Dishing with a Demon is the ninth episode of season 1, Fantasy High.
The Bad Kids go out for ice cream with Gorthalax the Insatiable, break into a hospital, and investigate an emergency at the Cathedral of Sol.
Recap[]
"Last we left our intrepid heroes, they were back at the Durinson Mithral Factory, having released Gorthalax the Insatiable from deep within the bowels of the old mines. Gorthalax turned out to be Fig's dad! We have some business to wrap up at the mithral factory..."
Synopsis[]
Before The Bad Kids leave the Durinson Mithral Factory, they realize that the dwarves they battled in the previous episode are from Oakshield Middle School. After overcoming the embarrassment from the fact that they almost got dunked on by middle-schoolers, the group is ready to leave. Fig looks for an extra dwarven skateboard but doesn't find one.
Gorthalax teleports the party to Basrar's Soda Fountain. Adaine privately tells Kristen that she doesn't trust Gorthalax, but Kristen is still existentially distraught. Fig casts a Minor Illusion on her shirt so it says "Daddy's Little Demon." Riz takes Zayn's rat from Gorthalax. Basrar comes to take their orders and Gorthalax announces that he'll pay for their ice cream. Gorgug starts to think that Gorthalax may also be his dad. Kristen and Riz both notice that Gorthalax looks like he's trying to make a good impression on his daughter. Fig tells Gorthalax about how she's taking barbarian classes. Gorgug interjects and asks Gorthalax if he is his dad (and if Fig is his sister). Gorthalax tells Gorgug that he is not his dad, but that he is still proud of him.
Gorthalax asks how the Bad Kids found him. Fig begins to explain, but Adaine cuts her off and uses Message to tell Fig that they shouldn't mention the palimpsests. Gorthalax accidentally intercepts the message and admits that he heard it. Adaine apologizes, but Gorthalax says that she's fine. Riz asks Gorthalax who put him in the ruby and Gorthalax tells them that it was Arthur Aguefort. Fabian explains that Arthur Aguefort killed himself and Mr. Gibbons to save Gorgug and Kristen.
Gorthalax explains that he used to be an angel - Gorthiel, the angel of eating the right amount of food. When he fell from grace, he became Gorthalax the Insatiable. Kristen asks him if he was an angel of Sol or Helio and he says Sol. She tells him that she met Helio and that he sucked. Gorthalax agrees that Helio does, in fact, suck. Kristen asks him what Sol was like and Gorthalax says that he was difficult to read. Gorthalax fell from grace during the reign of Kalvaxus and landed in the Durinson Mithral Factory. About 15 years ago, the dwarves dug too deep in the mine. Gorthalax sprung out and went on a murder spree, revealing that he is insatiable for both food and murder.
Gorthalax broke out of the factory and met Sandra Lynn when trying to leave Solace. Fig tells him that she's been hating her mom lately. Gorthalax tells Fig that her feelings aren't wrong but points out that, because he's been absent, she's giving him more credit than he really deserves. Fig realizes that she's been unfair to Gilear. Gorthalax explains that Sandra Lynn caught him when he was running for the border and that they had a powerful connection. Kristen starts blurting out questions about sex and Fig immediately gets defensive. Riz and Fabian also react in horror, but Fabian soon admits his own curiosity. Gorthalax offers to have "the talk" with any of them. Riz finds out that Zayn Darkshadow's rat is named Edgar.
Gorthalax explains that Johnny Spells started coming to the factory two or three years earlier to dance his feelings out. Part of the deal he made with Johnny Spells was that he could not fuck; he says he did this because he got the sense that Johnny was a creep and that it would be funny. Kristen considers selling her soul to Gorthalax because of how open he is, but everyone except Fig stops her. Riz asks for some privacy and Gorthalax goes outside to smoke one of Fig's cloves.
