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Ep. 165 Chrono Crossed - Bellum Draconis
16 Plays14 hours ago
Delmond continues to spin the stories, slowly unraveling a truth the group can no longer ignore—they’ve been here before. At least twelve times. Each cycle ends the same way: their past selves fail to save Erith. As the weight of their repeated failures sets in, the group must confront what they’ve been missing and decide what will make this attempt different. With time running thin and fate pressing in, the question isn’t whether they’ve failed before—but whether they can finally break the cycle.
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Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
Music kindly provided by Fesliyan Studios
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Possibly approximately 2,000 gold pieces, although I have no proper experience in negotiating bartering with the materials. Nick's can probably fund that because the rest of us gave our money to Sebastian. Oh, sure, sure.
00:00:13
Speaker
The pirate do it.
Introduction to Fellowship of the Tabletop
00:00:42
Speaker
Hello everybody, and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Bellum Draconis. We are a live play 5E 2024 D&D podcast set in the magical homebrewed world of Aerith in the Kingdom of Dralak, Sleek God, Hell, and the Steel Nightmare. Joining you for this week's episode, we have Darren, who plays the half-orc barbarian, Tharak Sunjari.
00:01:04
Speaker
You're not Ron. so Will, who plays the dragonborn druid, Bal Balcon. Where's Ron? Ian, who plays the tiefling wasserer Nyx Carell. Ron's gone wrong. Pubey, who plays the rules consultant human cleric Emron.
00:01:21
Speaker
I don't like change. We have Mark, who is playing the human blazing, Seth Faraheather, currently absent from the mic. And last, but by no means least, sorry, no, tell a lie, we have me, the apple pie, loving, smashing, edgelord Callum, who plays the ward forward artificer, Alpha.
00:01:39
Speaker
But of course, last but by no means least, is our maker of mischief, the great character narrator, our DMD of D&D, Dungeon Master, Danny. Bravo, Callum. You may have some inspiration.
00:01:51
Speaker
ah I mean, Mark does it better. Mark does do it better. Now mute your mic and just do what you normally do. Fine, cool. It's good for me. We'll see at the end, mate. Go back to being quiet now. Wait, no, you're missing a big... There's something that you've got to introduce now. You're missing something, Callum. You're not quite finished. Oh, yeah.
Mission Overview and Challenges
00:02:08
Speaker
Absolutely. what how How can I forget? um We move the camera over to a scenario that I haven't prepared for. and But let's say like it's an old girl. He's lounging around on a battered sofa, ah picking up little bits of ah pizza crusts from down all the crevices, just watching um the window and the world go by.
00:02:39
Speaker
I'm just going to take a bit of dust off this one with my toes. Ooh, mission improbable. Nyx gives Delmond a huggy hug, and Emron needs to take a step outside, as does Trace.
00:02:50
Speaker
It's sleeting and hailing outside, and Emron goes all to the go-port-keep forge, and he starts making some holy water. Seth finds him there, and they chat shit. Ascending Stone goes off, and Emron's parking. It's Drago, and he's like, I've returned from hell.
00:03:04
Speaker
Bitch! Rendezvous at Go-Pod Keep with Depart and Scorch Hill by road. Why is it hailing in the desert? And Del Montreith decides to drop some truth bombs. Every day we wait, the enemy gets stronger, he says. Don't wait for the full 47 days. No fucking shit! Alpha cannot go to the hells, apparently, because that would just lose the fucking game instantly. There's no Alito down there either, so that probably rules Elmron out. And also, there's no spider who fucking swims. It's hell, obviously. Baal, Tharok, and Seth could go.
00:03:38
Speaker
The Cronomance has made some sort of counter-alignment, some sort of series of daily events that sustain the nightmare is one of the things they mention, like maybe the midnight reset that Baal fucking found out before. Tolkelon's palace is cursing the nightmare to make a force field which blocks flesh and blown. Blown? What is blown? Nobody knows what blown is. Bone, though, cannot pass through oh this force field, and that's why Veritas turned all of the Gartrons to stone and metal.
00:04:04
Speaker
Hmm. The group suggested maybe the dragons could help. Ooh. Tolkelon's palace chamber can only be opened by a key, says Delmontrace. Turns out that key is held by none other than Eurion. Oh, shit. Prego is probably going to be in Tolkelon's palace as well. So what they need to do is get the key, turn off the curse, enter the nightmare, and it's all going to be done within ten and seconds.
00:04:27
Speaker
That's why it's improbable. It's a mission of three parts. Three teams. Hell team. Steel nightmare team. Eurion team. Simultaneous. Shit. Trace has got a blueprint, though, from Rain's Hatter, which is some sort of shared dimensional pocket. So, hmm, the group get a thinking and go, maybe Aerith's team could be Nyx and Alpha, maybe the Hell team could be maybe Seth and Emron and the Sky team, I don't know, Tharok and perhaps Baal will have to wait and see. And Trace is getting ants here talking to dragons, and Baal hasn't revealed a second dragon lord he knows of, Ghostwing, by the way. He now is stating that he's going to return to the front lines pretty soon, and he wants to take Alpha with him, which pisses off the group. Trace then says that he needs to drain the forces of hell and the nightmare using the memory rune, and it's probably going to kill off all of the Akriska, but you know what? Utilitarianism and all that shit.
Veritas and the Struggle for Sanity
00:05:28
Speaker
Delmontre leans back into this creaky wooden chair.
