Perhaps more attention ought to have been paid to rumors of drow venturing forth and raiding. Such tales have been told for so long and so often, that in some places they take on the form of a mythical bogeyman used to threaten children. "You'd better eat your stewed turnips or the drow will take you!"
The blacksmith's wife who everyone knows took up with that bard passing through and left when he did is referred to as having been taken by the drow, even though everyone, including her husband, knows what happened.
With no large drow offensives against the surface, worry of drow incursions waned, and if an occasional caravan goes missing, or a farmstead is found plundered, well that could be ascribed to run of the mill bandits, it need not be drow, right? Right?
As you had the misfortune to discover, there is a very real reason that stories of drow raids have persisted in the stories told around campfires and in dimly lit taverns. They are quite real, and much more active than the average person would suspect...
Day 1: Lex
Things had been going so well... If only you'd pulled off the job, you could have afforded a few months of vacation and taking it easy... Eh, who are you kidding, it would have led to another job that paid better and was twice as risky. Part of you knew something like this was going to happen eventually... hopefully the others got clear. You shift your arms, chains clattering and clinking. The drow leading you chirps to one of his fellows in what you in what you assume to be some elf tongue, and shoves you back against a wall, the stone biting into your bare back. At least you 'run warm', and them taking your clothes and gear hasn't left you cold and shivering just yet.
If you try to move or shift too much, weapons are trained on you, including the crossbow bolts that must be dipped in some sort of paralytic. That's what finally brought you down.
After a bit, another squad of drow returns, bringing with them a deep gnome and a hulking orc, both of them similarly stripped and manacled, with chain running from the wrists to an iron collar, preventing you from fully extending your arms. The gnome has been badly beaten, and seems to be pretty out of it, while the orc is mostly angry. He make a few attempts to struggle free, and is swiftly dealt blows. He bellows in anger, but his fury is met only by laughter.
The trio of you are led forward again, through long winding tunnels. The sound of falling water grows louder as you open up into a larger chamber, whatever ceiling beyond your ability to perceive it. You stop short of the waterfall you can hear further along, and are bundled into a lift, and ferried up to the top, one at a time, accompanied by guards.
As you slowly near the top, you see a odd looking ceiling approaching, the lift passing up through it, and you realize it's a false ceiling made of densely woven silk. A bit of movement at the edge of your vision... was that one of the creatures that produced the silk? A much larger spider than you're used to if it is... The lift continues up to a ledge, you see a pair of hulking beast-men who had been operating the crank winch of the lift. One of them sniffs the prisoners disinterestedly.
You're lead along a walkway past the waterfall out to some large, house-sized stalactites that descend from the ceiling, across a rope and 'wood' bridge to a stalactite. More guards are within the hollow interior, it seems to be a guardpost of some sort. You cross another bridge and are led to a large iron gate. One of the guards unlocks it and the three of you are shoved inside. The floor is bare rock, there's a couple small clay vessels and a huddled figure in the corner, drow, his pallid flesh showing through the dark greasepaint. He doesn't look up at your arrival.
The orc whirls and grips the bars, growling and muttering orcish curses.
((Lex, what do you do?))
((The cavern interior shot above is looking across the waterfall to the guardpost stalactite, the slave pen you're currently in is the one lit by the torches, and the lower cavern has one of the large lift-hauling creatures near it in the image.))
With the imminent threat of the guards finally gone (though she's sure they aren't far), it takes Lex a moment to orient herself to her new surroundings. She can still feel the last traces of whatever poison they used running through her system, and her head spins any time she moves too quickly. She twists her back to either side, then stretches out her arms as best she can given her shackles.
Pausing momentarily, she looks over to the orc rattling the bars, meets his eyes, and gives him a small nod of respect. Then she sets off pacing, making a lap of the cell, then another. But it's obvious the walls are solid and the bars are thick, so she unceremoniously plops down next to the gnome. A large hand clasps onto his shoulder. "You alright?"
The orc gives you a glance, taking in your physicality and hair and gives a bit of a sniffing grunt and turns back towards the bars.
