Campaign 2, Episode 8: Dream Weaver

Episode 8: Dream Weaver (2x08) is the eighth episode of the first chapter of the second campaign for the Venture Maidens. Lu and Aoife are forced to go after their first bounty alone, leaving a sick Toni behind. Who are the bounty hunter's they are meeting? Are Rook and Tandy related? Where did Tandy wander off to? Who is Ripper?

Synopsis
Though down a number

Our crew can't slumber

They must head off to Dream Land

To hunt a peddler of sand

I Can't Go...I'm Sick
A few things have happened to the group throughout the night and early morning, resulting in the duo of Lu and Aoife standing in front of the Witch's Brew. Rook had made them large satchels during the night, each bulky and smelling terrible.

They had yet to go through the bags, but they know that whatever is inside is crunchy and soft in all of the wrong ways. She instructed them not to take the satchels off until she had dealt with the hag problem and abruptly deposited them at the Witch's Brew.

The second incident occurred upon Toni waking up. She came out of her room and informed the group that she was not feeling well after their previous day's adventures and she was on her period, so she was going to sit this one out.

The morning was painted by a beautiful autumn sky and carried a chill that followed them all the way into Coven. They stared awkwardly at the building, which had its curtains drawn and door shut, clearly closed to the public.

Lu has been grumpy all morning from the smell of the sack she is forced to carry, and is already fed up with the day, so she bangs on the door to get someone to open up.

Tandy answers from the other side of the door, asking who is knocking and Lu gives her the names they supplied the day previously. Tandy opens the door but it takes her a few seconds to register who the girls are.

She offers the party food as they enter the empty restaurant. At the mention of food, Aoife can't help but relay that she saw a humanoid octopus chef that works at the Witch's Brew and then has to explain to a mildly confused Tandy what an octopus is. Tandy is amazed and suggests that Aoife should write horror stories because what she said sounded freaky.

Tandy makes her way towards the kitchen to fetch Lu some food, and tells them that they will recognize the bounty hunters when they get there. Aoife and Lu have no idea what that means and Lu admits that she isn't a huge fan of Tandy's personality because Lu likes rules and schedules and Tandy is too carefree. Aoife tells Lu that she is a lot like Rook in that respect and watches Lu reach over the counter and pour herself a glass of wine.

Bertram and Earnest
As they seat themselves, the front door creeks open and a brown skinned wood elf pokes his head in. His wrinkled skin signifies his advanced years, and his black hair is pulled back into a ponytail. He introduces himself as Earnest Sylest before inquiring if he is allowed to come in and if he has the right place. The party assures him that they are who he should be meeting and the door opens the rest of the way to reveal a rotund human man wearing a flashy blue silk suit dotted with stains and straining against his bulk. He holds up his hands and greets the would-be bounty hunters with enthusiasm, introducing himself as Bertram.

Aoife is absolutely delighted and introduces herself as Sorcha. The man jovially banters with her for a moment before turning his attention to Lu. He is astonished to find a drow in "fairy land" and tells her so as he shakes and kisses her hand. Earnest has poured everyone drinks and they quickly move onto business. Bertram and Earnest used to be bounty hunters back in the day, but they settled down when they had their son a number of years ago.

Bertram and Aoife have an easy back-and-forth, talking about Bertram's son. The man slyly asks if Aoife is single and attempts to set her up with his son, much to Aoife's delight. He assures her that he will set up a meet-cute for her before turning back to business. He explains that he has a small lead for them on Tandy's request and offers to share the information free of charge.

Word is that there is a small time Sandman that has pissed off a few too many people, and there is a hefty bounty to drop him off, dead or alive, to the Coven Prison. Lu asks if he has a description of the Sandman and whips out her notepad.

Ernest pipes in that the man is an Eldrin that goes by the name Ripper. He has pale blue skin and is not a nice fellow, but he shouldn't give them too much trouble. He is a bit too fond of his own supply and hangs out in the Midnight Quarter in a hotel known as Dreamland.

Lu asks what a Sandman is, and what does he supply. Bertram explains that the Sleeping Courts produce a Dust that is used as a drug. When it is inhaled, you have dreams, and offers a taste of something else. It is not officially sanctioned, especially in Coven, so the Dust trade is a mess.

Aoife asks Bertram if it is pixie dust, and Bertram tells her it is not, and goes to explain the process of how it is made but is stopped by Ernest who says that the party should probably get started.

