Rise of the New Court - Session 5

Storyline (what happened and where the party is now)

• The party recaps prior events, including an ominous visit by Rasalade (a woman tied to bigger threats) after a long rest.
• Rasalade leaves behind a wanted poster and a pouch-related incident:
  • A gnome is released, causes chaos, runs off, is slain, but its “loot” is empty and vanishes; its clothes also “deflate” into nothing afterward.
  • Rasalade later reveals the wanted warrant is from Baba Yaga and disappears. The party tries to follow, but it becomes scary/unclear.
• The next day, the party heads toward Fay Crossing, a destination shown on Mammud’s map (explicitly “one day” away).
• They reach a portal area guarded by a two-headed humanoid “door” creature:
  • The two gatekeepers share one body and enforce a biased/beauty-gated crossing.
  • They insult the party’s appearance and refuse entry to the “uglier” characters.
• A chaotic workaround happens:
  • Crunk (part of the party / acting as the gatekeeper’s agent) gets through first by tricking/forcing the situation.
  • The rest of the party gets pulled into a short fight with the portal-guards, escalating the tension.
• After the fight, the party enters the pool/portal:
  • Maro and at least some others pass.
  • Some characters fail the charisma gate while jumping in, leading to confusion about who can see what in the next area.
• Inside the “in-between” space beyond the portal, they meet followers/contacts:
  • The gatekeepers effectively allow through Maro + others.
  • A key NPC identifies the realm and who they serve.
  • Crunk Whittenber reveals allegiance to Miss Nevin and disputes Baba Yaga’s authority.
• The group learns about the local power structure:
  • They learn about the Mistress of Midnight Teeth, her “in-between” realm, and her servants: the Blue Beards (gnome-like espionage agents).
• Final cliffhanger:
  • A small puddle of oil (linked to a small crawling creature) moves and attacks/harms the nearest party member, Crunk, who collapses badly.
  • The session ends immediately after Crunk is incapacitated/dies (or is critically threatened), with players scrambling to explain how the damage happened.

Gameplay highlights / notable mechanics

Campaign XP / encounter logic

• The DM distinguishes between “slaughter XP” and encounter XP.
• Even non-killing outcomes can award XP.
• Session XP and encounter XP are both referenced during play.

Combat chaos and DM rulings

• Several turns involve confusion about:
  • whether attacks are crits,
  • rerolls,
  • advantage/disadvantage,
  • and action ordering.
• Initiative is rolled for everyone (with an exception noted for Zer).
• During the portal encounter, the group is forced into a strict turn order.

Social checks used to bypass/resolve

• Attempts are made to persuade the portal gatekeepers during combat.
• Later, charisma/perception gating determines who can cross.

Portal “beauty” puzzle

• Fay Crossing requires Charisma checks to enter successfully.
• The gatekeepers judge “jaw lines,” insult characters as too ugly, and block entry accordingly.
• Once the right characters figure out the method, they can enter without triggering the big splash/portal violence.

Vision/candle mishaps

• The environment is dark/gray, causing visibility problems.
• Players try to equip/activate candle + tinderbox-style lighting.
• Multiple assumptions about bright vs dim light ranges lead to missteps (effectively remaining blind in dark areas).

Stolen identity / roleplay mechanics

• A gag “mimic” of the “mogg” jawline maneuver is performed.
• Another two-headed NPC then copies the maneuver.

Encounter escalation

• A “non-lethal solution” is proposed repeatedly.
• Despite that, the party still gets drawn into fighting before being allowed through.

Strategies / key tips mentioned or demonstrated

• Use social checks to avoid combat
  • Persuasion/intimidation guidance is repeatedly attempted during the portal confrontation.
• Expect encounter XP even without full slaughter
  • The DM explicitly rewards encounter behavior rather than only kills.
• If the portal is charisma-gated, retry grooming/appearance actions
  • The jawline/“mogg” method is treated like a way to satisfy the portal’s beauty requirement.
• Don’t assume lighting works automatically
  • Equip the correct item and confirm bright vs dim radius; otherwise you may remain effectively blind.
• Be careful with environmental hazards
  • The oil puddle’s movement and attack demonstrate that “in-between” space can contain instant-danger hazards.

Named gamers / sources featured

Gamers (players/voice participants)

• Crunk (including Crunk Whittenber)
• Maro
• Russell
• Mera/Lydia (mentioned as the jawline gatekeeper pair names)
• Zer
• Hop Dodge
• Cast 3 (name used)
• Mammud
• Additional in-session referenced characters:
  • Baba Yaga, Rasalade, Miss Nevin, Mistress of Midnight Teeth, Blue Beards

Media/source references mentioned in dialogue

• Poké bowls / Wonder Burger (food delivery reference)
• Call of Duty (instant-kill comparison)
• Undertale (dialogue joke)
• Breaking Bad (visual comparison)
• YouTube Shorts (someone was watching)