Transcript
Speaker: Hello, and welcome to Killarindan, the hireling chronicles.
Speaker: Killarindan is an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast in which we will actually play Dungeons & Dragons as a podcast. My name is David Case LeClaire, and I will be the narrator and game master for these sessions.
Speaker: Caleranden is a world of magic and adventure, a world of cawing corvids, garrulous grackles, and hangry hawks.
Speaker: It is a world perpetually beset by the forces of chaos. But every time the darkness returns, epic heroes rise to save the realm. But our story is not about the epic heroes.
Speaker: Our story is about three characters. novice adventurers that have recently agreed to carry the epic hero's baggage. And joining me as the hardy hirelings, we have Beth Gleason as... Lilia Thomas.
Speaker: My mother loves flowers, especially spring flowers. And when she got a girl, she named me after her favorite spring flower. Of course, my father wanted a boy.
Speaker: So she kind of said, well, let's call her Lily, which means peace, and that'll smooth things over. And it didn't. But that's okay. And Drew Gleason as... Darwinius Gorf Mazelsnot.
Speaker: Was named by Mother Gorf. Give smartest names she ever heard. She not remember where. Okay. And Dave Sturgis as...
Speaker: I am playing Fredegar from the farms over there. And as we've seen, there are a lot of people named Fred and Bert. Among the farm folk, we've met old Fred and young Fred and Fred Bert.
Speaker: i don't know if we've met Fredabald, Folabert, or Fredo yet, but I would assume that the Fred part of his name was his mother's idea. i would not be surprised if Fred's grandfather was also named Fred.
Speaker: And the other end of his name is probably from his father, although Fred isn't 100% sure about that, since Fredegar, I believe is short for Fredegard, depending on which language you're using.
Speaker: and means a peaceful spear. The spear being the most peaceful of the stabbing weapons. Okay. Keep that in mind. Okay.
Speaker: Snot wants better reason for name. For snot name. I'm just feeling a little overmatched by these name explanations. In fairness, snot wasn't there at the Well, he was there.
Speaker: Do goblin moms name their kids before or after they're born? Yeah, generally. Okay. If they name them during their birth, that's when they get names like, Arrrrr!
Speaker: the Greatest Goblet Warlord! Give me the damn epidural! Ah, you beat me to it.
Speaker: All right. We have solved some mysteries and created some new ones.
Speaker: In our last episode, the hardy hirelings went on an epic quest to the Fey Realm to return Sharnanan's library books. Despite the enticing temptations of cow honey and property deeds, they completed their quest, returning the books and returning home with several additional books in tow.
Speaker: Things have settled down in Mudpuddle after a return from the Fey Realm. Fizzwiz has wandered off back to the garrison. Sharnanan was excitedly reading the book he recovered for them, Scaravan's account of the Sundering, but is now fully asleep, it stretched out on top of one of the tables in the tavern and using the tome as a pillow.
Speaker: Ednis has brought around some food for everyone, but it is largely a sodden mix of greens and rice. You have recovered a book, The Chronicles of Galdor, Volume 2. It's now me mid to late afternoon.
Speaker: What would you like to do with the rest of your day? I want to read the book. Okay. No, Fred was curious about the book. I think he is less optimistic about being able to read it himself, but he might watch Belia read the book.
Speaker: Well, I think what I can do is I can like, oh, but look, and she'll kind of underline with her finger, look at this part and over here and this says this. Okay. And it's not partaking in this this book tour as well?
Speaker: No, he's picking through the greens and rice to see if there's some protein. Ah, no. You don't find any. Snot just leaves a plate of greens and rice that have been thoroughly stirred by his fingers.
Speaker: Okay. So, Lily and Fred. The Chronicles of Galdor, Volume 2. To Galdor, To Furious. I hope you're ready for some exposition.
Speaker: So you learned last time from Sharnadon that Galdor was one of the original epic heroes, and his full name was Galdor Bravir, and he was from Mirfancia at its height.
Speaker: So reading the book, you have some expectations that it might be a very exciting story of a hero, but it is actually really dense and really boring. It describes Galdor Bravir as the strongest warrior in Mirfancia and says he had been given charge of the defense of the city during the rise of the ghoul lord of Kel.
Speaker: But for unspecified reasons, Galdor decided to put together a band of heroes to go out and battle the ghoul lord directly. This is described as a very bad decision that unnecessarily put Mirfancia at risk.
Speaker: The second strongest warrior in the city was Lord Jabroni Maximol.
Speaker: he He took over the defense of the city after Galdor left. But since Galdor's exploits made Merefancia a target for the ghoul lord, the city was soon destroyed. But you do find two interesting references.
