Transcript
Speaker: Destabilizing and Foundations. Episode 21.
Speaker: The World of Aeon contains stories with mature themes. Content warnings are in the episode description.
Speaker: Welcome back to the World of Aeon, Stories of Legend. Last episode left off... After an interesting couple decisions were made, and quite a few... i' Y'all are already typing. Good good lord, guys. Already typing, distracting me.
Speaker: It took literally less than five seconds.
Speaker: Guys, I got the cast with me. Cast, say hi. Hello. hi I am... What's up, gang? I'm going to be a problem today. LAUGHTER Oh, last episode was wild, y'all. We are bringing more wildness right at you, though.
Speaker: Super excited to see what we get into today. But speaking of the last episode, not just the last episode, but the couple episodes before that as well. It's been a while before we've really checked it from anybody, specifically you guys, our cast, right?
Speaker: I'd like to, before we get started, I'm curious as a DM, because I don't think I've asked this. Past three or four or five episodes or so, what's each of your guys' favorite moment that's happened? Whether it's with your character or with another. I'm just actually kind of curious.
Speaker: Starting from what episode? I mean, this is episode 21. Let's say 17 or so. Yeah. Are we giving having two answers? you I mean, if you want, I'm not going stop you, I guess. I really can't stop you. I'm not physically there. So, you know, you can't get me.
Speaker: yeah I can stop you. I'll cut it out later. Fuck you. Renny holds all the power. i can silence everyone. So what are you guys thinking? What's your what's your favorite? i'm kind of putting you on the spot and here, obviously. And I slightly apologize for that. But if you had to pick one off the top of your head, I the probably was I can't pick one.
Speaker: I mean, that's an that's an answer in and of itself, really. There there were a lot of really good moments that happened in the last few episodes. And i really enjoy Calden and Yellen.
Speaker: And I'm really enjoying watching their dynamic.
Speaker: Their dynamic, as we as we experienced way back when, all the way at episode four, has become a fan favorite, so I don't blame you. I think we all do. And because I am Talira and I love Talira, I really enjoyed that moment in episode 20 when she failed and how she had to deal with that.
Speaker: the There's going to be more um that comes out from there, but having her... learn she really is not the biggest thing out there is world chattering for her it's a big moment it's big character development moment i agree that was cool that was very cool that's what about jack moments too I've got two. Okay, I've got a funny one.
Speaker: i i actually have two funny ones, but they're small. So it's three, technically. So my favorite my favorite funny moment is you look iron deficient. That's going to be one of my favorite moments of all time. I say it sometimes just to myself. I'm like, you look iron deficient.
Speaker: I asked for the last couple episodes. and it wanted nice friends That One of my friends messaged me after that, after after he heard it. He was like, that was a hard line. That was so funny. Like one of my friends went out of their way to say how good that line was. so That was incredible. i think about i so I think about it all the time.
Speaker: And then I also really liked when we found out Keldon was really into horses in like the first episode. I think it's really funny that I asked for the last couple episodes and you're that you're going way back for these moments. I deep cuts. Starting like, you know, 17 to now. Okay, so check. Episode two, right?
Speaker: Chat, chat. Is this real chat? Okay. And then... and then My favorite serious moment is um not to flex guys, but when I got all that tiefling's blood under my fingernails so that I could scry on him using a part of his body. That was sick. That was so good.
Speaker: that wasn't good That was great. i I did not expect that. i didn't As the DM, I didn't see that coming, literally. ah my from like Not a nu at all. That surprised the hell out of me. So kudos to you, sir, for the big marine move.
Speaker: Okay, okay. Now, Rennie, saving the best for last. Mm-hmm. Yeah, i yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's what that was. Right. Yeah. Anyway. I liked ah Talira's moment where she realized she wasn't strong enough or something. It's an important character growth moment for her, and it's just the start of it. And it's a nice callback to episode six, when we when the party was traveling back to the village after killing Verutha, where Kaladin's having this big panic attack, and her whole thing is, whatever's scaring you, I'm bigger than it, aren't I? I'm tougher than it. And he said no, and she didn't believe him. And now she's finally having to come to terms with the fact that there are things...
Speaker: that are going to be bigger and stronger than her. Exactly. Yeah. Holy shit. I did not make that connection. Yep. That's wow. That that is why I pushed so hard that we shouldn't rush through that moment because I knew it was going to be a big callback, like bookending that whole situation. I'm like, this is such a huge thing for her.
Speaker: That's crazy. so I'm glad I asked this question you of y'all. this I did not that put two and two together there. That's a crazy connection. That's awesome. Okay. Well, thank you guys for your answers. As a DM, that helps me know what impacts with y'all the most and helps me plan. But regardless, enough of that. The audience wants to know what's happening today.
Speaker: Let's give it to him Let's get into it.
Speaker: That's crazy. That connection's wild. I didn't even think of that. As we join back up with our party, a lot has happened. Talira finally trying to catch up to Yellen and Kalvin upon their search to try to find Maeve, where she went, where she was taken, where is she now?
Speaker: Talira and Lou, spending time with Eric Strongheart, funny enough, underneath the lighthouse in the Divinity District within Glory, end up, thanks to Lou's amazing nose, taking upon the same path and running into a mystery man, someone, regardless, it got a big, big reaction out of Eric Strongheart, leaving Talira and Lou alone to try to find Yellen and Calden and therefore Maeve.
Speaker: And leading our big friend and her little bear to the residence of the cartel mansion. or estate, there's a variety of words you could use, in which they met Morticia Cartel, the matriarch of the family.
Speaker: And let's just say that was eventful. Upon arriving, told she has to wait, and sure enough, we do actually see Yellen and Calden having woken up with Addy Cartel, Morticia's mother, within her laboratory, offering them a deal to try to help them find Maeve in return, wanting a specific thing.
Speaker: But regardless, that's been turned down. But after some thought, maybe there ah is a deal to be struck, and that that is where we join our group once again, as Yellen and Kalden walk back in into Addie's laboratory.
Speaker: Oh, did you reconsider the deal? Welcome back. I didn't reconsider anything. Kalden is still off the table. um We need to find our friend, and we think she may be on another plane.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Can you tell us where the closest portal is? Well, what do you think the deal was for? Well, like I said, Calvin is off the table.
Speaker: Well, the ball is in your court now. Maybe you can make a deal with me. What do you have to offer that I, in my ever-reaching abilities, could want?
Speaker: Don't do it. Trust me, Calvin. I'll be fine. Well, I'm a simple tiefling. I don't have much going on. I'm a cleric.
Speaker: I've been to the other plane. i yeah am quite good friends with a yeah earth elemental. None of this interests me, except the fact that you are a cleric of the Anma Clerici. I just had an idea. oh Okay, we have a secondary option that could be useful.
Speaker: You animal clergy, you hold your soul trackers quite close. Those beings that Isakon had created to find those cursed souls, the ones that, frankly, we create or enjoy. You have a tendency to snuff them out with your your creatures, your soul trackers. I've never gotten to study one.
Speaker: So you want one? I'll give you the information you seek, and within one year you must bring me a soul tracker. And if not, then I will get Kaladin's body.
Speaker: So you're asking me to trade one life for Kaladin's? Well, a soul tracker, would you consider that life? They're not human. They don't have a a soul like you and I. They're an interesting gray area, wouldn't you say?
Speaker: i would say it's the right of all sentient beings to live. Oh, sentiences. It's a spectrum. And I would say that they fall much less than you and I. mean what is why? So you can devour lost souls? So you can take what you want from them?
Speaker: No, don well, I don't know, to be honest, I have never studied one do not know exactly how they work and those mechanics are... I like knowing things. Especially when it deals with aspects of the world and the arcane that I have not studied yet and I could implement into my future technologies.
Speaker: This is is an opportunity to learn and I don't have lots of those opportunities anymore. Oh like i said calden is not mine to give away what i can offer oh is servitude yeah i no gin please it's all right i myself am a mentor i show souls where to go i guide them to the eternities and i can offer you those abilities oh
Speaker: Souls are hard to come by. Not impossible, but hard. Even for someone like me. They're quite expensive. Well, given my leg of the organization, I have limited funding.
Speaker: So... Ooh, that is juicy. Okay, you have yourself a deal. I'll do it.
Speaker: Five days. oh No. to be dead He won't. Yellen, no. This is my deal, Kalden. You lost your chance. She leans back under one arm on the table. Well, well, well, now we an auction. two are bartering.
Speaker: i don't know if you're eating them or you're experimenting on them but your mind or your stomach will be satisfied she leans back onto one arm on the table well well well now we have an auction so you two are bothing Calton's body is so unique.
Speaker: Such history. Such connection. The amount of souls I could get from your servitude.
Speaker: Interesting. I'll take Calton's deal. This wasn't a deal on the table. You can't just take a redacted deal. Well, sure I can. What's to stop me? It's fine. I am.
Speaker: that You are. How cute. Calden. I'm going to kind of like put my hand on Calden's chest. Not like in an aggressive manner, but just kind of like put there. he puts his hand up to like stop you.
