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C3 Ep. 17 Grave Dawn Chapter Five
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The party deals with the magical outburst below the city.
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Transcript
Introduction of Hosts and Setting
00:00:00
Speaker
oh um threaten with the coach orange twenty radio at your gamers role radio
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron your new natural play podcast set in the Eberron campaign setting. I am your game master Eric. I'm Mia. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Madison. I'm Jeff.
00:00:35
Speaker
And welcome to another episode.
Recap of Previous Episode
00:00:37
Speaker
Folks, what happened last time? I was lied to. Deceived. What? I was in that place. Oh. It didn't work. We found manifest zone, and there's a sacrifice in the middle of it. So we're pretty sure it's fueling it, or keeping it open. And we sit nixed in to get the sacrifice and the knife, and she's down now. So that's where we are. And one of us gets to try to risk running in there and health potioning. No, no, she was right now.
00:01:03
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. The body of sword nix is out. The body is still in. Yes. And Philip got a piece of sweet loot. Oh, yes. Definitely not cursed. Without warning you, I'm just saying not to touch anything, not to take anything. And then those undead wantonly and with malice of forethought and without provocation attacked us. Farron, still disappointed, but Farron.
00:01:28
Speaker
If you get out of your grave and attack me, you I didn't break into your grave. You broke out of your grave. It says that at the same time. Those goods are up for grabs at that point. I like that not just ascribing thought to the mindless zombies, but malice. of yeah Excellent. So yes, Nyx is on the ground, skin looking paler than normal, face looking a bit more sallow. And I think Kaz was desperately trying to so scratch out the scrying rune that was on the wall that was discovered as well.
00:02:00
Speaker
He was doing what he thought could help. Yeah. Yeah. So what would you all like to do? Lie on the ground unconsciously. Thank you, Philip. as
Discussion on Nyx's Recovery and Cursed Loot
00:02:10
Speaker
established in previous episodes. Tell the people about the healing potion. Yes, you all do have healing potions that were given to you by Hendrik. That was an oversight on my part to not communicate that to you all. Healing potions essentially allow you to use a recovery when you consume it or pour it down someone else's throat so that they can use a recovery. and That is what Valk is doing.
00:02:33
Speaker
Yes. If we were in combat, it would take a an action to do this, but to pour it into someone else's and to consume it yourself. But you would just rally in combat. But that immediately raises from consciousness, right? Like Nix is... So I spend a recovery? Yes. And you can roll to see how many hit points you get. I will specifically use mine, so that Nix still has.
00:02:58
Speaker
And we add constitution to recovery dice, right? Yes. Yes. coolp nicks recovers eleven at point Okay. Okay. Nyx, when you, shortly before returning to consciousness, ah when you fell, your type of way. My ever unreadied characters always do well yeah the yeah in the You got a whole campaign off from dealing with that. You find yourself basically in in the same space, limo-ly, but it looks very different. Your companions are not there. The circle glowing is there.
Nyx's Vision of the Ritual Circle
00:03:38
Speaker
with the same runes and everything but inversely you see it's not like radiant bright light glowing from it it's it's almost like like lamp light like kind of light that's shining behind me of kind of that orangy glow it's not interesting it Against the environment that you're in it seems quite bright, but you know that it's not radiant. It's not holy and Yeah, you find yourself in a cavernous space That is pitch black except for the faint glow from this light from the circle and after a second your eyes begin to try and focus and you
00:04:18
Speaker
You're getting a, the capacity to see a little bit further where the body was that you tried to pull the dagger out of. You see just a skeletal remain with a similar looking dagger sticking out of it.
00:04:32
Speaker
But the there's a lot more cobwebs. It seems to be in a greater state of decay and disrepair, this cavernous space that you're in. But it still looks like a reflection of your world. And as you take a moment to hell look around and take this, go ahead. Am I able to move in this space? Yes. Or am I just a viewer? You are able to move. Well, I mean, I'm dead. What's the worst that can happen? Grab the dagger. anything have Your hand passes. Your hand passes through.
00:05:02
Speaker
And just as it passes through it, you wake up next week. Oh, wait, why? Why are you sorry? eyes I had a memory and I don't I don't know if it was mine if I didn't communicate it completely, but I just know it. The dagger has to come out and I did not fully explain what happened when I stepped in.
00:05:24
Speaker
And then you went in, and then she you you went unconscious. And then i I got you out. It did hurt again, but not as much this time. But I am sorry. You pulled me out of a ritual circle that was killing me.
