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C3 Episode 85 Something Wicked Chapter Five
267 Plays4 days ago
This is the druid?
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Transcript
Introductions and Podcast Welcome
00:00:04
Speaker
the Everon campaign setting. I am your game
00:00:19
Speaker
master, Eric. I'm Mia. and welcome to everron renewed natural play podcast at the everron campaign setting i am your game master eric i mia I'm Phillip.
00:00:31
Speaker
I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode.
Recap of Previous Episode: Wandsmiths and Mabarin Energy
00:00:37
Speaker
What happened last time? Ron Burgundy. Well, that is a question. good Yeah. Seriously, what happened last time?
00:00:45
Speaker
Right. We talked with people as we often do, um which is to say, eventually getting around to the point and getting the information that we need.
00:00:57
Speaker
We found out that the local Wandsmiths are fiddling with Mabarin energy in their excavations of the lumber.
00:01:11
Speaker
And it seems like it's at the behest of the mysterious magistrate bound that we still have not officially seen proof of life for.
Meeting Fashion, the Druid
00:01:19
Speaker
Yeah, and it looks like the forest is not happy with that. And it is completely rejecting whatever asset was planted. Yeah, and you all were headed to go see Fashion, whose name has come up a couple of times now.
00:01:37
Speaker
Yes, our friendly neighborhood Truett. He is a neighborhood druid. Don't worry, his elf will make another friend. ah Yeah. Winning personality.
00:01:49
Speaker
So, you all reach the outskirts of town and you see a massive hollowed out mound of earth and petrified wood that has a door-shaped hole.
00:02:02
Speaker
Yeah. The... exterior of the mound is completely barren of vines or flowers i but it is crawling with fist sized iridescent beetles oh all over and you get ace though the wind catches as you approach and you get nose full of ammonia damp earth and bitter herbs on the he should get closer but just does it look like the the The flora just does not grow there.
00:02:34
Speaker
Does it look like the beetles are chewing it back? It's been hacked a back. I'm just wondering if he seems immune to the overgrowth. it It looks like the the mound is devoid of any nutrients that would allow plant life to grow in that soil.
00:02:54
Speaker
Got it. Okay. Yeah. What's the door? there There is a door-shaped hole, but there is no door in the hole. So I could presumably just walk in if wanted to.
00:03:05
Speaker
Well, I'm not knocking on a beetle-covered door jam, too. I'll knock on the beetle-covered door jam. They're just bugs. Gross. You just kind of shove them around everything.
00:03:21
Speaker
Just bugs. What do you mean? but Apparently don't have issues with bugs. Zuck is going to attempt a knock. it would And then probably audibly announce the presence of visitors at the doorway.
00:03:41
Speaker
Should anybody want to appear before breaking and, and well, not really breaking, but just answering.
00:03:52
Speaker
breaching um as you kind of knock on the door frame and are calling in there's silence and then after a moment a figure drops into sight you see hold in front of you a massive dog-sized praying mantis drops from the ceiling and screeches at you.
Fashion's Advice on Forest Disturbances
00:04:19
Speaker
It's ah like mouth chomping.
00:04:24
Speaker
And it takes a step towards you, Val. I mean, just going to put my hands up. It's just this little garden dog. It's like... Who's a good boy? It's a good woman but what are What are the rest of your reactions to a giant praying mantis? Philip, you're muted.
00:04:41
Speaker
I'd like to take out the carcass of a male praying mantis and offer it to a tree. No, Nyx takes a half step back and and brings out a weapon because this large thing has just startled her.
00:04:55
Speaker
Yeah, i scream and goodbye, Nyx. A voice comes from the back of the hut that says, Snips! Down! Snips. Snips. d And the praying mantis takes couple steps back as you see a large, burly human man but with a long, belly-length beard, shaved head, wearing overalls with no shirt underneath.
00:05:20
Speaker
As walks out, he says, Down! Down! Go! Go away! Who are you? What do you want? oh We're delete here helping to resolve the whole... everything...
