"The Carnivorous Cube" (RTx01) is the first episode of The Re-Slayer's Take. Four adventurers journey to the humble town of Himblewood in hopes of joining the legendary Slayer’s Take. But when their goal seems just within reach, mayhem breaks loose at the market.
Synopsis[]
Around 839 PD[1], in the town of Himblewood, in the Vesper Timberland, a fair is being held in which the Slayer's Take intends to recruit new members, and several of the candidates have gone there by written invitation of the guild. Frog, an aeormaton monk, is observing everything with curiosity, and after accidentally scaring a child approaches a table, meeting Farah Vallari, an older half-elven monster hunter, who despite being cautious around the strange "armored" figure, soon realizes they are both in town to join the Slayer's Take, so she starts sharing advice. In the meantime, in the fish market, Idrin Shadowstep, an orc-elf wizard, listens to an old captain's colorful tales while he purchases some fish to eat, and soon after he meets Heera Agneheart, a tiefling rogue successfully convincing a woman to let her steal some jewels from her store to show her flaws in her security; Idrin approaches, curious, and offers Heera a fish, and after they realize they're both there to join the Slayer's Take, leave together, stopping between two buildings to cook the fish they then eat.
The four potential recruits meet in the same place, like many other candidates, and Heera takes the chance to trick a girl into leaving the place and return to her grocery store; Farah, witnessing that, uses it as proof for Frog: people here are ruthless. The candidates meet Poogs, a nice goblin who asks them about their motivations for joining the Slayer's Take as they write their names down: Heera is hungry, Idrin wants to protect others (and he uses Mending to fix Poogs' dentures), Frog wants to learn more, and Farah is simply following her calling as a monster hunter. After that the four of them formally introduce themselves to each other.
Timpani Guff, a firbolg sent by the Slayer's Take from Vasselheim, starts doing a presentation about the values of their guild, and then he starts looking at the candidates. He tells Frog and Farah to come to the stage, with Idrin joining them shortly after, and Heera tripping someone so she is called next. Timpani reveals a gelatinous cube inside a glass cage as an example of the kind of monsters the Slayer's Take defeats, but as he's speaking he falls, hits the glass, and breaks it, releasing the monster. The firbolg then hides, but the four candidates on stage start acting: Idrin attacks the cube with Scorching Ray, Frog uses a Flurry of Blows, and Heera and Farah hit it with their swords. The gelatinous cube starts moving through the market, and engulfs a statue of the founder and a halfling as he approaches the fish stall, so the candidates renew their efforts attacking it, until Heera splits it in half with a rapier blow.
The four of them are rewarded with fish parts from "Old Bertha", the best capture of the old captain, and Timpani, pretending all was an elaborate test, announces that the candidates have been accepted as members of the Slayer's Take. Following his instructions, the group meets the firbolg and Poogs in the forest at dusk, and as it is tradition, Timpani starts sharing a scary story about an old member of the Slayer's Take, a corrupt druid who tried to manipulate nature in an evil way, and was killed because of it, cursing the land where it happened. However, during the narration, eerie sounds are heard through the woods, and after noticing a violet light, the six of them start running as they see an avalanche coming.
Featured characters[]
"Re-Slayers"[]
- Idrin Shadowstep
- His hawk familiar
- Farah Vallari
- Heera Agneheart
- Frog
- Timpani Guff
- Poogs
New[]
- Captain Mickey "Horselaugh" Tallison
- Unnamed jeweler woman
- Ismay, her old parakeet
- Derek, an accountant who wanted to join the Slayer's Take
Mentioned[]
- Idrin's parents
- Hick Himblewood, founder of the eponymous town
- Putridius Festerkin, allegedly a dark druid and former member of the Slayer's Take
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ George Primavera confirmed the date on Discord. See a photo of his answer.
Art:
- ↑ Re-Slayer's Take promotional art, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
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