Princess Ebonmire Dex Save vs Flaming Sphere: 17
Princess Ebonmire Con Save vs Frostbite: 7

Though she avoids the direct hit of the flame and frost, the black pudding is visibly weakening, as she continues her retreat.

Round 5:
19 Oorr/Zippy
16 Pudding King (HP 0/74)
16 Princess Ebonmire (HP: 30/85)
13 Grimnir
11 Belwar
09 Prince Livid (HP: 0/22)
07 Brox

Princess Ebonmire, now surrounded, lashes out wildly.

Pseudopod attack on (1) Brox.

Attack: 14 Damage: 9 Acid Damage: 21

Brox easily deflects the blow from the panicked ooze. Princess Ebonmire makes a last ditch effort to squeeze into a crack in the wall of the cavern.

(Oorr, Zippy, and Brox all get opportunity attacks!)

Round 5:
19 Oorr/Zippy
16 Pudding King (HP 0/74)
16 Princess Ebonmire (HP: 17/85)
13 Grimnir
11 Belwar
09 Prince Livid (HP: 0/22)
07 Brox

Oorr and Zippy react quickly to Princess Ebonmire's escape attempt. Before she even has a chance to squeeze into the small cracks of the wall, the steeder has its teeth in her.  The black pudding turns to a sticky mess against the wall. Two leather bound books tumble out of the ooze as it loses its shape. They must have been inside the ooze the whole time, just not visible through the dark substance of the creature.

More oozes begin to enter the throne room now. Slowly, but in large quantities. You see a trio of gelatinous cubes wander in from a side passage that's barely a hole in the wall. Gray and Black oozes trickle in from the back passage of the throne room. Even a few ochre jellies start to congregate around the main entrance. They do not seem aggressive, most of them appear to move in random directions. You hear shouts from deep gnome voices outside the caves.

A rumbling in the ground turns to a mild tremor as a burst of rock sprays from the middle of the throne room. Nomi Pathshutter and three Galeb-Duhr emerge from the ground. Nomi looks around, and seeing you all, says, "I found you! Something's changed, the oozes are in disarray. Whatever you did, I think we've beaten them. But there's still too many. We're regrouping back in Inner Blingdenstone. Quickly, grab what you need, and let's go!" She makes a motion towards the tunnel she just emerged from, encouraging you to come with her. 

Books!  I wonder how they survived the acid.  I grab the books, then run, burning an ooze or two on the way. 

Grimnir runs towards his friends, making a quick stop close to the throne to open the chest he spotted earlier.

Grabbing everything and running...

”let’s go !!!! Oorr, if you still have some healing with your spirit, I could use it...”

Brox and Dawnbringer are almost sad the fight is over. But follow the others quickly black to Blidgenstone. The MoonBeam tracks behind the group for the duration of the spell to eliminate oozes that are following. 

You follow Nomi, and the Galeb Duhr pick you up and usher you through the tunnels. You emerge back in Blingdenstone, in the center of the Trader's Grotto. Deep Gnomes are emerging from tunnels all around. Some look weary, others are carrying unconscious and fallen friends, but many also have hopeful looks on their faces, and a few are smiling. You spot Gurnik, using his elementals to help clear debris and usher people to where they need to go. He informs you that Derenedil was taken to an infirmary that has been set up in the staging area (Area 10) of the city.  Eldeth and Jimjar are also there, though they are not as injured. They are mostly tending to others, and helping to organize the returning fighters. Derendil, though alive, is a deep sleep. Most of his fur was completely burned away by the acid, and he is very weak. Eldeth assures you they are making sure he gets the best care. He took out quite a few of the oozes in those tunnels all by himself. 

A few moments later, Senni and Dorbo Diggermattock also emerge from a tunnel. They rush over to you when they see you. Dorbo exclaims, "You did it! The Pudding King is dead, and Blingdenstone is saved! The deep gnomes of our city owe you a large debt my friends. We must rest, get things back in order. The ooze's may not be organized anymore, but they may still be a threat. That's for a later discussion though. Tonight we will celebrate!"

True to his words, the deep gnomes of Blingdenstone throw a massive celebration in your honor that night. It's mostly a time of celebration, but also of mourning for those that did not make it. You are all lauded as heroes, with many drinks offered in your honor. After a long night of festivities, you at last retire to your quarters at the Foaming Mug Inn and receive a well deserved long rest.

