The Dead and the Dying

*The Dead and the Dying* is the title of the second episode of the fourth season of The Numen Swell and the thirty eighth session of the entire game.

This session was played on May 5th, 2019

## The Dead and the Dying

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Matt Christie, Richie Maynard, Dani Morrison, Kyle Muller

## Plot

What does the return of Booker Dread mean for The Swell?

## Synopsis

Dex is trying his hardest to fight off the spirits. He is causing no effect but the souls are not hurting him either. He attempts to attack the one physical being there, the former men of Burrows. Sonney is prepared to shoot Orville and as a gunshot is heard it is revealed that Sonney was shot by none other than Ardyn. Orville smiles and tells the hybrid he has more friends than him and Sonney immediately turns to fight the shipwright and his men. He holds his own but there’s just too many, including the goddamn Gnome. Sonney decides to retreat and dives into the ocean, swimming away. Ardyn does not pursue but Orville does and gets into a rowboat to chase him. Mikey is booking it and slams into Chiens and Liza. He doesn’t have a chance to ask why they’re together as he scoops up the Quessari and they run. Liza sees what follows and also runs. They make it back to the first camp and Mikey screams for Tecnic and the others to head for the beach. Clark attempts to stop him and ask what’s going on as he is slammed and possessed. Tecnic hears Mikey and more screams but as he sits up, he is face-to-face with a ghost. It attempts to posses him but it just fizzles and dies. He stands up and exits the hut to see what’s happening as another attempts to take him and evaporates. Mikey sees this and tells him to get to the beach, they’ll meet him there. They get there and plan to hide in the bay but Mikey can’t breathe underwater so he lets the girls hide in the depths as he heads for the ruins of the Armadillo. He hides with the remaining survivors, Dawkins, Ross Grimm, and Onion Kid. Thomas asks where Tecnic and Dex are but Mikey is unsure. Dex is still fighting as Burrows… well, the body formally known as Jack watches on. He nods for one of his Lieutenants to go deal with the boy. Audra Blythe steps up and fights him. The experience is humbling to Dex. He manages to cut off one of her hands but the Soul beneath replaces it with an ethereal limb. Once Dread sends his other LT in Dex realizes he is out matched and retreats, for now. Dread notes that a lot has changed since they were last here and tells his LTs to find the Gnash.

Sonney successfully evades Orville but spots mines scattered around the tiny island. He slinks his way through and gets back to shore. He briefly sees that Orville’s boat is actually just attached to a much bigger boat beneath it. Chiens and Liza are below the surface and the little elf asks what’s happening. Liza has no idea so Chiens says that Aquamigo can help and reaches for her necklace. Only, it’s not there. She panics and goes to shore, shouting for her friend. Mikey sees this and immediately also jumps out to distract the spirits. They do not react to either and head back inland. Mikey demands she tell him why she did that and she tells him that Aquamigo is missing and she needs to find him. Mikey promises her that he will find it but she needs to stay hidden and asks her to stay beneath the Armadillo with the others. Dex arrives and prepares to be alone, finding the others and decides to head back with Mikey inland to find Tecnic and Aquamigo. Liza begins to follow them but turns to the shipwreck instead. Mikey and Dex are booking it back and find Tecnic heading deeper into the island. They catch up to him and ask what he’s doing. He doesn’t know, he’s just walking. Dex remembers he found a map and shows them because, Dex. Tecnic believes this is what he’s feeling. A way out. As they are walking, they see Dread and his Lieutenants heading their way. Mikey and Dex hide in some brush as Tecnic confronts them. The conversation is tense. It has an underlying respectful feel but Mikey decides to flank them and attempts to stab Dread but the man spins around and grabs Mikey by the head. The man drops to his knees. He starts to ramble on as he does. Dread asks him if he cares for the others. Mikey tries to deceive and tell him that He and Tecnic are all that’s left. Dread turns to his men and tells them to find the others and asks the boy his name. The others walk past Tecnic and He tells him confidently his name is Mikey. The deadman looks deep into his eyes and thanks him. He puts Mikey to sleep and tells Tecnic that should anyone else be on the island when he returns, he will not hesitate to take them or kill them. He has what he needs so he picks up the boy and leaves.

Sonney is sneaking around Ora Tatou. Night has fallen but he still has a mission. He finds his target, Ardyn, and follows him to his home. Sonney waits for the man to get comfortable and he sneaks into the residence. He hears Ardyn in the tub and hides in his wardrobe. He sees the figure return to his chambers and lay in bed for the night. Sonney gets to the bedside and prepares to kill the man but quickly realizes it isn’t Ardyn. It’s Gregory. He still attempts to choke out the man for “betraying him” but the former Helmsman asks if he even checked the bathroom. Sonney goes to find Ardyn, dead in the tub. He smiles and cuts off the man’s head. The survivors are all huddled in the Armadillo. Liza appears and tells Chiens that they have to leave. Thomas is obviously not okay with that and Chiens says Mikey told her to stay until he returns with Aquamigo. Liza tells her she has it and Chiens believes her so she stands up but Thomas steps in her way. Liza and Dawkins have a brief fight before Thomas asks her if she’s really gonna kill them for this girl. She absolutely will so he allows her to take Chiens, knowing Mikey will not be happy. Orville arrives at Old man Toke’s hut and sits with the vegetable, offering him a drink and telling him he’s had a rough day. He then goes to the Classy Lassies to ask Temer if she’s seen her brother or the half-breed. Just then, Sonney arrives and immediately sees the gnome and turns to leave. Orville stops him and convinces him that he can help him save his friends and slaps him. It actually heals Sonney slightly so the man tells him to keep slapping him. The Gnome tells him he is normally paid for this but he keeps hitting him. Once Sonney feels invigorated enough he agrees to help Orville find “the boy” and his friends. The Gnome tells him he owes him for the slaps and Sonney runs. Orville attempts to “clinch him” with his massive hanging fruit but it backfires and he falls in pain. Mikey wakes up in a cell. He once again attempts to open the cell but it is in fact locked. Sitting on the other side of the bars is Booker Dread. He asks him why he thinks he took the boy. Mikey is unsure. Dread tells him they are going on a bit of an adventure and welcomes him to the Grimoire. A massive flying ghost ship.

## Cast

### Main

* Benjamin Tecnic
* Sonney Griffin-Thorne
* Mikey Gnash
* Dex
* Liza Erd
* Chiens Cascade
* Orville
* Booker Dread

### Supporting

* Thomas Dawkins
* Ross Grimm
* Ardyn
* Madame Temer
* Audra Blythe
* Ian Macon
* Javier Stutten
* Wade Palgrave
* Gregory

### Guest

* Onion Kid
* Clark
* Bruce
* Old Man Toke

## Trivia

* This session was intended to reveal that Ardyn was actually Gregory in disguise the whole time but it was abandoned part-way through.