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Ep. 130 Alpha Bereft - Bellum Draconis
26 Plays27 days ago
As the Winged Watch continue to plan, Reigns’ sudden departure has caused Alpha to malfunction.
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Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
Music kindly provided by Fesliyan Studios
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Transcript
Playful Banter & Introductions
00:00:01
Speaker
Where's your daddy? What's he doing? I've been reading all of this and it's been coming up and I'm just like, don't laugh, Callum. Where's your daddy? Don't laugh. Put the cookie down. In the chat box.
00:00:12
Speaker
Look at me. Look at me. I'm your daddy now. What's next, Esther Alpha? Okay, here's the plan. Get your ass to Shadow Man's.
Episode Introduction: Setting & Characters
00:00:52
Speaker
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Bellum Draconis. We are a live play 5E 2024 D&D podcast set in the magical home-brewed world of Aerith in the kingdom of Dralak.
00:01:04
Speaker
Joining you for this week's episode, we have Pooh Bear, who plays the human cleric Emron. Hello! We've got the Edgelord Callum, who plays the war-forged Artificer Alpha. Hello! Will, who plays the Dragonborn Druid Balvalcon.
00:01:17
Speaker
hello Ian, who plays the tiefling war-sorer, Nyx Carell. Oh, hello. My name is Mark, and I am playing the human blade singer, Seth Pharoah Reaver. And by last, but by no means least, is our Warden of Wonders, the Wizard of Whimsy, the Warlord of the Wondrous, Dungeon Master Danny.
00:01:33
Speaker
Bonjour. We find ourselves in a... Temple of Aledo. In Sleekgard. And we hear over the marble steps of the floor, just a little
00:01:54
Speaker
as a small child sla slapping a bare foot walks past and disappears off the silence again. And then again, we hear
00:02:05
Speaker
and we see, ah fuck it, i can't be asked do three
Plot Points & Character Dynamics
00:02:08
Speaker
times. We see old girl with his click-clacking long fucking toes and long nails. click-clacking over. He's looking around like he's lost something.
00:02:16
Speaker
Over one shoulder, over the other shoulder, and he seems confused. Then he remembers, and he opens his mouth, right and out from there pulls the orb.
00:02:29
Speaker
I really should plan these, but anyway. And he got a bit of spit, little bit of grime, and he cleans it off, stares into it, and then looks towards us. I just broke my record.
00:02:43
Speaker
Puzzle pieces! Baal questions whether the Upchriscra will turn the Lost Prophecy to their benefit in some sort of way. Nyx wants to know the mission statement from the Winged Watch, and it turns out it is to defend. Rains argues that the strength of the Winged Watch lies in the heroes of Aerith, and the Winged Watch has no active members in the Upchriscra.
00:03:05
Speaker
Oh, titty. Until Rains is all like, wait a second, don't you have a brother in the Upchriscra? And everyone's like, oh, Bullshit he done said it, he almost done revealed Sparrowhawk's identity.
00:03:16
Speaker
What dumbass! And Gnome Drago's like, get out of here, boy, and throws him out of the door. And they start wondering what the role of the dragons be. They're worried about Sleekguard and Shadowmen and what's going on there. Emron spills some beans of alphas regarding his memory runes.
00:03:34
Speaker
Perhaps there was some sort of ancient deal struck between Sleekguard and Shadowmen and those demon folk. Alpha is wanted by both sides, by the Leopold side and by the Shadow Man side, and oh, it is.
00:03:47
Speaker
Drago is all like talking about Princess Helena Sleetgaard being that other person in the Sky Dream, which is news, I do believe, to a lot of people. It's the first person.
00:03:58
Speaker
The group decides that they are going to vote to put the song out there. Ah! And the group get a new mission from the bosses that be. They can choose to do loads of really fucking cool stuff, but they decide on locating an agent in Beach Barrow Port. And whilst they're talking about that, Nix is all like, I'm going to fuck your brain, boy. And he finds out that it's McBetter is the person they're saving. and Go back and listen to the Shadow Man Tales if you don't know who that is.
00:04:23
Speaker
Seth appears to be breaking in his mind for some point. And Sparrowhawk is all like, there's still kind of a few people in this room that I don't trust. So don't go revealing my identity like that
Tension & Distrust Among Characters
00:04:34
Speaker
guy did.
00:04:34
Speaker
The group struggles to choose which group they are. But like I said, which to go on. But like I said, they eventually choose to save McBanner. And Drago's like, Emron, don't die, boy. You just find out McBanner's face and let fate and let me know.
00:04:48
Speaker
And Sparrowhawk's like, Seth. Don't die, boy. And apparently the others can go fuck themselves. Seth's hearing a super weird voice in his head. It's like, Seth's-a-frenia.
00:04:59
Speaker
Oh yeah.
Mission Planning & Personal Dilemmas
00:05:00
Speaker
And Reigns, when they come outside, has just completely fucked off. He's like, screw you guys, I'm going home.
00:05:10
Speaker
f That's fucking... We need to coin that. yeah I like it. Well done, Hobbs. Two main characters with two, like, conditions. really good observation there, Callum. That was great. um
00:05:32
Speaker
Two people with the two two two things. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Fantastic. Five years in, he's gotten sharper, guys. Not that much sharper.
00:05:46
Speaker
You find yourself in this dark sewer. This lead iron door slams shut behind you.
00:05:59
Speaker
And you hear
00:06:01
Speaker
These words from Reigns.
00:06:06
Speaker
A task ahead of you, the Winged Watch, have asked you to complete. A reunion in two weeks with the entirety of the ring Winged Watch planned.
00:06:18
Speaker
How does this latest spanner in the works affect you?
00:06:26
Speaker
What do the five of you wish to do next?
00:06:30
Speaker
Seth's going to instantly create the John Travolta meme and we'll just hands wide looking around over and over again ah look at each of the other people.
00:06:43
Speaker
Everyone sort of looks it' like, for fuck's sake. And he he's going to go over to the the the ledge door and just and just bang on it just quickly see if someone will answer. There was no response immediately.
00:07:01
Speaker
why' A response after about 30 seconds.
00:07:10
Speaker
Okay.
00:07:14
Speaker
Can I try the door? Yeah. I try and open it. You open it. And it reveals a cupboard.
00:07:24
Speaker
A cupboard... of tools, of chains, of sort of wooden scraps.
00:07:34
Speaker
It's about two, three feet deep.
00:07:40
Speaker
Forksick. We just got room of requirement, I did. i don't get that reference. um ah Right, I was going to suggest that we get the wing watch to find...
00:07:54
Speaker
Wherever Reigns has gone off to have a sulk. Reigns has gone home? Why? Good question. Is that true? is it is ah Is this definitely him? Is it a trick? what It's his kind of spell. It's his voice.
00:08:11
Speaker
He has used it before. He has. Well, why is he fucking off
Debate: Rest or Proceed?
00:08:16
Speaker
now? I don't know. I mean, you were with him for most the day while I was out. Has he said anything since Marota's funeral?
00:08:26
Speaker
Not that I know of.
00:08:31
Speaker
I don't know. i I don't know. I mean, I assume that something set him off. I can't let him go back to home. He's got an hour's lead on us, How are we going to get to him?
00:08:45
Speaker
Where's he going to go? I just want to put it out there. This... It's not my doing. I know that I've got some ground to make up wave with this group, um people just randomly disappearing, but i couldn I swear down, guys, this is nothing to do with me. I have nothing, no part to this.
00:09:06
Speaker
I am as confused as the rest of you. Also, that we're calling Alpha Al. That's also confusing. I wish to insight check Nick's because everyone doesn't trust what Nick's saying. That's fair.
00:09:19
Speaker
What do roll? ah Deception. That was my automatic one. I was like... and if you If you're being truthful, it's persuasion, but don't tell us the what you're picking.
00:09:32
Speaker
i it the If you're trying to deceive, it's deception. Emron will roll insight. And while this exchange is going on, can I just ask Baal to roll a perception check for me as the person with the highest passive?
00:09:44
Speaker
I can perceive you. um So, Emron, what did you roll? I got a 16 on my insight. And Nyx, what did you roll? 20. ah twenty You believe whatever Nyx says. Okay. In that moment.
00:09:56
Speaker
Also, I'm very sorry. Just thought I'd put that out there as well. While I'm feeling a bit ah for everything that's transpired. Maybe it's a bigger conversation for another time. Right now, though, I just want to put on, I'm on your level.
00:10:08
Speaker
Don't know what's going on. I'm hoping that you and Alpha might have some insight given that. ah Other than he's just gone off in a, I don't know what set him off. to go and go, oh, watch this. You know what?
00:10:20
Speaker
I'm going to say, fuck everything else. I'm going go home after he's been came me looking for another sleep guard and wants to go, like, don't know, and learn how to sail boats and go rescue her. And then we've just just discovered from Drago that she might be the person in the visions, therefore we're going to meet her anyway.
00:10:35
Speaker
And he just fucks off.
00:10:39
Speaker
He's just outside. Like, maybe he didn't go all the way. mean, it's gone for luck. Alpha's running. at That suggestion, Alpha's just running. In that moment, Bal, what was your perception? 14. you recall none of you are holding the bag of holding?
