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Ep. 22 Thoughts and Prayers - Shadowmend Tales
103 Plays1 year ago
In this episode our party of heroes spend time connecting with others and themselves.
Follow us on our Twitters - @FellowshipTable
Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
Music kindly provided by Fesliyan Studios
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Transcript
Drago's Cosplay Ritual
00:00:00
Speaker
Drago after a moment of silence decided to cosplay at Yuna from Final Fantasy X and decided to do some sending down where all the poor deceased people are and there are actually some coming through now. Hello there, yes, how are you?
Welcome to the Verandian Jungle Podcast
00:00:29
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to tonight's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop. We are a live play 5e podcast set in the disputed lands of the Verandian jungle in the magical homebrew world of Eryth. My name is Darren and I'm going to run some D&D
Humorous Absences of Danny and Will
00:00:42
Speaker
for you. These are the shallow men tales.
00:00:45
Speaker
Unfortunately, Danny is still away doing manual sucking, as we discovered last time. Will heard it was such good fun that he's also away doing it this evening. So without Danny and Will, who are away doing manual sucking, apparently. I can't remember. I can't remember. Now it's manual sucking. They're doing one of each, just to work that out. One's doing one. And the long hoovering. I don't know what the fun is in it, apparently.
Character Introductions and Recap Teaser
00:01:11
Speaker
Eat something until the dust comes out.
00:01:16
Speaker
Anyway, without them though, I still have some fantabulous players with them. Why do you see who we've got doing the recap this evening? Anyway, playing the human ranger Macbennar, we do not have Will because he's not here. Instead, we have playing the Dragonborn Paladin.
00:01:36
Speaker
What up? Playing the bugbear jurid chungus bongwater with our one shot extraordinary robot. How now? Playing the dragonborn grove sangar we have Mark. Hello? And playing the goblin barbarian juried craps we have Callum. Howdy doody. And for our recap tonight we hand over to the not so epic voiceover guy that is Callum.
Callum's Session Recap
00:02:03
Speaker
He's got a lot weaker, it's a bit odd, but there we go.
00:02:20
Speaker
Anyway, what happened on the last episode and session these guys had, they were all standing around this dead body and the gentleman called Skrymar took them up into this water form, they followed him and all of a sudden he came a very, very large snake.
00:02:38
Speaker
and he dumped a huge amount of exposition, which I'm not going to recap because it would probably take half the podcast episode. However, if you wish to listen to it again, by all means listen to episode 21 and you can catch up onto it.
00:02:54
Speaker
At the end of the exposition dump by our lovely large snake, Syengar Dragonborn decided to wander off into the jungle and the rest of them thought they needed to make haste as a demigod with being summoned into
00:03:14
Speaker
the body of Carl, the cat bastard person. So they need to be really, really quick.
Drago's Ritual and Acolyte Encounter
00:03:20
Speaker
So they decided to go for a rest first, as everybody does. After some very intensive talking between characters, Drago and Ren, McBenna and Krabs, that's me, not me. I like Krabs, he's got a good character to him. Drago doesn't want Ren going into the fight.
00:03:43
Speaker
Kratz and McBenna tried to bury the hatchet, but Kratz wanted McBenna to apologize to Ukebirah. Will he keep through to this word? We will find out soon. Drago, after a moment of silence, decided to cosplay at Yuna from Final Fantasy X and decided to do some sending down where all the poor deceased people are. And there are actually some coming through now. Hello there. Yes, how are you? You can watch how it ends. It's brilliant.
00:04:13
Speaker
Oh brilliant, GG. It wasn't long before Drago was actually joined by an acolyte of Akiva, one who he confesses actually summoned Drago to this very realm of existence. Where do we go from here? We will return to our DM to find out.
Syengar's Reflection and Search for Solitude
00:04:30
Speaker
Do you know what, Callum? Have some inspiration. Well done, Callum. Well done, Callum. I won't lie, I prepared. I did not. Yeah, it's if Callum knew that when it was going to come to stitch someone up to get them to do the introduction. Of course, I'm first to just try and shank. Okay, we're going to resume on the outskirts of the city. We're going to resume with you, Syengar.
00:05:00
Speaker
Syengar, you are the one member of the party who has decided to leave the city walls and as such you pass some of the destruction that had happened outside the city walls whilst you were fighting the insurrection that had risen up from within.
00:05:19
Speaker
It's become quite clear that you were looking for somewhere, shall we say, discrete or quiet for whatever reason. And you realize that actually the jungle is quite far back from where you were. So instead, what you're able to find is you're able to find an alleyway near a fishery, for want of a better term.
Tense Exchange with a Drake Warden
00:05:40
Speaker
And you're able to do whatever it is that you would want to set outside the city to do.
00:05:49
Speaker
You take in a deep breath as you undertake what it is that Syengar has done and has become habitual for him to help, help himself clear his force, help himself understand the world around him, help himself cope and survive. It brings about a calmness over you. Can you make a constitution saving throw as you take this in?
00:06:18
Speaker
Oh, shit, yeah, absolutely. That's beautiful, Darren P. Constitution, saving throw, that is a four. Okay, yeah, it hits you. Your senses dull. Things start to slow down. You start to mumble to yourself, switching without knowing
00:06:48
Speaker
between draconic and common. You start to make your way back towards the city. You can see now that most of the destruction that had happened outside appears to have been left whilst the devastation and loss of life that was inside the city walls is taken care of. There are burnt out huts, destroyed fishing boats, promenades down to the great river of the verandian, a various gift.
