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Ep. 57 The Galanin Hollows - De Profundis
96 Plays4 years ago
Follow us on our Twitters - @FellowshipTable
Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade - https://josephmcdade.com/
The Fellowship Party Twitter Pages:
- The DM/Mark - @HastilyRolledDM
- Drago/Ian - @IRolledA1
- Folly/Callum - @TheD20Gamer
- Princess Helena/Casey - @unicorncrit
- Carstan/Will - @Natural20Will
- Robin/Darren - @DarrenPage06
- Claude/Danny - @totalpartythrlz
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Transcript
Urgent Instructions and Episode Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
Quickly now! Take the onyx reaver! Get off the mountains!
00:00:30
Speaker
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of The Fellowship of the Tabletop. We are a live play 5e D&D podcast set in the magical world of Erith.
Meet the Cast and Recap
00:00:38
Speaker
My name is Mark and I am the Dungeon Master and also with us for today's episode we have Ian who plays the Dragonborn Barbarian Drago. What up? Callum who plays the gnome sorcerer Folly Fizzlebang the Ninth. Hey hey! We've got Will who plays the human bard Karstan. It's a wonderful day! And Darren who plays the human fighter rogue Robin.
00:00:57
Speaker
holy dungeon delving bad man yay we're back to them again he's remembered oh yes this is great how many have you got pre-written out there none i don't ever write them out this is why i sometimes get stumped on them and you just i think one time he said to me like holy lens wipes optical lens cleaning wipes because that was what i had on my desk
00:01:18
Speaker
On last week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, God, what did we do? We did some walking. We went through the Skull Road vault. We did, we did. We went to the Skull Road verdant, which was supposed to be this magical forest that seems to have grown on top of the mountain, controlled by some otherworldly forces. However, upon the party arriving there, it had been burnt down.
Discovery of the Burnt Forest and Blighted Area
00:01:39
Speaker
And there were multiple marks as to why it might have been burnt down, as many of the party spent some time looking over at Kennard, was rather taken aback.
00:01:47
Speaker
by this jewel of black mouth being burnt down. Upon walking through, some of the party noticed a kind of to and fro between this blackness of the blight, which seemed to have spotted across the land, so the signs of the blight there. But then also this undulating green stuff, this moss, this part of nature that seemed to be fighting back against the blight, which I think Folly, you took a sample of, as well as Folly trying to take a flower
00:02:15
Speaker
which was noted as a flower linked to that of Tiriani and cast and cast suggestion I believe to him that it would not be a good idea to take it and he did not take it which was a interesting bit of play there we've eventually got through to the quarry which is the Galanin Hollows and saw the scope and size of industry there the size of this quarry is inordinate massive
Reaching Galanin Hollows and Uncovering Secrets
00:02:39
Speaker
and you could see off into the distance almost across the horizon how this quarry just seemed to continue and continue deep hidden deep within the mountains and off to the north you saw a scaffold almost of buckets carrying down known as the great siphon which was where they managed to siphon off a lot of this material to avoid the very treacherous and dangerous path that you just took down from blackmouth
00:03:01
Speaker
we turned the corner and we saw the body of james james hard grieve who was the the uh person running black mouth canard broke down and there were some tears there were some words said and the party sat down and put together a really nice pyre and burnt the body of james canard read a letter out um about a pub that was owned
00:03:21
Speaker
And also, noting that Jamis was the one who burnt the verdant down, saying it would naturally grow back. But that he failed in his job, or that job was, we weren't really sure. But he mentioned the Onyx Reaver. He said, I knew he would come for it, the creature from my dream. There you go. Will taking notes, look at that, you're just showing off now. You're not going to get inspiration for that, because you should take notes anyway. No, thanks for that.
00:03:47
Speaker
So there's a pyre and as the flames went out, Kennard turned and said he needed to do right by James' family and left the group to the Galanin Hollows. He told you also that that Folly and his stock magic experience should be able to sort out the Great Siphon to get you down as well. But that's an issue for another time. At the moment, we've got the Galanin Hollows to sort out.
00:04:12
Speaker
As you walk through the entrance of the gallon in hollows there's darkness first of all you notice it's incredibly dark in this place. There are no noises nothing and as you walk down the path takes you down down some stone steps that get slightly lower but not half as low as you think you'd need to go.
00:04:30
Speaker
Suddenly you hit the ground and it's a solid hard polished stone ground with sand in the corners. You come into a first room and there on your right is a solid marble pillar and on your left is the remains of a solid marble pillar. It seems to have been broken into three pieces. This room is quite small, must be some kind of greeting area for whatever this place is used for.
00:04:53
Speaker
Ahead of you is a single long corridor stretching up, up, up and into the darkness and you can't really see the end of it. What would you like to do?
00:05:01
Speaker
Does the stone work? Is it similar to the stuff we saw in the dungeon area that we were in in the mountain? So where the shrine of Tiryani was? Could you give me an investigation check, please, Karsten? 26 with my passive. You very clearly noticed the difference between the two. This is older. This is older than that. You have no recollection of this archetype. I'm sorry, archetype.
00:05:28
Speaker
You have no recollection of this type of architecture that you've ever come across in your time in the Sanguine Lands or in Sleetguard or read about in any books. This is something different. This is older. This is strange, especially to see this much marble here. You wouldn't expect it. I have no memory of this place.
00:05:49
Speaker
Oh God, William. Please don't sue us. We're sorry. We're really, really sorry. Tolkien's family.
00:06:02
Speaker
We already saw, we already sound quite similar in name. There's so many lines we've stolen, but... Oh yeah. Folly, is there any way you can cast some light? I'm having a hard time seeing. Yes, of course. Just give me one second.
00:06:20
Speaker
i thought folly would have already done this but yeah sorry well what i'm actually going to do um because folly can still see he doesn't while he's aware of the darkness he doesn't really think about other people having troubles as such it does not the first thing that comes to his head so he's going to run this through looks like he's actually going to bring out a torch um he's basically going to light it on fire just with
00:06:42
Speaker
slight click of its fingers and he's also going to just kind of wave his hands in front of it and as he does the flames just going to grow brighter and brighter and brighter and using control flames I'm going to double the area of bright light and dim light that standard fire can actually cast. Much better thank you. Do you want to hold it? I think you might need more than me.
Exploring Ancient Rooms and Solving Puzzles
00:07:07
Speaker
Yeah, fair enough. And Trago takes the the flaming torch from Volley. Karsten will put his little torch that he used to investigate the area down and go, well, I don't need this anyone puts it out. Oh, Trago holds the torch out in front of him and assuming that Olympic flame style just kind of. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're doing the the Olympic style holding and he'll take
00:07:33
Speaker
Well, he's not going to investigate the room. He sees a corridor. He's going to walk straight through down the corridor. Drag a wage. Yes. Castan should take the torch. You need both of your hands for your swords and we know who's made it in here before us. You may need to get access to that thing relatively quickly. Fair enough, Castan. Do you want this?
00:07:53
Speaker
Yeah, should I join you at the front so I can be checking for traps ahead of us if... I tell you what, why don't I take it? And Folly's just going to cast Mage Hand and have the Mage Hand carry it around anyway. So it's now a floating lantern. Next time you do that, can you wait until the torch is out of my hands before you mystically take it? Sorry, I forget about your... Yeah, exactly. A version to magic is the word you're looking for, Folly.