Speaker: The first is that Lord Maximal ordered the farmers who worked the fields to shelter within the walls as the dark forces neared the city. But they refused to leave their fields, even under the threat of an advancing army.
Speaker: The second is that Lord Maximal had a lot of concerns about documents and ordered them to be moved out of the Hall of Records. The book doesn't say where they were taken, but it does specifically mention that there were quote-unquote items of state that were hidden in the tombs beneath Ardentia Abbey.
Speaker: It was expected that they would be needed when they rebuilt the city to make sure that all claims were valid. That seems kind of relevant. Also, helpfully, there's a map of the city in the back of the book. It's kind of a fold-out.
Speaker: And there's also a teaser for Volume 3, which seems to be more focused on Galdor. There's like a little, you know, the first chapter. Is there like a page you can rip out and send in with a check to get the next?
Speaker: So that's what you find in the Chronicles of Galdor volume two. And reading through this takes most of the rest of the afternoon. And Lily, as you're reading it, you do find that it's making you kind of tired, feeling surprisingly exhausted.
Speaker: Actually a little bit more exhausted than you would think. It's a little cold in here, getting the chills a little bit. Find your hands are just starting to shake a little bit from being tired. Am I getting sick? Can I do a medicine check on myself?
Speaker: Yes, you can do a medicine check. This is what you get when you only have greens and rice. You have scurvy. Twelve. Well, you're not really able to diagnose yourself with that, but you do feel like you're getting sick. You know, you check your lymph nodes. They're a little swollen.
Speaker: And this seems a little bit similar to Talonvor's original symptoms. But in any case, that's the Chronicles of Galdor, Volume 2. At some point, Sharnanan woke up and was listening in to what you guys were talking about and nodding.
Speaker: Are any of the rest of us feeling these symptoms? No. I think Snot's feeling hunger. He is. It's tough to find a frog or something around town when you when you need it, so...
Speaker: you want to go looking for a frog or toad? No, I think he's going to stick around and listen to... Is she reading it out loud? I think she's mentioning the important things. Yeah, I think i'll stick around for that. Although it is very boring.
Speaker: But Sharnadon is listening along and says, Oh, Lily, that book sounds very boring. Yep, it is a book.
Speaker: Have we heard of Ardentsia? No, Ardentia Abbey. You have not heard of it okay But it is labeled on the map. Where is it? Well, the map is of the city of Mirfancia at its height.
Speaker: And Ardentia Abbey is at the far western end of the city. The whole city is aligned east-west along large boulevard. East would be the part that's closest to mud puddle, the open mouth of the valley. And then the west is at the far end of the city, up against cliffs that rise up into the mountains. And Ardentia Abbey all the way at the west end of the boulevard.
Speaker: Well, I am not feeling the greatest. How is Talonvor doing, Sharnanon? Sharnanon frowns.
Speaker: Ah, Lily, this is not good. You are not feeling. May I examine you? Of course. Sharnanon comes over and starts poking you in uncomfortable places.
Speaker: a After a few minutes, Sharnanon like sadly pulls a card out of your ear and says, Ah, I do not think this was the problem. Unlikely.
Speaker: But your fingers, they are purple. And you look down at your hands, you see that, actually, yeah, your fingertips have started to turn like a little bit purple. You wouldn't have noticed it unless you were looking for it.
Speaker: Sharnanan's like, Oh, this is, uh, Talonvor. He is not a feeling well. you want to check on him? We should investigate. Yes, I can do that if I can get him out of bed.
Speaker: right back. I don't want to put her upstairs. Okay. So you go up to Talonvor's room. The door is closed. Knock, knock. Hello? Talonvor? Wake up.
Speaker: There is no reply. Boy. I'll peek in. Is it locked? No, it's not locked. It's open. Okay. So you open the door and peek in. The room is quite dark. The shades have been drawn. They have blackout shades.
Speaker: Nice. i mean, it's a decent tavern. It's a nice tavern, yeah. There is a bed against the wall and you see large shape in the bed. It's not moving. And I will rush over to the bed and kind of shake him. Talonvor!
Speaker: Talonvor, wake up! The bed makes a weird rustling noise as you shake it and you realize that's not Talonvor. A moment later, you hear a voice from the corner of the room in the shadows.
Speaker: He says, I always fill my bed with hay. That's not a very good way to get rest. Come downstairs. Could save you. Shh.
Speaker: Did you know? Wraiths can't tell the difference between Hay and a humanoid. Now I know. Come. It's crazy. Come downstairs. I don't. Sharnanon wants to look at us.
Speaker: Oh, not my ears. ah Hopefully not cards in ears, but we're both sick and come on. but what We're both sick? Maybe. Yes.
