#Dink Jawbone

[kaiju-z]

In the past couple of episodes, 8 teams have been fighting for supremacy. Each trying to be more fficient, each trying to do what they do better, faster, harder and stronger than their opponent to reach and win the finale of the Spring Welcoming Tournament.

We’ve seen explosions, we’ve seen dinosaurs and we’ve seen the steady rise of two teams.

Today, these two teams go up against one another. The winner takes 20,000 gold and a mansion. And for someone among them, there is something personal as well...

Seon Adventures Episode 28: “The Cultbusters vs The Traveling Gentlefolk”

The Day of the Tournament’s finale has arrived and each member of the Cultbusters deals with things in their own way. Humor, a precautionary spell set in place, stretching and words to go by. Sweets. Psyching one’s self under a silent gaze, never leaving the direction of the Echosmith Hall, the Colliseum, wherein the battle shall be held.

The party head out and make an easy entrance, with Malak casting Aid on Belli, Amelia and Mournimar. Entering, we are greeted by two figures. One, River, recovered from the 1st round and back in work attire, waiting her turn as our gnome business partner, Peppery Pete comes forth.

Pep talk aside, the aged gnome reveals another motive for his presence in the waiting room for our party, which is to give us an open offer for a job of some sort. A job to map out some part of the continent, under the request of one of Pete’s investors. A high paying job, to be sure from one Lucius Bennett.

As Belli hands Orion and the remainder of her Blueberry Muffins for Pete to take care of (the muffins clearly there to appease the fey creature’s eternal hunger), River comes up next and informs the party of a job offer of her own.

A mostly hush-hush work, River’s offer is the retrieval of a valuable artifact lost for quite a while. She appears to trust us with the details for later talks, should we come to her as well, after having successfully brought the crystal ball from our Cultbusting escapade.

Despite Belli’s best efforst, we do not receive any spoilers on the mission, beyond the surface level stuff. River congratulates the party on how far the Cultbusters have come in the tournament, appreciating the initiative of it all and suggests they go for the Wizard first..

“Go for the wizard’s knees!” which turns everyone’s heads in Amelia’s direction, given that, after all, Sabrina is her sister. She does agree, to some extent. Taking out Sabrina first would be the most logical move to make. However she opposes any scarring and long lasting injuries.

“I’m here. And I’m watching your every. Fucking. Move!”

As Malak casts Anti-Life on himself, which causes black lines to temporarily cover his body, the horn blows, signaling the beginning of the finale.

The Trial of the Betrayed.

Both teams step out. The Cultbusters from the South Side, The Traveling Gentlefolk from the North, right from under the VIP seats.

As the man, sitting in the middle raises and then quickly lowers his hands, the battle begins.

Initiative is rolled and Malak takes point.

And casts Guardian Of Faith in the middle of the five. It takes the form of a Seviper (you know, from Pokémon)! One move out of it’s range and the victim will take the appropriate damage.

With this, Belli takes action and focuses on the promised goal. Taking out the wizard first. Thus, she looks to Sabrina and focuses a spell she had been holding onto for a while to use: Enemies Abound.

Sabrina tries to fight through it. But fails, perceiving everyone around her as a hostile target. As a bonus to all this, she inspires Amelia, given the situation they find themselves in.

With all that happens, Landis calls for his Crusdaer’s Mantle and charges towards Malak, right after getting bitten for his troubles by Sammy, the Seviper Guardian Of Faith.

Standing before the Cleric, he glares, aching from the damage he took from his clever first cast of the match, while the old man that appears with some similar features to him, Jeffry Ramsey tries to knock Belli out of her concentration.

But she easily avoids both his arrows.

Seeing all this, a determined Luctan takes his action, pulling the Greatsword off his back, chanting a word and suddenly... teleporting out of sight from the rest!

Only to reappear right in front of Dink Jawbone, Griffin Tallywork and Sabrina, herself. Three strikes delivered. A Slash on Griffin, a Slash on Dink and a Bonk with the flat side of his major weapon on the wizard in an attempt to stop her in her tracks.

Yes. Luck has truly become... Anime.

With Sabrina down, Dink messed up badly and Griffin not looking so hot, the Halfling pulls out a mace and axe in each hand, attacking Luctan as he teleports again, this time within his reach. He hits twice with the mace, barely doing any notable damage to the magic fighter, right before missing with the axe.

Luctan, seeing this display, and seeing Landis ready to attack Malak, leaves, offended at the insult of Griffin’s weak attacks. And gets hurt some from Landis’Mantle as he draws within range.

But the halfling has no time to process all this as Amelia charges in, right when Mournimar first misses, then critically hits Dink, knocking him out for a microsecond.

Amelia cocks her fists and swings in fast motion against the dual wielding Halfling. Brutalizing him with that good ol’ Dope Ass Monk Shit.

As Luck approaches, Malak attacks the Paladin, unloading blow after powerful blow. First, his Executioner’s Axe Spiritual Weapon strikes from the back, then he comes for the man with his actual axe, followed up with a couple of channeled divine attacks. Each strike is fueled with Necrotic Damage as what Landis essentially goes through in six seconds is essentially the touch of Death Itself. 

Her avatar, Malak, the Death Cleric.

By the time he’s done, Landis does not look happy at all over this situation. Truly did not expect such initiative from a man of faith. But One does not simply underestimate a Death Cleric.

This opening gives Belli the chance to initiate the second part of her plan. The plucky Bard focuses her magic and music onto the brutalized Dink and Griffin aaaand...

