Session 03: The Road to Sloobludop

[Intro]

Drip, drip, dark lake drop,
hear that water never stop.
Lanterns swing and shadows hop—
welcome down to Sloobludop.

[Verse 1]

We ran from chains and spider eyes,
from whips that cracked behind,
with stolen breath and borrowed blades
and madness in the mind.

The tunnels bent, the fungi glowed,
the stone forgot the sun,
and every step through blackened earth
said, “You are not yet done.”

Shuushar walked ahead of us,
calm as a corpse at prayer,
while Jimjar counted phantom coins
and Stool breathed hope in air.

[Pre-Chorus]

Then the cavern opened wide,
black water without end,
and every little light ahead
looked almost like a friend.

Almost.

[Chorus]

Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
lights on the water and the world won’t stop.
Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop.

We came with scars,
we came with rot,
we came with a chest and a half-made plot.
No sky, no sun, no way back up—
just one more night in Sloobludop.

[Verse 2]

Eight fire beetles lit the road,
then tried to eat our faces,
Varang brought the ash and bone,
Edric made poor choices.

Aeris bent the earth to war,
and drow fell screaming down,
Vorgrath laughed at death again,
because of course he did, the clown.

Iragon heard whispers crawl,
Dose kept his samples near,
and somewhere in the baggage train
the chest drank up our fear.

[Pre-Chorus]

Then the Darklake breathed below,
still as a waiting god,
and every ripple seemed to say:
“You fools have come so far.”

Too far.

[Chorus]

Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
lights on the water and the world won’t stop.
Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop.

We came with scars,
we came with rot,
we came with a chest and a half-made plot.
No sky, no sun, no way back up—
just one more night in Sloobludop.

[Bridge]

Clack of rope and creak of wood,
lanterns swinging red,
fish-eyed shadows turn to watch
the newly hunted dead.

Is it refuge?
Is it trap?
Is it madness with a dock?
Nobody knows,
but nobody stops—

because the dark behind us walks.

[Breakdown]

Sloo-bloo-dop!
Don’t look down.
Sloo-bloo-dop!
Don’t turn around.

Sloo-bloo-dop!
The lake is black.
Sloo-bloo-dop!
There’s no going back.

[Final Chorus]

Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
lights on the water and the world won’t stop.
Sloobludop, Sloobludop,
pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop.

We came with scars,
we came with rot,
we came with a chest and a half-made plot.
No sky, no sun, no way back up—
just one more night in Sloobludop.

[Outro]

Drip, drip, dark lake drop,
hear that water never stop.
Lanterns swing and shadows hop—

welcome down to Sloobludop.

🪐 Campaign Arc

• Campaign: Out of the Abyss
• Dungeon Master: Reuben / Rewrock
• Session Number: 3
• Session Title: The Road to Sloobludop
• Date: 2026-06-03
• Setting: Underdark tunnels, the Darklake approach, and the outskirts of Sloobludop
• Player Attendance: Kenneth absent; Sarix “Dose” Jorasco present but DM-controlled

Session 3 followed the fugitives after their escape from Velkynvelve, with the party pushing deeper into the Underdark while drow horns still echoed somewhere behind them. The group had to manage pace, food, water, light, exhaustion, and the fragile loyalty of their growing band of former prisoners.

The recovered chest continued to matter. It was not merely loot storage; this session it became the vessel for magically created drinking water, giving the party a practical way to survive while still keeping the chest as an unresolved object of interest.

🧭 Overview

The session began with the party reviewing the harsh rhythm of Underdark travel. Moving fast could increase the distance from the drow pursuit, but it made foraging impossible and dulled the group’s awareness. Moving more carefully meant a better chance of finding food, spotting danger, and not wandering into the sort of subterranean nonsense that gets people killed.

Before the march truly resumed, Aeris was pulled into a vision of the Circle of Root and Star. Back in the sacred grove of his people, he spoke with the Star Reader about the blackening disease and the unnatural signs spreading through root, stone, and fungus. She gave him a pouch of surface seeds and warned him that something rising from below might threaten the forest above.

Aeris stands beneath the star-cut canopy of the Circle of Root and Star while the Star Reader presses a pouch of surface seeds into his hand. Blackened roots coil nearby, and pale fungus blooms where it should not grow

On the road, the fugitives pushed through fungal tunnels, narrow passages, and hostile terrain. Stool identified Tongues of Madness fungi, which Aeris collected, though Iragon inhaled enough spores to begin muttering paranoid nonsense. Derendil confided in Aeris about dreams of his court, his claws, and whether a curse could cling to the soul after death. Stool also quietly gravitated toward Iragon, telling him through rapport spores that he felt safe nearby.

