After making a mockery of Minandrinal’s justice system by getting April falsely convicted of her husband’s murder and then extradited to Quietreach where Vageiros’s journal, safely tucked in Andrakis’s robes, will exonerate her, Delta Company crashes out at the Drunken Darling Inn. Ivor wards the door against evil in perpetuity.
Rested and accomplished, the party heads west to leave town and fortuitously comes upon a lizardfolk chastising her pig brother. They need some help from any available, nearby, accomplished adventurers. Sister Rushru explains that brother Gortu was not always a pig. Gortu is, or was, an accomplished lizardfolk bard who chanced upon a Legend of Zalfindia pamphlet that promised blessings on those who would sing the praises of frogs in her fey temple. Gortu adventured with protective Rushru, who would characterize herself as a fighter if people even had discrete classes, up a mountain path of pools to learn the magic song of the frogs. Once they located the pool of magic frog singing, Gortu took notes while inattentive Rushru wandered around. Then Gortu somehow got himself turned into a pig. To learn any more about it, they will either need to gather Gortu’s journal pages, scattered along the path by their hasty retreat, or learn what oink-oink-oink translates to. Gamble tries a quick song of dispel magic while Max closely observes Rushru for signs of fey trickery. It seems there will be no trivial resolution to this task and no chance of leaving Rushru and pig Gortu behind for the trek back to Zalfindia to appeal for a porcine reversal. Anyway, the potential of learning a magic frog song is not lost on bard Gamble.
The augmented party travels west then north to the entrance of the path, a cave-like enclosure of steep rock fissures that nearly meet far above. Gamble starts a little flamenco counter curse tune to ward any further pig turning. From Rushru’s description of Zalfindia, killing frogs here is definitely not on the agenda so Max puts his weapons away. Ivor, always ready for trouble at any time, immediately finds a trouble with a swarm of insects lurking in some shrubbery where he retrieves a page dropped from Gortu’s journal. The swarm is dispatched by Gamble’s rad eldritch riff and Andrakis’s firebolt. The note reveals Gortu’s desire for fame and warns of animals along the path, frog and not frog.
Max pushes through the shrubbery looking for other pages and finds the insect-stripped remains of an explorer, his antique railgun dropped nearby. A chest with a rusty lock, easily defeated by Gamble, contains a lucrative 23 gold pieces. Tambourine finds the book of the Legend of Zalfindia. Zalfindia’s bliss is her “singing jeepers peepers” frogs. Messing with them means inviting punishment, perhaps an inconvenient polymorph for example. Conversely, praising them from the three blessing pools or a fourth frolic pool might earn a blessing.
Tanagra rounds a corner and finds the first blessing pool but also an off-putting death dog nest. Ivor shouts a warning back to the malingering shrubbery looters that the bogies are permanently biting away bits of Tanagra and Tambourine. Tanagra greatswords one death dog, Tambourine morningstars the other, and they are defeated with ranged assists from firebolting Andrakis, eldritch riffing Gamble, and sacred flaming Ivor.
With the death dogs dead, the party is free to wade into the pool and sing for a blessing. They are joined by Rushru and pig Gortu, but unjoined by cleric Ivor and Paladin Max. The song summons Zalfindia who rises from the water. Any hope for blessing is dashed when she notices frog thief pig Gortu. The good news for Gortu is that, as a chicken, he will not have to endure being a pig any longer. Amused Zalfindia departs the pool. Irritated Gamble questions Rushru about this stolen frog allegation, but she does not know any more about it than he does. Tambourine would rather fly over the pool than in it.
For Tanagra there is no blessing better than finding a worthy foe. While Andrakis checks an alcove to the north, Tanagra rounds the corner going east and south again and finds a cute, but giant, lizard. The lizard reckons fairy Tambourine for a nice, juicy bug and tries to eat her. Ivor’s death tolls, Gamble’s eldritch riff, Andrakis’s returning shadow blade, and Tanagra’s greatsword fell the hangry lizard.