00:05:41
Speaker
That seems fairly fine. I'm sorry that you went in on my trust in word. it Not that I pulled you out. I feel like that makes me look bad if I apologize for pulling but out of the ritual circle. So I will clarify. I am sorry that I let you go into circle and not that I pulled you out of the circle. Right.
00:06:06
Speaker
This place exists on the other side as well. There, the circle is dimmer, and the body is decayed, and the skeleton, or the dagger is there, but it looks dusty. Older. That's been there a long time.
00:06:23
Speaker
Cas is scratching on the wall and he goes, you mean it to the future? per
Analyzing the Ritual Circle and Acheron's Insight
00:06:26
Speaker
Perhaps. So when I grabbed that dagger, by the way, it was not going to move. Like I made the dash at the dagger, but I had a hold of it before I passed out and it was rooted. We're going to have to disrupt this field first, I think. We tried. It didn't work. What did we try doing?
00:06:50
Speaker
I mean, I use the compass. This is the... Right. But this circle, we need to disrupt the circle first. The circle is tied directly to the dagger. But someone has to... have ah Surely they whoever did this ritual, I have having no experience of doing this sort of thing. I have some experience of this sort of thing. That's a very vague and very suspicious, of but...
00:07:20
Speaker
I'd be happy to have... Well, no, i I will have that conversation on another occasion, but... cat It doesn't have to be suspicious. It can just be vague. Surely, surely the circle is drawn and then the sacrifice is made and then it all happens. So the circle exists outside of the dagger. I think, I stress, I think, having failed to pull the dagger out,
00:07:49
Speaker
and having failed to get the body, maybe we attempt the circle. I don't remember from last session, is the circle rune surrounded as well, or is it just a drawn circle on the ground? Like, that's all that... There are runes, like it is a ritual circle that is drawn on the ground. Okay, that's what I assume. It's your classic spooky ritual circle? Yes. Okay, then. I will try to understand the spooky ritual circle. And I will use...
00:08:19
Speaker
the die that I rolled, my icon die, which was the Lords of Dust. Okay. Since I figure they know a lot about ritual circles. Yep. And I would narratively suggest Since I think Nyx has an aversion to this sort of thing, Nyx obviously doesn't do this sort of thing when she summons creatures, she does it in a much less scientific way. I would suggest that the way that Nyx would get at that, I don't know if the number I rolled matters, I wrote down that I rolled a five. It doesn't. Okay. I would suggest that the way Nyx would get information of this sort is that Acheron would have something to say about it.
00:09:03
Speaker
Nix consults Acheron reluctantly on most things, but that perhaps Acheron would have some knowledge of how this sort of thing is done, even if the target of rituals that Acheron would be familiar with would be different.
00:09:19
Speaker
Yeah. How does Nyx communicate with Acheron? Is it just is it mentally? Is it speaking like? I'm imagining that what happens is that Acheron laps down from wherever he is. I don't know what Acheron's gender is. They've been lurking. It's been lurking and probably says some sort of smug thing like, you know, I probably know something about that, if you like.
00:09:48
Speaker
I've seen my share of ritual circles, you know, that sort of. Yeah. And has probably been doing this since, you know, I don't know if some mill years, maybe our wizard, you know, learned this better than I did. Does, does grub communicate with you telepathically or anything? Um.
00:10:12
Speaker
I don't think so. OK, so there's you choose like two abilities, right? And one is talkative, like they can talk to the person, but I did not choose that one for. Yeah, no grub grub communicates through hand gestures, mostly thumbs ups. OK, and I leave it to you how Acheron then I leave it to you how Acheron is likely to communicate to to Nyx. I took flight because Acheron is a little dragon, so obviously needs wings.
00:10:41
Speaker
And I took one that gave me extra defenses against fiends. Gotcha. You know, not because I think it's likely that I will ever have to
Debate on Ritual's Purpose and Suspects
00:10:48
Speaker
kill something that I summon, but, you know, you never know. Yeah. Yeah. Acheron flaps down near the ritual circle and examines it quizzically and kind of like walks around the perimeter.
00:10:59
Speaker
sniffs the air a little bit and then looks and flaps back up to you. And we'll we'll say it's mentally like something with the Javarath connection. Well, I can tell you one thing. It's an amateur job if I've ever seen it. There's a jagged, crooked, I'm shocked it even worked.
