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Ep. 103 The Trees are Watching
36 Plays8 days ago
Our heroes have tried so hard and got so far, but in the end will it even matter? Following their new ally they learn more about this strange land they're trapped in and discover that the land itself could be against them.
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Transcript
Introduction and Cast
00:00:21
Speaker
you're listening to the hired source ah dungege and dragons actual play podcast full of laughs loves lobsters lullaby wait
00:00:42
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of The Hired Swords. I am Michael, back again as your dungeon master. And with me, I have Blaze playing Safran Ember Oak, formerly known as Craig's Golder.
00:00:58
Speaker
Oh, going on first this time. Cool. Yeah, man, why not? Consistency is ah is go. Yes, Gwyn is here. ah Actually, Ash is here. She is playing Gwyn, the caregiver of Dale Von Chipmunk. I give love and trees bark. Yes, that's true. You do. That's it. Derek is Davin Minestrider. I'm just here for the lulls.
00:01:23
Speaker
Yeah, good. That's why we're all here. Mikey is jockser. I am you know also known as Michael and I just let it all hang out. Great. Yeah, that's why this is not as a video podcast. My name's Blaze and I let it all hang out. That's why it's not a video podcast. ah so ah We're trying to keep it PG-13 here.
00:01:47
Speaker
ah Yeah, we've elevated from PG to PG-13. My kids have grown up over the last three and a half years. But that was the goal. We can say poop now. We want them to listen.
Serpent Creatures and Elf Encounter
00:01:57
Speaker
So ah anyway, so when we last left off, we had we had defeated some serpents that, some serpent men, serpent creatures that then led us to a pathway into a serpent garden. Called that because of the statues of serpents that were there, which sprayed a bunch of poison on everybody and they escaped, the party escaped getting to another gate beyond their entrance.
00:02:21
Speaker
made their way through that gate all the way into another area where there was a statue of an elf. Looking around, they found a large set of stones with some runes inscribed in these stones. These runes pointed them and directed them to put a gemstone that they had found on the body of some of these serpents. and It was star-shaped, and grant guess what? There's a star-shaped whole or portion of these, the rune stone in the center there. So they put the star in their starship gem inside there. All the runes lit up a different color and the elf statue came to life. And we met our friend Falendra, who is an elf from Almanora.
Falendra's Exile and Almenora
00:02:59
Speaker
A lot of conversation with Falendra and this this conversation led to the hired swords understanding that they had come here as a young elf fleeing the war.
00:03:10
Speaker
in Glentree and in the area that our party had gone to that was covered in darkness and called the Untunched Lands. There were these groups of this group of six villages that all kind of served each other and had this symbiotic relationship with each other. The Lindr was a part of this. And then when the war came, they all fled into this area, this place that they are, this dimension through the same door that our hired swords, our party,
00:03:37
Speaker
came through to get here. So they also discussed a large wall made of wood and vines that is only really visible to you if you if it there's a potential for you to get through it. And that way, that meant that Thalindra could not see the wall because Thalindra had been kicked out.
00:03:56
Speaker
of the Almenora tribe area. The Almenora, we find, we learn, is more of a group of people than a location. That at once was kind of a location and that's where their name came from, but now it's just this group. These are all, all these elves, this collection of elves are the Almenora. And this is where Thelindra was wanting to go back but was banished from because Thelindra was part of a group that believed that the elves should try to find a way back to their original homeland.
00:04:25
Speaker
And the leader of the Almenora tribes, a man by the name of Carthanact, has said that this is not legal. You're not allowed to speak this way. And so Thalindra was kicked out of Almenora.
00:04:40
Speaker
There was discussion of Carrick, the caring, the father of Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn's Family Struggles
00:04:45
Speaker
This discussion led to quite quite a bit of sadness and frustration and and confusion from Gwendolyn as she discovered that Carrick had been silenced and not really it's not really known what's been done with Carrick because Carrick was one of the leaders of the group that wanted to get out of this area back to their homeland and so the hired swords were then kind of spurred on to go figure out what was going on try to find their way to this wall of of branches and vines and tree trunks or whatever it might be and see if they can get through to figure out what's happening find out
00:05:22
Speaker
how they can get back home themselves as well as possibly end this darkness or this danger that's coming to ah to the lands that they came from. So we leave off leave off right after a short rest ends. Everybody kind of bandages some wounds and gets what they need to be ah better off after an adventurous day or two of traveling and fighting.
Journey Through the Enchanted Forest
00:05:46
Speaker
And that's where we leave off, sitting near the statue or where the the base of where the statue was, sitting there with Thalindra just kind of sitting, meditating and the rest of you kind of sitting at a distance from them. What's going to happen now? Well, I mean, that's that was kind of your, you know, your worst mushroom dish.
00:06:07
Speaker
creekcks Kriegs. Look, I made something up. I did not expect to give it to you and then I've given it to you. So be grateful or don't be grateful. Either way, I found it delicious. Delicious. So shut up.
00:06:25
Speaker
that level I guess. It was delicious. I can't help it if my palate is a little bit more refined than those of a... Oh. Oh. the rock The rock fella here is is more refined. Is that what we're saying? ah Yes. you know You don't see the light of day very often. Your eyes tend to be a little bit more astute. So my tongue, let's just say, is more refined and ready for the the ample delicious flavors of this mushroom dish. 147. I counted how many peppercorns you pulled in that team. Yes, one for every year.
