Favor, Episode 23: Monster Mash

## Starring

Sage Stafford as Aoife Flannery
Naseem Etemad as Fittonia 'Toni' Silvertail
Katie Budabin as Lluvyras 'Lu' Ssath
Celeste Conowitch as Dungeon Master

**Episode 23: Monster Mash** *(2x23)* is the 23rd episode of the Venture Maidens Favor campaign.

CW: Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Fantasy approximations of real world religions (Catholicism/Christianity)

## Synopsis

*We step into a nightmare land*

*To lend Penny a helping hand*

*Here, our survival is on trial*

*For monsters hide behind each smile*

#### **Penny's Story**

Having endeared themselves to the town of changelings by besting a mysterious fey creature and saving the soul of a local boy, Hayden, the Maidens gathered in Penny Dreadful’s old room and read from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As the words reverberate in the air, urged by the story of the little girl chasing the white rabbit down a dark hole, they find themselves sitting comfortably in a plush lounge somewhere, wearing pajamas and sitting crosslegged on a plush carpet. A fire crackles in the fireplace and paintings of fantastical scenes and weapons adorn the walls.

They look at one another, realizing that they are children before noticing that there are other children sitting around them. All of them sit before a raven haired woman with shining green eyes. She has a large book upon her lap, sitting before the fire in a rocking chair. She smiles at each of them, explaining that she has a special treat for them on this gloomy rainy night. With excitement she exclaims that she is going to read them a scary story!

Aoife pulls the thick quilted blanket on her lap up and around her head, grasping it below her chin and stares wide-eyed at the woman. Lu hushes the other children, scoffing at the thought of the story being real and demanding the other children calm down. Toni jumps from her seat, excitedly hoping that the story is full of monsters, spurring on the other children’s excitement.

When the murmuring dies down, the woman cracks the ancient spine of the book and turns the pages. The only sound in the room is the crackle of the fire, the turning of pages, and the bated breathes of children. The woman’s long noble fingers scrolls down the page until she taps the writing in revelation and begins to read.

*“Once upon a time, it was a dark and stormy night in a land long haunted by gloomy memories. But in the little town of Talemoor, memories were the least of the people’s troubles. Horrible monsters had begun to rampage across the countryside, killing the locals en masse and stealing their sacred treasures. For decades now, the townsfolk have lived in fear, helpless without the help of their champion, who was lost in a battle with the Shadow Lady long ago.*

*However, things are not as grim as they appear. For even though the champion has disappeared, there are newcomers to this dark land, willing to fight off the hideous monsters. That is, if they can master the monsters within themselves.”*

The pleasant light and warmth of the room and the excitement in the air quickly fades away as noise pours in around the Maidens. The damp and cold banish the happy dream from their minds and their attentions are drawn to the pounding of the creatures outside. They have barricaded the doors with everything they can, shoving everything they could find in the tiny shed to stop the creatures from getting inside. Still the hands of the undead punch through the front door and boards. They hear the gentle murmurings of the Sister, who sits on the floor behind them holding the body of the groundskeeper. The pain of the fresh wound in his shoulder causes him to fall into and out of consciousness.

#### Monster Mash

Three woman stand facing the door. Toni is a tall and strapping human with pale skin, dark eyes and hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her frame is draped in an olive green military uniform with a high collar ruffled under her chin. She grabs a metal rake from the wall and a chair to use as a shield before throwing herself against the door and urging her friends to find a way out. Though her head is filled with conflicting memories, Toni knows that she has dealt with similar scenarios before as she can feel the supernaturally strong undead trying to tear through.

Lu, though a similar build to her true drow form, now has lighter golden-toned skin and dark brown hair tied back to keep her cascade of curls out her her pale blue eyes. The rose tattoos that normally adorn her arms are replaced with the rose embroidered sleeves of a dark purple dress with slits cut into the sides, revealing the tall boots and pants underneath, though she still wears an apron. She is going about the room, using her knives to quickly carve suitable objects into stakes that she positions so that the undead will impales themselves should they break through the door. She asks the Sister how the groundskeeper is fairing and the Sister pleads for an escape to get him to the church since the undead cannot follow them within. She can work on his wounds with the supplies there.

Aoife pulls the heavy black bag from her shoulder and rips it open. She digs inside a moment before pulling out a roll of gauze and wrapping the man’s wounds. She takes a bottle of whiskey from off to the side and pours it onto the bandage to sterilize it, making the unconscious man convulse with pain. Aoife’s skin is dark though she still has rich auburn hair that curls and sticks to her face from the sweat and rain. She wears a bright green 18th century style dress with thick hips and a tight bodice hidden beneath a dirtied and stained nurse’s apron. She asks wear the escape is.