Speaker: Oh, no. If it wasn't dark, you could see that. I mean, I have dark vision, so... All right, then we shouldn't be having this conversation. you see what finger I'm holding up?
Speaker: Is dark vision not color vision? Ah, but you can't tell if you're being flipped off. You can tell if you're being flipped off, but you can't tell what color their finger is. After a little bit of discussion, Talonvor does, come with you downstairs, goes back to the bed and rearranges a little bit and pats it. He's like, good job. Hey, boy.
Speaker: And he goes down with you to the room. He looks quite bad as you get outside. You do see there's like a purple tinge around his his hands and his neck and his face, and he looks very out of it and stumbles down the stairs into the room.
Speaker: A little purple in the gills. It's all right. I'm here. Sharnanan is getting very agitated. Ah, this is very bad. Can Snot sniff around the book but not touch it?
Speaker: Yes. Make a perception check. Oh, eight. Books smell old.
Speaker: You don't get any sense of anything else. Okay. Is there any purple dust on it or anything that would turn Lily's fingers purple? No, you don't see anything like that. Okay. Did I try to purify poison? what do you want to try?
Speaker: I want to try to lay on hands, purify poison on Talonvar. Okay. So you you get Talonvor sitting in a chair at his favorite table. He refuses to let you lay on hands until he's got his candle lit.
Speaker: see And then you call upon the power of Halia. Your hands glow gold and stream gently around Talonvor. But it seems to have no effect.
Speaker: Okay. the five points are not used up. Oh, okay. Cool. You have tried, but the the magic did not take effect. Charlinar is examining him and then looking at you.
Speaker: We don't have a doctor in this town. i I guess I'm the closest thing we have and I'm very poor at what I do. I do not think a doctor will help with this. I think this is a sickness of the Fae.
Speaker: Did anything happen to you when you in the Fae that did not happen to these others? I don't think so. I mean...
Speaker: And Talimhor was not there? So how would this... Talimhor was not there. What is the common thing between these? Um... Lady is... girl.
Speaker: Talimhor... like girl. I do not know if that is true. I think that your assumption is baseless. Alright.
Speaker: Snott's got one of his hands curled up under his chin and is is thinking very hard. Well, I think that there is a way that perhaps I could help with this.
Speaker: I know a kind of alchemy, a potion that I could make, but I would need something of the Fey. Something with the magic of the Fey that we could use to create the antidote.
Speaker: And we may need to hurry if this is The fate of Lily. I would not want to see Lily look like this. Look like what? Like Talonvor. Look at him. He's ugly.
Speaker: i well I'm... at Yeah. i don't I don't think... I mean, let's not make rush to judgments here.
Speaker: Where did Fizzwhiz go?
Speaker: Fizzwhiz is not really of the Fae. At least not recently. but ten war wasn't in the fa realm with us how could he be affected i do not know. It is a mystery.
Speaker: When did he get this sickness? 24 hours ago.
Speaker: And where where did this happen? Did you go somewhere? We were in Fred's fields for a while in the crocolesk.
Speaker: and So Talinvor, he fought this crocolesk with you? No, he stood there and watched Oh, he stood there and he watched as you thought he's crockless? What is Talimvor doing? This is crazy.
Speaker: Yeah, he was very helpful. Talimvor go fight something else while fighting Snaptooth. He said he'd see lady or something.
Speaker: Lady? What is this lady? Is Talon for, like, hearing and responsive, or...? Yes, yeah. He's like, oh, yeah, the swamp. He's always a little in and out of it, but he's like... Wait, horse? What's horse?
Speaker: There was a lady, she was all, like, dressed in white robes. was very strange, she floating around. and didn't fight her, though. I just went over to see what the deal was. Kind of grabbed her shoulder, and I was like, uh, excuse me, and then she just floated away.
Speaker: Swamp lady? I don't sound like swamp lady, but... She had weird sharp teeth. Oh, oh, that sounds like Swamp Lady. She had many shape. But this lady, she did not, uh, Lily was not there. This was just Talon Moore.
Speaker: Fred, what do with purple stuff? Hmm. Quite a bit of it went into the river, but, uh, the rest has been confiscated.
Speaker: Not sure what the guards did with it, though. Rufelm is behind the counter. He's like, ah are you guys talking about those caves? Yeah, up by the waterfall.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't think the guards went back there. They were like lazy. Oh. I mean, I went and checked it out, but there was some stuff still in there. I don't know. More purple stuff?
Speaker: A few bags of that stuff. Some weird looking at weapons and stuff. Yeah. Maybe get purple stuff. Cure lady. Uh-huh. So this purple stuff is in a cave?