The gnome startles a bit, peering at you through swollen eyes. "Oh, absolutely, never better. Just having a sit down until I catch my breath and what not.", he replies in Common. "Name's Jimjar, by the way. Innocent of all charges... whatever they might be."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Lex raises her brows at the first comment, but doesn't object. At his introduction, she takes her hand off his shoulder and extends it to shake. "Lex. Not entirely innocent, but they shot first." She shoots another glare towards the drow patrolling in the distance.
"I'm sure they deserved everything you gave them. I overheard them say that me and the big guy," he nods to the orc, "are to be sent to Menzo as slaves, suppose that goes for you and mopey over there too."
The big orc spins from the bars, having overheard some of the conversation. He stalks over, looming above Jimjar and Lex. "Ront not slave! Weak little gnome is slave! And... female thing."
The snorting he follows that with would seem to be about to precede an orcish loogey... likely to be directed at you or Jimjar.
The drow huddles in on himself, aware of your presence, but not looking to engage.
((Putting a few things in here, so it's not 10 actual days before everyone else shows up! Feel free to respond to Ront or Jimjar as you wish, I'll keep the next bit so anything you do in the first scene doesn't affect the later... unless you kill someone, I guess!))
After a few hours, as you'd judge things, a couple of drow guards bring a pot and some bowls.
"Line up, it's dinner time!"
When you claim your bowl and retreat, you find a thin, lukewarm mushroomy broth. ((Given your background, you can make a Nature check to possibly determine the type of mushroom.))
Jimjar claims his, shuffling back to one of the walls. Ront slurps his down and demands more, the drow understand his body language if not his words, one of them filling another bowl, only to pour it on the ground on the other side of the bars. The second drow cuffs the first one, scolding them in an elvish tongue. They call out to the huddled drow, who ignores them and they give up, turning and walking away.
((From there you're left alone for hours on end, eventually falling asleep.))
Your new home is visited by a larger group of drow, lead by a female carrying a writing rod of tentacles.
She's attended closely by two drow males, one of whom gives a confident grin and seems to be constantly angling for her approval. The other has a mass of scars down his face that seem to prevent smiling, he hangs back and keeps his eyes downward, glancing over at the other two.
The female speaks in Undercommon, Jimjar translating for you unless you tell him you understand.
"Welcome to your lives! You are property of the Llolth and those who serve her. We will put you to work here, and in a few days, a caravan will take you to the capital where you will be gifted to the priestesses there. Exotic slaves such as yourselves will be highly prized. Accept your fate, learn to obey, and you may survive... Slaves that know their place and show their worth are the last to be sacrificed."
She gestures at the others and they depart, scar-face throwing a last look over his shoulder at you.
After a few hours, some guards come to collect you, telling Jimjar in Undercommon to collect your chamber pots and bring them with you. You're all chained together, the drow prisoner being smacked and beaten until he stumbles to his feet and staggers along behind Ront. The chain is affixed to an anchor in the wall where you are shown where to dispose of your waste into the waterfall, then you're marched back to return your chamber pots.
You're taken down in the lift and put to work gathering mushrooms and placing them in woven baskets. The drow point to certain mushrooms and one of the shaggy furred beasts whose kin were manning the lift cuts them free and leaves them for you and your fellows to collect and stow in your baskets.
When dinner comes, she takes her bowl to one of the unoccupied walls and quickly slurps it down. Though her hunger isn't nearly sated, she doesn't bother asking for seconds after the response Ront gets.
As the night carries on, she becomes restless, pacing back and forth in the small room, undoing and rebraiding her hair, doing sit-ups, and fiddling with her manacles to test their pliability. It takes longer than she would like to finally fall asleep, back pressed against the cold wall of the cell.
The next morning, Lex startles awake to the female drow's voice. Though she had trouble getting to sleep, she must have been exhausted. She cuts Jimjar off after the first sentence or two, muttering that she can understand. She listens to the rest of the speech stone-faced - while she would love to throw every insult in her vocabulary their way, she has enough common sense to know how poor of an idea that is. She holds the scar-faced drow's gaze as he glances back at them, not looking away until he does.
As they are led to their task for the day, she keeps a keen eye, trying to memorize every room and path they pass. She knows any attempt to escape would be futile - if she had her old crew, maybe, but with this lot there was no way they would work together long enough to pull something off - but she still can't help herself.
