"Ménagerie a Trois" (Sx85) is a special live one-shot featuring the continuing adventures of The Menagerie, using Darrington Press's under-development gaming system Daggerheart.
Synopsis[]
Pre-show[]
- Bells Hells will return next Thursday (20 June 2024) with the recording of the live show in Los Angeles this coming Saturday, 15 June 2024. Beacon members get an exclusive version.
- Tonight's game is being played on Daggerheart Version 1.4.2, with the characters now at level 6.
- The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three will release 3 October 2024 on Prime Video. New opening title sequence out now.
- Merch alert! Oracle of the Moon tarot crewneck sweatshirt and blanket available now. 4-pack of socks and Laudna t-shirt will be available at the live show. During June, 10% of merch sale proceeds will go to Outright International.
Previously...[]
Last we left off, the Menagerie, after encountering a strange new seed of the Seep, this strange corrupting magical darkness within the Emerald Sky, you were given a hint that the person who was responsible for planting this within that vast verdant forest was a figure that you recognized from your home town by the name of Lolvale. You went to that town, the red crystal city of sin, and there within that space of boisterous commerce and play and debauchery, you found this figure, this Dyson figure, who told you under duress that the people that hired him to do this-- no personal reason-- was the Kroatona family who are one of the various factions of power within the city, who own the casino and have other vested interests in some of the more recent small mine construction. But you and the rest of your troop went to find out who and why.
You went through the sewers of the city, busted through the wall into the hideout of the Kroatona family, and did battle with Mortimer himself as well as his sister Gamma[spelling?] and a number of their compatriots. At a certain point, and the acquisition of a gem around his throat, you fled back out whence you came, as it seemed that help and backup was called by his sister Gamma. Most of you managed to get past it. Most of you. But unfortunately, Bunnie and Sweetpea were unable to traverse the grate barricade (as in the barricade that is of grate) and in trying to flee that direction and dazzle the relatively angry cluster of goons following Mortimer, you were captured, knocked unconscious, and awoke a short time later, both of you tied to chairs in that very same basement hideout where you did battle. There, as the massive, corpulent, swollen frog form of Mortimer Kroatona sits before you, the rest of you have fled back to the sewers, worried about what may be befalling your friends.
Part I[]
Sweetpea and Bunnie were brought to a room and tied up for interrogation. Mortimer wanted to know how they found his hiding place, pressing on Bunnie's head with his hand to scare them, although she casually asked him about the seep. Sweetpea assured him that it had been by chance, and that her group had only defended themselves when the gangsters attacked. The leader of the Kroatonas didn't believe her, and wanted to know where his amulet was, so Sweetpea admitted that while she didn't know anything about the item, they did look for Mortimer to ask him about the seep, and Bunnie mentioned her workplace. Sweetpea managed to keep the gangster's attention on her while Bunnie started untying herself. Mortimer admitted he had sent Dyson with the "package" to the Emerald Sky because a baron had asked him to, after doing a favor to the Kroatonas closing some mines. When Sweetpea pointed out that his actions had caused the corruption of the ecosystem there, Mortimer said he didn't care, and prepared to kill them both.
Sweetpea tried to use her Dark Cloud, but she was hit hard by Mortimer's mace. By then, however, Bunnie had managed to free herself and attacked Mortimer, using her rope to make him drop his mace and hitting him with her fans, cutting one of his eyes. giving her friend enough time to Shadow Bind him. After a brief fight, Bunnie used Recant to make the gangster boss forget the last minute of conversation. She then teleported herself and Sweetpea out, supported by Sweetpea's shadow magic, and reunited with the others.
Meanwhile, while Kexon, Danté, and Oppy were talking about what to do next, Xarlo examined the amulet he had stolen and put it on, determining that it could magically make him bigger and stronger if swallowed and regurgitated. Kexon suggested leaving their friends behind, but Danté and Oppy were both very worried about the two missing party members and weren't willing to consider that possibility. Danté wondered if they could use the stolen amulet to get them back. Luckily, Sweetpea and Bunnie then reappeared and rejoined the rest of the Menagerie.
Fan art of Sweetpea disguising her friends, by Elaine Tipping.[art 1]
Sweetpea explained what had happened as they all ran away. While they hid in an alleyway, Sweetpea asked her friends to lick her head for a few minutes as she concentrated on using her magic to disguise the entire group as sexy ladies to avoid being recognized when performing with Bunnie at the Lily Locket Lounge. They all assumed new forms: Sweetpea choosing to look like a pink fairy with a gemstone-based outfit; Xarlo a female orange simiah with feathers and her new pendant resting on her bosom; Danté a female galapa with thick long hair wearing a negligee; Oppenheimer a blue lady with dark hair and yellow eyes, prominent breasts, an hourglass figure, wearing leather, little bloomers and high boots; Kexon a lady with broad shoulders and impressive makeup. Bunnie chose to look like herself, but added feathers to her fans and changed her hairstyle and outfit to get a flapper-like bob, as well as a tiny dress.
When they returned to the Lily Locket Lounge the Matron greeted them and expressed interest in their performance, which would go after that of Eden the katari (which made Bunnie very frustrated, since that performer was doing amazingly). They decided that Sweetpea, Danté and Xarlo would perform with Bunnie. Sweetpea made sure that her disguises would last for as long as needed and prepared her Phantom Retreat in case she had to run. Meanwhile, Kexon and Oppy would do some crowd work to investigate the mysterious baron that, according to Mortimer Kroatona, was behind the corruption in the Emerald Sky. While Oppy pretended to be a waitress, Kexon simply walked among the audience, listening to conversations (although Bunnie established a telepathic connection with him as a precaution). At one point Oppy tried to gain the trust of two men using Kexon (who had chosen the alias "Tata") as bait, but he got uncomfortable and walked away.
