Episode 30

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Plot Summary
Ora takes a night to think about her decision whether to blow up Copperforge. The party spends the night with the dwarven miners and the Iron Horn. Fizz Binkle is still in an immense amount of pain from his broken legs. Gilbur Mudminer makes them a hot breakfast and Bubo and his mimic race to be first in line to eat. Nitsuj lectures Starheart about her drinking which triggers her to anger about everything that Nitsuj has done. Starheart finds Fizz Binkle and gives him a tankard of ale. She eases some of his pain, but his bones are not healed. Klaxxon is feeling guilty and weak for not being able to make the decision himself.

Ora has gone off into the forest to a secluded spot to meditate. She says a prayer to Kleth and asks for guidance on her decision. Her sword guides her further into the wilderness, here she discovers a waystone. A shadow hovers behind the rock and says “What do you feel?”  Ora is torn because destroying the mountain may destroy Kurluk, but it will also destroy the home of thousands of gnomes. The shadow says that it may be worth it to destroy the demon Thaul Alhoon. Ora asks Kleth to scrye on Kurluk to make sure he is still in the mountain. She agrees, for a price.

Bubo reads the book he took from the Peak level. It is a book of Hortiel. He is one of the only gods that still wanders Sahl under many names. He planted the mountains. As he finishes the book, Bubo feels enraptured. The final page has the shape of a handprint, which Bubo immediately puts his hand on. The light from the page goes up into his hand. When he stands, what was once a bare patch of dirt is now covered in grass. Nitsuj is interested in the book and reads it, but to him it is a boring history book. He’s heard that books like this can be used as conduits from the gods directly.

The dwarves begin to pick up their camp. They plan to return to Thatchweed to attend a festival that night. Some of the injured of Coppeforge are being housed there. The festival celebrates the closest approach of the moon to Sahl. They have a large mooncatch crystal that only absorbs energy on this night once a year. The power is used throughout the year. Andre asks Starheart if she would be upset if the mountain is destroyed. She would be because it is the home of her family, which causes Greyflower to sigh. She backpedals a bunch.

They arrive in Thatchweed, which turns out to be a little run down. The large stone is in the center of town as the residents prepare for the festival. There is a dance later in the evening, which Starheart is excited but nervous for. Bubo runs to get in line to get his picture painted, which turns out beautifully. The artist is so amazed at his work that he gives it to Bubo for free and packs up his things. The injured gnomes are being kept in the catacombs. Gilbur takes them to the local inn (owned by a female dwarf named Veerna) to drop off their stuff. The town also has some tourists, including some humans and halflings from the Kingdom of Estrayne.

Nitsuj, Bubo, Andre, and Ora head to the “enchanters’ district" which is just two houses put together.  It is full of moonxatch ore.  Bubo wants them to repair his broken bow, but in exchange the enchanter wants something powerful.  Nitsuj offers a dragon claw which excites the enchanter very much.  They agree to come back when they decide what they all want and how they will pay for it.  Bubo wants them to fix his bow and enchant his quiver.  Andre wants his holy symbol to be enchanted.  Nitsuj wants a bag of holding.  Ora wants an enchanted weapon.

Starheart goes up to a group of five tourists and awkwardly introduces herself. They are led by an attractive woman named Leery. Dab and Janus are halflings. Wilburt and Susan are humans. Starheart decides to go dress shopping and finds a tailor. She sees dresses which are decorated with mooncatch ore. She finds the most poofy and gaudy dress and wants to buy it. It costs 250g. Starheart is shocked at the price and leaves to find a cheaper dress. She spies the rest of the group and they have a discussion about dancing, which neither Nitsuj nor Starheart know how to do. Andre offers to teach Nitsuj, with much goading by Bubo.

A group of dwarves playing musical instruments troops by, followed by the group of tourists Starheart met earlier. She calls out to them to see if anyone will dance with her. Leery shouts back that she would. Starheart goes back to the dress shop and unsuccessfully tries to haggle. She buys it anyway and they tailor it to her. She looks beautiful. Nitsuj blushes and Starheart notices. She twirls and glitters in the noontime sun.

