Chapter Thirteen

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Urrak and Seirixori slowly wake up, stripped of all their possessions, armor, clothes, and weapons. They’re in your underclothes, wearing an iron collar, an iron belt, and manacles that are all connected by a chain. The room they are in is dimly lit, the only light coming from phosphorescent fungus, and there appear to be several other creatures and humanoids in the room, one of them is Baroness Moonstream.

Everyone else is in the same chains and in just as little clothing. There's Baroness Moonstream, a pretty half-elf. There's a creature that looks like a cross between a dwarf and a deep gnome with dark skin. Three deep gnomes, one to the south, the other two appear to be twins and younger. There's a quaggoth in here, but unlike the ones the fought earlier, this one seems... smarter somehow. Baroness Moonstream is talking to a youngish dwarf who looks like she could be a distant relative of Gunnloda with the same skin coloring and bright red hair. There's an orc, brutish and mean looking, and a drow, sullen and alone sitting against a wall. There's also some sort of fish-man, but he's meditating in the corner. Finally, there's a... walking toadstool.

Urrak wakes with a start, but quickly feels the pain of her wounds and slowly lays back down, "What in the hells...Where are we?"

Seirixori wakes up slowly, whatever madness invaded her mind earlier, gone,  "Ugh, well, there's less blood this time," Seirixori mutters, she reaches up and pulls at the neck collar. "Awesome."

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't hold them off." Gunnloda says, Brimeia grunts unhappily next to her.

"None of us could, Gunnloda, don't blame yerself." Urrak groans and turns over on her side, "There were just...too many."

Gunnloda kneels next to Urrak. "You've stopped bleeding, at least. The leader, she stabilized you enough to bring you in with us. You should probably try not to move too much, though."

"No problem 'ere. Movin' is the last thing I want t' do at this moment."

Now that she's closer, while she wasn't hit during the battle that they can remember, she does have a bit of a shiner growing.

Seirixori turns to Gunnloda, worried, "Gunnloda, what happened? That wasn't there before." Seirixori says, still tugging at the collar.

"I may have objected a little too strongly at being stripped of my armor and clothes.”

"You all passed out and I was goo-ified, so they clapped us in irons." Brimeia shrugs like it's obvious. "So how do we get out of here?" she asks as she yanks grumpily at the chain, unsuccessful in trying to break it.

“I'm not sure how to get out, but I did notice that the lady we came for is right over there." Gunnloda nods in Moonstream's direction. "I was going to go say hi, but... I didn't want to leave you alone."

“Thanks," Seirixori turns to Urrak to hide her reddening face, "Let me just try..." Seirixori attempts to heal Urrak, but nothing happens. "Ok well, that was useless, sorry." She continues tugging at the collar, not really putting anything behind it just yet.

"I appreciate th' effort, Seir. Well roll me over to the lady and let's see what she has t'say..." Gunnloda helps Urrak up, careful not to pull too hard on any of her wounds. "Thanks, Gunnloda," Urrak grunts and holds her stomach as she meekly stands.

Gunnloda glances over her shoulder to make sure Seirixori is coming along too. Seirixori gives her an odd look, confused but a little elated at the sudden attention. She continues to tug at her collar, silently freaking out, but follows along.

Brimeia, shuffling along behind them, mumbles to herself, "Hope this lady is worth all this trouble."

As they approach Baroness Moonstream, the spot the toadstool off to one side and the Baroness talking to the dwarf in Common. "Maybe we can use that, then."

"Baroness Moonstream, the Fancy one," Seirixori giggles, unaware she spoke out loud.

She looks at Seirixori oddly. "How do you know my name?"

"Safika sent us," Urrak tells her, “She had a message for ye, from the Queen." Urrak coughs a bit and groans.

"Safika? I don't know anyone by that name, but I'm just glad to hear someone who recognizes a damn thing from my own town. Are you from Vydenia, then? Have you heard from Cae or Misha?"

"Sorry, we're all from...elsewhere"

She frowns, then realizes her place. "My apologies. I'm Eloise. We're all here in our knickers, might as well be on first name basis. This is my new friend, Eldeth," she says, gesturing towards the dwarf. "She's from a place called Gauntlgrym."

"You look like Gunnloda," Seirixori says to the dwarf, still pulling on her collar and starts too check around the room, not really paying attention to the conversation. She really doesn't want this collar on anymore.

"I myself am from the D'Akshi stronghold in Shetai."

"Shetai? I'm afraid the Queen's the only one I know from that country. I hear it's a beautiful place, though."

"None of this really helps us get out of here," Brimeia grumbles.

Urrak smiles a bit, and coughs, "It is, truly. And I'm afraid my grumpy friend here is right. Have ye any plans to get out of this mess?"

"We're trying to think of something. Unfortunately, some of the people around here are unwilling or unable to help us and Stool here refuses to allow them to communicate with us if they are mean to him."

Eldeth speaks up, "What we do know is that there are nineteen drow and at least a dozen quaggoth. There's a guard tower outside the door there where we're watched from. We can't cast spells in here, and we just learned that the commander recently took a new lover after the old one got mauled by a black pudding."

Urrak frowns and sighs, "Course it can't be easy..."

Seirixori is still tugging at her collar but it doesn’t budge.

Gunnloda motions to Brimeia, "Eighteen now, probably, after Brimeia relieved one of his head."

"Y'welcome." Brimeia grumbles.

"Oh? That's good news." Eloise says.

"It'd be more if me damn arms weren't twitchin’ like mad in that chamber..." As she says that, her arm jerks out again. Urrak yelps a bit in pain and grabs the offending arm "BLAST IT."

"Well how do they put food in here... or add new fellows?" Brimeia asks.

Seirixori grunts and then plops down next to the toadstool, her hands itching to pull at the collar more, "Hello, tiny thing."

