Session 58-A: One Cloak Short of a Drow

## Key Plot Developments

The goblins approach Tier Breche, the cavern housing the three drow schools (Arach-Tinilith, the school of clerics, Melee-Magthere, the school of fighters, and Sorcere, the school of wizards). They worry about the possibility that Jarlaxle and Bregan D’aerthe is planning a double-cross but conclude that the best thing to do is pin the theft of Gromph’s grimoire on House Mizzrym—one last insult to Ilvara Mizzrym, who captured them all those months ago.

The group sneaks in. Pyrite disguises herself as a drow. When they encounter a small study group and are questioned about their presence, Pyrite transforms herself into a spider-like monstrosity and intimidates the male drow into leaving. They continue to the second floor.

Here, a giant spider is skittering about the library. Pyrite puts the spider to sleep, and they continue. When they try to enter the next area, the spider wakes up. Pyrite becomes a spider and speaks to it, bullying it into submission.

Finally, they reach Gromph’s outer sanctum. The chamber beyond the door is floored in black marble, lined with shelves laden with books and scrolls, and dominated by a broad desk of polished bone. A plush chair covered with lizard hide sits behind the desk, while a smaller and simpler zurkhwood chair sits facing it on the opposite side. A seven-foot-tall obsidian statue of a four-armed, sword-wielding drow warrior stands behind the desk against one wall. Burning red candles are set about the room in holders made from skeletal hands.

When the group tries to open a secret door, they trigger some of the archmage Gromph’s high-tier magical traps. Pyrite disappears, imprisoned in Gromph’s demiplane. Bogtooth is able to call on his command of spiritual magic to astrally project and follow her into Gromph’s inner sanctum.

This circular chamber is lit by magic candles and floored in black stone, engraved and inlaid with magical diagrams in silver and gold. A female drow stands in the center of one magic circle, hands resting on her hips. Behind her, shelves and cabinets hold ceramic pots, glass vials, and other arcane paraphernalia, while a tome bound in black leather lies open on a lectern, its pages covered in spidery glyphs. The only exit appears to be an archway filled with a black void.

The female drow reveals herself to be a yochlol demon—one of Lolth’s handmaidens. Her name is Y’lara. As her skin turns yellow and waxy, Bogtooth is reminded of the yochlol Ilvara summoned when Jimjar was first captured—a frightening, high-level demon.

Bogtooth is disturbed by the demon’s preening, contemptuous sense of superiority. He worries that their plan—to conduct this ritual—has already been seen through by Lolth. Nonetheless, he has to reclaim Pyrite’s soul from Gromph’s trap and take Gromph’s grimoire, so he does.

As Bogtooth returns from Gromph’s demiplane, Pyrite and the book in tow, he exclaims that the group needs to leave the city before someone double-crosses and frames them. They give the grimoire to Finn (the fastest member of the party).

The group sneaks out of the school—but see a drow operative of Bregan D’aerthe has killed the male study group, silencing possible witnesses. The operative describes how Jarlaxle has staged a distraction (a 24-hour musical improv show in the bazaar). Tremble realizes that Scout-Commander-Friend was giving him advice on how to abscond from a crime scene without leaving any forensic evidence. He guides the party as they leave with one of the final ingredients for the ritual.

## Memorable Quotes

* **Tremble:** If we steal other things then they’ll track other things.
* **Pyrite:** What are they gonna do, send more drow?
* **Tremble:** Yes, lots more drow! That’s the whole reason!

* **Tremble:** They can still hurt us! With violence!
* **Pyrite:** Then we hurt them harder.
* **Bogtooth**: Pyrite, you have literally died every time you’ve tried something like this.
* **Pyrite:** That’s not true!
* **Bogtooth:** That’s VERY true!
* **Lemon:** Ah, the classic dia-collectical.
* **Trix:** What’s that mean, Lemon?
* **Lemon: I** dunno!
* **Trix:** You’re the best, Lemon!

**Pyrite**: Alright, I’ll compromise. I’ll take things ONLY if I think it’ll help us against the fight against the demon lords.

* **Finn:** I will happily pick up any silver that you find on the floor!
* **Lemon:** Ah! Classic chicanery!
* **Trix:** What’s that mean, Lemon?
* **Lemon**: I dunnooooo!

* **Pyrite:** Will they be chasing us?
* **Tremble:** I ASSUME they’ll be chasing us.
* **Lemon**: Ah, a classic Mexican standoff.
* **Trix:** What’s a—
* **Lemon**: I. DON’T. KNOW!

* **Tremble:** Actually, Pyrite’s not entirely wrong. It’s pretty clear the walls have a lead lining. And the place looks to be held together by a mixture of gorgon’s blood and cuts of spellstone? Very interesting!
* **Flashback to Misu:** Lead is very important! Cause it’ll protect you from scrying! If you want anything to be hidden, put it in lead!

