014. Balderdash

The motley visit the Duchess Eloyse's court in Quebec City.

***"I've found my lying has started to cost me… No one believes me when I'm on the good guys' team."***

The motley, travelling instantly from The Spark to the Chateau Frontenac via Alnek's Wayfare arts, find themselves inside the massive, beautiful lobby. Made of marble with huge spiral staircases, the lobby showcases the "palatial life" of the Duchess Eloyse, a far cry from their workshop freehold. They each receive care packages containing tourist material as well as dross while they head up to their appointed rooms. They are greeted by a very pleasant Elevator Slug, who welcomes them to the freehold and tells them of another gift awaiting them: an appointment with the freehold's tailor, who will craft "winter clothing" for them.

An incredibly grand suite awaits the guests: a sitting room with 45-foot ceilings opens into three personalized rooms, each beautiful in their own way. While Sophia's contains recording equipment and musical instruments, Patches' is arranged neatly with architectural tools, and Braum's, made of ice, contains two gifts: a sheath inlaid with gold and silver, as well as two House Gwydion tunics, both worn but repaired (and one clearly meant for someone much smaller than Braum). After Braum warns the others to stay on their guard in the court, Sophia gently rebukes him, advising him that they should venture into their meeting with open minds.

The motley descend to the basement where they meet the Tailor, a tall sluagh with hollow eyes and a long ponytail. Explaining that he has dedicated himself entirely to his craft while taking their measurements with chimerical tools, he promises them winter outfits: for Sophia, winter is a "time for the brightest lights"; for Patches, it is a "time for reinforcement", and for Braum, winter is his essence. The Tailor tells Braum that he already has the troll's measurements from when he was last here "defending Sybil's Tenderness", and Braum immediately recalls standing back-to-back with a woman alongside the taste of fresh-baked bread.

The three decide to spend their evening in Quebec City together: while Braum leads them towards Sybil's Tenderness, Sophia shops for gifts for the other residents of The Spark and Patches bemoans their freehold. After seeing the Chateau Frontenac, she too wants to find a way to get a hold of "the best in the country".

Beneath a mortal bar by the name of "Sybil's", the motley find "Sybil's Tenderness", a Kithain bar hidden from mortal eyes. As they venture in, the clurichaun who owns the bar and balefire, Sybil, rushes over to Braum: "I owe you my life, Sir Braum." Enjoying some of her fresh-baked bread (and while Patches digs into some curry cheese chips, reliving her London youth), Sybil tells the motley of a time when that freehold had been under attack by mortals, and was defended by Braum and Kyoko. Braum immediately begins to glimpse flashes of his past at Sybil's Tenderness, obviously a place where he spent many hours with members of the Red Branch: discussing games with Kyoko, tactics with Sir Xaeron, planning a wedding with Kay, and telling stories to a large group. On their way out, Sybil digs a locket out of hiding and presents it to Patches: inside, a small computer chip that looks like it's meant for the lightning gun has been hidden away by Zistor Flexx!

The next morning, venturing down to the tailor's workshop (and meeting a very rude Elevator Bird along the way), the three are presented with winter clothes created by the master tailor himself. For Braum, a long military trenchcoat, a leather corset with apron for Patches, and a strikingly beautiful blue dress for Sophia, all of which are armoured in their own way. He asks the motley to promise to wear them "at least once", as they never know when they may be in need of protection.

The time finally arrives for the motley to be presented in court. Standing outside a massive set of double doors, they are told to await a fanfare. When it plays, they swing the doors open just in time to see Fala slitting the Duchess Eloyse's throat! A gang of Kithain usher the crowd back from the throne while a masked man with pointed ears notices the new arrivals and attempts to hide.

Braum roars and charges the masked man in order to draw off the mob while Patches and Sophia use their arts to ensnare Fala and the others. Patches starts shooting at Fala, now taking cover behind the throne, while Sophia's instant foliage trips up some of the charging assailants. Braum swings at the masked man, who commands him to "defend me": Braum is able to resist the dictum, but only just. Sophia conjures up a gust of wind to knock over Fala's cover, freeing up Patches to shoot her in the gut. The masked man, somehow familiar to Braum, disappears along with the minions, leaving only an injured Fala to answer for her crimes….