Speaker: Calden, you are worth more than this. It's... I can't let you do this. It's fine, Yama. It's not fine. I saw the way you cringed at the thought of something getting put on you.
Speaker: You are clearly uncomfortable. I can't let do this. We're going to find Maeve and it's going to be okay.
Speaker: We're going to find Maeve either way. The dealer struck. Indeed it is. ah she claps twice and you hear her say a little incantation, Keldon, you feel, i would say it's a tingling sensation. And i'll let you choose. Would you rather have it around your leg, your ankle, or somewhere on your arm?
Speaker: Let's do arm. As an arm band looking just like ah a ring of a tattoo goes around your upper bicep and just appears.
Speaker: I turn over to her. I will see to it that you never get his body, not even long after he is meant to die. Well, I hope that you've gained some power by then.
Speaker: I admire your gusto. Now leave. And she snaps her fingers, and Kalden, you now have a thought in your brain. It's foreign, but it is in your head, but exactly where you need to go. Let's go.
Speaker: As Yellen and Kalden, as you walk out of the room, you walk back down the long, long hallway down the wing of the cartel estate, walking back into you can call it a lobby, a welcoming area, ah an absolutely massive mud room. There's a variety of things you might be able to call this. But regardless, you walk back to the front of the estate of the cartel family. um This only took a few minutes, mind you, plus the the short walk.
Speaker: Not the four hours that Yellen originally asked for. shut was ridiculous. I can't tell time, guys. I'm not going lie. I forgot he asked that. You just said that. I was like, wait, did four hours go by in the laboratory? Did you all sit there and think for four hours? Did I miss this entire part? No, I can't let you guys out of my sight again. And Yellen was like, well, come after me if it's been like four hours. Four hours. Not bad. I was thinking, know, like, you could go to lunch and if I'm not back, my dessert, I come get me. Good Lord. That's so funny. was thinking she might take a little extra convincing. Yeah, cannoli along with.
Speaker: As Yellen and Kalden leave the laboratory, walk down the long hallway of this wing of the estate and enter back into the front of this mansion, I don't want to make any assumptions.
Speaker: So MJ, can you give us the the image? What's the visual as they walk back to find Palira and Lute? Has anything changed? Talira seems like she's definitely, I mean, she's she's worried, she's concerned, she's focused, but she also trusts Kalden in, actually, let me, let me rephrase, she is, why are words so hard right now? Oh my God.
Speaker: She trusts Kalden. Actually, let me rephrase that. No, she trusts Kalden, but she, it's more like she trusts that Kalden didn't get hurt the first time. So while she is, nervous, she is still trying to keep her shit together.
Speaker: Chatting with Lou a little bit here and there, Lou would be grunting back at her because she's not using her band yet. Pacing back and forth, waiting anxiously. All right, thank you for that.
Speaker: Yellen and Kalden as you walk back in. That's the visual you're met with. I don't know exactly how soft or quiet you guys be walking, so whether Talira hears you coming or not, I'll leave up to you, but I will leave the scene to you.
Speaker: I think Kalden is probably leading leading the charge back into the lobby. So as as soon as he is within sight of Talia and Lou, I know how to find her.
Speaker: Let's go grab Yonah and leave. What did you do? What happened? She let us know where the portal will be or is. It's not important. Let's go.
Speaker: We don't have much time to waste. And he starts walking out the door. Talia follows. Yellen takes a second, but he does follow. Did she say that Yana was in like a stable? Is that what it was?
Speaker: Yes. around Around the opposite wing from where you just walked from, around the corner of that wing, there is like a horse stable down in this, what used to be a mine, essentially.
Speaker: Man on a mission, I'm going straight to that stable. Yeah, absolutely. You walk around the the wing of this estate, and you find a very large, well-taken-care-of stable. You see one tiefling, regular tiefling, not a crystal, one tiefling that is is cleaning up horse manure as he has one of the bays cleared of of the animal right now, who is just tied to a post outside.
Speaker: And you, you hear quite distinctly the difference between Yana and the horses. Do I? As Yana's not exactly being quiet.
Speaker: ah and And you can just, you can see the frustration as you get closer on this tiefling's face as like, keeps on looking in the direction of where Yana's sounds are coming from.
Speaker: Shaking his head and as you get closer you hear the sigh and just, who, who just thought this was a good idea? Who indeed? just going to keep you going past him.
Speaker: going to go get my chicken. Yonah! he He doesn't even say He just kind of like mumbles to himself and sees you walk by and just... but does not stop you whatsoever. Walking with confidence, he just... one of those moments where he fully believes you belong here.
Speaker: Okay, where's my chicken? Give me my I thought you were about to say something. Oh, I was just going to say, Talira is following quickly behind, probably catching up.
Speaker: Sounds good. And yeah, it doesn't take you long. You go you go about seven stalls past where the steedling is cleaning out thinning out one of these bays. And sure enough, you you see, as you get closer, you see a couple feathers fly over the door.
Speaker: And this is more of an enclosed stall. As you is as you get to the back, the the stalls, there's a couple stalls back here at that change the bed. You can... can tell maybe this isn't where horses are kept, and maybe this is storage, maybe this is for some other animal or beast.
Speaker: A variety of things that could exist in Aeon, of course. But it's completely enclosed, with the exception of a few small spots across the top, and you see a couple feathers kind of fly out as you just hear and and see the impact against the door and the wall, and you just hear the severe clucking of a panicked Yana.
Speaker: go and I open Can I just open the door? It's not like weirdly locked or anything that? Yeah, yeah, no, for it. Okay. Swing it open. As you swing it open, Yonah just bursts out and hits the hits the stall door on the other side.
Speaker: Yonah, shh, shh. It's okay. It's okay. You're okay. You're okay, right? She slowly starts to calm down and feels your touch and recognizes your voice. You can almost like a sigh of relief comes comes across this chicken as as her her breast rises and and lowers slowly and she dips her head you to... Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker: You're okay. You can see, you can visibly see that she hasn't been, she hasn't been damaged by say like a weapon or or tool or anything like that, but you you can visibly see that that she lacks feathers in certain spots and things and probably looking inside the stall and seeing the amount of scratches and just destruction within here as it almost appears she actually almost made it out the back of the stall. You can tell she probably did this to herself.
Speaker: Honey, we're okay. We're gonna go now. I take you say the same gusto and take the location in your head and the directions that you have unnervingly weirdly in your head?
Speaker: Unnervingly? I don't know about that. Nervingly? Yeah, and maybe that wasn't the right adjective, but you know, maybe nervingly is the right one. Yep, I want the fuck out of here now, yesterday.
Speaker: And sure enough, we can speed right through this with the troop behind you take off getting out of this this this lowered section of earth and back into the city of Undor.
Speaker: These directions in your head, they take you north. You wind through a couple streets and sure enough, it's peculiar. And then frankly, might be a little frustrating depending on the person.
Speaker: But almost 45 minutes in, you find yourself at the door of a tavern. Did she give me the crystal that she promised of like, crush this and I will die if I sent you to the wrong place or something?
Speaker: Uh, no, that was the first deal. Calden said in the deal when he made it, all of the all of the stuff included. and she agreed to that. Yeah.
Speaker: Okay. I'll trust you. I'll trust you that that he said that specifically. Okay. Then yes, I would say that you do have it. And you approach a ah rustic, older-looking tavern.
Speaker: The door is slightly ajar. Not so much that the cold air is just going to rush in, but it's slightly ajar just to give you the this presence that it's open and you can hear the... lively crowd inside. At least you step in, sure enough.
Speaker: The room is not necessarily packed, but there's a good evening crowd. Most tables are filled. Two, uh, two bartenders man the bar top. And the direction's in your head. They but tell you just to skip all past that.
Speaker: Head up the stairs. And I guess I go through. Also for posterity, he did, again, pull up his face thing and hood and all that stuff. It's cold.
Speaker: Of course. Of course. As you all pass through, nobody really gives you any mind. Nobody pays attention to you. doesn't seem it's a crowded bar in a really big city. All kinds of people come through here.
Speaker: Surprisingly, blended in just fine. Maybe, maybe MJ gets a look or two. I do? and i got MJ. or God. Ah, I have an AO now.
Speaker: Maybe, maybe Talira gets a look or two. And honestly, I got to ask, is Yana walking in this establishment with you? Oh, yeah. Okay, you're getting hella looks. Never mind, I take it all back. I mean, and Lou's following pretty closely after MJ and Talira, so… That's true. Okay.
Speaker: Never mind, I take it back. You walk in, doesn't take long, and everybody's watching you. Everybody watching the whole group. as you As you hear the level kind of die down, not necessarily a hush, but close to it, you start to hear whispers.
Speaker: few people nod in your direction, maybe point. Watch one of the bartenders watch as you start to go up the stairs. Yep, I keep that same level of confidence. I've, like, kind of surveyed the room when we walked in Kept going.
Speaker: Nobody stops you. Yeah, I was going to say, Talira, if people aren't saying anything, Talira's going. go upstairs and you find, just like a normal tavern that has an inn attached, you walk through a hallway full of doors that lead to what you can assume are rooms that you could stay at.
