Vethna ignores the body and the fact some of the group are still hiding. She gathers anything of use from the drow's gear, then would help in moving the bodies if that is still an option. Once done she would simply stop and glance to the members of the party she can see.
"Either stay with us and let us move out, or go your own way and fend for yourself." She says briskly to the group at large. "I am continuing on towards Dark Lake. The Derro was an evil and sadistic creature. That is why he is now dead. If you follow his inclinations, then you are right to fear for your safety. if you do not, then stop fooling around and lets get moving."
“I agree with you. He would have sabotaged us the entire way, or killed us. Thank you Vrah, I was about to do the same…”. He pauses, looking around in the shadows, then nods in the direction Sarith pointed. He turns to Vethna, “Shall we? I can take point with you again if you wish..”
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A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Phodoxia, from her spot hidden away, listens to the various conversations. Would Buppido have killed us? Would he have gotten us killed? There's no way to know. We didn't know him any better than we know each other. Phodoxia does not know anything about any of the people she escaped with. But she knows words mean little, without actions to back them up. Perhaps Vethna is the evil and sadistic one; she certainly seems dismissive of the effect her actions have on others. In an already dangerous situation, a group you cannot trust is worse than being alone. Tanis and Vrah are convinced that the derro was a threat, but seem to understand the impact his murder has on the group. They might be trustworthy; we are all trying to survive here. But only time will tell. I trust Shoowaa, because he is kin, and we know how to understand each other, we know what to expect. With the others, we have nothing in common...
Phodoxia whispers very quietly, in Goblin, to Shoowaa. "We don't know any of these people, or if they mean what they say. We banded together in a desperate situation for protection, but they have just killed one of the group. The small one that doesn't breathe does not care about anyone else and keeps her own counsel on who deserves to die. But, we are alone in this Underdark. Do you think we can survive and find our way out alone? Maybe we can get Kisiki to come with us. Or, maybe we can stay with the group until we get to Dark Lake, but stay at the back, and keep our own watch. They do not seem inclined to kill us now, but they may decide later that we are a burden or a threat. What do you think?"
Vrah walks over to where he thinks Phodoxia might be hiding, crouches down, sighs, then speaks haltingly, picking his words carefully in goblin, "Stay with group until Dark Lake then make your decision. Nothing good would have come from keeping that filth alive, he was out for his own safety and none other. Rest of us work well together, he was here for his own hide nothing else. Keeping him around would not have ended well."
Then he will get up and move to the direction Sarith pointed and once more take up the middle position in the group, waiting for the others to lead the way.
Shoowaa whispers back “It’s too late now to determine if he was a threat. I think…we should follow at a distance, and when we come to the lake we leave with Kiski. I am not sure if I trust the others to not slay us if we seem like we are dangerous to the group. What determines that anyways? He may have been annoying and a bit of a bother…but I don’t think he deserved death for it.”
When it goes back to traveling, Shoowaa will stay back with Phodoxia.
Phodoxia twitches her ears as if thinking hard about everything she has heard. Then she nods to Shoowaa, saying in Goblin, "I don't trust them either, and I think this is a good plan. We will go with them, since we all need to find our way out of here, at least to Dark Lake, but we will follow at a distance."
Cautiously she comes out of hiding, but as the group organizes itself to move down the tunnel she will stay at least 20 feet behind everyone else with Shoowaa.
Vethna takes the lead position. If anyone is unable to see how demonic the derro was acting, reveling in slicing up the drow bodies, then she cannot convince them of anything, and frankly she doesn't care to try. The simple fact the drro could have easily brought an entire drow patrol down on them, not just those two scouts, was enough warning to Vethna that the derro had to go, but the way he acted with those bodies, that was just evil.
Seeing the others ready to move out, Vethna once more takes the lead.
Perception is a 26 and stealth a 17. Rolled in the game log.
The party is somewhat fractured and stressed by the events that just occurred, but it moves forward. Neither the forward scouts nor those taking up the rear hear any sounds of pursuit, but you know the mess you left behind (blood, bodies, signs of conflict) will indicate your presence in the area. You could hide the bodies, but there will be bloodstains and other signs of a battle that would take a long time to clean up or cover up. Before you leave, Shuushar takes a moment by each of the bodies to say a prayer or make a blessing. You see his lips moving, but don't hear any words.
