“Maybe.... I don’t know... let me think....” (this is hard... I suck at piecing words together, but I did it!)

(I say we target whoever looks like the leader, unless someone has Minor Illusion, in which case we can tell everyone.... is that a good idea?)

(and someone might want to help with the help action for advantage)

(The range of the cantrip only reaches a short distance below. There are a pair of regular fish soldiers below. One guy might think the other said it, but it wouldn’t think a leader said the whisper. The message needs to be short enough that the guy doesn’t have time to turn around and look for the source of the whispers.)

(my Thaumaturgy is 30ft casting range and my Prestidigitation is 10ft casting range, in case that helps with the plan and any clarification needed.)

“It needs to be shorter. How about ‘Slaves and PRisoners, gathered in the Church in Nunkreet, Gifts for Godess’ ?

Isk listens carefully to everyone's ideas and offers the following, "Soldiers are, for the most part, a simple lot.  Something..."  he says putting a hand to his chin, "to the point would be good.  Perhaps, 'Hey, those slaves, I'd like the see them.  You know where they are?'

Reverie hums quietly and then looks at her companions. "That could work also, and yet, we do not know if asking where they are can be effective. I would suggest to ask them to bring them to a certain place for the rewards."

Trimyrai: (to the party [in a whisper]) "Perhaps we could say that, the slaves are going to be delivered else where and need to be near the exit to the cave to be transported where they are going."

“Not all soldiers are simple. Some are unpredictable. And Trim, we need to know the words in sahuagin.”

(Reminder that what I am proposing is like being in a crowded office, and assuming that that a voice over your shoulder is coming from a co-worker. That is the frame of mind I will take, to judge how this sahuagin is going to react to anything said. This is not a Geas or Command.

And you don't have to do this. There may be other tricks to try. I was trying to discourage searching every one of those side caves while there is still a horde in the central cavern.)

(I think minor illusion would be better than thaumaturgy or presto for this.  Presto does an instantaneous sensory effect, thaumaturgy does 'an instantaneous sound that originates from a point of your choice within range, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers'.  Minor Illusion specifically talks about voices as one of the options you can make with it.  And has the same 30 yard range as thaumaturgy, either of which is way better than Presto as far as range goes)

"Why not somehting even more simple, such as, 'Go check on the slaves'," Froskan inputs.  "Then we watch where they go, and that tells us where the slaves are."

”what if he goes where we can’t see? But good idea.”

 "We just need to see which way he goes so we know where to search instead of having to pick at random."

“True, but we don’t know the layout. There could be hundreds of doors we can’t see.”

"I like the go check on the slaves idea.  It would, or at least could, tell us which exit off the main cave we should focus on."

"Ok, how about this. 'Go check on the Slaves and Prisoners'. Your friends might not be slaves, but just prisoners."

(Also, doesn't Froskan have heightened spell?)

(Nope. just remembered the manticore :) )

Quote from VanderLegion >>

(I think minor illusion would be better than thaumaturgy or presto for this...

 (You are right. I knew that both Froskan (minor illusion) and Trimyrai (thaumaturgy) had cantrips that I would stretch to make work, but I got confused at some point and started assuming it was their common cantrip (presto)... Neither of these cantrips are exactly suitable for ventriloquism, but since you have a bit of time to plan, I wanted to give your group more options.

For posts 1401-1402, this is a mostly natural (not man-made or fish-made) area, with only minimal masonry work. That door sealing off the north side cave (at 12) is the only real non-natural addition. I was trying to set up a situation like VanderLegion said: a few options for where the prisoners were, but not a hundred.)

(OOC: I thought it might be fun to try something a little different, But like most bright ideas, making it work in reality is turning out to be more complicated and frustrating than was intended... To apologize for that, your party will get the information desired, without having to make rolls.)

Thinking about what the Baron and its interpreter were saying earlier, Jack, Reverie, and Iskander come up with the phases "Keep the prisoners docile" and "Give the slaves more food" in the Sahuagin language. Froskan and Trimyrai combine their cantrips to broadcast the latter message in a quiet voice behind one of the soldiers below.

It turns around, and assumes the other soldier near it was the source. "Those prisoners got food before those slaver devils got here. They don't need any more... If you want to feed them, do it yourself. Those demons guarding them are too creepy." It looks towards the east side cave (at 3 o'clock) and shudders.

It's buddy is taken aback by this sudden outburst out of nowhere. It pours more alcoholic swill into their mugs, and nods politely at the crazy fish-man next to it.

(Back to the party.)

Trimyrai: (to the party [in a whisper]) "Glad that worked out, we don't have a moment to lose, lets get this prisoners and give the signal."

(the ledge we are on connects to all the different passages?)

(The ledge only connects to the narrow passage down, to 5 o'clock. The elf scout is waiting in the side entrance at 4 o'clock.

It will be difficult to get past the sahuagin in the main cavern. And fighting whatever is guarding the prisoners would draw attention... Go below, signal now, wait for the sahuagin to move to the main entrance (at 7-8 o'clock), and use the fighting going on in the west side to cover up your party's actions on the east side.)

OoC - 3:00 cave is there the four Merregons went?