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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 4201659" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p><strong>The Cornbread Run</strong></p><p></p><p>The battle is over. All the surviving combatants have laid down their weapons, and all the wounds have been bound. The Flapjacks-Peachtrees feud is over. </p><p></p><p>Nara sets to work on Benjy’s ravaged brain and body. With <em>heal, regenerate</em> and <em>restoration</em> she soothes his tortured soul, eases his physical and mental pains and repairs his broken mind. The fragment of the Dragonstone that rested within his empty socket has been crushed; all echoes of old Copperdeath’s spirit are gone, at least for now, and Steeple Mountain is once again empty. </p><p></p><p>Benjy, during the short moments between periods of sleep and recuperation, agrees that everything is resolved, and promises that he can make Heather Peachtree (who Jawbreaker long ago accidentally paralyzed while courting) agree to end the feud as well. The discussions grow more intense; the clans must <em>seal</em> their differences, that this might never happen again. There must be a marriage.</p><p></p><p>“Oh boy!” says Federico.</p><p></p><p>But what about this cornbread?</p><p></p><p>“Cornbread is a person,” Benjy tells the party. “He’s the best chef alive.”</p><p></p><p>“How do we find him?” Naomi asks.</p><p></p><p>Benjy laughs. “I can give you a map. He’s my... guest, in the Underdark.”</p><p></p><p>“The Underdark!” Erasmuz looks excited.</p><p></p><p>“Your prisoner?” Naomi prompts.</p><p></p><p>“Yes. I have his family cookbook. I was holding it hostage, to keep him at my beck and call.” Benjy shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I have done terrible things,” he whispers. “I am sorry.”</p><p></p><p>“Your mind was not entirely your own,” Nara says.</p><p></p><p>He shrugs. “Nonetheless, I did those things.” He heaves a heavy sigh.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Into the Underdark. Down winding tunnels of stone, the sun and open sky left far far behind, our heroes clamber and squeeze and walk. They have been in the Underdark before, but never here. Never on Strogass itself. It still looks like the Underdark. There are stalagmites and stalactites, streams of fast-running underground water, growths of strange fungi. Odd crystals in a spread of gorgeous crystals dot the walls and floor. Occasional insects, especially cave crickets, crawl by or crunch underfoot. </p><p></p><p>Later, as the party travels deeper on through a wide chamber, they notice a loud clattering noise approaching. They draw weapons, and suddenly a terrible monster comes into view, emerging via a nearby pool of water.</p><p></p><p>“It’s a chuul!” shouts Erasmuz in horror.</p><p></p><p>The great lobster-beast scrambles forward. There are broken chains attached to it.</p><p></p><p>“Uh-oh,” Nara says. </p><p></p><p>A screaming group of about a half dozen goggle-eyed fish-men, some with harpoons, charge forward out of the water after it.</p><p></p><p>The chuul plows into the party, attacking Jawbreaker with all it has, trying to force its way through them and escape the kuo-toa. But its technique is less effective than a “please” would have been, because it results in Jawbreaker beginning to beat the hell out of it.</p><p></p><p>The kuo-toa, meantime, engage everyone indiscriminately. Speaking in Undercommon, Nara shouts, “We will help you catch your pet, but stop attacking us or we will annihilate you!”</p><p></p><p>One of the kuo-toa stops and casts a spell. “Interlopers, depart!” it snarls in Halfling. </p><p></p><p>For a moment it seems that things might be settling down- but Ari finishes casting a summon spell, and before he can restrain him, the sharks he summoned begin attacking the kuo-toa. “Stop!” he cries to the sharks.</p><p></p><p>The chuul isn’t settling down, either; Jawbreaker and it are pounding away at each other, though Jawbreaker is striking to disable and not to kill. “Out of my way, little thing!” the monster rumbles in Undercommon. </p><p></p><p>Naomi attempts to <em>brain lock</em> the fish-man spellcaster. “Let us through, and we won’t eat your delicious pet,” she gurgles.</p><p></p><p>At that point, the near-truce completely falls apart, but true to Nara’s prediction, it only takes a few moments for our heroes to annihilate the kuo-toa and their chuul. Afterwards, however, Naomi admits regretfully, “You can’t actually eat a chuul, though.”</p><p></p><p>“What if we cast <em>purify food and drink</em> and <em>neutralize poison</em> on it?” Erasmuz suggests.</p><p></p><p>“It still tastes terrible,” Naomi shrugs.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Deeper into the Underdark. Days in. Only Nara’s ability to sense the time as a priest of Coila allows the party to know day from night. </p><p></p><p>One night, Ari wakes from a deep, secure sleep. He opens his eyes. He can see Erasmuz, on watch, moving to wake Jawbreaker. From far down the passage, a blob of eerie yellow light, like something aflame, seems to be approaching. Ari quickly rises and begins waking the others. </p><p></p><p>“Why you wake Jawbreaker?” grunts the chief. Then, “What that?”