00:05:33
Speaker
Produces a tobacco pouch. And begins to prep the pipe. Awaiting another round of your questions.
00:05:46
Speaker
So... The steel things. And the demons. They'll fight each other. To the death.
00:05:57
Speaker
But Eurion's a Gartron.
00:06:01
Speaker
A fallen one. He made the original sin. He made a pact with... Tolkelon. Yeah, okay. So... Tolkelon cursed the Steel Nightmare to try and trap the Gartrons in it.
00:06:20
Speaker
Veritas went, fuck you, I'm going to do my own stuff. And make my people do what they can. Basically make them into... Like, warforged, or like... Wait, no, that's a point as well, Ebron.
00:06:36
Speaker
Veritas is on the list, isn't he He's one of yours, one of the 13. Yes. yeah Not one of the 12 that did the countermoves. No, but why the fuck is he up there in the first place? Because he went bad and evil.
00:06:48
Speaker
He didn't accept the first Erythian decision, whatever that was. Whatever you decided 12 cycles ago. But now he's teamed with the ones up there.
00:07:01
Speaker
Yes. Because he wants to reset Aerith and then make it in his own way, assume. His motives aren't clear, but...
00:07:14
Speaker
One thing I know he wants is the rest of us destroyed. And he wants to rule Aerith.
00:07:24
Speaker
The madman from another world wants his own to play with.
00:07:31
Speaker
Okay. He's not the first one to go mad. Arakash did it as well. It's the thing with time magic. We all... We're all compromised.
00:07:47
Speaker
Okay. I'm going to ask here because, you know... Is there a fail safe? Should this go to pot or is this literally it?
00:07:59
Speaker
I have just asked. It's the upchristocra. I have made the fail safe.
00:08:07
Speaker
So you're confident that if we fail, you can what? Make something of it. If we fail...
00:08:18
Speaker
then I will, in a single moment, leave Aerith in a state of war between the demons, the Gartrans, and the dragons.
00:08:34
Speaker
Full power.
00:08:37
Speaker
And everything else that Aerith has become will just be cannon fodder. So about how it was before, because that was implied that it was demons and Gartrans fighting before, wasn't it? Isn't that what you said?
00:08:57
Speaker
They'll resume their war, yes, but look at all this life that's happened since. Because you didn't you say that Tolkelon ruled here first? Was that right? Then the Gartrans turned up? The dragons ruled here first, and they, Tolkelon and the Gartrans brought their war here.
00:09:13
Speaker
yeah That's when we intervened. It froze them in time. What about any of the other 11, 10 remaining Cronomancers?
00:09:27
Speaker
I know that some of them are probably, excuse the expression, fucked in the head. But Edna, are the other she seemed... Sorry? Are any of those dead that we need to know about?
00:09:39
Speaker
We know that Herakas isn't.
00:09:42
Speaker
I was going to ask, what about the remaining ones that aren't? and Most are absent. I've lost contact with a few.
00:09:53
Speaker
Every cycle, one more of us loses their mind. And as far as I can tell, this last one will be mine.
00:10:06
Speaker
Well, I mean, this last one is the last one, so it's not like, you know, you've got anything to lose. What about that fizzlebang lady? She seemed quite competent.
00:10:16
Speaker
We never really examined her ethics. She enslaved the entire tribal populace of orcs in Tralach and turned them into a dormant void army that s serves her.
00:10:36
Speaker
She's a tyrant. Sounds awful, like stealing a copious dragon eggs and, i don't know, making an army and controlling kingdoms. Yeah, it would be awful. I will accept the argument that maybe I have been compromised too.
00:10:50
Speaker
What about... you saying what about might go sorry sorry you You say you might go mad this cycle, yes? that what you're saying? one person This is the last cycle, and I think I'm the last one of sane mind. But but did Erakash not go that mad this cycle? It's totally the same one.
00:11:05
Speaker
Everything he did to the Osrin Islands happened in this cycle, yes? It wasn't the first blight.
00:11:12
Speaker
I see. There we are.
00:11:16
Speaker
So each time it's been reset, the mad ones have fucked things up more. so what about You have to think to go back on your own timeline that many times and
00:11:36
Speaker
Relive all of the harsh moments again. I'm sure it was really awful, and it must be. and i yeah i do I'm fortunate that I... I i am foggy.
00:11:50
Speaker
Can I just ask you? Are you boy still having to tell us the truth? Is there a chance before all this is done that we may have to kill you too?
00:11:58
Speaker
That's for you to decide.
00:12:03
Speaker
So, old Gal, can we get him to help us? Depends. He's a difficult person to tie down. Yeah, but you really like Nick's and he didn't really like his horse as well.
00:12:15
Speaker
He did then. But he is getting sicker by the day and doesn't really communicate with anyone. He moved to a swamp and opened their shop where nobody will walk through.
00:12:29
Speaker
But conveniently, we did meet him. So you could say almost like he had a plan. I wonder who steered him there. I wonder which diviner of time and fate and your story introduced a pivotal character at that moment.
00:12:46
Speaker
And I need you to be open to another idea too. cool
00:12:52
Speaker
It's one thing to dabble in.
00:12:58
Speaker
chronomancy to be trained in it as we were, but to be accidentally have to relive your life 13 times over, to see your friends come and go 13 times over, to now be the villain.
