Look at you! He's gonna judge you to the girl. Oh my god, I, I, do you know? She's quite the looker. You are. You're gonna be a heartbreaker when you grow up.
Overview of the D&D Podcast and Characters
00:00:39
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Bellum Draconis. We are a live play 5e D&D podcast set in the magical home-brewed world of Aerith in the Kingdom of Sleetguard. My name is Mark and I am the Dungeon Master and also with us for this week's episode we have Callum who plays the war-forged artificer Alpha. We've got Will who plays the human cleric Emron. We're going on an adventure. Danny who plays the half-orc monk Morota Broken Tusk.
00:01:09
Speaker
Ah, he said all my name things. I did, I did. Ah, Callum. You're shit, Callum. Yeah. Callum, you're shit. What up? He gets confused. We've got Darren, who plays the High Elf Artifice of Rainshadow. Howdy, tabletopers. And we've got Ian, who plays the Tiefling Warlock, Nix Corel. Hello. We are going straight over to our residence. I forgot what I've got. The Chronicler. We're going to the Chronicler now. What happened last week?
00:01:39
Speaker
In the last few pages of our adventure, our five not yet heroes continue to rest amongst the comforts of ale and warm food at Clay Peak Hall. After finally being able to recover their breath from the events in the sewers, they turn their attention towards each other.
Discussion of Secrets and Leads
00:01:56
Speaker
Rain seemed to accidentally let slip some truths about his identity as perhaps the crown prince of Shadow Man.
00:02:05
Speaker
Emron detailed the creation of their traveling companion Alpha, the reanimated construct given life from a father of technology and a father of holy magic. Between moments of challenging understanding came moments of frivolous understanding between one Nick's Corel and one Reign's, perhaps, crown prince of shadow-mend.
00:02:28
Speaker
Pondering their next destination, Emron learned of a trader, Alessandro Rosethorn, who was seeking aid in ridding the nearby seas of a vessel known as the Tormentum. Rains, however, had other ideas and suggested the party pursue a lead posted on the notice board. An ex-Hailstorm Surge soldier turned monster hunter named Orla has gone missing. A final swig of their drinks and the party venture forth to Goldfuse, south easterly road.
00:02:59
Speaker
Oh mate. You're really good at this. That's so good. Jesus. Wow. We're going to string them all up. There's going to be a future episode where it's just you and those openings. Well they're already recorded so that would be an easy episode for us all to do.
00:03:17
Speaker
Yeah. That's awesome. Every 50 episodes, Ian will string them together as a little summary. Oh yeah, thanks. Ian doesn't do anything else for the podcast, so yeah. What can I say? Except you're welcome. And that Moana reference. Thank you, Danny, for that. That was excellent, as always. We've found ourselves stood.
00:03:37
Speaker
outside the, I was going to say half-eathed in there, we're not there, we're outside the Clay Peak Hall and we are walking through the city of Goldview. Could I just please just quickly check out the order? I know that Marotta, you were leading the way as the only kind of resident who knows your way around the city of Goldview. How else are the others of you arranged? Just so I know how we're going as we walk on this fine afternoon through the city of Goldview.
00:04:04
Speaker
Well, M1 will be with Marauder, because I'm assuming, or M1 will be assuming, that Rains will want to be walking alongside Nyx.
City Exploration and Mysterious Figure
00:04:14
Speaker
Rains is just going to go wherever. He falls into the order. He will make sure that no one's left behind, especially Alpha, and he will just stroll at whatever casual pace keeps him in sight of M1 and Marauder. And Nyx will be going at the back.
00:04:31
Speaker
Yeah, Alfa will probably be in the middle of Emron and Reims. Okay, nice. Just so I got a sense of that journey. You make your way down a number of kind of key roads of the city towards the central portion of the time. As you do, you notice that large portions of the city are almost kind of barricaded off through collapsed buildings or works that are taking place. Despite this only being a number of hours since the fall and the attack of the dragon,
00:04:59
Speaker
Change is already taking place. You can see more and more of these purple-robed figures out and around, many of them wielding semantic elements of magic, moving brickwork, and helping to reinstate the normality of the city of Goldview. This is on top of the outpouring of generosity and help of the city residents of Goldview as they continue to do more normal and menial tasks cleaning up.
00:05:27
Speaker
picking up the dead, making sure the streets are clear. As you continue to make your way through, you avoid most of the major danger points and major block areas that have been affected by the dragon attack. Could I please ask that you make a, actually your passive perception. Who's got the highest passive perception? I think it's a 12, I think. Isn't it?
00:05:51
Speaker
I think someone has. I don't know. Morotas is 13. Okay, Morotas is 13. Thank you. Morota, and you... No, sorry. Morotas is 12. Emron's is 13. Apologies. Thank you, Emron. Mine's also 13. Oh, brilliant. This works better for Nick's then, because you're at the back. Nick, as you continue to walk and you see this group of individuals that you've semi-befriended in front of you, you quickly turn your head back and just up the corner of the eye, you see a robed figure in black.
00:06:20
Speaker
The streets are relatively busy, and people are moving around with a industrious attitude to change and development. And people are here. Everyone has dropped their actual professions. They're all helping move wares and goods, cleaning up streets, et cetera, getting the city of Goldview back into its old state of repair. But there is just one figure that stands out off quite far in the distance, not from where you came, but from her side alley. She seems to appear as a dark figure that doesn't seem to be helping.
00:06:49
Speaker
a hooded black robed figure. It doesn't move towards you at all. You just see it there for an instant, and then it kind of disappears again into an alleyway. Do we continue to walk in through the city? Is there anything you guys want to talk about on your journey through? The rest of it is relatively uneventful, save for Nix's little site there. So I'll just say quietly, Emron,
00:07:18
Speaker
and I'll point at some of the purple-robed figures. Do you have these? Where do you come from? I'm going to take a whiz, as Nick says. You're talking, and he just disappears down the alleyway that he saw the black-hoed-robed figure. No. Shadow Men shut its walls and cut itself off from outside world.
00:07:45
Speaker
a few years ago so no we don't have this light now shadow mend runs itself in its own particular way there are there are those that are in charge and they like to make sure they stay in charge but no nothing like this though probably similar in its own way have you heard
00:08:06
Speaker
the name the abcriskra so far on your travels i heard it mentioned by sailors they're not a group known much in shadow men but then that place tends to keep shadow men tends to keep itself to itself well you want to avoid them those in purple they do seem to be running the place why well
00:08:38
Speaker
It's not for me to say. They shouldn't be running the place. Oh, I see. It's a bit of a bit of an occupation then. Of sorts. Ah, seems... Is that a Hall of Cross sleep guard or is it just in the city?
