Transcript
Speaker: and welcome to National Play Podcast set in the Eberron Campaign setting. I am your Game Master, Eric.
Speaker: I'm Mia. I'm Phillip. I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. Welcome to another episode. Folks, what happened last time? We discussed with Javier how bad everything was.
Speaker: It's bad. Yes. It's still bad. du There was a discussion about which point one of us might need to kill another one of us for a minute. It's valid question. It's a very practical conversation that we should have. And Nyx has answers for that. Nyx has very clear answers to that. Yeah, no. 10,000%. Kaz's is, one of you guys can do it, please. And then mostly we got distracted by the weirdness in the chapel again.
Speaker: Yes. you know Found a secret weird library. oh yeah.
Speaker: That's true. Guess how I'm God. And Valk unpeeled a ah layer of the Javier onion. Yes. Yeah, I'm good at removing bricks. Yeah, Valk doesn't feel like any later. She removes a Jenga brick. because Once Valk pushes too hard, the person just crumbles. I didn't mean to cause just mental demise. Like I was using my magic. So, days go by. Javier's clearly given you all some time to process and ah recover before giving you all your next assignment.
Speaker: So, rather than speaking to like... Specifically what you're doing on this day. Are there any projects or anything that you all are working on People you're talking to? Conversations you're having as a team? Like what what are you all up to in the weeks after the job?
Speaker: think Valk is making very slow progress on his... I had a name for it and I have forgotten it. on his like looking glass.
Speaker: Yep. I also think during this time period, it's very notable that Valk is having a hard time maintaining one form. ah So some days it's normal Valk, some days it's just the the female version. In some days he's blotchy, but that's all I got.
Speaker: Selina would spend some time cleaning up the the new little library section and kind of like going through and organizing things. Nyx would try again with the book. Okay.
Speaker: Selena would also have let Nyx know that there's a new section to look through if there's anything she wants to come and look at. So you're saying there's a section of library with worse books than the one I found in our regular library. This was in the general generally available section. That's exactly what I'm saying. yep so cook Just do with that information what you will.
Speaker: And, you know, Nick's obviously going to go face first into that forbidden section of the library and see if there's any improvement any improvement is the wrong word.
Speaker: Additional? Anything more to find out. Yes, she will try again with the book. Okay. So you finally reach, you're going through the various rituals. Going through my notes. You finally find, under the Grand Rites section,
Speaker: The forging of a soul bound armament. Um,
Speaker: this is the idea that a soul is destined to be forged into a weapon and much to potentially horror.
Speaker: It is not metaphorical as you kind of guessed Akron was not being metaphorical.
Speaker: swains
Speaker: There is generally some requirements. Not generally. There are some requirements. Living subject in parentheses next to it. It says a willing or otherwise a vessel. Is that in the sense of an object?
Speaker: It says like generally blade. so the weapon itself. Okay. yeah needs to be in a location where the veil to once again given the context in the frame of this book the veil to kyber is thin and then there are three participants required importantly the living subject not included as a participant cool cool these are all written in capital like they they are proper nouns the bearer the speaker and the witness. Are there descriptive details or is this all that there is?
Speaker: No, there there is like the the procedure of it, like the different steps. but Is there any explanation of the witness? I gather what a but what the bearer is in this, and I presume the speaker is the one actually performing the ritual, but what's the witness, if it's described? This is... Oh, I forget the name of it.
Speaker: There's a French cookbook that's pretty infamous for like being difficult to use because it assumes that you're a chef, and so it uses a lot of... like proper term with zero explanation as to what that is. That's what you're kind of getting here is like there's an assumption of knowledge ah when you get to... Now, having said that, this is a very large book and you've kind of skipped ahead to the grand rights. So you kind of get the sense of like, I'm going to have read this whole There's probably a glossary somewhere. yeah
Speaker: So. Yeah. Okay. And then there's a procedure. Yeah. and Is there anything notable in the procedure? i Like, it does say that the procedure like starts far earlier than like the proper ritual, like the unmaking of identity. And it's, it has steps for ensuring that the vessel loses its sense of identity separate from its capacity as a weapon.
Speaker: But this is like long-term indoctrination kind of stuff, like prep work to be done to the subject. And then there's additional steps like the severing, which is ensuring that there are no deep, meaningful relationships because that could impact the nature of the soul.
Speaker: Weapons don't have friends. So the more connections the soul has, the less, uh, ripe it is for this ritual. Cool.
Speaker: Okay. There is a reference to the witness in one of the later steps that Nyx would take note of during the binding. Okay. The witness must observe without intervening.
