The party continues to explore the third level of Undermountain, the ‘The Sargauth Level’, and eventually ends up in Skullport.
The party finds it’s bearings on the shore of the great Sargauth River… a slow moving, brackish body of water, it’s more an over-sized creek than an actual river. While the rest of the group argues, Mantis scouts the passageway across the way, using his ring of water walking. There, he finds a pebbly beach who’s stones loudly crackle as weight is put upon them. He swiftly returns to the party, who’s decided to make their way down river to Skullport where they can rest, regroup, and re-provision.
The party finds that the water near the cave wall is only a few feet deep, so they wade down-river, with Mantis scouting ahead. After a short while, they find another open ‘beach’ like area, and within there are a few hallways, and some makeshift rafts. They decide not to explore, but to steal the rafts to make their down river trek easier.
They push the rafts into the water, and split the group among them. The current takes the two boats down river, if not very swiftly. They float for a while, and eventually turn a corner that opens up into a small bay. On one side, a black gondola rests near another beach. At the tiller, a large figure stands, dressed in black. A tense moment passes, as Shazuu believes the figure to be a drow. The group maneuvers the rafts nearer, ready to attack, until at the last moment they see that it’s not a drow, but instead a skeleton dressed in a black, hooded robe.
Mantis investigates, and as he draws near, the figure moves. “Pay me some coin, and ride my boat!” it shouts, in a now-familiar voice. The party considers, and eventually agrees. They pay the fare, and are taken to Skullport.
The ride is uneventful, and the party arrives at the Skullport docks some time later. They engage the services of a guide, and make their way to the Burning Troll Inn. They get rooms for the night, have some conversations with the other patrons, and rest.
In the morning, several of them head to the Guts & Garters, as instructed by Durnan. Mantis asks the proprietor, Quietude, about the money that she ows Durnan, and the woman chuckles. Apparently, it’s some sort of code, for she offers Mantis services… provisions, porters, and passage to the surface, if need be. Mantis declines, and the party leaves Skullport behind them, taking Steamfall pass to Northeast, and eventually finding passage down.
The passage winds its way downward, and the air becomes warmer and more humid. The passage opens up into a large chamber, dotted with fungus of all types. Mossy paths run between patches of stout trillimac and a forest of towering zurkhwood whose caps scrape the 40-foot-high ceiling. Investigating the many passages exiting the chamber, the find an ettin to the north, harvesting fungus, and talking to itself. Instead of disturbing the creature, the group moves to the Southeast. Gardens of barrelstalk, bluecap, timmask, and trillimac fill the cavern. Between the garden patches meander paths that lead to and from the various exits. Choosing the exit to the west, the party is surprised as massive stalactites fall from the ceiling, piercing them as they pass! They rush forward, disengage themselves from the dangerous passage and move on.