recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Myconid

## Description

From Season 1, Chapter 1 Prologue:

Myconids are a species of semi-intelligent fungi that populate caves within the mountain ranges of Antisuyu. As a myconid ages, it repeatedly sheds its outermost membrane, and this will happen 20 to 25 times over the course of its natural life, which typically lasts around a hundred years. For centuries, the local shamans would use the discarded myconid membranes as incense fodder to be burned for important ceremonies such as the Mama Awqaq or “Mother Warrior” ritual which commemorated the passing of women in these clans who had served in the Yaku Wallqanqa, a kind of coast guard that warded off pirates and the occasional marrow raid.

When the embargo ended and settlers emigrated for the first time in many years, a company of young warlocks who'd been exiled from their home country of Shashii across the Hatun Sea came in search of new beginnings. It was one of these warlocks that discovered, through extensive experimentation, if you didn't burn the myconid membranes but instead performed a kind of arcane electrolysis, it would slowly separate into two distinct substances: a brittle clump of pungent fibers and a translucent viscous fluid that would soon become the focal point of the nation's economy.

Myconid extract when consumed in safe dosages has unparalleled enhancement properties. A single vial could keep a laborer at full strength and alertness for more than a hundred hours. A soldier could march for three days, fight a battle, and march three days back before having to think about stopping for rest. A scholar could absorb the entire contents of dense tomes in one sitting and upon completion recite back facts and figures as if the knowledge was innate. It is not a surprise then that desire for the extract grew exponentially and demand rapidly outgrew supply. What were once harmless excursions into the mountains to collect discarded membranes are now violent raids as myconids are captured, imprisoned, and skinned alive to accelerate production. In addition, the exchange of such valuable goods has given rise to a number of peripheral occupations regarding their safe transportation and distribution as well as questions about the morality of such a trade.

* Myconid Sepsis
* Harvesting Yard

## References

1. ↑ "An Arranged Carriage" (C1S1Ch1). *A Peak Beneath the Veil*. 1 April 2019. Available (youtube).
Jordan McDonough

A behind the scenes image, captured by tabletopnotch

## Activities with tabletopnotch

Jordan is the co-founder and co-producer of tabletopnotch, alongside the Dungeon Master, Matt. Like any producer, her hands are in all the tabletopnotch pockets. She creates recaps of every episode of "A Peak Beneath the Veil", generates social media and patreon material to help grow the channel, and - most importantly - makes it a point to support and nurture the amazing communities that have formed around the show. In their first campaign "A Peak Beneath the Veil", she plays Orba, the tall, teenage tiefling Wizard. In the intermittent mini-campaign Those Old Yagolds, she portrayed Cherall Yagold and is currently playing the sea-elven Fighter Doxley Tyrun in ttn's ongoing campaign Brunkhollow. She loves when members of the community reach out to her to chat, ask questions and share their favorite moments! So don't be shy if you see her on Discord or receive a reply from her through the tabletopnotch YouTube comments!

## Life beside the stream

Outside of tabletopnotch, Jordan is a virtual producer, mainly working alongside casting directors in the film & television industry. She spends her free time playing video games, competing in co-ed softball leagues, and performing improv at live comedy venues scattered around NYC. She met her partner Matthew Taylor in 2012 while attending NYU and they've been inseparable ever since. They currently live in New York City.
Ace in the Hole

Thumbnail for Chapter 2 featuring Kelley

## Synopsis

### Official Recap

> Delia Croy arrived to relieve the fleebags from their post – and without any sign of clinker scouts in the gully, there was little to report.  The time seemed right to return to town, but Delia hadn't come alone and her partner - Ruby "Ace" Adams-Rogue - had a proposition worth hearing for those looking to garner favor with Bison Stott.
>
>
> A nearby cave filled with troglodytes needed to be purged so Bison could set up his next dig site, which meant following the new dwarven associate further into the woods.  After discovering a dead body along the way, the group got into trouble when a pack of snickering mephits started heating Illien's sword and Doxley's armor.
>
>
>
> Ace emphasized the importance of taking out the clan leader – and showed off some impressive runic skills along the way – but it was a team effort required to bring quiet to the cave.  Swiping some chunks of mithril ore as payment, the farewells followed and a rest was very much on the menu.
>
>

### Other Notable Events

#### Watch over gully

* Delia Croy provides 20 gold to all present, holds on to Morna's until they're able to collect in person
* Ace presents opportunity for clearing out potential future dig site of troglodytes

#### En route to future dig site

* Interrupted 2 suspicious figures, found half-buried wood elf, Ace identified is likely to be Dwight Netley, one of Bison's scouts who spy on clinkers

#### At future dig site

* Troglodyte agree to allow Ace to meet their leader, lead team into a large room full of magma mephits
* Mephits use heat metal ability on Illien's great sword and Doxley's metal armor, explode on death
* Ace takes on troglodyte chief after utilizing Giant's Might ability to grow to large size
* Doxley has Kayt pour essence of chum (an avian lure) at cave entrance and later, on troglodyte chief
* Essence of chum attracts an owlbear to cave and then to chief, attacks chief but ultimately leaves unsatisfied
* Illien is highly disturbed by the presence of a bear
* Ace pushes chief into tar pit with card from detonating deck, T.C. gets kill shot
* Everyone grabs 3 chunks of unrefined mithril as partial payment in addition to Ace's good word to Bison
* Ace suggests to Bison that T.C. thinks most like him.
Lamonte Warren

## Description

First seen by the parting returning from the town meeting held after unearthing the unknown statue, he wears a coat too large for him, likely won or begged from another at the gambling tables.

