Description
Chasing their one lead, The Dragon Friends find themselves in the Flotian Estates. Tensions flare as they realise just how much, and perhaps how little between them has changed.
Synopsis
The Friends have entered the Red House, finding the interior to resemble an abandoned triange station, with unoccupied beds with dirty sheets placed at regular intervals throughout the rooms. Searching through one of the beds, Bobby finds a stoppered vial; opening it reveals a heavy smoke which engulfs Bobby and then reveals a brief scene of a man being thrown from a horse, but that also heals the loss of life force inflicted by the vampire spawn bite. Lionshield and the others head down to the stables and find them empty, but find wheel marks indicating that a heavily loaded carriage recently left. Philge summons Flappy and asks him to follow the tracks, causing a small friction between Flappy and Bushu-D2 who Philge previously traded for from Lionshield; Philge asks Bushu-D2 to toast some marshmallows in order to prove he's still useful.
Lionshield suggests travelling to Flotion, and Lothario states that he will help reform the revolution in Daggerford if the Friends take him to Flotion and help him uncover what has happened to the residents the Red House. The Friends head for the Flotion Estates; as they arrive, they notice Rutherglen House - previously abandoned by Lionshield - is showing signs of life, and a covered wagon parked by the door. Lionshield knocks on the door, and it is opened by Percy Laumington, a smartly dressed gnome. He apologises for being in Lionshield's house and explains that they are being paid a bursary by the Duke to look after the house. Lionshields ask about the wagon, and they explain that they help unload a wagon of crates every month which they believe to contain building supplies, but they are forbidden to open the crates.
Philge claims to be from the "Crate Loaders Union" and asks to see the crates from the most recent shipment; Percy isn't fooled, but invites Lionshield in anyway since it's his former home. However, due to a confusion with an OOC note being passed between the players, Lionshield asks Philge "We kill?", and Philge throws Percy to the ground and holds him down with her boot, causing Ludwig to pass out and Daffodil to scream for mercy. Philge demands to know everything about the crate delivery. Percy immediately offers to tell her, and he explains that after their stills were destroyed, leaving them destitute, they made a deal with Pamplemousse LeCroix that they would unload the crates and take them to the ruins of the stills, but they don't know what is in the crates or what is done with them now. Lionshield asks who brings the crates, and Percy claims that "it's a different guy every time, but they look pallid and milky". Lionshield asks Philge to push down harder on Percy and she does, accidentally killing him.
Daffodil screams at seeing her husband murdered and attempts to flee upstairs, tripping on the bottom stair. Bobby Pancakes abruptly grabs her, slits her throat, and then runs the unconscious Ludwig through. Even the other Friends react with shock to this and a furious argument erupts between Bobby and Philge.
Lionshield takes an magical iron ring from Percy's body, and feels that something in himself has changed, but can't tell what it is; Bobby also finds that Daffodil was carrying a large iron key. Lionshield tosses the Laumingtons' bodies into his Bag of Holding as Lothario almost bursts into song and is punched in the balls by Bobby Pancakes, which goes a long way to reconciling him with Philge. Philge commands Bushu-D2 to "clean up the scene", which it achieves by burning down Rutherglen House, destroying 500 years of Banknote's history.
Travelling to the ruins of the stills, they find a single one still standing, with a trapdoor leading into it. Bobby picks the lock on the trapdoor, and Banknote leads the Friends in, revealing a huge and bizarre machine humming with arcane energy and pock-marked with heavy rubber seals where tubes should be inserted; and below it, a block of granite covered in ice. Lionshield recognizes it as a device for focussing energy into the granite block. Beside the device, Lionshield finds a note to Pamplemousse LeCroix, signed by Percy, accepting his task as caretaker of Rutherglen House, and agreeing to "as your agents come through, charge the werestore, and ring the bell to summon the visitors when it has charged".
Cast
Dragon Friends
- Philge
- Bobby Pancakes
- Baston
- Lionshield Banknote
- Flappy, Philge's familiar and sardonic hype.. hawk
Guest NPCs
- Elf Shoeling, Lothario's mercenary and friend
NPCs
- Lothario
- Percy, Daffodil, and Ludwig Laumington
Bestiary
Places
Themes, Tropes and Running Jokes
- .
Trivia
Quotes
- "Just with a bit of dirt and.." "Urine?" "I'm what?"
- "Listen. We the.. union guys we said we were before."
- "We don't usually roll like this." "Let me be clear. I am cleaning up your mess. Actions. Have. Consequences." "You better pull your head in, Bobby Pancakes. We don't want you going rogue like a certain High Elf we used to know." "Oh, was that a burn?" "Yea, me say you like 60% Freezo right now, if you keep going.." "Oh? And where is Freezo? What did you do with him?" "I mean.. we wonder if we brought back the right guy.." "What are you talking about? I didn't have any choice in that. That was a decision you made."
Table Talk
- "This is some dark shit. This started as a fun show. I don't know what we're doing anymore. Tune in next week for more of the same. Also a block falls on Elf Shoenling and kills him. It's been Dragon Friends! Let's hear it for Scott who showed up for this episode and didn't get to say anything"