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Ep. 123 Memory Runes - Bellum Draconis
0 Playsin 11 hours
Emron has another bewildering dream as exhaustion sets in on the group. They take time to navigate the city of Scorchelm which seems to be more repaired than it should be. Alpha finally connects to his own core.
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Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
Music kindly provided by Fesliyan Studios
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Transcript
Introduction and Characters
00:00:00
Speaker
Whether it's for me or for you, for dicks or for the people of Scorch Helm, for the people of Aerith, I do not know. Did you just say for dicks?
Fellowship of the Tabletop Overview
00:00:38
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Belem Draculis. We are a live Play 5e D&D podcast set in the magical homebrew world of Aerith in the kingdom of Dralak. Joining you for this week's episode we have Darren who plays the high elf artifice Reyn's Hadal.
00:00:51
Speaker
Hello. We've got Poobah who plays the human cleric Emron. Hello. The Edgelord Calum, who plays the Warforged Artificer Alpha. Hello. And got Ian, who plays the Tiefling Warsaurer Nyx Carell.
00:01:02
Speaker
This is a very cozy opening. I feel like you've just opened the door to the tavern. You're already sat there in a big high back armchair, fire onto one side, and you're just, come, come hither and sit down. Yep.
00:01:15
Speaker
Very nice. Leather arm chair. you Well, no, I'm wearing a loincloth. ah My name, that obviously, is ah Mark, and I'm playing the Human Blitz, obviously, like everyone knows. I'm playing ah Seth Farray, Revem Blast, but my name means Least. I'm going to bring it back to the old school one. Our vegan queen behind the DM screen, Donja Masadani.
00:01:33
Speaker
Tofu. Such a shit thing, though, isn't it? I hate. Absolutely not. You guys are cooking
Sleetguard Mani-Pedi Shop Setting
00:01:40
Speaker
it all wrong. I hate toast tofu. Speaking of tofu. no.
00:01:47
Speaker
you we We are in what can only be described as some kind of mani-pedi shop within deep within Sleetguard. And tasked up with what seems to be... and glass, large-rimmed goggles strapped around the head and some kind of makeshift loin mask across the mouth seems to be a hard-working halfling who's scrabbling down with these large shears.
00:02:15
Speaker
And as we zoom into this through the window of this, we see that she's trying to cut down the incredible long brown gnarled nails of old Gel, who plays with his orb between his fingers as he kind of leans back lackadaisically looking up and through it before he clocks us.
Bahl's Teleportation and Mystical Egg
00:02:35
Speaker
Ooh, anti-easter egg hunt! A gnome interrupts Bahl on his way to see Nyx, and it's some sort of female with red hair and a gold belt and black cape, and she teleports Bahl away to another ship, which is much, much fancier and busier, and it smells pretty fucking explosive and burny. But she ain't no gnome.
00:02:56
Speaker
This is like some sort of lodgings for some form of humanity. human, maybe an elf, I don't know, just ah one of those big folk, I don't fucking know. Anyway, there's like Sleetguard and Shadow Men, Scribblins and Maps everywhere, and Baal's like, what's your name, girl? And she's like, Ren.
00:03:12
Speaker
And, wow, she's basically like, there's three options to get rid of this eggy egg, by the way, and I'm gonna teleport you there, but not tell you what happens before we get there. Option number one,
00:03:24
Speaker
She takes Baal to the unoccupied lair of Galefire, the fucking sleet! And it's all like frozen with glaciers and it's all frost filled and all kinds of creepy shit, not the nice place Baal was probably thinking of. There's bats moving into the stalag titties, it's not safe, there's wolves somewhere around the lair. He's like, it can't stay here. But he leaves his shield that's burning on fire as a tribute to his mother.
00:03:49
Speaker
Up next is Dralak. It's the Sands of Dralak. She takes Bar to Lord Vossan's vault. And Bar's like, no, fuck it. Let's get out of here straight away. The third place is a store cupboard, some sort of pantry, some sort of kitchen with barracks. And Bar's like, what the fuck is going on here? And he looks through and he sees the purple cloaks of the Akrisker and he's all like, oh this is not...
00:04:12
Speaker
Good. And they're almost discovered in the cupboard before one big booming voice is like, get the fuck out of here, boys. And the lady, uh, Gnome, goes out of the cupboard to meet this person.
00:04:23
Speaker
And it turns out some sort of hooded figure. And Wren's all, like, comfortable with him. And she's like, we're hoping you could help us out. And this figure's got one arm. And it's only the fucking former general firstborn to the king, Leopold. He got Lucian Blight.
00:04:39
Speaker
And he's all like, oh, I can just drop a little bit more information about those eggs because he's not the only one left, but I'm happy to take it for you and I swear as I look after it. There's about six, maybe a fewer eggs left, but this is the biggest one.
00:04:53
Speaker
And Chris Groot, yeah, they're not all bad guys. They got things wrong at first in the early days, but now they're growing and, you know, they're they're
Emron's Vivid Dream
00:05:00
Speaker
getting a bit better. And Bob's like, Okay, maybe I trust you, but then Sith kind of trusts you, so maybe I should trust you anyway. And this guy's like, oh, do you want to name that Eddie Egg? And Baal's like, that's a big fucking deal. Let's call it Valkyra, meaning born from ashes.
00:05:13
Speaker
Why the fuck not? And the Egg's like, oh, I like that name. Name me harder, Daddy. And Baal gets taken back to the pissed Newt Inn with Ren to contemplate all the things that he's been through to date.
00:05:27
Speaker
You spend a restless night, isolated on the snowdrop, under the protection of the winged watch, able to recover and catch your breath ever so slightly, but not well enough after an exhausting 24 hours.
00:05:45
Speaker
Nyx, who hasn't entered sleep in weeks, after a fury of inflamed warlock magic, is finally expelled, so too he passes out and enters slumber for the first time in a very long time.
00:06:06
Speaker
Before dawn, however, Emron
00:06:12
Speaker
You dream once more. ah very familiar dream. A city of metal above you, suspended on a low-hanging platform, miles above Erith.
00:06:27
Speaker
Three other figures around you, shrouded in golden light, unable to withstand a sheer wind. You are propelled into the sky and begin falling to your death.
00:06:39
Speaker
That is until you are grabbed and returned to the platform by a friendly face. Baal's face. The glow surrounding some of your skyward companions begins to fade.
00:06:52
Speaker
One is a dragonborn, another one a dwarf. The dwarf's face is one you now see as the very recent acquaintance that you've made, Bovrin. The human's face, however, remains shrouded.
00:07:06
Speaker
At this stage, you expect to wake, but you do not. You begin to follow Baal's instruction and climb the metallic chain into the city above you.
00:07:18
Speaker
Small winged constructs attempt to strike you that look exactly like those that attacked Scorch Helm yesterday. However, Baal's fiery magic batters them away and prevents them from knocking you off the chain.
00:07:34
Speaker
You climb for what seems like a mile against this fierce wind, but eventually reach the city. You emerge out of this sewer, this storm drain, and get a glimpse of architecture and metalwork that is entirely alien to you.
00:07:53
Speaker
Before you can really focus on any details other than stone with intricate colours and buildings that don't quite make sense, you awake in a pool of salty sweat.
00:08:07
Speaker
Day has dawned, and the snowdrop itself is returning to the jetty, the piss nuked now in front of you. The city smells of scorched earth and is silent.
City Restoration and Regrouping
00:08:21
Speaker
For the first time since your visit, there is little hustle or bustle to speak of. The roars of industry that have often been projecting out of the West Greyglass District sing silent.
00:08:36
Speaker
That rainbow-like haze that's caused from the amber emissions of refining Keltrad does not blanket the city. Instead, you are exposed to clear blue skies, and the city feels about ten fifteen degrees hotter as a result.
00:08:54
Speaker
When you left, buildings had been felled. Blood and burnt metal shards filled the streets. But somehow in a matter of hours, some powerful force has made this city serene and almost pristine once again.
00:09:11
Speaker
You see business owners here in the dock returning to replace shop signs, turning up furniture that had been thrown over. Small mage rights ah casting mending or similar cantrips just to put pieces back together.