Minority owner (4.5%) of Paramount Lodgings in Brunkhollow with Bassett Clemens (95.5%). Allegedly has a gambling problem which reduced ownership from original 50/50 due to negotiating his shares to pay for his gambling debts.
Duffy Geiss

Duffy Geiss (i.e. The Lemonade Man) is one of the leaders involved in the Harvesting Yard in the Chaki Mountains. He also is head of the criminal underground in Mukmu, namely controlling the distribution of Myconid products. He got his nickname by repeatedly serving the children of the city free lemonade. He is an enemy to the Gentle Void and anyone involved in (or looking to get involved in) the Lightwhistle Estate Chess Club.
Tuktu

## Precincts

* First
* Second
* Third
* Fourth
	1. Raz Pugh house
	2. ?
	3. 4th Precinct Cemetery
	4. Harvis Langeeter's House
	5. Principal Tonnis' House (District Principal)
	6. Crespo's Tavern
	7. ?
	8. Frank Sobol's place
* Fifth
* Sixth
* Seventh
* Eighth

## References

1. ↑ "What's Good for Me Is Good for Thee" (C1S1Ch51). *A Peak Beneath the Veil*. 27 September 2020. At 36:11.
Graham Blalock

## Description

Aliases: Sawbones. Doc.

"Heart and harm are part of the same coin."

With heterochromia in his eyes and a big bulbous nose, Graham Blalock's face is as mismatched as his posture, his right shoulder bearing a pronounced hunch, raising it to his neck, some atrophy or affect having caused his right arm to wither or fail to develop at the same rate as his let. His clothes are peppered by discolored holes that appear to have dissolved through the fabric as a result of his alchemical practices, which include creating a Drow poison tincture sedative.

Owner of the Littlehook Apothecary, which is also his house, the property was perhaps built too close to the river as it is beginning to list slightly. Inside the apothecary is well lit and a wide, open plan layout with three distinct areas; kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Noted furniture includes a rocking chair, a blanket covered cot in a corner and planters hung overhead which cast display of shifting shadows on the wall. There are smells of vomit, sweat, and an unspecified metallic scent that linger in the air..

Blalock learned the basics of potions and compounds in Unezia, is aware that poisons and Alchemist's Fire are considered blasphemous and that Saywall University would censor references to things considered blasphemous. and maintains an interest in studying the limits and balances that can affect the human body. He believes himself to be well-paid, but that the job exposes him to disease and disgust, both in the ailments and the people he treats.

He came to Brunkhollow for the opportunities it provided, and to leave behind a shadow in his past.
Bailey Sampson

## Description

* Co-owner of Good as Gold with brother Dustin Sampson

## Quotations

* "You don't have to use the whole flask, but using the whole flask - that's the only really way to get it to work"
* "I can tell when we tell people that they sometimes don't know what to make of it, have you, you've made of it now?...you still seem confused"

## References

1. ↑ "A Preamble Gamble" (C2Ch3). *Brunkhollow*. 24 September 2023. From 1:23:03 to 1:23:18.
2. ↑ "A Preamble Gamble" (C2Ch3). *Brunkhollow*. 24 September 2023. From 1:27:55 to 1:28:15.
Season 2

**Season 2** covers episodes (Chapters 101 through 149) of *A Peak Beneath the Veil* (Peak / APBtV), tabletopnotch's first Campaign. It is a direct sequel to **Season 1** and follows the group of adventurers after their departure from Wampurani-Na up until the apparent defeat of Q'usñi's influence in the world. Additionally, two Q&A specials were streamed.

The Season began on June 26th, 2022, with a revamped studio, graphics and a new musical intro.

The decision to split *Peak* into two Seasons was made after the satisfying conclusion of a story arc. Splitting the Campaign into two Seasons allowed for an easier onboarding of new viewers on a "self-contained story", without the need for 100 Chapters worth of lore knowledge.

 Jordan McDonough
 John Racioppo
(Chapter 1-45)
 Riley Quinn
(Chapter 1-45)
 Matthew Taylor

## Description

* the second season of ttn's first campaign "A Peak Beneath the Veil"
* started after the events of "Leaving Town & Mountain-Bound" (C1S1Ch100)

## References

1. ↑ Infographic for S2 by Dudae. Used with permission.
Open Market

An open air market with set stalls. Whilst Brunkhollow proper itself remains a largely human settlement, goblins specifically not being allowed residence outside of their campground, they are allowed use of the market, at set times.

Common wares sold at the market include fruit, spices, fish, coffee, alcohol (notably whisky), and mushrooms.
In So Few Words

## In So Few Words

Thumbnail for "In So Few Words" featuring Safira Siochain

### Air date

2020-07-19 (Twitch)
2022-06-25 (Youtube)

### Players

Graven il-Vigo - Anthony
Orba - Jordan
Safira Siochain - Riley
Erland Loftefel - John
Beezaura Quipler - Leah

## Description

Recap of episodes 1-40 of Season 1 after coming back from hiatus in 2020.