00:07:04
Speaker
Now, how could you even have a tongue left after that? I stick it out. yeah See, like that, it's not supposed to look like that. It should be round. Okay. Look. And I just walk away. ah Okay, look, never mind. yeah Oh, all right, all right. We we should focus up. ah Are we all ready, Alundra?
00:07:29
Speaker
Oh, um um yes, if if you're prepared, they speak in common again, remembering that that's the best language to communicate with you. When they speak in common, you notice that their elvish is very much kind of old fashioned and ancient sounding, but their common doesn't seem to be that different than yours. It's a lot easier to understand. And they say, ah I will lead the way. we We will go through here and steps over the wall um as to avoid the garden. There are certain areas that could be dangerous there. Please, if you're ready, I'm ready. I'm ready. Gwen, are you doing well? um You just see her over there scribbling, trying to just get all of our emotions out on paper.
00:08:24
Speaker
Ah, they can just see her back and she's like, I'll be up in just a minute. And she goes back to scribbling. She's just going around in circles being like, how did I think that this wasn't a group of people? How did I think that this was a town? Like I knew it was something but I thought it was just the people like it was just in her hearts and she's just writing all of it down manically. And until she feels like she takes a break because she rips her her pencil grips the paper with the pencil and she just kind of looks at Dale. And she's like, it's time to go with it, isn't it? And I think she would just get the feeling that it's time to get up. Okay.
00:09:09
Speaker
As you stand up, Dale, very much, you get a little bit of anxiousness, it feels like, from Dale, ready to go, wanting to get moving. It it makes you feel a little bit the same, I think. Like, ah okay, yeah, yeah. I mean, if, you know. ah And as you get up and you start moving, Delindra just says, well, I'll i'll warn you all, the the journey is not without its dangers, as you'd imagine. It's also very confusing here.
00:09:37
Speaker
um a lot of the ways we'd use to track yeah where we're all from, they don't they don't line up with the the way things work here. It's not even that it's the opposite, it's just things rules don't certain rules just don't matter. So you have to trust me as we walk through. And if I say avoid a place, avoid it. If I say stay close, stay close. If I say spread out,
00:10:06
Speaker
that we
Vision and Recovery
00:10:07
Speaker
must spread out. Remember, this was part of my job, was patrolling missions through these forests to protect our villages. So I would i would just ask that you you listen, you you not obey, but you know understand that I do have experience here, whereas it seems you do not.
00:10:25
Speaker
Oh, I like them. Very well salute. Okay. And they they say not at you and grin, you know, and knowing grin, but they don't salute back very well. ah Join me. And they start walking to the, as they, as they kind of leave the statue, the the base of the statue behind, ah they head towards the, the glowing stones, walk past them. And as they walk past them, they just say, do not.
00:10:56
Speaker
take that gym and keep going. I look over at Jockster and I say, I didn't really want the gym, but not that it told me not to. i I wasn't even paying attention and now, yeah, no, that's that's become a little bit important, but we should move forward, I suppose. Yeah, we got we can come back later and check it out and I'll follow.
00:11:17
Speaker
So they're walking, ah not really looking back to see if you're with them, just kind of expecting that you're going to be as on their heels as possible. Are all of you following pretty closely? i'm Yeah, I'm heel toe with them. Great. I'm going to stay back like 10 or 15 feet, but I'm walking. Grendelan's probably in the middle somewhere. She doesn't want to be too close, but she's eager to get there. Okay.
00:11:43
Speaker
All right, so ah what about jocks are pretty close. Yeah, um yeah, i'd I'd be standing I can't decide if ah if if Davin um Would have it I'd be in the back trying to keep in but if he's still Lingering a little bit further behind then I'd be right behind Gwen Okay, so as you guys continue forward following thalandrin thalandra, excuse me towards What they're saying is your destination. The forest grows thicker.
00:12:16
Speaker
and The light from the sky is dimming as you walk through the forest. they're still It's still illuminated, but it's a different kind of yellowish shade of illumination because the flitter-glittering kind of firefly-like fairy lights that seem to be hovering around the base of all these, the base lower branches of all these trees just above head height they are or quite a bit above head height for soft for ah for soft for an in broke. They are there they're glittering and just kind of like shining as you um as you walk and still very well illuminated but it's more of a bright yellow almost like a ah like ah headlights of a car color right instead of the the brightest light from the sky. And
00:13:11
Speaker
the As the trees grow thicker, ah the the amount of trees grow thicker, it gets a little more difficult to walk through this portion of the forest. You're having to turn and kind of squeeze your way through certain trunks of trees. ah But Thalindra seems like they have They are darting ah ahead through and through this tree through this. It's like they know which ones to go through and which ones not to. And every now and then one of you may catch yourself. on Oh, i didn I should have gone through that one, but I went over to the right and I went through this and you've squeezed through and they get a couple steps ahead of you and you have to kind of catch up.