After your day in the mushroom fields, you are brought back, the mushrooms being deposited for other servants of the drow to prepare, and bundled off to your pen. The same thin mushroom broth is served, and you're left to fall asleep when you can. The next day you don't see any drow until later in the day... or at least, later in your waking cycle. They bring three more prisoners with them, one an unconscious elf of some sort (History check: Elf), tattooed and pierced, but definitely elvish.
They lay him down and tug piercings from his lip and eyebrow. He stirs briefly before they scold him and conk him out. One holds his head up and they fit a snug leather helmet over his head fastening it with locking buckles in the back and under his jaw. His mouth and ears are the only parts still visible.
The second is a rotund little fish man (History check: fish man), who even with the manacles connected to collar and belt, walks with a calm, unhurried pace. Even when a drow jabs the butt of a spear at him, he softly sidesteps and pads his way into the cell, looking around as if coming home.
The third is a human girl, from her features and her wide eyed blinking as she's thrust into the cell. One of the guards holds her as others deal with the unconscious elf before tossing her to the ground as they depart. She stumbles in the dim light, to the amusement of the drow who take their fungal lanterns with them, leaving her flailing a bit in the dark. She scoots closer to the bars where light from the torches still finds its way into the slave pens.
Day 3: Galingal
Well, that mission could have gone better. Not that death means much for you and your teams, but a clean mission against those blasted orogs would have been ideal. Instead you're injured to the point of unconsciousness and unable to return. Your awareness surfaces briefly as something is tugging at your face... elven faces looking down... but not shadar-kai... deep elves, drow. They are removing your piercings, and none too gently. You're aware of lying on a stone floor, and as you start to thrash, one of them says in your ear, "Go back to sleep, shadow elf."
When you come to again, you cannot see, and there is a weight pressing against your face. You can hear a rushing of water in the distance... was that there before?
Day 3: Io
That little weasel lied! Maybe an ice-gem is a real thing, but there certainly weren't any in that cave! No, instead of a cool (pun intended) reagent to study, you got nabbed by drow and have spent the last however many hours being marched through the dark! It would seem your captors don't need light to see down here, and don't seem to care that you do, dragging you roughly along when you stumble. After a while, your group pauses by some softly glowing mushrooms and you see your drow captors, as well as an odd fish-like fellow (History check?) who regards you with calm, kind eyes, giving you a brief nod as if to say everything will be alright. Though he's bound neck, hands and waist just like you, so perhaps not the best judge of such things.
You're joined by a pair of drow on either side of a litter, bearing an unconscious elf, though this one is pale and has tattoos and piercings. He's been gravely injured, and the drow don't seem happy to have to carry the slave. Which he must be, based on his manacles.
The trio of you are led forward again, through long winding tunnels. The sound of falling water grows louder as you open up into a larger chamber, whatever ceiling beyond your ability to perceive it. You stop short of the waterfall you can hear further along, and are bundled into a lift, and ferried up to the top, one at a time, accompanied by guards.
As you slowly near the top, there is a faint glow coming from luminescent mushrooms, and you see a odd looking ceiling approaching, the lift passing up through it, and you realize it's a false ceiling made of densely woven silk. The lift continues up to a ledge, you see a pair of hulking beast-men who had been operating the crank winch of the lift.
You're lead along a walkway past the waterfall out to some large, house-sized stalactites that descend from the ceiling, across a rope and 'wood' bridge to a stalactite.
More guards are within the hollow interior, it seems to be a guardpost of some sort. You cross another bridge and are led to a large iron gate flanked by torches. One of the guards unlocks it and the three of you are shoved inside. The floor is bare rock, and you note the other occupants when you arrived. A large orc, and darkskinned gnomish fellow, and a muscled woman with greyish skin and red hair.
The guards rip the piercings out of the unconscious elf... who seems to stir back to wakefulness only to get bonked as you hear one of the guards mutter, "Go back to sleep, shadow elf."
They strap a mask over his eyes and depart, taking their light with them, plunging the majority of the slave pens into darkness. You flail around a bit as the shadows loom, scooting into the faint light cast by the torches near the entrance.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Lex moves to intercept, clasping Ront’s wrist and wrenching it out of the way. “You know, they can still sell you without any teeth.” She holds his arm in place for a second longer before turning away and stalking back to her usual wall.
