Chinny’s Cryptic Challenges

Date: Mar 4th, 2026

Summary

The party settled into the ancient temple as darkness fell over the jungle, choosing the safety of its stone walls over the dangers lurking outside. Papa Yian, a Goliath cleric who had recently found a new calling in the light of Lathander, knelt in fervent prayer, beseeching the god of dawn to bring a peaceful night and a swift morning. Urillan, the Aasimar barbarian, methodically cleaned his weapons while Cornelius, the shapeshifting druid, sat at the temple entrance playing his flute and keeping a quiet watch over the treeline. The heavy stone tablet they carried for their employer, John Harrison, sat like a small boulder against the wall, a constant reminder of the task still ahead of them.

It was during Cornelius’s watch that something unusual caught his eye — a figure moving through the jungle with an almost unsettling ease. The man who emerged from the darkness was strikingly out of place: mid-twenties in appearance, with dirty blonde hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and bright blue eyes that caught the torchlight. He wore a pristine black suit from head to toe, his shoes gleaming as though he had never once set foot in a jungle. Most striking of all were the two curly, yellowish horns that swept back from his head. He climbed the temple stairs with a staff topped by a smooth, bright green emerald, and introduced himself simply as Chinny.

After a tense but brief exchange, Papa Yian’s instincts told him the stranger meant no harm, and the party lowered their guard enough to converse. Chinny was charming and cryptic in equal measure, speaking of games and experiences and the true nature of wealth. When he opened a shimmering portal to reveal a towering mound of gold on the other side, the party’s curiosity — and greed — got the better of them. Cornelius performed a quiet ritual of divination before they committed, receiving an answer that was neither fully reassuring nor fully alarming: weal and woe, good and bad intertwined. With that ambiguous blessing, the party stepped through the portal.

They emerged into a lavish underground lair that defied the cave it was carved from. Artifacts and paintings lined the walls, and a vast library of ancient, dusty tomes dominated one enormous chamber. Chinny spoke of knowledge as the only true treasure, gesturing dismissively at the gold and trinkets around him as mere knick-knacks. The party took in the grandeur with wide eyes, already wondering what kind of creature could accumulate such a collection — and what he truly wanted from them.

Chinny then led them to meet another group of adventurers who had already played his game: Vision, a blue-skinned Tiefling with red eyes and a carnival performer’s grin; Lily, a sharp-eyed woman dressed entirely in black; Ravel, a plain and unremarkable human rogue; and Jekt, a rotund, cross-eyed Tabaxi with a pudgy face and thin whiskers. Vision explained the rules with the casual confidence of a veteran — the game was played in rounds, players could leave at any time, and a previous group had died in lava, though that had been their own fault for staying too long. The party exchanged glances, already calculating.

Chinny presented three doors, each concealing a different challenge. Vision and Jekt chose the door marked for feats of strength. Cornelius stepped toward the puzzle door, which Chinny confirmed was lore-based. Papa Yian positioned himself at the third door — a challenge between players — and Urillan joined the strength competitors. The games were about to begin.

In the strength room, the competitors were handed four small metal rods each and faced a series of ladders leaning against the walls, their rungs growing increasingly sparse toward the top. The challenge was to climb as high as possible using the rods as improvised rungs, holding position for ten full seconds. Jekt went first, scrambling upward with surprising determination before losing his grip and crashing to the ground. A portal opened, and the fat Tabaxi was gone. Urillan, calm and methodical, bit down on one of the rods to hold it in place with his teeth, climbed to an impressive height, and held firm. Vision, unwilling to go first and running out of time, was ultimately eliminated without ever setting foot on a ladder.

Meanwhile, in the large open chamber, Cornelius and Lily faced off in a game called Throw the Stone — an illusion battle of wits where each player had to transform into something capable of defeating whatever their opponent had become. Lily opened as a snake, ever biting and poisoning. Cornelius became a gelatinous cube, ever absorbing. Lily shifted into a river, swallowing the cube whole. Cornelius became a rock, uncaring and unmoving. The exchange continued — ice cracking the rock, heat melting the ice, snow falling to smother the heat — until Cornelius declared himself fire, and Lily’s snow began to melt harmlessly around him. Chinny declared Lily eliminated, and she vanished through a portal.

In the third room, Papa Yian and Ravel played a social deduction game in which one of them secretly held the role of wolf and the other the role of sheep. The sheep’s goal was to identify and vote out the wolf before being voted out themselves. After a brief and pointed exchange, Papa Yian cast his vote — and it landed true. Ravel was the wolf, and Papa Yian advanced.