Speaker: If the witness looks away, the ritual fails and something else answers. Something else. Okay. More questions than you have answers, but.
Speaker: Nyx is going take this book. Okay. And then, Selena, you're also reading through your book. Yes. Anything you're looking for in particular?
Speaker: No, I don't think so. Not not specifically. This is a really weird reading like reading club going on here. Yeah. Right. So this this book is written. So you're getting the sense that Commander Sorella Sylvain was not an author. Okay.
Speaker: This is a very practical book. And like the preface has excerpts that say, like if you're reading this, If you're reading this in an institution of learning, you either stole it or someone finally admitted they don't understand how wars are actually fought. But the notable thing that you find, so based on some of the references and things, this is, a like I said, an extremely old book.
Speaker: But it is after Karn the Conqueror had come through Corvair. So like humans are like settling across the land and stuff like that. And you get the sense that Commander Sorrelis Vane served with Karn the Conqueror.
Speaker: So a long, long time ago. Okay. this book references that the practice of being a sword mage goes back prior to recorded history.
Speaker: And there are guesses that it is a draconic tradition that the dragon shared with people. Okay. Is the, yeah, the estimation of this book. Okay.
Speaker: The, the only last thing that probably jumps out to c Selena as you're flipping through the book is there is a chapter on this title on the matter of sentient blades and early sentences in this chapter basically give warning that too much magic can be to a weapon can awaken it and cause it to become a separate sentient entity from its wielder.
Speaker: But if the wielder knows how to function with that, it can actually be better because you're using an intelligent weapon. But if you don't know how to do that or how to wield it properly, it can become a hindrance because the blade won't listen to you. Okay.
Speaker: Okay. Val, you're working on your looking glass, you said. give me an intelligence roll. Am I adding... Or is it straight roll? Your background, that's pertinent. Okay.
Speaker: Plus all my modifiers and... any well plus Okay. Okay. You make some progress. It's kind of slow. you You might be distracted from a lot of new things, but I lied.
Speaker: I only added the roll. true
Speaker: I'm present. That would actually be a 22. That's different than a 14. There's my modifier plus level plus either investigator or Zoria and then plus my occultist.
Speaker: this So yeah, you make really good progress. It's a good distraction. You can compartmentalize and focus on this project that you've been working on to take your mind off everything else. Or you tell me. as i i said of I've never heard of compartmentalizing being positive thing. We will take wins where we can. and when he right Looking at it, you would estimate you're probably well over halfway done with what you're working on here. Okay.
Speaker: Okay. that works for me. Is it with the progress be mostly on like the physical side of like building it or the actual connection to playing?
Speaker: I think, I think those are, those go hand in hand. Like you're, as you're constructing the physical, you're having to like do certain like read marks and attunements to ensure that once it's complete, it resonates correctly with the playing.
Speaker: Okay, I am satisfied with it. Okay. Kaz? Yes? What are you doing? What are you working on? I mean, how long? I'm sorry, how long have we are we working on things?
Speaker: few weeks. A few weeks. Okay, then he definitely would have made it to the paper in that amount of time. we Both just to catch up with Renee, as he does, and probably not regale her with stories of Olath.
Speaker: Probably not mentioned that they'd gone to Olaf. I don't think he told her beforehand. He didn't go this time because he went to the turret instead. But I am interested in looking at any archives they have about military stuff dealing with Shansiara. And just knowing there's an Archfey on the battlefield is so interesting to him.
Speaker: Yeah. And so I think he's looking at that and... We'll start there. Okay. So, I mean, she is a notable commander of her troops.
Speaker: Something that is, people find unique about her compared to like other interactions with Archfey. is she seems to have a very deep connection with the people under her command.
Speaker: ah She carries herself far less alien than a lot of Archeres do next to the mortal races of this plane. Something else, just given...
Speaker: Probably the nature of her magic and her balbe ability to travel quickly is she insists anytime a person's loss that's under her command, she personally goes to and for the family. oh wow. In reading about her in, I'm assuming seeing depictions of her, do I catch any whiffs of recognition or anything like that?
Speaker: I mean, I'm happy, obviously, to roll, but what would I roll recognition of what? My past life, were she and I in the lot us at the same time? Gotcha, gotcha. ah Yeah, give me a roll.
Speaker: That'd be intelligence or wisdom? Wisdom. Okay, fine. it's It's only one different. i Okay. 28. twenty eight 28. I'm assuming Fae Touched gets added.
Speaker: yeah yeah Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So 28. There is a image of her, Kaz, that you look at for a long beat. And then for a brief moment, you, your mind takes you back and you see this face that you were previously staring at in still form in a newspaper shouting, not at you, but in your direction. and she is saying that their cause is righteous and that those that oppose them are deviating from the story that was predetermined.
