Episode 145 - A New Adventure

== Intro ==
Episode description:Welcome to Season 4!
Opening quote:"I found a really cool bug." - Brenna
Player introduction:Sean, "Hello and welcome to another episode of the Tabletop Champions podcast, I am Sean your dungeon master and with me tonight we have Kyle ..."
Kyle, "Greetings!"
Sean, "We have Lauren."
Lauren, "Ah, what is a Werewolf druid's favorite spell? Barkskin! Aaaaaah ..."
Sean, "We have Matt."
Matt, "Look into my eye."
Lauren, "Romantic ..."
Sean, "We have Steph."
Stephanie, "Ahoy-hoy!"
Sean, "And we have Ben."
Ben, "Hello!"
== Episode Summary ==
=== Bryce’s Landing ===
Season four takes place in the completely fan-written world of Naluri, and starts its first story off in a major port city in the middle of a vast marshland, called Bryce’s Landing. 
A determined, pale Tiefling in a long leather coat by the name of Kallastin Sallerov, or Kallas, appears in the morning hours at the headquarters of the city guard to see Head of the Guard Marsathine Strongstaff. Kallas wants to learn about the status of a dead body currently in the hands of the city guard. Strongstaff informs him that a Speak with Dead spell has confirmed the identity of the deceased, but won’t divulge any other information except that he will keep the body for three more days. Kallas is perturbed at that, insisting that the investigation takes too long, and offering that the ordeal was nothing but a simple robbery. Strongstaff hints he might have that wrong, but won’t accept Kallas’ help anyway. With no other choice left, Sallerov returns to his fellow companions.
Located in The Neck, the Captain’s Cat tavern is a current hub for adventurers in the region, and also the place where Kallas’ group has been staying for over a month. They have been taking bad jobs, cleaning out the riff-raff after more powerful groups, who have been hogging all the good business. They are sick of wasting their time like this because they do not want a pet mimic.
Outside the Captain’s Cat, Kallas gathers up Brenna Lightfoot, a gnomish barbarian who just got done knocking three people out for calling her small. Together they walk inside to meet the two human members of Kallas’ group: the raven-haired paladin Boone and an eyepatch-wearing brunette called Cyrus Sabal. Kallas then briefs everyone about his meeting with Strongstaff. Meanwhile, Cam, a young human male with long, black hair in a nasty, dark robe scoffs at the offerings on the job board at the tavern, looking for a challenge.
In this minute the purple Tiefling Samjasa walks into the tavern. She appears to be middle aged, graceful and attractive, with white, wise eyes, and yellow arcane body art. When she announces that she is in the market to hire an adventuring party, Brenna and Cam jump at the opportunity and compete for her business. Nevertheless, Samjasa ends up hiring Cam and Kallas’ group altogether, as she is offering a dangerous quest.
She wishes the adventurers to investigate her home village of Orlane, where she runs the arcane shop. It lies up north, about seven hours of travel away, on the King’s Trail, in the vast marshland known as the Deep Black which surrounds Bryce’s Landing on three sides. Samjasa complains about dwindling business and less travelers in town, in addition to unexplained disappearances and odd behavior. Some of the people who vanished apparently have reappeared, displaying an oddly upbeat and welcoming attitude, which is to be considered weird in Orlane. Samjasa wants all of this cleared up by the party and Cam, and helps them with a Longsword +1, three healing potions and a bag of holding, which is part of their reward. She offers them another modest reward if they manage to sort out Orlane’s troubles, and says she will await them back at the Blasted Well Inn.
The party and Cam decide to set out for Orlane that same morning. Travel there is uneventful, save for their stop at a home of reptile hunters. The owner confirms Samjasa’s report. Brenna asks if the victims disappeared in connection to any particular place, which he confirms, naming the two taverns in town, but not detailing which one is the dangerous one.
=== Orlane ===
Entering town, the group notices that people stay out of their way, so Cam suggests they try talking to people in the taverns in order to start their investigation. On their way there, they spend some time talking to villagers, with different reactions. One person tries to convince Brenna that there is nothing odd going on in town. Another man confirms Samjasa’s story yet again, including rumors of cultists. He explains that strangers, too, disappear from the town in suspicious ways, and are later seen again in connection with the temple to Sehanine.
As the group has also learned where the Golden Grain Inn is, they decide to continue their investigation at this rusty, yet cosy establishment. Once inside, the barkeep soon offers for them to stay for the night. Brenna then audibly suggests setting themselves up as bait for any shady characters trying to pull a move during the night, which gets a noticeable reaction from the patrons. Cam insists he will not rent a room and instead make camp for himself outside.
The adventurers spend the rest of the evening in the common room of the inn, trying to learn new things. Branna talks to Pea Ballacki, the town’s carpenter, who again reassures her that everything is perfectly fine and that he is assuredly not a cultist. Brenna then claims to be a friend of Samjasa's, after which Pea suddenly seems very busy, ends the conversation, and leaves. When Brenna sneaks out after him, she only learns that he went home like he said. Meanwhile, Cam talks to a different man, who mentions that the carpenter's daughter is among the disappeared, which Pea Ballacki suspiciously failed to mention. Finally, Cyrus fruitlessly tries to sell some of his drawings, and is instead warned in no uncertain terms that they should leave town immediately and never return.
Instead, Cam leaves to set up camp under the stars, while the boys and girls rent separate, modest rooms at the inn. The boys decide to keep watch over night in any case. Meanwhile, Brenna asks about Boone’s acting distant all day, but the paladin will not enlighten her, and instead takes five, pacing around by herself in the hallway before going to bed after Brenna. About an hour later, unknown attackers pin the girls down under their sheets and gag their mouths, as it becomes clear the adventurers have found the cult’s tavern.
Meanwhile, Cam is sitting outside under a tree, writing in his journal.
== Memorable Quotes ==
Sean, "Jesus. I see season four is no different than any of the other seasons, alright. It took us all of five minutes, but we're here."
Cyrus, "Yes, but I was just hoping for an easy job today."Kallastin, "You should have taken the job to save that kitten from the tree then."
Stephanie, "I was like, 'Where was your trap, Lauren?!' "
Category:Episodes
Category:Season 4