Upon seeing the priestess summon tentacles from her rod, "Screw this!" Kastix will dash to where it's safe to dive and dive if possible. 

All his senses screamed "swim fast and do not look back!" - and Sekkar swam like he never swam before. To the - oh, so close and such sweet shore - and then run through the West passage. That was harder now, but the only "safe" way out from that wretched place (if the word "safe" could be used in the situation at all). He stopped only when arrows and bolts from the platforms could not reach him anymore and only then allowed himself to look back, to see who else was able to get out of the frying pen with him.

Joetaro is going to continue to encourage everyone to fall back behind him. Once everyone is behind him or away, he will dash and find a place to dive.

Rhayna, holding her Journal and Stool, follows Joetaro. 

Kaylyn swims for the edge as fast as she can and then moves towards the western tunnel. 

The loud droning from the one remaining insectoid demon still fills the cavern and reverberates off the walls, punctuated by the horrific screech of the single surviving vulture demon, as they scratch and stab at each other in the gloom above the north passage entrance. Sekkar, Shuushar and Sarith all glide easily through the dark water to the stony shore, then hugging the cavern wall they hurry toward the west passage entrance. Jimjar leaps from the north watchtower, closely followed by the myconid-carrying Rhayna and the waiting Joetaro, all dropping within a stone's throw of the battling demons and landing in the pool. The gnome manages to make the shore, but is yelling about something in the water.

The water is deeper where Kaylyn and Zeno swim for the surface, but also closer to the assembled drow. Kaylyn swims quickly for shore and sprints toward the western passage. Zeno travels more cautiously, and just as well as he is able to avoid the first of the crossbow bolts being fired from the now-reclaimed central guard tower. He leaves the water just as Kastix enters it after his own jump from the bridge far above.

Joetaro emerges from the water and searches for shore.

As Rhayna manages to get to shore, she looks at Joetaro. "Thank you for waiting for me." She pants, and tries to shake the excess water. "I need to find Kaylyn and follow her." She looks for Kaylyn and runs towards her direction. "Hang in there Stool. We are almost free."

(OCC: Does Stool, I imagine it as a very big mushroom, works as a "flotation device"? :-)

Kastix will quickly swim almost in a panicked state towards Zeno and company while images of the "incident" flash before his eyes. 

Zeno ducks his head below as two bolts hit the after around them, then emerges at the edge of the pool. Looking around he sees Kaylyn already well on her way, and the others moving their way around the edge.  He sprints for the western tunnel as fast he can, hoping to avoid any further attacks.

(OOC: Movement and Bonus Action Dash toward wall, Action to Dodge as he runs.)

Sekkar and Sarith flee along the western tunnel, although Shuushar seems to have stopped just inside the entrance, watching as Kaylyn, Zeno and Jimjar run inside, with the gnome babbling about something he encountered in the water. Kastix runs for the tunnel as crossbow bolts rain down from overhead, and one nicks him just above his tail before he manages to reach safety. Rhayna loses her grasp on Stool when she hits the water, but she gropes around in the dark until she finds the myconid. She holds it tightly while she kicks to shore, but feels a current of some kind in the water beneath her.

Joetaro manages to hold on to the shortsword and shield taken from the armoury, but swims a little slower for it. As he nears the shore, he also feels a current in the water below, but this is followed by a heavy blow that slams into his side. It feels to Joetaro that his rib is cracked and his skin is burning. Kicking frantically to shore, the paladin scrambles out of the water but barely clears the shore when a long gooey appendage reaches out from the water and takes another swipe at him. As the slimy limb slams into the cavern floor, both Joetaro and Rhayna hear a deep alien voice pierce their minds, crying out: Flesh for the Faceless Lord!

The group flee along the tunnel, which is conveniently flat and featureless, and relatively straight (probably bored by a large burrowing creature, thinks Sekkar) for what seems like an eternity. Stopping to catch their breath, they hear footsteps in the tunnel behind, and a quaggoth bursts around the corner with blood dripping from its mouth, holding a severed arm in one hand and a indistinguishable bundle in the other. Swords and shields are raised, but at the sight of the group the creature stops, stands up straight, drops the severed arm with a look of disgust and says: Well met, friends. Evidently the majority of us have absconded without injury. Our captors are yet engaged in repelling the demonic incursion, and I believe their pursuit will be delayed.

Briefly taking stock of the situation:

- Rhayna is seriously wounded. She has her holy symbol and her Journal.
- Joetaro is seriously wounded. He has a shortsword and shield, and his holy symbol.
- Kastix is mildly wounded, and has no equipment
- Kaylyn is uninjured and has her rod
- Zeno is uninjured and has a black pouch which he discovers contains a silver chain headdress set with small onyx stones, two potions of healing, 24 gp, 30 sp, and a small moonstone.
- Sekkar is uninjured and has a shortsword and shield, and studded leather armour (which incidentally is no better than his natural armour)

The others have the following equipment, which the PCs can claim if they wish
- Derendil has a chain shirt (Joetaro or Rhayna perhaps)
- Sarith has two shortswords and a hand crossbow with 20 bolts
- Shuushar has a coil of rope
- Jimjar has two daggers

Buppido was last seen fleeing to the north. Eldeth, Topsy and Turvy were last seen in combat with the drow.

Kastix will cast Cure Wounds, using a sorcery point to twin it whenever we found a spot to breath.

12 to Rhyana

10 to Joetaro

(Done). If anyone else wants to do anything, just say. You also get benefits of short rest.

Joetaro is going to use one hit dice to gain back some health. - 8 plus Con bonus equals 9.

Sekkar could finally put down that armour her kept as was sort-of-promised. He gladly handed it to Zeno: "Here, all they had there. Better than nothing in these tunnels." Lizardman smelled the air and narrowed eyes looking into darkness: "We might escape - true miracle! - but we are not safe just yet. Delayed or not - they can and will hunt us. Let's move while we can." He impatiently made several steps deeper into the passage and turned to look if others are ready to go.

While the groups is taking a breather (short rest) Rhayna attention was on recording all of her experience so far into her Journal. She was so relieved that she had it back now. She tried not to hold back on the details regarding her pain suffered under the drow priestess. She would make sure that the world would know how evil these folks are. (Rhayna learned first hand how evil drows can be.) Then she writes: "Flesh for the Faceless Lord!" It is still reverberating in her mind. She tries to think if she ever read about this "Faceless Lord". (History: 17)

Kaylyn is also eager to keep moving and joins Sekkar.

"We've had a breather, but we need to keep moving.  Let us split up this gear and get going.  Joetaro, take the chain shirt, Rhyana can take the leather armor that Sekkar doesn't seem to benefit from.  Zeno could probably use one of the short swords and the hand crossbow.  Quickly now, I have no intention of returning to that prison or dying for the spider queen. "

"Let's put some distance between us and the drow," Kastix states ashe start moving, "If we're lucky, they'll die to these demons but our luck is not strong. What was that village we could find refugee again?"

"Sloobludop. The village name is Sloobludop. Shuushar will point the way." Despite what he said, Sekkar did not wait for the kuo-toa to take the lead, but sneaked forward, keeping in the darkest shadow a few yards ahead of the group - listening, looking and smelling for the enemy.

As the group starts to move, Rhayna tries her best to put on the leather armor. "Come along Stool, hopefully we will be safer once we reach Shuushar's village. How are you doing there my little friend?"