00:07:19
Speaker
destroyed and scorched. You do notice the dragon, not dragon, the drake that you approached earlier in the day, the copper drake of Xerox. You approached it and spoke to it and said that if it ever wanted to be free of its shackles, all it had to do was let you know. It glances up at you as you come near
00:07:48
Speaker
And you can see now that it's Ryder, area, the female Air Gennasi who sat on the council when you first arrived in the city, appears to just be going around and inspecting some of the larger U1T, the actual snake lights, and just going around and making sure they're dead. You can see that the efforts of the day appear to have had a profound effect on everyone. And this member of the Drake Wardens is just surveying.
Vision of Drakes and Riders
00:08:16
Speaker
what is happening. It is the Drake Xerox who notices you first as the large copper dragon, Drakehead looks up and takes you in. After that area herself glances up and notices you and says, what brings you outside the silly walls?
00:08:43
Speaker
This drago would have the bug mask that he wears as a necklace around his neck and leaning on the bottom of his snout.
00:08:54
Speaker
you're signed up as well, just to say you're not dragon. What would I say? You said dragon. Oh, man. Oh, that's a dragonborn, brother. Strong shit. I think it was some Freudian stuff there. Yeah, sorry, sign guy, sign guy, sign guy. Bug mask off, repeat what I said, just take out dragon, put in sign guy. And his pupils, his usual
00:09:19
Speaker
eyes, the pupils of which are dilated and large, and he seems to squint through his eyes whilst looking at them both, but doesn't take in the rider, doesn't even look or assume it comes from Xerox and retorts, like I said, a combination of common and draconic. Does the... I'll just ask.
00:09:42
Speaker
you set precipiters, you speak common and draconics or works. Otherwise, this is going to be a long laborious conversation. Are you talking to the Drake at this point? Yeah. The Drake?
00:10:05
Speaker
glances up at you and starts to walk over to you distinctly different to a dragon is that it has four legs four legs of equal size and it starts to just hulk over and it seems to take a sniff at you and you hear a voice say from behind you accused as of enslaving the drakes I don't think a servant of Euron Cardenale has a right to preach to anyone about slavery
00:10:36
Speaker
Without turning, he kind of scratches down his face to kind of rub something out of his eye. Oh, it was a different time and different person. I rescinded that. How did you come to know of that? The verandian is far and dense and deep, but it does share a border with Shadow Mend.
00:11:04
Speaker
We heard rumor of a dragonborn of your color and tone, and we assumed it was the same one that we heard from the other side of the world. Didn't take into consideration that there might be two of you. Anyway, now we've met both of you. The other one doesn't strike me as someone who would find himself in the service of Euron Card in LA.
00:11:27
Speaker
Assume that was you. She says that she continues to go there and just jams this spear into the Z1T just to make sure that they're staying dead. Whilst she was saying that, Seinga would slowly walk over towards Zorak slightly and respond to her but facing Zorak still never really turning to face her at all. You kind of stare directly quite close to Zorak's down and say, well you know what they say about assumptions.
00:11:57
Speaker
mother of all fuck-ups. He's just gonna place the claw over his chest and just slightly nod his head and quietly say to Xerox, my office still stands if you wish to rid yourself of your... He loses his words, loses his train of thought. I'm here. I need to go. I need to go now.
00:12:27
Speaker
What did you want? He turns this point to the rider whose name he has never actually listened to and doesn't want to know. The Drake again gives you another deep sniff. And she then says again, whilst you're now still close to this Drake, it's how we bond with them, you know. And I was able to smell it on you the second that you were a pro, zero acts earlier in the day.
00:12:57
Speaker
I don't know what you're talking about. She comes around the Drake, placing a hand on its deep copper coloured scales and looks at you and says, Keltrad, I can smell it on you. And so can Xerox. You stink of it, actually. It's like I was not going to say it's kind of just nod.
00:13:29
Speaker
nonplussed, unemotional, but take a few steps back. Right. As you continue to do that, she goes back to what she was doing. The Drake Wardens use Keltrad to see visions of the first world and to bond themselves with the Drakes. Potent, dangerous, we spend our lives continuing to stab these corpses, learning how to process and handle it. I get the impression you haven't been doing that and you don't know what you're doing with it. You know it's dangerous, right?
00:13:58
Speaker
I know it's dangerous. I know everything I do in this damn world is dangerous. And I'm not here to get lectured by someone cleaning up after the battle that we fought. So how about you listen to me for a second? What you've just told me is one step beyond what I thought you lot were capable of doing. Yes, you're right. It is whatever you call it, Keltrad.
00:14:26
Speaker
Yes, I stink of it, whatever. Surprised we even know what the smell is. Many just assume it's the smell of the jungle. But the fact now that you've just told me that not only do you enslave these drakes, but you choose to drug them in order to make them your slaves further, furthers my cause.
00:14:50
Speaker
She's going to glance at you and she's going to remove a vial and says, who said it was the drakes that were taking Keltrad? And she just shoves the vial up a nostril and takes a deep breath and says, it's not the drakes that take it. Here. And she's going to place her hand onto the neck of Xerox and it's going to invite you to do the same. You want to know what our relationship is with the drakes? Be my guest.
