The large, female grimple listens suspiciously as you talk but doesn't seem to follow the conversation in common. When Marz responds, the grimple speaks rapidly
"It sounds like you have no idea how to get us home! I'm worried this isn't even the First World. And how can I trust you and release all of my leverage on your word after blood has been spilled?"
The Elf scratches her arm; she is still feeling the "impressions" the creatures left at her by this time. She feels she's in desperate need of a bath.
You are right, we have no idea. And yes, this isn't the First World, and I don't even know how to get to such place. All I can guarantee is that we can *try* to get you out of this... Dungeon... You're in now. - she emphasizes the word "try", and thrives to be honest - Beyond that, however, we can't really give any other assurances. Of course, however, we won't leave this place without Whisken, and we're all exhausted of all the violence, right? So, at the end... Yes, I'm asking you to trust me. I will try what I can under our limited capabilities. Let's plan together... You may only need to hang around a little longer until we figure out the best and safest way to do it.
Mohk paled to tomato red as he realized what they had done. That is...not a good thing.
The large grimple looks very suspicious but interested
"I will accept your offer and risk everything to trust you, after you've spilled so much of our blood, if you will give me something to show you can help us get home. Some token, some piece of knowledge, something."
Gennie just sighs, swallows a moment, then speaks roughly in perfect formal sylvan.
”You cannot trust us, nor can we you. This is the way of dealings between the fey and man, and has been for generations beyond counting. You have our friend, there, prisoner, and you are here, in our home, trespassing. This is not, and cannot, be disputed. You wish to return home, then do so. You have trespassed the boundaries between worlds, and in doing so you have broken accords old beyond writing. No matter the outcome here, there is almost certainly trouble ahead. Now I must ask, will you condemn your kidnapped prisoner to death, and in so doing doom yourself immediately, or will you come with us peacefully in hopes you may depart this place? We are taking whisken back from you, much like the harvest, this cannot be delayed. Your choices after this are to wither, or be transplanted elsewhere. I have no love of kidnapping fey, but I will turn you over to our academy’s authorities peacefully if you come peacefully. If not, I will see your bodies disposed of respectfully as possible. I know little of your kin but cruelty, spite, meaningless words and promises broken. Grief. A loss you cannot comprehend. Yet for all of that I would see you home to your children if possible. No child should suffer the loss of their mother. So no, you cannot trust us. Still, we will see you to what safety we may.”
She shrugs, her features earnest but full of grief.
Hearing the tone Gennie is taking, but not understanding the words, Mezdav starts assessing the tactical situation...
"Maybe the instructors can send them home?" he says almost sure that he's just been volunteered for smuggling fae out of the school.
The large female's attention is gripped by Gennie's speech but she doesn't seem convinced yet.
"You are no light trickster, that much is clear. But you have no more idea how to get us back to the First World than we do. We've already tried the ring and failed. And this furry friend of yours doesn't know anything about it either..."
The "mother" Grimple wants some indication that you have even a slight chance of getting them back to the First World. Perhaps you could investigate this room with the desk, ring, and pentagonal pool a little bit...
"Wait, there might be notes or a ritual..." He moves to the desk again
Jermaine goes to the desk and finds some notes. It takes a little time but he determines that they refer to trials and errors involving getting the stone ring to function as a permanent portal to the First World. The goal of these experiments say something about a map and the pentagonal pool of slate-gray liquid. It appears that, whoever the experimenter is, they are presently in the First World. The chairs and desk are suited to a small creature.
You see small bits of shed fur on the chair and the desk which precisely match the color and texture of Master Crenshaw.
It is almost morning and you know that Master Crenshaw teaches a class bright and early today.
vs dc 16
1 rank +3 trained +1 wis +2 to find hidden stuff - scavenger
+2 int
"The shed fur on the chair and desk is a very close match to Master Crenshaw's - he teaches a early morning class tomorrow; no, make that today!"
He continues stating the obvious "This portal thing is clearly his toy. Presumably he'll be coming back quite soon to teach his class..."
"Or one of us could go get him if allowed?" A look at the fae?
Jermaine considers his idea then notes that, given that you don't know how to work the portal, it will be hard to go retrieve Master Crenshaw since she is currently likely through the portal and in the First World. But like Mezdav says, she should be coming back through in the next hour or two.
Mohk scratched his head. "I...guess that means we need to wait?" He wasn't sure that was the smart option, but he also knew he wasn't smart enough to find the smart option half the time.
Gennie nods at the portal as the others speak, then explains to the Grimple Matron.
"The portal's master is in the first world now, more's the damage. They should be moving back through in time to teach a morning class, in a turning or so. You might arrange yourselves to depart quickly, in case the portal is only open briefly. Meanwhile may we check on our friend?"
"I don't know if I want to wait, but if anyone can think of something that'd make Master Crenshaw happier about us being down here, we should do it... Either that or we should run like bunnies..." Mezdav does not sound entirely sanguine about a bunch of freshman students confronting the Master and trying to get her to let a horde of Grimples back into the first world with her portal...
It is clear to Mezdav that this is a hidden laboratory of Master Crenshaw's. It is quite possible she is trying to keep that concealed from other members of the faculty...
The grimple matron considers Gennie then leans down and cuts Whisken's bonds.
"Alright. At least you have a plan."
"Even Master Crenshaw has to follow some rules." A stubborn look on hsi face, then he relaxes as Whisken's bonds are cut.
"Whisken, are you okay?"
Whisken coughs, dry-throated. "Ack. I... guess so?" She rubs sore wrists. "They dragged me in front of a stone ring many times and shouted questions but I had no idea what they were asking me about."
