Episode 18

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Plot Summary
The party rides back to Copperforge in silence, the cyclops lumbering alongside them. Only a few guards, Klack, Wisp Walker, and Tinytoes survived. The last two Forgotten left with Captain Grint to travel to Mooncrest Bay and Ora’s ship, the Sweet Leaf. When the party is let into the city, Ora informs the royal guard that the cyclops means them no harm. Starheart finally finally learns that his name is Kab.

Nitsuj and Bubo head to the mercenary’s guild to complete their contract. Snips Cutlass is ready with their payments, which includes a portrait of Bubo. They have the coins removed. Snips tells them about another contract, retrieval of a lost artifact, but they do not accept, having earlier decided not to take anymore contracts. Next they stop by their house to drop off Bubo’s portrait. Bubo tries to hang his painting above the fireplace, but the wrapping catches fire. Bubo manages to save the painting and appreciates it more. They then head to the Tequila Mockingbird for a pint.

Ora disguises herself as a gnome and finds Bask. He explains that Lynch and Minnow have continued their rebellion. The Queen has locked Iris and herself away and the royal guard is on high alert. Lynch and Minnow have taken residence in an abandoned mansion on the Residential level. The symbol of the minotaur horns is everywhere. Starheart visits her family. She asks Klack for inconspicuous clothing.

Starheart and Ora find the home that Lynch and Minnow have taken over. Ora explains that there is a massive orc incursion coming. Lynch tells her that the weapons on the Ridge are too well guarded. They have a small stockpile of the lightning weapons, to which Ora adds a few she scavenged from the fallen gnomes. Lynch suggests forcing Fizz Binkle to publicly choose a side. Ora tells them to lay low while she talks to the Queen. She will send a signal when it is time.

The ladies head to speak to the Queen. Ora instructs Starheart on being a rogue; a disguise is always needed. There is a buildup of military around the Queen’s estate. Ora asks for an audience with the Queen but is forced to wait. Starheart practices sneaking, but loudly crunches on some cabbages. She tries again and successfully hides in the corn, until she starts speaking her inner monologue. As they are escorted to the Queen, Starheart drunkenly says “let’s kill some royalty!” which Ora is able to pass off with a lie.

The Queen’s estate is surrounded by hundreds of guards. They travel up a grand staircase and enter the Queen’s office. The Queen sits in front of a large oak desk. An advisor sits in the corner silently. Wisp Walker has already informed her of the orc horde. Kurluk is a different type of orc. The Queen says that it is a shame that her weapons were destroyed and her guards killed by the Forgotten, and it is a shame that Vor missed. Ora can tell that the Queen knows something. Ora proposes a truce until the orcs are dealt with.

Ora suggests the Queen step down and that a democratic council is elected to lead Copperforge. Starheart repeatedly and drunkenly interrupts the discussion. The Queen agrees to listen to the Flintbornes and the uprising and present a united front against the orcs. However, afterwards there will be discussion before she is willing to give up her throne. She will call off Vor for the time being. Wisp has said the orcs could attack at any moment. The Queen is disappointed in Ora; she can keep her ship but the command is gone. They are escorted out.

Kelrek tells Nitsuj to kill Houn, but, after briefly considering it, decides against it. Bubo and Nitsuj head to the assassin’s guild, but meet Ora and Starheart first. Ora and Nitsuj exchange their plans. Ora agrees to go with them to the assassin’s guild. She tries to explain to Starheart that there will be repercussions for Nitsuj if he doesn’t finish the deal. They arrive at the assassin’s guild and find it dark and deserted.

As Starheart casts and then extinguishes a light, Hush appears. Bubo asks him where his heartbeast is, but he ignores the questions. Nitsuj says he wants an easy contract and someone that is not good. Hush suggests Bask. When they equivocate on that contract, Hush offers them another: a gnome on the market level who beats the miners that work for him named Carrib Black. The miners have gotten together to put out the contract on him. This is also a contract for Snips Cutlass, the reward for which is 1500g and a personal gift from Hush.

