Tales from the Stinky Dragon

Episode: C03 Ep. 36 – "From On Hyra – No Guard Feelings"
Date: February 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon picks up with the party venturing inside the Kyrenian watchtower, their eyes set on infiltrating the ominous prison. What should have been a classic standoff with guards quickly devolves into madcap chaos: a hail of magical mishaps, a surprise attack from a swarm of flying spider-like creatures ("skyders"), confusion caused by magical darkness, and the ever-present banter and movie references that define the Stinky Dragon crew. In the midst of pitched combat and magical mayhem, the group faces not just the danger of battle, but the hilarity and uncertainty that come from their unpredictable decisions and a DM who's always ready with a movie tangent. As the dust settles, the party manages to secure the way forward—straight into the heart of the prison, but not before leaving a trail of chaos (and a few traumatized guards) in their wake.

Key Discussion Points & Story Segments

1. Character Introductions and Arrow Question – The Perfect First Date

[04:28 – 17:31]

• The Arrow Question: Each character/player is asked, “Describe your perfect first date.” This icebreaker sets off storytelling and comedic hijinks, blending in meta-jokes about podcasting and classic movie references.
  • Doug (Barbara Dunkelman): Prefers a no-pressure Zoom call, citing the anxiety of in-person dates. “My perfect first date would be no date at all... But maybe a Zoom call!” ([06:03])
  • Gunther (Chris Demarais): Shares a frog-life childhood anecdote about his now-wife Punya helping him retrieve a prized pebble. “If we are talking about the date, as in where you meet someone... I had just little Nubby's legs...” ([08:08])
  • Tolve (Blaine Gibson): Jokes about a fantastical date at a discotheque with Abba, revealing (meta) he’s “never been kissed.” Movie tangent ensues.
  • Natty (John Reisinger): Recalls a magical dance in a dreamscape with his wife—a ballroom on clouds, ending with a walk through a graveyard and stars forming their faces. Twist: references to both Adam’s Family and Sandy Bullock movies.
• Meta-comedy: The group gleefully derails into discussions of movie calendar dates and problematic romance films.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Barb: “My perfect first date would be no date at all... it's very nerve-wracking to be face-to-face with another human being...” ([05:52])
  • Chris: “I don't think April 15th is the best first date. If anything, it would have to be April 1st or March 1st or...“ ([07:53])
  • John/Gus banter: “You know when you burn hair? I imagine that's what's going on right now too.” ([21:18])

2. The Chaos Begins: Scaling the Tower and Skyder Swarm Attack

[17:31 – 24:14]

• Setting the Scene: The party bursts onto the watchtower, surprising a group of guards.
  • Immediate perception checks reveal an unnatural snowfall, with black specks—soon identified as swarms of “skyders” (tiny flying spiders) descending on the party.
  • “You realize it's a swarm of skyders—flying spiders are descending down...” ([18:09])
• Combat Prep:
  • Doug immediately firebolts the skyders, vaporizing half the swarm.
    • “Doug's first reaction to seeing any sort of spider-like creatures would be to burn it...” ([20:04])
  • Tolv uses his “mittens of mushrooms” to spray spores at the guards, messing with their short-term memory. ([21:26])
  • Natty engulfs the area in magical darkness centered on her ring—a boon for chaos, but a visibility nightmare for everyone (including the party).
  • The group muses, “What if the skyders were actually friendly, like soot sprites from Ghibli?" ([23:32])

3. Combat in the Dark: Spells, Swarms, and Slapstick

[24:26 – 47:41]

• Tactile Confusion:
  • Gunther blunders around attacking in the dark, sometimes missing, sometimes stabbing guards suffering memory loss.
  • Multiple jokes about “taking a stab in the dark” and the confusion of potential friendly fire.
• Guard and Skyder Reactions:
  • Skyders swarm, some try webbing, but many are burnt or battered.
  • Guards, some with erased short-term memory, react in a daze.
• Meta Moments:
  • A run of ska-band puns erupts, culminating in: “I'm the mighty, mighty boss tone of this place.” – Gunther ([76:53])
• Inventive Use of Items:
  • Doug deploys his Echo Pulse Locator (a homebrew echolocation device) to track the guards, emitting hilarious “hello, hello, hello”s. ([54:07])
• Notable Quotes:
  • Tolve: “I'm just going to try to grapple one of these guys and throw them off the side of the... rampart.” ([86:48])
  • Gus (DM): “They fall into the icy lake, and the crocodiles come up and begin biting at him, dragging him to the bottom.” ([88:38])
  • John: “Did I say it wrong? He's a puncture.” ([75:04])

