Chapter 2: Intermission 2

''The IKP prepares to leave everything they know behind. Also, they bond with an adorable new friend!''

Following the completion of their first mission and the acquisition of an incredibly valuable ally, the IKP is inducted into the MMSS as official honorary members. Armed with entirely too much free time, they deal with tasks both menial and ridiculous.

Amnesia & Owlbears
Following the IKP's perplexing victory, they had little choice but to return and report their findings. As they were trekking through the woods, Nyx felt a strange headache overtake him, and when he tried to remember what happened at the glade, he could hardly picture the location in his mind's eye. His memories became foggier and foggier until he, eventually, forgot what happened entirely - including the talisman that he tucked away in his pocket.

However, the IKP found themselves embroiled in another quandary soon after; they weren't eager to repeat the bridge incident, so they opted to venture through the owlbear woods. Thankfully, no owlbears attacked them, but halfway through the journey, they heard one shriek. They assumed it was a war cry at first, but upon investigation, they found it to be one of pain. Not far off the trail, the IKP found a hunting party that had an owlbear with a bear trap clamped around its leg. Upon witnessing the hunters prod the trapped owlbear with spears and blades, clearly torturing it for their own amusement, the IKP decided that they couldn't just turn their back on the injured animal.

First, Faetra attempted to reason with them, which didn't work. Second, Krumgrum emerged from the underbrush and started menacingly, and slowly, walking towards them, all the while claiming that that was his owlbear. Faetra did her best to work with this by claiming that Krumgrum is incredibly violent, but she might be able to talk him down if they gave them the owlbear. Accentuating her point was Callus, who also came out of the forest and started slowly walking towards the hunters in a similarly intimidating manner, also claiming that that was his owlbear. However, the hunters appeared to be more confused then scared, and Nyx, fed up with this whole scenario, decided to sneakily eliminate all the hunters from behind, knocking them out with the pommels of his daggers. Faetra then cast Speak with Animals to calm down the owlbear, convincing her that they were no threat to her or her children. Nyx then unlocked the bear trap with his lockpicks, setting her free.

With her thanks, the IKP figured that they were done with owlbears, but when they searched the hunters' cart, hoping to find money, they found a small, rattling cage, covered with a rag. Nyx took off the small piece of cloth to reveal a small cage holding an owlbear cub. After unlocking the cage, Nyx tried to give it to Faetra, as he had no idea what an owlbear was, and she would have accepted if the cub hadn't imprinted on Nyx when he freed him. Reluctant and confused, Nyx dubbed the owlbear Thanatos (Toto for short) and hid him away inside his cape.

Ally in the Alley
When the IKP returned, Lazlow was happy to formally induct them into the ranks of the MMSS, but the details of what happened at the planar gate perplexed and worried him. He said that he and Fernwei would have to think about it some more, but for the time being, they paid the IKP 50 gold for their trouble, and gave them a brief tour of the MMSS base (see the Locations section for a more in-depth summary of the Meta-Magical Scholar's Base). Additionally, he claimed that it would probably take two weeks for him and Fernwei to decode the information collected by their journey, and they would have their next mission following the completion of their analysis. The IKP wasted no time, immediately going to Forge's Alley to purchase new magical items. There, they found a familiar face in Eärendil, who had set up Wishbone there. He explained that he was one of the merchants who had been given clearance to operate in the MMSS, and encouraged the IKP to purchase the Fine Elven Goods that he sold. The IKP bought a multitude of magical items with various applications (see the Items section for in-depth descriptions of the items purchased), emptying their party funds pretty thoroughly.

Spring Break with the IKP
With two weeks of free time and the whole Meta-Magical Scholar's Base at their disposal, the IKP went on several individual quests, mostly revolving around causing problems within the MMSS.

Krumgrum spent his time following Toto around, and sneaking up to him whenever Nyx wasn't looking to attempt to teach the owlbear basic musical theory. He would crawl up to Toto and hand him various musical instruments, then demonstrating simple songs in an attempt to get Toto to mimic him. Due to his ridiculous musical expertise, he managed to get Toto to understand basic rhythm and play a few songs under Nyx's nose.

