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C3 Episode 22 Bright Moons Rising Chapter Two
168 Plays1 hour ago
The party reports back and begins to build up the Lighthouse.
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Transcript
Introduction and Recap
00:00:02
Speaker
um correct with the coach boy twenty radio your gamers role radio
00:00:23
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron or Newton actual play podcast at the Eberron campaign setting. I am your game master Eric. I'm Mia. I'm Phillip. I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Folks, what happened last time? Everyone behaved completely normally during downtime. None of us talked to each other for an hour and a half. That's true. Four solo episodes in a row. It was fun. Yeah, we got a seller and did some downtime investigating.
00:00:51
Speaker
It does not bode well for party cohesion when you all are left to your device and you're like, I don't want to talk to any of these people. It's still early. We all have goals. We've got to eventually abandon them and hang out. I just got a job, Eric. I just got a job. I don't want to get fired. I just started. He was going to make Nick look bad. Kaz didn't do any baking. Yeah. I could just say, yeah, I went into town and talked to people about coming. He did make a contact with a budding journalist. So, you know, that is engine. That's exactly what I did.
00:01:20
Speaker
And I may have blown up our spot with her entirely immediately. OK, so yeah, you
Briefing on the New Mission
00:01:25
Speaker
all downtime activities wrapping up. It has been about two weeks since you all returned from the Kernsville job. So the for those of you keeping track in your calendars, it is the eighth of Volt.
00:01:39
Speaker
year 19, or not 19, 986. Volt is Eberroni in December, so it is early winter time. And you all see the little red lights light up in your rooms, indicating that Javier would like to talk. you If Valk is not spotted, full spray. Gotta be the first person. I think Selena doesn't see it at first, and then Grub like comes and taps on her and points to the light, and she's like, wait, okay. And then we both go.
00:02:04
Speaker
Yeah. Really do it for somewhere else in the manner. I'm not. I'm going to go crazy in this question. Like what what if there' what I'm not, what if I'm somewhere else in the man? Like what if I'm in the cafeteria? Five minutes of everyone else sitting in Javier's office, Javier goes, can somebody go get nicks? They probably also have lights around the grounds to indicate like, hey, time for a meeting. Red lights start blinking everywhere. Cas thinks that there ought to be a grace period. And then he starts walking. He's like, cle they should be like meeting in 30 minutes. The light should be meeting in 30 minutes.
00:02:33
Speaker
Why is it not wrong? He's here right now. This is insane. I could be doing anything and then he gets off the toilet and goes to the music. Kaz, it's not wrong. just Yeah. And eventually he's gonna have the fortitude to mention that to Javier, but he does not. Wait, Hector Javier's meeting with us. Sorry.
00:02:49
Speaker
Javier, yeah there is no Hector. There's no Hector who I think she knows. Victor from Kernville was what I was thinking of, sorry. It was the name. Victor does not want to meet with you.
Mission Details: Ashdown Hollow
00:02:59
Speaker
No. Okay, so after Javier makes idle chitchat with vow a breathless vout who just sprint there, the rest of you arrive. Aurora and Hendrik also walk in amongst you all. And Javier says, well, good news for us. We have another request for aid.
00:03:17
Speaker
this time directly from the Chiron government. News of your success at Kernville has been spoken about, ah which is good for us. And now there is a another village that is in need of help. Shtown Hollow is the name of the village. And fortunately, it's a much shorter trip for you all. It's only a day away. The woods that rely to the northeast of the manor. Ashdown Hollow is just on the other side of that forest. So it's about a day's journey directly through the forest. Although for reasons that will become apparent as this brief continues, I'm going to suggest that you all take the long way around. So Ashdown Hollow is a town that for centuries at this point was known for its wood rights, wood making and leather making as well. Wood rights and tanners.
00:04:04
Speaker
But about six months ago, they ramped up production to assist in the war effort with leather armor, bows, arrow shafts, etc. And all seemed to be going well until shortly after your return from Kernville. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, according to the current government, the hunters and woodsmen began complaining of more frequent wildlife attacks.
00:04:29
Speaker
in the woods. Thankfully, nobody has died yet, but there have been some pretty severe injuries, some of which I think will prevent the victims from ever plying their trade again. But the attacks have been getting more and more vicious and frequent over the past couple of weeks. ah To the point where, and here's where the Kyron government steps in, it has impacted the production of Ashdown Hollow in terms of their leather armor and woodworking output.
00:04:55
Speaker
So they need someone to go in and figure out what is causing the problem and fix it. While that is the current government's concern, obviously, there are people being harmed. So we need to go figure out what's happening. And based on Aurora's research, we are inclined to believe that it might be something of Lamania influence. Lamania is the plain of woodland areas and the twilight forest. It's basically the plain of raw, unbounded nature.
00:05:27
Speaker
filled with plants, animals, magical beasts, et cetera. There are also reports that lycanthropes reside in Lamania. So it's kind of druidy, rangery place. So we don't know if there is a manifest zone in the Ashdown Forest, named for the forest nearby, obviously. We don't know if there is a manifest in the Ashdown Forest. There's nothing documented. So that'll be part of your investigation is figuring that out. ah We might be dealing with another ritual.
