D&D 5E (IC) Vault of the Dracolich (River Gang)

Aquaria sighed. "Another lake. I wonder who will be retrieving the idol."

Stryke chalks you a map on the stone floor of the cave. It shows six main chambers to the lake: The Upper Lake (where you encountered the decapus); The Cove (where you found the transportation device); The Lower Lake (a large chamber in which he describes a styrge nest); The Hydra's Pool (where he threw the idol); The Pit of Teeth (where he describes Lizardfolk live amongst stalactites and pillars); and finally, the Rift (a place where all the water plunges into a crevase of unknown depth).

He mentions that the Pillar of the Sun is in a side-tunnel off the Lower Lake.

"We're going to have to get that idol at some point", Auraia says. "But I don't want to go up against a Hydra until I've had a chance to recharge. It took most of me and my sister's power just to take out that Decapus. We've still got a few tricks up our sleeves, but only a few."

"Perhaps we can lure it away from its lair, and take the idol safely," Aquaria said. "Thought I admit, I don't know how we'd do that without fighting it..."

Udit nodded.

"Yah, we want to take that monster on our own terms, not divided like the fight against the decampus. We will need a good plan... and an escape route if it goes wrong. We also should report to the wizard... lots of stuff to report, the others need to know!"

Udit takes the magical stone out again, and sends another message to their patron

"Udit here. Info on one idol, in lake with hydra. Ward up and lethal. Dragon awoken. Drow are after staff too. Please advise"

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Imani responds, The dragon, awoken!? Are you certain? That would be very dire, indeed. Have you made contact with these drow? Perhaps they could be used as a distraction. Find that idol, I believe that all four will be needed to properly breach the inner Vault. Perhaps, if necessary, you could attempt it with only three, but more is better."

OOC: Can Udit respond right away? I'm not sure how this thing works

OOC2: I *really* like a map, even if it's just a crude MS paint thing - it was drawn on the floor with chalk, after all

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Drako listened to the conversation and looked at the map. “I say we retreat back to that small shelf we were on earlier, on the shore of the upper lake and try to get some sleep. Then after we rest we should come up with a game plan and enter the hydra’s layer to recover the idol, that will give us two of the four.”

Drako took a few steps before pacing back, “Then if Imani can get in contact with the other group perhaps they have found another idol, perhaps together we can enter the inner vault.”

Udit replied to Imani:

"Intel from drow survivor named Stryke in exchange for freedom. Wards and dragon and killed rest of drow party. Attempt to use Idol is what woke the dragon. Drow was captured by cultists. Got basic layout of place. Leader of dragon cultist is Silakul. Drow will not engage, is fleeing to homeland. Idol is in lake guarded by hydra"

Udit then lifted his head to the others

"I agree that we should rest... but that storage room is much drier, and easy to defend. We can make it look like the attackers came from the grate that heads to the lake, and hide our tracks and the boats inside the storage room. When reinforcement comes they will assume that a few drow survivors attacked and rescued their companions then fled. Stryke will leave further evidence of this...

Or we can rest on the shelf, you mean by that obelisk with the strange grass right?"