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C3 Episode 83 Something Wicked Chapter Three
306 Plays7 days ago
The party arrives in Jarp
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Transcript
Introduction and Game Master Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
D20 Radio, your game is rolled. www.d20radio.com
00:00:14
Speaker
da
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron's Tom Bombadil. Set in and campaign setting, i am your Game Master, Eric. The Patients.
00:00:33
Speaker
I'm Philip. I'm Madison. I'm Tom Bombadil.
Recounting the Train Fight
00:00:37
Speaker
I'm Jeff. another site What happened last time? Train fight.
00:00:45
Speaker
Woo! Yeah, don't think I'm getting jumped on trains. like this Yeah, this fight did take place exclusively inside the train. I tried. I tried you foiled it. I think I foiled The plural yeet. I feel like Valk it.
00:01:03
Speaker
i it's gonna say i feel like valoc foiled it I was ready to foil it on the next turn, which would have been so cool if Eric would have allowed it, but it got pre-foiled, which is even better. ah Specifically, you all involved yourself in a fight, and then they recognized Selena, and it's... Yeah.
00:01:21
Speaker
Right. Yeah. And you all heard a lady crying right before you got back to Mabar. Yes. Yeah, we went to Mabar during the fight. And a music box. the That music box we got was playing. and we box I thought it was just like a box of bones. There's a boat altar, right?
00:01:38
Speaker
Yeah. yaing It is a music box on the outside. When you open it up, it is... it's i know Understood. Well, it's clearly still a music box because it was playing music.
00:01:50
Speaker
if Regardless of what's inside, it's capable. And then we saved an archaeologist, a gnome archaeologist. We didn't. And Delargo Jones. Well, we he was spared. he was there and he did not die.
00:02:01
Speaker
um So yeah, you notably did not see him in the bar when you all like transferred through. Oh, interesting. Now that you're back in reality. Yeah. You all are on the lightning rail heading south to Jart, uh, or Yart for the players, um, and their demands. And yeah, everything looks to be normal. No one else is like, people are reacting to the fact that a fight just broke out and that there are people on the ground.
00:02:32
Speaker
But if they had seen that you all transported him a bar briefly, you feel like there would be a lot stronger reactions happening right now. Right. Um, So some officials come back into the train car.
00:02:47
Speaker
What happened? Put your weapons away. Done. Okay. you I don't have weapons. time lately I am a weapon. Sorry. I'll be honest. I don't remember the inciting incident of the fight. It was it two episodes ago. hey Two people who were starting to point at each other and they got real aggressive and started to go for their weapon and lose and we were like, hey guys, let's not fight. And then they're like, we're going to fight you instead.
00:03:12
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Specifically, Valk throws time around one of their arms. We don't need to go into specifics. Yeah, but it's one of the elves who's going to kill the blood of Volcleric.
00:03:24
Speaker
What was that? thought one of the One of the elves with skull masks was going to kill ah the blood of Volker. has leded me I have my notes. Or it seemed like they were going to.
00:03:35
Speaker
Indeed. And that's when intervening happened.
Discussion of Factions Involved
00:03:40
Speaker
I thought those two were on the same side. There was the lady with the wood would do thing. Arm, weapon, prosthetic. Yep.
00:03:51
Speaker
They're on separate sides. see have that we had There were two elves who attacked the Blood of the Old Cleric, and then the Blood of the Old Cleric and her companion that I don't remember, the scarred woman with the prosthetic arm, also attacked us, but it was more like because both of them wanted to get at Selina.
00:04:12
Speaker
That may be editorializing. I think so. think the gaffed people were Blood of the Old, and then the lady with the prosthetic arm is Emerald Claw. So, Bloodable and Emerald Claw were on the same side.
00:04:26
Speaker
The Undying Court death guards were on the other side. Right. You split that all grand. The death guards were the ones in the masks.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yes. The one with the prosthetic arm was Emerald Claw with the Bloodable cleric.
00:04:46
Speaker
ah We explain that. Yeah. The officials listen, say, all right. I point to Jones. He saw it. Excuse me? I, yes, I saw the fight break out and they interceded. and then he goes back to his fence.
00:05:02
Speaker
All right. Well, we'll clean this up. um Sorry about the trouble and enjoy the rest of your rides. and But I went there masked. You can try to loot the bodies. I have written in all caps at the end of my notes from last session, search them bodies.
00:05:19
Speaker
Can I take a mask? He goes to get people to clean it up. like He rushed back here because he heard fighting. So you probably have a small wound. Oh, okay. just Absolutely. um I want to take both of them. So remember, only one of them had a physical mask. The other one, it was painted on. Like they went into the washroom and painted a mask on their face. Oh, right. The broads said that Valk takes both.
00:05:40
Speaker
The face off. Take their face off. i didn't um how were they armed? be play coffee because they other I know the prosthetic arm did crazy things.
00:05:54
Speaker
So... You're gonna take a dead woman's arm? No, I'm not gonna take the arm. The death guard had a scimitar and a staff were the two weapons set by the monk, the Iranian monk and then the death guard member.
00:06:08
Speaker
I take the scimitar. um I mean, cas would probably help just checking, like, not looking for anything particular because you all have a very small window to search, so I do need checks to try and see if you have anything of note. You've got it. She's just grabbing this word.
00:06:27
Speaker
Val, you took the mask off one of them? Yeah, that's all I wanted. Okay. make a check if I need to, to get it quickly. That's fine. No, no, no. You could like the overt things you could snatch a magic and snatch a sword.
