Episode 104 - Turtle Power

## Intro

**Episode description:**
Cowabunga!

**Opening Quote:**
*"Bring these—bring me—sausages! Uuuh!"*—Gerbo Namfoodle

**Player introduction:**
Sean - “Hello and welcome to another episode of The Tabletop Champions podcast. I’m Sean your dungeon master and with me tonight we have:”

Kyle - "New kids on the block had a bunch of hits. Chinese food makes me sick. And I think it's fly when girls stop by for the summer."

Matt - “Where’s the beef?”

Ben - “Greetings”

Stephanie - “Open your mouth, lose your tongue”

Lauren - “Halloo”

## Episode Summary

### d20 Rolls

* Kyle = 11
* Stephanie = 11
* Lauren = 13
* Ben = 6
* **Matt = 18**

### Matt's recap

Let’s see, we finely got to town after we escorted Glomb Traubadour, the great bard. We meet Gerbo Namfoodle, apparently Trenton the city was celebrating its independence from the queen, basically gave her the bird or something like that. And Alenia got a message from her spiders that Salis Writ knew about us having the blackmail stuff. Year, so that’s gonna be fun. Anyway, we were asked by Glomb to pick up his chest, and from the warehouse found out it was stolen by the warehouse overseer’s assistant. And me and Ren tried to torture the assistant for the information, that didn’t end well. (Kyle: It didn’t start well. Sean: Year, it was not effective. Matt: Apparently I missed a class for torture 101). Anyway, after beating up the dude a bit, we found out were the stuff was and we found this really sad turtle in the sewer.

### Summary

#### During the Independence Celebration

Before the evening ends, Alenia decides to react to her new knowledge about Salis Writ. She uses her last money to organize for her spiderlings to start rumors among New Doladon's common people. She want the rumors to be that Alenia knows something shady about Salis Writ and that it’s best to leave Haven in peace.

Elyron uses the evening to walk around and figure out what people think of Gerbo Namfoodle. He learns that Gerbo Namfoodle is a very popular leader. Gerbo Namfoodle has manages to take very good care of his city and he is accepting of the new races. Trenton is very prosperous because of his business strategies.

As the evening proceeds, the celebration moves into The Burnished Chalice. Ren manages to become more than usually drunk in the free ale.

Minos sees three people, a tiger, a human and a full orc, having an arm wrestling competition and they offer Minos to join for 5 gold. Minos asks a very drunken Ren for 5gp. She pads his face and says “Minos, you are my friend, so here’s 10 gold pieces. Have fun.” When Alenia sees this, she also asks Ren for 5gp, and gets them.

Minos raises the bet to 10gp and the competition starts. In the first round Minos defeats the human and the tiger-person defeats the full-blood orc. Before the next round begins, Colin and Alenia secretly bet 10 and 5 gold on the tiger-person, respectively. Ren starts chanting for Minos, but she is too drunk to persuade anybody. Instead, the crowd starts chanting “Rock, Rock, Rock” to the tiger-person. Minos loses the match against Rock and he leaves the table. With his head down, he walks over to Ren and says “I’m sorry Ren. I lost”. Colin offers to buy Minos a drink in order to cheer him up.

Later on the evening, Rock comes up to Minos and buys him a drink, and praise Minos for his honor. Rock pull up his sleeve and show an embellishment on his arm of the Fire Island (Kasagawa), one of the Islands Minos comes from. Minos is surprised to learn that he isn’t the only person to make it off the island. Rock tells that a few other people made of the island and he hands Minos a paper with their names. He also gives Minos an enchanted paper which allows them to communicate. Rock reveals his secret name to be Ishitaka.

#### Appointment with Gerbo Namfoodle

As the players wake up, they hear Gerbo Namfoodle downstairs ordering breakfast. The players go downstairs and Minos presents the ale from Haven. Gerbo Namfoodle likes the taste and Elyron explains that it’s made with a new plant called hops. Gerbo Namfoodle is interested in importing more of the ale, but Minos explains that because of their struggles with New Doladon, Haven can’t expand their crops. Gerbo Namfoodle expresses annoyance with Salis Writ’s treatment of Haven and the players decide to tell him Salis Writ’s real intentions. They show Gerbo Namfoodle the letter from Salis Writ, where it’s obvious that he wants the sullied dead. Gerbo Namfoodle is very upset by this revelation and Minos uses this moment to suggest an alliance and trade agreement between Trenton and Haven, to stop Salis Writ.

