Dungeons and Dragons ("DnD"): Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Episode 3.5 Adventure #16
Date of Session: August 22, 2019 (10:30pm to 12:30am)
Number of Players: 3
Legendary Hero Menos (Dragon-born Paladin)
Kai-tick, Kin-slayer and “Servant” (Aarakocra Rogue)
XerX, the “X” Archer and “Master” (NOBLE Half-Elf Ranger)
The cliffhanger from the last D&D session is addressed immediately: Captain Leon informs the Enforcers that the Hyperbolic Time Chamber is ready to be used. One day outside will equal one year’s time in the training chamber. This will allow milestone level-up to happens. Also, Captain Leon reveals that Ned was only using 25% power of his power (called MAXIMUM) against the Enforcers. XerX and Kai-tick, without a flinch, say they were only using 1% of their power to hide their weakness. Menos begins to power-up and levels up to 6. This is role-played DBZ style with lots of screaming.
Menos, after his power-up, remembers he must go get his armor from Tiffany’s item shop before going into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Kai-tick and XerX decide to go see Lina, the NPC Enforcer who was working on the Time Chamber this entire time as a part of her training. Then, they decide that to follow Menos awkwardly instead to visit the Gnome’s apartment for more clues on the History of Shinzo. The logic is not making sense… I love it.
The Enforcers run into Cass the Red, who’s furious about his Cabbage Shop being destroyed. For context, Ned Broccoli slammed XerX and Kai-tick into that new building so many times it collapsed. The dwarf, the cousin of Gundren, is sick and tired of the Enforcers ruining him. Menos broke his leg, abandoned him for Goblins to kidnap and cut off his broken leg, retiring him from Paladin duties. The Cabbage Shop was his last chance to start over in Greenest, something else taken away from him.
The Enforcers pitied the man, promising to help. But he wheeled away in his wheelchair instead. The Enforcers actually felt embarrassed for what they did to Cass the Red’s body, reputation, and new business. Kai-tick simply told the dwarf to discuss the matter with Governor Nighthill, not wanting to waste anymore time on the situation.
Afterwards, XerX collapsed. He checked his HP and realized he didn’t heal from the battle against Ned Broccoli. The Enforcers decide to go to Tiffany’s item shop to use Gnome apartment to rest, but Kai-tick wants to loot the place some more. Menos is simply going along because he needs to pick up his armor before training for a year through the Time Chamber. XerX and Menos went into a whole discussion on their perspectives like, “I’ll see you in a year, but for me, it’ll be a day” time travel bullshit.
Tiffany allows Kai-tick and XerX to borrow the room having heard what happened to them. He wanted to talk to Menos alone anyway about a legendary shield that could support him during the Ginyu Games. However, Tiffany believes the Paladin won’t be powerful enough to survive the journey there. Menos explains the Time Chamber to Tiffany, but the blacksmith is unconvinced, having only mentioned it to give him the slightest chance of winning against Lord Eggza’s games.
Meanwhile, Kai-tick loots Dan the Gnome’s apartment while XerX lays on the bed to recuperate his injuries. Kai-tick finds the dead Gnome’s journal (Rest in Peace, Greg), wanting to skim the pages to find anything on the Legend of Shinzo. The nat 20 does reveal the page that talks about the legend, but Greg was too paranoid about Shinzo getting discovered by the wrong people. Kai-tick was not too happy but took comfort knowing the original journal had all the answers.
Then, the Enforcers left the item shop to prepare Menos and Lina for their one-year training in one day method. Menos, Kai-tick, and XerX walked the streets together, hoping to find the strength needed to pass the Ginyu Games. A lot of their current problems would disappear if they are accepted into the Black Bulls , but if they lose, everyone will lose. Kai-tick and XerX bid farewell to their allies Menos and Lina. He vowed to return stronger than ever and to make Lina strong too. She agreed before running through the open door. Menos followed after her, beginning their first day outside of space and time.