The Sister admits that she doesn’t think there are other doors and that they might have to go through the undead to get out. She pleads with the monster hunters to stop the undead from going off with the remains. A sudden realization comes over them all that Rook was with them when they read the book, but she was nowhere to be seen now. Lu, still working on reinforcing the barricade, asks to be reminded of the remains. The Sister reminds her of the remains of Saint Oslo and the Litany, and that clearly the undead were after it.

Aoife instructs Toni to make a hole for them to barrel through the undead. She tells the Sister to grab the groundskeepers other arm and asks Lu to hold off any undead that get by Toni. The foreboding woman steps back from the door, which quickly fails as a wave of zombies pours in, piling on top of one another to get to the living beings inside. Toni slams into them, sending bits of them flying off as she makes her way into the pelting rain outside. All around them, they can see the remains of a graveyard outside of the church. Holes pock the ground where the undead clawed their way out of their graves. A hundred feet is all that remains between the monster hunters and the safety of the church, which contains a sign labelled “The Pendragon Church” over the doors.

#### Graveyard Smash

Aoife and the Sister carry the groundskeeper behind the human maelstrom, who is busy trying to sever the heads of the horde pressing in on them. Errant swings lop off limbs that Lu quickly dismantle before they can crawl too close. Aoife saddles the groundskeeper onto the Sister, knowing instinctively her name to be Dorothea, and calls out a prayer as she casts Thunderwave, sending one of zombies crashing backwards before granting Lu some Bardic Inspiration.

Even through the storm and chaos surrounding them, Lu can hear a low measured voice reading Latin somewhere in the graveyard, though she cannot understand the words. Glancing about, she spots a black robed figure with a hood pulled over its head reading from a book thirty feet to the side of the church. An odd glowing light dances around his fingers as another zombie claws its way from the ground. Lu calls out to the group, pointing out the figure before turning her attention back to the horde of zombies. She spins her cleaver around, taking the head from one of the horde and driving the butt of her other knife into another jaw before it can bite her. Through the battle, they all keep moving towards the church.

Toni draws the greatsword from her back and brings it down on the nearest creature’s neck, severing the tendons and separating the decaying skulls from two zombies. The horde surges forth with Lu narrowly dodging one of the zombie’s slams and Aoife calls out, casting Silvery Barbs though it falls on long dead ears as the zombie continues headlong through Lu as if she were incorporeal, much to her surprise. Lu can feel something else inside of her crawl forward as she changes slightly, her lips now tinged in blue and the undead around her feel familiar. A third zombie takes Lu’s momentary shock to launch itself as her, pummeling her with its fists. Aoife deftly dodges two more of the undead, though a third lunges for Sister Dorothea. Toni, sensing the danger, spins at the last second and drives her sword through its ribs, saving the terrified woman from the creature’s gnashing teeth. She turns her attention back to the other undead, fending them off with her shield as she pushes the group closer to the church.

The Maidens can hear the amplified dolorous tones of the figure carry over the storm and they can see the zombies reacting to the magical commands. The Sister points towards the church and lets out a scream that something is happening. They turn to see the air above the church shimmering. Aoife looks over the horde of undead, throwing a string of vile curses at the figure and casts Vicious Mockery before granting Toni a Bardic Inspiration. The figure lowers the book slightly and turns towards Aoife, though the chanting does not stop. Lu haphazardly swings her cleaver, carving through another zombie’s neck as its hand clamps down on her neck. The body explodes from the force of Lu’s blow, but the hand remains around her throat, squeezing the air from her. She flips her other knife around and severs the creature’s fingers, causing it to release its grip and fall to the ground. Toni’s sights are focused on the figure near the church but she knows she cannot leave her friends to fend off the horde alone. The frustration builds in her causing her to vibrate as she takes off for the figure at lightning speed and fangs drop from her mouth. She can smell death on the figure, as though he is undead himself. She brings her sword to bare, slicing through the robed figure as it dances back from her. The hood falls back and she can see the pale waxy skin and white hair of a corpse though its eyes are filled with a red light.

Lu ducks under the arms of one zombie, but is met with the impact of another pummeling her ribs. Aoife dances out of reach of another, but the horde suges once more and another tears into her. The Sister says a prayer and falls backwards out of reach of yet another undead. Another grabs ahold of Aoife, quickly joined by another as they begin to drag her into the graveyard mud. The robed figure draws a blade and Toni can see that there is something clearly supernatural going on with it. It is a curved scimitar that has a glowing blue scrawl along its edge. It brings the blade through the air and Toni dodges out of the way, but it changes direction and brings the sword down across her chest before slamming its open palm over her heart, drawing the warmth from her body as ice fills her veins. Toni grits her teeth and shakes off the effects, though her flesh still rots and decays where he touched her.