For the eliminated players, Chinny offered a redemption round. Three tarot cards — the Magician, the High Priestess, and the Fool — were placed on a small circular platform at the center of a room ringed by three concentric glowing circles. Chinny warned that anything touching the rings would cause them to vanish, and the drop below was a very long one into a pit of wooden spikes. Cornelius considered his options carefully before settling on an unexpected solution: he transformed into a kangaroo. With a single powerful leap, he cleared all three rings entirely and landed squarely on the center platform, snatching the Fool card before Jekt — who had used a fishing hook to grab two cards for himself — could claim it. Cornelius had earned his way back into the competition.

That evening, the party dined on an extraordinary feast — whole roasted meats, exotic fruits, fresh oysters, and dishes that seemed to come from every corner of the world — while unseen servants moved silently around them. It was during dinner that Vision approached one of the party members with a proposition: 3,000 gold pieces, paid upfront, in exchange for cooperation and a degree of loyalty in the upcoming rounds. The party discussed it quietly among themselves and agreed — not out of any real intention to betray each other, but because the gold was guaranteed regardless of outcome. It was, as Urillan put it with characteristic bluntness, a betrayal they were all perfectly comfortable with.

The next morning, Papa Yian offered a prayer to Lathander, welcoming the dawn even from deep within a dragon’s lair, and felt the warmth of his new god’s blessing settle over him. Chinny then announced the next challenge: players would pair off and choose a game to play against their partner. Papa Yian was paired with Vision, and Chinny produced a long-haired, yellowish dog to serve as the centerpiece of their contest. Before the game began, Papa Yian quietly observed the dog and noticed a small tag around its neck. The dog’s name was Sandy. When the contest began — a simple race to call the dog by name — Papa Yian called out confidently, and Sandy trotted straight to him. Vision stared in disbelief.

The winners of the paired games were then gathered for another round of the wolf and sheep game, this time with three players. The discussion that followed was chaotic and deliberately confusing, with players claiming to be wolves, then sheep, then wolves again. When the vote was finally cast, the actual wolf was correctly identified and eliminated, and two party members advanced to the next stage. The remaining competition was narrowing.

The next challenge was one of perception and psychology. Two boxes were placed before the final two competitors, one of which contained a carrot — the winning token. Each player looked inside their own box, and then had the option to trade. One player declared outright that they had the carrot and refused to trade. They were telling the truth, and they kept it, advancing to the next round.

Chinny then revealed the gold distribution challenge. The winner of the previous round was unchained while the others remained shackled to the wall. Before them sat a stack of 10,000 gold pieces, and the winner was invited to take as much as they wished before unlocking the next player. The party moved through the chain carefully, each taking a portion and passing the key along, ensuring that the gold was distributed in a way that served their collective interests. Vision, when he finally reached the platform, found only a small amount remaining and expressed his displeasure — though a sharp insight suggested he may not have been entirely honest about how much was left.

The lava room was the most harrowing challenge yet. A tightrope stretched across a chamber of molten rock, and each contestant’s gold had been sealed inside oddly shaped stones — each stone worth 100 gold pieces. To keep their winnings, they had to carry the stones across. Dropping a stone meant losing the gold inside it. Falling meant death. Papa Yian crossed first, wobbling but steady, losing only a handful of stones before reaching the other side. Cornelius transformed into a monkey to improve his footing and made it across after a terrifying near-fall, losing a small number of stones in the process. Urillan, carrying no stones, used a magical rod to anchor himself mid-fall and hauled himself back onto the rope before completing the crossing. Vision was not so fortunate. He slipped, and the weight of his stones dragged him screaming into the lava below. Jekt, small and nimble, hopped across without incident.

A voting round followed, in which the remaining contestants chose two finalists to advance to the final challenge. Jekt attempted to bribe the party with gold in exchange for their votes, and the party accepted his money while quietly coordinating their own votes to ensure two of their members advanced. The strategy worked cleanly, and two party members secured their spots in the final round.

Chinny led the two finalists to the last room, where a table held six numbered cards. He warned them plainly: this challenge was dangerous, and once it began, there was no leaving. One card was safe — drawing it would win the 100,000 gold prize. The others meant death. Players could either draw a card or use their turn to make one card safe, improving the odds for whoever came next. After careful deliberation, one party member chose to withdraw rather than risk their life for gold they already had enough of. Jekt was invited to take their place.

The card game unfolded slowly and tensely. Each player alternated between making a card safe and watching the odds shift. When Jekt finally drew his card and flipped it over, it bore the mark of safety. He had won the 100,000 gold pieces. The party watched with a mixture of relief and mild frustration as the fat Tabaxi celebrated his victory. Chinny, true to his word, opened a portal and transported the party — along with their accumulated winnings of roughly 13,500 gold pieces split evenly among them — back to where their journey had begun, the heavy stone tablet still waiting to be delivered to John Harrison.