00:08:21
Speaker
Let's carry on and take in Robin's cue. Drago's just standing that little bit more ready. Hasn't got his dengons' deception withdrawn, but he's stood to more of attention. He's kind of bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking around a little bit more as he follows this torch being held by this hand in front of him. It's very Harry Potter. It is. The castan's going to step up beside Drago and go, right, I'll be looking out for the traps, Drago.
00:08:50
Speaker
Silently, yeah. Yeah, you stop things from chopping off my head.
00:08:54
Speaker
OK, I can do that. OK, what's the plan? What are we doing? I think Carson and Drago are going to take the lead and walk down the corridor. OK, walk down the corridor. And as you walk down the corridor, the space starts to open up slightly. And what you see is a very large room. It looks like there's two doors here, Drago. One to our left and one to our right. I think there's more than that. Actually, it looks like there's four doors, two to the right and two to the left. But we haven't got that far in yet. You keep looking for traps.
00:09:22
Speaker
and you mean there are six doors actually if you look at all of them but i didn't think we've got that far into the room yet drago so i was just going for the ones that were right in front of us this flame is pretty big i'll give uh folly his due robin will just look over his shoulder and we'll see if tali is following and we'll just say to her keep up tali it's not safe here if she's just the range of this sort now um calum
00:09:45
Speaker
I think you've got, hang on, let me just double check. Is it doubling the standard one? Double whatever the standard is. I think you get 40 feet of bright light. No, I think it's 20 and 20, so then I think it becomes 40 and 40. It's enough to fill the room.
00:10:02
Speaker
Okay, yeah, it's 40 and 40. Tali is slightly distracted actually, he's kind of looking at the marble architecture near the front, running her hand along one of the pillars and, oh no, of course, and she follows diligently behind Robin, kind of peeking out behind, over Robin's shoulder and off to the elbow to see what's happening up front, but he's quite happy hanging around the back, and every now and then she looks behind herself as well, and so she's kind of keeping an eye on the vanguard.
00:10:32
Speaker
In front of you is a very large room, well not one you were really expecting, it opens up with six doors leading off, three on the right and three on the left and the center of the room is a large marble plinth, very large with a statue missing a head. This torso is that of an elderly man by the looks of things and you can see near the feet is this head. There are four columns of marble leading each up to the ceiling which is about
00:10:56
Speaker
35 to 40 feet high. The back left of which seemed to have crumbled into two, very similarly to the one at the front of the hollows when you entered, leaving two halves of the pillars on this dusty floor. There is a smell of old stale in the air and there's no light in the room except for the candle, the torch that Kastan lit and the one that, sorry, the one that Folly's mage hand is now holding.
00:11:21
Speaker
Castan, do you recognize who this is? He's clearly from your world. Is he from your legends? I will look at the statue's head. Do I recognize it? Well, actually, from here, do you want me to get close? Do you want me to get closer? I assume we will walk in. Yes, as Drago's walking forwards, he looks at the statue on the floor and beckons you over. OK, I can come and look at the statue, checking for traps as I go.
00:11:49
Speaker
Thank you. I'd like to investigate the statue and see if it's, is it someone I know from history books or law or legends? Okay, give me a history check please. Ah, that was a naff roll. At nine. You're almost certain you know who it is, but for the life of you, cannot remember what the name is or why you know it, but there's something about the face you just, it's on the tip of your tongue, but it just, it won't come to you.
00:12:15
Speaker
It's certainly someone I... I'm sure I've seen his image before. I just can't quite recall where that's the problem. Well, he seems quite important. This is obviously a shrine to him.
00:12:29
Speaker
Well, it was once a shrine to him. I mean, it might be someone who's from ancient history who's been forgotten. It depends how long ago were these mines abandoned. I would assume that the stone work around us would be dated by when it was last or at least then last occupied.
00:12:49
Speaker
I don't know why that really stumped me, but I had no idea. I was like, what? How are you asking me? But no, I totally get you now. Yes, of course, on the way up, Kennard would have told you the story of this quarry, told you of the Galen in Hollows and its ancientness in comparison to everything else. This was an area that was found quite early on in the quarry's development and was expressly told by the King of Sleetguard not to be touched at all. And which is why almost it's almost like you see those houses that are built and they split the highway around the house. This quarry seems to have
00:13:18
Speaker
grown around this area and has left this untouched. You know it's ancient, it predates the Sleetguard Empire, it predates a lot of the Erythian kingdoms that are formed. It was before the kingdoms kind of came together, before the Unmending, so you're going back, you know, at the very least, a couple of hundred years, at the very least. So these hollows are
00:13:47
Speaker
they were found during the excavation of the actual quarries and it's it's it's quite fascinating and that it is theorized by by many scholars including those over in the sanguine lands that that these these uh ruins perhaps predates the unification of the erithian kingdoms and perhaps even the foundation of sleep guard as a kingdom itself i mean this could go back to the very okay okay we don't need the history lesson you either know who it is or you don't know who it is well i do know who it is i just can't remember well that's not helpful
00:14:17
Speaker
Robin is a... Yeah, while this is happening, Drago with a gist as he turns to say my name, he would have seen that Robin is looking quite extensively along the floor leading up to all of the doors to see if they've any sign of tracks, to see if anyone's been here recently.
00:14:32
Speaker
Give me an investigation check, please, Robin. 18. Across the floor, you notice what seems quite interesting, actually, is that there seems to have been some movement in front of the very center of the statue. This seems to have been quite recently. Then, nothing. It's odd. There seems to have been movement right in front of the statue, but there are no tracks leading up to it, and there are no tracks leading away from it. Just marks in front of the sky.
00:15:01
Speaker
will have looked like a bipedal humanoid, a kind of, you know, footprints in the dust for the nowhere else apart from that area in front of the statue. Upon also looking towards each of the doors, you notice something interesting, despite what my role 20 shows you is wooden doors. These are not wooden doors, these are solid marble doors that seem to have no real way of opening them. All they have is this kind of burnished
00:15:27
Speaker
Sorry, this polished marble front that really stands out from the sand-colored stone of the walls. That's the only way you know these are really doors. They don't actually have a handle-toe open to grasp and to open them. It's just solid marble by the looks of things.
00:15:44
Speaker
These doors, these doors aren't, I really wanted to start there with a hobbit lay here but I thought I'd better not. So, yeah, Robin will look up, will say to the group whilst this is happening, I don't know much about the history of this place but I know enough to know that these doors won't open without some form of contraption to open them for us and the only place I can see that there's been any interference in here recently is at the foot of that statue.
00:16:13
Speaker
I mean, have we tried pushing them? It could be that the ancients perhaps had a way that they somehow, sometimes the doorways were hinged and could move great swaths of stone. So have we even tried the doors?
00:16:28
Speaker
yeah i don't yeah i agree and drago goes over to the top right corner uh to the nearest door from the right of the statue and just pushes it open nonchalantly as if to go yes it's a fucking door it doesn't budge not even a little bit
00:16:46
Speaker
right undeterred he goes to the next one on the right and pushes that not a budge okay he then turns around gives a little bit of a stomps over to the one opposite pushes the one on the left side of the wall are we still just kind of giving it a little shunt with the shoulder kind of thing
00:17:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's a little, each time, more anger, but it's not like he's breaking out the sword or anything like that. It's just more trying to make a point. Doesn't budge. And then he'll go to the top left corner and really kind of irate now. A little bit flushed because he looks stupid. He just pushes a little bit more in with his shoulder on this one. Not a full run, but enough of it. Knock. Do you want to give strength test for that? I'd love to do a strength test. Yeah, yeah.
