Tales from the Stinky Dragon

C03 - Ep. 28 - From On Hyra - No Sorcerest for the Weary

Release Date: October 15, 2025
Dungeon Master: Gustavo Sorola
Players: Blaine Gibson (Tolv), John Risinger (Natty Wonder), Chris Damaris (Gunther), Barbara Dunkelman (Doug Boone)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a signature mix of D&D adventure and irreverent comedy as the party navigates a bizarre sleep-worshipping cult inside “the Cragtus,” attempts to negotiate for the freedom of a suffering scapegoat, and accidentally hurls a massive geological object—and everyone in it—clear across the landscape. Expect inventive roleplay, slapstick problem-solving, and a dose of existential deity confusion, all wrapped up in the gang’s usual tone: gleeful, chaotic, and full of one-liners.

Key Discussion Points and Story Beats

1. Character Introductions—With a Superhero Twist

[03:07–11:18]

• As an icebreaker, DM Gus asks, “If you were the main character in a comic book, what would your superhero name be?”
  • Natty (John): Leans into the drag-queen/warlock persona, musing on alter egos:

    “If I was a superhero, and some might say being a mom is a superhero…” (04:01)

    • John ultimately favors a French-flavored “Mystique” riff.
  • Tolv (Blaine): Jokes about secret identities:

    “I would be like 12 or like 12 man or 12 boy… and maybe I would have like the twelves. It’d be like 12 elves and they would be like my support team.” (06:15)

  • Gunther (Chris): Considers “The Croak Folk Avenger” or “Toad Man and Ribbit,” if teamed up with another.
  • Doug Boone (Barbara): Likes emulating comic book professors, suggesting “Professor Ironpaw.”
  • Everyone riffs on superhero/villain nomenclature, with recurring inside jokes and ribbing.

2. Into the Aqueduct: Lizard Attack!

[11:18–21:01]

• The party wades into a rushing, shadowy aqueduct beneath Cragtus.
• Failures on dexterity checks send Doug and Natty tumbling, resulting in chaotic pratfalls.
• Suddenly, lizards begin leaping onto their faces. Rapid-fire action ensues:
  • Doug tries to deflect with a shovel (“like an umbrella”).
  • Tolv shields themselves and heroically punches a lizard away from Natty (“Must protect my queen!”).

    “You punch the lizard so hard that it doesn’t even fall in the water. It, like, goes over the bank and falls out onto the riverbank upside down.” (16:12) — Gus

  • Gunther and Doug get lizards latched to their faces, prompting a cartoonish synchronized headbutt that sends Gunther underwater.

3. Arrival at Cragtus: The Sleep Temple

[21:01–36:29]

• The interior is revealed as a communal cavern filled with rock beds and a strange, shimmery fountain.
• Natty wrangles the team, hatching a plan to pose as eager sleep-cult initiates.

  “Who put her in charge?” (23:13) — Tolv
  “I think it might have been you.” (23:17) — John

• Everyone over-acts extreme sleepiness to blend in, culminating in Tolv cradling Gunther and pretending he’s a snoozy green baby.
• Barbara (Doug) investigates the alchemical research, trying to suss out what the cultists are brewing. She quickly realizes water from the magical fountain is a key (and strange) ingredient.

Notable Quote:

“Anywhere from, you know, Vaughn to 24 hours. Yeah.” (27:23) — Tolv, answering about proper sleep duration, badly faking sleep knowledge.

4. Negotiations with Flynn, the Sleep-Cult Leader

[41:02–49:05]

• The party meets Flynn: a middle-aged orc in shimmery pajamas, who explains the cult’s sleep research aims.
• The backstory of “Bedrock” (their sleep deity) is explored:

  “It is through sleep we hope to become closer to her and learn her secrets.” (41:48) — Flynn (NPC)

• Natty proposes the team could absorb the cult’s sins (traditionally laid on the scapegoat), offering up Gigi, Natty’s little demon, as a substitute.
  • The plan works! The cult “offloads” their sins to Gigi, who promptly grows a foot taller.

Notable Quote:

“So we've just turned this sleepy cult into a death cult.” (74:04) — Tolv

5. Experimentation: Sleep Potions and Divine Dreaming

[49:05–61:13]

• Doug investigates sleep potions’ effects further, and Gunther volunteers (or is volunteered) as a guinea pig—consuming multiple potions and salves at once.
• Gunther falls into a vivid, mystical sleep-dream—meeting Bedrock herself, appearing as a mole on a mountain of Z’s.

  “You see hammers walking in unison… In the distance, you see a mountain range. And it seems to be very quickly filling your vision… The soil under your feet becomes disturbed. Out from the soil pops a mole. And it’s looking at you.” (61:11)

• Bedrock confesses she doesn’t actually know much about sleep, only that the “Pale One” assigned her the job because her name has “bed” in it.