00:05:35
Speaker
We did so. Use for your words that are clear. We understand that your advice was not taken by the Wandsmiths Guild. le Yes, they are done. Agreed. Yeah. shoot We want to know where they went.
00:05:49
Speaker
Come in, don't stand outside. And he turns as, uh, he gestures you all to come further into his hut. And you see on his upper arm near his shoulder is the mark of handling of House of Adelis.
00:06:07
Speaker
But his skin around the mark is branded pretty deeply. in a way that would be clear to you all that it marks him as an exile of the house, because you can't damage the actual marks. So they got to, yeah.
00:06:23
Speaker
In which house? House Vedalus. Find seat. Sit. are there There's like one stool. Nix leans against the wall of the mound and folds her arms. Kaz will sit on the floor.
00:06:34
Speaker
yeah it' is it like Is it also crawling with beetles, actually? There there are bugs wandering around. Beetles form themselves into a chair. youre fifty Yeah, where Snips is sniffing Kaz as he sits down on the ground.
00:06:48
Speaker
um if Bugs don't do that. He's rubbing his antennae on against Kaz. I hate all of this. Yeah, where is like Alondra, the druid that you met that tended the beautiful garden and had flowers and stuff everywhere?
00:07:04
Speaker
Vashon has like mushrooms, like a lot of fungus and mold growing, some moss here and there, and then ah just a lot of bugs. e You do see a toad sitting on one of the tables just staring at you all, but it seems like this toad has been mage bred to where it's got like plates of tree bark armor all over it Battletoads.
00:07:28
Speaker
So, please tell me it's a mount. mean, for someone it could be. I didn't write down. What is this druid? Is he a gnome as well? I thought we met a lot of gnomes in this trip. Human.
00:07:41
Speaker
He's human, okay. I missed. play human So, other than talking about how stupid Wandsmiths are, what do you want? Well, we'd like to know where they went in the forest because they were apparently going to plant something.
00:07:54
Speaker
Yeah. They wanted to go get things from the forest, from the Whispering Gops, which is the bad spot of the Dancing Forest. Always has been. Everyone knows this. You don't go there. but What makes it bad?
00:08:11
Speaker
People go in. They don't come out. Things that come out are big and eat you. Oh. All right. Smart people don't go there.
00:08:20
Speaker
Do you know what they wanted to plant there? I know nothing about planting anything. They… I thought they… they were convinced that good reagent grow there.
00:08:32
Speaker
I tell them that is wrong. They did not believe me, so they went anyway. Right. We have reason to believe they attempted to plant something in the whips… in the Whispering Corpse.
00:08:44
Speaker
They were holding something like a wooden glowing orb and then potentially attacked one of the scouts. You might have to look for it. Wooden glowing orb. Makes no sense.
00:09:03
Speaker
They were carrying it. Do you know why they were carrying it? Our only information suggests to plant it. so it Perhaps it's some sort of seed. In Whispering Cops, the trees go bigger, are animals bigger,
The Forest's Reaction and Druidic Insights
00:09:17
Speaker
seeds are bigger.
00:09:18
Speaker
So if they were once alive, well, darkness is typically what you find there in the center of Dancing Forest. So whatever they were trying to plant there certainly did not belong there.
00:09:29
Speaker
Are the trees usually alive in this area? Like moving? Not like not. Yes, like up moving sentient.
00:09:41
Speaker
Walking trees? Yes. Ah, well, there have been worth, like, tales of these. And powerful druids can make trees get up and walk around.
00:09:53
Speaker
But trees just being able to do it ambiently is not common. Lamania influence? Perhaps this changes things. Never been to Lamania. Would like to go.
00:10:05
Speaker
but want to go where I know how to get back. You don't think that what's happening right now is Lemania reaching over into Eberron? Potentially, but much more likely that it's just Lemania influence causing our plane to become like it rather than Lemania directly coming over.
00:10:25
Speaker
The animals, yes. Wolf-sized rabbits, that takes time to breed into rabbits. I've only gotten bigger as small cat, but it's easier.
