Ch. 44 - The Missing City | Found and Lost (ft. Kingdom Crawlers & Quick I Need a Game)

Transcript

Speaker: Now, let's see. Where were we? Ah yes, that's right. When we last left our heroes, Farnelon had ventured into the dungeons beneath Prince Elling Malfurth's estate with her new companions, Juniper and Lycan.

Speaker: Expecting to find a princess, they were shocked to instead discover the Prince Bertram Vestergaard, held in chains for the last month or more. Farnelon picked the locks on the Prince's cell and shackles, and the group gathered inside to rest and learn more about each other.

Speaker: as they did a monstrous misshapen dragon with humanoid hair trudge past the cell, looking upon the party, referring to them as its treasure. Farnelin, the Firborgs, and the Prince snuck out of the dungeon and saw Farnelin's ship, the Swift, swiftly approaching.

Speaker: The group attempted to sneak aboard, but were spotted, and made a daring escape upon shock out to the open ocean. It seemed like they had escaped, but suddenly the sun burst back into life at the bequest of a priestess of Pharos working for Prince Malfurth.

Speaker: In the sudden daylight, the faster ships were soon able to catch the swift, even as Lycan and the Bryganox attempted to steer the ship through a series of sea stacks. As hope began to dim, a fourth ship entered the fray, that of Faunulin's long-time frenemy Electravoon, who jumped aboard Malfurth's ship alongside her dragonborn knight, Clitir Keldar.

Speaker: Suddenly, a fifth ship entered the melee, as a gnome named Vasanya convinced the captain of a commercial ship to aid them. The fight came to a head as the dragonflesh abomination from the dungeon caught up with its treasure, and a temporary alliance was formed to cut down the creature.

Speaker: In the end, Elling Malforth was killed for the second time in three days, his ship was sunk, and his dragonflesh guardian was slain. Farnelin offered a truce to the prince's mercenary, Arras' Humiliation, who agreed, and Farnelin convinced him to return to Eredinim to reveal Malfoth's deception.

Speaker: With her work more or less completed, it was time to decide where to go next, and so Farnelin talked to her new companions. Bertram offered to pay Farnelin for her assistance from his gold reserves in Eredinim. Vassanya expressed great sadness at the passing of Clay and Glimki, and she too offered to help Farnelin resurrect her friends.

Speaker: To everyone's surprise, Juniper and Lycan also offered to help. And so, the five companions and their thousand briganochs set out for Aretonine. However, the night before their scheduled arrival, a sudden terrible wind swept over the ship, and a tidal wave soon threatened to capsize them.

Speaker: They narrowly managed to stay afloat, but in the morning, the party gathered on the deck of the Swift and discovered Erdineen was not where it was supposed to be. You already said all that.

Speaker: Clay and Glimki are dead. Erdineen is missing. Is a little redundancy really our most pressing issue right now? Ahem. On with the story.

Speaker: Come gather round, travelers, and sit on the stoop. We'll tell you a story about Batsu. Three lovable scamps in our traveling troop.

Speaker: We'll tell you a story about Batsu.

Speaker: It's soup-in' time.

Speaker: Everybody! It's the World Cup! Footyball! We love football! That's right, we love football here on Bard Soup! Soccer? I hardly know her! Prima, who are you and who do you play?

Speaker: hi I'm Prima and I play Bertram Vestergaard. That's right! Someone who doesn't care if you call football or soccer, as long as you don't call them late for dinner. Jordan, who are you? Who do you play?

Speaker: I'm Jordan and i play Vassanya. Amen, brother. Yes, you do. Coming up midfield, it's someone who doesn't call soccer or football, but a secret third thing that she mustn't say aloud.

Speaker: Shannon, who are you and who do you play? What accent is this real quick? I know, Liverpool? Technically British? I don't know. Technically. You're not that nice. going to calibrate so I can join in the bit, but i'm not I just don't know if I have enough information. um In Liverpool, we call it Flumbergump, and i play Fondlin' Vadak.

Speaker: And you're Shannon. Oh, and I'm sorry, I'm Shannon. You already said for Nate when you introduced her. Setting up for a corner kick is someone who just hopes all 48 teams have fun. It's Peyton.

Speaker: Who are you? Who do you play? And where are you from? Again, not geographically. Oh. I'm Peyton, and I play Juniper, and I'm from the podcast slash show Kingdom Crawlers. That's right you are. And what's this? We're going to Penalty Kicks. Oh, what an underwhelming way to end in the series, but what a not underwhelming guest to have on the show. It's someone who wishes I had stuck with my Bill Paxton impression this week. It's Alan. Hi, I'm Alan and I play Lycan and I'm from We Open With and Quick I Need a Game.

Speaker: And I'm sorry about my penalty. Whereas Penalty Kicks is good thing. Well, depends on which side you're on, I suppose. It's coming home. It's coming home. Bod Soup's coming. Bod Soup's coming home. It's coming home. I'm Zach Meikle, and we're back.

Speaker: Bod Soup. Let's dive in. That is a contender for all time worst, but I don't have any other ideas. I tried to find funny soccer chants and they're mostly just calling people pedophiles. And I'm like, I can't do that to our fine guests.

Speaker: They seem real sweet. So here we are. Let's go, Brazil. Yeah, the Bart's Eve experience is just feeling like weirdly emotionally drained after doing the intro. And then trying to find your footing afterwards. Yeah, and then trying to like get the energy back. And I like to think that's how I feel all the time. But now I'm medicated. So, you know, get ready. The intros are put together a lot worse, better. Who can say? Not me.

Speaker: Dirt streaked waves lap on the shores where Erdenine once stood. a blue wing shape circles overhead, and there is a rising panic amongst the Bryganox on board the Swift.

Speaker: You look out at where the city once was and just see open ocean. And really, that's all there is to say. I hand it over to you. fastest fastest Fastest switchover in the west.

Speaker: Wow, your city is really beautiful. Really minimalist. Mm-hmm. Guys, are we there yet? How long until we reach Erdineen?

Speaker: I need you all to know, i'm not mad at any of you individually, but I am so pissed off right now. Erdineen goes right there, and it's gone.

Speaker: It's not, like, invisible or something? Have we tried to touch it yet? Well, that's a good point. Maybe I am pissed off at you guys individually. Okay. evan like fuck Like in talks to Bertram, haven't you been here before? Yeah, but it didn't look like this.

Speaker: I'm pissed off at you too. because you Because you know damn well what it's supposed to look like. This is just open ocean. Like, should we go closer? What if it sank?

Speaker: There was that big wave and it sunk all of Erdeneen? What do we do? Is there no signs of a city? There's nothing poking up above the waves. No landmarks, towers.

Speaker: You look out at the water. scanning the the the surface for ah hint of a structure, anything that implies a civilization was here.

Speaker: The only thing you can see is the two roads that lead out or into, depending on which way you're going, into or from Erdenin, wrapping along the coast. If you'll recall, Erdenin is built at the end of a peninsula, and there's two highways that go down the eastern and western coast.

Speaker: You can see Those wrapping down the coast, you see that there is a lot of debris washed upon the shore, as well as there's a forest beyond the city, and you see a lot of the trees are uprooted, but there is no physical sign of the city beyond that.

Speaker: Okay, I'm sensing a lot of panic and turmoil here, so why don't we all just collectively take a nice, deep, restorative breath in okay?

Speaker: And let it out slowly. Okay. Thank you. okay Okay, go ahead.

Speaker: Yeah, that was good. Bonalyn does the breath in with everybody and then on the exhale, i want I'm gonna yell but I don't want to spike the mic. On the exhale, Bonalyn goes... Did

Speaker: that pick up? Okay, I've only disturbed the other person in this house. under Understood. Okay. She yells, pregnant did that pick up?

Speaker: No. No. um slightly little We heard a sound. A sound, yeah. on We'll get a cleaning post, I know what you're saying. Krigamon! Krigamon! Krigamon!

Speaker: we yeah yeah We got it, we got it. Please I got it, beg you to stop this. We Krigga got it. The five of you look up and see that blue winged shape start to bank and swirl down towards the swift.

Speaker: It tucks its wings in and enters into a free dive, just cutting through the air. who streaking towards you. You see that there is a black shape upon its back as a young blue dragon crashes into the water next to the swift, throwing a deluge of water upon the deck of it, dousing you all.

Speaker: And then a second later from the opposite side of the ship, the draconic form bursts up into the air and just flaps its large leathery wings and looks down at you.

Speaker: How did you know my name? Trigamon, hello. You didn't meet me. Your rider did. i was hiding while my friends spoke to you, but you met them. Two princesses, Princess Gimki and Princess Clay.

Speaker: The two princesses? It's been so long. Yes. And they taught you how to be a big boy dragon. Oh, what are those? And he's looking past you at the Brighanox on the deck of the ship.

Speaker: No, no, they are not princesses. You want nothing to do with them. Yeah, I wouldn't need a princess, but I'd eat whatever those are. They look yummy. Highly poisonous.

Speaker: Highly. What's poisonous? You'll understand when you're older. The point is, me and my new friends need to know what the hell happened to Airdenian. I don't know.

Speaker: i was in my horde last night playing with all my gold and then there was a big wave and it kind of splashed up into the cave and got me all wet and I was like, it's not bath time. And then I felt like something was different. Like there's like something in my brain that says you can't go there even though I really want to go there because I was told I can't go there by my brain.

Speaker: And then It was gone. And so in the morning, I said, Alagara, Alagara, we gotta go. We gotta go. We gotta go to the city. And she said, no, you cannot go to the city. And i was like, oh, come on, please. Can we go to the city? And then we we flew over here and...

Speaker: who There was no city, so I can be here now. And it's really nice. The black shape, which is soaked upon his back, lifts a floppy hat up, which is just it's just drenched. And you see a familiar, dark-haired woman. There's a network of scarring kind of wrapping around her neck, like it's just like like a spider web almost.

Speaker: What he says is true. The city is gone. I mean, I can't speak to the brain thing and all that, but... City's gone. Best I can tell. Good to see you again. And what if it's people?

Speaker: What if the city's people? That doesn't make any sense. What of, not what if. hu What if? Okay, well, what if the city was people? i don't know. Like, oh I don't even know what that means.

Speaker: I've only really known one person my whole life. Now, ah like, a lot of them? Okay, let's try this again. You in the Black Hood. What of its people? I do not know.

Speaker: i have not seen sign of them or anyone. No ships. We passed over some... encampments, villages, and the like on the way here and they were fine more or less but it seems the city and its occupants are gone. Camps like caravan camps?

Speaker: Yes, villages, travelers. Like they were running away from the wave or moving from the city? They were running away from me. Some of them had horses. Okay, all right.

Speaker: Did you check like under the water? No. Well, just now, kinda. Would you check for us and see if you see like a city there or something?

Speaker: No, no, no, no. And the dragon flaps its wings and then dives under the water. That was confusing. He said no and then he did it.

Speaker: Wait, can't you turn into a crocodile? Can you go look too? I can, but I'm trying to save my abilities. Oh.

Speaker: And that's so valid. Madeline, how do you know a dragon? That's pretty cool. Even though this one seems kind of... Yeah, this one makes me not want to have kids.

Speaker: <unk>s and um Way back in the day, like four weeks ago or something, my friends and i followed a lead and found the dragon. He had kidnapped one of Clay's friends who actually he had his theory of why the princess was missing was that dragons kidnapped princesses.

Speaker: So he stood in a field dressed as a princess and he was kidnapped by a dragon. Wait, do you think he took Callista? No, that lead has been no that we've tied off. We've we've tied off that end because we went there.

Speaker: And we did all that. You're lying in 30 episodes too late for that idea. Your new characters are like, wait, but let's revisit. These sound like good ideas. Let's run this

Speaker: You know what? And that's good. Avoiding metagaming. I'm impressed. You know what? Candidly, guys, I don't have the bandwidth to deal with the fact that Erdineen is missing right now. That's a problem that will need to be solved. But Clay is only going to stay peacefully dead for...

Speaker: Six more days? So we need to get to a healer. I don't think we have time to un-vanish a city right now. And where else can we go? Next closest city is Sunfall. It's X days away.

Speaker: I don't know how many days It's X more than a six. It's only days away from here by ship. So, couple things.

Speaker: Clay has been dead for several days now, like seven or so. They are currently under the effects of a gentle repose spell. The window is closed for a revivify.

Speaker: right, technically the revivify's got three more days. Beyond that, there is a resurrection as an option where you've got a 20-day window with the effects of the gentle repose.

Speaker: And then after that, things start to get... expensive and require really powerful divine magic users. We're getting into wish territory.

Speaker: So it is nine days to sunfall for Meredonine on your boat. Nine days? Oh god. 13 days to Sarposin. I thought it was closer than that. So you, if you go to Sunfall, then you'll have like a four day window, a buffer to find a healer, find the requisite money. if you go to Sarposen, it'll have to be the day you arrive and there cannot be a single moment of delay.

Speaker: And what about a different island in the Anchor's Chain? Is there a triangle where we can go back to the Anchor's Chain and then be closer to Dwells? Because my only lead on Glimki is that I need to talk to his god and ask him, his little spirit, and ask him why he turned into a crystal and wasn't resurrected again.

Speaker: What about those caravans? Do you think those would have a healer? I mean, if they were survivors or people escaping the flooding, maybe there could be a healer amongst them.

Speaker: And would know more about what happened to the city. Potentially. Smart. Very smart. Good. Gold star. I forget how many you're at. Spush! The dragon bursts out of the water.

Speaker: Aligara on the back takes off her hat and rings it out. She's gasping for air. There's no city down there.

Speaker: No city. No city, no buildings. No. Is this true hooded person? This place is so boring. There's nothing here. Yes. My boy speaks the truth.

Speaker: There is no city to be found. are we really thinking that a wave was big enough and strong enough to push away a city but didn't knock over some caravans like i don't think waves can get that tall without being wide Or at least not naturally. just picturing the episode of SpongeBob where they move the whole city. I know. I was trying to think of how to make a push it somewhere else joke. was like, this is not going happen. Literally just, we can move Bikini Bottom.

Speaker: Damn. What the hell? Well, unless the caravan was something unrelated, just like travelers, a group of people who like travel.

Speaker: Yeah, it because kind of feels like that too. If there's no city to be found at all, then... For what it's worth, my son has sometimes a hard time explaining things. It appeared to me that they were traveling towards the city. I understand. Perhaps boundless pilgrims.

Speaker: That makes sense. Hmm. Okay. Can I have this boat? No. Sorry not to speak on behalf of the party here. We can't have the boat, right? No. don't think so. Please, I really want it I've never had a boat before. I only have horses.

Speaker: Tell you this. I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what. If you can convey me and all my friends and one corpse very quickly to the city Sarpozen, I'll consider giving you the boat.

Speaker: What's consider? Think about. Think about what? You need to work on his vocabulary. It's really hard. I think he's like maybe got undiagnosed ADHD, but I can't take him to a doctor because we're kind of hiding out, you know. We didn't really talk much last time we met, but I've got get big plans for this guy. I'll tell you that much.

Speaker: Juniper can diagnose him probably.

Speaker: She's a doctor. He looks at you with these big yellow eyes.

Speaker: don't know. Yes. um I am sensing a lot of energy bundled up inside of you that just wants to burst out in all sorts of different ways.

Speaker: And I think your diagnosis is that you are unique and special. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Speaker: Can eat the boat? Oh, preferably not. think this one's on you. yeah Yeah. Yeah, we all in like, Fondalyn, like, no, right? Fondalyn has her hand, like, her head in her hands. She's like, Krikamon, Krikamon, Krikamon.

Speaker: If you get me and my friends, to Sharpozen, super fast. You cannot have the boat, you cannot eat it, but I will give you three gold stars. And when you get five gold stars, you get an extremely cool surprise.

Speaker: Okay. And he immediately goes to grab you in his claws. Wait, wait, wait. What if we tie a rope to the what do we tie a rope to the dragon? and He just pulls us there. I like that idea. Turbo boat.

Speaker: Turbo boat. Didn't think of that one, did you, DM? That's even cooler than eating a boat. Towing one. How many days would that shave off? Vasanya says into the ether. I'm going to tell you right now. You don't want to do this.

Speaker: He is going to get distracted and he is going to take you all down to the of the ocean him. I'll tell you right I've been working with this guy for like five years now. It's never mind no hard. Believe me, you think I haven't been trying to teach him a little self-control? It's difficult, okay? It's difficult.

Speaker: Yeah, mom does her best, but I'm incorrigible, I guess. There's no way you know that word. What word? Okay, then what was the point of view?

Speaker: just Why did the DM put you here? He's a baby dragon. That's right. These are kind of philosophical questions that I don't think he's ready to.