Tambourine locates another journal page next to a boulder that reveals Gortu’s specific interest in the magic frog song: it charms and attracts the crowd necessary for fame.
Tambourine’s note reading is short-lived as the boulder conceals a second giant lizard who also finds her delicious. The party reprises the lizard beating and takes a well-deserved short rest. Gamble and Max collect some coin purses invariably dropped by less successful adventurers.
Gamble leads the party onward to the second blessing pool. This one has giant frogs. Ivor encourages the frogs to be cool, but they attack Andrakis and uncoolly spit poison at Ivor. Gamble strikes up a soothing tune which placates the frogs. Max and Ivor excuse themselves to observe some rats eating out of moldy crates while the others gather for some more pool singing. Zalfindia rises from the water, spots chicken Gortu, and now he is a rabbit. That seems like a step up from chicken, although Rushru does have to snatch him up by the ears to stop him from drowning.
Ivor tries to shoo the rats, but the shoo is on the other foot because they are giant in both size and confidence. Ivor tosses out some rations to keep them occupied while the party goes by. A poisonous snake strikes at Max from under a boulder. Gamble strikes back with a fatal eldritch riff. Gamble gathers the party in song at the third pool. This time he proposes leaving Gortu out. Rushru reminds Gamble that Gortu is kind of the point of seeking a blessing, but sure. Whatever. Zalfindia returns, disappointed to not see rabbit Gortu. Oh, wait, there he is. Now he is a jeeper peeper too! Gamble appeals on Gortu’s behalf, contrite and ready to make amends. Zalfindia gleefully suggests they read the notes and learn to croak! Hopefully, that means croak like a frog.
Max and Ivor branch off to examine a little cave to avoid the fey singing and discover something only slightly less desirable: bones of animals that have not only been broken but also scorched. In fact, the air is convective and hot. Ivor glimpses a journal page riding an updraft out the other end of the cave where Andrakis grabs it. The note reveals where it started to go wrong with greedy, greedy Gortu’s plan to abscond with some of the smaller frogs.
Max traces along some symmetrical, arranged boulders and finds a waiting salamander standing over a hot fissure. Max dodges spear and tail attacks until backup arrives from inspiring and hastened Gamble, death tolling and faith shielded Ivor, mirrored Andrakis, and just regularly brutal Tanagra. Max marshals all the divine favor and smite he can into a longsword hit. The salamander turns on Tanagra who, fortunately cured by Ivor just before her fatal greatsword combo, unleashes a postmortem, avenging heated body attack.
The vanquished salamander must have lacked any bardic aptitude or ambition because at his feet was Gortu’s journal page with the recorded lyrics to the magic frog song.
Max and Gamble find Gortu’s ill-fated picnic site. There are no frogs currently stuffed into his pack, nor are there any frogs hanging out in the frolic pool. Gamble always thinks every problem can be solved with a song, but it is logical that a magic frog song of gathering might bring back the frogs, thereby earning Gortu Zalfindia’s forgiveness. Max and Ivor head back to the hot cave of dead salamander smell, preferable to more singing, but Gamble attempts to coax them into participating. Max, worried about offending Pelor with fey frog-calling incantations, inquires whether Pelor is free for a consult. Pelor allows that the frogs are worth the offense, this time. Gamble leads the party in a round of “ribbit ribbit” and the frogs do return as he anticipated.
Grateful Zalfindia pops in long enough to restore Gortu to his OEM lizardfolk self. She calls it even and departs without any further blessing. Grateful Gortu fetches from the picnic his prized Doss lute, one of a limited run of seven named for the seven bardic colleges, and bestows it to Gamble. The Doss lute requires a little patience to use but can cast a menu of utility spells. Gamble hates to see Gortu without an instrument and offers his own lute in exchange. It does not have a name. It does play music.