Skip to main content

Interlude XVI: The Sacred Disturbance of Tortuga

Session Overview​

This flashback session revealed Bru's life before the main campaign, when he was a young goblin (around 8-10 years old) living on the Island of Tortuga. The party played members of Bru's extended family—the Bru's Cousins bowling league—tasked by their godfather Taskmaster Grit with creating a "sacred disturbance" to awaken the Turtle God upon which their island rested. The session combined family comedy, goblin chaos, and explosive finales, ultimately revealing how the island rose from the sea and why Bru had to leave his homeland.

The Bru Family & Bowling League​

The Sacred Mission​

Taskmaster Grit, godfather of the Bru's Cousins bowling league, gathered the family for an urgent mission during the Winter King's holiday (winter solstice). The goblin religion required a sacred disturbance—a massive chaos event to shake the very foundation of their island and awaken the Turtle God. Multiple bowling leagues competed to create the biggest disturbance, with eternal consequences for failure.

The Stakes:

  • Awaken the Turtle God through chaos
  • Win prestige for the Bru's Cousins bowling league
  • Avoid eternal damnation for insufficient disturbance
  • Maintain bowling lane reservations for their nightlight session

The Family Members​

Young Bru (Justin) - Age 8-10, teenage angst phase, aspiring explosives expert with a leather jacket and dreams of creating the perfect firework. The youngest of the group but considered the natural leader due to his attention to detail.

Drew (Luke) - Bru's younger brother, high-energy goblin heavily addicted to cocaine (kept separate stashes for every occasion: walking cocaine, bathroom cocaine, dinner cocaine). Spoke rapidly, constantly bouncing, and prone to diving into piles of "snow" (mostly cocaine).

Uncle Belch (Tyram) - Bru's uncle, 9th level soulblade rogue with reliable talent and conspiracy theorist tendencies. Believed the Winter King was a front for the "mind flayer mafia" and taught Bru various paranoid theories.

EA (Ali) - Older cousin (spelled with all the Irish vowels: approximately 60 in goblin years), owner of a fireworks shop specializing in pranks and offensive shapes. Taught Bru his technical firework skills. Highly critical but ultimately helpful mentor figure.

Martha "Auntie Poops" (Ellis) - Joined mid-session, brought her own unique energy to the family chaos.

Godfather Grit - Taskmaster of the bowling league, perpetually vibrating with energy and stress, covered in chalk dust, speaks in urgent non-sequiturs. Has a score of 7 in bowling (terrible) because he was "trying to hit one pin every time."

Goblin Culture on Tortuga​

Physical Traits:

  • Goblins mature by age 10
  • Die frequently from heart attacks (hereditary epidemic)
  • Have litters of children (large families)
  • Considered "elderly" by age 60

Social Structure:

  • Bowling leagues function as sacred covenants
  • Everyone related by blood or bowling
  • Cocaine use is normalized (micro-dosing throughout the day)
  • 7-Eleven bathrooms are acceptable laboratory spaces

Religious Beliefs:

  • The island rests on the back of a Turtle God
  • Sacred disturbances are religious obligations
  • The Winter King visits during winter solstice
  • Wishes granted to best Winter King costume
  • Dead sheep imagery is considered blasphemous

The Winter King's Holiday​

Festival Atmosphere​

The goblin city of Tortuga celebrated the winter solstice with chaotic festivities:

Celebrations:

  • Everyone dressed as the Winter King (costume competition)
  • "Snow" covering the city (various white substances—cocaine, chalk, other materials)
  • Children having snowball fights (mud, rocks, and debris compacted together)
  • Nightclubs with heavy EDM and glow stick usage
  • Drug-fueled revelry throughout the city

Winter King Tradition:

  • Best costume wins the right to make a wish
  • Legend of a robot who wished for a stomach and received it
  • Father Winter visits on this holy night

The Snow:

  • Not actual snow (tropical region, too warm)
  • Each establishment creates their own "snow" through goblin ingenuity
  • Nightclubs use cocaine as snow effects
  • Children play in various questionable white substances
  • Drew acquired a full bag of nightclub cocaine for "personal use"

The Oracle's Quest​

Mistress Tatterbottom​

The family's mission required finding Mistress Tatterbottom, an oracle traveling through the city in her caravan during the festival. She supposedly had coordinates for where to create the sacred disturbance.

