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Ep. 126 Ancestry - Bellum Draconis
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The truth has been spoken, but the wounds it leaves run deep. Nyx’s grand revelation has shattered the fragile trust holding the crew together. But it has also left room for growth.
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Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
Music kindly provided by Fesliyan Studios
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Transcript
Introduction and Playful Banter
00:00:00
Speaker
Fuck you, Callum. Callum's feeling fruity. We're in for a good one.
Podcast and Character Introductions
00:00:32
Speaker
So I did some rules consulting and I've worked out the range of verbal components for spells. oh yeah. Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop Manager. Thank you.
00:00:45
Speaker
We are a live play 5E 2024 podcast set in the magical home-brewed world of Aerith in the Kingdom of Dralak. Joining you for this week's episode, we have Darren, who plays the High Elf Artificer Reigns. Haddow.
00:01:01
Speaker
Does anyone know anything about verbal components? I'm just looking for some advice. We've got the Edgelord Callum, who plays the Warforged Artificer Alpha. Specifically, the Reigns might be of interest to certain people.
00:01:12
Speaker
Ian, who plays the Tiefling Warster or Nyxcorel. That was sick burn. Will, who plays the Dragonborn Druid Balvalcom. Here's a verbal component. Fuck. Okay, all right. And my name is Mark, and I'm playing the Human Blade singer Seth Farahrever. I'm by last, but by the name of the least, is our masturbator facilitator, Dungeon Master Danny.
Spellcasting and Mechanics Discussion
00:01:34
Speaker
I don't think I missed anyone in that, did I? No, I don't think so. Hold on not rage quitting, Pooh Bear. Or turning into an angel. It's alright. It's fine. Oh shit, we're all going to die. Here comes the angel.
00:01:52
Speaker
And we have Will, obviously, who plays the human rules consultant. No, he's died Emron. dead. So the range of a verbal cronin is, in fact, 60 feet.
00:02:01
Speaker
and everyone's dead um roxfel oh that's it ah so the ah the the range of a verbal con is in fact sixty feet Good for you Because counterspell has the range of 60 feet and it requires you to notice the spell is being cast.
00:02:14
Speaker
And as some spells only have a verbal component, therefore the only way you can hear it is through verbals, which means you have to be able to hear a spell component within 60 feet. That's the range of verbal component. Really? And he did say the table in the basement was 65 feet long. Yeah.
00:02:31
Speaker
But no, that's it. It's because Counterspell has a hundred range of 60 feet. It says when you see a creature casting a spell, which means... well what about a spell that doesn't have a verbal component? Then you notice the hand gestures because it's a range of 60 feet.
00:02:46
Speaker
But if you cast Subtle Spell, you remove those, so you don't need it. So you can't then Counterspell spell cast with Subtle Spell.
00:02:53
Speaker
So from this point on, if you're ever doing like the verbal components of a spell, just... shout the fucking thing out. Well, not shout, but it did it sixty it's a really good point. I looked and worked out. was like, well, if Counterspell, because Counterspell says it's a reaction which you take when you see a creature in 60 feet, you're casting a spell with verbal, semantical material components, which means the verbal component has to be 60 feet.
00:03:17
Speaker
Can you cast really, can you cast subtle spell if you've got like really long fingernails or toenails? Well, no, cause he's dead. spell He's dead as well.
00:03:30
Speaker
Subtle spell lets you remove the, um, uh, without any components. but i try counter spell this could all say but such you call god silence you somebody cut k you can't you can't counter spell it because this is will is as you're talking to us 65 feet away and on his high pedestal yeah of knowledge fuck you yeah it's fun okay um we might need to then remove seth from the campaign then So thanks, Will.
00:04:02
Speaker
And Emron at this rate. Well, you're still a capable character. You can just go, I'm ah i'm an angel um and, you know, hurt things. This is true. But if your character is sworn to silence, or you have to only cast spells that don't require verbal component. Let me look into it. I might be casting a lot of one spell.
00:04:17
Speaker
We... we
00:04:22
Speaker
What we notice is old Gail punching violently and sporadically and spitting upon um a
Emotional Tensions and Character Reflection
00:04:30
Speaker
book of... um Alito. Yeah, a book of Alito.
00:04:37
Speaker
Fuck you, Callum. Callum's feeling fruity. We're in for a good one. I've got my backup carriage ready, Daddy. There's one book of Alito. There's one book that just says um the laws of Aerith, and he's just punching both of them really, really hard. He spits and ah spits the laws of the universe bits a tooth out accidentally, and it sticks into the laws of Aerith booklet.
00:04:58
Speaker
And then he pants a while... mops his with his hand across his forehead and wipes the sweat down his his long trousers down to his toes.
00:05:09
Speaker
It's click-clack on the floor, obviously, but, you know, feels somewhat hollow now.
00:05:15
Speaker
sighs to himself. Life is opening. Yeah. Thanks for staying with us, guys. Looks at the orb, takes the orb, looks at the orb, looks at listener, then punches the book a few more times, spits on Alito, and then says... Sorry, I wasn't...
00:05:34
Speaker
sorry those was Ooh, cards on the table! So the group make their way back to the Piss New, and there was a nice reunion with Nix and Ball, and there's time to chat things through, so they decides to go to the cellar.
00:05:53
Speaker
Ball spills the eggy beans, mostly. Alpha defrags and explains what the fuck happened in the previous episode. Reigns examines the family bush.
00:06:05
Speaker
And all cards seem to be on the table. Seth is like questioning Barl's wisdom, not with any words. He's just kind of thinking it. And fortunately, Nix is like, by the way, this is what he's thinking. Barl gets a little bit upskittled and Seth's like, I'm not going to fucking talk. And he folds.
00:06:21
Speaker
Nix decides to unfurl the web of his backstory and spins an epic tale of love and loss. Mainly Loss.
00:06:33
Speaker
ah But he goes all in. And Seth's like, fuck this shit. Here's some Shadowblade bitches. And he's like, man maybe I shouldn't do that shit. And he storms out. And Emron's like, I'm going to follow suit with an angry quip.
00:06:44
Speaker
And the rest of the group, they're all like, what should we do? What should we do Group hug?
00:06:52
Speaker
It's mid-afternoon in Dralak's capital, Scorch Helm.
00:06:58
Speaker
We find sitting on the docks of the bay, Seth and Emron, who exited to this so huddle, this group huddle before it really formed.
00:07:13
Speaker
Still processing a lot of the shared information in the last couple of hours. The afternoon, however, is still your own. We'll begin by seeing Seth.
00:07:25
Speaker
What do you do now that Emron is sort of slowly approaching?
00:07:31
Speaker
oh
00:07:34
Speaker
Probably... Roll a new character. at the right no and he would say He would sit down and would just be sat on the press the precipice of a carriageway or road, let's call it, and sat on the on the side of the road, basically, just kind of looking out and continuing to scribble down on this sheet of paper.
00:08:01
Speaker
And just be kind of looking up at the sky ah the clouds. Uh, you know, what kind of weather are we are we looking at? It's clear.
00:08:11
Speaker
He's been watching for just the general repair and the, the, the morale of people and that sense of loss that he'd seen earlier in the day in people and just be kind of taking, taking that in to need to get out and get some air and just be sat, uh, on the, yeah, on the side of the road.
Morality and Philosophical Musings
00:08:30
Speaker
A minute or two, really, before everyone emerges to to sort of recenter yourself a little bit or to ground yourself around you. Everyone, when you approach, is there anything you want to do?
00:08:42
Speaker
So everyone comes and sort of sits down next to next to Seth with with a thump. ah What the fuck is going on?
