Transcript
Speaker: You wake up at dawn, fully rested. Drago, you now suffer minus three to everything rather than minus four as you're still under the fatigue of that resurrection. Okay. Fuck.
Speaker: I forgot about that. I'm fighting a dragon today. Can we just like change that around?
Speaker: Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop by Andrew Chronos. We're a live play 5e 2034 D&D podcast set in the magical homebrew world of Eryth in the kingdom of Dralak. Joining you for this week's episode, you've got Peebee who plays the Rube's consulting human cleric, Emron.
Speaker: Oh, oh, not anymore. We've got Peebee who plays the human bard. Peebee who plays the human bard, Karstine.
Speaker: Hello. The apple pie smashing apple pie rimming edgelord Callum who plays the warforged Shatterfisser Alpha. Emron! Ian who plays the tiefling warseer Nyx Corral.
Speaker: Tifa or Aerys? You decide, Callum. Ian who plays the dragonborn paladin but barbarian Drago. Rinoa or Selphie? You decide, Callum.
Speaker: Will, who plays the Dragonborn Druid, Balvalcon. Father! Darren, who plays the half-orc barbarian, Theraxun Jari. Emo black-hair Shadowheart or white-hair cleric Shadowheart. You decide, Darren.
Speaker: My name is Mark and I'm playing the human blade singer, Seth Farah Reaver. My name is Mark and I'm playing the, no, that's all I'm playing. Oh, that and I'm doing this. Blast from an emmy's lisas are maestro. No, no, no, I want shit. and This is all going to shit. Here it is. The titan of tension, the tiller of taboos, the tormentor of timelines, the trouser snake boner and sausage throat walmer. Oh, it didn't quite work. Dungeon Master Danny. Sweet Caroline.
Speaker: And speaking of Caroline, i'm sure um we find old girl sitting on a nondescript rock in a nondescript place, staring directly at us.
Speaker: Oh, man, I've just i has been staring at this thing for days. What did I miss? Let me just look into my orb and... Oh, cataclysmic catastrophe! Alpha puts the crown upon his head, and the group doesn't fully commit to the plan to give over the crown. And then the mercenaries board the Lion of the Sea. There's barbarians, there's orcs, there's elves, and there's some opulent fancy folk as well, prudents. Rago is one of them. He looks pretty devastated and without revealing too much information, of them eventually teleports the group back to Goldport Keep.
Speaker: And it's ruined and burnt and fucked and flattened and destroyed. And Karstam pretty much reveals the fact that Emron, he dead. And all the cards are on the table. Do you know who else is dead? Pretty much everyone.
Speaker: Every fucking one. And Karsthan's like, oh yeah, it might have been a little bit of my problem there with Shondrella Khan. She's probably the reason why everyone is dead. It's just everyone. They're all dead. Wren is safe, though. She's on the Steel Nightmare with her little crew, and they're prepping a teleportation circle, and there's some sort of tension flaring between the group because everyone is fucking dead between the Blight group and the Undying Champions. And Nyx is all like, I'm taking myself away from this, and I'm play with my balls. And he sees within his ball, my ball, The face of grand chronomancer Johan Veritas. And Nix is all like, where's my friend? And Johan's like, hmm, the fuck's going on, boy? How'd you get this number? How can I see you? What's going on? Where's Gal? And he's like, wait a second.
Speaker: Wait a second. Nothing's holding me back now, bitches. And he starts unleashing all sorts of shit from the steel nightmare as the tethers be pulling or pushing or who knows what the fuck. And something, lots of things are sprawling out of this nightmare. It's being unleashed.
Speaker: As all of you in your various positions here around the ruins of Goldport Keep kind of take shelter and brace for quakes beneath your feet, what's becoming clear is that Aerith is on the brink of being ripped into pieces.
Speaker: After about 15 minutes of trying to kind of stabilize yourselves, the quakes stop, but there are so much activity that seems to be going down these these tethers to the sites of battle that are happening in each kingdom between the Krishkara, between local forces.
Speaker: between the demons from the hells and between those constructs from the steel nightmare? What else now comes out of that prison in the sky?
Speaker: You can't tell from this position. When the quakes essentially subside and everyone kind of regathers as a collective of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven of you, what would you like to do?
Speaker: fuck is going on well that's different did a thing i did the thing i did the thing i did the thing as nix runs over to the group kind of his hands in his air over his shoulders and she's just running did the thing i did the thing i broke a thing i broke thing what do you mean you did a thing I used this orb and I was trying to like find Emron because I really just didn't think that he was totally gone and that there wouldn't be a wait because we're the undying champions and we've come back before from like what's the face. So I used this ball to try and reach out to him and then some guy was on the other end. He was like, well, I'm not supposed to be able to contact you. And I'm like, yeah, okay, I can't get here right now, but where's M-Rod? He's like, wait a minute, that means that something in the sky has changed, and oh, damn, now I'm free to do stuff. And then and then after he hung up, shit started to break apart.
Speaker: It was Grandmaster Cronomancer big guy. Johan Veritas. Yeah, I think I fucked it, M-Rod! Kostan, I think I fucked it hard!
Speaker: Right. Oh, fuck. This is bad news for your brother. This is bad news for Robin and bad news for Ren. Because while he didn't know he was free, we had time. He does now.
Speaker: We must rest and move as soon as we can. Throw the ball into the into the shit swamp. No. Get rid of that fucking thing. No, no, no. No, no, no, no. I reached through it. It didn't reach at me.
Speaker: The ball is fine. It's me that's fucked up.
Speaker: Any one of us could have told you that and Hicks don't go looking at whoever this fucking person. it level Fuck. The way I see it I was bound to fuck up sooner or later now that people can maybe feel a little bit better over their fuck ups because we all seem to be fucking up right now.