You are able to identify the new elf as a shadar-kai, or shadow elf, and the other is a kuo-toa, though he doesn't seem to have the same frantic, bulging eyed madness that others do. He seems quite calm and at peace.
Galingal stirs and sits upright, his slim, muscled body moving smoothly but slowly. Anyone who can see him would notice that while he has raven black hair, it becomes silver at the tips. His body, the skin incredibly pale, is heavily tattooed, and his arms and legs are also covered in scars.
He takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly.
His hands move over his limbs, checking injuries, and then make their way to the leather helmet covering most of his face and eyes. He tugs at the mask and then at the lock. But his hand falls away before he makes any real attempt to open it.
His mouth opens but no sound comes out.
After a moment he slumps back against the wall and does not move for several hours.
When Galingal begins to stir, he would feel a large hand touch his shoulder, calloused and oddly warm. “Rest. They’re gone, for now.” The hand would disappear after a moment, and Lex would leave him be.
He tries to duck it and your fist catches Ront squarely in the nose. He stumbles back, blood running down his mouth as he sputters, "Ront joking! Not need punch!"
((Let's have an Insight check. I'll generally leave them up to you guys to ask for, but might occasionally ask.))
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Jimjar Perception: 26
Jimjar gives you a wink and touches a finger to his nose, before rattling his chains and having a coughing fit. "No, I'm fine, I'm fine... just a few spores down the old breathing tube. *hack*"
When you are eventually returned to your cell and food is delivered, the deep gnome sits next to you. "Nice bit of lifting! I bet you a silver that I can find something tomorrow."
Day 3: Lex, Galingal, Io
Galingal can hear others breathing and moving in whatever room he's in.
Lex sees the shadow elf checking his many injuries.
Io hears ominous rattling of chains in the dark...
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Day 1:
Lex doesn’t deign Ront with a response, turning and settling back against the wall.
Insight: 16
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Day 2:
At Jimjar’s offer, she raises her eyebrows skeptically. “A silver you’re getting from where? The guards’ pockets?” After a moment she realizes what she might have implied. “Don’t try it, you’ll get yourself killed, and I’ll be left with nosebleed and emo boy.”
Jimjar waves her concerns away, answering in Undercommon.
"Heh, Nosebleed. I probably could get some off a guard... But nah, in taking future silver! I'm good for it! Unless I'm dead... But I don't plan on being their guest longer than I have to! What do you say? I lose, the first silver I get is yours."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Ront definitely tries to start stuff with Emo Sad Elf Boy™. Jimjar sticks close to you, but Ront tries to threaten the drow, wanting his ration of soup at least.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
The slave pen is indeed chilly, well below comfortable room temperature, and the drift of spray from the waterfall makes the rock near the entrance a bit slick. The faint grow from the torches sheds little usable warmth.
"Yes chains. All wearing chains.", a deep grumble comes from the darkness.
Hearing the human girl's mutterings, Lex scoots across the floor towards her. As she approaches, the heat radiating off her body is already evident. "Here. Come close. It'll warm you up."
Perhaps more attention ought to have been paid to rumors of drow venturing forth and raiding. Such tales have been told for so long and so often, that in some places they take on the form of a mythical bogeyman used to threaten children. "You'd better eat your stewed turnips or the drow will take you!"
The blacksmith's wife who everyone knows took up with that bard passing through and left when he did is referred to as having been taken by the drow, even though everyone, including her husband, knows what happened.
With no large drow offensives against the surface, worry of drow incursions waned, and if an occasional caravan goes missing, or a farmstead is found plundered, well that could be ascribed to run of the mill bandits, it need not be drow, right? Right?
As you had the misfortune to discover, there is a very real reason that stories of drow raids have persisted in the stories told around campfires and in dimly lit taverns. They are quite real, and much more active than the average person would suspect...
Day 1: Lex
Things had been going so well... If only you'd pulled off the job, you could have afforded a few months of vacation and taking it easy... Eh, who are you kidding, it would have led to another job that paid better and was twice as risky. Part of you knew something like this was going to happen eventually... hopefully the others got clear. You shift your arms, chains clattering and clinking. The drow leading you chirps to one of his fellows in what you in what you assume to be some elf tongue, and shoves you back against a wall, the stone biting into your bare back. At least you 'run warm', and them taking your clothes and gear hasn't left you cold and shivering just yet.