00:06:39
Speaker
Kaz, it sounded like wanting to search their bot. Yeah. I kind of want to, I just want to. Kaz wants to do useful things. I want to search their bodies. Um, part, I guess if I'm looking for anything in particular, I don't know.
00:06:51
Speaker
It's still don't really know enough about the magic that is in me, but I know they recognize Selena. And so I guess I'm looking, I think I would have some ideas or rainy stuff based on working with my dad doing fineries for elves and things.
00:07:04
Speaker
Uh, maybe not. You can tell me if I'm wrong, but I want to search for anything related to that intelligence. And can I add my mischief background? Yeah. Okay. It's a natural four, which i mean, still turns out to be 15. Yeah.
00:07:17
Speaker
fifteen Okay. So yeah, you don't really have enough time to like parse through any like notes or pieces of paper, just like try to find the right one that you want. So you hear footsteps coming just in enough time to grab a folded note that you find in like an inner pocket on the death guard commander's clothing kind of tucked away with enough time to then Obviously you don't want to be caught like with your pulling it out as they walk in. So enough time to get up and get back to your seat.
00:07:50
Speaker
And safely place it in my adventurer's pack. My well-established adventurer's pack. ah You do see the gnome like watch you the whole time do it and just like go back to his notes.
00:08:01
Speaker
And he's an archaeologist so he understands taking things from the dead. Like no big deal. he He would draw a pretty, uh, distinct professional line there, but...
Looting and Special Items Discussion
00:08:10
Speaker
Yeah, I bet he would!...flesh on the bodies that he loots. So yeah, the, uh, people come in and pick up the bodies and carry them out.
00:08:19
Speaker
The scimitar nix, you don't get any kind of, like, magical resonance off of it. Just seems like a really well-made, very, very old scimitar.
00:08:30
Speaker
Um... The mask of the Arrheni monk, um...
00:08:42
Speaker
Val, give me a intelligence check to look over this mask to see. My thing. Why are you so mad about having to roll that? Well, that's an naturalal twenty a 20. Okay, so while wearing this mask, you do not have to roll to disengage from an enemy.
00:09:00
Speaker
who Also, i You have a plus four bonus to all defenses against, is not everything. um Period.
00:09:12
Speaker
Against any Mabar or Erian planar effects. Gotcha. And then lastly. there's has a mirror see oten you find a note this is from the death guard commander they obviously are the recipro recipient of it and it talks about it is it is orders from whoever their commander is to head to jart to investigate the emerald cloth safe house that has been set up there um
00:09:52
Speaker
Now, I am, the Death Guard commander was a part of the get her, she wants her, referring to Selina conversation as well, right? Yeah. Okay, just make, I thought All the scary elves want Selina. Yeah. The note specifically calls out a heavy stone mausoleum surrounded by a ring of gray ash. O-L-E-U-M.
00:10:15
Speaker
It's a very inconspicuous safe house. Started by a cloud of gray ash? ah A ring of gray ash, like on the ground. Gotcha. Like a dead person's salt circle?
00:10:29
Speaker
i that's what That's what I'm inferring, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sick. I've got a note. I read it surreptitiously. so ah Madison, do we know that the Death Guard have chased you in the past?
00:10:47
Speaker
I think so. Yeah, i think i I think that
Selina's Identity Crisis
00:10:50
Speaker
would have come up. Can Selina still see the dragon mark on her arm, or was that just while they were grabbing her? That just showed up while they were grabbing her.
00:11:00
Speaker
And specifically, that happened while you were in the bar, correct, I think? Yes. Yes. Okay. Specifically, when you snapped back into the material plane, it was gone. Okay. Got it. I don't think anyone else saw that, though.
00:11:12
Speaker
I did. Yeah, I think it was just Selina and Valk. Okay. With my special eyes. My beautiful special eyes. They're watching you.
00:11:24
Speaker
but I was in. was sold in. Sold in. You know what? What are we doing? Where are we going? Let's go to YARP. so once a Once we're settled back in our seats after, you know, a brief interruption for an intense moment of mortal violence, um...
00:11:44
Speaker
Nyx will look over Selina. ah you alright? Yeah, I'm okay. yeah You almost got snatched up there. I i can't i don't think I can always grab you, so I should try and stay.
00:12:01
Speaker
Kiss that off. Awesome. Got it. Understood. Will do. what i'm That was a one-off like that one. Thank you for helping me. So do you know those two or is it just like anyone might be after you from where, from that?
00:12:21
Speaker
I don't think I specifically know them. so so I guess anyone. When he said that, he like kind of circled his face referencing the masks. like does Okay, okay. And if no one else is paying... it Is the archaeologist still paying attention to us?
00:12:39
Speaker
Give me a wisdom check. Okay. Does look like he's got cool stuff on him? May I add mischief again to see if I'm being eavesdropped? Yeah.
00:12:51
Speaker
Let's see what happens. Yeah, you get a sense that he is looking a bit too hard at his notes. Okay. did that But he really doesn't want you to notice that he, yeah, is definitely listening.
00:13:05
Speaker
Then I will not relay the contents of the note just yet. Because it seems like a heavy stone mausoleum may also be of interest to an archaeologist. He could be an ally. I don't know. But Kaz doesn't... Well, he probably does breach those conversations out of naivety, actually.
00:13:23
Speaker
Valk, to answer your question, he has kind of taken over his
Nixwick Tallow Mantle and Zilargo Ties
00:13:27
Speaker
table. There's a lot of maps and notebooks open. You also see what you, given your paranormal investigator background, I'm just going to say that you recognize this.