00:13:21
Speaker
Prepare yourself that Prego might not have much
Debates on Alliances and Strategies
00:13:26
Speaker
sanity left either.
00:13:32
Speaker
Okay. What about Bramble?
00:13:38
Speaker
MIA. Astrid. MIA.
00:13:45
Speaker
Malachi. MIA. Avalyn. MIA. And he struggles when he says that one. What about, is it Pyral, the
00:14:02
Speaker
He was murdered.
00:14:04
Speaker
Cogsley.
00:14:08
Speaker
We think that one went back to Faerun.
00:14:13
Speaker
fled this.
00:14:16
Speaker
um What about Ezrin Blackheart one?
00:14:28
Speaker
I would prefer not to say. For for you to all think lesser of me. Oh, you killed them? I prefer not to say.
00:14:40
Speaker
Okay. okay that's Yes.
00:14:44
Speaker
What about um Blackwood? Thrawn? Thumb?
00:14:53
Speaker
Works out of the Sistahold Lyceum.
00:14:58
Speaker
Okay. Which conveniently is where Reigns, okay. That might track with some stuff. the The point seems to be, Emron, that none are left. yeah Maybe this old girl you're talking about, if he's getting weaker, he's not going to be much help.
00:15:20
Speaker
What if you're someone that's dabbled in like time stuff and maybe been given stuff by old girl? Could that be help? Maybe. Dabbled in time stuff. I'm talking about Nyx.
00:15:33
Speaker
That's a good point.
00:15:38
Speaker
And then... In the Jewel of Desert Champions, you hit the floor really hard and died. And then seconds later, you were back alive. Yeah. And I remember it. There was a loophole, as I understand that.
00:15:51
Speaker
But also, you've you know got the orb. You've done prediction stuff. You've done time stuff. You're dabbling in that stuff. Yeah, I've got an idea that I've been thinking up and cooking since we entered this place recently.
00:16:10
Speaker
I don't know if I can pull it off. Yeah, it's still very new to me, all of this. I would save new ideas until I am not around. Okay, that's... that's so And that's purely because we still keep a level of surveillance...
00:16:27
Speaker
the thats About this, like because you're a Chris Grigai, yeah, right? And ah the level of surveillance you've got on me... Is that still there?
00:16:39
Speaker
Yes, your your bag. you just Just chuck it. The bag of holding? Yeah. With all the gold in? Yeah, make a new one or buy one. your gold. We gave all of our gold to Sebastian Northgett.
00:16:57
Speaker
I've got one that we bought. oh Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Maybe we could give this bag a hold into someone that we want to keep an eye on. We don't have that ability that we want the Chris could keep an eye on.
00:17:10
Speaker
Yeah. Who? It could even help us keep eyes on someone in one of the other teams. If we need to execute things in really quick succession.
00:17:21
Speaker
Well, shit, that's that's not a bad idea, actually. Yeah, that's very smart. Do we have a way to communicate with yourself, Trace? That's for you to decide in phase three's conversation.
00:17:34
Speaker
fucking Oh, good, lovely. Do do you personally see Nix at all times through that bag? When we choose to. As in you personally? You say we? No, I get reports.
00:17:48
Speaker
and you have to understand, I have a... Well, there's an enchantment on it that goes back to one of our headquarters. And people tell me every day what you've been doing, where you are Do they see? Is it just words? Is it sound-based, location-based? Do they get to see like what's around the bag? A bit of all of that.
00:18:10
Speaker
So you've seen, Okay. Oh, you see this fucking on you. Yeah. Not to me. Not you.
00:18:20
Speaker
Tracy, you sure? Tracy. So is Lucien someone we can use in all this?
00:18:30
Speaker
It depends.
00:18:32
Speaker
Oh shit. I'm hesitant because
00:18:44
Speaker
The time wells are fragile. You heard the time wells have been broken? Yes. And if we do anything to disrupt Lucian's path, I worry something might happen to the dragons we've already advanced.
00:19:03
Speaker
So Lucian's off the table. Okay. Maybe not. Get back to me. We've spoken about the Rikarstan. There are others who defeated the Blight. What of Helena?
00:19:14
Speaker
What of the one who killed Erakash? It depends on what you all choose to do with them. Right. Well, we can't have that conversation until Draco gets here. so That's going to be days, weeks, maybe.
00:19:32
Speaker
But you only need time to build this, and it'll gesture at the blueprint. Yep, we do. Whilst fighting off hordes of devils. I don't think the demons will come unless Alpha's in his other mode. Demons, maybe not, but what about these things that are running amok and running rabid? I mean, this place looks pretty messed up, so hopefully they'll just assume it's already of been wrecked.
00:19:55
Speaker
we've got We've got horrible fucking demons of devils fuckers. Not devils, metal fuckers. I saw that fucking thing that came out of the ground in the courtyard in the palace. but there are There are a lot of parties after you.
00:20:08
Speaker
There will be those loyal to Leopold that will come seeking vengeance.
00:20:14
Speaker
So do we fortify the interiors this? mean, it would be great if we had Sebastian back to be able to tell them to fuck off or join us, you know. Once you're done with me, I'll put that in motion.
00:20:26
Speaker
I cannot stay more than day. anything else that you feel you need to tell us that really important to tell us before you leave?
00:20:37
Speaker
Well, want the decision. I want to know which monarch you want releasing, which which kingdom leader you want releasing. And I want
00:20:51
Speaker
Alpha's memory room.