00:08:58
Speaker
I don't know. Seems there's not much about gold view that we expected really. What did you expect? Well, rain's had a lacking for us, hopefully having a few contacts in the city, but that went south, so you know, here we are. You must have been quite desperate if
00:09:28
Speaker
You were fleeing whatever, and you chose to come here without a plan. Well, we had a planet of sorts, but, well, it was just a sensible thing to do, you know? And when it comes to life or death, you choose life, if you know what I mean. Sure.
Humorous Encounter with Gnomes
00:09:52
Speaker
Anyway, I'm just going to go see if Nyx is OK.
00:09:56
Speaker
Well I will wait. He said something about relieving himself. So who knows how long he could take. Maybe I won't. And while that conversation is taking place, we're just going to pop ourselves over towards Nick's as you've headed down an alleyway. Is that right?
00:10:16
Speaker
Yeah, it was the place that I saw the hooded figure. Okay, so it's a little bit of a walk back to where you have to go. And as you turn the corner left to the alleyway, you enter into a really shaded kind of like 10-foot wide alleyway with a number of stacked crates on the right-hand side, not the left-hand side.
00:10:36
Speaker
Far at the end of the alley you can see it splits into two and you can see light cascading in from, not from either side, it's two suns, from one side causing a nice beam of light across the back wall which is kind of this brownish reddish hue. At the very end you do see the same black figure, black hooded figure I should say. You can't make out its face or anything like that standing at the very end just looking, you assume, towards you. You're about 35 feet away.
00:11:05
Speaker
Hi there, my friend. The name's Nyx, as Nyx carries on walking forwards. There's no discernible reaction. Something about you is quite mysterious and you seem to, I don't know, be a little bit different to everyone else out here helping out, Nyx getting closer. Trying to make out a face. Give me a perception check.
00:11:36
Speaker
14. Nothing you can really make out through the shadow. The bright light seems to be coming in off the side of it. Weirdly seems like the black material seems to absorb a lot of the energy of the sun. Nothing seems to pierce through and nothing allows you to see its face. From your current location, about 15 feet away. And so Nix is gonna just cautiously now start walking forwards. I say, I don't suppose you'd let down your hood so I could see who you were.
00:12:05
Speaker
the figure lunges forward a couple of feet its body moving forward still in the shadow still hiding slightly and it just whispers but growls almost to you password
00:12:18
Speaker
Yes, of course, password. Uh, what was it again? Uh, your, your captain, captain, boss, man, thing, did tell me it was, uh, or what was it? Was it st, st, as, as Nick's is trying to form words, he's looking over at him. St, st, st, film and treasure.
00:12:44
Speaker
The figure stays perfectly still for a few seconds. And then a sound comes on. You imagine it's a sigh mixed with a growl as the figure turns and swiftly moves down the left alleyway, moving at breakneck speed away. All you see is this black cape kind of billowing as it darts down to another corner off to the right out of sight. Would you like to follow while you stay in?
00:13:10
Speaker
Absolutely follow, I'm gonna, yes, yes, of course that was the password, I told you I knew, and Nix would take off. And you turn a right corner, you see it, and it seems to dart around and over a series of crates. Could you make a dexterity check, please, to see if you can over, er, leap these barrels, please.
00:13:31
Speaker
22 with a natural 20. Wow. Yes. You managed to vault over them with a dexterous ease. And this creep, this, I say, would you slow down? It darts off to the left on another smaller, darker alleyway and making its way, scuttling almost down another side alley. It then, as you come around the corner, you can see there's like a one story building. It's already on top of the one story building and running across the roof of it. And you still going for it?
00:13:59
Speaker
Yes! Okay, another dexterity check then. Let's do this!
00:14:05
Speaker
That's a six Okay, so you make run up and you can see the the stonework and gives you a couple of divots and as your first fit hits the divot you reach up and you do get a hand on top of it your leg gives way and Your coin purse opens up spilling about five or six gold onto the ground. You've got an arm on top You could you could get your arm up and continue going though. Oh No, no, no God damn it fine info gold as they say and it reaches up
00:14:35
Speaker
And you're pulling yourself up. Yeah. Okay. You pull yourself up and you look up and you can see now all of a sudden the buildings here, it's kind of a one story and then it goes up to like a three story. This is kind of a really, really impact area of it. And as you look up, you look up two stories now from your current location on kind of a flat roof of like some kind of small shop or something like that.
00:14:56
Speaker
And somehow already this figure is now on top of the two stories, looking down at you. And it slowly just shakes its head and turns. There's a number of windows on the side if you want to try and traverse to get yourself up. Wow, that's just strange. This must be a reason why he's up there in the first place. Yeah, Nyx is going to try and find a foothold and climb up the tower.
00:15:22
Speaker
All right, here we go. It's sort of a tower, just a series of windows of a residential building. Let's fucking do it. I'm gonna poke in on a few windows along the way, see if there's any, is there any souls in there? Hello, anyone in there? Fuck off! You hear from one of them. Okay, sorry. Window cleaner. There's no real response from any of them. These are small kind of stone windows. That could be an athletics check, please.
00:15:52
Speaker
Three. Three. You get an arm up and you pull yourself up, use the window ledge quite easy to get yourself on that and you feel for the divots through at the stonework to continue up. Your corn purse just fully rips open.
00:16:07
Speaker
all the coins pour down onto the floor you're still there on the wall you can see divots above you could continue to climb but you literally feel the weight leave your body as you become lighter as the rip of your coin purse means you have just spilled your money onto the roof of the building below you crap crap nope nope nope too rich too rich for my blood and nix will jump back down and and try and pick up all the coin that he can
00:16:34
Speaker
That's 94 gold that's fallen out, don't I manage to recover it? You recover 91 gold there, and then at the other place where you dropped a couple more gold, five more gold, yeah. You manage to recover it all, it takes you a bit of time to get it. Longer than a piss. Longer than a piss. Sorry, Karen.
