Ep. 4 - Tuning Up, Mvt. III

The bards are in a pickle this time! How will they manage getting out of the basement and what could be the next assignment they receive? This episodes got some real low end to it, so buckle up!

## Plot

The bards, having just defeated Wesley and his Ettercap are left in the basement/cave, needing to find a way out. Raz’ul and Randy notice a section of rock that looks different on the right wall of the cave. While textured it does not appear 3D. The two investigate this part of the wall which is a shower curtain with a rock wall print, with a spiral staircase behind it.

Caught off guard by the magic they’ve just cast, make they’re way up the stairwell with Randy in the lead. The room they arrive in is filled with cages, loose gears, a table, and a bin that smells “putrid”. Randy uses *Mage Hand* to investigate the bin and finds several discarded limbs from various creatures and other spiders. At the end of the hall is a door to another room, in this room there are no tools but instead three Mannequins.

Yashee notices a piece of black cloth on the workbench. The black cloth unfolds from a handkerchief to a large 6ft wide, 10ft deep black pit. Inside are books, a parchment container, and a jewelry box, and tinker tools. Yashee jumps into the pit to investigate these items, opening up the jewelry box after the parchment container turns out to be empty. In the jewelry Box Yashee finds a pendant. On the pendant is an unfamiliar symbol: image of a red hand clutching a black pearl, on a field of onyx. Yashee throws the pendant up to the boys, which is caught by Randy while Raz’ul slips and falls on the ground. Luckily Raz’ul catches the books next, one book is an anatomy book of humanoids, and the other is a book about simple machine constructs (golems).

Yashee comments that Wesley was “into some weird stuff” and plays with the tinker tools. Above her Randy and Raz’ul, with the intention of playing a practical joke, begin to fold up the cloth while staying out of view of Yashee. Yashee begins to panic and due to still being in shock from the incident with Wesley ends up developing claustrophobia from the incident. After unfolding the cloth Randy and Raz’ul find Yashee on the ground holding her knees. Randy folds up the portable whole and adds it to his inventory.

The group finds nothing of note in the rest of the hovel, but the horse and cart are still left outside. The three hop inside and head back to see Splash. Raz’ul tries to transform into a horse but transforms into a black bear instead. Going for a second attempt, Raz’ul then transforms into a mule and helps pull the cart.

As the three emerge from Silkgrove they find a clear night littered with stars, with the two moons hanging in the sky. They hear a sound similar to a violent rocket in the air. Turning around they notice a meteorite streaking across the sky heading south over the horizon. A few minutes pass and they feel a slight tremor shake the land.

As our bards walk home Raz’ul brings up the issue of making a name for their group and suggests Chaos Sauce. As an ode to both how chaotic they’re adventure has been, the random nature of d&d, and each of their alignments (Chaotic Good, Neutral, and Evil).

The three arrive back at Strumlotts just as dawn is breaking, greeted by an intercom asking them to report to the Headmistress’s office. They meet Headmistress Alola in her office (while she is in the process of scolding Symbol), and she asks Chaos Sauce to tell her what happens. As Raz’ul begins to explain, Alola interrupts and tells them to regale the tale properly in song form.

Alola than continues to scold Symbol, who responds with a jab. Alola yells again, warning against teaching ensemble magic too soon, and asks a shocked Symbol to leave. Alola reveals she could see the image of what they did while they played, asking Chaos Sauce to show discretion when discussing music with other students.

Alola then asks Chaos Sauce what they hope to get out of Strumlotts. Yashee responds that she wants to get “good at more than one skill”, saying that being raised as a fighting barbarian just wanted to prove to her family that she could be multitalented. Alola comments that Yashee’s last name sounds familiar.

Raz’ul answers that he wanted to make an axe that could sing like Usumptin and help his clan back in the mountains. He comments that he took the axe “on loan”. Alola asks if she will have “anyone knocking on her door” looking for Usumptin, Raz’ul tries to lie saying No but fails. Alola makes no comment and just nods.

Randy answers that for safety reasons he can’t say a lot, but it was not his intended path to become a rouge. He wants to honor his family and possibly avenge his past and recover his original destiny (music) that was stolen from him.

Alola then sends the group to their dorm.

## Song - "Randy, Raz'ul and I"

### Chord dice

* C as given
* A minor
* F (times 2)
* D minor

### Drums

* Bank 1: 54 - blues 9
* Kit: 32 - Jazz 01

### Lyrics

<poem> **Well Randy, Ra’zul, and I set out for Lakeridge. (yes we did)*
And what we found was Bradward’s Bowl. (the old punch bowl)
We fought the Trio of Chairs down in the basement. (and broke the rules)
I threw a pig and made a goal. (piggy pig)*

*Then Wesley came along, and said he liked our song,
And we rode out for Silkgrove in the morn.
He cut us off some string, from his spider’s booty seam,
And that’s when Chaos Sauce was born.*

*Well Randy, Ra’zul, and I killed us some spiders. (eight-legged freaks)
Dodging traps up around the bend. (CCR)
Wesley reappeared and made us an offer. (lock us up)
When we refused he called his friend. (ettercap)*

*Faced with a deadly foe, our instrument aglow,
We rocked out a fatal jam.
The ettercap was caught,
Mashed up and burned a lot.
And Wesley ran away.<poem>*