Still relaxing in the hot mud, Yulmiath listens to Florrb and Karius's back and forth and then more one sided explanation from Karius.

"So he and his friends arrived in the mud pools? Then his friends left while in the mud pools? So the mud pools are the portals to this magical land of mud, right?"

Yulmiath starts to get out of the pool.

"Anyone else think that we'd be best getting out of the pits now? If these things open on a whim, what happens if we're in them when they decide to work again?"

"I'm wonderin' how long ago his friends left. If they came here a hundred years or so ago, there might be somethin' of timin' problem?" Rhogal thinks out loud.

Insight: 17

Insight - 20

Hun seemed nonplussed hearing the story at first. But with a dawning ephiphany soon followed a frown and rubbing of his forehead. "Mn. It's likely as the dwarf said.... Maybe. Otherwise, the Tortle's would of warned us against entering the pool, or at specific times." Hun explained. "What with how likely it'd be them losing their own over the years if the way opened that often." With that, the Kobold sighs and started rummaging through his bag before uttering a short verse in draconic. "Go Go Helping Hand." In moments, the strange mechanical hand pops out of the endless bag and started massaging Hun's head, sending pleasant electrical tingles to help stimulate his mind.

Portal Knowledge: 30 (Spending DM inspiration for advantage)

And he dug deep for that knowledge, tugging at connections ranging from Volo's books to his own experiences in aiding the Harpers seaborn cults and their sometimes dimensional allies! "Mn... mn, yes... I think have something. But! Do ask Florrb how long it's been since his fellows up and disappeared. Could be the human visitors the Tortle's spoke of might've had a hand in things!"

(@MB & @ Drache: I said "insight" in the OOC Chat but meant to type "persuasion". My apologies. I can still use your rolls, though.)

The questions come pouring in after Florrb's tale. The creature's initial reaction is one of regret. It is clear that, for a moment, Florrb wished he hadn't said anything. The memory, the tale, are painful to the mud fiend. 

Kairus' non-hesitant offer to help wins Florrb back over. After the bard translates Yulmiath's and Rhogal's words, he finally answers what he can. Nonetheless, it soon becomes apparent that the creature does not have much understanding over how the phenomenon is trigerred: "Glorp went back first, some forty-odd years ago. He was bathing in the mud pool, as were we all. Then suddenly, we felt a tremor much like the ones we remembered from home. The earth shook, the volcanoes in the island erupted, ash covered the the sky and embers rained down on us all. We decided to seek shelter underground that day, but Glorp lingered in the pools for some time. When we returned, Glorp was nowhere to be seen. Broop and Florrb searched everywhere inside and outside the pools. After not finding him, we just knew he had returned home through the pools, much like how we emerged here a century ago."

Florrb pauses for a moment. It almost looks like he is crying, though elementals are unlikely to be able to do such things. "Then, a decade ago, it was Broop's turn. A group of young tortles appeared for a mud bath under the stars. Nothing too unusual except for the time of day they came. They usually come during the day, you see, not at night. It was a moonless night too, Florrb remembers, because the tortles had torches with them. Broop kept them company while Florrb went to grab some food for our guests. When Florrb returned, Broop and one of the tortles were gone. The others searched but Florrb knew what that meant. She wouldn't just leave like that unless she was going back home. And one lucky tortle went with her somehow."

Florrb now looks back at the group: "These events just seem random to old Florrb. Florrb is running out of hope. Over the years, other creatures have disappeared while bathing in the mud pits, but Florrb has yet to figure out the trick to activating them."

Concerned, Yulmiath begins to make his way out of the pool but Hun surmises that this cannot be a common occurrence. The kobold digs deep into his own mind to try to come up with an answer.

@Hun/@Ori:

(@Lerus: Challenge Accepted! Though that said, I wound up using the top 2 hint at the time of creating this post, but gonna check out the other 2 after... Semi-regret reading even if that much before actually reading Florrb's story, but I didn't trust my goldfish brain to even try. XD)

As soon as Kairus finished telling the tale, or perhaps not even before the second story is fully conveyed, Hun immediately startles, seemingly scaring the mechanical hand into disappearing back into his bag. "That's it! Everyone! Out of the pool except Florrb. Quick quick." Without further explanation, the Kobold scrabbles back out the pool a fair distance, and practically dived up to his waist into his satchel.

