Transcript – Petrified

[Quest of Ruin theme plays]

ANNOUNCER
Scroll and Dagger presents:
Quest of Ruin
Episode Seven
Petrified

[Theme fades to urban background noise, with sounds of stationery and dice in the foreground]

GAME MASTER
Hello and welcome to Quest of Ruin, the post-apocalyptic fantasy roleplaying podcast. I am your host and Game Master once again here with my five victims – I mean, players.

PLAYERS
[varied greetings]

GAME MASTER
So, last week, you were able to escape Stonehelm after saving King Iswald from the Waster elf.

WILL
Yeah, he was not happy.

GAME MASTER
Yeah, not so much.

GINA
Well, at least we’re not in the dungeon anymore.

ROSIE
Yeah, we’re just out in the middle of nowhere.

MATT
Much better.

LEAH
But we’re heading to a new place, right? A town or something.

GAME MASTER
… sure.

ROSIE
Not liking the sound of that.

GAME MASTER
[laughs] Okay, so Laethar remembered there being a town not too far from Stonehelm, beside a decent-sized lake. But, here’s the thing, remember how there was this apocalyptic war not so long ago?

[Transition music fades to the sounds of howling wind and slow footsteps through the snow.]

YAELA
Oh no.

BALINK
What? Where’s the… oh.

AIOLIN
Well, there was a town here…

VURIETH
… yes, but not anymore.

LAETHAR
I did say it had been many years.

VURIETH
Was this the work of Wasters?

YAELA
No, I… this place has been abandoned for a long time.

AIOLIN
Doesn’t look like it was attacked or anything. Looks more like it all just rotted away.

BALINK
Well, great. What are we gonna do now?!

[Treading footsteps.]

YAELA
Laethar?

LAETHAR
Just… please give me a moment.

[The footsteps fade away.]

VURIETH
Perhaps we can travel back south?

AIOLIN
Do we have enough to afford another cart? I don’t fancy walking the whole way.

BALINK
And that’s if there’s even anyone going. You heard what that elf said. There’s fewer merchants coming up this way.

AIOLIN
Well, we can’t just sit around in the snow.

YAELA
[audibly shivering] I second that.

[Yaela blows into her hands.]

BALINK
[muttering darkly] Kurvan-i-Gaj!

[Balink’s foot hits something hard.]

BALINK
YEOW!

YAELA
Binks! You ok?

BALINK
Ow ow ow! I kicked something hard!

VURIETH
Hold still, let me look at it.

BALINK
Ow!

VURIETH
Hm, broken toe. I can fix this.

BALINK
You sure?

VURIETH
Yes, don’t worry. It’s very simple.

[Vurieth begins muttering.]

YAELA
What was that anyway? A rock?

AIOLIN
[shaken] I don’t think so.

VURIETH
Sarcio.

[With the sound of magic, Balink lets out a sigh of relief.]

BALINK
Oooh, that’s better. Thanks Vurieth.

YAELA
Aiolin. What is it?

AIOLIN
Well, like I said, it ain’t a rock. Rocks don’t usually have fingers.

[Pause.]

YAELA
Laethar!

[Yaela’s footsteps fade out with the wind, which fades back up as Aiolin grunts with effort, shifting the statue.]

VURIETH
Careful, steady does it.

[Something heavy hits the ground.]

AIOLIN
There we are.

BALINK
Is it a statue?

VURIETH
Looks like it.

AIOLIN
Not one I’d want standing in my garden.

VURIETH
It looks like an elven maiden.

BALINK
Yeah, a really scared one.

AIOLIN
I don’t recognise the stone.

BALINK
You sound like a dwarf.

[Their voices continue quietly.]

YAELA
[in an undertone] What do you think?

LAETHAR
Well, I’m really hoping it’s just an ugly statue.

YAELA
It’s not, though, is it?

LAETHAR
[sighs] No. No it is not.

YAELA
But how? I thought… I thought they were all gone?

LAETHAR
They were supposed to be. The way I heard it, old Galnor Greyhammer killed the last of them in the early days of the war.

YAELA
Maybe this is just an old victim? It’s just been here for the last hundred years?

LAETHAR
Hm, it is possible.

YAELA
After all, there’s no way of knowing how long ago this place was abandoned.

LAETHAR
If it was abandoned.

YAELA
Don’t say that!

[Footsteps scurry towards them.]

BALINK
Hey! Aiolin reckons that statue ain’t a statue. It’s a person who was turned to stone by magic.

