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Cast
Nathan Sharp as Pluck the Kenku Swamp Druid
Cristina Vee as Anya the Yuan-Ti Pureblood Warlock
Anna Brisbin as Trixa Teardu the Lightfoot Halfling Barbarian
Hunter Hughes as Kovacs the Half-Elf Oathbreaker Paladin
Zach Callison as Werblund the Deep Gnome Ranger
Kaiji Tang as the Dungeon Master
Previous Sessions
Sessions 1 and 2 were not streamed. At the beginning of the session, we got a recap:
“Thisbinar, the jewel of faith and justice on the southern reaches, coastal area of Barovia, is suffering a time of great upheaval.”
The Paladins of Virtue - followers of Thisbinar’s patron god Reganos - attempted to usurp power from Sir Lucian, a magister. Though the coup failed and the magister gained enough support to get rid of the paladins, the city itself began failing. Lucian was given emergency power to regain the city’s former glory, essentially making him a king.
The party themselves were on a prison ship heading towards Steelwall Garrison, where they would be left and forgotten.
With a stroke of luck, they met Topbutton the goblin and Dinkle, his adopted ogre son. This duo is planning a heist within the Blacksteel Isles, a nearby island nation rich with adamantite. The king of this nation, Algard, was said to have conquered the dungeon tower of Endspire, developing the city of Allhaven around it.
The object of the heist is a magical red gem which is supposedly at the top of Endspire, and supposedly grants a wish to those who touch it. Topbutton lets the party out of their cells in exchange for their help in getting the duo to the Blacksteel Isles and helping them on their heist.
As they made their way through the ship, killing quite a few people along the way, they came across a room filled with circus equipment and 20 pounds worth of narcotics. Which is to say, the prison ship is also a smuggling vessel.
Pluck and Anya immediately partook of the drugs.
As the party exited to the deck, the ship was nearing the Blacksteel Isles. A protective magic mist was laying over the sea so that the islands couldn’t be attacked. The guards on deck however, would be able to attack the group.
Pluck panicked and dropped a darkness spell immediately. Some of the guards ended up walking off the ship and into the ocean.
Topbutton was able to control the ship just enough to have it crash onto a beach. The vessel was destroyed.
After being attacked by various monsters, the group met a Guard Captian by the name of Vigil, who they were able to convince that they were on a mission for “Winkerbean’s Wondrous Emporium,” the smuggling circus. Vigil then leads them to the poor town of Fairheim. As they are traveling, they save a young girl named Sass, who was being attacked by skeletons. Vigil was concerned about this, as magic is heavily regulated. The general populous isn’t allowed to cast, and all citizens and visitors are required to wear adamantite bracelets which suppress all magic.
Of course, Pluck cast some spells, which immediately summoned an adamantite golem to the location and which stood above Pluck menacingly. He didn’t cast again after that.
When they reached Fairheim, a Dwarven cleric by the name of Kaytri, healed them (especially Pluck and Anya). With the help of their new friends they were able to be sheltered from the law for the time being. They are currently staying at a tavern called “The Pretty Cook,” the owner of which is an Ogrillon by the same name.
This is where this session begins.
Episode 1
At the tavern, the group was given complimentary rags to wear. +1 to stealth, because no one wants to look at you if you wear them. Perfect!
Anya is skilled with scissors and thread, and makes a stylish two-piece out of them.
Side note: Anya saved a big ol’ pile of snakes from the tavern’s cellar when she learned that snakes were a part of the menu. She is best friends with an albino snake. His name is SnekSnek.
Kids had stolen Trixa’s Lion costume, but has returned it. Trixa goes into the bathroom and sees a note that wasn’t there before. Scratched into the wood are the words “Brush your teeth.” There was nothing to brush her teeth with, so she scratched “No can do” into the wood below the first note.
There’s complimentary breakfast! It’s leftover stewed cabbage and giant centipede sausages! Only Werblund and Pluck seem to enjoy it.
Anya forms a cult. It’s a bunch of little kids yelling anything she may say repetitively.
A snobby knight who has obviously seen no action shows up. His name is Guard Captain Fizzlepot. He wants the package he was promised and threatens to tell the king about the thieves that must have stolen it, looking pointedly at the party.
Kaytri is having none of it, though, and thoroughly intimidates him. Dissuaded from this due to the illegal aspect of his package (see: smuggled drugs), he then leaves. Two of the soldiers that had accompanied him go into the Pretty Cook.
Kaytri starts talking to the party and gives them a mission. The bracelets that the Guard Captains use allow them to cast spells without wands and without golems tracking them down. Since Fizzlepot is a guard captain, they could probably steal a bracelet from him. She gives them one she had stolen prior, and tells them to talk to the two soldiers that walked in to the tavern, as they are her friends.
