😸36. snap crackle pop

session 36 • 8/02/2022 • 1,882 words

🌞 DAY 10 • 📅 HARVESTIDE

📌 Honeypuddle Village

⏰ Cowslip Candies [6], 7:00AM

Snowcones & Steak

The group briefly reflect on the frog incident that they just witnessed. Soren (a little sadly) asks Sildar if they're going to need to try and be a "good people" and investigate the incident. Sildar decides that no--it's a magical festival afterall, so that was probably a part of the attraction.

Hugh promptly tries to knock on a nearby hobbit halfling hole to try and see if he could ask about the festival; however, most houses seem empty and most of the villagers seem to be helping with setup.

Droop runs to a nearby stall (selling rainbow snowcones), cuts into the line and asks the cashier for steak. She asks that Droop get into line, but Droop continually asks for steak until Hugh and Will come to stop him. Will reminds Droop that they should be saving space in their tummies for the huge pudding in the village plaza, which gets Droop to leave.

Grandpappy Cowslip

As the party enters the faire, Will is immediately drawn to a nearby wagon that seems to be pulled by three horse-sized kittens. A wizened old gnome lounges nearby, next to a huge jar of rainbow-colored candies.

The gnome introduces himself as Grandpappy Cowslip, and the kittens as Snap, Crackle and Pop -- before assuring Will that he can pet the kittens. Will immediately buries himself in Snap's fur.

The group introduces themselves (Droop calling Sildar a human, Soren a "uhhh human" and Will a "most definitely human!").

While enamored by the kitties, Sildar asks Soren if the kittens are being Enlarge-Reduced; Soren acknowledges it's similar, but his spell can only target one creature. Sildar inquires about it to Grandpappy, who casually enlarges Droop before reducing him back down; the kittens' sizes do not change.

Grandpappy states that the effect is temporary. Sildar, who is almost seriously considering stealing borrowing buying a cat, is Saddar.

Magic Candy

Droop, in the meantime, is enamored by the candy jar. Grandpappy opens the jar for him and tells him to help himself, but to remember to leave some for the rest of the faire. Droop did not understand the assignment and immediately tries to take 6. Hugh chides Droop and tries to teach him manners, so naturally Droop keeps stealing some when Hugh isn't looking. He starts horking them, obtaining various magical effects (that disappear when he eats a new one), including gainig 10 temp health. Droop asks to be thrown.

Hugh departs to get himself and Droop snowcones, but Soren thinks one is for him so Hugh has to go back and get more :( At some point, Droop eats a candy that makes him invisible, and Hugh comes back to no Droop, who is very confused that everyone is now ignoring him. After a brief panicc, Granpappy waves his hand and makes him glow gold.

Game Recs

Soren, still tired and weak from the Venomfang/Graz'zt ordeal, lays down by one of the kittens and marvels at how soft it is. He drags Sildar down into the fluff pile with him and Will.

Hugh asks Grandpappy about how the faire works; Grandpappy explains that there is no ticket to enter, but playing the games and purchasing food from the stalls will cost varying amounts of money.

Based on how the group looks, he also recommends that the group go check out the pig-wrangling competition, wrestling match (though he informs the group that the "tallfolk" will need to play with their legs tied behind their back as a handicap), archery contest and eel eating competition, which Soren makes inappropriate comments about :(

Hugh (only braincell in the group today) thanks Grandpappy and offers Grandpappy a bag of ballbearings. Grandpappy asks for just one, enlarges it casually (with again, no bearing on any of the enlarged kittens) to the size of a ball of yarn, and tosses it to the kittens to play with.

Happy Kitty

Will, still lounging among the kittens, casts Speak with Animals to tell the kittens that they are very soft, call them very good kitties, to thank them for letting the party lay on them.

They respond as one would assume infant cats respond, distractedly and babbiely. They say that he's very warm and nice.

They say Sildar is very hard and cold because of his armor LMAO. Saddar takes off his armor almost immediately. The kittens chorus thank you.

Snap calls Will a "very good human". He is almost in tears.

⏰ Hogwaddle's Yard Sale [5], 7:30AM

YARD SARD!

The group comes upon what seems like a yard sale full of trinkets, manned by a very grumpy, very old little gnome man.

(I can't remember exactly who got what but here are the things the group picked out, for 1GP each)

Will:

• Pumpkin cupcake that magically regenerates itself in its paper cup each day at dawn

• Smoking pipe made from a tree root

• Sheet of music

Hugh:

• Tiny clockwork dragonfly that slowly beats its wings (but can't fly) when wound up

• A large iron fingernail

• Flask of spectral glowworms that change color to reflect the mood of the flask's holder

• Collection of baby teeth in a tiny wooden box

Sildar:

• Bar of soap that smells like something memorable from your childhood

• Tiny pumpkin-shaped cauldron carved out of bog oak

• Gossamer shawl that glows faintly in moonlight

Soren:

• Cookie cutter shaped like a unicorn

• Ball-and-cup toy that plays a short, victorious jingle whenever the ball lands in the cup

• Wooden apple painted blue

Droop:

• Vitrified eye of a displacer beast

• Severed chicken's foot attached to a leather cord

...Droop attempts to pay Mr. Yard Sard Gnome 1GP for everything, when he said "everything is one gold". When it looks like Mr. Yard Sard Gnome is about to chase Droop w/ a slipper, a few kids who have been loitering around the tables suddenly yell out at "Mr. Hogswaddle" to look elsewhere, before escaping with a bunch of trinkets.

