(That thread was starting to get a bit full! So here's a new one!

Sarah: Do you want your new quest-buddies to accompany you as you finish things up with Peromi? If so, roll Charming to talk 'em into it!)

---

(Raga, roll Charming!)
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:46, Thu 18 May 2023.

After seeing what they've done this day, she turned to her comrades,"Alright my companions, I know I'm asking you a lot here now but my friend Peromi here is in need of heroes. Of a glorious and valorous victory. Let us assist her one more time... Also, their might be a great reward quite possibly, who's with me!" she said, in case their was a Dinkar in the party.

08:41, Today: Sarah Farwing rolled 15 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,6,6.  Charming.
Heck yeah, friends for life

The four animal adventurers agree to delay their own quest in order to help Sarah and Peromi some more.

Peromi takes Sarah aside. "Um, the main reward I know is the freedom of my people..."

"shhh, they don't know that. sides, they'll be find with free food and a party so it's mine." Sarah said encouragingly, it feels just like her original crew. She wonders how their doing.

"Well, if you don't think you'll be disappointed..."

Peromi leads the way, and the six animal adventurers delve deeply into the catacombs under the city-- or rather, delve deeply within the walls of the catacombs under the city.

Finally, Peromi gets to a big door (well, you know, big for a mouse. It's more than big enough for the gopher paladin to get through easily) guarded by two mice holding spears (all right, pointy sticks. They're pretty thick sticks, though, and very pointy. "Let me through."

"Oh, it's Peromi. She's come back with a small army to try to cause trouble," says one mouse.

"No, it's-- it's not like that!" says Peromi. She starts visibly wilting emotionally. This is hard for her, to meet with such resistance from the people she's trying to help...

Charm is not Raga's strong suit.  But, when she absolutely has to be . . .

17:45, Today: Raga rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Charming.

Sarah got her friend's back, she pulls out her new weapon and held's the needle aloft upon the sky/ceiling,"Behold, a weapon rivalling that of giants. Let us through, destiny awaits us to destroy evil and kick some butts."

Madame Bitterroot looks a little guilty. "I was just going to borrow a little... y'know what, never mind..." She looks down at the sand and changes one sigil. "All right! Here we go!"

She makes some magical gestures, and stomps on the sand, and lights start swirling and glowing, and there's a rising hummmmmm noise...

And then it stops.

Anthielle drops the rusty chisel. She no longer thinks it's awesome. Ew, it's gotten a rust-colored stain all over her hands. Yick!

---

"Showing us how armed you are isn't gonna let us let you through here, missy."

But the other guard isn't so sure. "Hey. That's... that's the silver needle of... she found it. Peromi used to talk about... She's really done it. Wow. Um, we better let them in, actually."

The other guard squints at his fellow, then at the needle, then at his fellow guard, then at Peromi, then back at the needle... "Um... yeah, all right..." he says in a very subdued voice.

The door is opened, and the adventurers pass through.

You pass many little mouse-dwellings, often human items turned into mouse-houses-- an old boot, a large glove, a small box... often, with the wooden items, new entrances have been chewed through...

Murmuring happens wherever you pass. Mice whisper Peromi's name and "the silver needle..."

Finally, you arrive at a sort of town square, where a mouse sits on a sort of throne next to a crystal ball. (A mouse-sized crystal ball, not a human-sized one.) Light gray vapors and mists swirl inside. "...What is this? Peromi?" says the mouse on the throne. "I thought you'd given up."

"N-never," says Peromi. "The Silver Needle of Rellis has been found and restored to us once again." She gestures to Sarah, expectantly...

Sarah raised her needle aloft to the ceiling once more,"Alright everyone, it's time for you to see that this is stupid. That your not yourselves anymore. Stop hiding behind a ghost, a giant human and this guy here, it's time to be free and be friends with Peromi." Sarah said, pointing her needle to the rat king.

"My hands!  Ick ick ick!"

Anthi wandered over to some water to clean her pretty little digits.  The old chisel was quickly forgotten (as was a thank you to Madame Bitterroot).

The mice mutter amongst themselves. They seem to be listening. Some of them kind of blink their eyes rapidly and look around, like they're waking up more.

"Stop," says the mouse on the throne. "You are confusing matters. A... a lost human item doesn't change anything, whether it's been found or is still lost..."

The mouse sort of strokes the mist-filled crystal ball on his left with one paw.