00:17:32
Speaker
Go for it. Are you still exhausted, by the way? No. No, finally not. No, yeah, for the first time in forever. Unfortunately, though, that is an 11. It doesn't budge. It's a 12, sorry, but, yeah, I assume it doesn't budge. Yeah, still not budging. Oh, well, I mean, it could be that they also sealed their doors really well. So, yeah. Robin, what do you think? What do you, how, you figured this out.
00:17:58
Speaker
Well, I've seen this sort of thing or something vaguely similar before. This isn't my first delving into somewhere where I shouldn't be, so...
00:18:08
Speaker
it's fairly straightforward there must be a mechanism to open then someone has been through here. Folly what do you think? I think Folly would actually at this point just trying to put two and two together he would have probably gone and investigated just around the pedestal area just where the statue was just to kind of see where Darren pointed out there were tracks obviously something was there
00:18:34
Speaker
there may have been a trigger or something that basically caused something to appear that we now cannot see. So I think Folly would just be investigating that to himself at the moment.
00:18:51
Speaker
Yeah, of a man, it looks like a man just standing, relatively nonchalant, nothing in his hands particularly, just kind of a normal human man, but then just the head, it's just fallen to the side. Now, I feel like I should clarify, the hell wasn't supposed to be, it looks like it's been fallen off, so to speak. Okay, my investigation was a natural 20. Okay, so have you got any modified? So 26.
00:19:16
Speaker
What are you investigating in particular? Basically looking for anything around where the statue stands, if there is any kind of looseness within the pedestal or anything that might be able to be pushed, pulled, twisted, anything that could essentially be a trigger for something else in this place.
00:19:35
Speaker
as you investigate around the pedestal you don't notice anything that can kind of move the statue sits very solidly on its plinth you do notice though on your investigation as you're looking around you're looking at the base of the statue the feet to see if there's any small switches or anything within the statue hidden away buttons magical spells or any kind of traps or anything built inside it you accidentally do see into the kind of the neck of the head of the statue which is sat
00:19:57
Speaker
next to the statue and you do notice a strange metal rod sticking into the middle of the statue. Now your knowledge of statues and marble work is limited at best Folly however you know that statues are usually just made out of marble so this strikes you as odd. With that I think Folly would ask, Robin just come and have a look at this for me and he would call Robin over and basically put
00:20:21
Speaker
There's some kind of very odd rod within the center of the statue, which I'm not particularly familiar with stonework. I'm no dwarf, but I didn't think that was a normal thing.
00:20:35
Speaker
Oh, you made a dwarf reference, Callum. I made a dwarf reference, I had to do it. Shana would be at home right now, he would be loving this place. Just for what the rest was looking at, so was this a metal pole sticking out the neck of the statue? It's the head portion of the statue and you can see the pole bit, kind of where the trachea would be, to use my very limited medical knowledge.
00:20:55
Speaker
kind of sticking down. Basically, imagine it's almost like it's a pole sticking out of the very middle of the neck. I find it very difficult to describe this somehow. If you can't hear us. Perhaps we need to put the head back on the statue. How tall is the statue? The statue stands at a normal humanoid height. Sorry, normal human height, but it's on a plinth, which is about two feet tall. So you'd have to be... Drago, can you put the head back on? Yeah, I hear you.
00:21:20
Speaker
Drago picks up the statue's head and puts it on. And he's asking the guys behind him going, is it the center? Is this right? Little to the left. Little to the left. Too far. Too far. Back to the right. Back to the right. OK, who am I listening to here? One of you.
00:21:38
Speaker
Listen to the big mouth, listen to the big mouth. That could be anyone but Robin. And then once Drago slots the head down, there we go. Yeah, you notice once you do kind of, it sits in the middle, you realise actually this seems to fit into some kind of slot. There seems to be something that matches up with this metal pole and as you put the head in, you hear a click and a da da da da da da.
00:22:02
Speaker
and then you notice you hear a rumble behind you and a door, the furthest south door to the right, so kind of bottom of the dice, just rumble and just for all intents and purposes disappeared but it's just kind of shunted down into the ground and you can see the top of this door now kind of in the ground. The door has disappeared to your first entrance on the right.
00:22:25
Speaker
brute force for a door and drago turns around and uh strolls down the room towards the open door i mean drago i don't think i'm gonna make sure you don't definitely traps are you waiting drago for cast iron or you're gonna head uh because we're all in the same room i assume that we're we can all move as yep
00:22:44
Speaker
as one unless anyone's staying and calling back and looking. No, no, no, Folly would be coming down. Okie dokie, so we're walking down and what you see in front of you is a corridor about 20 feet and a room at the end of it that has a doorway off to the right.
00:23:00
Speaker
Now, down the corridor, you see a small room with a corridor leading off to the south. This room has a grey polished piece of rock and has a layer of dust over it. It seems to be sat at an odd angle. It's almost like a table, but then the table is kind of angled slightly, almost like it should have something on it. It's got a thick layer of dust there at the moment. Why do I feel like there's just going to be more of these sort of doors but not doors situations that present themselves in front of us?
00:23:28
Speaker
I don't know, but I hope at the end of this we get a crystal. Whatever is kept here wasn't designed to be picked up easily. It was designed to only be picked up by those who knew the way.
00:23:40
Speaker
Well, these are ancient ruins. And they were actually, I believe, when they were discovered, there were orders for them to be left alone. I don't think they've actually been. Not many scholars have had a chance to explore these areas. So we could be the very first people in thousands, hundreds, if not thousands of years, to step foot in it. Unless your name's Althea, who's clearly come in ahead of us.
00:24:04
Speaker
I mean, well, maybe. Can I, Drago, check that table with the limited investigation knowledge that he owns and see if the dust has been disturbed in any way or if it is just the whole table is covered in dust? Yeah, give me an investigation check, please, Drago. Don't think I've said that in quite a while.
00:24:24
Speaker
It's a 19. Wow. OK, as you investigate the table, you notice a couple of things quite quickly. This isn't a table. It's too much of a slant to be a table. It's too high to be a table. And what you notice in looking at it, the dust seems to pile up in areas slightly more than other areas ever so slightly, giving you the idea that something might be engraved underneath it as an under the dust. It looks like something is engraved under the dust on this table.
00:24:50
Speaker
I use persigitation to clean the table. And just in front of you Drago, almost in a second, the dust is suddenly pushed to the sides and you can see quite clearly some words written in common. It says, Earth here is a weapon of great strength. Only the true of heart can possess it and wield its might against foes from this realm and others. Your will and might will be tested to see your worth, traveller.
00:25:19
Speaker
Sorry, as the minute that the press of digitization takes place, Karstan, one thing happens straight away. You hear a click.
00:25:27
Speaker
So you will get to do this with advantage. Can everyone else make dexterity saving throws, please? And Karsten, you get advantage for this. And if you naturally have advantage for dexterity saving throws, obviously, roll with dex anyway. Let's go with Robin, what'd you get? 23. Okay, Folly? Is this anything to do with magic? Can I just quickly ask? No, it's not. Okay, then I got 13. 13, okay. Drago? 21. And Karsten?
00:25:55
Speaker
uh 24. Tali, roll the three. On my deck save. So uh this is gonna be Folly and Tali. Nope, wrong dice. Sorry. Okay it's quite good actually. Folly and Tali are going to take six points of piercing damage and what happens is out of the out of the wall
00:26:10
Speaker
a series of darts quickly come out and these these holes and I mean Carson you were looking for them are so well hidden they're not even circular where the darts could come out they're almost like really thin it's almost like imagine kind of weird kind of shurikens or razor blades
00:26:26
Speaker
It's so thin, so imperceptible that you didn't even notice this, given the design is so different so far from what you've been reading in books. But you hear the click just before it happens and manage to step out of the way. You then notice after that happens, as you look on the plinth in front of you, sorry, the slate in front of you, a few more words appear below.
