A Few Things for the Road

**A Few Things for the Road** is the sixth episode of *Another Bad Side Quest*. The Nameless Protagonists are sent on their way by a new friend, Ob, and set out for new places.

## A Few Things for the Road

### **Synopsis**

**Pre-Show Shenanigans**

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### **Part One**

The episode began with Bolton came out of the hallway, placed down the rifle he had used on the table, and told the party he was glad they were here to help. He also admitted that the kobold, that he told the party that he shot in the face, was a King Kobold and apologized for the party having to go through that scenario. Seren took a moment, noticed Alaerith collapsed on the ground, from the sight of Tabernacle's *Form of Dread*, and Tabernacle in combination from having used it for the first time and the alcohol from before, and cast *Shape Water* to splash awaken them. Yashani asked if the kobolds exploding was normal, as she never encountered them before. Bolton informed the party that kobolds were little dragon humanoids that praised bigger dragons. He also informed them that there was a cave dragon in *The Underdark*, that the kobolds drink the cave dragon's poison and that if they drink enough of the poison, as well as reached a certain state of unrest, they had a tendency to explode.

Bolton then asked for his pistols, *Panic & Punish,* back from Quincy, who agreed and praised them highly, when Bolton noticed a spark in Quincy's hair and identified her as Storm Genasi. He told Quincy he thought they were a drow, how they were similar in context and admitted he didn't see many "half cuts" in *The Underdark*. He then assessed Quincy's original pistol, and saying that wouldn't do opened his coat, which was lined with nine pistols in it, pulled out two from the bottom, one with an amber gemstone in it's pommel and the other with an obsidian jewel in it's pommel, and explained they were first editions that he hadn't used probably for two years and handed them to Quincy. Bolton then complimented Seren's magic, telling him that it was phenomenal, then asked them to wait for a second as he picked up the rifle, left the room, went back down the hallway he came from and returned with Ob. Simultaneously Tabernacle, after being woken on the ground, cast *Invisibility* on himself. While invisible he had one of his seagulls go in the hallway and kept an eye on where Bolton headed. Seeing through the seagull's eyes, Tabernacle saw Bolton wave his hand in front of the door with no handle, saw the door shift out of place and replaced with a purple glow as Bolton stepped through it. As Bolton returned through the purple glow, the rifle left behind and with Ob, the door returned in it's place, and as they made their way, Tabernacle still invisible returned to his room.

Ob thanked the remaining party members for their help in keeping the tavern safe, and in thanks told them they could keep whatever they find on the kobolds, and offered some gifts of his own. Ob went behind his bar, pulled out several items and placed them on the table, including: a pouch of money, a rolled scroll and seven silver charms, that looked like hourglasses with a crown on top. When asked, Ob said the money was payment, the scroll was a map of *The Underdark*, and the charms would help them communicate with each other in hard situations, as long as the charm was attached to them in some way. Everyone who was present took one of *Ob's Charms*, with Seren holding on the last one noting that Tabernacle was not currently with them, Yashani took *The Underdark Map*, and RX took the bag, which had 50 gold. On the kobolds, they found 90 gold and 45 silver total, and Yashani who searched the Kobold Chieftain, found *Three Vials of Dragon Poison,* before she quietly apologized for taking his life.

Ob recommended the party should go to bed, insisting he could clean up the mess on his own. Yashani went to her room, her hands shaking since killing the Chieftain, and removed her mask. With tears running down her face she started to wash up, while asking Sanguis to forgive her, then tried to do her regular meditation, but unable to forget the feeling of the Chieftain's bones cracking, is unable to complete it and instead tried to sleep. At the same time, Tabernacle's still undead transformed seagulls started to explode out of existence, leaving one left who started dragging bits of dead kobold back to his room.