4. Victory and Fallout: Bridge to the Prison

[47:42 – 96:11]

• Climax: The party defeats most guards, interrogates the last remaining one (Bosco), and gathers critical info about the prison and its formidable warden.
  • Gunther threatens: “If you lie, then you die.” ([91:59])
  • Bosco pretends to comply, but makes a break for the controls, so Natty shoots him off the rampart.
    • “Thanks for doing that for us. Now we don’t have to.” – Doug ([94:53])
  • The bridge extends to the prison, and the group glimpses a horde of armored guards and the imposing warden coming to confront them.
• Future Foreshadowed: The party prepares for a direct confrontation and possible incarceration inside the prison.
• Movie reference: “It's like The Departed... find out how that all plays out... next time.” ([96:23])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:52] Barbara Dunkelman (Doug) on first dates: “My perfect first date would be no date at all, because it's very nerve-wracking...”
• [08:24] Chris Demarais (Gunther): “When we were tadpoles... a mean bully, he threw one of my favorite pebbles out of the water… That's when Punya came up and she said, ‘Hey, I'll go get your pebble.’”
• [14:27] John Reisinger (Natty): “My wife came and took me to this, like, elegant ballroom… and at the end of the day, the stars formed a picture of both of us.”
• [20:25] Barbara: “It does 2d10 of damage and that is a 14 total.”
• [23:32] Barbara: “I wonder if the skiders were actually nice… like the soot sprites from a Ghibli movie. How long has that thought been forming?”
• [23:48] Blaine: “You haven't said anything since... that's been on your mind since that moment happened. Oh, you're so sweet.”
• [76:53] Chris: “I'm the mighty, mighty boss stone of this place.”
• [91:59] Chris/Gunther: “If you lie, then you die.”

Important Timestamps & Segment Guide

| Timestamp | Segment / Event | Highlights | |-----------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:28 | Arrow question: First date tales | Cast shares in-character date stories, blends in movie references and meta jokes. | | 17:31 | Guards & skyders ambush | Party surprises guards; swarms of magical spiders attack; chaos ensues. | | 20:04 | Doug firebolts skyders | Half the swarm vaporized, then realization sets in. | | 21:26 | Tolv’s “mittens of mushrooms” | Spores erase guards’ short-term memory—leads to confusion. | | 24:26 | Magical darkness & confusion reigns | Natty casts darkness on her ring, making the entire area pitch black. | | 54:07 | Doug’s Echo Pulse Locator | Uses echolocation device to hilariously draw in dazed guards. | | 76:53 | Gunther’s critical hit + “boss tone” joke| Gunther lands a nat 20 and delivers a signature ska pun. | | 91:59 | Interrogating and then dispatching Bosco| Last guard flees for the crank; Natty shoots him off rampart, enabling bridge extension to the prison. | | 94:45 | The prison warden appears | The warden and armored guards rush across the bridge—next episode will start with a major standoff. |

The Episode's Energy & Tone

• High-spirited, playful, and zany: The cast can't go five minutes without a movie tangent, meta-commentary, or puns (especially ska and music references).
• D&D hijinks: Homebrew gadgets, wild spellcasting, and “what the hell is happening” energy dominates as darkness, memory loss, and spider swarms stack up.
• Collaborative chaos: Characters repeatedly question their own choices (“the skiders might have been friendly!”), and the banter between players and DM is as much the star as the in-game action.
• Comedic physicality: Combat in the dark means missed attacks, slapstick humor, and at least one textually described wardrobe malfunction.

For New & Returning Listeners

This episode captures what makes Stinky Dragon distinct: accessible, character-driven, and brimming with improvisational fun—great for D&D veterans and newcomers alike. If you enjoy actual-play with heavy banter, genre-savvy references, and creative problem-solving (“hello, hello, hello!” echo device), you’ll find lots to love.