Facing Tests of Strength and Unlocking Doors
00:26:47
Speaker
And it just simply says this was your first test.
00:26:51
Speaker
Okay, can I investigate? Are there any of the little weapons on the floor having the mob been fired? There's one in Tali's arm and she's dead. Ah, shit! Okay, Tali, just hold still for a moment. Let me pull it out very carefully. Oh my god, it really hurts.
00:27:13
Speaker
When in Berwick, I'll just clamp down your teeth and let Karsten pull it. Pull it man, pull it! Jesus Christ, that took ages Karsten.
00:27:25
Speaker
Robin, who would have fallen to the floor during that to get out of the way of his, will just realise that there's one in Folly as well and goes, Folly, you've got something similar. I've got an idea that Folly kind of has one stuck in his nose and he's just kind of moving around every time he looks anywhere. He could just kind of see this really, really weird line. He looks almost bizarre as he's trying to get a proper look onto it.
00:27:49
Speaker
Oh, brilliant. Would you mind, Robert? This is actually rather painful. Well, um, let's, um, let's, my mage hand and your mage hand is probably going to be the most efficient way to get that out of there. What? Just, just rip it out, Robin. Oh, Folly's mage hand's holding a torch at the moment, but... Oh, of course. Sorry, Folly. And then I'll just grab it and rip it out.
00:28:13
Speaker
So inspecting the stroke, and I'm also looking, Mark, just to see just in case it's got any residue on it, just in case it's poisoned or anything like that. Yep, no problem. You can see quite clearly this is a... See, this is a design you haven't really seen before. It almost looks like the design that other people more recently have copied the design from, like it's been passed down through time, and this is one of the originals.
00:28:34
Speaker
However, upon inspecting it, you can see the specks of Tali's blood, but there seems to be no residue that might relate to that of poison or anything that gives you the sense of magic or anything. I'm going off your passive investigation here, Will, anyway. What could they do? Metal.
00:28:49
Speaker
Okay is it is it of like uh so is it made of because of its old is it is it is it like a modern metal or is it something like is it the equivalent of finding like a bronze age kind of thing is it made out of a much older like simpler time metal? It's a simpler time metal it looks like it could be an iron or something like that however it looks very very very well preserved. I'm gonna pocket that just in case might be able to flog it to a to some history uh buff you know.
00:29:14
Speaker
Am I right in assuming that when the words appeared, Drago would just, as you read them, Drago would read them? Yes. Okay, cool. So everyone's aware of everything that's been said. Awesome. That makes life a lot easier. It appears that we are indeed in the right place.
00:29:34
Speaker
i think each of these doors must be must be some kind of test to make well we haven't we haven't finished exploring this room yet castan yes but the the table the tablet says this was your first test yeah you might be right so there is a there must be a series of tests contained behind each door that perhaps then leads us to to check that we are worthy i believe it said something worthy i hate tests
00:30:00
Speaker
it says something about might and spirit or willpower he says looking at the words again just to check earth tier is a weapon of great strength only the true of heart can possess it and wield its might against foes from this realm and others your will and might will be tested to see your worth traveler so it's going to be testing our strength and when it says will it might be trying to test our fortitude or or even our brains yeah okay
00:30:29
Speaker
The main thing is that the weapon is here somewhere in this building. Despite this fortune cookie, we should carry on. Okay, I think we're all going down this small corridor this way then. Indeed. This point does sound fun, let's go. Let's just watch out for any more flying pieces of metal. Everyone okay? I'm sorry I didn't see that one everybody. I'm not gonna lie, these things are fascinating in how well they're hidden.
00:30:56
Speaker
It's okay, I was very lucky. I managed to stand exactly where I was and not get hit. It's surprising. There's all these arrows making a drago-shaped outline. And as you make your way to the south, you notice there's a small kind of five-foot entrance way, kind of takes a very sharp left turn once you step down it to the east, and it enters into a very small room with what seems to be an ancient chest that looks
00:31:25
Speaker
relatively similar to the chests you would normally see today, save that this has cobwebs and a thick layer of dust upon it. There's nothing else in the room aside from this small kind of 15 foot by 15 foot room with no other entrances or exits. This seems to have been a dead end with the chest. Easy, here's the weapon. And Drago opens the chest.
00:31:43
Speaker
inside you find two glowing red vials that are indisputable really is healing potions anyone would looking at it would sniff it or look at it you give it to folly anyone easy enough it's hit two healing potions so 2d4 plus two and you got two of them and also there's a layer of gold pieces at the bottom and if you counted them up happens to be 48 of them and there's also a small note and as you open that up it just says one word godspeed
00:32:08
Speaker
not the weapon i sense the dm trying to pad it out with healing potions guys um and that was the dm saying godspeed good luck to you all you've lost your you've lost your healer so and i'm joking okay so it's a fair point we have lost our healer
00:32:23
Speaker
Drago, you should perhaps take one of those and then maybe Robin or Tali look after the other one just so they're not together? I can take one as well. And Drago passes one of the two vials to Tali.
00:32:40
Speaker
Thanks, I'll just keep it here just in case any of you guys need it, Folly. Why did you look at me? Because you blow yourself up a lot and usually you blow yourself up as well, so... Just, you seem to be the most powerful... Okay, point proven, point proven. It didn't mean anything by it, it's just the truth. The group treasurer, out of the corner... Sorry, Dragos already picked up the gold, he's put it into his satchel, it's fine.
00:33:26
Speaker
yeah well this is happening um robin has gone back out into the corridor and is just seeing if another one of the doors have opened like if carthans fury was correct and it is correct but two doors have opened up this time the door directly opposite you so the first door on the left and the second door on the left have both opened in a similar way they've lowered all the way down to the floor leaving it flush on the stone floor below
00:33:31
Speaker
Oh, it starts all over again, I love it. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and,
00:33:52
Speaker
Guys, we've, Castan was right and we've got options. We've got two open doors to contend with. Jolly good! Castan will, Castan will total over to Robin. Dragos and Dry. And Folly will waddle. Dry, total, waddle.
00:34:13
Speaker
So like a really bad boy might as well take the one that's in front of us. Oh, I mean, we could also split up. I don't think sometimes these things. Yeah. Okay. Just in terms of like getting through this and finding the weapon quicker. I get what you're saying. But I think there's likely to be something between each of these doors that may require unity rather than separating. And I want to meet shield.
00:34:43
Speaker
Okay, so we're taking the door opposite you then, the first door on the left. I think we all hear the word meat shield, awkward silence, and then go through the door. And you could leave Folly in the hallway. I think Folly would be the last one going into this room here at the moment. What do they do? Carson's checking for traps. Yeah, no problem. Go in. Probably more perceptive now, now that you know what you're looking for with that dark trap as well, I can imagine.
00:35:07
Speaker
So as you walk down this corridor, the first on the left, it goes along for about 20, 25 feet and takes a sharp northern turn. When taking that path upwards, the pathway splits to the north and to the west. Now to the west, you see another door at the end of there and to the north, you see the corridor shift to the left.