Short

While sheltering in an ancient jungle temple, the party encountered a mysterious and well-dressed figure named Chinny — a horned man carrying an emerald-topped staff who emerged from the darkness and invited them through a shimmering portal into his lavish underground lair. Despite an ambiguous divination warning of both weal and woe, the party accepted and were introduced to a group of rival adventurers: Vision, Lily, Ravel, and Jekt. Chinny revealed that they would all compete in a series of games across multiple rounds, with the promise of gold as the reward. The party navigated the early challenges with notable success — Papa Yian won a social deduction game by correctly identifying the wolf, Urillan demonstrated calm strength in a ladder-climbing contest, and Cornelius outmaneuvered Lily in an illusion battle before cleverly leaping back into the competition as a kangaroo during a redemption round. The party also accepted a 3,000 gold bribe from Vision in exchange for loose cooperation, which they privately agreed to honor only as far as it suited them.

As the competition progressed, the stakes grew increasingly dangerous. Papa Yian won a dog-calling contest against Vision by spotting the animal’s name tag, and the party strategically coordinated votes to ensure two of their members advanced to the final rounds. The most harrowing challenge was a tightrope crossing above a lava pit, where contestants had to carry oddly shaped stones containing their gold — Vision fell to his death, while Papa Yian, Cornelius, and Urillan all made it across. In the final card game, one party member chose to withdraw rather than risk death, allowing Jekt to take their place; the rotund Tabaxi ultimately drew the winning card and claimed the 100,000 gold prize. True to his word, Chinny returned the party to where they started, their stone tablet still waiting to be delivered to Jhon-Arryn, and each member richer by roughly 13,500 gold pieces.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid band of adventurers — Papa Yian, the Goliath cleric newly devoted to the light of Lathander; Urillan, the stoic Aasimar barbarian; and Cornelius, the ever-shifting druid — had taken shelter within an ancient jungle temple, their precious stone tablet resting against the wall like a silent obligation. It was during the quiet of Cornelius’s watch that a stranger emerged from the treeline — a man impossibly well-dressed for the jungle, with curly yellowish horns, gleaming shoes, and a staff crowned with a brilliant green emerald. He called himself Chinny. And with the flash of a shimmering portal and the glint of a mountain of gold beyond it, the party’s better judgment gave way to something far more compelling: curiosity.

What followed was a gauntlet unlike anything the party had faced before — not of swords and sorcery, but of wit, will, and nerve. They were plunged into a series of strange competitions alongside a colorful cast of rivals: Vision the silver-tongued Tiefling, Lily the sharp-eyed shadow, the unremarkable Ravel, and the rotund, cross-eyed Tabaxi known as Jekt. Challenges of strength, illusion, and social cunning tested each member of the party in turn. Papa Yian outwitted wolves in sheep’s clothing. Cornelius became a kangaroo — and then fire itself — to claw his way back from elimination. Urillan bit a metal rod with his teeth and climbed to victory. They dined on a feast fit for kings, struck a deal with Vision that they had no intention of honoring, and navigated a harrowing tightrope walk above a churning sea of lava, stones of gold in hand.

In the end, it was not one of their own who claimed the grand prize of 100,000 gold — that honor went to Jekt, the pudgy Tabaxi, who drew the one safe card from a table that promised death to the unlucky. But our party was no worse for it. With roughly 13,500 gold pieces split among them and their lives still intact, Chinny kept his word and returned them to where it all began — the jungle, the temple, and the stone tablet still waiting to be delivered to Jhon-Arryn. The game is over. The job, however, is not.

Middle English

In jungle dark where shadows creep and crawl, The party rested in a temple old; Papa Yian did pray within those walls, While Cornelius watched and Urillan cleaned his blade so cold. A stranger came with horns of yellow hue, In suit of black with emerald staff in hand; His name was Chinny, eyes of piercing blue, Who offered gold and games across his land.

Through shimmering portal did the party stride, To lavish lair of treasure, tome, and art; Where other players waited as their guide, And Vision spoke the rules with cunning heart. Three doors were set, three challenges to face, Of strength and lore and social cunning’s grace.

In strength’s great room did Urillan climb so high, With rod betwixt his teeth he held his place; While Cornelius in illusion’s battle sly, Did best fair Lily in a shapely race. Papa Yian did name the wolf with ease, And Ravel fell before his steady vote; Then Cornelius leapt as kangaroo to seize, The Fool’s own card and keep himself afloat.