Speaker: Right. This isn't getting us anywhere. In Nix's defense. He would have found out soon. Yes! He got us. Yes! Thank you, Prego! Yes! Me and you always been, you know... Does this mean that Enron changed the curse?
Speaker: He did. His terms must have been... The Steel Nightmare is free. That seems like a really fucking bad idea. Or a great one.
Speaker: Because now we... We have time. We don't need a small window. We can get in any way we want. He he ah he must have done something then. now he He clearly gave us the time that we need because maybe he knew that we were going to be fucked up and therefore not because if we're going to rush in there, we're just going to rush into our deaths. see this is And it means if this fails, we can get out.
Speaker: yeah And regroup. hills And try again. There is no try again. There is no redo. There is no reset. But hold on. If he's he's emptying what's up there, right? That and means that we're going to have a clearer shot when we go up.
Speaker: Yep. Yes. You're welcome. It means... It means Delmon Trace and his forces and every militia in Earth are about to become a lot more under pressure.
Speaker: I mean, Delmon Trace, that worries me less. Take Trace as a pinch of salt. He is defending Erythians right now. There are inno innocents that are still alive because his forces are there.
Speaker: He is cloudy and I do not understand his judgment or his ambition, but right now he is protecting citizens. Okay, well, he can keep doing that.
Speaker: For how much longer, I do not know. Well, he's going to have to last until morning, isn't he? Really? Yes. As are our friends. They are not alone up there.
Speaker: Something followed them in. What do you mean something?
Speaker: Demonic? No. Chandra LaCarr? Yes. Fuck! what's What? What? They are trapped. They are safe, but they are trapped.
Speaker: When we get there, she is our first foe. Good, we get to kill her. Good.
Speaker: Karsten, have you killed a dragon before? um Well, yes, actually, technically we did. It was an unliving dragon, but yes, we did kill a dragon before. So, yes, I have.
Speaker: Good. Okay. Fuck, I didn't have a comeback for that. Okay. fine um make Make sure it's Chandra Le Carr, though, right? Oh, yeah, yeah. We're we're we're killing Shondralakar. She's going to die.
Speaker: And we'll deal with the aftermath later. Karstan, we can deal with Shondralakar. Fuck yeah.
Speaker: You guys, as Drago looks over to Baal, you go do your thing.
Speaker: There's no use in all of us fighting a dragon. Me in cost and Carsten can distract. We can kill. You guys rush on the ahead.
Speaker: do not want to be accused of tricks. But I do not want Drago to come. Why the fuck not?
Speaker: And he looks to Seth. And you plan on stopping me how exactly? Yeah, I'm with Drago. Like, like he he's coming with us, because after all the fucking stuff we've been through to get you him back, he's coming with us.
Speaker: He was the one that fucked up the last reset. He was. Yep. And they will exploit that. Veritas will exploit that same loop. Okay, so I don't fuck up this one.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly. e Thank you very much. Done. It's as simple as you just not sticking to your morals. That's what happened last time, apparently. There's an unmovable object.
Speaker: Drago wouldn't change end the last cycle. Set is right. Okay, and is everything that's happened right now? Drago gestures to the hellscape that is the mortal plane.
Speaker: Did this all happen last time too? No. So why are we beholden? We still face the same decision. And it is your heart, Drago, that cost us last time, and that has not changed.
Speaker: Don't let him be part of the decision. that Go up there, you focus on Chandralakar, and then fuck off. Can you stop being cryptic, Prego? What decision? what Can we stop talking fucking riddles? i know that's my thing, but can we stop?
Speaker: Cards on the table, please. To stop this steel nightmare, a kingdom must be sacrificed. Okay.
Speaker: It was...
Speaker: It was Emron and Delmontrace's decision that that be Sleetgaard. Fuck no. And this is why you cannot come.
Speaker: You want to sacrifice Sleetgaard? Because... No.
Speaker: Drago and Helena objected. They wanted to sacrifice Shadowment.
Speaker: No, I mean... These tracks... Yeah, that that that that works. This argument came to blows.
Speaker: I watched you kill... my friends. And in turn, watched my friends kill yours. And we failed before we even confronted Veritas.
Speaker: Veritas.
Speaker: We were diametrically opposed.
Speaker: We are not designed to make this decision together.
Speaker: See, I've said this before. It's two different groups. You guys have done your thing. And look where it's got us. Last time we thought if we took an ambassador, a prophet, at ah a champion of each god, that the gods would see us through. Hence why you were there. Hence why Helena was there. Why Emron and why this dwarf.
Speaker: The gods were not on our side. The gods could not reach this. This is bigger. So it's bigger than what we understand. Who is the king of Shadow Men? Carsten, are you okay?
Speaker: Yes, I'm fine. I just drank some wine. Okay. Just go steady. i know it's been a hard time. you You might have a problem, but we'll talk about it later.
Speaker: Who's the current ruler of Shadow Men? Because I understand why we wouldn't want to let Sleet Guard go.
Speaker: There isn't one right now. And with all respects... Reigns is dead. Reigns' father is gone. Reigns' grandfather been killed. And we've just given the fucking crown to Vossan. You were there. You were on the boat.
Speaker: and They will not reach shore for a number of days. Right. They will not have a coronation for a few more. Okay, and are we... Drago looking around the group.
Speaker: In allegiance with Vossan? No, but he helped us actually get the key in the first place. It's not just him. It's the kingdom.
Speaker: Shadowmend is one of the oldest kingdoms. It has one of the biggest populations. but if You cannot blacken a country based on its poor rulers. These are innocent lives.