The first camp was interrupted by giant fire beetles. The party and their allies fought them off, recovered glow sacks for temporary light, and confirmed the beetles themselves were not worth eating. Edric then used Create or Destroy Water to fill the recovered chest with clean drinking water, turning the object into a survival asset as well as an unresolved mystery.

The following days brought bluecap mushrooms, Jimjar’s usual betting nonsense, a wild magic / faerzress zone that caused short-term madness in Vorgrath and Dose, and a patch of floating glowing motes that Stool warned were beautiful but dangerous if eaten. The party also navigated claustrophobic tunnels, where Prince Derendil struggled with the tight passages and the group had to keep moving despite exhaustion and uncertainty.

The drow pursuit eventually caught up near a dangerous crevasse and rope bridge. Edric and Shuushar fell, but Feather Fall saved them. Aeris then used Mold Earth to sabotage the terrain behind the group, causing several drow pursuers to fall to their deaths and turning the chase itself into a weapon. Brom and Dagnar, two shield dwarves encountered near the bridge, helped during the fight, warned the party about dangers ahead, pointed them toward Sloobludop, and then departed south.

Beyond the bridge, the party found ancient ruins carved in smooth spirals that did not seem obviously drow or dwarven. They discovered a vest with tiny vial-sized pockets, an Elvish diary, fungus wine, and an ornate key. The diary contained information about Menzoberranzan, Lolth worship, drow society, and the wider region around the drow city, but it did not provide useful shortcuts through the Darklake.

The session ended with a brutal fight against an umber hulk in its lair near the Darklake approach. The party avoided surprise thanks to Iragon’s alertness, then survived through a combination of Bless, Mold Earth, Moonbeam, Magic Missile, smites, rage, and stubborn refusal to become monster paste. After killing the creature, they harvested meat, eyes, mandible, and carapace, cooked the flesh, spared their rations for the night, and finally approached the lights and boats of Sloobludop.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members

🎭 NPC Tracker

📍 Key Locations

• Underdark Tunnels: The party’s route away from Velkynvelve, filled with narrow passages, difficult marching conditions, fungi, hunger, and the constant pressure of pursuit.
• Circle of Root and Star Grove: Aeris’s vision returned him to his sacred wood elf enclave, where the Star Reader warned him about the blackening disease and gave him a pouch of surface seeds.
• Tongues of Madness Patch: A fungal growth identified by Stool. Eating the fungus causes truth-telling and compulsive speech; Iragon inhaled spores from it and began muttering paranoid warnings.
• First Camp: The party’s attempted rest was interrupted by a giant fire beetle attack. The beetles were defeated and their glow sacks harvested.
• Faerzress / Wild Magic Zone: A region of warped magical pressure where spellcasting felt wrong and short-term madness affected Vorgrath and Dose.
• Glowing Mote Passage: A tunnel of floating lights that Stool warned should not be eaten, though they could potentially be jarred as light sources.
• Crevasse and Rope Bridge: A dangerous crossing where Edric and Shuushar fell, Feather Fall saved them, the drow pursuit caught up, and Aeris’s Mold Earth trap sent pursuers falling.
• Ancient Spiral-Carved Ruins: Smooth, flowing ruins not immediately identifiable as drow or dwarven. The party found an Elvish diary, an ornate key, fungus wine, and a vest with small vial pockets.
• Darklake Approach: The route toward the vast subterranean waterways. The party learned that currents, fishing, boats, springs, maps, navigators, and old markings may matter later.
• Umber Hulk Lair: The site of the session’s major monster battle and the following umber hulk feast.
• Sloobludop Outskirts: The party ended within sight of the kuo-toa settlement, its boats, lights, and large central statue visible in the distance.

