Episode 209 - The Quest to Save Tidtowne

With Timothy missing in action, we have taken on a bit of a side quest this week. We follow a brutish force of monsters as they go on a dangerous quest to save the noble leader of Tidtowne. At first it might not seem like this has a whole lot to do with our main protagonists, but stay with us gentle listeners. It will all pay off in the end.

## **Story**

North-east of the Swamps of Ichtaka, in a system of caves, is located one of the safest places in the realm. It was formed during the Demon Apocalypse, but those monsters who have come to live here are now exiled from their previous homes. A horrible ice demon froze “The Leader” along with the other gate watchers with magical ice shortly after the apocalypse began.

While praying to Semuanya, a lizardfolk named Baz is gifted the knowledge of a magical item of the Raven Queen that could potentially bring The Leader back from an icy prison. She only knows it was north. Tug the kobold, however, knows about a kobold settlement at the foot of the Razortooth Mountains. This settlement is said to have a dark place underneath, that may hold the magical item. The two enlist the help of a bugbear, Beetle, and Kass, a Yuan-ti. Together, they make the long journey out to the settlement.

Arriving at the village, they see that it is abandoned, but beyond it they see a vast (nearly endless) graveyard. A dwarven built crypt comes into view, and the adventurers head toward it. Kass is the first to move toward the door to the crypt. When she gets within 10 feet of the door 2 skeletons and 2 zombies raise from the ground. Tug begs for mercy, gets knocked over, and spends the remainder of the fight mending his cloak. Beetle attempts to throw her morningstar and it lands atop a smaller crypt. After the fight, Baz gathers exploded skeleton bones to make herself some darts; Beetle picks up a zombie arm, and gnaws on it as she shakes the smaller crypt. Her morningstar eventually falls off of the roof.

Kass opens the double doors of the dwarven crypt. Inside, there is a small room that seems to have been empty for many decades. There is an alter with a basin. In that, there is a dagger. Kass picks up the dagger, and sees words inscribed within the basin. “If the entrance you seek, give a gift not for the meek.” Beetle bashes her head against a wall, trying to cause blood to drip into the basin. She succeeds, before Kass stops her. When the blood enters the basin, it splits apart, and a long stairway down is revealed.

When the party reaches the bottom of the stairs they find a circular room with rocks strewn about the floor. There is a helmet of dwarven make, with a large crack in it, and door in the northern wall. The door has a large symbol of a red fist upon it. Beetle puts the broken helmet on the top of her head, though it is far too small to be worn by her. There was an obvious struggle in this location, many years ago, and it appears the person did not make it to the door. Tug casts a fire bolt at the door, and it creaks open, though does not catch fire.

Kass looks for traps, but sees none. She goes through the door first. There is another door through this entrance, but stone this time. It also has the fist insignia. When Kass gets up to the new door, a trap below her springs, dropping her 10 feet below. Kass throws her daggers into the wall, and attempts to climb up them. She gets near the top, and begins to fall, when Beetle grabs her out of the air. Baz nibbles on the door, and it creaks open (though it was not due to the nibbles, Baz believes it was). The next room is larger, and the walls are lined with sarcophagi. There is a stone door to the north, and wooden doors to the east and west.

## **Trivia**

* The first time Tidtowne is mentioned, it is pronounced as "Tide-town". This changes over time.
* First appearance of the Tidtowne Terrors!
* First appearance of Tidtowne
* Maybe the first time the number of women on the podcast is greater than the number of men.
* Tug's voice changes drastically from his inception. He initially is more cowardly, and more Steve-like.
* The crypt has been featured on the show before, in Episode 47 - A Flying House. This is The Crypt of Sinu the Red, where Aludra Wyrmsbane died (for the first time).

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Jennifer Cheek - Baz
* Mike Bachmann - Yank Starstorm (hereafter referred to as Tug)
* Carly Shields - Beetle
* Nika Howard - Kass

### **Locations**

* Tidtowne
* Razortooth Mountains
* The Crypt of Sinu the Red

### **Quotes**

**"One brave monster gathered together everyone they could find, no matter who they were…"** ~ *DM Michael "ThriftyNerd" DiMauro*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ None!