Featuring:

* Graven recaps Chapters 1 through 8
* Erland recaps Chapters 9 through 16
* Safira recaps Chapters 17 through 24
* Beezaura recaps Chapters 25 through 32
* Orba recaps Chapters 33 through 40
Matthew Taylor

a behind the scenes image captured by tabletopnotch

## Activities with tabletopnotch

Matt is co-founder, co-producer and Dungeon Master of tabletopnotch. As such he delivers the recaps at the beginning of each episode. He also typically presents the monthly Patreon awards on stream in cooperation with Jordan. In the past, he used to create short videos somewhat unrelated to the goings on in the campaign, posing as "Angry NPC guy".

## Life beside the stream

In "real" life, Matt has been writing and creating silly games all his life. Jordan revealed that his parents have shown her his childhood collection of handmade homebrew Pokemon cards and poetry about poop. According to her, it's all 'as spectacular as you could imagine'.
On Second Thought

## **Synopsis**

In Chapter 41: On Second Thought, an unplanned detour landed Orba, Beezaura and Graven somewhere in the basement of the harvesting yard – the first time since arriving at the camp that we couldn't use our map or scouting intel to chart a course.  A bit of careful investigation put us just outside of a room containing what looked to be a teleportation circle – though the unfortunate presence of one of the hooded scientists meant that finding an alternate route was imperative if we wanted to remain unseen.

As far as we could tell, the only other option was to pass through a small emergency maintenance tunnel – though cracking it open set off a trap designed to mark any intruders, spraying Beezaura with a coat of green ink that stained her clothes and skin.

Over in the second set of holding pens, Jillian waited patiently in darkness while Erland and Safira scouted ahead – finding a much less populated series of cages containing a few of the warped mutants as well as a single, solitary Myconid.  With the mysterious blue mist returning to pour forth from his mouth and nostrils, Erland believed there was more to glean from the creatures imprisoned here – and using the same cautious approach as before he lured out the Myconid to make physical contact, which sent him into another instance of shared consciousness.

Instead of a hunt, it was a lesson – taught by Master Rujeni Grahmari on the various real-world applications of alchemy.  A student seated in the front was a former classmate of Erland's: Anson Greer, who had been snubbed of a prestigious scholarship to the Halls of Transmutation years ago.  In returning to the present, Safira and Jillian watched as Erland was struck repeatedly by a metal appendage of the Myconid's – a possible confirmation of our suspicion that this was the same person that was present in the memory, now fully transformed to be harvested for extract and ultimately, tremendous profit.

In the midst of this brawl, Erland's protective suit was snatched away, forcing us to reevaluate our options for getting back upstairs without incurring suspicion from the guards.  As that was happening – Orba, Beezaura and Graven had worked their way through an irrigation chamber and discovered an alternative exit… though leaving in this way required reorganizing the room – making it fairly obvious that someone had been in there.  Still, to say that they had left no trace up until that point would be a stretch – so we decided to take the opportunity to make for the river and escape.

With a number of leads and a better understanding of the experiments being done here – our scouting of the harvesting yard was rapidly drawing to a close.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: two natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by John and Riley.
* This is the first normal Season 1 episode back in person following the 2020 hiatus.
Manasami

## Description

* Ruins
* Fallen town in Ebbwoods

Mr. Curse to Ka'imi:

"The husband and wife, the ones that were imprisoned for failure to report the necromancy, they were eventually released but they were wracked with guilt. They did not intend for the caretaker to die, especially when they were not certain of what they had seen. Soon they would discover however that the worst was yet to come. The murdered caretaker had a sister who was a priestess of transmutation magic. She had been traveling the continent but when she returned home to Manasami and found her brother dead, she was distraught. She wanted revenge, but her magic was not destructive in nature; she could not conjure balls of flame or shoot lightning from her fingertips.

Instead, she retreated underground. Before it was safe to settle there, the Ebbwoods would sometimes get frost worms slithering in from the mountains - enormous beasts that burrowed a network of complex tunnels beneath the surface. The priestess went into these tunnels and using her ability to manipulate water and earth started to erode the foundation of the rock. Years went by and unbeknownst to its citizens the ground underneath Manasami was weakening. Finally, the earth collapsed into a massive sinkhole, taking most of the town with it. Very few made it out alive and to this day the spirits of the innocent haunt this forest - hundreds of lives lost in an instant all because a simple letter found its way into the wrong hands."

* Stub - additional Mr. Curse details in "Our Family Treason" (C1S2Ch12)

## Places of Interest

* Hanas Theater
* Temple to Deyruku

## References

1. ↑ "Lost Shames & Clearing Names" (C1S2Ch11). *A Peak Beneath the Veil*. 4 September 2022. Available (youtube).
Wrath from the Past

**Synopsis:**

In Chapter 25: Wrath from the Past, the party gathered briefly in the lobby of the Lakeside Inn to enjoy a warm meal before splitting up to tackle the many leads that had popped up over the past couple days.

After receiving an unexpected letter from the innkeeper Prescott, Safira made her way outside the city walls to the docks where Lieutenant Colonel Massif wanted to check in one last time before he departed from Mukmu.  He gave her an item that she had requested and wished her luck, thus freeing up the early afternoon for her to ask Weddu at the local arcane shop if there was anything nefarious about the lemonade she had acquired the night before.

