“Alright everyone,” Arokas say from his laying position in Common, “this fighting isn’t going to work. The drow aren’t going to fall for something this stupid. Please just stop fighting and let me rest.”

Persuasion (in the game log): 16

((For after Tanis))

     Thunk hears Arokas but Thunk not listen.  Thunk, if he thought, would not even realize Arokas meant him.  Thunk not have a plan.  Thunk just don't want Ront bullying everyone because he is biggest.  Because Thunk is biggest!  Thunk tries to headbutt Ronk to prove this...

Unarmed Strike (reckless so he has advantage, attacks on him do as well):  25 to hit for 7 damage.

Tanis shakes his head, keeps Stool behind him and takes the dodge action once more.

He turns to Derendil, the quaggoth (OOC:  who I don't see in the initiative order?) and suggests in Elvish:  "my prince, utilizing the body you find yourself trapped in, could you put an end to this non-lethally?  Now is not the time for a diversion or escape.  I suggest incapacitating the one without the spider."

Drogen will still hold his position.

Ront takes half a step back after Thunk's attack. Derendil nods at Tanis' suggestion "I concur, the guards will surely notice the noise" and tries to knock down the aggressive Ront (Attack: 10 Damage: 5)

Ront falls unconscious to the ground with a clatter of chains. Drogen hears steps coming to the cell door from outside, but doesn't see anyone nearby.

OOC: we are out of initiative order.

Bizm covers herself up and tries to be as small as possible

Arokas keeps is position, alert but looking unassuming and waiting for the footsteps to pass.

     Thunk goes back to sitting in his spot.  Thunk doesn’t take any food, Thunk not hungry. Thunk just doesn’t like bullies.

"Well that didn't work out as I hoped," Drogen grumbles to himself and finds a place to sit."

Buppido stops smiling after seeing Ront hit the ground. The derro grabs a wooden bowl and takes some gruel to eat without speaking to anyone.

Shaking down his hands, Derendil walks back to Tanis (elvish) "now we can eat in peace, awful as the food is here." Stool still hiding behind Tanis stops shaking from fear and asks telepathically to no one in particular "why is angry orc always angry?"

Two drow walk pass the prison entrance, but only take a quick glance at the closed metal gate and keep going towards the northern watch post. Shortly after a different pair of drow walk back towards the barracks.

Topsy and Turvy still cower near the end of the cell, trying to keep attention away from them. Meanwhile, Eldeth walks to get some gruel, making sure to step on one of Ront's hands on her way.

(In elvish, sincerely grateful to Derendil) "Thank you, my prince.  Small victories until the time is right and we find some distraction or ally."

Following behind Eldeth, Tanis also pauses by Ront's unconscious form.  As the dwarven scout steps on the fallen orc's hand, Tanis performs a cursory search of Ront's belongings.  If he finds any useful item or weapon, he offers it to Thunk first.

He takes a fairly small amount of gruel and chews the nasty morsels stoically. To Eldeth (in dwarvish, so also including others, though the first two sentences are addressed to Eldeth):  "You and I are both scouts, I think?  While out on our rangings from Bryn Shander, I never thought there could be food so much worse than the hardtack we were forced to eat, but now I know better.  I like the idea of using a brawl as a distraction to draw the guards in, but I think we need to know more about the cavern and escape routes outside, and choose a time when we think the drow are distracted or divided."

To Stool's question about Ront's anger, he responds telepathically:  he knows no other way.  If we escape, I do not know if we can take him with us alive.

Finally, Tanis walks near Shuushar, the pacifist Kuo Toa.  (In undercommon) "I know that violence, such as what just transpired here is not your way, awakened one.  Might you instead have thoughts on how best to escape and which way we should go if we do?"

Arokas, looking at the gruel everyone is taking, shakes his head. He says in Elvish, Dwarvish, and Undercommon (so that everyone can understand him), “You guys take what you want, I’m not particularly hungry right now. I can survive with out a little food, it’s nothing I haven’t had to do before.”

Drogen grabs a bowl and finds a place to sit and eat.

     Thunk watches others get food.  Then Thunk takes some food.  Thunk takes his food back to Thunk's sit spot and sits.  And Thunk eats.  Thunk listens but Thunk not much of a planner. When Thunk done eating, Thunk puts his spider in the bowl so Thunkster can eat too.

Bizm tries to time the drow patrols, setting up a makeshift pendulum with a thread of cloth and a tiny piece of rock or a tooth if one came out of the big orc's face

Quote from Tybard >>

(In elvish, sincerely grateful to Derendil) "Thank you, my prince.  Small victories until the time is right and we find some distraction or ally."

Derendil nods back and replies (elvish) "this accursed form has its advantages from time to time, I can only hope that my subjects will listen to me before they slay what they see as a monster."

Other than dirty clothes, Tanis finds nothing of note searching Ront.