Riz tells the rest of the group that they need to stop telling Gorthalax everything. Fig defends her dad. Riz, worried that Gorthalax can hear them, writes out a note about how evidence from their first fight in Episode 2 showed the involvement of a fallen angel. After everyone reads it, Adaine burns the note. Gorthalax returns, openly states that he recognizes that he's making the group uncomfortable, and says that there are no hard feelings. He advises Kristen not to become a warlock for him. He explains that his job is to give bad people the opportunity to be wicked so that only good people end up in heaven. When he says that Heaven and Hell mostly work toward the same goals, Kristen's crisis of faith deepens and she lights up a clove in an attempt to cope.
Gorgug asks if there are any other fallen angels in Elmville and Gorthalax says that he thinks he's the only one. He then asks the group about their mission and what they're after. Riz attempts to lie to Gorthalax but fails. Gorthalax offers to answer any questions the Bad Kids have about Johnny Spells. Fig asks about the Corn Cuties, but Gorthalax doesn't know what she's talking about. Riz asks about Johnny Spells. Gorthalax says Johnny Spells was desperate to sell his soul to someone. Johnny was doing petty crimes with his greaser gang until a bank heist went poorly and he got into The Harvestmen. Kristen tells the group that she knows The Harvestmen; in fact, she went to the Harvest Festival every summer with her family. Gorthalax tells Kristen that they are a militant, violent cult, which is completely surprising to her.
Gorthalax explains that the Harvestmen got control of Johnny Spells by somehow taking his contract. Fig says that Zayn Darkshadow was the one who had stolen the contract. Gorthalax says that Zayn was a stooge for the Harvestmen. Kristen then says that she knows the secret Harvestman handshake, to Gorthalax's surprise. Gorthalax talks about the history of Solace as a nation. It was originally a halfling country until it was conquered by humans. Then, it became Solace and was opened up to all races. He says that the Harvestmen are human, separatist, religious fanatics who are especially radical in Solace. Zayn Darkshadow became a scapegoat for them because he was isolated and untrustworthy; no one would believe a goth kid with no family and friends over a community leader. Gorthalax doesn't know how they had control over Zayn.
Gorgug brings up KVX Bank in relation to Johnny Spells getting involved with the Harvestmen because of a bank. Kristen says that she is having second thoughts about the Harvestmen and her family's intensity with religion. Adaine suggests that maybe everything, including Kristen being placed in an environment that causes her suffering, is random. Kristen vomits.
Johnny asked Gorthalax for help to get out of his debt with the Harvestmen. Gorthalax knew that he was running tea to poison Arthur Aguefort, which he was okay with because Aguefort trapped him in the ruby. He also knew that Johnny was running palimpsests, but didn't know what they were being used for. The one thing that Johnny Spells specifically asked Gorthalax for was a page that would create a Hellmouth. Gorthalax explains that there are two ways to create a Hellmouth: either find a portal with the right iconography and a portal key or open a Hellmouth inside of a person. Johnny Spells specifically asked Gorthalax for a page that would create a Hellmouth in a person. He explains that the person would have to have a direct connection to Sol in order for that to cause an apocalypse.
Adaine asks Gorthalax about what would happen if you killed someone who had a Hellmouth open in them, referring to Doreen. He says that the Hellmouth would close but also points out that there are several things the group hasn't told him. After some discourse about whether or not to trust Gorthalax, Kristen asks him for a book recommendation list. Gorgug asks about portals. Gorthalax explains that portals are naturally occurring, but are often overlooked because a portal key is required to open them. A portal to hell would have to have specific religious iconography or a connection to the lower planes. He also explains that you can use Detect Magic to find portals. Adaine casts Detect Magic and finds a portal at the base of Basrar's tornado that goes to the elemental plane of ice.
