Thom grumbles as he tries and fails to make a proper kilt with the goblin cloth.

He'd be glad to get some rest (action surge reset) and would say on the start of the 5th day of freedom "Damn mates. We're gonna need some water, yeah? Would hate to see Galingal here have to work his magic every night. Hmmmmmm..."

Thom thinks. 

Would we be able to slowly gather water from this? If so, Thom suggests everyone fill their waterskins before we head out. 

"Eventually you reach a damp area with a slick trickle of water running down a cave wall from up above, before seeping into the floor."

((It'd be slow, but you could fill your waterskins from it. It's got an odd flavor, but seems potable, as best you can tell.))

((If no one else would grab them, Stena will take shortbow as a back up, the book on the dwarven kingdom and the hunting trap.))

Stena sits by herself and flips through the book on the Dwarven kingdom.

Anything she is familiar with?

((A roll just in case: 4))

She otherwise doesn't interact with the rest of the party, including with Eldeth.

(Galingal had scooped up the book as they were leaving, but will pass it over to Stena if she shows any interest. He was just grabbing it for the paper in case they needed to use it for kindling).

A lot of it is genealogy and lineage stuff... not Stena's strong suit when it comes to Dwarven history.

@Thom…

When the party eventually find the elevated alcove, a little way off the beaten track, Lia makes a couple of wide circuits around the sleeping area, checking on everyone. She helps clean people’s new goblin-gear, and she cleans and flavours water and food for anyone who wants it. She doesn’t say very much, but nods and smiles at everyone as she does the rounds.

If she sees anyone still looking injured, she’d use her Healing Hands trait or cast healing word as needed.

((I won’t roll anything since we’re going into the end of a long rest, but in reality she would be healing after the battle and before a rest)).

Eventually, Lia chooses a dry spot, off to one side, to kneel and meditate before starting to get settled for sleep.

@Galingal…

Lia is happy to keep chatting with anyone who wants to talk.

When she eventually settles down to sleep, she finds two small rocks. One smooth and rounded, the other slightly fractured and cracked a little. She warms them up with prestidigitation like she had done for Topsy and Turvy on previous nights. And she sets them just alongside her belongings, near where she’ll be sleeping.

And before letting herself sleep, she kneels by the stones, with her arms held loosely by her side. Her hands on her thighs, relaxed. Meditating.

@DM…

Eventually she lays down to sleep…

((Sarith and Galingal may still be down a bit after they short rest, but that'd be an hour into the final rest. They'd be the most hurt if you wanted to be preemptive, might top them off.))

((Lia, make a Charisma (Religion) check. So Charisma mod, then add proficiency if you're proficient in Religion.))

((OOC: Yes that’s probably the way it would play out.

healing word to Sarith: 6 hp.

Healing Hands to Galingal for 2hp when she places a hand on his shoulder (above).

Then they can short rest after Lia is asleep)).

Lia’s Charisma (Religion) check: 8 

((Jack of all trades half-proficiency))

Galingal nods as Lia speaks. He doesn't have words to respond and he struggles to truly understand but finally he decides that she must consider them the same as he does the other shadar-kai.

"They're your people," he finally says, nodding again.

He feels the last pain dissipate when Lia touches his shoulder. He rubs his shoulder for a moment then begins gathering his things, ready to head out again.

(Pace: Galingal would push for fast again)

((Both the elves are at full HP after they short rest, Lia giving them a boost beforehand.))

Lia:

Stena takes the book from Galingal with a nod and after glancing through it passes it to Eldeth for her take on it's contents and their value. She indicate it should be returned to Galingal when she is done.

Stena acknowledges Lia as she comes around but doesn't ask for any assistance.

The next 'morning' she'll side with Galingal on the need for haste.

@ Lia

Thom would indeed fill all of the waterskins then "Mates. This should keep us hydrated yeah?" and he'd be happy for Lia to work her magic to make it taste better.  

He'd say to everyone "Yeah. Fast. We oughtta book it with who knows what after us now that those goblins got away."

"Everyone feeling ok to move? Sarith, you think we will reach Darklake today?" He says optimistically and half jokingly.

He gives a ready nod to Galingal and Stena and then moves back with Lia.

Thom will stay back with Lia on today's travel day, keeping an eye on the rear to ensure no ambush from behind. 

Perception 8

Lia looks astonished or overwhelmed at all the arrows. “I won’t need that many. Or at least I hope not!…”. She thinks back to her archery practice, and (as an expert archer) Thom can clearly see her bundle the arrows into two small sets of three, nod, and then hand the other four back. “Thank you…”. And then she busies herself off to bed as described.

In response to Galingal, Lia thinks about his way of putting it. She tries the phrase on for herself, “They are my people…”.

Galingal sees a look pass over Lia’s face that marks her out as distinctly not human, even though she maybe looks very human. He might notice subtle differences: her slightly pearlescent skin, the ever-so faint lines and shapes on her skin that only show at all because they seem to have different reflective properties to the surrounding skin. He might be familiar with that with scars or tattoos, but this is neither.

She thinks about her life and how she has moved from town to town. “For now, they are my people. Like all of you. For now”.

In the morning, Lia will reflect quietly on her dreams of the night before. Both comforting and chilling in a way, all of them. To her, they spell out ‘Go!…’. So she packs up her things.

She encourages everyone to drink their fill at this water source (as much as anyone can, in one sitting!). Then she fills her water skin, ready to share, when anyone needs more.

When discussions turn to pace, she agrees, “Fast seems sensible. Let’s see how much ground we can cover. Surely we can’t be too far from this lake?…”.

