February PotM

[Admin Choc]

Yes, I am aware there could be a trigger warning needed for that image, I mean... clowns but there is a good reason for this. Over here, the Netherlands, this is the Month when Carnaval is celebrated!!!! Preparations have been made since October I think, crowning a Prince or Princess Carnaval who will lead the merry people towards the actual;l Carnaval even in February and to quote the 'I am Expat'- site:

In short, carnival is a Catholic celebration that takes place in the weeks leading up to the Easter holidays. Nowadays the holiday might have lost some of the more traditional religious elements, but originally carnival marked the beginning of Lent - the 40-day fasting period ahead of Easter which kicks off on Ash Wednesday.

The European city most strongly associated with carnival is probably Venice, but it’s celebrated here in the Netherlands too, largely in the southern regions, as these provinces are traditionally Catholic.

(or you can read it yourself over here)

Anyway, what has this to do with the Post of the Month you may wonder: absolutely nothing; but now you know

Besides carnival --> start nominating!!!!! Hopefully, lots of great posts will be written and/or already have been written, show them, share them, put it in the spotlight. Remember: please only nominate ONE post and only provide ONE reference/link to the excellent awesome post.

[bananabadger]

Player: Yoshimi
Game: Banshee Bride
System: 5e
DM: FillyJonk

The Lone Marda's Lonely Howl

Context: A'ru is a Marda--possibly the last of his race--on a quest to find an oracle and determine if any others of his kind exist in the wide world. He catches sight of a ghostly figure that might be ancestral kin of some sort, but the figure disappears and A'ru loses the trail. With one, last desperate attempt, he follows a clue from a centaur in his party to check the resonance of a certain wall-stone which might reveal a hidden passage, fortifying his search with a primal call of his species.

Reason: As a player, Yoshimi is taking a simple, mechanical re-roll given through a player assist move and turns it into a short, tight cinematic masterpiece of a post. It's three paragraphs that pack a punch ... leaving everyone playing in the thread on edge as we wait for the resolution of his action to play out.

Link to Post

 

A-ru A'ru wipes his eyes and looks up at the kindly words of the centaur uncomprehendingly at first. Some new claptrap, perhaps? But at last he nods silently and knocks where Hlin had shown. Was there indeed a barely perceptible resonance there, or was it his imagination? He presses his muzzle to the same spot and plaintively howls his own name. "A-ruuuuu!" His voice echoes in the empty stairwell like the Archwood had once rung with the cries of marda hunters at dawn, coordinating as they tracked a covey of wood quail. But would the sound penetrate the stone, to where the only other known member of his kind in the multiverse lay hid?

 

Name: A-Ru
Class: Beastmaster Ranger Level: 3 HP: 28/28 AC: 15 (without shield)
Inspiration: No
Attack bonus: Melee: +1, Ranged: +4
Passive Perception: 15 Passive Investigation: 9 Passive Insight: 15
Spells Known: Cantrips: Shillelagh, Produce Flame; Level 1: Speak With Animals (Primal Awareness bonus), Absorb Elements, Entangle, Longstrider
Spell Slots: Level 1: 3
Spell Save DC: 13 Spell Attack Bonus: 5
Saves: STR: 1 DEX: 4 CON: 2 INT: -1 WIS: 3 CHA: 1
Special Abilities: Favored Foe, Primal Companion (Beast of the Land)

 

ROLLS:
persuasion 24 including bardic inspiration
Out of Combat:
Saving throws:
Move: to wall
Action: Try to call out the marda ghost with help from Hlin
Bonus Action:
Reaction:
Conditions: Bardic Inspiration expended
Concentrating:
Other:
OOC info:

[Strangemund]

Player: Touketsu
Game: Die Fabulous
System: Thirsty Sword Lesbians (Powered by the Apocalypse)
GM: It is me!! Strangemund!!Some weirdo.
Post: here

Reason for Nomination: I have sat here for about twenty minutes trying to put into words why I like Touketsu's post so much. It is difficult to pin down because there is so much I love about it as both a GM and a passive reader.

For context, I presented an NPC named Sally Slither to ruin my thirsty sword lesbians fine day at Ha-Ha-Harleen's Place, a tavern that they lovingly called home. I didn't have much planned in the way of Sally Slither's backstory when I first introduced her. I knew she was going to be an antagonist, a great dresser, and be the anathema to the party's beloved Gnoll NPC, Harleen herself. But then Touketsu and I started to talk OOC about the relationship her character, Aurelia, may have had with Sally Slither, because we both noticed there was potential for some perfect relationship conflict between the two.

