Session 33: Comics, Monkeys, Fugu Fish, and a Yokazuna
General Summary
Everyone catches back up at Hobb's after a couple days tending business around Waterdeep:
Silas made contact with Botby, a groom working for Lord Mirt
Anya (flitting around as a Gossamer Tit) spent some time with Sikander and trying to learn more about the fate of Sehanine
"Sikander's Day Out" last two days, may have created general chaos and destruction, along with making new friends
Offa spent time studying a family text and learned how to summon a familial familar bat. (NAME)
Gathering, Hobb fills the party in on their next steps, as Edo is a completely different place with different language and culture. He warns they will be beyond his and the Sands assistance while there as there is special magic in place hindering some kinds of magic. Additionaly, he hands them each a sending stone, but cautions those in power will know if the stone is used.
They continue discussing what little information Hobb's has to share with them, including:
Social appearances will mean a great deal more and that courtesy is NOT a weakness
There are the people of Nejong and those of the Spirit World that live in Edo. Best to gauge each person and interaction
Most speak a dialect of common known as Nejongo
Necrotic magic will be alerted to the Cherries, who are monitoring the use of magic.
While this discussion goes on, the others figure out how to purchase the tokens faster, and they are purchased for Silas, Sikander, Anya, Tal, Offa, and NAME. The pets are hidden or invisible (because they aren't allowed), but use their tokens to make sure nothing sets off alarms. Once they are all through the turnstiles, Silas and Sikander are in awe of the sleek gnomish train cars, each with a large stripe of blue energy down the sides. At the back of the train, Silas notes a large cannon that seems as if it would hold the train.
Sikander takes off toward the front train and barges in, finding a massive man, with Anya and Tal on his heels. Silas and Offa are taking their time when Silas bumps into a woman and her daughter, sending a small toy falling along the tracks. After a couple failed attempts, Offa is able to collect the toy and return it to the girl, prompting the mother to switch from yelling at Silas to thanking him, pressing an odd sphere into his hand. Looking closer, he finds an 8 sided disk with a strange kanji on it (the same as on the second car).
Sikander meanwhile is challenged by the giant man, so he accepts, Offa joinging Anya, who is standing to the side with Tal watching. He wins the bout by unintentionally casting "Command" and is called out for it. They both agree to redo the fight.
Before the second fight commences, Silas has a scare with a special drink from the very posh, cool aired car he is in. Deciding to drink the clear liquid with a piece of a sea creature in it, Silas finds his throat closing and is poisoned. Panicking, he fights out of the car and gets to Anya, who recognizes Silas is poisoned, mostly due to his bloated face, and she heals him. Scent finally speaks up and shares he has a rudimentary ability to understand Nejongo, and helps Silas to translate.
Sikander and the wrestler begin their second, fair, non-magic fight, and both do well, with a few throws that have various party members pinned in very unfortunate places. As the fight ends, he compliments Sikander in near perfect common, and acknowledges that Silas was prepared to jump into the fight to help, wondering how he would do. He then introduces himself as Haka-ho and offers them all a kind of sake. They all partake in some fashion, except Silas (still mistrustful of drinks at the moment) who explains this great Yokazuna was the biggest reason for his depature of the luxury care. Some time eating and drinking together, Anya struggling with the two sticks given to eat, while the others do fine or simply drink it straight from the giant bowls, much to Haka-ho's amusement.
As short time later, the train backs up and Haka-ho warns them to hang on, so Anya anchors everyone with her rope. A short way into the trip, there are odd jelly fish like creatures visible outside, and Haka-ho explains they are the spirits of the long dead. Anya feels very drawn to them, only knowing a void as a place of waiting for her next life. During this conversation, the train suddenly stops, throwing Anya and sending Offa into Haka-ho's ample bosom. Looking back, they quickly realize something is happening further back on the train.
Silas has no issues unlocking door to the luxury car. Quickly moving across, they get into the third car and find it overcrowded. After a few mishaps with Silas getting squished, he finally disguises himself as a drone serving drinks, opening up a path. Looking toward the fourth car, it is clear the car is going to disconnect and it is full of people. Sikander jumps to the fourth car after Anya anchors him to the third, Anya shifts into a bronze wyrmling and flies up, holding the car as straight as she can, while Silas and Offa work to move folks from the third into the second car. (During the chaos, the monkey is lost and rescued a second time.
Eventually, they rescue everyone and get back to the front car, finding Haka-ho still sound asleep. The guys snag his drink and each have one themselves and then settle back in for a rest.
Gathering, Hobb fills the party in on their next steps, as Edo is a completely different place with different language and culture. He warns they will be beyond his and the Sands assistance while there as there is special magic in place hindering some kinds of magic. Additionaly, he hands them each a sending stone, but cautions those in power will know if the stone is used.
