🎆75. all's fair

session 75 • april 23 2023 • 2,281 words

🌑 DAY 24 • 📅 MARPENOTH 14

WHAT the FUCK was That!!!

Trying to escape from the draegloth, the group runs for almost half an hour through the winding caverns of the Underdark before Hugh calls for everyone to stop--as the non-elves were not able to fully rest.

Soren and Will look over Topsy, who is being fussed over by Turvy. Badly shaken over the draegloth incident and their losses, Soren silently shreds a blanket as Will comforts Topsy, and gives the bandages to Will.

Hugh asks what the fuck the draegloth was, and Soren explains that it's a monstrous, powerful creature often considered a sign of favor from Lolth. He repeatedly tells the group that there is no way in the Hells we can face one, and that we need to keep running. Will wonders if it was sent by Ilvara, and Soren notes the probability--though he calls out to Nezznar snidely to ask if he "pissed off any other nobles you know of".

Nezznar sneers back that the noble drow tended to make many enemies, and that it could be any one--though most likely, Ilvara.

Next Steps

As Will patches Topsy up, Eldeth, who had been keeping an eye on Stool and Droop, points out that if it was Ilvara's draegloth, then it's possible that Jimjar is still alive, since Ilvara wants to sell them as slaves.

This is met with guilty silence from the party. Soren is silent, while Will and Hugh gently persuade her that we need to gather more resources and heal up before we face off the draegloth; Eldeth reluctantly agrees.

Will, Sildar and Soren want to keep moving away from where they encountered the draegloth, while Hugh wants to stay in place and finish up their rest so that they can turn around and face the monster. We are stuck on where exactly to go, prompting Soren to ask Sarith where exactly the cart is.

Sarith, who detests Soren for tying his feet up last night, asks why he should help Soren. Soren pleadingly reminds Sarith that they are all trying to survive together, and that with how much food they lost to the spider attack, it's vital to get to the supply cart before we begin to starve. Still, Sarith does not budge, and eventually tells an increasingly desperate Soren to "go crying back to your master for help".

Furious, Soren asks Nezznar for his whip.

The Student

When Nezznar is reluctant to give it up, Soren promises to give it back after "he is done", implying that he is about to whip Sarith. Nezznar offers to do it himself, matter-of-factly citing that Soren should know "first-hand" how skilled Nezznar is at punishment, which further angers Soren.

Will steps in to stop them, saying firmly that no one will be "punishing" anybody, pointing out that we are different from the drow in Velkynvelve. Nezznar demeans Will's sense of honor; Hugh and Will tries to persuade Sarith to show them the path, but Sarith notes that once he tells them, his only value is gone and there is nothing stopping them from killing him.

Nezznar points out that Sarith has no value if he doesn't help them anyway; Hugh calls Nezznar a cunt lmao and Sarith only sneers at the threats, saying that he would gladly die if it means the group suffers and starves. Nezznar berates Hugh's stupidity in trusting Sarith, and as Soren speaks out to try and placate Nezznar, Hugh points out that "Soren and Sarith are great!", inflicting emotional damage on Soren.

Soren speaks in defense of Nezznar's point (you should never trust a drow) and points out that there is nothing more important than "getting the party safely out of the Underdark". Hugh, however, claims that he wasn't going to leave the Underdark until he honored his agreement with Sarith--of getting to the bottom of the drows' accusations of Sarith having killed one of his squadmates.

Soren is deeply upset at the fact that Sarith is seemingly "stopping Hugh from leaving", and casts Heat Metal--a spell previously unknown to him--on Sarith's chains, badly burning the drow. In response, Hugh attacks and injures Soren with his flail. Though Soren manages to maintain concentration on the spell, he drops it shortly after realizing that a fight between himself and Hugh was poised to break out.

Sildar steps in, chiding Soren for his rashness but also Hugh for attacking a member of their party to defend Sarith, a drow and former-guard who has outright threatened to kill them. Hugh is adamant that he'll hit whomever hurts Sarith, and when Sildar protests about "blindly trusting a drow", Hugh calls him a racist.