00:15:19
Speaker
Oh god! This is all almost like semi-dreamworld hallucinogen, like how much this is real, how much of it isn't. It feels like a dream, there's corpses everywhere. It's not something he'd normally do, but this is a strange thing now that she knows something that he... Yep, he's gonna go, he's gonna tentatively reach out her hand and go, while he's reaching out in Draconic, say,
00:15:50
Speaker
You just double the fuck off at any moment. Okay. And as the hand is out, like a giant cat for one a better term, the drape just lunges forward and just nozzles underneath the back of your palm. And what you immediately see are a series of visions, ancient grand tree lines, a waterfall descending from the clouds, the city of Dashcalre beyond.
00:16:20
Speaker
It's almost like if you think in Skyrim when you're cast up into the sky and you see these visions and you can see the entire material plane below you. It feels exactly like that. As you descend towards the mountain top, you see these grand doors that seem to lead into the apex of the mountain itself. These great cloistered doors. You see a great forge leaning up over a precipice of cliff that seems to lean out over the city.
00:16:48
Speaker
And then at the centre of these great walls that appear to be set within these glistening blue and green rocks is an ancient dark tree of which just faint slivers of water just drip from its leaves. The next thing you see as you glance around, it's as if you were now stood in front of this tree. And you see something hanging from the tree.
00:17:16
Speaker
Bronzes, golds, silvers, brass and coppers. These are dragon eggs. Dragon eggs turn to stone. You see Xerox now, back before you. You see Stoldreaver. You see all the Drake Wardens as children, coming up to this tree, taking and inhaling Keltrad and touching the eggs and bonding
00:17:45
Speaker
and bonding through the years, you see these children transcend into teenagers, continuing to come back and touch the same egg. And eventually you see something materializing out of the essence, the essence of memory that seems to just be starting to leak off this tree and off these walls and off these stone-like gems that are embedded in these walls. You see the emergence of tiny eyes
00:18:14
Speaker
emerging from these eggs as they start to crack. The aura comes out of the egg and bonds to the rider as Drake and Ryder bond as one. You snap out of the vision and you see Xerox. You see Xerox and her rider area just looking at you both in symmetry. You understand now
00:18:38
Speaker
Through this vision, you understand this vision has granted you empathy with the Drake, profound empathy. The relationship between Drake and Ryder is not one of enslavement. It's not even one of a parental nature. The only thing I can liken it to, to explain it to you and to explain it to our listeners, is the relationships between a Damon and someone in the world of the Amber Spyglass.
00:19:06
Speaker
The Drake itself is born from stone and is brought back to this world.
Syengar's Realization and Reflection
00:19:13
Speaker
Drake and Ryder are one.
00:19:19
Speaker
It's a lot to process because the vision itself, whilst explaining a lot of things to you, it is the moment of empathy that has struck you as you touch this drape as this understanding feeling, understanding a life's journey for these drape wardens who have clearly been bonding with these eggs that hang from this ancient great tree at the top of this mountain. It knocks you back. It takes your breath away.
00:19:49
Speaker
And so I was going to, sorry. Yeah, Ari is going to say to you, she sees you processing this. The drakes are of the first world along with the great tree, the great tree of the spring of earth. They are stone. They bond with us. The duality of existence, spirit and body.
00:20:18
Speaker
It's like I told you, Syengar, we are one. Syengar turns slowly and actually takes in the rider for the first time. He takes a deep breath, opens his mouth to speak and all that comes out is a small
00:20:45
Speaker
pile of vomit as he throws up onto the floor in front of himself, the journey, the drugs, whatever else is working. And I thought about this, maybe the vomit includes some lightning because obviously it's like, I don't know, it's a lightning dragon. So it's going to be a bit of a bit like crackling in the vomit as he kind of looks down into it, looking back, seeing his own face and where he is, maybe mixed with the anti-blood or whatever else is on the floor of this battlefield.
00:21:16
Speaker
And he's just going to kind of compose himself, wipe his snout and just give her like an accepting kind of nod. He's not going to say anything. He's too humble for that. Not humble, the opposite, arrogant for that. Just give like a kind of a deep kind of nod in her direction. And then just tentatively reach up and just pat the side of the face of the, of Zero-X.
00:21:45
Speaker
and nod to them both for a second and then sheepishly look around and start making its way back into the city, back into find the rest of the party. She'll say to you as you're going, to find that bond for a drape warden comes only through years of bonding with the great tree.
00:22:15
Speaker
I sense your doubt. So does Zero Axe. The other Dragonborn. You know that's your brother. Better question is why you can't accept it. And she's going to climb onto the back of Zero Axe. The Drake is going to just take off.
00:22:44
Speaker
and fly back over the city walls. And as you take in what remains of the battlefields, you can see that the fight outside the city walls was just profound and the more stronger Yuan Ti appeared here and that it clearly took the might of the Drake Wardens to subdue this. It's the first time that you felt any sense of
Syengar Joins Drago in Reflection
00:23:11
Speaker
sense in the visions that come with Keltrad. It mostly, whilst calming your senses, when it invokes visions, it has left you seeing basically gibberish, the equivalent of gibberish. But this profound connection with the Drakes seems to add another level of understanding to the world you've been transported into and another level of understanding to the substance that you've become addicted to.
00:23:43
Speaker
And he'd watch the Drake and Ryder kind of flap up into the sky and kind of answer the question in his own head that she asked. And then cough a little bit, maybe wipe his nose from anything else that's remaining from the dust, from the blood, from the battle, from anything, and realize this via profound wave of exhaustion, not actual exhaustion, please. But a mental exhaustion kind of wash over him is he's never been on that kind of like psychedelic
00:24:11
Speaker
hallucinogenic journey, whatever it might have been, he doesn't really understand it. And then start looking up and using his wiles will make his way back deeper into the city and locate the party in a slow, trudging manner as he takes this walk to process what's happened and the question that she asked at the end about Drago and also how wrong he was.
