Back to the Underdark on the Theurgeme(Recap from 2-17-23)

Back to the Underdark on the Theurgeme(Recap from 2-17-23) 

After the heroes feast, and a long rest in their rooms as guests in the royal palace, the Hucksters Heros had breakfast and decided their next actions. There were a few choices open to the group, having completed the initial tasks they were free to return to Hupperdook. They could work on trying to get the Dwendalian empire and Kryn dynasty together for talks at Grimgolir (a daunting task at best), or they could finish the second task King Dummaroff had requested which was to find the cause of the missing trade caravan ships that disappeared on their way to the trading center located on the Darklake. All of the ships were at least three weeks overdue. To make matters worse the scouts and troops sent to gather information also were overdue. So the group agreed to find the cause of the blocked trade routes and if possible clear the way. For this, they would each get 1200 gp, and a keep for the group in the noble quarter.

The group traveled the long journey down the 10 foot wide stairway to the underdark river, passing the halfway point around noon. They continued following the stairs down to the underdark river trading post and harbor. They met the crew of the steamship Theurgeme and took rooms for the night in “The Abyss Inn '' The next morning they boarded the Theurgeme and set off for Darklake.

(Da’Leysen the 19th of Fessuran) The first day of river travel underground was very pleasant with no encounters, the new planular drive steam engine drove the ship along at a good pace. 

Day and night really mean nothing in the underdark but after twelve hours of travel, the ship encountered the first “tight passage”. The passage was very tight. The ship had a five foot clearance on each side and a four foot clearance under the keel; the smoke stacks had to be lowered and ballast pumped in to lower the ship in the water in order to clear the passage.

(Miresen the 20th of Fessuran) The next day there were no encounters the rest of the day, glow worms and patches of bioluminescent lichens dot the cavern ceiling giving the impression of a starry alien night sky miles beneath the surface world. As what would be night came the ship continues on throughout the night with no encounters the ship makes good progress through the dark humid tunnels flowing deeper into the subterranean world at a steady pace, blind cave fish darting away from the bow of the ship as it powered through the dark water.

Later the ship encountered the second “tight passage”. The ship had eight foot clearance on each side and six feet clearance under the keel; the smoke stacks had to be lowered and ballast pumped in to lower the ship in the water in order to clear the top deck by two feet. The ship made it though and the river again widened allowing the group to proceed onward once again. made with no additional encounters.

(Grissen the 20th of Fessuran) The next day the ship and crew reached the small crystal grotto lake,  there they encountered a group of ropers trying to “fish” for free meals floating down stream. After a long battle the group killed the six ropers and collected six vials of Roper saliva, worth  5 gp each, and six Roper shells worth 10 gp each. They had to clear the wreckage of a couple trade ships that were wrecked by the monsters each carrying Grimgolir goods. The party and Crew managed to salvage quite a bit of cargo:

• Two 10 pound rolls of black silk (2500 GP)

• A 20 pound roll of cheap black silk. (1250 GP)

• A 10 pound roll of blue silk. (1250 GP)

• A 13 pound roll of red silk. (1625 GP)

• Two 33 pound rolls of white cloth (412.5 GP)

• Five 15 pound rolls of red cloth (468.75 GP)

• Five 38 pound rolls of cheap yellow cloth (890.63 GP)

• Three 28 pound rolls of red cloth (525 GP)

• A 43 pound roll of green cloth. (268.75 GP)

• A 42 pound roll of white cloth with a tear on the outer layer. (262.5 GP)

• Three 38 pound rolls of blue linen (7125 GP)

• A 45 pound roll of quality white linen wrapped in a brown cord. (3515.63 GP)

• A 23 pound roll of yellow linen. (1437.5 GP)

• A 53 pound roll of blue linen. (3312.5 GP)

• A 68 pound roll of white linen. (4250 GP)

• Five 15 pound packets of wolf fur (7.5 GP)

• Six 6 pound packets of reindeer hide (3.6 GP)

• Two 10 pound bundles of mink fur (2 GP)

• Four 14 pound rolls of wolf fur (5.6 GP)

• Two 7 pound rolls of bear fur (1.4 GP)

(This salvaged cargo weighed about 933 pounds and had a total value of 29,113.86 gold pieces. Of course it is the Grimgolir Kings property which the crew points out.) That night the ship, after the crew cleared the wreckage and salvaged the goods, got back underway with no further encounters.

Kobold Mining profits for the fourth week, 2200 gp worth of gold ingots, subtracting expenses for running the mine which came to  325gp. Yields 312gp to each party member (The female Kobolds have started laying eggs and there were six new eggs laid, for a total of 21 eggs. The first nine will hatch in two weeks.)