00:13:47
Speaker
Once a little opportunity comes, nobody gets really where they're lagged behind, nothing really bad, no issues. But you definitely can tell that they were not lying when they said they have experience navigating these forests. And as you travel a good two, three hours, um everybody make a constitution saving throw for me. Okay. Because what's a good day of traveling without some dice rolling, huh? Huh?
00:14:16
Speaker
Not, not my best. That is going to be an eight. Okay. Devin got a 23. Okay. 12. 12. Okay. R-R-O. That's with plus five. Gwen? Oh, wow. Uh, eight. Okay. Joxer and Gwen, as you're walking. Hmm.
00:14:39
Speaker
you you too You start to feel this light-headed dizziness as you're walking through. and these These fairy lights that are all around you, they just kind of they're flittering and glittering. They seem to be buzzing like around your head. Instead of just like up in the trees, it's like they've descended on you.
00:14:59
Speaker
and they're kind of hovering around you. And Daven and Krigs, you kind of notice that they are, the the fairy lights kind of seem to be dar darting down and back up and down and back up. And ah you you notice it's happening, but it doesn't seem to be impacting you. But Joxer and Gwyn, you're kind of feeling a little disoriented. And every now and then you realize you've kind of lost sight of where the group is, and you're kind of having to catch up. So if you could both make,
00:15:29
Speaker
make dexterity saving throws for me as you are trying to speed up and dart through some of these tight tree areas.
Camp and Conversations
00:15:38
Speaker
All right, that's ah that's a little better. So that'll be 15 plus nine be 24. How's about another eight?
00:15:47
Speaker
OK, so Joxer, you're like, oh, oh, no. And you kind of dart through some of these trees. You pass right by Gwendolyn as she stumbles and falls to her hands and knees. The fairy lights de descend down ah around you. And when they do, I need you to make a wisdom saving throw. Oh, Oh, my gosh. Time for a new dice. I rolled a one.
00:16:13
Speaker
Like constant, what is it? Wisdom. Plus 10, so 11. 11, okay, okay. So you fall to your hands and knees and all these fairy lights that are flickering fall around you and when they get down around you suddenly your vision flickers and it pulsates back and you start seeing flashbacks.
00:16:36
Speaker
of these dreams you've had and you see yourself in a white room. It flashes back to you standing up in this forest trying to get up and then your mind flashes back again to this giant dale the size of a man standing in front of you beckoning you to follow and then it flashes back and you're standing here again in this space and you're just stuck there standing there. ah You're currently stunned as you stand there and that your group the group is getting ahead of you. If everybody in the group including Thelindra would please make a, um and or not investigation, perception check as you're looking around, walking, seeing if you see, if you realize what's happening here. That is a nat 20. Okay. Should I roll as well? Nope, you don't perceive anything. but jo You notice Gwendolyn's not around, that you've kind you guys have left her behind.
00:17:33
Speaker
I immediately try to swing back and um maybe if i if I'm close enough, I'd i ping like Davin or or I'd make a noise to to at least say that Gwen's not here. Gwen, Gwen. Okay, when you say this, the Linda stops ahead of you and turns around and sees what's happening.
00:17:54
Speaker
and just stands and watches you all as you go to get Gwen. You see Gwen standing back there. You go back and you can, you can go back if you'd like, ah but Philindra standing there now waiting for you all to come back. What do you do when you get back to Gwen? Um, I will try to see, I guess, get any acknowledgement if she's,
00:18:14
Speaker
able to speak or anything, otherwise I'd probably grab at her hand and be like, come on, let's let's move. Sure. Gwendolyn, you're you're staring at the face of Dale and Dale is saying, come with me. Come, it will be wonderful. We will step in here. We will have a meal together. And then you see Dale's face, his eyes widen and he goes, Gwen, Gwen.
00:18:33
Speaker
Come on, catch up, go in. And suddenly Dale's face morphs and fades into jocks are actually standing in front of you. And you you snap out of it and you realize, oh, what's happening? And, and jocks are standing there reaching for your hand to try to help you. Well, I, I just, and she reaches for his hand. Okay. ah Yeah. i i take a that Oh, what, what happened? I Did I, did I notice at least ah the the bug somewhat? Oh yeah be it is yeah. As you arrived and she started to snap out of it, they kind of not like suddenly leave, but they, they seem to lose interest or she broke it and they've just kind of flown flown back up. ah We, we need to move out of here. I, I don't know. These bugs are not, not as friendly as I would hope. Maybe too friendly. I,
00:19:28
Speaker
I search my bag for Dale and I pull him out. I just, okay. And then so she just kind of goes forward. Okay. As you guys go forward.
00:19:41
Speaker
you you walk up and you see Davin and Safran are standing there waiting on you and Thelindra is just a few feet ahead of them and he calls ah they call out, ah you're going to want to, I'm sorry, I should have said something, you're going to want to mind your guard your mind from these fairy creatures. They tend to, I don't know if they feed on the practical joke or if they just enjoy Causing confusion and manipulation, but they will mess with your head. It's happened to me more than once. Don't feel bad about it. yeah Guard your minds and come with me. And they turn and start walking again. I don't really know how I'm supposed to do that. ah I was about to say that Gwendolyn probably just accepts it because she's been a statue for so long, or at least she thinks she has. Uh-huh. All right. Well, I'll keep following. Okay.