00:09:27
Speaker
There are ships around you coming in with very similar reactions.
00:09:33
Speaker
Reactions to you. What has remained, however, despite all of this restored chaos, is this object in the sky and its twelve tethers spreading across the morning skyline in different directions across Erith, one of which seems to make contact just a few miles south of the city.
00:09:55
Speaker
Last to disembark the snowdrop is Sparrowhawk.
00:10:02
Speaker
Rest for now. He says to all of you, let's meet tomorrow at dusk with the rest of the winged watch who are here.
00:10:14
Speaker
Head to Old Town.
00:10:17
Speaker
There's an old library behind the Temple of the Eternal Ones, which it sits abandoned.
00:10:26
Speaker
Inside, look for a torn tapestry of a serpent and whisper those words.
00:10:36
Speaker
It gives a knowing look to Nyx.
00:10:40
Speaker
He then clasps Seth on the shoulder for a second and just tries to gain tries to gaze your attention.
00:10:54
Speaker
Releases it. Produces a small cane that folds out and uses it. to limp northward. He turns back for a second towards Alpha and just says, he said, visit the Changeling.
00:11:16
Speaker
And then turns and heads north through this district, further into the harbour district itself.
00:11:25
Speaker
It was not a comfortable night. and need you all to make constitution saving throws to see about resisting a level of exhaustion, please. Nyx, you make your advantage.
00:11:36
Speaker
Sorry, you make your all advantage.
00:11:46
Speaker
Emron, what'd you get? 14. Two points of exhaustion. Ugh. Reigns. 22. No exhaustion. Alpha. 17. One point of exhaustion.
00:12:02
Speaker
Ouch. Seth. 19. One point of exhaustion. Thank you. Nix. Six.
00:12:12
Speaker
Three points of exhaustion. Yep. Yikes. Fuck.
Discussing D&D Rule Changes
00:12:17
Speaker
For those you, exhaustion has changed those who don't know. 2024 rules, everyone. Now it's 2025, which really is 2024 rules.
00:12:25
Speaker
For each level, you reduce for each level of exhaustion. Whenever you make a D20 test, you reduce it by the number of levels of exhaustion. Your speed is reduced by number of feet equal to five times your exhaustion level.
00:12:37
Speaker
And ah finishing a long rest removes one of your exhaustion levels. you Thank you, Will, for your encyclopedic recollection of the new rule set of D&D.
00:12:49
Speaker
such a you notice You notice, all of you, as you're battling these various states of um constitutional constitutional strength, let's call it.
00:13:05
Speaker
Baal is not amongst you.
00:13:11
Speaker
Where did Baal go?
00:13:16
Speaker
I do not know. i have not seen him since the previous night.
00:13:22
Speaker
Seth will ah corner of his eye and then quite obviously start turning towards Nick's with like a squinty eye like, is this another spider thing? He's always saying anything. He'll just look squintily towards Nick suspiciously.
00:13:38
Speaker
Nyx is not taking in anything of this. He hasn't even, he's not even aware that Baal isn't in the group. He's just kind of following where the crowd go.
00:13:49
Speaker
I have to then elbow you to get your attention and then shoot the evil eyes again.
00:13:57
Speaker
hi Nyx, have you seen Baal? and No, no, he's not here with us. Nyx looks around.
00:14:08
Speaker
Maybe you left the ship early. Did he say anything? and so I take it no one here has heard anything. He didn't find anyone say anything to anyone. Seth shrinks. Not since the night before.
00:14:20
Speaker
Okay, well, he don't want us to know. That seems to be pretty self apparent. Oh, good. We're back to keeping secrets amongst each other. Lovely.
00:14:30
Speaker
Right, so from what you just said, do we think the piss new is no longer a safe place for us to go? It's directly in front of you and open.
00:14:42
Speaker
Okay, just sounds like this is no longer our safe house. what Did anyone else get that impression from what we just said? No, but I am not the best at reading people.
00:14:55
Speaker
Okay, what do we want to do? We had to wait for the smoke to change above Ogramorfs, didn't we? Indeed. I believe that it's still a couple of days away.
00:15:07
Speaker
However, that being said, I would like to go to the Mystic Quarter. They made me feel very welcome. I would like to see if people are okay.
00:15:19
Speaker
Can I ask a question, DM? Mm-hmm. Reigns is just glancing around and is just seeing how people are responding to Alpha, knowing that he bears partial resemblances to the creatures that just attacked the city. So Reigns is just checking to see just what kind of reception Alpha is getting on the docks.
00:15:35
Speaker
Make perception
00:15:45
Speaker
16. None of the creatures that attacked the city looked humanoid. And Alpha was on view for all of the city to see yesterday and during the games as we, you all, as you look around, no one is looking at him with fear.
00:16:08
Speaker
A few people are noticing that Alpha and then you all by wider extension were competitors in the games. The people are measuring their sort of fan-like interest with just the sheer level of chaos and destruction that happened overnight.
00:16:29
Speaker
So there's people are interested in seeing you but not threatened. It's the impression you're getting. But you were in an interesting point where there's lots of people coming out from the bay back into the city where you are, as opposed to being further into the city, let's say.
00:16:43
Speaker
So a lot of people are coming from the bay like you have. Yeah, Reigns will know Alpha's got a lot on his mind and won't unduly raise that with Alpha, but as they move into the city, Reigns will just be keeping an eye on that. A temperature check, say, on how people are responding to Alpha, given them that the architecture and the the crafting of Alpha does resemble the creatures that attack the city.
00:17:05
Speaker
Got you.
00:17:07
Speaker
So what does everyone want to do? Alpha wants to go to Mystic Quarter.
00:17:13
Speaker
I'd like to go check in on... The people of Clan Shadow Shield, check they're alright. Seth will ah move towards Alpha and just kind of nod like with a smile.
00:17:25
Speaker
Yeah, um I'll keep you company, Alpha. And I guess Seth, if you're coming too, that's agreeable. Seth will nod.
00:17:37
Speaker
Nyx? ah Sorry, sorry well what did you say? Alpha wants to go to the Mystic Quarter to check in there, which is also near Ogramor, which is good for him
Exploration and City Dynamics
00:17:51
Speaker
to be able to look. Not that we think Ogramor will be ready for a few days.
00:17:55
Speaker
I wanted to go towards the south southern part of the city to check in on the Clan Shadow Shield folk.
00:18:03
Speaker
And probably hit the temple. Right.
00:18:08
Speaker
Essentially, until Ogramor is available, we're at a bit of a loose end. um Then we'll see where Bovrin went.
00:18:18
Speaker
You recall Bovrin went to the Tidesong during the night, the ship that and
00:18:26
Speaker
took control of the snowdrop after the events of the flying alligator. flying Where did the Tidesong then go? It is also jettied, not far away from you, but it is empty. Okay, need to track Bovrin down or Draggle down to let him know that I found Bovrin, one of tools.
00:18:44
Speaker
As you guys look like you're sort of pressing on, you notice a familiar looking goblin come up and approach you. It's Victoria, the the watcher outside of your your penthouse, your underground penthouse suite.
00:18:59
Speaker
And she's what makes a beeline for you, Emron, and just puts a finger straight into your belly. Oi. Oh, um, hello.
00:19:10
Speaker
I came to let you know I've cleaned up your room.
00:19:16
Speaker
Oh, thanks. Yeah. um Also, your friend, he'll be back tonight.
00:19:26
Speaker
He's got a little trip.
00:19:30
Speaker
Oh, did he say he told you to tell us that he'd be joining us at the Piss New tonight? Yeah, that's where we'll bring him back.
00:19:38
Speaker
Okay, even though we were told to go somewhere else. Okay. Was that tomorrow? What? Doesn't matter. I'll talk to myself. um Oh, well, thank you for tidying up.
00:19:48
Speaker
It's all right. Do you any laundry? ah Apart from what wearing right now, no. All right. If you have laundry, just let me know. I'm supposed to offer to clean your shit now as well.
00:20:00
Speaker
All right. Everyone will fish out a couple of silver pieces and say, you're in trouble. thought you were going to fish out your underwear. put Freshen this up, love. but she's Pulled them straight off. yeah natches She snatches the silver ah in within less than a beat of you producing it.
