Stena nods to Galingal's suggestion and replies just as quietly,

"Can't care for a brain addled old man. More of a mercy to cut his throat while he sleeps."

She looks to Neth as he clambers onboard with whatever he's found but doesn't waste her breath on him. Pibble gets a small nod of approval.

"Ah, yes, thank you," he muses, using the spark of light to read what the cover says clearly. "I feel like... This shouldn't be an issue, normally," he trails off.

At Stena's comment does he seem... Mostly aghast. He opens his mouth, but can't quite find a retort. He feels like he should say he could prove his worth quite well, but not as he is in this very moment.

Seeing that the old man appreciates the light, Lia casts her light cantrip on one of her worthless, small, pink seashells she got from the fishfolk village. She passes it over to him, briefly showing him how to dim and brighten the light by closing her hand around it before passing it across…

She does this with maybe just a serene nod, then glances back the way the spider disappeared off to, just to be sure…

Perception (if needed): 14 

Galingal gets back to polling the boat along until they can find somewhere to spend the 'night'.

Survival (to look for a safeish spot): 22  

If he remembers, he'll wait for Neth to climb back on board before he starts polling.

There is another sudden spark of recognition at the casting of light. "Yes- Yes, just like that," he says, graciously accepting the shell, fingers clamping around in a way that suggests they instinctively know how to dim the light. "I remember... We used to have these metal staves, with sliding covers, it's what we'd use in the library. Couldn't use a torch or candle, such a thing wouldn't be safe..."

Perception from earlier: 2

"Light in the dark brings attention here."

Stena chides Lia.

"Get him inside before it does. And keep him away from Ranador."

At that she turns her attention back to getting where they need to go. She notes, without surprise, Galingal is already on it and joins him. If Jimjar or Buppido don't take the hint to get back to steering she'll remind them,

"Enough staring, we're still sinking. Get us there Buppido."

There's another glint in his eyes as he hears about the sinking ship, feeling like he should be able to help with that...

If only he could read what this book says, first.

Almost on autopilot for Stena’s little (often correct) ‘suggestions’, Lia agrees, “Yes, of course. Inside with that light!…”, but she’s mostly looking out and about for that spider. She feels she might have seen a little way into its mind with her spell, and didn’t like what she saw there…

((Forgetful old guy, let's have an Arcana check as the young woman provides you with a glowing shell. Disadvantage due to your condition.))

Lia looks back, and doesn't see the spider, but as she helps the forgetful old guy into the cabin to hide the light, her hand brushes some of the hardened spittle and she experiences a momentary headache, and she feels filled with a bestial terror of fire, as well as hunger and anger. It fades rapidly as she lifts her hand.

Forgetful old guy, the light of the shell illuminates a dilapidated cabin, and a drow child, pale skin and hair almost luminous in the light of your shell, their pink eyes averting and shielding behind an outstretched hand. Seeing you in the company of the shell-giver, they relax, and after watching warily for a few moments, pull a blanket up around their shoulders and roll away from the two of you.

After being in dark for so long, the light of the shell is blinding to you as well, and you cup your hands around it to shield your own vision, tears would be streaming down your gaunt cheeks if you had the moisture to produce them. As it is, your eyes are stinging and full, and any details of the book swim before your vision.

Neth and Plibbleburp clamber aboard before Stena can leave them behind, and take stock of the small armory they recovered. None of it is in great shape, resting on the bottom of the Darklake for varying lengths of time, but you made certain while down there to only retrieve what seemed functional.

• a slightly rusty chain shirt, likely of duergar make, and sized accordingly. A few ribs stripped of flesh fall out and are kicked overboard
• a trident
•  a spear
• a shortsword
• a brace of daggers, the leather shot, but the blades in serviceable shape

Stena turns to instruct the boat to get underway, to find that Galingal is ahead of her, and has it moving along with the help of Jimjar and Buppido.

8

You're not sure, the spell seems comfortable and familiar, you are pretty sure that's what you attempted to do, but something is missing, and you can't quite recall what.

The area of tunnel the boat is headed through is dark and twisting, stalagmites thrusting up from the water that require navigating around, and stalactites hanging down from above. A faint light from Lia's shell shines out through the openings in the cabin.

Those among the most alert of you hear a rustling or scraping echoing through the tunnel... It doesn't sound like the skittering of eight legs, but more as if leather were dragged across stone.

(I presume he can't manage to read anything yet?)

Unless the scraping of leather sounds like its getting closer, Galingal would push to keep going.

 Stena agrees with Galingal, adding herself to the poling while looking for the source.

Perception: 6

Lia gives the old man a sip from her waterskin as she settles him into the cabin with his book…

”Are you hurt?… Do you need healing?”. She says this while prestidigitating him a little cleaner, and as unobtrusively as possible checking him for injuries or any signs of disease or poison ((medicine: 22 )).

Looking at him, she decides to leave the waterskin with him for the time being and goes to help with the oars. “I’ll just be outside, if you need anything…”.

The old man gives a slight groan. He's... Probably not in the best condition. Mostly he's very, very tired though. And probably thirsty. And maybe still poisoned, but that part might already be over and have done its damage. Not that he'd know that. He's having trouble even reading this book to try and refresh his memory!

The scraping stops suddenly.

((Perception checks from those who were paying attention to the sounds and haven't already made one (Stena already did). ))

Lia thinks the old guy is mostly just suffering from his arachnid captivity, and that food, water and rest are the most important for his recovery.

Forgetful Old Guy is gradually acclimating to the presence of light, and can make out the title of the tome he carries.

"A Demographic and Actuarial Analysis of the Dwarven Kingdoms from 500-1000 DR"

Flipping it open, its page after page of dry statistical discourse, the latter half of the book a series of appendices and with graphs and tables and pages and pages of references.

The old man furrows his brows, seeming... Very disappointed with the contents of the book, somehow. But also not- A part of him appears genuinely ecstatic with the book, no matter how terribly dry its contents appear to be. A few facts about the kingdoms in question arising to his mind become a clear indicator that he had at least partially read the book before, and for a moment he almost starts trying to read it all again proper... Before realizing that while he thought the book fascinating (an opinion shared by very, very few, at least with such vigor), it was not what he had truly hoped for.

He doesn't even seem to realize it himself when he raises up a hand toward his ear, for a moment looking as if he was going to scratch it... But instead, when his hand is pulled back to the paper, it's holding a small quill between his fingers. The tip soon pressed upon the cover page, and his hands seem to almost of their own accord now, his eyes slightly glazed over as ink with just the slightest sheen of light begins pouring onto the page in intricate patterns.

There seems to be a deep sorrow in his heart as his ink starts overwriting some of the actual text of the book, but besides slowing down for a moment he continues. Whatever he's doing, though, it looks like it'd probably take a while...

Galingal Perception on Scraping Noise: 19