Speaker: You go to the very end of the hall, you open up a doorway, and there's a set of stairs going back down. They go to the ground floor and continue down into a basement. Bottom is a plain... wooden door looking fairly old and as you open it you find you're in a storeroom full of crates you don't know what's in any of these there's no open product of any kind but there are crates and barrels down here with a fairly large amount of floor space and very expensive furniture crate and barrel oh my gosh boo that was good that good didn't put two these together that was good but that is all you find
Speaker: And it's here that Yellen you hear in your head. Well, I do say, and I believe it's about time you'd arrive, if my timepiece is correct. um There's a little bit of a mix-up, a bit detail, small detail I forgot to tell you. You're going to have to wait there a bit.
Speaker: That wasn't part of a deal. If I told you I would give you the location and you are there, I just didn't tell you when. How long? It's a bit of guesswork, but anywhere from...
Speaker: say 20 to 40 hours, I'd say, if I had to put up a guess to it. um ah All she hears from Yellen is very loud, frustrated yelling. But what you guys see, he's not he's not doing this outside of his head. He like kind of punches the air a little bit.
Speaker: Yellen's yelling? Pretty much, he's yelling. It says it should be here. Where is it? We have to wait 20 to 30 hours. I'm sorry, what?
Speaker: What? That's what I said. Fucking bitch! What is going on? We're waiting 20 to 30 hours for the portal to take us to where Maeve is to appear.
Speaker: What? Fuck. Shit.
Speaker: I guess, I don't know, strap in. These barrels look comfortable. I'm going to crawl right in one. oh my god. there's There's got to be other portals, right? Can't we just find another one?
Speaker: I don't know, Keldon. Can we find another one? Well, wait, where is this portal going? Which... which plane? don't know, do they, like, correspond to climates?
Speaker: Well, the one that we found in Nivoa went all the way to the other side of the continent, so I don't think so. I think it may just be on a schedule.
Speaker: So? Fuck, we can't stay here. I don't think we have another choice. Yellen, to give you context, just to jog your memory, because you came through, assuming you, ah from what you all have previously stated in character, that you think that she must have been taken to the primordial plane.
Speaker: You know that the one in Boutriage corresponded to the one in the light region. You know that those are monitored and they can be stabilized, but it it takes time to stabilize them. And these are the the official ones, right? The ones that are monitored by the government and that are always available for the most part, but they they take time to stabilize and the price continues to increase because of everything happening.
Speaker: getting harder and harder to stabilize them, and it is very regulated, but it is extremely expensive. So that is one that is the only other portal that you would know of, just to jog your memory, being meaning that there would be one in N'ndor.
Speaker: I know that the large official portals take time to stabilize, and, you know, that's with money. They stabilize them every so often.
Speaker: And I guess... Graveyard Granny and her friends need 20 to 30 hours set this up. To re-stabilize the connection. Well, this sounds like it... You said official ones.
Speaker: We've seen them just sort of pop up, though. Yes. Indeed. can't say the same for those portals, but the the ones, like, that I'm talking about is what...
Speaker: You know, Piara probably came through. It's what i came through to get back here. where would it be? I got a good look at the city. If you know where it might be, I could probably get us there.
Speaker: i don't know. We can figure out how convince our way through. This is clearly not an official one. There's no one here. If they wanted money, they'd have people here for when it was ready. I'm pretty sure they don't want money.
Speaker: And the problem is... Whoever has Maeve, this unofficial one will probably get to her faster. Fuck! I suppose we stay, and maybe one day we'll find out when we pay.
Speaker: We can't stay here. We can't. We absolutely can't. When you kick the barrel, it cracks, and the thing you see roll out is a mushroom.
Speaker: Okay. Okay. It'll make sense. Just continue. there wine? What kind of mushroom? Yes, there is. Is it time for our date? All these years, why don't we finally get their date? yeah I just had the idea to have it filled with mushroom and be wine somewhere in the room.
Speaker: i'm sorry. I'm sorry. Continue.
Speaker: Okay. the deal thing, just so I know for sure. I don't think I confirmed it. the The nice little tattoo Kalden now has on his arm, on his bicep, it's not covered by his armor, right? Because he has a slight gap where like he has arm sleeves on and then he has the shoulder pads, and there's a slight gap on a very small portion of his bicep.
Speaker: Is it there where it can be seen or is it hidden? I will leave that up to you. You decided on the area, and believe. You'd rather have me decide that. If I'm gonna decide, it's gonna be visible.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, I'll just straight up say that. Then it's visible. All right, there you go. Asked and answered. How did you know it was here, calalden Adi was kind enough to tell us.
Speaker: Is that how you got that the tattoo? It's not important. It doesn't matter. What matters is we need to find out how to get to Maeve now. We wait. We don't have another choice.
Speaker: Can't wait here. He starts pacing. I think we have to wait. There has to be another way. We can't stay in Undor. The longer we're here...
Speaker: Would it be better if we kept moving and come back here when it's time? It doesn't fucking matter where we are we're in Undor. At this moment, the ground shakes.
Speaker: You can almost like feel an impact at your feet. The same kind of shaking that Talir has felt before? Indeed. Eric is pissed. Can we feel how close it feels like it originated from?
Speaker: yeah, we'll make a perception check.
Speaker: I never pulled up my character sheet. Oh no.
Speaker: Hold on. It's like, oh gosh. Oh yeah, we're playing D&D.
Speaker: I don't need my character stats to play D&D, I don't think. You just roll and make up a modifier. Yeah, how it. It's like, whose line is it anyway? Yeah. I go, um, Kalden probably has a plus 12.
Speaker: Except he fucking does. no he No, he doesn't have any plus 12s. Plus plus 10. I was going to say just plus 11. Okay, plus 11. Fine. perception, you said, is what we'd be doing?
Speaker: That one's a plus 10. Of course it is. How do we know? So it's 28. 28? can't...
Speaker: You, I mean, it's just not physical cost. You can't tell exactly how far. You can't put a mileage to it. But you can tell, not this section of the city. Okay, that's good. That's better. I like that.
Speaker: Kalden doesn't know what that means, though. He doesn't know what it actually means, but Addy insinuated what it did mean, which is worse. R.I.P. Undor getting destroyed. Yeah, really.
Speaker: But yeah, when when that when the ground rumbles, Talira just mutters, oh, Eric is pissed. Eric's here? I found him outside of the portal that led here. in Why is he not with you? Why isn't he helping look for Maeve?
Speaker: There was somebody in the sewers he... got really mad about and the ground started shaking and he yelled the name and there was a guy wearing... and Talira describes the guy in the sewers from what she could see.
Speaker: exactly from what she could see like good memory what she could see loose overview of what she could see I couldn't remember how clearly she could actually see this person in the sewers I know she got a look at somebody you saw in a suit yeah a man in a suit with what like tall salt and pepper hair With a single streak of white. Exactly. You saw you the the defining characteristics that were able to be seen even in the dark. Specifically, of course, because the contrast was that stripe of hair.
Speaker: And the fact that he wearing a suit is really what it came down to. Yeah, he was wearing a suit and he had chalky white strip of hair.
Speaker: And Eric went crazy. I've never seen anything like it before. What? What? Yeah, he, um... He had a scroll to find Maeve, and he gave it to me right before it happened to find you two, because you two were looking for Maeve, and he thought you two were the best bet.
Speaker: And then that happened, and then he was like, go find Maeve, and went his own way, and shit has been rumbling since...
Speaker: It was right by the sewers where I i think you and Yellen got into a fight with someone. He's, uh, fighting? I imagine so.
Speaker: That's It hasn't stopped. Okay. Um, we need to leave. This is- Kelton? We, uh, we have to stay here, right? we um So we might as well get a room.
Speaker: I guess. Are you okay, Kelton? Um, I'll go, um, pay for the rooms. Three? We want three? Yeah. Do you need me to come with you?
Speaker: He's gonna, he's not even acknowledging. He's just gonna start walking back to where the tavern part is. Talira's gonna look down at Lou. Very concerned.
Speaker: Alden and Yana walk out of the room and close the rickety wooden door behind them, leaving Lyra, Lou, and Yellen in the room alone.
Speaker: Yellen, what happened in there? Um, we spoke to the old woman, and she told us where Maeve was in exchange, or something.
Speaker: I made a deal with her. You what? Who was the only way? What did you make a deal for? There's no bearing on the rest of you.
Speaker: Yellen. But Kaladin did not approve, so. I... I'm sorry, and... don't know how to thank you, and... fuck.
Speaker: Don't thank me yet. Are you okay? I will be. think I'm gonna talk to somebody about it. Anything we can undo? Um, maybe.
Speaker: Time will unravel its mysteries, I suppose. Yeah. Um... And you're really okay? Yelena puts his hand, like, to check his pulse, like, on his wrist.
Speaker: As far as I know. Can incite that? Yes, because I'm also inciting that as Lou. 25.
Speaker: Jack, you have an opportunity to roll deception or persuasion. It's up to you. I'm going to do it. I'm going roll just for fun. Let's see. You don't have to tell us your answer either. In fact, I prefer if you didn't, but we'll tell you our our numbers and you give us what we get.
