In the Heart of Death is the fourth and final episode of season 17 of Dimension 20, Dungeons and Drag Queens.
The Questing Queens face off against their assorted foes in the throne room of Thanara.
Introduction[]
We see the throne room of Thanara, Goddess of the Underworld. Here she is, seating in her throne, and by her side, Alacranos, her scorpion champion. ... Surrounding the throne as well, are, I'm afraid to say it, youe assembled ememies. We see Zaria Hex, the Blood Queen,...who emerges from behind the throne. ... Flying up by her side, Morgan of the Glaring Sun. ... We have Keena of Everdeep,...leaping down into the fray. And then...Uncle Kerwyn. Now, suited up for battle, here he is: the Duke of the Foehammers. ... But, hey, you're not here to see these enemies. In fact, I think we're hoping that these enemies are all met with a swift defeat.
Synopsis[]
As their foes step forward for the upcoming battle, Zaria Hex locks eyes on Twyla, and menaces, "Oh, little fairy, you have flown too close to the shadows. Time has come to peel those pretty little wings off your back." In response, Twyla flys above the battlefield, and, in a burst of red glitter, marks her old foe. She then shoots Hex with three arrows, the power of her resolve causing the playing cards in her bag to shine bright enough to illuminate the entire room. Zaria attempts to magically shield herself, but it's not enough as all of Twyla's arrows to strike. Coughing up blood, the Queen of the Undead goes from someone at the height of her power, to someone struggling to live in a single attack. Troyánn summons the wind of the wide sea towards her cousin and those around her. This knocks Zaria down, causing her to tumble down a set of stone steps in front of Thanara's throne. Zaria, now on death's door, rights herself, the blood from her mouth pooling into her collar, weaving itself into the fabric of her gown. She looks back at Twyla, and says that she can smell that the fairy has the seed of the Allblossom. In a fury, she unleashes a bolt of lightening at Twyla. As she fights against it, the will-o'-wisps surround the fairy, protecting her from the full brunt of the Blood Queen's spell. Zaria screams, and tries to reposition herself for a better shot. However, Twyla summons Buddy Bear right behind her. With Twyla's help and a purr-turned-hiss, Buddy claws at Hex, causing huge gashes in her back, and pushing her off the steps into the void.
"Apologizing" to Princess for deceiving her, Kerwyn flies into a rage, and jumps on top of the pillars in Thanara's Throne Room towards the Queens. In response, Princess flies into a rage of her own, confronting her uncle on the upper beams. He snarls at her, demanding to know why she had to survive, and how he always hated being a part of the Foehammers, the family's power wasted on sniveling do-gooders. He proclaims that she has stood between him and ultimate power for the last time, a threat Princess dismissively shrugs off. Kerwyn, unable to knock Princess back, jumps over and behind her, slicing her back with his sword. Attempting to help her ally, Troyánn leaps from her floating platform onto the one with Princess. After attacking her cousin with a javelin, she quickly takes out her longbow, setting her sights for Kerwyn. As the orc tries to intimidate his niece, saying no one has her back, he is hit twice by the mer's arrows, one of which begins to wrap Kerwyn in venomous sea kelp, and pulls him onto one knee. Seizing the opportunity, Princess begins to swing at her uncle with her new greataxe. Saying, "Merry Christmas, motherfucker," she lands three blows to Kerwyn, though he is confused by the statement as it is only mid-March. He doesn't have long to contemplate this, though, as the force of Princess, combined with the spirits of her family and the support of her friends, screams, "And a happy new year!" knockingknocks him off the raised beam into the abyss. As the darkness consumes him, he is faced with the shadows of every Foehammer he sent to the Underworld in service to his lust for power.
Gathering her courage, Gertrude shoots an three rays of fire towards the witch hunter who has been persuing her all these years, hitting her twice in the chest. As the flames lick her cheeks, Morgan looks to her attacker, musing that she will soon be seeing plenty of the fires of hell. She sets the flame of her spear alight. However, Troyánn's Gust of Wind had hit Keena too, and, while she tried to catch herself with her Canolin Hook of Death, she is ultimately swept into the abyss, calling to Morgan for help. Hearing the cries of her falling comrade, the winged inquisitor flies to the falling Keena, and brings her back to safety. Before helping out Princess against her uncle, Troyánn hurls her new javelin infused with lightening at Keena, piercing her, and causing both her cousin and Morgan to be electrocuted. Gertrude continues the assault. The heat building up from her pores, she releases an enormous fireball on the flying/falling duo. While Morgan tries to protect Keena with her wings, it hits them full force, causing blood to drip from their scorched noses.
