A Meeting Over Scones

A Meeting Over Scones is the title of the second 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, sixteen minute and fifty-nine seconds long. The episode was released on the Twenty-ninth of September 2018. The introductory soundbite is “Sanspants Radio Kiss me on my lips” sung by Jackson Bailey. The following episode is Ambush At Jones’ Bluff.

Major Events

 * The characters arrive at Fairburn Point keep
 * After a short wait refreshment are brought by a maid and the characters meet the ancient Lord Michael Clarke and an unknown knight
 * They find out that A’Helm has gone insane and is currently leading a doomsday cult
 * He joined with a bunch of goblins and organised them into a giant raiding party which then attacked Jone’s Bluff.
 * The party becomes suspicious of the story they are being told.
 * A funeral procession for Sir Howard Clarke, son of Michael Clarke passes by. He was allegedly killed at Sunsen
 * The servant set to deliver the party some papers goes mad when they mentioned the cult and attacks them
 * A knight from North Candor named Sir Richard Ware discovers the right and joins in to thelp the party.
 * Sir Hector knocks the assassin unconscious and calls for Lord Oskakit

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

 * Vasha – Fairburn Point Guard
 * Michael Clark – Lord of Fairburn point
 * Sir Terry Bur – Knight
 * Oskakit – Minor Lord
 * Sir Richard Ware – Knight from North Candor
 * Unnamed magically affected Servant

Locations

 * Fairburn Point Keep
 * Fairburn Point Keep Main Hall
 * Fairburn Point Keep Dining Area

Plot Synopsis
After a short wait refreshment are brought by a maid and the characters meet the ancient Lord Michael Clarke and an unknown knight, who has a dreamy and happy expression on his face. Some minor pleasantries are exchanged, and Hector explains to the lord that they are looking for A’Helm. The lord appears to have issues speaking, quite possibly due to his advanced age and the unknown knight answers in his stead. Informing the party that the Lord does not know of anyone named A’Helm.

The party find out the disaster at Sunsen was less an explosion and that the ground was ripped apart by some unknown force. Eventually they find out the knights named is Sir Terry Burr, he is the highest ranked knight around and suggests the conversation might be better had without bothering the lord. He believes that he knows someone that would be able to help the party. After this Sir Terry Bur leaves the room leaving the party alone with the Lord.

Over the next 30 mins the party has tea and scones with the lord and make small talk. It is obvious over this time that the lord is struggling with his advanced age as he asks the group the same question multiple times.

With their scone and tea break over Sir Terry Bur returns with another man. This man has a sharp face and is carrying a large number of papers and parchments which he proceeds to dump on the table. The man is introduced as Oskakit, a lord around these parts.

Oskakit knows a lot more about A’Helm than the others the party have spoken to so far and is very interested in the reasons the party have for searching him out. He explains that A’Helm will not be interested in travelling with them as he has gone insane and is currently leading a doomsday cult. Oskakit is keen for the party to get A’Helm out of his hair as he has been quite a problem for him.

Oskakit is able to give the party a general idea of where A’Helm can be found. After some discussion about the cult Oskakit mentions the incident in Sunsen. They are still trying to work out exactly what happened. But what they know is that a band of goblins, hobgoblins and orcs were picking at the town’s wreckage. A’helm was either at or coming towards the town at the same time, he joined with a bunch of these tribes and organised them into a giant raiding party which then attacked Jone’s Bluff. They have been quiet since then but seem to be camping out in the forests around Jone’s Bluff.

It becomes clear the longer the conversation goes on however that Oskakit is attempting to hide something from the party. Noting that the cultists A’Helm is related too have not been a problem until “recently” and suggesting the party leaves immediately. When called on this by Ser Grace he continues to obfuscate and brings up the goings on as an excuse. The party’s questions around why they have not informed the king of the disaster in Sunsen and its 15,000 causalities seems to turn him against the party. Soon after Oskakit, Sir Terry Burr and Michael Clark leave the room. During this time to themselves they discuss the goings on. All three agree that something more than what they’ve been told is going on. They are very suspicious of the story the nobles have told them and decide to inform the king of the current situation.

While waiting in the room the group observes a funeral procession passing through the main hall. Ser Grace recognises the sigil and it quickly becomes apparent the this is a funeral for Howard Clark, the son of Michael Clark. Through a conversation with a representative of the leatherworker’s guild named Steve, who recognises Tieffany; the party find out that the area where Sunsen once was is now just a crater. Additionally, the cult said to be led by A’Helm is called the star seekers and the town guard is currently refusing to do anything about them. According to Steve the sheriff who Oskakit claimed was a cult member was the only one interested in combating the cult, though soon after he was apparently revealed to be a cultist.

After a while a man approaches the party to deliver the scrolls Oskakit promised, he has the same happy and dreamy expression on his face that Sir Terry Burr did. Ser Grace realises that this look is a sign of his mind being magically addled. However, once the cult is mentioned the man’s dreamy expression vanishes and he draws a knife from seemingly nowhere. Due to Tieffany’s attempt to scare the servant, a knight in full regalia bursts into the room, fortunately the knight, Sir Richard Ware is known to the party and he quickly joins in on their side. After a hilarious and rather slap stick fight during which the party initially does their best to take the servant alive only for Teiffany to accidently stab Ser Grace, resulting in Ser Grace attempting to set the servant on fire. Sir Hector eventually managed to knock the assassin unconscious, despite the best efforts of the others to violently murder the man.

After searching the assassin Ser Grace finds a necklace featuring a wood carving of two figures either making love or strangling each other. The necklace jogs Sir Hectors memory and he can confirm that this necklace is related to the star seeker cult. While the group discuss this development Sir Hector calls for Oskakit and ties the assassin to a chair.

As the episode ends Osakit arrives with several city guards and it is confirmed by the assassin he is part of the cult and attempted to kill Ser Grace because he offended his god.

Quotes
Cass: I’ve heard of chicken wings, but I’ve not heard of chicken gross

Zammit as Sir Hector: Cults are not very good, you bring in a big thing they either kill themselves or some others and then big thing comes and causes bullshit, it is no pleasant.

Cass as Tieffany: It would be nice to belong

Zammit as Sir Hector: (Looks at Ser Grace)

Cass as Tieffany: I know what sobbing sounds like

Cass as Tieffany: I gingerly creep towards the sobbing

Jackson: Clip clop clip clop

Adam to Cass: You know common, infernal and thieves cant the language of thieves

Zammit: Don’t tell a thief what the can and cant do

Whole Party: “Dick Ware, Dick Ware, Dick Ware, Dick Ware, Dick Ware”

Trivia

 * It is quite probable that the servant that attacked the party was specifically designed to attack the party. They were likely to say the word cult around him and that word was said multiple times around Sir Terry Burr without any change in his behaviour.
 * This episode sets the precedent of Cass playing Tieffany amazingly and earning inspiration so often that Adam has trouble giving it to her as she already has a point.
 * Tieffany’s Uncle Count: 3