00:11:19
Speaker
They probably, in order for it to work, they probably had an additional implement that allowed them to plant the dagger and start the engine, as it were. That might be. You're commenting on penmanship. that's That's what you have to say about this. I am saying it. Nyx does not know how to talk in her head, and so she talks to Acro. I think it's not a skilled ritualist, which should be good news to you.
00:11:43
Speaker
But you need to find them and find out what implement they used additionally to put the dagger there. And also, if you can't be out loud like that, people are going to continue to think that you're crazy. He's absolutely looking at her sideways. Grub has popped his head out of the little satchel. He's just got his head punched to the side. Very curious. I'm an excellent company in this case, in that direction. Oh, yes. So you're saying we can't break it if we don't find who did it. Precisely. find the third thing that the person who did it has. They'd probably need to track them down, but yes. So they have something else and it's not here. That was part of the ritual. Yes. Probably something they would have warned meant them for being damaged by the ritual circle as they stepped into it. Oh, well, that would be useful. Yes. All right. I'm going to see if there's a twist on. Can I, in the course of that rolling,
00:12:44
Speaker
Can I make a role using Shavarath touched to see if I might glean from Acheron's withholding what such an implement might be like? what What some examples of that sort of implement would be like to sort of help us to narrow our search in that direction? Yes, you can. and What attribute would I use? Intelligence? Yeah, I would take intelligence.
00:13:09
Speaker
so that's not a great role, plus level. So 10 plus 15, 15. Yeah, you typically rituals, especially sacrificial rituals like this, that exude a great deal of power. You're going to have some kind of talisman amulet and wear something like that, that the person would wear as a form of protection when initiating the ritual and if they wanted to disengage the ritual. So, yeah, that that is kind of what Akron's getting at is whoever did you need to find who did this so you can get the thing so that you can get into the circle of that dying in the mix. We have muttering. Did she mention like, what's the part of like, oh, something's missing? Veritable. Yeah, I need. i Yeah.
00:13:59
Speaker
it Yes. I'm trying to so hard not to know what I don't know, but ni I need Nix to say something. Yes. nix Nix is muttering these things out loud at the little dragon fluttering near her, near her, or on the ground near her, I think, which manages to look as smug as a small dragon can. Hearing the part about needing to find another person, Kaz is going to stop. Do I need to roll to see if all this scratching actually did anything or was it just ineffectual altogether? And that's just your... I'll i'll i'll take a strength check.
00:14:27
Speaker
Oh, well, then it's ineffectual. Actually, that's not so bad. The roll is bad, though. That's a six. Six? Okay. Yeah, nothing. Yeah. I think I'm going to stop scratching on the wall, and I want to take a look from whatever distance I'm able to to find if there's any unique characteristics on this body so we can say to Core, here's what the guy looked like, because if it's a townsperson, we may be able to find out who the...
00:14:51
Speaker
So you can examine the body to kind of note down what they look like and things like that, if you like. Right. I mean, I have a person of interest. Oh, sure. Mia. Yeah, no. Yeah. Mia, did Val perk up when Nick's talked about an implement? OK. Yeah. Val, can you just start like nervously laughing? It's like, I might have.
00:15:11
Speaker
Forgot to mention sharing that in my memory, which I'm not sure if that's my memory, and but that is a problem for later. There there wasn't a skeletal amulet that the person being initiated a similar, probably more well-pinned sacrificial circle was wearing.
00:15:36
Speaker
And that seemed like it felt like in my memory that that was used to keep them safe from the actual ritual of, you know, getting your life force drained. So that might be what is missing. Sorry. What are you sorry for? I don't know at this point. I think I'm still hung up that you almost died on my watch, technically. Right. i I ran into the circle. After I said yes.
00:16:05
Speaker
ah Well, you didn't say run into the circle. I ran into the circle. I said the dagger does need to come out and then you ran into the circle. I tried to do it and it didn't work. Okay. It was not you. but I could still be sorry. I appreciate that you are sorry that I was almost injured, but it wasn't your duty. I mean, you were injured. you yeah It's semantics. It's it's okay. It's okay. All right. Anyway, Acheron says this was an amateur job.
00:16:32
Speaker
and that there's some sort of amulet we need to protect. out that You need to protect yourself. We know at least one person who might possibly have amateurishly attempted some sort of ritual. and think we do Well, we know someone who's grieving, perhaps obsessively, over a lost loved one, and was down here at the time. He said he heard someone else chanting, but V and I have been turning up graves over here. I have no idea what you're talking about. Right.