00:16:54
Speaker
No, no, no, as you were, that's fine. This is a shit start to my day. Do you say my coin purse is totally ripped? Just gone. Yeah, it's ripped, yeah. Nix is just picking it up and kind of just like spitting on a gold and kind of rubbing it against his blue leather coat.
00:17:12
Speaker
and he puts it deep into his pockets on either side of his jacket just feeling the weight and he's trying to equalize the weight on either side because his jacket's really long and and where the pockets are they hit either side of his thighs
00:17:27
Speaker
And he's just kind of, all right, okay, no one was around. Nix is looking around to see if anyone saw this tomfoolery in embarrassment. As you look around, you can't really make out anyone. The windows are small and dirtied. And so if anyone could see you, you wouldn't be able to notice them unless you went up and cleaned them and had a look through. But there's no one on the street around you. There seems to just be kind of a thoroughfare or just some kind of awkward end of a series of buildings that are built, kind of dead end.
00:17:56
Speaker
There's a door at the base of the shop below and that's kind of it really. That's okay, Nix. No one was around to see this. All right. Okay. Okay. Let's go and find everyone again. That's, yes. The rest of the group is continuously looking up and back as he's walking away. He's just rather strange though. Are you still out there anywhere?
00:18:22
Speaker
Password treasure. Steven. No response, but you see a bird fly overhead. And as you've been picking up your gold, you also realize that the area's got quite a few ants around, actually, and just you've got to shoo away a couple of them to get the coins as well. They seem to be moving towards the base of the building where you're stood.
00:18:43
Speaker
as well kind of in lines quite like nice neat lines a bit towards the towards the building as you pick up the gold so at the rest of the group you've been there now for a while and this this we has
00:18:53
Speaker
Well, he's gone to relieve himself and it's taking a while longer than one might have for a normal wee. Was around thinking you'd stopped or were you continuing to walk? We'd stopped. Okay, you've stopped in the street and people are having to kind of move around you. You get the odd strange look as this weird group of people are stood in the middle of the street, not really helping, not doing anything, just stood there. What would you like to do?
00:19:15
Speaker
I'm starting to think a number one's turned into a number two. That's what I'm starting to think. Either that, or he's got some problems he needs to see an apothecary for. Either that, or it's the result of all the flirting. Rain's gonna smile at that and say, well, what can I say? I'm afraid I don't understand. Rain, perhaps you want to go follow him and try and hurry him up?
00:19:44
Speaker
You never rush these things, particularly if I'm going to find them with his breeches down. In all seriousness, he went down an alleyway and this seems to be quite a nefarious part of the world. Perhaps a few of us should go and check on him, unless he's been exhausted. I'm sorry, your Royal Highness or whatever, but this is... You're almost correct. Just remove the all whatever.
00:20:07
Speaker
Right. I don't particularly have a big fondness for Goldview, but this is actually not a bad part of town. So, you know, he's probably fine. Everyone's going to go try and find where Nix has gone. Your latest is showing.
00:20:27
Speaker
You turn left and you see down the same alleyway I described earlier. So a long alleyway, a series of crates on the right-hand side, 10 feet wide. And at the far end, you see it break off into a T-junction with light cascading in from the left, top left, down towards the bottom right. You start to walk down that alleyway. There's no one there, but you notice footprints in the mud. You notice movement. Not really sure whose it could be. You see Nick step out from, Nick, I'm making an assumption here, you'd return the way you came.
00:20:55
Speaker
I would, but as I was returning the way I came I would try and find if there was a puddle in the ground or some sort of self-reflected window of sort to see how I'm looking, because I'm guessing I'd have fallen in the dirt somehow.
00:21:10
Speaker
and wouldn't be looking too fresh, as it were. Well, to be honest, you rolled a 22 for the dexterity, so you nimbly followed up to that point. And it wasn't necessarily your athletics to let you down, it was the quality of your coin purse. So you're looking all right. Yes, you find a puddle. Amazing. I would check that. In the puddle, I would be, ah, and I'm checking each one of my grey horns, and I'm just stroking back my dark blue hair.
00:21:34
Speaker
and then I'm fixing up my features my light blue face and drawing myself up getting ready to see everyone just pulling the white shirt underneath my waistcoat and yeah okay and then smoothing out my long blue jacket and then just kind of brushing off my brown boots
00:21:49
Speaker
And everyone you would have seen, you would have seen all this. I feel like the puddles on the floor, you would have come around the corner, seen Nick's looking at the puddle. It feels like he's almost talking to himself as he, as he sorts himself out. Um, and you, you watch that kind of narcissist take flight. Absolutely. My blue tail, my blue fork tail would just be swishing behind me as I was looking as well. Did you need a ship?
00:22:15
Speaker
Or just in a moment with yourself. I got lost, would you believe? Oh, Emron, you're here. I actually can believe you get lost. Yeah, all right. I tell you, it was mad. It's like a maze down here. I'm so glad you're here. Where's the rest of them? Can you show me the way out, please? Just here. I imagine this city is a little bit like your mind, full of twists and turns.
00:22:40
Speaker
Oh, I'm so glad you're here. You have no idea you're your savior. Don't thank me like that. There were some questions asked about what you're actually doing. And
00:22:49
Speaker
Well, you know, when one goes for we, one checks for privacy and one turn later turned into another turn and there was always people around, as you can see. And Nix is just pointing around at the empty street. One was just trying to find privacy and then I got lost and so glad to see you here. Either just ordinate or you should have gone before we left the clay pre-call. Oh, you've never been into the bathroom to clay pre-call. It takes a braver man than I to go into them.
00:23:20
Speaker
I've shit in some rate horrible places. So you know what? Sometimes you have to shit where you shit mate. Put that on a t-shirt.
00:23:33
Speaker
That's a bumper sticker for a car, isn't it? Well... Okay! Anyway, shall we continue? I think that's a great idea. I follow your lead, my sir, my good sir. I'm not a sir, I'm just me. And then... Oh, by the way, by the way, is he really a prince? Aye, he is. Wow. And what are you?
00:24:01
Speaker
Just just me. I'm an M Ron. I'm a blacksmith. Okay, cool. Just wanted to clarify that. Let's find the others. Yeah, let's go. Okay. All right, you turn. Sorry. God, and everyone will lead him out and say, and just look through it and say, I think it was a number two.
