Adventure in the Underdark

Imprisoned

Session 1 - A new Home - 15 Mirtul 1492

You look around at your new “home”. The cave is quite large and appears to be natural. The cave goes back into darkness for about 90 or 100 feet and at its widest is maybe 40 feet. There is no furniture or comforts afforded to the future Drow slaves, though there are dirty rags and blankets along the wall and in nooks and crannies. Each captive finds a place to bed down and wait. There is dim light in the cave provided by the bioluminescent fungi that seems to be common in the Underdark. Not everywhere, but common.

The opening to the cave is blocked by a very large and sturdy iron gate and bars. From your place against the wall you can see through the gate to the rope bridge that leads out to the guard tower built into a stalactite. As you watch you can see one of the Drow guards get up and move out of view. He comes back after a moment. You sigh, knowing there is always someone watching.

You glance around at your fellow captives. What a group you are, nearly 20 in total when you are all in the cell. Elfs, Dwarfs, Halfling, sure… but you never would have thought you’d find yourself sharing a “room” with an Orc, Deep Gnomes, a Drow, and a Kobold. Not to mention the fish person, and some hairy beast. And it might be the days underground, bad food, and filthy, but you are pretty sure that large mushroom in the back has been moving around.

Session 2 - A Plan Forms! - 15 Mirtul 1492

Despite each of you being on your own journey and plans less than a week ago, you were each captured by Drow raiding parties, poisoned and dragged deep into the Underdark to the Drow outpost Velkynvelve. You find yourselves part of a group of 17 captives awaiting transport to Menzoberranzan, transport that should have started already. You are a montley crew of future slaves. A Halfling and Dwarf – the only remnants of a Underdark scouting party. A cursed elven prince in the body of a large hairy beast. A peace loving cleric and a helpful and friendly Kobold whose chance meeting in the woods turned out about the worst way possible. Three deep gnomes – first the friendly deep gnome who likes to challenge others to odd contests and then a pair of younger gnomes who so far have been quiet. Two traveling companions brought together by happenstance chasing something into the darkness found more than they expected, or wanted. A dragonborns whose life of freedom ended so quickly and the cowardly orc he is building strategy with. And then the colorful and unusal members of the group. A clown, a mushroom, a peace loving fishman, and a white eyed excitable strange little man.

After several days in captivity you have become familiar with the routine, what there is of one. You wake and spend time in this cold, damp cave with your companions. Whiling away the hours however you can. Most days some of you are enlisted for some type of chore or labor. That is a chance to stretch your legs and perhaps gather an odd bit of information or maybe a supply or two. Before night, if you can even have a night in a place without sun, a bland porridge of mushrooms is brought before you lay your head down on a pillow of stone to sleep and dream – dream of freedom, dream of escape. There must be a way.

During the last day you have been hard at work putting a plan together. Pieces flutter within grasp, waiting to be grabbed and assembled. Perhaps the nail and a few splinters found during chores are the key to the locks? Maybe brute strength can break the chains that bind you? Or perhaps a friend in the guard could be enticed to provide assistance. But even if you do get out of your cage, where do you go. You barely know where you are. Fellow captives have shared that you are deep in the Underdark, far from the surface but close to Darklake and Sloobludop. A new friend might be able to guide you there. Or there is the home of your smallest, and frailest of new friends – the Neverlight Grove. Home of Stool and his colony. Or maybe you head towards the Duregar city of blades – Gracklstugh. You’ve heard there is a dragon there.

But for now, it is night and time to sleep. May your dreams bring you even a shortterm peace from this place.

Session 3 - A Plan in Motion - 16 Mirtul 1492

An evening barely able to be called “restful” was filled with unsettling dreams and abruptly ended when everyone was awoken by screams as 3 Grey Oozes found their way into the cave cell through cracks and gaps in the wall. Catching most of you by surprise, the oozes attacked. Finding yourselves unarmed, you nonetheless were able to defend yourselves with found weapons, rocks, even the chains that bind you. But the battle was not without scars. Two of you fell unconscious to your injuries, and several others ended the battle barely on their feet. But your “owner”, alerted to the trouble by shouts during the battle was there to provide a modicum of healing to return everyone to their feet. You had chores to do after all.

As the day unfolded, it was a busy day as three sets of captives were taken away for work. A group was taken to clean the Guard Tower, while another cleaned the Priestess’ Tower. And your cursed friend had his own day of trials. Your time away wasn’t wasted, as you learned of a possible location for your personal supplies as well as a source of weapons. You were even able to retrieve a few personal belongings.

As the day closed down and you found yourselves all back in the cave, the need to escape, and soon filled you all. You honed your plans further, setting plans and assignments for people. After retrieving important supplies, you will cause some havoc and destruction before fleeing into the waterfall and pond. Hoping the water will give you safe landing and access to the ground and tunnels of the Underdark. Where you plan to head towards Shuusar’s home of Sloopbludup.

Session 4 - Escape! - 16 Mirtul 1492

You breath in deep and sigh out. Despite still finding yourself this evening sitting on a stone floor leaning against a cave wall, you smile for there is no barred door keeping you here. But the smile doesn’t last long as you think back and realize this taste of freedom may not last long. What seemed so far away when you stopped for the night, exhausted and shaking with the after fight feeling now feels so close. You glance back the way you came, and can’t help but hear the sound of your Drow pursuers echoing towards you. Eager to reclaim their property and return you to your cell. But that is just your imagination. The only sounds you actually hear are those from your companions, shifting on their feet, leaning against the wall, quiet muttering in conversation.

You do take a moment to feel pride in your group. You did escape, something not often accomplished when the Drow are involved. And you made away with a pretty nice haul. The weight of your weapons comfortably at your side. Your trinkets and personal possessions mostly returned. How fortunate those Demons came flying into the cavern right as you began your escape. Coincidence? Or was it orchestrated? If so, by whom? And was it for your benefit? It could have been a bloodbath the escape, but you really were lucky. The only challenging fight was that Drow guard that took 4 of the party to restrain and kill. The sight of the Drows red blood dripping from Derendil’s claws. Is it okay that it makes you smile? The death of the priestess’s pet spider – that you definitely smile at. And wow… that demon that fell from the sky. Your stomach turns at the memory of the smell.

Next up – making it through the endless Underdark to Sloopbludup. What will you find there? What along the way? And what happened to Topsy, Turvy, and Buppido? Are they together? Are they safe? Have they been recaptured? Now that you are all free, can you trust everyone? How long will it be until you see the sun again?

Quaggoth

Duergar

Derro

Kua-Toa

Myconid Sprout

Deep Gnome

The Prisoners

PCS:

• Cris- Kobald Sorcerer
• Thiala- Half Elf Cleric
• Yaunt- Tiefling Wizard
• Milenko- A Clown Rouge
• Isadora- Halfling Fighter
• Thus Windburn- Tiefling/Elf Warlock
• Dova- Dragonborn Barbarian
  

NPCS:

• Derndil- The Cursed Quaggoth Prince
• Topsy and Turvey- Deep Gnome Siblings
• Sarith- Drow Prisoner
• Shuushar- Kua-Toa Pascifist
• Buppido- Derro prisoner
• Stool- Myconid Sprout
• Ront- Orc 
• Eldeth- Dwarven Scout
• Jimjar- Deep Gnome Rouge