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Ep. 30 Secrets Kept And Secrets Told
161 Plays4 years ago
A single fateful night has set so much in motion for our swords. Are they ready?
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Transcript
Exploration of Fate's Influence
00:00:13
Speaker
Previously on The Hired Swords. Fate is a fickle thing. Fate can strike at any moment, but for our swords, it was a single fateful night that set so much into motion. For Gwen and Joxer, fate feels familiar, friendly even. For Daven, fate feels like a caged animal patiently snarling. And for me,
00:00:42
Speaker
A fate just feels cruel. Hasn't it taken enough?
Introduction to 'The Hired Swords'
00:01:13
Speaker
You're listening to The Hired Swords, a D&D 5e actual play podcast that releases every episode on time. Welcome back, everybody, to The Hired Swords. I'm your Dungeon Master, Michael, and I got Blaze. That's me. Derek.
00:01:42
Speaker
Yes. Ash. Hello. And Mikey with me. Hey, ooh. Hey, everybody. And we're glad to get together, glad to play some Dungeons and Dragons. We're glad that you're listening, people who listen. Everybody, just take a second and tell everybody how grateful you are that they're listening. Thanks, Mom. I'm so happy. Thank you all so much. Thank you. For real. Welcome to Costco, especially to Evan's mom. Sir, this is a Wendy's. Okay.
Leveling Up: Growth Milestone
00:02:11
Speaker
When we left off last, we had an interesting session. Everybody kind of had their own little separate experience. And each of you are kind of better for it. No, you're literally two levels better for it. Leveling up to level eight. You find yourselves having made it back to the cabin in Wild Hill.
Krigs' Morning Reflection
00:02:36
Speaker
And Krigs, you've been sitting on this rocking chair. You've just awakened.
00:02:40
Speaker
Davin, you finally woke up in the morning and after your crazy experience, after you were cooking some food and stuff, and then you just
00:02:49
Speaker
kind of came to after this crazy experience. You had Gwen came home and Joxer stood in the doorway, standing in the doorway after a night of an interesting excursion into the forest. Or was it? We don't know. It seems like it was to him. And everybody's just a little different. Everybody's had a little different experience. And that's kind of where we enter this session. Craig's the big thing with you is you are a little fearful because you feel powerless.
00:03:19
Speaker
Everyone else and and Craig's I guess how how how you feeling going into this new day? And what is it that you'd like to do? If I recall, sorry, if I recall, I no longer have a glow on my palm, correct? Yes, that's correct. Okay, your your palm was glowing a different color.
00:03:38
Speaker
And just now not glowing
Joxer and Gwen's Transformative Night
00:03:40
Speaker
at all. You've got the red ring of death. Yeah. Jockser opens the door and it's like, Lucy, I'm. Oh, my God. You're your hand. No. Yeah. So Jockser walks in kind of just concerned at what he sees in front of him because Krigs doesn't look right. Is this the next morning or is this like immediately after?
00:04:05
Speaker
I believe after I had I had returned after after my little jaunt in the woods ish. I guess it would be kind of into the night a bit. Nobody. Nobody's fully had a nothing has taken everyone all night long to do this. I think Gwendolyn though yours you will have been gone the longest.
00:04:28
Speaker
out of everyone, just your little excursion becoming a tiny thing and traveling to where you did kind of took most of the night, but not all night. I don't actually know if you would see anything because after waking up, unless you walked in like roughly as I woke up, I probably would have rewrapped the hand.
Davin's Culinary Contemplation
00:04:50
Speaker
You may have noticed that, but... I thought last session you looked, we said you looked weaker or something. If not, then I would have walked in. I will say, go ahead and make an insight check, jockser. All right. That is 18. All right. Krigs looks tired, that's all. You don't see anything that...
00:05:17
Speaker
You don't you don't really feel like there's anything going on there other than he just really needs rest. And then also from the the Davin from the the kitchen burning everything, if I remember correctly. Yeah, it's not burning. Thank you very much. I mean, might be a little overcooked is mushrooms are a little on the crispy side. The seeds in in the trail mix. Davin, what are you doing?
00:05:47
Speaker
Oh, I'm sorry. Uh, I'm just, I don't know. I was getting distracted. I suppose you want some, uh, some food. Um, I, I, I would like some food, but I'm unsure. Uh, you could, you could take my half, leave a little bit for Gwen, but I think I'm, I lost my appetite. I'm just going to go to bed. Um,
00:06:12
Speaker
Joxer will more so actually. Yeah, you you go to bed and just try to clean up what what just occurred, because if it's edible, he'll he'll try to dish out for Gwen, if anything. But otherwise, he's just going to scrape out and actually clean. He's not ready to settle yet. OK. I don't know. I mean, I don't I don't think Devin made garbage, but
Rest and Reflection
00:06:42
Speaker
You can- It's a nice mushroom pomodoro. It's a little overcooked and they didn't have quite the right ingredients, but it's not terrible. Sure. I thought last session it was just you were cooking seeds. You upgraded between then and now. A pan of seeds and making them warmer. Yeah, that's what I remember.
00:07:03
Speaker
Um, okay. Uh, yeah. So if there's, if there's edible food, then I'll, then I'll have it. And then I'll, I'll, uh, you know, there's, there's like the equivalent of warmed up vegetarian leftovers for you to share. If you'd like, then I'll take a small portion, uh, and then, uh, and then kind of dish out enough, like on, on two plates, maybe Craig's one, some, and then, and then if, uh,
00:07:29
Speaker
Gwen appears and Davens can just go to his room and spend some time in his thoughts. Okay, after you know, you kind of set some food aside for Gwen and kind of clean up the rest jocks or you get about done with that. And then Gwen does come back at that point come in. When when you come in, you see jocks are standing in the kitchen, finishing up cleaning up some stuff. And you see Krigs, Krigs, what have you been doing, as they have been kind of going ahead and doing this?
00:07:57
Speaker
You know, a little while cooking and cleaning up. Just staying quiet. I'm not really doing actively too much of anything. I am still in the rocking chair, just rocking in this little obviously designed for.
00:08:12
Speaker
Francine and what she would have assumed, what her dad would have assumed would have been her colors, a pinkish wooden rocking chair. Yeah, covered with a throw blanket, like a little throw. Oh, yeah. Like grandpa waiting up for people to get home from their night out. Yeah, making sure everyone makes curfew. Yeah, that's right. Gwendolyn would probably walk in and, oh, you guys are still up.
00:08:41
Speaker
Well, I have to make sure everyone gets home safely. You're a little bit past curfew, but, you know... I'm sorry, I just... It's funny, Gwen, I... There was this chipmunk... Welcome back, Gwen. Thank you, I just...
00:09:00
Speaker
There was a chipmunk and they used to know Dale and their home had collapsed and I went to go help. Well, any friend of Dale's is a friend of mine, so...