Lu double checks to make sure they aren't breaking their contract from when they entered Coven, and Bertram assures her that the contract would only be broken if they performed an act of violence on behalf of one of the Courts. Lu thanks them and Aoife asks them where their craft shop is in case they left the Witch's Brew before the party returned. Bertram tells her that ImagiKnit was just on the other side of the square. Before departing, Lu wants to get her food to go and Aoife scurries into the back to find where Tandy went.

Finding Tandy
She finds Tandy in the back alley, talking to some pixies that are taking a smoke break. Not wanting to interrupt, Aoife pops into the kitchen to request some food from the bipedal octopus chef. A pixie takes the order and shoos Aoife out into the hallway.

She waits in the hall for Tandy, who eventually notices her and admits that she totally forgot whatever it was that she was supposed to be getting or doing for them. Aoife asks her if the painting she had noticed the day before is of Tandy and her daughter. Tandy informs her that she has no children, and that it is a painting of her and her sister, Rook. She stares sadly at the painting, admitting that she used to have quiet a few sisters and they were close. Aoife apologizes for bringing up sad memories but Tandy brushes it off, saying that it is the way of the world.

Aoife asks her is she just lost contact with Rook, but Tandy admits that she doesn't know where her sister is. One day she just vanished, and Tandy has been unable to track her down, but her sister was always a private person and she had always been one to do dangerous stuff. Aoife offers to say hi to Rook if she ever runs into her before heading back to the front room.

The food is delivered shortly after, containing a basket of rainbow scones, a french press of sparkly purple liquid, various jams, butters, and mysterious fruits they have never seen before. Lu picks up a scone, applies a dab of different spreads to each corner, and takes a delicate bite. The flavor of the first corner is reminiscent of sweet potato and basil and Lu wipes a joyful tear from her cheek. The second corner tastes of chili and lemon combination that erupts forth causing Lu to contemplate giving up the bounty hunter life in favor of eating instead.

Bertram tries to set Lu up on a date, but Lu declines, informing him that she recently got out of a relationship ten years ago and it is still pretty fresh for her. She expertly extracts herself from the conversation and the party gathers themselves to leave.

Looking to Score
As they walk, Lu and Aoife strategize their approach. Lu contemplates if they should just ask for the "goods", look around for shady people, or perhaps the establishment could direct them to who they need to see.

Aoife agrees that they should tell them that they are looking to score some Dust, and that they heard that Sandman Ripper had the best stuff. Lu thinks that they should use the word shit instead of stuff so they know that the party is hard.

Lu asks if they should ask the front desk clerk, but Aoife suggests they ask one of the people that is bound to be meandering around the area. Lu says that Aoife should take the lead, but to consult her so that she feels useful. The satyr tells her that she is going to be fine and asks for the felt heart charm she had given the drow maiden. Lu fishes the bauble from her bag and hands it to Aoife, who flicks it with her finger to give the chef a Bardic Inspiration.

As they get closer to the Midnight Quarter, the sky darkens, and the multicolored lamps that were leading their way have become a singular dark purple that is leading them deeper into the shady side of town. Less people can be spotted walking around and many of the businesses have shuttered and been boarded up. The air holds an unfriendly chill.

Lu, with her best resting thug life face on, blends in well with the area, especially with the numerous cuts along her body due to the life of a chef. Aoife tucks herself in and stands straighter, doing her best to act like she belongs. Eventually they make their way towards the center of the Quarter to a dilapidated twenty story building towering over them. At one point it was painted a sky blue color with small white clouds dotted along the side, but age and grime have erased its beauty. The sign appears to have been broken in half and read only "Drea" with a flickering "d" at the very end. A very tall green skinned troll leans against the trash strewn entrance.

Lu nudges Aoife forward, and the satyr saunters up, asking if the person knows anyone around here. The troll's breathe washes over Aoife when he tells her that he knows a few people. She clarifies, letting the troll know that they are looking for Ripper. The troll admits that he might know someone by that name, but wonders what it is worth to the bard. Aoife informs him that they are looking to score some Dust, and if he gave them some good intel, she would give him a pinch off the top.

