Transcript
Speaker: Can I just say, I love that Ian has just tormented you to buggery. You still pick Will for the introduction. It's because I know if I pick Ian, it's going to be such... You know what Ian's like. It's going to just be piled on top of on top of on top. The recap's not going to mean jack shit.
Speaker: Hello everybody! Welcome to this week's episode of the first clip of the Tabletop. We are a live play 5.5e set in the magical home-brewed world of Aerith. I am Callum and I am your director for these sessions. With me, we have the person who's been suffering some kind of stroke, Ian.
Speaker: Why am I having a stroke, man? What's up? If only you could hear what's going be going to be edited out of his introduction. um We have... We have... Playing Remy.
Speaker: Sorry, are you... I'm actually genuinely concerned for Ian's welfare. What are you seeing or hearing, Callum? Fuck you. That's not funny. We have Will playing Alessio.
Speaker: Yeah, i'm I'm concerned for Callum because you're like he's hearing things. This is weird. There is not much hair left to come away. But last but my no-mean-do, finally into the podcast. We have Lady Lobelia Vulvaris-Gardin. Yes, we do. And I don't know what you're talking about, Callum. I can't hear a thing.
Speaker: Oh, Rocksfall, you all die. um Time for my backup character. Why don't we have... Ooh, Will, you can recap us on our last session, seeing as the first one you're going to be joining us for. So what happened last week? I love that Ian has just tormented you to buggery. You still pick Will for the introduction. It's because I know, if I pick Ian, it's going to be such... You know what Ian's like? It's going to just be piled on top of one top of one top. The recap's not going to mean jack shit. Yeah.
Speaker: ah Lots of people fighting outside a tower where there was a big old construct and people were shooting. People were doing mind games. People were bringing in velociraptors and biting. and people were stabbing with blades that disappear. And then the heroes won the day.
Speaker: And they went into the tower and there was a a lady in the tower that looked like she was dead, but it was all illusion. Ha ha, psych. And then they found their quarry, which is Lady Abilia Volvaris Jordan.
Speaker: And she's just about to spill the beans on what the next thing is they need to do. Hooray! She's going to gush the pot out. mean Yes, prepare for the exhibition. We'll dump. We find ourselves in the house of Lady G.
Speaker: People are settled, ready for the story. Please take it away, Will.
Speaker: I suppose I should ask before I commence, what is it that you already know I'd hate to repeat myself? Something about a contingency, and we've got to deal with it.
Speaker: that That's it? Yep. That You are incredibly well informed. I'm glad to know that my money is going to the right causes and the right people because clearly you are the best the Winged Watch have to offer.
Speaker: Yep. the the i'm I'm saying a little bit of sarcasm, but just just to contextualise, Winged Watch operates on a need-to-know basis, and we were only given the information we need to know, and that's it.
Speaker: Well, evidently you need to know a little more, don't you? That's why we're here to see you, otherwise you wouldn't need to. Goodness me, would the audience stop please interrupting the main act, lest you be asked to leave the premises and probably not return now
Speaker: We begin our tale many moons ago. Unless he's going to noisily rustle open some blight snacks or whatever and just like pass them out to the group. Get them rations out. it's noisy if If you start doing that, the sthynx is going to jump away from Lady Garda, jump straight to you and whack them out of your hand with as much ferocity as what this little cat-like sthynx can happen.
Speaker: ah Duchess Penelope, I do thank you so much. We do hate noisy eaters in the audience, don't we? And she responds with a nod. o Where was I? I'll commence from the start.
Speaker: The exposition. It began many moons ago, I believe. When I first caught tale of two human males bragging about a handsome payment they have received for nothing short of an escort mission, I decided to plunder my knowledge further of their accounts, and discovered that a convoy they were due to escort had been travelling south from Shadow Men, sticking to lesser-travelled routes due to, you know, bandits and the ongoing conflict and the still nightmare, etc., etc.
Speaker: Allegedly, they had come under fire from many things, and many of that original number had somewhat perished. Filling their numbers with mercenaries, they appear to be approaching the final leg of their destination, the destination of which I do not know, but I can tell you that they will be crossing the Evergard River in a certain location known but only to a few, myself included.
Speaker: As you say, talk of contingency, talk of Uriond also filled my ears. Rumors, as they say, of plans to back up certain things by the enemy leads me to believe we, i suppose me, accompanied by you three and your two-legged beastie,
Speaker: Should make our way to this crossing at the Evergard River and intercept this convoy.
Speaker: She pauses and looks around the room.
Speaker: Oh, that makes sense. It is usually at this point that you nod or accept the mission or sometimes applaud. Remy applauses.
Speaker: There we go Excellent. Alessio does not applaud. He's like, okay, so how far away is the crossing point?
Speaker: From where we are at present, it is approximately two days to the east. I do have a map.
Speaker: That's the south of Riverfold. Ooh, a wonderful geographer you appear to be.
Speaker: It's about two days travel to the east and my sources tell me that we have but three days before the crossing is made.
Speaker: Do you wish to dilly-dally further within my house? Do I have to talk to myself? Duchess Penelope, you make better conversation than many of these Winged Watch members and you barely speak.
Speaker: and So Alessio's going to be doing... I was going to say, to that reaction from ah Lady Lobelia, she's going to kind of turn her back towards you all and just kind of scrape along the floor, almost like a cat in a litter box.