00:35:26
Speaker
but you cannot see where it goes after that. If you wanted to just explore this whole little area a little bit, why not, speed it long, you see down the corridor with the door, if you turn south, there's another door there, and in the northern area, there is another door there. So basically, the pathway splits into like three ways, and there are three smaller doors now for you to pick for from. I'm really going to start beating on doors after this, aren't I?
00:35:51
Speaker
these are different though because outside each of them built these are still the same marble doors built into the wall of each one of them is a statue a small small statue built into each one of them so tell me which one you want to go to and then i'll explain what we uh what we see there
00:36:09
Speaker
Shall we start at the south and work our way clockwise around the sundial? You look at the door to the south, someone else look at the door that's immediately to the left of that and I'll go up and look at the door at the top. Okay. Okay. So as we split up and have a look, cast down, the first thing you notice is you come round that corner to look at the southern door, you see a skeleton.
00:36:30
Speaker
on the floor on the floor and what it is is this looks like it must be of an orc because you can see the back the bottom teeth sticking up a little bit it seems to have been a an orc of some renown and he is clutching or she they are clutching on their chest a chisel and a hammer this isn't some kind of ornate statue this is literally a skeleton slumped on the floor holding a chisel and a hammer upon looking up at this sorry keep going upon looking up at the statue near the door to the southern entrance
00:36:59
Speaker
you see a broken statue and you would recognize the statue to be the statue of Illido, one of the gods. It stands in burnished bronze. This is quite small, almost, you know, kind of like 30 to 40 centimeters. That's a small built into the side of the wall here.
00:37:14
Speaker
This person is wielding a sword in a style in which you've read about but you've never really seen shown out before. Alito statues are normally quite well kept and hidden. It seems to have an aura or glow around the back of him as well. The plaque below it reads, night follows day. There's then a gap, follows night, life follows death. So it seems like there's a word missing on this statue. To the door to the east that you can see, is that a folly that's gone to that door?
00:37:45
Speaker
Yeah I'll say yes. Okay you see a similar situation you see a statue built into the side it says the new of a person you kind of recognize this guy it must be Vatinis one of the gods again you think you can't really remember you don't care much for religion anyway and it says the new begins alike those of and then it seems to just trail off.
00:38:06
Speaker
which seems strange. And Robin, the one you look at to the north, you see next to this marble door a small statue of a human woman holding a number of plants in her hand, in her right hand. The plinth says justice, joy, and for all. And all three of these have the same marble doors in front of. Yeah. Do you know what the word is? Justice and joy for all might have any kind of link to. What does that actually look like?
00:38:33
Speaker
It's a woman holding a couple of flowers. That's Tiriani. Ah, so that's what she looks like. And what were you saying the words were? Justice and joy for all. Well, Tiriani believed in knowledge. It's joy, justice and knowledge for all. Oh yes, and I'll just brush some dust off it and go, yes, there's the knowledge bit, which I clearly forgot in the time.
00:38:53
Speaker
No, no. As you brush it off thinking that's where it should be, there is still a gap there. There is no word actually there at all. So as you brush the dust away thinking, of course, it's just going to be under this, it's just a blank piece of, it's literally a gap. Robin will immediately, kind of like Harry and Marv when they know the paint cans are coming, will just kind of step back to the side thinking a dart might be about to come at him.
00:39:17
Speaker
Brilliant. Do you want to do a dexterity saving throw? Is that what I'm having to do here? Yes please. That is a 13 plus 5, that's a 17. You hit the ground quick as anything, just to the ground. Nothing happens though. What are you doing? Just taking some precautions, that's all. I think... I'm pleased to know there's no trap on this one. I'm glad you checked.
00:39:42
Speaker
Castan goes over to the Skellington and picks up the hammer and chisel. I think we've got to finish the quotes. All of these quotes, all of these doors are linked to the statues. Mark, can I make a religion check on Illido to see if I can remember, I can remember Tiriani's words, because of Helena, but I can't remember Illido's words. Okay, yeah, give me a religion check, please.
00:40:05
Speaker
It's not great. At 13? Yes, you remember it. As night follows day, lie follows truth, life follows death. So you remember the word missing is lie. So what he's going to do is I'm going to chisel the word lie into the
00:40:24
Speaker
um or i'm going to try well i'm i might use it just to i wonder whether i can just scratch the word lie in rather than chisel it in okay as you uh give me a slight no i'll give you for that no i'll let you just do it i'll let you do it it's fine you're under no pressure to do it as you do it uh you finish the lie and nice cursive handwriting that i imagine karsten would do and stand back and look at the door uh and for a second nothing happens so then you see the door in front of you this this kind of white-ish ochre
00:40:52
Speaker
Yeah, okra, um, marble door suddenly become warm, warm out and warm out and almost glow with warmth and then just stop again all of a sudden and you can see a sizzle come away. And what you thought was a gap around the edge of this door has now totally sealed up. This is now a dead end. So it's not a door anymore? It's not a door anymore. Well, it doesn't have the same look as the others. The others had like a little kind of line around the edge. You could see that this obviously was a doorway. Now it just seems to have sealed up. Folly, do you remember Alito's words?
00:41:21
Speaker
I'd not want really to listen to the gods. What did you say the word for? Robin will count me on. I thought this one was lie leads to truth, but I don't know. It's night leads to day.
00:41:37
Speaker
So maybe the word lie perpetuates to what the door is, and this isn't the door at all. Perhaps we should try one of the other doors. But we know one of the doors is justice, right? You were very sure about that. No, knowledge. Maybe we should try that one and see what happens there. Okay, so what did you all say again, Folly? I didn't say, actually.
00:42:01
Speaker
Oh. Let me just find it. Tell us all then. Stop holding back. When Mark puts it up for me, because all this talking, I forgot. I've got the new begins, I like those of, and they're nothing. It's a very unfinished job, really. This is clearly Vantis. Is that correct, Mark? Vatinis. Vatinis, sorry. Vatinis. So what's the end of this statement then?
00:42:26
Speaker
uh i don't know let me let me try and remember again do you want to do history or religion vatinis is vatinis is the kind of the big religion well bigger religion seeing as i'm the one that's actually reading it can i make one of course you can yeah do you want to do religion or history um let me have a look what i'm better at
00:42:45
Speaker
In all fairness, I'm the same on both. I'll go for history because I don't think he might have heard it in the past more so than from people who follow the religions. I think it's more trying to remember if anybody who is met has talked about it. I think it'd be more of a history thing.
00:43:00
Speaker
Okay, go for it. Oh 18 You remember it as and you remember this quite clearly because the tennis in the area you're from it was quite big This is one of the lines you'd hear them chanting and saying when you walk past that one of the one of the temples nearby The new begins are like those of old. Yeah
00:43:19
Speaker
If I recall correctly, I believe an old temple that I used to frequently walk past. I always heard them chanting certain things, and I believe that the new begins are like those of old. I'm sure that's how it used to go. Does that match what Carsten would remember if Folly says the phrase? Yes, pretty much so. You remember it was something to do with that antithesis, the new and the old, it seemed to feel quasi-religious.
00:43:44
Speaker
That makes sense. Shall I write the word old in? By all means. And as you write the word old in, the door makes a slight noise for a second. Dust comes from down the edges and the doorway opens up, lowering itself down.
00:43:59
Speaker
I think I got the wrong everybody. Inside the room, you see nothing save a small collection of papers on the floor. Folly at the front, you'd probably notice these first. You can see three scrolls placed on the floor, one, two, three, very neatly in order next to one another. Again, these have a slight layer of dust on them. Upon looking at them, you notice these to be tier two stock magic scrolls.
