Confrontation with the Sniff Lord

Summary

In Session 3 of the campaign, the party faces the horrifying Sniff Lord in the dark Cavern Chamber beneath the Rex Tree. Vasso positions himself between his companions and the approaching threat, attempting to appear brave while muttering affirmations to himself. Using Discern Realities Move, Vasso determines that the massive pig-human hybrid is blind and navigates by scent alone. When Sucks' morale-boosting compliments and Vasso's defensive positioning fail to prevent detection, the party must improvise: Katniss prepares Monster the fish and a Dead Goose as a distraction while Safia discovers the Portcullis Buttons that control their escape route. Vasso executes a perfect throw, sending the fish-oil-covered goose past the creature in a football spiral, buying the party precious seconds as the Sniff Lord turns to devour the bait.

Details

The confrontation begins with the party hearing ominous sounds from beyond the firelight in the twisting Cavern Chamber: "a shuffling, a heavy footstep and breath that sounds like it's being pulled through a bellows." Vasso immediately takes a defensive stance, declaring "I'm trying to see what's in the darkness without moving. Because I'm. I'm not. I am a wall now. I'm trying to be the biggest, baddest wall ever." He mutters affirmations to himself while trying to back his friends toward the Portcullis.

When the Sniff Lord emerges from the darkness, Vasso uses Discern Realities Move to study the creature. He observes its disturbing biology: a gigantic boar head with milky white eyes, human arms for crawling, pig back legs, and a disturbingly human but flat posterior. The successful roll reveals critical information—the creature is blind and hunts by scent alone.

Sucks attempts to boost Vasso's morale with enthusiastic compliments about his physique: "I go, vaso, your fucking buns are crazy right now. I don't know if you've been doing squats, but like between the big chest and these buns, you look like you could, you know, up a sniff Lord." The encouragement includes finger guns and sound effects for emphasis, specifically comparing Vasso's well-developed glutes favorably to the Sniff Lord's flat posterior.

When Vasso attempts a Defend Move to back his friends toward the Portcullis, he fails his roll. The Sniff Lord raises its head and smells the area, detecting the urine and vomit present: "It definitely knows that you're here." Meanwhile, Safia discovers three carved stone Portcullis Buttons that control the gate but doesn't know which one opens it.

The party executes a desperate distraction: Katniss rubs Monster the fish on the Dead Goose to transfer fish oil onto it, and Vasso throws it past the creature. "You execute the perfect football spiral. Corkscrews through the air like a lawn dart." The blind Sniff Lord turns around, follows the scent, and begins violently consuming the goose: "It gets to the goose and then it just starts going and just ripping into this thing. You have a few seconds." Sucks prepares to use Tricks of the Trade to unlock the Portcullis.

Participants

Vasso — Takes the defensive position, uses Discern Realities Move to learn the creature is blind, and executes the goose throw
Sucks — Provides morale support and prepares to unlock the Portcullis with Tricks of the Trade
Katniss — Prepares the distraction by rubbing Monster on the Dead Goose
Safia — Discovers the three Portcullis Buttons that control the gate
Sniff Lord — The blind pig-human hybrid that hunts by scent
Monster — The fish used to transfer oil scent to the goose
Dead Goose — The bait thrown to distract the Sniff Lord

Consequences

Vasso learns that the Sniff Lord is blind and hunts by scent alone through successful use of Discern Realities Move
The party's presence is confirmed when Vasso's failed Defend Move allows the Sniff Lord to smell the urine and vomit in the area
The Dead Goose distraction buys the party several seconds to act while the Sniff Lord devours it
Safia identifies the Portcullis Buttons as the escape mechanism, though the correct button remains unknown
Sucks prepares to use Tricks of the Trade class move to unlock the Portcullis
The party demonstrates effective teamwork under pressure, combining abilities and improvisation to create an escape opportunity