Quincy went to her room, but still hyped from the battle, headed to the boys end, walking past Killian who seemed to be making himself at home for the night in one of the tavern booths, and attempted to contact Tabernacle over the charm, but received no response as did not have one yet. At the same time, the remaining party who were wearing the charms, hearing Quincy's message discovered that anyone wearing the charms could hear what was spoken, and couldn't be restricted between two people at a time. Noting that she didn't get a response, Quincy noticed the remaining seagull disappearing into a room with a piece of kobold bone. Quincy reluctantly followed it and knocked on the door, and Tabernacle allowed them inside where Quincy saw a shirtless and heavily tattooed Tabernacle by the ritual casting circle looking dejected. After checking that Tabernacle still had the *Bag of Holding,* Quincy told Tabernacle there was a book in there that she would like back, and he retrieved it for her, finding a journal, that looked like was full of notes of some kind. Quincy asked if Tabernacle was alright, and he admitted he felt a little shaken from the fight, not knowing that he could do what he did. Quincy told him he reminded her of ghost stories, but stated it was meant as a compliment. As Quincy started to leave, Tabernacle pointed out to the journal, and told Quincy it's good to keep her memories close, and when alone, Tabernacle continued to ritual cast *Find Familiar.*

Unable to sleep, Killian cast *Unseen Servant* in the tavern and gave the command to spar with him. At the same time, Killian noticed that the scattered kobold remains seemed to disappear around him, and Ob was behind the bar wiping away some blood. He asked if he was doing light cleaning, and Ob responding can't have part sitting around, snapped his fingers, and where a splotch of kobold blood was, a purple and yellow circle appeared behind it sucking the blood into it. Killian asked to be taught how to do that. Ob told him to do what he needed, then to return back and he would show him something cool, but for now Killian wasn't ready quite yet, and then turned into a wall and disappeared. Killian laid his weapons on the bar and fell asleep at a stool afterwards. Alaerith, hearing the Aquan lullaby that Seren chanted as he slept in their room, remembered it as one he heard in childhood, and was very, very known around his home.

The next morning the party woke to the smell of pancakes, and heading to the main tavern area saw Ob had made breakfast for them. Seren ate a *Goodberry*, while Quincy loaded a plate and soon noticed a scrappy looking dog with three legs, that Tabernacle introduced as Hobble. Tabernacle explained that this dog was once dead, but he figured out a way to bring him back, which Yashani admonished him for. Yashani pulled out *The Underdark Map* that Ob gave them the night before, eventually joined by Seren and Killian at her table. Most of the party noticed that Yashani, who normally was very fond of food, barely touched the pancake in front of her. Hobble attempted to sit near Yashani, but she pushed the dog away when the smell of undeath is noticed, while Quincy happily sat with the dog on the floor, and drank their coffee while petting him.

Ob seeing the party looking over the map asked if they were looking for an exit, which the party confirmed. Ob told them there were a few ways out through the tunnels in *Quarry Hold*, that were a little complicated, but they might be able to find someone who knew the way. He also mentioned the *Spider Caves*, or the path with cave dragon that was known to spray poison, but could comes and goes as he pleased. Seren reminded the party of their obligation in *Quarry Hold* to which Bolton, who was in the back and eating on his own, piped in to suggest Quincy to go to *Cutter's Shop* while they are there, and find Masq to give their new pistols a touch up, then turned to Yashani, and told her she should find a man named Chuluu. In response, Ob handed Yashani a small charm, shaped like black half of the ying-yang symbol, and asked her to return it to Chuluu for him.

RX asked how long it would take to walk to *Quarry Hold*, and Ob replied that it used to take nearly three days, but since they cleared out the new tunnel, a little less than a day. The party discussed their time limit from Aarcanii, and discovered something odd while trying to determine how long it has been since leaving her at the chasm. When RX tried to determine how long it took for them to follow Bolton from the chasm, to *The Burrow*, RX's *Keen Mind* ability to keep perfect time came up with two answers - one hour or eighteen hours, and RX was not sure which is accurate. When pressed how that could be, RX is unsure. Quincy asked Ob if he knew if time was funky there, and Ob told them "time's not funky unless you make it funky", then demonstrated a bit of magical ability by turning Tabernacle's hair white as if he were aging, and reversed it back to normal.

Ob explained that Bolton carried an item with him, made by Ob, that allowed Bolton to condense time and cross distances with ease. The conversation continued for a bit before Yashani inquired about Ob's claim that the Underdark operated outside of the Aj'Naga rule. Ob told her the Aj'Naga had no dealings in the dark, and when Yashani asked if the "Gods of before" could be found her, Ob confirmed before reminding her to talk to Chuluu. Ob then beckoned RX towards him, warned Killian that "he's going to be out for a little bit", then placed a palm on RX's head, and a flash appears as RX drops to the ground unconscious. Quincy and Tabernacle got defensive, with Tabernacle pulling out his rifle, as Ob claimed he "solved the problem". Seren stepped forward and called for diplomacy before weapons. With a decent religion check, Yashani and Seren both noticed that when RX dropped to the ground, Ob's left eye shone blue, in a manner they would recognize as symbolic of a certain demigod's emblem.

Ob stated that RX was not dead and to prove it, kicked RX who woke up on the ground, disturbed to find he now required air to breathe. While this happened, Seren determined that Ob likely was closely tied to The Astral King, Rhizadiel. Tabernacle, with his his rifle still aimed at Ob, said he didn't understand what was happening, before Seren came over and laid a hand over the rifle to lower it. RX slowly stood up and asked what was done to him, and Ob claimed he's "awakened" him. When RX enquired what awakened referred to, Ob admitted he was once close with the person who made RX, and that RX was different. Ob called RX's creator, Twynn, a good friend, and that he was ambitious in his endeavour to create artificial life, and he succeed in RX, but without proper handling, RX's "intended manner" had been subdued. RX pushed for more details, and Ob told him that Twynn was insane, but made wonderous things, and for good or bad, had contained something savage within RX, that could "destroy cities, towns and bring fortresses to the ground". Most of the party showed concerns to his words, with Tabernacle and RX asking if the party would be in an possible danger, and Ob informed they were in no fear to be harmed, but also gave them with a warning not to hit RX with lightning, which concerned Alaerith and Quincy. After a bit more discussion, the party decided it was best to be on their way, despite the weirdness.

Before heading out, Alaerith asked for a description of Masq to make finding him easier, and Bolton replied he was a dark elf, with an undercut that hanged long on the one side and his right ear was nearly just a stump. Seren told Ob that Leiona would be pleased that Ob keeps secrets so well and thanked him, but Ob corrected him, saying he kept information, not secrets. Killian checked with Ob on the location of the last remaining charm, which reminded Seren, as he handed it to Tabernacle, all while Ob informed him of it's use. Quincy also approached Bolton, and asked about the pistols he gave her and the danger of being a 'half cut', wondering if it was particularly dangerous for people like them in the Underdark. Bolton replied he just didn't want to see her taken advantage of, as half cuts like them, were looked at differently and that doing so, repaid the favor for their earlier help. Meanwhile, Killian asked Ob if there was anyway they, or he specifically, could contact him in the future, desiring to learn some of the tricks Ob had demonstrated, and Tabernacle approached as well to ask about learning any magic rituals. Ob replied he had nothing to grant for Tabernacle, then came up close to, and told Killian if he ever wanted conversation, that he was always listening. As everyone left the tavern, RX hung back until he was alone, and asked Ob if the party would be safe with him around. Ob reassured him they would be fine, that he wouldn't have woken him if it would be dangerous to his new home, and that "a tempest like yourself should never be stalled in their efforts". RX walked out and followed behind the rest as they made their way to *Quarry Hold*.

### **Break!**

Dice giveaway run by Haelley! The dice she is handing out were used to play one of her first characters who almost died to a *Fireball* using these very dice.

