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World of Ae'oene Ep. 15: A New Promise image

World of Ae'oene Ep. 15: A New Promise

S1 E15 · World of Ae'oene: Stories of Legend
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47 Plays1 month ago

After successfully foiling the assassination attempt on the World Union's newest ambassador, Pyara Bakti, Maeve and Jellen finally receive their long-deserved reunion. As the other party members find their own kinds of trouble, we are left with just one question: "Can I have this dance?"

This show is written with adult audiences in mind and contains content that may not be suitable for younger listeners.

This episode has the following content warnings: Strong Language, General Violence

We'd love to hear your feedback! What do you want to hear more of? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Our cast:
- Curtiss Woosley as The GM   
- Rennie Armas as Kaldin  
- Sapheara as Maeve Strongheart
- Jack Baldwin as Jellen Ykalle  
- MJ Guenther as Thalira Grimstone Eku'Lanathi

Additional Credits:
- Show graphics by Sentic GFX  
- Show editing Rennie Armas and MJ Guenther   
- Intro/Outro music composed by Ryan Muns, Owner/Operator of Eyes On The Moon Studios
- Music, Ambience, and & SFX tracks purchased/licensed from Monument Studios, Adrian Von Ziegler, and Michael Ghelfi Studios (https://www.michaelghelfistudios.com).
- Garden Scene music tracks purchased/licensed from Cayson Renshaw - Back to You (Instrumental), Daniel Catala - Bloom, Ardie Son - Seed to Flower



Recommended
Transcript

Introduction and Episode Context

00:00:00
Speaker
Destabilizing Foundations, Episode 15 The World of Aeon contains stories with mature themes. Content warnings are in the episode description.
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome to the World of Aeon, brought to you by The Crisp.
00:00:30
Speaker
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the world of my own stories of legend. I think we're on. oh God, what episode are we on, guys? fifteen Good Lord. I love the show.
00:00:42
Speaker
Welcome back. Y'all, we've had some crazy episodes lately, and we're so excited to get started on the next one. It's only been a few days. We never record this soon after each other. It's been great.
00:00:54
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, I get to remember what's actually happened. I know. I would have listen to the recording to figure out where we were last. Oh, I just go in blind. Real. Don't tell the audience that. They don't.
00:01:06
Speaker
We're great at what we do. They don't know that. They don't know that. Oh, yeah. We're great. Oh, right yeah, yeah. I remember everything. I swear. Yeah, remember that one after that thing you said like 50 years ago? Damn. I don't even need notes.
00:01:20
Speaker
I probably said, all right. Whoa, you did. Since I got Kyle saying that.
00:01:29
Speaker
That's probably 2,000 times. Probably 2,000 times. In the last 15 episodes. My mannerisms, I'm sure that'll be, as our fan base grows, I bet there'll be a list of my mannerisms on Twitter someday.
00:01:41
Speaker
It'll be great. Can't wait to be called out and feel super self-conscious. It's going to be a great day. like Twitter exists, but anyway.

Humor and Professionalism in Podcasting

00:01:47
Speaker
X, whatever. It's okay. I clean you up so much, dude. I make you so much more eloquent than you actually are. ah Thank you.
00:01:58
Speaker
I don't know. I don't think that's a compliment. Yeah. But thank you. ah You're so welcome. I your back. We love you, love you. make all of us sound way more put together than we are. Yeah, this is true, though.
00:02:13
Speaker
but All right, we're going get started with the episode. But first, I do have a quick thing to do before we get in the episode. My players don't even know about this.

Role-Playing and Game Master Recognition

00:02:20
Speaker
In fact, it's about them. And it's not even about them. It's for them. If I remember correctly, I don't think I've given out any inspiration at all this entire campaign yet. You've given out one out once.
00:02:32
Speaker
I mean, no, you've never given us inspiration. ah oh no. What is inspiration? See, i'm breaking I'm breaking the illusion again. See, my memory's perfect. Of course, I remember giving you inspiration. Yeah. ah who Who did I give inspiration to?
00:02:43
Speaker
All of us. All of us. Did I really? You did? All at once. That was part of an intro, actually. thought teased it. Did I? Yeah.
00:02:54
Speaker
Wow. It's crazy. I just had the same idea to do it again. Probably the same way. Wow. That's crazy. Okay. Is it crazy? So I'm going to go now. You guys have fun with the episode. Do we still get inspiration? Yes. Because we remembered for him. We are good players. You make a valid argument. You make a valid argument.
00:03:18
Speaker
And we make you sound good. Yeah. You do do that. You do do that. It's true. I deserve inspiration. You absolutely deserve inspiration. Double. I think we're actually just going to give inspiration to all of you specifically for everything we've done since episode 11, because all the work we've done between the three year gap, which was about like for us, when I say two or three weeks, it was almost a month, but it was an incredible amount of role play and planning that we all did through text chat each other.
00:03:43
Speaker
Audience, you'll get to see snippets of that through bonus episodes at some point that we have already started to record. But it was a lot of work and a lot of time to dedicate in that month just to constantly being on Discord and our text channels and in our group chats to do all this all this prep work that they helped me with, essentially.
00:04:01
Speaker
ah Not only that, but also giving you inspiration for the absolute craziness that you survived that was episode 12 and 13. Specifically 13 and 14, actually, because it was nonstop craziness. I just kept throwing things at you and you all survived and handled it phenomenally. so I'm so glad none of us have lives.
00:04:21
Speaker
but I mean, your characters do, at least for now. yeah So oh no speaking of those characters, let's get into it.

Icy Tundra Escape

00:04:47
Speaker
Last we left off with our crazy party of potential future heroes. You all were in an icy, unknown tundra.
00:04:58
Speaker
The dark sky looming overhead with the violet, the deep green light shining reflections of the sky off of the moons above. You just fought off unknown attackers of Dark Ganassi and these blue kyanite crystal tieflings who had essentially ambushed this masquerade ball that you had all visited and attended. And come to find out Maeve is the one who had ah put it on along with her foundation that she had made for those missing in Avoa and researching these crazy rifts that are happening.
00:05:36
Speaker
after that insane battle, which Maeve had been taken unconscious as well as the new ambassador from the Aether, the druidic circles of the primordial plane, saved them, fought off majority of these attackers as some of them started retreat.
00:05:51
Speaker
And before you know it, you look back and Erik Strongheart, Maeve's father, yells at you all, the portal's closing, hurry up! Because indeed, the druid who was keeping the portal open is laying underneath Erik Strongheart's foot, and the portal just seconds away from closing and you all being stuck in whatever icy tundra you're in.
00:06:13
Speaker
And as you look back to see the portal, Erik Strongheart standing at the portal, waiting for all of his his guard, the guard of glory and the guard of the World Union to get through. He looks at all of you and specifically he looks at Maeve with Worry in his eye.
00:06:36
Speaker
And with that, the scene is yours. So how many people need to get through this portal? glad you asked. Piara has already taken off. She's probably a solid 10 to 15 feet in front of you all racing towards the portal.
00:06:51
Speaker
All the rest of the fighting that had been going on was closer to the portal as you all had been the quickest to run through to go try to save Maeve, and they had been the farthest. Not everybody's through yet by any means, but you are the furthest away.
00:07:02
Speaker
Okay. I have a horse though, guys. You have a horse that is currently out and ready to be used. as a horse should be used to ride on through the portal on its back. Right. To ride on it.
00:07:15
Speaker
I'm so glad that we've had to explain this quite thoroughly now. Okay, you made a face when said ride the horse, which should not have been a weird thing to say. Look, I mean. Where are we? Where is our mindset today? Not here. Oh my gosh.
00:07:31
Speaker
Anyway, so now we're going to start riding horses. Okay, Maeve's going to hop on Red, or attempt to hop on. it You've seen Maeve hop on a horse before and it's not normally a hard process, but this time was little bit slow, like a second or two slower than normal.
00:07:53
Speaker
Okay, so she's going to hop on Red. Okay. And then I'm probably going to get Eric ah as well on the horse. Well, he's over at the portal, so you got some distance to do before you do that.
00:08:04
Speaker
But I actually have a quick question. If we remember all the way back to episode, was it, it's either five or six, I think it was six, when you rode Moss for the first time instead of Red, Moss could talk and he spoke to you.
00:08:16
Speaker
Yes, Red can also telepathically talk to me. He can. Okay. Do you say anything to him? No.

