"The Fading Frosts" (RT2x17) is the twenty-ninth episode of The Re-Slayer's Take. The Re-Slayers venture to the Thorain Tundra to uncover the truth behind Shai's proposal.
Synopsis[]
The adventurers reach the tundra, and although Farah complains about not having appeared closer to the construction zone, they set off; as they move forward, they notice that the temperature seems to fluctuate strangely, and is not as low as it should be. When they arrive at the ruins they are greeted by Derek, the only worker in the area who has not fled; he recognizes the group, and identifies himself as the accountant that wanted to join the Slayer's Take back in Himblewood, although the Re-Slayers barely remember him. Derek tells them that the monster has attacked the area a dozen of times in the last week, forcing his company to hire more and more people, since the employees keep leaving. When he describes the creature to them, Farah declares it must be an Apex Eidolon, and that perhaps all the strange magic affecting the continent is disturbing the nature spirits. Derek guides them to "Fort Derek", a hill with tents where he usually hides; there, the Re-Slayer's Take talk about the mission, and Farah admits that even if she doesn't want to hurt eidolons, she really needs the money. Heera gives her a ruby to make her feel better, and the old half-elf tries to hide how much she likes it; Poogs says she can always sell her new carpet, and Timpani also adds he could give her some money in time, since his cousin Pumat keeps sending money to different relatives regularly. When they inquire about what could have disturbed the Apex Eidolon, Derek tells them that in order to build they cut down a forest and moved some stones covered in runes, and following that lead, Heera confirms in her book that such spirits tend to have sacred places; She also notices that the last page of the tome is torn out, and that the text preceding it theorizes what would happen if the eidolons disappeared from Issyra. The tiefling, after Timpani shows her that he can only summon plants very slowly, decides that instead of restoring the forest they should use the runic stones to find a new home for the eidolon; when she asks their druid if he can transform into an animal to help in the mission, he is embarrassed, since it is not his forte, and Poogs explains that Timpani's Wild Shape is very odd. The other adventurers, suddenly insterested, ask him to show them, and he transforms into a talking badger with a normal-sized humanoid hand (Frog immediately draws it); Timpani turns back to normal, and although everyone is laughing a bit, they try to make him feel better.
They check with Derek again, who tells them that they threw away the runic stones because they were unable to break them to make bricks, and after sending the accountant away, they start making plans: Farah (who doesn't want to walk) tells Heera to go check the stones and read their runes, and she leaves hidden by her new cloak, with Poogs on her back. In the meantime, Timpani negotiates with Frog, telling her he will show her a decent version of Wild Shape if she keeps the drawing of the previous one to herself; he then turns into a moose with firbolg limbs, and the monk draw that immediately, encouraged by Farah. The blood hunter is hit in the back of her neck by a small paper ball, and recognizing Dr. Fitzwaggle's method, she walks away until she finds his wooden caravan; when she deduces that she's the only one trying his products, she asks for more money, and since he is bad with numbers she "helps" him, demanding more coin until she counts 45 gold pieces. Shortly after, when he mentions that the Re-Slayers' time in Heldwell's manor seemed hard, she finds it suspicious and gets angry, so he admits he is actually a ghost (she gets confirmation when she notices that her crowssbow is glowing); he explains to her that he and his products weren't valued in Josgren's Hollow, and that in Potion Con his place was so bad that when the whispers attacked he was instantly killed, manifesting as a ghost only after Farah found his potion. Dr. Fitzwaggle tells her that she is the only one that can interact with him, and that he can only move on if she tests all his products; he also assures her that all the items he has given her are real, since he can only summon the belongings he had when he died (Farah confirms it by biting a coin). The ghost tells the blood hunter that if he doesn't want him around she can leave an object that belonged to him in her apartment and he can spend his time there, doing experiments with different materials (such as her black powder); he also explains that he tried giving her clues about his undead nature in their past conversations, and she feels embarrassed because she didn't notice. Although she is annoyed, Farah promises that she is not going to destroy him, but in exchange for having him around with his unpredictable potions, she asks for more money and a favor: to watch the Ethereal Plane for her and inform her if Heldwell is approaching. They make the deal.
In the meantime Heera and Poogs are trying to find the stones, and as they do the warlock has a vision of the Strife Emperor appearing as different goblins of the Hoard Hive, telling her that she's being irresponsible being in such a dangerous situation, and that she needs him. She ignores the Betrayer God and eventually finds grey slate rock with a Druidic rune meaning "home/den"; Poogs informs her that he has found one too. Since the stones are too big, they decide to carry them one by one; Poogs, noticing that Heera seems nervous, asks if she's ok and she tells him that there's nothing they can do about it, as she ignores the evil-looking goblins of her vision around her. Poogs makes strips from his vest and takes a bell from Heera to mark the place of the stones; while he is doing so, Bane whispers to the tiefling that he will let her handle this mission on her own. She, without looking at him directly, asks if he shouldn't be opposing Heldwell, given that he is toying with the balance between life and death; in response, the god explains that the weaker the world is the easier it is for him to control it. When she points out that he probably doesn't want a powerful and immortal spellcaster ruling over Exandria, the Strife Emperor agrees, but adds that first he must teach Heera a lesson. The visions end, and when Poogs returns, he and the rogue start moving one of the runic stones.
Featured characters[]
Re-Slayers[]
Returning[]
- Derek, a man working for Shai, formerly an accountant who wanted to be a monster hunter
- Dr. Fitzwaggle, the strange potionmaker from Josgren's Hollow
- Bane, the Strife Emperor (as a vision of the Hoard Hive)
New[]
Mentioned[]
- Shai Kripps, wealthy red dragonborn founder and CEO of Shai Kripps Skyships
- Grimm Heldwell
- Putridius Festerkin (unnamed)
- Pumat Sol
- The Apex Eidolon of the Demithore Valley
- Apex Eidolon of the Thorain Tundra
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Re-Slayer's Take S2 promotional art, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.