Abyses 10: FISH VILLAGE!

## A Run Resumed

* The gang continued fleeing the monstrous worm-like amorphous mass of bleeding cawing birds.
* During their escape Dimitirus spotted some smaller raven-esque abominations hopping out of the well.
* Midway through the run Shuushar made a dead stop and began running back for the Drew prisoners, the rest of the gang told him the Drew were already killed in the attack.
* Feeling partially responsible, Shuushar continued the run in silent contemplation.
* The gang maintained a fast pace toward the “fish” village of Sloobludop, but Shuushar asked the party to halt about an hour away from their destination.
* He explained these following peculiarities about Sloobludop:
	+ Kuo-Toa hate light and will become violent towards anyone wielding a bright light
	+ They are aggressively zealous about their ever-expanding pantheon of gods
	+ They will tear Drow apart on sight
	+ The village is underneath a body of water and the cave ceiling is constantly dripping as a result, almost like a constant rain

## Entering Sloobludop

* As the party approached the village the nonhumans saw the massive net-like gate that hung from the ceiling barring entry. The net was adorned with hooks, sharpened bones, and other instruments that would likely cause injury if someone were to try forcing their way through
* The guards standing in front of the door wielded whips and wicked claw-like instruments called mancatchers.
* The guards seemed suspicious of the unfamiliar Kuo-Toa and the surface dwellers traveling with him but eventually the party was let through the gate.
* As the party entered everyone was extremely disoriented for one reason or another. As the crowds of Kuo-Toa began evangelizing to the party the nonhumans were beset by hordes of unblinking sharp-toothed fishmen vervantly spouting gibberish at them and the humans were surrounded by a chorus of zealous proclamations coming from unseen speakers.
* Of the many deities the party was told about, two names came up more often than the rest, Blibdoolpoolp the Sea Mother and Leemoogoogoon the Deep Father. The Deep Father worshippers were the most aggressive of all the Kuo-Toa, at times they even attempted to pull people away from the group.
* During this foray the party saw Shuushar get genuinely irritated for the first time. He even stepped in to break the grasp of any Kuo-Toa who tried to drag away a member of the party.
* As they passed through the center of town Darank caught a glimpse of a grisly idol in the middle of town. It was a statue of what appeared to be a human woman, but the arms and head were replaced with those of a massive crawfish, held in place with guts. Several Kuo-Toa were lined up to give offerings to the idol and a few bulky guards were posted around the site. Shuushar explained this was the visage of the Sea Mother, the oldest and most popular Kuo-Toa god.
* Almost all the Kuo-Toa the party saw were wielding spears, and most had shields.
* The Kuo-Toa who weren’t worshiping or evangelizing were sleeping in the open, trying to find shelter from the rain underneath bridges or onnings.
* The party also saw some more of the peculiar dimly lit fog they have been intermittently coming across during their time in the Underdark. Shuushar identified it as faezerness and warned that spending more than 8 hours in it would have side effects on one’s mind.

## Shuushar’s Place

* To get to Shuushar’s residence the party had to go through two stories of cramped rooms crowded with sleeping Kuo-Toa, and across a rickety bridge. Shuushar’s place was small and atop a thin column of stone.
* Inside the room there were two older Kuo-Toa. Rruub, who vaguely resembles a catfish, and Churg, who was small with a portly torso and gangly limbs. Unlike Shuushar both of these Kuo-Toa wielded spears.
* The room had an amulet with The Ardent’s symbol hanging on the wall above a bowl with a small fish in it. There was no bedding and the ceiling was constantly leaking.
* There was a heartfelt reunion between Shuushar and his friends who he hadn’t seen in many years.
* Shuushar asked where his third friend, Horriik, was. Churg solemnly answered that Horriik had entered the worship of another god, the Crimson something-or-other. He also mentioned that this group was aggressive, like many of the religions in Sloobludop.
* Shuushar’s friends also mentioned that  the new Deep Father religion sacrificed live creatures to their god, and that tensions were rising between them and Sea Mother worshippers.
* When questioned about his Ardent worship Shuushar explained that he did not personally believe worshiping The Ardent was the best way to pursue his ideal form of pacifism, but thought that it was the best way to spread the notions of peace and forgiveness to a god fearing community.
* Churg and Rruub were quick to proclaim Shuushar as their leader, and Shuushar was just as quick to deny it.
* Shuushar wanted to get a feel for how Sloobludop had changed in the 40 years since he left, and judge whether they were ready to embrace his peaceful ways. Shuushar left with Churg to check on some things while Rruub escorted the party to the various shops and points of interest.