00:11:00
Speaker
Motherfucker! It's with your departed party member. For fuck's sake. Loot that party! Loot that party! You're going to loot us, baby! If anybody has...
00:11:12
Speaker
If anybody has any Artificer Infusions that they're benefiting that Reigns have generated, any magical items that Reigns was concentrating on, any bonuses that Reigns was affording you, they are instantaneously gone.
00:11:24
Speaker
I think they're all on him. They're all on him. Not a sharer. Okay.
00:11:29
Speaker
Did we have anything in his bag of audience?
00:11:35
Speaker
Whatever's not on your character sheet. Okay. he every on your character sheet Yeah. He gave me one of them as the infusions when we were trying to escape with the egg, but he claimed that back again for the parrot um infusion. So, of course, redistributed anything. So, yeah, I've not, I don't think I've lost anything particularly there.
00:11:51
Speaker
So, um but yeah just bear in mind, people anyone holding lots of coin right now, you're literally holding lots of coin. Okay. Okay.
Character Motivations & Loyalty
00:11:59
Speaker
I have a bag of holding on me, if but... Not many people know about that.
00:12:03
Speaker
Okay. Oh.
00:12:07
Speaker
Let me take that back. Do you want to wreck that? Anyway, we didn't know about this whole bar thing anyway. um This whole Raid thing anyway, did we? The whole bag of holding thing because that was perception, sorry.
00:12:21
Speaker
Bars just made that. Bars made that. Yeah, um I'll make it clear to the group easily. Yeah, definitely. So they're aware. Alpha has begun running towards the Yeah, i don't get I'm running. We need to follow Al and Alpha and just fucking Al.
00:12:32
Speaker
I love that we're calling him out. I'm here for it. It was his name in the... It was his name in the tournament. It was his name in the fights. Can he see in the dark? Or is he just running blindly? think he's got headlights. That's a very good point. I do not have dark vision. Oh, no! Let's just hit the wall!
00:12:52
Speaker
It's like pinball wizard up there. I like to think that Alpha's got that the residual light from you guys and then just ran off and not realised. Alpha, but would you say you were running at um and an immediate pace, like at a concerned pace?
00:13:09
Speaker
ah the instant that it would have been maybe he's just waiting in outside, Arthur would have kind of turned and dashed. Okay. It was without was doing about 300 foot of like meandering corridors.
00:13:21
Speaker
So um the first time you make contact with a hard right angle, I'm going to get you to roll a D4 to determine your speed for me.
00:13:32
Speaker
Two.
00:13:35
Speaker
Take three points of bludgeoning damage as you run straight into a stone wall. But nothing else in this other night. That didn't sound good. That sounded painful. I am fine. Careful of the wall.
00:13:47
Speaker
The sound of like a shopping trolley hitting a brick wall just echoes down ah the corridor. It'll buff out. It'll buff out, right? Like something from Jackass. Oh, for fuck's sake. Alpha, wake up. This is the a firework in my ass.
00:14:07
Speaker
Alpha, wake up. Stop rushing ahead. Alpha's not listening to you, Emron. I'm going to kind of fumble around in my satchel, just grab... the first mechanic puts his hand to, which is going me like um an old crossbow bolt that he's kind of got.
00:14:25
Speaker
And I'm just going to use the light cantrip on it just to give me something to see. So now I'm dashing through this and holding this very lit up crossbow bolt.
00:14:38
Speaker
Then, ah yes, within about sort of ah two two minutes or so of ah running through these corridors, you arrive back at that... um Staircase that ascends into the library once again.
00:14:50
Speaker
um There is a sort of small pressure plate that as you are running, and in those instances, I'm not saying you're caught by trap, but that causes the the um doorway to the library to reopen. So just running and you see that stone move again.
00:15:04
Speaker
And you're out in the library. It is an evening now. There is no light in this space once again. And seconds behind you, imagine, are the rest of the particles.
00:15:18
Speaker
Alfred, Alfred, stop, stop, stop, stop. stops Just slow it down and let us have a little bit of a chance to just think about what's going on here. Obviously, if Reigns has done a runner for whatever reason,
00:15:33
Speaker
then he's decided not to stay behind and tell us about it in person.
00:15:41
Speaker
Is he going to be easy to find? if does is is this Does he usually do these cries for help? Is it a cry for help or is he serious? Is he actually trying to get himself back to to Shadow Men?
00:15:54
Speaker
Reigns is not much of a character for deception or lying. If he had said he's making his way back to Shadow Men, I do not see the reason in him not going.
00:16:07
Speaker
How would he get back to Shadowmend if you were Reigns? Like, how would you get from here to Shadowmend? I mean, he's not the most, let's be honest, he's not the most worldwide person. You know, he does have some very naive views about certain things.
00:16:23
Speaker
He's quite young for his. ah Yeah. ah So what would be the quickest way? I don't know, unless he tried to find a teleporter or a boat or... don't know, he could hand himself in to the Shadow Men people who were trying to kill him at the games.
00:16:42
Speaker
He was obsessing over boats recently. definitely saw him poring through a few tomes. Boats. Boats would be a safe option to get to Shadow Men.
00:16:54
Speaker
I'm going to the docks. oh No, Alfa, just wait. He's had an hour's lead on us. Nix, you're a man of the waves. What's the tide like? whens so If a boat's going to leave with the tide, when would that be today?
00:17:09
Speaker
You don't leave in the dark. It is dark at the moment. Yeah, it's coming to midday. We don't sail in the dark, especially not out of port, because you don't know which way you're heading. You could just end up ah easilyly easily marooned on the shore.
00:17:23
Speaker
So he's not going to be taking a boat at least until sunrise. And even then, it's not exactly at sunrise. It's a couple of hours afterwards. but So he might not have gone yet.
00:17:35
Speaker
He might be waiting at the docks. Even then, like the docks is going to be quiet at this time. No one's going to be loading the boats either. but Not unless they're really anxious to go. But I think given the given what's happened to this place, as Nyx looks around, ain't no one going to be loading any boats up quickly.
00:17:53
Speaker
going to all wait until midday. Right, so... Isn't the dockside where we're heading? Well, we've got that's where we're staying, but that's not where Trunks is. if we're going to We need to decide how we're getting to this... Beach Barrow Port. Beach Barrow Port. I've got an idea. If it's the docks that we think he's going to...
00:18:17
Speaker
I've got a contact there. I've got a friend, Vlad. I could just get in touch with him and he can be on the docks, keep watch out for Reigns. And he can tell Reigns where we're going or keep an eye out and message me. or He's really good. like Before we entered the crown of the duel, he told me exactly who we were facing because I asked him to keep a watch on the docks and he came up with a big list. So asking him to look out for one elf is going to be quite easy when that elf is as obvious as Reigns.
00:18:56
Speaker
So you guys can decide how we are getting to Beach Barrow Port. Nick, will go to the docks?
00:19:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, yeah we can split up if that's that's the way you want to do it, Alpha. When do we want to leave? and then Straight in the morning? With rings? No, if we can't find rings, we need decide when we're leaving to get to Beach Barrow Port, given that there's a clock running.
00:19:20
Speaker
Yes, and it sounded like they hadn't heard from this person in six hours when they told us, what's that, seven hours ago. If they're worried about a six-hour gap in information, surely time is of the essence.
00:19:31
Speaker
We need to be going now. We need to be getting gone. There's there's a sense of urgency there, isn't there? It's whether we've got the supplies and the equipment to be able to go now, bar whether we need to wait until morning to actually be able to get trunks supplied for our ourselves.
00:19:48
Speaker
Because, I mean, how how long does it take to get there?
00:19:53
Speaker
But will look around. ah Anyone like looking at maps here?
00:20:00
Speaker
Would we know this from looking at the map, Danny? Would we would we be able to kind of guess? Make a survival check. Oh, I'm good at that, but I haven't got my rod on. I'll give you guidance. Yeah, boy. Okay. I'm going to touch your ass.
00:20:15
Speaker
I'll take that guidance. i need to Seth will aid you by your help actions by like pointing at certain things and using his two fingers to like do the two little pokey things and help, but probably just get his hand slapped away once or twice probably.
00:20:28
Speaker
Okay. ah If it's not with advantage, it's 17 overall. and Did you, you rolled the na c four yeah? yeah ah that's with a top. Yeah.
Logistics & Coordination
00:20:42
Speaker
the
00:20:45
Speaker
The map you have is not a perfect scale, but it's not bad. It's a shorter distance than Snake Run was to Scorch Helm. You'd wager via Elephant and one less cart than last time. It's probably four day safe journey.
00:21:05
Speaker
Three and a half if you were to exert yourself.
00:21:10
Speaker
Via the roads, that is. Right. Well, fuck. I suppose a few hours doesn't make much difference. Sorry. Seth's going to scribble down on a piece in his and spell book and we'll just rip it out and hold it up. and he just says thought you can hold it ah Before you can hold it up, the ink is absorbed into the page. Oh, I forgot about that. Okay, okay.
00:21:32
Speaker
He'll do that exact face I just pulled. ah and then And then we'll not make the noise, obviously. and But for a podcast, I need to make a noise, otherwise you hear what I'm saying. And then we'll just put the page and we'll just point to...