Puts them to bed with her signature Sleep spell.  Doctor Sleep in the house.

And for all of Malak’s efforts, she quickly gives him inspiration. Given Landis’ actions that come, following this, the cleric may as well need that.

Slash, followed by a second. Divine Smite implemented and Malak gets rocked in retaliation for all that happened mere moments prior.

With the focus shifting away from the Folk’s archer, Ramsey dashes over to Sabrina, resucitating her with a healing touch. And takes a bite for his troubles from the Guardian Of Faith.

As Luck approaches Landis, he attempts to hit him from behind with a Guiding Bolt, but that misses. The frustration of that misaction drives him to fight on, however as Luck Surges into Action. 

One slash. It hits. Second slash, also hits!

Mournimar tries to help with taking on the Paladin. But the armored avenger dodges out of the way and the arrows fly through Amelia’s hair as she makes a dramatic bullet time dodge.

Regaining her posture, she turns to the slept men before her, right as Sabrina starts getting up again. And she starts stomping on them, flurry of blows upon flurry of blows Dink and Griffin.

The horrific display that follows knocks out the two men, which brings Sabrina to an internal monologue, in which she decides it best to prepare a spell for her lover, Landis.

As this happens, Jeffrey takes a Spiritual Axe to the chest from Malak, who ducks and dodges a swing from Landis’ sword, making a run for the Ranger across the field. While Belli sticks true to character and sends Sabrina into a dreamland of her own with another Sleep Spell.

Upon reaching Griffin and Dink, he touches each with the Spare The Dying spell, stabilizing them in the process from slipping beyond unconsciousness. 

With the Paladin distracted, Belli uses the acting skills to good use to copy Sabrina’s voice and goes “LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!” at Landis. Which gets him to, of course, look behind his back to see a Sleeping Sabrina, causing him to scream out in surprise.

Landis gets played like a fiddle. Again.

Enraged and entering desperation mode with two of his allies unconscious, a third fallen asleep and forth barely holding it together and casting, Landis strikes Luctan with his longsword, drawing blood and knocking the helmet off his head with the spin of his footing.

Luctan, as though by his titular alias or a twist of fate, avoids what clearly would have then become a Smiting attack, saving himself from the kinda damage that even his parents would have felt.

Lucky indeed, as Jeffrey Ramsey casts Conjure Animal, from his grounded position, summoning a pair of Giant Spiders. One next to Luctan and another next to Belli.

Fun. Or not so much for Mournimar, who releases a girly scream, as the tiefling has to watch as one bites onto Belli, who luckily fights through the poison and keeps the sleep spell a-going.

Surprisingly, the other spider goes for Malak. A mistake as it’s web misses the cleric. And for that mistake, Ramsey pays with a blue blur that charges him from the side, while Luck dodges a sword slash from the Paladin as he dashes to Belli.

In reaching distance of her, Luctan casts Flight on the Bard, in order to give her some distance from the large arachnid.

Angry that she can’t get to Landis, Amelia opts to finish things off with knocking out Jeffrey Ramsey. And that she does in spectacular fashion as each of her blows strikes true and hard on the long range combatant’s body.

True to form, Amelia knocks his ass out, using all her strength, speed and inspiration for this task, right as Mournimar critically wounds and then finishes off one of Ramsey’s spiders. As Ramsey loses consciousness, the other Spider vanishes.

And thus, the two stop the menace that is the Spiders man.

Gagging over the spider doing it’s spidery-death thing aside, Mournimar hears the horn blow. The crowd erupting in cheers and chants as the battle comes to an end. And with it, the Spring Welcoming Tournament!

Celebrations begin as Amelia takes to her sister, before she gets escorted out of the arena with the rest of The Traveling Gentlemen. Luctan has no time to follow them with a gaze as Malak calls for Sammy to wrap himself around the lot of them and bring them into a Celebratory Group Hug, wherein compliments start flying from the refocused Tiefling in disguise.

An announcer joins The Cultbusters in the arena and, using a Thaumaturgical purple rock, declares them the winners, before handing them a golden key, which Mournimar accepts. This. This is the key to their new home.

Someone in the audience goes “Why didn’t you make her a T-Rex again?!” Amelia questions this too, but Belli assures her she just has to ask.

Fireworks blast overhead and Belli uses what time she has left under Luck’s spell to fly about, just overhead Mournimar to be the “taller one”.

As the high from the battle starts to go down, the party are given the address for the ball that will take place later on, which is funny, ‘cause it’s in the arena, ya know? The ball will be this evening and the victors are expected to wear their best wear. Which means, of course... Shopping time!

And shop they do. Right after they visit their new home, of course!

It is an enormous place, fitting for 5 people and guests in mind.

A stoney structure with a wooden fill in set between the rocks.

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 study rooms, kitchen and a dining area. There is a large greenery in the back that is their yard, perfect for gardening!

Each gets an outfit fitting their style, with the nuance of every party member spending their cut of ther 20,000 gold (4,000 each) in different ways.

Malak hands coin to the people around the area of their new home, near the Crematorium. His kindness brings many a smiles on people’s faces that day.

Belli, with the aid of Ficus, buys and delivers a ton of toys and money to the Orphanage, where she shakes Doreen, the Firbolg, to her knees with the display of kindness. With all this money... all kids will be able to go through school! And if anyone needs anything, Belli would gladly give more. Which brings Doreen to tears.

Santa Belli teaches kids the true meaning of D&D.

