Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Chapter 21 - Failure to Lunch
40 Plays2 months ago
Get in loser, we're going shopping to finally get on a boat and find the missing princess.
Meet the cast:
Dungeon Master – Zach Meikle (IG: @zachabee)
Clay Campbell – Prima Zhao (IG: @primbdraws)
Faunalyn Vaydark – Shannon Meikle (IG: @sharsharbinks)
Glimki Treefellow – Jordan Johnsen (IG: @jordan_johnsen)
Edited by Zach Meikle
Follow the show:
Instagram: @bard_soup
TikTok: @bard_soup
Music & Ambience
Music: Beyond the Horizon by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Coconut Caprice by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Ambience: Docks District by Tim Roven (www.tabletopaudio.com)
Music: Tam Lin by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Emotional Piano Improvisation by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Facing Storm by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Fantasy Ambience by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Wanderer by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Reaching The Sky by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music & Ambience: Secret Garden by Tim Roven (www.tabletopaudio.com)
Music: Outro by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music & Ambience: Promontory by Tim Roven (www.tabletopaudio.com)
Music: Welcome Aboard by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: Seven Seas by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: The In-Between by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Additional sounds provided by Pixabay
Recommended
Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
Now, where were we? Ah yes, that's right.
Refuge at Dragon's Heart Cathedral
00:00:06
Speaker
After multiple near-death encounters at Prailmi Manor, our heroes ran for safety and once again sought refuge at the Dragon's Heart Cathedral.
00:00:15
Speaker
While there, they were able to enlist the services of bright-scale Warwick Humboldt, who was able to determine the cause of Fondolin's recent turn for the brain-melted, and was, more importantly, able to restore her to her former glory.
Fondolin's True Identity Revealed
00:00:32
Speaker
After coming back to her senses, Fondolin revealed to her friends that Fondolin was not, in fact, her real name, and that her name was actually Faradith Thrilwin. This revelation surprised Clay and irritated Klimke, who quickly stormed off.
00:00:48
Speaker
After a conversation with the priest, Glimke cooled down and returned to talk things over with Farnolin.
Mystery of Clay's Lineage
00:00:55
Speaker
The party also discussed the apparent mystery of Clay's lineage after their encounter with Lemoris the Skull Thief.
00:01:02
Speaker
Following up on this thread, Clay talked with the Brightscale as well, but he encouraged her to go visit her father if she wanted more information.
Spa Day and Peace at Berthold Manor
00:01:10
Speaker
After departing the church, the party took a much-needed spa day before returning to Berthold Manor, where Farnelyn and Fallow made peace, and Fallow revealed a plan that she thought would take her friend out of Danger's path.
00:01:23
Speaker
You see, Fallow had recently planted the idea that Amala Berthold should attend an educational conference on Kobaris, one of the islands in the Anchor's Chain, to learn more about why Zav is actually a round planet.
Journey to Kobaris Island
00:01:37
Speaker
Our heroes seized at the opportunity to finally acquire passage to the island and started to assemble their belongings and prepare for the journey ahead. Later that night, the Praomi Butler Tik visited the Berthold Manor so that he might settle his account and provide the agreed upon payment.
00:01:58
Speaker
Amongst these items was a feather from his neck, which he claimed would grant them a warm welcome should they ever travel to Stalak, the city of Endless Night. In the morning, the party traveled to the docks where they finalized their travel arrangements with a member of the Round Zavours, a dragonborn named Cantithacot, who they convinced to delay the ship's departure time so that they might visit Milani Marinilli, the princess's lady-in-waiting, so they might acquire more information about the night of her disappearance.
00:02:30
Speaker
what were You already settled it. I really don't think I did, and it feels like it's been a month since I talked last, so I figured it was worth getting into. Yeah, yeah, whatever. On with the story and all that.
00:02:43
Speaker
Precisely. On with the story.
00:03:00
Speaker
Come gather round, travelers, and sit on the stoop. We'll tell you a story about Batsu. Three lovable scamps in our traveling troop.
00:03:14
Speaker
We'll tell you a story about Batsu.
Bard Soup Podcast Introduction
00:03:38
Speaker
Hey, guys, welcome back to Bard Soup. It's another holly jolly Christmas-themed episode. No, wait, it's not Christmas. it's It's March.
00:03:50
Speaker
This episode might come out in April. I wrote last week's intro, and this week, I just didn't have the time. So, my dear friend Prima offered to write an intro for us.
00:04:02
Speaker
um Prima, could you please read what you've prepared? Aw, don't do this to me. That's crazy. That's actually crazy that you would do that to somebody. That's ah Hi guys, welcome to the Bard Soup Podcast.
00:04:18
Speaker
I'm Prima and I play Clay Campbell. That was remarkably smooth. Probably the smoothest intro we've ever had. I was going to say, that was better than our regular intro. I felt calm and not at ease. I wasn't afraid. Let's see if they stick the landing. Thank you very kindly. Please, continue.
00:04:36
Speaker
Next is Jordan Johnson. Hey, let's double up on my name. It's Jordan Johnson. I play Glimke Treefellow.
00:04:47
Speaker
And following me in the lineup is... Shanna? Shanna? Right, we're going to double up on my name too. I'm Shannon and I play Fondalyn Vedark, also known as...
00:04:59
Speaker
Faradethroin. Still getting used to saying it myself, even though I made the dang name. And I'm going to toss it back to Prima because Prima's doing such a good job. Sounds kind of taboo to hear you say your real name.
00:05:14
Speaker
I know. feel exposed. And now I guess I'll introduce our DM, the... amazing zach we call zach oh yeah that's me hey welcome back to bard soup that was nice guys now i have a few notes i think that was it was okay there was room for more bits there was you didn't like be like ah it's me dracula and here's my friends all the halloween monsters or anything like that but i mean it was good if you like professionalism single time
00:05:49
Speaker
Not a single dog was put in a box. We didn't learn a single fact about our innies. I thought it was pretty good. Yeah, I thought so too. I'll write down something next time.
00:06:01
Speaker
Yeah, can Prima just do them from now on? No, don't do this to me. I feel like my stress level peaks during Zach's silly ass intro. Now I'm so calm.
Leaving Airdenine: Planning and Ethics
00:06:15
Speaker
find our heroes walking through the streets of the Pearl District. After leaving the docks, a ship has been procured, a price has been paid, and in approximately 24 hours and 21 episodes, you will depart Airdenine.
00:06:37
Speaker
As the sun beats down upon you it's a beautiful summer day there's a faint ocean breeze that sweeps past you keeping things nice and cool where would you like to go okay i'm gonna go probably hang out with fallow tonight you two probably have things to do in the city with your friends in the copper district and the dirt district and wherever else So why don't you guys give me just like the valuables because you have sketchy friends and sketchy neighborhoods. So I'll take like the whistle, for example. i could take that and like anything else precious and just take it back to the Sapphire district where it's safe.
00:07:21
Speaker
I do have some stuff to wrap up in the Copper District, but I think Gunkie should hold on to the whistle for now. What? That makes no sense.
00:07:31
Speaker
I don't really have any business around town, so it's probably best if I just, I don't know, hang out here, hold onto everything, you know? I don't know what kind of trouble you might run into on the mean streets of the Sapphire District, but yeah, I don't think you need to have everything with you.
00:07:48
Speaker
You can trust me. No, no, I trust you very well to hold onto the whistle and not use it. Do you remember when I got punched in the face? Several times, yeah. In the body. I was punched in the face and body. And I did drugs and I got addicted to drugs. And then they erased my brain. And that was very traumatic. do you remember that?
00:08:07
Speaker
Yes. I think I deserve a little treat. And the little treat I want is that shiny, shiny whistle. Um... no? i I don't know what to tell you. You just need to go say bye to Fallow and... what's that other guy? The old guy. The one that keeps killing the flowers.
00:08:27
Speaker
Woody. Yeah, I think that's it. Because, to be honest, we have to be back here at this boat before it leaves. So you don't have all the time in the world to go gallivanting on some side quest that involves this wo whistle thing.
00:08:43
Speaker
I just feel like you have ulterior motives. Is that bad to say? i feel like that's bad to say. Me with ulterior motives? That's so bad to say. i when did When would I? Me?
00:08:54
Speaker
Me. ah ulteriium Ulterior motives. i know it's kind of I know. It was ridiculous coming out of my mouth, but and I gotta to trust my gut on this one.
00:09:05
Speaker
um Okay, fine. Out of curiosity, where are you sleeping tonight? At the house? I don't know. I might just get on the boat early and snag a bunk. But then how are we going to pull off our plot tomorrow morning? We have the the lunch.
00:09:18
Speaker
Yeah, i can hop off the boat.
00:09:21
Speaker
Probably just stick ah stick around here, make some friends. You know what? You know, people say like when you're at a wedding, like make friends with a bartender. I feel like there's probably a strategy to make friends with the people that are going to keep this boat afloat.
00:09:33
Speaker
Yeah, but don't get conned into giving more money to these people. I feel like the longer you spend with them, the more money we lose.
Prailmi Family's Crimes and Revenge
00:09:41
Speaker
Trust me, I am very solid in my beliefs of the form of this world, okay?
00:09:49
Speaker
That's good. I will have none of this science bollocks.
00:09:55
Speaker
Yeah, science is fake. It's ridiculous, honestly. But where are we meeting the handmaiden lady? we were set We were sent to the Marinelli house. ah so We were invited to the Marinelli house. I think we should go early.
00:10:06
Speaker
They invited us for like 11 or something. I think we should go two hours early. Yeah, just let me know where to be. I'll be there. What district is it? And I'll hold on to half the gold too, I think, probably.
00:10:19
Speaker
Did we pay the boat already? How much do we have left? No, no, we will pay when our friend gets here, right? No, no, you paid for your fare. oh right we did? You told them your friend would pay the late departure fee. Yeah, we paid for our fare and then promised more money that we don't have. Right, right, right.
00:10:39
Speaker
And they will. What if we invite Lady Marinelli onto the boat to have our meeting and then we have her pay the 600 bucks and then we kidnap her ah and we just bring her to the anchor chain and then she can help us find the princess.
00:10:54
Speaker
Crazy! Because supposedly she looks like a princess. oh yeah Yeah, I think they're like equivalent sizes and can be mistaken vis-a-vis silhouette under blankets. Clay, that's the most sinister thing I've ever heard you say. Loved it.
00:11:08
Speaker
But do we have any concerns about extorting a handmaid for 600 gold pieces? but She works for, like two years wages, to be clear. Feels like it's a weird time to start bringing ethics to this conversation.
00:11:24
Speaker
Look, okay, I'll cut the bluster. Pinky, I didn't like What Gilear, Brailme, did to my brain. And I don't like that family. And I'm a little bit bent on getting revenge. But the thing is that they're going away to their little vacation home and we're going away too. And if I ever get the chance to come back here, i might not. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to come back here. And if I do get the chance to come back here, I don't know if things will be the same.
00:11:49
Speaker
This might be my one shot to sick a pack of owlbears on them. I may never get that chance again. Please don't take it from me. I just don't think you have the time. These guys got on horses and carriage and left the city.
00:12:02
Speaker
No, they haven't gone yet. They're going. How do you know this? That's what we were told. We're told they're getting ready to go. Tick told us. I've got time, but I've got to go quickly. Just a couple whistles and the owlbears will do all the work.
00:12:16
Speaker
I just feel like it would destroy any friendship we've made with Tik and yeah he might have another whistle and call off the L-bears. It's valid point.
00:12:27
Speaker
In the name of yes anding, I would love to let you do this. In the name of Glimke letting you take a whistle to commit family side... I don't know how to navigate that. Fun little moral dilemma I've given the group. yeah Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I think it's less of a dilemma and more of a we should not do this. Yeah, yay you know what?
00:12:57
Speaker
Yeah. Hey, didn't you just want to bring a woman onto a ship and extort her and functionally kidnap her? Okay, but here's the thing. We've done extortion already.
00:13:08
Speaker
I say we as the universal we because some people have here in the group. We haven't done family murder. You know? This is a gross and bad family. Okay, well... They're bad. They're evil.
00:13:22
Speaker
Who else is he going to mind white? It was nasty. And we've burnt their entire palace of a home to the ground. and We've taken his source of powers.
00:13:33
Speaker
I think we've taken everything in terms of power away from them. Didn't they sacrifice multitudes of servants in their basement? Yeah, yeah, yes. What?
00:13:43
Speaker
Go, okay, you know what? You know what? Let's get Glimky on the stand here. Go ahead, Glimky. Tell me more about how these people should continue roaming the earth. Well, I don't know. I'm more along the lines of the belief that, don't how to put this.
00:13:57
Speaker
Death begets a death. Yes, I'm hoping that death will beget all of their asses. Exactly. This is a tyrannical family of murderers and criminals, and I feel like I would
Clay's Emotional Reflection
00:14:11
Speaker
be remiss if I let Faunalyn stumble down a similar path into a murderous, tyrannical, vengeful, you know... i don't know how else to put that. If you just lose yourself to this killing mentality, you're gonna just end up just like them.
00:14:29
Speaker
e And wouldn't it be better to commit like social murder, I guess, and like tell people about what they've done so they can't ever get into that position of power again? Okay, well, what if I didn't command the owlbears to murder them? What if I command the owlbears to viciously maim them and traumatize them?
00:14:50
Speaker
I don't think you'll get all that across with the toot of a whistle. I don't think that's in the little instruction booklet that Dick gave. I'm very communicative. Let me quickly flip through to the page of maim not murder. I don't think that's in here.
00:15:05
Speaker
yeah We'll have revenge on the Prailmi family one day. i will see them, if not dead, with every aspect of their lives reduced to ruins. You guys are standing in my way now.
00:15:16
Speaker
Normally, i would say... Noted, but you've been very nice to me today, so I'll let it slide. Nice to you today? the hell? Just that you're prolonging their inevitable demise.
00:15:30
Speaker
Elves have long memories. Madeline, you'd be a wandering baby, adult, brain, dead, I don't even know, zombie person if it wasn't for us. So you could maybe be a little nicer to us.
00:15:43
Speaker
Fine, I'm saying because you were nice today, was today, won't sick a pack of owlbears on my aggressors. I'll do that different day. I'm really proud Yes, I will be having my revenge. So just know that so it is as a courtesy that I'm not doing it tonight. Okay.
00:16:03
Speaker
If either of you nemeses, you're telling me you'd turn the other cheek, even when they're still bad guys that can do bad things to other people? Haven't either of you got a nemesis?
00:16:15
Speaker
Or three? to be honest, no. i don't think so. Aren't you like 80 years old? What have you been doing? Where's the drama? I'm just like hanging out.
00:16:27
Speaker
Oh my god. Living life. Not even a guy you kind of hate? i don't know. There's a couple people back home that are annoying, but I don't think I would ever wish death upon them. Your life was pretty, what? Pretty sedate?
00:16:40
Speaker
Pretty sedated? Were you sedated? Um, no. I don't get this. This is weird. To be honest, this is the most dramatic my life has ever been was meeting the both of you. I think within a day, I saw someone with a hole through their face to their torso and neck. so Yeah, same here.
00:17:01
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know what kind of normal activities you have in your life in terms of the drama, but this is far outside the realm of what I'm used to. surprising because you handle yourself very, I mean, you like like fought people and like beaten them up and probably killed them. paul it I'm faking it. so Do you know how hard this is Is it hard for you? Every day i have to put myself between you and some person you've pissed off.
00:17:30
Speaker
Oh, yeah, I guess that's true. I mean, we're trying to save the princess, right? It's all princess stuff. And yet, it's taken us, I think several weeks, to get on a boat, to go to the Anchor's Chain, where we knew the princess to have been.
00:17:47
Speaker
We spent the last several nights tying up loose ends around the drama that is your life. Well, I mean, to be fair...
00:17:59
Speaker
If it wasn't for the drama that is my life, we wouldn't have known about the fighting pit that we went to. And if it wasn't for the drama that I caused, we wouldn't have the money to get on the boat in the first place.
00:18:10
Speaker
So, I mean, damn it, I hate that you were so nice to me today because you're really making me kind of annoyed right now, but I can't say anything about it because you unmessed up my brain and said that nice thing about investing. well I will not get revenge on the Prailmys today.
00:18:24
Speaker
Does that make your life easier? yeah I'm good, I'm glad, because you're my friend, and it disquiets me that I am occasionally a burden to you. ah Okay,
00:18:37
Speaker
whatever you yeah it whatever you need to do to just feel good about this decision, I'll let you do it. And I'm sorry that you've been having a hard time adjusting to the city atmosphere and the high drama circumstances that we as a group get ourselves into. That sincerely upsets me because I want my friends to have a nice time. And if you ever need anything, I'm here for you, whether that thing is talking or just hanging out.
Artistic Inspiration and Promises
00:19:01
Speaker
I appreciate that. I can tell you're trying really hard to be nice. I'm seeing... Nice! Fine! And I'm gonna i'm gonna go over and stomp off to go hang out with Fallow.
00:19:15
Speaker
Faunelin stomps off to go hang out with Fallow. Clay, where are you going? So the stops that she would make Artist Guild, Madame Faux-Va-Mont, Fouzams, and debating, maybe she wants to head back to where the clubhouse is where Una and Riggs died, just to see if there's anything going on there.
00:19:38
Speaker
Okay, so Clay sets off into the larger city, leaving Glimke at the Pearl District. A short while later, they are... At Bethlehouse, this austere building that serves as the home of the Artists Guild of Erdeneen, you push the door open, and for once, the elven... You don't really know what his job title is. i guess butler, for lack of a better one, Parkley, is not there.
00:20:11
Speaker
But you do see Well, say you walk around, you walk up and you see that your workspace is still there. No one's moved any of your things, though it has been quite some time, actually, since you've been here.
00:20:24
Speaker
It's been... Basically, since you met these two, you've kind of haven't really been at the Artist's Guild. There's been more pressing matters, of course. And you see there's a familiar elf in the corner staring at a chunk of marble.
00:20:44
Speaker
And there's a small group of onlookers, including the guildmaster, Devakase. And they're all gathered around staring at this elf. And you watch as this person takes a... hammer and a chisel and with great care they slowly raise it up to the block of marble and they give it the gentlest taps the onlookers all gasp and then elf puts the hammer and the chisel down and the crowd disperses and devakase spots from across the room
00:21:19
Speaker
walks up, she's wearing lovely lime green dress with a animal fur around her shoulders. She's still got a precariously tippy wig. She says, oh, Miss Campbell, it was marvelous. You were there just in time. She has been assessing that block of marble for the better part of two years.
00:21:40
Speaker
And that is the first strike she has made, the first step towards what will undoubtedly be ah masterpiece. I have not seen you in some time. I imagine you have been taking a similarly deliberate approach to your...
00:21:58
Speaker
craft? Uh, yes, I've been out doing research, gaining inspiration, thinking about maybe I want to start a piece that's bigger, will take more time and investment.
00:22:12
Speaker
Oh, how wonderful. You never know when the muse will strike. And when they do, it is like a firm but loving smack upon the bottom from a lover.
00:22:24
Speaker
Wouldn't you agree? Yeah, I can't say i know what you're talking about, but I think the muse strikes people differently. Indeed. Will someone open a window in here?
00:22:37
Speaker
I take out a fan, I start fanning her. Oh, thank you, darling. Now, tell me, what is this larger piece? What are you envisioning? So, recently, i had a chance to go out of the city, and I saw a dragon.
00:22:53
Speaker
my... And the dragon's mom apparently is a painter. And i don't know, I just thought that was pretty cool because I've never seen a real dragon before. I've only heard stories about Macrog and, you know, things of the past.
00:23:08
Speaker
So I think going out of the city might bring me more inspiration, more chances to observe Macrog. I don't something I want to work on. And that's kind of what I wanted to stop by and talk to you about. So I heard that the Anchors chain has some islands with a lot of artists and merchants and stuff like that. And i thought I would try to go there and take a look.
00:23:31
Speaker
So I might be away from Erdineen for a while and was wondering what the status of my membership would be like while I'm away. Of course. Well, first off, I hope we don't lose you to Mengen. It is a fine place, of course, and many artists early in their career choose to go there and spend time honing their craft, but I truly believe it has nothing that we cannot offer you here Mengen.
00:23:58
Speaker
Erdineen, as for your membership, of course, I don't know how long you plan on being away. From what I can remember, you've been an esteemed member of our um organization for the better part of three weeks, perhaps slightly less even.
00:24:19
Speaker
Your monthly payment would, of course, be due 40 days, one month after you first made it, so I could check the specifics, but as long as you're back in, oh, two weeks or so, there should be no issues with your with your standing. If you wish to make a payment now to ensure you remain in good standing upon your return, of course, that would be welcome.
00:24:48
Speaker
I'm going to give Miss Shea 10 gold for my next month, and then I'll split up the rest of the gold amongst... us when we meet up. But for now, I'm taking away 10 just to put a down payment.
00:25:01
Speaker
Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you, my dear. I am so excited for you and whatever draconic inspired work you're putting together. Thank you.
00:25:12
Speaker
Are there any guild resources or like connections you have in Mangan, you mentioned? Define resource or connection. If you're looking for merely somebody I'm familiar with, then you could seek out Baina Taurosi.
00:25:32
Speaker
She was a um former... friend of mine shall we say we're not exactly on speaking terms anymore but she still has a studio there you could seek her out and i'm sure she would well maybe not greet you warmly but she could teach you a thing or two about art and other things yeah i think i'd be interested in that is she a member of the ah guild or no longer no no no no no no no no
00:26:03
Speaker
She hasn't set foot in Erdeneen since. And then she kind of looks off into the middle distance. The incident. Oh, okay. Is there any messages you'd like me to pass on to her if I find her?
00:26:18
Speaker
You know what? If you would give me a minute, I actually have something that perhaps you could give her. I was hoping she would come around at some point, but you know, grudges be grudges. I'll be right back. And she hurriedly totters away, wig trailing behind her like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
00:26:38
Speaker
And she comes back a few minutes later with a small ah small bag, a little little tiny cloth bag with a drawstring.
00:26:49
Speaker
And she passes it to you. She puts it in your hand. And you think it's maybe like money at first, but as she hands it to you, it ah appears to have a single thing inside of it. And it feels round and smooth, but...
00:27:03
Speaker
it's not It's not coin, but you're not entirely sure what it is. Oh, can I ask what it is? Ideally, it's amends, but we'll see.
00:27:15
Speaker
Feels like an egg. And from that egg will hatch a reborn friendship. Yes. If I wasn't blessed as an artist, perhaps a poet could have been my calling.
00:27:27
Speaker
Ever the beautiful, the words that depart upon my lips and tongue. Okay. No letter or words or poems for your friend? You could tell her if she wishes to impart upon my lips and tongue in the future, that would be most welcome.
00:27:41
Speaker
But otherwise, let's just see how the gift goes and we'll we'll deal with the rest as it comes. Okay, sounds good. I'll pass it on to her if I do end up meeting up with her. And if not, I'll bring this back to you.
00:27:54
Speaker
Thank you. Miss Campbell, you are Yes. Thank you. Okay, see you around. two Tell Parkui I said hi. Of course.
00:28:05
Speaker
he he is quite the fan. Always talking about you. Oh, that's so sweet of him Tell him my studio's off limits. Of course.
00:28:16
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you. I leave. Yeah, you have out. And where, where, why are two next? to Madame Fulvermont? Did i already move out of her place? I feel I did. you just haven't been there in weeks. Okay.
00:28:31
Speaker
You show up to trade clothes for promised silks and have not swept once. The familiar bell dings above the door of Madame Fulvermont's dress shop.
00:28:44
Speaker
The floor is filthy. There are pieces of thread and scraps of fabric. just piled up all over several large dust bunnies or hopping about.
00:28:56
Speaker
As you open the door, you hear from the back office. I'm sick. Come back another day. Oh, madam, it's me. It's Clay.
00:29:08
Speaker
I'm sorry i haven't been by in a while. Oh, Clay. Yes, I was meaning to talk to you about this. yeah yeah Oh, my head. Are you okay?
00:29:19
Speaker
yeah Oh, no, just, just ah cold. This is all. But you do not sweep. You are not here anymore. We need to talk about your um living out arrangement. If you are not cleaning, then we might have a bit of a problem.
00:29:36
Speaker
Oh, yeah yeah, I'm so sorry about that. i just, I suddenly got caught up in all this business, going to balls and stuff. It's a first for me. I am planning to actually leave the city soon.
00:29:49
Speaker
As you know, we're going to the Anchor's Chain, and I will bring you back that crate of silks. Doh!
00:29:58
Speaker
You hear the clacking of heels on wood, and she steps out from the back office, and her of nose is red, and she's holding a very fancy tissue that appears to be made of cashmere.
00:30:12
Speaker
Oh, cashmere. No wonder she's sneezing. What if she is like... allergies. so Two crates? Was the agreed upon arrangement?
00:30:24
Speaker
Okay. Yes, two crates. From AVOX, right? That is correct. Find my original shipment and double it and pass it on to the not next person, just just to me.
00:30:35
Speaker
Okay. Your original shipment. Yes. Will do. Do you have like a contact name to speak to that I should look up when I'm in the city?
00:30:46
Speaker
Indeed. That no good... Two-shuttled. Marvin Prudence. Marvin? Marvin Prudence. we That is correct.
