Favor, Episode 15: Duke It Out

## Starring

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

**Episode 15: Duke It Out** *(2x15)* is the fifteenth episode of the first arc of the the second Venture Maidens campaign.

## Synopsis

*Closer now to the faerie lair*

*For a fight that is hardly fair*

*But our heroes must succeed*

*to win the items they need*

### Playing Catch-Up

Seeing the blue-tinted gelatinous cube slowly crawling its way towards them, the gang decides to turn around and anti-Baywatch their way back to the previous chamber. Realizing that they only have two more options, and that the cube will probably catch up to them if they choose incorrectly, Aoife decides that they should head into the northern tunnel.

They see, at the end of the long circular hallway, another flat stone wall. Their hearts sink until they realize that there is an opening in the top of the tunnel near the end. It is covered in algae, but bits have been cleared away as handholds up the side of the wall. Lu shoves everyone out of the way, followed by Toni, but Aoife slips and falls back into the water.

A blue tendril lashes out from the creature, who has caught up, but it moves so slowly that Aoife is able to move to the side.

Seeing that Aoife is still below, Lu pulls some rope from her bag and ties a loop in it for Aoife’s hoof before handing it off to Toni. Toni drops it down, hitting Aoife on the side of the head. Aoife immediately grabs ahold of it and scrambles up the side of the wall. Bartleby rematerializes and they all stare down at the gelatinous cube, which is waving its tendril at them from below but cannot seem to climb.

They stand on a balcony, and just across from them is another heavy steel door. Carved in its surface is the pyramid of undulating jelly with two googly eyes. Lu downs her Potion of Acid Resistance in preparation for what is on the other side of the door.

### The Duke of Pudding

Bartleby reminds them that the Duke is a Courtier of the Slithering Court, and has been given powers by their Sovereign, so they should not underestimate him; going so far as to tell them that they should nottrust what they see, since the Slithering Court has a way of feeding on fear.

Lu checks the door for traps, but her cursory search reveals none and it appears to be unlocked. She peaks inside to see a large domed room, much larger than the rooms they have been in so far. She can see red lights from above coming through grates, and the floor is littered with trash and junk. A marble white claw foot tub, chipped and tarnished with age, rests in the center of the room, full of a black viscous goo.

She hears a feminine high pitched scream from the back of the room as a rusty cage drops from the ceiling. Inside the cage is a person made out of sculpted parchment. She calls out for Bartleby as laughter emits from the bathtub. The black sludge surges upwards into a humanoid shape, and floating inside of where its head would be sits a crown.

He introduces himself as the Duke of Pudding and asks why they have come to his lair. Aoife reminds him that they have a fecking appointment and Bartleby steps in, reasoning that they could just make the exchange and be on with their lives. He doesn’t know why the Duke of Pudding wanted his Living Spellbook, but he is sure they can part ways peacefully.

### And...BREAK!

The group sees some of the gray oozes coming out of the barrels lying around and forming themselves into the armored oozes that they had faced in the chambers above. Bartleby says that he will get his Living Spellbook and deal with the armored oozes if they would handle the Duke of Pudding and then he tears away and makes a run for the spellbook.

Lu rushes the Duke of Pudding, drawing a large fish carving knife from her belt, driving it into the oozy flesh and quickly realizing that it didn’t do much to the creature, who laughs at her mortal steel. She pulls a chef’s knife from a sheathe and flips it around to hit it with the butt of the handle, but it is about as effective as her other knife. The black sludge spatters on her, singeing her with acid and turning her skin a brownish color where it hit her.

Toni, seeing that the Duke is taking knives in stride, scans the room to see if there is anything useful among the trash. She notices the cage could easily be taken down with a swing or two of her sword. Nothing else jumps out at her as being useful, so she draws her greatsword and swings at the Duke, but he scooches out of the way, taunting her. She uses her Action Surge, taking the momentum of her first swing and coming back at him to drive the sword into it’s body.

They hear a squealching sound as the sword passes through his body and watch as he splits into two seperate beings that speak simultaneously, taunting them for their futility. Toni, sensing the danger, takes up a Defensive Stance to guard her team.

Aoife reaches into her sewing bag, pulling out and throwing a handful of thimbles. Needles form in the air and shoot into the Duke of Pudding as she casts Bane on both creatures.

Both creatures plop onto the ground and their faces open to reveal holes of red light and oozing filth that spews over Lu, who uses Aoife’s Bardic Inspiration, and Toni, but the two heroes manage to shrug off the frightening effect.