They feasted well on meats and fruits so rare, While Vision’s gold did tempt the party’s hand; Three thousand coins for loyalty to share, A deal they took whilst keeping their own plan. Come morning light, Papa Yian called the hound, And Sandy trotted forth without a sound.

Through wolf and sheep and boxes, carrot-crowned, The party played with wit and steady nerve; Across the lava’s rope their footing found, Though Vision fell to flames he did deserve. With Jekt’s own bribe accepted, votes were cast, Two party members stood as finalists last.

Then Chinny’s final table, cards of fate, Where one held life and all the rest held death; One player stepped aside ere it grew late, And Jekt drew safe and drew a victor’s breath. With thirteen thousand gold the party stood, Returned to jungle, tablet, task, and wood!

Snarky

Our gloriously greedy quartet of adventurers got sidetracked from their simple “deliver the tablet” quest by a suspiciously well-dressed devil with horns, a glowing emerald staff, and the audacity to host a game show in his underground dragon hoard. Papa Yian, Urillan, Cornelius, and the gang collectively looked at a shimmering portal to unknown danger and said “yes, absolutely, the gold pile made us do it” — which is honestly the most honest thing any of them have ever done. What followed was a series of increasingly unhinged challenges including ladder climbing with teeth, a shapeshifting rock-paper-scissors battle that somehow involved a gelatinous cube AND a kangaroo, a dog named Sandy who single-handedly dismantled a Tiefling’s entire competitive spirit, and a tightrope walk over actual lava because apparently Chinny’s idea of “fun” is a liability waiver written in molten rock.

The party’s crowning achievement was accepting a 3,000 gold bribe from Vision to “cooperate,” fully intending to betray him, and then watching him fall screaming into lava before they even got the chance — which means they kept the gold AND avoided the moral weight of backstabbing him, a outcome so perfectly convenient it could only happen to these people. In the end, after all the death-defying nonsense, the 100,000 gold prize was won by Jekt, a cross-eyed, pudgy Tabaxi who had already been eliminated once. The party walked away with a respectable 13,500 gold pieces split between them, their lives, and the same enormous stone tablet they started with, because some quests simply will not be ignored.

Limerick

In a jungle temple they sheltered at night, When Chinny appeared, horned and suited in white. He offered a game, Of fortune and fame, And lured them through portals of shimmering light!

They climbed, bluffed, and puzzled through each deadly round, While Cornelius leapt as a roo to safe ground. Papa Yian called Sandy, The dog trotted handy, And Vision’s jaw dropped at the trick that he’d found!

On a tightrope o’er lava they balanced their gold, A slip, and poor Vision screamed into the fold. Cornelius swung as a monkey, Though the crossing was funky, And Urillan hauled back up, impossibly bold!

They voted and bribed and collected their pay, While Jekt stuffed his pockets and won the grand day. One hundred grand richer, The fat Tabaxi pitcher, Took home the big prize as the party cried, “Hey!”

With thirteen grand split and their tablet in tow, They returned to the jungle with plenty to show. Jhon-Arryn still waited, Their quest not abated, But richer and wiser, off onward they go!

Memorable Moments

Cornelius transforms into a kangaroo mid-challenge and launches himself 30 feet through the air, landing perfectly on the center platform to snatch a tarot card.

Startled and proud after realizing a kangaroo’s leap could clear all three concentric rings at once, solving the challenge in one absurd bound.

Vision, the blue Tiefling veteran of Chinny’s games, slips on the tightrope and is dragged into the molten lava by the weight of his gold-filled rocks, dying instantly.

A veteran of Chinny’s games who had survived multiple rounds, Vision met his end through a single misstep over a pit of lava.

“Betray away.” — Urillan

Casually giving Papa Yian full permission to accept Vision’s alliance offer and ‘betray’ the party, since it guaranteed gold either way.

The party speculates that Chinny, their charming host, is actually a brass dragon — realizing too late that they may have been playing games with an ancient and powerful creature.

After noticing his brass-colored horns and the enormous gold hoard, the party connects the dots on Chinny’s true nature during dinner.

Papa Yian spots the name tag on Chinny’s dog Sandy, uses that knowledge to win the calling contest against Vision, and advances in the competition.

A perception check on the dog before the game started gave Papa Yian a decisive and absurd advantage in a contest of who could call the dog.

Scenes

Temple Rest and Divine Change

The party takes a long rest in a temple after leveling up, with Papa Yian deciding to change his deity to Lathander. They settle in for the night, planning to wait until dawn before continuing their journey.