Speaker: Sorry, is she saying they or is she saying my? They. Okay. Then you hear a voice next to you and you look and see the face, the Lady of Stories, Lady of Eternal Stories, sitting on a large throne, looking down at Shin Siara.
Speaker: you realize that you are in your body standing next to her witnessing this conversation. And she says that the archfey have decided that we will stay out of this conflict. Mortals decide that their lives are so meaningless that they kill each other over crowns.
Speaker: And that's the way things are. It's the way things will continue to be.
Speaker: And Ciara kind of like frowns and ah gives a biting smirk towards your lady and says, perhaps some stories are worth rewriting then.
Speaker: And she turns and storms away. And then Kaz does the movie thing. of like, as you're back in the Kalazar crier back room. crier back to you Okay. Renee just hears me gasp for no reason. Nothing.
Speaker: Nothing. Oh, okay. Just seemed weird. Yes. I bet it did. Thank you. What? Are you okay?
Speaker: Yeah, no, I'm fine. I just... I was taking a gasp. Because I was surprised. By what? Did you find something nu interesting?
Speaker: Now I feel like I have to say yes. i think I just like, I'd never i've i'd never seen what this leader looks like. And I was surprised how striking she is.
Speaker: Oh. She's very tall. She seems tall. OK, yeah. She's strong looking. Cool. OK. Sure. I thought I recognized her, but that can't be it. So. OK.
Speaker: Are you hungry? No. Okay. Okay. And she turns away from you. Fine. Dang. Well, I'm gonna go get something to eat.
Speaker: Okay. Are you sure? Yeah, it's fine. Maybe we can find someone striking to go eat with. Yeah, that's for sure what Kaz meant. Oh, man. He's taking it. this Come on, Renee. I'm allowed to say somebody on the TV is pretty. it's I did not know that's how Renee felt egyptian about Kaz. Really?
Speaker: No. Kaz certainly didn't. I think Kaz leaves. He's like, what did I do? osh And then probably actually does toddle off to get some just grab a bite somewhere.
Speaker: you know Get a cheese blaster. One of those funky sausages. oh yeah yeah One of those vomit dogs? No, thank you. i am good. It's not a vomit dog.
Speaker: ah Can't use my fun facts against me. just i assume I would have seen or heard, we definitely would have heard in these and intervening weeks. There has not been any talk of the lighthouse in conjunction with the devastation at Olaf in any sort of correspondences or news or anything has there if you would have been keeping up with the papers which i'm assuming both kaz and nix probably would have been a at the very least um everyone else can also say they've been reading papers there has been mention of interlopers interfering with a mcdonnie investigation but that's that's been the extent of it nobody's called out the lighthouse by name it's a explicit description of the four of us absolute unique weirdos. Could have been us. Nix, if you're checking the papers, you do finally spot a Silverflame statement that the the nature of what has happened to Olaf is devastating.
Speaker: And an example of why in these times more than ever, we need cooperation to deal with these threats. that go beyond the mundane, ah fighting for territory.
Speaker: So it's just kind of a platitude. Still no definitive why wasn't there a paladin there. Although, I mean, next the cynical party you probably might would pick up on a tone of you maybe get the sense that the silver flame wasn't like made aware of the severity of the situation like like they would have sent help if someone would have but maybe madani or someone else was trying to obfuscate interesting yeah that's interesting uh
Speaker: So Nix after I'm going to say some weeks into this so that we've all had opportunities to settle down.
Speaker: Nix will probably during one of the times where we're both reading things in the forbidden archive of the library.
Speaker: ah
Speaker: speak up which she mostly does not do when when doing this
Speaker: it's entirely it it just begins she's at some point while she's in the room with Selina she's going to say Valk wasn't entirely wrong during the debrief you know it's been weeks since this conversation yeah and you know that
Speaker: Of the three of you, you're the one with the best chance of doing it, right? I don't want to know that, but yeah. All right. Just wanted that clear. If it comes to it, I'll do what needs to be done, but I'll try every other thing first. If what happened at Olath happens again, it needs to happen quickly. I don't want to leave a trail of bodies along the way.
Speaker: I know. All right. And then because it would be really awkward to sit in the same room after that conversation, she closes the evil demon book and goes back to the second floor. Anything else? Any other conversations that you all want to seek out or have? No question. Look, going to end up in the bad part of the library eventually. just...
Speaker: maybe not Maybe not today. It's like that part of the video story that's behind the curtain for Kaz. He's gonna end up there. I mean, if there's time, Val can go in there.