00:05:54
Speaker
that is creating a manifest zone. Who knows? But
Recruitment and Secrecy Discussion
00:05:58
Speaker
that's for you all to figure out. Your contacts when you get there. The head of the Woodwright's Guild, which by extension is effectively the head of the town.
00:06:08
Speaker
is Davyn Kellith, D-A-V-E-N-K-E-L-L-I-T. And then it might also be worth talking to the head tanner in town as well. She is a halfling named Cyra Softstep. And lastly, there is a druid that resides on the outskirts of the town as part of communion with the Ashen Forest, I presume, but her name is Alondra Velos and she is an elf. Probably a little bit racist to me that I can thought that that went without speaking. so You don't have to blow up your spot like that. as You didn't have to say that. and You could have just left that part out and we would not have done. It's important to acknowledge our internal biases so that we can grow from
00:06:51
Speaker
Part of growth. now temperature Sure. Anyway, any questions? No? I don't think so. All right. Well, like I said, if you were to go straight through the forest, it would be a day, probably two days if you go around. I would recommend going around just because we don't know what's in that forest. If you all want to do some initial studies. Easy way to find out. That's fair. If you want to, potentially dangerous.
00:07:14
Speaker
I'm not going to tell you all how to do the job, just ask that you do it well. That is how, that that is telling us how to do the job, saying to do it well. No, that's not telling you that. That wasn't, that wasn't. All right. Well, I look forward to hearing the reports when you get back and dismissed. Kaz hangs back.
00:07:30
Speaker
I just have an unrelated question for you, if if you have, and kind of waits for everyone else to wander up. and Unless, I mean, I don't care if they say, because he starts talking while they're sleeping. Okay, I haven't really been able to catch a beat on how secretive we're supposed to be. And I i don't know, like, oh because, okay. I went, I talked with him about the newspaper thing, so he gets it. So yeah I was like, I went to the archives that you told me about, and she asked if we had, if I had any cool news stories for her. And I said, Hey, have you heard about the zombies in Kernville? And then I realized, am I supposed to talk about the zombies in Kernville? So I left.
00:08:06
Speaker
And I don't know, but also I'm supposed to recruit? For us, I guess. So how much? What do I tell people? Alright, starting with the final thing. Find contacts that you can communicate with to gain information. But don't recruit for us, if that makes sense. I would say it depends on the nature of the work that you've recently been doing. Stopping zombies from attacking a village.
00:08:28
Speaker
nobody's going to be mad about that. So feel free to discuss that openly. You know, if we find ourselves in a situation where we're having, because I understand with your situation, sometimes the nuances and the gravity of certain things might be lost on you. But we are in the throes of a very long, arduous conflict amongst the various nations of Corvair. And so there are lots of people that hate a lot of other people, sometimes for justified reasons, sometimes not so justified. If we find ourselves in a situation where the work that you are doing conflicts with the worldview of certain individuals, it might be wise to keep it secret.
00:09:11
Speaker
if that makes sense, just to keep a target off of our backs and
Mission Preparations and Research
00:09:15
Speaker
your back. But you seem like you've used good discernment in this case. Nobody's mad that we stopped zombies from attacking a town. Feel free to tell her about that.
00:09:23
Speaker
kid it but Like that's what I'm saying. Like I'm supposed to tell, am I allowed to tell her we stopped the zombies or just, okay. Yeah. Cool. I'm going to tell her I stopped the zombies. We're trying to build something here Kaz that can be a beacon of hope as it were in a world that's getting increasingly darker. So as part of your job as the shadow maker, ironically, is finding ways that we can spread that news.
00:09:48
Speaker
Like I said, there might be some elements of the work that we do that we decide need to be more secretive. But as it stands right now, I don't see any reason to not tell people. okay good How hard is it gonna be for me to get news from Roat if everybody hates each other right now? And how danger, I very much look relish. So like, am I okay here? No, you're fine. You're fine in that with that. I wear the fashion. Or those are melting packs, I'd say. Relish, I guess. If there are specific, I have contacts.
00:10:20
Speaker
Kaz, so if there are specific people that you're asking after, I can go through my own resources to try and find out information for you. I think Kaz takes a pen and pencil and paper and writes down the two names that he read, Habra and GK, and then, like, you see him really wrestle with something for a minute, and he scribbles down his mom and dad's names and hands them to him and kind of goes out the door. Just runs. Caz is the king of the quick awkward exit. We're just not saying goodbye to people. we're just it's yeah like it's It's like television phone conversations. Yeah. And Valklord's over the slow awkward conversation exits. Two Caz, once he wrote those names down, he was holding a grenade because now he's going to find out what happened to his parents. And so he was just like,
00:11:06
Speaker
getting away. He made the commitment to do it and now he's gone. Yeah, okay. As you all are exiting and Cass stays behind to talk to Javier in the hallway, Hendrik turns to the three of you and says, oh, before I forget, and he pulls out the compass with the outer wheel, hands it, holds it out. No, he hands it to Valc, gives it to Valc. We've made some modifications to it, so hopefully will run into a similar issue in terms of the potency of it. However, be careful with it due to its potent nature. If you target a natural occurring manifest zone, it has the potential to close it permanently, if not permanently, a very long time. ah So and destroy be wise with this. And villages and livelihoods. Yes, we need to help people, not hurt people. And Hendrik turns and heads to the lab, probably around the same time that Kaz is exiting Hamir's office.
