A Faerie Affair - IC IV: Dragon with Butterfly Wings

[Ninja_Prawn]

Violet's case is well made and you can see that Elendar is swayed by it at least a little bit. He leans back, head against the wall, eyes closed. "I'll have to give it some thought. It would be nice to have some more freedom in my life... but if I turn my back on Lolth, I also turn my back on my house, my people, my home. What would I even be, without them? How will I live? Well, I'm not exactly short of time to think down here. Even if my people conquer this whole region, it could take them years to find this enclave..."

[Archmage1]

Violet smiles at the eye closed thinking drow. "Ok. Maybe we can talk again later, when you've decided?" Her voice is encouraging, trying to help Elendar's introspection, in a positive fashion.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bardic Inspiration to Elendar.(d8)

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Sure, I'm not going anywhere."

[Archmage1]

Violet nods, an edge of sorrow in her motions. "Bye, Elendar." With that, she turns, and leaves the room.

[Majin]

Kor was impressed, mostly with Violet and also the drow. He wouldn't have guessed Violet could have really come up with an argument that would have gotten to the much more ruthless elf, but as far as he could tell, Elendar really was considering Violet's suggestion. Though perhaps it was only from self-interest, but still...

As they exit the cells, Kor turns to talk to Violet. "Wow, that was pretty impressive arguing! Maybe you should, like, become a politician here... I'm sure you could just talk circles around them!"

[Archmage1]

After departing the cell, Violet just sort of... drifts, not really having anything more specific to do, but when Kor addresses her, Violet turns to him, with a smile. "Maybe, but then my garden would be really sad, and they'd all start arguing, and competing, and it wouldn't nearly as nice, and it'd be lots less fun. But maybe we can convince the other drow to think as well?"

[WindStruck]

"Uh.. goodbye.." Astra said, awkwardly. She still hadn't forgotten how ruthless the drow had been a couple nights ago.

"Maybe you could do that, Violet. I mean, you are awfully persistent," she says with a teasing smile. "Although you had quite an advantage there, with him being locked up. I'm.. I'm rather afraid that normally, one of those drow wouldn't give you any chance at all, were they not constrained and unarmed..."

[Archmage1]

Violet cheerfully spins a bit, to bring Astra into the conversation circle too as she joins in, and she listens as Astra offers her warning. "We just need to have a chance. And then we can try, and everything'll be nice." Violet seems quite certain.

[Majin]

"Well, maybe if capture one of their leaders, we should just lock them up with Violet for a couple of days... I'm sure by the end the only thing they can think about is gardening", Kor said and grinned.

[Archmage1]

Violet frowns thoughtfully at Kor's words. "Maybe they'd be more talky if one of us was captured? But being trapped's no fun at all!"

[Archmage1]

After a few moments of silence as Violet's words fall into silence, Violet's expression shifts, abruptly, into a broad smile as her eyes jump from Kor to Astra, and back. "Muffins?"

[WindStruck]

"Oh! Um.. now?" Astra asked. She thought it was getting kind of late for muffins. But then again, she supposed the time didn't matter.

[Archmage1]

Violet nods excitedly. "They're really yummy, and there were lots and lots of flavors, and there were lots of colors, and she was really nice!"

[Majin]

"Muffins!" Kor nods eagerly. "Never too late for muffins." This was something he could agree about with Violet.

[Archmage1]

With a happy smile on her head, Violet does a quick twirl as she talks. "Yay, muffins!" After her rotation, she tries to figure out the way to muffins, and heads in that direction(Weaving from side to side a bit as she goes), clearly expecting her friends to follow. Or to realize she had no idea where she was going, and point the way.

[Ninja_Prawn]

The three of you make your way towards Cakeland, getting there just as Chiffon is getting ready to close up for the evening. The place is deserted except for a few feral shimmerlings, come to scavenge some crumbs. "Oh, Violet, you're back again. And you've brought some friends! Would you like some cake? I'm afraid there isn't much left..."

[Archmage1]

Violet smiles happily at Chiffon, not disappointed at all, as after all, a little bit of everything is still delicious muffins! "Yes please! I told everyone about how amazing your muffins were, and then we decided that we could come and try them, and they're really yummy, so I know everyone'll be really happy with them." She nods firmly. "What flavors do you have left? And maybe we can talk a bit too? Or help the shimmerlings be happy? They're really pretty!"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Muffins? Yes, there are some..." There is one with berries, one with nuts, and one with spices. "They'll only go to waste, so help yourselves."

Chiffon looks a little tired as she sweeps the tables and stacks tiny, delicate chairs onto them, shimmerlings following after to snaffle up fallen morsels. "Did you have a good day, then?"

[Archmage1]

With Chiffon clearly busy, Violet happily takes advantage of Chiffon's offer, and goes to collect the muffins, before heading back to her friends, with a smile, proffering them to Kor, Kyu, and Astra(With a little difficulty). Once the muffins are acquired, she looks back to Chiffon, still smiling merrily. "It was wonderful! We got to go exploring, and I met you, and had an amazing muffin, and then we got to help Juniper get better, and then we got to garden, and convince someone to be nice, and now we can share muffins too! It was a really, really fun day!" She smiles happily for another moment, clearly trying to remember if anything else amazing happened, before she continues, her voice a little less excited than before, as though she was trying to calm down a bit. "How was your day? Did you get to meet anyone else new?"

[Majin]

Kor eagerly attacks the stack of muffins, the fluffy pastries no match for his sharp teeth.