Papa Yian announces his decision to change his deity from Naki-Uthai to Lathander, the god of dawn and birth, fitting his Goliath background and recent experiences.
The party confirms they took a long rest and leveled up after a previous encounter.
They discuss carrying a heavy stone tablet, noting Papa Yian’s Goliath strength.
The party decides to rest in the temple until daylight, avoiding travel through the jungle at night.
Papa Yian spends his time fervently praying to Lathander for a peaceful night and the coming dawn.
Urillan cleans his weapons and plays dragon chess.
Cornelius plays his flute while keeping watch at the entrance of the temple.
One party member mentions having a T-Rex jaw trophy from a previous encounter, which they cleaned with acid.

Mysterious Visitor at the Temple

A mysterious, well-dressed humanoid named Chinny approaches the temple during the night watch. After a tense introduction, he proposes a game to the party, hinting at great rewards through a portal.

Cornelius, on watch, spots a humanoid figure approaching the temple on a high perception roll.
The figure, Chinny, is described as a mid-20s man with dirty blonde hair, a beard, bright blue eyes, a pristine black suit, and two curly yellowish horns.
Chinny walks up the stairs, observing the broken vines and the open door, then enters the temple.
Urillan casts Light on Papa Yian’s warhammer to illuminate the newcomer.
Chinny introduces himself and questions the party’s presence in the undead-infested jungle at night.
Papa Yian, Urillan, and Cornelius introduce themselves to Chinny.
Papa Yian rolls a 21 on Insight, discerning that Chinny means no harm.
Chinny, using a staff with a bright green emerald, opens a portal revealing a mound of gold, inviting the party to follow him for a game.
Cornelius casts Augury as a ritual to determine if following Chinny would be a good course of action, receiving an ambiguous ‘weal and woe’ result.
The party agrees to follow Chinny through the portal, tempted by the promise of gold and a faster journey to deliver the tablet.

Chinny’s Lair and the Rival Group

The party enters Chinny’s opulent lair, filled with artifacts and a vast library, where they are introduced to another adventuring group who have already played Chinny’s game.

The party steps through Chinny’s portal into a beautiful lair decorated with artifacts, beautiful paintings, and featuring molten lava and gold.
Chinny reveals his true wealth is knowledge and shows them his extensive library of old and dusty books collected from around the world.
Chinny introduces the party to another adventuring group: Vision (a blue Tiefling with red eyes), Lily (a woman dressed in black), Jekt (a very fat, cross-eyed Tabaxi), and Ravel (a plain human rogue-type).
Vision explains that they have played Chinny’s game before and that a previous adventuring group died in lava, but players can leave at any time.
The group discusses the game’s structure, including increasing stakes and individual competition.
The party speculates that Chinny may be a dragon, noting his yellowish/brass-colored horns and the large mound of gold.

Introduction to Chinny’s Game and Door Selection

Chinny explains the rules of his game and presents three challenge doors, with the adventurers choosing which challenge they will attempt.

Chinny explains that two people will be eliminated per round, but not necessarily killed.
Chinny describes the three challenge doors: Feat of Strength, a lore-based Puzzle, and a Challenge between Players.
Vision and Jekt choose the Feat of Strength door.
Papa Yian chooses the Challenge between Players door.
Cornelius chooses the Puzzle door, which is confirmed to be lore-based.
Urillan chooses the Strength door, joining Vision and Jekt.

The Strength Challenge: Ladder Climb

Urillan, Vision, and Jekt enter a room with ladders missing rungs, where they must use metal rods to climb as high as possible, with Jekt being eliminated after failing his attempt.

Chinny leads the participants into a room with ladders leaning against walls, missing rungs, extending 20 feet high.
Each participant is given four metal rods to create temporary rungs by holding them together with tension.
Chinny explains that the person who climbs highest and holds for 10 seconds wins the round.
Jekt attempts the challenge, reaching 17 rungs before falling and being eliminated through a portal.
Urillan gives himself guidance and aims for 18 rungs, successfully climbing and holding his position.
Vision hesitates to go next, prompting Chinny to give a 10-minute ultimatum, after which Vision declines and is eliminated.

The Puzzle Challenge: Throw the Stone

Cornelius and Lily engage in an illusionary battle of wits called ‘Throw the Stone,’ transforming into various elements and concepts to outmaneuver each other, resulting in Lily’s elimination.

Chinny explains ‘Throw the Stone,’ where participants must transform into something that can figuratively destroy their opponent’s previous form, with the first to hesitate losing.
Lily transforms into a snake, ever biting and poisoning.
Cornelius transforms into a gelatinous cube, ever absorbing.
Lily transforms into a river, consuming and swallowing the cube.
Cornelius transforms into a rock, uncaring and unmoving.
Lily transforms into ice, freezing and cracking the rock.
Cornelius transforms into heat, melting and burning the ice.
Lily transforms into snow, falling and freezing.
Cornelius transforms into fire.
Chinny declares Lily eliminated, stating her snow form was ineffective against Cornelius’s fire/heat.

