Flashpoint: Island of Piccolo

Well, I'm going to swap WoD: to Do to Mondays as it's a more natural fit for me to do these blog articles the day after my Flashpoint game. Well, two of my players (he who plays Lunjun Siva and she who plays Lenny) couldn't attend the game so I made it more of a social game as there were lots of tidbits I wanted to give that would doubtless drive the CE barbarian nuts if she had to sit through it all. She's not the most patient of creatures. So, they ended up heading towards the interior of Piccolo Island, where they could see smoke lazily drifting up from a chimney.

At first they tried to scare the halflings into remaining behind through tales of witches wanting to eat small children (Wellard was cross with him for being meant to the poor halflings) but Hallik's comments that they might as well position the halflings into a big HELP sign meant for Chelish ships if they're to leave them behind on the beach. So they all went together.

It's funny, the halflings are playing up the whole 'we're just like children' act and the PCs are all completely falling for it. Lovable scamps.

They came across a Mongrelman beating a drum and a bony Chelish woman dancing around an unburnt fire in a small clearing around her cottage. Proteus rolled a 1 on his Diplomacy check and was completely and obviously flabbergasted by the Mongrelman's existence and appearance. Luckily, the Mongrelman was too laid back and chilled to care. They thought they were in for a fight, in truth, and weren't expecting the witch to call to them: "Welcome to Merrymead!" as it was the 2nd of Calistril. They introduce themselves, the witch introducing herself as 'the witch from Piccolo Island' and the Mongrelman as 'my husband'.

She revealed that Lhye was, in fact, a Witch, just as she was and that she could teach him how to gain new spells by having their familiars commune. Originally he familiar was out of sight, watching, but eventually it proudly appeared when called by Lunjun and when he scritched it, Lhye's cat was quite irritated and meowed loudly for attention.

The witch convinced them all to try her witch's brew (she also had too barrels of rum, gifts from pirates who had gained her favor) that was blessed by the Gods. In this case, by Cayden Caillean. They took a -4 to Wisdom but were given a desire to unburden themselves (and thus gain a reroll versus Charms and Compulsions for passing this) though it was an untargeted desire.

So, some memorable moments:

Hallik, grimly: "So, my story is a harsh one. People don't realise the trials and tribulations of being a nobleman. The rigors of training, the Scion Academy, the pressures of success ... and the overbearing nanny - tall, thin, gangly and retributive."
Proteus, rapt: "Go on."
Lhye, interrupting: "You should hear my story."
Proteus, dismissive: "Shhhh."
Lhye, irritated glare.

Lhye, to Hallik as he drunkenly tosses sand but forgets to cast the spell: "Sleep!"
Hallik gets several facefuls of sand over the various conversations.

Hallik, drunkenly (after Proteus has gotten him talking about how scary his Grandfather is): "You should fear my grandfather. He's more powerful than you can know. Did you know he once slaughtered an entire family, everyone but his son, because he thought his daughter-in-law had slept with a tiefling? She'd just given birth as well. My father was sent into exile."
Lhye: "Your father was exiled?"
Hallik: "Why, yes. He'd done it all, taken a deal from a hag, all to have a son, a male heir to House Dromage."
Lhye, taunting: "Did he cut off your horns?"
Hallik, offended. "No! I'm no tiefling."
Lhye: "But you said you only had a sister."
Hallik, more quietly: "No, the tiefling died later. He was killed."
Lhye: "But if your father went into exile, how could you be his son if you're not the tiefling?"
Hallik: "Because I ... I'm Sidonai's son, just not his wife's."
Lhye: "So you're a bastard."
Hallik glares.

Lhye, to Hallik: "You keep whining about how your grandfather will get us. He never will."
Hallik: "You're recognisable, you know that? He'll come for you or your family. He'll send someone to Riddleport for you."
Lhye, to Hallik: "For your sake, you'd better hope he doesn't or else heaven help me, no prison walls will save you."
Lhye, to Proteus: "We have to go to Riddleport! You need to get me there."

Lhye, playful: "Arexia, why haven't you told us about your history? Everyone else has talked about their past but why haven't you?"
Arexia, opens mouth and points to lack of tongue.
Shocked looks all round.
Archer: "You C#@!"
Soon devolves into Arexia getting Lhye onto his hands and knees before she promptly sits upon his back like an empress.

NSFW Lhye's History:
Lhye: "I grew up in the Hive in Riddleport...."
Proteus: "What? A bee hive?"
Lhye: "No, it's a name. I grew up in a Calistrian temple full of beautiful men and women...."
Proteus: "A brothel?"
Lhye, cheerily: "Well, yes. My mother is wonderful, beautiful. Some nights she would come into my room and tell me the most fantastic stories."
Archer: "Did she clean her face first?"
Lhye: "Too far! You should be careful what you say to a Calistrian. My mother was very clean."

Lhye: "Men used to come from far and wide to see my mother."
Hallik: "Was she a tiefling? I've heard of Chelish fools sailing over to Riddleport to meet with a tiefling prostitute. What was her name?"
Lhye, scowling: "Why would I tell you that?"
Hallik: "Wait, is your mother called Lavender Lil?"
Lhye, pulls back eyelids to pointedly reveal lavender eyes.

I have fewer quotes from Proteus because he is, somehow, more fluid in conversation and it's harder to remember just what he said. Funnily enough, he instigated all of Lhye and Hallik's memorable conversations. I'll need to remember his lines in the next session. Archer was mostly quiet and watchful. The reserved Andoren.

All in all, a fun session. I'll post up the Harrow readings they got in a later article as this one went too long already.