"Did I mention there was almost a demon incursion? Boy, that'd have been a handful, but I'm pretty sure it's not gonna happen again. But I guess that's just politics." Kor talks between hungry bites and swallows. "Also you mentioned something about cake...?

[WindStruck]

"Oh, hello!" Astra said, greeting the baking lady with a cheerful smile. "So it seems you've met Violet already. Uh, I'm Astra, and I guess I wouldn't mind some cake or.." Violet already shoves a muffin in her hands. "R-right..."

[Ninja_Prawn]

"A pleasure to meet you Astra. They call me Chiffon... for obvious reasons." She fetches a glass cake stand with a few slices left in it. "As for cake, I'm afraid there's only lemon drizzle left."

Violet asked if Chiffon had met anyone new today, but she answers "no, other than you. Most of the people who come here are regulars." It seems she had a fair day - floating serving customers for hours is hard on the wings, but she takes pride in the fact that people enjoy her craft.

To Kor, she says: "a demon incursion, you say? Been a while since we've had one of those in the enclave. It seems like politics is getting to be a pretty dangerous game these days. You know, I've been thinking of making a move of my own. Perhaps you all can help..." she goes into the kitchen and comes back out with a small cubic package, wrapped in cloth. "Everyone's talking about how the court might be going to war, so I've been working on this special long-life cake. Full of energy, keeps for weeks, and hard enough to be used as a weapon in emergencies! I just need someone to taste-test it." She unwraps the cake, which looks like a crusty, beige brick. "Wanna try?"

[WindStruck]

"Huh, Chiffon? ..why is that obvious?" Astra asks, raising an eyebrow. Wasn't that a fabric? It sort of reminded her of the dress she had been trying to work on earlier today.

Astra nibbles on her muffin, finally stopping to blink at the brick of a cake. She looks at it and tries scratching her fingers at it a bit. "Umm... How are you supposed to eat it?"

[Archmage1]

A little disappointed by Chiffon's answer, Violet's smile quickly disappears behind a nibble of muffin, as she enjoys her friends getting along, and snags a small slice of lemon cake to try as well, before Chiffon pulls out a new cake. A crusty beige brick, but Violet was a past mistress of not judging things by appearance.

"A brand new cake, one we can try, and you made it? I'm sure it'll be wonderful!"

She leans forward, eagerly, looking at the cake, already imagining the deliciousness sure to be within.

[Majin]

"So is Chiffon like... pastry or something?" Kor asked, not knowing much about fabrics or bakery, beyond not taking part in the first, and only interested in consuming the products of the latter. "Yeah, I don't think they're gonna try it again. Just keep baking!"

Kor looked at the hard-shelled cake a bit wary, but if this was something that could help with future hunt, he figured he should make the sacrifice and test. "Well it's a cake... So we just bite into it!" His sharp teeth gleaming, Kor bites into the lemon cake with full force, inflicting the maximum damage his fangs could deal.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bite attack damage against the cake (I assume it'll hit automatically): (d3+3)[6]

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Huh, Chiffon? ..why is that obvious?" Astra asks, raising an eyebrow. Wasn't that a fabric? It sort of reminded her of the dress she had been trying to work on earlier today.

She wordlessly taps her name badge ('Siobhán') and then the specials board, which has 'chiffon cake' written at the top in what looks like a far more permanent paint than the rest of the items. It seems to be a play on words.

Astra nibbles on her muffin, finally stopping to blink at the brick of a cake. She looks at it and tries scratching her fingers at it a bit. "Umm... How are you supposed to eat it?"

Kor's fang-first assault answers this question: he smashes his way into the cake, finding it to be hard, dry and dense but (just about) chewable. Whatever deliciousness Violet imagined would be inside is surely a vast overestimation of its flavour. Kor finds that it tastes like burnt oatmeal and chalk dust. Even for his draconic teeth though, it's pretty tough going. Please make a Constitution saving throw.

[Majin]

Kor did his best to power through. Chiffon had said this was cake, and Kor wasn't going to lose to a pastry, even though he half-wondered if the chef was playing a prank on him. ...weapon... alright..." he managed to say between bites.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Con save: (d20+2)[8]

[WindStruck]

Meanwhile, as Kor threatens to break his teeth on that thing, Astra picks up a piece shattered off the brick-of-a-cake and gingerly picks it up, licking it. Not really any taste there. She then tries to suck on it some.

Eww, she didn't really like the taste, and so took it out of her mouth with a bit of a grimace.

[Archmage1]

Seeing the damage Kor did to the cake, Violet picks up one of the bits that had broken off, and tries it, chewing thoughtfully.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Well, since burnt oatmeal and chalk dust are a bit less than delicious...
Does Violet have any ideas on something that might help to improve it? Honey? Cinnamon?

(1d20+4)[14] Nature?(+1 more if survival or medicine might be more appropriate.)

[Ninja_Prawn]

As Astra feared, Kor does indeed chip a tooth on the cake. It's very painful!

Spoiler: Consequences

Show

Kor will have disadvantage on bite attacks until the tooth grows back in (1d6)[4] days.

Chiffon can see from your reactions that it's not a hit. She furrows her brow and coos "oh, is it that bad? Oh dear. Back to the drawing board I suppose."

Spoiler: Violet

Show

I make that a Wisdom (Cook's Utensils) check, which you'd have a +2 on.

Still, 12 is enough for some sensible thoughts. You think the cake could be improved by adding more fats - butter or oil - in order to make it softer and more flavourful while still being able to travel fairly well.