((On a nat 20? Sure!))

Lia, properly motivated now, rips herself free and tackles Thom off the web as they go plummeting down through the mist, getting smacked with spray as before they plunge into the icy water below.

Up above, Sarith and Prince Derendil try to remain un-snared.

Sarith plunges down not far behind Lia and Thom, looking upward when he surfaces, blowing water and wiping hair out of his face. <I told him to follow...>

 Lia > Sarith >  Prince > Thom >  Giant Spider > 

Spider Attack: 18 Damage: 5

There's a rapidly growing roar as Prince Derendil's furred form plummets from above, to splash mightily in the pool. He surfaces a moment later <HA! You should have seen that spider's face when I ran for the ledge! The blighter bit my posterior as I made my exit, but one benefit of this form I've been cursed with is that poison affects me not at all! Thom, you made it down alright? Where do we head now?>

<Where are the others?>, inquires Sarith, looking around as he takes a few moments while the party is collecting themselves to continue trying to shrug into the chain shirt.

Galingal point down the river.

<Jimjar and Stena went that way after Turvy,> Galingal says. <Does anyone know this area? There appear to be a few tunnels leading out of this cavern. If no one knows where we are, we need to just pick one and get moving before the drow come down here after us.> 

<West to Darklake. Lots of water and tunnels to lose drow in, maybe?>, Shuushar suggests.

Sarith considers. <Better than north... Menzoberranzan is to the north, and I've no interest in running into the caravan that was to transport us there as we flee. To the west of the capital is Blingdenstone, the deep gnome city, South is Gracklstugh, though I confess I've no more interest in dealing with the duergar unless we have to. Darklake might be the most expected, but also give us our best chance of loosing anyone Mis-- anyone that Ilvara sends after us.>

<We'll need to find food... we didn't make it as far as the main hall to try to grab some rations.>, Eldeth adds.

Lia crawls out of the pool a little way from everyone else. She chokes and splutters on all fours, getting her breath and bearings back…

As soon as she realises which way is up, she quickly and desperately pulls out her lyre, and frantically prestidigitates it clean and dry again.

She then snuffs out her light before collapsing on her back on the shore, her chest and stomach rising and falling as she takes a few deep breaths.

((If the party have a minute to catch their breath, Lia will get into her studded leather armour and organise her gear about her person. She’ll start that anyway, then if they get interrupted she can always just bundle it all up again)).

((Up to the party as a whole how long you wish to loiter at the bottom of the falls. Lex and Stool are currently still glowing.))

@DM…

Galingal looks at the glow coming off of Stool and Lex.

<We need to move before they see the glow,> Galingal says. <If the way to Darklake gives us the best chance of losing the drow, that sounds like the best option. Let's gather the others and get going.>

He pauses and tugs at the collar still on his neck and the tethers still inhibiting the others.

<Once we put some distance in, we can get these off.>

Galingal then heads after Stena and Jimjar and presumably Turvy as well.

Seeing the others gather and start to head off, Lia will bundle up her things and head that way too. She’d clip her hand-crossbow and bolts to the belt holding her dagger, if possible. And carry her bundle of studded leather armour under one arm.

She would also find and catch up with Thom initially, saying quietly, “Thanks for not just leaving me ‘stuck’ up there in the webs!…”, with a slight frown and a weak smile, a little embarassed at how completely tangled she’d managed to get.

As the rest of the party follows after Stena and Jimjar, they see Turvy holding Buppido at dagger point while he stands over the unconscious, but starting to stir form of Topsy.

<Someone call him off! He's mad!>

Stena blinks back a moment of stupor from the poison.

"Just back off Buppido, Turvy aye'm ready too shoot if he tries anything."

She lifts her bow in quivering, bound hands.

"Jimjar, can ye go check Topsy?"

<I'm backed, I'm backed! He's the one holding a dagger on me!> 

Jimjar goes to check on Topsy, only to have Turvy whirl on him, threatening and waving the dagger. Jimjar throws up his hands too and backs off.