Speaker: Snot looks at Fred. Oh, last we saw it was. Well, it is all we have to go on? Well, we could go back up to the caves. Uh, perhaps we should go quickly? wouldn't take too long.
Speaker: We must solve this before it gets worse. Go fast. Yes, please. If Talonvor were to die this, it would be very inconvenient.
Speaker: Or if I would die. I mean, that would be a bummer. and Nobody's going to die from this. It's just it's just a little bug, I'm sure. All right, look.
Speaker: If we're going to the caves, we better get going. Talonvor stands up. No. Swaying a little bit. No, you stay here. Not... help look it's too dangerous I have to go with you to Fulmore we know that they've been patrolling the area come on shut it up let's get this going before I collapse Snot's looking at Fred hoping think he might intervene in some way no Fred's kind of Fred's starting to hedge over towards the door
Speaker: Snot can use magic, get to caves faster with Fred. It's too dangerous. No. What if you encountered more of the FOMO?
Speaker: Uh, Fred kill.
Speaker: Fred's nodding. Yep. Yep. If I recall your description of last time, there was killing involved.
Speaker: But it wasn't just the FOMO. Uh-huh. Don't worry, we just need to stick together. come on, we're wasting daylight. Alright. Ah, oh, okay, I guess.
Speaker: Yeah, all right it's alright Snot, if he tuckers out I'll carry him. How you carry Snot if carry... okay. He adds two shoulders?
Speaker: I do, I do indeed. What's not was thinking about was casting Longstrider on Fred.
Speaker: Fred, the noble steed. He's got long legs. The true Swift-hoof.
Speaker: Fred Strider. it's okay. We can walk. Billy, you are starting to feel a little bit worse, but you're you're still fine. you you know You're not out of it like Talonvor is, but you just feel run down.
Speaker: I will come. Alright. Been talking out of it anyway. So we've got Lily, Fred, and Snot, and against all scents, Talonvor and Sharnadon is coming along as well.
Speaker: We bring Swiftthuf? Do you want to bring Swiftthuf? I mean, everybody else go.
Speaker: Yeah, let's bring Swiftthuf. We're going to have to bring back bags of that purple stuff if there were some left. I don't know. You can go around back and grab Swift Huff off the leash.
Speaker: Does Muddy want to come? ah ah Muddy does not want to go. Muddy is just on air place on the porch. All right.
Speaker: It is early evening at this point. Still light, but it's getting dark rapidly. So as you're heading out from the inn, walking through the streets of Mud Puddle,
Speaker: You do notice two of the guards from town are heading past. I don't know if Snot remembers their names, but it's Kip and Phineas. They see Snot and like, Oh! Hey, Snot!
Speaker: How you doing? We got some new knuckle bones. Oh. You should come by sometime. They sick. Snot's pointing. Oh. It's, whoa. They they step back a stage. No, that's not catching, is it?
Speaker: Maybe not. Go to the cave. Guards come. Oh, no, I'd love to, but we've just been actually reassigned. Yeah. Our new post is like out of town or something.
Speaker: It's got head over there. Yeah, Cardifashius, you brought in some new guys. They're a bit, uh... No guys. I don't want to say anything bad about anybody. I mean, you know, I would have said before that I'd never work with a goblin, but I mean, now that I met you, Snot, we're like, actually, goblins are pretty cool. So I think we got to give these new guys benefit of the doubt.
Speaker: Right. Some of best friends' goblins. Yes, not heard this. Yeah. It's like, all right, well, you guys look like you're in to a hurry, but just, you know, we'll stop by next time we get a chance.
Speaker: Okay, so you head out of town, up the road to the west.
Speaker: Clouds sweep across the evening sky. They glow a faint red with the last rays of light as the sun sinks below the mountains. The night is cold and the wind brings an enduring chill.
Speaker: How far do I remember we're going, like in terms of walking distance? About two hours, maybe, up into the up into the foothills. Remember last time you went up there the Sheep Ranch?
Speaker: Yeah, okay. Yeah, so I mean, while it is late and it's been a long day for us, I think snot is happier when it's dark out, so he's not going to object to that. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, it's good snot weather.
Speaker: You move pretty rapidly up out of the town and onto the trail into the foothills. Talonvorce keeping up okay? He appears to be getting worse ah pretty rapidly. Kind of stumbles sometimes and just runs into people a bit, smuttering to himself.
Speaker: Can we put him on the horse? Uh, Swift Hoof does not want Talonvor riding. Oh dear. Talonvor's breathing heavily and he's coughing a lot. He says, no, you kind of stopped at this point as you're trying to get Talonvor onto Swift Hoof.