00:08:56
Speaker
And everyone's sort just looking out. And with Nick, with Seth not saying anything. um but But Emron's not, he's not picking up on that that social queue. It's almost like he's he's quite happy to have this one-sided conversation and and believe that Seth is taking part, even though he isn't.
00:09:16
Speaker
He's like, are they all going to think, oh, it's all right, because Nick's did these things, but you know what? He did good things as well. Everything he has done has basically been to build up good points on his side so he can be like, oh, look, it's all right, I've done good stuff.
00:09:37
Speaker
I mean, what is going through their minds? Seth will be nodding. He'll be nodding out to what he said. And you're absolutely right, Seth. You're absolutely right. yeah I'm glad you agree with me.
00:09:51
Speaker
this This deal he's made, it's not over. He has to realise that you you don't just... make a deal with something like whatever he's made a deal with and think, oh, it's okay. It's done now.
00:10:09
Speaker
It's not, it's not how it works. And everything he's doing, he's given money. He's on this. He's on that. Great. But as the only reason he's got that kind of stuff, the only reason he's done those things is because he knows what he's had, what he's got to do, that he's had to have three people essentially give their lives for himself.
00:10:28
Speaker
For his power.
00:10:33
Speaker
What the fuck?
00:10:37
Speaker
Seth's going to be nodding. And then when you mentioned about the three lives, he nods big, big nods. He's in very much agreement with what you said. And then. How do we know that's really Sebastian?
00:10:51
Speaker
How do we know? Could be, could be anything.
00:10:56
Speaker
Seth's going to hold a piece of paper at his hands that he was scribbling on earlier. It's folded once or twice, and he's going to hold it he's going to have been holding it as you're talking. And it that those moments of silence between, he kind of holds it to his mouth and then thinks of passing it over to and kind starts to it and then brings it back again. And at this moment, he he hands it to you.
00:11:16
Speaker
I'm going to take it and... Open it and in rather, rather, you know, affluent cursive, um, it just dates, uh, Prego has cursed me.
00:11:28
Speaker
I have the curse on my arm. I killed Marota apparently for a patron that I didn't choose. I gave my life for Sebastian.
00:11:41
Speaker
He died. The egg I gave all my myself to has been given to my enemy. This egg then redoubled my curse.
00:11:54
Speaker
The dragons that are tortured by the Akrisgra, the egg that Nyx and Morota died for has been given to the enemy. Those that are the oldest form of power in Ereth that were abused.
00:12:10
Speaker
And then there's like a big gap and you can tell this bit's been written when he's outside. Cause it's all over the place. It just says, I need something, an enemy, ah direction, a companion.
Magic Challenges and Identity Struggles
00:12:20
Speaker
I can trust.
00:12:21
Speaker
Why can't it be black and white like Lido, like the teachings? Why must life be greys and unknowns? I have done nothing but what others have asked or demanded of me.
00:12:31
Speaker
And it has gotten me nowhere, less than nowhere backwards.
00:12:40
Speaker
totally fucking agree. totally... I totally agree. Absolutely, Seth. Everything you've got here, absolutely. It's an absolute...
00:12:55
Speaker
There is so much going on now and everyone points up at the sky. That thing up there, that's an enemy. That's something we can...
00:13:09
Speaker
We can deal with. I think we've got to go up there. Seth nods. That Wren that teleported Barl around.
00:13:20
Speaker
If she can do that, she could get us up there, couldn't she? He shrugs. That's some kind of magic. That could work.
00:13:33
Speaker
I... I know you're feeling... lost and you're feeling all these different elements and and everyone sort of looks at the list and you know then passes you back the piece of paper to have answers for you
00:14:01
Speaker
i see things black and white there's right and there's wrong
00:14:08
Speaker
I keep to that because that's how I know what I'm doing is right.
00:14:20
Speaker
You've got to find yourself a center again and do whatever you can to serve that purpose. If the winged watch are about defeating that in the sky, then all true to that.
00:14:37
Speaker
If it's something else, an ideal faith, hold true to that.
00:14:49
Speaker
That's the only way you can then get a foundation to be able to look at things and go, that's right. That's wrong.
00:14:58
Speaker
Seth, no, people you... No, no, no, keep going. as Seth will just nod and i like he'll still be listening, but he'll be be writing something at the bottom of the sheets of paper. as as you He's looking at you, but he's writing.
00:15:10
Speaker
People say, there's greys.
00:15:14
Speaker
I think that's an excuse for some people. I think people say things are grey because they're not sure they're doing the right thing anyway.
00:15:26
Speaker
It's an excuse.
00:15:32
Speaker
I do what I do because in that moment, at that time, I'm following what I think is the right thing.
00:15:46
Speaker
He holds up the um bottom of the piece of paper and it just reads, thank you, Emron. Despite our fallings out and failings, you are right.
00:15:58
Speaker
I need a centre.
00:16:02
Speaker
Also, don't tell the others, but that wasn't Shadow Blade. ah don't think I can cast that right now. It was just an illusion, like the flames, like the egg.
00:16:18
Speaker
Okay. Do
00:16:22
Speaker
you need help? but che What's going on?
00:16:27
Speaker
Because you've not spoken.
00:16:31
Speaker
he he Is this Prego? Is this a curse from Prego? He shakes his head.
00:16:37
Speaker
He looks deflated, but he turns to his spell book and looks to a back page and you see the image of a cart. You see ah the image of a spider you see these different images appear, drawings, bad charcoal drawings, as he flips through and turns to a page. And it is this horrific scrawled writing, again, in the same pencil, the same writing that he's been using, he's been showing you And it just says top to bottom is all spaced out randomly on the page. There's no order to it Unlike the very structured order of the writing you've just read from him. It just says everything turns to ash.
00:17:14
Speaker
Death follows me and I follow death. The winged watch is clipped. Our mission has ended. I need to create, needed to create, to fill the void, to avoid the void. My words and actions kill and murder those around me.
00:17:28
Speaker
And then there's nothing. Not your actions. Seth, you've not. Sebastian didn't die because of you.
00:17:44
Speaker
I know there's lots going on and there's more. I know there are people that we met on the road that we had to kill. And I know there are things that have had to be done.
00:18:03
Speaker
It's not your burden to bear all of it for other people.
00:18:08
Speaker
That's not what you have to do.
00:18:15
Speaker
If...
00:18:19
Speaker
If I can help you, I will.
00:18:23
Speaker
If you're seeking atonement
00:18:28
Speaker
for things you think you've done wrong,
00:18:35
Speaker
I'll be there to help you. You're right. We haven't seen eye to eye and don't get me wrong.
00:18:44
Speaker
The stuff that happened in the desert.
00:18:48
Speaker
Was that me? Was that him?
00:18:55
Speaker
Since we've been in this city, I've been trying to come to terms with that. And I've realized that actually there is no... him or me, there's just us.
00:19:10
Speaker
And perhaps I need to stop thinking about Tilwa as being something different.
00:19:20
Speaker
I need to accept that he is me and I am him. And perhaps then I'll stop feeling conflicted because I've had doubts.
00:19:32
Speaker
at that, Seth quickly grabs out the bit of paper that he'd written on earlier, finds the bit where he'd written, i need to find a centre, and he crosses that I and just writes we, and then shows that bit and points to the so this that centre to Kim.
00:19:45
Speaker
And my nods. We do. The only time we've ever been doing something well has been when we've had a job to do.
00:19:57
Speaker
Seth nods. get Getting through the desert with our prisoner. Winning the tournament. The only time we've ever done something well is we've had an objective and something to do.