00:20:55
Speaker
Alpha, that's your decision, mate.
00:21:01
Speaker
I do feel it would be necessary.
00:21:06
Speaker
Necessary. in order to enact the plan that we have in motion.
00:21:16
Speaker
I will not pretend that I am not uncomfortable about this.
00:21:23
Speaker
Given a second choice, I probably yeah would refuse, but I believe the benefits outweigh the possible negatives that may or may not happen.
00:21:35
Speaker
Hey, Alpha! Yes, Nick. This is your second choice. Do you want to do this?
00:21:42
Speaker
I want to kill Uriel. Well, luckily you you're probably going to get that chance. And if putting this plan into motion requires me to give up a part of myself, then I i will sacrifice that.
00:22:03
Speaker
Alpha. Oh, Emron, is is alpha does he have to tell the truth whilst he's in this thing? Yes, he does. Okay, Alpha. Would you rather ensure that Aerith survives and will win, beat eriica ah not to sorry eric has on the fucking brain beat Veritas...
00:22:26
Speaker
Or would you rather get vengeance upon Urien? If it had to be one or the other, which would it be?
00:22:40
Speaker
It would be Veritas.
00:22:46
Speaker
As I believe that's what Rains would want me to follow.
00:22:54
Speaker
I 100% trust the decision that you make.
00:23:00
Speaker
And Ron's right, it's your choice, not ours.
00:23:07
Speaker
It is something I am willing to go for.
00:23:12
Speaker
I know which side I will give.
00:23:21
Speaker
Trace?
00:23:24
Speaker
He's under the effects, right, Emerald?
00:23:28
Speaker
Yep. Right.
00:23:34
Speaker
You're planning to do exactly as you said. You're planning to use this memory room to lure out the forces of above and below, have them fight to distract so that we can beat one of your brethren, the Cronomancer, Johan Veritas, and save Correct.
Strategic Use of Memory Rune
00:23:52
Speaker
Correct.
00:23:57
Speaker
and say we're successful
00:24:03
Speaker
do you have any plans to retain power influence use what you have over the rest of the people of eris
00:24:27
Speaker
I have plans.
00:24:31
Speaker
Because the Gartron said, I want to rule Eryth and oppress people, and we weren't really happy with that.
00:24:40
Speaker
And will you return the memory rune to Alpha once it's been successfully used to lure out these and say, this is best case scenario. We all win. We go home happy. We shake hands. We... are Medals? I'm thinking medals. We get medals.
00:24:56
Speaker
Will you return what's been taken to Alpha? I'm not sure it's returnable. So what do you intend to do with the memory rune?
00:25:10
Speaker
Strategically shatter its power
00:25:15
Speaker
in order to lure the forces out. I see. um mean, Alpha has been separated from it, so at least Alpha is no longer dependent on it.
00:25:27
Speaker
And Alpha, you're okay with this being destroyed?
00:25:32
Speaker
Yes. For what I believe is a a greater cause, then so be it. I mean, she's a Gartman who's trying to enslave the world, so... no But it was part of my birth.
00:25:46
Speaker
My very coming into this world is what I will be sacrificing. I know I can survive without it, but... What's, like, Alpha?
00:26:00
Speaker
Like, Reigns' plan all along, maybe, for you to do this? I have considered the same.
00:26:10
Speaker
My placement on here, the designs of a portal done by Reigns in another timeline, it seems too coincidental to be a coincidence.
00:26:25
Speaker
At least in my eyes. Reigns' plan was to make you fight something, which he thought was the blight. That was this Reigns' plan. It may be Not a previous one.
00:26:37
Speaker
It may be that whatever gave me the plans to make you, they realised that actually you needed to be made to fight something.
00:26:51
Speaker
And we couldn't exactly say you need to fight this big bad that doesn't exist. Therefore, this range was told to make you to fight the blight. But actually, there was another thing necessary.
00:27:04
Speaker
Which couldn't be expressed in any other way other than saying the blight's very dangerous. you probably make something to fight that. Again, see a possibility.
00:27:16
Speaker
Because the plans didn't... God. Delmon's indicated that the plans came from somewhere. Someone gave them to me.
00:27:25
Speaker
There's a fundamental question as well, which we have to come back to, which is, in fact, we'll point at the paper and go, can you finish this? And they'll ask Alpha. And Alpha's going to take a closer to look at it now, more so the design rather than the actual flourishes of handwritings and things like this, and just try and piece it together visually.
00:27:52
Speaker
Is it something that i would at least be able to make a good attempt to build? Is there anything in there that's kind of a really unusual material or something like that? or so everything is materials you've heard of, which is a good start. um But make ah make a tool check for...
00:28:15
Speaker
four well, using your right tool for the job, I imagine you can conjure any tool you want. and But an appropriate tool you think for assembling and tinkering, perhaps tinkerer's tools would be your your go-to thought here.
00:28:29
Speaker
Yep, I am proficient with them.
00:28:34
Speaker
Do I just roll a d20 for this one? and ah It's tied to a... It's tied to skill, isn't it now? Yeah, you... I think if you're proficient with it, you get to um
00:28:51
Speaker
two Tools now are tied to one ability score which you use when making the ability check with that tool. You'll also add your proficiency bonus if you're proficient with that tool. So you will choose an ability score that's tied with that tool and then you add your proficiency score.