LAETHAR
Well, Aiolin’s quite right.

BALINK
And Vurieth thinks they know a counter-spell.

LAETHAR
Well isn’t that – wait, what?

BALINK
Yeah, it should turn them back to normal.

LAETHAR
Oh gods.

YAELA
What –

LAETHAR
Stop!

[The wind fades down and then back up to Vurieth working their magic on the statue.]

AIOLIN
You really think this will work?

VURIETH
Absolutely. The secret of this magic has been passed down for generations, my friend.

LAETHAR
[faintly, from a distance] Wait! Don’t!

AIOLIN
What?

VURIETH
Exsolvo!

[Stone cracks, and falls to the ground.]

AIOLIN
It worked!

ELF WOMAN
[breathing heavily] What? What happened? Where am I?

VURIETH
You are safe, my friend. You were turned to stone. But you are restored.

ELF WOMAN
No! No, what have you done?

VURIETH
What?

AIOLIN
Oh Blood! Her hands!

[Sand runs.]

ELF WOMAN
No! No! Please gods no!

VURIETH
What?

ELF WOMAN
[terrified, horrified scream]

[The sand runs faster, and her scream abruptly cuts off.]

LAETHAR
[softly] No. No, no, no, no, no.

[Laethar falls to his knees in the snow.]

BALINK
[audibly shaken] What was that?

YAELA
The Gargoyle’s Doom.

AIOLIN
What?

LAETHAR
No, no, no!

AIOLI
But, that’s…

YAELA
Yes. A curse that comes upon all who fall victim to a gorgon. Even if they’re turned back from being stone… well, you saw it. They turn to sand.

[The wind howls as the party is silent.]

AIOLIN
But gorgons… they’re extinct. They’ve been extinct for years, since before the rise of the Harbinger.

YAELA
They were supposed to be. Of course, it is possible that this poor woman was frozen decades ago.

VURIETH
Yaela, I didn’t mean – you must know I didn’t.

YAELA
I do know. It wasn’t your fault. Was it, Laethar?

LAETHAR
[standing] Hm? No, no of course not.

BALINK
You alright?

LAETHAR
Just thinking.

AIOLIN
So, we should leave, yes? If there’s no one around, there’s no work we can do.

BALINK
‘specially if there’s a gorgon on the loose.

AIOLIN
I just told you, gorgons are extinct.

LAETHAR
Are they, though?

YAELA
What?

LAETHAR
Aiolin, you’ve read up on gorgons, I suppose?

AIOLIN
I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I know a bit. Master Sonrai’s library had a whole section on monsters and I –

LAETHAR
Do you remember anything about their extinction?

AIOLIN
Errm, let me think. Yes; “In the year 2074 of the fifth age, Galnor Greyhammer, lord of Mahlascund, that would later be known as Hethlia, did root out the gorgons of the North Wastes and put them to the sword, hammer and flame.”

LAETHAR
Was that all?

AIOLIN
All I can remember. Probably all there is now the college is gone. I think the section on monsters was one of the first things destroyed when the Horde came.

VURIETH
Yet you are sure they are extinct?

AIOLIN
Yes! I mean, I think so. No one’s seen one since then.

YAELA
No one that we know of.

LAETHAR
I don’t like not knowing.

VURIETH
Laethar, you’re not considering –

LAETHAR
Yes, I rather am.

BALINK
Oooh no, you can count me out.

YAELA
Binks –

BALINK
No! Look, I’m happy to go monster hunting if there’s a good bit of money involved, but going looking for something that can do that – for free?

LAETHAR
Ordinarily, I’d agree. But if there are still gorgons in the world then that might have some unpleasant connotations that will affect us all.

BALINK
I don’t see how –

YAELA
But more importantly, imagine how much a collector might pay for the head of the first gorgon seen in over a century.

BALINK
… I’m listening.

YAELA
Aiolin, what would you say something like that would be worth?

AIOLIN
[groans] I mean, if there is still a gorgon, which I’m not convinced on, I wouldn’t like to guess but I’d say the right buyer would pay more than five hundred marks for one.

BALINK
What!?

LAETHAR
Well, you look suddenly interested.

BALINK
Pfft, for that money I’d cut your head off.

YAELA
Sounds like he’s convinced. Vurieth?

VURIETH
Well, I must admit to being curious.

YAELA
Excellent. So, where do we start?

