Episode 28: The Cake Mistake

"'The party throws... A party!'"

Episode Events
After receiving free drinks and lodging at Oaklite for the evening, the party awakens the next morning in the tavern rooms. Putting on their armor and equipment, the party gather into the wagon and head back to Vileta. While traveling, Sylnan reads more of Ugarth's journal.

The journal entry is from 14 years prior. Ugarth is voicing his thoughts in the first entry, discussing to himself how he plans to write a journal during his travels, and how the ship he is on during that time keeps him fairly busy.

The party arrives back at Vileta, everyone hopping off the wagon. They enter into the town, and argue over what to do next with the spare time.

While the party bickers, Velrisa suddenly feels her body temperature increase, along with a choking feeling and her stomach turning. The feeling fades away, but she remains feeling overheated. She looks around for a source or oddity, she notices no presences. She decides to keep the feeling to herself.

The party decides to go back to the ship. They go up the tower to the skyship dock, and notice a second ship parked in the harbor. Cedric is standing by his ship. The second ship seems rotting, and there are no people near or on it.

The party approach Cedric, and Taxi exclaims that they must leave immediately. Cedric is only half convinced, and tells everyone to get on the ship. Everyone boards, and Cedric undocks the ship. Travel begins as they head towards Togindor,the capital city of the Dwarven Kingdom.

As travel continue, nightfall comes. Br'aad and Taxi move over towards the bar area on the ship, where Velrisa is seated. Br'aad asks about the atonement that she has to do. Velrisa shows to them the gemstone necklace she was given, which Br'aad analyses and gathers from it that it has transporter energy inside of it, waiting to be triggered and unleashed. Velrisa tells them that there is an artifact in the other realm of existence that she must destroy. Br'aad says that he is willing to assist, and Taxi hesitantly agrees. Cedric, sitting nearby at a bar stool, seems perplexed by the talk of planar travel, but does not say anything.

Taxi goes to Mountain's room to speak to him about training together, and about why he got the staff from Quinn for Taxi. After a heart to heart conversation about loss and struggles, Taxi goes out to talk to Cedric, who is still at the bar area.

Perspective changes to Sylnan, who is sitting in the crows nest of the ship. He takes a moment to pray to Katherine using the ring memento he has of her. When she does not respond immediately, he keeps talking. He discusses to her how he let his demon loose in reference to season 2 episode 24, The Demon Of The Storm. He expresses his stress about how the others view him differently. Continuing to send prayers and thoughts to Katherine, suddenly feeling like he is falling. He lands on his face, seeing in front of him the fountain and bench in Katherine's realm, although the nearby trees and nature appear to slowly be dying in portions. Katherine is there, standing at the fountain. He walks up to her, noticing now the fountain is beginning to crack. Katherine appears to be displeased.

Katherine explains that where they are is within a plain of existence projected through Sylnan's mind, and the damages and decay represent the state of Sylnan. She tells him that his will is breaking, and he is changing into something different. Katherine advises him to trust in his friends, and to not let the demon use any power.

Taxi speaks to Cedric about a training grounds on the ship during the five day travel to Togindor. Cedric suggests the bottom level, the same location where Sylnan fought the harpies in season 2 episode 24, The Demon Of The Storm. Taxi prepares the area by laying out sand, and heads to bed.

Meanwhile, Velrisa is seated at the bar when the feeling of overheating occurs again. Suddenly feeling ill, she hears a ringing in her ear. Under the ringing noise, she can make out two people speaking to each other in dwarven, although she does not understand what they say. The feeling dissipate once more.

Br'aad, curious as to how big of a firework that says 'Br'aad' he could create, he practices using Major Image off the side of the ship. The firework show attracts the attention of a young Aarakocra who introduces himself to Br'aad as Ekay. Upon learning it is Ekay's 4th birthday, Br'aad offers him a piece of bread as a gift and make another large firework, this time with the word Ekay in it.

The party all rest, Sylnan having a hard time sleeping after his conversation with Katherine. Sylnan, quite annoyed, refuses to comply with his tasks given to him by Cedric, Cedric pulls out his flintlock and threatens Sylnan. Br'aad diffuses the situation, and devises a plan with Mountain and Taxi to cheer Sylnan up by throwing a party. Plan in mind, Br'aad sends Taxi to get Velrisa into the party plan.

Br'aad flips through Ugarth's journal to find a recipe, and finds a strawberry cake recipe, and plans to replace the strawberries with kiwi. They gather the ingredients, and begin to hear the sound of a small bell rung rapidly. Taxi wildshapes into a rat and climbs into a hat onto of Br'aad's head. Br'aad allows Taxi to control his movements. Cedric's voice booms out, calling everyone to the front of the ship, Taxi still controlling Br'aad.

As the party arrives, before them they see a large shadowy mass rising within the clouds, as before them flying is a gargantuan dragon directly in the path of the ship. It's large claws grab onto the sides of the ship, it's large head rising level with the ship. It has a metallic sheen similar to copper. It appears to wait for the party to move. Br'aad, out of sheer fear, begins doing the macarena, attracting the attention of the dragon. The dragon laughs at Br'aad. The dragon tells them that they are within the territory of Ergot, who is the lord of the copper dragons, and demands to know the reason for their presence. Taxi, who was previously a rat, wildshapes back to normal, causing the dragon to laugh again, this time slapping the side of the ship while doing so. Velrisa and Mountain fall, rolling downwards and hitting the railing of the ship. He demands again to know why the party is within the territory, and that they must pay the toll. Sylnan backtalks Ergot, causing him to be grabbed by Ergot, but he places him back down. Ergot tells the party that the toll to pay to proceed is simply a joke. The entire party looks towards Br'aad, causing Ergot to pick up Br'aad and hold him up. Br'aad attempts a joke, but Ergot did not get it. After another attempt, Ergot grants them passage.

Br'aad moves down to the bar, where there is a stove and oven for him to bake a cake on. Taxi and Br'aad bake the cake, a 2 layer sponge cake with kiwi baked into the cake, iced, and topped with kiwis, of which they've named the 'Kicking Kiwi Cake'. With the cake complete, Br'aad uses Prestidigitation to make balloons and other decorations appear, and to make flashy lights appear around the room. Br'aad gets Sylnan, convincing him there was a disaster that happened downstairs. He begrudgingly agrees, and Br'aad leads him over to the bar. They present the cake and party to Sylnan, and explain to him that he has been rather awful recently. Sylnan goes up to Mountain, picking a fight with him over Mountain calling him an 'asshole', and Sylnan punches Mountain. Mountain takes Br'aad's cake and throws it into Sylnan's face. Br'aad, devastated, drops to the floor and scoops up a small piece of cake, tasting it sadly. All of the decorations fade away.

Mountain, Velrisa, and Taxi console the sad, cakeless Br'aad. They all agree that something must be done to help Sylnan. Br'aad asks Taxi to look at the crystal Velrisa has from Akar, but cannot gather anything more than Br'aad did previously. Br'aad tries to use magic on the crystal, and it reacts slightly, but goes back into it's resting state. Velrisa unsuccessfully gathers the same information the others did.

Cedric tells everyone that if Sylnan does not control himself, Cedric will leave him or simply throw him off the ship.

Mountain, Velrisa, Taxi, and Br'aad all attempt to make a pineapple cake to lighten the mood.