Aoife, feeling the zombie teeth closing in around her throat as she is dragged into the mud, upcasts Thunderwave with a bright flash of light, sending them scattering away from her. Lu plunges her knife into an undead neck near the Sister, spinning around to fully decapitate the creature before stabbing another. Toni uses her shield to bring the robed figure closer and her other hand to wrench its head to the side as she plunges her fangs into its putrid rotted flesh. Her hunger drives her as she pulls ichor from its veins, driving her deeper into her monstrous nature, causing her claws to grow and tear through her gloves.

A zombie comes under Lu’s guard and rams into her side, breaking one of her ribs with the force though she manages to elbow another out of the way as they rush towards the consecrated ground of the church looming yards away. Standing in the doorway, she glances over to see Toni looking hurt and her eyes flash white and her body goes limp as she sends her spirit spirit to possess the robed figure to give her friend time to get into the church. The figure’s form tenses and looks at Toni with the same white eyes as the fighter hears Lu’s disembodied voice begging her to run away. Never one to waste an opportunity and spurred by the cruel nature of her internal monster Toni digs her claws into the bite marks on its neck and rips its head from its body. Lu feels the same pain ripping through her as her spirit is hurled back into her body and she collapses on the floor, feeling slightly betrayed by her friend. The figure’s book tumbles to the mud and Toni watches the zombies drop to the ground. She spots something glowing and realizes that the book has transformed into a single page that seems unharmed by the torrential rain.

#### Honeysuckle and Summertime

The Sister presses her warm hand to Lu, asking if she is alright. Lu blushes and says that she is good, asking if the Sister has any bites. The Sister looks outside to see the undead drop to the ground and drops to the floor in thankful prayer. The sweet smell of honeysuckle and summer momentarily overtakes the scent of rotting wood and stone as Aoife taps into her monstrous gift to calm the Sister, who looks at the bard in admiration. Anyone that pays attention might notice that the area around Aoife grows grey as she grows more vibrant. Lu pulls her gloves off to wring them out, noting that her fingertips have become slightly translucent from her use of power. Aoife sends the Sister to take care of the groundskeeper before turning to her friends and asking what is happening. Toni stands just on the outside of the door, unsure if she is even allowed to enter a church. Lu hits Toni across the shoulder for killing her before noticing the paper in her hand.

Toni lifts it to show that it has stopped glowing, and she tries to read it, though she discovers that she can’t. It isn’t that she doesn’t know the language, but her mind is actively refusing to comprehend the words she is trying to read. Aoife asks Toni why she is still standing in the rain and urges her to join them inside, but Toni reveals that she doesn’t really like churches and would prefer to stand outside. Lu looks out over the graveyard and admits that she does not even know where the start but a deep part of her mind recognizes the name of the Pendragon as somewhere she has been before, and that she had met someone by the name of Oslo, as well as someone by the name of Dorothea, though the memories are distant and faded.

The Sister returns with a carved gold-gilded box nestled in a purple silk cloth, so that she does not touch the box directly. She thanks them for everything they have done and has brought Saint Oslo’s remains and the Litany as promised. She doesn’t believe that there is much sense in her running the church anymore given everything that has happened, and entrusts these items to them for safe keeping. She also pulls a letter from her habit and hands it to them, asking them to deliver it to Bishop Hugo De La Mae, who they recall distantly had hired the monster hunters to take care of the undead in the region. She would appreciate if they wouldn’t read the private letter and Aoife nods, secreting it away inside her dress. The Sister wishes them a safe journey and bows to them with a prayer. This is where our story comes to and end, until next time! -Venture Away!

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

* Aoife Flannery
* Fittonia 'Toni' Silvertail
* Lluvyras 'Lu' Ssath

### Non-Player Characters

* Dorothea 'Dot'
* Father Hugo De'lamay (Mentioned)
* Penny Dreadful
* Oslo (Mentioned)
* Rook (Mentioned)

## Locations

* Penny's Dwelling
	+ St. Pendragon Church

## Inventory

The party gained the remains of Saint Oslo and the Litany

## Quotes

“Remind me of the remains again?” -Lu

“May the Lord have mercy on our souls.” - The Sister

“Uh, guys? I think I found our problem!” -Lu

“Not today!” -Aoife

“Any other of you motherfuckers wanna be shishka-zombied?” -Toni

“You are doing the Lord’s work. You’d best keep a level head if we are to make it through the rest of this.” -Aoife

“What the fuck is going on?” -Aoife

“You fucking killed me!” -Lu

## Trivia

In this episode, Toni gains the powers of a vampire, Lu gains the powers of a ghost, and Aoife gains the powers of a Fairy.