4G Episode 9: Whatever Happened to Irma Derglin? Report

Distress Call From Faerie

The Fiddletwitchers returned to Grig's Grotto after their successful mission to the Crystal Grove. They spent the next few weeks settling into life in Tower Town and the Zone. Vashe trains with his weapons and upgrades his hand crossbows. Macon begins studying necromancy with the magisters of the Enclave. Edgey takes their skyship for a jaunt outside of the Zone. Atticus sleeps during the day and spends his evenings whoring and gambling.

Macon returns to the Grotto from the Enclave, excited to show his friends his new necromantic skills. As he arrives on the morning of Faerie, they receive a message from their long-lost friend Irma Derglin. Her father has brought his carnival and baby animal fighting ring to the High Table slice of the Pit. Will they come and help her rescue the baby animals from her father?

Billy Fey's Achy Breaky Cart-nival

A month earlier, on the eve of Lunapalooza, Irma had been recalled to the Feywild by her father, the fairy Billy Fey. Her alloted time in the world of mortals was over and he needed her to resume her duties at the Achy Breaky Cart-nival. He no longer needed her to liquidate the losers of matches. He gave her the duty of preparing contestants and bringing them to the fighting pit.

After her year of freedom in the Zone, Irma hated being dragged back into her old life. Her father had turned the exotic petting zoo of her childhood into a baby animal fighting pit. She hated seeing the death of innocents for the amusement of others. She hated her father for turning her into a monster. When Billy Fey announced that he was bringing the Cart-nival to the Zone on Faerie she began to make her plans. She took her ident-a-hedron out of its hiding place and called her old friends for help.

Scheming in Plain Sight and Baby Fights

The Fiddletwitchers arrived at Billy Fey's Cart-nival and blended in, with varying degrees of success, with the high-class Molndalians and Order of Light thrillseekers. They witnessed the lunchtime undercard that pitted an axolotl vs a small stone dragon.

Shortly after they arrived, Billy Fey greeted Atticus as an old patron of the Achy Breaky Cart-nival. Atticus asked Billy Fey to give him a tour as Irma made contact with Vashe and Macon. Irma was greatly concerned at the absence of Bug Radley and was not happy that a firbolg had taken her friend's place in the group.

Vashe defused Irma's anger by pointing out that Bug was no longer around and Macon was here now. If she had any chance of success, she would have to act now. The group put together a plan to release the animals and put an end to Billy Fey's villainy.

Executing the Plan

That night, before the main event, the party put their plan into action. As Irma led a pygmy owlbear and a giant scorpion to the ring, Macon turned his alligator a bright shade of pink and prepared it to distract the guards. Vashe snuck among the caged baby animals, releasing any of them that would help them fight Billy Fey. Atticus met the master of the carnival in his tent for business.

Billy Fey knew that Atticus had access to psychic beer and he was interested in serving the famous drink to his wealthy patrons. During the meeting, Atticus revealed that he was also in possession of hexocybin mushrooms and Billy Fey was eager to try them. As Atticus brewed up some mushroom tea for them, he switched the ringmaster's dose with a paralytic mushroom.

Billy Fey's eyes widened with surprise and glee as the mushroom affected him. The fairy fell to the ground, paralyzed and unconscious. Atticus summoned the rest of the party as they decided what to do with the astounding success of all their plans. As they debated, a knock came on the door and it opened. The enormous ogre Crunch, Billy Fey's second-in-command, stood there in shock. His eyes narrowed and he asked Irma, "Are you making your move?"

Irma Needs a New Hat

Just as the main event was about to begin, Atticus entered the main ring with an announcement. "Ladies, gentlemen, and honored guests there has been a change of plans tonight! Instead of the baby animal fight, we present a changing of the guard! Billy Fey's time has passed we present your new Ringmaster, Billy Fey's daughter Irma Derglin!"

The crowd responded with astonishment and no small amount of bloodlust. "The blood price for such a change must be made! By the Law of Faerie and in the name of the Infernal Triumverate, make it so!"

As the crowd roared its approval, Irma brought her father's cutlass down on his neck, cutting off his head. The magic of the carnival, Billy Fey's domain poured out of him and into his daughter, making her the new master of the Carnival.