Chapter 1: Prisoners of the Drow

Fang makes it down to the water with no issue, graceful as a large cat.

Bildaweer enters the water with a small splash, nothing to alarming. Following him are Topsy and Turvy, who both make it down with little problem. Eldreth, Jimjar, Sarith, Stool, Derendil, and Buppido all enter the water, some with a fair bit of noise, others pretty quietly. So far nothing severe enough to attract beasties. Then up steps Dustin. Not content to just flop through the hole like his Dwarven compatriot, he makes his way to the edge of the webbing. Taking a poised stand, he flips off the webbing without leaving so much as a tremor behind on the threads. Flipping over multiple times as he fell, he enters the water hands first in a pristine dive, causing no splash whatsoever.

Now that you are all on the ground, with all of your recently liberated gear, you find yourselves on the banks of the lake. To the north of you, approximately 120 feet away, is the northern passage. Equidistant to the south is the southern passage. Finally, approximately 40 feet west of you is the western passage away.

As you all enter, and then exit, the water you note that Stool is scarily adept as a swimmer, needing little help. When Cemos speaks to Stool, he cocks his head to the side and shivers, sending his now-familiar spores over all of you.

There! Now we can all thinktalk together! Thank you for getting me out! I hated it there, except for Dustinfriend and friend of Dustinfriend, and maybe some of you others as well. You kept me safe. I want to go home! But I don't know the way other than across the Darklake. But that's a scary place! If we get there, our king is very wise they said. Wise in the ways of the Underdark that not even the DROW know about! Stool thinks at all of you.

Suddenly a cacophony among your group, debating about directions and places to go. After a minute of hurried talking and heated voices, here are the potential directions and inputs from everyone involved.

Buppido, the derro man, believes the best place to go is Gracklstugh. I know the way like you know yourselves, provided you get me to the Darklake! I miss home. It would be good to return in glory. We have many good pieces of equipment you could use there. Gracklstugh is wonderful!

Prince Derendil has no recommendations. I will gladly stay by your side, I'm eager to return to the surface!

Eldeth also offers no directions. Aye, I'm unfamiliar with this part of the Underdark. I'm of no help to those of you tryin' to navigate. But I'm pretty good at foraging and tracking, so I'll gladly going you. Just get me to the surface so I can get home.

Jimjar offers Blingdenstone as a target, using the northern passage. It's a deep gnome city, to be sure. But we have access to the surface from there, and we can bring Stool home on our way!

Sarith, strangely, seems very cooperative now that he's free of bonds and below the webs. We should take Stool up on his offer of sanctuary. Safety is a strong place to work from.

Shuushar indicates that going to Sloobludop near the Darklake is a wise choice. Aside from being able to get boats there, I can navigate through the Darklake. I long to see my people to try bringing them to my enlightened state!

Topsy communicates while Turvy does his now familiar bobbing about and not speaking thing. We don't want to go back to Blingdenstone! Anywhere but there is OK with us, but if you choose to go there, we understand.

As the group finishes yelling about all the different choices, you all settle in to discuss directions when three major things happen, all on top of one another:

A lone figure stands on the edge of the web to the south of you, gray skin barely visible in the dim light. It's stance is odd, and the head somewhat cocked.

You see the bodies of two giant spiders begin to move across the webs.

A long shrill whistle, followed by echoed yelling from the outpost that is now above you.

Velkynvelve awakes. Your escape is discovered.

As Fang asks his question, Sarith speaks up. No you dolts, Darklake is not to the north. It's almost entirely west of here!

Dustin's bolt springs free, at the very far edge of range (should be disadvantaged, so I rolled a confirmation and yours was the lower roll). The bolt lands and a guttural scream is heard. As you watch the figure fall, you notice tattered webbing around its body and a peculiar second bolt sticking from its face.