If you try to move or shift too much, weapons are trained on you, including the crossbow bolts that must be dipped in some sort of paralytic. That's what finally brought you down.
After a bit, another squad of drow returns, bringing with them a deep gnome and a hulking orc, both of them similarly stripped and manacled, with chain running from the wrists to an iron collar, preventing you from fully extending your arms. The gnome has been badly beaten, and seems to be pretty out of it, while the orc is mostly angry. He make a few attempts to struggle free, and is swiftly dealt blows. He bellows in anger, but his fury is met only by laughter.
The trio of you are led forward again, through long winding tunnels. The sound of falling water grows louder as you open up into a larger chamber, whatever ceiling beyond your ability to perceive it. You stop short of the waterfall you can hear further along, and are bundled into a lift, and ferried up to the top, one at a time, accompanied by guards.
As you slowly near the top, you see a odd looking ceiling approaching, the lift passing up through it, and you realize it's a false ceiling made of densely woven silk. A bit of movement at the edge of your vision... was that one of the creatures that produced the silk? A much larger spider than you're used to if it is... The lift continues up to a ledge, you see a pair of hulking beast-men who had been operating the crank winch of the lift. One of them sniffs the prisoners disinterestedly.
You're lead along a walkway past the waterfall out to some large, house-sized stalactites that descend from the ceiling, across a rope and 'wood' bridge to a stalactite. More guards are within the hollow interior, it seems to be a guardpost of some sort. You cross another bridge and are led to a large iron gate. One of the guards unlocks it and the three of you are shoved inside. The floor is bare rock, there's a couple small clay vessels and a huddled figure in the corner, drow, his pallid flesh showing through the dark greasepaint. He doesn't look up at your arrival.
The orc whirls and grips the bars, growling and muttering orcish curses.
((Lex, what do you do?))
((The cavern interior shot above is looking across the waterfall to the guardpost stalactite, the slave pen you're currently in is the one lit by the torches, and the lower cavern has one of the large lift-hauling creatures near it in the image.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
With the imminent threat of the guards finally gone (though she's sure they aren't far), it takes Lex a moment to orient herself to her new surroundings. She can still feel the last traces of whatever poison they used running through her system, and her head spins any time she moves too quickly. She twists her back to either side, then stretches out her arms as best she can given her shackles.
Pausing momentarily, she looks over to the orc rattling the bars, meets his eyes, and gives him a small nod of respect. Then she sets off pacing, making a lap of the cell, then another. But it's obvious the walls are solid and the bars are thick, so she unceremoniously plops down next to the gnome. A large hand clasps onto his shoulder. "You alright?"
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1: Lex
The orc gives you a glance, taking in your physicality and hair and gives a bit of a sniffing grunt and turns back towards the bars.
The gnome startles a bit, peering at you through swollen eyes. "Oh, absolutely, never better. Just having a sit down until I catch my breath and what not.", he replies in Common. "Name's Jimjar, by the way. Innocent of all charges... whatever they might be."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
Lex raises her brows at the first comment, but doesn't object. At his introduction, she takes her hand off his shoulder and extends it to shake. "Lex. Not entirely innocent, but they shot first." She shoots another glare towards the drow patrolling in the distance.
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1 & 2: Lex
Jimjar grins at your quip.
"I'm sure they deserved everything you gave them. I overheard them say that me and the big guy," he nods to the orc, "are to be sent to Menzo as slaves, suppose that goes for you and mopey over there too."
The big orc spins from the bars, having overheard some of the conversation. He stalks over, looming above Jimjar and Lex. "Ront not slave! Weak little gnome is slave! And... female thing."
The snorting he follows that with would seem to be about to precede an orcish loogey... likely to be directed at you or Jimjar.
The drow huddles in on himself, aware of your presence, but not looking to engage.
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((Putting a few things in here, so it's not 10 actual days before everyone else shows up! Feel free to respond to Ront or Jimjar as you wish, I'll keep the next bit so anything you do in the first scene doesn't affect the later... unless you kill someone, I guess!))
After a few hours, as you'd judge things, a couple of drow guards bring a pot and some bowls.
"Line up, it's dinner time!"
When you claim your bowl and retreat, you find a thin, lukewarm mushroomy broth. ((Given your background, you can make a Nature check to possibly determine the type of mushroom.))
