<Sort of like that, yes. Not sure what you'd call it. Adpampoot calls it Jiri, just like he calls everyone. I don't think... Bouncer Jiri?... don't think it has ever done anything to someone sleeping here.>

Lia has the Sage background and would have done ‘some’ research on the denizens of the underworld for her trip. She may know a bit about some of the types of folk in here…

History/survival check: 21 (-1 for nature)

((perception in case she sees the ceiling thing too: 12 ))

While Lia isn't familiar with the biology of them, she has read accounts of encounters with an Underdark monstrosity that would fit the description of a good sized pale spidery/crabby creature that scuttles about on ceilings. The accounts referred to it as a 'cave fisher', and mentioned it being able to extend a filament down to haul prey up, which would fit with Shuushar's warning.

If she were to share her suspicions, Stena would likely recognize the creature, her brief glimpse might have sent her in other directions, anticipating something much worse.

((Stena, with the prompting of the name, you can give me another "Knowledge" check with advantage.))

Over the spoor-network, Lia will relay what she knows…

Stena eats sparingly from the food platter and doesn't drink the swill brought out, preferring her water skin.

On hearing the name she looks back up and she narrows her eyes in thought.

Knowledge: 9

<So what are we going to do? My vote is to leave. We can find our own way.>

She eyes the duergars.

<Or one of you can ask those... duergar for directions. Then we go the opposite direction.>

Stena's heard of them, and knows that some folks hunt them, but has never had the need or opportunity to herself.

<And what if finding our own way leads us right back into Ilvara's hands? I'd rather have a clear idea where to go rather than wandering around down here.>, Lex shares.

<Derro aren't too popular with duergar either, but Gracklstugh is probably the best bet to get ahold of REAL equipment and supplies.>, Buppido suggests.

<He's not wrong.>, Sarith thinks, considering, <And being inside the duergar city would tend to put off any attempts at drow pursuit... if they're even still after us.>

Lia eats and drinks heartily of anything that’s offered, being so hungry and thirsty as she is. She needs to rest and will sleep better with a full tummy…

Does she like it check: 10 

She eats mechanically, knowing that it will simply rejuvenate her, even if it is unpalatable. 

Lis thinks for a while as she eats, on what everyone else had said and suggested. She keeps coming back to the same conclusion: <everyone needs a good rest, and we can’t guarantee that if we head out now… We should rest in the village here, but I’m not too keen on sleeping below that thing!… … Maybe Ploopp has room for us all at his? Or knows somewhere else suitable?…>.

<… And then we take stock in the morning… We can at least hear Ploopp out when he arrives… If we decide to leave in the morning, then fine, but we need rest… And we could do worse than getting at least some of these folk on our side, if we can think of a way to help them that doesn’t end with us all sacrificed?…>

Derendil nods as he tears the chitinous exoskeleton off of some sort of crustacean and slurps heartily of the contents. Stool is now standing on the table, grabbing odd bits and tucking them within his fungal folds. Shuushar sticks to his fungus and water. Your other various fellow ex-captives are eating with somewhat more moderate levels of enthusiasm.

((The danger of Lia rolling to like food is she's gonna find out she really like something nasty some day...))

<Heading to a duergar city is a sure way to end up as slaves or, far more likely, dead.>

There is complete certainty in her mental statement.

Galingal looks around the room again with his eyes resting on the Ogrillon. He watches the book in her hand for a few moments.

<That doesn't seem in keeping with their kind> Galingal thinks through the spore-net. He pauses and looks from the Ogrillon to Dendril and back. <I wonder if more is going on.>

He gets up and approaches the Ogrillon's table, making sure not to approach from the back.

"Not many books around here," Galingal says in his accented common. From his pack he pulls out the tattered book they found with the goblins. "Found this one on way here. Many goblins on the move that way. Did you have any trouble getting here?"

She raises a large, but clean and well trimmed finger, not looking up from her book until she reaches a good stopping point, sticking a finger of her other hand at the end of a paragraph to mark her place as she looks up... well her gaze looks up from the page to you at least, though even seated, her head is roughly on the level with yours. She blinks a few times, peering at you. Up close, you can see faint symmetrical markings across her face and hands, only slightly darker than the rest of her skin, like a very faded tattoo.

"Oh, hello.", her husky voice reverberates in your chest, "No, not many books, I paid way too much for this one, but it helps to pass the time. That one's seen better days... Um, goblins... no, no trouble with goblins getting here, though wasn't trying to get here, exactly. Oh, I'm Ugglukja, by the way...?"

She gives you an appraising look.

Galingal nods at Ugglukja. At the sight of the faded tattoos, his left hand goes to his own tattooed skin.

"Galingal," he says in response. "This . . . this was not our first choice either. How did you end up here?"

She gestures for you to join her at her table, tucking thin scrap of leather into her book and closing it and shrugging.

"I wasn't happy where I was, so wandered down here looking for something different. Found something different, but then couldn't find my way back out. Been wandering... Blingdenstone most recently. How about you, Galingal?"

