GB Chapter 31: Holiday Break

Downtime

There's alot happening here, basically banter and deciding how to take advantage of the castle. Wizard Santa declares to his people that they shall march towards the true North Pole (just 2/3 days travel with the Everstorm, very closeby geographically). Over the course of the week, the Frost Gnomes and various servants become more interested in the idea. The slave portion of the workforce was freed, with some of them leaving over the course of the week while others stayed with nowhere else to go. Either way, Santa decides to throw a Christmas party, which all the Frost Gnomes and other servants attend. Fork plans the party, MB gets naked, the others start searching around for loot/ideas, its a good time all around. The St. Knights are down for war either way.
Balcazar read the Thought Crystal that he found in Wizard Santa's desk, revealing a shadowy cloaked old man with gray, withered skin (face is mostly covered), explaining that Wizard Santa has one week to deliver DOULBE his usual soul payment by 1 week's time after Christmas. Should he fail, Lady Gaelica will bring her army and strike down Santa's Workshop along with all who lived there as payment of the debt, including Wizard Santa.
MB got naked and crashed Wizard Santa's Christmas party disguised as Wizard Santa, had some sex and fun with the Frost Gnome partygoers disguised as Master Obu.
Everyone sniffed around the castle to find stuff; Balcazar found Santa's Daidrin mage lab and started working on his suit of armor, Wizard Moanius found a necromancy lab & did Christmas all night (1 level of Exhaustion), Master Obu found Santa's Sack of Holding in Santa's Sleigh and hid inside it, MB & Fork partied.
Throughout the week, most of the Gaiobros learn about the Shadow Triad that supposedly possesses the Daidrin Gaiostone and controls the entire continent. The members of the Shadow Triad are believed to be:

1. Lady Gaelica, The War Reaper: a powerful undead warrior who commands the undead army of the Shadow King, serves as his enforcer across Cyregnor
2. Zalcophet, The Frost Pharaoh: an undead pharaoh who rules the undead citadel atop the magnetic (true) North Pole
3. The Shadow King: the rumored puppetmaster that is said to control the Shadow Triad and most Cyregnorian leaders through dark influence, manipulations, and magic. Despite all the rumors about the Shadow Triad, the Shadow King's true identity is a mystery to most

Master Obu made 3 Garidium bars enriched with Daidrin Crystals (made from Thought Crystals). He gives one to Wizard Moanius & one to Balcazar, each being a ciritcal magitech component for their respective designs.
Over the course of a week's downtime, the gang creates the following Magitech/enchanted items for themselves:

Balcazar

Lizardflight Mark I combat suit: Used the Daidrin-enriched garidium as a component. AC 17 & resistance to bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Secondary abilities activate with a Bonus Action. Once active, grants a fly speed equal to 2x walking speed for 1 minute. Must recharge for 1 minute in between uses. Can also channel Gaioforce spells directly through the armor, doubling their normal range (casting range, not the AoE that they can affect).

Wizard Moanius

Daidrin Silly Stick: Versatile ( 1d6 with one hand, 1d8 with two), used the Daidrin-enriched garidium as a component.

• +1 to attack rolls/damage rolls/spellsave DC, considered magical
• can be used as a spellcasting focus
• Has a thrown range of 20/60 ft, can return to hand as a Bonus Action and spins at anyone in its straight path back. They make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning.
• {original abilitiy, can use this or the following one) Anyone hit by these attacks must make a Wisdom saving throw or have the mental capacity of any animal (chosen by the user) until the start of the attacker's next turn. If the creature was previously sentient and could speak at least one language, they can no longer speak, use ranged attacks, or cast spells (unless they are a Druid who can cast spells in animal form). They can still use melee attacks and will remain loyal to their allies. If the target succeeds on their saving throw, they have advantage on all subsequent attempts until they fail one.
• (enhanced ability, can use this or the previous one) Anyone hit by these attacks must make a Wisdom saving throw or have the mental capacity of any spirit passing through the Ethereal Plane until the start of the attacker's next turn. The player can roll a d4 to determine the type of spirit: 1 (at peace with death, AC reduced by 2), 2 (mournful spirit, -2 to Charisma & cannot cast spells), 3 (wrathful spirit, -2 to Intelligence & 50% chance of attacking an ally on their turn), 4 (ethereal traveler, -2 to Wisdom & 50% chance of trying to flee the fight). If the target succeeds on their saving throw, they have advantage on all subsequent attempts until they fail one.

