#graspingthorn

[magicsugarbaby]

@graspingthorn

What is your opinion on boardgames?

[goldscalepaladin]

Potion Problems

Joined by their newest member, Pyre, the Party received a request from the City Government of Guldoon to aid one of the largest businesses in town, Eckhart's Apothecary, that was going through a tough time. Aside from the promise of a substantial financial reward, the Party was promised an amazing opportunity if they completed the task. With Jason pointing out that this could be their "ticket to the big leagues", the Party decided to accept the request.

Heading to Eckhart's Apothecary, they learned from the Proprietor, Dell Eckhart, that monsters had recently infested the harvesting grounds for the ingredients he needed for his Premium Potions. While Eckhart himself was a retired adventurer, & quite capable, he couldn't handle all of the threats himself, especially while protecting the assistants he'd hired to help him with the harvesting. One of Eckhart's assistants, Eve, a young & lovely Owlin woman, offered to be the Party's guide, leading them to the harvesting sites so that they could deal with the monsters. She also ended up being very quickly seduced by Jason, & the two spent the first several hours of their journeying together getting intimately acquainted.

Heading out of town on an Ox drawn Cart, the Party quickly made their way to the forest. As they reached the first harvesting site, it became apparent that what made these "harvesting sites" special was their links to various elemental planes, the magical energies from said planes allowing for the growth of HIGHLY unique plant life. However, upon investigating (after being attacked by some plant-monsters), it was discovered that a secondary type of magical energy had been recently introduced, which was likely responsible for the monster attacks.

The second day started with a lakeside battle in which Fareem discovered a bit of bloodlust & Korinna displayed some Dragon-like possessive/protective tendencies towards her friends. Pyre repeatedly demonstrated her value to the team with massive AOE attacks, & Jason ended up embracing the art of summoning/conjuration. Near the end of the battle, Redcaps, Fay assassins, attempted to ambush the Party, but were cut down with little effort.

Heading into a swampy area, the Party (& ESPECIALLY Jason) were surprised by the sudden sound of music. Music that Jason recognized. Suddenly, a fan-boat (literally, a boat being propelled by an oversized folding fan) pulled up, ridden by an anthropomorphic frog & a robed figure (holding the fan). Jason instantly & enthusiastically recognized the former as Kermit the Frog, somehow present in Faerun. Eve, the guide, mentioned that he & his friends were the "Guardians" of the swamp. Kermit then invited the Party to his home for Lunch. His place, coincidentally, being the next harvesting site.

Arriving at Muppet Manor, a stately, if uncanny, mansion in the middle of the swamp, the Party briefly investigated a covered structure next to the house before going inside (after witnessing a live performance of the Muppet Show Opening). The structure turned out to be a strange mechanical vehicle, broken down, & being worked on by Honeydew & Beaker. After a brief conversation with them, during which Jason & Fareem helped with some of the maintenance (& Pyre collected an order for parts that needed replacing) the Party headed inside, where they were greeted to a second performance. A duet, performed by Miss Piggy (who had been the robed figure on the boat), & special guest Dolly Parton. Afterwards, Dolly explained that her tour bus had been attacked while she was touring the Planes around Faerun (specifically coming from the City of Brass). It had crashed in the Swamp of Oblivion, but luckily the Muppets, old friends of hers, were able to help her out. Dolly identified the one most likely behind the attack, as well as the one most likely supporting whoever was causing trouble in the forest, as her longtime nemesis, JOLENE. Dolly didn't know why Jolene was causing her trouble, only that she never gave up. After this meeting, the Party had a lovely, MAGICAL lunch, & were then on their way

An evening ambush in a particularly frigid site saw most of the Party being swarmed by flying plants, craving to steal the warmth & life-force of the Party, while Korinna retrieved & defended the Cart. While Fareem, Jason, & Pyre fought off several waves of enemies, Korinna, having dispatched her assailants, fell victim to the wiles of a beautiful woman, Katya, who quickly lured her in with a damsel-in-distress routine & then dominated the poor Paladin's mind. The Party then had to rescue their friend (while avoiding being captured by her) before they, too, fell victim to Katya's magical charms, a prospect which revealed some truly surprising wrath from Pyre, & seemed to further fuel Fareem's aggressive streak, & brought out an unexpected Dominant side.