Amelia visits a couple of places. Harper’s Treats and later, her favorite flower shop in the city (which for some reason I didn’t write down in this session. Because I am dummy.) And from Lissandra, the Eladrin, she buys one of every baked good in the store.  Lissandra’s shooketh.

Mournimar, meanwhile, visits Dyunificus’ Temple and gives a large number of money, much to the awe of a halfling fellow, who winks at the praying tiefling. “Bless yoouuuuuu!”

All the while everyone spends their cash, Luck remains at their new home, in the room he picked for himself. There, he sits, half undressed and staring at the bag of coinage splayed on a fancy chair before him. He sits. And he ponders. Because that’s a lot of money and he has a lot of thoughts going through his fatigued mind.

As the night comes and people gather and enter the Echosmith once more, the party make their arrival. Fancy. As. Fuck.

Archers set up on top, to guard the area in case someone comes to wreck the festivities, the Cultbusters take notice of Idarys from Crystalgate’s Finest, who was placed as the lone guard on door duty.

Looking inside, there’s a grand buffet table and food and drink abound. Anything we can want? It’s there! For the pickings!!!

Aside from Idarys and most members of the Forest Hearted Bretheren, the second of whom opted out due to this fancy-schmancy stuff not being their thing, pretty much everyone is here from the different teams, even Gutrot from Miniature Mayhem! Though, his charges aren’t in sight. Oddly enough.

Ye Olde Ska music catches Belli’s attention and she points out the Kobold band “Less Than Drake” to everyone. Mostly playing horn instruments, there is a drummer among them.

Pete waves at the five from among the crowd, dressed in his finest tux, which makes him look even smaller. His work clothes having some bulk to them, apparently.

Without even saying a word, like their minds are in sync, Amelia and Luck grab large plates of fried chicken and bottles of Alcohol and bring them out to Idarys.

Who. Um. Yeah. “Confiscates” the contraband.

While Belli approaches the Band and Luck searches for Ficus, Malak takes heed of the people that have arrived at the celebration, while having himself a good nom.

Pretty soon Luck finds the Roguish Narah steals him away from Lord Arwen, with whom he had been having a conversation at the time. And then. They dance. With Belli, who convinced the Kobolds, to join them for a performance, using her clout as a Narah, herself.

And the boys dance. Going full Carameldancen on the dancefloor.

While this goes on, Mournimar and Samson meet up and catch up on old times. Samson admits that he hadn’t seen that much action before and after meeting the party and was genuinely glad to see them again. He missed adventuring with the lot of them.

Mournimar, suddenly, asks for a favor. He hands Samson 30 gold to split between himself, Savon and the guild. Which, Samson takes seriously as he writes the instructions on his hand. With blood. Go big or go home, huh?

The tiefling ranger then would help Samson with a request of his own, helping him to find a secluded area where he could just. Chill out from all the noise.Samson winds up on a balcony, where he relaxes and takes a puff from his pipe.

He congratulates Mourni on the win and then... well. Awkward nature lads fuck off to do their own things. Which leads Mournimar to Sabrina.

And Landis.

And they talk about the fight earlier in the day. “Good fight.” Mournimar feels apologetic for bruising Griffin’s ego, but Sabrina waves that off, saying that he needed to be taken down a peg.  “You know how men can be!” she jokes. But it flies over the poor tief’s head.

Looking to the dance floor, he tries to add mood lighting for the oblivious Luck and Ficus, but the anti-magic field around them prevents such usage.

Then, in an act of kindness that was not forseen, or maybe it was??? Mournimar hands 1,000 gold to Sabrina and Landis. Which just floors the wizard and Paladin, who admit that they were going to re-enter the tournament the following year.

Asked if he wanted anything in return for this exess of money, Mournimar declines. As it is a gift! To FRIENDS OF THE PARTY!!! Alas, Mourni is not good with handling money, it seemed...

This whole thing prods  Amelia to wander over soon enough, extra nervous over the situation at hand.  She worries if tieflings are just like that. Handing out money whenever, given Luck’s own track record with giving money out of kindness in the past.

Sabrina is just. Amazed. They could buy a house with this much money.  Pay off the schooling. Taking the money, she opts to head home and put it somewhere safe, while Landis follows soon enough after her. Confused and doesn’t know what to do with himself. It’s been a weird few days.

What follows is an... awkward talk. Mournimar tries to apologize for past behavior, not being good with words and general manners... But! But Mournimar wants to do better. By her, by everyone and aplogizes for any trouble caused in the past.

On her end... Amelia speaks as well.

She doesn’t hold it against Mournimar. But she cares a lot, really and is hurt, but “it’s ok” as she puts it.

Mournimar offers to talk with her, if she ever wants to  to talk or chat, but Amelia doesn’t seem to easily be reciprocating the comraderie with Mournimar.  If anything changes, just let me know.” – Mournimar states. And in turn,  Amelia suggests she’s too sober and she’s not in the mood for feelings. Normally any other day she’d be so happy, but it’s been a few days.

Looking about, they do see a variety of alcohols. Top shelf stuff. And Mournimar jokes about the Centaur Moonshine. Amelia, countering of course, that she was on a ship for 9 years. Worrying about her wouldn’t be necessary.

Um. Good talk there.

In the meanwhile, Belli would get herself into shenanigans with the Guards, revolving around Orion, his size and his very presence at the festivities, as animals weren’t allowed.

Half a table. Half of it! Cleared out by the chunky cat familiar. Shock and awe!