Aurelia is a Scoundrel. A thief in Prism City whose number one priority is always herself. She doesn't believe in things like love, not any more. And trust, well, trust is a unicorn, because as far as she's concerned, its rarely seen, and only told in fairy tale stories. But...once upon time, she did trust someone. She did love someone. And that someone was Sally Slither.

The decision to make Sally Slither Aurelia's ex was a stroke of genius on Touketsu's part, and I have feasted like an eldritch god on the slow build-up of emotion Aurelia's been stewing on as the party waited for Sally Slither's arrival at the bar. The plan for Aurelia was to stay in the shadows, up in the rafters, where she could wait to ambush her while another party member distracted her long enough to mine for more information. But for a woman of passion like Aurelia, all that waiting just let those past emotions-- of love, of loss, of bitter betrayal-- all of it swept over her like a storm on the horizon, waiting to be unleashed.

And this post is the culmination of all that raw emotion hitting her at once.

The glimpse into Aurelia and Sally's Slither past together is both beautiful and heart-breaking. There's a warmth there that exists in that moment that present Aurelia no longer bares due to the scars Sally Slither left her. There's also subtly in the way Sally Slither manipulates her in this moment that should be sweet and loving, but isn't, as she doesn't let Aurelia tell her how she truly feels. She avoids that heartfelt confession in favor of a gift that would show the world that Aurelia was hers. And all of that came from Toukestu themselves. A 100&. And I have to say it-- it is poetic! It is ripe with pain and makes my heart ache for Aurelia, even though this was not a thing that existed a month ago. But it is written so well that you'd think this was planned from the start. Heck, I am the GM, and I am still not sure it wasn't.

But Touketsu, like the others in my sweet, thirsty game, continues to spoil me with a cut back to the present, where Aurelia finally lets that storm inside her go. And it is just so invigorating to watch her confront Sally Slither, at long last, ready to take what is owed for her broken heart. It is literally like watching a drama on television. I am thrilled. Incredibly thrilled.

In short, it is a masterful post, and that's why I am nominating it. So, thank you for reading this far into my gushing of their post~! Please enjoy Touketsu's hard work, and if you are feeling generous, send good vibes Aurelia's way~! She's gonna need it.

 

Passion It was an uncharacteristically quiet night in the Drain... the kind of peace that almost made you visualize the moon up past the concrete, streets, metal, towers, and pollution that blanketed the sky and blocked out the natural beauty of the night. Maybe this was in part due to the unusually small amount of rain on that particular night. Or maybe the majority of the usual street-walking troublemakers were simply off making mischief elsewhere, venturing out to one of the many parties going on closer to the surface. It was a holiday in the city after all; what specific holiday, Aurelia neither knew, nor cared. All she cared about in that moment was the gorgeous women laying next to her, the two catching their breath in the pleasant afterglow of passionate lovemaking. "Hnngggg.... *huff* .... I... don't think I've ever made that noise before." Aurelia chuckled, feeling a bit of extra color rush to her cheeks as she rolled to her side, facing the window. Neon light peeked through the shuttered blinds, casting lines of light across her body as she reached up and felt her quickly beating heart through her chest. "... you're going to have to teach me how you did that... thing." Aurelia felt two arms sliding up past her from each side, folding in to pull the woman into a tight embrace. "I'm sure a woman with quick fingers like yours can... figure it out..." Sally pulled her body up against Aurelia's hugging her tightly from behind as she nuzzled into the raven-haired woman's neck. Aurelia shivered pleasantly, lightly gripping Sally's wrist as she cocked her head a bit, allowing the her lover easier access to her. "Challenge accepted... just give me a second to catch my breath. You're insatiable, you know that?" The two laughed together. "As if you're any better Kitten. The way you look at me all the time... if I let you have your way, I would never get any work done." "Good." Aurelia made a fake pouty face, pushing her rear back, rubbing it playfully against Sally. "I want you... all to myself." And she meant it... in more ways than one. Tough as it was for the woman to admit, Aurelia had never felt the way she did for Sally Slither about anyone else before. It wasn't just the attraction... it was the emotional connection. Something about the way Sally connected with her and made her feel.... like she was the most important girl in the world. Like all the other crap just didn't matter when the two of them were one. It was something new... scary at first, but then oh so wonderful. And all that Aurelia had to do was verbalize it. ".... you know, I-" "I got you something." Sally's voice carried over Aurelia's small murmur immediately, and she pulled one arm away as she reached back, rummaging around the side table for a moment before her hand reappeared in front of Aurelia, this time holding a small box. Aurelia looked at it, eyes widening slightly. "You... got me a gift? Sally... wow." She reached forward slowly, gently pulling the box from Sally's hand. "Can... I open it?" Sally laughed. "You think I just wanted you to stare at the box?" She giggled again, planting a kiss on the nape of Aurelia's neck. Aurelia's stomach fluttered. Even in her small laughs, Sally's sultry voice could melt her down to nothing on a whim. Smiling, Aurelia slipped the lid off the box, overturning it in her hand. She let out a small gasp as a golden bangle fell into her palm. "Sally... my god, this is absolutely... beautiful." She turned the piece over, admiring it in the dim light. "Gold... it'll match-" "It will match my jewelry." Sally took Aurelia's hands in hers, gently plucking the bangle away as she slid it around the woman's wrist. "You're mine, right? And I'm yours... everyone should take notice of that." Aurelia stared at the band enveloping her wrist, her heart swelling with complex feelings. Was this what it felt like to be taken care of? Sally was so powerful and amazing, and she could have anybody... but she'd chosen a foolish thief with no head for city life, lost and on the run... and she'd taken her in. Aurelia owed her so much... and she knew in that moment she would give Sally anything she asked for. "Now..." Sally's hand gently cupped Aurelia's chin, pulling her face up and back as she locked her in a passionate kiss. After a moment, she relented, separating just enough that their lips continued to brush against one another. "You owe me another round Kitten..."

