Beegred manages to run to the drow and get him tied up just as the spell effect fades.  Immediately, the drow begins to laugh, harder than ever.  Between fits of laughter, he tries to say, "... what now... kill me?.... torture me?... why still alive?"

Upon hearing the laughing drow speak of killing, Sarith saunters over and uncharacteristically focuses on the bound captive, "No killing.  The more of us going to Neverlight Grove, the better.  Join us and get to live.  It's the only way you get to live."  Sarith walks away, any semblance of focus gone once again.  

"Who are you?" Narstin asks the drow.  "What are you doing here?"

Between fits of laughter, the drow replies, "... name is.... Khilseith Yarberos...   merchant... returning from... Mantol Derith...  attacked by demons..."  At the mention of demons, he can't speak anymore as an overpowering fit of laughter leaves him almost breathless.

"Too bad squid-face demon-investigator isn't still around. He would have liked this guy."

 "What do you know of Ilvara?"  Narstin asks.  "Or of us?"

Laughter never stopping, the drow replies, "...House Myzzrim... upcoming... influential.   Ilvara... searching underdark... for group with surfacers... to sacrifice to Lolth..."

Beegred starts to sulk. "Why are all our choices in the Underdark so crappy? I don't want to kill an addled fool. But bringing him along will be another mouth to feed. And if he is let go, our pursuers will grab him and know they are going the right direction... This guy should have had the decency to be a goblin, so we could smite him down."

"Well, he's not", Narstin says, "and I can't condone killing a helpless prisoner.  So I guess we get another mouth to feed or we figure out a way to prevent him from telling our pursuers where we're going."

The party ties up Khilseith's hands, with the other end of the rope around Derendil's wrist.  The remainder of the long rest is uneventful, but sleep is often interrupted by sudden bursts of laughter even while the drow seems to be resting himself in his trance.

Day 16 travel is uneventful even though many in the group are on edge because of Khilseith's sudden and loud bursts of laughter.  During a couple of the frequent pauses as Sarith finds his way, Khilseith tries to free himself and when the attempts are found out, he laughs all the harder.

The tunnels are constantly lit by the luminescent fungus as you cross wide open caves with plenty of visibility in most directions.  After fatigue sets in from the constant vigilance and effort of traversing tunnels that move up and down as often as they are level, you settle down for a long rest.

There is plenty of food and what is left is discarded before it spoils, but Narstin has to create water for everyone to drink.

Derendil drags Khilseith along with him as he sits next to Narstin, to say, "The quaggoth is overtaking me.  This prisoner's cackling is drawing him out.  I don't know how much longer I can keep myself from tearing his throat out.  I shouldn't be thinking like this... I am Gold Elf Prince from the kingdom of Nelrindenvane in the High Forest.   A wizard by the name of Terrestor usurped my crown and cursed me into quaggoth form.  I need to return to my kingdom as soon as possible before I lose myself."

Eldeth joins Beegred and echoes his complaints about having to drag Khilseith along.  

Sarith seems apathetic to everyone and even barely acknowledges the food and water presented to him.  His moments of lucidity are few and far between.

Jimjar tries to get Tozer to make a wager to see how long it takes Khielseith to reveal his true colors.  Or a different wager to see how long it takes for someone to kill the laughing fool.

Under Valthana's care, Stool appears to become more comfortable with the party.  He engages with just about everyone, except for Sarith.  It is evident by his questions and maturity that he is still a child.

While sleeping or trancing, the nightmares continue.  Horror, all the time.

Day 17 travel sees the wide open caverns replaced with narrow winding tunnels, barely wide enough to walk single file.  There are still plenty of phosphorescent fungi to provide enough light for Valthana to see.

After fatigue sets in, the party settles down and eats their excess food from the day before.  Narstin provides water.

Derendil spends his downtime speaking with Valthana, repeating the same message: Gold Elf Prince.  Nelrindenvane.  Betrayed by Terrestor.  Cursed into quaggoth form.

