Intermission 3 - Tor's Jungle Visit
Accompanied by Betsy the ox, Tor journeys into the Oswian Jungle
in order to recover some of his belongings from his old cabin.
When he arrives he finds that the door is locked, which is unusual. He had
a lock on the door but never used it. When he knocks, Peep the sorcerer
kobold answers the door and allows him inside reluctantly. Tor notices an
unfamiliar rug and checks underneath it, finding a trapdoor. Peep leads
him down into what is now Hilda's hoard, a large limestone cave sparkling
with quartz. Hilda greets Tor and informs him that he just walked in
through her back door. Tor gifts her an iron object decorated with dragon
scales that Hilda gleefully places on her wrist. Hilda remembers that she
has a box to be delivered to Ida. She also shows off the smelter and
minting press she purchased from the orcs using iron ore mined from her
new cavern, which she is using to make gold coins with her face on them.
This reminds Tor that he must be on his way to his other obligation:
meeting with his old friend Splotch, who will instruct him on
blacksmithing.
Tor meets with the orc boar racers Duck, Toby, Doobs and Chert in Agh
Lagoz. They've recently placed second in a race and won kegs of craft
beer, which they're hoping to gift to Splotch in exchange for new
boar-riding tack.
Splotch steps outside and greets Tor warmly. He says he is betrothed to
Tempura, goddess of dreams, but needs to find a way to contact her to let
her know. He has taken up meditation and replaced all of his furniture
with beanbag chairs. Chert offers everyone a blunt filled with Visionary's
Fungi, which doesn't aid the blacksmithing process but it does make
Splotch feel closer to Tempura.
Still under the effects of the drug, Tor attempts to apply Splotch's
teachings. He attempts to craft a stirrup for the boar racers but its
dimensions are ridiculously warped, far too wide to be practical.
Splotch mentions that the Volt Primordians have recently approached the
orcs with an offer of friendship, willing to trade their technological
secrets for a promise of allyship. The orcs are split on the matter - they
are interested in volt technology but fear retaliation from Oswia.
Tor's second attempt at a stirrup is much more successful. He creates the
world's most beautiful stirrup (note: upon rolling a nat 20).