00:13:37
Speaker
It's like a magical surveying kit for like identifying ley lines and areas like manifest zones and potential coterminous like... planar anomalies, but it seems to be like a custom kit, like something that he'd built from scratch for his job.
00:13:54
Speaker
um That's honestly the coolest thing, honestly. He doesn't have treasure. he doesn't have like dragon shards scattered on the table that he's- Of course not. That's a professional there.
00:14:04
Speaker
So, Nyx is cleaning the blood off the scimitar. I will sit with the guy. Okay. After that. We've got some ghost detection stuff sitting right next to us right now is what I was. Madison used to host a paranormal podcast and all of her stuff was still in the shed. Yeah.
00:14:24
Speaker
So if we need to do any ghost hunting, I gotcha. Can we add, can we add to our roles because we have an, I quote, an ITC research device, including ambient temperature deviation detection. Also known as a spirit box. Nothing stealing my job. but um so Yes, Valk, you sit down. You do the sword first, because I know interrupt.
00:14:49
Speaker
I'm just cleaning it. oh I'm just cleaning the blood off of it. The gnome kind of starts when you sit down and like gathers up some of the notes. and trunks Hello?
00:15:00
Speaker
Hello? Are you doing okay? Yes, I'm doing fine. Got violence on this dress more than I was anticipating. How or are you?
00:15:12
Speaker
I'm doing great. I just wanted to check in because you were sitting with ah the people who got real violent there. And now you're like clutching. but important Important. He wasn't sitting with them. He was just also in the car.
00:15:25
Speaker
Oh, I'm still going to sit with him. Yeah, that's Listeners, Eric is actually hugging his notebook protectively against his chest. It's adorable.
00:15:36
Speaker
I and just preparing for my trip. My destination.
00:15:44
Speaker
Sorry. or um' Who are you? What? Hi, I'm Val. I actually kind of recognize your little professional setup here. actually run a museum up north, so I just want to... He like sort of cautiously reaches out and grabs his serving kit and slides it on the table closer to him. we's just We're just supposed going to look down at that real quick and just... What kind of museum do you run? it Oh, you know, historical items, oddities, things that are magical in nature. That is probably the least specific description of a museum I have ever encountered.
00:16:24
Speaker
It's a lot of museums. They have items, stuff. and he said It's a stuff place. Good, good, a of stuff. What's the new museum? You know, old stuff. The hard stuff. Antiquities.
00:16:42
Speaker
Well, excellent. Maybe perhaps we could partner together sometime if I find anything. Note that your museum's... Yeah, you have business card....go of interest.
00:16:52
Speaker
Yes. And he reaches into his bag and pulls out a small slip of paper. And you go off. What is his name on the paper? He he says he hands it to you. Nixwick's Tallow Mantle at your service.
00:17:05
Speaker
Yes. N-I-X-W-I-C-K. So Nixwick. That was close. Tallow. T-A-L-L-O-W. Mantle.
00:17:16
Speaker
M-A-N-T-L-E. One word. i just, uh, just being a little honest with you. You're not. pierced We could kind of see you staring at us.
00:17:28
Speaker
but please Well, you enacted prejudicial and severe violence upon four individuals recently, so, you know, just and keep my eyes and the ears open. Not that you were the initiative the aggression, but still, you and your companions seem rather potent and dangerous. I don't think you should. Are you scared? You don't need to be scared. or I mean, we still could.
00:17:50
Speaker
i I know. and I'm not scared, but being in the presence of people with the capability to do such things is surely enough to put someone on edge.
00:18:02
Speaker
Wouldn't you agree? Sometimes. That answer did not make me feel better. Kaz takes umbrage with prejudicial. There were swords drawn. It was post-judicial. Mia, give me wisdom-based check to, as you're like, still seeing the stuff on the table in front of you, Paranormal Investigator will be applicable.
00:18:25
Speaker
Okie dokie. That is... numbers caffeine. Stat is 21? 21. One of the maps is of the continent of Corvair.
00:18:41
Speaker
And as you just, your eyes like flitter down to it briefly, you make a mental note that there are markings on this map. there are seven markings and they are in very familiar spots. oh I hope we're all thinking of the same thing.
00:19:03
Speaker
Is this why you just harass random people on the train guides? Worst person ever told him. Does realize like his stuff is still out or is he still trying to... wait He had so much stuff. He could only like gather so much. like He assumed this would be a short conversation. yeah He don't know Valk like we know Valk.
00:19:20
Speaker
I'm going to make this as painful as for us. You see on his business card that he is an employee of the Zalargo government. come itargo jokes hurts yeah um The other notable thing that you notice with that role is all of the texts that he has laid out specifically relate to the Dakani Goblin Empire. If there's something I'm supposed to glean from that, I have do. The Dakani Goblin Empire is regarded as the like main civilization before the rise of humans overtaking the continent.
00:19:59
Speaker
They were notably wiped out, according to historical records, by an invasion from Zoriath. Oh, that's fine. Oh, but very martial empire, excellent warriors, strong code of conduct, et cetera.
00:20:16
Speaker
But they are, they're not an uncommon interest of archeologists because they're the ruins and artifacts are probably the most plentiful to be found of the ancient civilizations.
00:20:31
Speaker
her They're known for their... They're known their... They're known for their quote-unquote night things in the forest outside Mistmarsh. That's a throwback.