AIOLIN
Well, if you’re gonna keep telling yourselves that the gorgon who petrified that woman is still alive; they tended not to hunt too far from their nests. So it would be somewhere close by.

VURIETH
In a cave or something equally horrible, I don’t doubt.

YAELA
Look. There’s a small island in the middle of the lake. I bet you that’s where the gorgon’s nest is.

AIOLIN
If –

YAELA
Yes, yes, if there still is a gorgon. But that seems like a good place to start, right?

LAETHAR
I agree. And look at that, there’s a boat there we can use. Aiolin, help me push it out. Let’s go see what we can find.

[The wind fades down, then back up across the lake as oars dip into the water.]

VURIETH
It’s awfully quiet out here.

AIOLIN
Not surprising. Doubt anyone’s come within miles of this place in years.

LAETHAR
[grunting and pulling the oars] Which is a shame. It used to be beautiful.

BALINK
Not so much anymore.

LAETHAR
[sighs] Well, quite.

AIOLIN
The surface is very smooth.

YAELA
Unnaturally so.

BALINK
It’s like glass. Look, I can see my – AAAAARGH!

YAELA
Binks? What is it?

BALINK
Face!

LAETHAR
What are you talking about?

BALINK
There’s a face down there!

VURIETH
What?

[The party shifts to look.]

AIOLIN
You mean like, somebody drowned in there?

BALINK
No, they weren’t drowned. They was screaming.

AIOLIN
Screaming? You mean there’s someone trapped down there?

YAELA
There are no bubbles, there can’t be anyone alive there.

BALINK
I know what I saw.

VURIETH
Bring the boat around, we can get another look.

YAELA
[flatly] No need.

LAETHAR
What are you – gods above us.

AIOLIN
There’s… I can’t even count.

YAELA
And those are just the ones close enough to the surface. Who knows how many there are deeper down.

AIOLIN
If I could get a closer look –

LAETHAR
Whoa!

BALINK
Don’t lean out so far!

VURIETH
Don’t want you tipping us in, my friend.

LAETHAR
Indeed. Do we have any rope to hand? If we fish one out perhaps –

VURIETH
They don’t look that old. If they’d been down there for years, the water would have eroded the stone, no?

AIOLIN
Not necessarily. Master Sonrai once told me that gorgon victims didn’t work the same way as normal stone. There are records of some who were only frozen for a few days before the stone began to crumble away. And then others who were frozen for centuries and were as solid as they were the first day. There was one scholar, I think she was a soothsayer from Norbaran… anyway she believed that it was the fortitude of the victim that determined how long they lasted.

LAETHAR
[scoffs] The fabled wisdom of Norbaran. I’ve seen some of the strongest warriors I’ve ever known begin to crumble mere days after their encounters with a gorgon.

AIOLIN
You’re not listening. Physical strength has nothing to do with it. The soothsayer’s theory was that it came down to strength of character. How dependable were those strong warriors?
[Aiolin pauses.]
But here’s a point. Those poor souls may well have been down there for years, like that maid on the shore. I just don’t believe the gorgon who did all that is still alive.

[There’s a splash, and the boat creaks.]

VURIETH
Woah.

BALINK
What was that?

LAETHAR
Nothing, it’s just a wave.

YAELA
Just the one?… and against the wind?

[Water splashes and something bumps against the wood of the boat.]

LAETHAR
Hang on!

VURIETH
That was no wave.

BALINK
There’s something down there.

AIOLIN
It’s probably just a big fish or something.

BALINK
Sure of that are you?

[A louder bump.]

LAETHAR
Did anyone see it?

VURIETH
It’s moving too quick!

[Another bump.]

YAELA
There! I saw a tail. Looked like some kind of –

AIOLIN
[flatly] Snake.

[Another bump. The boat rocks.]

VURIETH
I fear there can be little doubt anymore, my friend.

AIOLIN
But how? How can it –

[Another bump, and a sword is drawn.]

LAETHAR
We can discuss this later, I think.

YAELA
Why is it attacking us here?

[Yet another bump.]

AIOLIN
Afar Gijak! How could I be so stupid?

YAELA
Aiolin? What is it?

AIOLIN
Gorgons! They come on land to hunt but they make their homes in deep water.

LAETHAR
So you mean –

AIOLIN
Its nest isn’t on that island, it’s down there! In the lake!

LAETHAR
By the gods!

[There’s a loud splash and a hiss.]

LAETHAR
Shield your eyes!

