Kanzen's eyes snap open as the goblin heals him. The quasit still strikes terror into him.
Kanzen opens his eyes groggily, then looks at Cyrus and gives a heartfelt nod of thanks. Heart still racing under the influence of the quasit's aura of fear, he reaches for a potion, but quickly realises he has none. Knowing that if he starts fleeing from the quasit he may well break and flee entirely, he grits his teeth and rolls to his feet, trying to stab the creature he can't safely retreat from.
Kanzen lands a blow on the quasit but the creature seems to take less damage from the blow than Kanzen would expect. Cackling madly, it flies away.
The dretch bites and claws at Irdril, hitting her hard with the claw (10 dam). The stench continues to overpower Cyrus while Irdril and Kanzen withstand it.
Galinndan is outraged at the howling insults from the monster in front of him.
He roars wordlessly, and flashes his blades in deadly arcs.
Cyrus fights past his nausea and fires at the beast.
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While continuing to dodge, Galenus strategically backs away, Is that all you got? Bring it, elf boy!
Galenus moves towards the Dretch, hoping to put it between himself and Gallindrin, leading Gallindrin to accidentally attach the Dretch when he tries to attack Galenus.
Cyrus fires at the fleeing quasit, striking it hard in the wing. The arrow bounces off but it looks like the wing was damaged despite its resistance to the mundane attack. The creature is barely remaining airborne...
Irdril moves on the other side of Kanzen letting him and Cyrus finish the Dretch. She focuses on bringing down the fleeing Quasit.
Kanzen drops his swords, grabs the bow at his feet, and fires at nearly point-blank range into the dretch.
Irdril finishes off the fleeing quasit while Kanzen damages the dretch. It keeps lashing out but it cannot land any blows.
This time, everyone is able to resist its stench, including Galinndan, to whom it is now equally close.
Kanzen feels the fear lift from his soul as the quasit falls and breathes a sigh of relief. He concentrates his aim on the dretch once more, his focus restored...
... but his aim no better!
Irdril turns her magic backs towards the Dretch.
"Take that Stinky!"
Irdril finishes off the dretch! Now the group must simple determine how to deal with Galinndan.
Capture him! Take his weapons and tie him up until the madness passes. Galenus proffers as he continues to dodge the swords.
Galinndan continues slashing wildly, his eyes still seeing the monsters surrounding him.
Irdril tries to shoot him with a drow sleep arrow.
plus the poison, DC 13
Cyrus moves behind the mad Galinndan and draws his blades.
Galinndan fights off the others, not noticing the goblin lurking behind him. A flurry of blows soon drops the elf unconscious (and at 0 hp but stable). After several minutes, Galinmdan, Cyrus, and Eddrikk recover and are able to act normally (but should still note 1 level of madness in their conditions).
Blearily, Galinndan stirs. His head aches, and his wounds are numerous.
But...he lives, as do his friends!
He looks up and around, his neck tender.
"The demons...mocking bastards. We survived though!"
Galenus gives Gallindrin a quizzical look. Yes. They most certainly are. He offers Gallindrin a hand up, not even mentioning the truth to him, even though he took the brunt of the injuries.
I think we should gather our things and return to rest. It's been an arduous day. And we still have a temple to visit.
The group heads back out through the Duergar Alchemist's secret hatch, coming out onto the Darklake Docks. From there, they make their way to turn in their prisoner to Captain Blackskull. She looks up at you with surprise as you bring him into her office "What's this? You've apprehended him? That's only useful if you found out what he was up to!"
As the party makes its way back to Gracklstugh, Kanzen draws close to Galinndan. After a couple of careful enquiries, he begins to understand that Galinndan has no memory of attacking him and other party members.
Kanzen begins uncertainly. "So you don't remember..." Pulling up his tunic, he displays the deep, ugly wounds on his chest dealt to him by the wood elf. "You went mad at the sight of those demons. This was you."
Kanzen puts his hand on Galinndan's shoulder. "No," he interrupts, "you don't understand. I'm not showing you this because you I want you to feel bad. I'm showing you because I want you to understand... We're no longer just companions of convenience, or necessity. Not you and I, not any of us. We could have all split before now, and yet we've become more than that. What happened back there, it wasn't your fault. It was simply magic. And no one here misunderstands that. We'll all gladly take blows from you, or for you; me, Galenus, and the rest. We're... a team now." Kanzen looks Galinndan in the eye, hoping that the wood elf takes what he's saying in the way it's intended.
He was a part of a cult that worshiped the Demon Lord Demogorgon. That two-headed stome giant that attacked earlier? That was them. They're trying to put curses on the giant's to cause as much discord and damage as possible. We're on our way to the temple next to give them the things they need to reverse the curse.
If we have direct evidence of it that we don't have to give to the stone giant's, Galenus will say, Here's the proof. And now that you've seen the proof, you're.more likely to believe me when I say that Demogorgon is here. We saw him summoned up, coming out of the Dark Lake. He destroyed a kuo-tao village; one where a friend of mine was living.
Galinndan stops, shocked at the wounds on Kanzen.
What!? How could I...
And he thinks of cuffing Kanzen over the head, to trick the goblins. And sees his own handiwork on the drow's flesh.
How long ago was that? Days? Weeks? I do not remember, I feel I have barely slept since...
Galinndan realises that he hasn't spoken.
"I...I...am sorrowful regardless, Kanzen. And anyone else I slashed. I count you as friends, and I would gladly fight to the last for you. And I appreciate the lack of rancour for my actions."
I hope that last part is true.
********************
"Demogorgon. Is. Coming. He is in the Underdark. Why would he spare your city? Why would the prince of chaos and murder stop at all?"
Errde's eyes widen at the news then narrow. "This can't be true. Certainly the derro are acting madly and it is good you have discovered the source of the stone giant curse. But the Prince of Demons? No... Us duergar would be showing signs of madness as well..." Her voice trails off "Have you found signs of this as well?" she asks with a mixture of skepticism and concern in her voice.
Irdril also reveals what was learned from the speak with dead on the Savant.
Eddrikk silently trails behind the group, still shaken and embarrassed by being frozen in battle. He wondered if this was how his family felt when he had caused them embarrassment so many times before.
Yes, we've seen some. All in the bazaar. A Merchant who did nothing but insult passerbyes and customers in an attempt to sell his wares (Link). This wasn't no hatgling insult we're prone to do; this was above and beyond the norm. Anotherte was changing his prices every single time he was asked, even if it was the same person; didn't even haggle (link).
And a third was just telling random nonsense at people walking by (link).
Out on the docks, we witnessed a merchant was attacked for no apparent reason. They weren't even trying to steal anything. He survived the attack, and called it a "random act of violence." Who ever heard of such a thing! Only in tales and games of imagination!
Errde's heavy brow furrows as the news of corruption and insanity in her city, among her people is broken to her. She shakes her head in concern "Well I will have to report this to my superiors and see the matter investigated further. As promised, here is a voucher for each of you to draw on our supplies."
She calls in some guards to take Droki "Now that we know what he was up to, we'll send a proper investigation down into the tunnels. Here is your writ of free passage out of Gracklstugh." She hands you papers signed by her superior.
Eddrikk's demeanor greatly improved by hearing they now had passages out of the Grey Dwarf city, "It been a pleasure workin' whicha, take care an we'll see ourselves out." He offers a halfhearted salute and turns to leave.
Errde nods sharply and returns to her large pile of paperwork. Two guards stand ready to escort you out back into the city.
Galinndan is quiet throughout, glad to be finally on the way out soon.
Kanzen nods in agreement with Eddrikk. "Yes, our thanks for the writ of passage, Captain, and good luck with your investigation."
"We could try to buy our way to the surface. Not sure if it would cover it, but it's a possibility."
Stool hears you mention heading back to the surface and thinks sadly to you all "Oh... I hoped you were going to help me back home..."
Topsy also speaks up in Undercommon "Hey yeah! I thought we were going to Blingdenstone too! I bet you can find a caravan out from there but we don't want to head up to the..." she gags on the word "surface..."
Heading to visit the stone giants, the group is admitted quickly. Upon presenting the second head of the statue to the Stonespeaker, he exclaims "This is marvelous! I will be able to cure my brother with this." He fumbles in his robe and draws forth an emerald the size of Cyrus' head and hands it to the goblin. "For your kindness to my people."
"Stool, Topsy, I believe we did say that we would assist you to get home. I see no reason that we cannot do that on our way out of the Underdark.", he finishes with the slightest of smiles.
**********
He gasps at the size of the emerald.
That shade...too long since I last saw green that shade!
Cyrus's eyes go wide as he takes the gem. "I've neva seen a gem dis big. Um. T-thanks. Sir Stonespeaka." He mutters out through his shock.
The Stonespeaker nods gravely and states in a somber, rumbling voice "If you require my influence in Gracklstugh, simply speak the word. I have some sway with the Gray Dwarves, though they will ever do as they see best."
The group of plucky escaped slaves heads back out into the streets of Gracklstugh. They wind through the tight, smoke-filled streets with the hammering of tools somehow comforting them after the eerie quiet of the Whorlstone Tunnels. But as they round a corner, they find themselves face to face with a creature far deadlier than any they've encountered yet. Red scales shimmer from feet the size of a man up legs like tree trunks to a body the size of a large wagon. A thick, long, graceful neck bends low as the adult red dragon bends down to a strange window, the kind you've seen all over Gracklstugh, on the outside of a smithy. He inhales deeply, inflating his massive torso, then exhales into the smithy. You see an orange glow through the scales of his neck. Then he stands and looks down at you.
A deep, smooth voice hisses from the dragon "Sssssoooo. I'm to dine on sssssurfaccccerssss tonight?"
Visibly shaken by the sight of the creature Irdril mentally thinks..
Perhaps it seeks the egg..
"Now why would you want to do that O' Great Wurm? Perhaps we can discuss an alternative to eating?"
The great wyrm chuckles. "Indeed? I thought there might be. Come by my den. The keeperssss will ssssee you to me." With that, the dragon turns and walks off. You note that he is extremely heavy, as if accustomed to a rich diet.