🤎9. hunger.
session 9 • 02/06/2022 • 2,878 words
『 📜 』 adventure log
🌞 DAY 3 • 📅 ELEINT 24
Finishing Breakfast
The group finishes breakfast, with Colt complimenting the food -- saying that it's ranked 3rd on his list of 10 favorite foods. Sildar compliments the group on their joint effort at cooking.
Sorennar contemplates cooking Lera's favorite food next, but admits that he does not share her love for spices because of how the Drow in the Underdark don't get many spices to use. The group reminds him that she also enjoys sweets, and suggest making an ice cream cake for her, which Sorennar considers the mechanics of.
Sorennar excuses himself to go downstairs, and Sildar follows him in order to speak with him privately. THEY HOLD HANDS. Sorennar has Sildar pop the lid off one of the crates -- Sildar rolls very high and does so with ease, which Sorennar openly admires.
Sorennar also searches the basement for some clothes and finds three sets of noble clothes, admitting that though the group had fun seeing Sildar in his TIGHT ASS mailman outfit, it might be time for him to obtain some actual clothes.
Sildar begins his private discussion with Sorennar, noting that though Sorennar had clearly made leaps and bounds in improvement -- as seen as when he lost a week's worth of memories -- but asks him gently to be more mindful of his snide comments regarding overworlders. Sorennar agrees readily, but asks for "compensation" from Sildar in the form of physical intimacy.
Though the CONNOTATIONS ARE CLEAR, Sildar is just baby and does not understand, prompting Sorennar to try his fkin best to hint at his desires. The talk ends with Sorennar managing to convey that he wants cuddles, which Sildar obliges with.
Sorennar points out that it's difficult for him to understand surface-world conventions due to how he was raised, and that though he wants to make the effort, he asks Sildar to communicate openly with him if he ever slips up. Sildar is happy about Sorennar's willingness to change.
Sildar brings up his second point: Sorennar's threatening of Yeemik. He thanks Sorennar for the protecc and apologizes once again for robbing Sorennar of a chance to act like a prince, establishing that "you'd make a great one". (Sorennar happiness noises)
Sorennar once again tries to wink wonk hint at intimate favors in return for Sildar's "transgressions" but Chris is too baby to understand. Sildar ends up promising Sorennar "whatever he can do". Sorennar,,, says they'll work on that ; ;
Pre-Departure
3D Tattoo
In the tavern, Hugh and Colt discuss their desire to stop by a lake or river to fish and clean up.
Lera goes outside to start digging a grave for the bones they had found in the various closets of Willow Inn. Saddened by the bloodshed and loss of life that had occurred at the hands of the Oblex, she is motivated to work hard (nat 20) and makes short work of her excavation, lessening the work from 4 hours to 2 (if she works by herself).
Colt and Hugh discuss the possibility of keeping a pet fish in their pockets, as per the group tradition of the average IQ dropping to 2 when Lera, Sildar and Sorennar aren't present. They decide, THANK HELM, that it is NOT okay to keep a fish in their pockets because it would die. Hugh begins searching for a large, water-holding pot in the kitchen and finds a metal soup pot, which he triumphantly announces. He heads upstairs to search the other pots that Colt mentioned.
Sorennar and Sildar emerge from their basement adventures. As per their discussion about Sorennar's insensitivity😢, Sorennar asks Colt if he has ever offended him. Colt is very understanding and forgiving, and isn't really bothered by Sorennar's comments about his ancestry... but lies that he is, so that Sorennar would owe him a favor. He asks to examine Sorennar's tattoo, which Sorennar did not let him touch at the lake. Colt also asks that Sorennar do a "similar 3D tattoo" on him.
Combined with what Sorennar had opened up about the previous night, Sildar notices that Sorennar freezes up and looks extremely uncomfortable. He changes the subject by dragging Colt away for a private conversation, for which Sorennar expresses gratitude by squeezing his hand.
Sorennar suggests that he "practice" with paint before actually tattooing Colt, because "nothing worse than having something you hate tattooed on you forever."
Bathtub Aquarium
Hugh, upstairs, is going through all of the rooms as Colt never specified which ones held the pots. He finds an old metal "bathtub" -- a large metal trough just big enough for a person to sit in. Hugh breaks the window and dumps the dirty water out by the bucket until he is able to bring the bathtub downstairs.
Mr. Hallwinter
Hugh comes down: ‘COLT I FOUND THE TUB!’
Colt: he found the tub!
Sildar invites Colt to join him at another table. Sorennar tries to join in, but Sildar is firm about it being private. Sorennar calls Sildar a whore as a joke, and BACKTRACKS SO FAST when Sildar says "excuse me?" :' ) Sildar bristles when Sorennar occasionally calls him Mr. Hallwinter, asking him to refer to him by his first name, as they are friends. Colt wonders if they can call him "Sild" as a nickname. Sildar says that nicknames are A-OK.