Eventually she and Mournimar join up again and play “Hot or Not”, judging the fancy people’s looks. It’s wild.

All the while, Malak keeps an eye out for anyone evil vibey.

He seems some people, who are high off their tits, no one malicious. With the high investigation check, he sees a gentleman, who wasn’t in any of the tournaments. He’s high elven, red haired, clearly getting on a lot in years, though. He gives off very low-key evil vibes. Like in the rich man billionaire evil kinda way. His vibes are fucking rancid, bro. That special kind of evil. You know? I can’t be evil, I give to charity” kinda evil.

Self rightcheous-morally corrupt vibes. His face seems familiar, but he’s unsure from where. He can’t quite recall him, sadly. Dude’s pale and has a tattoo on his ring finger of a snake eating it’s own tail. So maybe he’s a follower of Keemis, as well? Odd that such a person would, however.

He’s talking with Salvador, the Aasimar from the Crystalgate’s Finest.

Luck and Amelia each try to learn first hand from the man.

What Luctan learns is that this man is:

- Ingram Bretannen, one of the vigilants of the guard. Oldest and longest of them. Trained with the captain.

- The guy is bragadocious as fuck.

- People tried taking his money, but that was rumor and heresay. He offers us a job at Lucious Beckett’s. (Pete gave us his card).

- He’s been bullshitting a few of the stories, he’s been in the city for a while, something about the 30 years ago seems dishonest.

And while Luck would go off to find Malak and inform him of what knowledge he had gathered...

Amelia approaches, after talking with Malak as well about the guy, while Mournimar and Belli accidentally commit microaggressions against elven workers.

What she learns is...

- Ingram is high up in the guard. Old, snooty and also has a normal wedding ring, as well as the tattoo of the Keemis ring. In honor of one of his late wives.

- She creeps him out.

- His 3rd wife’s name is Arabella and he has 3 kids.  Gilme and twins Luanda and Ellis.

- His sister sails on the “Yellow Tail”.

- This Fuckmothering Shit looks a bit like NEL!

- He totally has had kids out of wedlock, based on his behavior!

(20 minutes of fantasy Billy Mays jokes follow as Belli makes acquaintances with one, Bardy Scott. Lauren kills us with laughter. It’s. It’s so good, ok?! You had to be there.)

Still on the search for Malak, who had already left for the Keemis Temple, Luctan winds up being passed by The Traveling Gentlefolk.Which he only really notices after getting patted on the shoulder by a passing Landis, arm in arm with Sabrina and the money.

He gets the feeling, from this gesture, that Landis was being friendly.

And as he watches them go... Luctan feels himself in turmoil...

As the night and festivities carry on, the four remaining decide to crash the night at Nel’s place. But before that, they agree to go over to the temple and bring Malak with them. He is, after all, a Cultbuster.

Small talk is had along the way over getting the cats kitty toys and bonding is had over the whole thing.

All the while Malak would talk with Mother Destine, discussing the man he was unnerved by at the familiar looking elven man (WHO IS DEFINITELY NOT NEL’S DAD! NO SIREE, BOB!)

After a short discussion (I really wish I could record the sessions for better summaries ; u ;;;; ), Malak walks out of the temple and is greeted by the party, happily taking them up on their offer to head to Nel’s.

Seriously. We need so much Guidance as a party. it’s ridicilous.

Nel welcomes the party, in pajamas. The good kind. Silk and pink. She’s got class, damn it! She congratulates the five on the achievement and she even made sweets for the occasion!

Zone Of Truth shenanigans happen after Nel jokes about being with Belli’s dad.

“Did you fuck my dad, Nel?!”

She didn’t, of course.

And then... wlel, the bombshell not so much drops, as it reaches the final stage of the explosion as Amelia admits to the rest of the party that she is retiring from her adventuring life.

After everything they had been through, Amelia was in a different place as a person. She had Archie. She had Nelatha? And now? Now she had even her sister back!

The party takes this in their own way. With Belli being the most vocal one as she enters a panic mode over how to break the news to the animals. With Morgan vibing at the new mannor the party have, what are they to do with this info?!

Amelia is certain in her decision. And though Luctan keeps quiet and focuses as much of a brave face as he can, on the inside it’s a whole different story.

All this and there is so much work to do too.

Jobs from River and Pete. A revisit to Lake Stren? Going back to Menum to see if anything can be done for Luck’s body?!.

Luck’s body... Oh, now there was a story that needed more elaboration, eh?

As though on a whim, maybe more to it, of course, Luck removed the ring from his right middle finger and his form would change into his true body. And the glamour he had put his festive suit under faded, showing the deep gold color, instead of the fresh mint vibe that was there for hours on end.

He does so. and elaborates as much as he can brave to Malak and Nel. Why the ring. Why the vendetta. Why the everything that he can tell them, except what he had confided in Amelia.

And as the revelation of Luck’s appearance hits the last two members of the party, the new Malak and the honorary Nelatha, this episode comes to an end...

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#art #my art #Seon Adventures #D&D #Dungeons & Dragons #DnD #Dungeons and Dragons #Amelia Zephyrine #Air Genasi Monk #Belli Narah #Half-Orc Bard #Luctan Evenchord #Tiefling Fighter #Malak #Human Cleric #Mournimar Da'Vir #Tiefling Ranger #Ficus Narah #Half-Orc Rogue #The Cultbusters #The Traveling Gentlemen #The Traveling Gentlefolk #Griffin Tallywork #Jeffrey Ramsey #Dink #Sabrina #Landis #Spring Welcoming Festival #Tournament Arc

[kaiju-z]

Seon Adventures Episode 27: "Poison & Polymorph”

Last time on Seon Adventures, the Cultbusters entered the Colliseum, known as the Echosmith Hall. There, they met their rivals in the 7 other teams participating to win the hearts of the populace and the prizes that would go to the victor: 20,000 gold pieces and a mansion to their name.