* And the winner is . . . . 3meshell! Congrats!

### **Part Two**

We returned to the party traversing the tunnels of *The Underdark*, with the use of their map, which helped them avoid dangers such as steam vents, magma shifts and craters. After a few hours of travel, they found a sign that read "*Quarry Hold*, the Obsidian Jewel" and pointed them to a narrower passage. Killian asked RX how much time had passed, which RX replied "half a day", which left the party confused, till they heard the voice of Ob in their minds tell them

*"Consider it another gift"*.

Tabernacle sent Hobble ahead in the tunnel, and used the dog's eyes as his familiar to scout it out. They followed a dark turn, but instead of darkness, were met with a 10 foot wide and 30 foot tall tunnel, with walls and ceilings that sparkles with gems like stars in a night sky. The party pushed on, reasoning by the map that it would be another couple of hours before they reached the city. The party commiserated over missing the real stars, and Killian assured them would see the real ones soon enough. Seren asked what everyone planed to do when they returned to the surface. Killian replied unsure, noting how their businesses were mostly concluded. Tabernacle said he had searching to do, but before that had to send a letter, pulling out a letter that sounds like it is full of whatever gold he possessed, Quincy also had something to send, pulling out her half-full journal. Killian said he had a letter he might need to stop, but he also said that the group had been better company than his last crew. Tabernacle replied that it had been awhile since he had a group to call his crew, and referring to the letter in his hand, noted that *Krapjess* was quite far away and didn't have an excuse to leave. Yashani admitted that she might not have a home to return to, and when Seren asked why, she said her home was not a place you leave. Seren asked if they would know this place, but Yashani replied no, and that there was good reason for it. She hoped to finds answers that would bring her more favor, than she lost by leaving.

Tabernacle said it was clear that a lot of the group looked like they were was chasing something. Yashani reminded Alaerith of their first meeting, when he was heading into a forest alone, and asked if there was any place he was headed. Alaerith replied he wasn't heading any place in particular, and was letting adventure take his fancy, but the group could tell he was lying. When questioned on his deception, Killian stepped in to speak on his behalf, saying they were all new to each other and some things were better left unspoken. Seren asked after Quincy, wondering if there was anywhere they call home, which Quincy replied "if you could call a ship home" and when topside they would to find it. Tabernacle asked the name of her ship and Quincy replied *The Misty Moon*, which no one else recognized by name. Quincy did note that their ship and crew kept a low profile.

Making a major turn the party arrived into a bright tunnel, where the gems inlaid in the tunnel walls were larger and glimmered in ways that caught the eye. Yashani and Killian especially were enthralled by them, and feeling compelled to remove the gems, Killian reached out to try and pull a gem from the wall, while Yashani reached out to touch them. Seeing them acting in a strange manner, Seren stepped in front of Yashani and Tabernacle sent Hobble to bite at Killian's ankle in an attempt to hold them back. Seren managed to hold off Yashani, but Killian easily brushed aside Hobble and grabbed a gem, only to feel it shift under his hand. Roll for initiative.

The party jumped into action as three swarms of prismatic beetles, with Yashani and Killian considered *Euphoric*. Seren, at the top of the round, having cast *Gift of Alacrity* on himself in the morning, which boosts his initiative, activated *Channel Divinity :* *Twilight Sanctuary,* and finished up to cast *Shillelagh*. Quincy pulled out her new pistols, *Peril & Pain*, fired a necrotic blast at the swarm in front of Killian, then smashed the pistol pommels together as the necrotic energy of her pistols changed to lightning. Alaerith put some distance from the swarms, then cast *Fire Bolt* on one of the swarms on it's own. RX pulled out his long sword, slashed through one of the swarms, getting the feeling he was not hitting as many as he would hope and were resistant, then activated his cunning action to *Disengage* and put a little distance. The swarm attacked by RX chased after him covering him, while the other two swarms covered Yashani and Killian separately. The swarm surrounding RX hit with their bites, but was able to resist against their poison damage. The swarm surrounding Yashani hit her with their bites, and left her *Euphoric* still. The swarm surrounding Killian hit him with their bites, but left Killian no longer *Euphoric*.

