Check In Question: What is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
- Miranda: Either gymnastics or figure skating. The Olympics are fun. Lysithea’s favorite is Squidditch. Having grown up in a volcano region she never got to play herself, but she always loved watching it when she got the chance. Shumpech Swamp has an excellent team.
- Kevin: The least boring sport to watch would be Football. For Gobbles it would be Blitzball aka Drownball for non-copyright infringement. Played in the hometown of Phish.
- Ian: I agree with Kevin on football being the least boring. Actually I want to change my answer to wrestling, the WWE. As for the Professor it is the Great Dwarvish Bake Off. It is very competitive unlike the Great British Bake Off which is very wholesome. Played in the Kathel Mountains.
- Cordelia: Tag. Surina’s favorite is Tail Tag. The best Tail Tag is played in Dalvok.
- Justice: My favorite to watch is football. I really enjoy it. I like the fantasy football aspect of it. The definitely Fae but you don’t know that yet Lady Pippa Vilyalinde’s favorite sport to watch is Arena Wrestling, like Thunderdome Wrestling. There’s a great arena in Barlsod known as the Muddome.
When we last left the party they had found themselves entered in a Battle of the Bands. The Archmage Frederich felt that something terrible was going to happen at the battle, which was originally supposed to be a peaceful music festival, and asked the group for help. So far the band Phish has gone missing, and the city was attacked after a womanly figure appeared in the sky and made threats against the battlers. The party created the band Surina and the Crystal Gems and successfully “defeated” Snoop Blinkdogg in the preliminary bracket with their song “Bang Bang Grabthar’s Silver Hammer.” They will go up against Lycan Park at the end of the day.
It is currently intermission on the first day of the Battle of the Bands. Arrowsmith, St. Warrrggh-ustine! Choir, Mithrilback, and Josie and the Tabaxi are moving on to the second bracket. After intermission HalflingMetal will go up against HumanForce, Danny Man-Elf against Coldtouch Play, The Robed Zombies against Judas Cleric, and then finally Surina and the Crystal Gems will go head to head with Lycan Park. There are food vendors everywhere, left from when the battle was supposed to be a festival.
Lysithea: I feel like we should investigate and look for clues about what is going on, but I’m hungry. Let’s go get some food.
Gobbles: I’ll investigate inside of the burgers.
Lysithea: Do they have nachos? I want nachos. I want them drowned in cheese. And if there’s not enough cheese I’ll use some from the Chest of Infinite Cheese.
Lystihea is able to find a food vendor that sells nachos that fulfill her cheesy requirements. The sign above the vendor reads “Hermit Castaway Cheese Nachos”. When she takes a bite she notices that the cheese tastes very similarly to, if not exactly the same as, the cheese in the infinity cheese chest.
Lysithea: Sweet.
Gobbles walks around till he can find a hamburger stand. Lucky for him he finds a vendor selling his favorite burgers from Hyrda-Meat Inc. The company is run by a bunch of enterprising Goblins that captured a Hydra so they have infinite meat. He orders a burger that is comically too big with way too much meat and begins chowing down.
Professor and Octavia had a terrible night’s sleep (see Session 21) so they decide to take a nap during intermission. They get a short rest and recover a hit die.
Surina walks around looking at the different vendors when she recognizes a familiar smell. Her eyes grow wide and her nostril flare with delight upon smelling the famous Dalvok stew, her favorite. She approaches the vendor and sees a bun of hair bobbing back and forth behind the stand.
Agatha: Who’s that there? Who’s that?
Surina is too captivated by the smell of her favorite food and doesn’t respond.
Agatha: I guess it’s nobody.
The bun of hair begins bobbing around again.
Surina: It’s me, Surina.
Agatha: Oh, Surina! Yes, yes yes, I saw you playing earlier. I have a business deal for you. My bar will sponsor you if you keep doing well in the battle.
Surina: Sounds like a good deal.
Agatha: Excellent! Free soup on the house!
Surina’s eyes grow even wider as a bowl of Dalvok stew magically plops down in front of her. Surina immediately begins slurping the stew (constitution with advantage, adjusted 20). This is the most delicious bowl of stew she’s ever had. It fills her up and gives her a confidence boost for the next performance on stage.
The party is enjoying their food and relaxing a bit, even though there’s still negativity surrounding everything, when suddenly they hear these guttural, almost earthquake causing yells. Professor wakes up immediately (perception 11), but Octavia remains in slumber. Off in the distance they see fires at They Definitely Are Giants camp. Hoping to get there in time to help the party rushes to their camels.
