<What was his plan again? Offer us up as fake sacrifices to his daughter so she'd let us and him get close enough for someone to take her out? That's a bold plan. Think we can pull it off? I've got ten gold that says we do.>, Jimjar interjects.

<It's a BAD plan. I'll take that bet. No way it goes off smoothly.>, Sarith sighs.

<Still think we don't need violence, has he tried talking to her? Maybe she just felt like she wasn't getting his attention any more.>, Shuushar posits.

<I like Archpriest Ploopploopeen, he immediately recognized my royal bearing.>, Prince Derendil remarks.

There's a mental snort from Buppido.

<I say go along with him until we're fed and he tells us how we escape if everything goes badly. Shuushar, can you ask him about that?> Galingal spore-link thinks and the he looks over at Derendil <Just because he recognizes you're a prince doesn't mean we should help him.>

<I suppose not...>, Derendil concedes.

Shuushar asks about contingencies if it all goes sideways, and the Archpriest seems confident that the Sea Mother will see you all through to victory. He promises that you will not be disarmed or bound in any way, and only needs your presence as an excuse to get close enough, no sacrificial knives need get close to any of you.

((He'd elaborate a bit more if pressed, basically he wouldn't be permitted near her ritual on his own, but if he makes a show of supplying sacrifices to the Deep Father, he's certain she'll take that as an admission of her god's superiority and won't miss the chance to publicly rub his face in it. That gets him access, and will draw focus enough for his followers to slip in too. When the opportunity presents itself, they'll strike at her and her followers, he doesn't need you to take part in the attack, though he'd welcome it. Either way, once he's reestablished the Sea Mother's dominion over the city, he'll provided you with boats, guides, supplies, and whatever else he can to help you on your way.))

Galingal ponders what Shuushar translates back to them.

<We leave now and don't risk ourselves but we're back out there with minimal supplies. Stay and go along with this ruse and the boats and supplies could be worth the risk.> Galingal spore-link thinks. <If the odds really are in his favour there's more reward. If they're not, we're back to being prisoners and probably sacrificed. But we're rested, fed and armed. We can still fight our way out.>

He looks over at the others and nods his head.

<We can still get boats and supplies in the chaos of whatever happens today. I think it's worth the risk. I think now we should go along with the priest.>

<We could kill her without the ruse. The less we play into these unhinged plans the better. Suggest it. Not you Shuushar.>

<I got eyes on the Deep Father's shrine when we got separated last night, it's down near the lakeshore... The daughter's followers have control of the docks, but if Ploopp here causes a ruckus, may pull some of them off their posts and give us a chance to snag some?>, Buppido comments.

Shuushar sighs in relief when he is reprieved of proposing an assassination plot.

Jimjar chimes in. "I bet three rounds at the Beer Room that we can take out Bloppblippodd without even needing to go through the whole posing as sacrifices thing. And if you're worried about how it looks, we can make SURE everyone knows that it was at the Sea Mother's will."

((Jimjar Persuasion: 18))

"Hmmm... as long as it's clear that it's a victory of the Sea Mother over her false god, that could work... do you have a plan? How would you do it? She's surrounded by followers.", Ploopp looks dubious, but willing to listen.

"You know her routines? What could draw her out? Or, even better, where could we ambush her?"

Lia wakes with the party. Her movements are timid and she keeps her eyes low not catching anyone’s gaze. She hums a pretty tune while quietly using prestidigitation, and the water and blankets, to clean herself and her gear, slowly and methodically as the party begin to talk and plan.

When Thom addresses her, she looks cleaner, and better turned out and presented than the party have ever seen. Her skin is clean, and the slight sheen of it can be clearly seen.

She responds to his ‘Morning madam Lia’, with a wide smile - eyes still turned down - “Master, Thom…”, she responds, accompanied by an almost imperceptible bob of the head, which if she weren’t seated on the floor could have been the start of a curtsy.

”I am feeling very well this morning. Thank you…”, she continues, looking more at her hair than at him, or anyone else, as she brushes it through her fingers, before tying it into long braids.

She listens to the discussions, as she gets ready for the day. Humming all the time, she tries to listen for the balance, for any harmony in the discussion… the to and fro… Listening for a direction from the heavens, from the universe…

She listens…

((Lia, roll me a d100 please.))

The archpriest responds to Stena.

"She's... changed since she turned her fin on the Sea Mother. She keeps to the area she's claimed. Perhaps my son would know more. He should be back soon with food."

A few minutes later, the door pushes open and a scowling kuo-toa in nicer robes enters, followed by some loyal followers bearing parcels of food. They place them down and retreat, Derendil wasting no time at opening them to reveal an urn of a porridge like substance and blue loaves of bread. There is also some sort of sausage, grilled and steaming. 

"This is my loyal son, Glooglugogg! I would have made introductions before you rested, but you were all so tired. Gloog, these are the folks who were captured yesterday, who see the value in aiding the faithful of the Sea Mother in ousting the false god and his false archpriest! They propose taking her out before the ritual she has planned, but have questions about her routines, or ways to get to her. Perhaps you can help?"

