Act 5, Episode 5, Scene 40

The Party Decides Not to Confront Nick Yet

2026-04-23 / Road away from Root Barrel Farm

Recap StoryCurrent Campaign2100 M.B. / recorded 2026-04-232100 M.B.

Session LogAdapted RecapAct 5Episode 5Road Away From Root Barrel FarmNick Kremp+9 tags

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What Happened

After leaving Root Barrel Farm, the party agrees something is wrong with Nick but chooses to rescue the missing dragonborn before confronting him.

Story Index

Main cast, supporting cast, enemies, groups, places, items, and references linked to this story.

Main Cast

Firestarter - Nick KrempDelayed confrontation target / identity problem: Is discussed after the party leaves the farm, with multiple signs that his behavior does not match the original Nick.Foulcrum - Ash StonefistSuspicion advocate / identity analyst: Argues that the real Nick was not this happy, would remember 'flame on' and 'trifling wizard,' and would not casually give away extra Fireball.Madcap - Hugo DriderShadowing ally / Castro-focused observer: Continues shadowing the party from the tree line because their movements are his best Castro lead.

Supporting Cast

Cardinal - Jonah SubramountianSuspicion confirmer / future Zone of Truth planner: Agrees Nick relying on I.J. is suspicious and suggests returning later with Zone of Truth or better tools after helping the missing Wingkin.

Mentioned / Linked

Colonel - Orval Finkus Prism - Elmyra Manticore Vic Vaurr

Enemies

Enemies not linked yet.

Groups

My Alchemical RomanceThe primary adventuring orbit of the current campaign. My Alchemical Romance is the adventuring name people use for the party; officially, the team operates as Q.U.E.S.T. under Von Queef University.Von Queef UniversityVon Queef University currently has 76 linked character entries in the World of Jericha archive.Castro ForcesShapeshifting voidling faction

Locations

Root Barrel FarmFarm / Commune Site

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Once the party left the farm, they finally said the quiet part together.

Something was wrong with Nick.

Ash was the sharpest about it. The real Nick was not this happy. The real Nick would remember flame on. The real Nick would not casually hand away a spare Fireball like it meant nothing. Jonah agreed that Nick's constant reliance on what I.J. supposedly told him felt suspicious, as if every answer had been preloaded from someone else's script.

The group could have turned around and forced the issue immediately.

They did not.

The missing dragonborn came first. The party decided to help them, gather evidence, and return later with better tools, including Zone of Truth. That was restraint, or at least the party's version of restraint: suspicion acknowledged, confrontation delayed, priority shifted toward the people currently missing from a dangerous farm system.

Hugo continued shadowing them as a Castro hunter, another reminder that the Nick problem might not be only Nick.

The party was not fooled.

They just were not ready to spring the trap until they knew what kind of trap it was.

Episode / Arc

View Act 5 View Act 5, Episode 5

Episode Scenes

Scene 1Enemy Offers Peace in Bones's Crypt Scene 15Elmyra Inherits the Problem Scene 16Elmyra Manticore Refuses the Smelly Labs Scene 17Oskar Comes Home Duller Than His Armor Scene 18Gemma Delivers More Than Mail Scene 19Jonah Interrupts the Big Project Scene 20Nick Kremp Is Seen Alive Scene 21The Trap Is Not for Jonah Scene 22The Mystery Machine Pays Out Scene 23Ash Refuses the Path Oskar Still Offers Scene 24The Farm Becomes More Important Than the Quota Scene 25The Mail They Missed Still Matters Scene 26Hexnames Become the Identity Check Scene 27The Death Mask Leaves the Party Scene 28Judah Brings the Crown of Thorns Scene 29I.J. Answers Where Nick Does Not Scene 30The Troll Under the Bridge Possesses Morgan Scene 31Katrine Draxler Fines Her Sister Scene 32The Road Is Lit by Petrified People Scene 33Root Barrel Farm Is Open Again Scene 34Orval Finkus Offers Hospitality Before Nick Appears Scene 35Elmyra Asks How This Team Crosses Anything Scene 36No One Knows Which Ring Maine Has Scene 37Orval Finkus Wants His Dragonborn Returned Scene 38Nick Fails the Nick Tests Scene 39Blue Wingkin Says the Farm Is Better Than Prison Scene 40 - CurrentThe Party Decides Not to Confront Nick Yet Scene 41Black Wingkin Hides Above the Dead Necromancer Scene 42The Chapel Belongs to the Vayne Family's Old Rot Scene 43Hugo Keeps the Gloves Vic Throws Away Scene 44Black Wingkin Goes Back With Jonah's Warhammer Scene 45The Cave Lead Has VQU Students in the Way Scene 46Jonah Suggests Breaking the Legendary Wand Scene 47Hugo Keeps Following From the Trees Scene 48The Students Guide the Party Back Into the Cave Scene 49The Cave Is Still Full of Gnolls Scene 50Elmyra Clears the Cave With Fireball Scene 51Vic Throws Zetch Like a Murderball Scene 52Jonah Falls Through the Owlbear Nest Scene 53New Goblin City Waits Under the Cave Scene 54Elmyra's Command Wakes the Boosted Spiders Scene 55Madame Batdorf Starts Talking From the Loot Scene 56The Students Accidentally Hand Over Better Loot Scene 57Vic Breathes the Boost and Gets Only the Poison Scene 58Morgan Lightning Bolts the Spider Pit Scene 59Zetch Jumps After Vic Scene 60Hugo Stops Shadowing and Starts Fighting Scene 61Jonah and Elmyra Hold the Pit Together Scene 62The Ledger Goblin Explains New Goblin City Scene 63The Collectors Try to Stop the Leak Scene 64The Three-Lock Box Remains on the Bridge Scene 65Jonah Worries What the Students Are Learning

Episodes In This Act

Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12

Story Navigation

Back to story index PreviousAct 5, Episode 5, Scene 39: Blue Wingkin Says the Farm Is Better Than Prison NextAct 5, Episode 5, Scene 41: Black Wingkin Hides Above the Dead Necromancer

Timeline

Current Campaign / 2100 M.B. / recorded 2026-04-23

Story Type: Recap Story
Timeline Bucket: Current Campaign
Chronology: 2100 M.B. / recorded 2026-04-23
In-World Date: 2100 M.B. exact day TBD
Campaign Year: 2100 M.B.
Recorded Date: 2026-04-23