Glabbagool isn't a name you've heard before in any of your dealings with any of the races of the underdark. It is likely that Glabbagool made the name up itself rather than been given it by a creator or anyone else. It bears some slight resemblance to Aklo or Abyssal but that may not mean anything. Undercommon itself draws its root as a pidgin of Elven, Abyssal and Orvian (itself a mixture of Aklo and Terran).
Shuushaar answers the group's questions
"Sloobludop is fairly large for a Kuo Toa settlement but very small by the standards of Drow or Duergar. There are around 500 souls living in the village. I believe we will be welcomed, yes even Glabbagool. I am well respected, if not well liked, in the village and Blibdoolpoolp teaches that hospitality is sacred. One of the many things which make her the least worst of those my misguided brethren have decided to worship."
Growling to himself, Harro contiues to toward the village.
"Hrrummph. Youse' all realizin' that 'hospital ' is part of 'hoss-pitality' right? I swear if I get 'et by fish-li'zrd people..."
"Looks like I'm outvoted then. Never saw the draw of fluffy beds myself,"
What a bunch of delicate Sylphs!
"but if you insist."
The next day you approach Sloobludop. When you are about half an hour away you are met by a patrol of eight Kuo-Toa armed with spears and nets led by a large unarmed Kuo-Toa. The leader stares at you blankly for several seconds before starting to pace up and down in front of you.
"Praise Leemooggoogoon. Bloppblippodd will be very happy to have more guests at the ceremony."
It's not clear whether he is speaking to you, to his patrol, or to himself.
Clutching his escape club with a sweaty palm, and his chest of goodies on his shoulder, Harro glares at the fish men.
"Hrrrumph. I newt' it. We'll bees' dinner. Toldya' so."
Tanic perks up at the mention of a religious ceremony and the warm greeting.
"How nice of you! Tell me more about this ceremony. Will there be sacrifices? Will there be music? Long speeches? I love speeches. Harro, calm down. Nobody is going to want to eat you. Trust me."
Micar looks at the Kua-Toa with a combination of concern and intrigue, "A ceremony? How wonderful. What are we celebrating?"
Micar tries to remember if he's heard or read anything regarding Kua-Toa ceremonies.
"I've never heard of Leemooggoogoon, he must be a new object of worship. I wish I knew more. I know the name Bloppblippodd though, she is Archpriest Ploopploopeen's daughter" Shuushaar responds to Talindra's question.
The leader of the patrol makes no move to confiscate any weapons but motions for his troops to surround you and escort you in.
The troops appear to become more alert and on edge as they approach the village. That seems odd, surely there is more chance of coming across a hostile creature or other threat further from the village.
The half-fiend felt relief that her friend Glabagool would be allowed safe entry and smiled at him a moment before Talindra spoke those evil, evil words and tempted fate. She was glad now that she took the chance to implant a subliminal suggestion into her mind, just in case she needed it. She spotted her lover's attempt to shrug off the weakness from their first night together and felt her fail. She leaned in and whispered into Talindra's ear before they approached.
As they approached and heard the guards Though something seemed off about them she decided it was just that they were an odd people and it left Vinexa off guard a bit as she listened. She glance at Talindra as she expressed her concern and said, "You might be right but I think they're just strange." She smiled in amusement then and continued, "If they were drow, or maybe duergar, I could understand not being concerned about the approach of outsiders, but these aren't and we are a rather...terrifying group. I mean we do have drow, derro, a walking rock man, a gelatinous cube, and a half-succubus in our midst, if it were me I'd be worried about their approach too."
Walking along with the others, Akri just grumbled. "Yeah, well, if the cookin' pot is warmer than the welcome we'd get elsewhere, it might be worth it," he said, looking to the demon woman and her lackey. "Don't get me wrong, you'll prolly sleep your way to safety, but you'll be dining on me and the others. Wonder what spices would make me taste good?" The last part was said almost to himself.
As get within sight of the outskirts of the village another group of ten kuo toa appears. They stare at you for several seconds before shouting "For Blibdoolpoolp" and attacking your escort.