Speaker: If that was made public yet, but if it's not made public yet, then he's fine. think Probably. Yeah, I know. Secret. hey Then you should still be looking for the same type of book.
Speaker: With bug writing. Yes. The book writing. How did I know? It's almost as if you wrote that. With enough time, you're searching around the shelves and you you find a book that the writing on the side is bold, big letters that write out a word, like words in common, but the words are made up of those same scratchings, if that makes sense. That's weird.
Speaker: Yeah. And the name of it is The Quiet Hunger. i don't like this judgment of my my forced choice of literature. Do you begin, hey, my book is not a happy one. like she's My book is purpose given teeth. So you start flipping through the book, Valk, or you just see it and note it.
Speaker: I'm going to look at it, but this is absolutely getting stolen. The byline is Magister Elise Thren, and you flip over, open to the beginning, and it is the borders of the book, like the front page, are covered in that scratched writing, and the middle in common is...
Speaker: like a preface talking about Valar is beyond predator.
Speaker: Predators have the decency to announce themselves teeth, claws, Valera doesn't announce anything. And this is speaking of a Delk here. This isn't an a name we know though, right?
Speaker: I think Valquiz heard this name. i think at some point Valera. Oh, Maybe. I thought so. Unless that's what became Hot Bug Lady.
Speaker: it It is Hot Bug. Please use the names we know. Please. yeah Government names, please. So, yeah, it's talking about... Referring to her as the crawling queen, the watcher in the walls, the keeper of worms, W-O-R. Watcher in the walls is Selena? Yeah. yeah We'll have a whole copyright kind of discussion about this. But yeah, this is a a resident of Kyber.
Speaker: that many associate with Zoriat as being the origin plane of the Delkir.
Speaker: And so
Speaker: Valara's ability to influence people through swarms of bugs and insects and whisper in their mind is kind of unparalleled compelled to compared to the other Delkir.
Speaker: She is oftentimes regarded as one of the most cunning of her ilk. Okie dokie. And...
Speaker: think if there's anything else that you spot right now. Give me a intelligence check. Zoriat background. Relevant. <unk>p she answers to needsqui you but even Go back um off of my notes page. Was it intelligence or wisdom?
Speaker: Intelligence. Okay. 22. twenty two
Speaker: There is a theory in this book as Valk is flipping through about the nature of Zoriat and the role the Delkir play in it.
Speaker: A lot of people view Zoriat, a lot of scholars, not people like people are going hopping in for a visit to Zoriat and coming back. Scholars theorize that Zoriat is like a maze.
Speaker: And the madness of Zoriac comes into the fact that if you were to view this maze, you'd be able to see every branching possibility of every decision that every person makes on any given day and all the possible timelines that would branch forth from that.
Speaker: well Well, witnessing that to a mortal mind would break it. But the, the theoretical terror of the Delkir is the fact that they can observe this maze and not only withstand looking at it, but also influence it.
Speaker: And Valara.
Speaker: her notable influence of it is because she controls swarms that she can put things in all these different branches and influence all these different decisions to go the way that she wants them to or connect minds across these branches and influence them in a very direct way oh geez it's a good thing I'm making a looking glass so yeah that's what you learned fun this is mine now I'm not playing anyone Can I, like, just have... Can Nyx run into Valk on Valk's way out of the library with this with this stolen book?
Speaker: I wouldn't see why not. Valk, you favor direct communication. I give direct communication. You don't like to receive direct communication.
Speaker: Honestly, I'm not sure. We could try. All right, I'm going to try. You look strange recently. Do you still think I'm a tiefling or is this?
Speaker: No, I never. You do not look yourself as you usually appear recently. Are you well? No. It's the temporary thing. My normal form sustained.
Speaker: inhi he Yeah, who so we don't have to relive that one. So it's having its best to think about it as compartmentalizing so that one doesn't.
Speaker: feel very comfortable should being present at times. So it's best to just kind of shift as it's trying to recover. the forms you take have a sort of personality to them and the form having been harmed. You are speaking of this, and I just want to understand it, you are speaking of this as if the way that I normally see you, that shape has some choice in whether it is your shape rather than you choosing to have that shape. Is that what you are saying?
Speaker: Somewhat. Whenever changelings have, they take on different forms, which are different, effectively different personalities and different beings at times.
Speaker: and A changeling can go their entire life without being in their original form, but they have become an entirely separate person. So it is easier to refer to a change in form as a change in and in person it it it's more of it is exerting more energy to try to retain a form that has sustained such a immense physical damage than it is to just swap it's it's it's a conservation of of energy especially if it's playing influenced
Speaker: damage. I... not... This has happened maybe once or twice before, but it hasn't lasted that long. But some days it is it is almost physically unbearable to maintain my original form.
