Growing Bonds and Teasing Threads
Growing Bonds and Teasing Threads
is the sixth episode of Chapter 1 of Campaign 3.Starring:
- Marisha Ray as Laudna note
- Taliesin Jaffe as Ashton Greymoore note
- Ashley Johnson as Fearne Calowaynote
- Sam Riegel as Fresh Cut Grass (F.C.G.) note
- Liam O'Brien as Orymnote
- Laura Bailey as Imogen Temultnote
- And Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master
Guest Starring:
- Robbie Daymond as Dorian Stormnote
At the Spire by Fire inn, our heroes are resting from their recent ordeals. Ashton proposes a game of "What the fuck is up with that?", where the group asks each other personal questions. Among other things discussed:
- Laudna asks Dorian if he is wealthy. He replies that he is second in line to a prominent family that he loves, but he has set out on his own to fulfill his personal ambitions.
- Fearne asks Ashton if they have ever fallen in love. After giving it some thought, he responds that the last time he felt that way was about ten years ago.
- Fresh Cut Grass asks Fearne if she has any regrets, but she refuses to answer.
- Laudna asks Imogen about her father. Imogen recounts that when her telepathic powers first awakened, her loving father tried to help her cope by distancing himself from her and the townsfolk. She left home, hoping to make life easier for him.
- Ashton asks Orym what he and his group are doing in Jrusar. He relucantly reveals that he is looking for leads on an attack that was made against his homeland.
- Orym asks F.C.G. about their origins, but as the little automaton tries to answer, they seize up, unable to complete their sentence. After a long pause, they simply state that Dancer created them two years ago.
- F.C.G. asks Laudna is she's dead. She explains that thirty years ago, she was a poor farmer. When her innate magic powers became apparent, her parents thought that she might have a better life with the Briarwoods, Whitestone's stewards at the time. Because of them, she was hit by a wave of necromantic energy and collapsed. She woke up in a state between life and death, surrounded by corpses and with the city in chaos. She fled Whitestone and spent the next three decades as a nomad, never growing older. She also mentions that she occasionally hears the voice of one of the Briarwoods in her head.
During the night, Laudna is contacted by her apparent patron, a female voice she refers to as "D". The voice rebukes Laudna for being so forthright with her friends and threatens to take her powers away if she continues to be reckless with information. Laudna simply brushes her off.
The following morning, the group pays a visit to the Hubbatt Corsairs, informing them of Duggar's end, as well as Lord Eshteross's offer of cooperation. Although wary of the wealthy lord, the Corsairs agree to consider the proposal. During the course of the day, Orym opens up a bit more to the group: several years ago, there was a mysterious, sudden attack on his homeland of Zephrah. The assailants seemingly came out of nowhere, and melted into nothingness when killed. Recently, news reached Zephrah of a similar attack in Jrusar, witnessed by an individual called Oshad Breshio, also known as "The Anger". Orym wishes to speak with Breshio, hoping to shed some light on these incidents.
The group come to learn that Breshio was a talented sellsword, renowned for breaking up public brawls, who became a bodyguard for the Lumas twins, Jrusarian nobles interested in geology. The twins perished in the attack, with Breshio himself getting grievously injured and currently recovering. With no other leads at the moment, the group asks Lord Eshteross for further work and is directed to the Dreamscape Theatre, where a number of patrons have been disappearing recently.
Initial investigation into the theatre and its staff yields no useful information, and our heroes decide to watch a performance. Dorian is notified that someone wishes to see him, and to his surprise is confronted by his older brother, Cyrus Wyvernwind. Cyrus insists that they talk after the show, and a shaken Dorian returns to his seat, lost in thought...
Tropes in this episode:
- Comically Small Bribe: Inverted with Dorian's ludicrously large bribe of 10 platinum to take over a reservation at the Dreamscape Theater.
- Do Androids Dream?: Discussed by name when Dorian asks F.C.G. if they do dream. F.C.G. replies that they never have before, but they'll try. After they try, Ashton mentions that he saw F.C.G. twitching while they were shut down, suggesting there's at least something going on there.
- Every Man Has His Price: Dorian bribes a theater worker with 10 platinum to let the party have a private box that had been reserved by someone else.
- Hearing Voices: It is revealed that the voice in her head that Laudna has been alluding to (and her patron) is none other than Delilah Briarwood from the first campaign.
- Running Gag: On three separate occasions, someone in the party asks an NPC (first Yash, then Estheross, then Zhudanna) to say the first word that comes to mind when they think of the party to help come up with a name.
- Waxing Lyrical: After Dorian beats Anni in the bard competition, the party begins reciting the lyrics to "Smooth Criminal".Imogen: Anni, are you okay?FCG: Are you okay, Anni?Fearne: Could you tell us?Imogen: Are you okay, Anni?