Magitech Mage Robes: AC of 11+spell ability modifier (just the ability score, not proficiency bonus), requires attunement. Used his connection to the Rouzhai Gaioforce to property enchant this. Activating with a Bonus Action, can grant resistance to a damage type for 1 minute at a time. The damage type is determined by player's choice or by rolling 1d6 , and can be either acid (1), cold (2), fire (3), lightning (4), radiant (5) or force (6). The wearer can use a Bonus Action to deactivate the current resistance, but would need to use a separate Bonus Action and roll 1d6 to choose another resistance (can reroll if same one as previous comes up).

Master Obu

Corrupted Staff of Dahlivine: Versatile ( 1d6 with one hand, 1d8 with two), used one of his Daidrin Crystals as a component. +1 to weapon & spell attack rolls/damage rolls/spellsave DC, and is considered magical. The staff counts as your spellcasting focus when casting with it, and the staff amplifies the power of spells dealing necrotic, fire or lightning damage when channeled through it. If you make a spell attack roll and hit, or if a target fails the saving throw against your spell, 1d4 to see how the damage will be amplified; 4 get 2x total damage dealt from the spell, 3 gets 1.5x total damage dealt from the spell, 2 & 1 gets normal damage. In addition, the staff has a thrown range of 20/60 ft, can return to hand as a Bonus Action and spins at anyone in its straight path back. They make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning.
Created 3 Garidium bars enriched with Daidrin Crystals (made from Thought Crystals) via Santa's Sack of Holding (kinda nutty, drew dark energy from the bag itself) and gave out 2 of them. He read the knowledge from the used Thought Crystals ("Magic of the Devils", "Avernion's Acension", and "Mystical Recycling") before filling the crystals with pure dark energy from the Sack of Holding.
While not his main focus, Master Obu found a prototype Dark Energy Motor that could (theoretically) syphon dark energy from a source as powerful as the Daidrin Gaiostone and channel it more safely.

MB

The Dildorang: Ranged weapon, range 30/100 ft, 1d6 bludgeoning damage

• +21to attack and damage rolls, considered magical; requires attunement
• Has charges equal to the amount of people they have sexually conquested over the past week. Each charge gives the Dildorang an extra 1d6 acid damage that squirts out in a 10 ft AoE upon hitting the target (currently has 4 charges, based on MB's recent sexcapades). The Dildorang can hold a maximum of 10 charges, and the player can release as many or as little per attack as they want. If the user attempts to add another charge via sexual conquest when the Dildorang is full, it will release all charges immediately, expelling acidic jizz in its immediate 10 ft AoE. If the user does not want to, they do not have to release any charges on a given attack; however, they must declare they are releasing a charge before they roll their attack.
• You can apply any Paladin spells that you cast to ranged attacks made with the Dildorang, with exception of the Divine Smite ability.

The Calm before the Everstorm

• The Gaiobors prepare the fortifications of Santa's Workshop and search for anything else that might help them.
• Wizard Moanius speaks with Commander Kringle, a reindeer-based centaur and commanding officer of the St. Knights, about battle plans. Commander Kirngle is excited and happily orders two of his top officers to be his right hand troops: one magic specialist (cleric or sorcerer) & one martial specialist (paladin or fighter). Unbeknownst to the St. Knights, it is unsure how much longer their holy oaths to Christmas will last, as the original line of Wizard Santas has technically died out. Wizard Moanius knows of these oaths through his extended study of Wizard Santa's origins, but does not believe the problem to be an immediate threat
• Balcazar finds an improved Dark Energy Cannon (based off the ones he saw in the Warden's Office at the Isle of Smiles) and has it affixed to the castle wall defenses. The castle/workshop is defended by these wall battlements (operated by Frost Gnomes & St. Knights less equipped for field combat), treants & Scaresnows (magic snowmen that are posted up in the woods stealthily, attack when enemies are closeby), and the St. Knights themselves.