Quote from Tybard >>

He takes a fairly small amount of gruel and chews the nasty morsels stoically. To Eldeth (in dwarvish, so also including others, though the first two sentences are addressed to Eldeth):  "You and I are both scouts, I think?  While out on our rangings from Bryn Shander, I never thought there could be food so much worse than the hardtack we were forced to eat, but now I know better.  I like the idea of using a brawl as a distraction to draw the guards in, but I think we need to know more about the cavern and escape routes outside, and choose a time when we think the drow are distracted or divided."

Eldeth replies in dwarvish "aye, the food here is awful. I've been taken out to clear some fallen rocks and seen that there are three ways out of this cavern, alas I know not where they lead."

Quote from Tybard >>

To Stool's question about Ront's anger, he responds telepathically:  he knows no other way.  If we escape, I do not know if we can take him with us alive.

Stool swaddles from side to side "this is first time someone stops angry orc from taking food first. Maybe now Stool can have more than yesterday." He tilts towards Tanis and adds "Stool knows the way to Neverlight Grove, the sovereign there is wise and can help Stool and friends if we get there."

Quote from Tybard >>

Finally, Tanis walks near Shuushar, the pacifist Kuo Toa.  (In undercommon) "I know that violence, such as what just transpired here is not your way, awakened one.  Might you instead have thoughts on how best to escape and which way we should go if we do?"

Shuushar slowly blinks and nods as he replies (undercommon) "on how to escape I will not harm anyone, but I can sens if people are coming from behind a wall so we can avoid them. Little do I know of the cavern we are in now, but if we manage to get near the Darklake I can guide us to my city, Sloobludop."

Quote from Kaemgen >>

     Thunk watches others get food.  Then Thunk takes some food.  Thunk takes his food back to Thunk's sit spot and sits.  And Thunk eats.  Thunk listens but Thunk not much of a planner. When Thunk done eating, Thunk puts his spider in the bowl so Thunkster can eat too.

Thunkster walks all over the food and happily digs its tiny fangs into a small morsel.

Quote from Rylentlar >>

Bizm tries to time the drow patrols, setting up a makeshift pendulum with a thread of cloth and a tiny piece of rock or a tooth if one came out of the big orc's face

The drow seem to spend three hours in the north watch post before rotating the guard. They seem to be bored to man that post as if nothing ever happened in that direction.

Arokas watches while everyone else eats. His stomach growls quietly, but he ignores it. “Alright,” he says wearily in Undercommon, “it seems like we probably won’t be able to escape from this cell, not without outside help. I might be able to convince or deceive Jorlan into help us, though I don’t know if we could trust one of our captors. The only way out that I can think of is while we’re working, but even that seems unlikely unless there was something distracting most of the drow…”

Tanis nods in sympathy at Derendil's plight (beyond imprisonment by drow), knowing full well that the strange quaggoth is correct:  elves would likely never accept him.  He then considers at Arokas' words.  After a pause, he replies (also in Undercommon but translating to Dwarvish as well):

"The drow are spiteful and may be contentious with each other.  Even if Jorlan does not help us, he may wish to make his apparent rival for Ilvara's affections, Shoor, look bad.  We have to keep our eyes and ears open.  It would also help if we subdue a guard or two to take their weapons and armor when we make our escape.  Even better if we find where they have an armory or where they keep their supplies like rations, water, ropes and so on."

To Stool and Shuushar, he asks, telepathically if possible, "Do we know which of the three ways out of the cavern that Eldeth mentions leads to this Darklake?  And from there is that the best way to both Sloobludop and Neverlight Grove?  I cannot speak for the others, but I hope we can all return home one day.  The two of you to those places, but many of us to the surface.  Do you know the way from your homes to access the world above?"

Quote from Tybard >>

To Stool and Shuushar, he asks, telepathically if possible, "Do we know which of the three ways out of the cavern that Eldeth mentions leads to this Darklake?  And from there is that the best way to both Sloobludop and Neverlight Grove?  I cannot speak for the others, but I hope we can all return home one day.  The two of you to those places, but many of us to the surface.  Do you know the way from your homes to access the world above?"

Stool bounces up and down happily and says "Neverlight Grove is that way" nodding due west. "But Stool doesn't know about a way to the great above. Maybe Sovereign Basidia knows a way."

Suushar patiently waits for the small myconid to finish and replies (undercommon) "My people have no need to go up to the surface, but they do trade with other cities in the Darklake." Sarith, the drow prisoner, joins the conversation as he takes something to eat (undercommon) "I've been as far as Neverlight Grove, on the other side of the Darklake. If this small one here says we can find refuge there I can lead the way." Stool bounces happily again "Sovereign Basidia will proptect Stool's friends when we get there."

Not long after the gate swings open. Jorlan, the maimed drow, is standing there with another drow warrior. Jorlan says (undercommon) "enough eating, time to work." Ignoring the unconscious Ront sprawled in the floor he adds (undercommon) "you four will come with me" pointing to Drogen, Eldeth, Bizm and Jimjar. Jimjar quickly translates to common for Eldeth "better follow him, remember what happened to Rainan?" She nods, stands and takes two steps forward, ready to follow the drow to whatever it is they want.

     Thunk sighs.  Thunk slowly stands and then gets in line.