00:20:35
Speaker
they keep walking the forest, you know, kind of seems to ebb and flow between the thickness and the the not so thick and, and you, you've traveled a good probably four or five hours, and it's starting to feel your bodies are starting to feel the wear and tear of the day. And so Linda even has slown down turns and says, I I don't mean to joke, but um I feel more stiff than when I was made of stone. um Perhaps we should rest here for a little bit. ah i I don't know how long I would need, but perhaps you guys can rest as long as you'd need and we could continue later. ah It's hard to see they look up in the tree. You just see
00:21:21
Speaker
tree leaves and branches above you. it's It's hard to know if we are in a time of evening or not.
Philosophical Discussions on Balance
00:21:28
Speaker
Like I said, this place can confuse you, but if there's any way of gaining any sort of meditation or a shut eye, as some might call it, then I would recommend doing that. Like for like an entire sleep, I but't pretend it's night. Is that what you're kind of getting at?
00:21:46
Speaker
i I probably need as long as I usually do, which is just three or four hours, but um whatever you guys need would probably be recommended. We canly we could use that. Yeah, we we could camp. um it's And I could i could use a drink myself. i've had one ah I've had more than one or two of my men ah lose their energy due to exhaustion without realizing how long it had been since they'd rested. So it's important to pay attention to the signs.
00:22:16
Speaker
Well, you had me at rest and then I just kind of start making a little camp or looking for a camp in the area. Do we have like an open space around us at all? There's not a lot. ah There's enough probably there' enough nearby where you guys are able to kind of huddle up a little bit together ah with some space around you and lean kind of lean back on trees. There's probably a good you know, six or seven foot circumference kind of area, but it's not huge. Uh, and, but there's enough space between trees and stuff to kind of pick a spot to lay down if you'd like, but, uh, but yeah, it is pretty tight. So if you guys are just going to go ahead, just take a long rest or what are you going to do? Uh, help set up whatever we can. And I don't know if we can set a fire here, but, um, at least something and then I'll camp. ah
00:23:09
Speaker
One of the things I like about this show is the camp. I'll probably just lay out ah the brew hole and and all I haven't been in there in a spell, so I'll probably grab grab some, share a drink with Thalundra, and then maybe do a little brewing.
00:23:29
Speaker
Great. Uh, so Linda reaches up and grabs a branch of one tree, pulls it down, grabs another, pulls it down and kind of ties the ends of them together, like wraps them together and then takes off their cloak and drapes it over it in like a tent shape kind of.
00:23:47
Speaker
and then goes down and just kind of tucks the corners ah down into the bark of a couple of the trees just to give like to give themselves some sense of shelter there. Just a short, ah just a short, it falls down to be about, you know, three feet up off the ground that they could lay down under there. Not a big enough for one person, but that's their version of a little tent or makeshift a camping spot. I'm going to reach into my pouch. I'm going to pull out like a little piece of cloth that I keep in my ah my pouch and I'm going to cast creation and I'm going to stretch it out and it starts forming into a tent and I'm going to create a tent. Nice. Nice. And then I'll crawl inside. Yeah. Your tent takes up a good portion of that clearing area that you guys had a little more than half of it. And there's probably room inside for others. If you guys want the dark might have to cut a little bit, but I don't mind sharing the space. Oh, I've never been a against it.
00:24:44
Speaker
ah I mean, we'll, we'll, we'll be fine. I'll, uh, I'll have a little bit of guard out here as well. So I think I can, I can still, I'm still not very feeling tired. So I think I can keep watch. I think we're used to that. It's been what a month, two months, three. and I don't even know. You know what? I don't even feel, I don't, I like go up to you and like, I, I breathe, like I try to breathe out at you.
00:25:12
Speaker
And, like, you don't feel my breath? Like, is there anything coming out? Noise. Yeah. I don't know. Weird things are happening. Gwen, do you want to come in the tent? She does. She's kind of like a sulcan teenager. She just walks into the tent and then just kind of lays on her belly and looks at Dale.
00:25:41
Speaker
Doesn't want to talk, just comes in and just looks at Dale. I'll set my bag between Gwen and myself, and then I'll lay down next door. He's a divider. Cuddles, but no cuddles.
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah, it's kind of the cuddle policy in here is a little loose. I'm not, I'm not really feeling it. Uh, Philindra sits and, and looks over.
00:26:11
Speaker
at just kind of how you all are settling in and just as just kind of watching you all and taking it in, you know, just kind of with a with with a lot of interest in and a little bit of maybe a chuckle here and there and looks over at jocksers brew hole and in anticipation, having heard you call it a brew hole. Yeah. um So i I would have ah come out with at least was it to Well, I didn't hold on. I haven't i haven't done this in a while. What's here? What do we what do we get? What do we get? Oh, no extra. What ah so? But we have, oh, kind of kind of like a health potion. So just kind of ah a sweet and savory kind of like a maybe a sour beer. I'd imagine something something like a ah light sour beer. Hmm. Cool.