The Wolf and Sheep Game: Player vs. Player Challenge

Chinny explains the rules of the Wolf and Sheep game: one player is the wolf, the other is a sheep. The sheep wins if the wolf is voted out.
Papa Yian and Ravel each receive a secret card identifying their role.
After brief discussion, a vote is cast and the wolf is identified and eliminated.
Papa Yian advances from this challenge.

The Tarot Card Redemption Challenge

The eliminated players participate in a redemption challenge involving three tarot cards placed on a center platform surrounded by concentric rings, where grabbing a card secures a spot in the next round.

Chinny presents three tarot cards (Magician, High Priestess, Fool) placed on a center platform surrounded by concentric glowing rings about 10 feet apart.
Chinny warns that anything touching the concentric rings will make them disappear after one second, and the platform below is a long drop into a spike pit.
Cornelius attempts to use Wild Shape to transform into various animals to navigate the rings, considering an owl, rabbit, and snake before settling on a kangaroo.
Cornelius successfully transforms into a kangaroo and long jumps directly onto the center platform.
Upon reaching the platform, Cornelius finds only two cards remaining, as Jekt used a fishing hook to snatch two cards for himself.
Cornelius secures the ‘Fool’ card, earning a spot in the next round.
Jekt gives one of his extra cards to Vision.

Post-Challenge Discussion and Alliance Offer

After the first round of challenges, the party enjoys a lavish dinner in Chinny’s lair while discussing the prize and a potential alliance offer from Vision.

Chinny reveals the grand prize for the overall winner is 100,000 gold pieces, which no one has ever won.
The party enjoys a luxurious dinner with various foods and drinks, served by unseen servants.
Vision approaches a party member and offers an alliance: 3,000 gold upfront in exchange for cooperation and betrayal of their current party.
The party member brings the offer back to the group, and they discuss it privately.
The party agrees to accept the offer as an insurance policy — if they lose, they still get 3,000 gold; if they win, they get more.
The group retires to the provided bedrooms, separated by curtains, for a night’s rest.

Morning Prayer and the Paired Game Challenge

The party wakes up and Chinny announces a new challenge where players must pair up and choose a game to play against their partner.

Papa Yian says a prayer to Lathander, welcoming the dawn and asking for blessing, rolling an 18 on Religion.
Chinny announces that everyone must find a partner for the next challenge, forming three groups of two.
Papa Yian pairs with Vision, while other party members pair with Jekt.
Chinny brings a long-haired, yellowish dog named Sandy to mediate a game between Papa Yian and Vision.
Papa Yian uses a perception check to learn the dog’s name from its tag, gaining an advantage.
Papa Yian and Veshon engage in a contest of intelligence to call the dog, with Papa Yian successfully calling Sandy and winning the round.
Cornelius and his partner play dragon chess, with Cornelius losing his game.
No one is eliminated in this round; instead, the three winners advance.

The Wolf and Sheep Game: Three-Way Round

The three winners from the previous round participate in another Wolf and Sheep game, leading to a tense and confusing discussion before a vote is cast.

Chinny gathers the three winners for another Wolf and Sheep game.
The rules state that if the wolf is eliminated, both sheep win; if a sheep is eliminated, both sheep lose and the wolf wins.
The players engage in a confusing discussion, with conflicting claims about who is the wolf.
One player declares themselves the wolf, causing confusion among the others.
A vote is cast, and the wolf is successfully identified and eliminated, with the two sheep winning the round.
The winner of this round is told they will have a significant advantage in the next round.

The Carrot in the Box Game

Two remaining competitors face off in a game of chance and perception involving two boxes, one of which contains a carrot, with the winner advancing.

Chinny presents a game where one of two boxes contains a carrot, and the winner is whoever ends up with it.
Players are instructed to look inside their box, then decide whether to trade with their opponent.
One player claims to have the carrot and refuses to trade.
The player who kept their box is revealed to have the carrot, winning the round and advancing.

The Gold Distribution Challenge

Players are chained to a wall, and the winner of the previous round distributes gold from a large stack, with each subsequent player taking money and unlocking another, leading to strategic decisions.