00:20:18
Speaker
I like to think everyone's underwear has quick release, like Velcro straps to it. Just never know.
00:20:26
Speaker
Gets hot in those blacksmith places. Like everyone almighty just prays and whoosh. When we're blacksmithing, it's just ah just an apron in. Just an apron. At least you've got something protecting your man nipples. Protect the manhood.
00:20:40
Speaker
yeah Ass cheeks out. Sorry. okay
00:20:46
Speaker
After taking her money, she turns and heads back towards the piss noob. Cool.
00:20:53
Speaker
What do you guys want to do?
00:20:57
Speaker
ah Seth's going to, um when there's a moment of like silence and everyone's going to sit there, Seth's just going to turn to Alpha's back and just shove him and kind of like usher him with his hands, like flick, flick, flick, like go on, off you go And nods his head. Yeah. Alpha just kind of jerkily turns his head um towards the direction and of the mystic quarter.
00:21:21
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Emron, Nyx, whatever you decide to do, and Emron, I suppose we shall see you later back here tonight.
00:21:32
Speaker
And I am walking off as I'm saying that. Okay. Reigns will follow and just turn and go and later than Emron. I mean, I can come with you want. I was just roasting ideas what I'd like to do, but yeah, you know, I don't have to. You are more than welcome. yeah if we want If we think sticking together is better, we can do.
00:21:52
Speaker
I'm... You said you want to go check in on Clan Shadowshield. No one here would begrudge you that. um I'd kind of feel as if we'd be gatecrashing if we were to do that as well.
00:22:04
Speaker
Okay, well, all alright. i'll I'll see you back at the Pistone then. Yes, with all due respect, the place was beautiful, but it was rather dull for myself. Okay.
00:22:16
Speaker
Nyx, you good? Hmm? Yeah. Are you good? Yeah? Yeah. Savvy, ah what are we doing?
00:22:28
Speaker
Mystic Qualler. Me, Alpha, Seth, Emron's going to check in on some vault, part of his guild, I suppose you'd call it. Yep. ah What do you want me to do?
00:22:41
Speaker
one would What do you want to do? Yeah, take your pick. ah Guess the numbers mean I'll come with Emron.
00:22:53
Speaker
Yeah, you're welcome more than welcome. Sorry.
00:23:00
Speaker
Okay. We just... Going? Yeah, let's go. Well, that they're off. Let's go. Let's make our way. Okay. By nature, dice roll.
00:23:12
Speaker
We'll follow Emron and Nyx first.
00:23:16
Speaker
So you guys head to the Iron Quarter.
00:23:22
Speaker
which requires you to push through towards the center of the city once again. And en route, you find that largely this city looks like how you left it a day ago before the attack.
00:23:44
Speaker
Except for a few buildings that are still being repaired, a few monuments that are still being repaired.
00:23:56
Speaker
This would have taken a Herculean effort and with an army of builders and and architects to, within six, seven hours we're talking, turn this city around.
00:24:16
Speaker
Someone has achieved or something has achieved Not just the ability to repair, but also set like cement or mortar doesn't look dry.
00:24:27
Speaker
It looks so doesn't look wet. It looks dry. It looks like stuff has been restored, but
00:24:38
Speaker
it's now months old for other than hours old. It's really curious. Well, I'm getting Final Fantasy 7 Niewelheim vibes here.
00:24:48
Speaker
There are still like makeshift scaffolds and there's still abundances of building material around. And there are still lots of people in contractor's outfits that, that look like they are there for repair and maintenance.
00:25:01
Speaker
You notice a lot of the Kriskra presence has largely diminished and disappeared, but the Orcish presence has near doubled almost like every,
00:25:17
Speaker
Every outpost in the desert was pulled back and they all came to this city. There are more orcs you're passing than anyone else. And again, there are very few orange armband, orange head wrapped individuals. So really Fizzlebang's forces seem to be in charge of the cleanup here.
00:25:35
Speaker
You haven't seen Kriskra, both groups. You haven't seen it seen him to Kriskra since you relanded in the city.
00:25:43
Speaker
When you get to the Iron Quarter, you can't get in. You can't get in because there is nowhere to get to. The Iron Quarter is there, but people are not. You notice that there is no Keltrad being refined. No no one is known as working in any other sector today.
00:26:03
Speaker
Forges are unlit. There are no queues. There are no people gazing upon master craftsmanship. Instead, those people are repairing homes. Those people are restoring graves. Those people are digging new graves.
00:26:18
Speaker
Those people are giving religious comfort, mending streets, mending fences.
00:26:28
Speaker
trying to find the four dwarfs that represent Clan Shadow Shield in a city of restoration would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But eventually you you get to their forge. If you press on, like this is you you you observe this quite early on in the district. So do you continue to actually go to the Shadow Shield forge?
00:26:46
Speaker
Yeah, because he wants to make sure that, you know, it's... it's it's still Sorry, thought was really loud. um If it was still um standing on that... Yeah! Yeah!
00:26:57
Speaker
As you were. That was hilarious.
00:27:01
Speaker
Thanks. Yes, I continue on.
00:27:06
Speaker
So you, side by side with Nick's, are sort of moving against the grain here. There are a lot of people coming out of the Iron District with tools, nails, wooden materials, mortar, that sort of thing, clay.
00:27:23
Speaker
Not many people going in except you, so having to sort of wade through different tradespeople. You eventually get to that district, and this place was hit quite hard and seems to be the last to be restored from what you're seeing.
00:27:37
Speaker
You're sort of seeing some spires of some of the temples that are immaculately untouched or perhaps repaired first. Who knows? But in this district, there is still sort of debris. There are a lot of um piled metallic corpses from these creatures and in ah in a sort of what was at once a marketplace that's now a sort of mass site of picture-like Uruk-hai that are being burned in the the two towers. They're just sort of piled and they're ready for someone to either make use of that metal or whatever.
00:28:09
Speaker
and eventually you get to the the Shadow Shield Forge. It's empty. The tools are all collected.
00:28:21
Speaker
Emron? Yes, mate. It's taken me a while to just come to. Did then anything we just walked past strike itself as odd to you? i mean, it seems like they've...
00:28:43
Speaker
They're all focusing on building the place and refixing the place. I mean, they've done a terrific job. It's absolutely astounding how quickly they've fixed the city. I'm not going to lie.
City's Rapid Recovery Suspicions
00:28:54
Speaker
Like, we're talking... Hours. I mean, if you've got an army of orcs and, you know, the magic powers, the fizzle bangs have and all the artisans around here, I mind imagine it's quite quick.
00:29:09
Speaker
But yeah, it is. It's like... The amount of planning alone to get a place back up. ah it I don't know. Look.
00:29:21
Speaker
No, no, no. Suspicious. Yeah, it does appear bit. of it Yeah, it's a bit. It's not how I expected. I mean, you think about how Goldview looked after that dragon attack.
00:29:33
Speaker
Exactly. And even with the Crisker around, the place didn't get fixed up that quick. And we're talking about what must have been weeks of planning to even get Goldview back on its feet. Like this is almost...
00:29:47
Speaker
Smells like... This was planned. On both sides.
00:29:56
Speaker
I don't know. No one seems surprised it happens here. Walking around. Just feels like... Normal. Normal. it feels I feel anything but normal right now. But like walking around here, you wouldn't know that anything of that magnitude and scale has happened. And I'm just trying to put two and two together.
00:30:18
Speaker
And it just feels like someone here would have known this was coming in order to then prepare for this event. No, no, I know what you mean. Maybe it it is a question that begs asking and thinking about how quickly they seem to have managed to recover.
00:30:35
Speaker
I mean, you got you're more learned in this area than I am. you men How long would it take you to to take a rusted blade and get it back to its pride?
00:30:49
Speaker
Some hours, depending on how bad it is.
00:30:53
Speaker
I mean, it's it's difficult. With magic, with magecraft involved, it might not take too long. But a whole city? how well Well, no, i know exactly what you mean. A whole city is weird. I mean, everyone sort of looks around, and it is strange being in a smithager because the forges are unlit. They're unlit, aren't they, Danny? Yeah, you haven't passed a lit forge.
