Eddrikk climbs up onto the boat and most of you help with the rowing. This boat is much faster than your homemade raft.
Galenus jumps into the boat and grabs the steering oar.
You succeed in getting the boat headed away from the carnage at the kuo-toa village but the cries of pain and fear can be heard for a long time. Finally, you move far enough out into the Darklake that you only hear the normal lapping of the water.
As you try to decide where to go next, a boat approaches you slowly. A voice calls out
"Ho, light dwarf! You did me a good turn back there and I think I can do one for you!"
You see the duergar you freed approaching on the boat he stole.
Galinndan turns to Galenus, Eddrick, and Eldeth.
"Can you understand what he is saying? Oh, and I shall rest soon. Please see me undisturbed, and I will do the same once I am restored."
Galinndan lays his head down, his eyelids slide shut, and he meditates deeply.
He spends the next four hours in meditation. And his eyes flick open.
Irdril collapses in the boat..
"Yep.. Taking a nap.."
And she passes out..
He is speaking to me. He's thanking me for freeing him back at the alter.
The gray dwarf responds
"That's right, no question. Demogorgon you call it? Anyhow, I'm headin' to Gracklstugh now. By the look o ye lot, you could use to see some civilization. If ye want to come along, I'll put a good word in."
He waves gruffly at the others. "Never let it be said Hemeth failed dto repay a debt. You lot want to come along to my town?"
'Opefully he can be of some 'elp to us, but best if we take turn restin' we can nah all sleep at the same time,
He is offered nf to escort us to one of the better places of civilization in the underdark: Gracklstugh.
And I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd kill for a good bath. All I smell is fish, and I can't wait to wash it off.
"Clothes sound great.. And a bath, yes.. A bath sounds great.."
Hemeth nods. "Well it's a bit of a row to Gracklstugh. 'ill take about a week. No point takin' two boats. Permission to come aboard?" Assuming no objections, Hemeth boards your boat and begins giving you instructions to Gracklstugh. Days pass, bringing you almost to the Duergar city. Hemeth doesn't talk much as you travel along but owes you a debt of gratitude so he's somewhat willing to talk. He fishes off the side of the boat and finds fresh springs feeding the Darklake to keep himself alive.
Early on in your journey, you notice Hemeth rubbing his temples. He comments "Oy... I didn't like the sight o that thing... Feels like it could drive me mad... I think I shook it off but..." he shudders "Haven't forgotten it..."
Anyone got any idea why a Demon Lord is in the underdark? That was the prince of destruction. If he's here, something is horrible and truly wrong. It would kind of explain those things we saw back in Velkynvelve, though. Means they've been here for some time.
Kanzen isn't much use foraging, so he spends his days taking turns rowing, resting, and making quiet conversation with others. In particular, he continues to converse with Derendil, attempting to figure out if he is indeed a polymorphed elf, or just a crazy, yet strangely intelligent and well-spoken quaggoth.
Kanzen gingerly tests the waters with Galinndan, occasionally attempting to start conversation, mostly asking about the surface world, which he longs to see.
Untrusting of duergar in general, he doesn't take to the new arrival. Nor does he see any irony in the fact that he is judging a book by its cover - it was well known in drow society that grey dwarves were sly and crafty, seldom outright stabbing one in the back, but always angling for advantage, and unscrupulous as a rule. Also, the taint of madness was everpresent in their souls. All of which led to a simple rule of thumb in Menzoberranzan: never trust a duergar.
(Kanzen doesn't slight Hemeth at all; he just doesn't engage.)
At Galenus's talk of the demon lord, Kanzen shudders. The madness that stole his tongue's wits has left him, but the memory remains. He remembers vaguely a feeling like looking into a window to the Abyss; the faint memory of his soul being brushed by a maelstrom of madness, chaos, and evil. He busies himself with some mundane task as the talk turns to Demogorgon.
back to 0
1 level
2 level
back to 1
2 level,not sure what happens after 2..
3..
I think I did that right. So she has all her spells but has 3 levels of Exhaustion, disadvantage on attacks and save with half movement..
Hard to imagine sleeping in a boat would mess you up that much.. The phb stats starvation or long term freezing/scorching weather gives exhaustion not sleeping on a hard surface lol..
"I was under the impression that the Lords couldn't leave the Abyss.. Obviously that is no true. Something must have happened to lure him away. Perhaps we will find some answers in Gracklstugh. Perhaps there is a diviner or some soothsayer that can give us some answers."