Speaker: Alessio will turn to... Well, he won't turn to the group. He'll be doing the psychic talking again. Okay, we have a mission. I suppose staying here is actually delaying us. We should probably try and travel and rest on the road. Do you agree? what I don't want to stay here. She got a sarcophagus that she came out of. That was my freaking... Look at all the blood on the floor. I think it's theatrics, Remy.
Speaker: I'm still waiting for a response. It is insolent boarding on road. Yes, yeah they very, very nice story and ah very helpful. ah We will be about it.
Speaker: About it? We're just discussing what the plan is. You haven't said a word. You're not discussing anything. and We don't need to speak out loud to discuss our plans. Oh, say no more, say no more. And she will make a psychic connection with just yourself, Alessio. Okay.
Speaker: but With an awakened mind, you hear her voice now in your mind. i too can play tricks of the mind if this is what we wish. It's just simple. that I've been doing this for a few hours now, so it was just easier for us to just do this um with the others.
Speaker: With the others, but not myself. ah You weren't present when I began. Well, I'm present now. Join me in. Clue me in Coin me in. Deal me in. Whatever it is you ruffians say.
Speaker: And then Alessio just switches to out loud. So I think our decision is that we can't stay here the night. And we will have to rest on the road if you say that time is of the essence.
Speaker: It is.
Speaker: Very well. Caelan, are you happy with us moving on?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Remy? Yes, that just just just just let me go first. i I'm just going to step out the door for a second and just just um meet you out there. Nothing drastic. I'm going to just dock out the door and I'm going to point at Folly and go, now that lady's about to come out of here with their fancy looking cat. And Folly starts to rear up with that. Don't you be starting to think about you're going to try and eat that cat. She's on our side. You are not to try and eat that cat. ah but I can't speak with animals on Folly again. What?
Speaker: but What? What? Don't fucking lie to me, boy. I'll turn you back into a sparrow. I promise nothing. You're to eat that cat. You're not going to eat that cat. But, boy, you look at me. You look at me when I talk to you, boy.
Speaker: You are not trying to that cat. Gonna just kinda lick his lips a little bit. Don't you lick those lips at me, boy. And I'm just gonna just come up to you remember what happens if I said to you, when you lose your mom, boy, I'll be the one to help you find it. Now stop licking your lips and you are not eating that cat. In fact, I'm just gonna climb into the saddle and be like, there.
Speaker: Now. No eating the cat. You understand me? There was like a sad look that comes over with you to lower his head. Fine. Hmm.
Speaker: I'll go back into town and find you in that pastry or something. I promise. Steak?
Speaker: Sure, why not? Why not? I'll find you a steak and I'll just open up the pouch and again give him some of the the meat on the inside. And very lousy kind of chomps and chews at it. It's going to look really weird if I climb down off you now, isn't it? And go back into that tower when we may be leaving.
Speaker: But we can go inside. guess I'm waiting here. No, let's go inside. He's going to try and start walking. Oh, no no no, no, no, no. She made it de abundantly clear that that yeah you're a bit too ruffian for for her establishment, which is quite odd considering it's a bit freaky in there. But but no, we're going to be good guests. And finally, I'm afraid Velociraptor is not welcome in that tower. I'm sorry, boy.
Speaker: just want to poke my head in No. Let me poke my head in. We're going to stay out here, boy. go Kind of tugging a little bit on the reins that are around you, just to try and get you to change your mind, but obviously it's not working.
Speaker: We're going to wait here. In fact, Mark, well, I got you. I want you to give the old air a direction to travel. What what you think is the best way about it?
Speaker: Where are we going? That's a good question. I suppose I don't know. All right, we'll save that question for when they come out the house. Okay. And he's kind of could walking a little bit in a circle, a bit uneasy, but we'll just pan away from Remy and the Velociraptor zoom over the bridge and back into ah Lady Lobelia's house.
Speaker: Do you need to pack before we travel? more Are you ready?
Speaker: Ah, Alessio, I have been ready for adventure since before you were born. But I will need to pack a few things. And she kind of walks herself over ah the table and kind of ah pulls it open. You see her grab a few components and things like that and just places them within the handbag that she's got with her.
Speaker: And for food, are you all sorted? We've got trail rations. ah How many trail rations do you have?
Speaker: I've got five of my own. I think um the others should have some on them. He looks over to Cailin. are you for supplies? I'm good. And we can just procure anything on the road.
Speaker: Just not the flying rabbits. They don't taste nice. I'm just saying. No flying rabbits. Bit tough. And do you intend to set up things like camps and whatnot on your journeys to the east?
Speaker: We do. Yeah. And what do you have in the ways of and beds for your camping? Hard ground. Unless he just points to his bedroll. Yep.
Speaker: Yep. I see.
Speaker: Hmm.
Speaker: Bear with me. And she'll kind of make her way around and kind of pull open some more drawers and things like that. And you'll see a kind of unpack ah like a what is effectively like a sleeping bag without obviously a zip, but ah kind of D&D style, ah kind of lovely fur clothing that just kind of folds in two. And she kind of hoists that out of a certain area, brings it over to one of you. And would you mind strapping this to one of your mounts? I prefer something somewhat comfier.
Speaker: We don't have any mounts apart from the Velociraptum.
Speaker: And you're the best the winged watch had to spare.
Speaker: I see. Well, I could always play the part of a peon. And she, ah with that, kind of, you see, kind of just before your eyes, her hair just kind of seems to shrink back into her head. It becomes balding and kind of mud appears on her face. She looks she's basically just looks like she's just turned into this human male peasant with, like, rags, if you like, still carrying what she's carrying.
