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Ep. 26 The Lies We Tell Ourselves
149 Plays4 years ago
What's a name? Why are our honor and stories linked behind something so simple? Can we run from who we are, or is it our name that will always define us?
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Transcript
Family Burdens and Trust Issues
00:00:14
Speaker
Previously on The Hired Swords. The Curse of Oak and Ember. My family's burden to bear, and now I'm having to explain it to those that have asked to trust me with their lives. Trust me that I'm not who I say I am. How can I ever expect them to trust me after this? Will they ever understand why?
00:00:41
Speaker
Will they understand why I must ask them to keep this information between us?
Introduction to The Hired Swords
00:00:47
Speaker
There's no turning back now.
00:01:14
Speaker
You're listening to the Hired Swords. No chipmunks were harmed in the recording of this episode. Well, hello everyone and welcome to the Hired Swords.
Return and Reunion: Delmar and Francine
00:01:40
Speaker
When we last left off, we had returned
00:01:44
Speaker
Well, Krigs, Gwen, Joxer, and Daven had returned Delmar to his loving daughter Francine after a harrowing journey through the wilds into the stone mountains and the stone mountain fortress, fighting some monstrous beast and making their way back, and then having to fight another beast, a boar beast, covered in nasty, acidic goo.
00:02:13
Speaker
dropped off Delmar to Francine in the woods, and when they did that, they then continued on into town, made their way to the home that Francine gave them, the cabin that belonged to her, and her father was passed along to the hired swords, as they said.
Revelations: Krigs' True Name and Past
00:02:33
Speaker
Delmar and Francine did not want to return to Wild Hill for any reason, so we left off with them looking around the
00:02:41
Speaker
the cabin and then after or before they looked around the cabin actually they saw a a bard singing around the campfire at the campsite and he sang some songs that caused krigs to bolt he left the area immediately so when they got to the cabin they found him sitting in there contemplating thinking
00:03:09
Speaker
asked him what's going on, and he began telling them a story starting with his true name. Krigs, Gwyn, Joxer, Daven, welcome back. How are you guys doing today? Oh, you know. Hello. Hello. After my minute and a half intro.
00:03:34
Speaker
We all need the refresher. It's been a while since our last game. Sure. Yeah. We took a couple of weeks off on accident. So in that whole time, Jockster left and came back to that area, you know, where the bard was and just started slamming drinks. Nice. Yeah. He made some time. Naturally. He puts them away quickly. Quickly. Yeah. So you are sitting currently, I believe all of you are in the cabin kind of standing around in the main room or sitting around in the main room. Krigs has began.
Krigs' Military Legacy and Disillusionment
00:04:02
Speaker
And Craig, if you'd like, I'll let you kind of rewind 15 seconds in your conversation and re-say what you said last episode, I guess. He's not wrong, you know. He is.
00:04:26
Speaker
Seven hundred words. It's going to get seven hundred tracks. Well, I didn't think about what I said last time. Anyway, it's OK. I'm ready. He he's wrong, you know, that the song of Oaken Ember, it's. It's not how he says exactly. That it that is a song
00:04:55
Speaker
about, I guess, me and my, my family. My name is not, uh, hasn't always been Krigs Golder. Uh, my real name or true name is Safran Imboreau. Gwen is just looking at Krigs with the most confused face. She's never seen someone have two names before.
00:05:24
Speaker
You have two names. Dale, are you listening to this? It's not as simple as that. I suppose I have a little bit of explaining to do to each of you. As you may be aware of by now, I was a soldier of Helm back in the wars between the gods and I guess we just fought for the gods.
00:05:53
Speaker
Does the name Hannah M. Baroque mean anything to you a lot? Would I know this name? You can make a history check. Can I make a history check? OK. Probably not a monastery thing I'd imagine. No, probably not. I can't imagine David wouldn't know anything about it. He's not really a book learned kind of person or traveler. Eleven plus two thirteen.
00:06:22
Speaker
No, you didn't really travel in the circles where her name would have been spoken. You drew at schools and things wouldn't have been more militaristic. So none of you would really know who he's talking about. I mean, I heard the song, of course. I suppose you wouldn't have heard of it. That's fine. You're all still quite young pups, after all. Hannah is my mother. She was one of the greatest commanders in the armies of Helm.
00:06:52
Speaker
I was her second in command, being trained and preened to be her successor.
Challenge and Transformation: Krigs vs. Helm
00:07:00
Speaker
I've ever believed she could have taken the seat of the paladin king herself if she wanted, but that might just be the silly dream of a son that looked up to his mother as much as I have. Anyway, I digress.
