Cratol listens to Perry and when he talks about the purple dragon he answers him.  "I do not think it will be like Old White Death and being underground it probably eats purple people."

The group makes whatever preparations are needed and settles down for the night. In the morning, they make their way back to the Yawning Portal and hook up to the ropes to repel down the famous well in that building.

Shortly after your feet hit the bottom, Vadim steps out of the shadows. "Greetings, I do hope you're ready for this, the underdark is unpleasant to say the least for those not born to it."

"We'll be taking a hidden passage to bypass most of the old dwarven city. We keep it clear for exactly this reason, but there is a section where only a thin wall separates us from an active duergar town. So when we indicate quiet I suggest taking it seriously. We also ask that you not spread word of this around. It remains useful precisely because not many people know about it."

"If you are unfamiliar with the life down here, please avoid touching or eating any plant life without asking if its safe. We almost lost a halfling client last year because he gobbled down the first mushrooms he saw. Same goes for the animals, very few of them are not dangerous in some way. If you sense anything weird and there isn't reason to stay quiet, call it out right away."

"If you have any questions or last minute preparations, this would be the time."

"I didn't want to tell you Perry, but the wizard told me that they will try to befriend you but will then suddenly eat you, especially tieflings.  If you become too fearful for the task, I understand."

When Vadim discusses plants and animals likely being dangerous in the depths, Velon nods at him but immediately turns and looks at both Perry and Cratol to make sure they are listening.  "Perry, what did the man just say?  I was thinking of how to sneak past the duergar and missed it."

Morgaine will make sure she has everything she needs for the Underdark mission the Blaze is about to undertake. 

Once they arrive to the meeting place and hears about needing to be quiet near the duergar area, she wonders if there was some kind of spell or something that could make Velon's armor and any others not make a sound for a time or a spell that could effect the duergar as to not hear us pass by. She states these concerns to the group, after Perry answers Velon's question.

  Lia says, " We have faced duergar before and understand the danger. We are not novices underground. Do not worry.  Sune will guard our ways through the darkness.  " She murmurs a quiet prayer of protection to Sune. 

She responds to Perry. " I doubt he will be like our frozen friend.  I miss Old White Death.   Wonder what he is up to..  " She winks at  Perry. 

At Velon's statement, Lawrance looks at him blank-faced, then turns away before a grin can be seen. Once down in the start of their subterranean adventure, he keeps a sharp eye out for trouble, Gamliel now in spider form, perches on the wizard's shoulder, watching as best he can, as well. 

Perception 25

As we once again head into the under dark Cratol will keep his eyes peeled for anything that may be a issue.

  Lia walks towards the rear of her party with her senses fully focused on their surroundings.

Mari walks up at the front of their group. Blades are held in each hand as she looks for danger from the shadows. 

Lia perception: @Kyrroeth game_die
Result: 1d20 (18) + 9
Total: 27

Mari perception: @Kyrroeth game_die
Result: 1d20 (16) + 9
Total: 25

Vadim beckons you on, and the Blaze proceeds down the tunnel, soon running into another twelve drow. Vadim make a sign with his hand, and half of them run off into the darkness, while the remaining split up, three in the front and three in the rear. They keep their distance from the group for the most part as you move along.

You don't go very far before the drow turn off the main path, slipping into what looks to have once been a temple dedicated to the deity Torag. The drow are messing with some of the stonework by the altar, and then a section of the wall is opening, revealing a narrow passage through the rock. The tunnel is a bit short for nondwarves, and Poljen's hair brushes on the ceiling, but the space is surprisingly clean and clear, apparently Vadim was not kidding about the drow acting to maintain it for their own use.

Watching the Bregan D'aerthe at work is something of an eerie experience. They rarely say anything aloud, instead mostly communicating with simple hand signals. They generally only speak when there's something requiring specific detail. About every ten minutes, one of the six who had run ahead shows up for a brief exchange before running off again.

A few hours of travel later, Vadim indicates quiet. You can hear muffled sounds from beyond the wall on the left, the sort of sounds you associate with a city. At one point you pass by a nook with what looks like a mechanism to open another door, though this one obviously hasn't been used in some time. It is a tense few minutes, but eventually you get past the duergar city without incident.