Meanwhile, Graven, Erland and Orba were hatching a plan to dip their toe into the city's black market – sending the Tiefling into Wesley's "Bauble Shop" with a magical disguise to see if he had any way to acquire a first edition copy of Grahmari's Giant Grimoire.  Wesley proved difficult to read and gave Orba an uncomfortable feeling that she couldn't shake – and the party decided to drop the pursuit, or at least table it until after Jillian's scouting mission.

Beezaura branched off to meet her fellow halfling Ferd, who had concocted quite an intricate plan to enact revenge on the two former appraisants Chelsea Danita and Mica Denholm.  We snuck through the back of the first house by posing as gardeners, and after laying out the silence spell scrolls we went to work tearing it down from the inside out.  Things went about as smoothly as possible, but it was at the second residence that Ferd found an item that triggered him into a violent rage – using a potion of fire breathing to ignite the interior.  Beezaura was able to vacate the premises without being noticed and without injury, but Ferd was not so fortunate – and some soldiers of the city watch apprehended him after breaking down the front door.

Erland took a moment to make good on his word to Adept Melody by delivering an item to Vaclav Foyle – but he was indisposed and under the care of his wife who refused Erland entry until she reached a point of desperation.

Graven brought Orba along to the temple of the Laqha'Phuyu to track down the goliath they had heard was a priestess there.  He was able to locate her, but got a little more than he bargained for when Q'usñi intervened in retaliation for Graven's disobedience.

As he came to at the Lakeside Inn, Graven found that some time had passed that was unaccounted for – and while he tried to put those pieces together Orba struggled to come to terms with what she had seen.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: no natural ones were rolled in this Chapter.
Brunkhollow Timeline

# Timeline Campaign 2 "Brunkhollow"

*Episodes Covering Date*
*"Welcome to Brunkhollow" (C2Ch1)"Meet & Potatoes" (C2Ch2)"A Preamble Gamble" (C2Ch3)"Nest-Kept Secrets" (C2Ch4)"Ace in the Hole" (C2Ch5)"Night Falls, Tempers Rise" (C2Ch6)*

* Clash with Horton Boyd and the cleric en route
* Whistleblowing mission for Bison
	+ Grick fight over goblin with satchel
	+ Fight with troglodyte and blink dogs over wounded griffon
	+ Meeting with Clark-bark at independent dig site about bone
 **### Δ#:###** (Day 2)
*"Night Falls, Tempers Rise" (C2Ch6)"Lives Left Behind" (C2Ch7)"Trap Music" (C2Ch8)"Laugh Infection" (C2Ch9)"Dead Bath & Beyond" (C2Ch10)"All Hell Snakes Loose" (C2Ch11)*
Talon Ackerman

A picture of Talon, provided by him and used with permission

## Activities with tabletopnotch

Talon first joined the table as a guest in the final chapters of ttn’s first campaign “A Peak Beneath the Veil”, portraying Rumik il-Vigo one of Graven’s lost brothers. He returned as Showmi Yagold for the “Those Old Yagolds” mini-campaign and is a full fledged cast member for ttn’s second campaign “Brunkhollow”, where he plays his character Illien Tyrun.

## Life beside the stream

When not on the show, Talon is an actor, gamer, and human just trying to make the world a better place one laugh at a time. While on a small hiatus, you can find him streaming mostly LoL and other games over on his twitch channel. And for updates on his life, you can visit his instagram.
Order of Degradation

## Description

The order in which non-divine magic (practiced magic) started to disappear from the world, which happened well before our story takes place; order from first to disappear to last:

* Warlocks (patron magic)
* Druids and Rangers (nature magic)
* Wizards (learned magic)
* Paladins (oath-driven magic)
* Sorcerers (innate magic)
The Meddling Gods

## World Influence

The Meddling Gods, unlike other deities, actively influence the material plane, either directly or through the actions of their clerics. To some, the will of the gods is divine and right, a blessing not to be questioned; to others, the tangible presence of divine intervention is a blight, machinations of those who would treat sentient life as playthings. Regardless, these deities vie for power and influence, ever hoping to shift the ever-tilting balance in their favor--including silencing those who would cut their reach into the material plane.
Those Old Yagolds

**Those Old Yagolds** is a mini campaign by tabletopnotch during the time between Campaign 1 and Campaign 2.

The series follows a handful of members from the infamous Yagold family as they infiltrate the abandoned Preeminent Combatant Challenge arena to steal the unclaimed gold prize.

Tabletopnotch recorded a Community-inspired theme song for the Those Old Yagolds mini-campaign: Youtube
Module:Episode
The mini campaign began streaming with Part I on August 6, 2023 and completed with Part IV on August 27, 2023.