00:20:41
Speaker
Maybe episode one? I think episode is episode one. Would I know if there's any runes in the... in the area specifically? Oh, I don't...
00:20:54
Speaker
I mean, once again, like you throw a stone and there's a pretty good shot that you're in a land on some kind of Dakani architecture. a lot of the major cities that currently stand are built on the foundations of old Dakani cities. So it's entirely possible that Jart like had ah base in the Dakani empire or there would very likely be some nearby we're kidding.
00:21:18
Speaker
Now, importantly, the bunkers that you all have found that line up markings on this map have not been Dakani Mace. on ah from eat I'm honest, I didn't have a plan when I was coming to harass this guy. It's shocking.
00:21:37
Speaker
this Well, and what was your name? Valk. Valk. Nice to meet you, Valk. Nice to meet you. the mysterious museum up north.
00:21:48
Speaker
Oh, yeah, and on Dare. On Dare? Fairhaven, yeah. A little bit more specific. Good. What type of antiquities does your museum curate?
00:21:58
Speaker
I thought I said that. It's just like the weird historical, paranormal, magical. Good and paranormal. Interesting. Yeah. All right.
00:22:09
Speaker
and i Weird stuff. it's beards it's's called It's called Valk's Believe It or Not. If only he had enough pool to have named. Yeah, no, it's called Believe It or Else. um Actually, I just had a... I'm really curious about your ear little tool set. I already forgot what it was called.
00:22:34
Speaker
So it doesn't look like a standard issue. Yeah, your server kit doesn't look standard issue. Oh, well, it's designed to not only indicate magical frequencies to note special artifacts and things like that, but also to find like areas of magical import, ley lines, manifest zones, etc.
00:22:56
Speaker
um So i just i I modified it a little bit from the base model. Okay. I don't think I've ever met someone more uncomfortable than I am.
00:23:07
Speaker
no But I make sure doing okay. Okay. ah so This is how it feels. Okay.
00:23:21
Speaker
I just want to make sure you're okay. i am. Thank you. And just, you know, trip this discard and yes you have that you have a good rest of your train ride and not try to be messy.
00:23:35
Speaker
do Do you have a card for your museum in case I find something worth contacting you about? ah Technically I'm on samatical. We're not allowed to carry cards. So I can't contact your museum? You know, can... I don't want... It's just like a piece of paper that doesn't have... Like has like a blank space on it. Like I don't want an empty piece of paper. I want to take one of its pieces of paper and write on it.
00:24:03
Speaker
Oh yeah. Like one of his notes that's on the table. Yeah. mean, you can, you can grab it. Like, grab it. Oops. That's the just, you at least use the back side. dickings Okay. Yeah. We'll just flip this one over. for Not on the drawing though. Thank you.
00:24:20
Speaker
I wouldn't deface a drawing, and please. I'm a, I love the art. it's So I wouldn't call it. going to talk about art. Yeah. I, I, we'll talk, we can talk about, we'll,
00:24:32
Speaker
I'll also be in the area of the ARP, so, you know, maybe we could talk about ARP. Why don't you remember the soft J you used for that? dis Really? As as the localist, kind of like the the thing I know whenever i mean people from out of town colonize the name, just it just becomes popularized. Anyways, I'm going to write down the museum information that I have not created yet.
00:24:57
Speaker
Thank you.
00:25:00
Speaker
thank you Yeah, we'll talk about our later. Don't worry about that. Sounds wonderful. Thank you. mean I'm going return. You can go.
00:25:11
Speaker
yes but he goes Yeah, that is weird. bit stupid but Nix is working a whetstone down the edge of the cemetery now. Kaz, just because you clocked in on him so well earlier, I'm going to say, as as you look over in Bax walking away, he is no longer paying any attention to you. He is just replaying that conversation in his head over and over again. Absolutely. So you you no longer have an eavesdropper.
00:25:38
Speaker
He's wondering, where did I go wrong to be a subject to that? Massive psychic damage. um I think you know what i actually do is I will pull the note out, and I think I will...
00:25:51
Speaker
We have talked now about Emerald Claw and its connection and you and everything. i think I'll pass it to you. and let you read it while I fill in the other two quietly, just kind of what it says. Just like, hey, so apparently there's an Emerald Claw safe house where we're going.
00:26:06
Speaker
ah So we need to be on like, I guess, high alert for Seleda's sake. And I guess that's all I was going to say. Is to say, keep a low profile, get out of town as quickly as we can, or try to deal with it sort of situation. low profile maybe. own it Nix, I leave all time to deal with it situation determinations to you, friend. we did that new you You think we just need to avoid them, Selena? I think if we can, i think let's try.
00:26:36
Speaker
What does Selena know at this point about this stuff? like ah can't remember I just can't remember what you've read on it, or if you have. Learn more about no not Blood of Bull or Emerald Claw or any of that.
00:26:50
Speaker
Okay. Now someone keeps stealing all the Blood of Bull books. Right. That's right. So, Leda, are you able to disguise yourself? I don't think so. I've got a distinctly colorful cloak. Do you think it's... Oh, you see. It's got a hood. Hood would help.
00:27:05
Speaker
I can take a run it can see what happens. No, thanks. Come on. No, no, no. I mean, Nyx definitely can unbundle a cloak from her pack that is the opposite of everything that Selena stands for. and It's just done and travel-stained with a good deep waterproof hood on it. That would probably be good. as What's up with the archaeologist?
00:27:31
Speaker
Oh... Kind of an unremarkable person, i'm not going to lie. but He's very cagey with his notes. He has a map, Corvair lines up.