She happily watches the back with Thom. She keeps her eyes and ears peeled, both for ambushes, but also for any sign of the twins. Tomorrow she thinks they will be too far away for her to bother. But today she tunes her ears towards both things.

Perception: 18 

At some point, Lia pulls out the goblin bone-flute. She doesn’t play it, but she looks over it to see if she could play it and if it’s serviceable as an instrument (and a focus for her magic?). ((She is proficient in flutes)).

But she also looks it over for any runes or markings. Anything arcane, or anything that might suggest it has magical properties?…

Arcana check(?): 19 

Start Day 5 of Freedom, traveling to Darklake: Miles traveled, ~33 (fast)

It would take a while to get everyone their fill from the trickle, but if the folks on the last shift were to get theirs and fill the waterskins, they could be passed around as people woke and topped off again. As long as Galingal is able to find a place to do his water trick at camp this evening, the party should be good.

Eldeth notes that her family is mentioned in the book, but nothing new or interesting as such, and passes it back to Galingal.

Sarith shakes his head.

 Lia judges that they are likely more signal flutes than for musical performance, there are no holes drilled in them, so each is a single note, judging from the length and diameter of the bore, she'd be confident in them being low, medium and high notes. Perhaps holes could be bored in the sides, that would certainly allow for more complex series of notes.

Sarith Navigation: 11 (0)

Perhaps the late night move throws him off, but Sarith gets off to a shaky start as you hurry down tunnels, seeking to put distance between yourselves and your potential pursuers. After 1 (6) hours of wandering and occasionally attempting to backtrack, Sarith gets to a point where he thinks he knows where you are.

During your wanderings, you come across a dimly lit chamber, but not from the luminous moss and fungi you're accustomed to, but from luminous crystals studding the cave, as well as a diffuse, source less glow.

Sarith calls a halt, running through paths and networks of paths in his head, before calling the group together and signaling Stool where he's riding in Lex's pack that he needs spore-link up.

<You got it, pale softer!>

<Those of you new to the Underdark may not recognize the area ahead, but the drow call them faerzress... it's a place infused with arcane power. They've been a part of the Underdark as long as the drow can recall.>

He looks around, and gets nods from Jimjar and some of the other Underdark denizens before continuing, <The faerzress throws off divination and teleportation magic... if Ilvara were to try to spy on us while we're in it's area, it would likely fail. Galingal, I don't know if your ability to slip between shadows would trigger it, but I'd suggest not finding out. Teleportation spells are certainly affected. It's too early to rest, but there might be something to be said for camping in one in the future...>

Ahead you see multiple crystalline formations giving off a soft glow, in places they are quite large, in others there are fist sized hexagonal rods of crystal. 

<I bet you can't smash that crystal with less than three swings of your hammer...>, Jimjar says to Eldeth, grinning.

<Psssh, I've not need to prove myself to you, dark gnome.>

<I bet it's just cause you're afraid you'll lose! Five gold! As soon as I have it... and I've paid off other debts!>

<Fine, five gold, you're on!>

<I wouldn't do that if I were you...>, Sarith cautions.

<You want in on the action too?>

<No, Jimjar, I just don't thi-->

Eldeth puts an end to the conversation by smashing one of the crystals, which releases a blinding flash of light! Eldeth staggers around, while Jimjar rolls on the ground laughing. <Haheee... bes- best five gold heee, best five gold I didn't have that I ever spent! Hahaha!>

After a bit Eldeth blinks her eyes clear and fixes Jimjar with a glare.

<What?! They're flash crystals, you're the one who felt the need to prove your dwarven might!>

((As you enter the faerzress, any magic users can make an Arcana check for me.))

Stena grimaces at Eldeth's breaking the crystal and scolds her in whispered dwarven,

Stena shakes her head and moves away to look into the beauty that can be found below the surface. After a moment she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose to take in the natural smells and calm down.

Arcana: 2

((Would Stena have wandered across one of these on her scouting in the underdark?))

((Roll me a d20. 1-5 she's never even heard of them before, 6-10 she's heard of them, but not seen one, 11-15 she came across one once, 16-20 she's been in their presence multiple times.))

Stena goes off and has a few deep breaths (noting nothing magical, though she's a bit new to its practice) while Eldeth is busy sorting out if she's more ashamed than angry.

<As Eldeth demonstrated, they CAN be used to blind enemies... if we took the time to harvest them, we'd have a way of blinding folks in a fight. Bet we could get more than ten out of this place, if we're careful.>, Jimjar notes once he's gotten ahold of himself.

Galingal places his hand on one of the crystals, feeling the texture, while he listens to Sarith's description. If the drow couldn't see them in one of these places, perhaps the Queen would be blind as well. Something to think later one.

After the flash of the crystal and Jimjar's laughter, Galingal looks around quickly for any sign they've attracted attention. Then, while they're momentarily stopped, he searches for smaller crystals, maybe the size of a stone that would fit in his palm, and gently tries to dislodge them without cracking them.

Perception?: 7  

Galingal finds a likely sized smaller stone, but soon realizes that it will require careful excavation of the stone around the crystal. Doable, but it'd take time, and some care. As far as travel, today's kind of been a wash anyway, with hours and hours of wandering... but perhaps that means you're no longer on a direct route to Darklake and any drow pursuit wouldn't anticipate you taking a detour?

It's certainly possible that if the Queen were to try to divine your presence in one of the faerzress, that she'd have more difficulty, but it's also possible that her strength could push right through.

((Mechanically, if anyone one has tools and proficiency that are relevant, they could make a check to dislodge one, but they can be harvested without making a check, just at the cost of it taking more time to complete.))