Killian, still covered by the swarm is slashed by the gem covered beetles, all while he cast *Warding Wind* and gave *Bardic Inspiration* to Quincy

*"Cover your ears!",*

but remained in the same spot, with the swarm covering him and was slashed more by the flying swarm. Yashani, unable to attack the swarm due to being *Euphoric*, still understanding that the swarm covering her was hurting her, used the *Shadow Monk's Stone* to activate *Shadow Step*, letting herself pass through the shadows, away from the attacking swarm, and with Seren's *Twilight Sanctuary's* second ability to end a charm effect, ended her *Euphoric* condition. Tabernacle warned the group that slashing at the swarms might not work so well, before using his connection to Hobble as his familiar, cast *Inflict Wounds* on the swarm surrounding Killian, then activated his *Form of Dread* only to find the swarms were immune to being frightened, and moved a little to act as a shield for Seren.

Seren cast *Moonbeam* on the swarm that had attacked Yashani. Quincy, realizing her bullets won't likely make it through Killian's *Warding Wind,* pulled out her rapier, and with Killian's *Bardic Inspiration*, stabbed at the swarm, splitting the swarm into two, then activated *Battle Maneuver : Goading Attack* to get the swarms attention from Killian, but failed, and found herself *Blinded* by the glimmer of the beetles, and fell *Unconscious* on the spot. Alaerith, preparing to run from the sight of Tabernacle's *Form of Dread*, seeing Quincy drop to the ground, turned and cast *Fire Bolt* on the swarm near to her, but due to Killian's *Warding Wind* was extinguished, then unsure what else to do, shouted at the bugs to come after him and made some more distance. RX continued slashing at the swarm covering him, then activated his *Second Wind* to heal himself.

One of the swarms split into two and covering Tabernacle and Seren separately, attacking both with their sharp wings and poison, with Tabernacle using his reaction to cast *Hellish Rebuke* for a bit of damage. The swarm near Quincy's unconscious body, with some luck, missed her with their bites. The swarm near Killian also missed with their bites, and Killian used his reaction and activated *Battle Maneuver :* *Riposte* to slash them back. Killian, still covered by the swarm, was *Blinded* and dropped *Unconscious* to the ground, which also ended his cast of *Warding Wind*. Yashani, seeing Quincy and now Killian on the ground, moved to Killian, poked him awake with her quarterstaff, missed with an attack on the swarm with her quarterstaff, then moved to wake Quincy as well. Tabernacle, damaged by the covering swarm, was *Blinded* and dropped *Unconscious* to the ground. Seren, also damaged by the covering swarm, prodded Tabernacle awake with his staff, moved his *Moonbeam* to target the swarm that had attacked him, then seeing Killian not looking good cast *Healing Word* on him.

Quincy, now conscious but still *Blinded*, stood from the ground, stabbed blindly and wildly into the swarm somehow piercing them, then stumbled away from the sound of them, as the swarm used their reaction to attack but missed her. Alaerith move a little bit, without getting closer to them, activated his *Metamagic :* *Twinned Spell* and cast *Fire Bolt* on two swarms, missing the one near Tabernacle, but finished off the swarm near Yashani. RX slashed the swarm surrounding him with his longsword, activated his psionic power to activate *Psionic Strike,* and found that having been *Awakened* by Ob, added extra lightning damage to his strike. which splits the last of the original three swarms in two. The swarm that RX attacked split into two. The swarm within the area of Seren's *Moonbeam,* with disadvantage due to Seren using a charge from his *Spider Druid's Gemstone*, fell to the radiant damage, while the other swarms advanced on RX, Tabernacle and Yashani. One of the swarms miss RX with their bite, but the other managed to hit. The swarm near Tabernacle managed to his with their bite attack, but the swarm near Yashani missed with their attack. Killian stumbled his way to the swarm near Yashani, still *Blinded*, cast *Dissonant Whispers* on the swarm near him and Yashani ending them, then gave *Bardic Inspiration* to RX,