00:24:23
Speaker
And next you do a car on the corner and you see the rest of the group and I feel like a couple of crossed arms a couple of huffs waiting as you approach Awfully, sorry got a bit lost I'm back now. No need to worry. Thanks for waiting though. That's really kind of you I would assume that you just kept walking on Hmm Wonderful
00:24:50
Speaker
Tell you what, I'll stick it back to make sure Nick's- No, no, no, no need for that. That's fine. I'll carry the rear, cover the rear. Jamron, I think that sounds splendid. You should do that. Who makes you the putty? I guess Prince, you're used to this kind of thing. Fair enough.
00:25:06
Speaker
I can't believe we travel with the famous Prince of Shadowmend. Oh, sorry, is it? See, I'm confused now. Is it a secret? Is it not a secret? Emron, I look to you here. Is it a secret? Well, folks interact differently around royalty or nobles. So perhaps we could not be shouting in the middle of the streets. And can we just get on with it? Of course. I apologize.
00:25:39
Speaker
I'm heading south. You're awfully quiet there, Alfred. Are you okay? I am perfectly fine. I'm still trying to discern the reason for numbers to come into Nixon's actions. I don't know what a number one or a number two is in relation to. Oh, so a number one is the process of urination. The number two is when you go take shit. Oh, okay. Happy to explain.
00:26:08
Speaker
The party continues to head south. You make your way down towards the central portion of the town to Vita Square to life or where life should be continuing. However, many of the stores are deserted, shut up almost like it's nighttime already. Many of the traders have moved on and are separate into different factions and different areas to help rebuild sections of the city. So the actual square itself doesn't have its vitality that it normally would have that
00:26:39
Speaker
Morota you'd be aware of. You pass through the square at the centre of the town and across the bridge. Could I ask something as we pass through the square? Sorry. Of course, yeah. This is where we saved Dada Nome and his daughter, isn't it, Mr Square? Correct, yeah. I'm just going to glance around to see if there's any sign of their cart, because I'm aware that we don't know if we were successful in saving them or not, and Rains would all of a sudden prick up at this point and start to look around if there's any sign.
00:27:08
Speaker
OK, give me a perception check, please, Raines. Gladly. 18. You look around and you can make out on the far side of the
00:27:19
Speaker
of the square that we're currently sat in. Outside a rather large imposing grey building that has a plaque outside of it, that's a sleep fort. You see a number of no-mish looking characters sat outside it. They seem to be having some kind of lunch or something like that, chatting. You notice one old, wizened, grey bearded man, and you see a young,
00:27:45
Speaker
a young female gnome probably not much older than five or six with kind of a small blonde ponytail and they seem to be laughing and and sharing some bread and a bit of soup. Is it them? As you get closer you can make out you recognize the young girl and yes indeed you do recognize the man and given that there's still a bit of a cry in the middle they don't see you though at the moment. Reigns will see that and he'll smile and then to Emran, Alpha
00:28:15
Speaker
and he's going to just start to move over towards the two names. Eventually the old man looks up from the soup and looks through his squinty eyes and... Oh! Oh! And he stands up and starts moving over towards you quite slowly. Howdy, friend. Ah, good to see you. How do you fare?
00:28:37
Speaker
It's good to see you, too. When we left you before we fell down that hole, we weren't sure if you made it. It pleases me to see that you did. And look at you! He's going to gesture to the girl. Oh, my god. Do you know? She's quite the looker. You are. You're going to be a heartbreaker when you grow up.
00:29:00
Speaker
Yep. Small little girl, but okay, I think. Mother been some miscommunication in her age. I'm sorry, I'm sorry if that's inappropriate. I'm saying you have a very in the latter day. How you do things in shadow, man.
00:29:19
Speaker
Hey! Oh, you recognise the accent? I quit. I quit. Everything. I'm out. I'm out. I'm done. Don't at us, guys. Rains, I think this is now a time to leave. How do you tell someone that, you know, isn't that like a nice thing you say, like your child... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, God.
00:29:43
Speaker
Can I just say, thank you again for rescuing me. Sorry, the rest of your party seemed to be laughing. Oh, I'm sorry. I was brought up in a place where you cut this flattery to talk about how out, I don't know, someone's gonna be.
00:30:09
Speaker
I think I think yeah have a shovel for that metaphor Thank you
00:30:21
Speaker
What remains? I'm pleased to see you both made it. Thank you. Thank you for your help. You are my... We wouldn't have made it without you. Let him have this moment. This is the going directly to Alpha the memory pack. Every time the party is down, Alpha will be playing this sound pack.
00:30:50
Speaker
I'm warm. I'm warm. Oh my god. What is your name, good sir? Don't give me a name. Don't give me a name. My name is Rains. I have a report to file. Rains, thank you again. My name is Harold Mistyfoot. I owe you a debt I think I can never repay for helping me and my daughter make it out of that.
00:31:17
Speaker
that well whatever that was earlier we lost many people friends from this area and in other parts of the city I hear the docks were badly burned I hope you and your friends were safe no yeah we all made it don't you worry about us we all made it well please pass on my thanks to your
00:31:41
Speaker
companions. And if you ever need anything, please come and find me. I have a stall nearby. I sell arcane books, some of which might be of interest. That sounds great. We'll be sure to do that. Yes. Thank you again. And may Alito bless you.
00:32:08
Speaker
I'm going to stand in the awkward silence and then turn to Emran and Alpha and wave. I don't think Emran joined you, but yeah. Alpha's going to try and hide in a crowd if Grange is waving at him at this point. And Ronald simply raises hammer in salute and then we sort of give a head gesture of, come on, we've got out to do. You're still here. We're going, we're going, we're going.
00:32:38
Speaker
Bye bye. Thanks again. Say goodbye. Bye. Alfer. You know how like in Shadow Man, like when we do like the ceremonial greeting and you say, I think your child is going to grow into a beautiful person. They don't do that here. That ain't a thing. They don't do that here. Reins, Reins. That might be how the elves do it. That is how the elves do it. Is there something wrong with that? Not how rest of folk do it.
00:33:06
Speaker
I can't say I've ever had such a social interaction.
00:33:31
Speaker
Anyway, Marauder, you were taking us to the slums. Perhaps we should get there, expediently. So, we... We leave... We leave that... Whatever that was. Whatever that was. We leave the sleep fort and Vita square and cross over...