00:07:15
Speaker
In the last years of the Great War, every order that came down from the ranks pushed us further and further into what we deemed was beyond, in a neutral zone that had been established. Our directive shifted from defense into what felt more like conquest. Orders from on high reeked of bloodthirst. I could see it in my mother's... I mean...
00:07:44
Speaker
I could see it in Hannah's eyes that she had begun to question her directive. Yet she had faith in her superiors. My faith, however, began to falter. So much so that on the dawn of that fateful day, I did not retire that evening to my tent after our nightly briefings. Instead, I saddled my horse and just raced to the peak
00:08:13
Speaker
of the overlooking mountains. See, we had just been ordered to what I believed was going to be a slaughter. It wasn't a battle. This wasn't war. We'd become marauders, or something just as vile. When I reached that peak, I cried out to Helm, why? What sense does this make? I challenged him that night to face me and explain these actions.
00:08:40
Speaker
He did answer me, just not at all, in the slightest way I had hoped. His voice boomed inside my mind, and as quick as I heard him speak my hand, it burned so hot. A white hot heat warped my gauntlet, clear to my hand. I reached into the pack and found what little smithing tools I carried with me and pried the gauntlet from my grasp.
00:09:09
Speaker
There in my palm, the brand of Helm. The one you have seen. It doesn't heal. It never stops glowing, and it's a constant reminder of the oath I took to be the shield of Helm. As you can imagine, I was fuming. I was enraged. I had enough. I stormed off the mountain, ready to renounce the war. Renounce Helm.
00:09:38
Speaker
I had enough. When I reached camp, I quietly made my way to my tent, and I left all of my armor behind, my plate of an officer of helm. I took only with me my hammer, a gift from my father and my shield. I forged myself, and I headed home, to hell with the fighting. I hadn't gotten more than an hour or two out when I hear the oofs.
00:10:09
Speaker
Hannah's horse approaching. My mother had come to find me.
Battle's Toll: Searching for Family
00:10:14
Speaker
We spoke for a while and she did her best to understand. She gifted me her horse, instructing me to ride home as fast as I could, that these lands weren't safe. So I rode. When I reached home... When I reached... Anyway. My father wasn't long for this world.
00:10:41
Speaker
I rode as fast as I could back across the mountains. The sound of battle echoed in the back of my mind. And the only thing I could focus on was finding Hannah, my mother. Finding her and getting her home. I found her in the midst of this onslaught.
00:11:11
Speaker
I sent her away. She climbed her horse and rode so fast, I'll never forget the look on her face. As I watched her ride off, I was struck on my back and my shield rang loud and again and again, hit after hit. My hand, glowing white hot with righteous anger,
00:11:41
Speaker
clutched my war hammer tight.
Tragedy and Reflection: The Young Orc Incident
00:11:45
Speaker
I swung true with all my might and in a glimpse I could see his face. He was just a boy, an orcish youngling. I couldn't stop my swing before it was far too late.
00:12:07
Speaker
Covered in his blood and mess, I just fell to my knees and fell back with my face to the sky, to the heavens. The screams, dear Helm, the screams. We were defeated. I laid there, frozen.
00:12:34
Speaker
Surrounded by the corpses of the men and women who trusted me in that moment. Saffron Imboreau died that day. Wow. I, um...
Curse of Oak and Ember: Family's Fate
00:12:58
Speaker
I had no idea.
00:13:02
Speaker
The Curse of Oak and Ember, you hear in the song, it's some folk legend that's been written about my family, and I can only assume they're referencing my father who passed that day. And it's believed that, well, his sons, there are three of us.
00:13:32
Speaker
It's one way the song is wrong. He had three sons, two daughters. It's believed his sons will find his same fate. And being the oldest, I suppose... I suppose that it'll be my turn to figure out what lies at the end of this curse for me.
00:14:03
Speaker
The widow. Do you think the message from her about the one week thing, do you think that has to do with this? I have my fears that it might. I've noticed a few things that could correlate with her tales of one week. I don't know what I believe. I don't know if I believe her. I don't know if I believe my faith. I don't know if I believe the spirits of the wild.
00:14:33
Speaker
just trying to make it out here, just like you. And you haven't heard anything from your sisters, brothers? I haven't been home since. I couldn't couldn't imagine walking back into the halls of Ember Oak and just seeing them there.
00:15:02
Speaker
I destroyed my mother's honor that day. She will always go down in history as a failure because of me.
Controversy and Confrontations: Delmar's Incident
00:15:14
Speaker
Would you truly consider that a failure? Well, I don't know what else you could consider it. We fell wholly that day. There was no one left but myself. Granted, it was
00:15:30
Speaker
We weren't there. I don't know what purpose we could possibly have served being there. I don't know what the High Commands had ever envisioned would be a good outcome for this battle. Rumors had it things had changed within the ranks of Helm. You saw it back at the fort with Delmar, the torture pits. Rumors had it... Let's just say Mortal Kind will always make mistakes.
