Grimnir bows and step up in front of his friends.

"Your highness Deepking, it is a privilege to meet you. As a surface dwarf, we only hear about Duergar in stories but I can now say that I have met one of the most important and that I was impressed by your civilisation.
We are not sure yet, but we might have to go to Neverlight Grove before heading for the gnome city. You see, a good friend of us has been abducted and I feel obliged to go help him. Also, we have been already rewarded by the captain and by the honour of meeting you, but I was wondering if a king like you would have access to magical items that would make our journey safer."

After a pause, Grimnir adds: " Finally, as I already told the Captain. We would greatly appreciate if you could lead the mercenaries looking for us in the wrong direction"

Grimnir stop talking, bows and take one step back.

"Gentle Grimnir, we will indeed watch for those following you, though drow pass through Gracklstugh only on rare occasions. As for the Neverlight Grove, I know not where it lies. If you have means of reaching it, my guards will help clear the path, but they will not interfere with the Myconids directly. Now, about magical items..." Again, the deepking turns to his right and speaks to the air in inaudible whispers. Shula smiles, while some of the duergar guards near you look around the room uneasily. After a few moments, the deepking turns back to Grimnir. "We do not have much in the way of magic weapons or armor, only what we have taken from less worthy creatures. You can purchase any of this in the markets. I do have one thing though. Shula, would you please get the bag?" Shula nods politely and disappears behind the throne for a moment. When she returns, she is holding a simple sack, empty by the look of it, and made from a light gray cloth. She walks down the steps from the dais lightly, and hands it to Grimnir. "This may be of some use, or at least make travel through the underdark more bearable. It is a Bag of Holding."

"We thank you, Deepking.  Now we should take our leave, our journey is long. May the winds be always in your favour."

Before leaving the keep, Oorr will inquiry the guards about their sentiments toward the Deepking.

Persuasion 6

Quote from filcat >>

"We thank you, Deepking.  Now we should take our leave, our journey is long. May the winds be always in your favour."

Before leaving the keep, Oorr will inquiry the guards about their sentiments toward the Deepking.

Persuasion 6

 

 The guards seem unwilling to speak about their monarch, especially this close to his presence.

You say your farewells to the Deepking. He thanks you again for your service, and then introduces you to the guard captain who will be your escort, Jeth Underearth. Jeth explains that he will have a small band of invisible duergar that will escort you through the underdark. They will take care of any threat they come across to clear your path, but will otherwise not get in your way. If you ever need anything specific, you can call out for Jeth and he will appear to assist if able, but warns you they have no intention to interrupt in the affairs of other races of the underdark and create some sort of unwanted war with Gracklstugh. In other words, they will keep you safe, but they won't fight your battles for you. With that understanding, he disappears, and leaves you to finish your business in Gracklstugh.

Oorr expected to have difficulties understanding these underground humanoids. So different from his people. But Oorr understands Nature, the primaeval magic whispering to him.

OOC Oorr uses a spell slot for Primeval Awareness.

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.

Quote from filcat >>

Oorr expected to have difficulties understanding these underground humanoids. So different from his people. But Oorr understands Nature, the primaeval magic whispering to him.

OOC Oorr uses a spell slot for Primeval Awareness.

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.

 Perhaps you're just being cautious, or maybe something felt off about your recent interactions, but by honing in on your primeval awareness, you pick up the distinct sense that there are fiends within 1 mile of your location. It could be one or many, but they are close. Further away, within 6 miles, you have the sense of elementals. Earth by the taste of it.

"My friends there are fiends around, and they are close. Prepare yourself and rest well. Tomorrow we will take our way to Neverlight Grove."

All of you take your leave and go to finish business in Gracklstugh. You meet up with Eldeth, Derendil, Jimjar, and Rumpadump at the inn later that night to rest, gather your things, and prepare to head out in the morning. You take a well deserved long rest!

(OOG And after the long rest, I think it's about time you all leveled up. Level 5!)

Long rest it is. After doing some shopping, Grimnir spend the evening at tavern.
"I should have ask entrance into the brewery to the King, that's what I wanted.... Too tired to think straight. Well I guess tomorrow is another day, time to go save our mushrooms friend !"

"Next drinks are on me !". Grimnir pays 5gp to the bartender.

You all rest in the Ghohlbrorn's Lair Inn that evening. In the morning you eat a quick breakfast in the tavern below and gather your belongings for the journey to the Neverlight Grove. (Made easier now that they all fit in the Bag of Holding!) Rumpadump is eager to get out in to the Underdark to find his friend Stool and figure out what is happening with the Myconids. Eldeth seethes as she eats, angry that she did not see that Sarith was such a danger before. Jimjar consoles her, while Derendil picks through his food and sighs. Your newest companion, Amafrey (the flumph), floats nearby, attracting stares and interested looks from the other patrons.

