"The Menagerie Returns!" (Sx84) 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[]
- Tonight's game is being played on Daggerheart Version 1.4, with the characters now at level 4.
- Darrington Press LLC released a new version of the collaborative storytelling card game For the Queen today.
- Signed art prints of Bells Hells are now available for pre-order in the US Critical Role shop.
Introduction[]
Here we return to the realm of Lochspire, where we had left off. The Menagerie, this gathered crew of heroes from within the Glen Warder's faction, and our protagonist party at this table, had encountered fleeing fey protectors from a rapidly corrupting forest fane within the vast verdant space known as the Emerald Sky. Trekking towards the location called the Velvet Grove, warnings from various indigenous spirits of this forest began to warn you of the spread of the corruption from within, as well as seeing more signs of other denizens of the forest growing dark and violent. Approaching this grove, and witnessing signs of a variation to the legendary curse known as The Seep seemingly spreading from within, our heroes, you, managed to destroy the source of this corruption and cleansed Boko, the guardian of the Grove, and also learning of a man who wandered through not long before these events, who is likely tied to the source of this recent Seep corruption within the woods, a man named Dyson Broche, recognized only by Bunnie here as a con man and a patron commonly of her home venue known as the Lily Locket Lounge in Lolvale.
Part I[]
In order to investigate the strange corruption and to find Dyson, the Menagerie traveled to Bunnie's hometown. On their way there, Pango left the group temporarily to do some underground research on the corruption and its connection with the Seep. When they arrived, Oppy was very impressed, although he didn't understand why some people were offering time with them for money. Xarlo immediately purchased some fish from an orc merchant to feed his dogs.
They visited Bunnie's workplace, the Lily Locket Lounge, a theatre full of performers and art. Madame, Bunnie's boss, was slightly annoyed to learn Bunnie was working with a group outside their workplace, explaining they would have to renegotiate her contract. A magician tried to impress Oppy with one of his tricks, but Kexon used his own skills to expose him by revealing the secret of the trick. When they learned that one of the performers that night had twisted her ankle, the Menagerie encouraged Bunnie to perform instead. She was hesitant at first, but when her friends told her they would help her, she agreed.
Thanks to the injured performer (who gave Oppy her broken shoe to put it in his staff, since he was so cute), they learned that Dyson had been seen in town recently. Following the clues they had, and thanks to Sweetpea's innate connection with others like her, the adventurers followed a fungril bouncer's instructions and went to a casino, where Sweetpea and Oppy joined Xarlo at the tables. Xarlo, who loved dice games even if he didn't understand them, started playing, willing to lose some money, although he ended up getting surprisingly lucky. Meanwhile, Kexon and Bunnie located Dyson playing at one of the tables. Bunnie cast Enrapture to take him with her to one of the bathrooms. After forcing the occupant to empty it (and Kexon closing it with Runic Lock), Bunnie interrogated Dyson, forcing him with magic and flirting to confess that he had taken a "package" to the forest on the orders of Mortimer Kroatona, a member of the local gangsters who controlled, among other things, the casino where they were at that time. After that, the bard hit Dyson and told him not to return to the Lily Locket Lounge since he made the girls nervous, and used Recant to make him forget the last minute, leaving him confused and allowing the casino gorilla to take him away.
With some effort, the group slipped away unnoticed by the area's mafia agents. Xarlo asked Ondra for help, and his deity sent him a vision of Mortimer, the big ribbet gangster, smoking cigarettes in a basement. After Sweetpea helped her friends avoid some suspicious people following them in the streets, they went into the sewers looking for Mortimer. Sir Danté had to use his physical strength to make his way in such difficult terrain. When Oppy was being swept away by the current, Kexon cast Time Lock to lock his friend's staff in space and time, allowing him to hold on and use Blink Out to reach a safe space, although with all the panic the sorcerer temporarily forgot how to cast Unleash Chaos. While searching for Mortimer, Sir Danté was inspecting a suspicious wall when a door suddenly opened, revealing behind it a basement with Mortimer and some of his agents inside.
Break[]
- Beacon ad.
Part II[]
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A battle ensued. Kexon protected Sir Danté from an axe using Arcane Deflection, after which he stayed with his friends. At one point, Mortimer attacked them with his cane blade, and Sir Danté was the only one who avoided it entirely. Oppy used fire to attack, at one point teaming up with Sir Danté. He was shocked when the galapa made a joke about frog legs (directed at Mortimer, who was also a ribbet). Sweetpea killed an enemy before focusing on Mortimer, using her Shadow Bind on him, although being hit by him in return. Bunnie encouraged her friends with Rally. Xarlo used his Spirit Weapon ability to throw his silver axe, hurting two people very badly before it returned to his hand; at one point he noticed an amulet Mortimer was using as a necklace, and when Bunnie slept Mortimer with Slumber, the simiah took the chance to steal the item and walk away. He became completely fascinated by the amulet, and refused to let go of it.
After the gangster woke up, the group convinced him that they were his allies and that his men had betrayed him, but Sweetpea kept her Shadow Bind on him. To better persuade him, Oppy subtly put out the fire he had been using. Kexon created a Wall of Flame and when one of the gangsters was trying to flee, Danté grabbed him and threw him into it. Danté then took the initiative and told the confused gangster that he and his team were "Animal Instinct", detectives that had been externally hired by his family to find jewel thieves. He managed to convince him. Bunnie used Recant to make Mortimer forget the beginning of the conflict and who had stolen his necklace, telepathically telling Xarlo that they weren't looking for him, so Xarlo then put on the amulet.
However, as they were leaving more gangsters arrived. Mortimer grew more suspicious and stressed (since it was his birthday and he was hurt) and became aggressive again. Kexon tried to stop some of the gangsters by using Time Lock, but when it was clear that the area had become too dangerous, the adventurers tried to run away. Kexon managed to leave on his own and Oppy took Danté and Xarlo to transport them away using Blink Out. Bunnie and Sweetpea tried to use the former's Hypnotic Shimmer to stun their enemies, but it failed, so the two of them were left behind and were captured by the mafia. The others realized what had happened soon afterward.
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[]
- 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
Returning[]
- Dyson Broche - older con man, occasional patron of the Lily Locket Lounge
- Ondra - god of forests and woods
Trivia[]
- Sam Riegel was not present either for the "Level Up" video or the livestreamed special.
External links[]
The Menagerie Levels Up with Daggerheart! | Open Beta on the Critical Role YouTube channel shows the Menagerie characters leveling up to level 4 after the events of their first one-shot.
References[]
Art: