Tales from the Stinky Dragon

Episode: C03 - Ep. 33 - "From On Hyra - Seventh Inning Dretch"

Release Date: December 24, 2025
Host/Dungeon Master: Gustavo "Gus" Sorola
Players: John Risinger (Natty Wonder), Blaine Gibson (Tolv), Barbara Dunkelman (Doug Boone), Chris (Gunther)

Episode Overview

This episode picks up with the adventurers deep in the musty mines of Sora Sump hot on the trail of the pesky dretches who recently made off with the armor and body parts of Thaumatek brothers Neo and Teo. After a warmup of banter and table talk, the B Team delves into both character and player shenanigans, culminating in a wild and deadly battle at the center of a dretch ritual. Comedic mishaps abound, but the stakes are amped up with a demonic ritual threatening to bring something monstrous to life. As always, the team's chemistry, chaotic playstyle, and Gus's wry DMing deliver a fast-paced, joke-heavy, but narratively tight episode.

Key Discussion Points & Adventuring Moments

1. Catch-Up and Question of the Week (03:00–09:00)

• Gus asks: "If you could master one skill, what would it be and why?" (from listener Doug Boone).
• The players answer in-character, seamlessly blending personal desires with character quirks:
  • Natty (John Risinger): Wishes for "magical control of time" to undo item sacrifices. Bonus goal: "To not be gaslit by the DM." (04:45)
    • Gus riffs: "Funny that Natty says the most important thing in her inventory is the autoharp and not Gigi..." (04:47)
  • Tolv (Blaine): Dreams of performance art mastery—a "barbarian bard" like "Dave Bautista or The Rock," referencing Jesse Ventura hilariously. (05:37)
  • Doug (Barbara): Wants to master a musical instrument, laments she's "all butterfingers" with music but great with tools. (07:55)
  • Gunther (Chris): Comedy answer: "Tongue rope" (jump-roping with your tongue). The group riffs, imagining the logistics and horrors. (10:11)

2. Investigation and the Dretches' Trap (11:35–14:25)

• The team investigates an overturned minecart; Doug spies tools and metal bits, but in a surprise attack, three armored dretches leap out.
• Initiative is rolled; Natty flies up to gain advantage and unleashes her "mote of hell," a devastating area spell (14:43).
• Natty’s spell ends up wiping out the dretches almost before anyone else can act.
  • "Did I one-shot these guys?" - Natty (24:49)
  • Gus affirms, "Yeah, pretty much."
• Jokes about "collection missions" and pieces of Thaumatek armor kicked off (27:00, 31:13).

3. Navigating the Dungeon & Barbarian Roleplay (31:54–36:01)

• Doug discovers more Thaumatek pieces, with Survival and Intelligence checks revealing the party is on the right trail.
• Tolv gets a chance to use the group’s unique dungeon-maze "river" mechanic, cleverly helping the party avoid a trap by choosing the path (33:16).
• Banter about how the show is essentially "getting paid for being idiots," with references to Blaine's "science as a hobby" and “my job is beach.” (34:15, 34:17)

4. Stumbling Into the Ritual Chamber (36:01–39:04)

• The party spies a shadowy figure “with a glint of metal,” approaching a fire-lit chamber with an infernal pool, where a "Druidic Dretch" conducts a resurrection ritual.
• Ominous dialogue between the Dretch druid and a voice in the fire reveals imminent plans to "storm the gates" with the help of a mysterious gemstone and hunting the "Pathfinder."
  • Notable quote:
    • "Let the ritual of resurrection begin." – Druidic Dretch/NPC (38:18)
    • Players, panicked, joke: "Sorry, wrong room—we were looking for the bathroom." (38:18)

5. Epic Combat: Interrupting the Ritual (39:04–84:03)

Room & Ritual Mechanics

• The players enter a chamber reeking of rot and sewage, containing a demonic-horned pool and many dretches (eight plus the druid).
• Gus starts a countdown mechanic for the ritual, emphasizing time pressure.

Highlights:

• Gunther uses Misty Step to bypass dretches and attack the druid, disarms him of his rod (41:00–43:00).
  • "Who taught you this lesson?" – Gus;
    "Renaissance... [long pause]" – Chris (89:02–89:55, outtake)
• Doug and Gambot face off with a mustachioed dretch; Gambot lands a crotch-level "force empowered rend."
  • "Gambot hits him in the jaw and he becomes stiff as a board and falls over backwards." (48:07)
• Druidic Dretch fires off a massive fireball, but all party members dodge, taking only half damage.
  • "You take 12 points of fire damage... It would have been 25, but I rounded down for you. I'm a kind, giving DM." – Gus (54:47)
• Tolv uses "Stormstrike" from his Gavel of Gaelstrom to knock enemies prone and enrage them, causing mayhem.
  • "Enraged creatures lose the ability to distinguish friend from foe regarding all creatures it sees as enemies." (57:06)
• Natty floats Magneto-style, blaster blazing, nearly downs the druid single-handed.
• The ritual pool and strange horn become key: Doug attempts to retrieve the demonic horn, nearly pulls a horrifying head from the stew of body parts.
  • "Doug will immediately drop it back into the water. Oh god. Never mind. Crude oil liquid." (74:21)
• The druid dies—then falls into the boiling pool, only to horror-movie-climb back out:
  • "Ready for more?" – Druidic Dretch, grinning (65:23)

