((Been to faerzress before? 1 

Must show up deeper than she's ever been!))

Stena, they must occur deeper than you've ever traveled in the Underdark, but to someone with dwarven sensibilities (and even those without), the chaotic growth of highly ordered crystals glowing with an internal light is quite lovely.

Thom smiles when he sees Lia pile her two sets of 3 arrows and gently says to Lia "Sure thing, Ma'am." he takes the 4 arrows back. "Maybe when we get back home we can go shooting, yeah? If we ever get home." He sighs. 

As the days go by, he wonders if he will ever see the sun again. 

Thom would have no idea about the faerzress but would be quite amused at the crystals vibrant glow. He'd think but only to Lia now with the comm lines open:

 <They're pretty, yeah? And magical, too? Interesting indeed. It certainly is a completely different world down here, yeah?>

Then as Buppido makes his bet and Eldeth eventually smashes one of them, Thom doesn't say anything he just kind of shakes his head in disapproval.

He'd think to Lia <honestly we can't get out of here sooner if you ask me. These folks be going a bit mad, yeah?>

Thom was annoyed at Sarith getting lost again but would never say anything as he'd definitely not know where to go. 

If the party wanted to spend time harvesting some of the crystals, Thom would help, but he's not really interested in them and their magical blinding properties. And he has no tools either!

He's just hoping the next day's travel goes smoother and that we don't get ambushed again. 

He aches for the sunlight and to be back in the world that he's used to.

Lia tries to recall which goblin they found the bone-signal-whistle on. Was it the leader?? Could come in handy if they are ambushed again, maybe.

Lia is a little in awe of the cavern. She moves among the crystals, overwhelmed a little at the beauty of this place. Turning in circles, almost dancing among them, listening to the tinkling echoes from their multifaceted surfaces…

Arcana check: 17 

She chuckles at Thom’s comments but is practically transported away thinking about the magic of this place. And the wonders and secrets they represent.

((Yes, it was on the leader. Arcana check didn't come through.))

((sorry, was still editing! See above now))

Lia feels a bit of frantic uneasiness in the weave, if she were to pluck out the way being in the faerzress makes here feel, it might be a bit like this...

If there’s space, Lia, feeling ‘that’, would immediately be moved to interpretive dance! First, sliding and gliding down the isles. Silently.

She feels the weave move her. Can feel it shivering and quaking around her. Her eyes are half closed, but she can ‘see the matrix’ around her reflected and echoed in the strings of weave as she moves. 

She revels in it, but as she concentrates on it, does it feel unpleasant or evil? Does she get the sense that the crystals of this place could be used for more than just flash-bombs and disrupting scrying and teleporting?

Does her spell slot energy feel like it’s miraculously doubled? Or that she would be able to cast three spells at once? Or? Or? OH! But she dances!!

Do her companions not feel it? Not hear it? It’s deafening to her in its beauty!! Her dance finishes with her revolving on the spot slower, slower, until she falls to the floor (Torvill and Dean 'Ballero’ style), soaking up the non-existent applause. Still ‘charged’ by her surroundings!!

((She had vowed lay low today, and not do ANYTHING that could antagonise Stena any more than necessary… but… she can’t help it! She was silent… but undoubtedly… completely annoying!))

Performance check (just for fun): 10 

((Middling… Well, you can’t please all of the people all of the time!))

the Ballero reference…

Galingal looks up from his examination of the crystals to see Lia dancing through the middle of them all.

"This explains her capture," Galingal says to no one in particular. 

(If they're still only half way through the day, Galingal will push them to start moving again, even if they can't get any of the crystals, but if they don't have that much time left in their travel day, he'll instead suggest they stay here, with the grove providing some protection versus the drow magic searching for them).

((You've been lost and wandering for ~5 hours, so would otherwise be stopping in ~3. You're also still lost, so Sarith would have to find the right path to get you moving again on the right trail. If you put that time into harvesting crystals, you'd be able to do so easily.))

Thom after Galingal says what he says about Lia's capture. 

 "So, this day pretty much a write off then, yeah?"

Those of you with a passive Perception above 13 notice faint clacking and skittering sound from farther into the faerzress.

((If 13 is okay…)) as soon as Lia notices, she stops and backs away slowly…

For any who didn't notice the sounds, Galingal points in the direction, raising a finger to his lips for quiet, and at the same time using the spore network to let them know about the clacking noises.

He moves his shield to his arm, draws his rapier and moves towards the sounds, as quietly as he can.

Stealth: 8  

Stena heads towards the chittering from a different direction than Galingal with her bow ready. She is also stealthing, but hopefully better.

Stealth:19

Galingal "sneaks" forward, and spots 13 dwarf sized beetles foraging for what lichen and fungus is growing within the faerzress. Each beetle gives off a soft red glow.

They seem to have noticed him too, as they begin clustering together and eyeing him warily.

If Stena also sees the beetles she tries to identify them.

Nature: 18

Galingal stops moving and keeps his gaze away from Stena. He takes a step back, seeing if the large beetles approach or keep their distance.

Stena, you recognize them as giant fire beetles, which despite the fearsome name, are only named such due to their glow. There are populations on the surface, and the glowing glands can be harvested as a light source. You've never eaten fire beetle, but don't recall anyone saying you couldn't.

They hold position as Galingal retreats, and go back to grazing.