00:09:13
Speaker
Everything's fixed now, sorted. I'm assuming you don't need any assistance. No, no. All is good. Is that mushrooms? And she just runs over. She is angry. Devon was kind enough to leave some some food for us. And she she dumps the rest of the mushrooms into the bowl, into her plate that she picks up, or she just basically just picks up the whole mushroom bowl.
00:09:42
Speaker
Um, I, I think I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go downstairs. I'll, I'll, I'll sleep. I'll sleep underneath everybody. So, uh, everybody's good in here. I am. We're all, all here accounted for. I don't see, uh, anyone hopefully knocking on the door tomorrow morning. And that'll be less than ideal for my sleep schedule. You know, a dwarf needs to sleep after all.
00:10:08
Speaker
I don't plan on venturing far enough to gain interest from anybody else. I'll just be to the equivalent of downstairs. I agree. It's bedtime. I am worn out. Okay. So after you eat your little snack, everybody's going to go to bed and finally get some rest.
00:10:32
Speaker
Um, before everyone, like once they've all gone out, I am going to unwrap my hand again and just try to get a closer look. Not really looking for anything, but there's going to be a while of just kind of wondering what is happening as I stare at a no longer glowing
Krigs' Dreams and Regrets
00:10:53
Speaker
palm. Is, is it healing now? Because before the actual like brand of Helm
00:11:01
Speaker
was never healing. It just always glue. It always would glow and just be there. I'm curious like what it looks like now. It looks like scarring now. It doesn't look like an open wound or anything. It just looks like scarring from something that once was.
00:11:20
Speaker
OK. Yeah, I won't keep it out very long. I'm still feeling uncomfortable about it, but I will at least examine because this is the first chance I've really had to do it. OK. And as you look at it and examine it, you.
00:11:35
Speaker
You used to feel something when you looked at it. At first, when you were young and life seemed a little simpler, you would feel this pride that you were chosen to carry this mark. And then later it became almost shame because your idea of what this mark stood for had changed.
00:11:55
Speaker
Now, as you look at it, you feel a bit of remorse mixed with relief, almost like a burden has been taken off your shoulders, but there's a twinge of fear. What's next as well? And I'm gonna have you make a constitution saving throw. Okay. 15. Okay. You feel like
00:12:23
Speaker
your mind is just racing and it won't stop. And your stomach is turning from the visions you had and from this new development. And you feel like you want to rest, but you don't know if you can. But I will say as you close your eyes, if you decide you want to settle into sleep and rest, you're able to do so.
00:12:48
Speaker
I think at this time I would try to sleep if I could.
00:12:54
Speaker
You do. You fall asleep. It takes you a little bit, and it's a little bit fitful as you do dream of the vision you had. You dream of yourself floating and glowing. You dream of what would have happened possibly if you had made a different choice, and you dream of that glowing essence giving you more power and strength. And then you dream of just being a regular person walking around, working a job at a foundry,
00:13:22
Speaker
just living a life, and it doesn't feel horrible, but it causes your sleep, though you are sleeping, it causes your sleep to be restless.
Davin's Hellish Memory
00:13:35
Speaker
But you do sleep for the night. Davin. Yes. Yes. Your experience
00:13:47
Speaker
is in your mind very fresh as you walk into be alone and kind of process. What is it that you're doing as you try to process and kind of think through what happened? I think Davin for the most part is trying to think of what his plan is in the long term. I think that he's got a solution for right now, but he's worried about what's going to happen coming in the future. Okay.
00:14:12
Speaker
is David going to try to settle in and get some rest and sleep or yeah he's gonna lay down on bed for a little while and he's just going to kind of practice some of the magics that he's been uh kind of it's like when he gets new magic it's like when he gets this new feeling it starts as more just like an idea and then he's able to somehow conjure it up into actual magic so he's been kind of working on a few new things that he's been practicing so he'll lay in bed and just kind of practice those a little bit
00:14:37
Speaker
Okay, I'll say as you as you do that, as you start to work through those new kind of spells, you're you kind of have trouble controlling this, like this lightning, electric kind of current that seems to be a part of every spell you cast even simple stuff you cast and you're like, man, I feel like I'm having to hold back the electrical energy from coming out and doing this, you know,
00:15:06
Speaker
and as you kind of run through the magic. And you can tell that there is something added to your abilities to cast spells. And as you finally settle in to drift off, you also dream. And in your dream, you see expansive space, darkness.
00:15:34
Speaker
And then you look to your left and you see a swirling cloud of green. And to your right there's suddenly just this puff of pink or yellow. You feel like you're floating in a vast ocean of nothing.
00:15:49
Speaker
You see this expanse filled with color, blackness, light and darkness all at the same time. And everything you see, the little bits of light or a bit of color, it seems so far away, but still like you can touch it at the same time. You drift what feels like days or weeks till finally ahead, you see what looks like a planet or some sort of surface. So you begin to walk. No, it's more like you're flying to the surface.
00:16:19
Speaker
And when you get close enough, you find this hellish dark red landscape. Leaping flames are lapping from charred black holes in the surface. Ashes falling from the sky. Suddenly you're covered by this fiery sky. Like dark gray snow, the ash falls down on you. You smell sulfur. You taste the sulfur. And the sky burns orange and hurts your eyes.
00:16:49
Speaker
Instinctively, you draw your sword and it ebbs with an electric current. The crackle sound of this electricity reaches your ears, and as you twist to adjust your grip, you point it and you roll to your back. Your wings push the air around you to keep you suspended. Above you, the dark gray and amber sky billows with molten ash, but you lean your head backwards and you look at the ground beneath you.
00:17:14
Speaker
You see it. There's an opening. There's some sort of crack in that scorched ground. That isn't ground, you remember. It's flesh. Dark, ashen, burning flesh. You dive. You grimace at the searing heat as your sword pierces through the opening in this surface. The electrical energy flashes and you call out his name, the name of he who created you.
00:17:39
Speaker
His energy surges through you and the lightning force swirls, turning every bit of you into a bolt, starting at the tip of your sword, all the way past your sandaled feet.
00:17:51
Speaker
A crack ruptures, hurling molten flesh into the abyss beyond. The abomination is destroyed, but it is just one of many. You know the answer is on the material plane, but where? How? And how many of that plane's inhabitants will have to die so that you can save their existence? Well, save everyone's existence.
00:18:12
Speaker
before you awake from this dream in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, you realize it's not a dream. It's a memory. It just doesn't belong to you. And you wake up. I'm gonna sit up in bed and look around. This is gonna be a problem. What time is it? It's
00:18:37
Speaker
Getting close to sunrise, it's that darkest before the dawn time where it's four or five in the morning where you can tell the sun will be up soon. I'm going to get up and I'm going to wander over and I'm going to sneak into Craig's room while he's sleeping. Okay. Just quietly go in there and just kind of sit on the floor by the door. Okay.
