Queens on a Quest is the first episode of season 17 of Dimension 20, Dungeons and Drag Queens.
Four travelers unite as they each seek to solve their own problems.
Introduction[]
We couldn't be more excited to have you all here in "Dimension 20" for this tale of adventurers, heroes, and the Underworld. Four such heroes now journey along the Gallows Road. These travelers, having met just a few nights before at a tavern called The Fish Tank, where, after a massive brawl broke out, the four of them realized that each of them had their own reason for journeying to the Temple of Wraiths and a fabled legendary entrance to the Underworld itself. Their reasons for their journey are their own, but together they stand a greater chance of braving the perils of the realms beyond.
Without further ado, I invite all of you to envision the realm of Kelvorda: tall mountains framed in shadow with thick mist of lavender and indigo hue. As night falls, distant howls of wolves or perhaps creatures stranger still can be heard. The Mountains of Shadow rise, ancient and glooming, like faceless gods of old that gaze imperiously down on the Gallows Road.
You see before you the Gallows Road, a long and ancient highway bounded on either side by tall grass and sinister trees in a forest primeval. The woods have stood here long as the age of empire fell into disrepair some time ago. These lands have become wilder with monsters and bandits afoot. The long road from Darktide approaches the village of Greeley, a humble hamlet at the foot of Mount Basira; a mountain depicted here in front of the board with the Temple of Wraiths atop it. The temple to a long-forgotten goddess of death is said to contain entrance to the Underworld where demons lurk, and the souls of the dead can be found. And somewhere in legends long lost, the goddess of death sits atop an ancient throne willing to grant boons to those travelers and heroes brave enough to find her lost kingdom.
Our heroes have banded together, journeying on the road to the village of Greeley, the last village before you enter the mountains themselves and the fabled Temple of Wraiths. The village of Greeley is perhaps another hour or some away as you journey on this road. But we need to know who's traveling on this road.
Synopsis[]
The Questing Queens, having just met a few nights before, travel along the Gallows Road as they each desire to journey to the Temple of Wraiths and potentially recieve a boon from a forgotten goddess of death who is thought to live there. One of the Queens is Troyánn, a 242 year old half-elf, half-mer assassin. She carries the fruits of her latest job in her satchel, a red mist surrounding the soulkeeper amulet within. It reminds her of when she first received the amulet. As a young girl, she lived in the mertown of Everdeep, a city so far beneath the surface of the water that sunlight cannot touch it. Her mother, Queen Inira, originally wore the soulkeeper gems on a necklace. However, one day, she decided to give the necklace to her daughter once she completed her assassin's training, adding that she could see in her daughter the bravery of her father (though admitting she really does not speak of him very often). She then went on to explain to her daughter that the Everdeep is seemingly dying. Their way of life is threatened by being at the beck and call of ancient beings that live even deeper than the Everdeep. So to stave off this impending threat, she made a deal with a sea witch which requires the capture of seven souls every season to be paid to the underworld. She passes the amulet, the gem able to contain these souls, and tells Troyánn that she must journey to the village of Hollowgrave to take on her first soul-gathering assignment. After a curt exchange about the fairness of this arrangement, Inira snaps that surely her daughter would be able to make some friends as she carried out her quest.
Her mother was right in that. One of these new friends is, Princess. As she walks, she catches the sent of fire, a sent that is almost familiar. While the orc barbarian comes across as someone chipper and powerful as she wears her pink tutu as carries her double-bladed great ax, the orc barbarian is not a stranger to tragedy. The smell triggers the memory of the last time she saw her family: her father, Ronarian, her brother, Earl, and sister, Duchess, and her home, Castle Ravenspear, consumed in flames. Held back as she tries to punch out the fire her family servant, Karnst, bemoans that the family was slain due to some betrayal. This fire had the sweetness of cedar wood in it. It was the same sweetness that she smells now, and it is coming right up the Gallows Road from the village of Greeley.
While all this is happening, the tiefling sorceress, Gertrude, is also lost in thought. She grew up alone in the woods, her family casting her out for fear of the magical power she contained, a fear that Gertrude also shared. Somewhat jaded of the world, she grew up with her books, spending her days in magical study. On the morning of one of these days, she heard a knock on the door of her hut, a most unusual occurrance. It came from Johan Trembly, a peasant from the nearby village of Harper, asking for her help. Not having any money for the spell he needs, Johan offers a warning as payment. She agrees, and the nervous man proffers a fragment of a skull from his bag to the sorceress, that of his great-great-grandfather, Norbert. He goes on to explain that there was a clue that suggested treasure that Norbert knew about. However, he never found the adventurer's map revealing its location. So would it be possible to use the skull to speak with grandad in order to find the treasure? Without hesitation, Gertrude performs a ritual which gives her Norbert's memories and Johan's answers. Her eyes rolling in the back of her head, she draws frantically draws the map of where Norbert buried this treasure. Handing it to the grateful farmer, the witch adds that Norbert was also gay, having stayed in the closet his whole life, adding that Johan doesn't need to be as well. In addition to the warning, the only other payment the sorceress requires is the promise that, if she ever needs anything, Johan will return the favor she had given him that day. Johan gratiously agrees, and proceeds with his warning. About a eleven or twelve days before, a woman arrived in Harper leading a garrison of ten soldiers. While she didn't give her name, she said she was an Inquisitor of the Glaring Sun, and came across as a witch hunter. She asked about a very specific witch, if she had been present in the area for generations. As the villagers asked how that could be possible, the inquisitor replied, "Some witches cannot die." While the village knew that Gertrude never caused them any harm, and so didn't say anything, he wanted to warn her all the same. No longer safe in her current cabin, Gertrude packs up her stuff, and heads out, ultimately leading to her current position walking the Gallows Road.