00:10:37
Speaker
And he points at the toad. It's a nice toad. It's a big toad. Yes, and he's strong. Oh. Cool. His name is Roger. Hi, Roger.
00:10:49
Speaker
Roger. No. No. Yes, that is me. Yeah. Okay, buddy. eight If that they did something in the Whispering Cops that is causing what's happening, and we wanted to undo it so that the forest could go back to the way that it was,
00:11:20
Speaker
without swallowing the town. How would we get there? Well, stupid thing would be to go into forest. Yeah. Smart thing would be smart thing would be to just move. Well, we don't plan to live here, so...
00:11:34
Speaker
Well, tell everyone else to. I do not know what one's misplanted. I do not know why they planted it there or what it is doing. You could intru introduce a blight into the forest that would kill whatever was planted, but that would cause additional damage to the forest. But that would be a way to not go into Dancing Forest.
00:11:53
Speaker
So smarter. Right. But suppose that we are going to go into the Dancing Forest. How do we reach the Whispering Cops? We have a map. Well, maps maps may not help.
00:12:05
Speaker
Forest is a lie. Forest moves. Game trails are not consistent and will try to push you away. Stupid idea. And he gets up and walks over to lockbox and, opens it. He pulls out a jar that has...
00:12:22
Speaker
like rotting mushrooms growing in it and mold jesus this will kill overgrowth couldn it overgrowth will try to divert you so if you open this it will Kill what blocks the path.
00:12:39
Speaker
This will help you find the center of the whisper... in the dancing forest. And the whispering cups. I think this is bad idea. And I think you should not do this. I'm gonna take that anyways.
00:12:51
Speaker
Dusty. I think you should figure out who wanted the thing planted. And ask the idea of how to plant it. And then ask them to stop it. And fix their own mistake.
00:13:04
Speaker
Well, it's the magistrate. interesting He's going to the forest and fix his own mistake. that That kind of guy's not big on accountability. He also has warded his home.
00:13:15
Speaker
out I warded my home. Only smart people ward home, apparently. Yeah. ah She wanted to... No. She wanted to what? Right. Well... We're going to leave that thought unfinished? Or... it' you know Yes.
00:13:30
Speaker
Everyone got quiet very quickly. Now I just... I stopped checking. turning them I've been quiet. I'm staring at the toad. And the toad stares back into you Yeah, that's exactly right.
00:13:42
Speaker
I got caught in one of those big blank eyeballs. If you would like more help, I will give you help. But I think it is bad idea to go... Help would be... Great, but I'm also do you trying to heed your warning and think of a potentially remote way as it's solving this problem. and Do you know what is the... don't know you said Lamania, it sounds like Lamania, but what is the animating property of the forest that we've that they've crossed to make it angry? And is there a way to appease it short of a gathering of, you know...
00:14:22
Speaker
druids to appeal to it or something. well Because if we can calm it down, maybe we can just let it know what we're trying to to undo the thing has been done. If you disrupt the ecosystem, then typically ecosystem is trying to fight back against the invading force.
00:14:40
Speaker
So if you figure out, obviously, the forest is trying to take over town because town did something dumb and planted something where it should not be. But it's not attacking where the thing was planted.
00:14:53
Speaker
It's not going inward to try and destroy. So there is something in the town that the forest needs to destroy. Maybe, or maybe it's just growing rapidly and the town was already invading forests. There was forest here before there were people and it's trying to take the land back.
00:15:11
Speaker
Who knows? But that would be be my thinking. Okay. Find pattern in plants. Where are they growing? What are they trying to get to? Blow up the magistrate's tower and it's always the couch.
00:15:23
Speaker
Maybe. i don't bother with the magistrate. He does not bother with me. Probably for a good reason. Well, thank you for your time, Tink.
00:15:35
Speaker
You are welcome. I hope you do not do the stupid thing. Out curiosity, if you were to offer help, what help would that have? I mean, I can go into town and help you identify the plants or what's going on with them. I could offer you some services in terms of my druidic abilities.
