It's getting very very crowded in here

These caves just keep going and going, opening up and then closing off. At least half the tunnels are flooded so full freedom of movement is only available to amphibious creaturees, which we (with the exception of mutable Erson) are most definitely not.

The dragonspawn despot may yet have his way, as our attempts to locate him directly and free the dwarves have come to nothing. He used his secure position to restate his demands: bring him the head of the Kuo-Toa "whip" or he will give a dwarf to the elves. If his threat isn't idle, then there must be another exit into the Elven lands. We have yet to find a way out, and I'm regretting the choice to teleport down here without a sure way back.

Going deeper, we were shocked by our first encounter with the Abyssals -- they were just as fearsome as Barrin had described them, and we've seen only their weaker representatives. I claimed the head of one of the vulturine fiends, proof of their solidity and nearness for yet-unbelieving topsiders. The dwarves abandoned these depths hundreds and hundreds of years ago, leaving behind Gargoyles and traps but little of direct value. Apparently this area used to be an Adamantine mine.

With all other options (save a frontal assault on the Abyssals) closed off, we proceeded back to the area where the others encountered the Kuo-Toa earlier. Wasting no time, we pre-viewed and dimension doored in, then burst unannounced upon a religious ceremony. Before any of the pathetic but hardy frogmen could react, Erson (in Cave Troll) form pounced upon the hapless whip and ripped him limb from limb. A length battle ensued; fortunately the Kuo-Toa expended their rage against Erson to little effect, leave the rest of us largely unscathed (Erson's amazingly tough in that form). With the whip dead, the battle was reduced to a lengthy and grim application of fireball and steel and claw, to put down the remainder of the dozen evil amphibians. Two fled into the pool (there's always a pool) at the end, and now a disturbance in the water presages something large that we perhaps don't want or need to fight.

If we assume that the poison dusks belong to the same community as the blackspawn, then there are at least four different factions vying for control of these caves (us and the returned dwarves, the blackspawn and his servants, the Kuo-Toa, and the Abyssals). I don't know if the Ooze Drake and other solitary threats are associated with one of the above, or if they're wild-cards. In any case, it's quite crowded, and I have my doubts that we'll ever be able to secure these depths permanently if the dwarves of ages past couldn't do it. Perhaps we'll always be watching the back door into the mountain, wondering what will emerge next, going down to fight and explore when necessary.

Today Borrow again lied casually about checking a door for traps, and Malakar paid the price in caustic burns. I really don't know what his game is; perhaps he just doesn't take this seriously, or perhaps he really wishes us ill. I will do what I must to prepare against any more consequential betrayals.