📑 Session Highlights

• The group reviewed Underdark travel pace, food, water, exhaustion, madness, navigation, and the risk of being caught by drow pursuit.
• Aeris experienced a vision of the Circle of Root and Star and received a warning from the Star Reader about the blackening disease and something stirring below.
• Prince Derendil spoke with Aeris about dreams of his court and whether a curse can cling to the soul after death.
• Stool identified Tongues of Madness fungi, and Aeris collected some for later use.
• Iragon inhaled enough Tongues of Madness spores to begin muttering paranoid warnings in the dark.
• Stool stayed close to Iragon, saying through rapport spores that Iragon made him feel safe.
• The party’s rest was interrupted by giant fire beetles. The beetles were killed, but several allies were already worn down by injury and travel.
• The fire beetles were confirmed to be inedible, but the party harvested eight glow sacks for temporary light.
• Edric used Create or Destroy Water to fill the recovered chest with clean drinking water, keeping the chest important as both vessel and mystery.
• The group found bluecap mushrooms while travelling at a normal pace, helping maintain their food supply.
• Jimjar bet constantly until Varang paid him one gold to stay silent for an hour. Jimjar won. Varang still considered the silence worth it.
• The party crossed a faerzress / wild magic zone, where Vorgrath began babbling and Dose became frightened and hid near Stool and Shuushar.
• Stool warned the party about glowing floating motes: useful as light if jarred, but dangerous and vomit-inducing if eaten.
• The drow pursuit caught up near a crevasse and rope bridge.
• Edric and Shuushar fell during the crossing, but Edric’s Feather Fall saved them both.
• Aeris used Mold Earth to sabotage the slope behind the group, causing drow pursuers to fall to their deaths.
• Brom and Dagnar, two shield dwarves, helped during the pursuit fight, pointed the party toward Sloobludop, and then departed south.
• Zeleth was killed during the bridge encounter, and Aeris kept her rapier and chain shirt.
• The party discovered ancient spiral-carved ruins and recovered several unusual items.
• Varang checked the Elvish diary for Darklake routes, but it proved more useful for information about Menzoberranzan and drow society than local navigation.
• Shuushar described Sloobludop, the Darklake, and the possibility that his people might still be willing to receive outsiders who were not drow.
• The party was attacked by an umber hulk in its lair, but Iragon’s alertness helped prevent a surprise disaster.
• Varang’s Bless played a major role in the umber hulk battle and was praised during the end-of-session MVP discussion.
• Aeris used Mold Earth against the umber hulk, digging under one of its legs and limiting its movement.
• Edric damaged the umber hulk with Magic Missile and later harvested its eyes.
• Iragon landed a major smite during the umber hulk fight.
• Vorgrath tanked heavy hits while raging and helped hold the front line.
• The slain umber hulk was harvested for eyes, mandible, meat, and possible carapace armour material.
• The party cooked and ate umber hulk meat, preserving their rations for the night.
• Aeris received the session MVP / inspiration, largely for the Mold Earth play during the drow pursuit.
• The session ended with the party approaching Sloobludop, still unsure what kind of welcome awaited them.

🎞️ Key Scenes

Stool pads close beside Iragon in the dark tunnel, releasing a soft puff of rapport spores. The tiny myconid tells the fey knight that he feels safer walking near him.

At the edge of the crevasse, Aeris shapes the earth beneath the pursuing drow. The slope gives way behind the fugitives, turning stone, gravity, and panic into the party’s deadliest weapon.

The warm glow ahead was not safe passage — it was eight giant fire beetles turning the tunnel into a living ambush.

The party searches smooth, spiral-carved ruins that do not feel drow or dwarven. Among the dust and strange stonework lie an Elvish diary, fungus wine, a vial-pocketed vest, and an ornate key with no lock in sight.

An umber hulk bursts from the wall of its lair as Bless, Moonbeam, Mold Earth, Magic Missile, smite, and barbarian rage collide in the cramped Underdark chamber.

Beyond the dark water, Sloobludop glows with lanterns, boats, kuo-toa movement, and a large central statue. 

🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks

• The Drow Pursuit: The party evaded the immediate pursuit near the bridge, but horns still sounded in the distance. Ilvara’s hunters remain a threat.
• Aeris and the Blackening Disease: Aeris’s vision tied the blackening disease to something stirring below. The surface seeds and the Star Reader’s warning remain unresolved.
• Prince Derendil’s Curse: Derendil’s dreams, fear, and questions about curses clinging to the soul continue to cast doubt over his condition and identity.
• Stool’s Bonds: Stool has grown particularly attached to Iragon, feeling safe near him. This may matter as the party’s NPC relationships deepen.
• Sarith’s Headaches: Sarith continued to suffer headaches and unease during the journey, especially around strange Underdark phenomena.
• The Recovered Chest: The party continues carrying the large chest taken during the escape. It has become useful as a water vessel for Edric’s Create or Destroy Water, but its longer-term importance remains unresolved.
• The Ornate Key: Edric claimed a random ornate key from the ruins. No matching lock was found nearby.
• The Elvish Diary: The diary contains information about Menzoberranzan, Lolth worship, drow society, and paths around that region, but it does not provide useful shortcut routes through the Darklake.
• The Darklake: The party learned that maps, navigators, boats, currents, fishing, springs, and ancient route markings may all matter for future travel.
• Sloobludop: Shuushar’s home settlement is now within sight. It may offer refuge, trade, guidance, danger, or some awful combination of all four because this is still the Underdark.
• Umber Hulk Carapace: The party learned the carapace could potentially be crafted into light armour, but no confirmed crafting occurred this session.