The last to round out this group of travellers is Twyla, a 4'11" (and perpetually angry about it) fey soldier. She carries a seed of the Allblossom in her bag, which reminds her of how she received it. In her final battle as a member of Queen Titania's army, her general, Isadora, warns them all of the danger of the blood queen, Zaria Hex. The evil sorceress was marching into Arcadia with her forces to take the Allblossom, a magical flower that shines with a light as bright as the noon-day sun. She and the fey forces fought gallantly, but are ultimately defeated by the undead queen and her skeletal army. Among the fallen is her friend, Lt. Alvin. However, before he dies, he manages to pluck a seed from the middle of the Allblossom, and gives it to his fairy friend (and casual lover), and with it, the hope to keep the Fey realm alive.
Around 9:30 PM, the group turns a corner, and arrives in Greeley, a village foreign to all but the mer assassin. While it appears to be a regular peasant town, they can't shake the feeling of fear that seems to permeate the nighttime air being in the shadow of the Mountains of Shadow. They enter the lone tavern, The Hero's Hall, a raucous bar filled with music, drinking, and other merriments. After a taking a round of orcish grog shots (except Twyla who sticks to water, and Gertrude who only pretends to drink), Troyánn notices a supply closet door which, from underneath, a red liquid is pooling. Spear in head, she opens the door and finds the brutally mangled body of Mark Ronson, her lastest mark and the last soul she needs to fill her mother's quota for the month. This means that, Troyánn either needs to find another suitable soul, which is not easy, or go to the Underworld to find Ronson's, which is even harder, and collect it. Furthermore, whichever she picks, both options must happen before month's end, or end up in bad standing with the Queen of the Underworld. To further add to her difficulties, the assassin investigated the body with her spear, cutting his arm. This means that anyone who goes looking for Mark's killer might come looking for her. Trying to figure out what happened, Gertrude talks to Dag Strongsheild, bouncer of Hero's Hall to see if he might know anything, casting Friends just to make sure he cooperates. Ronson had somehow driven his car through a portal from Earth to Kelvorda a couple days before. Earlier that day, though, he started talking to two people who had just come back from traveling up Mount Basira. One of these two was a merfolk, using a pulsing red amulet in order to give themselves legs. When Gertrude relays this information back to Troyánn, she immediately knows that the amulet is that of her mother's, and the only people that would have one would be someone connected to the royal family. Furthermore, as the amulet's spell only lasts for twelve hours, they would have had to stop in a body of water on their way back from Greeley to the Everdeep.
Meanwhile, as the other queens hang out at the bar, they are greeted by a charismatic goblin raconteur named Bump Williams. He is intrigued by the women, and is quite flirtatious with Princess, mentioning that he thinks he's seen her before. This leads her to believe that Williams is connected to the murders of family with the burning of her Castle Ravenspear. While trying to intimidate information out of him, Princess punches him into unconsciousness. When he falls, five silver and opal clasps fall from his coat, which Twyla immediately recognizes a wraith clasps. Queen Titania's spies would wear them to appear undead, and go behind enemy lines.
The group reconvienes, relaying the new information to everyone. However, Gertrude isn't quite sure about Twyla's honesty about the wraith clasps, and casts Detect Thoughts to make sure the she isn't hiding anything. While the fairy is being truthful, Gertude catches the thoughts of someone else in the bar saying, 'They got the goblin's wraith clasps.' Looking for the source of the thought, Gertude sees it coming from Wallace, the young stablehand who had previously gotten Twyla's glass of water from the well out back. While he looks like a typical tavern worker, he happens to wear a wraith clasp around his neck. However, the center gem is blood red instead of the usual opal, which Gertrude relays this back to the group telepathically. Princess figures that, since the gem is different, Wallace is probably undead himself, and using the wraith clasp to appear alive, Troyánn adding that he looks like someone she's seen in the Underworld before. They make a plan for Twyla to ask for more water (five gallons this time in order to take a while), and, when Wallace goes back to the well, they can confront him there. After Wallace leaves to his task, one by one, so as not to arouse suspicion, the group makes their way to the well.