00:24:38
Speaker
And I think that's the biggest thing that's hit him is that he's never been improved so wrong so resolutely before. And that comes with a shift as well. So he'll be sorting out, having a big old character shift on the journey back to the party. Great. Is this a thing where you'd be looking to us particularly to spend time on your own as you process this?
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I can be gone as long as you need, but he'll just trudging slowly back, making his way back. However long that makes sense for you, that can be as long as it needs to be. Yeah, as you make your way through the city, another moment of processing, another moment of realising the change in your brother. You spot something, you spot a series of people who appear to be going around and tending to the dead. You see a couple of priests, but you also
00:25:29
Speaker
noticed among them busy about work and not paying attention to you or glancing around and paying a degree of duty and care to the dead among the people doing this is drago.
00:25:45
Speaker
This is less of a character question, more of a DM question. Now, in last week's episode, I've lost track. Did we finish with Drago doing that? And therefore, am I going to break space-time continue if I go and speak to him? No. The last we saw of Drago, he just started this and had just spoken to a priest called Briar who had offered to help him. Drago effectively said, can we do this first before we discuss or can we talk while we're doing it?
00:26:12
Speaker
Sure. There are enough dead bodies to be going around that Drago could spend many an hour here if he chose to. That's talking around tending to the party. I didn't want to back to the future and kind of like break the... This is real time. You're good. You're good. Cookle.
00:26:27
Speaker
He wouldn't approach straight away, but his mum would have made up quite quickly. He'd see Drago, quite obviously it's him obviously, and make his way near, but not close enough, behind him, but like ten, fifteen feet away and just see what he's doing and then copy. So if he's tending to the bodies, if it's just moving them, if it's just
00:26:47
Speaker
putting them in more respectful positions, sorting the UNT from those of the city, copying what he's doing but making a point of not doing it in his eyeline and not drawing attention to him, just kind of doing it close by for a bit.
00:27:06
Speaker
Yeah, and you do notice a series of voice is not necessarily Drago may be saying this, I don't want to take autonomy away from Ian, but you certainly noticed the other mages there who appears to have the same symbols as Drago is just going around and as he seems to just perform these rites is just saying
00:27:23
Speaker
May Akiva's embrace find you. Over every corpse, as he seems to just be saying goodbye. This is human as well, who also seems to be wearing similar robes. Would Drago be doing the same thing? No. Drago, he's still very much self-conscious, I guess, of this
00:27:46
Speaker
road and this power and it's all everything he's done with Akiva has been mostly kind of an internal communal that conversation he has with him so it's it'll say that similar kind of blessing but it's all in his mind as he connects down with the power and then pushes the the soul through and allows the soul to pass through him it's all in his mind and just wishing
00:28:12
Speaker
good journeys. It's not even I don't know if you could put it into words. It's more feeling like he's trying to feel the the essence of the person and kind of help them ferry them through to Akiva.
Candid Conversation on Past and Family
00:28:28
Speaker
And always in his mind is Claude when he does this as well. So he's just like following what he's been or what he's seen before because Claude never taught him one on one.
00:28:39
Speaker
Claude always like he's learned from doing so he's trying to emulate that. That's what you've got, Sanger.
00:28:51
Speaker
Cool, and he'd hang for a bit and probably after a while of not being noticed, get a bit bored of waiting and wait for an opportune moment to step over and stand facing whatever drug he was looking at. If he was laying a blessing on a body, he'd just stand kind of politely next to Drago until he kind of, Drago realizes he's there and then would just say, you didn't know how to do this the last time I saw you.
00:29:23
Speaker
I've learned a lot. I've learned the connection that flows between the living and the dead. And sometimes the dead need help finding their final resting place. And that's the path I walk now. Granted to me from an old friend. I see.
00:29:53
Speaker
It's a noble path. That would be proud. I'd taken a back at those final words. I'd tried my eyes open a little in surprise before trying to wrestle down that emotion. And then a nod of like an understanding nod.
00:30:23
Speaker
I think you'd be surprised. With a slight smile on his face. I know what you mean. This place seems to be changing all of us. I'm almost certain now that you're probably my brother. Almost certain.
00:30:54
Speaker
I mean, look at it from my perspective. And he kind of holds his arms up. Aside from the mask, have I changed? No. But look at you. You are in a new world and your name is known. You've saved the realm by the sounds of things. You've shifted from barbarian warrior famous in our clan to an acolyte of a god.
00:31:24
Speaker
And no problem, no foul, you do you. But if you were in my position and saw me change the way I've seen you change, would you not doubt that? If I hadn't have been through what I've been through, I would have doubted the very essence of your existence. So I understand where you're coming from. Took a lot. Not to just kill you right then and now when I first saw you from being perfectly honest.
00:31:52
Speaker
I would have liked to have seen that. Well, what is it like when we fought when we were younger? You'd always get the better of me in the end anyway. Listen, Syengar. We haven't had our chance yet. To pull things apart. To talk about it.
00:32:24
Speaker
We will if you're open to it. Spend some time and we'll go through it. There's a lot to catch up on. There's a lot. And yes, I will be up for that. But I think tonight might be the best night with what's coming in the morning hanging over our heads. I prefer to get that little bit of business out of the way.
00:32:53
Speaker
And then there'll be nothing to stop us from, as you say, catching up. Agreed. And I'm glad you're here.
