Session 146

General Summary

• The party regrouped and made a hasty retreat from Tenderlove Research Facility. That same lizardfolk from earlier, whose name is Soves, tagged along and helped them get past the gate guards.
• On advice from Soves, they pushed on as far as they could drive the oxen without resting so that they could stay ahead of any scouting parties from BFI.
• After a mostly uneventful long rest, they pressed on extra hard again so that they could rest at night. Before they could, a guard spotted them and asked for help.
• Two of the guard's colleagues had gone up a short path towards a shrine that seemed to be at the center of a Turmoil disturbance that has been making the local wildlife in the area start acting in unnatural ways.
• When the party went up to investigate, they were ambushed by an INNOCUOUS BIRD and an ODD PURPLE RAT hiding in the tall grasses.
• After dispatching the animals, they had an odd encounter with one of the guards who insisted that he works at a LOCAL MART and gave them one of his potions, calling it a "sample".

Full Recap

The rest of the party returns from their excursion in a hurry, regrouping with Dwardazik and "Barf", who have (both, together) loaded up the cart to make sure that it's ready to go at a moment's notice.

Dwardazik: Ho, there! You're back?   Dazki: Yep! Uh, ...good news and bad news...   Kesmet: get the cart, get the cart, getthecart getthecart getthecartgetthecart!   Dazki: Let's discuss this on the road.   Marvin: Yeah, I don't want to become no statue!   Dwardazik: Yeah, I was just gettin' the feeling —   Marvin: And you won't HAVE any feelings left in your body if we don't get the fuck out of here!   Dazki: Nah, it's not that bad, we just need to get out of here at a leisurely pace and not make it look like anything's unusual.   Dwardazik: Eh, their beds didn't look that comfortable anyway. You guys OK? You didn't steal anything important, now, did ya?   Marvin:

  Dazki: Like I said, ...good news and bad news.   A loud horn sounds in the distance.   Dwardazik: All right! Let's get those oxen moving! This had better not be another town that we can't come back to...   Theran: Less of a "town", and more of a "fort" in the woods.

The lizardfolk from earlier is in their cart. He insists that they hire him as a "guide", which they agree to.   On their way out towards the gate, Kesmet uses a permanent-level Major Image of their cart turning the other way, (Deception 18) which the ogre guards follow instead of the main cart. With the attention off them, the lizardfolk — who says his name is Soves — climbs around to the front of the cart, warns them all to stay nothing: he knows the password. He takes Marvin out of the driver's seat and shoves him into the back of the cart through the window.   They catch Dwardazik up on the gist of what had happened as they approach the gate. Soves hops out and starts aggressively discussing something with the guards at the gate (a minotaur and swarm of goblins). When the minotaur starts walking towards the cart, Soves shoves him hard and takes a stomping swing at one of the goblins, letting out a slur in Draconic. This seems to be enough, and Soves returns to the cart, driving it out through the gate as the goblins open it.   Once they're outside, Soves warns them that BFI will be looking for them, so they shouldn't camp out right away. "They have all days, all nights", so they shouldn't make camp immediately, but "as long as you no steal anything too valuable, they probably give up quick". They also take the time to fill Dwardazik in on more of the details. They left some things out — not technically "secrets" in the previous recap, so I've put a spoiler tag instead of "secret" section.   They look at a map to search for places where they can lose the trail. They see a path to the south, off the road, that would go through some denser woods. They would have to ford the river, but Soves says that he can do that. They find a place to camp, (Survival 27) and Dwardazik seems to have picked out a great one.

"Night" 1

Theran makes everyone, including Soves, some "Yum Yum Vitamin Berries" before going to sleep.

Watch 1: Dwardazik + Dazki

Soves packs up his satchel and disappears out in the woods, as Dwardazik and Dazki discuss the moral implications of what they did in the Tenderlove Research Facility.

Watch 2: Dazki

Nothing special. Dwardazik is able to go to sleep, powering through the itchiness from his allergy. Soves does not return, and Dazki does not leave to look for him.

Watch 3: Theran + Kesmet

They also discuss the ramifications of what happened in the facility. Theran muses that, by robbing them like they did, the party might have (related to the earlier spoiler tag) Kesmet dismisses the idea, pointing out that there's no foolproof way to "prevent a group of wandering hobos from coming in and messing everything up".   Theran tries again to get "Barf" to stop loathing him, (Animal Handling 25) and he does manage to pet the dog. "Barf" even begins to dance around. Theran is also forced to dance along, as if affected by an Otto's Irresistible Dance spell. Soves is still not back.

Watch 4: Theran + Marvin

Theran vents a little bit about how poorly his family raised him, frustrated that he never even stopped to think about budgeting his money until an earlier conversation with Dazki that he feels like his parents should have been able to have with him. "Just because I can quote famous elven philosophers in conversations sometimes doesn't mean I'm actually as wise as any of them, it just means I know how to sound good at parties."   Soves returns and douses their campfire by covering it with dirt. He sits down next to where the fire was, takes out a large rat, and begins devouring it.

