Dimir's Out of the Abyss

After the meal is mostly over, Jimjar begins quietly singing a song in his language. It is upbeat and fast. He rises and Topsy does as well, both with a smile. To his muted song, they both begin dancing a fast jig. Halfway through, Topsy begins singing a quiet duet. She and Jimjar dance around and both laugh. Shushar watches with a small smile, but often peers out around them to check for danger.

After they finish, they both now and have smiles plastered across their faces.

Everyone eventually falls into a slumber. When it is time, Oak and Aimon are woken up. Make a perception check.

((Feel free to continue interactions.))

((I think we both rolled perception for the watch a few posts back. But would you like another? Fine either way))

Trill, though she doesn't know the song, will provide backing music, especially if Jimjar gives her a beat or some notes to repeat.

((Essentially serving as a living looper pedal.))

((Trill will also volunteer to take a watch when needed, Perception when you want it: 20))

Aimon sits for a few moments after being woken to watch out over the darkness of the lake. Then he turns to Oak.

"I know why I'm down here," he begins. "I wasn't nearly as clever and talented as I kept telling myself I was. I tried to take something that wasn't mine. And I ended up in a Drow prison because of it."

He watches the calm water a little longer.

"But you know what? If I get another shot I know I'll probably try to do it all over again," he says then pauses. "But you, big man. Other than a little bit of a rage issue, you're a pretty solid guy. What on earth got you down here? If you tell me you volunteered I'm going to reach over and smack you."

Oak looks out over the water for a while before answering. He breathes out, a long calm breath that might have been a sigh, and slowly blinks once or twice...

”I want to see my mother....”, he says still looking out across the lake. He pauses, but after a while continues as if trying to remember a past life...

”When I was young, slavers stole me from my herd. All I have from home is this...” he gets the little coloured dice out from his pack and holds it up, turning it this way and that in the gloom before returning it and continuing. “That, and a few half-memories of my family...”.

“I was a slave for many years... but there came a time when I had grown too big and too strong. I escaped”. He looks down, ashamed, but doesn’t elaborate.

”I wandered for a while, but didn’t fit in anywhere. Thats when the army were enlisting. I needed to make ends meet, and the rest as they say is history... or it would have been if a friend hadn’t tipped me off on a band of slavers that specialised in ’exotic goods’ “.

...

Caelynn volunteers to take fourth watch with Shushar and Trill. She feels bad about not helping out for the past few nights, and she's gotten so much sleep that she's starting to feel restless.

Perception: 9

(When Oak and Aimon have finished their conversation, Caelynn will want to talk to Trill)

Oak looks at Aimon. He looks him over, appraising him. Trying to see through the banter and jokes. Eventually he decides to continue..

“I tracked a group of these slavers for some time. And got wind of a prison facility, that doubled as slave-pens, deep underground... When they went below, I followed”.

”I wasn’t prepared... I didn’t know what I was getting into before it was too late.... But I was too close to go back.... I don’t know what I would have done if I’d have caught up with them. Questioned them?? Killed them? We’ll never know”.

”But what I did find out, was that the prison was just a small part of a bigger network. The answers I needed were with the real masters, in a larger subterranean fortress”.

”But it was then that the earthquakes started, and my way back was barred. You found me sometime after that”.

“Why am I here?!!... Answers? Revenge?... I just want to know where they found me...... I just want to see my mother... if she lives... or find my herd....”. He looks down...

Aimon lets the silence fill the air for awhile between him and Oak.

I can’t even begin to imagine, Oak” Aimon begins. “My father could be a bit stern, but come on, he’s a high elf. They’re all like that. But otherwise, I don’t have a single complaint about how I grew up. When I look at that and how I ended up here versus how you, Trill and Caelynn got here, phew. If I was capable of feeling shame I would be feeling a lot of it right now.”

He looks out over the water from time to time to still keep watch while they talk.

”I’ll help you find her. Just like we’re going to help Trill find her crew and help Caelynn kill things that are totally going to kill us first. You know, maybe we do her thing last, just in case.”

Aimon isn’t sure what else to say. He’s not good at heart felt. 

