Tales from the Stinky Dragon

Episode: C03 - Ep. 26 - From On Hyra - Up to Shananigans

Release Date: September 17, 2025
Dungeon Master: Gustavo Cerola
Featured Players: Chris Maris (Gunther), Barbara Dunkelman (Doug), John Risinger (Natty), Blaine Gibson (Tolv), plus several voiced NPCs
Summary Compiled By: Podcast Summarizer

Episode Overview

This episode follows the adventurers as they leave the saline sea behind and travel to the Untamed Flame Forge in search of Gunther’s aunt, Shannon, a renowned blacksmith. After some banter and a party-wide duel, the group collects a legendary artifact, the Gavel of Gailstrom, and explores the intricacies of their party dynamics and histories. The latter half takes them through a storm toward Solasad—a garish racetrack town populated by peculiar “vermistangs” and vivid local color, where the group preps for a uniquely wormy race and stumbles into a new cliffhanger.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

Opening Banter and Roll Call (02:50–05:15)

• The episode kicks off with trademark playful banter and a change in dungeon mastery (Blaine jokes about taking over as DM).
• The party rolls initiative, leading to chaos and jokes about “BM” as “Blaine Master” and “Bowel Movement.”

Question of the Day — What Would You Do with Lottery Winnings? (05:13–12:23)

Each party member roleplays their character's dreams of sudden wealth:

• Gunther (Chris Maris): Would hire spies and investigators to track down the villain who decimated his village.

  “If I won the lottery, I would hire so many spies and investigators to find the heathen who attacked my village.” (04:43)

• Doug (Barbara Dunkelman): Practical and nerdy—would invest, then build a "Batcave" laboratory.

  “I’d take a portion and put it into my investment account... Then I think I would spend the rest on my very own Batcave... An underground laboratory!” (05:39)

• Natty (John Risinger): Good-hearted—would set up a trust for her son Giggy or donate to her mother’s temple.

  “I probably just donated all to my mama’s temple back in my hometown.” (08:34)

• Tolv (Blaine Gibson): Would hire PIs to reconnect with family, anonymously gift money to friends, and then donate the rest. Calls out the concept of “good billionaires.”

  “There’s no good billionaires, and no one person needs all that money, it’s stupid.” (11:07)

Notable Quote:

“You can’t spell agreed without greed.” (11:25) — Gustavo Cerola

Arrival at the Untamed Flame Forge and the Duel with Shannon (13:10–24:24)

• The party enters the forge, greeted by Shannon Egan’s Windbreaker, Gunther’s formidable aunt.
  • Shannon’s Introduction: Her appearance is described as "beefy" and “clad in obsidian and iron.” She immediately challenges Gunther to a duel.
  • Unique Duel Mechanic: The duel uses a “push/parry/feint” mini-game (rock-paper-scissors style) played out over three rounds.
  • Bets Are Placed: Natty bets all her gold on Gunther; Doug bets a nominal sum on Shannon.
• Duel Results: Shannon easily defeats Gunther, showcasing her superior skill and hinting at Gunther's need for more training.
• Aftermath:

  Shannon: “You have much to learn... yet I see promise, raw talent. Help everyone inside.” (24:24)
  The group receives their winnings/losses, and Shannon’s dynamic with Gunther is explored.

Artifact Pickup: The Gavel of Gailstrom (27:12–30:48)

• Tolv collects the Gavel of Gailstrom, a storm-powered warhammer forged from a legendary ship’s anchor, which bestows a “storm strike” ability but can enrage and knock friend and foe prone.

  Tolv: “With a squally scream of rage, you are briefly possessed by the Sea Drinker and gain +1 to attack and damage rolls until the end of your rage.” (27:56)

• Doug removes an old infusion from Tolv’s ax and gives Natty a handcrafted spell-refueling ring.

  Doug (to Natty): “I whittled this wooden ring... while you wear it, you could recover one expanded spell slot as an action.” (29:40)

Inside the Forge: Conversations & Lore (35:05–47:10)

• Gunther confronts Shannon about her past and the betrayal of the village; Shannon justifies her actions as pursuing her craft and seeking to help the world.

  Gunther: “Why did you abandon our village... Betray your family?”
  Shannon: “There is much to see in the world and much to show... I seek to restore ancient artifacts.” (35:07–39:04)

• Shannon agrees to train Gunther by introducing him to fighters from Swank Sands, the neighboring toad region.