The third day was mostly uneventful, until they reached the final harvesting site. There, they encountered the mastermind behind the Forest's problems, a Hag. After Pyre tricked her into agreeing to some terms, a fearsome battle ensued, with the Hag summoning Ash Drakes to swarm the Party while she planned to demolish them from a distance with her spells. However, between the protective Aura's of Korinna & Pyre, the Hag's magic was initially ineffective. Pyre also managed to charm two of the Ash Drakes, removing them from the battle entirely. Thanks to a well timed Psychic Lance from Fareem, the Hag spent most of the first round incapacitated. And, thanks to Jason's latest summon, Lil Mac the Hag spent quite a bit of time getting slammed in the face by giant, stone fists. Not a strong start for the Hag.

After several rounds of getting her ass kicked, while the Party, empowered by magical aid from some Fareem's tutor & Jason's patron, the former of which the Hag seemed familiar with, the Hag got fed up. Warping elsewhere on the battlefield, she unleashed a powerful lighting bolt, though it still proved fairly ineffective. However, she caught a lucky break when, after taking some heavy hits from the Ash Drakes, Fareem decided to Eldritch Escape, ending up behind the Hag & trying to recoup her losses with a Vampiric Touch. While this hit hard, & did heal her, it also left Fareem well outside the range of her allies' protective auras. As such, when the Hag warped behind her, blasting her with her MOST POWERFUL lightning Bolt, Fareem's smoking body fell to the ground, unconscious.

Thankfully, Pyre, who was also hit & hurt by the lightning, was able to rush over & save Fareem's life. And, while he had been temporarily eluded, Lil Mac was able to chase down the Hag to distract her from the two BADLY WOUNDED casters by continuing the beat-down. Korinna, enraged by the fall of her friends, when into a SMITING FRENZY, cutting through the Ash Drakes like a mad-woman while Jason provided cover fire for his allies.

Getting desperate, the Hag warped again, trying to take out Korinna to free up her Drakes, so that they could help her with Lil Mac. This gave Pyre & Fareem the chance to recover, the latter playing dead & biding her time, while the former then moved to help Korinna & Jason. Korinna, still swarmed by Ash Drakes, was starting to take some damage, & Jason, getting mad that his friends were getting hurt, sniped the Hag in the face with some powerful blasts. Between that & the renewed assault from Lil Mac, charging over & knocking her off of her feet, the Hag realized that Jason should be her real target, as breaking his concentration would get Lil Mac off of her back & onto the Party's. However, it was a bit late for that, with most of her Drakes gone & those remaining being worn down.

With one final lightning bolt, the Hag tried to take Jason down. And, while she hit him hard, he defiantly maintained concentration, restraining her with the tentacles of his Patron, making her an easy target for Fareem to knock out, so that they could interrogate her later. A besieged Korinna was caught off guard by a HEALING KISS from Pyre, mentally bluescreening for a moment while her wounds were healed, then proceeding to cut down the remaining Drakes with the aid of her friends.

With the enemies dispatched, the Party began interrogating the Hag. Having agreed to Pyre's terms, she couldn't refuse to answer, though other Deals prevented her from telling ALL. The Hag revealed that she was just one member of a Coven of Hags who had been behind SOME of Guldoon's problems, though not all. Apparently, the Coven's Headmistress, JOLENE, had agreed to help out some OTHER PARTIES (specifically indentifying a "Shadowy Aristocrat" & a "Military Type shrouded in Mist/Fog") in exchange for their aid in getting WHAT SHE WANTS. What that is, the Hag could not say. She also revealed that her Sister, her fellow Hags working under Jolene, had various schemes of their own, & that the Forest had just been her assignment. Mayhem, the Fairy/Pixie behind the plague, had been a prospective member of their order, & Katya, while not officially under consideration, had been another potential recruit.