00:27:04
Speaker
Uh, the Lindras sitting there waiting when you come up from the brew hole and they're watching Gwen kind of squeeze into the tent and after Daven's already been in there. And what are you doing, uh, soft friend, Krigs? I'm probably doing kind of business as usual things that I would have always done and polished the shield. Um, find a spot like to set the hammer in a sense. Um,
00:27:34
Speaker
Just typical, you know, soldiery, but not super soldiery things. Yeah. I'm not a super soldier anymore. Yeah. You're not Captain America. Nope, not anymore. Gotcha. Captain Glendry, I don't know. So the, uh, so Thalindra sits and looks at watches, uh, Safran polishing their his shield and do all that and just says,
00:28:03
Speaker
Ah. So you serve... Helm? I certainly used to. It's... I think I've a turned my back for far too long now that it's weird just hearing the name. Yes, we...
00:28:19
Speaker
We've heard much of Helm. Every time the followers would come to get supplies, they would try to convince us to change our ways to follow Helm, the God of Light. That's very familiar. I assume it is. Well, I'm grateful you haven't approached me with those tactics.
00:28:43
Speaker
for i uh yeah i seem to find those under my ranks at the time it felt more it started to feel a bit more like zealotry and a crusade than anything else that the machinations of the gods maybe i'll never understand them but i i definitely don't know if i agree with them anymore well i i just know that
00:29:12
Speaker
the priests at our temples, where we worship Coriolan, well, I'm sorry. I no longer truly serve a God either, as I feel like the state we are all in now is just having been abandoned by them all. But i I've heard tell from the priests that The gods are what brought this upon us all. And Helm was the leader of them all. I don't know. i Maybe this is naive. Maybe it's my years showing, but it's hard to follow someone who so willingly calls those to bloodshed for what purpose? No will, no no sense of any of it.
00:30:02
Speaker
Yes, but from what I've heard of what happened during this war that left us in flight, there wasn't much good being done by any gods or man. No. It seemed we were just fighting over land and rights and gold. That is the end of all things.
00:30:30
Speaker
power through wealth power through knowledge power through force i don't know i i want to believe there's balance somewhere i want to believe that there is actual right and wrong and not just senselessness i think that's why i well i accepted to follow the way of the wilds the The new oath I have is to that of balance and to restoring lightness, where there is dark and darkness, where there's relentless light. There is a balance to all things, like I have to believe.
Joxer's Abilities and Intentions
00:31:13
Speaker
I've seen that, I believe. At least the extremes of either side. I feel like here is a place, as you look around, do you see it? A place where
00:31:24
Speaker
Everything's concentrated and in one. The magic and the light, as you say, the color, even the air, is it's it's extravagant. It's it's indulgent.
00:31:41
Speaker
Whereas when we fled, where we're from, there was the absence of all of this. it's It's like this should be mixed and spread out, but instead it's concentrating itself in different places. I'm not a philo- I can't even say it. I know not i don't know much of philosophy. Let's say it that way.
00:32:06
Speaker
but That's what makes sense to me. I think balance is a good word for it. It's strange to think this place exists when we just came from something so anti this. It's almost like take everything good and put it in one location, which I have to assume would be the the proximity here to everything good, it would be assumed this could be it. But is this creation destroying that on the other side? Is this this much extreme destroying and the balance on the other end and creating the void that is the world is now being succumbed to?
00:32:55
Speaker
That's the question. Is what's happening here doing something there or is what's happening there doing something here or is there something else doing something to both of these places? i Honestly. That is why I choose to carry on with this fight. Not to say my fight is over, but there's got to be an answer, a resolve to all of this. I i know my companions here and I kind of just look around and I see Gwyn with her pouty face and Davin with his
00:33:31
Speaker
subtly making fun of Gwyn's pouty face while also being caring and just ah hands reach apart should she need it and jocks are doing everything and anything he could possibly do ah to just be the best version of himself regardless of whatever tool that might take all knowledge all wine and dine anyways i look around and i say i have to think everything we've done to this point, though every decision may not be good, hopefully we've brought a little bit of balance back to order. Well, if what you say is true and you were able to make your way here through the same doorway that we came, you've done something because that was closed up behind us when we left
00:34:25
Speaker
To be protected by Shadow, i I heard the discussion, not protected, but guarded, so that we could not return, and no one could get through to us. It's all very strange. Strange indeed, and i I genuinely hope we've made the right choice in pursuing this task, this quest beyond that. It seemed like the only option.
00:34:50
Speaker
But I've not seen a whole lot of resolution on this end. I'm just keeping up the fight. Well, the real question, the larger question, did your friend say he had brew to share? I would hope he'd be walking in with some just about now. I i didn't want to bother. You you you seemed so intent.
00:35:14
Speaker
I hold out a hand, expectedly. So does the Alendreth, and like kind of follows suit as as they see you do it. All right. I'll hand ah two two cups and then I'll i'll pour pour through. i the The cup that I've taken, I'm now kind of walking over to Gwyn and saying, I think you need this a little bit more than I do. You know, there's always plenty. Does Gwyn take it? um She looks up and she takes it and then goes back to looking at Dale. OK.
