Pax sheathes her unused sword, looking down at the horrifically burned dwarven creature and sighs. 

She looks around and while the group begins scavenging gear she begins ritually casting Detect Magic so she can help point out any items of particular interest. 

Rhayna inspects Gartokkar's body if he has any information that can help them. (Letters and what not)

Sekkar called back the light of Dawnbringer and squinted into darkness - it seemed they were done here. "Let's hope the priest did not call more guards. I say we leave and fast. Can you do that thing on the go?" He was ready to carry all the stuff if Pax and Rhayna can do their magic as they move.

Zeno returns from the darkness and searches the body of the drow elite specifically, assisting the others in quickly stripping the others for whathey can find before taking point in leading them to their intended rendezvous.

"Grab everything and let's go," Kastix states, "Just in case, want to drag some drow over to priest guy. They got any daggers?" If possible, Kastix woule likes to make it look like the drow stabbed the priest, "Probably won't fool the backup but who knows?"

(Could be mixing chars up but did Kastyix do something like this earlier?)

Pax shrugs, looking pretty casual while the group seems in a rush to get going. "I would imagine if they could spare more warriors, they would have brought them. I don't think a flood of reinforcements is around the corner waiting to jump at us. But...I'm eager to get moving as well, I'll cast my magic later to see if things are magical.  For now, lets grab what looks valuable and we can head away from here."

She helps pick at the bodies and collect valuables before following the group away from the location of the battle. 

The duergar priests and guards seem to have left in a hurry, and carry only the bare essentials and basic weapons. The drow appear to be somewhat more prepared, and carry traveling gear and rations. Two items light up with magic auras, including a rope carried by one drow and the boots worn by another. (Any gear from explorer's packs that you want can be claimed, as well as up to 60 crossbow bolts).

Zeno's inspection of the lead drow reveals a small pouch of 150 gold coins of a minting that he has never seen before, with a symbol or inscription that looks elvish in form. Rhayna finds a coin pouch on Gartokkar's belt with identical coins, although not nearly so many (only 20gp).

Also on Gartokkar's person is some kind of spell scroll written in Draconic. Kastix scans it and interprets it as a prayer of some kind, apparently to cause another creature to speak the truth, but he himself cannot cast it.

Wary of potential reinforcements, the group quickly gather what they can and hurry away. Just as Kaylyn and Sekkar are about to say that they estimate five miles have been covered, a short cowled figure pops out of the shadows and hails the group in Undercommon. As the figure uncovers its head, Zeno recognises it as Ylsa Henstak, the dark dwarf that offered to guide them toward Bligdenstone. You got 'ere faster than I'd 'ave expected, she says gruffly (in Undercommon - sorry Kastix). Looks like the guards at the gate left ye alone after all, eh?

"Think you can tell her to move along with haste?" Kastix whispers to under common speakers 

Zeno comments to the others about the strange coin, and observes, "Looks like the priests may have been being paid by these drow. We can see if Ylsa has ever seen this."  He also scavenges some more crossbow bolts, a mess kit, and some torches.  He pays attention to the others who are casting their spells as to the nature of the magic items.

Finding Ylsa, Zeno greets their guide, and quickly explains they were able to leave easily enough, but were ambushed outside the city by a mix of Stone Guards, priests, and drow slavers.  "We aren't sure if we are still being followed, but one managed to escape in the chaos.  We should probably move as quickly as possible for the next while, though it will take them some time to gather reinforcements and pursue."

Pax points out the boots and rope to make sure the group grabs them before heading out.  Knowing Kastix doesn't understand undercommon, Pax stands next to him and translates whenever a conversation in undercommon breaks out. 

When given the chance, Rhyana will identify the rope and the boots.

The boots and the rope have fairly simple enchantments on them. The boots can leave tracks of different kinds, and the rope which appears to be made of spider silk has a simple Elvish command word that causes any knots to be magically untied.

Zeno quickly shows the coins to Ylsa, who confirms that the mintage is of House Mizzrym of Menzoberranzan, the same house that has been pursuing the group. She shares Zeno's opinion that pursuit is probably not far behind, and hurries off into the darkness, urging them to put as much distance between them and the duergar city as possible. So yer tellin' me both the duergar and the drow are chasin' ye now? she asks with a smirk.

With Ylsa's guidance the group is able to make fast progress through the tunnels, allowing time for the group to hide their passage and even lay false trails. (Anyone that wants to make a Survival check can do so). Many hours of travel pass and the group are nearing exhaustion when they finally decide that they have done enough, and find a secure place to rest.

Can take a long rest.

Pax casts alarm on the area before crashing into a deep sleep. Audible alarm.

Sekkar did what he could to conceal the real tracks with backtracking, leaving false tracks with the boots (duregar's should have worked) and Pass without Trace for the group. (Survival 26 )

Slavers on their collective tail were a good motivation to keep going until full exhaustion but he would rather stay the first watch (or the last, the middle) to keep an eye on the tunnels using his personal alarm (Dawnbringer) that did not need a recharge.