Speaker: You're about halfway up, well out of town. Talonvor is looking back behind you. He's blinking. Then he he hits Fred on the arm. says, what's that?
Speaker: Points back behind him. Ravi, they're following us. See the trees are ah swaying. Fred takes a look back at the trees. I mean, it looks like Talonvor is swaying, so... I'm not really sure what he's talking about there.
Speaker: Like, don't worry, Ravi. They'll never catch us.
Speaker: Right? Of course. How's Lillia doing? You're not as nearly as bad as Alonor, but you are starting to feel worse. And we would say at this point you have one level of exhaustion. So you are feeling like you're slowing down a little and you're just a little bit off, but you're you're definitely good to continue.
Speaker: Okay. Maybe Snot can help go faster.
Speaker: Sharnanon looks at you. How can you elk? Swamp magic, maybe. Uh, fast feet.
Speaker: Oh, I would like these fast feet. Can I have fast ants? No. Snot is going to scoop up a couple pinches of dirt and go over to Sharnanon.
Speaker: And he's going to take the Swamp Lady token and rub the end of his nose on it and say some quiet words in Goblin and pulled out the, just like a pellet of dirt after he's rolled it in his hands and tell Sharnanon, put on their tongue.
Speaker: Who's tongue? Points at Sharnanon.
Speaker: Okay. Oh, no. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I misspoke. I tell him for it. He's giving it to tell him for it. Yeah. Sharned on is like curious about this. Okay. Is this magic? All right. You get Talonvor to put this under his tongue. He's like, oh, whoa.
Speaker: We're getting a little ah familiar, aren't we? Snot is going to repeat the process with Lillia. And as long as she's cooperative, um that will give them both a long strider for one hour.
Speaker: Great. You feel a renewed... Vigor, you still feel kind of sick, but you have more endurance. Your stamina floods back into you.
Speaker: Okay, so after you've accomplished this, you start again off at a faster pace off the road. But before you get, oh, maybe not even 20 feet, there is a sharp cry from the sky above you.
Speaker: Like that. I'm not just saying that. Is it like really scary? No, no, it sounds like oh quite distant. Has Fred heard this before? Do I have any idea what that might be?
Speaker: No, you have not heard this before, although you could make a nature check if you wanted to try to identify it. Sure.
Speaker: Six. Fourteen. It's not definitely, thinks it's some kind of a bird, but he's not familiar with it. Okay. Did Beth roll two? Yeah, I'm trying so much math.
Speaker: Okay. Eleven. Sharnanon is also looking back up at the sky. They are squinting, looking up. The intake of breath. They point. There is a shape, a bird far above. Looks like some kind of hawk.
Speaker: Primary feathers extended as it soaring around in a large circle. Sharnanon says, Ah, a bloodhawk of Burnt Vent. Run for the trees. Um, okay.
Speaker: This thought doesn't usually have to be told twice to run for things, so he is going to turn off the path. So you have a choice here about how you want to proceed. North of the trail, there are thick woods, which you have been lost in before with Rufhelm.
Speaker: And then south of the path, there are trees. They're a little further spaced out. There's some cover, lot of bushes, but it's not as heavily wooded. And you know that eventually the caves will be to the left side of the path, up where the river, where the waterfall is.
Speaker: Left being the south? Yeah. So do you want to go south to the lighter woods and go from there, or do you want to go north into the thicker woods? I would like to try to stay with Snot, since he's the only one that can see.
Speaker: It's pretty weird for a bird to be out this late in the day. How dark is it? Still evening. You're only about an hour out, so after the sundown, there's still a deep blue sky, and the light dim light around you.
Speaker: Okay. And would it be feasible to bring Swift Hoof through the denser woods? It would be difficult. Okay. With a an unusual degree of forethought, Snot is going to grab Swift Hoof's reins and start trying to drag it towards the trees to the south.
Speaker: Okay. I don't think you need an animal handling check because Swift Huff likes snot and... We train together. Exactly. Swift Huff the prettiest donkey on the sage plains.
Speaker: Donkey of the Cimarron. If you were trying to bring Swift Huff into danger, they would be resistant. But in this case, you just, you know, go into a different place. It's cool with it. So you grab Swift Huff's reins and start directing her ah with you off the trail to the south.
Speaker: Hurry, donkey fast, come hurry. Sharnanon is running along with you into the thicker grass. and Come on, come on, hide, hide.
Speaker: Talonvor puts his hand on Fred's shoulder again, reaching up. He says, just like the old days, Ravi. I don't care what Varonir says. I'm never going back.
Speaker: it's ah It's as you say, sir. So follow. Fred's going to follow. And he goes running with newfound vigor from Longstrider alongside Fred into the woods. And Lily, you're going along as well.
