Episode 7: On to Armaster

Ridley trying to prove something.

The party wakes. Kika looks for Faelan to give her the bandit map, but she is not in the druid encampment. The party leaves the hut to search for her. Fan and Ridley ask around in the streets, while Kika tracks Faelan's scent with Bose.

Kika finds Faelan sleeping with one of the Gladeston council members, **Uru**, the dark-skinned human female with light tattoos. She gives her the map, and informs her the party is leaving. Faelan is horrified at Kika's lack of boundaries.

The party once again leaves Gladeston, taking the mountain route again. The party reclaims their wagon where they left it. A giant rat is happily devouring some of their rations. Bose chases it away. The path is uneventful apart from a rock slide as they enter the cold, rocky mountain range and traverse a path along the side of a steep incline. The party clears the rocks and enters a tunnel, apparently an old and abandoned mining location, complete with carts, rails and discarded tools.

The party hears voices as they carefully proceed through the tunnel with their horses and cart. It's **Hunter**, the hobgoblin (one-eyed thanks to Kika) they met in the hobgoblin cave where they faced the Air Elemental, and two of his colleagues. The situation seems tense until Ridley proposes the two groups eat and rest together, which they do. Hunter discovers apples and converts to Bahamutism after a talk from Fan about the evil of Tiamat. The two groups (sans Kika) play charades and Fantasy Monopoly. Ridley draws a picture of Milla in his sketchbook. Everyone has a good time except Kika and an equally grumpy hobgoblin, Garret.

After a short rest, the parties are attacked by a black ooze creature. The hobgoblins escort Milla, the horses and the party's wagon to safety while Fan, Kika and Ridley combat the creature. They toss giant rat legs – the hobgoblins' meal – at it to distract it. It works, for a while. Fan's armor and warhammer are damaged by the ooze's corrosive quality. The ooze eventually flees when it becomes clear it's in danger.

The party returns to the entrance to the tunnel to give the all clear to the hobgoblins. The hobgoblins decide they don't want to hang around in the tunnel in case there's more oozes, and Ridley and Fan suggest they go help out the townsfolk in Gladeston, like Bahamut would want. Ridley writes a letter of endorsement for the hobgoblins.

Ridley realizes he left his sketchbook at the campfire in the tunnel. Kika races him to find it. Kika finds the sketchbook, tells him “it's good,” and hands it back. Ridley sulks.

The tension between Kika and Ridley escalates when she offers him leather armor and he refuses it, complaining it's “tacky.” After a bit of teasing from Kika, he puts it on. When the party leaves the tunnel on the other side, they find themselves at a fork in the road; left is the capital, Oratia, and right is Armaster, their original destination. They discuss going to the capital to repair Fan's armor and hammer, and buy some armor for Milla, but Ridley reassures them that Armaster is known for its metalworking and they will be able to find equivalent items there.

Ridley and Kika bicker again, and Ridley puts mud on his face in an attempt to prove he doesn't care about his appearance. When Kika partially accepts this proof, he quickly cleans it off.

The party descends the mountainside along a gentle misty slope, and eventually arrives at Armaster, a large, walled town in the plains, a mile from the forest line. A town of industry, Armaster is bustling and noisy. Fan inquires about a blacksmith to repair her armor, and Ridley suggests Blevins Smithy, his family's go-to blacksmith when they are traveling in this area.

As they make their way to the smithy, they notice flyers for a local tournament, the **Ring of Ruin**, and its 5000gp prize. They also notice “missing” posters for Ridley Elderstone with a reward of 50,000gp, distributed by his aunt **Melba**, whose name he groans at the sight of. Ridley puts up his hood to hide his identity. There are posters for weapons created by brands Goldways and Firetronics. Finally, they see some missing persons flyers, specifically for Romilda Burton, a Ring of Ruin contender who went missing. Kika rips all the Ridley posters off the walls and pockets them.

At the blacksmith, the party encounters the blacksmith's son, **Arend**, who assumes by their appearance that they are there about his flyers in search of teammates for the tournament. Ridley waits outside as the blacksmith knows his likeness. Fan corrects Arend and asks his father, **Baltazar**, about repairing her items. He tells her he will do what he can, and she leaves her items with him. Milla commissions parts for her new weapon. The party inquires about a place to stay, and they are referred to the **Ticklish Spider** tavern.

The party proceeds to the Ticklish Spider and Fan gets a room for them under the name “Goof Troop.” The tavern seems busy and there is only one room available due to the tournament. When the subject of who will sleep in the single bed - as opposed to a camping mat - comes up, Ridley says "ladies first." Kika scoffs and begins to talk about all the uncomfortable places she has slept without an issue, and Ridley clarifies: "I said *ladies*. Milla, would you like to take the bed?" Milla is surprised but refuses the offer, stating that someone taller should take the full-size bed to waste less space. Fan, exhausted and impatient, says *"I'll take the damn bed,"* and collapses into it. The party takes a long rest.