Favor, Episode 22: Mirror, Mirror

## Starring

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

**Episode 22: Mirror, Mirror** *(2x22)* is the 22nd episode of the Venture Maidens Favor campaign.

## Synopsis

*Before our heroes roll the dice*

*I'm here to offer some advice*

*Be careful now, whose gaze you pull*

*For eyes are windows to the soul*

### The Wickerbeast

Thunder and rain pelt the Maidens as a bipedal creature made of woven branches barrels towards them. Aoife’s lighted rapier reveals the reflective mirror nestled within its branching antlers. At its feet, icy crystals begin to form and they can hear it crackle as the temperature around them begins to drop. Lu runs towards the creature, chucking one of her kitchen knives into its chest, the sound revealing the creature to be hollow. She pulls the slime pot from her bag and lobs it at the beast, splattering the acidic slime across its face with a sizzle.

The Wickerbeast bends low, catching Lu’s reflection in its mirror, causing her to mentally fall into a strange tortured place and being unable to move as she is paralyzed. One of its arms bends and forms into a hammer and slams down on the defenseless drow. She smashes into the ground and the ice creeps across the ground to begin burying her.

Rook marks the Wickerbeast as her prey and fires into the beast. The bolt thunks into the wooden body, but it appears not to notice. The light drifts from Aoife’s rapier and forms magically glowing bobbins that illuminate the strange fey creature in violet faerie fire before renewing the inspirational magic of Toni’s felt star charm.

Toni positions herself defensively above Lu’s body, noticing that Lu is being affected by magic. She whips her greatsword over her head, drawing on the magic of Aoife’s charm, and drives it into its wooden flesh, though the non-magical weapon does not seem to do as much damage.

A thought occurs to Lu, though she doesn’t know if it comes from herself, that she is not good enough, and she comes back to her own senses in time to see the Wickerbeast turn its mirror towards Toni. The half-orc manages to resist the enchantment, but thinks that the beast might be searching for someone more charismatic than she. It punches her in the chest as retaliation, nearly knocking her over.

Rook realigns her crossbow and pulls the trigger. The cold iron tipped bolt blasts through the Wickerbeast with a flash, leaving behind a hole in its hollow chest. Aoife runs over to Lu and uses her magic to cause a silvery thread and needle to sew the drow’s wounds closed with a Cure Wounds spell. She reaches out once more to give Toni a Bardic Inspiration.

The fighter swings her greatsword, but does not gain purchase into the creature. With a roar, she uses her Action Surge and attacks again, to the same effect. Lu pushes Aoife away, telling her to run from the Wickerbeast before launching herself at the Wickerbeast. She launches her Sonic Blade into the mirror, hitting it, but the blade phases through a gelatinous material. She realizes that the mirror is part of the creature and is not a true mirror. With her offhand, she pulls a long fish knife and chips at the wicker.

The Wickerbeast looks at Lu and she feels a deep pain in her chest, as if her heart is being ripped out of her chest from the inside. She can feel that the beast is trying to rip her soul from her body, but she draws on her protective motherly instincts to fight past the pain and overcomes the effect. Rook, screaming for the Maidens to retreat from melee, levels her crossbow once more, shattering another hole into the beast’s body. Where the pieces of the creature fall, they turn to smoke and vanish.

Aoife dances into the fray, piercing the fey’s guard before dropping back once more to give Toni another Bardic Inspiration. The fighter steps forward again, throwing her weight behind the greatsword, though she still cannot push through the wicker hide. The cold has crept into Lu’s body as she recovers from nearly having her soul ripped from her body, causing her to miss both of her attacks.

The Wickerbeast catches Aoife’s gaze in the mirror, drawing her attention. She can hear its approval, but uses her Force of Personality feature, digging her hooves into the ground and forcing past the creature’s will. It swiftly brings its hammer fist down on the bard, drawing the ire of Toni, who slashes through the creature once more. The blow to Aoife breaks the bard’s concentration, dropping the effects of faerie fire.

Rook, seeing the Wickerbeast on its last leg, aims for the mirror nesting in its antlers and pulls the trigger. Everyone holds their breathe as the bolt pierces the reflective surface, finally shattering it and the beast into pieces that fall and vanish into smoke before they can hit the ground. The rain melts the remaining ice away and the Maidens notice a small ball of light float up into the air and shoot off in the direction of Storyville.

Rook celebrates her kill, rubbing it in the party’s faces. Lu ignores Rook, concerned that her soul was almost ripped from her body and Aoife reasons that the light must have been Hayden’s soul returning to his body. Lu suggests that they head back to town to get out of the rain and check on Hayden. Rook suggests that they buy her drinks for the kill and Lu, checking her silver, agrees.

### Hayden's Home

Lu leads them through the storm back to Storyville. They are greeted gruffly by the changeling manning the gate before being let into town. Walking through the streets, they hear the oddly unfamiliar sound of voices. Rounding the corner, they can see people gathered outside of Hayden’s house. Somebody points at the Maidens and shouts their praise as people rush over to greet the group. The entire community is thrilled by what the Maidens have done.