00:20:09
Speaker
It's what we need. We're people of action, me and you.
00:20:17
Speaker
We don't like to dither.
00:20:24
Speaker
I've got thoughts about what we need to do. And there's lots of things and We could pore over a map of words on a wall.
00:20:37
Speaker
But I think that, and I'm on point to the sky again, that is something we can try and deal with. There's demons, there's Alpha, there's grandparents of Reigns, there's all this stuff.
00:20:54
Speaker
But something that's new, something that might connect to all this that.
00:21:00
Speaker
you know they were after, were they after Alpha? Who knows? They're made like Alpha.
00:21:06
Speaker
I had a look at their things when i when I was looking around the city with Nix.
00:21:15
Speaker
And the way they're made it's so familiar.
00:21:23
Speaker
it's It's like a thought. Like but when you look at something and think, I should know, i should recognise that.
00:21:31
Speaker
Like, is Alpha, when I made Alpha, were the ideas mine?
00:21:38
Speaker
were there something else?
Emotional Exchange and Understanding
00:21:47
Speaker
I ah think there's a lot.
00:21:52
Speaker
I don't know what the others are doing down there.
00:21:57
Speaker
But
00:22:00
Speaker
This whole Knicks thing,
00:22:06
Speaker
he seems to have beguiled him into this idea that he's repentant. And maybe he is.
00:22:16
Speaker
But I'll believe it when I see it.
00:22:21
Speaker
Seth smiles and nods at that. And on a little bit the paper at the bottom that he had previously, he just has written whilst looking at you again. i agree.
00:22:35
Speaker
We need an objective. We need a focus. And then he's written that and then he continued listening to you. And then right near the end, he quickly scribbles down two words with a question mark after it.
00:22:48
Speaker
Clip-clop.
00:22:52
Speaker
And Ron nods.
00:22:55
Speaker
Clip-clop. Seth nods. He's going to quickly scribble down the bottom. i want to try something. I'll catch up with you later. Thanks again.
00:23:06
Speaker
Okay. can come with you. He shakes his head and smiles. Okay. Be safe.
00:23:17
Speaker
And everyone will just sort of get up and sort of cross the road and sit on the edge of the wharf looking out over the bay. just contemplating, I think his thoughts.
00:23:28
Speaker
And if you, if I may, Danny, to test the theory, which you may, you may fully negate if you wish, but he's going to try it anyway. there's capacity to talk. He's chosen to remove, which negates the capacity for many, many of his spells, not all though.
00:23:44
Speaker
And I have one or two still available. Um, he's been toying with something for the last couple of hours, um, since the events on the boat, And the idea of clip-clop keeps coming back to him. It's something that's resonated, that's joined them together, that it reminds him of a time that may not have been totally better, but was more conducive to togetherness and and and and a plan and focus and forward movement, which is what he drives for.
00:24:12
Speaker
ah He's going to create using minor illusion, which does not involve a verbal component, a sound. And the sound is going to be four separate. So he's going to like Bosch it on repeat pretty much this. um And it's going to be four separate sounds. And those four sounds are hoth, rotana, kweisha, halan, hosh, rotana, kweisha, halan, which are the words necessary for him to attempt a ritual spell, which does involve the verbal component. And that is the verbal component.
00:24:41
Speaker
of the spell will i can see is already switching through tabs to try and negate it is wrong so before he gets a chance to finish it and unless danny you interrupt me and tell me it's not allowed i'm going to keep talking what starts to form from it is the base almost like ah 3d printed are the base of these four red feet hooves that start to appear and as he continues to set and there are gestures attached to it and he's kind of pulling up with his hands in certain areas and um kind of almost painting it as you will as it gets bigger and bigger he starts to paint this
00:25:17
Speaker
horse, a quasi horse, a phantom steed, if you will. um And he's going to attempt a spell that he hasn't had access to until we leveled up. And then he hasn't a chance to use it since then.
00:25:28
Speaker
And we'll try and conjure ah a phantom steed. What will happen during that process, again, if you will allow me, is that his spider, his spider, Penglog, will just appear from under his robes.
00:25:43
Speaker
And as it builds to the to the tail and the neck and the head, um it it gets this is yeah it's a big old beast, this creature. The the big thing to really realise about it is that it...
00:25:56
Speaker
It's legs seem to almost dissipate into into ash as it as it starts to form fully. And there's long bellowing white cape ah on the back of its kind of white hair. Its skin is it's just like black and white, this horse, all the way through.
00:26:07
Speaker
ah It only has one eye. Not in the middle. It's not weird like that, but just off to one side. It's only got the one eye. And what... You notice, though, is that at the last minute, just as it seems to have finished, Seth snatches at Penglog, grabs him and flings him towards this um towards this horse and it slams onto the side.
00:26:28
Speaker
and Except it doesn't. And it falls and Seth looks confused. You throw Penglog and it goes straight through the horse. In order to cast the ritual, you can't be casting anything else.
00:26:43
Speaker
So even with this
00:26:47
Speaker
sort like one step removed ability to do the verbal component, the ritual doesn't completely work. You're able to conjure the form, but it doesn't have material or corporeal life. It is entirely ethereal. Okay.
00:27:02
Speaker
Because you can't provide everything the spell requires. And so he'll do that and then he'll... and kind of sigh to himself. But as Penglog comes back anyway, he'll hold him in his hand for a second and it was a farewell more than anything else.
00:27:18
Speaker
He just holds Penglog in his hand, shakes his head. The idea of a spider now is... it can't be. And so he just kind of slowly presses it into his hand and it just dissipates into into sand almost. But again, it doesn't, it disappears. He approaches the horse and if you'll permit me, just he'll just try and reach out and touch it and realise that his hand will just pass through it.
00:27:38
Speaker
but he'll still admire anyway for what it is, um, ah a fill in familiar, if you will. So it's almost like he's tried to cast Phantom Steed. I'll take the spell slot, but it's ended up just being a oversized, useless fucking familiar for now, which will dissipate to to nothing. Um,
00:27:55
Speaker
you know You don't to take the spell spot. Essentially what you've done is you just like you used Minor Illusion really well. Majorly. thats But not Majorly. No, I get you. That's a different spell.
00:28:07
Speaker
Yeah, because you can't you can't do both of those things. And then he'll just kind of kind nod to himself, like kind of what I expected. And, um, we'll just, he'll, he'll, he's just going to go for a walk, uh, with no intentions, not aiming to find anyone, see anything, do anything, but he just needs to sort his head out in some way, shape or form and come back with a plan, which he probably won't, but he's all right with that.
00:28:31
Speaker
And he just explore the city, uh, with no intention of, um, anything in particular. And then an hour or two, and then come back to the Pisney. That's his overall journey for the day. Seth, out.
00:28:43
Speaker
plan here is that I'm going to roll a dice and I'll ask each of you in turn how you're going to spend the rest of the day. And by nature of dice roll, I come to Reigns first.
00:28:53
Speaker
Yep, Reigns has one solitary idea. Well, got several actually, but the first thing he's going to do is he's going to head towards any form of embassy that deals in overseas relations, particularly Shadomend, and he's going to ask questions about this new heir because that's the big un...
00:29:12
Speaker
and unsure thing for him now. Whilst he's doing that, he himself is still curious about why these things from the sky look like um Alfred, so he will also stop past one of these piles if he comes past one to see what he can glean from them.
00:29:27
Speaker
And then when he's done all that, he's going to return the Piss Newt just to read about the genealogy ah of his history in his in his family history book that he's been carrying around since Shadamand.
