Session 27-B: Curtain Call

## Key Plot Developments

Misu is on her way out of Gracklstugh after being banished by the newly-empowered Glyn. As she leaves the heat and reflects on her failure, she runs into Asha Vandree, two male drow, and a Quaggoth— Prince Deredil. Misu learns Ilvara has Trix. Derendil is impressed with Misu’s civility and praises her for looking like a noble 'lava elf' (which does not exist). Misu informs the drow of Glyn's conquest of Gracklstugh. Asha senses an opportunity for the drow to take advantage of the instability and conquer the city. Asha says Mistress Ilvara might supply resources to Misu if Misu proves herself. Misu tried very hard to be submissive to these drow to avoid suspicion.

Trix, some time later, is shackled behind Jorlan and Ilvara. Mistress Ilvara looks incredibly tired. Shuushar’s manacles, which are designed for smaller creatures, are choking him. Trix casts sneaky healing spells on Shuushar. A drow notices that and shoots him in the back with a crossbow bolt. He falls unconscious. He is awakened by Jorlan, who holds him by the throat. Ilvara taunts him and commands the monstrous Jorlan to knock him out.

Misu and Asha catch up with the other drow. Asha tells Ilvara that Misu can take Gracklstugh and in the name of House Mizzrym. Ilvara wants the “slaves” (Trix, Shuushar) and Misu and another drow to go and fetch water. Misu tries her best to convey that she has to appear like she's betrayed the goblins, but is really working as a double-agent. Prince Derendil speaks of Ilvara's plan (to capture the escaped slaves from Velkynvelve and sacrifice them to Lolth); he is certain it will list his 'curse' and turn him back into an elf.

Asha suggest putting on something really fun for Ilvara. Misu proposes letting them fix all the clothing and weapons, but Asha demands something crueler: let the slaves put on a show for the drow! If it is good, they can sleep. Misu decides to help the goblins put on a choose-your own-adventure play (with audience interaction!) based on the history and great feats of the drow.

A critical success on history gives Misu a deep understanding of the drow, or the Ones Who Went Below. She recalls reading of the horrors incurred by the clans who fell out of Lolth's favor, including the De'Vir clan. She decides to put on a play insulting that disgraced family. Shuushar is deeply uncomfortable with Misu's willingness to fake friendship with the drow and expresses his distaste. Nonetheless, the three prepare a performance. As they rehearse stage combat, Misu asks a drow to show them a typical drow fighting technique. The drow violently introduces Jivvin Golhyrr, meaning "amusing trick. It's a fighting style used by sadistic drow who found their purpose in humiliating their enemies. As the drow demonstrates the technique on Trix and Shuushar, their mistrust of Misu grows. She gives them a small healing spell, but the drow notices and stabs them again.

The play eventually starts; Trix, Shuushar, and Misu perform a paean to the Mizzrym clan. It ends with their recent capture by the drow. Ilvara is pleased! Misu is allowed a snack from the drow, while Trix and Shuushar are allowed to rest without nightly torture.

Misu reflects on her options. She wants to provide healing to the captives, but her main goal is to earn the drow's trust so she can take their resources and free Gracklstugh from Glyn. Trix, on the other hand, is desperate to escape. He could meld into stone, but can't leave Shuushar behind. They trudge along, surviving on foraging small mushrooms from the walls. They walk for several days, miserable.

As the group crosses to the east over the north side of the Darklake, they see a group of 10 humans and one beholder journeying to the north. The beholder, oddly, is missing some eyes on its eye-stalks; it looks emaciated and scarred. Asha forces Misu to entreat with the group. They exchange pleasantries; the group is heading towards Mantol-Derith. Misu intuits they must be part of the Zhentarim. Asha lets them pass.

Misu, realizing Trix and Shuushar may be sacrificed soon if she doesn't do something, tries to drive a wedge between Asha and Ilvara. She offers to help the latter with makeup and try to undermine Asha's influence.

Trix can wait no longer. He decides to help Shuushar escape. He casts *silence* and then uses his magic to bolster Shuushar's defenses. Derendil realizes he's been trapped in a cone of silence, but can't do anything about it; when he leaves the cone to speak with Asha and Ilvara, he is waved away (Trix dismisses the spell, making them think the quaggoth is merely displaying traits of madness). After gaslighting Derendil, Trix receives a mental message from Misu: Ichabod is suing him for damages and will drag him to hell as soon as the paperwork clears. Then, Misu begins a charm offensive with Ilvara; she mentions how Asha improperly introduced herself as a Matron Mother and Asha is given the ignoble task of monitoring Derendil.

Jorlan now leads the group. Ilvara and Misu lag behind. Next, Derendil and Asha trudge along. Behind them, Trix and Shuushar are chained. Finally, a handful of male drow bring up the rear. They are closing in on Menzoberranzan. They are exhausted. And then, they are ambushed.

Arrows fly at the party. Bogteam (and Y) have arrived to save the day! Bogtooth sends a summoned lion at Jorlan, but the huge mutated drow bats it away. Then, his earth elemental roars into action, engaging Jorlan in hand-to-hand combat. Tremble is dead-set on killing the wicked drow who stole his mentor away. In a single turn, he peppers Ilvara with five different arrows; she falls unconscious. Y blasts the captors with a lightning bolt. Pix calls on a new ability: Phantasmal Killer.