Treasure:
Everyone levels up to Level 7!

Grimnir, in the box you took from the Pudding King, you find the following:

• 70 Gold Pieces
• 1 x Potion of Poison in a hollow gourd
• A spell scroll of conjure minor elementals
• A spell scroll of speak with plants
• A varnished nothic eye that functions as a crystal ball of true seeing

Belwar, the books you took are spellbooks. They are written in Undercommon and appear to be authored by a Svirfneblin wizard named Lesla Carrowil. They seem to be made of the tanned hide of a troglodyte. The pages are trillimac fungus and appear to be coated in a magical varnish which renders it immune to acid, and probably water proof.

The first spellbook, titled Underland Magick, contains the following spells:

1st level: alarm, color spray, comprehend languages, find familiar, grease, identify, jump, Tasha’s hideous laughter, unseen servant

2nd level: alter self, blur, crown of madness, gust of wind, invisibility, knock, magic weapon, phantasmal force, spider climb

3rd level: blink, dispel magic, gaseous form, major image, protection from energy, slow, tongues, water breathing

4th level: blight, fabricate, fire shield, hallucinatory terrain, locate creature, phantasmal killer, polymorph, stoneskin

The second spellbook, titled Magick from Beyond the Mirror, contains the following spells:

5th level: Bigby’s hand, cloudkill, hold monster, teleportation circle, passwall, Rary’s telepathic bond, telekinesis, wall of stone

6th level: chain lightning, disintegrate, Drawmij’s instant summons, eyebite, flesh to stone, Otto’s irresistible dance, true seeing

7th level: forcecage, mirage arcane, Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion, prismatic spray, reverse gravity, teleport

8th level: antimagic field, feeblemind, incendiary cloud, maze, power word stun, telepathy

Grimnir is showing everybody what being a dwarf is when it comes to celebration, drinking ales after ales...
Talking with Oorr, he tells him that he will try some druidic healing later if he wants and see if it can repair the damage form acid.

During the celebration, Grimnir takes 5 minutes to find his companions. "Friends, I need to show you something new that happened to me."
He concentrates and releases some spores that land on his 3 friends. After a few second, Grimnir's voice resonates in their minds "I have the talking spore thing !!! Listen we can now converse by telepathy. Cool isn't it ?"

After hours of celebration, back in his quarters, Grimnir take a look at his Basilisk egg, keeping it warm. 

Quote from filcat >>

Although he is happy to have helped to save the gnome's city, Oorr is a bit depressed about his feathers: they will never recover from the acid damage suffered today.

The day after the celebration, Oorr will ask the gnomes if they can repair Zippy's armor.

 With the battle having depleted most of the city's resources, they will need a shipment from Gracklstugh to make any repairs. That may take weeks.

Brox will speak a short sermon for the fallen heroes of this battle and help with burying graves and putting the lost souls to rest. 

Later, Brox celebrates with her new friends. She drinks beer after beer with Grimnir and at a later hour she gives a performance playing with fire. She does some baton twirling and poi spinning. She also encourages Belwar to join in with fire breathing and fire eating. When she annoys Belwar too much, he conjures a flaming sphere towards her - but somehow she can deal with the attack much better than she would have expected. In the last fight, she has grown stronger - and she is able to protect her companions even more [OOC: got 'Aura of warding' - resistance to damage from spells for myself and any friendly creature within 10ft of me! Snuggle up people!]

She will also walk around talking about how the light has returned to Blidgenstone and that this positivity now needs to be given a place to grow. 

When she finds the time to rest, her thoughts return to the forest where she grew up, where she trained to become a paladin. It is calling her and she misses the green and the earthen smells. Her magic wells up and it feels like it is bringing some of the forest to her (find steed). When Brox opens her eyes, a big animal with knowing brown eyes looks down at her. Slowly she raises her hand and touches the soft muzzle. Hello my friend. I am glad you found me. From here we will travel together, Elkapone. 

The Elk playfully pushes Oorr away, just to rub his ear against his shoulder a minute later. Then snorting and shaking his big head when trying to figure out what kind of creature that 8-legged thing in front of him is. 