### The Power of Friendship

The heart plush that is pinned to Lu lights up with a magical firework of floating hearts as she gains temporary hit points from Aoife’s Song of Creation.

The Duke of Pudding lashes out at Lu, but Toni throws up her shield to deflect it. As the black pudding comes into contact with the shield, they hear a sizzle and see that the metal is dissolving. The one that stands in front of Toni uses the distraction and whips a tendril across her chest, searing her with acid and destroying the remainder of her shield.

They hear a crunching sound as the cage is severed and brought down by Bartleby, freeing his Living Spellbook, followed by clicking noises and they see fire erupt across the back side of the room, interspersed with the sounds of splattering oozes.

Lu disengages from the Duke, turning to throw one of her knives into it’s body, taking a significant portion of sludge with it. Toni swings her sword at the creature in front of her, splitting it into two more smaller versions of the Duke before she shifts back into her Defensive Stance. The acid from the Duke splashes on her, searing and sizzling her armor, reducing its effectiveness further.

### The Power of Friendship, Again

Aoife, seeing that Toni is getting pummeled, runs forward and stomps her hoof down, casting Thunderwave on the surrounding enemies. The air ripples across the floor and pipes tear upwards, splattering the two smaller versions of the Duke. She reaches out and clasps Toni’s shoulder, imbuing her with another Bardic Inspiration.

Suddenly, the world around Toni and Aoife goes pitch black as a dome of magical Darkness springs up around them. Lu, familiar with the spell from her ancestry, knows that even her vision cannot penetrate the spell. She perks up her elven ears and listens, honing in on the Duke’s location, before unleashing another dagger into the globe, followed by the cry of the Duke.

Toni calls out for Lu, who responds with a belted sapphic song to give her position on the outside of the globe. The fighter stands her ground, calling out to comfort Aoife. Aoife can hear the fighter next to her and reaches out to cast Cure Wounds on the half-orc.

Toni hears a familiar thwarp sound and lashes out to intercept the blow that was meant for Aoife. Lu and Aoife hear the clatter of Toni’s body hitting the floor as she goes unconscious from the blow, followed by the grating giggle of the Duke of Pudding.

From within the Darkness, Toni hears a verse from a children’s lullaby play in the sound of her father’s voice, pulling her back to consciousness. The shamrock charm Aoife gave her dims and once again grows silent, its purpose completed.

### Splat!

Bartleby catches Lu’s attention and motions to the red glowing grates above them, suggesting that they should probably leave. Toni asks if he got what he came for, and his spellbook answers her affirmation. Lu starts heading for Bartleby, calling for her friends to follow her voice and she once again begins to sing. Before she leaves, she draws a pairing knife and launches it into the same space as before and hears another cry from the Duke.

Toni hears the creature cry out and swings in its direction, letting gravity carry the flat of the blade down on the simpering beast, ending its life and freeing them of the Darkness. All that remains is the flattened and crushed tin crown the Duke once wore. Aoife quickly snatches it up and tucks it away in her bags.

Bartleby rushes over with his spellbook riding piggyback as hoards of slimes begin to swarm him. He extends a ray of green from his hand, splattering dozens of the creeping slimes. His other hand reaches up and sends a golden rope to the grate above as he calls for the group to climb. Lu manages to scoop one of her chef’s knives as she runs.

They climb up through the grate and tear their way down the tunnels, dashing from the Duke’s minions. They eventually come to a stop and realize that everything is quiet and that they are safe.

This is where our adventure comes to and end, until next time! Venture Away!

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

* Aoife
* Fittonia 'Toni' Silvertail
* Lu

### Non-Player Characters

* Duke of Pudding
* Index
* Mr. B

## Locations

* Eldrin Empire
	+ Chasiana

## Inventory

Lu lost two knives in the fight with the Duke of Pudding.

## Quotes

“Covered in shit, can’t get much worse.” -Lu

“Why do we keep having to remind everybody that we have a fecking appointment?” -Aoife

“I don’t want to fuck this up for you, but its not looking good, so just give the word.” -Lu

“Ahahaha, mortal steel! How funny!” -The Duke of Pudding

“Find its mouth and cut it out! My god, it’s annoying!” -Lu

“Should I…should I just leave?” -Toni

## Trivia

Lu’s very long fish carving knife is statted as a short sword.

The Maidens leveled up to level 4 at the end of the episode.