## Player Characters

* **Cherall Yagold** - played by Jordan McDonough
* **Grabbyn Yagold** - played by Anthony Cascio
* **Showmi Yagold** - played by Talon Ackerman
* **Tossus Yagold** - played by Alex Marz
* **Bagfula Yagold** - played by Anthony Cascio
* **Wilkeep Yagold** - played by Deirdre Manning
* **Spendinn Yagold** - played by Steven Czajkowski
* **Licken Yagold** - played by Jordan McDonough
* **Holden Yagold** - played by Deirdre Manning
* **Latefa Yagold** - played by Talon Ackerman
* **Lemmy Yinvest-Yagold** - played by Steven Czajkowski
* **Dungeon Master** - Matthew Taylor

## List of Episodes

* Part I: Yagolden Retrievers
* Part II: Smash & Grabbyn
* Part III: Family Feudal
* Part IV: Shame & Fortune
Swing and a Misfortune

**Synopsis:**

In Chapter 32: Swing and a Misfortune, the party passed through the strange cabinet portal to find themselves at the foot of Josco's wondrous miniature castle.  We immediately knew that this wasn't going to be your typical royal visitation when canned voices and wooden cutouts greeted us at the gates.  Following trails of dried blood and broken objects (courtesy of our mutant friend), we passed through the gatehouse and into the bailey – where an elaborate scene of a marketplace had been assembled with more prop citizens and their repeating lines of dialogue.

While Erland continued to trace the path of destruction in the hopes of finding where Josco may have fled to – Beezaura, Orba and Graven wandered into a fairground where a mechanical joust had been arranged to crown a new "champion" of the castle.  It took a few more attempts than we'd like to admit, but Beezaura emerged victorious and we were rewarded with a passphrase that supposedly would grant us entry into the keep.

Before we explored that route, however, Graven encouraged us to reconnect with Erland and Safira – who had identified a broken façade at the base of the keep leading to a secret passageway underneath.  Convinced that time was not on their side, the two half-elves pressed forward with their investigation and followed the hallway to a hatch that deposited them into a labyrinthine library.  Sounds of an intruder could be heard echoing throughout the room, but despite the danger it presented there was a possibility it would lead us to Josco – so we carefully pursued the source of the noise.

Graven's desired reunion with the entire party proved more difficult to coordinate than he hoped, and soon it was all of us weaving through the bookshelves trying to get our bearings.  After accidentally drawing the creature's attention, we made a run for it in the opposite direction and discovered a door leading to a stone antechamber.  Barring the door so we could not be tracked, we deduced that the room contained a kind of puzzle: a delicate glass orb that needed to be placed on pedestals according to a pattern of colors.  The trick was that the castle's "guards" – a veritable army of wooden cutouts – would try to smack the orb out of our hands.

After one cracked orb we quickly got a handle on how to best approach the situation, and we carefully waited for the perfect moment for Graven to lift Erland onto one of the pedestals and complete the final sequence of the pattern.   Erland ran.  Erland jumped.  Graven braced.  Then… Erland stumbled.  Graven could not steady him.  Erland fell.  Erland tried to corral the orb.  But he could not, and the orb shattered against the ground.

In that moment, it seemed no more orbs remained, leaving no conceivable way forward.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: two natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 by John and 1 by Leah.
* This Chapter is tied with Chapter 24 for the highest number of nat 1s rolled in a single session during Season 1.
Smithy on West End

## Description

* Smithy in Brunkhollow
* Crenshaw (likely owner/lead smithy)

## Items Sold at **Smithy on West End**

* Dagger - 2G
* Yklwa (Upon request) - 15G
* Crenshaw's Thumpers - "few hundred" Gold for each hammer Mithril Thumper ("*Lighter, easier to swing, easier to hit your target*") Savage Thumper ("*...Deal a weighty blow ...Give you a good smack*") Weighty Thumper ("*Rattles the target... [Will] knock them loose*") Rigorous Thumper ("*Keep hitting the same target with the Rigorous Thumper, you'll punch right through that armor*")
* Armor Repairs - 10% of Armor Value
Q'usñi

## Description

* God of Light
* Symbol
* Manifestations: humanoid figure when in physical form, a searing heat, an imposing voice

## Clerics

* Graven il-Vigo
* Unnamed Half-Orc

## Religious Order

### Priesthood

Historically, Q'usñi maintains a single cleric whose sole purpose is to exert his will in the material plane. When one cleric passes on, another is called to take their place. Only recent events surrounding the travels of Graven il-Vigo are now causing ripples sufficient to disrupt this long-standing tradition, leaving two clerics to compete for a split reservoir of power in their wake. Time will tell which devotee will surpass the other and if Q'usñi shall burn the subdued to ash.

### Signs of Worship

* Branding fallen enemies with the symbol of Q'usñi, demonstrating his power over them
* Declaring fealty and taking credit when discussing the exploits of the Meddling Gods
* Felling monstrous beasts--see The Chimera
* Felling fey creatures aligned with darkness--darklings, darkhags, boggles

## References

1. ↑ "You Lonely Live Once" (C1S2Ch37). *A Peak Beneath the Veil*. 16 April 2023. Available (youtube).
Mine for the Taking

Thumbnail for Season 1 Chapter 30 featuring Chris

**Synopsis:**

In Chapter 30: Mine for the Taking, Safira detoured briefly to recover her missing backpack – which had attracted the attention of an owlbear wandering through the forest.  Not looking to pick a fight at this moment in time, Safira weighed her options – during which time the owlbear rummaged through her things, breaking a few items in the process.  Safira snuck over to a nearby wasps' nest and rolled it in the owlbear's direction – causing her to endure a few painful stings but ultimately proving successful in scaring off the animal, allowing her access to what remained of her belongings.