Aurelia The tip of the blade pointing down toward Sally wavered, shaking in the hand that held it as Aurelia's mind was flooded with memories. Her face felt hot, and she shifted her gaze away from the woman and blinked, looking down at the wet droplets that had fallen onto the surface of the wooden beam below her. Letting go of the bottle, she brought her hand up and touched her face... and she felt wetness on her cheek. She was crying... and trembling? Like a weepy little girl... as weak and worthless as a broken toy, tossed aside and unable to stand on it's own. Even now with every advantage and a blade at the ready, she felt herself hiding from Sally.... hesitating at striking a lethal blow. And it wasn't even because she wasn't supposed to... it was because she couldn't. Because even with Sally's life in her very hands, Aurelia was afraid of her. "..." Aurelia rubbed the small collection of tears from her eyes, gritting her teeth. She couldn't believe how pathetic she felt. How much of a hold Sally still had on her. In that moment, her fear and insecurity began to change into something else entirely; the anger she'd been trying to feel in place of her pain had finally shown itself in earnest. Grabbing the bottle next to her again, Aurelia hurled it at the back wall, dropping from her hiding place the moment she heard the shattering of glass. She needed to time it right... distract Sally for only a fraction of a second. "SALLY!" Aurelia's landing was not as graceful as she'd normally have gone for. Instead of a catlike soft impact, she slammed hard with both feet down onto the table between Naga-Shi and Sally Slither, sending cards scattering in every direction, ensuring Sally would turn back from the shattered bottle to see the tip of a sword pointed directly at her face. Straightening up, Aurelia held her sword steady, glaring down at Sally and forcing herself to maintain eye contact, a bitter smile across her face. "Wearing fur out in the rain for the sake of appearances? How very Sally Slither of you... but maybe you'd like to take it off now. Wouldn't want to get BLOOD on it now, would we?"

[zevonian]

Author of post- Drachenspirit
Game- The Closing Calamity in the Crags
System- D&D 5e
GM- Drachenspirit
Post Link- It's me, hi. I'm the link.

Reason for Nomination- Once upon a time there was an active thread in Players Seeking Games. In this thread, someone offered to be the DM for a would be adventuring party. 2 1/2 years later, the game is still going. Yes, this post is part of a proof that success can be found within Players Seeking Games.

Here we have the DM handling payment to the surviving adventurers for a completed job, with an unusual proof of completion, and offering a new job to both remaining and brand new PCs. It's a well formatted major plot advancement.

