Episode 274 - Queen of the Feycourt

The statues resonate with destructive power yet our heroes muster all their strength knowing that if they fail then all of the Feywild, and possibly all realms, will fall. As the waters rise so due their personally held fears that they are not strong enough to aid Melora in her time of need. Some other heroes should have handled this. Fighting all these minions of Lolth is way more stressful than brewing potions in the Tower of Grey.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The Tower of Grey have found themselves in a battle against three statues, one of which is holding a greatsword, one is holding a staff, and one is holding a bow. Toby just shut down a fourth that held a hammer, and shut down the grates near it's base/plinth. Oh yeah, they are sealed in a room that is slowly filling with acidic water. Skud *Polymorphs* one into an ass, and another into an even smaller version of Toby, while giving real Toby the death-stare. Lahni destroys the statue holding a staff, and together, they all disable the statues using the blinking lights on the plinths. This also stops the rising water. This also, ALSO opens both doors. Skud heals everyone with *Prayer of Healing*.

They think about their next move, which is to go through the door ahead of them. Toby convinces Lahni to go in first, as a test to get to Tower of Grey Level Three. She runs right in, and then right back out. It's a hallway, which she reports. At the end of the hallway, there is another large room, which is very nice. It seems to be the bedchambers. On the outside of the tower, the ghostly shape of something large skitters up the side. There are a couple booming sounds, and a crack appears over the creature. In the center of the room is a "field of light", where a figure is floating in the center above a small pyramid, the Jade Pyramid that the Feywild Four helped bring here. Toby pokes the pyramid, but nothing happens. Lahni notices that the map/orb is vibrating, so she takes it out. There is blinking light on the pyramid, and another on the orb, which Lahni pushes. Nothing happens. She touches the two blinking lights together, as the creature outside finally breaks through. Toby casts *Mending* as this happens, and the spider creature is trapped in the wall. Lahni touches the artifacts together, and they snap in place, turning off the light. The figure, a woman, falls to the ground, and then rises, revealing herself to be "terrifyingly beautiful". Skud knows immediately that this is Melora, the Queen of Spring. She looks around, slowly, and asks Rowan for her Oathbow. Hesitantly, she does so. Melora smiles at her, as the wall breaks open once again. Toby, who was tryin to contain the beasts outside, is thrown across the room. It is Lolth! Melora draws the bow, without any arrows, and fires eight times, hitting each leg of the creature, which pins her to the ground and wall.

Lolth, screaming in pain and anger, does some kind of magic to suck the life force out of the mortals in the room, but Melora fires another arrow, this time into Lolth's mouth. Two more arrows pierce Lolth's eyes, and a third (or twelfth) pierces her heart. The beast slumps down and is reduced to ashes. Melora assures them that this was just an avatar. She thanks the party for saving her. After some introductions, Toby shows the god the orb, which Melora doesn't like. She tells him "You must take that away." She then kisses Rowan's Oathbow, as thanks, and returns it. It is now Blessed by Melora, which seems like a perfume. Toby requests that she heal them all, which she does, and then he asks her what exactly is going on here. She explains that she was betrayed and trapped here, but beyond that, doesn't know much. Toby questions her about the other locations shown in the orb, and she confirms that it is possible that, in those other planes, other gods are under other attacks. She explains that she had planned on travelling to Lolth's domain and killing her, before she was betrayed, by someone she doesn't want to talk about. Rowan asks about the tapestry they saw in Episode 272 - One Step Closer to the Gods, to which Melora explains that that is a history lesson, and that it doesn't have anything to do with the current situation. Rowan (kind of) asks her out to dinner, and Melora tells them that there is to be a celebratory feast, and that they are each to be rewarded.

To Toby, she tells Toby that he is free to look through her books and take one of them. He finds, after all this time, a Tome of Intelligence. To Lahni, she looks deep into her heart to reveal her deepest desire, which is a bag of beans, which she gives. To Skud, she turns, and tells them that she found no desires in his heart. She grants him her blessing as well, granting him an extra reroll every day. Lahni asks about her brother Lannie, and Melora tells her that she *does* know where Lannie is. She says "When Lannie is ready to be found, you will find him." They nearly forget about the missing Prince Thom Harper, but Rowan brings him up. Melora tells them that Thom Harper is safe, for now, and that he is not in the Feywild, or Drunkeros. He is being hidden somewhere by a great power. He is being kept in Elysium, in the realm of Pelor...

### Short

The party finally defeats the statues, killing one and disabling the others. They proceed to the next room, the bedchambers, where they find the trapped Melora. Lahni frees her, and as thanks, she grants them each gifts, and tells them that Prince Thom Harper is being hidden in Elysium, in the realm of Pelor.