Speaker: Okay. Prego, choose a nation then. We'll argue about that one as well. This is why I was not involved in the conflict that killed you all. Okay, fine. Nyx, choose a country. We'll argue about that one and then we'll go round round until we still go have a decision. ah but mean ah i ah ah Why does one have to be sacrificed? Can't we just like, em everyone's just fucking changed the way the game has been played. Why does it have to be a sacrifice?
Speaker: Prager points at the anchors.
Speaker: If we do nothing, all the kingdoms will. They'll be consumed. that's what Veritas wants to do. wants to reset the Remove each tether.
Speaker: And the last one that remains, that'll be the one that goes. But it'll be contained to one kingdom, not all 12. I'm not a tiefling with the kingdom. I'm not the right person to ask for this. You need to ask Alpha, wherever he is.
Speaker: Alpha's kind of stood on the outside of this conversation. Yeah.
Speaker: so far i only piping in on the odd thing.
Speaker: I will not sacrifice Shadow Men under no circumstances. Rens would not have wanted this. Neither would Emron would not have wanted this. I feel with their voices gone I need to represent them and who I knew.
Speaker: I will represent them, not you. Oh.
Speaker: You are not even Shadow Men, dear.
Speaker: Am I not? What do you know of me?
Speaker: Okay, logical point.
Speaker: I loved your father.
Speaker: I loved this kingdom and what it could be and what it was.
Speaker: Were you born and raised in Shadowment?
Speaker: In some cycles I was raised there, yes. But were you born there? No.
Speaker: Seth was not born in Sleetgaard, yet he would defend it with his life. A home is where we choose.
Speaker: Which kingdom would you sacrifice an offer?
Speaker: Haral Empire? Hentis? hi Jade Heart? Name a country. Any other than Shadowmend. moon why why any of nation why is are the Why is any other nation worth more than another?
Speaker: then I can't say that they are, but Shadow Men means more to me than any other nation. Of course would not choose to sacrifice Shadow Men over something else. But one must be sacrificed, we will always make the argument.
Speaker: This is why we failed. But we are who we are from our various kingdoms. Those are the kingdoms that we can speak of. Any others should not be on the table. We cannot speak for them if we do not come from them.
Speaker: there any that are not very populated? know. My geography's shite.
Speaker: Any that are fucked? Would you really make this decision? Based on how many deaths it would cause? Yes. Because I'll be fucked if I'm letting Sleetguard turn to ash.
Speaker: No, sadly.
Speaker: You would rest easier, knowing that
Speaker: 50,000 died rather than 60. You could live with that. Be responsible for those deaths. As opposed to what? You say we have to sacrifice something.
Speaker: Yeah, it sounds like we're going to be living with death regardless of any decision we make. And we, by the sound of things, have to be okay with it?
Speaker: It's burden that sometimes heroes have to bear, Nix. You have to make big decisions and you have to live with them. I'm just really confused. I just like, whoa what are we doing this for then?
Speaker: To save the greater good, to save the majority of Erith, a few will have to be sacrificed. But Emron just changed the game. Why can't we step in his...
Speaker: example and change it ourselves. Like when we get up there, there's got to be a way. you're You're right. I mean, maybe Prego's wrong. Maybe Prego was telling us what happened last time and maybe you're right, Nixon. Bye.
Speaker: Tiriani, I hope you're right. maybe Surely we've got to hold that hope. Yes, but Prego's point is that we fell apart last time because we had the discussion on the Steel Nightmare.
Speaker: Maybe having discussion now is worth... beating around the bush a little bit.
Speaker: Sean Drellacars from Drellac.
Speaker: That cunt Delmontre, he's in charge of Drellac. That sounds like two big birds. Yes, but there's a lot of... Yes, there are still people there. There's people everywhere.
Speaker: Please remember...
Speaker: ten 10, 11 past versions of you. Treated Trace like a brother.
Speaker: Whilst this has been happening, Farok immediately took what is now a ceremonial broach because the the fact that his cloak is basically tethered to him has taken the the brooch of the wing watch off his off off of his apparel, off his neck and has rested it on the grave of Sebastian Sweetgard, putting the dark wings of the Wing Watch on this good gravestone and has started to just do what only he knows how to do, which is functionally help people prepare for rest. So whilst this is happening, he's been on the periphery of this conversation, just starting to prepare food. And he's just on that going to interject.
Speaker: I've never been here before, so I'd like to think that this is a new interjection, but It strikes me that when Nyx is right, we need to try and do things differently.
Speaker: And what I think we do is we have the opportunity to destroy that thing in the sky.
Speaker: It might mean that none of us come back, but what are our lives against an entire kingdom? I'm coming back.
Speaker: I can't die.
Speaker: You might be happy throwing your life away. a There's too much I need to do.
Speaker: You can't die as far as we know, Nix. In all fairness, evidence would suggest that, yes, he can't die. He stays with me. He can't die.
Speaker: This is what family's for. There you go There's just got be a different way. Like, ah for condemning a nation...
Speaker: Right? Like, we're better than this? If there isn't Nix, if we get up there and we're all sure, Karstan has proved, maybe Emron has changed the rules and we can't find a way, but say there is absolutely 100% somewhere that has to be sacrificed.
Speaker: Then maybe the person who survived the run can wear that burden. Seth nods at that and keeps nodding as he looks up from his position.
Speaker: We're all pretending we're not in a big war here. Drago, Karstan, you saw it. The assault on the blight. You saw how many died.
Speaker: You don't think our generals knew that? You don't think Sebastian knew that? Thousands died. It was all part of the sacrifice. This is the same.
Speaker: Yeah, it's awful. The numbers are cataclysmic. But if it's that or all humanity,
Speaker: I agree. Those that survive have say in it when we get there, if we get there. Should I make it to the end? It is a burden I'm prepared to take. i mean, judging by Nexus Tracks record, he'll only one left, but okay.
