Session 8-B: Birth of the Bogteam

## Key Plot Developments

Bogtooth and Tremble watch as Pix and Sarith share thoughts about the mad scribblings left behind by the now-exploded acid kobold. Sarith expresses his disdain towards oozes, suggesting that they represent an existential threat to myconids like Stool; while the mushroom-folk enjoy a cycle of death and rebirth, the slimes mindlessly devour their prey, leaving no chance for renewal. Tremble decides to care for Stool and carries his small body around the cave.

Bogtooth, encouraged by his archfey patron, decides to take a leadership role. He acknowledges the tremendous threat posed by these extraplanar entities, but suggests that being a goblin means scrambling, sneaking, and scheming one's way past these bigger beasts. He tries to take accountability for failing to be as sociable or pleasant with his clan-mates before. Bogtooth expresses this philosophy in a lengthy monologue, inspiring his clan to press onward into these caverns. They steal various flasks and gold pieces from the acid kobold's workspace.

As the group continues, Sarith overconfidently triggers a tripwire and is caught in a large net. Tremble and Pix prevent an attached bell from ringing, preventing any of the cave's caretakers from discovering their mistake. Bogtooth inclusively suggests that Sarith, too, embodies the mindset and ethos of a goblin. Sarith is stoic but doesn't disagree.

The group continues into a cavern filled with bulbous fungi. Sarith describes these growths as waterorb sprouts. They squeeze the waterorbs like sponges, bathing themselves and drinking of the mushrooms. Pix and Sarith share a moment of acknowledgement and understanding, though Sarith insists on making it through the cavern and to the Neverlight Grove as soon as possible to bring Stool back from the brink.

They emerge from the waterorb chamber into an area filled with shredded tapestries, a makeshift throne cobbled from zurkhwood, ore, and junk, and a drunken acid kobold. Pix is charmed by the distracted, mead-addled creature, but Sarith announces that such a threat needs to be neutralized. Pix angers it by being unable to pronounce its name; they begin combat. The kobold attacks with a magical javelin; it arcs across the cave, crackling with lightning. When they slay her, the other cave-dwellers rush to avenge her. Pix unlocks latent arcane abilities and, in Bogtooth's vein, fires Eldritch Blasts. After a heated battle, the acid kobolds and their giant maggot pets are slain.

Sarith, badly wounded by arrogantly killing kobolds without considering the range of their post-mortem explosions, checks on Stool. Tremble takes the kobold's javelin as his own. Pix and Bogtooth travel north and discover a strange little derro (they recognized him to be the same race as the late Buppido) in the corner.

The derro, clad in tattered robes and scorched by the elements, madly introduces himself as Y. The idiosyncratic creature suggests that he's been searching for pockets of magic throughout the Underdark, but is afraid to teleport out of this cave without exploding. Pix heals the derro and convinces him to try his best to get out.

Y, now confident that he could survive a teleportation-induced explosion, channels a preternaturally strong lightning bolt. The blast destroys the side of the cave, leaving a huge hole. Y leaps through the hole, encouraging the others to join him. He thanks them for their assistance and teleports away.

Sarith says that they have officially sailed through the Darklake. Tremble, thinking about his brother Trix's example, studies tracks on the ground. Based on the footprints, he deduces that there is likely a city of some sort to the West. He also notes the shuffling of myconid feet, the huge footprints of lumbering beasts, and claw-marks left by dragging nails. Sarith, upon hearing the information, insists that they immediately track the northbound myconids. When Tremble disagrees, meekly offering that a city could help them get their bearings, Sarith roughly grabs him, shakes him, and suggests that failing to do all they can to get Stool back home represents Tremble's immaturity, weakness, and moral failings. He grabs Stool and rushes to the North, demanding the goblins join him.

Pix, shocked by Sarith's treatment of Tremble, numbly follows. Bogtooth does the same. Tremble, not wanting to leave Stool, runs along.

As they enter a new cavern, they discover the source of the tracks: a large, red gorilla-demon and a series of long-clawed abyssal invaders are attacking a group of large myconids. Battle begins!

## Memorable Quotations

**Sarith** (attacking the kobolds): Disgusting little vermin...you've nowhere to run! (He slashes a kobold, who explodes.) Ow.

> **Pix:** What's your name?
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> **Y:** Y.
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> **Pix:** Because I want to know it?
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> **Y**: Yes, I told you.
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> **Pix:** Told me?
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> **Y:** Told you! Y.
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> **Pix:** You didn't tell me why!
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> **Y:** I most certainly did!
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**Pix (**after firing a blast): Is...Bogtooth my patron?

**Y:** Are you here to torture me? Because, if so, I can do VERY LITTLE about it!

**Y** (crackling with eldritch energy, firing a lightning bolt): That's some GOOD F\*CKING SH\*T!

**Sarith** (caught in a trap): Ready yourselves! (After a long pause, nothing happens.)

**Bogtooth:** It was not the best plan. it was a pretty bad plan. in fact, it was a terrible plan. We almost got our shit kicked in!

> **Sarith** (as Bogtooth jumps up to grab his collar): What are you doing?
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> **Bogtooth:** I'm inspiring you! You're the ugliest motherf\*cker I know!
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> **Sarith:** I am not inspired!
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