Portal Rescue Mission

00:08:24
Speaker
No? Okay. I will wait to debut his voice. Yeah, there's not really much to say yet.
00:08:28
Speaker
I'm looking around to see what next move would be. Go for it. I look to see what everyone else is doing and try to avoid looking at the snow because I do not like snow. Okay.
00:08:39
Speaker
As you look around, you do see the battlefield. A majority, not all, but majority of the bodies on the ground are these dark genasi sorcerers and these kyanite crystal tiefling druids.
00:08:50
Speaker
There are a couple different guardsmen that have dropped that you had seen. A lot of the guardsmen from the Masquerade Ball that were more eloquent and didn't... Like, they're on duty and they look and ensure they have a weapon so they could enforce some things, but like, they're not like ready for war, you know?
00:09:07
Speaker
Of course, they're still gonna act. They're in here, and there's been a couple of them that have been dead. Erik Strongheart is, as I've said, next to the portal, guiding everybody through. Lionel is in here. He did not make it obviously near as deep as you, but he is currently running toward you instead of to the portal.
00:09:23
Speaker
And the rest of our group here can obviously inform us of what they're doing. Talira is taking a look around and making sure everybody is running towards the portal to get out, as she is running towards it herself.
00:09:40
Speaker
Kalden is intentionally staying furthest in the group to keep an eye on everyone to make sure they get through. And is there anybody from our side that's fallen that does appear to still maybe be alive?
00:09:53
Speaker
I would say let's put that to the dice. I don't have my dice out, so let me get my phone dice and see what the dice say, because I don't know.
00:10:05
Speaker
Yes, there are three that appear to still. They're crying out in agony, or you can at least see their chest moving in some way. Oh, Talira's grabbing as many as she can. as she's running, she's grabbing them, getting them out. Okay, okay.
00:10:19
Speaker
Carefully. Yeah. If she hadn't noticed them, Kaldan was going to be like pointing them out. Yeah. But he's going to try and If she can grab two, he's going to try to drag the last one. She's big. She can carry all three, probably. Okay.
00:10:33
Speaker
Probably. We'll say that you get two and Kaladin, you're able to help one up and put his arm over your shoulder. And unfortunately, this is going to slow you down, but you try to speed him up as much as possible. So, well, what is Yellen doing?
00:10:44
Speaker
Yellen's probably going to be ushering people out and maybe he'll grab a few of our fallen people as well and try to take them back through the portal. Okay. The dead people or?
00:10:57
Speaker
yeah Okay, as you try to grab a dead body while helping ushering people out as well. So, the way this is going to work, you all have a limited amount of time to get to this portal. It is not terribly far away. if you It's well within, at least, especially the horse's movement speed.
00:11:12
Speaker
With Maeve on a horse rushing there, she can get there. No roll intended. The the horse increases the movement speed plenty enough. The other three, though, are doing other things that is going to require a roll to see how quickly you get there.
00:11:24
Speaker
For Talira, you are carrying people while you are trying to move. I need a strength check from you to see if it and impedes your movement whatsoever. Would that make a difference if my carrying capacity is 1,200 pounds as a size large creature?
00:11:39
Speaker
In that case, give me a dexterity check for how quickly you're moving. Okay.
00:11:45
Speaker
Good 1,200 pounds. That's insane. That was a six on the die, so a seven. Seven. Okay. You find that you actually have to slow down, not because you are slow when trying to carry these. You have plenty of carrying capacity, but you find as you move too quick, one of the men you're trying to carry yells out in pain even more as it is hurting him to the point that it may end his life if you ok too fast. Okay. Yeah. She slows down.
00:12:13
Speaker
Yes. Yellen, you are trying to pick up a dead body that is just plain dead weight to carry it in. I will also need a strength trick from you. All righty.
00:12:25
Speaker
That's not too bad. 13. What was that? I'm sorry. 13. 13? Yeah, that's not bad. That's not bad. going to say with a 13, you get your normal movement speed, which means it's going to take you where you were at on the map. If I remember correctly, it's going to take you a little longer than six seconds to get there. So you're probably looking at like eight to 10 seconds.
00:12:46
Speaker
Heldon, you pick someone up and put their arm over your shoulder. They are injured. If you want to try to pick them up completely to move them, it will be a strength check. If you don't want to do that and risk hurting them or rely on your strength, you can do half of your movement speed because they are traveling at half theirs.
00:13:08
Speaker
okay You can speed them up a little bit. Their movement speed is probably not as fast as yours considering your class and everything. So their half movement movement speed is going to bring you down to your half. So you're still speeding them up, but slow. Oops, my dice moved.
00:13:21
Speaker
um I rolled strength already and I rolled a 16 on the die plus zero. 16, okay. We're gonna say that you get your movement speed then. You're able to help them up enough that as they're slowing down, you almost kinda... they're sitting there trying to hobble along, and you're basically dragging them as they try to keep Sorry, dude.
00:13:39
Speaker
Yep. As you all race towards the portal, you are not... you're almost, but not quite the last ones to arrive as a few of the other guard, as well as even some of the lower nobles that were at this party had gone through to fight.
00:13:54
Speaker
there's about three people who are going to enter the portal after you all. Now, Maeve, you are the first to arrive, and you are there before even majority of the guard and the nobles. I would like to not go through the portal yet.
00:14:07
Speaker
Okay. Because I don't want to leave her father behind. Okay. So you're going to you're gonna sit there and help guide people through? Yeah, that or force him through the portal.
00:14:18
Speaker
You tell me when you want to force him through the portal, and we'll see what kind of checks you got to win with that. yeah There's no way she's leaving him behind. So as you are helping people through the portal, the portal is slowly getting smaller and smaller as more people are going through and going through. having having a and Whenever you all get there, it's to the point you're almost going to have to dive through.
00:14:39
Speaker
As Maeve helps those last three through and you all help your injured through, it's to the point if all of you are going to get through, you need to do it now. Are there any other people left behind us?
00:14:50
Speaker
There are not. There is, i think, two dead bodies, if I remember correctly, because Yellen picked up one. who Okay. If there's, yeah. I mean, I want to go through last, but as long as everyone is through, I'm going through. Okay.
00:15:04
Speaker
Yeah, and talira Talira will look back at Kaldin. Kaldin, come on! Erik is not going through until all of you do. Okay. As he's telling you, get your ass through the portal.
00:15:17
Speaker
Yeah, Talira's going.
00:15:21
Speaker
Yellen heads through as well. Which one of you is the last to go through? Kalden, you have somebody with you, so Kalden has handed off the person. Oh, okay. Gotcha. yeah As soon as he got to the portal, he handed off the person. He wanted to make sure everybody else got through. So I guess Kalden would be the last person.
00:15:41
Speaker
Maeve just wants to get her farther through the portal. She cares about everyone else too, but she can't. Yeah. Well, that's the thing. Is Maeve or Kalden the last of your group to go in? Talira, if she sees Kaladin hesitating, Talira's gonna reach in and grab him.
00:15:56
Speaker
Oh, May be the last person then, I guess. Because she would force her father to go in first. Oh, I never said were the last person, the last person of your group, as your father is still standing there and is adamant about being the last. But as he is about to speak up and tell you to get the fuck through the portal, I need you and Eric to both make a dexterity saving me throw.
00:16:19
Speaker
Oh, shit. Oh, well, Nat 20, so 25. Shit. 25. For me. um I don't know Eric's stats, so.
00:16:32
Speaker
Eric got an 18. Nice. Nice. So as you see a firebolt fly by you through the portal and hitting the far wall within within the masquerade ball, as you look back and it's not a firebolt, well, it's a firebolt, but it's it's black. It is dark.
00:16:47
Speaker
As you see one lone dark Ganassi sorcerer who had been laying in the snow injured had reached up and put his hand out and fired off. Your dad sees it fly by. takes the opportunity because of his battle prowess and maneuverability on on battlefields. he It doesn't faze him whatsoever because of his experience.
00:17:06
Speaker
And he shoves you through the portal. I'm on a horse though. You can't be on the horse and go through the portal. You'd be too big. Exactly. You would have had to have dismounted by now. I would have, okay, if he shoved me, I would have turned around and grabbed him pulled him too with the momentum.
00:17:19
Speaker
I also have battle prowess. Make a dexterity check. Uh, text check. Is there any way any of us can help with that? Yeah.
00:17:30
Speaker
Because we'd still be right there. And Talira, I've got Tavern Brawler. I could grapple. Yes. That's true, but the portal hole is so small, I don't think anybody else could be there to also reach through.
00:17:47
Speaker
Can I add guidance at least? I don't think you'd have time to cast it in this moment.
00:17:56
Speaker
Oh no. I just rolled another 20. What?
00:18:02
Speaker
I saw your face and I'm like, oh no, oh no. Holy shit. Dexterity So 22 because I got a plus two in dexterity. Well, that ruined my plan. All right. Yes.
00:18:19
Speaker
As the firebolt flies by his face, without even thinking, he takes his hand and shoves you through. Maeve, I love