Speaker: What is my purpose? I don't know. elves By the way elves start philosophizing in the womb. So it's never too early. How long are you in the womb? 20 years. We're in the womb for about 18 months. ah I've never been in a womb before.

Speaker: do you have one? This feels like maybe we're wasting time. Yeah. I agree. i agree with you. You're a dead person on board who is rotting as we speak, and you're asking about elven gestation. Let's get a move on. Krigemon, be gone with you. Aligarra, nice to see you. Likewise. well why why would Wait, could you take one person?

Speaker: You could probably take Fondolin in the body. Not to split the party up, but I'm just trying to think logistically here. What's in it for me? Because I don't think a promise of not being allowed to eat a boat and three gold stars is enough. I need treasure.

Speaker: And the frankly, we're not ready to be going to the big cities just yet. We're at least a few years away from that. Fine. Damn it. remind And I take the hot rock out of my wig.

Speaker: This extremely potent magical artifact. I don't even fully know what it does. Give me a deception roll. I'm so deceptive. This will be easy. I'm more of a persuasion role, really, but I knew you'd argue.

Speaker: is Thank you. You know me well. Okay. So that's a nine on the dice. And then I have a plus nine to two to deception. So that's 18. 18. He says, give it to me. I want it.

Speaker: want Give it to me. You can pay me and my dead friend to the city of Sarposen. Immediately. You can have it and three gold stars. Four gold stars. Twist my arm.

Speaker: Aligar hops off Krikamon's back, lands on the deck of the Swift. The Bryganox run down below decks. One of them like opens the hatch, and as they do, you hear just like distant chatter like, oh, geez, guys, we're going have to do something soon. They said they were going us home, and...

Speaker: They said we had to go to the city and we could go home and there's no city. They said there was a city here. Do you think they're trying to eat us? And then the hatch closes and Aligar says, okay, so first off, couple things. He thinks he's a big, strong dragon, but he's not.

Speaker: You might be faster on the boat. I haven't really done like the mental math calculations, but between the undiagnosed ADHD, the need for food, sleep, water, all those things, and also just a general, you know, I'm not going to let you...

Speaker: trick my son into, i you know, being a taxi driver for you. Uh, just those things, I don't think we're your guy. Chew it over. All right.

Speaker: I reiterate that you have both been incredibly useless. Okay. Nice to see you. I would argue who told you that the city is gone, not just under the water. I think that's a useful thing. We have an alligator person on our boat. We have ah a woman who can become a fish.

Speaker: But she's saving herself. Thank you, I saving myself for marriage. That is hardly my fault. Hey, we didn't call to you. You called out to us. We were just looking at the lack of city. And you said, Krigamon, Krigamon, come down from your tower. I've been telling him that story. He likes the part where there's a princess, but he thinks it should end differently. Like she stays captured forever.

Speaker: Before you go, um what direction was that caravan in? it was ah down the west coast. Is that on the way to wherever it is we're trying to go?

Speaker: West would be on the way to Sarposson. East would be the way to Sunfall. And sorry, Sarposson is the farther one, right? Yes. Oh my god. What's the pull to Sarposson, Lady Faradith?

Speaker: Oh, i I think we have to go to Sunfall. I like Sarposson if it was closer because it's on the way to Dwell's. And also, Sunfall is a little more politically spicy. Sarposson's more neutral.

Speaker: But some who am i to turn up turn down some spicy politics? To Sunfall it is, I suppose. Agreed? Well, I mean, if the caravan's close, we could at least check in.

Speaker: Maybe they hit the doctor. Yeah, what if this wave also hits Sunfall? Aren't some... Oh, fuck. Good point.

Speaker: Okay, let's... I mean, Boundless Pilgrims are a bunch of like, bumbling bumpkins. I didn't think they have medicine. I don't know. I don't know that stereotype. Probably not the magic we're looking for.

Speaker: And for what it's worth, I do like the idea of going towards Sarpozin if it means getting closer to Dwells. if If that means we have a good chance of bringing Glimki back too.

Speaker: But I guess it reduces our chances of getting Clay back in the right time. I don't think I can fulfill my promise to you of ah its money because i don't know where my friend has taken the money if she managed to escape before the city disappeared.

Speaker: But I had some funds in sunfall And I think, Bertram, you know Matilda well. As soon as Matilda decided, and debatable how long they waited before making the decision that you were probably dead, you're pretty sure they would clear out the Airdenine account and then head over to Sunfall.

Speaker: okay There's some good casinos there. matilda Matilda has a penchant for roulette. Are we also just glazing over the fact that this city no longer exists? No, that's I'm not glazing over anything.

Speaker: Not you. Sorry. i'm not come so How does the city just disappear? There's no destruction. There's no ruins. It simply just does not exist. its It's left a void for the ocean to fill. Well, the plants, the trees over there are slightly uprooted, so that almost makes me feel like it was taken by force somehow.

Speaker: Oh my god, can we look up? Yeah, up. Floating city. Don't tell me this city is flying through the sky right now. That's no moon.

Speaker: yeah You look up and it is just blue skies. Yeah. If we got a closer look at the trees, I can maybe assess the damage a little more. okay I feel very torn. And when I feel very torn, i feel inclined to respect other people's opinions. So Juniper has expressed interest in investigating trees, very on brand, and speaking to pilgrims. i think we can spare a day doing those things, assuming that we go straight to Sunfall. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: Lassanya, sorry, I also want to go to Sarposen, but I just don't think we've got the time. The de pressing thing is is clay. The clock is ticking. If we get to Sunfall, is there any way to extend the spell on your friend until we can find a healer?

Speaker: There might not be one in Sunfall. I guess we'll find out. Can I roll a a magical insight check on that? ah You can make an Arcana check if that's what you're asking me.

Speaker: We can call it a Magical Insight check if you prefer, though. Cool, so rolled a four, and I have a plus zero, so I rolled a four. Faunelin, the fucking city is gone. can do

Speaker: You know, I have other things on my mind I'm having trouble recalling. Does Bertram know if there's like a powerful like divine figure who can revive Clay in Sunfall?

Speaker: I think you would know that it is, despite having an unsavory reputation, it is a major city. And with major cities, there are usually temples with various holy folk.

Speaker: It's probably a better chance than going back to the Anchor's Chain, because Anchor's Chain is a lot more small towns, hostile at times, you know, people with who may have access to healing magics, but, you know, have a host. Hostility towards you.

Speaker: Sunfall is probably, it's still a gamble, but it's a safer bet than the Anchor's Chain. okay Oh, and when we get there to Sunfall, I can use the clouds in the sky. Stay with me.

Speaker: I can use the clouds in the sky to write, Doctor, please help. Come here and have a giant arrow pointing at us. So that'll be good.

Speaker: That will be good. Thank you. Do you want to be my friend? Absolutely. I would love that. Are you the one who can turn into an alligator?

Speaker: I can, yes. Can you turn into a horse? Oh, no, no, no, no no Nope, I can't. Only alligators. paul he's yeah You can tell he's getting smarter. That's pretty clever what he did there.

Speaker: That's... Damn. Crazy what four weeks can do. she That's psychopathic, I think. I will ah tap my staff on the ground and grow a little flower out of it and pluck it and hand it to him.

Speaker: He sniffs it and it just gets sucked into one of his nostrils. Delicious. Thank you. That means we're best friends now. so Best friends. No take backs. Aligara, can she be my best friend?

Speaker: I don't care.

Speaker: Thanks, mom. um You're welcome. Well, I think I've overstayed my welcome. I think I'll be hopping aboard this dragon. Enjoy your investigation of the trees. If you ever need to find us, please don't.

Speaker: And ta-ta. And she hops back aboard Krigamon and He flies straight up into the air and then a second later, spsh another cascade of water jumps over the ship and a little while later they emerge and fly away. All right. So the trees to the shore.

Speaker: Yeah. To the shore. See the caravan and the trees. You fire up the ship. The wheels start turning. pushing through this water with the dark streaks in it.

Speaker: Looks dirty. And you go down the coast a little ways and you find a spot like ah like a beach of sorts where you're able to to hop out and the anchors dropped and you a little wet, but hey, you're already kind of soaked.

Speaker: It's very cliffy at parts, but you manage to make your way up onto the mainland. And yeah, you see there's this large forest Many of the trees are uprooted. Many of them are missing branches.

Speaker: It looks like the aftermath of a massive storm.

Speaker: When we get off the boat, are what's the outside of the boat look like where the water's been touching it? Is it stained at all? I wouldn't say it's stained, but there is like a bit of a dirt streak and you maybe wipe your finger on it and it it's gritty. It's almost like a sand, like a black sand.

Speaker: What the hell? What is going on? Lasania will, while maybe people are going to investigate the trees, wants to walk is in the direction of where the city was a little bit.

Speaker: Sure. This is a question I have. The black sand. There was something found in the princess's bedroom when she was missing. Is this the same? I wasn't there for this. Like, Bertram wasn't. I remember something about sand.

Speaker: What? Is it just the sand that's like everywhere in Erdoganine or is this special sand? no Notably, there is no black sand, as far as you know, in or around Airdenine. I would like to investigate this more, yes. I would like to use an ability.

Speaker: I don't have no idea, but I would like to use um my class ability Detect Portal. What? I've never heard that in my life. What?

Speaker: I would like to know that Zach gained a look of fear in his eyes when you said that, which makes me feel like you're onto something. Just like, I'd like to just... What's my portal sense doing right now? So, to my knowledge, the ability, the way it functions, is it tells you the location of a planar portal within, I believe, a mile.

Speaker: It is my understanding that that is an active portal. And to that effect, there is none. Mm-hmm. and But I will say, you extend your senses out.

Speaker: You've got some understanding of this magics, these these these magics. And there's a just like there is this dark sand streaking against the shore, there's an arcane residue that feels like perhaps there was some sort of portal or rift torn in this area not too long ago.

Speaker: Hmm. Okay, good to know. Juniper, you walk down the coast towards this forest. The trees, like i said, many are uprooted. And as you look around, you notice that they are all pulling towards the city.

Speaker: Could I, because I've learned my lesson, I have stalked Speak with Plants. and Because my ability does not do that correctly. So I would like to cast Speak with Plants. just It gives a 30 foot radius, so ah just towards the trees.

Speaker: And I would like to say, hello, friends. I'm so sorry about the damage. You hear a cacophony of screaming. oh'll fuck Oh, fuck. Ow, ow, my Oh, it hurts so bad. Terry's dead.

Speaker: Okay, everybody take a breath. Take a breath. don't know if you guys can breathe. Okay, cool. Everybody, I'm so sorry for what's happened here. on that note, could you tell me what's happened here?

Speaker: Look at my son. Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. That's truly tragic. Grew him from an acorn I did. Mm-hmm. Now, could you please tell me what you experienced here? Because if we can work through our trauma together, we can maybe come to a more healthy and peaceful place.

Speaker: That does sound nice. See, I've been telling y'all you need to get into therapy. More like they're a tree, am I right? This is not the time. My son's dead. Well, this gnarled oak tree speaks to you. It was late last night.

Speaker: There I was, basking in the moonlight, enjoying an evening. Evening of peace and quiet. then a ruddy guy climbed up me started sleeping in my branches and then to make matters worse suddenly there's a bloody storm ripped through the forest bunch of my old buddies from way back in our sapling days are ripped away can't even spot them now guy falls off hits his head real bad I didn't really care about that and then kind of as soon as it started it ended bunch of trees hurting for what

Speaker: Tell me more about this guy. What was he like? Did he say anything? Why? Are you interested? Oh, no. Stepping out from around the tree. individual No a green cloak.

Speaker: He's kind of like pulled down, covering his eyes. He's got a bit of a stubble. Oh, my gosh. He pulls out a pipe and inhales.

Speaker: Like I you in dream. Oh, Alan Payton, you are in for a, uh, what's the opposite of a treat? A trick, I guess. you are You are in for it, and I'm sorry. Wait, is it?

Speaker: Are you frightened? i am little, it was a little startling, yes. I i was just talking you. nearly frightened enough. Oh my god. The fucking city is gone. Yes, yes, and I'm so glad you were here to maybe witness that.

Speaker: I'm Juniper, by the way. That was not so courteous. My name is Fletcher. Okay. Nice to meet you. He pulls back his hood and you just fully see Viggo Mortensen.

Speaker: I am interested now. Did you did you see what happened here fletcher by chance No, I mostly saw the ground as it rushed to meet me.

Speaker: And he gestures up at his forehead, and you should just see, like, a clump of moss and leaves as plastered to the side of his head. Hit my noggin real bad. Don't suppose you care to kiss it better? Oh, wow. um I can and cast Cure Runes on you with my hand and not my lips.

Speaker: I accept. okay I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you, I will not let Erdineen fall. And then he looks past you at the missing city.

Speaker: Fuck. It's gone. Yeah, a little late there, yeah. But i appreciate your bravery and your courage. I'm just going to touch him with my pinky, just very quickly, and cast Kuro.

Speaker: Yeah, you just hear like a rising as the the the poultice pops off his forehead and his scalp is restored. oh So you saw nothing all.

Speaker: Well, I climbed up that tree to sleep. This is Forest is my home. oh And I'd been in the city earlier. I've been having an affair for... wow. wow about a month or so now. i I don't think I asked about that.

Speaker: Well, it's all kind of context, I suppose. Well, yeah and for what it's worth, I'm single. She's married. Apparently, someone tried to blackmail her a few weeks ago, and she had a a private detective working on it. I think she might be sleeping with him now. It's kind of a bummer, but what can you do?

Speaker: Marlin?

Speaker: So... I think Bonalyn is like within earshot completely ignoring this man because she's had her fill of him, but she does out loud go, who is Marlin? And then just continue rifling through the sand.

Speaker: you were. So there I was in bed, hunkered down for the night, basking in the moonlight when suddenly a terrible wind ripped through the forest, tore limb asunder and sent me a fly in.

Speaker: And yeah, I guess the city's gone now. Yes. Ain't that something? Did you hear any like voices or language that was out of place or was it mainly just the wind?

Speaker: think it was just the wind. Okay. That's not helpful. I've heard stories of infernal forces pulling cities into the the abyss or the hells.

Speaker: Didn't see any chanting or cultists or... Okay. big red glowing pentagrams, so probably wasn't that, but also I wasn't in the city because I live out here. The rent's real cheap.

Speaker: Yeah, I understand. I lived back home. I lived in the forest too. It's really nice. Cool. Do you think I could crash into your place for a while? My my place is kind of a mess. um It's across an ocean, but sure, if you can swim there.

Speaker: guess we'll have to find out. o I'm really uncomfortable with this situation. do you want to meet my friends? Just to be clear, the situation being me in this forest or the situation being the missing city?

Speaker: um Actually, believe it or not, more so you than the city. That's crazy. I need you to know that's crazy. but i respect I respect that maybe I'm not everyone's cup of tea.

Speaker: Yeah, let's go talk to your friends, I guess. You you came in kind of hot. it It really threw me off. Thank you. oh well, nice not, not, okay. Not so bad yourself.

Speaker: Okay. Lycan's been like real nearby and just like real tense not knowing when to jump in and being like hmm. Shooter can vent for themselves. shootdburg Don't need to white knight this situation. This guy's a fucking ass.

Speaker: it Meanwhile, i just turn around and Lycan! And everyone else. I'm liking you too. no. Steps into frame like between them and I'm like I'm so still I'm glad to hear it. I'm also liking Oh no Damn my charisma wow He steps out of the woods and sees you Fonelin and says you You're the one who saved me What?

Speaker: In what sense? Well, after those sailors tied me to the mast of their ship, it was you and your friends who cut me loose. I don't know why they went after me, but I do know that you saved me.

Speaker: I owe you a life, Ned. i focus like I forgot that we cut you down. I remembered you being up there they're throwing these things at you and they're calling you perverts. I remember that. I fully forgot that we rescued you. Yes.

Speaker: Why did we do that? Rescue me? Because that's what heroes do, I suppose. That's true. Okay. He puts a hand on your shoulder. ah yeah No, no, no, no, no. He looks you dead in the eyes.

Speaker: I want to help you. We will not abandon Airdenine to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some city.

Speaker: That's what this party needs is another character. Considering we haven't even heard what Vasanya's deal is yet, we cannot be adding people to the party. Yeah, Vasanya's off in the distance and you're watching her lets the black sand sift through her fingers. She looks pensively into the distance.

Speaker: Oh, gosh. Okay. How about this, Fletcher? You hunt some city. Please. Call me by my title, the true King of Erdeneen. The rightful King of, yeah, okay. Okay. looks over at the two furbolts. So my grandfather won a game of poker against the King. The King bet the city. My grandfather was beheaded because the King didn't want to give it up, but by birthright in poker, I am the rightful King of Erdeneen. Wow.