Gobbles: Sir Eagle!
Lysithea: Giddyup!
They find the camp ablaze as they approach. There’s no sign of the giants, but there are definitely enemies. The party leave their camels back at a safe distance and prepare to defend what is left of the camp. Professor is the last one to arrive at the scene.
Professor: What’s up?
Lysithea: Fire! And I didn’t do it!
Gobbles: Greetings, Dr. Beardface.
Professor: That’s not my name! Why would you get my name wrong?!
Gobbles: I just improved it. Are you not Professor Dr. Beardface? Is that not your full name?
The party gets in attack formation with Surina standing bravely in front. Arcana/Religion Check (Lysithea 10, Surina 6, Professor 9, Gobbles 23). Staring back at them are 2 wights tearing up the tents, and what they assume is a deathlock wight casting fire (ala Tim from Monty Python and the Holy Grail).
Gobbles: They are wights.
Lysithea: I’m sorry, did you just say they are wights?
Gobbles: They are angry things that aren’t alive anymore and they’re probably going to attempt to murder us.
In the center of the area is a pit of fire. Initiative (Gobbles adjusted 20, Lysithea 14, Professor 12, Surina 2).
Begin Wight Fight
One of the wights currently cutting up the tent senses the party approach. It turns and heads towards the party.
Gobbles: Hi friend. I’m Gobbles the Goblin.
Gobbles has slight confusion when he realizes that wights don’t like being out in the sun, and even though there is slight overcast it is daytime. Something is suspicious here… probably…
Gobbles: I don’t know how to make the sun appear but that might help.
The wight does not make it into attack range.
Gobbles: Hey you, Firey Guy, eat it!
Gobbles fires 2 Confetti Eldritch Blasts at the deathlock wight in an attempt to disrupt his fire casting; however, the confetti burns out as it passes through the fire. Both attacks miss with an 8 and a 12.
Gobbles: Well that was underwhelming.
He then scoots behind the boulder for cover. Lysithea casts Magic Missile on the wight heading towards them doing a total of 12 damage. The other weight stops ripping up a tent and heads towards Gobbles.
Gobbles: Oh no!
Gobbles raises his shield defensively. The wight reaches out with it’s cold skeleton hand and places it on Gobbles’s shoulder.
Wight: There, there buddy, this will only hurt a little.
Gobbles: I need an adult!
Upon noticing its attack has no effect on Gobbles the wight swings its sword to attack, but misses as Gobbles ducks out of the way. The party sees the deathlock wight’s fire suddenly stop. It then throws a wave of fire towards the party and a dark pit with a 20ft radius, centered right in the middle of the party, appears. A gateway of dark opens under the party. A sphere of blackness and bitter cold appears, centered on that point. It is filled with a cacophony of heavy metal music and slurping noises.
Lysithea: This is my jam, except for the slurping.
They are in an area of pure darkness – the party is blinded. Even darkvision does not allow them to see. Professor takes 10 damage from the cold of the pit. He finds his way out of the pit and casts Arcane Weapon on his crossbow. He fires his crossbow at the closest wight, but misses with a 12. He then casts Fire Bolt at the wight and hits with a 25, doing 11 fire damage. Surina finds her way out of the pit after taking 5 damage from the coldness. She attacks the same wight as the Professor. She swings her longsword at the wight but misses with a 10. She swings again, this time hitting with a 26 for 5 damage. The wight feels energized by the pit of cold darkness, but is blinded so it steps out. In doing so Surina gets an attack of opportunity. Once again she swings her sword at the wight. Her attack hits with a 15 for 10 damage. The wight places its hand on Surina’s shoulder, doing 4 damage and causing her to make a constitution saving throw. She fails her first role, so she spends an inspiration to reroll and succeeds with a Nat 20.
Surina: You’re not going to hurt my skin at all!
The wight then tries to slash Surina with its sword. It hits Surina with a Nat 20, but does only 6 damage. Gobbles shivers…
Gobbles: Brrr, it’s cold in here, something, something, something atmosphere.
… as he takes 5 cold damage from the pit. He takes an attack of opportunity from the wight for 6 damage as he climbs up on the boulder. He Confetti Eldritch Blasts the deathlock wight twice, missing with an adjusted 7 and a crit fail. He’s focusing on his attack, but the spell he casts fizzles down and hits the rock, turning it into jello. Gobbles begins slowly sinking into the strawberry jello.
Gobbles: It’s too delicious!
