Sovereign Basidia doesn't respond for some time, although she does hold her hand up towards the group in a 'wait' fashion.  Eventually she seems to come to and responds, "I do not know who this Araumycos is.  Zuggtmoy is the lord of Decay.  As myconids, we are aware of her nature.  If she is the Sovereign puppeteering what you fought in the Garden of Welcome, then she is on the material plane, in the underdark, and possibly inside Neverlight Grove.  That would also explain the potency and alien-ness of the spores your three members carry.

Neverlight Grove traditionally has one Sovereign.  I am not native to the grove, I discovered it during my travels.  My circles and I were nomadic before travelling here.  Zuggtmoy is beyond our ability to fight, I have no choice but to take the Circle of Hunters and the Circle of Explorers only, and return to the nomadic ways.  Taking any of the other circles runs the risk of bringing the infection that is Zuggtmoy with us.  As for your party, I sincerely apologize for exposing you to Zuggtmoy.  We will part ways here, I will not risk your three infected to infect us in turn.  I suggest you leave them here in Neverlight Grove and make haste to your surface world.  The deep gnomes of Blingdenstone have recently returned to re-colonize their lost city.  Word is they came from a dwarven city with access to the surface.  I recommend you seek them out for directions."

After a short pause, you see Circle Leader Loobamub put the items it carries down.  "Those items are the promised rewards for bringing me this information.  The box contains trinkets and gems we have found on corpses our hunters have brought us.  The satchel belongs to the surface druid that lived his last days in the grove.  It appears to resist the natural cycle, so it must have some magical properties.

I, nor my circles, will not accompany you further.  The only other aid I can give is the location of one of our supply stashes and knowledge of an exit near said stash."  Sovereign Basidia goes on to provide directions to the stash of supplies and the exit, near the Circle of Explorer mound to the south.  "Be wary in the grove's fungi forest.  It is intended to slow, hinder and even kill those that do not belong here."

Sovereign Basidia and all the nearby myconids descend the mound and disappear into the fungi forest, leaving you alone.

Loot:

• The box is unlocked, made of fine wood inlaid with silver, and worth 25 gp by itself. It contains three amethysts (100 gp each), four small diamonds (50 gp each), and one large diamond (500 gp).
• The bag is a druid's component pouch.  You can find any druid spell material component that isn't consumed during the casting of spells.

Rodolfo will (ritual-cast) identify the box while the myconids are moving out.

The box, nor the contents are magical.

Skameros speaks up "maybe we find cash then visit dirt nomes? maybe they trade with surface world and know way...." and he shrugs because he's never though that far enough ahead for his character development to figure out where he's actually going or why hehe.

Beegred draws a crude map, and mentions to the newcomers (Skameros and Roldolfo) the locations and names of the cities nearby. And why they were heading towards Blingdenstone (most likely to be friendly, and rumored to have trade with surface dwarves).

Narstin and Eldeth will then redraw Beegred's map (they have better Survival skills), correct the spelling of the city names, and generally make clearer what Beegred has mangled in the explanation.

Rodolfo agrees, "Lets go find the cache and head off. Lets focus on finding a good safe place to rest once we're sufficiently far away from here."

The party decides to take a short rest, to heal up before encountering more trouble.

At the end of the hour, Beegred will cast Goodberry. He will hand each member of the party a Berry (including Jimjar, Derendil, and Eldeth), and hold onto the remaining 4 berries. "If one of us is knocked out (and Narstin is busy), you can use this berry to revive them. This will heal (a HP), and take care of your food needs for the day. Just remember to eat it sometime before you sleep tonight, as it will go bad in a day."

Short rest completed, the party sets off in the direction of the supply cache to the south.  Beegred knows exactly how to get there and is determined to get out of the grove by the shortest route possible, regardless of any dangers in the path.