Fishrennar
After Sildar and Colt move away, Sorennar and Hugh discuss the science of catching and caring for a pet fish. Sorennar teases Hugh about eating his future pet fish, but sobers up when Hugh claims that he would be naming the fish "Sorennar", so that if Drow!Sorennar ever left the group, Hugh would still have a friend. (OH MY GOD MY HEART MY HEART M)
Sorennar pats Hugh on the head and wishes him the best in his fish!Sorennar endeavors.
OK Dad
Sildar clarifies once more that he does not hate Colt, and apologizes for giving off that impression, as well as going about his lessons in a petty manner. He beseeches Colt to live his life with more honesty and integrity, and for him to think about how his actions might affect others -- i.e. if he had tried to con an employer who was less lenient, the entire group might have gotten punished or fired.
Colt is thoughtful, as he had never considered it from that point of view before. He grows very somber at the thought of his actions hurting the party. He promises that he only wants the best for his friends, and that he would consider his actions more carefully from then on.
Sildar also addresses the fact that Colt had pretended to be racist in order to fleece him of ten gold, the previous night. Sildar states that he would never condone joking about bigotry, and warns Colt against making such tasteless jokes in the future.
Colt denies being actually racist, stating that he was truly only trying to con the 10GP, but acknowledges that the joke was tasteless and apologizes for it. Sildar reinforces that Colt needs to be more mindful of how his actions might affect others.
Colt says "OK dad sorry". This is apparently out of character but I am willfully ignoring it.
One Turkey
Sorennar and Hugh work to create a warning sign to ward off squatters when they leave Willow Inn. Sorennar has Hugh draw "scary pictures" while he writes the message warning off intruders. Hugh offers to draw a turkey, but Sorennar suggests a ghost.
Hugh draws both.
Sildar returns with Colt and is Immediately roped into helping with the sign while Sorennar tries to contact Lera to see what she was up to. He casts Message in all directions until he finds Lera in the direction of the stables. They have a conversation that is punctuated by 6-second silences because of the horrible wifi cooldown restriction on Message.
Sorennar checks in with Lera, and learns that she is digging a mass grave for the bones in the inn. He offers to bring everyone out to help, despite her protests, after they're done with the sign.
Sorennar hangs up and turns around to see this progress on the sign:
He tries not to laugh and compliments everyone on their hard work. Sildar compliments Hugh on his turkey. Colt declines to add another turkey, for fear of changing the "vibe" of the sign. Hugh explains that one turkey is what makes it scary, because turkeys usually travel in packs.
The group leaves to help Lera with the digging. Sorennar stops Sildar and asks him to remind him to bring up something about the goblins later.
Diggy Hole
The group places the sign outside in one of the windows. Everyone tries to convince Sorennar to stay inside due to his sunlight sensitivity, but he insists on being "a part of the group's shenanigans". Lera has made great progress on the grave, and it would take only around 30 minutes for everyone to finish up the work.
In order to help with the sunlight, Sorennar hikes his cape over his head. Lera and Sildar notice some small, golden text embroidered on the inside of his cape. Sildar fetches 5 shovels, mistakenly thinking Sorennar is going to help 😩 Sorennar sits in a corner and plays a dwarven worksong for Hugh at his vague request.
Sildar brings up the issue that Sorennar wanted to speak to him about. Sorennar brings out a vial of greenish liquid, identifying it as a potent knockout poison that they found in Klarg's lair. He assures Sildar and the group that the goblins most likely used this poison to incapacitate Sildar, and reassures Sildar that he did not lose a fight to "a random goblin patrol".
The group finishes up the grave and brings the bones down to be buried. Colt suggests using the Bag of Holding, which sparks some discussion about the mechanics of the Bag. Sorennar tries to understand Surfaceworlder funerary rites and determines that moving them by hand might be a better way of showing respect. Colt comes up with a good idea of using the dirty blankets to move the remains.
Sildar thanks Lera for thinking of digging the grave. They re-enter the tavern and have Sildar put on a fashion show by trying on each of the noble clothes that Sorennar found downstairs.
During this, Sildar expresses discomfort at being considered "noble" and snobbish. Sorennar detect some mild resentment in his voice for the rich / nobles due to the death of his sibilngs.
Sorennar encourages Sildar to go with what he's comfortable with, but "sad Tofu whines" Sildar into keeping the tie on. Sildar rolls up his sleeves and Lera and Sorennar look respectfully.
The party discuss their hopes in finding a lake along the way to Phandalin. Sildar invites Sorennar on a jog with him, which Sorennar is unhappy about, though he quickly agrees when he realizes Sildar will be shirtless during it.
Lera asks Sildar to talk in private but changes her mind and states that she is not in a good mood. They decide to talk later. The group gets the Rothe ready and depart!
On the Road Again
Sorennar makes it 2 minutes running alongside the cart before calling it quits and burrito-ing himself in the tent. Hugh teases Sorennar for his subpar performance, and Sildar announces that no one should be judging Sorennar as no one else had even tried to run.