00:21:44
Speaker
I can't point to my wrist because that's not a watch anymore. um he Are you doing this visually? are you Yeah, he but he's not going to point to it. I was going to point to my wrist, like watch, like time, and then point like arrow, like going, but he's not going to point to his wrist because there's no such thing as clocks. So he's just going to point quickly in one direction. Well, there is clocks. You can have...
00:22:04
Speaker
Nick's mind is connected to yours while you're doing this. He's just going to brush his consciousness with yours again. are you trying to say? ah no instant Instantly shut down. the the and no Nope.
00:22:17
Speaker
And he's going to look at you like wide eyes. i oh Nope. While that's happening, everyone's at bar like, so four days.
00:22:27
Speaker
That's like, I mean, us waiting till morning won't make a difference then, will it? Unless we could get a boat. everyone looks at Nix would go in by sea be quicker
00:22:40
Speaker
let's have a look at the map I'll hand it over you know you wouldn't be able to get charter ship this late at night you'd have to wait till the morning anyway unless you're willing to risk a very drunken crew taking you out no Nix doesn't know the person we're going to save and has no emotion he sees it as the task and the job he's willing to ah to help everyone out, but but he's not going to charter a boat full of his friends in the dark depths of the ocean, especially when his patrons out there.
00:23:14
Speaker
Depending on the ship that you get, depending on the tide, depending on the wind, it's maybe a two day journey at quickest via boat, three at slowest.
00:23:27
Speaker
I mean, we can commandeer a ship. There's two ways of doing it. We pay our way on the crew. And that costs a lot. Or we borrow it.
00:23:40
Speaker
Okay, so trunks it is. Seth's going to smile up, borrow it, and then we'll do like a an elephant nose with his arm and then run his hand like across his neck and then hold his hands palms up like, hmm?
00:23:54
Speaker
No, we're not killing trunks, Seth. Shake his head, shake his head, shake his head.
00:24:01
Speaker
Nick can't sacrifice trunks. He'll do the same thing again. soon! Nick puts his hands over his head. Again, he does trunk trunk trunk nose. And then, hmm? You're right. We don't know what condition Nick thumbs up trunks is in.
00:24:21
Speaker
Nodding, nodding, nodding. He better be fucking well, otherwise that stable owner's going to always it a fucking elephant. Okay. And Seth starts pointing again, checking. If we, I mean, I'm assuming that we're not going to go on this into this mission exhausted, so we're going to need to rest before the morning.
00:24:39
Speaker
How about some of us quickly go to check on the stables to see if we can see Trunks. We're not going tonna be able to talk to anyone at this hour, I'm sure. If you wanted to get to the docks to see if Reigns was there or talk to this contact of the rules.
00:24:53
Speaker
but Okay, Vlad. Who is this Vlad man? It's just a boy. It's just a boy who hung around in the docks and don't know. He was just wanted some gold and was really helpful.
00:25:07
Speaker
Good boy. hope he's alive. Yeah, actually, i'm I'm going to go to the docks and i will sort that out. um Does anyone want to go and check?
00:25:21
Speaker
I'll go. Nicely check. Secretly check. If he hasn't handed himself in.
00:25:29
Speaker
What, you mean to, in the middle of the night, go to where the various groups are? Because they won't be there. Why the fuck would he hand himself in? I don't know. Everyone mentioned it.
00:25:41
Speaker
Safe travel? Maybe. Maybe not. Suicide? Suicide. a buddhist They wouldn't kill him until he got back to Shadow Men. How do you know that? But didn't you say they tried to kill him in the middle of the bloody duel? They did try and kill him in the middle of the duel. The most public place, you know, that everyone's watching and...
00:26:00
Speaker
If they want to do it, they do it. I don't know why he'd hand himself in there.
00:26:07
Speaker
Okay. um You know him better, I suppose. Right.
00:26:12
Speaker
We'll go check on Trunks. I'm with you there.
00:26:17
Speaker
Seth, Alpha, Nyx, go to the docks... find this boy that Nick's employed.
00:26:28
Speaker
Vlad, I am worried that he'd probably be asleep, but I am also thinking like, yeah, some shit's gone down. Okay. Maybe see if the, uh,
00:26:40
Speaker
if the owner of the piss newts up, maybe he can try and start getting supplies together for his ready foot morning. I mean, it doesn't have to be Vlad. I think it's valid to have someone like the owner of the piss newt, just someone on the docks that could just, if they see rains go, this is what they've done.
00:27:00
Speaker
We could leave, we could leave word, maybe see if, um, we can find someone to tell the wing watched what's happened as well. I can send one of the critters out to do exactly that if needs be.
00:27:13
Speaker
Where are we at with water and spells to make drinking water? I can make as much as you need. I can make as much food as you need. Just tell me if that's what you want me to do. Oh, no. Well, that does sort out our supplies.
00:27:25
Speaker
No? Yeah, we can go tomorrow without having to go anywhere. I can prepare it tonight.
00:27:32
Speaker
Okay. That works.
00:27:36
Speaker
Right. Is that plan then? Nick, Seth, Alpha, go to the docks. We'll go check on trunks.
00:27:48
Speaker
I will quickly send word as well to the pissed newt, just for the sake of time, to
Emotional Exchanges & Alliances
00:27:54
Speaker
our... ah bartender if you like just to see if he's looked out for him and if he has to kind of keep reigns there i mean then to to be fair well if you're if you're doing that maybe there's no reason for us to uh vlad's gonna be hopefully asleep um i'm not gonna walk the docks shouting his name at midnight and I didn't really think this through. i just There's a lot of things going on right now and I'm trying to best foot forwards. but if if if I am trying.
00:28:27
Speaker
um But i if you're going to send word to piss new guy then i mean like that's kind of all we're gonna do is just walk through and by the way if you see this high elf artificer roaming around the docks can you let him know that we've gone on a jolly and speaking of artificery emron or or alpha can either of you do that ah fun little talky stone thing that that rains did is it worthwhile you you can select who who hears it does i think i heard rains talk about that
00:28:58
Speaker
can we Is there any point leaving kind of word? Do you mean sending stones or like a message thing? Well, whatever the fuck, hed he sent on that copper piece down for us in the sewers.
00:29:09
Speaker
He left a note for us, didn't he? Can we leave notes for him that only he'll be able to hear? I don't know how it works. You've got the magical of fancy hands. I missed when Mr. Jim was just writing things down. Now everything's a voice message.
00:29:27
Speaker
its It's too 2024 for me. D&D 2024. I miss three. it was dry ah Give the time. Alpha is a spell that you can do. It's nothing I can do.
00:29:46
Speaker
Yes, I do not believe it to be artificially. I believe it's more of a spell-based ah incantation. It's not something I have the knowledge for. I can check through my books tonight and have a look.
00:30:00
Speaker
No promises. Okay. so it So where are you heading? Danny, am I right in thinking that there's no point in us going to the docks is all I'm saying. Like if if if we can get a message. What's your intention? What's your intention to the docks?
00:30:17
Speaker
Oh, sorry. I was being nixed, not Ian. yeah I put you in the actual group there, DM. Okay.
00:30:27
Speaker
Intention of the docs is to send a message saying, and yo, Reigns has gone for a walk. If you see him, this is what we're doing. Don't get on a boat.
00:30:38
Speaker
That's what I was going to do for Vlad. But given the time, Vlad ain't going to be around. And if he's not around because he's no longer here, Nyx isn't ready for that yet.
00:30:48
Speaker
So there's a good chance where Bile could send a message to the innkeep, which is the only other fucking person we know um around the area to the piss new and send said message and I feel like that's cool.
00:31:05
Speaker
Go, Nick. Going to send a message to Gumba? Yeah, that's the name. ah so I was like, i I need the name of the person, first and foremost.
00:31:16
Speaker
And then I just need to basically have a location for it. um I could cast it as a ritual, but I'm not going to. um Yeah, I just need to find a tiny beast. So be they rats or bats or preferably something winged would be probably safer.
00:31:31
Speaker
um It's the dark of night. Bats are a plenty. amazing ah Rats are plenty. ah you wouldn't You wouldn't have to... Are you sending a bat? i That's the actual bat.
00:31:44
Speaker
Well, yeah. I mean, there's several there. That's fucking cool. You're so good. thank you And what you'll see Bal is kind Do you need to be able touch the creature? I'm just going to have a quick look now. One action, 30 foot range, it says there. Okay, then yes. I was going to say catching a bat is very difficult. Yeah, fuck that. And I need a charisma save from the bat as well.
00:32:06
Speaker
But if it's got a challenge rating... Oh wait, if the challenge rating isn't zero, it automatically succeeds. So it has to be a little shitty um creature. ah It rolled an eight. okay that Oh yeah, no I smashed that out of the park with my dootsie, eat shit bat.
00:32:21
Speaker
And you'll what you'll see Bal do is you'll see him kind of breathe ah into his hands, almost like his his mouth is like a furnace, but smoke comes out into his hands. And you see him kind of swirl it round and just send it up in the sky. And it makes contact with one of these bats that then comes down and is almost drawn down. Like imagine a cartoon where good food is created.
00:32:41
Speaker
And that's that that kind of um like floating on the scent of the good food. That bat kind of comes down to his hand and just rests in his hand. And I have, I think, a message. Does it say 25? 24 hours. I'm just trying to see if what limitations I have on it.