Jimjar claims his, shuffling back to one of the walls. Ront slurps his down and demands more, the drow understand his body language if not his words, one of them filling another bowl, only to pour it on the ground on the other side of the bars. The second drow cuffs the first one, scolding them in an elvish tongue. They call out to the huddled drow, who ignores them and they give up, turning and walking away.
((From there you're left alone for hours on end, eventually falling asleep.))
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Day 2:
Your new home is visited by a larger group of drow, lead by a female carrying a writing rod of tentacles.
She's attended closely by two drow males, one of whom gives a confident grin and seems to be constantly angling for her approval. The other has a mass of scars down his face that seem to prevent smiling, he hangs back and keeps his eyes downward, glancing over at the other two.
The female speaks in Undercommon, Jimjar translating for you unless you tell him you understand.
"Welcome to your lives! You are property of the Llolth and those who serve her. We will put you to work here, and in a few days, a caravan will take you to the capital where you will be gifted to the priestesses there. Exotic slaves such as yourselves will be highly prized. Accept your fate, learn to obey, and you may survive... Slaves that know their place and show their worth are the last to be sacrificed."
She gestures at the others and they depart, scar-face throwing a last look over his shoulder at you.
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After a few hours, some guards come to collect you, telling Jimjar in Undercommon to collect your chamber pots and bring them with you. You're all chained together, the drow prisoner being smacked and beaten until he stumbles to his feet and staggers along behind Ront. The chain is affixed to an anchor in the wall where you are shown where to dispose of your waste into the waterfall, then you're marched back to return your chamber pots.
You're taken down in the lift and put to work gathering mushrooms and placing them in woven baskets. The drow point to certain mushrooms and one of the shaggy furred beasts whose kin were manning the lift cuts them free and leaves them for you and your fellows to collect and stow in your baskets.
((Make a Perception check.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
"Oh trust me, they did. I'd gladly do it again if I had the chance - although I'm not a fan of being stuck with those poison bolts."
Lex only scoffs at Ront's outburst. "Good luck convincing the guards that." She makes her best effort to duck the loogey if it comes her way.
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Day 1:
When dinner comes, she takes her bowl to one of the unoccupied walls and quickly slurps it down. Though her hunger isn't nearly sated, she doesn't bother asking for seconds after the response Ront gets.
As the night carries on, she becomes restless, pacing back and forth in the small room, undoing and rebraiding her hair, doing sit-ups, and fiddling with her manacles to test their pliability. It takes longer than she would like to finally fall asleep, back pressed against the cold wall of the cell.
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Day 2:
The next morning, Lex startles awake to the female drow's voice. Though she had trouble getting to sleep, she must have been exhausted. She cuts Jimjar off after the first sentence or two, muttering that she can understand. She listens to the rest of the speech stone-faced - while she would love to throw every insult in her vocabulary their way, she has enough common sense to know how poor of an idea that is. She holds the scar-faced drow's gaze as he glances back at them, not looking away until he does.
As they are led to their task for the day, she keeps a keen eye, trying to memorize every room and path they pass. She knows any attempt to escape would be futile - if she had her old crew, maybe, but with this lot there was no way they would work together long enough to pull something off - but she still can't help herself.
Nature: 7
Perception: 5
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1, 2 & 3: Lex
The thick orc loogey splats the wall behind you as Ront growls and reaches down to grab your throat...
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You'd guess it's just chopped up and boiled waterorb fungi, by the bland, chewy fibers in the broth.
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You spot a shard of rock a few inches long, with a sharp jagged edge, partially submerged in the soil at your feet.
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After your day in the mushroom fields, you are brought back, the mushrooms being deposited for other servants of the drow to prepare, and bundled off to your pen. The same thin mushroom broth is served, and you're left to fall asleep when you can. The next day you don't see any drow until later in the day... or at least, later in your waking cycle. They bring three more prisoners with them, one an unconscious elf of some sort (History check: Elf), tattooed and pierced, but definitely elvish.

They lay him down and tug piercings from his lip and eyebrow. He stirs briefly before they scold him and conk him out. One holds his head up and they fit a snug leather helmet over his head fastening it with locking buckles in the back and under his jaw. His mouth and ears are the only parts still visible.