00:19:00
Speaker
Are you trying to be sneaky? You said sneak in there? Yeah, I don't want to wake him. Okay. Can we roll stealth? Yeah, go ahead and make a stealth roll. I want to roll the dice. That is a 16. Okay. You successfully sneak in. Craig's what your passive perception is what? I don't know that it's going to be the 16. I can't imagine it would, but I just want to make sure.
00:19:23
Speaker
Yeah, it's 11. Yeah. He's asleep. Even passive perception while you're sleeping is probably crippled a bit. He's resting. He's not resting super heavy, but he's got light breathing. It's not the snoring you're used to from your pallet and dwarf friend. You just spend the rest of the morning sitting there?
00:19:42
Speaker
I'm just going to sit there. I'm going to pull off. I have one of the necklaces around my neck is a hempen rope and it's got like a like a golden medallion on the end of it. I'm just going to take that off and just kind of play with it in my hand while I wait for him to wake up. Okay. Gwendolyn, when you go to bed, do you just go to your room? Do you just go in and go to bed or are you doing anything else?
00:20:05
Speaker
I think Gwendolyn is tired from the night so she's just gonna move Dale over because he was hawking up the bed and Slide in she's just gonna stay awake for a little bit until she just slowly goes to sleep Okay, as you drift off to sleep you think back to the experience you just had that evening and You just feel like it's the first
00:20:33
Speaker
real unquestionable good you've done in a long time.
Gwendolyn's Peaceful Slumber
00:20:38
Speaker
Like, you've done things that you thought were the right thing, but they always were these questions. But you feel good knowing that tonight, there's no question. What I did was good. And it gives you probably the most peaceful sleep you've had in a while. Yeah. No nightmares for you. Sweet. Sweet. No fair. I know, right?
Joxer's Self-Improvement Plans
00:21:03
Speaker
Now we go to Joxer. Tell me about going down to the basement. Yeah, so he would have entered the basement and then try to find a place to kind of add either a torch or some kind of light. And then this was all dirt on the ground, right, from my memory? Yes. Yeah, it was like packed dirt.
00:21:22
Speaker
Yeah, so so with a little bit of light he's he's just gonna just instinctively think of think of everything that went on and and uh start kind of like writing down notes in the dirt just like I just I could have done better I I don't I I can't I can't there's got to be a different ingredient there has to be like these things going through his head of like how he can do better just
00:21:47
Speaker
endless possibilities now that he saw these other ingredients or were potentially ingredients and then seeing it's just like I have to earn I have to earn more more reputation with her I have to earn her respect and then after you know just jotting into the the dirt here and then wiping away and jotting into the dirt he's he's eventually just kind of gonna curl up on on the ground and
00:22:17
Speaker
and just put his head down and pass out as best as he can. Okay. You do pass out pretty good. You also have some sweet dreams. It kind of replays the figure of this woman walking into the woods and you following her.
00:22:40
Speaker
replay that sequence of you following her through the woods over and over again as you rest. And then you have a good night's sleep, you rest well. And the morning comes, fully comes, and I think, Joxer, you're probably the last to know it's morning, being down in that basement, not having any way for sunlight to really shine through other than maybe a small shaft of light through the crack where the doors meet on the entrance.
00:23:09
Speaker
And Daven, you're sitting awake when the sun comes up. Craig's, the sun comes in through a tiny circular window in that main room of the cabin there and hits you in the face and kind of awakens you.
Deep Conversations on Pasts and Fears
00:23:21
Speaker
We'll start there in that main entry room in the cabin. You awaken Craig's and you look over and there you see Daven sitting on the floor just kind of fiddling with a gemstone on the end of a necklace in his hands. How long have you been up?
00:23:40
Speaker
Oh, I don't know, a while. Not terrible sleep on this old chair. It's better than the rock and dirt we've had for a while, but this cabin is definitely nice of them to give to us. How was your night? Restless. Restless to say the least, that's for sure.
00:24:04
Speaker
He's going to take a deep sigh and then he's going to throw the medallion in his hand. You see, it's like a gold medallion. He says this, um, this necklace, it's the symbol of a family, like a rich family from Alvia. I don't know if you've ever been there. That's where I'm from. Alvia. Alvila. My mother, she used to work for them a long time ago. He's going to take, he's going to toss it towards you. I'm going to reach for it. Try to grab it.
00:24:32
Speaker
What you grab is not like a gold medallion. It's actually just like wood. It's just wood that's been painted. It's been like really cheaply carved once you see it up close. My molar, she made this because we were not rich enough to actually get something like this ourselves. This would be worth more than half of my family's fortune. I've never really had anything growing up. We were always poor. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I have something.
00:25:01
Speaker
What do you, Drakes, what do you know about the gods? Well, you know, I, I've been a paladin of Helm for most of my life and my relationship with Helm, at least, has always been a little bit strange. Not always, I guess. I, I know that gods have plans and I know that gods have
00:25:29
Speaker
desires for their creations, but I don't know if I always agree with it. It's about where I stand now. How do you know for sure if those who fight for their gods are good or bad? How do you know if they're vengeful people or if they're forgiving people? I used to think I knew. Then one day I didn't. If you recall my story,
00:25:55
Speaker
It hit me like a hammer to the face, quite literally. I woke up one day and I no longer saw the same army that I fought with and commanded and was proud of. I saw conquest, death, and destruction, and I knew this was not the will of a god that I would consider holy or just.
00:26:21
Speaker
I never trusted him. Something at the bottom growing up, it just seems wrong the way they do everything. I didn't like it. And so I always just paid him no mind. He's going to reach in and he's going to pull out another necklace. And this one's just like a simple silver chain and it's got to lock it on the end of it. And then I found this.
00:26:39
Speaker
What's that? I'm not sure I'm really ready to tell the whole story yet, but it gave me something that I wasn't really expecting and something. Now I'm not really ready to give up, but I have a feeling it's going to come with a price and I'm starting to get worried about that price. Craig's is going to squeeze his hand a little bit tighter. That's wrapped. Yeah. Evan, I,
00:27:03
Speaker
I know what it's like to give up a price. I'm a little bit concerned for my own sake and safety at this, this path we find ourselves on, but you have friends now. And though you may have always, I guess had a family that was poor or you're not alone. And if you have those by your side, I can't imagine another, another way to be more rich.
00:27:32
Speaker
I don't think you completely understand though. I don't think the price that's going to be paid is necessarily going to be my price. I think it's going to be all of ours. I see. I don't know. We'll, we'll talk about it later. I need, I need food. I didn't eat last night. Right. As Devin says that you see a very relaxed, but yet still tired Gwendolyn come out of the room, wrapped in a blanket, cradling a Dale.