00:27:43
Speaker
Irreli similar to you want to it then you get the map that we have. It's got a bunch standard that seems but historical stuff.
00:27:55
Speaker
home Homemade. Survey kit. Yes, they actually look like he's got... He is going to Yarp, though. um that they be So, we'll probably run into him.
00:28:08
Speaker
Did agree to talk about art. Don't know if he wants to, but that's going to happen. that's completely Who's he working for? Eric, you want to say that word?
00:28:19
Speaker
Zilargo. The Zilargo government, based on his business card. Oh, yeah, I'll just share the business card. But do you need that back. Oh. Yeah. So. Does that mean something to you, Nix?
00:28:34
Speaker
Well, the Zilago government is very big on security and information from what I understand from my old
Unforeseen Obstacles on the Journey
00:28:45
Speaker
career. So I would be careful what telling.
00:28:49
Speaker
I suppose if you don't care at all if the Zilago government knows about it, then it probably doesn't matter. I mean, the I didn't particularly tell him anything, but also my Wichita business about the museum and, you know item and so, you know, tools.
00:29:07
Speaker
Sure. Should we... As say, I don't know that the Zalago government has any interest in anything that we that we might be doing. So it might not be relevant at all. But... Oh, yeah, his survey kit is rigged up to find manifisodes and lay lines.
00:29:29
Speaker
He wasn't employed. Eric, is the term the trust an outsider thing, or is that just like... Is that a wild conspiracy theory? It would be a conspiracy theory. Okay.
00:29:42
Speaker
If Nyx believes in it, I'm more than happy to allow you to to bring it up. like I think that Zalargo is probably a black hole for black market smuggling. And so Nyx is probably more inclined to believe that crazy notion than most of them. For the for the player's knowledge, the trust is the Zalargo-in version of, like, Big Brother, KGB, CIA magical stuff.
00:30:08
Speaker
Understood.
00:30:11
Speaker
Yeah, Zalargo's like a creepy benevolent dystopia. If he wasn't already employed, i would say that we should offer him a job. Yeah, I thought about it, but then he handed me a business card. It didn't seem like he was freelancing, so we're just...
00:30:25
Speaker
know He may be allowed to freelance as long as no one finds out about it. without that thing. I won't tell anybody. look I'm looking around like... but in Oh, we were talking about the well the height house.
00:30:42
Speaker
Very awesome. So, should we be now also concerned that the government of Zalargo's interests overlap with our own? Vis-a-vis... Kaz is just going to go the map?
00:30:53
Speaker
Concerned in that they have more resources than we do. I don't know if that means... will be honest. and I am... a i am it's okay Going along with this because our employer is obviously very interested in it, ah but these bunkers are a to me and not much more.
00:31:17
Speaker
So I'm not very worried that we have competition, but our employer might be. Yeah, we haven't really had that conversation, have we? It's a lot of conversations we haven't had, Tech.
00:31:29
Speaker
I don't think we knew, well, I at least didn't know anyone else was looking into this since we sort of stumbled into it. Yeah, no, i mean, Dimitri seemed interested when we got to one, but didn't seem to be...
00:31:43
Speaker
looking for it. Right. Please don't ruin my day. Right. Anyway, we should tell Javier, you too, about it. But i don't... If he works for a government, then we should not try to recruit him. And he might be a very useful contact if Javier is comfortable sharing all of our information with a government. He probably knows a lot.
00:32:07
Speaker
don't know that we have the leeway to... make that kind of contact. Yeah, you might also have a non-compete, if you want to be honest. Well, I have this information, we're be in the same area, so we might want to keep an eye. Yeah.
00:32:24
Speaker
Do we have a physical description? Did we get that last time? where Can get a I don't think I went over a physical description, but this is a very clean cut gnome with spiky green hair sticking off the top of his head.
00:32:39
Speaker
Um, but he is wearing round shirt, khaki pants. Looks like a, the, the picture of an archeologist in terms of his attire. Whip, his hat. Oh yeah, but yeah. that's There's a hat sitting on the table. Yes.
00:32:58
Speaker
No visible whip. Okay. Or pistol? No. but So I remember that one time you're looking at the whip and then the pistol comes out and you're done. you Everyone, give me a wisdom-based check to notice something visually. 25. 24. 23. Oh, I said my
00:33:19
Speaker
twenty four ah twenty three on yeah oh i said about eighteen 18, didn't hear it. I think I spoke over, sorry. Okay, you all see, so you've written on lightning rails enough to know that you typically have a good, like, 30 to 40 feet of clearance on either side of the rail from any kind of trees or vegetation as they just clear construction, things like that.
00:33:43
Speaker
um Over the past handful of minutes that you've been talking, that has changed. And you are now seeing that the trees are much, much closer to the railing than you've ever seen me before.
00:33:57
Speaker
And those of you that got over a 20 note, the vegetation that you're seeing doesn't look is southern Chiron enough?
00:34:10
Speaker
Like it looks like a lot of overgrowth and more vines, more jungly than the little forests that would pop up in the plains of southern Chiron. So yeah, a couple minutes later, you feel the train starting to slow down, not in a coming into station, but hard braking. Like you kind of lurch forward as the brakes hit. Um,
00:34:37
Speaker
after bizarre window open? Yeah, you can open the window. I will open the window and lean my head out to look ahead and see what's up. So yeah you, Nick's ahead of the train that has now come to a stop. You see a giant vine that has snaked out across the tracks.
