- Enuffdain, Male Elf Paladin
- Garrus Ironside, Male Dwarf Cleric
- Lupin Damakos, Female Tiefling Rogue + Willow, Cat Animal Companion
A brief explanation. Mini-Adventures are what we play when there are two to three PCs, or when key players who are pivotal to the plot are absent. Mini-Adventures are one-off stories, while not part of our campaign (or a campaign unto itself), there is some consistency and reoccurring NPCs.
The Heroes enquire as to why the Kenku want Coni imprisoned. The Queen Kenku replies that Coni is a blight on the forest, and that she will bring ruin and decay to all if left unchecked. Garrus confronts the bickering birdmen with Coni’s accusations: That they are thieves and highway men that deserve to be punished. Bluff checking the feathered foes, Garrus rolls a mighty 1. Unable to detect anything, he fumes in indecisiveness. Enuf and Lupin also roll bluff checks; Enuf deduces that they are lying, but Lupin’s roll ties. Unsure of their findings, the Kenku Queen sows more seeds of confusion. Accusing The Heroes of murdering anyone they disagree with, to the point of calling them monsters; stealing treasure without thought of returning it to the rightful owners; she asks: "How are we so different from one another?"
Uncertain of what to do next, Lupin decides they should regroup and rethink. Tempting Garrus with the promise of alcohol, the teen-age Tiefling convinces the others to reconvene at the nearest Inn. The Heroes make a vague promise to the Kenku Queen, that they will return with Coni.
Garrus and Enuf flop down in one room and quickly pass out. Lupin and Willow take the room across the hall and leave the door open a crack, so she can keep an eye on her companions’ door. As everyone sleeps (passes out), four ghosts materialize in the hallway, creeping into The Heroes rooms. At the sight of the spirits entering her room, Lupin leaps out a window and re-enters the Inn, alerting everyone that ghosts are lurking.
With Garrus awake, Enuf eagerly retells his companions of the new quest for Owlbears he has secured for them. The Innkeeper’s ears perk up at this, and he insists that they need a hunting dog. He produces a little white dog named Balto, that he claims is not only a hunter, but that he can speak! All for the low price of 100 gold coins. To prove it, he asks the hound: What’s on the top of a house? The dog replies: Roof. He then asks: What’s on the side of a tree? The dog answers: Bark. As a final question, he asks: What goes best with cheese? The canine replies: Whine. Lupin dismisses the Innkeeper as a fraud, but Enuff is enthralled. He asks Lupin for money to purchase the dog, but Lupin refuses. Enuff decides to test the dog himself. He asks: How does sandpaper feel? The pooch replies: Ruff. That’s it! Enuf is sold. He pulls out 100 gold coins of his own and buys the precious pup, deciding to rename the dog Madmartigan, to Lupin’s cat, Willow.
Lupin sat next to the fireplace of the Inn. Spread before her was a sumptuous breakfast feast, enough for three people. Stacking her plate high, she tried to remember when was the last time she had a delicious, hot meal, served in a safe, warm setting. Just as she raises a forkful of steaming scrambled eggs to her lips, Enuf appears besides her. Scooping up Lupin and Willow in one hand, while grabbing a fistful of bacon in the other, the three companions teleport away in a flash, while the Inn’s inhabitants gasp with wonder. The forkful of eggs bounces off the table, and splatters over the bearskin rug.
Searching the room, The Heroes find a secret doorway that can only be opened by solving a series of Horrible Puns about Superstitions.
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 1: Ebony Feline.*
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 2: Equestrian Footwear.**
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 3: Cottontail’s 12-Inches.***
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITIONS PUN NUMBER 4: Quad-petal Shamrock.****
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 5: Cracked Reflector.*****
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 6: Pass Under an Ascender.******
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 7: Tree Tapping.*******
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 8: Overturned Sodium.********
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 9: Jason’s Day.*********
HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION PUN NUMBER 10: Precipitation Knot.**********
With a click, the floor begins to sink, as The Heroes realize that the entire room is a descending platform, they hop on. Upon reaching the bottom, The Heroes use the Hook Horror’s bodies for cover/to cower. They see a large room, the sides covered with crates and chest of the merchandise and gold the Kenkus had stolen from unwary travelers. At the rear, is a raised platform, where the Kenku and their queen sit.
Magic against muscle, sorcery versus steel, the Kenkus give The Heroes a surprising run for their money. Once again, setting up overlapping fields of healing and damage, The Heroes whittle down their foes, until the queen proposes a truce: The Heroes can have all the Treasure, if they let them leave. The Heroes agree and loot through the stacks of purloined goods, finding much gold.
Thoughts on this Session: Once again, another great session in which everyone played in character. I truly felt that all decisions were character based. From Garrus forgoing his quest for justice at the mention of alcohol, to Lupin refusing to journey with her companions over a free breakfast. Enuf was hilarious as a stuttering drunkard, who still managed to find a commission, despite his ignorance of Owlbears. Players have discovered the advantage of overlapping fields of healing and attack with surprising effectiveness. Actual talking and dealings with both enemies and npcs alike? Almost unheard of in past sessions. Enuf teleporting Lupin away, before her first bite of breakfast, was both ingenious and hilarious. Players were even excited about continuing future plot lines of hunting Owlbears, meeting the Kenku Queen again, and finding out who fired the mysterious fireball at the inn! Maybe they will even begin to remember npc names and events??? Bravo to all!!!
* Ebony Feline: Ebony = Black; feline = cat – Black Cat.
** Equestrian Footwear: Equestrian = horse; footwear = shoe – Horse Shoe.
*** Cottontail’s 12-Inches: Cottontail = rabbit; 12-inches = foot – Rabbit’s Foot.
**** Quad-petal Shamrock: Quad-petal = four-leaf; shamrock = clover – Four-leaf Clover.
***** Cracked Reflector: Cracked = broken; reflector = mirror – Broken Mirror.
****** Pass Under an Ascender: Pass under = walk under; ascender = ladder – Walk Under a Ladder.
******* Tree Tapping: Tree = wood; tapping = knock – Knock on Wood.
******** Overturned Sodium: Overturned = spilt; sodium = salt – Spilt Salt.
********* Jason’s Day: Jason = antagonist from movie – Friday the 13th.
********** Precipitation Knot: Precipitation = rain; knot = bow – Rainbow.
Each Player received a random Drama Card for solving a pun.