C2 E57

Suppose we should have assumed that the Abbott was going to be a weird little guy, but this feels like the weirdlest littlest guy yet. Unsure how to even describe him but that doesn’t matter as long as he can help J’Michael!

## **Story**

### Long Story

Oh No! A large Flumph has just appeared before the party! Surely this is going to be a bad time, right? Actually, no. It's a friendly Flumph! A voice in their heads greets them cordially. He communicates psychically, and after a bit of back and forth, the party learns that this, the Flumph, is The Abbott! The very one they've come here to talk to! Neat!

The Abbott is a bit paranoid. He suspects that the party is here to harvest his "sweet meats". Apparently, the different parts of his body are valuable, and highly sought after by magic users. After the party stresses that they are, in fact, NOT here for his meats, the Abbott agrees to help them. Unfortunately, he's unable to infiltrate the boggy mire that is J'Michael's mind. It's just too fucked up in there. He will be able to properly penetrate his brain, IF he had the right resources. Namely, the hypothalamus of a creature known as a "Brain Collector". That's the bad news. The good news is that there is a Brain Collector nearby. It's here (The Abbott thinks) specifically because it detected The Abbott's psychic brain waves. It's probably here hunting him. Remember the valuable glands and other body parts of The Abbott? Yeah, the Brain Collector is after those.

The Abbott marks on their map where the Brain Collector can be found, and also uses his psychic powers to help them track and find the creature. He also stresses to them NOT to go to The Boneyards, much to R'Oarc's disdain. He says the only thing they'll find there is bones, not realizing that this isn't a proper deterrent for this group. The party decides to leave J'Michael and Gertie behind, as they aren't going to be doing much good against a creature such as this.

And with that, the party departs. Departy departs, I should have said. They travel south for a few hours, with T'Chuck successfully finding some brain doo-doo. Congrats? I guess? It's still fresh, so they're on the right track. Soon, a psychic buzzing in their brains tells them they are close. The party prepares for a fight. Screech and Milton Graves (still in the Beholder-doodle costume) manage to hide in the shadows. T'Chuck casts *Spirit Guardian* and also grants *Emboldening Bond* to everyone. R'Oarc gives *Bardic Inspiration* to T'Chuck. There's a long discussion about positioning, and where everyone moves, so they're all in position. I don't think it's 100% necessary to describe every detail of it.

Soon, the Brain Collector appears before them. It appears to be a large mobile brain, with additional brains clinging to its back. A brief but mighty battle is fought. Heroes are made. Brains are popped like pimples. Much like the Bulette from a few episodes ago, it is finished off by Selene. After carving out the needed hypothalamus from the creature's corpse, the party also searches for other glands and various valuable viscera. They collect about 200 gp worth of an unknown "silky smooth, highly valuable substance".

### Short

The Flumph reveals himself to be the Abbott, so that's good news! He can't help J'Michael, though. Not without the hypothalamus of a nearby Brain Collector. This proves to be an easy task, as the group is able to hunt down the Brain Collector, kill it, and harvest the needed hypothalamus. They also are able to collect some "silky smooth, highly valuable substance".

## **Trivia**

* Day 17 of the campaign.
* The Abbott's body can be harvested for various purposes. His brains, for example, can, when powdered, be used to craft levitation potions. His tentacles can be harvested for Oils of Acid Resistance. The general meat of his body is very delicious. And he has one gland that's very stinky, and not delicious. But, it's still incredibly valuable.
* The Abbott's diet consists of mushrooms.
* Screech's parents are Blast and Toot Echo, as we all know. Blast is his mother, and Toot is his father. This makes them Lord Toot and Lady Blast.
* The Brain Collector is a creature known as a "Neh-thalggu".

