Recap / CrafD&D: The Champion's Challenge E2: The Ranger Challenge PT. 2

CrafD&D: The Champion's Challenge Recap Index
Story Arc:
Forrnest | Volkhanom | Lordpact | Elemix | Conjuria | Hemoarloch | Undercove
Episode:
E1: The Ranger Challenge PT. 1 | E2: The Ranger Challenge Pt. 2 | E3: Disarmed and a Leg | E4: Old Flame, New Blood

Air Date: 2/18/2022

Passione completes Qwill's challenge with gusto, but celebrations are cut short when Qwill's inability to cope with some past losses comes to light. Feeling compelled to help him, the party prepares themselves to avenge the deaths of Qwill's former party for the next day.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Amazon Chaser: This episode reveals that Osra's crush on Taini is very mutual. After their teams meet up at the Forrnest Inn, Taini takes Osra aside to nervously give her a hug before sprinting off for her room upstairs.
• The Blacksmith: While Passione prepares itself to avenge Qwill's fallen comrades the next day, Osra realizes that this latest expedition might win her a chance to craft Dragonscale Armor, and she is utterly stoked. She expresses her excitement to Calum, who, being a Dragonborn, is somewhat disturbed.
  Osra: [placing her hands on Calum's shoulders.] Listen. I want to help for truly altruistic reasons... until this exact second; I need to make myself Dragonscale Armor. You don't understand!
  Calum: I'm... I'm flattered? But um, no. I like it on my skin.
  Osra: Nooo; white's not my color, anyway. I meant this thing that we're gonna go fight.
  Calum: ... Ahhhh, yes! I'll make sure we don't completely destroy it. But are you sure if we'll have enough to make it?
  Osra: If it's a full-grown dragon, there should be enough for all of us to have a set. If we don't—
  [Osra squeezes Calum's shoulders. She's trembling with—as her player, Hiten puts it—"raw smith hype."]
  Osra: —If we don't. Fuck it. Up.
  Calum: [timidly] Okay... Okay, scary lady.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: It turns out that Osra and Taini aren't the only couple in the making between Passione and the Renegade Rangers. Calum and Unda have explicit feelings for each other, though Unda likes to banter a bit with Calum, who generally takes her crass remarks in stride. The first taste of their dynamic comes during their meeting at Forrnest's inn.
  [Calum approaches Unda.]
  Calum: ... How're you?
  Unda: Ey, sugah-tits! How're ya doin'?
  Calum: Doin' fine!
  [Hiten busts out laughing.]
  Hiten OOC: Correct! Yeah, no, just Osra, out loud, just nods, "Correct."
  Calum: I was wondering once this is all said and done... Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?
  Unda: You buyin'?
  Calum: I mean, obviously, you don't want to... so...
  Unda: No. Pay in advance.
  Calum: I'm not that easy.
  [Calum returns to his party.]
• Continuity Nod: To stress his party's worth to Qwill, Jet cites the time in which Passione fought a giant Mimic. Qwill immediately puts two and two together and realizes that Jet's talking about the creature that Cervantes was worried about back in "PT. 1." Realizing that Cervantes' paranoia was vindicated, Qwill dreads having to hear him bragging about the incident later.
  Qwill: Oh god, Cervantes was RIGHT?!?!
• Due to the Dead: A grieving, angry Qwill calls Calum out for leaving gold as tribute to the unmarked graves in Hunter's Dream back in "PT. 1." He questions why Calum would extend such a gesture to people that he never knew, to which Calum calmly, but firmly asserts that it is simply the right thing to do.
• Eating the Eye Candy: As Asole departs from his meeting with Passione in the Forrnest Inn, takes time to admire Asole's backside. His prying eyes earn him a Dope Slap or two from Osra—straight on his still sore chest from the tattoo he received earlier.
• Excessive Mourning: Ash's suspicions about Qwill dealing with loss are confirmed in this episode. After Passione earns their next Challenge Emblem from Qwill and returns to the Forrnest Hunting Guild, they're unexpectedly visited by Mori... who brought a bouquet of flowers for Qwill to help mourn his old, fallen hunting team. Qwill does not take the gesture well at all, as he's refused to let himself grieve and has been bottling up his emotions for the longest time. With his personal issues now on full display, he drops his cool demeanor and lashes out at anyone who approaches him, actively pushing Mori and Passione back when they try getting him to see reason. This motivates Mori to task the party with retrieving Qwill's teammates' lost weaponry from the beast that killed them and possibly avenge their deaths in doing so.
• Honor Before Reason: Asole and his party meet up with Passione in Forrnest City's inn to discuss Passione's swamp trip the next day. By now, both parties have completed the Ranger Challenge, and knowing of the Rangers' spoils from their attempt, Osra asks to borrow some of the party's T. Rex hide to forge some better equipment, as their next quarry is likely a powerful dragon. Even though Osra explicitly states that she wants to share the hide, Asole firmly declines; no matter the circumstances, he would never give his sworn rivals such a huge advantage. He's briefly delighted by Osra's indignation before he turns in for the night.
• Jerkass: When Passione approaches the Renegade Rangers for help in "The Ranger Challenge PT. 2," Fergus takes Asole aside and speaks ill of his rivals. Thanks to their past experience with him, every member of Passione immediately detects that Fergus is badmouthing them based on his body language alone, so they instinctively flip him off in unison.
  [Passione's members have a disorganized conversation about poisons. Asole watches from afar while an unimpressed Fergus leans in towards him.]
  Fergus: [whispering] M'lord, do we really have to associate with these peons? Look at them, squabbling like animals!
  Osra: [overhearing Fergus] You don't get shit! No scales for you; fuck off!
  Boonslayer OOC: I'd like to imagine all five of us are just flipping him off as he's leaning over—just him specifically! Hehehehe!
• Power Tattoo: Jet seeks out a tattoo to enhance his magic during the evening preparations. The only tattoo artist in the immediate area is in the shadiest part of town, and he has the personality to match. Nevertheless, Jet humors him, earning a Ghost Step tattoo to assist with his evasiveness—but only after the artist does a fairly painful job.
  Tattoo Artist: All right... awright, now you gonna hold still now; this is gonna hurt like a bitch.
  Crafty OOC: [To Boonslayer] And uh, he starts working with the needle on your skin, and yeah, it fuckin' hurts. I need you to make a con save.
  [Boonslayer rolls the dice.]
  Boonslayer OOC: Heh, heheh, heheheh, that's an eight!
  Crafty OOC: Ohhhhh yeah... Um, the rest of you guys? You don't know where it's coming from, but you just hear a high-pitched yell and birds flapping in the distance.
  [Blaze imitates Jet's scream and giggles.]
  Kayden OOC: Calum just hears it; it's like: 'Ahhh yes. Reminds me of childhood.' And just keeps walking!
  Blaze OOC: What kind of fucking childhood do you have?!
  Kayden OOC: A pretty fucked up one!

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