As the party walks near [insert town here] at night, they see a faint glow coming from a wooded area. If inspected, they will begin to hear chanting as they near. The voices say in unison:
“We are linked. We are eternal. We are one line, which meets the other end without ending.”
The party can see a circle of robed figures, one of which turns and walks calmly over to the party. Slowly drawing her hood back reveals the kind face of a female Grung. She introduces herself as Cyrilla Krees. Either by request or after some moments of silence, she speaks again.
“We believe in the un-repeating world, the fractional decimilation of what you see as ‘life’.” She touches her two fingers together in front of you and draws a semicircle with each, touching again at the bottom.
For a faint second, party members can see a small blue glow from the traced air. Cyrilla cocks her head to the side, “Hmmm, your proportions are incorrect. You enter our circle with a fractional accompaniment of 17 sevenths. Do not fret, with patience you can reach 22.”
The surrounding group ends their chant and the Grung splash away to various trees, puddles, and other watery areas of the forest. Cyrilla looks at the group.
“Omnicircular Ascendency is upon us. We must make the final preparations. You are welcome to stay here with us this evening or venture into town. Meet me at the portcullis at dawn.”
If asked what they are planning or what Omnicircular Ascendency is, Cyrilla explains. “It is a day of enlightenment for the squares in the town nearest to us. Long have they tortured, belittled, and ridiculed us and our practices. Our patron has aligned the planets for this one day to grant those who wish to change shape the opportunity.”
If pressed, Cyrilla can explain further about their plans.
- The townsfolk for decades have treated the Ring of Grung as outcasts, refusing to do business with them, jailing any that enter the town walls, or worse
- The latest expression of anger toward the Grung (they beat up Bwalo Cirkel after he asked to purchase some wheat from a farmer on the outskirts of town)
- Sakuru (their patron of Circles) has given them the divine ordainment to remove the townsfolk from this plane
Town Full of Squares
If the party heads into town, they will see that Cyrilla wasn’t lying, the town is a bunch of squares, or individuals that are roughly shaped like squares. As they oaf about, they are extremely nasty to one another and will be extremely rude to the party if they ask for anything.
“If you want to ask questions, why’d’nt you just ask those mangy Grung in the forest?!” shrieks a shopkeep.
Everything in the town is created from squares, including cups, beds, wells, everything.
They can find an inn run by Rhombus Glamgown, a squarish cyclops with a nasty disposition.
DM Note: Have some fun with these folks. More square puns to be had and plenty more NPCs to be created depending on what your party wants to do in the town. They are mean, unwelcoming, and generally nasty folks. Standard town shops, etc.
What Goes Round Comes Round
The following morning at dawn, the Grung appear from the forest, taking place along the moat that surrounds the town, spread equidistant. Cyrilla is at the portcullis as promised and ushers the party out when they meet her there. She will eye the party and ask, “Omnicircular Ascendency is upon us, will you help?”
This is the party’s last chance to pick a side in any of this. The main objective shifts based on the decision:
- If the party sides with the Grung, they will have to protect them during the ritual
- If the party side with the town, they will have to eliminate the Grung
Once the decision is made, they will go the direction of their selection.
Grungus Among Us
If the party has elected to side with the Grung and help them with their ritual, Cyrilla will ask them to stay at the drawbridge as it’s the only entrance or exit from town. If they are in town, they will take the opposite side of everything below.
As the sun continues to rise, they kneel in place, heads patiently bowed. As the sun crests the horizon, it aligns perfectly with several other planets that seem to glow a strange shade of blue as they come into alignment.
The Grung begin to chant a series of numbers. “1415926535…” The water in the moat begins to bubble and emanate an odd blue-green color. Commotion from inside the town as several commoners begin running out to attack the Grung. The first wave is five commoners.
As the party dispatches the commoners, the Grung continue to the next series, “8979323846…” The water surges and rises vertically, splashing over the banks, but primarily building a wall straight into the sky. The blue planets pulse with radiation, casting a strange blue light across the landscape.
The next wave is the town guard, more square-looking brutes, the innkeeper among them yelling about how poor of patrons the party were.
The town guard are a bit more formidable, but the stat block can be lowered depending on APL and party size.
The intent of the town guard is to get past the party and eliminate the Grung that line the waters. If any manage to get to the Grung, they will dispatch them with one hit. After all, none of the Grung are attempting to resist as their focus is on the ritual. If a Grung is lost, the water wall will falter, and a party member must replace the fallen Grung.
With the Town Guard dispatched, a final series of numbers is echoed from all the Grung. “8979323846…” The water wall explodes upwards, beginning to curve in and over the town, large glowing variations of circles etch into the water.
Screams of anger and cursing can be heard from within the walls. The ground shakes as two large lumbering Meat Cubes smash through the entrance to the town. The large meat cubes are the final protectors of the town and have a host of sickly spells to affect the party and Grung.
Once dispatched, the Grung’s chant intensifies, the water closes over the town, and shimmers intensely. The Grung throw their hands to the sky and repeat, “3.14, 3.14, Sakuru make this place no more.”
Closing The Loop
The sky turns to a dark almost nightly blue, and the hemisphere extending out of the moat begins to contract in on itself. With a rushing of waves, the water gets smaller and smaller. A whisper comes from the darkness, “Embrace the curves and arcs of existence, for they reveal profound truths. In the heart of the circle lies the gateway to transcendence.”
One final convulsion of the water and it disappears with a “drip” noise. The sky brightens instantly and returns to normal. The Grung, exhausted, cheer as they look at the dirt and puddles in front of them where the town once was. They begin dancing and drawing perfect circles in the dirt.
Cyrilla comes over the the party, tears in her eyes and thanks them. “In the presence of the circle, find liberation from the shackles of linear existence.” She extends her hands and offers the party an Orb of Harmonic Resonance and a Piece of Pi.
Orb of Harmonic Resonance:
- Harmonic Aura (2 charges/long rest): When the Orb of Harmonic Resonance is held or placed nearby, it emits a soothing aura of harmonic frequencies. This aura instills a sense of calm and unity among those within a 20-foot radius, promoting cooperation and disadvantage on all hostile attack rolls within the 20-foot radius.
- Disrupting Dissonance (1 charge/long rest): In combat, the wielder can channel the orb’s power to unleash a dissonant harmonic wave. Once per short rest, as an action, the wielder can choose a target within 30 feet. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of their next turn.
Piece of Pi:
- Sustenance of Infinity: Consuming a Piece of Pi provides the benefits of a nourishing meal, satisfying hunger and providing sustenance for a full day. It nourishes the body, granting the consumer advantage on Constitution saving throws against disease and resistance to poison for 24 hours.
DM Note: If somehow the party gets stuck in town and the ritual succeeds, they will be sent with the townsfolk to a plain where only squares exist. It’s actually not entirely terrible, but the townsfolk are mad that their moat is gone.