Topsy groans and sits up, rubbing the back of her head. "T-Turvy?"

Her brother drops the blade and gives her a hug, pulling her to her feet before picking up the dagger.

<I... I think I'm okay now...>, Topsy shares, mostly unaware of the drama preceding her waking. Turvy continues glaring darkly at Buppido, as well as Jimjar, who just shrugs and walks away.

Lia, adds a calming thought-voice, <Listen, we all took a beating up there, but we’re free!!… Come on, let’s get away from here. There’s no need to fight amongst ourselves…>.

Persuasion check(?): 14 

<Stay and kill each other or come,> Galingal thinks. <Either way we are going.>

He then starts heading for the western tunnel that the others said leads to Darklake. But as he does he looks more closely at Buppido and wonders about the duergar. The orc is gone so they don't have to deal with him, but is this one worse?

Insight: 7   Looking to see if Buppido's body language and tone give away anything or if he real does seem innocent of hurting Topsy.

((He's a derro, not a duergar.))

From the wet drag marks, it seems that Buppido had pulled Topsy from the water, which would have been a step in furtherance of her not drowning or being eaten by the ooze.

There are some particularly strident shrieks from above, and Eldeth shivers. <Alright. Yeah. Let's get a move on before they clear up the demons and come looking for us.>

<Yeah, we saw how fast the drow can zip down on their ropes, we'd best move. Bet we can reach the Darklake before they catch up with us.>, Jimjar muses.

<Gracklestugh will have places to purchase equipment... I'm assuming you topsiders are looking to return to the surface? Wandering mostly naked with stolen drow gear is a good way to end up dead down here.>, Buppido opines.

<I'm not familiar with this area, but I should be able to help out with foraging. If we can find edible fungi, we should be alright.>, says Eldeth.

Sarith clears his throat and rubs his face, some of the remaining drow paint smearing. <I've been stationed here for three years, I know the area as well as any who will be chasing us. Stool isn't awake to ask, but I'm assuming he has family somewhere. He's too young to be on his own.>

((Anyone wanting to do anything as the group moves towards the western passage? It's near evening, how late are you wanting to push on? What pace will you want to travel? It's a bit more twisty and turny than overland travel on the surface, you can make on average 6 miles of progress in a day at a normal pace. Fast bumps it to 8, but at a penalty to Perception and no chance to forage. A slow pace drops  your progress to 4, but allows you to Stealth and gives you a better chance to forage.))

((How long is the most we could push on tonight without getting exhausted? Or could we push on more, get exhausted, then sleep it off??))

Lia would probably advocate a fast pace initially, to get away, then medium, then finally slow, to forage before resting, splitting whatever time we have into three chunks.

Stena just will follow, she is definitely not feeling great.

She nods along to Lia's suggestions and mind asks Topsy,

<I'm glad you're okay Topsy and sorry I didn't do more to help you. Things become more hectic than... ya.>

She works to clear her thoughts through the cloud of poison floating around,

<Also, can you ask Turvy what he saw Buppido do that got him so worried? We need to know if he was trying anything so we...can take precautions.>

Topsy nods and has a hurried conversation with her brother, before thinking to Stena.

 As the party nears the western exit, there is a growing squawk as one of the demon birds slams into the cavern floor within twenty feet of the party.

Righting itself, it gives a screech and swivels its head to look at you all before glancing upward to the combat happening above. The creature is injured, bleeding demon blood from multiple scratches and punctures.

Prince Derendil shifts between Thom and the creature, glancing back over his shoulder to glance at Thom and raise an eyebrow. 

((How big is this thing? Is it completely blocking the way? Do we get the impression we could take it? What would Lia or the party know (in addition to what we can just see/sense) about this creature?))

Knowledge check (straight d20): 16 

((history and arcana +2, nature and religion +0))

Out of fear Lia plays a few calming chords, quietly, on her Lyre…

Performance check (?): 16 

((Oh my!… Lia will slowly back away lol))