Speaker: Congratulations, I guess. Thank you. I take a personal responsibility for the city's loss. Yeah. Yeah. You better go find it. Just, just, you know, throwing it out there to check all my cover on my bases.

Speaker: Yeah. you You don't happen to have really powerful healing magic, do you? Depends on what you're looking for. you like me to say a healing word?

Speaker: More powerful. yeah

Speaker: Would you like me to say a level two healing word? um I'm thinking more along the lines of like Ray's dead. Ooh, no can do friendo. All right, then I think we're done with you.

Speaker: Wow. Have a nice life, Fletch. In the distance. Thank you. i don't know you and only my closest friends call me Fletch, but I guess that means we're close friends now.

Speaker: Thanks. Oh, do you have money? Hmm. oo Does a bird have an Roth IRA? If Asanya comes walking back, we're wasting our time here. Let's go. Let's go. The city is gone. Okay, Asanya, what have you found out about this sand?

Speaker: Don't know about the sand, but I've got a feeling that some powerful arcane portal magic stole this city away. Now, I don't know where the city is, but I don't think it's on Zav anymore.

Speaker: So the good news is this sand was found when Callista was kidnapped, which makes me think that wherever Callista has gone, the city has also gone. Or whoever took Callista also took the city. So if we find one, perhaps we find the other.

Speaker: I think you're onto something, but one question, who is Callista? Oh my god! Visanya! Visanya!

Speaker: We're trying to rescue a princess, me and Glimki and Clay. We were trying to rescue the princess Callista Gautries to collect the boon. There's a missing princess of Erdenine. What? didn't Haven't you been to Erdenine?

Speaker: You were sailing around, you don't know about that? Nope. Never saw the city or or i honestly anything outside of Dwells, really. She's dating that bastard.

Speaker: And he points to the the bastard prince. Oh, wow. The city that's missing, Calista is its princess and the love of my life. And you're dating the princess.

Speaker: Yes. So if you're dating the princess and I'm the king, i guess that makes you my... daughter's boyfriend. Pleasure to meet you, son. far as I was aware, the Calista's father was still alive, so um your grandfather failed at killing him.

Speaker: How do you think taking a throne works? I don't know. I sleep in the woods and I have no friends. Got it. I mean, you and I, not that different. That's why we should probably hang out more.

Speaker: No, but you know, I like where your your head's at in terms of hunting this city. Yes. So maybe we can work together. Okay. Like I said, we travel light.

Speaker: He grabs you by the hand and says, let's go. no no, no, no, no. Wait, wait. This is important. We need to split up to cover more ground. Which city are we going to? sunfall right gang sunfall okay well we need a skilled and talented ranger to cut through the woods to sarposon to start asking around to to see if there's any word there about other missing cities or powerful city stealing magic and we'll rendezvous

Speaker: One month's time. Sure. i don't think I can make the trip in less than a month on foot. It's really fucking far. And you know what? That sounds like a plan. My friends, I'll see you in the White City.

Speaker: And he he drops everything he was holding and runs, runs southwest. You're probably going to need some of this to survive in the woods. We travel light! Don't worry. Let him go. Let him go.

Speaker: Juniper, are you okay? I'm so sorry. That was a very unique experience. I do feel like I need to... Just give me one second. I want to turn back to the tree that is mourning the loss of his son. Pride is not the word I'm looking for. Oh no, don't get me started.

Speaker: Look, I just want you to know that grieving is okay. Loss is a really painful experience. I just want you to breathe through it and use the encouragement of your friends around you who care about you deeply.

Speaker: And then I want to see if he's got an acorn available on him somewhere. Sounds weird. Yeah, there's a handful. Okay, I just want to pluck it and I'm going to bend down and plant it kind of nearby in the dirt.

Speaker: Don't worry. and And soon in time, your son will be back. I don't think that's how dish biology works. Thank you. A new son. Everyone, look at my son.

Speaker: Look at my son. Okay, all right. Take care now, everybody. Okay, goodbye. You take care. You've done us all a kindness. We shall spread word of your therapy through our roots. We shall all be so well-adjusted and emotionally regulated going forward.

Speaker: Thank you. I like that this is happening and like nobody else can hear them talking back to me. So did they just hear what I'm saying. It's just normal. Normal stuff.

Speaker: Okay. I feel like watching Juniper gesture at trees is not the strangest thing Juniper's bad and since we've known her. Watch up to downed trees. Sorry about your son.

Speaker: You know, I'm really glad that I didn't offer that man massage because that's usually my opening line. but Yeah. Did somebody say massage? Let's go. Let's leave. Get the hell out of here.

Speaker: Sarposen needs you. Very well. Through the mines. Oh no, he's never going back. yeah Are we saying no pilgrims because we got information from Aragon?

Speaker: It's up to you guys. How badly you want to speak to the pilgrims? I just don't think they're gonna know. They probably saw the city, they maybe saw the city vanish. I think we have enough to know that this city was event teleported or plane shifted something.

Speaker: Yeah, and he was right next to it and he said he saw no light or anything. Yeah, so I don't think the people or this the city or its people saw any of this coming. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: Yeah, the trees didn't see anything either. Just storm and death. I'm sure they're fine. it's and ah Okay. Well. I vote no pilgrims, then.

Speaker: Why don't we do a vote? Aye. Aye what? Okay, what was aye and what was nay?

Speaker: we were voting yes to the vote and okay okay candidly and out of character peyton's only concern is that the only piece of of information the dragon offered was the pilgrims and so that does concern me a little bit true well what if we set a time limit gang well because we don't know we speak to one maybe two people and we call it We don't know if they're even nearby, so maybe we just see if we can, like, we don't want to go too far if they've kept moving on and then get farther away.

Speaker: are they between us and the city or away from the city? Away. Down the western road. Towards Sarpose. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So if we just peek and they're, like, right there, then maybe we swing in, but if it's, like, we don't see them.

Speaker: Yeah, what's around the river bend, you know? I ask that a lot. That's, well, beautiful. Thank you. So... We peek. Vote.

Speaker: or That's my vote. My vote is we peek. We head to the western road. Okay, all right, all right. See, because if they're pilgrims, they might be coming our way. Oh, yeah. Nice. Are any of the Briganox with us?

Speaker: You see them congregating on the deck of the Swift. They're, like, in one giant huddle. Oh, no. Maybe it's their captain. I should go talk to them. ah Well, I actually wanted to talk to them, too.

Speaker: so Okay, boys, that's, I mean, Lycan and Visanya, that's cool. just ah like sonia Just make sure that you tell them that the finding a way back to the Fey Realm thing is very much still a go, okay?

Speaker: Make sure that they know that that's still a priority for us. Just delay it, okay? Gotcha. Okay. Actually, Visanya, well, I didn't want to keep you back too long, but could I have a word with you?

Speaker: i suppose. Okay, so you're from Dwells. Yes. You... experienced something emotionally significant at Mengen when you found out that me and my friends were the heroes of Mengen.

Speaker: And then when you heard that my friend Glimki Treefellow was missing or dead, you gave up on all of your plans to help us find him. I don't want to blow your backstory wide open too soon, it's just I've put some pieces together. And do you know Glimki from Dwells?

Speaker: A lot of people do. He went on his wayfaring this year. There was a big party and he celebrated his his right to to explore the world. And we were all hoping that he would return and tell great stories. And it's just sad to see that perhaps he collected some good ones and the people there won't get to hear them.

Speaker: They will get to hear them. So you're um like your your friends from Ruel's? You could say that. What? So you said it cryptically. Yeah.

Speaker: We're all... Okay, I won't cry. You know, branches on the same tree, you know? Okay, me this. Oh, there's like five trees, you know. The tree fellows, the Tinkertons.

Speaker: We all kind of live together in one big hobble. You know how it all works down there. yeah I'm sure you're familiar with family trees. Don't need to explain to you how that works. Which tree are you from?

Speaker: ah you Are you a tree fellow? Uh, you could say that, yeah.

Speaker: Okay, you're being cagey. I'm not going to push. just and just Just, just tell me this. When, i once asked Limke what things were like for him in Dwells, like, because he was acting like the hero stuff he did in Mengen was out of character for him.

Speaker: And I was like, I just, I just can't believe that you weren't, and don't know, that you weren't good and self-sacrificing there too. Like the Glimki I know is that, do you think we know the same Glimki?

Speaker: No. Holy shit. i yeah I wasn't expecting that answer. um Okay, well, I don't know what you know about Glimki, but Glimki's the best.

Speaker: He's a hero and he's kind and he's good and he's amazing. So whatever you think you know about Glimki, if it's anything negative, throw it away. It's not negative. I just don't think he was who you knew yet.

Speaker: Oh. I see. You knew the acorn, I knew the sapling, and together we shall find the tree. Couldn't have said it better myself. Da la la!

Speaker: just Well, now we're all on the same vague page.

Speaker: Lycan, you climb aboard the deck of the Swift and you hear the hushed whispers of a thousand voices. There's a thousand of us. Only five of them. We can take it. They've been good to us.

Speaker: They helped us off Mencken. They said they'd help us get home. Yes, but they lied. They said there was a city here. there's no How are they going to get us home if they can't even find a city? Uh, Captain on Deck?

Speaker: A thousand surly faces lurch around and just like look up at you with dark beady eyes. Sup, Captain? Not much. I just want to let you guys know that the Chex Hand, Fey Realm, is definitely still happening.

Speaker: When? When is it happening? Commodore? It is a very, it is a priority.

Speaker: Give me a persuasion roll.

Speaker: That's not great. ah Let's find out. Oh, no. nope Yeah, not great. That is a five minus one, a four. You hear

Speaker: What the hell? oh Bertram, thank God you're here. Wait a second. it who Are you little folk from the Fey Realm? Yes, it's kind of our whole thing. Please, please let me go to the bone.

Speaker: Aren't the Fey good at like disappearing things? What are you insinuating, friendo? That we disappeared the city so that we couldn't go home? So that we could spend more time with you, our closest friends?

Speaker: No, I'm just asking for information. Well, that's a pretty big accusation, mister. Because you're not one of our closest friends. Clay and Glimpki were two of our closest friends, and you're not Clay or Glimpki. And Fondland's been in a bad mood ever since they died. Yeah. If you take the ship now, we won't be able to save ah your friends, the ones who promised who can get you back home.

Speaker: Give me another persuasion roll. And I'm going to help. I'm saying, yeah, that's right. Clay's just, Clay's downstairs. Yeah, we know what death is, buddy. i mean, on the ship is below deck.

Speaker: Okay, that's a 19. There we there we go Everybody, everybody. And Elder Snuffle steps forward. Listen, yes, a lot has changed.

Speaker: Yes, we had a cushy gig on Mengen. Yes, we were destroying the island's environment, and we should take more accountability for that. Yes, we made three friends, and within a week, two of them were dead.

Speaker: Yes, we were promised that there was someone in Aretonine who could get us home. Yes, the city's missing. Yes, our priorities should not have changed despite the fact that two people died this week.

Speaker: But... Please let me on the boat. Clay and Glimke are two of our closest friends. And we should bring them back. It's what friends do. And Vassanya, you jump up on the deck of the ship.

Speaker: Did I hear any of that? You hear, Clay and Glimke are dead.

Speaker: Did I know anything about their their goal to go home? Besides, I guess Vonalan said it. I think we fast-forwarded over it, but there was five days of travel, so i think you at the very least know the names of all 1,000 Briganochs. Probably, right. Kind of like what their hopes and desires and secret dreams are.

Speaker: Question. Do they speak Sylvan? I can only assume yes. Then Visanya would like to speak in Sylvan to them. Whoa. oh Can you get them home? They don't even need clay.

Speaker: What do you say? Briganox, please just have patience. Your role is not over yet. We can help them bring Clay and Klimke back.

Speaker: Please don't mutiny these people. They're trying their best, but they need our help. And I don't think, if we're being honest, that they can get you to the Feywild.

Speaker: But I can. But you have to trust me. Let's get this ship to Sunfall and wherever they need to go next. And I promise you that we'll figure this out.

Speaker: I will bring you home. Give me a persuasion roll with advantage. 16. 16.

Speaker: sixteen sixteen The ears of the Briganox fold back. Some of them start to sniffle. And then as a ah mob, they rush at you and then part around you and dive off the ship and run up to you, Faunalyn, and just all grab you in a big hug.

Speaker: We're sorry. We're sorry. We threatened to leave. We didn't meet him. We were just feeling frustrated because our city and our hopes and our dreams and our secret desires were dashed upon the missing city's rocks. We're sorry.

Speaker: Gufta? Yeah? Did you also harbor thoughts of mutiny? No. Good. Good. Good. Then honestly, guys, it's fine.

Speaker: Don't care that much. I'm glad we worked it out. Okay, good. I was also thinking of mutiny, but I'm glad that it's all good.

Speaker: I was really upset. i haven't been home in like basically my entire life. I was a child when we fell into your world. It stinks.

Speaker: Gufta, you're planning on leaving me too? Like eventually, i don't know. Eventually when I'm old and on my deathbed, yes, you can leave and go back to your home.

Speaker: You're going to live for so long. stress Yes, and what a privilege it will be for you to be by my side that entire time. My great, great, great grandchildren will be dead before you.

Speaker: There's magic for everything, okay? Oh, okay. Yeah, didn't worry about it. Don't do that again, though. Hurts my feelings. Okay, sorry. Fine. I'm magnanimous.

Speaker: Now, I'm no doctor, but they do call me Dr. Rex. I think we got to hit the road if we're going to get your friend back before they turn into a pile of pulp. Good call, doctor.

Speaker: Thank you. Onto the boat, everybody. And we've got to book it. Okay. The loading process is longer than the the unloading process. As a thousand Brighanox climb back aboard the the deck of the Swift, they jump aboard you like in and start like grabbing at your ankles and pushing you towards the the helm.

Speaker: All right. All right, Captain. It's time to do your thing. You're so big and strong. Takes 50 of us to do what one of your big strong hands can do. Get us there. Okay.

Speaker: Visenya, what did you say to them? Oh, I just reminded them how much these fine folk were helping them. She said she can get us back to the Feywilds without you guys.

Speaker: Okay. I don't even know what that is. Full speed ahead.

Speaker: The wheels kick and you just start traverse along the coast. You sail rest of the day. You pass sometime in the night, little fishing village.

Speaker: You don't know it, but it's called Kilikon Sea.

Speaker: That's where Klee's from. That's where Klee's dad lives. And he doesn't even know that Klee's dead. And you continue along.

Speaker: How do you pass the next nine days? Like icebreakers. Yeah, like we need to do icebreakers here. We can all sit in a circle.

Speaker: Truth or drink? Yeah. There's a little bit of the dwarven whiskey left below decks from your time on Mengen. Nice. You pull it up and you sit out on the deck of the ship.

Speaker: The place where Erdenine once was fades into the distance. As night falls, the sun splodes and stars fill the sky. So Bertram, what's it like to be with a princess?

Speaker: Well, there's a lot of secrecy and she didn't really like fighting that much. So it's different from the other girls I've dated. they tend to fight you?

Speaker: Yeah. What? That's how it works, two Is that normal for your kind? To fight your significant other? Yeah, but Calista taught me a different way to fight.

Speaker: It's called rock, paper, scissors, and she won a lot. Oh. Yeah. So interesting. Boulder parchment shears. I love that game. Yeah.

Speaker: Yeah. So are we going to tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets or is is that the sort of thing you do um during a sleepover? I'm down. What's your darkest secret, Juniper?

Speaker: Oh, wow, I really shouldn't have started this. ah I'm afraid that Lycan's going to judge me for this. h This is really personal and really dark and secretive.

Speaker: Lycan, I apologize in advance. But I've always been interested and providing my massage services to the people at the resort.

Speaker: I know. you know. It's a lot. I just feel like people of all kinds deserve to feel relaxed. This nice.

Speaker: This changes my whole view of you. That sounds like a good thing. I think you could make some good money. Oh, I didn't even think about the money part. But yeah, in my my town, we're supposed to hate the resort, but I don't see why other people other than Firbolgs don't deserve relaxation and restoration.

Speaker: That's interesting. Because don't you guys also like accept, don't know, isn't like a major part of the your economy letting people come see the crystal caverns and things like that? Yeah, but I don't think they're too happy about it.

Speaker: Necessity, yeah. Oh, I see. Yeah. Okay, that's my secret. I hope Lycan doesn't hate me forever. Let's hear Lycan's darkest secret and then you can hate him back.

Speaker: I'm still healing. I might need a second. Who are you? No, I'm still...

Speaker: um I don't know if it's my deepest, darkest secret, but I kind of wish I knew my dad. Yeah, knowing parents is nice.

Speaker: Yeah. He's nice. Well, who's next?