Throughout all of those, Alacranos has been a chaotic addition to the battle, attacking friend and foe alike. In the heat of the back-and-forth between Princess and Kerwyn, he jumps onto the platform with the orcs, and attacks them both with his stinger, though only Princess is hit with his poison. However, the bigger damage comes to Troyánn as, after Kerwyn's defeat, the scorpion-man sets his sights on the mer. Gertrude tries to shield her, but is unable to stop Alacranos' attack. Morgan flies to the platform with Princess and Keena, dropping the latter off next to the orc. Seeing the damage caused by the scorpion, Keena looks down at her cousin. "Nice spell, cuz," she says, leaping with her hook of death towards Troyánn. While Troyánn is able to block twice, she is caught in the crotch by Keena's third attack, and drops into unconsciousness. However, Twyla goes to her fallen friend. Saying, "Sis, I got you," she cures Troyánn wounds, bringing her back to consciousness. Buddy Bear leaps over to try and attack the villainous mer, but is unsuccessful in his attempt. Gertrude picks up the slack, scorching fire from her fingers at Keena. She stumbles back, the fear of death in her eyes. Then Princess jumps down with her greataxe landing between Keena and her friend. First asking Troyánn for permission, she swings her greataxe into Keena's skull, splitting the chain of the Canolin Hook of Death, and striking her dead.
They still have to deal with the chaotic neutral threat of Alacranos who continues to attack, hitting Buddy Bear almost to the point of death. Meanwhile, the last of her aliies left, Morgan raises her hands to the group, and calling upon the power of the ever-gazing sun, a ray of burning light blasts from the tip of her spear towards them. However, Gertrude, safe on another platform, casts a counterspell, and, combined with Troyánn's Deep Bank of Concealing Fog concealing the Queens, blasts back the magic to hit Morgan instead. Buddy then goes to Twyla, enveloping her with a breath of honey and jasmine, magically aiding the fairy. Embolstered, Twyla flies up to meet the witch hunter. She shoots one of her longbow arrows at Morgan. However, she is able to swat it away with her spear. Twyla then responds, "You ready, bitch? 'Cause I'm about to get you." With a yell, a trill, and a purr, she releases another arrow. This one hits its target. In a cry of anguish, Morgan's body bursts into light, and vanishes. With Alacranos as the only one left in combat against the Questing Queens, Thanara calls the scorpion back, ending the battle.
Thanara congratulates the group, pointing out that not many living people would enter the Underworld to the temple of a forgotten goddess. She continues with sadness that she is stuck there, having to rule without changing forever; that this is her lot in life for all eternity. Thanara continues that, as agreed, their wishes would be granted, adding that she hopes her boons will bring them joy when they return back to the lives and future that lay in store for them. However, there is a sad bitterness to her voice proclaiming this congratulations, something Gertrude points out when the others discuss what to do next. They approach the dais, Alacranos apologizing for attacking them in the combat before heading off to the mess hall. Princess goes first, asking for life to be returned to the Foehammers (except Kerwyn), as they were wrongfully killed. Thanara muses that bringing back one person from the dead is miraculous, let alone bringing back an entire bloodline. However, the way she cut Keena in half was really cool, and, with a snap of her fingers, grants Princess' wish. With a whirl of smoke, Princess is embraced by the members of her family: Ronarian, Ronkaria, and her siblings, Duchess and Earl. Tharara then looks to Troyánn. The mer responds that, after finding out the truth behind Queen Inira's deceit, she wishes to bring her father back to life. In an instant, Roy of Karkyn appears before Troyánn. Giving her a giant hug, he apologizes for making his deal without sending her a message first. After expressing their love for each other, Troyánn tells him, "Now let's take down Mother." "I say, 'Hell ya,' to that," he replies, adding that it would be an honor to fight by her side. Placing a fist on her heart, the mer responds, "Manolikalana," a gesture he resolutely gives back. Thanara, pained by the touching display, then turns to Twyla and Gertrude. Twyla then says that, while she had come there to restore the fey people to life, she had also come to love her companions that she had travelled all this way with. So, if it was possible, could the goddess, not only bring back the lost fey, but remove Gertrude's curse of immortality as well? A tear falls from Thanara's cheek at the selflessness of Twyla's request, and immediately grants it. However, as she is about to, Gertrude yells for her to wait. She runs up to the goddess, and says that being released from her curse is something she has wanted for most of her life. She then takes out the green vial given to her by Nyruth, and placing it in Thanara's lap, continues that she thinks the goddess deserves to be given the same kindness. Thanara is overwhelmed by the displays of kindness, both from Tywla to Gertrude, and then Gertrude towards her. She explains that she knew, even when Gertrude was young, her heart was pure enough and loving enough to be able to show kindness and compassion even to someone like the goddess of the dead. She had thought to bless Gertrude's life with safety and protection, but, like all her blessings, it became twisted into immortality. Tharana apologizes to Gertrude for the pain she unwantingly put on her life, and mournfully states that she cannot except the the tiefling's gift. She is the source of power for the Underworld, and, if she were to leave, every spirit that resided there would be in crumble to dust, and every piece of the world would fall apart into oblivion. If there was anything with the power to sustain the realm, she would gladly leave, but, unfortunately, there isn't any.
