Season 7

Titled *Netheril*, season 7 explores the topic of time travel and picks up immediately after the events of Heart of Stone, Heart of Glass. The season's first episode was recorded early 2021.

Because of busy schedules, two one shot End of the World adventures from the Melbourne Comedy Festival were aired between episodes 6 and 7.

## Overview

At the end of Season 6, the Dragon Friends destroyed the ancient Netherese lodestone which Strahd von Zarovich had dug up, seemingly killing the vampire. But the act also transports the Dragon Friends, along with the unconscious bodies of Lionshield Banknote and Jacob Undercourt, back through history to the time of its construction: a thousand years earlier in Eileanar at the height of the Netheril Empire. The Dragon Friends soon realise what’s happened, and that they are suffering from “time sickness” - mortals were never meant to travel through time, and the experience is slowly killing them.

Feted as guests of honour from the future, they meet some of the movers and shakers of High Netheril, including the gnomish Chronomancer Merreline Vowell, creator of the Lodestone, who becomes their ally; Arch-Mage Supreme, Karsus the Kind, ruler of Netheril; and Skymaster Kyron, head of the Ardent Flight, the Empire’s flying navy, and captain of Karsus’s skyship *Rapture*. (They also kill Trevor, a sewer pervert.)

While flying aboard the *Rapture*, they are attacked by the “Howlers”, flying warriors of the rebel Freeborn. The Friends kill Kyron and steal his magical “Claw”, but along with Vowell, are taken prisoner by the Freeborn. From his copy of *The Terrible and Lamentable History of the Noble House of Strahd* Bobby realises the Freeborn are connected to Strahd’s father, Paternius, and indeed their leader, the “Great Jar”, takes them to his hideout to meet Paternius when he realises they truly are from the future. Bobby kills Paternius only to discover that it’s too late to stop Strahd being born: the Great Jar was Strahd all along! They inadvertantly lead the Ardent Flight to the Freeborn, and are trapped in their hideout while Strahd escapes. Vowell, shaken by the evidence she has seen of Karsus’ cruelty, gives the friends a powder that sends them back to the time and place where they destroyed the lodestone.

When get back to the future, the Friends find history has changed: Strahd von Zarovich stole *The Terrible and Lamentable History of the Noble House of Strahd*, giving him knowledge of the future and allowing him to conquer Netheril just four days after the Dragon Friends left. He now rules an eternal empire, and the Dragon Friends are remembered only as failed assassins sent by Karsus.

The Dragon Friends manage to get back to the past, this time claiming to Vowell that they are gods. They once again travel on the *Rapture*, this time killing Strahd before returning to the future.

History has changed again: Karsus managed to preserve the Netherese Empire by further enslaving the Free Folk, using stories of the Dragon Friends “gods” to convince them to give up their life essence as aether, magical energy which powers his floating city and keeps him alive. The Dragon Friends reveal themselves to the churches which sprung up to worship them, and - with the help of an alternate timeline Lionshield Banknote - infiltrate Karsus’ flying city, where he has hidden the lodestone, and destroy him before once again heading to the past, taking this Lionshield with them.

This time, however, Karsus is ready for them; his seer has forseen their arrival, and he thinks they are gods coming to challenge his rule. Finding the technology he used to enslave the empire in the future, Freezo charges towards a spinning cube-like device, but at the last minute has Lionshield enter it instead. It turns out to be a mighty magical trap, prepared by Karsus to destroy the gods he thinks the Dragon Friends are, but instead it utterly annihilates Lionshield Banknote in every possible reality...

## List of Episodes

* I:
	+ “Canadian Death” (7.01)
	+ “The Original Deborah Downer” (7.02)
	+ “A Very Thrummy World” (7.03)
	+ “Start on a Lizard” (7.04)
	+ “A Metric Throng” (7.05)
* II:
	+ “Opposed Hug Check” (7.06)
	+ “Quake Before Me, Etc.” (7.07)
* III:
	+ “The Salmon, So Secret” (7.08)

The Age of Isolation returned due to new restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, episodes 7.09 until 7.16 were recorded from the Friends' homes (or, in Ben's case, from his car).

* IV:
	+ “Dead Man's Dack” (7.09)
	+ “The People's Goo” (7.10)
	+ “Recalibration of the Coolness” (7.11)
	+ “Read the Rune, Guys” (7.12)
	+ “Real Mad in Retrospect” (7.13)
	+ “The Time of Ignatius Bumm” (7.14)
	+ “Cert III in Pilates” (7.15)
	+ “You Can't Just Donk Them” (7.16)
* V:
	+ “Elasticbandinarium” (7.17)
	+ “Hoiking Hokkien Noodles” (7.18)

* Yulemas special:
	+ A Merry Yulemas Very (Part 1)
	+ A Merry Yulemas Very (Part 2)