Amongst friends and acquaintances, our heroes came face to face for the first (for most of them) time with the re-established “Traveling Gentlefolk”. Landis, the Paladin of Fornas, the Roguish Griffin Tallywork, the Bard Dink Jawbone, the crotchety archer Jeffrey Ramsey... and new member, Sabrina, sister of Amelia.

Wordless, Luctan would bear witness to his wings, held together by a strange contraption. And fueled by a strange liquid. His tail, sold or ground down for spell components.

After a panic attack and encouragement from his more familiar party members, the party would reconvene and wait for their turn to take on the 1st, the Elemental, challenge and ultimately succeed.

As half the teams would pass on... The Cultbusters, The Darksbane’s Elite, The Foresthearted and The Traveling Gentlefolk, day one of the tournament draws closer to it’s end... And we resume with our story, as our heroes would return to the Shadowspire Mansion, under their ally and client, Nelatha Shadowspire.

While the rest of the party join up with their host for a few hearty games of her choosing, the duo of Mournimar and Belli, Belli and Mournimar, would take to a room to plot their vowed plot to make life harder for the people, who ruined their friend’s life.

Calling over Ficus as their accomplice, they would formulate a clever, if tricky to time plan, involving knock out poison and theft, not just of Landis’ stolen wings, but also of items of their own, which they’d keep obvious to their person for easier access and alibi.

After about an hour of planning, they would take to the Tabernax Tavern, the common watering hole for either party and wait for Landis’ arrival. 10 minutes into their wait, they would see two figures come, one after the other, at seperate times, but common locations. One, appearing Half-Orcish and with a familiar pink band on his wrist, while the other, seemingly an Half-Elf of some sort, his face covered.

Soon enough, Landis would come as well. And enter the tavern he would, an awkward pace to him as he’d carry the wings along, not necessarily on his back, but on his person. With a nod and a half salute, he would join the tiefling and Half-Orc at the table, where they’d have drinks and hold their talk as Belli prepared herself to take notes.

He would begin the tale. And wouldn’t sugar coat it, like Griffin had mentioned, he wasn’t very good at describing this sort of thing: 

“ We found this guy and we thought he was a tiefling, because he looked like one, we invited him to drink with us, because we are reasonable guys and he revealed he was from Potencia’s realm. It was fucked up, you know, because we thought he was a tiefling, but he admitted he was a devil of Potencia’s.”

He would admit and repeat that they took his wings that day. “It was fucked up, you know?” He hated Potencia, after all. And anyone, who was under her had to be stopped, right?

Though skeptic of the story, Mournimar would believe it, while Belli would question the rationale that they just up and chopped a drunk guy’s wings off, over something he said in a sloshed state.

“Dink figured out how to work the wings and we ground the tail into a gel to make the wings fly.“ They had been using them since. And given the state of those wings, it must have taken a while.

As the conversation would carry on, Belli demanding details, a bit of a flourish for the song to be written here, the Elf/Orc hybrid would feel something small stab into her neck. A clear sign that the moment had come.

Feeling the effects of the knock out juice, she’d let it take her to the floor and Mournimar would soon come down as well from a dart to the neck as well. And then Landis would join them as well, failing to steel himself to the effects of the darts.

As they rumage through the trio for their items of choice, Kit taking a wristlet that Ficus had given to Belli and Mournimar “losing” a sword in the process, she’d wink and whisper to her musically inclined “mark”: “ Hope you missed me.” and they’d quickly exit with the equipment, wings in tow.

It would take them about 20 minutes, before they’d regain their footing, with Landis having dashed out to search for the thieves, in spite of not catching a hide, nor hair of them in sight.

After talking their way out of having to call the guards, because of the thieves, they’d go look for Landis, but sadly fail to find him and opt to return to the mannor for RnR, in hopes to reunite with their roguish friends.

All the while this had been happening, Nel would be cleaning house against the three heroes in the games of Strip Poker and Monopoly.

Never bet against the house. ‘cause the house is hustlin’.

Those games would continue on, well into the night, when Mournimar and Belli would return home. Excittedly they’d proclaim that they were mugged.

“Well, you should have stayed home and played strip monopoly!”  a very sassy and satisfied lady would answer them in turn.

As Belli gets the ok from Ficus that they made it safe, she tries to use her acting skills before her friends to play it off like she was tired. And while Luck didn’t notice it, Amelia noticed the off phrasing the girl would use.

“I don’t know what you guys’re up to, but be careful, I don’t fucking know, I guess?” Don’t mess with the sharp eye of a sailor. “ You order your dildo in the morning, you get your dildo! “

“What’s a dildo?” Luck would ask, without skipping a beat.

(While we laugh our asses out of character) Belli and Mournimar would head upstairs, where they’d be joined by their animal friends, one way or another, before Belli would check her door.

Opening it.... she’d see Gorruck from Victrum?! ON HER BED?!!! WITH A ROSE IN HIS MOUTH?!!!!!! Nanithefuck?!