00:15:54
Speaker
I already gave you that jar of blight, which is very cool. Yeah, it's a nice jar. So I will not go into the dancing forest because that would be what a stupid person does. And I am not stupid.
00:16:05
Speaker
Toshin is smart. Have you already spoken to the plants that I've entered? I don't... I'm... Some people... They speak to plants.
00:16:17
Speaker
That's all that... You want another kind of druid to speak to the plants. I dissect the plants. Eat the plants. I can read the plants.
00:16:28
Speaker
I talked to plant ones. They are very talkative, and they have nothing to say. Oh. That's all they... beautiful Have you read plans? I do not go into town.
00:16:40
Speaker
Town does not want me. I do not want town. But I will go in there and dwell if I must. Might be useful for a quick read. Yes, we're on the way to Well, I do not want Dala to leave. Dala gives me health, and I like Dala's health. So if this keeps Dala here, then I will stay.
00:17:00
Speaker
Yeah, we can swing back there and stay of vines and overgrown peaches and tomato ones. Yeah, Dala definitely doesn't seem to want to leave. So I think if we figure this out, she will stay.
00:17:15
Speaker
And it's in a neutral place that you are no least okay with being. If you don't mind. No, I do not mind. I offered. Can I pat your toe? Is it... in um Just do not lick your hand afterwards, but yes. Oh, okay. Probably not then.
00:17:34
Speaker
Oh, no, you can. though thought I have a habit of just touching random stuff, so probably not. You have a habit of licking your hand? Is that what told you could not do? No, mean, like, sometimes if you just, like, oh, no, you touch your face, and then, like, now you're poisoned. You not wash your hands? I mean, did do you have, I have it seem like a sink in here? i have a basin of water.
00:17:57
Speaker
so i bet it I'll do that. Pet the toad, and I guess wash my hands. Mixed to parts. can Your friend is rude. Yeah.
00:18:09
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sticking around to watch that get toad high. So much competitive. So are you asking Vashen to come with you right now to the Silverstag are you going to come back? and I'm assuming we can go now and then probably regroup and see if... No, see if that's the best step.
00:18:30
Speaker
So... I think so. And send him back. All right. Snips, come. And the praying mantis drops back down to the ceiling and... Oh, that's gonna tear. Walks along his heel.
00:18:44
Speaker
I doubt it's the first time they've seen Snips. Doesn't mean it's any less terrifying. I'm just saying, as long as they can't blame the terror solely on us, I'm okay with it. So the question is, do we have sufficient evidence to force a confrontation with the Magistrate? Or do we need to break into his house? That's not forcing a confrontation.
00:19:08
Speaker
He never leaves his house. So if we break into it, we'll be forcing a confrontation. Possibly. I'm for it. To be clear, i I need to get to the bottom of this mysterious magistrate business as well as in addition to it's clearly where we're heading with all roads lead to the magistrate.
Strategizing Against the Magistrate
00:19:30
Speaker
It's a matter of, are we presenting evidence to captain Lyra? in order to legitimately acquire a... acquire an audience with the Magistrate.
00:19:42
Speaker
That will probably be at least to some degree on the terms of the Magistrate. Or are potentially getting arrested, breaking into the Magistrate's house? Did we get... did you get the sense from Elyra that she would be willing to go against the Magistrate?
00:19:58
Speaker
I think we may have to... ahead. She didn't seem overly fond of him. Well, sure. But putting that to pen and paper seems different, feels different.
00:20:12
Speaker
I don't know. the very least, it would be good to share the information. Sure, I think we can better know. Some of her soldiers have been killed. Yeah, yeah. I wish I could think of a cool way using the journal to draw the magistrate out.
00:20:26
Speaker
But, ah yes, certainly. Oh, that's a good idea. ahhan We talked about that for a while. Yeah, it's in a cool way, though. We had some patently stupid ways.