Gorthalax asks if any of them interacted with the Hellmouth page in any way. Adaine says she held it and worries that she may have a Hellmouth inside of her. Gorthalax opens a hellish portal, analyzes her, and says she looks alright. The party explains that the Hellmouth paper possessed Doreen and cafeteria corn. Gorgug asks Gorthalax if he went to hell in Episode 2 and Gorthalax tells him that he went to orc heaven. Riz asks about KVX Bank. Kristen says that she feels bad about grilling Gorthalax for information without trusting him and Riz agrees that they can trust him. Fabian expresses concern about trusting a demon and Gorthalax corrects him, informing him that he is actually a devil. Adaine tells Fabian that his dad is a pirate and they still trust him. Fabian becomes defensive and claims that his father is a privateer, not a pirate.
Riz asks again about KVX Bank. Gorthalax reveals that Johnny Spells tried to rob the bank but that it was militarily competent and quickly took him down. Gorthalax asks Kristen if she thinks the Hellmouth was meant for her. The group remembers that Zayn knocked Kristen down on the first day of school, which is probably when he added the page to her bible. Gorthalax explains that turning Kristen into a Hellmouth would have been perditional contradoxy, which is when someone promised for heaven is condemned to hell. This event proves Sol a liar, causes a cataclysm within the faith, and could potentially incite the apocalypse.
Gorthalax goes to leave and Fig invites him to breakfast the next morning. Gorthalax tells Fig to say hello to Sandra Lynn and Gilear. Fig says she'll invite Gilear to breakfast because he now works at Aguefort. Gorthalax says he needs to check in on hell and make sure everything is alright there. Before he leaves, Fig pulls him aside and asks him if he knew that she existed. When he says yes, she asks him why he never sent Johnny Spells to go get her. He tells her that he thought she would have a better life if she never knew about him. Fig continues to question him, but Gorthalax says that they should talk about it later before disappearing in a burst of flame.
The group turns their attention to the rat, Edgar. Fig casts Detect Thoughts on Edgar, who is just thinking about cheese. They confirm that the rat was Zayn's familiar. Riz asks Edgar if he saw Zayn get murdered. Edgar did and says it was "the worst time ever". Edgar says that the person who killed Zayn was a tall man wearing a scarecrow mask.
Gorgug asks Edgar if he knows why owls are after him. Edgar, frightened at the mention of owls, runs away. The group finds him hiding under a bar stool. Basrar accuses the group of bringing "vermin" into his parlor, but the group defends Edgar, explaining that he's a familiar. Edgar says the last thing Zayn did before he died was open his cage and set him free. Adaine asks Edgar what the last place he and Zayn went together was. Edgar says they went to a loud place where Zayn danced a lot before turning invisible and leaving.
Edgar says there was someone Zayn used to talk to at school who wore sweatpants, a hat, and a whistle around his neck; the gang realizes this is Coach Daybreak. Fig asks Basrar for cheese. Basrar sadly reminds the group that he can not grant wishes that aren't related to ice cream. The Bad Kids compliment him, but Basrar goes in the back room and begins to cry.
Kristen suggests that she join the Harvestmen and act as a double agent. Gorgug suggests that they should all go home and rest. Suddenly, everyone in the party gets a text from Biz Glitterdew:
So sorry, guys. Don't think I can be the hacker anymore.
They also receive a picture of Biz in a hospital bed, completely in traction, covered in bandages and blood.
Everyone decides to go to the hospital, but they decide they shouldn't be seen visiting Biz. Fig disguises herself as a doctor in residency. Riz sneaks in with Fig while Kristen goes to the hospital bookshop to look for information about the Harvestmen. The rest of the party waits outside.
Kristen asks the bookstore clerk if they have any religious texts, specifically about the Harvestmen. The clerk tells her that they're a radical cult and that they "don't really carry their literature". Kristen freaks out because she realizes that her home is filled with Harvestmen propaganda.
Frisbee man, suffering from Mummy Rot.
Fig gets really into the resident act as Riz accompanies her in hiding. A doctor grabs Fig, mistaking her for another doctor, and tells her that she has to immediately perform an operation on a man with Mummy-rot.