00:35:43
Speaker
I come back from my second class at that point. And, uh, yeah, so, uh, Davin, are you interested today? I don't think so, but you guys enjoy. Fair enough. Falendra sits and drinks and looks at you and jocks her and just says, you spoke of the seeker. Might I inquire as to who they are? Uh, yes. Um, I can't say.
00:36:12
Speaker
that I know exactly for sure, but it is it is a bit of a guiding light for me. ah i To me, I assume she is a she or she presents ah themselves to me occasionally as as a woman, and ah whenever I was at my lowest, she appeared and gave me a chance to pursue more knowledge so that I could help others. And I mean, honestly, but after meeting Krigs, I've still been looking for some more unique herbs so that I could create something that might curb some of his ailments, which i it seems this area you... Krigs, are you feeling this ah any different here?
00:37:10
Speaker
I feel like I've felt quite differently for a long time now. I will say this place has not exacerbated in either way better or worse yet, just kind of seeing how that goes. That's that's what it seems. i' I'm kind of curious, especially with the herbs that we did see, not to sidetrack at, but maybe we can find something of interest here in this world. um But the the seeker, she's lent me the the powers ah that I currently have, or I'll call them boons, as I i haven't slept in months and I don't feel tired. um And then I'll kind of put out my hand and ah then spell slots will well poof into existence. I pray he just skitters out of your sleeve just like... time
00:38:04
Speaker
that also yeah Just straight through the sleeve ye no and then ah it comes out to to to the palm and gave me a bit of a power over ah the less living, I suppose.
00:38:22
Speaker
that is Disturbing and fascinating all at the same time. Disgusting, right? Yes. Well, well i don't I've seen i mean i've seen several severed body parts my entire life, of course. But this is um an animated one, I must say. I've seen a lot of magical things as well. This is a unique way to use such power, in my opinion. But if if it suits you, then More power to you, ah no pun intended. um i I can't say I'm one way or another. It it it just is. It's kind of unique to be to be honest. And I mean, he's he's been helpful. He's been a helpful hand in now brewing brewing for me.
00:39:13
Speaker
Fun intended. Yes, yes. I get that. Very well intended, of course, and very well delivered. So this is very good, though. Very tasty, ah this brew. Thank you for sharing. It takes another sip. I think it will cause me to probably meditate soon. I will need some rest. But I think as soon as I'm able, we and everyone is able, we should get going again. We will be at the wall before midday tomorrow or whatever time it would actually be. But our midday, we'll call it. Sounds, sounds good. I can definitely. I'm relying on you all to tell me when we've reached the wall, because as soon as I was pushed through it, when I turned back, it was not fair. We will do our best.
Gwen's Fears and Hopes
00:40:04
Speaker
But the the entire time this conversation is going on, I'm going to walk over and I'm going to sit down with Gwen and I'm going to kind of just sit there
00:40:10
Speaker
awkwardly and not say anything for a couple of minutes. And I'm going to say, ah Gwen, are you all right? She doesn't really look up. She goes, I'm fine. I I'm curious. Well, if we find your father, what are you going to say to him? ah I don't I don't know. This this whole time, I thought Almanor was supposed to be just the the elves, just the people.
00:40:39
Speaker
but
00:40:41
Speaker
Apparently we found it and it just I don't know. I don't know if I see him. Should I be mad or should I just embrace him or what if he's dead? I just I don't know. I have a feeling he's not dead. I could be wrong. But from the story that that we are being told, it sounds like he was outcast or maybe taken prisoner.
00:41:12
Speaker
But it doesn't sound like he was killed. And if your father is anything like you, then he'd be a survivor. And I would know that he would still be a alive. She just kind of looks up because she's been drinking. but It doesn't take much for Gwendolyn. Is your family alive? My mother and my sisters are alive. My father had died in the war a long time ago. He was a good man. What if you saw your dad today?
00:41:42
Speaker
Alive? Alive. I would probably tell him that I don't think we need him anymore. That I think my family is is working fine without him around. And I'd love to my father, but I think his existence would just bring more pain to us. She takes another drink. So so that's what I should say to my dad?
00:42:04
Speaker
No, no, no. Your father had left with good intentions. My father had left to try and pay off a debt, a debt that he had brought and kept with my family. I don't think that was the same situation which are with your father. She takes another drink. Do you think we have the same dad? Oh, ah your your father was an illith, right? Oh, yeah, he was, wasn't he? I kind of pulled back my my hair to show my non-pointy ears.
00:42:35
Speaker
I don't think we're related. Yeah, you're probably right. I just... I don't know. I barely knew him. Well, then I think maybe the first thing you said say to him is, hello, I'm Gwen, I'm your daughter. what if What if I say that you're his son and then then then then we'll see how he reacts and then I'll come in.
00:43:05
Speaker
If that would make you feel better, I'll, I'll go along with it. Okay. I hope he loves me and she, she downs for the last ever drink. I hope he loves all of us. How could he not look at us? We're so lovable. You're right. This is, this is hot. I love you guys. And she kind of just falls back slowly.
00:43:33
Speaker
I cast Mage Hand and I take the drink out of her hand and just float it back to the camp with the rest of them. And she's just barely sleepy eyes staring at Dale. Just kind of falls asleep. Good night, Quentin.