Speaker: I am an anomaly. I need to make this clear. I go up.
Speaker: Druga, I need to make this clear. You do not.
Speaker: Part of the deal with bringing you back, your mangled broken corpse, your skull smashed. Part of the agreement with Brago was that I would stop you.
Speaker: No, no, that's not how... reason That's not how this works Seth, you don't leave your best fighters on the sidelines when you're going into the final fight. He isn't the best fighters.
Speaker: And it's not that we're fighting. they're fighting i I would argue we want to leave our best fighters out in case we come to blows because that's the guy that will kill us. That's why I'm not going to be there either.
Speaker: What do you mean? you're love but to put ah so I'll go all the way. I'll go all the way. But then when that question comes around, when we have to make that decision, i am walking out. My voice doesn't matter. I'm a nomad from many kingdoms.
Speaker: It doesn't matter to me. It's thousands that will die. Okay, so how about I come with you until that point and you take me away?
Speaker: And then if you don't, our dimension door, you and me, 50 feet into the earth, and then we fight through soil trying to survive. Yeah, that sounds romantic and everything, but we need a step-by-step plan to get everyone else there.
Speaker: I'm not being sidelined. And we've got to fight a dragon. I've just got to make sure we've got that boundary in place because I don't know what shit Prager will pull out if if suddenly I go, actually, I'm now cool with you doing it.
Speaker: And suddenly you become what you were before, which was not pretty Drago, to put it plainly. Right. That's fine. you got All this talk about what fucked that happened last time.
Speaker: I don't give a fuck what happened last time. I care about what's happening this time. And I've already ascertained from looking around that this is new. So everything we do and every choice we make is about the present moment, not what we did before. But...
Speaker: If it means I don't get sidelined and that I go up there, if me and you don't. And Drago looks at Karstan. If I don't get to be part of the final choice, I'm okay with that.
Speaker: And it looks at Karstan.
Speaker: Karstan sort of shaking his head. and know Lost you once, Drago. You're not going to lose me again. Good. you Stay in my sight lines.
Speaker: But you can make a choice.
Speaker: Apparently.
Speaker: Prego, you happy about that? No. But it seems I'm outnumbered.
Speaker: I guess going stick close then.
Speaker: Shondralakar. Drago says with a I want to move on. That's the first one we kill. Then we take the next level. And me.
Speaker: Take on the dragon. Leaving you guys to rush through.
Speaker: And we'll join you if we finish up early. don't worry. still nightmare. still nightmare.
Speaker: We didn't understand why, because you did not disclose it last time, Drago. But you knew exactly where to go.
Speaker: We ascended into a city, a city of ghosts none of us had ever seen before or visited, but you knew exactly where to go.
Speaker: If it looks the same on this cycle, I will remember and I can guide us, but We never understood why you knew that place. Um, I can only assume it's because I've had dreams.
Speaker: It wasn't that. You weren't lost to no- you
Speaker: You were so familiar.
Speaker: ah Well, well i mean, okay, so so if we get up there and Drago, you seem to like know your way around because you have or haven't been there before and you don't don't tell us, I'm just going to peer into your mind if that's so okay. It doesn't matter if you even say no because I can do it anyway.
Speaker: Drago, haven't you been to a dead city before? you talk when you When you came back
Speaker: long time ago. There was a whole jungle thing you told me about.
Speaker: I don't know. Okay. If we get up there and it's familiar, i'll tell you. i don't know. i don't understand why all these things are being put in my path for me as obstacles.
Speaker: I'm just trying to do the best I can with the information that I've got right now. And that is, there's a fucking dragon up there. Robin, Ren, Syungar, that dragon needs to die.
Speaker: And there's no one else I trust other than you. Let's go and do our job. Oh yeah, totally. And we'll we'll let Syungar and Robin and Ren join if they want.
Speaker: Okay. um We should probably get some rest. Yes.
Speaker: there's any unfinished business, now is your time.
Speaker: In the event that you don't make it back.
Speaker: Are we saying this is this is this is it, right? This is it. revive feels This is the furthest point of any cycle is is tomorrow. I've never known a day after.
Speaker: ah yeah i'm a Carstan, you got any rousing words or anything? It all feels a bit hopeless. Carstan, sort of, fuck, tell you, salute. Oh.
Speaker: Rousing words? No. enough Not really. um I don't have rousing words.
Speaker: Got a song for M1, but that's it.
Speaker: Oh.
Speaker: I don't know if he liked songs.
Speaker: He did.
Speaker: He did an awful lot.
Speaker: I think he liked songs. While he worked.
Speaker: As a tribute to him, I can, it's not finished yet. I warn you, it is not finished. It is still bit rough around the edges, but it's what I've got so far. um Part of my tribute to him should be lived from this. It won't go towards his saga.
Speaker: And as you're given space to prepare, when everyone tucks into
Speaker: the chef's preparations in Tharok's work, it begins to nourish themselves. And you move into the night.
Speaker: a fire that you've been kind of crowded around as you enter that state of rest. It begins to cackle a little bit, but there's no wind that's kind of invited that kind of burst of of reaction.
Speaker: As you're kind of drawn to it, for a number of you, you kind of zone into it kind of in a trance-like state, in a kind of daydream.
Speaker: Karsthan begins to fine tune that melody.
Speaker: And whilst Karsthan starts to perform, Alfa, Baal, Tharok, Seth, and Nyx,
Speaker: just feel an embrace from an old friend
Speaker: A very temporary embrace. The smell of Emron's musk.
Speaker: And the wind goes. And it's gone. But it leaves you feeling stronger. It leaves you feeling a level higher.