Fleeing desperately down the tunnel, the group reflect on their stay in Gracklstugh. The thought of purchasing a summer home overlooking the lake, perhaps as a timeshare, occurs to no-one. And no-one remembers passing a sign on the way out saying Thankyou for visiting Gracklstugh, City of Blades. We hope to see you again soon because no such sign exists. Sleep that night is restless, as the threat of pursuit is vivid like a salty aftertaste. It is further disturbed as Pax's alarm starts ringing in the middle of the rest, in response to a lizard crawling into camp. Pax resets the alarm, this time eliminating lizards, spiders, and spotted rock lobsters from the spell.

The sun rises on the second day out of Gracklstugh, but none of the group see it. The touch of the sun is but a distant memory, brough to mind only by the glow from Dawnbringer. However even the sword's light is quenched for long periods at a time for reasons of stealth as well as due to the discomfort of the duergar guide. Dawnbringer complains in Sekkar's mind whenever this occurs, but the ranger allows it time to shine whenever scouting ahead. Instead the group rely more on torches or magical light, both of which shed eerie moving shadows against the jagged walls, causing them to seems to be constantly charging or retreating at the edge of vision.

The passages in this region are more rocky and arduous than the trip from Velkynvelve to Sloopludop, and more convoluted than either those tunnels or the endless watery caverns of the Darklake. Sekkar or Zeno take turns with the forward scouting, while Pax leads the main group with weapons and spells at the ready. Ylsa follows next, navigating and pointing out landmarks which Kaylyn commits to memory. Rhayna comes next, watching, listening and taking notes whenever she can spare a hand from scrambling over rocks or avoid tripping over obstacles in the dim light, and Kastix brings up the rear warily keeping an eye out for any followers.

During this second day from Gracklstugh, not long after breaking camp and setting out, a large tremor is felt, and the group follow Ylsa's lead by backing up against the tunnel walls to avoid rockfalls. It passes after about a minute, although Ylsa can offer no explanation, saying such occurences are very rare. Later in the day a small flow of lava is seen oozing from a fresh rift near the floor that the dwarf guide claims is new, but it simply flows a short distance parallel to the tunnel and then hardens and stops.

After another long day and restless sleep on the rocky ground, the group continue on. Halfway through the third day's journey, Zeno slips soundlessly into the small circle of light from scouting ahead and says that a gnome caravan approaches, heading in the opposite direction and presumably toward Gracklstugh. At Ylsa's suggestion, the group hide themselves in a small side tunnel and allow Ylsa to remain in the main tunnel to greet them. They pass by with a cautious but casual greeting and move on, their well-crafted wagons pulled by giant lizards across the uneven ground, and unaware of having passed any surface-dwellers to report to potential pursuers.

On the fourth day the group cross a large open area hundreds of feet wide and scattered with thousands upon thousands of bones, from all manner of creatures. Being so close to a well-traveled path, the bones have presumably been well and truly picked over, so the group decide against wasting time searching the bones for loot, and potentially hampering their valuable lead, and push on.

Early on the fifth day, Ylsa mentions that there is a huge gorge ahead spanned by a long suspension bridge built by the duergar over a hundred years earlier. Before that time, passage to Bligdenstone or Neverlight Grove required travel either via the Darklake on the east or the Labyrinth on the west. As the day wears on, Sekkar is the one to return to the group from scouting ahead, announcing that the bridge is near. The tunnel soon abruptly opens out into a gorge of unimaginable proportions, as though a collossol sword wielded by an incomprehensible deity sliced through the bowels of the earth. The gorge is almost perfectly straight, and the cliffs on either side are as sheer as ice, disappearing both upward and downward beyond sight with no sign of the top or bottom. Wisps of faerzress float randomly throughout the gorge like leaves floating on a dark river. They glow softly but illuminate nothing save for the bridge of rope and wood which spans the five-hundred-foot chasm. Barely visible on the far side, the bridge joins to the mouth of another tunnel.

As the group stand momentarily admiring the view, a sound of terrified screeching gradually grows, coming from the far side. Suddenly half a dozen creatures burst out of the tunnel and scamper onto the bridge. They are bipedal with bird-like beaks and large hooks for hands, and run as if fleeing in fear. Wondering whether to stand or retreat, the group watch as the hook-handed creatures scurry closer, but then hear a new sound like baying or cackling which echoes deafeningly from the chasm walls and soon drowns out the screechs of the hook creatures. In an instant, a small horde of gnolls suddenly bursts from the far tunnel and rushes onto the bridge in pursuit of the hook-handed creatures. They don't appear to be aware of the small band of travelers, but seem transfixed on capturing their prey.

The bridge is 500' long and 15' wide. It is made only of rope and wood (save for some steel fittings) but seems sturdy enough to carry great weight. The hook horrors are halfway across the bridge when the gnolls emerge. So far twelve gnolls are visible, but the cacophony of their cackling hunting cries make them sound like many more, and indeed there may be.

Sekkar dropped the coils of a rope on the ground, mumbled something and tossed one end of the rope up into the air. The rope stuck and about 20ft of it now looked like a well stretched string. "Quick - up everyone. There is a safe space up there. We can let them all pass and then cross the bridge." Rope Trick

(No check required to climb the rope. There's enough time to all go up without being seen.)

Kaylyn only hesitates for a moment before scrambling up the rope with Pensive.

Rhayna puts her Journal away, and readies her whip and pendant.

Kastix will among the first to climb up and get out of the dodge, "so how dangerous are those groups?"