"Through the door, but with a lot more muscle than we can fight through." Eldeth answers Brimeia’s question.

"Only so many of them can fit in the door at a time. And I punch pretty hard."

Seirixori blinks and stares at the toadstool, "Oh, that's... interesting. Are you...do you have a name?"

Eldeth eyes her warily, "No offense, but not hard enough to keep from getting put in here."

"Hmph. Only because they put some sort of stupid goo on me."

Eldeth perks up at that. "Goo? Was the man who had it disfigured in the face?"

Seirixori continues talking to the toadstool, "Well, if you don't mind what I look like," Seirixori mumbles, "sure," she pats it. "I could always use a friend," she whispers to it.

Brimeia frowns. "Not that I remember, but I really wasn't paying attention to how pretty their faces looked."

Eldeth turns to Eloise. "That confirms it then. Jorlan isn't the lieutenant anymore."

"Y'say there isn't enough muscle, but I count 2 tieflings and an Orc, and then myself, of course."

"I'd like to think so, Gunnloda's super nice," Seirixori points to Gunnloda and then Urrak," and she gave me something really cool. And I'd really like to get this collar off, so yes, help would be great," Seirixori bends lower, so she's a little more even with the toadstool, "I can totally get the big red one to hit whoever is mean to you."

Urrak turns and looks at Seirixori, puzzled but amused, "Ye can talk to it?"

"Yes? I'm sure you can too. I made a new friend." She grins.

Eloise nods, "Stool's been a good friend to us. They can use their spores to connect us telepathically so we can speak to each other even if we don't share a language. Most of the folks in here can't speak Common... or at least choose not to."

Stool's voice rings out in everyone’s mind, "I like meeting new friends!” Brimeia jumps a bit at the voice in her head. Reminding her of… something else.

"Aww, it's adorable! Hmm...if this lil guy is telepathic...have ye tried usin' them on the guards? Maybe they can...I dunno make them think somethin's happening that ain't or...convince them t' drop some keys?" Urrak strokes her chin as she speaks.

Stool shakes their little cap, his voice filtering through their minds again, "I can only talk to people, not make them do things."

"What... are you exactly?" Brimeia asks them.

Everyone hears a bit of a giggle in, then they say, "Am I the first myconid you've met? I'm from the Neverlight Grove. That one took me from my home. I miss my family." They kind of nod their toadstool cap towards the sullen drow in the other corner. "But if you get us out of here, I can take you to my home! You can meet all the other myconids!"

Urrak cracks her knuckles and looks at the Drow, "I'd like t' give that one a piece of my mind"

Brimeia squints at the drow the little guy nods at. "What is that guy doing in here anyway? He piss someone off?"

Eldeth shrugs, "He doesn't talk much. We're not really sure."

Seirixori looks around, "Well, how about we try getting everyone to talk...then? I would really like to also get out of here to...get back to... well not here, I guess."

Urrak nods, "Aye, this collar's chafin'."

"You can try. The drow will likely have us working soon, though."

Brimeia walks straight over to the drow in the corner. "You. Were you with the others before?"

He looks up, spits at her feet, and looks back away, ignoring her.

Urrak walks up the Drow "Listen 'ere y' lil shit. You answer my friend 'ere or I knock what's left of yer face inta next week."

Brimeia scowls, grabs him and gets right in his face. "Answer. The. Question."

He's startled by the sudden aggressiveness, but he says something in a fairly calm tone that no one understands.

"Stool, any idea what he said?"

"No... I haven't shared my spores with him. I don't want to. I don't like him."

"Well I don't blame ye..."

Brimeia growls to herself. "What if I just punch it out of him?"

"I wouldn't want to either," Seirixori says, "Hey wanna try these other people?" She asks Stool. "I can carry you around if that's easier or faster."

"Thanks, but I can walk. I have feet!" They wiggle their little stumps.

"Little feet." Seirixori teases, but stands up. "Oh uh, Baroness Moonstream? I'm sure your words would be better than mine, wanna help?"

"If I can, but please... you can call me Eloise. I'm not sure I got your names, though."

"Ah, I'm Urrak, and the grumpy one over there is Brimeia," Urrak fiddles with her collar "And our Toadstool whisperer friend is Seirixori"

"And I'm Gunnloda of the Sovereign Host."

"Well met, all of you. Shall we?"

Urrak nods at the Baroness, "Aye, lets."

"So... no one objects to me punching the guy?" Brimeia huffs.

"Perhaps, this time, keep yer fists t' yerself...for now."

Seirixori looks down at Stool, "See, told ya we could get her to hit someone."

They giggle as Brimeia huffs some more.

"So, Orc? Or the gnome-looking things?" Seirixori asks.

"Well if there's an Orc here, we won't even need our little mushroom friend to translate." Urrak says.

"Well, you can talk to the orc and we can go have a chat with the other guys. C'mon Stool, let's...maybe make more friends. Or at least get more help to get out."

Urrak walks up the Orc, "Well met, brother!"

"I'm not your brother. You talk to dwarves."

"Our dwarven friend has gotten us out of some tight spells, friend. A battle can only be won if you live to see its end."

"True orcs don't talk to dwarves. We kill them."

"Why waste time on something so small? True Orcs fight foes worth fighting. Like these Drow bastards."

The orc growls. "Dwarves killed my clan. Should have killed me too, but... stop talking or I'll make you stop."

"You're strong, experienced, hungry for blood as any Orc man would be after such a thing. But think about it this way, staying  here won't avenge your clan. All you'll do is rot away, cleaning and fixing meals for Drow. A minor truce, not even forgiveness or acceptance, can break you out of here. And then, hells, who am I stop you from seeking whatever solace you need to seek?"

"You talk too much."