The Caravan:

  • Traveling slowly through festival crowds
  • Oracle available for readings
  • Chalk line marked the path to follow
  • Led eventually to a 7-Eleven

The 7-Eleven Bathroom Laboratory​

The oracle's directions led to an unexpected location: the bathroom of a 7-Eleven convenience store run by a Pakistani clerk.

The Secret Laboratory:

  • Bru's explosive workshop hidden in the bathroom
  • Contains slide puzzle lock on the door
  • Equipped for firework construction
  • Has sewer grate/ladder leading to nightclub below
  • Oracle indicated this bathroom was key to the disturbance

Notable Features:

  • Only one bathroom (creating a multi-hour occupancy problem)
  • Vanessa (goblin customer) desperately needed to use it
  • Slide puzzle security system
  • Hidden entrance to the sewer system
  • Direct access to the Nerve Hub nightclub

The Vanessa Tragedy​

Meet Vanessa​

A recurring NPC who became the session's tragic figure:

Characteristics:

  • Goblin woman with weak bladder
  • Needed bathroom urgently
  • Drank water constantly (unusual for goblins)
  • Ate unusual foods (pineapple pizza)
  • Related to the family somehow
  • Generally considered annoying by the family
  • Kept insisting she needed to use the bathroom

The Death Toll​

Vanessa died three separate times during the session due to heart attacks:

First Death:

  • Cardiac arrest while waiting for bathroom
  • Family occupied bathroom for hours working on fireworks
  • EA had been verbally abusive to her
  • Pakistani clerk attempted CPR
  • Blamed on hereditary heart attack epidemic (not family's fault)

Second Death (Ghost Form):

  • Returned as multiple Vanessa spirits/ghosts
  • Died again trying to keep up with Drew during jumping jacks
  • Second cardiac arrest while exercising

Third Death (Mass Multiplication):

  • Eventually split into "a thousand wraiths"
  • Killed everyone in the goblin city
  • Family reconciled with her "purely out of spite"

Family Reaction:

  • "Vanessa sucks" (general consensus)
  • Drew: "She really really sucks, can't stay alive"
  • EA: "I'm so glad she's dead"
  • Taskmaster Grit: "Why'd you have to kill Vanessa?"
  • No one attended her funeral (discussed but decided it was "too much work")

The Nerve Hub & Heart of Tortuga​

Underground Nightclub​

The sewer ladder from the 7-Eleven bathroom led directly to the Nerve Hub, a major nightclub built near the literal beating heart of Tortuga.

The Venue:

  • Heavy EDM music
  • Glow sticks everywhere
  • Massive drug usage (cocaine, hallucinogens)
  • Winter solstice party in full swing
  • DJs rhythm their music to the heartbeat of Tortuga

The Heart of Tortuga:

  • Physical, beating heart beneath the island
  • Creates rhythmic thumping: "boop boop boop"
  • Shakes the nightclub with each beat
  • Central to the island's existence
  • Target location for the sacred disturbance

The Laboratory Setup​

Bru's explosive laboratory became the staging ground for the sacred disturbance:

Equipment & Materials:

  • Firework construction supplies
  • Multiple types of cocaine
  • God ear wax jar (discovered later by Bru in present day)
  • Leather jacket for Bru's "angsty teenage" aesthetic
  • Various explosive components

The Firework Design:

Bru attempted to design a firework with a "B" symbol (for Bru), but EA took over:

Original Design (Bru):

