Nod Again

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==Blurb (Short Episode Description)==
A familiar face brings troubling news. The veil between what is real and what isn't risks being torn asunder! Join Nugh, Anne, and Armando as they "do anything" to prevent calamity. Nod Again is an actual play podcast of Roll For Shoes.
==Non Player Characters==
* Myzzrak Givadogabone : sold Edward of Nod the orb that let Edward control dreams, without telling him Kara Bassan was inside it.
* Mr. Business: a henchman of the Safiosi who is only working for them because they have threatened his wife and child. The other two henchmen were theoretically unconscious and haven't told the Safiosi how Mr. Business bowed under torture and told the Firebreathing Kittens about the magical artifacts the henchmen had been tasks with retrieving from Edward of Nod's house. If they weren't unconscious and did tell the Safiosi, Mr. Business's family could be in danger. 
* Clifford the Beagle: a cow sized beagle dog summoned by Sadie that sometimes attacks people. 
* Edward Of Nod: Asked for the kittens' help, knew he was under threat of kidnapping.
* Émile Safiosi: Was kidnapped as part of the plot to open a permanent portal between the real world and the Dreamland.
* Snek Gurl: a dream dweller who was out on a shopping trip to buy a gem when she got possessed by Anne. The next thing she knew they were in a castle battling shadow beings, so she noped outta there back to their dream land.
* Don Kissel: very late appearance, muttering about not wanting to get involved in this, when Emile was rescued.
* Kara Bassan: an entity formerly inside Edward of Nod's orb, who was arranging an escape from the dream world into reality. 
* Sadie Duca: forced out of her hiding hole inside her own body, Anne had a chance to ask Sadie why she was avoiding reality and why she didn't want to marry Hudson. Anne pointed out that it's okay to let yourself be loved by someone if they're nice and you like them, too. The spirits of Sadie, Hudson, Anne, and Chad all ended this adventure inside a dreamscape temporary body resembling Anne's original form, after Sadie's body was lost to somewhere that can be discovered in a future adventure after she went through a portal.
* Hudson Steinhauser: when asked by Anne why he likes Sadie, Hudson expressed how at this point having gotten to know her, he finds Sadie to be fascinating and he wants to talk to her about the crystals she's so passionate about, and go to exhibits on crystals together to see her joy. Anne told Sadie that Hudson seemed genuine and that Sadie didn't have to be afraid of being loved. The spirits of Sadie, Hudson, Anne, and Chad all ended this adventure inside a dreamscape temporary body resembling Anne's original form, after Sadie's body was lost to somewhere that can be discovered in a future adventure after she went through a portal.
==Plot Summary==
All of Niqamui has been under a pallor of poor sleep, frequent nightmares, and general somnia-related malais. Nugh, Anne, and Armando are staying up late one night in the Firebreathing Kittens guild hall because who can sleep anyway, and because what else is there to do, really? As Anne makes tea and Nugh practices some poetry with his little Meld toys, Edward of Nod, the wizard at the heart of a previous dream-centered problem arrives and asks Nugh for help with a problem. He explains very quickly that the being inside the orb, which he had previously used to manipulate the dreaming world, is trying to open a permanent portal, with the help of someone on the waking side. 
He rattles on for a while about coming to his safe house and begging for their help, and Nugh calmly puts his big hand over Edward's smaller one and says that of course they will help him. Edward's instructions are specific-- find Mizrac, who sold him the orb, and stop the entity from opening this permanent gate.
When the dream fades and they are all back in the guildhall, Armando says he had a very strange dream, and Nugh agrees, explaining that he considers Edward something of a friend, and Armando is his friend, so he hopes Armando will consider helping his friend. Anne is all in because she never really holds back when there's adventure to be had!
They set off to Edward's house in Niqamui. When they arrive, a carriage is peeling out with the Safiosi Waste Management logo on the side, but they are unable to catch up. Inside, they find the place is being tossed by some Safiosi henchmen. They fight the henchmen, with Anne summoning a giant dog-- a beagle-- to fight on her behalf. Armando uses his incredible swordplay, and Nugh throws a club to conk someone on the head and knock them out. They question the remaining henchman, who, it turns out, would rather escape this life of crime, but he's too far into it now. Nugh promises to try to help him and his family escape later, if he can. 
