Uller
Adventurer
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Things settle down back into the drab routine but not too long afterwards another patrol arrives, this time lead by Shoor who brings 5 new prisoners into the already crowded pen:
- A human named Evandur. Evandur seems even more despondent than the others here, almost as if he is giving up hope.
- A high elf noble named Erevan Aenivinde
- A dusky half-elf named Ezraen. He and Evandur seem to know each other. The drow particularly like mocking Ezraen as his lineage suggests his birth was the result of an earlier drow raid.
- A strange little creature that calls himself a derro...seems distantly related to a dwarf...named Buppido. Buppido seems to be amused by all the events around him and surprised by none of it. The others tell you he claims to be the avatar of a god of some sort.
- The most surprising new prisoner is a drow named Sarith. He is somehow connected to Jorlan and is accused of murdering a drow mage named Nildus during the patrol that brought these other prisoners back. He says he does not remember the events surrounding Nildus's murder and denies his guilt. But on the way back to Velkenvelve the other prisoners have noticed he is having other lapses in his memory.
Once everything settles back into the routine you are able to begin to interact with each other. Derendil (the elf-quaggoth) seems to be recovering under the care of Eldeth and Orsik. Several threats are made against the life of Sarith and the drow make no attempts to stop them, but Derendil does.
Work details begin again (Sarith is never put on a work detail, neither is Shuushar or Drum). Jorlan comes to the pen and hand picks a detail that includes Surana, Klep and Topsy and Turvy. During the detail, the drow decide to entertain themselves by antagonizing Topsy and when Turvy tries to intervene beating him within an inch of his life. But you notice (as do the drow) that the little deep gnome heals _very_ quickly. Too quickly to be natural and both get a kind of feral look in their eyes when they become angered. When they snap out of it a look of shame or fear comes over them.
As the work detail comes to an end, Jorlan takes Surana aside and in broken common says "You know I heard what you said about escaping. And what you said earlier about Ivana...I should throw you to the spiders."
"But I haven't done so...instead I mean to present Ivana with a gift. A gift she'll never forget...Something is happening here. I don't know what. But we all sense it. We've all had the dreams, including you slaves. There is a tension like the pressure in a cavern before a collapse. Soon one small stone will break loose...and then..." he smiles evilly.
"When things begin to move, I will arrange for the slave pen doors to be left open and delay the changing of the guards. You will find keys to your shackles hidden in the pile of rocks near the door. Begin making your plans and gathering what you can. I don't know how long you have. Be careful who you speak to. I am sure Ivana has spies in the pens and I do not know who they are."
He sees your puzzled expression...
"No, I don't do this for you. I doubt you will get far. A surface dweller can only expect death in the wilds of the underdark. I do this out of hatred for Ilvana and her house...farewell. I doubt we will speak again."
A handful of other drow and two quaggoths approach within hearing distance. Jorlan looks at them then back to you "Now...you'll double your effort if you know what's good for you." Then to the other drow "take them back to the pens."
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