"The Mummified Menace" (RT2x15) is the twenty-seventh episode of The Re-Slayer's Take. The Re-Slayers and The Spectral Hand's disastrous alliance crumbles as they battle a massive mummy who bears an unsettling resemblance to someone they know.
Synopsis[]
As the mummy starts moving, ghosts appear in the ceiling, moving chaotically and ready to strike. While her extra arms take notes, Frog moves around the main enemy and approaches its sarcophagus to Identify its gem, but is repelled by a wave of necrotic energy. Heera hides near the sarcophagus, but in the meantime the spirits descend and frighten the others, weakening Farah, Maurice, and Euphemia, although Dronk scares away those bothering his friends; in the meantime, Gavain is blinded by the mummy's sand. Frog tries to attack the enemy, but ends up with her fist stuck in its body, being knocked unconscious by the pulse of negative energy that produces; Heera, noticing that, comes out of her hiding spot to give her friend a potion, after which she casts Protection from Evil and Good on herself. The mummy uses its maul against her, but Farah uses hemocraft to create a shadowy veil to protect the tiefling; although the undead manages to hit Heera once, she reduces the damage with Uncanny Dodge. Farah deduces that the gem in the sarcophagus is channeling the will of Heldwell, and tells the others; Dronk tries to throw Maurice towards the stone, but the halfling ends up in the floor, near an unconscious Euphemia. While the mummy stuns Heera with a scream Frog punches the gem several times and moves away, while Gavain slams the sarcophagus to expose the stone better being blinded by sand again and knocked prone immediatley after); Farah shoots at the gem but is overwhelmed by ghosts whispering to her that she can't save people. Dronk shakes Euphemia to stabilize her, but although the mummy produces dark ribbons to block healing, those disappear after Frog causes radiant detonations around the gem and Heera harms the tether between the stone and the mummy with Booming Blade (which briefly stuns the undead). The ghosts keep harming Farah, Gavain focuses on healing himself, and in the meantime, the bandages covering the mummy's face move a little, exposing the face of Igor, a former associate of Heldwell; upon seeing this, Frog recognizes him outloud (causing Gavain to tell her to ask the mummy to stop fighting), while Farah and Heera agree that Heldwell is irredeemable. The blood hunter manages to hit the gem once more, almost breaking it, and Maurice distracts Igor with Vicious Mockery, causing him to appear next to him; Drink tries to break the marionette vines connected to it, unsuccessfully, but meanwhile Frog hits the gem again and breaks it. A wave of necrotic energy knocks the monk unconscious, but the ghosts in the area, as well as the marionette vines, disappear.
Igor's eyes become darker and he stops moving. While Farah helps Frog, Heera Disguises as Heldwell to see if she can control the mummy (causing Dronk to attack her, being knocked unconscious by her Hellish Rebuke), and in reaction the undead grabs her by the throat, asking what he (Heldwell) has done to him; when Heera reveals her actual face Igor recognizes them, and when Farah asks he explains that Heldwell used his lantern to transform him into a mummy. After she tells him to be at peace he thanks her, and his body crumbles into sand. While Gavain celebrates their victory Heera wakes Dronk up and then comments with Farah that they should have more potions, before realizing Timpani was the one healing them most of the time (thus admitting his usefulness). After investigating for a bit the rogue and the blood hunter find a stone face representing the Timberblight and are teleported outside the mansion, while the others heal using Goodberries from A Taste of Tal'Dorei. Heera uses her earring to contact Timpani (who is still in the Hug Hive) and asks him to come back, admitting she misses him despite having said she needed some space; emotional, the firbolg informs her he will be back in two hours. Heera recovers the tankard the other group had in the kitchen and Farah steals some silverware; when the other adventurers arrive with Frog, they try to explain that their patron will only reward them if they can take the credit of what happened in the manson; when Farah tells them that they should be giving them a reward (like healing potions) and retire because they are terrible adventurers, Euphemia argues that even if they want to retire they still need money. Heera points out that even in their own team they have weaker people that still manages to be useful, and offers them to become their apprentices in exchange for a small fee. While the others discuss the advantages of such an offer, less limiting than their current patron, the Re-Slayers gather and Farah admits she only trust Euphemia; Heera admits they weren't too good when they started either, and Frog remembers how important it was for someone to give them a chance. When Farah suggests to accept everyone but Gavain Heera points out they will not agree to that, and mentions that Maurice reminds her of an odd version of Poogs, with Frog adding that if that makes Gavain Timpani, then the firbolg is way more efficient as a healer. Euphemia joins them shortly after and tells them they are ok with their offer, although she asks as a personal favor if she can have asks different to the ones of her teammates, since she needs a rest (they agree); when Farah asks why is she traveling with the other three, the elf reveals there is a chance that Dronk is her son, but she doesn't want him to know nor to be alone (and asks Frog to be silent when she gasps). The two groups gather and Heera informs them that they will stay with Timpani as soon as he arrives, while she and her friends do some research for their own mission. Gavain agrees, as long as he doesn't have to write things on a journal, declaring that's ridiculous; that causes Farah to threaten him and Frog to angrily run towards him.
Epilogue[]
Two days before, in the Demithore Valley, Grimm Heldwell walks with his lantern absorbing the souls of the local eidolon spirits, loudly announcing he intends to keep doing so until something stops him. Then, the Timberblight informs him that the Apex Eidolon is approaching. A huge bear-like entity with glowing green eyes appears and attacks Heldwell when it sees him draining the power of nature and making trees rot; however, the wizard summons vines to stop the spirit, and absorbs the soul of the Apex Eidolon with the lantern. After bending forward for a moment, he declares that this feels wonderful, and he and Putridius laugh in unison.
Featured characters[]
Re-Slayers[]
- Farah Vallari
- Heera Agneheart
- Frog
- Timpani Guff (voice only)
Returning[]
- Spectral Hand adventurers
- Gavain von Eitel, the arrogant human knight
- Maurice Ignatius Fiddlefoot, the halfling squire
- Euphemia, the sulky elven mage
- Dronk Stonefist, the half-giant warrior
- Igor
- Grimm Heldwell
- Putridius Festerkin (voice only)
New[]
- Apex Eidolon, a bear-like spirit
Mentioned[]
Quotations[]
- Farah: (to Gavain, about Frog's journal, which he ridiculed) I will end you, that journal is delightful!
Trivia[]
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Re-Slayer's Take S2 promotional art, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.