00:44:27
Speaker
Okay, Volley would definitely go for the scrolls first as he goes in here. And you find the scrolls fought upon opening them up slightly, looking at these being tier two, which are the better quality scrolls, not your tier three crazy ones, but your tier two ones of Resilient Sphere, Chained Lightning, and Flined the Path. Are the stock magics seals on them obvious?
00:44:48
Speaker
Yes, the regular blue seals you'd see. Not like the black seals, which you would have if it was a tier 3 spell, but yes, very obviously from the front. Careful, Foley, those are stock magic. I know, I know, but these are of higher quality versions. They'll be fine. OK. You do have a history of blowing yourself up.
00:45:24
Speaker
Folly again you would recognize these they seem to have a kind of a very electric glowing red pulsing light and seems to have this energy which seems to again remind you of that of stock magic upon closer inspection Folly you'd notice these quite quickly as being potions of exhausting haste which are stock magic specialty potions these are potions that always sometimes will have a always sometimes will have a side effect
00:45:35
Speaker
only with my own devices, not with somebody else's.
00:45:49
Speaker
Yep, that's fine. Folly will pick one up, turn to cast and say, now these are the things you need to be careful of. And he's just going to put those back in his back anyway. This doesn't make any sense, Folly. How so? These ruins predate stock magic. These ruins predate our knowledge of stock magic. If these people were able to create these ruins of their own volition, then who's to say that they wouldn't have their own version of stock magic?
00:46:17
Speaker
I see your point. Can't you tell the difference between older stock magic and newer stock magic? Only by the degradation of parchment, really. There's no one set way to do any kind of stock magic. Well, how degradated are these parchments? Let me go and have a look.
00:46:34
Speaker
He'll pull one out and he'll just kind of turn it around and just look through it. He'll definitely investigate the wax seal on it as well because that's probably going to show the most amount of deterioration possibly over a lot of time. Just try and gauge how old it is. They look new, no longer than a couple of years old. Okay, with that, you're going to see a look of Pulsarman just kind of come across Folly's face as he's looking at this and goes, oh shit. Actually, where?
00:47:02
Speaker
These are actually quite new, I'm sorry. But the deterioration that's very little aging on these scrolls, they do in fact look quite, well, new. I mean, it can't be more than a couple of years, surely. I mean... There may be more to this place than perhaps we have knowledge for at the minute. We should keep moving. We should tread carefully.
00:47:29
Speaker
Can I retry on the Alito one? Can I replace the word lie with truth? You can try and scratch over, yeah. And as you scratch over and write the words in, nothing happens. Don't worry about it, Carson. There's still another door. We've got one more. There's always another door.
00:47:46
Speaker
And just a quick heads up, those exhausting haste potions, you drink the potion and you have the spell haste work upon you. The spell and its effects and after effects are as written in the D&D rules, but once the spell wears off you've also got to roll the constitution saving throw, if you fail it you gain a point of exhaustion. So it just gives you kind of bottled haste with exhaustion if you don't roll the con after it as well.
00:48:09
Speaker
So, you're going up to the last door. I think that would be wise. Okay, and this is knowledge. And as you write the word knowledge in, I slightly dejected Karsten, I imagine, because I think you've come to terms with now that you've made a mistake on the previous one.
Receiving Blessings and Encountering Challenges
00:48:21
Speaker
You write the word knowledge in, nice cursive handwriting, and the door lowers again. And what is inside this room? A battle rock. Of Morgoth.
00:48:29
Speaker
inside this room is incredible you walk in and it is like almost through the rock above you almost bits of shafts of natural sunlight but as you reach up you realize this is just rock it is almost a small garden that seems to have grown in this space now with what the sounds of running water the
00:48:49
Speaker
the atmosphere of nature. It's lovely, the ground becomes grass beneath your feet. There's fruit growing on a nearby bushel of raspberries maybe, and the space feels so out of place compared to everywhere else. In the statue you see a very similar statue to the one you saw in the black-mouthed mines of Tiriani in the very center. And you also come across
00:49:13
Speaker
as you will walk into the room you get this sudden sense that something is watching over you and something is is is is willing you to move on almost and basically you've all been instilled by bless you have bless upon you this isn't from Claude from the grave don't worry but you will have from the grave from the grave it's not from the grave arise from your grave jesus don't do that to us sorry
00:49:41
Speaker
I was also going to say there's a small bowl next to the pedestal, almost like where you would not expect either things to be given in kind of sacrifice to Tiriani, so kind of small parts of flowers or soil or whatever you would normally give to Tiriani or some clean water. Instead, there is something just next to that bowl, and it's a small green vial that sits next to it, next to some rather luscious roses that seem to be growing near the statue of Tiriani.
00:50:08
Speaker
So Khartan's going to sort of walk towards a statue. This room's been blessed with Tiriani, by Tiriani. Perhaps this is where the verdant, this might be connected to the verdant and its natural growth. It's very suspicious that in a dungeon that has otherwise been made of marble for there suddenly to be. And Drago looks at his feet as he's saying this. Grass.
00:50:31
Speaker
So Kastan's going to go up to the statue and he's going to sort of go, Helena would want us to leave an offering for Tiriani.
00:50:42
Speaker
I don't, I don't do offerings for gods. So, Carson's going to pull out his water skin and because he hasn't got much to actually give, he's going to, is the bowl empty? The bowl is empty, yes. He's going to sort of put a bit of an offering of water into the bowl and he's going to say, accept this humble offering, Tiriani, from on behalf of one of your
00:51:09
Speaker
faithful princess Helena of Sleetguard. And on that the water sits there for a second, there's an awkward bit of silence and then the liquid seems to almost drain from the bottle, sorry, from the bowl without there being a bottom to it and you have a sudden sense that the DM has your back and you have inspiration will for that and the small potion that seems to be sat on the side just tinkers onto its side and starts to roll towards you and
00:51:36
Speaker
falls off into the grass at your feet cast down. I will pick up the potion. Folly, I found something.
00:51:44
Speaker
What have you got now? Owing stuff. And as you hand over, you see, Folly, this glowing green, very, very small vial, almost like a shop's worth of a vial with a cork in the end of it. You haven't seen this for quite a number of years, and it maybe had a couple of names prior to what you call it, but it seems to be the name that most people seem to be happy with. It's Hair's Envy, as in a hair, as in a boing, boing, boing, little rabbit hair. Hair's Envy.
00:52:09
Speaker
And you remember the expression that used to go with it. Thus did she move like the creatures of old with grace and speed that she dart and jab. This is another very small, quite well known stock magic potion. This gives your plus three to your dexterity for 24 hours, but your con will drop to eight.
00:52:26
Speaker
See, Drago, the gods are watching over us. Why are there so many stock magic potions in this place? It's bizarre. I think, Folly, I think there's a reason why this place wasn't allowed to be searched. Perhaps someone knew something and perhaps whoever, maybe the gods sent visions to people to prepare this for those that were worthy of the weapon.
00:52:53
Speaker
You've mentioned a series of, so far we've had a test of our ability to get out of the way of something, maybe these chambers were a test of faith. Yes, I'm sorry I failed one guys. Well, and perhaps we should go and see if another door awaits us. That does seem to be the pattern of the moment. At least the other one opens so it's a shorter way into the main hall.
