Shae would tense at the Professors suggestion. She’d gulp before trying to find the words to speak out loud, “We come to seek an audience with the horned lady. We wish to speak in peace, should you allow us passage.” 

Kam, are these actual creatures acting on their own free will, or is this a source of magic surrounding us with no way of talking ourselves around it?

Shae, to your horror, you cannot sense Kam's presence. The typical comforting sensation that you had experienced for most of your life- it's simply gone, and Kam stays silent. 

As you utter your words, the mephits morph and hiss, but don't seem to approach or retreat at all, just shifting and circling your group. 

"Professor, unless you can work your magic and talk senses in those creatures, I think we better retreat," Maxine did not like creatures maneuvers one bit!

Professor S:

The Professor nods, concerned as well by the creature’s actions.  “I will try, Shae, but these sentries may interpret my spellcasting as a hostile act.  Be ready.”

Not wanting time take the time for a ritual, Snively starts casting Comprehend Languages (as a normal one action spell) so that he may communicate with these creatures in their native tongue (Primordial, perhaps?).  Assuming he is allowed to cast this spell, he will translate for Shae, saying, “She said, ‘We come to seek an audience with the horned lady. We wish to speak in peace, should you allow us passage.’” 

In a foppish voice, the mud mephit responds :"Nope! If you want to pass, you need the pass-word. Hehehe!", to which you hear the other mephits groan. One of the steam mephits, circling around the back of the small group exclaims in a shrill, almost whistling voice that seems to want to command you and the other mephits: "Go from whence you came, gnome! You don't belong here. And you clearly have no idea where you are! We are no guardians, or servants! We are the elements come alive! Air and water, Fire and Air, Water and Earth! Return, before I summon more mephits to teach you that this is our turf!" One of the smoke mephits adds, in a sour and lazy tone: "You being here's a pain in my smokey ass! Go away, so we can get back to what we were doing. I'd hate to have to use force, but if it'll get me some peace of quiet, damned I will!"

Professor, you notice that the different mephits don't all speak the same language, and that the smoke mephits didn't react to the mud mephit's terrible pun, but that the steam mephits did.

"Wed better think of sometin quick, i dunna tink i ken fight air an smoke"

**accent is thicker when stressed ;)

Actually Berrus, though the bodies are shifting, there seems to be some mass to them- kind of like a cloud, fluffy at the edges, but you can still discern where it's moving to.

The Professor:

”They appear to be manifestations of the elements, sworn to defend this place.  They require a password for us to proceed without molestation,”  the Professor informs the others.  “I will ask them if they can get a message to the Horned Lady,” he adds.

”Oh powerful manifestation of primordial fire and air, do you speak for these others?” Starts Snively, switching to the proper language and focusing on the Steam Mephit.  “While we have no desire to disturb you, we would speak to the Horned Lady.  Could you perhaps send one of your servants here to give her the message?  We can wait here if you would be amenable.”

The mud mephit is laughing loudly, as the Professor tries to speak with the Mephits: "Har Har har! He's talking to us like we're some kind of godly entities, and he thinks that Volance here's our boss! Unbelievable, this guy!" The mentioned steam mephit huffs in a haugthy manner and seems to be turning his shoulder to the mocking mud mephit. At this point, one of the smoke mephits gets in on the discussion: "Not that I care, but it's so rude to talk in a language that the others don't understand, particularly if you're laughing out loud like that. Seriously, have some class!" Then turning to the Professor, the mephit adds, in several billowing puffs: "Just because it's going to be taking longer if I don't tell you this- The steamers here all think they're in charge and can command the others. The Mudders don't really think at all, and well, we, we're just too lazy to do anything about your request. Unless you don't leave soon. Now, this Horned Lady of yours, she doesn't really concern us. There's nothing for us to gain by telling her about you, and likely a whole lot of ruccus, if you are going to get into some trist with her. Frankly, not worth our time and energy. Also, the others don't really play ball to anything I'd say either. Now, the Steamers and us Smokeys here, we can talk. And the Mudders and the steamers, they understand each other. But Smokeys and Mudders, no common elements, see? None of us here are in charge of any other type. We're just annoyed at you all truncing in here. Because let's be frank, the only reason you're in this ghastly a place is because you want to solve a problem. And the way you material planers do that, you usually whack the problem until it goes away. We don't want that. It might be an awful place for you, but it's comfy for us. The elements are close, and we can bicker amongst each other all we like. We have no use for you, and the longer you stay, the more you're just getting on our bad side."

