Ep. 2 - Tuning Up, Mvt. I

The bards find excitement at the Punch Bowl. Then, after a small journey, discover something magical and musical.

## Plot

The group decides to go a round in the Punch Bowl before heading out with Wesley in the morning. They pause on the way to play a couple more songs and get a bite to eat, then watch as a tougher group of patrons starts to enter.

They enter the fighting area, where they introduced themselves as "Conrad Pu and the Dancing Teeth", and they are pitted against "The Chair Trio". They are made to give up their weapons (including their instruments), and the fight begins.

Raz'ul takes the lead by transforming into a giant boar. Yashee then rushes forward and hits the one on the right, while Randy goes for another with a sneak attack. The other team retaliates, grappling Raz'ul and Yashee. Randy calls upon Eddie to cast *Chromatic Orb* to save Raz'ul. He ends up scorching the opponent and defeating him immediately, promptings booing from the crowd. Raz'ul is able to get up and knock out another opponent, and Yashee grabs him and tosses him at the last one.

The match is called and The Chair Trio is dragged out. Group A wins the prize money, but is told to never return to the Punch Bowl, as dictated by Bradward. Though disappointed at their exclusion, the group feels good about their newfound partnership and heads up to bed together.

In the morning, the group sets out with Wesley. As they go, Wesley asks them to play a traveling song, prompting them to perform "Silk Grove", though Wesley is disappointed by the final product, citing that it doesn't have much to do with traveling and doesn't include him until the end.

They reach Wesley's home and Yashee carries his luggage inside with them. After assisting him with his luggage, Wesley offers to show the party his wares upstairs. They enter the second door on the right, a workshop type of sorts, and discover a pony-sized spider hanging from the ceiling. The party is understandably freaked out by the massive arachnid, but Wesley calmly explains that the spider is a phase spider, and produces magically imbued string. He begins to procure this string from the spider, and offers to let Raz’ul use the workshop to refine the string into ones suited for guitars.

Raz’ul steps aside for a moment to call Symbol on the Ira Glass to ask him if the spider silk is what he what he meant by new strings. Once again Symbol does not respond to Splash, but after responding to Symbol he tells Raz’ul that while the spider silk strings were not what he had in mind, Raz’ul is welcome to try them out.

Once he returns, Raz’ul accepts the new spider silk strings from Wesley, and restrings his axe bass. The strings improve the sound of the instrument, but they also cause it to begin to glow. Soon Randy and Yashee realize that their instruments are glowing as well, and the capabilities their tools once had all appear to improve from the magical influence. Their moment of awe is interrupted by the sound of something crashing downstairs. Wesley, worries to the group that there may be some trouble.

## Song - "Silk Grove"

### Chord Dice

* C is a given
* F
* D minor
* E minor
* E minor

### Lyrics

*Oh

Silkgrove (x4)

Oh

(Wesley)*