  • Large "B" shape
  • Diamond in the center
  • Amateurish construction
  • Multiple technical flaws

Final Design (EA's Improvements):

  • Bru family crest inside diamond
  • Mug of brown liquid (signature drink)
  • Tail of a pig
  • 7-Eleven sign
  • Small fireworks going off (meta reference)
  • Sparkles and shards for visual impact
  • Maximum razzle-dazzle and pizzazz

Bru's Reaction:

  • "Oh my god, you never let me try anything!"
  • "You never let me get better!"
  • Stormed out of bathroom in teenage angst
  • Witnessed Vanessa's first death
  • Blamed by Pakistani clerk for the death

The Sacred Disturbance​

The Plan​

The family needed to create maximum chaos at the Nerve Hub to shake the Heart of Tortuga:

Components:

  • Detach Heart of Tortuga from its moorings
  • Set off massive firework display
  • Use explosive laboratory as additional catalyst
  • Perform ritual (including sitting backwards in chairs for "down and chill" vibes)
  • Light final firework with Vanessa's spirit

Execution:

  • Family infiltrated Nerve Hub through sewer entrance
  • Set up explosives at the Heart
  • Performed "sitting backwards in chairs" ritual
  • Drew led group in cocaine-fueled jumping jacks
  • Vanessa (ghost form) lit the final firework
  • Bru watched from his laboratory

The Catastrophic Success​

The sacred disturbance exceeded all expectations:

The Explosion:

  • Massive firework display showing Bru family crest
  • Earth began to crack beneath the city
  • Bru's laboratory broke free from the city
  • Laboratory descended toward the ground below
  • Island of Tortuga began rising from the sea

The Awakening:

  • Turtle God awakened by the disturbance
  • Island lifted on the back of the awakened turtle
  • Entire goblin city began walking away on turtle's back
  • Ground fell away beneath Bru's falling laboratory

The Aftermath​

Immediate Consequences:

  • Bru deployed emergency parachute (all family members had them)
  • Escaped falling laboratory as it crashed
  • Watched his home city walk away on the turtle
  • Separated from his entire family
  • Forced to leave Tortuga

Long-term Impact:

  • Island of Tortuga rose from the sea (recent event in campaign timeline)
  • Connected to recent rift openings and dragon migrations
  • Bru left his homeland forever
  • Additional trauma for young Bru (witnessed Vanessa deaths, lost family)
  • Explains Bru's age discrepancy (now established as 11-14 years old)

Character Moments​

Young Bru's Development​

The session established key aspects of Bru's character:

Skills & Interests:

  • Early experimentation with explosives
  • Learning technical skills from EA
  • Attention to detail (why family considers him the leader)
  • Angsty teenage aesthetic (leather jacket, wants to seem cool)
  • Knowledge of technical facts (glass tubes in glow sticks)

Trauma Origins:

  • Witnessed multiple deaths (Vanessa's cardiac arrests)
  • Blamed for deaths he didn't cause
  • Lost his entire family when island rose
  • Forced to leave homeland at young age
  • Previous trauma mentioned: saw a sheep hit by a truck

Family Relationships:

  • Close with Uncle Belch (learned conspiracy theories)
  • Mentored by EA (learned fireworks)
  • Typical younger sibling dynamic with Drew
  • Respected as natural leader despite being youngest
  • Connected to large extended family

Drew's Cocaine Journey​

Luke played Drew as perpetually high with escalating energy:

Cocaine Management:

  • Separate stashes for every occasion and location
  • "Walking cocaine," "bathroom cocaine," "dinner cocaine"
  • Micro-dosing throughout the day
  • Eventually just snorting anything white (including shredded paper)
  • Taskmaster Grit noted he needed "help identifying proper high-quality cocaine"

Physical Comedy:

  • Constantly bouncing and moving
  • Dove into piles of "snow" (cocaine) to swim
  • Led family in jumping jacks (killed ghost Vanessa)
  • "His heart rate is in the few hundreds at least"
  • Predicted to crash or die from the come-down

