The Misfits and Magic Holiday Special is a holiday set in the world of Misfits and Magic, taking place after the events of season 10.
Recap[]
"We return to a magical world, changed irrevocably by the events that you four undertook in the last four months. Wizarding society having learned a sort of ground shaking truth that magic can be enacted by anyone if they're properly taught. If they are given arcane foci to focus their craft, can learn magic.
The Wizarding world, thinking that was an interesting project, elected to bring in a pilot program to the Gowpenny Academy of the Arcane. You four were picked by Headmistress Philtrum for no other reason than you are the literal worst people to be brought to a magical school, you were set up for failure, and yet you managed to thrive.
At the end of our first campaign, you all made some real spicy choices, both to foster community within the school and disseminate world-shattering knowledge throughout.
So I'm living in that now, and you are in the process of disseminating this information in a way that it cannot be easily exploited or controlled by any entity, which means that progress in the NAMP world is slow going. New people are discovering their abilities with magic, but it's hard to do. So you're in that sort of flow state moving forward.
But now is not the time for ripples and repercussions, it's the holidays." ― GM, Aabria Iyengar
Synopsis[]
End-of-year holidays are approaching, the Gowpenny grounds are covered in snow, and the school is on a ten day break. The Pilot Program kids are preparing to return home for festive familial fellowship, all except Evan, as he has nowhere to go. Jammer looks forward to a big family gathering, Sam mulls over a new surname. However, before they can head out, they receive a summons from the as-yet undeposed Headmistress Boudicca Philtrum, to come to her office. They all theorize what the meeting might be about, wondering if they have to surrender their wands to return to the Namp world. K has been knitting as part of her magical girl transformation, having made Jammer long socks to keep warm, due to his refusal to wear pants. Jammer, noticing that Evan has started to branch out on his fashion choices, asks Sam what to say if he asks for their opinion, with Sam advising to not hurt his feelings, although Sam’s familiar, T2, is less tactful. K awkwardly tries to offer Evan, their boyfriend, the chance to join them and their parents in Seattle, resulting in a prolonged conversation that makes everyone in the Chimeron common room very uncomfortable. Jammer decides to end the tension, and suggests they head over to the headmistress’ office, much to the relief of the nearby students that had been eavesdropping. Before they leave, Lemli Irving notes that no one tends to go home for the holidays, but does not press the issue.
Headmistress Philtrum's Office[]
Upon arrival at Philtrum’s office, which is now less sparkly and whimsical, reflecting more of her true personality now that she does not have to hide it, they are all informed that their requests to return home have been denied, and only three students will be allowed to leave campus this year: Digsby Cooper, Axelby Killoran, and Fergus Ponst. Digsby and Fergus are allowed to leave due to the loss of their close friend Tallulah, who had lost her wand as a result of Evan and K’s spell at the tournament last semester, and can no longer study at Gowpenny. Dr. Norman Boodle and Nurse Stitchnit are there to pay witness, as they are now student advocates, and the Misfits’ greatest allies on the staff, who insist that Philtrum be more transparent. The headmistress has relented to that request, and tells the Misfits to ask her any questions they may have. They begin by asking her what The Lulling is, and she adds that it is an annual lull in the potency of magic, and over the next ten days, magic will be much harder to perform.
The Lulling, as this diminishment is known, lends its name to a festival, during which the magical community comes together in solidarity amid the loss of their powers. Central to the festival is a ritual, also called The Lulling, in which a mage-eating beast known as the Tadeshacourt is lulled to sleep. This monster, huge and bear-like with a fleshless deer skull for a head, is not real, but rather a metaphor for the lull of magic which the community meets with unity, or so believes Philtrum. She also insists that even if the monster isn’t real, and the ritual is bogus, that the Misfits cannot return home to their families because they are not actively magical, despite everyone having the potential to be a wizard. Evan asks why Axelby was allowed to go home, and Philtrum explains that his family is uniquely tied to the Namp world, but Evan surmises by the carefulness of her answer, that the real reason has more to do with his family’s wealth. Jammer continues to theorize ways he can go home, but Dr. Boodle, unable to do anything, apologizes for his misfortune.
K asks if the four will get to participate in any kind of holiday celebration, and Philtrum says yes, The Lulling ritual takes place on the school grounds, happening that evening. She mentions that there will be several government officials in attendance, including the minister of education, Peddleston McJonjon, whose family has been leading this ritual for a hundred generations, or roughly two thousand years. The group decides this sounds boring, and resolves to throw “a rager.” Philtrum tells them all to leave her office, and Jammer “accidentally” knocks several of her things off of the credenza he’s been resting on, breaking them on the ground. This makes Philtrum so angry, that while locking eyes with Sam, she breaks her own finger. Sam, watching this, decides to add onto it, intentionally knocking over another of Philtrum’s knicknacks. Nurse Stitchnit rushes them out the door, buying them time while he begins to heal her broken finger.
