Into the Abyss

*Check Please!*

"**Into the Abyss**" is the 10th episode of the first season of *Check Please!* Campaign One. It was first released on September 14th, 2019.

*"Last time, our Heroes were trapped in the twisted landscape of the Tellic Manor, and tormented by a ghost of one they once saw as so young. Will Markus find out who is truly hiding, and will they find a way to escape and calm this restless spirit?"*

## Summary

Still cut off from the Deadlands within the shattered, haunted realm of the ruined Tellic House, the Party's search for a way out becomes more desperate, as distrust between adventurers intensifies.

## Synopsis

### The Second Floor

The Party members remain trapped in the broken, floating world of the Tellic House, which has been spiritually torn apart by the fractured consciousnesses of Ann-Lysse and the rest of the family. On the second floor, Vera investigates Ann-Lysse's bedroom, finding it and the connected spaces empty except for ashes. Faced with greater distances between floating sections, the characters try to puzzle out ways to safely cross from one platform to the other.

### The Servants' Quarters

Descending another staircase, the Party members begin searching for answers in the intact backroom storage areas and corridors of the Manor. Entering Bernhardt's private study, Lovette digs through the late lord's ledgers and papers, most of which are damaged beyond legibility. Markus enters the kitchen, finding ghostly, moving shadows. Sol vaguely identifies them echoes of the souls that used to dwelL in the Manor – faint, lingering spiritual traces of the house staff killed in the blast. Archie attempts to touch one, but his hand passes through it; it takes no notice of him. Having run out of available places to investigate in this area, the Party decide to heads back upstairs. As they do, the ghost of Ann-Lysse reappears, watching them.

### The Second Floor (Redux)

Vera suggests using rope, combined with Archie's weight and strength as an anchor, to allow someone to jump across the chasm between platforms without falling to their doom. Sol, distressed by Ann-Lysse once again disappearing, eager to escape the Haunted Mansion™, and mindful of their superior height, volunteers to potentially dangle like bait on a line. They're able to make the first jump from platform to platform without incident, and enter through the door, discovering, after all that effort... a bathroom. A fancy one, at least, but not a useful one for the Party. Once again, Ann-Lysse reappears, first with the Party, and then near Sol, terrifying the bard. The Party members and their Players consider how best to proceed, as Ann-Lysse once again disappears.

### Markus's Terrible Secret

In order to help the restless spirit move into the afterlife, Markus attempts to communicate with Ann-Lysse, but is unsuccessful. Prompted by Sol to start confessing his sins (in light of Ann-Lysse distrusting him), Markus relates the tale of losing a former comrade to a Will-o'-Wisp in order to obtain a certain ring. The Party is shocked, especially to hear that the ring is still in his possession (though not currently on his person). The other Party members abandon the strategy, and mockingly re-emphasize their shared disbelief in Markus's story of being from another world.

### Doors and Loot

Returning to the idea of taking doors off hinges, the Party contemplates constructing a crude bridge to cross the wider gaps between floating platforms. After further discussion, they settle on using Archie's weight to stabilize a door far enough over a platform edge to provide Sol with enough distance to leap across the wider gaps. As Sol prepares for their first leap from the improvized springboard-bridge, the door cracks, nearly sending them plummeting; they are nevertheless able to complete their jump/ Unfortunately, the room beyond the chasm is just an empty broom closet.

Sol jumps back across to rejoin the others. The Party members spend time gathering additional doors, with which Lovette is able to construct more bridges, but one remote door remains inaccessible. Lovette suggests cutting their losses and posits that they might be allowed to leave if they give up the items they've salvaged. Vera grudgingly produces the trophies, cigars, and books liberated earlier from the smoking room, but the Party remains stuck in the same predicament.

### Leaps of Faith

With Sol hesitant to make further jumps, Lovette volunteers to attempt the final one. Vera connects her to Archie for safety, then recovers the trophies and other objects. Lovette makes it about four feet across the eight foot gap, then drops into the chasm. The Party members haul her back up, finding the gnome nauseated from the experience. Nevertheless, Lovette makes a second attempt to cross the gap; unfortunately, she again comes up well short of the necessary distance. While dangling, Lovette gets the sense that something in the black abyss is... off. The Party hauls her back up.