Group Reflection and Preparation
00:33:05
Speaker
More than you'll know. Yeah. It's nice to see a friendly face. I can call that face friendly. The mirror know it seems to think so.
00:33:24
Speaker
Anyway, you've got your hands full here, literally. I can do no good for these people. I'll leave you to your work. Where did everyone end up? I got myself lost getting some air. Drag a little point in the direction. They're through there. Probably at the bar. Probably drinking too much.
00:33:49
Speaker
Sounds about right. Before you go, we've got to be up early at dawn. I'll come and find you. Given what we're about to face, we need our father's weapon. Stop the mountain we go. Indeed. Now you never know. One day, if time is on our side,
00:34:21
Speaker
It would be pretty cool to see you wield it. It's never strong enough to hold it, and we remember, but yeah, I'll give it a go. Training. Yeah. Times. Just like that. Yeah, okay, I'll...
00:34:42
Speaker
I'll catch up later. Enjoy your... No, that's the wrong way. Right. Yeah. Of course you do. Yeah. See ya. Bye. Bye. Yeah. So I go out awkwardly. I'm going to tell you what they keep saying. Bye, bye, bye, bye. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Just a nod. Nod. Nods. Nods. Yeah. All different ways you can say goodbye to someone, actually. Before making his way away, still muttering goodbye, probably.
00:35:12
Speaker
and up towards the bar area where he won't go to the group he'll just sit down in the corner again continue to process all this new information as well and but just sit in the corner and maybe maybe eyes on some of the other characters but not kind of communicating with him just kind of taking himself away and sorting out his head a little bit thanks to him that was awesome by the way. Thank you. Callum and Will thank you for your patience there's just one quick thing I want to do with Drago and then we're coming to you I promise.
00:35:40
Speaker
As Saingar walks away, Briar glances to you and says, Drago, when he saved, the nephew of Sarra missed for, he probably prevented a war, you know, and in his own way has saved many lives, whether he knows it or would be willing to admit to it. That's good to know.
00:36:10
Speaker
I don't think he'll take credit for it somehow. But it's still good to know. I heard about you. He's going to say as he continues to perform the rites. Words amongst our faith and got back. So as I haven't been to salute God for many years, I didn't have the bravery of your friend. And when worship of Akiva was exiled,
00:36:40
Speaker
I made for safer places, and... well, Shadow Men's borders were shut tight as soon as the Blight was discovered. It was safe from the Blight there anyway, though it's not a kingdom without its own dangers, as you discovered in Father Keep, no doubt. Still a lot to this world that I do not know, but dangers seem to lie everywhere. Good job you have a key for watching you.
00:37:11
Speaker
It's a partnership. It's a good job he has me as well. Well, he must have known you were looking for the girl. It was Akiva that brought you back. Yeah, about that. You said that you summoned me. I don't have the means to summon you. I prayed to Akiva for your help and Akiva, as you've probably known all along, returned you to this plane. Yeah, but what did you...
00:37:42
Speaker
What did you need my help with? Did you know everything that was due to take place? I knew that there was a very dangerous book at the deeps of that vault in Fatherkeep. I knew that Drezlin is of the shadowfell and Drezlin getting his hands on that book was not a good thing. I was hoping that you would bring the book to me.
00:38:09
Speaker
It became clear for me that I also had to leave Shadow Mend. Turns out Euron Cardinal is not the person I thought he was. They name like Euron, what do you expect? That's true. Euron, but anyway, it doesn't matter. How did you escape Father Keep? I believe the girl would probably play the part in it, did she not?
00:38:39
Speaker
Drago, just with a small crease to his brow, to a relatively unknown person, by all wits and extreme amount of luck. Hmm. Fair enough. I don't expect you to trust me. If the girl did play a part in it, then I suspect that's why Akiba brought her here.
00:39:05
Speaker
Akiva wasn't going to drop you back into Father Keep just to let you die there. It seems Aerith is not done with you yet, Drago. He's going to return to what he was doing. Yeah. Cryptic as always. Akiva sure does pick him. That is the way of Akiva. I know. All too well.
00:39:32
Speaker
Still, work to be done. And as you say that, you both continue your vigil and your work this evening. Back up in the living courses of your accommodation at Moorcar's hearth, both Macbenna and Wren have taken to their rooms.
00:39:57
Speaker
and appear to be just allowing themselves a moment of rest and respite, potentially a bath, potentially
Mystical Observation and Family Reflection
00:40:03
Speaker
the means to just sleep on a feather bed for the first time in many moons, leaving Chungus and Ukaburra in the living quarters of your drink with the stars, whatever it is you'd want to do. What are you guys up to while this is happening?
00:40:22
Speaker
Well, Kratz apparently now looks like Ukaburra. Apologies, Kratz. Sorry, Kratz and the Chungus, apologies. Kratz, after having the little one-to-one with McBenna, and a slight grunt at Drago as he passed,
00:40:44
Speaker
He'd probably just sit and wait for a bit. He'd wait for the stars to come out, obviously. He sees that Chungus is waiting for the same thing. And when the stars start to come out, he will walk out and just kind of sit down next to him. He'd take a moment to look up at the stars with Astrid. Trying to find out about tomorrow.
00:41:13
Speaker
Well, that's the thing, Kratz. Tomorrow's already written up there. I'm not sure how much it's gonna help me, but I suppose that's what these are for. And he'll lay out the cards from his pouch, just one by one, sort of in front of him, looking at the different constellations that he has upon them, cross-referencing them with those that are above.