This is where the Enforcers will be split up: Menos and Lina in the Time Chamber for one whole day (a year for them), while XerX and Kai-tick stay outside to train too. They don’t plan on waiting to start. Kai-tick wants to learn his “true name” from the annoying spirit Carp Carp, which will unlock his leaf sword’s true potential. XerX will join Kai-tick while studying his Wizard book. The academic training will not be wasted. Being first-timers on Dungeons & Dragons, we did indeed steal a lot from anime.
Let’s start with Menos and Lina and then finish with XerX and Kai-tick. In real time, I switch between the players to give them sufficient screentime / breaks. It oddly does work out better to have them apart from a storyteller’s perspective. Don’t be afraid to break up the party…
Menos and NPC Lina emerge out of the Time Chamber Room, which traveled with them, and found themselves in a black-and-white wasteland. Menos remembers this realm as Stranger Things Upside-Down. It took this player a long time to remember, which caused the entire party to realize how far they’ve actually come these past 20 sessions. Kai-tick has a problem with talking when he’s not there, which is something he seriously has to work on.
Moving on here, Menos and Lina decide to train with a long sword. They spar for a bit until an old friend returns. The Princess Knight, known to have slaughtered 7 enemies altogether with a strike of lightning, is back in the narrative. Menos is surprised to see Princess Knight and catches her up on what’s been happening after she asks, “Did you ever find Kenji?”
Last they spoke, when Vin was a player and ally (ME!), The Princess Knight helped Menos and Vin defeat the HYDRA in light of Kenji vanishing. A lot’s happened during the Hoard of the Dragon Queen campaign. The Princess Knight requests Menos’ help during the year, promising to train him and Lina personally for the whole year. Menos and Lina agreed to join the search for Kryptonite, the main weakness of Lord Eggza.
A D100 roll (64 days) later… Menos is furious with not getting stronger or finding the stupid Kryptonite. Lina managed to learn Cure Wounds during the 64 days, and The Princess Knight is frustrated too because it’s been 1,000 years for her in the search. Luckily, the Time Chamber’s Room followed Menos, Lina, and The Princess Knight throughout the Upside-Down away from where the teleporting flowers were.
Menos decides to harvest the flowers after not finding more and planted them. His bag of holding is super handy in that regard. After he’s finished growing the flowers, Menos discovers a huge temple up ahead past the forest area. However, he’s greeted by fiends, his former HYDRA minions, who are thrilled to have their “Daddy” back. Menos took a minute to remember them, too. They work for the New HYDRA who resides in the ToK (Temple of Kryptonite). Menos tries to persuade them to join his side, but they have to stop calling him, “Daddy”. They refuse both requests, preferring to see Menos and New HYDRA fight it out. The fiends excuse themselves and allow Menos to move forward to the temple.
However, The Princess Knight weakens whenever she gets close to the ToK. Menos wonders why and breaks the first few steps to see what it’s made out of. He reveals materials lead and a sliver of Kryptonite. After closer examination and testing, the weakness of Princess Knight is revealed: Leads. It can also hide Kryptonite’s potent radiation levels. Menos is relearning things and continues forward, leaving behind Princess Knight, who decides to guard the Time Chamber’s Room. Lina joins Menos.
Menos and Lina enter the ToK. They expected it to appear more like an untouched tomb but it’s more like a corporate museum filled with magic-powered security measures like security cameras and a moving elevator. They meet a human janitor cleaning the floors and asks him a couple questions about the Temple of Kryptonite. He answers them not too friendly and points him to the elevator, where Crossbones will be waiting for him. I loved this next part.
