Blunders and Dragons

[Bonus] "That Thing We Found" Part 3/5

• Blunders and Dragons LLC • Season 1 • Episode 4

Share episode

Support the show

For $5 a month you can gain access to our Patreon Exclusive content which includes: Ad-Free Episodes, Behind the Blunders Episodes, Character Art and Maps. You can also follow our free Patreon feed to keep up with news and announcements. If you enjoy our content and would like to support us so that we can complete the two full seasons we have planned, please like, share, rate, review and subscribe!

Wylie:

Hello, human! We are Blunders and Dragons, and this is episode three of our five-part mini-series called That Thing We Found. To view character art, location maps, and clues, as well as other bonuses, sign up for our Patreon. If that's not for you, but you still want to support us, please like, rate, review, subscribe, and share. We have an entire campaign coming soon. And we this is gonna be episode three, I believe, of our one shot. Um, so we're gonna do a little summary of where you guys got to last time. Um, in our first episode, we met our fantastic characters who work at the um cryozyte Arctic Research Base. We have Gordon Ramshield.

Gordon:

Hello.

Wylie:

We have Jared Vern Squall.

Jared:

Hey guys, so good to see you.

Wylie:

And we have Alan Fizzard.

Alan:

What am I supposed to do?

Wylie:

Hi. And um, so we started out at your own research base, CryoZite, and some strange things happened. You got some unexpected visitors, um, which led you guys to going on to investigate at another research base, the Istid Jokul research base. And when you arrived there, things were not normal at all. Um, the heat was shut off, the base was extremely cold, uh, most of the rooms were a complete bedlam and chaos with things tipped over. Um you found some really interesting clues, like a research journal with some um indecipherable scientific notes at this time, um, but some interesting pictures of mushrooms and other things that this research center may have found. You found a really cool fire knife in the ice lab. Um, you found a whole holocoaster, which would um contain some research information and material. So hopefully you can read that when you get back to your own base. Um you found a research lab covered in acid, um, which was very concerning. And you also found the strange fuchsia jelly everywhere that uh Gordon, our chef, did decide to taste and has survived so far. Um he took a full pole and he just kept going.

Brad:

He's just trying to figure out what it was, you know. He just he just it was some new flavor he can he was trying to figure out.

Wylie:

Yeah, we did discover it had a lot of flavor. Um it was a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and a little bit biological, which is

Mimir:

and iron. It's very metallic. It's very metallic-y.

Wylie:

Uh not exactly something tasty, but definitely a complex flavor. So Gordon seems pretty intrigued by that. Um you have at this time explored the entire research base, except for this strange cavern that Pyra, who um Pyra is our demolitions expert that you brought with you, Pyra Ember. And she observed that they definitely blasted this hole um through the um through the frost and tundra, all the way down into the rocky earth below. And so I think at this time you guys were preparing to explore that environment. So um I'm gonna load on our screen here what you guys see when you look down that hole. You did notice a lot of heat rising from that location. And can someone please describe what you see when you look down into this environment?

Brad:

It looks like a creek surrounded like a cavernous like creek with mushrooms everywhere kind of lit up, and what looks like fireweed. Uh, for those of you who may not know, in Alaska, we have a wildflower flower called fireweed. Um, and it looks yeah. It's very pretty.

Wylie:

Yeah, so you look down into a warm, glowing cavern with steep rocky sides. Um, there's some beautiful blue glowing veins either of mineral or something else in the rock. Um, there's a little creek that seems to run through it because it's warm enough for water to be flowing and not frozen, which is nice. Um, there is this whole series of glowing mushrooms, um, as well as this beautiful fuchsia growing fiery kind of plant. Um so you guys ready to climb down the ladder and investigate further?

Gordon:

Oh, yes.

Wylie:

Alright. So we're gonna I'm gonna move your characters down into this very cool cavern environment. Okay, and so we've got oh, who goes first? It doesn't really matter, it's just a Ramshield.

unknown:

Yeah, Ramshield.

Wylie:

Yeah, I Ramshield is eager.

Gordon:

Yes, he wants those mushrooms. Yeah, he's a big mushroom guy. It's our first dungeon. First dungeon.

Wylie:

Our first dungeon. Alright, I I put Ramshield, then I put Jared.

Unknown:

Yep.

Wylie:

Oh, and Alan has been seeming a little under the weather. Oh, um, a little cold, you know, and um even though we're going into a warmer environment, um, Pyra does offer him, um, she says, Hey, Mr. Mr. Fizzard, would you like some of my fire visky to warm you up?

Alan:

A visky? What's a visky?

Pyra:

It it make your blood warm and strong.

Alan:

Oh, that sounds nice.

Pyra:

Here you go. She hands you, she hands you a flask.

Kipo:

Okay, he takes uh a small sip.

Pyra:

She's like, drink up, and helps you like take a nice big chug of it.

Kipo:

Okay, he doesn't want to be rude, so he he does uh he doesn't like it, but out of politeness, he does drink, I don't know, what the equivalent of uh maybe a shot, shot and a half. Okay.

Wylie:

Yeah, it's it's it's um strong and cinnamony and it does um make make you feel warm, and you definitely feel that it's um has a nice magical warmth to it. Almost like a delicious um apple cider that has had some cinnamon added to it, and um, it really does kind of warm up your bones and give you some some energy.

Alan:

Oh, that makes me feel like the first time I laid eyes on my Sandy.

Pyra:

It it gets your heart pumping.

Wylie:

All right, and so you guys have entered the cavern. What would you like to do?

Jared:

Alright, I'm gonna just check around, make sure there's nothing that's crazy out here, okay, guys? Everybody just chill out. Um I'm gonna check for traps. Okay. See if there's any traps down here.

Brad:

Gordon literally just starts grabbing mushrooms. Like finding the biggest ones, the most what look the best. That's yeah, he just starts grabbing mushrooms.

Wylie:

Okay.

Brad:

Do I need to roll for picking mushrooms?

Wylie:

For traps. Um, no, but I I'm gonna show you what mushroom you pick in a second.

Jared:

Oh, that's a 21. Oh, wait, actually, that's higher because this doesn't make that's a 24, sorry.

Wylie:

And that was a 24 investigation.

Jared:

Investigation, yeah, for traps.

Wylie:

Um so what you observe is that this does seem to be a tunnel that was dug by the research staff of Istighakul. And um, oh, um, something else that you notice is that there are foraging baskets here. So I brought up an image of one too. This is a basket that's designed as a backpack. Um, and so people would use it, people use it today in real life. Um, but for walking around in the woods and pick up something that you forage and then you just stick it in the basket and it allows the dirt and stuff to fall off of the things that you've collected. Um so you eye is not attached, correct?

Mimir:

There's a picture of a dude with a foraging basket.

Wylie:

Yeah, the dude in the t-shirt does not come included when you purchase a forage basket.

Brad:

Not included.

Wylie:

So you don't you don't get an arcane service you don't get an arcane servant to help you. You have to carry your own basket. But you do see a stack of these baskets right near the bottom of the ladder. Um, so seeing that and seeing the way that this tunnel seemed like it seems like they dug down and accessed an underground tunnel.

Jared:

Oh, cool. So the tunnel, so they didn't dig out this tunnel.

Wylie:

They probably expanded it, but you can tell by all the foliage that like it's natural. It's natural. And probably because of the Dwargar staff who are familiar with underground terrain and cities, they probably that's probably why they built their base here is they were able to detect that there was some flora and fauna underneath. Um, additionally with the combination of the foraging backpack, and then we remember that Gordon last time found both mushrooms and like some octopus tentacles in the fridge, um, in the freezer, and he put those um little Ziploc bags. Um I think they call them Whizlock bags here in uh in this land. Um so he put these little magical food storage bags in his pocket. Um and so if uh Gordon remembers that and wants to compare them to some of the mushrooms that he's collecting.

Brad:

He he would he would just kind of you know, maybe hold up the the bag as well as look at the ones he just picked.

Wylie:

Um so as you're grabbing mushrooms, you see ones that definitely look the tops match the ones that you um are in the bag. So it definitely appears like these are mushrooms that they were eating. Um so with the combination of the foraging baskets as well as all the stuff here, you get the idea that this was their plan and for their research base because they don't have a biosphere like you do. Back at your base, you have a biosphere where you grow vegetables as well as chickens for food. And um they they didn't have that at their base at all. You know, you were like they just have this big hole in the ground. Um, so being that this is from the Duergar or so, this is the Dwarven and Gnomish Alliance that established this research center, you get the idea that this was their plan all along um for food and sustainability. Because you did find some dehydrated meals, um, some some instant meals up in their um cupboards, but there was not a lot, so it definitely seemed like this was their long-term plan. Um so, Gordon, as you pick up a mushroom, I'm gonna show you what it looks like. Oh, interesting.

Brad:

It's it's a mushroom, but it looks like a jellyfish.

Wylie:

Yeah, so you pick up this mushroom, it has sort of a pinkish, a little bit glowing top. Um the under underneath the top part of the mushroom. I wish I had studied some biology and knew what the parts of the mushroom are called. But in essentially the gills of the mushroom, it's kind of it's glowy, and you see these tiny, kind of thin tentacles that actually as you look closer, they they start to kind of to wiggle and move as you have pulled this mushroom from the earth.

Gordon:

Nice.

Wylie:

So now you're holding in your hand this kind of wiggly little mushroom friend.

Jared:

I think Jared wants to give the basket over to Ramchu and be like, I found this. Um and he's trying to like make friends because we've had like very lot of disagreement. Um, and then I see this thing. Um and I'm like, oh, oh no. Um, because it's like it's got like squid tentacles, and I'm I'm picturing like the squid prints that were upstairs, and then I'm like, oh, where are all the people? And I'm like, I'll be like, I don't know about this one, chef. Um this this this looks like if uh like maybe uh the people upstairs ate this and then turned into goop or something like that, or this goopified people.

Gordon:

Oh, I I don't know. This looks like interesting mushroom, like it could be very, very tasty though. So I say we keep it.

Jared:

We could keep it and experiment on it. Um Pyra. Um, is there um a cavern like this under our base or no?

Pyra:

No, not not that I've seen. We haven't blown up our base.

Jared:

I know, I know. Well, you put in about four forms fully filled out, which is crazy. Um to to blow up most of our base, and I I just have not seen a security uh aspect that that would help out with, so I denied, but we might we might actually do it when we get back home.

Pyra:

See, if you don't know what is beneath your base, it is a risk.

Jared:

Yeah, but you wanted to blow up the whole base. That's the problem. You just wanted to blow up things. I don't

Pyra:

just beneath the fuel shed. That is all.

Jared:

Not the fuel shed.

Pyra:

We could store all the explosive underground. It would be warmer and safer. This is a nice place.

Jared:

This is nice place.

Unknown:

It's nice. Oh great.

Brad:

When you hang around people with an accent and you start to tamp on their accent. This is nice place.

Unknown:

This is nice place.

Jared:

Oh man, my accent going.

Pyra:

Gordon, don't you think we could find some good food down here?

Gordon:

Oi, definitely. I think uh food here would be very, very good. Uh so we should forage all of it. Maybe even use some of these flowers. Uh I don't know, maybe we can make a tea or something out of it.

Jared:

Is this a an alive creature?

Wylie:

So you're are you still holding it in your hand?

Brad:

Uh yeah. Yeah, you're still holding it.

Wylie:

So you're holding your hand, and so um it seemed kind of stagnant, you know, when it was in the ground, it looked just like a mushroom. But as you've unearthed it, you've pulled it out of the ground, it's definitely wrapping its little tentacles around your hand, just like if you picked up a little baby octopus. Um and it's kind of, you know, it's not hurting you. It's fe it seems to be like feeling you. Like, like what is this? It's investigating, it's it's you know, it's definitely crawling around. And are you holding it firmly or kind of gently?

