Quote Originally Posted by Talakeal View Post
This right here is the problem. The NPCs were asking very specific probing questions, and the players were continually blowing them off. That is the crux of the issue.

The players wanted the changelings to storm the formorian nest in the city, but never offered them any reason why they should want to do this, and furthermore they were very insistent that they had nothing to offer the changelings in exchange.
This is where the Changelings should be naming their price though. If the Changelings had specific knowledge of what was being asked of them, but no knowledge that they stand to benefit from doing it, then they should be telling the players what their aid will cost. Which should probably be some kind of equivalent service in future that cannot be refused.

The fact that the players didn't use the information they had as leverage then just means they paid more than they had to, or found the price too high and walked on the deal, but at least you put a deal on the table in front of them.

And then you could ask them OOC why they didn't use their information.