Mind search (Calleigh and Tryll)

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+32 Moonlight
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+33 Rosa
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=5]

Sylvie's not going to blow inspiration here so not going to bother rolling for her, she can't quite beat Moonlight's score.

Hm? As you go along, you here a rustling in the trees above you.

[Yuthirin]

A silent note from Tryll, 'In the trees, above us.'

[Anastasia]

Moonlight nods, already looking up. As the party does, you see it above. About 50ft up, a large, lumpy red, frog-like creature. Sylvie takes one look at it and sighs, "Slaad." she says, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"Quite right," The creature replies, dressed in animal furs and carrying a spear with a stone head. It speaks in a civilized, easy voice, opting for Common. "I applaud you for making it this far, creatures that are probably a food!" He bows, balancing on a narrow branch that shouldn't be able to support his bulk. Yet it does as he continues, "I bear glad tidings and a message for you, not combat nor consumption." He licks his lips, "Though the scents around you are a good appetizer. Yes, you should eat more mint, Miss," he says to Moonlight, "It would complement your scent and add a fresh tang to the earthy flavors. Your vintage would rise in value greatly over previous vintages."

[Yuthirin]

"Uuuuuuhm..." Calleigh hedges, "What?"

[Anastasia]

"You...are you saying I..." Moonlight sputters, as Rosa merely readies her weapon.

The red slaad stays where he is, a wolf's gray fur covering his shoulders and head in the form of a cloak. "Yes, a gentle white wine or perhaps a honeyed mead from Elysium," the slaad says, "Roasted beef with duck." He licks his lips, a long, snakelike tongue darting out to do it. "When I am a purple slaad, I will have such a feast! To become one, I must converse with you, meat entities dripping with warm gravy inside of you. Mmmmmm..." The slaad again licks his lips, then again and again. "I must know first, do you ever snack on yourselves?"

[Yuthirin]

"This is weird! Even for slaad, this is weird! And I have known some slaad!"

[Anastasia]

"We don't," Sylvie says, not even missing a beat. As Moonlight continues to sputter and Rosa's eyes narrow, sword out, Sylvie just says, "How about I sing you a song about it?"

"A song about food? Finally, art imitates food! Yes, by all means, sing me this magical song of consumption, because art should produce food. I think art would taste like clouds and sugar, mmmmmmm. Sugarcane. Such a tropical treat."

Sylvie then begins to sing.

> roll 1d20+54 (+22 factotum)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=15]

It is a lively, beautiful song. Her singing voice is excellent and more, an upbeat song about a slaad who keeps on eating. The slaad claps along with it, soon jumping down. He lands before you without even a jolt, seemingly unharmed by it. He drops his spear and claps along until the end, when Sylvie adds, "And then the slaad ate too much and died, because good and reasonable adventurers were sick of his shit," Her voice is sugar sweet, hands clapped together, "So how about that message before I remind you that we're both good and reasonable?"

> roll 1d20+42 (+22 inspiration) intimidation
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 48 > [d20=6]
> roll 1d20+15
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 18 > [d20=3]

> roll 1d100 slaad response
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 34 > [d100=34]

The slaad's eyes widen as Sylvie just smiles at him, wider and wider. There's only the barest hint of bright white teeth, "I bet your boss told you we're dangerous, or you can surmise it if he's interested in us," she says, as sugary and sweet as can be. "So you were saying?"

"My Master is holding an art expo!" The slaad eeps, "He wants Aurora to send art for it!" He shrinks back, "Please don't make me sugar cane or into a sugar cane fairy! I don't want to be a pixie! Pixes have tiny mouths and only roast poorly over open flames!"

[Yuthirin]

"Wait! You!" Calleigh points at the slaad from behind a lock of Moonlight's hair. "Who's your boss!?"

[Anastasia]

"Aaaah! Courre not good for eating!" The slaad whimpers, "Renbuu!" He hurries away from the others.

[Yuthirin]

"Tell your boss he still owes me twenty gold!" Calleigh shouts after the fleeing frogman.

[Anastasia]

"Oh," The slaad stops and casually rips his own head off. It's not like it's even a thing, the slaad's body tossing it at you before it continues running off. "All debts are paid in gold or food, usually food!" The head pronounces, before falling apart into twenty golden coins.

"What." Rosa says, completely flat.

"What." Moonlight echos, just as flat.

Loot post.

[Yuthirin]

"WHA-you know, I'm not even mad." Calleigh stuffs the coins into her tiny bag of holding.

[Anastasia]

"You made a profit from encountering a slaad," Sylvie dusts her hands off, "You're fortunate today."

[Yuthirin]

"Right? And getting Renbuu to pay up is like...uh. Something difficult. Yeah!" Calleigh nods. "Hopefully no more slaads will want to eat us."

[Anastasia]

"Hopefully," Rosa mutters, shaking her head as the party goes on.

> roll 1d100+3
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d100=34]
> roll 1d100+5
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 90 > [d100=85]
> roll 1d100+5 sub tables
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d100=55]

You wander for a few more hours. There's a brief break for lunch, which is merely bread and dried meat. Thereafter you forge on. The thick forest thins a little ahead, and you can see what might be the hints of a clearing. "There's something ahead," Moonlight calls back, "It might just be another arrival point, since plane shifters appear in those clearings like we did."