"Me neither, thank goodness Marz translated it all" A grateful look
Whisken looks around and walks out into the stone room. "Crazy! I didn't get a good luck at this before. When I figured out there must be grimples sneaking around, I found their secret passageway. They jumped me pretty quick after that." She rubs her wrists and cocks her head. "So what's the plan right now?"
"I don't know if there is a plan, but I do have a question... For people more versed than I am in the politics of the University di Magia: Are secret labs hidden away from everyone else, with portals to other planes within bounds for the faculty, or have we stumbled on the sort of secret Master Crenshaw might kill us over? If the answer is yes or maybe, given that we have Whisken now, should we just leave? I don't think the Grimples can stop us without Whisken hostage, and if we report this lab and portal, it becomes someone else's problem..."
"I, for one, would prefer not to die. But this feels like the kind of thing we need to try and resolve. Right?" Helping people was what Mohk was here for, at the end of the day. He had not gotten off to a good start. Killing what amounted to kids was probably not going to rest easy with him. Surely they could help what was left, right?
Whisken pipes up "I don't think this is permitted, especially since it caused problems. The headmistress will have some things to say about it. But I really don't think Master Crenshaw would kill us over this. She has a long reputation for caring about students more than most of the other masters."
Gennie shakes her head quietly, but keeps watch on the portal.
"I have so many feelings, but you're right this is above us. For now we should stay, as we have agreed in good faith. Sometimes, sometimes you have to face your troubles."
Tai, tries to reassure Gennie, but doesn't get very far.
"Well, I guess we wait then. Jermaine, make sure you put everything on the desk back where you found it. Let's not make her any more annoyed than we have to; nobody likes somebody else rooting through their stuff, so let's not shove her face in it..."
About an hour later, the ring flashes with light and a vertical surface of something that looks like standing water appears in it. Master Crenshaw, bloodied and carrying a parchment stumbles through. She immediately arrests her momentum and stares wide-eyed at the six of you. "What in the Abyss is going on!?" she exclaims.
Jermaine did as Mezdav suggested, then sees Master Crenshaw and blurts out "the gremlins came through the portal you used and now they're trapped and very angry we have to find a way to get them safely back home."
Mezdav is clearly paying attention, eyeing Master Crenshaw up and down, but, shy as he is, he does not reply, letting Jermaine do the talking.
"Sneaking through! What!? I must have been distracted... Speaking of which... the Mother Growth was very angry... Shouldn't have waited this long...." She reaches down to a strange device on her belt and begins fiddling with it. But then, two strange, plant-like creatures shuffle through the active portal. "This is exactly what I wanted to prevent! You lot distracted me!" Crenshaw shouts in aggravation. She flicks one more dial and the portal de-activates but the plants are already through and are approaching her with their thorny limbs!
The device that Master Crenshaw used to de-activate the portal bears the symbol of Haagenti.
+2 dex
Jermaine identifies the plant thing with arms as a cactus leshy. It has spikes all over its body that hurt those it touches or that it can shoot at enemies. He and Marz also identify the one without arms as a bloodbrush. The bloodbrush moves as fast as a normal person and can grapple and poison.
Mezdav rushes forward and throws a bomb at one of the plant things. Then he grasps his longspear in both hands, expecting the enemy to come to him...
vs Flat footed Touch
+2 Dex
Fire
Everyone in the green area (including the primary target if I don't hit) takes the splash damage: 3 Fire, DC12 Reflex for 1/2 dmg
+3 str
+4 str*1.5
missed bomb location is the red box...
The fire splashes a startled Master Crenshaw who curses and shouts out "Hey! Watch it! I didn't invite these overgrown weeds! They're trying to kill me!" It damages the plant with limbs and, while the bush one dodges, it seems vulnerable to fire.
Master Crenshaw spits and mutters "It's been a really, really, long night. I don't remember the last time I used this thing." She draws a dagger and tries to stab one of the plants but misses twice.
Whisken yelps "This is crazy!" and scoots up a little ways right behind Mezdav. "What are we trying to do?" she asks nervously.
Whisken yelps "This is crazy!" and scoots up a little ways right behind Mezdav. "What are we trying to do?" she asks nervously.
"Save Crenshaw, kill plants" is Mezdav's succinct reply.
Marz shoots the plant creature that is not engage in melee, considering her current difficulties to avoid hitting friendly targets in such situations.
She then moves ahead, closer to the enemies.
Marz's arrow hits the plant but doesn't seem to make any impression on it.
The spikey, more humanoid plant tries to slam Crenshaw but she dodges both blows. The bush, however, manages to grip her and wound her somewhat.
You note that Crenshaw had some cuts and burnt fur before these plants even showed up. It seems she had a rough time on the other side of the portal. She won't be able to take much more of a beating before she collapses.
1 rank +3 trained +1 wis
"The Spikey one is a Catus Leshy... it can shoot the spikes. The other is a .. ah Bloodbrush! It moves about as fast as your average human and it can grapple and poison someone and.. ack, like that" As it grabs Creenshaw.
The Necromancer stops talking and suddenly his eyes glow as he draws on a spell of weakening and tries to lash the grappling monster that has Creenshaw.
Mohk moved up to support the teacher, attacking the spikier of the two plants if he could reach it.
Crenshaw manages not to be grappled by the bush and stabs the leshy then steps back. "Yes! Kill the plants! If I had any incindiary devices left, I'd destroy them both right now!"
Mezdav steps past Master Crenshaw and stabs at the plant that isn't engaged with Mohk...
+3 str
+4 str*1.5