Brad:

Um I think he would probably be holding it gently due to his like how big of his hands are, and trying to be, you know, gentle with something that he could pop possibly cook. So it would probably be pretty gentle.

Wylie:

Okay. You've been holding it for a minute now, and so it's kind of starting like to to its little tentacles are starting to move up your hand. It's about you know, about hand sized. You do have big hands, um, but it kind of seems like it's starting to try to pull itself up your arm a little bit. Um, because you know, you've been holding it and it doesn't necessarily want to stay in the same place. And Jar Jared, you do know that the tracks that you saw up in the lab were much bigger.

Jared:

Oh, okay.

Wylie:

This this is a little tiny guy, yeah. And what you saw was was pretty large. Um I would say that bigger ones.

Mimir:

There's always a bigger fish.

Wylie:

The the these tentacles would leave little tiny tracks um and the bigger ones, I'm trying to think of a good reference point. They'd probably be about, you know, two two or three inches across. So so bigger, like like the size of our fist versus the tip of your finger. Okay. And so this little guy would be more tip of your finger tentacle tracks, and that would be more of a of larger ones. So this one definitely didn't leave those tracks, obviously.

Jared:

But could be so hey doctor, um, is this a magical thing or is this a nature-based thing? Uh, do you know anything about that? Doctor.

Kipo:

He is

Mimir:

don't say asleep. Don't you dare say asleep right now.

Alan:

No, he's not asleep because he's still uh kind of feeling the after effects from the whiskey. So he's like kind of just looking around a little bit dizzy. Um so you say that and capture his attention. He's uh he has been paying attention this whole time because he's focused on how he feels. Um so he looks over and he goes, uh what?

Jared:

I'm sorry. Yeah, the squid thing that's on it is uh the mushroom score. It's okay, doctor. It's all under control.

Alan:

No, he immediately casts mage hand and uh picks up, takes it from uh uh I'm sorry.

Wylie:

From Gordon. From Gordon. He takes it from Gordon.

Kipo:

From Gordon, and uh is just holding it like up in the air.

Wylie:

Okay.

Kipo:

With the mage hand.

Wylie:

So now he's holding it by the cap of the mushroom, and the little tentacles are are kind of dangling down. Now it looks even more like a jellyfish as you're kind of holding it up there uh to investigate it.

Brad:

Yeah. Gordon is like, oh no, Jerry. I like Jerry. And you're name he's already got a name.

Mimir:

That's the worst.

Wylie:

You did feel as as it was being lifted off of your hand, you did feel its little little type of its little suction cups just kind of clinging on.

Mimir:

Don't.

Wylie:

You know?

Unknown:

I'm happy for this variant.

Gordon:

And I I Jetty no. Jet Jetty likes me. Okay, see, Jetty likes me.

Jared:

Is this a nature-based or an Arcana-based thing?

Alan:

Uh, Doctor. I don't know. I'd I'd I'd have to take this uh to the lab and uh get a good look at it.

Jared:

Well, we'll take the squid as I make eye contact with the RAM shield.

Gordon:

Why do these doctors take all of the things that look tasty or kind and nice and

Alan:

get a better look at it if you want me to.

Gordon:

All they want to do is study it.

Wylie:

They just want to Did you say you're gonna cast in large? You could cast in large Yeah,

Jared:

I I'll be locking loading.

Kipo:

Um He does not for the sake of Spell Slots.

Wylie:

You do remember that um, Jared, you I assume you still have that research journal with you. Yeah. And there was some pictures in that research journal. Yeah, I'll look. Um so let's pull up.

Jared:

So also, uh just real quick, is this water going anywhere or flowing from anywhere?

Wylie:

Yeah, it seems to be flowing.

Jared:

So it's from a direction? Um like is there a main like cavern that we're missing or something like that, like a lake or something?

Wylie:

Yeah, like you could probably follow the str the direction that the water is flowing. Um where the source of the water kind of seems to be that part of the cavern is sort of closed off, but if you followed the flow of the water, you could certainly head in a direction.

Jared:

Um, do I have like a uh stopwatch or like a clock or anything that I like uh I'm going to um keep track of when we came down here um and how much time is going to be passing so we know uh because the storm is gonna come in. So I need to make sure that we get my team back uh because there's no way that uh GNar is gonna be prepared for a storm if we get back. Yeah. So I gotta make sure we're locked down. It takes like an hour to lock down everything.

Wylie:

So Yeah. Um so you knew that you at the time that you entered the cavern.

Jared:

Yeah. Nobody listens to manually lock every door by doing one of those like uh like don't steal my car bars across every single door. And people usually just walk underneath them anyway.

Wylie:

So or step over them because you're short. So being being because you are um a gnome yourself. Uh-huh. Yeah. So Jared being a gnome definitely has difficulty with the security.

Jared:

I got transferred actually, you know, and it's it's been uh I was gonna come to this base, but they were like, oh, we don't need security. Look at me now.

Wylie:

Definitely. Um and so you are, let's see. Um I brought up the um journal from last time, so you can check that out.

Jared:

Cool.

Wylie:

And I'm gonna see if there's another page here. Hang on. Okay. And so as you're also looking, um you see some pictures. Ooh, that got really big.

Jared:

Oh boy. Um, okay, so I see uh more mushroom things, but then I see like um oh gosh. Um it's almost like oh, how do I describe this? Uh like a squid with a uh like uh a um big like tough head um that uh has mushrooms growing out of it. It kind of looks like um what's the thing uh in Baulders Gate?

Kipo:

Um ever played. Oh my gosh.

Brad:

I don't know. For me, it kind of looks like an octopus a little bit.

Jared:

Yeah. Kind of with its head. Yeah, but it's like almost from um oh my gosh, I can't remember. There's the mushroom creatures, the mite mycain or mycarin, myconoids.

Wylie:

Yeah, yeah, it kind of looks like a combination of like the chanterelle mushrooms, um, which are sort of the more flowery looking mushrooms. So a combination of that as well as um it's got some kind of octopus-y sort of tentacles, sort of that squiddy face. Um and um so definitely a little bit of glowing going on. So there's kind of a variation that looks a little more jellyfish-like, and there's a variation that looks a little more squid-like. Um, and you're seeing both of those in the journal.

Jared:

Um, so yeah, I I show that to everybody.

Alan:

Um Alan drops the one that he's holding in the major hand.

Gordon:

Jerry, no.

Wylie:

So Jerry falls to the cavern floor, kind of bounces as he hits the hard rock below. And um, now that it's landed on the ground, uh pauses for a moment and then kind of starts crawling with his little tentacles. Um, and actually I'll roll to see which direction he goes.

Jared:

Also, it looks like uh a mind flayer mushroom. That's what it looks like. That's what I was that's what I was thinking. Um not that uh Jared would know that, but I want to describe really well what it's like. That's a good yeah. Yeah.

Wylie:

Gordon, can you pick a number for me?

Brad:

Uh-oh. Between what and what?

Wylie:

One and four. Between one and four.

Brad:

One and four?

Wylie:

I'm just seeing if he goes back towards you, if Jerry remembers you, or if he goes back towards the other mushroom. You pick a three.

Mimir:

Oh, that's a mistake.

Wylie:

It's a four. So Jerry

unknown:

um you're dead.

Brad:

It's a death saving throw.

Wylie:

Instead of coming towards you, showing that he loves you and misses you, uh, Jerry just crawls um kind of towards the rocky edge of the stream and kind of looks like he might be kind of regrouping over there at this time.

Gordon:

So well, that hurts a lot, Jenny.

Jared:

That's crazy. Um, I'm can I make like a nature check um if this is a natural occurrence or if this is an experiment that they did? Like, did they find um mushrooms? Well, I don't know if I'm good at nature. I'm not great at nature. Anyway, good at and I'll be like, you might know about this.

Brad:

Um I have a plus three on nature checks. I will help you then. Okay. Um I'll I'll check and see what's up with with Jerry.

Wylie:

Um, does does Jared maybe explain to Gordon because you don't want to be eating an experiment?

Jared:

So I I'm just curious if this is like a natural thing like that grows here, or if this is an experimental thing, and then they messed, you know, like you know, like uh one of the famous plays that used to uh uh with dinosaurs, you know, they they they started experimenting with it and uh Wait, what about dinosaurs?

Gordon:

Oh, I was Do you think Jerry is a dinosaur?

Jared:

No, I don't think Jerry's a dinosaur.

Gordon:

How about I check to see if Jerry is a dinosaur?

Jared:

Okay.

Brad:

I'll I'll I'll do a nature check on on Jerry. And so just roll. I've got uh 16 plus three, so a nineteen.

Wylie:

Okay. Plus he was helping you, so you have advantage. But just see if you get an at 20.

Brad:

Oh, yeah.

Jared:

No, plus seven.

unknown:

Okay.

Wylie:

I thought it was a one from him. Yeah, that'll be a good one.

Jared:

I'm still trying to explain the dinosaur. So it's actually done.

Wylie:

Zero out. Yeah. Um okay, and you were trying to see basically determine if you think it was an experiment or if it grows naturally.

Brad:

Yes, yeah, yeah. Just just to see kind of what what Jerry is.

Wylie:

Yeah, you do think that um Jerry was found naturally in this environment. You think that there's so many of them. It would be kind of crazy if they had grown them all.

Brad:

Right. I think that uh Jerry is natural. He is uh he is not made from uh experiments.

Jared:

Oh man. Okay. Um I'm a little worried because the tentacles that were up up above were big. And I'm curious. Um I'm gonna take like one of my crossbow bolts and touch the Well, I guess you were already touching the tentacle things, weren't you? Yeah. Alright, my leading theory. Here we go. Um, because I work at a research place too, in my journals. This is my leading theory. That somehow a giant one of these d zapped the remaining people and they are and then I like stop and I'm like, what if they are infecting us right now? Um I uh I start trailing off. I'm thinking about the dog and like why was the wizard trying to kill the dog? And then I was like, oh, maybe the dog is infected with like this mushroom thing. And so I I start like writing in my journal, like and then start connecting dots, and I'm like, what if um if we eat these things and then are you are you a squid? Are you turning into a squid right now? Do you feel squid-like?

Gordon:

I am not squid, I am Gordon.

Jared:

Okay. Um, and I'm like, okay, what if um so I basically am drawing this like map and a lot of circles around the wizard and a lot of circles around the squid and maybe like the dog, and it's like maybe dog infected, we probably should get going. But then I'm like, oh, I want to explore this cavern. So I start panicking.

Wylie:

Okay. Everyone give me a perception check.

Jared:

Cool. Can I do it with disadvantage?

Wylie:

Sure, because you're distracted. Yeah, for sure.

Jared:

12. 15, uh, 20.

Wylie:

12, 15, even with disadvantage. Yeah. Wow.

Jared:

Good. I have a plus ten too because of expertise and stuff.

Wylie:

Um, so with Alan's 12, um, Alan's noticing it's really nice in here. It's warm. Like, he's like, this place is kind of great. It's it has like a really cozy vibe with the glow from the mushrooms. You

Alan:

just need my chair.

Wylie:

Um, and you can tell um that the water is flowing, um, I'll say, to the south in here. Um, and then um, Gordon, you notice that Jerry is is coming back towards you. He's coming, he's just creeping across the ground, just you know, not make it a big stir, but he is coming back in your direction. Um, and then Jared, despite every everything that's going on, and and you're like, where is this other sound? What has happened? You hear a chink, chink of pickaxes in the distance down the cavern in the direction that the water is flowing.

Jared:

Um, I'm gonna be like, Alright, everybody. I close the book. Now that that's over. Everybody no one was paying attention. Pyra probably also was not paying attention.