00:20:38
Speaker
think the only thing is finding it a believable way of saying that something has happened within the forest. That is... positive that we don't know what his motive is and what he did in order to have a believable enough outcome for him to leave his warded home into territory which he obviously knows he knows is probably trying to kill him.
00:21:06
Speaker
We could screw up some wards. Yeah, screw it up too bad though. Sometimes they like blow up up in the face. So, headed to the Silverstag? Yes. yesop Yep. Yes. Is it evident that the plants are trying to grow towards a particular part of town?
00:21:23
Speaker
If you take some time to investigate, you could probably ascertain whether or not that's true. X doesn't need another thematic meal, so she will walk around town and follow plant trails. Give me a wisdom check, or intelligence, next as you walk around.
00:21:41
Speaker
I don't think I have a relevant background, but just go from that wheel. That's going to be a 16. You can certainly tell that they're not growing towards the silver stag. eat Like the planes curve around on them themselves enough that you can tell that they are growing towards something in the town, but Nyx can't follow the trail well enough to like pinpoint exactly where.
00:22:04
Speaker
Because, you know, it's not like all of the vines are like pointing at a single thing. Like it's more about it than finding yeah the rough pattern. So Nyx broke away to go investigate the plant growing patterns. Is everyone else going to silver stag?
00:22:18
Speaker
think so. am. Okay. So, Vashen and Snips walk in to the Silver Stag, and he bellows, Dovin, I need a rabbit.
00:22:32
Speaker
And you hear ah a voice from behind the bar in the kitchen just go, Oh, what time of day is it? At this point, it's probably like late afternoon.
00:22:44
Speaker
Okay. Wednesday.
00:22:49
Speaker
invas And Vashen sees Dahl and is like, hello. i Some people came to my home, told me to come here to talk to you. but Well, no.
00:23:01
Speaker
Right here, man. To breath the read the plants. And this yeah is kind of a bonus trip. So, that one drink. Priorities. Dahl is just like, yes, Vashen, mead? Yes, mead.
00:23:14
Speaker
Blossom mead. Did you all have blossom mead? He said ale earlier, for the record. He said the Dala gives him ale to take home, but when he sits in, he likes to have a mead, because sometimes a fungus druid wants to be a fancy boy and have some mead.
00:23:30
Speaker
But he couldn't possibly take it home if he judged by Roger. All of the other patrons in the Silver Stag seem really bummed that Vox and Scary I believe it. Yeah. I have no trouble believing this. Did Snips have to stay outside?
00:23:47
Speaker
No, Snips came in. I guess there's no stopping them. It's a real, you know, typically when it says no pets, there's a sign of like a dog and a cat. There's no signs of giant praying mantis. so There's no rule that says a giant praying mantis can't come to the bar.
00:24:02
Speaker
And they're too afraid to make it a good... One of them disappeared. Three other meads. Oh, we're double dipping. Well, I guess I'll just take gases. I'll sip on a mead.
00:24:12
Speaker
Oh,
00:24:15
Speaker
You can sip on a mead, but you can't sit at the bar. I could have sat at the bar. I was just making a joke about being young. There is a bit of a bioluminescence like thing going on with the mead as it's handed to you. Very good.
00:24:30
Speaker
I help ingredients in mead. Oh,
00:24:35
Speaker
and he like holds his glass up and just downs half of the glass can't be any worse than the last time was going to drink it taste sweet hint of jasmine
00:24:50
Speaker
you immediately are very dizzy Okay. And your fingertips are a little numb. That's fine. I'll live. neighbors I hope. You like? it good? Delicious.
00:25:02
Speaker
Jasmine, I'm losing feeling in my extremities. Yes. no Yes. i think Vax can have a point. But not where he is. But not well. Yeah. That's not okay.
00:25:19
Speaker
think Selena was about to take a drink and then he sees all this and just lowers it back down. Oh, drink. I did say Kaz takes a sip of mead, so am I also afflicted?
