New Companions In Arms

"Contrary to popular belief, this animal has never done anything wrong in its life." -queer fish

### Episode link

VOD

"**New Companions In Arms**" (1x34) is the 34th episode of Dun-Johns and Dragons.

## **Synopsis**

### **Previously on *Dun-Johns and Dragons***

On Skip, Yoolna and Dugluss had been investigating shady doings at the Mechanists’ Guild. Dugluss was summoned to meet with the Head Mechanist Warren Tana, but when he declined the terms offered to join the Guild, he was attacked and imprisoned in an underground dungeon, guarded by an Iron Golem. When Dugluss failed to return or make contact, Yoolna tried to break into the Guild but was attacked and killed by a mechanical Drider. Upon learning of her fate from Tana, Dugluss broke free from his constraints, released the other creatures imprisoned in the dungeon, and killed Tana; however, he was then confronted by apparently the same mechanical Drider that killed Yoolna.

Meanwhile on the continent, Zander, Stone, and Magpie, accompanied by Barakas, were traveling through a mysterious forest in search of the missing Prince Durrian Cadagast. Along the way, they agreed to escort an elderly woman, Ira Marsh, to the town of Coldwall. They were accosted by a pack of spider-shark hybrids, and as the battle commenced, a faun riding a giant ladybug and wielding a large spear appeared and joined them in combat.

### **Part I**

[NB: each half of this episode consists entirely of a separate combat sequence: Part 1 with Zander, Stone, and Magpie on the Continent, and Part 2 with Dugluss back on Skip.]

The spider-sharks, six in total, mostly stick to bite attacks, dealing significant damage to Barakas and to Magpie in particular. Magpie tries to fight back but doesn't have much luck with her weapons, missing several attacks, though she does manage to take down one of the spider-sharks and damages another with Green Flame Blade. She resorts as usual to the Wand of Wonder, though this only succeeds in causing it to rain for a turn.

Barakas, true to form, focuses largely on Magpie's safety at the expense of his own, landing several sword attacks and downing one of the spiders, and giving Magpie a large dose of healing with Lay on Hands. Stone, meanwhile, does some healing for both of them with Mass Healing Word, and also deals some damage with Spiritual Weapon and Moonbeam, taking out another of the spider-sharks with the latter.

The newcomer faun on her ladybug mount has some success restraining a couple of the spider-sharks with Watery Sphere, though they don't remain trapped long, and ultimately the spider-sharks manage to entangle both faun and ladybug in webbing. Ira, meanwhile, jabs one of the spiders in the eyes with her fingers, then leaves most of the fighting to the others; she offers some rather patronizing encouragement to Barakas — "You've got this, son! Go on!" — then perches on a spider-shark corpse and munches placidly on a piece of fruit as she observes the action.

Zander starts off the fight by casting Armor of Agathys, giving himself bonus HP and the threat of revenge damage if an enemy hits him, then spends most of the rest of the fight failing to get any of the spider-sharks to attack him. He manages to behead one with Carrot, then finally attracts the aggression of another one by mooning in; when it bites his exposed backside, ice spreads up its jaws and over its whole body before it cracks and disintegrates into chunks of ice. Magpie is mildly horrified, but Zander just says, "Warlock stuff". At this point, the last remaining spider-shark is trying to drag the faun off into the trees; Zander takes it out with an Eldritch Blast and the day is won.

### **Part II**

Meanwhile back on Skip, Dugluss is loose in the dungeon below the Mechanists' Guild, but a mechanical drider stands between him and escape. He initially wonders if this is the same drider he met in this dungeon before, horribly modified, but an investigation reveals it is an entirely mechanical construct. He tries attacking it with his lightning launcher, but this seems to actually benefit the creature rather than hurt it. He next tries Ray of Frost, but misses twice; meanwhile the drider has been singlemindedly attacking the cell door and is dangerously close to breaking it down and getting in, so Dugluss casts Blink and disappears into the Ethereal Plane.

Blinking back into the next cell, Dugluss tries to order the Iron Golem to attack the drider, but it doesn't respond to him at all. Dugluss then heads down the corridor, Blinking in and out of existence, pursued by the drider. He variously attacks and tries to hide in between Blinks, doing some damage with Shatter but never managing to shake the drider or slow it down significantly. The drider for its part attacks whenever it can get a shot at him, usually with its sword, though at one point it throws a dagger which Dugluss recognizes as Yoolna's, and this drives him into a fury. The drider continues pursuing him through the dungeon, stopping only briefly to take out with a single hit a gnome who missed evacuating.

Dugluss eventually emerges onto a balcony overlooking an area with some furnaces, still looking for any sign of Yoolna; he finally spots a row of benches with figures strapped to them, including something that appears to be a real drider, and one that looks to be about Yoolna's size. With the drider right on his heels, Dugluss dashes for the benches, taking two consecutive attacks of opportunity. He reaches the benches and confirms that it is indeed the lifeless body of his friend.

The drider catches up and for a split second, Dugluss notices a flicker of cognition; its head cocks and its jaw creaks open and closed. He dashes past the drider toward a metal grate in the bottom of the wall, through which he can hear the sound of running water. He blocks the drider's attack of opportunity with Shield, then looks back toward Yoolna's body, blinking back tears, and says, "I'm sorry I failed you." He casts Shatter on the wall around the grate; the stone crumbles and the bars fall away. With one last glance back, he jumps through the opening and is swept away by the cold water.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Player Characters**

* Dugluss Deep-Forge
* Magpie
* Stone
* Yoolna
* Zander Brushspark