"You're right, what good is talking to an empty-headed sack of horsemeat? You and I both know how this should go." Urrak raises her fists. "I win, you come with us and bust out of this blasted prison. You win, and I leave you to rot."

He frowns, but lowers his gaze. "I don't want drow to kill me either."

"Come, brother, let's get out of this place, together."  Urrak extends a hand.

He grumbles, but takes it.

"Excellent, come, meet our motley crew."

He shakes his head. "You go. I stay."

"Alright, brother. When the times comes, I'll be back for you."

~\*~\*~

Gunnloda and Eldeth start talking while Eloise, Seirixori, Brimeia, and Stool head to the deep gnome that's by himself. He grins and says, a long string of guttural words that they don’t understand. Brimeia stands by with arms folded.

"Right, Stool?" Seirixori prompts.

There’s the barest puff of spores in the air, so slight that everyone is not surprised they’d missed it before.

"He smiled at least." Stool says, "That's good, right?"

"Sure...?” Seirixori nods hesitantly. Then speaks to the gnome, “So, wanna help us get outta here?"

"Does that mean you have a plan?"

"Totally...do not have that," Seirixori says looking to Eloise. "Plan?"

"Not yet. We're still gathering information."

"How about helping us when we come up with one? Or maybe some of your own ideas."

"I bet you a gold I can come up with a plan faster than you."

"3 gold."

He grins. "Deal!"

"Awesome," She turns and steps away, "I have no idea why I did that."

"My name is Jimjar."

"Seirixori!" she turns back quickly, "and this is Stool, they’re nice." she motions to Stool.

As everyone converges again, there's a noise at the door as it swings open. There are several drow pointing their crossbows and some quaggoths behind them. One of them steps in, points at Urrak, the derro, Ront the orc, and one of the twins. "You four, come with me." The other three do as they're told.

"This... is the opposite of good. Where are they taking them?" Seirixori asks.

"It's time to work. We split up and do chores for part of the day, but at least we mostly get to leave the room." Eloise tells her.

"You! Move it!" One of the drow yells at Urrak.

There’s a moment where they realize that he's speaking a language no one actually understands, but- probably due to Stool- they get the meaning behind it.

Urrak follows Ront and the others out of the room, but looks back at her party, a small touch of concern on her face. "Aye, ye blaggart, we're comin'."

Walking her way to where the slaver is taking her, Urrak notices that this room is the furthest north of the main caves. There's a sort of watchtower just outside that probably gets used to watch the cavern floor well below. There doesn't seem to be an obvious escape path, but she does see the pool beneath the northern part of the cavern with spider webs between the platforms this prison is situated on and the pool below.

He leads them northish to the next room along the path —the quaggoth pen— and says, "Start cleaning." Inside the room are nest-like mounds of debris and scattered bones, likely from feeding the quaggoths.

"Smells o' death and shite in 'ere..." Urrak scrunches her nose in disgust. Urrak moves to pick up a piece of sharp bone and hides it in her bosoms.

She then turns to Ront, "Brother grab some thin bones if you can, I think one of our team mates might be dexterous enough to pick these locks."

Ront grumbles, but does so. He actually manages to stuff a couple of them into his underoos before one of the quaggoths comes over to keep an eye on things.

Urrak nods a thanks to Ront and slowly starts to clean closer to her guards, ears open for small bits of conversation.

The drow isn't one to talk to the quaggoth, after a time they’re moved back to the now empty slave pen to clean out the chamber pots. The drow tells everyone to dump them right over the edge outside the slave pens.

Urrak takes the pot and dumps it over the side with a slight gag. She takes a bit longer to look out the window, trying to pick up on any kind of way out.

The chamber floor is really far below. It would probably kill anyone to jump, not to mention how dark it is, so she can’t really see if there might be something below. IShe does catch the shimmer of the spiderwebs, and can hear water running from the northeast corner to the waterfall and down further into the caverns below.

Urrak walks back to the other pens, moving within earshot of Ront, "Webs everywhere ye turn...it's like this place is one giant spider's web. Place'd probably go up like a kindling if ye set a blaze to it..." Urrak mumbles mostly to herself. "Somethin's off about this place, Brother."

"Drow. Dumb elves worship spiders."

“"Worship spiders?" Urrak starts to laugh uncontrollably. "What in all hells? Buncha daft bastards."

"Quiet!" One of the guards shouts at her.

Urrak walks over to the drow, smiling "Ye little fool, what kind of reciprocation are ye gonna get from a mindless pile o' legs and fangs? Ye might as well worship a bear skin rug."

The drow, apparently not understanding Urrak, brings up his crossbow and points it at her "Get back to work."

Urrak chuckles at the sight of the crossbow, and turns, returning to cleaning Quaggoth shit. Knowing the drow can't understand her, she turns to Ront, and tries to joke with him about their captors, making as many spider jokes as one can conceive.

The guard eventually leaves with a groan, locking the four of them back inside the slave pen where they were working.

~\*~\*~

After Urrak is taken away, another slaver steps forward and points at Brimeia, the quaggoth, the drow, and the other twin. "You four are with me today. Let's go."

The drow prisoner grumbles, but they all follow, but Brimeia hesitates. "And if I don't?"

The crossbows all point at Brimeia. "Don't make it difficult, slave. We'll make an example of you and feed you to the spiders."

Brimeia huffs but goes along.

The drow who called her out was in the fight earlier and leads the group south first. Brimeia spots a watchtower on the southern tip of this prison, probably used to watch the cavern floor, right before being lead into the rooms where the regular drow soldiers rest. "Start cleaning."

There's an off-duty drow here, not wearing his gear. When they enter, he starts putting it back on, a little irritated by the interruption.

Brimeia just glares at the drow a moment, her look full of contempt. "With what?"

"It'll be your teeth soon if you don't start."