If there is anything in particular you want to take from the Drow or Buppido, let me know. Both drow were carrying hand crossbows, but I think everyone who wanted one took one before leaving Velkynvelve. They each also had a couple of cases of crossbow bolts and some vial's of drow poison. They were wearing chain shirts and had short swords. Buppido isn't carrying anything special beyond the things he picked up from the Drow armory when you escaped.
These passages are lacking in any natural light or illumination from moss or lichen. Especially for Kisiki's sake, you're going to need some light source to travel at a normal pace. You move forward down the passage that Sarith indicated.
I have Vethna and Eldeth scouting in the front. Sarith is not far back, toward the front of the main pack of the party. Shuushar, Stool and Jim Jar and Derendil stay in the middle of the pack. Phodoxia and Shoowaa trail behind the others.
If I have any of you in the wrong place or you want to designate a specific place you have in the travel order, let me know.
You make it through the rest of that day's journey without encountering anyone else. You find a small side passage that you think it may be safe to camp in to get a rest.
Shuushaar begins collecting spores from the Bluecaps you harvested earlier in the day and starts grinding them into a flour. He also grinds up some of the fire lichen to be used as a spice and added in with the flour (these were mentioned being harvested in post 543).
Jimjar tries to engage people in conversation and lighten the mood, wanting to be someone 20 gold that the group crosses paths with Topsy and Turvy again before they reach the darklake.
Sarith stays to himself most of the evening, holding his head and wincing in pain.
Derendil tries to make himself useful and stands guard over one of the entrances to the side passage.
Eldeth sits by the fire and polishes her shield.
[Let me know if anyone wants to take a watch during the night or anything else you want to do during the downtime. I can have some NPCs join in and help with the watch.]
He again passes out his remaining berries (originally 20) from Goodberry, eating one himself. Then with his one remaining spell slot, casts Goodberry only once this time to produce 10 berries for the next day. He thinks the goblins will be ok, at a minimum because he recalls that Shoowaa can cast the same spell.
He engages with Jimjar though he does not take the bet. "I'm already going to owe you a gold piece I don't have yet if and when we make it to Darklake!"
Otherwise, he would trade stories with the others. E.g. asking Eldeth about Gauntlgrym.
Tanis will attempt to coat some of his arrows and crossbow bolts with the drow poison. Can he perceive how long the poison will remain effective?
The poison seems to dry quickly and make a coating on the bolts. You think it will remain there until it comes on contact with a liquid - either blood that would cause it to infect a wound or water that could wash it off.
Once the group stops and she and Shoowaa set up in a corner of the passageway some distance from the rest of the group, she says, in Goblin, to him, "Do you want to swap watches? I'll stay up and when I'm too tired, I'll wake you up. We can help watch for trouble and also watch the group."
Phodoxia sits by the fire for a bit, keeping her back to the wall, and listens to Jimjar, although she doesn't say much. She carefully pockets the goodberries that Shoowaa gives her, eating one for the day's sustenance, and tiptoeing over to hand one to Kisiki, without looking at him, and scurrying off quickly after she does so.
If Shoowaa is still awake, she starts telling him a riveting tale of the time she was chased by elves into a wood touched far too strongly by the Feywild. She might have told him this story before, but she always stops at the same place, a dramatic sort of cliffhanger where she's been captured by the fey and is about to be strung up by them.
Shoowaa nods. "Sounds good to me" Shoowaa seems enamoured by her story and tells one of his own. "Oh no, those meanies! Once we get to the surface we will teach them that goblins are not to be messed with!"
He talks about a small clan near the civilization of humans. Even though the goblins were there before the humans, the humans did not like the goblins so close to civilization and nearly wiped them out. Shoowaa fled into the woods, going deeper and deeper. Eventually, he was in a land that he has not seen the likes of before or since, trying to portray wonder and excitement. He tells her that he knows some fey can be nasty but others are fascinating and good company. He goes on the journey through the new and strange land.
When the party has gathered around the campfire for the night, Kisiki once again turns the fire into a source of magical shadow puppets with control flames.