Jammer laments over having to miss his grandparents’ Christmas party, and Sam suggests they try to teach The Kitchen to make him some, but he declines, saying it won’t be the same. They commiserate, and Jammer affirms that he’d like to plan some kind of rebellion. While they walk back to their common room, they run into a group from Hercinil, including Khanh Nguyen and Fergus. Jammer panics, and Sam braves going over to talk to Fergus, trying to make small talk. She mentions that he’s allowed to go home, and that she isn’t, but if he would like to stay and spend some time with her, she would like that. He tells her that he would be happy to stay, and that he’s “sorry for the thing he said earlier.” He asks for help on what he shouldn’t say, in order to not upset her, and Sam says she’ll have Evan make a list. Fergus unintentionally insults Evan’s hairstyle, who immediately removes his scrunchie. He and Khanh begin to leave, and Jammer stops Khanh, trying to talk to her, and offers for them to hang out during The Lulling. She says that her family will be there, and Jammer asks if he should meet them. She says that her family knows about him, and would like to meet them, although maybe he should wear pants, because it will be cold outside. They high five before she leaves, and the group notes how strained their relationship seems.
The four discuss Evan’s fashion choices, trying to reassure him, which suddenly turns into Evan giving them tips on how to make makeshift weapons, and how to fight a bear. While explaining how to duct tape a phonebook around their midsections and put coins into tube socks, Minister Peddleston McJonjon walks by, listening to their conversation. He introduces himself to the Pilot Program, and makes an excellent impression, seemingly aware of what has been put on the internet, although Evan makes a point not to assume his beneficence. He explains that the Tadeshacourt, or “Tad,” is more of a cryptid, a bear with a deer skull and antlers. K notes that this sounds like “a fuckable cryptid,” alongside the Loch Ness Monster, and the entire group seems perplexed. Minister McJonjon seems to genuinely enjoy Evan’s style, which gives the latter enough confidence to attempt to put a scrunchie back in his hair, but since magic is difficult, he only manages to conjure a wet sock. The minister invites them to have a drink with them from The Kitchen, and even allows them some alcohol. However, Evan orders a ginger beer, so that he can break it against the desk, to use as a weapon. Horrified by this, the minister clarifies to everyone that they will not have to fight the Tadeshacourt. He affirms that the group cannot go home, that it is ultimately up to the headmistress, but that he is supportive of merging the magical and Namp worlds, despite the political turmoil that it has caused, but that does mean that it’s more dangerous for them to return home. They all chat, and the minister explains what The Lulling ritual entails, and invites them to stand with him while he performs it later.
The Misfits get distracted, wondering if they can see Tad’s penis, and what it might look like, and the minister excuses himself from the conversation in order to continue decorating for the holiday.
The Lulling[]
Later that evening, the students, and their families if they are around, gather outside the castle for The Lulling, which takes place on the grounds near a natural henge. Peddleston is there, standing with what can be assumed to be other ministers from their government, and waves them over. Before they head over, Evan takes a moment to advise everyone to tuck their pants into their socks, and hands out sweatshirts to be used as shields for their arms. K suggests that they sing Christmas carols instead, in order to scare the bear off. The group realize that the entire crowd can hear them, off-put by their violent plans. Jammer notices Khanh and her parents, and goes over to meet them. They seem cordial enough, and invite him to sit with them for dinner. Before he leaves, he and Khanh get into a fight over Evan’s erratic behavior. Heading back, the group notices Lemili standing with her mother, and Fergus with his hoard of giant ginger family members. Sam goes over to talk to him, and is swarmed by his family, who seem to like her, but don’t really address her directly. Sam compares it to a comment section, and Fergus rescues her from the encounter, although she somehow ends up with a toddler in her arms. Unsure of what to do with it, Sam just drops it, and Fergus catches it, prompting Sam’s gratitude for the gesture. Fergus returns to his family, and Sam returns to the group, to Evan telling them that he brought a jar of bacon grease to smash on the ground as a distraction for the bear. The others point out that no one around them seems particularly worried, but Evan is undeterred, although the group has already made concessions to his preparations. They finally join Peddleston, who kicks off the ritual, reciting a poem, which reverberates over the grounds.
