Session 31-A: Good Vibes Only

Key Plot Developments
Glyn, stunned by the revelation that Grampus (the gnome responsible for so much destruction at the Sunless Citadel) has captured Spindlelegs and is hunting goblins. Glyn realizes he forget his main reason for entering the Underdark: because villains like the Knitting Club Heroes made things too unsafe for the goblins on the surface. He reaches out to the Dark Prince.

The Prince shows him an image of Drigglezub, Trix's girlfriend (who Glyn was secretly in love with). She asks about the rest of the clan and pleads with Glyn to stay safe. Glyn, more powerful and confident with her there, says he'll protect all goblins. She says she wants to be revived and come with him. The Prince has gained a lot of power thanks to his necklace-sharing, but he needs more to pull her out of the goblin afterlife. She's also felt more disconnected and thinks it's because people are now taking off the necklaces too soon (because Lady Harmond and the others have been disparaging his and Anna's efforts). Glyn is resentful about being shut out. He decides to let Eldgrim and the Empty-Scabbard Killers do what they want with the queen and the council. Then, he could seize power. Drigglezub affirms Glyn's wishes.

The Prince suggests taking the Deepking's hammer, which has devilish power, from the vaults. He suggests she's supported Harmond because its devilish whispering has corrupted her. Glyn is convinced. The Prince then lets Drigglezub speak with Glyn alone. She says she believes in him; he promises to revive her.

Glyn wakes up and tells Gridier and Armneil about the hammer. He blames Misu for it. They are convinced; while they don't believe the hammer was intrinsically corrupt, they think Misu likely corrupted it en route to a failed coup.

Glyn speaks with Miss Anna. Anna wants to revive Suortin and end slavery in Gracklstugh. She decides to use her charms on the slave masters and change the system.

Glyn goes to the Blade Bazaar, which is being rebuilt by slaves. There's a strong stench here; he notes that the now-killed derro were tasked with cleaning the cesspits, and they are likely overflowing by now. The scent grows as a cesspit ooze--a horrifying creature made of chaos magic and sewage--emerges and attacks.

The ooze spreads madness with each blow; the duergar that are not immediately dissolved by it are driven to mindless rage. The ooze splits into two after Glyn attacks it; the two halves terrorize the marketplace. Most weapons are ineffective against them. Gridier goes down and is dissolved.

Glyn, enraged by the chaos magic, doesn't register his comrade's death. He thinks about the Knitting Club Heroes and attacks one of the human slaves. Then, he thinks about Durnn from the Sunless Citadel--the hobgoblin who took over--and attacks a hobgoblin slave. In the confusion, as the oozes devastate the slave task force, Glyn is finally able to turn his anger to the cesspit oozes (who lash out at him and scar him with their psuedopods). He smites them, but, in their death throes, they explode, knocking him unconscious.

Glyn awakens in Miss Anna's grove. Zeks and Edsel have been tending to him. Glyn remembers how he attacked innocents; he is ashamed. He's been out for days, healing from the oozes' explosion; as he looks at himself in a crystal, his darkened, melted, and burned skin now more closely resembles the Dark Prince's hue than his original goblin green. Miss Anna has been out, staying with the slaves overnight.

Glyn reaches out to Anna, who comes back and explains how she's helped the slaves handle the remaining oozes. She's built a bath house. She doesn't blame him for being driven to temporary madness, just like she doesn't blame the Deepqueen for potentially being possessed by a devil-hammer. She convinced him to speak with the slaves.

Glyn, transformed both physically and emotionally, successfully delivers an inspirational speech. He promises reform is coming and passes how thousands of his gifts; the slave-masters, charmed by Anna, support this. The combination of Glyn's leadership, Anna's charms, and the tenuous rebuilding situation put political and social pressure on Lady Harmond and the council, who shift their laws surrounding slavery to indentured servitude instead.

Anna's palace is built in the center of town, becoming a place of respite for the weary. Anna, days later, tries to revive Suortin, and brings him back: he's now a crystal wraith umber hulk. The creature, whose crystal exoskeleton cracks and scrapes with every movement, emotionally embraces Anna.

Glyn gets a sending from Eldgrim and meets him outside of the crystal palace. He says he and his group have acted to ensure Glyn will be able to leave the city however he'd like. He asks if Zeks and Edsel would be good regents. Glyn asks how that could be possible; Eldgrim says he'll learn in around a half-day. He takes a necklace from Glyn (though he doesn't wear it) but says further payment won't be necessary.

A half-day later, Armneil gives Glyn a message: the Deepqueen has been poisoned to death. Lady Harmond and many in the council have been killed. The vaults have been ransacked. The city is in need of a leader.

Memorable Quotations
Drigglezub: Hi, Glyn. I thought...you didn't want to talk to me anyone. Have...have you been thinking about me?

Glyn: Drigglezub, I already stayed out of the way and safe for months….and you died. I can’t do that again.

Dark Prince: I was calling out, crying in the dark, for anyone to hear me. Anyone who would look past all this and trust me. And you came.

Dark Prince: A child lacking your wisdom and experience was offered power? Something may have been whispering in her ear…turning her against us.

Glyn: I feel bad for her 'cause I know what she’s feeling! I’ve been where she is! And if it’s like what you said: everyone’s worth saving!

Drigglezub: I’ve tried to talk to Trix. The Dark Prince keeps trying to get him to talk to me. And every time, it feels like the doors just slam in my face! Whether or not Trix is there for us...we can be there for each other. Right?


 * Glyn: This…this might be the most people I’ve ever helped before…
 * Anna: Right! Isn’t that magical?? You’re a hero, Glyn! Look how many people this little goblin has saved! Isn’t that mad?

Anna: The Dark Prince has been giving me dreams. I’ve been dreaming about Suortin. He couldn’t have left us for nothing! We need to make like a positive change around here so that he didn't go through that for nothing! We need to bring the best vibes possible to everyone! BELIEF is what gets us places! We just have to keep helping people believe!


 * Glyn: You filthy human! You never loved us! You never respected us! You monster! You’re the real monster! You better run! You better crawl like you made us crawl!
 * Duergar Slaver: Ya got the right idea there, goblin! Back up, ya filthy humans! Attack from a distance!

Glyn: And you! You hobgoblins! You all think you’re so powerful and we should all bow down to you! I’LL SHOW YOU WHO TO BOW DOWN TO! Pyrite was never the same after you RUINED EVERYTHING!!


 * Anna: I built them a bath house! We’ve been having so much fun! I mean, it’d be more fun if they weren’t slaves, but...you know.
 * Glyn: Sorry, what was that? I got distracted by Giggles.
 * Anna: It’s so easy, right? I mean look at her!
 * Giggles: Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck!
 * Anna: Got the gift of the gab, hasn’t she?

Anna: GOOD VIBES ONLY! CHEERS!

Glyn: I don’t want to build it back to the way it was, but try and make it better! I think you’ve all done enough for this city to be considered citizens. I think it’ll be much more effective. When people really WANT to do something, they do it better!

Anna: Suortin….hit me!

Eldgrim: Lord Glyn. I think that what you’ve been doing around the town…Is good. Meet me outside the grove….alone. I think that we’re friends. And friends look out for each other.