Tanis looks pained when Phodoxia speaks up about leaving Topsy and Turvy's things behind.  Especially since, even though he didn't know them, he had a soft spot after what Ilvara had ordered done to Topsy back in the cell.

"I... I do not think they are coming back.  I had heard them talking before in gnomish.  They barely left anything behind, but it is enough for the drow to track us by.  Can we agree on Kisiki's compromise?"

(He listens to what the rest of the party thinks.  IF the group decides upon Kisiki's suggestion, Tanis would use his 35' movement to move down a branch tunnel not far from the camping spot and leave a trail of the deep gnomes' remaining things in that direction so that it would lead any pursuit away, at least temporarily, but still be somewhere that the deep gnomes can find if they come back.  Then he will double back to catch up to the party - so as not to slow the progress.  Anyone with extra movement can of course come with).

Phodoxia thinks sadly about the gnomes. She isn't that comfortable around big people either. To have to rely on strangers or even antagonists for one's survival or well-being does not leave one's stomach very settled. "Perhaps they meant to leave their things so that they could not be tracked either," she wonders.

"I think that Kisiki's idea is fine! A false trail will help our cause too."

Phodoxia will help with arranging a misleading trail.

Deception: 9

The party moves some of Topsy and Turvy's belongings off to a side passage and continues on in the direction Sarith has recommended for reaching the dark lake. Around the middle of the day, the group enters a tall chamber with a waterfall coming down from somewhere in the distance far above (it's falling a greater distance than any of your darkvision can see). It's a light flow of water, really not much more than a constant spattering almost like a heavy rain that splashes into a shallow pool at the bottom of the shaft. The path you are taking snakes through a a narrow chasm of broken rock. But from the moisture from the waterfall, the entire area is covered in various mushrooms. With Shuushar's help, you identify the following:

• a large barrelstalk mushroom growing on the side of the pool, it is a cask-shaped fungus that can be tapped and drained of the fresh water stored within it. This barrelstalk contains8 gallons of water and yields 5 pounds of food;
• a huge shelf of the ripplebark mushrooms some of you roasted before (36 pounds of it);
• some fire lichen which Jimjar points out. It can be ground up and used as a spice to flavor the more bland mushrooms
• Some bluecaps. These mushrooms are dubbed the “grain of the Underdark,” Shuushar warns you that the mushroom itself is inedible, but its spores can be ground to make a nutritious, bland flour. Bread made from bluecap flour is known as sporebread or bluebread. One loaf is equivalent to 1 pound of food. If you want to take a short rest here, some of you could collect some of the flour. It's a little time intensive and would take you an hour to collect enough spores to make 3 pounds of bread

Shuushar also points out to you some strange grey mushrooms he calls a Nilhogg’s Nose. These are small mushrooms that grant any creature that eats them advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on smell for 1d4 hours. However, the creature suffers disadvantage on saving throws against effects based on smell for the same amount of time. You're not sure when you might need to make smell based perception checks, but you see Shuushar and Buppido both collect some of the little mushrooms.

When you set out for the second half of your day, I'll need survival (at advantage) and perception checks from the people scouting ahead as well as survival roles from whoever is covering tracks. You can still do that, but you also know that the harvesting of mushrooms that several of the NPCs did (even if the party members didn't) will show that someone recently passed through the chamber with the waterfall. 

Tanis once again takes careful mental notes on all the mushrooms and lichen, in the context of his proficiency with a herbalism kit.  Given that the NPCs have already left a trace of the group's passage by harvesting mushrooms, he will take some ripplebark and fire lichen, and fill his waterskin from the barrelstalk.

Tanis' rear scouting Survival to cover up tracks (I assume not at advantage unless someone helps):  17

Also:  Tanis still has 17 Goodberries in his pack from last night, having eaten one and given one each to Petmailer and Vrah I believe.  Let me know if anyone else takes one (that didn't already get one from Shoowaa).  Should I assume that the remaining NPCs other than Stool (Eldeth, Jimjar, Shuushar, Buppido, Sarith) each take one as well?

(If we get to the point where we're about to long rest and unused Goodberries will expire, Tanis will just hand them out and munch on some himself for a full belly).

For now, you guys have been doing well on food and water.

Vethna will help collect some provisions from the chamber. She would have taken a goodberry to eat for herself, prior to setting out that morning.