The text-

Day One Faerun, the Year 1481 DR The Season of Mirtul on the Northern Sword Coast Weather: Overcast skies: A Foggy Morning Luskan, Morning at The Taproom Captain Suljack raises an eyebrow when Sagda speaks and looks to her daughter. Her daughter says, "Amn?" The Captain replies, "Close, well, not that far as a seagull flies. A bit further south." "Calimshan", her daughter replies on getting the placement of the terminology and the accent right the second guess. The Captain smiles slightly, obviously proud of her daughter for paying attention to people. She then gives an up gesture with her chin to her daughter who grabs the blood stained sack and walks a few feet away from the table with it. She reaches in, and pulls out the head of a woman who was obviously decapitated. Everyone in the place stops what they are doing, chairs sliding for some to see, as the daughter of the Captain holds it up to her eye level, but at a full arm's length. Captain Suljack nods to her daughter and neither seemed the least bit squeamish by the display - helps when you grow up in a sea port one might suppose. She tucks the head back in the sack and hands it to one of the guards who heads out the front door with it as everyone in the place then sits back down with glances at Vicious, Isabella, and Xilith before they all go back to eating and talking softly amongst themselves. Captain Suljack now sits at an empty end of the table and begins to drink some cider as he daughter begins to take coins out of the large pouch previously laid on the table. She makes seven stacks of ten coins high with three other coins beside those in front of Isabella, Xilith, and Vicious each. This leaves one coin odd and she places that additional one in front of Vicious. The coins are platinum so that's seven hundred and thirty gold value for Xilith and Isabella, and seven hundred and forth gold value for Vicious. The Captain says, "We're a ship of our word. Payment as promised for the head of Alyissid the Dark. Since there's just the three of you returning, it don't split evenly, so we figure the one who delivered the head gets the difference. We're square." She takes a bit of sausage to eat as she looks to see if there's any disagreement, and then continues. She gestures to one of the other guards eating in the Tavern, and the man brings her a rolled up parchment. Taking it, she clears one end of the table by just pushing things aside and lays out a map of the area as she begins to speak and points to a location on the map she has noted southwest of Luskan. It's at the western part of The Crags, on the northerly side seemingly in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the forest that runs along the High Road to Neverwinter. She begins to explain, "This is a small village called Maerin. About a 3 day's ride by horse or mount north of there is what used to be the village of Vermeillon. Researchers here in Luskan recently discovered what is believed to be factual content in a tome uncovered in from an old library while they were searching for any mention of another vein or old mine to replace the one that was played out to the far north of Luskan here just recently. A Platinum mine, from which those coins I just paid out were made out of ingots to that closed mine. This village of Vermeillon did a booming business in both the raw ore and the refined metal for around a decade after settlers and prospectors discovered a platinum vein in the mountainside. Due to the rough terrain and the harshness of the climate, the village never grew large. It intermittently hosted a succession of traveling merchants who came to the village for a week or two, sold and traded their wares, then left again. The nearest civilized settlement was three days' ride on horseback down the mountainside. The inhabitants named in the tome include Mayor Lei Duvezin, a kind and talented dwarf smith named Tormun, and his wife, Blenyss. Seventy years ago, an explosion rocked the platinum mine, collapsing the tunnels and burying workers under tons of rubble. Sixty miners were underground that day. Over thirty of them died in the initial collapse, and the instability of the tunnels made rescue of the others slow and dangerous. The miners who survived the collapse were trapped for days or weeks before they were rescued-or perished in the deep, alone and terrified. Sixteen came out alive. Eleven were never found. In the wake of the catastrophe, another horror plagued the village as people began to disappear, starting with the survivors-not all at once, however. One or two would vanish in a single night, then a tenday might pass before the next disappearance. These unexplained disappearances terrified the remaining miners. After all the survivors either disappeared or fled, other villagers began to vanish. The villagers tried to protect themselves by sleeping with weapons and taking shifts on watch, but nothing changed. Traveling in groups didn't help, since a companion might vanish while even briefly out of sight. With no one willing to keep the mine open and the disappearances leading to fears that Vermeillon might be cursed, merchants and other travelers stopped visiting the village. The end of the patchwork story claims that the village is still there, though whether anyone inhabits it is a mystery. After much musing and speculation over the decline of the village, the Five Ships of Luskan have agreed for me to oversee a discovery venture; that is to hire you out to go and see if the mine can be reopened. If you are able to determine that it can be reopened, you'll each have a stake in the mine, perhaps even be the primary owners if the original owners can't be found, and reap such profits once production starts up again. Now, I studied this tightly controlled information last night at great length. I believe this is a fine idea. If you do find the mine, and can get it reopened, I'll make an agreement with you for shipments of the raw metal to come here, perhaps even open a shipping business if there isn't one to handle the work required. Should have an easy way of travel down the High Road until you take the road east to village of Maerin. I've actually been there during my youth, and although he won't likely remember me, you can mention me to the tavernkeeper, Lukas Grosvenor. A recent traveler to Luskan mentioned speaking to the old man when they went there for trade a month back." The Captain sits back down in the chair and takes a sip of apple cider. Now, that's my offer and a fine one if I do say so myself. If that's not to your liking, then there's been some recent developments in the city that need investigating - political incursions, possible assassinations, skullduggery and the like that I may be able to hire all of you on to investigate, but to be honest, this mine venture is with a lot less... risk to life that sneaking and investigating in Luskan. Questions? Are you in?"   Everyone's Up. Red Star on map shows destination where village is that leads to the mine. MAP LINK