Micar 24
Vinexa 23
Attackin Kuo Toa 20
Talindra 19
Defending Kuo Toa 18
Harro 16
Tanic 15
Akri 12
Micar draws his wakizashi, give my weapon +1, and move forward to stand next to the forward most kua-toa ally.
Vinexa saw the fighting begin and decided that, unless Shushar gave them some indication as to who they should fight, she would simply wait and either attack whomever he instructed they should or who ever attacked her first.
Quickly backing away from the sudden fight, Akri looked around in confusion. "Wait, what? What's going on?" he asked in confusion.
Harro quietly puts his chest on the ground, and grips his escape club in both hands. However he does not immediately interfere with what is obviously some sort of internal dispute with the fish-lizard people.
Shuushar tries unsuccessfully to get the two groups to stop fighting and shakes his head sadly.
"See the tragedy of religious fanaticism. I expected better of followers of Blibdoolpoolp. I used to have some respect for Ploopploopeen."
He considers Talindra's question for a while before responding.
"I do not believe the attackers mean to harm us, merely our escort. If you do get involved please try not to kill anyone. They may be mad, but they are my people"
Tanic will hold off beating anyone to death. He stays with the pack of 'good' guys, simply ready to defend himself.
The attacking group eventually overwhelms the defending kuo toa. The victors proceed to tie up the surviving followers of Leemooggoogoon. The leader of the new group addresses the party in undercommon.
"Is anyone hurt? Lucky for you we were passing. I am Glooglugogg, son of Ploopploopeen, Archpriest of the Sea Mother, and you were almost chum for my sister's false god. You must come see my father, there is much that he would wish to discuss with you. Quickly"
*shrug*
"Why not. Take us to your leader."
Harro pokes Tanic with his club and shakes his head.
"Chum? Tha' sounds bad. I was right wasn't I...not good this is..."
"They seem nice. And he did say we would have been chum if the others would have taken us. I wish I knew more about bloopy and poopy though, or whatever their names are... Hey could one of you tell me about the two religions and what their differences are?"
As the attack begins, Micar sees the others stand down and backs off. Can't tell one from the other, anyway.
Micar follows next to Shuushar, "What's going on here? Which side is your side?"
Harro continues to act dower, ruffled, suspicious, and disgruntled, much like any Duergar in almost any situation.
"I don't wanna' be no 'CHUMS' 'ere, not wi' ANYBODIES."
"Harro, I think they were talking sea-talk, as in fish food, not buddies. In either case, at least to you, a bad thing, though I'm always ready to make a new friend."
Vinexa stretched, her arms going well above her head and her wings mantling while her spare clothing stretched taught on her form. From her hair a spider crawled out and she looked up at it saying, "At last Terra, a place with a real bed!" Her stretch finished she looked at Talindra and said, "Soon there will be a bath and a real bed. Finally, civilization," she looked around, "of a sort." Terra raised her forelegs menacingly as if daring the spiders of the town to deny her a place here.
Shuushar starts to answer but Glooglugogg cuts him off.
"Bilbdoolvpoolp, the Sea Mother, is a benevolent goddess. She has cared for this community for many, many years and provides us with plentiful catches in return for our faithful worship. We have lived in her harmonious service for as long as I can remember. There were a few 'visionaries' who tried to cause trouble" he pauses and casts a walleyed glance at Shuushar "But mostly we lived in peace. That is until three weeks ago when my accursed sister had her vision and that upstart Leemooggoogoon gifted her and those who chose to follow her with great powers in exchange for terrible sacrifices.Since then we have been split in two, fighting among ourselves." he concludes with a sad shake of his head.
You follow Glooglugogg and his patrol into the village, through a 'wall' of heavy netting woven with sharp bone hooks. As he leads you to the Shrine of the Sea Mother he explains that the North side of the village is mostly still under loyalist control, while the South side and the Docks are where the followers of Leemooggoogoon, the Deep Father, are strongest.
