Lost Lab of Kwalish

Leann would recognize this Yuan-ti as a Yuan-ti nightmare speaker

"You, who travels with humans, forsaking your own kind, now submit to their whims.  I do not know of this Cartophile, but my suspicion is that you, pureblood, {ooc: this is deragotory, they are the lowest caste in Yuan-ti society} is that you have been tricked by Artus Cimber.  We are all too familiar with his search for lost cities: Mezro, Omu and now it seems Daoine Gloine, as well.  

I should pull out your traitorous heart where you stand, but you could be useful.  If you live to tell Cimber you've found the key to Mezro's return in Daoine Gloine, he may put off his search for Omu. 

This is what you will do.  Tell him you have found what he seeks and send him chasing after it.  And try not to get yourselves killed.  I heard that racket you made from across the lake.  I bet Fenthaza it was those giants who have been stomping through the jungle.  You're just lucky I found you before a plodding army of zombies did.  But before I let you go, I need one more thing from you: a lock of hair."

She withdraws a wicked curved dagger and bids you toward her with the curling of an outstretched finger toward herself.  "Approach."

Your tooltips did not work.  I will wait to respond until I know what Leann is suppose to know from the above tooltips...

Yuan-ti nightmare speaker

"No."  Leann says with a shake of her head.  "I have no idea of this person you speak of, and do not care.  You can choose to block our path or get out of our way, but I will not give you anything that would give you power over me in any fashion." She places her hand on the hilt of her blade, ready to battle if it comes to it.

"Impudent skink!  Need I remind you of what you've just seen? Hunters never travel alone, and our intended quarry was a band of giants." Looking left and right, where just a moment ago a trio of dinosairs had employed an identical tactic, you become aware that you've been flanked by more Yuan-ti.

The nightmare speaker continues, "Moreover, should you draw the attention of Ras Nsi, he will send as many undead as it takes to make an example of you. I'm certain it will be far fewer than those he summoned to sack Mezro."

Noting Leann's hand coming to rest on her weapon, she remarks: "I see that you're itching to draw that blade? Very well, use it." She sheathes her own dagger.   "Cut me a lock of your hair so I will be able to scry you more easily. If I have no news of your success in three tenday, we will hunt you down, and I will relish your exquisite agony; it will please the Night Serpent, greatly."

She holds out her open hand waiting to receive the hair. "Don't disappoint me, girl. You may finally have some value among the vrael.  Don't squander this opportunity."

At the first hints of a pause, she will, as a threat, (intending to impart a sense of urgency), begin casting hunger of hadar.

(I am pausing here for the others to do or say anything they wish before Leann takes this further.)

How much time elapsed between the shambling mound falling and the velociraptors running past? On another note, how much time has elapsed since those velociraptors ran past? I'm trying to figure out how much HP Echo could have regained from Mending.

Deinonychus were scared off by the snake people, so no minutes. 

Time since Shambling Mound is as long as it takes to search for Vernell, find some tracks and follow them. You were in a relaxed posture prior to the combat so more time to clean up your bivouac. Let's say the bush thing was 2 hours ago.

OOC: I had a cool idea involving Prestidigitation, a "non-magical trinket" (a lock of fur) and my good Sleight of Hand modifier, but I don't think I can pull that off. The "non-magical trinket" option lasts six seconds, which is irritating.

I may be able to do that, now that I think about it.

We probably didn't get a short rest, though, if we went straight to looking for Vernell, then this.

Dorian would like to insight check the strange yuan-ti: 11

 (Well, looks like he can't read her at all.)

Huarache won't make an Insight check; he's distracted by his plan. He will use his claws to get some grass from the ground, then cast Prestidigitation on the grass blades to make them the same color and texture as Leann's hair, which, to my knowledge, would have a duration of forever, provided that I don't do another three non-instantaneous effects any time soon. Then, Huarache will say, "It's no problem at all. Leann, hold still," and hope Leann catches his drift. Huarache will slowly pull out a dagger, slowly to show that he isn't going to be violent about it, and he will cut off a bit of her hair, switch it out with some Penn-and-Teller-Fool-Us-level Sleight of Hand, and present the grass to the Yuan-Ti leader.

Sam will go up to the snake person “the words you say are nothing but sand meaningless and not Important, if you hunt us you will find nothing but ash and bones of your kin and the dead”

Intimation 12

"Easy, friend, the problem has already been resolved," replies Huarache, praying to Gond that this plan will work and that the party will catch on to that he has a plan.

Also, I would think Huarache can do this because he hasn't spoken, so attention isn't on him.

"Do NOT kill the lizard!" Yaztlia shouts to the others hidden in the jungle (ooc: I got tired of calling her the nightmare speaker). "We don't need the lizard-man coming north just now."

Ooc: I'll approve Huaraches action regardless of a solid assessment of the mechanics of prestidigitation (I would allow it as a static visual effects under magical tinkering, as well, which might be better since it already has an indefinite duration), but for the planned action to proceed as described, Leann has to allow it.

Ooc: scrying the hair changes Leann's Wis save modifier by -10.  I'm assuming the scryer is at least casually familiar with her, granting a -5 modifier already, which somewhat offsets the fact that Leann has advantage on the save.

If magical tinkering works here, Huarache will use that just to keep this easier. Magical Tinkering comes up less than Prestidigitation, and he can use MT more than Prestidigitation.

"Forgive me," Dorian says, "but the name Artus Cimber is not familiar to me. It could be that this is all a misunderstanding. Who is Cimber? What does he look like and what does he want with these lost cities? I myself am only searching for knowledge, and would obliged if you would enlighten me." He adds a little, bow, just in case.

"He is no doubt the one who's sent you on this errand.  He's a thorn in the side of Ras Nsi and you should count yourself lucky you know so little or we could not risk letting you live."

Leann frowns as the knife is drawn by one of her companions and they move to cut her hair.  She scowls at him, then at the nightmare speaker.  “Seems like my companions would rather appease you than be smart enough to realize doing so only gives you the upper hand.” She grits her teeth, but lets her companions do as they wish.