Ep. 26 Exigent Extortion

## Watch

Exigent Extortion | Khyber Shards #26 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Tommel

The party meets with Tommel. Because they messed up his shortcut, he wants them to get a map for him. He and Ari argue about the validity of sacrificing innocents to protect aberrant marked individuals, but ultimately they agree to do what he wants, and he thinks Mirann will forget about them.

Shade and Ari head out to talk to the Wayfinder Foundation about the map, while Esri and Pog scout out Forgotten Places.

At the map shop, Pog is rude to the shopkeeper, and Esri distracts him with map questions. Pog investigates the security measures around the map.

## Synopsis

It's the day to meet with Tommel. While they're walking to the meeting spot, Shade checks in on Pog, who's been keeping to himself since their discussion the previous night. Cadroc and Bajok meet them on the way, wanting to help. Ari convinces them that it's more helpful for them to stay at home.

As they near the building, Esri notices an ally that's much too dark to be natural. Outside the shop, three Storm Hammers are posted. They let the group inside, where Tommel sits on the shop's counter. He tells them he wants them all to be on the same side, but they've made his life very difficult, so he's giving them a change to set it right: they need to get him a map.

The map is at Forgotten Places. The owner wants more than Tommel wants to spend on it, so he wants it stolen. He tells Esri he won't forget about the kids, but it'll satisfy Mirann and *she* might forget about them. Tommel grows frustrated when Ari says it seems like he's going against his kind by making them do this, and says what the Storm Hammers are trying to do will benefit all of them. They don't even have to be with him; they just need to stay out of the way, and it will save them.

Ever since the last time the dragonmarked houses stomped on their people, there have been barely any of them. They went unnoticed. But there are starting to be more now, and they're getting stronger. The last time that happened, the houses, who unite over nothing, united in the decision to kill all of them.

Ari argues for all the innocents lost during the wars with the dragonmarked houses, and that Halas Tarkanan didn't care if they died. Tommel believes it was a necessary sacrifice.

Tommel sets the date for the day after tomorrow, and the party leaves. This time when they pass, the ally looks normal. Ari wants to check with the Wayfinders about the map, and Pog wants to scout Forgotten Places.

On the way to Forgotten Places, Esri ducks into an ally to spend ten minutes on ritually casting Detect Magic. Pog goes in. Bryn greets him in a rather passive-aggressively condescending way. Pog questions the antique map salesman on why anyone would want a map on the wall.

Esri walks in, out of breath, asking for the time and a map. He distracts Bryn while Pog takes a look around(and becomes genuinely interested in an astronomy map.) With his magic eyes, Esri sees that the case containing their map is enchanted, as well as several other maps in the shop. Esri buys a regular Stormreach map, and they leave.

## Spells

* **Esri**
	+ Detect Magic (as a ritual)

## Quotes

"I gotta stop smiling; I'm Pog now."
*—Colin*

"I'm not judgey about which fire these people should die in. Any fire will do, really."
*—Eric*

"Sir, do you have business here?"
"I don't sell maps, I have no business. I'm just looking."
"Then perhaps, if you are not interested in the wares that you see here, perhaps it would be best if you went elsewhere."
*—Bryn and Pog*

"Pog is strong, but he's not the Hulk. He cannot tear the whole counter off the ground and walk off with it."
"I feel like that's a lack of imagination on your part, Philip."
*—Philip and Eric*

"Pfft, lazy dude. Amazing hours of operation. No wonder this business is struggling. Those are not peak map-needing hours."
*—Colin*

"Alright, well, you guys. I guess enjoy your silly map time."
"Yes, thank you. Feel free not to return."
"You're rude."
*—Pog and Bryn*

## Trivia

* Philip does the recap.
* The party hits level 4!
	+ Ari added a level of Aberrant Mind sorcerer.
	+ Shade took an ability score improvement and increased her dexterity and wisdom.
	+ Esri took a custom feat: Tool Expertise, which gives him expertise in poison, proficiency in alchemist supplies, and a point in wisdom.
	+ Pog took the Shadow Touched feat, which gives him the spells Invisibility and Inflict Wounds.
* This was the first episode with music.