*"That lightning thing was amazing!"*

Yashani, seeing the threat near her eliminated, rushed to RX, smacked one of the swarms with her quarterstaff, which they seemed to resist, then activated her *Flurry of Blows* leaving only a few remaining in the swarm. Tabernacle, from the ground, had Hobble run up to the swarm near Yashani, swung his rifle over his head, aimed at them with the Hobble's help and cast *Eldritch Blast* vaporising the remainder within the swarm. Seren cast *Sleep* on the swarm over Tabernacle, which rained the unconscious swarm onto Tabernacle, still on the ground beneath them. Quincy, no longer *Blinded*, moved toward RX, cast *Witch Bolt* on the swarm in front of him, then activated her *Battle Maneuver :* *Quick Toss* to throw a dagger finishing the swarm off. Alaerith, a little caught off guard from seeing Quincy's *Witch Bolt*, refocused himself, moved a little closer and seeing the remaining swarm left were asleep on Tabernacle, hesitated, but ultimately cast *Fire Bolt* burning some of the beetles away. RX walked up to Tabernacle, pulled him out from the beetles, and proceeded to stab the last remnants of the sleeping swarm, effectively ending combat.

Seren sat and cast *Prayer of Healing* for those who needed, then afterwards the party, minus Killian who wanted nothing to do with them, examined the prismatic beetles, finding they were like rhino beetle with a carapace made of precious gems, with -

* Quincy, who found topaz on the beetle she skewered with her knife
* Tabernacle, who put three beetles in jars, found topaz, obsidian and peridot on his ones
* Seren, who found peridot on his beetle
* Alaerith, who also found peridot on his beetle
* Yashani, who found amber on her beetle
* RX, who found diamond on his beetle

After taking some time to heal, the party continued down the tunnel, which turned and opened up into a large cavern, thousands of feet tall and thousands of feet wide, with the ceiling sparkled with star like gems above. They saw before them a city of stone and jewels, a large gem castle in the center of the city, with a tower that rose far above the rest of the city, and glimmers of rainbow light from the gems above. They started to make their way, into *Quarry Hold*.

**END OF EPISODE, LEVEL UP TO LEVEL 5!**

**Rolling for hitpoints for Level 5:**

* Seren rolled a 2
* Alaerith rolled a 5
* Killian rolled a 10
* Quincy rolled a 9
* Yashani rolled a 3
* RX-5284 rolled a 10
* Tabernacle rolled a 7

If you'd like to know for funsies, where the party attached their charm from Ob -

* Quincy attached it to her left ear as an earring
* RX attached it to his body via a nut
* Yashani attached it to a fold of her monk garb
* Killian attached to his right ear as an earring
* Seren attached it to his shell, letting the moss grow over it to hold it
* Tabernacle placed the charm in his boot
* Alaerith attached it to his shirt collar

1. ↑ As seen in "The Burrow" at 3:14:51.
2. ↑ As seen in "The Burrow" at 3:18:01.
3. ↑ See Peril & Pain
4. ↑ See Ob's Charm
5. ↑ See Shadow Monk's Stone
6. ↑ Darrin confirmed that Ob cast *Awaken* on RX. The spell's usual ability is to grant an Intelligence score of 10 to a beast or plant, granting them the ability to speak one language, granting senses similar to a human's, and for plants, the ability to move, all as long as the plant/creature's original intelligence score was 3 or less, or none.
7. ↑ Darrin noted that Tabernacle and Quincy were just months off from possibly running into each other, prior to all of this and before the the start of the campaign.
8. ↑ Darrin clarified that this means they are considered *Charmed* and have disadvantage on all saving throws.