Out of the Abyss

Sloobludop simmers with religious fervor and

sectarian tension. While many of the kuo-toa still

worship the goddess Blibdoolpoolp. a faction has

shifted its worship to Leemooggoogoon the Deep

Father, a vision influenced by the manifestation of the

demon prince Demogorgon from the depths of the

Darklake. Initially. the archpriest of Blibdoolpoolp

tolerated this- but then his own daughter declared

herself an archpriest of Lcemooggoogoon. and the cult

began to grow.

S L OUCHING TOWARD SLOOBLU D O P

The characters can choose to go to Sloobludop for

several reasons:

T hey need a boat (and possibly a guide) to navigate the

Darklake. Travel along the waterways of the Darklake

is an excellent way to throw ofT their drow pursuers

(sec chapter 2 for details).

Staying a short while in Sloobludop can provide

a respite from pursuit, since the drow arc reluc-

tant to provoke the kuo-toa needlessly. Reduce the

pursuit level by 1 while the characters consider

their next move.

• The characters need supplies and equipment, and
  hope the kuo-toa might be willing to trade for what-
  ever they can offer. Alternatively, the characters might
  try to steal what they need from the kuo-toa.
  Shuushar might point out any of the previous reasons,
  or wish to go to Sloobludop to rejoin his people, feel-
  ing he has important guidance to offer them.
  Shuushar might not be the only one with Mhigher
  guidance." One or more characters might expe-
  rience dreams or visions guiding them toward

SLOOBLUDOP: GENERAL FEATURES

Sloobludop spreads out along the rocky shore of the

waters of a broad cavern lake, with high fences of woven

netting to the north and south of the village boundaries.

Light. Sloobludop's cavern is almost entirely dark except

for a few spots of dim light from phosphorescent fungus

and coral, or from glowing cave-fish glands. The kuo-toa

recoil from areas of bright illumination, becoming hostile

if bright light is brought among them.

Bridges and Platforms. Bridges and platforms are

haphazardly strung throughout the city, connect_ing vari~us

levels of structures with each other as well as cnsscrossmg

open spaces. Characters can move at a normal pace

across the platforms and bridges, but this puts strain on

their poor construction. Whenever one or more characters

move at normal speed across a bridge or platform,

roll a d6. On a roll of 1, a bridge flips or breaks to drop

characters to the platform below, or a platform tilts to tip

the characters into the water. These areas can be navigated

safely by treating them as difficult terrain.

Language. None of the 1nhabitants ofSioobludop

speak Common or any surface-world language, which

might present a challenge for the characters. The fish-folk

speak Undercommon, and Stool the myconid spro~t-c~n

establish communication using its rapport spores 1f 1t 1s

present. Shuushar the kuo-toa monk can also translate if

he accompanies the party.

CH APTER 3 I T Hl-' I)ARKLAKF

Sloobludop- not realizing that such dreams are sim·

ply further manifestations of the madness growing in

the Underdark.

NOTA BLE KUO-TOA I N SLOOBLUDOP

A number of important kuo-toa have the ability to

influence the adventurers' fate in Sloobludop.

PROMINENT Kuo-ToA

Ploopploopeen

(wPioop")

Bloppblippodd

("Biopp")

Glooglugogg

("Gioog")

Klibdoloogut

("Kiib")

Archpriest of the Blibdoolpoolp

the Sea Mother

Ploopploopeen's daughter, now

calling herself the archpriest of

Leemooggoogoon the Dee p Father;

demon tainted

Ploopploopeen's son, kuo -toa whip,

and loyal worshiper of the Sea Mother

Kuo-toa whip and keeper of the altar of

the Deep Father

SHUUSHAR CONNECTION

If Shuushar accompanies the party, the kuo-toa monk

can be helpful in communicating with his people at

Sloobludop. However, keep in mind that Shuushar is

either a heretic or a holy man depending on which kuo-

toa he's speaking to, and how they view things at that

particular moment. The mysterious monk could serve

as an ace in the hole to help the party out. or he could

just as easily cause trouble with his stubborn refusal co

acknowledge his fellow kuo-toa's religious obsessions

ROLEPLAYING THE KUO-TOA

Though the kuo·toa are mad, at least some of that

madness comes from an utterly alien mind-set. Although

amphibious air dwellers, the kuo·toa still largely behave as

aquatic creatures. Thus, much of what they do on land is a

bizarre approximation of life under the water.

Kuo-toa names are a long series of gargling syllables,

and their voices have a bubbly, gargling quality. However,

the kuo·toa communicate as much through gesture as

speech. They have difficulty standing still, and are pro~e to

quick, darting movements. They pace constantly, walkmg

in circles around creatures talking to them. A kuo-toa

priest speaking to a group of followers doesn't stand at ~

podium but wanders aimlessly while the crowd follows like

a school of fish.

Kuo-toa prefer their leaders to be physically above

their subordinates. (If no dais or platform is available for

leaders, they have been known to literally stand on top of

prostrate underlings.) However, leaders tend to dwell on

the lowest levels of buildings because these are considered

the safest areas m a settlement, due to their proximity to

the water.

Since the kuo·toa are fishlike, they lack eyelids. This

isn't only unnerving in conversation (a kuo-toa never

blinks), but it also means that kuo-toa all look the same

sleeping as awak~and virtually all kuo-toa sleepwalk,

making things even more confusing. There is a 25 percent

chance that any individual kuo-toa the party encounters in

Sloobludop is sleepwalking, ignoring everyone around it

and moving in a shuffling gait from place to place.