00:32:58
Speaker
ah Specify recipient. ah commute Yeah, 25 words. Okay. ah So obviously I specify Gumbar, what he looks like, and I specify the pissed mute as a place. But I have 25 words to be able to speak to this.
00:33:13
Speaker
um And i mean, I'm going to have to say it slowly so that I can count on my hands. And I haven't pre-prepared this like a twat. I'll say, Baal. If Reigns is there... s like thank you i'll say um
00:33:25
Speaker
its ba
00:33:28
Speaker
if rains is there
00:33:32
Speaker
Keep him there. He must not leave Scorchhelm.
00:33:41
Speaker
We need him. Thank you.
00:33:47
Speaker
Full stop. ah
00:33:51
Speaker
We'll be there soon. Four more. Thank you, Goomba. tits remind me can he reply
00:34:05
Speaker
and mind remind me can he reply ah No, no. What it does is it and yeah it can travel for the duration, which is 24 hours, um up to 50 miles technically, and it arrives and it delivers its message to the creature described mimicking my communication.
00:34:22
Speaker
um But if it doesn't get there in the time, the message is lost and the beast basically comes back. Can your bat take also like a note? That's not quite... The bat's already flying away at this point. Okay, no, I didn't know if it was like we could strap a note to its legs and like... I mean, I suppose you you could have done... it's do I need to get another one?
00:34:42
Speaker
No, no, no. I'm sure the message is fine. Click-pop! The bat flies northward in the direction of the ducks. Are we going to be able to go get Trunks now?
00:34:55
Speaker
Seth nods. We got him in the middle of the night before.
00:35:01
Speaker
Yes.
00:35:05
Speaker
Okay. Seth has a really big grin on his face. I don't know where we can keep him until we're finished with our rest, but if if we know that he's there and he's alive, that's... Could we rest on the road?
00:35:19
Speaker
We did have a cart with him. He's got a cart, so we can... It all should be there, so we could rest and travel... Simultaneously? At the same time. Clip, sleep, and clob.
00:35:30
Speaker
Yeah. then I did want to nip to the forge if we were going to go straight away.
00:35:37
Speaker
Go now? Yes, that's kind of like shooing you. We can get Trunks. We leave tonight? Okay, give me an hour and I'll meet you at the Trunks' are stable.
Searching for Missing Character
00:35:49
Speaker
Okay, one hour at Trunks'. I mean, if we can't get him, do we break him out and leave a note? I don't fucking know how it works. I mean, we own him, don't we?
00:35:58
Speaker
Savvy. i assume Alpha, what are you doing?
00:36:04
Speaker
good Good stuff. I don't know. so what Alpha's gone. Alpha's left. this stuff ras You have an hour, Alpha. You can run and do what you can in that time.
00:36:17
Speaker
We'll give you an and half. Nick, will there anybody at the docks at all at this time? Anybody who may have seen a passenger? Security. And there'll be watchers on the docks to make sure that no one falls in because there's hardly any light.
00:36:31
Speaker
So you get people walking up and down. Guards. Whores. And you'll have... ah Ship hands as well. Deck hands just making sure there their own ships are okay.
00:36:44
Speaker
Especially given what's going on. There'll be people around. It's just not hustle and bustle. It's an easy time to slip by to be honest. Slip by. So even if I go there, there's a chance they may not have seen Reigns if he has boarded a ship?
00:36:57
Speaker
Depends on what Reigns is trying to do. If it was me, if I were Reigns and I wanted to go home via a boat, if I didn't have the coin...
00:37:08
Speaker
to barter my way on board, it's the perfect time to sneak onto a vessel. He had spent a lot of his money recently, hadn't he?
00:37:19
Speaker
So you you'd be wanting to look for a ship that's more quiet. You'd spend some time, if it was me again, you'd spend some time walking up and down the docks trying to find the ah ship that was the quietest, fewest people around, didn't have a lot of light.
00:37:36
Speaker
You could slip in quite easily. undetected I'm not sure which route Reigns may have taken i I am going to the docks please do carry on and get drunk I i and simply have to ask if anybody has seen him I can give you a boost to your ability to kind of look for things or talk to people do you have a preference
00:38:02
Speaker
Preferably talking. I okay believe that is something that I am severely lacking most of the time. You're talking about um Callum or you're talking about Alpha? Both, actually. and i I mean, I'm sorry. i kind of When I was learning the spell, I only learned how to do it this way. I'm just going to have to tap your bum and I'll cast Enhance Ability. I don't remember and In the same way that Bala's done it all campaign so far. Enhance Ability.
00:38:29
Speaker
And I will give you the, it's a concentration, so it's only for an hour, but that's how long you're given, isn't it? Ooh, the new one. i don't It's not even called something fancy. I can just say that you've got, I'm choosing charisma, so you've got advantage on any charisma checks.
00:38:44
Speaker
ah Fantastic. the next step How long are you going to be, Alpha? How long do you want? How long would take me to get to the docks from where we are? About half an hour at this time of night. there weren't you won't have any crowds that you're navigating.
00:38:58
Speaker
Cool. I will probably back in an hour, an hour and a half, something like that.
00:39:06
Speaker
A few simple questions. Alpha and looks into the group. I know the docks.
00:39:14
Speaker
Travelling in numbers is safer. Or do you want me to come with trunks? Use me as the best tool for the job. If I may be so pointed, Nick's maybe the best person to discern which ship Reigns may have gotten or snuck onto rather than myself.
00:39:36
Speaker
Plus, given that you are, you know, wanted by various groups, I don't like the idea of you wandering around alone.
00:39:44
Speaker
There we go. Savvy. ah Okay, so Emron, Forge, Seth, Val, Clip Clop, Trunks, Alpha.
00:40:00
Speaker
Thank you, Nick. Okay, hour and half at Trunks. 89 minutes. See you then. I mean, none of us got watches, so, you know. Seth's walked off.
00:40:12
Speaker
course, yes. I will sprint after and catch up. So, Chunks is stabled in the southern road just on the edge of the Milk Gate district. ah About 200, 300 feet outside of town. About the but the busiest parts of town, but not far.
00:40:35
Speaker
We'll follow Alpha and we'll follow Nyx, is that correct? Yep. through to the harbour district first. And you sort of navigate very familiar routes. You head back to the centre of the city and then through those alleyways again until you are at the Pisnut and then you're looking out on that very familiar view.
00:40:55
Speaker
It's sort of bang on midnight at this point. And...
00:41:02
Speaker
Largely, this is what any dock district in any city in Eryth would look like at midnight. It is full of drunken revelers. It is full of bars that are, taverns that are that are full and and hazy.
00:41:17
Speaker
There is not much activity, and certainly given the events the last couple of days, that there is not a lot going on in the bay in general. Most of the city is back on land at this point. The docks themselves on the jetties, aside from a few sort of revelers and people just sort of passed out, a couple of homeless um persons and ah revelers moving between taverns.
00:41:42
Speaker
There's no one who immediately um might be a person of of information, like there's no there's no ah sober, active voice that isn't isn't um impaired in some way.
00:41:58
Speaker
But it's not far to the Piss Noot, should you want to sort of make that direct detour and just waste Bile's spell slot entirely.
00:42:06
Speaker
But you're there. You're looking at the vista. Well, if you could, in in the dead of night. You look out to the bay and you know there are ships out there. You can see lanterns on those ships, like twinkling stars out amongst the ocean.
00:42:19
Speaker
ah all the So walk in the docks, the clip clock of the woods, where he met Vlad and he sees ah sees all the ships. Is there a sense that any of these ships are less protected than the other?
00:42:36
Speaker
um Is there any check that I can do that if I was to want to sneak onto a ship, I could discern my best chances out of what's here?
00:42:50
Speaker
Make a section check.
00:42:58
Speaker
ah That could have been great because it's in between an 18 and a natural 20, but I got seven.
00:43:07
Speaker
There are a dozen ships moored in this dock.
00:43:18
Speaker
I'm going to be fucking honest with you, man. I can't see which ship he would have gone on. There are couple of, and almost a hundred anchored out in the bay. The ones on the dock, you'd know that it's not a good practice to leave anything valuable on ships overnight. So the ones you can see, most are cargo ships.
00:43:39
Speaker
Some are fishing vessels. Some are emissary vessels. Some are pirate ships, but they are guarded. They have their crews on them. And they are pirate ships that, none of particular fame or infamy, but pirate ships nonetheless.
00:43:57
Speaker
There is no clear sort of vacant military vessel or spare vessel that um either... you see as a lucrative opportunity. You could try escaping on a fishing trawler, but you would you wouldn't get fired before something caught up with you quite quick. yeahp You could try escaping on a cargo ship, but again, that's a heavy, large need for crew vessel.
00:44:20
Speaker
You could attempt a pirate ship, but you're going to you're going to encounter conflict there if you're unlucky and unstealthy. there is nothing um There's no sort of dignitary vessels or or kingdom um navies of of any note around. It's not like you can see a Shadomendian heraldry on one, right? You know, that that's not abundantly clear.
00:44:44
Speaker
These are mostly independent vessels. You know in the bay, the largest armada is Vossen's collective of warships. yeah um that you You can see for just for how many lights are on a series of these Mano war style ships.
00:44:59
Speaker
vessels.
