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The party arrived in the spice swamps, sank into them a bit, and were immediately attacked by angry exploding spice crabs. Farkas the Journeyman of Sharp Corners performed an elaborate crab dance, to perplexed stares from the rest of the party. The crabs seemed unimpressed.

After picking crab meat off themselves, and a short rest, a tiny onion tottered over to them. Keith, the Fellow of the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks decided he would be a tasty morsel, and sprinted after him maul at the ready. A brutal murder scene (redacted in 17 countries) ensued just outside the flower wedding. Plato the Thinking Engine pronounces all biological life a mistake.

The Exographer Ferdinand XII, recalling their short anthropology elective from university, took charge at the wedding, artfully leading the ceremony as ringbearer to the applause and merriment of all involved. Keith looked suitably sheepish.

Picking up some clues at the wedding party, the last sighted location of Sir Reemulus was allegedly the Compost Caverns, so off they trot, into the reeking dark and the waiting trolls who had previously dispatched the errant knight. (I rolled "something is quickly rushing towards you, assemble the initiative stack" event here, and brought in trolls, although with hindsight I think the intent was to use the moulder mound, I'm putting this one down to heat of the moment brain crosswiring.)

Trolls put up a pretty good fight, but a beautifully thrown flask of oil and subsequent masterful trick shot from Ferdinand's pistolet sends one fleeing in terror from a mighty fireball while the other meets the heavy end of Keith's massive tenderising hammer.

Finding the heavily gnawed body of Sir Reemulus, and his journal of bad poetry, they discern he thought that the staff would be found in the Sorcerorwood Grove (which I now realise is incorrect, but that's on me). Once again, back to the flower gazebo where the reception is really getting going, a beetroot has set up a DJ booth.

Through the wasteland, the choking smog, and out to the grove. Spying the tree, the party keeps it talking, while Farkas the assassin gets up in the branches to douse it with oil (I was probably a little generous with that sneaking test, but it was a good plan so I let it ride). After everyone dramatically reveals their intentions for arboreal murder, the match is struck and the tree is engulfed in flames. Camera zooms in on Keith's face as he says, "so, how do we get out of here then?". fin

Oh gotcha, yeah, I can't believe I missed that on the staff! I picked "looking for Sir Reemulus (and possibly the staff)" as the reason to be going there. I added in a bit around that, like a clue to the staff's location on his corpse. For context as well, this was a drop-in game with 4 brand new to Troika! players, and honestly I thought this was a great adventure to introduce the game.