00:41:43
Speaker
Um, until, kind of as he's doing this as well, he'll just say to Gratz, I think, um, I think what happens tomorrow, I think we're all going to be somewhat changed. I wouldn't doubt it. You know, I still think this is all still mumbo jumbo.
00:42:13
Speaker
Oh, I know that, I know that, but after all of the snake bastards that we've been fighting, and our Scrymar not being who I've always thought he would be, and this being caught up with gods and rituals, and I know that we've got a big part to play, Kratz, it's just... I can't help but feel like... I don't know, I need to see what the stars say.
00:42:44
Speaker
It's all right, I was just kind of open, you'd have something a bit more than tomorrow might change us. I was kind of hoping for some good news, I suppose. Well, that's the thing. I mean, this doesn't happen instantly. Just give me a sec. Let's see what I can find. And with that, yeah, Jungus will kind of, like I say, cross-reference what he's looking for is some form of omen, be it positive, be it negative.
00:43:12
Speaker
I don't really have any kind of class features or anything at this point that can necessarily help me with that, but that's what he'll be doing. It's the role of astrology and the role of Selen, and I can only ask for a religion check, I think, to see what you glean. Ooh. Yeah, never mind. That's a four.
00:43:39
Speaker
It's hard to tell. It's a foreboding, it's a sense that perhaps what you are dealing with now is out of the realm of Selen. Selen is considered to be the mistress of this material world and what you have encountered today are talks of a first material world that was destroyed, of talks of the Astral Plane, of talks of the Nine Hells.
00:44:08
Speaker
Selen's remit is beyond this. The stars have nothing for you. Save for a moment, a moment of warmth that dawns on you as you take in this quite strange goblin who has also suffered loss and displacement.
00:44:37
Speaker
You also then take in that something happens off on the mountain. The mountain itself starts to glow and it starts to him and sing almost. It's tranquil. It's actually quite beautiful. And do you remember something that Ukaburra told you? When the forging of memory ruins begins,
00:45:08
Speaker
dash calorie comes alight, dash calorie sings. And perhaps Solene offers you the final image that she can offer you and the final message that she can offer you before you want to take a journey into a realm where she has no reach. And that's that there is an understanding
00:45:39
Speaker
in those who you have met, that there is also a sense of displacement, and that family is not something that's necessarily defined by those who you have spent your life with, but also could potentially be those who you, who could be a big part of your future.
00:46:04
Speaker
And as the mountain starts to glow and seeing you, you were able to glance off up to your right-hand side and see it, you know in your heart from Selen that Ucubara is up there. And the process of forging memory ruins has begun.
Discussion on Family and Tribal Identity
00:46:28
Speaker
Uh, seeing that
00:46:33
Speaker
A smile will kind of creep across his face and he'll turn to Kratz and say, I think we've got the sign that we need. Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be a hero. You're going to do that kind of big bear tomorrow. What about the wolf? What's your plan? What's your game plan? You'll be going up again.
00:47:02
Speaker
call the cat bastard and some form of demigod so my game plan was basically to kill them. Oh well yeah we can't have gathered that much and yeah from from what I can gather and he'll kind of point up to the skies the stars above him everything's in our favor we're gonna be absolutely fine you're gonna come back a big hero I'm gonna come back a big hero the dragons are gonna come back a big hero um yeah it's gonna be
00:47:33
Speaker
It's going to be fine. We don't need to worry. I hope you're right. We're all going to come back big heroes. Yeah, you can trust me about that one, Kretz. I do trust you, Jungus. I know. We're a tribe now with the Bong waters. It's got an interesting ring to it, that's for sure. It's certainly what I've never heard of.
00:48:03
Speaker
I don't think I ever asked, do you? Do you have like a surname? I lost my surname when I lost my tribe. Right. I don't need one now. I have a new surname. Kratz Bongwater. Kratz Bongwater. It's got a nice ring to it. Do you think, like if we asked really nicely, do you think we could maybe get Drago and Syengar in the Bongwater clan?
00:48:32
Speaker
Drago Bongwater. It's certainly got a nice ring to it. I think you should definitely ask. Tell you what, if, well, when we all, you know, kill a demigod and shit down a cat's neck, tomorrow, what we can do is I'll invite them to the old clan and see what they say. Ordinary members always welcome in the jungle. Yeah, perfect.
00:48:53
Speaker
somewhere out there, Drago, who is turning to a dead body, just goes, something bad just happened. This is the conversation going on a bit. Cracks are going to wait for a slight pause. And just before going back in, this turns to Chungus. Look after yourself tomorrow.
00:49:23
Speaker
Do me a favour and try and stay behind me. Stay out of the way the big guys. You know, just you and Ookaburra keep each other safe. It's going to get quite eerie. We'll keep each other safe Kretts like we always do.
00:49:47
Speaker
And if Kratz makes his way back inside, then Chungus is just going to linger that little bit more and his eyes are going to flick back to where he knows Ucobura to be with the memory runes currently being forged. And he'll kind of just say to himself, you're safe now, little brother.
00:50:15
Speaker
And as you take in the starry sky, you're out there on your own for a while before Ren joins you, curious by what is happening. She's heard the noise and she glances up at the mountain and just goes, whoa. You can now see that as the traveler's robe and hood is down, that Ren's hair is just jet red and she has these glistening purple eyes, very different to the purple of Carl Jeet.