00:34:56
Speaker
created it ah um And it seems to be absorbing like the lightning and like, like it's disrupting the railing essentially. But there's a great big vine that's reached out across the tracks and it, it sort of looks like it's feeding off the guide stones. A voice. I mean, plants don't grow that fast. So sure.
00:35:21
Speaker
Sure. A voice comes up over the sending speakers that are in your car. Folks, we have a blockage on the tracks ahead, unfortunately, that it looks like it's going to take some time to clear out, so we're going to have to have you all hoof it, unfortunately, the rest of the journey.
00:35:40
Speaker
Thankfully, it's only a few minutes' walk. That's not what I thought. you what so Not what I thought the second half of that. yes We've done as much as we get intend to, so get to stepping.
00:35:53
Speaker
What did the You're on your own. Call a druid, man. Come on. but Our staff will be happy to guide you along the railing to the station in Jarp for your final destination.
00:36:06
Speaker
There is no indication that if you are connecting to another lightning rail in Jarp that any of those trips have been delayed or enclosed. Sorry about the inconvenience and have a good day.
00:36:18
Speaker
Thank you for writing me, Pastor Ian. so wave We all travel pretty light, I think. We've certainly never talked about it, but we've never talked about packing either. I'm wondering, i think Kaz is going to volunteer to help Nixwick carry some of his stuff since there is so much of it.
00:36:35
Speaker
And now we have to walk all the way in. This man is just afraid now. Oh, hey thank you, young man. That is quite the kind gesture. Sure, if you don't... And I start picking up the stuff that I think looks interesting.
00:36:48
Speaker
And he grabs the stack of, like, Dakani Empire books and hands those to Ethan. Fuck, crap. And he takes the books and everything and puts them in his bag.
00:37:01
Speaker
want a gentleman. Strength is not quite my dump stat, so I think should be able to carry some books. Yeah, the door to your, the side door to your train car opens, and the the same person that rushed in to see what was going on by the sting, there's like, sorry about this, folks, but yeah we need to clear the train.
00:37:21
Speaker
Are we getting a waiver for this? I mean, the ride is interrupted instead of staying on the train and trying to get the yeah know rails cleared. We're being pulled to get off and walk.
00:37:34
Speaker
As per the agreement, when you purchase tickets on a house-oriented lightning rail, the house-oriented is not responsible for any delays or interruptions in your trap. That's kind of like how, when you buy a, an ebook from Amazon, you don't actually own the book. You just have a license to read it as long as they feel like letting you. That's how house-oriented trains work. But they do feel remarkably responsible for how they handle the situation, and telling us to walk the rest of the way is a choice. ah The train will be returning to Kalazat if you would prefer to stay on it and go back there.
00:38:05
Speaker
Offering you the opportunity to get to Job if you want it. But if you don't, you're more than welcome to ride back. Just what's your name real quick? Yorin.
00:38:14
Speaker
Yorin? Yorin. you're it You have a last name, Yorin? Trouble, and he punches me Yeah, and he's getting sued. Nix cuts his hand. Don't worry, we have to take an information. Javier will get that back. Don't worry about that. Did that guy say his name was Yuren? Kaz asks through a stack of books.
00:38:35
Speaker
Nix straps the scimitar to side of her pack, slings her pack, and walks the door and I guess jumps down from the train because this thing hovers, right?
00:38:47
Speaker
there There are stairs that have been brought out. It's an inflatable slide. The scimitar just cuts through it the whole way down. No, there are stairs. Yeah, there is crackling. There is lightning like near as the train is hovering over the ground, over the guidestones. But the staff is like guiding you to keep you clear of any apparent danger.
00:39:07
Speaker
But you do hear, as you step out of the train, a cacophony of animal sounds coming from the woods that are surrounding the train. Yep. yes thanks Nix will look at one of the staff who's about to abandon us in the jungle. We're just, you're just pretending this is normal, right? the The giant vine that's suddenly across the train, snarling of animals in the bush. We're just pretending that's normal. One of the staff members looks at you, Nix. He's like, I mean, I don't feel like we're pretending this is normal. Like, stop the train. Good.
00:39:40
Speaker
Okay. Man, I just work here. it still still Well, let's tell you. thank you Ma'am, I don't know what you want for me. to but you're just about to abandon your passengers in a... We're taking you to Jarp. We literally said that we were going to walk with you to make you... It's pronounced Yarp.
00:40:00
Speaker
I don't think that's true. We're not abandoning you, we're walking with you. How old is this attendant? Like... 16. sixteen Like 16. This is it's just size.
00:40:12
Speaker
I have to keep this person from being eaten, aren't I? oh sarahra usually I thought it was eight. like They don't like come out of the jungle, so you'll be fine, but you probably will be stalked. They don't come out of the jungle? There's a big vine across the track.
00:40:28
Speaker
Kaz has started teetering under these hooks. The jungle has come out of the jungle. Well, that's the jungle. I'm talking about the animals, obviously, because we're hearing animals. We're not hearing this plant. We're hearing- Heightened emotions will get us nowhere. Let us remain calm and make our way to Jarp.
00:40:46
Speaker
You are doing a fantastic job de-escalating. Thank you. I will give a compliment. All right, stay short.
00:40:55
Speaker
Guys, we got to start moving. I'm sinking into the ground. And yeah, they start guiding you. ah Yeah, it's you are like a quarter mile away. You can see the station where they had to stop.
00:41:07
Speaker
So you are able to walk this the rest of the way to the station.