"There is a reason this is one of the first lessons the hatchlings learn; it is fundamental - all other lessons build upon it. The wisest shaman return to these lessons and contemplate their meaning regularly."
The shadows on the walls change to depict a group of 8 Lizardfolk, each doing something different: one hunting, one carrying water, one climbing a tree, etc. "The Firstborn, the first and only clutch of Semuanya's eggs, always quarreled among themselves. Semuanya tried to persuade them to work together, but each nevertheless did as they pleased. Semuanya created the world and knew its dangers, but her children did not. Words failing, She gave them a practical demonstration. She ordered her children to bring her a bundle of 8 sticks."
The shadows change again, now depicting a Lizardfolk straining to break a bundle of sticks. "Semuanya ordered each of her children to break the bundle. Each tried, but even the strongest among them was unable to break all 8 together."
Again, the shadows morph into a new shape, this time of a Lizardfolk easily breaking a single stick. "She took apart the bundle and gave 1 stick to each of her children, then ordered them to try to break the stick. Each easily broke their stick."
The shadows now show 8 Lizardfolk standing in unison before one Great Lizardfolk. "She then addressed them in these words: 'My children, if you are united in mind and body, nothing will be able to break you, but if you are divided, you will break as easily as these sticks.'"
Kisiki looks to his companions. "The Derro also needed this lesson, but do not compare yourselves to him. Think about how Semuanya's wisdom can help us in our shared situation." With a flick of his wrist, the fire returns to normal.
Derendil listens and watches this entranced. He speaks up "My people have a similar lesson. They say 'Quaggoths...er... (he stumbles for a moment confused) I mean Elves together strong.'" and he clasps his arms together, locking his forearms in place.
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Vethna ignores the body and the fact some of the group are still hiding. She gathers anything of use from the drow's gear, then would help in moving the bodies if that is still an option. Once done she would simply stop and glance to the members of the party she can see.
"Either stay with us and let us move out, or go your own way and fend for yourself." She says briskly to the group at large. "I am continuing on towards Dark Lake. The Derro was an evil and sadistic creature. That is why he is now dead. If you follow his inclinations, then you are right to fear for your safety. if you do not, then stop fooling around and lets get moving."
“I agree with you. He would have sabotaged us the entire way, or killed us. Thank you Vrah, I was about to do the same…”. He pauses, looking around in the shadows, then nods in the direction Sarith pointed. He turns to Vethna, “Shall we? I can take point with you again if you wish..”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Phodoxia, from her spot hidden away, listens to the various conversations. Would Buppido have killed us? Would he have gotten us killed? There's no way to know. We didn't know him any better than we know each other. Phodoxia does not know anything about any of the people she escaped with. But she knows words mean little, without actions to back them up. Perhaps Vethna is the evil and sadistic one; she certainly seems dismissive of the effect her actions have on others. In an already dangerous situation, a group you cannot trust is worse than being alone. Tanis and Vrah are convinced that the derro was a threat, but seem to understand the impact his murder has on the group. They might be trustworthy; we are all trying to survive here. But only time will tell. I trust Shoowaa, because he is kin, and we know how to understand each other, we know what to expect. With the others, we have nothing in common...
Phodoxia whispers very quietly, in Goblin, to Shoowaa. "We don't know any of these people, or if they mean what they say. We banded together in a desperate situation for protection, but they have just killed one of the group. The small one that doesn't breathe does not care about anyone else and keeps her own counsel on who deserves to die. But, we are alone in this Underdark. Do you think we can survive and find our way out alone? Maybe we can get Kisiki to come with us. Or, maybe we can stay with the group until we get to Dark Lake, but stay at the back, and keep our own watch. They do not seem inclined to kill us now, but they may decide later that we are a burden or a threat. What do you think?"
Vrah Perception: 18
Vrah walks over to where he thinks Phodoxia might be hiding, crouches down, sighs, then speaks haltingly, picking his words carefully in goblin, "Stay with group until Dark Lake then make your decision. Nothing good would have come from keeping that filth alive, he was out for his own safety and none other. Rest of us work well together, he was here for his own hide nothing else. Keeping him around would not have ended well."
Then he will get up and move to the direction Sarith pointed and once more take up the middle position in the group, waiting for the others to lead the way.
Shoowaa whispers back “It’s too late now to determine if he was a threat. I think…we should follow at a distance, and when we come to the lake we leave with Kiski. I am not sure if I trust the others to not slay us if we seem like we are dangerous to the group. What determines that anyways? He may have been annoying and a bit of a bother…but I don’t think he deserved death for it.”
When it goes back to traveling, Shoowaa will stay back with Phodoxia.
Phodoxia twitches her ears as if thinking hard about everything she has heard. Then she nods to Shoowaa, saying in Goblin, "I don't trust them either, and I think this is a good plan. We will go with them, since we all need to find our way out of here, at least to Dark Lake, but we will follow at a distance."
Cautiously she comes out of hiding, but as the group organizes itself to move down the tunnel she will stay at least 20 feet behind everyone else with Shoowaa.
Vethna takes the lead position. If anyone is unable to see how demonic the derro was acting, reveling in slicing up the drow bodies, then she cannot convince them of anything, and frankly she doesn't care to try. The simple fact the drro could have easily brought an entire drow patrol down on them, not just those two scouts, was enough warning to Vethna that the derro had to go, but the way he acted with those bodies, that was just evil.
Seeing the others ready to move out, Vethna once more takes the lead.
Perception is a 26 and stealth a 17. Rolled in the game log.
Petmailer is in complete agreement with Vethna, nods and moves in tandem, resuming scouting and following.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
The party is somewhat fractured and stressed by the events that just occurred, but it moves forward. Neither the forward scouts nor those taking up the rear hear any sounds of pursuit, but you know the mess you left behind (blood, bodies, signs of conflict) will indicate your presence in the area. You could hide the bodies, but there will be bloodstains and other signs of a battle that would take a long time to clean up or cover up. Before you leave, Shuushar takes a moment by each of the bodies to say a prayer or make a blessing. You see his lips moving, but don't hear any words.
If there is anything in particular you want to take from the Drow or Buppido, let me know. Both drow were carrying hand crossbows, but I think everyone who wanted one took one before leaving Velkynvelve. They each also had a couple of cases of crossbow bolts and some vial's of drow poison. They were wearing chain shirts and had short swords. Buppido isn't carrying anything special beyond the things he picked up from the Drow armory when you escaped.
These passages are lacking in any natural light or illumination from moss or lichen. Especially for Kisiki's sake, you're going to need some light source to travel at a normal pace. You move forward down the passage that Sarith indicated.
I have Vethna and Eldeth scouting in the front. Sarith is not far back, toward the front of the main pack of the party. Shuushar, Stool and Jim Jar and Derendil stay in the middle of the pack. Phodoxia and Shoowaa trail behind the others.
If I have any of you in the wrong place or you want to designate a specific place you have in the travel order, let me know.
Tanis is furthest back other than the 2 goblins, trying to hide or misdirect the party's tracks and check for pursuit as they go.
Perception: 27
Survival: 19
He would have taken the four cases of crossbow bolts and the vials of drow poison if no one else did.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Phodoxia keeps an eye and ear behind and also ahead to keep track of the party ahead of them.
Perception: 16
Stealth: 8
Survival: 3
You make it through the rest of that day's journey without encountering anyone else. You find a small side passage that you think it may be safe to camp in to get a rest.
Shuushaar begins collecting spores from the Bluecaps you harvested earlier in the day and starts grinding them into a flour. He also grinds up some of the fire lichen to be used as a spice and added in with the flour (these were mentioned being harvested in post 543).
Jimjar tries to engage people in conversation and lighten the mood, wanting to be someone 20 gold that the group crosses paths with Topsy and Turvy again before they reach the darklake.
Sarith stays to himself most of the evening, holding his head and wincing in pain.
Derendil tries to make himself useful and stands guard over one of the entrances to the side passage.
Eldeth sits by the fire and polishes her shield.
[Let me know if anyone wants to take a watch during the night or anything else you want to do during the downtime. I can have some NPCs join in and help with the watch.]
Tanis will volunteer to take first watch.