Inside the shrine is a nine-foot tall statue. It's body is roughly carved from driftwood in the shape of a humanoid female, its head and forearms formed from the severed head and claws of a giant albino crayfish. Shells, brightly coloured stones, mushrooms, and rotting fish are piled at the statue's feet and strung in garlands around its neck. Four stern Kuo-Toa slowly circle the statue, alert and on guard, while others mill about, gazing up and bowing repeatedly while chanting. A richly dressed Kuo-Toa stands on a plinth overlooking the scene.
"What's this you say about Dark Sacrifices? Does that have anything to do with their treating us like 'chum'? Because, I have to say, I'd rather not be a sacrifice to a god I don't even know, much less one I do."
"Indeed" Glooglugogg replies. "We believe that the group you met intended to offer you as sacrifices"
Honestly, all religions were odd to Akri. Always relying on some being in another dimension to help you out, how do you learn what you're capable of that way? But, to each their own. "Yeah, yeah, praise be to the fish woman," Akri muttered under his breath before facing their 'guide'. "All of this is awesome and great and stuff, but is there a place we can reast for the night before moving on?"
Harro pipes up at the mention of rest, elbowing Tanic and waving at the fish people.
"Food? Weap'ns? They got a smith 'ere? I seriously doubt'n he's any good, but we's gotta ask."
Tanic looks somewhat shocked by the friendly jab. At least he thinks it was friendly.
"I thought you liked your escape club? You seem the club kind of guy. What kind of weapon do you prefer?"
Harro just looks at Tanic for a moment then shrugs.
"Big'unns."
Micar is a little irritated that Glooglugogg didn't let Shuushar respond to his question, "So what's your intention with us?"
"Followers of the Sea Mother, outsiders and travelers who they manage to entice in, even cultists of the Deep Father who displease his new priesthood all are liable to be sacrificed." Glooglugogg replies to Talindra.
"As to our intentions we only ask that you dine with my father. He is always eager to speak with travelers, especially such an unusual group as you. After you have spoken with him you are free to do as you see fit, but I'm sure we would be happy to provide you with rooms to sleep in and to trade with you"
The richly dressed Kuo-Toa in the shrine approaches Glooglugogg and embraces him. The two talk quietly for a short while before he notices Shushaar and also embraces him. He introduces himself as Archpriest Ploopploopeen and invites you to dine with him. If you agree he leads you to a side chamber where in a short period of time a large number of dishes, mostly comprising of shell fish, raw or cooked fish, and sea weed, are served. After a prayer giving thanks to the Sea Mother for her generous bounty he asks,
"What brings a group so diverse that I must confess to not knowing what some of you even are to my humble table? Truly a great story lies behind such a party?"
Harro snorts and wrinkles his nose while smiling, his face and hands covered in fish grease and other unmentionable things.
"Party! HA! Escapees we are! Former Drow prisoners on the run."
He then continues to stuff himself silly and happily with the food as each course is presented!
"I believe one of our patrols saw signs of this party of surface dwellers you mention but didn't encounter them. That must have been about two weeks ago. Normally we would have made greater efforts to make contact but we have rather preoccupied of late. You mention that you are capable of putting up a 'damned good fight', I have an idea that may be able to end this civil war but I need a group of damned good fighters to pull it off. Would you be able to help us?"
Me? Effective fighter? Well, flattering but certainly not accurate.
"Well, my part in this has been mostly as support - finding food, keeping everyone headed in the right direction. But I'm willing to hear you out, particularly if it means avoiding being sacrificed."
Harro perks up here and elbows Tanic again, hard enough to leave a small bruise and some fish grease.
"Killin' stuff? That's our'n 'pecialty! Wadda' you havin' ta' mind? And...what're you willin' to PAY for it?"
At this point Harro pops a fried seaweed ball into his mouth and he chews noisily, and with his mouth open for all to watch.
Tanic staggers sideways in surprise.
"I don't think you know your own strength. Good thing I'm partially made of stone."