00:29:42
Speaker
If that one takes place over the evening or during the four hours of long rest when... he's that that that them fair. But yeah, the the first priority will be heading towards ah embassy so he can find out what's happening in Shadomend and if he passes one of these piles of metal rubble along the way, just exploring them and and giving them a bit of an arcanic check to see what he can glean.
00:30:07
Speaker
Sure. There aren't necessarily embassies here. The closest thing that you will find is somewhere that Seth explained to you before is is the Merchant's Guildhall. Each kingdom has ah has a counter there, and which are as good as embassies, that but but the way Drellac runs, um it runs on trade.
00:30:25
Speaker
and So that would be your first thought. would. And it's, it's maybe about a half hour walk from the Pissnew to get there. And along that way, the scenes continue to look the same people piling up carcasses. That's the correct term for these metal objects.
00:30:43
Speaker
Um, so it's easy enough for you to to catch a glimpse, uh,
00:30:51
Speaker
Do you want to do anything anything in particular at the piles? that There are piles of those football-shaped ones, and there are smaller piles. Sorry, there's lots of those football-shaped ones in many different piles, and then the occasional pile of those, those sort of singular, humanic-form ones with stone walls.
00:31:10
Speaker
Whichever one has the markings, and inscriptions, and enchantments that look similar to that which are on Alpha. the The metalwork is consistent between both of those those units um in terms of of how it's presented. So you wouldn't necessarily think any one of them looks any more like Alpha or maybe you're inclined to look at the the more humanoid-sized version, perhaps.
00:31:36
Speaker
That creature with two hum walls of stone between it.
Exploration and Discovery of Magical Remnants
00:31:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. I'll do that. And I will... um
00:31:46
Speaker
use in the first instance i will study them i'll take out my little spider pen and i'm going to cast detect magic on them to to see what i glean from them and can you read the spell to take magic for me yeah
00:32:00
Speaker
For the duration, you sense the presence of magical effects within 30 feet of yourself. If you see such effects, you can take the magic action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears the magic.
00:32:13
Speaker
And if an effect was created by a spell, you learn the spell School of Magic. Oh, I've done it again. Yeah, the spell is blocked by one foot. Okay, he'll he'll do that and all of a sudden just realize that that's not doing anything.
00:32:25
Speaker
And then beyond that, he'll just stare at these... incantations and he'll think back about all the inscriptions and all the piles of manuscripts and notes that he had on Alpha and what finally allowed him to be enchanted, that pure essence of artificiary, enchantering, inanimate, and is just trying to see what he can glean between the similarities.
00:32:51
Speaker
Make an arcana check then.
00:33:01
Speaker
You didn't have much literature to begin with when you were with thinking about the formative moments of of Alpha's being.
00:33:10
Speaker
But you're just drawing logical conclusions here that they're probably powered by the same idea, like a core of energy that makes this enchantment sustain itself over much larger distances of multiple units, etc.
00:33:26
Speaker
without really knowing the builder and and seeing it made, it's hard to say.
00:33:37
Speaker
Could, with that with that role, it's more what he can't rule out, could he roll could he rule out that this could also be memory ruins that are causing this? No. Okay.
00:33:49
Speaker
Only because he can't see the parts that would help you understand that.
00:33:56
Speaker
Yeah. It's more of a hypothesis rather than an assertion at this point, but he's he's noting the similarities and the big giant shaped elephant in the room is the power of memory and the power and essence of life to reanimate.
00:34:13
Speaker
And when he's done that, he'll continue to make his way over to the market hall and he's going straight for a Shabom End stand. So you return to this grandiose building that Seth once visited and in hopes that would learn more information around where the egg was stored because some vaults definitely exist here. And you walk in and this building looks like it is pristine, entirely unaffected. And you walk in and this is the only break to that penetrating silence that is just everywhere around the city.
00:34:47
Speaker
You step in here and it is like a scene out of Wall Street. Trade continues. The economy continues. Business continues. dis Despite all trauma, all um disaster outside the walls of this building, this building just continues to operate like a beehive.
00:35:07
Speaker
You step inside and there are... flags of every kingdom adorned on the walls, this giant portrait on the back wall of this like quartz marble um interior of Lord Vossen and all that body mass that accompanied with this sort of Jabba the Hutt-esque figure.
00:35:29
Speaker
And as you're sort of looking lower down, it's hard to really get a sense here. It's really quite an overstimulating environment. of People just shouting numbers in good and goods and values and ah names, and people running past you.
00:35:41
Speaker
um
00:35:44
Speaker
There is on the wall, though it's being it's being sort of painted over now, what was once ah like a for want of a better term, a betting shop, odds on all of the competitors of the Jeweled Desert Champions.
00:35:57
Speaker
And you can see there's only a couple couple of trace names left that are just being repainted and sort of magically altered.
00:36:06
Speaker
And then you begin to scan the room. You're seeing 11 kingdoms, this vacant 12th structure where the the sort of new kingdom is yet to to really grow its identity. It's only a couple, it's like a week old at best.
00:36:23
Speaker
And then yes, you see the the two Sphinx symbol in the Western wall of this building, Shadamend, if that's where you're looking. That's precisely what I'm looking for.
00:36:37
Speaker
Get a little bit closer, sort of hiding in plain sight amongst all of the the bodies that are just zipping around you, doing business, doing trade, doing signing documents and agreeing deals.
00:36:51
Speaker
There are three sort of shadowmanned employees. Don't recognize them. like that they They're foreign dignitaries, really. One is...
00:37:03
Speaker
perched at a desk, holding and an awful amount of records. One is stood at the sort of front of this area, receiving like a queue of instructions from from various different bodies zipping around the ah the room.
00:37:16
Speaker
And another is just sort sat back amongst the quieter points around the Shadamendian area, just sort of flicking through a number of different ledges.
00:37:29
Speaker
Occasionally holding a finger to the ear and you see them sort of manipulating stones in their hands.
00:37:36
Speaker
All look relatively similar to to to you there or Elven or half Elven. Or sound like you, there is that southern draw. What would you like to do? At this point you are not close enough to be to be viewed and it's sort of like Assassin's Creed style hiding in ah in a mob
00:37:57
Speaker
I'll cast Disguise Self on myself to make myself look like a traitor from Shadom End. Nothing happens. and that I don't change.
00:38:08
Speaker
You cast the spell. You feel it begin to have to to to activate, but then it doesn't doesn't come to fruition.
00:38:21
Speaker
Okay. I tried to be more discreet, Emram, and then what Renz will do is he'll just walk over.
00:38:30
Speaker
You begin to approach. There's three individuals. The one who's getting a queue of people, the one who sat at a desk, and there is this one further back taking in the scene. Who are you going to? I'll go to the one taking a back seat, taking in the scene.
00:38:47
Speaker
So you pass through this large black stoned desk where this one elf just has her eyes down and is just receiving papers every now and again from the one at the front ah who's he's a meeting and an incredible and insurmountable amount of people.
00:39:03
Speaker
And someone further back has been watching you approach this whole time and just rests this hand on ah on ah on a scimitar hilt and looks at you for a moment.
00:39:13
Speaker
Can I help you? and Get in line.
00:39:20
Speaker
The line right now is there to to to talk to to yourself. I'm not the one you want to be talking to. You want to join the back of that line.
00:39:33
Speaker
And she just gesticulates towards the the the large group of people surrounding the Shadomendian at the front.
00:39:43
Speaker
All right. Okay. Fine. Fine.
00:39:49
Speaker
ah Guess I'll wait in line. Now hold up, you sound like you're from Shadow Man. It's because I am from Shadow Man. Well how's about that?
