How The Lich Stole Christmas

**How The Lich Stole Christmas** is the 2022 Holiday Special episode of *Another Bad Side Quest*. The party are teleported to a tiny winter town under threat of a dark power just in time for the holiday spirit.

## How The Lich Stole Christmas

### **Pre Show Shenanigans**

* For our Christmas and Holiday special, expect a lot of rhymes in true Dr Seuss fashion, good and bad alike, so apologies in advance lol!

### **Summary**

As the party walked while it was dark and snowing..

*"Approaching the village on a cold winter night, expecting the rapture of holiday delight,*

*The buildings were covered by a fresh blanket of snow, but something was missing the spirit seemed low.*

*No children were playing, no lights had been hung, no trees decked with tinsel, no songs being sung,*

*The silence was Eerie, the mood was quite dire, the inn offered shelter, but no warmth by it's fire"*

They passed the sign naming the town as *"Whovale"* and headed to the one building they saw open, which was the tavern and once inside saw it was dire..

*"Inside the feeling was in no way improved, the patrons were quiet, barely anyone moved.*

*The group stepped to the bar and asked what's going on? The bartender frowned 'our joy is all gone.*

*The children have all been taken away, by a being most foul who loathes Christmas Day.'*

*He looked around the room and lowered his voice, 'a Lich has enslaved our girls and boys'."*

The bartender noted that with the kids taken by the Lich no one wanted to hang any lights, and also added they were taken four days ago in the middle of the night. Kaz asked if anyone had looked for them and the bartender said people followed the tracks to the snow and didn't come back, followed by another group, but when they saw the tracks were covered by snow had to come back. Quincy asked the directions of the tracks and the bartender said it was toward the mountain. Alaerith confirmed the group would do something about that and Yashani said they couldn't let them remained enslaved to a Lich.

Quincy noted they didn't remember where they were before, but were at least much colder now and the bartender explained they were in *Whovale*, which just had trees, snow and mountains around the town. The bartender then introduced himself as Tommy and after the group introduced themselves back. After serving some hot cocoa, eggnog and machine oil to the group Tommy noted he was trying to liven up the place as everyone else as down. Quincy asked what the place was usually like and Tommy happily stated it was full of life and people would be decorating at this point and running around, but without the kids no one had done anything. Kaz asked if the Lich had been around a long time or recently appeared and Tommy said there had been rumours of one in the mountains, which they thought were rumours, but now believed to be true. Yashani noted they shouldn't have ordered if they should go soon and RX asked if they could be put in travel mugs for them. As Tommy started to look for them..

*"The door flew open, in blew the cold, a young girl stepped in confident and bold.*

*'I escaped from the bad things! I know where they are! Inside the mountain! It isn't too far!'*

*Her parents embraced her, she was hugged and kissed, but the rest of the children were still being missed.*

*'Hello strangers'* (the girl said) '*you look quite brave, would you please help me rescue my friends from a cave?'"*

The group agreed and the girl roughly marked out the directions they needed to the cave on their request. RX asked why she stopped rhyming to the girl's confusion, before Quincy asked if there was anything he could offer to aid them, but when all he had was a whisk, the group left the tavern.

The party followed the girl's direction, through the town eventually to the gate to the snow covered path. As snow started to come down they managed to get through the covered path, with only Kaz and Yashani having some difficulty.

*"The trail up the mountain was cold, hard and steep, the snow from the storm was nearly knee-deep.*

*A sharp wind blew fiercely as the group trudged along, it seemed in the distance they could hear a song,*

*Something of snowmen and wanting to build them, but the ones that appeared were trying to kill them.*

*These snowmen were not Jolly, but appeared to be bad, to look in their eyes showed that they were indeed mad."*

At the sight of the four snowman, Quincy pulled out *Puncture* and fired on the nearest snowman while activating *Deeds : Covering Fire* to impede its next attack. Kaz positioned her fingers as finger guns to cast *Scorching Ray* at another one, while RX activated *Passus* and slashed into another one. Yashani pulled out *Umbra,* activated *World's Lifeforce* to impart fire energy into the staff and bludgeoned it's head away, but saw it continue to move regardless. Alaerith activated *Metamagic : Twinned Spell* to cast *Firebolt* at two of them, with only one hitting. The snowman moved to the closest members, with two slashing Yashani and Kaz, while the other two missed RX and Alaerith, who used his reaction to cast *Shield*.

Quincy cast *Witch Bolt* at one of the snowmen, while Kaz cast *Scorching Ray* at her one and had Boris attempted to attack it. RX shoved his one to the ground leaving it *Prone*, then proceeded to *Grapple* it on the ground. Yashani activated *Rage* and bludgeoned *Umbra* into her target..