00:33:58
Speaker
We cross over a bridge, Traitor's Bay Pass, and head south down, sorry, I'm throwing now, Lowlaith Road, passing a number of major sites of the city along this way. We pass on your right the beautiful Serene Gardens of Tiriani, which sits and butts onto the base of one of the most revered and impressive buildings in Sleet Garden.
00:34:26
Speaker
and that is the Sleetguard Palace. Its marble exterior gleams and gives off a bright light in the afternoon sun, reflecting this lovely orange hue. It sits almost like a bastion, a lighthouse, if you will, on a slight incline hill overlooking the city and its residents, bathing the slum areas and the lower areas of the cities and the alleyways between the streets in almost an unnatural yet natural light.
00:34:57
Speaker
The road continues south towards the exit of the city, and you see again the large gates of the city of Goldview, for those who entered the city from its interior walls. You see the large gates and a number of members of the of Chriska stood on guard. They are stood rather relaxed, but again, most of the work seems to focus on bringing in goods and materials in order to fix areas of the city that are damaged by the dragon attack.
00:35:25
Speaker
You continue to make your way past the gates with not anything more than just a nod from the guard as you work your way out. You knew you needed to head out for the slums, and we're gonna have to pause, I think, whilst we let people recover. Some of the party members need to. Yeah, he's gone again. He's gone again. He's gone every time we turn around.
00:35:47
Speaker
I thought I was okay. We literally can now as well. That's gonna be immortalized on the internet forever. I can't deal. That was fucking great. You look like quite the looker there. I said you're gonna be quite the looker. I didn't say you were quite the looker. Oh, it made me cry. It made me cry.
00:36:18
Speaker
Wow, I mean... And that's where we're leaving, folks!
00:36:24
Speaker
It's one of those things where the collective laughter becomes funnier than the actual thing itself. We pass through the gates of the external wall of the city of Goldview out into a slums area, as it's
Search for Orla and Shopkeeper's Story
00:36:40
Speaker
known as. Only known is that because it sits outside the walls. The buildings are ramshackled, but sturdy, made of wood, made of stone, less solid design than some of the other buildings around it.
00:36:51
Speaker
You notice the building you're looking for was a shop known as the Arms and Armor, which you got told, I believe, to speak to someone in there. Is that right? I can't remember what I told you now.
00:37:04
Speaker
I think the information was to find Ora and she'd last been seen near arms and armour. That's correct. Let's go with that. Last been seen near arms and armour. So you're outside a clearly labelled shop known as Arms and Armour. Next to it has a picture of a breastplate of armour on the image.
00:37:26
Speaker
That's where we're kind of at. The sun is still relatively in a decent position in the sky. We're talking probably three o'clock in the afternoon by this point. It's taken you about 45 minutes to traverse the city and end up outside this location. Maro, as you turn around to the rest of the group in your current locale, what would you like to do? So this...
00:37:56
Speaker
We can see arms and armour. Yes, you're basically still outside again. So this is the place on your advert. Aye. So what do we do now? This seems like my kind of place. Well, let's go in and if this was where she was last seen, then perhaps Ona might know anything about it. After you. Everyone will go in.
00:38:29
Speaker
What you enter into is a really rather small squat store. The name is rather off-putting because you think it would be something to do with armour, but it isn't. It's more to do with the arms. It's basically like a middle-aged charity shop.
00:38:47
Speaker
It has a number of knickknacks and wares that are donated for individuals. You can see piles of just metal little trinkets and things like that in an area on the floor that says donated goods.
00:39:01
Speaker
all over the place, just a combination of strange items and clothings placed all around the shop. You can't see anyone who runs it, but you notice walking in, it's like a wardrobe to your left. You see the desk in front of you with a little glass panel actually near the base of it, where there's a couple of small jewel-based items, none of which look of any repute really, mostly metal or maybe laced with a bit of silver. The glass is quite dirty and fogged slightly.
00:39:29
Speaker
Everything has a thin layer of dust and has a smell of used items, so to speak. You see some scales on the table and a small till to the side with an open book and a number of empty glass jars and things like that behind with a couple of stuffed animals hanging like a pigeon and an eagle hanging from the ceilings as well.
00:39:53
Speaker
And this small figure steps out from behind the kind of doorway at the back. And it's a man, but he's a rather petite man. Everything's very small, everything's very thin, almost a bit gaunt to the face, very, very pale, big round spectacles on his face as he comes around the corner, almost squinting into the door and the light opens. Oh, gracious!
00:40:18
Speaker
Hello, please come on in. Hi there, these are things you've got hanging. They're fantastic. How much are those? The birds? The birds, the squirrels, yeah, why much one of those? Well it depends which one really. The birds are about five silver pieces and the squirrels and smaller assortment of rodents are at three. Three silver pieces for a squirrel? That's correct, stuffed.
00:40:44
Speaker
I will take one of those. But secondly, we found your advertisement at the Clay Peak Inn. His face drops. Oh, excellent. Wow, that was quick. Lots of people willing to help one of the heroes of Spirit Mom read out. Well, you're the first actually. Good
00:41:09
Speaker
Thank you. It's the bed. So which squirrel did you want first of all? Let's sort that out first. We have a red-based squirrel. We have a grey squirrel. We have one that's missing a few teeth and one with no head. Do you know what? I bet no one ever picks the one that's missing a head. It's been there the longest. I'll take the one with no head and I'll see what I can do with it.
00:41:35
Speaker
I'm fantastic. Well, I'll knock off a gold piece. This is a gold piece. Can you imagine? You said three silver. No, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I meant just, I meant silver pieces. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean that. Don't get upset. Don't get upset. Here's your silver. Here, here. I was going to say, knock, knock off a silver piece because it's missing its head and that's normally the most important part. So just two silver pieces, please, sir. Here you go. Here you go. Thank you.
00:42:03
Speaker
And he puts the coin in, closes it, and then gets a quill and two silver pieces. Discount from myself. Middlebury Ashmere. Headless squirrel. One black fairy. Terrific. And this has been by proper taxidermy. There ain't going to be no guts in it or anything like that. Nope.
00:42:29
Speaker
I'm not gonna lie, I'm not really sure. They were donated. I haven't checked. Give it a poke. Poke it's belly. All right, fair enough. I'll poke the belly. I don't know what I was going to say. I know what the fuck this is, but yeah, I'll poke the belly. It's hard. It's hard. All right, it's fine. It's absolutely fine. Oh, thank God. He's sweating profusely at this point. Perhaps we could... Alpha, you look like you want to say something. Alpha at this time was kind of just...