00:40:01
Speaker
You here for the jewel? And what jewel would that be?
00:40:09
Speaker
The one yesterday. Oh, the jewel. I'm sorry, I've been away from Shadow Man for a while. That I haven't been able to even, like, hear my own twang for a while. You mean jewel, not jewel as in, like, a gem. You mean jewel? Yeah, i was here for that.
00:40:29
Speaker
Interesting it turned out the way it did, huh? Yeah, ah real interesting. In fact, did you know I was, uh... Making my way up to that ah big ol' fight at the top to watch it. and Apparently there was some awful talk down below about them false prints being left behind and fight and big free-headed monsters.
00:40:56
Speaker
Sounded intense. False prints, you say? She begins to look at you a bit closer now
00:41:11
Speaker
what would you know about that?
00:41:15
Speaker
Not much. Mm-hmm.
00:41:21
Speaker
Yeah, see, there was... There was someone running around here saying they, They're heir to the kingdom of Shadow Man, but theirs only just been born, see? So, uh... That guy ain't him.
00:41:43
Speaker
I haven't been home for a long time. Managed to get my ship out, dodged the pirate fleets of for our Mistfall, and haven't been too keen to go back. But last time I checked,
00:41:59
Speaker
King Haddo IX was estranged and separate from his queen.
00:42:07
Speaker
And they've had another air, have they? Just curious to get the live home. That's all. Oh, yeah. Not another. They've had their first child.
00:42:23
Speaker
Say again?
00:42:26
Speaker
Well, they've never had children before now. Now they've got their first child.
00:42:35
Speaker
Sorry, There was a... a... a prince. Had quite the big fallout with his father, was sent to sit in the kingdom, set sit sit in the the city of Fatherkeep, like, big fallout when that city got consumed, he was sent away to... It it was quite a big public thing.
00:43:00
Speaker
Turns out that that man was never even related to the royal family. That was the false prince.
00:43:13
Speaker
So you mean to tell me that 50 years of a life was a fucking lie?
00:43:28
Speaker
She looks at you as suspicion again.
00:43:37
Speaker
lie, yes, but you seem a bit emotionally invested in this story.
00:43:46
Speaker
You're about 50 years old yourself, boy.
00:43:51
Speaker
you wouldn't happen to know anything about this false prince, would you? Can't say that I do. As I said, been stuck on this side of the world for a long time.
00:44:03
Speaker
We were all made to swear feely to that false prince. We were all led to believe he was very important for the future of our kingdom and I guess High advisor Urian Cardinal found that this was no more than a bastard.
00:44:22
Speaker
And one not of royal lineage.
00:44:30
Speaker
We can't go putting, you know, the common folk on the throne now, can we? We sure can't. Long live the new prince.
00:44:43
Speaker
Praise him.
00:44:46
Speaker
Praise him.
00:44:52
Speaker
If you don't mind, this has been...
00:44:56
Speaker
and and experience, but I've got to get back
Tournament Winnings and Consequences
00:45:00
Speaker
to work.
00:45:06
Speaker
Well, i wouldn't want to take any more of your time. Just... ah
00:45:11
Speaker
safe travels. Give them things back to and from. Watch out for pirates.
00:45:19
Speaker
Watch out for pickpocketers. This city's rife with them. Yeah, I learned that the hard way. Many a time. Starting to get wise to it, though.
00:45:31
Speaker
Could do with some drakes around here to, you know, keep things in order. ah These desert folk, they got their orcs, you know.
00:45:43
Speaker
Yeah, I noticed that, that the deserts that we have back home, I'm almost i'm almost longing for a desert where it can rain and snow. i mean, I don't like the literal thing where it's all dependent on the sun.
00:45:54
Speaker
But, as you say, times are wasting. Oh, there was one other thing. ah I'm looking for a shipment just that potentially has come in looking for the name of our fellow's goods.
00:46:17
Speaker
You have to get in line. I don't deal with this sort of stuff. Line's looking pretty big. I'll come back another time. But this has been enlightening, and i I thank you for filling me in about what's happening at home. It's always...
00:46:32
Speaker
Always good to know. I haven't been there for many years, but... um Maybe... Think about returning for the... The child's name day.
00:46:43
Speaker
It's gonna be a big celebration. The first ever prince.
00:46:50
Speaker
Nothing as pretentious as what they called the last one, I hope. Rain's the stupid fucking ass name. And he's gonna turn and walk away.
00:47:05
Speaker
and by your left ceiling internally by nature of dice roll, we'd next come to Baal. Baal, how are you spending the rest of the day? Okay. Uh, I'm just going if I'm still with kind of Nixon and alpha at this point as well, i'll just say out of interest, I mean,
00:47:25
Speaker
Next on the agenda, surely, is something along the lines of saving the world. We're going to need a bit more money, aren't we? And you're looking at the champion of the duel of the deserts.
00:47:39
Speaker
They want to accompany me to, oh, fuck, shit, has Range just gone that way? It's been a really long hug. Really, really long hug. Alpha has not broken hug while under Nyx's weight.
00:47:50
Speaker
ah This is not going until Nyx will stand by himself. And no, my my rod is on my back. That's something else. Range broke out the room really awkwardly. He stepped back thinking everyone else was going to leave the hug and you didn't. So he just started. We've just been there for 30 wouldn't be joking.
00:48:08
Speaker
I think I'm going to try and collect.
00:48:13
Speaker
Oh, your reward for your victory, of course. It's what I'm owed, isn't it? And I said I'd share it with the group. Where would we collect such a thing from?
00:48:26
Speaker
I mean, i've got I've got a thing that, um one, I don't know where we'd collect it from. Sorry for talking over you, Alpha. ah ah Probably from the ah ah ah place where the tournament was held.
00:48:43
Speaker
Right? Well, I mean, it I suppose. If along the way, of a hurry i would like to um I would like to partake in a shopping, it's good for the soul, ah some some retail therapy.
00:48:59
Speaker
ah So i would love to accompany you. And if there's a ah shop of sorts on the way, perhaps I can nip in there. And I would like to try and stop dying so much.
00:49:11
Speaker
I was tempted to partake in a visit to the Arconic District as well. um there are There is one particular magic shop that springs to mind.
00:49:22
Speaker
It's more of the clothing variety, Alpha. is Then perhaps it will not be suitable. Just to stop the hits from hitting. Of course. oh Well, there may be something for protection.
00:49:36
Speaker
If you do indeed have a... My boyfriend's a fucking Dragonborn... Your boyfriend. Boyfriend? That's all the protection I need, baby.
00:49:52
Speaker
Bar's going to blush. We're labelling it. okay oh you're looking quite you know and hot at the moment. Thank you.
Future Plans and Reunion with Gollop
00:50:01
Speaker
You noticed. i I would love to go shopping. It's always room for a third. No.
00:50:07
Speaker
Thrupple, thrupple, thrupple. I need money. I've got fuck all. um Well, I've got a little bit, but don't really want to talk about how I acquired it. um But that's my intention. I need to go and get see if I can get these winnings or at least get something together. I mean, they owe me, don't they?
00:50:24
Speaker
Yeah, surely. I will join you. And if a store takes my fancy, I'll just pop in there. have to join me. I just want to say... ah
00:50:39
Speaker
Thanks. Okay, shall we go? I'll just smile and just wait and linger, give you a kiss, and then turn to go.
00:50:51
Speaker
Nice. Alpha, are you going with as well to collect the winnings? yeah and i I will escort Barl. There will be no kiss to Nick from Alpha. If others have lips, it makes it rather difficult.