Faetra spent most of her free time using her new ability to transform into flying creatures, gliding around the cliffs surrounding the Meta-Magical Scholar's base. She gained a considerable amount of practice with flying, adjusting to her new abilities, learning how to utilize them well, and enjoying the bird's eye view of the Strigidae bluffs. At one point, Faetra, misunderstanding the nature of an owlbear, attempted to go flying with Toto; luckily, Nyx stole him back right as she was about to toss him off the cliff. Additionally, she had a very perplexing dream. She was asleep, having a normal, gnomish dream, and then the scene shifted back to the fight with Planchette. When the battle concluded and the explosion blinded her, her vision cleared to reveal a new location; she was inside a strange, dome-like structure, and across from her stood Velloqui. Faetra could hear her calling her name, but when she tried to listen closer, she was pulled from her slumber.

Nyx spent the moments he didn't dedicate to plotting to playing elaborate pranks on the IKP with Fernwei. The crown jewel of these incidents is when he and Fernwei set up in the mess hall, waiting for someone to stumble upon their scene. When Krumgrum walked in, he saw Nyx sitting, cross-legged, on the table, with a hot dog in front of him and Fernwei looking at him expectantly. Slowly, the hot dog started to levitate, and once it reached his mouth's level, it started vibrating. Gently, at first, and then it was shaking so hard all you could see was a hot dog shaped blur. Then, all of a sudden, Nyx opened his mouth and the hot dog shot towards it, missing it by a few inches and shooting like a bullet to splatter on the wall. Nyx looked down in shame, to which Fernwei placed another hot dog on the table in front of him and told him to try again. Unfortunately, the intricate mind games that they were playing were lost on Krumgrum, who stood behind Nyx in an effort to catch future hot dogs. Additionally, he received a letter from Planchette:"Dear Nyx and company, ""I hope this letter finds you well. I promised, when you left, that I would do all I could to unravel the bizarre circumstances of our meeting. I must thank you again for your role in the events that transpired that fateful night—without you, who knows what may have happened? Perhaps all of our town would have been swallowed up by that awful estate. I believe our Great Mother, Selune, must have aligned our courses herself to prevent this fate. ""You'll be relieved to know that the strange occurrences in Cape Marlin truly appear to have passed, though we have yet to recover all the missing folk, or my memories. Are you any closer to finding your friend? My role in her disappearance weighs heavily on my mind. Dwynwen and I have been spending our nights seeking guidance from the prayer pools, hoping to shed some light on this mystery. ""A recent vision we witnessed in the pools lead to me investigating the town's records of Mortimer Manor, which was apparently condemned 50 years ago after the Mortimer family mysteriously perished. Curiously, the paperwork filed for the Manor to be condemned was signed a group identifying themselves as the Meta-Magical Scholar's Society—Dwynwen recognized this as the organization you were searching for when you arrived in town. Even curiouser, records indicate that, leading up to whatever incident befell the Mortimers, a series of townsfolk disappeared, and were never heard from again. ""I do not want to draw any conclusions from these records; indeed, they raise more questions than they do answer them. Perhaps this is all peculiar happenstance, nothing more than mere coincidence. However, the question remains: What, truly, compelled me to do the things that I did? And to what ends? Perhaps the answer lies in whatever happened inside Mortimer Manor 50 years ago. ""Answering these questions is far beyond the scope of one small town along the Sword Coast, dedicated local sleuths notwithstanding. I hope this letter has been of use to you—please update us if you have made any progress, and I will do the same. ""May Selune light your path, ""Planchette ""P.S. — enclosed is a small gift which I wanted you to have."- Planchette

The letter included Selune's Talismans, blessed pieces of sea glass etched with the symbol of Selune (see Items for an in-depth descriptions).

Callus, perplexingly, did not do anything.

The Meta-Magical Scholar's Base
See Chapter 2: The Scholar's Society for a general description of the MMSS base or the observatory.

During Intermission 2, the IKP further explored the MMSS base. Notable locations include the central building, archival tower, residence block, residence tower, forge, and forge's alley.

Central Building
Playfully referred to as "the coop" by members of the MMSS, the central building is a multi-level structure connected to the archival tower. It is the largest of the buildings which make up the Society's compound. The central building contains several personal studies, as well as communal research and lounge spaces. The observatory, dubbed "the lab" by Lazlow and Fernwei, is located on the first floor. The mess hall and kitchen are also found in the central building, making it a frequent haunt for MMSS denizens to get "cooped" up in.

