Episode 269 - The Writhing Mass Under the Lake

Was the lake sounding the tower always writhing in that menacing way? This really is a shame since we want to travel across the lake but I gotta tell ya I don’t look forward to figuring out what the hell is beneath the water. I suppose it could be a school of harmless fish? Oh. Oh no nevermind I saw something poke out that was positively not “fish-like”. Today is going to be horrible.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The members of The Tower of Grey are standing at the edge of a giant lake, in the middle of which lies an island, on top of which lies a castle. This is the Castle of the Spring Court, made entirely out of crystal. The Spring Court gathers here, and this is where the source of the evil plaguing the Feywild is eminating from, according to Nook Nimmlock. It's also where Melora, the Queen of Spring, is trapped (by Lady Adira Harper). There is a problem, however, in that they can't easily cross the lake. It is dark and cloudy, and as they stare and gaze at its unnatural splendor, a seabird flies overhead, gets too close to the water, and is snatched out of the air by a giant, 100-ft tentacle, that pulls the bird beneath the surface.

This poses a problem, prompting a series of increasingly more ridiculous ideas. Skud wants to send some of his skeletons over, before realizing that that won't help, as the non-skeletons would still be on the mainland. Lahni wants to feed the tentacle creature a lot of Skud's bones to weigh it down, so it will sink. Toby creates the illusion of a small flock of ~~3~~ 4 seabirds, making them fly towards the water. **Four tentacles** spring up out of the water to try to catch them, but, like the mythic Tantalus, alas shan't reach its chosen prey, as they are a fiction. Rowan attempts to use her Ranger abilities to speak with whatever is in the water. There is no response. Lahni ties Rowan to a tree just in case the tentacles reach out and grab her. Rowan taps on the surface of the water. The rest of them decide to stand 110 ft away.

A single tentacle peaks above the water and points at Rowan. She tries to talk to it, asking it how it is. After a second, five more tentacles poke out, and try to grapple Rowan. Toby, anticipating such an event, sends a sphere of *Wall of Force* their way, surrounding Rowan. Some of Skud's skeletons are destroyed. The tentacles attempt to pull Rowan underwater, but, due to Toby's Wall of Force and Lahni's rope/tree solution, it doesn't pull Rowan into the water, but pulls itself out of the water! Now there are many tentacles all right near them. They immediately begin attacking our heroes, grappling Toby's arm and leg, both of Lahni's legs, around Skud's neck, and begin pulling Frank Ubell and Nook Nimmlock. The party strikes out, destroying some of the grasping tentacles, which causes a roaring sound to emanate from the lake, which begins to bubble all across it. Toby casts *Black Tentacles* close to the mass of tentacles, and several more tentacles burst out from the lake. Toby's tentacles grasp the water tentacles, and its like a gross snake wrestling scene. I would rather be thinking of literally anything else. Anyway, Frank and Nook are pulled toward the water, about to be pulled under. Rowan casts *Conjure Woodland Beings* to summon four buff Satyrs, and she has them attempt to free Frank. Eventually, he is freed, though the Satyrs, named for four of the members of NSYNC, were not as helpful as we would have expected. Nook, however, is not freed, and is, in fact, dragged 100 ft under the water!

### Short

The party thinks for a second about how to cross the lake, before seeing a tentacle shoot up and attacks a bird. Rowan tries to communicate with the thing in the lake (which is actually many things), prompting it (them) to attack. They grasp several of our friends, but most are able to break free. Nook Nimmlock, however, is pulled a hundred feet under the water!

## **Trivia**

* Skud can breathe either air or water
* Lahni suggests blowing "the whistle" to call Yazdir Dosh for assistance

## **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 - Lahni Caplan

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Frank Ubell
* Nook Nimmlock

### **Pets/Familiars**

* Four buff Satyrs
	+ Justin Timberlake
	+ Lance Bass
	+ JC Chasez
	+ Joey Fatone

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Find Thom Harper
	+ [Active] - Search the Feywild for clues
* [Active] - Stop the Spider Apocalypse
	+ [Active] - Free Melora
		- [Active] - Find a way to get to the Castle of the Spring Court across the lake
	+ [Active] - Defeat Lolth
		- [Active] - Find a way to get to the Castle of the Spring Court across the lake
* [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

### **Quotes**

**"We could build a little makeshift raft, I could send a couple of my skeletons over there, just to see what happens. They'll make it. And then we'll still be here... I see how that's flawed, now."** ~ *Skud Derringer*

**"Can I let you guys in on a little secret about how Mike Bachmann feels about NPCs? Fuck 'em!"** ~ *Mike Bachman*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ *Nika - 9*
	+ Jennifer - 12
	+ Tim - 5
	+ **Bachmann - 18 (though it's mostly Nika who does it)**

* **Skud** rolls a *Nature* check to see what kind of tentacle the tentacle could be - 14
	+ Its probably some kind of horrible monster?

*Combat Begins vs octopus thing*

* **Initiative**
	+ Rowan - 16
	+ Toby - 12
	+ Lahni - 11
	+ Skud - 9

*Round One*

* **Rowan**
	+ Trapped in the ball, she delays her turn until Toby frees her

* **Toby**
	+ Frees her
	+ Casts *Black Tentacles* as close as possible to the mass
	+ Casts *Misty Step* to move 20 ft backwards, out of being grappled

* **Rowan (delayed)**
	+ Casts *Lightning Arrow* and fires the Oathbow at the tentacle strangling Skud - 20
		- Hit - 19 lightning damage (kills it) + 5 lightning damage to the tentacles grasping Lahni

* **Lahni**
	+ Anime-Style monk punches one of the tentacles holding her - 13, 17, 23, 28
		- Miss, Hit, Hit, Hit - 26 damage - kills it

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Chill Touch* on the last tentacle holding Lahni- 23
		- Hit - 17 damage - kills it

*Round Two*

* **Rowan**
	+ Casts *Conjure Woodland Beings* to create "four buff satyrs": Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone
		- Justin Timberlake melee attacks the tentacle holding Frank (headbutt) - 7
			* Miss
		- Lance Bass melee attacks the tentacle holding Nook (shortsword) - 23
			* Hit - 6 damage
		- JC Chasez melee attacks the tentacle holding Nook (shortsword) - 12
			* Miss
		- Joey Fatone melee attacks the tentacle holding Nook (shortsword) - Nat1
			* Miss, falls into the water in shame
	+ Dancing Rapier against the tentacle holding Nook - 12
		- Miss

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Geas*, requiring a DC 18 WIS saving throw - >18
		- Fail, not compelled to do it. Also, he feels like there may be multiple creatures

* **Lahni**
	+ Melee attacks two tentacles holding Frank - 15, 19, 29
		- Miss, Hit, Hit - 10 damage to one, 11 to another - they both retreat, frank is dangling from one leg

* **Skud**
	+ *Chill Touches* the last one holding Frank - 12
		- Hit - 17 damage - Frank is freed

*Nook is pulled underwater*

*Episode Ends mid-combat*