Ballroom Tensions and Accusations

00:18:25
Speaker
you. And as you turn around hearing that, you grab onto his chest plate, pulling him through with you by the sheer force of his pull as you both tumble through the portal right as it closes.
00:18:36
Speaker
And as you look around, you see the faces of all these nobles, a few dead people lying upon the marble floor, the blood pooling in certain low spots that the art had created.
00:18:47
Speaker
The music gone and an eerie silence throughout the ballroom.
00:18:53
Speaker
Maeve deaths there so far, like, very angry. She doesn't say anything to him, but he can he can see how pissed off she is. He sees your anger and ignores it, stands up, kind of fixes his chest plate since it was just kind pulled out of place a little bit, and turns to the rest of the room.
00:19:11
Speaker
The enemy enemy's been dealt with. We're not in danger anymore. And he just kind of nods and then walks off to go find the Ro family.
00:19:20
Speaker
Are you all okay? I'm fine. Maeve, are you okay? Yellen? Yellen, Yellen's, current he's he's casting a revivify on those who he can.
00:19:41
Speaker
Can somebody heal? And um Talira is grabbing, like, as she's holding up the two others that she pulled through the portal. Yeah, you, there are a couple guards that have healing magic that come forth, as well as a couple of the nobles who, they're, again, probably more low lower nobles or nobles that are probably of Trolf or Nitro Tare, and maybe even one from Undor. There are some good people from there, surprisingly to some people.
00:20:06
Speaker
But come forth, and there are there is plenty of healing to go around at this point. is As the the blood starts to be cleaned up, people's agonistic moans fade as wounds are healed.
00:20:17
Speaker
And as all this is going on, Piera Bhakti gets very loud. What the fuck was that? Who allowed this? How did that... Where is the security here?
00:20:28
Speaker
Maeve goes to Luxor Fenlin. Fenlin is... basically frozen. As all this happened in such quick succession, he he's standing at the near at one of the nearby tables that was near the portal of where you had gotten taken from and is kind of standing there looking at his hands.
00:20:48
Speaker
She walks up to him and puts her hand on his shoulder to try and snap him out of whatever the hell's happening. And she whispers to him She's like, it's your turn. Deal with this, please.
00:21:02
Speaker
Maeve. Oh, oh, thank God. i What the fuck was that? I'm fine. Excuse me. I'm sorry sorry for my language. Just just sort sort it out from your side.
00:21:13
Speaker
I've got my side. Everything's fine. He finally takes look taking in the chaos that is slowly erupting table to table as people are getting over the shock of the event that just happened in the past 30 seconds.
00:21:30
Speaker
Close out the ceremony. Time to go home. Yeah, no, you're right. Well... Okay, yeah, well i'll I'll take care of it. Okay, where's Sally? Sally. He turns and goes and finds Sally and and begins to start the process of gathering the necessary people to calm the room down and get things back in an orderly manner. As guards are, at this point, the doors swing open and all kinds of guards are starting to rush in.
00:21:59
Speaker
Maeve would then look for, I forgot her name, the Light Genasi. Piara. karra Piara. She is not hard to find. She is making a hell of a ruckus.
00:22:11
Speaker
almost got abducted. What the fuck is this? She's now like going to find like people who are in charge. She actually finds a Nora Knight Hall who, you know, has helped to put on this event and is the hand of the Lord here. She is one of the most highest people in charge as far as the city of glory itself goes.
00:22:28
Speaker
She finds her and it's in her face like, you guaranteed safety here. how the This is the world union. How the fuck do you think we're going to do anything here if we're just going to portals erupt to God knows where? Maeve interrupts.
00:22:41
Speaker
This is your event? What the fuck? Yeah, no, valid. valid i'm also I'm also concerned about what's happened. i would like to host a meeting with you tomorrow morning so we can discuss more on what has happened and then transpired here tonight and make sure A, it doesn't happen again, and B, figure out why it did happen in the first place. I do have a bunch of adventurers that are very well versed in this kind of thing that will also accompany me with this meeting.
00:23:11
Speaker
She's looking at you like mouth wide open and with just a confused look on her face. How the fuck are you so calm right now? I've been to a lot of therapy. Okay.
00:23:23
Speaker
That was great.
00:23:32
Speaker
I developed healthy coping mechanisms. I'm dissociating. was like attacking one to two business days.
00:23:44
Speaker
I'll probably break down in a few days when I'm by myself, but yeah right now it's okay. Right now, I'm managing. She like puts her hand to her head and is like, what? just... Holy fuck.
00:23:58
Speaker
Okay. she's like She seems like to pause for a moment in awkward amount of time and seems to be like going through the events in her head for a second. What the fuck? And her eyes like get really wide.
00:24:10
Speaker
And without saying anything, she turns and starts walking directly towards Yellen. No.
00:24:19
Speaker
Kalden stands in between her and Yellen. And Talira is also there. Yellen is definitely not... perceiving this. I think he's he's he's working on what he's what what what he's been doing.
00:24:32
Speaker
She walks up to both of you. Get out of my way. You have a traitor behind you. That man came here to help save your life. That man is a part of the fucking group that's trying to kill me.
00:24:46
Speaker
I guarantee he is not because that man was with us when we overheard the plot which is why we came here to warn you. They just happened to beat us to it. yo You knew this was gonna fucking happen.
00:25:00
Speaker
We told people about it. And we were in the process of coming to you to tell you and warn you. Well, you were too fucking late, weren't you? Yeah, I was. And you know what? I went in that portal and I saved your fucking life.
00:25:18
Speaker
Roll me an intimidation check. Dirty 20.
00:25:26
Speaker
dirty twenty nice o Oh wait, no, I lied. i have ah I have proficiency in intimidation. Ooh, even better. 23. Nice.
00:25:39
Speaker
Ooh, okay. Okay. You did. You did. And thank you. Why the fuck are you friends with a kyanite tiefling? Look, that's business we need to discuss for later tonight. um No, we can discuss it right the fuck now in front of everyone. The Aether Crow have been trying to kill me for fucking ages.
00:25:59
Speaker
Everybody wants to point fingers and talk to other members of the fucking Aether who seem to be problem of all this destabilizing shit that you're doing this for whenever they're the problem. Meeting is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
00:26:12
Speaker
I'll see you then. And Maeve just walks faster. Oh, I'll fucking see you there. She gathers her people and walks out the doors. She then looks for Sally.
00:26:26
Speaker
Sally is with Fenlin, who watched all that happen. And as soon as you look in their her direction, immediately turns back to Fenlin and gets back to it working, as in like she was caught staring as they are helping gather like other tables and calming them down, trying to assure them that everything's safe and everything's okay. It was a one-time event type of thing, making rounds.
00:26:48
Speaker
Sally, can I borrow you for a second?
00:26:53
Speaker
Yes, excuse me, gentlemen. Fenlyn will be able able to take care of you. Yes, Maeve, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine. Can you show Talera and Talera's accompaniment to the apartments, please?
00:27:08
Speaker
I've got something to discuss with the tea thing. Yes, absolutely. I'm just glad they were real this time. I need to go back to the inn. I have somebody there who will need to join. I don't want to leave behind. Sally, can you accompany them to the inn and then to the apartments?
00:27:29
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely, Maeve. I'll get on that right away. Thank you. No, no problem. No problem. She turns to Fenlyn. Fenlyn, I've got to go. You know what to do. like You're an adult. You're a big boy. Yeah, basically. um Okay, Salira, it's a pleasure. Nice to meet you. My name is Sally.
00:27:46
Speaker
Please, you can hear like some panic in her voice. Obviously, there's a whole room of everything that just happened. um Please, I would say follow me, but I don't know. What inn are you staying at?
00:27:57
Speaker
What was the inn's name again? The Sleeping Dragon Inn. Thank you. ah We are at the Sleeping Dragon Okay, fantastic. She pulls out, she has a little side pouch that has several different compartments in it, and they all carry different sending stones. And she looks down and she pulls one out.
00:28:14
Speaker
Give me a wagon, we need a a large one. We're gonna be going to the Sleeping Dragon Inn, ASAP. She puts back in her little pouch. Okay, please follow me. Yes. All right.
00:28:26
Speaker
As Sally leads you, at least leads Talira, is Yellen and Kalden following. Kalden is not leaving without Yellen. After that altercation, he is not leaving Yellen alone.