The soldiers that walked into the tavern are also friends with the Ogrillon. Their names are Shady Jeff and Walter Killmaster.
The first natural 20 of the game is Pluck’s insight check.
Walter is very enthusiastic, which grates on Pluck’s nerves. Jeff is very smarmy. This is who they are, and are trustworthy...in their own way.
Guard Captain Bracelet: +1 AC, can cast magic without summoning adamantite golems to come for you, can magically attach 4 wands and recharge these wands at dawn
The plan is to go to Lord Fizzlepot’s residence during the festival that night to steal his Guard Captain Bracelet and anything else that isn’t nailed down.
Topbutton and Dinkle are setting up the circus for the group. Trixa immediately dons a crocodile costume she found among the supplies. She and Werblund both take 20 throwing knives. They are props, but can still deal 1d4 damage.
Kovacs makes a friend of the minotaur blacksmith named Ironhoof, who promises him a greatsword if he can get his hands on any raw materials.
Anya tries to become better friends with her party. With SnekSnek’s advice, she goes to apologize to Pluck. It doesn’t work very well. She then follows more SnekSnek advice: to give them gifts by turning their complementary rags into nice clothes like she did with hers.
Kovacs gets his first ever drink. It’s a very rich, high quality brand of beer called Bulbous Beer. Werblund knows what it is, and is excited about it. Werblund, Kovacs, and Pluck all partake.
The first natural 1 of the game is Pluck’s history check to learn about the beer.
The second was his constitution check.
Pluck is smashed, head first in the toilet. Kovacs is less so, but hits the floor. Werblund is fine and helps his friends.
Shady Jeff is back to help them into Allhaven. He brought a wagon for everyone to hide in. Before they proceed to their mission, everyone tries to problem solve the drunk problem. Pluck turns into horse. Trixa fetches Kaytri, who soberizes horse-Pluck, but she doesn’t have another lesser restoration spell to use on Kovacs. They get into the wagon.
Once they get to the entrance to Allhaven, they have to bluff their way in. Inside the city, they see a statue of the king. The plaque at the base of the statue reads:
“May my people never starve again” Algard, king of Allhaven
The festival’s games have marvelous prizes, including wands, pieces of raw adamantite, various toys, and crates of food.
They split the party. Pluck and Anya attempt a strength game and both fail. They try to persuade the person in charge to let Trixa try, but fail. Kovacs and Werblund go to the house they plan to ransack to scope things out. They find 3 or 4 guards are inside.
Trixa attempts to remember the map and lead them to the house, but ended up at another game. Trixa persuaded the person running the booth to give her a free shot by pretending to be a little girl. She succeeds and wins! But the prize was a doll instead of a wand or adamantite, as she was pretending to be a child.
Trixa rolls a natural 20 on her next attempt to find her way to the house. The party is back together again.
To distract the guards, drunken Kovacs pretended that he thought the house was his own. Trixa tag teamed, pretending she was his daughter.
Passing the magic bracelet between each other, Anya cast Invisibility on Werblund. Pluck cast Pass Without Trace on the party to help attempt the investigation inside the house.
The distraction force started failing their deception rolls, and one of the guards shouted “Boss!”
The +10 to the rolls helped Werblund, Anya, and Pluck to get in, but on their way up the stairs they heard a big man start to come toward the staircase to go down. In a panic, Pluck cast darkness. ((at this point pass without trace should have been cancelled but it’s w/e))
When it becomes dark and the guards are bewildered, Trixa pretends to have a big choking fit. The big guy on the stairs, the Boss, ends up rushing her to the temple to get a cleric.
Pluck drops the concentration on darkness as he, Anya, and Werblund finish climbing the stairs to begin their search. They find the an ornamental suit of armor, 130 gp, a Wand of Mage Hand with 10 charges, and key to a chest that contained a whopping 2000 gp, assorted gems and baubles, and the right of ownership to the fizzy water company that Fizzlepot owns.
Kovacs finally gives up the act. When he leaves the door the guards go back inside.
At the temple, the moment the Boss leaves Trixa by herself she runs for it. Back at the house, she and Kovacs go around to the back door to see if they could make their way in.
To continue their search for the bracelet, the trio has to go downstairs again. Werblund has to roll stealth to see if the guards hear him, though he doesn’t have to worry about them seeing him. Pluck, however, rolls a nat 1 on his stealth roll. With the added 10 to make 11, he got down the stairs fine, but once he got to the stairwell he knocked over a precious porcelain vase with a huge crash. The guards stare right at him. He pretends to just be a very clumsy janitor, but we will find out if it spurs an initiative roll next session!