After getting his attention, Gertrude uses Mage Hand to open Wallace's shirt, revealing the wraith clasp. He tries to run from them to the forest. However, with Princess giving chase and Twyla summoning Buddy Bear, a saber tooth tiger made out of a tree to block his path, Wallace is quickly caught. Princess uses the his own clothes to hogtime him like a four corner bag. However, in the process, Wallace's spine snaps, folding him completely in half. The Queen's intial shock is soon placated as Wallace then sighs. The gem on his wraith clasp changes color back to it's normal opal, and it is revealed that Princess was right. Wallace is undead, hiding under the illusion created by the clasp. The jig up, Wallace reluctantly asks what he can do for the Queens. First, Troyánn asks if he knows who killed Mark Ronson. Wallace replies that, not only does he know, she probably does too, indicating that he knows who the mer princess is. He then adds, "Your cousin, Keena, says hello." He then goes on to explain that Keena arrived at the Hero's Tavern with a lady with white eyes, wearing the symbol of the sun god. He also mentions that the white-eyed woman was looking for a witch, similarly to the Inquisitor of the Glorious Sun that Gertude had previously been warned about. No longer useful, Troyánn takes the wraith clasp off of Wallace, causing his body to turn into mist. Before it dissipates, though, the mist forms the face of of someone only Twyla recognizes: enemy of the fairies, Zaria Hex. The mist then turns to smoke, a smoke that smells distinctly of cedar. The fact that so many connections are being made to the group makes it very clear that something much more dangerous is afoot beyond the regular travellers that pass through on their way to the Underworld. So despite the dangers, the Queens decide to journey through the night to the Temple of Wraiths to try and stop Keena from getting there first.
Climbing the cliff face, hiding in the shadows, and using the wraith clasps to stay unnoticed, the group make their way up to the temple faster then they would have even using the main road. The Temple of Wraiths is a haunting dwelling of spirits, a place of reverent worship for the spirits of the afterlife. When they arrive, Gertrude hears a whisper on the wind, "Gertrude, do you come seeking that all mortals seek never to find?" This causes her to become disheartened that she once again won't find the death that she has spent her life looking for. However, she steels herself up and, along with the rest of them, Troyánn leading the way, head inside. At the far end of the temple, is a circle of stone. Ancient runes in the language of the dead are written around it. Many tall statues of robed figures with animal heads, including a vulture, jackel, crow, lion, and tuxedo cat, gaze down at the circle, the central statue staring directly into its center. As she gets closer to the circle, the amulet from Troyánn's amulet begins to glow. So do the eyes of the statue with the vulture's head, and, without moving, begins to speak.
This is Gargrim, a guardian of the Underworld, whom Troyánn knows well. Noticing, for the first time, she isn't by herself, they ask what the group's business is there. The assassin replies that they seek a traitor and save Everdeep, though admits that she is only speaking for herself. Gertrude tries to hide that she plans on going to the Underworld to never return, saying that she's there to help Troyánn and the merfolk. However, Princess can tell that she is being guarded, and Troyánn can tell that Gertrude is lying and hiding a deep sense of sadness within her. She sees in Gertrude a different relationship with death than the assassin is used to seeing, someone who wishes for it. Twyla screams that she wishes to, "Avenge [her] people!" with such raw emotion that the halls echo, and jasmine petals fill the air with the possibility of deep magic. Piggybacking off of Twyla, Princess chimes in that she wants to, "Avenge [her] people too!" In response, Gargrim says that he hopes this mission is in the center of their hearts. For many who head to the Underworld to seek their goals pay every price for a chance to achieve it, and fall eternally short. He gives them one last chance to go home, but the Queens all decide to step into the circle. As the runes begin to shift and they are consumed by different flashes of light, they hear Gargrim shout, "Farewell, and good luck on your journeys in the realms of death."
The circle then dramatically drops for miles through open mist, the wind blowing by so fast it's hard to breathe. Screaming spirits fly around the group in a tornado, and thought the flashes of lights, they can see endless stone platforms connected by pulsating bloodstreams of magical energy the width of rivers and highways. They land in an alien wasteland. Instead of trees, strange arteries and veins of a decaying magical body erupt from the ground. It is as through the ground itself was once a living body of some endless, vast, cosmic entity, but is now long-dead. It is as though they walk on Death itself.
Locations[]
Kelvorda[]
- Arcadia (flashback)
- Castle Ravenspear (flashback)
- Everdeep (flashback)
- Gallows Road
- Gertrude's Hut (flashback)
- Greeley
- Harper (flashback)
- Hollowgrave (flashback, mentioned)
- Mountains of Shadow
- Mount Basira
The Underworld[]
- Hollowgrave (flashback, mentioned)
Featured Characters[]
Questing Queens[]
New[]
- Lieutenant Alvin (†) (flashback)
- Buddy Bear (unnamed)
- Bump Williams
- Dag Strongsheild
- Elwin Thrump
- Gargim
- Queen Inira
- General Isadora (flashback) (†)
- Johan Trembly (flashback)
- Karnst (flashback)
- Kashra the Bartender
- Mark Ronson (†)
- Wallace
- Zaria Hex (flashback)
Mentioned[]
- Duchess Foehammer (†)
- Earl Foehammer (†)
- Captain Martha (†)
- Morgan (unnamed)
- Norelle Blaze (†) (misgendered as Norbert)
- Ronarian Foehammer (†)
- Roy of Karkyn (unnamed) (†)
- Thanara (unnamed)
- Queen Titania