Speaker: OK. OK. All right. All right. Lou, roll the 15. Yellen has kind of been you could tell something's going on with him. He's kind of been walking around like Almost like how like a like a teenager would trying to process through an emotion almost, but one that's either unfamiliar or a little too familiar.
Speaker: Is that for Lou's role or is that for MJ's? orelier I have to give you guys separate answers. Hang on. Hang on. Yellen, he seems to be kind of making a show of like um almost like a a distraction potentially from how he like truly truly feels, especially with like putting his checking his pulse and being like, no, it's fine. You know, time will unravel mysteries.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. Talira does not believe him, but she's not going to say anything. Okay. We should catch up to Kelden.
Speaker: Uh, yes. If with any luck, there are three rooms waiting for us. Kalden, as you left, went up the stairs, back around the whole deal. As you walked through the bustling tavern up to the barkeep, it takes a minute to get the attention of the barkeep.
Speaker: Does it? I have a giant chicken. At least the attention you want. Like, they see you, but they don't come to you directly, is what I mean by that. but like when you're at a busy bar and they they give you the head nod like they see you there, you know? and case Except in this case, it's wide-eyed and going, oh my god.
Speaker: But they have to, like, tend to a customer first, you know? But they do, after a minute or two, they come over to you. Can I you? I'd like to reserve three rooms for the night. Thought you already had rooms based... Okay. Yeah.
Speaker: I take it that... Chicken? She stays with me. Yeah, okay. Yep, I got that feeling. Cool. Yep. Clean up. Just clean up any, you know, droppings.
Speaker: Yeah, three silver. Upcharge for the pets, I'm sorry. Slides it over. Throws three keys each with ah a little wooden slat on it with a number. Have a good night. No room service. If you do want anything, you've got to come down here, he says as you begin to walk away.
Speaker: He nods. Go back up and it took him a minute to finish with the customer and see you. So do you, want to know, do you go straight to check out one of the rooms or do you go back down to give the keys?
Speaker: I'm going to give him the keys. Okay. So as you, as you're getting back down to the door, right as you're, it's timing pretty much perfectly as as the door opens for Thalira and Yellen and Lou to have followed you right as you're returning.
Speaker: We have rooms for the night. I haven't checked them. If they're any different, you're free to choose whichever ones you want. Thank you. Thank Piara. It's her money.
Speaker: Good job with that. She's still pissed. Yeah, she's a bitch. She deserves Fucking bitch. Shall we? Yeah. After we find Maeve, we need to talk about Piara.
Speaker: My favorite subject. About what time of day does it feel like it is? Hard to tell. Undor, the sun barely crests the horizon into Undor, and even then, when it does, sometimes you don't even know because the amount of ash in the sky, depending on how active the volcanoes are.
Speaker: You can tell by the moons, luckily, because I mean, that is how time is his is told for the most part. So, but again, Ash makes it hard. I would say an Undor, that's usually going to require survival roll, but because of your backstory, I'll give you advantage on that roll.
Speaker: Okay. Survival is not one of my strengths. Oh, actually, it's not bad. Actually, it is one of my strengths. I have proficiency in it. Just kidding. Take that back. Wild wild roller coaster we just went on.
Speaker: I usually don't ever put stuff in survival.
Speaker: 26, a natural 20. What the fuck? ah Damn. All right. Calvin's rolling hot tonight. Okay. So yeah, you know, it's, it's not quite the dead of night, the dead of night being the equivalent of midnight, right? Well, it would still be called midnight, hour 36. It's not quite there, but you you can tell you're not, you're within a few hours of it.
Speaker: Okay. So we woke up very late from our nap. Uh, yes. Is everyone going to check out their rooms? I paid a pretty silver for them. It's not cheap.
Speaker: Let's check out the new digs. Yep, yep. Yalan, do you have, like, warning magic or ways to create, like, space to be a safe haven? any Anything?
Speaker: I probably could. I still have my battle axe as long as you're around 30 feet of me. Even if it's a different room, you can't be surprised. and saying well no Something stronger than that. Something that can actually keep something away.
Speaker: I remember... It's been so long. I remember learning about a spell that could create like a small hut or something that nothing can get in.
Speaker: I definitely don't have that. I can put out a warding glyph. Probably a good idea in your room. Yeah, in my room. And to yours. Yes, of course.
Speaker: And for you. Sure, yeah. Good show. Would you feel better bunking with us? No, no, i I don't think that's necessary. Okay.
Speaker: So, uh, use whichever one you like. I don't care where I stay. Dylan's just going to grab some. and walk upstairs. Yeah, he's going to grab key. grabs a couple keys. Yeah, he's going to test them all out.
Speaker: This one's too soft. Yeah. Yeah, Talira just grabs a key and heads in. Okay, Kalvin's going to go into the last room then.
Speaker: You all go into your separate rooms and it's a normal tavern room. Not really much to describe. You all go in there, start to get settled. there Are any rooms that we should take a peek into to see what exactly is going on as all three of you went to your own rooms?
Speaker: guess it depends on what everyone plans on doing. Do we all have windows? Yes, all all all of the rooms have windows. They open? It's one of those ones that has like the hand crank. Like, ah ah that's totally a good description for the audience. Great. Fantastic, Woos. Little hand crank where it hinges from the top and the bottom, like, comes out, you know? Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I got that from Joop. Thank you, Jack. Jack's got me. He's got the crank of the whoop. Exactly. See, everybody knew. Listen, audience, if you knew, put a comment. Give me a comment that you knew. then when closes, it goes... Yeah, exactly. See?
Speaker: where's the Where's the slide whistle when I need it? If it slides... Yeah, yeah. And then, like, okay. But pause, that was a really good sound effect. That was, like, solid.
Speaker: That was really good. That was really good, yeah. Thanks, I opened a lot of windows. What are my prerequisites for being a sound effects specialist? I opened a lot of windows.
Speaker: And then with mine, um because they get stuck, have to thunk. Yeah. and
Speaker: How wide does it open? Because some of them some windows like that only open enough for you to like get air through. One foot. Oh, fuck. I mean, okay. but
Speaker: Subtle quality. This means nothing to me. I was just getting, i was just having you paint a word picture. Absolutely. I appreciate Thank you for the directive. Yeah. huh for For us, for the audience, for... Exactly, exactly.
Speaker: So what are each of you doing as you go into your separate rooms and begin to get settled, knowing you've got at some point in the next 20 to 30, 40-ish hours, there's a portal that's supposed to open down those stairs. In the meantime, what are each of you thinking? What are you doing?
Speaker: Yellen has left the room at this point. He kind of goes in, looks around, goes back down to the bar, and he orders himself a drink. Hmm. Okay.
Speaker: Maybe a couple. me Maybe a couple. i know To be fair, I mean he's had a few days. true.
Speaker: True. room And you know what the best way to deal with all of your emotions is? It's definitely drinking, right? Drinking and gambling. Yeah. Blackjack and hookers.
Speaker: The best time to drink alcohol is when you're in any other place but like a neutral good mood. That's right. It's the best, yeah. I love to drink a whole bottle of something and bet on the horses.
Speaker: Sounds quality. I'll join you next time. Let's do it. You've got to get to the track, man. He's going to have a couple mint juleps. So we've got Yellen down at the bar, having a couple of drinks amongs amongst the crowd in some way, shape or form. Talira, what are you and Lou doing? Talira, before, she would also go down to the bar at some point, but first she would use one of her uses of the armband of Speak with Animals and chat with Lou a little bit.
Speaker: What are you feeling about all of this? There's something going on. Yeah. Yellen's hiding something, but... They both are. don't know. I have Whatever it was, the deal was not good. He is bluffing.
Speaker: Yeah, but also like I gotta respect them putting Maeve first right now. And not necessarily making a bad deal, mind you. I i don't mean that, Lyra. We don't know what the deal is, to be fair. But not addressing it right now, and waiting, I think is the right move.
Speaker: That's what I'm thinking, too. Yeah. I don't like it, but if we aren't cohesive, if we're not a group right now, then I think it just hurts our chances of finding Maeve. I know.
Speaker: I think the person we saw with Eric, I think there's something about him. There is. I take it you know more? i heard the name before.
Speaker: I'm sorry. I know this is probably really terrifying for you being here, too. It's not as as bad as you'd think. i This is my first time in the city. I never met Viren.
Speaker: I never met the person. I just heard i overheard it mentioned a few times, so I've just got theories. I've got ideas, but I heard the name when I wasn't in a good place, so...
Speaker: I understand. i When you're ready, we'll talk about it. I know things are hard when you're a bear. Yeah, I just seen Calden's reaction. i I don't know if I want to talk about it.
Speaker: Mainly because I don't, frankly, I and don't have a lot to talk about. It's just going to bring up pain. And I just, Calden will talk when he's ready, you know?
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, i I won't bring it up then. I saw the look on his face when you mentioned the white streak in his hair. Same. That's what made me really worried. I'm worried too.
Speaker: Anyway, let's go get a drink. Yeah. Yeah, drink sounds good. Maybe they have some cider here. Oh, that'd be good. Lou and Talira head down to the bar. Do you guys see Yellen there?
Speaker: you give him his space or do you go sit with him? Lyra will sit with him, but she'll be quiet and let him take the lead on if he wants to say anything or not.
Speaker: ah yeah He's sitting there. He's got a glass of, like, a red wine, and he's got his head on the table. What? Did you come to scold me for taking a deal? No.
Speaker: Okay. That's good. I'm not in the mood to be scolded. I'm worried, but I understand why you did it. Thank you. Um... I don't, but I did it anyway, and I'm glad that going to find Maeve and all, but it's, I can't say I understand. I can't. I just, it's just the way it is, you know?
Speaker: Shit's really bad but right now, and we are stuck making bad decisions because it's the only decision we have. i I guess you're right. I guess you're right.
Speaker: That sounds like something that is probably right, and he kind of like, drinks the rest of the glass that he has and he taps it like he wants another from the bartender.
Speaker: i i Bad decisions can lead to good things. Sometimes. Maybe. I can't speak about all of the bad shit that has happened here, but there are people in my life I would not have met other otherwise.
Speaker: No, that's true. That's true. And he stands up. Or, no, he doesn't stand up. He gets up on his elbow rather than just kind of laying on the bar. You know what? We don't talk enough.
Speaker: And I never got to say... it Pardon me, I'm so sorry for this. I fucking appreciate you. ah appreciate you a lot. What? I mean, I haven't done anything, really. Yes, you have.
Speaker: Are you kidding me? You've done so much. I... i What was that lady's name? and the who's taking the kids? Oh, Voruta? Voruta? Yeah, you killed her. You took the burden of that, so nobody else had to.
Speaker: God damn it! yes ah You're really strong. Not just physically, but emotionally, and you're huge. You're massive. And I appreciate that about you. I love you.
Speaker: You're a really good friend. Especially to Kaladin. i go boy I... I'm just thinking about it, you know? That... Um, well, shit.
Speaker: Talira takes a giant swig of her drink. She does not know how to deal with all of this, all of the accolades. She's very uncomfortable right now. Uh, thank you?
Speaker: love you, man. You're like my sister from another mister. love you, Yellen, and I'm glad you're here, but I feel like I was a shit friend to you. Are you kidding me? No, no, no, no, no no no no no no no no no no no you don't understand you came to find us anyway bit we were literally in the sewer we were in the sewer you know it goes on i know you were in the sewer we found your handy work bodies and shit go in the zo and you came in there to find us sometimes rats too i think i saw one walking like on two feet like a person
Speaker: That's a little terrifying. I don't even know if that was real. I could have dreamed it. You probably did. I didn't see anything like that. ah Rodents of unusual size. I don't think they exist.
Speaker: Never be too sure. You can never be too sure. I'm fucking dying.
Speaker: I love Drunk Yellen. Drunk Yellen's great. I adore Drunk Yellen. Oh my gosh. So as that's happening, that whole thing, Lou sees when you go to take your big gulp, Valeria, Lou sees the writing on the wall.
Speaker: OK, Lou absolutely sees what's happening here and going, OK, this this is this is going to I know what this is going to be. And so Lou turns around and walks away while y'all are busy trying to be inconspicuous and like just not not like to be rude, but just go like we're going to let them have their moment.
Speaker: And Lou's going to walk back up the stairs. Where are you going, Lou? How long does the thing last? Oh, 10 minutes. She probably would be grunting back.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah, probably-ish. Yeah. she She'll kind of grunt, which you probably can't hear with the room, but she'll wave a paw. Okay, well, have fun. Get some rest.
Speaker: How's she going to open the door? She walks up the stairs. and You hear a couple people going, Bear's just, what a well-behaved bear. Lou's gonna walk up the stairs and she's gonna go headbutt Kalzin's door a few times. It's like a way of her knocking.
Speaker: Oh man, he jumps at the sound. I don't think he answers it. I think he's just like standing frozen in his room staring at the door. You just hear, you hear the ah one really big funk and then you just hear the groan of Lou.
Speaker: Lou? um Slowly walks over, kind of cracks the door open a little bit, looks around. It's just you. You see her head nod up and down? Opens the door wider for her to come in.
Speaker: She struts on in, pops up onto your bed, and sits. You didn't want to be with Talira? He takes her paw and, like, hits her head. He mind-links with her. She meets your eyes. What are you thinking?
Speaker: Yeah, we, uh... Just have to sit and we're gonna get Maeve and it'll- That's not what I'm talking about. That's all that matters.
Speaker: We both know that's not true.
Speaker: All that matters right now is that we find Maeve and she gets home. You knew Lust.
Speaker: What do you want, Lou? Why are you here? Who's this man? It doesn't matter. It... it obviously does.
Speaker: It doesn't. I heard Lust say his name a time or two. It's the same name that Eric yelled down in the sewer. And now you're acting like this.
Speaker: I know what they're capable of more than anyone else. Besides you.
Speaker: He's their master. I was afraid of that. Okay. You can see Lou starts to shake. Are you okay?
Speaker: Yeah, I'm okay. I won't let him hurt you. What was it that you said to Lyra? Her acts wouldn't matter? We couldn't hurt him, no.
Speaker: The ground rumbles and the building shakes just a little bit. It's fainter than before. And you see Lou smirks a little bit. We know somebody who can. Yeah.
Speaker: I think we're gonna be okay.
Speaker: Yeah, um, I was gonna just kind of decompress for a while. It's been, it's been a stressful few days. We're all 16.
Speaker: say that's believable. He's in Undor. He's like super wound up. Mm-hmm. Kalden's inclination is to curl into himself when he's stressed out. Okay.
Speaker: Okay, that makes sense. um Clara and Yelena are downstairs getting savvy. Wasn't my conversation to join, especially since I can't, you know. Do you want company? Do you need company?
Speaker: don't think I need it, but it'd be nice. You're welcome to stay here with me and Yana. I think I can hold this link for a few hours before I get exhausted.
Speaker: That'd be nice. Thank you. Of course, Lou. So, uh, you seem to know the city. And she goes to start asking you a couple of random questions about the city, like what's a cool place that you've been, is there any kind of, like, touristy questions.
Speaker: you youki You get the sense it's kind of nervous talk, like just trying to fill fill the air and Lou doesn't want to do deep emotional talk right now. She's past that. But I say that to generalize the conversation that would happen as Talira and Yellen are downstairs with Yellen being a little sappy drunk, which is awesome.
Speaker: And in your room for a bit. Lou, after three or four hours, ends up falling asleep, cuddled up next to Yana. I'd like to ask you other three, what are you doing? and Or is there anything you would be doing? Or rather, getting a nap?
Speaker: Taking watch? What are... What's everybody thinking? One thing that Kaldum would have been looking for, even before Lou came, is there, like, pen and quill and ink or anything? Or is the literacy rate low enough that they would not provide that in...
Speaker: No, you probably find that there it is. Listen, Undor is a very dark and dirty place. We've we've talked about that criminal criminal capital of the world for the most part, as far as the underworld goes, but also oldest library. Lots of research done in this area of like as much as it's the criminal underworld, there's also so many academics that don't live here necessarily, although there are a few, but they visit.
Speaker: So, yeah. OK, he's going to grab that and start writing some stuff down. Talira and Yellen? I think Yellen's going to wait until Talira goes to bed.
Speaker: Cool. I was going to say before that, Talira... Wait, wait, wait, Yellen. You have to tell me what happened in the elemental play. Like, you were gone for three years?
Speaker: I was, was. But you just came back. There was, like, probably a lot that happened. Um... ah like i it's It's all a bit of a jumble right now, but like i I found ah a donkey and um he got eaten by a dragon and I nearly was too, but he saved my life. yeah He was absurdly muscular for a donkey.
Speaker: And then I hung out with some water genossi and they were very nice until they were like, no, you could work for us for free um to get get to get get out of the elemental plane. And I was like, OK. And then um I worked for a really long time and didn't get out until I finally got out.
Speaker: well Wait, so is that how you know about the portals that you have to pay lots of money for? pink You know what that was?
Speaker: That was a nail you just hit on the head. Shit! I need to drink more. I make more connections this way. See, everything makes a little bit more sense when everything's a little bit... set you know yeah You know, I didn't know my mother for very long, but I heard her say once to her, and she said, you know, there's a lot more philosophy in a bottle of wine than there is in this room.
Speaker: And I was like, i don't know what that means, but now I understand, I'm pretty sure. What is the phrase in what, Elvish in Vino Veritas? I don't know Elvish.
Speaker: i I know a little bit. It's like in wine there is truth. Yes, wine tells me the truth. Pretty consistently, I think.
Speaker: Well, I'm very glad you are back. I'm pretty glad to be back. Do you want to go back to, what, the elemental plane? Hells no.
Speaker: Well, too bad we're going. Oh no, oh I'm gonna drown in the water plane. I'm just kidding. I learned how to swim and all that. Oh shit. Do I need to take off the armor? Will I sink?
Speaker: Probably. shit. That's bad. I think, i think um of oh my god, what is she? and A cat, a dog, a bear. She might need like a floaty or something.