YAELA
It’s trying to get in!

BALINK
How am I supposed to hit it if I can’t look at it!?

VURIETH
Get back all of you! [begins incanting]

[The gorgon growls.]

LAETHAR
Wait -!

VURIETH
Conglacior!

[Magic bolts, the gorgon screams, and there’s a splash.]

LAETHAR
What did you do?

VURIETH
An ice bolt. Fairly simple but I thought, given how wet it was, it would be effective.

YAELA
Good thinking, Vurieth.

LAETHAR
I’d hardly call shooting off an ice bolt with your eyes closed good thinking. Still, I had no ideas so well done, Ashlander.

VURIETH
I –

AIOLIN
I hope you have another in you.

VURIETH
What do you -?

AIOLIN
Look.

[Water splashes.]

VURIETH
Wanderer preserve us.

BALINK
There’s more of them!

[There are multiple thumps against the side of the boat.]

AIOLIN
This poor old boat won’t take much more of that!

VURIETH
I do not think I can deal with so many at once.

YAELA
How many are there?

BALINK
Five – no, six! No – four, that was a tail… no, five!

YAELA
We must retreat, get back to the mainland. There are too many!

[There’s another thumping, this time accompanied by the cracking of wood.]

AIOLIN
I agree. Trying to fight them would be suicide.

LAETHAR
I will not –

YAELA
Laethar, I know. I know. But staying here would be stupidity, not bravery. And you know that. Ah!

[There’s another bump and crack.]

LAETHAR
… I…

[Waves crash as the boat rocks.]

BALINK
I can’t keep this thing steady!

AIOLIN
Nor I, we’ll tip over if we don’t leave now!

YAELA
We go, now!

LAETHAR
… Alright.

VURIETH
A wise decision, my-

LAETHAR
Shut up.

[A cracking noise.]

AIOLIN
Blood!

BALINK
They’re right under us!

YAELA
Row! Row!

[The boat splinters.]

LAETHAR
Ashlander, anything you can do?

VURIETH
I – yes, yes I think so. [begins incanting]

YAELA
Hold on!

BALINK
I can’t!

AIOLIN
Water’s coming in!

LAETHAR
It’s not far now, if we can –

VURIETH
Ah!

AIOLIN
Vurieth?!

LAETHAR
Ashlander!

[A body hits the water as the boat breaks.]

BALINK
We’ll have to – to – swim for it!

YAELA
Don’t look down! Don’t look into the water!

LAETHAR
They should have reached us by now.

AIOLIN
Where’s Vurieth?

YAELA
Where did they -?

AIOLIN
VURIETH?!

[Splashing and coughing as Vurieth resurfaces.]

VURIETH
Th – there are – so – so many – m-more of them down there!

YAELA
Vurieth! Are you alright?!

VURIETH
Y-yes. T-th-they’ve worked themselves – into a frenzy. They got tangled across one another.

LAETHAR
Lucky for us, if we’re quick. Can you swim?

VURIETH
I can, yes.

YAELA
Let’s GO!

[They begin swimming.]

BALINK
Argh?!

YAELA
What is it?

BALINK
Something brushed my foot!

YAELA
Keep swimming, we can make it!

AIOLIN
Gyah!

LAETHAR
You too?

AIOLIN
Definitely something down there!

VURIETH
They must have noticed us leaving.

YAELA
Hurry, everyone! Don’t look into the water!

LAETHAR
There’s one coming!

BALINK
There’s another – and another – and –

YAELA
Faster, Binks! Go!

[Waves crash.]

AIOLIN
We are surrounded!

LAETHAR
I am not dying here!

YAELA
Laethar, behind you!

AIOLIN
Keep your eyes closed!

BALINK
[simultaneously] Aiolin, watch out!

[For a long moment, there is nothing but crashing water, muffled yells and fighting. Finally, there are some sounds of magic as Vurieth uses some minor spells to drive the gorgons back.]

YAELA
Okay, that should keep them back for a bit. Is everyone still here?!

BALINK
Yup!

AIOLIN
Yes!

VURIETH
Y-yes!

LAETHAR
Yes. [spits] They are toying with us.

BALINK
The shore’s so close!

AIOLIN
I think I can touch the bottom. Balink, come over here, you can stand on my shoulders.

BALINK
Yes! [gasps]

YAELA
We need a plan. Quickly!

LAETHAR
I can just about reach the bottom. [drawing sword] The water is going to slow me down, though.