00:29:06
Speaker
Imagine it's intelligence. Yeah, it could just be a straight intelligence role. Adding proficiency. The new rules on proficiency i grant you advantage on ability checks you make with the that use both is the skill and the tool you're proficient with.
00:29:20
Speaker
So intelligence roles. Intelligence. So what intelligence skills have you got that you could tie into that? I thought was straight intelligence. Just go for intelligence if it's easier.
00:29:31
Speaker
Yeah. I'm going to use my inspiration on that one. Nice. Nice.
00:29:41
Speaker
I'm also going to give you guidance. A guidance to you. Okay. like that So at the moment, it's 15. I'm proficient with it.
00:29:53
Speaker
And that's three. So that will take it up to 18. Is that right? And then add an additional D4. 19. Plus your inspiration.
00:30:05
Speaker
You already did that. That's already included. that's Yeah, that's been it. Sorry. 19. So... a nineteen so You'd wager this would take you in the region of roughly three days to make.
00:30:19
Speaker
And the cost of materials here would roughly be about 2,000 gold pieces. You're confident you could find everything you need in in capitals, in Goldview or in Scorch Helm.
00:30:35
Speaker
So maybe with fast couriers,
00:30:41
Speaker
this was this is maybe assemblable in six days. Inclusive of, you know, delivery times. You get it, you're priming it. Yeah.
00:30:52
Speaker
You know, if you could find a way to prime those goods. Earth is on prime. like Everything, prime is everywhere. I hope, I hope, yeah, I hope the the guy running that's a Cronomancer. Cronomancer Jeff Bezos. Nice. Cronomancer Jeff.
Resource Challenges and Device Construction
00:31:10
Speaker
But yeah, you could make this if you gave yourself the appropriate amount of time and you had the resources. Yeah, i I will continue to look at it. And there'll just be a couple of minutes while I was trying to process everything.
00:31:25
Speaker
Emron, your spell is fading. It's been ample amount of time since you cast it. Has it faded? Can I get one more question? Yeah, it's fading. I'd say you're running low. Cool, cool, cool. Seeing it dim. Seeing that light flickering, that fluorescent light lift flickering. And he sees that too.
00:31:38
Speaker
Yeah. He can stall. Yeah. Last question from me. Do you intend to replace Veritas? Do you intend to rule over Aerith?
00:31:53
Speaker
Hmm.
00:31:56
Speaker
I do not intend to replace Veritas. Do you intend to rule Earth?
00:32:10
Speaker
I intend...
00:32:17
Speaker
on holding a power here. Not... an authoritarian power...
00:32:29
Speaker
but a person of major influence.
00:32:33
Speaker
Once all the dust has settled and the weapons laid down.
00:32:42
Speaker
I care about this place. I care about who the people are, the histories, the cultures, the world that has been created from
00:32:56
Speaker
birth of war
00:33:02
Speaker
and I wish to sample its delights.
00:33:10
Speaker
The last sane chronomatsa.
00:33:15
Speaker
Holding power over Eris.
00:33:19
Speaker
Someone whose peer is the person who holds the fate within his hands from the steel nightmare.
00:33:32
Speaker
And Bal will kind of cast his eyes around the rest of the group saying that.
00:33:43
Speaker
A week. Sorry. It'll probably take me about a week to build You okay? Sorry, it's taken me a while to process the drawings. They are rather delicate and intricate.
00:33:54
Speaker
A week. Okay. So we've got a week to prepare to fortify. Okay.
00:34:02
Speaker
There's a lot of materials that are needed for this as well. ah How much do you think that'll cost? Possibly approximately 2,000 gold pieces, although I have no proper experience in negotiating bartering with the materials. Nicks can probably fund that, because the rest of us gave our money to Sebastian. Oh, sure, sure!
00:34:22
Speaker
ah The pirate do it! have to put the money in this bag instead of that one. I think they get off on this pile, though. I feel like we could charge them money for keeping this bag.
00:34:36
Speaker
I'll make the next one nasty. Only bags. Only bags? What does mean? don't know. Do you need to know what our split is pattern plan-wise before we let you, you know, toddle off and run your little army?
00:34:54
Speaker
There is my step. So I just need you to understand the change. If you need me to coronate a queen, a king, if you need me to release someone.
00:35:08
Speaker
i mean, we'd like Sebastian back, that'd be great. As I said, once I safely leave these halls, yeah he will be a day away. Is Sebastian one of the monarchs or are we actually talking about Helena here? when it comes who Who is the actual heir to Sleetgaard? Yeah, have you got Helena as well?
00:35:25
Speaker
ah We do. Yes. Well, she's, she's not a captive. She's willingly working with us. Okay. We'll have her back as well. Thanks. Cheers. but She, she is the natural successor.
00:35:38
Speaker
Yeah. But you know, we owe it to Sebastian. He's a good lad. Um, If she chooses to step down, he'll be next in line. I don't want to cause Seth offence, brooding in the corner as he is, but I think from what I've heard, Helen's a little bit handier on the battlefield.
00:36:07
Speaker
So...
00:36:11
Speaker
So that's it. that's That's what I need to know. The rest of us will be watching from a distance. Okay, so we need to know who we want released. Okay. And if we fuck up... I'm so sorry. i was just going to say, if we fuck up second contingency for you, release the rest of the rulers at once and let the dragons help how they can.