00:16:01
Speaker
Thank you, Kriegs, for sharing more of your past. I only privy to a very small portion. You know, I don't mind secrets. As long as they don't put others in danger, although I guess that's the nature of secrets, you're either protecting or hurting someone. Two sides of a coin.
00:16:29
Speaker
You just don't know which one's going to flip at the moment. With that, I flip the hired swords coin that we've been given in my hand and just kind of listening to what he's saying. Ting. S-S-S-Saufran, uh, Krigs, I, I have a problem. I, I didn't start this journey to, to, to earn coin or gain reputation. I,
00:16:56
Speaker
I'm here for two simple things. I wanted to gain knowledge and, you know, assist in the broom making that I have, and to help people, specifically you. I know. I do know this. And to you, I am probably the most sorry for withholding this information.
00:17:20
Speaker
It's information that is fairly inconsequential, but granted, amongst travelers and, well, I guess amongst friends, it does bear a weight that I do feel very remorseful for. What happened in that cell with Delmar, it doesn't sit well with me. I can understand this. I'll be, I can see, I can see your intention.
00:17:47
Speaker
But I don't know if it was the fear of whatever happened to you in that keep or maybe the past you just kind of revealed to us. It put our mission in jeopardy. It put our lives in jeopardy. I will agree that it was a little careless on my part, but you need to understand something. On that battlefield that day, losing control of myself
00:18:17
Speaker
and having no way to stop myself and the betterment of a moment, I needed to know if, when we released Elmar back to Francine or brought Elmar back, that if provoked
00:18:33
Speaker
if cornered like an animal, like I was and like we all are at different times in our life, that he would be able to come back from that and still be a facet of who he was before. I understand it is a necessary evil and it is not something I am proud of.
00:18:54
Speaker
But after the monster reached inside my head and found my deepest, darkest secrets, I had no idea how powerful it actually was and how much of a control it had, whether it was linked, whether it was... There's no way to know. I needed to see if he was still in there. I had moments with this monster and it...
00:19:22
Speaker
It consumed me in a way I had no control over. He's had years. There was no telling the grasp that that monster held. And I do apologize for the carelessness of the actions, but we were, we were steps from a potential death and I did not have time to think I had to act. This is, this is where my problem is. You,
00:19:51
Speaker
Delmar, you took a moment from a rational and speaking person and tried to torture and test him without even consulting any of us. He would have gone in that cell. We could have locked him in. We could have done anything in that moment. He was being respectful. He was offering.
00:20:13
Speaker
You saw how he looked. If he never changed a single day from how he looked, if he walks into a single town and there's a small child or a townsfolk or anything that looks at him and shows him any sign of provocation, is he going to be able to contain himself? Those are things we could have tested together.
00:20:35
Speaker
My whole intention of leaving that area with him was to find out what his extents were.
Group Dynamics: Trust and Decision-Making
00:20:44
Speaker
We had other things at hand that there was a giant beast that we could have tended with. Look, I've come in a short time to trust and care for all three. No. And I look over at Gwen, four of you.
00:21:04
Speaker
She shakes her head. I would trust you with many things, but I need to know if that trust can still extend to you. That moment you took for him, to me it's hardly any different than a father beating his child innocent in those moments of putting in the wrong ingredient to a bat.
00:21:31
Speaker
I just, I need to understand that this isn't a thing that that's going to continue. Oh, when, when it, it can put any of us in danger. I understand that, that you've, you've, you've been through a lot and, and my life is, is much shorter. I'll never, I'll never be able to, to take such a long lifespan into consideration.
00:22:02
Speaker
I just need to know that we'll be involved whenever we have time. Split second moments, split second decisions make sense, but we were not in any danger in that moment. I just don't understand. I guess I sometimes forget that we are peers and I am no longer in battle.
00:22:31
Speaker
that it's not my decision to make all the time. Gwen stands up because she was sitting on the floor listening to the story and she just has kind of I guess pensive look. She looks she makes eye contact with Joxer and she makes eye contact with Krigs and
00:22:56
Speaker
I see mistakes were made, but I still trust you." And she goes over and puts a hand on Krigs. Dale and I will still follow you if you follow us as well. And she looks at everyone else, I'm going to retire, and I just go to one of the rooms.
