Thom looks around in confusion of Eldeth's killer - is this 'gut picker' creature still alive and on the prowl? Or did Stena shoot it? oh, I just want to be home. Heck i'd even take anywhere on the surface he thinks to himself. Thom nods in agreement with Stena wondering why Buppido didn't say anything earlier, although Thom made no effort to speak to him, so he kind of shrugs it off and listens intently to the physical description of this creature which sounds quite horrific. Thom wouldn't know anything about creatures of the sort and so no rolls needed. 

Thom now in full agreement with Lia after hearing the description of this monster says "uhhh...... yeah mates, best we plug on right?" 

Thom takes in what he can see of the settlement, taking note of the intricate netting and just the design in general. It's like nothing he'd ever seen before. Or dreamed about for that matter.

He shrugs his shoulders at Lia and says "Hmmmm... nice?"

If the group/boats are all together now outside of the village, and Thom sees Ploopp explain everything to the others and is around for the translation, Thom would respond to Stena after Ploopp explains the complete situation and ask of us "Yes Ma'am. That's right. They're gonna help us get back to the surface if we help with this. It seems like quite the journey but at this point I don't think we have any other options. Seems like the best shot we've got. Right Prince?"

Thom makes some mental notes about what was said and sighs. 

Thom would now wait to see Stena and Galingal's reaction to Ploopp's ask and then would follow whoever leads the way into the village.

Thom elbows Lia and whispers "beer room?! nice, right?! haha"

"We have got other options. Unfortunately they don't seem safer than offering ourselves as pretend sacrifices."

 Her eyes stray to the abomination of a construction the KTs call a city.

"Maybe we can just assassinate this priestess. Climb up somewhere, four arrows and some magic. Done."

Buppido rolls his eyes at Stena, and turns away, his gaze landing on Eldeth's body and he goes still before turning back to Stena and giving her a brief nod before looking away again. "What's yer plan for her body? I dunna think we walk in with her..."

As you start to confer, Stool taps Lex on the shoulder, and has her bring him close, before sporing you all. <Hello softer friends! We haven't spoken in a while! Today was wild! When's dinner?>

<Oh, hush, you. I just gave you something to eat.>, Lex admonishes.

Shuushar considers for a moment before nodding. <Ploopploopeen was in charge when I live here. He considers me something of a heretic. My people worship many gods and goddesses, though here the Sea Mother is... was the most important. They find not worshipping a god to be...  unnatural. If he swore something by the Sea Mother, he'd hold to it. I don't like the thought of hurting her, perhaps she can just be captured, and he can give a speech to her followers?>

Prince Derendil nods. <Their travel rations were delicious, I'm interested to see what proper kuo-toa culinary efforts can produce, but they are the first people we've found down here other than that kuo-toa studying the faerzeress that seem willing to help in our journey back to my home.>

Jimjar looks towards the city. <Sure, four arrows and some magic, nothing easier... I, ah... well, Lia and Thom saw that I can do a pretty convincing impression of a kuo-toa, that might be useful, though I don't think I have all the mannerisms down just yet...>, he says, looking at Ploopp's followers as they mill about some distance from you.

For those of you with some experience watching schools of fish, they aren't dissimilar, just on land, rather than in the water. Their limbs are never still, and they tend to move in quick darts, and sometimes just meander seemingly aimlessly. Occasionally one will start to move, and others will just follow like a school of fish. All with wide, fishy eyes. You've perhaps come to take for granted Shuushar's placid sense of calm and belonging with his surroundings.

Sartih clears his throat, looking up at the ramshackle construction of the kuo-toa city. <I like the thought in principle, though I don't know how much I relish relying on their construction for climbing upon...>

<We tell the kid what he's got planned, cross him up backwards.>,  Buppido suggests.

<Eh... it's an idea, but I bet she crosses us as soon as we do.>, remarks Jimjar.

<Blopp was always nice, we were Sea Mother acolytes together before I left on my own journey. Violent cult leader doesn't sound like her.>, says Shuushar.

Stena responds to Buppido's question about Eldeth,

"Fire. We are going to cremate her."

She follows Sarith's gaze at the ramshackle structures and nods slowly in agreement. She then looks to Thom, Galigal and Lia for their thoughts on the matter. Kill, betray, something else or even moving on without assistance.

"Doing that before we go in?"

If Stena indicates that she intends to, he'll nod and start poking about for burnable fungus to build a pyre.

Stena nods and watches Buppido with a bit of suspicion and a bit of approval.

Galingal looks at the ramshackle town with mild interest. He stays quiet for most of the discussion but helps Stena gather material for a pyre.

”If we can delay for day or two, get supplies, rest, also have something need to make, tell them we’re planning and then when ready just leave in the night.”

Lia stands in awe of the village as they enter. And she nods, distracted, ‘uh huh’, when Thom mentions a beer room.

When Galingal suggests ‘delay’, she says, exhausted, “Yes… regroup… We don’t need to decide next steps right now. Rest and regroup!…”.

Then she’ll turn to Stena and offer. “Do you want a hand with Eldeth?…”. 

She will either lend a hand with Eldeth or just maintain a respectful distance, whatever Stena wants and needs.

Once that is dealt with, she will likely push towards finding a place to rest.

Eldeth's pyre would have to happen far enough from town, if you don't want to raise interest from those within.