00:43:49
Speaker
immediately begins snoring. We're into the moment. That's great. the The results are in, Carrick, and Daven is your son. We have a Maury moment. yeah yeah Uh, by this time Philindra is laying on their back mug, been kind of pushed towards the center of where you guys were kind of sitting around each other, closing their eyes, hands kind of in a meditative pose with their like feet crossed at the ankles, just kind of laying there, uh, in meditation, settle again. Um, I'll crawl into my tent and I'll go to sleep. Okay. Now I'll look over to, uh, Craig's and
00:44:35
Speaker
I think I'll pick up these glasses and... Yeah, you go do your thing. Have fun. I have to sleep now. that Sounds good. And I'm going to... Be a weirdo. I'm going to take a corner that's that's open and kind of post up. I don't need a lot of space, but you know. Everybody's sleeping except Joxer.
00:45:01
Speaker
And you hear the sounds of this unique magical forest around you. And you do hear birds squawking different sounds than you've heard before, but they're there. You hear skittering of little feet down a tree and in the distance here and there, nothing that feels threatening or sounds threatening.
00:45:26
Speaker
And every now and then you hear the trees kind of creaking, groaning a little, not really like a low pitched threatening type of groan, but just more like almost like they're communicating. Make a wisdom check for me. Not a saving throw, just a check. Um, I'll use that second look. That's not much better, but a little bit.
00:45:54
Speaker
That is a 10 plus what is my one. So that'll be 11. Okay. It's hard to make out any kind of pattern or rhythm in the the trees and the groaning and the creatures and the animals.
00:46:10
Speaker
But you can tell that things are lively around you. And you don't really make any sense of it or think much of it. It just sounds like a forest that you're kind of an un uninvited guest in. But again, you don't feel threatened in any way. And before too long, Thelindra sits up at the start.
00:46:29
Speaker
to
00:46:32
Speaker
you you a
00:46:36
Speaker
I am. My meditation often ends abruptly like that as, I think I sleep here. Like really sleep. It's strange. When I'm out, since I've been out of Almanora or the where we are all where we were all staying, I like I sleep.
Odd Sleep Patterns and Tree Communication
00:46:59
Speaker
I've never slept really. It's a weird feeling waking up.
00:47:04
Speaker
Yeah, that didn't really give me a meditation vibe. you So I'm going to lean towards you you. You're kind of sleeping here. Snoring gave it away. that That's what I'm saying is sitting on a sitting in the corner for four or five hours, along with my thoughts. The time would fly so fast, but when I'm asleep,
00:47:30
Speaker
I feel things and I see things and it's I'm not alone, you know? I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. That's why I want to get back home. One of the many reasons I haven't really rested. I've only slept. Does that make sense? i I think I understand. and there There's definitely a difference between between what you expect and what might happen.
00:47:57
Speaker
um And so if, if meditation gives you more clarity than the rest that some of us are more used to, then I can definitely understand. Yes. Well, anyway, and they stand up, they take their cloak off of the branches that they were, they had kind of draped over and put it back on and untie the kind of unravel the tree branches and coax them back up. The tree branch is kind of going back into their,
00:48:28
Speaker
their more ah more ah ah elevated position where they were less hanging down, almost as if they were down at their own will or at Thalandra's will and then went back up again. And they just kind of stand and look around and say, if you need shut eye at all, you can get something I can keep watch or we could keep watch together. i I assume they'll need another couple hours of rest before they're ready to go.
00:48:56
Speaker
um I guess the the only thing I might i might just work in the the brew hole for a little bit, but it it really felt like the trees were trying to say something earlier. I'm not super, I guess, versed in tree they were as a... It felt like they were communicating to you? Yeah, I i can't really explain it.
00:49:26
Speaker
It felt more lively, like maybe maybe they were watching or more expectant of whatever was about to happen. Well, it's one of two things. It's either nothing, or the Almanora know we're coming. Well, we'll hope for nothing, but if the Almanora know we're coming, then maybe they'll let us in.
00:49:56
Speaker
I'm not sure why they would, but they know this. Did you say that there were others that were following Kerik that are still in the Almonora? Oh yes, many. There are many who do. There are many who think the way he thinks. There are not many who speak publicly about it. Do any of them know anything about Kerik's past, potentially about Gwen?
00:50:25
Speaker
I had not heard anything about any sort of romance or relationship or product of such. I'm not sure if anyone else has, but I definitely hadn't. Kerik, he's always pure business.
00:50:44
Speaker
pure purpose, very little personal anything. I've never seen him eat or drink. I've never seen him come to think of it. I've only seen him laugh when he seemed to think it was the right thing to do because everyone else was. He's a very different kind of man. I can't even imagine after knowing Gwen at this point, but if I suppose the best case scenario is somehow Carrick is watching over us in some way and he knows we're coming as opposed to the other. ah That would be marvelous.
00:51:31
Speaker
marvelous That would be wonderful. That would mean I would be welcomed in. Let's say this. There's a chance. that if that wall allows me to enter, it's because of him. He put it there in the first place. So who knows? Well, let's, let's lean towards that for now, but we can definitely mention to the others when they wake up. I'll say, I'll say, I say we hope for that because hope is what we need now for sure. Absolutely. Um, I'm going to hop down here and, and, uh,
00:52:09
Speaker
to Do what I do best and and I guess play play with ah my my brew tools. so okay um Just having say something yeah and i'll I'll pop right out. Having consumed the product of your labor, I support your decision. i will I will definitely be here and if you need someone to taste anything, let me know. I will just give you a heads up. It takes quite a bit of it.