The party goes through their inventory to see what they can exchange for enchanted items. Bubo offers the gold brass knuckles he got from the Gulls, but Sty (the enchanter) refuses. He also refuses the gems and brooches that Bubo offers. Ora exchanges a vial of dragon blood for him to repair Bubo’s bow, enchant the quiver with returning arrows, and make a bag of holding. He also agrees to enchant Starheart’s tiara to help her intimidate her foes. Ora trades a vial of plasma in exchange for enchanting her weapons. As she leaves, Ora notices Sty staring at her weapon knowingly. She warns him to be careful and leaves.

Everyone tries to convince Nitsuj to go to the dance, but he decides to go to the catacombs instead. Starheart takes him aside and asks for a dance. He blushes again. Starhears says he can make up everything to her by giving her a dance. Ora pays two bards to go into the alleyway and play a romantic song. Nitsuj takes her hand and they try to dance, but Nitsuj is very bad. He steps on her dress, ripping it. Very embarrassed, Nitsuj walks away with tears in his eyes. Starheart walks the other way, also crying.

As Starheart walks through the alley, Leery stops her and comforts her. As they dance, Leery asks her where her name comes from. Starheart is suspicious and casts a zone of truth. Leery's grip tightens as the others in her group approach closer. Starheart asks her where she is from and Leery responds that they are actually from the west, from the temple of Kloht. She’s confused that she just admitted that. Starheart asks if Leery killed her parents. She replies that she did not have that honor but she knows who did. Starheart kicks her right in the love canal.

The group’s clothing changes into the robes of the cult of Kloht. Declaring that she wants the Starheart gem that Starheart wears, Leery hits her with an eldritch blast. The party hears Starheart call for them and come running. The other cultists charge Starheart. Bubo wades in and kills Wilburt who had grabbed Starheart. As Wilburt dies, Leery shoots an eldritch blast into the air and a horn is blown; from behind a fog bank emerge four more cultists (Danny turn the tide token). The fog bank coalesces into a figure that smells terrible: Gassius (character drop).

The cultists continue to attack Starheart, cutting her dress in the process. Ora is able to teleport Starheart out of the area, killing two more cultists with a thunder wave. Bubo takes out the last original cultist. Leery tries to fire out several spells, but Nitsuj counterspells them all. Bubo casts thorns at the incoming group and Nitsuj encircles them in fire, killing several of them. The fog closes in on the party. Leery is very upset and tries to cast another spell but Nitsuj counterspells it again. Starheart runs up to Leery and stranglers her with the part of her dress that is ripped. As she falls, the sun sets and the stones in her dress and all around town shine brightly.

Gilbur shouts out that something is wrong, the large crystal in the center of town has been taken and replaced by a fake.

Fun Moments
The opening is a hot mess of screaming and talking over one another.

A blessing is given to the first person to make a fart noise, which Deva does with her chair.

Deva says the Copperfoge is the home of Starheart’s family who birthed her from their “canal of love.”

Andrew asks if the enchanter can make Bubo’s quiver magical so that any arrows that come out of it are magical. Danny, as the enchanter, says, “ah yes, the old dip and slip.”

When the “Turn the Tides” donation is given to the DM, Justin calls him Danny Meantooth.

Broaden Horizons
Ryan- Elder Cabe is his father and may have a scrying eye in the catacombs. (Redeemed Episode 31)

Hayley- Captain Ashford has hidden a cache of special items in the Steamfangs.

Justin- Nitsuj has read in his leather book and learned a bit more about how his resurrection spell works. (Redeemed Episode 31)

Deva- Greyflower knows information about the current location of Hortiel. (Redeemed Episode 33)

Andrew- Bubo has a past relationship with the soldiers of the Steamfangs. (Redeemed Episode 34)