Session 42: Uppercut
General Summary
- Captain Frederick and Bengt meet back up with Psilos and the party to continue their preparations and go shopping. And Psilos leads them around to various shops to pick up supplies and get Bengt a lighter breastplate as well as pick up a Wand of Conducting for Kayl. The Myconid also makes sure to point out the Penitents and cautioning them of crossing the creatures. He mentions that the hulking golems each contain and imprison one of Shacklegorscht's criminals, and the Penitent are a form of capital punishment in addition to a powerful security force.
- While shopping, Frederick is lead away by Vyl to complete his paperwork laying claim to the Hunt and Harvest of the Purple Worm, in which he does confirm that it is the largest Purple Worm ever taken in Shacklegorscht territory.
- Back at the Inn, the party readies Bengt for his fight. Gurgleglark informs him that his opponent is known as "The Fridge" and is a resident champion at the Bargewright. Frederick and Kayl both place bets on Bengt (Though Frederick does so with borrowed funds from Odila) and when Bengt wrecks the White Dragonborn in a very showy match, there is applause and copious drinks all around.
- Frederick heads upstairs early in an attempt to scribe the profane spell out of his mind and after a few difficult attempts tries to use his Ring of Focus only to find it missing and the voice in his head continuing to encouraging him to give it the spell. As the difficulties mount, he calls Kayl to assist with Guidance and Enchance Ability and attempts to continue. Together they get to the very end of the spell, only for Frederick's weariness to flub one of the final runes. Kayl casts protection, and Frederick counterspells the planar portal that opens but the scroll explodes, destroying the room and damaging both of them, much to the consternation of Gurgleglark. Frederick and Kayl inquire if the voice is still present in the wizard's mind only to discover it growing a personality (a sardonic one) and that it does not like clerics.
- In the morning, the party briefs Gurgleglark of the plan, and they begin to set things in motion. Plan A is for Bengt and Soma-Rai to stash themselves inside the Janitor's Closet while she gets close to the Nightshade Vault and coats herself in Oil of Etherealness which should allow her to bypass most of the security and sneak in to go rescue Qedan Shadowhame, where she will find a door to get Bengt and Soma-Rai out as back up. The plan is to then put Qedan in the closet or take him with Odila as she uses the Ring of Spell Storing to cast Dimension Door and exfiltrate.
- Kayl and Frederick assume the guises of Dripzt Kobaular - a famed musician, and Dwarve Rockpun - a... very tall dwarf to use Gurgleglark's invitation to infiltrate the Nightshade Ball, in case Odila does need the key or password for any reason. Frederick also recieves and invitation for his true identity under the accomplishment of his Purple Worm hunt.
- Almost as an after-thought Gurgleglark adds that, while she's in there, if Odila can grab a specific artifact The Eyes of the Spider while she's in there. He mentions that it is a Nightshade heirloom and would be quite a powerful point in his political corner, and an embarassment to the Nightshades if it went missing.