00:25:31
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, your fingertips are little... I think I think i just pushed it like, that was great. I am done. That was wonderful. This is plenty for Kaz. And I start. as you As you push your drink away and bring your hand back, because you're up at the bar, there was like an additional like leftover glass nearby. You like in it like inadvertently like smack off the bar as you like gesture that you're fine. yeah Can I say, I took a long time trying to catch it, and it has already hit the ground. like I'm juggling nothing. Like, oh, oh, oh, oh. And it's fun.
00:26:05
Speaker
That means good drink. And Dala's just like, yes. So, Vasha's here to look at the plants. you Yes.
00:26:17
Speaker
Yes, you blitz. I'm just holding onto my chair. But there's too many blitz. Vasha grabs like the bowl of like nuts and pretzels that are on the bar and holds it down and Snip starts like eating from the bowl.
00:26:31
Speaker
Oh. He likes the salt. almost Okay. Those can roger the salt. yeah Has he done that to all the bulls?
00:26:42
Speaker
Dala looks at you and like shakes her head like behind Vasha, like, don't worry about it, kind of thing. Okay. All right. Belly full of mead, heart full of hope.
00:26:55
Speaker
Let's go read some plants. Head full of fish. no. And Vasha goes walking out of the Silver Stag with Snips trotting behind him. All right. going to do my best to follow the blonde head that is bobbing in front.
00:27:12
Speaker
Selena will walk behind Valk and Kaz and make sure they don't get lost. She was ahead of me. listening like I'm veering but correcting. I'm making it.
00:27:25
Speaker
Nyx, where did you like circle back for Silverstag or? Goodness, no. Nyx is going to follow the conclusion that she expected the evidence to lead her to like a good investigator and go to the governor's mansion
Observations on Mansion Security
00:27:39
Speaker
and case the joint. Okay.
00:27:41
Speaker
I want to notice, is there like, if I look at it long enough, is there like a distance at which there don't seem to be any overgrown plants approaching this building or things like that? I want to start to notice the security.
00:27:56
Speaker
So you, uh, just at first blush, looking at the magistrate's manner, it's surrounded by a 10 foot tall wrought iron fence and the plants grow up to that fence, but not at all beyond it. Additionally, you see, yeah as you look around,
00:28:20
Speaker
Well, actually, give me a wisdom check to further investigate. That's what you noticed just looking at Okie dokie. 22. You noticed that the pollen that's permeating the air...
00:28:33
Speaker
also does not drift over wrought iron fence. With that high of a check, you notice that both on the fence and then on the house, you get spot like small ruby red lines that are carved into them.
00:28:55
Speaker
That being... in the fence in the house? The fence in the house, yes. Nyx being a, uh, skilled and decorated black marketeer, you would recognize house condor acts work anywhere in terms of spell. You know, these would both keep out targeted entities. So if it were tuned to this plant life or something like that, but also they can act as an alarm system if triggered. gotta think about that. You can go back to the others.
00:29:26
Speaker
All right, so you all have Vautian assisting you, but we're going to try to read some plants. So you all as a collective group can make this check. So who has the highest wisdom modifier?
00:29:40
Speaker
i have a six. That's excluding my class. that Yes, just the modifier. Okay. I am an eight. have four. Okay. So Val can make the base check.
00:29:51
Speaker
Then sat grounds to read the plant life. Sorry, to be clear, my just the modifier is a four. I was adding level. Oh, just your modifier is a four.
00:30:02
Speaker
so Yeah. Oh, that's what I was doing. Is just your modifier a six? No, I'm sorry. Just my modifier is not that high. No, Valk beats me. Okay.
00:30:13
Speaker
i was doing plus level. I was just looking at the wrong space. My bad. Okay, so Valk and Slate to have the same wisdom modifier, I think? Yeah.
00:30:24
Speaker
right. You'll get a plus three from Boshan assisting you in this. And then most relevant background to apply to the role. Fae touched would be applicable. A lot of play life grows in fa wild. Paranormal investigator would also be applicable.