00:30:56
Speaker
You can't miss him. has two shadows and burnt orange skin. Tiefling fellow such as yourself. He is normally quite reliable, so I'm very curious to what went wrong.
00:31:08
Speaker
Not even a ah letter to inform me that the shipment would be delayed. So if you could yes speak to him, ah would be...
00:31:19
Speaker
Oh, my head. Most wonderful. Okay. Yeah, I will try to see what's going on with your shipment for sure. Can I give her, like, some healing or a prayer or something for you could You could give her either? Yeah, I'll be like, oh, do you have, the and like, oh a flu?
00:31:40
Speaker
We used to say... Summer cold, I think. Summer cold? La Melody. Here, let me and me see if there's anything I can do. Please sit down.
00:31:51
Speaker
She sits down on a nearby stool. Okay. And I will cast... What do I cast?
00:31:59
Speaker
Cast Firebolt. Put her out of her misery. but Cure wounds. Perfect. you lay your hands on on her shoulders and say a prayer to Macrog. And for a second, your hands kind of flare up. They burn bright and hot.
00:32:15
Speaker
And she looks up at you with grateful eyes and then ah and sneezes directly in your face. At that moment, the door opens again, and fancy-looking woman in a dress with a with a servant behind her steps in, and she says, ah Madame Carl Swift, ah how good to see you.
00:32:39
Speaker
let us begin the alterations. And she, uh, takes the cashmere and presses it up to her nose again and shakes her head. And the woman steps up onto little, a little, you think after all these times being in the shop, I've learned the word onto a little platform, ah little circular platform. She steps up onto it.
00:32:57
Speaker
Madame Fulvamone says, Clay, yeah return with the silks as soon as you can, but the travel safe, and I shall keep your room until you return. And if you wish to go back to our previous arrangements, then we can continue with that.
00:33:11
Speaker
Otherwise, if this new life with the noble woman is more to your liking, then that is understandable as well. Safe travels. Thank you. i hope you feel better. Thank you.
00:33:22
Speaker
Then I leave again. As you're walking out the door, Madame Fulhamon is cutting little bits of fabric off of this this dress that's in and progress. And she goes, ah, ah, choo.
00:33:34
Speaker
And you hear the noblewoman scream and we will fade away Fouzans. Yes. Yes. to fuams yes You walk in, you go down these dirty, dingy back alleys of the Copper District.
00:33:50
Speaker
It's been dry recently, so the streets aren't as muddy as they normally are. Return to a fine dirt, and you walk into the familiar meat locker that is Fuzam Biston's medical clinic, and you hear the sound of, like, springs on a bed. Going like, chink!
00:34:12
Speaker
You know, you know like some like someone jumping on a bed. yeah Okay. um I knock before going in.
00:34:23
Speaker
Hello? Campbell, is that you? Do not come in here. This guy's super dead. do you need help? Yeah, not sure what you can do, but come on in.
00:34:34
Speaker
Okay, don't come in or come in? No, no, come in, come in, come in. Okay. Hurry right up, I'm getting tired. Okay, i open the door. You walk in, you see that there is a, of course, Fuzam with his wiry white hair, and he is currently jumping on the chest of a Dwork with sort of a dark blue complexion who appears to be fully dead and Fuzam is jumping on his chest.
00:35:02
Speaker
I yeah was doing CPR, but my hands got tired. So I'm trying this out. It's not working. And you hear a crunch and Fuzam like lands a few inches lower than he previously did. o And he looks down at his shoes and says, well,
00:35:19
Speaker
I was due for a new pair and he jumps down and says, uh, he's like little bloody footprints behind him. Campbell here for your, uh, here for that first day of work. Uh, I think, I think that guy's dead.
00:35:32
Speaker
Oh yeah. Super dead. Yeah. But your CPR looks great. It seemed fine until I started the CPR. Not sure what happened. Yeah. About those shifts that I owe you. Oh yeah. You owe me a lot of money for all the drugs.
00:35:45
Speaker
And, Gumpki didn't pay you? No, you came here and made a deal with me to work for me in exchange for a week's worth work. I think I have to schedule those a bit further in the future. I'm not going to be in the city for a bit.
00:35:59
Speaker
He looks at you with these black little beady eyes. He's like looking up at you. You're more than twice as tall as he is. Don't fuck with me, Campbell. I'm not. I'll be back.
00:36:10
Speaker
Uh-huh.
00:36:13
Speaker
Okay, sounds good. So, uh, yeah, whenever you get here, we'll schedule those shifts in. I understand. You're coming, right? Though you're not, you're not gonna... Oh, no, I'm coming back. You're not skipping town, never to return sort of vibes? You'll be back?
00:36:24
Speaker
Oh, yes, I plan to be back here for sure. Planning to be back and being back are two very different things. I didn't plan to kill that man with CPR, but here we are. Things have been getting a little crazy.
00:36:35
Speaker
Tell me about it. He came in with a sprained wrist. Yeah, you know. like Turns out that there's like demons living in people's basements in this city, and think I just didn't know all this was going on.
00:36:50
Speaker
Yeah, so I'm leaving for a bit, hopefully to help find the princess, and when I'm back, I will schedule those shifts with you. All right, do you want do me a favor? And he looks over at the body on the table.
00:37:03
Speaker
You mind dumping that somewhere? I'll take a day off. Yeah, yeah, I'll take it to the crematorium. Why do you people burn bodies? ah Usually in my backyard, but piles getting a bit high these days, so was hoping to offload.
00:37:19
Speaker
Ah, don't worry about it. Slow and steady, am I right? Yeah, yeah, I could help you with those when I'm back also. Perfect. Don't know how long you'll be gone for, but if I still have a mountain of bodies in my backyard, ah any amount of time that you've been away it will be too long, I imagine. But safe travels, Campbell, and remember what I taught you.
00:37:35
Speaker
Thank you. Thanks. Yep. see you See you around. I leave. It's only malpractice if, and then the the door slams you don't hear whatever whatever the punchline to that line was.
00:37:47
Speaker
And did you want to go anywhere else? What time is it now? It's probably been honestly like the city's big enough. That's probably been a couple hours since you took off. So like like we'll say, I think, I think last time we finished up around like late morning.
00:38:01
Speaker
So we'll say it's like early afternoon now. I will stop by the clubhouse. Okay. We kind of just left it ah with the bodies inside, right?
00:38:12
Speaker
Yeah. So I'm not going to like go like approach right away. i kind of want to like take a look from afar and see if it looks any different. Yeah. You walk. It's not far from Fruzam's.
00:38:24
Speaker
but you head down the familiar streets that lead to Riggs's hideout. Park maybe a block away or just up the street. The door, which was previously broken down off his hinges, is leaning on the frame.
00:38:42
Speaker
It was never properly repaired. It's been a minute since you've been here. About... A little under two weeks, 13 days.
00:38:53
Speaker
it seems like the door's been put back up, not properly repaired.
00:38:59
Speaker
otherwise it looks quiet. Has it been cleaned up, like the gore that was inside? You want to head in? I guess, yeah. I head in from the secret.
00:39:11
Speaker
There was like a back door, wasn't there? There was. I go from there. Yeah, you travel around the corner into the the alley. There's pile of crates that hid the secret entrance.
00:39:24
Speaker
Slide it open and head down this ladder and through a tunnel and then... It's dark, it's dirty, a little rat, who does not appear to be anything more than a rat, squeaks and scurries off as you step in.
00:39:42
Speaker
get to a second ladder and you go up at this time and push open this trap door and stick your head in. It's dark. There's no light. There's just bit of midday sun leaking in through the the broken door propped up against the frame.
00:39:57
Speaker
Dirty windows that are broken. place appears to have been cleaned up. There are no body parts lying around at the very least.
00:40:11
Speaker
Anything out of place, or does this place still look occupied by people, or it's been untouched since? Give me an investigation check. A minus one.
00:40:23
Speaker
Oh shit. Okay. Rolled a seven. So a six. look around, and maybe it's the wave of memories that kind of wash over you.
00:40:36
Speaker
As you look around this place, the ratty couch where Riggs would usually sit, and the bar where Una would mix drinks, a little milk crate in the and the corner where Patrick would sit and give performances.
00:40:52
Speaker
This place was loud, and it feels deafeningly quiet right now. But you look around, There's a thick layer of dust on everything.
00:41:05
Speaker
and looks like obviously somebody came to clean up the bodies, to remove the bodies. You look down at the spot where you last saw Una and see a dark stain on the wood of the floor, but otherwise nothing really stands out.
00:41:25
Speaker
It seems pretty undisturbed other than their removal. I think since it's still pretty early in the day, Clay's gonna take a seat at the bar and just sit.
00:41:38
Speaker
And I think she would maybe cry a little bit. Just break down a little bit. Yeah. Yeah, because she did fight the thing that killed her friends.
00:41:49
Speaker
So I think she would just kind of like go back there to think of them for a bit and promise to herself that she will... Fight him again, guess. Get to the bottom of things.
00:42:00
Speaker
Right their wrongs by finding the princess. Yeah, she just doesn't really want to forget them, I guess. So she'll sit there and cry for a bit, and then she'll go. I'll say we will leave Clay sitting at the bar, and as they sit and reflect and make that promise, we will cut over to Glimki, who you left in the Pearl District.
00:42:23
Speaker
Glimki! What are what are you doing? First off, are they going to let me hang out on the boat? That's the first thing. You go back to the dock? Yeah. You walk back to that info stand where the green dragonborn Kent is standing there, and he's playing with one of those stick and ball games, like the ball's on string, and he's trying to get to land in a cup, and...
00:42:48
Speaker
you see that the ball has that same depiction of Zav as a sphere ah painted on it. And he just keeps playing with that. And then looks up and says, oh, hi, welcome back. So no refunds if that's what you're here for. Otherwise, how can I help you?
00:43:05
Speaker
No, I'm not looking for a refund. My friends have a bunch of business that they got to tie up here. And be honest, I'm not not from this city. And you know during my travels, I spent some time on boats.
00:43:19
Speaker
And I'm kind of looking to just just hang out here, if you'll have me. I'll pretty much be invisible. Just want to find some bunks, maybe. Pick them early before the rest of the crew shows up.
00:43:31
Speaker
Right. Okay. So couple things. First off, ah you have paid for a room. perfect.
Spiritual Reflection and Boarding Arrangements
00:43:38
Speaker
So you don't need to worry about that. You're not crew. You are a passenger, a welcome guest on ah journey of discovery and enlightenment. So that's great. Okay. Well, that's that's nice. Second thing is no can do.
00:43:51
Speaker
Specifically tried to sell you on the early boarding package and you kind of turned your nose up at that. Oh, okay. So if you've changed your mind, we can still offer that. wait It would be the 20 gold pieces for the early boarding package.
00:44:04
Speaker
And then unfortunately we would have to tack on a 15 gold piece premium surcharge for a oops, changed my mind. I do want to get on the boat early fee. um Okay.
00:44:15
Speaker
Nevermind. Ah, shoot. That will be another 17 gold for the Nevermind fee? Wait, what do you mean? I'm just pulling your tail. That's crazy.
00:44:26
Speaker
yeah yeah guys really charge a lot of money for this. This must be quite the experience. I have always said, and I said this because Jararth said it to me, that knowledge shouldn't be free.
00:44:39
Speaker
You have to pay for it so that you feel like you've earned it. That's so true. That's interesting perspective to have. I mean, yeah universities agree, to be fair. It's actually not that controversial a take. Yeah, I guess, yeah.
00:44:52
Speaker
You'll find no one has more unique perspectives than Jar Arith. I'm starting to realize. Okay, well, with that being said, then, yeah, sorry, I forgot that we had done the whole early fee thing.
00:45:04
Speaker
I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Can't wait. Bright and early. Bright, well, no, because remember, we're being, we're going to be late. I thought your friend was going to be late.
00:45:15
Speaker
Well, okay. Da-da-da! Where'd he go? This guy was really paying attention. Okay, Faunelin's going back to the house. Clay's got all of these friends.
00:45:29
Speaker
glimki's feeling a little lost i guess right now because everyone else has like places to go and be and whatever i think glimki's really just wants to get on this boat and get out of the like you know cement city man i don't know time to go kill some prail maze i guess i think the no i think the only thing that like pops into mind is like maybe going back to the uh bright scale oh I don't know. He's like the only person he's talked to that seems to be like kind of friendly.
00:46:03
Speaker
yeah that's fair. Yeah. think he's going to wander around. Quick montage of him wandering around, looking in windows as like a sad song plays. Because he's just like now realizing that the only friends that he has are obviously preoccupied with their own things.
00:46:21
Speaker
And now he feels like all those miles come flying back. me Oh man, I really am out here all alone. So maybe he like doesn't even realize that he like walks essentially back under the shadow of the, what is it?