Minos, *“If you are willing to provide, not financial support, but ally with us and help protect our home. You will help give us the chance of expanding our fields, grow more hops, thus creating more of this ale and possible improving it. And we can then also have a trade agreement between our two cities and help each other grow and have a better cultural amongst ourselves”*

Gerbo Namfoodle thinks for a moment and he replies, *“This is a fair proposition you bring out. Now I will say, I cannot offer my personal guard. As that may appear that I’m giving favor to your town. What I can do though, is I’m in full knowledge and good standing with the mercenaries around this town. I will pay to have mercenaries sit their post, until the first crop come out. At which point, if you can reproduce this ale, we have a trade agreement”*

Colin, *“And if we reproduce the ale. How long will the mercenary stay around and how many of them will we get?”*

Gerbo Namfoodle, *“Indefinitely, and as many as you need, as many I am able to provide. Because I’m expecting you are going to protect farmlands as well”*

Minos, *“That is correct”*

Gerbo Namfoodle calls for at scribe to bring a map of the area. He looks at the map and says *“It appears you fall just the outskirts of our lands. I’m sure you passed through many a weed fields. We have not been utilizing as much as we need and this land is still granted to us. We have succeeded from the queen. I can probably give you 2000 acres, guarded by mercenaries as well as guarding the township, should you be able to reproduce this. Now I will say, on the overhead I take 50% profit”*

All the players agree that it’s a good agreement and Gerbo Namfoodle further include *“But we will also be the main trading hub. That will be the benefit to you”*

After the agreement, the players and Gerbo Namfoodle discussed what to call the ale and they end up with Iru-Ale. Gerbo Namfoodle advises the players to keep their ingredient secret and after that, he and Minos shake hand on the agreement.

Minos, *“Pleasure doing business with you”*

Gerbo Namfoodle, *“Ay, I will send a contingent of mercenaries ahead to protect your town as we plot out the land and I will make sure that is watches as well. You have people in the town to work the land I hear”*

Minos *“Yes,”* Namfoodle *“You’re gonna need more”*.

#### Preparing to leave Trenton

After the agreement the players eat breakfast and Gerbo Namfoodle leaves to tend to other work. The players have some time in Trenton before they leave and Elyron decides to walk around in the city to see what they have done to get so prosperous. A lot of the farmland around the city isn’t being used. However, it is through sea trade and livestock Trenton have made its wealth. Elyron also notices that all the routes skirt the forest anywhere it comes. Ren uses her time to send a note to her home, telling her parent she is okay.

As the players are preparing to travel back to Haven, they find new traveling clothes, a full set of rations and a note from Gerbo Namfoodle saying *“Looking forward to our business ventures”.*

#### On the way to Haven

The players decide to ride back to Haven the same way they came. Midway through their journey home they feel a cold child fall upon them. Alenia and Minos notice clouds forming unnaturally quickly above them. Just as Minos suggests that they should start riding faster, it starts to get completely dark. The darkness makes the horses unwieldy and only Ren manages to make her horse obey. The wind starts to increase in strength and the players sense an unnatural storm coming in. They attempt to seek shelter among the trees in the Lost Woods. The players fight against the wind and Minos and Elyron have to help the other players move forward. During their struggles Colin and Ren lose their horses.

Inside the Lost Woods, the players start tripping over some stones and when they look down, they realize it is gravestones.

## Memorable Quotes

*(add your favorite funny/epic lines here!)*

## Trivia

* New NPC: Rock/Ishitaka - Tiger-person, from Minos' home island
* New Items & Treasures:
	+ Minos: A list with the names of 5 people who escaped Minos' home islands.
	+ Minos: An enchanted paper which allows Minos to communicate with Ishitaka
	+ Everybody: new traveling clothes and rations.