“What are YOU doing here?!” she’d demand to know from the thick half-orc. Only late in the question noticing that he had Kit’s wristband. And as he turned into Kit, her mood would flip in an instant as Kit would howl with laughter at the reaction of her dear musician.

She would reveal that Ficus was currently selling off the wristlet. Whether that was the original goal for the item or not, was uncertain. Still, there she was and she would point to the wings beside the bed as proof of their success.

The overconfident duo would cheer for their success. They did it! They did something that used brains! And in their excitement they would call for Luck to come join them over something. Spiders or whatever?!

“Okay, let me just put my trousers on!” - Luck would say, before climbing the stairs to the others. He would see Kit. He would then look to where the other twou would point with their hands, smiling and easing him into the sight.

They expected him to be happy and excited to see those again.

He wasn’t.

Luck would stand there.

Quiet. Stupified. Mouth agape for a few short moments, eyes on the bastardized limbs he had been seperated from. And then and only then would he look to the others again. Purpose and an ever rising anxiety on his face.

In a mix of fury, fear and shell shock he would point to the nearest exit and would demand Kit to take them and bring them out of town. As fast and as far as she could. Burn them if she had to! He didn’t care. In that moment that he had been quiet Luck had seen and thought of something that horrified him to this point of outburst, mixed with the pain of what he had been put through.

An aggreived Kit would do so, holding her own in the face of Luck’s reaction, held raised high as she made her leave with the contraption.

On her way down, Amelia would see the wings and put things together over what could have happened.

As Kit goes and is gone from sight, Luck explains his reasoning to the confused and yet, concerned Ranger and Bard. The Traveling Gentlefolk had spellcasters between them. Enough to where at least one of them would have the “Locate Object” spell. In the state the wings were, by this point, they were an Object. They would be concidered objects and thus, easily trackable.

They had to be destroyed. Be it so TTG wouldn’t find them or so that Luck wouldn’t have to see them as they were. Either worked in Luck’s mind. In the state he was in, he began to lament ever revealing himself to them. Involving them in his own damn drama as he did.

They would, in turn, beg him not to think that way. They wanted to help him with however they could and didn’t consider these consequences. They wanted to make things right, damn it!

Luck would, before leaving to get back to the game with the rest of the party, ask them to keep him informed of Kit’s condition, if they’d want to make things right.

And Belli would try to do so. At first, every hour on the hour she’d try to message the changeling to make sure she was ok.

At first it’d seem like she would be ok.

But her last message, before sleep, would get an answer that Kit was being approached by multiple people.

In the morning, as she’d try to call her again with her magic re-filled, Belli would cast Sending again, to make sure Kit was ok.

But there was no answer.

That could mean one of few things.

And only a handful were positive.

She’d message Ficus and ask him to check on Kit, wherever she may be. To track her if possible, because she didn’t reply to her specific message. 

A level of worry would arise as she would have these thoughts stuck at the front of her mind. No answers, only questions. Even informing Luck didn’t seem to help as he only wound up feeling responsible for whatever fate was befalling her.

Still. The group would gather and have their meal, before heading out.

On the way to the Echosmith Hall, they would plan a course of action.

Through some plotting between the five of them, they would come up with an initial gameplan, in the situation they faced one single, large target.

Belli would turn it into a small and fragile creature. Luck would cast a spell on Amelia, through his sword. Which he would reveal had “Flight” as one of it’s slotted abilities. 

Amelia would fly as high as she could in the air and spike the polymorphed creature to the Colliseum grounds and, while she flew back down, the others would finish it off, if gravity’s crunch didn’t take it out first.

That was the initial plan, if it was a single target. If multiples, they would improvise, of course.

At the Hall, they would be approached by Sabrina, concerned over what had transpired the day before, the whole “theft” thing. Mournimar had luckily not brought the “stolen” short sword with him to make things authentic.

Landis had told her what happened and she wanted to be sure they were ok. They played it off as best they could, given the circumstances and took note that the lads of Sabrina’s team did not have the wings with them.

There was hope!

Ficus would then message Belli. He had gotten to her trail, somewhere outside of town. There was blood near a river and signs of struggle. But there didn’t appear to be a sign of her form anywhere, yet.

That was a worriesome thing to learn. But at the same time, as the others would point out, it was also a good sign. It meant that Kit wasn’t necessarily in the worst possible situation she could be. It’s possible that she was in prison.

After further Sending messaging, the first horn would be blown. Luck would approach Belli and promise her that they would find Kit after this was done and they would do what they could to help her in the situation she was in.

With the encouragement given, Belli decided to conserve spells for the tournament and have Orion, in a chunky Robin form, fly over to Ficus with a message to check the dungeons, in case she was brought to prison...

The Horn would blow again.

Deep breaths were had by the five, as they would be the first to go out and fight today.

And they’d step out through the opening doors, to the center of the arena, to the cheers of a crowd that had shrunken some. It would appear that, with some of the teams having lost and/or left the grounds, their respective fans had made their exit as well. Their mistake.

The Cultbusters were gonna put on a show.

And so here they were, the Five, with all eyes on them in Round 2 of the tournament. The Spring Welcoming Festival.  The Trial of the Beast.

A challenge involving combat with a mighty beast that establishes victors as a cut above the rest of the competitors. Whichever team in their respective brackets takes down their beast faster or stays in tact the longest will advance to the final round. The Trial Of The Betrayed. As long as the party don’t lose 3 people in the fight, they are still in the trial.

As we stand and wait, the flagman lowers his namesake, signifying the release of the creature.