Wylie:

She's like investigating, like,

Pyra:

oh wow. This is an interesting cavern. How much explosives would I need to collapse this tunnel? And she's like counting the dynamite in her bag.

Mimir:

Oh my gosh. She's gonna kill us all.

Wylie:

She's just curious about how deep sh deep she'd have to dig to access a cavern under your guys' base. That's what that's what she's focused on.

Jared:

Yeah, she's focused. Um and I'll be like, I hear pickaxes this way. Follow me, team. Um, and I'll have my crossbow bolt out, uh, lock and loaded. Um, and I I go in full security mode and I'm like looking around and I'm like towards the pickaxes.

Wylie:

Okay, so I assume you're leading the way.

Jared:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

I don't know if they're following. That's the thing. I'm full focus. I'm on panic mode. Ellen's following.

Brad:

Gordon will follow, although he will probably pick up.

Wylie:

He picks up Jerry.

Brad:

Yeah, absolutely.

Jared:

Crazy that the DM is also naming it Jerry. If I have to kill this thing, you You guys cannot get mad at me, okay? Blunderers, you cannot get mad.

Brad:

Um, but he probably one of the uh I don't know if uh there's any extra of the what whizlo whizlocks or whatever they're called.

Wylie:

Uh uh-uh-huh. Um so you had one whizlock that contained um mushrooms. Right. And you had one whizlock that contained octopus tentacles, and that's it. That because you just pulled those two bags out of the freezer.

Jared:

You do have the backpack that I gave you though. Okay. That you could put them in.

Brad:

Does the backpack have a top to it?

Jared:

It does not.

Brad:

That's the problem.

Wylie:

You could see in the picture it was open. Yeah. Because they're typically made that you could just kind of toss stuff over your shoulder and back into that basket. So that one doesn't have a lint.

Jared:

I have extra coats on if you want me to like put a top over it. So like we can just make shift. And just making sure Jerry doesn't escape.

Brad:

Correct. Yeah, that's that's kind of the thing. I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't escape.

Wylie:

So at this point your party is moving forward. So yeah, Gordon would be doing something pretty quick.

Brad:

Uh Gordon would probably go ahead and throw out I'm trying to decide if it would be the mushrooms or the tentacles. Let's go. He would probably empty the tentacles. Okay. And put Jerry into that Ziploc bag.

Wylie:

Okay. Um, as you dump out the tentacles, do you just dump them on the trail? Do you dump them in the creek?

Brad:

I would say on the trail. Okay. Yeah.

Wylie:

So as you dump out the tentacles on the trail, they were frozen before, but you can tell that they've fully thawed out and warmed out, and they are starting to wriggle. Um and Jerry and you see Jerry and he's coming towards you, are you gonna scoop up Jerry and stick him in the bag, or what are you gonna do?

Brad:

Oh my gosh. Um would probably scoop him up in the bag, like with the bag. Okay.

Wylie:

And you seal it?

Brad:

Yep.

Wylie:

Okay. And so you air holes for him?

Brad:

No.

Jared:

Interesting. Maybe I'm not the one that killed Jerry.

Wylie:

Jerry doesn't need to breathe.

Jared:

He's fine.

Mimir:

Worst dog owner ever.

Wylie:

Okay, so Jerry Jared is leading the way, followed by Alan. I'd say Pirate followed you pretty close. She's not really paying attention to the to Jerry, and then Gordon is finally following. And you put Jerry in his Wizlock bag, and where do you put the bag?

Brad:

Uh I'll put the bag into the backpack.

Wylie:

Okay. It's n in the backpack. Okay. All right. Um, can everybody tell me what your dark vision or you know eyesight vision abilities are? We're in dim light.

Alan:

I have dark vision.

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

I also have dark vision.

Wylie:

Up to 60 feet?

Gordon:

Yep. I think I don't know, I could be wrong.

Mimir:

Uh you do not have dark vision.

Wylie:

Okay. But this is fine because you're at the back anyways.

Jared:

I also have a flashlight I can give you. Because we established that a flashlight earlier. So I'll toss you the flashlight. Sounds good. Make sure you write that down. Don't lose my flashlight.

Brad:

Instantly lose his flashlight.

Jared:

It went into the creek. No! My flashlight. That's standard issue. Cool. Um, I'm gonna can I make a perception check to like narrow down exactly where this is?

Wylie:

Um where the sound is coming from. Uh it's it's down the cavern. Look up you know. Um and so I assume you guys walk towards the sound and as as it's getting louder. Okay. So I'm gonna move you guys down. You're following the creek.

Jared:

And I'm on guard. I have my weapon out, weapon drawn. Oh, okay.

Wylie:

Got it. Um, so you're moving along and um sorry, I'm moving, I'm moving all the characters and stuff. Um and Jared, you have such a high passive perception.

Gordon:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Um, so you and Alan are in the lead, Pyra's behind you. Um, you see a little white rabbit hopping down the trail that then disappears into the cavern wall.

Brad:

It's Peter Cotton Tail.

Jared:

The cavern wall? Oh no. Okay. Um, I'll be like, wild. Um I'll continue going. I don't know. I don't know what to do with it. I can't go through walls. Um I will uh have my weapon out though, and if I see another bunny, I'm just gonna shoot it.

Wylie:

So you get you get really Intense.

Jared:

I'm on guard. If it comes and attacks me, I don't know what I there's squid mushrooms down here. I don't know if there's squid bunnies either, you know?

Unknown:

So Alan's it's just a normal bunny.

Kipo:

Alan's feeling cheeky because he had just cast my minor illusion of the bunny. And so it's your so he's behind you and he makes the the bunny pop back out from the wall. I'll take a shot. Okay.

Jared:

I'll take a shot at the bunny.

Mimir:

Oh, it's it's something. It's uh a 16 to hit a fake bunny.

Wylie:

I think you probably hit a fake bunny.

Mimir:

Yeah.

Jared:

This is crazy. Everybody be on guard. Doctor, I'm so glad you're right behind me.

Alan:

He's literally like has his hand out in front. Ready, I see. I know nothing about magic.

Wylie:

He just thinks Alice's prepared to cast a spell. He doesn't think he's actually catching.

Alan:

He has to spell. He's just snickering to himself.

Wylie:

Okay, um, so as you move down, um you can you can kind of see that there's little paths sort of on both sides of the creek. It is it's a fairly narrow cavern. There's not a ton of walking space. Um but as you guys get over here, you s you see a group of humanoids in the darkness. And they seem to kind of be shuffling around the edge. Um right over here. I'll just use this this is not here in the screen, but I'm just showing you which location. Okay. So on this part of a map over here, um, you see a group of figures kind of they they maybe look like they're foraging or digging. Um that it looks like maybe they're trying to expand the tunnel in that direction, perhaps.

Brad:

Um so basically across the tree, the creek on the other side, the trail that they're on.

Wylie:

Yep, across the creek on the other side, um, on the pathway that's over there, um, you can see that there's a little tiny figure. So um reminds you of the little tiny old woman that you saw in the staff photos. And then there are six other um dwarven-sized figures over there. They currently have their backs turned to you.

Jared:

Cool. Um, since I have sneak attack, I'm just kidding.

Wylie:

You have sneak attack, the old woman?

Jared:

Uh I have very bad charisma, so I'll be like, all right, everybody, calm down. Uh and I just start yelling at the top of my lungs uh and walking forward. Okay. Um, and I'm shaking while pointing my crossbow. I'll be like, calm down, you need to calm down.

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

I have very low charisma.

Wylie:

So you were definitely loud enough um for them to hear you. Yeah. And so definitely not stealthy. This group turns around and looks at you, and you indeed see a little um a little gnome woman um dressed like a researcher. Um, and she she she turns around with surprise, and you see these six other Duergar researchers as well. Um, they remind you of the characters that you saw in the staff pictures upstairs in the rec room, um, and as well as they look kind of similar to the Duergar wizard that researcher that you saw before. Um so they turn around and um they all look surprised, and and the little gnome woman says,

Eira Gwyn:

Oh, visitors.

Jared:

Uh question, DM. In the picture, all of their eyes are red except for hers. Is that the case here?

Wylie:

Um that that's just a Duergar night vision thing. That's not like a creepy. Okay, cool. Oh. Uh because I was dimmed. They do look creepy.

Jared:

I'll be like, what's going on around here? Um I'm I'm a high-ranking security officer and I need to see local hero. Yeah. I need to see your uh certification. Uh what's what's what's up, yo?

Wylie:

What's up, yo? Um the little gnome woman says, uh

Eira Gwyn:

Well, I believe you've come to our base. We don't get many visitors. Um you can put down the weapons.

Jared:

Okay. I put down a weapon because I had I mean, I'm like, she's got a point. Um I'll be like, I need somebody else to talk here.

Gordon:

Gordon comes out and was like, hello, do you know my Uncle Boris? Uh I'm trying, I I think he works here. Do you know an Uncle Boris?

Wylie:

She like pauses and and looks really confused. Like, she kind of looks blank for a second, and she's like racking her mind and like,

Eira Gwyn:

Boris? No, there's no Boris that works here.

Gordon:

How about an Olexei? Do you know Olexei?

Eira Gwyn:

No, there's no Alexei.

Gordon:

Or my babushka yang.

Jared:

They know anybody, alright? They don't know anybody in your family. Your family doesn't work here. Uh, I'm gonna be like, uh because I'm at full panic mode, uh um still. I'm gonna be like, all right, what's going on here? Because uh so a wizard came over to our place uh attacking a dog, and now we came over and everybody what what's going on? Why are there squid mushrooms? Why are they goop on the ground?

Gordon:

Also, what is your recipe for the jelly? I'm just very, very curious.

Eira Gwyn:

Um, so many questions. Um We are investigating we are researching here in the tunnels. That that's what we're doing.

Jared:

Can I make an insight check? Is is she like I feel like she's not telling me everything. But I mean she's only answered one question. Yeah, exactly. But I also that she doesn't know my Uncle Boris. Yeah. That's a good point. And I think she does. Uh but it just feels we like this scenario feels weird. Do I feel uncomfortable or would this be like is this a normal situation?

Wylie:

Yeah, sure. Roll your insight check. Cool.

Jared:

Oh man, I am rolling really well. That's a 25 insight check.

Wylie:

I mean, so it is hard to tell because you've never met these people before, you know, and you can't tell what is their like normal.

Gordon:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Um, I mean, the situation definitely seems weird. The base was really bashed up and like they're just down here digging, maybe. Um, so there's there's something weird going on, but you're not exactly sure what it means.

Jared:

My security like tingleys are going off.

Wylie:

Yeah, yeah. You're like this this you know, you're you're definitely gonna continue to approach this conversation with caution. You're not gonna think that these people are best buds. Um could think I didn't roll lower.

Jared:

That would have been bad.

Wylie:

Uh I'm yeah, I I'm just trying to base it off of the information that you have, because you don't I mean you don't have a lot, but it definitely feels weird that instinct is correct. Um and so she also says uh to Gordon, because he asked about the jelly.

Eira Gwyn:

Uh muddy here, muddy is uh and she points to one of the dwarf with her, is our chef, and um he could perhaps uh help you with the recipe you're looking for.

Gordon:

So what kind of what what uh what what do you use? How much spices do you have spice in it? It does have a little bit of a kick.

Wylie:

And uh and uh Muddy kind of steps forward and is like, uh it's it's uh bit complicated, but if we were in the kitchen I could tell you.

Brad:

Yes, but your kitchen is a little bit scary right now.

Wylie:

Oh, and he's kinda like, yeah, it is like and um uh and uh the researcher, the the lady substance, she's like, uh,

Eira Gwyn:

we should introduce ourselves. I'm Eria Gwyn, and um this is Cranky and Stanky.

Unknown:

Oh no.

Eira Gwyn:

And this is Stumble and Bumble. And of course you've met Muddy and Buddy.