00:30:41
Speaker
What are the pluses for relevant backgrounds? Like paranormal investigators plus. What's Fae touched, Jeff? Fae touches four. Okay. So it sounds like we have a configuration amongst a group of a plus four wisdom and a plus four background and then plus three. So plus 11 to the roll.
00:31:00
Speaker
then you all are third level. So plus three. So 14. So if somebody wants to roll. We are fourth level. Fourth level. 15. I had to make sure I was right before I added myself for playing a level too high for a while. So if somebody wants to roll a and add 15 to it.
00:31:22
Speaker
Got it, Mia? Okay, I'll do it. If I can move that 10. Plus 15, 35. 75? Mm-hmm. All right, you all follow Vashen kind of trudging through the streets, following some of the larger vines in that life.
00:31:41
Speaker
um And he points out, like, see, this vine should loop back this way, naturally. But instead it goes this way.
00:31:54
Speaker
And so he starts following that bind after a bit of time, not to, uh, reinforce Nyx's shoddy investigative skills, but you do find yourselves going towards the magistrate's manor.
00:32:08
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. And you see Nyx already there. Um, option I thought that was going to be something a little bit more deep, but more in touch with nature, that ah but obviously not. It's fine. Cario. This is smart, Maddie.
00:32:22
Speaker
You don't leave house and don't go into forest. Well, i guess technically. Yeah. What's wrong with you? we mo I had mead. She did not.
00:32:34
Speaker
Any gestures at Strayman. Smart. Yep. Mead makes everything better.
00:32:46
Speaker
i think Valk's just going to be like, Nix, I don't think you're supposed to be inside that gate. It should come back out. oh Oh, I don't think Nix was inside the fence. That's the point.
00:32:58
Speaker
You're still dizzy. Oh. You're still dizzy. Well, you all have ceased being fun, so I'm going to go home. Yeah, we're going to go in there and get them. One and a half.
00:33:11
Speaker
That sounds stupid.
00:33:14
Speaker
I... was Okay. We're not going to... Alright, I think we need some time to regroup. so yeah What'd you say? so community family be cru yeah Apparently.
00:33:28
Speaker
oh How long is this going to last for Kaz, Kenny? He had an ASIP. You're fine. I would said you were a little dizzy and your fingers were numb. I didn't say you were sloshed.
00:33:39
Speaker
I know. That a chef choice. I so rarely get to do it, though. Kaz is already hungover. a lot i have a few notions on options. Okay.
00:33:51
Speaker
What are you
Debating Strategies to Confront the Magistrate
00:33:52
Speaker
thinking? We have, well, what we have here is a security system that's driving away the plants. It's probably also an alarm for anything coming over the fence. So if we just go over the fence, probably nothing terrible will happen to us, but he'll know.
00:34:07
Speaker
And i have no idea what countermeasures he's prepared to deploy. So we could do that. It is straightforward. I could do Just drop a fiend on the other side of the fence and see what happens. We could attempt to break the wards and watch the plants go.
00:34:31
Speaker
We could knock on the door and introduce ourselves as people who solve extraplanar problems and now offer it and offer our services. Hello.
00:34:41
Speaker
Through the paranoid man who can't leave his house because of an extra planar problem that has gotten out of hand. but Do you think we already are known to him? i have no idea.
00:34:53
Speaker
You know, i I mean, it's only been a couple of hours. He hasn't left the last entry in the journal. It's... Yeah. Unless he's got some sort of scrying all over the town.
00:35:09
Speaker
don't think so. And even so, what have we done since we got here that suggests that we are anything other than what we in fact are? People who solve problems.
00:35:22
Speaker
No, for sure. We are magic gets out of hand. I'm up for a disagreeable druid. That's not really incriminating. We snooped around Wandsmiths, though. With permission, though.
00:35:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I would be interested to see his reaction when we introduce ourselves and kind of how he responds to that, if he's willing to listen to us, take any help.
00:35:48
Speaker
I to know what he's thinking now, but it's obviously gotten out of control. Well, yeah. Are capable of a...