00:53:13
Speaker
every cloud cast and every cloud and as you do as you do enter into the main hall you notice the door opposite you so the middle on the right has opened uh i assume we're going into it indeed now we figured we'd just actually just leave the dungeon at this stage and yeah
00:53:33
Speaker
What you notice in this room is it very quickly forks off onto two sides. It goes north and it goes south and both of these go off in different directions. The doorway to the north takes you quickly then right and along the corridor a little bit but you come into what seems like an old library.
00:53:51
Speaker
where there are five big shelves that reach the ceiling stacked full of old tomes and books. Many of these seem rotted beyond repair, but quite a few of them, you can still read the names on the spines of them. To the south, however, you see a large fireplace, a hearth almost, that seems to stand out. And the closer you walk towards it, the larger the flames get. You stand kind of in the door. I'm just assuming you kind of poke your head in both those rooms. Which one do you want to go into first and have a look around?
00:54:20
Speaker
folly would head straight to the books okay and in the book i'm following folly in the book room you find a number of books none of these seem to be of any interest particularly they all seem to be you know that when you go into a library you see books that are written in like the 1800s like now you look at it and go oh god no it's just it's just so awkwardly folly would literally just be kind of pulling the books off the thing trying to find something of interest it's almost like a cartoony style flinging off
00:54:49
Speaker
are incredibly old. These books could go into the library of obsidia and be used by scholars for decades. Karsten is currently holding a book up that's called Don't Forget the Beer.
00:55:06
Speaker
Well, if you want to carry them, then be my guest, but I'm looking for something more usefulness. Can we put them in your pack? No. Sorry. While this is happening, Robin's gone round and is taking a look at the fireplace. And I assume that this kind of bickering between Carstan and
00:55:21
Speaker
and Folly take place with Drago just kind of shaking his head slowly. As Robin, as you move down to the fireplace, you notice this odd effect that if you walk closer, the flames get bigger and as you walk away, the flames get smaller. And you notice an inscription above the fireplace reads, the rules change and the few gain power. Burn me a tail. I think we need to burn some books. I mean, that's a bit drastic. Why do you say that?
00:55:49
Speaker
one have you ever tried living in one and two because of what this inscription says up here okay so it's not just because of your hatred for books i have a fine love for books just not ones that wish to make me a part of their tale it would be okay if you had a phobia given the experiences that you had
00:56:09
Speaker
Let me have a look. So, Mark, how many books are actually in this library? The ones that you can read, you can probably, it's probably around 15 or so. The rest are all kind of almost literally, as you pick them up, it turns to dust or it's all rotted and you can't read the names and the papers are ruined.
00:56:24
Speaker
probably about 15 of those are on the floor by now yeah and probably all the books that are legible now are on the floor and there are some of the names you would have uh for the those listening i'm not going to read them all like but you've got a couple you've got the ship builders the daring escape heroic stories of the human race the quiet meadow the childhood of theodor the orc who went to town dancing lights of erith cobalt tossing and other summer sports don't forget my beer the beer and my favorite up jumped halfling's tail
00:56:50
Speaker
Are there any books that Foley hasn't done that look particularly old or revered that has writing on that Karsten can't read before they get them unhandled? Give me an investigation check. 26. You're looking around and you cannot see any that have that, what you just asked for. Words, ones that Karsten can't read the words of. No, these are all the ones that you can kind of see. And I assume you kind of scanned around and looked all over with your hand. Yeah, I mean, he's just looking for any particularly old books that might need like
00:57:20
Speaker
saving and all that he needs to read properly. The ones that might have been any worth have now rotted away pretty much and kind of fallen to dust. Did this thing not say burn me a tail on the top of that fireplace? Yes, so fiction would be preferable over cobalt talking. How about Kastan's book of songs?
00:57:42
Speaker
no that would be a very very good idea can we try that first they're not fiction they are fact because they tell the truth so i'm going to pick up the one about uh is it was the heroic tales of humans what about that heroic stories of the human race out of curiosity would this one not be um a better option and follow is just going to hold up the only book i think that actually has tail in the title up jump to halfling's tail and it'll just be looking at you going
00:58:12
Speaker
This one actually has tail now is that two on the nose for this place do you think or? Stories in it, but Why don't you just take them both and throw them in? Let's throw the tail in first then we take both books and we go around to Robin to throw them in the fire I'm gonna actually from a distance mage hand it just going to go closer towards the fireplace to chuck it in so I'm not getting closer my mage hand is
00:58:36
Speaker
Okay and as you drop the two tails in the flames turn a bright green. I think we were only throwing first one in before we did. So the halfling tail. It was the yeah but was it the halfling tail first? Up jump to halfling tail yeah. Up jump, my favorite book basically. You burn in the DM's favorite book, fair enough. And as that book goes in these green flames pop up and you hear kind of almost shaking through the walls this voice power must be controlled.
00:59:03
Speaker
life must seal the end only the worthy and the flames return to normal and the green flames turn to back the normal simmering smoldering flames the plinth above now changes the words twist and warp and it says the tale to burn brings disappointment as it was never what was promised okay so i i think that was the right one
00:59:26
Speaker
Never what was promised. Car stands now, back in the library. Charlie, you're smart with this stuff. What do you think about this? I don't know. I just want to get out of this place. Where's Elthea? How did he get through all this? And if we had to burn one book, then how come the book's back here and he got through? He can walk through shadows. I wouldn't try to guess what Elthea did to get by.
00:59:51
Speaker
He's also supported by something quite terrifying, which I think would expediate his journey through here. Aye, that's a good point. And just, as fun as this is, burning books and laughing at stories, it's just, I can't help but feel, you know, is anyone else feeling like I just, like being watched? Or is that just me? I feel we, Bob.
01:00:12
Speaker
being observed and used at the moment, or as, indeed, the place has told us, being tested. Just jumping through hoops. We've been tested plenty. I don't understand, Bobby. This place has to, you know, test us again. I understand. Trust me, I understand your...
01:00:27
Speaker
rage and frustration that you're feeling but the greater good is the onyx reaver it's here so we need to do what we can maybe pick a book i don't know you might yeah go with your gut instinct so
01:00:43
Speaker
I mean, there are several we could choose from. You could do Courtly Society in New Gartran. I mean, maybe that's got disappointment because they're not actually Courtly. Well, I don't know about you, but childhood for Theodore certainly remained disappointing for me. My childhood was terrible.
01:01:02
Speaker
But it brings this point, it's never what was promised. I mean... Do you realise what I was promising, your child? No, this is not how I expected it to end with my life. Sorry, I distracted. Anyway, carry on.
01:01:15
Speaker
The other one, I mean, heroic stories of the human race. That was the one I was looking at a little bit. I know we all say that everyone's heroic, but there are quite a lot of people who aren't. Maybe people sometimes say they're heroic and it's disappointment. Can I have a quick read of the actual content of heroic stories of the human race? Just kind of a few
01:01:39
Speaker
end of like sentences or something like that basically trying to get to the end of the story just to see kind of how it ends if any of the stories in this book do end in severe disappointment okay you read across a couple
01:01:54
Speaker
of them, one of them. And Verily, Quaison did return to the castle, and his wench produced the loins upon which he could then form his family, and long did he reign in the kingdom of Quannandollon. And in the next one, you read the end, and it's a similar place to maybe do that again. And it's like, no, no, no, no, you're starting. How's it end?