What then sounded like clanking metal, the clattering of bones, and much grumbling can then be heard emanating from a bag that seemed far deeper than its outward appearance. But eventually, Hun pops his head back out, holding a torch and tinderbox triumphantly in the air! "Here we go! One ticket to the earth plane!" Grinning, Hun messily made his way back to poolside, waiting for his last orders to be followed to the letter. Then once everyone was OUT of the pool, it would take him a few tries, but eventually he'd have the torch lit and holds it up to Yulmiath. "Hold this over the pool if you would, Mr. Yully. Might take a bit, but the ash and embers needs to fall on the surface of the pool to make it work." Hun assures.

Kairus did need to be asked twice - he, better than anyone here, could tell that that "lucky turtle and the rest of the disappeared travellers are dead as stones by now if they indeed reached the Earth Plane.

He did not dress up right away, waiting for the mud to dry up and drop as pieces and meanwhile watching Hun's manipulations. "Why? Do you think ashes are the key? Or the fire?"

Mr Yully accepts the torch but waits until the others get out of the mud pits before holding it out over the pit containing Florrb, Lord of the Left-behinds.

Looking to Karius to translate for what might be the last time;

"If this works, Florrb will be back with his friends. Is there anything he wants to let us know before he does? Is he ready?"

If Florrb is happy, Mr Yully will hold the torch over the mud pit as instructed and hope for the best.

"Sounds like we're doin' something 'bout his problem. I've whisked away unexpectedly to one place, an' that's enough fer one lifetime!" Rhogal clambers out of the mudpit.

So eager is Hun to see his theory proven right, that connecting other dots about the missing fails to form in mind. In fact, he stood there rubbing his hands gleefully for a while there, seeming to ignore Kairus' inquires. But then with a little startle, he glances between Triton and pools several times before gesturing the former. "Yes! It is rather obvious. Portals and gates that form naturally, which this one clearly must have, tend to require specific keys, young blue. Those connected with the, uh.. Inner Planes, I believe, er, ahem, I recall, tend to be associated with the elements, for instance. Elements that help connect the missing sequence within the weave's formula strand nestled here."

Florrb's tales stir something in Hun's mind. Like many of the arcane/mathematical problems he has solved in the past, the potential activation of a naturally occurring portal between planes sounds too much like an exciting challenge for the intelligent kobold to dismiss. When he believes he has figured it all out, or at least a major part of the problem, he commands those who do not wish to depart mystically to step out of the mud pool. No one in the party needs to be asked twice.

Rhogal makes a comment while stepping out and is promptly followed by a silent Krodhen. Yulmiath and Kairus are next, with Hun leaving the pool last on account of him having a slightly more difficult time maneuvering his way outside. Hun explains just the basics of what he is about to do (or ask Yulmiath to do), but Kairus is not going to let him off the hook so easily. The bard inquires about the details, which eventually earns a somewhat complex answer from the artificer.

What matters in the end is that Yulmiath soon finds himself holding a lit torch over the edge of the nearest mud pool. Florrb does not look very optimistic, but remains in the pool as asked. When Yulmiath (via Kairus' translation) gives the mud mephit a chance to relay any potential last bits of information, Florrb says: "You had asked me about a recent visit by some humans. I didn't feel like addressing that before, but you seem confident that this is my last chance to do so. So, as a potential sign of gratitude, I'll say this: At some point within the last month I was indeed visited by a pair of humans. They bathed in the pools but I did not keep them company as I have done here with you. I never saw them leave."

Florrb's seemingly last words are wrapped up just as the first few particles of ash and ember from the torch hit the pool. Florrb shrugs incredulously and then dives. A second passes, then another. Soon, a dozen seconds go by and nothing changes. By the time a full minute has passed and Florrb has failed to reemerge, the group begins believing in their success.

"Wow!" Kairus was staring in the pool for longer than a minute but eventually stopped. "So... There is a direct portal, from that pools to the Earth Plane and we know the key? Amazing! Would be interesting to check if it works without the Mud Lord around, but I doubt we will find many volunteers able to breathe earth that would try it out. Hope those humans knew what they were doing. And we probably need to warn turtles. Or do you think a sign here will do?" He checked if the mud dried enough to be scrapped easily from the skin. When so, he would dress up. "Well, I think I am ready to continue. What was the next on the list? It's past midday we can return and start tomorrow in the new direction."

"Should something have happened? I feel that opening a portal to the elemental plane of earth should have more...dramatic?"

Yulmiath lifts the torch away from the mud pit just to be safe.

"Like if you've opened a portal, surely there's some kind of sign to let you know you've done it? For safety. Or common courtesy?"

Letting a moment hang in the air, he follows up.