This sparks a competitive frenzy in Lera, who immediately takes it personally and hops off the cart to challenge Sildar to a competition -- which bewilders Sildar, who is just jogging for his morning routine. The two run alongside the cart for an hour, after which Lera indignantly states that she only had to stop because she had digged for longer than anyone else.
SILDAR IS JUST out here trying to job im CRYING
Everyone hounds Sildar for "challenging" them and he ends up apologizing. Sorennar feels a bit ashamed at his performance, but the party tells him NO it was thE SUN, and he could prolly run for 2 hours under the moon!
Lera takes the reins while Hugh and Colt, now, somehow, decide to race each other. Sorennar mashes some plants in silence, and is startled when Sildar leans over and SNIFFS SORENNAR'S HAIR!!!!!!!!! Sildar says that Sorennar smells like honey, in response to the unanswered question from last night, which very much flusters Sorennar. Hugh also gets a sniff in and agrees.
Sorennar lays his head on Sildar's shoulder, prompting concern from the dumbass. Lera, BEST WINGMAN #2022????, suggests that Sildar give Sorennar a head massage to help with the sunlight. Sorennar immediately jumps at the chance.
Sildar jabs him in the eye trying to give him a massage, so Lera suggests that Sildar just run his fingers through Sorennar's hair. Sorennar greatly enjoys this, OF COURSE. Thank you Lera so much I owe you my life.
The area begins to fill with trees as the group enters a relatively densely wooded area. Sildar is not perceiving as he's focusing on Sorennar.
Hugh grabs some wild flowers and hands them to Sorennar, who puts them into Lera's, Sildar's and Hugh's hair. Some of them are useful medicinal herbs, so Sorennar puts them away. Lera refers to Sildar's head massage as "giving Sorennar head". Sorennar goes in on the joke, which flusters Sildar and causes him to rethink the meaning of "giving head". sildar.exe has stopped working. Thank you LERA. For my LIFE.
Colt, who has at this point gotten tired, tries to lie and say that there was danger and that he wanted to get back into the cart. Sorennar sits up alert, and perceives. Lera, Sorennar and Hugh notice that the forest has slowly become more and more quiet, to the point of it being unnatural. Sorennar hears the distant sound of some horrible, inhuman screaming.
Sorennar compliments Colt, who has been LYING, on his observational skills. Sorennar feels as though the noise is familiar, leading him to think that it's an Underdark creature , which in turn concerns him greatly: an Underdark predator screaming is not good news, especially with what had been said by the Oblex about an invasion.
Sorennar tries to weasel out of going forward by 1. suggesting they turn around and return to Neverwinter, 2. taking a long rest then and there. Everyone points out that it was only noon and that they had to get to Phandalin. Traitors, the lot of them.
Sorennar suggests that they bring the Rothe as bait, which is met with opposition from the party. He comments under his breath that the party is too soft for the Underdark, but relents to follow the party as they hide the Rothe.
He asks Sildar to hold his hand in the daylight due to his sunlight sensitivity, which Sildar happily obliges. They continue on foot for around 5 minutes before coming across the source of the noise.
Flesh for Yeenoghu
The party stumbles upon a Situation™️ in the middle of the road: a group of adventurers facing off with a group of gnolls. The gnolls seem preoccupied and even frenzied in tearing into a large, armored creature, which the group recognizes as a bulette thanks to Soren's Underdark stories. :D
As the party approaches, however, a young female wood elf, dressed in rainbow colors, from the other group of adventurers seems to panic, and shoots off a firebolt into the group of gnolls, which garners their attention. The gnolls round in on the other group, as the party gets ready for a fight.
The frontliners of the party -- Colt, Hugh and Sildar -- begin to rush forward, with Sorennar, still shaken from the events with the Oblex the previous day, tripping Sildar so he cannot rush into the heart of the fight.
He succeeds. Rip Sildar initiative
The gnolls tear into what looks like the other party's front-liner, a muscular Sun Elf with a fancy flail, whom we immediately begin calling Muscle Elf. The other party leaps into combat, with the young rainbow elf flinging spells, a seemingly-rogue Sun Elf attacking, and the final member, a human, healing Muscle Elf as he takes on increasingly dire injuries from the gnolls.
Our party joins in, with Sorennar trying to trip Sildar once again but not succeeding (Sildar glares at him :(( ). Though the gnolls fight viciously, they focus-fire on the Muscle Elf, who is kept standing by the healer of the other group, and so the two parties manage to take them all down, mostly unscathed.
Hugh exhibits Very Cool combat prowess by grappling / suplexing one of the gnolls so that Muscle Elf and Sildar have an easier time hitting it ! :D Muscle Elf does not take it LMAO Hugh is big mad. Sorennar stops a crit on Sildar :' )
The two parties regroup with their respective party members, with the healer of the other group chastising Muscle Elf for his rash actions and getting hurt so badly. As they recover from the shock of the fight, the young rainbow elf girl runs up to Colt excitedly.
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