Re: OCC: Introductions
A story at a tavern, .............
A group of adventures are traveling off the road, 'I forget the reason why, but it's not important too this story'. These adventures see a large group of 30 or so by a river bank and they looked like slavers. Now in some places slavery is welcomed but in these lands it's far from ok. But of course like in many far away, wild and uncivilized areas if there is no laws then the strong will prey on the weak.
Now for a hobgoblins if you can not defend yourself then you deserve slavery, or servitude of some kind.
This group of hobgoblins had 3 slaves in a cage they were going to bring them to Kalamar for slave trade, .... And one adventure was a holy knight, a Paladin of the most holy order. Now the Paladin was no match for 30 well arms and seasoned warriors. But the law of the land and his moral compass demanded he free these slaves.
Before a weapon could be drawn. The hobgoblins greet the adventure warmly and offer food, drink and to share their camp. These were no beasts or savages of the mountains these were honorable creatures and war veterans. The adventures quickly held the arm of their paladin and reminded him that taking a life without cause is just as bad as slavery. And so they held back and took the hobgoblins offers.
After hours of conversation, talk of battles and the wonderful accomplishment of their days. The hobgoblin leader finally calls out the paladin. As he sensed the paladin was unconformable and unhappy with many things he said.
Now this is the hard part, ... too really understand - the hobgoblin heard these stories and the wondrous creature the paladin claimed victory over. So in the eyes of the Hobgoblin, he felt defeating the paladin would give him that glory as well. The hobgoblin leader also knew that the questions and behavior of this party of adventures - well lets say that they were trying very hard to free the slaves, and they did not have enough gold to buy their freedom.
Now 30 against 5 was no contest, so there was no honor to gain by slaughtering these adventures. The only way the hobgoblin could truly win was to best the paladin one on one. But killing the paladin would taken away a great warrior and that too would not help the Hobgoblin gain the glory & honor he was looking for. So to prove to his follow hobgoblins that he was as great as the paladin the hobgoblin challenged the paladin. Now the paladin did not understand when challenged it's not a always a contest of combat.
When the paladin agreed and started to get ready for a fight, the hobgoblin began to undress. The adventures thought this Hobgoblin, was crazy, .... or going to fight in his undergarments? Just so happens the hobgoblins says 'I never said the challenge was for combat', this challenge is a race. A race to the river and the first to swim across keeps the slaves with no future talk about the matter. But the price for the paladins failure would be the paladin's service to him - the paladin would be the hobgoblins slave for life.
First never agree without fully understanding the terms.
So, ... to speed up the story, the paladin prepared to ran to the river and swim across.
The event was monumental the speed and will to win was so strong in both. And the hobgoblin was winning just until the end. When at the last moment the hobgoblin gave to the river current. Now the question left for the paladin was to finish and win or save the hobgoblins life.
The paladin and in all his goodness picked to save the hobgoblin which allowed the hobgoblin to reach the shore first. So now what happens to the slaves?? Well believe or not the hobgoblin claims the victory, and says I reach the shore first and so "I Win", paladin you are a foul, .... and the paladin says but I saved your life, you now own me a life, and since one slave is not worth the life of a hobgoblin nor is 3 slaves worth the life of such a great warrior, what are we too do?
BUT perhaps 3 slaves and the life of a great holy knight is worth one hobgoblin. The paladin smiles and they both return to the fire and keep camp until the next day, where the hobgoblins turn home and adventures leave with their freed slave.
