Stool

**Stool** is a myconid sprout from the myconid colony of Neverlight Grove. While at the outskirts with senior member of their colony, Stool was kidnapped by the drow scout Sarith Kzekarit, who brought them all the way to the drow outpost of Velkynvelve. While there Stool joined a large group of slaves in their escape, acting as a means for the group to communicate. Later, this same group would return them back to their home.

Stool is an NPC present in the ongoing *Out of the Abyss* adventure.

## Description

Stool is a myconid sprout, colored a bland gray and white as opposed to the vibrant colors of their fellow sprouts. Stool stands tall at around 2 feet and 8 inches (0.81 meters) and weighed around 40 pounds (18 kilograms). Stool lacks any arms, hands, or eyes, making them a particularly defenseless sprout in comparison to the rest of their colony.

## Personality

Stool is a well-meaning and curious myconid, but also very naive. During their time away from their colony they wanted nothing more than to return to their community, but were ultimately unaware of most of the dangers occurring around them. Stool is notably very forgiving, being able to spend many hours of the day alongside his kidnapper Sarith without resenting or fearing the drow scout. Seeing the party they traveled with as wholly benevolent, Stool spent most of the days they traveled alongside them believing that the party was also a few days away from bringing them home.

## History

Stool was spored alongside many other sprouts in the year 1484 DR, designated to one day join the Circle of Explorers upon reaching the adult stage of their development. Very early on into their life, they formed a close bond with another myconid spored alongside them, named Rumpadump. While Stool was extra curious about the outside world and eager to one day join the Circle of Explorers, their best friend Rumpadump was more reserved and wary of the outside, despite also being designated as a future member of the Circle of Explorers. Because they lacked eyes or any limbs that might aid them in defending themselves outside of the colony, Stool was not a part of any major expeditions out of the colony, while Rumpadump was. Instead, Stool's education and early exploration was limited to the fungal wilds just outside the outskirts of the Myconid Colony, with the promise of further exploration once Stool developed more methods of defending themselves as they aged.

It was while Stool was following an elder explorer of the Circle that their life was changed dramatically. The elder explorer, Bolette, was unknowingly carrying the demonic spores of Zuggtmoy, passed on to it by other infected members of the colony. This infection drove Bolette to take a personal and loving interest in Stool, so they decided to show Stool regions of the wilds they had not been allowed to see before, despite the dangers. During this unsanctioned expedition, Bolette and Stool came into contact with the drow scout Sarith Kzekarit, who had been tasked to watch the colony for some time and not be seen. Sarith was hostile when spotted, and in his bloody confrontation with Bolette, the former was infected with the demonic spores of the latter. Sarith chose to kidnap the defenseless Stool and bring them back to his superiors rather than slay the sprout.

Once at Velkynvelve, the Captain of the Outpost Jorlan Vandree threw Stool in the slave pens like all the other prisoners, though they were not put in any chains. Later, once Sarith's newfound infection drove him to kill another drow scout, Stool's kidnapper would join him in the slave pens- inheriting Bolette's strange desire to guard the myconid sprout. Sarith would remain the most outspoken advocate of returning Stool to Neverlight Grove, especially after Stool and him took part in a breakout alongside eleven other prisoners. Stool quickly came to trust their new guardians, never really second-guessing them and always believing they intended to bring Stool back home.

Alongside this new party, Stool traveled first to Sloobludop, and next to the deep gnome city of Blingdenstone. Throughout this time, Stool occasionally used their rapport spores to allow most of the party to communicate with one another in secret, all while reminding them of their desire to be returned home. Despite this deep desire to be brought home, however, Stool did feel safe and cared for in their direct interactions with the party members, especially those held with the druid Cyttaria.

When the party's dealings in Blingdenstone led them to Gracklstugh, Stool was reunited with their best friend Rumpadump, who'd also been following an infected member of the Circle of Explorers named Loobamub. With Rumpadump's encouragement and company, Stool became even more excited and desperate to return home, now concerned about the safety of the colony. By this point, Stool's relationship with Sarith would fray, as the drow scout's infection had caused his mind to deteriorate so much that his traveling companions had gotten him cured. Once cured, Sarith avoided interacting with myconids (Stool included) as much as he could.

Eventually, the party brought both Stool and Rumpadump to Neverlight Grove, where Zuggtmoy's presence had corrupted a majority of the circles. Despite this, both Stool and Rumpadump were eager to remain with their brethren, as the mostly uncorrupted Circle of Explorers under Sovereign Basidia and their circle leader Rasharoo was considering an exodus from Neverlight Grove.