The second is a rotund little fish man (History check: fish man), who even with the manacles connected to collar and belt, walks with a calm, unhurried pace. Even when a drow jabs the butt of a spear at him, he softly sidesteps and pads his way into the cell, looking around as if coming home.
The third is a human girl, from her features and her wide eyed blinking as she's thrust into the cell. One of the guards holds her as others deal with the unconscious elf before tossing her to the ground as they depart. She stumbles in the dim light, to the amusement of the drow who take their fungal lanterns with them, leaving her flailing a bit in the dark. She scoots closer to the bars where light from the torches still finds its way into the slave pens.
Day 3: Galingal
Well, that mission could have gone better. Not that death means much for you and your teams, but a clean mission against those blasted orogs would have been ideal. Instead you're injured to the point of unconsciousness and unable to return. Your awareness surfaces briefly as something is tugging at your face... elven faces looking down... but not shadar-kai... deep elves, drow. They are removing your piercings, and none too gently. You're aware of lying on a stone floor, and as you start to thrash, one of them says in your ear, "Go back to sleep, shadow elf."
When you come to again, you cannot see, and there is a weight pressing against your face. You can hear a rushing of water in the distance... was that there before?
Day 3: Io
That little weasel lied! Maybe an ice-gem is a real thing, but there certainly weren't any in that cave! No, instead of a cool (pun intended) reagent to study, you got nabbed by drow and have spent the last however many hours being marched through the dark! It would seem your captors don't need light to see down here, and don't seem to care that you do, dragging you roughly along when you stumble. After a while, your group pauses by some softly glowing mushrooms and you see your drow captors, as well as an odd fish-like fellow (History check?) who regards you with calm, kind eyes, giving you a brief nod as if to say everything will be alright. Though he's bound neck, hands and waist just like you, so perhaps not the best judge of such things.
You're joined by a pair of drow on either side of a litter, bearing an unconscious elf, though this one is pale and has tattoos and piercings. He's been gravely injured, and the drow don't seem happy to have to carry the slave. Which he must be, based on his manacles.

The trio of you are led forward again, through long winding tunnels. The sound of falling water grows louder as you open up into a larger chamber, whatever ceiling beyond your ability to perceive it. You stop short of the waterfall you can hear further along, and are bundled into a lift, and ferried up to the top, one at a time, accompanied by guards.
As you slowly near the top, there is a faint glow coming from luminescent mushrooms, and you see a odd looking ceiling approaching, the lift passing up through it, and you realize it's a false ceiling made of densely woven silk. The lift continues up to a ledge, you see a pair of hulking beast-men who had been operating the crank winch of the lift.
You're lead along a walkway past the waterfall out to some large, house-sized stalactites that descend from the ceiling, across a rope and 'wood' bridge to a stalactite.
More guards are within the hollow interior, it seems to be a guardpost of some sort. You cross another bridge and are led to a large iron gate flanked by torches. One of the guards unlocks it and the three of you are shoved inside. The floor is bare rock, and you note the other occupants when you arrived. A large orc, and darkskinned gnomish fellow, and a muscled woman with greyish skin and red hair.
The guards rip the piercings out of the unconscious elf... who seems to stir back to wakefulness only to get bonked as you hear one of the guards mutter, "Go back to sleep, shadow elf."
They strap a mask over his eyes and depart, taking their light with them, plunging the majority of the slave pens into darkness. You flail around a bit as the shadows loom, scooting into the faint light cast by the torches near the entrance.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
Lex moves to intercept, clasping Ront’s wrist and wrenching it out of the way. “You know, they can still sell you without any teeth.” She holds his arm in place for a second longer before turning away and stalking back to her usual wall.
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Day 2:
Lex waits for a moment when the guards seem distracted, then palms the rock and tucks it into her braid under the guise of wiping away sweat.
Contested athletics with Ront? 14
Elf history: 16
Fish man history: 18
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1 and 2: Lex
Athletics: 17
As you deflect his first grasping hand, Ront grabs you by the neck with his other hand.
"Ront know thing for you without teeth too.", he leers at you.
He wrenches his hand free and pulls it back in a fist.
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((Give me a Sleight of Hand check to scoop the rock.))
