Sucks Frees Himself from the Gordian's Grasp

Summary

In Session 5 of the campaign, Sucks successfully escapes from the Gordian's vine tentacles during a fight in the Money Pumpkin Field. With a vine wrapped tightly around his ankle, Sucks uses one of his daggers to hack through the restraining tentacle, dealing seven damage to the creature. The escape comes at the cost of being splattered with the Gordian's internal fluids—a terrible-tasting substance described as "the opposite of aloe vera"—which gets into Sucks' mouth during the frantic struggle. The severed tentacle whips back and forth as chlorophyll oozes from the wound, and the Gordian emits a screeching squeal in response to the injury.

Details

[During the battle with the Gordian](timestamp://1c9b2d60-4a63-4d53-98da-8e8c8faf90ef/98:49), the creature's vine tentacle wraps around Sucks' ankle, ensnaring him. In response, Sucks declares his intention to fight back: "I will try because he's got his tentacle around my ankle, so I'm gonna try and, like, slice it with one of my daggers."

Sucks reaches down with his knife and works the blade under the vine wrapped around his leg, attempting to wedge it in quickly without cutting himself. Once positioned, he begins hacking at the vine frantically. The attack is executed in what is described as "a total rage," fueled by the intensity of the moment. Throughout this struggle, Sucks is listening to an unfamiliar Kate Bush song on his Kate Bush Mini Disc Player—a device he keeps tucked into his underwear (specifically briefs) when situations become dangerous.

After several strikes, Sucks successfully chops through the vine, dealing seven damage to the Gordian. The severed tentacle immediately begins whipping back and forth as chlorophyll oozes from the damaged end. The Gordian responds with a screeching squeal of pain.

During the escape, a significant amount of the plant creature's internal fluids splashes onto Sucks, with much of it getting into his mouth. The substance tastes horrible—described as "the opposite of aloe vera," with suggestions that it might taste like tar or raw beef.

Participants

• Sucks — Trapped by the Gordian's vine tentacle, hacks himself free using one of his daggers while listening to his Kate Bush Mini Disc Player
• Gordian — The plant creature attempting to restrain Sucks, takes seven damage from the blade attack and loses one of its tentacles

Consequences

• Sucks successfully frees himself from the Gordian's grasp, allowing him to continue fighting without being restrained
• The Gordian takes seven hit points of damage from the attack
• The Gordian loses functional use of one tentacle, which is severed and left whipping ineffectually
• The combat reveals that the Gordian is vulnerable to blade attacks and can be injured through direct physical damage
• Sucks learns firsthand that the Gordian's internal fluids taste terrible, a fact that may inform future tactical decisions