Speaker: And this is probably more fitting for your ragtag bunch, I see.
Speaker: It's passable. I've had worse travelling companions. Very well. i suppose I shall need to think of a new name for this sir outfit.
Speaker: But I'm taking the bedlining. Your raptor will have it on his back. And she kind of clicks again, this motion very unfamiliar for this peasant now standing in front of you. She makes her way to the door.
Speaker: is Is she carrying the bedroll, by the way? Yeah, it's dragging on the floor. She's not just doing a very good job of it. I think not left it for the better of us because that ain't getting picked up. Alessio will collect his things, cast his eyes around the room, and then follow Lady Jardin out.
Speaker: Don't stay behind, boy ranger. Out. You might find things that look quite fancy, the awards and such like, I'm sure.
Speaker: But they're not for you, they're for me. Off you go. Out. Out, out, out.
Speaker: You're clever. And Caelan will walk out. go to color I say she looks like this peasant boy, stares at you hardly as you kind of go past.
Speaker: And she kind of says to herself, I swear to goodness, if she's taken Wobblepike's trophy, I will lose my temper with him. And she makes her way out and locks the doors behind her.
Speaker: And the three of you wander over the bridge to ah meet Remy on the other side, already mounted on his velociraptor. Remy has a confused look on his face and just says through the telepathic chat, the hell is that?
Speaker: It's Lady Jardine. She disguised herself because she feels she's a bit too conspicuous traveling with us a ruffians. It's quite good. They don't look like the lady at the all.
Speaker: Anyway, we should probably talk out loud, you know, because you can't hear us.
Speaker: Hello, Elliot. I do see you you have changed somewhat.
Speaker: ah Yes, I have not yet thought of my new character's name. I'm just working on the backstory, trying to fit into the group. But wouldn't you mind just putting this on the back of the Velociraptor as she kind of comes out with this bed linen?
Speaker: Well, now I pull the reins up and just just go, because the beat runs to that, dear folly, you gonna play nice and let that happen? No.
Speaker: Saddlebags, where are they? What did she call me? yeah well no no Don't be... I'm sorry. you go You're to have to... Folly, this is really embarrassing in front of the guest that you're going to wear that sleeping bag.
Speaker: you you You start seeing him pull again towards ah Duchess, which is currently just poised on ah Lady Labilla's shoulder. Mmm, delicious. Ooh, yes.
Speaker: um follow it no no I'm sorry. He he has a for... For eating cats. So, no. He's not going to eat your cat, though. i Are you folly? Because he knows the punishment will be I'll turn him into something that the cat might like to eat.
Speaker: but I've got to carry her shit, and I don't get to eat a cat. In what world is that fair? You... Boy, I will find you steak. I will find you prime steak when we get there. We'll go hunting to nap for something to eat. But for now, will you just be pleasant and carry this damn woman's bag for her? Fine, but prime or better?
Speaker: Okay, we'll see what we can do. That's better. Ma'am, if you would like to give me that sleeping bag, I will host it for you. ah I do appreciate it Finally, someone with some form of decorum.
Speaker: hu and she kind of ah badly hands it up to you as it's kind of dragging someone on the floor. Yeah, and and um foy ah re Remy will attempt to figure out how he's going to put it on folly, and and what will end up happening is is that he will just kind of like drape it over his own head, and then then eventually just kind of like, I would i think it's on. like can i I can see all right, so We can go.
Speaker: Right. Well, whilst I think of a new name and perhaps a new vocalisation, I suppose we should get moving to the east, if you wouldn't mind. And at a medium pace, my legs are not what they used to be, springing the boards.
Speaker: All right. Alessia looks the group. Standard procedure.
Speaker: Kalem will nod and dart forwards and keep about 20 to 30 feet ahead of the group and do what he does, Kalem. So I'm checking the weather. I'm checking um for any signs of danger up ahead, any pitfalls or traps and making sure that the terrain is good going.
Speaker: And yeah, always keeping that perimeter, that head. So he's he's doing that zigzagging dart. Lovely, lovely. We'll do a double check on here. So do me a nature check first.
Speaker: And then let's go with a survival.
Speaker: The first is a 18 for the nature. Lovely.
Speaker: You get a good read on the weather. So far, it's been quite a nice, ah cool, clear day. You feel that there's actually going to be um a little bit of low fog that's going to be rolling in much later towards the evening, thanks to your druid craft.
Speaker: You can just start seeing the cloudscape coming in um following the day. The wind is still blowing east, so you are very aware that your scent is also being blown towards where you are headed.
Speaker: That sucks. ah What time is it? It's early afternoon. So if you want to clock to it, probably about two, three. You wanted to survival check? ah Please.
Speaker: That's 18 again. And despite you being off the beaten path at this moment, ah Lady Lobelia's house was quite well away from a lot of the more well-known roads. Yeah.
Speaker: There is a well-known road that falls between Steel Forge and River Falls. You was on the halfway house halfway through it. You are making your way back to this well-trodden path, but thanks to your great survival check, there is no deterioration from it. You are able to find quite the easiest and quickest route that makes it very easy for Lady Lubilla to go at this medium pace.
Speaker: but without any kind of um ah hardships for the rest of you either. Nice. That's me until we make camp, just keeping ahead and keeping a watch.
Speaker: Lovely, lovely. Is there anything anybody else wants to do while we're making a steady beeline east? I'll say while that's been going off, it's only been maybe an hour just while you've been walking and Caelan's doing his thing.
