Episode 409 - Into Bigby's Realm

Having not died we now have to focus on our next steps. Sure, taking down a foe the size of a Pelor’s Hope city block was a big deal but now we are entering into our enemies territory. A famous wizard has certainly got a few tricks up their large sleeves...

## **Story**

### Long Story

Having just defeated the Tarrasque, The Tower of Grey find themselves surrounded by the creatures of the forest, who had to run from their homes. Toby hands out fliers for Tidtowne to them, which is nice. He also manages to procure a Tarrasque egg! Adira Harper is also rummaging around, with a huge-ass knife, and finds the heart of the Tarrasque. With this, they will be able to find their way into Bigby's realm! Also present is Uthgar, who tells Skud he did a good job in the battle. Skud reciprocates the sentiment, and the two hug. They've made up! My poor heart can't take it!

A few days earlier...

Queen Aludra Wyrmsbane and Jaela have left The Tower of Gray, and returned to their deep home of Deephome. Bucky was wounded, and is now healing here. The two are met by Older Man Weck, who informs them that he's called upon an ally to help protect Deephome. That ally, is Yazdir Dosh, who bursts into the room, Kramer style. The old friends catch up breifly, but unfortunately, Yazdir can't stay long. She's been summoned to Mount Celestia by Bahamut, who's the Lord of all Dragons. Seems the evil dragons are attacking Mount Celestia, because they're evil. Most likely, Tiamat is behind this, the fiend. Well, not a literal fiend. She's a dragon. Fiends are different. Anyway, Yazdir leaves, giving Jaela a Sending Stone (actually, just the whistle that she was given years ago).

Back in the today times...

At The Crossroads, the party is enjoying a horrific Tarrasque soup, which no one likes, but everyone loves. Rowan goes off to talk with her mother, River Grey, to inquire about Bigby. They also bond over their defeat of the Tarrasque. Bigby, River says, was always obsessed with the idea of balance. Seems weird. Also weird, was that time that Bigby disappeared, and returned one day years later. This was that time where he was "rescued" by Eckhart Dayhammer. She warns her to be careful, but since she took down a Tarrasque, she's probably going to be okay.

Toby and Adira do some magic. It's all very cool, and only a little scary. Skud and Uthgar are playing catch. Well, really, it's like a game of Keep-Away at the expense of that devil that swore to destroy Skud that one time. River and Rowan bond. It's a nice scene. And everyone sleeps...

The next morning, they go on a shopping trip. Tim specifies that they get 2 Potions of Growth, and 4 Potions of Supreme Healing. Also, Uthgar is still there. Skud asks if Uthgar will join them, and despite the Ring of Exhaustion literally sucking the life out of him with each passing day, he agrees. As thanks, Skud buys him a (leather) mug that says "Thanks for Trying" on it. He also buys himself a Draft Horse named Hank. Great. Somewhere, Jaela asks Yazdir how things are going through the Sending Stone, and actually, things aren't going well. Tiamat is, indeed, there, as is "a man flying a dragon", and "a dragonborn". There are 2 things the message isn't: 1. Clear, and 2: Good. Uh oh. She and Aludra do decide to go the Mount Celestia to help. They also forward this information to The Tower of Grey.

Finally, Adira and Toby's spell is successful, and the Tower is able to Plane Shift into Bigby's Realm. It's a rather large "pocket dimension" that functions the same way a 3D video game does, in that the camera's eye dictates what exist. It only renders what the player can see right in front of them, you know? Before them, a large gate, with Bigby's sigil afixed to it. That sigil is a hand, as in *the famous spell*. And standing before that gate is a large warforged. A warforged bearing the like-ness of River Grey...

### Short

As the Tower of Grey begins to prepare for their trip to Bigby's lair, several bonding moments take place. We get to check in on Jaela and Aludra, who meet up with Yazdir Dosh. She's is summoned to Mount Celestia by Bahamut, to help fight off Tiamat's attacking forces. The two queens decide to go and help as well. Skud and Uthgar finally make good (Skud buys a horse named Hank), Rowan and River also bond over their defeat of the Tarrasque, and Toby and Adira work together to create the spell that will Plane Shift them. They also go shopping! Eventually, the Tower of Grey hops on over to the Realm of Bigby, where they find a gate being guarded by a warforged in the shape of River Grey.

## **Trivia**

* The Bapperson Rule is modified in this episode so that a Natural 1 is over-ridden by a Natural 20. Previously, the 1 superseded the 20. I like this new way better. In fact, I thought I had a comment in the Wiki page for the Bapperson Rule that it should be the 20, but I didn't. Interesting. Oh well. It's the 20, now.
* Jaela offers to go with Yazdir to help fight, because she's a good friend. It's just a dragon thing, though, so Yazdir says she doesn't have to. But then they do anyway
* The Sending Stones straight up just become cell phones in this episode

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey / Queen Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain / Jaela

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Lady Adira Harper
* Uthgar
* Older Man Weck
* Bucky - *Unconscious Body*
* Yazdir Dosh
* River Grey

### **Pets/Familiars**

* BattleBot
* Hank, the Draft Horse
* Tsugrix Zelentiri

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ The Westerlands
		- The Crossroads
	+ Deephome
		- Wyrmsbane Keep
* Bigby's Realm

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop Tiamat / The BBEG!
* [On-Hold] - Destroy The Artifact!
	+ [On-Hold] - Find Trant Thumble
* [Active] - Find Bigby
	+ [Abandoned] - ~~Go to The Citadel of the Seven in The Westerlands~~
	+ [NEW][Active] - Search Bigby's Realm
* [Forgotten?][Boris] - ~~Restore the used Planar Crystals that power The *BTS*~~ - *I once again feel as though this will never be brought up again, so away it goes*
* [Side-line][Jaeludra] - Help Yazdir Dosh fight off Tiamat's forces at Mount Celestia

### **Quotes**

* **"I would have thought you'd be old, but honestly, you kinda look like a skeleton with lots of dust."** ~ *Jaela, of Older Man Weck*

* **"I would like to buy a Potion of Growth. And not just for the growth of Skud and Uthgar's relationship."** ~ *Tim Lanning*

* **"Bro, this horse rules! Look at his hooves!"** ~ *Uthgar, on Hank, the Draft Horse*

* **"I just send Yazdir a quick little, just a little text message, and she sent me back the most garbled message. She said they might be in trouble, *light trouble*, she said 'Don't worry about it', but she also said, 'We're in BIG. TROUBLE.'"** ~ *Jaela*

* **"New Sending Stone, who dis?"** ~ *Nika Howard*

* **"Much like in the real world, incels are the main reason for all of our problems."** ~ *Tim Lanning*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Tim - Nat20 - Bapped - chooses Jennifer
	+ Nika - Nat1 - Reverse Bapped
	+ Bachmann - 5
	+ **Jennifer - ??? (rolls a cocked die, gets chosen before she re-rolls)**

* **Lahni** makes a WIS Saving Throw for some reason - 18
	+ Okay...

* **Toby** rolls a *Nature* or *Arcana* or *Survival* to harvest a Tarrasque part (uses a Luck point) - 17
	+ He finds a Tarrasque egg