"What? You didn't want us to do a good job?" Brimeia grumbles but makes motions toward.. something. She's not entirely sure what they're even meant to be cleaning. She's still of half a mind to just clock one of them, just for the hell of it, but she knows that would only diminish their chances of getting out of this hellhole

The room has six pallets for resting (drow don't sleep), six small chests, and six small side tables. There is spider silk webbing along the walls with hooks for holding items like lanterns, but the room is dim. The two quaggoth assigned to the supervisor, Devin and Kevin, throw some brooms at the groups feet.

"Thanks," Brimeia grunts in a decidedly not appreciative tone at the drow. Brimeia picks one of them up, briefly considers ramming it through the drow before deciding better of it. She shoves it roughly across the floor while glancing around.

She watches the drow, that was in the room before they showed up, put his chain shirt back on, then pull his weapons from underneath the pallet he was resting on.  also noticed a watchtower on the southern tip of this prison, probably used to watch the cavern floor.

Brimeia makes her way around the room in no particular order it seems, though she moves gradually toward the slave drow. When she's close enough, she bumps into him roughly as if she didn't see him and takes the chance to grumble quietly, "Don't you want to get the hells out of here?"

"Leave me alone, slave." Sarith says to her.

"At least I'm not content staying one."

The quaggoth comes towards the two, pushing his own broom. "Don't bother with that one. He's not worth it."

"Oh thank the gods, someone who's not useless. How long do we have?"

He cocks his head. "Do you speak Elven? Undercommon?"

"No. Got a little friend who helps. See anything useful?" Brimeia tries again.

"I don't understand what you're saying, but you understand me, yes?"

Brimeia nods, deciding it's best not to let anyone overhear if her words aren't really being understood anyway.

"Excellent. I'm Prince Derendil of Nelrindenvane in the High Forest. Your pleasure, I'm sure. Unfortunately, I had a run-in with a wizard named Terrestor who exiled me and trapped me in this hideous body."

Sarith snorts.

"Wizards," Brimeia mutters, shaking her head. She makes sure they're moving along so they don't attract too much attention.  As she does so, she gestures at her eyes, looks around the room, and jabs the broom at the air like a weapon before setting it back on the floor, hoping her message gets across.

As she finishes the guard starts moving them into another barracks, exactly like the one they just left.

While cleaning this room, though, she overhears two of the drow men returning from a guard shift. "Yes, I heard the supplies from Menzoberranzan are late. That's why we're eating leftover shit."

"Shh. Guldor's got slaves cleaning."

Brimeia does her best to look disinterested in the two drow guards while she continues sweeping. After a minute or so, she "trips" and tries to break the broom in the process.

Unfortunately, she doesn't break it and even if she had, the guard recognizes the attempt for what it was. The group is all shoved roughly back to the pens, their supplies taken from them.

~\*~\*~

Once back inside the derro that was with Urrak approaches. "You there, new brute... are you ready to be part of my divine plan?"

"And what does that entail exactly?"

"Ah, you don't speak Undercommon. Not surprising with your lesser mind."

"I can understand ye fine, ya little--!" Urrak stops herself, remembering the spores. She turns to Derro and attempts to mime that she understands him, but cannot speak undercommon.

"Oh! You can understand! Well... my apologies then. I'm Buppido, and soon, I'll enact my divine plan to exact revenge on these drow."

Urrak signs, and says "Elaborate?" Urrak also motions towards one of the twins in a "Come closer" motion.

"Oh! Right! Well, I can't tell you all the secrets, but just know that you'll be called into action soon. There are machinations in play and allies will be rewarded with their freedom."

The gnome comes closer, trying to listen in, but keeps a bit of distance.

Urrak does her best to mime along as she pulls the bone from her breasts "Well look, before any plan can get anywhere, we have to get out of these," she pulls at her collar. "My friend Ront and I here smuggled out some bones from the Quaggoth pen. Do either of you know how to pick a lock?"

The gnome perks up. She holds her hand out and Urrak hands her the bone. She takes it and tucks it away. "Dagger!"

"Ye little!" Urrak picks up the gnome by the collar.

The door swings open and Brimeia, the quaggoth, Sarith, and the other twin are shoved inside before the door is locked behind them again. "Bah. This day just keeps getting better." Brimeia grumbles.

"Look 'ere small fry, I could crush yer head like an apple if I wanted to...but I don't. All I want to do, and I'm sure you do too, is get the hells out of here. Now, hand over the bone and let's work together, eh?"

Urrak feels a sharp pain in her shin as the other twin runs up and kicks her. "Let her go, you brute!"

"Oi! Ye little demon! I ain't gonna hurt yer sister!"

Brimeia looks around at the scene. "Problem?"

The twin Urrak is holding pulls out the bone and points it at her. "Let me down!" and Urrak does as she says.

The door opens again and Stool, the fishman, and Eloise enter, followed by Jimjar, Gunnloda, and Eldeth.

"Where's Seirixori?" Gunnloda asks, worried when she doesn’t see her with the others.

Urrak looks around, "That was her group… is she not here? Truly?"

Brimeia looks mildly concerned, "Maybe she... got lost?"

"She must've slipped past her guards...We gotta find her. Help her."

"Can't Stool talk to her?"

"I have to be close. I can't find her. She was in the mistress's room." Stool says.

Eloise nods, "Yes, she was talking about... Poni?"

"Poni? Right...we had him with us when we were captured...did she find him?" Urrak asks.

"For once, the insufferable thing might be worth helping." Brimeia states.

"She said something about him being inside the chest, then the room started to rumble and shake and she disappeared, but I think the guard missed her in the confusion."

"Strange, didn't feel any tremors where I was...She must've magic'd herself a distraction."

Gunnloda sighs, "Dangerous move."