Mr. Hogswaddle throws the turnip he was eating at them, but misses completely; the turnip goes through his neighbor's greenhouse with a loud crash.

Mr. Hogswaddle bellows a series of terrible, terrible words that Droop promptly integrates into his vocabulary, announces loudly that the yard sale is closed, before running after the kids.

Droop, who did not have to pay, triumphantly comes back to horrify the group with his various purchased animal parts.

The Neutral Goods

Most of the customers at the yard sale grumblingly leave, their mood clearly soured. The party witnesses a couple of them pocket some trinkets anyway, some of whom don't leave any money behind.

Sildar pushes the tables together, and Will helps him haphazardly drape some tablecloths over the tables, to ensure less thievery. Soren pretends to help push, but is still not at his physical best and does nothing :((

Sildar also leaves behind a dozen or so gold to make up for the items that the other people took.

Soren, realizing what a gotdamn softie his bf is:

Gift Exchange

The party immediately begins gifting each other the stuff they bought. EVERYONE IS BABBIE.

Soren gives Droop the ball and hammer toy. Droop, immediately begins playing with it.

Will gives Soren the sheet music he found, as well as the wooden pipe, citing his gratefulness for the Bag of Tricks. Soren is taken aback and awkwardly thanks Will, stating that he now needs to repay this favor as well. Will tries to explain to dumbass that not all gifts need repayment.

Sildar gives Soren the gossamer shawl. Soren is gets overloaded by the niceness and turns off ; - ; He puts it on himself. It matches he new outfit :)

Hugh makes plans for his wooden baby teef, adding them to the gold one we found on Klaarg, to give to his uncle. Will compliments his glowworm jar.

⏰ Herbalist Store [4], 8:30AM

The group moves on to visit what looks like a botanist / apothecary wagon stall, where they see a halfling woman (Arabella) scolding and shaking a young gnome girl.

Will and Sildar intervene to find out that the young girl (Josie) had stolen a health potion because she was in the woods and had an unfortunate run-in with stinging nettles. Will coaxes Josie to calm down and heals her with Healing Hands, which impresses her greatly.

Sildar de-escalates the situation by offering Arabella repayment for the health pot. As she calms down, she starts looking ashamed for losing her temper at a little girl. Sildar lets Josie keep the health pot and tells her to give it to her parents for emergency use only, which Josie agrees to.

Storm the Castle

Introductions are made; Josie explains that she was in the woods playing with her friend, Vanessa, before she got stung and Vanessa went to look for help. She asks the party to inform Vanessa, if they see her, to meet her at the "Storm the Castle" field so that they can strategize against the enemy team.

The party inquires, and learn that the Storm the Castle is a Pudding Faire game for children age 4-10. Naturally, the group enrolls Droop into the game. Josie is very impressed by Droop's throwing arm, and tells Droop the be wary of "Sam and Tam" on the opposing team, who don't play fair.

After Josie leaves, Droop establishes that with his new strength, he could kill the enemy team (in retaliation of course).

Wil: ???? NO

We spend a bit of time trying to convince Droop that murder is not good. It is unclear if we made our point clear.

Free Gift for a Good Trick

The party notices a sign by Arabella that says "Free Gift for a Good Trick", which she explains that if the party can show her a good trick, she'll give them an uncommon potion of their choice.

Droop passes immediately by lifting Hugh with his little spaghetti arms. (Giant Strength)

Hugh casts his magical awareness ability, filling the entire clearing with a translucent purple mist, which impresses Arabella. (Bath Potion)

Will pulls out a direwolf from the Bag of Tricks and Arabella instantly falls in love with it; the party agrees to leave it with her for the time being while they explore the rest of the faire. (Potion of Water Breathing)

Sildar uses the active of his Griffon Wing cloak, casting a very bright light in a radius; Arabella saves against it, but Will does not and gets blinded LMAO for like 6 seconds. (Oil of Slipperiness)

Soren plays a lil tune on his lute based on the sheet music he was just given by Will; Droop immediately cries out and calls it terrible (Potion of Growth)

Still, the party collectively gets their choice of potions.

Flowers!

Will purchases various herbs and a bunch of purple orchids from Arabella. Soren purchases the dusk itchweed from Will, and asks that they experiment on it together with their herbalist backgrounds.

Sildar hangs back as the group leaves and also purchases a bouquet of red roses and purple lilacs.

As the group decides to go to the livestock pens, Sildar stops Soren and blushdars, giving him the flowers.

Soren immediately combusts from the softness and dies thank you