“My memory is sometime foggy,” Shuushar says, “but I will lead us to my hometown, Sloobludop, to the best of my abilities.”

Shuushar then begins to head towards the western passage, followed slowly by the rest of the NPCs. Your journey through the Underdark has begun!

(Will be posting travel resources to the OOC chat and resource doc.)

As the party begins to follow the western passage, you need to determine a:

Travel Pace, Travel Time (Rests, Hours of Travel, etc), Marching Order, Navigator, Forager (Optional),  Mapper (Optional, Time Keeper (Optional)

Once we’ve got that figured out, I will continue with what happens. 

Queueing up to depart, Syvis stops, lost in thought for a moment before addressing the group, voice still flat and lacking inflection, "I believe it would be logical for us to pace ourselves as we travel. The dangers of traversing unknown terrain can be great. If anyone is tired or injured, do not hesitate to ask for assistance or to take a break. We should not neglect our sleep cycles and risk exposing ourselves to fatigue and should try to maintain a pace that does not put us as risk due to slothfulness nor careless speed." She looks around and takes account of the party's composition, individuals' demonstrated skills, stated familiarities and comfort levels before continuing, eyes glinting in the light from Nicholas' "torch," "To that end I make these proposals: Thodek, being one used to the challenges of such environs, I would like you to accompany Shuushar and myself at the front of the group as we navigate the path ahead. I expect you both with have valuable insights into the terrain we will encounter as well as be able to remind the rest of us surface dwellers to rest at appropriate intervals since we are used to using the sun and stars to make such decisions. Nicholas, Jimjar, Topsy, Turvy, it would be logical for you all to bring up the group's rear and keep a lookout behind us. Make sure no one lags or falls behind. Food and water will most likely be quite valuable along our journey as we have none to start out. Cailean, I believe you should be able to work effectively with Nicholas and any who are familiar with sources of such resources down here to forage for rations as we travel. I will be carefully mapping out our progress as we go to ensure we don't get lost as best I can. Anyone not at the front or back of the party, please stay near the middle, stay safe, and help keep an eye out." After pausing to gauge reactions she takes a deep breath and says, "If that does not seem objectionable to anyone, I'd suggest we get moving now."

Nicholas nods in agreement at Syvis' proposal, "Sounds good to me. I'm not much familiar with the underdark, so I'll trust those of you who seem to have more experience," He then moves to take his place, bringing up the rear of the group.

Voyage's eyes gleam brightly, as she listens to Syvis's words. The Underdark was so alien to her, so strange and terrifying, that she was grateful for someone to organize this, and that were only responsibilities for now were to keep an eye out for danger. That, she could do.

Looking over the others, she reflected that they were very similar to the crew of a ship, and the tiefling knew "she had to rely upon all of them to survive. She clutches her bottle in her hand so tightly that the cold emanating makes her hand begin to ache. "I'm still standing, Tara, my love." she mutters, then places the bottle in a harness upon her hip.

More loudly, after Syvis finishes her speech Voyage says "Aye, we get it. Can we please get a move on before we get a hail of poison Drow arrows in our backs?"

Syvis allows herself a self-satisfied grin. It felt good to have others accept and reinforce her assessments. Too often, her cool logic was met with hostility due to a perceived lack of social graces. Too often, decorum was tantamount to survival while blunt reason was shunned as impropriety. This was nice.

Thanks to everyone for figuring that out, and I’m sorry I didn’t update the thread earlier. I have uploaded all the current positions onto the google doc, and if anything changes, let me know and I will update it.

 And so the party begins their travel through the Underdark, for the first time beginning to feel some hope of returning to the surface. The first day of travel is uneventful as you mainly pass through a maze of passages and caverns. You are able to travel the full 8 hours uninterrupted, and complete both short rests and a long rest. 

Now would be the time to detail what anyone may have done throughout the day while either traveling or resting. Feel free to go in depth with RP conversations or as plain as “I do nothing”.