Marvin: Good hunting out there?   Soves: Do you need?   Marvin: No, I'm not gonna take away your game. Would never dream of such a thing.   Soves: Good, because you can't.   Marvin: Again, wouldn't dream of it. But, is that all you went to do out there? You kinda just left in a hurry, we were a little concerned.   Soves: Why you concerned? I'm the guide.   Marvin: We weren't sure what happened to you. You were gone for a while.   Soves: Is safe here.   Marvin: Yeah, but we don't know that.   Soves: Do you not trust guide?   Marvin: Trust, but verify.   Soves: I verify. Is safe. Do you want rat? I have second rat.   Marvin: No, it makes me feel better when I get my own rat, you know?   Theran: Plus, I make magic berries that just give everybody all the food they need in a day, so...   Soves: You rely on magic, then later you might need rat and not able to get rat.   Theran: Is it preservable?   Soves: I have not considered.   Marvin: We also have some rations too, in case the magic berries go bad.   Theran: They go bad after 24 hours, but I have magic coming out of my ears. I think we're fine.   Soves: OK! More rat for Soves.   Soves begins to unceremoniously packing up the camp, but Marvin interrupts him.   Marvin: No, seriously... you say we "hired" you as your guide, —   Soves: Yes, you hire me.   Marvin: Yet, you accept no form of compensation?   Soves: Soves is compensated.   Marvin: In what way?   Soves: Soves has no fear.   (Insight 18) The way that Soves says this, it's very cold and logical. As though he's made a series of calculations (in his dumb lizard brain), and he has determined that being with you is less fearful than not being with you.   Marvin, after contemplating this for a while: OK, I think I understand now.   Soves: How about you?   Marvin: What about me?   Soves: Why you need guide?   Marvin: What makes you think we need a guide? I'm very happy to have one.   Soves: You happy to have guide?   Marvin: I am very happy to have guide.   Soves: Why you have guide?   Marvin: New experiences. I'll be honest, I haven't really seen a lot of your culture. An opportunity — or, at least, I'd like to think of it as one. I'd like to get to know you, Soves, and you offered to guide us. So, sounds like a pretty good situation.   Soves: Soves curious.   Marvin: Curiosity is good.   Theran: This journey we're on right now. We had to leave on short notice, and we don't have a lot of information about the surrounding area. You were a pretty effective way of getting us out of that BFI headquarters.   Soves: Shiny elf man.   Theran: Yes?   Soves: Why you no fear?   Theran: Why I no fear? Around these people?   Soves: Are you dumb, or are you strong? Those are the only two options.   Marvin chuckles.   Theran: I mean... I think I'm pretty strong? I also like to think I know what's going on around me, but I'm pretty young for my —   Soves: This does not answer Soves question.   Theran: Maybe I do have fear, but it's irrelevant, because —   Soves: You no fear.   Theran: Fear is better than the alternative, of just letting my brother stay dead, letting the world be in danger, and not doing anything about it.   Soves: Not important. We have to pack up camp now.

Soves stands up, goes to the nearest tent, and begins to dismantle camp, rudely awakening Dwardazik. They make more progress through the woods, "fording" the river — which is a complete non-issue, since this part of the river is so low during the dry season.

The Route of the Problem

They push on hard throughout the day so that they can reset their day/night cycle.

