Episode 314 - Welcome to Vacation Island

The gang finally catches a break! Are they in hell? Sure. Do they have a bungalow with HDTV and a lazy river that follows directly to the pool bar? YES! It seems like this all tracks, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

## **Story**

### Long Story

A beautiful beach, delicious food, good company. What more could the Tower of Grey ask for on their corporate retreat? As they walk down the beach, they see an exact replica of the Pelor's Hope Ferrim Pecunia, but here somehow. Everyone is nervous about what could possibly be going on, so Toby casts *Detect Magic*. He detects nothing, Jon Snow. Together, the party ducks behind a garbage truck to hide, and Skud tests his bone magic. It works, he can create his skeleton friends. He decides to put them back, however. Not knowing what else to do, they retire to the bungalow for the night, where, adorning theirn pillows are Fantasy Andes Mints! Toby summons Arlington as an octopus for some reason, and Lahni and Rowan head back out for a mixer that's being held (and also to do some recon.

The mixer turns out to be a pretty fun event, where Lahni and Rowan meet again with Steven and Azazel, before those people head to bed. They also meet three of Becky Uumellma's cousins, Grecky, Vecky, and Stecky, an unusual group. Mostly, all they find out is that no one really knows anything about that Idris Elba dude from last episode, other than his name, Ceth Lucid, and that he's a hunk. They also learn that there are no living being working at the resort, only constructs. And that sometimes, people do so well at their loyalty program, that they will be sent on a special kind of vacation, that no one ever returns from. The two ladies return to the bungalow, report on their findings, and everyone goes to bed. Lahni keeps watch, though the night passes uneventfully.

The next morning, after breakfast, the Plus Ones are led off to a secondary bungalow. This includes Frank, Rowan, and Bercy Hamhands, who, rest assured, is around. Skud, Toby, and Lahni, along with the rest of the employees are led to the bank, which, again, looks just like the one from Pelor's Hope. Strangely, it seems to be an operational business. Clients are inside, doing business, it seems. Anyway, the employees are taken upstairs (out of range of Toby's magic), and led into a large conference room. Inside is a large table, covered in red buttons, one for each employee. They are made to sit in front of the buttons, and then Ceth's voice booms out.

He tells them that their first task is simple, just to press the button in front of them as soon as it lights up. Steven's button does after a second, and he presses it. A bell rings. Lahni hears a distant, far-off scream. Azazel's button also lights up. He, too, pushes it. Another bell, and this time, Skud hears a distant, far-off scream. Soon, Lahni's button lights up. She does not push it. Azazel and Steven tell her she should, and the button starts to blink. Faster and faster. Toby moves away from Lahni, he casts *Silent Image*, creating a see-through blockade between the button and the Lahni. The button is flashing violently, but then it stops... A failure chime rings. After Ceth's voice says "Aw, that's too bad," Skud gets hit with some psychic damage...

### Short

The party does some investigating, but doesn't come up with much. Ceth Lucid seems to be running this show, and has something probably sinister in mind. Lahni and Rowan meet up with Becky's cousins, and then the next morning, Skud, Toby, and Lahni are taken to their loyalty session, while Rowan, Frank, and Bercy go to the spa. At the bank, the employees are made to press buttons that cause some kind of screaming in the distance. Steven and Azazel press their buttons, but Lahni refuses, resulting in Skud getting hurt.

## **Trivia**

* Idris Elba's name was Ceth Lucid
* This corporate retreat situation seems to be a new thing, according to Azazel
* The Uumellma family is weirdly from all over the place. Grecky is from Fairmire, Vecky is from the Swamps of Ichtaka, and Stecky is from Drunkeros Madagascar
	+ Grecky lost the ability to smell in accident when she was 8 years old. She was kicked in the head by a horse. So now she hates horses
		- I am perplexed as to why we know so much about the Uumellma's

## **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 - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Frank Ubell
* Steven
* Steven Alena
* Azazel
* Burt
* Grecky, Vecky, and Stecky
* Ceth Lucid

### **Locations**

* A beach in The Nine Hells (I'm assuming)
	+ Ferrim Pecunia

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop Tiamat!
* [Active] - Destroy The Orb!
	+ [On-Hold] - Find the first missing piece
		- [On-Hold] - Investigate the City of Brass
			* [On-Hold] - Go to The Elemental Plane of Fire
	+ [Active] - Find the second missing piece
		- [Active] - Investigate the Ferrim Pecunia of the Nine Hells
	+ [On-Hold] - Find the third missing piece
		- [On-Hold] - Investigate the final location
* [On-Hold] - Find Adira Harper
* [Backburner] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On-Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Active] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies
* [Active][Jaeludra + Steve] - Save Deephome from The Army of Tiamat

### **Quotes**

**"I was like, 'I'm gonna miss ice', and like, here we are..."** ~ *Azazel*

**"If my family were alive, I'd take you to meet 'em!"** ~ *Lahni*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Tim - 13
	+ Jennifer - 14
	+ **Nika - 19**
	+ Bachmann - 10