00:12:00
Speaker
So how would each of you like to click? So you can use the facilities that you have now upgraded, or like we did last time, you can do something more bespoke for a temporary boost, but that will require a roll. Whereas prepping, you'll still roll, but you're guaranteed the benefit of the facility just might gain an additional boot from it. I have a systems question.
00:12:24
Speaker
Yeah, so Lamania introduces the possibility of encountering lycanthropes. I assume one that it is common knowledge. The silver and lycanthropes thing is is a common reality for for people in in a magical world. OK, yes. Secondly, I don't know how to translate this very simple mechanical reality into the world. In many systems, you when you have a creature that's vulnerable to a material, if you're attacking them with magic or magical items, the material becomes entirely irrelevant, which is
00:13:06
Speaker
frankly boring, but it's true of many systems. Is that true of 13th age or is the material still true, even if they're still relevant, even if there's magic involved? I am trying to find that answer for you right now. Figured that's where you were going.
00:13:22
Speaker
yep I'm trying to parse that question for me right now. Yeah. I have a magic sword. It's not a silver sword. Gotcha. I have very easily the ability to make Nyx have access to a silver sword just based on the resources that I've got right now and the fact that she lives in a chapel covered with weapons. But I'm deciding whether I want to use my downtime to do that or my prep to do that, because that would be the sort of thing that Nyx would think to do. I just want to know whether it's mechanically entirely irrelevant. I might do it anyway.
00:13:51
Speaker
But I want to know whether it's actually getting me anything. Good call, because my eyes glazed over. To answer your question, no, silver has basically werewolves have a resist 16 plus to weapon attacks unless it's silver. So even if it's magic, it would still apply. Yeah. OK, then I would like to go get a silvered weapon from Nix's collection. okay I could roll to have a silvered weapon in my collection. I feel like that's narratively slightly silly. And so what I would do instead is I will hand you my icon die since it is with the silver flame and say Nix still has her old sword.
00:14:41
Speaker
and Okay. From relocore. All righty. Then I will roll a for a twist. I think I have a twist because I did not roll any fives or sixes, so I don't think that's true. It's just there. All righty. Well, so obviously next goes going to occur in the manner, but right. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's there for you. Yes. So next goes back to the chapel and goes.
00:15:08
Speaker
probably it's not probably it's not hanging on the wall. She goes up into the up it is a loft area and pulls out pulls the footlocker out from under her bed and opens it and digs through and and finally pulls out the longsword she carried when she was in training in Relicor.
00:15:25
Speaker
comes back to the manor with that on her hip. It's in a very nice sort of decorated sheath with lots of silver flame motif sort of embossed into the leather of the of the sheath. and into the shape of the the pommel is kind of shaped like the the the arrowhead in the inflamed symbol of this other the of the church. Nice. Love it. She looks slightly embarrassed by it. OK, who would like to prep next? hey mind This can involve going in into town to try and like contact somebody that might know something from Ashdown Hollow, like there might be somebody that has come to Kalazar because Kalazar is a bigger town.
00:16:11
Speaker
From there, you can go to the library, re-house La Mania, et cetera. I think that's what would what Selena would do. She would go to the library. Okay. What are you specifically researching regarding the La Mania, Selena? You know, that's a great question. I think just more about what we might encounter, any sort of like magic that they would be particularly susceptible to, things like that. but Okay. Okay.
00:16:36
Speaker
go ahead and give me a intelligence role. And if you have a background that you'd like to pitch to be applicable, I am open to it.
Information Gathering and Reflections
00:16:44
Speaker
Okay. I don't really think any of my backgrounds apply at 20. Oh, wow. Okay. So yeah, looking through some of the documentation that the library has regarding Lamani. Lamani is most known for it being a plane of the unbound natural world. But what a lot of people tend to overlook sometimes is that also incorporates like elementals, like embodiments of the different elements of nature. You occasionally get like methods that are like dust methods, ah water methods, like little did little demonic entities, but that ah embody natural elements and concepts. the you find When you're looking through research on Lamani, you find some more recent things that talk about, you know, there are neurons that perhaps
00:17:35
Speaker
lycanthropy originated in Lamania, ah but something that is actually well-documented that isn't rumored and is a lot of lycanthropes to escape the purge by the Church of the Silver Flame when they were hunting down lycanthropes fled to Lamania.
00:17:51
Speaker
And yeah, just decided to live there. And so there are lycanthropes that come from Eberron, but reside in Lamania. In terms of magic that is particularly effective against them, the the only thing that you obviously find the stuff about silver when it comes to dealing with lycanthropes There are also, you'll run into plant life, like plant based enemies that come through and fire is really effective against them. Surprising, absolutely no one. So since you got a 20, another aspect that you find is something to be careful about. Lamania is second only behind Thelonis for occurrences of accidental
00:18:38
Speaker
stepping into, like that there are numerous accounts oh mean of people walking through now more naturally inclined places and then all of a sudden being in Lamadia. So that is something to keep an eye out for. And more upsettingly,
00:18:56
Speaker
So Selena, you're starting to, and Aurora is helping you with some of the research if if you allow her. And as you're looking through this, Aurora starts talking about, you know, I've been working on a categorization system for the planes to reflect their natures on like two different scales of virtue and logic.
