TG404

And the Plot Cried Out, No Hiding Place

a.k.a. "Weekend at Gryffie's"

Episode Number: (TG404)
Original Airdate: 2/2002

The party is still split:

Team Pawn -- Tierney, Arlemis, Aldamar, Emcee, Fayel, Gart, and Yadarjin -- defends the chessboard room. (Perhaps, with Fayel on the team, it should be called Team Queen.) Fayel does some Weird Magic Stuff to reconfigure the magical barrier there, as it seems that someone had bypassed it before.

Team Operation Shield of Defending Freedom's Liberty -- Gryffid, Sendant, Aldea, Timus, Vargon, Karilon, and Elhenia -- continue to clean up the mess in the stables. (For certain values of "clean up.")

Plot Points

Team Queen:

• Tierney flirts with a beholder's big eye, poking it a couple of times.
• Aldamar, despite having both death and disintegration rays pointed at him, survives.
• Emcee is turned to stone. Tierney later releases her from it, and proceeds to win back (and exercise) his snogging rights.
• Yadarjin turns a beholder to stone. Team Pawn is scared.
• Yadarjin shows something reminiscent of the anger emotion. Team Pawn is more scared.
• Fayel, in a moment of unusually firm wrist, scares a beholder away. Team Pawn starts (metaphorically) soiling their (metaphorical) undershorts.

Team Operation Shield of Defending Freedom's Liberty:

• Timus takes the initiative, teleports into the magic circle with an unconscious Gryffid, teleports back out with an additional Duke Eledin, and ends up in the training grounds rather than his own chambers. (Stupid teleport ward.)
• Karilon grudgingly saves Vargon from death, and may demand compensation at some later time.
• Alstone seems to be one of the captains of the baddies.

Aftermath:

• Gryffid is floated around via things like Timus' Levitation and Mage Hand spells until the party joins up again. (Rumors of Timus manipulating Gryffid's unconscious body for comic effect are greatly exaggerated.)
• After the incident at the stables, the enchantment on Duke Eledin is broken. Tierney starts to discuss chess with the duke.
• The party has won! Everyone gets experience and money. (Cue fanfare.)

Unanswered Questions:

• Why the hell are there beholders in the Inner Keep?
• Why the hell isn't Fayel afraid of them?
• What the hell is Yadarjin? No, seriously?
• And while we're at it, what the hell is Fayel?
• Where did that other beholder go?
• Does Fayel realize that Tierney was the one who bypassed the barrier?
• How will Gryffid feel about having his life saved by a sorceror?
• Was that really Alstone leading the baddies?
• Do you really want to make enemies out of all the Lawful- and Good-aligned temples? Simultaneously?
• Is the party really going to take a vacation? Or is it going to be one of those vacations?

Analysis:

Devo owes Debbie big time for making the roll that prevented Aldamar from becoming dust. :-)

All the raiders claimed to be aligned with one of: Foundation, Sky Queen , Bright Blade, Oathmaker. Additionally, the lighting-bolt symbol used by many of the raiders can be interpreted in many ways; common themes are justice, rebirth, and speed of movement. Perhaps a new movement is forming in the area?

Someone definitely wants DukeEledin out of power, and they are willing to use very un-subtle measures to get what they want. This someone is quite likely the merchant(-prince) Rant, though no real proof of this has been offered.

The Firm Order now controls many of the towns in the Twingate area. Karilon considers this a Bad Thing. The party is expected to take a vacation in Alyon, largely sympathetic to the Just Order, during Fourday Gras. The party is also expected to make sure the Just Order doesn't lose support in Alyon. Looks to be fun, for certain values of fun.

Technical Gaffes

Repeatedly casting Fireball inside a wooden stable, often targeting points on the walls, will not burn it down. Nor will it ignite kicked-up dust, hay, or horses.

DMP Speaks

Crap, man, I was keeping track of the damn beholders. How am I supposed to be accountable for shit like stables catching fire?

Yes, in the future, we'll be going for realism. In the present, we're going to say that the TwinGate Inner Keep stables were lined with... clay. Yes. Clay. Nonflammable clay.

Other than that... I'm staying out of this one. As someone who actually DOES know what's going on, it'd be bad to join in the speculation.

Lemme just say, though... whether he's right or wrong, go Tierney... DAMN, that's a lot of deduction.

Gryffid Speaks

You mean it was Timus who dragged me out of the stable?!

Cripes! Why do sorcerors have to act honorably?! It only complicates things!

Tierney Speaks

• Captain Alstone seemed to be a good and honorable man when we met him in Glain.
• Many followers of good gods, as well as Alstone, attacked the party and Duke Eledin.
• This may be explainable as the result of magical control, or very very strongly influenced public opinion.

• Fayel wore the same belt-weapon as Protar. My understanding is that this weapon is a badge of office for very high-ranking servants of the King.
• Protar was (probably) an evil extraplanar creature.
• Fayel is (probably) a good extraplanar creature (like Bavrika, who "killed" Protar).
• Protar was referred to by Fayel as Rant's henchman.
• Rant is a powerful merchant who is trying to take over Twingate.

• Protar was seen talking to Baelin the bard, in Glain.
• We recently fought two Insectile Monsters, one of whom appears to actually be Baelin in his true form.
• These Insectile Monsters were part of or taking advantage of the attack on Duke Eledin.

• Public opinion has been deliberately (and sometimes magically) set against Duke Eledin, and against good-aligned governing structures in surrounding towns.
• Someone (Rant the merchant, maybe) is trying to force Duke Eledin out of power through political pressure.
• Some group (good-aligned warriors? Insectile Monsters with beholders?) tried to kidnap Duke Eledin.
• I believe that these three forces are ultimately the same force.

• Duke Eledin is important for Chess-related reasons. The Insectile Monsters went for the Chess Room (or possibly followed us / Fayel).
• Given the above, I believe that the single force set against Duke Eledin is the Ta'bar'pur, somehow influencing this world from... somewhere else.
• Given the nature of the DarkDay, it's possible that the attack on Duke Eledin was an attempt to leave the world briefly unprotected so that the Ta'Bar'Pur could enter.

Geordan Speaks

I've edited this page what, four times, and each time my edits have been overwritten. Ugh. My life for file locking, or merging.

David Speaks

Geordan's wish is my command. (Occasionally)

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