00:28:01
Speaker
in the morning, and she just gets up there and sits down next to him. Here's all messy. Pat Dale on the head. Good morning. Good morning, Gwen. No. Daven, yes. Food, that does sound, that sounds great. Kiri, I think you forgot this, and I'm going to, without hopefully Gwen noticing, just kind of toss back the necklace that he gave to me. Yeah, I'm not going to notice. I had the best sleep of my life.
00:28:32
Speaker
He'll put it back on around his neck. He tucks everything back under his shirt. How was your sleep? She's just smiling. You know, not bad. What about you? You look to be kind of rejuvenated and refreshed this morning. I've never slept in a bed that was so warm and soft.
00:28:57
Speaker
And what about you, Dale? He's gonna pat his head. He liked it too. He was a bit of a bedhog, but I moved him over. So what's on the menu for this morning, Daven? Well, if you're talking about food, I think it's just going to have to be whatever you have left over. We haven't gone shopping. But if you're talking about bigger plans, I think we should get jockser and figure out what we're going to do. Right. I guess I'll get the old lad.
00:29:26
Speaker
Yeah, you'll, you'll hear, uh, some moaning from downstairs. Oh, I feel like drugs or may have gotten some more of his brew concocted. Let me, uh, let me go see if he's ready for some, some breakfast and figure out a plan for our day. I know I have, I have, uh, an errand I need to run.
00:29:57
Speaker
And with that, I'm gonna go outside, look around, stretch. Oh, big stretches through, open the door.
00:30:03
Speaker
And then I'm just going to like pound on the cellar door. OK. Breakfast. No. The longhouse? Nope. Leftovers. OK. I'll be. Hope you like warm nuts. Well, liquid newborn nuts. OK. Yeah. Joxer will run upstairs after way too deep asleep and
00:30:31
Speaker
meet everybody ah good good morning good morning seems like you had a good sleep must be dark down there looks like we've had a whole different spectrum of rested in here you you know that drunk you get from just sleeping too much no it's been a while since i've known that it's been a good long while
00:30:56
Speaker
I, well, I think I can talk to Danube Brew in the future. I look forward to trying that. Future Brew. Gwendolyn, you look, Dale, you look fantastic. She just looks down at Dale and smiles. Her hair is crazy too, like she's just. She's got those hair horns that like. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:28
Speaker
Um, someone said breakfast. Uh, are we making food here? Uh, are we going to try to find something? We don't have anything, do we? I have some trail mix. Are we going to cook trail mix again? You're just not supposed to cook trail mix. I just.
00:31:53
Speaker
we can go over to the longhouse and see if there's some breakfast going yet? What exactly is our plan for today? I don't mean to interject it so early and all, but you might be the only one I know with his unique magical abilities that I've seen, at least here in Wild Hill.
00:32:11
Speaker
You remember back previously, you spoke to me through your mind. You remember doing that ages ago here in Wild Health. Yeah, it's not exactly through my mind. All it's ordered is I have to speak out loud but very quietly. You're not able to do that over very long distances, are you? Only about 120 feet or so. Okay. Why, what are you trying to do?
00:32:42
Speaker
I don't necessarily want to, but I feel like it's imperative that I reach home. And there's no way that I can do it fast enough by post. So I'm hoping maybe in Wild Hill, there could be someone that can reach a little bit further with a message. I don't know if there's a wizard or mage or who here in town might be able to help, but maybe the armorsmith. I can't recall her name, but she was kind and justice. Justice. That's her name, correct?
00:33:12
Speaker
I've been a terrible host to all the people here in Wild Hill. Let's be honest. She was fantastic whenever I woke up on her doorstep. She also gave me keys. Keys?
00:33:27
Speaker
I bought these and I point at the braces. And as he lifts up to point at the braces, he also starts staring at his hand a little bit more intensely at both his hands.
00:33:43
Speaker
Yeah, and you see that goldish yellow. It almost blends in with your skin, but it's definitely visible. There's vines that wrap around and they almost glisten in the sunlight that comes through the window. Just like, see Jox are just almost like bright, like just confused, but excited, but trying to not be excited. He's just like staring and like back of his hands, front of his hands, one hand, one hand, just like he's really into himself right now.
00:34:14
Speaker
I'm not going to. I think he's just checking his bracers out. OK. Unless anyone else in the room notices. Do we notice what he's looking at? It would be pretty easy to notice, you know, it's it's not really hidden and it's definitely a little sparkly. I am in my head right now. Sure. So what are those? Is that tattoos?
00:34:41
Speaker
I might call them that. Let's just call them a blessing. All right. I had an event last night and I feel like maybe I can protect all of you a little bit more. Are you saying that we need the protection? I'm saying that you have needed the protection.
00:35:09
Speaker
Fair enough. Whether I do hope that none of you or myself need protection any further. You know, Krigs, there was a mage that was at the longhouse when I was having my drink contest.
00:35:29
Speaker
I do recall that. I'm also afraid that we may have worn our welcome a little bit too much with that group. But if that's... They love us. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah. So I wouldn't ask anything of Mel, but I mean, we've done nothing for him.
00:35:49
Speaker
That's fair. I'll keep that in mind. And if, if maybe if I do visit justice, if she recommends that would be my best solution, that, that may be who I have to go with. Yeah, I, yeah, absolutely. I just, just let me know. I think, I think breakfast, breakfast might be first on hand. I'm, I'm feeling pickish.
00:36:16
Speaker
Then let's get some food. Let me clean up and put on shuffles into your room. Devin will just use press the digitization to kind of clean himself off a little bit.
00:36:29
Speaker
What time of day is it currently? I know it's morning and the sun has come up, but seasons and all that are we talking like it's late spring, late spring, early morning. It's still cool out. You could see your breath a little bit when you went outside like a six or seven a.m. Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something like that. I don't imagine Justice's shop would be open yet. Probably not yet. All right. So I guess we're making our way to the longhouse.
00:36:57
Speaker
So you walk out of the cabin into a quickly warming up late spring morning.
Strategizing Over Breakfast
00:37:06
Speaker
And sure enough, the businesses look mostly closed. And though as you as you kind of walk by the adventurers camp there, you see some of the adventures are out going ahead and eating. You do walk past the statue and the
00:37:23
Speaker
Tower of Testing, and then on your right, there is Hurley's Lodging, and you see a few folks sitting out, just kind of looking out of these, kind of like a front porch of these buildings, also kind of chatting and eating, drinking something from some mugs, and you do see Mick there, as well as BMO, the bard, and you can hear a little bit of the, just typical morning hubbub, nothing out of the ordinary, coming from the longhouse area, like there is breakfast being served there.
