Things that happened on Feb 19th 2022

Makalbly Jane and Jeumes split off from the rest of the party to bury the box of Beffa's Bugs down by the river

While burying the box they met an annoying elf with a limp named Isodore (or something like that)

Isodore claims to live in a “bunker” which is actually the Octopus Castle. He was looking for new recruits in order to make a voting block because he is apparently incapable of navigating the political complexities of sharing a castle with 5 other guys.

He also complained about the Church of the Good Moon

He was eager to learn about the Great Goat and gratefully accepted a pamphlet – though for once even Makalbly Jane was given pause to wonder, “do I actually want to convert this guy?”

Jeumes posed many thorny theological questions, which Makalbly Jane did her best to answer – but there's only so much dogma you can make up on the fly!

The rest of the party headed to the Gnomonics Institute, where they were supposed to meet with Dr. Frackenstein. However, when Ovis took off for her lunch break they saw an opportunity for nosing around. They found: stairs, doors, a room full of equipment (Bertha and Matlock?), a room with an acrid acid pool and a complicated magic-seeming seal on the floor, plus the ever-irresistible Closed Box. They hauled the Box out of the room and upstairs, where they were met by Dr. F. and Ovis. Ovis was charmed/confused enough to let the party's petty larceny slide, but Dr. F. was having none of it, and conjured a couple of large cats to deal with the party before going back to her office. She also spell-terrified Beffa and Oika into running as far away from her as they could get (back downstairs), while Eunice common-sensed her way out of the escalating situation (and the building).

In the Gnomonics Basement, Beffa and Oika (terrified) hid in a closet. Awnzo and Big Mama Felto decided against a bard/illusionist v. tiger showdown, and also fled downstairs, leaving a big ball of fire to stop any pursuers. Reunited with Beffa and Oika (still terrified), they found a closet full of probably explosives, and then another closet full of obvious goodies, which was a (maybe also obvious, in hindsight) Trap. Beffa boldly tried to get a cool sword and then fell through an illusory floor onto non-illusory spikes, sustaining a lot of damage, even for a Beffa. Her companions threw a rope down and Beffa paladin-ed her way back up, grabbing the sword on the way. It was short. Big Mama discovered a sudden knack for climbing and braved the floorless room several times to obtain a flask, a bottle, and a jug, in that order. Then Awnzo conjured an illusory Dr. Frackenstein for some extreme exposure therapy, and successfully scared Beffa and Oika back upstairs.

Meanwhile, Eunice took to the roof to avoid the downstairs tiger. However, this made her more susceptible to above-ground flying suits of armor. She attempted to play possum, but the suits of armor still chucked a spear at an apparently dead old lady. Not honorable! Eunice fled back to ground level to wait and see how much trouble the rest of the party was in, so she could say she'd told them so. (She had.)

At some point in here, Makalbly Jane and Jeumes returned from Box Quest to find their friends, and instead found a tiger, which walloped Jeumes basically instantaneously. MJ was able to sneak past the tiger, revive Jeumes, and make it to the inner reception area in time to be reunited with the Basement Party.

…whereupon the flying suits of armor appeared to speak to Dr. F., who was no longer there, but Big Mama F. WAS there, and cleverly disguised herself as the good doctor. This immediately seemed less clever when the suits demanded she hand over The Emerald, a debt apparently owed by Dr. F. But! Awnzo, cleverly(?), had been carrying an “emerald” around with him the whole time. Razzle AND dazzle! The suits accepted it as payment and flew off, leaving the Worst Party to softshoe quickly outta there and save their skins. Or else to tromp right back down to the basement and summon something horrible from the horrible acid magic seal room. Who can say!