Speaker: Wait, why is the cat, dog, what? What? What about cats and dogs? What are you talking about? What are you talking about? I'm talking about what you're talking about.
Speaker: Obviously. what are we talking about? don't know. think we need to go find the others. i think i I think a bed is in my future, my near future. I augurize that with augury, the spell that I know.
Speaker: What else is in our future? Uh, riches galore. Cool. And maybe that bread over there. wo and That would be good.
Speaker: Okay, no, no. It's late. I need to sober up. I haven't had this much food to drink in a long time. i think I had the entire barrel. The entire barrel?
Speaker: Oh, my God. I did not have an entire barrel. It was actually a barrel and a half. Don't forget to pay. Oh, of course not.
Speaker: All right. And he kind of like, kind of like has it gets a sly smile, but also a little bit worried in his eyebrows as he like kind of like puts his like fingers to eyes like I'm watching you. Jokingly, halfway.
Speaker: Yellen puts up the like scouts, scouts honor sign. Cleric's honor. I, I, money is going to be had. ah Hang on. I'm going, ah we we need to go upstairs anyway.
Speaker: I got this. And Talira will pull the chair out, stand up, ah as she gets her her balance world spinning a little bit.
Speaker: And ah how um how much do we owe you for everything we got? That's a great question. Tell you what, you're hammered, which is wild with how big you are.
Speaker: You just come down in the morning. I'll have it tallied up. How does that sound? ah Okay. Don't let me forget. You are right. I am hammered. I have not felt like this in a long time.
Speaker: Absolutely. Please don't fall on a table because you'll break it. I won't. I'm good. Yeah, but you know what's good? The bill's not even our problem. It's future us's problem.
Speaker: who
Speaker: He like, the bartender just looks at the other bartender like, oh, fuck. Thank goodness. I thought he was about to say it's Kalden's problem. and I was like, the fuck at it is. He paid for the rooms.
Speaker: Okay. but time And then as we go upstairs, Yellen's going to watch for Talira to go into her room and then he's going to make his way to Kalden's room.
Speaker: Talira, as you close the door and turn around, you realize that Lou's not in your room. Ah, shit. Lou! Where are you?
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Yellen. You have a minute, as Talira's coming to this realization. And she also, well, she'll walk to Kaladin's room real quick and just, like, a little tap-tap.
Speaker: Is lo in there? Question. Because Yellen has watched you go in your room and closed the door for just a second, and then Yellen also went to Kalden's door. So as you come back out, you'd see Yellen approaching Kalden's door.
Speaker: Scene's yours. That's not your room. Yellen, isn't that really noticing this smirk? Does like a finger gun at you? No, it's not.
Speaker: Okay. Is lo in there? Cal then opens the door. oh yeah, she's she's asleep with Yona.
Speaker: want me to Want me to rouse her? I think, yeah, I'll i'll go do that. Okay, thank you. He goes and and like gently shakes Lu awake.
Speaker: Lu wakes up and like wide-eyed takes it all in and sees Salir in the doorway. Kind of nods sleepily and walks out. Good night. Good night. And when Talira gets out of eyesight of Kalden, she's going to look at Yellen and just give him a smile and a nod.
Speaker: Yellen gives one back. ah yeah He's kind of just leaning up against the doorway. Can I come in? Uh, sure. could and he walks in and closes the door because we need to talk um about what i think you know about what calden i think you know are you drunk maybe a little is that so wrong my friend is probably dead you have made a deal that oh i
Speaker: I don't really know explain it." And he kind of starts walking back and forth and like around the room. i just want to know, where did you get off, Kaladin? you go Where did I get off? Well, you got bollocks of steel now.
Speaker: What you think? Oh, Yellen's gonna make a deal. Yellen's trying to protect me. I'm gonna throw myself in front of the fucking danger. What the fuck did you expect me to do, Yellen? I expected me to let you, let me fucking help you. want me to just stand by and watch you sell yourself into servitude to fucking necromancers?
Speaker: Providing them souls for gods know what? It wasn't gonna happen, Calden. I, I, I, I just, it wasn't gonna happen. We're gonna find a way out. It's better than That's not how this works.
Speaker: You can't just find a way out with these people. You don't know what they're capable of. I do. Calden, that's exactly why I was going to do it. I, I, I couldn't let you do this. Do you know, do you know what you've done?
Speaker: You've sold my friend, my, my best friend into a deal. He cannot escape, Calden. I, a ketley I know it's selfish, but like I can't let you fucking do this to yourself.
Speaker: i I do not mistake my tears for sadness. i am I am not sad. I do not forgive you. I am furious. I can't... I just... I... I will be there every day. i will be your shadow. I will... I don't know, be the gum on your shoe, Kalden.
Speaker: No one will touch you as long as I am alive, and even if I'm dead, they're going to have to peel my body off of yours. As long as I live, your soul remains with you.
Speaker: And so do I. And this is not... Not for debate. No matter where you go, i will go. I did what had to be done. No. We needed to find Maeve.
Speaker: You didn't, Keldon. I could have done it. I would taken it from you. No, Yellen. Yellen, you don't You don't understand. I want to understand, Keldon. I want to be there for you.
Speaker: I can't let you fall to them. i don't know what you've been through. I don't know who did this to you, but I... I just want to help you.
Speaker: You can't. Because you won't let me.
Speaker: It's too late to help me, Yellow. I know. know. And that's why I'm here now.
Speaker: will find Maeve and it will be fine. It will be worth it. And... And it doesn't matter what happens. Calden, it always matters what happens.
Speaker: You are worth more. You are worth more, Calden. Maeve is worth more. Talira's worth more.
Speaker: You all... are worth more and I and why aren't you you were gonna take a deal why why is it that because I did there's something wrong this isn't about me why was it fine if it was you I'm I'm here to I don't know I I I don't know it was you or me I knew i know what comes from this stuff I can't subject you to it I won't
Speaker: Yalan, I can't let you get involved in this world. I'm already involved, Calvin. It's too late. It's not.
Speaker: It is. I say it is, so it is. I make my own decisions. I understand you do too. I'm not going to take away your autonomy. I understand you made the deal out of your own volition.
Speaker: ah it's it i understand it's your soul and I understand that I'm i'm probably being selfish, but I just can't. like I can't.
Speaker: I can't let you go through it alone. And I can't lose you.
Speaker: People come and go from your life all the time. Yeah, but there's only one you. There's only one me. There's only one Talera. There's only one Maeve. There's a lot of people you only meet once, Kalden.
Speaker: And that's your one chance to keep them.
Speaker: What did you want from coming here tonight?
Speaker: I don't know. I wanted to be mad at you. I wanted to release what I was feeling. I wanted to be angry. Then I'm here.
Speaker: So am I.
Speaker: I told you when we got here that no matter what happened, you needed to focus on finding Maeve.
Speaker: you You did? You did say that?
Speaker: And you agreed.
Speaker: I didn't agree to you selling your soul, Calvin.
Speaker: It's debatable whether there's even one there.
Speaker: I... I don't know what else to say.
Speaker: I'm sorry you had to be put in this position.
Speaker: i'm i'm I'm sorry to you. I know this can't be easy.
Speaker: It doesn't matter what happens to me.
Speaker: To me, it does.
Speaker: I'm sorry. You better be. Because I don't forgive you.
Speaker: Yeah, Yellen walks to the door. And he walks back. He pushes Kaladin a little bit. And he leaves.
Speaker: Kaladin kind of like does that slight sway back thing when you're like pushed a little.
Speaker: I can only assume given the emotions that exhaust you and the alcohol. that Yellen would go to his room and pass out.
Speaker: But I can't make that assumption also because those same emotions and given the context of everything might keep you up. So i figure I should probably ask. ah He probably stays up for a little bit, just kind of like sitting against the wall and then he eventually falls asleep on the same wall.
Speaker: Okay. Lyra would also go to bed. She would sleep off the alcohol.
Speaker: Okay. Keldon?
Speaker: Pretty soon, I think, after Yellen leaves, Keldon's gonna leave.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: Yeah. Does this perchance set my glyph of warding off? Did he set one up outside of Keldon's room? set one up outside of each of our rooms, especially Keldon.
Speaker: Well, remind me, does the glyph of warding only alert around other people or is it for literally everyone? Like, are there certain people who can pass through the glyph safely?
Speaker: i am reading it currently. There's different ones of these. Some of them is like, it's an alarm where if you, if something like walks through, it'll trigger it. Some of them are, you can designate specific creature types. Yeah. i I can't remember because I haven't actually played a cleric ever.
Speaker: I think of the alarm spell you designate, but I might be wrong. Yeah. I think you do with alarm. Cause I think alarm is also a bard wizard one.
Speaker: He would have had to specify what triggers it. All right. Okay. So probably, he probably only said it for bad guys.
Speaker: right i Just nebulous bad guys. Keldon sets it off. Yep. Keldon's been a bad guy this whole time. Oh my gosh. Damn.
Speaker: Okay. So it wouldn't set the glyph of warding off. Then he leaves Yana there. If he knows, if he knows how this would work. Would he know? Would Calden know? ah Probably not.