He here’s a “plop” next to him and looks down to see Thistle Winkle Frost swimming through the jello, eating as he goes.
Gobbles: Thistle, we’re kind of in the middle of something…
The wight standing attempts to slash at Gobbles, but misses its first attack. It tries to attack again, but as it is slashing at Gobbles and the jello its sword starts slowing down and gets stuck in the jello. The splashes from the slashes cover the wight in jello, making it sticky. Lysithea takes 6 damage from the cold as she exits the pit. She casts Magic Missile as a second level spell, sending 2 blasts at the wight by Surina and 2 at the deathlock wight. Her missiles do 7 damage to the wight and 9 damage to the deathlock wight. With everyone having escaped from the pit the deathlock wight breaks its concentration, causing the pit to dissipate, and casts Eldritch Blast at Lysithea for 3 damage. Lysithea reacts with Hellish Rebuke. The deathlock wight succeeds on its saving throw and takes 6 fire damage from the rebuke. Professor casts Scorching Ray. The first Ray hits the closest wight with an adjusted 20 for 7 damage, defeating the wight.
Surina: Goodbye forever!
Professor’s second and third rays miss the deathlock wight with a 9 and an 11. He then fires his crossbow at it, but misses with a 3. Surina moves to assist Gobbles and attacks the jello wight with her sword. Her first attack hits with a 23 for 12 damage. She attacks again, hitting with a 21 for 7 more damage. Gobbles is currently stuck in jello.
Gobbles: Hey you with the face!
He fires Magic Missile at the deathlock wight for a total of 10 damage. Lysithea fires Scorching Ray. Her first ray hits the deathlock wight with an 18 for 7 damage. Her second ray hits it again with a 21 for 6 damage, defeating the deathlock wight. Surina is mysteriously quiet.
Lysithea: I’ll say it. Goodbye forever!
Her third ray hits the remaining wight with a 27 for 8 damage. The wight wriggles its way out of the jello, reaches out and sticks its hand straight into the jello to grab Gobbles. It hits Gobbles with a 20 for 8 damage. Gobbles fails his constitution saving throw with a 3, reducing his max HP by 8 until his next long rest.
Gobbles: Yikes!
Professor: Yikes indeed.
The wight then swings its sword at Gobbles, but gets its sword stuck in the jello again.
Wight: Really?!
Professor casts Fire Bolt at the weight, but misses. He then fires his crossbow and hits with a 16 for 6 piercing and 3 fire damage. Surina attacks the wight with her sword, hitting with a 21 for 8 damage. She tries to attack again, but misses with an 11. Gobbles (acrobatics 19) jump flip somersault twists off the rock (think Darth Maul) and double Confetti Eldritch Blasts the wight from the air mid-jump. (He was able to jump free from the jello because Thistle Winkle Frost had eaten all the jello from around his feet). The wight gets an attack of opportunity but misses. One of Gobbles’s attacks hits the wight for 10 damage, defeating the jello wight.
Surina: Goodbye forever!
Gobbles: Goodbye for at least 3 minutes!
Surina: No, it’s “Goodbye forever”!
Gobbles: It’s close enough.
End Jello Wight Fight
The area has been cleared, but there is no sign of The Definitely Are Giants. Lysithea uses her power to put out the fires. The party decides to investigate the area before more people show up. Lysithea and Professor roll arcana to investigate (Professor 13, Lysithea 23). Of course there’s been magic around, but the tents definitely have magic coming from them. In fact, spells have been cast quite a lot around here, and not just from the fires and battle. Without any further inspection the party notices that there are giant instruments, far larger than any instruments they’ve ever come across. The guitar is as big as Surina, and they could probably build a small home inside the bass drum. All of the trunks inside the tents have been ransacked, and the band’s giant outfits are ripped and thrown about. Gobbles tries to see what he can see (perception 10).
Professor: What do your Goblin eyes see?
He notices that there was definitely a skirmish, but there’s no drag marks or footprints. He can see the people of Ryphyet coming so he knows that they do not have long to investigate on their own. The party investigates the bodies of the wights (Gobbles 7, Lysithea 12, Surina 2, Professor Nat 1). The bodies of the wights are decaying very quickly, crumbling to dust at an advanced rate. There’s not much else they can tell from the bodies; however, Professor decides to pick their pockets in hopes of finding something before they completely disintegrate (investigation adjusted 20). In the pockets of the deathlock wight Professor finds different components for spells, especially tentacle snippings. He also notices that the wight has a lot of money in his pockets as if he had been paid. Professor takes the pouch of gold as “evidence”.