00:42:58
Speaker
He's looking towards the old man and he keeps kind of the old. No, sorry. He's not old at all. He's like, he's literally like 18. Um, or boy, or however you want, but he keeps kind of turning over to him, but, uh, alpha keeps kind of putting his head towards like the pile of metal trinkets and he keeps picking them up, examining him and he's kind of holding him close to himself as well. He's almost like doing the little comparison of like materials and build structure and almost like this. And you're going to grab a couple of them.
00:43:27
Speaker
Are these available for purchase? Yes, everything in the store has a price, as they say. While Alfa's delivering which one he would like, perhaps you could start telling us about how we might find this Orla. Oh yeah, of course, Orla. Well, it's a bit of a long story. She's gone missing.
00:43:54
Speaker
A bit of a short story, really. Sorry. No, the longer version. I wrote it down to make sure I got it right when my heroes came along. So he turns the page of his book to the very, very back and he scrawled a little note on there. He starts coughing and gets a glass of water. Are you right there?
00:44:16
Speaker
Now, clearing my throat to speak, you know how people do the bards, they clear their voices and they speak? I did that. It's good to do that. It's good to process your thoughts before you say them, because you have no idea what you might say. You don't think before you say it, so you do that. Yeah, regret not thinking before you say something. Oh, I have an empathy for that, my friend. Sorry. I'm a little bit nervous, you see. You're fine. You take your time.
00:44:49
Speaker
and he reads from the note. Children have such vivid imaginations, he looks up and smiles. My dear Ella is the same, always talking about her special friend, Mr. Pilwicken. I thought she was just going through a phase like any other child until we found one of our livestock, brutally ravaged and it's boiled remains in our stew by the fireplace.
00:45:16
Speaker
anyone willing to help get to the bottom of this nightmare should speak to me in arms and armour. So that's the note I had out a few weeks ago about my sister Ella. She had
00:45:33
Speaker
changed a little bit and was speaking to Mr. Pilwicken, who didn't exist. She was speaking to the, nothing. And then Alla came, a knock-in, knock, knock, and knocked, obviously, knocked on the door, you know, the door you came through, and she said, what's the problem? And I said, well, I read her the note that I'd written, and she said, well, I read the note,
00:46:02
Speaker
Where? And his eyes are flicking down to a rug on the floor. And I pointed down to the rug at the floor. And she said, why are you pointing to a rug? And I lifted the rug, and there was a door to the basement below. And she said, there? I said, yes. And then she went down, and then I heard a scream. And it wasn't her scream, and it wasn't Ella's scream. Ella's down there too.
00:46:34
Speaker
scratches things now um and there's something down there and i don't know what it is but it's stopping Ella from leaving and apparently Ola too Ola's killed them both and i'm up here would you like another squirrel? uh no you you're Ola is a a monster hunter is that right?
00:46:59
Speaker
Yes, I believe so. If it's stopped her, whatever is down there is likely to be quite dangerous, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, in as much as...
00:47:15
Speaker
Danger is variable and most things scare me. But no, in as much as that Orla seemed, I don't want to offend her as I know she is a veteran of the Blight, but she seemed a bit pissed. She was drinking as she entered and was slurring quite a lot. So either she's passed out down there and Ella's still in trouble or she's dead or they're both dead and they're all dead and then it's gonna come for me and then it's gonna come for you and then we're all gonna die and then the Blight gonna return.
00:47:48
Speaker
How can we help you friend? Kill the thing that's down there free my sister Don't care what happens to all up or down, you know right or wrong Either is fine. But I am having a serious panic attack all the motherfucking time and I Hope you can understand it's very hard to run a charity
00:48:14
Speaker
a charity now, there's a dragon attack and something's below my feet and I can't see it. When I look down there, Ella's just there with her eyes staring at the wall and there's nothing there, there's nothing there and it's just boxes down there, it's just dust sheets and bigger items we couldn't have on the storefront and there's nothing there, there's no other way in or out except
00:48:41
Speaker
And he looks down again towards the door, except Rains. Rains at this point is going to glance at the two people who could probably, he would assume could make a sensible decision about our odds. So he's going to look to Marauder and mostly Emran to see how, what their reaction to this story is. What it sounds like, it sounds like there's a lot in trouble and that gives us a place to
00:49:07
Speaker
do some good. Marota, how are you feeling, given that we're all still recovering from fighting sewers? What do you reckon? I don't particularly want to go down there if someone who served the blight hasn't returned. I don't fancy our odds. I mean, as this gent said, Ola, despite her
00:49:35
Speaker
her history if she was pissed and she was someone who fought the blight and was just a soldier. There was one of her and there's five of us. Now my question is, are we feeling 100%? No, everyone's going to turn to the guy that runs the place. How long has Ella been down there? And how long since all went down there?
00:50:01
Speaker
all went down this day ago and after about 20 minutes or so I locked up and started putting up a few notices in some places that I might gain some help and some employment and
00:50:21
Speaker
and Ella's been down there for a few days but she doesn't seem to eat much anymore and he's kind of fiddling with his fingers picking at his nails a little bit. What are you not telling us? And he takes a breath and then looks up at you. I think she might be possessed. Right.
00:50:43
Speaker
and I worry for her safety and I just want my sister back. Have you heard... Have you heard else from down there since Orla went down? Just the scream. The scream that definitely didn't come from a human or something that is normal. It was ear-splitting
00:51:12
Speaker
Since then, there's been no noise at all. No bumps, no scrapes, no screams, no scratches. The scratches used to happen quite a lot, you see, and even they have stopped. Great. I just don't know what to do.
00:51:32
Speaker
Well, we've got to do something. And everyone turns to look at everyone. We don't. Well, we do. We're involved now. I can give you some squirrels. And in good conscience, we have to do something. So we have a choice. We can stay here and rest up. Prepare ourselves for whatever's down there. Or we can go down now.
00:52:02
Speaker
or we can walk away. Now, from personal point of view, last option ain't happening. So if you want to walk away, now's your chance. And then one will gesture to the door. Meritor will just shift, focus towards Nyx.
00:52:26
Speaker
Nexus has been hanging back this whole time, kind of back, resting against the wall of the building. And he's just tapping the heel of his boot against the wall.
