Episode 282 - A Tavern at the End of Heaven

Finding Pelor is extremely important, we can all agree, but so is making sure the orcs don’t overrun Elysium. That is a ticking clock with Gruumsh’s face all over it. While we are not powerful enough to take on Gruumsh we are powerful enough to find clues to Pelor’s wheareabouts. We can talk to people who run Laundry Mats in heaven! We can argue with guards! We are heroes. Sometimes being a hero means kidnapping our favorite meat seller to help with our plans. Sometimes.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The Tower of Grey (minus Toby, who is asleep in Pelor's bed) has just been approached by a long-haired, scraggley looking dude, in Elysium, while searching for the missing god Pelor. He says that he is an oracle, and that he has a "magical powder" that allows him to see through "all of time and space." He tells them that he knows where Prince Thom Harper is, here in Elysium. Rowan dejectedly points out that they already found Thom. They introduce themselves, the man is named Skid. Having exhausted his Thom hint, Skid struggles to provide another clue, suggesting they talk to Priest Tierney, which, again, they already have. He suggests they check out the uniforms (agian, old news), but then tells them that each uniform has name tags on them, which is new information. They ask him to accompany them to Modean 7, where Milky should be. He declines, so Rowan picks him up and takes him with them. Skud creates a cage of bones to hold him.

They return to Pelor's bedroom to pick up Toby, who is sleeping on a bookshelf. Skid doesn't like being locked in a cage, and Rowan promises to free him once they get to Modean 7. The party, together once again, heads to there. They can see and hear the battle outside, where Gruumsh One-Eye and his army are attacking the citizens of Elysium. Down in Modean 7, Rowan find Milky at the bar, while Toby casts *Minor Illusion* on himself, to look more feline. Rowan wants to hang back and listen to what Milky's saying, instead of rushing in and questioning him. Toby sends Arlington to eavesdrop. Two men approach Skid and tell him that he is not allowed to be here, despite Skid telling them that he was brought here unwillingly. Skud buts in and lets them know that he can do no harm wilst in the bone cage. They tell Skud that it's illegal to put people in cages and kidnap them. Lahni tells *them* that it's not a cage, as it has no bottom or some shit. This fails, so Skud releases him. Skid leaves in protest, Toby asks some random bar patrons why Skid isn't allowed in. They tell him that it's because he causes a ruckus with his oracle shtick. Arlington listens to Milky's conversation, while Rowan sneaks toward him along the wall, Lahni shares her Ferret Wine with some other random patrons, including Ursus Bearnabus.

Toby casts *Message* on Bearnabus, asking if he trusts Milky. Toby pretends to be Pelor to do this, describing Pelor's bedroom to prove it. Bearnabus is confused, and calls out that whomever is sending these messages should talk to them in person. Lahni tries to convince him that it's just the Ferret Wine. Rowan tries to reassure him, by saying that people behave strangely when it's the end of the world, such as stealing a uniform and killing your friends. At this, she looks over to Milky, who looks away. She buys a round of shots for the table, and asks Milky to help carry them. Once they are away from the others, she lets him know that she knows he stole a uniform and didn't return it. He claims, fearfully, that it was because it was dirty and he didn't want to give it back until it was cleaned. Milky's friends appear and ask if Rowan is bothering him. She is. Rowan does notice that these two guards' uniforms are a little too small for them, and Milky tells her that these two guards have been here for months.

Rowan meets up with Toby, and they meet up with Lahni and Skud. Toby suggests casting a spell that makes them tell the truth, but wants to do it in private somewhere, like the back alley. Lahni and Skud have to do it, though, since Rowan and Toby are no longer trusted. Lahni runs out to grab Sal, the Street Meat Vendor. On the way, she sees that the battle has progressed to reach the top of the wall, and she decides to run up to the top to see how things are going. Gruumsh himself is smashing down a part of the wall. Lahni goes and gets Sal, then runs back into the bar and tells everyone else what's going on. Toby runs out as a bunch of orcs spill down off the wall and into the city. Thinking quickly, Toby pulls out a special whistle and blows it, pretending to summon a certain dragon, Yazdir Dosh. Actually, he just cast *Shapechange*.

### Short

The mysterious man doesn't know anything that the party needs to know, so they take him with them to Modean 7, where Milky is supposed to be. At the bar, Skud releases the man, Skid, as he is not allowed there, and Rowan questions Milky. He did take out a uniform and didn't return it, but that was only because he got it dirty, and needed to clean it. Meanwhile, two other guards act threatening and weird, and Toby wants to, in private, cast a spell to make them tell the truth. They decide to use Sal the Street Meat Vendor for some reason, so Lahni goes to get him, seeing that the orc army outside is officially inside the walls now. She brings Sal to the bar and tells the others, prompting Toby to shapeshift into the form of Yazdir Dosh.

## **Trivia**

* Lahni is a skeptic, and doesn't believe in things like horoscopes
* Rowan, however, does believe in those things
* The two suspicious guards, the ones that are Milky's friends, are named Gagney and Tyson

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Milky
* Sal
* Skid
* Tyson & Gagney
* Ursus Bearnabus

### **Locations**

* Elysium
	+ The Last Respite
		- Modean 7

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Backburner] - Return Prince Thom Harper to his mother, Queen Ashayara Dayne
* [On-Hold] - Find Pelor
	+ [On-Hold] - Go to the Shadowfell and look around for clues
* [Active] - Find out who killed Tilly and Donnybrooke
	+ ~~[Complete] - Speak to Milky at Modean 7 (?)~~
	+ [NEW][Active] - Interrogate the two suspicious, newer guards
* [On Hold] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Optional] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies

### **Quotes**

**"The more people die, the more bones for the next bone bridge. It gets stronger with every iteration."** ~ *Skud Derringer, bone-mancer*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Tim - 3
	+ Nika - 11
	+ **Jennifer - 14**
	+ Bachmann - 4

* **Rowan** rolls *Strength* to hold Skid in place - 13-1
	+ Contested against Skid's roll - 7
		- Rowan wins, he is held

* **Rowan** rolls *Insight* on Skid to see if he's genuine - 25
	+ He seems like he's trying to tell the truth

* **Rowan** rolls *Perception* to see if Milky is in Modean 7 - 25
	+ She sees him at the bar

* **Lahni** rolls *Persuasion* to convince the guard that Skud's bone cage isn't a cage - 12
	+ They don't buy it

* **Rowan** rolls *Insight* to see how Milky reacts - 16
	+ She does notice him look away

* **Rowan** rolls *Insight* to see if Milky is lying about the uniform - Nat1
	+ She thinks he is

* **Rowan** rolls *Perception* - 18
	+ She notices that some of the guard's uniforms are too small

* **Lahni** rolls *Perception* after leaving the bar - 15+11
	+ There is fighting on top of the city walls

* **Lahni** rolls *Acrobatics* to climb up the wall - 2+11
	+ It takes a second turn to get there, but she does

* Lahni makes a contested roll to grab Sal
	+ Lahni - 15
	+ Sal - 1
		- Lahni wins, he is grabbed