C2 E2

Our heroes of this very adventure finally meet! Will they fall instantly in love? Or will there be a drop of danger mixed into this stalwart stew? Only time will tell!

## **Story**

### Long Story

Before they step out of the caravan, Selene von Esper stops Screech Echo, and asks him not mention anything to anyway about her being nervous and freezing up during the fight a few nights ago. He agrees, with the understanding that she won't mention anything about his secret identity... *if that was even Screech...*

That decided on, the two new friends finally step out of the caravan and set foot in Rimeford. It's a small village, at the edge of the mountain-top lake. Some people are out fishing in boats in the lake. A broken White Spire lies off to the west, while a small keep sits to the south. In the middle of the town square is a 10-ft tall statue of Reya, bits of it gilded with Theonite. Nearby sits the only tavern in town: The Goblin Pit. And approaching them with newly gotten game, are T'Chuck and R'Oarc. The two couples introduce themselves, with T'Chuck remarking amiably about Selene being a member of the Ordinatio Theonitus (while secretly detesting the order). He also keeps R'Oarc away from them. Selene asks who she might talk to about the mine, and T'Chuck tells her to speak with Sir Rex Yalos, aka "Rex". Screech is also interested in the mines, but he needs to talk with Granona Flintbeard, who is in charge of the mine's operations. They are interrupted by the caravan driver, asking where to put Selene's things, and T'Chuck reminds them that they're standing next to the inn. That's where Selene will be staying, so she takes her luggage and pulls herself toward it. But as they are heading off, she and Screech are both suddenly drawn to a pair of red glowing eyes staring at them from the leaves of a large oak tree in the town square. They then blink and disappear.

Meanwhile, T'Chuck warns R'Oarc to stay away from Selene. He doesn't trust the order, and it would be Bad News if someone from the order found out that they were magic users. She, however, is fascinated by Selene, especially her hair. They take their game to the town butcher, a man named Hanlan Four Fingers. He's a weirdo, asking what it might be like to eat one of the Grizzly Folk. R'Oarc is pretty weird, too, requesting the skull of the bear they killed, and Hanlan respects that about her. T'Chuck thinks this is all very strange, but asks to keep the bear's pelt. Hanlan agrees. As they are leaving, T'Chuck warns R'Oarc to stay away from Hanlan as well. The two then make a quick stop by their home. It's a repurposed root cellar near the tavern, a mixture of Hobbit aesthetic and rustic-chic. Hidden behind a tapestry is a whole other area to the place, making it bigger than it appears to be. They then head to the Goblin Pit.

As T'Chuck and R'Oarc were heading off to the hunting guild, we follow Screech and Selene as they enter the Goblin Pit, and get a good look inside. It's a well cared for place, if a little... well worn. Very rustic feel. You get it. They're greeted first by a "young lad" whom we later learn is named Elwin Trantor. Elwin's nice, and good, and nothing bad should ever happen to him. He insists that even though the Goblin Pit is the only inn in town, they still offer reasonable rates. Screech claims to have lodgings elsewhere, but still requests a room of his own, one that's secluded, though. Also working at the tavern is a busboy named Meat, and the owner, a goblin lady named Ratma Ritmo. Ratma is a former adventurer, and has many connections. She connects herself right into the conversation by appearing. She's old, and kind of shriveled. Wearing a leopard print tube top, that's dangling, due to her natural shagginess.

She greets the two cordially, and recognizes the Echo name. She offers her condolences to Screech regarding his dark past. Screech, to his point, asks if his room has many grapple points, and you know what? It does. But might that kind of thing make the building unsafe, Selene wonders? Ratma reminds her that she is a magic user, and can likely take care of herself, which Selene become indignant about. She attempts to pull her luggage off to her room, but is helped by Meat. Meat also tries to take Screech's bags, but he keeps the one that has a squirrel's furry tail sticking out of it...

T'Chuck and R'Oarc finally arrive. They work at the tavern, and R'Oarc is actually going to be performing tonight. Ratma pulls T'Chuck aside and tells him about the newcomers, and warns him not to do magic around them, especially Selene. Bad things will happen if she finds out he's a magic user. Also, to tell R'Oarc to be careful. And to find out why they are there. There's also mention of Ratma having clout with someone named "Bo", though Ratma insists that she doesn't talk to Bo because he's an idiot.

Later, at dinner-time, Screech and Selene make their way down to the tavern. They are served dinner, a lovely rabbit stew, prepared by the cook, a half-Goliath named Dred Flintbeard (husband to Granona Flintbeard). They also serve bread and hard cheese. T'Chuck, working as a server/busboy kind of thing, re-introduces himself, and offers her a cup (bigger than a shot, smaller than a pint) of their signature Fire Wine. She finishes it in two drinks, and is surprised by it's heat ("The burning helps with the cold nights", T'Chuck says). He then offers her a normal pint of beer. After he leaves, Selene looks around, and finds Screech sitting alone by himself in a corner. But not in a sad way, more like a rich way. She goes to sit next to him, and asks if his bed-sheets were as scratchy as hers. They weren't but he wasn't using them, he was just brooding.