Perception: 8
He again passes out his remaining berries (originally 20) from Goodberry, eating one himself. Then with his one remaining spell slot, casts Goodberry only once this time to produce 10 berries for the next day. He thinks the goblins will be ok, at a minimum because he recalls that Shoowaa can cast the same spell.
He engages with Jimjar though he does not take the bet. "I'm already going to owe you a gold piece I don't have yet if and when we make it to Darklake!"
Otherwise, he would trade stories with the others. E.g. asking Eldeth about Gauntlgrym.
Tanis will attempt to coat some of his arrows and crossbow bolts with the drow poison. Can he perceive how long the poison will remain effective?
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The poison seems to dry quickly and make a coating on the bolts. You think it will remain there until it comes on contact with a liquid - either blood that would cause it to infect a wound or water that could wash it off.
Shoowaa will be on the lookout with Phodxia while trailing behind the group.
stealth: 16
per: 12
surv: 11
once they set up camp, Shoowaa will cast goodberries, giving Phodxia 5 of them.
Vethna would take second watch, along with someone else.
Perception is a 21.
Once the group stops and she and Shoowaa set up in a corner of the passageway some distance from the rest of the group, she says, in Goblin, to him, "Do you want to swap watches? I'll stay up and when I'm too tired, I'll wake you up. We can help watch for trouble and also watch the group."
Phodoxia sits by the fire for a bit, keeping her back to the wall, and listens to Jimjar, although she doesn't say much. She carefully pockets the goodberries that Shoowaa gives her, eating one for the day's sustenance, and tiptoeing over to hand one to Kisiki, without looking at him, and scurrying off quickly after she does so.
If Shoowaa is still awake, she starts telling him a riveting tale of the time she was chased by elves into a wood touched far too strongly by the Feywild. She might have told him this story before, but she always stops at the same place, a dramatic sort of cliffhanger where she's been captured by the fey and is about to be strung up by them.
Shoowaa nods. "Sounds good to me" Shoowaa seems enamoured by her story and tells one of his own. "Oh no, those meanies! Once we get to the surface we will teach them that goblins are not to be messed with!"
He talks about a small clan near the civilization of humans. Even though the goblins were there before the humans, the humans did not like the goblins so close to civilization and nearly wiped them out. Shoowaa fled into the woods, going deeper and deeper. Eventually, he was in a land that he has not seen the likes of before or since, trying to portray wonder and excitement. He tells her that he knows some fey can be nasty but others are fascinating and good company. He goes on the journey through the new and strange land.
When the party has gathered around the campfire for the night, Kisiki once again turns the fire into a source of magical shadow puppets with control flames.
"There is a reason this is one of the first lessons the hatchlings learn; it is fundamental - all other lessons build upon it. The wisest shaman return to these lessons and contemplate their meaning regularly."
The shadows on the walls change to depict a group of 8 Lizardfolk, each doing something different: one hunting, one carrying water, one climbing a tree, etc. "The Firstborn, the first and only clutch of Semuanya's eggs, always quarreled among themselves. Semuanya tried to persuade them to work together, but each nevertheless did as they pleased. Semuanya created the world and knew its dangers, but her children did not. Words failing, She gave them a practical demonstration. She ordered her children to bring her a bundle of 8 sticks."
The shadows change again, now depicting a Lizardfolk straining to break a bundle of sticks. "Semuanya ordered each of her children to break the bundle. Each tried, but even the strongest among them was unable to break all 8 together."
Again, the shadows morph into a new shape, this time of a Lizardfolk easily breaking a single stick. "She took apart the bundle and gave 1 stick to each of her children, then ordered them to try to break the stick. Each easily broke their stick."
The shadows now show 8 Lizardfolk standing in unison before one Great Lizardfolk. "She then addressed them in these words: 'My children, if you are united in mind and body, nothing will be able to break you, but if you are divided, you will break as easily as these sticks.'"
Kisiki looks to his companions. "The Derro also needed this lesson, but do not compare yourselves to him. Think about how Semuanya's wisdom can help us in our shared situation." With a flick of his wrist, the fire returns to normal.
Derendil listens and watches this entranced. He speaks up "My people have a similar lesson. They say 'Quaggoths...er... (he stumbles for a moment confused) I mean Elves together strong.'" and he clasps his arms together, locking his forearms in place.