Passoveloce is not used to hearing voices in his head. "Who are you, what are you, how are you talking to me?" he whispers, shaking his head to clear it. He then continues "What are you looking for in return - Gold? Jewels? or something else?" 

Torunn hears the voice in his head and then turns and glares directly at the demonic being. "Not a fan of things getting in my head." He says a loud as he starts to walk towards the demon, "Too many precious ideas and knowledge up there!" He says and points at this head with a big gauntleted thumb.

Corwyn:

Corwyn’s grip tightens on his flaming sword, but he makes no reply to the fiend—aloud or telepathically.

In response to Passoveloce's questions the voice says in his head "tangible items such as jewels and treasure are of no value to me. It is the intangible such as favours, knowledge of arcane matters, etc. which are of more value to me!":

In response to Toruun's motioning to his head with a large gauntleted thumb the voice continues in its mellifluous voice "Don't worry I've no intention of rummaging in an Artificer's brain as they can be a very scary place!"

In their heads all party members then see an image of hand with one finger closed and four extended and the voice says again "well by my calculations that's one definite NO and four possible maybes - what is to be?:"

Seeing Torunn not only on the move, but more or less being very vocal enough in his answer already, Lucas softly sighed and altered his appearance once more back into his default human state before following after the dwarf. So similarly to Corwyn, when the demon again entreated with the party Lucas filled his surface thoughts with a seeming nonsensical pattern of numbers, but whispered to the group, "First shot is yours, but stay mindful of the other group cross the way. As I get the distinct feeling they'll want a piece as well." 

Corwyn:

Stepping up behind Torunn, Corwyn follows his ally and assesses the demon’s holding glyphs.  “Let’s try and not break the containment lines—perhaps we can avoid fighting everyone at the same time”.

Arcana:  7

Corwyn is unable to assess the extent - if any - which the containment lines are keeping the demon trapped!

Torunn looks towards back at the group to see their reactions, before responding to the Demon. "Maybe we can discuss a deal if you stay out of my head. Give us a reason to trust you and provide some information on the item we seek. Tell us what you are after in return for the remainder of the information."

He then scans around assessing the area around the demon, see if he can determine an arcane source of the demons summoning.

Natural Dice Roll: 1 +9 for arcane, +6 for perception or +5 for investigation, DM's choice.

Insight roll for demons response if required:

Toruun moves about 10 feet closer to the northern point of the pentagram and whilst he is unable to determine the efficacy of the pentagram as a containment for the demon chooses not to risk getting to close! In response to his request to communicate verbally the demon in a rich plummy upper class voice says in Common "I am afraid it doesn't work like that. As I explained to your more vertically challenged colleague tangible items are or of no value to me. I deal in intangible items such as favours, knowledge of arcane matters, etc.. I have knowledge which I understand is of value to you and your colleagues. The question is what will you provide me as compensation for that knowledge?"

(OOC: Thought I posted awhile ago, but guess not. Ugh..)

When Torunn looks back to the group, Lucas' expression is fairly nonplussed about the whole situation. But seeing the demon so insistent on parlay having clearly taken Lucas' words to heart before (or so Lucas' wagers), he... doesn't go out of his way to further convince the others to hold off on dispatching the cultists, and likely by extension, the demon itself once things kicked off, but ponder over whether dispatching the demon's summoner might see it sent back to the Abyss as well..

-Arcana: 24.

Then mentally he conveyed to the demon, "Best I got from ya buddy is freedom from that pesky circle or killing the fool that dared summoned ya in the first place. So, if none of those are enough for ya, then I'm afraid we're at an impasse."

The demon laughs uproariously in Lucas’ head saying “… exactly why do you think I’m constrained by this circle!?”  Is the demon bullshitting Lucas, well ….?

Lucas is no expert in demon summoning and control - in fact far from it - but he has never heard of a demon this big being summoned and  successfully controlled before.