00:52:38
Speaker
Listen, this all sounds very, very fun and, yes, possessed people. I mean, that's one of the hardest you can face because you don't know if they want to be saved. I mean, how do we save someone who doesn't want to be saved? I'm not saying that's the case. I'm just saying that might be the case. And down there we have a monster hunter who couldn't get the job done and we don't know what's
Preparation and Strategy for the Quest
00:53:01
Speaker
down there. So I want to know
00:53:03
Speaker
You know, what do you feel like, Emron? How do you feel like we should proceed and why do you feel like you can take this thing on? Sell it to me. I am your customer. Well, personally, I feel like we need to rest up. Why we have to go down there is because in this world, people are given a chance to either make a difference
00:53:33
Speaker
or walk away. And I've seen plenty of folk walk away, and the world just gets worse. And quite frankly, if I'm in a place to help folk, I'll do it. And that's what I'm here for. That's very, very noble of you. Probably more noble than the noblemen you've got over there, which is, I suppose, irony in some form. But I really want to know, what do you think, Alpha?
00:54:02
Speaker
I knew that was coming. I absolutely fucking knew that was coming. Well, we have been discussing morality, Alpher, so it's probably right that you give us your insights. Yes, the squirrel man telleth the truth. Alpher is still kind of holding this little metal trinket type of thing at the moment. And just hearing his name, you're going to turn around. I believe it is always our duty to help people if we have the capabilities to do so. However, logically speaking,
00:54:32
Speaker
both resting up and efficiency as of the utmost importance. However, as a logical being, I believe information would be our key asset. Do you have any layouts or designs of said basement below your establishment? Is there anything we might be able to do in order to gauge cover or shed light down there as to what creatures or beings might be below? And he's addressing that to the skinny white guy.
00:54:59
Speaker
He's going to stare back at you. The skinny white guy. The skinny white guy. He has a name. He looks in. Yes, of course. And he's going to skim to an empty page, rip it out and draw out a square. It looks like that. And you're here if you go down the ladder and he points to the kind of top bit of it. And this is the room.
00:55:24
Speaker
It's as big as the store. There are things down there, sheets over a sofa, a bed frame, a tall mirror, some boxes, stuff that's been donated over the years that we just haven't had room to have out yet. And Ella sits at the corner, staring at the wall.
00:55:48
Speaker
Like I said, every time I went down there, I saw nothing. So, I mean, it's either really small, really big, invisible, or maybe just I can't see it. It's dark. There is a candle burning that I managed to light a few days ago. If it's still lit or not, I don't know. Aside from that, there's no windows, no other way of getting in or out. Save. Any gestures again to the rug at the floor, near where you were all stood. Save that.
00:56:19
Speaker
I don't suppose these items that you get donated, that you keep down there, is that where the most valuable items are? Because obviously you don't want anyone just coming through on the shop floor taking your items. Well, no, the most valuable ones would be out here. This is a charity shop after all, so if you're still from a shop of charity, then you're a pretty heartless guy.
00:56:43
Speaker
Absolutely, I agree. They're just too big to have out at the moment. As you can see, it's quite ramshackle here. All the squirrels take up a lot of room, as you can see. Once they sell, which we won't die now, thank you, when he winks towards reigns, we'll probably bring out a few of the larger items. They tend to be more, people come in and say, have you got a sofa? Have you got this? And then we go, yeah, we've got one in the basement. And they take it. So it's more of like a bespoke service, if you will. Right, so it's sofas and things down there.
00:57:11
Speaker
big bits, yeah, stuff that just, you know. So she's comfortable. As much as one that is possibly possessed by an invisible creature can be, yes, I believe so. Okay, okay, this isn't starting to sound so bad. And she has company, I guess, because all it is there, and you know, she had liquor, so maybe they're, oh god, I don't know. Oh, I don't know.
00:57:36
Speaker
I have to say, I must have been quite polite because I didn't want to offend her as she was a veteran of the Blight, but she was absolutely hammered. Um, I don't think you should take any credence to the fact that she is a trained warrior. She was hammered. Um, she could barely walk in the door. She headbutted the frame as she entered. So, um, I just wanted some help. It was nice to see another face, you know, get many visitors at these parts. So she might just be passed out down there. She might be dead. Well, what are you thinking with all that, Alfred? Hmm. Reconnaissance could be a,
00:58:06
Speaker
good idea. There was one of her, and there are five. There are four of us. Alf is going to take the metal trinket, touch to it, and he's just going to cast light on the metal trinket. What? You're very good at maths, Alf.
00:58:31
Speaker
The only problem is given that this hatch is the only way down. Reconnaissance is great. If this is something and we disturb it, it could come out and are in a position to fight it right now. It's not going anywhere. So my thoughts were either to rest up
00:58:59
Speaker
We stay here, we rest up, and we go, we can do some preparations. I've had some thoughts to that myself, and then we go down there ready. That too is logical. If we are unable to handle the creature, we do not wish to unleash it on the city. Because we have no idea what it is. If it's been there for over a day now,
00:59:20
Speaker
it's not made any more noise we can assume it's in some kind of sort of it's in a calm state we don't want to antagonise it May I am at a loss as to how we should proceed both actions seem logical well it comes down to whether and everyone will turn to the man whether you think us waiting to rest or cause any more harm to your sister
00:59:50
Speaker
or if you think we need to go down now. I can't make that decision, not when it puts your lives possibly at stake. With words to Ella, I don't think that... I think if harm has come to her, it has already come to her. And if harm has not come to her, it has and will not come to her. I think either she has been taken by the beast
01:00:16
Speaker
It has killed her or it has consumed her in some mental capacity. I don't really know. I don't think how time is really of the essence. Like you say, it hasn't come out. I assume it's still down there. Like I said, it's been silent, but, um, I haven't moved since, since all I went down and I heard that scream. I haven't touched anything. So we can, we can assume it's still down there. I never lifted it to look, I promise I didn't. So we couldn't have escaped if it did. As to preparations, if possible.
01:00:48
Speaker
need to get my hands on some silver and it needs to be ground down now if we want to do this we've got the time i can start working on it either we spend some hours here or i can do it quick but either way my thoughts are i need to prepare something so i can create some
01:01:18
Speaker
water or oily water that might help us out in this. If a leader will have our faith and have our backs I'll be asking him for it.
01:01:43
Speaker
Thank you. If time is of no essence, then logically preparation is the key to success. I would agree. Thank you. How long do you need? Well, either over an hour. As long as it takes for this sentence to come out.