00:23:21
Speaker
with Dale. Okay there are two rooms and one of them as you walk back kind of towards the back of the home you walk past an entrance to the kitchen dining area to your right and then a room to your right after that that just a doorway that looks like it opens to a
00:23:40
Speaker
almost like a typical parents' room. It's got a double bed and a nightstand and some chest drawers. The other side has, it still looks like the room of a 12-year-old little girl. There's a twin-sized single bed in there and some paintings of flowers on the walls and stuff like that. Then I will walk into what I think is Fran's room.
Joxer's Departure and Daven's Perspective
00:24:04
Speaker
When she starts to walk off, Joxer's kind of,
00:24:10
Speaker
I'm this isn't the time. I'm sorry. And he's just going to walk out the front door. Okay. Excuse me. I'm I'm just I'm just going to go. Okay. David's been over in the corner just kind of watching this whole thing. And now everybody's left except for Kriegs. He looks over to him and I'll walk over and put my hand on his shoulder.
00:24:34
Speaker
For the record, I don't really care about your past. I don't care about anything in the past. I think that the decisions we make going forward is all that matters. We can learn from our mistakes in the past, but for the most part, it doesn't change anything that's going to happen in the future.
00:24:50
Speaker
I understand that you questioned why you were doing things before and I see now the jocks are questioning why you did things in the past with us, but it doesn't matter. We're all here now and we're all going to go forward together. I don't really say anything. I just kind of nod. You're my friend. I'm glad to have you have a friend. Same.
00:25:19
Speaker
But for now, I'm going to go to bed. I suggest that jocks are sleeping off in the morning after we get some food, maybe a drink. We'll talk some more. Yeah, a drink or two. Whatever it takes. Good night, Craig's. Good night, Devon. And I go after bed.
00:25:40
Speaker
You can cut this out, but is Daven like our therapist?
Joxer's Town Exploration and Conflicts
00:25:55
Speaker
So I need to spend some time with jockser as you go outside.
00:26:01
Speaker
Uh, yeah. So, uh, immediately, um, I don't, is there any, any, any more singing like, or is there any more, or is it just people, everybody, or what's going on? You can hear distance or singing in the distance. It's a little ways away from you. It sounds like it's coming from up by where the long house, where, you know, the long house to be, um, up in the north.
00:26:26
Speaker
Um, I'll probably head at least towards that direction or I don't know if there's still stands of like open drink from, uh, uh, from our previous night, if from, uh, yeah, there's, uh, I'll probably just continue. There's still people standing around and drinking and talking around the camp area, but then the main ruckus you hear is coming from the long house. Uh, there's people standing around kind of all over it's, it's getting into the evening, but you can tell it's kind of.
00:26:55
Speaker
Everybody seems to be back from hunting and so most are kind of partying and celebrating their hunts now. Okay. Uh, I'll probably double, double fist drinks. Uh, I'll just kind of grab, grab whatever I can and then start heading back to the, the, the, uh, uh, long house. Um, as a curiosity, before I head to the long house, do I see Mel? Uh, let's see.
00:27:21
Speaker
You do not. You do not happen to see Mel. But you do see Sariah. And as you walk by, she is looking at a she's talking to a very
00:27:39
Speaker
upper class looking elven man, silver hair, olive skin, very rich looking garments. His ears are even there or adorned with gemstones and stuff like piercings. And he is may actually make a perception check as you as you walk by there, them over there. Five. Okay.
00:28:09
Speaker
You just noticed the two of them over there talking together as you walk by and it's as you walk towards the longhouse passing the tower of testing. Yeah, so yeah. If if I didn't.
00:28:27
Speaker
So I my role was that for me to hear that or just to notice anything specific about notice anything specific about it. So just just seeing Sariah there with someone pretty can can I try to listen in as I or maybe bump against him to see. Sure. You can go closer. That is an 11. Okay. You can tell that they're looking at you while they talk.
00:28:56
Speaker
They're kind of eyeballing you. And Darnaldi's is, or sorry, the guy is nodding. That was a flub up. Dang it. Yeah. Yeah. No worries. I'm going, I'm going directly there. Yeah. If I see eye contact, uh, uh, uh, Sariah. She says, hello, uh, Joxer, is it? Uh, yes. Can I, can I help you? I, I saw, uh, some, some leering eyes in my direction.
00:29:25
Speaker
Yes, I believe that this gentleman here would like a word with you. And she points to the elven man. And the man looks at you and he he looks down his nose at you and he says, Do you know who I am? A very adorned elven man.
00:29:52
Speaker
I see you have eyesight, that's wonderful. Now, my name is Darnaldi Boguesha, and I run a very lucrative business in this town, very lucrative indeed. And you, sir, have hindered my business greatly.