A large pair of monstrous gates get opened to the East of the VIP seats and our attention gets drawn to the aftershocks of thick legs moving, stomping onto the ground.

His figure is big and lengthy. Scales can be seen on the massive body on any area that isn’t covered in intricate feathers. As the party, and public, can only stare in awe, the monstrous carnivore shoots it’s head back and releases a roar from it’s toothy maw...

As The Cultbusters’ fight begins... versus the T-Rex.

Initiative is taken and Belli attempts to go for the pre-planned strategy.

She tries to polymorph the giant into something small and weak, but the starving theropod fights through the spell with his instinct. Regaining what control he can.

Amelia charges in, regardless and begins striking. Left. Right. A flurry of blows against the powerful legs of this Apex-Predator from a land unknown to the lot of them. And it still stands.  The enraged, wounded beast, would look down to the woman, who tried to back away and with a quick dive of the head would snatch Zephyrine between his jaws, putting the piercing squeeze of his knife like teeth onto her.

Mournimar takes to the back and uses his long-distance arrows to strike the creature as best he can as Malak casts Beacon of Hope for Maximum healing. Because the lot of them sure would need it against a thing like that.

As Luck charged in, the scaly golliath would try to render Amelia in half with his jaws. But she managed to avoid most of the damage, positioning herself some at an angle, where only one of it’s chomps would affect her.

Luck would swing with his sword, trying to get the Rex to drop her. To get the attention onto himself. He’d chop and slash and cut into the pheasant colored dinosaur’s left leg, after casting Bane onto him as he and Malak had advanced close.

The aching giant would swing it’s tail, smashing Luctan in the face with his thick tail as it failed to get any further damage in on the Air Genasi, who struggled and punched and pounded to free herself...

But therein came the surprise of it all.

Because before Luck had ran in to personally aid in her rescue, he had given Belli instructions to Polymorph Amelia in the mirror image of her lizardy predator.

Consent to the transformation given by the blue brawler, the magical musician would cast. And within a bright light, Amelia’s body would grow. And shift and change. The force damage repelling the T-Rex back a bit from the sudden change of proportions and perspective.

As he’d stare into the infuriated eyes of a storming blue lady Rex.

As lightning flickered off her cloud like head feathering, Amelia would charge on the carnivore and, with Luck making way, she’d snap her jaws onto the male theropod’s neck. Biting and chomping violently and angrily.

The battle would change completely, with one simple use of Polymorph. Amelia had the upper hand, or, well, upper bite strength in the conflict and she would physically wreck the real dinosaur with all the power and fury of her being, giving Mournimar the change to finish the captured beast off.

With the pre-placed Hunter’s Mark and with a good angle, he stealthily fired his Sparrow Arrows into the ancient creature’s mouth and through the back of it’s head, ending the suffering it had been put through...

With it’s lifeless body going down for the count, the crowd would go wild and explode in cheers as Amelia roared in intoxicating power as the absolute beast that she was, Luctan climbing on her back and hanging from the side of her neck as her own personal hypeman.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, AMELIA ZEPHYRINE!”

What happened then? After Amelia was released from the Polymorph, Malak and Luctan would apply a maximum of healing on her wounds from being bitten. And check to make sure she was ok as they stepped in the unoccupied waiting area.

While not in as much pain as she initially was, she was riding on the high of being a T-Rex. She felt so powerful. Never felt anything like it before, she admitted to the others, Belli specifically. The two now had something fascinating to talk about later on..

Next the horn would blare for The Darksbane Elite.

Their group would ocme out and face a large threat of their own. A Giant Ape of some sort.

And that would cause them some trouble. In the while it took them to bring the simmian to it’s knees, the orcishly inclined party members got to feel the sensation of meeting minds against their will. Getting manhandled by the creature of unusual size.

The Silverback Ape would hold it’s own in the fight, up until a Hasted Layla Duststone would swing her blade and decapitate the creature, once it’s attention was fully off her and on the orcish ones, who would restrain it’s arms.

Sadly for them, they took much longer than the fast Cultbusters and thus, they were the ones, who’d have to fall back home.

On the Foresthearted ones’ turn it was even harder. They fought TWO large beasts. Two Giant Crocodiles!!!

Though the changeling on the team did turn into a giant crocodile to combat one, she didn’t have the experience of being such a creature, quite like the real, genuine article and the scene would get pretty grizzly,

Through wounds and time the five would manage to take out the crocodiles... But with 3 of them down for the count, the chances of them advancing were slim pickings.

On the Traveling Gentlefolk’s turn, the five would face two Mammoths.

The supports focused their casting on buffering their Tank, in Landis, and DPS, in Griffin. They did this and they worked on it from a safe distance as the two would work over the large creatures, eventually felling the furry herbivores.

And so, a fated result would happen.

The Cultbusters.

vs.

The Traveling Gentlefolk.

Tomorrow, within the Echosmith Hall’s grounds. One team to stand. One to fall. One to take the riches, the other to be returned to consciousness....

Fate was a funny thing like that.

The ‘busters make their exit and are quickly met by Orion, in Robin form. A letter attached to his leg.

Belli would check the letter and stare in confusion as it appeared to be a strange shopping list. Showing it to Mournimar, however, he’d get a totally different result from it.

Quirking a brow, he’d be able to read the Thieves’ Cant as a message.

“Found her. She’s alive, but not great. Follow the instructions below to get to our safe house”

From here, the party would make a split again. The Three more-related to her condition going to the location... and the others heading back to the mannor, where they’d game with Nel.