Nitsuj agrees to the contract on Carrib Black. He works in a shop named Ore on the Residential level. The head will do as proof, or a stone to trap his essence. The reward is 65g. Ora asks Hush if he knows Vor, and he reveals that Vor is a former member of the guild who has gone rogue to protect the Queen. He was supposed to kill Governor Urit Syle, but abandoned the contract to pursue Ora. At the last moment, they agree to the contract on Snips as well. As they leave, Starheart notices an ethereal serpentine shape looping around the walls and then wrapping itself around Hush.

They travel to the Central level and find Bask. They ask him to help them find Carrib Black. Bask lets them know where his shop is and that he frequents the Silverfish tavern. He has a wife and two kids, who he beats. Some of his workers live in the basement. His home is next to his shop. They leave and head to the Residential level. After a while, they find the shop, hearing the breaking of stone and the roar of forges. The shop is full of about 24 young gnomes at workbenches. There’s a stern looking gnome walking around the shop.

Nitsuj loses his nerve. Starheart makes herself look dirty and walks into the shop. She asks for a job and the stern gnome says if she lasts all day at crushing ore, she can have the job. He doesn't tell her his name. Starheart purposely hits one of the exhaust pipes, but it doesn’t break. The gnome yells at her and she goes back to hitting the ore. The next time she tries to hit the pipe, Ora blasts it with an eldritch blast at the same time. One bolt goes flying and there’s a small leak. The gnome grabs Starheart by the ear and drags her into the back room.

Nitsuj casts invisibility on himself and Bubo and follows them into the back. The gnome starts beating Starheart, roaring and slurring his words. Nitsuj sneaks up and stabs him with the Kelrek’s dagger. The gnome draws a pickaxe and they fight. Starheart blasts him with holy fire. They hear a gnome child call out to its dad. Nitsuj convinces Black to sign a will drafted by Ora that pays his workers better compensation and gives the rest to his family. As he hands back the paper, Nitsuj stabs him again in the heart: soul four.

Starheart sees a twelve year old gnome boy who is covered in bruises. Nitsuj and Bubo go invisible again and flee, except they realize they forgot the head and have to go back. They invisibly cut off the head with the sword with an annoying voice. Bubo gets distracted and breaks the gnome’s jaw. He does a very poor job. Starheart distracts the kid by forcing the front door to fly open. She convinces the kid to run outside with her.

As Ora waits along outside, a pale man walks up to her. “Alone at last, we have some business to discuss. You and your friends engage in some interesting pastimes for a representative of a city. I can help you, for a price.”  He is a vampire named Eldin (character drop). The price for their help is a few necks or else they will turn on the city. They want sweet blood, gnome blood; a hundred will do. When Ora suspects a ruse, many vampires reveal themselves to her. They want the gnomes delivered. Ora agrees and the vampires leave.

Nitsuj finds an ore sack to put the head in and leaves with Bubo. He nudges Starheart as he leaves. She tells the kid to run to the Tequila Mockingbird. As they debate what to do, they hear screams from inside the house; the workers have found the body. Starheart yells for everyone to run away, which they do. Nitsuj still has the will. Ora takes her assassin’s dagger and stabs the will to the door.

They all return to the assassin’s guild and present the head to Hush. He verifies the identity and gives them their payment. Hush offers them wine and they toast to a job done. He lets them know that the guild will do the cleanup. He says that he doesn’t need Snips head, that they will find something on his person that Hush needs. Snips rarely leaves the mercenary’s guild.

Bubo heads to Klaxxon’s shop to get his swords replaced. Starheart and Nitsuj go to get supplies for Kab. Starheart asks about hearstbeasts and Halestorm. As they pass through the Central level and ask Kab what he wants, which is many sheep. Nitsuj buys 10 sheep from a local shepherd for 40g, much to the sheperd’s amazement. Kab graphically eats them all.

Fun Moments
The group debates whether organic Felted Friends would be call Flesh Friends, Meat Puppets, or Bacon Buddies.

Andrew rolls a 2 for “portrait hanging” much to Danny’s enjoyment.

When Haley suggests to the Queen that the Flintborne’s gelp rule the city, Deva says “We built this city … on rocks ……… and rolls.”

Deva freaks out when a tiny spider crawls in her dice tray.

After three episodes, Rumourbard finally drops the character he’s been holding onto.

Justin almost forgets to get the head of his target and they have to go back and invisibly cut off the head while Deva distracts his son. Andrew has to loan him a blade, which turns out to be the Fran Drescher sword.