00:30:14
Speaker
and I demand recompense immediately. I have already spoken with the chief and he has sent Sarai here with me to identify you. We were looking for you amongst the drinkers for that is where it has been said you like to spend time. I believe that recompense in the amount of 5,000 gold should cover the loss of income your actions have caused me
00:30:44
Speaker
I do not wish to stand in front of the chief. Let's go involve the chief immediately. I'd love to stand in front of the chief. I'm in a good mood. Soraya, Soraya says, Soraya says, now one second, one second. The chief, of course, would be happy to play judge in this situation. However, he would not do that tonight. As you see, he is already retired for the evening.
00:31:12
Speaker
Tomorrow morning. There's plenty of drink. We could involve him right now. I will not go collect the chief for you. He will see you in the morning. But if you cannot have this conversation with Darnaldi now, I would like to be sure that you will be here in the morning. So we would probably need to take you into custody while we wait for morning to come. Oh. To cover this debt.
00:31:39
Speaker
I'm looking around and I don't see any Durnaldi signs of property or anything that would pertain as a rule that I could not offer my own drink to people. I do not want your beverages, sir. What am I recompensing?
00:32:07
Speaker
Listen to me, please. I run a very lucrative business of taking the wealthy on very extravagant hunting excursions. My lead huntsman and scout, a goblin by the name of Teld, has been eliminated, and the remaining goblins have returned and spoken to me about this, and they have described you as the man who did it. Oh, you're talking about the goblins who attacked us.
00:32:38
Speaker
Interesting. I heard a story of a hailstorm out of nowhere and then fists of fury flying as if you were fighting for your life or that of your friends when this group was just out looking for a creature we had lost in our hunting grounds.
00:32:59
Speaker
You have lost three weeks of excursions for me, 5,000 gold in income for my business, and not to mention the property of my goblin being slain. I require recompense, or we will have to discuss with the chief tomorrow.
00:33:16
Speaker
Oh, blessings. I would love to bring the note that I saw that that I that I now have. Well, not with me. It's with the group on what you caused across the wild hills. I am so excited to speak to the chief tomorrow. I will bid you to farewell. And I just start walking off.
00:33:39
Speaker
Okay, Sarai calls out one moment and she snaps her fingers and a couple of big fighter types come out and they start following you, walking to try to catch up with you and just get a hold of you and grab you. They're not running to grab you, but they're walking real close. They're not going to make a scene, but if you go, stop somewhere.
Joxer's Escape and Evasion Tactics
00:34:01
Speaker
I'm going to go to the long house. Okay.
00:34:04
Speaker
they follow you to the longhouse and when you kind of slow down because the crowd is so packed there you hear music coming from the longhouse you hear a nylon string instrument being played like a guitar and you hear someone singing very over the top inside and people laughing and shouting and literally it's packed out the front door and as you approach I mean and they're not social distancing there's no six feet that people are packed in there and so as you approach the back of the crowd the
00:34:35
Speaker
the group like or you'd have to stop and kind of stand behind him try to squeeze to and as you do these two men reach and grab your arms and they say in one of them says, sir, you need to come with me. Do I notice them following me beforehand? Oh, yeah, definitely. Okay, then they're not being secretive. Alright, so from my memory, there's a porch area and kind of like a small
00:35:01
Speaker
All right. So at that point, um, uh, coming up to a big crowd, uh, jockser is probably going to tap his legs again and, and, uh, cast jump and then jump probably like the 16 feet with it, with a good like run, uh, to, to get.
00:35:20
Speaker
Up and against the entryway, where the older gentleman sitting in his rocking chair was before, and then kind of slide in.
00:35:33
Speaker
Okay, you make a acrobatics check with advantage just just for your targeting of where you're going to land when you do this is 18 and 22. Okay, so yeah, you successfully land exactly where you're wanting. And you're able to kind of swing down inside. And there's still a lot of people there. But as you kind of bump down into them, they kind of like, whatever, and they're just drinking their drinks, they don't really care.
00:36:01
Speaker
So you're inside kind of lost in the shuffle, lost in the crowd right now, it seems like. Is there a second, like second level to the long answer? It's just completely wide open roof. Just the you can see the thatch of the roof, you know, from the from the floor where you stand. Is there a back door potentially? Make a perception check. OK, and that is a 13.
00:36:27
Speaker
13 okay, you scan the room and it's it's so packed full of people. It's hard to even see the back wall. You don't see any obvious doorways. However, the whole place is hide and thatch with these wooden pillars holding it together. So there are no doors. But you do have an imagination. So what's up to you what you want to do?
00:36:57
Speaker
OK, so I'm going to move my way along the wall from the entryway to just kind of bump my way against the back corner and see if I do see those two gentlemen finally enter. OK. If if they don't relatively quickly, I'm fairly certain there is a or I feel like there was a window on that wall. OK. You are you are.