00:19:21
Speaker
Because some of the planes are more wicked in nature, more evil, and others are more virtuous. But that seems to be devoid of how logical or chaotic they are. And so I think that Thelonis is a very logical plane. it Despite its, you know, reputation, the Feywild, it follows very strict rules with the stories and the different layers of it. Whereas Lemani is far lower on the logic scale it into chaos because it's nature.
00:19:55
Speaker
And so I think the concern with people that have walked through into Lamania, when you walk through into the Philanis, you can find your way home. Lamania is not the case. If you walk through, you're not guaranteed to be able to trace your steps back and return. You have to find a different doorway and the doorways are constantly moving. Now, since you all are headed into a wooded area,
00:20:16
Speaker
you It's less dangerous than, so part of your research is, you know, there is a layer of Lamania called the endless ocean where, you know, you could be swimming in a pond and you dive down to the bottom and then all of a sudden you're 300 feet underneath the surface of a vast endless ocean with like islands dotting it.
00:20:35
Speaker
You're not gonna be in that situation. Yeah, yeah. Literally not in your field of stuff. yeah So if you all were to walk through, you would be in a wooded area at least. Don't touch water. Got it. So that's what you find in your research. Who else? I think looking into Ashdown Hall, it was probably a great idea. And if there's one place I know for for municipality resources, how long has it been since I gave Renee the hot tip about the zombies in Kernville? I i couldn't make a fall of the time.
00:21:04
Speaker
Did did you decide to do that at the end of your first day? Because I kind of threw that you you were coming back and forth. So ah you tell me at what point you've had you've been going there for about two weeks at this point. I think I think I think it was OK. It was early on when she said the only news stories he would have told her about the zombies. So she would have had time to. Yeah. Either either. I think appreciate the tip or find out I was involved. I guess maybe. Yeah. Well, you might have. I don't know. But so I'm going to go back and learn a little bit about that. So holla for my friend Renee.
00:21:33
Speaker
you You walk through the door and Rene looks, he's like, I should have listened to you about Terrence. I thought you were being sticky. Oh, the gods. I learned a word recalcitrant and I think that describes him well. I think you're right. He clocks that. Also knows the word already showing up. Also.
00:21:51
Speaker
Talking to Core, she talked about a group of people from around Kalazark coming into town, fixing the problem and leaving. And when I asked her about physical descriptions and she holds up a rough sketch of Kaz's face, hello. And at that point, Kaz leans forward and he goes, Renee, I need your help on our next job.
00:22:11
Speaker
ah but I need you to tell me everything you know about a town called Ashdown Hall. Worst shadow baker ever. I don't know. I'm not trying to recruit her. I'm just trying to get her in on my section of how important it is. No, I know. Ashton Hollow. I feel like I need to say that Jeff knew he wasn't supposed to recruit but Kaz got it wrong. I think people know I'm not as dumb as Kaz. Whatever history may make you think about the previous character or the way I act in general. I'm not actually dumb. Anyway, that's what he says to her. Ashton Hollow, that, I mean,
00:22:45
Speaker
Loggers hunters I've there's been reports that they've been getting hurt more but you know like Animals are in the woods. They attack hunters Sometimes nature fights back. I don't know what to tell you. I mean He's got nothing to follow up. He just I think he'll just say Yeah, we've heard something about these animals. They put this figure on the side of his nose in the woods as well. and she of course Because, of course, she has a roly chair, she rolls back to like the little cubbies where she like where tips come in. And he at this point, you see an older
00:23:21
Speaker
male dwarf walk behind and kind of like look over the cut. He eyes you and raises an eyebrow and then looks down at Renee. He's like, Hey, kid, you got the transcription on my interview yet done. I need that by the end of the day.
00:23:36
Speaker
And she's like, i'm yes, of course, i'm I'm working on it. As soon as I'm done helping this young man, I will get right back to it. And he's like, OK, what? Just don't. Not supposed to have friends up here chit-chatting anyway. Just get taken care of. And then he walks away. Sorry. OK, so Ashdown Hollow, we did get some tips that the animals were being more violent.
00:24:00
Speaker
than normal. Give me a charisma check to see how much she's willing to reveal to you. Okay. Would my mischief background factor into this? I'll allow it. Thank you. Crap, that's terrible. Let's see. Five, eight, twelve. Twelve. And she's flipping through the pages of the different, like, reports and calls that they've gotten for for help and like, hey, Calzark Cry, please report this horrible thing that's happening.
00:24:26
Speaker
It's like, I don't know, like, sounds like a real bummer going from taking care of a zombie horde to figuring out why hunters are being attacked while they're going through the woods hunting animals, but I think I got that one figured out already. I mean, Kaz runs through like 12 cool things he thinks he can say, and then he just goes, yeah. He goes, I think he just says, well, you've been a lot of help. I'm going to go, we're going to go take care of this thing. I'll let you do it. Can I get a statement about the Kernsville stuff real quick before you go?