Speaker: walking alongside Lady Jardin, unless she's like, have you considered, don't know, Roderick is her name? Hector? Did you say Roderick? Roderick, yeah.
Speaker: Yes, I suppose i have been working on it, but i i feel like I might have treated you somewhat too harshly. He seems to know what he's doing, and you seem to be cohesive as a group.
Speaker: Perhaps I would do better blending in as some form of ranger like yourselves? And kind of with that, the peasant look disappears and this cloaked figure, female, kind of elven ears poke out as she's still kind of making her way along, walking beside you like without stopping, ah breaking stride. There's no incantation, there's no nothing. It just changes as she's kind of walking.
Speaker: Your reputation precedes you. hu Good. I thought it might. After all, one does not train for days and days with the great Magnus Smith and not be recognized throughout the lands.
Speaker: Oh, was mainly your reputation for being an information gatherer for the Wing Watch that I was referring to. Oh, I see. I thought you were referring to my previous career. Fair enough. Gatherer of information. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I suppose I'm pretty good with that too.
Speaker: What names, what range of names can you think of? You had good peasant names. Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn.
Speaker: Yes, that will do. Not Lady Gwendolyn. No, no. She will have to be something more subtle. Yes. I'll have a think. I'll let you come up with that part of the backstory.
Speaker: You've got a name at least. That's sometimes enough.
Speaker: And she kind of nods as she carries on walking along. yeah So what do you do for entertainment when you're on these walks? Um...
Speaker: Well, I mean, sometimes Remy and i play some word games. Sometimes we just ah work in silence. In silence.
Speaker: Let's Let's see. We could introduce you to one of our word games. So, for instance, I might say sausage, and then sometimes Alessio will come in and say, like, ah another piece of food, maybe next letter in the alphabet. So he might say tomato for tea, and then then then so on.
Speaker: I see.
Speaker: How the other half live. What would you do for entertainment when you were out journeying? quite Oh, usually kind of within the carriage. I mean, I'd have all sorts. i've ah read Since acquiring these gifts, I mean, I can make my own entertainment.
Speaker: i can If you know any of the great plays of Wobble Pike, I could perhaps even have them displayed before us, but that might draw some attention. Carrot. had of what you Carrot. yeah i'm sorry i playing The next letter in the alphabet is carrot.
Speaker: ah he he he He probably skipped ahead. C c c for carrot. D. God darn it, I can't think of any food beginning with D.
Speaker: Play it. As this riveting conversation kind of goes off for ah probably day what feels like hours, but might not be ah ah too long. Caelan, you up front start...
Speaker: Realising you are getting back to a more well-trodden path. You're very, very nearly at this stage after a good few hours. Just trying to... to um Very nearly... Get on the well-trodden road. The actual direct path between... ah Steel Forge and River Forward.
Speaker: Would you spy something... Further ahead? Very... Stereotypical... you You find a cart.
Speaker: This odd for you, if nothing else, because it's out in the middle of nowhere. Does seem to have lost a wheel. This is probably a good, still 50 feet away from you at this stage.
Speaker: Is there people around this cart? You cannot see anybody.
Speaker: and Missing one wheel. Missing one wheel. The back right-hand side, to be precise. What's in the cart from afar? From afar, you can't tell what's in the cart.
Speaker: um It is the type that's normally designed for either transporting people or possibly cargo, but it's basically a basic one that's got like a, um, uh, sheet draped over the top of it with a very weak kind of wishbone, uh, style stems just going over it as well.
Speaker: Any damage to the outer rim of the cart other than the wheel? For what you can see, there is a couple of small tears on the actual cloth on the top of the cart.
Speaker: But aside from that, everything else seems to be in a decent bit of condition. Your naturally good perception, even from a distance, probably would suggest that that it has been here a couple of weeks.
Speaker: Okay. A couple of weeks. A couple of weeks. Oh. ah We still got that telekinetic... link I mean, assuming it's not been any longer than four hours since we left the tower. then Yeah, so that's still that's still going off at this stage. that Yeah, you've still got that telekinetic link. Okay. So, heads up.
Speaker: We're coming up to a cart. Abandoned. Wheel missing. Seems suspect. Also seems like nature's started to take it back, so it's been there a while.
Speaker: Am I right in thinking we're on the road then if the cart's nearby? so like like that were we're not too far from a road? ah Again, again you you are nearing a road, but this cart has still been abandoned off the actual well-trodden roads.
Speaker: Remy would just say, quite far away from the road, maybe it was abandoned as a camp, but don't explain where the wheel got
Speaker: Keep your eyes peeled. I thought it was a trap at first, but looking closer, seeing that it's been here a while, still unsure. Alessio speaks.
Speaker: Sorry. I'm going navigate round. Give it a wide berth.
Speaker: Alessio sort of responds back, cycling going, no problem. And he then turns to Lady Jardin.
Speaker: We may have found something up ahead, probably nothing, but we're going to take a wide berth around it.
Speaker: I think that might be a good idea. You kind of see her looking specifically at Remy. She's kind of doing that. Oh, she's good.
Speaker: she's good. Well, like her. Oh, wait, what? There was something up ahead.
Speaker: Yeah, some kind of cart. Maybe nothing, but sometimes finding strange things out in the yeah on the roads is best to be cautious.
Speaker: And was there any sort of residue or remnants of beings with the cart, or is it just an abandoned cart and we just move on?
