It’s the Three Cree!

Well, actually, it’s the third episode of the NADDPOD Listen Along, but forgive me for being excited. At this rate, I should be able to catch up to the currently released episodes by the end of the week, which means I’ll probably have to launch this website sooner than expected.

• See also: 
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Introduction
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 1, The Reaping Season
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 2, Jabs and Hooks
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 3, Broken Heart Banshee
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 4, Ghosts of Thornkirk
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 5, The Baroness
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 6, The Rook’s Gambit
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 7, Trial By Scale
  • NADDPOD Listen Along: Eldermourne Episode 8, Until We Meet Again

I’ve also been wondering if something similar to this format would be enjoyed covering Critical Role? I’ll admit that I’ve never actually watched it, though I’ve heard good things. If someone out there wanted to do a rewatch series and publish it on the Dispatch, I’d be more than down to host it here, or I may simply have to do my own First Watch series sometime down the line.

Anyway, we’re back at Blackthorn Hall with the New Crew (as I’ll be calling them until a canonical party name is introduced) and shit very much just hit the fan.

Recap

Fergus, angry as ever, has Henry in a stranglehold in the ring as the rest of the hall erupts in violence after it’s discovered that Henry had been “cheating.”

Our wiry boxer again sees the strange old man, this time hovering behind Fergus, and, without knowing how, Henry transports to the old man’s position, escaping Fergus’ grip.

It becomes clear to Fia and Zirk that the source of the barfight is not natural, as an invisible being seems to be riling up the crowd, throwing bottles and chairs about. They figure that this is the same spirit that has been stealing the hearts of Rooks.

All three are hurled into the melee, which only ends after Fia smartly casts command on the whole bar — rightly figuring it to be one creature (like a swarm of humans).

The three escape and have a picnic nearby, where Fia investigates the Guardians of the Grove book to determine what this new Horror could be.

She learns of the Broken Heart Banshee, a Horror that rises during Reaping season 10 years after their death, having been killed in a moment of heartbreak and now seek out their killer or people like their killer. The only way to dispel the Horror is through a concoction of rosewater and the kiss of a lover.

The gang decides to head to Henry’s place, as he lives on the property of his ex-wife’s third cousin, the Baron Swastian Fenrose, who was living here 10 years ago and may have some info on the murder.

After some shrimp scampi and pool shenanigans, Swastian reveals that he had been engaged to a girl named Sadie Bellwater 10 years ago. His parents didn’t approve of her, so the lovers made plans to sneak off to get married. They were supposed to meet at the crossroads, but Swastian says that she was killed by bandits while clutching a ruby necklace that he had given her.

Her body was moved to the family crypt, but the ghost of his unapproving father bars entrance. It’s clear that Swastian has some serious Daddy Issues.

The gang tucks in for an early sleep, waking up just before dawn and heading to the cemetery. There they find statues of the three children, though the Trickster has been damaged. Fia and Zirk mend the statue (they could’ve sworn they saw her wink) before all three head into the crypts.

Murph notes that no one really comes here during Reaping Season, as bodies are known to animate and attack intruders.

The gang goes through a gate that they close behind them before being accosted by a number of skeletons. They managed to dash down the corridor and close another gate behind them, locking the skeletons on the other side, but as they do so they feel the same cool breeze they’d felt in the meat locker; the Broken Heart Banshee.

Commentary

I know he’s a coward, and partially the reason why the New Crew is in this mess, and that we should eat the rich, but I love Swastian Fenrose.

Hell, I love all of Murph’s bougie, upper class NPCs because they’re all so hilariously oblivious. While Bahumia’s Ren felt more of a ski movie bully, Swastian actually sees like a genuinely good person, all things considered. He’s letting his third cousin’s ex-husband stay with him, after all, and he seems more than happy to have the company of the New Crew — even if they may be of lower stations.

His story, as he presents it at least, is tragic, and is essentially at the heart (pun intended) of the New Crew’s first official quest.

But let’s back it up to the top of the ep.

I loved the idea that the barfight as a whole was represented as one creature, both for the representation of real-life mob mentality, as well as making it so much easier for DMs to deal with a largescale scuffle. Believe you me, keeping track of dozens of low CR creatures, some of whom are fighting each other, is a bit much… even for experienced DMs.

As mentioned earlier, Emily’s use of Command on the whole bar really shows her ingenuity when it comes to D&D, and I wouldn’t even fault her for metagaming here; Murph stated TWICE that the fight was acting, in his words, “like a swarm of humans.”

I also loved that there were various Horrors that the crew may have been dealing with, the inclusion of which leading a listener to believe that there must just be heaps of different Horrors out there in this world.

Luckily the gang has their handy book (Crit on your homework, kids!) and a 3/3 ability to read this time around.

Now, back to Swastian.

Murph’s Bahumia campaign placed some serious significance of the Boobs’ parental figures, many of whom played key roles throughout the story.

Growing up, and in some cases growing past those parents, marked clear checkpoints in character arcs, and the theme of comng to terms with your parents existing as people unto themselves, rather than just your mom and dad, definitely doesn’t fall on deaf ears for this 26-year-old Dispatcher.

I can’t help but wonder how much of Moonshine’s complicated struggle with Motherhood, or Bev’s relationship with Bev Sr, or Hardwon’s mostly absent parents, or even Murph’s spotlight on parental relationships, came from something grounded in real life for Emily, Caldwell, Jake, and Murph.

Art imitates life, as they saying goes, and while it would be an obvious overstep to think that just because a D&D player has an orphaned character means that they feel like an orphan irl, it also makes sense that this group of early(?) 30 somethings would also be experiencing the change that comes with seeing your parents as fellow imperfect adults, rather than the infallible, all knowing parents we saw them to be as children.

Swastian, in my eyes, represents the inability to grow into that stage of parent-child relationship, which may also be contributing to his childish nature (or vice versa).

Having listened ahead, I know that Swastian’s relationship with his father has an even larger part to play with the Sadie Bellwater situation than first assumed, so I’ll be keeping an ear out for if this theme is further developed.

We got another peek at a bit of the pantheon lore with regards to the Children, with some foreshadowing about the Trickster and those who follow her, and their contention with those who worship and fear the Reaper.

Though commentary on that particular can of worms will have to come alongside a later ep!

Roses:

• Fia’s continued attempts to teach Bukvar to be brave: “This is how we learn; we do things that scare us.”
• Murph pulling the classic DM line of “there’s chaos around you so you can’t really make plans” when Caldwell and Emily were trying to figure out what to do during the barfight
• The depth of Henry’s transformation into an Echo Knight
• Fia getting called out for bringing a book to a bar (something I’ve definitely been guilty of)
• Shrimp Scampi and port wine in a pool
• Zirk using Spritle as an alarm clock

Thorns: 

• I would have loved to see the dynamic and shenanigans had Swastian gone with the party to the crypts
• As with Emily, I too would have liked to know what would have happened had Fia moved all the coins to the other side of the Reaper’s scale

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

Episode 2: Jabs and Hooks | Episode 4: Ghosts of Thornkirk