00:24:56
Speaker
So, what was it like disbanding a zombie horde? And what role did you play? I think Kaz, like some of the cool veneer comes off when this happens and goes, look, honestly, I just let's just say that the group is glad that the town is safe now and we're gonna just call it there, okay? And then he turns, what's your group called? What's what's your adventuring team called? I don't know yet! And he keeps moving. Val, what are you up to? think but I also have no idea what to do. Cut in the grass.
00:25:25
Speaker
Cut in the grass. Instinct, again, is to harass Hendrix, but it feels a little... ah sympathy Feels a little... species-es? He is a Lycanthrunk, but... I'm your armourer. Need a... need a gear of some kind? I don't know. I'm just... Do you have a gear of turkeys in the car?
00:25:43
Speaker
Oh, I have so many gears. You're now my target and in the room. Apparently, it's my job to see that you are properly equipped, so... I'm just going to enter Nix's general area and just stare. Hello? Oh. Hi. Do you have something to to make me hit harder or not get hit as armored? Oh, you mean, you mean weapons?
00:26:09
Speaker
um the I know you know you have weapons or what do you ask that you don't want? Heartburn and trauma. And you can and you can see that there's like you're you're on the verge of of asking Nix about something that's like somebody asking one of us. You ever heard of Dungeons and Dragons and that Nix is sort of restraining herself of you want to talk about weapons? Well, I mean, I know you carry a sword. Do you do you want? I've never seen you I don't think hit something with it. I assumed it was part of how you used magic rather than how you fight. But maybe I'm wrong.
00:26:48
Speaker
Technically, no. Anything can be an arcane implement. Okay, thanks. I hit something in the when the zombies were at... Oh, did you? Okay. You might have missed it. You were kind of... There were zombies everywhere. Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay, so you are looking for a weapon. Yeah. I trust your opinion. I can't carry anything that heavy.
00:27:16
Speaker
Right. What is what is Valc's current sword like? I have this written down. No, it's just a standard short sword. It kind of looks like I'm not going to pronounce this right, like a crease. So the the little we was. Yeah. But it's very obviously like not his. So that's why it doesn't use it as often. But but it's just a sword, a friend. Let me borrow it. And I have not seen her again to return it.
00:27:46
Speaker
If that's what Valk said, Nyx just lets it go. Nyx just lets that go. She's alive. oh good she said That's good. That's good. All right. Okay. So you, you probably use something lighter. You're not brute strengthening things. And Nyx walks over to the wall of swords.
00:28:07
Speaker
It's just on the whole. What are you, Mia, after? Are you looking for just a better weapon? I don't know how this plays into Eric's preference. So so right now, so your basic melee attack, because you have the Heuer of Truth class feature, you get to use intelligence instead of strength for your attack rolled and wisdom and strength for damage rolls. You currently do a one D six with your sword, right?
00:28:34
Speaker
Yes. And one D4 with your dagger. I mean, last time we last time we temporarily equipped these throwing stars with with holy damage. Yeah. Can I can I have a weapon that I can do something similar to for sure for for Valk? Maybe shoot. There's ah there's an alchemical substance that temporarily silvers a weapon. If you want it to be ah like just for the arc sort of. Yeah. Saying yeah.
00:29:04
Speaker
I'd be fine with that and its silver sheen. That's what it's called silver sheen. And if you want a bigger like you're here or a treat, you get to use any wet edged weapon without the penalty. So if you want to have a long sword that does a D8 and 76 or even a great sword that does a D10. That's okay. So I would, can I ask Mia, what what does it look like that Valk is able to use a sword that seems a little more than and what Valk's stature would suggest? Because Nyx functions the same way, like Nyx's
A Mysterious Visitor
00:29:41
Speaker
sword, Nyx fights with her charisma. I things i think he he looks very awkward, kind of like a little kid picking up a sword that's too big. It's a very like a heavy full body swing if it's like ah like a kind of like a great sword any sort of like two-handed sword so probably not that.
00:30:03
Speaker
but I think something that might be helpful along with maybe the silver sheen is just having some practical sword copy that train next we'll spar with anyone like yeah I think that might also be useful just so that in a story wise that he feels a little more confident in using that bladed weapon because it's something he can do but it's mostly just like kind of as a peri protection response rather than actually attacking
00:30:35
Speaker
Do you want Nyx to pick a weapon or do you want to tell me what weapon Nyx picks? Because I don't want to take that agency out of you for your character. You can do it. It's Nyx's armory. It doesn't need to be fancy. It's fun with what he owns.
00:30:54
Speaker
I think probably what Nyx finds for for Valk would be something like a side sword. um This is kind of like a rapier, but with a ah slightly wider blade for more cutting, but still very agile, very light. A longer blade, meaning that Valk can put some keep some distance between himself and but whatever is trying to kill him with not a super elaborate like set of like a like ring pommel but a little bit of a swept hilt to guard the hand and so yeah nyx probably looks at looks at valk
00:31:34
Speaker
probably goes, let me see your hands, and and holds Valk's hands like poem like a palm reader for a moment, just looking at the size of Valk's hands and the shape of Valk's hands, and then walks over to the wall and stares around. and At some point, I feel like Eric's going to require you or me, I don't know, to roll ah something, but pulls a sword out of out of a niche and and walks over with it. What do you want to and do in terms of a roll, Eric, or do we need a roll?
