Ooze Deception: 4 (Insightful Fighting is successful)

Wisdom Save: 7

The bolt strikes true, sinking into the slow moving creature (-15hp (Total: -22hp)).

Additionally, emanating from Thodek comes the deep sound of a hammer striking an anvil crashed through the room, causing even more damage to the ooze (-12hp (Total: -34hp)).

With that, I think it is safe to say that combat would have started. The ooze is now about 20 feet away from the group, and we will say 15 away from Thodek who stand blocking it from the rest of the party.

(I am going to roll initiative for everyone to speed things up. Let me know if that works, or not. Voyage and Cailean will both be acting on the combined NPC initiative as well.)

Syvis: 13    
Nicholas: 19
Shishalki: 22 
Thodek: 14 
NPCs: 16   
Ooze: 7

Initiative Order:  Shishalki, Nicholas, NPCs, Thodek, Syvis, Ooze

Shishalki and Nicholas are up! Please make you actions for round one, and Syvis and Thodek way also queue theirs to speed things up if they would like.

What would you like to do?

As his new companions sling spells at the creature, Shishakli stays hidden, using his turn to again watch out for any others that might be in the area, and conserves his arrows. ((perception 22))

 "I do not like the look of this creature. Everyone should continue moving away from it." Syvis says as she crouches to one knee and takes aim, once more letting a bolt fly at the approaching ooze.

(Using Steady Aim to grant herself advantage on the shot & auto sneak attack from Insightful Fighting.)

Crossbow - Attack: 14 Damage: 14

Thodek continues to maintain his rear guard position, but attempts to usher the others further back, trying to maintain at least 40 feet from it as another loud clang echoes through the small tunnel.

Toll the Dead: 12 vs DC 13 wis save.

Pulling out his hand crossbow, Nicholas would fire off a bolt as he backs away from the ooze, following Thodek's directions, "Will this even hurt the thing?"

Attack: 19 Damage: 8

"If it bleeds, we can kill it," Syvis says flatly as she reloads.

Shishalki stays in the darkness, watching the conflict unfold, but still does not see any other signs or indication of creatures.

Nicholas fire as the creature, his aim true, and it seems to further injure the inching ooze (-8hp (Total: -42hp)).

The group of NPCs move about 10 more feet back as directed by Thodek, who begins to yet again emanate the loud sound of a crashing anvil (Wis. Save: 18), but this time it does not affect the creature. 

Syvis then takes a final crossbow shot that strikes the creature, causing it to again give an odd hissing noise before dissociating into a puddle of liquid about 20 feet away from the party. The ooze is now dead, and combat is over.

What would you like to do?

Thodek will carefully move closer to the ooze, and use his warhammer to search around for anything it might have eaten but not digested, careful to pull it back at the first sign of damage.

Shishakli steps out from the darkness still scanning the area and says, "It appears it was alone. Though it is strange for such a creature to follow and threaten such a large group as ours."

Nicholas lowers his crossbow, but looks about cautiously, "What is that thing? I definitely have not seen anything like that on the surface."

Syvis turns to the newly reappeared Shishakli, clearly a bit perturbed, and asks, "Is it your usual practice to hide when danger presents itself? I would think an experienced guide would jump to defend or at least advise those they lead when unfamiliar native creatures threaten the group."

"An experienced guide knows to watch for danger, which is what I did." Shishakli says as he walks over the the puddle and pulls the crossbow bolt from it, shaking the goo of it. "Clearly this was no issue for your group. But do not worry, when there is an actual danger you'll find my arrows hit their mark." He then tells the group what he knows of these creatures (from above), and how it seems strange that it attacked in this manner, so they should keep their eyes out as they travel.

(I will give tonight as time to wrap up any RP you may want, but stay posted because I will be updating with an intro to Neverlight Grove sometime tomorrow morning.)

Quickly after the short encounter with the rogue ooze, the party picks up its travel pace again to reach Neverlight Grove. After one more nights rest in a quiet and secluded cave, it takes the party around one more day of travel to reach the grove. As you get closer and closer, the passageways narrow and the group struggles in some places to continue. Eventually however, following a small trickling stream accompanied by a path of glowing lichen, the group arrives in a large cavern filled with almost a mushroom forest.

For a second, one might feel themselves leave behind the horrors of the Underdark as you take in this strangely alien but enchanting and serenely beautiful place. Mushrooms both large and small cover almost every inch of this massive cavern, and illuminate the darkness with brilliantly colorful bioluminescent patterns.

On the other side of this exotic forest, the cavern narrows into a ravine. In a cavern beyond the ravine, a glimpse of a majestic mushroom tower can be seen, although the poor light and a rising mist makes it difficult to see much more. 

With this, Shishalki would know that the group has reached Neverlight Grove. What would you like to do?

Are there any myconids seen moving about or is everything still and silent? If I lick a mushroom do I see more colors? XD

Thodek slowly moves into the Grove, looking around carefully for signs of the residents.

Perception: 7

(Would Thodek know anything about the Grove, specifically whether or not these are good, bad, or good mushrooms? History: 5)

(Apparently they are such good mushrooms, that Thodek has no idea what mushrooms are anymore or where he is.)

"We have arrived!" Shishakli says. Seeing his companions liking the mushrooms he adds, "You must be hungry, these mushrooms are actually..." ((nature 21)) and continues with whatever information he has. Then, looking around the city adds, "It really is beautiful. The spores were quite friendly when last I was here. Travelers do not often pass through. Let us try to find some locals."

You would notice that this area of the first is at least right now empty and you see no myconid. Shishalki however would know that the actual small town is further away down in the ravine described earlier. 

Thodek: Not much is known about the myconid and Neverlight Grove, but you would have at least some knowledge that Shishalki could add on to. They are a largely peaceful society who live in a notoriously hard to reach area of the Underdark, so are secluded from others. Society consists of a singular ruler, and several “circles” of society that specialize in different tasks such as agriculture.

Syvis: Licking a nearby mushroom, you wait a few seconds, then a few more, but no colors. They don’t seem to have any effect on the mind at least in the way you are consuming them.

Shishalki would also be able to point out several different kinds of mushroom that are edible, and others that aren’t, or some that are just meant to look at. If you’re interested in more, and I can give specific info about different fungi of the Underdark because Shishalki would surely be knowledgeable and could share the info.

What would you like to do?

(Heh... Syvis wouldn't have actually licked one. I was just being dumb.)

Syvis begins walking, keeping an eye out for movement.

Perception: 18

Shishakli takes a deep breath, enjoying the smells of the area and heads towards where he remembers the actual town being.