In the Details

As Sildar talks Soren down, Hugh pulls Sarith aside to plead with him to still show us the way to the supply cart. Sarith abhors Soren at this point, and angrily refuses--unless Soren begs for Sarith's forgiveness on his knees ("It's a position he's no stranger to, I'm sure.")

Hugh is initially amenable to making Soren apologize to Sarith, but refuses to force Soren to get on his knees, and Sarith smugly says that he'll happily watch the group starve. Hugh exasperatedly states that if Sarith will no longer honor his deal, Hugh "cannot defend him".

Hugh relays this conversation to the group, blaming Soren and Nezznar for breaking the deal that he had made with Sarith. Soren is, in turn, furious that Sarith would demand that he get on his knees. Refusing to even entertain the thought of doing so, Soren points out spitefully that Sarith's refusal to help them makes him useless.

As Soren prepares to kill Sarith, Hugh stands in Soren's way despite his previous assertions about no longer protecting Sarith. Eventually, Hugh maintains that if Soren hurts Sarith any more, he would leave the party--"I won't be party to you becoming like... like Nezznar". This DEEPLY hurts Soren but effectively causes him to stop.

Hugh points out that hurting Sarith will not make him want to help the party. Soren points out that "pain is a very effective motivator", but Hugh insists that it is not, citing Soren's betrayal of Nezznar as an example, right in front of Soren and Nezznar's salad and dealing 100d10 emotional damage to both of them LMAO.

Sildar maintains that both parties are in the wrong--Soren for stooping down to a "drow" level, and Hugh for blinding trusting Sarith. When Hugh asks why he cannot, both Soren and Sildar yell "because he's a drow" at the same time LOL. Hugh calls Sildar a "fucken' racist", and points out that Soren was also once a spy and yet Sildar trusted him. Sildar points out that he was the ONLY one who tried to keep Soren in chains. Soren is just 🥺

IT'S REAL SAD TIME HOURS IN HERE TODAY

Willow reminds the group for the seventh time that they NEED TO MOVE!! Soren concludes that (if Sarith will not direct them to the cart), the group's best course of action is to move towards the Darklake. We set off.

Duergar Approval

As they walk, Thurmond tells Soren that he thinks Sarith deserved to burn, and that he approved of Soren's methods.

Soren is briefly taken aback by the fact that he had earned the approval of a cruel Underdark denizen, but then quickly smiles and responds that "I'm glad you feel that way".

Lunch On the Go

During the travel, Soren continually tries to forage for food, with Will's help (albeit Will has to pretend to not be able to see in the dark since he's pretending to be human lmao!)

Despite their best efforts, they manage only to obtain a bunch of blue-caps, enough to feed 7 people--not even half of their group. Soren is dismayed by the returns--and knows that they cannot afford to sustain this large of a group, but silently takes this news in stride without informing anyone.

Eventually, the group comes to a stop as we reach the limitations of our travel capacity. We find a small, closed-off cave and decide to spend our time resting in here, as it has a single defensible entrance and is hidden.

As Soren sets up camp and lights a campfire to begin cooking, Sildar inquires how much food is left. Soren quietly responds with "enough", and when Sildar pushes, Soren repeats it exasperatedly. Sildar is taken aback by Soren's coldness but does not push.

The Derro

Hugh hangs out near Sarith with Droop; Sarith, naturally, asks if the goblin is a pet or slave. Hugh says NEITHER! >:( Droop, in turn, asks if Buppido is also a goblin.

My SWEET SUMMER CHILD, does this creature LOOK like you?

Hugh wonders if Buppido is a gnome. Sarith says that Buppido is a derro--scum, which prompts Hugh to think "derro" is a slur in drow LMFAOO. Sarith explains that the derro are generally slaves to the duergar, and offers to explain more of their history if Hugh will get him some food.

Hugh is like ":/ I don't wanna know the history though" LMFAOO and leaves to go and talk to Buppido himself.

