to warden: who funds the prison? couriers would come from Lo’Thar without name or title, started losing to ocean dangers, Darius came and started bankrolling. introduced himself to prisoners. orcs have rituals to find more gems. warden doesnt know who sends prisoners. Heidi’s crimes: Darius said she was disobeying orders, and later there was the planned attack on the child (Tobias).
Desmond and Vara argue about how much information would be needed before we liberate the prison.
march inland up steep slopes toward mine. hum starts to vibrate in the air, Urs migraine and nose bleed, Desmond nose bleed. Vara summon stead and mounts with nearly disabled Urs, Des wild shape into horse, Aengus mount after some struggling. was being followed at a distance by cloaked figures from prison guard but they were also affected by noise and turned back. affected a second time later, again Aengus and Vara are OK but Urs and Des are really in pain, have the shakes, limbs feel rubbery. Desmond drop horse form, continue walking.
Vara sends her summoned stead to patrol on the periphery, which telepathically reports seeing creepy looking things with pincers. after more travel, can see from a distance some large spider-like bipedal creatures (Chitine) coming in and out of rock formations, can walk up vertical surfaces. decide to approach in peace. they are hauling or moving some material. more come out and surround us. there are two tougher ones (Choldrith). one puts out hands for offering. Urs offers cursed skull chalices. they go get some liquid, fill both chalices, have Urs and one of them toast and drink. Urs high con save roll but still drops to one knee and nearly blacks out. after drinking, female insectoid creature turns into regal looking elf woman. Aengus talks in elvish. elf: “i don’t think i’ve ever spoken in my native tongue”. other creatures are anxious, some retreating, some arming themselves. elf:”we may be in danger now.” elf speaks undercommon to female mate(?) who is looking at chalice pensively, they spits angry words at the elf. fight! kill all but mate(?).
ask elf for fastest way to lake, go over rough steep slope. she was never previously an elf, has been in servitude to Lolth all her life. she’s unclear on where Lolth stands in the greater struggle. chalices rumored to be of Corellon. The pair of chalices represent the good and evil struggle. chalices are corrupted. when asked about Heidi, elf hasn’t seen a female humanoid, but the spider creatures did some business with the orcs at the mine. sometimes threw meat down the Drop Point to “calm the beast”. the Drop Point produces seismic activity. has many mouths that produce sonic destruction. elf is scared of her new life. drinking from Corellon cups is a betrayal of Lolth. elf names self “Hoongry” after something Urs says: “She looks ‘Hoongry'”. she appears drow.