Episode 143 - Attempting to Move Forward

After receiving such a shock to our collective systems, we had no choice but to attempt to find our next move. Sure, working with devils is probably bad, but this Bahamut crew also seems not so great. Maybe in this situation we are following “the enemy and my enemy is friend” but with the added spice of “It is the end of the world, so eff it” thrown in for good measure. All of these decisions are so stressful and, if we can be honest for a moment, they suck to make. Hopefully Erathis is in a good mood and wants to offer some comforting advice.

## **Story**

### Long Story

Aludra and Thom have bombs back in their heads, oh no!!! Adira explains that she had them put in to ensure that they do her bidding. She shows that she has a remote that will make their brains explode, and even without it, it will still happen in 30 days. She offers them 12 devil soldiers to infiltrate the Army of Bahamut's camp. They go off alone to deliberate. Jaela communes with Erathis, and explains the situation. Erathis says that she isn't concerned about the moral grey area of working with devils, as long as the world is saved, and they probably do need an army to accomplish that. They hang up and Jaela asks Aludra if she has any family that could help them. Aludra reluctantly admits that they may not be on the best of terms, as, before she ran away from home, she had a light case of being engaged. Besides which, the dwarves are too far away, and they don't have time to get them.

First thing in the morning, Harper wakes up and finds in his pack the remote that will explode the detonators and a note that reads *"You can make your own choice."* At breakfast, the others notice that he is distracted. Adira introduces them to the 12 devils that will be under their command, and Harper names them all after members of his family, and one is Adira 2. Aludra questions him about his mental state. He's not well, because there's no therapy in Drunkeros. Also, it seems that the devils can't speak Common. Harper seems to be of the belief that the devils aren't all that bad. Harper offers one of the devils, Phase 2, can be Aludra's mother, Alanys. The Army of Bahamut is about a day away. Aludra, Jaela, and Harper go get drinks from Steph, while Thom goes off with the newly named Alanys into the woods outside. After Jaela tells Aludra that they could probably take these demons out if it comes to it, Thom walks back in with the head of Alanys, and throws it at Harper. He says, *"Now, we're even."* Apparently, this was revenge for Harper killing the Slaadpole. After they are all cool, Harper speaks again with his sister, Adira. She tells them that it would be suicide to attack the Army of Bahamut head on, they should sneak in and take out Gruemar the Silver.

They head out. Aludra thinks they should approach by making the Army think they are going to join up with them. They can infiltrate, and then have the devils attack in a couple hours, or a day or whatever. Meanwhile, they can try to get closer to Gruemar, each in their own way. They come up with code names, and after a day's journey, they approach New Newfoundland Land.

### Short

After having just learned that Thom and Aludra have bombs back their head, Adira tells them she did it so that they would do what she wants. She secretly gives Harper the remote to blow them up. Adira gives them 12 devils to join them on their mission to fight the Army of Bahamut, and Jaela, wondering if Erathis would be upset with them working with the devils, speaks with her. The god isn't concerned with the devils, she just wants the apocalypse to be over. Harper names the devils after members of his dead family members, except one, which he gives to Aludra, to name after her mother. Thom kills this one, in retaliation for Harper killing Thom's Slaadpole child. They make a plan to sneak into the Army of Bahamut and have the devils attack after a time, once they have taken their place in the Army.

## **Trivia**

* This episode was recorded on, almost, the three year anniversary of the show!
* Harper names all the devils after members of his family that have died:
	+ Phase
	+ Jarlton
	+ Anthony
	+ Samantha
	+ ~~Phase 2~~ Alanys
	+ Jarlton 2
	+ Samantha 2
	+ Adira 2
	+ That's only 8
* Harper considers the time he was stabbed by Ros and his entire family was murdered by Fennekin to be the worst thing that has happened to him. This makes sense.
* Thom's Slaad baby would have been names Eugene
* Harper wants everyone to have codenames, and he suggests his own to be Tum Darkblade, which is fucked up. Thom wants to be Jaeludra. Jaela wants to be Junpei, and Aludra will be Temerity.

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Lord Titus Harper
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Mike Bachmann - Thom Vidalis / Steve Meloncamp
* Nika Howard - Jaela

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Adira
* Bucky
* Ros
* Steph

### **Inventory Updates**

* +12 devils to the party
* -1 devil to the party
* +1 devil to the party

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - End the Demon Apocalypse / Kill Fennekin
	+ [On-hold] - Destroy the Demon Portal device with the Hammer of Sundering
	+ [Active] - Destroy the Army of Bahamut
		- [Active] - Kill Gruemar the Silver
			* ~~[Complete] - Get to New Newfoundland Land~~
			* [NEW][Active] - Infiltrate the Army of Bahamut
* [Optional] - Clean up Drunkeros
	+ [Optional] - Investigate the Mind Flayers in the Swamps of Ichtaka
	+ ~~[Abandoned] - Recruit the assistance of the Dwarves in Deephome~~
	+ [Optional] - Recruit the assistance of the Elves in Galanthis
* [Backburner] - Find a way to get Steve Meloncamp out of Thom's head

### **Quotes**

**"We may worship Satan here, but we don't use gendered insults..."** ~ *Adira Harper*

**"You know what they say, once the kettle goes black, it never goes back."** ~ *Thom the Dragonborn, comedic genius*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - 4
	+ Tim - 8 - 9
	+ Nika - 8 - 10
	+ Bachmann - 4

* **Harper** attempts to *Intimidate* Adira - 9
	+ Fail

* **Jaela** rolls *Religion* to attempt to commune with Erathis (with advantage) - 19
	+ Success

* **Jaela** rolls *Perception* to see if the devils going with them are stronger or weaker than them - 19
	+ She can tell that one by itself would be easy for the group, but it'd be tougher, but not impossible, to take down all of them