Professor, all you remember from your studies is that mephits are the combination of elemental essences, and form when two elements combine. You're guessing, based on the forms and names of the mephits before you, as well as the surrounding environment, that you're dealing with the manifestations of earth and water in the form of Mud mephits, Fire and Air in the form of the Smoke mephits, and Air and Water in the form of the Steam mephits. While they are embodiments of the elements, they are created by tiny slivers of the elements crossing over, and as a result they are fairly meek in their own right, and though they don't need to eat, drink, or sleep, they can "die" in the sense that their tether to the material plane is destroyed.Though, as beings that embody certain elements, they can swim, burrow, or fly accordingly. Beyond that, you only remember that they tend to be unpleasant, trickster like entities that love to mislead or mock other sentient creatures.

Professor S:

The Professor briefly translates for the others, then responds to the smoke mephit, saying, “It looks like this is one of the rare times that one of us ‘material planers’, as you say, is willing to talk instead of just whack the problem.  Now, we need to talk to the Horned Lady.  We are not here to disturb you or this environment you love.  Perhaps we can resolve this peacefully—indeed, that is my hope.  Please be lazy, relax and take your ease as we go along our way and we will not disturb you.  However, if you insist on blocking the path to the Horned Lady, then YOU become the problem, and force us to deal with you in the fashion of material planers.”

Taking out his firestarter and continuing to speak, Snively punctuates his conversation with appropriate cantrips, saying, “Now I have great respect for the elements, and indeed I study them.  I also have some ability to sway them to my will...Earth, Air, and Fire...” (Mold Earth, Gust, Control Flames cantrips cast for emphasis)  “...and I have no desire to test my skills against you—but I will if I must.”

Shae would have lost herself to a sense of panic and even loneliness when she realized that she could not sense Kam any more. Her eyes would just go wide and observe the Professors interactions with the mephits. By observing, the scholar would absorb the information being exchanged amongst the party members involved, appreciating the knowledge being shared about the elementals and their circle of life. As Snively mentioned, he is a master of the elements and respects the elements and she now carried the ability to manipulate the final element the professor did not mention, water. Together they could manipulate all the elements.

The warlock would bow her head in a respectful show of acknowledgement to the mephits, “My name is Shae and we appreciate your share of wisdom.” She’d specifically address the smoke elemental. “We believe there’s an imbalance, tipping the scale of harmony, and the horned lady could be the source of it.” Shae would gesture to the Professor who’s been able to carry the conversation this far, “The professor does speak the truth that we desire to resolve things in a peaceful manner that would not disturb you or your territory further. Could we come together on a compromise?”

semi sensing the panic Berrus will put a comforting hand on Shae's shoulder  (assuming he can reach lol)

Maxine was not impressed with the "wisdom" of those newborn bullies, but the magic of that Horned Lady had to be enormous, to bring elements to life accidentally. "Do they understand common? They can not speak it, that I can see, but do they understand? If so, then here this, guys: we are not after your turf and have no quarrel either with you or with that Horned Lady. But we do have business with her. You want us gone? We want to be gone too. Tell us where she is - and we will be out of your hair, or whatever you have for that. Everyone is happy, no one bothers anyone anymore. How about that?

"We don't know any horned lady. We've been saying that for a while now. We aren't blocking to path to her, we just don't want to open the gates to any kind aof riff raff messing with our nice place." Shae and Maxine, your words don't seem to have any effect on the mephits, it seems they do not understand common. Shae, you notice not only that you can no longer sense Kam, but you also lack that oh so familiar tingling of Kam's magical energy.

"Perfesser-ask if there are any disturbances or wrongness to them in their land, could be what we ar looking fer"

Professor S:

The Professor translates once more, telling the mephits what the others have said.  He adds, "My companions are concerned that there are unnatural forces at work here that may be disturbing your home--do you know of any such issues?  As for the Horned Lady, our research tells us she is near here, on the edge of the lake and residing in or near the skull of a massive giant.  Is that it, over there?" he asks, squinting through the steam to make out the features of that hill he saw earlier.

Professor, to your distress, the small hill or rock seems just as far off in the distance as when you saw it first, about half an hour ago. Seeing the surprise on your face, one of the steam mephits snickers: "Hehehe, such fallible things, your eyes. A little heat, and the picture's all blurry." As if to add to the words, the mephit starts to shimmer and blur, and almost melt into the surrounding steam clouds, giving their mocking laughter a hollow ring, almost like an echo.

The mud mephit adds "What is this? 20 Questions? If so, you gotta be out by now… We don't know your lady, but this place seems like a spot where some planes touch, maybe ours isn't the only one that has bled through. At any rate, whoever this lady is, she leaves us well enough alone, and we do the same. No need to fix a system that isn't broken, so why would we start to meddle in her affairs now?"

Professor, you can try a persuasion roll with disadvantage, but it's going to be hard convincing them to help you.

The Professor:

"I am trying to reason with them, but it is not going all that well.  Prepare yourselves in case this goes badly," he tells the others in Common.

Though trying to be reasonable with the mephits, they just seem to take endless pleasure of the vain attempts of the professor, deciding that mocking this poor gnome might just be worth their wile. They seem no more inclined to help than they did about half an hour ago.