Oozes and Slimes

After returning back to the Guild’s home, those Guild members who participated in Battle Royal see a quest board scattered with all kinds of small notes. After the initial fuss is over, Crewial sees two quests that still have no adventurers signing up for yet. 

Although the worm seems something that should be definitely dealt with in the future, this is not the time for such heroic behavior. Oozes and Slimes it is! Days after Crewial signs up, he sees that names are being added to the board. Daralei. Dolie Seafome. Frisky Freak. The party is complete!

With so much time to prepare, Crewial finds out that a powerful wizard was banished from the city in Wesert 200 years ago. Rulers did not appreciate him getting powers from a Domlord. This wizard built a tower 12 miles outside the city walls but disappeared 2 years later mysteriously. Directly after, oozes and slimes were observed in the tower area, mostly underground. Because of wear and time, the tower collapsed 73 years ago. Weeks ago, farmers returning from the port miles away saw more slimy creatures in de surroundings of these tower ruins.

At the meet-up time in the guildhall receptionist Violet, a devilish white-eyed tiefling with a guitar on her back, explains how to commence with the quest: “Thank you for joining the quest Oozes and Slimes! I don’t know much about it, but the farmers are truly worried about the increase in slimy creatures. The city council awards 400 gold pieces to make the area as it was, and we as Heroes Roost accepted this invitation. Make it stop!”

Immediately after, enthusiastic shouts arise from Daralei (“I’m in!”), Frisky (“I’m used to sliding in!”), Dolie (“Yes, let’s do it!”), and Crewial (“Let’s cleanse the lands!”).

The party decides to walk to the library to find more information about oozes and slimes. Luckily, librarian Hohla, a shy and cute kobold, helps out finding a book about slimy creatures. “Hmm let me see. Slimes crawl on and into walls, you should not pierce them, and can penetrate the smallest spaces!”

Frisky is clearly aroused by this cute kobold and whispers: “Would you like a kiss, or do you want to remain a toad for the rest of your life?” In this awkward situation, Hohla blushes and quickly runs into the library, while Daralei thanks her and Dolie places a flower on Hohla’s crowded desk.

The ruins and the halflings

As the party walks for 2 hours to the grassy edge of the desert, Crewial asks the crew about the motivation for joining this specific quest. Daralei is merely here for coin, Crewial for both coin and to cleanse the world from evil, Dolie is here for excitement, danger, and to help out people.

Frisky signed up just to flirt with people. As long as there is some body heat it turns him on. Some entertainment for the road is provided with the songs of Crewial, and even Daralei who hates music and instinctively puts his fingers in his ears is impressed by this great performance.

Ruins of a collapsed tower slowly arise from the grassy lands, and the group sees a ground floor with a hole in its wall and a fully collapsed 1st floor with an open sky view. 

A group of halflings is vividly discussing behind the ruins, next to their horse and cart. As Daralei and Crewial walk towards them, they draw their wands. It appears to be a man with a grey beard, a blonde woman, and a young beardless male halfling. They have an Ooze-farm in the area, and they collect oozes from these ruins to grow and make a profit. Unfortunately, their 3 employees have not returned for hours after entering the ruins, and they are worried about their whereabouts.

Frisky asks what they do with these oozes, and if lube is in their collection. The bearded halfling shows a blue transparent vial with a gravity-fighting slime, that he usually sells for 5GP a piece for “an oozing effect”. A negotiation starts to bring back the employees: Daralei manages to get a deal for 50 GP directly after returning the employees, and 50 GP next week. All four members would also get a vial of this ooze juice.

As the party makes its way around the tower, Crewial finds a ruby in a bird’s nest, but no signs of oozes and slimes. Crewial leads the group to the entrance of the tower and manages just in time to see two Ochre Jellies around the well and… above the party. The battle begins!

Jellies, knock-out, and a well-filled well

Daralei immediately pierces a jelly with his psychic blades and runs back into the grassland. The jellies slide to Crewial, extend their shapeless lumps, but they both miss. Everything happens so fast, as Dolie casts a Shield of Faith on Daralei and a sacred flame on a jelly, Crewial freezes a jelly and tries to run away, but receives a full load of jelly-time, and is knocked unconscious on the rocky floor. 

After an internal struggle, Frisky decides to heal Crewial, and he comes back weakened, but alive. Frisky focuses on a jelly and grins: “Your mother is always so easy to slide into because she thinks of me!”. That really hurts! Vicious words do harm when they are Friskies mockery.

The jellies attack Crewial the moment after, and he goes KO again. Now Dolie can cure his wounds but now stands in the close proximity of these creatures. By casting Light on an internal brick, the jellies feel uncomfortable, just enough to be distracted and Crewial crawls away.