"How long do you reckon a creature made of magical dirt can breathe in, ummm, wet dirt?"

"I don't think elementals breath at all... Not a scholar, of course, but those I saw - the water one - they were just ... part of the medium, you know? Wind does not breathe air, right? I guess the same with mud - one with the surroundings. Something like that." Kairus gave a last long look to the mud pit too. "Now I kind of wish I could see the portal too. Have never seen one before either. Oh, well, one day, I guess. So, back to turtles?"

Not understanding a word of Florrb's last message, Hun presumed initially it to be some final drawn out burbled words of goodbye. After that, he waited with baited breath to see the fruits of his experiment, shushing anyone -- including Yulmiath -- who try to speak prior to a full minute fully elapsing on the scene. When nothing extraordinary comes of it on the visual spectrum, the Kobold rubbed his chin, pondering the pros and cons of getting a big stick to start rooting around in the muck.

So focused is he on pondering solutions that it takes a good minute more for the background conversation to sink in, and eventually startle the little dragon out of his reverie. "WaitwaitwaitwaitWAIT! Back that up... What was that about the humans?!" Hun questioned, looking pointedly up at Kairus. As soon as he even gets a partial clarification, the Kobold gasps and looks to the pool. "Frick! Well, mmmn... Well, they... should be fine. If their lucky... Contrary to popular beliefs about other planes, their not completely made up of their elements. Otherwise the evolution of creatures there wouldn't quite develop properly, and be able to transmigrate to the material plane. Such as your own people, if I recall correctly," He gestures to Kairus.

"Not that I know all too much about them. As rare it is to see a Sea Elf outside the harbors of Waterdeep at best, who supposedly as well have ties to Plane of Water, cause elves can't help but infect the other planes,  your people are even more illusive, young blue. Why by Tiamat's scaly butt, your kin are even more rare to find than true dragonborns such as Mr. Yully here!" Hun goes on to explain, gesturing haphazardly at Yulmiath. "Which is weird considering dragons been around since the begining, but... hm... hmmm.... Wait, shoot! Getting off track!"

Hun turns back to the pool, rubbing his head in frustration. Eventually he sighs and shakes his hands in the air, scattering a bit of mud that hadn't quite sloughed off his body yet. "Fri-shi-gah! GOND Darn it that Volo! But why the elemental plane of earth of all places! I swear if... if he.... mmmn!" Hun shoulders sag in a defeated sigh. "There's... still plenty of island search. Maybe... Mmn.... Young Blue... Kairus, wasn't it? Mind if we save the temple for last? I'd... I'd still like to check out the wreckage, and make this trip at least not completely a waste. And, uh..." Hun trails off there, having looked to Kairus with a glimmer of hope in his expression, only to bow his head.

Rhogal takes this time to look around to see if any sort of fungus grows near portals to an elemental plane.

Nature: 7

(OOC: You're seeing that roll right, Rhogal is a Druid with no proficiency in nature, and I find it hilarious!)

After a moment, the mud easily scrapes off the skin and Kairus can get dressed again. As he does so, he expresses his amusement with the potential discovery of an interplanar portal. Yulmiath, on the other hand, seems disappointed with the lack of flair that accompanied the possible opening of such a portal. Either way, Florrb is still missing and no amount of poking around by Hun is delivering any additional information.

While briefly discussing the respiratory systems of elementals, or lack thereof, the group is interrupted by a loud kobold squeal. Hun begins to internalize Florrb's comment about human visitors, pondering whether or not the mephit's words confirmed that the humans traveled to another plane. Perhaps Volo was interested in cataloging extraplanar creatures in their own habitat? 

The little artificer goes off on a couple more tangents before asking Kairus, and the group by extension, if they would be willing to travel further north to High Horn, the area where the reported shipwrecks are located.

While this conversation is happening, Rhogal is off to a corner by himself looking attentively at the ground and pacing about. Soon enough, the dwarf finds a patch of yellow near some trees right next to the closest mud pool. What he sees is a messy, egg-yolk yellow mushroom that pushes up through muddy debris. He recognizes it as a cluster of mudpuppy mushrooms. 

(@Ori: Please roll an insight check.)

Hun's Insight: 21.

"You got it right this time, grandpa! And don't you worry your tail so much - that mud-ball did not tell the humans went through the portal. They just were here. It still can be a different human. There are plenty around, some could wander to these pits. But sure, let's check that wreck. Might tell something interesting." Kairus closed his eyes for a moment remembering the map. "High Horn... Nice name. Shall we then?"