Abyses 12: The Demogorgon Rises

## Escaping Sloobludop

* Fled from the Demogorgon
* Two of the giant raven-serpent abominations crashed through the ceiling, flooding the village with the waters from the sea above. These were the same creatures that Gavin and Darank foresaw demolishing the Drow prison camp of Velkenvelve and that the party saw emerging from the well in Reven’s camp.
* Kesser attacked both Demogorgons, causing a voice to boom out saying something about legends being made, before retreating into his ring.
* Kesser flung out of his stone ring on a ramp of stone, and exposed the Demogorogn illusion for what it was, giving many Sloobludop residents the courage they needed to evacuate.
* Gavin, with the help of a spectral woman composed of light and fire, used a fireball to burn down the massive net gateway allowing everyone the means to escape.
* Most of the panicked refugees of Sloobludop fled in different directions but the Duergar blacksmith Aril traveled alongside the party, which raised suspicion from Demetrius.

## Much Needed Rest

* At camp the same voice boomed out, congratulating Kesser before Sneaky Pete crawled out of the soil.
* Gavin began tearfully carving a effigy of Shuushar.
* Aril said he was reluctantly going back to his home of Gracklstaugh now that his new home was in ruins.
* Aril answered some of the party’s questions about Gracklstaugh and the Underdark in general:
	+ He said the Duergar of Gracklstaugh were cruel and heartless, apologizing for saying such things about his own people but citing that as the reason he left in the first place.
	+ He also said that being alone in Gracklstaugh put you at risk for being captured and sold, and that this was especially true for surface dwellers. This mirrored the warnings from Blurg, Shuushar, and the wandering Duergar merchant.
	+ Aril said he would offer the party a place to stay in Gracklstaugh if he could, but he had no home in the city to offer
	+ Aril didn’t have too much exposure to the varied denizens of the Underdark but he gave his insight on the ones he has met. He said Duergar are selfish and hostile, that Drow will use the entire resources of their empire to settle grudges, and that Kuo-Toa and Derro are both insane and unpredictable but less outright malicious than Drow or Duergar.
	+ For the other races Aril simply said that most other sentient creatures in the Underdark would rather kill people than talk to them, such as the brain-eating Mindflayers.

* Darank shared some more details about his missing family members:
	+ They were taken by Underdark denizens with vacant expressions on their faces, reminiscent of stories about those under the influence of Mindflayers.
	+ He’s looking for his Mother, Father, bard sister, innkeeper sister, and hunter brother.
	+ At breakfast a horde of Undead Kuo-Toa fell upon the party. Due to both their bottlenecked position and the party’s newfound strength they were easily dealt with despite their numbers.

## Resuming Travel

* A few hours after the party started on their way to Gracklstaugh Aril stubbornly insisted that they ignore the map and take the route to Gracklstaugh that he knows.
* The already suspicious Demetrius outright refused the alternative path, and when it began to seem like the party would split over it his suspicions boiled over and he beat Aril to death before anyone had the chance to stop him.
* The party was understandably disturbed by this, save for Demetrius who evidently thought it was as obvious a choice of action as killing any of the other hostile creatures the party has come across down here.

## Reven Reunion

* The rest of the day’s travels were uneventful, as was most of the night.
* Near the end of Kesser’s watch he saw a form both familiar and foreign. It was King Reven, but this time in the body of a Kuo-Toa.
* Reven was happy to see Gavin and Demetrius and once again asked for an escort to one of the remnants of his shattered kingdom, which he estimated would be a detour of ~4-10 days round trip.
* Demetrius made a counter offer that Reven would help the party go to Gracklstaugh to look for leads on Darank’s and Gavin’s missing family, and then go back for the Corvidae ruins.
* Reven was uncharacteristically uncertain when faced with this choice, it was agreed that he would accompany the party at least until they reached the cross roads and he would decide then.