They get information from the henchman that there are three rings and the mirror acts as a portal, which they somewhat knew from Edward. They also get a note that Edward left:
Portal? The blood of the runaway taken by family. The blood of the jailer taken by the prisoner. The soul of a dreamer now awake. The soul of an awakened now in the dream.
They debate a bit and then put the rings on, deciding that Armando should have the ring for "body," as he is such an incredible swordsman. Anne should have the ring for "spirit," because although she is very intelligent, she carries four spirits within her-- her own, plus those of Sadie, Hudson, and now Chad. And by process of elimination, Nugh takes the ring for "mind." As they go through the portal, each ring bestows on them a special ability related to the ring's focus. For Armando, the ability is "Alacrity," Anne gets the ability to "Possess," and Nugh's ability is "Bardic Lore," that grab-bag of knowledge that bards have.
They go through the portal and into the Dreamland, where they see creatures and people of all types and stripes. Anne arrives in her body as it was after the carriage crash that killed her. Finding it quite lonely without Sadie, Hudson, and Chad (and lacking enough corporal cohesion to walk), she immediately jumps into the body of someone whole enough to walk-- a nearby being which turns out to be a large boa constrictor snake wearing a costume of young girl of about age 9 whose head flips open so the snake can come out and speak to others. She had been purchasing a gemstone from a street vendor nearby when Anne borrowed her body.
The rings pull the Kittens down the street and into a dark side street, where they find Mizrac's shop. They have a frustrating bargaining session with Mizrac, in which Anne attempts to possess the ancient dream-merchant multiple times and Mizrac tries to get her to trade something of value that she has in abundance (souls), but she isn't willing to make the deal. Nugh flusters him enough to let slip the name name of Cara Bossin, the entity from inside the orb. Armando tries to duel Mizrac, with mixed results-- with his sword, he pulls a vision from the creature's nose, but is forcibly thrown from the shop in the scuffle.
When Anne and Nugh are also ejected from the shop after Anne's second attempt to possess Mizrac, they all realize they must find Cara Bossin's palace. Nugh, realizing that travel in the dreamland is unique, takes out the chalk he usually keeps for writing on a slate, and draws a large door on the wall outside Mizrac's shop. Turning the door handle reveals the very room that Armando had seen in Mizrac's vision. In the room are a pair of empty slab tables, an open shimmering portal showing a pair of tables with Emile and Edward, strapped down, bleeding, with runes of blood surrounding them-- clearly some kind of terrible ritual taking place.
They go through the portal and all hell breaks loose. Sadie and Hudson are slumped in the corner, bound, and two shadow creatures begin dragging them towards the empty tables. Two others attack Nugh, trying to get him onto one of the tables. Armando hesitates, realizing that the shadows are very dedicated to capturing Nugh for this dark ritual. He turns to help Nugh, who says "go help your friend." Armando leaps through the portal with great speed and physical prowess to fight the greater shadow creature, Cara Bossin herself. 
Back in the Dreamland side, Anne leaps from the little girl into one of the shadow creatures, forming a nazgul-like body around herself. Nugh is dragged onto a table and secured there with mystical bonds, but just before he can be completely secured, he draws forth a bright ball of light that disperses the remaining shadow creatures. The note from Edward is made clear: Edward is the jailer, Emile is the runaway. Sadie or Hudson are the awakened, and Nugh is the dreamer, a being whose soul was born or created inside the Dreamland.
Armando and Cara fight while Anne helps Sadie and Hudson. Still secured to the table, Nugh throws the ball of light through the portal. It barely breaches the portal, but hits Cara in the face, shattering her into dreamstuff, perhaps to reform later. Edward and Emile are freed. Sadie and Hudson are freed. Anne, Hudson, and Sadie exchange some heartfelt words. Nugh spends a moment in the dreamland using his new--and possibly temporary-- dream-shaping power to create for Anne her body, whole and unmarred by the carriage. It includes two glittering diamond earrings that glow with the same dream-light he had used to dispel Cara.
Nugh and Anne return through the portal, at which time Sadie, Hudson, and Chad's spirits return to Anne's new body. Edward and Emile are grateful, and the friends are reunited.
Category:Episodes Category:Season 2024