C2 E81

Sure we know “where” we want to go but like, that includes going FREAKING towards a dang circus!!! Surely that won’t cause any issues for our dang rear ends… everything is trying to kill us and it is not ok.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The party has just chosen their mounts from Grimshaw Shadowhoof, but now it's time to name them. Selene names her steeder Stella, and Screech is stuck with his being named "Buggy". T'Chuck names his donkey "Lilly", even after learning that that was R'Oarc's mother's name. R'Oarc, meanwhile, decides that her leg-less spider (named Greeg) should have legs (one of the fundamental things spiders are known for, I'd say), and asks Grimshaw to make some kind of mechanical leg attachments for her spider. He says that's impossible, since he's a shoe-maker, and he makes shoes. He does make a shoe-like covering that gives the appearance of mechanical legs, however. No idea how those would fit on top of the spider's lack of legs, but I don't question these things, I just write them down.

Now, they just need to figure out how to transport J'Michael across the country-side, undetected. Ratma Ritmo is there, and she helps them brainstorm. She reminds them of the traveling circus she saw recently, which is named "The Big Top Traveling Circus and Magnificent Menagerie". Michael later clarifies that this is different from Copperpot's Amazing Menagerie, whom they ran into earlier. But still, maybe this circus could help them out, too. They could help smuggle J'Michael into Vhur'endal. But still, the circus is up on the surface (a surface circus), and to get to it, they will need to go top-side, and travel to the east, about half a day. That's a dangerous trip, especially with an illegal dragon in tow. They will need to disguise him somehow.

They come up with two plans. Plan A is to dress J'Michael up as a griffon, using paint and feathers. If that fails, Plan B is for R'Oarc to use *Invisibility* to hide the dragon from sight. If she uses no other spell slots, she should be able to keep him invisible for 5-8 hours per day. So, T'Chuck and R'Oarc get to work painting a beak onto J'Michael, and gluing feathers to him (he's fine with all of this, by the way).

Meanwhile, Selene goes to Ratma, and asks if she knows anyone who would give her a hair makeover. She's too recognizable looking the way she does now (Selene's an icon, I've always said), and she's been looking to make a change anyway. Ratma doesn't, but does tell her that there's some bleach in the supply closet...

About an hour later, Selene stumbles out. Her hair is shorter, roughly-cut, and even more roughly bleached. It doesn't look perfect, but it has it's own special charm to it. Just ignore the chemical burns all over her face, alright? The now blonde Selene joins her friends in the basement of The Goblin Pit Too, to help dress up J'Michael.

With the young dragon successfully griffon-ified, there's nothing left to do but to take a much needed long rest. They wake early enough in the morning to leave before the sun comes up (after a quick breakfast of biscuits and grape jelly, of course). And with that, they are off. There's a nearby staircase that leads up to the surface, which T'Chuck and his donkey Lilly ride up. The others, on their nightmare spider creatures, climb the walls next to that. Horrifying. But, soon, they reach the top, and finally, after many months (maybe, there's no way to know how much time has passed), the party emerges into the outside air once again.

The air is cool and fresh. The light from the moon is blinding. The smells are new and old at the same time. But there's no time for dawdling. The party turns to the east, and begins their trek to find the circus.

It's not long until they see a pillar of smoke from up ahead. At first, they believe it to be a campfire, but as they approach, they soon realize that there's something wrong. Something's on fire all right, but it sure as hell ain't from no camp. In fact, it's the circus, which seems to be in a bit of shambles at the moment.

Many things are on fire, there are broken caravans all about, and there's a lot of yelling. Soon, a tiny clown cart pulls up next to the party. Two clowns leap out, and introduce themselves as "Tumble Tanglefoot" and "Doodle Dandyclown", unfortunately. After a short introduction, the clowns ask the party for help. They make like humans in a cheesy sci-fi B movie from the 50s and take them to their leader. Their ring-leader, specifically. He resides in a small tent next to the big tent, the main circus-y one. Upon entering the smaller tent, the party are met with the ring-leader, who introduces himself as "Barnabas Rumbletoes".

