Session 19: Pegport and the Pirate Festival

Pegport, Neverland

TONE: Arrival! Chaotic, colorful, and full of personality. The
party is heroes by accident.

Arrival in Pegport

Pegport is the main harbor of Neverland — a city of rope bridges,
salt-stained flags, and the specific energy of a place that has decided
laws are more of a suggestion. The Pirate Festival is in full swing:
competitions, music, a parade of ships in the harbor, and the annual
Prize Pie competition at Ma Gristle’s Bakery.

The harbor smells of salt and frying dough and something that
might be cannon smoke or might be very enthusiastic cooking. Everyone is
wearing at least one item of clothing they have no business wearing —
enormous hats, dramatically oversized coats, boots to the thigh. A group
of Lost Boys materializes from an alley and regards you with the
evaluating stare of people who have decided, provisionally, that you
might be interesting.

The Lost Boys

Three Lost Boys — Finch, Marrow, and Dab — approach the party with
news: the Prize Pie has been stolen. It is the anchor of the whole
festival. Ma Gristle is devastated. Mayor Black Bart Roberts is furious.
Whoever stole it needs to be found before the judging hour.

The Investigation

• DC 11 Investigation at the bakery: fresh flour tracks leading out
  the back door

• DC 12 Survival following the tracks: they lead to a new bakery —
  Ambrosius Peppercorn’s Artisanal Provisions, opened three weeks
  ago

• DC 13 Insight talking to Ambrosius: he took it to analyze the
  recipe, not to win. He is mortified and immediately
  cooperative.

The Cherry Pie Golem

Ambrosius animated the pie to keep it fresh. The pie has developed
opinions about this. It does not want to go back.

COMBAT: Cherry Pie Golem (use Animated Object — Large variant: HP 50,
AC 14, Slam +5 1d10+3, Sticky Filling — DC 12 Str or grappled,
Vulnerability: fire, Immunity: psychic and poison). The golem fights
defensively — it isn’t trying to hurt anyone, just not be eaten. It
communicates in pie-related gestures. This should be funny.

Resolution

The party convinces Ma Gristle to take on Ambrosius as an apprentice
— his energy, redirected, is actually useful. Ma gives them a magic oven
mitt (one free Cooking check per day, Advantage on all Fire damage
saving throws, can be used to pick up very hot things). Mayor Roberts
gives them the Seal of Pegport — a bronze medallion that marks them as
friends of the city, opening certain doors.

• Solving the prize pie theft: 350 XP

• Cherry Pie Golem: 200 XP

• Convincing Ma to take Ambrosius: 150 XP