00:32:03
Speaker
I don't think we need a role for this, honestly, since it's just, yeah, I think I'm finding this being just narrative. And then then she goes over and says, I don't have a lot of this. i I'm certain Hendrik could make more, but I really don't want to ask Hendrik to make more of this. And she she opens a little box that has several little vials.
00:32:26
Speaker
in it, among the various things that she stole when she ran away, and hands Valk one and says, if you if you rub the blade down with this, it will it will silver it in the event that we encounter lycanthropes, that sort of thing. So do I need like like a polishing c cloth? Oh no, it just any rag, just running across it, it'd be fine. It's not gonna hurt your hands if it gets on your hands or anything.
00:32:54
Speaker
Yeah, I'm worried about staining. That's it. I appreciate that. I'm going to go back to that conversation. Nick starts slightly when you suddenly loudly announce your attention to part. Oh yeah. Okay. Any, anytime you want to spar with me or, you know, I could arrange something for you to spar with.
00:33:14
Speaker
Just another, yeah, and. All right, Selena, real quick, give me a wisdom-based check to notice something in the library as you're like cleaning up after you and Aurora are done researching. Okay. A 22. 22. As you go to start putting books back, you're noticing that like some of the sections of the library that you haven't touched for this particular research session, like section but sections that you during your downtime had been working on like reorganizing and stuff are not put back properly. And in fact, with such a high check, you notice they've been put back where they were before you reorganized them. Uh oh. Okay. Passive aggressive organizational war. Selena would absolutely reorganize them. the way that she like Oh no. Yes. But I would absolutely reorganize it.
00:34:11
Speaker
aurora as She has to be careful. aurora She's putting the book back that she had seized. Didn't we already do that section like a week ago? Selena just said yes. Has there been anybody else in here that you've noticed in this section? No, I mean, Kaz.
00:34:28
Speaker
He was always poking around for papers and more like recent Yvette type things. Well, recent to him. I haven't seen Nyx really all that much. So no, strange. Yeah. And Grub just looks at you in shrugs. Like, and yeah, that is what you notice. Any final things before we hit the road, gang? No. Is it a crazy suggestion that we just go through the woods and see what there is?
00:34:55
Speaker
Yes. One. There is one more thing. And I want to make sure that this is said before we leave. Do we get new potion? Yes. Yes. You each have a potion. Thank you. that Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. As you're all about Hendrix, like, oh, before I forget, Nick's like drapes her traveling cloak over her sword whenever Hendrix is around because she's very uncomfortable. So Selena was telling Nick's that her idea was bad.
00:35:25
Speaker
It's good. All right. Then as you all are about to exit through the front door, you hear a like just as like one of your hands is about to reach and grab the handle. I like go ahead and open it. Then you see a figure standing on the other side of the door. I'm going to send a picture in the group chats you all can see, and then I will give a but description. You see a very thin, gaunt, elderly man with a wispy shoulder length hair.
00:35:54
Speaker
resting on his shoulders. But he is dressed in very fancy attire. He's in a waistcoat and an overcoat with a large bow tie, patches on the sleeves, and just the grumpiest look on his face, a stubble. And he says, I am here to inquire about the position. The groundskeeper is already taken.
00:36:22
Speaker
What? I'm not here to inquire about the groundskeeper position. Cool. Do you want to add more words that might tell us what you're doing here? I am here to inquire about the position of maintaining the household for the residents of Athelhampton Manor. My name is Algott Frisk. I'll go get Haziare.
00:36:44
Speaker
Isn't that what you're doing, Valk? That's what I'm saying. I didn't make that many bald spots in the past. Have you spoken to someone about the position? I'm here to speak to someone about the position. What led you to be here? What makes you believe there is an open position?
00:37:07
Speaker
Where did you hear about it? Once again, amazed that the child has the topic. This is a rather large manner. And based on what's been seen, there are adventurers living here and figures that you are- Whatever do you mean? You could do with someone to help maintain the house, not- Wait, you just- of mowing the lawns or anything? I just looked at our house and decided we needed someone to maintain it. It is a large house.
00:37:37
Speaker
Kaz writes down real go-getter in the prose column. think I Al got frisked as he suddenly started. Ambitious. Passive aggressive. Selena, you said you were going to get Javier? Yeah. Okay. Well, the owner will be out shortly, I'm sure. Javier runs the corner, blocking with Selena. Selena, you found Javier in the middle of the nap, so Javier's hair is kind of tussled and like he is like buttoning his shirt up as he rounds the corner with Selena.
00:38:04
Speaker
Hello, i i I am the deed holder of this home. Yes, very good. I am here to inquire about the position of custodian. Yeah, it's my job. I changed it. right that's Am I getting replaced? No, you're doing great. It's only three spots. I seek not to replace anyone, but seek only to help serve the household.
00:38:28
Speaker
And Javier looks at the four of you and is like, don't let this hold you up. i I will handle this. You all go take care of what you need to take care of. Sorry, what was your name? Algot Frisk. Come in, Mr. Frisk. And Javier kind of waves farewell to you all. i I would like to, the image you sent us and the image you painted with words.
00:38:52
Speaker
scream of this guy as the i don't know either the undead previous owner of this building or or someone who will eventually lead a mob with torches and pitchforks to drive Really, any one of us, you could just pick whichever one he's got a problem with out of the village. Yeah. Is there anything about him that says where he came from? Like, yeah, give me a wisdom check wherever he was. It was dark and he was there for a thousand years. but A little moldy. I don't think I can.
