TGAT: Session 18

The Xanathar's Gourmet Kitchen Masacre

##### X17. Promenade

Bushy standing over the unconscious body of Ahmaergo began ruthlessly stomping on his head until there was nothing left but blood and fractured skull shards in a pool of flesh and sinew.

Gorog Un-Fallas, Bushy and Lia Saevia hear a female voice scream for help coming from the area X6 and they enter the door to the south east and creep around the corner. Gorog Un-Fallas from the top of the steps crouches down to see what is at the bottom of the stairs while remaining unseen and is able to see the Ten-foot-high stone bleachers hugging the northwest half of the room.

Ten human bandits and five bugbears (all members of the Xanathar Guild) guzzle ale and heckle combatants from the bleachers, while two goblins serve up *salted rat intestines* and *stirge meat pies*. The party cannot see what is fighting inside the arena without progressing forwards and they instead decide to retreat and regroup with the rest of the party at door into X18. As they leave the area they again hear shouts for help but ignore this request.

##### X25. Food for Thought

Richard Dickens continues to apply first aid to the dying and mentally impaired victims in this room and manages to stabilise the dying human, but the human gibbering like a madman is still babbling incoherently.

Richard Dickens carries their bodies to X22 and attempts to take them back through the portal to the Xanathar Guild Hideout but discovers the portal only works in one direction and that they are now trapped in Xanathar's Lair.

##### X27. Prison

   Levi Gastonne and Cubone pick open the door to the north east of area X23 and are charged by three Kuo-toa Whip's wielding pincer staffs. The pair see nothing of value in the cells so do not open any of them. Levi Gastonne spots a figurine on a pedestal which is crudely fashioned out of clay. It has the head of a hammerhead shark, the upper torso of a bare-chested male, dragon wings sprouting from its shoulders, and octopus tentacles where its legs should be. The kuo-toa modelled it after a god they call Garshoogah. Levi Gastonne smashes this figurine on the floor.

##### X18. Audience Chamber

All members of the party convene on area X18. The door is open so Richard Dickens enters and sees a magically lit room containing a circular floor, tiled in black marble and bearing a gold mosaic of Xanathar's symbol. Jutting from the ceiling is a bronze, bell-shaped protuberance. Displayed against the curved walls are a dozen lifelike statues (humans, drow, dwarves, goblinoids, and kobolds).

No one but Richard Dickens is willing to enter the room. He proceeds to the door in the south and placing his ear to the door can hear a male voice speaking undercommon. Richard Dickens calls over Cubone who can understand this language and Cubone explains they are talking about feeding a fish. Cubone then returns to the doorway with the rest of the party.

Richard Dickens continuing counterclockwise around the room goes to the western door and listens again. This time he hears a hyperactive or unusually energetic voice that sounds like it is bouncing around on the other side of the door. Richard Dickens returns to the party waiting at the eastern door by hugging the north wall and triggers the hidden trapdoor, falling 30 feet to the room below (area X29). The party witness his fall and decide to just leave him to his fate and instead make their own way down via the stairs they saw in area X22 (that lead to X32).

##### X29. Trapdoor

Richard Dickens at the bottom of the hole under the trapdoor, with no means to climb up again unaided walked towards the T-junction corridor ahead and could hear a whole load of people talking and larking about to his left.

##### X30. Xanathar's Gourmet Kitchen

To his right he could hear pots and pans being disturbed and could see around the corner a subterranean kitchen being operated by seven kobolds wearing white toque hats dashing between stout tables, frantically preparing meals and arranging the food on silver platters. Richard Dickens could also see two gazers patrolling the room and overseeing the work of the chefs.

Richard Dickens takes aim with his crossbow and fires an arrow into the room striking a gazer directly in his one big eye, popping it like a balloon at it lets out a pathetic whimper. The kobolds fled by the easiest route to the south into the other kitchen (area X31) warning the strongheart halfling in this room and splitting into two groups, one half heading into area X32 and the other half entering area X28 to inform the resting thugs the lair was under attack. The second gazer charges at Richard Dickens biting him before being popped the same way as his cohort. Richard Dickens ran after the kobolds and attempted to quell their fear by shouting he intends to free them but was unsuccessful. At this point the group of kobolds who entered area X32 encountered the rest of the party coming down the stairs and Levi Gastonne shouted *"boo"* to scare them back down the path they came from, these kobolds ran past Richard Dickens into area X28.

##### X31. The Other Kitchen

Ten human bandits (members of the Xanathar Guild) crash into the kitchen who had up until their rousing had been drinking Wyrmwizz Ale, smoking pipes while two goblins bards dance and sang to them casting ***Inspire Courage*** receiving a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls, and ***Inspire Greatness*** gaining 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s) as temporary hit points and +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves.

Richard Dickens had hidden behind a stove and sneak attacked the bandit at the front who ran into combat with the group coming down the stairs. After a couple of bandits dropped they were able to turn the tables against the protagonists by critically hitting Cubone cutting his forehead causing a bleed that blinded him temporarily. Richard Dickens was nearly incapacitated after fighting a couple of the bandits and Gorog Un-Fallas who had been defending the doorway into area X32, swapped weapons to a great-axe and rescued Richard Dickens by drawing some of the bandits attacks to him. A very lucky (natural 20, confirm with a natural 20) critical hit dropped Gorog Un-Fallas to -5 hit points and caused a brutal 2d6 bleed.

Bushy, and Lia Saevia stepped forwards to take out the final bandit and the first goblin, as Richard Dickens applied healing salves and healing potions to the dying Gorog Un-Fallas, stabilising him and bringing him back to consciousness.

The final goblin fired a crossbow bolt at Lia Saevia before turning an withdrawing at maximum speed up the stairs to area X15.