Arrival at Town and Silver Stag Inn
00:41:13
Speaker
There is. When you get close enough, you hear like shouting like sounds of pandemonium from like one of the like station offices at the station getting close enough. You could tell like there's there's freaking out like the train didn't make it to the station. That's not okay. There's a giant vine in the way.
00:41:32
Speaker
What are we going to do? And you see a group of people with axes like running the other way towards the giant vine. It's reasonable. Yeah, that won't go bad. but we'll see um So yeah, you arrive at the station and Nick passes Selena a cloak.
00:41:50
Speaker
Thank you. Selena puts it on and puts the hood up. So did we say that you got a name back, Jeff, when Kaz wrote to Alondra to make contact with someone in Yark?
00:42:02
Speaker
Let me check my... i don't think we did, but I'm just confirming. No, i don't have a name my notes. Okay. Okay. So the name that you did get from Alondra is she said that she has fond dealings with a owner of a business in jar named Dala, who is a gnome that owns an inn.
00:42:26
Speaker
called the Silver Stag. They are registered magic user with the Arcane Congress. They have some connections there, but they are not, they're not closely tied with the organization. Okay. What's that name?
00:42:37
Speaker
Dala, C-A-L-A. feelingised For two of the L's.
00:42:43
Speaker
12 Ls was too many. I put four, yeah. so loose So loose affiliation with the Arcane Congress, but not direct contact. or they're not They're not as in bed with the Arcane Congress as Dimitri was, but they are a member of the Arcane Congress. We don't need to keep bringing the slate marks.
00:43:01
Speaker
yeah You created him. Did Did I? Or did someone run away with them? Yes, that also happened. You made him, and you also made him a bit of a monster. I built on the foundations that you gave me.
00:43:20
Speaker
Well, you could have made different choices. um the surf pain So yeah, that is your lead, Kaz, in terms of a positive contact here. So do we just want to go to... I would have filled them in on the train. Do we just want to go to the Silverstag? Start there?
00:43:37
Speaker
Do we have a A patron contact who hired us or are we out here on spec? I don't remember. Yeah. This was just Javier had gotten worried about multiple missing persons in the right rest.
00:43:53
Speaker
Okay. And based on all the context around those disappearances, they fake Lamania Mike. Yes. Okay.
00:44:02
Speaker
Then I figure we should go to the silver stag and talk with Dalla about who to talk with about the dire creatures and missing persons.
00:44:13
Speaker
dead pi Seems like a place to start, isn't he? Yeah. Yeah, sounds good. It's either that or we grab axes and go back there and try to take out that vine. You get to swing first.
00:44:25
Speaker
No, sir. As you are walking through the streets, uh, chart, it has like some cobblestone roads. This is a a nice town. Uh, but there are like ah vegetation growing up through the cobblestones. Now there's like Ivy covering entire sides of buildings.
00:44:44
Speaker
It seems like a really aggressive aesthetic if it's intentional. I think I. This is the only lightning rail in and out, right? Is this one? And it passes through the other direction? Like, is that the case?
00:44:58
Speaker
So the lightning rail, I think it forms a T in charcoal. Yes. There's, there's a branch that heads to the east towards Tinsfeld.
00:45:09
Speaker
My, yes my query is, it are the other points of access and ingress or egress also blocked off?
00:45:20
Speaker
It does not appear so. Okay. That was why are we tried. is Is the monster vine trying to isolate this town for some reason? But that does not seem to be the case. It just happens to flop across the rail.
00:45:31
Speaker
anthony Okay.
00:45:34
Speaker
And now I know. All right. So to the silver stag, is that where we're going? Yeah. Open. yeah yeah open Um, yeah, you're able to find a building by virtue of the sign posted above door outside. Yeah. You see, there is Ivy ever in the front of this building.
00:45:54
Speaker
And as you walk in there, ever bright lanterns hanging. It's got a very, um, like it's very dim in here. It's got a very twilight kind of vibe, ah very, very quiet, very calm place to, to hang out and spend time.
00:46:10
Speaker
the Air inside is pretty humid, but that seems to be also because there, there is like some plants that you would guess probably were in here intentionally, but they have started growing past their pots and getting a lot bigger to, to manage.
00:46:28
Speaker
Um, but there are people sitting around eating. You see a very sharply dressed gnome behind the bar wearing a vibrates vest that shifts colors as you look, uh, in her direction.
00:46:43
Speaker
And she waves us. Welcome to the Silverstag. Come either grab a table, pull up seat the bar and I can help you. Should we grab a table? Sure. yeah I can't sit at the bar. Um,
00:46:57
Speaker
Dalla walks over. The person behind the bar walks over. Interviews. Well, my name's Dalla. a Nice to be with you. This is my plate. I'll take your initial drink order, and then our server, Lysander, will be over to help you out after that.
00:47:09
Speaker
So what can I get you all started to drink? I'll just take a water. like glass. Go ahead. Sorry. I'm just going to get a red wine. i I'd also like a water, but Dalla, my name is Casimir Panarius. I think you may have...
00:47:25
Speaker
Received word that my friends and I were coming. Yeah, Alondra told me you were headed down our way. ah Nice to meet you all. Alondra's a good dear friend of mine, and she said that you all were coming down here to help look into the disappearances and potentially also the ah overgrowth currently going on.
00:47:45
Speaker
yeah Yeah, we may do something about this kind of... It looks at the encroaching vines or plants. Do you have some time to sit and talk with us now or should?