* **Initiative!**
	+ Beetle - Nat20
	+ Zombie 1
	+ Kass - 15+2 - *re-roll* - 6
	+ Tug - 15+2 - *re-roll* - Nat1
	+ Skeleton 1
	+ Zombie 2
	+ Skeleton 2
	+ Baz - 6

*Round One*

* **Beetle** vs Zombie 1
	+ Melee Attack (Morning Star) - 9
		- ~~Miss~~ Hit! - 10 damage

* **Zombie 1** vs Beetle
	+ Slam - 6
		- Miss

* **Kass** vs Zombie 1
	+ Melee Attack (Rapier) - 12+4=16
		- Hit - 8 damage

* **Tug** vs Zombie 1
	+ Shocking Grasp - Nat20
		- Hit - 7 lighting damage - kills it

* **Skeleton 1** vs Beetle
	+ Range Attack - 21
		- Hit - 2 piercing damage

* **Skeleton 2** vs Beetle
	+ Range Attack - 14
		- Miss

* **Zombie 2** vs Kass
	+ Attack - 8
		- Miss

* **Baz** vs Skeleton 1
	+ Sacred Flame requiring DEX saving throw - ??
		- It fails horribly - 2 radiant damage

*Round Two*

* **Beetle** vs Zombie 2
	+ Melee Attack (Morningstar) - ??
		- Definitely hits - 9 damage

* **Kass** vs Zombie 2
	+ Melee Attack (Rapier) - 12+4=16
		- Hit - 9 damage

* **Tug** vs Skeleton 1
	+ Grovel, Cower, and Beg
		- *Allies gain advantage on attack rolls until his next turn*

* **Skeleton 1** vs Tug
	+ Ranged Attack - 17
		- Hit - 5 damage

* **Zombie 2** vs Kass
	+ Melee Attack - 10
		- Miss

* **Skeleton 2** vs Beetle
	+ Ranged Attack - ??
		- Hit - 2 piercing damage

* **Baz** vs Skeleton 1
	+ Sacred Flame requiring DEX saving throw - 18
		- Successfully evades

*Round Three*

* **Beetle** vs Skeleton 1
	+ Moves toward Skeleton 1, provoking an attack of opportunity from the Zombie 2 - 14, miss
	+ Grapples the skeleton, requiring a DEX saving throwvs STR
		- Beetle - Nat20, Skeleton 1 - 19. Victory Beetle

* **Kass** vs Zombie 2
	+ Melee Attack - 22
		- Hit - 6 damage

* **Tug** vs Skeleton 1
	+ Witch Bolt - 16
		- Hit - 7 damage

* **Skeleton 1**
	+ Attempts to escape grapple - Success

* **Zombie 2** vs Kass
	+ Melee Attack
		- Miss

* **Skeleton 2** vs Baz
	+ Range Attack - 14
		- Miss

* **Baz** vs Zombie 2
	+ Bite - 18+1
		- Hit - 5 piercing damage
	+ Hungry jaws, allowing her to make another Bite attack - 12
		- Hit - 5 piercing damage - kills it

*Round Four*

* **Beetle** vs Skelton 1
	+ Melee Attack (Morningstar) - ??
		- Success - 18 blugeoning damage - kills it

* **Kass** vs Skeleton 2
	+ Melee Attack - 6
		- Miss

* **Tug** vs his own cloak
	+ Cries and uses Mending on his torn cloak

* **Skeleton 2** vs Kass
	+ Melee Attack (Shortsword) - 14
		- Miss

* **Baz** vs Skeleton 2
	+ Melee Attack (Mace) - 12
		- Miss

*Round Five*

* **Beetle** vs Skeleton 2
	+ Range Attack (Morningstar [thrown {improvised weapon}]) - ??
		- Miss - Morningstar lands on the roof of the crypt

* **Kass** vs Skeleton 2
	+ Melee Attack - 19
		- Hit - 10 damage - kills it

*Combat Ends*

* **Baz** rolls *Perception* to check around the room
	+ 20
		- She can see in the dust that there was a struggle a while ago

* **Kass** rolls *Perception* to see what's up with the footprints
	+ 11
		- She doesn't see any traps

* **Kass** rolls *Acrobatics* to try to escape a trap
	+ 11
		- Almost falls, but is caught by Beetle