00:46:39
Speaker
Dragon's Heart Cathedral? Yeah. Dragon's Heart. Yeah. Yeah, you look up and realize you're standing in the shade of one of the dragon's wings that kind of makes this curved, almost like amphitheater sort of space outside.
00:46:56
Speaker
And you go in? Yeah. Okay. The door swings open and you see, kind of sitting there,
00:47:11
Speaker
Near the door in a sort of a large, comfortable looking seat is Walter Salt. And he has ah copy of some book open in front of him and he is staring at it intently and it appears to be some sort of holy book.
00:47:30
Speaker
And as you push the door open, he looks up in surprise and quickly slams the book shut and says, What do you want? Hi, Walter.
00:47:42
Speaker
What you reading there? Nothing. Well, you're clearly reading something. Give me a persuasion roll. I got 11. He kind of looks around conspiratorially and says, I wasn't reading.
00:47:57
Speaker
I was drawing. Oh, in the book? He opens it up and you see, yeah, this is definitely like ah holy book. And Paige is just full of penises. Oh, no. What the hell?
00:48:09
Speaker
Glumki tries to yank the book away. give me and Give me an athletics check. I got a 17. Yeah, he's a kid. You immediately snatch it out of his hands. the hell, Walter?
00:48:23
Speaker
thought you'd be cool. What is the book? It appears to be a book of scriptures, just not entirely focused on Macrog, but like definitely...
00:48:34
Speaker
With a emphasis. What the hell, man? I thought you'd be cool. That'd be cool. You're drawing in ah and a holy book. Yeah, but it's funny.
00:48:45
Speaker
Oh, it's funny to draw phallic shapes in a holy book. Yeah. That's absurd. Walter, why are you even here? He kind of slumps his shoulders a little and says, well, my parents died.
00:49:03
Speaker
ah Thanks for asking. I lied. I was actually drawing pictures of you in the book. Hey! Because I'm a dick? Yeah. It rules.
00:49:14
Speaker
I don't even know what to say to you. You're kind of a pain in my ass. Yeah. That's what my parents said right before they died. third Your parents aren't dead. Get out of here.
00:49:25
Speaker
No, they're dead. I'm an orphan. That's... Okay. I don't... That's crazy. Go find a new book to draw dicks in. Ugh. Do you want to play?
00:49:37
Speaker
What? don't know. A game. Stupid. I'm not stupid. You name the game. i don't know. Don't flinch. I fake a punch at him.
00:49:49
Speaker
He immediately flinches. You lose. Fine. And he takes off one of his shoes and offers it to you. You get this. The hell? No.
00:50:00
Speaker
Put the shoe back on. I have a better game. Better than Doveflitch? I'm going to close my eyes. okay And I'm going to count to 60 and you're going to go run and hide.
00:50:11
Speaker
I assume you're trying to get rid of him. But can I just clarify? Are you trying to get rid of him? What? What do you mean? Make a deception roll for me. ah Now I got a seven.
00:50:24
Speaker
You're just trying to get rid of me, aren't you? No, no, don't be ridiculous. We're just going to play hide and seek. This is a huge cathedral. There's probably plenty of hiding places for you to go.
00:50:35
Speaker
But I mean, i don't know. Maybe you're right. Like, it's probably not even even worth it because I'll find you like in two seconds. Can I have the book? I have a feeling it's going to take a while for you to find me. No, I'm going to hold on to the book.
00:50:48
Speaker
You suck, man. And he slowly wanders off down the hall. What the frick? um Okay. all right.
00:50:59
Speaker
I'll come looking for you. 59. 58. fifty nine fifty eight so da to Do you even get that far? or you just like no No. Okay.
00:51:12
Speaker
Like 56? Fuck. Never mind. I actually want to take the book and go sit in a pew. can i like What can i gleam from this book? A couple things.
00:51:22
Speaker
First off, Walter is unlikely to be admitted into the Artist's Guild of Erdenine. Or anyone could have told you that. Second off, I don't know, it's a big it's a big book. is there anything specific you're looking for or just like just skimming?
00:51:36
Speaker
Hmm. Let's see, let's see, let's see, let's see, let's see. We took, we, last time we talked with Bryce, we talked about judgment and I'm curious if there's any anecdotes in there about that.
00:51:50
Speaker
i would say you, you flip through and you come across a story. It's like, it it it comes across pretty, pretty quick.
00:52:02
Speaker
And it is a story of, the progenitor the creator of the gods of the divine octat itself they are the children the divine octat are the children of the progenitor and you read about how the progenitor gave birth to xav it created life and it it created the divine octat but It was also a being of of cruelty and of malice and manipulation.
00:52:36
Speaker
And for many years, of each other, pitted against each other,
00:52:57
Speaker
the goddess of arcana and knowledge, pieced together that the truths that they had been told by the progenitor had all been lies and set off into the larger world to find her siblings
00:53:19
Speaker
As the eight of them rose up together overthrew the progenitor, And after ah lengthy battle, they were able to bind it and stop it.
00:53:33
Speaker
And in that moment, Makrog passed his judgment upon his creator and consumed it with his holy fire. And the progenitor was destroyed, bringing peace to Xav and allowing life to flourish unshackled from that which had created it.
00:53:59
Speaker
How in this world, so so there's the Holy Octet, and then there's also the spirits. So like the spirits is something that Glunke is like far more in tune with. How does that relationship kind of like exist in this world? like If our people are way more spirit-based, do we have a relationship with gods? i'm just how but How does that kind of work?
00:54:22
Speaker
Yeah. The High Church of the Divine Octad, the official stance is that the Divine Octad are the eight true gods of Zav and that worship of any other entity, whether it be something infernal or a nature spirit, would ultimately be heresy and would be a mistake.
00:54:50
Speaker
That being said, most people in positions of power, other than the most fervent, would be tolerant of those who worship outside the Divine Octad.
00:55:05
Speaker
But there are definitely some within the High Church who are not okay with that. And there have definitely been efforts to spread the word of the Divine Octad to, well, to everywhere.
00:55:18
Speaker
Gotcha. including places where historically worship of nature spirits was... the norm or was the de facto uh and as a part of that with your experience i would say like there are temples to various members of the divine octad scattered throughout dwells okay and there are many who would worship perhaps yusik or odryzal okay so in dwells being religious would be like common or like not really
00:55:51
Speaker
I think there's a ah mix. I'd say probably for most folk, religion, worship of either mulare or one of the members of the divine octat or the entire octat would be common. I think most folks do not deny the existence of the gods.
00:56:10
Speaker
Even those who are like worshipers of mulare aren't coming from a position that like necessarily that the gods are fraudulent or not worthy of their faith or anything else.
00:56:21
Speaker
Okay, okay. Interesting. Mostly comes down to personal preference. Interesting. Okay. With that being said, i think Glimke, after reading this and kind of having those conversations and thinking about it, I want to go up to the altar and i kind of want to like just put a word out there. But instead of to Malari, I want to see if I can talk to Macrog.
00:56:47
Speaker
What do you say? He's kind of like lost in it. I think like this would be the first time in Glimki's life where he is thinking of even interacting with a god like spiritually it would have always been Mo'hari.
00:57:04
Speaker
So he's like kind of trying to find his find his words and he's like over explaining like, i' look I'm not a I'm not a religious person and you know I'm not really sure what I'm doing.
00:57:17
Speaker
But one of my friends is a great supporter of you and and what you stand for. And i feel that you know I just want to learn more. I feel that nature kind of bends to the whim of the world around it as civilization kind of pushes and and expands into the fringe that I know.
00:57:41
Speaker
But Macrog is ah a strong and and steady force in the world on the mortal plane and beyond. I'm just looking for that bit of strength and and confidence. and I don't know.
00:57:57
Speaker
I think I'm just looking for a little bit more guidance. Your scalp starts to itch. And as you go to scratch it, your hand touches upon a leaf in your hair.
00:58:15
Speaker
And perhaps it's a memory. Perhaps it's a message. But Mulari's words come back to you. Beware the offerings of the gods.
00:58:28
Speaker
You do not need them. You need no other but myself. Reject the gods and embrace my kind as your people did in the old days.
00:58:40
Speaker
His words echo through your head.
00:58:44
Speaker
And there is no response. Klimki, under the the statue, wants to reach up and kind of run his fingers through the the leafs on these twigs, and he wants to grab onto one of them and pull it out.
00:58:59
Speaker
It is harder than pulling out a hair. It has strong roots, but you reach in and you grab and you pull out a leaf. What do you do with it? just want to see what happens.
00:59:11
Speaker
Like, does it shrivel? Does it disappear? Do i just have a leaf? It does not disappear, but I will say it is this green leaf and you pull it out. And as you look at it, the edges start to darken and slowly it turns brown and dries up.
00:59:31
Speaker
Hmm. Glimki wants to take the leaf that's all brown and dead. I want to put it to mark the page in the book that I was reading and I'll close it, put it in my bag. I'm going walk out.
00:59:42
Speaker
Okay. Anywhere particular you want to go from there? you just wander around? no I'll find my way back to and wherever the road takes me at this point.
00:59:52
Speaker
Sure. You've got some packing to do. You know, you don't have much, but you do have to grab your possessions. But we'll say is as the day comes to an end for you, you return to the mansion to make whatever preparations you have.
01:00:04
Speaker
Clay eventually makes their way there as well. And the two of you spend an evening getting ready to getting ready to depart Fondolin. Oh. What say you?
01:00:16
Speaker
Where'd you go? Fondolin goes home and hangs out with Valo. Okay. Period. The... Two of you hang out in your room. She is frequently called away to assist Lady Berthold, who is furiously getting ready to depart.
01:00:35
Speaker
Falo spends time, too many dates to the prom style, running between your room and Amala Berthold's room, helping the two of you pack.
01:00:46
Speaker
But as she's spending some time with you, she says... This will be good. Perhaps I know you seem to have schemes for when you are in the Anchor's Chain, but perhaps just spend some time at this learning center and try not to laugh, and you can come back and teach me everything you've learned, and maybe by then the princess will be found, and you won't have to risk your life anymore.
01:01:15
Speaker
Yes, the princess will be found by me, Fallow. but don't worry, you' I'm going to write to you constantly. it's You're going to feel like you're at the learning center. And I'm sorry for that, because it's going to be terrible.
01:01:27
Speaker
Wonderful. Well, you can spare me most of the details. I would appreciate that. ah Not a chance. Do me a favor. Make sure Lady Berthold doesn't get...
01:01:40
Speaker
Oh, financially ruined. She's got a good heart, and i i am worried that I maybe have done a bad thing by putting her on this trajectory.
01:01:53
Speaker
but I think they're already financially ruined. Squeak to that. of Are you not getting like a sort of poor vibe from Kazrin lately? He has been in a foul mood lately.
01:02:08
Speaker
After cards, most nights he goes out. It's been a while since he's had a a win. But I'm sure his luck will turn around or he'll know when to stop and will return home before things get too bad.
01:02:25
Speaker
Although he made me pay for the boat. Yeah, that's not great. No, it's not great. Your retirement savings are in order, right? Retirement savings?
01:02:37
Speaker
Hello? We've had this talk. You have to put it into a dedicated account. Yeah. Hello, it's the ponies, isn't it? Oh my God, it's the ponies again. That's kind of my retirement plan as well.
01:02:50
Speaker
If you keep putting everything on black, eventually it'll stop coming up red. Oh my God. Okay, well, while I'm away trying to fix my life, I'll also be trying to fix your life.
01:03:02
Speaker
And can you get to work on marrying a very rich man, just in case my thing falls through? so Speaking of men, can you do me a favor and make sure that while we're gone, Woody actually properly takes care of the azaleas? I know Glimke showed him how.
01:03:17
Speaker
Well, not for me to correct you, my lady. His name is Woolly. They don't care. Yeah, I figured, but I felt like as a former ah bedmate of mine, I at least owed him that much. Pardon?
01:03:31
Speaker
Pardon? i think it's i think it's I think it's very telling that you refuse to call him Woody. you know what I'm saying? um but Okay, part I'm sorry. Woody. It's fine. It's adequate. And that's all I'll say on the matter, you trollop. Thank you.
01:03:45
Speaker
ah you... Okay. What takes one to know one. Anyway, just... Can you just do me a favor and make sure that he properly tends to the garden and the azaleas in particular? Because it would be bad if we came back and they were all messed up.
01:03:58
Speaker
think he would be sad. I'll give him a stern talking to. Don't you worry. can give him the hot spoon, I bet. I like you better when you're on death's door and feeling penitent.
01:04:10
Speaker
This is because you have Munchausen's. I promise you. Yes, by the way, has your ah stomach been feeling okay lately? I'm sick to death, darling. Anyway, Vonland doesn't really have anything to do tonight. She just packs and she's the shit with Fallow.
