C2 E40

A super hero needs a sidekick. A ward to aid and watch their back in a scrap. But also isn’t it super weird that rich dudes who dress like animals do this?

## **Story**

### Long Story

Having just successfully acquired two barrels of mead from the Grizzly-folk (and unsuccessfully attempting to drink it), the party gets ready to make their way back to Rimeford. T'Chuck asks if they could return to visit sometime. Armel says that they are welcome back any time, and gives them a basket of muffins. These are probably the mushroom muffins that Beary had requested. The party is also given leeks, pinned to their lapels. This is because today is "Leek Day", which celebrates the day 400 years ago when the Grizzly-folk had a successful leek harvest that saved them during a hard winter. Actually, every day is a holiday here in the un-named Grizzly-folk city. Tomorrow is Pebble Day, where they go down to the river and collect pebbles. They track the days using a special calendar, which is a stick poking out of the ground, with several notches on it.. Odd.

Anyway, the heroes head out into the woods. Beholder-doodle takes his leave, thanking the party for being such good sidekicks. Moments after he leaves, Screech Echo calls out from the woods. He says that he hasn't been able to help because he's too rich, and too busy. But he's out here in the woods looking for the others because he doesn't have anything to do. So, not too busy then. Selene, who knows that Screech and Beholder-doodle are the same person (*spoilers*), is frustrated that Screech is continuing this farce, and that everyone else is buying it.

After some time, the group is able to make it back to Rimeford, just in time for the morning sun to start shining. That makes it Day 12 of the campaign! A town guard meets them, and takes the two barrels of mead to deliver to Rex Yalos. Everyone heads back to their respective homes to sleep.

In the morning (*I assume the same morning, but who knows*), Selene is woken by a knock at the door. She meets Meat, the waiter from The Goblin Pit, who delivers breakfast to her, a "thank you" for her services to the town. He also tells her that Rex wants to meet with her later today. R'Oarc and T'Chuck (well, just R'Oarc. T'Chuck is sleeping) are similarly visited by Captain Clint, delivering, not breakfast, but an invitation that Rex wants to meet. Screech is also invited, via a note slipped under his door. But then, there's a knock at the door...

Screech opens the door. It's Gertie, being chased by Captain Clint. Clint apologizes to Screech for not stopping this ragamuffin from bothering him, but Screech dismisses Clint. He speaks to Gertie alone, but out in the hallway, trying to be the least creepy he can be in this situation. Gertie says that she waited out in public, but the masked vigilante never showed up, like Screech had promised he would. Whoops. Screech decides to adopt Gertie, who has no parents or legal guardians. Rex Yalos appears conveniently, and is able to immediately perform the adoption. So Screech has a new daughter/ward! Once Rex is gone, Screech admits to Gertie that he is Beholder-doodle, who I don't think Gertie would know. She's probably only familiar with Squirrel Man, and maybe Drop Bear? It's hard to keep track. He does tell her to choose an animal to use as her persona. Fursona? She narrows it down to between a horse and a ferret.

Later, the various parties meet up in Ridgewood Keep for another meal with Rex. He thanks them for getting the mead, and assures them that the dragon is doing well. So, that's good. But what's less good is that the OT is going to be showing up in the next few days. What are they going to do? Despite how well hidden the dragon is, Selene is nervous that the OT will find out about it. And because she and Screech failed to eradicate the Hook Horrors that are down in the mines, the OT will probably head down there to take care of it themselves. And that's where the dragon is. So, that's not good. Rex suggests that maybe the Hook Horrors will keep the Order from acquiring more Theonite, which he thinks would be good. They also bring up Lucee, who Rex takes an interest in. Particularly, in their ability to control the ants.

Selene is still worried that if the Order finds out about the dragon, they might think that Selene is a part of the resistance or something. Rex replies that, whether she likes it or not, Selene *is* a part of the resistance now...

### Short

The party brings the mead back to Rimeford and delivers it to Rex. The next day, Screech adopts Gertie, and instructs her to come up with a theme for her secret identity. Rex invites everyone for a meal, and they discuss what to do about the OT showing up in the next few days.

## **Trivia**

* Day ~~11~~ 12 of the campaign.
* Screech is going to need to head back home "in a couple of days".
* There's are two separate gyro stands in Rimeford. They're competing.
* Italy apparently exists in this world.

## **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 / Beholder-doodle (Screech)

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Armel
* Town Guard
* Meat
* Captain Clint
* Gertie
* Sir Rex Yalos

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- The Forests
			* The Village of the Grizzly-folk
		- Rimeford
			* The Goblin Pit
			* Ridgewood Keep

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop The Cult of Ugnos
	+ [On-Hold] - Investigate Thistledown
* [Active] - Protect the dragon
	+ [Complete] - ~~Bring the mead back to Rimeford~~
	+ [NEW][Active] - Figure out how to keep the dragon hidden from the Order
* [Failed] - ~~Bring Beary some mushroom muffins from the village of the Grizzly-folk~~

### **Quotes**

* **"No one stopped T'Chuck from doing the donkey parade. And that worked out... ish. Okay, it didn't work out, but not for the reasons that people told me not to do it! The donkeys got loose."** ~ *T'Chuck*

* **"Beholder-doodle sometimes sits, but he never stays..."** ~ *Beholder-doodle*

## **Rolls**

* **T'Chuck** rolls *Persuasion* to get Armel to agree to allow them to come back at some point - 14
	+ They're welcome back any time

* **Beholder-doodle** rolls *Stealth* to sneak off into the woods - 14 + 9
	+ Vs **T'Chuck's** *Perception* to track him - 11 + 8
		- Beholder-doodle disappears, T'Chuck can't see him

* **Selene** rolls *Persuasion* to gesture to Screech, I think asking why he's still pretending? It's unclear - 15
	+ Vs **Screech's** Wisdom Saving Throw - 12
		- Screech already knows that she disapproves? It's unclear???

* Everyone rolls *Perception* while leaving the forest
	+ **Screech** - Nat 20
	+ **T'Chuck** - 19
	+ **Selene** - 14
	+ **R'Oarc** - 19
		- They make it through the forest without encountering any issues