00:39:30
Speaker
twist any of my backgrounds into helping with this unless he's got some sort of church iconography going on. Nothing churchy. Okay. All right. Can I assist with my paranormal investing? I rolled a natural 20 for a result of 22 because I get to add my level.
Final Preparations and Concerns
00:39:48
Speaker
All right. Nick's as Al got Frisk walks by you as Javier leads him into the home. Some notable thing is that you clock about him, his attire,
00:39:57
Speaker
is pretty out of date. like it's He's dressed well, but he's not dressed fashionably, if that makes sense. It would be the equivalent of like someone walking into your workplace dressed like a really nice saloon owner. like could just be like You look good, but it's weird. and Outside of Portland, of course, there it would be normal.
00:40:22
Speaker
but So you you clock that and like his intonation a way of speaking seemed very old as well. It it seems like as you spent a fair amount of time now in Athlehampton manner, he seems to be contemporary to whenever Athlehampton was at its high point. But but but his well appointed attire is I mean i I'm talking to somebody that I know would like at least enjoyed this show it's it's downstairs attire like he's yeah he's dressed like the help like he's not dressed like the former owner of the manor he's so the undead butler so ask given all of Nix's like especially recent interactions this is a living creature like he he is not a ghost he is not a zombie he's dead
00:41:14
Speaker
He doesn't look, though, like a handyman. Like, he said he was here to main- Okay. Yeah, we're being buttled. I see. Our creepy butler. Yeah, I mean, it sounds like we're gonna kill two birds here. We're going to have someone help out around the house and also contribute to the mythos of the place. This creepy dude's gonna be answering the door when somebody- It's gonna be great first impressions, by the way.
00:41:37
Speaker
You're gonna have a valk outside with giant clippers and then the door opens and it's creepy butler. I like it. That could look like creepy butler while doing the lawn defect. Oh, I've thought about that. That would really freak him out. Yeah, Butler just seems to be in several places at once. It just stares after the very unsettling would-be Butler who just arrived and was accepted by our patron as if this was a very normal event. As they round the corner into Javier's office, you do see Hendrik walk into view through one of the halls and he turns and sees you. I was like,
00:42:18
Speaker
Have any of you seen my notes? My notebook seems to have been misplaced it. Shoot. All right. And he turns and walks back the direction he was coming from, which you don't know for that long. Hendrik doesn't really misplace things like he's he's a very well organized and ah intelligent person. so okay sure Should we leave? I don't think we have a choice. I think we have to leave. They can handle themselves. Hendrik's watching. He made his presence known. He seemed befuddled.
00:42:46
Speaker
He gets lost in thought sometimes. He just kind of starts talking and talking. yeah Thinks that people are following his thought process, but you're really not. He also doesn't really care. So I'm not that concerned. All right.
Journey to Ashdown Hollow
00:43:00
Speaker
i on good ah Yeah, off we go.
00:43:04
Speaker
So you all survived when we were back. good really So Selena said it was a bad idea to head straight through the forest. That doesn't mean you all aren't heading straight through the forest. So how are we approaching this journey? Straight through the forest. Selena said it was a crazy idea to head through the forest just to clarify, not just a bad one.
00:43:23
Speaker
Selena's going to go along with whatever the crazy thing is. Sounds like there's a quorum in favor of not going through the woods. Did Selena explain why it was a crazy idea to go straight through the forest? Or did she just say, yes, that's a crazy idea? She just said, yes, that's a crazy idea. OK. OK. The monsters are in the forest. The alleged monsters are in the concrete forest and. yeah Right. Yeah, that's going to to likely have to confront the monsters anyway, right?
00:43:51
Speaker
We will have to confront them eventually. I think it would be nice to actually get to the town first and get some more information about what we're dealing with before going straight into it. Well, I leaned on some of my resources to get some information about the town. but I learned Nix's head just swivels to the sides. What I learned above all is I don't have an eye for talent because I don't know anything more than we learned from Javier initially. So, sorry, I'll go back. I'll do whatever you guys what do you think? We went through the woods the last time and my boots got really scuffed up. And we also, in going through the woods, kind of got the attention of a zombie horde. So I don't think that we have a good track record of going through the woods.
00:44:46
Speaker
But you found a sweet bunker. Thank you, disembodied. Actually, that's a good point. We don't we have the locations of the other bunkers now? Wasn't that part of the? Yes, yeah that was the map. Is there one near Ashdown Hollow or is there one on that? No, I just I forgotten that. Yeah, I think it would be nice to travel by road. All right.
00:45:09
Speaker
We'll take the road. Okay. I just don't have an extra pair of boots right now, so I don't want to have to keep amending this pair. Madison, roll a 12-sided die for me and tell me what you get on it. Don't add anything to it. Just roll it and tell me the number. Okay. There's apparently a budget. We can probably afford boots. Yeah, we're about to hire some guy. Are we hiring him? well I don't have hiring privilege.