00:45:03
Speaker
So that there is opportunity. There is opportunity of the vessels that are there, but you're looking for two things here. Something to steal. There's easy stuff, but hard to crew. Easy stuff that's very slow and hard stuff that will probably get you killed if you go if it goes wrong.
00:45:19
Speaker
um Okay. Final check then for me is is there, after having been here and looked at the ships and got close enough to hear the the drunkards of the Pissnute Inn and kind of get sense of the vibe, but is there a solitary figure walking up and down the docks as part of their job, as part of their, um um i not affiliated with any ship, affiliated with the dock and taking coins for um mooring at the dock and for its general like upkeep and a security check?
00:45:56
Speaker
Since the Ipkriskret departed the city, that regular patrolling has sort of stopped. It's ruled by three powers. It's ruled by the Orcs, which aren't in this part of the city, generally.
00:46:10
Speaker
It's ruled by the Khrisgr, and they have left the city. Or it's ruled by Vossan's crew, and they are scattered everywhere ah in clusters. They are mercenaries just collected under one banner um that are largely lawless.
00:46:24
Speaker
They abide the law of coin, um and in the evenings, they just partake in the same standard of revelry as as ah non-banded mercenaries and and city dwellers.
00:46:37
Speaker
So it's not like, no, there's there's like an official moving up and down. This isn't this isn't a kingdom that recognizes empire that that has that sense of law and order. This is a free port, you know. and
00:46:49
Speaker
To find anyone with a sort of job and purpose and a need to be there to to be helpful, again, it would be a wait till the morning or look elsewhere than this district.
00:47:03
Speaker
Cool. Thank you. Alpha, I've walked up and down this dock i've looked at the ships as best i can i'm trying to get a sense of anyone who's just here doing a job who would look out for people and unless you've seen anyone i've got i'm coming up with nothing why are there no sober people at this place that's just the habit of and the fun that comes with being a part of a crew
00:47:34
Speaker
Honestly, one day I hope ah hope that you can experience it. and Not in the same way that we experienced it like yesterday. um Like I said, proper proper crew. is There's something ah magical about it. and I have a crew.
00:47:48
Speaker
Nixon Reigns was part of that crew. But now he's gone. He still is part of the crew. We just don't know where he is. I feel lost.
00:48:00
Speaker
He has been with me every day, genuinely, since I was brought into this world. And he's gone. I don't know where.
00:48:11
Speaker
I don't know how.
Mysterious Encounter & Insights
00:48:12
Speaker
And I'm still very unsure as to why. Well, what does when you look inside yourself, what is it that Reigns is doing? What's your what your soul telling You've been with him all this time.
00:48:31
Speaker
You must have a sense of what he would do.
00:48:37
Speaker
Alpha pauses for a moment. And if he could if he if he would breathe, you'd probably see the big gun inhalation type of thing. It's almost like he's just buffering. um
00:48:51
Speaker
Brains would probably be doing what he thinks is the right thing. Okay, yeah yeah, that sounds like him. bit ostentatious.
00:49:02
Speaker
um But most of the time it's not the right thing. Most of the time it gets him in trouble or us in trouble. Okay, I see where you're going with this. What's the picture like in your head?
00:49:17
Speaker
he's He's gone back to Sharamand. He's... cautious. He's curious. He wants answers and he thinks that's the only place that he can get them.
00:49:30
Speaker
Okay. So he's rains his worldly experience. How does he get there? What's he do? He comes to the docks. He sees what I see. Nothing.
00:49:42
Speaker
He finds alternate means of transport. Okay. You would still want to leave quite quickly. Given that it's midnight.
00:49:55
Speaker
I mean, the most obvious thing here is he's gone back to his room at the Piss Newt.
00:50:02
Speaker
and yeah Depends on how right his mind is or how ah desperate he may be.
00:50:15
Speaker
I suppose we could check at the Piss Newt just in case. What's the best foot forwards here? I would just feel better. What do he's doing? Trust your instincts. You, out of all of us, maybe not Emron, knows what to do.
00:50:32
Speaker
What he would most likely do. Let's trust that. Okay, I believe Reigns may go back to the Pissnoot to try and source some alternate means of transportation or possibly rest for the evening.
00:50:45
Speaker
Okay. Probably would speak to the barkeep there. Okay, I trust you. Then after that, we can go back, get on Trunks... Let's leave a note if the if just in case Biles' awesome some bat didn't work. We can leave a note yes spot in his room. We can slide one under the door.
00:51:07
Speaker
Yes. Okay. Just on the off chance he's somewhere else. This is logical.
00:51:14
Speaker
No, this is you. Knowing what your friend's going to do. So I trust it. Let's go.
00:51:23
Speaker
Okay, so yeah, we'll marry on and waste Barl's spell slot entirely and make our way to the pit loot. Do apologize, Barl. Where's your daddy? What's he doing? I've been reading all of this and it's been coming up and I'm just like, don't laugh, Callum. Where's your daddy? Don't laugh.
00:51:41
Speaker
Put the cookie down. In the chat box. Look at me. Look at me. I'm your daddy now. What is to Alpha? Alpha. Okay, here's the plan.
00:51:52
Speaker
Get your ass to Shadow Man's.
00:51:59
Speaker
We're going to the piss noot. And you walk into that very familiar scene.
00:52:05
Speaker
Celebrations are reserved. Revelry is slightly reserved in inside compared to some of the pre-Jeweled Desert Dead champion evenings where it's been sort of chock-a-block in there and the the bards have been but playing absolute bangers.
00:52:21
Speaker
the Given the sort of the distress of the last couple of days, it's it's slightly more reserved, it's still busy. People are still consuming an awful lot. um And as is keeping sort of as more tradition in Tralac is that it's not necessarily like ale that's flowing. It's more substances that are being taken.
00:52:41
Speaker
um There's that long wall to the the the east side of this room that sits on that geothermal um ah sort of fissure. And there's lots of these hot pools that are just letting out steam. You walk in and it's sort like an inhaling um both a mixture of tobacco and steam.
00:52:59
Speaker
Your lungs feel both um cleansed and then um burnt at the same time. It's it's ah it's an interesting interesting concoction. There are two tiefling bards playing what looks to be a set of metal and wooden skinned drums in unison together. and there There seems to be this sort of pulsey dance that that about two dozen
00:53:29
Speaker
ish revelers are sort of partaking in no lyrics or anything being sung, but it, but it's more but tribal. Let's say you see Gumbar relatively hard at work, but not not in his absolute top gear as you've seen him before.
00:53:43
Speaker
And he sort of notes as you come in and then makes a, makes a curious look towards the both of you. um And then serves a customer and again, sort of looks back you with this curious look and sort of shrugs at you from a distance.
00:53:57
Speaker
Alpha's probably going to just start striding his way to Gumbar. ah had to Kind of had a and acknowledged to us going in. and Alpha's going to lean in.
00:54:10
Speaker
Have you received our bat? I got your bat. Yeah, Gumbar got your bat. um
00:54:17
Speaker
Have you seen Reigns? um
00:54:23
Speaker
I'm not sure. Someone went down to your room earlier. have been him. Right, okay. ah There's almost like a look of joy that comes over that, and Alfred's going to start heading down. hey, hey, hey. Is there any cow tread around?
00:54:39
Speaker
Yeah. Nice. Can I get some? Yeah, no problem. Do you want to ah ah inhale or inject?
00:54:54
Speaker
What did I do last time? DM both. You sort of sampled sampled on the tongue. Sampled on the gum. No, you stabbed into a wound, didn't you? Oh, sorry. You fucking smashed it into wound. You put yours in the bloodstream. Inject, my friend.
00:55:13
Speaker
ah And then he just sort of um points at this room in the back, which seems to have a lot of cushioned areas. And then you just get given this sort of quite pretty china plate ah with this small line of this amber-like sugary substance.
00:55:31
Speaker
Can I take it to go? Like, I don't want to shoot now. More later. sort of scratches his head. Or is that better to take an ingested one if we're going to... ah No, no. Like a takeaway service, you know what I mean? I just don't have any bags. I've bags. Or I can just, you know... ah I can put it in an empty bottle.
00:55:52
Speaker
perfect uh hold on it's dry and he just sort of picks up this bottle tries to tries to shake out as much as possible dries it off and then then sort of picks up this ornate china plate and just sort of tips it very slowly in like gram by gram and then hands it to you with a really uncertain look on his face you are a gent and a scholar how much i'm not supposed to charge you anything so two gold I'm not supposed to charge you anything. Okay, to gold.
00:56:23
Speaker
If you do see Reigns, tell him that we're looking for him and stay put. Yeah. ah so Here. but this and I don't go really. Thank you very much. but but but Come on, Al, let's go.
00:56:35
Speaker
but And he just sort of turns to the next customer without any hesitation and he's he's straight on deserving the next thing. I've got some cow trad in a bottle. You descend down into the room where the...
00:56:49
Speaker
There are no orcs playing cards at this point. It's just the fireplace. You step through the illusionary fireplace and there is Victoria still just sort of sleeping at this point. It's the middle of the night and she is just on a stool, face planted against the wall, drooling, heavy snores.
00:57:07
Speaker
I'm not waking her up. I'm not waking her up. You're waking her up. The door is ajar, though. to you You're waking her up. Wake her up. The door is open. Guidance. we have We do not have any need to wake her up.