00:36:37
Speaker
Because if we fail...
00:36:42
Speaker
Maybe there's an extra fighting chance. The zone of truth light has ended now. And Trace just nods at you.
00:36:54
Speaker
Bar.
00:36:57
Speaker
Once we see your ship, or whichever ship you are on, leave
00:37:06
Speaker
for Oriand.
00:37:09
Speaker
That's when... And he holds his hand down now to Alpha.
Negotiation Tensions and Conflict
00:37:16
Speaker
That's when the war will recommence.
00:37:22
Speaker
With your permission.
00:37:26
Speaker
Alpha.
00:37:33
Speaker
Are you asking for the stone at this stage? I am.
00:37:41
Speaker
I'm afraid it hidden.
00:37:46
Speaker
In a particular location that is only known to Sparrowhawk at this time. That's disappointing.
00:37:55
Speaker
And nasty. Where did you hide it? and We've played that game. news We gave it to him, don't you remember? Indeed. He is hidden in a location known only to him.
00:38:08
Speaker
I'm afraid you must abide by the return Sparrowhawk before you can leave here with the gem. See, Tracy, you might have done this before, but we are still full of surprises.
00:38:24
Speaker
He is visibly seething with anger now. Very well.
00:38:34
Speaker
very well And this red spark just flickers between his fingers. And he points it towards a window.
00:38:46
Speaker
and the spell, similar to a sending spell, is released out into the the hailing sky.
00:38:57
Speaker
He will be here tomorrow. I will stay another night. Hey, that's cool. We can keep up and stay talking. and and And I would love to find out more about me. So if you're willing to just bounce some ideas off, I'd love to know what I was wearing. Because was I always so fancy dressed? Or was I always a pirate? Or did I sail on a different ship? Did I have another job?
00:39:22
Speaker
Did I have other friends? Or was it just kind of me and you? Were you quite like... protective over me or was it not that kind of relationship i'd also love to know if i was betrothed to a fucking spider like was that a thing that's only happened this time around or did i get myself into other mischiefs or maybe i didn't get into any mischiefs whatsoever did i ever make any deals this past me because I'd really like to have known that I didn't make any deals. And then I know that I truly fucked up or even better. If I made a load of deals before in my previous lives, maybe I didn't have a choice all the time. And this is just like one track that all the Nix is Nix is Nix.
00:39:58
Speaker
all the Nix is just go ahead. Henceforth and across and along. Maybe that's kind of, there's there's some ah some nice thoughts thinking like that, right? There's some safeties. Because all the choices that I've made and all the fuck-ups that I've made really the had to happen to make this come into fruition. You know what mean? We can stay up all night.
00:40:18
Speaker
I mean, there's some there's some food we can get. You ever had s'mores? S'mores are nice. Me and you can stay up all night, Tracy. Did previous Nix has ever let you answer questions? Did he see betrothed?
00:40:35
Speaker
I don't want to break your heart.
00:40:40
Speaker
Now you're going to have to explain what the fuck you mean by that. what do you mean by that, Nix? What does that mean? don't know. I don't know. This is the first time I've heard of it, or maybe the second or 13th.
00:40:53
Speaker
What? i don't know.
00:40:59
Speaker
is looking furiously between the two of them.
00:41:04
Speaker
The one thing that is clear is you're... You're always destined for romance, Nyx. Oh, fuck off. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's all right, but I've chosen you. Let's just hear him out.
00:41:18
Speaker
This time... This might be hard for both of you, then.
00:41:28
Speaker
But as I... As I recall... In every previous cycle, you meet someone at a very particular moment
00:41:40
Speaker
and you've always fallen in love. Sometimes you've wed.
00:41:47
Speaker
Sometimes you've had children.
00:41:54
Speaker
This time she died. Okay. Okay Okay I mean
00:42:10
Speaker
ah ah It's hard to know what to do with that Because obviously I feel a sense of loss For someone I've never met But that's more of like a You've met her she died No She died for you Are you fucking saying it surely No Oh, I felt like me and her had a connection.
00:42:35
Speaker
Valkyrie.
00:42:40
Speaker
The Valkyrie.
00:42:47
Speaker
The farmer. Ah. And the sailor.
00:42:54
Speaker
It's one of Prego's.
00:42:59
Speaker
One of Prego's.
00:43:03
Speaker
Best told stories.
00:43:12
Speaker
yeah but Okay. Well, maybe we don't need to stay up and speak. If it's any consolation.
00:43:29
Speaker
She somehow broke the cycle.
00:43:34
Speaker
When
00:43:39
Speaker
when she entered the games in Scorchelm, there was a much older version of her that never met you.
00:43:51
Speaker
Not in that cycle, but yet in that cycle, she still made a deal to save her life.
00:43:59
Speaker
You were destined on every timeline to be together.
00:44:09
Speaker
I don't want to break your heart.
00:44:12
Speaker
Or you're a spa.
00:44:22
Speaker
We're undying. We'll be fine.
00:44:31
Speaker
um I'm going to take a moment and ah see if the goblins have left any food around. ah
00:44:46
Speaker
Yeah. Nyx is going to walk out.
00:44:56
Speaker
Yeah, was kind of stood there for a while. Watched him leave.
00:45:06
Speaker
Shooting a few daggers Delmond.
00:45:11
Speaker
And he'll eventually follow at a bit of a distance.