*"Yashani goes for a glorious golf swing, hitting the snowman, melting the thing.*

*But inside stands a disgruntled villager, dazed and confused, his name is NOT Dillinger."*

and after realizing it was one of the missing search party asked who they were and, after learning his name was Clyde suggested he return to the village. As Clyde stumbled down and the party realized their need to be careful Alaerith cast *Firebolt* at his, revealing another villager within. The snowman *Grappled* by RX failed to slash him, while the other pelted snowballs at Quincy. Quincy continued to use *Witch Bolt* on the one, while Kaz cast *Fireball* on them leaving a very charred naked villager behind who quickly ran off. RX held the *Grappled* snowman as he activated *Psi-Powered Leap* to leap in the air and piledrive the remaining snowman and Yashani quickly finished them off with *Umbra*, freeing the remaining villager.

After sending the remaining villager back Quincy questioned why there was so much rhyming, but muttered it off as a hallucination when the party seemed confused. Yashani checked to make sure there were no more snowmen remaining, but also found a cave entrance around the bend with voices coming within and informed the others. Quincy asked how they planned to get the children down or if they were just going to lead them down, but decided to figured that out later and headed to the tunnel.

*"The tunnel led to a wide room in the cave...this was the spot where the kids were enslaved!*

*Kobold guards stood on duty, cursing the brats, their heads all adorned with red Christmas hats*

*The Kobolds were wielding small swords and long whips, and they barked out commands as loud Yelps and shrill yips.*

*Chained to wooden tables were the girls and boys forced to cobble together hideous toys."*

The party saw a geometric Christmas tree with lights adorned, six kobolds, three wearing robes and the others wielding shields and spears *(dragon shields)*, guarding the kids. As the party pondered on child labor laws and the strange place they found themselves in decided to kill the Kobolds. RX pointed out maybe they knew where they were, called for the Kobolds attention, asked in Draconic where they were and one said they were where the kids were kept, with their Lich master in the back. As the Kobolds became aware of the others RX noted they were there to kill them Quincy fire *Puncture* at one of them.

One kobold sorcerer cast *Scorching Ray* at Quincy, Yashani and missed RX. The second cast *Charm Person* on Yashani and Alaerith, with only Alaerith failing to resist it, while the third cast *Firebolt* on Kaz. Quincy fired *Puncture* twice at the sorcerer that attacked her leaving them bloodied. The dragon shields advanced on RX, Yashani and Quincy, but only managed to hit Quincy. Quincy moved to the bloodied sorcerer that attacked her, summoned her *Glaive* *of the War Priest* and easily decapitated them. RX headed to the dragon shields and berated them as he readied to dodge, while the *Charmed* Alaerith smiled and headed back outside the cave. Yashani bludgeoned the dragon shield near her twice with *Umbra* and soon had him on his knees.

One sorcerer failed to cast *Chromatic Orb* at Quincy, while the other burned them with acidic magic. Quincy returned fire with *Puncture* and quickly put them down. The dragon shields moved to Yashani, Kaz and RX and attacked the three of them. Kaz slashed the sorcerer who *Charmed* Alaerith out of the cave, but failed attempting to have Boris attack the dragons shield that attacked her. RX knelt down to the dragon shield that attacked him and *Grappled* it in a hug, before knocking it *Prone* on the ground. Meanwhile the still *Charmed* Alaerith, now at the entrance of the cave, broke into dance.

Yashani quickly bludgeoned the dragon shield near her till it was no longer moving, then headed to the remaining sorcerer and finished it off, breaking the charm from Alaerith. Quincy suggested to RX he could maybe have a pet if he tamed the *Grappled* kobold before she shot the remaining dragon shield. The dragon shield stabbed her back in reprise while the *Grappled* one stabbed at RX underneath him. Kaz moved to the free dragon shield and slashed it with her glaive and again failed attempting to attack it. RX attempted to make the *Grappled* dragon shield surrender while readying for it's attacks.

Alaerith, no longer *Charmed,* muttered about his lack of practise and confusion why he was dancing before returning into the cave and cast *Firebolt* on the dragon shield. Yashani activated *Hands of Healing* to heal Quincy, then bludgeoned the dragon shield till it was still as well. Quincy put *Puncture* away, headed to the kids, undid the chains, pulled out her rope and told the kids to hold onto it. The remaining dragon shield failed to attack RX. Kaz slashed the remaining dragon shield with her glaive, while RX smacked the spear out of it's hand and stomped on it. Alaerith looked to the inner door, noticed it had no handle and had lights above it, and after hearing no sounds from inside headed to help Quincy. Yashani headed to the dragon shield and with a last smack brought it to an end.

The party freed the remaining children, but they gave their fear of being taken again and pointed to the door..

*"A string of Bright Lights hangs next to the door, you must get inside and settle the score.*

*No handle or knob can be seen at all, there must be something about these lights on the wall.*

*Remove the wrong bulb, a young child yells, that's how you get in and it's where the Lich dwells."*

They decided to leave the children in the cave as they examined the lights and found the blue one to be strange. RX unscrewed the odd blue light and was shocked in the process, but..