01:04:27
Speaker
I will say as that is wrapping up that conversation, Fallow will say, i I got you a little something, and by that I mean I maybe pilfered it from Lady Amala's bedchamber.
01:04:40
Speaker
But thought this might come in handy. Or not. But I suppose if it stops you from getting yourself sawn in twain, then perhaps it is worth a little petty theft.
01:04:54
Speaker
Do go on and, side note, come in handy like Wooly now that you've broken up, am I right? There you I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was funny. That was funny. I just think it's not fair if only one of us is allowed to be crude.
01:05:07
Speaker
Okay, you're right. You were crude first. I'm just matching vibe. but Anyway, here you go. And she hands you a little box, a little felt box that's wrapped in a ribbon.
01:05:21
Speaker
Oh, you shouldn't have. What is it? oh just some perfume that might make you slightly less, shall we say, abrasive to the average person when you're trying to schmooze them.
01:05:33
Speaker
Oh, my God. I don't need this, but I feel like it would work really well on Glimki. So this is helpful. Thank you. Is it floral? I'm going to spritz some on myself so I can smell it.
01:05:46
Speaker
Ah, da-da-da! Yes, it is floral. And furthermore, it is perfume of bewitching. o The box contains two tiny vials. Each vial contains magic perfume enough for one use.
01:06:00
Speaker
You can use an action to apply the perfume to yourself and it its effect lasts one hour. For the duration, you have advantage on all charisma checks directed at humanoids of challenge rating one or lower. Those subjected to the perfumes of X are not aware that they've been influenced by magic.
01:06:14
Speaker
Wow. That's cool. Oh, that's awesome. Glimke is going to love this. But I don't need it, personally. Of course. Thank you. Of course.
01:06:25
Speaker
Crazy fellow just doing things again. Crazy fellow, just doing things all the time. i feel like i don't have anything for you right now. I don't have any treats, but I'll come back with a princess and then I'm going to get you a house so big that you can ah hold your own horse races inside of it.
01:06:39
Speaker
That's a lovely offer. It sounds like I'll be living at a racetrack, which sounds less nice when I put it that way. But we can talk about it. I've got some design notes.
01:06:50
Speaker
Yes. Oh, ah give ah give them to me. Well, not on hand. want to hear all about Fallow's dream house for the rest of the night. You are up very late packing. She accidentally forgets as she gets very excited talking about feng shui and design beliefs believes and how the atrium, of course, would have to be next to the powder room, lest somebody who's enjoying the views in the atrium and needs to power their nose have to walk through a less desirable part of the house. She goes on for a very long time until she eventually falls asleep in your bed. um
01:07:22
Speaker
You, not needing much sleep, is able to finish packing without her and then meditate for the rest of the night. Oh no, I do meditate for the rest of the night. I go downstairs and I make sure Clay and Glimki's stuff is packed up too.
01:07:35
Speaker
because there was like some talk of them not coming home last night, and they lived here for a little bit. So they've got stuff here, I'm going to go make sure their stuff is packed up, too. think we're headed back to the mansion also, right?
01:07:46
Speaker
Yeah, you you go... do you knock? No, I just opened the door. Yeah, you walk in on Clay and Glimke.
01:07:55
Speaker
Just fully asleep already. Performing CPR. Ha ha! I learned a new technique. I'm going to jump with all of my body weight.
01:08:07
Speaker
Okay. Sorry. Good night. Who goes there?
01:08:15
Speaker
Nothing, nothing, nothing. Go back to sleep. Back to sleep. like off upstairs I thought Glimki was sleeping on the boat. No. I was rejected from the boat. No, no. just had a... Even Conalim didn't know that.
01:08:28
Speaker
Your broke ass just wouldn't pay. My broke ass don't have any money. Oh, I split... When we got back to the manor, I split up my gold. So I have 90 remaining.
01:08:40
Speaker
So now we each have 30 gold. Aw, that's so nice. You guys paid for everything so far. We don't deserve it. it's our gold. You gave me 30 gold pieces?
01:08:51
Speaker
yeah You guys have been giving me so much money. and didn't even have to blackmail you.
01:08:58
Speaker
Hello Adventurer, I'm Lloyd, Dungeon Master of Nat One and Done, a Dungeons and Dragons actual play podcast that follows our group in a chaotic blend of traditional D&D play, humorous downtime both in and out of play, and a rich story with amazing players and characters.
01:09:22
Speaker
Join us as we embark on a campaign and some side quests where critical success and failure play an equal part in our story of mystery, danger, romance, intrigue, and a whole lot of fun.
01:09:40
Speaker
We are Nat One and Done, and we hope you come along with us on our quest for a good time.
01:09:51
Speaker
Night falls upon Erdeneen and each of you in your own way seeks out rest. Glimke, you dream that you are riding upon the back of a dragon.
01:10:07
Speaker
Blue sky above you, endless white fluffy clouds. You're moving and feel the wind in your in your hair and you reach up and you run your hands through your hair. And for the first time in many months, there are no leaves.
01:10:25
Speaker
It's just, it's just hair. Oh my God. Did you just get broken up with? A shadow falls over you and you look up and you see colossal crow standing above you.
01:10:42
Speaker
And you realize this is not a dragon. It is a tiny lizard, perhaps a gecko. And the crow quickly swings its head towards you, catching you and this lizard in its beak.
01:11:00
Speaker
And you awake with a start. Okay, okay. No other gods. No other gods. A new day has begun. on Zav, and the house is a bustle. The house is a bustle.
01:11:15
Speaker
The servants are running every
Whimsical Estate and Lady Marinelli
01:11:17
Speaker
which way. Lady Amala's shouting out instructions. The three of you get ready, and Amala stops you fondly and says, Good morning, darling.
01:11:26
Speaker
um Shall we depart right away? Do you wish to share a carriage? I arranged for one. i assume you'll be coming with me, or would you prefer to just meet me there? would love to go with you.
01:11:37
Speaker
I love spending mornings together. What? Why did you make that face like that was weird? We're friends. We hang out. We have breakfast together every day as we established canonically last episode. Don't you have a lunch to get to?
01:11:51
Speaker
Yeah, we need Amala to arrive late. It's important that she's the one who arrives to the boat late.
01:11:59
Speaker
No! I thought one us was going to dress up like a rich person and then be like, this boat is shit. I don't want to get on it. And then walk away. And then we'd be off the hook because their boat wasn't good enough to entice the rich person.
01:12:14
Speaker
Then we'd get kicked off. I just promised Fallow that I wouldn't spend all of Amala's money. oh ah But I also and made an internal promise to myself to stop making Glinky's life harder.
01:12:29
Speaker
so I'm really... i woke up in a tough spot already. You know what? Amala... Uh, yes.
01:12:40
Speaker
the No, no, no. I put a pin in it. Let me just find out. One minute. And I... think You're going to talk to Glimmy.
01:12:52
Speaker
Good morning. Sorry for waking you up in the dead of night. I hope I didn't scare you. Oh, you were scared. I'm just kidding. Oh, just kidding. Oh, funny. Funny. ah I guess I approached you.
01:13:04
Speaker
That's my bad. Good morning. Nobody said it back. Oh, good morning. Oh, good. Thank you. say Should I be going to the boat and stalling it? I think some combination of us should go to the boat and stall the boat and some combination of us should go to the interview.
01:13:19
Speaker
um The boat's going to go. Like the boat's going to leave. We should be there when it's going to leave. Yeah, we don't have 600 gold to stall it, I guess. We'll lie. We'll do a farce.
01:13:33
Speaker
Oh, man. To be clear, Glimki, I'm trying to make your life easier i causing a spectacle this time. this time it's not just me being dramatic. I'm trying to, you know, be helpful. i get I got you. oh How can i be helpful today in my capacity as a chaotic drama queen? How can i help you this morning?
01:13:53
Speaker
I just don't think that we're going be able to to stall the boat. I think we're we're going to try, but that thing's going to set sail. A lot of people paid a lot of money to be there. just don't think that's going to go well.
01:14:05
Speaker
They said they were going to stall the boat until afternoon because our friend was going to pay 600 gold. Right, okay, true. But what if they stall it until noon and then our friend never appears? Then the boat will still have been stalled.
01:14:20
Speaker
Okay, it's already been stalled. Yeah, exactly. Okay. That's what I've been saying. Yeah. But will they kick us off then? If our friend never appears. Well, if they kick us off, we'll find another boat, but it's worth a shot, right?
01:14:33
Speaker
Who's already paid that? So we're just going to, sorry, we're going to go to this meeting, but we got to be there by, we got to be at the boat by noon. Yeah. Okay. Let's do it. Okay. And if they kick us off the boat, they kick us off the boat, I guess.
01:14:43
Speaker
what And we're arriving at the meeting like two hours early, Yeah, we're going to go early. Fashionably early. Fashionably early. It's cool. Okay, I like this plan. This plan is good.
01:14:54
Speaker
It's the worst plan. We don't think anybody needs to go to the boat to, to too you you know, be like, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait. And then if they start to try to leave, then one of us, you know, has a fit or summons the fishmen to attack somebody or of the elk.
01:15:08
Speaker
Sure. Sure. You don't sound confident. No, no, what it let's do it. Let's do this and see what happens. Okay.
01:15:21
Speaker
Commit early and see what happens. I just didn't sleep very well, okay? No, why? Nothing, nothing. Just, you know, it was an inner turmoil.
01:15:32
Speaker
Oh, that's a bummer. That's all good. but Do you think you're having inner turmoil at this advanced stage because you had a an unchallenging series of formative years like you're just now experiencing the challenges of life yeah it might have something to do with it yeah okay well me and clay are super traumatized so if you need someone to talk to you we can help you through it thank you yeah no problem them yeah sorry no that's it i'll say yeah i found the last two weeks pretty challenging also me as well actually yeah i'm blood you know i i'm saying it like i've not also been struggling i haven't enjoyed being almost killed i didn't know about you guys
01:16:11
Speaker
How are you guys doing with that? ah Yeah, it's definitely a change. Yeah. I feel like nothing like this has ever happened in my life before this whole thing happened. So, yeah.
01:16:27
Speaker
Some things in my life have happened like this, but mostly no. Yeah, we should get going. I mean, we're two hours early to the meeting. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Like, what are we going to do? and Be late? As a quick side note, I've decided to be a better friend to both of you upon reflecting on my actions.
01:16:43
Speaker
So later, Clay, I'm going to be asking you why you don't have a mom. And Glimki, I'm going to be asking you why you have leaves in your hair. Because friends ask about their friends. Okay.
01:16:53
Speaker
So look forward to that. Okay. Does that mean i get to ask you more about your real name? Or do I just keep calling you Yeah. What do you mean? My name is Funland.
01:17:04
Speaker
Exactly. right, let's go to this meeting. Following the instructions contained on the invitation you received, you head east into the Ruby District.
01:17:20
Speaker
You previously traveled to the northern tip where the Prailmi estate is nestled away. was nestled away perhaps one might say, but following the directions leads you to the southern edge of the island that the Ruby District is upon.
01:17:39
Speaker
You stand in front of a large iron gate with a brick wall wrapping around this large pristine estate, carefully manicured lawn, and dozens of topiaries trimmed in the shape of familiar animals such as giraffes, elephants, lions, squirrels, and gorillas dot the landscape.
01:18:04
Speaker
And as you reach the gate, One of the nearest shrubs, carved in the shape of a gorilla, turns its head to look at you.
01:18:14
Speaker
And on carefully placed limbs, just knuckles pressed into the grass, it begins to move. And it walks up to the gate and in a large leafy hand pulls it open and says, I'm terribly sorry, but it'd appear you're just a tad early.
01:18:34
Speaker
Lady Fondlin' Veydark, I presume? Yes. I'm a bit early, but like in a... In the kind of way that someone as rich and important as me can get away with. You know what I'm saying, shrub?
01:18:45
Speaker
Of course. Yes, of course. My name's Checkers. Oh, Checkers. Actually, you have a lot in common with my good friend Glimke here. What? You both have leaves, senor. You're both leafy.
01:18:58
Speaker
Are you a shrub as well? um not entirely. Oh. He's a gardener. Oh. Have you come to trim me? Uh, it does look like you could use a little bit.
01:19:12
Speaker
Oh. Maybe while these guys are talking, we could sort you out. Okay. That sounds nice. Will I still be a gorilla after? Yeah. I'll keep you in shape.
01:19:23
Speaker
Thank you. Well, Truncheon might not want to let you in, but I can bring you to the door and he can decide. Sounds good, checkers. Okay.
01:19:34
Speaker
Walk this way. And he walks with his knuckles on the ground as a giant leafy gorilla is ought to do. And you follow him into the into the estate.
01:19:47
Speaker
You see at the center of it all is this beautiful mansion, just beautifully constructed with dark red stones and countless windows lined with white trim.