Speaker: Just abandoned, but, you Cailin will tell us if it's safe to be go direct, but it'll be fine. I see you. Well, thank you for informing me.
Speaker: And if you... Remy's going to look at the skyline and look at the the particularly the tree line, if there are tree lines nearby. um Remy has traversed all over her area and has seen some very difficult roads and would know that if this was left of a trap...
Speaker: There would typically be tree lines nearby so that the but the the people springing the trap would have somewhere to keep advantage unseen. Can I make a perception check to see if it looks like there is anywhere where we could be being watched from or anywhere where someone on towards could spring a trap from?
Speaker: Absolutely, you can do. Do me a perception check and obviously take your passive if it's lower. I'll take my passive. i roll the 15, but I'll take 18.
Speaker: You take a quick glance, and there are a couple of areas where the you vegetation around do kind of um get up high enough where you think there could be some people watching in there waiting.
Speaker: But, on that note, Caelan... can you do me a perception check as well? Hell yes, I can, my friend. Because know he's always up ahead.
Speaker: and That's a fucking 18 again. That's three 18s on the bounce, I believe. Both of you getting 18s. While they are possibilities, you've seen Kalen kind of do his thing, rushing forward, investigating, checking out every nook and cranny, and he has not reacted to anything that has been seen out there. So...
Speaker: You might still have a level of caution just on the off chance, but Remy's still going ahead as well. you're Your own trick... Go on. It's more just particularly a courtesy. that that If you remember the the very first um night we camped, that when Remy went to investigate something, Calum kept a watchful eye. yeah And Remy, is just it's just natural that when one of the Rangers goes forward, the other one...
Speaker: but basically takes their six for wanting a better way of putting it and and yeah watches them and also make sure. Yeah. So one, one of them has to stick their head above the parapet. The other one watches out for them. If that makes sense.
Speaker: Yeah, so we can kind of just flip it from your perspective. So quickly, as Caelan's kind of rushed ahead to do the check-in and looking at it, you quickly clocked two possibilities and you've just kind of got your hand on your crossbow, just waiting on the off chance that something is there. Because you you have gone at two possibilities where if a surprise attack were to happen, it could come from these two points, literally one that's further on from the car and one that's to the left.
Speaker: Okie doke. Okie dokie. Lovely lover. The rest of you as you are approaching, you're all giving it a wide berth.
Speaker: Yep. Yep. Then we shall push on.
Speaker: You carry on trailing for a few more hours and finally found yourselves back. at a more established type of road. Perhaps you feel more comfortable on this road, perhaps not, because there's more possibilities of dangers that might happen.
Speaker: But you carry on pushing forward for a few more hours at this stage. And we're getting late on in the afternoon at this moment. You're probably still a good few hours out from actually getting to Riverfold.
Speaker: the yeah town that's on the or other end of your journey. You can push and try and make it there, but you'll make it there after nightfall if you wanted to, or you can look and start setting up for a spot to rest for the evening.
Speaker: We should find somewhere to rest. We're pretty banged up. I concur. We've had a day of it.
Speaker: Okay. Caelan, you're always at the forefront yourself. I'm just picking on you for these types of things, unless somebody would like to do the honour. Literally why I'm here. Do me a survival check to see how good of a position you can actually find yourself.
Speaker: So you you find yourself a little kind of nestled. Just to ask, as we have as we have two rangers, could I deploy the help function to give him advantage? Give him advantage?
Speaker: Absolutely, you can do. Survival again? Yeah, yeah, survival again. Only if it's higher. It's either that or Remy does it as well and we get to choose you in which camp. now That is a 16.
Speaker: And what your other roll? and That was a 16. They got 16 both times. No, the other one was a 5. Yes. Ah, okay. Fair, fair. ah fair fair
Speaker: So with that roll of 16, are able to find yourself a relatively high point ah that is decently well protected, decently in a little bit of shelter.
Speaker: um You do deem it. You like the high ground. You like the advantageous um
Speaker: type of... ah sight that being high up gives you. So it takes a bit of time, but you're able to find something that would work for you for the night. Yes.
Speaker: Amazing. Caelan does what he does. And as he is searching this area, he is grabbing and broken branches and sticks. He's just ah almost as if he was getting ready for making a bonfire or anything like that. But everyone here, apart from lady g Uh, knows that what he's doing is as he's finding the perimeter, he's going to circle it and in choice spots, place branches over the top of each other or leaves in different places. Anything that creates a sound as you walk through it.
Speaker: Doing the normal kind of naturalistic alarm, naturalistic alarm indeed. Knowing there's more of us and that I follow promised my velociraptor some food, Remy's going to do what Remy has done many times before. He's just going to go to the guys.
Speaker: Just want to go hunt and see if I can find something a bit more substantial for our food. bit people's strength up.
Speaker: And I presume nobody has any objections for that. So Remy is going to mount his Velociraptor. who's He's kind of eager. You're kind of coming around more to folly at this stage. And he's very eager to kind of go and venture out. he's laugh at this You don't know this, he's after that prime steak that Remy's been um promising him for not eating the Duchess of Lady Nabilia.
Speaker: While Caelan's sort of doing the nature traps, unless he'll have been gathering some wood and that kind of stuff, getting ready to make a small fire for the group, this is clearly something like Lady Jardin will notice that the group fit into this very simple routine very quickly. That conversation just happens because, you know, it's what they do.
Speaker: Yes. Perhaps more credit where credit is due. Efficient. I appreciate efficiency.