  “I don’t know anything about sleep. The pale one just knows my name has bed in it and assumed I knew about sleep, but I don’t.” (63:47) — Bedrock (NPC)

• Silent Steed (Death) is mentioned as picking up the slack on the sleep domain.

6. Sleepwalking Disaster: Moving the Mountain

[68:06–80:05]

• Gunther, afflicted by sleepwalk/narcolepsy from the potions, unconsciously pushes on the wall of the Cragtus.
• The entire (massive) structure, and all its inhabitants, are inexplicably dragged across the land—back to the ruins of Raisin.
• A huge gouge is left in the earth; the party realizes they’ve likely altered the local geography (and economy!) in one spectacularly irresponsible swoop.

  “Let me get this straight, Gunther—you pushed us into, like, a completely different land?” (81:03) — Tolv

7. Aftermath, Reflection, & Setting Up the Next Arc

[80:05–86:47]

• The team is shocked to find the scapegoat gone—possibly lost during the impromptu mountain-move.
• In a group huddle, they process the revelations from Bedrock: deities are being poorly reassigned domains by the “Pale One” after the “Bright One” was killed.
• Doug: “So it’s almost like they’re, like, assigning people these roles but don’t really know what they’re doing.” (76:13)
• Plans are made to regroup and report in at Fort Endridge, but there is a sense of unease about their involvement with divine machinations and the unpredictable nature of the gods in this world.
• The episode ends as Gunther, upon falling asleep again, is confronted by his own patron deity, the Wilder Flower, who demands his renewed loyalty.

Notable Quote:

“Gunther, you’ve been a bad boy.” (86:51) — Gus, as Wilder Flower deity.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

Natty on superhero names:

“It’s a funny question to ask me considering Natty Wonder is already a stage name. So I’ve already burned one of my fake names.” (03:36)

Doug, undercover cultist:

“I actually am a professional, just making sure you guys are… have all the ingredients you need.” (34:12)

Gunther post-headbutt:

“I waved like I just don’t care.” (18:02)

Tolv’s mock sincerity:

“Yes, we love sleep. I am such a big fan of sleep.” (26:47)

On Bedrock's accidental domain:

“The pale one just knows my name has bed in it and assumed I knew about sleep, but I don’t.” (63:47)

On Gigi absorbing sin:

“You notice that… did Giggy just get… get bigger? Looks like Giggy grew a foot.” (50:04)

As the campaign’s chaos peaks:

“Wait, so he's like big, big?” (77:03) — Tolv, about Giggy
“We've utterly ruined that place. No one will want to travel there because there's nothing to visit.” (82:25) — Tolv, about the tourism fall-out

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Event | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 03:05–11:18 | Comic book/superhero names and group dynamics | | 11:18–21:01 | Aqueduct descent and attacking lizards | | 21:01–36:29 | Arrival at the temple, integrating into cult | | 41:02–49:05 | Cult negotiations; Gigi absorbs the sins | | 49:05–61:13 | Potion tests; Gunther’s divine dream | | 68:06–80:05 | Sleepwalking Gunther moves the mountain | | 82:08–86:47 | Realization about gods, missing scapegoat | | 86:47–End | The “Wilder Flower” confronts Gunther |

Tone and Style Highlights

• Improvisational, quick-witted banter—metacommentary and callbacks abound.
• Lovingly irreverent toward D&D tropes: Exaggerated “undercover” roleplay, nonsense sleep “facts,” and “testing” of magical artifacts through slapstick.
• Physical comedy and cartoon logic: Frequent references to Kermit, Bugs Bunny, pratfalls, and wild gestures.
• Meta-narrative awareness: Players openly joke about campaign mechanics, their own real-life relationships, and merchandising tie-ins.
• Running jokes on parental roles: Tongue-in-cheek “cradling the baby,” declarations of “I am not your mother,” and assigning cult roles.

Conclusion

The party manages to free the scapegoat’s role (maybe not the goat itself…), upend the local cult structure, and accidentally relocate an entire religious site while uncovering secrets about the world’s gods—who are perhaps just as lost as the mortals. Gunther’s metaphysical misadventure and the culminating scolding from his own goddess set up new spiritual (and possibly moral) dilemmas for next time, while the group’s bumbling, enthusiastic teamwork continues to drive the campaign’s joyful chaos.

For those new or catching up: This episode offers a microcosm of the show’s signature blend of absurd fantasy hijinks, clever table banter, heartfelt character moments, and the occasional existential crisis—all in a format that’s as accessible as it is inventive.