Episode 280 - Dragon Siege

Meanwhile in Pelor’s Hope a huge problem has befallen the good Queen Ashayara which requires the help of some of her old allies. Something odd must be going on with the strongest entities in the realms since it seems like they are all riled up and ready to fight whatever they can. What can rile up the gods…it is terrifying to think about. Surely it can’t be a coincidence, right? Something bananas has to happening in the various hells and abysses and heavens to cause such calamity on the mortal realm. But that is why we have heroes – to stop really bad things from happening.

## **Story**

### Long Story

Two weeks before The Tower of Grey find Prince Thom Harper in Elysium, Pelor's Hope finds itself being besieged by an army of Dragonborn (tail-less). Queen Ashayara Dayne called upon her allies in Deephome to assist her. The Sun Shields and the Dwarves hold the walls of Pelor's Hope and keep it safe from the dragon army beyond. Aludra Wyrmsbane and Jaela, Queen and, well, Queen of Deephome are there, along with Chilli Manilli and Skratchy, personal bodyguards to the two queens. They are summoned by Ashayara Dayne via a random Sun Shield. As they enter her solar, they see the aftermath of a skirmish, where a now deceased Dragonborn seems to have sneaked into her room and tried to kill her. He was unsuccessful. After insulting their motley crew of bodyguards, she asks for their assistance. Real class act, that Ashayara Dayne. She tells them that the Dragonborn army is requesting a parlay, and she wants Aludra and Jaela there to accompany her. They accept, and she tells them they are meeting the Dragonborn's Captain of the Guard, Fangtooth. Jaela pulls the others aside and asks if they think she's being genuine, or if she has some ulterior motive. They agree to keep their eyes on her, make sure she doesn't do anything suspicious. They return, Ashayara Dayne tells them they are meeting at dusk, and everyone goes their separate ways.

The party contemplates what they will do in the meantime. Skratchy wants to sneak behind the enemy lines and poison their food, but Aludra wants to use diplomacy. They decide not to poison them. Later that night, the good guys gather to have their parlay. Ashayara Dayne is wearing some Cersei Lannister-ass battle armor. The gates are opened, and they head out to meet five or six Dragonborn, along with a large black dragon. The "biggest and ugliest" one steps forward and asks who will be their representative for Pelor's Hope. Ashayara Dayne also steps forward, but asks the Queens to come with her. Fangtooth seems... unhelpful. He demands they surrender, or Pelor's Hope will be destroyed. He says that this is all under the demands of their god, Tiamat! She commanded them to tear the city down and eat the inhabitants therein. While Jaela and Aludra dismiss the threats, Ashayara Dayne is less irreverent. She prays silently to her god. Aludra asks for one day to deliberate on their request. Instead, Fangtooth tells them that they should go back into the city, and at dawn, they begin their attack. They make to leave, but Fangtooth doesn't like their flippant attitudes, and decides to feed them to his pet dragon, Toothfang. Instead of THAT, Skratchy suggests they settle this over single combat. Aludra and Toothfang, vs Jaela and Fangtooth. This seems like a good idea, until ALL OF THE DRAGONBORN ATTACK IMMEDIATELY!

Things are scary for a second, but then, a portal opens up, and out steps Eckhart Dayhammer! He kills Toothfang as an army of armored knights flood in.

Meanwhile, in Elysium, Lahni had just ran into and out of Pelor's ~~Hope~~ bedroom, but not seen anything. They now wait without, two guards blocking their entrance. Sal, the street meat vendor arrives and tells them that Prince Thom Harper is asking for them. They head *BACK* up to Thom's room, where the lad tells them that "Daddy's friend from a long time ago" wants to talk to them. In walks the ghostly form of Marendithas Bearcharger! He briefly explains that he is not, in fact, a moron, as previously suspected, but instead, that he is an intelligent being, who had to exhaust his mental faculties to keep at bay the demon that, in days past, once led them to the honorable Bananas Foster. He requests that Toby, as a reading man with access to various libraries and books, set the record straight as it pertains to his intelligence. He and Skud meet, and have an instant connection with each other. Bearcharger offers to help Skud with some of his emotional burdens, perhaps over coffee? He agrees, then asks if it's true that Harper fucked a cow (Harper's son is standing right there). Bearcharger denies this claim. It would take, he says, two people to fuck a cow.

### Short

In Pelor's Hope, Queen Ashayara Dayne requests the help of Aludra and Jaela to fight off an army of Dragonborn. They go to meet with their leader, and make peace, but they are having none of it. It seems they were sent here by their god Tiamat. As our heroes are about to be torn apart by the Dragonborn, Eckhart Dayhammer arrives, with an army of knights, and rescues them. Back in Elysium, the Tower of Grey are called to Prince Thom's room, who introduces them to Marendithas Bearcharger, who wants history to remember him as smart, so he tells Toby.

## **Trivia**

* There are a lot of references to the Sun Shields, and Titus Harper
s brother Phase. This mostly comes from Episode 88 - Under the Dome, for those who are curious
	+ Michael says "Sun Spears" and "Jarlton". These are wrong.
* Nika wants you to tweet at them in 2023 if you subscribed with Twitch Prime
* Brawlgus died in battle, holding the gates closed
* Ashayara Dayne trained in combat along with her half-sister Rowan Grey
* Bearcharger is strangely drawn to Skud Derringer, continuing the show's trend of player characters having some pull towards that player's other characters

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Skratchy / Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Queen Aludra Wyrmsbane / Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Chilli Manilli / Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Jaela / Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Fangtooth
* Marendithas Bearcharger
* Prince Thom Harper
* Sal
* Queen Ashayara Dayne

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Pelor's Hope
* Elysium
	+ The Last Respite

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Return Prince Thom Harper to his mother, Queen Ashayara Dayne
* [NEW][Optional?][Toby Treacletart] - Inform the world of Marendithas Bearcharger's intelligence
* [On Hold] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Optional] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies
* ~~[NEW][Complete][Jaeludra] - Save Pelor's Hope from the siege of the Dragonborn~~

### **Quotes**

**"These fucking Dragonborn."** ~ *Queen Ashayara Dayne*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ **Nika - 19**
	+ Tim - 9
	+ Jennifer - 18
	+ Bachmann - doesn't roll

* **Skratchy** attempts to *Stealth* out of the room - 9+10
	+ He does? It's unknowable

* **Aludra** rolls *Insight* to see if she feels she can defeat the Dragonborn army - 19+7
	+ The Dragonborn army is far bigger than theirs, so it doesn't look good