00:45:25
Speaker
And for an eerie hour,
00:45:33
Speaker
everyone kind just moves into a pensive, silent reflection slash state of mourning or memorial.
00:45:45
Speaker
I'm making holy water.
00:45:50
Speaker
Does anyone else kind of tend to some labor or skill-based tasks just to kind of occupy their thoughts or their bodies a bit?
00:46:03
Speaker
Alpha is going to make his way to the forge. It was still on site for the keep. um Way back when, I don't know if this is still there, but the original armor for rains was left there because he upgraded, as it were.
00:46:26
Speaker
Is that still there? There is nothing shiny. There is nothing of any remote value around. The place has been stripped. It was made out of rust and iron that first armor. Yeah, it weren't a fancy thing.
00:46:40
Speaker
um But he knows that he had time here with Reigns. and other Other elements of Reigns' impact here exist. There is still sort of some light machinery around where the fields were plowed. Hmm.
00:46:58
Speaker
um there's still kind of loose tools kicking around that were were were made by his hand.
00:47:10
Speaker
Fair enough. There's ghosts of his memory here. yeah Yeah, yeah, And Alpha's going to take a couple of minutes just to kind of walk around, and is...
00:47:22
Speaker
I'm still hearing his voice kind of echo and the teachings kind of echo. They've probably been a bit quiet while the princess has kind of been a part of Alpha more than the artificer side of him. Well, now he's gone back to his artificer classes, hearing the voices and the lessons again. And he's going to take... um a bit of time. we're going to pull out the parrot.
00:47:47
Speaker
That's the only thing left from rains.
Reflections on the Past
00:47:51
Speaker
Uh, and it is going to lay it down on the desk and then take a few moments to kind of put in some runic inscriptions that, ah was taught, uh, to him by rains himself.
00:48:07
Speaker
And I'm going to ah bring back um the parrot as my own homunculus now. So after a few minutes of kind of engraved and whatnot, he's just going to start to creak a little bit and wings are going to expand ah to a certain movement. It's more of a primitive version of what Reigns is. it It's not as fancy. It's not as intricate. It's not as delicate. Um...
00:48:34
Speaker
but it's as close as Arthur's probably going to get at the moment. um And he's just going to put it on his shoulder. i'm going I'm going full pirate thing, and I'm having a parrot on my shoulder left to me by reins. That's what I'm going to be spending some of my time doing.
00:48:58
Speaker
Nice.
00:49:04
Speaker
And as the afternoon kind of continues to pass, the hail doesn't stop. It is relentlessly falling at the same rate, the same consistency. And the wind is blowing from the north, from the direction of Goldview.
00:49:24
Speaker
It gets to the evening. At this point, Farrakh, I imagine you've kind of scraped together what you can to put some sort of edible thing in front of people.
00:49:36
Speaker
Yeah, Farrakh would have gone and honed his blades. He would have just done whatever it takes to to to make those ready. They don't need that much because they're they're magical. They don't need that much a tuning as a regular weapon would. And then beyond that, he would do what he does best. either here He will prepare whatever subsidence he can for everyone.
00:49:56
Speaker
You have to go out and forage. There is nothing nearby that has any like nutritional value. But yeah, it would be an hour or two of just firewood and and and fruits and and yeah, herbs.
00:50:09
Speaker
He would gladly do that.
00:50:13
Speaker
And you're all kind of
00:50:16
Speaker
called back to to grab a plate if you so wish or if you want to have any conversations around this evening time. Just quickly, while Farrakh was out foraging, he would... Rages is is not anger for him. it's It's a form of catharsis. And while he would have let out a few of those rages, he would have let out that focus, that channel while he was foraging um to to to to just allow him to to exhale himself.
00:50:43
Speaker
some of the the revelations and emotions that have happened for him. he's He's aware that a lot has come out that has affected the others and and and he's feeling some residual from that. So that would be a real chance for him to get out into nature and just let some of that out.
00:51:06
Speaker
Anyone else want to do anything with their evening? Yeah, so when Nix would, when he left, he would go to the, um way back when, when we first came here, and it was Marota time, Nix found himself swimming at the little pond.
00:51:30
Speaker
Yeah. So that's where he would head now. Last time. ah That was mentioned. It was no longer a nice, beautiful place to go swimming, but it's still a place to which he holds memory in this place.
00:51:46
Speaker
So he would arrive there and he would sit cross-legged and he would take out old girl's orb.
00:51:56
Speaker
And what he wants to do and what he will be doing for the foreseeable, every little chance he gets He's going to take the orb and he's going to hold it out in front of him in both hands. Usually it's a whole ritual of having the orb out and then his book from his patron out and he makes this whole thing.
00:52:19
Speaker
This time it's different. He's just got the orb out and he's going to meditate and pour all magical energy he has into this orb in his hands.
00:52:34
Speaker
He's going to twin it with a call out and just a simple constant
00:52:46
Speaker
nicks are you there is any of me there and he's just going to be sending waves of messages or locations or something to try and connect his current self with any of the previous ones.
00:53:10
Speaker
And that is what has been arresting him through this whole day, ever since speaking to Delmontrese and learning that there were past him and learning that old girl was one of the chronomancers learning that the orb that Nyx has has passed through hands and has been there he's trying to contact any one of his past versions and he's been thinking and sitting on it and this is his first time where he gets to act on it and that's what he wants to do and that is what his mind is taking up in the future as well
00:53:49
Speaker
whos
00:53:52
Speaker
there we go
00:53:55
Speaker
Bal?