*"The door slides wide open with a groan and a grind and unveiled a strange scene, unexpected to find..*

*in one corner stood a tall Christmas tree, decorated with horrors that would make most folks flee;*

*A stack of rat presents sat underneath, on the wall hung some bones in the shape of a wreath.*

*A slim figure stood there in red Christmas clothes, white fur on his collar and bells on his toes.*

*The Lich turned around with a glare and a grin, 'foolish mortals' he growled 'there's no way you can win!'*

*His green grin grew wider as his yellow eyes glowed, his fists were filled with fire about to explode.*

*He cackled like crazy, he giggled with glee, 'once I claim your souls you'll never be free'.*

*The tree tipped and knocked over the gifts that were stacked, as the bells on him jingled and the Lich then attacked!"*

At his declaration RX quickly activated *Second Wind* to heal, while Quincy cast *Mage Armor* on themself before iniative began. At the top of the order Quincy cast *Bless* on everyone, then activated *Deeds : Bite the Bullet* to heal. The Lich cackled before failing to cast *Time Stop*, as Alaerith used his reaction to cast *Counterspell* and negate the magic, then moved to the back of the room. Kaz put distance between the group and pointed out the Lich's poor choice of clothes before failing to cast *Accursed Act* on him, then had Boris bite him. RX ran towards the Lich, as the nearby Christmas tree (*a Treant)* used it's reaction to strike him, activated *Passus*, but missed in his attempt to slash him.

As the Christmas Treant proceeded to bludgeon RX, Alaerith failed to cast *Lightning Bolt* on both foes, as the Lich used his reaction to cast *Counterspell* and negate his magic in return. Yashani ran to the Christmas Treant and bludgeoned it with *Umbra* while activating Bloody Smite to empower one of her strikes. Quincy cast *Hex* on the Christmas Treant to affect it's strength, then activated *Deeds : Bite the Bullet* to heal again. The Lich failed to cast *Cone of Cold,* as Alaerith used his reaction to cast *Counterspell* and negate his magic again*,* then stabbed RX with his dagger. Kaz cast *Scorching Ray* at the Christmas Treant, burning it with two of her three rays and setting it alight, then had Boris bite the Lich. RX grabbed the Lich leaving him *Grappled* in his arms, activated *Second Wind* to heal, then activated *Action Surge,* slammed him to the ground, leaving him *Prone* and headbutted him.

As the burning Christmas Treant pulled RX away from the Lich Alaerith failed cast *Firebolt* on it and after activating *Metamagic : Quickened Spell* failed to cast it again. Yashani skirted around the burning tree to get to the *Prone* Lich and bludgeoned them with Umbra, which also knocked off their mask revealing a person underneath, and Yashani exclaimed they were no Lich before hitting their face. The Lich explained they were making toys to beat Santa as Quincy loaded an *Accursed Act* bullet in *Puncture* and fired them at the unmasked Archmage, which he resisted, then fired again while activating Sharpshooter to enhance her shot and tried to get closer. The Archmage cast *Teleport* to flee, in spite of Kaz using her reaction to fail casting *Counterspell*, and vanished from the room. With the Archmage gone Kaz cast *Scorching Ray* at the Christmas Treant, followed by RX who poked it with *Passus* causing to crumble to ash.

As Alaerith checked on the kids who were cheering for joy, RX examined the mask, found it was made of paper and strapped it to his head. The group pondered about the rhyming before returning to the kids, escorted them to the inn and were treated as heroes as the parents hugged their returned kids. The town celebrated as they passed out cookies, decorated the town, passed out drinks and sung. They also had a grand feast and RX, as the one who stopped the Christmas Treant, was gifted a snow globe. RX looked inside it and saw a miniature setting of *Whovale* and shook it causing it to snow around it. Tommy thanked the group and when Yashani commented they should be careful of leaving the kids unattended Tommy noted they were taken out of their beds. The group suggested defences, physical and magical, before Yashani revealed the Lich was just a guy, while RX noted he did have powerful magic to Tommy's surprise. They also noted he wanted to rival someone called Santa, but Tommy showed no knowledge of that name at all. Alaerith cast *Disguise Self* to take the mage's actual form to check if he knew the face and, after Tommy confirmed he didn't dropped it. The group pondered on whether they should leave or stay for hot cocoa and the group decided to stay. RX questioned that they were supposed to be fighting someone, like a group of them, like they were in a different plane of existence.

As the group conversed, with everything began to slowly darken till it faded to black, RX woke up back in *Leon’s House*, the inn in the *Plane of Fire*, the night before they were to head to the salamander tunnel. RX pondered on what he just saw and if it was real or not, like an alternate life, before happily realising he had just had his very first dream.