Barnabas explains their whole thing. They are a traveling circus, currently on their way to Farhold to join in the big "Battle of the Circuses", aka "Circus-palooza". It only happens once every hundred years. At least, they were on their way there, until... the incident. See, recently, the circus hired a new clown known as "The Jokester". This Jokester immediately began fucking shit up around here, so he was promptly fired. Unfortunately, they were too late. Now, things around here are royally effed, so it's up to our heroes to fix it. Among the chaotic problems that need resolving are:

* Acrobats are up on their high-wire, and won't come down.
* Animals from the petting zoo are stomping around, crushing everyone.
* The jugglers and the clowns are fighting in the Big Top.
* The magicians are locked in their wagon. (It's unclear if this is the magicians' choice or not)
* The puppeteers are putting on a very unpopular show. (This seems like a management thing, to be honest. Like, it's my job to fix your under-performing show? Hire a better director!)

### Short

The party chooses mounts for their journey to the east. Ratma tells them of a traveling circus nearby that could help them smuggle J'Michael into Vhur'endal. They disguise the dragon as a Griffon for their trip to the circus. Selene cuts her hair, and dyes it blonde. The next morning, they disembark, and make it to the surface for the first time in several months! Soon, they find the circus, but it's in chaos. According to ring-master Barnabas Rumbletoes, they had recently hired The Jokester as a new clown. Things went to shit, so they fired him, but not before the damage was done. Barnabas requests the party's help in setting things back in order at the circus, which they agree to do.

## **Trivia**

* R'Oarc's mother's full name was "Lilly Rose Peonie Daisy". It's unclear which of those names, if any, are surnames.
* T'Chuck has the longest hair in the group.
* R'Oarc and Stephanie used to come up with "circus-sonas" together.
	+ J'Michael wants to have a circus-sona of his own: "Puddles McJokes-a-lot".
* R'Oarc and T'Chuck's tradition of enjoying biscuits with grape jelly in the morning is something that Nika would do with her dad. That's sweet.
* T'Chuck is dragging Screech along on a leash. For some reason, Screech is nude, but covered in dog hair.
* Barnabas has not heard of the war in Farhold.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - T'Chuck / "Grimtoad-or-whatever"
* Jennifer Cheek - Selene von Esper
* Nika Howard - R'Oarc

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Grimshaw Shadowhoof
* Ratma Ritmo
* J'Michael
* Screech Echo
* Tumble Tanglefoot and Doodle Dandyclown
* Barnabas Rumbletoes

### **Locations**

* The Underground
	+ Mineford
		- The Goblin Pit Too
* The Aboveground!
	+ *The Big Top Traveling Circus and Magnificent Menagerie*

### **Quest Board**

* [Active] - Save Selene's family!
	+ [Active] - Recruit the help of Hortentia Calamore
		- [Active] - Travel to Vhur'endal
			* [NEW][Active] - Get in the good graces of the circus
	+ [On-Hold] - Recruit the help of House Bartell
		- [On-Hold] - Travel to Anchordowns
* [Active] - Find a cure for Thaldin Emberbrew
	+ [Active] - Go to the nearby Drow city, probably Vhur'endal
		- [NEW][Active] - Get in the good graces of the circus
* [On-hold] - Investigate "Bill, the Necromancer", in the far off city by the coast
* [On-hold] - Take the disembodied lips to the oceanfront, for a burial at sea

### **Quotes**

* **"Historically, you can trust a carnie!"** ~ *Selene von Esper*

## **Rolls**

* **R'Oarc** rolls *Deception* to disguise J'Michael as a griffon - 23
	+ It's, like, a super good disguise.

* **T'Chuck** rolls *Survival* to track the circus - 20
	+ He's able to see some smoke up ahead.

* **T'Chuck** rolls *something* to do a back-flip - 11
	+ He lands on his belly. Ouch.