((oh jeez. Sorry for my delay Spider!))

Thom responds to Shuushar <umm, well I kind of can't.. ahh, you know what mate, never mind! I do appreciate this Kuo-toa reproductive education class though yeah? Beats fighting them right?!> When Shuushar bumps into Thom as he leaves, Thom says <woah woah mate I'm sorry yeah? I was just curious about it all.> and he kind of looks at Lia in a shicked manner and then continues on.

 <hmmm, yeah mate maybe some type of arachnid? Whatever it is we best not be making it upset.> and Thom shudders as he thinks back to being caught in the web during the group escape.

Thom would definitely enjoy a mug of the beer and would also enjoy the various meats this time instead of the fungus. 

If any payment requires any of Thom's 3 daggers, he'd give them.

Thom agrees and thinks back to Galingal about possibly staying at one of the others homes <mate that does sound a bit better than spending the night here, yeah?>

On hearing about Lia's knowledge about the creature in the rafters <sorry come again Madam Lia?? The thing can grab any one of us at any time for a quick morsel? Yikes!> and he looks at the thing more now, making sure it never starts to creep towards our table. 

Thom says before Galingal leaves to the other table <yeah mates, I mean I'd love to at least hear what Ploopp there has in store for us, I mean it might be an easy gig and they did say they'd offer help getting us back home, isn't that right Prince? Prince?> Thom looks at the Prince who likely is ignoring as he wolfs down the food. 

Thom is just chilling, eating and drinking until Ploopp arrives. He's also eying the creature in the rafters again watching that it doesn't get too close. 

((No worries, I view this as being fairly casual... one of the party's few opportunities to breath a bit and eat until their full.))

Thom is making the most of the meal, the 'beer' isn't objectionable, but it's not like any beer he's had before. It tastes closer to water than it is to a proper beer, but there definitely seem to be kuo-toa in the crowd feeling its effects. The table of drow seem level headed, but can't see if they have the beer or something else in their mugs. The duergar pull out a flask and spike their cups, finding it more to their liking. 

When Thom looks up into the shrouded rafters, he can't spot the creature... where could it be? Is it... right above him? There's enough retreats and obscuring netting and the like that it could be anywhere...

<Hrrrmph?> somehow, even through the link, Prince Derendil's startled sending of inquiry sounds like he is speaking with his mouth full as he turns to you, cheeks bulging and meat juices running down his furry chin.

<Uh, yes, he did say he would do whatever he could to help us reach the surface... though... that is pretty vague, is it not? Did he ever specify how he would help us? I may have been... preoccupied.>

{flash to memory of the Prince stuffing his face with jerky}

Galingal considers how much to tell Ugglukja. It's unlikely she's a bounty hunter, and if she is, she'd know who they are anyway.

"I was hunting. Raiders came to our lands and we followed them back to here," Galingal says then thinks a few moments longer. "I was the last left."

He pauses again, gesturing at the other table. He decides against mentioning the drow prisons.

"Met others, and am now here," he continues. Galingal looks at the group then back to Ugglukja. "Do you know closest route up to surface?"

"Unfortunately not. You're surface bound? I was able to find a few deep gnomes who spoke enough Common to where we could chat a bit -- My Undercommon is rudimentary at best--, but Blingdenstone's rather a mess. Apparently the drow destroyed it while ago, and they're still rebuilding. Think they might still be "rebuilding" forever. Lots of ruins, monsters and chaos, and drow were still harrying them. Interesting crew you're rolling with... picking up one of everything the Underdark has to offer?", she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"So far it works," Galingal says looking back at the party. "Yes. Varied. But works."

He looks around towards the entrance to look for any sign of the KT they're waiting for.

"Sounds like either stay away from Blingdenstone, or good place to be unseen. You may think about leave here soon. Sound close to war here. Two sides. Two gods."

"Is that what they have been babbling on about? Kept coming up to me in the street, hollering about this or that, eventually I found my way here, and kind of just been spending my time here. No one seems inclined to bother me while I read here.", her eyes widen, "Oh, I didn't mean you coming over to chat, that's not a bother! I mean the residents grabbing my hands and trying to pull me places, or giving me speeches I can't understand. You've been perfectly pleasant to chat with, and it's been a while since I didn't have to use hand gestures and the few words of Undercommon I know to get my point across."

"But if it's come to war between two gods... yeah, can't say I'm keen to be in the middle of that. My, ah... nature tends to have folks wanting me to pick a side in stuff like that, rather than remaining happily neutral... You're just passing through then?"

"Only staying as long as we have to." Galingal says. "There have been challenges. Some here want us to pick sides too."

Nodding back at the party again. "Most just want to find ways home. Safer travel in group. You could join if ready leave when we leave."

Insight on conversation to get a feeling about how open and honest Ugglukja is being: 22  

And Investigation/History to see if those faded tattoos are anything he's encountered before: 19