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - T'Chuck
* Jennifer Cheek - Selene von Esper
* Nika Howard - R'Oarc
* Mike Bachmann - Screech Echo / Beholder-doodle (Milton Graves)

### **Non-Player Characters**

* The Abbott
* J'Michael
* Gertie

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- The tunnels below the mountain
			* The Cloisters

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Restore Mineford to it's true potential
	+ [On-Hold] - Find and kill the Drider in the tunnels
* [Active] - Restore J'Michael to his true potential
	+ [Complete] - ~~Find The Abbott in The Cloister~~
		- [Complete] - ~~Convince The Abbott to cure J'Michael, somehow~~
	+ [NEW][Complete] - ~~Collect the hypothalamus of a Brain Collector~~
		- [NEW][Complete] - ~~Find and kill the Brain Collector~~
	+ [NEW][Active] - Return the hypothalamus to The Abbott

### **Quotes**

* **"In my mind, they're like, little brain shaped doo-doos."** ~ *Jennifer Cheek*

* **"The best way to think about nothing is to try to remember the names of any of your wards."** ~ *Screech Echo, or Mike Bachmann. Hard to say...*

* **"That will save us upwards of 13 inches. From the ground, and I do mean that explicitly. This time, for real."** ~ *Tim Lanning*

## **Rolls**

* **T'Chuck** rolls *Insight* on the Abbott, to see if he's being truthful - 14
	+ He's not sure.

* **Selene** also rolls *Insight* on the Abbott, to see what his friggin' deal is, man - 15
	+ She thinks he's on the level.

* **Screech** rolls *Insight* on Gertie, to see if she's cool with staying with the Abbott - 19
	+ She doesn't want to go to the Brain Collector, so I guess she's cool with it.

* **T'Chuck** rolls *Survival* to hunt for the Brain Collector (with Advantage) - 20
	+ They find the trail.

* Some of them roll *History* or *Nature* to see what they know about the Brain Collector
	+ **Screech** - 13
		- I think he doesn't know. It's not clarified.
	+ **Beholder-doodle** - 5
		- He doesn't know
	+ **Selene** - 6
		- She thinks it's a different type of creature
	+ **R'Oarc** - 16
		- She's heard of them, and they are known to grapple people and pop their skulls open to devour their brains.

* **Screech** rolls *Stealth* to be stealthy - 21
	+ Success - He's stealthed
* **Beholder-doodle** also rolls *Stealth* to also be stealthy - 13
	+ Fail - He's not stealthed

* Everyone rolls *Perception* while tracking the Brain Collector
	+ **T'Chuck** - 11
	+ **R'Oarc** - 15
	+ **Screech** - 5
	+ **Selene** - 20
		- Selene hears the sound of claws against stone up ahead

* **Beholder-doodle** rolls *Stealth* again to hide - 19
	+ Success - He is hidden

*Combat Begins vs Brain Collector*

* *Initiative*
	+ **Screech** - 29
	+ **Beholder-doodle (Milton Graves)** - 12
	+ **T'Chuck** - 5
	+ **R'Oarc** - 5
	+ **Selene** - Nat 1 + 2

*Round One*

* **Screech**
	+ Melee Attack vs Back Brains (with Sneak Attack) - 18
		- Miss
	+ Melee Attack vs Brain Collector - 18
		- Hit - 10 damage

* **Brain Collector**
	+ Must make a *Wisdom Saving Throw*, due to T'Chuck's Spirit Guardians - 16
		- Success - 8 Radiant Damage, and its speed is halved
	+ Casts *Ray of Sickness* on *T'Chuck* - 3
		- Miss

* **Beholder-doodle**
	+ Melee Attack vs Brain Collector - 17
		- Hit - 12 damage
	+ Melee Attack vs Back Brains - 26
		- Hit - 8 damage - *Destroys one of them*

* **T'Chuck**
	+ Casts *Inflict Wounds* on the Brain Collector - 19
		- Hit - 21 Necrotic damage

* **R'Oarc**
	+ Gives *Bardic Inspiration* to Selene
	+ Melee Attack vs Brain Collector - 17
		- Hit - 9 damage