Victor's Connection to the Ritual
00:17:06
Speaker
I spoke to someone named Victor, who lost his spouse recently, and he was down here laying flowers boom when all this started. The tulips? Yes. And he said he heard someone chanting further down, but that could have possibly been a lie.
00:17:28
Speaker
hello and and
00:17:33
Speaker
um Really quick, didn't didn't wrong we told we have like less than three days? she Before they run out of food. Yeah. Before they run out of food. OK. Because there is a zombie horde outside this town. Like you all are safe within the walls, but there is a giant zombie horde. I didn't talk to Victor. Does Victor seem like? Right. Yeah. So i'm at does Victor seem like the kind of person that we could easily coerce into telling us if he actually did this by, you know, threats? Because it seems like that might be the quickest way to get to the bottom of this. I'm very comfortable threatening someone.
00:18:07
Speaker
Great. Let's go. We also... Oh, sorry. Let's wait. Terrence also told us about the couple, Lazar and Serena, and I think didn't one of them go missing? Like, isn't there some... Could this be one of... it Didn't Lazar go missing?
00:18:23
Speaker
Was Lazar the cheating partner, the affair partner? Yes. No, he wasn't. Yes. Lazar and Serena were having an affair. Cairn was Serena's husband. Serena and Cairn were both found dead and Lazar witnessing. I'm just saying we have a missing person and a body that turned up. So that could be somewhere to start trying to find out at least who this is. Certainly.
00:18:47
Speaker
I'm going to draw a picture of a body man as I can in my journal. And that is going to haunt me for the rest of my days. I will. I will. Well, then you don't have to do it. I don't know how well people are describing others. So I'm just I'm going to tear it the page out later in burden.
00:19:07
Speaker
um
00:19:11
Speaker
Can I ask a practical question? out yeah Tell me if this is undiplomatic, but aren't you very capable of showing someone exactly what this person looks like? Aren't you gifted in that direction? No.
00:19:35
Speaker
Oh, oh! We were all like, how do we say this? I couldn't tell if that was math or... I don't like mimicking the dead. It gives me anxiety, but I can. We can save that for last resort. I was just asking. If we think it might be Lazar, I bet we could ask anybody, hey, was Lazar about 6'1 of black air and a mole on his right cheek? Like this guy down here I just decided has. Is that cool, Eric? Yeah. Great.
00:20:02
Speaker
i mean But do you have a description of the body that no no no that works? is Yeah, and if they say yeah, then I feel like we we you we can save you the anxiety That is perfectly true. Both in and out of character. I forgot I could do that. It's a small town I feel like we're gonna be okay just describing him. did you If you want to draw him, I think that's a great idea too. I didn't know you could draw about that's kind of cool.
00:20:23
Speaker
But I don't think we need to put you through the trouble. We need to know every time. yeah My life has been p proved to me for the last several months beyond any shadows of any doubts. Yes, thank you. I know that I neither can nor need to know everything. I'm sorry. That was a little mean. I forgot the situation. All right. It sounds like I don't know if any of my friends are alive. It sounds like our task takes us out of here if we're going to achieve the next step. Nick stands up.
00:20:52
Speaker
Yeah, I, for one, am perfectly happy to get out of here, yes, and start to walk through. Nick stands up in the sort of careful way of someone who's not 100% sure that every single part of her works and looks slightly relieved when she succeeds. Cool.
00:21:05
Speaker
Can I try in the while we're leaving, try to see if I can attempt to get a second go out of the compass? Oh, it's fried. Wow. yeah Yeah. Andric told you it was one time used. I know, but I'm upset. Well, Alex did not realize that he he did say that that was months ago. So for a month, how plot?
00:21:30
Speaker
Then as we're walking back up, what are we going what are we going to do without that device? I mean, it depends. I will, I will jump here and say since multiple icon relationships have been used relating to this circle, based on the information that you got from Acheron and your vision, this was a manufactured manifest zone. If the ritual is disrupted, it will dissipate. Okay. Okay. Okay. Could you roll a twist just for my own edification? Yes, I did. It will be good. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.
00:22:03
Speaker
That's why it's a twist. After we know all of that stuff, I'm thinking I will not be the one handing back the spent compass to Hendrick that we did not need to spend it at all.