The mice all start quieting down again...

---

"C'mon, kids, let's go back to my house and I'll work up a fake gnomish club for Cap'n Smash..." says Madame Bitterroot... She seems a little sad.

Jaffa rushed over to follow her friend to the water, shooting Madame Bitterroot a smile, a thumbs up, and a mouthed "thank you".

"Are you feelin' alright, Anthi?"

"Oh no you don't!" Sarah said as she threw the needle like a javelin, aiming for the rat king. Unfortunately, her track record for hurling things is anyssmal as she strucks at the crystal ball accidentally,"AH... Ah nuts... I mean, I meant to do that. Yeah." she said, brushing off the fact that she was trying to scare him off.


10:19, Today: Sarah Farwing rolled 9 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,5,1.  Forceful Attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:25, Sun 18 June 2023.

The crystal ball shatters!

The mists and vapors emerge... and coalesce into the form of a ghostly woman... Who glares at Sarah-the-mouse. "Who are you, to break my hold over these mice...?!" she asks Sara angrily.

Sarah looked surprised to find a guess. Then she ran for the needle, grabbing it and pointing toward the ghost,"The name is Sarah. Sarah Farwing, remember that because I'm the strongest rat, kid, and soon enough, the greatest warrior in all the lands."

"...I will remember you, Sarah the mouse, who is also a child and a warrior-to-be..."

The ghost fades away.

"Um... Hey, there was a ghost in my crystal ball! Who knew! I, um... it put me under a spell! Ah, good thing you freed me! I'm definitely thinking clearly again now!" the mouse on the throne says very nervously and very unconvincingly. (Then it realizes it's sitting on a throne, and hops up and inches away from it...)
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:42, Sun 25 June 2023.

"Hold it buster, where do you think your going! Your not tricking me at all. Get over here and apologize to Peromi!" Sarah said, and turned to the other mice,"And you guys too for being a bunch of bullies. Say sorry."

"I'm fine, Jaffa... I just need soap."

Anthi stormed off after the crone, eager to finish business and be on her way.  She missed Sarah... and her comfy home.

"Soap? What's soap?" Dinkar scratched his head. "Is it something to eat?"

"It sounds kinda like soup to me. Maybe it's, like, a pastry you can dip in soup? That would make me feel better." Jaffa shrugged, though she was unable to match the gesture with an expression of confusion; she was far too relieved that her friend came out of this okay. Now they just had to get back home and hope Sarah was fine too.

In any case, it was time to head back with Madame Bitterroot and maybe try something to cheer the nice lady up? Jaffa wasn't really sure what she could do, but she would think on the way back!

If a fervent apology is maybe going to get the throne-mouse out of this, he'll gladly comply. He starts a stuttering, stammering, long-and-eloquent-but-vague apology to Peromi for any inconvenience she may have encountered while he was lording it over the other mice.

All the other mice apologize to Peromi much more quietly, but much more sincerely. They're as sheepish and sorry as they are bewildered. Unlike the throne-mouse, they really were under some sort of enchantment.

---

Back at Madame Bitterroot's house, Anthielle gets to wash up with some very nice floral-scented soap. It's gritty, but that's just what she needs right now to get those orange-ish stains off her hands... or as much off her hands as soap and water can manage in a hurry, anyway. (They'll wear off completely in a couple of days.)

Having supplied the soap and a sink, Madame Bitterroot gets right to work on making a fake gnomish belaying pin. Soon she's got one that looks just like the real thing. "Except my fake one has these two little scratches near the bottom, see? So you can tell the difference, and give the fake one to ol' Smash."

"Nifty! How's that Peromi! A quest resolved by yours truly. I accept praise and adoration like any good child or mice." Sarah said with pride.

The soap mollified Anthielle sufficiently that she mumbled a tiny "Thanks Madam" in return.  And while she scrubbed, Anthi talked over her shoulder.

"So how did you make the Lumberdog?  They aren't as grand as my Father's stuff... but I'm still interested in learning.  Way more fun than school homework... and three times as useful.  And just in case you're worried, I have a big garden at home.  Does it have to be a dog?  A Lumberpony would be awesome.  Not that I'm fussy or anything. With this silly war taking everyone's attention its so hard to get a decent education..."

She probably could have been asking about the gnome's ghost or other things, but given her chisel had been a bust, Anthi wanted to secure something for herself.