</p><p></p><p>Everyone grabs up a weapon as the thing approaches: a large mass that seems to be made of brass and stone so hot that it is glowing. Puffs of foul-smelling smoke vent from the thing’s surface. As it moves up- surprisingly quickly for a formless mass of half-molten ore- it roars a wordless challenge. </p><p></p><p>“Whatever it is, it isn’t friendly,” Erasmuz comments, and casts <em>spiritual weapon</em> at it. Everyone is forced to agree as it spews out a spray of flaming gobs of molten brass. Nara and Ari are both caught, but Nara manages to avoid the worst of it. Ari is totally off-guard, however, and not only does he suffer grievous burns on his body, but the cooling brass clings to him, slowing him!</p><p></p><p>Naomi gulps and channels the power of elemental fire to ward herself against its touch. Then she moves back and fires a <em>cold bolt</em> at it. To her chagrin, she does not penetrate its spell resistance.</p><p></p><p>Then, as the creature gets closer, it stops abruptly, and speaks- in Halfling. “I apologize. I did not recognize your kind at a distance. I will withdraw.” It begins to back away. “Tell the master that the oven is ready.”</p><p></p><p>The party stares as the ember guard retreats. “Uh, what just happened?” asks Nara.</p><p></p><p>“It spoke Halfling, and it stopped attacking once it realized that we’re halflings. I wonder if it was one of Benjy Peachtrees’ guardians?” suggests Erasmuz.</p><p></p><p>“Peachtrees use peach golems, not fire thing,” Jawbreaker points out.</p><p></p><p>“Cornbread,” says Naomi.</p><p></p><p>Everyone turns to her.</p><p></p><p>“Its master has to be Cornbread,” she continues. “It said ‘the oven is ready.’ That sounds like a message for our man, all right.”</p><p></p><p>“You’re right,” nods Ari. </p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Not much further along, our heroes come upon a fence. </p><p></p><p>There haven’t been any signs of habitation anywhere along the way so far, so this is a very interesting find. It gets more interesting when our heroes get close enough to see the shaggy, bison-like beasts within. “Rothe,” says Ari. “And in a pen. Obviously, we’re close...”</p><p></p><p>Indeed, not far on the other side of the pen, our heroes find a halfling-sized cottage. Their collective pulses quicken; could this be it? Is this where they find the Cornbread that, according to prophecy, can “open the way”?</p><p></p><p>“Stupid Promised Land,” sneers Rush. “You find your way there, and we are done. I will not go to your Promised Land.”</p><p></p><p>“You’re a human anyway,” points out Federico. “I don’t know if you could get there.”</p><p></p><p>“And you’re a kobold.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh no,” Federico demurs, “I’m a <em>halfling</em>. I’m a member of the clan and everything. Besides,” he continues with a wink, “I graduated from the Halfling Program!”*</p><p></p><p>Erasmuz knocks on the door- and when it opens, our heroes meet Cornbread.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> Our heroes take on a new identity and form their own clan! And, Cornbread opens the way to the Promised Land!!</p><p></p><p></p><p>*Long-time readers may recall the Halfling Program that the party put Timothy on to make him an honorary halfling.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 4201659, member: 1210"] [b]The Cornbread Run[/b] The battle is over. All the surviving combatants have laid down their weapons, and all the wounds have been bound. The Flapjacks-Peachtrees feud is over. Nara sets to work on Benjy’s ravaged brain and body. With [i]heal, regenerate[/i] and [i]restoration[/i] she soothes his tortured soul, eases his physical and mental pains and repairs his broken mind. The fragment of the Dragonstone that rested within his empty socket has been crushed; all echoes of old Copperdeath’s spirit are gone, at least for now, and Steeple Mountain is once again empty. Benjy, during the short moments between periods of sleep and recuperation, agrees that everything is resolved, and promises that he can make Heather Peachtree (who Jawbreaker long ago accidentally paralyzed while courting) agree to end the feud as well. The discussions grow more intense; the clans must [i]seal[/i] their differences, that this might never happen again. There must be a marriage. “Oh boy!” says Federico. But what about this cornbread? “Cornbread is a person,” Benjy tells the party. “He’s the best chef alive.” “How do we find him?” Naomi asks. Benjy laughs. “I can give you a map. He’s my... guest, in the Underdark.” “The Underdark!” Erasmuz looks excited. “Your prisoner?” Naomi prompts. “Yes. I have his family cookbook. I was holding it hostage, to keep him at my beck and call.” Benjy shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I have done terrible things,” he whispers. “I am sorry.” “Your mind was not entirely your own,” Nara says. He shrugs. “Nonetheless, I did those things.” He heaves a heavy sigh. *** Into the Underdark. Down winding tunnels of stone, the sun and open sky left far far behind, our heroes clamber and squeeze and walk. They have been in the Underdark before, but never here. Never on Strogass itself. It still looks like the Underdark. There are stalagmites and stalactites, streams of fast-running underground water, growths of strange fungi. Odd crystals in a spread of gorgeous crystals dot the walls and floor. Occasional insects, especially cave crickets, crawl by or crunch underfoot. Later, as the party travels deeper on through a wide chamber, they