00:35:58
Speaker
obfuscating conversation yet. I can stay quiet. No. We're putting our conversation skills on a number scale.
00:36:12
Speaker
it 15. But I'm also not... fifteen but i'm also not I mean, I said just harassed random gnome on the train. I don't know. Who is it?
00:36:25
Speaker
Chatting to them people. I'm completely fine if you don't want to take the lead in in ah in a conversation. i just meant, are you good? In what context? Like, in general?
00:36:37
Speaker
Well, when you arrived, you hallucinated me into a different point in space. It's just a little bit. and then This is just a little dizzy. There's only, you're kind of merging together now.
00:36:50
Speaker
You're only like... You're like... Overlap. Just... It's okay. What time of day is it now? It's just been feedback. belt I mean... It's been like an hour since Philip asked that, so... Okay.
00:37:08
Speaker
Six o'clock? but Yeah. Dinner side Maybe we need to eat some dinner? Oh my gosh. I had. Was it a full rack or half rack of ribs? and It was a half rack. yeah I'm also wondering, the last thing that was written in the journal was, what's his face? What is his face?
00:37:36
Speaker
Elian? was elian say Was that it was the the text more along the lines of like, oh, this has all gone bad? It says, the canopy is swallowing the sky. The paths we cut yesterday are solid walls today. Vashen was right. The forest is changing our reality. We should have listened to the druid, but the magistrate's gold blinded me.
00:38:00
Speaker
Fuck. Well, I just find that that it would be hard to write something believable after that being like, the S that is planted. it You know, like, obviously, this person did not make it.
00:38:13
Speaker
vgar hate But we found it inside the work. Yeah, I don't think we can suddenly be like, Dear Diary, sorry, been a busy week. So, but i I guess, Eric, I'm confused on the timeline of that.
00:38:31
Speaker
Because if you, if the, because that sounded like it was written in the moment. so So how did the journal get backed out? Or did the person go back in? It seems like they like wrote that journal and then went back in and never made it back after that journal entry was.
00:38:47
Speaker
ten Is there a previous page that's mentioning that something was planted? Yeah, if you look at the journal, you find entries about them venturing out into the forest. um if and the overgrowth becoming too much for them to navigate.
00:39:04
Speaker
It seems like there is a lot of double speak and pretense in the entries until that last one where the desperation is set in for them to say things overtly like Vashon's name, like the magistrate's gold.
00:39:19
Speaker
Whereas before there was enough control to like smartly not put that kind of stuff down in writing. So yeah. ba yeah tu to talk But there is a timeline that you can put together of like them starting to venture out, trying to collect the reagents that they wanted, but there's no overt mention. They've brought something in or they've. Yeah. Of like the magistrate hired us to take this thing out there. Okay.
00:39:46
Speaker
Well, I was going to suggest putting that there was something successfully left behind or planted, but that also seems like that would cause a flag that there is now a third party with the... And it would be suspicious if we then a random group of investigators also show what that you're doing. Right.
00:40:09
Speaker
so that had to So... So... So... What did we do? I propose knocking on his door. Knock on the door. Presenting ourselves as the sort of people who do things for money, regardless of any judgment that we might feel about those things. Yeah. Yep.
00:40:27
Speaker
Excellent. Nyx turns around and bangs on the gate with her fist. Oh, okay. Oh, right now. We'll see what happens next time. Thank you all so much for listening. you want to be part of the conversation starting this episode, you can head over to our Discord, the link to which is in the show notes of this episode. We also have a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash speedpantheon. If you want to check out some TTRPG videos made by ma myself, Philip.
00:40:54
Speaker
On YouTube and Spotify, you can find us at Tales from the Laughing Tree, where you will be able to find Blades and Banners, another actual play that we have there. It's Pirates and Eberron. Thanks, Philly.
00:41:04
Speaker
We also have a patronlet Patreon. If you want to financially support the show, you can do so over there. Thank you all so much for listening. I've been your Game Master, Eric.
00:41:16
Speaker
I'm Mia. I quit. good I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. We'll see you next time.