Official thread: Out of the Abyss - By Kerrec

Orubis's companion Kliprit addresses Chipgrin, "You ordered us not to speak to outsiders!".

Chipgrin's whiskers seem to grow on the spot as he stands up, "What!?  All this time no one has even tried to make contact?  What I said was we don't need the settlers pestering us, so if you have nothing good to say, don't speak to them!"  Chipgrin throws his hands in the air in frustration and paces around his throne.  He turns and faces his clan, "By your tiny brass pebbles, you can speak to the settlers or any other outsiders... " as he points to your party, "... if you're trying to improve relations.  We need help, not more enemies.  And we won't get their help if you DON'T.... TALK... TO... THEM!"

Chipgrin, turns to the group that are standing on their own, "Have you not even tried to contact your kin?"  To this, one of the braver individuals shakes his head, "No, if we said we wanted to, we were told we couldn't."

Chipgrin throws his hands in the air a second time.  He sits on his throne and once again speaks to your party, "Well, there you have it.  I spell things out, but it seems the imbeciles can't read anyway."  Turning to Skameros, Chipgrin angrily asks, "Why are you bleeding on my moss!?"

Beegred looks at the various speakers, acting like he can understand Undercommon, but all he hears are the Charlie Brown adult voices:  "wah wah, waahh wah".

Skameros points at Orubis and Kliprit 

"Skameros find where rat trap....."

Rodolfo understands a word here and there, but can't piece the whole story together either.

He quietly whispers to Grithik in gnomish, "What are they saying?"

Chipgrin doesn't understand Skameros at first, but puts the pieces together.  "Kliprit!  Did this brute trip the trap?"  

Kliprit shrugs and replies, "We tried to warn it."  Then adds, "Without talking.  But it doesn't seem to understand much."

Chipgrin groans.  "Orubis, can you do your mushroom mumbo jumbo and close his wounds so he stops bleeding on my moss!  And by a rats short whiskers, you're responsible for keeping these strangers healthy so long as they help our cause.  Maybe next time you'll listen to what I say!"

Grithik considers for a moment before responding to Rodolfo quietly in common such that Beegred could also hear. "They speak of much. Most importantly, they don't seem to have any real issue with the settlers, but speak of larger threat which would affect both their community as well as the colonists. He is also berating the... scouts? we encountered on our way in for not communicating more clearly."

Rodolfo asks, "Are we then done here? Should we head back?"

Orubis jolts as the king yells at him and moves over to the bleeder. He gestures for the tall fellow to lean down, and then gathers the box on his necklace, blowing gently across it towards his wounds.

Spores are numerous enough to be visible and attach themselves to Skameros’ wounds, quickly growing into white mushrooms the size of thumbs, which then fall off and disintegrate immediately after, leaving the wound a bit closer to being healed than it was. 

healing word 6 

Chipgrin looks satisfied for the moment and once again focuses on your party, "Right, then down to brass hobnails.  I'm seriously considering abandoning Blingdenstone.  If we leave, the settlers are going to get overrun by the Pudding King and his slimy pets.  What do you think the Diggermattocks will think of that?"

Skameros will translate as best he can what Chipgrin says to the party (feel free to use your imagination as to how that goes)

"Who is Pudding King? He reason for all the slime?  Maybe he the faceless one Glabbagool talked about...."

Chipgrin answers, "“I remember him from when he worked in the tunnels, and my kin saw him when he returned. I know who he is, what he’s doing, and — most of all — where he can be found! If you and the Diggermattocks want, I can take you straight to him — he what calls himself the Pudding King.  That means an alliance.  I talk face to face with them to form this alliance, or we leave and the settlers can deal with the Pudding King on their own.”

Rodolfo says, "Lets do that."

Beegred: "Pudding King? Did he used to be the Soufflé Prince? The Bon-Bon Heir?" (remembers almost dying from black pudding) "Oh... oozes... never mind."

Rodolfo says quietly to Beegred, "I just want to get out of here."

Grithik glances about, clearly feeling over his head, "Sounds like it would benefit everyone to relieve this threat."

Chipgrin starts to look concerned from the lack of a response.  "You are here to talk, right?  I mean...."  and he gestures at the hundreds of gnomes arrayed in a circle behind you.

Rodolfo speaks up, "Yes, let us go and talk to Pudding King!"

Quote from Kerrec >>

Chipgrin answers, "“I know who he is, what he’s doing, and — most of all — where he can be found! If you and the Diggermattocks want, I can take you straight to him — he what calls himself the Pudding King.”

Beegred: "Can our translators mention to Cheapthrills that we don't read minds. If Cheep-cheep knows all that stuff, maybe he should share with everyone: who PK is, what he is doing, and where he can be found. (If he is on a tropical beach, we should bring swimwear. If he is in a tribe of foul Stone Giants, we should sharpen our weapons.) And maybe what you want us to say to him. (Sounds like you don't want to unconditionally surrender to him, but it would be nice to confirm that.)"

Chipgrin stands from his throne with a hearty laugh.  "If I take you to meet The Pudding King, it won't be to talk.  And you'll have to clear a path through a sea of slimes and oozes to get in talking distance.  No... what and where The Pudding King is found is my bargaining chip to get the settlers to stand down and join forces.  That's what you tell the Diggermattocks.  If they refuse, then we leave and the settlers will find out all on their own how we've been keeping them alive all this time."

"And if you don't believe me, I can take you to see the sea of slime for yourselves."

A sudden clarity washes over Grithik's face, "Ahhhh... Yes, that seems like a request we could bring back to Blingdenstone." He looks at the others for confirmation, "Perhaps you could send an envoy of your own to explain the danger directly to the Diggermattocks. It would lend some credence to the request."