Elwin, the server, approaches, and delivers messages to the both of them. Screech has been invited to lunch at the mining guild tomorrow by Granona Flintbeard (wife to Dred Flintbeard). Sir Yalos has invited Selene to lunch tomorrow as well. Elwin also asks if they want anything else, and she asks for some hot tea, and more of that Fire Wine. In the back, T'Chuck and R'Oarc do this weird thing and press foreheads together and chant "family". So that's weird. He warns her to not use magic around Selene, and then, R'Oarc goes out to perform her song. It goes over well!

Finally, T'Chuck and R'Oarc bring 4 fire wines over to the Screech and Selene's table, and the four have a proper introduction. They do the shots (Screech has no reaction). Conversation turns to the mines, and the outsiders' reasons for coming here. During this, Screech makes a comment about having his own opinion about magic cops (like Selene), which Selene takes note of. He isn't concerned with Selene's reasons for checking out the mines, though; he has his own reasons for being here. He then takes his cue to leave, sneaking up into the upper floors, donning his squirrel costume, and slipping out a window. Downstairs, R'Oarc invites Selene to join her band.

Under the cover of darkness, a man dressed as a flying squirrel makes his way across Rimeford, and dips down into the mine. He doesn't see anything too uncouth about. They are using the proper tools, nothing seems out of place. He (whoever this masked marauder is) next heads to the mining guild, and has a look at the ledger. There are some remarks about some inventory going missing after being checked out of the mines. And while the general output of the mines has been trending downward, there are some events that stick out. Six months ago, an elevator collapsed, pouring a healthy supply of Theonite into the river. Another incident, three months ago, involves a caravan being raided, presumably by goblins or orcs. With nothing else to search for, Screech (or whoever this is) returns to the Goblin Pit.

Screech shatters a window coming in, but that's less shocking than finding Ratma Ritmo in his bed! Thinking quickly, Screech, as Squirrel Man, claims to have the wrong room, and leaps back out the window. Seconds later, Screech, as Screech, re-enters, through the door this time. Seamless. Ratma seems to have been under the impression that his request for a private room was an invitation for her to join him! He denies this, and tells her to leave, which she does. Could romance be in the air for these two?

The rest of the night passes uneventfully, but they are awoken the next morning to a bloodcurdling scream. Elwin Trantor has been killed. His body hangs upside down from the statue of Reya, stomach slit open.

### Short

T'Chuck and R'Oarc meet Selene and Screech, and then Selene and Screech head to the Goblin Pit to stay the night. T'Chuck and R'Oarc drop their meat off (not a euphemism) at the hunter's guild before also heading to the Goblin Pit for work. R'Oarc performs a song and then everyone sits down to get to know each other a little better. Screech sneaks out to investigate the mines, but doesn't find anything too interesting. He find Ratma Ritmo, the aging owner of the tavern, in his bed, but sends her away. The next morning, they find that the busboy, Elwin Trantor, has been killed.

## **Trivia**

* Day ~~1~~ 2 of the campaign.
* Michael confirms that Sir Rex Yalos is technically the leader of the town.
* T'Chuck claims to respect the Ordinatio Theonitus, but secretly thinks of them as a den of snakes.
* Screech has an arch-nemesis known as Man-Squirrel. This would imply that his own super hero name is Squirrelman.
* Screech's room in the Goblin Pit has a giant window that takes up a whole wall, while Selene's room has no windows at all.
* R'Oarc gets inspiration for her song.
* Screech has a distillery in his second servant's cellars.
* Screech is a captain, technically.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - T'Chuck
* Jennifer Cheek - Selene von Esper
* Nika Howard - R'Oarc
* Mike Bachmann - Screech Echo / Squirrel Man (Screech)

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Caravan driver
* Hanlan Four Fingers
* Ratma Ritmo
* Meat
* Elwin Trantor

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- Rimeford
			* T'Chuck and R'Oarc's home
			* The Goblin Pit
			* The Rimeford Mines

### **Inventory**

 Various Books

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Investigate the Rimeford mines
	+ [Selene] - Speak with Sir Rex Yalos
	+ [Screech] - Speak with Granona Flintbeard

### **Quotes**

* **"New campaign, new Jennifer. I just rolled a Nat 20 again!"** ~ *Jennifer Cheek*

* **"I think I'm just there, I'm looking really rich... I wanna look like I'm too rich to talk to."** ~ *Mike Bachmann*

* **"Blue hair, special care. Long wear, from where? No, no. Don't stare. Killed a bear. Standing bare. Here or there. Eyes everywhere. From where, blue hair?"** ~ *R'Oarc's song*

* **"Hey, as I always say: At the Goblin Pit, when you're here, you're family!"** ~ *T'Chuck*

* **"It's like if Maz Kanada was a cougar."** ~ *Mike Bachmann, on Ratma Ritmo*

## **Rolls**

* Screech and Selene roll *Perception* upon arriving to town -
	+ **Selene** - Nat 20
		- He is drawn to the oak tree in town square
	+ **Screech** - 19
		- He is drawn to the oak tree in town square

* **Screech** rolls *Stealth* to escape out the window without anyone noticing - 18
	+ He believes he has made it out the window without anyone knowing

* **Screech** rolls *Investigate* to check out the mine - 17
	+ Everything seems to be in order, as far as he can tell

* **Screech** rolls another *Stealth* to sneak back into the inn - Nat 1
	+ He shatters the window coming in