Unwilling to allow Lovette to endanger herself further, Sol ties the rope back to themself and makes an attempt; distracted by Lovette at the crucial moment, they plummet, and are unceremoniously hauled back up. They are left with the disturbing sense that there are many unknown presences dwelling within the seeming Nothingness. Sol makes a last attempt, and this time clears the distance and lands safely on the distant platform. They line up for a final jump from this midway platform to the last unexplored door, jump, and stick the landing. The door opens to reveal a hallway with several more doors beyond. So many doors.

Sol enters one of the adjacent rooms, discovering it to be oddly warped and stretched. Standing at its far end is the figure of Duncan, the elder of the two Tellic boys. Lovette uses her Sending mechanism to contact Sol, asking them to tie off the rope to allow the rest of the Party to join them.

After the ropes are rearranged, Markus is able to cross the gap and rejoin Sol. Vera tries to follow, but falls; she is able to climb up, but she too is left with the sensation that she was definitely not alone in the depths of the Nothingness, and that the presences there were converging on her. After her narrow escape, she joins Sol and Markus, and Lovette successfully leaps across moments later.

### The Stretched Room

The reunited Party members gather with Sol in the stretched room. Vera attempts to open other doors; one is stuck fast (as if someone is holding it closed), and the other leads into an empty room. Markus encounters another locked door. Using his Doorsight ability, he perceives that the ghost of Lady Tellic is in the room beyond, kneeling and cradling the broken, battered body of Lord Tellic. Markus repeats the magic on another door, and guesses that the room beyond belonged to Tristan, although there are no ghosts within it.

Sol addresses themself to Duncan, who turns around, revealing that his face has been shredded off in the blast, exposing parts of his skull. Sol asks the vital question: "Duncan, why are you still here?" Duncan, angrily replying that the situation is "your fault!", attacks the group with his rapier.

### Defeating Duncan

Duncan wounds Lovette, who is closest; Markus swiftly heals her. Vera makes a flame attack against Duncan that causes only minor damage. Sol inspires courage with their lyre. Suddenly, Duncan vanishes, then reappears near Vera, swinging and missing. Markus agin heals his companions. Vera tries to reinvigorate Hummel and send the bee and his swarm into the fight, but to no effect. Sol hurls Symphonia's Wit, severely wounding the ghost of Duncan and sending him careening off the room's balcony into the black Nothingness, from which Vera hears the horrifying sound of chewing.

Ann-Lysse reappears, seemingly relieved that with Duncan's demise, her world is now quiet. She tells the Party that Duncan's spirit had gone mad long ago, and was preventing her from speaking with her mother's ghost. She reunites her with Lady Tellic, comforting her mother over their shared loss.

### Back to Reality

As the distorted world of the haunted flashback begins to resolve back to the normal state of the Deadlands, Ann-Lysse takes down the Tellic family crest from a wall and hands it to Markus. She explains that the real Caroline never returned on the day of the Cataclysm, and that through Caroline, a descendant of the Tellics may still be alive in the Party's time. Ann-Lysse requests that Markus return this crest to a surviving member of the family's line, and everythiing visible fades to white.

The Party members find themselves seemingly back in their present day, standing in the master bedroom of the Tellic Manor. The crest held by Markus seems pristine and new, but everything else is in the expected state of ruin and decay. Markus explains Ann-Lysse's request to find Caroline's descendants and return the crest to them. Searching the room, the Party recovers a sizable collection of jewelry and coins from a chest. Lovette begins dividing up the loot, and once again attempts to talk the other Party members into signing a contract. Sol reluctantly signs, but Markus and Vera are not heard to do so. The Party members make their way out of the Manor and make their way out of the Deadlands.

## Key Points

### Plot & Lore

* Elves are established as generally weighing less than humans; they do not, however, walk atop snow.
* The Party is tasked with reuniting the crest of the Tellic Family with any surviving heir(s).