## **Trivia**

* Lahni is familiar with Joe-Bob's Oat Emporium
* Jennifer makes a Star Wars: Episode II reference. No judgments here, I just thought it should be pointed out
* Rowan's Oathbow is now Blessed by Melora. Once per day, she can reroll any attack. Also, any attack she makes does an extra d8 of radiant damage
* Skud is also granted Melora's blessing, where he can reroll once per day. Michael says that they will talk later about how this impacts his spellcasting
* Michael clarifies later that the orb and pyramid are now stuck together

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

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

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Frank Ubell
* Lolth
* Melora

### **Locations**

* The Feywild
	+ The Castle of the Spring Court

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Find Thom Harper
	+ ~~[Complete] - Search the Feywild for clues~~
	+ [NEW][Active] - Search Elysium for the Prince
* ~~[Complete] - Stop the Spider Apocalypse~~
	+ ~~[Complete] - Free Melora~~
		- ~~[Complete] - Find Melora~~
	+ ~~[Complete] - Defeat Lolth~~
* [On Hold] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Optional] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies

### **Quotes**

**"That's the worst thing I've ever thought about!"** ~ *Jennifer, thinking about the butt-creature with arms and legs*

**"Lahni, I have looked into your heart, and I see that your fondest desire is this bag of beans. Please, enjoy them for whatever reason..."** ~ *A greatful Melora*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ **Nika - 2 - Bapped**
	+ Tim - Nat20
	+ Bachmann - 14
	+ Jennifer - 6

*Combat Continues vs Three Statues*

* **Initiative** from last episode
	+ Statue with Greatsword
	+ Skud
	+ Rowan
	+ Statue with Two Hammers
	+ Statue with Staff
	+ Toby
	+ Statue with Bow
	+ Lahni

*Round Three*

* Everyone makes a DEX saving throw to avoid the acid water
	+ Toby - Nat20
		- Success - 7 damage
	+ Rowan - 18+10
		- Success - 7 damage
	+ Skud - 18
		- Success - 7 damage
	+ Lahni - 17
		- Fail - ~~14~~ 7 damage

* **Greatsword**
	+ Melee Attack vs Skud x2 - 21, 28
		- Hit, Hit - 28 damage

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Polymorph* on Greatsword Statue, requiring a DC 17 WIS saving throw - 8
		- Fail - he is Polymorphed into a butt

* **Rowan**
	+ Casts *Ensnaring Strike*
	+ Ranged Attack vs Bow using Oathbow x2 - 25, 15
		- Hit, Miss - 9 damage, also, it must make a STR saving throw
			* Fail - It is restrained

* **Staff**
	+ Casts *Hold Monster* on Lahni, requiring a WIS saving throw - 14
		- Fail - She is Paralyzed

* **Toby**
	+ Jumps up onto the Greatsword plinth, and *Arcana* checks it - Nat20
		- Disables the statue that became an ass, also disables all the grates in that quadrant
	+ Dangles from the plinth, granting partial cover, while not being in the water

* **Bow**
	+ Takes damage from Rowan's Ensnaring Strike spell - 5
	+ Tries to escape, making a DC 16 STR roll - 15
		- Fail - Still restrained

* **Lahni**
	+ Rolls a WIS saving throw to escape being paralyzed - 22

*Round Four*

* Everyone (but Toby) makes a DEX saving throw to avoid the acid water
	+ Lahni - 28
		- Success - 0 damage
	+ Skud - 18
		- Success - 6 damage
	+ Rowan - 15
		- Fail - 12 damage

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Cure Wounds* at fifth level on Rowan, healing for 5d8 - 29 hp

* **Rowan**
	+ Ranged Attack vs Bow - 22
		- Hit - 14 damage
	+ Ranged Attack vs Staff - 26
		- Hit - 6 damage
	+ Retrieves her Dancing Rapier

* **Staff**
	+ Takes 1 point of damage from Rowan's Ensnaring Strike
	+ Casts *Fireball* at fifth level
		- Toby casts *Counterspell*, requiring a DC 15 roll - 18
			* *Fireball* is *Counterspelled*

* **Toby**
	+ Moves 25 ft toward the Bow Statue plinth
	+ Casts *Fireball* at Staff Statue
		- He casts *Counterspell*, so it fails

* **Bow**
	+ Hurt by Ensnaring Strike - 3
	+ Breaks out

* **Lahni**
	+ Melee Attack vs Staff - 20, 26
		- Hit, Hit - 19 damage - kills it

*Round Five*

* Everyone makes a DEX saving throw to avoid the acid water
	+ Skud - 13
		- Fail - 19 damage
	+ Toby - 3
		- Fail - 19 damage
	+ Rowan - 13
		- Fail - 19 damage
	+ Lahni - 14
		- Fail - 9 damage

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Polymorph* on the Bow Statue, requiring a DC 17 WIS saving throw
		- Fails - Is *Polymorphed* into a tinier Toby, who begins drowning underwater

*Combat Ends*

* **Toby**, for whatever reason, rolls *Performance* to try to act normal while describing how to disable the statues - 12

* **Skud** rolls *Religion* to see if the floating figure is Melora - Nat20+9
	+ Success - He probably went to high school with Melora

* Everyone rolls *Constitution* against Lolth's bullshit
	+ Lahni - 26
	+ Skud - 19
	+ Rowan - 17
	+ Toby - 24

* **Rowan** does an *Insight* check on Melora and her suspect motives - 25
	+ She seems to be genuine

* **Rowan** does another *Insight* check on Melora - 24
	+ She seems honest