00:37:27
Speaker
Scanning the crowd again and this time you do see where the crowd is getting kind of shoved around by these guys pushing their way through trying to come in looking for you through this cloud. It's like the classic movie club scene when the perp runs into the club and it's in there, you know, and they're having to move all the dancers out of the way. It's that exact scene. It's just... The one guy all in white's like, hey, watch it, man. Yeah, always, every time. You've got that going on.
00:37:57
Speaker
OK, so so as I see them kind of push in and go a little bit further into the the the group, I'm going to kind of quietly do some motions in the corner and cast a minor illusion of of of myself towards towards the back.
00:38:24
Speaker
And and I believe so that within within six seconds, I should be able to also make a. A loud boastful sound of myself doing it again, saying I bid you you gentlemen farewell. OK, so over on the other side of the room, you're casting that sound of.
00:38:49
Speaker
that a little image of yourself. It's like a five foot tall image of yourself. Yeah. As you get a five foot cube. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Just just mainly like the upper half visible, you know, through and then and then also make the the noise to draw them in that direction. Okay. They what's your spell save DC? It'll be believe it's 12. Okay. One of them
00:39:16
Speaker
They both look over at it and one of them kind of points to the taps the other and points at it over there and they he waves them off like that's nothing and they look keep looking for you. And then they then you you do the call out where you make the sound and they both look over there and start heading that direction based on the sound they heard. Okay.
00:39:40
Speaker
Um, at that point I'll grab a drink and try to head out the front door, try to work my, or a window, depending on whichever is closest. There are no windows. So, okay. Okay. Then, uh, then I would just try to work myself lowly and stealthily. Yep. Make that stealth check. Okay. I love that. He's like, I need to get out of this place with a drink. Yeah. I'm going to use a luck tie on that one. And that is a 21. All right. Yeah. So that was a bad one.
00:40:10
Speaker
you kind of squeeze in between people and every now and then one person will kind of go, you know, hey, what was that? But they don't by the time they look, there's nothing there and you're you're keeping low and you're staying underneath people's heads and you're making your way through and you find your way all the way to the front door and get back out into the open air.
00:40:30
Speaker
Okay. So I'm, I'm going to start slamming drinks and, and then I might stumble over to, uh, uh, the, the lamp post in and see if they'll let me in. Okay.
00:40:46
Speaker
So how are you going about getting over there? I would have taken kind of a long route kind of behind the buildings because I don't want to be seen by anybody who's already seen me. So kind of squeezing back behind Whittle to Oliver's house and back through some of the homes of the townsfolk, none of them pay you any mind. In fact, most of them are inside already, you know, resting, trying to rest. And you get
00:41:14
Speaker
down through kind of some of the alleyways between some of the the smaller home like cabins up here and you come to the back of the lamp post in and the lights are on on the inside and you hear chatter coming from
Contemplation at the Lamp Post Inn
00:41:27
Speaker
it. It's it's a lot less crazy sounding than the the longhouse was it's it's a little more low key. But but yeah, you can make your way to the front of that if you'd like.
00:41:40
Speaker
It is right next door to the tower of testing. So yeah. Uh, so I don't, do I hear, do I recognize any of the voices that I can hear from the back? Just as a curiosity, make a, gosh, if you recognize that doesn't investigation check, probably specifically recognizing people's voices.
00:41:59
Speaker
So 16 plus, I mean, specifically Sariah or the, what's investigation? Where's my investigation? So 15. 15. It's hard to tell the voices inside. They just sound real muffled. They all kind of sound the same. Outside, you do hear some distinct voices, but none of them sound like anybody you recognize.
00:42:25
Speaker
jocks is just going to try to walk up the stairs to the lamppost in and then see if he can pay pay for his way in. Okay, you make your way to the front steps. And as you there's a few people standing around the outside kind of chatting. And as you walk up the steps, the they kind of look over at you and and one of them gives you kind of a
00:42:51
Speaker
head nod like, how's it going? And he's just this fighter looking tight with leather armor and a nice sword hanging from his belt. But he just gives you kind of a what's up, takes a sip of his drink and stands there leaning against the wall by the door. And the door's open and inside you can look in and see candles lit on tables, people sitting around. It's more like a nice kind of restaurant bar in here than a
00:43:21
Speaker
than a tavern really. I mean, there's drinking happening. But yeah, yeah. So so at that point, is there room for a disturbed soul tonight? You, you walk in and can walk a little ways ahead
00:43:41
Speaker
You know beyond the steps there and you you do see a couple empty tables and as you kind of look over you have to walk by past a wall before you can see the bar over to the right and when you when you look over to the right you see a a Bar there with no stools at the bar. It's this is a the bar there serves drinks to the tables so you see some folks working back there and the tables are are
00:44:09
Speaker
mostly noble looking folks people with very nice a lot nicer clothing and some some young women with some men and you do see a couple more kind of warrior types or adventurer types but they're sitting near some of these noble men looking like they're on on the clock. They're probably protection. Okay. So I'll head over to that bar area and put five gold just down. Okay.
