The trip back to the vilge took four days. After we arrived, I had a brief meeting with Zeb and Zaka discussing what we found. After some discussion about what to do, a general pn began to form. Currently, there doesn't appear to be any rge presence left on the isnd, other than the individuals we have in the prison. That being the case, unescorted trips out of the vilge should be safe once again.

  However, we don't actually know if it will remain safe forever. As such, it's been decided that a few goblins will each take weekly turns up at my cave home. Then, once a day, at least one of them o climb to the peak of the mountain and do a quick visual check around the isnd for anything out of the ordinary. It might not be perfect, but I could spot the previous nding point and camp from the peak, so I'm hoping any future nding points will also be visible. If something is spotted, then the scouts should return to the vilge immediately to inform us. Once winter sets in, we'll have to withdraw from the mountain peak once again, and we'll need a new pn at that point.

  After the discussion with Zeb and Zaka, I talked with Zeb a little bit about the situation with the prisoners. Before I left, they were already quite depressed. Now, it's gotten worse. It's e to the point where the dwarf that we unicated with in the past stopped eating two days ago. Which is obviously very bad. I've decided to re-increase their meals to three a day as a stopgap for the other members who are still eating.

  As for the starving dwarf, I've decided that we'll have to do something about the situation. I really don't want them dying by starvation. Which means I'm going to have to lighten their mood somehow. I 't just let them go though. Tomorrow, we'll start the process of attempting to improve their mood.

  The first thiempted to do was simply talk to the dwarf. They haven't been talkative i few months, ever sihe eagle i, and today was no exception. Given they weren't unig, or for that matter even aowledging our attempts at unication, we decided it was time for more desperate measures. We removed them from the cell, and brought them outside. Their cell mates attempted to fight bae when we went to remove them, but given their weakeate, we were able to remove them without too much trouble.

  Even if they aren't aowledging that we're talking to them, they still hear us, so we tialking to them despite their ck of responses. The first thing we did was give them a thh ing iream, which they didn't react to. After which, we attempted to give them food again, and they did.

  "Look, I uand that we've been keeping you in a prison for a few months now, and that be depressing, but from our point of view, you've killed three of our people, seem to have no remorse for it, and worship creatures that kill us in droves." I say in the demon nguage, occasionally pausing to ask Zeb for a particur word.

  I take a brief pause. I don't really want to chastise them here, but I o make sure boundaries are set before tinuing, "However, I don't think anyone bes from you or your friends deaths. I really do just want to get along with people peacefully. So, for today at least, I'm going to take you around the vilge, and show you the various struggles we've gohrough in these past years since we've been here, so you uand where we're ing from, and hopefully see that we aren't so different, and that I'm not just trying to trick you."

  They still didn't respond verbally, but at least when I started to try to lead them around town, they walked uheir own power. I started the tour at the stream, and reted the stru of the levee after the flood years ago. Then I walked them along the streets, expining the sewer system I built. Then I talked about the houses, and how the goblins here lived before the vilge was built with stone. I showed them the paviliohe goblins gather a eaight, and talk about each of their days.

  Then I walked them down to where the workshops are built, and expined how each of the goblins had taken an i in some trade, and how they worked hard each day to perfect their craft. I expined why we had walls in the vilge, and the tributions with the giant lizards from a few years ago. I didn't lead them out of the vilge, but pointed dowh where I expined how gobli out t back fish for the vilge, gather salt, ao the few fields that the vilge has.

  After all that, I expihat ultimately, I'd like to just be able to rex and research the various iing phenomena of this world. Alongside that, I showed them the furnace, and talked about the methods we followed to refihe metal ore. Finally, after a few hours, the tour e the bathhouse. Rather than expihhouse immediately, I figured it'd be beneficial to just let them soak in the mana warmed water for a while.

  After they ehe warm water, they showed some surprise on their fabsp; While we soaked I said, "You know, what we have here may not be much, but for the most part, everyone is just trying to live their lives and enjoy what they . Soaking in this water is something that all the goblins enjoy, even if that wasn't its inal purpose."

  The dwarf turns their fae as I talk, which I take as a good sign so I tinue, "I built this after almost two years of hard work doing resear something I call mana crystals. They're little crystals that we find in a cave here on the isnd. They seem to have some kind of capacity for mana, and recharge you if you're low on mana. This bathhouse is actually powered by one of those. A very rge one."

  I was getting ready to tinue, but for the first time in what has been months, the dwarf spoke to me in a weak voice, "Show me."

  I was gd they said something, but this poses a problem. I 't just show them the crystal immediately, mostly because I'm afraid what might happen if they have a way to break it.

  I respond, "No, I'm afraid I 't show you it right away. I don't know that I trust you. It's ly easy to make ohat rge, so I don't really want to have to do that again."

  The dwarf replied for the sed time, "Make? You made it?"

  That was something I'm more willing to talk about so I oblige, "Yes, I made it. It's a real pain. It took me many months to make e enough that it could go to the surfabsp; Of course, if we touched it directly, we'd die. It was a big ordeal to get it down here, then build this bathhouse to allow the actual use of the thing."

  The dwarf sat in silence for a while before saying, "Fine. I'll live for now."

  That was good enough for me, so I simply rexed ier for a while with the dwarf. As the su and it became time to return the dwarf back to their rades, I told them, "If we e to some mutual uandings between us, it's clear this be a beneficial retionship. We'll talk more tomorrow."

  They didn't reply verbally, but when they were returo their cell with food, they ate, which was a step in the right dire. Their rades also seemed exceptionally worried about them when they returned, but thankfully no fights broke out between the guards and them in the night.

  The day, I went down in the m t food to the prisoners, and then to have a versation with the dwarf while they ate. Again, I had Zeb apany me in case my nguage skills weren't quite up to snuff.

  "Alright, as a bit of a trust building exercise, I figure we ask questions bad forth to each other. You ask first," I say.

  The dwarf thinks for a little while before asking, "How did you make crystal?"

  I ughed briefly to myself at this. I should have seen that ing, I reply, "Alright, you ask another question. The crystal matter is on hold until I feel like we trust each other enough."

  The dwarf sighed and then asked, "Are you leader, or him?" he says, pointing to Zeb.

  I let out another chuckle. In some ways I'm the leader I suppose, but no, I don't sider myself the actual leader. Mostly because I don't want to have to manage people. I end up giving my response, "Someone else. I don't like managing problems between people."

  "Who?" the dwarf asks.

  "Nope, one question at a time," I say. I think for a little bit before asking my question, "Why starve yourself?"

  "Things seem bleak. No hope," the dwarf says.

  I almost ask another question myself, but catch myself and say, "Alright, your turn."

  "Who is leader?" the dwarf asks.

  "A hobgoblin named Zaka. He's the oldest here," I say, giving the dwarf a little extra info for free. I then ask, "Why did things seem bleak?"

  The dauses for a moment, and then talks to the others in the cell. After a mihey respond, "Rescue very te. Maybe not ing."

  Well, that would certainly expin a few things. Thinking ba how things have goh the prisoners, they went from somewhat cocky, tuing amongst themselves, and theually depressed. If they thought they were getting rescued, they probably figured it was only a matter of holding out until then. When they didn't show up, they probably got anxious, and started arguing with each other over what to do. Then as they came to terms with their situation, they figured they were as good as dead.

  As I finish through the thought process, the dwarf asks their question, "Why not kill us?"

  "I've said before, there isn't a be. I'd rather make friends than enemies. There are all sorts of problems in the world, no reason to make even more problems for myself," I say.