Gordon:

Hello, buddy.

Jared:

Only say hi enough, Gordon. Because that's the only one you're like, he's a buddy. He's the buddy, yeah.

Wylie:

And Gordon wasn't really paying attention, he only remembers the last name we heard.

Gordon:

Uh Buddy.

Jared:

I think um I'm gonna say I I'm curious. Uh your uh station is not up to code. Um, and so I'm just wondering what's going on uh upstairs. Why is it a mess? Um also why was one of your researchers missing an arm and trying to kill our uh a dog?

Eira Gwyn:

Oh, oh, yes. We had quite an unfortunate incident.

Wylie:

And she notices Alan. He looks like he's dressed, you know, like a researcher. You know, the rest of you are a chef and a security guard, and and and so she she kind of identifies him as like you're somebody who would work in a lab, and and she says,

Eira Gwyn:

surely this handsome young man knows the issues of working in a lab, and we s we had a terrible acid spill. Um, and of course the heat was turned off, and so it's terribly cold up there. So we came on down um because it's warm. And um what was the other question?

Jared:

Oh, why why is one of your researchers trying to kill a dog and he was missing an arm?

Eira Gwyn:

Uh in the the some of the dogs got out and um Aggro, he went to get them.

Jared:

Okay. That doesn't really get in the dog and like so why was he trying to kill him? And then it hurt us uh while trying to kill the dog.

Eira Gwyn:

Aggro did that?

Jared:

Yep.

Eira Gwyn:

That's not in his nature.

Jared:

Um I'm you know, I can't I don't know the man, but he's dead now, so.

Eira Gwyn:

You've killed Aggro?

Jared:

No, well, okay.

Gordon:

Technically it was the doctor here.

Alan:

He fell. It was the ground that killed him.

Jared:

Now remember because I told you that I killed him? Oh yeah. Okay, sorry. No, you didn't. No, because I couldn't. I'd be like, no, I'm gonna Oh, yep, I killed him. Um I take the full responsibility. Oh gosh, it's hot here, isn't it?

Eira Gwyn:

The the ground, the you killed him, or the ground killed him.

Wylie:

I and when when you when she said you killed him, all the other dwarves kind of like they like tense up. You know, they're holding um like pickaxes and shovels and and things like that, and they all kind of like look at you with with tension. And she's just confused at this point.

Jared:

I'll show my like burn marks that I got from the lightning, and I'll be like, oh, it was in self-defense. Um, I had to uh put him down. He reached for my weapon, and so I was I just had to kill him a night. Um that was that was in self-defense, so yes, he also was not very kind to the dog.

Brad:

Yes, yes, he was he was not kind to dog to the stomacha.

Eira Gwyn:

So did you bring our dogs back?

Jared:

Oh, there was only one.

Eira Gwyn:

Only one dog?

Jared:

Yes.

Eira Gwyn:

How did you get here?

Jared:

Well, we brought our dogs from our Base. Oh no.

Eira Gwyn:

Oh you have dogs!

Jared:

Yeah, of course we have dogs. Why wouldn't we have dogs?

Eira Gwyn:

Do you think you could help us? We need to get the heat on in the labs. It's so cold we had to come down here.

Jared:

You can't you guys can't fix the heating area? You just turn up the temp, right? I don't know anything about technology.

Eira Gwyn:

It's so cold we couldn't operate the equipment. I'm very sensitive to the cold.

Jared:

Oh boy. Okay. Um can I uh make another insight? Is this person acting like a uh basically I'm trying to think, are they infected with something? Is there like can I make like a perception check? Is like, do they look normal? How far away are we? Yeah, we're like 30 feet, right? Or something like that.

Wylie:

Oh you're yeah, you're across the creek, so you're not too close to them. I mean um I think they would have stepped a little closer because you're talking, like you're like shouting across the creek. Oh, I'm definitely shouting. And let me let me kind of adjust the distance a little bit and then make this a little smaller to reflect where they're actually located. Yeah, basically. So there they probably would have come like up here. Um, so I would say that that's maybe around 15 feet away because you know, you'd want to be able to see them and stuff. And um, you guys can move your characters if you think they would have moved a little bit closer for conversation, but they're about you I'd say you're all probably right about here.

Jared:

Yeah, that's where I would I'm just talking over the the cavern. Um but I I kind of want to make like I feel like they're not acting like normal humanoids would. Um and so I want to make sure that they're not infected with something, or like I guess I would have to get up close and do that.

Wylie:

Yeah, for infection, I'd I'd say you'd probably have to make a medicine check.

Jared:

Yeah, it would I would have to be closer to, huh?

Wylie:

Yeah, for 15 feet away.

Jared:

I mean it's hard to see.

Wylie:

That's a little hard to like glasses, but and and definitely, you know, they're um yeah, like their personality seems a little odd, but you don't know these people. So it's it's hard to tell if if this is normal for them.

Jared:

Yeah.

Wylie:

You are a gnome, and she's a gnome. Yeah. So I think there would be some cultural, you know, things that you could relate to.

Jared:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Um with the Dwaregar, like they seem kind of creepy, but I don't know how much time Jared would have spent with underground dwarves. Um and not a ton.

Jared:

That's why I wasn't set to this facility. Yeah. I spent more time with the other. Um, okay. Um I'm gonna I'm gonna be like one second, and then I'm gonna turn and huddle with you guys and be like, perfect. Yeah, I'm gonna be like, hey, what's what do you guys think what's going on here? This seems a little suspicious. I don't know.

Gordon:

I don't know, Buddy seems pretty nice.

Jared:

Just because his name is Buddy doesn't mean if my name was Buddy, you would like me more.

Alan:

Probably stinky. Who names their son stinky?

Jared:

That's a good point.

Kipo:

We're really focusing on the name.

Wylie:

To be clear, it was Stanky. I know. Yeah, he's heard. He's old. Alan, definitely. It's all proper.

Jared:

Um Pyra, what do you think? These two guys are focusing on names.

Pyra:

Pyra. Um she's like, oh, they build pretty nice tunnel.

Jared:

Man, really focused on the wrong stuff here, guys. I I just feel like they're not acting normal, guys. I'm just gonna be honest with you.

Gordon:

Well, I think Buddy is nice, but the rest of them, I uh yeah, maybe a little off. Maybe something's wrong.

Brad:

But again, Buddy, Buddy seems like a nice guy.

Jared:

Right. So if we attack them, Buddy's the one that we're not gonna attack, correct? Correct.

Gordon:

Don't go for Buddy.

Jared:

Uh we're like whispering. Um but I'm I'm like stage whispering.

Alan:

Um well if we're whispering.

Jared:

It's okay. You I have a one-in-one passive perception, so I can hear literal whispers. I cannot sleep around you. You snore so loud.

Alan:

If they if they seem like they're fine, I say we just leave. And if they follow us, then we'll know something is wrong.

Jared:

That's true. I guess we weren't re wh why did we come here in the first place, I guess, is the big question. We came here because we wanted to make sure they were safe, right? That was kind of like them and they're not hostile, so Okay.

Gordon:

Uh they see. I came for spice. I know, I have to do that.

Jared:

We're not a security check when we get back. Yeah, oh, we're not gonna lend our dogs. Also, why would they need dogs to heat up things? All right.

Wylie:

Uh I'm gonna be like, alright, we have decided. So you turn around and face them? Yep. Okay. Um so you did hear like some footsteps and shuffling. And so some of the Duergar have walked along on their side of the creek, but they have walked um further um back up north, back upstream. Um, but she's still standing there with about with three others around her, and like,

Eira Gwyn:

so do you think you can help us?

Jared:

Um, well, unfortunately, we don't have a mechanic with us at this moment. Um, so we are gonna uh we were just uh double checking, making sure everything is safe here. Is everything okay? No, and

Pyra:

Pyro goes, but i told you I can throw in the heat.

Mimir:

Shut up, Pyra! Shut up, Pyra. I put my hand over the neck like and I'm yelling at the Pyra.

Pyra:

I was like, that's pretty rude. And she's she's she kind of like stalks away from you. Like she's just like, I'm just trying to help. And so she she starts walking back upstream herself on your guys' side. She's like, Oh god, telling me to shut up. I'll tell him to shut up. I'll shut up this whole tunnel.

Jared:

Oh no, she's gonna trap us in here.

Wylie:

You know, she has a fiery temper. Uh-huh.

Jared:

All right.

Wylie:

Um she goes and leans against the cavern wall and she's sitting there like flicking flame in her hand, almost like a zippo lighter, just sitting there, like waiting and kind of glaring at you with fire in her eyes.

Jared:

This is a normal reaction. Every single time I tell her she can't blow up the base, this is how she goes and sulks. Yeah, yeah. Um never blows up anything though, hopefully. Um I'm gonna be like, um, unfortunately, uh, with the resources that we have, and I do like the full like I'm pulling out the handbook of saying no as in a very professional email. Um the resources that we have currently, um, we're unable to uh provide uh assistance, but uh we uh wish you the best luck and uh sincerely uh Jared Vernstworth, uh security guard head security guard of uh our research station clothes.

Wylie:

Um she there's a space right in front of you guys where the river can be crossed, the stream can be crossed, and so she starts to walk towards you, not in any kind of threatening way, but just like

Eira Gwyn:

oh you can't help an old woman. This man seems very smart, and she points to Alan and she's like, I would love to discuss some research projects with you.

Alan:

Uh we're we're we're kind of short on time, so maybe you could come visit us at our base. Uh oh,

Eira Gwyn:

that would be lovely.

Jared:

What are you doing?

Eira Gwyn:

Per perhaps you could take one or two of us with you now. We should find the body of poor Aggro and what has happened to him.

Gordon:

My vote is buddy. How about buddy?

Jared:

Right. We will take buddy and one other randomly selected individual.

Wylie:

Uh and uh You do you do recall that your sleds can only carry four people, so you would have to leave somebody behind.

Jared:

Yeah, that's not happening. Um I'll be like, uh, unfortunately, and I'd pull up the book again. Our resources go to well for that uh circumstance, but I do appreciate the offer. Uh you guys can come and visit when the storm is over.

Brad:

He sounds like the apparently kid. Apparently, yeah.

Jared:

Unfortunately.

Eira Gwyn:

Could you at least help us get the heat back on while we wait? We'd we'd like to get back to our beds and start putting things to rights, and some of our research will suffer if we're down here the whole time.

Jared:

Uh how much time until the storm hits?

Wylie:

Um so I'd say you've been in the cavern thirty minutes, so you've got about thirty more minutes to get back up and get back to your dogs and handle that's a good question.

Brad:

How about Pyro? She can she can warm things up very quickly. Yeah.

Jared:

Um we can um Pyra will help you, but you only have we only have 15 more minutes until we uh can do that. So uh why don't you come up with us? Uh the rest of you guys can keep digging and do doing what uh Buddy can also come if he wants to. Um and wait until I hear Buddy's voice.

Wylie:

So Eria Gwyn um says,

Eira Gwyn:

Okay, we'll come on up with you.

Wylie:

And they start her and the three Dwegar that with her start to cross, and the other Dwegar um that were kind of parallel, um, they're moving forward to where there's a little tiny bridge up a high kind of when you're where Pyra is standing.

Jared:

Okay. Um I'm gonna feel like you're just flanking us. Yeah. Yeah, this feels this feels very trappy like.

Wylie:

Um I'm gonna put individual icons on the map for them.

Jared:

Uh why would you do that? We're just going upstairs. That's crazy.

Unknown:

They we don't mean that.

Wylie:

Just to give you an idea of the actual locations of uh this little lady in all six. Oh, here's Buddy.

Mimir:

Dwarven insight is pretty good. Hold on. Can you blow up Buddy a second for me?