"She's reckless enough t' do it." Urrak looks around at the others, "There's gotta be a way for a group of us to get out of here. Anyone here know magic?"

"Stool, would you mind sharing your spores with the rest of us? It would help us to find Seirixori." Eloise asks them.

Stool slumps a little, but the people nearby all get dusted with the tiny puffs.

Brimeia frowns, "You ok there, little guy?"

"I don't like some of them, but if it will help my new friend, it's ok."

Brimeia gives them a gentle pat. They are awfully small.

"What if Ront here falls 'sick?' Those little Drow bastards can't carry a man that size, so they'll ask us big fuckers like Brimeia and I, and maybe even call on some magic users to help too if we can get enough folks out, we can cover more ground, find Seirixori and get out. Or at least cause enough chaos to make it harder for them to catch us"

Brimeia nods, "Sounds just crazy enough to work. Don't suppose any of the rest of you have tried it before?"

Eldeth shakes her head, "I don't think it would work. They don't care that much. A fight, though... they might come to break it up before one of us killed the other. Dead slaves make no money."

Urrak grins, "Now yer speakin' my language"

"Hah. Now that I can do!" Brimeia agrees, "Urrak, what do you say we settle the question of who's strongest right here and now?"

"I've always hated yer dumb horns, Tiefling," Urrak says with a grin.

"Not as ridiculous as your dull tusks!" Brimeia jumps for a tackle.

"Ye dress like a circus performer!" Urrak yells as she grapples with Brimeia.

Gunnloda encourages the spectators to shout or cheer and soon enough, there's quite a ruckus going on.

A drow appears at the door. "Break it up! Now!"

Brimeia throws a punch for good measure, pulling it a bit. Urrak feins getting hit, before throwing a stage punch and Brimeia's gut.

However, Ront walks up and actually decks Brimeia.

"HEY! WATCH IT!" Brimeia tries to tackle him.

Urrak jumps onto Ront's back, "Ye salty dog you!" though worried about Brimeia, Urrak is all smiles at this little gambit they're running.

"I'll rip your bloody eyes out!" Brimeia shouts.

The drow at the door starts yelling at the other drow to come give backup and there’s a faint call of the trumpet from the guard tower.

Urrak whispers into Ront’s ear, "Throw me at the Drow."

The door swings open and a veritable wall of quaggoth file in, standing between the slaves and the drow warriors who are all pointing crossbows in their direction. "I said break it up!" There are currently three quaggoth and three drow, but judging from the trumpet, it will soon be more.

"Alright big fella, let's see how many pins ye can knock down!"

~\*~\*~

Another drow steps in and points at Seirixori, Stool, Shuushar, and Eloise. "You're all cleaning the tower. Best behavior, now."

"Well, at least some friendly faces." Seirixori says as they gather.

Another drow steps in and leads Jimjar, Gunnloda, and Eldeth away. Gunnloda looks back at Seirixori with a sad look before being prodded along.

"Oh, that's... new." Seirixori blushes watching Gunnloda and the rest leave.

The drow leads the four of them across the way to the tower. It's more like a hollow stalactite. The ones that go from the ceiling. He leads them into the top room. Seirixori stops as she sees a huge spider inside the room, looking like it's about to jump towards the door.

"Nope, no way."

She feels a shove at her back. "Keep moving."

“So does cleaning mean being eaten?" She says moving very slowly and not taking her eyes off the spider.

"It isn't real. It's a statue." Stool says to her.

"Well you know, I do not like it, and it's creepy." She says, as if she knew that the whole time.

She takes a look around and see that they appear to be in a sort of shrine room. The floor is covered in mats with a web pattern in silvery thread. The priestess she saw is leading three drow in some sort of prayer. The back part of the chamber has a semi-circle of pillows and cushions.

There’s two heavy silver candlesticks flanking the altar, but it’s unlikely she’ll be able to get to them without being seen. She also notices that the statue has eight really nice stones for eyes.

“Huh, shiny. Bet that deep-gnome wouldn't mind those."

The two quaggoth with the supervisor, Joe and Bo, toss rags and hand-brooms at everyone.

"Yay..." Seirixori looks at Stool, "Can you... actually clean with these?"

"No hands... but I can stand on the rags and use them to clean floors."

The supervisor shushes them, and Seirixori notices the priestess is giving her dirty looks for interrupting her services.

"That... does not sound very clean for you," She pats them. "Sorry, new tiny friend." Seirixori looks around, really wanting to wild shape to scout the area, but isn't comfortable leaving Stool here. "We really need to find a way out," she whispers to them.

Stool, able to communicate without making noise, says "You shouldn't say things like that. Especially here. They feed people to the spiders."

Seirixori shudders, "Yeah, that does not sound fun." She shuffles towards Eloise, "So, I can...maybe be a tiny thing and search around, but also maybe set things on fire? I am very terrible at plan making."

The priestess glares, "Malagar, remove these slaves from my shrine. They're disrupting me."

"Rude." Seirixori whispers.

Malagar points towards the rope ladder that goes down to the next chamber. "Move it."

"Do you need help, Stool?" Seirixori makes her way to the ladder.

"I might. I haven't had to clean in here before. Can you catch me?"

"Sure!" Seirixori climbs down and holds out her arms. "Ready!"

Stool hops into the hole and into Seirixori's arms. He's not very big or heavy. Kinda squishy, really. "Very squishy," she sets him down, "now what do we have down here?"

As she sets him down, she looks around to see that they’re in some special sort of bedroom. Possibly for the commander of the prison. The walls are hung with black webbing like the curtains over a bed, coming from a center spot on the ceiling. Thick mats cover the floor and there's a broad, divan-like bed in the center. Odd, considering drow don't sleep. There's also a small table and two chairs on one side and a small shrine to the spider goddess on the other. There's also a heavy chest against one wall. Malagar follows them down, but the quaggoths wait outside the top room.