The tieflings and half-orc would follow them dutifully, each and every instructed movement, keeping to themselves until they reached a place that would remind them of Ficus’ place in Sa-Doma’s outskirts. A small puddle of crimson was half-congealed on the ground, before the entrance, which unnerved Belli enough to go for the door first.

Unlocked, she’d go in after seeing a certain horrible sight through her familiar’s eyes, followed by Mournimar and then Luck.

Whenst inside, they would see Ficus, washing a rag off from blood as he was tending to a badly bleeding Kit.

Without wasting a moment, the talkers of the group cast their Healing Word, while Mournimar approached and finished things off with a higher level of Cure Wounds.

No longer having to worry about conking out, while bleeding out, with her cuts magically closing, Kit was out like a light, her breathing the only sign she was alive.

With the worry for her well being lowered from a code red to a much easier hue, Luck would take a stand and apologize for what had occured. Taking the full blame for Kit’s condition. He would stand there and apologize for involving the two in his own personal “bullshit”.

The two at his sides would protest and stand their ground with their own involvement in the situation. And Ficus? Ficus would ask Luck not to apologize. As friends are supposed to help friends, referring to their involvement in the winged plot. And he warns him not to give monetary compensation for what hapened, lest Kit scream his head off for the audacity.

Luctan would note that this is something that happens to them. And to their loved ones, when they don’t talk. When they keep these knds of important things to themselves. He would go off into talking about how the three of them tended to absorb themselves into their own little thing, leaving the others out. Amelia specifically. Malak was still new and there were growing pains there, after Burk made his exit almost 3 weeks ago. But Amelia? Amelia had been there from the start. The smartest amongst them.

Luctan would reveal to the others the conversation he had with Amelia, two weeks prior, when the party didn’t join her for what was originally planned to be the dinner with Sabrina. The hurt and disappointment... the personal realization and shame of it all.

He asked them to try and open up to Amelia. Not because he asked them to, however, but out of their own will to genuinely interact with her. Spend the time to know her, like in the few occasions she and he had, when on the road and the first couple of nights in the capitol.

That was what he said to them in this outburst of emotion. And then, still feeling responsible, rightfullly so, he felt, as he was the one, who told Kit to run with the wings, Luctan would demand that there had to be something he could do, for all this effort. The blood, sweat and tears that went up in crimson and flames.

Belli would make a suggestion that the two, Ficus and Luck, go out on a date, as recompence. Whether in spite or because of the Narah siblings’ energy and behavior, Luctan would approach Ficus and offer him a deal.

Tomorrow, whether or not the Cultbusters won their fight and tournament, the rogues would join them for a party at the tavern. And whenever that post-tournament festivity would occur... Luctan would ask for a dance with Ficus.

Evidently something agreed upon, Luctan would take to giving Ficus a kiss on the cheek, before asking him to tell Kit to meet with him for a personal apology later on..

And then? After that?

Luck would check with the others, see how they were handling themselves after the hard day’s fight.

Malak had been praying to his deity, Keemis, for good luck in tomorrow’s finale. For a swift victory by the Cultbusters.

Amelia was doing much better, compared to where she was at the end of the fight. Though, she admitted something tragic to her red friend:

“I fear I may never experience the high of being a T-Rex again.”

“I assure you, the opportunity will come again.” Luck would answer her, encouraging her to believe! To hold onto that dream! Where there was a will, there was a way, after all, as that new saying went.

Luck thanked her. For being herself. For everything they had been through and for being the person she was. He was glad, thankful for knowing her. Someone, whom he could admire.

Amelia was thankful as well, Luck’s sincerety being only slightly surprising in how he had phrased himself.

The two would hype each other some, for the next couple of minutes, for tomorrow’s battle, win or lose. To have a hell of a bash afterwards. But totally and preferrably to win, you know?!

As Amelia helped Luck with cleaning his face from dry blood from the Rex’ tail attack, she would ask him, with his wings now completely gone, what he was going to do.

He admitted that he didn’t know. Those don’t grow back, nor does the tail. So he guessed he’d have to carry on from this point forward without them. As less than a typical tiefling.

Then she said something. Pointed out a random fact that he, as a tourist to this land, did not know about. “Well, Druids had that ability to regenerate limbs, right?”

An awkward silence would follow as Luck tried to piece things together. Honestly baffled by that. “What?”

“Th-that’s why you went up to talk with Savon, right? If you could get your wings back?!”

While Luck did go and did reveal his condition to Savon.... the way a response was phrased by the centaur wasn’t exactly pointing that he could do that?!

But the notion that that was possible made Luctan’s brain work in overdrive. Bringing him to a realization that drove him to lie down on the ground, stupified.

And as the two had an awkward friends moment, with Amelia suggesting the two go see the druids later, whenever, we end this episode.

One more sleep, before the Tournament Finale.

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#art #my art #Seon Adventures #D&D #DnD #Dungeons & Dragons #Dungeons and Dragons #Air Genasi Monk #Amelia Zephyrine #Half-Orc Bard #Half-Orc Rogue #Belli Narah #Ficus Narah #Half-Elf Bard #Nel #Nelatha Shadowspire #Tiefling Fighter #Luctan Evenchord #Human Cleric #Malak #Tiefling Ranger #Mournimar Da'Vir #Orion the Cat #Sabrina the Wizard #Human Wizard #Kit #Changeling Rogue #T-Rex #Tyranosaurus Rex #Mammoth