Expedition 154: A Good Time

## Summary

The group, exhausted by impending war and doom, decide to head to Dionysius's shrine in search of A Good Time.

## Details

The group heads out and reaches the foothills of Highhall without much issue, and find a Sparksouled (Disty) and a Mousefolk (Brandy) in the first chamber, a sumptuously decorated chamber with seats. They've been unsuccessful in getting the door open, and the group offers to to bring them in. Clarity investigates the mural as Confidence brings out a bottle of wine and the rest of the party finds some food in an attempt to put together a party. The group heads in, with Brandy and Confidence a bit tipsy, although Disty has a bit of problem with the rough terrain that Valorie assists with Fly. In the next chamber, seven heads are carved into the stone, mouths open. Above each head is a hole, from which falls a pale liquid, into their mouths. Above the door forward is a quote : "Partake, such that our noble friends can remain parched.". Clarity is able to identify it as a weak beer, and verifies that it doesn't seem to be enchanted or poisoned. The group attempts to all drink the streams of beer, but the door remains closed. Valorie attempts to identify the faces, and notes that each of the faces are a priest of a different deity (Dionysius, Tempus, Pelor, Mae'ra, Heironia, Ova, and Ra'al). The party guesses that they must block only some of the streams. After trying numerous permutations, the door finally opened when blocking everyone but Heironia. The immediate next door offers a bathroom to relieve yourself before continuing onward.

The next room contains a pair of couches on the sides with a door at the end. Before the door is a gaudily dressed satyr with a large wooden dildo hung around their neck. Before the satyr there's a table with two sets of nine chalices, each filled with dark liquid and each set having a large paddle. The satyr happily speaks with the party, excited someone has made it this far. Valorie speaks with the satyr, and they ask if Valorie will be the challenger for this chamber, and refuses to elaborate what the challenge is. Fiona identifies this setup as some ancient variety of beer pong and volunteers to challenge the satyr. As they begin, it becomes clear when one drink causes the satyr to belch flame, and another poisons them, that this is perhaps a more deadly version of the game, and Fiona must knock out the Satyr to progress. After a well-imbibed match, Fiona is able to drink the satyr to death, who vanishes leaving only the dildo. Disty, confused, picks up the dildo and inserts it into the hole on the door, opening the way forward.

A cavernous room is next, containing a vast woodland of trees, though the trees seem to quaver and shift as though dreamlike, as the ground itself seems to undulate below the party's feet. Valorie pulls out her Speaker's Rod and waves it at a tree, although the unsteady ground pitches her forward and knocks her into another tree, revealing that the trees are quite physical. Brandy starts drinking from her flask and rapidly gets drunk, and her staggering has allowed her to perfectly match the chaos around her. The group follows Brandy as she drunkenly leads them forward, with Clarity banging into trees. However, a sudden pit catches Confidence and Clarity, separating them from the rest of the group. They both attempt to drink until the world begins making sense. Confidence achieves this clarity, while Clarity is unable to achieve her namesake. Luckily, Confidence is able to lead her out and rejoin the group as they reach a fountain, though Brandy and Confidence instead see a large reclining figure instead. Confidence asks why the others cannot see them, and the figure replies that they cannot receive the blessing if they don't get drunk. Clarity and Fiona drink from the fountain and join Confidence in the joys of inebriation, while Valorie does not join them. As the three others enjoy the bacchanalia, Valorie perceives them growing distance as she is joined by a red-masked figure, which fills her with fright. She immediately counters it with Heroism, and speaks with the figure, who represents the madness of Dionysius. As Fiona plays a song for Dionysius, Valorie is accosted with the madman, who asks her why she is mad, since she didn't seem to come to the Shrine for pleasure. Valorie proceeds to unload all of the problems that she has dealt with in the East, from the Giants, to the Time-Weft, to the Vampires, but things seem to continue spiralling despite her efforts, and she is **angry about it**. The masked figure consoles Valorie, and tells her that life is full of chaos, and shit happens, and perhaps she should just go with things. The Madman gives her his mask to borrow, and asks for it back once her business is done. And with that, the group returns home.