Rolling for encounter difficulty:

1. DC 10 or less: Hard encounter with NPC complications
2. DC 11-15: Deadly, but no NPC complications
3. DC 16-20: Hard, and no NPC complications

Roll: 6

It is inevitable that as you travel through the underdark, stirges are going to be constant pests.  Neverlight Grove with it's forest of giant mushrooms provide the perfect place for stirges to nest and hide from other predators.  Their presence has been constant, but their relatively large forms resembling a cross between a mosquito and a bat make them easy to swat and kill, if they get close enough.  Yet they flit about just outside of range, waiting for a distracted source of blood to give them an opportunity to land and feed.  There are currently three following the group, waiting for such an opportunity.

Derendil is obviously riled up and angry, hackles raised and seething.  He is constantly shifting his gaze from Skameros, to Jimjar, to Rodolfo.  He's muttering, but not loud enough to make out what he is saying.

Rodolfo is aware of Derendil's attention and mood, and is distracted by it as he keeps a close watch on the quaggoth.

Skameros is completely at ease, feeling so safe he takes no precautions whatsoever.

Beegred marches on, unaware of the danger lurking 20 feet up on a mushroom cap nearly 45 feet away, tied to a translucent filament strung out directly in the path.  Beegred's short stature allows him to pass beneath it without knowing.  Skameros, due to his height, walks right into it and is grappled by the filament.

INITIATIVE:

1. Beegred: 9
2. Skameros: 17
3. Jimjar: 10
4. Narstin: 8
5. Derendil 19
6. Rodolfo: 10
7. Eldeth: 7

Stirges:  8, 20, 12

Initiative: 

1. Derendil
2. Stirge20
3. Jimjar
4. Skameros
5. Stirge12
6. Narstin
7. Eldeth
8. Stirge8
9. Beegred
10. Rodolfo
11. CF

Since the CF won the Stealth vs. Perception check, everyone is surprised.  However, since it goes last in the initiative order, no one suffers from the surprised condition.

On the CF's turn, it tries to reel in Skemaros, who is dragged about 25 feet towards it.  However, at the end of the turn, the filament goes slack as it falls to the ground.  Skameros is still grappled by the filament.

At the beginning of round 2, Derendil roars in elvish, "POINTY EARS ARE SPIES!  YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!!", moves and dashes to stand next to Skameros ready to attack.

As Jimjar becomes aware of a threatening situation, the adrenaline kicks in and he has to make a DC 10 Wisdom Saving throw: 14.

Jimjar shakes off the images of Zuggtmoy that threaten to overwhelm him, and is ready to act.

Stirge20 will go after Derendil, who seems disracted...

Attack: 18 Damage: 7

The stirge lands and latches onto Derendil, jabbing its proboscis into a shoulder and sucking blood as fast as it can.

(I'll get a map up this evening.  Until then we can do Theater of the Mind?)

Currently no one is aware of the creature, or where it is.  You only saw Skameros get dragged in a particular direction for around 25 feet.  Everyone gets to act.

Was Derendil shouting that at Skameros? is he acting aggressively towards the bugbear or just rushing to his side to see what might have dragged him off?

"DERENDIL!" Narstin calls out to get the quaggoth's attention as he backs away from the confrontation, then infuses magic into his voice.  "APPROACH!"

(Backing up far enough to require Derendil to dash again to reach me if I'm not already far enough away for that, then cast Command with the approach command, so DC13 wisdom save or else he has to use his turn to move to me)

Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you.

Wisdom save for derendil (since I have him on my sheet): 16

(Well, crap)

End of round 1, Skameros was dragged to Q13

@Rodolfo: Jimjar's turn

Jimjar takes a few steps southward and throws a dart at the stirge to the south:

Attack: 23 Damage: 5

(That stirge is currently on Derendil, sucking his blood.)

Jimjar takes a couple steps south (to R10) and with a show of great skill, kills the stirge on Derendil's back with a dart.

Derendil sees Jimjar throw the dart at him and rages in elvish, "POINTY EARS ATTACKS PRINCE DERENDIL, SPY TOO!"

(Skameros's turn)

Jimjar looks at him, not understanding what he's saying, but understands the aggression nonetheless.

Skameros thinks this is a strange custom but attempts to unstick himself.

[Athletics: 18]

Then he looks around trying to figure out what happened, sees Deredil all wound up and goes to give him a hug to say thanks for rushing over to help him.

[Grapple: 19]

Derendil contested althletics check vs DC 20:  18