Speaker: Yes. So all of you move south off the trail quickly into the light cover of trees. And from there, as you get out of sight, Sharnanon says, The Fomor are known to use the bloodhawks to hunt.
Speaker: So we must be very careful. Ah, no. Bloodhawk. It looked like Big Hawk. Yes, it is Big Hawk.
Speaker: They have very red wings. Dangerous, but not so dangerous. But they have very good eyesight. They can see things and report back to the former. They must have a hunter with them.
Speaker: I suppose that makes it a bit more dangerous. it was just a big bird, you know, Fred taps his table. Yeah. His throwing table. exactly Our friend hasn't been to Ikea yet. He doesn't have his brace of throwing tables.
Speaker: How feasible would it be to move along under cover of these trees? It is feasible. It would be a little slower, but okay on the south side where the trees aren't so thick, you could move through this lightly wooded area and keep relatively well under cover, moving parallel to the trail.
Speaker: Maybe follow Snot this way. So, Bloodbird, Nazi.
Speaker: Snot's going to keep a hold of Swiftwuff's reins and leave Swiftwuff from this point. Okay. And he's going to try and plot a path from a thicket to thicket or something.
Speaker: And when we're out in the open, see if he can catch glimpses of the Bloodhawk to make sure we're staying away from it.
Speaker: So for good 15 to 20 minutes, you move in the way you've described from thicket to thicket, trying to stay in cover. And you find an area where it's a little more open and you can make a perception check to see if you can find the Bloodhawk. 24. You see that the Bloodhawk has shifted where it was.
Speaker: seems like it is circling over where your group was before on the road. Looks like it's looking for a trace of you. It doesn't seem to know where you are now. That's not good.
Speaker: And with a 24, you can also see if you peek out just back towards the trail, it does look like on the other side, much further back, there's some movement in the trees.
Speaker: Large group seems to be moving this general direction. um They're quite far back, still far back of where you were before. It's not thing. Elf's following.
Speaker: Purple elf. Fomor's following. Ah, the Fomor? Yes. Okay. Very bad. i do not think that they like the magic trick.
Speaker: It's not the not like magic trick either.
Speaker: Lily, are you okay? I'm fine. We can keep going. I'm a little worried about Talonvor. He seems little not quite right.
Speaker: Talonvor is looking over your head. He's like, what do mean? course not. No, he's fine. He's right here. Right, Ravi? And he pats Fred on the shoulder again. I don't care what my father says.
Speaker: I'm wondering, should we leave a few people here and hiding and... We just need to get that purple stuff and get home as quickly as possible.
Speaker: Uh, Sarnanon is looking back at Talonvornia. Ah, I leave it to you to decide. How far out are we, time-wise? Well, since you're now moving a little slower, probably still about 45 minutes to an hour of traveling, remaining.
Speaker: So we're we're at least halfway then, right? You're over halfway, yes. Over halfway, okay. If the shapes that you've seen moving in the forest far behind you, you have ah you have a decent lead, if they even know where you are.
Speaker: Yeah, but then we have to turn around and go presumably in the direction they are.
Speaker: Is it mainly you Talonvor holding us up at this point? He's not really holding you up anymore because of Longstrider. ah The thing holding you up is just trying to keep to cover as you move through the the lightly wooded area to the south of the trail. Okay.
Speaker: Maybe we could go to the sheep farm. it The farm of sheep? Well, I mean... Do you think that the sheep will help us? No, but we could hide there.
Speaker: Oh, we could look like the sheep? No. Oh, if we need some word of Lalo. I could look like the sheep. I do not know about Freddy Gar. He's big sheep. Do you want to be a bull?
Speaker: I think I'm fine as I am. Thank you very much.
Speaker: Snot could be the a dog. Could be like the sheepdog and chase us around. Not really sure where you're going with this, but... Or we just go to the cave. Perhaps we should keep moving. thats Let's talk more walk.
Speaker: All right. Trees do get a little thicker, and it doesn't hold you back very much, actually, because you don't have to move from thicket to thicket so much. And there's enough of spacing between the trees that you can still move pretty easily, but you're able to go at about the same speed.
Speaker: Moving along further in, the moon has come out. It's about a half moon now. Even though it's full dark, there is still dim light from the moon, although it shimmers a bit as it goes through the trees, the leaves above you.
Speaker: you travel on, Talonvor continues to refer to Fredegar as Ravi and say things that don't seem to be happening. After you travel for another 15 minutes or so, you hear lute music ahead of you through the trees.
Speaker: Looks like in this area there may be something of a clearing ahead of you. Do you want to approach the clearing or just skirt around it and keep going? Does it sound like elf music?