01:19:59
Speaker
There's a fountain of a marble elephant that sprays water in the air. And as you approach, it stops spraying and tilts its head down and says, Come on in, Checkers.
01:20:12
Speaker
And Checkers says, Good morning, Mr. Spray. How are you today? Oh, no problems. Just making sure everything's nice and bright and spraying.
01:20:23
Speaker
That's good. You should keep doing that then. you You got it. I love checkers so much. But the fact that we've taken 20 episodes to get on a boat and we've had multiple people asking us, like, are you finally going to get on a boat? Are you guys actually going to get on a boat this episode?
01:20:41
Speaker
Like, we're we're at this point, we're toying with the audience because we are fully meeting a talking shrub and a fountain and watching them have a pleasant little interaction about their days instead of like Bart Soup players will literally do anything but get on a boat.
01:20:56
Speaker
yeah I forgot the part where that's my problem.
01:21:01
Speaker
As you're walking, you you look out and you see the other other shrubs are also walking around. You see the giraffe reaches up to take a nibble from a tree and then shakes his head and says,
01:21:14
Speaker
That's not right of me to do. Kin should not eat kin. oh gar are they carnivores? You look off in the distance and you see a group of older looking women wearing lovely dresses and sun hats playing a game of croquet on a nice little corner of the lawn of the estate.
01:21:32
Speaker
And Checkers leads you to the to the door and carefully takes a little iron knocker on it and pinches it between his leafy fingers and... And a second later, the door opens, revealing a pot-bellied halfling in a tailcoat.
01:21:50
Speaker
He's got thinning gray hair, which he has carefully combed over. And he looks at the three of somewhat confusedly. Might I help you?
01:22:02
Speaker
Hello, Lady Fonelin Veydark. We're here to meet with the Lady Milani Marinelli for a quick tete-a-tete. We know we're a bit early, but frankly, this is the only time that works for us. And we weren't consulted on the original invitation vis-a-vis our preferred scheduling. So this is just the best that we can do. And we would love to speak to the lady now.
01:22:23
Speaker
Give me a persuasion check. Is this our first roll of the whole day, guys? Oh, everyone's been making rolls. Glimke was lying to orphans. Clay was
Princess's Disappearance Investigation
01:22:33
Speaker
yeah lying to doctors, maybe. Okay, well, this is my first. Glimke was stealing books out of children's hands.
01:22:40
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. Okay, well, the allegations have not been beaten today because that was a 14. Plus five, that's No,
01:22:52
Speaker
Well, I suppose that is our fault for not taking better care to take into account your availability. Tick merely said you wished to meet for lunch, Lady Veytok, but I do apologize. Perhaps you would care to join Lady Marinelli for breakfast?
01:23:07
Speaker
We would love to Thank you very kindly. Very good. That will be all, checkers. Thank you. You may return to your post. Okay. I hope you have a nice day, Truncheon. Oh.
01:23:18
Speaker
He looks at you, Glimke. ah I guess I'll find you outside to give you that trim. Okay, I'll see you later. Okay, bye. Bye, checkers. time for revenge. and sure we can give a bush a haircut. Okay, cool. Yeah, I can't get vengeance on my enemies. I'm sure you're going to be having a very in-depth conversation. i can sneak away and give a gorilla haircut.
01:23:40
Speaker
I'm gonna be having an in-depth call. We're here as a unit to question a witness. Who is this person? Lock in. oh and Sometimes I swear to God, you know what? You gave me a hard time yesterday. you were like, we get so distracted cleaning up your kerfuffles.
01:23:56
Speaker
Sometimes I think that despite my kerfuffles, I'm the one with my eye on the prize the most. Melani Marinelli is the handmaiden of the princess who was in her bed the night the princess was kidnapped.
01:24:06
Speaker
Or disappeared. And they had agreed that Milani would sleep in the princess's bed so that princess could sneak away and meet the bastard prince Orlin Brightstone. Okay, so we already know all of that.
01:24:19
Speaker
Orlin Brightstone is my ex. What is the bastard prince's name? Bertram Vestegard. Bertram Vestegard. Forget the thing I said about Orlin. We don't need to talk about Orlin. The point is, she knows things. She woke up in the night, there was a kerfuffle, there was some dirt on the ground. We're going to find out what she knows, and we're going to get on the boat with more information.
01:24:39
Speaker
Got it. It is madness, but there's method to it, okay? I'm a mess and a half, but I'm a mess and a half because I want to be rich again. So, game piece is on. I need you at the table being nice because you're better at this than I am.
01:24:53
Speaker
Clay, big cow eyes. Gorgeous big cow eyes. Okay? Be yourself. She's going to love you. Me, I'm going to do the niceties. And then perchance, shut the hell up That seems to work best for me.
01:25:05
Speaker
We're going to get the info. We're going to get out. And then we're going to get on a ship. And ideally, we're going to do it this episode because I'm worried that the comments are going to get mean. Okay?
01:25:15
Speaker
So in there... Game face is on. Let's do this. Detective style. Rumpus on three. One, two, three. Rumpus. Thank you. Rumpus, that was wonderful. Shall we go inside? Let's go inside.
01:25:30
Speaker
And it would be my honor to bring you inside. And so I shall. Who are you talking to? Herself, it sounds like. And he turns around and brings you inside.
01:25:43
Speaker
He leads you through a very, very nice home. Several servants wander around cleaning. one is dusting off a bust of a kind and slightly older woman, and Truncheon leads you through into ah dining hall.
01:26:00
Speaker
is this fine room with large windows. It actually brings you a little bit closer to that croquet game you saw. And one of the women outside, you see she looks very similar to the one depicted in the bust.
01:26:13
Speaker
And Truncheon says, You may sit and I shall inform Lady Malani that ah visitors have arrived. Ta-ta.
01:26:24
Speaker
And you are left there for 15 minutes before a woman, a young woman, appears to be in her early 20s, enters the room. She is wearing a very simple, almost like a robe, honestly, almost like a a robe, her hair is a mess, and one look at her, Clay especially, from a medically trained individual, you can tell she is looking ah little gaunt and has these heavy bags under her eyes and just does not look well.
01:26:59
Speaker
And she enters the room and gives a curtsy says, Lady Vedak, it is such a Honour to have you in my home.
01:27:09
Speaker
ah Thank you for coming. It's the most most kind of you. I'm sorry I'm not better prepared. you like like You look radiant. Honestly, you've got to drop a skincare routine because first thing in the morning, you are looking bright and fresh as a daisy.
01:27:25
Speaker
we're so sorry to intrude, Lady Marinelli. It's just that, frankly, you are, from what I've heard, an exceptionally bright young woman. I feel that I must, you know, just get straight to the point with you.
01:27:37
Speaker
Frankly, my... Friends and I are in the business of looking for the princess, and from what we understand, you've graciously agreed to speak to us on the matter, which is just so good of you.
01:27:50
Speaker
Her eyes widen as you say that. I don't know what you've been told, but I was under the impression this was about a simple lunch.
01:28:01
Speaker
About a simple lunch. There we go. We'll give her a little stank. simple lunch. She's gone from French to British to Italian in the last two minutes. Shut up. Shut up. We'll settle in. She's chameleon. She's a culture vulture. Finding You're finding her.
01:28:17
Speaker
a miscommunication. Yes. Well, now that no you know, can prepare yourself and we'll just stick to the subject at hand. We'll get through it. Wham, bam. Thank you, ma'am. We'll get through it real nice and quick. And then you can go back to not being seen in public since the princess was disappeared from what I understand.
01:28:34
Speaker
Why don't you go ahead and tell us about that knight in your own words? Give me a persuasion roll. Well, probably going to be 19. Have you considered shaking the die? yeah I shit you not, it's 19. No. I shit you not.
01:28:48
Speaker
I'm not going to touch it Natural 14. i think with dice, I am the luckiest person that I know. I already told the guards and the detective everything I know, but...
01:29:02
Speaker
the It has been a rather long time that she's been gone and there's been no real updates from what I have heard, so... i will tell you what I told the detective.
01:29:13
Speaker
The night the princess went the missing, I helped her do a classic swapsies. You know what the swapsies is?
01:29:25
Speaker
Classic swapsies, yes. Of course, every rich girl knows about classic swapsies. Go on. Yes. As her lady-in-waiting, I drank a potion that made me look like her, and then I crawled into her bed, and she snuck out to meet with the prince Bertram Westergaard, and then I fell asleep.
01:29:44
Speaker
And then the morning I awoke and the princess was not there. And before that, I heard her come back in, I think, but I was sleepy.
01:29:56
Speaker
And I thought she crawled into the bed and next to me. But then when I awoke, she was not there and the room was a dirty. And that's that's about it. What kind of dirt was it?
01:30:08
Speaker
Like, you say dirty. Was it just generic dirt? And, like, piles of dirt, tracks of dirt, footprints? What are we talking? It was like a, um, it was like a scattered. Like, uh, if you took at the sand and you tossed it in the room, but, uh, if the sand was, uh, a black.
01:30:28
Speaker
Oh. Playing Grimki. Do either of you know of any magical spells or rituals that would require a sprinkling of dirt like that, or or ash or something black? Was it certainly dirt, Milani, may I ask? Or was it just a black, grainy substance?
01:30:46
Speaker
It felt like it was sand. There was little little pile of it, and I ran it through my finger. Okay, yeah. does that ring any Does that ring any bells for us? Yeah.
01:30:57
Speaker
Can I do some sort of check? You can both make arcana checks if you want. Yes, please. Why is my arcana so bad, though? Oh. Oh, yeah. Three.
01:31:09
Speaker
it never gets old! Five for me! Yeah, the two of you are divine magic users, relatively novice magic users at that.
01:31:21
Speaker
This does not ring any bells for you. Okay. Another quick question. Glimke, in your book about... The islands, the Anchor's Chain. Was there mention of an island with black sand? Because I think there might have been.
01:31:35
Speaker
Interesting. Let's take a look. And wouldn't that be such a good and fun clue? Sorry, Melani, I'm not enjoying this. While my friend references his encyclopedia there, I would like to know, firstly, how often did the princess sneak out?
01:31:53
Speaker
and Not often. She's good girl, she's a good the girl but Lately, she has been ah rendezvousing with the prince of Bertrand Vestergaard, and so she has snuck out more because her father does not approve of the union, or a potential union, so she has been sneaking out at night to spend time with him.
01:32:13
Speaker
Okay, so... Glimke has a travel guide open, just like maps are pulling out. Yeah, I don't see any mention of black sand anywhere. There's a couple of volcanic islands.
01:32:23
Speaker
There are a couple of volcanic islands. There's also Zovershore's Resort, which is on Bogatier, but there does not appear to be mention of black sand.
01:32:35
Speaker
Yeah, there's no explicit mention of black sand. However, there r mentions a volcanic arachil is a va is that how you pronounce it arachil arachil is a volcanic island so that could have some hmm don't know sorry i wish this was a little more helpful no i think it's helpful i mean we should just ask people who know the chain better whether there's any places with black sand and because that seems like a possibility right definitely
01:33:06
Speaker
Or otherwise it was used for some kind of arcane ritual. It's Maybe she was magically... I don't know. actually Anyway, there's definitely something... It doesn't sound like generic dirt.
01:33:18
Speaker
Certainly. Melani. ah Yes, so Lady Verdark. ah So these potions, this potion that you drank for the true classic Swapsie situation, how many people would have had access to those potions?
01:33:30
Speaker
Are they common? No. I do not think so. I do not know where the princess got it or who i made it for her, but she got it and I drank it.
01:33:42
Speaker
As a good handmaid would. ah Handmaid? Handmaiden? Wait, did you want talk to the short detective with the invisible hat? Yes. i told him I am lady-in-waiting. I am not the handmaiden. I am not servant. I am ah dear a dear a companion. That clears up so many things.
01:34:04
Speaker
yeah i he I explained it to him like a many times what the difference is, but he kept saying a handmaidens this, handmaidens that. Because I was thinking you are quite refined for a maid.
01:34:15
Speaker
Thank Is what I was thinking. No, i am i am and not a maid. i am a dear companion of the princess. He kept us saying handmaiden and and then some very sexist to things. ah here's He's very, very sexist.
01:34:28
Speaker
Did he say anything like Twain to Dame? Did he say do you say something about a dame? Never trusted dame. Twain to dame. I think it was every second a word out of his mouth. It was handmaiden dame, a handmaiden dame.
01:34:40
Speaker
Very hard to have a conversation. He's impossible to talk to. Cool hat though. Clay and Glimpy, you had some questions, I believe. Yeah. Who else might have known that the princess was sneaking out?
01:34:54
Speaker
ah No, a body. Unless somebody broke at the law and read the letters that he had sent her. He wrote her letters? Indeed. but no one was too up so low to open a letter and read a letter not intended for them.