[4eyedBadger]

Player: Strangemund
Game: The Coils of Veles
System: D&D 5e
GM: 4eyedBadger
Post: Gonna hurl…

Reason for Nomination: Strange’s character, Kazimir, is an absolute delight. He brings a light-hearted innocence into a party that is brooding from past hurts. He is the perfect character for Strange to show off her own wit and depth. Currently, the party is attempting to infiltrate a mansion that is occupied by the cruel commander of a dragonborn army in order to rescue the minotaur governor who is being held captive. In this post, Kaz reacts to the death of the first sentry at the hands of his companions. It’s a complicated mix of emotions, but Strangemund portrays it perfectly. She plays off of her fellow players throughout the post, incorporating their actions and lending a little humor to a grim scene. I really enjoyed it. I could go on about why but this post really does speak for itself.

 

Gonna hurl... ’Good work, Kaz.’ Those heavenly words repeated over and over in his head. ’Good work, Kaz.’ Mmn! Praise be the dumb little egg-cracker who spat in his face. At long last, Red had said his name. Complimented him on his fine work. Smiled at him. Oh, what heavenly radiance that smile was, too– it was worth far more to Kazimir than the gentle touch she laid upon his shoulder, even though that was just as sweet as light’s first break. He woulda said he coulda have died happy here and now, but his trickster masters didn’t need the extra motivation to make a fool of him. Instead he’d keep that little treasure tucked away for when the nights were lonely, and his heart possessed by darker spirits. "Happy to serve," he crooned, Kazimir eager to earn a few more praises from her, right up until she went and gutted the poor bastard he swore they’d spare. His jaw clenched tight at the sight of the guard’s limp fall. The air richer from his spilled blood. "I thought we…I thought we was gonna spare the poor sod." Kazimir couldn’t stop himself from blurting that out. He was no stranger to violence– you don’t get where he was without having your fair share of it– but that was. That was murder. Clean, quick, and thoughtless murder. It didn’t sit right with Kazimir. It didn’t feel right. But none of the others seemed to react with the same discomfort as him. Was it just old hat to them? …and if it was, who they were exactly? These strangers from all walks of land– why was taking a life just as easy as sparing one like his? He almost felt foolish he didn’t ask more questions, back when they were on the ship. and the mood was brighter and friendlier with the other minotaurs. What secrets would they have spilled about the people he was about to follow into the dark. ’No matter now. You are in it deep, Kazimir, and there ain’t no getting out without them.’ Still, he could at least offer a bit of kindness to the fallen guard. He didn’t know the proper funerary arrangements for blokes who bowed to dragons, but let’s face it, the feller was dead, he couldn’t afford to be picky on his road to Helheim. As Azar offered to venture back out, which was in its own right courageous and worthy of song, Kazimir bent down to the body, tucking a pair of coins into his pocket so he could bribe his way to wherever he needed to go. "Aye, let ‘em know you were fooled by Loki’s finest. That outta garner ya some sympathy, lad." And with that, it was back to business. Walking out into the dark, with wyverns and guards and Azar, there were all manner of threats out there that Kazimir wasn’t too keen to face alone. He wondered for a bit if he outta pull another trick out of his own proverbial sleeve, but that was before the Spooky Witch, who already piqued Kazimir’s interest from her poetic soul, bewitched the elements once more. A fog fell upon the world like a veil of white. Swallowing up the path ahead with a slow, twist of milky white tendrils. Kazimir whistled. "Oh, you are gonna have to teach me that one, lass. You wouldn’t believe how much easier my life woulda been if I had that up my arrrrrsseeee–" He was gonna say arsenal, big word, impressive word, but so help him, Batoyangi scooped him up like a wee babe before he could even finish. And oh, Batoyangi was right about him squirming and cussing, because these were not the arms he wished to be held in! Don’t get him wrong. They were strong arms. He felt weightless as Batoyangi rushed through the fog. His steps frighteningly light despite the power that was blessed within the mad dog. But he carried Kazimir like a sack of potatoes– he felt every bump! Every tussle! And if he was honest, he was gonna be sick. Especially when Batoyangi when braced against the ground, his body shifting low before he surged upward with all the speed and grace of a spear flung from Valkyrie’s hand. Kazimir heard the air whip around him. Felt it bite his face and tear at his clothes. And for a brief moment, a very, very brief moment, he thought that damn dog truly learned to fly. Kazimir clutched his eyes shut and they stayed shut until Batoyangi nudged him to let go. The pair now standing safely on the other side of the wall. Kazimir deposited himself onto the ground. Heart long gone from his chest. He didn’t know where it was– for all he knew, it was miles back– but he clutched his chest all the same, acting as if he was dying. "Y-you ever do that again without giving a man a proper warning, then I am… I am…oh gods... I am gonna…" He pointed exhaustedly at Batoyangi, "I am gonna give you…a stern talking. Whew." That said, where in the Nine Realms were they now?

