Heart-Shaped Box

The Acolytes in Sexy Tights kill yet another archmage and attend Laeral Silverhand's exclusive pride party.

## Major Plot Points

* Dikarus Bottombane rushed after Dead Amy to bring her back to the party after she disappeared from the fight with Archmage Asher Runestone. Along the way, he found Barbara Duke partying in a funeral procession for her sister. She'd been spending her time in the Reverie going over her inheritance and taking total control of her businesses after the death of Ruthless Baddie Ginsburg. Channeling Muchomucho M. Amor through his telepathy, Dikarus was able to wake her up. He did the same thing for Dead Amy.
* Clementine Jones fled the scene of the crime saying she had a wedding to plan.
* When they returned to the Tower of the Archmage, the Acolytes met with Barnobos. He was second in command at the Tower and the new Archmage. He believed the Acolytes were manifestations created by the Reverie. Since he desired to be overtake Asher, he believed they killed her to make his wish come true. He falsely believed his own intellect was too great for himself to completely succumb to the Reverie. He was immune simply because his wish was already granted with the death of Asher.
* Believing the Acolytes were created to serve him, he ordered them to infiltrate Lady Laeral Silverhand's pride party. She and Asher broke up prior to the Reverie and he believed the Lady of Waterdeep was behind it. The party played along and he created fancy clothes for them to wear to help them blend in.
* The group spent the rest of the day exploring the third level of the tower. They found multiverse mirrors that showed what their doppelgängers were doing in their universes. Dewey Thundersnatch found a version of himself where he was a fisherman and used his water magic to kill fish. Barb saw a version of herself who behaved like RBG. Dead Amy saw a version of herself enjoying a resort vacation with Asher Runestone. Muchomucho saw the conqueror version of himself who led an army of devoted followers. Aryan Grande discovered a version of her who was a cloud giant princess named Aryan Shorte.
* The next chamber housed a chapel dedicated to the gods Mystra, Savras, and Azuth. Dewey discovered Mystra's statue was holding a unicorn wand. When he tried to dislodge it, the tower shook. He left it in place. Barb found a commune spell scroll by the alter.
* The next room was filled with glass orbs. They floated in the air and contained a purple smoke and mist. Aryan sang a high note so loud she broke three of them. A key fell out of one. A misty nymph came out of the other two. They said Asher Runestone stole their magic dust. Dead Amy destroyed another and purple smoke started filling the room. Muchomucho and Barb were vaporized and became one with the smoke.
* Dewey used his magic to funnel the smoke into two empty water skins. He brought them to Barnobos and he lifted the curse, making Muchomucho and Barb solid again.
* After Barnobos went to bed, the party snuck into his bedroom. Barb stole his spell book. She also took his hair and stored them in her poppet. Dewey found a mimic but avoided its tongue. Dead Amy fed the mimic pieces of Asher. Mucho swiped a fire shield robe. Aryan took a magic glue glaze.
* Muchomucho, Barb, and Dewey went back to the chapel to see the unicorn horn wand. They discovered the other statues held a staff and a glass orb. Fearing the building would collapse, Dead Amy went outside. Dewey successfully took the wand without issue this time. Muchomucho took the orb with Aryan's help. Barb triggered the trap connect to her statue and the building started to collapse starting from the first floor.
* Aryan created giant spiders to help the party escape. Without a spider, Muchomucho wished to land safely. His wish was granted. Due to his growing resistance to the Reverie, he didn't get sucked back into the false world. Instead, he saw visions of demons and their home realm of the Abyss.
* The tower collapsed and killed Barnobos and the rest of the Archmage staff.
* Later at the pride party, the Acolytes saw Doc Glazirmajian giving inspirational speeches and life advice to his disciples called the Doc Flock. Dead Amy rudely stole the couch from a noble couple.
* The group investigated a small study. A party guest complained about it being haunted. Dewey found a fake book in the bookcase. When he pulled on it, it opened to the palace's vault. Two thieves were in there and were frustrated that there were only a large plant in there. The plant's vine struck one of the thieves and turned him into a demon. The demonic thief then killed his comrade. The Acolytes battled the bird/plant demon and it fell to Muchomucho's fire bolt. The high elf wizard also burnt the plant. Dewey recognized it as an Alkilith, a plant from the Abyss that could grow into a portal that summoned demons and heralded a demonic invasion.
* The party moved upstairs where they found a large dance floor. Muchomucho took over the organ from the hired bard. Clementine Jones was dancing with Gristle Pete. Barb spoke to Ruvange Honeysuckle at the bar.
* Using Barnobos' magic, she posed as Asher and said Laeral tried to kill her and she was responsible for the Tower's collapse. Ruvange said she could believe Laeral was that ruthless and said she was upstairs and that she hadn't attended the party at all.
* Dewey entered Laeral's trophy room where he found a drow elf stealing a book from her collection. He left the case open for Dewey exchange for his discretion. Dead Amy tried unsuccessfully to dance with the drow, but he violently refused her advances. Clementine saw her friend being mistreated so she had Gristle Pete try to stop him. Unfortunately, Pete was too greasy and the drow escaped his grasp. Muchomucho cast hold monster after seeing the commotion but the drow resisted and escaped.
* Dead Amy and Barb moved to the game room where they watched Bada-Bing Jabroni and Elderion Telconter have an archery contest with a dartboard. The pair gave the Acolytes a free day pass to their zoo. The Best Friends Caravan members and Barb declined Dead Amy's invitation to have an orgy.
* The party then made it to the next floor where they found Laeral tending to a plant that was growing around a large window. Barb tried confronting her as Asher but Laeral was mostly interested in her plant. Dewey recognized it as the Alkilith mother plant. The plant released spores that caused paralysis and madness to all the Acolytes except Dewey.
* The group focused their attacks on the Alkilith, believing Laeral being controlled by it. Laeral used her magical hair to attack the party and defend the demonic plant. Barb killed the Alkilith with her phantasmal killer spell, which created a lawnmower controlled by an angel.
* Laeral was now free of the Alkilith's corrupting influence. Dead Amy deceived her into thinking she destroyed the Tower of the Archmage while she was controlled by the evil plant. The group tried to convince her to resign. She said she couldn't without speaking to the Silent Council - the true power behind Waterdeep and she simply served as their figurehead. She then teleported the Acolytes and herself to the council.