Fig enters the room and finds a man whose stomach is a roiling mass of sand and blood with a mummy's face. Fig gets handed a scalpel and is instructed to begin operating, but she washes her hands in an attempt to stall. She casts Sleep on the mummy, but the spell only makes it stronger. Fig attempts to operate on the patient and the sandman starts to swallow Fig's arm. Riz shoots the sand monster. The shot knocks a jeweled scarab out of the wound, which bounces across the room and turns into a smoking hulk of coal. The sand and blood return to flesh and the patient is healed.
Fig asks the other doctors where the liquor stash is before remembering what she's doing there and asking them to bring her to Biz's room. The other doctors praise her, telling her that she does too much work for the hospital. A dwarven doctor tells her that he never should've kissed her and Fig pulls him in for a passionate kiss. Riz watches the entire event awkwardly, trying to get Fig back on track. The dwarven doctor tells Fig that Biz is in Room 113. Before Fig leaves, she slaps the doctor on the ass.
Fig and Riz go into Biz's room and find his mom, Bubble, asleep in a chair beside him. Biz wakes up and sees them. Riz asks Biz who attacked him. Biz says that he doesn't know; he was attacked that morning before school by someone with sweatpants, a scarecrow mask, and a giant slashing weapon. The attacker nearly killed Biz and took the palimpsest. Biz apologizes for failing them, but Riz assures him that he's still the hacker if he wants to be. Biz says that Riz is his best friend, to which Riz replies, "You are definitely one of my friends, man."
Biz says that he was making great progress and that he could work faster with a bigger power source. He also says he wasn't able to talk to Sam Nightingale; it was never safe enough. Biz says that he would continue working if he could do it in a safe location with a large power source. Riz and Fig ask Biz if he mentioned the palimpsests to anyone. Biz reveals that he told the other A.V. Club members but that Shellford would never tell anyone and that no one would believe Skrank. Fig finds the liquor cabinet and steals all of the alcohol along with the lube and condoms stored there. Fig also gets the name of the dwarven doctor: Dr. Asha.
Fabian and Gorgug have been in the parking lot, flipping a coin, and Adaine has been using Mage Hand to make it land on heads every time. Riz explains everything they know to the party, and they debate whether or not they should beat up the A.V. Club kids. They decide to talk to Shellford the next day, intimidating him if necessary. They also establish that Coach Daybreak is likely the one who attacked Biz. Kristen asks her friends if they have any Harvestmen literature in their houses, citing titles such as “My Forsaken Classmates Are Scum” and “The Seven Eyes of My Lord and How I Have Wronged Them”; her friends tell her that her parents are probably really involved in the cult. The party members agree to meet up at school the next day and head home for the night.
The next morning, Fig has breakfast with Gilear and Gorthalax. Gilear explains to Gorthalax that, although he wanted to be the guidance counselor, he is now the Lunch Lad at Aguefort. He and Fig talk about how Jawbone is doing a great job as the guidance counselor and is widely beloved by the school. Fig is very excited about having two dads.
When The Bad Kids arrive at school, they each find a gift waiting for them in their respective lockers. Fig finds a ruby guitar pick that says "Gorthalax's Girl." Gorgug finds a leather ax holster with an emblem of a tin flower on it. Adaine finds a 45-gold-piece gift card to a clothing boutique. Fabian gets a tin of car wax for the Hangman. Kristen finds a copy of "On The Subject of World Religions". Riz gets a leather-bound briefcase with the initials "TB" on the front and gilded business cards that say "Riz 'The Ball' Gukgak: (un)Licensed Investigator" in handwritten calligraphy. The group briefly discusses the presents; they are initially suspicious but ultimately accept the gifts. Kristen decides to go to the library to look for Harvestmen literature and read her new book.
The rest of the group heads to the A.V. Club. There, they find Skrank and Shellford. They tell Skrank that a girl was asking for him in the parking lot. They fail to fully persuade him, so Adaine just casts Friends on him and sends him out to the parking lot.
