“Insiders” is a novelette published in the collection Low-Key Calamities in 2023. The crew infiltrate an enemy force intent on invading the north valley and threaten Zition.
Warning[]
“Insiders” contains explicit violence, defenestration, espionage, backstabbing, murder, poison, arguable war crimes, condescension, identity theft, asphyxiation, sabotage, anti-necromantic prejudice, intentional food poisoning, counter-weaponization of stereotypes, deceit, assassination, incitement to riot, disrespect for the dead, abuse of kitchen staff, conspiracy, arson, breaking and entering, bickering, punching, leering, kicking, insensitivity, poor leadership skills, insults, unintended threats, ordinary jerks, wrath, treason, grappling, destruction of property, immolation, and a fart joke.
Synopsis[]
A power vacuum had appeared in the northern valley since King Dostin was driven back, and an uneasy alliance of various evil and oppressed groups formed to take it over. The crew learned of it through a failed assassination and infiltrated their base.
Teryn infiltrated the leadership. She, Shady Tooth, and Yargol took out several of the leaders. Yargol also spread dissent and encouraged fights between the bugbears, hobgoblins, and orcs. Scars set out to poison most of the food served in preparation for the march, while DigDig and War Cloud organized a breakout of prisoners and putting the supplies on fire.
Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Burren the Bloody, a human bandit leader
- Gormuld Boneblade, an orc leader
- Captain Ormank, a hobgoblin leader
- The Seer of Darkness of the Onyx Order
- Grassk, swamp folk leader
- Scarlet Wind, an assassin
- Argasoth Zul, Warlord of Dusk
- Kishmar Ulbet, an undead warrior
- Teryn
- A goblin lamplighter
- Yargol
- Shady Tooth
- Hang Nail, a bugbear cook
- Tweez, a goblin
- Scars
- DigDig
- Arnag the Unforgiving, dungeon warden
- War Cloud
- Ripfang, a bugbear
- Three sorcerers
- Anla, a human caravan leader
- Gareth, a gate guard
- King Dostin (mentioned only)
- Mayor Karana (mentioned only)
- and many bugbears, orcs, goblins, humans, and dwarves
Locations & organizations[]
- A castle
- Canrana (mentioned only)
- Zition (mentioned only)
- Brolan, a village (mentioned only)
- Appleford (mentioned only)
- Hannel, a village (mentioned only)
- The Stone Shadow Orcs
- The Free Hobgoblin Legion
- The Onyx Order (mentioned only)
- The Crew (Wandering Monsters)
Items[]
- DigDig’s shovel
Publication history[]
The story was published on Elliott Kay’s Patreon on November 3, 2022. It was re-published in Low-Key Calamities on February 21, 2023.