Oak looks at Aimon and smiles. “Thanks... It was a lifetime ago now....".

"And don't beat yourself up too bad... I'm glad you're here, that's for sure! However you got here.... .... I mean you all: you saved me when I was on my last legs in those ruins... And you: you single-handedly, got the rest of us away from that.. that.. whatever-it-was, when everyone else was bouncing off the walls and I could barely walk!”.

”I don’t think any of us could have done this without the others... ... ....We make quite the team, eh?".

Oak looks out with Aimon across the water. He's happy to while away the time, and chit chat about everything and nothing, until their watch is done...

...

Unless Aimon has anything else for now, as their watch comes to an end, Oak says, "rRrrruuph!....... we should get some rest!... And wake the others to take over...."

((edited slightly now I had a bit more time))

Eventually, the fourth watch comes around. Trill and Caelynn are awoken along with Sushar. Feel free to interact. 

Shushar takes a quick swim when he sees you two taking watch as well.

Trill stretches and yawns, shaking her feathers out and preening a bit in between looking around. She waves to Shushar as he heads for the water.

Caelynn looks about to speak, mulling something over in her head. Trill chirps and looks at her questioningly. 

Maybe next time.

The party eventually rises and has a quick breakfast of leftovers before moving out. A few hours after setting out, Shushar pulls the boat over to an embankment and has the party climb up a steep slope to get to a different level of the Darklake. After that, you continue on the water. 

You come to an area where the ceiling is just three feet above the water. After an uncomfortable hour of this, the ceiling rises once again.

That night, Shushar pulls the boat up to a large, natural pillar. He wraps some rope around it ties the boat to it. He says that is where the party will sleep.

Looking around, you are shocked to see hundreds of fish in the water all staring up at the boat. Nearly three feet long, they have a greenish sheen to them and their teeth but from their jaw. They just "sit" there, waiting.

Jimjar will take first watch with Turvy. Eldeth will take second. Shushar will take third. Someone needs to take fourth. Whoever is taking fourth or helping any watch needs to make a Perception Check.

The party is sleeping in the boat.

Trill shrugs. She's not one to pry. When Caelynn is ready, she's ready.

Trill will take fourth watch. Before she turns in, she conjures some faint sparks above the water to see how the fish react.

Perception: 12

Aimon looks down at all of the fish sitting and waiting.

"This is just creepy," he says. He's tempted to dip some rope in the water and see what happens but just as he's about to toss it out there, he thinks better of it and instead moves as much to the center of the boat as possible and tries to get some sleep. 

Oak was particularly uncomfortable going through under the low ceiling. He didn’t enjoy that part one bit, and just stared straight ahead waiting for it to be over...

When they pull the boat up to the large natural pillar, Oak is fascinated (and pretty spooked out) by all the fish watching them from the depths ((really reminds me of a time I was canoeing, and the water was just swarming with jellyfish!)). He’s tempted to throw something in, far away from them, to lure them away, but resists...

Oak will help Eldeth with her watch. He’ll asks her, “You feeling better now, since the creepy castle?? That was a close one, huh!!....How did you find the bow? If you liked it we could maybe try and find you one...”. Aside from some general chit chat he just enjoys her company for the watch.

Perception check (disadvantage due to darkvision = dim light): 5 (passive 8, including -5 from disadvantage)

As soon as the sparks appear above the water, a swarm of fish leap upwards and try to eat the sparks, mouths clamping around nothing.

Eldeth says to Oak, "I'm not a fan of bows, but it worked. I'd rather be up close and personal if you know what you want I mean."

The fish eventually disperse. The night passes uneventfully except when Trill's watch comes around. In the middle of the watch, you hear a slithering sound from the pillar behind you. Whipping around, you see a huge, skeletal snake rising from the water.

Roll initiative.

Aimon Initiative: 20 

Trill Initiative: 16

"STIR YER STUMPS, YE #&$+@)! EGG SUCKIN $&@*?/)! SLEEPY $&#@, HEADED &@+$/?!"

Oak wakes up, to see what all the fuss is about, and looks over... “wWaahh!?!...”.

Oak’s Initiative: 20