6. The Final Push and Cliffhanger (83:09–86:25)

• With the druid distracted, Tolv strikes, grabs the rod just before it rolls into the pool, and survives swarming dretches thanks to good rolls.
• A hidden Thaumatek head is spotted amid rubble—a key plot item revealed for next time.
• Gus: "Find out what it is on the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon!"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On gaslighting and party banter:
  • "I'd like to master the skill of not being gaslit by our dungeon master." – Natty (05:06)
  • "And I'd like to master the skill of gaslighting." – Doug (05:14)
• Gunther's desperate attempts at backflips and tongue rope:
  • "Tongue rope. ... Where do you store it?... In my mouth. ... The world's worst Fruit Roll-Up." (10:11–11:17)
• Gambot crits:
  • "I'll shoot the mustachioed drench." – Doug
  • "Gambot hits him in the jaw and he becomes stiff as a board and falls over backwards, unmoving on the ground." (47:50)
• On collection quests:
  • "Just write 'pieces.' Then over your head the numbers '218' appear." – Gus (31:13)
  • "Oh man, we're gonna murder a lot of dretches." (31:19)
• Ritual Chamber Chaos:
  • "Let the ritual of resurrection begin." – Druidic Dretch (38:18)
  • "Sorry, wrong room. We were looking for the bathroom." – Party, frantically (38:18)
• Meta-moments:
  • "It's so good we figured out a way to make a living being idiots, because we're so good at it, we might as well get paid." – Blaine (34:09)
• Combat mechanics, and character roleplay merging:
  • "With a strike of your warhammer, a blustery gale incites a howling rage into all enemies and allies within a 10-foot radius. All creatures within range must take a DC 14 charisma saving throw..." – Tolv reading new ability (57:06)
• On the mustachioed dretch’s demise:
  • "He worked hard on that." – Barbara, defending Gambot's kill (79:44)
• Horror movie callback:
  • "A hand reaches out from the pool and grasps onto the edge of the ground... the Druidic dretch... pulls itself up out of the pool." (65:01)

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:00–09:00 | Warmup, "If you could master any skill..." table talk | | 11:35–14:25 | Minecart investigation, dretches attack | | 14:43–24:49 | Natty wipes out dretches with spell, aftermath banter | | 31:54–34:09 | Navigating the maze, skill checks and party banter | | 36:01–39:04 | Entering the ritual chamber; ritual scene | | 39:04–83:09 | Grand combat: Gunther’s heroics, Doug’s discoveries, Natty’s blasts, Tolv’s rage | | 74:21 | Doug discovers the horn is attached to something monstrous | | 83:09–86:25 | Climax: Druid defeated, rod saved from the brink, cliffhanger | | 65:01 | Horror moment: druidic dretch crawls from the pit | | 89:02–89:55 | Outtake: Chris cannot remember his mentor's name |

Tone & Style

The tone remains gleefully irreverent, self-aware, and full of affectionate roasting among cast and DM. Table talk often merges seamlessly into character interaction, and jokes ("neopets" for Neo's body parts, "beach is my job," tongue-rope jump roping) are interspersed with genuine tension from the combat and ticking ritual. Gus’s DMing is dry, fair, often supportive of player antics despite the chaos.

Summary for New Listeners

In this episode, the B Team continues their quest for stolen Thaumatek armor and gets drawn into a classic D&D dungeon crawl full of comedic asides, inventive roleplay, and big, dangerous set pieces. After solving a few puzzles and skillfully dispatching minor foes, they unwittingly interrupt a demonic resurrection ritual presided over by a grotesque Druidic Dretch.

Despite waves of dretches, gnarly spell effects, and the pressure of a ticking ritual, the team's blending of genuine teamwork and pure clownery help them survive. They defeat the Druid, recover a mysterious rod—with Tolv snatching it from the brink of doom—and make a plot-relevant discovery regarding their Thaumatek friend’s missing head. The episode closes on a cliffhanger, primed for the next wild installment.

For Next Time

• What is the meaning of the demonic horn and the head?
• Will the ritual's countdown complete, and what will happen if it does?
• Will Doug, Tolv, Natty, and Gunther keep up their lucky streak of dice rolls and creative mayhem?

Stay Stinky!