The Hag noted, to the Party, that she was dead no matter what. If they didn't kill her, her Coven would for failing. When asked why she remained loyal, given that, she replied that "there were worse things than death" waiting if she attempted to betray the Coven. She also revealed that there were several useful magical items in her hut nearby. Then, she had a private conversation with Fareem, whom she had been taunting about her tutor, Albericht, inquiring if he had deliberately sent Fareem to "fuck things up". Despite having nearly died, Fareem was diplomatic towards the Hag, thanking her for the "lesson" & inquiring if there was any way to get her out of her deadly predicament. Particularly, if her tutor, being an apparent thorn in the Coven's side, could help her out. The Hag, caught off guard, shifted her demeanor. After thinking about it, she admitted that Albericht was one of the few who might be able to. When Fareem promised to ask him, the Hag became emphatically grateful, swearing that she'd do whatever she could to repay this kindness.

The Hag's life was nearly claimed seconds later, when some dark magic threatened to induce untold suffering. However, as Fareem called her friends for help, a vibrant jade light, the signature of her tutor, dispelled the threat. The Hag, panting, thanked Fareem & Albericht, & offered up more magical items in thanks. She also offered up true proof, from a Fay, of her trust & loyalty. Her name: Adelaide.

The Party collected & identified the magical items. As they did so, the magic of the area, as well as unknown forces, warped the items from already useful, albeit generic items to specifically customized magical gifts for each member. With their new gifts, the Party went to sleep (save for Jason, who spent most of the night with Eve), glad that their adventure was nearly over.

After a good night's sleep, the Party headed back to town, with their new friend, Adelaide, accompanying them in the form of a Cat. Returning to Eckhart, they informed him of their success, explaining the situation & turning in the harvested supplies. Eckhart thanked them with some of his PREMIUM POTIONS, as well as status as FAVORED CLIENTS. Both quite valuable.

Next, the Party traveled to the Guild Hall, where they spoke to the Mayor (& his incredibly sexy Deputy Mayor, the Fire Genasi, Sara Bellisimo) about the Quest, the promised monetary reward, & the proposed "opportunity". The Mayor, an elderly Tortle named Tortimer, paid them VERY HANDSOMELY, explained that he was fully aware of the troubles that the town was facing, & then offered the Party positions as Guldoon's "Champions", an officially recognized Adventuring Party with government authority & a generous retainer's fee. The Party, now identifying themselves as the Silver Tongues (due to their typically diplomatic approach & high average charisma) accepted, & then went to Coochie's to celebrate.

Sadly, Fareem would be heading out, seeking out her tutor for help with Adelaide, as well as further instruction. Korinna, seeming a bit off & sad about the impending departure, is being a bit secretive. But hey, they're about to meet Pyre's family! Bright side!

@magicsugarbaby @graspingthorn

[goldscalepaladin]

It's roughly mid-morning when Korinna returns to the party's suite at the Commander's Arms, having just returned from an overnight shift. After taking a moment to enjoy the warmth & comfort of their room, the Dragonborn look for her half-elf companion, eager to start the day.

"Fareem? Fareem, are you in here? Are you awake?"

@graspingthorn

[goldscalepaladin]

Mysterious Maladies

A new quest found our party investigating a mysterious plague that had fallen upon the city of Guldoon. While it hadn't proven deadly (so far), it was certainly unpleasant, reducing dozens across the city to invalids, barely able to get out of bed. Clearly, a problem that needed solving.

Through careful cross-referencing, the party managed to track the LIKELY source of the illness down to a series of pop-up food stalls. However, none of them stuck around long enough to be properly investigated, making pinning down the perpetrator difficult. Fortunately, a visit to the Department of Agriculture, & specifically a bugbear by the name of Reginald, provided a lead (via matching handwriting) to the likely next location, a newly opened piroshki stand.

Not long after their arrival, Jason was able to deduce that the proprietor of the stall, a sweet old woman by the name of Prashkoviya, was under some sort of enchantment (a discovery that spared the poor dear some otherwise unavoidable violence), & Fareem noticed that there was a strange magical being hidden within her hair. A dangerous situation for the poor old woman.

Fortunately, some quick thinking managed to coax Mayhem, the Pixie/Fairy behind the illnesses, our of Prashkovita's hair. And, while she was hostile at first, diplomacy won the day as the party (mostly Fareem & Jason) managed to convince her to stop with all the mischief & put her talents to better use elsewhere. Specifically, as an entertainer at Coochie's.

While the details were sparse (due to magical fuckery), the party was able to deduce that Mayhem had been put up to this by a "Sisterhood" that had promised her great power if she proved herself worthy. Why they were so interested in causing such trouble remains unknown. But, for now, the plague is gone, & the people of Guldoon are safe once more.

((Also, we have a new party member, though they don't have a tumblr blog for their character.))

@magicsugarbaby @graspingthorn

[goldscalepaladin]

@graspingthorn

Oh!

Hello there!

I don’t remember seeing your name floating around before!

[goldscalepaladin]

Blight of the Crypt-o Bros

((Just a silly little adventure))

@magicsugarbaby @graspingthorn

It took several weeks for the party to reach the location of their quest, ancient ruins far to the South West from where they'd met. Said ruins had purportedly been taken over by some sort of mixture of Fiends & Undead, which had been harassing folks traveling along the road to the nearby city of Guldoon. A hefty reward had been offered for dealing with the problem, &, seeing a chance to make some money, test their mettle (& their newest member), & perhaps travel to a place where they could find more work, the party gladly accepted.

Upon arrival, they found their targets far more organized than one would have thought. Groups of Manes & Crawling Claws patrolled the perimeter, working far more effectively together than one would expect from such simple creatures. It took some time to find (or rather create) an opening & slip past them, at which point the situation became a little clearer. The Fiends & Undead weren't simply working together naturally, but were instead being controlled by some sort of bizarre cult. To what end wasn't really clear, but then again, figuring that out wasn't part of the quest.

After several battles with mixed groups of Skeletons & Dretches, it became readily apparent that actually fighting the entire cult was probably not going to work out very well in the long run. Especially after an admittedly impressive casting of Shatter by Fareem wiped out nearly half a group, but resulted in the poor girl passing out from exhaustion, leaving Jason to drag her to safety & provide covering fire while Korinna tanked the rest of the encounter. Fortunately, afterwards, Jason had the bright idea to try something that would make the rest of the quest quite a bit easier: Unionizing the Goons.

A few particularly motivating speeches from the salacious Warlock (with backup from the Dragonborn Paladin & a very practical financial advice from their brilliant new Half-Elf), & most of the Cultists controlling the Fiends & Undead realized that they were getting a raw deal. Soon enough, they'd laid down their arms & formed a picket line, demanding better pay, benefits, & the cancellation of some of their more unpleasant sacrifices. This made it much easier for the party to travel deeper into the ruins.

Of course, it couldn't really be THAT easy. While the vast majority of the Cultists had gone on strike, there were still some stronger, more Fanatical members that remained loyal to the cause, & had much more powerful Fiends & Undead at their command. Another hard-fought day, & the party was nearing the final stretch. However, running low on spell slots magical reserves, they opted for one more long rest before confronting the leader of this bizarre Cult.

While preparing to bed down, Jason discovered a "terrifying" Mimic nearby. Oddly enough, it didn't really seem connected in any way to the Cult they were dealing with. Most likely, it had just sort of... been there when they moved in, & they hadn't bothered dealing with it. Jason "courageously" volunteered to "deal with" the creature on his own, so that his companions could get plenty of rest. Sounds of their "battle" could be heard even with the door closed, though it didn't exactly sound unpleasant. Nevertheless, the next morning, Jason emerged relatively unscathed & well rested, though walking with perhaps a bit of a limp.

As the final confrontation began, it was revealed that the Cult had not one but two leaders, Sozeb the Necromancer & Nolë the Fiend Pact Warlock. Well, at that explained the strange composition of their various summoned minions. The battle was fierce, with each of the Cult Leaders aided by truly powerful minions. However, the Leader's teamwork fell apart over a disagreement about what their Cult would actually be called, with Nolë insisting upon the moniker of X. Distracted by their own squabbling, the duo didn't notice that their minions had been dispatched until it was too late. Left without sturdier underlings to hide upon, they didn't last long against the party.

A quick search of their belongings revealed quite a bit of treasure, a Bag of Holding to transport it in, several other magical accessories, & an odd note. It seemed that actually STARTING this cult wasn't either of the Crypt-o Bros' idea. Someone else had been pulling the strings all along, giving them explicit instructions & promising them vast riches & power. And that someone was still out there... Of course those hacks couldn't come up with anything on their own.