01:35:08
Speaker
She looks a little fidgety all of a sudden. and Some people would certainly open a letter and not addressed to them. No, they were never. It is illegal to read the letters that are not the for you. But if it was checking to prevent someone threatening the princess, it would be okay.
01:35:25
Speaker
Do you think that ah if the princess is gone, it is okay to read that the letters? you have the letters right now? Maybe. Okay, we have to read the letters. Yeah.
01:35:35
Speaker
I only have one letter. If we have to read the letter... I did not want the king to find out about the rendezvous because I was sworn to the secrecy. Okay, well, you may be sworn to secrecy, but you should also be sworn to protecting her.
01:35:51
Speaker
And right now, keeping this a secret is doing more to put her in danger than anything else. I already told the detective, and the detective said he was with the city, and he was not a private detective, he was a public detective, and that everybody would know.
01:36:04
Speaker
Is that not a true? Wait, you told him what? Oh, well, I did not tell him about the letters. Okay, that's okay. told him the other stuff.
01:36:15
Speaker
That's fine. Yeah. That's fine. You're a good friend for protecting the princess's secrets. Thank you. But now her life is in danger. ah And so we need to see that letter. Mamma mia.
01:36:27
Speaker
ah Why is she so Italian? oh oh Oh my god, you can't just ask away somebody right that's so Italian. hu She walks out of the room. She I'll be laying at the back.
01:36:41
Speaker
And she comes back a few minutes later with a an envelope clenched ah tightly in her hands. This was the last letter that the princess sent to her before she disappeared. do you want to read it together? Have you read it?
01:36:53
Speaker
We are ready together. We were jumping up and down on the bed like we were our children again. She was so excited. I see. Did you say wahoo? Wahoo! Yes! It was like you were there. yeah And then ah she fell off the bed and she said,
01:37:09
Speaker
And then she she bounced off the floor and then fell past the floor. Indeed, and then she shrunk like three feet. The coin fell out. Indeed. This isn't Sonic.
01:37:21
Speaker
Sometimes Mario loses coins too. Yeah, those are rings, my bad.
01:37:29
Speaker
ah Yeah, she she hands you she hands you the letter. It is a ah a classic love letter. It is ah addressed to the princess and espousing the the author's affection for her.
01:37:42
Speaker
Quickly comments on a recent rendezvous and how joyous it was and how he cannot wait until he has the opportunity to see her again. And then invites her for another rendezvous on the 13th of Zempfist.
01:37:59
Speaker
At a place called Meech Bluff. Of what? The 13th of Zempfist, which would be the night before she was pronounced missing.
01:38:12
Speaker
Is Meech Bluff somewhere around Airdenie? Yeah, I would say Clay, you are familiar with it by name, if not by personally seeing it. It is a cliff with a beautiful view of the Elsween Sea.
01:38:26
Speaker
Not too far from here, actually. It's on the on the eastern edge of the Ruby District. Does it have black sand there? Not to your knowledge, but it's not too far. You could probably go check it out before heading to the boat.
01:38:40
Speaker
Oh. Anything else in this letter? It is signed bevi That's not a great initial.
01:38:48
Speaker
That's not his fault. It's still unfortunate. He's the bastard prince. Would she have run away to be with this prince, do you think? And faked her own kidnapping?
01:39:01
Speaker
It is possible, but ah i i think I thought she came a back. I was really sleepy, so I did not fully awaken. Perhaps it was just a dream, but I could have sworn she climbed into the bed next to me.
01:39:15
Speaker
and She brought the dirt back. So she did sneak out. Then she came back. And then she disappeared. Then she disappeared. I would like to whisper to Clay and be like, and may I remind you, you did help carry a bag.
01:39:32
Speaker
With a certain someone in it, perhaps. Yeah. Oh, Malani, was there rug in the room at all? Of course. She is a princess. Princesses have rugs.
01:39:45
Speaker
Wasn't the package rolled up in a rug? Yeah, I think it was a rug. And was the rug still there? Was anything else missing from the room also? Mostly just the princess before I started to screaming.
01:39:58
Speaker
Well, first I did not start the screaming. I started looking around and she had not have been seen. And then I started to screaming and then was determined that she ah was gone. so in short, I did not notice that anything else was a missing.
01:40:10
Speaker
But I don't think the rug was gone. I believe. In fact, I know it was not because the sand was piled up upon it. What the heck? Well, I hate to be the one to remind us, but I feel like all signs are just pointing to the boat.
01:40:26
Speaker
We just gotta get on that boat. You think a boat that kidnapped the princess? Yeah. The boat? No. We do you think that.
01:40:36
Speaker
Oh, I had not considered that because and the princess lived in the tower, so why would the boat get into the tower? That makes it the perfect suspect. The boat didn't kidnap the princess. guys what are we doing here?
01:40:49
Speaker
We're asking the lady Marinelli whether the princess had any enemies. No, everybody loved the princess. That's not true. Was anyone jealous of her? No, everybody loved the princess.
01:41:02
Speaker
Marinelli. I love a da princess. You love it a da princess. We all love it a da princess. Insight. I want to look at her. She's being really forthcoming with we everyone loved her.
01:41:13
Speaker
Go for it. Come on now. Let's be real with each other. i got a 12. Everybody love a da princess. I don't. Guys, you would know better than me. I'm new here.
01:41:24
Speaker
Did everyone really love it a da princess? Um, history. I think we heard she's really well liked. Yeah, everyone did love love to the princess.
01:41:37
Speaker
I think from what I've heard, everybody loved a princess. And if somebody didn't love it a princess, that's not something we would have. Okay, follow-up question. You know who B.V. Yes, it is the Bertram of Vestegard.
01:41:49
Speaker
Where has he been for the past two weeks? I have not seen him. Ooh. I do not know him very well. He's the bastard Prince of the North. Mm-hmm. It is more like a ah parents were not a lawfully wed, a bastard from my understanding, not a ah reflection on his character. i see.
01:42:07
Speaker
But the no, I mean, everybody loved a princess. Perhaps too many people loved a princess. The prince loved a princess. The other prince loved a princess. Which other prince?
01:42:18
Speaker
The prince of Elie Malfeth. my god, everybody... the heck? Yes! Everybody loved the princess! But they must all not like each other. i do not know. But the princess, she was not ah interested in dealing Malfurth. She only had the eyes for the abertion vestigar.
01:42:33
Speaker
Okay, so, I mean, that seems like... Malfurth? Malfurth might have had some... Motive. Yeah, some motive here. That checks it out. Yeah. Okay, last question.
01:42:46
Speaker
Melani. Last the answer. Farnellyn. Cheeky. I thought we were being cute. Sorry, I was starting to feel like we being cute i was trying to feel like my other self. I will go back to being a strunken husk of a woman. and Don't you dare. I like yourself. Mamma mia, I'm a Swedish now. Okay.
01:43:04
Speaker
okay Melani, does anybody ever call you Melon? That'd be cute. No. Was that your last a question? Then my last answer is no. Nobody ever call me Melon. No, my last question is, what else aren't you telling us?
01:43:20
Speaker
Well, lots of the things. My relationship with my father is not the so great. We do not talk so much anymore. I've been living here now for two weeks, and we're getting a little bit the better, and I think we'll ultimately be okay, but I don't think we'll ever be super close.
01:43:33
Speaker
I love my mama more than I love her my papa. And about that night and the princess's secrets? i
01:43:43
Speaker
No. I don't think a virgin Vestegard took the princess. Or if he did, i don't know why she did not tell me that they were going to elope or whatever.
01:43:54
Speaker
But I still love the princess. What are your thoughts on that other prince? Well, he's kind of a douche, no? Yeah. Huge douche. Huge. huge He tried to get us, huge douche.
01:44:08
Speaker
oh my, mama mia. Yeah, I'd like to do a quick cheeky insight check on whether she is not hiding anything else. i Guys, that's not a 19 because it's a dirty 20. Wow.
01:44:25
Speaker
She seems like an open and now closed book. You know, it doesn't seem like she's hiding anything. She does she seems like almost, say if anything, like relieved after having somebody to talk to. okay well, that's it for me, and Glimpy.
01:44:39
Speaker
That's pretty much it for me, too. I don't know if we learned anything new. Yeah. i mean, we got the letter, that's... The black sand. feel like we definitely learned new things. We learned about the sand and stuff.
01:44:52
Speaker
This black sand. Yeah, should we check Meech Bluff? Let's ask about it. What if there's black sand there? But you know what occurred to me for the first time during this conversation? Melani, you can hear this. That's okay.
01:45:04
Speaker
Maybe the package that was seen being loaded onto the boat didn't contain the princess. It could have been anybody inside. That's very true. it could be completely, like, it could be a red herring for sure.
01:45:14
Speaker
Yeah. What if it's a red herring? Anyway, worth considering. That's an assumption we've been relying on, but it doesn't mean it's true. Melani? You're great. Let's be friends when I come back.
01:45:25
Speaker
Take care. ah You take care as well. Now, would you like it to eat at breakfast? We have to go. we have to go Limke needs to give a bush a haircut, and then we have to get on a boat.
01:45:38
Speaker
Oh, okay. good Goodbye, Lady of Aedark. It was nice a meeting you. Thank you for being so kind. I don't know if anybody's ever told you this, but you seem like a very nice woman. People tell me that all the time, because I'm a very nice woman.
01:45:50
Speaker
You too. You seem like a very nice woman. I see why the princess likes you, and I hope we can all hang out. Okay, toodles! Atoodles. You step outside. Checkers is holding a set of shears and ah sitting by the gate.
01:46:06
Speaker
I very, very, very gingerly clip off. Just, like, pruning. I'm not trying to reshape. Yeah, not making him into a lemur. I gotcha. Do I look nice?
01:46:19
Speaker
17. right. He walks over and looks at his reflection in the the fountain. he's like, do I look nice?
01:46:30
Speaker
You look like a gorilla. Thank you. That's all I've ever wanted to be. Hey, quick question, checkers. Yes? Have you ever heard anything weird from Marinelli at all?
01:46:43
Speaker
Her accent's a little off-putting. It is a little bit. Just curious, you know, about her. Do you know anything about her relationship with the princess? Did they ever hang out here? Did you ever get to meet her?
01:46:54
Speaker
She doesn't spend much time here anymore. I think she doesn't like me anymore, now that she's friends with the princess. Ever since she moved to the castle, she doesn't come here as much anymore.
01:47:05
Speaker
Well, she's here now. Probably on account that her relationship with her father isn't great. Not terrible, but it could be better. Wow, very insightful. You hear a lot when you sit outside a window pretending to be just a shrub.
01:47:18
Speaker
And what other interesting things have you heard specifically about the princess and her disappearance? oh Oh, that's about it. I don't believe you.
01:47:31
Speaker
It's going to be really hard for you to tell if I'm lying because I have no telltale giveaways such as eyes or breathing. Like between shrub brothers.
01:47:42
Speaker
Oh yeah. We gotta stick together, man. These full-blood human elf gnome people, you know, they don't get it. They don't have the connection that we have, alright?
01:47:54
Speaker
That's true. Well, I'll keep an ear open, but the lady just seems very sad.
01:48:02
Speaker
Okay. As long as you think it's genuine. I think so. I'll try and cheer her up, though. I've been doing little songs for her. Oh, that's very nice. A musical ape. That's pretty cool.
01:48:14
Speaker
What's an ape? Gorilla, I guess. Isn't a gorilla an ape? I don't know. I'm just a bush. Okay. I miss you.
Clues at Meech Bluff
01:48:22
Speaker
I'll miss you. I miss you buy Bye.
01:48:29
Speaker
He puts his big leafy hand up to yours and... Okay, bye. three of you leave. Why didn't we ask what's up with the talking fountain and the talking bushes? Why didn't we ask Mrs. Marinelli that?
01:48:43
Speaker
We listen we don't touch. Yeah. The birth hold maids will say crazy things. Are the birth holds too poor to have talking bushes?
01:48:57
Speaker
I was thinking that. i was like, man, the birth ulcers, I think the wrong family. Their flowers don't even talk. Didn't we like feel all their roses and stuff? Your flowers are beautiful, actually.
01:49:09
Speaker
I guess my question is, are you making a pit stop at Meech Bluff or are you going directly to the docks? Just a quick look around. Oh my god! Now it's your fault! We're not getting it. You specifically said there was enough time check out Meech Bluff.
01:49:24
Speaker
It's close. If you hurry, you can probably make it. We're rushing. Okay, let's hurry. lavan It was a fast one. You're running through the streets of the Ruby District. Posh people say, oh my! As you run past, a guard says, why I never!
01:49:38
Speaker
And you continue up to the the coast. You go up this large winding path that leads upwards until you reach a it's this outcrop, this this cliff that looks out over the Elsween Sea. It's maybe 150 feet below you.