The boat travel is not kind to Irdril and as the 8th day rolls around she can barely move and talk..
Hemeth is equally distrusting of Kanzen. He whispers to the other members of the party "Maybe yer new down here but that's a drow! Ya never trust a drow! They always stab ya in the back."
Derendil greatly savors his conversations with Kanzen, speaking in elegant, flowing elvish. "Ah I fear my I will never see my beautiful home in Nelrindenvane again... It was lovely beyond compare..." he looks at the bloodstains on his fur from fighting the kuo-toa and shakes his head in regret. "Worse, I fear the savagery of this form is taking over... It is hard not to lash out blindly when the bloodlust is upon me..."
Stool has been very quiet and sad since the departure of his friend, Tiberius. He hasn't talked much but refreshes the rapport spores whenever he's asked to (they expire after 1 hr). He piped up briefly when Hemeth first came aboard I mean... we could go to Nev... nevermind... and sinks back into his nervous depression.
The deep gnome twins are also sad at the dragon man's departure but soon get back to their usual ways. They haven't had a transformation in a while and are glad of it. Turvy mumbles and grumbles all of the time while Topsy is more open to making friends. Currently, they're in the midst of a serious argument. Topsy yells at her brother "No no no! I've shown you a hundred times! The braid goes like this!" she shows him how to place one lock of her hair over the other.
The surly deep gnome yells back "And I've told you a hundred times! I don't want to braid your stupid hair!!" The bickering continues with no sign of stopping...
Kanzen looks at Derendil with concern as he discusses the bloodlust he has felt, and the last traces of doubt about Derendil fade away. "Don't let that bestial form take you over, friend. Your spirit is strong; We'll figure out a way to return you to your elven form." Nevertheless, he keeps an eye on Derendil, looking out for any strange behaviours.
Demowhatagon? Just another reason to hate this place.
Somewhat recovered Irdril does her best to help forage. If any strange plants/shrooms are found she will attempt to identify them.
Eddrikk searches the boat for any gear that might be on it...
Eddrikk finds fishing tackle and two sets of manacles.
Galinndan, once recovered from meditation, will make a point of a hard row for the first two days, to ensure Demogorgon is left far behind, then a moderate pace to not exhaust the group.
****
To Galenus:
"I know not why such a thing is loose. I would see it banished, had we the strength."
****
To Stool:
"Take heart. Tiberius sacrificed himself to save others. And we can still live and do good."
****
To Topsy and Turvy:
"Are there any troubles beyond the usual you would like to speak of?"
****
Stool doesn't seem to listen much. He was my friend...
Exasperated, Topsy explains "I've showed him many times how to braid my hair but he just never does it right on top of always complaining!"
You notice that your boat is quickly moving toward a ridge of sharp stalactites jutting up just beneath the surface. There's a safe path through but it's narrow!
"Hey watch out for those stalactites in the water! Steer it that way!"
As a bonus action she Galenus bardic inspiration, +1d6, on his dex check.
Think skinny lads, hard larboard!
Thinking skinny!
Aye Aye, Captain!
Galinndan sleepily turns his head, and then sluggishly tries to coordinate himself flat against the boat floor. Surprisingly, he manages it.
You manage to steer the boat, which is so much more maneuverable than your old raft, through the stone teeth. You travel along now fairly smoothly.
You notice some dark shapes flickering in the water behind the boat. They are about the size of a hand and there are dozens and dozens of them.
Cyrus single-handedly keeps you all fed without trouble but can't alone keep up with the water needs of all of his fellow passengers.
Heads up! There’s something in the water behind us!
At Irdril's shout, Kanzen moves to the rear of the boat, arrow ready to be nocked. "What do you see," he murmurs.
"Something about the size of a hand, a fish perhaps? There are dozens of them though.."
Galinndan groans, and draws his bow, looking for a target.
You can make them out. They are indeed fish. They look very hungry.
"Ah! It's a swarm of Quippers! I don't think they can climb so just stay out of the water and perhaps they will leave us alone."
Galinndan switches to his sword and dagger.
And now I wish I had replied to Kanzen coherently. What an odd thought.
Irdril is, in fact, perfectly right. The swarm follows you for about an hour then loses interest as no food enters the water and veers off to pursue other prey.
The party continues traveling along through a side passage, as dictated by Hemeth. The current picks up and winds through tight turns. The momentum of the boat is too much! It's going to strike a wall of one of the turns and hard!