They continue discussing what little information Hobb's has to share with them, including:
----Be listening out for word of Lord Mirt while there as he was working closely with the Cherries here in Waterdeep
Hobb's then transports them to the station, and they head out to find the turnstiles, an office with a deep gnome, and an odd dispenser. Spending an hour entering the gold (150gp) Silas eventually collects his odd, watermelon token. Unsure how to proceed he strikes up a conversation with Namba the deep gnome. He learns they are to purchase the fruit token and place it on the turnstile. The interaction starts rough, with Silas being called Duloth (prancing gnome, or an insult for surface gnome), then shifts as they discuss the comic run "The Ballad of Hugert Hanagolin", discussing what was covered in #34 (finally agreeing it was the one with Esmereldas and the foreigners) and a potato action figure. Before Silas leaves, Namba recognizes he misjudged Silas and gives him issue 3 from the series. While this discussion goes on, the others figure out how to purchase the tokens faster, and they are purchased for Silas, Sikander, Anya, Tal, Offa, and NAME. The pets are hidden or invisible (because they aren't allowed), but use their tokens to make sure nothing sets off alarms. Once they are all through the turnstiles, Silas and Sikander are in awe of the sleek gnomish train cars, each with a large stripe of blue energy down the sides. At the back of the train, Silas notes a large cannon that seems as if it would hold the train.
Sikander takes off toward the front train and barges in, finding a massive man, with Anya and Tal on his heels. Silas and Offa are taking their time when Silas bumps into a woman and her daughter, sending a small toy falling along the tracks. After a couple failed attempts, Offa is able to collect the toy and return it to the girl, prompting the mother to switch from yelling at Silas to thanking him, pressing an odd sphere into his hand. Looking closer, he finds an 8 sided disk with a strange kanji on it (the same as on the second car).
Sikander meanwhile is challenged by the giant man, so he accepts, Offa joinging Anya, who is standing to the side with Tal watching. He wins the bout by unintentionally casting "Command" and is called out for it. They both agree to redo the fight.
Before the second fight commences, Silas has a scare with a special drink from the very posh, cool aired car he is in. Deciding to drink the clear liquid with a piece of a sea creature in it, Silas finds his throat closing and is poisoned. Panicking, he fights out of the car and gets to Anya, who recognizes Silas is poisoned, mostly due to his bloated face, and she heals him. Scent finally speaks up and shares he has a rudimentary ability to understand Nejongo, and helps Silas to translate.
Sikander and the wrestler begin their second, fair, non-magic fight, and both do well, with a few throws that have various party members pinned in very unfortunate places. As the fight ends, he compliments Sikander in near perfect common, and acknowledges that Silas was prepared to jump into the fight to help, wondering how he would do. He then introduces himself as Haka-ho and offers them all a kind of sake. They all partake in some fashion, except Silas (still mistrustful of drinks at the moment) who explains this great Yokazuna was the biggest reason for his depature of the luxury care. Some time eating and drinking together, Anya struggling with the two sticks given to eat, while the others do fine or simply drink it straight from the giant bowls, much to Haka-ho's amusement.
As short time later, the train backs up and Haka-ho warns them to hang on, so Anya anchors everyone with her rope. A short way into the trip, there are odd jelly fish like creatures visible outside, and Haka-ho explains they are the spirits of the long dead. Anya feels very drawn to them, only knowing a void as a place of waiting for her next life. During this conversation, the train suddenly stops, throwing Anya and sending Offa into Haka-ho's ample bosom. Looking back, they quickly realize something is happening further back on the train.
Silas has no issues unlocking door to the luxury car. Quickly moving across, they get into the third car and find it overcrowded. After a few mishaps with Silas getting squished, he finally disguises himself as a drone serving drinks, opening up a path. Looking toward the fourth car, it is clear the car is going to disconnect and it is full of people. Sikander jumps to the fourth car after Anya anchors him to the third, Anya shifts into a bronze wyrmling and flies up, holding the car as straight as she can, while Silas and Offa work to move folks from the third into the second car. (During the chaos, the monkey is lost and rescued a second time.
Eventually, they rescue everyone and get back to the front car, finding Haka-ho still sound asleep. The guys snag his drink and each have one themselves and then settle back in for a rest.
Missions/Quests Completed
Save the Monkey Toy
Rescue everyone from the last train car
Silas gets invited to the luxury care
Rescue everyone from the last train car
Silas gets invited to the luxury care
Notes
NOTES FROM THE ALMIGHTY GM:
Today the party will be disembarking from the bullet train at Dejima (DAY-jeema), a manmade Island in Edo Bay.
It is the only part of the city where foreigners are allowed without a special travel visa. These are available from the Office of Cultural Harmony and Careful Modernization on the Island.
The island is shaped like a fan, and appropriately, this is a "fanning off" place for the various adventures available to you in Edo:
Today the party will be disembarking from the bullet train at Dejima (DAY-jeema), a manmade Island in Edo Bay.
It is the only part of the city where foreigners are allowed without a special travel visa. These are available from the Office of Cultural Harmony and Careful Modernization on the Island.
The island is shaped like a fan, and appropriately, this is a "fanning off" place for the various adventures available to you in Edo:
- There is a standalone adventure on the Island itself. It involves a ghostly samurai stalking the city streets!
- Your goal is to explore and see if you can discover all of the adventure threads hidden on the island. There are more than 10 and less than 20!
- You have to figure out some way to get a visa (hard!) or come up with some other way of getting free movement in the city.
- Of course, you have your main adventure too: get to the Dragon's Tooth Castle, figure out its connection to Lord Mirt and the Godeaters, smash the Cherries there, and save a certain somebody's sister!
Report Date
27 Jan 2024
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