Wylie:

He's not actually that unique looking. Okay.

Jared:

Buddy sick, bro. Uh just for everybody else.

Gordon:

Oh my gosh.

Jared:

Buddy's a ripped Duergar, and he has six next to him, and he has this sweet-looking pickaxe with like mechanical things on him with a crystal that's over lighting him. Like, it looks cool.

Wylie:

Um I put um numbers on all of the dwarfs so I could keep track of them.

unknown:

So why would you do that?

Jared:

Why would you do that? Um, where can I, if they want to see these pictures, where can they see these pictures at?

Wylie:

Um, listeners, if you would like to see these pictures too, um, you can go to our Patreon and we will be sharing these images on our Patreon. Um our Patreon will have full episodes without ads for $5 a month, as well as our character art and our maps and bonus episodes that will not be released in the main feed. Um, some fun behind the scenes episodes. So after we finish this recording, we're going to be chatting about this one-shot campaign, um, some DM secrets that might still be in play, as well as um the players' impressions of the campaign. So we'll be doing that chat episode, behind the scenes episode afterwards, and you can access all of that on our Patreon. Um so if you are feeling left out not being able to see Jerry or Buddy um or these cool caverns that we have or anything like that, you can access all of that um with a Patreon subscription. And so here's Muddy and oh, here's Stanky.

Kipo:

Where is Jerry?

Wylie:

Um, Jerry is in the backpack, and um you put him in the Ziploc bag.

Kipo:

Right.

Gordon:

Mm-hmm. Oh, okay.

Wylie:

In the backpack. Um, but can you give me a perception check? Okay.

Jared:

But Jerry's on my head.

Mimir:

Jerry has my crossbow somehow.

Wylie:

Jerry's on the side of the head.

Jared:

He has a cut to my head.

Kipo:

All right, that's re-roll. Yeah, it's tilted. Oh cocked.

unknown:

Oh, dang. Yeah, yeah, that was fine. I've got a 10. Nice, nice. No, that's great.

Wylie:

Okay. Um you're just thinking about Jerry.

Gordon:

Oh, Jerry.

Wylie:

You're wondering you're wondering if Buddy has seen Jerry before. Yeah.

Gordon:

Oh no. Hey, hey Buddy, do you know Jerry?

Wylie:

Have you seen Jerry? Uh and Buddy's almost across the river from you. And uh

Buddy:

he's like, who's Jerry?

Gordon:

Jerry, little mushroom squid guy.

Buddy:

Oh yeah, there's lots of mushrooms.

Gordon:

But but do you know Jerry?

Buddy:

They have not told me their names.

Brad:

Oh, maybe you've met Jetty then.

Wylie:

Okay, so um Eria is coming towards you across and saying, Alright, we'll we'll we'll come on up with you, and you'll help us get the heat back on.

Jared:

Y ep, that's what we're gonna do. Um, here we go. Uh yeah, we start moving that direction.

Wylie:

Okay. And so her and the three duergar with her are are crossing the river.

Kipo:

And um Alan does not like the idea of climbing on a ladder up. Down was fine. But he doesn't want to go up. So he uh casts spider climb on himself. Wow. Nice so he can just walk up.

Wylie:

So I imagine he does. Doesn't climb like a spider. He just keeps walking to the side of the side. Well, that's it.

Kipo:

Yeah, on two feet, you can just walk up the side. Yeah.

Wylie:

So he just continues walking, maybe hands in his pockets.

Kipo:

Yeah.

Wylie:

And just starts, and this we haven't quite gotten to the ladder yet. So does he start doing it on the side of the cavern?

Kipo:

As soon as there's the opening going upwards. Yes. It starts going up.

Wylie:

Okay. And so Eria is very impressed by this.

Eira Gwyn:

And she says, Wow, look at you go. You are a very powerful wizard.

Kipo:

Um Alan kind of just mumbles to himself. He's like, it's just a second level spell.

Jared:

I'm gonna I'm gonna be like, somebody's getting on all the fancers over here.

Wylie:

Um okay, so I assume

Jared:

Yeah, we're gonna keep walking. Uh I'll I'll leave the back. I'm just gonna can I um now that I'm closer, I'm gonna I'm gonna see if there's any infection or anything. Okay. Like if there's something that's like like messed up.

Wylie:

Mm-hmm. Um, and so what kind of check are you gonna do?

Jared:

Uh I mean I guess that would be medicine. Medicine. Let me do investigation. I would love that.

Wylie:

I'll let you do medicine or nature. If you do investigation, I might give you a different type of information, but you can do medicine or nature.

Jared:

I don't know what that different kind of information. Now that makes sense. Um okay, I'll do medicine. Uh right. I shouldn't have done medicine. Uh, that's an eight.

Wylie:

Yeah. I mean, you don't know that much about sickness. They they are acting weird. And you know that people back home are acting weird because of the arcanium sickness.

Jared:

Yeah. So it's that's not a problem here.

Wylie:

Uh that you know of. You know, you don't know what's going on in their base for sure.

Jared:

Yeah, I'm so nervous.

Wylie:

You could ask her more information about what was going on.

Jared:

Yeah, Mimir is so like Mimir is like so this is all bad. This is all bad in Mimir's brain. It's like tingling all of the DD. We're in a trap, we're about to get killed situation. So but um I'm gonna be like uh do you have a security guard of your own, or was that is that not something that you guys have to worry about?

Eira Gwyn:

Security? Um, we're not very concerned with security out here in the middle of the wilderness. No one has come to our base before until you.

Jared:

Oh, well, you know, you should really work on security measures. I can leave like a safety pamphlet. I have four of them. Four copies. I brought four copies because uh each of them I give them to them, but then they never take them. So um so here's a safety copy of the the booklet, and then if you need some extra forms uh for like I I know you have a spill and things like that. Um so here's some extra forms.

Wylie:

You hand her a pamphlet. Yeah. Okay, and so she reaches out to take it, and um her hand touches yours and it feels kind of sticky.

Jared:

Uh okay.

Mimir:

Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool.

Alan:

What'd you say about stinky?

Mimir:

I'm gonna be like, uh sick.tight.tight.tight.

Wylie:

Um the other the other Duergar are coming around you too to take pamphlets from you.

Jared:

Oh, great. So everybody keeps a pamphlet. Uh I I I have four of them, so I'd love I'll just give them all a pamphlet. Uh pamphlets for everybody. Okay. And here's some uh information on uh emergency situations. Um zombie apocalypse.

Wylie:

Are you just uh standing in one place? Is Alan continuing to walk along the wall?

Jared:

I shouldn't be standing. Yeah, I'm I'm uh this is my favorite part of my job. Uh any fill uh filling out yeah, f filling out information and stuff. So I'm doomed, guys. It's there.

Kipo:

Uh if he stopped, then Alan stopped.

Jared:

Okay. Okay.

Wylie:

Alan stopped.

Kipo:

I wanted us to stick together and leave first. Okay. Before them.

Wylie:

So as you come as you come past Pyra, she's kind of still sulking, you know, against the wall. Would you encourage her to move forward with you, or do you just ignore her and keep going? Like, you're not act actively moving right now. I'd say you stopped about where Pyra is and Gordon.

Kipo:

Um, if she's there and Jared is just handing out stuff, then yeah, I'm gonna stop just next to her, not not talk to her. Actually, he'll say, um, how he's like whispering. He does not want anybody to hear this.

Alan:

How much more of that visky do you have?

Pyra:

Oh, you want another drink?

Alan:

Maybe, maybe in the sled.

Kipo:

And then he like gets all excited.

Mimir:

That's the cutest thing ever.

Pyra:

She's like, Yes, um, it's a bit warm you up for the ride back. I'll get you some more. We I have to.

Wylie:

He doesn't take it. Um and so Gordon, you were standing kind of right at the bridge. Yep. And so um are you gonna continue standing there? What are you gonna do?

Brad:

Yeah, so I I think Gordon, like, although not like I think because Gordon is such a big guy, he's not as kind of fearful, right? He's just kind of like chill. But he also previous in a previous life, he's also kind of standing there just to block away. Mm-hmm. Right? Um Yeah, for someone not to cross.

Wylie:

So his instincts, he's not combatant anymore.

Brad:

No.

Wylie:

Um he uses his cooking to soothe his rage.

Gordon:

Correct, correct.

Wylie:

But um he's he he just has those instincts still, that protector instinct, and so he's standing in front of the bridge, and he's you're gonna essentially stay there until the rest of your party passes. Okay. Okay. Um and so you guys have said you're gonna help them turn back on the heat. Yeah. Are you being honest or are you deceiving them?

Jared:

Uh I mean, we only have 15 minutes. Uh so I gave us a deadline to turn on the heat. Yeah. Um, if it's any more than that, then we have to we have to leave.

Wylie:

But you are planning to help them as well.

Jared:

Yeah, I mean, yeah, we were planning to be honest about it. Um I just figured Pyra's just gonna blow it. Yeah, that's what I also was gonna I was just gonna be like pir like basically um after I'm done with my full speech, um, and was like, so and that's sector three, uh, verse 83. Uh I read the whole pamphlet by now, uh, which probably have taken probably a minute or two to do. I'm a pretty fast reader. Um, but um, and then I'll be like, all right, Pyra um is going to help us turn on the heat.

Wylie:

Um and and she really glares at you because you told her to shut up when she offered that earlier.

Jared:

And I'll be like, you were right, and I'm sorry, Pyra.

Pyra:

She's like, thank you for your apology. I accept.

Jared:

Hey, security, security knows when to to apologize. That's rule number 18. Um and I will continue walking. Um, and I'm gonna be uh I'll give it like a nod to RamShield. I'll be like, there's something a little suspicious kind of nod. Um and then I like do like uh security sign signals, but no. We don't know. Whenever it came to the class that I did of like, hey, let's all stick into a group and like fly together like uh the uh bird doing hands club and hands club. Um and so I'm gonna continue walking. Um and I will be last out of the whole group. Okay, um, even though RamShield technically would be the best to be last, but I will be last because I'm the security guard at taking care of my delega job. Yeah, exactly.

Wylie:

Okay. Um so now that Pyra knows that she's gonna turn the heat back on, she continues. So I think she might be leading the way. Yep, that sounds good. Um, and so she's gonna go all the way up to the ladder. And Alan is following along the walls, walking very confidently with his hands in his pockets. And so they go up the ladder, start going up the ladder.

Brad:

I would say I would probably wait till like he would probably have to give me a nudge. Like, hey, you go ahead. I'll tap your I'll tap your shoulder. Yeah.

Jared:

Okay. Cool.

Wylie:

All right, and so they all are following you or in an orderly manner. Um taking their turns.

Jared:

Does she have any weapons? Are any of them armed with anything that's uh weapon?

Wylie:

They have tools that could definitely be.

Jared:

Just the pickaxes. That's all tools, though. They were down here for a reason. Um so that's great.

Gordon:

Yeah. That's great.

Jared:

So that's great. That's that's that's great and all. Yeah, that's great and all.

unknown:

Okay.

Jared:

Um, can I see if uh what's his name? I I don't know. The squid, the squid guy in Ram Shields, yeah. Jerry? Jerry. Yeah, I I refuse to call him Jerry. I can't name him because if I kill him, I'm gonna feel guilty. Um so uh I'm gonna uh J Dog. Uh I'm gonna look and see if he's escaped or if he's still in the back.

Wylie:

Okay. Um so you I I assume you're looking into the basket. Yes. Okay.

Jared:

As I walk past him, put my hand on his shoulder and I'll like pee, I'll climb up a little bit, yeah, and look in.

Wylie:

Um okay. Um so you don't even have to get your head over the basket. You can see that Jerry has gotten out of the plastic bag because it's plastic.

Gordon:

Yeah. Dang it.

Wylie:

And a wicker basket is really easy for an octopus to climb. I mean, they can climb almost like pure glass. So that you can see that he's now um at the top of the basket and climbing onto Gordon's shoulder. Oh, cool.

Jared:

Um I I just assume that that is what he allowed because uh I I figured that's it's his pet now.

Wylie:

And and Gordon didn't observe this earlier that it was happening. No, I didn't. He doesn't know. Um, but at this point, Jerry has made it up like onto his shoulder. Cool, Millie. No.

Jared:

Well, you're uh you're getting real familiar with your squid.

Brad:

Who, Jerry?

Jared:

Yeah, turn to your right, man.

Brad:

He turns to his left. Oh, oh.

Gordon:

Oh, hello, Jerry. How'd you get out of your bag?

Wylie:

Uh when you turn to your right, um Jerry's sitting on your shoulder and ri he raises a little tentacle and and puts it on your cheek. And it kind of goes, um, like when the individual little suction's like boop, boop, boop, boop.

Unknown:

Uh-huh.

Wylie:

So he's kind of like he's kind of pulling at your face, just not not aggressively, but just kind of like feeling

Mimir:

creepy and adorable at the same time.

Wylie:

So he's just kind of feeling he's he hasn't felt your face before. You know, you don't know if the thing has eyes or or how it detects its environment, so it's kind of um experimenting with the with the skin of your face and kind of, you know, it's on your shoulder right now.

Brad:

Um is there any way I can like just kind of maybe more perceiving more about Jerry?

Wylie:

Sure. What what kind of a check do you want to make and what are you looking for? You want to do perception check?

Brad:

Um, is there anything I notice about Jerry? Like I I know you've mentioned like it's nothing like, you know, do I feel differently or anything like that?

Wylie:

So it's more about yourself. Right. Like how you feel.

Brad:

How I feel.

Wylie:

Um no, you don't feel different right now.

Mimir:

Okay. "Right now" is crazy. Saying "right now" is insane.

Wylie:

I mean, you ate some weird jelly.

Brad:

That's true.

Wylie:

So aside from some tummy rumblings, you seem to be doing pretty good.

Brad:

I need to go out very quick. Um, we head up the ladder.

Wylie:

All right. Let's load our base. Istid Jokul.

Mimir:

Man, I am not comfortable right now. There's so many enemies behind us, and I don't know that they're enemies. Oh no. Oh, that's where we go.

Brad:

I'm starting to realize something.

Mimir:

What are you realizing? No, share with the class.

Wylie:

Well, would Gordon realize this?

Brad:

Or Brad is realizing this. I have a feeling as soon as we come up into the cold, Jerry's just gonna lose it and like attack my face.

Mimir:

Oh, see, I thought it was like the oh but

Brad:

that's why everything's been that's why everything's been cold. That's why the old lady is asking to to uh to turn on the heat.

Mimir:

Oh, I'm so interested. Can I make a check real quick? Mm-hmm.

Wylie:

As you go as you're going up the ladder.

Jared:

Yeah, just like a memory check. In the photos with everybody, is there any like dwarf? Because there was a like bootprint cut out of the ice room. Correct? Um, is there any uh person that's missing from the photo that is in this group?

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

Like, is there any extra person?

Wylie:

Any new people, okay.

Jared:

Yeah, um, so she said they haven't had visitors in a while. So there's like some tingling, tinglings.

Wylie:

Okay. Um, yeah, why don't you I kind of check what makes sense?

Jared:

Like a history?

Wylie:

Yeah, history would make a lot of sense.

Jared:

To remember the photo. A stealth check? No, I'm scared.

Mimir:

Okay.

Jared:

Twelve, I have to say it confidently.

Wylie:

Twelve. So I'll just review what you observed. And um, so when you found the ice block that was in their lab, the lab was um a temperature-controlled room that they could turn off the heat or turn off the cold, separate from the whole rest of the base. And they clearly had it set to cold, and they had a great big ice block in the center, and that ice block was greenish, and there was a large carving cut out of the middle.

Mimir:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Um, but what remained was a boot that still had a foot in it because there was an ankle bone. But you didn't tell sticking.

Mimir:

Yeah.

Wylie:

So I think you're the only one who observed this because at that time Pira and Gordon were in a different part of the base.

Jared:

They never came up. And the reason I told them to meet 'em, uh meet us around, so they wouldn't see that. Okay. So there, but is there any new person that I see or think of?

Wylie:

Um from what you recall, it seems like I mean, they all kind of look very similar. Yeah. But they it all it's all Duergar. Yep. So there's not any other species.

Mimir:

Just numbers-wise, though.

Wylie:

Um, and so there's six. Okay. And um she she is with the six Dwaregar, and then there would have been one more because you guys met Aggro. Yeah. So there was a total of seven, which means that there's eight at their base, um, which is the same number that you guys have at your base. Um, I wouldn't say that that's really a high enough for you to be able to tell if there's one extra person with with only a 12. Um, but you know that, hey, there should be eight people here at this base. Like that seems to kind of make sense um because we have eight people at our base, because that has to do with um a plane shifter and how many people they can transport at one time. Um and so that logically um makes sense for your base as well as their base.

Jared:

Um I'm gonna saddle up next to Buddy. I'm gonna be like, hey, hey, buddy, come to me straight real quick. Uh just whispering just to Buddy if I can get him just alone.

Wylie:

Uh you guys are c um are you climbing the ladder yet or not yet?

Jared:

Yeah, we're all the way up.

Wylie:

Okay, so you guys are up in the circular room. Okay, and then the utility room is the one that's to the right. And so I assume Pyra's gonna head towards the utility room and turn on the heat. And um the rest of them are are gathering. This room around the tunnel is fairly warm because it comes up, so it's it's more comfortable for them. So we've got hang on, I need to pull them all out of the tunnel.

Jared:

What happens if they go in through i buddy muddy?

Wylie:

And why are all the windows broken? Stanky Buddy Muddy, stanky bumble.

Mimir:

Great names, by the way.

Wylie:

Thank you. Cranky.

unknown:

Cranky.

Wylie:

Cranky stanky. Um, and stumble. There we go. Alright. And get them all situated here around the tunnel. Um, and so you're trying to talk to Buddy.

Jared:

Yeah, move I'll move myself up to next to Buddy here. Okay. Alright, over here. Yeah, I think he's number six. Right in between all of them. Which is great. Uh, because they're all friends and we're all we're all loving each other. And we're like, well, Buddy is good to trust. Yeah, that's why I'm talking to Buddy. I'm trusting your instinct on the side.

Wylie:

Um no one has done any insight check on Buddy. Nope, buddy doesn't need to. He doesn't look any more trustworthy than anyone else.

Jared:

Well, in our hearts, he does. Um and I'll be like, Buddy, cut to me straight here. Um, is there and I'm whispering just to Buddy. What's with the ankle bone in the ice room? Um and I'll make an insight check as I ask that to see if he has any facial uh expressions.

Wylie:

Okay. Yeah, let me know that insight check.

Jared:

And if he attacks me, he's gonna go. Um well I rolled a four, but I have uh a plus ten to that, so fourteen.

Wylie:

Fourteen, nice. That is a big recovery for that four.

Jared:

Yep.

Wylie:

Um so as you remember, um Eria got this kind of like confused expression, and so he he he kind of like goes a little blank for a second. And you asked him as Yeah, what's with the ankle? What's with the ankle bone?

Jared:

In in the ice room.

Buddy:

And um he goes, Oh yes, uh some von was stuck in the block. Who it was good uh Aggro.

Jared:

Aggro had both of his ankle bones, though. He was missing an arm, but it was an ankle bone.

Wylie:

Um and Eria steps forward and she's like,

Eira Gwyn:

We healed uh Stanky. It was Stanky, and he's been healed now, so his foot is much better. And you can roll insight check on that if you're Oh yeah, a hundred percent.

Jared:

They just said two different names. Uh that's another 14.

Wylie:

14. Um so I guess you can look and see if Stanky looks healed.

Jared:

Um, I'll be like, uh yeah, I'll make a perception check uh and see. Just not like going up to him, but I'll make a perception check to see if there's anything suspicious over there. Oh, that is an insane amount. Um oh boy. Uh that's a 25.

Wylie:

25. Such a good roll. Okay, so um at this time you do hear the heat kick back on. And um, so it's still gonna be a bit cold because the windows are crashed open in some of the rooms, but um, it sounds like power got that going, so your perception check picks up on that. Okay, heater's going. Um but you look over at Snakey, and um, he has two feet.

Mimir:

Yep.

Wylie:

Um, and with that super high 25, yeah, um, his right foot, it's it looks like an AI foot. You know how AI doesn't really know what hands and feet totally look like, and they always come out a little funky.

Jared:

Oh.

Wylie:

Um, it just has a weird vibe.

Mimir:

Like you're just like Is this an like are they under an illusion? Can I make an Arcana check? Sick. Uh that's 14.

Wylie:

Um, it there's no illusion. Okay. It looks like there's a real foot there, but it definitely doesn't look like a normal foot.

Jared:

What do you mean by uh nor like is it squid like?

Wylie:

There's there's no tentacles. I mean he is wearing shoes. Yeah, but it kind of like you can tell that with that high um perception be perception, you can tell that it it looks off. Like it's maybe too big, just like too mis like misshapen, maybe as if somebody pretend potentially had a deformity or something. Um it doesn't look like perhaps it's healed correctly all the way.

Jared:

But it does seem like that was the individual that was.

Wylie:

It does seem like Stanky lost a foot.

Jared:

Okay. Um well then everything what happened why was he in the ice block?

Eira Gwyn:

Um it is it's actually not a block of ice. Oh it is a gelatinous cube that has been frozen. Oh and when we find that working with these giant cubes that are so full of acid, you know, acid. Very good. Yeah, that makes sense. It's not safe. Super bad.

Alan:

How's your stomach feeling, Gordon?

Brad:

Am I feeling anything different as the heat kicks on? Oh no.

Wylie:

No, but um Jerry, who would when it was cold and you guys first came out, he was a little more like curled into your neck. Um but now he's he's kind of like coming up and he's like playing with your ear and like some of his tentacles are coming onto your face a little bit. I assume you kind of brush him back like onto your shoulder.

Brad:

I would I would probably put him back on my shoulder.

Wylie:

But he's getting really comfortable with you.

Brad:

Oh no.

Wylie:

Um and so Eria continues to say, um,

Eira Gwyn:

that um large uh uh cube that we found in the ice, um, as you know, you can see the greenish color to it. Um very dangerous. And we had an unfortunate accident where s where Stanky did come into contact with with it. But we um have discovered that if you freeze it, if you keep it at the cold temperatures, it's much easier to work with.

Jared:

Oh, okay. Well that's great. I'm glad we're keeping that room cold in every other room. It's great. Uh I'm not sure.

Eira Gwyn:

We would recommend it. Yeah please don't turn on the heat in that room.

Jared:

Yeah, we won't. Uh I'm gonna pat her on the shoulder and like, you're you're doing a great job. Um and then I would like to um is there anything like a journal or anything on her or anything like that? I want to see if I can pick her pockets.

Wylie:

Oh, pick her pockets.

Jared:

Yeah, I just feel like there's something more going on than that. They have good cover stories, but yeah.

Wylie:

Okay. Um yeah, why don't you give me a sleight of hand?

Jared:

Cool. 13.

Wylie:

Um, you you don't necessarily do a particularly bad job, but she doesn't have anything in her pockets. Uh as I like uh you maybe feel what seems like maybe like a pen. You don't really detect anything that's super unique. It just kind of seems like what a researcher would normally have in their clothes.

Brad:

So Would uh would Gordon happen to notice, I guess if I did a perception check of the oh sword I'm looking for how Jerry has been acting is also lining up with how the other people have been acting in the room.

Wylie:

Okay. Um yeah, maybe Alien insight.

Brad:

Just like, hold on. Why is he going crazy? Why are they moving more?

Wylie:

Yeah, yeah. Um I that could either be an investigation or nature or insight. You're you're kind of just trying to understand if if there's a correlation between all their behavior.

Brad:

Yeah, it honestly I could do any of those. Um we'll go with insight.

Wylie:

Okay.

Brad:

Okay.

Wylie:

That sounds good.

Brad:

Good role. That's a 17.

Wylie:

17 total. Yeah. Um yeah, like d you haven't observed a lot, but they everybody they all seemed happy when it's warm and they all did not like it when it was cold. Um, I think that's kind of I mean that that was a good role, but I think that's the most that you could really have observed at this point. Um, because like obviously Jerry doesn't talk.

Gordon:

Correct.

Wylie:

Like, um you know and and from your particular engagement with all of them, that's that's kind of what you're getting.

Jared:

So I'll be like, all right, since we've helped you uh kick on the heat, uh we're gonna be taking off. Uh very nice meeting you guys. Uh we will return the body uh tomorrow.

Eira Gwyn:

Um Okay, so you you'll come back with aggro then.

Jared:

Yep, yep. Return the body of aggro, yep. Okay just uh clarifying, uh we we apologize, um, but you know, when you attack one of my staff, we have to defend ourselves. Uh that's page five, by the way.

Eira Gwyn:

And she she looks down at the pamphlet and and says, Okay, okay, oh, okay. Um well thank thank you for your help. Um do you think you could help us board up some of the windows before you go?

Jared:

Uh unfortunately we're running out of time here. Um, but uh we really appreciate the and I have the pamphlet back out. A different uh like the security pamphlet, but like we really appreciate uh our time. Uh and we would love uh if you would rate our service one out of ten.

Kipo:

Um Alan starts walking up uh the side of the wall to go towards the door and up and around um it's Aria, Jared, and whoever number six is.

Wylie:

So he's heading um this way.

Kipo:

Yeah. You couldn't feel like Buddy. Okay.

Wylie:

Okay. So he's moving past Buddy to

Kipo:

And just heading towards the door because we're wrapping up.

Wylie:

Mm-hmm. Okay.

Kipo:

Yep.

Wylie:

Um and um I'm gonna say, okay, so you're wrapping up, heading out the door. Okay. Um, so where where does everybody go?

Jared:

Uh I'm just gonna wait until Pyro gets back and uh just kind of uh getting our survey done. Um because it none of the surveys have ever meant filled out because we don't have many visitors. Um but I do uh want to say that um we did park technically by the kitchen. So we have to walk. Did we though?

Brad:

Because we parked and then we walked around.

Wylie:

So yeah, you guys are just outside this tunnel area. Um so yeah, you guys can head on outside and load up.

Brad:

That's yeah, I would just head that way and load.

Jared:

Thank you so much. I really appreciate all of you guys. Um and I appreciate uh everything that you guys have. Uh hope everything is great. Uh and uh have a good one.

Eira Gwyn:

Okay. Um, so they are says uh thank you so much for your help, and and we do look forward to your return, and um, we'll try to get things a bit more fixed up around here. Thank you. Yeah, no worries.

Wylie:

And um, so you guys head on out. Pyra comes back, and you guys all leave.

Jared:

Okay. I'm gonna do one s uh final insight check. Um yeah, I just want to do one final insight check, and they're all humanoids. That's basically the last insight check that I got for me.

Wylie:

Okay, so what do you mean by they're all humanoids?

Jared:

Um, well, the goop was coming off her hand. Is there any more goop coming off all of them?

Wylie:

Um so when you when you took when you gave pamphlets to all of them, they all had sticky hands.

Jared:

Man, I really don't want to leave this mystery, but we have to get back. Um and I don't want to be trapped here with how much time do we have?

Wylie:

Um I'd say you you guys got about ten minutes.

Kipo:

Ten minutes? Mm-hmm. Okay.

Wylie:

For for the um so you it was five hours until the storm came. It took one hour to to drive here. Right. You've spent almost two hours, and so you have one hour. So you could stretch that by another hour. But it's risky because if you don't drive the sled dogs correctly. Um And I'm really bad at that.

Eira Gwyn:

And um Eria does say, um, you know, there is a storm on the way, and you'd be more than welcome to stay here with us and ride it out.

Mimir:

Beep Beep Beep Alarm bells going off.

Wylie:

In your head. Not in the actual base.

Kipo:

Um I want to do my thing, but I can't communicate with you because you're talking to them.

Jared:

Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna look at the whole crew and see if they want to do that. Uh, because that's not technically my decision. My decision to keep them safe. So they don't feel safe outside the thing. So I'll be like, uh let me confer with my crew and we'll be right back, all right? Oh, uh I'm gonna close the door so then we can talk privately.

Eira Gwyn:

Okay, and she's like, lovely, um, I'll send Stanky to the kitchen to start cooking. We we love that.

Brad:

Um I'm gonna be like, what do you guys think? One one thing though, one thing, one thing though. Uh Gordon would recognize from the start at that moment that Muddy was the chef, not Stanky. Whoa!

Jared:

I mean, I'm just saying you were paying attention, Brad.

Brad:

That's the one thing he would notice. He would notice that very quickly.

Jared:

Um, so I close the door and then I'll I'll talk to you guys. I didn't notice that. That's really good.

Wylie:

Also, Gordon, as you step outside, it's really cold now. Yeah. And so Jerry is not happy. And Jerry, like, he's getting even closer into your face and your neck, and his tentacles are reaching up towards your mouth. Like, he looks like he's looking for any warm place to be. He does not like the cold.

Jared:

And so he's um I wouldn't take out my uh the fire dagger that I have, um, and I'm gonna look at you like, should I kill this thing?

Brad:

Honestly, I think I'm trying to think of what Gordon would do in this moment because he would pick up on the like that's not right, and not, you know, that that's weird about the stanky being sh you know, going to cook.

Jared:

Yeah. Well, then the second time they made a mistake.

Brad:

Right, right. So he would probably pull Jerry off of his of his face, off of his neck.

Jared:

Okay, cool.

Wylie:

You make me a strength roll.

Jared:

I will I uh I am also going to uh if it doesn't work, I'm gonna do something if that's okay.

Brad:

He cuts my head off.

Jared:

I'd like to kill him.

Brad:

Sneak attack. Surprise. Oh no. What is that?

Jared:

And uh How's the dice treating over there?

Brad:

Not great. Okay. So that's an eight.

Wylie:

An eight. He beat you. You do not get Jerry off. He is he's clinging to you.

Brad:

With the fur. Okay.

Wylie:

Do you cut, um are you aiming for like separating the head from the tent, like the top mushroom part from the tentacles? Okay. So you're not actually going up against Gordon's skin.

Jared:

Yeah, I don't want to go up against Gordon's skin. Um is this with advantage? Because technically I'm flanking. Yeah.

Wylie:

You you are so close to him, he is locked in place. I think if you grab the the button cap of the the top of the and you slice, you don't even really you just have to let's make a sleight of hand to make sure you don't hit Gordon.

Jared:

Cool coolie.

Wylie:

You're definitely gonna cut the Jerry.

Jared:

Okay, we're good. That was close to a two, by the way. Uh but it is a uh twenty three.

Brad:

Gordon loses an ear.

Wylie:

So with a twenty-three, you are easily able to sever the mushroom top from the tentacles. Um and so there are now, let's say, f um six separate tentacles left kind of stuck to Gordon's neck.

Jared:

I'm gonna try to peel those off also.

Wylie:

Yeah, they are moving individually. Yep. They are not stopping, they are continuing. And now there's five of them. Yeah. And they're going towards his ears and his eyes and his mouth.

Jared:

Yeah, I'm gonna start. Uh I'm gonna basically try to steer them with the flame because they don't like the heat, right? Um they like the heat.

Wylie:

Um at this point, um probably go towards the Yeah.

Jared:

Can I like put the dagger up close and then have them like slowly get off of the dagger?

Wylie:

Yeah, you could try that.

Jared:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Um I'm gonna roll to see if they decide that the the Can I make a deception check maybe with my knife? Can I make a deception check with a knife? No. I'm gonna just do a luck check.

Jared:

Worth a try.

Wylie:

Um and so for your guys' luck check, I rolled a Nat 20, so it's convinced. It just it's like it climbs it's like woo. Yeah. And it climbs on to the warm. Um and when you cut off the top, what did you do with the top?

Jared:

Uh I threw it in the snow.

Wylie:

Okay. You threw it in the snow.

Jared:

Because cold is bad. So I'm gonna like start flicking and then wipe them in the snow one at a time. Mm-hmm.

Wylie:

Okay. Um so give me a dex track to get them off the s the knife. Okay.

Jared:

Which will probably just decks, side of hand, or decks?

Wylie:

Yeah, slide of hand is good.

unknown:

Yes.

Jared:

Okay, never mind. Uh I rolled a three, so eight.

Wylie:

Eight. Um the you have a bunch of tentacles stuck to your knife.

Jared:

I'm gonna do like um I'm gonna deactivate the flame and just put it in the snow.

Wylie:

Okay. Yep.

Jared:

I don't want it climbing on me.

Wylie:

Just set the knife down into the snow?

Jared:

Yep. Okay. And then pick it up. Like, I'm basically trying to like scoo scoop, yeah, scoop it off, basically. Okay.

Wylie:

Um the mushroom cap that you cast away has now grown new tentacles and is starting to like flee. Um, let's see. You guys are outside. So how far away do you think you threw? Probably you probably threw it like 15 feet.

Mimir:

Yeah, as far away as possible. Because I think I I think this is like a mind situation. Like they're trying to like, or they're getting like possessed or something. Sure. That's kind of what I was thinking.

Wylie:

The people. Yeah, the people um, yeah, so 15 feet away from you, like let's probably say I'm gonna move like right over here-ish.

Mimir:

Yeah.

Wylie:

Is probably kind of where you threw it. And so it's now kind of climbing around on the snow. It looks like it's kind of desperately seeking heat of of some form. So um, I'm gonna also give it a D4 and um pick a number, Gordon.

Brad:

Oh, come on, Gordon. You got this. Number one. Nice.

Wylie:

Big It rolled a one. So it is coming back in the direction of you guys. It's exactly.

Jared:

Gordon!

Kipo:

How quick.

Wylie:

Um, you know, it it's probably as um it can go.

Kipo:

Can I see it?

Wylie:

You can see it. Mm-hmm.

Kipo:

Okay. Or shoot uh even as a with firebolt.

Wylie:

Alan shoots a firebolt at it.

Jared:

I'm still working on the the squid tentacles, by the way.

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

One at a time.

Wylie:

Should we should we roll innicitive? Like, uh do you guys feel like we'll we'll just keep going like this until we I'm just saying that I'm busy, so I couldn't attack it or anything. Okay.

Brad:

So at this point, Gordon would probably try to pull tentacles off also. Do you need me to roll for that?

Wylie:

Um yeah, go ahead.

Jared:

And we'll give you that bonus action.

Wylie:

Yeah, you can do strength for that. Or or decks, but I figured strength was better for you.

Jared:

And I have a b- I mean, since I'm mastermind rouge, you can have advantage because I'm bonus uh bonus action helping.

Brad:

Alright, the first one's 12. And the other one is 11. So we'll go with the 12.

Jared:

Uh, you do not beat him. Oh my gosh.

Brad:

No, that's with the plus. It was a 10 plus I think two.

Jared:

Wait, your athletics is only two?

Brad:

No, that was strength. Oh, okay. It's plus two for strength. Dang. And no, hold on. So this is and that's not saving throws, right?

Wylie:

Um, not a not a saving throw.