 

Actions Move: Ready Action: Bonus Action: Reaction: Interaction: I rolled Perception and got a fancy 19 on the roll! Notes:

[Fillyjonk]

Player: lostcheerio
Game: (Fey) Ghosts of Saltmarsh
System: 5e
DM: FillyJonk

Context: The town of Saltmarsh was experiencing a red-washed total lunar eclipse, and they asked all the members of the party to provide entertainment at The Feast of Red Cherries in the form of storytelling from their own diverse cultures: How do your people explain the Blood Moon? They all did a spectacular job!

lostcheerio's "Why does the moon go red" story is truly something special. It comes out of the secretive, snoochy, knitting-obsessed gnome society lostcheerio has been building for the entire game. Her character has been growing into her role as a hero, pushing back, and Bingle edits the traditional DIRE gnome tale of woe and warning to reflect her movement from terrified runaway to bold adventurer (a shift that is very much still in progress!)

She also spent time making AI art to illustrate her post, and in game spent multiple posts recruiting NPCS (a shy gnome named Banx and an attention and sensory seeking little fairy named Mad Robin) and rolling and RPing to procure costumes and props, as well as plotting out special effects using character spells and abilities from her wizard stat block.

All this effort really paid off -- it is a delight!

Link to Post

 

Bingle Curiosa Wildwander, Forest Gnome Wizard/Warlock Bingle hoots and hollers for Falco's story, and Mad Robin loses her mind screaming to bring back Varcolac to his body. Mad Robin is the best audience ever, but Banx is the worst. When Bingle turns to take the stage, he's nowhere to be found, and she has to pull him up from under the platform by his hair. She does a forehead-to-forehead knock to bring his wits back to him, and then crams the kid-size helmet on his head. "You look great," she snaps. "Very believable." A tiny white fairy flies out to center stage, flanked by a handful of fireflies that circle around her. The scent of swamp grass puffs out over the first row. "Deep in the swamps, not far away, a horror is born on the full moon nights. White, round, and hungry, the terrible creatures the gnomes call Night Brood. These globulous bandits smell like worms and sour milk, and sound like whispers. Their round heads grow in the glowing spots made by the moon on clear nights, flicking and forming with every bright beam onto swampy trees, and swampy hillocks, swampy stones and swampy ponds, until they can blink, and breathe, and slip away into shadows. They hunt little children who put their fat fingers down into the ferns or between the tree roots or in puddles, hunting mushrooms or treasures or minnows, and snap! They bite off fingers, noses, toeses. They're sneaky and sly, blowing up just a bit with every piece they snitch, until when the moon reaches its zenith in the sky, they are fully alive! They can see through walls! Chew through earth and stone! Feel no pain! Then the whole child goeses." Bingle creeps around the stage, masked as a Night Brood, trailed by the fireflies, making a great show of gnashing her teeth and clawing at the air. In case the folks in the front row aren't screaming, Bingle seeds a few gasps and shrieks into the audience with a spell. Banx stands off stage, shifting in his armor unhappily. "The gnomes got tired of losing their fingers and toes and their children on full moon nights. They cried to their god, Baervan Wildwanderer. Send us someone! Someone to save us from the Night Brood!" Mad Robin pauses. She looks off stage. "They cried for someone! Send! Help! Please! Oh my god, please send someone! NOW! SEND SOMEONE!" Banx staggers onto the stage, wearing his armor and lofting his spear. "The gnomes looked in vain for a hero to come from the towns or the cities to help them. No! Their savior came from their own family, as finally a young gnome named Bonk Tosselbanx put on some armor that his grandmother knit for him, and swore himself