00:50:43
Speaker
You can see the youthfulness of her, that for a girl who could potentially be in her 30s, maybe even 40s, that the half-elf complexion keeps her looking relatively youthful. And that by a half-elf age, you know from travelling with her that she has the maturity of a teenager, which is pretty common for where she's at in her lifespan, knowing that she could live to 180, 200.
00:51:14
Speaker
She comes over to you and says, are you all right, Chungus? Is it Chungus or Astrid, by the way? I never know which one they go for. Well, that's the thing. One's the name I was born with, one's the name that I've chosen for myself. And I think from tonight, and he'll cast his eyes back up to the mountaintop. I feel a bit like I'm reborn. We're going with Astrid.
00:51:47
Speaker
She smiles at that and says, you've lost someone, haven't you? Chungus will kind of keep his eyes on the mountain peak and kind of the smile remains somewhat. We've all lost people, friend.
00:52:16
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, we have. The brother I have in this gold view, he's not the only one, there was a... used to know a dragonborn. And she smiles at that headstrong. He went by the name of Belprax. I found his body. I think I know who killed him.
00:52:48
Speaker
I'm sad it ended that way. I'm sorry to hear that. Do you think that people do bad things, that this duality, that... that the Scrymar was talking about? Is there a chance for redemption for the soul?
00:53:18
Speaker
Well, until recently I thought that there was good in everyone. Right now I'm struggling to see the good in this Karl person. But if it's rebirth, if it's redemption, if it's a new start, yeah, I believe in that. Selene, up there.
00:53:47
Speaker
She changes in her state. She's not always full-bodied. She renews. We can too. I hope you're right. There's a darkness at the heart of all of this. It took someone dear to Drago and to Syngar
00:54:20
Speaker
Whatever Bell Prax did, it was because the same darkness got to him. Anyway, it was a long time ago, it doesn't matter. Well, if I've learned anything since being in this city, memory's a powerful thing. If it's something you need to hold on to, it matters. Yeah.
00:54:51
Speaker
Yeah. She's going to make her way inside. Astrid will follow. And as you step back inside, you will now find that emerged and in a corner of the room is sat Syengar. Perhaps you're the first one to notice Syengar as you come back in first.
00:55:21
Speaker
Okay, and probably we'll just have a casual walk over. Erm, sayin', Gar, is it? Yeah, that's me, Kratz. Thanks. Alright, I'm not very good with names, sorry. I mean, he has two out there, he gets a bit confusing sometimes.
Debts and Camaraderie Discussed
00:55:52
Speaker
Are you okay? Fine. You just, you seem a bit down. I mean, I know tomorrow's going to be a bit, you know, well, crazy, but we did something good today. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not, I'm not down. This is just my Southern states. I've got a lot to think about and we've got a lot to do in the morning. I think you'd agree. Yeah.
00:56:22
Speaker
Absolutely some kind of mystical weapon to get and you know a demigod to slay. Something like that in here. Run of the mill stuff apparently. Listen, while I've got you before the others I assume come in. The debt that I took off my brother will have time to talk about this and maybe
00:56:52
Speaker
During the fight, and I assume there will be a fight, I might be able to go some ways to repay that debt. Not all the way, obviously, but at least some of the way. And then any time we have afterwards, I will endeavor to pay the rest off in whatever way you see fit. I just want you to know that it's not forgotten. It won't be forgotten until it's fully paid off. Your actions are honorable and appreciated.
00:57:23
Speaker
Well, it's the first time I've been called honorable, but I appreciate it, I'll take that. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for the gesture. But it's not just me, it's a tribe. But as far as I'm concerned, Ukaburra may have different feelings, but I hold no ill will towards yourself.
00:57:47
Speaker
I lie towards you, but a debt is a debt. And I'm sure we can both agree that a debt paid is the best kind of debt. And yeah, that's it really. I just wanted you to know that. And my brother might not quite understand that concept. His head's in other places, and that's understandable, given the weight of the world, his realm especially. But mine isn't, and I know what it's like.
00:58:14
Speaker
So, that's why I did what I did anyway. You understand the way this world works? I like to think I do. Whether I do or not is besides the point. It's different for every person. But anyway, like I said, hasn't been repaid, hasn't been forgotten. Will be repaid, will not be forgotten.
00:58:40
Speaker
If you want it that way, that's fine with me. Ukemer will appreciate it as well. Absolutely. Did you go with the name Bongwater in the end for the clown? Yeah, we're Bongwaters now. Are you sure about that one? You've got to take a quick glance back at Astrid, he's probably still just staring out under the stars. Yeah, I'm definitely sure.
00:59:09
Speaker
And yes, I guess he's going to smile a little bit and strong. Yeah, it exudes power and strength. No, it doesn't. It's absolutely fucking crazy. But right now, I think we could do with a little bit of crazy.
00:59:34
Speaker
Yeah, I think we could do with that. The situation isn't crazy enough. Let's add some more into the mix. See what happens. Crazy words out more often than you might think. I mean, you know, I can kind of turn into bears and wolves and things. Yes, you can. And that's fucking terrifying. I forgot to mention that. It's also very crazy. So it might work in benefit. It might. Well, I need to
01:00:02
Speaker
sleep i don't know what time it is but it's i'm it's getting late definitely we have rooms apparently i was i wasn't here that we have rooms inside the thing we've got a suite a penthouse or something nice apparently um yeah i think those ones over there are occupied but in in all fairness i'm you know i'm used to sleeping a bit rough about to settle down out here underneath the stars
01:00:30
Speaker
You're inside. I can still see outside because I can see the window. Yeah, there's the window there. I can see one star. Yeah, right through there you go. You're under the stars. Yeah, there you go. You know what I'm talking
Drago's Contemplation and Seeking Wisdom
01:00:42
Speaker
about. As you glance around Syngar, there are plenty of empty rooms that you could find a bed in. I'll tell you something, Kratz. It's been a long damn time since I've slept in a bed.