01:02:14
Speaker
uh the next one even drago if if if casta if not casta i'm fully saying this out loud even drago is kind of like just leaning in a fraction just to find out three years later the late great madame what holland bologna returns to her castle and sees not only is her mistress left alone bereft at the end of the day but dead is her brother and dead is her cousin the place ruins the martyr killed and the
01:02:42
Speaker
peasants are a prison taking over let this be a tale reader of all that kingdoms do not come lightly and those in control must be wary of that i mean i mean well done that was that was that was off the cuff that was amazing there was lots of uh and there's a few other ones in there as well but i'm not reading any of them fuck off i think we should put that one in
01:03:03
Speaker
Yes. Do you think? Go with the heroic stories? Do any of these have any references to an oath or some form of a promise? Who's James Mylock? I think the story that you just read, Folly, seems to be pretty good. I mean, a lot of effort went into that one story, I'd say that.
01:03:23
Speaker
We need to throw it in the damn fire now. No, no. Let's re-do every single one of them and see what the hell they end. I mean, it could take several hours for us to do this. Please, someone throw the book in the damn fire. Folly's Mage Hand book's going into the fire.
01:03:38
Speaker
As you toss the book in from a distance, goes in, green flames again, and the rumble takes place and you hear the voice, rumour abounds. Keep secrets, friend. The rumbles stop again. The letters again change, and this time, they glow ever so slightly and set in stone properly. It says, timeless, tight, quick, and clean. Your journey must lean on these.
01:04:03
Speaker
Timeless, tight, quick and lean. Timeless, tight, quick and clean. Your journey must lean on these. What does that even mean? They have no idea. Your journey must lean on these. Timeless, tight, quick and lean. Dancing lights. Dave was thinking that, actually. We can't get far out late, struggle, don't talk about that.
01:04:23
Speaker
They're tiny, they're quick, they're lean. There is a spell. There's another book here called Dancing Lights of Earth. Maybe this is giving us a riddle.
01:04:39
Speaker
Oh no, sorry, it's returned back to its previous state. But the words, have the words changed? Have they changed and do they always look like stone afterwards or do these ones now? They always look in stone afterwards, sorry, but they didn't do what they did. You know when you did the marble door and it's kind of sealed, it seemed to do that and it says that across the top of it now.
01:05:00
Speaker
Oh, so it looks like it's finished. The only way it's different is that you saw the letters kind of glow for a second and then sizzle. Whether or not that means it's finished or not is another lesson. But it didn't do that when it changed to saying a tail to burn brings disappointment. Correct.
01:05:18
Speaker
I don't think we've got any more books to burn it. It didn't do what it did when the words changed the first time. Or do we only have one more? Or do we only have one more? And Robin, can you make a dexterity saving throw please?
01:05:39
Speaker
Oh it's good, 18 plus 5, 23. The minute the book hits the flames it instantly comes straight out towards you and it's almost like you knew it was going to happen at some point because you needed to make up for looking like a fool earlier. The book shimmies just past your face and you just move your head just slightly out of the way as it passes over. It would have been a direct hit on your face and it smacks against the wall and squids you down to the bottom.
01:06:04
Speaker
Okay, one more, one more. And Drago grabs the book, labeled the shipbuilders, and throws it into the flames. Getting ready to jump out the way as well.
01:06:13
Speaker
the flames bright green and the rumble takes place again and then the rumble stops and you hear a voice a quite clear voice but again a quite uh old voice it speaks in a in a style of which you haven't heard in erith yet any of you really even the sanguine lands and your travels around the voice says upon the seas you must take the reaver control the power the worthy must succeed and the flames in the fireplace extinguish
Confronting Mystical Forces and Audience Interaction
01:06:39
Speaker
We should go and see if another door is materialised. Now the fire has gone out. OK. Can I just have a moment to revel in my smartness there? Ollie's going to slow-clap you and it's going to echo down the corridor. I'm more of a fan of reading books than burning them, but you know.
01:06:58
Speaker
That was highly fun. I hope every test is like this. Well, maybe it's trying to tell us that we shouldn't believe everything we read, Karsten. That sounds like a sweet talk. Hashtag fake news. And yes, as you go back and you realize another door has opened, the top left door has opened and is now clear. Would you like to enter upon the corridor?
01:07:20
Speaker
Yes, indeed. Indubitably. And we have to clamber over the pillar. No, no, you can just kind of separate the pillars more. Yes, a little bit of clambering, but nothing none of you can handle. You are adventurers after all, Bill. And as you go down the corridor, yep, you're taking the traps. The corridor is long, about 30, 40 feet down with a mage hand carrying the torch ahead of you. It takes a sharp right turn to the north and in front of you is a long corridor and
01:07:48
Speaker
at the far end of it. There's a doorway to the left, there's a doorway to the right and at the end of it you can see the outskirts of two pillars and a figure in the room. You see a figure and you see a situation happening within this room. You quite clearly see the figure in front of you. Black cloak, green, cut, white skin, hair missing,
01:08:09
Speaker
But this is very clearly the body and face of Elphir. He seems to be pushing against something. And as you move a little closer, you can see the situation. You can see a plinth to the left and four pillars in this room. It's quite a small room actually for what it is. And you can see him literally physically seems to be fighting against some force, some power that's holding him back. His body is shaking. He's trying to fight against this.
01:08:33
Speaker
To the left of him, and nearest to this plinth, you see a figure that is well known to all of you, the figure of the hanging man, that of the demigod of decay and rebirth, Thrastan. His eyes are locked onto Elthea, as he seems to also be vibrating as these two energies seem to be pushing against one another.
01:08:52
Speaker
He has his long white hand, this is Elthea, outstretched, reaching inches from the dagger. You see over his shoulder the image of this hanging man. He's still staring intently at Elthea. But this image now seems to be wavering slightly. There are wisps of the figure kind of falling away and falling away quickly. And as one of you probably cast and you pop your head around the corner and you see this, the image turns and the voice
01:09:16
Speaker
booming voice comes out from this from this figure quickly now take the onyx reaver get off the mountains and all of a sudden this black cloud seems to form behind the figure and out of the cloud this large nine-foot jet black skinned figure humanoid comes through in the mist and with a single sweep of his waved dripping greatsword he cuts the image in two it screams and the image disappears the humanoid with the horned head slams down
01:09:43
Speaker
onto the floor of the Galanin Hollows, cracking the ancient slabs beneath his large feet. Elphir moves towards the dagger, now on sway by the force repelling him. I cast Fireball. Straight away. I'm throwing a Fireball into the room. Like right now? Yeah. Am I going to get hit by that? Do it! Because we're in the corridor. I'm tossing it into the room where Elphir is. And we're going to see what happens with that Fireball on the next week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop.
01:10:10
Speaker
Oh my god! Oh my god! I was not ready for this date! As if he just went fellow fireball! I wasn't a fellow ball! Fireball straight off the bat! Holy shit! If I would have got in first, I would have done the same thing. Fair. Castan got there, so yeah, it's all on him. I'm so glad you did it! I'm so glad! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Callum! Fifth level fireball as well! Nice!
01:10:35
Speaker
Thank you everyone for listening in and tuning in, making this a part of your everyday week. We love you for it. And it's good to... Well, it's good to see you all and talking to, obviously, the fellow players, because I can't see you all on the interwebs. Maybe I can. And if you wanted to see me, you can do. If you want to see all of us, you can do. You can follow us on our Twitter page, which is at fellowshiptable. And then if you wanted to go one step further and follow us all individually, you can also do that too. I'm at iroder1, Darren's at...
01:11:03
Speaker
Darren Page, 06. Callums at... B, D20, Gay Mar. Will is at... Natural 20, Will. And our majestic, marvellous, magical DM is at... Hastily rolled, DM. Until next time, guys. Fella!