Trials in the Underdark (13th of Hunts - 3rd of Allhallowtide, Rose: 47)

Okay, a lot has happened since the last time we caught up with our intrepid adventurers!

Here's a recap.

• The party endured an attack by Displacer Beasts! It was a pretty good battle as the Displacer Beasts got in some good rolls. The party learned that Jud'e'fae couldn't be trusted (as it seemed that Jud'e'fae allowed a Displacer Beast to attack Gorbash intentionally!); that Jake Ross isn't so good with a spear; that the twins Abja'fae and Qazan'fae are just learning how to use their bows; that Khal'd'fae is a Ranger with great ability but few hit dice. And they learned that the dark elves will eat anything with meat on its bones, even displacer beasts, as they were skinned and their meat harvested and added to the tortoise meat they were hauling around.

• Jud'e'fae slandered the party, explaining to Khal that the only reason why they were attacked is because of the party's "smell" and "need for light"; that the party was a liability. Khal told Jud'e'fae to shut up. Over time, the party learned that Jud'e'fae was a Sorcerer as he was capable of casting spells, and was fairly competent with a spear, although his mean, cantankerous disposition in concert with Jud'e'fae's own actions which seemed to put the party at risk, kept from him being fully trusted. 

• The party would come to learn that there are no clerics in the Underdark. There are no miracles. No magical means of healing; no fantastical ways to generate food nor water; no miraculous storms of lightning called from the sky to smite their adversaries; no mystical ways to dispel the horrors of the undead, or, heal the sick. The only form of clerical magic anyone is used to seeing is manifested by the worshipers of Tahkesis, which explains why they mistakenly called Siegride a cleric of Tahkesis when they first met and why Jud'e'fae has such a hard time accepting anything else. In general, this clan of dark elves abandoned ancient traditions of "spider-worship" generations ago when they found no help would come from their Goddess when under attack by the Dragonkind. 

• The party saw small bats flying around in the trees and little rodents on the ground; from time to time, they'd hear larger cries and wails and growls of much larger critters somewhere in the darkness. The cave to the Underdark would vanish into the darkness and all they could see were dense trees in every direction. At times, it even seemed moist, foggy, but the source of water was unclear. There was certainly a lot of life in this underground forest. There were plenty of dangers. Siegride and Ma'yah nearly died during a steep 125' climb of an ancient dried-up waterfall, and there were spots in the Underdark that seemed to attract more animal and monster activity because it was near water sources.
  
• In their adventures, the party learned that the Underdark was a forested place that lay close to the surface, whereas the Underdeep was a place much deeper, much lower, that lay beneath, and that there are enormous monsters in the Underdeep (as they learned first-hand as they were attacked by a pair of Behir).
  
• The party learned of the Minutur (the minotaur) - a race of bull-headed men that lived near the top of the Underdark like the elves. They were strong, crafty, and smart; they knew all the ways around the Underdark. They lived separately from the elves and in peace until the Dragonborn came, and in lost skirmishes with them, they fled to the Underdeep, laying traps in dark labyrinths of rocks and trees. The party encountered an old, over-grown mausoleum crafted by the minutur's and long abandoned; they party also thought it fit to explore the graves of two sentries but found nothing of interest, and couldn't lift the entrance to the mausoleum because it was too heavy. These days, Jake explained, the Minitur stay in their layers in the Underdeep, waiting for those foolish enough to attack them. 

• Tolman received good news in his Diary of Correspondence. Twyst wrote to give him some good news after Tolman informed him of the party's recent excursion to the Sagean Coast: 

“Good sir, you are an intrepid adventurer and I salute you. Merry travels in the world abroad and do try to stay safe. I, my good friend, am in McFerrel’s Parish, revealing your most important findings to my dear friend Mr. Gregory Wanderfoot, a specialist in these matters pertaining to our mutual friend. He’s quite astounded at the volume of detail. He’s considering approaching the Parish Council to prepare both a memorial and announcement of the lost journal (and that they will be subsequently released for years coming in small drips and drabs to compensate for the publishing of such matters, and, to perpetuate the novelty of the story, to which he cares to offer you and your estate a smidge of perpetual royalties from said proceeds). Oh Mr. Greenholm, you’ve struck it, sir! You’ve padded your feet this time!”

• The dark elf twins were young and playful. At one point, they challenged the dwarves to climb trees and swing from vines; they also tried to learn the dwarves' names and speak them aloud. They were enthralled by Tolman's talk of cities and places back in Floreth. But they're also naive ... climbing steep places without ropes or reinforcements, or, wandering into the dark woods all on their own. Once, a dryad emerged from the wood near a bubbling spring, and the twins chased after the beautiful, nude fae, enchanted, likely to become her slave forever as payment for taking her scarce water. They were under the dryad's spell! Craftily, Gorbash offered freshly-minted pies from his Wonderous Piebox in exchange for the brothers-fae and the dryad accepted the terms and mightly munched the pies, while the rest of the party subdued the twins and took them away from the area. Silly Elves. Dryads will make Keeblers out of you.

• The party met other elves who were stationed on the periphery of the blue hills in a makhba - a hideout; they kept watch over the dessert. They reported that squads of Dragonkind (the tanin mawlud) were on the march, searching for something or someone in the dessert south of Juaina (the "Little Garden" citadel that the party arrived through). Their scouting parties had picked up and it wouldn't be long before they encroached the hills. Their search patterns were unusual. Khal became suspicious of the party briefly.

• Over time it became clear that Khal'd'fae was a Ranger and knew these creepy woods better than anyone. On several occasions, he climbed a tree to retrieve pre-stored food and water, and, to replenish those stores; he also helped the party navigate obvious traps set by the elves for would-be intruders to their domain. He also was training the young twins on how to use their bows. Over the course of their time together, the party came to understand a few things about Khal. One, he saw the world as a larger place than what his race was exposed to and having the party hang around was more than curiosity - he wants to learn from them and expand his own perspective, which is a similar reason as to why he maintained Jake in his circle of adventurers; two, Khal realizes the power of the party and their clerical abilities which would make potentially enormous allies; three, Khal wants to help - he can bring the party to elders in his clan that can explain more of the Theocracy; four, Khal seems to have an older brother named Locien'fae - a Prince of Fae - who is held captive by the Dragonborn, both as a prisoner and as a tortured soul. Khal believes that the party presence here just isn't chance but providence ... he even suggests at one point that he wants to show Siegride a sacred place somewhere along the road home.
  
• Meanwhile, a deal was struck: Jake would teach Siegride the dark elf language in exchange for teaching Jake how to become a cleric. Jake was very interested; Khal, who now saw Jake as something larger than just a slave (thanks to the party's influence), encouraged the exchange.

Finally, the party had spent days in the woods and were closing in on the next mukbha to drop off provisions and water to Khal's men there, but what they found was horrific. Four dead eviscerated rotting elvish corpses arranged in a ceremonial cross on the earthen floor of their camp, while a mass of insects suddenly emerged from their bodies and from the adjacent Underdark forest to swarm around the party...

And that's where we left off!

R