“There are things that are not said, and things that cannot be said.”
— Jean-Paul Sartre

The Green Dragon Brotherhood, while hiding out in Gyles Hiley's bolthole, works on their plan to take down the Grey Guardian and install Greer the Betrayer (aka The Bastard of the Moors) on the throne.

While the crew plots, Sooney-Crow of No Family does a mini-tour of Millhaven, playing all the hot spots (like the The Lame Salmon, the The Pig Bucket, The Dead Chestnut) as well as a USO tour of sorts amongst the refugee camp that has sprung up around the town. These shows both grow her renown as the Beyonce of the The Midlands and also spread a highly embellished version of the history of the Brotherhood and of the Bastard himself. She's basically on a recruiting tour, and it is wildly successful. The Brotherhood's masterful handling of Hele Tanner and the giant serpents in full view of everyone helps, of course.

Through the power of music, derring-do, propaganda, religion, and forgery, these dirtbags seem to have raised their army.

To help defeat the Grey Guardian. Which they are entirely responsible for. But I digress.

The plan is simple and also terribly naive: pick a fight with Ur-Balat and then talk him into helping. This crew does not lack for confidence.

But what's this? Gyles and a couple of henchmen say there's someone here to see Greer. They bring down a small woman named Sukie Thunderbright, who once worked for Lin Bai and the rest of the Shenzu family. Seems that Greer has inherited Keep Xanadu. It's pretty fabulous (stately, one might say), and it's also the perfect place from which to launch an invasion of Crow's Keep.

They let it be known that in 10 days' time, during the Feast of Iron (the most important holiday to followers of Graxus), an epic Sooney concert at Keep Xanadu will take place.

Thus, on that fateful day, the Brotherhood sets forth from Millhaven, likely never to return. And wouldn't you know it, a column of would-be fighters follows, stretching as far as the eye can see. It's a 4-day march to the Keep.

Kraz Formalhaut's device seems to be working, though, preventing those party members marked with the Sign of Ur-Balat from drawing the dragon's attention. With Sukie's expert guidance, and a GM that knows overland travel checks and random encounters at this point would be criminal, the march to Keep Xanadu is uneventful, and Greer takes occupancy of the Brotherhood's new base of operations.

Their army gathers outside the gates - as do other beings.

Kraz Formalhaut helps design a sound system to make sure everyone can hear, and they turn the Keep's portcullis area into an amazing stage on which Sooney can perform. They also station the Keep's complement of archers in the battlements with 20 arrows apiece. They aim to call forth the dragon.

Kraz shuts down the device and Sooney starts the show. Several songs in, the The Uxul around Greer's neck starts to glow purple, and Ur-Balat is sighted over the camp, coming up fast. Something around his neck glows purple as well, and with an eldritch crackle, Greer and Balat wink out of existence.

The crowd goes wild.

At the same time, Shiv Drinkstep, Cleansing Waters and Kraz Formalhaut find themselves petrified - held immobile while a strange green glow envelops them. Sooney-Crow of No Family uses her famous (and now magic) halberd to fly into the sky, which is both tactically sound and super rock and roll. One should note that all involved are wearing their shiny silver suits - glam to the very end.

Sooney spies a tent among the camp that glows green itself. She lands in front and stealthily peeks inside, seeing a beautiful woman ( Lady Rinwolde) holding a gnarled staff with a glowing orb capstone and surrounded by six surly Surlocs whose swords drip with poison.

Greer, meanwhile, finds himself transported to a strange realm, purple as the purple planet of the Old Ones, who seem to have brought him and Ur-Balat there for some kind of final Uxul battle. Power surges in his mind as the two trade psionic blows, with Greer making his case at every turn even as he and his hot dice win each individual contest.

Back at the concert, Sooney flies into the sky, pulling down the tent on top of the sorceress, and fires two blasts from her Old One ray gun, which kill the woman and break the spell. The Brotherhood leaps into action, with Shiv and Waters running to fight the Surloc while Kraz, the supposed man of science, uses a bit of magic to fly from the parapet to the battle, blunderbuss locked and loaded. Sooney takes a crossbow bolt to the shoulder. Does not care.

Greer and Balat have a meeting of the minds. The Green Dragon Brotherhood and the Green Goddamn Dragon will fight side by side!

Back in Argosa, The Brotherhood has the fight of their lives, with Shiv and the The Blade of Graxus beheading two Surlocs in rapid succession, while Kraz, Sooney and Waters blast, slash and hammer their way through the rest. Waters' bionic arm absolutely pulverizes lizardfolk, it seems. One Surloc remains, and he dives into the moat to get away from these death-dealing motherfuckers.

Sooney, ever the rock star, flies back to the stage, singing the whole time, and at the climax of the Ballad of the Purple Pyramid, Greer and Ur-Balat wink back into existence in a bright purple flash.

The crowd loses their minds. Rock and roll has come to the Midlands. Long live the Queen.

NEXT WEEK: FINALE