The younger KT scowls, glaring at all of you. "Can I speak to you alone, Father?"

Ploopp nods, spreading his hands in apology to you, and the two retreat into the other room, where there is whispered conversation.

((If you speak Undercommon, and you want to listen in, you can make a Stealth check and a Perception check, otherwise...))

After a few moments, the pair return, Gloog looking a bit dour, but his father smiling at you all. "Gloog will help you plan! Should your plan succeed, the plans I leave to put in place will only be for show, but should it not go how you wish, they will be a backup! Her ritual is planned for [eight hours] from now, so you have time to prepare anything you need to, or to pick up anything you need from town, but should you leave the area of the Sea Mother's shrine, take Gloog and some of his friends with  you."

Ploopp wishes you well, and departs. His son looks to you each in turn, his gaze lingering on Shuushar, who won't meet his eyes.

"For some reason my father thinks you capable. If you can help set things right and remove my sister's power, I'm willing to let you try. What do you need to know?

Lia’s roll: 82 

Stealth: 18

Perception: 18

Stena ghosts after the pair, a dour expression on her face. She relays what she hears to the others, with a sour twist.

Thom wakes and agrees with Galingal through the spore <agreed mate. We go changing our minds now about being the sacrifice and I bet they won't be too happy yeah?!>

Thom's stomach growls with hunger as he is once again in agreement. <Food first and then escape plan, yeah?> Thom looks at Prince Derendil when he mentions food and says to him <you hungry, my Prince? I sure am!>

Thom devours the tastefully described food and opens his eyes wide at Stena's suggestion of the assassination. He shrugs his shoulders and says <heck, if it makes 'em happy then it might very well be the best option yeah?>

<anyways... I... I just wanna get home, yeah? If ye all think that is better than that public display... >

Thom listens to Stena as she relays what she might've heard from Ploopp and his son...

The gist of what Stena overhears and relays to the others is that Gloog feels a bit put out that his father is turning to outsiders instead of him, he favors a more straight forward assault, and doesn't see how you are going to contribute anything to their cause. His father reminds him that he'd rescued you from Blopp's followers, and promised to help you on your way in return for your assistance. There is a bit of back and forth, but Ploopp essentially assures Gloog that he's his special boy, and to further show that his loyalty is valued, is putting him in charge of coordinating with you how best to enact whatever plan you might come up with. There's a bit of a 'if they help us succeed, great, but if it all goes sideways, and Blopp survives and is looking to vent her anger, better on them than us", kind of vibe from Gloog's side of things.

Lia, you extend your honed bardic senses, and what you pick up is less a sense of music, and more cacophonous sound. You do feel that your humming, tapping, etc. does exert some amount of local order, enough to bring you some amount of soothing in the otherwise chaotic and stressful surroundings.

Lia eventually gathers her things, with a somewhat-frustrated look on her face. But the look is intermingled with traces of a relaxed and pleasant smile too. Like she’s not finished the puzzle yet but is enjoying the process. More than yesterday anyway…

Her hair and clothes are clean. She holds her white-and-gold Lyre at her side. And her pale skin seems to shine, ever so faintly, along geometric patterns. The shapes might almost be like tattoos if they had any contrasting colour to them. Too regular to be birthmarks.

She stands, and joins the group. She maybe gathers on the opposite side of the group to Stena, and slightly behind either Galingal or Thom.

She offers a few words to the discussion: “All I see in the village here is discord and unrest…. But if we can do something here to aid our own journey, then I say we do it… Whether that be quick and quiet, or as part of a big show, I don’t mind. No harm in trying the sneaky approach first… But if things escalate and get out of hand, then we cut and run…”.

She nods, almost as if to herself, as she confirms her agreement to some kind of action before getting out.

((Anything the party wishes to ask of Gloog? Plans you want to set in motion? Things you wanted to investigate/explore around town?))

Stena goes back and gives Galingal a look and then takes the lead with Gloog in undercommon,

"Gloog. Ye are in the know on yer sister's habits? How do we get her outside of her protective space? Alternatively how do we get inside her territory to kill her while someone, you perhaps, distract the rest of them with an attack?"

"Somewhat... we used to be close, before she got all uppity. She lives on a boat that she's converted to a house, it stays docked in the harbor that her people have control of. She doesn't walk the city much, Sloobludop is still the Sea Mother's city, she sends underlings to do her bidding about town. My Father's plan of posing as sacrifices IS a way to get inside her territory, to get close to her. She wields the knife during sacrifices, and she'd not believe it if I were to volunteer myself. She has guards that walk the docks... hmm... an attack... A direct attack on the shrine would bring her, could maybe ambush, but she'd have people with her, and be expecting trouble. Perhaps an attack or even fire at one of her people's outbuildings... a warehouse, perhaps... could draw guards away from her and give a gap in to strike. Perhaps right before she plans the ritual, as she's getting ready? She'd send her trusted to make sure her plans aren't disrupted..."