00:31:18
Speaker
Forges are unlit. like I remember back in Shadowmen in the and the so Smith areas there, and they'd have the forges going all day, all night, because to get a forge really up, to get a forge hot enough to do some really good work, and when you're talking with really strong metals, you have to keep it hot.
00:31:38
Speaker
Because if you let it get cold, it takes a bloody long time to get it back up again. Right, right. that It's a dedication and it takes probably more than one person. ah Danny, question on the table.
00:31:53
Speaker
Nix has taken a while to come to, obviously. As he does so, and this conversation is starting to stir him back and almost wake him up and get his mind away from everything that's just happened.
00:32:04
Speaker
ah What's the soundscape? And is there, can I i don't make a roll for just that walk we've done as Nick tries to pull out that foggy memory of the soundscape of the city as they're walking? Is it chattering, people moving? Does it feel full?
00:32:19
Speaker
ah or is it deathly quiet and uneasily quiet? Because at the moment, he feels off. that this looks like nothing's happened.
00:32:31
Speaker
what's his What's the ears picking up? Does that go with that? Is it it's some sort of silence that just doesn't feel... Yeah. I'll tell you what you see without a role to begin with.
00:32:43
Speaker
You haven't been able to... to...
00:32:48
Speaker
communicate like within a meter of each other in this city without having to shout over hubbub and hustle and bustle and the sounds of factories running, uh, people shouting machines, uh, uh, uh,
00:33:04
Speaker
the just commotion of of music instruments and the celebration of the the jewel and and the people that have traveled from all over Eryth and the the different languages being being um shouted from across various town squares.
00:33:21
Speaker
Now what you're hearing isn't is like a palpable silence. the The city is in mourning. there is There is no doubt that that you are passing people that are um deeply upset, that people have experienced loss.
00:33:38
Speaker
You're passing people that are moving with military-like urgency to to repair efforts. There seems to be like two categories of people, those those who have been enlisted or those who are lifting a finger to help rebuild um and and help people, and those that are just in agony, emotional agony over over what they may have lost over the last couple of hours.
00:34:02
Speaker
it's almost like every other industry that isn't important right now stopped. And people that need to take a breather are taking a breather. And those who have the ability and the capacity to muck in are mucking in.
00:34:15
Speaker
But there's not,
00:34:19
Speaker
Make a perception check if you want to sort of delve deeper into the that. No, that's like I'm with the level three exhaustion as well. Nyx doesn't have the wherewithal to peer any deeper than that. That's yeah. that So returning to Emron, it just just feels visually weird.
00:34:39
Speaker
Everyone, there's there's lots of people here in despair. That's what's making me think, yeah, this happened. But if I was to just come here, I wouldn't have a clue just from looking around that anything untoward has happened. And it's freaking me out.
00:34:53
Speaker
Danny, as everyone looks up, is is one of the chains coming into this or it's going into the desert, isn't it, near the city? Yeah. So there are 11 chains that are so high up in the sky, they look like airplanes flying out different directions.
00:35:04
Speaker
but there is one chain that looks like a skyscraper leaning towards the kingdom, but it just sort of passes over the southern skyline and goes out into the southern desert.
00:35:17
Speaker
Yeah, I don't have an answer for this, Nix, and ah you're absolutely right to question it and think. Yeah, it's worth keeping... You're right. It doesn't sit right.
00:35:28
Speaker
It feels very odd. don't want to do something while we're here, though.
Analyzing Attack Creatures
00:35:34
Speaker
ah I'm yours. You do whatever. You know, when as we passed, just down that street, about that way, there was a pile of the creatures having been destroyed.
00:35:45
Speaker
The creatures that attacked the city? Yeah. Let's go have look at them. Yeah. Let's go do some investigation because, yeah, let's go see what we can learn. Because we didn't have time while we fighting them. So it'd be nice to know because had another dream.
00:36:01
Speaker
Well, I was last night. And I climbed What from like when you're... And Nick won't say the dream, but he points up to the sky. And I climbed up. And this time I was able to climb up. But I'll save me. I got blown off. But I'll save me.
00:36:13
Speaker
And I kept climbing. And then it's like I came... It's like the the platform I was on was almost like beneath the city. And I climbed up through like a drain into this city that was just... You know...
00:36:30
Speaker
you know when you go to a you might You know, when you go to a new place and the buildings are built differently, you go to another... couldnt Like, you know, from Shadow Men to Goldfool, the buildings are built differently. Yeah. Same.
00:36:43
Speaker
You go there and it's very different. Nothing on Aerith. ah cant can't try the buildings. There's nothing like them on Aerith that I've ever seen or seen in a book or anything.
00:36:56
Speaker
Have you ever been to a city in the sky? No, I can't say have, but whatever that is, it's certainly not from, not from Eris.
00:37:07
Speaker
From somewhere else. Right. Let's go find those things. Yeah. Before you get to the point, I imagine you were walking and talking yeah and stopped at the thought where you said, oh, let's go back and have a look at the thing.
00:37:18
Speaker
You just saw that the clan Shadow Shield forge. And there's a, there's a sign out front. very makeshift sign, black paint that's dripping where it didn't dry, that just reads, gone fixing, without an E or a G at the end of either of those words, hastily painted.
00:37:41
Speaker
And it's just propped up against the table, where usually they take orders and and um ah sort of have a cold workbench area.
00:37:52
Speaker
You turn back. back towards this pile of corpses seems like an appropriate word, but they're not organic creatures. Yeah. it looks more like rubble and metal. And as you approach, there were three types of creatures that, that,
00:38:11
Speaker
attacked the city and and only two types are piled here. One, those those sort of human-sized creatures that that were sort of metallic objects with two sheer stone boulders either side of them, like hewn in.
00:38:27
Speaker
And then these much smaller football-sized ones with wings that carried tiny spears and a single eye in the center of that football. They're piled up in two different piles.
00:38:39
Speaker
There's about four or five dozen of those football creatures and about half a dozen to ten of those slightly larger sort of jewel-sided stones. With two shields ones.
00:38:50
Speaker
Yeah, shields as in like they aren't actually shields, they're like rock faces, but the way they're protecting a metal core is like oh it's being shielded. yeah um Picture like If you cut ah a stone hedgehog in half and slightly split those halves apart, both those creatures pile there. And as you get a bit closer, that the football the winged football-like golden creatures, sorry, silver creatures, they are the ones in your dream that that tried to knock you off the chain, unmistakably so.
00:39:31
Speaker
Okay, so everyone's going to sort of kneel down, sort of lift one up. Is it like football sized? Yeah, but it's very heavy. It's incredibly heavy. It's like lifting lead.
00:39:43
Speaker
Okay, so I'm going to hold it. but so he's not going to lift it, he's going to pick it and rock it back and forth on the ground. Yeah, I've seen these before now in the dream. ah from These are from your dream?
00:39:55
Speaker
Yeah, saw them last night. Now, maybe because I saw them in the day. Who knows what dreams are like? I have ah actually don't until very recently again, but that's a different... That's not coincidence, Emron.
00:40:12
Speaker
Well, you could say that it would be a coincidence, but too many things have happened that are coincidences that it starts to be more like this is actually happening for a reason.
00:40:26
Speaker
So...
00:40:29
Speaker
Never seen these before? Not before yesterday. or No background, no history, no Shadow Men tales. Can I investigate to see just in case you know if they're in if they've ever been recorded in any area stuff that I've looked at when I was looking up stuff to make Alpha? Make a history check.
00:40:46
Speaker
This is perhaps more appropriate.
00:40:51
Speaker
Meh. A straight 10. This is not metal that inspired you to make Alpha. This is not forgery that mimics the internal components of Alpha.
00:41:04
Speaker
These are hollow creatures. like It's football shaped, but it's not one solid silver sphere. it is like It's got holes through it. This is this is enchanted. This is a construct.
00:41:16
Speaker
um
00:41:19
Speaker
um But there is something in
00:41:22
Speaker
there is something in you
00:41:26
Speaker
There's something in you that also recognizes how parts of this was welded together and binded together that does feel a little bit about some of the inspiration you had around parts of Alpha's body.
