Singing The Blues

Recapping the first session of our Smurfs RPG mini-campaign - based on the classic Dungeons and Dragons Module B3 Palace of of Silver Princess - our party of Smurf adventurers walked the path to the Western Lands Beyond and got to know each other a little better.

Session One, Part 2:

We open with the party leaving Smurfy Grove, home of the Smurf Girls, where Smurfhoneysuckle and Smurfcornflower picked up some extra supplies and other things they thought the group might need for its trip to the Kingdom of Haven in the Lands Beyond. Afterwards they walked for some time before the day wore on and the Sun started to go down, coloring the land in shadows and the hues of twilight.

The group decided to set up camp with simple tents and plans to cook dinner. Brash decided he would start the fire and Smurfhoneysuckle said to let her do it as she'd probably do it better. Suave Smurf diplomatically stepped in to get them to work together, though they still tried to outdo each other in the cooking prep. Honeysuckle had some ingredients from her Barn, while  Smurfcornflower helped with some herbs and spices from her Ingredients pouch. Apathy wasn't really hungry so he made sure the tents were sturdy. 

The team ended up making a vegetable soup and discussing the adventure ahead. After some much needed camaraderie and laughter, the group went to sleep. The party members traded watch duties like any typical D&D group but with Honeysuckle reluctant to switch with the next Smurf to prove she could stay awake and sharp longer than Brash had.

The next day, the party found out their path lead them  to a Human made road. As they continued along their journey, Honeysuckle joked about singing a travel song to make them go faster; the idea being that the act of singing such a song actually accelerates you through time. Without further preamble, Cornflower started humming and then suddenly broke into singing*...

"Smurfy Road,

Smurf me home,

To the Cursed Lands,

Where I belong.

Mushroom Village,

Smurfy Grove,

Smurf me home,

Smurfy Road."

Out of knowwhere, as the group walked between hills on the left and a dense forest to the right, a half dozen Growlers jumped the PCs, likely attracted by Cornflower's offkey singing.

Growlers are hairy, blue-black 'monkey-goblins' who have plaqued the Forbidden Forest of the Cursed Lands for a very long time and can be found in other deep forested areas as well. 

Growlers of the Northwestern Woods

Suave Smurf stepped forward to reason with these uncouth creatures only to discover the Growlers don't speak and aren't quite as intelligent as Smurfs, though clearly smarter than animals. Apathy suggested a plan might help but Brash declared that "Plans are for wimps!" and dove right into the gang of Growlers, knocking some over and startling the rest. Unfortunately he ended up completely surrounded by the angry beasties. 

Honeysuckle shouts, "If he can do that, I can knock'em all down!", and leaps into the fray too, tackling at least four of the creatures. Cornflower rolls her eyes, steps back and searches her bag of potions. Meanwhile, one of the Growlers holds Brash down and tries to pound him with his fist but Apathy grabs the critter's wrist. The Growler turns to look at him and growls loudly in Apathy's face, causing him to let go, stumble backwards, and land on his butt. 

"OK fine. Whatever", grunts Apathy. 

"Found it!", exclaims Cornflower as she holds up a bubbling hot pink potion. 

"Oh Smurf! Everybody get clear!," Honeysuckle yells as she dives behind a rock. All the PCs roll Quick to jump away from the Growlers. Everyone makes it, though Apathy rolls exactly what he needed, indicating a Success with a Complication. Smurfcornflower hurls her Boom Juice bottle and it shatters on the ground amid the Growlers, resulting in a fuchsia explosion that threw them all a good dozen apples away in all directions, their fur steaming with pinkish smoke. Dazed and sniffing themselves, the Growlers run for it, disappearing into the woods. 

Everyone pats Cornflower on the back or shoulder, congratulating her on her great move. All but Apathy, who approaches sniffing at himself. "Hey, does any Smurf smell..",Apathy begins but before he can finish the rest of the group backs away from him holding their noses. 

"By Smurf my good Smurf! What is that atrocious stench? It is as if Smurfberries went sour and were then set ablaze!", cried Suave Smurf, putting a silk hankerchief over his face. Apathy looked very cross and Cornflower very embarrased. 

"Sorry Apathy and...well...everyone. My Boom Juice Potion sometimes has side effects. At least you didn't turn pink. That can happen do to the inclusion of...", Smurfcornflower gives a nervous smile, looks at her feet, and rubs the back of her neck. "Again, really sorry Apathy."

While Apathy might have still been annoyed, he appeared nonplussed. He told her it was fine and the group got back on track with their mission. The Growlers popped up a few more times, each time in greater numbers, yet our heroes managed to always stay ahead of them and eventually escaped their territory.

The party walked for another full day and a half before hitching a ride on the backs of a small group of wild boar. Dropping off of the boars' on a rise overlooking the valley beyond, the team could see the ruined front gate of the Palace of the Silver Princess in the distance. The was somehow bathed in a dull red glow and at the same time it seemed to emanate from within. The party proceeded with caution, even Brash, though he'd describe it as 'confidence rather than 'caution'...

