"The Restless Retreat" (RT2x09) is the twenty-first episode of The Re-Slayer's Take. The Re-Slayers continue to follow Frog's compass west. Yet, as they settle down to rest, they discover they are not alone in the shadows of the night.
Synopsis[]
When the adventurers prepare to go to sleep, arranging their watches so that Frog would keep the longest one, the weapons are activated detecting a spectral presence; everyone is startled until they see that it is a swarm of jellyfish-like ghost eidolons flying through the night sky. Poogs does the first watch alone (since Timpani falls asleep) and wakes Farah up for the second. The blood hunter is hit by a ball of paper with a message shortly after, so she asks Poogs to cover her for a few more minutes, meeting Dr. Fitzwaggle down the mountain; they have a conversation about the functionality of their inventions, and after a while Farah returns to her group having received a raise and a new magical item to test. Heera has a nightmare in which Timpani wakes her up and asks her about her family before stating that she disgusts him; shortly after the Strife Emperor presents himself in front of the tiefling, claiming that she was promised to him by her mother, and that unlike her siblings, she has not renounced him. Heera wakes up sweaty and startled, and when Farah asks her if she's ok she tells her she's not. Later Frog does the last watch and draws her friends.
In the morning the monk confirms that her missing piece is still westward, and wakes up her friends while Timpani and Poogs make Goodberry pancakes; Heera wonders why Frog is so excited about food she can taste, and she theorizes that one of her missing pieces might allow her to do so. During breakfast Heera is constantly watching Timpani, but he, confused, assumes she is mad at him for the way he handled the Goodberries (using his dirty shirt) and apologizes. They continue traveling with their wagon, until they find a wooden structure Timpani identifies as a roc nest with four eggs. Heera, very excited, approaches as one of them is hatching, wondering if they can keep it, and shortly after the mother appears with recently killed rodents, ready to feed her young and also furious to see intruders near them. Farah throws sleepy cupcakes at the monster, hitting the chest instead of the beak; however, when the roc grabs Timpani with a claw Poogs runs towards them and pushes some of the sleepy cupcakes inside the creature's mouth. The mother falls unconscious, and after making sure the hatchlings can reach their food (Timpani leaves some Goodberries just in case) they leave. Poogs tries to joke about Heera's hook horror egg to relieve the tension, but she starts weeping, sharing how unhappy she is about their chaotic journey and her current situation, as well as the changes in her appearance, declaring she is no longer beautiful. Frog comforts her, telling her they can fix their broken horn by purchasing a beautiful golden piece to replace the tip, and the group ends up hugging (making the monk very happy, since she had drawn them doing so). When Farah checks on her friend Heera tells her that they can reconcile if she is allowed to keep the hook horror egg, assuring her she had bought it for the blood hunter; Farah agrees. The group hears the sound of detonations in the distance, in the same direction the compass points at. They keep moving (going through a section of the mountain so cold Timpani has to give his coat to Poogs) until they reach a valley with a lonely cabin with a shining lamp and a lot of stairs. They approach, finding a sign written in Dwarvish; Heera reads it, explaining that it says that trespassers will be thrown from the top of the mountain, and Poogs nervously comments that whoever lives there can throw all the members of the Re-Slayer's Take at once, although he isn't very convinced.
Featured characters[]
Re-Slayers[]
Returning[]
- Dr. Fitzwaggle, a potionmaker from Josgren's Hollow
- Bane, the Strife Emperor
New[]
Mentioned[]
- Agneheart family
- "The Captain", Heera's father
- Heera's mother (unnamed)
- Sona and Neil, Heera's siblings
- "Crooks", a tiefling boy with crooked horns
- Pumat Sol (unnamed)
Quotations[]
- Bane: (to Heera, in a nightmare) You cannot wish me away. I am your Emperor!
- Frog: (as the entire group hugs) Woohoo, it's happening! My dream!
Trivia[]
- When Frog mentioned she might find a missing piece that allows her to taste food and Heera expressed that the idea of the Aeormaton with a tongue is disgusting, that was a reference to Fresh Cut Grass, a character from Campaign Three. There was a recurring joke about him having an actual organic tongue in his mouth, something the rest of the characters (and their players) found disturbing.
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Re-Slayer's Take S2 promotional art, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
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