charm person or detect thoughts should do the trick.
2) Use magic to prevent anyone else from gaining the information from the sorcerer (a bard with modify memory will be useful here).
3) Release the hostage, but keep a lock of hair that you can use to scry on him.
4) Release the hostage, and recognize that you sometimes have to make sacrifices in wartime.
Daniel
Look. The bad guys have made a huge sacrifice, by retreating and releasing all the villagers. You like that, right? You want to encourage that behavior, right? If you reward truces with treachery, it's the villagers who are going to suffer.
I see your options thus:
1) Use magic to gain the information you need from the sorcerer. Zone of Truth probably won't be helpful, since folks can choose to remain silent, but suggestion or charm person or detect thoughts should do the trick.
2) Use magic to prevent anyone else from gaining the information from the sorcerer (a bard with modify memory will be useful here).
3) Release the hostage, but keep a lock of hair that you can use to scry on him.
4) Release the hostage, and recognize that you sometimes have to make sacrifices in wartime.
Daniel