Speaker: as was the final wish of his conditions for the curse. So you all level up whilst whilst receiving this rest as Karstan takes you into ah this beginning of his melody.
Speaker: I really, really love Demeron. And nothing for drug. ah Worth a shot. You said the undying champions to take power, not everyone was to serve anyone else.
Speaker: Carson's been tuning his lute and starts a little sombre sort of mellow melody. I warn you all, it's not finished, so be aware it's a bit rough around the edges.
Speaker: From Shadow Men's quiet with celestial blood, an artisan forging his path in the mud, with hammers and faith under Aledo's light.
Speaker: i a Young Emron sought peace far away from the night. He sailed new horizons across the wide sea to build a new life where a blacksmith is free.
Speaker: But destiny called through the heat of the sands, a jewel of the ages with fire in his hands. An undying hero, he marched into hell to break a dark curse where the shadows rebel.
Speaker: He gave his last breath so that others could flee. a soul forged in steel, now a sweet memory.
Speaker: and he just allows the lute to play away. And Prego's kind of unbroken listening to your performance.
Speaker: Tears kind of flowing throughout all of it. You kind of play out your final chords.
Speaker: Place your lute down and you see two glowing blue mage hands being kind of conducted like an air guitar almost from Prego's. His mage hands play your instrument.
Speaker: He picks up your verse
Speaker: and your kind of chord structure. And while you could only perform two verses, Prego plays for two hours detailing the deeds of 12 lifetimes spent with that man. And, Alpha, you learn more about this father than you have ever thought imaginable.
Speaker: You learn about his penchance for dance, his quick witch, his near love affair with the queen of the Herald Empire.
Speaker: the time that he almost made it to be the lead guildsman amongst Clan Shadow Shield.
Speaker: Great feats, exciting tales.
Speaker: Twelve lives of Emron layered together and meshed together that still center around one man and one set of values. And one undeniable, resolute will, pardon the pun, that Emron had.
Speaker: And after that's kind of performed, cast down that, uh, prego exhausted,
Speaker: kind leaves the group a little bit, just kind of finds his own space, but kind of hums the tune that you wrote, Carsten, and just lies on his back and stares at the still nightmare.
Speaker: And over the course of these few hours, there's a few more quakes, but nothing kind of um pulls you out of that that that state of rest, but enough to keep you feeling threatened and and on the edge
Speaker: there anyone else who would like to do anything during this rest? Farok? Farok will at one point come over and he'll try and ah sit between Alpha, Baal, Seth and Nyx.
Speaker: And he will just, while he's finishing off some stew, go to Nyx.
Speaker: I don't know how your magic works. Are you able to get a message to the severed compass? ah
Speaker: No.
Speaker: i just wanted them to get into open waters away from any kingdoms. They will.
Speaker: It's about right. i misspoke when I said we should give our lives. We're crew. We have, if you'll have me on your ship, places is to go when this is done.
Speaker: I'd like to see the world and I would very much hope that we could all see together.
Speaker: I mean, Savi Tharok, you're in. you Congratulations, you made the cup. Would be willing and very happy to have you at our side.
Speaker: as you you You too, Alpha. This...
Speaker: I and I lost my clan fighting the Blight. and This is my family now. and This is our clan.
Speaker: And we have each other.
Speaker: Our crew, I should say. Crew, right? That's what we are.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Sorry. It's
Speaker: the... Emron, right? Yeah.
Speaker: Alpha, what the fuck? Like, you're so quiet, man. I just need... i need... What's going on?
Speaker: It's difficult for me to... Accept.
Speaker: Accept.
Speaker: Reigns and Emron have been a staple from the very moment I was brought into this world.
Speaker: Losing Reigns was the hardest challenge that I've ever had in my life. And losing Emron,
Speaker: losing both of them, has it's made me feel... I feel so empty. There is a void inside myself that, I don't know, I feel hollow. I feel the energy, the spark that gave me life has dissipated and gone.
Speaker: This whole world just feels more barren without them. I am still pleased that I have all of you, Seth, Tharok, Baal, Nix, but
Speaker: they were something very special to me. Family. I understand.
Speaker: i feel hollow, not in the way that you do. i won't pretend to know the depths of your feelings, but
Speaker: I just can't get out my head that everyone's gone. Like, yeah
Speaker: we don't even like avoid, avoid, avoid. That's what we've been told. He's in a void of nothingness. Right. So what we can't fish him out. There's no, there's no deal to be made. There's no greater power, no greater entity. There's,
Speaker: I am one of the first modern versions of my kind. Who knows what capabilities I might have in the future? I don't even know if I have an age span.
Speaker: But that's pretty cool. If there is a way to bring Emron back from that droid, I will find it.
Speaker: If I'm still around hundreds of years from now, I will find a way to bring him back.
Speaker: See, that's the most hopeful thing that I've heard this entire day. The game has changed, Nix. We all know this.
Speaker: After tomorrow, who knows what the future may hold.
Speaker: Seth,
Speaker: you you were the only one of us, the undying champions who was there with Emron. Did he say anything? He i did such so so sounds silly, but I kind of looked at him as the leader of this group. Did he have any final messages for us?
Speaker: Co-captain. You're the captain. You're the you're severed compass captain. Yes, true. But Emron was a moral compass in the sense that our captain was perhaps a severed one.
Speaker: No, he did not say anything. But there was a look in his eye. We all knew what was going to happen. If he didn't do it, we were all dead.
Speaker: And he made a decision. He made the choice that I think most of us would have made if we were in his position.
Speaker: I don't know if I'm reading into it too much. I've replayed this moment in my mind many times over the last few hours.
Speaker: But I swear I saw a quiet...
Speaker: Like, I don't know the words to describe it. Like a calmness. Like, he knew we were watching him and he didn't want us to worry.