00:41:45
Speaker
Nix is going to stick his dagger in. To the next like one. In between. It's not like a solid object. If there's a gap, he wants to take it and see if there's any icker that comes out onto the blade, if it's mechanical, if it's if it's fleshy. just ah Because he's put this is weird.
00:42:00
Speaker
Nyx has never seen anything like this on the seas. And with the connection with Emron and the dream, and just the environment to which he's in, he just wants to see if, one, this is real, and two...
00:42:15
Speaker
If it bleeds, we can kill it type style.
00:42:19
Speaker
You poke a dagger into this metal, hole-y sphere, and it's just like knocking against a cannonball.
00:42:30
Speaker
It's metal, through and through. I don't think these things are alive. ah Obviously, they're dead right now, but yeah when they're alive, I feel like they are... ah come commanded by some sort of one person in charge, maybe not. Let's do one can find out. And then one sort of rummages in his pouches and he he gets out his, his he looked it opens up a small pouch and pulls out a cloth, opens the cloth, puts his pearl down, gets out some lodestones. I'm going to cast identify on the creature. I'm
00:43:05
Speaker
going to cast it as a ritual. So it takes 10 minutes to happen.
00:43:11
Speaker
Yeah. And just remind me the exact target specifications and identify.
00:43:18
Speaker
if the object is a magic item or some other magical object you learn its properties and how to use them whether it requires a tumor and how many charges it has if any you learn whether any ongoing spells are affecteding the item what what they are, if the item was created by a spell, blah, bla blah, blah. You learn the spell's name. If you instead touch a creature at the casting, you learn which ongoing spells, if any are currently affecting it.
00:43:40
Speaker
I'm basically trying to find out whether it has any magical properties from it or still remaining in it, or I can tell anything from what helped make it. Okay.
00:43:52
Speaker
Based on that spell description, nothing back. Okay. Next. You found nuts? No.
00:44:04
Speaker
Bolts.
00:44:07
Speaker
If they had magic in them, which I imagine it's probably some kind of magic. light Infused or some like something, the magic that makes it work. Fusion-like. Yeah, it's like combining magic with clockwork. You know, have encountered a gnomish clock, you know the ones that just keep ticking. No, but I've encountered an alpha. Is that the same thing that's happening here?
00:44:27
Speaker
Yes, broadly speaking, yes. So Alpha's powered by magic from the memory room, but essentially magic has been put into this mechanical being that's then powered it up.
00:44:40
Speaker
After it takes a beating, that magic probably seeps out, causes it to die, as it were. Well, would it be one person creating all that magic? Because there was a fucking lot of them. How many are in your dream alone when you're getting attacked?
00:44:54
Speaker
It's like a swarm, would imagine. That's either one very powerful person or many doing someone else's bidding. Yeah, many powerful people coming together to invoke them.
00:45:06
Speaker
Depending on how long it takes, I say i don't know the power it takes. I think I'd have to capture one that was alive to actually do this and try and get something from it.
00:45:27
Speaker
oh I'm going to
00:45:32
Speaker
similar almost to what, uh, Emron did. I'm going to just dig into my big, long leather duster coat thing, uh, and try and find my book. But kind of, it's, it's like, it's in a new place. He's, he's not sure. And he can't even find it. He's just like, Oh, fuck is that gone?
00:45:50
Speaker
Oh, God. I'll try and do this from memory. And he's going to just kneel down. He's going to put his hand on one of these nearest flying type mechanical beings and close his eyes. And this purple ah spark starts to, as always, come from his horns.
00:46:09
Speaker
um Unlike... previous times and one if you were to watch the this purple light starts to envelop his horns but it then almost like a bad signal on a crt just starts to fuzz and to fade before coming back stronger and it's just there's some weak connection here like it's not going through eventually um really kind of just willing his hand down uh that power moves from his horns all the way down his arm
00:46:41
Speaker
and And hits the being as I'm going to cast detect magic and see if there's anything that I get from this thing.
00:46:52
Speaker
So for the duration, I sense the presence of magic effects within 30 feet of myself. If you sense 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.
00:47:04
Speaker
And if an effect was created by a spell, you learn the spell school of magic. This spell is blocked by one foot of stone, dirt, wood, or one inch of metal within sheet of lead. Oh, Nix, you're so shit.
00:47:23
Speaker
You dumb. Nix and Ian. ah You spared me having to say, Ian, can you read the description aloud, please, for the listeners? but Isn't it wonderful, though, that he learns as he does?
00:47:36
Speaker
It's all roleplay, I swear. Other than what you get from Emron, yeah nothing in 30 feet comes back to you. ah But you you know the feeling is attributed to Emron.
00:47:50
Speaker
Yeah. Looking slightly confused and shaking his head, the spell didn't not only didn't work how he wanted it to, it didn't cast how he wanted it to. Something's weird.
00:48:01
Speaker
i Your guess is as good as mine, Emron. Yeah. bo I thought thought maybe you had something there. I think it's the metal.
00:48:12
Speaker
Well, at least we've got some kind of magic. Got to be something. I've just weirded out. i These bodies piled up, but the city looking brand new.
00:48:28
Speaker
there's There's sadness around. I've never seen a city react like this. It's almost unnerving. Almost I'd feel better in some way if it had been more pile of rubble and people crying because then at least that's a reflection and on the chaos that's just happened. Yeah, at least we knew what was that. Yeah, the city had actually happened rather than just seeing the people. one or I know what mean.
00:48:50
Speaker
I just can't shake the feeling like this was perhaps planned. in the inside. I don't know. Why, how, you don't, I'm just saying, they reacted really quickly and surely you have knowledge to do such a thing.
00:49:05
Speaker
Right, well, there's nothing more we can do around here. might all try and find the others.
00:49:11
Speaker
Shame. I thought we could get something out of maybe try and find some information. Um, so you're heading to the mystic quarter next?
Mystic Quarter and Healing Efforts
00:49:21
Speaker
Yeah, sort of via the temples just to check they're all right and then Okay. Well, what we'll do is... That was about a 20-minute exchange, so we'll say you're about 20 minutes behind the the rest of the party.
00:49:36
Speaker
Alpha, Reigns, and Seth, you very much experience a similar scene heading from the Harbour District eastward this time ah towards the Fenbark District, where the Mystic Quarter is.
00:49:52
Speaker
Again, you're passing you're passing grieving families, you're passing people hard work, and there is no sort of middle ground. It's either grief or it's industry, but a targeted industry and that on on reparation and and restoration.
00:50:09
Speaker
And it's not just structural um restoration. the the The druids of the Femba district who sort of hold that envelope that enchant the Femba district as ah as a fragment of the past um and preserve that jungle-like quality that once reside over Dralak.
00:50:26
Speaker
That envelope has been sort of shortened. what As you enter the Fembar district, you sort of notice a bit more has been given to the sands and more of those, those st druids are redeployed and that they're out healing people. And you're seeing, you're seeing, uh, that clan very much turning its attention towards, um, helping those in need.
00:50:49
Speaker
You arrive at the Mystic Quarter, and this quarter has been relatively untouched by comparison to the rest of the city, save for a few small offices and and um sort of lavish homes.
00:51:02
Speaker
The four places of note that that you you frequent now, let's call it Alpha because this is the place I think you've traveled to most in and in this city. are relatively untouched. But there is quite a lot of people out in that that initial square. And as you you see that that reverberating building, the workshop of the Changeling, it is just pulsing every single different colour out of its various chimneys.
00:51:29
Speaker
The doors are wide open.
00:51:33
Speaker
You've led Reigns and Seth here. What would like to do?
00:51:40
Speaker
I was going to look round. We are most lucky that it appears nothing around here has been touched. Even the workshop is still seemingly fully functional.
00:51:52
Speaker
And he gestures over, because I don't think Seth's been down here either ah to the Mystic Quarter, so I will be gesturing over to the chain-loading workshop where all the smoke is coming out and changing colour.
00:52:05
Speaker
That's weird. I thought devastation was writhe throughout the city. It seemed to be crumbling. Reigns, with your wisdom, you spy a sheep just walking down the little moat bridge and towards the district, coming out of the workshop of the Changeling.