When Asha tries to heal Ilvara, she enters into range of Bogtooth's powerful Sickening Radiance and also falls. Jorlan leaps into action; spider legs emerge from his back as he bounds to the side of a cliff, rips out stone, and hurls it right at the ambushers. The stone throw is a critical success; it nearly kills every goblin, but Pix's cutting words save their lives.

Shuushar breaks out of his weakened chains and tries to convince Derendil that they can magically remove his curse, but he's too far gone to believe the fish-man. Bogteam tries to stall Jorlan, but he withstands lightning bolts, hellish rebukes, eldritch blasts, and multiple animal attacks. Pix sees that Jorlan is the victim of ritualistic transmutation magic; multiple male drow were sacrificed together to create a killing machine.

Tremble focuses on Ilvara; he knows if she gets back up, she might prove too much to bear. His time in the Rockblight informed him about the importance of seeing a job through to completion. He fires two more arrows at her. The first arrow hits her in the stomach with a sickening crunch. And as she screams and curses at him, the second arrow splits the first in half and drives the metal tip deeper into her tattered body. The darkness leaves her eyes, glassy and cold, as she hits the ground, finally dead.

Misu, confused, frees Trix and tells him to run. Trix runs toward Jorlan and casts Daylight on the creature. Jorlan, enraged, grabs and slams the goblin; he moves from full health to being on the brink of death.

Shuushar grapples Derendil, subduing him. Pix, seeing Derendil as a distraction from Jorlan (the greater threat), kills Derendil with a terrible dissonant whisper: she reminds him that he was never and could never be anything more than a stupid, brutish quaggoth

As Misu and Bezekira kill the male drow, the rest of the group focuses on Jorlan. He's incredibly strong, but can't keep up with the barrage of attacks. Finally, he roars as yellow wax begins to oozes from his body. Trix and Tremble are terrified, since the wax looks like that of the demon Ilvara summoned when she captured Jimjar. However, the substance does not take on a demonic shape; Jorlan failed to summon a yochlol.

Finally, Tremble ends the battle. His arrows pierce Jorlan, sinking deep into his gnarly skin. Various legs--drow and spider--burst out of the massive drow. Yellowed wax oozes. Limbs from dozens of other drow emerge as the dark magics holding Jorlan together finally fail. He melts into ooze and sludge, dead.

Misu asks the remaining two male drow to surrender. One flees and is immediately killed by Beze. The other one surrenders and claims to be a victim. This drow sadistically tortured Trix and Shuushar during their rehearsal. Misu kills him; Shuushar begins to eat him.

Pix runs to her twin brother and gives him a huge hug. Tremble runs to his big brother so fast it looks like he’s flying. Trix takes in the image of his family finally coming back together. His amazement, sadly, is short-lived. He remembers Misu's warning about Ichabod's lawsuit and realizes the other shoe is about to drop.

## Memorable Quotations

* **Asha:** Misupheles, do you have a last name?
* **Misu:** No.
* **Asha:** Interesting. So close to being a full person.
* **Misu:** I will do my best to merit my existence.
* **Asha:** As all non-drow should. See, you get it!

**Ilvara:** Yes, your whole face is a scab, Jorlan. We GET it.

* **Ilvara:** What were you doing? Why were you talking to the rocks?
* **Trix:** I was trying to heal Shuushar!
* **Ilvara:** Oh, that thing? How embarrassing. Do you promise not to do it again?
* **Trix:** ...yes, I promise.
* **Ilvara:** Oh, your word means nothing. Jorlan, hit him.

**Shuushar:** If it would not result in your death, I would strangle her with these chains.

* **Ilvara:** They know that being killed by me is a most glorious death indeed.
* **Derendill:** Yes, all glory to your house! Then, at last, my curse shall be broken!

**Shuushar** (performing): That's what happens when you don't have the right bloodline...bitch.

* **Ilvara:** They're not going to do improv, are they? I loathe improv.
* **Asha:** Truly, the lowest form of comedy.
* **Ilvara:** Like ant feces.
* **Asha:** Ant feces, you can see. Improv is even more pitiful than that!

**Shuushar:** Will shooting each other with crossbows factor into the show?

* **Misu:** Do you have experience performing?
* **Shuushar:** Is performing lying about or concealing your true feelings?
* **Misu:** Yeah, I guess so.
* **Shuushar:** I have some experience.

**Misu:** Ichabod is going to sue you for damages. He's trying to expedite the process to get you to hell.

* **Tremble:** Mistress Ilvara...it was foolish of you to think you'd escape your fate!
* **Bogtooth:** Did you miss us?
* **Y:** This is the good f\*cking shit I'm talkin' about!

**Ilvara:** I will not be killed by a toad.

* **Derendill:** You just ruined my only chance to be united with my family! I will eat your f\*cking throat! Like a gentleman!
* **Shuushar:** You're a f\*cking idiot. She was going to sacrifice you along with us.
* **Derendill:** Liar!
* **Shuushar:** Moron!

**Drow guard:** Uh, I surrender. I'm as much of a victim here as you! Goblins are known for their honor, right?

* **Shuushar:** It is not the custom of many peoples to kill prisoners of war.
* **Misu:** I don't care. I'm going to send his soul to a better place.
* **Shuushar:** You misunderstand. I said 'many peoples.' We eat them.

**Tremble:** What do you mean, you went back in time? Usually, you just go forward.

**Tremble:** You should share your feelings more, bro.