* **Tremble:** We don’t belong because we are not drow girls…
* **Pyrite**: I am!
* **Trix:** Well, that’s good for you…. But we’re gonna sneak.

* **Pyrite: [**SLAP.]
* **Trix:** What?
* **Pyrite:** You’re so fucking oblivious, Trix….you’re my servant now!
* **Trix:** You could have just said that, you didn’t have to hit me!

* **Drow:** Hello?
* **Pyrite**: Why are you asking me anything?
* **Drow:** I haven’t asked you anything yet…I just said hello?
* **Pyrite: Y**ou asked it in a questioning tone...
* **Drow:** What are you?
* **Pyrite:** A drow!
* **Drow:** No, no you’re not. You would be older than the oldest drow ever…
* **Pyrite**: You’ve never seen a short drow before?

* **Drow #2:** It could be an axolotl!
* **Drow #3:** Could it be a centaur!
* **Pyrite:** Even I know centers have 4 legs. Can you punish him for me?
* **Drow:** Not everyone knows what a centaur is, because centaurs aren’t in the Underdark, they’re from the surface.
* **Pyrite:** Or somewhere deeper than you’ve ever been
* **Drow:** What does that even mean?

* **Drow:** You know what, I’m on work study, I don’t want anything to do with this, you do whatever you’re gonna do!
* **Pyrite:** You’re my servant! You should say, “Make way for the spider beast!”

**Pyrite:** We’re not supposed to kill spiders while we’re in the city, right? Like that’s the big no-no rule?

**Trix:** Does anyone speak spider?

* **Bogtooth:** Wonder when finals are?
* **Pyrite:** Huh?
* **Tremble:** Huh?
* **Trix:** What are finals?

* **Bogtooth:** Don’t worry Finn--Spyrite won’t hurt ya.
* **Finn:** I think Spyrite is more likely to hurt me!

* **Spyrite:** Mmmmm I’m so happy, I just had a delicious meal.
* **Spider: W**hat sort of meal?
* **Spyrite**: What are you doing here?
* **Spider:** I’m chasing interlopers.
* **Spyrite:** There are no interlopers here.
* **Spider:** Yes there are! Who are you?
* **Spyrite:** This is my area! I’m Spider!
* **Spider:** Your name is Spider?
* **Spyrite**: Drow are unoriginal sometimes.
* **Spider:** You LET drow NAME you?
* **Spyrite:** What should my name be?
* **Spider:** I don’t—
* **Spyrite:** I’m a wizard.
* **Spider**: What?
* **Spyrite:** I’m a wizard spider.
* **Spider**: I—this is a mercy. [Proceeds to try and kills Spyrite.]
* **Spyrite:** I am above the library, I am above you. I am better, aaaarggg! Give me a name!
* **Spider:** I guess your name is Fucking Dickhead the spider, I dunno, uuuuugggh.

* **Identify Spell:** Ah yes, the identify spell. This is clearly a door and the door has been enchanted… this has been your use of the identify spell.
* **Tremble:** Yaaaaaaaaay!!

* **Tremble:** I don’t think anyone has been in here for quite some time.
* **Pyrite:** Did the stone tell you that?
* **Tremble:** No, my EYES told me that. Maybe if you looked around more you’d see what’s in front of your own eyes.
* **Pyrite:** Fine!

* **Tremble:** This book is really magical, right?
* **Pyrite:** No this is just a spell book.
* **Tremble: A**nd what do spell books DO, Pyrite?
* **Pyrite: Y**ou got me there.

* **Y’lara:** A gobLAN?
* **Bogtooth:** Yeah, I get that a lot.
* **Y’lara:** Because you are a gobLAN?
* **Bogtooth:** Yeah.
* **Y’lara:** Checks out. Well, glad to meet you, gobLAN, I am a priestess of Lolth. I am…stuck here. By a traitor to the drow.
* **Bogtooth:** Who?
* **Y’lara:** Gromph Baenre. I tried to convince Gromph--I said, don’t summon demons, and then Gromph summoned demons. And he said, well you won’t be able to tell anyone about it. I’ve been stuck here. The good news is, I don’t have to eat. The bad news is that I’m quite cranky.
* **Y’lara:** Ha. You got it. No, I’m not one of them. We’re really keeping tabs on the goblins.

* **Bogtooth:** I want the book.
* **Y’lara:** Oh no, don’t take it!  Oh, dear! Go back to your friends without the book! Ha.

* **Y’lara:** I have to wonder what it’s like knowing everything you’ve done, and I mean everything…we’ve seen it. We approve.
* **Bogtooth:** Eh, there’s a lot of people watching us. We’re used to it.
* **Y’lara:** There’s a lot of things watching you, yes. But it would be naïve to call us all ‘people.’ Go on, get your book.
* **Bogtooth:** I think I’ll leave you to rot here for a couple more millennia.
* **Y’lara:** Oh no! I’ll be stuck here!

**Tremble:** Of course! The failed kick! It’s the same as three rights, which is one left, which means…..this is the way to go!