Archival Tower
The archival tower is a tall structure accessible via the central building. Here, the MMSS records their work, accumulates the many tomes required for their research, and stores various paperwork. Most of the floors in the archival tower resemble a library, with towering bookshelves and sturdy, wooden tables available for on-the-spot research. The feared and venerated Payroll resides at the top of the tower.

Residence Block
The residence block is the space where multiple MMSS members can live together in apartments. Each floor contains multiple separate bedrooms, and each floor shares a communal area in an adjacent tower. Residents are provided with complementary Fantasy IKEA furniture, though they have to assemble it themselves. The IKP share a floor in the residence block.

Residence Tower
The residence tower is another living option for MMSS members who want to live on-base. In contrast to the residence block, the tower is dedicated to solo-living, as each floor of the tower has been converted into an all-purpose living space for one person. Typically, senior MMSS members live in the tower.

Courtyard
The courtyard is a green space nestled between the central building, residences, and mountainside. It is built around a cobblestone hexagon. Surrounding this area are several conifer trees and topiary bushes, along with more unusual flora which has been imported by MMSS members interested in botany. Around the courtyard are a few benches and picnic tables, which are seldom used because of the chilly temperatures up in the mountains.

Forge
The forge is a space for MMSS members to test out their research through the creation of magical artifacts. It is a medium-sized, semi-open building located beside the central building. There is, in the centre, a massive forge and chimney. Around the forge are several workstations for MMSS members to physically and magically shape their creations. The forge is kept lit at all hours, as MMSS members use it to continually tweak their creations. Various tools, both mundane and magical, hang from the walls and ceiling.

Forge's Alley
Outside the forge and its stiffing heat is forge's alley, a space dominated by different stalls for MMSS members to display their creations—and facilitate the buying and trading of these items. Though regular merchants are not allowed access to—or knowledge of—the Society, several members dedicate their time towards amassing useful items and selling them to their compatriots and the outside world. In contrast to many of the MMSS' spaces, the alley is a bright and boisterous place.

New NPCs

 * Toto, the adorable owlbear

Items
Selune's Talisman. A smooth shard of sea glass, carefully etched with the symbol of Selune (a pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars). Each shard has been strung with a short length of twine, as if it could be attached to a bag or charm bracelet. Planchette sends the talismans to Nyx in a letter, who then shares them with Faetra, Callus, and Krumgrum.

Rabba's Resilience. A bundle of 5 baked treats. Each treat restores 4d4 +4 HP. Bought at Wishbone, by Krumgrum.

Delicious Dust. A glittery orange powder in a small glass vial. Anything covered in this dust can be eaten as if it were food, without any ill-effects. Bought at Wishbone, by Krumgrum.

Whaler's Whisky. A thick brown liquid with a very intense, spicy scent. Once consumed, the drinker can walk on water for 1 hour. Bought at Wishbone.

Bloodstone Boots. A finely crafted, stylish pair of leather boots. Upon inspection, a small blade can be found hidden in the sole. Anyone looking for weapons must make a Perception check (DC 15) to spot the hidden blade. Bought at Wishbone, by Nyx.

Diffident's Diary. A leather-bound book, dyed a dull pink, filled with pages of rough parchment. The book is held shut by a heart-shaped lock. Upon purchase, the user will be inspired to fill the pages with original poetry. In order to be confident enough to share these works, the user must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13), and, if successful, can then read a single poem from the book. Anyone able to hear the poem must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 15) or be forced to retreat 35 ft. Bought at Wishbone, by Faetra.

Teleportation Gourd. A bright orange gourd, apparently freshly harvested. Once per day the user may make a Dexterity check to throw the gourd. When the Gourd lands, the user and everything they are carrying is instantly teleported to the Gourd's location. 0: the gourd lands in a dangerous situation. 1-8: the gourd lands 30ft from the intended location. 9-12: the gourd lands 20ft from the intended location. 13-15: the gourd lands 10 ft from the intended location. 15-20: the gourd lands at the intended target. Bought at Wishbone, by Faetra.

"Dobby's Vengeance" (Warhammer). A warhammer styled so that each end looks like an old-fashioned clothing iron. The user can take a bonus action and speak this item's command word. Once spoken, this item heats up to the point of being red hot. This effect lasts for one minute. Any creature hit by an attack from this weapon while it is heated takes an additional 1d8 fire damage. This feature can be used once per day. Bought at Wishbone, by Callus.