Speaker: I'm just going to set up my bed here. In the centre. but Right here. Around the edge of the fire is probably best. Can't get cold at night.
Speaker: That was going to be a secondary option and I'll take your advice. You are, of course, a man of the woods. Are you not, Alessio? And therefore I will follow your guidance and place it here instead.
Speaker: Woods is normally the the other two, but yeah, sure. I thought their names were Remy and ah the other one that's more silent, and that's the one he kind of grumbles and gruffs occasionally.
Speaker: Yeah, no, one no, you said you said man of the woods. I'm i'm less of man of the woods, but yeah, the other two, they are very much woodsmen. And what are your man of, Alessio?
Speaker: Sanguine lands, originally, is where I'm from. You know that that's not quite what I meant. ah um I'm similar trait yourself.
Speaker: I tend to get into places that I shouldn't be and find things out and deal with it. Hmm. Interesting. And subterfuge, then.
Speaker: Yes. I see. Very well. She'll keep an eye out for you, too.
Speaker: Thank you very much. Right. um Well, hopefully, Remy will come back with some food. Ken's doing his thing. Fire's nearly ready. And then we'll see to decide on the watch.
Speaker: ah How how you are you watching at night? What's your... ah Well, usually the only two things I watch to the back of my own eyelids in my tower with my door safely locked.
Speaker: We can manage a watch without you if you don't feel you're up to. That is most kind, Alessio. Thank you for offering, and I will indeed take you up on it.
Speaker: No problem at all. Good night. Oh, you're going to sleep now? but like We've not even eaten. Then I shall say goodnight after I have eaten. I was just preparing you for the night, hoping that it was indeed good.
Speaker: Thank you. Thank you. hopefully it is goodnight. Unless you, I'll be honest with you, I'll be candid, I don't usually do the woods. It's not the woods. It's not somewhere that I usually frequent.
Speaker: It's all right. Look, like like we've got we've got a nice view here. where it's nice and It's nice and sheltered. Got a good viewpoint. Cain will be happy with the fire. You know, when it gets to evening, we'll be able to look up the sky. You'll see the rabbits flying overhead. Really nice.
Speaker: Yes. The flying rabbits. How droll. and No, no. Generally, like you've you've seen Haral flying rabbits, right? Yes, and they're rather droll. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Ever tried to eat one? Just, you know.
Speaker: ah No, I have standards, Alessio. right. But if you were to... Sorry, I i appreciate I might be coming across. That's rather rude. It was not my intention.
Speaker: It's just that, to like I said, I'm not overly comfortable in the woods, but that's where we are. And when in the woods, one does what the woodland folk do. Yeah, if you need to, like, go for a shit or anything like that, probably just over there in the tree line is fine. Vulgarity, Alessio. A lady does not shit.
Speaker: Outrageous. We jest. usually in private, usually within a water closet where one feels more comfortable.
Speaker: Yeah, we don't have any of those. Well, this is just a terrible journey, isn't it? Good night, Alessio. Are you wishing me a good night or saying that it will be a good night? um Good night, Alessio.
Speaker: Fair enough. Alessio sort of settles down, gets the fire there and waits. but Yeah, and as I said, you are in a good sheltered area. The fire is keeping the surrounding area around you warm. And Alessio and Lady de Villa having this nice conversation that goes off for a while. Caelan, you are the first to kind of notice, probably in your more stoic kind of um ah ever watchful eye,
Speaker: Despite your druidcraft that happened earlier, where it says there probably will be a light bit of fog and mist that comes in very unexpectedly to you and how you've been reading the air and the ground, a rain rolls in.
Speaker: Not just normal, but in a very strong, heavy rain. Thunder and lightning seem to start pouring down. around you. You still feel comfortable inside, obviously, where the shelter is.
Speaker: um But you are the first one to notice as this rain starts to chuck down. So is there there anything you'd like to do with a reaction to ah the rain and thunder and lightning coming down in droves?
Speaker: Hey guys, it's raining. Fantastic, thank you. Uh, Kalen is going to hold out his hand to catch the drops and bring it up to his nose and he'll widen his nostrils as he takes in the scent.
Speaker: And then they'll hold that same hand up and see where the wind is falling. He's going to use the the water and the change in temperature as the wind pushes against it.
Speaker: And
Speaker: can I make an arcana check to see if this has been magically stirred around me, this weather?
Speaker: You absolutely can do.
Speaker: For a 18?
Speaker: You're not overly knowledgeable about ah anything arconic. The inner workings of things...
Speaker: No, to you, this feels still just like rain. It's cool to the touch. It There's the smell that kind of happens as rain hits the ground that kind of comes up from it. And it's all very, very familiar to you. But the one thing you do notice is that the wind has shifted. Whereas before it was blowing to the east, it's now blowing to the west.
Speaker: Are telepathic links still up? At this stage, it's probably been over the five hours. Yeah. Okay. So, no, the telepathic links aren't there. But you do still have Lady Lobelia and Alessio in your currently secluded camp with you. Okay. I would like to try and track Remy then, if I know that Alessio's in camp.
Speaker: Okay, you have a vague idea of which way he went off anyway. So do a investigation check for me, please, as you try and find ah the remnants of Velociraptor's footprints.
Speaker: Twelve.
Speaker: You go off. He headed south out of where your thing is. So he's kind of heading back a little bit towards... um the main road travelled.
Speaker: You start heading down that way.