Rain clouds rolled in. The sky darkened and a cold wind picked up. Before long a full on storm seemed to be upon them, making walked down the rain-soaked hill extremely difficult. Brash, Cornflower, and Suave slipped and tumbled down to a muddy trail, while Honeysuckle darted after them. Apathy continued steadily at a failed casual pace, neither hurrying nor slowing. When they all got together, Apathy noticed a hollow log that might serve as a shelter from the downpour. 

"Excellent!," exclaimed Suave, "I must change into something clean and dry. It just won't do to continue on in these filthy clothes. It just won't do I say!"

Waiting out the storm in their impromptu shelter, Cornflower and Honeysuckle passed around bowls of leftover [and cold] vegetable soup and Smurfberry Dry Biscuits**. All sat quietly, eating and listening to the rain, save Suave who was busy changing in a tree stump right next to the log.

That's when Brash heard a strange hissing squeak and the snap of a twig. He reached for a mossy rock and ran to the opening of the log, startling everyone. He than swung the green stone just in time to have it connect with the noise of a massive rat! The huge rodent reared back in pain before letting out a snarl.  It recovered quickly, staring at Brash with glowing red eyes and diving at him. For a brief moment everyone else froze, then Honeysuckle's eyes darted around frantically for a stone or something else to throw. Apathy looked to Cornflower and said sharply, "You have another potion, yes?"

Cornflower was startled back into the present, nodded, and reached into her potion sack. She pulled out a bottle with a slimy, milky, gray liquid. Cornflower held the potion up and shook it a bit, "I've got this! It's Web Water!" Apathy gave her a blank look with tired eyes and one raised eyebrow. "It's really sticky", she offered with a shrug. 

"Good enough", said Apathy. He called out to Honeysuckle and grabbed the Web Water flask. "Throw this." He tossed it to her, she caught it, and as she wound up for the throw she saw Brash go flying by, tossed like a ragdoll by the raging beast. Apathy rushed forward to distract the rat and used his Smurf Power, a Smurfberry, and Effort! Taking her que, Honeysuckle waited until the foul creature snapped at Apathy and then chucked the potion also using her Smurf Power, a Smurfberry, and Effort! 

SPLORCH! 

The bottle shattered and thick, quickly hardening webs spread from wall to wall and rodent to floor. Its head was still free and nashing chaotically but the creature itself was otherwise immobile. Honeysuckle and Apathy quickly made rope out of some roots and vines. Cornflower saw to Brash's injuries. Just then, they heard a noise behind them and everybody spun expecting trouble. Instead, Suave Smurf stepped into the log from the other end that was up again the tree stomp where he'd been changing. "What in the smurf is all the commotion?!" When he looked at the trapped beast and wounded Brash he gulped and whispered, "Oh. So I see."

As it turned out, Suave had not been dressing all this time. Nor had he been idle. The interior of the tree stomp was odd, with some clues that lead Suave to think someone had been there before him. As he looked through some disgarded cloth of a most unusual nature, he found a green whistle made of leaves and lacquered wood. He showed it to his friends as he explained where he'd found it. 

Brash reached out to it and asked if he could see it. Suave handed it to him and Brash turned it every which way as if searching it for some secret wisdom. Then, being Brash Smurf, he blew the whistle. The sound was like the wind blowing through the trees but higher, clearer, and it echoed within the log and somehow from without as well. It lingered, fading slowly. All the Smurfs were silent and remained motionless for a few seconds. It was Cornflower that broke the moment by pointing towards the rat and saying, "Hey, look at that..." The rat no longer had red eyes and it seemed so much calmer. "I wonder if..."

Before Smurfcornflower could finish her thought, the rain outside seemed to ease up considerably and the late day sun shimmered off of the remaining water droplets. A green light came into view, getting closer and brighter as it seemed to float down towards them from above. Honeysuckle rolled up her sleeves and very carefully cut the webbing where it was driest and most brittle. Freed from its sticky bindings, the creature ran into the woods as fast as it could. Not a heartbeat later, the green light landed several feet in front of the opening of the hollow log. Looking to each other for support, the party of Smurfs walked out of their shelter to see what the emerald glow was all about. 

In doing so, they came face to face with three green fairies, The Protectors of Haven. 

End of Session One.

To be continued...

AD

Barking Alien

*Yes, I did come up with and sing that song impromptu during the game. Obviously it's a parody of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads', the 1971 Country/Folk classic by John Denver. Thing is, I love that sound but I am by no means a great singer. Or even a good one. Or even a singer. I used to but only for fun and long ago. 

Heather on the other hand...

After the game was over and it was just Andrew, her, and me left on Discord, Heather asked me to sing it again. I did and towards the later half she joined in. Then she sang. She, unlike myself, is an amazing singer. Her voice...WOW. I was like, "What the heck? Are you a 'ringer'?A professional singer or something? Am I gaming with Reba McEntire and no one told me?"

**Smurfberry Dry Biscuits were invented by Heather and are essentially Smurf hardtack. If you've never seen the Youtube Channel Tasting History - first, you are missing out - you might not have seen the episode on Hardtack and the re-occurring gag where it pops up in other videos. I highly recommend checking out the channel if you are interested in Food and History. Very useful for learning about what different people ate in various places at points throughout history. Great for world-building.