Eldermourne Episode 6: The Rook's Gambit

**The Rook's Gambit** is the sixth episode in campaign 2.

The Choo Choo Crew embarks on a mission to free Sewastian and take down the Whitlockes. Henry gets greedy with his appetizers, Zirk employs Bukvar as a medical assistant, and Fia learns the fate of an old friend.

## Plot Synopsis

The Third Mates arrive at Blackthorn Hall to speak with Syb, learning more about Madam Whitlocke’s involvement in Dr. Nebble’s death and Syb's resistance to the iron grip that the Whitlockes have over Thornkirk. They agree to work with Syb and their contingent of Rook veterans in a tandem effort to bring down Madame Whitlocke and her brother, Fergus. While Syb makes the plans to attack the baroness at her new keep, the crew makes plans to break out Sewastian and confront Fergus at the jailhouse. When they got there though, they did not find Fergus, but, rather, Petty Jack and several knights of the petty king. The Third Mates showed no mercy, only sparing Petty Jack for questioning after they ensured Sewastian's safety.

In talking to Petty Jack, the group is able to piece together the fragments of information they've picked up from Petty Jack, from Madam Whitlocke, and from Syb:

* The petty king of Outerborough, Thurston Brightleap, is getting religious in his old age and surrounding himself with zealot worshippers of the Reaper, who are called scale-tippers, colloquially.
* Amongst these scale-tippers is a contingent of ex-Blades, called the Prophets, who are hunting down the Blades who stayed true to their commitment to the Trickster. They proved hard to find, however, so an old gang leader, named Petty Jack, was released from the petty king’s dungeons to use his criminal contacts to find them in hiding.
* One of these contacts was apparently Madame Whitlocke, who recognized Dr. Nebble from the bounty and alerted the Crown. When Nebble went to leave town on the river on the Third Mates' first night together in Thornkirk, one of the Prophets, an ex-Blade called the Prophet Cain, was waiting for him.
* After Nebble was killed. Madame Whitlocke was rewarded by the Crown and given the title of Baroness of Thornkirk.

Finally, Petty Jack admits to the crew that Madame Whitlocke now plans to execute Syb in a display of strength to the townsfolk, using an old Reaper ritual where a victim is placed on a set of scales, then dropped into a pit with a horror. The crew then hears the tolling of bells in town, signaling the start of the ceremony.

## Quotes

* "But you're sure this won't steal my moisture, right?" -Fia, fearfully accepting an artificer infusion from Zirk despite it being salt-based
	+ "Look, I'm freaking out too, miss, you know I hate salt, okay? You know I'm freaking out too." -Bukvar, in an attempt to assuage Fia's fears.

## Trivia

* This is the episode in which the players introduced themselves as "Honky Honk Honk," "Fonk Bonkgonkya," and "Zonk Vervonk" respectively. Each introduction received a disdainful sigh and a "nope" from the beleaguered Dungeon Master, Murph.

## Music and Sound Effects

* "Club chatter, London" by mlteenie at Freesound.org.
* "Grimhawke" by Emily Axford.
* "Shadowfell" by Emily Axford.
* "Bonkginya, Fia Bonkginya" by Emily Axford.
* "A Friend for Life" by Emily Axford.
* "Batilda's Blade" by Emily Axford.
* "Unknown Tome" by Emily Axford.
* "The Lonely Autumn" by Emily Axford.
* "A Fate Refused" by Emily Axford.
* "Fia" by Emily Axford.

## External Links

* Headgum
* Spotify
* NADDPOD Subreddit Thread

## References

1. ↑ **Eldermourne Episode 6: The Rook's Gambit** 25:10
2. ↑ **Eldermourne Episode 6: The Rook's Gambit** 25:35