Oh dear! This session may have verged into the NC-17 rating area. Markus (due to RJ missing the prior session) had been swallowed by a wall in a building. The rest of the party had gone galavanting through the Gloaming Woods, leaving Markus to whatever horrible fate befell him…until they encountered him riding on the back of a giant catfish (at the end of the prior session). I asked RJ how Markus might have gotten here and he had no thoughts on this. So I leaned into what has appeared to be the “core” of who Markus is…at least in terms of how RJ has played him so far…an attractive, virile, and sexually overactive young man.
Markus had agreed with his unknown and yet unseen wall abductor that he would be set free IF he agreed to impregnate someone (with this unknown partner’s consent of course). Markus agreed and thus was on the back of the giant catfish which is, of course, the partner with which he needs to spawn. Things went downhill (downstream?) from there in terms of how does a human male fertilize the eggs of a giant catfish?!? Markus is bound to complete this upon pain of death by either the giant catfish or the perpetrator of his wallnapping. Much of this session was spent attempting to get RJ, I mean Markus, out of this predicament. Hmm…I’m starting to sense a pattern here. Details below the break…although we shall gloss over the detailed details of the initial attempts by Markus to fertilize the eggs.
Everyone was in attendance. There will, obviously, be spoilers for Nightmare Over Ragged Hollow from The Merry Mushmen. My GM comments, as always, are in italics.
78th of Summer
- As the trio of Dieter, Liesl, and Marlena are crossing a ford in the river to Sunny Island, a giant catfish leaps from the water upstream. Markus is riding on its back.
- The catfish, Nazata, explains that Markus is bound to her. Windler gave him to her and that Markus will only be released from his obligation once he has fertilized her eggs…seeing as her no-good husband can’t seem to do so. Windler assured her that Markus is quite virile.
- Her husband, Natazo, has forgotten their anniversary for 213 years in a row.
- Despite his best, um, efforts, Markus is unable to figure out how to complete his obligation.
- Nazata allows Markus to leave to figure out how he might be able to complete his obligation. She makes it quite clear that his life is hers to forfeit OR she can send him back to Windler for whatever the old man might have in mind.
- The group heads back to Ragged Hollow.
- On the way back, they stop to talk with Natazo. He is drunk and still does not remember his anniversary.
79th of Summer
- In the morning, the group stops by Omar’s to discuss the current predicament. The alchemist is at a loss for how a human might fertilize the eggs of a giant catfish. He suggest that they speak with Radomir.
- Radomir, as usual, is quite delighted to see Markus with yet another round of hearty laughter at his expense.
- The old wizard doesn’t see how a human can fertilize Nazata’s eggs…at least not as a human. Perhaps Markus could turn himself into a giant catfish to do the deed and in a remarkable turn of coincidence, he himself has the means by which Markus can become a catfish…for a brief period of time or maybe permanently. Radomir can’t quite remember how this particular magical ring he has works.
- The wizard will provide the ring if Markus (or anyone else in the group) can return a lost item to him. It is a dagger that turns into a sword when you say, “Biggus Stickus.” (Yes, that is a play on the scene from Life of Brian and set Radomir into another fit of laughter.)
- Unfortunately, Radomir doesn’t quite remember where he happened to have last left Biggus Stickus. After some additional questioning and firm assertions that it is not in his home. Radomir does remember that he last saw it while he and Martha visited Doya, a giant beaver in the Gloaming Woods.
- The group agrees to find the dagger in exchange for the ring.
- This leaves the issue of how to turn Catfish Markus into Giant Catfish Markus. Well, wouldn’t you know it…Radomir remembers having traded Doya a potion of growth many years prior. There is no guarantee that the beaver still has it, but it is a possibility.
- The wizard will provide the ring if Markus (or anyone else in the group) can return a lost item to him. It is a dagger that turns into a sword when you say, “Biggus Stickus.” (Yes, that is a play on the scene from Life of Brian and set Radomir into another fit of laughter.)
- The old wizard doesn’t see how a human can fertilize Nazata’s eggs…at least not as a human. Perhaps Markus could turn himself into a giant catfish to do the deed and in a remarkable turn of coincidence, he himself has the means by which Markus can become a catfish…for a brief period of time or maybe permanently. Radomir can’t quite remember how this particular magical ring he has works.