a paladin, who would fight for the gnomes." There is a sound of trumpets! A scent of lavender! The fireflies hover furiously in a star formation! (This is a wild departure from the traditional gnome tale about the blood moon that Bingle had learned. (In the traditional gnome tale, there is no hero, (and therefore no hope), and the Night Brood are why you don't go into the swamp on full moon nights, (ever, at all).)) "Bonky T did battle with the Night Brood, in the streams and shallows, in the thickets and hollows. Though they were wicked, he was mighty. Bravely he stabbed them, shattering their magic, and blessed by the Father of the Forest, he began to prevail." Banx lifts his arms weakly and wafts his spear bravely. Bingle seeds more gasps while pretending to get stabbed. "But the Brood were many and the night was long. Constantly they emerged from the places where the moonlight flickered on the water, and in waves they poured from the shining green leaves. He began to be overwhelmed." Bingle dashes around the stage, harrassing Banx, who runs from her. The outline of a cave appears on the stage in silver light, and Banx runs into it, pulling the shield in front of him like a door. "The paladin took refuge in a cave, and with a sigh of relief pulled shut the clever door the gnomes had crafted from stones and reeds, that on any other night would completely hide him from the world. But because of the full moon, and the special powers of the Night Brood, the door could not hide him at all! And he was revealed to them in the moonlight!" A ring of bright light surrounds the shield and outlines Banx as he cowers behind it. Strings shriek. Thunder cracks. Bingle disappears, leaving silver outlines of many Nightbrood hovering around Banx, teeth sharp and claws ready, and reappears offstage, switching out her mask for a cute racoon before hopping back onstage. "It would not be long before they chewed through his hiding place, and ended him! The paladin prayed to Baervan Wildwanderer, who sent his racoon companion to take care of the faithful gnome. Chiktikka Fastpaws himself came to the rescue! The clever racoon walked all around the paladin's cave, testing out the Night Brood and deciding what to do. Then this amazing animal, who was smaller than a pea and also bigger than all the world, grabbed the bitter moon like a moss burger and took a big sharp bite. Blood poured from one edge to the other, casting a rusty shadow over the swamp!" The racoon disappears. Bingle switches out her mask. The fireflies change their hue to red. "The foul creatures began to pinken and fade as the blood moon's rays fell on them. Their eyes were ringed with red and their vision faded. They could no longer see through stone or chew through the earth. They grew fat bonnets over their heads and long pink capes dragged the earth behind them. Their mouths were shut permanently. They stumbled around in the swamp like old travelers, bent and worn. Some dropped back into puddles where the red moon's reflection wavered. Some stepped into trees and were gone, never to return. Without sustenance, without power on that night, they would eat the gnome children no more." (This was another extravagant departure from the actual story, in which the Night Brood became even more powerful during the Blood Moon (which was caused by the splashes from their feeding frenzy). The Night Brood with red rimmed eyes were ten feet tall. With no paladin to intervene, their bonnets were made of the skin of their victims. (Bingle edited this.)) "The Father of the Forest praised his friend the racoon, and gave him honey and mushrooms, for thinking so fast and chewing so hard. The paladin came out of the cave to bask in the red light of the blood moon, that had preserved him from being seen by his enemies. And all through time forever, the gnomes remembered the danger of the bright white light in the sky, but they also recalled the fierce teeth of Chiktikka Fastpaws, and the resolute paladin that had saved them all."