notice a loud clattering noise approaching. They draw weapons, and suddenly a terrible monster comes into view, emerging via a nearby pool of water. “It’s a chuul!” shouts Erasmuz in horror. The great lobster-beast scrambles forward. There are broken chains attached to it. “Uh-oh,” Nara says. A screaming group of about a half dozen goggle-eyed fish-men, some with harpoons, charge forward out of the water after it. The chuul plows into the party, attacking Jawbreaker with all it has, trying to force its way through them and escape the kuo-toa. But its technique is less effective than a “please” would have been, because it results in Jawbreaker beginning to beat the hell out of it. The kuo-toa, meantime, engage everyone indiscriminately. Speaking in Undercommon, Nara shouts, “We will help you catch your pet, but stop attacking us or we will annihilate you!” One of the kuo-toa stops and casts a spell. “Interlopers, depart!” it snarls in Halfling. For a moment it seems that things might be settling down- but Ari finishes casting a summon spell, and before he can restrain him, the sharks he summoned begin attacking the kuo-toa. “Stop!” he cries to the sharks. The chuul isn’t settling down, either; Jawbreaker and it are pounding away at each other, though Jawbreaker is striking to disable and not to kill. “Out of my way, little thing!” the monster rumbles in Undercommon. Naomi attempts to [i]brain lock[/i] the fish-man spellcaster. “Let us through, and we won’t eat your delicious pet,” she gurgles. At that point, the near-truce completely falls apart, but true to Nara’s prediction, it only takes a few moments for our heroes to annihilate the kuo-toa and their chuul. Afterwards, however, Naomi admits regretfully, “You can’t actually eat a chuul, though.” “What if we cast [i]purify food and drink[/i] and [i]neutralize poison[/i] on it?” Erasmuz suggests. “It still tastes terrible,” Naomi shrugs. *** Deeper into the Underdark. Days in. Only Nara’s ability to sense the time as a priest of Coila allows the party to know day from night. One night, Ari wakes from a deep, secure sleep. He opens his eyes. He can see Erasmuz, on watch, moving to wake Jawbreaker. From far down the passage, a blob of eerie yellow light, like something aflame, seems to be approaching. Ari quickly rises and begins waking the others. “Why you wake Jawbreaker?” grunts the chief. Then, “What that?” Everyone grabs up a weapon as the thing approaches: a large mass that seems to be made of brass and stone so hot that it is glowing. Puffs of foul-smelling smoke vent from the thing’s surface. As it moves up- surprisingly quickly for a formless mass of half-molten ore- it roars a wordless challenge. “Whatever it is, it isn’t friendly,” Erasmuz comments, and casts [i]spiritual weapon[/i] at it. Everyone is forced to agree as it spews out a spray of flaming gobs of molten brass. Nara and Ari are both caught, but Nara manages to avoid the worst of it. Ari is totally off-guard, however, and not only does he suffer grievous burns on his body, but the cooling brass clings to him, slowing him! Naomi gulps and channels the power of elemental fire to ward herself against its touch. Then she moves back and fires a [i]cold bolt[/i] at it. To her chagrin, she does not penetrate its spell resistance. Then, as the creature gets closer, it stops abruptly, and speaks- in Halfling. “I apologize. I did not recognize your kind at a distance. I will withdraw.” It begins to back away. “Tell the master that the oven is ready.” The party stares as the ember guard retreats. “Uh, what just happened?” asks Nara. “It spoke Halfling, and it stopped attacking once it realized that we’re halflings. I wonder if it was one of Benjy Peachtrees’ guardians?” suggests Erasmuz. “Peachtrees use peach golems, not fire thing,” Jawbreaker points out. “Cornbread,” says Naomi. Everyone turns to her. “Its master has to be Cornbread,” she continues. “It said ‘the oven is ready.’ That sounds like a message for our man, all right.” “You’re right,” nods Ari. *** Not much further along, our heroes come upon a fence. There haven’t been any signs of habitation anywhere along the way so far, so this is a very interesting find. It gets more interesting when our heroes get close enough to see the shaggy, bison-like beasts within. “Rothe,” says Ari. “And in a pen. Obviously, we’re close...” Indeed, not far on the other side of the pen, our heroes find a halfling-sized cottage. Their collective pulses quicken; could this be it? Is this where they find the Cornbread that, according to prophecy, can “open the way”? “Stupid Promised Land,” sneers Rush. “You find your way there, and we are done. I will not go to your Promised Land.” “You’re a human anyway,” points out Federico. “I don’t know if you could get there.” “And you’re a kobold.” “Oh no,” Federico demurs, “I’m a [i]halfling[/i]. I’m a member of the clan and everything. Besides,” he continues with a wink, “I graduated from the Halfling Program!”* Erasmuz knocks on the door- and when it opens, our heroes meet Cornbread. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Our heroes take on a new identity and form their own clan! And, Cornbread opens the way to the Promised Land!! *Long-time readers may recall the Halfling Program that the party put Timothy on to make him an honorary halfling. [/QUOTE]
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