Gobbles checks to see if the wights were burning anything in the fire pit (investigation 14). They were burning clothing.
Gobbles: Oh! There’s other clothing out as well. So camels, how close are they to bloodhounds?
Lysithea: How close are you to a bloodhound?
Gobbles: Probably about the same.
Gobbles tries to investigate the clothing further (perception 9), but the clothing is too burnt to tell anything distinct about it. Surina decides to check out the costume tent (perception 15). When she enters the tent, Surina notices the clothing was thrown about as if the culprits were digging for something. There’s a case for what looks like a very special costume, but it is empty. The case is titled “Particle Man”, but the Particle Man outfit is nowhere to be found. Lysithea decides to check out the main tent (perception 19). This tent has been ransacked. Everything has been knocked over, objects thrown around, things strewn about like someone was looking for something. Upon a closer look (investigation 14) every single piece of furniture has been broken apart into splinters, burned, or completely destroyed in some other way.
Lysithea thinks to herself: Are they trying to cover up something? Was this a distraction? Were they looking for something specific? Did they have something against furniture?
Piecing things together (investigation 18) there seems to be a lot more extra wood. Random pieces of wood, that would not be parts of furniture, are amongst the wreckage.
Lysithea: Hey guys! There’s too many furniture bits in here!
Gobbles checks to see if there’s anything specifically magical about why there might be extra wood (arcana 11), but can’t find anything magical clues. Professor (arcana 15) finds that the wood is not magical, it’s just extra wood. They need to inspect somewhere else to put all of the clues together. Surina goes to check the instrument tent (perception 17). She notices that everything in this tent is made for a giant, including the cabinets. Despite their size, Surina is able to open the cabinets (investigation 17). Inside she finds sheet music, but the sheet music isn’t giant.
Lysithea: Are they not actually giants?
Surina: But there’s big instruments.
Lysithea: There’s big instruments, but they have tiny sheet music.
Gobbles: Don’t tell me they use wooden stilts thingies that’s hidden under their costume junk.
Lysithea: There is magic here…. They used a spell! They’re not actually giants Surina! They’ve been using magic to make themselves appear bigger!
Surina: What is happening here?! The band should be called “They Definitely Are NOT Giants”.
Lysithea: Good one Surina. Giants or not, they are gone like Phish is gone.
Professor: Yeah, but why? And what?
Lysithea: And where?
Professor: Is it because they weren’t actually giants, and the members of Phish weren’t actually fish?
As they begin to question motives the Ryphyet police force comes up.
Police: What are you all doing here?
Lysithea: There was a fire!
Police: We saw it. And then it stopped.
Lysithea: We put it out…
Police: Well… I guess… Okay. You all are going to play soon.
Lysithea: Oh no!
Surina: Run, run, run, everybody!
They head back to the stage area just in time to see that HalflingMetal has beaten HumanForce, and Danny Man-Elf has beaten Coldtouch Play. The Robed Zombies are running late it seems.
ROBED ZOMBIES, 10 MINUTES TO GET ON STAGE!
The party prepares to play while waiting to see if The Robed Zombies are going to show up.
Lysithea: What song are we supposed to play?
Surina: Did anybody think of a song?
While discussing what song to play they see shambling forward some robed figures.
Leader: Sorry, sorry we’re late. It just takes us a while to get places.
They shamble onto the stage and perform “Meet the Creeper”. They defeat Judas Cleric, who, dressed in heavy, black mail, walks away very crudely appealing to his deity.
MC Phil: We are running a bit behind. The first act of the last round will be Surina and the Crystal Gems!
Surina: Oh no… Did anybody think of a song? Any ideas?
Gobbles: *singing* Fly Like Sir Eagle! Into the sea! We can use our pink camel on a rotating pedestal for the song. That’s not weird at all.
Surina: Fly Like Sir Eagle? Let’s do that one!
Lysithea: Okay, we are going to do Fly Like Sir Eagle… Are we going to bring the pink camel on stage?
Gobbles: Why else would we have a pink camel?
Lysithea: Wow, it’s actually useful for something.
Professor: Our camels have been plenty useful!
Lysithea: I meant the pinkness.