01:02:08
Speaker
fuck that's it um it'll take about over an hour if i'm to prepare if we have the silver powdered silver available it'll take over an hour for me to prepare what i need to prepare now if we want to rest and so take about six to eight hours then that'll be reached
01:02:33
Speaker
Okay, so what you're saying is that you want six to eight hours, and then you're going to go down there, do your thing, rescue the girl, sister, Ella, and probably Ora, and then jobs are good, yeah? You need six hours. Well, no, I can go in an hour if we need to, but I think for us all to be properly rested, we need a bit longer. I know about you, I'm still carrying wounds and aches from fire down in sewers.
01:03:03
Speaker
So why don't we just agree to meet back here in six hours? I don't think we should leave. I think we stay. Well, I mean... I'm not staying here for six hours. I will come back in six hours time. I'm going to go home, sleep, and then I'll come back. I am more than happy to remain here. I'll stay here. We don't have a home to stay, so we'll stay here.
01:03:47
Speaker
I'm not going anywhere. I can lock the store. No one comes in here anyway if we need a bit of time. No one wants to come into a haunted store, you see. Not that it is haunted. I don't know what it is. No, and I don't spend the night in a haunted store. No, but you, my friend, I should like to speak to you again, actually. I have something to ask you, actually, if you'd be so kind to indulge in my scholarly interest. Is it quick?
01:03:55
Speaker
You're more than welcome to stay.
01:04:17
Speaker
No, not particularly, which is why I won't waste your time now because I know we're on the precipice of you walking away and never coming back. So let me entice you with, I have some information that might be useful to you from, I can glean from where you are, where you are from. I hope that's not racist. I'm sorry if it is. It might be depending on what you're about to say, but go on.
01:04:38
Speaker
I've got some information about something that's happened on the border with Dralak, and it might interest you, possibly, as I can assume from your colloquial accent that you are from the center area? No, the coast. The accent is the coast, is it not, of the score challenge. Score challenge. Is that correct? I'm enjoying watching you squirm. I squirm a lot, you see. Well, anyway.
01:05:08
Speaker
something of interest something of interest for you all maybe who knows um let's see how this goes first uh my sister one thing at a time yeah but anyway something that might interest you okay i will come back and get that information from you in the morning in the morning okay in the morning okay so we'll spend the night here you'll go home you and he points to Nick we'll we'll
01:05:32
Speaker
Are you staying, sir? You're more than welcome to? You know your office? Well, okay. Yeah. I mean, you've got quite the cosy party here. They say more than three is a crowd. I don't fancy being in that crowd. No, we're four anyway. Why can't no one count? There's four of us. One, two, three, and me. More than three. More than three. Oh, sorry. Yeah, of course. I'm sweating a lot in my eyes. You might need to calm down. You're a bit much, and that's a lot coming from someone like me. I can tell you that. But yes, this... I will be back, though, in six hours time.
01:06:03
Speaker
excellent uh so one two three four five five five yes and me six that should be enough that should be enough surely should be enough yeah lovely amazing thank you i'll go i'll get some food i'll get some food and lay out your bed rolls thank you again really appreciate it don't mind i'll be searching through the shop i need to find
01:06:29
Speaker
anything with silver oh yes and he points down and he points down to the area of glass kind of glass pane three or four of those small pendants and many of them are just iron trinkets but a few of them have some silver on it so feel free scrape off melt down whatever you need to do
01:06:48
Speaker
Take what you need. No one will come here with this thing underneath and I will probably die of, I don't know what, sweat probably if this doesn't get solved. So take what you need, take what you need, take what you need. Thank you. May I have this? I need holding up the little trinket thing that had been...
01:07:08
Speaker
looking at and holding on to probably for the last 10 minutes. Yes, yes, just take it, take, yes. Would you like another squirrel? Any points to raise? No, but I will have a look around some of the scrap metal myself. You might account, thank you.
01:07:27
Speaker
I'll put on the food. Thanks again. I'm really calm now because of all your help. Thank you so much. And he's going to turn and kind of make his way off behind to sort some food out. And you just hear him kind of crashing around as he kind of sets stuff up back out of sight and behind the shop. Is there anything you want to do or say?
01:07:52
Speaker
I don't suppose you have any problem with us leaving? You are free to do what you wish to do. Do what you wish. We'll see you in mourning. Don't do anything stupid. No. Okay. As if we would. Yes, you haven't shown any of that. That's fair. But these two wouldn't.
01:08:18
Speaker
Yes. I'm not about to rush into something too quickly. Okay. Unless out goes a bit awry, we'll be here for you in the morning. And in the morning. Right. Okay. Just, you know, don't go down.
01:08:50
Speaker
Well, we won't. But if Alp comes up, we'll do what we can. I'm just going to leave. I'm just going to, and Nix makes that motion. I'm going to follow. Yeah, have fun with your sleepover. Alp does the play because you go out the door. Yeah, Alp, take care of yourself. Your Highness and Reigns, and then Nix will walk out.
01:09:16
Speaker
OK, and as the door shuts, our friend, which you got his name, actually, I'm nervous. The white guy is, Alfa called it, just comes and just lays out some food and goes, who's up for cheese? And on that, that's we're going to leave it for this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop. Thank you very much. That went really quickly. It's a lot to unpack in this episode. We just traveled and set up the quest, but
01:09:45
Speaker
That was lots of fun, guys. Thank you. Thank you, Darren. Thank you, Darren. Thank you so much. The gift that keeps giving. A bit of joy in our lives. And hopefully you've all had a little bit of joy listening to Darren and us in this episode. So if you wanted to, I don't know, if you had something to say to Darren, you could DM him, at him, hashtag him. There's many ways you can do so.
01:10:11
Speaker
We have various social medias. We have a Facebook, which is at Fellowship Table. We have a website, which is thefellowshipathetabletop.com. And we have Twitters, which is at Fellowship Table. And then we have individual pages, if you should want to slide into anyone for whatever reason. I'm at... I rolled a 1. Darren is at... Darren page A6. Our resident rules consultant is... careful. Natural 20 will.
01:10:40
Speaker
And our epic intro master of words is... At Total Party Thrills. Our resident robot is at... He did 20 Gamer. And our awesome, awesome, wicked, awesome DM is at... Hasterly Rolled Degan. Until next time, guys! Farewell!