00:57:20
Speaker
but to What she saw, right? All right, fine.
00:57:24
Speaker
Yeah, Alpha's not going to think about that. but in Open the door, go in. As you step in, you hear a lute playing. Oh, for fuck's sake.
00:57:38
Speaker
Don't pull the strings off this.
00:57:46
Speaker
As you walk into the chamber... A fire is lit. It wasn't lit when you were last there. There is a figure sort shrouded by the light of the fire, stood at the far end of the room.
00:58:00
Speaker
ah There appears to be no sort of food necessarily laid out, but there was a small like a carafe and a couple of goblets on the table um of liquid.
00:58:14
Speaker
And the stringed guitar just plays.
00:58:22
Speaker
What you do?
00:58:27
Speaker
There's no figure around. You just got the... There was a shrouded figure that stood in front of the fire at the far end of the room. You just can't make out the feet their features necessarily that from from peering in the doorway.
00:58:38
Speaker
Nix is just like kind of elbowing Alpha and making an over flamboyant gesture with his eyes towards the hooded figure as if to go. Alpha's going to look at him.
00:58:50
Speaker
You are not Reigns. Reigns cannot play the lute. No, I am not Reigns.
00:59:00
Speaker
Reigns may not be good for much anymore, I fear.
00:59:11
Speaker
Please elaborate on that. Come, sit. We should probably raise a toast to your father. In his memory.
00:59:21
Speaker
What the fuck?
00:59:26
Speaker
I fear he's walking to his doom. Where is he walking?
Negotiations & Moral Implications
00:59:33
Speaker
That is for him to discover.
00:59:38
Speaker
But...
00:59:40
Speaker
He's on borrowed time.
00:59:44
Speaker
You know where he's going?
00:59:48
Speaker
Yes. I heard at the coin. I was there. Well, not with you, but I hear all Seth hears.
01:00:07
Speaker
Look of puzzlement from Alpha. Look of recognition from Nyx. Nyx, you get handed a goblet of wine, red wine from Prego.
01:00:20
Speaker
Alpha, he pours one, pours it back in the carafe and then just leaves the carafe and the wine goblet near you, knowing that you don't necessarily partake.
01:00:33
Speaker
I feel it would be wasted on myself. It is a good wine.
01:00:43
Speaker
Why did you come back?
01:00:46
Speaker
I am looking for Reigns. He is not here.
01:00:51
Speaker
But you know where he's going? Do you know how? No.
01:00:59
Speaker
No. The only time I can see you is when Seth moves. Reigns is now regrettably out of my vision.
01:01:16
Speaker
Then you are of no help to myself in my current mission. I'm so offended. Break all the majestic has been nothing but help to everything you have done thus far.
01:01:29
Speaker
Your words, they wound me. But... I hate how much i like you sometimes.
01:01:40
Speaker
This is troubling for you nonetheless.
01:01:46
Speaker
I do think you will not see him again.
01:01:53
Speaker
No. No, I will.
01:02:00
Speaker
I will find him.
01:02:04
Speaker
You will.
01:02:07
Speaker
You will find tomb, a memorial, I think.
01:02:22
Speaker
He is... Family is complicated.
01:02:29
Speaker
they just need him removed.
01:02:36
Speaker
i will die before I let that happen.
01:02:40
Speaker
Yes.
01:02:43
Speaker
Though I fear you not will not be the only one who dies as a result results of that prince's actions.
01:02:57
Speaker
Sibal and Seth made an agreement with me that no harm would come to three of you.
01:03:09
Speaker
One of you, it seems, is in danger, grave peril.
01:03:21
Speaker
its It is up to you if you tell Seth this, but...
01:03:25
Speaker
I fear his time is number two.
01:03:30
Speaker
You seem to be like the guy making all the deals. What kind of deal would it take? Because my soul's fucked. What kind of deal would it take to... You say Baal is still under a deal?
01:03:48
Speaker
no So what would it take for us to rid Seth of any deal with you?
01:04:00
Speaker
He refills his cup.
01:04:08
Speaker
I would have thought, dear Nixcurell, that for one who has just tasted The air of freedom.
01:04:19
Speaker
Once again, you would not so quickly wish to be burdened.
01:04:28
Speaker
Yeah, I'm a really slow learner. What would it take to free Seth?
01:04:41
Speaker
Deal powerful. More powerful than I can make.
01:04:48
Speaker
ah
01:04:51
Speaker
Seth is bound by an agreement, a pact that I made with him, an unbreakable agreement.
01:05:04
Speaker
The only way to forge an agreement more powerful than the one i made is for you to strike an even more dangerous bargain with a being greater than I. Yeah.
01:05:23
Speaker
And I would not wish that fate upon anyone. For my brother, my brother will not hold back.
01:05:39
Speaker
Brother's it's also the one that struck a deal Morota, right?
01:05:47
Speaker
Yes. Is there a way to contact him?
01:05:56
Speaker
If my brother ever sets foot on Aerith, that is game over. Does he have anything to do with this whole 13th kingdom and what's going on?
01:06:10
Speaker
My brother. Yes. believe, as I learnt last verse with you this evening, thanks to Seth. Fuck! You have learnt his name.
01:06:24
Speaker
Tolkel. Tolkel.
01:06:31
Speaker
Ooh.
01:06:34
Speaker
Fuck. Now, I could arrange one on his behalf, but you will not know the stakes.
01:06:49
Speaker
Baal and Seth were given clear instructions with me what they needed to do to get what they wanted.
01:07:00
Speaker
You will not be afforded the same luxury of knowledge.
01:07:06
Speaker
Would it save Seth?
01:07:11
Speaker
Seth would be free of his and I agreement, yes. You would enter something far more dangerous than you had with the spider who swims.
01:07:26
Speaker
And Nix kind of visibly shakes at that one.
01:07:32
Speaker
And it would take time to make. Just know that everything you hold dear, Nix, would be on the line. Well, you know, food for thought. Thank you very much. Cheers to you.
01:07:48
Speaker
I'm not one to make deals anymore without group participation, but there's options.
01:07:57
Speaker
Which means that there's always a chance.
01:08:04
Speaker
Alpha! Sorry. For what it's worth.
01:08:09
Speaker
I'm really rooting for you guys. Hmm. Oh, I want to push my mind into yours so bad right now. i do not think you would handle the heat.
01:08:22
Speaker
ah
01:08:26
Speaker
i've I've had hotter than you.
01:08:30
Speaker
But not... Yes!
01:08:41
Speaker
And he raises a glass.
01:08:44
Speaker
To your friends. And the time you have left together.
01:08:52
Speaker
i am sorry.
01:08:56
Speaker
Insight check on the sorry. Go for it.
01:09:04
Speaker
I can perceive you, 17.
01:09:09
Speaker
You believe him.
01:09:13
Speaker
Alpha... Sorry, I ah sidetracked. Anything that you...
01:09:23
Speaker
Just let that silence hang in the air. I just need to find Raines.
01:09:36
Speaker
Is there anything you can do to help? Me? Him?
01:09:46
Speaker
I am a devil. Alpha. I am connected to this world through the powers that have accepted me here.
01:09:58
Speaker
With Morotagon,
01:10:02
Speaker
all that keeps me on this plane is Seth.
01:10:10
Speaker
All that's stopping my brother from returning to Aerith is me.
01:10:21
Speaker
Oh, damn. A chain of events has happened.
01:10:32
Speaker
How quickly
01:10:38
Speaker
can you reverse time?
01:10:48
Speaker
If that is a riddle, I am unsure as to what you mean. No, I think it's being serious. Can you reverse time? I had a thing. I do not have that capability. Okay. I don't know.
01:11:01
Speaker
Then perhaps there is nothing you can do. Oh, that's the answer of the riddle.
01:11:08
Speaker
But if we lose Reign, then we lose Seth and by proxy yourself. Is that right?
01:11:15
Speaker
If Reigns dies, Seth dies. Fuck! If Seth dies, I have no ties left to Aerith. Unless you're interested in making a new one.
01:11:30
Speaker
a Surely it is in your best interest for us to find Reigns if it will keep Seth on this world and yourself.
01:11:43
Speaker
I have many places to be and other planes to manage.
01:11:50
Speaker
If I lose Earth, sell a V.
01:11:56
Speaker
There are others.
01:11:59
Speaker
And what would you be looking for?
01:12:03
Speaker
Tell me. What does Alpha desire most?
01:12:11
Speaker
What can I give you
01:12:17
Speaker
Alpha, speaking from experience, like this is a real hard path to walk.
01:12:25
Speaker
And very lonely.
01:12:29
Speaker
My soul's damned. Like if anyone here is making a deal, like that should be me. But even I'm not going to go and do it without talking to the rest of everyone first. I've done that.
01:12:39
Speaker
I've been that guy. Don't don't follow in my footsteps.
01:12:49
Speaker
Maybe yeah beginning offer from me, perhaps?
01:12:55
Speaker
He's a snake, but I'm still interested interested in what he wants to say. What's the beginning offer?
01:13:05
Speaker
I cannot do anything for your father.
01:13:11
Speaker
But I can introduce a term and condition.
01:13:22
Speaker
You and i make an agreement.