## Sightseeing In Sloobludop

### Marina Inn & Cantina

* The first destination for the party was Marina Inn & Cantina. The building had a set of zurkhwood saloon doors at the entrance, with what Darank now recognized to be the Sea Mother carved onto them. The first story was all hammocks, many of which held two Kuo-Toa. The second story was effectively a restaurant.
* The gang ordered some warm meals, some ordered some cold drinks.
* They also met a grayish Kuo-Toa whose scales were falling off and whose now exposed skin was drooping. He introduced himself as Bliiploolp and offered to sell the party some information about a shortcut to Blingdenstone, the dark gnome town that served as a safe haven for refugees.
* Rruub cautioned that the state of the man suggested that he lived in the waters of the Darklake, likely making him madder and more wicked than the Kuo-Toa in the rest of Sloobludop.
* Kesser bought the man dinner and a bed in exchange for extra time to consider his offer.

### The Kuo-Toan Koan

* The party stocked up on supplies, including some fishing sets and umbrellas.
* The owner also had a single map depicting the Giant ruins that were currently flooded by the Darklake but no one purchased it.
* The party also bought some information about a magic shop hidden in one of the back corners of town.

### The Mush Room

* This shop was a wooden shack with fungi and algae growing on its roof. Also of note, the shop’s name was in Common.
* Upon stepping in the party was greeted with the dank stench of rot and spoiled meat. The shack had fungi growing in every corner, and even more fungi on display for purchase.
* The shop owner was another piscine man, but more human looking than the others. He was Triton, but one with fungi growing off his body. He introduced himself in Common as Oochyk.
* The party took interest in his unusual wares. Gavin purchased the only copy of Oochyk’s fungi guide that he had for sale. But his prized item, a pair of lenses made from the eyes of a Kuo-Toa that would allow the wearer to see in the dark as well as see invisibility, was to pricey for the party.
* Kesser won a considerable amount of goods in a wager he made against Oochyk, including a Cap of Waterbreathing that he gifted to Darank. After insisting he give Oochyk some gold anyway Oochyk reluctantly agreed but in return he would reserve the lenses for the party for a time, and drop the price from 1200 geo to 900, 300 if the party brought him a pair of Kuo-Toa eyes that were less than a day old.
* During their conversations Oochyk also disclosed to the party that the Kuo-Toa throw their dead into the Darklake before they came back as zombies. Ideally the corpses are eaten entirely before they can rise as undead but it is likely that the bottom of Darklake is crawling with unliving Kuo-Toa.
* Oochyk also advised that Darank that it would be unhealthy for him spend more than 8 hours in the Darklake, even with the cap.

### Gone Fishing

* Next the party when fishing at the docks for a few hours. Gavin and Darank both caught decently sized fish, just large enough to make a decent meal out of. Kesser on the other hand hooked a creature so massive that it nearly pulled him underneath.
* Sensing danger Kesser vanished into the ring, much to the concern of his darkvision-impaired teammates who assumed he fell into the waters.
* Dimitrius and Gavin managed to pull the creature out of the water, revealing it to be a massive catfish about the size of a halfling.
* Rruub speared the fish without hesitation, pulling out a chunk of sapphire along with its guts.
* Kesser soon emerged and explained the nature of his ring.

### Aril’s Anvil

* During their talks with the previous shop keeps the party gathered that a Duergar named Aril manned the only blacksmith in town, and Darank wanted to pay him a visit before rendezvousing with Shuushar and turning in for the night.
* Aril’s Anvil was the most normal looking building in Sloobludop. It was made of carved stone, had four distinct walls, a wooden door, a chimney, and windows. Also the name of the shop was written on the sign in Undercommon.
* The outside of the shop appeared to have metal trimmed ripped off it.
* The inside of the shop looked ransacked, and not a single tool remained on the tipped over racks.
* Rruub noted that it was concerning that Aril was not in his shop.
* A brief investigation did not turn up much aside from the facts that the door was locked, there was no visible sign of forced entry, and no detectable magic in the area.

## Reunion with Shuushar

* The party made their way back to Shuushar’s to trade information with him and Churg.
* Shuushar was troubled by the tensions between Sea Mother worshipers and the worshipers of the new Deep Father.
* Shuushar and Shurg also noticed the suspicious disappearance of Aril, and disclosed their suspicions of the followers of the Deep Father as well as the religion that Horrik joined.
* Kesser posited that one of these new sects may require non-Kuo-Toa as sacrifices, and Shuushar said that he was considering the same possibility.
* Sensing the new danger, everyone agreed that it was unsafe for the party to spend the night at the Marina Inn & Cantina alone. Churg volunteered to go with them and the party started making their way back.