Speaker: Hang on, hang on. Did your dad pass away? i don't honestly know. It's always been my mom and me. Has she told you about him? Not really. My mom watches out for me a lot and teaches me about life and and what how to do things right.

Speaker: There's like a right way to do things. I'm just, I guess sometimes I just get curious, like what things could my dad have taught me? Probably not a lot. My mom's great.

Speaker: What's life going to be like for you now that you've defected from the guard? I'm trying not to think about it but my mom's going to be pretty mad. Well, sounds like she loves you a lot, so. Plus, if you help rescue a missing princess, i mean, you've been saving people's lives and stuff, too.

Speaker: That's something to be proud of. Here's an invasive question I have. Can we just put all the cards on the table? Is there really a princess? Yes.

Speaker: Yeah, I think so. No, 100% is a princess.

Speaker: Yeah. Okay. Does she really wear pants? That's a good question. She does. Oh, okay. It's one of the hottest things about her, actually. Yeah.

Speaker: That's nice. It's conservative, sensible leg wear.

Speaker: This guy's a freak for real. Calm down. Okay, Bertie. Go ahead. Dark secret. Yes. My secret is i think I was going to propose, but now that she's missing, I don't know what I'm going to do. Were you allowed to do that? Well, she said to to wait because she's going to talk to her dad, but well, now her dad's missing too, so.

Speaker: they know that feeling. Yeah. Oh.

Speaker: Usually I knew that thing too. Hey, there's like a club forming within the club. you didn't know your dad either. Oh, I knew him and then he was made a political prisoner and I, my whole thing was like rescuing him.

Speaker: And then I found out that he's been communicating with my brother for like 50 plus years and he's never once spoken to me. Like he could talk to family. from his imprisonment and he never chose to speak to me.

Speaker: So actually, I guess my secret is that I've been having trouble motivating myself to do all the things that I used to want to do. Cause like everything that was so important to me, I wasn't even important enough to be made a part of those plans, you know?

Speaker: So why would i center my plans around those people? That's my secret. And it's crazy because I'm the better sibling in literally every possible way, except a few limited ways like combat, subterfuge, disguise, piracy.

Speaker: What? You cut a cannonball in half. with i know, I'm amazing. With a piercing weapon. It boggles the mind. ah Anyway, that's, that's my father trauma.

Speaker: It's fucked up though, right? Yeah, that's that's really sad. Yeah. Thank you. Vassanya, dark secret now, please distract me. Vasaniya is sitting in a chair with her feet up on a barrel, fletching arrowheads, and she, without looking up, says, I unknowingly helped a cold-hearted queen dominate distant lands and enslaved a populace in ice and snow, only to realize that the values of the seasons were more important to me, and I spent the next 20 years of my life devoted to harboring the beauty of spring.

Speaker: I've grieved family, my friends, and myself, until I found the new me. on the front lines of an endless war fighting for strangers who became my closest friends. And now I'm here, grieving again.

Speaker: But I know that being here will have immeasurable impacts on both Xav and the Feywilds. So, yeah, just happy to be here.

Speaker: I love Spring too.

Speaker: yeah then No follow-ups? What is to even... Did you say ice cream? Mm-hmm.

Speaker: Okay. just thought I misheard you. Yeah, i me too. Did you say front lines? What war is going on right now? Oh, you have no idea.

Speaker: hey Maybe after I catch the Briganox up, they won't be so excited to go home either. Oh! What's going on? You have fey connections.

Speaker: Yes. Have you been there? I've only been there. Holy shit. Ooh, that's where the war's going on? Yeah. It comes and goes. I have one more invasive question before we, don't know, go cry ourselves to sleep.

Speaker: Juniper, why don't you live with the other furbolts? Why are you, like, away from them? Oh, I don't know. it got to be a lot, you know. I was supposed to be helping my family, but then I felt like they were using me a lot.

Speaker: So then I didn't want to do that anymore. And so I just decided to be on my own. Using you? Yeah. Well, because they have the plant shop and everything.

Speaker: and it turns out I've got this magic that helps grow plants really well. So they just wanted me to walk around and make their plants better that they could sell them and stuff.

Speaker: I left and told them I'd visit once a year to give their plants a boost. And it's probably getting close to that time, so I don't know what they're gonna do if I'm way out here, you know?

Speaker: That's their problem. It'll be fine. Everything works out in the end. It's just interesting for me at this juncture of my character arc to hear about someone choosing not to help their family,

Speaker: to choose self-fulfillment over the things that they previously felt obligated to do. Well, like, yeah, i grew up helping with the plants my whole life, but I, it's not my passion, you know? My passion is to help provide my services to people and help people grow and flourish instead.

Speaker: Okay, here's another deep dark secret. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to get you guys a boon. Okay. Well, to be honest, i don't I don't know what I would have used it for any anyway, because I really like my life.

Speaker: Yeah, and I don't have enough self-awareness to know what I would have done with one. Which I think scared me and made me really sad. Yeah.

Speaker: ever ah I've actually been like thinking about something. Because I was like, okay, if a portal vanished to whole like where where is there room right now for a city?

Speaker: It's got to go somewhere. That's a great question. Do we know, like I guess as just people in this world, what planes of existence there are? All a magical insight, perhaps? I'll roll a magical insight.

Speaker: I think collectively, some of you have spent your entire life more or less on an island, whereas others of you have had more noble upbringings and would have at least a fundamental rudimentary knowledge of the planes of existence, the greater cosmos, if you will.

Speaker: There are eight fundamental planes that are largely acknowledged or understood. There is the Material Plane, there is the Feywild and the Shadowfell, which are mirrorings and odd reflections, twisted reflections of the Material Plane.

Speaker: Kind of in between those, between the Feywild and the Material Plane, is the the Spirit Realm, where... The nature spirits of Zav kind of carve out their own existence. There are also some there's the elemental plane, and then we sort of get into the divinity. There's Empyrean and Elysium, which is where the gods and the good respectively reside.

Speaker: And there is also the underworlds. There's Sistilis and the abyss. Sistilis being the hells. Some of you may say, hey, bucko, that's nine. Well, guess what? I said eight fundamental planes in the spirit world.

Speaker: Not fundamental. It's in between the other two. It touches on them both. So checkmate. That also leaves room for other planes that you don't know about. oh So to your knowledge, there is eight, 8.5.

Speaker: Damn. And how would we know or get a sense of where it could have went? The black sand is obviously a hint. Would Visanya recognize the black sand at all?

Speaker: You, we'll say like collect it a bit, perhaps throw it in ah a spare vial. You've got a bit of it and you take that out and you shake it It's dried out now, but it just looks like sand.

Speaker: You're welcome to make, going say, a nature check to see if you were going to recall any black sand beaches or deserts upon Xav. I was thinking the Feywild, the 12. Or are the Feywild.

Speaker: Either way, nothing specifically comes to mind, especially on the material plane. The Feywild is a vast, ever-changing place.

Speaker: You yourself only have direct knowledge of a sliver of it in the grand scheme of things, so it's possible. But it's just as possible that it's something else.

Speaker: Does this sand look hellish to anyone? I'm getting an abyssal vibe from it. Me too, but I just don't want to put all our eggs in one basket. You know, probably there would be some kind of planar expert in in the city. Maybe when we get to the city, we split up.

Speaker: Someone finds someone to ask about the black sand. Now we're thinking. The rest of us find someone. Now we're cooking! And then the rest of us resurrect Clay. And Clay will know what to do. Clay is very clever. And then once we get Clay, we can get Glimki, right? It's just, you know. Exactly. And then we'll have the whole crew. And then we'll have one, two, three, four, five, seven of the greatest minds on the case. And we'll crack it in minutes.

Speaker: Fawnlyn, you feel like a little tapping on the top of your head from beneath your wig. Oh. Oh, Burakan. Oh, guys! Burakan, this is my, um, this is my, my genie friend.

Speaker: We've met, well, you two have met before. Good to see you again. i don't think I know the two. Hi, Burakan the Untimely. Somewhat of a planar expert myself, given that I, uh, typically take up residence in, uh, the elemental plane.

Speaker: Wow. Hi. Is Erdineen there with you? Well, at the moment, I'm residing in a pocket dimension inside my friend's wig here. Speaking of which, and she looks at you, Fondlin, you got to check it out sometime. It's really, it's it's looking real good. I really spruced it up.

Speaker: Now, that being said, couple things. If you're looking for a wizard in Sunfall, let me know if you find one because there is a magical shunt in my head that's kind of siphoning my magic off to an asshole in a tower back on Mengen. Would have been great if you'd killed him, actually. That would have really done me a solid, but it's fine. You got me out of the jar. I'm not upset. But anyway, it's really ah diminishing my ability to give you any sort of arcane gifts. So if we could get that sorted out, that would be great. First off.

Speaker: Second off... I don't know. I mean, yeah it sounds like some earth elemental plane stuff. Some black sand could be good be there. Once I get my brain fixed, I could go home, ask around.

Speaker: Sorry, did you say the city was missing? Completely. yeah Princess and a city is missing. The princess is missing. The city is missing. I was missing for months, but I'm back now. Lycan's dad is missing.

Speaker: lot of things missing. I think that's unrelated. Found no black sand. that went to because that was that was that one took us out.

Speaker: So you're saying this black sand, you found it where the princess was gone and now where the city's gone. And sorry, was it where your dad was gone as well?

Speaker: out of I don't know. i i never It was before. I don't think it's related. Possibly. Possibly. Don't get my hopes up. No. I don't want to speak out of turn, but I have a theory as to what might be going on.

Speaker: And again, you'd probably want to find a wizard who could identify this sand. hey Hell, it's a big world. You might just, they cast an identify spell. It might say, oh, it's yeah, from this really nice sunny resort town up on the north coast. And then like we sail up there and boom, city's there. and it's like, okay, why is the city there? But at least we know where it is.

Speaker: So again, take everything I say with a grain of black sand. And fact check, verify for sure. But um how much do you know about what I do, what my kind does?

Speaker: I don't know what you are. nothing Very little. Ah, you might call me a genie. Oh, and that would be a bit of reductive, a little simplistic, but a dow, if you will.

Speaker: So do you grant wishes? At my height of my power? Yes. And then I spent a century inside a jar. Did I mention the magical shunt? Yeah. So at the moment, no, but when I could, could, could, and I was good at it. Holy crap.

Speaker: Here's the thing about wishes. Even the most world shattering magic is grounded in fundamental principles. One of those principles is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only altered.

Speaker: So When I grant a wish, it is a painstaking process to convert raw energy into the object of the wishers desire. Fondlin, if you wished for a hot dog, I might dissect a tree on the coast, convert it into the form of a hot dog, and take the energy, turn it into nutrients for ya, maybe take some wheat, make the bun.

Speaker: Good genies seek out the least destructive way to accomplish this. could take the heat from a volcano and alter a sea slug, again, the hot dog thing, do as little harm as possible.

Speaker: But there's also some bad genies, and they steal with no regard for those impacted. It's possible some asshole out there found an asshole genie who wished for a princess and a city to go with her.

Speaker: But if that's the case, they probably have a third wish and who knows what they could ask for next. Well, what about wishing somebody back to life? Sure. Easy.

Speaker: Easy. Easy. Where does that energy come from? You just stuff a soul back into a corpse and, you know, do a little cosmetic surgery. Bing, bang, boom. What if there's no corpse?

Speaker: Then you recreate and it's annoying, but it can be done. Okay. Maybe a few more trees have to get turned into their base elements, but you get there in the end. Okay, so we just got...

Speaker: Again, could be wrong. Could be barking up the wrong tree. So your theory is that there's a bad genie helping someone with all of this? I mean, if you were a lonely incel, wouldn't you wish for a princess?

Speaker: And a city? Gotta live somewhere. I'm sorry, is the big bad of this campaign an incel? An incel. I think the big bad of every world is the incels. waiting

Speaker: Amen, sister. Okay, so we try to get the thing out of the back of head. That'd be great. Would but greatly appreciate that. And it might sound like I'm manipulating you to get the shunt out of my head so i can return to my former glory. But truthfully, I'm not excited about going to see a wizard. Last time I saw a wizard, they stuck me in a jar for a century. So, you know, Fauna, I need you to hold my hand while it's happening and maybe stab somebody if they create a problem.

Speaker: I'm on it, girl. Lady Faradeth, do you trust this this genie? Oh, yeah, totally. This genie has ears. Yeah, I know. but You seem pretty keen on getting all your power back. What happens? What happens if they just poof disappear? Here she can't. We have a pact.

Speaker: For the record, I can and I will. I'm not going to travel in your wake for all time. I've got a palace with probably a hundred dead servants. I am not better water than in a century. Oh my god. But magic connection stays, right? I mean, we have a deal. Yeah, of course, and I'll be available. I'll be on call. You call out to me and I'll answer most of the time when it's convenient for me and I'm not doing something else.

Speaker: Okay, all right. Okay, well, let's figure out the sand and let's figure out the the clay and let's figure out the genie problem. yeah But I will say... If you want more powerful magics, you're going to have to get the shunt out of my head because I can basically give you some cantrips, maybe like something a smidge more powerful than that. But tick tock, if you want to grow in power. By the way, you got some arcane essence about you that you just have not been using. So me.

Speaker: yeah Well, yes, I suppose. You look, you've got a way about you. but But, no, I did mean, I did mean my, pay my, my, my ah my my little warlock here.

Speaker: Oh, right. Oh, I've been feeling a little magical lately. Have you? That's great. so And I, can I, can I cast Eldritch Blast on the wall? Oh.

Speaker: of the ship. Oh my Yeah, there was a patch put up. There was like a massive hole in the helm that was shot through with a cannonball and there's just like a piece of sail that was cut up and plastered over it and you just blast a hole through that and Boof from inside the helm is like, oh, what the hell? We just got that fixed.

Speaker: Could you not do that before? I could not do that before. know I could not do that before. about What else could you do? What else can I do? how about... the rules of law And I would like to summon Arms of Hadar.

Speaker: Yeah. If I recall the last time this happened, it looked like a dark, twisted forest. Does it look like that again? Oh yes, absolutely. As I summon the spell, there's these curling motes of darkness that resolves that everyone feels themselves enclosed and sees these sort of shadowy forms of great trees of Ulith or Thayad surrounding them. And then we all take, and then we all make a strength saving throw. Oh oh no! Including me. What? I rolled a nat one.

Speaker: Oh, wow. I rolled really well. That's good. I have no bonus. 16. 12. 17. That's great.

Speaker: that's great It was DC 15, I believe. So anyone below that takes eight necrotic damage. Oh my gosh. Whoa, stop. And everyone successful takes four.

Speaker: oh shit. That would have been really helpful but when we were fighting the big blob thing coming down the stairs or the dragon or any of the things. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Well, I couldn't do it then. Okay. Sassy pants.

Speaker: You seemed very confident you could do it now. just... Yeah. You're holding out on a little It's a feeling you get. That's, yeah. No, I just made it look natural. That was actually my first time. Oh, congratulations.

Speaker: Thank you. I'm a natural. Is it still there? it lingering? Did you dissipate it? Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna get out of It's like seawater spraying a coal.

Speaker: We can't see each other. See, this is why i don't talk about myself. Self-destrovery is destructive. Oh my god.

Speaker: Burakan looks but up at you, Fondalyn. For the record, this djinn is less than a foot tall. She is very small, kind of brigand ox-sized. She looks up at you, Fondalyn, and says, come come find me when when you're done with your with your hangout.

Speaker: I'd love to show you the place. And she climbs up your arm and disappears back under your wig. I'm find you. What do you mean by that? What do you mean by that?

Speaker: I shout into my wig. It's not a riddle!

Speaker: Faunlin like shoves her hand into her wig. The four of you watch as Faunlin pushes her arm inside her wig and then disappears. Rashid!

Speaker: Oh, okay. So I guess when you're finished with your friends is right now. Okay, well, I was going to clean up a little more. It's a little bit of a mess, but welcome. Welcome to the vessel.

Speaker: And you see that there is, you are in a plush lounge. There is just piles upon piles of people. pillows, everything. There's this beautiful intricate like tapestry ah across the floor. There's a nice domed white ceiling. You can just kind of hear the shouts of your friends from outside.

Speaker: There is incense burning, little golden lanterns filling the air with light and smoke. What do you think? I've been working on for a while now, and I think it's pretty nice.

Speaker: There's fucking rules, Burakan. I know. You should see my place back home. This is amazing. I'm never going out there again. well, you got to. I'm pretty sure you can only stay in here for like a couple hours tops at a time. But, you know, hey, I don't write the rules. I'm just giving my magic and it's up but to you to get better at it.

Speaker: you have drugs down here? Oh, do I got drugs? Yeah, I got drugs. And she pulls out just a hookah pipe. hmm. I've had enough of them. Let's hang out down here. And Faunilun just chills out with her con bear as long as she can.