00:52:25
Speaker
um But Seth, what were you doing? and Just around that time, as I entered into that district, Seth would have got a furrowed brow and would then get a spellbook out and turn to a blank page near the back of his spellbook and just kind of wiggle the page and point out around, but kind of looking at Alpha, wiggling the page, pointing at the page, and then kind of pointing like a where.
00:52:49
Speaker
Hold up, hold up, hold up, Alpha, and Rains will point towards the sheet. Isn't that the chicken wizard who took an interest in you, and or could be, and and particularly did not like me?
00:53:01
Speaker
We must remember not to say his name. It can cause possible very bad repercussions. Yeah. um would occasional so but i mean, it would confirm that's him or not. Just just just saying, this is like chaos agent in me, is saying that if we say his name, he will turn into something else immediately.
00:53:21
Speaker
But I did that a lot already, and and and he doesn't like me with with some good reason. so um But the logic is out. Excuse me, Ogramor. And I'm not going to yell it out towards the sheep.
00:53:33
Speaker
And at that, ah Seth's going to turn around when it's both distracting. He's going to walk off the other direction. But yeah, do this first. About seven different figures in this very busy square begin just shaking and convulsing on the spot, including the sheep.
00:53:51
Speaker
And then you notice as one by one, the chimneys begin just getting very chaotic as well. They're coming out of the workshop with a changeling and they stay in that shaky status for about a minute before that drops.
00:54:08
Speaker
And you're surrounded by about seven different bodies, Alpha at this point, a sheep, a human, an elf, a dwarf, a tree, a chicken.
00:54:21
Speaker
And you're sort of boxed in. And they're also just looking at you intently.
00:54:28
Speaker
I do apologize. I was under the impression i was only going to be talking to one individual.
00:54:36
Speaker
And then you hear a cacophony in five different languages. And in the chicken clucking and a sheep barring and a tree just rustling its leaves.
00:54:48
Speaker
no way I can do that with one singular voice. But they all say, Inside. Now. Unless we all speak the same words at the exact same time. yeah we can do it. Here we go. Let's do that. At 60 exactly, say Inside. And at 62, say Now.
00:55:09
Speaker
Inside. Now.
00:55:15
Speaker
I love the chicken there, Darren. I was the sheep.
00:55:20
Speaker
and class. What up everyone? And Mark was muted.
00:55:28
Speaker
was going gobble, gobble, gobble. Oh, that was all for nothing. That was all for naught. I always appreciate your... Goalboard yourself, man.
00:55:40
Speaker
Don't worry, I'm always doing.
00:55:43
Speaker
What did you do, Alpho? Do i understand what they've actually said? Have they said that in the common tongue? No. So you understand that one was spread in common, one was said in Elvish, one was said in Dwarvish, one was said in Gnomish, one was said in Chicken, one was said in Sheep, one was said in Tree, and one was said in Common. So two were said in Common.
00:56:00
Speaker
Okay, that's fair enough. The others I heard, I will start to walk inside ah the forge as well. um Just while I do...
00:56:12
Speaker
I'm going to kind of put my hands to my head and yeah almost like ah tuning a radio, I'm just going to kind of ah working the fingers around the sides of my head.
00:56:26
Speaker
And seeing as we are now in new D&D rules, I get to cast comprehended languages on myself, which could come in handy in this section. no it's Awesome. Reigns and Seth, are following?
00:56:39
Speaker
Yeah, Reigns will follow. Seth's literally the minute he's they shouted Ogramoff, he's turned turned tail and just walked directly in the opposite direction. Back towards the piss noot.
00:56:51
Speaker
Well, um he's he's going to start approaching people, whether they're grieving or working, and do the same kind of gesture, kind of tap them the shoulder, get their attention, wiggle the bit of paper and kind of gesture like where...
00:57:02
Speaker
What's on the paper? Nothing. It's blank. He's just putting a single sheet of paper up from his spell book and kind of gesturing where... Without me saying what he'd do, which I guess would...
00:57:13
Speaker
yeah yeah it's a of misthought to me he's not saying you stay in this square of the four sort of major places of note in the mystic quarter and you're going up to people grieving and they're just they're marking you with confusion you're going to people i should probably tell you what i'm looking for though that would probably yeah that'd be great and i'm looking for he's going to be looking for a shop that sells like paper and ink and charcoal or pencils that kind of stuff yeah that's what the they after After a few people that you're asking him to don't really understand what you're doing.
00:57:44
Speaker
Neither does Alpha, I've just got to say. Alpha and Callum had no clue what you were doing shaking a piece of paper at me. Good, good. Because Mark was being deliberately cryptic. And Alpha is an idiot.
00:57:58
Speaker
ah Eventually you're directed to it to a magical goods store. um You were pointed to a couple like the Arcane Emporium, which you can't miss. It's it's it's this super um a story for for magical enchanted goods.
00:58:12
Speaker
But there's lots of smaller like inscription um and so of scroll and a writing supplies shops along the way. um we had loaded one specifically avoids kind of magical stuff just because he knows that comes with like it and it's like your map you put marriage before anything and suddenly it doubles in price like you know magic is the same thing so he's going to avoid and aim for those kind of writing so you're just looking for paper and charcoal paper a pen ink chuck or um quill anything like that any kind of writing things say for for a gold piece you would have enough to write for a year
00:58:47
Speaker
fab yeah i'll go with a gold piece that gives me 999 gold nice exactly a thousand i'll take the lot yeah and it's relatively easy to get writing supplies here that's what you're after and then sorry just to finish he would then find ah the nearest group of people who were uh grieving and um just sit and listen to what they're saying um and just kind of nod. if the And then if there's anything he can do to help them, injuries, he's got a little kind of battle kit, and medicine kit.
00:59:21
Speaker
He'll start pulling that. He's got the cantrip mending. um So he'll kind of start mending clothes, just small gestures that he can do to put at ease any of their disarray or or kind of guilt or or fucking grieving, whatever they're really going through.
00:59:35
Speaker
There's a couple of bricks and the pick up he'll just little piecemeal help silently around the area. um But he's kind of on the road area that he knows that, that alpha and rains will have to walk back past to get to where.
00:59:49
Speaker
So he's going to killing time by okay trying to help, trying to fix, trying put things right. Make a meica medicine check and an insight check to try and read social situations and to apply medicine when necessary for them like the sake of an hour or so for, well, Alpha and Rain to do in their thing. Seth's a little bit autistic, so I don't think he's going to be particularly good at um reading human emotions, but let's go with that. Okay, that's a 12 for the medicine check and then insight for reading emotions.
01:00:17
Speaker
Okay, 15. Nice. You spend the hour... Largely listening to people who are who are grieving, hearing a lot of prayers to a lot of different gods, occasionally applying first aid to to people like anyone here who's in dire need is sort of out of your skillset.
01:00:38
Speaker
um And they're like they're attended eventually by by sort of clerics of faith who are doing rounds or the Druids in this district, but you're able to do light touch meant medicinal support. You gain a point inspiration.
01:00:50
Speaker
uh absolutely um and occasionally in that in that time people are recognizing you from the games too and and um you're you're sort of challenged by a few to say isn't wasn't that aren't you aren't you the might lord from the games and uh I imagine you don't necessarily respond to that, but but some people recognize you. Some people question you.
01:01:19
Speaker
Others i don't recognize you at all. Whenever that gets brought up, he's, he, he'll either, if he's working with the person, he'll ignore them and just continue with the work and eyes down. Or if they're just walking past, he'll just totally ignore them, turn away and do something else.
01:01:33
Speaker
And every single opportunity where that gets brought up. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Cool. Thank you. And he'll wait just until they come out again or it's kind of time to go back to them.
01:01:43
Speaker
Yeah. Alpha and Reigns, you head into the workshop and... Reigns, I forget if you've been here. Yes, I have. You did come off first time as well. Frequently. i've been yeah So Alpha's been twice. I came the second time and got told off for being irresponsible.
01:02:04
Speaker
Deserved. you enter that building, it is stinky mess. that building it is a stinky
01:02:15
Speaker
You are greeted by a a female human immediately. And then you're seeing around a werewolf. You're seeing ah rat.