The troll declines, telling her that he isn't interested in the stuff, but asks if they are hags like someone would ask if they were cops. He stares at them with watery yellow eyes, frowning at Aoife when she asks if she would be as cute as she is if she were a hag. He tells her that she can go in Dreamland if she pays the fee, but Aoife wants to know what the fee is before she ponies up. He asks her what she has as he pushes her shoulder.

Lu, standing behind Aoife, steps between them and asks if he would rather have gold or the sandwich she is carrying. She pulls a sandwich of layered prosciutto, goat cheese, and granny smith apples nestled between two perfectly charred buns from her bag. He thinks for a moment, considers his options, and agrees to take the sandwich. He grabs it, crushing the layers, and tosses it in his mouth, much to Lu's horror.

Dream Land
The lobby of Dream Land is covered in carpet stained with a yellow fungus. Nobody is sitting behind the front desk and whatever furniture that wasn't nailed down has long since been smashed or stolen. A smoky sweet smell permeates the air. A set of partially collapsed stairs lead upwards on one side of the lobby with a series of hallways on the other.

Aoife suggests that they head directly to the top and Lu takes the lead, moving carefully so as not to further collapse the stairs. She notes that there are five doors on each level, and she can hear murmured conversation behind some of the doors, but nothing that grabs her attention. Eventually they reach a large ballroom at the top. The room is littered with people. Some are propped against the walls while others are draped on saggy cushions. Some sit in rings, throwing up handfuls of iridescent dust and inhaling it. As they look up towards the darkened cieling, they can see snakelike creatures with insectoid legs and fanned frills along their heads crawling and hanging from the walls like flies.

As Lu steps on the final step, she hears something shatter under her foot and looks down to see a shattered marble, similar to one she has seen before. There are a few such marbles scattered around and some of the people are holding onto a few of them. She glances around for the pale blue skinned Eldrin that matches Skinner's description but doesn't recognize him immediately. A Minotaur, sitting in one of the closest groups, glances in her direction, but is swaying back and forth and doesn't seem lucid.

Lu asks them if they know where to get the hookup for Dust and they offer for the party to join the circle and share the circle's Dust. Lu clarifies that they are interested in getting into distribution and Aoife shouts out that they are looking for Ripper. The Minotaur thinks he may be downstairs, on the floor below. Lu thanks them and hopes they enjoy their dreams.

They head back down the stairs and are greeted with five doors. Lu gently tests the knobs to see if any are open, and discovers the last three are unlocked. Lu pulls a set of lockpicks from her pocket and is met with a strange look from Aoife. She lies and says that she had to learn because her family kept locking themselves out of the house. Aoife admits that she has picked the lock on her sister's diary but she isn't proud of it, but Lu is on a whole other level. Lu makes quick work of the simple lock and quietly pushes the door open.

Under Arrest!
She sees two identical blue skinned Eldrin standing in the room. One appears to be swaying back and forth and the other asks what they are doing there. Aoife says the door was unlocked and they are looking for Ripper. The swaying Eldrin says that he knows the door was locked because he had locked it and poses the question again.

Lu admits that they were trying to find where the Dust was to get a free fix. The swaying Eldrin says they can have some Dust and stumbles over to a cabinet to retrieve some. Lu asks if he is Ripper and the other Eldrin responds with a noncommittal "maybe".

Aoife remembers Bertram saying that Ripper likes to get high on his own supply, but they both think it is better to play it safe and bag both Eldrin. Lu casually approaches the standing Eldrin and quickly goes to grab him by the shoulder to hold a knife to his throat. As if he knew what she was thinking, the Eldrin moves like lightning into a defensive stance before she can grab him.

Lu draws an offhand knife and works the blades under the Eldrin's defenses, avoiding major arteries, but not pulling her punches. His visage drops to momentarily reveal grey rubbery skin and green eyes before it reverts back to the image of the Eldrin. She flips her offhand blade and brings it across his forearm with a flourish.

Aoife, standing next to the swaying Ripper, pulls a pin cushion from her bag and causes the sewing needles to fly out of it as she casts Bane. She pulls her offhand dagger and attempts to take a shot at the creature Lu is facing off against, but he deftly dodges it while maintaining focus on Lu.

He pulls a knife and drives it into Lu's side in retaliation and brings his fist up to catch her under the jaw, but she dances back. The true Ripper, in a panic at the sudden outburst of violence, tells them to take whatever Dust they want, but is shouted down by Aoife who tells him he is under arrest.