Surina and the Crystal Gems take the stage, accompanied by Sir Eagle. To open the song Professor starts playing a bopping bass line and casts Enlarge on Sir Eagle to make him a giant pink camel (arcana 14). Gobbles joins in on the kazoo, humming the “Doo doo doo-doo” line (performance 18). Lysithea enters as percussion on the cowbell, casting Need More Cowbell (intelligence 4). She’s not very graceful in her playing, but she’s able to successfully cast the spell giving everyone advantage for the remainder of the song. Surina climbs on top of Sir Eagle to ride him and begins to sing lead (performance Nat 20, bonus roll of 19).
Besides the cowbell not being the best, the crowd is really getting into Surina’s singing on top of the giant pink camel. People are really digging the opening.
Nearing the end of the song, Thistle Winkle Frost, who is enjoying the music, tries to lift Sir Eagle to make it appear like he’s flying, but he’s not strong enough. The camel appears to be very unhappy. Surina, seeing the unhappy camel, uses her Ring of Animal Influence to talk to Sir Eagle and calm him down. Sir Eagle becomes charmed by Surina and begins to sway its long neck back and forth to the beat (animal handling 19). Lysithea, determined to get on the beat, watches Sir Eagle sway to the beat and starts to sway with him to play in time (perception adjusted 20). As the sun begins to set Professor casts Dancing Lights so that everyone has their own spotlight (arcana 18). Gobbles does a long drone on the kazoo and displays Sir Eagle and Surina (ala Vana White), trying to get the audience to clap for them (persuasion 10).
The party did okay this performance, receiving a combined score of 36 from the judges. Archmage Frederich gives the party a 10; Lady Pippa gives the party a 9 because she appreciated the magical elements of the performance; Archibald Bickerford Pembleton Esq. gives the party a 3…
Surina: A 3?!
Professor: What a jerk…
Lysithea: He must not like pink.
Councilwoman Madora Cammish gives the party a 5; Golag of the Goretusks gives them a 7.
Lysithea: Mixed reviews from this group. I have a feeling a lot of personal taste went into this one.
The crowd, though, really enjoyed the performance. Knowing the party needs to go further in the competition in order to help Archmage Frederich, and knowing who their opponent is, the party decides they need to extend their time on stage. Surina whispers to Sir Eagle, asking him to pretend to take its time, making it look like its having trouble leaving the stage (animal handling Nat 20). The party takes turns taking extra bows and “trying” to push Sir Eagle off the stage.
The party finally makes their way out and Lycan Park takes the stage. They begin to perform when suddenly they begin to change. Looking up it is dark out, and in the middle of their song they transform into werewolves. The Archmage casts a spell to stop them changing.
Frederich: Folks, sorry but due to the circumstances Lycan Park cannot complete their set.
Lycan Park is forced to drop out of the battle, meaning Surina and the Crystal Gems get to move on to the second bracket.
Professor: Default! Default! Default!
The party has successfully made it into the 2nd bracket. The battle will continue next session. End Session.
Check Out
Spotlight on Another Player:
- Miranda: Cordelia saying the band should be called “They Definitely Are NOT Giants”.
- Ian: Definitely the gelatin for sure. I love that.
- Kevin: Surina getting on Sir Camel/Eagle for the song.
- Cordelia: Kevin coming up with the song “Fly Like Sir Eagle”.
- Justice: Miranda using the recorder giving her more of a chance to play.
Challenge/Something Learned:
- Miranda: The extra wood in the main Giant tent confused me. I also learned that using a recorder works better than typing like a madman while playing.
- Ian: Roll better. Don’t use your spell slots because you’re just going to fail.
- Kevin: That I made a good decision getting something that doesn’t require dice rolls to do damage (Magic Missile).
- Cordelia: I learned that the band They Definitely Are Giants were definitely not giants.
- Justice: That I’m still judging how much to give you all on an information check even when you don’t succeed at it.
Hope/Prediction for Next Session:
- Miranda: Second bracket! Let’s go! I also hope more people can play.
- Ian: I’d like to win not by default. It’s supposed to be a festival, I wanna see some tunes man!
- Kevin: Just for everything to continue more.
- Cordelia: I hope everyone thinks of another song.
- Justice: My hope next time is that we just keep going with this and it goes a bit faster. Also I like using magic users in combat, but I need to plan them more in detail.
Analysis: Cordelia is on a roll with her roleplay participation! She did have one instance when she got upset because Victor was watching her favorite episode of Muppet Babies while we were playing (this is when Lysithea said “Goodbye Forever” instead of Surina), but I told her we would watch it again later and she immediately perked up. Her first instance of roleplay she only told us what Surina would say, but after that point everything she said was in character. Her confidence continues to grow and we are all having so much fun playing with her.