Speaker: I don't think. Unless, unless Yellen would have gone out of his way to explain like it it will only alarm for blah, blah. blah But if if Yellen were just to be like, ah yeah, I've got a cliff of warding or, you know, I've got, I've got some since something set. Then no, probably not. I think Calden would have asked though, if like, if we have to leave, is that going to trigger it?
Speaker: I think Yellen... he was kind of being snippy earlier with Calvin, so he may not have given like a actual answer. you probably would been like, I don't know. I guess we'll just have to find out.
Speaker: He doesn't take Yana with him then. He doesn't want to risk her getting hurt because that shit causes damage. but he's gonna He's gonna leave. I'm guessing if he's leaving really soon after Yellen left, Yellen's still awake, leaning against his wall, apparently.
Speaker: Oh yeah. When I hear you, you slam the door. I was going to say, you can try to roll perception if you really want to try. me find out. Let me see what Yellen sees. Against the stealth of Kaladin.
Speaker: I'm going to impose myself with disadvantage. i'm Look, I'm actually going to give you a benefit and not roll, and you have to get above 23.
Speaker: Jesus Christ, I don't think I can do that. my God. That's the lowest I could roll if I rolled. Hang on, hang on, hang on. Let me, um let me see. Can I even do that?
Speaker: I'm doing offering? Yep. It's possible. It's possible. Rolling with disadvantage has to roll two natural 20s. All have to roll is a 19. Okay, okay.
Speaker: Oh, shoot. you got a 16 and a 13. Ah, damn. So no. No, you got my modifier. 16 or 13? What
Speaker: the fuck? That counts for something. Well, let me ask. Are you trying to make it noticeable? You trying to make me notice? Oh, okay. Never mind then.
Speaker: um I will give the party this. Yana probably is unhappy. And she's not quiet.
Speaker: Uh, you know, Yana would have been, well, no, given the conversation, not asleep, so... It'll be okay. Would you have, like... Would Kelden have, like, assured her before he left or anything?
Speaker: Gave her some pets. Yeah. Told her to listen to Talira. Okay. Yeah, she'd probably be okay. I will say, after a minute, after, like, a few minutes, Yellen probably would go back to Kelden's door and knock...
Speaker: He'd like, I'm sorry, I was a bit hot. I shouldn't have yelled. I just like, I don't know how you expect me to react. Like, ah, geez, Calvin, that's a real Claymore in my codpiece.
Speaker: No, I care. I care. And I went a little bit overboard. Would that have been before he left or after? It probably would have been after.
Speaker: Yeah, after. You get no response. but I get it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. just...it's fine.
Speaker: I'm...I would like to come in and talk to you again, but um I understand if you do not want that. Yana clucks a little.
Speaker: I'm sorry that I've awoken, Yana. um Yana, I am sorry. Can listen at the door? Do I hear, and like, signs of life in there? Not really. You just kind of hear Yana, you know nestling down to, uh, nap, essentially.
Speaker: Okay. Um, I will see you in the morning. Good night, Kaladin. Good night, Yana. Uh, sleep time.
Speaker: And he will return. With Yellen, Talira, Yana and Lou all passed out with the events of the past few days, you all get a long rest and it is long indeed because the rest and sleep is much needed.
Speaker: When you wake. You wake to the sound of scratching at a door. What is that?
Speaker: Lou gets up. Hmm. oh Okay, I'm going to figure out what that is. And Talira goes to the door.
Speaker: Yellen, you also woke up to this. Is the scratching outside of our door or just a door? A door, sorry. It is a door, but it is loud. And when you open your door, you you hear the addition of clucking.
Speaker: The sound, all recognizing it's Yona. It's Yona. It's the bird.
Speaker: Okay, um... Talira k knocks on Kalden's door. Kalden? You hear nothing. Kalden, I think Yona needs to go out.
Speaker: Kalden?
Speaker: Talira checks the handle on the door. Is it locked? I imagine it would be. no which surprises the hell out of her. Indeed.
Speaker: And as the door opens, Talira looks in and Calden's not there. Calden's gone. What? Where's Calden? Calden is missing. What the fuck?
Speaker: I... Oh, no, no, no, no. no no no no Nothing set off your ward. Nope. No bad guys. The door was unlocked.
Speaker: He left. Lou? Lou? Lou is next to you and looks up and looks like she's thinking. There's no other scent. other I mean, the the hotel, but like nothing weird outside of his door, around in the room.
Speaker: She puts her nose to the ground and in the air and sniffs around a bit. She kind of nods like it's faint, but like she might have a scent, maybe. He left. He left.
Speaker: Okay. Okay. Talira finds a place to sit, and then she immediately stands up, starts rocking on her heels a little bit, pushes her hair back.
Speaker: That portal is open, probably. We need to get Maeve, but we need to get Calde... Yellen? I don't know what to do. yeah
Speaker: ah I don't... I don't know. Um... Do you think he'll come back? I don't know. Um... but We need to send to somebody.
Speaker: Yeah. It can't be Calden. We can't talk to him. Yeah. I don't... Gwynedd will know... Gwynedd will know what to do. We need to talk to Gwynedd.
Speaker: If Calden left on his own, I... I don't think there's... I don't think we're finding him.
Speaker: Talira sits down and she looks to Lou and reaches her arm out to her.
Speaker: You see, when you reach out your arm to Lou, Lou's distracted. Like she's she's she's trying to, obviously this is traumatic, she's trying pay attention to you, but also you can see like something something caught her attention.
Speaker: Talira uses one of the her charges of speak with animals. I know this is a lot, but you hear that? What? Talira listens.
Speaker: It's a sound that you you would have to listen for. The only way she heard it is because she's a bear. She has her who keen sense of hearing is heightened. Sure enough, as you you go to listen for it, you hear faint crackling starting down the hallway.
Speaker: The portal. I just, it just started. It literally just started. We have to get Maeve. Yeah. Okay. Okay. at least, let's at least confirm it before we make any decisions.
Speaker: Calden was scared he didn't want to stay here. um, I also might have yelled at him a little bit.
Speaker: Why? It's, um, all to do with some things that happened while we were on our own. I shouldn't have, but I, I, I did.
Speaker: When you were on your own, you shouldn't have, or what? I shouldn't have yelled at him last night. You can tell him that when we find him. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. We need to get Maeve. Let's go. Lou leads as you all walk down the hallway and down those stairs. As you open up the wooden door, you can start to hear the crackling a little bit better. It's still not like super loud by any means, but it's it's distinct and it's noticeable.
Speaker: And right as you take a couple steps into this room, into that open area, the portal cracks open, ripping open, similar to the portal that you had seen in the ball fiasco. You can see through it. And just for that flash of a moment, you see a blur of a figure diving through it. and you also see the face of a blue crystal tiefling with a look of disbelief.
Speaker: as a knife leaves his hand, hitting this blur in the back. And that look of recognition on the blue crystal tiefling's face as he slams the thing behind him, the portal immediately recloses. And as you look down, look into the face of Maeve.
Speaker: What? Maeve! Are you all right? Holy fuck, Maeve! So Maeve's standing and sees both of you, and you notice that, A, there's now a blade in her back, but, um,
Speaker: She's wearing very not thin clothes, not clothes really suitable for a this kind of weather, let alone the weather she just came from. and She has cuts all over her and her clothes are full of fresh blood, but her hair is basically brown with caked on old baked blood and she looks up at both of you her eyes just wild and her you could see just the adrenaline pumping through her and she looks at yellen specifically and she gives him a reassuring smile when she smiles you notice that she has faint dimpling
Speaker: of her cheeks now that definitely weren't there before. And she says directly to Yellen, Hey, cleric, trusting you. And she just drops and collapses onto the ground.
Speaker: Fuck me. Yellen like basically sprints over and slides up on it on like a knees. All right. Hey, come on, tough guy. OK. And he does Healing Word at fifth level.
Speaker: That's 28 points of healing. And he's kind of, a he's got her held up on one knee, like her her shoulders are on his knee and he's holding up her head. Talira would also be there helping.
Speaker: She does have medicine proficiency, so she she would be there like assisting Yellen, keeping her stable, essentially, like her in a stable position.
Speaker: He kind of moves her hair out of her face. Come on, guys. You can't die. You just got back. east Please, please, please, please, please. She hasn't opened her eyes just yet, but she um squeezes his hand a little bit. She says, knew I could trust you.
Speaker: Opens her eyes and slowly tries to sit up, probably a little bit too fast, but she's just an unpatient woman. Yellen will assist you in standing up. oh Take it easy. Come on, careful.
Speaker: I've got your back. ah Maybe we'll look around to where the portal was, kind of realising the teethling and the person she just passed. And she she sees this looks to see if it's closed. And she's a bit, she's very shaken, exceedingly shaken and very on edge. And she looks around to everyone and where's Calden?
Speaker: That's where we're going end. Audience, thank you so much for listening and joining us for another one because woof what a doozy. We've been having lot of doozies lately. Yeah. It's almost like we're dark fantasy.
Speaker: Yeah. Man, the dark's finally hidden, huh? I thought we were comedic fantasy.
Speaker: Darkly humorous? Sometimes. I thought I got threw off the tone really bad just a minute ago.