01:13:25
Speaker
And Seth will no longer be harmed by what happens to Reigns.
01:13:32
Speaker
But you, Alpha, you must give me her.
01:13:45
Speaker
But this deal does not guarantee Reigns' safety. He is gone. Beyond my reach. All that's left in my power
01:13:59
Speaker
is to intercept what will happen to Seth. so
01:14:05
Speaker
I was going to pause for a moment, you know look over at Nick's.
01:14:12
Speaker
Nyx is just shakeking his head bigger if youre shaking his head. He's putting his hand across his neck to go, ah You asked me what I wanted most.
01:14:23
Speaker
And I need Reigns to be safe and secure. And if that is not something that you can offer, then I am not interested. For now. I mean, we are interested in saving Seth, but, you know, this is more of a group decision.
01:14:37
Speaker
You wish for Reigns to be safe and secure This is a term I can meet.
01:14:51
Speaker
Fuck that bitch, Alpha. Get rid of her.
01:15:00
Speaker
In exchange hat for her, for the princess.
01:15:07
Speaker
He nods.
Reflection on Past Challenges
01:15:16
Speaker
How far away is Trunks in terms of like... In terms of miles here? We need a part of He's about three quarters of a mile away through city streets.
01:15:29
Speaker
Like he is on the southernmost point of the city, and you are on the northernmost point of the city. While this is happening...
01:15:37
Speaker
Can Nick turn his back to Prego? um Because he's starting to, he's getting that sweaty anxiety vibes going on and he's just feeling really uncomfortable. And given recent events, who he really needs like others.
01:15:53
Speaker
um He's going to pull out. Woof. That's the time to live leave a space. He's going to pull out ah old girls, crystal orb.
01:16:04
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And he's going to close his eyes and ah just sit down cross-legged on the floor. Once again, while this is happening, he's going to put the crystal ball in between his legs. And he's just going to concentrate and put all his energy and his soul and his sense of being, but more importantly, his mind and presence and funnel it into this crystal orb. And this purple energy starts to epivest from his horns, like always does when he's starting to cast magic.
01:16:36
Speaker
um And it's almost like, if you can imagine, ah matching orb starts to circle on the base of Nyx's hand. That's the same size as the crystal orb, and it's purple. It's full of this purple cloud.
01:16:52
Speaker
And he's going to push that orb and meet it with old girl's orb. And at the same time he does that, his his head almost goes limp. As if almost he's pushed his full state of mind into this.
01:17:05
Speaker
And he's going to picture ah destination of where they drop trunks off. who And it's going to fill his mind, that location, that place. Mm-hmm.
01:17:16
Speaker
That's three quarters of a mile away yeah as he casts clairvoyance, which I create an invisible sensor within range of a location familiar to you where you've visited before.
01:17:27
Speaker
ah ah ah yeah but The intangible invulnerable sensor remains in place for the duration, which is 10 minutes. When you cast a spell, choose see seeing or hearing.
01:17:38
Speaker
You can choose to sense...
01:17:42
Speaker
Oh, you can't talk. You can't talk. No. Okay. Well, at least I can get a bearing on what they're doing. I've done it now. Fuck it. um He's going to choose seeing on the stable of trunks.
01:17:58
Speaker
And basically, Nix wants to know, ah ideally, above table, he wanted to be able to talk through this. But he, in fashion, didn't read the spell properly. Yep. He's gone to... his Nix is still going to try and talk through it.
01:18:11
Speaker
But... for the rules of the spell, he's going to choose seeing and he's going to just pick an area around trunks and he's going to keep a lookout for Seth and Baal. ah He is going to try talking as soon as the image materializes in his mind.
01:18:27
Speaker
But yeah, there we go you see it You see a stable, a paddock, gates open and Seth and Baal saddling and reattaching a cart to trunks.
01:18:42
Speaker
um And do if I shout, you know, Baal! Baal! Do I get anything? Alpha, Nyx just starts shouting Baal, Baal, Baal in the middle of a conversation. Do you do anything?
01:18:55
Speaker
I'm to turn to Nyx and the best kind of puzzled look that Alpha can muster. Nyx, Baal's not here. And if I don't get anything back, I'm just drawing myself out of there.
01:19:12
Speaker
Worth a shot. Hey, they've got trunks. I'm just saying, Alfred, don't make any rash decisions. This could be decided as a group. Don't do what I've done.
01:19:25
Speaker
Alfred's going to turn back to Prego.
01:19:32
Speaker
The Knicks does have a good point.
01:19:38
Speaker
These things that affect us all should be decided as a group. And if nothing else, I at least owe it to her to ask her.
01:19:51
Speaker
You are free to do as you wish, Alpha.
01:19:56
Speaker
I do not consider you a pawn that I can play with. I consider you your own person. Thank you. However...
01:20:09
Speaker
should you wish to go back to your friends and depart for Beach Barrow Port to help de-wing the watch on everything that was discussed over the last few hours.
01:20:26
Speaker
I do not think I will see you again.
01:20:33
Speaker
I think my connection to Aerith will end.
01:20:39
Speaker
And you're...
01:20:45
Speaker
As in, Seth is gonna die?
01:20:50
Speaker
Most likely.
01:20:53
Speaker
But not... Definitely.
01:21:01
Speaker
If Reigns has done what I expect Reigns has done...
01:21:07
Speaker
He has maybe 15 minutes to an hour remaining. he's done something slightly wiser.
01:21:22
Speaker
Maybe more time.
01:21:30
Speaker
I could go find him right now.
01:21:40
Speaker
That could be the terms of our agreement.
01:21:45
Speaker
I spend my time left on Aerith finding him in exchange for what you can give me, Alpha.
01:21:55
Speaker
The time left on Aerith. So, regardless of even if you find him, your time on Aerith is still numbered?
01:22:07
Speaker
As you have found, have revealed my hand.
01:22:12
Speaker
I am only tied to Earth because of Seth.
01:22:18
Speaker
who Unless a new bargain is struck, of course. Oh. Oh, no, no, no, no. no
01:22:29
Speaker
God.
01:22:33
Speaker
And I promise Seth an army with unwavering support to Sleekguard.
01:22:48
Speaker
Of course,
01:22:51
Speaker
Seth was not specific about... Witch Slitgardian in the agreement.
01:23:16
Speaker
Alpha, if you go back to the group with a fucking curse on you and I let it happen.
01:23:26
Speaker
i don't want to make it about me, my friend. But fucking hell, M1 will literally murder me. Straight up, head off my body. And then Tilra will fuck my remains. Yeah.
01:23:45
Speaker
There are two offers here on the table. ah Your words, Alpha. Reigns needs to be safe and secure, and you will give me her. That in turn will mean Seth is not dependent on Reigns any longer.
01:24:05
Speaker
Or you give me her, and I go find him.
01:24:16
Speaker
Feel free to counter. He repaws his wine. Carell?
01:24:25
Speaker
And just sort of slowly slides a carafe over to you. Yep. Nyx will take it and and start drinking it. Eyes wide.
01:24:35
Speaker
And his brain is trying to work at like a million miles an hour to try and think of a different deal. But there's a lot of fear in there and and and reservation.
01:24:48
Speaker
And he knows this is really Alpha's place.
01:24:53
Speaker
Hint. Hint.
01:24:58
Speaker
Really Alpha's place. Spotlight. Alpha. don't know what you're trying to It's like both myself and Alpha. have Christ, steam's coming out of his...
01:25:11
Speaker
hearing devices. Alpha, please. I do not wish for you to explode. Why do I not accompany you to your elephant and your friends and... and win that's it That's it. Take that one.
01:25:26
Speaker
Maybe this could be discussed further.
01:25:30
Speaker
That's what we want, Alpha. That's what we want. That would good. That would be very good. With caution, though,
01:25:38
Speaker
it is ah about 30 minutes walk this time of night. I mean, now, come on now, Prego. You have a habit of like being able to appear and disappear. I'm sure that you could get us three to Trunks area, which is what we call our elephant, by the way. It's really fucking cool name. It's cool elephant. You already know this, of course, because if you see through Seth, but you could just make us appear right there.
01:26:02
Speaker
I could. Right? but We can have some wine during the travel, just that little, you know, a couple of seconds, have a couple of bottles. Hey, presto.
01:26:13
Speaker
Bam. We appear. It's Prego. But if I do that. That was good. and That was very good. Very good. If I do that, then Prego the Majestic does not get to add the drama.
01:26:30
Speaker
um make sure I can act. I'll do some quick drama during the the flight. Like, oh no, Alpha, don't kill me. I've loved you all this time. You know, we can make a big song song and dance song and dance about it.
01:26:41
Speaker
I do not doubt your abilities. Thanks. It's not going to work, is it? We're still going to fucking walk, aren't we? I like the threat that Lades perhaps dies in the next 30 minutes.
01:26:53
Speaker
And you have to decide whether to take the bargain risk it. And your friend.
01:27:02
Speaker
And he goes to ah corner of the room where there was a coat stand and begins to just try on one of the coats that once belonged to Reigns. oh wow Shall we?
01:27:14
Speaker
And just as a hand towards the door.
01:27:18
Speaker
You gotta admit, he's got pizzazz, Alpha. He's a dickhead straight up.
