"He is not as he appears. What is he? For what purpose is this dragonborn sought?" queries Incarnation to the woman.
"I do not know the purpose, NOR did I wish to know." She replies with some attitude. "That's not the way I run my business."
Dane goes through the belongings of the hobgoblins. While doing so he looks around at his fellow party members, 3 dwarves, shifter, elf & warforged. Dane finds a potion of healing as well as four hundred gold pieces divided amongst the conquered. Amongst the more mundane equipment a pair of boots and a cloak stand out as worthy of further study.
Non of us are dragons. Dun of us even dat tall! Why attack us?
-''She is kinda cute, isn't she? I mean, she's literally a snake, of course, but still cute.'' comments Hadrak.
"I think he obviously mistook you for one of those other groups seeking out the dragonborn. He was determined to get there first." She answers Dane, very pointedly not looking toward Hadrak.
Georg releases this hold on the arcane fireball and it dissipates before it can burn Dane. He wipes his forehead and takes a running jump across the river, upstream so the others can catch him if he fails to make it across. He belly flops but manages to swim the short distance.
He makes his way over to the rest of the group.
I didn't expect them to give up so easily, I guess having fought those cultists who would fight to the death and sometimes afterward made me overreact a bit, eh friend? He nods towards Raiyek. He looks over the wereserpent.
She wasn't always this way, their lot isn't as "natural" as other shapeshifters. But she is telling the truth, shall we find her employer or his target or both?
[sblock=OOC] First Athletics to jump over
1d20+1=3 (fail) then Athletics to swim across
1d20+1=20 (yay!)
Insight
1d20+9=26
Spend another healing surge to have 40hp and 8/10 surges[/sblock]
Raiyek finally manages to kick off a rock on the riverbed and make it back into the shallower water. Standing and walking over to the wereserpent and the rest of his companions, a swirl of magical light washes over the paladin briefly, leaving him armored once again.
"Yes, I was expecting a little more fight from them as well," the elf comments in reply to Georg. Turning to the woman, he adds,
"Remember that we had no quarrel with you, woman. If you cooperate and make amends for your unprovoked attack, we may simply call it a misunderstanding and show you mercy in kind." The elf's voice is calm and reassuring, and there's no hint of a threat in his eyes. A small smile and neutral posture combine with a warmth behind his eyes to nearly compel the woman to answer their questions.
[sblock=OOC]
Insight (1d20+10=12) ... not Raiyek's day for good rolls, it seems.
Scorpius, for Perception and Insight rolls like that, what do you do? Does that stay a 12, or do you default to the passive score (20 for Raiyek)?
** In low pressure situations, like this, you can default to your passive. In combat, or skill challenges, what you roll is what you roll **
Diplomacy (1d20+11=31) Woot! Okay, maybe I was wrong about the rolls thing. Think that's good enough as a carrot?

[/sblock]
[sblock=Insight 20]
The lady seems to be telling the truth thus far. Its clear she has her survival in mind.
Raiyek's seem to have put her somewhat more at ease.[/sblock]