00:45:30
Speaker
He's talking about a position that we don't even know exists. He did say the position. Yeah. Just flat out the position. We may not have a budget for that. Only someone had volunteered to be treasurer. Sure. Might have a better idea of the income. You don't want me on the books. That's why V didn't come. V is just sitting behind a desk with just like a ledger up to her ears. The receipts are a mess. I don't even know how to do math. I rolled a four, by the way. OK. Philip, roll a D12. Tell me what you get on it. A 12.
00:46:00
Speaker
Your first day of travel is uneventful. They're more than one days of travel. Cause you're taking the road. So it's two days. Right. Okay. You know, I have been a party to Eric's D12 traversal system for years and I still don't understand what it is when somebody says that I'm like, I still have her. It's just the illusion of randomness. It's just having us roll. When you all don't seem nervous, that's when I strike me to go and roll a D12 for me and tell me the results. Okay.
00:46:30
Speaker
okay Same! And Jeff, roll a d12 for me. That's a one! Okay, guess what game? One is bad. as the sun gets to get low into the sky. On the second day? Second day, yes. So we're approaching to the village? Yes. and Right as Kaz is thinking, oh, thank God we didn't go through the forest. What happens? You all find kind of, I mean, the sun's going down. So it's about the right time for hunting patterns, certain stuff. But the fact they're exiting the forest is a little odd. But you just come across two wolves that you see approaching the road.
00:47:07
Speaker
Now, they haven't like they're not clocking you like they're not like diving out to attack you all. ah You all were able to notice them. They will notice you sooner rather than later. But I will take a wisdom check from anyone to spot anything about the wolves. hard dinner Well, that's the opposite of my previous wisdom rule. I rolled a natural one for a total of three. So next, thanks to herself inside every forest or two wolves, I got a twenty six.
00:47:36
Speaker
out Wait, this is plus level two, right? Yes. Okay, you have 26. I have a 14. Is what I noticed something my fae touched might help with? Thalottis touched or no? No. Okay. I mean, did you hear that? Hold on. I don't remember if I kind of thought when, or if I updated that yet. Paranormal investigator would apply here about. Oh. Paranormal ones. Super boosted. That makes it 22.
00:48:01
Speaker
OK, so Selena and Valk, you all see these wolves come out and you all very clearly can tell after a couple of seconds of seeing them, these wolves aren't hunting, they're patrolling. Now I need a check from everyone to I mean, do you all want to hide from the wolves? I guess that is the first question. Or do you want to stand out on the road and be seen by the wolves? Or do you want to rush up and punch the wolves? That would choose to hide. So he didn't continue to observe. Kaz is not going to choose to hide. It's simply going to happen autonomically. Just, yeah. Delaina would choose to hide. Nyx notices that everyone scrambled off the road and then looks back. He's like, oh, and follows because Nyx just like there's a couple of wolves over there. Everyone give me a dexterity check to hide. And if you have a background that's relevant,
00:48:57
Speaker
I would say black black marketeer. Yeah. Yeah. It's not gonna be sure. Let's see. 23. 20. Jeff, what'd you get? Natural 20 for a 28. Philip? Nine. You want some of my modifiers? Well, since the overwhelming, since the majority of everyone succeeded, then it will count as a group success in this particular instance because they also didn't roll super well. If they would have rolled really high, then it would have been harder to hide.
00:49:26
Speaker
And also, be yeah, these wolves are out looking for specific things. So you see them cross the road and head off into like the tall grass of a field nearby, but they immediately like turn like they're going to be walking parallel with the road like they're.
00:49:44
Speaker
patrolling the outskirts of a section of the forest is the vibe that you pick up on. But after a few minutes, the wolves have moved on and you all can continue on your journey to Ashdown Hollow. But physically, as far as any of us saw, they looked like normal wolves just with an interesting behavior. Yeah. Yeah. And with such a high roll, Selena, you had got a 26, right? On your twenty and your wisdom. Oh, on my wisdom. On the wisdom. 26, yeah. Yeah.
00:50:11
Speaker
You definitely clocked, like, not only were the walking patterns peculiar, there was something in the wolf's eyes that you clocked as being more than you would normally find when looking into the eyes of a wolf. So, yeah.
Arrival and Conclusion
00:50:26
Speaker
So you all, right around sundown, arrive at Ashdown Hollow.
00:50:32
Speaker
Ashton Hollow, unlike Curtinsville, does not have a giant barricade built around it. It is just a rather small village based on the size and infrastructure present. You're guessing probably like 75 people live here.
00:50:48
Speaker
And you all arrive and you see that there is all of the buildings here are wooden and seem to be very permanent structures, except there is a large tent near the back of the town that seems to have been thrown up. And as you all arrive, we will call it an episode there. Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be part of the conversation surrounding this episode, you can join our discord with a link to which is in the description of this podcast episode.
00:51:17
Speaker
You can also check out our YouTube channel, youtube dot.com slash the Geek Pantheon, if you want to watch TTRPG videos made by myself, Philip. ah We have also the Tales from the Laughing Tree on YouTube and Spotify. ah We have another actual play called Blades and Banners, Eric's Player. I'm the GM, it's Pirates. It's true. We also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash the Geek Pantheon, if you want to financially support the show, you can be so over there. Thank you all so much for listening. I've been your Game Master, Eric. I'm Mia.
00:51:44
Speaker
I'm Philip. I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. We'll see you next time.