Shellford is looking at a van in the teacher's parking lot without a license plate on the security cameras and writing a ticket for it. Adaine casts Detect Thoughts on him. Fig interrogates Shellford and asks him which people look at the security footage. Adaine discovers that Jace, Porter, Coach Daybreak, Goldenhoard and the A.V. Club members all look at the footage. Fig asks Shellford if he knows where Biz is; Shellford says that he knows that Biz was attacked but doesn't know details because he and Biz aren't that close. Riz asks Shellford who he is close with. Adaine hears with her spell that he is close with no one but wishes more than anything that he could let someone in. Shellford verbally tells the party that he isn't a loser and that no one at Aguefort is cool.
Fig asks Shellford why he beat up Biz. Shellford says that he didn't. In his mind, Shellford reveals to Adaine that he's scared and that he's not sure what he did wrong, but that he always does something wrong. Fig grabs his nunchucks but Adaine makes her give them back. Adaine asks Shellford if he knew what Biz was working on. Shellford's thoughts reveal that he didn't listen to Biz because it made him insecure. Adaine tries to reach out to Shellford but he shuts her down.
Gorgug asks him about the van and Adaine offers to take the ticket down to the car for him. Shellford mentally regrets pushing Adaine away. Riz asks if Coach Daybreak hangs out in the A.V. Club and Shellford says no. From Shellford's thoughts, Adaine learns that Daybreak looks at the footage more than anyone else. Adaine asks what kind of footage Daybreak looks at, but Shellford dodges the question. Before leaving, Adaine tells Shellford that "Kindness begets kindness." The last thought Adaine hears from Shellford is: "How could I ever be kind to somebody when I've never been kind to myself?"
Kristen attempts to find Harvestmen materials in the library but is unsuccessful. She does receive the book A Theory of the Divine when she asks the librarian for biased, religious texts. As she finds the rest of The Bad Kids in the hallway, Kristen gets a text from her parents:
EMERGENCY
Kristen calls her parents as the group goes to the parking lot. Her mother, Donna, tells her that there's been an awful emergency and that she has to come home right away. The party stops by the van in the parking lot before leaving school. They don't find anything suspicious about it and leave the ticket on the windshield before rushing over to the Applebees Residence.
Upon their arrival, they find Kristen's family, humans that Kristen recognizes from church, and Pastor Amelia all in Kristen's yard. Donna sees them and shouts that someone attacked the Cathedral of Sol. Pastor Amelia explains that, although no one was hurt, someone stole the door to the church's rectory. Adaine senses that the crowd feels attacked and victimized but that Pastor Amelia is trying to calm people down. Gorgug asks if the door was an original part of the church. Pastor Amelia says that it was centuries old and a recovered piece from an older monastery in Highcourt. They establish that the doorway has been stolen in order to open a Hellmouth. Fig says that it may have something to do with KVX Bank. The group decides to go to the Cathedral of Sol.
Kristen uses her keys to the church to unlock the doors and The Bad Kids begin to investigate. Adaine's Detect Magic spell shows that there is some residual stone-softening magic and a faint residual of strength-modifying transmutation. Adaine believes that this was a team operation; she theorizes that someone softened the stone around the door and someone (or multiple people) with modified strength physically removed the door. By the curb of the church, Riz finds skid marks from a large, four-wheeled vehicle.
The Bad Kids rush back to Aguefort and find the unmarked van with its back doors wide open. Adaine and Kristen see traces of magic and evil trailing over to the Bloodrush Field. Kristen gives a speech that, although intended to be inspiring, is just about how there is no god and that everything is random in a bad way. Fig disguises herself as a Harvestmen member as the group sprints to the Bloodrush Field. On one side of the field is an enormous stone arch from the church that is pulsing with infernal energy. On the other side is a chest that has been opened, Coach Daybreak, and a legion of skeletal bloodrush players. Coach Daybreak turns to the group, smiles menacingly, and says, "Let's play ball!"
Locations[]
- Durinson Mithral Factory
- Basrar's Soda Fountain
- St. Owen's Memorial Hospital
- Aguefort Adventuring Academy
- Applebees Residence
- Cathedral of Sol
- Bloodrush Field