Abyses 41: Y Not?

## TL;DR

* Ivis met with Errde about the mistreatment of Loobamub, and was treated much less cordially that usual.
* The party elected to keep Loobamub under the effects of Feign Death and in Rat King's bag of holding to assure his safety until they could find a long term solution.
* Used Sending to reach out to the needleblight botanist Nettles and got 1/50th of the formula and instructions to make Loobamub able to live independently.
* Spoke with Y, an odd Derro who claimed to be a member of the Society of Brilliance, and an ally to the good people of the Underdark with much knowledge and many connections.

## Finishing Up in Gracklstugh

* The Stone Guard did not make it easy for Ivis to schedule.
* When they did meet the discussion was more or less an argument over the treatment of Loobamub.
* Met with Ylsa, who showed the items she was offering in exchange for the sword. Also gave a sending stone to Rat King for daily updates, which she immediately regretted
* The party decided to keep Loobamub out of harms way by casting Feign Death on him every hour and keeping him in Rat Kings bag of holding, only letting him out during long rests.
* When the party left Gracklstugh the Stone Guard took back their badges from the Keepers of the Flame and the Sending Stone Errde lent them, saying that Errde had concerns that the party carrying evidence of a connection to Gracklstugh could cause issues.

## Everyone Remembers Prof. Nettles

* The Acquaintances reevaluated their current relationship with Errde
* Party reached out to Nettles via sending, to see if they could help Loobamub using the same methods Nettles did to keep Rumpadump alive without the Sovereign
* They were told one Plant Growth a day should do the trick, and also got the first 1/50th of the recipe & instructions on how to replicate the results permanently
* Also warned Nettles that Phylo may pose a threat to him in the near future, but Nettles refused to leave his garden

## Y’all Yearn for Y’s Yarns

* On the second day of travel the Acquaintances came across an unusual derro, with a Y tattooed across his face
* He was quick to ask the group questions they were hesitant to answer, especially Ivis
* Everyone settled on an exchange of information
* The party told Y:
	+ Ivis held a position of power in Feldmire and was open to an alliance
	+ The Raven armies are being led by a genocidal human supremacist named “King Raven.” Rat King said he is a threat, Bernhol said it was unclear.
	+ Ivis was offered a position that would replace the Savants, but declined
	+ They did not meet the Deep King
	+ They gave Hgraam evidence that the Earth Elemental’s recent violence was a result of being targeted by a demonic cult
	+ Errde’s leverage over the Keepers of the Flame was absolute.
* Y told the party:
	+ He is a member of the Society of Brilliance, a group that seeks to make the Underdark a better place for everyone
	+ He was friends in Gracklstugh that keep him informed
	+ Errde has been attempting to expand her influence, first over the Keepers, then the Elementals, then the merchant clans, and now she seeks to make sure whoever replaces the Savants is in her pocket. It seems she wishes to replace the Deep King.
	+ There is apparent mindflayer activity in the Whorlstone Tunnels
	+ A friendly mindflayer wizard in their group named Grazilaxx who could teleport them in the future
	+ A band of wererats have been making mischief in Blingdenstone.
	+ A friendly mindflayer named Quaalux who leads a tribe of prisoners who survived the recent destruction of the nearby hive
	+ Their cleric member, Sloopidoop, could use Sending to inform them of any newly discovered mindflayer activity
	+ They have admired Feldmire’s fortitude and moral character for a long time and would like to ally with them.
	+ That the Corvidae ruins have been in the Underdark for ages, but this is the first time anyone has claimed to be the fallen kingdom’s ruler