Speaker: Silently. Silently. Okay. Through the shadows, hood up. I don't want to be seen. Perfectly fine. perfectly And do you have dark vision? I do. I have massive dark vision. I can see for fucking What massive dark vision?
Speaker: That's a really, really good question, which I will check in my features and traits as I roll the mouse pointer down to find what it is and then roll it back up when I find it is 60 feet.
Speaker: ah you Oh, I've got Umbriel's sight. Range is 60 feet. If you have dark vision, it's range increase. 120 feet. 120 feet. Okay. hundred and twenty feet yeah okay
Speaker: You follow the Velociraptor's footprints south. Yeah, they're the biggest ones. They're the biggest ones. Remy was also riding it, so you're not going to find Remy's footprints.
Speaker: Yeah. But pretty easily you can find them. You follow it all the way down to the Well-Trodden Road, and then it seems to go off a bit. As you followed it, it's been a little bit erratic.
Speaker: This is not... unexpected you know you know that remy's gone out hunting and you know folly can be a little bit crazy when it comes to hunting he is the one that will be lunging out trying to catch a rabbit or a flying squirrel or something like that going at almost anything and it takes remy to be like the controlled uh side of things to rein him in a little bit
Speaker: As you do follow it and it goes a further south, the velociraptor footprints stop.
Speaker: And you see now what you presume to be Remy's footprints on the ground. A trail
Speaker: leading to... an indentation in the ground. I'm taking this all from your investigation check. As you can presume, difficult to determine how long ago because of the rain and how long it's been going off.
Speaker: But it looks like Remy's had folly either captured or something like that. But Remy, you would presume, has been taken. You see drag marks coming from Remy's footprints.
Speaker: into what looks like the indentation of a cart in the soft ground. And then it goes back up to more of a ah rocky kind of path, the well-trodden path, and starts heading east.
Speaker: Fuck.
Speaker: Caelan's going to spend little bit of time around this area just noting those specifics down of cart, wait in the mud to know if there's a If Remy is one of many, Remy's on his own, if it's a good cart, anything that he can just wait. That's all he's going to be able to garner from this. ah How many footsteps?
Speaker: How many people would there be And ah what else?
Speaker: but Speed as well. um So he's going to take some time to note all that things down. Happy to roll for either or all of those before turning back and making my way downtown, walking fast, faces past, and I'm Alessio bound.
Speaker: This will take a bit of time to determine. Yeah. You're looking at every indentation, every blade of grass, the depth, everything. But yes, give me a good investigation check.
Speaker: Let's fucking go Come on. How is a rubbish ten my worst roll of the night?
Speaker: The rain is making this explicitly hard. Purple rain, purple rain. What you can determine is at least three people.
Speaker: Oh, shit. Okay. That's good knowledge. Plus Remy. Yeah. that Remy has put up something of a fire. You can see long, dragged, reluctant depths in the ground. The problem comes when he's been put into some form of transport, whether it's a car just or something else with wheels, you're not too sure. But when it gets back to that beaten path and heading east, it's gone at pace.
Speaker: It's gone quickly.
Speaker: Oh, dang it. ah Okay, cool. so once Caelan has ascertained that information, again, Hood up while hood was up the whole time. He's going to move in the shadows and make his way back to camp.
Speaker: And again, it's a good probably 20, 25 minute walk to get you back to the where the camp is. um I presume at this moment Lady Labilla is asleep Alessia is still awake waiting on the return of a comrade
Speaker: Alessia will be around the fire poking it he might be humming a tune to himself or muttering a through the song to himself um if Lady Labilla is asleep then fair enough but yeah she's not asleep but she looks just like she is one okay So yeah, he's he's he's he's singing to himself and waiting for the others.
Speaker: You see a drenched Caelan coming back to you with all the greatest of stealth haste that he can muster. The raindrops just dripping down from the centre of his cloak down along his face as he gets back to your sheltered area.
Speaker: Where's dinner?
Speaker: Remy's been taken. What? He was ambushed. Three people at least. Looks like he was taken and put into a cart.
Speaker: I've seen the tracks. I haven't seen anyone else. ah Right. um Do we know what direction? Yes. We can track them.
Speaker: Is this a trail you can follow? Yes, but it's raining, which means those tracks won't stay around for long. Okay. Is that where shifting camp and following now?
Speaker: That's a situation as it is right now.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: What the mission dictates.
Speaker: Well, if we go blinding around in the dark, first of all, you're the only one between us unless Lady Jardin can see in the dark. Wouldn't surprise me. um We have a problem then because otherwise the two of ah ah the three of us blinding around in the woods trying to find this cart which probably has a head start on us and a speed.
Speaker: Gonna get tricky. How far does your telepathic link work again? One mile and to see them to start it.
Speaker: Okay. Let me track them for one mile. Okay. Yes, you don't need a full night's rest. You could spend part of the night doing it and then come back, couldn't you?
Speaker: Yes. Okay. Fair enough. I'm going to go now. Okay. And Alessio starts the link. He touches, oh he places a hand finger on his temple and he plays it. He looks at Lady Jardine as well and she will get the benefit as well.
Speaker: It's okay. Remember, the hardest trail to follow is the one someone wants you to find. With that, Cailin's Again, hood up, going through the trees.
Speaker: Ooh, we've got six hours of this now. Very, very nice, good six hours. um A mile out from where you are probably wouldn't take too long to cover. You pick up the trail back down at where you last found it and followed it east. and At the moment, it just seems to be a very, very quick pace on...