Speaker: I hear like our voices being like, check for black sand. get right Yeah. Is Faunilun's wig just sitting on the table? Yeah, it's just like toppled to the ground. Oh, can I pick it up and try to stick my hand into it also?

Speaker: Yeah, you just feel like wool and, know, wig material. This is actually a big development and probably would shake the party a good amount. Yeah, guys, she's gone. There's nothing in here. Just like like the city. yeah She was the only one that... She was like the leader. Oh my gosh.

Speaker: This was the final wish. Fondalyn like rips a fat one off the pipe and is like about to call up and be like it's fine it's fine but then she chokes on the smoke and is like and never ends up clearing up the misunderstanding until she emerges several hours later yeah you can actually stay in there for up to six hours so if you want to stay in there you can yeah Fondalyn sleeps in there oh my god when she hangs out with Burakon they like play dragon's chess and whatever games Burakon likes yeah Yeah, she likes that little stabby game where you just like run knife between your fingers, you know, stab the table.

Speaker: She's really good at it. Yeah, Fondalyn comes out later, hands bleeding. Yeah, so in the morning, one of the Briganoxes is just tidying up and suddenly Fondalyn bamfs into existence, just crawls out of his wig. In a cloud of smoke.

Speaker: The Briganox drops to the ground like a possum.

Speaker: So where was the city? Did you find it? Yeah, you're back. Oh, Fauna's eyes are like bloodshot.

Speaker: Um, didn't find the city. Did find a chill-ass time, though. I needed that, guys. Faradeth, people are dead. This is serious matter.

Speaker: What do you want me to do? We're on ah we're on a boat. What do me to do? don't you want to play truth or dare some more? Dare. No. No. No.

Speaker: You know, I didn't really know what to do with myself. My two best friends in the whole world are dead at my own hands. I didn't really know how to kill the time in this circumstance. If you guys have proposals, Vassanya, if you have ideas, I'm amenable.

Speaker: How long are we going to be on this boat? Is there any way we can go any faster? We have someone who could tow us, but she's trying to save her spells. Oh, oh, I can do that a little bit each day, yeah. If that helps. does Will that actually help us get there any faster?

Speaker: as soon so i can do it for six I can do it for six hours a day now. You know what? I would say if you commit to it every day, we could like shave a day off the trek.

Speaker: Let's go. We need that extra day.

Speaker: So your nine day journey is reduced to eight as Juniper tirelessly turns into aquatic creature. Yeah, the reef. Actually, I don't know if I heard.

Speaker: No, it was that the seahorses have more health than sharks, which is weird, but I'll keep doing the reef shark. That's interesting. knows are that's giant or certainly very fast Yeah, giant sea horses. Currently they're like really hardy. I was doing my research, but oh and then yeah, after the six hours, I'll just end up back on the deck and just like fully lay down flat, just like catching my breath, just soaking wet. Amazing.

Speaker: Yeah. You spend the next seven days exhausting yourself. will say six days. Lycan, how do you spend the rest of the journey? I think Lycan's probably trying to get to know the the crew more.

Speaker: He's probably trying to like actually be a good captain. And then like when Juniper like takes their breaks, he'll like bring them snacks or something. ah it's awful.

Speaker: Prince Bertram, how do you spend the journey to Sunfall? I think he's like doing Tai Chi and training and working out on the deck and trying to convince anyone who walks by to join him.

Speaker: And if no one joins him, he's just like sadly working out and thinking about how he lost to Malfour in that duel and trying to get better. I think every day a few more Briganox join in until it's kind of like a morning Tai Chi sort of situation where about 200 of them are on deck doing these kind of just these slow punches and twists and kicks.

Speaker: I'm going to train them. Train them so well. They're going to be an actual fighting force. Let's go. Very cute. Vasanya, how do you spend the next seven days in preparation?

Speaker: think I'd also talk to the Briganox and maybe explain what's been going on back home for the last, I don't know, 20 years. And maybe I have some rations that I brought with me from from the Feywild, so it would be like food that they have never had since being here, which I'm assuming would be a big hit.

Speaker: And yeah, I don't know. I would maybe like sneak in questions about Glimke with them and be like, yeah, like why? why is everybody so like him so much? What did you get up to in Sylvan?

Speaker: Ian Sylvan in response, a brigginoc with shoes with springs on them bounces up to look you in the eye. Okay, so the thing about Glimke is he had a bunch of leaves in his hair.

Speaker: That was crazy.

Speaker: We thought that maybe he was just dirty, but it seemed to be... Something a little more special. Right. And Lady Faradeth or Faunal and said something about his god or something or or spirit?

Speaker: Yeah. I think he worshiped a bird. Hmm. That's cool. Yeah. I thought so. and And he took you guys from Mangan?

Speaker: Mm-hmm. And he promised to bring you home? Mm-hmm. That's a little naive. Don't remind me. Despite my cool shoes, I've got a bad attitude. Right.

Speaker: Well, we'll figure it out. and We'll get you back. Certainly we hope so, for your sake. What the hell does that mean? It means ashamed of something bad happened to you, friendo.

Speaker: What the hell? You guys are still got mutiny on the brain here? Just saying. Sprung, sprung, sprung, sprung. What the- Oh, don't listen to him. He's just a young upstart who wants to slit a couple throats before he turns 20.

Speaker: That's insane. Oh, like you've never had the blood urge. and Well, i know there's I know there's a thousand of them, but you gotta to get a better handle on this community. This is a dangerous slip into a murderous territory. Don't talk to me.

Speaker: The second most powerful Brighanoc in the community is chronically high. Oh, Boof? That's the one. Yeah, i' heard a lot about him over the last couple days. Kind of a big personality around these parts.

Speaker: Yeah. All right, well, let's just hope this trip goes quickly and smoothly. I have a feeling it will. Perfect time for it to nod. We've got the final one on the deck of the ship.

Speaker: How's it going? Oh, good. i was going to say Faunilin spends her time patching Clay's clothes from the injuries, like sewing them up really nicely. Can hardly tell that someone died in them.

Speaker: And chatting with Visanya to swap Glimki stories, but Visanya just asked a bunch of very pertinent questions to the Briganox instead of Faunilin. So now I'm imagining Faunilin being like, so what's what was Glimki like when you knew him? And then Visanya just turning around and talking until then.

Speaker: Fondalyn's like, okay, all right, fuck me, I guess. Yeah, Fondalyn doesn't really know how to express gratitude or appreciation very well, but she will also, like, when she sees if anyone gained any tears in their clothes or snags or anything, she will be like, i could fix that for you if you'd like, and then, you know, patched up and handed back with a nice little patch, and she kind of just, yeah, putters around like that. I'm curious how Juniper spends her time when she's not...

Speaker: typing the boat when she's not doing forced labor.

Speaker: She probably offers massages as well. So just more labor, but you know, it brings her joy. And sorting through her little trinkets, her essential oils, and probably i did want her, this probably would have happened technically on the last boat ride, but You can have on this one.

Speaker: She will be asking Lycan about his experience with Nate, Nate, Nate. Nate. What's her name? Is that right? an ge Yeah. Cause I think I over, she overheard at some point that he had an experience of that.

Speaker: So she would probably ask him for all sorts of details on that. What that was like. Um, Hey Lycan. Oh yeah, one second. okay. And then this pipe goes, this one goes down, right?

Speaker: No, no, common mistake. That one actually goes up. Okay, I'll get it eventually. What's up, Juniper? Okay, guess the lesson's done. Guess you're just done studying for the day. Guess Big Man knows all there is to know about pipes. This one goes up, goes down. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down, okay? Sometimes they go sideways, and you have to be ready for those ones because they don't really make sense. Is this a bad time? I'm sensing some extreme tension and aggromation. this is a welcome distraction.

Speaker: Okay. grizzled old Brick-a-knock with the face of J.K. Simmons storms off.

Speaker: I was wondering, you kind of mentioned at some point something happened with you and Nainik. I was wondering if you would tell me all about that.

Speaker: Yeah, um okay. ah if you're what If you're willing to share. i'm not i'm I'm really not trying to pry here. but No, yeah. like I'm not an expert and you're the spiritual one.

Speaker: um But yeah, like um my crystal glowed and she like spoke to me. But like in my heart? I know that sounds kind of dumb, but...

Speaker: No, no. That's really cool. I'm totally non-chalice. No. Well, I'm sure she speaks to you all the time. Like, I didn't even know I could talk to her.

Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. No. I more get my powers, which maybe it comes from her, but I i more just connect with the nature, which, you know, she is the nature goddess, but I mainly talk to the plants.

Speaker: Wait, so, alright. I don't know a lot about this stuff. It's not really something... don't know. I'm not a priest.

Speaker: But it's like she talks to people, right? Have I ever had experiences with that before? Or heard about that? Yeah. I think you yourself perhaps has not directly heard from her, but members of your family have.

Speaker: Most communication is carried out through chief priestess. But, you know, we'll say one of your one of your siblings, like slipped and fell into the river when they were younger and they felt like a sudden force like pull them out of the water onto the shore.

Speaker: Yeah, so my sister Rose had this one of my sisters. There's a lot of them. Well, she and I'll say exactly what you just said.

Speaker: Oh, done. Yeah. Yep. And that's that's about as far as I think our family has experienced. But I I know she communicates to the chief priestess a lot. So you must be special.

Speaker: Uh, yeah. I can show you what I did. Okay. Yeah, here, come on, let's sit down. Okay.

Speaker: So, do you have an amethyst something? Yeah, I have this. I can't come up with another of rock name. We'll just go with Amethyst. Yeah, sure. Okay. It's the Amethyst Valley.

Speaker: Oh, that makes sense. Yep. here i yep Sure do. who I just kind of held on to it and i didn't I didn't think I was talking to her, but I just talked.

Speaker: Like I... I prayed for Clay and I, don't know, she just like talked to me. Like, do you want to, this, I, this isn't my deal and it feels weird to say, but do you want to pray with me?

Speaker: Sure. What do we, what do we talk about? okay. Oh yeah, go for it. I know, I know what I would ask for. I don't think you.

Speaker: OK. No, yeah, go for it. OK. Hello. i would like to help bring relaxation and restoration people all over the world.

Speaker: How do you feel about that? Juniper, I don't know. So it's more like um they're more like rhetorical statements, I think.

Speaker: Like you're not actually asking. It's more like, like here, hold my hands. ah Okay. Okay. So like, what do you, what do you hope happens with this whole journey thing?

Speaker: um I hope that I can find out more about myself and find peace and help people who need help. Dear Crystal Mother, please guide Juniper in bringing more relaxation to others, to discovering more about herself, and keep us all safe.

Speaker: Amen. Amen. Lycan. Lycan. um You felt Nainique's presence on Bogatyr back home.

Speaker: You also, in the time you've spent with Faunolin and the Bryganox, have heard about this Glimki tree fellow, how he seemed to carry fragments of nature spirits with him as he traveled through the world.

Speaker: And I think in that moment, you understand what a world-altering and powerful ability that was.

Speaker: Because you are now hundreds of miles away from home. And Nainique does not answer.

Speaker: She cannot hear you.

Speaker: Yeah, so that's, um, and sometimes, and that's just kind how prayer goes, right? Like, sometimes you don't hear something, and that's okay.

Speaker: And, like, yeah, maybe it was, like, a, it was probably, like, a one-off thing. Oh. Yeah. That's, that's okay. Yeah, but she's listening, I think.

Speaker: Yeah. Well, that's okay, because we got to hold hands, so that was kind of cool. Yeah, I can let go now. I'm sorry about that. Oh, no. Okay. Well, thanks for telling me all about the experience.

Speaker: Yeah, and maybe when we get back to the island, we can try again. Yeah, yeah. Maybe we just have to be home. Yeah. Cool. As the ship cuts through the El Sween Sea, you pass along hundreds of miles of coastline.

Speaker: You various villages and towns dotting the landscape, forests and massive cliff faces as you continue to travel south, closer to sunfall.

Speaker: Juniper, you pull the ship closer every day, making an appreciable difference. You start to notice the water getting warmer the further south you travel.

Speaker: It's minute at first, but as you go further and further towards sunfall, it begins to get uncomfortably hot.

Speaker: Not enough to hurt, but if it gets much hotter, it will. Those of you upon the deck of the Swift, the sun begins to burn bright in the sky, glowing orange, then red. You know sunsplosion is imminent within the hour, and you can see dozens and hundreds of small islands filling the sea in front of you.

Speaker: You see that you are on the edge, the precipice of a large gulf, and the channel with which to enter it is filled with these islands. Boof walks up to you and says, well, based on my maps, that's the Roiling Gulf.

Speaker: Water's about to get real hot. Should probably tell your girlfriend to get out of there. And, uh, question for the group. We can, uh, we can press forward. I know times of the, uh, of the essence, but lot islands.

Speaker: Could be some sandbars. Might run ourselves aground and the ship can't take too much more. Or we, uh, burn the time and wait till morning. Your call. I suppose we wait till morning.

Speaker: I guess if it's safe, if we don't have a boat, we don't make it. Right, Juniper bought us a lot of time. We can spend eight hours of that time. Waiting for the tides to turn. Not killing ourselves on a sandbar. Yeah.

Speaker: Not pleased about it. What's this about girlfriend? I mean, have you seen the two of them? They're kind of like giving each other eyes. Yeah, that was directed to Lycan. That was directed to Lycan. Juniper and the prince have spent no time together.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Weird read there, buddy. Also, so he has like an almost fiance. So you were way off there, Boof. I'm taken. You know what? That's my bad, I guess.

Speaker: And he just sits there. All right, everyone. Drop an anchor. Get some sleep. We'll need it.

Speaker: Yeah, I like tug on the rope that Juniper's like let her know that the water's gonna be boiling soon and she needs to get out. Yeah, yeah i'll I'll come back onto the boat. Yeah, you you transform and you're pulled back on board. The night passes and you have the understanding that with this delay, you'll probably reach Sunfall tomorrow evening. After entering the Gulf, you have to travel east aways.

Speaker: Is there any final preparations or discussions you wish to have before you reach Sunfall? Maybe... Okay, are we doing the two teams thing?

Speaker: wi Team Wizard and Team Doctor? Who's on what team? I want to be on Team Doctor. I want to be there when Clay comes back. I'll have to search for my friend to see if she has my money if she knows I'm alive.

Speaker: I can go with Birdie. Seems like you'll need the help. Wait, one. Okay. So then me and Lycan find a wizard?

Speaker: I don't think that's smart. I don't think that's a good plan at all. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Let's get this back up.

Speaker: comp but What's the most important thing here? Safety. yes Clay. Clay. Let's just do that first, and then we could split the the the finding the cash and the wizard thing up after.

Speaker: That's a good good thinking, Vassanya. And you know what? Let's just preemptively put you on team wizard for when that becomes relevant, because that was a good thought. Okay.

Speaker: I just think Birdie might need a hand. You think that he could handle himself with some, I don't know, lone sharks? No, we saw how he handled that ah that duel with with... Yeah, exactly. So like, Birdie walks off into the night, never to return.

Speaker: yeah I've been to this city before. This one's still here. I know my way around. Yeah, but now you're looking for some money that I don't think belongs to you because you were dead. Am I up to speed?

Speaker: i i mean, you are alive. is So it's still my money. I don't think they're going to think that. That might be a good job for Faunalyn. I feel like she can handle herself well with getting what she wants.

Speaker: Yeah. Oh, thank you. And just for that just for that, I'll propose my thing, which is that I think Juniper has been working very hard and also giving everybody massages. So I was going to say, why doesn't Bertram give Juniper a massage?

Speaker: Bertram, because he's a monk, and I think monks have good, strong hands. know, actually, I was wanting to ask you, if you teach me how to give a massage once we find Calista, I could show her. Is Clay the priority or isn't he? We're just getting time right now.

Speaker: Definitely eight hours few hours. Eight hours before we can head into the city, so. We have dinner time for massages. I can teach you, and then you can practice on me, and I'll tell you everything that you're doing wrong.

Speaker: That sounds good. Good. Lichen watches. I cannot watch. I captain things to do. have more important things to do than watch some dumb massage class.

Speaker: Lichen tends to the ship. Prince Bertram learns how to give and receive a massage. This is the most educational boat ride ever been on.

Speaker: Fonelin, anything you do? I think Fonelin just like spend some time with Clay, like making sure Clay's clothes are just right and talking to Clay and being like, so whatever you're doing in, let's be realistic, hell, wrap it up very quickly because you're going to be back here in 12 hours, 12 hours pessimistically. It might be as soon as six.

Speaker: You know, and um I'm really looking forward to seeing you. So God, I hope you didn't make any best friends in hell. You have two of those already. you don't need any more. It gets greedy at a point.