Tensions with Yvonne and Group's Strategy
00:22:12
Speaker
Nobody else can do that. And you're like fun fix that. You're like, hey, hell of fun fixing it. OK, so where you all are going back up top, who are you going?
00:22:21
Speaker
Where are you going? Are you going back to Core to kind of ask about this body that you found and kind of report into what you find? Or are you going to Victor tonight? Kaz would lobby to go to Core and take her with us to explain what we saw, ask what the body is, and then take her with us to see Victor.
00:22:38
Speaker
that's I just feel like he, her, she has authority with him where we have strength and the two of those things are, we look strong. I, you look, you're strong. He looks at V and I just feel like that might be the best way to get him to play along if he, if, if that's, if we're right about all this. Is Cole going to object if I threaten Victor?
00:23:02
Speaker
Guess we'll find out. She has three days till she starves to death. I don't think she'll object to anything we do that might get us moving in the right direction. She seems pretty pragmatic. She also just moved here, so she might not really care. She's been here for a few years. Well, I mean, maybe the newest of the kingdom. Maybe. I just, that's fair. Now, but Karen and Serena are definitely dead, not missing dead, right? Like, Karen and Serena's bodies were found. Bodies were found, okay. And then killed. Right, sure.
00:23:36
Speaker
Okay, so you are headed to Core's house. As you all approach, you see Core out front talking with a figure. And as you come out of the mausoleum, you hear kind of a familiar noise of the gates closing, kind of similar to when you first got over the walls. And you see a figure talking to Core who is in very battle-worn looking armor, heavy armor. They have a cloak, more of a cape attached to their armor flowing down that is silvery in color. And they have a sword on their hip. And Philip described to me what this paladin of Relicor looks like. OK, well, I got to ask this as a preliminary question.
00:24:22
Speaker
yes A lot of paladins at Relicor are tieflings. Is this a tiefling? Yeah. Okay. And is your intention, I recognize this paladin or I recognize them as from Relicor? You recognize this paladin. Cool. Okay. This is a tiefling trying to decide. And let's say they are also plain touched. They have... Good. What?
00:24:51
Speaker
kind of Well, okay, that makes sense. They have sort of ash-gray skin and glossy ebony horns that are a little longer than Nix's, the sort of curved back over. I'm just going to decide his head. yeah ah And very, very, very black hair that falls down around his shoulders in in thick braids, a tall, broad.
00:25:27
Speaker
well Well, Bill looks like someone who practices with the weapon that they carry a lot, that he carries a lot. Comfortable in his armor and wearing some sort of insignia of the silver flame, either an amulet around the neck or something affixed to the armor. And when we are able to see his face, he will have just inky black eyes.
00:25:48
Speaker
You made a grayscale tiefling paladin. This rules. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm going to I'm going to do it to you, Phillip. Name his name. Let me know if you need to tag me as big. disco His name. His name is Yvonne Yvonne. You got a spelling in mind for that. Let's say let's fantasy it up and say it's Y V A H N. Ooh.
00:26:14
Speaker
Okay, so yeah, as you all are approaching core sees you all walking in turns to look at you and Yvonne also turns next you see a look of recognition. Yeah. Yeah. But no, it seems like an intentional lack of acknowledgement, I guess, like.
00:26:34
Speaker
Yeah, Nyx goes tense and cold. And Nyx is all charisma and strength and constitution, so it's not subtle. And it drops out of the lead of the party, but there's obviously nowhere to like.
00:26:51
Speaker
Yeah, she's she's seen it would be stupid to dive behind a bush. So core not not caring enough to pick up on the studies of Yvonne and Nix. I hear that you all have been asking around town and some folks spot you going down the mausoleum. So any luck?
00:27:11
Speaker
mixed. Yes, it's a complicated ad hoc. Well, before you fill me in, I suppose introductions are in order. and This is Yvonne. He is a paladin of the silver flame that happened to be traveling and saw a contingency of undead headed our way and rather than decimating them, followed them to see what on earth they could possibly be headed towards and came upon our village. So pleasure to be meeting all of you. Happy to help. And he his eyes continue to flick towards the necks every few seconds. So what updates do you have? There is a ah a fabricated ritual circle down there that we cannot disrupt without his not making eye contact with this person, but is speaking. We we believe there is another part that is missing and we need to find who did it so that we can get that.
