25 January 2019

Dining with the Bregan D'aerthe

After a providing a few more fish treats and a last game of fetch, our heroes row away from the archipelago of the blink dogs. Shuushar guides them out into an even more vast cavern of the Darklake. The cavern is huge and as they row on they notice there are almost no echos. They row for days, eating fish, and catching fish, and staring off into blackness. Shuushar sniffs the air to guide the way in this vast emptiness.

A new sound begins to be heard replacing the lack of echos: an uncanny howling which no one can seem to place. To most this howling seems far off, to some it seems almost inside their heads. The rowing goes on and on, the un-nerving howling sets everyone on edge. Finally Caius strikes up a familiar song and nearly everyone joins in. The singing lifts the hearts and drowns out the unsettling howling. After quite some time they realize the howling is gone.

Some time later a source of light can be seen in the distance. Just at the edge of Bree's enchanted vision, she can make out three figures around a fire. After careful deliberation, the rowers decide to approach openly and of course peacefully. Caius cautiously creates light on an arrow, perhaps it can be shot to illuminate something in the distance. They beach the boat on a gentle shore of black sand, and slowly approach the fire, some 50 meters inland.

Salutations are voiced, and one of the figures invites the party to approach. Around the fire are three Drow who are clearly not threatened by the advance of a group twice their number. All are well dressed, and each have a clasp in the shape of a curly feather. One is exceptionally mighty, towering above the others, masked, cloaked, a great sword strapped to his back, stands silently; communicating with gestures which the other Drow understand. Bree greets the three with enthusiasm. Riego De'Vir introduces himself and appears curious about the group, noting that this group seems out-of-place in the Underdark. Riego introduces the silent Sakme Oblodra, as well as Sorok Tirin.

In response to queries of their situation, the adventurers cautiously reveal bits of their recent past. Caius mentions the destruction of the kuo-toa village Sloodublop by Demogorgon and this is scoffed at with disbelief. Yet, a deep look in the stern eyes of Caius causes Riego to raise an eyebrow and apparently reconsider. They speak of the strange dreams and howling, from the description Riego asks if Autun is suggesting a mind flayer, to which Autun shrugs, and states that with the Abyss leaking perhaps anything is possible. Bree explains that the group had escaped from Velkynvelve after having been captured as slaves. This part of the story clearly engaged the three Drow. Riego offers his wine to the group, and it is passed around with cheer. When the drow learned that Ilvara had been forced to retreat they appeared quite amused. They were quite interested in hearing of Jorlan, and perhaps to a lesser extent Sarith. Sakme gestures to Sorok, and Sorok extracts from his pack a set of goggles and gifts them to the newcomers. The party all take turns wearing them for a moment and those without darkvision are able to see clearly while wearing them for the first time since they entered this world of perpetual darkness.

As the Drow continue to prepare dinner, they invite the surface-dwellers to join in. And much to the surprise, the meal consists of cheese and bread and wine all clearly recently from the surface. Ezri makes note of the craftsmanship of the Drows' clasps. Riego explains that they are members of Bregan D'aerthe, a diplomatic, mercantile, and when required martial group who can help when there is political or military strife, and are richly rewarded for their efforts. The Bregan D'aerthe Familiar to Caius, and he tells of how they fought beside his people at one point. As the dinner conversation waxes philosophical, it is revealed that the rather phallic mushroom symbols on the ring of Sorok and the shield of Riego are the symbol of a rare male god of the Dark Selderij (the drow pantheon): Keptolo, the Eager Consort of Lolth. These three drow thus obviously resist the "natural" matriarchal order accepted by most drow.

All of the surface food and wine invites the question of return to the world above. Riego explains that their route requires quite powerful magic and goes on to suggest that dwarven option is likely quite expensive, yet reliable. Further, the deep gnomes are a possibility as well, but they are more likely to do so for motives other than purely financial.