Speaker: the normal World Trodden path between Steel... Not Steel Forge, is it? ah Well, on the way to Rivertold, anyway.
Speaker: You follow it as much as what you can do. Yeah, um easy enough for me to find out what a mile is because i would ah do mental pings to Alessio and once that fails, I know the boundaries that I've hit.
Speaker: Okay, cool. do you so You said it's going onwards towards, insert place? ah Yeah, yeah, yeah. Riverfold, I believe it's. Which is where we were going anyway.
Speaker: You were heading to a place just south of Riverfold. That's where Lady Lobilla was taking you to. For what you can gather at the moment, this place is taking you directly to Riverfold. It's following the path ah directly to the town rather than just to the south of it, from what you can assume. There is still probably another 10, 15 miles to go before you actually get there. So a different place to where we were told to go by the Winged Watch?
Speaker: Yes. How far apart? If you were to look on map, if you were to head directly to Riverfold, where Lady Lobelia has pointed out to you to go, you've probably got maybe half a day's walk to the south in order to get to the suspected bridge crossing of the convoy from Shadowmend.
Speaker: So going to Remy's location means half a day out from Lady G's location. Yeah. Okay. And that's presuming if you can find Remy quick enough to still make it there, you know, this is all going through your mind as you're thinking, you know, the crossing is in ah approximately three days.
Speaker: Okay. Most of wings watched, um, and we ever been told a procedure for this from the winged watch during our training during our military background work.
Speaker: Is it No Troll Left Behind? Or is it like... The Mission Above All Else. Okay. Okay. um So, Alessio, you get back just those kind of bullet point facts. There's no emotion tied to it. It's um everything that we've just been told. Distance, direction, and and then you'll hear a, I'm on way back.
Speaker: Um...
Speaker: um Is that just to me or is that to the whole group? That was to you everyone. select if this spell well If the spell's open. It says you established.
Speaker: Sorry. It's just like if the spell was open to it's however you dictated that spell. ah I'm not choosing you out of the sea. I'm choosing to send that thoughts and however you push that spell is where it goes. It's a bit vaguely wordy. It says, you establish a telepathic communication between yourself and others as a magic action. Choose one or more creature you can see um and then roll us dice for a number of hours. a number of dice roll The chosen creatures can speak telepathically with you and you can speak telepathically with them to send receive a message you and the other creatures must within one mile of each other.
Speaker: I will probably assume, picture that you can, if you're all three of you around a fire and all three of you are talking at once, it's that type of thing. Yeah. You know, if one person says something, the others just hear it. that's our So lady Lady Jardin also hears all the information that Felicia tells us in her head. and
Speaker: Well, this sounds less than ideal. Yes, I figured you should be part of this. um Okay.
Speaker: So we need to get to the crossing. We do.
Speaker: If we get to the crossing in good time, we can always try and pick up the pace tomorrow. we get there ahead of time, we may have a chance to go and rescue Remy. But the mission first, right?
Speaker: Of course. And when you say pick up the pace,
Speaker: is that literal? Do you mean literally picking up ah myself to improve pace? I mean trying to walk quicker if you can. I suppose i can turn it up a notch.
Speaker: Well, if we stick to the main road, that might speed things up because it'll be the going willll be um easier. know it's not ideal, but it might be what we can do. It'll certainly be better for these hills.
Speaker: Off-roading has made them pretty mucky.
Speaker: All right. Caelan, come back and we'll do the best we can.
Speaker: About this watch that you were setting up to make sure that nothing nefarious happens to our group.
Speaker: Yeah, you'll need to be part of that now. hu I thought as such. Two hours awake for you, two hours for me. Cailin will take the rest.
Speaker: Well, that sounds good enough for me. Duchess, are you willing to share? With kind of a um disinterested look, kind of swings the head over to the right, nose up in the air.
Speaker: Well, I suppose it won't matter because it's not like you're going to be here in the morning anyway. Very well. Do I take first? I'd rather get a long sleep than something disconnected that doesn't do well for my composure.
Speaker: Yeah, you take the first two. Wait me in two hours. I'll, ah yeah, go from there. And do you have a clock?
Speaker: Can you not just, like, magically tell the time? How on earth is one able to magically discern the passing of events without a clock?
Speaker: you'd You'd look at the passage of the moon and the shadow. The moon? It's the sun that does the moving, the moon. That just reflects the sun. Did you learn nothing in school, Alessio? Goodness. The moon still moves little bit.
Speaker: Does it? Yeah. Well, then I take it back. I'll look at the moon.
Speaker: And if it's particularly bright, you can always use a stick in the ground and it actually casts a shadow just like the sun. Yeah. see know Fascinating.
Speaker: Well, go on, Kip. but Sleep. Sleep. Unless he lies down and goes to sleep.
Speaker: And we have the good Lady Lobelia Volvarus Gardan just on her own.
Speaker: Well, not on her own. She has Duchess with her, awaiting the return of Caelan from his attempted tracking for the One Mile.
Speaker: The good lady looking out at the night sky.
Speaker: It's just where we'll leave it for tonight's episode of The Fellowship of the Tabletop. And we will pick it this all up next week and see what the crew decides to do about the kidnapping of Remy.
Speaker: God damn it, Remy. Fuck's sake, Remy. How could you, Remy? Stupid, how stupid gnome. but
Speaker: Am I correct in thinking the next one's the... Callum, do you want to wrap it up for us? Sorry. Thanks very much, everybody. Goodbye!