00:28:10
Speaker
back and disrupt the ritual circle, so it is going to be staying active, unfortunately. Chaz pops in and follows up with, the two parts that are done, he has not looked away from Yvonne. He is staring dead at Yvonne, talking decor, because he can't look away from Yvonne. And he says, of the two parts that are down there are a dagger and a guy, and the dagger's in the guy, and the guy looks like this. Do you know that guy? Based on that description, it sounds an awful lot like Lazar. I knew it. I knew it. That was Chaz. That was Selena.
00:28:46
Speaker
k so
Confrontation with Victor
00:28:48
Speaker
God's... so... he's dead. It's real weird in there, but probably. Oh, he's gone. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Very gone. So, who... who could have done it? Well, now we're certainly all in the same age. Because we don't have any great necromancers in this town that, I mean... I'll cut up on a just okay one. Yeah, it wasn't done by a great necromancer. I'm sorry, that was Jeff. I was just making a joke. Please, Nix, say what? They weren't a great necromancer.
00:29:12
Speaker
So you have an amateur necromancer trying to conduct rituals underneath your tongue. To what end? They've made a manifest sound. Generally speaking, people do not conduct these types of rituals for, how do you say, poops and giggles. That's not how we say it. Sorry, common is not my first language. Apology. Oh no, I feel bad. I think cats, cats, I don't know if he's not reading the room right or what, but he goes, next you can tell about the Victor guy or what? Tell him. Yes, not tell him. Sorry, tell them. The Victor guy.
00:29:40
Speaker
Yvonne says very pointedly. ALICE There's a man here, Victor, grieving. He acknowledged himself to be down in the mausoleum on the day that all this began. He says he heard someone's voices chanting, but we know he was down there. Whoever did this also, according to Valk,
00:30:02
Speaker
would have had a, some sort of skeletal amulet, something to you empower them beyond what they would be normally capable of. Interesting. Yeah. Well, it's a small town, so I suppose you all can go speak to Victor. And if you don't get any leads there, there's plenty of other, I mean, Serena's sister Tara left town, but Tara's husband, Taurus, is still around. So he might know something about the situation with Lazar, but yeah. Wait, his name is Tora or Taurus, or neither. Taurus. Okay. T-O-R-A-S. Taurus. And that's Serena's who? Serena's brother-in-law, her sister's husband. Okay. Right. Tara left town, but Taurus stayed behind. A married couple named Tara and Taurus. Yes. Right.
00:30:53
Speaker
Do we know why Taurus stayed behind? I mean, Tara and Taurus and Serena and Cairne, they lived here since they were kids. They all met. Their families do each other, et cetera, small town life. And I don't think Taurus wanted to go anywhere and Tara couldn't stand to stay. So. OK.
00:31:13
Speaker
Kaz is convinced it's Victor, so as interesting as the the ins and outs of Tara and Taurus are, he's itching to go just- he wants to watch some muscle lean into Victor and get an amulet and go finish this. This is where Kaz is at. Then I guess we should go back to the bar. If he's even in town still. Well, there's not really many where to go.
00:31:34
Speaker
Let me be someplace. Are there any other leads that you all have outside of this that I could examine? Be of assistance in some way? I am here to help. You are really intense. I have been told that. I didn't mean for that to be out loud. Comes with the training. Or perhaps I could join you. without which is going to turn to nicks. Yeah, Selena, what's it? Caskets are used to stare at evil. Well, I don't know how it could get any more awkward, so come on. Good. I like this one.
00:32:02
Speaker
What's your name? He says looking at me. The. Pleasure. Evolve. Enchante. Common is not my first language so you'll have to tell me what that means. Well, I think it's Fritz. Sorry, I couldn't. Oh my gosh. And Yvonne also notices Kaz just staring at him and he like looks at Kaz and like, and you are. Kazimir Panerius. Nice to meet you. And he puts his little hand out. Yvonne grasps your hand firmly, but not meanly. Just assertive handshake. Pleasure Kazimir.
00:32:35
Speaker
So what brings you all down to this part of the fire, he says, is he starts to walk towards the tavern. Did you not see it's a zombie horde out? Oh, well, I followed the zombie horde here. Did you also follow a zombie horde here? Yes.
00:32:51
Speaker
We were requested to come and help with the zombie problem. Oh, he's very proud of that. Wow. Request. Nick's stares really intently and I would like to make a wisdom check using my relocore runaway background to know whether that is actually how he came to be in this area. Okay. 13. 13.