Speaker: A smile almost, not like a weird smile, but just like a, it'll be okay. I'll be fine. Don't worry.
Speaker: But fuck, i'm I'm saying I saw all that in a tiny, tiny bit of time, a flash.
Speaker: But it stays with me, you know? clings to me.
Speaker: That's the last image I have of that man. And that's the one I will keep. Not the angel form, but the man, the broken, morally ambiguous man who I'm pretty sure I drew more blood from him and I together between us both than any than any other person I have known in my fucking life.
Speaker: But he stood by his morals, as broken as they were sometimes. And he made a choice.
Speaker: And it sounds like that's going to be up down for later on anyway. So I think I'm just happy that he managed to make his own choice and stick to it.
Speaker: So now he didn't say anything. Then that's what we do, right? Emron made the right choice and stuck with it. We get up there and whatever the right choice is, we, the undying champions, not them, we make the right choice and we stick with it.
Speaker: Yeah. I agree. That brings one final point then. Since there were no final words from Emron, there's only one person here who could tell us what Emron would say.
Speaker: Alpha. Look inside. What would he say? be honest, I would normally jump at the chance to speak for Emron.
Speaker: But since the death of Reigns, it's been... a bit tempered between us. And to be perfectly honest, there is still somebody in this group that seems to have known Prego a lot longer than, sorry, knows Emron a lot longer than myself, which is Prego.
Speaker: I listened like a childhood story time to his playing and memories of Prego. Emron, Christ, I cannot get that right.
Speaker: If I may, I do believe it would be suitable to just bring him into this
Speaker: little conversation of ours and get his opinion.
Speaker: Is everyone okay with that? We made him a member of the Undying Champions. Yeah.
Speaker: feel like we should. I feel like, like, you know, bygones, big bygones and all of that. Plus, plus, wouldn't be a bad idea idea to have someone with infernal capabilities on our team.
Speaker: Very true, but that's for tomorrow. Alpha's going to stand up and just walk over to Prego, who is I'm presuming is still lying, looking up at the Steel Nightmare, and just sit down next to him for a moment.
Speaker: We are just having a conversation, the Undying Champions, about Emron and...
Speaker: what his final words may have been in those moments before he gave himself. If you would be interested, and I understand if it is hard, but I would value your opinion on a man you knew much better than I.
Speaker: Would you care to join us?
Speaker: I've watched that man die many times.
Speaker: I've heard many last words.
Speaker: I can't bring myself to hear them again.
Speaker: But I know,
Speaker: and know from watching him in this cycle, where he thought me a villain, And he wells up at that.
Speaker: And that breaks my heart. But I know in this lifetime,
Speaker: his last thought would have been of you, Alpha.
Speaker: He walked into that decision with concern for you. I know that.
Speaker: And he'll have held that.
Speaker: I don't know if that brings you comfort, but...
Speaker: You... You were his last thoughts. You were probably even his last word.
Speaker: Considering the situation, there is not much comfort to be derived, but... I still thank you, and...
Speaker: For what it's worth,
Speaker: before we departed from Goldport Keep.
Speaker: I do believe that he was very adamant about resting you, putting the past in this cycle in the past, and making the most of now.
Speaker: Whether he was as close to this cycle as what he has been previously, i i I'm afraid I just don't know, but he was adamant about saving you Because he trusted me.
Speaker: He trusted in what I was saying. He trusted in what Delmont revealed. He trusted that he had a bond. We couldn't make a bond in this cycle because that was not ah the role I was supposed to play.
Speaker: I think I did all my grieving the last time I lost him.
Speaker: I couldn't get it close to him this time. You were a friend in the end of it all, Prego.
Speaker: I hope that maybe brings you some comfort.
Speaker: We got here.
Speaker: did what I needed to do. and needed to give us one more chance to stop this thing and I've done it.
Speaker: It's up to all of us now.
Speaker: It was a very agonizing 70 years.
Speaker: in A very lonely 70 years where I could not reach out to anyone.
Speaker: And we lost some people. gained new people.
Speaker: But we made it. Difficult decisions had to be made by all of you.
Speaker: Things you loved that you had to let go of. Things that you didn't love that you had to prioritize.
Speaker: we just need to make sure all the sacrifices for Memron and everybody else is not wasted. There's anything, anything left,
Speaker: is that I still have doubt over Drago. I still think he's a risk.
Speaker: Instead of having doubt over Drago, put your faith in Seth. He's proven himself honorable person while I've been traveling with him, and if indeed you've made a pact, then he'll will see it through to the very end.
Speaker: I know he will. I feel guilty for putting him into yet another position where he has to make a pact with me.
Speaker: We've all made pact with you, Prego. It seems to be a trait of the Undying Champions at this moment in time. I just wish it wasn't so ugly. But then
Speaker: I learned from the best how to twist each of your nipples, so to speak. That's an interesting phrase to choose. ah That's an Emronism.
Speaker: He didn't say it so much this cycle. <unk>m I'm not aware of him saying it this cycle, but I'm not with him for a lot of the time anyway.
Speaker: wish you could have seen him dance. Oh, the fun we had.
Speaker: But no. My answer is that his last words and thoughts would have been you.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: Rest up, Prego.
Speaker: Big day.
Speaker: I'm going to just give it a couple of seconds and stand up and move back over to the rest of the undying champions sat around the fire.
Speaker: Prego believes that His last words, thoughts, possibly just of myself, which is very much like Emron. Always thinking of somebody else rather than himself.
Speaker: The only only thing that I can possibly think of, advice maybe, that Emron would have gave as we go into tomorrow.
Speaker: Don't fuck it up.
Speaker: To put it as bluntly as what I can.