Speaker: and just like babbling on to clay. You eventually all sleep or meditate as is your custom, and in the early hours of the morning, Nova happens, the sun bursts back into life, a new day begins on Zav, and you, under the watchful eye of Lycan, feel the ship begin to move forward.

Speaker: You navigate through these islands. It's not particularly difficult in the daylight. It would have been significantly harder after dark. Lycan, could I get a perception rule?

Speaker: Oh, God. It's three... I think each of you, either sleeping or tending to the ship or just preparing to arrive in Sunfall that evening, the camera splits into five panels as you hear song waft through the air.

Speaker: It is alluring. It is pleasant. It is charming.

Speaker: I need everybody to make a wisdom saving throw. Oh. Fonelin, you can make yours with advantage. What is it? Why do I get advantage? Because I'm your favorite?

Speaker: Because you're an elf. 15. 15. Natural 20. Natural 20. Woo! I four.

Speaker: Narratively, I just feel like it makes sense for Bertram to get lured by some sirens. just feel like Yeah. Lycan, you watch from the helm of the ship yeah piloting along. You watch as Bertram walks past the large glass window that you look through towards the front of the ship and stands upon the edge of it.

Speaker: Bertram, i need you to make another wisdom saving throw. The water around the ship is actively bubbling... as you have entered the Royal Gulf. Oh gosh.

Speaker: And i I wouldn't say I'm jealous. what Hey, I rolled better than before. it's six. Oh God. Bertram swan dives off the front of the swift.

Speaker: Callista, is that you? I'm coming for you. We need his money. As numerous winged creatures, they've got leathery wings and humanoid features.

Speaker: These long talons take to the sky from a nearby island flying towards Bertram. I'm going have everybody roll initiative. Oh my god.

Speaker: Natural one Natural one on the initiative. I love that. i got an 18. Oh, that's not good.

Speaker: Prince Bertram Vestergaard, you hit the water and you take a mere two fire damage as you hit the scalding water. You may repeat the saving throw upon taking damage.

Speaker: God, I can't roll wisdom. It's another six. You hear the princess singing to you calling to you You are incapacitated, which means you cannot take actions or reactions, and you will use all your movement to swim away from the ship towards the source of the noise, which is coming from one of these nearby islands.

Speaker: Can Bertram swim? Oh, I think Bertram can swim. You're not very fast. You get about 15 feet away. Okay. But you're 15 feet further away from the ship. And at the end of your turn, you may repeat the saving throw.

Speaker: Wow. Okay. It gives me lots of chances. That's good. Does a 13 succeed? 13 does succeed. The effect ends. As your turn ends, you're 15 feet away from the ship as a cloud of harpies descend upon you.

Speaker: Wait, where's Calyza? You lied to me. You see just these winged creatures. They're vaguely humanoid looking. These sharp talons come raining down upon you and four of them are going to make multi-attacks. So... whoa One with a claw. You see that they're brandishing some weapons. They've like simple clubs.

Speaker: And yeah, each of them is going to attempt to hit you twice. So eight attacks total. Bertram, does a 12 hit? No.

Speaker: Miss Miss, does 14 hit? Nope. Okay. Three claws, three clubs swinging down. You're blocking attacks. You're grabbing them by the ankle, throwing them away.

Speaker: One last one comes flying in. Highest I rolled on all eight dice was an 11 for a total of 14. none of them hit you. Just like they descend upon you, clawing at you, clubbing at you, but you're just blocking, guarding. You managed just like flutter kick like crazy and they cannot hurt you.

Speaker: Juniper, we are going to go to you. perfect. Okay. So after the harpies, right, attacked, did they fly away from Bertram or are they still like within five feet of I think they're like ducks at ah at a bread convention.

Speaker: And Bertram is a nice piece sourdough. Okay, so still near Bertram? Was I not clear? yeah Yes, they're still attacking Bertram. Okay, you know what? We're just going to go for this anyway. I'm going to go ahead and cast Conjurer Animals, and I'm going to make two giant eagles.

Speaker: I'm going to have each of them... if If one fails, the other one tries. So one will go first to try to grab Bertram and pull him up and back to the ship.

Speaker: Sure. I'll say, Bertram, should you desire, you can just get scooped up. You do see a fifth winged talent creature descending upon you.

Speaker: It's up to you if you react like a chiller. No, if this one's friendly, I'll let it take me back to the ship. Perfect. You like duck down under the water, you bob back up, and as you do, just school two talons envelop you and you get carried back to the ship. And I'll have the other one then make the attacks against one of the harpies. Go for So it's a multi-attack. First, it's to make beak attack, which is a 12 to hit.

Speaker: 12 will hit. Oh.

Speaker: that's, oh, nice. Nine piercing damage. Sheesh. I rolled full damage on that. And then a talent attack. Gosh dang it. Eleven to hit. And eleven still hits.

Speaker: Let's go. Okay, cool. ooh And I rolled crappy damage on this one. That's seven points of damage. Okay. it It doesn't like that. Doesn't like that. Anything else, Juniper?

Speaker: ah Nope. That's all for now. Vasanya, you see Bertram sailing through the air back towards the ship, a swarm of harpies, and I'd say you glance up at the glowing yellow light of Pharos, and you see a shadow descending from above, a larger winged shape, flying directly for the deck of the Swift.

Speaker: Can't tell what it is. It looks similar to the ones out at the water that were attacking Bertram, but perhaps ah perhaps bigger. Gotcha. Missanya is going to narrow her eyes and I will cast Hunter's Mark on the big one.

Speaker: Okay. And then I will loose two arrows. Go for it. Would you believe on these stupid digital dice, I rolled two nat wands. ah that stuff So nine.

Speaker: yeah You're looking directly into the sun and ah it hoites a bit and you just fire off two arrows. A second later, tungtung they land on either side of you in the deck of the ship.

Speaker: And that's your action and bonus action. Any movement? distant Nope. Sorry. i missed. Faunilind. I would like to swing on the, well, not swing, but I think I rushed to the deck.

Speaker: Surmise of what's happening. I see like Bertram being carried back in the talons of a great bird. i see a great bird fighting other scary looking birds and I'm going to notch an arrow and I think I get sneak attack because great bird is an ally.

Speaker: Definitely. oh which Which one are you targeting? There's one that's been hurt. The other three are uninjured. The hurt one. Gorgeous. So that's going to be with my short bow, a 24 to hit. It hits.

Speaker: And then I get to roll four D6s for damage. Sounds right to me. That is 18 damage. right 18 damage. That is not quite enough to kill it, but this arrow catches it through the ribs and it drops almost into the water and screeches in pain and looks like it's on death's door.

Speaker: Anything else? Yeah. I'll use my bonus action to like hide under the railing of the ship so that I'm hiding at the start of my next turn. Gorgeous. Give me stealth roll. That's a flat 19. Plat 19, gorgeous.

Speaker: Boom! The Bloodfire Harpy flying in from above, lands on the deck of the Swift. It sways aggressively in the water. Water kicks up, roiling and bubbling on either side.

Speaker: Briganox goes scattering, and it is going to unleash a burning breath as just this steam from within it, much like the water that it calls its environment, its habitat. It just... oh opens its mouth and this piercing scream and burning steam emanates forward. I need dexterity saving throws from Vasanya and Faunolin and Juniper.

Speaker: I don't know why I wrote the digital. So the total is an eight, but the base was a natural one. Never do, you gotta never do that. Yeah, I know. What was your total? 10. 11.

Speaker: All three of you fail. Ooh. Yep. And you will each take 10 fire damage as you just feel your skin start to burn under this ah this burning breath. And then you also, all three of you are blinded temporarily.

Speaker: Wow. As just your eyes just like, ah, stings. You scrunch your eyes shut. You are blinded until the end of its next turn. Ooh. It is going to...

Speaker: start to flap its wings, but doesn't have enough movement to actually get off of the ship. And we will go down to Lycan. He'd call into one of the pipes and be like, uh, expel all the heat we have. Make sure the ship doesn't overheat.

Speaker: And he goes like rushing out onto the deck. A steam whistle goes off in response. Steam is emitted from the ship and you run out onto the deck.

Speaker: I'd like to run right up to this tarpy and like charge at it and start attacking. Go for it. Is there an ally near the harpy? ah It made a point of not getting within five feet of anyone, just trying to keep a bit of distance.

Speaker: Okay. I would approach it from whatever side that would have my allies like behind me. okay I'd say, uh, Vasanya would say it was closest so you can get in between her and harpy.

Speaker: Perfect. I make up my first of two attacks. That's... That's a 12. A 12 hits. Oh, sick. My second of two attacks is a 24.

Speaker: That also hits. 11 damage and 10 damage. 21 damage. Wow, wow, wow. You take a big chunk out of it. Slash, slash.

Speaker: Feathers go flying. It screeches. You feel hot breath waft across your face. Anything else you want to do? I don't think there's anything else I can't No, I'm good. Okay.

Speaker: Prince Bertram, you are in the arms of an eagle. um Can I like swing my way onto the back of the eagle? like Is it Hobbit style, like I can ride it?

Speaker: or i say go for it. yeah Okay, cool. I would like to swing onto the back of the eagle and then riding it, i see the would you call it a blood harpy on the ship?

Speaker: So as a bonus action, i would like to empower my arm tattoo. So all my attacks have a 15 foot reach.

Speaker: Whoa! Yeah, it's called Eldritch Mall. So I'm going to try to punch it from 15 feet away. Amazing. What heck? Give me an attack roll. It looks cool when he swings himself up onto the eagle and then he looks dumb because he tries to punch the air. Then you see like you see his tattoo lift from his arm and like reach out.

Speaker: So that is the attack.

Speaker: That's a hit. And it deals an extra 1d6 force damage on a hit. So 11 normal damage and two force damage.

Speaker: Okay. Hit for an additional 13 damage. Is it all attacks this turn? Or mid of range? Each of your melee attacks with a weapon or unarmed strike. Solve them for a minute.

Speaker: Amazing. Okay. So you can just, you can attack again if you want. Second attack also hits. That's 21. Nice. nice That's two less than last time. So another 11 damage.

Speaker: Damn. It is looking beat up. It's your bonus action to activate the tattoo. So no flurry of blows or anything like that. No. Can I... When you hit with a melee weapon attack, Stunning Strike only works with weapon attacks? Or can I use it on an arm strike? but You can do an arm strike to Stunning Strike.

Speaker: Okay. would like to Stunning Strike. Okay. What kind of save is that? Con saving throw. It's going to fail. It's stunned until the end of my next turn. Amazing.

Speaker: It is just reeling. These punches come flying out of nowhere. It doesn't see them coming. Boom, boom. And it's rocking on the deck of the ship, confused, disoriented, and stunned. Anything else, Bertram Vestagard?

Speaker: Nope. I'd just like to ride this eagle in circles, I guess, around the ship. Gorgeous. So the harpy that is almost dead is going to fly off at full speed. It's going double move and fly 80 feet away back towards the island it came from. Does my eagle... no. Well, yeah, I had a second one. Does eagle get an opportunity to attack? It would get an opportunity to attack. Yeah.

Speaker: That's a 16 to hit. 16 hits. Okay, I'm just doing its beak. um Do I not need to roll? The eagle pulls it out of the air, just grabs onto it, and just tosses it down into the water, and just it sizzles and burns. Whoa.

Speaker: disappears into the roiling gulf the other three harpies one is going to hang back and it is going to begin to sing its own luring song fun fact about harpies a target that successfully saves is immune to this harpies song for the next 24 hours not all harpy songs so i need everybody to make another wisdom saving throw that is a fun fact yeah yeah

Speaker: 19. Success. 21. 14. Success, success. 15. Success. 14. Success. hey Wow. You hear this song and you all just plug your ears, ignoring it.

Speaker: Now that you know what the source of it is, it sounds ugly, it sounds malicious. The other two harpies are going to fly after you, Bertram, and make four attacks as you are riding upon this eagle.

Speaker: Okay. 20. Does a 20 hit? ah Let me think about it. Yeah. Okay. Well, it's only hitting you with its club.

Speaker: Its claws miss, and it clubs you for three bludgeoning damage. wee mama. Ooh, three damage. The second one. Okay. Does an 18 hit? Yeah. That's a 16 basis.

Speaker: Okay, 18. It'll do five bludgeoning damage with its club, and then it's going to natural 20 with its claw attack.

Speaker: So you will take 12 slashing damage from that. So that's on top of the five blushing damage as well? Yes. God. Damn, that's a lot. Balancing on top of the eagle. get hit on the side of the head. The other one lands on your back, starts ripping into you.

Speaker: They want a meal. And we go down to Juniper. Okay. First, i'll I'll operate my eagles. So that one that that Bertram is riding will attack the harpy that just attacked Bertram. Go for it.

Speaker: Probably not with a natural one, but let me try the talons. 14. 14 will hit. fourteen fourteen will hit that your ankle That's 12 points of slashing damage.

Speaker: Gorgeous. Second eagle flies in. You know what? Yeah, why doesn't the second one go for the same one? Would would it get advantage for flanking? So ah I will give you a plus two. I have a tendency not to give advantage because I like to incentivize other abilities that val right events such as Faunlin's bonus action help. So yeah i will yeah, I typically give a plus two on our little show.

Speaker: Well, that's 16 on the beak. 16 will hit. Eight points from the beak and 10. With the plus two?

Speaker: Yep. That'll just miss, unfortunately. That's all right. And then i will spend my action, since I'm blind, turning into a black bear.

Speaker: Okay. I don't need to see to do that. You don't. And they famously have very bad eyesight. Yeah, there you go. Amazing. You turn into a bear.

Speaker: Fasanya, it is your turn. You are blind. You hear heavy, hot breathing from somewhere in front of you. What are you doing? I'm, I'm, I'm,

Speaker: ah shoot the last thing i think i' saw which was the one descending so i don't know what disadvantage with

Speaker: But it is stunned actually. So... Oh, because the first one is a 16. The second one was a 14. Oh, no. Sorry. The first one was 16 on the die. Plus 8.

Speaker: So the with disadvantage, the other one is a 14. You're making two attacks. So you can just keep the second roll and you hit twice. Oh, hell yeah. Somehow better when blinded.

Speaker: Somehow. Somehow. 10 damage a d6. 10 damage.

Speaker: Not amazing. I did 13 total. It's not nothing. But it's not much. It's not nothing. This thing's looking... If you could see, you would think this thing looks bad.

Speaker: But you can't. So damn really up to your own imagination. Anything else? No, I'm blind. I don't want to run off the boat. Okay. Fondolin, it is your turn.

Speaker: Ooh, I can't see. So I'm going to whirl up from my hiding place and fire at where I believe the last group of harpies was. Okay.

Speaker: Do I need to like aim? I guess I'm aiming at the normal attack roll. Do I need to like do any other additional aiming? Ah, you hear screaming. Okay. o not very good. That's a nine to hit.

Speaker: You know, you miss you miss the harpies. You miss Bertram. You miss the giant eagle. You miss the second giant eagle. Your arrow lands in the roiling gulf. And that's your turn, I suppose, unless you want to bone section. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Somebody's got bone section. going to scream, somebody do something can't see, and give the help action to whoever is after me in initiative.

Speaker: Perfect. That'll be Lycan. I don't know how that helps me, but... ah You're welcome. Somebody do something. The harpy is stunned. It loses its turn. And as its turn ends, everyone's vision is restored. Lycan, you see this thing? It is looking terrible.

Speaker: Just a smattering of HP left. And it is your turn. Wonderful. I'm going to go for its wings so that can't escape. Gorgeous. My first attack is a nat 20. Oh, wow. Wow.

Speaker: Hey. That one alone is 13 damage. o That one alone kills it. Yeah. Nice. Like, it's like, okay, I'll i'll stop it from escaping.

Speaker: And he goes and like, goes to attack the wing and fucking clips the wing full off. so It thrashes around screaming for a second. There's a melody that mingles in the air and then it turns just into a death rattle as it collapses to the deck of the Swift.

Speaker: What do you want to do with your second attack? Oh my God. Is there another harpy within distance? Not within melee range. Okay. So if you happen have a ranged weapon, would you wish to use? Would you allow me to swap weapons like that? I'd let you swap weapons like that.

Speaker: Okay. Then like riding the badass feelings, he pulls out his crossbow and a nine to hit. Nine to hit, as we know, an inauspicious number.

Speaker: As you, like, single-handedly whip this crossbow out, don't even look. Whoa, whoa. Fire off. Those are so insane. And just sails past Bertram, sails past the Harpies, past Eagle 1 and 2, hit Faunlin's arrow out of the air, actually. And, not checking to see if I hit something, but, like, feeling so cool.

Speaker: Yeah, yeah. Amazing. ah Prince, you are being clawed apart. am being clawed. So how many harpies are left?

