Episode 422 - The Final Battle Part 1

This is it. This is the final battle. Trant and his demon goons vs The Tower of Grey. We have never faced anything as powerful as Trant so we will need all the luck and grit that we can get. Regardless, it all ends here.

## **Story**

### Long Story

It has come to this. Melora lies defeated and motionless against the wall of her throne room, her bow broken before her, and 2 Belors standing over her. Making his way slowy toward her, is the insidious Trant Thumble, his arm now a gattling gun, bearing the 5 colors of the heads of Tiamat. Attached to it is also The God Killer. This is all pretty terrible, so Skud does the only sensible thing, and draws a card from his Deck of Many Things. This card destroys at random one other card, which ends up being Lahni's magic bean. Bummer. Anyway, Trant Thumble! He's a bad guy. Toby calls out to him, demanding that Trant explain himself. Trant doesn't want to do so, but after enough prodding, he reluctantly begins monologuing...

When Trant was just a young boy, he say his father killed in front of him. He realized that his father was too weak to protect himself and his family. This lead to Trant's philosophy, that weakness is the greatest sin there is. Suffering, he says, is caused by weakness, and if he were to harness the power of the gods, he could eliminate all weakness, and therefore, end all suffering. After his father was killed, Trant was taken as captive by the killers, a traveling band of marauders. They would go out on raids, capturing and hostaging various people from their victims. They only kept the humans. The rest, they killed.

After one year in servidute, Trant was given an offer: He could rise up the ranks, and "join the family", if he were able to win 50 tournament matches. This, he was able to do, and so he was welcomed into the family. Unfortunately, things didn't last long, because soon, guards from the nearby city of Caer came to for them. The Master was too weak, and commanded retreat. Trant saw this weakness, and killed the Master. He took over, and fought off the guards. Under Trant's command, they took towns, amassing more and more power. Anyone within the family, Trant regarded as his children, whom he vowed to keep safe, unless they were too weak.

Trant tells The Tower that the suffering all around them was caused by the gods, or at the very least, allowed by them. Now, he wants to eliminate the gods. Everyone who follows him, he claims, is safe and happy. He says that he's so powerful, there is no one stronger than him, so no one poses a threat to him and his "children". Throughout all of this, the Tower attempts to get him to go to therapy, perhaps to see Doctor Frownsmasher. He doesn't respond to this, nor to Toby's attempts to give the man a hug. Toby stands, with is arms outstretched, secretly waiting for Trant to get close enough to fall victim to his Vecna hand. Skud also tries something, but his attempts to shock Trant with some good ol' fashioned static electricity also do nothing. So, he draws a card. Flowers. They spring up. That's it. He draws another. This time, something does happen. A manticore appears! Whoa, cool! But then, it flies away. Trant has had enough of this, and begins the battle.

Rowan goes first, using *Steel Wind Strike* and her tattoos to damage all three of them. For her troubles, Trant blasts her with a fire blast from his gun arm! It does a ton of damage, prompting Lahni to not throw a bean, like she was going to do. Instead, she communes with spirit formerly known as Orcus. She asks if it can help her, to protect her friends. She offers to give over control to it, so it can destroy Trant. It isn't very receptive, saying it'll just kill everything. Lahni compromises, saying she will try to fight, but if she fails, it will come out and save the day. It just laughs maniacally. Great. Skud uses one of his *Wish*es to *Wish* the Manticore back, to fight for them. And this is successful! Unfortunately, Manticore's aren't very powerful creatures, so Trant just brushes it aside and keeps pummelling them. He (using the gattling gun arm) is doing a toooooon of damage, which is Bad News Bears, if you ask me.

The Belors also get in on the action, prompting Hoby to go ham on them, doing his biting/macing/clawing thing. He's able to successfully grapple one of them, finally! Adira Harper also attacks, and then, it's back to Rowan. She sends arrows flying at Trant, weakening him, until...

One of them lands square in his chest. Trant falls to his knees, seemingly defeated. There's a moment of tension. Has the Tower of Grey one? Are they victorious? Then, Trant's body begins to change. He's shifting forms, and appears to take on some approximation of Bahamut!

### Short

Trant monologues about his philosophy, about how weakness is a sin that must be eradicated. Skud summons a manticore, and there's a mighty fighty. Trant's gattling gun arm does, just, too much damage, until eventually, Rowan puts him down with one final arrow. At first, it seems to be over, until Trant transforms into the image of Bahamut!

## **Trivia**

* The 3 things that don't exist in the world of Greetings Adventurers are: Guns (disregarding Kevimp McBallister's groin shotgun), Elevators (disregarding the one from Bigby's Tower, and the one from the Hell Bank, and probably many others), and Pugs (disregarding Margaret Rita, the giant pug from way back when).
* Hoby is immune to Fire damage

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart / Adira Harper
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Melora
* Trant Thumble
* Adira Harper
* The power formerly known as Orcus

### **Pets/Familiars**

* Skud's Manticore
* Hoby

### **Locations**

* The Feywild
	+ The Castle of the Spring Court

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Stop Trant Thumble! / Save Melora!
* [Optional?] - Destroy The God Killer

### **Quotes**

* **"Tiamat-ling gun!"** ~ *Cumbertonian in the chat*

* **"When I buy a delicious watermelon, and it goes bad, I don't try to destroy time..."** ~ *Toby Treacletart*

* **"Trant, have you ever thought about stopping to smell the flowers?"** ~ *Rowan Grey*

* **"I don't have any special defenses against that. Does that change anything?"** ~ *Mike Bachmann*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Tim - 14
	+ Nika - 4
	+ Jennifer - 3
	+ Bachmann - 5