After your meal, you meet up at the Western gate with Jeth, the guard captain who will be leading your escort. He confirms that his escort will stay close, but be invisible, and will do their best to take care of any Underdark troubles. If they do their job well, you will not even know they are there, and avoid many of the dangers you might otherwise come into contact with in the underdark. 

The Western gate creeks and groans as it swings inward, and you step through once more into the Underdark to rescue Stool and continue your search for a way to the surface, all while avoiding the drow who may still be chasing after you.

Once again travelling. Still trapped underground, but Oorr is glad to be in the wild. Walls, any walls, are not for him.

On the path to Neverlight Grove, Oorr will keep eyes on any sign of passing creatures.

Survival 22

Chapter 5: Neverlight Grove

Oorr scouts the caverns and finds a faint trail of red spores. Rumpadump confirms they appear to be heading on the path towards the Neverlight Grove, and so together they chart a course through the caverns, moving quickly but carefully, and setting a standard pace. 

Around a half day's journey from the duergar city, a voice reaches out into your minds. "Friends! I was... worried you would not emerge... from that place. It is so good to... see you. Might I join you... once again in some... adventures?" You don't see anyone immediately, but soon your eyes adjust to a faintly glowing cube that emerges from a side tunnel. It is Glabbagool, the sentient gelatinous cube you met not long before you entered into Gracklstugh, and who you recall you left outside the city. You can see the bones of a few creatures inside the cube, so it appears it has kept itself busy. As Glabagool sees your glances it comments, "Not to worry, they were simple... creatures. My people absorbing.. days are over. My adventuring days are... just starting!"

Oorr: " Glabagool! How are you? I feel like it has been ages since we departed. What can you tell us about these tunnels? "

Quote from filcat >>

Oorr: " Glabagool! How are you? I feel like it has been ages since we departed. What can you tell us about these tunnels? "

 "There are... many tunnels, and the squat dark people march... loudly, but I have managed to avoid them. There are... all sorts of interesting creatures... in the lake as well. I have not strayed too far as... I did not want to miss... you. But I have circled the... city. Earlier there was... fire... and I think... a dragon, though I have never... seen one before. I left that place... then."

At this point, several of your escort appear from thin air, weapons drawn and pointed toward the ooze. "Careful boys, old Leo came across one of these once, and they only had bones to send back to his kin! Oy, Aaracokra, keep your friends back and we'll take care of this one." Knowing that Glabagool is speaking telepathically, it appears he has not been including your escort in on the conversation.

"Hold your weapons, duergar. This one is a friend of ours. He helped us in the past and will continue to do so."

"Glabagool, stay in the front with Zippy and me. We are going to Neverlight Grove."

Quote from filcat >>

"Hold your weapons, duergar. This one is a friend of ours. He helped us in the past and will continue to do so."

"Glabagool, stay in the front with Zippy and me. We are going to Neverlight Grove."

 The duergar turns and gives you a quizzical look. After a moment’s pause he says, “Oy, yer serious, but it’s a ... it’s all uh... how do you...” He stutters a bit more and then gives up, signals his guards, and they all vanish. “Let us know if you have any more ‘friends’ like an ilithid or a beholder would ye?” is the last thing you hear along with a hefty sigh and a few invisible chuckles.

The next week of travel is fairly uneventful. You traverse caverns and tunnels heading in a generally Northern direction. Rumpadump leads, knowing the way to the grove and confirming with Oorr that Sarith seems to have gone the same way with Stool. You forage various mushrooms when you can but move a little slower with the gelatinous cube in tow. You’ve encountered little to no adversaries, so it seems the escort is doing its job. On the 8th day from leaving Gracklstugh you enter into a large cavern filled with bones. The bones range from bird sized hollow sticks to what may be the ribs of a giant cow and they are scattered about the room haphazardly such that no two seem alike, making it hard to know what kind of creatures they belonged to. You have not heard any warning from the escort. In fact they have not checked in since the prior day.

Oorr whispers: " Zippy, my friend, do you see something? Lift one leg if you do."

Zippy: Perception check 26

Wary that something is odd in this room, Grimnir and Jimjar will hide in the shadows...

Stealth Grimnir: 18
Stealth Jimjar: 12

Valrish readies his greataxe and tries to locate the escort. "Jeth? You and your buddies still there?" He asks, trying to heighten his senses as much as possible while Eldeth prepares two arrows in between her fingers.

Valrish Perception: 4
Eldeth Perception: 17