Stena will just stand staring down the KT while the group decides what to say.

<When I was here last, there was no such thing as a Deep Father.>, Shuushar replies, a bit at a loss.

Lia suggests <maybe say something ambiguous like: yes we follow ‘the one true god’?!… or just avoid the subject completely. Do we have ANYTHING on us we could use to trade and distract them… oh oh! How about this?….>… 

She pulls out the arm full of phosphorescent moss she had had stuffed in her jacket from way back in the tunnels… She gives it a few pokes to make it glow and she adds a little something-something by casting some sparkles or a shimmering effect with prestidigitation.

”Lovely moss!”, she calls in just common, to be translated. “Lovely moss… oooh… for sale!…”.

Persuasion/distraction/deception check (flat CHA): 9 (+2 for persuasion, +1 for deception/performance) 

Jimjar steps forward with a bow and a flourish.

"Greetings! We are humble traders, here to bring prosperity to the truly devout to the one true god! I bet you've never seen anything like this before--"

He waves his arms in the direction of whatever Lia is pulling forth... which turns out to be a clump of dull moss that she pokes a few times to no effect. Jimjar looks a bit unimpressed as well.

<That's it? Moss?>

The KT look back and forth between Jimjar and Lia and her moss, but then she pokes it and it beings shimmering with a pearlescent pink.

"Oooo! The Deep Mother will love it!"
"Come, we will take you to her shrine!"

<Do we want to go to the shrine, or should we make some sort of excuse?>

<No. Make an excuse.>

"We've only just arrived, weary from our travels, we want to be able to make a good impression when we visit her shrine later... But here, please, make this offering in our place, until we can visit in person."

<Lia, give them your glowy moss so they go away?>

Stena just keeps a' staring at the KT.

There's one KT who is just staring right back. Stena will lose the staring contest in the end, since the KT don't have eyelids...

Yes, Lia hands over the moss, (and immediately regrets it, as the chill from the damp city creeps into her leathers, where the moss had been keeping her warm)…

The KT parade off, glowing moss held high, as Lia shivers.

((Are you wanting to attempt to do/find anything in particular before your scheduled meet up at The Beer Room?))

Lia expresses a preference to get the the beer room as soon as possible so that the party might rest (and avoid further strife in the town as much as possible). <Let’s get to the relative safety of the Beer Room!!… Quick while they’re distracted!…>.

(although she’s open to alternatives).

Stena's not very interested in looking at anything at the moment but she'd head where the group heads.

As they move, Galingal will ask Shuushar if he knows the way to the Beer Room.

<Yes, it's near the center.>

As the party moves, you hear a commotion approaching, with loud, drawn out wailing from kuo-toa throats. Shouts intersperse the atonal wails.

"Hail to the Thirty Martyrs!"
"Remember their sacrifice!"
"Give of yourselves as readily!"
"Hail to the Deep Father!"
"The Thirty Martyrs show the way!

This is all conveyed through the link to those of you who don't speak Undercommon, and soon a procession appears, with a couple of long poles festooned with what look to be kuo-toa dorsal fins bobbing above the mass. There are a couple dozen kuo-toa milling about, some of who carry bowls or other vessels in one hand, and a club in the other. As they move through the street, other KT citizens either flock to them to drop offerings in the bowls, or even join in the procession. Others bow their heads and wait for the procession to pass, some of those getting accosted by the offering bearers, while others depart before the procession reaches them... a few that aren't fast enough are hurried on their way with a thump of the club.

Anticipating your ask, Shuushar remarks, <I've no idea who the Thirty Martyrs are, but perhaps we take a side street? They look violent.>

<Yes, and let’s be quick about it.> Galingal says through the spore-link.

He turns into the first side street, moving quickly to avoid the approaching mob. 

((sorry Spider, I am having a hard time keeping up with the game right now due to work. So, Thom is going to just follow the group at this point given we're already in. Thom would've expressed the things below in the Stool comm, but given my weak availability right now I think Thom can just be aimlessly following along. As long as what he said below doesn't change things.))

Thom would agree with Shuushar. <yeah mates, maybe best not to get tied up in this?!> 

Thom would look for an alternate way to the center of the village if he was privy to that conversation as to where the Beer room generally is. 

<or maybe we can just hang tight and this will pass by?>

BEFORE ENTERING:

As Thom takes in the kuo-toa village, he wonders for a moment if this all might be a dream. 

He secretly pinches his arm, and Lia would see him say "ouch" quietly. 

darn, not dreaming he thinks to himself.

Via Stool's comms, Thom would almost frantically be sending <"MOTHER! MOTHER! Tell them it's the Sea Mother who we are bringing offerings for!"> Thom assumes that most of the KT's in here are onside with what Ploopp has explained and at this point Thom seems to be convinced that that is the truth. Also given Ploopp has told them to stay away from the 'Deep Father' shrine, he's basically taking everything Plooppp has said as the truth.

The party hurries off the main street into a side alley, making your way clear of the procession. You squelch your way down the alley, emerging on another street that looks quite similar to the one you just left, with the addition of a large pool, about ten feet wide in the middle of the intersection. While there are quite a few kuo-toa watching the pool, there are currently two that are running and darting in circles around it, fins splayed and mouths gaping. One of them apparently makes a decision, as they sprint away before turning back and running for the pool, leaping from the edge up and over the pool, landing on the far side. Something splashes softly into the pool. The other, not to be outdone, performs a similar maneuver, leaping up and over, something splashing as he lands.

Shuushar seems intent on continuing on, not looking at the pool as he points to the right.

Lia continues onward and past too, but asks via the spoor link, <What are they doing?!…>.

Thom would totally agree with Shuushar to continue on to the right.

However, Thom would respond to Lia via the link <maybe a game, yeah?>

He would wait to see if Shuushar might know, and then would see what everyone else does here and then follow Shuushar to the right if no one bothers with the pool and what's going on. 

<The... the males are fertilizing eggs in the pool. Not a game, but a... competition.>, Shuushar seems almost embarrassed on behalf of his people.

He handles any questions you might have about KT reproduction, then leads you onward, trying to avoid the throngs of kuo-toa milling about. You don't see many non-KT, a duergar once, a deep gnome, and some other stranger denizens, but mostly kuo-toa after kuo-toa.

Shuushar leads you deeper into the city, pausing as you arrive at what an open square. Pointing at what is clearly a shop across the way, he mentions, <That's "Rations and Goods", have stuff to sell, and will buy things.>

He points to another building through the throng of kuo-toa. <And that's "The Beer Room".>