Speaker: Well, Sephira, welcome back. I'm sorry it took so long. Welcome back. Thank you. Good to have you back. But audience, thank you so much for joining us for another one. It's been a pleasure providing this amazing entertainment for you. I say amazing in the fact that it's been amazing to play it. It's been amazing to experience it. And as the DM, but this episode was amazing to sit back and just watch the magic play out.
Speaker: So also, I got to thank you guys as player for being players at my table because, wow, this was a good one. Yeah. Woof. We'll find out what happens with Kalden and get ah get a little catch up with Maeve in the next episode.
Speaker: We'll see you guys next time. See ya. Bye. Goodbye.
Speaker: We would like to thank our cast, myself, Curtis Woosley, as the GM, MJ Gunther as Talira Grimstone Echelanathi, Saphira as Maeve Strongheart, Renny Armas as Calden, and Jack Baldwin as Galen Yacal.
Speaker: Additional thanks to Scentic GFX for our graphics, to MJ and Renny here for our show editing, and our intro and outro music composed by Ryan Moons, owner operator of Eyes on the Moon Studios.
Speaker: I'm going to go to the next one.
Speaker: As Calden walks out the door of the tavern that Calden Yellen Talira Lu has been waiting for Maeve from, what is Calden's heading? Where does he go? What is he what was he thinking?
Speaker: I think his plan is to go back to where the portal was. He doesn't know that they were planning on closing it, so as far as he's aware, it's still open and is going to be the quickest way out of Undor.
Speaker: That makes sense. That makes sense. Okay. So he's got his hood on, mask up, all of that stuff, just trying to kind of blend in. i don't know how empty the streets would be in the the wee hours of the morning.
Speaker: Well, being door and the fact that there's not a lot of light, sleep schedules are a bit off, but they still do have the moon to kind of keep track of days. So it'd be less than normal, but still not as empty as, say, a 3 a.m. on Earth. I mean, that's still very dependent on the place. Yeah, that's fair. You're in Vegas. It's still it's still crazy. Still bopping.
Speaker: Exactly. And I would ask for a stealth roll, but considering it might not be as much and it is Undor with a hood up and more so than that, your minimum is pretty damn high. So I could still roll. i could get higher than my minimum. You never know.
Speaker: He could be as invisible as a wraith, you know? I mean, I guess that's fair. I guess that's fair.
Speaker: Nope. Minimum. So that'd be 23. Minimum. I'll keep it in mind. i But i don't I don't think it's going to matter much. So 23. Look, I just wanted to roll dice, okay?
Speaker: That's just crazy. I lesst understand just wanted to roll the pretty rocks. Good lord. As Kaldan leaves the tavern and begins to make his way through the city, trying to find his way back to the portal, passing by homes of ancient architecture that mix with newer construction, similar to what you had seen down in the sewers. The construction being built upon its foundations, allowing for improvements that mainly hold heat better for the most part.
Speaker: Maybe even going across rooftops if that's Kaldan's speed, but maybe you can fill us in another time. Nobody seems to really pay you much mind. Hood up, that's pretty normal here. You just kind of appear like a normal undor citizen. Maybe a little shady, maybe not.
Speaker: Just trying to stay away from the wind and the cold and the ash. But as you go ah by, you do maybe pass by a wagon or two trying to get some early morning supplies to some sort of shop. And one of the things you also pass by behind as an ash sweeper. They normally will operate in the early mornings and overnights. That way they aren't a problem during the day when it's a little busier.
Speaker: But, as you're going, really, the only person that really seems to give you any mind would be the operator of the Ash Sweeper. Even so, your passive insight, you can kind of guess. He's just a younger fellow, curious-minded, but you also know with what you know of the city. That sort of wandering eye tends get people killed.
Speaker: Yeah, well, I guess he'll learn our or he'll die eventually. Probably something. As you turn a corner, confident that one of the sewer outlets that you had seen, especially whenever you first arrived, having to side left or right, it's got to be around here somewhere.
Speaker: And sure enough, you find exactly what you're looking for. And as you approach what you can assume to be a stairwell that you had seen the moonlight shining down previously, the sound of footsteps and armor reaches your ears as...
Speaker: You notice the back of the head of none other than the recognizable Eric Strongheart as his head and shoulders begin to clear the edge. And you quickly notice his hair, it's messed up, it's matted with blood and crime, couple fresh cuts across the side of his face, looking as if it was slashed by claws maybe?
Speaker: And even more noticeably as his shoulder clears, is immediately able to see that his arm is indeed sheared off at the shoulder. the flesh hanging over over a cauterized open wound.
Speaker: And in his other arm, he actually holds his... not decapitated, he holds his other the one that has been torn torn off. Decapitation would be the head. But you see that he's holding his other arm.
Speaker: It's been misplaced. Yeah, misplaced. You know, he just found it. Just lying around. Now, my question, as you've been going here, trying to find this area, i assume there's some sense of urgency that Kaladin has, but just how urgently would would he be running? as this is Is this something where he's he's cautiously going around this corner, or is he just trying to get out of here as quick as possible?
Speaker: I feel like it'd have to be a mix. can i Can I just roll a luck to see which whether he's paying attention to his surroundings enough? Yeah, yeah, go for it.
Speaker: All right. Keep it simple. 11. eleven eleven Okay, so it's... you don't, like, run in to Eric, like you've completely abandoned caution, but you definitely notice him a little too late, and maybe making a tiny bit too much noise, to where Eric, but he he notices you.
Speaker: Okay. but Ah, uh, Sir Strongheart, you're alive. Is that your arm? Oh, uh... Hello. You're... Uh, who are you?
Speaker: Oh, ah middle it'll heal back up, and I'm sure. Talira said you were fighting v-vampires. Oh, you must be Kaladin. Uh, yeah, yeah, they they ran tail.
Speaker: Fucking got away again. Fucking... But they won't be a problem. For a while, at least. I got a little carried away. They got away? Yeah. i um I'm glad I found you. We're fairly certain Maeve is on another plane, and there's ah a portal that'll open in a few hours that should take us there.
Speaker: I'm guessing you want to know that. Yeah, no, that's that's helpful, yes. and Unfortunately, yeah, I let the anger get the best of me.
Speaker: Oh, yeah. and mistakes ah some good men down there but yes um yeah thank you for finding me um obviously mave is number one prior to here um i'm not in any condition to take more damage as you can tell how how long do we have cause got the time might need to make a stop like a potion shop if not though i will make two Not a hundred percent certain, but more than half a day minimum, I'd say.
Speaker: i I have some healing salves, if that'll help. Not much open at this hour, ah I imagine. Yeah, no, I mean, I'll i'll take a healing salve. It'll help for the moment, but where where we we can go, the hour's not gonna matter. I'll introduce you to a friend.
Speaker: In return, though, on the way, you catch me up on everything that I miss. know, uh, well, I know I could have been more help if I wouldn't have gotten carried away, so. Anyway, yeah, I'll take one of them salves, though, right now, honestly. This shit hurts more than a panther he'll bite.
Speaker: Right, yeah. So he digs through his bag and i guess opens up the, like, healing kit thing that he has that has healing salves in it. Okay, okay. Yeah, he takes it. As he starts walking, he just kind of cautiously applies a little bit to his shoulder, kind of dabs it in some of the more sensitive spots. and you see him grimace a couple times, but it's... You would do would think for a man who quite literally had his arm torn off and all the all the claw cuts and and marks all across him, you'd think he'd be in way more pain and you could hear it more in his voice. It's surprising.
Speaker: And some may say impressive. um But yeah, he as as you begin to as he begins to do that, he begins to to walk, kind of nodding for you to follow. Yeah, I've fallen a step behind him.
Speaker: Or beside him. Diagonal. Sounds good. All right, well, we walk. i don't know if you've been on door, but try to keep your head down. But yeah, I got a gal here. She'll be some help, won't take too long.
Speaker: Anyway, how'd y'all find May? luck mostly we knew she was taken by people associated with the um the mortifer pactum and the ethachrome so we figured out from there she's on a different plane and then happened upon someone who knew a little about the portals and they were Kind enough to share some knowledge with us.
Speaker: Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I saw Viren and an old hatred took. I don't know. I just assumed he must have done it to get back be bombed and wasted my time.
Speaker: At least he deserved it. Keldon kind of stiffens Erik says Viren's name and like falters in his steps. That's the, um, the vampire you were fighting?
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. I thought vampires tried to keep themselves out of sight to people like you. People like me? Oh, um well, yeah.
Speaker: They generally don't like my... skill set, if that's what you mean. Right, yeah. Strong people. People that could, like, oppose them. That vampire specifically, way of history.
Speaker: No excuse to lose my cool, though. If you all hadn't been looking me, I wouldn't be any any closer, so, uh, thank you. You're better than I did today. What history?
Speaker: Sorry if that's too personal. No, no, it's uh, it's nothing you need to worry yourself about. You stay focused on the goal ahead. Do you need anything? It's only right if caught something from the shop for you and your friends.
Speaker: What you' doing for my family? No, i'm I mean, we also care about finding her after all. Yeah. well, let's get going.