During the evening, everyone rests peacefully for the first time in a long while.

Brox, you have a vision pf Silvanus being well pleased with you. In addition to bestowing new gifts, and your steed, you feel you have passed a trial that has endeared you to the god. You have a new command now, to continue with this group of individuals and help them back to the surface world. They have toiled long in the Underdark, and are in need of the light. A pathway is revealed to you, that is different than the one you came in on. There are some dangers along the path, but nothing you and your new friends cannot handle. You will need to return to the light before you can face the true darkness. Before you can think to ask any questions, the vision is gone. When you wake, you do not remember any specifics, with the exception of the pathway to the surface, and a strange feeling of joy, and dread.

Belwar, you had been plagued with visions of demonic beings, flashes of light, and the thick fog of Faerzress. As you sleep, though you would not call them nightmares, you feel the stirring of more beings. Dangerous and many, swarming in the depths of the Underdark. The threat is not immediate, but it is there, roiling just beneath ground. When you wake, you do not remember any specifics, but have a sense of uneasiness 

Oorr, you dream of the Star Mounts. A beautiful sunset behind the tallest peaks sets off an orange glow across the land. You hover in the air, flapping your wings steadily when you spot a black spot on the mountainside. It's Zippy, but he look's like he's in pain. Before you can fly down to him, his body erupts as demons burst forth from his abdomen. They cover the mountains, leaping from peak to peak, blotting out the sun. Everything is destroyed in moments. You go to scream, but wake up suddenly. You do not remember any specifics, but as you wake, you are filled with an urgent need to return home.

Grimnir, you also dream of home. At the monastery you are brewing up a new drink made from some of the mushrooms you gathered while in the Underdark. Your fellow monks are happy to have you home, and excited to drink your brew. When it is ready you serve it up in large tankard, and everyone drinks heartily. Mere moments after ingesting the brew, they all begin to cough, first spit, then blood, and one by one they all fall over dead. You drank as well, but suffered no ill effects. You look in despair as your friends die at your hand. When you wake, you remember none of the specifics, but have a stale taste in your mouth that makes you sick to your stomach. 

Valrish, the last thing you remember is the gaze of the Medusa. You have no idea how much time has come or gone, where you are, or what is happening with your friends. For a brief moment, you sense a being probe your mind, and a voice calls out to you in your mind. "Yesss, this one could be ussssseful. Bring him to me.." You don't respond. You cannot respond. And suddenly the world goes dark once more. You do not wake up.

In the morning you break your fast, discussing plans for what comes next. You share the knowledge and powers you've gained, and before long you are summoned to Diggermattock hall.

Senni and Dorbo are at their table. Nomi, Gurnik, and Burrow Warden Jadger are all in attendance, as are Jimjar and Eldeth. Senni welcomes you. Everyone is handed mugs of ale. "Heroes! You have proven yourself as friends of Blingdenstone through and through. The Pudding King is dead, and the oozes are no longer a threat. However, at Gurnik's suggestion we will stay vigilant. We let The Pudding King take over right under our noses. We won't make that mistake again. We have you to thank for that." At this, all those in attendance raise a mug. "To the Saviors of Blingdenstone!" shouts Senni. And everyone echoes the cheer, clinks together their mugs, and drinks.

Dorbo tells you, "We have not forgotten your original request. We will give you resources to get out of Blingdenstone and the Underdark. Gurnik believes he can create a summoning portal at Entemoch's Boon, but it will take some time. It may make it easier should you need to get back. We certainly do hope you come back. We can start to rebuild again, and we would love for you to come back some day and see the progress. In the mean time, we have a contingent of guards and elementals who can accompany you East, where hopefully you can find a path to the over world." Everyone nods in agreement.

Senni then says, "You are free to rest and stay in Blingdenstone as long as you like. Your tab at the inn is on us, of course, and you are free to trade for any goods or supplies you need for the journey. We also want to give you these." A guard walks up, and holds out an opened chest. Inside are gems and gold pieces, a small treasure trove. (1,200 GP total value)

With that, a second celebration is held. This one is a little more relaxed. You are able to talk to and mingle with anyone in the town, or do any shopping you need to do, or begin preparing for the next leg of the journey.

So. What do you want to do now?