Speaker: bearing in mind snuts never heard elf music but um yeah i i don't know how you would characterize elf music i'm not comfortable okay making that distinction you uh you got any those elf cigarettes it Sounds light and airy.
Speaker: Somebody maybe a bit carefree, praying a tune. You hear... Oh, that sounds elf-y as F. You hear voices talking in a... Oh, you hear voices. Okay. In a soft, lilting voice and maybe a little bit of smoke rising up from the clearing.
Speaker: Yep, called it. Doesn't seem like Fomor would be playing in music, would they?
Speaker: I do not think that the Fomor play music like this. Their music is more like, bah, bah, bah. They have like loud drums. Um, should go around the music?
Speaker: Or maybe, maybe they stop... Fill more behind us.
Speaker: Should we warn them? Maybe they can help us. Yes. Good diversion. Do you want to approach the clearing then? Cautiously, yes.
Speaker: Sure. As you get closer, you see, looks like there's an old crumbling statue in the clearing wreathed in vines.
Speaker: A colorful wagon sits near it, like a large covered wagon, and you see a fire, several people sitting around it, cooking a rabbit. They are wearing rustic clothing and have fair features and long pointy ears.
Speaker: They're elves. One of them is playing a lute and the others chat amiably and smoke long wooden pipes. But they're just like regular sized, right? Haven't got purple skin.
Speaker: Yeah, they're normal sized.
Speaker: Got symmetrical limbs and everything. Yep. Lily, go talk.
Speaker: Okay. Fight. We watch. I'll talk to the elves. And I'll stumble my way into the clearing.
Speaker: All right. I think the Sharnadon probably goes along with you. Lady's so brave. Holding your hand. ah Hello, hello. Um, hello?
Speaker: The three figures who are sitting around the fire turn to look at you. it looks like two of them are male and one of them is female. The older one carrying the loot says, Well, hello, friends. Welcome to our camp.
Speaker: We are the Wanderlust, or at least a few of them.
Speaker: Please leave your troubles behind, for here we all wander and join us for a puff and a poke. Um, that would be lovely. That's yes and a no. But I just want to let you know there are some bad people coming this way.
Speaker: there really bad people or people who are bad? Well, there are people who would hurt you. i mean, your definition of good and bad is yours.
Speaker: My definition is Fomor are bad Anyway, I'm Lily. Lilia, Thomas, and Sharnanon. Hello.
Speaker: Who are you? Do you want to see a magic trick? No, they don't.
Speaker: I don't know. Oh, their ears are so big. You could fit a lot of cards in there. whole pack. You could fit so many cards in this, baby. One of these elves had described themselves as the Wanderlust.
Speaker: Now, you perhaps have heard stories of the Wanderlust, although you may have thought they were a legend. They're said to be a tribe of wood elves who fought bravely in the ancient days against the forces of Kel.
Speaker: But while they were away fighting in the Ice Cairns, The idyllic woods that they called home were razed by opportunistic developers and turned into deluxe holes for wealthy halflings.
Speaker: his head I can think of no more frightening foe than the Ice Cairns. It is said that the elves now wander endlessly across Calarindran, searching for a home that no longer exists.
Speaker: so that's at least who they claim to be. They look at you as you have introduced yourself and they say, Ah, well, I am Glitter, this is Glamour, and Clo. We are but humble elves.
Speaker: These Fomor you speak of we have not met, and we will offer them a place beside our fire as well.
Speaker: I wish you luck.
Speaker: But we're trying to get to a waterfall that direction. As you can see, we're afflicted with some illnesses and... Oh, it sounds like your troubles run deep. I'm sure you would not wish to rest with us for a moment and regain your breath and share our pipes and food.
Speaker: That would be brilliant. As he's saying this, a large mosquito lands on your forearm. I'll just kind of swipe it.
Speaker: I'm not going to smack it. I'm just going to swipe it off. Sort of buzzes away. They're like, ah, yes, I see. You too are pacifists.
Speaker: Yeah. Fred, Fred, you hit with guy. I am not exactly a pacifist as much as I respect life.
Speaker: Excuse me. I'll be right back. Sharnanan, do your magic tricks. Ooh, Sharnanan goes toddling into the clearing, pulling out a deck of cards.
Speaker: And I'll go back to my hiding friends. So those are elves, actual real live elves. and they're pacifists they are offering us food and ah smoke and just hang out and i warn them about the foam war and they're not terribly concerned so maybe we just keep going not that elves bigger no you think foam more are bigger elves are people what
Speaker: Talonvor leans over next to Fred and says, they're probably sent by Varanir. Can't trust them, but if we beat them at cards, we could probably take some of their cash.
