Succubusekai: The Demoness Just Wanted To Stay With Her Friends! [Original-Ish] [Quest]

[X] (PLAN ADVANCEMENT) Cast Charm Monster on the Giant Toad, and see how much turmoil it can spark in their backline!

They're insisting on fighting in waves. That's good because all of them at once would destroy you, but bad because it means they know that and are drawing this out for fun.

What they do not know is your objective, or your full capability stack. For example, they may know you teleported having literally seen it, but not that you've got other supernatural powers way beyond your typical weight class.

They've got only one of the godsforsaken death monsters of grossness. And while it is summoned, it isn't controlled by them - especially not with the rider, uh, over there cowering in the corner. He knows he's lost, you don't need to rub it in.

The giant toad, however, knows something. It knows there's food

You just need to point it to a fancier food source than 'girl who lives in a cheap apartment in Midtown and her roommates'. (... Shh!)

(Charm Monster, Wisdom Save DC 16 - it is in combat, so it has advantage: 13, 2. Failure!)

… You can sense the effect take hold. It is perceiving you as a friend. And your telepathy has a certain advantage: It can work on even noncommunicative beings, which this Toad is.

Telepathically send a mental image of chowing down on the royal…

(Persuasion Check: (13,17)+10 = 27.)

The toad spins. The singers glance, confused.

The guards look at the toad, confused.

The leader looks at the toad, confused.

Helen and Eira look at the toad, realizing what you just pulled and tensing to take the possible opportunity.

The toad looks at the leader. It is distinctly not confused.

It, for lack of a better word, pounces on their leader.

The guards panic.

The singers gape in awe. "Wait, did it just - did they just - how did they do that?!"

"SAVE THE BARON!", one of them shouts, as they all try to collapse in and pull him loose.

Another telepathic signal, and it bounces up into the reed wall. Not high enough to clear it, but enough that they can't easily just grab the baron, which only heightens the panic.

The croakers start running over - directly away from you, and past the altar.

You've got control of the pace of the situation for… A minute or two.

Eira's already at the cage, tools in her hand and whispers in her step, or some poetic description for 'that lock is popping and no one's noticing.

Helen is just past Eira, the most visible target to cover the chance of the others approaching.

The toad is trying to swallow the baron, who is giving a good enough fight that it's not succeeding yet. Which happens to have them away from the pile of treasure.

You have a chance, but how much of it do you take?

[ ] (Dare To Dream?) Pile everyone on the gold and grab what you can before you run! High risk of getting surrounded or them having a chance to chase, good reward.
[ ] (Dare To Dream?) Signal Eira and Helen to run with the Nixie, you'll grab gold yourself since you can get away with teleportation. Moderate risk, some reward.
[ ] (Dare To Dream?) Skip the gold, it's probably just a thin layer piled over some rocks or something. Lowest risk, lowest reward (though the Nixies will still pay you)-

"Money," Eira observes.

Helen sighs. "There's probably only a little."

"Then let's make it a little less!", she whispers, dashing for the pile and completely ignoring the vote that's admittedly really early in the post.

Helen glances at you, you at the nixie, the nixie at the knight in shining armor (she ABSOLUTELY polished her chain didn't she). "Really, now of-"

"You two move. I'll cover her."

You can hear your thought processes going into Council Mode. Multiple self-perceptions deciding which course to take.

One Senaz thinks "Money good, money make floof happy, happy floof means sexy."
Another Senaz thinks "Risk bad, time in here increases risk, getting away faster make paladin happy, happy paladin means more forgiveness."

There's variations on the plans in various directions - use the door, don't use the door - but really your options bare down to 'charm Eira into sticking to the plan', or 'go with her and then help her flee, quickly'.

Thankfully, she doesn't have a bag of holding, so she can't grab too much. If she's quick... You think you can pull this.

Eira's not completely heedless of risk, manifesting skate to speed herself up, and carefully not making noise, as she approaches the pile.

You move into the air, slightly, to negate your footfalls and catch up faster - but Eira's still there first, even as Helen and the Nixie start the other way.

Eira glances over the pile quickly… And looks crestfallen.

Helen was right. It's mostly just rocks.

Still. She's grabbing what she can with your quick help - 105 gold pieces, she skips the copper. Then she's skating away, right as a 'plop' announces that their 'Baron' has been successfully dislodged from the toad, which remains stuck in the reed wall, leaving a large and very funny-looking hole above it as the reeds that comprise the wall bend under its weight.

"PFFACK, PFFACK!", he shouts, as you scoot after her - no longer flying, in case they missed you doing that earlier.

"THEY HAVE THE SACRIFICE! GET THEM!", he shouts as he's clambering to his webby feet, as the entire room turns toward you and Eira as you exit the throne room and start moving to catch up with Helen - who is definitely favoring moving direct for the exit the normal way.

You need to decide what to do once you catch up to her.

[ ] (Getaway Plan) Beat them as they expect to be beaten - run through the maze 'fair and square'!
[ ] (Getaway Plan) Catch up to Helen and the Nixie, then get 'lost' and use the door when you're out of the bullywugs' sight!
[ ] (Getaway Plan) The reeds can't be that tough, break a wall or two to expedite your escape!
[ ] (Getaway Plan) Let the bullywugs corner you - which will give them like no space to maneuver until you kick all their asses, as long as you and Helen keep standing!