Episode 129 - Would You Like Some Wine?

Stop me if you have heard this before – you are just flying to meet up with you simple boat men crew when a mystyious stranger just kinda shows up and acts all friendly. Even going as far to offer you wine and snacks from a nice table in the middle of the road. Pretty standard stuff if you ask me. Which is why it was so weird when our adventurers were so shocked. This sort of thing should be normal by now, right? Anyway, I can’t see anything bad happening and everything should be fine. Like it always is.

## **Story**

The Yochlol they fought last episode lays dead before the group. Harper runs across the water excitedly. Ros tells Harper that the ship the Chum Guzzler was last seen about a week's journey from here (not accounting for the Griffons), but that was a while ago, so they need to find it. Thom can speak with Steve as his familiar, and he asks where the boat is. Steve, who knows this somehow, tells them that the boat is at Stockley. Jaela wants a Pegasus, so she tries to summon one, but is unable. They fly on the Griffons for a while.

During the flight, Jaela notices, sitting in the middle of the road below them, a man sitting at a table. In the middle of the road. Harper yells down at him, asking who he is. The man invites them to sit and drink with him. As they fly down, they notice that there are five glasses for them. Upon landing, they can see that he is very tall, elegant, and relaxed. He has slicked back, sandy blond hair, and a thin mustache. He is wearing very fine clothes and a cloak. He has a scar under his left eye. Aludra uses Divine Sense and determines that he is a fiend. The man somehow knows their names. He says his name is Artixus, and he offers them some wine. He says that there is a nearby manor, the patrons of which met an unfortunate end, but there as a wine seller there. They are obviously suspicious of the man, and everyone but Tim takes their headphones off.

Harper has been *Suggested* by Artixus, and wants to go with him, and make the others also go with him. He tells everyone that they are beginning to make a name for themselves, that people are saying that this group is going to be the saviour of this realm. He then tells them that he is on the lookout for a book, so if they come across any, they should hang on to it. Harper, and presumably the rest, drink of the wine. Artixus says that he represents Baron von Du, of the Barony of New Stigia, across the Narrow Sea. The gang steps back to have a pow-wow amongst themselves.

## **Trivia**

* This episode begins a several-episode long arc of Nika wanting a Pegasus in the game, and Michael denying her. Does she ever get one? You be the judge of that...
* Harper apparently has a Ring of Water Walking

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Lord Titus Harper
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Mike Bachmann - Thom Vidalis / Steve Meloncamp
* Nika Howard - Jaela

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Artixus
* Ros

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-hold] - End the Demon Apocalypse / Kill Fennekin
	+ [On-hold] - Destroy the Demon Portal device with the Hammer of Sundering
* [On-hold] - Find Adira Harper
	+ [On-hold] - Investigate the "Devil" situation northwest of Mastwick
* [NEW][Active] - Find The Chum Guzzler
* [NEW][Active] - Decide whether or not to follow Artixus
* [Optional] - Clean up Drunkeros
	+ [Optional] - Investigate the Mind Flayers in the Swamps of Ichtaka
	+ [Optional] - Investigate Pyre ruling Mastwick
	+ [Optional] - Investigate the Church of Bahamut's army
	+ [Optional] - Recruit the assistance of the Dwarves in Deephome
	+ [Optional] - Recruit the assistance of the Elves in Galanthis
* [Backburner] - Find a way to get Steve Meloncamp out of Thom's head

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Bachmann - 5
	+ Nika - 9
	+ Jennifer - 16
	+ Tim - 6
	+ Michael - 18

* **Jaela** rolls *Animal Handling* to control the Griffons to go toward Stockley - 21
	+ Success - She doesn't think the griffons could make it to Stockley.

* They all roll *Perception*
	+ Harper - 8
	+ Thom - 11
	+ Jaela - 18
	+ Aludra - 7
		- Jaela notices a man sitting at a table in the middle of the road

* **Jaela** rolls whatever to see if a fiend is immune to poison - 2
	+ She's not sure

* **Harper** makes a WIS saving throw against Artixus' Suggestion spell - 3
	+ He is suggested