After the ritual is complete, the attendees all begin to leave, as it is too cold to want to hang around. Sam and Jammer complain that the ritual was dumb and short, and K comments that she is “Team Tadeshacourt,” but notice Evan is fully weeping, trying to agree with their assessments. Evan admits that it’s the first holiday that he’s spent with anyone, which softens the others’ opinions. They all hug, and Evan apologizes for how paranoid he’s been, but the rest of the group assure him that his vigilance was not for nothing, as strange things keep happening to them. Going back to the castle, the group doesn’t notice an antler leaving a bloody scrape across a stone. While walking, Jammer suggests they could at least try to teach The Kitchen how to make eggnog, wanting to share his family tradition with Evan, and K says that they and Sam have been talking about actually throwing a party, called “The LOL-ing.” Evan says they can also celebrate whatever holidays that the rest of them usually do, and that he had looked up different holidays in order to accommodate them. While teasing him about Kwanzaa, Jammer slips in the mud, as his shoe has caught onto what appears to be a piece of velvet. Evan examines it, and quickly determines it to be from a shedding deer antler, indicating that the Tadeshacourt is on the prowl. Jammer tries to warn Khanh with a message, but she doesn’t believe him, which makes him further question their relationship, and the group discuss how Jammer’s and Sam’s relationships are coming up short. K mentions that high school relationships don’t last, which shakes Evan, who pulls Sam aside to confirm this. Regretfully, she does, telling him that even if they do make it, divorce rates are very high.
Evan tries to distract himself with the hunt for the Tadeshacourt, and charges into the forest. The team follows after him to investigate, which leads them to the bloodied form of Minister McJonjon. Jammer manages to stabilize him using Evan’s scarf, stopping the bleeding, and the group decide to take him to Nurse Stitchnit. They carry his body, turning their brooms into a makeshift sleigh. At the nurse’s office, Stitchnit takes him in order to heal him, and tells them to go back to their common rooms, since they are covered in the minister’s blood. K, who has been doing basic forensic work, notes that the claw marks on his chest are too wide to be a wolf’s, and no footprints leading up to the body, indicating that this was the Tadeshacourt. The Misfits head back to their common room, but are interrupted by Axelby, who is alarmed by their blood-spattered appearance. They corner him, thinking that he had something to do with the minister, since he was supposed to have left the campus already. Axelby seems confused by the accusation, and Sam tries to explain the situation, in order to keep Evan from taking over.
Chatting with Axelby, he reveals that he was trying to meet up with Lemli, whom he is in a relationship with, and that his father is Henry Killoran, who is the Minister of Finance. The group attempts to intimidate him into silence, which works a little too well, causing him to burst into tears, begging them not to kill him. The group feels bad for the interaction, they try to apologize, but he is too upset, and they let him go on his way.
The Nurse's Office[]
The next day, the group goes back to Nurse Stitchnit’s office to check on Minister McJonjon. Nurse Stitchnit has clearly had a rough night, and informs them that the minister has been transferred to St. Bastine's Hospital nearby. They express their suspicions that the minister was attacked by the Tadeshacourt, and Nurse Stitchnit says that he doesn’t disbelieve them, but if it is true, then they have a huge problem, and explains a little more about The Lulling, and that originally it was a large, collective spell that takes hours, in order to keep the monster at bay. While he appreciates their enthusiasm for fighting the creature, he expresses concern since their powers are quelled, but that they have already passed the worst of it. The group states that they would like to do a proper, more traditional form of the ritual, but if the heart of it is about community and togetherness, then their idea for a rager was on the money, which they hope will put Tad back to sleep for another year. Stitchnit expresses concern for Evan’s preparation to seemingly fight other wizards, then excuses himself from the conversation so that he can have plausible deniability.
The Common Room[]
Zeal undiminished, the Pilot Program kids plan the LOL-ling, to bring the school together in supplement of the ritual. The Kitchen is recruited as caterer, providing both food, and copious amounts of alcohol. Realizing that they need to get the message out quickly, Evan invites the group to receive some of their Christmas presents early, as he has gotten Sam a ring light, streaming PC, and new wireless hub for the castle’s internet connection. This spurs the group to exchange presents, and Sam has gotten Evan a phone with a screen, and for Jammer, she’s taught The Kitchen to make McRibs properly, and K The Sandman box set. Jammer has gotten the entire group Fortnite coin, and Evan a copy of Fortnite for his phone. K has gotten Jammer a formal jersey and shorts, Sam a cute hibachi grill for her mukbangs, and Evan a backpack that is bigger on the inside, so he doesn’t have to keep his stuff in a grocery bag anymore. The Oggles come in and reveal that the entire house has chipped in to get T2 a fancy pet bed, and gotten each of the Misfits a house pennant, and Jammer has gotten them Fortnite coin. Jammer then invites them to the party, and they reveal that none of the students have ever thrown a party at the school, so students are sure to be excited. Sam sends out a video invite to the school at large, to a very excited response. Evan writes a get well card for Minister McJonjon, and attempts to send it to St. Bastine’s hospital, although it is crushed by the weather, only to be picked up by a large bird, which seems to vaguely go in the right direction.