Personal Struggles and Emotional Revelations

00:28:39
Speaker
Look, Maeve is going to talk to Yellen, so he won't be alone. Yeah, Sally is gathering... I said that. Sally is gathering Yellen to take him along with you guys, because after the Sleeping Dragon, you're going to the apartments.
00:28:54
Speaker
No. and Or no, no, you wanted Yellen separate. I just said I wanted to talk to the tea thing. Yes, I misunderstood. My apologies. So Yellen is not leaving. Never mind. Maeve still does have a Tlyra's axe, so just... She'll say, I'll give it back to you at the apartments.
00:29:12
Speaker
Okay. Stay safe. She just nods. Yellen, what are... Obviously, at this point, I would assume you've heard your name being called and said, and obviously Maeve just said this, saying that she has business with the the Crystal Tiefling.
00:29:28
Speaker
What is Yellen doing? Is he still healing? ah He is. he's By now he's caught on to what's been happening and he's got his um his elemental friend to kind of help him place people. please He's like, all right, don't forget to support the heads, but put them up on tables. So wait during the recovery, they can feel a little bit better. At least um I think I have someone I need to talk to.
00:29:54
Speaker
Will do.
00:29:57
Speaker
Thank you.
00:30:01
Speaker
As there's a... A Nora Nighthall comes up to you as as your Earth Elemental begins to walk away. Excuse me, sir. I understand that your... I think it's an Elemental. Is your Elemental helping?
00:30:15
Speaker
you ask him to step lighter? He's... He's... He's cracking the floor. ah ah I'm so sorry. Vya, can you please step a little bit lighter? You don't have to stomp everywhere you go.
00:30:31
Speaker
He turns his head. I'm just walking normal. Everybody already knows you're here. they don' They don't need to hear you down. I'm not stopping. Down the street. keep step lighter, please?
00:30:43
Speaker
It's an expensive floor. I'm a giant rock. I know you're a giant rock, but...
00:30:52
Speaker
Can you just do your best for me, please? i fucking swear to God. I guess. Thank you. Thank you.
00:31:05
Speaker
Now it's...
00:31:11
Speaker
I think that's the best he can do. I apologize. thank i thank you Thanks for trying. So sorry about all this. And she walks she walks away to the next whatever needs attention.
00:31:22
Speaker
Calden, Yellen's not leaving. What are you doing
00:31:28
Speaker
ah you doing? Yellen, are you good? Is there anything I can help you with?
00:31:35
Speaker
No, I appreciate the sentiment, Kalvin, but I'm alright for now. um I just came back from there. Not there in particular, but the elemental plane.
00:31:47
Speaker
So... It wasn't too jarring, jumping back and forth at the portal.
00:31:54
Speaker
Okay, that's good. Do you need any help with the people or anything?
00:32:03
Speaker
I think...
00:32:05
Speaker
Maybe if you want to help us get them up onto tables, that'd be good. Sure, I can, yeah. I just, I, yeah. Yeah, I think that's probably the way to go.
00:32:22
Speaker
Oh no, he still looks like Talara. Mm-hmm.
00:32:29
Speaker
Man, the rumors that are about to go flying are going to be crazy. They're going to be great.
00:32:39
Speaker
Oh, no. Now it's Dalar running away with a blue man
00:32:46
Speaker
Yelling, quickly becoming the most wanted man on Aeon. He's fucking blue man. And she's lowering herself to help these injured nobodies. Yeah.
00:32:57
Speaker
What's funny is you bring that up and i was I was already prepping for that. As you go to help with Yellen's request, you hear a voice in your head. Uh-uh-uh. A Q-dorum stooping down help.
00:33:24
Speaker
No one can just talk to me. I keep forgetting about that. Thank you for reminding me. I have a safeguard against those. People can't just talk to me. I always forget about that. I always forget. Thank you for reminding me.
00:33:36
Speaker
Okay. What's your passive perception? Pretty high. 20. Yeah. yeah Okay. So you don't get that. You do notice Druskar looking puzzled and kind of annoyed for a moment.
00:33:47
Speaker
And in the process of noticing that, you see a lot of people watching you.
00:33:56
Speaker
Okay. Is there, like, another room I... Can I, like, walk outside, drop the skirt, and go back in as Kaladin or something? i mean, sure. I'm sure you can. Yeah.
00:34:08
Speaker
There's chaos going everywhere, and people are overlooked all the time in the middle of chaos. Yeah, I guess he's going to do that. Okay. She's going to, like, do a proper, like, whatever a proper goodbye would be to the host, because Maeve is still there.
00:34:25
Speaker
And then under his breath, Yellen will be like, I will be right back. I'm going to get ah too much attention like this, I think. ah Are you doing that to Maeve?
00:34:38
Speaker
If Maeve is close enough by, yeah. Maeve is just waiting for Yellen to not be busy, so... Maeve is in the corner, arms crossed, brooding. but she's she's She's got Taliria's axe in her hand.
00:34:53
Speaker
Oh, very intimidating. very Menacing. Menacing. Love it. I'm sorry to say the axe has now returned to its normal size.
00:35:04
Speaker
Little baby axe. Oh, it's still not a baby axe. it's it's still It's still a single-handed axe for a goliath. So it's still fucking massive on Maeve.
00:35:16
Speaker
It's fine. Still two-handed axe. two. handed axs still too Just little pocket axe for you. but
00:35:26
Speaker
Okay, okay Why does it sound like pervert? wrong with us Little Herbert the pervert in here. Do I need to roll anything for being able to slip out and come back in as Kalden? No, I don't.
00:35:45
Speaker
you're If there was a passive stealth for you, it would be high enough. Probably. and this In this specific case, because like I said, there's chaos everywhere. It's a massive building full of a lot of rooms whenever you exit the ballroom.
00:35:59
Speaker
It will not be hard. it It legitimately will not. The investigation portion of this has not started yet. This has happened all happened so quick. Right now, the guard is just in emergency.
00:36:11
Speaker
Handle the chaos. It is not find the perpetrator. Because to everybody, that ah to the immediate knowledge, everybody's like, the perpetrators are dead or in the portal. Mm-hmm. So um the investigation, I'm sure, will come, but it has not begun yet. So ah you will have no problems stepping out into a dark corner, changing real quick.
00:36:29
Speaker
Okay. he He untucks the skirt and drops it and and drops the mask as well, because obviously that'd be obviously that'd be a giveaway right now. Comes back in. His hair is still white.
00:36:40
Speaker
has not gone back to brown. But other than that, he looks like normal Kalden.
00:36:48
Speaker
He untucks.
00:36:53
Speaker
That's great. He didn't need to tuck. He was in a huge voluminous skirt.
00:37:02
Speaker
Let me.
00:37:06
Speaker
Good for you. Oh no. Yeah, that's ominous. Oh no. I don't like that. i you don't like that at all. twenty Yeah, i just had to roll something real quick. It was just a little just a little dice, you know?
00:37:19
Speaker
know Oh no. Oh yay. don't like that at all. As you all ah continue to help help with the injured, gather gather the dead, and just general help as the guards begin to