"This must be the highlight of your day," she says to him.

"Quiet, you. Clean up. The mistress's bed needs to be stripped and remade." He points at a pile of fabric that is apparently the replacement bedding.

"The Mistress," Seirixori mocks and slowly does as asked, wondering if she can get into the chest.

Eloise helps while the fish-man works at fluffing the pillows and shining the shrine.

Seir pauses, swearing she can hear a familiar voice, "Great, now I'm hearing people I hate..." Seirixori moves a little closer to the chest, "Poni?" she whispers.

"Candy Cane! Get me outta here!" It’s muffled, but obviously Poni’s voice.

“I really hate you, you know that, right?" She mumbles, seeing if there’s anything she could do to open it without the guard seeing. She curses when she doesn’t see anything she can use to open the chest. "Hah, you're stuck with me, who can't pick locks." Seirixori moves back and speaks lowly to Eloise, "Hey so, know anyway we can open that chest? An unfortunate companion is trapped inside."

"A companion? Inside the chest?"

She shrugs, "Talking stick, blew himself up, the reason we're here though. Rescuing you, though that did not go quite as planned."

"Talking... stick? Blew up?"

"Poni? I don't know how well you know the people in your town, but he did something stupid and blew himself up. And now pretty much most of the town is missing and we get teleported there from time to time." She explains a little more about the situation, "Ok, but maybe get to that later? I really just want to try and find a way out of this place, and he's the idiot that can at least get us back."

"Poni? You mean that gnome ex-wizard? And missing?!” Eloise chews on a nail.

"Yeah, hate him, but he can get us out of here."

The guard shoves her. "Quiet. Let's go. Back to the pen."

"Crap..." seeing if she can stall for time Seirixori tries to see if her magic works and tries to cause the ground to shake.

The ground does start shaking and everyone looks worried since they're suspended inside a stalactite over a 50' drop.

"Well..." she whispers, as the ground continues shaking, she tries to project a loud thunderous sound like it's coming from above them.

Malagar shouts to them, "Everyone out, now!"

“Ugh well here goes nothing, I guess." Seirixori quickly wild shapes into a rat, her chains and underthings falling to the floor, and hides underneath the bed.

Malagar is too busy trying to shove everyone up the ladder that Seirixori is left alone in the mistress's room.

~\*~\*~

Ront is following Urrak's directions. He successfully chucks Urrak into the quaggoths, knocking Kevin and Joe over... then she disappears. Everyone's startled. The drow start shouting orders to stand down, break it up, find the one who disappeared, and how the HELLS did she do that even though there's an anti-magic field?

Brimeia, used to the abrupt teleportation, only pauses for the barest of seconds before she reacts. "Jump them and take their weapons! Stool, help me tell everyone else!"

Baroness Moonstream runs over and tackles Kevin and Joe to keep them on their backs. The elf prince in a quaggoth's body rushes Bo. Brimeia runs up to where Lady Moonstream and Elf Prince are.

Buppido will rush the entry, along with Jimjar who shouts, "Bet you a gold I kill one first!"

Sarith is standing off to the side and Stool slowly makes their way toward the door. One of the drow fires a bolt at the quaggoth attacking Bo, but he misses in all the chaos.

The kuo-toa stays put, but Gunnloda rushes the drow.

Bo attacks Derendil back, Ront joins the party, and a couple bolts get fired at everyone, Derendil and Gunnloda taking them to the leg and shoulder. The little gnome that had taken the bone from Urrak brandishes it like a dagger and jumps into action! Her brother and Eldeth follow.

Baroness Moonstream is holding Kevin down. Joe stands up and tries to attack Derendil but misses. Derendil is mid punch to Bo but misses as he dodges the blow from Joe. Brimeia hops over Kevin and dives and grabs for one of the drow's shortswords, managing to just pull it free.

The others behind her swarm the quaggoths and try to choke or otherwise harm them. Guldor tries to attack Brimeia with his crossbow, Brimeia swiping at him as he aims, a deep gash opens down his arm. Unfortunately, the two drow behind him are getting nervous about the big red monster that just stabbed their buddy, so they shoot at her with their bolts. She takes both to the shoulder, staggering under the hits.

Some of the others start pushing forward and the general push of creatures causes Brimeia to be forced against the drow ahead of her and she’s carried outside in a wave of shoves. Kalannar and Imbros both tumble off the edge. Kalannar manages to grab hold of the edge, but Imbros lands in the webbing below. Brimeia and Guldor are close to the edge. People start spreading out once outside the door, but they stop suddenly, realizing they don't know where to go now. Brimeia can see more drow and Ilvana headed towards them from the south.

Brimeia kicks Guldor in the stomach sending him flying off the edge into the webbing below.

Ilvara starts approaching and is followed soon by a drow man carrying a naked elf over his shoulder.

Kalannar is slowly edging away so he can try to climb up, but Brimeia stomps on his hands to get him to let go. He doesn't fall at first, but after the second stomp, she can hear a crack and he falls into the webbing below. Just in time to see some giant spiders crawling out of the sides of the cavern towards the drow.

As she looks up to target her next victim, Brimeia spots a very naked Seirixori walking towards her from the north.

~\*~\*~

As soon as Malagar and the others are out of the room Seirixori quickly changes back and searches the room to see if she can find something to break the lock. All she finds is a small silver-framed mirror, and the shrine to Lolth is made of zurkhwood and bone with semiprecious stones. There's mostly just furniture left, though there is a ladder continuing down to the next room.

"This was a terrible idea," she whispers to herself and makes her way to the room below to see if there's anything useful in it. But the room seems to be another bedroom, but simpler. There are cushions laid across floor mats, a small table with two chairs, and another chest, but she doens’t see anything else useful.

