Hey Centaurs!

It’s the Dastardly, Insightful, Scandalous, Preposterous, Accountable, Tenacious, Curious, Humble, Excited, Reliable Dispatcher here with another installment of the NADDPOD Listen Along.

See also: 

• NADDPOD Listen Along: Introduction
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 9, Hexblood
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 10, The Would Be King
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 11, Killshot
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 12, The Prophet Gideon
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 13, Cindersworn
• NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 14, The Petty King of Outerborough

Word seems to be going around that there are only a few episodes left of this arc before we get back to the Choo Choo Crew, and the Hexbloods’ story is definitely ramping up with an infiltration into their old digs.

So how bout we jump right into it?

Recap

The Prophet Gideon’s body lays twitching where it fell, a ghostly head reforming.

As the Hexbloods are surrounded by celebration at the recent victory, Tarragon places a croc boot on his dented armor.

“Fools,” Gideon’s weakened form says. “You’re going to ruin everything. You’re on the wrong side. This place is limbo; what we do here is meaningless if we do not serve the Reaper. He is the gatekeeper who keeps us from godliness. There is no rest until he is appeased.”

When pressed, Gideon refuses to divulge any more information: “It is not my place to reveal his play, but know that he is the only god with true power.”

As he speaks, a robotic voice from behind the Hexbloods announces that the Prophet must be burned. The trio turn to see a masked member of the Cindersworn, another elite fighting group pledged to the High Queen.

The Cindersworn battle mage, Kaydren (probably butchering the spelling but whatever), says that Gideon must be burned, and that they’ve been sent in to contain the threat that is Maxorra.

The High Queen had been trying to neutralize it by backing Wymer’s claim, but now that Maxorra has moved out into the open, the Cindersworn have been given the go ahead to essentially burn Jackelope Keep to the ground.

Serious “The Feds are taking over this investigation” vibes going on here.

The Hexbuds worry about the innocents within the castle walls, and Kaydren gives them the opportunity to evacuate as many as they can before the Cindersworn light the place up.

The group is known for razing entire towns if it means containing Horrors and undead.

The HexBuds decide against telling the Cindersworn what they know about Merowyn, the groves, and the war between the Reaper and the Trickster, but accept the chance to save the people within the castle.

“I want the final kill for ourselves as well. Nobody kills our mom but us.”

Kaydren teleports the three monks behind the castle walls in the dead of night. They successfully manage to convince guards and officers alike to begin evacuating people to the sewers, where Kaydren has set up a teleportation circle.

“That’s where the shit is. It’s where people evacuate, so that makes sense.”

The team has a somewhat harder time convincing one officer to trust them, as he doesn’t even know who Tarragon is, which leads to this amazing line from Jabari:

“You must know that this is Tarragon Snakeroot and the only reason that there is an Outerburrow for you to fucking defend is because of her and this man, Corbeau Babino; Do not forget their names!”

Tarragon worries that it seems like the Cindersworn have set it up so that the Hexbloods are put into danger through this evacuation plan.

The three pop into the old Hexblood barracks and find that Jabari has kept their cots in pristine condition on the off-chance that they might want to return.

The castle is more heavily guarded, so Tarragon casts Sending and messages a lord named Merthell who Murph describes as an “old, rich coward” yet has the pull to boss around the knights and guards.

Tarragon manages to peak his curiosity, but not enough to bring him out of the tower. The three sneak in instead, and though Jabari and Corbeau get stopped by a knight, Tarragon manages to sneak through and speak with Merthell.

With Terry rolling a 30 on intimidation, Merthell agrees to do anything she wants, including ordering an evacuation, among other things… “I’m going to literally stick my face into the sewage and eat a piece of shit.”

Meanwhile, Corbeau is trying to convince the knights and guards to evacuate: “Zoom out and start at the beginning; it’s not about what you’re guarding, the castle, it’s about who you’re guarding it from, you understand, and what you’re guarding it from is already inside. So what you gotta do is guard your lives by evacuating and you gotta guard the lives of the townsfolk by evacuating them.”