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You are able to identify the new elf as a shadar-kai, or shadow elf, and the other is a kuo-toa, though he doesn't seem to have the same frantic, bulging eyed madness that others do. He seems quite calm and at peace.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
“Alright, you asked for it,” Lex mutters, sidestepping and swinging her fist towards Ront’s jaw.
Attack: 22 Damage: 5
Sleight of hand: 20
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Galingal stirs and sits upright, his slim, muscled body moving smoothly but slowly. Anyone who can see him would notice that while he has raven black hair, it becomes silver at the tips. His body, the skin incredibly pale, is heavily tattooed, and his arms and legs are also covered in scars.
He takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly.
His hands move over his limbs, checking injuries, and then make their way to the leather helmet covering most of his face and eyes. He tugs at the mask and then at the lock. But his hand falls away before he makes any real attempt to open it.
His mouth opens but no sound comes out.
After a moment he slumps back against the wall and does not move for several hours.
Day 3:
When Galingal begins to stir, he would feel a large hand touch his shoulder, calloused and oddly warm. “Rest. They’re gone, for now.” The hand would disappear after a moment, and Lex would leave him be.
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1 & 2: Lex
He tries to duck it and your fist catches Ront squarely in the nose. He stumbles back, blood running down his mouth as he sputters, "Ront joking! Not need punch!"
((Let's have an Insight check. I'll generally leave them up to you guys to ask for, but might occasionally ask.))
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Jimjar Perception: 26
Jimjar gives you a wink and touches a finger to his nose, before rattling his chains and having a coughing fit. "No, I'm fine, I'm fine... just a few spores down the old breathing tube. *hack*"
When you are eventually returned to your cell and food is delivered, the deep gnome sits next to you. "Nice bit of lifting! I bet you a silver that I can find something tomorrow."
Day 3: Lex, Galingal, Io
Galingal can hear others breathing and moving in whatever room he's in.
Lex sees the shadow elf checking his many injuries.
Io hears ominous rattling of chains in the dark...
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
Lex doesn’t deign Ront with a response, turning and settling back against the wall.
Insight: 16
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Day 2:
At Jimjar’s offer, she raises her eyebrows skeptically. “A silver you’re getting from where? The guards’ pockets?” After a moment she realizes what she might have implied. “Don’t try it, you’ll get yourself killed, and I’ll be left with nosebleed and emo boy.”
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard
Day 1: Lex
Some of his tough guy show might be a bit of an act, you get the sense he's a bully who's used to being able to bully people.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 2: Lex
Jimjar waves her concerns away, answering in Undercommon.
"Heh, Nosebleed. I probably could get some off a guard... But nah, in taking future silver! I'm good for it! Unless I'm dead... But I don't plan on being their guest longer than I have to! What do you say? I lose, the first silver I get is yours."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1: Lex
Ront definitely tries to start stuff with Emo Sad Elf Boy™. Jimjar sticks close to you, but Ront tries to threaten the drow, wanting his ration of soup at least.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((F been gone all day only saw this now))
Day 3
History check: 10
"Coooldd.... soo coold... why is it always so cold? Those things are lucky they have a nice anatomy to study or else I would be really angry!"
"At least the people here have should have incredible stories and cultures, I will love to hear and learn from them!"
"Chains? Did you all heard chains aswell?"
Day 3: Lex, Galingal, Io
Io has no idea what that fish man is.
The slave pen is indeed chilly, well below comfortable room temperature, and the drift of spray from the waterfall makes the rock near the entrance a bit slick. The faint grow from the torches sheds little usable warmth.
"Yes chains. All wearing chains.", a deep grumble comes from the darkness.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Day 1:
"Shut your trap, Ront, I don't want to hit you again," Lex grumbles through a mouthful of broth.
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Day 2:
"You know what, sure," she chuckles. "If we make it out of here, one of us will pay up."
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Day 3:
Hearing the human girl's mutterings, Lex scoots across the floor towards her. As she approaches, the heat radiating off her body is already evident. "Here. Come close. It'll warm you up."
Iris - Tiefling Cleric | Cassandra - Elf Warlock | Solace - Tiefling Monk | Tempest - Hexblood Monk | Lex - Fire Genasi Barbarian
Lilyn - Triton Ranger | Candor - Changeling Bard | Echo - Changeling Warlock/Bard | Rowan - Fairy Wizard