Other Items found throughout Santa's Workshop (work in progress)

1. Soul Slurp: an experimental energy drink developed in the Christmas R&D department, but not yet in present circulation. It contains essence of souls collected by Wizard Santa, whether from his naughty list or St. Knights hitlist. The idea was for kids to minimally consume soul fragments of naughty children, gaining life from their failures. This drink heals the user 1d8+4 per juice box. 1d4 lightning damage that affects undead creatures normally, regardless of any resistances or immunities to lightning damage they might have. Icy-hot potions (10) - grant resistance to cold damage for 1 hour. It also grants advantage on saving throws against any cold-based effects that would reduce movement speed. Necrosynol poitions (10) - grant resistance to necrotic damage for 1 hour. If the user is reduced to 0 HP by a necrotic attack that would later rise them as a zombie/skeleton, they can make a Constitution saving throw contested by any carryover damage from the attack (ex. if you have 20 HP and are hit by Negative Energy Flood for 30 necrotic damage, you would make a saving throw with a DC of 10). If you succeed, you regain 1 HP and the potion's effects end. Arctic Darts (10) - deals extra cold damage equal to the user's Dexterity modifier Force Guns (10) - experimental dark energy weapon. Ranged Weapon Attacks, two-handed or mountable, heavy, range 80/320 ft. Deals 2d12
   force damage; opponent must succeed on a Strength saving throw against the damage dealt or be pushed back 10 ft. If the user rolls a natural 5 or lower on their attack roll with this weapon, the gun misfires and deals the damage in a 10 ft AoE centered on you, forcing you and any creatures in it to make the same saving throw with the same consequences. Frost Cannon (10) - experimental dark energy weapon. Ranged Weapon Attacks, two-handed or mountable, heavy, range 80/320 ft. Deals 2d12
   cold damage; opponent must make a Constitution saving throw against the damage dealt or have speed reduced by 10 ft. They can make subsequent saving throws at the end of each turn to end this effect. If their speed is reduced to 0, they are frozen solid for 1 round and considered incapacitated during that time. If the user rolls a natural 5 or lower on their attack roll with this weapon, the gun misfires and deals the damage in a 10 ft AoE centered on you, forcing you and any creatures in it to make the same saving throw with the same consequences. Genie Ink (1 vial) - crafted with ichor from the four known genie types, this arcane alchemation can be used to enchant one instance of parchment or writing surface with a single cast of the Wish spell. The spell will operate within the same limitations as the spell indicates. Candy Cane Javelins - targets make DC 10 Strength saving throws or are partially frozen in place by the candy cane. For one round, the creature is grappled. Candy Cane Quarterstaff (found by Wizard Moanius in Wizard Santa's mage lab) - releases a gust of arctic wind in a 15 ft wide arc that can travel up to 30 ft before dissipating. Anyone caught in the blast makes a Dexterity saving throw or suffers 4d6 cold damage, taking half upon success. Recharges with a 5 or 6 on a d6 roll, 1d6 . You make the recharge roll at the start of your turn. Santa's Sleigh (found by Wizard Moanius & Master Obu, owned and operated by Wizard Moanius) - a teleport-able sleigh with a trunk for the sack of holding, a two-seat carriage for Wizard Santa, and reigns for 8-9 reigndeer to pull it for the initial space jumps. The sleigh has an AC of 25, 100 HP & constantly ripples with dark energy. Santa's Sack of Holding (found by Wizard Moanius & Master Obu, owned and operated by Master Obu) - a bag of holding, with mild limitations due to Master Obu's drainage of dark energy from the bag for his own purposes Gift Grenades (10) - gift-box shaped projectiles, thrown range 20/60 ft, AoE 15 ft. 3d6 piercing damage. An entire arsenal of nonmagical weapons & armor in the St. Knights armory - if you want a specific weapon, ask and it's probably here/we can reflavor something for it Various notes from Wizard Santa's necromancy lab