Merthell shows up to order the knights to evacuate before things come to blows.

The Hexbuds realize that in all the commotion there has been no response from the king or Maxorra at all. They decide to head up to the second floor just to take a peek.

Once there, they hear a blood-curdling scream and find a streak of blood as though someone has been dragged down a hallway. At the end are two undead guardsmen in front of the king’s chambers, and from around the corner is a huge, undead member of the kingsguard who starts rushing at Jabari…

And that’s where Murph ends the episode.

Commentary

*Han Solo voice* I got a baaaad feeling about this.

No, but for reals, I’m honestly really worried about the Hexbuds.

Not only because they’re going into this fight with these undead (and potentially the King and Maxorra and Prophet Kane), but also because of the troubling logistics of having a second party existing, alive, in the same world as that of our main heroes AKA the Choo Choo Crew.

And unless Jake and Emily are going to be able to roleplay their Choo Choo Crew characters meeting their HexBud characters (which honestly I think they’d be more than capable of) AND they’re planning on having Lou back whenever that happens… I don’t know, it would just be a lot to orchestrate. I think that the Hexbuds may be doomed by sheer circumstance. I could be wrong, of course, but they’re not going into next episode looking all too hot.

And for some reason I really don’t trust the Cindersworn.

I think it’s kind of indicative of how us common folk see the government and corporations and all that in 2021, but just because the High Queen is elected doesn’t mean that the whole system should be trusted. Yeah, there’s the whole enemy of my enemy is my friend, but just look how that turned out back in Bahumia with the forces of Thiala and the Nine Hells being at odds, with the Band of Boobs stuck in the middle.

The Cindersworn do seem pretty sick as a fighting unit, though, and their name gives me some good Starspawn vibes for some reason.

But back to the episode.

The three last (real) Hexbloods returning back to their barracks together was seriously heartwarming, especially because Jabari had kept the other two’s cots nice and neat for them. The three leaving together one last time — leaving that life behind them, in a way — really showcased the growth that we’ve seen from all three character over the course of the arc.

Both Tarragon and Corbeau accepting that the fight is a part of who they are, without devolving to the killing machines they once were, and Jabari tamping down on his own bloodlust and finding a middle ground with his friends.

Because really, all Jabari actually wanted was to be back with his buds again, and I think what all three really needed was to have a new purpose.

But again, I don’t think that these three will ultimately be the ones to “kill mom”… I think that responsibility will have to fall on our Choo Choo Crew and potentially be close to the end game of the entire campaign.

Gideon telling the Hexbuds that they’re “on the wrong side” gave me bad feels, but really did make me realize that we as listeners don’t know all that much about the true fight here; the one between the Reaper and the Trickster, and how the Elder plays into all of this.

I’m sure that will be delved into at much higher levels, and I am quite excited for it, because I’m sure Murph has some twists up his sleeve that we’re only just getting the first hint at here.

I don’t have much else to say, other than that I’m intrigued by the additional world-building we saw by finally bringing high court politics into play.

Here’s hoping that neither the Choo Choo Crew nor the Hexbuds will have to take on the Cindersworn at any point, but we shall see.

Roses:

• Jake throwing all the curveballs up top with the intros! He’s come a long way since his consistent C+ of “Hardwon Surefoot”
• The parallels between the Cindersworn being the High Court’s ruthless killers and what the Hexbloods had once been for Outerburrow
• The bit about “murder being on the table” as plan 1C
• Jabari’s heated speech about how no one should ever forget Corbeau and Tarragon
• I love it whenever Murph plays a cowardly rich noble
• The HexBuds being confused/bewildered about a pillow

Thorns:

• Me not knowing how to properly spell anyone’s names

Buds:

• Looking forward to learning more about the Cindersworn. CINDERSWORN

That’s it for this ep! Find other NADDPOD Listen Alongs here and share your takes, predictions, roses, and thorns in the comments below.

Episode 12, The Prophet Gideon | NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 14, The Petty King of Outerborough