(OOC - also drawing Lucas’ attention to the Svirfneblin mage’s thoughts in Post #124

(OOC: Ngl, it took me an embarrassingly long time to piece together the meaning behind the reminder, but I /think/ I got it?)

Lucas didn't fully understand why, but he couldn't help but bristle at the demon's reply. But then, a thought hit him. A long shot of long shot that was more liable to get them in trouble then it was to aid in any further fruitless negotiations, but... worth a shot before blades are drawn. Maybe. And if nothing else, it might just confirm something for him. 'Can always prove me wrong by slaying your summoner, as I'm sure apart of you is itching to do. But regardless, how about this. You tell us what you know about the rod and where to find a piece, and I tell you a secret about your summoner than you can use against him. Be it to ease corrupting, controlling, or whatever you wish with'em. Fair enough?' He communed with the demon while holding up a hand in a halting gesture to the rest of the party to stay their hands. 

The demon continues to speak in Lucas head in its mellifluous voice but there is now a hint of frustration in its voice "...Oi vey that's not how it works. I'll explain again for the third time. I have knowledge of value to you whereas you may only have something of value to me. I'm not going to share my knowledge when I may get nothing in return. In summary you need as they say to put your cards one the table first!"

If it were possible to project the image of rolling his eyes, Lucas might've done so subconsciously over the demon's insistence of being 'fed' first before delivering on its end. But if it had been, he held himself in check, took a brief but steadying breath, then replied again via telepathy, 'Fine then. Not like I'm losing much in the deal. Your summoner fears imposters know of his plan to raid a Svirfnbelin mining community. And that a demon by the name of Oalimnifuno knows how to flush'em out. But even if that last bit is not the case, it wouldn't take much to point him in the direction of the trio across the way and stoke a little convenient chaos, if not manipulate him to some other end, wouldn't you say?'

Having no interest in sharing his knowledge with the demon, Torunn walks straight past the summoning circle, not so subtly glaring at the demon. When he arrives at the desk with the Svirfnebilin mage, he stops and pulls out a small notebook. He flicks through the notebook until he lands on his desired page and shows it to the mage, almost shoving the notebook in the mages face. "We are looking for this artifact, have you seen it?"

Is anybody going with Toruun or are they leaving him to go alone?

Lucas (or Saluc, if allowed to retcon dropping the disguise) would follow after Torunn, if but to act as a translator. A quite frustrated one after dealing with the demon, assuming they can reach the mage without accidentally breaching the circle. 

Sorry forgot to add, Torunn speaks in Gnomish

"Bugger it, this is getting us nowhere fast! I'm going to ask him directly" pointing to the Svirfneblin Mage says Toruun as he strides off. "Hang on my friend" Lucas says still in his disguise as Saluc, says "... can you speak a language he undersdtands?"

"Yup" Toruun replies as Lucas/Saluc walks beside him. "Interesting, going straight to the source" the demon muses in his very mellifluous tones as Toruun and Lucas/Saluc walk past him "... you'd have done better going with me, he's very narrow in his thinking!" Toruun and Lucas/Saluc ignore the demon.

When they reach the Svirfneblin Mage, Toruun pulls out his notebook and flicks through several pages before saying, no demanding, in Gnomish "... listen 'ere. Ave ya seen anyfink like dis" pointing to a sketch in his notebook of the Rod of Seven Parts. The Svirfneblin Mage looks top from where he had been scribbling something in one of his tomes before responding in an equally abrupt tone "... you are and what's it to you?" Lucas/Saluc because of the [spell]Tongues[spell] is still interjects at this point "... my friend, I trust I can call you that. Please pardon my friend he is very focussed! What he meant to say was the Lady of Spiders, who we both worship, has specifically charged us, I know not why, with finding this artefact!". The Svirfnerblin responds in far calmer tones "...may her webs of deceit spread far and wide. I'm sorry I've not seen an artifact like this before. What does it do?"

How do Lucas/Saluc and Toruun respond? 

Insight to determine if the Gnome is telling the truth: 26