### Character

#### Sol

* Sol continues to distrust and dislike Markus after Ann-Lysse's cryptic remarks, blaming him for the Party's situation at the beginning of the episode and believing that he's deliberately hiding something.
* Sol makes derisive remarks about wealthy aristocrats, implying that they are personally familiar with the personalities of such loathsome individuals.
* Sol has not forgotten or forgiven Markus and Vera for the way they were treated, i.e. being tied up in a non-consensual manner and their Muse burned (which is not a recognized way of enjoying the substance).
* Sol whimpers that they just want to go home, then quickly corrects themself to state they just don't want to be in the haunted manor. This is an important distinction.
* Sol says (sort of) says something nice to Vera, and pronounces the druid's name correctly for the first time.
* Sol shows interest in Lovette's moneylending, perhaps emphasizing that they're somewhat tight on funds.
* Sol shows kindness to Lovette, folding Lovette's coat after Lovette removes it prior to her leap attempt.
* As before, a Sending spell to Sol results in classical music.
* Sol seems genuinely concerned about Vera's state after her unpleasant fall.
* Sol references being able to bring legal pressures to bear on Lovette, again reinforcing the growing evidence that they are a person of means.

#### Vera

* Vera mentions the notion of parasites in the context of their Hive community, and still considers Sol to be one.
* Xeno states unequivocably that Vera was impressed by Sol's musical skills in "The Tellic House" (C1 S1 E8).
* Xeno jokingly describes Vera's alcohol preference as being honey with a small amount of mead.
* Vera is left visibly unsettled by her fall into the Abyss.
* Vera congratulates Sol on their defeat of Duncan.

#### Markus

* Markus encourages Sol to try a potentially deadly maneuver, showing no regard for their life.
* Markus professes to not be hiding anything, but is disbelieved by the rest of the Party.
* Markus offhandedly mentions the pleasures of a volcanic rock bath.

#### Lovette

* Lovette remains flustered at having been carried by Sol like a stuffed animal.
* Lovette is still shocked by Sol's descriptions of the way they were treated by Vera and Markus.
* Lovette has been known to give loans in the course of her business.
* Lovette volunteers to take Sol's place in the jump attempts, mentioning having been a bit of an athlete in her youth.
* Lovette is injured for the first time, as a result of Duncan's attack.

## Running Gags & Callbacks

* Keni makes a "door"/"adorable" pun, but doesn't take pun damage.
* Beardy requests a Knowledge (Religion) check to identify the shades in the kitchen – a knowledge check that has repeatedly caused problems for the players in previous episodes, since none of them have skill points invested in it, and only Keni, as a bard, can do an untrained knowledge check.
	+ That said, the fact that Markus is a cleric without any (skill points in) knowledge of religion does dovetail beautifully with later revelations about the character's true nature.
* Nobody believes that Markus is a cleric.
* Nobody believes that Markus is from another world.
* The height difference between Sol and Lovette turns their high five into a low five.
* Sol mentions Vera's near-death experience in "The Adventure Begins?" (C1 S1 E1-3).
* Screwy considers trying to have Markus seduce his way out of trouble.
* Markus describes his legendary run-in with a Will-o'-Wisp.
* Vera will retain many of the pilfered trophies for much of the rest of the Campaign.
* "F for Respects".
* Sol/Soul wordplay.
* "Criss-cross applesauce" count: 1.