Reassurance and Apologies from Elias Winthrop III

00:37:34
Speaker
begin to help. And at one point, ah the guards finally like,
00:37:37
Speaker
We appreciate the help. If you guys could please vacate the premises. This has now become an active criminal investigation. that Please don't leave the grounds as we need to be interviewing everybody, but if you could leave the ballroom, we would appreciate it.
00:37:51
Speaker
They know where to find me. Indeed. Elias Winthrop III, the Lord of Glory, enters as Anora guides him in. This is a man who, at this point, is in his probably mid-50s.
00:38:07
Speaker
He's got a long black beard that's gotten some gray to it with hair that's slicked back, frankly, similar to mine when I have mine done up. Not right now. I've slicked my hair. don't think I've ever seen you with your hair done up. We don't have context for this. Have not slicked my hair back for you? Oh, wow. Never mind. Why would have slicked your hair back for Yeah. I don't know. I like to do it sometimes. We play yeah You all get all nice for the video. We get nice for camera. Either way, I and I enjoy it. Maybe you should do that once too.
00:38:41
Speaker
You know, I i should. ah We can all look nice sometime.
00:38:48
Speaker
He enters into the ballroom in a... Grand cloak with ah about medium, like, studded armor, style of armor on, but it is magnificent, it's super polished, fit for a king.
00:39:05
Speaker
And the Lord steps in and addresses the room. No magic needed. His voice fills the room. I want to apologize for everyone who has visited our lovely city and the tragic events that have happened today.
00:39:21
Speaker
This is not the standard for glory, nor has it ever been, nor will it be. Please accept my deepest and dearest apologies. We will find who orchestrated this, and we will take care of the problem.
00:39:34
Speaker
I hope you all find the rest of the city to your liking, and please do not let this ruin your opinion of us. We are open to all of any kind, and we will continue to be so.
00:39:46
Speaker
Do not put blame on those who know do not deserve it. This was an act of evil by evil people, and they will be brought to justice. If any of you have any concerns regarding what happened tonight, just ask, and Nora can guide you, and you can speak to me personally.
00:40:07
Speaker
Wish you all the best of the rest of your week, and thank you for visiting our lovely city. Have a good night, or at least the best you can. And he begins to walk among the guards, personally doing what he can with those injured.
00:40:24
Speaker
Decent. Kaldan has come back to continue helping with the injured, bythe by the by. Okay. Well, the guards have asked both you and Yellen at this point to vacate the ballroom and leave the rest to the the guards and such, and the official city healers.
00:40:43
Speaker
Maeve still stands in the corner waiting on you. So, Kalden and I are are walking out right now, or? You're being asked to. Are we supposed to? Is she waiting for us?
00:40:59
Speaker
I get the feeling she's waiting for you.
00:41:04
Speaker
Right.
00:41:08
Speaker
Well, I should probably go see to that. Do you want to talk to her alone? It'd probably be beef for the best. Calda nods and steps aside.
00:41:22
Speaker
Thank you, my friend.
00:41:24
Speaker
I will walk over there.
00:41:31
Speaker
Hello.
00:41:39
Speaker
Let's go for a walk, I think.

Heartfelt Reunion and New Promises

00:41:42
Speaker
And she'll start leading to where the gardens are. Alright. And she will have axe with her at all times.
00:41:50
Speaker
Yellen will follow. so she will be behind you. okay. She's not letting you behind her. Saphira?
00:42:02
Speaker
Yes? The scene is yours to direct. Oh no.
00:42:08
Speaker
Um, so she shows him where the gardens are. And um, are you really yelling?
00:42:21
Speaker
Well, I, I believe I am. Yes. Yes.
00:42:30
Speaker
How?
00:42:33
Speaker
How, how are you here? how are you back?
00:42:42
Speaker
How did they not kill you?
00:42:45
Speaker
It's a long story. We have time.
00:42:53
Speaker
Who... who were they? What was that? What...
00:43:03
Speaker
Please just explain.
00:43:10
Speaker
To explain I feel like I need to start...
00:43:14
Speaker
with... I'm sorry.
00:43:22
Speaker
When we were up on that mountaintop, something came after us and, um,
00:43:30
Speaker
they knew who I was.
00:43:36
Speaker
But who were they?
00:43:40
Speaker
Someone I neglected to tell you about.
00:43:47
Speaker
I think you might need to start telling us. Or me?
00:43:55
Speaker
I believe I should. A long time ago, um,
00:44:07
Speaker
I met a young blood hunter. Her name was Sybil, and
00:44:18
Speaker
She was headstrong and passionate.
00:44:26
Speaker
Um...
00:44:29
Speaker
And she wouldn't leave my side, matter how much I pushed away refused to open up about myself.
00:44:43
Speaker
And?
00:44:45
Speaker
And, uh... A similar thing happened to both of us, like happened on the mountaintop, except being the last person to have seen this aspiring adventurer alive because this creature who had came after us
00:45:17
Speaker
devoured her.
00:45:20
Speaker
How?
00:45:25
Speaker
I don't know how he does it, I just know that he... ends lives, he devours them,
00:45:37
Speaker
and he's followed me nearly my whole life.
00:45:44
Speaker
He's been the shadow lurking behind me as long as I can remember.
00:45:52
Speaker
But
00:45:55
Speaker
I thought as long as you all stayed far enough away from me, or, you know, we finished the job quickly, I wouldn't have to tell you. And I could leave, so none of you ended up like she did.
00:46:21
Speaker
How did you survive? I
00:46:28
Speaker
had to make sure you were alive. wasn't easy.
00:46:35
Speaker
The elemental plane was not forgiving.
00:46:42
Speaker
But I had to make it back.
00:46:47
Speaker
make sure you were still among the living.
00:46:56
Speaker
I...
00:46:59
Speaker
I failed. i failed. I failed you. i I... Little Stone... He... He's he's gone, and And you were gone, and... And everyone was... And everyone was gone, and It's not your fault.
00:47:20
Speaker
Maeve, this is not your fault.
00:47:26
Speaker
I'm the paladin. I'm the one who's meant to be strong. i i was meant to protect you.
00:47:34
Speaker
And... Maeve.
00:47:39
Speaker
It's alright. I'm alright. What happened on that mountain top, neither of us could have predicted.
00:47:48
Speaker
The blood is not on your hands. Those lives are not your fault.
00:48:01
Speaker
I promised. I... And you did your best.
00:48:10
Speaker
She drops the axe. Yellen will kind of, like, grab. Gently grab. Uh, Maeve's hands.
00:48:23
Speaker
I know that this can't have been easy for you, but look at all you've done. You've started a foundation, you're helping people, people who need
00:48:38
Speaker
I couldn't have done this. I don't think any of us could have done this.
00:48:44
Speaker
You fulfilled your promise, Maeve.
00:48:51
Speaker
I didn't though. My promise was to make sure you got back. My promise was to make sure Little Stone didn't die. My my promise... I failed everything i promised.
00:49:15
Speaker
let's make a new promise.
00:49:20
Speaker
From here on out,
00:49:25
Speaker
we're not going to let each other down. We're going to continue to spread this good into the world. Okay. Okay.
00:49:37
Speaker
Um...
00:49:47
Speaker
And Calden and I spent quite some time the pavilion learning to dance. And I think that ah it'd be a shame to waste my newfound talents.
00:50:06
Speaker
And a garden seems like well enough place.
00:50:12
Speaker
But there's no music.
00:50:20
Speaker
There's a song... of life around us.
00:50:30
Speaker
Okay. I'm... I'm not the best at dancing anymore.
00:50:40
Speaker
Well, I just learned, so... Well, take it easy.
00:50:50
Speaker
and I guess they start to dance.
00:50:56
Speaker
As the two of you take hands and begin best dancing that you can possibly muster in this moment, having just learned, having injured legs that aren't practiced.
00:51:14
Speaker
It's a little clunky, but anything, it just brings smiles to your faces.
00:51:22
Speaker
You're surrounded by a beautiful garden, the three moons of Aeon peering down upon you,
00:51:33
Speaker
and fireflies filling the air around you.
00:51:43
Speaker
We'll leave you guys there to treasure this moment, the first time you've seen each other in years.
00:51:51
Speaker
We'll leave you there for a bit.
00:51:59
Speaker
Talira.
00:52:02
Speaker
Yes. We rewind a little bit.