01:00:54
Speaker
I'm going to fucking enjoy this. See ya. And he's going to get up and go to a room that seems untouched and just clunk down his gear and just kind of snipe first, collapse onto the bed, face down, and just he's out like that, out for the game, snoring loudly. That's fine. As you leave, as you already kind of go through the door and I hear the slump of this dragonborn hitting the bed, I'm just going to kind of lift my glass up to you. Good night, Saingar.
01:01:27
Speaker
Okay. Drago, you come to the end of an evening's vigil, and Briar turns to you and says, there are still many here who need help, but if what I understand that you're about tomorrow, you need to go and rest. Yeah. Yep. Yep. I've, I've come to the end of my vigil.
01:02:01
Speaker
Will you carry on? Oh, of course. I'm not the one who is about whatever business you're about tomorrow. I will go until Akiva bids me to stop. Very good. Thank you. Thank you, as always.
01:02:32
Speaker
Juggling, kind of turn some walks off. Tired. So tired. He's been at this for a while now. And it is probably very draining mentally, physically, having to commune and act as the gateway. Yeah, you make your way back to the accommodation. You find that the night is still.
01:03:01
Speaker
you find that most, would anyone still want to be up when Drago returns? Nope. I'm out for the count. Fuck you. I think I'd be asleep, but I'd be in the room, like the main room where the bar area is. I probably would just settle down around here. You find, slumped at the bar,
01:03:30
Speaker
a slumbered crat. You glance around the rooms and you find that the accommodation is silent and dead and that most people have. In fact, all of them appear to have taken to their beds for the evening. You take in that you're on the precipice of something massive or something big once more. And that even though that this is different to last time,
01:04:02
Speaker
You glance and see the cloak of wren slung over one of the chairs. And it dawns on you that the stakes in their own way, as you've already correctly identified, are just as high. And as you yourself take, take to your room, go for it.
01:04:35
Speaker
So, uh, once I'm in my room, am I in my room? You are. Yep. I am not doing what went to a rental. Will is a mimic miming to me. I'm not polishing one out. Destroying the tension with some vicious arm waving. Um, some back in my room.
01:05:03
Speaker
I draw a picture of a dragon ball female. Okay. All right. Just a little stick figure. No, Drago is going to go and get ready for the day and sit on his bed. And before he allows himself to succumb to sleep,
01:05:30
Speaker
I want to do something that hopefully will connect with another cast member in a future episode. But Drago is going to remember all the stakes that you just so aptly described and the last time this situation was similar. And you're going to grab the amulet and flood his mind fill of the previous time.
01:06:01
Speaker
and lock into the one worry he has this time round. The one worry is never about dying, and it's not even about losing this time. It's about Ren not surviving and trying to figure out the link between the UNT wanting her power
Conclusion and Light-hearted End
01:06:26
Speaker
and what that means for the battle ahead and what he can do to best protect her in order to fulfill a promise to an old friend. And while thinking back to the previous time and the great loss that he and everyone felt of the party, he's going to grab the amulet, kind of just link his mind to her keepers. Any final words of wisdom for me, Claude?
01:06:57
Speaker
You helped last time, but it'd be really good to hear from you this time. And he's going to just send that out. As you send that out, you follow to the balcony window and glance out to wherever you feel this spell may have gone. And what you notice is the slight pulsing of the light from the mountains.
01:07:27
Speaker
Just continue as the forging of memory ruins, hoping yourself to cross the bridge of memory and connect with an old friend. And that's where we're going to leave it for tonight's episode of The Fellowship of the Tabletop. Very nice Darren, thank you very much. So you can all complete a long rest when we return.
01:07:53
Speaker
The other two don't get one, do they? No. They can have one as well. And you can all, for the bargain of the fact you're going into the bottom of the fight, yeah, take a level six. Yeah! Just the people that are here, yeah? That's right. No, everyone. Just don't tell the other Will. Yeah. That'd be fun. Oh, I'm going to do it right now, otherwise I'll forget. He's an old man. Well, audience members out there.
01:08:23
Speaker
in the, in the meta first. Uh, I'm trying to think of something cheery and happy and energetic to partake and leave you with on this very, very thoughtful. Deep episode. Um, I particularly liked the description of how the Drake's, uh, are mated to their riders. Um, thought that was very good.
01:08:52
Speaker
And anytime you drop any kind of sexual innuendo into this conversation, rent a will pipes up in his eyes, flash up with delight and energy. I see your eyes meet mine over the webcams and we know it.
01:09:11
Speaker
It's what we do. It's what we do here at The Fellowship. Which leads me to say thank you very much for tuning in and listening, make us a part of the Everyday Week. We love you for it. And if you wanted to keep up to date with the podcast, you could do so on one of our various social media pages, but I'm only going to advertise Twitch right now because I'm hoping to get a little pay bump from our man Elon Musk.
01:09:31
Speaker
The main page is at Fellowship Table. If you wanted to go one step further and follow us individually, I'm at iWorld1. Will is at... Uh, Fellowship NPC PC. Callum is at TheD20Gamer. Mark is at... Hey, still your old DM. And our wonderful DM can be found at... DarrenPage06. Until next time, guys. Farewell!