Speaker: Well, shit, that was like he was right here, Alpha. You've been holding on us. That was amazing. I'm learning more about pitch and tempo, but this is a more comfortable speaking pattern for me.
Speaker: And so...
Speaker: You move into a state of retiring.
Speaker: And as you have the most unnerving and uncomfortable night in your adventure to date, you complete your long rest without maybe a couple more moments of fun.
Speaker: Nyx. No, Drago. Whilst others are sleeping. a moment for you.
Speaker: Thank
Speaker: for bringing me back. I know it wasn't you, but... I got a strong sense that Prego is not my biggest fan, so... it's not a big leap... to think that I'm here because of you.
Speaker: Yeah, he very much wanted you to stay dead. actually thought I was talking to Carsten. I think I must have taken one, two hits to... Too many hits to the head. Oh. No, no, it makes sense.
Speaker: Did you bring me back? Me? Yeah, did you want me to come back? Yeah, i told Prego to bring you back. Do you want to talk to Carsten about this? It feels like I'm... Carsten just sort of sat there like... He's right there.
Speaker: thought Thought this was... Go back to sleep, Seth. Yeah. Anyway. o
Speaker: I won't lie, Drago. I begged him to bring you back.
Speaker: I wasn't ready to lose you. after folly, after Claude, when wasn't ready to lose you as well. hear you. hear you.
Speaker: And I know you said to that Seth and everyone were saying, like, no, but go go we had a he had a plan. You said we should all stay, you know, one falls. We keep going. That was the plan.
Speaker: The problem was, I think, the conditions were different. I trust that. Emron did what he thought was right at the time, given the information that he had.
Speaker: I was ready to
Speaker: go instead, i won't lie.
Speaker: between you and me, I'd rather you be here.
Speaker: I know. But, you know, we all we all have a time and I don't think it's yours yet, almost certainly. um Some of us have... I was ready, Drago, just in case I needed to be because, you know, that's that's that's the next stage after this life. But I'm here and that's what I've hoped I made my peace.
Speaker: Well... As far as tomorrow goes, we need to stick together.
Speaker: Yeah, just saying I think we can take him if it kicks off. Just saying.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't disagree.
Speaker: and need you up there with me. Oh, oh um um um the ah ah how are you feeling? Sort of.
Speaker: Yeah. You're still looking a bit peaky, I won't lie. I haven't come to terms with it. And my ego is more than a little bruised. I didn't stand a chance, Carsten.
Speaker: yeah like It took everything to scratch him. And there is a
Speaker: a new feeling inside me. When I think of Toglone, I'm not comfortable with this feeling.
Speaker: i mean, we've all been in situations where we've bitten off more than we can chew. It's okay. um We've all been there. um
Speaker: It's okay. we we'll we'll We'll get through this. um And, you know, get to kill a dragon again. Yeah, it's always one more battle.
Speaker: That's fun. Can ask, did you see anything when you were, you know, dead?
Speaker: Drago breaks eye contact, not in a discomfort way, but in a way where he's trying to access that part of his mind where his memories reside. And he closes his eyes.
Speaker: And he speaks to you with his eyes closed.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's like Akiva found me in the darkness.
Speaker: And my soul was
Speaker: put in the place where our fallen friends were.
Speaker: had a sense that Claude was there. I've always got a sense that Claude is there. I've got sense that Folly was there.
Speaker: It was warm, comforting.
Speaker: got the sense that I could have stayed if I wanted. sorry we had to ask you to come back from that.
Speaker: I'm not. Job's not done.
Speaker: Hey, at least it's reassuring that Claud and Folly are waiting for us, you know, just saying... you know I'm not afraid of Death, Carstan, nor should you be. it's It's the next great adventure.
Speaker: Just wish there was... um
Speaker: I wish they were here on the eve of yet another world-ending battle. I do too, because you know what?
Speaker: Folly could really do some damage. He was really cool. Yeah. And you know what? I miss Claude too. He was awesome.
Speaker: He was the best guy I knew. I miss his teddy bear.
Speaker: But yeah, thanks.
Speaker: Thank you for coming back. I know it was probably, you say it wasn't hard, but I can't imagine being in your shoes in that situation. But
Speaker: everyone made a sacrifice that I was prepared to do. You came back so very dead. That not something I could have lived with.
Speaker: I have to make my peace with Emron sacrificing himself. I'm a bit tired of people sacrificing themselves for me. He looked pretty smug about as well. He was like, going to get one over at Drago. I don't know. he You know what he's like.
Speaker: but We don't know what he's like. We barely knew him. no Something about that dream, though, is bugging me. Gone?
Speaker: If all of this has happened before,
Speaker: What does it mean that we are surrounded by this? Drago gestures to the hellfire landscape and the and the rows and rows of graves.
Speaker: What are we actually saving here?
Speaker: From my understanding of everything, and don't get me wrong, it's been an absolute mindfuck the whole journey. um
Speaker: I think we're making the best out of a bad situation, I think. with all the cycles and whatever Prego said, and when we talked about it as part of the the winged watch, the cycles are, well, they are what they are and things change and different decisions are made. And and we have made decisions. Like we've, we've, we've changed things. We've changed the nature of the game for the better. Cause if, if it's something new, then it's something that Veritas can't,
Speaker: can't prepare for we're not being predictable this well that's that's my fault i i fucked it up with chandrella car i still stand by what i did i still well yeah you were put in an impossible situation you did the best you could and you have saved far more lives than you have killed yeah
Speaker: a shame about the mess I left when I left. when when yeah I left when I was left, but oh well. She's going to be dead anyway. Yeah, exactly. Me and you tomorrow. We've got to fight with a dragon.
Speaker: Your brother might want in on that, just just saying. We'll get Saingar in, we'll get Robin in, we'll get Ren in. I'm just saying.