Talira's Transition and Rumors

00:52:05
Speaker
Sally leads you out of the ballroom before Elias had come in, before the guards have started to take over. And as soon as you enter out of the ballroom, out of the hallways in the Grand Atrium and into the open air leading towards the exit of this District of Glory.
00:52:27
Speaker
leads Sally, instead of leading you towards that exit in which you came in, she makes a sharp turn outside the door.
00:52:34
Speaker
Please, follow me. There's a faster exit. This is where the wagon's. Just, yeah, follow me. Of course. As soon as you round the corner, and the shadow cast in between the wall and the building, the moon no longer finding light here,
00:52:54
Speaker
You can see sally's Sally's shoulders finally droop. She takes a big breath. And she stops you and turns around. Thank you so much for being alive.
00:53:08
Speaker
course.
00:53:13
Speaker
I've been around Maeve's family for a long time. I've watched that little girl grow up. I've never seen her in a worse place than when she came back, or whatever trip she was on with you.
00:53:25
Speaker
I'd wake up to her screaming your name. I will admit it's Yellen's name more, but even your name would... She's never gotten over the failure of that trip, at least the failure in her eyes.
00:53:37
Speaker
What did she fail at? She complained... She did great. She did amazing. She... and I saw you talk to Eric. I know he probably said similar things. He is so proud of her.
00:53:53
Speaker
She did exactly what she was taught to do, and that's to come back alive. But she doesn't see it that way.
00:54:01
Speaker
You have no idea how grateful I am that you're alive and that Yellen's alive. And... yeah i was just so worried for her. She she doesn't sleep.
00:54:13
Speaker
I'm sorry. You don't need to apologize. She's told me. You had things to take care of. my god, I'm so sorry. No, oh my god. can't believe it. That's so rude of me. How is your mom? That is not what I meant. Mom is... She's okay.
00:54:30
Speaker
um I'm so glad to hear that. I'm sorry, you don't even know me. um I know i introduced myself. I'm Sally, but... I just... I've i've heard a lot about you, and...
00:54:42
Speaker
I'm sorry, tonight very stressful. I'm sorry to unload this with It is understandable. It is kind of a shit day.
00:54:51
Speaker
Um. Yeah. No, what I was apologizing for was I'm sorry we ended up not following up as much as we should have.
00:55:03
Speaker
May have stopped responding and what didn't respond I...
00:55:11
Speaker
ad life Life happens. You were taking care of something extremely important, and I... She should have responded. i tried to convince her, but... I knew it wasn't my place to respond for her, so... She's been going through a lot, and...
00:55:32
Speaker
I'm glad she is alive. I was worried, and...
00:55:40
Speaker
Thank you for taking care of her as you could.
00:55:44
Speaker
course. I love her as if she was one of my own.
00:55:51
Speaker
I see that.
00:55:55
Speaker
ah Yeah, so she leads you to a back alley in between districts that is only accessible to authorized wagons and people. um And puts you in a very nicely constructed and also very large wagon.
00:56:11
Speaker
I say wagon, it's not it's not a large wagon as in per se for goods. It is a transport wagon for people. But this place gets, it is glory. It is the city open to all, and so it sees all. And so she ordered a large wagon for a large person, and she got exactly what she wanted. Excellent. And yeah, as you go across town, Sally, after the little burst she had, ah she kind of, that's not enough to heal from the trauma of what happened tonight. So she does end up back in that
00:56:43
Speaker
that zone of thinking too much. But she does seem at least a little less stonewalled. Talira has experience with this kind of thing before. she she will do her, ok like it is okay. We are safe now.
00:57:02
Speaker
And we are here.
00:57:07
Speaker
it won't be too much longer. Won't be at the sleeping tracking inn. um Yeah, it'll be okay. Oh, you guys have been in town for a few days. You gotta worry about it sometimes.
00:57:20
Speaker
ah that Have you seen the wyvern that hangs around?
00:57:26
Speaker
Talira looks up.
00:57:31
Speaker
I heard the rumor, but no, we have not seen one. Yeah, ah I haven't seen it either. That's why I was curious. They say that it's like four years ago they would sleep on. It was the it's the owner's dragon. It's his it's the owner's wiper.
00:57:47
Speaker
They say like four years ago he would hang out and like he he lived here. He'd sleep on the rooftop. It's not on his side. He went haywire one day and he just kind of you see him. fly around every now and then, I guess. i don't know. i I was curious if you had. I hadn't seen it yet. um Does he cause any problems?
00:58:04
Speaker
Because that sounds like a big problem.
00:58:08
Speaker
they They say if yeah he doesn't like land in the city, it's too many people, I guess. They, you know, they're Supposedly, no. But if, like, if you see them outside of the city, you just don't approach them, you know?
00:58:20
Speaker
And you're fine. It's a Tempest Wyvern. They're used by nobility in Botryage for travel. Like, they're... They're... Not tameable.
00:58:31
Speaker
But this one was? like i I don't know the details. I was just curious. I've never seen a Tempest Wyvern in person yet. So I was... We have... We have a version ah one of the subspecies of Cave Wyvern in Rothdare.
00:58:44
Speaker
I was just... I'd never seen a Tempest one. Anyway, so you guys continue your wagon ride. There's just random small talk here and there, and you get to the Sleeping Dragon Inn and are able to find your way to wherever Lou happens to be pretty easily.
00:59:01
Speaker
Cool.
00:59:04
Speaker
Hey, Lou, we're ah moving to the palace. Or, not the palace, the living quarters. Maeve has an apartment. Uh, and, uh, we're going there.
00:59:16
Speaker
Lou kind of tilts her bare head to the side, questioning, like, hmm? What? There was an attack, and, um... We're okay, a few civilians and guards did not make it, but, um...
00:59:39
Speaker
It was a big deal. I'll tell you more about it, I guess, on the way. We'll gather our stuff. We just need to head out.
00:59:49
Speaker
Lou kind of looks you up and down a bit and kind of walks around you. I'm okay, Her brows furrowed and you just kind of get a grunt.
01:00:03
Speaker
I promise. I am fine. Hmm. I will be a bit bruised tomorrow, but it will be fine. ah She goes to walk out the door.
01:00:22
Speaker
What? Okay. I guess I will gather that and i get this. And Talia is like going through the mental checklist of all the shit that she needs to grab from the room.
01:00:37
Speaker
Oh, that's so funny. you see a she You see Lou walked out without putting... you have like a um At this point, you guys would have picked up like a harness that she can wear to help carry things. And she walked out completely without it on.
01:00:52
Speaker
And Talira just has her arms full of everything. Backpack, all of that. just She is loaded up like the pack mule creature. She basically is...
01:01:04
Speaker
like built to be able to be, or she could be if she wanted. And then looks at the little harness that Lou would have worn.
01:01:16
Speaker
ah God. Okay. And she picks that up too and just like chuckles and rolls her eyes and just, come on, Lou.
01:01:29
Speaker
Lou's already out the door. Oh, that's right. As you try to... As you try to catch up to her, ah you go down the stairs of the Sleeping Dragon Inn through a bustling tavern that is... You can hear the rumors flying. arms Yeah, the arms full. Everybody's kind of giving you a look and you can already... in a city like this, word travels super quick.
01:01:52
Speaker
And in the tavern right over, people have already gotten messages and sending sending stones and things. You can already hear rumors. Did you hear what happened at the World Union? As you make your way outside, you see Lou. As you go out the door, Lou is already, having assumed the ride, in which you have, is already climbing into this wagon.
01:02:10
Speaker
And hear just you hear Sally go, oh my, a bear, bear! That is Lou, it's okay. That's who we are here for. but What? She's... She's kind of cute. It's a cub.
01:02:23
Speaker
She's a heathling. Actually, hey, hey there. Hey, hey. And you just hear a like a snap of the jaw just like at the air. Okay, okay. My bad. Whoa, be nice.
01:02:36
Speaker
She is Maeve's friend. She's like family. You hear Lou do what the equivalent of a bear laughing sounds like. The sound she makes when you know she's she's laughing and thinks something's funny.
01:02:51
Speaker
You're a jerk, you know. She, like, takes her bare fist and just hits you.
01:02:59
Speaker
I love it. All right. ah And in the meantime, as you begin your heading back to the apartments, Calden, as Maeve walks off with Yellen,
01:03:13
Speaker
Where do you go?