00:51:04
Speaker
Would Bale know that to to kind of where where to go to claim these winnings? i know lot of like In my head, it makes sense for it to be where we fought, but obviously knowing how things ended there, it wouldn't make sense.
00:51:16
Speaker
But there is a kind of a central commercial area where he knows that Seth went in to go and check on the odds and things like that. so that i mean there's a lot of Those are the thoughts going through Bale's head.
00:51:27
Speaker
Yeah, so so you'll recall that Grigor, the trainer at the academy at the melee, when you agreed to sign up, stipulated that that's where you want to head back to, to to to square up, essentially, back to the melee.
00:51:44
Speaker
Perfect. then And that's where Baal's headed. Okay. So Alpha, Nixon, Baal, taking the short walk now, now that streets are reopened, not laced with an invasion of objects from the sky, objects from the hells or worse.
00:52:01
Speaker
It's a short sort of 10 minute stroll to get there. And again, there isn't that c festival of celebration happening in the center of the city. It's it's very much the mood has changed.
00:52:17
Speaker
Yeah. The melee now sort of reshaped and returned to size. No longer its it's ah elaborate, elevated, levitated and elongated version of itself.
00:52:32
Speaker
Returned back to the building that you you first entered. You go through this sort of and initial courtyard that you were separated from initially as the the champions. ah You see see a couple of the other competitors that are that are leaving, you brush shoulders with, not aggressively, no on a particular note.
00:52:50
Speaker
When they see you, Baal, there is admiration in people's eyes. and And you're beginning to get this from very occasional people you're passing as well. Most people are too consumed by their own grief or too focused on trying to restore parts of the city. But the occasional people look up, see you three walking through, and there is there is a smile, there is a nod.
00:53:10
Speaker
Occasionally, there's there's sort of cheers, very, very reserved cheers, given that the situation, but cheers nonetheless. Then you walk back into the melee and it is it has turned from what it was before. It was it was was set to host dignitaries and royalty, but now it it's very much turned back into a proper pit fighting space.
00:53:33
Speaker
um There is still this this central desk where Grigor Stonefisk, the dwarf who who was there to oversee your enlistment, resides once again.
00:53:46
Speaker
And there are some much younger um competitors that are just sort of training it. using They're using it as it as a gym, a makeshift gym. It's being used as a shelter for some people that are still sort of displaced.
00:53:59
Speaker
But there is a silence that sort of falls as as you walk in. And you just hear six, seven people in this vast ah sort of coliseum under chamber.
00:54:11
Speaker
But seven people just clapping as you walk in. Very reserved. Like it's not, it's not a ruptuous applause, but there are people that are recognizing you and making ah some sort of effort to congratulate you as you walk in.
00:54:29
Speaker
But I was really awkward with that. He doesn't know how to kind of react to it. And there is also an element of seeping in just the smallest element of guilt as well. because he won the tournament but he didn't win the tournament so he's like yeah okay cool but so he's not fully comfortable with that
00:54:50
Speaker
uh nix is in a similar position um even though he's fully aware the clapping is not for him and he does not take it as such uh
00:55:00
Speaker
the awkwardness of what has transpired is still weighing on him as well as the other events that has happened. Um, he's feeling fucking lighter for the first time in a long time.
00:55:14
Speaker
Um, but it's still fresh. And so he's, he's, He's not where normally he would be taking this all in or doing some sort of thermotology on Baal to elevate everything going on and to create a carnival atmosphere. He's trying ah he's following suit on Baal.
00:55:35
Speaker
um say yeah Nice. ah just as Everything's going off. He will look join in applauding. That's all I'm going to say. He pays no mind to the attention of or anything like that. He's joining in the applause with everybody else.
00:55:50
Speaker
Nice. You approach the desk for what it's all intents and purposes.
00:56:00
Speaker
And Grigor just sort of... is leading that that very mild applause as you're walking in, just comes out from her desk and shakes your hand, Bile, and says, I knew it.
00:56:12
Speaker
I knew it when set eyes on you. Yeah, you didn't read the contract very well. ah Yeah, you were a bit, you know, vanilla, but I just knew deep down, this one's the one.
00:56:22
Speaker
This one's the one. Congratulations. Thank you. And did you bet on me, part of interest? I can't bet. Legally. course. b see I see. My wife did.
00:56:36
Speaker
My wife did. Oh. And on a couple, mix he's not giving you any eye contact. He like looks at you for a second and just looks straight over you Alpha and then just sort of nods and smiles at Alpha.
00:56:50
Speaker
Yeah. of yeah fourth, fifth, wherever you placed for your first year. Really good. Really good. And then just for a second, Ling goes back on Nix, but looks over Nix and straight back to, to, to Bavigan.
00:57:06
Speaker
I guess you're here to collect your earnings. ah Yes. Yeah. I know that obviously the timing is terrible with the attack on the city and everything, but contracts are contracts. The city runs on gold.
00:57:18
Speaker
I'm quite, uh, believe me. Okay. This was never going to be stalled. Um, Are collecting for all your friends too? I did not know that was a thing. I can certainly.
00:57:33
Speaker
You all signed up together, I just assumed. I mean, yeah, what I mean is I didn't realise they came out with any... I thought it was winner it takes all. Not much. um No, the way it works is everyone gets 1% of all the bets placed.
00:57:50
Speaker
Oh, right. and if you're bloody, do you get 2%? in which case what if you died when you were bloodied just it just smiles and keeps looking at you like next in speak
00:58:06
Speaker
but we'll kind of linger there awkwardly kind of side eye a little bit so about the about your own isn't right yes so he just sort of goes back around and uh just gets this i'm resisting alpha i'm resisting trust me For the audience out there, Callum was poking his head for me to detect thoughts and i I'm ah i'm a resisting.
00:58:25
Speaker
He gets this book out and then he begins to just, you just hear after a few seconds, this sound of rushing coin falling onto a desk, into a little tray as he begins to sort of scrape through and count.
00:58:41
Speaker
Right. 1% of all bets, 2% if you're bloodied. ah Tower and volcano. 1,600 gold.
00:58:52
Speaker
places in front of you. Bar just makes this oh noise. That's the most he's ever seen. I? ah but I believe he's still got the bag of holding from Reigns.
00:59:06
Speaker
Unless Reigns did anything in the kind of the the previous episodes that that would have created a new thing and that it would have disappeared. He's still got it. okay yeah In which case it's is able to go directly into the axe.
00:59:18
Speaker
And then we'll just say a couple more names. Osiris, my lord.
00:59:25
Speaker
He's counting for a slightly longer than he counted for you, pal. 1800 gold. ah Points at alpha. Al. 1100. Oh,
00:59:37
Speaker
Reigns, wasn't He was yours. he is yes yes ah four hundred
00:59:53
Speaker
and know there wass a couple more We had Emron. the um Right. And then he just turns to the very back page of his ledger. 80 gold. Okay.
01:00:07
Speaker
and That's everyone, isn't it? He just looks at you. he's He's probably got a hand down to his side. He's going to try and clench Nyx by the hand just give it a squeeze and just be like, I believe the ones that survived the tournament, yes.
01:00:29
Speaker
That's all. If you know of anyone who um didn't survive... My condolences. Thank you.
01:00:40
Speaker
If you know of anyone who wasn't meant to survive because of the whole bloody thing signed here, just quickly flashes Nix's sign-up papers in front of you, then puts them back down the desk.
01:00:55
Speaker
You should... um He's rocking at this point because he's finding it really awkward not to look at Nix who's right next to you. You should inform them. This going to empathetically start rocking in time. out stop, stop, stop, stop. You should inform them that their earnings are not avoided due to cheating.