When it is time to move again...
Survival: 26
Stealth: 10
Perception: 20

Shoowaa will also hand out goodberries to people if they ask.  He also grabs some fire lichen to make his food spicy, and he briefly wonders if it can be used offensivly.

survival: 14

perception: 6

Petmailer takes his turn harvesting some of the mushrooms, including some of the Nilhoggs nose.  He votes for a short rest to replenish their supplies, and then to press on at a fast pace for a day.  He moves forward doing additional scouting, helping Vethna.  

Survival : 13 

Stealth : 9 

Perception :  10 

(2nd rolls if with advantage : Survival 17, Stealth 7, Perception 20) 

Kisiki accepts a Goodberry from Tanis and harvests some Nilhogg's Nose from by the waterside. He inspects the strange mushroom up close, under his light, and comments, "Strange, the things that Semuanya has created."

He doesn't linger long in the waterfall chamber and rejoins his allies in the middle of the pack.

At one of their breaks, Petmailer uses some of the fire lichen to season some of the ripple bark mushrooms as he roasts them over a small fire.  He looks across the fire and sees Sarith sitting alone and he decides to try and engage the Drow.  “I have heard what you were accused of, but only rumors, nothing of truth.  Can you tell me how you ended up in that prison?  I know we have come from different paths, but perhaps I could offer some insight, or there is some way that we could help each other.  I’m sure you probably heard horrible things about me, traitor, liar, worse.  Not true.  But I haven’t heard anything about you and what led up to this.  Can you tell me?  I sense when Stool connected us all that there is something more…”

Insight :  7 

Vrah continues to travel with the group knowing there is safety in numbers and so far everyone seems to know their business and rolls in this party.

Thankfully there are those that can provide as well, as he thinks back on the glorious taste is those good berries he has eaten the past couple of days. I have not tasted anything in I don’t know how long that taste quite as good as those berries and I doubt I will ever eat any type of mushroom ever again.

During their trek he will continue to listen to the idek chat if the others but mostly, always be on the look out for anything trying to sneak up on them.

As the group sits around the small fire that Petmailer got going on one of their breaks, Kisiki takes the opportunity to take solace from his faith. He uses control flames to create scenes in the fire. The walls of the cave light up with 360 degrees shadow puppets, depicting scenes of Lizardmen walking through great forests, giant beasts, and ritual prayer before a giant Lizardperson. Motifs of growth, decay, light, darkness, geometric shapes, natural shapes like snakes, and more play around the edges of the scenes. Kisiki's mouth opens and closes to the silent whispers of the chants that go along with his stories, and his hands move constantly, reflecting the shapes of some of the shadows on the walls.

Finally, at the end of the rest, he sits in silence, one arm draped over his knee, the other propping him up on the cold cave floor. He stares at the walls where the shadow of a cracking egg now shimmers from the firelight. Finally he puts the fire out with a wave of his hand and helps the others clean up the evidence of their passing.

Tanis looks on in fascination at the stories told through shadow by Kisiki.  Oddly, the motifs portrayed by the lizardfolk are both foreign and moving to him, while making him think of his own home at the same time.

"I've never given much thought to where I came from.  It's just been Tanis from Caer Dineval in Icewind Dale and scout for Sherriff Markham Southwell of Bryn Shander.  Thank you for sharing these scenes through the blessing of Semuanya.  I truly hope that we can all not only escape, but each return to or find a home in our own way."

"Yes," Kisiki agrees, "we must all return home. Each of us has a place to be, and it is not here. Semuanya will guide us to where we must go, if we listen to her. I will help you all read the signs and deliver you to where you must go."

8

16

9

8

You have been passing through a series of twisting tunnels. You enter a larger vertical shaft that is crisscrossed in several places by various tunnels.

Vethna [I'm basing this off of your perception (20) and stealth (10) rolls from back when the party set out again]

As you are scouting out in front of the party, you hear a hushed conversation in undercommon up ahead of you.

"It doesn't make much sense to me."

"Well, maybe they're trying to throw us off the trail. Someone clearly had harvested mushrooms back there."

You turn to try and quietly slip back and warn the party and your foot dislodges a piece of stone. 

(in whispers) "Did you hear that?"

Petmailer,

The drow looks at you for a few moments before finally speaking. "They say I killed someone in a fit of madness. I have no remembrance of that. But they use even that against me and say it is proof of my insanity. Someone is out to discredit me. I have no idea whose wrath I have incurred, but nonetheless, they are trying to ruin my name and have me executed. How do you prove yourself innocent when they accuse you of something you never did?"

(Where is whomever has been helping Vethna out front? Just trying to figure out who else is close to her at this point...)
Vethna goes still, not moving at all, waiting to see how the owners of the voices react.

Stealth: 15