Epilogue:

  • Got completely clean and sober
  • Became youth guidance counselor
  • Uses backwards-chair sitting technique to connect with troubled youth
  • Runs recovery group meetings
  • Starts each session by spinning chair backwards and putting hat on backwards

Uncle Belch's Conspiracy Theories​

Tyram played Belch as the paranoid uncle teaching Bru worldview:

Theories:

  • Winter King is a front for the mind flayer mafia
  • Water janazi (in skimpy clothes) is part of the conspiracy
  • Sacred disturbances have hidden purposes
  • Always suspicious of official narratives
  • Taught Bru his conspiratorial thinking

Skills:

  • 9th level soulblade rogue with reliable talent
  • Stealth minimum of 23 (rolled a 2, still got 23)
  • Capable investigator and infiltrator
  • Protective of younger family members

Epilogue:

  • Possibly still alive (goblins age quickly, but he might be elderly)
  • If alive, became proprietor of bowling alley
  • Still bowls constantly
  • "Don't get distracted by any of these stupid scavenger hunts ever again"

EA's Mentorship​

Ali played EA as the harsh but effective teacher:

Teaching Style:

  • Highly critical of Bru's work
  • "You never let me try anything!" (Bru's response)
  • Intimidation check: 19 (Bru stormed out)
  • Arcana check: 21 (completely redesigned firework)
  • Actually improved the final product significantly

Fireworks Business:

  • Owned shop specializing in offensive shapes
  • "Cool shapes that they make in the sky like middle fingers"
  • Pranks and provocative imagery
  • Technical expertise with explosives
  • Passed knowledge to young Bru

Epilogue:

  • Possibly opened spa with god ear wax
  • "Rejuvenating all of the goblins"
  • Life extension treatments through "deep moisturizer"
  • Created wellness craze among goblins
  • Alleviating the heart attack epidemic

Ongoing Plot Threads​

  1. Bru's Return: Can Bru reunite with his family now that he has access to the island (if any survived)?

  2. The God Ear Wax: Bru discovered a jar of god ear wax in present day—connection to EA's spa business?

  3. Vanessa's Wraith: Christopher noted to remind him "Vanessa might come back as a wraith to haunt them"—will this haunt Bru?

  4. Tortuga's Current State: The island rose recently (aligns with rifts, dragon migrations in campaign)—what's happening there now?

  5. Family Reunion Possibility: "Bru family reunion—oops, all bruises" discussed as future possibility

  6. Drew's Recovery: Successfully got clean—could appear as NPC helping others?

  7. Uncle Belch's Bowling Alley: If survived, might own the bowling alley now

  8. The Sacred Disturbance Success: Did other bowling leagues also succeed? What happened to competitors?

  9. Pakistani Clerk's Ban: "You and your family and your bowling team are never allowed in my 7-Eleven again"—permanent ban enforced?

  10. The 712 Alternative: Bug's brother runs the 712 (better than 7-Eleven)—new family hangout?

Key Revelations​

  1. Bru's Age: Confirmed as 11-14 years old (adjusted from original 10 to account for backstory timeline)

  2. Island Rising: The rise of Tortuga on the Turtle God's back was directly caused by Bru's family's sacred disturbance

  3. Recent Event: This backstory occurred within the past few years, not ancient history—connects to current campaign events (rifts opening, dragons migrating)

  4. Family Separation: Bru lost his entire extended family when the island rose, explaining his isolation

  5. Explosives Origin: Bru's expertise with explosives dates back to childhood, taught by EA

  6. Goblin Culture: Extensive worldbuilding about goblin society, religion, and customs on Tortuga

  7. Heart Attack Epidemic: Hereditary condition killing goblins daily, not anyone's specific fault

  8. Bowling as Religion: Bowling leagues serve as sacred organizations, not just recreational clubs

  9. Winter King Holiday: Major goblin religious festival with costume competitions and wish-granting

  10. The 7-Eleven Laboratory: Bru's creative use of unconventional spaces for his work started young

Session Mechanics & Conclusion​

Adventure Structure​

The session followed a fairly linear quest structure:

Act 1: Mission briefing from Taskmaster Grit, family dynamics established

Act 2: Oracle quest through festival, found coordinates, traveled to 7-Eleven

Act 3: Laboratory work, firework construction, family conflict (Bru vs EA)

Act 4: Journey to Nerve Hub, discovered the Heart of Tortuga

Act 5: Sacred disturbance ritual, explosive finale, island rises

Comedy Highlights​

Running Gags:

  • Drew's cocaine addiction and separate stashes for every occasion
  • Vanessa dying repeatedly from heart attacks
  • "Vanessa sucks" (family consensus)
  • Taskmaster Grit interrupting at inconvenient times
  • Backwards chair sitting for being "down and chill"
  • EA's impossible-to-pronounce Irish vowel name
  • Goblin death toll from heart attacks

Physical Comedy:

  • Drew swimming in cocaine piles
  • Snowball fights with cocaine-mud-rocks
  • Children getting cocaine in their eyes
  • Drew doing jumping jacks until ghost died
  • Backwards everything (chairs, hats, shirts, pants)

Dark Comedy:

  • Casual attitude toward Vanessa's deaths
  • "Did I finish my firework? Oh wait, she's dead"
  • Blaming Bru for bathroom-related death
  • No one attending Vanessa's funeral
  • Drew's inevitable cocaine crash

Meta Moments​

Self-Aware Humor:

  • Firework design includes "fireworks" (meta reference)
  • "Are we the baddies?" after killing everyone
  • Discussion of AI recap vs actual events
  • References to previous interlude (Elspeth's racing)
  • Christopher adapting adventure from D&D Beyond source

Player Creativity:

  • 7-Eleven bathroom as laboratory (player suggestion)
  • Cocaine as Drew's character trait (improvised)
  • All character names and relationships player-created
  • Bru's Cousins bowling league concept
  • Family dynamics and conspiracy theories

Emotional Weight​

Despite the comedy, the session established genuine tragedy:

Bru's Loss:

  • Forced to leave homeland
  • Lost entire extended family
  • Witnessed traumatic deaths
  • Blamed for things beyond his control
  • Only child survivor of the sacred disturbance

Family Love:

  • Despite chaos, family worked together
  • Uncle Belch protective of younger members
  • EA improved Bru's work (harsh but caring)
  • Taskmaster Grit genuinely concerned about family
  • Strong sense of goblin community and belonging

Setting Destruction:

  • Entire goblin city displaced
  • Lives lost in the chaos
  • Community separated
  • Home literally walked away
  • Success had catastrophic personal cost

Connection to Main Campaign​

The session explained several ongoing mysteries:

Recent Events:

  • Tortuga rising connects to rift openings
  • Dragon migrations happening simultaneously
  • "All this is super recent" (within current campaign timeline)
  • Explains why Bru left his homeland

Bru's Character:

  • Origin of explosives expertise
  • Source of conspiracy theory thinking (Uncle Belch)
  • Why he's alone without family
  • His relationship with chaos and destruction
  • Technical skills and attention to detail

Future Possibilities:

  • Family reunion potential
  • Return to Tortuga
  • Confronting past trauma
  • Vanessa's wraith haunting
  • God ear wax mystery
Future Sessions

Several character backstories remain: Ma's origin, Liliana's past, and Olivia's first case possibly involving Caspian and previous campaign characters. The Tortuga island could become a visitable location for family reunion adventures.

DM's Note

Christopher confirmed this adventure was adapted from D&D Beyond source material, though players' improvisation (cocaine, 7-Eleven, character dynamics) added significant original content. The session successfully established Bru's tragic backstory while maintaining the campaign's comedic tone.