Lu's daggers dance through the creature's defenses once again, slashing it across the chest. No longer able to hold its form, the form of Ripper drops to reveal a completely grey hairless body with no mouth and bulbous green eyes, now dripping a pale ichor. She finished her assault with a knee to its abdomen.

Aoife pulls her rapier and brings the point around to pierce into the beast, before giving Lu another Bardic Inspiration with a thumbs up. The creature punches Lu in the chest and brings its other fist down on her shoulder, swinging wildly to drive Lu back.

Lu steps into the blows and keels over, drawing her largest knife with both hands, thrusting the butt of it into the creature's abdomen, causing it to finally collapse. Ripper tries to convince them that they are looking for the creature instead of him, but Lu grabs him and ties him up. Aoife tends to Lu's wounds with a Cure Wounds, and suggests that they give the fey creature to Rook to sell off.

Aoife's Letter From Home
Dearest Aoife,

''I thought it was high time the family all got together to write you a little dispatch. So I've done my best to collect status reports on all one hundred of us for you. Your grandmother and I fought over who would actually get to write this main act of the letter. But you know her, she's a big softy when it comes down to it. Just one little smile from this silly old goat and she's all coffee cake and sunshine.''

''Let's see, here's the run down: Oisin seems to have learned three or four more instruments since you left. They say they're writing a song about you but I haven't been allowed to hear it yet. A complete perfectionist through and through, just like your mother. I promise to write back when its finished and I can warn you whether you should laugh or cry when you hear it. FAERIE FORBID, we act inappropriately upon hearing a teenage creation (you know how it is).''

''Saoirse is really coming into her own these days. She wore that dress you made her down to the threads and gran is helping her to make a few more! She may not have the patience you do for all those itty bitty knots, but the girl has vision! I've started telling gran we need to save some money because the day she wants to head off to study art in Faelyn is coming, I can feel it in my hooves.''

''The twins are...well! They are boys. Breaking every little thing in this poor old house. If your gran didn't know a little magic, the whole cottage would be smithereens and shoe strings by now. I think they're coming out of the worst of it though (thank goodness). There's this cute little elf girl from school who keeps coming by to visit, and every time she stops by they behave like perfect angels of course.''

''Aisling is also well, but Aoife, she is SHY. My goodness, I had no idea anyone in this family could be shy! And quiet! Of all things. When I asked her for a status report, she gasped and ran to her room and brought back a drawing for you.''

[there is a drawing of a very fat dragon wearing a big crochet scarf enclosed in the envelope].

''I heard from your parents recently, and they are just so proud of you! Taking on the world the way you are. Your mother wanted me to mention that the troop will be stopping in Ashtar very soon, so if you ever get some time away they'd love to see you! Apparently the street food on the plateau is just extraordinary.''

''Well! That's everybody. I won't hold you up too much longer, since you've got some big dreams to get too! We all love you so much, and can't wait to hear all about your adventures.''

Love kisses and hugs,

Pop-pop

The episode comes to a close with the party trying to figure out how to move the two across town, until next time! -Venture Away!

Player Characters

 * Aoife Flannery
 * Lluvyras 'Lu' Ssath
 * Fittonia 'Toni' Silvertail

Non-Player Characters

 * Bertram
 * Ernisalus
 * Ripper
 * Rook
 * Tandy

Mentioned

 * Aisling Flannery
 * Cathleen Flannery
 * Charlie Flannery
 * Connor Flannery
 * Kieran Flannery
 * Oiseau Flannery
 * Roselyn Flannery
 * Saoirse Flannery
 * Sean Flannery

Locations

 * Coven
 * Midnight Quarter
 * Dream Land
 * Town Square
 * The Witch's Brew

Inventory
Each party member gained a smelly sack to ward from hags, given to them by Rook.

Quotes
"Rook..."Rook-ey" move!" -Sage

"On that note, I just hope we'll be able to "hag"gle and get our hair back!" -Katie

"What the fuck you guys? No, you can't gang up on me just because Naseem's not here!" -Celeste

"Everything about Tandy is unsettling for my need for rules and scheduling." -Lu

"That's all I do these days; digress!" -Bertram

"Roll for Prosciutto." -Katie

"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" -Aoife

Trivia
Aoife used her Inspiration to allow Lu to reroll an attack roll.

Current FECK count: