328: The 78 Exotic Grasses of Beartoggle

## Summary

Juliette screeches *"I better not see you again!"* and vanishes with an ear-splitting crack. The party tend to Sin's body and make their way back inside the inn where they regroup with everyone who's been safely hiding out in there. It seems that they'll only endanger everyone at the inn if they stay any longer, so while the night wears on, they make plans for getting into Gully's End undetected.

## Synopsis

Sin's limp and lifeless body lies on the ground, his face ashen. As he *Flies* up level with the cackling Juliette Rusher, Will *Messages* Batthwack, *"I've never seen that spell before. Do you think she can do it again? Or should we attack her right now?"* Batthwack doesn't know what happened and thinks they should probably make a tactical withdrawal. Raphina casts *Suggestion* on Juliette, and her cackling stops for a moment as she resists it. She turns and glares at each of them. *"I better not see you again!"* she screeches, before vanishing with an ear-splitting crack.

Rosco, still in the form of a flying monkey, hovers over the spot where Juliette used to be before landing and transforming back into his human form. He rushes to Sin's body and casts *Balm of the Summer Court*, placing one hand on Sin's face and the other on the grass beside him. Lavender-coloured swirls of energy flow out of his fingers, but the spell seems to have no effect. Rosco checks for vital signs. He's dead. As the rain starts to pour again, Rosco sends Oscar into the inn to collect the owlbear pelt. Raphina looks around for Sin's horse, Lachrymose. Will lands beside them and takes the turtle of out his pocket. He ends the *Polymorph* spell and the horse reappears. It goes over and starts nudging at Sin's lifeless body.

Raphina recalls that they still have the diamond component for her *Raise Dead* spell, but she needs time to prepare it. Will would rather they save the diamond in case he or someone else in the party gets killed when Juliette inevitably comes back and kicks their asses. Raphina casts *Speak with Animals* and she hears Lachrymose's whinnying turn to sobbing. The horse tells her they were headed to Beartoggle but it doesn't understand when she asks about reviving its master. It can't give any information about Juliette either, saying it's never seen her before.

Oscar reappears with the owlbear pelt and they lay it over Sin's body. Rosco tries to make sense of what's happening, asking Batthwack, *"So this is another dimensional thing? There's some other version of you who is a king... Or was a king? And she seems to have it out for him."* Will thinks back to their plan to sneak Raphina into Beartoggle, wondering if they can disguise Batthwack before heading into Gully's End. He points out how weird it is that Batthwack is now known locally as a half-orc, but Juliette wasn't fazed by the fact that Batthwack is a dragonborn. Is Zantras feeding her information on the party?

They go in out of the rain, Batthwack carrying Sin's body. Lachrymose follows, settling under an overhang outside the front of the inn. Steed waits there with them. As they enter, Sheemie emerges timidly from a door behind the bar, wondering if it's safe now to emerge. Captain Clockface, Ogga and the family have all been hiding back there. They file out and the party does their best to put on a brave face, Rosco suggesting that everyone get some rest. Batthwack says that it would be best if the group move on in the morning, so as to avoid putting these people in any more danger.

   The group discuss where they might go next. Will's keen to learn if there are any less conspicuous ways to enter Gully's End. Batthwack and Raphina both suggest going down river or approaching by sea. Rosco recalls that the road to Shuncer, which is across the border in Gully's End, has more natural cover in the form of some forested areas. He also suggests they could more openly head towards Trent, which is in the opposite direction, and once there, switch direction and head to Gully's End over water.

While the group are discussing plans, Will talks secretly to Bernard. He's not content to just hope things will work out happily by themselves, and has an idea for how they can be more pro-active. *"If we can get Zantras to make a deal with us... It doesn't have to be us, but then that takes Zantras out of the equation. What she wants is whatever Zantras has. If we can get Zantras to..."* *"...Replace her with somebody we have control over?"* replies Bernard. He wonders how they'd find Zantras, but Will is convinced that the dark powers are watching them all the time, which Bernard just puts down to Will's typical paranoia. He thinks Will should share this plan with Batthwack, but Will's not keen on that; would the temptation to make another deal himself be too strong for the dragonborn?

## Quotes

* Adam: *"Purple is the lavender of pinks."*

## Trivia

* The episode title is a quote from Eric. The party are thinking about settling down for the night. Batthwack's says, *"I also think we should leave in the morning. I think we're just going to bring disaster with us from here on out."* Raphina: *"But I got us the bus tour tickets! Oh well..."* Will: *"The bus tour of what, Raphina?"* KT: *"Does she put a mini bus in the terrarium? Ooh it's a tour of Tivoli!"* Eric: *"The 78 exotic grasses of Beartoggle."* Abby: *"It's gonna be a tour of the sewers of Shuncer."*

## Recap Song

*Main article: The Music of Pork Fried Dice*
This episode featured Eric (yes, Eric!) doing a recap to the tune of *Everybody (Backstreet's Back)* by Backstreet Boys:

*[Intro]*

Everybody now, yeah

Rock your recap now, yeah

Everybody, yeah

Rock your recap right

Eric's back, alright!

Alright!

*[Verse 1]*

In the barn there's a horse and Sin

Friends and foes, everybody slayin'

Gunna sling the cummerbund at the scare craw

Raphina banished that guy, nat 20 now

*[Pre-Chorus]*

Am I am imbecile? Yeah

Am I Napoleon? No

Am I ineffectual? Yeah

Will Batthwack now summon Steed

You better Dock Dock Caboose now

*[Chorus]*

Everbody yeah, yeah

Rock your recap now, yeah

Everybody, yeah

Rock your recap right

Sluglord's back, alright!

Alright?

*[Verse 2]*

Now throw your plant axe away from you

Now Misty Step over, cleave that straw man in two

And if you see those orbs, let me hear you yell

Different shades of void goin' on again

*[Pre-Chorus]*

Am I Lachrymose? Yeah

Am I a turtle now? Yeah

Am I in Will's pocket? Yeah

Is that laughter you're hearing?

You'd better leave the stable now

*[Chorus]*

Disembodied yeah, laugh

Are you ready now? No

There's somebody now

Flying through the night

Juliette's here, alright!

Let's fight!

*[Verse 3]*

Rusher's 45 feet in the air

Don't enter her realm, no don't you dare

Will casts True Strike knows she's full of dismay

Gully's End is 'Thwack's home, no you won't keep him away

*[Chorus]*

Rusher's moody now, yeah

Rosco gets Rudy now, yeah

Her magic's spooky now

Juliette shoots dark light

Power word KILL!

Everyone now, yeah

Recap's done now, yeah

Not enough puns now

Mock your DM right

Eric's back, alright!

*Word...*

## Gallery

*Main article: The Art of Pork Fried Dice*

## References

1. ↑ Rosco bought the owlbear pelt from Sin just before the scarecrow invasion. See episode 319: Sir, Your Horse Is Out of Tune
2. ↑ Both Raphina and Batthwack can cast *Revivify*, a spell that can bring someone back to life, but it has to be cast within a minute of death. Raphina cast it on Captain Clockface in episode 221: These People Deserve to Be Roasted in Their Beds! and Batthwack on Selenia in episode 224: Pork Fried Dice: A Pay-To-Play Game. The *Raise Dead* spell can be used up to 10 days from death.
3. ↑ See episode 320: Me Did Not Write That