On The Road To Fairburn Point

On The Road To Fairburn Point is the title of the first episode of The Search For A’Helm, a D&D is for Nerds Adventure. It features Adam Carnevale as the Dungeon Master and is one hour, zero minute and fifty-nine seconds long. The episode was released on the Twenty-fourth of February 2018. The introductory soundbite is “Sanspants Radio *Dice sounds*“spoken by Adam Carnevale. The following episode is A Meeting Over Scones.""

Major Events

 * The trio of characters are introduced
 * We find out the characters are looking for a seer named A’helm, they have been sent on this mission by the king and the carry a missive from him to that extent (It can only be used once).
 * The characters arrive at Fairburn point to find refugees desperately trying to get in
 * The characters find out about two disasters, one at Sunsen and one at Jones’ Bluff. Sunsen was subject to some kind of explosion or force that devasted the town. Jones’ Bluff has been overrun by goblins and orcs.
 * Tieffany manages to terrify the refugees by attempting to comfort one with her tail
 * The characters enter Fairburn point and obtain a guard to escort them to the Fairburn point keep.

Players and Characters

 * Sir Jordan Grace played by Jackson Bailey
 * Sir Hector the Beautiful played by Joel Zammit
 * Tieffany Grace played by Cassandra Paige

NPCS

 * Vengance – Tieffany’s Horse
 * Radney – Ser Hector’s Horse
 * Blanche Dubois - Ser Grace’s Horse
 * Vasha – Fairburn Point Guard
 * Unnamed Refugee

Locations

 * Road to Fairburn Point
 * Fairburn Point
 * Fairburn Point Northern Gate
 * Fairburn Point Keep

Plot Synopsis
The first 34 minutes of this episode centre around the cast introducing their characters. These characters are as follows:

Ser Jordan Grace played by Jackson Bailey
"55 year old Human Fighter (Eldritch Knight)""Personality Trait: Not better than peasants, after all we will all die one day""Ideals: Must protect his family""Bond: Made a pact with an eldritch being to get spells, if he dies, he will go straight to hell. As such his bond is to stay alive.""Flaw: Has a scandalous secret he made a pact with an eldritch being. This became even more scandalous when the pact touched his bloodline causing his daughter to be born as a tiefling.""Alignment: Lawful Good""Has a bond with his weapons, meaning he can return them to him like Thor"

Sir Hector the Beautiful played by Joel Zammit
"26-year-old Azmir Paladin""Personality Trait: Optimistic""Ideals: Likes to help those in need""Bond: Owes his life to the priests that took him in when his folks died""Flaw: Obsessed with completing his goals""Alignment: Lawful Neutral""Has a Deva guardian named Gladia, who comes to Hector in his dreams in the form of a Hindu goddess"

Tieffany Grace played by Cassandra Paige
"Tiefling Rouge Unknown age (Probably around early 20’s late teens)""Personality Trait: Likes to talk at length ……. about her profession (and in general). Really wants people to appreciate her ….. work.""Ideals: Has aspirations to be the best at her craft""Bond: Will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed her place of business and destroyed her livelihood""Flaw: No one must ever learn she stole money from the leather workers guild coffers""Alignment: Chaotic good""Believes she is Ser Grace’s adopted daughter, in reality she is his biological daughter"

The three characters ride up to Fairburn point on their mission to find A’helm. Along the way they notice the lonely tower, a massive kilometre high tower sitting far out at sea surrounded by a magical sea wall. Old tales say the wizard within is experimenting with evil undead magic. Sir Hector wants to do something about the tower, but Ser grace is steadfastly against the idea and Tieffany follows his lead. Sir Hector is swayed to their side as well when it is pointed out that anyone that has tried to have never returned.

It is established that A’helm is bald and has a scar along one cheek. A frail and sickly man, something happened to him in his childhood and as such he developed very poorly physically. However this expanded his mental prowess making him a very capable seer, one who is called on by people all over the realm. Additionally it is revealed he is very charismatic, when visiting the king he’d have his own quarters with animals, suggesting he love animals and that he hummed a lot to himself.

After packing up camp for the morning the characters notice a massive column of smoke off in the distance. They don’t know why but they can deal it was from a large fire or some other kind of disaster. Judging from the direction, it is probably coming from a town named Sunsen.

Finally arriving at Fairburn points Northern gate the part find it extremely busy. There are carts fill with coal lined up as far as they can see. Massive clumps of people are visible at every gate to the city. Judging by there ragged appearance and haunted looks all of them are refugees from disaster. Though difficult to count one can estimate there are hundreds if not thousands of people trying to get in.

After some discussion with a refugee the characters find out about two disasters, one at Sunsen and one at Jones’ Bluff. Sunsen was subject to some kind of explosion or force that devastated the town, some of the refugees believe it was due to the gods anger. Jones’ Bluff has been overrun by goblins and orcs. Trying to help Tieffany pats the refugee on the shoulder with her tail, causing him to freak out and a panic to spread amongst the refugees. The party uses this to there advantage to make there way through the crowd to the gate.

Once they make it to the gate, the ruckus caused by Tieffany’s action has made it possible to walk straight in. Hector is set on talking to the guard instead of just walking in. After introductions and a short discussion, the guard recommends they head to the Fairpoint Keep. An action which Ser grace had suggested in the first place. After setting off up the main road to the keep Ser Grace literally snags a guard named Vasha to escort them to the keep. The episode ends as the party continues up the main street towards the keep.

Quotes
Joel Zammit : “I am a Paladin, I’m not a Palidon’t.”"Jackson: “I also realised Blanche Dubios is from a street car named desire”""Adam: “Yeah?”""Joel Zammit: “You just realised that?”""Jackson: “I just thought I’d come up with the name”""Joel Zammit: “You’re a dickhead”""Adam: “You are a bit of a dickhead”""Jackson: “Ill cop it it’s true”" Cass to Joel Zammit: “Im gonna braid you and your horse together”

Jackson(Awkwardly): “Soooo when you make a pact with an evil devil, that counts as your bloodline being touched by something dark like an eldritch being and that kinda causes a Tiefling. Sooo uhhh when my wife may god rest her soul, died during childbirth the child that was born was a Tiefling. But can’t be having that, so I had say she was adopted so I could still look after her, um but she doesn’t know that she’s my real daughter and every day it weighs on me sooo heavily.”

Joel Zammit: “You know that saying never meet your heroes, I feel I’m (Sir Hector) there right now”

Cass as Tieffany: “I feel oddly comforted that dad is letting someone down that isn’t me.”

Trivia

 * This is the first time Cass appeared in DNDIFN
 * It is revealed in this episode that Tieffany is actually Ser Grace’s biological daughter not an adopted one, though she is unaware of this fact.
 * Adam does not manage to get Tieffany’s name right without correction until 58 mins in.
 * If you have listened to the Merchant of Grapebirth you may recognise some of the characters