00:37:52
Speaker
People are coming and going from there as you walk that direction and you do see as you get closer several people there and They're kind of coming and going some are taking food with them Some are going in and sitting and eating and you approach the outside of the longhouse just gonna go in or
00:38:09
Speaker
So the moment we pass Bemo kind of hanging out, Kriegs, he might be worth asking about spells, if I remember correctly. Bards give or take something of spellcasters. That is true, but I fear he knows a little bit too much about a curse or two, that one of Okanimber.
00:38:40
Speaker
Likely not going to try to reach out to him. That's that's fair. Well, if you're looking for somebody to trust I'm not sure you're gonna find them in this town What about the widow I mean she obviously has some sort of powers maybe she can communicate I Like to That that could be an option. Yes Regardless, let's uh, let's let's go see what they have on the menu and I'm just gonna walk into the longhouse Okay, I will follow behind
00:39:10
Speaker
All right, did you guys walk into the longhouse? It's set up like normal. It's got its few tables end to end from in the middle of the room with the benches for sitting. And then there's a couple tables on the other side on the side of the room to your right, where food is being served. And there are some some smoked meats and things like that, as well as a good serving of mostly root vegetables, some fruits now are there that weren't there before. And
00:39:39
Speaker
there is some sort of hot beverage being served in smaller mugs, but then there's also your typical ale and some water and things like that available as well. So you guys can take what you'd like and have a seat in this room. You do see several different adventurers and the guys you had kind of had a drinking contest are sitting at the end of the tables towards the back of the building, just sitting and eating. And they look kind of hurried. They're eating a little rushed, it looks like, but
00:40:08
Speaker
Everyone else is just people you maybe haven't seen. Devin is going to stack up on the meats. He's tired of being vegetarian all past couple of weeks. OK, sounds good. That I'm jocks are stocking up on everything, and then he's going to try to stack at least one mug on on the meats and then one mug in his hand as he tries to to to find decide on a spot to sit.
00:40:38
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, you can you can sit on one of the kind of middle table in the room is available and you can have a seat there. Yeah, at that point, I also would look over at Mel. Does does he see me?
00:40:54
Speaker
He's not paying any attention to you if he does. He may have seen you come in, but he's not really looking over at you or anything right now. Is it is it just the group that we saw before or is Soraya there? You do not see Soraya. OK, so I'll I'll head over and sit.
00:41:13
Speaker
down a couple of seats from Mel and the group. OK. And then just start drinking. I'm not going to say anything. OK. You're sitting at a different table, but it's like I said, they're set end to end. So you're only about three people down from that group.
00:41:29
Speaker
And you're not right up to them, but you're there. And they're just kind of having a conversation while they eat and make an insight check as you look at them while you're eating, while you're drinking. If you're interested in looking at eating. I am 100%. Okay. Yeah, I want to listen or I want to see if they, oh, that's not super, is a, well, two plus four, so six. Okay. They're eating in a hurry. That's all you can tell.
00:41:58
Speaker
Mel. How's it going?
00:42:03
Speaker
Hey, hey there. Was it Joxer, right? Ah, yes. I don't have time for games today. We have to get going soon, but... Oh, you on a hunt today? Good morning. We do. We just got one this morning. We gotta head out. Anything magical? Well, I don't know. We were asked to track down some beast that's been found in the woods, something we hadn't seen before, so it's been heading south. We're heading down south today to see if we can catch up to it, track it down.
00:42:30
Speaker
Sounds important. Well, I don't know. It sounds just like a regular job to me. Well, if you're in a rush, it's got to be at least more and more important than not. Well, Sariah said we leave before lunch, so we want to be ready when she's ready to go or she'll leave us here. We won't get a cut of the gold, you know? That sounds like a good leader there. I guess. Devin is sitting there with him. He's going to pipe up and he says, what kind of creature are we talking about here? Do you know any details about it?
00:42:55
Speaker
I have no idea. I don't really care. I don't ask questions. I show up and if it fights us, we fight back and then we come home. And it's heading south. Yeah. And you guys just got the, uh, you just got this contract today. I think Sariah said it was last night or something. She got it and we're going to head out this morning. Uh, Devin's gonna kind of lean in close with his drink, like up near his mouth, lean into a jockster. He says, isn't that the direction that Del Mar headed off?
00:43:23
Speaker
Mel, do you know who Soraya got the job from? I don't know. I assume it was from the chief or why can't I think of the guy's name?
00:43:40
Speaker
Well, I mean, not not not. I mean, who who actually wanted the job to get done? Not just the contract delivered from Tomba. I don't know. I haven't seen the contract. I was just told to be ready to leave soon. That's all I know. So you guys are leaving soon. Where are you meeting up with Sarai at? At the statue, like always. Well, good luck on your your trip. I hope you are successful in whatever it is you're killing. No, I hope so, too.
00:44:11
Speaker
We should go now, guys. Hey, everybody, let's go. Let's head out. A couple of guys, including that one wizard kind of magic user that you had seen with the nasty teeth, and he's bald with tattoos all over his face and head. He just stands up. Okay, let's go. He starts heading out with them. They start to leave. Gwendolyn walks over. What did I miss? She just pops a berry in her mouth.
00:44:37
Speaker
They're going to kill something that's heading north or heading south. Some sort of creature that they said they'd never heard of before. She spits out the berry. What? Isn't that the way that? Yeah, I'm a little bit worried about that myself.
00:44:55
Speaker
Gwendolyn's just looking around, trying to make sure no ones are. You see Joxer just take a just slam his first drink and move the one off of his meat and start like eat as fast as he can. Hold on. Hold on. He started with the one on the side and he left the other one sitting on top of his meat the entire time. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the one on the I mean, he just sat it on the table and that's the one he's going to grab natively and then and then move. Yeah. Swap them out because you only drink from the table.
00:45:24
Speaker
Damn it. OK. And then he's he's going to start trying to cheat, you know, eat as fast as he can. I think someone should probably check on. Does anybody know Soraya? Not not I. I've met her a couple of times, yes. Would it be worth trying to ask her any details?
00:45:51
Speaker
I guess we could try and track her down. I don't really trust her all that much. I wish there was... I'm definitely worried. Is there a way to sabotage it? Or ask Tomba for us to take it? I don't know. Oh no, I just... She's going into panic mode.
00:46:13
Speaker
I don't think if we even if we got the job now that they would be stopped fast enough unless if if we make it to the statue and Tomba's there we might be able to swap but I I doubt they'd be interested. Delaying them I would imagine a distraction would be best if if we were to try to do something of the sort.
00:46:40
Speaker
I mean, we either have to figure out for sure what it is they're going after. And we've got to talk to Soraya about that, or we've got to follow them and make sure that it's safe. I mean, it could be nothing. It could be just some weird bull, or it could be like another one of those blood bars, like we thought like the other day. Yeah. My first thought was that it was probably another experiment gone wrong. It might very well be, but I was just a little bit worried that our friend is a little bit of an experiment himself.