00:52:38
Speaker
to hinder any of my capabilities. So do not be afraid to ask me if, if I would like to try some, I definitely would. The answer is yes. Now, before you ask, okay, I'll keep my eyes open enough. I'll keep my eyes open. There's not much here that could possibly harm us. I don't believe, but I will, I will keep an eye open. I'll, uh, I'll, I'll bring some of my, my, my spares down there and I'll, I'll bring some, some tasters too.
00:53:07
Speaker
Wonderful. And so they kind of pick a spot where they can stand in the center where everybody is and just kind of look around. They they grab a dagger out of their belts and start kind of picking at their fingernails as they look around the area to see, just keep an eye on things as you head back to your brew hole. And so a couple hours pass and things start to get a little noisy outside as Joxer, you hear first from the hole, you hear Thalindra kind of rattling things around and and shaking the tent and that that jo that davens in and kicking the boot of Safran. And if everyone is ready, we should be going soon. um We would hate to keep this wall waiting for too long. Oh, sure. I'd never, never leave a wall waiting as I start to stretch and get up.
00:54:05
Speaker
I'm up, I'm up. Go on, just rolls over on her back. I'm ready. She's so hungover. Okay. As you all come to, you start to stretch and ah prepare yourselves and the Phalindra as jocks are you finish what you were doing and you come up from their hole and roll it up again and everything starts to kind of get cleaned up. Everybody helping everybody make sure that's ready to go. And the lens returns to you all and just says, I just want to say your friend jocks are last night warned me. I've been thinking about it. And he said that the trees seem to be
00:54:56
Speaker
agitated, communicating, groaning towards each other during the night. And I told him, I said, that means one of two things. Either it means nothing, or it means that the Almenora know we're coming. Gwen, maybe can't you talk to the trees or to that dust the other day? Maybe you can see if they know anything.
00:55:22
Speaker
I can talk to trees. She's so tired and hungover. And I guess she tries to find the nearest tree and puts her hand on it. She goes, how are you doing? And are you casting to speak with plans or whatever? She's trained traditional plants okay ah um trying to, I'll try to decide if you should make a concentration check. Is it a concentration spell?
00:55:52
Speaker
Uh, I believe so. Let me open it up. If it is, then I'm going to say, yeah. While she's doing that, I'm going to tear off a little piece of cloth from my tent, put it back in my, my component pouch. Okay. Does the tent still exist? It doesn't go away after a certain amount of time. Oh, okay. Okay. Yep. So after 12 hours, it'll just like dissipate into light. Gotcha.
00:56:16
Speaker
It doesn't say that it's concentration, transmutation. you can just talk to the plants. Yeah, you can just talk to the plants. That's fine. Okay, I'll just go, how are you doing? the There is a ah general groaning and kind of creaking from the trees. And you you feel it, you you speak to one, but you feel it from all of them. And they're agitated. Thalandra was right. Joxer was right.
00:56:46
Speaker
they're agitated and they don't seem to communicate anything to you. In fact, it's very strange because it feels almost like they've been, they're already Being used in a similar way to how this spell would use them it's like your spells not powerful enough to override the magic that's already being used in these trees so that sense of agitation and that sense of groaning and and and creaking that you're experiencing or feeling.
00:57:28
Speaker
was happening already before you asked how you're doing. And then you get a sense of alarm from the trees. Like, they're communicating alarm. And then you're rejected. The tree rejects you. Like, something suddenly said, no, stop, no more. And your hangover is is over. It snaps you out of it. Uh, something's not right.
00:57:57
Speaker
And she kind of she finally like opens her eyes with lightness. I just... Something's here. this is Something's got them. Is is that something that that you know about Thalundra? The Almanora having a bit of a blanket control over these trees? Well, we use them. A lot.
00:58:22
Speaker
I mean, we bend the nature of this place and the magic of this place to our will. That's how we have been hidden here for so long. She's probably experiencing anguish. We've probably put this land through over these years. I hadn't really thought of it, but she's probably right. It probably isn't the way it's supposed to be. the They're so so upset. ah What have you done to them?
00:58:51
Speaker
I've done nothing. i i'm i'm I could control a couple of branches and help myself have a tent, but the magic in the temple at Almanora, if you feel agitated, it's because these trees have been commanded to communicate that feeling.
00:59:12
Speaker
to whoever's listening on the other side. That's who's waiting for us. That's what we're heading into if we approach this wall and attempt to go through it. That's the danger that I mention when I say we have to be careful going back to Almanora. And that's where we're going to leave the episode.
00:59:30
Speaker
and buttan ramed
00:59:47
Speaker
Why does everything have to be so dangerous? I don't understand why we can't just like go on a little adventure, find some cool stuff, some treasure, go spend you did, tell some friends. You can leave a review on anywhere you listen to podcasts. We will see you next time on The Hired Sores.