On stage, the performing group noticed signs of sabotage but they managed to use them to their advantage: Bunnie danced syncronizing her every move with those of her team while Xarlo purposely broke and brought down a silk rope he was using to swing and gave it to Danté, who then used it to swing Sweetpea through the oily floor. When ball bearings were dropped on stage, Xarlo lifted Bunnie in the air so that she wouldn't trip, while Sweetpea Shadow Stepped to appear among the audience, surprising them in case something went wrong with their number, and Danté tried to spin over the ball bearings using his shell. Although he succeeded, he ended up leaving the stage and causing some commotion (which Bunnie managed to hide with the end of their number and her Enrapture).
In the third and last number the Menagerie suspected that the performer, Mafauna, was behind the sabotage, so in retaliation Sweetpea used her Shadow Step to trip her without being noticed. When she was bowing, Kexon Time Locked her wig, embarrassing her for a few moments. By the end of the show, however, Mafauna was so embarrassed and angry that she attacked them with her back dancers.
Break[]
- New opening title sequence for The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three.
- Dani Carr summarizes Campaign Three: Bells Hells in two minutes.
- Lots of tickets still available for the Bells Hells live show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles 15 June 2024.
- The Re-Slayer's Take podcast releases a new episode every Monday.
- Merch alert! Oracle of the Moon tarot crewneck sweatshirt and blanket, For the Queen game, Bells Hells button-down, Dorian Storm camp shirt and dice set in all five shops; the Shattered Teeth dice set in the US, UK, and EU; Leave the World Better t-shirt, Mighty Nein and Bells Hells hoodies in all shops but Australia
- Horror overtakes a suburban family because of Beacon.
Part II[]
During the battle, Kexon embarrassed Mafauna by using Shape Material to create a trap door under her, making her fall. When Mafauna came out, however, she used her charms to distract Sir Danté by her beauty, forcing Danté to attack Xarlo. Kexon intervened with Arcane Deflection, protecting Xarlo. Bunnie was angry at Mafauna for using her charms against her friends, and she responded by using her own talents, including Rune Circle and her Hypnotic Shimmer to deal with the back dancers, stunning them. Eventually they managed to neutralize Mafauna and her team, and Matron Boa Adra convinced the audience that everything had been a staged fight. After Lamont praised their good performance, they left without being noticed by some Kroatona gangsters, since they were all still disguised.
The Menagerie then went to the mines (closed because of a favor from a baron to the Kroatona family) to investigate. There, they flirted with a guard using their illusory disguises, the booze Xarlo gave to him so that he would help them get in, and Kexon Runic Locking him inside a room. Within, they reached a cave, finding signs of violence and corruption, including a firbolg corpse. Sweetpea used Death Connection to extract the person's last memories, revealing that there was a dangerous monster living in these tunnels. Xarlo used his new amulet to become bigger and stronger. Guided by Kexon's lights, they investigated for a bit, and although they didn't find anything hidden, even with the Reveal spell, eventually they found strange crystals and an abscess of corrupted black tentacles, with a glowing skink-like hydra defending it.
They fought the monster bravely, but they discovered that it was linked to the abscess. Xarlo, after using his magic to heal Kexon a little, grabbed Danté to use him as a weapon against the hydra. At one point one of the heads of the hydra bit and swallowed Kexon. The wizard was at death's door, but remembering his family he gained enough strength to survive and make his way out of the creature. However, the creature was regenerating so no damage was completely permanent. Sweetpea started attacking the crystals, breaking some of them. Sir Danté noticed and helped, destroying the remaining ones, and causing the hydra to stop glowing, losing its regeneration. Xarlo joined forces with Bunnie by throwing her at the creature so that she could kill it with her fans. Several dust skinks then escaped from its corpse.
When they were leaving the mines they found the man who had helped them get in, but since he had met them in disguise, he only recognized Bunnie. They told him that the beautiful girls had been waiting for him but got bored and left, and mentioned to him that she and her "new friends" (the Menagerie in their true forms) had eliminated the seep inside the mine, so the area was safe again. They then began to consider whether to visit Champion's Crown to find the baron.
Featured characters[]
The Menagerie[]
- Bunnie - Troubadour bard (Ridgeborne faun)
- Kexon Peros - School of War wizard (Loreborne faerie)
- Oppenheimer "Oppy" Betabean - Primal Origin sorcerer (Seaborne ribbet)
- Sir Danté Terrapin Terrapin - Call of the Brave warrior (Wildborne galapa)
- Sweetpea Betabean - Nightwalker rogue (Seaborne fungril)
- Xarlo Grandall - Divine Wielder seraph (Wanderborne simiah)
New[]
- Eden - katari performer at the Lily Locket Lounge
- Mafauna - evil faun performer at the Lily Locket Lounge
- Thomas and Urion - patrons of the Lily Locket Lounge
Returning[]
- Mortimer Kroatona - a gangster
- Gamma[spelling?] Kroatona - Mortimer's sister
- Matron Boa Adra - runs the Lily Locket Lounge
- Lamont - friend of Bunnie's, works at the Lily Locket Lounge
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
- Sam Riegel was not present either for the "Level Up" video or the livestreamed special.
- Marisha Ray's fan read "Shadow Daddy???", apparently unchanged from "Ancient Sins" (3x97).
External links[]
The Menagerie Levels Up! | Levels 4-6 | Daggerheart | Open Beta on the Critical Role YouTube channel shows the Menagerie characters leveling up to level 6 after the events of their second one-shot (Sx84).
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Sweetpea disguising her friends, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.