01:49:57
Speaker
waves are just lapping at the the at the island, crashing against the rocks. You can see the docks off to the south. And yeah, you look around and there is this beautiful stained glass gazebo that the path kind of ends at.
01:50:12
Speaker
You see a couple benches stationed around it. And it just seems like a very nice spot. Do we see black sand? There is a sandy trail of sorts that leads to this spot, but it is a classic white sand.
01:50:29
Speaker
Mm-hmm. And this is where he was supposed she was supposed to meet BV. It's where they've been meeting, right? Uh, unclear. At the very least, they planned on meeting here the night she disappeared or the night before, depending on how you want to frame it.
01:50:42
Speaker
Hmm. What does quick investigation? Go to the glass thing. I want to go to the glass gazebo thing. Yeah. You wander around that. You to make an investigation check?
01:50:54
Speaker
Yes, please. Yeah. Oh my God. Nat 20. Whoa. Sheesh. Yo. Me too! Oh yeah! No! we solved the We solved the crime.
01:51:05
Speaker
ah You find the princess. She's tied up and looks very annoyed. I will say clay and Glimpy, you two split up and you walk around the outside of the gazebo. And then there's like these two side entrances and you each go into a separate entrance.
01:51:19
Speaker
You both get on your hands and knees and reach under one of the benches. Your fingers touch. There's no sparks. And says you. Can they roll for sparks? Yeah. All right, roll for sparks.
01:51:30
Speaker
we can We can roll either performance or... Deception. Pretending to feel sparse. Deception. I rolled a 16, so for deception, that's a 20. Alright, I rolled a 4 plus 2 on I'll Never Tell.
01:51:51
Speaker
You both are pretty sure other loves you. You're definitely like, ah, shit. Glimki's got a crush on me. Ah, shit. Glimki's got a crush on me. Fondalyn walks in and she's like, the vibe in here weird.
01:52:05
Speaker
But before anyone can comment on the vibe, ah your fingers, they touch, but then you realize that they are both touching the same object. And at the same time, you pull your hands out, revealing the dried husk of a dead locust.
01:52:20
Speaker
Locust! oh in my Holy shit. We just busted this case wide open. That's actually a huge clue. We knew it was related.
01:52:33
Speaker
oh my god. So we see the locust. What is the name of that family again? The evil family? Malfurth? Prelmy? The Prelmy's, right? They were the evil ones with the locust man, right?
01:52:46
Speaker
No, we think Malfurth sent the locust man after Oh, it Prince Malfurth. Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. The Butcher. The Lord of Quiet. Yes. We got his name. Thayyum Zaheer. Yes.
01:52:58
Speaker
Oh, Thayyum Zaheer, yeah, thanks. Okay, so
Decision: Land or Sea?
01:53:01
Speaker
the jealous X angle seems to be pretty accurate. I don't want to be accused of making anyone's life harder, but um I don't think we should get on that boat.
01:53:18
Speaker
That'd be a great stinger to end the episode with, Zach, if you wanted to. No, I'm not. I reject the premise. I gave it so much. That's why I paused.
01:53:28
Speaker
Well, choo-choo, ice is a railroad.
01:53:34
Speaker
but It's it's a boat, it's a boat, it's a boat. For the listeners at home who can't see, Zach has his conductor hat on right now. Listen, we could get on a boat.
01:53:44
Speaker
We could chase the princess. We could go around looking for black sand or a ship that starts at the quay. Or we could, and maybe one or two of you won't like this from a moral standpoint, but we could find Prince Elling Malforth and pull off his fingernails until he tells us where he sent I think he escaped to the anchor's chain also, though.
01:54:03
Speaker
The night of the Prelmy Ball, they left. Yeah. I'm going to follow Fallow's insights here, and I'm going to bet it all on black. They are in the anchor chain.
01:54:14
Speaker
And I swear to God, if it turns up red, I'll pay you everything and I'll give you whatever boon we end up getting at the end of this. We got to go to the Anchor's Chain. Yeah.
01:54:24
Speaker
No, I believe that we have to go to the Anchor's Chain 100%. But the thing is, there's like 12 islands there. And they're all zany and chaotic and probably time consuming. And you don't want to go see all the zany cool islands.
01:54:39
Speaker
I do. I do. What I'm saying is... On the goddamn boat.
01:54:46
Speaker
I want to rescue the princess, not have a little romp around 12 islands, throwing shots in the dark to try and figure out where she is. We could go torture a man just a little bit, find out which island to go to, and then go to... You notice you're rejecting it because you know that I'm correct.
01:55:03
Speaker
No, I just don't think we need to torture the guy who has a locust-formed assassin. I think once we get there, we don't have any leads.
01:55:14
Speaker
But we can ask about Malfour. I feel like it would be more difficult for Malfour to... like travel around without being recognized because he's like a prince right yeah that's what i'm saying we get there hey have y'all seen prince malfour they all go yeah exactly so i feel like there's more reason to go there and look for him and he will bring us to the princess than if we just try to chase the princess ah so play agrees with we need to get on that boat good yes Clay agrees with you. all agree. To the Rumpus on three. One, two, three. Rumpus.
01:55:47
Speaker
Let's go. The three of you run down. God. I swear to God. There's no boat. rumpus motherry never doubted it one two three right bits let's go the and review run down oh god i swear to god there's no running through the streets of the Ruby District, the Sapphire District, the Gold District, eventually the Pearl District.
01:56:14
Speaker
You run to the docks and look out at the Elsween Sea, seeing a boat disappearing onto the horizon. And then you look to the right and you see your ship parked just a little bit. ran to the wrong oh A anxious green dragonborn with a visor with a round Zav on its top is standing at the ramp with a clipboard, kind of anxiously checking their watch. And by watch, I mean a stick that they've stuck in between two planks on the dock. And as you approach, he sees you and says, okay, wonderful, wonderful. Okay, so your friend has not arrived? We spent all morning looking for them.
01:56:56
Speaker
Couldn't find them. ah We're here now. Give me a deception roll. Okay. 16. Uh-huh. Okay. Well, you know, this puts me in a really tough position because now we're going to be getting in late and I don't have 600 gold to show for it.
01:57:19
Speaker
That painting better be really, really, really good. Yep. way better than the shit you've got. All right, let's go learn about why the world's round. Come on board. Yay. Thanks, Kent.
01:57:31
Speaker
And we step foot on a boat. And you step foot on boat. Wow, we made it. I just got killed. This is where I've always wanted to be. You man walk up a ramp and step foot on the deck of the Vigilant.
01:57:48
Speaker
It's this deep brown wood with the seafoam green sails towering above you. You are led
Setting Up Future Adventures
01:57:56
Speaker
below decks and down a hallway. And Kent says, okay, so room 105, 106, and
01:58:05
Speaker
Perfect. These three are yours. and He hands you each a key. Dinner will be at six bells and we will be departing any minute. So, uh, that should be good.
01:58:18
Speaker
The lady birth hold brought your belongings and you should be good to go. Okay, guys, this is going to be great. Trust me. By the time you leave Cobarrus, you will be changed people.
01:58:32
Speaker
Um, Sounds like a threat. Thank you. Thank you, Kent. We're just super tired. Had a really long day. Okay. Well, we'll be departing within 20 minutes and let's have some fun, right?
01:58:47
Speaker
Let's have some fun. Round Earth. Round Earth. Round Earth. Round Zapp. What? Round Zapp. Sorry. What is Zapp? That was weird. Okay, bye. Bye.
01:59:01
Speaker
The three of you take your keys in unison. The screen splits three ways. Three keys are inserted in three locks. Doors open, revealing three rooms with three beds, each with a towel folded into a swan placed upon it with a couple of chocolates.
01:59:15
Speaker
Your belongings have been placed there, whether it's numerous boxes in the case of Fonulin or a couple bags in the case of Clay and Glimke. All your goods are now on um the Vigilant.
01:59:29
Speaker
You have some time to rest, think about what has happened of late. And before long, you hear a ding, ding, ding, ding. ding d ding ding ding ding ding And the ship begins to move.
01:59:43
Speaker
Does anybody go topside to watch the ship depart? Yes. Oh, yeah. Of course. We meet on the deck. Glimke, you have been on a ship before, but this is probably, I guess, the third time you took one from the mainland to Al Arsha back in the day, ah second one from Al Arsha back to the coast, and this would be the third ship you've ever been on.
02:00:05
Speaker
Clay, maybe it's your first. Maybe you've gone out fishing at times. You grew up on the coast, who knows? But regardless of experience, the three of you watch as you see Erdeneen in a new light.
02:00:20
Speaker
You see the kind of the basin of it. You see the pearl district, the area it masks and disappears from view as it slopes downwards into the gold and silver and copper districts.
02:00:33
Speaker
You see the ocean crest falls and you watch as the ocean just cascades into the city without flooding it. You see the two islands that are the Sapphire District and the Ruby District with these beautiful mansions and estates, marvels of arcane engineering.
02:00:52
Speaker
And you see the Diamond District where Princess Callista Galtries once lived and subsequently disappeared from with this castle with smooth, seamless walls, with a tower at its center with a burning light, the balefire at its top.
02:01:14
Speaker
Even in the full day sun, it still burns bright as a beacon for all to see. And as the ship moves up the coast, along these docks, these tall ships, Clay, you look out at the city that is your home, has been your home for a very long time, and you see dragonborn.
02:01:40
Speaker
with blue scales in a set of armor watching you, the dragonborn knight, Klitir Keldar.
02:01:51
Speaker
And Faunilin, you look up at these tall masts You feel ah slight connection to them. Perhaps they are elven wood from Ulithar Thayad.
02:02:08
Speaker
These thick pieces of wood. And you look up at these sea green sails full of air pushing the ship forward into the Elsween Sea. And you see a small shape sort of silhouetted in front of the sun.
02:02:24
Speaker
And at first you think it might be a butterfly, know but you soon realize it is in fact a locust. oh And the camera pulls out and we see ah pale man with dark hair and a mustache riding in a carriage pulled by owl bears as it's slowly picking its way along a coastal highway past a tree with ash gray leaves.
02:02:49
Speaker
He is drumming his fingers on his on his knee, and with each impact, little flames quickly alight, burning into his pants, into his skin. We see ah prince with a golden crown of of golden feathers sitting in front of a table with a chart pulled open next to an old man, and the two of them are looking at a map of place that I won't tell you.
02:03:15
Speaker
We see an old man with a mean face sitting around a card table. Next to him is Kazrin Berthold, and you watch as Kazrin tosses his cards down, and Hamlet Pilton rakes in the chips.
02:03:30
Speaker
The gold pieces. You see that they're in fact in the lounge of Berthold Manor. And there is a small portrait of Fondlin and Amala Berthold on the mantle.
02:03:43
Speaker
And Hilton is just glaring at it despite his success at the card table. He's just eyes fixed on it, swirling a glass of wine. um We see a woman with mismatched eyes and dark skin.
02:03:59
Speaker
Electra Voon. yelling at a dragonborn knight as the two of them climb aboard a ship. She ditches her usual look of gowns and fancy dresses and stands at the prow of her ship with a crimson red jacket whipping out behind her as the ship takes to the sea.
02:04:19
Speaker
We see a young orphan boy sitting in a closet in a cathedral angrily saying, any minute and now, he'll find me. Any minute. He said he wasn't lying.
02:04:31
Speaker
He said he wasn't lying.
02:04:34
Speaker
And we see three heroes standing aboard a ship, sailing off in search of a princess. And that's where we'll stop tonight's episode of Bard Soup. That perception check?
02:04:45
Speaker
Crazy. you're Seeing an eight dimensions with passive perception of 14. It's a narrative device. It's a narrative device.
02:05:03
Speaker
We did it! We did it, we did we did it! 21 episodes, only 13 since they learned they should go to the Anchor's Chain. They're going, baby! We're going on a boat in our little rocket boat going to the boat. Little Lines boats.
02:05:16
Speaker
Anyway, I'm out of time, so hey, I've been Zach Meikle. I'll continue to be Zach Meikle, whether you like it or not. And I have been your Dungeon Master, aided by my dear friends Prima Jow as Clay Campbell, Jordan Johnson as Glimke Tree Fellow, and Shanna Meikle as Fawn Lynn Veydark. If you're liking the show, we would love to see a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
02:05:37
Speaker
And follow us on Instagram or TikTok at bard underscore soup. There's some really great stuff getting made every week there in addition to the show. And while you're at it, check out bardstoup.com.
02:05:48
Speaker
We'll be back in two weeks. Love ya. Bye. He looks at the three of you somewhat confusedly.
02:06:00
Speaker
Might I help you? Let me try that one again. i don't like it. Give me another take. More to help you. Nope. Too cockney. Might I help you? There we go.
02:06:11
Speaker
Kind of sensual. Spot-bellied halfway. Dang. He got a smooth voice.