Kalden's Mystical Discovery

01:03:15
Speaker
As you are now left alone in this ballroom, as all the nobles and the partygoers are slowly being ushered out, and the room is being taken over by the Lord and his men to do official business at this point.
01:03:33
Speaker
Gosh, what does he do? I guess he tries to slip back out to where his skirt is to see, because he paid good money for that.
01:03:44
Speaker
It's probably covered in blood now though, because he helped that dude. and might be a lost cause. For sure. For sure, it is stained. Yeah.
01:03:56
Speaker
Yeah. Someone has prestidigitation. think Yellen does. Does Yellen have prestidigitation? Maeve does. Maeve does. Excellent. Okay. He's gonna then fold it up more nicely.
01:04:12
Speaker
okay Does prestidigitation get rid of stains? It cleans an item. It cleans an item. Interesting. But you can you can have a clean item that's stained.
01:04:23
Speaker
Stained isn't necessarily dirty. But is it a black skirt? Because i don't think red blood would Well, the reason I ask, I would feel like it would take time for a stain to set in. So if you use presentation fast enough, sure, hit like it won't stain. But like you know how long until that becomes like, it's not going to get the stain out? It's going to clean it, sure. but I mean, there are methods to get even old blood stains out cloth. That is true.
01:04:47
Speaker
Absolutely. That is 100% true. I'm actually... This is legit me just curious about... I looked it up. and I looked it up. It includes cleaning dirt, marked stains, and is up to the DM's discretion to allow.
01:05:00
Speaker
Interesting. I love magic, but magic needs limitations. Otherwise, it's boring. So I like the idea of, like, if it's fresh enough, it does not stain. But after a certain point, like...
01:05:17
Speaker
you're probably going to have to use the old tried and true method of getting a stain out the and natural way. He's still going to fold it up again. yeah no it was an expensive It was an expensive cloth. He may want to use it again in the future for something.
01:05:30
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I wasn't trying to get you to not do that. This was the legit. I just ADHD. I was like, wait a second. Would that be how that works?
01:05:41
Speaker
Dude, Prestidigitation is one of my favorite cantrips. If I play a caster, they have it. If it's available. Prestidigitation. It's so good. Ah, good lord. Prestidigitation is amazing. Agreed. Anyway, Caledon, I'm so sorry. Please continue.
01:05:58
Speaker
That's, I mean, he's out there. right He's out there with his skirt, I guess, and his mask and gonna try to like surreptitiously put it somewhere else where no one's gonna find. He doesn't have a pack with him, so I don't think he can take it without it being weird and obvious.
01:06:14
Speaker
um
01:06:18
Speaker
Just for purposes that may come up, not necessarily that it's anything right now. Let's see how good you would hide it. I'll give you the choice. of you know we'll do a stealth roll now, and perhaps perhaps maybe you could use deception at a later date, but I think stealth would be choice here. Okay, news. I know what my stealth modifier is.
01:06:39
Speaker
Bad news. I'm going to have to pull up his character sheet on my phone, because I can't on my computer.
01:06:46
Speaker
Okay, it's going to be a 23 then. 23, oh yeah. Maybe
01:06:52
Speaker
maybe I don't know a stealth modifier by heart. I think it's plus 11. i can I can go back to one of the pinned posts and find it for you. I think I have it up on my phone. I just need a refresh page. I can pull it up if need be as well.
01:07:04
Speaker
No, no, no. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Okay.
01:07:12
Speaker
Oh, no. Did you roll a d20 again? no no, I didn't. I just thought of a joke. It's like... oh okay. one of those jokes that I'm like, is this is this acceptable to say? Say it. I'll cut it if it's not. Yeah, say it.
01:07:27
Speaker
Yeah, no. ah Anything, i mean no matter what your roll is going to be, if it's because you already said it's 20-something. 23. Yeah, 23. yeah you You're able to tuck those clothes away just as well as you are good at tucking everything else.
01:07:43
Speaker
Yes. Is Calvin going to become a drag queen?
01:07:49
Speaker
I love it.
01:07:52
Speaker
ah So much tucking today. and so much everything today. ah Today's a day. Today Today is a day. is the day Yeah, so you're able to tuck those clothes away pretty easily. They don't seem... Maybe there's a small bump, but it's it's nothing that you'd assume of anything. It may just look like Kaladin's packing, you know?
01:08:13
Speaker
I'm so sorry. they They're just rolling. They're rolling to the head.
01:08:18
Speaker
Get to the point. So is Calvin going to get hit on now, or Are there any noble women who are like, Calvin, who's this?
01:08:29
Speaker
that a mushroom in your pants, are you just happy to see me? why't Wouldn't you like to find out? who Oh my god. come down it Can we continue? um Oh god, so funny. um Yeah, ah but...
01:08:46
Speaker
Galvin, as you are doing that, as you had gone someplace into a a side, you've gone through a couple hallways that were unassuming and popped into a side little, like, closet.
01:08:58
Speaker
as you kind of peek out from doing that to look around as you have to be a little bit more careful now as that chaos is still around, but it has lessened to the point that again, the Lord's men and the Lord himself are here and it is now a bit more organized. I'd like you to roll me a stealth roll. Okay. Not for tucking away your clothes.
01:09:22
Speaker
Also a 23.
01:09:24
Speaker
23, absolutely. It's the minimum I can roll. And i I've been rolling. The actual rolls are shit. Wow, that's crazy. Wow. Yeah, as you step out from this closet, you look around and you see some guards pass at the end of the hallway, but it's that's it. It seems pretty...
01:09:45
Speaker
pretty calm in this area of the World Union's chambers. As you begin making your way back out, making just just the two or three turns it takes to get back to the area that you know, as you step outside, the violet and the deep green of the moon shining down at this point upon the city, you see a hint of blue skin dip behind one of the buildings to the left.
01:10:16
Speaker
Okay.
01:10:19
Speaker
I'm gonna go after them.
01:10:25
Speaker
As you take off after them, going deeper into the World Union district, You notice he took off down a corner and around an alley that sits between the ballroom and the grand tower of the World Union that holds all of the voting chambers and the sitting but sitting ah offices for the ambassadors and the representatives from the different countries.
01:10:51
Speaker
The connecting portions of this building out of the tower into the other building, such as the ballroom, are sky bridges. And so, alleys exist underneath them, and this is in which the place you are going.
01:11:04
Speaker
And as soon as you turn the corner, you see a back door shut that leads into this tower. And as it shuts, you realize was a hidden door, as it just appears as part of the stonework of this tower.
01:11:18
Speaker
Rip Calden. He's gonna follow. As you go up to the tower area, taking around, you see a couple guards pass around a corner. They don't notice you. You're in the shadows.
01:11:30
Speaker
You look up at this grand tower. Seems to defy physics in many ways, as there are other sky bridges at certain altitudes of this tower, leading to buildings that have no other support whatsoever.
01:11:42
Speaker
looking literally like space rocket in the way it's shaped with just pieces of building with sky bridges connected at different altitudes all around it. You walk up to it and stonework is no ordinary stonework.
01:11:54
Speaker
As you look at if you look at it and you look to the left and a little bit of the black light of one of the moons as one of the moons appears like a deep violet that is the same as a black light IRL, the ultraviolet light.
01:12:07
Speaker
And as it hits, part of this tower there's a certain a certain sheen to the stonework as you realize that there is an extremely thin layer of arcanely crystallized energy that has almost not an audible hum but one you can feel with your hands As you look at this wall, it's really hard to determine where this door could be. You just saw it closed, but there's no discerning seams or anything like that. Can you roll me an investigation check to see if you can detect where the outline of the store is or even maybe where an entrance to it would be?
01:12:48
Speaker
Absolutely.
01:12:51
Speaker
finally a good roll. Hold on. 16 plus...
01:12:58
Speaker
A 24. 24. As you're looking around at you're feeling it. You feel that crystallized energy that's so thin. can't tell if it's there visually, except the ultraviolet that sheens off of it.
01:13:14
Speaker
You notice there's a gap in it, where you can actually feel stonework underneath it. And as you kind of gloss over it, you can feel a little vibration on it, as if it can move. Just want to make sure. Do you push it?
01:13:27
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Okay, just making sure. ah Yeah, as you go to push it, there's no seams there from... there's You literally cannot see any seams there from where ah an outline of a button would be, but yet, when you push it, only that section moves in.
01:13:42
Speaker
And you can see as you move as it moves in Almost what would be equivalent of electrical wiring for us on a motherboard. Not like wire actual wires, but the on what they look like on a motherboard, except they're arcane lines. You've seen and some of the time that you had would have spent in your past around wizards and things like that, as they're very similar to the same kind of lines that are used in magic circle ritual casting.
01:14:07
Speaker
As it pushes in you hear a buzzing sound, and then the door swings open. and And what do I see past this door?
01:14:22
Speaker
As you look in, you see cleaning quarters. Janitors, a big janitor's area. You see a incinerator on one side. You see all kinds of supplies for cleaning. You see even like arcane crystals that would be used in helping that process along.
01:14:40
Speaker
All i'm very low magic, obviously, just stuff that's used for for cleaning and and upkeeping this building. Okay. Do I hear movement from this tiefling?
01:14:55
Speaker
Give me a perception check. Steps or anything. Okay.
01:15:03
Speaker
I just dropped it under my desk.
01:15:08
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Okay. Damn it. Okay. um A dirty 20. Okay, yeah, with a dirty 20.
01:15:20
Speaker
You get really lucky as you can hear the crackling of Arcade Energy as you recognize the sound of an Eldritch Blast.