Memorable Moment:
Natty summarizes the awkwardness of neighborly relations:

“There is no anger, we just do not hang out.” (37:46)

Artifact Show-and-Tell (41:04–47:57)

• Party displays various items to Shannon for identification, including the Pirate Hook of Pipe Dreams (which reveals a recipient’s dreams when hooked in), and a thaumatech spyglass.
• Shannon confirms many items as ancient artifacts crafted by the Zodia mystics, adding recurring threads to the party’s ongoing quest.

Investigating Shannon’s Workshop (47:57–56:18)

• Players explore the forge for items. Gunther and Doug discover a bag of marbles (which Gunther keeps), and Natty tries to teach Gigi about the reservoir (with ongoing jokes about pets and microwaves).

  Shannon: “Those marbles were perhaps created long ago to entertain some long-dead child of the aristocracy.” (54:01)

Prep to Depart: The Storm and Marching Order (66:33–72:18)

• As the party heads out toward Solasad, a thunderstorm (thanks to the “meat grinder table” mechanic) engulfs them.
• Natty, as party leader, has Tolv trail ten feet behind due to his “conductivity.”
• Tolv attempts to “control” the weather with a persuasion check, resulting in comical, near-miss lightning strikes.

  Tolv: “Oh mighty storm, it is me, your leader and god…” (68:22–68:38)

Entering Solasad — The Vermistang Races! (73:12–89:00)

• The group approaches Solasad, encountering the immense stained-glass “Cragtdus” structure surrounded by a vermistang racetrack.
• At the betting booth, they meet Iris, the operator (voiced by a guest), and learn about "vermistangs": worm-like horse creatures with colorful manes and fanged mouths.

  Natty: “Wait, it is the shape of a horse, no hooves, skin of a worm, yet a colored mane...?” (76:44) DM Gustavo: “A worm-horse.” (76:51)

• Betting ensues:
  • Player/Rider Assignments:
    • Natty’s son Gigi bets on and rides Wester
    • Doug rides Poppin Fresh
    • Gunther picks El Angel
    • Tolv selects Terry
• Colorful party banter and various dice rolls reveal the quirks and pitfalls of each vermistang.
• The players (and Gigi) pay the entry/gold fee and ready themselves for a hilariously tense race.

Cliffhanger Ending: A Scream on the Cragtdus (92:24–92:35)

• Just as the magical starting explosions go off for the race, a blood-curdling scream is heard from the top of the Cragtdus.

  “From the top of the Cragtdus all of you hear a loud blood-curdling scream!” (92:35)

• Episode ends with the party left to investigate—or race!

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On party priorities & private investigators:

  “It tells a lot about what we got going on here—we’re lazy. We don’t want to do the adventure ourselves.” — Doug (11:39)

• On the show’s title and humor:

  “A show called Stinky Dragon whose logo has fart lines coming out of a dragon is all about higher art.” (47:48)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 05:13-12:23 | Party lottery question — Character development & humor | | 13:10-14:44 | Arrival at the Untamed Flame Forge, Shannon’s challenge | | 15:32-24:13 | The duel between Gunther & Shannon (+ in-game betting) | | 27:12-30:48 | Picking up the Gavel of Gailstrom and artifact backstories | | 35:05-39:44 | Confrontation between Gunther and Shannon about their past | | 47:57-54:01 | Exploring Shannon’s workshop & marbles discovery | | 66:33-72:18 | Traveling to Solasad in the storm, Tall tries weather control | | 73:12-74:13 | Arrive at Solasad — see “Cragtdus” & begin gambling prep | | 89:39-92:35 | The great vermistang race is about to start; scream from the Cragtdus! |

Episode Vibe & Final Notes

The episode is driven by signature Stinky Dragon humor—deadpan banter, fantasy puns, and party bickering—layered over approachable actual-play D&D. Character moments (the duel, artifact id, emotional revelations) mix with slapstick, meta references, and collaborative world-building. It’s accessible for newcomers while rich in ongoing lore for returning listeners.

For Next Time

• The party must address the mysterious scream atop the Cragtdus mid-worm horse race
• Further exploration of magical artifacts and connections to the Zodia mystics likely
• Ongoing rivalries and quirky teamwork continue to evolve

For supplemental content (like "Second Wind") and fan interactions, listeners are encouraged to visit stinkydragonpod.com.

(End of summary for "Tales from the Stinky Dragon" C03 - Ep. 26 - "From On Hyra - Up to Shananigans")