Popcorn

Summary

Popcorn is a food item that Safia prepared earlier in the campaign, mixed with Reese's peanut butter cups in personalized bowls for each party member. During Session 4 of the campaign, the popcorn becomes a critical tool in The Frozen Nilik Investigation when the party discovers that The Ice Blob is strongly attracted to it. Sucks carries an enormous bag of popcorn and uses it extensively as bait to lure and track the mysterious creature through the mist. The popcorn serves dual purposes: as sustenance for the party and as the primary means of establishing peaceful contact with the frozen blob.

Properties

The popcorn comes in an enormous bag that Sucks carries, with a second bag kept as backup. The party is approximately halfway through the first bag during the events of Session 4. The kernels are brittle in nature, making them difficult to work with for purposes like tying to string. When viewed through the Sniff Lord's Dog Mask, wherever popcorn is thrown, an azure scent trail becomes visible.

The popcorn proves highly attractive to The Frozen Blob. When the creature encounters scattered popcorn, it rolls toward it, flattens out to absorb the kernels, then pulls itself back into a mobile round shape. The blob consumes the popcorn efficiently, leaving little trace of the kernels behind. The food's attraction proves so strong that it can draw the creature closer through the mist despite the blob's apparent fear and skittishness.

History

Session 4

During the party's investigation, Sucks decides to use the popcorn as bait, describing the approach as "kind of like an ET sort of thing." Sucks walks into the mist leaving a trail of popcorn behind, spreading it around "sort of like I'm a flower girl at a wedding" or "like bird seed." The thinness of the fog changes in the direction where popcorn is thrown as the ice bank rolls closer.

The popcorn bowls also serve as storage during the session, with the Sniff Lord's Dog Mask hanging off the edge of Safia's bowl. After observing the blob's behavior, the party confirms that "one thing for sure that it liked is the power corn." When the creature passes through areas where Sucks left popcorn, much of it disappears, consumed by the blob.

Cat attempts to create a makeshift leash by tying individual pieces of popcorn to string, but this proves difficult. As Cat discovers, "it's going to take a while to tie that string around some popcorn," and the plan is ultimately abandoned with the acknowledgment: "Yeah, we'll resolve the popcorn in the process. I keep forgetting how brittle this stuff is."

When Sucks decides to make a major gesture of trust, Sucks gives Cat a handful of popcorn for the leash attempt and then throws most of the party's remaining popcorn at the creature. The blob responds by rolling over the pile, flattening out to absorb it, then pulling itself back into its mobile form. This act of sharing food helps establish peaceful contact with The Frozen Blob and demonstrates that the creature can consume and absorb food matter.