Chinny chains up all players except the winner of the previous round.
A stack of 10,000 gold pieces is revealed, and the unchained player is allowed to take as much as they like, then unlock another player.
The first player takes 1,000 gold and unlocks a party member.
Subsequent players take varying amounts: one takes 3,000, another takes 2,000, and another takes 3,000, each unlocking the next person.
Vision expresses dismay that only 500 gold was left for him, implying the party took more than their share.
An insight check reveals Vision may be lying about how much was left.
The party discusses splitting their gold evenly to protect against elimination in the next round, settling on equal amounts.

The Lava Tightrope Challenge

Contestants face a perilous tightrope walk across a room filled with molten lava, carrying rocks that represent their gold, with the risk of falling to their death or losing their winnings.

Chinny presents the next challenge: crossing a tightrope over a room of lava, with each rock carried representing 100 gold pieces.
Falling into the lava results in death and loss of all money.
The party discusses the risks and rewards, considering whether to attempt the crossing or withdraw.
Papa Yian successfully crosses the tightrope carrying all 45 of his rocks, losing only 5 rocks (500 gold) in the process.
Cornelius transforms into a monkey to leverage better dexterity and attempts to carry his rocks across, successfully making it to the other side after a close call, dropping some rocks.
Urillan, carrying no rocks, uses an immovable rod to catch himself after nearly falling, then successfully crosses.
Vision attempts to cross with his rocks but slips, and the rocks pull him into the lava, killing him.
Jekt, the Tabaxi, easily hops across with his small number of rocks.

Voting for Finalists

The remaining contestants participate in a voting round to determine who advances to the final challenge, with Jekt attempting to bribe the player characters for votes.

Chinny explains the voting round: two finalists will be chosen through two rounds of voting.
Jekt offers 10,000 gold pieces to the player characters in exchange for their votes to help him advance.
The party discusses their voting strategy, weighing Jekt’s bribe against their collective goal.
Papa Yian votes for himself in the first round.
The party coordinates votes to ensure two of their own members advance to the next stage.
Two player characters successfully advance to the final round through the voting process.

Final Challenge Deliberation and the Card Game

The two remaining party members deliberate on whether to attempt the final dangerous challenge, ultimately deciding to withdraw, leading to a card game of chance with Jekt for the 100,000 gold prize.

Chinny reveals the final challenge room contains a table with six cards, warning that it will be dangerous and there is no backing out once started.
The party discusses the danger, speculating on Chinny’s true nature as a brass dragon and the risk to their lives.
One party member decides to withdraw from the final challenge, unwilling to risk their character’s life.
Chinny offers Jekt the opportunity to compete against the remaining party member.
Chinny explains the rules: one card is ‘safe’ (wins 100,000 gold), the others lead to death. Players can either draw a card or make one card safe.
The remaining party member makes one card safe, then Jekt makes another card safe, improving the odds.
Jekt draws a card, which turns out to be a safe card, winning the 100,000 gold prize.
Chinny offers the party member a chance to pick a card for an additional prize, but they decline.
The group discusses the Monty Hall paradox in relation to the card game.
Chinny transports the party back to their original location with their accumulated winnings of approximately 13,500 gold total, split evenly among the party.

NPCs

Chinny

A mysterious, well-dressed individual in his mid-20s with dirty blonde hair, a beard, bright blue eyes, and two curly yellowish (brass-colored) horns. He wears a pristine black suit and carries a staff with a bright green emerald. He is charming and enigmatic, hosting a series of dangerous games for adventurers and offering vast sums of gold as prizes. He values knowledge as true wealth and possesses the ability to open portals. The party speculates he may be a brass dragon based on his horn color and the large hoard of gold in his lair.

Vision

A blue-skinned Tiefling with red eyes and a mischievous grin, part of the rival adventuring group. He is a veteran of Chinny’s games, having previously won 10,000 gold pieces. He explains the game’s rules and dangers to the party, and later attempts to form an alliance with a party member, offering 3,000 gold for cooperation. He is eliminated when he falls into the lava during the tightrope challenge.

Jekt

A very fat, cross-eyed Tabaxi with a pudgy face, big red round nose, and thin whiskers, part of the rival adventuring group. He is eliminated in the Strength challenge after failing to hold his position on the ladder. He later returns in the redemption round, using a fishing hook to snatch two tarot cards. He attempts to bribe the party with gold for votes and ultimately wins the 100,000 gold grand prize in the final card game.

Lily

A woman dressed all in black, appearing to be a warrior or fighter, part of the rival adventuring group. She competes against Cornelius in the ‘Throw the Stone’ illusion battle and is eliminated when her snow form is deemed ineffective against Cornelius’s fire/heat.

Ravel

A plain human rogue-type character, mostly dressed in browns with no distinguishing features, part of the rival adventuring group. He competes in the Player vs. Player challenge door against Papa Yian.