00:44:39
Speaker
and ask for two drinks of whatever their strongest is, if there's anybody visible. Okay. So you walk over, you put a couple pieces, a couple gold pieces down and the young woman there is standing behind the bar as you approach, she says, Oh, okay.
00:45:01
Speaker
Here you go. And she turns around and pours a couple drinks and turns back around and she says, where are you sitting? It doesn't look like I'll have any space here. And is she holding those two drinks? Yes. Two metal goblets with beverages in them. Then if you put them down, I'll finish them right now and then mosey around the rest of the town.
00:45:31
Speaker
Okay, she says she sets them down takes the gold and puts them in a inner apron and turns around and grabs a load of these mugs by the handles where she's got like six in each hand, you know, and takes them into this kitchen that is over to the side there.
00:45:48
Speaker
and you see your dump, you can see inside the kitchen a little bit, she dumps them in this bucket of water that's sitting in there and turns around and comes back out. You just drinking, standing there drinking? Yeah, I'm gonna slam the first one and then just start sipping the other one a little bit faster, but not slamming it. Okay. All right. She comes back out and she says, if there's nothing else you need, then you can either have a seat or we'll see you next time.
00:46:15
Speaker
I'll, uh, I'll take this one with me if, uh, that's no mind and then start walking out. Okay. She says she calls us. She says, okay. We'll see that. We'll see that mug back when you're, when you're done.
00:46:29
Speaker
Yep, absolutely. I bring it back and then walk out the front When as you guys kind of holler at each other a couple of these noble people kind of look up and look around like seriously Can
Meeting Mick: Advice and Background
00:46:39
Speaker
you guys keep it down? We're trying, you know, and they kind of they don't like the kind of ruckus being caused this isn't the ruckus kind of place and yeah, yeah, so but she She just kind of puts a hand up like an apology and goes back to work. I
00:46:54
Speaker
Okay. So at that point, you know, I'll nod to the, the gentleman on the, the outside, um, walk out and probably just slam that drink and then put it down on a step near. Okay. Um, and see, as you walk out, the guy says, as you walk out, the guy says, yeah, it's a little too fancy for my liking too. Yeah. Hi.
00:47:21
Speaker
Just I just can't respect those who can't respect others. You're telling me pal. You've, you've piqued my interest. Have have a have a have a gold piece on on me. He takes it. He says, Oh, well, thank you. I always one for a good conversation. I didn't didn't expect to meet anybody here I wanted to chat with.
00:47:52
Speaker
Yeah, I definitely try to chat more, but apparently I've caught a couple of glances from people in there. Maybe next round I'll be here on a better accord. Do you frequent here as a guard? It's my first time, honestly. I'm not really a guard. I'm just kind of passing through. So you're not from Wild Teal? No, sir. No.
00:48:21
Speaker
from a long ago lived in a village not far from here, but now I just kind of move around where I could find work, you know. I understand. Do you fancy yourself around here very, very long? I hope not. The group I'm traveling with, hopefully we'll be moving along and we'll be back into some, I don't know, more
00:48:49
Speaker
civilized places. I grew up in a little village like this. And I don't know, I got used to the bigger cities as I kept going through life. I guess I prefer it there. Does your group have a name? What do you normally do? Not a name per se. We just take odd jobs here and there and we had a delivery to make out here. So we made it and hopefully in the morning, we'll head back out.
00:49:20
Speaker
Fair enough. Did you say your name? What's your name? The name is Merch, but you can call me Mick. Okay. I appreciate that. If for any reason, Soraya or Denaldi walk over here and ask for a man named Joczer, could you say that he's at the the longhouse?
00:49:50
Speaker
I don't know who those two people are. But if anyone asks for a jockser, you gave me a gold piece. So that's what I'll tell them. Fair enough. I appreciate it, Mick. Well, thank you. Appreciate you too. Just good company. Real quick. I guess I'm assuming you're this jockser. Are you one of these hired swords they talk about around here? I have received
00:50:21
Speaker
The emblem that proves that I am, but apparently that means nothing to them. Because I've been branded from something that made absolutely no sense. So yes, or no. Whatever they feel like at the time, I suppose. Huh. I feel like I've heard that story a hundred times in my life. I hope you can leave here as soon as the morning, Mick.
