Swamped

These men are new here, unfamiliar. So you should probably handle them the way you do when you run into a newmuck Bogknight - focus on their fear of the environment. They're not used to it enough to fear you more than it, and the power they fear you for becomes a weapon against the terrors of the swamp.

"Stand down," you say. "I only wish to return to the real world. I can even bring you all with me, if you'd prefer."

The soldiers start looking back and forth at each other. You see a few glances turn towards the commander sprawled on the ground.

So they fear him, too. That speaks volumes about how he treats his troops.

Well. You've got them thinking about it, at least.

"I'll give you some time to consider the offer, then. I'll be over there."

You point somewhere in the distance. Not far from the exit you want. Given the strange way time flows here, it doesn't particularly matter when you leave - you'll likely be late, of course, but only by a few minutes.

Just as you start walking away, though, one of the soldiers calls out to you.

"Wait!"

You glance back.

"The Master is watching. He'll pull you to him if you try to leave. And he'll punish us if we let you go."

Ah. Now it's a bit clearer what's going on.

The others pointedly step away from the one who spoke up. No doubt even more fearful of this Master's wrath.

He must be powerful if he can see into the Path Between, and even more so if he can do what this soldier claims. But it's unlikely he's as familiar with this place as you are, considering how uninformed his soldiers are about the local creatures.

Which gives you a thought as to how to make use of this information.