As the day drags on, you eventually exit the passage into a more natural series of caves and tunnels, a few hours later and your guides usher you into a side area to make camp and rest. A few of them work together to place an illusion spell over the entry. Vadim speaks up, addressing you, "Its safe enough to build a fire in here, though I still suggest avoiding too much noise. If you like we can bring in something to cook over the fire for fresh meat rather than rations, there will be several rest cycles where that will not be possible."

During the trip, Lawrance makes a habit of renewing the Telepathic Bond spell, whenever it's safe. Once they stop for the night, he watches closely as the casters structure their illusions, making mental notes. He votes for the fresh meat option, curious to discover what manner of creature they will use for sustenance. As things settle for the night, Lawrance asks Vadim "Do you get many groups wanting to go into the depths of the Underdark? What's the most common reason non-natives come down here?"

In his own area, he keeps working on the spell he's been researching, trying to complete it before they encounter this new dragon type. 

Cratol als votes for the fresh meat option.  This way ot will save their rations for when there is no options.

The drow sent for dinner soon return with a large lizard, its mottled grey scales seem perfectly suited to blending into the rock around here, and the venom sacs the hunters cut out of the beast were surprisingly big. Still, the meat is fairly flavorful and not too tough.

Vadim answers Lawrence's question, "Not many, though perhaps more than you might think. Perhaps the most likely reason boils down to people like you trying to be heroes, usually wanting to kill something they think is worth killing for some reason or another. There are trophy hunters, wanting to display some nasty thing's head on their wall as proof of their prowess, most of them end up asking us to actually do the killing for them. Then there are the curious, that halfling I mentioned was part of a group of mages wanting to study the faezress at its primary source. Probably the weirdest request I've ever seen was one guy who wanted to become an illithid, asked to be dropped off near a colony. He said he'd fantasized about joining their collective for decades." Vadim shrugs, "Tried to tell him that even if they shoved one of those worms into him instead of just enslaving or eating him, he'd be dead and something else would be running his body, but he didn't listen."

When the Bregan D'aerthe open up their secret passage early in the journey Velon contacts Lawrance via the mental link (or Message).  "Got that big brain of yours memorizing all of this, Lawrance?"

Velon is game to try the lizard despite the usual nature of the meal and the need to remove the Venom sacks.

When Jarlaxle Vadim discusses the guy who wanted to become an illithid, Velon says aloud to Lawrance in jest "don't get any ideas."  "We need you as is."

"Vadim, what's the most likely bit of trouble we could get into between here and the next rest?  What sort of thing might we end up fighting if things go poorly?  Not that your team isn't doing an excellent job, of course."

#Every single step we take, Velon. As time allows, I'll transcribe a map as we go and keep it in my pouch, in case something goes wrong.# Lawrance responds. 

At the joke about becoming an illithid, Lawrance answers back "No way would I consider it! I like my brain undigested and it's far too useful in it's current condition. Other people might not miss their own."

Velon looks around at some of the rest of their companions and, thinking of himself as well, shrugs and replies to Lawrance "yeah that's probably about right."

  Mari shakes her head at the food. " Thank you but I am fine with my own rations. 

 Lia says thanks as well. " I am trying to maintain my figure.  Better stick with these rations. " She walks off to the side and says a quiet prayer to Sune.  All they can hear of it is " Please don't let this food kill them. " 

Cratol will accept the food and eat it while watching all that is going on.  He is still trying to get used to the voices in his head but knows it is just his friends talking to each other as they remain more silent.  After he eats he will go to the side where he has some room and work on his forms to stay limber and ready. 

"THE DRAGON EATS PURPLE PEOPLE?!" Perry exclaims in surprise and panic. He shifts about nervously, looking in various directions.

Responding to Velon he says, "Uhhh, I think he said something about some weird dwarves, and uhm...mushrooms? Did he say something about a halfling? Also why are those guys always so broody?" Perry asks, referring to the drow. "I feel like they are always sooo broody."

When presented with lizard, Perry has a look of what can only be described as utter disgust. He reaches into his bag, trying to avoid Lia's all-powerful gaze, and grabs some more lemon cakes he snagged from earlier.

He eats them instead of the lizard.

"Oh, Perry, Lawrance filled me in.  He said don't touch any plants or any living creatures down here.  I guess we'd both better listen, eh?"

Morgaine will state she will stick with her rations instead of the meat offered and heads of to the side to eat. She hopes Poljen will come join her and not eat the offered meat.