## Memorable Quotes

* "Death at this point sounds a lot better than dealing with a ghost." – Sol, carefully considering their available options.
* "You are sure making your case for being the most suspicious person here today." – Sol, not pleased with Markus's remarks.
* Beardy, on the roll needed to identify the kitchen shades: "Knowledge (Religion) would be fine."
Every other Player: \*exasperated laughing, moaning, and screaming\*
* "I feel like Beardy could just do that for anything he doesn't want to explain." – Xeno, exposing Beardy's nefarious strategy when he requests Knowledge (Religion) rolls.
* "I dare you to touch one." – Sol, goading Markus to engage with the kitchen shades.
* "I don't know what I'm hiding, I swear!" "Have you read your backstory recently?" – Markus/Screwy and Keni.
* "I have no reason to trust you, especially after, you know, getting tied up and my drugs thrown into a fire. You, of all people, I detest." – Sol, not mincing words when it comes to their feelings about Markus.
* "[They] stole from the Hive. What we do in my community to parasites is far worse than that." – Vera, wishing they'd done more to punish Sol than just tie them up and burn their drugs.
* "Can't you just, like, heal her and have her go off to the afterLIIIIIIIFE!" "(spookily) It doesn't work like that." – Sol, getting a terrifying answer to their question from Ann-Lysse.
* "What, you've never had a volcanic rock bath?" – Markus, tempting fate (or perhaps Beardy).
* "Just admit all the bad shit you've ever done, Markus!" (lengthy pause) "Oh god. Never mind. I don't wanna know." – Sol, realizing they've made a mistake.
* "Well, I did let someone die to a will-o'-wisp." "Wait, what?" – Markus and Vera.
* "There was a person who... in my previous group, we saw this ring, and it was in a pit, and we wanted to grab it. Unfortunately, there was a Will-o'-Wisp in the area, and I really wanted that ring, and unfortunately, that's how he eventually died. Long story short: because of my greed, a person died." "... Why was [Markus] not the one who was tied up?" – Markus Cupshigh, a holy Cleric of Eden, summarizing his encounter with a Will-o'-Wisp, and Lovette's appropriate response.
* "Do you happen to still have that ring on you?" (lengthy pause and stammering from Markus) "OH MY GOD." "It's a reminder, okay?!" – Sol, their opinion of Markus dipping even lower, and Markus's defense.
* "As an aside: I once killed an entire group with a ten foot gap." – Beardy, taking pride in his TPK skills.
* "I think Vera mostly just drinks honey, with a little bit of mead in it." – Xeno, establishing Vera's tastes.
* "Please don't die, Lovette, I love you." "I love you too." – Keni/Sol and Lovette, not quite on the same wavelength.
* "Did you just 'create water'?" – Grem, on Vera's shocked reaction to Duncan's fate.
* "I didn't want to interrupt the sweet moment with bees." – Xeno, carefully choosing when to cut in with character action.
* "You have some soul-searching to do." "I'm right here!" – Ann-Lysse to Markus, with Keni/Sol punning in response.
* "I have lawyers in case this goes bad." – Sol, intimidating Lovette before signing the latter's contract.
* "How many drugs can I buy with that?" "A lot." "Yay!" – Sol/Keni and Beardy, on appropriate uses for the Party's loot.

## Trivia & References

* Screwy refers to Archie as "expendable". For shame.
* The shades Markus sees in the kitchen bring to mind nuclear shadows. As noted by Grem, "somehow 'ghost' is less fucked up".
* The characters mention feeling like they've had weeks to ponder their situation, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the real-world breaks between episode recording sessions, which can last weeks or even months.
* Keni sings the refrain to Britney Spears' 1998 debut single "...Baby One More Time".
* Screwy/Markus describes Archie as not "being more than meets the eye" (given the robot's inability to change his form into a bridge), referencing the *Transformers* franchise and tagline.
* Keni establishes that Sol weighs somewhere between 110-120 pounds (49.9-54.43kg).
* Keni and Xeno trade lyrics from the Eminem song "Lose Yourself".
* Screwy/Markus suggests that Sol try clicking their heels and saying "there's no place like home" three times, referencing one of Foaly's least favorite films of all time.
* Grem establishes that Lovette weighs "not more than 70 pounds", or 31.75kg.
* Screwy drops a *Ghostbusters* reference: "I ain't afraid of no ghost."
* Screwy also references the "Not the Bees!" meme.
* The reward in the chest amounts to 4,400gp, plus another 800gp or so in assorted jewelry.
* The Players ask Beardy if they've leveled up, having not yet learned the dangers of asking this directly.
* Foaly encountered two different power outages while trying to finish writing up this episode. Clearly Ann-Lysse's quoted warning extends to people revisiting the episode.

## The Dice

*These are estimates, since not all rolls are called or broken down out loud.*

## Notes

* Xeno jokes about having rolled a Nat 20 to kick Markus into the abyss at the end of the previous installment. This is not reflected in the above dice totals, since it is non-canonical and does not appear in the final released version of "Behind You" (C1 S1 E9).
* Keni rolls a 20 for Sol's attack against Duncan, but it is unclear whether this is a natural or unnatural 20 or what modifiers were in effect. It does score a Critical Hit. The Critical Hit's name is not revealed, but requires a d6 roll to determine how far back an opponent is pushed. It is the first recorded critical hit of the campaign.