In any case, thus concluded the quest! After securing their loot, as well as PROOF of their success, the party traveled towards Guldoon, a mid-sized city of considerable wealth, to collect their official reward, & seek new adventures in the future.

[goldscalepaladin]

It takes several days of travel after the completion of their quest for the party to reach their next destination: Guldoon, a city on the rise. A bustling riverside soon-to-be metropolis, not yet the equal of places like Waterdeep, but still impressive nonetheless. Whether your looking for commerce, industry, or entertainment, Guldoon has it all.

After arriving in town, it doesn't take the party long to find where to turn in their Quest. Upon providing the details, as well as physical proof, they are handsomely rewarded, their names recorded & distributed amongst the city for future business, & directions given to the many local establishments at which they might find lodging, supplies, & more. Soon enough, the party finds themselves as the Commander's Arms, an Inn/Tavern very popular among those in their general line of work. Meals are purchased & enjoyed, & the largest room in the house is rented out for the foreseeable future so that the party might rest comfortably together.

Said room, once inside, could easily be mistaken for a luxurious hunting cabin. With ample space, cozy furniture, a snack station, & a private bathing area, it was a far cry from most Inns that they'd seen before. Things were looking up for the party.

@graspingthorn @magicsugarbaby

[goldscalepaladin]

Grand Theft Agriculture

As winter set in in the city of Guldoon, crops & livestock had been long since harvested & stowed away. After another bountiful year, there was more than enough to get the populace through the winter, no matter how harsh it might be. At least, until food started going missing from the storehouses by the crate-full. Even with the surplus of supplies, such rapid & repeated theft could have led to the starvation of the masses if something wasn't done...

Enter the party. After an official request was submitted to the Adventurer's Guild, the party was assigned to investigate (because are you really going to trust law enforcement with this? No. You're not.). Heading to the nearest storehouse, Jason took the lead on interviewing the staff, first speaking with the Storehouse Manager, Onyx, a gruff but kind female Earth Genasi who was relieved that someone was FINALLY doing something to help. Afterwards, Jason & Fareem inspected the Storehouse for clues. Poring over the various staff logs & cross-referencing them with the various thefts, Jason discovered a pattern of workers who had missed work due to sudden illnesses, then picked up extra shifts on the days when things went missing. Further interviews with a few of these workers revealed a likely pattern of them being poisoned during after-work drinks, as well as a likely culprit-a human worker named Johan.

Some less than stealthy tracking led to an impromptu interrogation of the suspect, which in turn led to a surprise date at Coochie's Bordello. Meanwhile, Fareem, using her keen eye for details, managed to figure out which routes through the Storehouse were being used to smuggle out the stolen crates, &, though she wanted to be a fly on the wall for Jason's date, she decided to set up in a corner for a stakeout. A wise move, in the long run, as she managed to catch Johan sneaking back in after hours (but before his date) to apply an Arcane Mark to a crate, as well as a magical rune that would make the eventual theft even easier.

Later that night, Jason & Johan met up at Coochie's. There, Jason employed some less than savory seduction techniques to overwhelm Johan, who promptly folded, spilling all the details of the operation (or, at least, everything he knew). His employers, a quartet of mysterious men from Feywild settlement of Ärlen, had hired him to drug/poison random coworkers for them to impersonate, so that they could get in & out without raising suspicion. Said employers would be meeting him the following night to get the details for the next theft. A perfect opportunity for another stakeout.

The following evening, as the party hid nearby, Johan met his employers in an alleyway near the docks. There, he gave them the details, both real & fake, for the next theft, & they were on their way, with the party in pursuit of the would-be thief. After some expertly stealthy tracking, the party managed to subdue their target (It helps to have a 7 foot Dragonborn powerhouse sometimes), &, through the ancient art of "just talk", Fareem & Jason managed to convince him to help them talk his friends down. And, after picking up some beer & steaks to aid in their diplomatic efforts, the party managed to talk down the others, learning that they themselves were just hired help for a mysterious benefactor from out of town. Said mysterious benefactor was likely, given some documents uncovered, tied to the Cult that they had encountered the previous summer. But those details are for later. For now, Quest Complete.

@magicsugarbaby @graspingthorn