Before she can do anything else. Seirixori hears people above her. A female voice, shouting and coming closer.

"Shit, shit." Seirixori transforms into a rat again and tries to hide behind the chest just as two people enter the room.

One is the woman that apparently commands this prison, the other is Malagar. "There is nothing wrong with this tower. Now tell me what happened."

Malagar looks scared. "It started shaking, there was a noise. I told the slaves to get back to the pen so we could evacuate. The kuo-toa carried the myconid out."

The woman scans the room and walks towards the chest.

Seirixori tries to make her way away from the woman, trying to duck behind a set of pillows.

Ilvara spots her first and points at her. "There's a rat! I want it fed to the spiders."

Malagar however does not see anything but the cushions and as he stars getting closer, Seirixori makes a dash toward the ladder, but can’t manage to climb it. Malagar pounces and manages to grab her, but Seirixori bites down on his hand and manages to jump/scamper/scurry her way up the ladder to the shrine room above which appears to be empty.

~\*~\*~

Ravaphine had been fighting drow and quaggoth when she was suddenly back in Rodoza for an hour, but she finds herself back in Bellbury, hardly getting to the task she had been in the process of. Remembering the fight, she heads to Poni’s basement and inside the portal, she sees a rather large chest, a large bed, a drow woman commanding a drow man to… catch a rat?

Shrugging, Ravaphine steps through the portal, but before she even realizes what's happening, the world goes dark and she falls unconscious.

Up the ladder Seirixori hears a shout of surprise, a thump, and a lot of movement from the room below.

"Where did that elf come from?"

Seirixori turns back and glances down to see what happened, *Crap! Ravaphine!*

"Is it the one you lost?" Ilvara asks.

"No, she was hell-touched… also naked and chained."

Seirixori can hear the rattle of chains. "These chains?"

She hesitates not sure if she should just go back to the cells and drop her form there or stay and see what they do to Ravaphine.

She hears a heavy sigh and Ilvara speaks again. "Take care of this one and get her to the pit. I'll find the rat."

*Nope bye!* Seirixori takes off and heads back towards the cells, seeing if there's somewhere she can hide easily. The rat scurries out of the shrine room and across the bridge to the ledge. She can hear a lot of noise out here. There's a trumpet blaring and people running towards the pens. There's shouting and general chaos.

*What is going on? I kind of want to go back and follow where they're taking Ravaphine, but they're looking for me. Why did I think this was such a good idea!?* Seirixori creeps along trying to scamper behind things and watch the chaos, keeping an eye behind her.

The people from the guard tower across from the slave pen have all run towards the pen. The people from the place farther down are there as well. The ones from the four towers are headed towards her direction as well, but they're a bit further away.

Seirixori continues watching, knowing her magic won't work if she enters where the slaves are but she also really wants to go back and try and figure out what this "pit" is. *This would be so much easier if I could be a spider, but nooo I didn't want to study them at all.*

More drow head past her towards the pen through the tower.

Most of them are distracted at least, Seirixori heads back, hoping to avoid the woman looking for her and tries to figure out what else is down here. She spots a giant spider coming out of the tower where she was headed, and it’s looking around.

*NOT REAL MY ASS!* Seirixori whines a bit and tries to run down the hall. Two stalactite towers have open doors. They appear to be guard towers. She runs by the dining room/kitchen area where they had landed when they stepped inside the teleporter.

Seirixori continues, trying to keep hidden, to search out the other rooms. She walks into an empty barracks space. There are chests, pallets for resting, and tables, taking note she then heads to one of the other barracks that appear to be for the more elite of the guards. Inside she can see another double-room with a ladder connecting the two rooms. She enters the top portion and hears grumbling in the lower room.

*Ugh I can't do anything about this right now.* Not seeing anything she can quickly use, Seirixori heads back to check the hall, hoping the spider is gone. Once there she sees the spider climbing down the tower and Ilvara heading toward the slaver pens.

Seirixori waits until they're far enough away before making her way back to where she started this mess. Once inside she sees the statue iss still there, but the pillows in the back have shifted. She hears Malagath downstairs attaching the chains to Ravaphine.

Seirixori makes her way behidn the pillows, hiding and waiting for Malagath to come up the ladder. He slowly climbs his ass out of the hole. A now underclothes-and-chains clad Ravaphine draped across his shoulders and he heads towards the slave pens. *Ok well hopefully that's a kind of good thing.* Seirixori jumps down to where the chest and Poni are and drops her rat form, quickly healing herself from the damage she took in the fight earlier. "Ok, ok how can I get this open?"

She spots Ravaphine's things sitting next to the still locked chest. Apparently minion-boy doesn't have a key. Her quarterstaff, two potions, and a dagger as well as extra clothes in the bag.

"Well, safe keeping and all that," Seirixori grabs Ravaphines things and packs them away, ignoring the extra clothes, then takes the quarterstaff, and tapping the lock with it. "How do I get this damn thing open?"

Seirixori stares at the quarterstaff for a few seconds before grinning, "Oh, right!" She twirls it for fun, a magic glow flowing into the end of it and she slams it into the lock. There's a great thundering CRACK and the entire mechanism pops open.

"Yes!" Seirixori steps back and lifts the chest open with the staff.  "Please be a normal chest, please, please."

"I've never thought I'd actually be happy to see those stupid horns of yours, Candy Cane." Poni says as the chest opens. The chest is huge, Poni on top, and all the stuff that Seirixori and her companions had been stripped of. There’s also find a lot of skimpy looking silk clothes, a silver chain headdress with onyx stones, two potions of healing, and a coin purse.