00:33:23
Speaker
Oh, that's a very bad rule. No, no, that's not how he came to be here. Perfect. So you were requested. Who do I'll work for? I'll sit the bell or I guess if you are in Cairo. Freelance. We're freelance. Oh, interesting. There was a problem here. It seemed like it might be a payday. And so you were requested to come here. Must be notable. Yes. We're very good. Good.
00:33:48
Speaker
yeah So, to the Owl and Kitten. Well, the last time I saw Victor, he was leaving that, but we can try. Perhaps they know where he lives. Excellent. I'm excited to see your freelancing skills at work. Sorry, go ahead, Jeff. Oh, nothing good. Dumb joke. Kaz just manages to have just enough composure to not giggle at how funny it sounds when he says Owl and Kitten under his videos. The Owl and Kitten bit stormed out. they So the whole group going to the Allen kitten with Nick's leading the way I guess since Nick's knows the way. Yep. Okay. Let's do it. You all get there. It hasn't been too terribly long since you were last in here. Victor is not there, but Tish and Daro, Nick's are still at the table that they were sitting at.
00:34:28
Speaker
The bartender is still there. Tish and Daro were pretty easy marks. And so Nyx walks over to them oh and looms to the best of of her ability. She's perfectly willing to accept that the presence of an even of a larger and more overtly muscular tiefling probably helps with looming. But
00:34:55
Speaker
ah two questions, just yeah things that come up. One, anyone around here been seen toying around with a, did you say an amulet folk? I saw an amulet that was a skeletal, like a red jewel, and it was like a shark, and there was like a hollow eye, but that doesn't necessarily mean I thought it was in this particular circumstance.
00:35:20
Speaker
Can't out to ask. Distinctive. Amulet. Bones. That sort of overtly creepy amulet look to it. I mean, Terrence collects old things. So, you know, he's weird and inscrutable. So, yeah, but he he will collect old things and people will read him old things. And yeah, so if you're looking for an old weird amulet, Terrence. Thank you.
00:35:46
Speaker
What is Victor live? Give me your charisma. Black marketeer. yeah Shaking people down. Yeah. Lean in on people. for Yeah. Yeah. I'll take that. And you could have a plus three for the presence of Yvonne. Oh, man, that's just the worst. I rolled a two. So it comes out to be six. I comes out to be twelve. Well, with the plus three from Yvonne.
00:36:17
Speaker
And Daro looks at you like, is Victor in trouble? Like, or why why do you need to go to his house? Everyone's in trouble. There's a horde of undead and there's three days worth of food. Yes, everyone's in trouble. We're in trouble. We're in slightly less trouble because we might be able to fight our way out. But I have some follow up questions for Victor. That's all. But I really need to ask them and I would prefer not to have to knock on every door in this place. Yeah, sure.
00:36:44
Speaker
It's the smallest house you go like right out of here, and it's like right up against the near the wall of the city. It's kind of isolated a little bit. You can't miss it. Perfect. Everybody but Nix can give me a wisdom based check to kind of do it. It's kind of an insidey check in with Titian Daro.
00:37:03
Speaker
um
00:37:07
Speaker
Twenty. would 21 20 my my precocious mischief thing
Investigation of Terrence and Taurus
00:37:13
Speaker
give me a ah any help in a seeing if they're telling whatever this lie would be or no oh they're not lying you're you're getting a sense of their emotional state basically next is set to them up 14 14 Selena valk envy when nyx drops the whole like three days thing Titian daro start to panic uh it's very clear that that's news to them yeah The town has three days. And yeah, so. Valk is going to kind of chime in after seeing their shiftiness and say we're terribly confident it won't take the full three days. Something's going to be. Everyone answers questions. OK, yeah. You're fine. She is an absolute hero. That's where Victor's house is. Perfect. If you see any strange amulets and Nick's turns.
00:38:03
Speaker
as As you turn, Nyx, you hear Yvonne say under his breath, listen to Zebra. Nyx glares at him, like flashes him a glare, and he starts to walk. Are we walking out? Is that what's up? Yes. it i was Yeah, Cass, as we're walking, Cass is like, I was thinking like, why don't we just say, hey, you've got three days to live and there's an amulet somewhere. Go, go. Like the town will never be the same. It may never recover fully, but it will persist. So like I guess we're going to find it one way or another now.