🗺️ Quest Status

💰 Loot & Discoveries

Noteworthy Items

The Recovered Chest: Still carried by the party and still important. This session it proved its worth as a vessel for Edric’s magically created water, but it remains more than just a bucket with delusions of grandeur.

The Ornate Key: A random key with no matching lock nearby. It has exactly the right shape to become someone’s future problem.

Umber Hulk Eyes: Edric harvested them from the corpse after the fight. Their practical purpose is unknown, but the wizard took them, which is usually how consequences begin.

⚙️ Rules & Mechanics Notes

• Travel Pace: Fast pace helps distance the group from pursuit but prevents foraging and penalises awareness. Normal pace allows foraging. Slow pace improves caution and searching.
• Food and Water: Rations remain a major pressure. Bluecaps can help with food, while Edric’s Create or Destroy Water in the recovered chest has become a major survival tool.
• Tongues of Madness: Eating the fungus causes truth-telling and compulsive speech for several minutes. Spores also affected Iragon when he got too close.
• Glow Sacks: Harvested from giant fire beetles and treated as temporary light sources lasting roughly one to two days.
• Faerzress / Wild Magic: The party encountered a zone where spellcasting and mental stability became unreliable. Wisdom saves were required, and short-term madness affected Vorgrath and Dose.
• Feather Fall: Edric used Feather Fall to prevent himself and Shuushar from taking fatal or serious fall damage at the crevasse.
• Mold Earth: Aeris used Mold Earth both as pursuit sabotage near the crevasse and as a battlefield control option in the umber hulk fight.
• Bless: Varang’s Bless was a major contributor during the umber hulk battle and was called out during the end-of-session MVP discussion.
• Harvesting Creatures: The umber hulk provided edible meat, trophy parts, eyes, and possible carapace armour material.
• Heroic Inspiration: Aeris received the session MVP / inspiration at the end of the session.

💬 Memorable Moments

• Varang bet Jimjar one gold that he could not stay quiet for an hour. Jimjar succeeded, and Varang considered the silence worth the coin.
• Edric saved himself and Shuushar from the crevasse with Feather Fall, then survived long enough for the party to turn the crossing against the drow.
• Aeris’s Mold Earth trap turned a desperate chase into a grisly environmental kill zone.
• Stool quietly chose Iragon as someone safe to stand near.
• The party’s survival priorities after killing the umber hulk immediately became: can we eat it, can we harvest it, and can anyone use the armour-shaped bits? Sensible adventuring. Disgusting, but sensible.

🏷️ Session Tags

• Underdark
• Travel
• Drow Pursuit
• Faerzress
• Wild Magic
• Tongues of Madness
• Fire Beetles
• Glow Sacks
• Bluecap Mushrooms
• Circle of Root and Star
• Aeris Vision
• Blackening Disease
• Prince Derendil
• Stool
• Jimjar Bet
• Crevasse
• Feather Fall
• Mold Earth
• Brom and Dagnar
• Zeleth
• Ancient Ruins
• Darklake
• Umber Hulk
• Sloobludop
• Session 3

🧰 Next Session Prep

• Confirm the party’s exact distance from Sloobludop and whether any further encounter occurs before entering the settlement.
• Track current rations, water, glow sacks, exhaustion, spell slots, hit dice, and any lingering effects after the umber hulk fight.
• Track the recovered chest as both water vessel and unresolved important item.
• Confirm who is carrying the ornate key, Elvish diary, fungus wine, vest, umber hulk eyes, mandible trophy, and carapace pieces.
• Prepare Sloobludop’s first impression: guards, boats, bridges, smell, noise, statue, rituals, and how Shuushar introduces the party.
• Track Brom and Dagnar as departed but known contacts who came from Sloobludop and warned the party.
• Keep Aeris’s vision, surface seeds, and the blackening disease active as a personal plot thread.
• Keep Derendil’s curse anxiety and Stool’s bond with Iragon available for future roleplay.
• Track Ilvara’s pursuit pressure in the background, even if the party has briefly gained distance.

⏳ Cliffhanger

The party ended the session within sight of Sloobludop, still several hours from the settlement proper. They had survived pursuit, madness, hunger, a crevasse crossing, ancient ruins, and an umber hulk, but survival had not yet become safety.

Ahead of them, the kuo-toa settlement glowed across the dark water. Boats moved through the gloom, figures shifted along the docks and paths, and a large central statue rose from the strange settlement like a promise, a warning, or both.

Shuushar believed his people had once been friendly to outsiders who were not drow, but he had been away for a long time and could not guarantee what welcome awaited. Behind the party, the drow pursuit still existed somewhere in the dark. Ahead, Sloobludop waited.

After days of stone, hunger, pursuit, and blood, the party finally saw lights on the water. Sloobludop was close enough to hope for, but not close enough to trust.