The battle intensifies. One jelly singes after Dolie’s colourful fireworks explode in its “face”. The other jelly slides into the well. As Daralei throws his psychic blades, he sees the well filled with ochre jellies and shouts: “Aargh, the oozes are right down in the dumps!”. A slow clap from the group.

Frisky throws another stone with Light casted onto into the depths of the well, and Daralei finishes the last jelly with his blades. Dolie manages to cure Crewials’ wounds to perfection, and the group discusses what to do next. Frisky proposes to go into the well because he likes deep, dark holes. As most of the group prefer the light, they carefully walk upstairs and find the remains of two small bodies, completely stripped from flesh. A half-broken wand lays next to them. Obviously, these are two of the missing halflings! Darelei and Crewial carry the bones back down, while Frisky finds another body downstairs.

Unexpected halflings

The farmers are shocked but relieved when we leave the tower and show the clean bones. It seems that a nearby farm causes oozes and slimes on the farm to be disturbed. The party travels on the cart to the farm, where a paddock with ochre jellies, grey oozes, black puddings, and gelatinous cubes comes into view. Inside, hot tomato soup is offered and the “Wand of ooze stunning” is repaired. Luckily, Dolie can use this wand after an hour of careful studying!

The old farmer halfling brings the party across a nearby river. As the party sets foot on the riverbed, lights are visible through the forest trees. Imps are dancing around a fireplace. A cage with unknown contents stands next to them. They seemed to have spotted us, stopped dancing, and suddenly turn invisible. Frisky is smart enough to remember where most imps were and casts Faerie Fire. Three imps now give light and fly with high speed to Frisky and Daralei.

Highly motivated by the corrupted evil come on the scene Crewiall asks for an angelic blessing from Galladia. Two incorporeal light-blue wings sprout from his back, he pushes off into the forest floor and flies 30 ft up in the sky. Suddenly, a spiritual weapon cast by Dolie hits some imps. Then something unexpected happens. Frisky also asks for help, his eyes turn black, and he pushes into the forest floor. Two ghostly rudimentary wings sprout from his back. This must be the trick of a Fallen Aasimar!

Die, die, die

Somehow Crewials’ spells with fire damage seem not to hurt the imps at all. His freezing cold attacks do less damage than expected as well. Luckily, his Radiant Soul manages to hurt with radiant damage.

Suddenly, Dolie and Frisky lie unconscious under the trees, knocked down by this massive swarm of imps. Daralei manages to kill an imp just in front of a flying Crewial. The latter fails to do damage with his fire attacks. In ultimate self-sacrifice, Crewial throws his healer’s kit to Daralei and twins an ice knife into his neighboring imps with metamagic. The imps suffer just a scratch, but Crewial is hit by the sharp ice spikes of his scattered ice knife. Daralei manages to stabilize Dolie, but Frisky already blew his last breath out. 

In a 2 vs 3 fight, Crewial conjures a snowstorm in front of him, freezing one imp to death. A psychic blade pierces a second imp, and it explodes. The third imp tries to flee from the battle, but Crewial manages to cast a scorching ray and hit the imp. It does, as expected now by anyone BUT Crewial, 0 damage. Luckily, his angelic powers cause some radiant damage and the last imp explodes

It´s blue, bouncy, and cute

Daralei and Crewial find each other at the campfire place next to the cage. It is a soft blue gelatinous cube, and CUTE! It seems impossible to move the cage or slide it open, it seems to be immovable! By accident, Daralei presses a button on a stick, it could be a rod, and the gelatinous cute is released. The blue bouncing cube jumps onto Daralei´s shoulder, and out of kindness sticks his finger in the cube. The softness absorbs his finger, the cube purrs, and he retracts his finger. The hole closes shortly after. Crewial shakes his head and says “Frisky would be proud of you, Daralei”. While passing Dolie’s body, Crewial radiates divine healing into her with his healing hands. She’s back again!

The now group of three finds the farmer waiting with a boat to cross the river. Frisky’s body is taken with them. Serenely Crewial touches Frisky, and leads in prayer that Frisky gave his life for the group, for the good, a true Aasimar!

The group is rewarded by the ooze-farming family for returning the three halflings and removing the regional anxiety caused by imps torturing a gelatinous cube. Upon returning to the Guild’s hall, Frisky’s body is handed over to Heroes Roost staff members, who distribute his remaining possessions to the crew. Daralei, Dolie, and Crewial receive the council’s reward. Let us bring a toast for all to the sacrifice of Frisky!