After much wine, and a fantastic meal, all decide it is time to set watches and retire. As the watch passes slowly, Sakme passes the time trying to communicate with Bree. Sakme notes that Bree is tall for a halfling, but the rest is lost on her. Sakme suggests they play some dice and Bree wins after three throws. As a forfeit, she requests that Sakme speak. Sakme removes his mask and reveals not only heavy scarring similar to Jorlan's, but also that he lacks a tongue, then he grunts with what appears to be an amused or perhaps victorious grin.

During the watch of Riego and Kais, they discuss hierarchy and Riego seems taken aback that Kais has no master, and is now an apparently truly free man, with no one to call master. He also mentions that the group is going to Menzoberranzan, the drow capital. They have been summoned by the head of their order, but they do not know why. Kais postulates that it might have something to do with the demons that seem to be loose in the Underdark.

Come breakfast time, a live chicken is fetched from the drow boat, and Ezri is naturally splattered in blood as she is preparing it. After a fine breakfast, farewells are made as Sorok, by way of magic, floats all of their gear into their boats. With Autun at the oars, our heroes row out towards Neverlight Grove as the drow, in their own boat, glide gently in the other direction.

The drow also described a tall, woody mushroom that can be used as firewood. The amount of fungal growth in the caves is increasing, and at the next stop the group finds a stand of these fungus. As Autun is busy chopping one into firewood, Bree and Caius notice that there seems to be a duergar standing still in the darkness. Bree sucessfully prestidigitates the dwarf's beard which then moves slowly, not bothering the dwarf, but moving like a beard should. A bit more cautious investigation reveals that he appears anatomically normal and that his equipment is unharmed, but the trail of footprints behind him seems to quickly age, as though time itself is slowed. We find two other duergar and two drow that seem to be held by this same strange force. Autun is certain that this is a trap, perhaps similar to the fungus above ground that takes over insects and controls their bodies to spread its spores. At his urging the group hurries away, leaving the dwarves and drow to their fate.

A little further on we find a younger stand of fungal trees, but manage to find two that can be lashed together into a small raft. The night watch passes uneventfully.

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Prior: 18 January 2019, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 1 February 2019

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Inventory

Gained

• 28 blue cap spores (for making flour)
• some ripplebark (woody-tasting but edible mushroom)
• a zurkhwood raft (uses 150 feet of rope)
• some zurkhwood firewood
• one pair of spectacles of darkvision

Party inventory (excluding Gained items above)

• 80cp 111sp 206gp
• all of our original possessions, except disposables
• a Quiver of Ehlonna (carried by Kais)
• pouch with incense (worth 5gp)
• 2 gourds of antitoxin (gives 1 hour of advantage on saving throws against poison)
• 1 flask of holy water (carried by Autun)
• a lot of salt
• a lot of fish
• a Dwarvish recipe book
• a Dwarvish poetry book
• Bree's Book of Shadows
• 24 +1 arrows
• a bone flute
• a strange hourglass (worth 2gp)
• bracelet (silver) worth 6gp
• spell component pouch
• 2 potions of healing
• silver hand mirror
• small wood box
• silver headdress
• 3 rings with gems (from dead drow)
• blue cap mushrooms
• water orbs
• 11 unicorn hooves (goodberry)
• 43 arrows
• 2 longbows (one kept by Kais, one kept by Autun)
• 12 spears
• necklace with 3 headed flail
• misc gems worth 15gp
• 7 gems x 2gp each
• decorated quiver (5gp)
• 18 rations
• drow underwear
• 1 studded leather armor (kept by Kais)
• 1 bag of pitons (kept by Kais)
• 2 short swords (kept by Kais)
• 3 daggers (kept by Kais)
• 1 hand crossbow (kept by Kais)
• 2 cases of 20 crossbow bolts (kept by Kais)
• 1 bag of caltrops (kept by Kais)
• some rope
• a bunch of hairpins (fished out from between the teeth of the elf-Quaggoth)

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Prior: 18 January 2019, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 1 February 2019