Come At the King: Chapter 5

*A single moment of chaos and madness throws the fate of the entire Cordelian Empire into question as our heroes face the final, shocking carnage of the Power Ball. But perhaps the greatest danger they face is merely the darkness within...themselves! Also hello! We have our FIRST T-SHIRTS up for sale at rudetalesofmagic.com. Theeeeeyyyy'rrree GREAT!*

The party fights their way out of The Power Ball with her emperor in their sights.

## Summary

The Power Ball is thrown into chaos as Nog Romansky is carried off by Tactical Papers. Torrin rushes to save The Beautiful Avoider where a miraculously recovered Diarrhea gets in her way. She swallows some of Torrin’s magic, briefly becoming more powerful before Torrin finishes her off and starts to escape with Avy.

Grimothee uses his telepathy to distract Tactical long enough for Butter to ram him with his horns, taking him off his feet. After a brief struggle, the orc sees that he’s outmatched and flees. He suddenly changes into a hippopotamus to match his mask. Unhittable Babylon Brown kills the lights as he appears on the scene, announcing that he cursed the goat that Diarrhea fed to the guests as a demonstration. Many of the guests begin to transform into their respective masks. Smellulus turns into a middle-aged human while Deli (wearing no mask since she was the lower half of Torrin’s costume) becomes a “double harpy” and doubles her limbs. Delighted, she begins to fly around and steals several hundred rings off party guests. Grimothee goes to Freddery, comforting his former master as he turns into a disembodied butt.

As the emperor turns into a baby turtle, Smellulus grabs him and begins to question him. Threatening the transformed ruler, he uses the confusion to make Nog name Smelllulus his heir. With Nog left unfit to rule, Smellulus is magically made the new emperor, giving him mystical control over all guards as everyone recognizes him as their ruler.

The party arrives and warns Smellulus of his folly. The loxodon pleads them to join him, offering them wealth and positions of power. They dismiss his offers and attack him, but before they can finish him off Snake Professional appears on the scene. He explains that their deal is done and that no one needs to die. He has been a double agent working for Larroquette, the kingdom that has been losing a war with The Cordelian Empire. While socially awkward and dimwitted, Nog proved to be a tactical genius that needed to be removed. With Smellulus in power, his employers feel that there is no further reason to assassinate him as their victory seemed assured.

Most of the party goes with Snake, bringing Wealthy Wim Windows and The Beautiful Avoider with them. Smellulus refuses, swearing that he will remain the emperor and make them all come begging to join him. They leave him behind as they escape through a hidden passage and start their journey towards Larroquette.

Left with no other friends, Smellulus is approached by Sundown Samara. Realizing his plight and having been turned into a normal dragon (with her mask being of another dragon), she offers to become his advisor and lover. Desperate for approval and guidance, Smellulus accepts and orders her to hunt down and reclaim his missing daughter. Before that, however, he directs his wrath towards a garment store.

In the post-credits, Jean-Luc Robespierre opens up his store. His goblin assistants bring him his paper and are met by his grim silence. He immediately fires them both and tells them to leave out the back to take their wages from his sister Madeline. They leave and Jean-Luc has a quiet moment to himself rolling a long skinny cigarette and reciting the final stanza of Kahlil Gibran's "On Death" before his doors are kicked in by the royal guards who bring him to trial under orders from Emperor Smellulus.

## Link

https://rudetalesofmagic.simplecast.com/episodes/miniseries-come-at-the-king-part-5