00:50:49
Speaker
That is my hope as well. I'm ready to get back to civilization. Good luck, sir. And to you. And I'll walk, yeah, I'll probably walk, oh, I don't know, to the west. And I think the only other place that I've visited at this point is the Armor Bearers. So I may just sit on the steps there until I figure out what to do. Okay.
00:51:19
Speaker
go to the armor barrier. It's all shut down, you know, that you could definitely sit out on the steps there. Yeah. Yeah, I'll probably just pass out on the steps after slamming drinks. All right. So eventful night for jocks are Davin and Gwen, you guys are saw in
Evening Reflections and Confrontations
00:51:42
Speaker
logs. Krigs, what have you guys what have you been doing through this evening?
00:51:49
Speaker
Honestly, not too much. Having had to...
00:51:54
Speaker
more or less recant or recount a lot of things that I wasn't necessarily prepared to have to deal with. Um, having gone through all that, I've likely just found residents in the sitting room here, uh, whatever apparatus for sitting is available. I would have just been there and probably been polishing a shield and
00:52:22
Speaker
Uh, just kind of sitting re rehashing my thoughts and the heated debate I had and kind of with what Devin had told me and what Gwen had said and just trying to re assess my place in this world today.
00:52:46
Speaker
Okay, so if you do that, and then I imagine end up just kind of dozing off. Oh, yeah, for sure. The I probably bought this shield for like 10 minutes and then just passed out. Yeah. So the morning comes and it's barely light. And there's a knock at the cabin door. Just stop.
00:53:11
Speaker
big knock. And it literally knocks like that. And then three seconds later. Another big knock. Great. Oh, I'm coming. I'm coming. God, you can knock it off. These old dwarven bones don't just get up for anybody these days. I walked to the door. Devin in his sleep. He yells out. I really I got the door. Okay.
00:53:41
Speaker
I get the door nice the door opens and they're standing before you Krigs is Sariah and an elven man very he's kind of Sariah standing right on the steps she was doing the knocking this elven man is adorned with these lovely robes like I described for jocks are earlier and he's got those just shiny earrings these robes are different but you wouldn't know that
00:54:09
Speaker
And he's standing back there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Sariah looks as you open the door, she tries to press herself in and starts to go inside. And as she does, she says, we are looking for your companion. He is needed at the Chiefs.
00:54:28
Speaker
quarters at the tower of testing is immediately this morning. He alluded us last night, but we need him now. Do you know where he is? And she, unless you're doing anything to stop her, she's trying to just brush right by you and get inside and start looking around. Um, I'm gonna let her brush by. And
00:54:48
Speaker
Oh, Soraya, was it? You can have a look around. The lad left last night. I don't know to win or where. Your guess is as good as mine. Feel free to look. Fair warning. We do have companions in either room there. They're likely still sleeping, but with your knocking might have fixed that, I guess, I suppose. Yeah, I would assume you both were awakened.
00:55:16
Speaker
Right when he says that, Gwen comes out, she's wrapped in a blanket. What's going, what's going on? And she starts rubbing her eyes. Saraiya says, are you, are you sure? Do you know where the, the one that you travel with Joxer is at the moment? No, he, he kind of, kind of left last night. What's going on? He isn't, he's, he needs to have a discussion with a, a,
00:55:45
Speaker
Gentlemen outside as well as the chief and hopefully we can clear up a mess and just move on. What does the chief want? She's just angered immediately. The chief doesn't want to deal with this either, but it's something that has been brought up. Apparently something has happened and a local nobleman requires compensation for some of your deeds that you have done or that jocks are has done apparently. And the chief is going to be the judge to decide if what happens.
00:56:15
Speaker
That is all. That's all I know. The chief shouldn't decide anything. The jocks didn't do anything. Anyway, I usually it's usually not a good sign when someone this fancy shows up to your door this early. Let's let's see. Let's see what they have to say. I want this is a side note. Dale's trying to hold her back.
00:56:40
Speaker
OK, little arms. He's not actually doing the squirrel. And she looks down in her. She looks under the blanket because she's got a little gown on, but hold me down. Hold me back, Dale. Hold me back. Hold me back. I take a step back, but I'm fuming. I do not like the chief. Yep. Well, let me let me get my knickers back on. Maybe I can help you find this boy.
00:57:09
Speaker
Just give me a minute.
Conclusion and Closing Message
00:57:25
Speaker
Hey guys, Safran here. Thank you for listening to this episode of installment of The Hired Swords. If you liked our show, tell a friend about us. And if you really liked our show, tell the world. Leave a review. If you want to keep up with us and on the behind the scenes goofs and gaffs, you can find us on Twitter and Facebook at The Hired Swords. Again, thank you for listening.