Vasorn, the World Under Dragonfire

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The party plunges into the water, the aboleth lurking close to the surface. Disgusting as it is, they surpress their own instincts for survival and inhale, coughing and choaking, but suddenly able to breathe. However, you don't know if you're every going to be able to get that smell out of your nostrils.*

My remaining skum will stay behind... and it seems your friend Gortag is also staying. He wants them to focus on him so that you can get away. Hurry, his sacrifice must not be in vain, Sek-ai'sy's voice pours into your mind, leaving the feeling of slime behind. In the vauge dimmness of the water, you can see a darker hole that must have been covered with boulders the aboleth just moved. Just on the other side of the hole are tightly-wrapped chests, sealed with wax, and wrapped in protective spells. These boxes contain the accumulated knowledge of dragon-fighting, the allies of the resistance, their surmises and hunches about draconic politics, and various other things too precious to leave to a living mind, where it could be destroyed forever.

*The aboleth swims through, and you follow after. With a mighty heave, it pulls another boulder over the entrance again, and turns to the unknown dark of a long, and lonely Underdark river.*

Help me move the chests... I think I have a solution. This waterway is long, but it eventually comes near the surface. It is close to a village, a place where the halfling traders come. It is time to put this knowledge to use. We could use the waterways to conduct a raid, since we're trapped down here, and get some of this knowledge to the traders. And it's possible we could find some waterways down here, ones to get to dragon lairs we didn't think possible. But we'll need the help of the halflings, and you'll have to do it. I dare not come into daylight. You are the dragon-hunters, I am merely a keeper of knowledge, it says, its musings oozing over your minds.

 

[Zerth]

Zass'sk, lizardfolk monk

*Zass'sk follows the aboleth swimming with powerful strokes and guiding his direction with the long tail. The lizardfolk are able swimmers and Zass'sk enjoys the trek underwater very much as he doesn't even need to breath the aboleth's mucus. He helps with moving the precious chests of knowledge as they move along to the dark underground waterways, which he is somewhat familiar with having escaped from surface via underground river himself. His thoughts wander back to surface as the aboleth mentions the halfling village as their destination. The lizardman knows the underdark is his home now, but he misses the light and the beautiful nature aboveground. Yes, it will be nice to go back, even if it's only for a short while.*

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Sek-ai'sy has you swim for quite a while, allowing you to grab onto and take a ride when you grow tired. It seems hours before you finally stop and surface. It seems there's a crack to the surface here. It's small and covered, but there's a dry rocky ledge below it where you can rest at least.*

Above here is a village, one where halfling traders pass through frequently. The information in some of the chests... now that Deepwell is gone, we will have to act quickly. If you can get up there, contact them somehow, compare the information they have to ours, they could point you toward a draconic weakness, one that I do not know of. You will have to carry on the legacy of Deepwell alone, as I must go and hide myself away from the dragons, Sek-ai'sy tells you, resignation in its mental voice.

 

[Dark Nemesis]

*Alyshia’s heart sinks when she hears that they have to retreat to the surface. It was bearable at night, but during the daytime it was so bright that she had a difficult time seeing what she was doing. And they sky, it just seemed to go upward forever! She really did not care for the world above the Underdark, but it was necessary to go there, in order to keep the knowledge that had been accumulated about the dragons from being lost. It’ll be an adventure. She reasoned to herself, and was content with that knowledge.*

Sek-ai'sy, thank you for all that you have done. We shall do our best to take this knowledge to safety, and use it to hit those dragons where it hurts. You have done a great service to our cause. Please be safe.

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

Grim Daergal, Svirfneblin Cagebreaker

"I mislike the idea of heading onto the surface, but I agree it appears to be our only option at this point. We shall, of course, travel only by night; many of us are too sensitive to bear the sun, and we'd be easily spotted by any flying patrols."

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

"If scouting is needed, I can do well there. My cloak of shadowkind will keep me protected. Besides that, I have lived under the sky before, and I know the surface world."

 

[Keia]

Zykovian, Half Sapphire Dragon: 97/101 hps, 24 pps, AC: 26

Zykovian followed the others, breathing in the mucus. When the aboleth explained about Gortag, Zykovian briefly thought about going back after him. He was an excellent warrior and Zykovian didn't want to lose him. But, apparently Gortag had made his choice (or the aboleth made it for him), and Zykovian did not like the odds in the room.

Carrying the chests was not a problem of strength for Zykovian, they were awkward and difficult to navigate while swimming - at least for him.

'The surface,' Zykovian thought, 'Not someplace I expected to be, but perhaps I could pass myself off as a half-dragon on a mission. It depends on just how fast and far the news has traveled of what happened below.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Now it is darkness up above, now you can hide. Zykovian might be your leader, a simple trick bound to fool the more foolish guardians. Here is near a great forest, guarded by one of the landwyrms. They often lead their duties to half-dragons, and traders stop often. At least you can get better information than I, and a better place to start. Go, the climb gets no shorter for the waiting, Sek-ai'sy broadcasts to all, beginning to sink deeper into the water.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

"I'll scout out the top."

*Without waiting for the others' responses, Eleth dons his cloak and begins to climb upwards.*

 

[Dark Nemesis]

Farewell Sek-ai'sy, Alyshia says within her mind. As Eleth begins to swim toward the opening, she begins to follow as best she could, hoping to aid him with her spells. However, the way was slow going for her, as she was unused to swimming.