- The group takes their leave and heads north to find Doya. Along the way, the stop to see Nazata and let her know that they’ll be back soon for her and Markus to complete what needs to be completed. She seems less than impressed.
- Continuing on, Dieter–who has taken point–spots a small bush trot across the trail in front of the group. It then happens again a bit later and the group decides to investigate.
- They follow the swirling tracks left by the strolling shrub and come to a large cherry laurel bush. They can spot the little one peering out from the cover of the larger bush.
- Liesl tries to coax the little one out and then tries to play catch with it using a pine cone. The little one takes the pine cone and starts to shake it, releasing its seed. Dieter does the same with a different pine cone.
- As this is going on, Marlena has begun to circle around the larger bush. She spots some brambles that look very much like ones that the group encountered in a prior foray into the woods. The ones that had the body of Günst entangled within and which tried to grasp the group.
- This similarity is clinched when the brambles begin to move.
- The little bush is suddenly distraught and starts to run away, tugging at Dieter to follow. The whole group flees as the brambles move out to group them.
- The little bush continues fleeing across the trial and into the woods on the opposite side. Dieter acquiesces to being tugged along and the others follow.
- After a bit, the little bush leads to the group to a small spring hidden among some rocks. It stops at the spring and dips its roots within.
- Dieter takes a drink from the spring. It is cool and refreshing. Also, he can know communicate with the little bush at an empathic type level. He can sense what the bush is generally feeling and it seems to understand him.
- The bush climbs up onto Dieter’s shoulders and wraps its branches around his head, comfortably, to hold on. The group makes their way back to the trail and continue on to find Doya. (Still leaning into some of that fairy tale style of game with the bush and the spring.)
- The little bush continues fleeing across the trial and into the woods on the opposite side. Dieter acquiesces to being tugged along and the others follow.
- After traveling a bit farther, the group could hear singing…a deep, deep female voice…a song about a lumberjack (Johnny Cash not Monty Python).
- A large dam of felled trees, mud, and various things came into view. Three bodies were impaled upon large trunks of trees that were incorporated into the dam. A large lake lay on the other side of the dam and a giant albino beaver was busily chewing away at a tree, singing between chomps.
- The impaled bodies all appear human and dressed like bandits or other ne’er-do-wells.
- The party approaches the beaver, making noise and making sure that they can be easily spotted.
- The beaver is, of course, Doya and some conversation ensues.
- Doya is not a fan of Nazata. The catfish always complains that the dam takes away too much water, reducing the river to lower levels. In fact, the three bodies are individuals that the catfish had sent to destroy the dam. They were unsuccessful.
- This little feud between the two has been going on for quite some time.
- Doya does remember Radomir and Martha visiting more than once.
- When asked about Martha, Doya claims that she isn’t dead…just that Radomir is the only one that can sense her.
- Also, that potion of growth is still lying about somewhere. Doya would be happy to give it to the party if they would get rid of Nataza. The party won’t agree to that.
- As an alternative, Doya will trade the potion for an ivory pipe that she once saw the hermit Olias smoking.
- The group is amenable to this deal and agrees.
- A large dam of felled trees, mud, and various things came into view. Three bodies were impaled upon large trunks of trees that were incorporated into the dam. A large lake lay on the other side of the dam and a giant albino beaver was busily chewing away at a tree, singing between chomps.
And that is where the session ended (I think).
The notes from Rachel that I usually rely on stopped after the group set off to follow the bush. That’s a compliment…when she is too engaged in the game to take notes, it is a good thing. At least until I have to write these things. 😉
Well, Markus has got them into a bit of a thing…again. It is probably going to take them days to get this for so and so and then that for another so and so and then finally that for you know who sort of things. I don’t know…seems fairy tale consistent to me. I’m certainly not trying to railroad the group into doing anything…that’s the job of Markus. Ragged Hollow a sandbox style adventure…they’re just having to travel all about that sandbox for all of this. I wonder what Olias the Mad Trapper might want in exchange for his pipe.
I guess it is good that there are not any other pressing matters going on like people trapped in a temple behind a glowing (and apparently impenetrable) dome or one of the PCs only having a handful of days left to pay back a loan or leave Ragged Hollow forever!!!
