Shenanigans: Episode 058

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==Recap==
It is midday in Shenanigans. A juggler is performing in Shenanigans to advertise for the Circus Maximus, run by Maximilian's family, who have come to Bergshire. Then a town guard named Ben rushes into Shenanigans to say something is wrong at the circus. It is covered with a magical fog. The party go investigate.
When the party arrive at the circus wit Beg they indeed see the magical fog coming from the tent. Jerry the guard who is standing a distance from the tent says that Guards Morty and Rick already went inside and haven't come out.
The party try to approach, but there is a fear aura coming from the tent the party must overcome. The Wrok manages to get inside without issue alone first. When the Wrok tries to leave he is trapped inside. The rest of the party eventually get past the fear aura.
The inside of the tent is much larger than the outside of the tent. Ahead of the party is a wide bridge over some water. In the middle of the bridge are the bodies of 2 dead guards. The party go to cross the bridge, but when they reach the position of the dead guards, a muscular individual who looks like a genie appears in a puff of smoke. The genie gives the party a riddle to solve.
: Three old rivals desired the same farm,
: By shared fate they met mortal harm.
: The first cashed in all his chips, but came up short.
: The second managed to buy the farm, much good it did him.
: The third merely departed the land, disappointed to the end.
: What form was their doom?
The party try to solve the riddle for a long time, but give up and try to run past the genie to the door behind him. The door however is locked. The party turn to attack the Genie. As soon as one Nach lands a single hit on the genie, the genie vanishes.
The party continue onward through the door. The party thing themselves on a raised walkway above water. There are 4 statues of beasts above the water. The raised walkway becomes a crossroads. At the crossroads is an ogre chained down. The ogre is Maximilian's sister Eliana who has been transformed into an ogre. A stranger used Maximilian to create all these illusions. They are told the "key" to the chain, a sword, is down one of the paths. The party go down that path.
The party arrive in a room where 2 humans who look like peasants are speaking orcish holding swords. They refuse to give their swords. The peasants refuse to give up the sword and fight with the party, but the fight is cut short with Zen casting sleep on the 2. The sword however is stuck in the hand of one of the villagers. The Wrok cuts the hand off and the cursed sword is release. To play it save, both weapons are wrapped in cloth before picking them up.
The party return to Eliana and gives her the cursed sword. Eliana however becomes bloodthirsty and attacks the party. The party back up to avoid the blows. Arty however shows no mercy and slings her unconscious. Nach ties up Eliana then gives her the uncursed sword. The uncursed sword turns Eliana back into a human.
The party go down another path and encounter a large spider on a cobweb. The spider spider is currently wrapping a humanoid figure in web. The spider identifies herself as Lady Ambersil and she wants to try out eating someone. Zen sets the web on fire, killing the spider, who turns into an elderly woman. The man in the webs is also burnt to death. The party find 2 treasure chests in the room with text above them.
Above the left chest: I can be small, I can be big, I can be whatever I want. I keep things safe from harm. Above the right chest: I am useful. I am strong. I am sturdy as a rock. I keep things from harm.
Zen says the left chest must be a mimic. Arty pokes both chests and he gets stuck to the left one. The chest is a mimic that attacks Arty, killing him with a blow through the head with a pseudopod. The rest of the party back up and attack from range and slay it.
The party find inside the real chest a Potion of Extra Healing, 2 cleric scrolls (true seeing & remove curse), 2 bundles of ammunition (8x +2 arrows, 8x +2 bullets), and a Longsword with a light orange glow and a hilt that has 8 arachnid sprawling out from it. The Wrok grabs the long sword and it isn't stuck to his hand. Nach carries the remains of Arty in his bag to bury him later.
The party go back to the crossroads and go down the last path. The party come to a wooden door with a sign above it that says: What is not real is scared of the many legged.. The party assume the riddle refers to the spider sword. The wooden door opens without issue.
The party find themselves in a great hall fit for a king. In the middle of this hall is 2 large glass cages. In each cage is 4 people, with the two groups of people look exactly the same, with a Maximilian being in each cage. Above each cage is a press ready to crush all those inside. In front of each cage are leavers. The cages appear sound proof as the people inside call out to the party. As the party approach a voice calls out to them:
:Aha! Pull the right lever to pass the test and see the mighty Alock. Pull the wrong lever and see your friends get squished.
Each cage has people begging the party not to pull the lever near them. The Wrok shows both groups the spider sword, showing the right group is an illusion and left one is real. The party free the cage with the real people. 
Maximilian's family go to safety, while Maximilian goes on with the party. Nach warns Maximilian's family about the cursed sword Eliana is holding. 
The party continue onward and get to a set of double doors. Inside is a Throne Room, where a large Gnome, flanked by 2 tigers. There are 8 orcs on the sides of the room. Zen casts web on Alock and his tigers before Alock can monologue. Alock is unable to cast spells now. The party fight with the orcs. One orc is slain, and they turn into a townsfolk in death. The party decide they must defeat Alock to avoid hurting more innocent people.
The web on Alock is set on fire and the party fight with the oversized gnome wizard and the tigers while The Wrok focuses on the orcs. When Nach kills Alock, and all the illusions disappear.
Everyone find themselves in the real circus tent. Arty passes a system shock check so is alive, since he was killed by an illusion. 
Arty is very mad at Maximilian and threatens to turn him and his family in for all the deaths that Arty and the others caused. The party try to calm Arty down, pointing out that if this went to trial, Arty himself could be culpable. They ask Arty to use the cure curse scroll on Eliana. Arty blackmails Maximilian for gold to save Eliana from the curse. Maximilian caves in and pays Arty all his gold (130 gold) and the money from the circus (131 gold). The rest of the party are very disappointed by Arty's actions. The Wrok gives him all the items he tool from Arty's corpse.
Alock has a spell book, magic ring (human influence) and cloak (Protection +1). Zen takes the spell book. The Wrok keeps his spider sword. Nach gets the cloak. Maximilian gets the ring since Arty was being a dick.
==Experience==
7835 exp each
* The Wrok levels up
** Max HP +8
* Arty levels up
** Max HP +2
* Zen levels up to level 5
** Max HP +2
* Nach levels up to level 3
** Max HP from 22 to 23 (+1)
Category:Shenanigans Episodes