Fish Bish

Write-up by Dhalia.

## The Story

The evening of June 26th in the Drunken Phoenix, Oli comes rushing in saying he found Nothic eye drops to give him true seeing to figure out what Jeoffrey the goldfish *really* is. Jorin, Vincent, & Dhalia witness Oli's outburst, but Vincent and Dhalia are incredibly tired after their run-in with Kurt Blackridge (see C2Ep17) and promptly head to bed after Oli's announcement.

Oli goes to wake Vincent up, but finds him already awake in his room furiously scribbling notes at his desk. They head to Dhalia's room where Vincent proceeds to jump on her bed to wake her up. With Adrien having been asleep on her face, Dhalia almost casts ray of frost at the intruder but stops herself when she hears Oli mention their mission to find out the goldfish's true identity. Dhalia pushes Vincent off her bed, and the crew gathers Jeoffrey from Oli's room. Oli awkwardly talks to the goldfish in a kind-of menacing way, but the fish does not react.

The party makes their way to The Flooding district to an abandoned cistern. Oli finds a barrel to put Jeoffrey's sealed bowl on. He stands 20ft. away from the fish, and consults Vincent on to how to use the Nothic eye drops. Oli *had* been by told by Yama the Aaracockra that he had to put one dose for each eye to use it. He was trying to get around any potential blinding side effects that might occur from using a something from a *nothic,* a one-eyed monster, though. Vincent and Dhalia stand 40ft. away from Oli. Dhalia shouts to Oli "don't miss" before he puts the drops in his eyes. Oli's eyes change to a bright electric green color and he is able to see into the Ethereal Plane and see his party members' auras. Since he was told the eye drops' effects last an hour, Oli deigns to look at this party members' auras before learning the truth about Jeoffrey - Oli also learns that true sight does not show him his own aura.

### **Auras**

Spoken by the DM to Oli (edited for clarity).

#### *Dhalia*

> You immediately know that she is wearing a disguise. Her human form is an illusion, behind which you see the spectral form of a blue tiefling with yellow horns. You also see within her chest - her body cavity - there is this curled scaley presence that is just poking from beneath the surface here and there. You see magical energy pulsing beneath the surface of her skin, like writhing lightning just waiting to be shot out. You also see what looks like veins of blue crystal that are going through her whole body.
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#### *Vincent*

> He has vibrant flames playing across his skin and pouring out of his eyes. Magical diagrams and lines that interconnect and shoot little sparks between them at all times are floating around his head *{think math meme woman}*. You are aware of the fact that he has small vestigial wings.
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#### *Jorin*

> You are aware this isn't the body he was born in. You see an interior soul that doesn't match the exterior shell. You see some of the similar equations surrounding his head that Vincent had but these ones are less writhing and lively and more stable. And they do also have the little sparks but they're more like blue energy rather than from a fire. And you see what looks like two little blue rings on his fingers, one on each hand, and half a ring on another one of his fingers. There is also a spectral sword hanging over his head; it's light blue and icey.
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#### *Jeoffrey*

> You are struck by an immediate and jarring sense of wrongness. You know in an instant that this goldfish is not in fact Jeoffrey's true form. Looking into his bulging goldfish eyes, you are drawn into the darkness beyond. You catch glimpses of the creature that lies beneath. You see scales that shimmer from brilliant turquoise to deep ultramarine. You see a long sinuous body, similar to that of an enormous eel, and dozens of long fins that form patterns that look like undulating wings that seem like they could travel through water or air. You see a pointed, shark-like head and a mouth full of long needle-thin teeth. The irises of its eyes are a vivid pink color. With your true sight, you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that your goldfish is actually an adult sea dragon. You know that this is not an innate shape-changing ability, it is some kind of exterior enchantment placed on the dragon.
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## Back to the Story

After Oli shouts "HE'S A FUCKING SEA DRAGON!" the party is astounded, then Vincent quickly runs up to the goldfish bowl. Oli tries to make Vincent back off by revealing that he knows about the kobold's "tiny wings". He replies by flipping him the bird, then turns back to the goldfish-dragon. He kneels down and in Draconic says, "oh great one, how can we serve you?" As Jeoffrey is still in goldfish form he still cannot speak, but he does swim around in his bowl after Vincent's declaration, which Dhalia and Jorin are able to understand. Oli tries to remember from the time he studied aquatic animals if he learned anything specific about sea dragons, but all he can remember is that he's heard of them before and that they're pretty powerful. He wonders aloud if sea dragons are nice, and Vincent replies "it's a fucking dragon, what do you expect?" Dhalia attempts to speak to the dragon in Draconic asking "how did this happen?"; the goldfish waves a little fin but is unable to convey a true answer. Oli then casts speak with animals, realizing Draconic won't work because it is not in its true form. Oli has a conversation with Jeoffrey, and relays any questions the party has and answers the sea dragon gives. Vincent is keen on worshipping this dragon and wishes to release it. Dhalia is excited about the prospect of meeting a dragon and wants to be its friend, but is rather unsure about *releasing* *a dragon* - she hasn't really thought of the logistics of how they'd be friends *without* releasing him but minor details. Oli also wants to make friends with the dragon. Jeoffrey says he is willing to be allies with them if they help him revert to his true form. Oli fully believes the dragon, although it is unclear if it's the truth or if the dragon has ulterior motives. In the moment, Dhalia is incredibly excited at the prospect of helping this dragon because it means she'll get to meet a real dragon. They learn his true name is "Jeoffrindax". Oli makes a deal with Jeoffrindax that in exchange for helping him revert back to his true form, he does not harm them or their friends (aka the rest of The Stormguard) and that they will be allies. He agrees a little too quickly, so Oli tries to threaten Jeoffrindax that they'll have to destroy him if he doesn't hold up his end of the deal. After the deal is made, Dhalia turns off her ring of fiendish concealment to show off her draconic scales and thinks she's impressed Jeoffrey, though it's really hard to tell what a goldfish is thinking. They learn that he was polymorphed into a goldfish by Ahmed Noke, the same guy who turned Professor Shinebright into a sheep. It seems Noke was with Harrod, minister of the fleet when they encroached into Jeoffrey's home in the Ardant Sea. Noke used the wand of true polymorph on Jeoffrindax four years ago.

The party makes their way back to their base, Oli is fascinated by what his true sight shows him back at the base. He sees Rosie is haunted by her past. Baphomet is in fact *just* a cat but has a deep contempt for everything. Oli is surprised to learn that Newt is a changeling. Gug appears to have a slice through her and an enormous rage that is bottled up. Fela appears to have potential radiating off of her, her aura has yet to truly manifest itself. Cliff, the clay golem, has runes where his mouth would be and an elemental spark that appears to be animating him.