01:02:26
Speaker
You see aarakroquera fly above you. You are seeing humans run in and out. This is like a...
01:02:36
Speaker
a scene in a Christmas movie workshop. Everyone is running and and running with with urgency and and doing activities, but this very docile werewolf, and you're seeing bear running around until eventually...
01:02:51
Speaker
you're just pushed and ushered into this room. So the workshop itself, like if you remember last time, it's all in the state of complete resonance and displacement.
01:03:02
Speaker
And inside it's just sort of scattered with with chicken feed everywhere. And there are just various sketchings and drawings on every wall, schematics for different um a engineering projects, for for architecture, for weaponry, for armor, architecture,
01:03:20
Speaker
The ah supplies here are absolutely raided. there there are but When you last came in, this was this was chaotic, but it was well stocked. Now there is like no metal. There is no no timber. there is there are There are none of these just like loose gadgets and gizmos everywhere. This place is barren.
01:03:37
Speaker
and All of these bodies are trying to um keep up with with some sort of level of activity. and you're You're ushered into this small chamber. And as you go in, it is it is sort of TARDIS-like in its structure. You will loose step into the small room, and it's about 30 feet in in diameter, about 40.
01:03:57
Speaker
And there is this single, white-haired, Gandalf-like beard human that speaks with a really high-pitched tone and says, Why did you have to go and bloody say my
Reigns, Alpha, and Orgrimorf's Workshop
01:04:12
Speaker
name in the street?
01:04:15
Speaker
I am terribly sorry. I'm... Your ever-changing identity, um it seemed a logical solution to find you. you We are all me.
01:04:26
Speaker
I'm just the one in charge. See, now this is even more confusing. I never met somebody who was... many. Usually I'm just one at a time, but this thing in the sky, well, had to split for a bit to help sort things out.
01:04:43
Speaker
That is an impressive skill. Bloody hurts. Now, as I understand it, you're the one I've got to see to about this memory room business.
01:04:56
Speaker
Yes, please. You already know my name. Who are you?
01:05:02
Speaker
i am Alpha.
01:05:05
Speaker
What does that mean? Who are you really? Who is he? Points at, looks at you, Reigns, instead. Well, the name Alpha was a name chosen by Alpha. He came into being as a sentient creature and named himself.
01:05:21
Speaker
I've always philosophized that the name Alpha relates to the astrological term or the celestial term. I'm really bored. yeah
01:05:31
Speaker
ah brilliant The idea of his making. What is it? Who is he? and What's gone into making it? Some steel, a memory rune, and about four bottles of whiskey. Why?
01:05:46
Speaker
Right.
01:05:50
Speaker
The problem is this memory rune.
01:05:55
Speaker
It's very irresponsible. I think you've had this lecture. I won't repeat it. One of me did. Probably one of the angry ones. I'm sorry if you're offended. But it was fucking stupid.
01:06:08
Speaker
Absolutely fucking stupid. Taking a little bit of offense, but okay.
01:06:15
Speaker
This could have been the memory ruin of the most powerful creature that ever ruled the Earths of Ereth. The Ereths.
01:06:23
Speaker
This could have been the memory ruin of a rat. Both are absolutely consequential and terrifying.
01:06:32
Speaker
In their own ways.
01:06:35
Speaker
The fact you didn't know who it belonged to means you wouldn't know how this person would behave in certain situations. or the value of the memories they hold.
01:06:49
Speaker
If, um, you're looking for an explanation as to to why I did it... I don't really care for the why. and just...
01:07:03
Speaker
You care about why that specific memory room, though, right? that that That's information that you'd be interested in. Well, Why don't we find out the who together?
01:07:22
Speaker
Is it that simple? It's not simple, but I've done it before.
01:07:30
Speaker
I have a device here. What do you mean you've done it before? I can temporarily split a host and the memory. Temporarily.
01:07:42
Speaker
You say that like it's a normal thing. but The technology that's in Alpha, I thought, was new to Alpha. you're You're telling me you've done this before, as in you've encountered Abba Nakavolo like Alpha?
01:07:55
Speaker
He's not the first I've met. I made one myself. du i mean that done I assume you're going to expand on that? You made one? I made one.
01:08:07
Speaker
With a memory room? Yes. And where is he? Uh, no longer with us. He failed out in the remote parts of Sleetcart.
01:08:20
Speaker
ah Doing what? I don't know. Him and his lizard friend were said something. Um, but I made him. Trying to find us, Alpha. Was it really? Yeah, it was.
01:08:35
Speaker
In particular, us. I see. You mean oh Magnus? That is what I called him.
01:08:44
Speaker
I love this! Then is this his memory room that I have here? And going to pull out like the little kind of black obsidian style type of thing that I literally crawled into that creature to get. I'm just trying to find. I'm going to show him this nicely polished up and cleaned up.
01:09:09
Speaker
i'm go to say <unk> I've always assumed it's obsidian, but that's Callum assuming. Alpha has no idea. I'm really thrilled you kept that.
01:09:20
Speaker
ah That's the last thing we need to do this experiment.
01:09:27
Speaker
Oh, that's very convenient. Yes. Good foresight. Thank you. It seemed important. it was, is important to me.
01:09:39
Speaker
Magnus was the first ever of my kind that I ever met. Lucky for me, I knew a memory. I understood the memory rune I used.
01:09:51
Speaker
We don't know who's inside you, but let's find out.
01:09:59
Speaker
May I have that? He holds his hand out you, Callum. yeah To you, Alpha. To me, wow, this has got really real. Alpha gives him the yeah little black obsidian thing.
01:10:15
Speaker
Now,
01:10:20
Speaker
I need to ask, and I fear the worst.
01:10:26
Speaker
There's a phrase.
01:10:29
Speaker
Oh, no. That I implanted deep within a friend of mine who I sent to find you.
01:10:39
Speaker
think she died in the jewel.
01:10:44
Speaker
I wonder if you've learnt the phrase. If she told you.
01:10:52
Speaker
Can you contextualise? A friend you sent into the duel. so Much sooner than that. When I learnt that Nakavolo landed in Goldview.
01:11:05
Speaker
I sent one of my assistants. A half-orc. To find you there.
01:11:14
Speaker
Not that she knew.
01:11:17
Speaker
you talking about Marola? So she did find you.
01:11:25
Speaker
She found us alright. She, um... It's bit of a sore subject because we traveled with her for some time and... Well... Yeah.
01:11:39
Speaker
She had a very public... Uncomfortable ending.
01:11:47
Speaker
That's regretful. But... It was. She did what I asked.
01:11:55
Speaker
Get the Nacarolo to me.
01:12:01
Speaker
Hold on, hold on. I'm struggling with this. All this time, I mean, i got a level with you. I thought Marola hated my guts for a large part of the time that I was spent traveling with her. and and And she certainly didn't seem to be in any...
01:12:18
Speaker
And she didn't even seem to remember us. that that there' There's a... There's a lot I'm not getting here. I'm not going to say your name because I know you'll you'll turn, but there's a lot I'm not getting here. And I just...
01:12:36
Speaker
Alpha... I don't think there's any other... word or phrase for it, Brains. It seems that despite whatever illusions I or we may have had about the direction we were going or what we believe, we have been led here.
01:13:05
Speaker
It is either a case of incredible foresight Or possibly manipulation. I'm unsure.
01:13:18
Speaker
But perhaps this person has more answers than what we may give him credit for as to my reasoning for being here and what i what connection I have to everything that is going off.
01:13:33
Speaker
out Alpha, we've been...
01:13:39
Speaker
targeted the second since we landed in Goldview, that means. That means we've been a part of something here. Much bigger than that. And beyond all that, Alpha, you have to know that before you do this, that in my eyes, you you are you.
01:13:57
Speaker
I understand what he's saying about the memory room, but the memory room wasn't... I didn't do it to to bring back whoever was in that room. When I was given that room...
01:14:09
Speaker
and told it would work. I did it because I... I felt obliged...
01:14:20
Speaker
I've made stupid word, but to make you... and i just what Just hear me out, Alpha. Please, people please, just hear me out.