Speaker: There are three total. One is hanging back. Two of them are like clawing at you. But one of the ones clawing at you is looking pretty beat up and is maybe a little uncertain about how much longer it wishes to keep at this. Okay.

Speaker: I'm going to attack one of the unharmed ones. One of the healthy looking ones. Okay. The one close to you or the one hanging back? The one close to me. Gorgeous. Does a 12 hit?

Speaker: It does. Okay, cool. That's another 11 normal damage and two force damage. Second attack? Yes. Okay, well, I'm going to keep attacking the same one.

Speaker: Another 12. Another 12 hits. That's five force damage and nine regular damage. Okay. How's it looking? ah Bloodied. Okay.

Speaker: How does Flurry of Blows work? So flurry of blows, you can expend a key point to make two additional unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

Speaker: Okay. I'm going to keep attacking then. Okay. Fists are flying. The prince having a much better time against harpies than he did against Malfurth. Yep. And you're just standing on top of of an eagle over a boiling ocean, punching guys out of the air. Not even really like trying to hit them because the tattoo is kind of just doing all the work.

Speaker: Just lazily throwing fists out. Does an 11 hit? An 11 is what you need. Nice. I rolled two ones on my damage die though. Nice. For a total one force damage and sixths six regular damage.

Speaker: One more attack? Yeah, wait. When I use Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on the target. um If it fails a dex saving throw, it falls prone.

Speaker: Can I make it fall prone? What's your spell save or what's your effect save? 13. It got a 13. Oh, so it doesn't fall from.

Speaker: Okay, well, going hit it again. Would have been cool as hell, though. I want it to fall into the boiling ocean. ah That's an 18 to hit. That's a hit. Give me damage. Wow. One in and two on my damage die. It's another one force damage and seven regular damage.

Speaker: That takes it up to 39 total damage. oof And you get your wish as you punch it four times in quick succession and it plummets into the ocean.

Speaker: And that is your turn, I reckon. Yeah, um the one that was looking like it kind of questioning its life choices, can I like intimidate it into leaving?

Speaker: Honestly, no need. As you just rip its friend apart, it is going to take the disengage action and then fly as far as it can away. The other one that was hanging back singing also going to just fly away at full speed. And unless you wish to try and hunt them down or shoot them down, they are going to fly away out of sight.

Speaker: No, I think I just wanted them to to leave. he And so they do. Come once more falls upon the deck of the swift, despite the broiling ocean beneath your feet.

Speaker: And you are you are you are free to continue. Well, I guess I turned into a whole bear for no reason. yes I want to stay a bear because I can. But also I can i because I Googled it. But Zach, if you rule differently than Google, I won't be offended.

Speaker: I believe I'm able to use my balm of the summer court to do some healing, even though I am a bear in wild shape because it's a feature and not a spell. Whoa. I'm not going to fight you on it. Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and heal Mr. Bertram.

Speaker: move nine points of healing. I'm going to two of my my charges, which will also give me two hit points as well.

Speaker: But I'm a bear, so I don't know if that transfers to Druid and Perr not. It doesn't really matter.

Speaker: You know what? I'll allow it. Is this a precedent that I will hold up in campaign two when we have a full-time Druid? No.

Speaker: I don't care. I'm the cool substitute teacher today. Bertram, you land on the deck of the ship as this bear starts licking you and some of your wounds start to soothe and heal.

Speaker: The ship trundles onwards. The two eagles fly above, keeping up for a time, though eventually i imagine the spell ends and they dissipate. Oh, an hour.

Speaker: An hour. There we go. So for an hour, you've got an eagle escort. And then after a time, a little longer, Juniper reverts back into firbolg shape and you continue for the rest of the day.

Speaker: You are inside this this gulf and you stick to the coastline, but you see the water is just bubbling, just hot and scalding the entire way. You are not entirely sure. Why it is this way, though, given the city's history with the cult of the Phoenix and their attempts to summon pharaohs from the sky, you can't help but wonder if it's a ah related issue.

Speaker: And eventually you see a city on the horizon. Unlike the great city of Erdinin, it is first off there and second off much more short of stature, shall we say, more squat buildings.

Speaker: Erdinin, a city full of towering structures, multi-story buildings. Even Mengen in the city of Onkel had multi-story buildings. Most of them were evil, dwarven, brutalist architecture, but they had something, I guess that's really just ah a thoughtable for Faunalyn. The rest of you, that means That thought does not cross any of your minds. But you see that Sunfall is a city where it is very flat. Most buildings are a single story, a couple or two.

Speaker: You can see that the city is built up in the center of a larger swath of rubble and destruction. You see that it is built upon the remains of the city that once stood here.

Speaker: Many of the buildings are darkened timbers made with scavenged wood and recycled materials. The lands beyond the city are also scorched at various places.

Speaker: At one point, large forests with towering trees grew here, but now the city has nestled within an ashen grave as scrub brush and scraggly trees fight for what few resources remain in the ground.

Speaker: You see that there are many ships docked at the city's port despite its slovenly destroyed appearance, but they appear to be largely commercial ships. There are few, if any, fishing vessels or smaller personal vessels, but you see numerous tall ships with or three masts, sails drawn up.

Speaker: One ship you can't help but notice is not in the water, but is actually within the city itself. You see the mass of the ship sticking up out of the skyline.

Speaker: The swift pulls up and you find an open dock, and as you pull up to it, a grizzled halfling man with a cloudy white eye kind of limps his way up to the ship and says,

Speaker: Hello, welcome're welcome, welcome. If you're looking to dock here, it'll be five silver a day. Yes, okay, i hand over 15 silver, like I shove it at him, and then I go, where is the nearest temple, hospital, place where they can resurrect someone?

Speaker: Hmm, well, if you're looking for a temple, there is a a couple. There's the Night Sky Parish and our Resolute Lady of Chemical Romance.

Speaker: And I want you all to know, not proud of that one. Had it in the notes, took it out of the notes, never replaced it with something else. So that's what you get. That's the kind of hard hitting comedy you get on Bard fucking Soup.

Speaker: I like it. That's what we do here. Okay, who can resurrect a dead person? A priest, I'd imagine. Like at either of those temples, you think? He ah starts scratching like behind his ear.

Speaker: My memory is not what it used to be after he taps his cloudy eye after the incident. So hard to say. Hard to say.

Speaker: That's very interesting. And I'm sure that the story of whatever incident that is probably be very compelling and make you an interesting person. But we have more important things to do. I mean, it's not much to say. It's when the sun fell out of the fucking sky and nearly burnt everyone alive to a crisp.

Speaker: It's really the main story of the city. Oh. Neat. Oh, that incident. Yeah, the incident with a capital I. Get Oh. get it ah o You're allowed to laugh. made the joke. and So you're trying to blackmail me? i'm Give me some money and I'll tell you. We did. Oh my God.

Speaker: No, that's talking money. That's talking money. I don't see a cent of that. Oh. That all goes to Shozar the Seawolf. Look, look, okay, here's a silver piece. Okay, now it' I'm going to tell you right now.

Speaker: Okay, he takes the silver, he bites it. Our resolute lady of chemical romance. He doesn't know shit. Let's go.

Speaker: Can I insight check that? I think he's lying and being spiteful. Go for it. Give an insight Regular insight, not magical. Okay. Okay. That's a natural 19 and I have a plus eight. So that's going to be a 27. Whoa.

Speaker: who I see into this man's heart and soul. Yeah. You see some defiance in his one good eye and you immediately know that he is giving you the wrong answer for your shitty tip.

Speaker: All right. So the right answer is the nighttime parish. Night Sky, but yes. The Betty Bye Parish, yes. Sleepy time tea. Betty Bye, Sleepy Time, Honkshu, Honkshu Parish. Thank you so much, good good sir. I am going to resurrect my very best friend in the whole world other than Phato. And I just, you know, time is of the utmost essence. There's literally a person's life and soul on the line. And it just means the world to me that you would tell me where to go.

Speaker: and save a life and a soul from the agonies of hell. Because you could easily have misdirected us, and in doing so, damned a very good person. But you didn't do that. And that's just so kind. ah You know, now that I think about the Night Sky Parish is like maybe like a little bit better. The other one's kind of owned by the mob, so...

Speaker: i i'd oh' i'd go to the Night Sky Parish. ah Yeah, the Padre, will he'll he'll hook you up, don't you? Don't you sweat it.

Speaker: Okay, for real, thanks this time. And Faunilin, there's a long history of Clay carrying Faunilin on their back, but Faunilin hauls Clay's arms over her shoulders, and she doesn't have a lot of strength, but she stands up on shaky legs. She says, time to do this.

Speaker: Enough procrastinating. And she, with wobbly legs, makes her way off the boat. Do all five of you travel together? I think we do. To the parish we do. Yes. Squad coincidence. Of course we do. Squad coincidence.

Speaker: Squad coincidence. You travel through these streets past these darkened buildings. It is later in the day, not quite sunsplosion, but, you know, probably a couple hours away.

Speaker: It is immediately apparent that the streets are all but deserted. You see a couple of people lurking in alleys, but otherwise the streets are unnaturally quiet for this time of day, at least within any city or larger community any of you have spent time in.

Speaker: Which does make asking for directions a little bit tricky. But you're able to call out to the occasional person that you do see and you manage to pick your way through the streets.

Speaker: You see, eventually, as you step out into a... at first it feels like a courtyard, but you soon realize it is a crater. as there's this massive depression in the ground and the ground is scorched black and you can see that there is a fire at the center of it burning and on the other side of it you see what appears to be a church a temple it's constructed of blackened wood but it is one of the taller structures that you've seen, and hanging almost defiantly by a rope from the top of it is a symbol of Yusik, the god of nature and twilight.

Speaker: It appears like a dark cloak flapping in the breeze with a starry pattern upon it. You step around this crater, which is easily 100 feet across, and step into the temple.

Speaker: The door creaks open with tired hinges, and the inside is simple wooden decorations.

Speaker: Some of the temples each of you have been in, whether it was in Erdenine or back on Bogatyr, were places of almost like a work of art in and of em themselves.

Speaker: affixed with ah adornments of all manner of amethyst or gold or crystal in the case of the Dragon's Heart Cathedral. This one has none of that. It is stripped down.

Speaker: There is a simple wooden floor and pews that are structured together, nailed together, held together with pieces of scrap wood. And you see that there is a middle-aged man.

Speaker: He has dark hair and a salt and pepper beard. He wears dark robes. And as he works at this simple lectern, you see that the inside of his his robe has that similar starry embroidery.

Speaker: Up on the ceiling of this building, it is darkened with ash and soot, but someone has scrubbed away little bits to reveal what was once a white ceiling, and now with the soot layer that sits upon it, it looks almost like the night sky itself.

Speaker: He looks up at you with tired eyes as you step inside, and he says,

Speaker: I'm sorry, and service isn't for a couple of hours. Can I help you? I'm really, really, really hoping you can. My name is Faradeth. This is my friend Clay. We don't have very much money right now. We can get more shortly. i have about, don't know, 70 gold pieces in my pocket.

Speaker: But if you're willing to accept a lien, I will give you everything that that guy right there has. I point at Bertram. If you're willing to please, please, please, please please please please resurrect my friend Clay.

Speaker: He looks at you sadly, shakes his head. I'm sorry. I would if I could. How how long has your friend been gone for?

Speaker: It's been like 13 or 14 days, but but there's a spell on them. But we're running out of time, so anything you can do. Set her down, and he he gestures to the the front row of of pews.

Speaker: Set her down. Okay. I said Clay down.

Speaker: Okay. 13 or 14 days, but the body's been preserved.

Speaker: I have the capacity. can cast Ray's dead. It would it would bring them back. There's enough room left to bring them back, but...

Speaker: Unless you've got the sufficient diamond, I can't do it. We were cleaned out couple months ago by the Ash Road boys and anything worth more than a couple gold pieces was taken.

Speaker: Where are they? They hang out in the air eastern portion of the city. The Ashen Road leads out of the city. it's a That's their territory.

Speaker: Vassanya stands up and starts walking towards the door. Don't do it. You'll get yourself killed. If they don't cut you down, then the remains of the people of Vargath will get you. Ooh. It's a cursed place out there.

Speaker: and And what do you suggest then? We just let her rot?

Speaker: Go somewhere else. Honolent points a finger at Bertram. It's my nature at this moment, but Honolent points at Bertram and goes, what about Rich Boy? That's the whole reason we have him here.

Speaker: Yeah. Um... Yeah, it's hilarious, Prima! Where's the nearest casino? boy.

Speaker: What? Well, that would probably be the magpie's nest. I'd keep your wits about you if you go there. it's That's clutch territory.

Speaker: Mob casino, but biggest action in town. So you're looking to try and win some cash, that's, I suppose, as good a bet as any. Bertram, is whoever is trusted with your money, you think there's a diamond in there?

Speaker: ah i I have the diamonds. i think we should go now and see how much we can save before she swindles at all. Oh, tick tock. ah Bertram also starts heading towards the door.

Speaker: I can look after your friend if you want for few days at least. We've got a some back rooms. We can put her there. She won't be disturbed.

Speaker: That's very nice. We just met. I'm going to bring my friend back to the boat. I'll see you again in a few days, though. Very well. Actually, Clay would love a casino. Let's just take Clay straight there.

Speaker: I think we bring Clay back to the boat. I might be a simple man of faith. what's I don't think you're going to be able to bring a corpse inside the casino. Fondalyn takes off her tinted glasses and puts them on clay.

Speaker: stuff Oh my god. We're weekend at birdying her. It's weekend at birdie. weekend but And then Fondalyn goes to walk out the temple and walks straight into the wall because she is very poor vision. it is our prescription May the Night's Watcher keep his eye on you.

Speaker: Best of luck, friends. See you shortly with a ton of money. Very well. What's everyone's passive perception? 11. 10. 12. 16. Damn. Wisdom caster. Juniper. Oh eleven ten twelve sixteen damn wisdom castor juniper oh no You see lurking in a doorway leading into one of these side rooms, a ah tall man with a shaved head.

Speaker: he's He's got sort of small eyes and they're affixed upon you. And as Faunwin says, see you soon with a ton of money. They flare for a half second.

Speaker: I just look at it and wave. He slams the door shut.

Speaker: who Noted. You step out into the streets, back to the boats. As you're voyaging back to the docks, a couple of individuals wearing suits.

Speaker: One of them has a little cane and a bowler hat. There's about, I'll say there's four of them in total. Step out from a nearby alley. You recognize one of them. They were one of the people you asked for directions on your way to the temple.

Speaker: The one with the cane and the bowler hat says, Evening, friends. Hope you're keeping safe. Yes, that's very thoughtful of you. We've been really safe so far. Good vibes all around.

Speaker: I'm glad. This place is not ready for Juniper. This place is not prepared for her. Yeah, no, it's as if Minnie Mouse got dumped into the Godfather.

Speaker: Glad to hear it. Thank you. Get the sense you folks aren't from around here, and, uh, Don't know if you know it, but this is territory of the Tavici family.

Speaker: It's customary to give a donation when you come through our streets. Oh, oh, okay. I can totally off offer my massage services for free. That's totally fine with me. If you want to create a line, it'll just be a few hours.

Speaker: Yeah, I was thinking something a bit more metallic. Gold, preferably platinum. about steel? Just kidding. Visani was saying the exact same thing. She pulls her short sword just a little bit out of its sheath when Fonelin says that.

Speaker: One of them begins to step forward towards you. And as he does, an arrow flies off of a nearby rooftop and catches him in the throat. And he drops to the ground. The one with the bowler hat says, it's the clutch.

Speaker: Get him. And weapons are drawn. The fire is exchanged. Arrows come sailing off a nearby rooftop. They run for cover and you are free to go. You run back to the ship, leave clay with the briganox.

Speaker: and head back towards the magpie's nest. Again, it takes you some time. Perhaps you ask for a few less directions as you go. And as you're traveling, the sun explodes, casting darkness across the sky.

Speaker: And almost almost immediately after, doors begin to open and people flood the streets. Merchants set up stalls.

Speaker: Children begin to play, and outside of the burning gaze of Pharos, Sunfall comes alive. You travel until you reach a large building.

Speaker: There are numerous guards standing outside. You see that they're wearing matching uniforms in a dark crimson color. One of them steps forward. It's this...

Speaker: Goliath man with a shaved head and bulging arms. Evening travelers. I'm afraid you need to leave your weapons at the door.

Speaker: I just wanna resurrect my fucking friend, dude. Can everybody just chill the fuck out for like two consecutive hours? Just stop attacking our boat. Stop attacking our boat again, but with wings. Just stop shooting, fuck, just everybody have a diamond in the temple. I'm so, what do you want from us now?

