Video Summary at the bottom
As the party travels across the plains, they see a small hatch open in the middle of the field. Frantic screams come from inside and a Tabaxi clambers out, tugging at her whiskers as she exits the hatch.
“I can’t believe they’ve done it!” She screams, enraged at something. If the party inquires, she will note that a colony of nearby Modrons have launched some sort of “missile barrage” at the home of the Tabaxi a few miles away. She introduces herself as Noodle McTunaface, one of several defense specialists hiding in the bunker. “The threat of the attack forced us into this hole where we have been waiting for weeks. We’ve only just now realized that our own defense system won’t work with these darn paws!”
She nibbles at her hands in frustration.
“We need to turn two keys at the same time in order to launch our intercepting magic missiles, but need assistance. Will you help us?”
From the Modron colony, large cylindrical objects with smoke trails are flying into the sky, going straight into the air.
DMs Note: You can scroll to the bottom to learn what is actually going on.
Are You Kitten Me?!
Following Noodle down into the command center, the party is welcomed by a chaotic scene. Worried meowing and hissing with additional Tabaxi pawing at control buttons and wheels along a wall.
There are strange screens of stone including one flat horizontal stone with tiny red dots (some of which the Tabaxi are pawing at). The tiny red dots are in a cluster moving slowly over a poorly scrawled map.
If the party asks about the technology, all of the Tabaxi will be annoyed and yell, “there’s no time to explain!”
“We picked up the projectiles on the Cat Scan. When those red dots reach our colony, STOP SWATTING AT IT, we fear the Catpocalypse will be upon us.” Noodle points to the stone and a crudely drawn cat face at the edge of the stone.
“We need you to turn these keys to trigger our PURR (Propelled Usurping Ranged Rocks). Through years of peaceful life, our paws have devolved into these cute appendages.”
Noodle takes the party to a control panel with two keys and two locks located about 20 feet away from each other. “The keys must be turned at the same time, otherwise the PURR won’t trigger. The window is closing, we only have thirty seconds before it will be too late!”
The way the party works this is straightforward. The DM triggers a 30-second countdown and the party must choose 2 individuals to turn the keys.
Turning the key is just rolling a d20 and trying to get the same result within the remaining time limit. Rolls must happen at the same time and the two rolls must be equal on that roll.
Examples:
- Both roll at the same time. A gets 12, B gets 13, re-roll until successful.
- Both roll at the same time. A gets 12, B gets 12, PURR initiated.
If within the 30 seconds the party is successful
The ground will shake as the PURR initializes. Some unexplained magic propels large circular rocks into the sky, directly into the path of the incoming missiles. The dots on the rock fade and the Tabaxi in the room explode in celebration.
If within the 30 seconds the party fails
The Tabaxi become somber, thank the party for their assistance and begin leaving the underground control center, watching as the aircraft get closer to the colony. As the aircraft reach the colony, they explode in the air, launching projectiles into the town below. The Tabaxi hang their heads and begin the slow walk home.
What Was Actually Happening
For years, the Tabaxi have lived in fear of the Modrons that live a few miles away. The Modrons spoke a strange language and initial approaches led the Tabaxi to be defensive. Counter to how the Tabaxi interpret the situation, the Modron just want to be friends and are blown away by the fur on the Tabaxi, due to their own hard, cold bodies.
With the Tabaxi driving away any advances of the Modron, the Modron took to the skies with an offering that they thought may be better received. Inside the missiles/aircraft are buckets of fish and one pilot. The pilots are expected to be ambassadors of the Modron and bring offerings of fish to appease the Tabaxi and hopefully write a peace treaty together.
If the PURR takes out the aircraft, it will begin a war between the Tabaxi and Modron, but if the PURR fails, the Tabaxi will head home to happy townsfolk munching on fish and happily circling around the pilots.