00:53:58
Speaker
Yeah. Initially, he would have followed Nix out at a distance, but kept his own distance and have been caught in the sleet and in the hail and just feel the contrast with his essence that that weather the promotes.
00:54:22
Speaker
And there would have been times where he's standing there thinking, I john need, we need to talk about this. And he'll make steps towards where he's seen Nick's go off to and he'll stop himself and go, maybe it's not right now.
00:54:38
Speaker
And there'll be, there'll be moments of hesitation within him. And he probably would at some point make his way out and find Nick sitting there and seeing that he's just got this all back in front of him.
00:54:52
Speaker
And he'll hesitate and watch
00:54:56
Speaker
And just take himself away again.
00:55:04
Speaker
Back indoors. And similar to Tharuk, mull over the events, the information that has been passed.
00:55:15
Speaker
Probably snort out a campfire inside who and use his control flames cantrip. to kind of alter the colors, alter the shape, toy with that somewhat, make images appear, images of dragons, images of battle, and just sit and kind of play with it and almost lose himself to the flames.
00:55:52
Speaker
And everyone's kind of in this steamy, smoky, pensive scene. You have Nyx getting drenched in hail as water is hitting this now acidic, this goblinized acidic pond.
00:56:09
Speaker
And there is just this chemical-like haze around you. Bal, everything you've just described with the fire. Tharok, likely the same, but over a pot that's stewing.
00:56:24
Speaker
Emron the same, sort of working with holy water and the the residue that comes with that, and Alpha in your movements in between helping and and your own kind of state of focus.
00:56:40
Speaker
And all the while, Damon Trace just sits, just sits in the corner of the common room, occasionally smoking, occasionally conjuring his own water
00:57:03
Speaker
slowly that evening turns into nighttime. The night presses on and everyone still keeps their own space as they're kind just contemplating the weight of the last day of revelations, of planning, of of so of structures, of of of emotions, of tensions.
00:57:33
Speaker
And does anyone want to do anything as it it seems to approach midnight? Are there any steps that people have already taken gone to sleep?
00:57:46
Speaker
But now that midnight is kind of like this punctuated point in the day, it feels appropriate for me to ask if anyone wants to do anything. I think if it's around midnight, I'd be trying to take a closer look outside, up at the actual steel nightmare. I know Bar's mentioned it before, and we were supposed to be keeping a watch on it ah way back when, but it never did. But just actively just trying to spot, learn, notice anything. But he's looking for that moment purposely if he gets them approaching midnight, that offer.
00:58:20
Speaker
and that that hail hasn't stopped so you're looking up and it's it's really impossible to keep a focus of for any more than a microsecond before i don't assume you have the capability to blink but you have to kind of wipe water off your your you know eye sockets whatever you yeah have wipers it's fine your little windscreen wipers kicking off so it's hard to stay focused but yes you kind of stand there under the This thing sits like beneath the steel lightmare sits beneath the cloud line. So it's it's always visible here. It's the moon you can't see now tonight.
00:58:56
Speaker
And that midnight moment approaches.
00:59:02
Speaker
And you just hear across the evening sky, this this guttural scream, this roar that could only come from from one source, a dragon.
00:59:21
Speaker
And it rings out across the evening sky. it's not ah It's not a sound that brings any of you
Cliffhanger with the Dragon's Roar
00:59:28
Speaker
comfort. And Baal, it's it's not a dragon roar that you are particularly fond of of hearing. It's not one you have a relationship with. And there are only two dragons that you that you have any sort of relationship with. It's neither of those two.
00:59:42
Speaker
But it just bellows out across the evening sky.
00:59:48
Speaker
And in front of the steel nightmare, this black shadowy form just encompasses all of Goldport Keep below you.
01:00:00
Speaker
A dragon is circling, a fully-sized dragon.
01:00:07
Speaker
And that's where we're going to end this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Vellum Draconis. time to kill ourselves a second dragon he let's kill a second dragon we've killed one dragon oh wait twice technically a small one yeah yeah why did i go out and look at the steel nightmare i should have stayed inside where it was nice warm and safe i want to talk to myself damn it um yeah sensible conversation you're gonna
01:00:38
Speaker
i know Could you imagine if that works? ah Talking of sensible conversations. I love it. You can find sensible conversations on X. I don't think anyone can say that. But you can find us. Combined, we are at fellowship table.
01:00:58
Speaker
ah Top at fellowship table. And then if you want to go one step further and follow us individually, you can do so too. I'm at iWorld1Darren's app. Darren Page 06. Will is at.
01:01:09
Speaker
Fellowship MCB. Pooh Bear's at. Natural 20 Will. Mark's at. Natural 20 Hastily rolled DM. Hastily rolled DM. Something like that. It's only been six years. Who haven't I done? I've done Darren. Oh. Yourself? Yeah.
01:01:27
Speaker
No, I've done me, but it's it's time for... dont You don't need to finish him off. Just leave him on edge. I've not heard anything about edge lording. Have you done Callum? The hole in the pie.
01:01:39
Speaker
Callum
01:01:42
Speaker
can be found at The D20 Gamer. And of course, our VIP of the D&D, Dungeon Master Danny, can be found at Total Party Thrills. Until next week, guys.
01:01:56
Speaker
Farewell, farewell.