Aoife basks in the attention, though Toni tries to shrink away from the spotlight. Rook vanishes entirely, making Lu envious, reasoning that she must have ducked into a side alley. The drow sidesteps around the crowd to check on Hayden.

The boy sits on a chair in the middle of the room, smiling tiredly at the gathered people. When Lu had seen him before, he had appeared almost human, but the notion is expelled when she sees the butterfly wings of prismatic light coming from his back. Seeing that he is okay, she ducks back outside to head for the Pendragon Inn.

Aoife, using the attention of the crowd, informs the town that they are looking for Penny Dreadful and asks after information in regards to the Archfey. The townsfolk pepper her with tales of Penny Dreadful as the satyr slowly corals them towards the inn.

### Freely Given

Toni and Lu enter the inn to see Rook looking uncomfortable on a bar stool. The inn is empty, except for Oslo, who wanders down the creaking wooden stairs. He is impressed that the Maidens managed to help. He admits that there are not very many people that would be willing to help a bunch of changelings, at which point he chokes up. He draws a small decorative key from his pouch and offers it to them, as promised for their help. He tells them that it is a key from a changeling, freely given, and they feel a sense of power behind the words. Lu takes the key, admitting that she doesn’t know the full extent of what they are accepting.

Oslo suggests that they start in the room they currently rent if they are looking for answers. Toni snatches the key from Lu, determining it was similar to one used for a jewelry box or diary. They all head upstairs to find a modest room with a single bed. Lu and Toni knock on walls and check behind the furniture. While knocking on the floor under the bed, Toni manages to find a hollow space under the floorboard.

Aoife learns that Penny is much beloved, that people miss her, and that something she had done had allowed Storyville to exist in safety. Aoife offers to deliver letters to the mortal world for everyone in the inn and is met with cheers as she makes her way to meet the group.

Laid in the foundations of the floor is the face of a metallic safe with a single keyhole in its center. Toni gingerly places the key in the lock and turns, hearing the airtight seal break. She opens the safe to find an envelope with a wax seal sitting on top a parcel with a pink ribbon. Toni pulls them from the safe and can feel the shape of a book within the parcel. She scurries from beneath the bed, presenting her findings.

### Down the Rabbit Hole

Lu breaks the seal on the letter, which reads:

*Dear reader,*

*If this letter and the means to open my safe have come into your possession, you must certainly be most desperate to find me. Whether you be friend or foe, fear not. I can routinely be found at the Pendragon Inn, in the town of Storyville. I recommend waiting for a short while and I am more than likely to return any day or night. I suspect you will find the people of Storyville to be most charming, and drinking the Pendragon’s raspberry mead is an exquisite way to while the time away.*

*If I have been uncharacteristically absent, then perhaps I am experiencing something that has prevented me from exiting my own dwelling. In case of such an event, I invite you dear reader (without expectation of reciprocity) to enter my home by reading the accompanying story. I traveled to distance lands to acquire this book, and it is one of my absolute favorite mortal “fairy” tales. I do hope you enjoy it*

*Fondest wishes,*

*Penny*

*P.S. If you are a foe who seeks me, you should give up now. I assure you, many creatures more capable than you have tried and yet, I continue to persist.*

Toni tears the parcel’s packaging open to reveal a book. The cover is sky blue with an illustrated image of a rabbit holding a pocket watch. The title of the book reads “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll”. None of the Maidens recognize the book and Lu asks if they wanted to crack it open tonight.

Rook informs her that if this book led to a Dwelling, then there was no telling what time it will be when they get there. Lu recommends that they just go for it, but Toni suggests that they rest after their recent battle. Rook continues to drink, followed swiftly by the other Maidens before they have dinner with the changelings before bed.

The rain has not let up when they wake. They are greeted by bushels of produce waiting for them downstairs, which Lu separates and begins cutting in preparation for canning. Eventually they all assemble around the book and Toni picks it up. She begins reading a story about a little girl on a summer afternoon and the white rabbit, holding a pocket watch, that crosses her path. She follows the rabbit and ends of falling down into a world very different than the one she knows.

When the words pass over them, they too are drawn into a world far stranger than any they have ever been. It is here that our tale comes to an end, until next time! -Venture Away!

## Featured Characters

### Player Characters

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

### Non-Player Characters

* Barry
* Hayden
* Oslo
* Penny Dreadful (Mentioned)
* Rook

## Locations

* Storyville
	+ Pendragon Inn

## Inventory

The party gained Penny Dreadful's safe key, letter, and a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

## Quotes

“But you’ll never fecking know it!” -Aoife

“Oooh! Fuck yeah! That’s how it’s done! Bounty Hunter! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” -Rook

“Suck it! Suck it! Double suck it!” -Rook

“Oh, what’s that about glowing lights never doing anything?” -Aoife

“A key from a changeling, fairly given.” -Oslo

## Trivia

Katie gained a point of Inspiration for learning the different types of chef knives that Lu uses in combat and her cooking duties.

Sage came up with the concept of the Wickerbeast for the Venture Maidens Campaign Guide.