Approach as friends

The five new adventurers were recovering from a hard-won fight with some toads. Their sixth member, the red-haired warrior Amber, was lost some time ago. The group was turned around, and even their skilled dwarven Zora, their skilled tracker, could not lead them back to the surface. Their benefactor, the noblewoman Halae, was more hindrance than help as she insisted on coming along for their expedition with no practical training. Kord, the dwarf fighter, now refused to let his guard down for a moment and kept his helmet on at all times, which exhausted him more and more every day. Elli, their bard, longed to play a tune on her harp, but dared not lest she attract more foes. And their wizard, Tobin, was growing increasingly paranoid, jumping at empty shadows around every corner.

So when three figures in heavy cloaks approached their campsite, they were understandably cautious.

"Who goes there?" growled Kord. Elli's hand went to her thin rapier. Halae stepped behind Kord. Zora whipped her crossbow around from her back and had a bolt loaded in an instant. Tobin recoiled in fear.

("You couldn't have conjured more comfortable cloaks?" Myria whispered to Dew. "I'm out of good material components down here," Dew whispered back.)

"We are friends!" Celia said from under her cloak.

"Indeed," Myria said. "Or if we are not friends, we are at least no friends of the toads."

"That's good," said Halae. "Good to see friendly faces."

"May we warm ourselves by your fire?" Dew asked pleadingly. "We are in dire circumstances, having lost all to those foul creatures."

"All?" Zora asked, fear in her voice.

"All," said Dew, as if to confirm her fears.

"But you've escaped?" Elli said.

"Yes!" Myria said. "We were able to slip away, and we've been lost down here ever since. It's been days."

The five adventurers sized up the three nearly nude women carefully...