00:47:10
Speaker
Where's Kregs? I don't. Do we see Kregs? Nope. Kregs did not go with you. He's pulling it down and we got to go get him. Oh, my God. Cut scene. Yes, Kregs. What are you doing? Flash two.
Krigs Seeks Family Connection Advice
00:47:30
Speaker
You hear knock on the door of Justice's shop. You hear.
00:47:38
Speaker
From the inside, you knock on the door and as you approached the door, you heard like a humming. And it gets real off and bad and just, oh well. Oh, and then she hears the door and walks over and opens the door. Yes, we're open. Oh, well, Krigs, hello. How are you today? Good morning, Justice. Good morning.
00:48:04
Speaker
Do you need something? I'm fine. I'm sorry to... I know you're not open yet. I just had a question or two if you could spare me a moment. Of course. I'm just kind of getting things ready to open up if you'd like to come on in and have a chat with me. Just shut the door behind you and she just turns and walks in. Of course. I step in and I shut the door. Good at latch it. I don't want any customers coming in yet. I'm not ready. I got to count out the drawer, you know?
00:48:33
Speaker
I latch the door and there's some seating, not in a lot, it's a shop, but there's a little bit of a seating there. I'm gonna kind of just sit down and don't mind me. I'll stay out of your way. I just, again, I had a question if you didn't mind.
00:48:51
Speaker
Yes, go ahead and ask. No problem. You sat down on a little place where people try on shoes. It's like a little thing with a piece of metal polish to be like a mirror that leans downward so you can see your feet while you're standing up, like at Payless. I check out my boots. Yeah, they look pretty decent. They're a little muddy, but they're fine. And then she goes around back, and as she's in the back, she is literally just counting out
00:49:18
Speaker
change to kind of put in her little drawer, whatever that she uses. What's your question? Go ahead. Justice, do you remember the conversation we had about the curse of Okanember? Yeah, of course. You're the first person I've spoken to about that in a long time.
00:49:39
Speaker
I don't feel there are many people in Wild Hill that are trustworthy, but I don't know what it is about you. I hope you don't take this as an insult, but you're the only person here that I can trust. I feel I don't know what it is about you, but you have that quality. I don't know why that would be considered an insult, but please go on. She keeps counting.
00:50:04
Speaker
You remembered my shield. You asked me if it meant anything to me, and I don't know if you've put two and two together, but that is the family crest of the curse in Oaken Ember, the song that you referred.
00:50:21
Speaker
The symbol rang a bell, just the likeness on it made me think of that, that poem, that song. And so I, I don't know, I thought I'd bring it up. I'm not one to mince words, you know, if I'm thinking something, I'll say it what's on my mind. So I mentioned it to you. That song is about me and my family. Oh, dear, that's...
00:50:44
Speaker
That's not something I'd want to have to say about my family ever. Uh, are you sure? What makes you say that for sure? I have to apologize. I've not been completely upfront with you. My, my chosen name is Kriegskald, but my actual name is Safran Imboreau. I see. Well, that's nice to meet you, Safran. That song, the curse, it refers to my, my family, my mother, Hannah, and my father, Baylor.
00:51:13
Speaker
and my brothers and sisters and I mean that's that's my family and I'm I'm at an impasse now I've reached a point in my adventure where it's imperative I can't go home that's not an option for me at least at this point in time but I need to know that they're still okay
00:51:35
Speaker
I know you may not be able to help me with this, but maybe you have someone in this town you trust. And by trust, I mean with your life that might be able to get a message magically or in some way to my family, maybe a scroll or maybe some kind of divination. I don't know magics as well as some, but it is imperative.
00:52:03
Speaker
Do you think you can help me? Well, I sure understand needing to reach out to your family. Man, I don't know. I know that I don't have the capabilities that you are requesting. There was a day when it was possible on a good day that I maybe could have, but no longer. Have you spoken to the widow or tub? Tub, I'm not sure I've been introduced.
00:52:36
Speaker
Uh, first of all, I'm surprised anything scares you, uh, Safran, was it? Yes. But second of all, I, uh, I understand she's a terrifying old woman and I'm, I think she might be crazy, but she's spoken some things over me that, uh, I'd like to be true. So we're, uh, I'm going to believe in her as long as I can. Tubb, he's kept busy by the chief most of the time, but, uh, he kind of tinkers around with things and, uh, has a, has a way with magics that, uh, tends to.
00:52:57
Speaker
Well, honestly, the widow kind of scares me.
00:53:06
Speaker
I don't know, cause mundane regular things to be a little more arcane, a little more magical.
00:53:13
Speaker
But like I said, the chief kind of has him under his thumb. He does what the chief asks. And that's pretty much all he has time for these days. But I understand. Other than that, he may have time to help you a little. I don't know. His tinker shops just north of town here at the base of the mountains. I'm not too sure how close I want to keep the chief involved in my dealings, but I might visit the widow, see if she has any insight.
00:53:37
Speaker
I do thank you for your time, and I am sorry if, again, I've caused you any inconvenience with our dealings. You have been the closest thing I have to a friend in this town, and I do want to thank you for that. Hey. This town. No. Sorry. We've been outside this town. You're not there, Daven. Sorry, Derek got insulted. Derek was upset about it. She stops what she's doing and kind of walks towards you.
00:54:07
Speaker
And she says, you know, I've traveled an adventure with many people. And I've got to say, not many of them could speak their mind and their truth like you do. I think you should- It's not always easy. It's never easy. And power tends to take that trait away from people quickly. So as one who must be as powerful as you are, based on what I know you've done out in the wilds and things,
00:54:37
Speaker
Your honesty and your candor is it's not not super common. So I'm grateful for it. And I do consider you're a friend. So please come talk with me any time you'd like. And if there's anything I can do, I would be more than happy to help. Thank you, Justice. The only thing I ask for right now is please discretion with the information I've given you. It's not not for my safety, but
00:55:06
Speaker
maybe the honor of my family back home. Of course, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be speaking with you again, friend, and I nod my head kinda and head out unlatching the door and walking out if she has nothing else to say. Okay, you start to head out and she kinda follows you as you walk out and starts to, you kinda get out to where you're getting ready to leave
00:55:36
Speaker
She holds the door for you as you walk out and she says, and by the way, you can call me Godressly. Godressly Ironjaw, that's my real name as well. You shared yours, that's mine. It's a definite pleasure to meet you, Godressly.
00:55:54
Speaker
And you have a great day. Please be safe out there. I will. You do the same. She props the door open and turns the sign around next to her door that says from closed to open and turns and walks back in. With that, I'm going to head kind of towards the long house because that's on the way to the Tolliver House. OK. I don't know of timing wise, we'd be kind of meeting up as they exit because they weren't in there all that long. OK. Yeah, I assume at this point, Craig,
00:56:23
Speaker
Oh, bless. And then it start start heading out like after trying to check that second drink and yeah. And and I'll jockser would be like holding whatever food he could just guess I'll give this to Krigs whenever I see him. All right. Where do you think you want to? Didn't didn't he mention something before? Did he mention?