Sandy

A long-haired, yellowish dog brought in by Chinny to be the subject of a game between Papa Yian and Vision, where players must call the dog by name. Papa Yian spots the name tag and wins the contest.

Unseen Servants

Magical entities that serve Chinny, providing food and amenities to the contestants in his lair, walking around and attending to the guests.

Locations

Temple

A structure in the jungle where the party takes a long rest. It is dark at night, and its entrance shows signs of recent disturbance (broken vines). A basin near the entrance can be activated with blood to open the door. It serves as a temporary sanctuary for the party.

Chinny’s Lair

A lavish, decorated cave system serving as Chinny’s home and the venue for his dangerous games. It features molten lava, a vast collection of artifacts, beautiful paintings, an extensive library, a dining area with exotic foods served by unseen servants, private bedrooms separated by curtains, and various challenge rooms including a strength room with ladders, a large room for illusion battles, a room with concentric rings over a spike pit, a room of lava with a tightrope, and a final room with a table for a card game.

Strength Challenge Room

A room within Chinny’s lair containing multiple ladders leaning against walls, with many rungs missing, designed for a physical climbing challenge extending 20 feet high.

Puzzle Challenge Room

A very large room within Chinny’s lair where the ‘Throw the Stone’ game is played, allowing for expansive illusionary transformations.

Concentric Rings Room

A room within Chinny’s lair featuring three concentric glowing rings floating above the ground, with a center platform holding tarot cards. Stepping on the rings causes them to disappear, and below is a long drop into a spike pit trap.

Lava Room

A dangerous chamber within Chinny’s lair featuring a tightrope stretched across a pool of molten lava, serving as a treacherous arena where contestants must carry gold-filled rocks to keep their winnings.

Items

Tablet

A heavy stone slab, estimated at around 600 pounds, that the party is carrying for John Harrison. Its weight is a significant burden, and the party hopes Chinny can help them transport it faster.

T-Rex Jaw

A trophy from a previous encounter that one of the party members has cleaned with acid and is considering what to do with, such as mounting it.

Staff with Bright Green Emerald

A staff carried by Chinny, featuring a smooth, round, bright green emerald. Chinny uses this staff to open portals and to help himself climb stairs.

Metal Rods

Four small metal rods, about an inch thick, given to participants in the Strength challenge. They are held together with tension to create temporary rungs on a ladder with missing steps.

Tarot Cards

Three tarot cards — the Magician, the High Priestess, and the Fool — used in the redemption challenge. Participants had to navigate concentric rings to reach the center platform and pick one to secure a spot in the next round. Cornelius secured the Fool card.

Fishing Hook

Used by Jekt to snatch two tarot cards during the redemption challenge from a distance, demonstrating his cunning and opportunistic nature.

Cards (Wolf and Sheep)

Cards used in a game where players are secretly assigned roles of ‘wolf’ or ‘sheep.’ The objective is for the sheep to identify and eliminate the wolf through voting.

Box with a Carrot

Two small boxes used in a game of chance and perception. One of the boxes contains a carrot, and players must decide whether to keep their initial box or trade with their opponent after inspecting its contents.

Gold-filled Rocks

Weirdly shaped rocks that contain gold, with each rock representing 100 gold pieces. Contestants must carry these across a tightrope over lava to keep their winnings. Dropping a rock means losing the gold it represents.

Immovable Rod

A magical rod that can be fixed in place in mid-air. Used by a party member to prevent themselves from falling into the lava during the tightrope challenge, allowing them to stabilize and continue crossing.

Six Cards (Final Challenge)

Six numbered cards used in the final game of chance. One card is ‘safe’ and represents the 100,000 gold prize, while the others lead to death. Players can choose to draw a card or make one card safe to improve the odds for subsequent turns.

Spells

Light

Cast by Urillan on Papa Yian’s warhammer, providing illumination similar to a torch lasting for an hour. This was used to better see the mysterious newcomer Chinny approaching the temple at night.

Augury

A divination ritual cast by Cornelius to inquire about the potential outcomes of following Chinny through his portal. The result was an ambiguous ‘weal and woe,’ indicating both good and bad could come of it.

Guidance

A cantrip used multiple times throughout the session to enhance ability checks. It was used by party members to aid in the ladder climbing challenge, the tightrope crossing, and other skill-based challenges, providing a small bonus die to rolls.

Wild Shape

A druid ability used by Cornelius to transform into a kangaroo during the concentric rings redemption challenge, allowing him to perform a powerful long jump directly onto the center platform to grab a tarot card. He also considered transforming into a monkey during the tightrope challenge to leverage better dexterity for carrying rocks.

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session-2026-03-04