Buppido chimes in, and Jimjar translates. "The duergar won't kill us. They won't mourn us being dead, but if they killed everyone that walked in the gate, they wouldn't be much of a trade city."

"To clarify, I know where Blingdenstone is, I just am not sure how to get there from here. If we head that way until we run out of Darklake, and manage to find tunnels going deeper in that direction, I bet fifty gold I can probably get us there eventually."

"I agree. Menzoberranzan would be a bad place for escaped drow prisoners to go. Have we given up on the others? Thom, Sarith, Shuushar... Lex and lil Stool? I'm not saying I want to turn around and head back to... that." 

He gives a shudder at the unspoken horror of Sloobludop.

"I mean, we don't know if they even made it out alive... but have we asked ourselves where they might head if they did?"

"Gracklstugh," Galingal says to Lia. "Get in, grab supplies, get out and head to Blingdenstone."

He then thinks about Jimjar has said. 

"Stool's home. Neverlight. Anyone know where?"

Jimjar shakes his head and shrugs. "I got the sense it was to the west from what Stool and Sarith said, but don't think either of them knew exactly how to get back there either." 

Buppido and Ranador (the drow child) answer in the negative as well if asked.

At the mention of Lex and Stool and the others, Lia goes quiet. She closes her eyes in contemplation. She tries to wrack her brains about where they might go. She tries to see if she can reach her celestial guide for a steer… ((super long shot / not possible, but she would try after her renewed connection in the KT village)).

((Give me a Charisma (Religion) check please.))

Lia’s Charisma (religion) check: 18 

Stena narrows her eyes at Galingal's joke, but doesn't rise to the bait (:D).

She shakes her head.

"Stepping into Gracklstack is no better than jumping into a pit filled with owlbears. They'll kill ye because that's what they do, no matter what the derro claims. They trade if they don't think they can take. A city of them will take."

She gives Jimjar an exasperated look,

"Despite Jimjar's weak assurances, aye think heading to Blingenstone is our only real option."

She glances briefly in the direction of Slooblup before looking away.

"If they're smart our companions will head for Neverlight, if they made it. And aren't complete morons. "

((Dang, Lia with the nat 20's! The Anti-Galingal!))

Lia, you softly call out, your voice harmonizing back to you through as you plea to  your guide...

Another sound wraps around your mind, comforting and assuring. You feel that it will all work out, though you get no clear direction. Your decision of where to go is your own, but you get the sense that it will all work out...

((Essentially Klein isn't back at it yet, but once he is, your celestial guide will aid him and the NPCs in finding the main party!))

((Hot damn! Wow! awesome! Lia’s general vibe is to go with the flow… But this just reinforces her decision to just go with it. Mechanically, Lia is simply a non-vote. She will go with the majority)).

Lia opens her eyes, and smiles a big calm smile, watching everyone debate where to go.

What does Stena know about Gracklstack: 13

Where is Gracklstack: 14

Typical duergar, rigid codes built to benefit them, but it is a trade city, that would have things you'd find useful, and maybe traders that travel to the surface.

You know from Sloobludop that it would be about three weeks in foot, but that if you're able to boat the whole way, should get there in less than two. You know it's on the border of the Darklake on the western edge, much like Sloobludop is on the east, and that duergar traders travel both by caravan and flotilla.

Stena is quiet while she thinks on Galingal's argument they need food and equipment. She offers as an alternative,

"The duergar send trading boats across the Darklake.  Rather than head to Gracklstack we could try and find a trading route. Smaller assortment of goods but also far less risk."

Knowledge of any duergar trading routes(?): 21

((This a long shot, but maybe they have established ones that Stena is aware of, if only for avoiding them?))

((Based on the assumption that Stena has never BEEN to Gracklstugh, she would know that traders often keep to the margins of the Darklake, for the purposes of being able to go ashore and harvest fungi and procure drinkable water to supplement what they might be able to carry onboard. There are also locks built  by duergar in portions of the Darklake which can be used for a nominal fee to raise or lower from one section to another. They can serve as outposts of a sort, even if they don't have much to trade, they may have info about movement of other traders.))

((She hasn't so-))

"We move towards the edges of the lake in that direction. Gather food if we can, and we'll find the duergar traders. "

Galingal nods at Stena's suggestion.

"Traders may know route Blingdenstone," Galingal says. "Maybe surface?"

Lia nods, still with her enigmatic half-smile, “Trade routes could be a good start… And we’d be near fresh water, maybe food, and the coast… in case anything goes wrong…”.

”Closer to unwanted eyes though maybe too…”.

”But maybe it’s our best bet…”.

((Sounds like you've got a plan and direction then? Buppido and Jimjar can handle the steering and navigation, Buppy knows the way to Grack, so can take you that way without getting lost. I rolled for random encounters for the 'day' of travel, and nothing came up, but of you want to keep a look out for harvestables you can forage, one of you can give me a check?))

Lia knows she’s not ‘the expert in the room’ when it comes to survival. But she is happy to help/assist, if that provides advantage? (She has jack of all trades and half proficiency).

She will also provide bardic inspiration (1d6) to whoever is our forager for the day.

((Sure, she can give advantage, I'll probably roll for some other conditions that may affect things (eg give disadvantage due to dark, and limited darkvision range), so may end up taking first roll in that case. I'm gonna say that bardic won't reliably apply here, since foraging is kind of a throughout the day thing, and bardic only has a limited window to use. Whoever is rolling, let me know how you're foraging?))

((That all makes perfect sense! Thanks. I’ll save bardic)).