Session 42-A: Blessings with Bogteam

## Key Plot Developments

The group of goblins have a new goal: gather ingredients for a ritual to banish the demon lords back to the Abyss. Tremble wakes up earlier than his siblings. He sneaks out to gather tinkering supplies. As the others awaken, they're greeted by Tremble's newest creation and friend: a robotic dog named Ralph.

Before the trio (Tremble, Trix, and Bogtooth) leaves, Trix speaks with Vizeran. He asks why Vizeran wants to do this ritual. Vizeran assures Trix his main goal is to remove the threat of the demon lords so he can keep safely living on the material plane. Next, Trix encounters Finn Dubh Cata, Vizeran's assistant. They commiserate about their parallel experiences: while Trix encountered discrimination as a goblin on the surface, Finn was made to feel like he didn't belong in many areas of Underdark because of his darkling heritage. Finn also warns Trix about the danger posted by the Eyemonger, a fearsome beholder known for slaying members of its own kind and stealing their eyes. Trix, worried, attempts to make a religious sanctuary close to Vizeran's tower to teleport to in times of stress. The attempt fails.

Tremble compliments Bogtooth on his growth as a leader of their team. Bogtooth writes a letter to the other group, expressing his faith in them. With that, the group (including Finn and Lemon) are ready to go.

Bogtooth summons some bog-beasts from his bag of tricks, including a lion, before they set up for the Wormwrithings to get a purple worm egg. As the group travels, they note that some tunnels have been carved by large creatures who don't appear to be purple worms. Tremble, analyzing the tunnels, notes that the holes in the walls arc downward into the ground. They realize, too late, they're in bulette hunting territory.

Bulettes, metallic sharks, burst out of the group. The group fights them off. Finn fights with subterfuge and trickery, using poison to surprise the bulettes. Lemon heals the team. They win the fight, somewhat worse for wear. Finn remarks that the bulettes aren't normally found in the area. The group surmises that the demon lords' presences are changing the behaviors of several Underdark species, disrupting the fragile ecosystems with faerzress.

After foraging for food, the group rests. Trix cooks while Tremble crafts new armor for Bogtooth. Trix expresses his appreciation to the group. When Trix compliments Finn, he intuits that Finn is still holding back information about his true intentions. He surmises that Finn is still testing the group. Finn engages him in an open discussion about religion.

Then, Finn remembers a group of monsters he'd expect to encounter a little ways away from this area: troglodytes, lizard-people (like Skriss). Finn wants to help the group bypass a nearby troglodyte den.

After resting, they try to sneak their way past the troglodyte-controlled caves. They see a group of troglodytes brandishing ceremonial artifacts around captives; the group believes they're fighting over who gets to sacrifice the captives.

Trix, trying to avoid the encounter, finds a hidden passage around the central area of the den. He stumbles upon a separate area; he sees a few guards and pits full of filthy, malnourished prisoners.

When the group proceeds through the hidden passage, they note the precious gems in the area and intuit the den has been used as a diamond mine. Trix, eager for the components necessary for resurrection, procures a diamond. The group decides to free the captives as stealthily as possible.

As they deliberate over the best way to achieve this task, they see the troglodyte guards notice something happening in the open area concerning the arguing factions. They leave the prisoners unattended. The group takes advantage of the opportunity and approaches the pit of prisoners.

## New NPCs

1. Ralph, Tremble's automated animal companion

## Memorable Quotations

* **Bogtooth:** What's that?
* **Tremble:** This is Ralph!
* **Bogtooth:** Oh! He's like a parallel to Misu's thing in that lions and felines are parallel!
* **Ralph:** RALPH!

**Bogtooth:** There's a tactical advantage to having a beast...oh, no. I'm starting to sound like a drow!

* **Bogtooth:** I guess we just gotta find our if Ralph consumes things. Maybe he needs some essential oils!
* **Tremble:** Are there unessential oils?
* **Trix: Y**eah, there are a lot of oils...like when you touch Bogtooth. See?

**Finn:** Before I ascended, I couldn't be in direct light without my skin falling off. Now, I'm sensitive to it, but it doesn't spell my imminent death!

* **Vizeran:** The demon lords could spell the destruction of the material plane.
* **Trix:** Okay, yeah, but why do YOU want to stop them?
* **Vizeran:** Because I live on the material plane.

**Lemon:** Be stealthy? Okay. A lot of people don't notice me, so I should be an expert!

* **Trix:** If we encounter the Eyemonger, we're gonna run away.
* **Lemon:** I bet I could take 'em if I put my mind to it.

**Lemon:** Stay away from my friends! You guys suck! I believe in us! Never stop believing! Spring break! I believe in you!

**Finn:** Well, I was fairly certain I was about to die. I had come to terms with it. But you saved my life, so thank you!

* **Trix**: Finn, do you worship a god?
* **Finn:** It's difficult. When you think about it, what sort of god would create a people that burn to death in natural light?
* **Trix:** Yeah. I worship, like, an idea. And if you don't like your god, you could worship an idea, too.
* **Finn**: Before I ascended, I learned about WOOP goals. I like that idea.

**Trix:** Let's WOOP this situation and gage our ideal outcome!

* **Finn:** I don't have any sleep poisons, but I have some real caustic stuff! This one causes all sorts of cancers.
* **Trix:** I guess we'll just kill 'em.
* **Bogtooth:** Yeah! Let's kill 'em.

**Tremble (in response to Trix asking about when the chief would put bells on a box with food in it so that, when the box was opened, the clan would be alerted):** I have no memory of this.