Whatever you decide to do, I need: 

A Survival check for foraging with advantage from Nicholas due to help from Cailean. 

Shuushar makes a Survival for navigating with advantage due to help from Thodek: 13

Shuushar is able to successfully lead the party without getting lost, resulting in 1 day of successful travel. 

Thodek would spend their first rest converting two of the chain shirts he'd been lugging around into ten gold bars, each worth ten gold pieces. During the next leg, he would check with his allies for anything they might need fashioned for them.  Fashioning it or something else useful before they sleep. 

Syvis will use a dagger to seam rip the extra satchel she grabbed from the armory to flatten out the material and keep it rolled like a scroll. She'll ask Thodek for a simple, thin stick of lead that she'll wrap a scrap of material around as a grip and use it as a pencil for drawing the map and begin sketching what they've seen so far.

Survival Check with Advantage: 16

Nicholas: Due the help of Cailean, you are able to find about 10 pound each of water and food through numerous edible mushrooms or small creatures, and a small subterranean stream that the party crosses. 

Thodek: You are successfully able to convert the 2 chain shirts into 10 bars of 10 gp each. 

During the first short rest of the day, Voyage will approach Shushaar.

"Tell me, old one. Why do you not fight? I understand that you are not like the others of your kind, but refusing to raise a hand, even in defense of others, such as the mushroom child? That to me, seems just as misguided as violence for its own sake. On the seas, we do not look for trouble, but we fight to protect ourselves, our shipmates. There are some things worth fighting for. I have not been on the seas for some time, even before this misfortune, but it taught me the value of friends. And freedom."

Further, she will also ask about what sort of reception they can expect in Sloobludop. "How will those in your village take in when you return, espousing this philosophy of peace, accompanied by surface dwellers, duergar, and dark gnomes? Its better than facing the Drow, but I confess, Shushaar, I do not expect a friendly reception, and I fear we may need to fight yet again to preserve our freedom and our lives. What will you do then, hmm?"

During the second short rest, she will find Syvis and Thodek. "Do not leave without me. I will be nearby." She finds a nearby flat surface, places her stoppered bottle down, and looking to the others, she loudly announces "Please do not touch this bottle while I am gone." She places a hand upon the bottle, and promptly disappears -- reappearing exactly one hour after she initially disappeared.

"Thank you all. I am ready to continue."

“I agree that violence is sometimes necessary,” Shuushar says quietly “but I have taken an oath of pacifism that I refuse to break. Violence perpetuates itself and someone must help to break that vicious cycle. I hope to bring this idea to my people. I hope to share my enlightenment with them, and I would like to thank you for accompanying me,” Shuushar continues louder, addressing the whole party. 

He pauses before saying “I admit I am unsure of how my people will welcome us. I wish there words of comfort I could give, but it has been a long time, and Sloobludop could have changed immensely. Nevertheless, my duty is to my people and one must hope they will listen to reason,” he trails off, absentmindedly patting Stool’s head. 

During their rest Nicholas spends sometime organizing the food and water that they've found. Looking around and counting their numbers, a grim look crosses his face. They had been lucky finding that stream, and yet what they have would barely last them through the day. He can only hope that their good luck will continue. 

That first night, Thodek would indeed spend a spell slot to cast create or destroy water to double their water supply. He would also attempt to turn his spare warhammer into a set of cartographer's tools, if possible, for Syvis.

In the morning, he'll take the time to pray over his holy symbol to prepare some more advantageous spells now that he has it back, and he'll also take a moment to bless his armor, infusing it with Moradin's strength.

Thodek is able to create 10 more lbs of water and Cailean will use a slot to cast goodberry creating 10 more food rations. Thodek is also able to create a set of cartographers tools for Syvis from the extra warhammer.

If everyone is ready to continue, just let me know how much food and water your character takes, and I will update with the next day of travel in the morning. 

Full ration, good to go.

Full Ration, good to go.

Ditto.

Full rations -- I can also carry any extras after the NPCs take their shares.