00:47:56
Speaker
Let me do a round real quick and grab your drinks. Check on my other patrons and then I'll come take a seat. Does that sound good? All right. Well, I say there's going to be able to grab your food orders probably before I get a chance to get back, but I will be back in a jet.
00:48:10
Speaker
And she takes off after a minute, a human man comes over and he reached you all. He has Luke strapped to his back.
00:48:23
Speaker
Uh, he walks over and hello, my name is Lysenda. I taking care of you all tonight. Are we wanting to have any food to see me or we just have a drink? Just,
00:48:36
Speaker
Eric, before we all strap in for the menu that Madison is going to make you recite, yes we have hit the hour mark. Do we want to make the people wait a week? Yeah, there'll be enough to chop down to to get us a little bit of wiggle room. So we we will keep them waiting.
00:48:52
Speaker
yeah Kaz is eyeing the loot because he has also recently purchased an entry-level instrument, so he thinks he knows about these sorts of things. Yeah. Because he's a teenage boy. He's terrified that he's about to sing us the menu.
00:49:05
Speaker
Hello. do Eric, sing us the menu. That's not what's about to happen. Darn. Eric has fivered someone do sing us the menu. He's go' going to play it now. Ladies and gentlemen, Ed Sheeran.
00:49:20
Speaker
We have to connect John Belushi, this guy's loot. In the past 10 years, we're putting food saved up. are we Are we eating steak? Yeah. Omaris. um We didn't eat on the train, so... So, regular fare is the Chiron Crown, which is a sweet bread, dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
00:49:38
Speaker
The Haas Stew, which is root vegetables and beef in a bread bowl, importantly. Wine-grazed venison. the Tinker's Pie, which is a savory meat pie, importantly.
00:49:54
Speaker
I don't want to make that mistake again. Then for our seasonal fare, I just didn't specify savory before, and so somebody ordered thinking that it was a sweet pie as well, based on your book, man. Seasonal menu menus, we have our four spring salad,
00:50:09
Speaker
giant peach glazed boar ribs, blossom mead, and tarts. Importantly, just so you all know, there is no in-house magic that occurs, but many of our seasonal specials, the ingredients have been impacted by the current goings on. So the cherry tomatoes, massive giant peach is giant. And so that I wondered if the boar ribs are giant or the peach. The boar ribs are the set on normal size, but the the peach is about the size of a pumpkin.
00:50:36
Speaker
Is James okay? but just Does the size of the peach affect the glazing? It's... Do you like a take-home? What do you guys think?
00:50:48
Speaker
Should we get a peach for the table? else Let's be bad. Let's get a peach for the table. Can you split can you split a peach four ways? i was I was going to get the ribs anyway, so if you want to split the peach, we can split the...
00:51:03
Speaker
Wait, does an entire giant peach come on top of ribs? A few slices of the peach come served with the ribs. If the peach was enormous, would I have gotten the whole peach?
00:51:15
Speaker
No, you would have gotten a couple slices. Okay, that's just point clarification. thought this was seasonal.
00:51:23
Speaker
Seasons? Recurred. But giant peaches don't. No, it was a peach glazed ball rib, but now it is a giant peach glazed ball. How big's the salad? That is an excellent question. I don't want to fill up on salad knowing my braised venison is coming. the The salad is quite large. The cherry tomatoes are about the size of a cannonball.
00:51:47
Speaker
um This place is out of control. up We're making the best with what we have. Now, salad come in a scooped out cherry tomato. Ooh, that would be fun. yeah That'd be interesting.
00:52:01
Speaker
I'll take that. I can take that recommendation back to Tova. You know what? i do question. recommendation. I do have a question. This a strange place. ah Did the... Thank you. Did the tomatoes and the peaches grow post-harvest, or have you...
00:52:18
Speaker
Like, you know what I mean like did they did they get bigger in your kitchen or are they freshly picked today and that's why they're so big? They are picked recently and large off the by.
00:52:29
Speaker
I noticed that too. yeah Yeah, but how how recently? We don't go out every day. That'd be crazy. I'll have the braised venison. Thank you.
00:52:41
Speaker
I'll take the stew. Or the ribs. And you can serve the stew in a giant potato. Can you do that? would be It's served in a bread bowl. Okay.
00:52:53
Speaker
This guy's got no... You'd think for a guy with a loot, he'd have a little more sense of whimsy about him. He isn't the chef. Stop blaming servers for the menu. Somebody's... We just were find out Nick's worked in the service industry. Hey, this place may be employee-owned. They all have a say against these things. He says looking at Nick's.
00:53:16
Speaker
He said what? And for you. Stew. The stew. Great. right I will go put that in thank you and he walks away you see Dala checking in on a couple of tables quickly after he puts in your order you see him walk over to a small stage and sit and he pulls his loot out and begins playing music but I was just talking Dala comes back and sits down table alright so how can I help and mes and we will pick up next time
00:53:52
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening. If you were part of the conversation starting this episode, you can head over to our Discord. The link to which is in the show notes for this episode. We also have YouTube channel, youtube.com slash TheGeekPantheon. If you want to watch TTRPG-related videos that I make over there.
00:54:05
Speaker
Philip. Right. ah Yes, on YouTube, Spotify, Tales from the Laughing Tree, we have another actual play called Blades and Banners. It's Pirates. Indeed.
00:54:15
Speaker
but we also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash the Pantheon. If you want to financially support the show, you can do so over there. Thank you all so much for listening. I've been your Game Master, Eric. I'm Nina. I'm Phillip.
00:54:27
Speaker
I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. See time.