Eldeth finds a shelf among some stalactites that provides an excellent view up and down the tunnel for some distance, which also happens to be as far away from the Sarith, Khilseith and Derendil as possible.

Jimjar tries to double the bets to entice Tozer further into taking his bets.  He even offers to put up 100 gold coins that he can make Khilseith laugh.

Stool moves about, never far from Valthana and appears to be curiously examining Khilseith.

The party settles in for their long rest.  During the third shift, Jimjar and Eldeth are alerted to a fairly sizable party approaching by voices speaking a language.  Jimjar doesn't understand, but Eldeth does.  This approaching party is speaking common!

Quote from Kerrec >>

 

Derendil drags Khilseith along with him as he sits next to Narstin, to say, "The quaggoth is overtaking me.  This prisoner's cackling is drawing him out.  I don't know how much longer I can keep myself from tearing his throat out.  I shouldn't be thinking like this... I am Gold Elf Prince from the kingdom of Nelrindenvane in the High Forest.   A wizard by the name of Terrestor usurped my crown and cursed me into quaggoth form.  I need to return to my kingdom as soon as possible before I lose myself."

 Narstin lays a hand on the quaggoth's shoulder.  "We are moving as fast as we can, we will get you back to your kingdom.  You have to continue fighting it."

Eldeth signals Jimjar to go wake everyone.  When Derendil wakes, he inadvertantly tugs on Khilseith's ropes, who also wakes and begins to laugh when Jimjar mimes to 'shush'.

Jimjar wakes Stool and gathers everyone to take a face full of his spores.  Afterwards, Jimjar telepathically tells Beegred, "Wager 10 gold our party will increase in size again?  Go do your gloom thing and scout what's coming?"

As the party looks in the direction of the voices, a faint glow of actual light can be seen on the rock walls in the near distance.

Khilseith, who is tied to Derendil is also affected by Stools spores and you all hear, "Fools, your scout can plainly be seen and her squirming is causing loose rock to fall.  She will easily be spotted."  The voice in your head speaks fluidly without the interruptions between laughter you have become used to while the drow actually breaks out in laughter as he telepathically speaks.

Beegred stays put. "Jimjar, that faint glow of actual light means that the people approaching are not using darkvision. The gloom thing will not work. We should find defensible positions (partial cover or better), and let the group coming here that they need to be polite or be filled with bolts."

There are plenty of stalactites and stalagmites in this narrow corridor for everyone to get half cover from the incoming creatures.

The light at the corner of the narrow (single file) tunnel, approximately 40 60 feet away doesn't necessarily get very bright, even when a floating lantern rounds the turn.  Soon after, a second floating lantern and the first human rounds the bend.  The light from the first lantern (20 feet away) doesn't reach your party yet, but the humans know you are near.

The man in the front, wearing studded leather and wielding a scimitar of surface design bellows in very poor Undercommon, "Show yourselves, or else we shoot first and ask questions later."  He repeats it again in fluent Common.

Beegred (in Common): "Maybe you should speak more politely when intruding on another group. And after threatening to shoot us, there is less reason for us to move away from these nice arrow-proof rocks."

 Narstin chuckles quietly.  "He's got a point," he calls to the new group.  "The rocks provide great protection against arrows.  Threatening us doesn't give us much incentive to come out.  What's a group of humans doing down here?"

The front man calls out over his shoulder, "Lads, move up and take cover behind these stalac-things, like they're doing and let us have a nice standoff.  Lets see who goes hungry first, shall we?"  Before the man takes position behind cover, he makes a show of pulling something small out of a purse, popping it into his mouth and making a show of rubbing his belly, "Ahh, I'm stuffed!  Lads, one buddy alert, the other eats."

The floating lanterns stay near the humans until they all move up, about a dozen of them, and take positions behind cover.  Then the four lanterns float towards and slightly past the party and dimly illuminate the narrow tunnel where the humans guess you all are.

"As for what we're doing down here, well that's a long story.  Right now, we're making the best of our situation.  We're owed a little enrichment for our troubles."