Speaker: Right, Ravi? You're so quiet tonight.
Speaker: I think we've got more important things than cards to worry about tonight. And he, like, jabs you in the ribs. He's like, oh, Ravi. sorry. So do we just walk past them? Right now, Sharnanan is entertaining them.
Speaker: We can grab them and keep going. really rather not let this illness continue for either me or Talonvor. Yeah,
Speaker: unless they can help you somehow. I think we ought to keep moving. I don't know. i didn't entirely ask. Maybe we leave Halfling. with elves.
Speaker: Go faster.
Speaker: Wow. You hear laughter from the circle ahead of you. Just let's just go towards the elves. You can meet your first elf. It'll be fine. It'll be great.
Speaker: Lily is losing patience with the purple fingertips and feeling like... It's more like the whole hands now are kind of a shade of purple, although it's hard to see in the moonlight. She's not terribly cool with this predicament.
Speaker: Come on, let's just go meet them, say hi be neighborly. Okay. Snot is going to rub his hands together and pat himself on either side of the head and again speak some very low tone in Goblet-ish to cast Protection from Evil and Good on himself.
Speaker: Okay. Before heading into the camp of dastardly elves. So you will not be able to be charmed or frightened. Yes. And?
Speaker: have disadvantage on attack rules against me. yes Okay. So you you have kind of a swampy aura about you as you finish casting It's been said.
Speaker: But more than usual now. But you do feel something about the odor that rises up. The scent of the bog gives you the feeling that you would be able to retain better control of yourself despite the tricks of these fey.
Speaker: But that said, Snide is still going to stay to the rear and close to us.
Speaker: So as you all come out into the clearing, the elves are like, one of them's patting Shardanan on the head. They're saying, oh, you are quite the little trickster, my friend.
Speaker: They look up the three of you like, ah, and more friends have joined us. Please leave your troubles behind. But no, we countenance no taking of lives here at the Wanderlust.
Speaker: Just a quick question that would save us a lot of trouble. Do you have any a ability to heal myself or my friend here?
Speaker: They take a look at you if you if you come closer to them. Glow, the the lady elf, comes over and she doesn't seem to speak, but she examines your your fingers closely and just shakes her head sadly.
Speaker: But it says, ah, I fear this enchantment is beyond our powers to assist. Thank you for looking. I appreciate it.
Speaker: We then should continue on. But please be careful of the Fomor. And I mean, if you can occupy their time so that they don't follow us, that would be incredibly helpful.
Speaker: Make a persuasion check with advantage.
Speaker: Thirteen. Okay. They look at each other. and talk briefly in hush whispers. Then the man called Glitter with the loot turns to you and says, Yes, my friend, we have ways of distracting them for a time.
Speaker: We can perhaps give you bit of extra time, and do not worry. Now that we have heard your warning, we shall take pains to be safe, but we shall mislead them.
Speaker: My thanks, Mr. Glitter. We really appreciate it. Yes, well, and remember, all those who wander, no, are lost, no, we're lost, but we wander.
Speaker: We wander as we glitter, and we're gold, and... One day we shall remember the poem that defines us. But today is not that day.
Speaker: Amazing. Let's go. Sharn and Ahn's waving. Bye-bye, bye-bye. Sharn, come with us. Yes, we are in a hurry. Let us go. Why are you all waiting around?
Speaker: Okay. Thank you for occupying them. Talendor's like, all right, you fancy pants. Put when the shirts off your backs next time. Snot's just keeping Swifthoof between him and the elves, although he's kind of not as frightened by them as he expected to be.
Speaker: Yeah, Fred's parting Talonvor away from the elves. ah Sorry, sorry, Mr. Glimmer, he's he's still he's not doing well. Yeah. The one named Glow looks at Snot as he's hiding behind the donkey and manages to catch your eye for a moment and she just gives you a sad, long, sad smile.
Speaker: Snot freezes for a moment and then he starts siding away. Did Snot feel anything magical probe at his defenses when that elf looked at him?
Speaker: No. Felt only a sadness probing at your heart.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Okay. As your troop moves away from the clearing and back into the trees, you hear the sound of elven voices behind you, raised ancient song.
Speaker: The words weave together in a mysterious harmony as they bind a spell of misdirection. As the chorus rises, you feel the shimmer of magic washing over the woods. Glancing back, the clearing that you just left now appears as a vast and impassable gorge.
Speaker: And as the way behind you is hidden, we bring this episode to a close. Thank you for listening to Kalerinden, The Hireling Chronicles, and please join us for our next exciting episode.
Speaker: So
Speaker: you