"You owe me so much, I hope you know that, now I need you to shut up for once in your life, and hope I just get beat up a little and not die." Seirixori grabs Poni and shoves him into her braided hair. Grabs her own gear and throws the headdress, potions and coins into her bag. "Might as well. Crap do I leave everything and go back naked and get shoved in there again...Wait! Poni, we can come back right? If I teleport with this crap?"

“You'll take what you're carrying. We'd teleport back, but I can't control it precisely when we come back.”

"So... no guarantee I can get everyone's stuff out... wait, when? Not where?" She asks, misunderstanding.

"No, when we come back, I can't control where. My advice? Port out. Leave them behind."

"Yeah, of course. You have great advice. So If I were to hold onto this chest and you port us out, it'd come with?"

"...if you can lift it... but I doubt you can."

Seirixori pulls him out of her hair, "Well, I'm going to try anyway." Seirixori puts her back into it, lifts the chest just off the ground and pokes Poni with her shoulder against her head. She's teleported back to the basement where she drops the chest with an oof and a sore back.

“HAH! Eat it, Poni! Now," She leaves everything, including her own gear, but grabs something of Ravaphines, "Now then, I need to get them out." She holds Ravaphine's dagger up to Poni, "Ok but again, I need you to shut up once we're in there, I can't have them knowing I have you."

"You think that dagger scares me?"

"Listen, just find Ravaphine alright, I need to get them out ok. This... is her dagger right?"

There’s a heavy sigh, "Put it to the sensor. But I still won't be very accurate."

“Yeah yeah, why would you make anything easy," she grumbles, holding the dagger to the sensor.

The portal fizzles to life, but all she sees is the smithy at the town square.

"Oh... ok not her dagger." Seirixori drops it and grabs Ravaphines clothes, "Probably should have used these first."

The portal fizzles again and she sees all the prisoners standing along the ledge outside the slave pen in the background, the mistress walking toward them, and the man carrying Ravaphine, still unconscious. Two drow standing on the thin spider silk bridge between.

"What the hell is happening?" Seirixori mumbles, stepping through the portal.

As she does a sudden intense sadness comes over her and she spends the next minute sobbing. She slowly shakes it off, shoving Poni in her braids, hiding him as best she can, “Just please stay quiet, this place is terrible and I don't need to listen to you." Seirixori starts heading towards the large group of people, her companions part of it.

"What are you guys doing!?" Seirixori whispers, hurrying to them, "Stool? C'mon buddy I want to get you outta here too."

"My friend! Where did you go? We were going to rescue you! ...is it normal for your kind to go without your coverings?"

Brimeia heads toward Seirixori. "Hey, there you are," she whispers back. "We got out to go find you... but you seem fine more or less. But I see someone carrying Ravaphine? She's out. We gotta go help."

Ront grunts, "We kill drow now. All of them. Feed them to their own spiders!"

Brimeia grins and gives Ront a thumbs up and some of the other prisoners start charging towards Ilvana, Malagath, and Ravaphine.

“I'll explain later, but..." Seirixori turns, "But Ravaphine! We can't let them drop her too! Ok ok, Stool stay safe please, but don't go too far from us."  Seirixori steps forward to see if she can get an opening to grab Ravaphine in the chaos.

Ront charges at Ilvara, but Ilvara manages to fend him off at first. She backs up, but Malagath is right there. She tries to cast a spell, and Ront attacks her, but she manages to get the spell off and swarms of spiders start crawling out of the walls. Regular sized spiders, but creepy.

Derendil appears to have whipped himself up into some sort of quaggoth blood frenzy and starts wiggling the bridge, jumping up and down with his mass to try to knock everyone off. The two drow on the bridge manage to hold on, but Ravaphine starts slipping off Malagath’s shoulders.

"Shit!" Seirixori rushes forward, throwing her hand out and her whip made of thorns clings to Ravaphine's body. "Crap, crap crap." She pulls it sharply, and Ravaphine comes flying out of Malagath's grasp as he stumbles. Ravaphine's body flies into Seirixori, but Seirixori gets completely bowled over... but luckily, Brimeia is stronk and manages to keep the both of them from falling into the webs below.

"For once, I am incredibly grateful that you are here. We really need to get out of here."

"You're welcome, Seirixori. Nice wardrobe by the way. Bold statement." She winks.

"Ugh yeah yeah, ok listen," She turns, seeing the ones she needs most nearby, "We gotta all be touching so we can get out, but I need to get Stool first!" And she heads toward them as fast as she can.

 Stool's hiding behind Gunnloda, "Are we escaping now?"

Brimeia grabs the nearest people's shoulders. "Yup, time to go. Hold onto your trousers little one!"

"Yes!" Seirixori grabs Stool, pulls Poni out of her hair and places an hand on Gunnloda's shoulder, "Everyone please do the thing, and quickly, and if any of the rest of you get here quick enough you can come with but I am not waiting that long!" She shouts.

Gunnloda grabs Seirixori's arm. Baroness Moonstream hesitantly touches Brimeia's shoulder.

The others look confused. "We need to go! Down into the webs! The spiders will be full."

"If you want out of here, grab on or else we're leaving you!" Brimeia tells them.

Everyone else seems too hesitant to grab on.

"Eloise, get your dwarf friend to grab our elf and latch onto you! Trust me, please, I swear this is the way out." Seirixori’s finger hovers over the button as she pleads to the other prisoners.

Eloise shakes her head. "She won't want to go to Bellbury. Her family is here."

Brimeia rolls her eyes. "We're teleporting out in 5 with or without the rest of you lot."

"Of course, this sucks," Seirixori curses, "Brimeia you got our elf?"

"Yup I got her." Ravapine is draped over shoulder. "Come on, Seir, let's just get out of here before the rest of the slavers catch up."

"Stubborn people," Seirixori lets out a yell of frustration and pushes the button, and they all tumble into Poni's basement.

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