The Aqrabus Common Room[]
The group sends a message to Dr. Boodle, explaining that the party is about to start, but before they head to the Great Hall to begin, Evan suggests that they go apologize to Axelby and invite him in person. They meet with Lemli, and attempt to explain the misunderstanding, who at first denies her connection to Axelby, but eventually turns angry when she realizes that they’re the reason she didn’t meet with Axelby the previous evening. They apologize, and Lemli forgives them, and they all go to the Aqrabus dormitory in order to smooth things over. The common room is under the ground, and K still insists she would’ve liked to live there. They are greeted at the door by Penfrew Lairmsbury, who allows them in, playing dumb about Lemli and Axelby’s relationship. Penfrew confirms that he’s going to the party tonight, and tells them that Axelby isn’t bad, and to go easy on him, since holidays are hard for him, and he didn’t go home this year. They find Axelby, invite him to the party, and apologize for the way they had treated him. Axelby admits that he made a bad first impression on them, and apologizes for his part in making them feel unwelcome, and warns them that a lot of people want them to fail, as he hears things from his dad who works in the ministry, and his uncle, Chatwin Killoran, who works in the Namp world. They commiserate over not being able to be with their families this year, but Axelby noticeably perks up at the mention of alcohol. Lemli kicks them out, and they leave, confident in their preparations.
The LOL-ing[]
After a formal outfit change, the group heads to the Great Hall, where the party is well under way. Fergus comes by and gives Sam her Christmas present, a mirrored compact, but unintentionally manages to make a gaffe all the same, and Sam reminds herself that he’s still learning. Jammer finds Khanh, and breaks up with her, since he feels bad about their relationship. Evan wonders if this negative energy will dampen the effectiveness of the spell, but figures that the ritual is about any strong emotion, not just positive ones.
Despite the roaring success of the party, the Tadeshacourt still arrives in all its vicious glory, although at first it is merely a presence, not in physical form. Jammer fails to amplify his voice, and Evan threatens the students into singing “Happy Birthday,” the only song that they all know. This seems to bring Tad into visibility, who makes to attack Khanh. Jammer tries to push Tad away with magic, but his magic is still absent, and is unable to help. Luckily, Khanh recovers, and rips her skirt in order to free herself from the monster. Evan charges at Tad with a broken bottle, and goes straight for the neck, managing to slash it open, causing it to bleed frozen water. Other students start to join in, using their magic to fling furniture at the monster. Sam attempts to talk to the Tadeshacourt, who is resolute in his desire to kill all of them, and mentions that he will “find the rest.” Sam tells Tad that he probably will not survive the fight, but the creature swats Evan away, strong enough to throw him across the room, breaking his ribs as he hits the wall. Sam picks up the broken bottle that Evan dropped, and takes up the fight in his stead, charging Tad and goes for the throat, into the cut Evan had created, feeling something inside of him, causing the monster to try to push her away.
K sprints over to Evan, then goes live on Sam’s Tiktok to start a chant going with her followers in order to give the spell more power. K points out that her followers are Namps, but that only means they haven’t been activated yet, which means that everyone is technically a target of Tad. While this is happening, Tadeshacourt begins to power up, since there is a lot of magic concentrated, but also that the energy is set against him, which also causes him damage. Jammer manages to amplify his voice, and start a chant going, and Evan begins to divine the true nature of the Tadeshacourt: it represents the embodiment of fear from wizards, of magic overrunning the world, afraid of the world-wrecking power that they wield, that can only be quelled by community. Tad exists to control the ambition of wizards, but it is not a beast, it is a force, and cannot be truly killed, only lulled. Evan looks at his friends, who are doing the roles that usually another would do, and begins to sing. Tad acknowledges him, and nods, and leaves the four with a warning, “Beware of what you put in the world, there are worse things than me.” Tadeshacourt is lulled to sleep, and melts into the ground.
K fixes Evan’s ribs, and Khanh stops Jammer to talk to him. She agrees they should break up, and hugs him, giving him his Christmas gift, instructing him never to ask her where she got it: a transportation rune, which will take him anywhere for five hours. Evan compliments Sam on her stabbing, and Sam agrees she was good at it. The scene fades out, back into the party, returning into full swing.
Locations[]
Characters[]
The Magical Misfits[]
New[]
- Peddleston McJonjon
- The Tadeshacourt
- Henry Killoran
Returning[]
- Theodore
- Terminator 2
- Headmistress Boudicca Philtrum
- Dr. Norman Boodle
- Nurse David Stitchnit
- Khanh Nguyen
- Fergus Ponst
- Spalding
- Axelby Killoran
- Lemli Irving
- Penfrew Lairmsbury
Mentioned[]
- Tallulah Jillymont
- Digsby Cooper
- Alexis
Gallery[]