Brad:

Okay, cool. Hopefully not.

Wylie:

Well, uh you I'll let you do a saving throw, because I mean you're trying to take yourself save yourself

Brad:

If it was a saving throw, then then that would be a 15.

Wylie:

It's still not high enough. Oh my gosh. So it is. He rolled Very good. Um, so you do lightning bolt on the mushroom cap? Uh fire fire bolt.

Kipo:

Fire bolt, and I rolled an 11 to hit.

Wylie:

An eleven to hit. Okay. And is he um that's just a hit against like his ACs? Okay. Um, so you hit it and it kind of like tumbles over, um, but it gets back up and continues to move.

Kipo:

Okay. I don't have to roll for damage.

Jared:

Okay. Um I I have a bonus action help as a mastermind rogue, and then action. Can I do can I help uh peel off with my action?

Wylie:

Yeah. Cool. So you're helping yourself?

Jared:

No, so I'm bonus action helped him. Okay. He failed. So I want to now do it myself.

Wylie:

You've got an action as well. Okay, gotcha.

Jared:

Um, and this is just a strength check?

Wylie:

You yeah, you can do um, because it's not happening to you, so you can do a strength check, but um Gordon can do strength saves.

Jared:

Oh, natural 19, 21. Okay. I'm more f I'm more strong than you are more strong.

Wylie:

And so he rolled ver the Jerry rolled very low. So I'm gonna say that you're able to get the rest of the tentacles off, but they are in your hands now.

Jared:

All right. Uh and then I'm gonna toss them. I'm gonna toss them. Or uh put them up against the door, right? Or no, no, no, no. Heat, heat, heat, wipe them. Yeah. Um, I'm just gonna I'm gonna see if I can toss them, basically.

Wylie:

Okay. Um I think you're gonna have to do.

Jared:

Yeah, what do you want from me? What do you want from me, DM?

Wylie:

Yeah, they are. Um Yeah, I think so. What are you what are you actually doing to try to get them off?

Jared:

You're like shaking your hands or well, yeah. I I don't know. Um maybe um is the the fire is still uh ignited on the sword.

Wylie:

Yeah, the fire's still on the knife.

Jared:

Yeah, so I'll I'll put my hands near the knife and continue the trick basically of like oh, this is a warm spot for you guys to hang out.

Wylie:

Okay, so I'll let you do a deception check for that.

Jared:

Great, great. I have a minus one in deception, but it doesn't matter when I rolled a natural one. That's an unnatural zero, DM. I actually for a small second, I was like, I'm trying to like whip them off, but then I whip them backwards onto my face. I'm like, oh great, oh no! Oh guys, oh no, I'm accidentally eating them.

Wylie:

Um at this point, the door to the tunnel opens and um

Eira Gwyn:

Eria says, do you need any help out there?

Jared:

Uh I have squid all over my face oh panicking, please.

Eira Gwyn:

Oh, come inside and we'll help you when she opens the door.

Jared:

I would not trust that. Uh I'm panicking, so I I won't do anything until you guys do something. Because I already used my bonus action action.

Wylie:

So if you remember you just told them that you were just gonna confer outside if you've got the opportunity to do that yet.

Jared:

I'll be like, uh a couple more minutes, please. Just a couple more minutes.

Kipo:

How hard is it to um to pull them off? Um It's an athletics chart.

Wylie:

Athletics, yeah, but they need it's been a strength, a strength chart. Uh strength. So um I know a lot's been happening, so your firebolt didn't do anything.

Unknown:

Right.

Wylie:

Um it you hit them, but you d it definitely didn't they didn't really react in any particular way to it. Um they did not, you know, the the knife was able to cut through them, um, but it didn't seem like they're fine. They're, you know, still alive and everything.

Jared:

Um, I'll just dunk my head into snow.

Wylie:

Okay.

Jared:

Yeah. I go, oh and then what is that film?

Kipo:

Oh, that uh ice age when he uh I was thinking um when the dude's head's on fire in Home Alone.

Jared:

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I I run around, I'm like panicking, and then I go, oh and I do a full like swan dive into the snow uh and to try to get him off.

Wylie:

Okay. Um I'm gonna do a D4 to see which direction they go.

Jared:

Okay.

Wylie:

Um, because they it's definitely cold around your face. Your face is still the warmest part of the snow. Um so it could drive them to try to get even closer to you, or it could drive they could just flee in general.

Jared:

So this is like a a door in critical rule trying to open a door to try to get you rid of squids.

Wylie:

It's just cute little mushrooms, guys. It's just Jerry. This is literally only Jerry. It's Jerry. So can you pick a number between well, can you pick one three? Three, okay. Rule to four. So the squid they start to release from your face. Cool. Um, there was a total of six tentacles. Cool. So I'm gonna say four of them released from your face. There's only two left.

Jared:

Okay, cool.

Wylie:

And so your face is is still in the snow?

Jared:

Yeah, I mean I'll I'll continue. Okay.

Wylie:

Also, maybe you pull back from the ones that you left, and then would you plunge your face back into the snow? Okay. So Jared Jared, go dove into the snow, shoved his face in. He gets up, you barrel roll a few rolls away, and then plunge your face. Plunge your face back into the snow again.

Jared:

there was nothing in the handbook about this!

Brad:

So does any of them come off from that or are they still on the face?

Jared:

I have two in on my face.

Wylie:

Two are remaining.

Brad:

Okay. Gordon is gonna take his frying pan that he has with him and hit him in the face to hit the uh just to get rid of them.

Jared:

Okay. Uh my AC's 13.

Wylie:

So Are you going to resist? Are you gonna let him hit?

Jared:

I mean, I I just pulled my head and I'm wiping my face off, so I I I'll take it. I'll take the full hit. Okay.

Wylie:

Um, you wouldn't exactly know that because it depends it's it's a living creature. Right. Oh, you want to use mage ham? Right. Um, so I'm doing strength checks. So I don't know if your mage hand can do a strength as your uh mage ham's strength.

Brad:

Because that's 10 pounds. Yeah, I've ro I've rolled over 10 and it has not done anything. Oh, okay.

Wylie:

It it because I am rolling for the tentacles as well.

unknown:

Yeah.

Wylie:

So there it's a it's it's an opposed. It's an opposed strength check. So there was a time where it rolled a three and it got pulled off, and there's but it's been rolling pretty good.

Brad:

Okay, so um yeah. Gordo's just gonna be like, well. I will help you right now.

Wylie:

He said that you can hit him, so all you have to do is roll damage. You don't even have to roll damage damage.

Gordon:

Oh, roll damage? Yeah. Alright. So I still roll. Wait. Just roll your frying pan damage, which would be Yeah.

Wylie:

So which object are you using for your frying pan damage?

Jared:

Is it?

Wylie:

I gave you a list of different weapons.

Brad:

I I can't just use because remember, what is it, tavern brawl?

Wylie:

Oh yeah, you could you could consider that an unarmed um you have tavern brawler.

Jared:

Um so I believe it's a one d4 for tavern brawler.

Wylie:

Yeah, it's one d4 plus two.

Brad:

So one d4. Hold on. Oh, it's just a d4. Okay, plus two. Okay. It's a one. But I'm also going to use Great Weapon Master. Wait, wait, wait. Or Divine Smite. Let me find it. That'd be a sweet class. Where'd you basically scan it? Uh so because of my giant ancestry, uh, I'm going to use Frost Chill. Okay. As a frost giant. Uh it says when you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal one d6 cold damage to it and reduce its speed by ten feet. So start of your next move. So one d6. Which one is that?

Wylie:

So how much did it take of the budgeting? So I can keep track of it. Oh. How much did it take of bludgeoning damage for the first hit? One. One, just one.

Brad:

Uh uh because it's a few. Oh wait, wait. Plus two. Yeah, so three. Sorry, my bad.

unknown:

Okay.

Brad:

Three plus four. I think. Yeah.

Wylie:

And another four damage.

Gordon:

Cold damage.

Wylie:

Cold damage. So, okay, it takes eight.

Jared:

Uh, and I take eight damage, correct you.

Wylie:

Um, so you take four plus three. Seven. Seven. Okay. Um, so it took three and eight. So it took eight. A total of twelve. Cool. Oh, sorry, eleven. So it took a total of eleven, you take a total of seven.

Mimir:

Cool.

Jared:

I go. Ooooooohhhh. I do the classic like Looney Tune spin. Okay. You do they release? Do they what?

Wylie:

Um yeah, and so with that, they're gonna take um they took damage, and so they're gonna take a disadvantaged strength check against that. Okay. Um so that was a four, so uh, they're probably going to fail. Yeah, the um the four was the highest they got. So um total of seven, um, that they're not able to keep clinging onto the face. So that was gonna be a DC ten for that. So um the rest of the um tentacles fall off into the snow. And um, let's see. So there was the cap that has grown legs, and that is kind of is coming towards you guys. It hasn't reached you yet, but that's where it's coming. And then um that there was six, no, four tentacles that are in the snow, and then there's the other two that are now in the snow. Cool. Okay.

Jared:

Uh we're we're gonna now take the dogs and go, right? Yeah, yeah. We're gonna be like, thank you so much, we've had such great times to get in and go. Yeah, three out of ten, uh and start running at the uh and we're just start going, uh I'm gonna leave the fire sword because it's uh in c uh covered in tentacles, right?

Wylie:

Okay, yeah. There was there was some buy it, and they're probably staying close to it because it's the warmest thing around there.

Jared:

I can't turn it off and then take it back or um without taking tentacles. Oh, the dragon knife? Yes, steampunk dragon.

Wylie:

Because I really punk monarch dragon knife.

Jared:

That's really cool. I'm gonna roll a D20, and if it's uh high, I I don't take it. If it's low, then I will take it. What's a natural 20? I have to try to take it. No. Okay, fine, I'll take it.

Wylie:

Um forget the natural 20. I'm sorry. So that dice meant nothing. It did.

Jared:

It meant something to me. Uh, I'm gonna turn off the uh thing and then try to yank the knife uh so it like slips past them.

Wylie:

Okay. Um give me a slide of hand check. You're not and but do it with disadvantage because you don't really know how to operate this knife.

Alan:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jared:

Okay. Okay. 14.

Wylie:

All right. You just barely are able to turn off the knife and get it away from the tentacles. Cool.

Jared:

Sweet. Uh, and we're like, thank you so much. Go. Uh we go. We round up and go.

Wylie:

You round up the dogs and you guys take off. And you head back to your base.

unknown:

Oh gosh.

Jared:

I'm gonna be like, uh on the way back, I'm gonna be like, there was something real strange about that area, guys.

Kipo:

I don't know what was happening, but Alan is uh attempting to reach for the flask in Pyra's uh pocket.

Wylie:

Uh Pyra hands it to him. Perfect.

Kipo:

Uh Gordon, like just taking little sips.

Brad:

Gordon's just like uh like oh yeah, it's very, very strange uh how how she said muddy was the chef, but then Stinky go to uh you know cook. But Buddy, Buddy is a very, very nice guy though. I still I think Buddy is the best. Yes.

Jared:

Man, I don't just don't understand what was going on there, but that I you know um um I don't like him. I'm just gonna be honest with you guys. I like a lot of people, not them.

Gordon:

I I typically like people and even animals. Like Jerry was very nice until he wasn't, and he was trying to attack my face. And so at that point, uh we we we had to leave Jerry behind.

Jared:

Man, I really want to figure out what's back there.

Unknown:

It's gonna drive me crazy.

Wylie:

And I think that's uh we'll find that out next time on Blunders and Dragons.

Jared:

Oh, thanks so much for listening to our podcast. If you'd like even more, check out our Patreon and sign up. For $5 a month, you can receive episode art, ad free episodes, and behind the blunders, where I get to tell you all about my conspiracies. Ooh.