Menos tells Lina to stay here while he meets with this mysterious Crossbones, knowing in his hearts of heart that an elevator fight scene is coming. He was worried but also excited to fight someone. The elevator opens and reveals Crossbones, who Menos describes as an “idiot white guy”, five Goblins, an Ogre, and an unconscious prisoner, Menos’ Mother. The tensions rise. Menos reluctantly gets inside the elevator and faces Crossbones, who had a hand on his dagger. Crossbones wants Menos to come meet the new HYDRA, using both parents as leverage. Menos realizes his father is also here and kidnapped.
He decides to fight anyway. Menos attacks Crossbones first using his BBC Great Sword, Winter’s Night Bite, which is being powered by the Upside-Down. The Goblins snatch onto Menos to give Crossbones an unfair advantage, but Menos uses one of them as a “swinging the chain” weapon to knock out his friends and Crossbones. The Ogre grabs Menos’ mother and escapes the elevator by breaking it open. Crossbones gets back up, hoping to stall Menos to give the Ogre time to escape, and after another couple swings, Menos impales Crossbones and jumps out the hole, landing on his body to cushion his entrance.
Menos was amazed at all the blood coming out of Crossbones’ destroyed body. He looks around the area to find a whole stash of Kryptonite on the bottom level (5th floor of the Temple). Menos also finds his Father present, senile and old like in his background, and wonders what’s going on. They catch up on his adventures and current objective, which does not make much sense to his Father, but he is grateful to his son for finding him and his mother. Menos wants to know more about his brother Mas O, but right now, he plans to save mom. The cliffhanger is there for Menos!
Let’s jump into what XerX and Kai-tick’s side of things. Yes, this all happened in one night. So much happens in these sessions. I love D&D so much.
XerX and Kai-tick, after Menos and Lina left, decide to seek out Captain Leon for a special training method. Captain Leon agrees to train them and throws them inside a crater he’s created in the endless training grounds. Governor Nighthill is not happy to see his castle destroyed to such a degree. The Enforcers are becoming more and more self-aware of it at least. The goal of this training is to escape the hole, but XerX and Kai-tick’s hands are cuffed via magical means to each other. This will require teamwork.
Teamwork is a thing in my D&D sessions. At first, they struggled to work together, not agreeing on a singular way to escape the hole. Also, Carp Carp began to demonize his spirit and eats their linked spirit chain. If he eats it all, both XerX and Kai-tick will die. Training to the core. Kai-tick and XerX eventually agree on a escape plan that worked, and their teamwork gets them out in time. The Nat 20 landing on XerX’s end was the anime moment where everything came together for them.
Kai-tick understands the training’s purpose and requests the second part from Captain Leon. He agrees, not taking a liking to his entitled demands, and tells Kai-tick to watch Ned for the next twenty-four hours. The duo must keep Ned calm and safe. XerX is not comfortable with this second stage considering the history, but he agrees to endanger his life if it means more power. Kai-tick is in the same boat and helps Ned through the anxious episodes.
However, after accepting the training, a swarm of bugs invade Greenest. The bees stung random villagers, not everyone oddly enough. XerX was stung by the bugs as well, but it didn’t affect him. Nobody was affected beyond the slight pain of the sting. Kai-tick spots someone playing the flute approaching. XerX and Kai-tick take aim with their bows and arrows. She tries to continue her music, but arrows fired. She takes damage and runs for it. The duo follow her, leaving Ned in the dust, and take aim with their arrows like Green Arrow and Arsenal style. Their high enough rolls managed to subdue her. Then, Kai-tick takes it one step further and punches her until she talked. Her name is Frankie, and she was sent by someone to take down Greenest with her allies.
They take her back to the Castle for more torture options. Governor Nighthill wants to join, loving to torture people. XerX agrees that he should be apart of the torture as he knows from experience that Governor Nighthill is an effective fighter when he wishes. However, as they finish discussing plans, outside turns red and Frankie starts to laugh.
The session ends here on two awesome cliffhangers. The next D&D session will address them next time… on Dungeons &Dragons! Thanks for reading, y’all. The Ginyu Games are fast-approaching. I hope everyone’s ready for their milestone level ups.