Riding quickly and following Jillian's markers in the Hills of Raventhorn, Safira caught back up with the party just as they were approaching the Helmi Ridge.  At first it seemed our guide, Wangami, had not yet arrived – but it turned out a bit of shapeshifting magic was keeping him hidden from any Black Lion barbarians that might be wandering by.

After some introductions we headed into the mine – walking our horses through the narrow corridors and using Graven's light spell to allow us to see in the darkness of these abandoned halls.  Wangami warned us there might be creatures lurking in the shadows, and while that proved to be true – his suggestions for how to avoid provoking these creatures seemed questionable at best, and we found ourselves fighting basilisks and firenewts at a time when we'd rather slip by unnoticed.

Tensions reached an all-time high when Safira stabbed Wangami in retaliation for what she perceived as intent to put us in harm's way, and Jillian drew her bow on Graven as he moved to intimidate the suspicious dwarf.  At this moment he confessed that he had ulterior motives for taking on this escort mission – that his parents had been kidnapped by Black Lions and the only way to see them released was to clear out these mines so they would be safe to use or settle in.

We told Wangami that one more misstep would cost him his life – but acknowledged privately that he was still the only one that knew the way through the mines, so we proceeded with caution (and the dwarf leading the way to bear the brunt of any surprise attacks).

He claimed that there were no more hostile monsters that he knew of, but there was one more potential roadblock: the shortest way to the exit meant passing by a small camp of bandits or travelers that he'd overheard in the days prior.  To avoid another altercation, we elected to send Graven in with Wangami disguised as a Giant Spider – hoping to scare them into vacating the premises.  The group was resistant, disclosing that they had discovered valuable Mithril veins in the mines, but Graven convinced them the threat of a Black Lion ambush was more than they could handle – and they agreed to pack their things and go.

We worked our way to the ventilation shafts, where our intended exit was already clear – a promising sign that Beezaura and Cyneberg had done their part in opening it from the outside.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: five natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by John, Jordan, and Riley, and 2 by Matt.
Nest-Kept Secrets

Thumbnail for Chapter 2 featuring Jordan

## Synopsis

### Official Recap

> "The volunteer scouts crossed over to the other side of the gully, where a cliff afforded them a convenient view of any oncoming clinkers. Complicating their assignment was the fact that several goblins had set up an independent mining site within a nearby cave, which could be connected to the satchel snatched earlier from the gricks.
>
>
> An eventful period was followed by the appearance of a wounded griffon flying home to roost - and if that wasn't bad enough, a troglodyte with its snarling pack of blink dogs was in hot pursuit. Initially, the group took a "not my problem" approach... but without vacating their vantage entirely, a clash was all but inevitable.
>
>
>
> The elevation proved to be a blade that cut both ways, for teammates and canines alike were sent tumbling down the hill, but in the end the threat was quashed - and in a roundabout manner, Morna received an invitation to see what the goblins had unearthed during their digging."
>
>

### Other Notable Events

* Mack-slap
	+ Deceased goblin who had the bone satchel
* Sloan-ding
	+ Allegedly the goblin at goblin camp who knows more about bones
* Clark-bark
	+ Goblin the group talked to about the bone, sent Mack-slap back to camp with bone to see Sloan-ding

## Trivia

* The first Notch & Soda post-stream discussion occurred directly following this chapter for twitch subscribers. This is available to *Top Notch* tier patrons on Patreon.
Paramount Lodgings

## Description

A stylishly patterned brick and stone first floor leads into a relatively spare lumber framing for the second and third storeys,and a basement used for housing the bathing facilities.

The main entrance is framed by a porch with typically open double doors leading inside.

* Hotel in Brunkhollow.
* Owner: Bassett Clemens - majority owner, sea elf
* Owner: Lamonte Warren - 4.5% owner - used to be 50/50, but Mr. Warren has a gambling problem
* Chef: Kenso - provide simple fare mostly potatoes.
* 3 story building
	+ 2nd Floor: Rooms 1-6
	+ 3rd Floor: Rooms 7-12
	+ Becomes progressively more utilitarian as you go up
	+ Basement has 6 baths, 3 to a side with privacy screens. Kenzo will bring hot water if requested.
* Simple kitchen, provides simple foods - potato skins
* Breakfast included in night's stay.
Yagolden Retrievers

Thumbnail for T.O.Y Pt I featuring Talon & Alex

## Description

* First episode of mini-campaign during the time between Campaign 1 and Campaign 2.
* Community-inspired Those Old Yagolds themesong: Youtube

## Trivia

* Natural one count: ten natural ones were rolled in this Part. 1 by Alex, 2 each by Anthony, Jordan and Matt, and 3 by Talon.
Skeeter

A drunkard, Skeeter was working at one of Bison's claims mining for mithril when someone at discovered the unknown statue which Skeeter described as bigger than a horse. Appearing simple-minded, though this maybe due to intoxication, he seems eager to live a simple life and finds satisfaction in working and relaxing outside of the eyes of the gods. He came to Brunkhollow to escape religious issues, and money weighs heavily on him. His favored drink is whisky, perhaps due to its cheapness in Brunkhollow.