Buppido explains that his people are much like the duergar, which Grymus and Thurmond take extreme offense to. Grymus states that the derro are good-for-nothing crazy rats that are only fit to serve the duergar as slaves, and Buppido is REALLY chill about this lmao, he's just like "ahhhh we're basically the same : )" Grymus is furious and warns Hugh not to talk to Buppido too much in case the "madness spreads"

Family Pressure

Eventually, the party regroups by the campfire. Soren, though still sullen and quiet after his physical altercation with Hugh, perks up a bit to teach the group how to process bluecaps into flour, in order to bake bread.

He mentions to the party that lowborn drow families often gather together and make an occasion of bluebread-baking, since it's such a labor-intensive process. The party realizes that they are, in a way, a family baking bluebread together and there is a nice peaceful moment.

As we are close to finishing, Sildar points out that we should talk about our little scuffle from earlier on. Will agrees, noting that the most important thing is for the party to stick together and continue caring about each other.

Hope

Soren maintains that there is NOTHING logically keeping them from killing Sarith, except some twisted semblance of morality and softness. He insists that killing Sarith would be the safest and most logical course of action.

Sildar answers that "hope" is what's keeping them from killing in cold blood--hope that Sarith, much like Soren, has hope for rehabilitation and can learn to grow beyond the cruel upbringing that the drow undergo.

When Soren bristles at the comparison, Sildar and Will both remind Soren that they trust Soren with their lives. This placates his sad little drow brain.

The conversation pivots to Hugh's seemingly blind trust of Sarith, which Hugh sees absolutely nothing wrong with. Hugh lives and dies by the motto "they're good until they do something to prove that they're bad"; and refuses to acknowledge the party's concerns that it might be too late by the time Sarith shows his full colors, and that someone in the group might die as a result of Hugh's blind trust.

After a frustrating and fruitless half hour of trying to show Hugh what they mean ("would you let a wolf near your goats?" "yes"), Sildar, Will and Hugh erupt into a full squabble while Soren quietly continues mashing mushrooms.

Sildar, annoyed at Hugh's refusal to consider that he's risking the safety of the group by trusting Sarith so wholeheartedly, throws up his hands and gives up when Hugh begins to answer with "it's just how it is" and similar groundless responses. Hugh maintains that Sildar is being a racist by prescribing preconceived notions to the drow, while Sildar maintains that there is reason to do so because he now has firsthand experience of the cruelty of the drow.

Having witnessed the group fighting so fiercely amongst themselves after just breaking bread together, Sorennar asks Hugh to at least promise that no one be left alone with Sarith. Hugh agrees to this precaution.

Right Back Here Again

Having realized, from their little bluecap-baking-session, that he values the party's lives over his own pride, Soren gets up and walks to Sarith. Having just promised never to leave anyone alone with Sarith, Hugh follows Soren closely, and witnesses Soren get on his knees.

As per Sarith's previous demands, Soren presses his head to the ground and apologizes humbly and sincerely for his actions. Initially shocked, Sarith quickly recovers and gloats over Soren's display of submission, which Soren takes in silence--only speaking to repeatedly beg Sarith to bring the party to the supply cart due to the dwindling food supply.

Sarith, thoroughly enjoying this, finally smugly agrees to do so. Soren asks him for permission to get up, which again pleases Sarith greatly, and steps away wordlessly.

Sildar tries to comfort Soren, telling him that he didn't need to do such a "dehumanizing thing". Soren curtly points out that he is not human.

Hugh, seemingly uncomfortable to see Soren like this, pulls Soren to the side and promises that if Sarith were to hurt anyone, Hugh would personally kill him. Sildar thanks him for doing this for the party, and Soren responds that "well, you're family".

Seemingly numb from the humiliation, Soren lets Sildar fuss over him for a little longer before getting up and walking over to Nezznar.

Ront is having a mental breakdown in the corner because "cave sad and cold" : ( Hugh invites Ront to come sit by the fire, which he obliges, though he expresses his discontent at "food-stealer" Will. Will also brings the injured Topsy and Turvy over by the fire.