Episode 185 - Protege Problems

The last bit of journeying before reaching Longcryer's Tower. The party gets ever closer to Longcryer, and Harper's strange behavior intensifies. They try talking to him and casting spells, but the strange affliction remains when they reach the borders of Longcryer's domain. And in the cover of night, Jaela has to fulfill her pact with the Raven Queen.

## **Story**

After eliminating the orc raiding party, the party continues to fly east towards Longcryer. They spend the night in Jett's Jerk House, this time designed as a communal yurt filled with hammocks and ladders. On such an important mission, Jaela approaches Ros and tries to clear the air between them so they know they can trust each other in the coming battles. Ros hesitantly accepts the sentiment, but also approaches Aludra concerned that whatever is affecting Harper may also be affecting Jaela. Maybe a spell of some sort that makes you love people you hate. Aludra takes the action on face value though, and is proud of Jaela for taking the steps to mend things between the two of them.

They wake up and travel an uneventful day, but when night comes, Jaela sneaks off on her own. She travels half a hour towards where the Raven Dagger is pulling her, and finds a well kept little shack, with a frail, old man in bed with labored breathing. Jaela sneaks in through his window and when his eyes open to see her, she pretends to be an angel, there to escort him to the afterlife. The man, Walter Smidge, accepts her cover and asks that she just deliver a letter he's written to his friend, Reginald Thornberry who lives in Glaine, the Jewel of the East. Jaela agrees and stabs him through the heart. The glowing red eyes on the pommel of her dagger flash and then go dark.

In the morning, the party decides to attempt to get Harper drunk and have beer, mimosas, and bloody mary's with breakfast. They try talking with him about all the strange compliments he's saying about the man who tortured him, the man they all know he hates. But no matter the approach they try, he can't seem to know what they're talking about, and can't believe he would say any of the things they're telling him he's saying. In the air, Jaela tries to cast Dispel Magic on him, in the hope to cure him that way, but it fails.

And then sooner than anticipated, Ros tells them they've arrived at where Longcryer's invisible tower should be. They party lands, and Harper casts *Greater Invisibility* on Jaela and Jett, and they go off to find scout of Longcryer to find a way into the tower. Harper sends them off assuming they would capture a scout, but when Jaela and Jett spot one, they both agree that killing him is the right choice. Jett casts *Heat Metal* on his belt, and while he's distracted taking it off, Jaela uses her Raven Dagger to slit his throat. They investigate his belongings and find a amulet necklace in the shape of a key and return to the rest of the party. Ros then leads them to where she thinks the tower is, and it looks like she was right. As they approach the spot where a trail just fades away, three figures step forward from out of nowhere. Two men, and a woman, but all three of them incredibly good looking, with great abs, and tattoos on their arms and chest. The same tattoos that Harper has on his own body.

## **Trivia**

* Harper loves Zone of Truth and Never Have I Ever
* Peter Griffon secretly loves getting peed on.
* Aludra fucking loves soup.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Nika Howard - Jaela
* Timothy Lanning - King Titus Harper
* Mike Bachmann - Jett Razor

### **Non-Player Characters**

* (Bucky)
* (Erynn Colleen)
* (Marlamin Windlore)
* Ros

### **Pets/Familiars**

* Daisy
* Griffons
	+ Bruno Mars
	+ Peter
	+ Sparkles
* Princess Ivy Bluemoon

### **Locations**

* Heading East
* Jack House
* Outside Longcryer's Tower

### **Inventory Updates**

* +1 Cactus
* +1 Key-shaped amulet

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [NEW] [Jaela] [Active] - Deliver a letter to Reginald Thornberry
* [Active] - *Longcryer!*
* [Active] - Curse of the Raven Queen
* [Active] - Investigate merchant deals in Glaine, the Jewel of the East, and the Crescent Moon Coins
* [Active] [Sidequest] - Deliver a very small bag of coins to Wilma in Glaine, the Jewel of the East
* [Active] - What are birds?
* [Active] - Who are the masked assassins?
* Save the shrinking high elf city of Galanthis

### **Quotes**

**"Fear not, I am here to help carry you over to the other side to your gods and your family that is waiting."** ~ *Jaela of the Temple of the Raven Queen*

**"Why would I say nice things about the greatest man on the planet, Longcryer."** ~ *Titus Harper, experiment and apprentice*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - Nat20
	+ Nika - 19 - Bapped
	+ Bachmann - 8
	+ Tim - 2

* **Jaela** vs Harper
	+ Dispel Magic requiring a Cha Saving Throw vs a 10+3 Spell Save DC
		- 22 - Fails - Jaela did you just do something weird to me?

* **Investigate Check** to find any trails from Longcryer's scouts
	+ Jett - Nat20+1
	+ Jaela - 10-1
		- Jett picks up a trial and sneaks up on a scout dressed as a typical ranger

* **Jett** vs Scout
	+ *Heat Metal*
		- Success - Ah! What the hell! My belt! Ow! Owwie! Ow! Ow! Owwie!

* **Jaela** vs Scout
	+ Raven Dagger - Sneaks up behind and slits his throat.

* Jett - **Perception Check** on the Jaela with the Raven Dagger
	+ 7+3 - Watches Jaela slice the guard's throat while the guards pants are around his ankles

* **Investigate Check** on the dead scout
	+ Jett - 8+1
	+ Jaela - 4
		- It takes a long time, but they find an amulet around the scout's neck that is in a key shape.