Speaker: You want us to, what do you want? What do you want? Your weapons. That's reasonable, actually. Sorry about that. That was a weird crowd. That's actually a reasonable thing right now. It's all good. Sorry. One of those days, huh?

Speaker: I saw guy get shot in the neck, which is called here. Like three hours ago. we kind of walked from horrible bloodies. Yeah, that was scarring for sure.

Speaker: Welcome to Sunfall. Thank you. Thanks. They're so welcoming here. Sorry again, Beth. It's all good. Yeah, it's been really nice. Now, Bertram, your fists are weapons.

Speaker: Yeah. Come off. Your sword is a weapon. Sonya, your bow and arrow, that's a weapon. Juniper, you've got a like a like a stick, a walking stick. All I have is a walking stick.

Speaker: Yes. Yeah, I'm afraid you're gonna have to leave that with us. It makes flowers. Is that threatening? Depends on the flower, I guess. Interesting.

Speaker: Just don't lose it because I really like the flowers it makes. Trust me, it's in good hands. Where do you where do you keep all these weapons? Lock up. Some of the stuff is pretty valuable.

Speaker: Do you mind that's showing us where they're kept? Give me a persuasion roll. Persuasion? Seems like a reasonable ask. Does it?

Speaker: Yeah. trying to just you know Where do you keep the weapons? Hey, some of this stuff is personal has personal you know value to us.

Speaker: I made this bone myself. i agree a Sentimental value. What was your total? Ten. Yeah, that I'm not going to tell you that. I'm not going to tell you that.

Speaker: Okay. Could you describe it to me so I could see it in my mind's eye? Do you want inside or not? Ma'am. suck to be a picture.

Speaker: do you mind if I keep my table? it ah She looks at you Sure, you can keep your table. Thank you. Thank you.

Speaker: Faunilin, you've got an umbrella with you. Yep. He looks at it real long and hard. Bad luck to open one of those indoors. Well, let's hope it doesn't rain. Actually, it's a casino. I'm hoping to make it rain.

Speaker: Sorry again for being weird before. That was weird. Okay, can we go in now? Go ahead. You folks have fun. Thank you. You step inside and see vast multi-story casino.

Speaker: There are, even though it's late slash early, you get the sense that it's perhaps an early start to the day in Sunfall. It's already bustling inside. There are countless card tables, roulette tables, people playing baccarat. You see a large bar up on the second floor balcony just creaking.

Speaker: crowded with people. There's a din, there's live music, a a woman is singing, and it's it's it's bustling. Servers move through the space expertly, deftly, delivering drinks.

Speaker: Where do you go? Can I scan the crowd and see if my friend is here? Give me a perception roll. That's an 11. An 11. We'll say you fan out.

Speaker: You scan the first floor. Don't really see anyone. Go up to the second floor. This large bar, you see that there's a ah a dwarf who's kind of just peeking up over the edge of the counter, taking orders, mixing drinks, placing them up there for people.

Speaker: You hear a clatter from the end of the bar. And you look over and you see a orcish woman with green tinge skin. She's wearing like a bandeau and a vest.

Speaker: She's got dark shaggy hair with streaks of gray and she is slumped over the bar. And you recognize her as Maximus Tildarin, AKA Matilda.

Speaker: Matilda. Go away. I'll get you your damn money. Don't worry. You mean my money. Yeah, I know it's your money. I'm working on it. I'll rescue her daughter and we'll all be even.

Speaker: I pull her from the table. She throws a punch at you and misses and then eyes clarify. Prince? Prince Bertrand?

Speaker: That's right. thought you were dead. No, I was missing. Yeah, but like for like a long time. I waited like a week before I cleared out your account.

Speaker: Well, I kind of expected that, to be honest. And it's good because everything's gone now. um What do you mean gone? Gone. Exactly what I said. i So where's my money?

Speaker: Look around. God damn it. Is there any of it left? Technically, it's all left just not in my hands, but I'm going to get it back.

Speaker: I'm going to get it back. I went on a pretty bad streak. Lost it all. Bet some credit. Lost that too.

Speaker: But just my luck, the the person who owns this place, their name's The Osprey. the offspringy Her daughter went missing, got scooped up by one of the gangs here.

Speaker: Fasanya picks a glass with a drink up off the bar and splashes this person in the fist. you she throws an actual punch at you.

Speaker: Does a 22 hit? Yeah. yeah Perfect. You take nine bludgeoning damage. Whoa. She walks you in the face with a me fist. it was still cool. It was still cool. The Tevichi mafia took her daughter.

Speaker: i have to get her back and then she's going to pay me back and then some. Give me back what I lost and then some. So I'm just having a couple of drinks because ah I don't know, might not come back. And you know me, I always fight better after a couple.

Speaker: You're an idiot. Guilty as charged. What do you know about the girl that's missing? Not much. She was away for a while.

Speaker: It just reached the city. think she was hurt. That's probably how they got her. Her and her bodyguard were both taken. Some of her crew killed. And, uh, yeah. Gotta head into Tavici territory to get her back. But you don't need to worry about that. Why am I telling you this? I'm just happy you're alive. Look at you. You're a little skinny.

Speaker: Wherever you've been, they haven't been feeding you enough. But, uh, you look good. You look good. I'm gonna miss you. I don't think I'm coming back from this one. But I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try really hard to get your money back.

Speaker: Is there diamonds here? I mean, sure, yeah, it's a casino, but like, are you trying to get yourself killed? That's what I'm trying to do. No, I'm trying to bring somebody bug back to life. Hmm. Well, who's going to bring you back to life after you get killed trying to steal from the mob?

Speaker: Well, at that point, we'll have a whole bunch of diamonds. And who's going to use them? One of these guys. My prince, if I'm an idiot, then at least let me tutor your new squad, because holy, these are some dumb, dumb dummies.

Speaker: Anyway, don't gamble. Not that you have any money left to gamble with. I'll see you. I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to go take care of this for you. After, like, one more drink, okay?

Speaker: You look downstairs and Juniper is 100% sitting at a table attempting to gamble. i yeah Excellent. Okay. Well, I mean, this imbecile is obviously not capable of getting the money. I i am on the verge of another crash out.

Speaker: I see now that this was the correct person. extremely capable. Don't speak again unless I ask you to. She's going throw a punch at you. Oh my God. I'm going to uncanny dodge or whatever. Uh, 24 hits.

Speaker: that You take 11 damage reduced to 5. Wait, maybe she is? Like, boom! Damn. seems like a pretty good fighter. What the fuck?

Speaker: Damn. Can I punch her? Go for it. Does a 23 hit? 23 hits. Cool. I want to knock her out. Just kills her immediately.

Speaker: That's nine damage. oh My prince is good to have you back. I've missed you. I've really missed you.

Speaker: We need play back. Did not miss you in the least. Oh, don't say things you don't mean. All right, I'll head out now. Skip the extra drink. But if I'm a little sluggish, it's going to be your fault.

Speaker: She massages her jaw. Are we helping this person do this? No, absolutely not. What are we supposed to do? i don't know. Wait for you to come back?

Speaker: I guess, yeah. That's ridiculous. We could steal a diamond. I don't think it would be that hard. I like that idea of a zonja. I don't think we would get caught. That's what I'm saying. Security cameras haven't been invented yet.

Speaker: Look at all these people looking over the whole floor of gamblers. like Somebody's got to have a pouch with diamonds hanging off them. They have a crazy idea. or i don't know, maybe their safety deposit boxes.

Speaker: Yes! Okay, hear me out, though. What if... And I, like, bring people in real close. Other than Juniper, who I assume is clearing out the blackjack table. It's happening. You just keep tapping and it keeps being aces. Yeah!

Speaker: What if we... People here like to gamble. What if we set up a table of our own? The buy-in is diamond. Someone did bring a table. Someone we brought in a table. We rig the game.

Speaker: She's going to grab you by the collar and hang you off the edge of the balcony. Okay, I'm sorry I left you, but this is who you're hanging out with? She wants to start an independent table at the mob casino. Are you fucking kidding me, your highness?

Speaker: Holy shit. I'm on my way. I'm going to get her back. I'm going to get the money. and oh be good There's no way. There's no way. Bringing my money back. I'm on. I'm go i'm leaving right now.

Speaker: This is, from ah from a gambler, I assume you would have understood the the idea of hedging your bets. We want to make sure that this works, whether you come back or not.

Speaker: Fine, but the prince can't come. What do you mean the prince can't come? The prince can't come. I thought he was dead already. I'm not going to let him die again. Oh, no, no, no, no. no The prince is going to stay with us.

Speaker: Okay, and you're coming with me, right? Yeah, I thought we were going with him. You're hedging your bets. No, no, hedging bets was means don't put all our eggs our all our bets in one place. Okay.

Speaker: Yeah, I'm going to go with her. Yeah, that's what I thought. ah thought you said and we weren't coming with you. Now I'm confused. I said the prince isn't coming me. You definitely said we weren't.

Speaker: Well, like before, but I think our incompetence... But like before, we said and we were going to yeah say that you weren't we were going to help you, and you're like, no, no, no, no I can do it myself. I think she's now worried if she leaves us alone with the prince, it's going to be worse than if we went there.

Speaker: Maybe. So good job. I guess it worked. Whatever. Your Majesty, am I killing this woman or not? Reverse psychology. Okay. I have another idea for making money.

Speaker: Gambling's always been more of your thing. yeah you guys ever been to a fight club? so Talking about recycled ideas. Actually, i have been to a fight club. Yeah, we were actually pretty familiar. yes Famously, yes. Yes.

Speaker: Why do you ask? We can make good money. I kind of want to do the fight club. i was I was thinking somebody's trying really hard to do Godfather where we could do Oceans 5. Right?

Speaker: We could do a heist.

Speaker: Let's go get the girl. No, no. All right. All right. I mean, okay. I'll tell you this right now. Like you don't need to get the girl. I'm going to get the girl with or without you. I'm dead. If I don't get the girl, they're going to kill me. If I don't get the girl. Okay. Well, I'm going to go get the girl. Then we'll stay here. We won't do anything. Perfect. And if I fail your majesty, it was nice knowing you. It was an honor serving you for many years. And I will see you in the afterlife.

Speaker: We will, we will fight for an eternity in heaven. Enjoy your fight club or your heist of the casino. And I'll see you around, okay?

Speaker: ah

Speaker: I think you should take one of these guys with you, though. I'm confused. I'm going to make signals. I'm just...

Speaker: What does everyone want to do? How about that? Forget Matilda. I'm tired of talking with her. She's a little aggro. As players, what do we want to do? Because Zack is legally obliged to make it fun for us no matter what we decide.

Speaker: I'm just looking for i'm looking for the inns and there's an in of like engaging with the casino, there's an in of assisting with this rescue. Yeah. yeah Yeah.

Speaker: I kind of trust her. I've let her do stuff before. You're welcome to split up? We should probably help. You're welcome to split up? No, we should probably help. Yeah, I feel like if she went on her own and died, then we'd be losing help because she's clearly got a punch on her. So feel like go and have the extra hand. Whether she wants us or not, she can go ahead of us and we can follow behind.

Speaker: i like that idea too. That's a good point. Because Casino Heist will still be here if she dies and we fail. Yes. That's a good point. Thank you. Also, how much money did Juniper win at the cap? I don't know, DM.

Speaker: Let's see. Let's let the dice decide. That is a, I shit you not, a one on the percentile die. Wow, a one diamond. We got one diamond. You ruined everything you brought. Whatever money you had is gone. No, wait, really? eating ah That's a lot of money, guys.

Speaker: Oh She had lot of money. just bought a diamond. we don't have diamonds on the island. How much are they? Like what? Like 500 gold?

Speaker: You guys have thousands? How much are those worth? A thousand? Are diamonds like 300 gold pieces only? The one you need is 500. oh I see. Okay.

Speaker: I'm nowhere close. Didn't I promise you two? Okay. Two diamonds? Yes, you promised to me two diamonds, yeah. We're going to make it happen, and right? Right, great Birdie? Yeah. Let's get this girl, I guess. Okay, your prince. I'll see around.

Speaker: who Who's coming with? I guess we Perfect. Enthusiasm. I love to see it. I guess this is an audio podcast, so I should say me. I just raise my hand. All right, your prince. I'm going to take these three and go rescue somebody. I'll see you around, okay?

Speaker: Okay. This person's going to die. guys have a weird history. Let's go. I think I maybe misjudged our history based off the backstory I was given. thought there'd be little bit more affection, but no, not the case.

Speaker: <unk> And Matilda stands up and walks towards the door. Actually, she just throws herself off the balcony. And then just like lands and dies. Takes no fall damage. what And heads towards the door.

Speaker: So Juniper and the prince are staying here. You can take out a loan. It seems like it. and don't She doesn't know what's going on. She just keeps hitting the table and all her money's going away. So she doesn't know.

Speaker: Just one more hand. Just one more hand. I don't understand this game. You have 21. Hit me. it the She's like, I don't know, I thought we just said hit me over and over again.

Speaker: yeah for walking fast, then Fondalyn hooks her umbrella end into the back of Juniper's shirt and just yanks. Like, stop, enough.

Speaker: You have no more money, let's go. had 650 gold going into Did you actually? oh

Speaker: You guys didn't ask. I'm diamond. Businesses have been booming. this when a diamond causes oh no businesses have been booming Oh no. I can earn it all back. Just give me 15 years or so. yeah Oh no.

Speaker: You take your life savings with you on this trip. it's She carries everything with her all the time. That's so funny.

Speaker: I don't think I understood how this game worked. so No you did not, says the dealer.

Speaker: It was fun, though. I never used the money anyway. I'm fine. Fine. Who needs money when you have good vibes? My dead friend.

Speaker: e Faunelin, Missanya, Lycan, Juniper, you follow Matilda out of the casino. Bertram, you are left alone at the bar.

Speaker: What do you do? Um, does Bertram have any money that Matilda did not have access to? No. no Not a single thing. Nah.

Speaker: Really trusted her with a lot. Damn. Past Bertram was stupid. Yeah. Hmm. I'll, we'll follow behind them, but like, try to stay out of sight.

Speaker: You step out of the casino, attempting to follow. Could I get a stealth role from you, please?

Speaker: That's an 18. Matilda confidently steps down the blackened streets of Sunfall. Four unwilling accomplices in tow. Three unwilling accomplices and a lycan in tow.

Speaker: And a secret fifth accomplice, which nobody notices, sneaking down the streets. And that's where we'll stop tonight's session of Bard Soup.

Speaker: Give me clay back. Give me my clay back. I think it's so wild that you had enough money for us to just buy it. Yeah, that's so funny. No one asked. I did forget that you were like, how much gold do I start with? like, I don't care. It's not going to matter.

Speaker: yeah you yeah you gave me that's the number you gave me so was like oh my god but now it makes sense that i don't have it anymore it's only it's only right that' we've since we've overstayed our welcome it's only fair that's hilarious oh man sorry that was fun

Speaker: ah um sorry that what Thank you so much for joining us for chapter 44 of Bard Soup. I have been your obstinate dungeon master, Zach Meikle, joined as always by Prima Jow as Prince Bertram Vestergaard, Jordan Johnson as Lasagna, Shannon Meikle as Faunal and Vaidark, Peyton as Juniper, Peyton, one more time for the folks at home,

Speaker: There's a question mark on that. I i am indeed Peyton from ah Kingdom Crawlers, which is an actual play D&D show that you can check out on all of the various socials.

Speaker: Our full episodes are available on YouTube and starting to be released on Spotify.

Speaker: And Alan as Lichen. Alan, would you? Hi, I'm Alan. You can find me on We Open With, the show that takes fun ideas and turns them into a one-off adventure.

Speaker: Or on Quick I Need a Game, the game show that uses game show elements to create RPG elements. For your game. I love it.

Speaker: As always, you can follow us on TikTok and Instagram at bard underscore soup. And if you're liking the show, give us a five-star review or something bad's going to happen to one of these characters. I'll do it.

Speaker: Three new five-star reviews by morning. Whoa! Bertram dies. no ah That's not enough of a threat. Fawnland dies. Whoa. It was funny before. finally the new party will be complete. Out with the old. Wow. Evan and Peyton's plan will be complete. ha ah yeah While you're at a chance at birdscope.com for some fan art and some character art from Prima, it's really good and I like it a lot. ah We'll be back in two weeks with chapter 45. Wowee, Zooey Mama.

Speaker: ah In the meantime, stay frosty and we'll see you then. Bye-bye. i like the idea that like when Bertram walks by... like it's like talking into one of the pipes just being like and I'm not even i wouldn't even say I'm jealous I don't even like I don't care it's just that like we have a lot of important things we need to be doing right now

Speaker: He like dives up the button and is like, Oh my gosh. Wow. He's literally like, oh no. Full speed ahead.

Speaker: that's crazy