* **Brain Collector (Legendary Action)**
	+ Melee Attack (Claw) vs T'Chuck - 25
		- Hit - 12 Slashing damage

* **Selene**
	+ Casts *Fire Bolt* on Brain Collector - Nat 20
		- Hit - 22 Fire damage
	+ Uses a Bonus Action to *Telekinetic Shove* the Brain Collector, requiring it to make a DC 15 *Strength Saving Throw* - 14
		- Fail - It is shoved

*Round Two*

* **Screech**
	+ Melee Attack vs Back Brains (with Advantage) {x2} - 14, 23
		- Miss, Hit - 11 damage

* **Brain Collector**
	+ Must make a DC 16 *Wisdom Saving Throw*, due to T'Chuck's Spirit Guardians - 12
		- Fail - 9 Radiant Damage
	+ Casts *Lightening Bolt* on a bunch of people, requiring *Dexterity Saving Throws*
		- R'Oarc - 24
			* Success - 13 damage
		- T'Chuck - 17
			* Success - 13 damage
		- Selene - 11
			* Fail - 26 damage

* **Beholder-doodle**
	+ Melee Attack vs Brain Collector {x2} - 25, 15
		- Hit, Miss - 17 damage

* **Brain Collector (Legendary Action)**
	+ Melee Attack (Claw) vs Screech (with Disadvantage) - 17
		- Hit - 12 Slashing damage

* **T'Chuck**
	+ Uses *Balm of Piece* to heal R'Oarc and Selene for - 17 HP
	+ Moves back

* **R'Oarc**
	+ Moves back

* **Selene**
	+ Casts *Fireball* on the Brain Collector, requiring a *Dexterity Saving Throw* - 15
		- Success - 11 damage - *Destroys all the Back Brains*
	+ Uses a Bonus Action to *Telekinetic Shove* the Brain Collector, requiring it to make a DC 15 *Strength Saving Throw* - 21
		- Success - It is not shoved

*Round Three*

* **Screech**
	+ Melee Attack vs Brain Collector - 17
		- Hit - 15 damage
	+ Takes the Disengage action to hide behind a pillar

* **Brain Collector**
	+ Melee Attack (Claw) vs Beholder-doodle {x2} - 23, 22
		- Hit, Hit - 18 Piercing damage
	+ Melee Attack (Bite) vs Beholder-doodle - 19
		- Hit - 6 damage - *Knocks him unconscious*, also requires him to make a *Constitution Saving Throw* (with Disadvantage) - 16
			* Success - Not poisoned

* **Beholder-doodle**
	+ Must make a Death Saving Throw - 3
		- Fail - *One Failure*

* **Brain Collector (Legendary Action)**
	+ Grapples Beholder-doodle, and begins moving him forward to bite him

* **T'Chuck**
	+ Casts *Healing Word* on Beholder-doodle, healing him for - 8 HP
		- He's no longer dying
	+ Casts *Toll the Dead* on the Brain Collector, requiring a *Wisdom Saving Throw* - 15
		- Fail - 10 Necrotic damage
	+ Also, the Spirit Guardians require another *Wisdom Saving Throw* - <15
		- Fail - 11 Radiant damage

* **R'Oarc**
	+ Casts *Aura of Vitality* on Beholder-doodle, healing him for - 10 HP

* **Selene**
	+ Casts *Firebolt* on the Brain Collector - 22
		- Hit - 7 Fire damage - *Kills It*

*Combat Ends*

* Some of them roll *Nature* or *Survival* to see if the Brain Collector's brain is edible
	+ **T'Chuck** - 31
	+ **R'Oarc** - 15
	+ **Screech** - 20
		- Together, they know how to carve out the hypothalamus

* **Screech** rolls *Nature* to see if any of the other glands are valuable - 16
	+ He is able to find a silky smooth "highly valued substance", 200 gold pieces worth