Speaker: see.
Speaker: Think of it like a broken arm. Yes. It takes some time for that to get fixed. Except I don't have any way of having a cast. I am sorry.
Speaker: Thank you i do Do you, do I, am I supposed to say, I mean, I don't blame you. You don't have to say. Forgive you if I never blamed you. This feels like this is one of those moments where the forgiveness is really something you have to give yourself rather than the other person give to you.
Speaker: yes um So i'm I just don't really have a change of clothes, so everything's just like slightly too urgent. That's really the only thing that's a little bit annoying, but... Do you want to go into town to a tailor?
Speaker: No.
Speaker: Why would I spend more money on clothes? I sit in the clothing, it's just as slightly too big. It's not like I'm too large and then it's clothing's too small. It's just... some extra fabric and all right yeah
Speaker: very well i just wanted to know if it had not seen you this way and we wanted to make sure that things were it sounds as though you believe you will recover and that's
Speaker: Yeah. it's said In order for me to not sleep all day, i need to be something else. That makes sense. so without That book looks horrible. or it's the door I am going to exit. It's a nice book, I think.
Speaker: It doesn't look nice. i Wasn't there a whole thing about not judging a book by its cover? I feel like that's... Yes, but then I opened this book about purpose with teeth. and Okay, that one you should have... That's a weird title. In the book's defense, that was inside the book.
Speaker: That wasn't on the cover. There we go. slowly think But I do feel that the cover... But I do feel that the cover warned me about what was going to be on the inside pretty effectively. If anything, it under... First, I don't know. If anything, it undersold the unpleasantness. So anyway.
Speaker: I... You very clearly want to exit this situation. So... Well, I was trying to exit before you noticed the book-shaped object in my hand, because I know you hang out with Selena and I don't want to get yelled at, so I was hoping to try to leave before anybody noticed this was missing. I won't say anything about it.
Speaker: Don't we all hang out with each other? i dug As an aside, I'm 99% sure Val can say to have never had a one-to-one conversation. That might be true. Yeah. We've spoken in groups and never one-to-one.
Speaker: I think that's true. I am trying to keep track of this. He's just so awkward. It's hard to make an in. That's very funny. When you're done exploring your terrifying looking book, there's an unthinkably horrible ritual that you might find interesting in a different terrifying book.
Speaker: Why do you think I want to do horrifying rituals? I don't think you want to do it. I think you might find it interesting, and I don't know what I'm looking at exactly.
Speaker: So, it's not something that needs to happen right now. You were in the middle of a project, and I'm not trying to stop Do you need me to do this now?
Speaker: Yes. I don't need you to do it now, but I think this was or is being done to me, and so it might be relevant to our future endeavors. Some illegal things. i will, what if you need assistance, I am more than likely in the basement.
Speaker: They'll probably need to set up some protective. We'll google will get there. It's fine. I have something somewhat. It's multiple things are in place and it shouldn't take a long time to get things done. i've I'm working on that as well. so I'm so not in the basement. I'm not messing with the things in the basement.
Speaker: Oh, I know. I'm in the basement. I would see you. All right.
Speaker: Are you going into the basement when I'm not in the basement? I am not. I don't know what happens. I mean, you might touch something and then it just kind of goes crazy. that's really It's really not a stable workspace. I'm surprised no one has said anything. but it I think that we all have confidence in your ability to manage it.
Speaker: That's dangerous. I know, but it's the way it is. Okay. Goodbye. And forgive yourself.
Speaker: Which is extremely unlikely, but all right. I tried. You know who can help you with that? the the The doctor can help you with that. She had opportunities to help.
Speaker: ah
Speaker: That's personal stuff. That is client and doctor ah sensitive information. I'm going to leave. x does not try to stop you i abscond with my contraband. Okay. We'll call it an episode there. Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be part of the conversation around this episode, you can hand it over to our Discord, the link, which is in the show notes.
Speaker: Also, YouTube channel, youtube.com. If you want to check out some TTRPG videos over there, you can. Fill it. On Spotify and YouTube, you can find Tales from the Laughing Tree, where we have another actual play podcast called Blades and Banners. It's Pirates and Eberron.
Speaker: Yes, we also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash thepatreon. If you want to financially support the show, you can do so over there. Thank you all so much for listening. I have been your Game Master, Eric. I'm Nina. I'm Phillip.
Speaker: I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. We'll see you time.
