31 May 2019

Having slept poorly with disturbing dreams, Ezri wishes to rest in her room as our other Adventurers eat breakfast and contemplate what "Follow the surface trail" could mean. Considering the strange events at the market the previous day and the surface items found there, Bree and Shuushar return to the market in one direction while Kais and Jimjar head another and Caius a third.

Bree strikes up a conversation with Ilse, the vendor of surface oddities, while she's buying a surface coin and admiring a wooden snuffbox. From Ilse, Bree learns that surface items have been trickling in by derro. Also the explosion from about three ten-days ago in the mines near the city is mentioned again, highlighting the mysterious lack of bodies.

Kais discovers that Zeno the strangely confused trader from the previous day is not in his store, but rather Zay, Zeno's niece, is manning the shop. Kais selects two surface-leather belts and is charged a silver piece; one large belt has a harp-shaped buckle, the other is small, bit worn with cow hair and yellow metal buckle. He learns that Zeno lost a child in the explosion.

Kais meets up and confers with the others then heads to Ilse's shop. He trades one surface-belt and some coin for the snuffbox which contains about 1GP worth of incense. He learns that the dwarf who keeps her hair short and trades in perfumes and expensive things is named Kaira and that the Council of Savants may be part of her clientele. It is explained to him that trade dried up about three months back, but if we can bring in more surface items, he'd be offered a 10% cut. Ilse will try to find out which derro are selling surface items, as we want to follow them.

Meanwhile, Caius notices a merchant is abusing his clients. The shop sign has a beetle on it. Caius sees the vendor is selling some kind of blood sausage. As an excuse for investigating, Cais and Shuushar buy sausages from the vendor and Shuushar eats his with gusto. As the two of them are sitting on a stoop eating and observing the grumpy vendor, they get thwacked by an invisible guard who scolds them for loitering.

Shortly thereafter, they see the scruffy dog and his urchin standing near by. The child tells Caius that a flumph says its friends are being killed. Caius buys the child food, and the kid tells him that flumph are near the underwater tunnel entrance.

The group re-assembles. Autun, Caius, Kees, Jimjar, and Shuushar go to fetch Werz. Bree trails behind invisibly. They escort Werz to Overlake Hold so he may provide a statement regarding Gorglak and the attempt upon his life. Errde Blackskull contemplates the delicacy of the situation and betrays what appears to be a slight frustration. In the end she concludes that the stone giants can be relied upon to ensure Werz's safety and provide unimpeachable credibility with regards to witnessing and testimonies. Thus the group escorts Werz to the giants.

Dorhun, student of Hgraam and friend of Rihuud, greets the party. He understands and agrees to protect Werz. As they talk, Dorhun says something "popped" in the stone about a month ago. He also mentions that Hgraam sometimes confers with the Deep King, and most recently the King was uninterested in discussing the curse. Dorhun mentions that derro respect their gods and respect the sly approach rather than the fierce approach. Our heroes learn of Diirinka and Diinkarazan two derro gods, twins, each evil and chaotic. Diirinka "the Betrayer", known for cruelty, knowledge, and magic. Diinkarazan is the god of vengeance. They also learn that derro are believed to be created by mad Mind Flayers from the Far Realm.

With confidence that Werz is in good hands, they return to the inn to prepare for another dive into the tunnels below. Ezri is still not feeling well, but casts Dark Vision on Autun so that he may see without the need of torch or radiance. Once again Shuushar aids the group in gaining entrance to the tunnels via the underwater entrance, although this time rather than descend, he returns to the inn to look after Ezri and Rumpadump.

Once inside, just as the child said, they find a flumph. The flumph tells of his friends who are trapped by the derro, and agrees to bring them to where the others are held captive. As they approach, Autun hears a bear, then smells a bear. In the large room they are disturbed to see a spiral path in the middle of the floor. A glance reveals that there are a couple of guards, bears in locked cages, three unfamiliar bears and a single surface bear.

Bree charms the guards and convinces them that our Adventurers are the guard's shift replacement. We also learn that the bears are being kept to harvest something for rituals. Shortly after the guards leave on what they think is their break, she makes herself invisible and follows them to a room with multiple campfires and five derro who are chanting. She also sees a two-headed dog. Upon a platform is the focus of the ritual: a statue which glows green and shakes.

Stealthily, Bree returns to the group and explains what she has just seen.

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Prior: 24 May 2019, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 7 June 2019