01:01:20
Speaker
Vossen's orders, not not mine. thick It would be a mockery in the games if someone so who went in bloodied still breathed afterwards. Out of interest, though, ah that person. so Out of that just out of pure interest, like how much would of that person have gotten?
01:01:43
Speaker
Not that it's competition, just wondering. Not important. It is a little bit. It's irrelevant now. And he begins to look around the room for anyone wearing orange. Hypothetically. Okay, time to go. bob and he's a turner was always He's banned from entering games ever again. and I'm okay with that.
01:02:02
Speaker
Yep, yep, of course. He must be careful around the city. Elaborate on that one. He just means you weren't meant to fucking survive. Oh, I know that, but I want to know what i need to be careful of.
01:02:15
Speaker
You just need to cover your face and we need to go. Oh, it's over there. yeah oh I'm coming. Bahl's like shimmying, shimmying, shimmying, pushing, pushing, pushing. Casts Thormateji on himself for final time and just says, The towering volcano, everyone. And there's...
01:02:32
Speaker
Yeah, mild applause once again as you exit the building. Biles is going to kind of applaud and try and take attention away from Nix. He's kind of kicking and shooting out the door. um I do understand that ah some people aren't so happy about my hair presence.
01:02:52
Speaker
Is that to... Who's that to? You guys! Oh, yeah, Nix. I mean... ah you
01:03:01
Speaker
Subverted the rules of the game. Exactly, yes. You nixed it. I think they're pretty pissed at this. And actually maybe thinking about it, bringing you back to the scene of the the nixing, might not have been a good idea.
01:03:14
Speaker
we could refrain from calling it the nixing, that would be... I quite like the verbing. The unfortunate interest, the incident. How about that? Okay, well, are we going to call all of them that? Is that now the the term?
01:03:25
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe if we could just find a... A store will be on Either way. Let's not nix this further. Let's go shopping. Great. I'm happy to share. Glad that's part of your syntax.
01:03:41
Speaker
Shopping!
01:03:45
Speaker
You head to a couple of very obvious thoughts first. And not much is open today. For obvious reasons, people are either...
01:03:56
Speaker
spending time with loved ones or are out trying to try to help the city. You have to take a bit of a walk around until eventually you find some sort of peddlers and traveling traders that have clothing.
01:04:10
Speaker
If there's anything in particular you're looking for, you may have to put couple more things. That's very accessible and easy to find. yeah You can find that from a lot of different stores. You want the best leather arm. I want the best that I can find given this certain moment and time.
01:04:26
Speaker
any of it Any of the crafts places that would sell like premium armours, they're all closed. And that that that their workers are out fixing Are their doors open?
01:04:37
Speaker
No. Okay. You're seeing a lot of closed signs. But is it glass? Can it be broken? What's the... Yeah. If you were wanting to scope out these places for a heist, absolutely, that's viable. No, no, no, no.
01:04:53
Speaker
No, no, no. But if it's like standard leather armor, you can buy that most. most I've got standard leather armor. It's just... want to raise the AC. Maybe have to wait a couple more days for, i guess, to settle down, to go proper shopping.
01:05:08
Speaker
I've got nothing and then to do. we can We can come back, Nix. We can come back. I'm just in a heightened state of awareness, having, you know, twice... passed on.
01:05:20
Speaker
I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen again. Yes. I appreciate it more than you ever know, but there's some sort of, I can now maybe take more of an invested interest in trying to make sure that doesn't happen in my widow.
01:05:34
Speaker
It's not going to happen again. Bar's looking deadly serious at you. I won't allow it. Okay. And he's going to kind of go, and I think this was yours. um i didn't really use it. I'm sorry.
01:05:48
Speaker
And he's going to withdraw the moon touch dagger that you gave to him just before the jewel and give it back. And that's still ah dimly lighting up the arrow for 15 feet. And yeah, thanks.
01:06:04
Speaker
It will come in handy. hope brains don't regret giving it to me. Indeed. i mean, i that that's the main thing that I needed to do.
01:06:21
Speaker
Alpha? There is more research that I wish to do, so perhaps I will see you later. You are more than welcome to escort me if you wish. It will involve much reading. I like your terminology there, escort. Like, you've got both of you're in the middle, we're escort. Where are your entourage?
01:06:42
Speaker
Fuck it. I'm up for that. Let's go. Very well. um I'm going to start making my way um ah through the city. Unfortunately, I don't know where the best place is going to be, but I might be starting at the Academy of Arcane Law.
01:07:00
Speaker
um Basically, I am trying to find as much history on um possibly not her herself, but on the Gartrans themselves as a species or a sect or a clan or whatever, um based on the knowledge that I know they came... i think it was she mentioned something about coming from Moonrise or Moonrise being their home.
01:07:29
Speaker
ah So a lot of research would kind of focus on that. um If I were to find any texts or anything that I feel may...
01:07:40
Speaker
benefit myself, but it's in a language I can't understand. I do still comprehend languages that I can use in order to help me read and understand anything. I know that... Well, actually, I don't know if I would know, but obviously they have a language all to themselves that I'm not au fait with in my normal state.
01:08:02
Speaker
Okay. So the... Academy of Arcane Law wouldn't be the place, you know, you, you, you flick through, Kelstan's adventurer guide to, to Scorch Helm and think about some of the attractions.
01:08:15
Speaker
The Academy Arcane Law is more for, um, practice of contemporary magic. And it's, it's largely where stock, um, magisters make and practice and, and, and figure things out, uh, and research in terms of like historical keeping, do you want to head to the sand worn archive?
01:08:36
Speaker
which is ah a completely different part of the city than the the magic quarter. But
01:08:48
Speaker
like most places today, when you arrive, it's it's shut.
01:08:56
Speaker
but you mark this this this vast like repository of a building through glimpses of windows that that looks like this grand library. and What you can spy from ah the exterior architecture, at least, is that there's these really ornate sort stained glass-like windows that the tell of like different elements ah sort of following different narratives that you've seen around the city of Dralak's lore and definitely in some of the evening reading that you've done around stories and tales you you're you're seeing sort of heroes of old even ah one very recent one sort of details the blight and you can see that the the spirit mon readout the tower and a light with a dagger and a book at the base of that glass this you feel would be the most appropriate place but because of
01:09:48
Speaker
the The aftershock right now, it's closed.
01:09:53
Speaker
yeah That is most disappointing. Maybe this would be the best place to acquire any knowledge that I seek and clearly are closed.
01:10:07
Speaker
anybody else have any good ideas? There's no point breaking in.
01:10:14
Speaker
I'm joking. So you think we should break in? Shit, no. i was I mean, do you want to break in? i' No, no. I mean, i does Alba want to break in? I don't think now is an appropriate time for a break-in.
01:10:27
Speaker
No. should probably stop saying those words. While the three of you are there talking about breaking in or not breaking in, I'm just going to We last land on Emron.
01:10:38
Speaker
Emron, how are you spending the rest of your day? Emron sort of sat, contemplated, probably... didn't notice the others leaving the piss newt because he was sat on the wharf over the road.
01:10:52
Speaker
um And he's going to get up and he's going to head to the back to the um forge district.
01:11:05
Speaker
Back to the iron quarter. The iron quarter. Thank you. Yes. ah Back to the workshop of clan shadow shield that was shut up when he was last there. Yep. Is it still shut up?
01:11:16
Speaker
Yeah. And again, you you know why you're you're passing through and you're so you actually fairly certain you glimpse once or that ah Clan Shadow Shield members as part of the reconstruction team that are running around the city, high above scaffolding and and very much within their zone of construction.