00:56:48
Speaker
Oh, are you guys out of the long house yet? They've they've like stormed out, it feels like. Yeah. And yeah, we were like standing at the front being stared at by the guy in the wheelchair or not. We'll change the distance of giggle wave. I'm assuming Gwen is the only one noticing at this point. OK, that's there is what boring.
00:57:12
Speaker
Sorry, I wasn't very hungry. I didn't figure the leftovers should go to waste, you know. It's hard to take a soldier from the battle, but you can definitely leave some food around and I'm probably gonna eat it. Not hungry. Are you okay? Oh, I'm not hungry. I've had the leftovers from the travel rations. I didn't want it to go to waste.
00:57:37
Speaker
Well, if you're not interested in anything that I brought out and now I'll just start devouring it now. By all means, do you guys have a eventful time at the longhouse? It's usually pretty interesting. Little worried. Yes. What was her name? Who did Jock to drink under the table now? No one this time.
00:58:03
Speaker
That group might be, well, they are about to try to hunt something south, and we know another group that is heading south. It starts with D-E-L-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-L-E-
00:58:28
Speaker
Well, we don't know anything for sure, but we know that Soraya got a contract to go kill some monster in the forest that they've never seen before who was heading south. Have we spoken with Toma yet or Soraya? No. Any details? I have you. We don't know any leftovers. They were heading towards the statue to meet her, but we, we, we just noticed that you are not with us. So we are going to come find you. And I guess we head that way and see if we can find some information.
00:58:55
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I think we should speak with at least Tomba if we cannot find Soraya at this time. They're supposed to be meeting up at the statue, so let's head that way. To the statue. Why? Do you make
The Hunt Challenge: Racing Sarai
00:59:10
Speaker
it? So you approach the statue and there is a gathering of.
00:59:15
Speaker
adventurers standing around the statue a handful and they're kind of standing around one person and as you approach and get closer you see it is Sarai and she's just kind of talking to them all and you see Tomba standing on the steps of the of the
00:59:34
Speaker
tower and up standing by the door of the tower, you see the chief and he's standing there as well, kind of just a little ways behind Tomba, just kind of watching what's going on out in front. And some people are coming and going around you. Nobody's paying any attention to this group talking here. This gathering at the statue to get ready to leave is kind of normal. And anyway, so that's what you see. How should we just try to get the attention of Tomba right now?
01:00:03
Speaker
I mean, if the chief is right next to him, I don't want to. Tomba, my good man. Let's speak. We might be looking for a new contract. Do you have a moment? Oh, hello. Hi, Krigs. Krigs, yes. Yes. Yeah, Krigs. Great. Yes, we have contracts. You looking for something to go today? Absolutely. What have you...
01:00:31
Speaker
I'm sorry, I'm an old dwarf man. It's kind of hard of hearing. Could you maybe come this way a little closer and tell us maybe what you have? Sure, and he reaches down in a pouch and pulls out a couple pieces of paper and he walks towards you and kind of comes down the steps, starts walking towards you, holding them up, and he says, here you can see for yourself.
01:00:51
Speaker
Gwendolyn is looking at the other two guys, like I'm mouthing, what is up with him? He's very lively this morning. Okay. That was Dr. Peyton. He's going to see if he can overhear what Sarai is saying. Jobs, jobs, yes, jobs. Let me look here. All right. Do I see anything that looks like it would be headed in a southerly way or anything that stands out just off this list?
01:01:20
Speaker
You see one that is north, straight up, go north. And one is going and picking up a delivery in Lavarith.
01:01:30
Speaker
The one that is going north is talking about going and finding a cavern as a forward operating base for future hunters. Okay. So north and west. Yeah. Doesn't seem like anything like you guys were telling me. So, hmm. Tomba, my man. I wasn't so sure about any of these. I might have to reconvene with my compatriots here. They're, well,
01:01:59
Speaker
not the most rugged of adventurers like myself. We may have to come back and see if your contracts are what? See if your contracts are a little more likely. Tomba walked to us, right? So we're standing there. Yeah. I'm going to look back at him. There was nothing on the list. Make a deception check as you whisper that.
01:02:29
Speaker
And Tomba, as you whisper that and you just said, you know, you don't like it. And Tomba is going to say, well, that's what we have for now. There's been a lot of parties back this this week. So we've sent several out already. Side note. Deception is 17.
01:02:43
Speaker
OK, yeah, he didn't seem to notice you saying anything. If you're not interested, I'll take him back. But that's what we got for now. Maybe somebody at the maybe somebody at the the noblemen's area will have something for you or at the at the lamppost. I thought Delmar went north. Am I saying it's not a goose chase or was I wrong? Oh, no. Delmar went south towards the city. All right. I was like, wait a second.
01:03:10
Speaker
Yeah, so so with with Tomba in that situation right next to us, Tomba, why is everybody gathered around Soraya? What are they? What do they have to know? That's her party. She's taken one of the mission that came up a little bit ago. So she's she's going to go handle that. It shouldn't take long. I don't think they'll probably be back in a day or two. What mission?
01:03:35
Speaker
Oh, it's just a typical hunting mission. There's some creature out there causing problems, so they're going to go handle it. That's a large group for a typical hunting mission. Oh, she probably won't take them all. She's probably choosing who right now. I'm sure that's what they're doing. Interesting. And you say, I mean, is this just a regular beast? I felt like I overheard them say it was something they've never seen before.
01:04:03
Speaker
Oh, I don't know. I just gave him the contract. So you don't know what contract you gave them?
01:04:09
Speaker
I wrote up the contract. Sure. It just said that there's a there's a beast in the woods that is kind of a mixture of two different kinds of animals. And if they see anything like that, they need to kill it and bring it back. But what kind of animals? That's that's terrifying mixture of two animals. Oh, I know. I know. It's it's an abomination. Something like I think if if I think if I remember correctly, there was something like
01:04:35
Speaker
like dogs and bears mixed or something like that. It was a weird thing. I don't know who did it, and I don't know why, but so. I am, there seems to be a lot of those experiments around. Gwendolyn's a little angered, so she's going to go over to where Saraius' party is. I'm just going to try to eavesdrop. Thank you, Tomba. Daven had already planned to do that. Sarai, there's no jobs. Yeah, you can both make- Oh, I did first. You can both make perception checks as you try to listen in.
01:05:04
Speaker
uh, 17 for Devin, for his perception. Eight. Okay. 14, 15. 15. Yeah. You both pick up that she is choosing her team. She's like, I'm not taking more than three of you with me. Okay. I know you all want to cut to the gold. It doesn't pay that well anyway. So, uh, you can come, Mel, I always take you, you know, right hand man.
