Episode 201 - The Reconstructed Hero

The reintroduction of Steve Meloncamp, now Steve the Gnollem, last seen around episode 150.

## **Story**

Just after Jett Razor and the other Nareevians left the party among the rubble, the voice of Steve Meloncamp has just spoken through the mouth of what Aludra recognizes as the face of Thokas, a foe from the beginning of her adventure. A startled Toby Treacletart immediately throw a *Watery Sphere* at Steve, forcing him out of the tunnel he had begun to through, revealing his monstrous body. He has the head of Thokas, the arms of a owlbear, legs of frog creature, a dragonborn tail, and a finger where a penis is supposed to be.

Everyone is shocked, but it is Old Man Weck that appears from the rubble who is the first one to fully make the connection that despite what they're looking upon, it's the spirit of their old friend Steve controlling the body before them.

Steve tells them that while his spirit had been possessing Thom the Dragonborn, Thom had found a man who's details remain fuzzy that had been able to assemble the body parts that Thom had been collecting and storing in his freezer on the Chum Guzzler into a full creature, and then perform what was necessary for the spirit of Steve to inhabit the body, before Thom would later go on and die in The Battle Above the Abyss when confronting Fennekin. Steve is also accompanied by a horrible construct consisting of the head, neck, and shoulders of a bugbear, but the mechanical legs of a spider. Steve reveals that he has some of the knowledge of both Thokas and Lord Milnor, who happened to be an artificer which gave him the necessary knowledge to create his new pet and mount, Jerry.

Steve tells the party that he has never gone home to his wife Cheryl in these five years, afraid of what she would think upon seeing him. Instead he had learned about the Nareevians and has been investigating them, which has brought him to meeting up with the party here at the White Spire. He tells them that there is a magical energy running through the Spire that is keeping the hidden city of Nareev floating above Glaine, the Jewel of the East.

When the party gives them some details about what they've been doing, Steve reacts un-Steve-like when he learns that their former ally is in fact, a Nareevian, and had just betrayed them. He asks Jaela with a dark lust in his voice, if she wants to kill him. Steve apologizes and both explains and mourns that after being connected to Thom for so long, a little bit of Thom's impulses are still in him. Jaela fights through the urge to recoil from him and claps his hand and tells Steve that if there is a darkness within him and if he wants to talk about it, he should come talk to her later. This is the first non-combat contact with any being that Steve has made in the five years since being a flesh golem.

Steve is another one of Toby's heroes, and despite his terrible visage, Toby's welcoming personality is able to win out and accept and welcome Steve for who he is. When Toby learns that Steve also both knows magic and love artificery, Toby gives Steve a small lighter in the shape of a worm as a gift, which Steve gladly accepts. This action sparks an unvoiced idea in Toby's head, and all he says is, "I have an idea... hmm... I can't wait to fall asleep!"

Then Toby's roommate Boris enters the scene, and tells Toby that their room is still intact, but that he also had just come from Archmage Cornelius Talionis' room, and something is going on because he witnessed him turn into a puddle.

And the episode ends.

Oh wait... and Toby asks Boris if he brought him his spellbook, but Boris tells him all he has to give him in a blank journal.

## **Trivia**

* The Party discusses their Level 14 Changes
* Aludra gains 11 extra hit points to take her to 120. She gains *Nature's Sanctuary*.
* Jaela gains *Cleansing Touch*.
* Toby gains 7 hit points and gains two new spells. Toby was created without choosing any attack spell lower than 3rd level. He chose *Magic Missile* and *Project Image*. Tim Lanning insists he *will* be getting a spellbook soon. 14th level is the most important level for a wizard because he gains *Illusory Reality*.
* Steve has the *Haunted One* background.
* Steve cries puss
* Tim is very determined for Toby to get a spellbook despite Michael DiMauro's resistance to the idea.
* Toby mentions that some of his friends have gone missing during the demon apocalypse, but he believes he'll find them.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael "Thrifty Nerd" DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Nika Howard - Jaela
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Mike Bachmann - Steve Meloncamp/Steve the Gnollem

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Old Man Weck
* Boris

### **Locations**

* Glaine, the Jewel of the East
	+ White Spire

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Complete] - *Steve!? WTF!!*
* [Active] - Stop the Nareevians
* Save the shrinking high elf city of Galanthis

### **Quotes**

**"Well... I'm not really sad, Steve. I'm shocked to see you, it's great to see you. Well... I prefer... i-it's not great to visually look upon your body right now. But I'm willing to help you with every fiber of my being."** ~ *Jaela*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - 18
	+ Bachmann - 11
	+ Tim - 16
	+ Nika - 5

*Combat Begins*

* **Initiative** vs Newly Appeared Steve
	+ Steve - 20
	+ Toby - 12
	+ Aludra - 8
	+ Jaela - 7

*Round 1*

* Steve - **Strength Save** vs Toby's Watery Sphere
	+ 21 vs Toby's 18 DC - Success - Pushed out of the hole rather than engulfed in water.

*Combat Ends*