01:27:26
Speaker
but he's got style. ah Come on, we've got to Let's go. nothing Alpha's going to just grab the wine that's obviously been poured out and whatnot. He's not going to be grabbing the wine. He's going walk straight up to Prego.
01:27:42
Speaker
Let's go. His eyes locked. And you three depart. Prego makes point of shutting the door behind him. Sees Victoria asleep.
01:27:56
Speaker
My sincere apologies. Clicks his fingers and she's bolt upright. And just stares at you. What? um Who's that?
01:28:08
Speaker
Pointing at Prager.
01:28:11
Speaker
Alpha's toy boy. Victoria. Okay. Alright then. As you were. She just starts out a little fart.
01:28:26
Speaker
And as you begin walking through the city together,
01:28:31
Speaker
wood elf disguising as, well, a devil disguising as a wood elf, a tiefling, and whatever you are, Halfa, Prager turns to you along that journey and just says, do you consider me a villain?
01:28:51
Speaker
I took, didn't it? Alpha, you got this one? Both of you. he just looks at but like He's not talking to either of you, but you're walking together a purpose. It's very cold and awkward, and he just asks that question.
01:29:03
Speaker
I can feel the silence here. That's fine. um Yes so and no, you're not black and white about it. There's different shades of grey within there. like You've just full-on said that without you, your brother comes forward and like fucking decimates this
Roles of Villain & Hero
01:29:18
Speaker
place. And we, as a group, somehow are actively trying to stop that from happening. And it has taken us a while, but I feel like we're just on the precipice of of being one as said a unit. Seth will be super happy.
01:29:32
Speaker
Because I feel like we're just starting to form that defense for Aerith. And without you, your brother comes down and fucks you up. So obviously it would signify that you've been here a long time to try and stop that from happening. So are you a villain? Straight up. No.
01:29:50
Speaker
Are you a cunt? Yes. Like that's a whole fucking thing right there.
01:29:57
Speaker
But speaking from experience...
Humorous Debate on Group Dynamics
01:30:01
Speaker
good intentions can result in really bad endings.
01:30:10
Speaker
I like this word you call me, a cunt.
01:30:17
Speaker
It took a cunt
01:30:21
Speaker
to make you six work. Not a villain, not a hero, a
01:30:31
Speaker
It took this, and points to himself.
01:30:36
Speaker
To make you six, well, until the events of this evening, unified.
01:30:47
Speaker
So am I the cunt?
01:30:50
Speaker
Or are you cunts? I can't answer that question. Ask everyone. He'll tell you straight up. And as this this sort of philosophical conversation happens to fill the time, Seth and Bal were avidly at work preparing. There was no resistance. you You turned up at a stable expecting to be able to access your your your elephant and your cart, and exactly that happened.
Emron's Forge Visit & Ritual
01:31:14
Speaker
Emron, however, you are at Wild in the city currently going to a forge. You're heading back to the forge of Clan Shadow Shield? Yes. Anything like you would like to do? This is not attended.
01:31:27
Speaker
So um I'm hoping that the forge is still lit. It is still lit. Yes, yes but it is not there is no workers there. Yeah, everyone's not expecting workers. he He thought he would have more time to do what he's going to do, but he knows that he needs to start something now, with the stakes being what they are. And so he he approaches the workbench.
01:31:49
Speaker
he He lays out his tools, the the hammer, that kind of stuff, puts down the halberd, that he has. And he takes out various items.
01:32:07
Speaker
He takes out a bottle of holy water.
01:32:10
Speaker
He takes out symbols of Aledo. And he goes over to the forge, begins to stoke the fires up. then he takes out the bottle of holy water.
01:32:24
Speaker
and just slowly um soaks a rag in the holy water and begins to wipe down the halberd in this holy water, almost um almost blessing it as it were. He's he's muttering prayers to Aledo as he does this.
01:32:41
Speaker
And he's he's beginning this this process and um essentially what M1's going to be doing is I'm going to be using my channel divinity and all the various abilities that M1 has to begin to bless and purify this weapon from its demonic origins to be something more
01:33:09
Speaker
more worthy of it of what it's going to be used for now.
Halberd Shatters: New Plan Needed
01:33:13
Speaker
Something happens. When you start saying these prayers...
01:33:19
Speaker
You mention Aledo's name and you you you ask for his guidance and power to to help you purify, for want of a better expression, this this weapon.
01:33:35
Speaker
soon as the holy provocation is made, it shatters into dust.
01:33:50
Speaker
into golden flakes. It loses all form and it is just ash.
01:34:00
Speaker
The moment you complete a sentence or two, a psalm if you will, in Alito's name.
01:34:10
Speaker
Interesting.
01:34:23
Speaker
Okay.
01:34:34
Speaker
ah Fuck this. Hmm. Okay.
01:34:42
Speaker
Is there stuff that everyone can collect up of remaining of this, of this halberd? It's ash. It's just golden flaked ash. You could collect a bag of golden flaked ash to the same weight as the halberd.
01:34:58
Speaker
Yes.
01:35:01
Speaker
I'm going to do that. Okay. Then make sure your carry capacity reflects the equivalent weight of a halberd. I will indeed. In golden ash.
01:35:12
Speaker
Yes. Six pounds of golden ash. Okay. Okay.
01:35:20
Speaker
Emron doesn't have time to then do something with that right now. That's okay.
01:35:28
Speaker
Emron and Will is going to have to think about what he does with that ash now. Are you heading towards this table as well? I'm going to head towards the stables, yes.
Reunion at the Stables
01:35:37
Speaker
Then let's say in this moment, we're all beginning to converge on these stables. Bile and Seth, you would have had about 30 minutes where it was just you.
01:35:48
Speaker
um
01:35:50
Speaker
The procedure of readying your mount and cart went ah by without any conflict or or deviation from the understanding that you paid for a service of a stable, they stabled your goods.
01:36:05
Speaker
A clean transaction for once in this campaign. Something you asked for, you got. Yeah.
01:36:12
Speaker
and you see the rest of the your party begin to emerge. And what's really striking in the dead of night is that you see Alpha and Nyx coming back with an elven-shaped figure.
Prego's Disguise & Mischief
01:36:22
Speaker
And Emron, you probably arrive first because yours doesn't take anywhere near this long and you don't travel as far.
01:36:32
Speaker
And Alpha and Nyx, you don't see this because you're sort of walking side by side. But Prigo disguises himself as Reigns.
01:36:45
Speaker
He's a prick. He's a kind colossal prick. I love him. So Seth, Bile and Emron, you see Reigns, Alpha and Nyx approaching. God, I want to punch him. Fuck yeah. Emron's going to sort of see the three and then look towards Reigns and he's like, what the fuck do you think you're doing?
01:37:12
Speaker
Prego, as Reigns, just sort of does a... He pulled face-wide gesture of awkwardness. Doesn't speak.
01:37:23
Speaker
Have you got anything to say for yourself? Sort of smiles and shakes his head mischievously. um In a way completely out of character. Everyone's going to start walking towards him. Calm down.
01:37:36
Speaker
There is a viable explanation for this. ah You found him.
Prego's Proposition & Reactions
01:37:40
Speaker
where the fuck was Where the fuck were you? At this point, Alfred and Nick, you turn and see what he's doing. Everyone's pointing at... Motherfucking Prego.
01:37:49
Speaker
It's Prego. He's being a cunt. We've talked about this. You get your best all, like, Alpha, explain everything. Your memory's better than mine.
01:38:00
Speaker
Frego drops the axe and then, and i sorry, act, and then also removes Reigns' coat and hands it to Emron.
01:38:08
Speaker
And then just managed to summon that single goblet of wine and just perches against the cart. Fucking twat. Told you.
01:38:19
Speaker
So we found Frego with the pishnoot. And he raises a glass to all and smiles. Right.
01:38:29
Speaker
It was an interesting discussion, but he believes that he can help us in his own manner of helping. What's the cost?
01:38:41
Speaker
He wants the princess.
01:38:45
Speaker
Not a deal breaker, okay. LAUGHTER um Not a deal breaker. The the the thing. Oh, fuck. How much does he know? There's more. There's more. There's more.
01:38:57
Speaker
it it goes deep. ah So this is regards to you, Seth, and the deal that you and Prego made. Nick raises his hands and interlocks his fingers between them to signify deal.
01:39:13
Speaker
A while back. Seth's going to pull up his sleeve and look at the runic kind of
Closing Banter & Social Media Reminders
01:39:19
Speaker
nod at you. yeah that one That is where we're going to end this week's episode of The Slipable Tabletop. No, it's new!
01:39:25
Speaker
You're a twat. I don't know I should have swat you quicker. I love you. oh Oh. take done ah Same time next week. Let's go.
01:39:36
Speaker
glo clipco Clip Clip club. Clip club motherfucking club. Yep. Follow us at Fellowship Table on X. We have a Blue Sky account now, which I'll let Will plug. um Go.
01:39:49
Speaker
Which is ah at Fellowship Table Top. Nice. um Yep. There we go. And then you can follow us individually. but We have individual X pages. Just follow our fellowship table on either of the platforms. And then from there, you can get to us. If you're a Donald Trump fan, go X. If you're a Kamala Harris fan, go Blue Sky. There we are.
01:40:09
Speaker
Woo-hoo! Until next week, guys. Farewell, farewell, farewell.