Dazki: Hail! How goes it, there?   Guard: Oh, thank the gods!   Dazki: What's going on?   Guard: Reinforcements, right?   Dazki: Um... no, we got turned around in the woods.   Guard: No, that's not possible.   Dazki: What's the problem?   Guard: I was told adventurers like you would be comin' vaguely this way, y'know, examining Turmoil and stuff like that. We're really running short here, and I am so happy that this is the path you picked, because I could really use it!   (Insight 22) He's a genuine guard, and not a guard captain. Apparently, word has gotten around that researchers matching your description are coming this way.   Dazki: Well, what seems to be the problem, then?   Guard: There's an event! An infestation!   Dazki: Can you tell us a little bit more?   Guard: Oh yeah, that's right... you guys are from super-super north, aren't you... you haven't been in the thick of it?   Theran: Nope!   Dazki: We haven't been in the thick of it down here. It's been other places, and everything has been chaotic and different.   Guard: It's chaotic and different down here! It's an invasion, I tells you what!   Dwardazik: An invasion?   Guard: Nodes keep appearing — and, with them, terrible chaos!   Dazki: OK, can you describe these nodes to us?   Guard: They're all sorta different, all right? But I'm certain that the shrine back there is the center of one. I sent my two companions over there to check it out, and they haven't returned. And I'm not retreating, I just don't think it would be a good idea for me to also get lost, and then not be able to hail you...   Dazki: No, there's no shame in knowing when you can't handle something on your own and waiting for reinforcements.   Guard: The wildlife has gone insane, I tells ya!   Dazki: How so?   Guard: They seem to just jump out of nowhere, and... I tell you, it's like they've got some sort of rabid disease or something!   Dazki: Do you have any corpses or captured animals that we can examine, to see if it might be some kind of natural disease?   Guard: I slayed a couple of sparrows, but they seem to have vanished immediately upon me... they just disappear! As quickly as they appeared, they disappear!   Dwardazik: Do you have any symptoms of —   Guard: I don't even think I killed the thing! I think I just knocked it out, and it still disappeared!   Dazki: So have you come into physical contact with any of them? Have you touched it, poked it, to make sure it's not some kind of an illusion?   Guard: Well, I slayed a couple. That's kind-of not an illusion. But I ain't touchin' nothin'. That's how you get it, man!   Dazki: Did you see your arrow get lodged in it?   Guard: I feel like I well shot that bird. But I ain't got no corpse to prove it.   Dazki: Could you tell us a bit more about the disease? What are the symptoms?   Guard: I don't know, I'm just not touchin' no Turmoil, all right? I'm not doin' it!   Dazki: No, I mean, what have you observed from a distance?   Guard: I don't know. I know you get a disease if you touch Turmoil, so I'm not doin' it.   Dazki: The bird! Did the birds look different?   Guard: It was angry!   Dazki: I get that it was an angry bird. Was it, like, foaming? Did it have splotches of feathers that were falling off? Were there rashes? Was it bleeding from somewhere weird?   Theran: Were its feet actually a hand?   Guard: No, it had a weird color, I guess? It didn't look native.   Dazki: OK. And they were coming from the shrine up the road, you said?   Guard: Yes. And they just show up out of nowhere!   Dazki: And you sent your two companions... how long ago, was it?   Guard: It's been maybe about an hour, but I'm still really concerned, because it's not very far.   Dazki: All right.   Guard: I haven't even seen so much as a flare come from these guys!   Dazki: How far of a walk is it, usually?   Guard: I'd say the path is about... way less than a mile. But why? This is why you're here, right?   Dazki: Yep. This is why we're here. So, we'll head up there and investigate. We just have to ask questions to try and get any information we can beforehand, you know?   Guard: All right. I mean, get your bird-killin' gloves on.   Dwardazik: Soves. What do you think?   Soves: Is just bird. Are you afraid of bird?   Dwardazik: Can we leave the cart with you while we check this out?   Soves: Yes, I will stay. You bring dog.   Dazki: Yes, we bring dog.   Soves: I don't like your dog.   Marvin: And he doesn't like you!   Dazki: That's why we're bringing him. We don't want to make you uncomfortable.   Soves: We don't have to keep dog if you make the food every day.   Dazki: No, we're not gonna... we're not gonna do that.   Soves: Of course not. You make the food every day. No point for dog.   Dazki: No, the dog is not food.   Soves: No, dog is food.   Dazki: We are choosing not to use dog as food. Dog is friend.

They head up the path. They spot one of the guards not too far in, but he doesn't acknowledge them at all. When Dwardazik walks through a patch of tall grass — "if you were a child, it would probably rise to a little above your knee" — an INNOCUOUS BIRD jumps out and attacks.

Combat Summary

• The INNOCUOUS BIRD tried to blow sand at Dwardazik's eyes. But, it failed!
• Marvin asked "Barf" to Transform in order to help out. "Barf" transformed into INNOCUOUS BIRD!
• Kesmet wandered into the grass, and an ODD PURPLE RAT jumped out to attack him. ODD PURPLE RAT's attack missed! Kesmet used THUNDERSHOCK!
• Sure enough, when Dwardazik did enough damage to the ODD PURPLE RAT, it seemed to pass out, land in the grass, and then disappear.
• And when Marvin used PSYWAVE on the INNOCUOUS BIRD, it likewise plummeted, passed out, and disappeared.

They get to the other side of the grass and engage with the guard, Dazki approaching him from the front and talking to him.

Dazki: Hello! What's going on here?   Guard: Hi! I work at a LOCAL MART. It's a convenient shop, so please visit us in CITY. I know, I'll give you a sample! Here you go! (He holds out a Greater Healing Potion).   Dazki: Thank you. (He attempts to take it, but Guard doesn't let go.)   Guard: You have too much stuff with you!   Dazki drops a Potion of Animal Friendship (which disappears) and reaches out to take the potion again.   Guard: Hi! I work at a LOCAL MART. It's a convenient shop, so please visit us in CITY. I know, I'll give you a sample! Here you go! (He holds out a Greater Healing Potion).   Dazki takes the Greater Healing Potion.   Guard: We also carry TRAPS for catching LOCAL ANIMALS!   Dazki moves away, and Kesmet takes his place immediately in front of the guard.   Kesmet: Hello?   Guard: We also carry TRAPS for catching LOCAL ANIMALS!

(Insight 18) Theran is concerned that this guard doesn't have much personality, and that he certainly can't work at a "LOCAL MART"... as he is a GUARD. Theran uses Really Good Insight to read his surface thoughts. The guard is thinking nothing but "rat rat rat rat rat rat rat rat".