01:14:28
Speaker
Are you ready for what he could say to you?
01:14:37
Speaker
I am unsure. I know that you have told me my original purpose, the reason people started looking into building constructs and things like me was for war.
01:14:55
Speaker
You have gave me one different purpose. You have let me find my own purpose. I am still searching.
01:15:06
Speaker
Perhaps this is a step in the right direction. for good, for bad, or for consequence, I believe this is something that maybe I am fated to do.
01:15:22
Speaker
Whether it's for me, or for you, Nix, or for the people of Scorch Helm, for the people of Aerith, I do not know.
01:15:32
Speaker
You can call it destiny manipulation, or any other series of words, but Coincidences seem to all point me to at least give this a go.
01:15:46
Speaker
If I lose myself along the way, then... Fair enough. It is maybe a wrong choice, but... At least it will be my choice.
01:16:01
Speaker
Reigns will turn to Orgrimorf and will just say to him...
01:16:10
Speaker
He's still going to be the same after whatever it is you've done. Yes. Entirely untouched.
01:16:20
Speaker
Reigns will just turn and look at Alpha and go... It's
01:16:26
Speaker
been a heck of a 24 hours, Alpha. ah lot of what I thought I knew about myself and my place in the world has changed, and
01:16:41
Speaker
I don't know. I guess I'm not ready for who you are to change as well. But that's my own call-ups and my own problems. and
01:16:53
Speaker
Okay. aunt lama I'm here for you. You you you do you find out what you've got to find out. and well I have confidence. I have confidence in this man's abilities.
01:17:05
Speaker
Or person's abilities.
01:17:10
Speaker
Whichever it may be. It seems your friends are here. One moment. And he'll just raise a hand. And at this point, I presume this was the destination of Emron and Nyx also.
01:17:24
Speaker
If we don't make any more sounds, we can hear exactly what they're saying. It's brilliant. I've got my ear to the wall. I can hear everything right now. And then the wall, the door opens that you your ear to and you just stumble into the room.
01:17:39
Speaker
And you see Emron in the doorway.
01:17:43
Speaker
Seth's just following with a big stack of paper with a big grin on his face as well.
01:17:51
Speaker
seems So, of what's going on in here?
01:17:57
Speaker
Emron sort of looks in. Ah, I see you found... No, don't. Don't say the name. Emron looks towards what Argramorfen says. Just words, him.
01:18:09
Speaker
He's got a name, Emron. Emron's not an idiot, Callum. Nix is.
01:18:22
Speaker
Emron comes in.
01:18:26
Speaker
Right, where you at? I mean, it's lucky you're ready to... You are the other creator. He looks at you, Emron. Correct, yes. Then I am also looking for your consent.
01:18:38
Speaker
to temporarily suspend your child. Oh, um, Alphas, Alphas himself, I can't give consent on Alphas behalf. Well, the other one did, just points at Reigns.
01:18:54
Speaker
Dads are fighting again. but
01:18:59
Speaker
ah it is okay, Emron, just say yes, it is fine. Yes, it is fine. Then I need a couple of things. He takes the piece of obsidian that once belonged to Magnus.
01:19:17
Speaker
The one who imbued the magic was... whom? That was me. takes this and he places it in your hand.
01:19:31
Speaker
Now my assistant...
01:19:35
Speaker
she had a...
01:19:38
Speaker
A phrase that I cannot utter in my tongue.
01:19:45
Speaker
phrase I hope you learned while traveling with her.
01:19:51
Speaker
It is the last thing we need to activate this. And it's going to just slowly produce a series of runes on the floor. And there is this sort of white static charge you all feel beginning to resonate in the room.
01:20:07
Speaker
Your hair is standing on end. And occasionally when you touch anything metallic, like your sword at your hip nicks, there's just like a little static shock. And the room just sort of resonate and power up.
01:20:22
Speaker
And Reigns, you're holding this what was a very innocuous piece of of stone before, but now you can feel in your hand is swirling and pulsing. It's lucky you've got such good memory, Alpha. You should be able to remember this.
01:20:37
Speaker
Yeah, bollocks to you, do
01:20:41
Speaker
I don't have a perfect memory. Neither do I. It's malfunctioned. I only got 12 names.
01:20:49
Speaker
I forgot about that. We really need to talk about that.
01:20:55
Speaker
I require phrase. She didn't know it, but she would have helped you encounter it. Madam Chikonis!
01:21:06
Speaker
And as that echoes... Yes! Yes!
01:21:16
Speaker
Alpha temporarily falls to the floor. and The fuck did i do And you watch as this eight pronged magic missile like extrapolation from his body all hits this stone you're holding reins.
01:21:31
Speaker
And it's actually, you have to use your two hands to almost stabilize it. And you're holding it now like it's an American football and you're about to but throw the the, you're about to be the quarterback. Alpha just falls to a heap on the floor.
01:21:46
Speaker
And then the resonance in the room reverses, the pitch, the tone reverses, and this light spills out of what you're holding in this vacant space in the room.
01:21:59
Speaker
And it emanates in this really light blue glow that begins to just morph and shape into an elven female figured form. And eventually the light sort of reveals like a hologrammed version of someone, Star Trek style almost.
01:22:17
Speaker
It is this white hair, Galadriel-like, with these two very long, prominent elven ears, this diamond-encrusted headpiece along her brow.
01:22:31
Speaker
She's slightly taller now, though slightly thinner. She is wearing this this ah blue cape under a regal blue
01:22:44
Speaker
sort of denim leather chest piece.
01:22:51
Speaker
And then you're hearing echoing throughout the chamber sounds of a woman running and fleeing. Alpha, all you're seeing are these moments replaying
Alpha's Mysterious Royal Connection
01:23:03
Speaker
in your mind. the one time you've had a recorded dream, you were running through a courtyard amidst the the smells and sounds of battle, and you were being chased by someone that looked exactly like Reigns.
01:23:18
Speaker
Oh my lord. And in a pile on the floor, you those close enough will just hear Alpha whispering princess, princess, princess over and over. And then this elven figure takes form still in this sort of blue holographic glow and falls into the room as though her herself has been sprinting. She's entirely out of breath.
01:23:42
Speaker
turns around the room looking at you all severely surprised and then clocks rains holding this stone and unleashes this huge volley of lightning at all of you.
01:23:53
Speaker
And just at that point where you're about to get hit by four, five separate bolts of lightning range and you begin to recoil in fear, that is where we're going to end this week's episode of The Fellowship of the Tablespot.
01:24:04
Speaker
Oh!
01:24:06
Speaker
No! No! That's not where we end this! ah then he just sounds like Alpha's dead. tell us how You have to find that next week. No, no, no. Tell us now. shoot in a class Just on the side. Tell us on the side.
01:24:20
Speaker
Tell me on the side. We can have a cheeky side episode. Nobody else needs to know. that was great. That was great. Oh, that was great. oh Oh, I don't want to end this episode.
01:24:36
Speaker
Actually, if I end this episode, we can find out quicker, we right? find That's how time works. I'm sure that's how it works. The listeners can't find out, but we can. Well, no, because we won't be able to find out until the listeners find out because we still need to record the damn thing. So that means that I'm going to end this episode now for you all because that gets us closer in just...
Dramatic Cliffhanger Conclusion
01:24:55
Speaker
time oh to next week even if it's just like five minutes down the road it's closer to next friday because that's what we want after that epic ending which leads me to say thank you for tuning in listening make us a party every day week we love you for it if you wanted to check out our x page we have one It posts sometimes helpful images on there that ah like maps and characters. And anytime we get sent up like a board with loads of little writings and drawings and trying to make sense of notes.
01:25:31
Speaker
Check it out. It's at Photoshop Table. Then if you wanted to go one step further and follow us individually, you can do so too. I'm at iRoll1. PoohBear is at Natural20Will. Darren's at DarrenPage06.
01:25:43
Speaker
Mark's at HazelyRollDM. Callum's at VD20Gamer. And our VIP of D&D Dungeon Master Danny can be found at TotalPartyThrills. And till next time, guys.
01:25:57
Speaker
Farewell! Come on, hurry up.