*Combat Begins vs Trant Thumble*

* Initiative
	+ Rowan - 23
	+ Lahni - 20
	+ Skud - 19
	+ Belor 1
	+ Belor 2
	+ Trant Thumble
	+ Toby - 7
	+ Adira - 3

*Round One*

* **Rowan**
	+ Casts *Steel Wind Strike*, allowing her to make Melee Attacks on all of them with her Dancing Rapier
		- Melee Attack vs Trant - 27
			* Hit - 42 Force damage (also uses her tattoo to deal an additional 17 Necrotic damage to each of them)
		- Melee Attack vs Belor 1 - 25
			* Hit - 42 Force damage + 17 Necrotic damage
		- Melee Attack vs Belor 2 - 27
			* Hit - 42 Force damage + 17 Necrotic damage
	+ Melee Attack (Dancing Rapier) vs Trant - 22
		- Miss

* **Trant Thumble (Between Round Attack)**
	+ Ranged Attacked (Gattling Arm, Red Muzzle) vs Rowan, requiring a DEX Saving Throw - 24
		- Fail - 91 damage!
	+ *(Michael says that it wasn't even Trant's turn, and later mentions his "Between Round Attack", so, that's what this is)*

* **Lahni**
	+ Spends a Ki Point to turn invisible
	+ Communes with the evil entity formerly known as Orcus
	+ Melee Attack (Wet Willie, Plucked Nose Hair, Gentle Cheek Caress) vs Trant {x4} - 27, 27, 15, 25
		- Hit, Hit, Miss, Hit - 44 Bludgeoning damage
	+ Moves away, prompting an opportunity attack from Trant - 25
		- Hit - ~~32~~ 16 Bludgeoning damage (she's resistant when invisible)

* **Trant Thumble (Between Round Attack)**
	+ Ranged Attacked (Gattling Arm, Black Muzzle) vs Lahni, requiring a DEX Saving Throw - 30
		- Success

* **Skud**
	+ Uses *Wish* to wish for his Manticore to come back and fight for them
	+ The Manticore bites Trant - 16
		- Miss
	+ The Manticore claws Trant {x2} - 24, 24
		- Miss, Miss

* **Trant Thumble (Between Round Attack)**
	+ Brushes the Manticore away
	+ Ranged Attacked (Gattling Arm, Blue Muzzle) vs Skud, requiring a DEX Saving Throw - 4
		- Fail - 88 Lightning damage

* **Belor 1**
	+ Melee Attack (Longsword) vs Manticore - 16
		- Hit - 21 Slashing damage + 13 Lightning damage
	+ Melee Attack (Whip) vs Manticore - 18
		- Hit - 15 Slashing damage + 10 Fire damage

* **Belor 2**
	+ Melee Attack (Longsword) vs Hoby - 28
		- Hit - 21 Slashing damage + 13 Lightning damage
	+ Melee Attack (Whip) vs Hoby - 21
		- Hit - 15 Slashing damage + ~~10~~ Fire damage (Hoby is immune)

* **Trant Thumble**
	+ Melee Attack (Gattling Arm) vs Lahni {x2} - 21, 22
		- Miss, Hit - ~~24~~12 Bludgeoning damage (I'm assuming)
	+ Melee Attack (Shield) vs Lahni - 23
		- Hit - ~~28~~14 Bludgeoning damage

* **Hoby**
	+ Melee Attack (Bite) vs Belor 1 - Nat 20
		- Hit - 37 Piercing damage
	+ Melee Attack (Claw) vs Belor 1 - 21
		- Hit - 13 Slashing damage
	+ Melee Attack (Mace) vs Belor 1 - 23
		- Hit - 14 Bludgeoning damage + ~~24~~ Fire damage (it's immune)
	+ Attempts to grapple him, requiring a STR or DEX contested roll
		- Hoby - 27
		- Belor 1 - 12
			* Fail, Belor 1 is now prone

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Blindness* on both Belors and Trant, requiring CON Saving Throws
		- Belor 1 - 8
			* Fail - It is blinded
		- Belor 1 - 27
			* Success - Not blind
		- Trant - 15
			* ~~Fail - It is blinded~~ He chooses to not fail, and is not blinded
	+ Flies back 60 ft to hide behind something, and calls the BTS to fly in and shoot in through the whole in the wall

* **Trant Thumble (Between Round Attack)**
	+ Ranged Attacked (Gattling Arm, White Muzzle) vs Toby, requiring a DEX Saving Throw - 18
		- Fail - 72 Cold damage

* **Adira Harper**
	+ Casts *Haste* (using Twin Spells) on Lahni and Rowan
	+ Casts *Spiritual Weapon* to create a weapon by Trant
	+ Spiritual Weapon Melee Attack vs Trant - 26
		- Hit - 9 damage

* **Trant Thumble (Between Round Attack)**
	+ Ranged Attacked (Gattling Arm, Green Muzzle) vs Rowan, requiring a CON Saving Throw - 10
		- Fail - 77 Poison damage

*Round Two (I know, can you believe it?)*

* **Rowan**
	+ Makes Trant her Sworn Enemy
	+ Casts *Hail of Thorns* (at 4th level)
	+ Ranged Attack (Oathbow) vs Trant (with advantage) - 31
		- Hit - 61 damage (uses her Tattoos to deal extra damage, and heal herself), also requires him to make a DC 18 DEX Saving Throw - 20
			* Fail - He actually only gets 51 damage, and Rowan heals 10. I am confused, but it's fine
	+ Ranged Attack (Oathbow) vs Trant (with advantage) - ??
		- Hit - 38 damage, and Rowan heals 10

*Combat Ends, mid-battle*