01:05:29
Speaker
as annoying as you might be. And we'll take you and she points to the magic user one as well. And the three and just another like ranger archer looking guy. And the other ones are like, oh, come on. But she's just selecting who's gonna go with her at this point. And she says, we should be back in a day or two. And we'll take one of these other jobs. Don't worry. Maybe we'll just go to the city, go to Lavarith and spend a couple days there. How about that one next? We'll take you off. We do that one. Okay. And they're like, yeah, that sounds great. Okay. Savages. Let's go. So she gets ready to go.
01:05:59
Speaker
I want to come with you. Go ahead. Sarah, I just laughed. You do? Well, I don't usually take people that aren't a member of my party with me. Aren't you with them there? I am, but I'm still learning to be a druid, and I am interested in seeing this creature. I'm possibly studying it.
01:06:26
Speaker
Hey, well, perhaps you can study its corpse when we bring it back. How's a dissection sound in the melders? What's a dissection? I just stare at her. I don't want to see the corpse.
01:06:41
Speaker
Well, I'm not planning to drag you with me on this excursion. I literally chose the three I want to go with me and no more. They will make sure we are quick and light on our feet, and I don't desire or require any other assistance. If you would like to go out in the woods on your own looking for one of these things, be my guest, but I would rather you not go with us, please. Maybe we look for this thing. Excuse me? Yeah.
01:07:11
Speaker
maybe we look for this thing you're talking about trying to find what we're trying to find i do think that's what i'm saying listen listen here there's a way this works in this town you get a contract and you take the contract and when you take the contract it's your job and no one can take it from you so i'm not saying you can't kill the creature if
01:07:34
Speaker
You must, but I'm taking Gwendolace to see the creature before you do. Hang on, did she see? She looks at Mel. Mel looks at her and she says, did she say a race? Yes. I don't know. Tomba, she calls out. Yes, yes, yes. Tomba, come here, please. Sure, Sarai, sure. And he kind of hobbles over. He says, what do you want? What is it? Sarai says,
01:08:01
Speaker
What would you say to a little wager between this group and ours that whoever returns with this creature on this contract first gets the reward instead of just one of us taking the mission? Tomba says, oh, that's not very conventional. Let me come with me. And he turns and starts to walk away.
01:08:26
Speaker
And as you don't follow, he turns and looks back at Sarai and Gwendolyn and Krigs and he says, follow me, please. And he turns and starts walking away again. He did it, guys. He did his catchphrase. That's awesome. I think we should follow him then. Joxer looks confused. Gwendolyn won't move until Sarai moves.
01:08:48
Speaker
Okay. Saraya starts to follow him pretty much immediately after he says his catchphrase. She's powerless to resist the catchphrase. She starts to follow him and Tomba hobbles up the steps towards the chief who's standing there, looks like one of his wives is standing there with him and he's sending her in for something and she turns to go in as you approach. He opens his eyes wide, raises his eyebrows and looks at you all like, what is this? Tomba says,
01:09:17
Speaker
We have an unprecedented request. Sarai's party would like to challenge Gwendolyn Craig's part, this other party for this mission to see who can get it first. And the chief goes, I think I like that. Why not? As long as the mission gets done, I don't care. Just understand that whoever loses does not get paid. I only pay once for this mission. And Touma turns around and says,
01:09:47
Speaker
There you have it guys. If you want to race, you can race.
Preparing for the Hunt
01:09:51
Speaker
The chief says, but do it fast. That thing was headed south fast. Well, I guess we're off then. Do we get to see the contract? So we have a fair understanding of what we're going for. Sarah goes, sure. I don't need it. Uh, I made here already memorized it. Take it. The maid's green. Huh? Is she upset? Make an insight check. Okay.
01:10:17
Speaker
Oh my gosh. A natural 20. Okay. Plus whatever. She is not upset. She's not bothered. She's confident. And she feels like she doesn't even care that you guys are doing this. You can kind of see that she's just like going to go about her business and do her thing. This makes me not want to do it now. I'll take the project and look it over for any details.
01:10:46
Speaker
You what, Devin? I'm going to take the contract and look it over for any details that we don't already know.
01:10:51
Speaker
All right, yeah, as you you read through the contract, it's basically what he said. There's no details about what kind of creature it is. Tomba must have just had that information that he didn't put in. There is details about footprints that look like that of a bear, but much larger and but that it might be on its on two legs more than usual. So for tracking purposes, and there's some information about
01:11:16
Speaker
about if you have magic items or magic weapons, you want to use those like this creature in in past when something like this not exactly like this because they haven't seen anything like it. But something similar to this has been dispatched. It was only able to be done with something magical. But other than that, that's kind of the only I look at the party. So they said south, right?
01:11:40
Speaker
Yes, Joxer is not up there with you guys. He had no idea what you guys were doing. OK, I come back with party until I'm assuming you follow me. Mm hmm.
01:11:51
Speaker
Joxer, do you have that hole of yours? I do. What are you? What is happening? I kind of want to know what's happening. I don't want another animal to be harmed. I just need you all to trust me again. I'm sorry to always ask this, but Joxer,
01:12:11
Speaker
You think you could open up your, your, your brewing station for us. Yes. Let's, let's do it slightly out of sight so we're relatively close to like that little area where we hid for Devin to
01:12:31
Speaker
Um turn in Saraya so behind the lamp behind the well the trees there There's a well and the trees are there between the tower testing and the lamppost tavern sure i'm not worried about being seen but being seen by all of Saraya's party just more of you know Yeah, so moving over there. Let's just lay this out here and I I notably kind of pull tight on the the edges of it and it opens up if everybody's getting in then
01:12:59
Speaker
By all means, get in. Are we getting in? Here's the plan. And I hate I hate that it's as quick as this, but if this is a race, we need to find this creature. They're a very advanced party. And with that, Krigs is going to pull his shield off his back.
01:13:21
Speaker
and kind of hold it in front of him a little bit and he's going to mutter something from behind the shield. And as he mutters something, you can't quite hear his going to be kind of surrounded by a bit of smoke. And his cloak is going to turn into two very large bird wings that look like blue jay wings.
01:13:44
Speaker
Oh, well. All aboard. Hop in the hole if you wouldn't mind. This is different. Oh. I, okay. You, you remember how to open it, right? I never forgot. Yeah, I know.
01:14:18
Speaker
Thank you for listening to this episodic installment of The Hired Swords. If you liked our show, tell a friend about us. And if you really liked our show, tell the world. Leave a review. If you want to keep up with us and get all the behind the scenes goofs and gaffs, you can find us on Twitter and Facebook at The Hired Swords. Again, thank you for listening.