YAELA
I’m not going to be able to use my bow here.

BALINK
I would make a hole for us but my fuses are all wet. Nothing’s sparking here.

VURIETH
I… I may have an idea.

YAELA
What is it?

VURIETH
Well… I have never tried it before…

LAETHAR
I am already not liking this!

VURIETH
I have seen it used. And I believe I know how it is done.

YAELA
Try it, Vurieth, whatever it is.

LAETHAR
Yaela!

YAELA
Well it cannot make our situation much worse, can it?

LAETHAR
Well, that is a point.

[Gorgons shriek.]

BALINK
I’m all for it at this point!

AIOLIN
I second that.

LAETHAR
Just do it quickly, whatever it is.

YAELA
[coughing up water] Here they come again!

VURIETH
I need to concentrate to make the spell work. Keep them off me, if you can.

YAELA
How? We’ll need to keep our eyes closed.

BALINK
I’ll tell you where they are! They ain’t getting to me up here!

LAETHAR
Alright. This had better work, Ashlander. Yaela, try and use your bow as a staff.

BALINK
Laethar, to your left! … Your other left!

[They fend the creatures off as Vurieth mumbles and shivers.]

VURIETH
Conglacior Locus Litore!

[The water crashes and freezes to ice.]

VURIETH
[breathlessly] There.

LAETHAR
You – you made a bridge?

YAELA
Quickly, up!

[Yaela, Laethar and Vurieth climb out of the water.]

YAELA
Aiolin?

AIOLIN
There’s no way that thing will take my weight. I’ll walk it to shore.

[He begins wading.]

VURIETH
I’ll cover you. You two, get to shore!

LAETHAR
Forget it.

YAELA
I’m not leaving you alone. You can barely stand!

VURIETH
Fulgur’Ro!

[Lightning crackles and strikes and a gorgon screams.]

VURIETH
I can stand enough for this.

BALINK
[distantly] There’s more coming, watch out!

LAETHAR
Yaela! Aiolin’s nearly there. The Ashlander won’t need to stay here long. And I can help if they get too close.

YAELA
I can –

LAETHAR
We’ll be fine, just go!

[The ice cracks ominously and a gorgon roars.]

LAETHAR
Go!

[Yaela runs as Vurieth continues to murmur incantations.]

LAETHAR
Balink! Where are they?

BALINK
[distantly] Whole group of them about to climb up on the bridge!

VURIETH
Fulgurcatena!

[More lightning.]

LAETHAR
… by the gods.

[Vurieth falls.]

LAETHAR
Ashlander!

VURIETH
You should… get going… more will be coming.

LAETHAR
More are coming. Get up and we can go.

VURIETH
Can’t stand. Too tired. Too much magic…

LAETHAR
Oh, for –

VURIETH
Just… just leave me here.

LAETHAR
Out of the question. Come on.

[Laethar pulls Vurieth onto his shoulder.]

VURIETH
So, you do care, Laethar.

LAETHAR
Don’t be absurd. I just know what Yaela would do to me if I left you behind.

[Laethar begins to move along the bridge as it begins to crack and break. The others shout from the shore, Laethar grunts and jumps, and the sound of feet on ice gives way to running through the sand on the shore instead.]

YAELA
Oh thank goodness!

BALINK
Duck!

[Explosions, multiple gorgons shriek.]

BALINK
That’ll learn you!

AIOLIN
You got the fuses dry then?

BALINK
Not even close. But I had a few spares in my bag I was able to replace the wet ones with.

AIOLIN
So that’s what you were doing.

VURIETH
[choking] I am – s-sorry.

YAELA
Sorry?! You saved our lives!

VURIETH
I over exerted myself… stupid… nearly got myself and Laethar killed.

LAETHAR
Well, yes. But if not for you, none of us would have gotten out of there alive, so thank you. You did well, Ashlander.

VURIETH
Am I going mad? Did anyone else just hear that?

BALINK
[laughs]

YAELA
Come on, we’re not out of this yet. We need to get away before they come back!

[The party runs, and dice roll at the gaming table. The players sigh in relief.]

MATT
Well, that got a little tense.

PLAYERS
[various agreements]

WILL
Little bit, little bit.

GAME MASTER
Okay guys, we’ve overrun a bit and I know some of you have work in the morning, so we’ll leave it there and we’ll pick up next time, and for now let’s everyone say goodby.

PLAYERS
Bye!

[The end theme plays and the Announcer recites the credits]