#One of these days I really ought to tell y'all all about Titchy Skerrick and the travels of the Unpredictables

[shasskor]

How do I explain why this drawing exists?

Short story: D&D

Medium story: A group I play with was trying to sneak into town through some tunnels, and got caught by a pair of guards. Half the party passed unnoticed however, so it was up to the charismatic Tabaxi Sorcerer, Lady Shade, to talk her and my path of the beast barbarian halfling, Titchy, (low charisma) out of trouble. Which she did by saying her useless maid (Titchy) had gotten the two of them lost in these tunnels after falling in.

Long story: So a long while ago, I saw the dress art meme here on tumblr, and thought, hey, that seems fun! Let's draw my character Titchy in that! Of course I shared it with the discord server I play in. The discord server full of artists... For now we'll skip the fact the magic item Dress of Slaying has become plot relevant in another campaign.

Anyway, one thing led to another and soon all the characters in the party had been depicted in the dress, except for Shade (and Grung the grung). I guess because her player doesn't draw much, and because there wasn't any concrete reference for how she looks (Until I sat down with her player, said "Look, I want to draw your character, but I need to know what she actually looks like!", and we made one together.)

That's all the real-life. In game we recently learned that Sacho had been kidnapped. The twin of the heir to the throne of Bartol, the place Titchy, my halfling path of the beast barbarian, is from, and has been avoiding going back to. Upon learning these news however, she was immediately hurrying the party to Bartol and revealed that, her real name is Tiffany. Princess Tiffany. Heir to the throne. Of Bartol. And that Sacho is her twin. And that Bartol's constitution has very strict rules regarding their princess about how she's supposed to behave, act, wear, and when to do what. She ran away after she started getting cat ears when angry, and it doesn't help they've become permanent on her travels.

However, she didn't just run away, she had a plan: Officially, Princess Tiffany moved away to a satelite town to study zoology. Of course, this is actually just an elaborate illusion by her bard friend Jov, who was supposed to enjoy a life of luxury. It was in fact Jov's sending spell that informed her things were happening. Jov was however forced to go back to Bartol, because of course the princess has to be in the capital when kidnappings of the royal family is happening.

On the way to Bartol they passed through this town, and gathered info. Including secret messages left by Jov that they have a lot more to tell Titchy, and to meet them in the tunnels under Bartol.

So when the party got to Bartol we decided to sneak into these tunnels first, meet up with Jov, learn what's up, sneak back out, and then arrive in Bartol officially (since we'd said we were going to Bartol in the last town on a mission from the princess, and it would be suspicious if we didn't arrive).

Titchy of course grew up here, and know the tunnels (which is helpful, because she's the only one without darkvision), so she leads the party into the tunnels. The two best sneaks in the party have bad rolls and nearly get us caught by a pair of halfling guards, but thankfully they didn't check on the noise.

We got to a big underground hall that was lit and full of guards. We discussed what to do, considered trying to go to the surface town and find a way down on the other side, but decided otherwise (a party of a goblin with a dragon, bright orange and blue frog, tall cat-woman, and Titchy who doesn't even know what she is anymore (halfing? shifter? Were-cat?), that didn't come through the gates would be very suspicious).

So we went back the way we came. Past the guards who nearly spotted us. This time the roles were reversed, and Titchy and Shade rolled poorly on on stealth. Mudball (the goblin with a dragon) was invisible at this point, and Grung (the grung) rolled a nat 20 totalling 28, so they weren't seen. All the guards saw was a tall black-furred cat woman, and a short and stout halfling? with cat ears. Of course, Titchy's charisma modifier is -1, leaving everything to Shade (tabaxi sorcerer).

So she spun this story that She and her maid here had come across a hole and due to the incompetance of her maid they'd both fallen down and gotten lost in these tunnels. Titchy helped with her local knowledge saying where they were staying. Shade demanded, in a very noblish fashion, that the guards tell her how to get out of there! Which they did. Giving instructions for how to get to the mains street. Not out of the city. And it would be suspicious if we didn't follow their instructions... Oh and Mudball's dragon is on Titchy's head (We have to assume the guards assumed it's Shade's exotic pet).

So we followed the instructions, while Titchy gestured for Mudball and Grung to get back to our cart and Rosamund (right, Rosamund, NPC childhood friend of Titchy who joined them on their travels after trying to convince Titchy to go home. We left her with the donkeys watching over the cart). One thing of note, the last time Mudball and Grung were on their own, they tracked an enemy we fought to a brothel, and were nearly killed by the bbeg.

Hopefully, they will be able to, between Titchy's letter of introduction, and Rosamund's help (she's kinda another noble), get into town, and join us!

But anyway, back to the drawing. After all that I thought it would be a fun excuse to draw Titchy as a cat-maid, and finally draw Shade in the dress! Kinda depicting the scene in the tunnels, though without the dragon, and with the wrong outfits. It was fun!