Twyla reaches into her bag for the Allblossom seed, and offers it to Thanara. The goddess sputters that it is too great a gift, and, besides, she cannot give the life needed to plant it. Buddy Bear then purrs from behind them, and walks up to Thanara's throne. The magic of the fey realm begins to fill Twyla in a golden light, and Thanara steps down. She states thrones are oppressive, both to those to come before them and those who sit upon them. It's time for a the Underworld to have a different heart. The seed of the Allblossom glows and Twyla's playing cards begin to shimmer, the will-o'-wisps causing the cards to float around her, swirling in all directions. Twyla looks to her now sisters, as whispers, "Ladies, we did it." Each of them gather, and Twyla plants the seed, it glowing a beautiful golden light as she does so. Buddy Bear purrs as it's put in the ground, the room filling with a calm serenity as time fades away. Thanara takes of her mantle of rulership, and blows its curse of forever watching the Underworld into the green vial, causing it to vanish. Her golden bracers vanish from her wrists as she is finally free. She looks at Gertrude and says, "I do not know what adventures await me in the realms beyond, but I dedicate them to you, sweet Gertrude." Turning to the rest, she warmly says, "Heroes, not just of the Underworld, but to me, sweet sisters." Thanara opens a portal to the realms beyond, and enters it waving, leaving behind her pain as she goes off into her next adventure.
The golden light fills the room as fairy songs can be heard in the air. Suddenly the empty throne cracks as roots and plants grow and begin to rip the throne apart. A beautiful blossom emerges as the Tower of Tombs begins to crumble. However, before the stones can fall, the fast growing briars tear them away. Now able to see the sky, it is no longer filled with blood red lightening stormclouds, but one-by-one, rays of sunlight begin to appear. The Allblossom blooms again, as with it brings back the fallen fey, the first to return being the energetic Alvin, as well as people like General Isadora and Captain Martha. The tapestry holding Queen Titania unravels, freeing the queen from her prison. The power of the fairy realm begins to fill the land, not just among the fey, but the undead. The light touches Wallace, and the rot of his cheek begins to heal. Grass, trees, and flowers begin to grow on the barren land, the red veins revealing themselves to be roots all along. The barren wasteland of the Underworld is given new life, not just to the land, but the people as well. The Underworld gives way to Fairy, and the spirits of the dead are welcomed in revelry and joy for as long as they wish to stay. However, the portal in Thanara's former throne room is always open if they ever wish to move onto their next adventure. Within the center of Allblossom is Buddy Bear, the magical power of his creation forever giving it, and the new fey realm of the Underworld its life.
Before the Questing Queens depart, they see Nyruth from behind a tree, ecstaticly holding the now glowing green vial. He then notices that Gertrude still has her curse. He tells her that, In Kelvorda, there is a curse-breaking talisman deep in the heart of a seventeen-layer dungeon past the Mountains of Shadow in the Desert of the Serpent King. If they're interested.
Locations[]
Kelvorda[]
- Desert of the Serpent King (mentioned)
- Mountains of Shadow (mentioned)
The Underworld[]
Featured Characters[]
Questing Queens[]
Returning[]
- Alacranos
- Lieutenant Alvin
- Buddy Bear
- Keena (†)
- Kerwyn Foehammer (†)
- General Isadora
- Captain Martha
- Morgan (†)
- Thanara
- Ronarian Foehammer
- Ronkaria Foehammer
- Roy of Karkyn
- Queen Titania
- Wallace (undead)
- Zaria Hex (†)
Mentioned[]
- Queen Inira
- Nyruth (implied)
Trivia[]
- This is the only time minis are used in the entire Dungeons and Drag Queens campaign.