Episode Cliffhanger and Reflections

01:15:30
Speaker
We're gonna end there today, folks. Fantastic episode. What the fuck, dude?
01:15:37
Speaker
These cliffhangers. This is what happens when Talira leaves Kalden alone? Shit! That's the theme. Talira's gone. Calvin gets into trouble.
01:15:50
Speaker
It does seem to be consistent in that way. Yeah. Oh, my God. Which is interesting because he's the voice of reason for Talira. I know. I know. It's so funny. Dude, what an episode. Holy shit. Dude. Oh, my God. Before we do anything.
01:16:04
Speaker
Before we do anything. Maeve, Yellen, just just round of applause. like Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my God. That was so good.
01:16:16
Speaker
I was almost crying. Yeah, I almost was too. i was like happy, like squealing. And ah both Rennie and Wooz have DMs from me. just And actually, Safira does too. Just all in capital letters. yeah Damn, go turn harder next time to make you guys cry. Damn it.
01:16:39
Speaker
I, I obviously am the DM, so I know a lot of what's led up to this. i was hoping that the scene when you two finally talk after years of not even knowing if each other are alive, like, I've been anticipating that moment, that scene.
01:16:58
Speaker
for fucking like two months oh my god i am like it's gonna be so good i'm just like so good like i hope so i hope i hope i hope hope staff just like gives it her i hope she just gets so into character and doesn't look at the camera i hope she just loses herself in it i hope jack just really gives us all let yellen just really get ah like vulnerable for one i'm i'm just like ah and it happened it was so good it was so good Oh, I'm glad. I'm so excited.
01:17:28
Speaker
It's going to suck. And now it's going to be forever before we get to record again as far as we know. I It will be a while. What a cliffhanger. I know, I know. I'm sorry I had to do it to you, you know. And audience, can we just get an appreciation, if you're listening, if you could leave a comment on whatever platform you're listening on, an appreciation for not only the scene that happened today, but specifically Rennie, because she has to deal with my audio. And I'm I'm so bad for editing audio.
01:17:54
Speaker
My movement of my ADHD that I can't control is just, it's a lot. That's that's that that's all I have to say. i That's, yep. Renny, the audio god. We sound good in the end. It's fine.
01:18:05
Speaker
We love you, which is why we do this. I am uncomfortable with praise. Okay, well, um we hate you. Please keep doing it.
01:18:16
Speaker
That sounds about right, actually. me Please keep doing such an amazing job because we just despise you. i don't I'm trying. because if you don't then you have no value like
01:18:32
Speaker
ah capitalism it's okay i get it oh my goodness okay well it either way we're gonna close out this episode y'all this oh this might be my favorite one i'm not yeah that was this is that was very good it was very good no words and no words uh uh but players i i don't know what to say anymore say bye to them for me okay bye bye amazinging
01:19:09
Speaker
We would like to thank our cast, myself, Curtis Woosley, as the GM, MJ Gunther as Talira Grimstone at Kelenathi, Saphira as Maeve Strongheart, Renny Armas as Kalden, and Jack Baldwin as Yellen Yakal.
01:19:21
Speaker
Additional thanks to Scentic GFX for our graphics, to MJ and Renny here for our show editing, and our intro and outro music composed by Ryan Moons, owner and operator of Eyes on the Moon Studios.
01:20:13
Speaker
Oh, wait, no, you're... I take it back. You are a cleric on here. You're not ah you're not a chef. I just copied the wrong thing over. Ah, damn. They do start with the same letter.
01:20:24
Speaker
I worship the grill. God of the grill.
01:20:30
Speaker
I worship the grill. What does the afterlife look like for your religion? Patties.
01:20:36
Speaker
but We're all meat and bacon fried. We're all of edible things. It's a big barbecue. Yeah. smells like It's like barbecue waterfall.
01:20:50
Speaker
Fuck, I English so fucking wild today. Like barbecue sauce? I'm imagining like a hot dog water waterfall. it Is that what you're saying? No, I said barbecue sauce.
01:21:02
Speaker
Oh. To be fair, you didn't say sauce. You just said barbecue waterfall. I just heard barbecue waterfall. So I'm imagining like... I'm imagining there's a big grill and then all the hot water is like float.
01:21:13
Speaker
The hot dog water water floweth forth. No, no, no. A tomato sauce river with like hot dog plants dipping into the tomato sauce. I don't know if I can listen to this conversation anymore.