He drinks to deal with what he has seen in the world, and was saddened to find that the loneliness he sought to escape was also in Brunkhollow.
Rare Books & Suspicious Looks

## **Synopsis:**

In Chapter 3: Rare Books & Suspicious Looks, we opened Willard's pack to find considerably less than the man had promised.  After some deliberation about what to do with the man's personal effects, we made our way back to the main road where the Fleet of the Broken crown had stepped up security measures due to Ankheg spottings in the area.

While prodding Willard for additional information, we got an idea of the extent of his debt to the Gentle Void, and though the mystery of what was hidden in his private journal was tempting to dig into – we took pity and sent him on his way without further interference.

Moving away from the blockade, Lieutenant Colonel Massif of the Broken Crown sought an audience with Safira – but having swapped cloaks with Erland she avoided his company.  Erland spoke to the Lieutenant Colonel in her stead, and Massif urged him to have Safira report to their command offices in Urin-Chupa.

Having reached the city proper, we took the time to sell some spare items for a bit of much-needed coinage before visiting the library near Chupa Hall.  With the Administrator away, tending to a disturbance in the district of Brickrock, we had no choice but to retreat to the Dancing Clam.

Though her name was listed in the inn's ledger, Jillian was nowhere to be found – and it seemed we had stalled out on our mission before the mysterious Robert Bastille confided in us as a frequent business partner of Jillian's.  He could not point us to her whereabouts, but claimed she was due to arrive within the next couple days – and having determined our affiliation to be sufficiently authentic, further bestowed upon us complimentary room keys and a pass to the inn's less reputable underbelly.

Before we could make a play for the basement, we answered a sudden call for help in the Brickrock Grotto where Administrator Fusard was overseeing an outbreak of dangerous creatures.  Seizing the opportunity, Erland offered aid in exchange for a library Proof of Esteem – which Fusard begrudgingly agreed to.

As the structured confines of the grotto turned to precarious tunnels, Graven and Orba used light and thaumaturgy to draw out their suspected foe – an Ankheg lurking in the depths.  Though Safira had a clear shot, her arrow did not find its prey – and with a menacing hiss the Ankheg turned to fight.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: two natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 by John and 1 by Leah.
* Despite Halflings having the *Lucky* racial trait in Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons (which allows them to reroll natural ones), Leah frequently forgot the feature.
True Colors Can't Hide

**Synopsis:**

In Chapter 23: True Colors Can't Hide, Beezaura and Graven had just retrieved their newly silvered armaments from the blacksmith when they spotted Sergeant Uriel leaving the Reservation Center.  After bidding his scribes good evening, Uriel slipped a note into a nearby shrub that Beezaura went to retrieve when the coast was clear.  The parchment contained the names of a few citizens whose standing rating was dangerously close to the 70% cutoff, but not wanting to get caught with information we weren't supposed to have, we burned the note and headed to the Wet Dock tavern.

Safira, on her way through town after catching up with Jillian, noticed a street-side gathering that featured the oft-discussed Quentin Fem – who had captured the attention of a number of locals to lament about the draconic Standing System.  After probing his intentions a bit, Safira backed off and headed south to meet back up with the rest of the party.

Erland and Orba, determining their imminent break-in to be too time-sensitive to push to tomorrow, made their way to the Natural Studies Institute – where a bit of Mage Hand trickery and careful timing got them past the guards and into the back stairwell leading up to the second floor labs.  There they found a haggard Marvyn Bishop trapped in a magic cage, and though he could only communicate through written phrases we learned that the "Lemonade Man" had been keeping him here to do some ominous research – and that it possibly tied into the transportation circles and glass contraptions we had seen in our travels.

With the sound of footsteps approaching, we took the only escape route available to us in Grahmari's abandoned office, which had now been converted to storage for organic matter that the Institute was experimenting with.  After snagging a few items of note, Orba's feather fall allowed us to jump safely from the window and escape the grounds mostly unnoticed.

While this was happening, Graven and Beezaura had been asking around about the other goliath they heard was a resident of Mukmu before the approach of midnight meant it was time to make for the cemetery.  They found Safira just outside the city gates, who had stumbled upon a strange encounter of her own when she saw local merchants handing out free lemonade to the children of Mukmu.  Yannick did not want to waste an opportunity to communicate with the dead, so we agreed to start the ritual with the hopes that our lagging companions might catch up before the attacks became overwhelming.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: one natural one was rolled in this Chapter, by John.
Those Old Yagolds in Lootbox Lair

Thumbnail for T.O.Y in Lootbox Lair featuring Matt

### Episode

**Lua error in Module:EpisodeInfo at line 77: Called Result.ok on a Result.Err.**

### Air date

2023-12-31 (Twitch)
2024-01-05 (Youtube)
2024-01-02 (Podcast)

### Players

Dungeon Master - Matt
Lickin Yagold - Jordan
Grabbyn Yagold - Anthony
Latefa Yagold - Talon
Holden Yagold - Deirdre
Lemmy Yinvest-Yagold - Steven

## Description

Rogue-like one-shot held at extended earlier timeslot on New Years Eve 2023
Merlye

## Description

A small town lacking in finery even compared to the burgeoning Brunkhollow found to the west, connected by the Civil Road, a rough carriageway with hard turns amongst and over the hills. The journey typically takes eight hours by coach, ascending the nearby mountain range before reaching the Brunkhollow valley.
Worldly Possessions

## **Synopsis**

In Chapter 71: Worldly Possessions, a strong showing of willpower from Erland kept the spirit from taking control of his body – but it didn't prevent a fight from breaking out, one that we quickly learned would put our strategic mind to the test.