Ploopp would be supportive of your efforts and send his followers to help collect flammable items. In short order an impressive pyre has been constructed on the back side of a rock outcropping, the light from the flame will not be directly visible from the town.

If Stena or the others seem unsure how to proceed, he would offer his services as an archpriest of the Sea Mother, though he's less versed in dwarven rites.

Stena doesn't say no to any help and would be primarily focused on the practicalities of getting the pyre going.

Stena would say a few stumbling words in Dwarven sending her spirit to Moradin but other than that would stand quietly. She would decline Ploopp's offer of formal Sea Mother rites but she is just going to be standing and watching the fire burn down, she isn't going to stop anyone saying anything if they'd like.

From a short distance away from the pyre, and starting very quietly, Lia plays a melancholy tune on her Lyre that she once heard from a Dwarven bard years ago…

It sounds a little something like this…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpOhMg57LI

Stena's eyes are distant as she watches the flames with the music playing. Before the fire has burnt for too long accumulated exhaustion forces her to sit.

Thom would offer assistance as well with Eldeth and would quietly and politely ask Stena what she would need help with. He'd respectfully do anything she needed with helping with the pyre or clearing away the spot or any of the manual labor involved in all of that. Gathering some flammable materials, digging any surrounding areas or simply standing at attention as Stena goes through her proceedings. 

After the proceedings, Thom ponders Stena's thoughts about the assassination and his eyes light up when she mentions arrows. "Hmmm... perhaps... some of us could be these 'sacrifices' that Ploopp here has explained about as a distraction, and others could, you know, do the shootin'" and he taps the end of his longbow and looks at Jimjar. 

Thom says in the link <oh! allo Stool!> and nothing really more than that although he takes in everything that Shuushar explains about Ploopp and the Sea Mother.

Thom cares not about the religions aspects of this entire thing, and he cares less about if this Sea Mother lives or dies. His mind is selfishly racing trying to figure out the best answer that would give the highest percent chance of him getting back to the surface, in between yawns. The potential lack of footing on the structures, whether Jimjar can pull off another KT disguise, how many sacrifices might we need, if we kill the Sea Mother or not... He considers all of the potential options on the table and then chimes in after Lia and Galingal mention a delay:

<Yeah. Mates I think madam Lia is right, and Gal here. Maybe we get some shut eye and then make a decision with a clear head yeah? It seems it's going to be safe enough in here for some rest, or so it would seem? Let's maybe get all of the details from Ploopp as far as their specific plan and then we make our decision?>

Thom yawns again and cracks a grin looking at Stena and Galingal's reaction to the architecture of the village.

It doesn't seem so bad to him.

Yet!

((Sea Mother is Ploopp's goddess. He might take it amiss if you kill her. He wants your help against his daughter, the new archpriest of the new Deep Father.))

Once the service for Eldeth’s pyre comes to an end, Lia will approach Thom, still absentmindedly humming the melody of the dwarven tune, and ask, “The leader said to meet at The Beer Room?… Should we make our way there now?”.

”Perhaps we can get a bed for the night there, after something to eat and drink?…”.

As the pyre is lit, and Stena says her piece, Buppido steps up alongside Stena.

"I wish there was more I could have done for her."

He waits a moment, but doesn't seem to really expect any response from Stena, and after a bit, he'll step away, but continue watching as the pyre burns down.

((Stena and Galingal can finally take a short rest, if you've HD left to roll.))

Stena doesn't respond to Buppido, but she does shift her gaze from the fire to him then back again.

HD 1:6

((Ah - that's right! Oops!))

ok.... can Ploopp actually elaborate more on his desired plan? What exactly does he want to do with the ritual and how does he plan on ending/settling this war? I think all we've (Thom's group) has been told is that we've been asked to be sacrifices as a distraction for Ploopp and other KT's to move in and 'stop the ritual, end the war'?

What/how exactly is Ploopp planning on doing this once the fake sacrifices are accepted by Ploopp's daughter's new worshipped god?

Is this new god supposed to be at this ceremony?

Thom needs more details now that a potential plan or plans are happening with the group.

too many like names to keep track of  he mumbles to himself.

He looks at the others to see if they know the plan and if he's just sleeping at the wheel. 

Thom would ask all of this but after the group gets to the beer room and relaxes. He agrees a plan should be made perhaps the next day after we get in and settled in the village and actually hear what the KT's were thinking. 

Thom responds to Lia "yeah Mdam Lia that sounds great. Maybe in the 'morrow we can discuss this so called ceremony, yeah?"

Lia whispers to Thom, completely out of earshot of the fishfolk, “Don’t worry… All I really heard, when he talked about ‘the plan’, was…”, and she counts them off on her fingers, “Town… Rest… Supplies…”. She conspicuously leaves out ‘ritual’ and ‘sacrifice’!..

”When we’ve gotten that far, then we can decide whether the rest of what they had in mind was a good idea or not!… Maybe we split and run?… Maybe we stay and help?…”. She gives him a nod that says ‘I’ll be more certain after a rest!… maybe’…

Thom responds to Lia "Ughh... right, Madam Lia. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, yeah? I suppose I just miss home. Our Phandalin meet up is sounding better and better, yeah?"

"I'm sure commander Stena will know what is the best plan, yeah? Once she gets all the details, right?"

He says this so Stena does not hear say 'commander'.