Speaker: Oh yeah, wait who we'll take the dragon. I am going to be ready to take that dragon. That dragon shat all over me once. My turn to play. Okay.
Speaker: And as far as any decision goes... And Drago just lowers his voice.
Speaker: Do what you gotta do I trust you.
Speaker: Cuss and just nods.
Speaker: and using whisper of using message, sorry just whispers so that only a Drago can hear. I'll do what i have to to I'll save Eryth and they won't be able to stop me if try.
Speaker: With that silence.
Speaker: And the sleep. You wake up at dawn, fully rested. Drago, you now suffer minus three to everything rather than minus four as you're still under the fatigue of that resurrection. Okay. Fuck.
Speaker: and I forgot about that. I'm fighting a dragon today. Can we just like change that around? Everything you roll deducts a three. Okay. oh lot Everything rolls at d20.
Speaker: okay
Speaker: And and ah for the other half of my campaign character, we leveled up. yeah And everyone of the Undying Champions leveled up too. And we'll we'll get the kind of... I know I've sprung in mid-episode, so we'll get we'll get the updates of that at the start of the next episode.
Speaker: Ooh, tasty! But you wake the next morning and Prego is kind of ah up with the lark. Not that you can tell it's morning, your body clock just kind of gives you a sign because the the kind of the skies are broken and and clouds are constant and light is low.
Speaker: Everyone kind of scoops up the remainder of the provisions that Therok set out from their meal from the evening before and
Speaker: marking out a circle again in preparation for transportation is Prego. And as all kind of go about your morning routines, is there anything you do before he starts his spell?
Speaker: cost Yes. Karstan's going to cast Hero's Feast. Okay. I'm going to spend a 6th level spell slot on Hero's Feast. So a feast appears that can feed 12 people.
Speaker: um And every creature that partakes gains several benefits that last for the next 24 hours. The creature has resistance to poison damage, has immunity to the frightened and poisoned conditions, and its hit points are increased by two d ten nice Do you want to roll the Yes, I will roll the 2D10. Nice.
Speaker: How about for the next 24 hours? Next 24 hours. You get all these benefits. Great. so i'll I'll pass on this, Will. Thank you.
Speaker: Okay. I don't eat or drink. I can't take a pot of it. so yeah um You can still consume, can't you? i know you don't require You can masticate. Yeah. Right. everyone everyone Everyone's hit points, your hit point maximum, and you also gain increases by 14 for the next hours.
Speaker: And you also gain 14 hit points to fill. That's your maximum increases. So whenever you get healing, it's not like these go away and that's it. You keep getting, can be topped up to this the next 24 hours. Cool.
Speaker: As I say, you are immune to, um I'll put the... Shits on chit's on the leftovers the Therok prepared. Yeah. Therok just discreetly tips his bowl out and just takes stuff eating the hero's feast. He's like, he sees this and he's just very discreetly just tips out the bowl and then just starts helping himself to the feast. It's a new villain arc.
Speaker: Therok's coming back. You're the Gordon Ramsay of this. I was like, the the resistance and immunities is quite useful there. yeah
Speaker: Okay, so once everyone's kind of had this immaculate, opulent feast,
Speaker: Prego begins to draw you all in, into this ring. This kind of 15-foot diameter ring that you can just all about squeeze into.
Speaker: I'll wait for you all to step forward and declare you're stepping into it.
Speaker: Seth steps in.
Speaker: Very quickly, followed by Alpha. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Farrell looks at everyone and goes, together then, and steps in.
Speaker: Nick steps in. We're holding Baal's hand. You know it. Yeah, baby.
Speaker: Karstan pulls out his Lameton Rapier, gives it a flick. It lights on fire. The end game. He steps into the circle.
Speaker: Okay, let's do this. Drago steps in.
Speaker: Prego just says, weapons drawn, we're likely landing quickly and fiercely. begins to continue to conjure up this kind of blue veil of light.
Speaker: And just as it's kind of reaching that crescendo before you move,
Speaker: Drago, could you make a wisdom saving throw, please? Fucking bollocks to you. I knew this was coming. with them With a minus three.
Speaker: Followed by a minus four. So minus seven overall to whatever you roll. With Prego's warning as well, I'll activate beta just so you're aware. Wisdom saving throw minus seven, yeah? Yep.
Speaker: Fuck off, I don't want to do it. This is Sparta! Oh, you're sick. Rolling. Can I give him guidance? You don't know this is happening. Okay.
Speaker: This is subtle spelled. Damn it. That's a 19 minus 7. Does that make a 12? Quick maths.
Speaker: You're under the effects of suggestion. You think right now is a fantastic idea to step out the circle and go by a tree and say a long prayer to Akiva.
Speaker: And you have to follow that instruction. There is a split second where you all see Drago leave the circle. Anyone want to do anything? um Yes. I'll be like,
Speaker: Fuck me. A split second. well I will emphasize the split second element of the instruction. Okay. I'll step out with it.
Speaker: And the circle disappears along with Alpha, Baal, Nyx, Seth, Darok, Prager the Majestic.
Speaker: Drago you beeline for a treat and you spend the next four hours deep in prayer.
Speaker: And that's where we're going to end this week's episode of The Fellowship of the Tabletop. Bellum Draconis. Oh. Oh. We have all just let one of our but like best vines walk out. that we Still got teleport ready. It's okay. I've still got teleport prepped. Teleporting us back up.
Speaker: That fucking minus seven. i Bullocks. Couldn't even counter charm that shit. Oh.
Speaker: And similarly to what happened to Drago, suggest that you all tune in and listen to us next week while we look to continue our final adventures into the end of this campaign. As always, thank you for listening. We appreciate and love you all. See you next week.