01:11:39
Speaker
and Yes, you get there. that you It's in a slightly different state than when you last saw it this morning. Yes, from this morning. Tools have been sort of um returned.
01:11:50
Speaker
ah Stuff has been sort of sharpened. You can see like abrasive wheels have been used recently. um But the forge itself is is not in use. It's not being fired. um
01:12:06
Speaker
It's still available for you to use. I mean, it would take a while for you to get everything going again because it's part of your clan. Emron's going to start getting the forge going. He's going start getting the the the forge lit. He's going to strip off his shirt. No, no.
01:12:22
Speaker
ah He's going to start getting the because he knows that forges take a while to to get lit. And, you know, if their forge is lit um and and ready to go, then it means that the clan can can do its work when it needs to. So he starts the forge lit,
01:12:38
Speaker
um And he's sort of going to go to some of the nearby piles of of the metal scraps from the people, up from the things in the sky, and be collecting those together, because he's going to be, you know, seeing whether he can melt those down to to use reuse them as um part of...
01:12:54
Speaker
the forging process. So that's his afternoon, basically. Into your evening too, I'd wager yeah by the time that you've sort of got things in ah in a state where you can leave it in a working order for the next morning.
01:13:05
Speaker
and Go ahead and can you make a Smith's tools check for me, please? um What do want me roll as part of that?
01:13:18
Speaker
Which skill do you feel is most appropriate for what you're doing right now? um
01:13:27
Speaker
athletics is quite physical. And then do I add my proficiency bonus? Is that on top of my athletics proficiency bonus? I'd say yes.
01:13:38
Speaker
yeah Okay, so let's roll athletics. Let's go for this. Let's probably roll about this in 2024. Yeah. yeah ah So that's ah an 11 in total.
01:13:53
Speaker
Yeah, I'm looking up now as well. It's for our listeners too, you know. Yeah, um I know they sort of tweaked things.
01:14:04
Speaker
So you roll strength. Okay, ah which I basically did because I did a 5-6, yes. And then add your proficiency.
01:14:13
Speaker
No, it's not. Do I just roll strength then? You just roll strength plus proficiency. Let's roll strength. Right. So a straight strength check plus three. Okay. So it's 15 in total. 15.
01:14:26
Speaker
Okay. So yeah, you're able to make a sizable contribution towards getting that forge in working order. and You feel in your element, you feel slightly liberated. This is relaxing for you.
01:14:38
Speaker
and this This idea of hard graft, and particularly after your last conversation with Seth, where you were... absolutely certain that you just don't know what to do with yourself right now. Returning to your normal, returning to your comfort of working in forge seems really appropriate.
01:14:52
Speaker
and And five hours flash by and you feel like you've barely looked up or stopped working in that time. You've been able to make a series of sort of um ah different like iron fixings, building materials, et cetera, that really have well made a dent in someone's work tomorrow. you You feel like you have significantly contributed in that time.
01:15:17
Speaker
And you feel much better as a result. but Yeah, and that's what everyone was looking for. Everyone looking for that ability to, to you know through work, to actually um find his centre, as you say. And and he's you know he's got things ready. he He's back to when he was was' and when he was an apprentice, when he was newly out of the out out of the guild of of working the the the forge and and making sure that it's ready for the next person to take it on and and and to carry that on so that the forge fire could never go out so that it could constantly be used so it would maintain that heat and maintain the the heat you need to to do the work um and when he's when he's happy he he'll make sure the the
01:16:01
Speaker
the make sure the forge is in a position to, before the next one take over. He might even wait until someone else comes along, if he thinks someone else will come along. Because in in in in my mind, Emron's mind, the idea would be that throughout the day, your master smith would work.
01:16:15
Speaker
And then at night, in order to keep the fires going, it's when the apprentices would work the fires at night and use their time to to to practice their craft.
01:16:27
Speaker
but And part of that is keeping the forge lit so that yeah mean when Emron was younger, the forged part of the city, even at night, would still have the cacophony of of hammers and and metal ringing as he has a place that never sleeps in order to keep the fires going.
01:16:44
Speaker
And that does happen at sunset, but it's not from a clan's Shadow Shield member. It's almost like there' is a cu there's a ah bunch of communal um sort of squiring smiths that tend to all of the forges in the district.
01:16:57
Speaker
and So you're not like necessarily waiting for a handover from someone from your clan, but an appropriate time to leave when you see there is someone tending to other forges begins. Yes. And we reach sunset at this point and everyone is slowly making their way back to... Well, did we find out? Did we want to break into the archive?
01:17:17
Speaker
but No? Come on, Alpha. i thinkgainst Tempted, but no. Maybe for another day. We approach sunset and you're all making your way back to the Pissed Newt.
01:17:29
Speaker
And you're sort of amassed at the same-ish time.
01:17:36
Speaker
At this point, Gunbar's restored that ah tavern and it it is operable again, though they have no supplies, so it aren't really holding any customers.
01:17:48
Speaker
But there are six individuals at this tavern that look like they're frequenting it, but none of them are drinking anything. They're all just sort of stood there. And I'll sort of say for the sake of funsies that you're all in that common room at this point, rather than your your your your your secure penthouse.
01:18:11
Speaker
And because Emron was the busiest, let's say Emron arrives back late,
01:18:22
Speaker
The six individuals around this tavern don't look as though they've been in Scorch Helm in the last couple of hours. they look They've traveled here. They've traveled here with purpose. um They don't carry the grief on their face like anyone else. They don't carry the determination on their face.
01:18:41
Speaker
They don't seem to recognize you from the jewel in any capacity. You are not celebrities to them like you are to most people in the city at this point.
01:18:51
Speaker
You see this old female half-orc who's sort of using a cane, really, to get around. um This slightly younger but still greyed half-orc bears no relation to her but is but is also there looking keenly in your direction.
01:19:10
Speaker
You see this sort of white-scaled dragonborn just sort of flicking a coin between each knuckle.
01:19:23
Speaker
You see in a Kriskra agent wrapped in purple cloaks perched at the bar that stands with interest the moment that you all walk in.
01:19:36
Speaker
You see this very um trim and slim female elf dressed fully in in black leathers with these piercing, piercing red eyes on her drow skin.
01:19:54
Speaker
And then see this halfling whose backs turn to you to begin with. And as you all walk in one by one, she turns, smiles at you.
01:20:16
Speaker
And it's about bloody time. It's all a goal port.
01:20:26
Speaker
Beckons you in. God damn. and That's where we're going to end. Oh no. Brothership of the tabletop. Bellem Dracone. She's back. Yes. God. All is back. Dang it. didn't want to end there.
01:20:40
Speaker
ah ah they We never want to finish here, do we? No. always Always want to keep going. Callum never wants to finish. We can't. I'm all about that. He eddies it.
01:20:53
Speaker
I've just got hour 20. That's hard. I can't win from that. How do we finish? No point asking me. No point asking me. Well, I barely get through the intro.
01:21:08
Speaker
Just the tip. oh Thanks for joining us. pany yeah everyday We love you for it. ah Follow our X page at Fellowship Tabletop and then follow us ah individually at our respective pages. I'm at iWonder1.
01:21:27
Speaker
Calum never finishes. Edgelord is at The D20 Gamer. Will is at Fellowship MBCBC. Darren's out. Darren Page 06.
01:21:38
Speaker
Poo Bear's out. Natural 20 Will. Mark's Peace to the Royal DM. And our VIP of D&D Dungeon Master Danny is out. Total Party Thrills. Yeah, until next time, me hearties.
01:21:53
Speaker
Farewell.