After discovering that these ethereal beings were powerful enough to resist even silvered physical attacks, the burden was on our magic users to deal damage while the others ran distractions and sought to complete the mission by turning on the remaining Malice tanks.

A pair of ghastly reinforcements came in shortly after defeating the first, who in his dying breath mentioned an oath he had fulfilled – which seemed like a potential clue as to why they were disrupting the Steederway.  One of the new arrivals swooped in and possessed our ranger – but a compelled flurry of arrows were swept aside by the shield of Graven, who returned fire with a fearsome scorching ray that nearly knocked Safira to the ground.

When all other threats had been neutralized, Erland and Beezaura assisted Graven in shackling Safira's hands – believing that perhaps we could bring her above ground to the foreman as further evidence of what had transpired.  It seemed the ghost had no intention of leaving the tunnel, however, because before we crossed the threshold to the stairs it wriggled free and we were forced to destroy it – prompting another set of dying words: Give more than you take.  Take from those who refuse to give.

It was the memorial phrase of Melvin Hoggs – and before turning in the contract we thought we might learn more by visiting his daughter who still lived nearby on the outskirts of town.  Unfortunately, Llewelyn Hoggs seemed impervious to questioning – and while we got the sense she was holding something back, we didn't have any definitive proof she was lying, so we settled for having done what was asked of us and collected our reward.

At that point, it was finally time to tackle our individual needs in Navika-Pura – which for Graven and Beezaura meant traveling to the coast, and for the others meant heading west toward Na-Upa.  Before saying our goodbyes, there were just a few things to take care of – notably selling some goods to the eccentric pawn shop owner Keanu, and then to the Mailhouse where Erland had a letter waiting for him.

It wasn't the only correspondence that would come through during his errands, as a familiar blue glow signaled an incoming transmission through the pages of Grahmari's Giant Grimoire.  Marvyn Bishop (or whoever was traveling with Marvyn) informed us he was just a day away from Navika-Pura – and wanted to set a specific township as a meeting point.  Erland indicated Na-Upa and was further instructed to find a way to be easily identified, details that he chose not to share with the rest of his traveling companions.

With hugs and handshakes we departed, hoping that the Steederway would soon provide a faster means of transit – but agreeing that in either case we'd later meet back at the Inn at Na-Garwas to share what we'd learned.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: two natural ones were rolled in this Chapter, by Anthony.
The Best of Bad Situations

## **Synopsis:**

In Chapter 20: The Best of Bad Situations, Safira's absence signaled an opportunity for the rest of the group to move forward with their plan to steal the Myconid Camp map.  Things got off to a rocky start, however, when the elf Dal-Dun picked up on some questionable phrasing and Erland failed to convince some of the returning hunters that we could provide medical assistance (in an attempt to gain access to the tent where we believed the map to be located).  Fearing our window of opportunity was quickly closing, Jillian made a bold move and shoved one of the Rudhirans to make a scene and draw attention so Erland could root through the scout's belongings.  Teetering on the brink of a full-scale physical conflict, Graven talked the elves down on the basis of a misunderstanding – and we were able to vacate the camp with map in hand.

Giving ourselves an hour or so head start, we found a spot off the road to rest for the evening and pore over the specifics of the drawing.  Jillian seemed pleased with the level of detail, though she pointed out that their scouting mission was far from complete – some crucial elements were still missing, like the design of the interior, the number of people working the operation and who was in charge of distributing any Myconid products created there.

Reaching the point of exhaustion, we lay down to sleep – but it was hardly free of incidents as Orba was forced to shoo away an owlbear and Erland was visited by Dal-dun, who had tracked the party down after realizing what had been taken.  With the Rudhirans spread so thin, he had little interest in starting fights where he didn't need to, but he pressed Erland to make a promise to try and acquire the name of someone who trades in Myconid Extract so his meager forces could stand a chance as they attempted to find a new home.

Morning came and we continued north until a band of thugs barred our way – led by a mysterious woman who seemed to be accusing us of something.  But before we even had a chance to find out what we might have done, the woman used a seeming spell to disguise us as horrifying undead creatures, which caused the thugs to panic and attack.  With Jillian, Graven and Beezaura holding down the ruffians on the road, Erland and Orba sprinted after the mage who had taken off into the woods.  Using a spell to amplify her speed, it appeared that we were quickly losing ground – but just as her escape seemed imminent, Erland used one of the special powers he had learned from Blom to warp through a tree and track her down.

Believing that keeping the woman alive or interrogating her was too risky and time-consuming, Graven snapped her neck and we collected her belongings – which included a note that implied she had some connection to Myconid distributors in the area.  With that as our only clue, we made the final push to Mukmu's city walls – and Jillian directed us to the Lakeside Inn where we would be staying for the coming days as she prepared for our journey to the Chaki Mountains.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: three natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 2 by John and 1 by Jordan.