00:38:37
Speaker
If we alert as everyone that we're looking for an amulet, then the person who has the amulet is going to hide the amulet so that the amulet is not found. If everyone has three days to find an amulet and it's the only thing that matters to them, that amulet will get fathomed. Under the cover of that conversation, Nyx would like to fall back next to... Solana? Selena? Sorry. It is very important, she tries to say under her breath, that the kid not go into all of his own strangeness
00:39:13
Speaker
in you as well while we are with this person. OK, I kind of got that since I've been been seeing your reactions. Right. i Can he be trusted at all? Should we be saying this information? Yes, he's honest and dedicated and those in the worst possible ways. OK, I'll keep an eye on the case.
00:39:35
Speaker
while this conversation's happening. So, Kaz has been, where are you all based, Touta? No. He's my new best friend. You got the whole address, pal? It's called... It's definitely on the River Piddle. I'll never forget that. After Selena's conversation with Nick, Selena's just gonna kind of casually make her way over to Stand By Kaz while we're walking. No, Yvonne is honestly trying to talk to Valk while walking. So this... So can you tell me more about this ritual circle that you all encountered?
00:40:04
Speaker
and It's a circle with the body in it. Ben, are we dealing with dollar or my bar in terms of a magic source? It's something. that but But surely you examine the circle and you would know this, right? I'm just seeking to help. You're really intense. You are making me uncomfortable. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I apologize for this. I i can talk to one of your other companions. Please. It makes you feel more comfortable. but me Thank you. V. Can I give myself a stress anything? Sure.
00:40:35
Speaker
but I do know what type of magic we're dealing with. oh First and foremost, it doesn't take a lot to make them uncomfortable, so don't feel too bad. Thank you. Secondly, I don't know that we got that far, but, I don't know, would we have... ah but Didn't Selena have some kind of... She had, like, some kind of reaction with her little pacemaker, right? That made her feel like it was my bar? Yeah. Would we know that at all? Didn't Selena communicate that?
00:41:04
Speaker
I believe so. Yeah, Selena stepped forward and then said, like, I got to step back. Yeah. So, yes, we you would know that. So, yeah, we think it probably has to do with the Marbar. Ew, gosh. Yeah, same. Good to know. So, how long have you all been freelancing together, Beast? Oh, you know, that's a great question. I don't keep track of time very well. But, you know, I think this is our first big one together. Oh, interesting. Trevor, you gotta start listening when other people are talking. Trevor was listening. Just kidding. she's such She's not trying to give away too much information either. Well, hopefully this one turns out well. Oh, yeah, I really hope so. Wow, I'm getting this accent. good bless there Oh, yeah, yeah know it is what it is. But, ah you know, it didn't go too well earlier. Oh, what happened? Oh, a lot. I kind of stood back and watched. I'm not going to lie to you. But we yeah, we almost lost a friend there. Do you gesture at Nix when you say that?
00:42:00
Speaker
Yes. Oh, dreadful. What happened? You know, kind of a glazed over look and I haven't been in so much other than that. She's real secretive. Imagine why. I love it. You all arrived at me. How did she almost literally what happened? She fell down. I'm amazed.
00:42:20
Speaker
i but I mean, I'd assume. He knows what we were trying to do. Nick's knocks. The door, you could tell, starts to open fully and then once Victor gets a sight of... Oh, he sticks an arm in that door. Kaz is trying to look... Kaz is convinced for some reason we have to intimidate Victor. So I was like, I feel my heart's crossed. And I'm standing back there next to Yvonne, just like this, for the listener, what you all face. We have some follow-up questions. I told you everything. Right. Well, we went down and had a look around and we are missing a person who is a piece of this puzzle. Right. And we'd like to rule out you. Right. And there's rather a deadline. So it would be helpful if you were more forthcoming than you probably want to be given the circumstances.
00:43:00
Speaker
What are your questions? Have you seen in town recently some sort of talisman amulet made of bone possibly with a red gem in it? We think it was used to cause this problem and we believe we need it.
00:43:16
Speaker
to undo it. just Just a point of clarification as to the DM. The amulet that Valk saw in the memory was gold, but shaped like bones and fangs. Oh, I'm sorry. yeah I yeah misinterpreted that as being made of gold, skeletal, possibly a red gem. No, I s see nothing like that. I did. How is it that you were in the mausoleum when all of this began?
00:43:43
Speaker
I mean, all of the dead in the town woke up and got up out of the graveyard, and how did you come out of the mausoleum and out of the graveyard, seemingly unscathed. I had help getting out from who? Give me like, yeah he does not want to talk about it. So and I will go with the same role as previously. I don't know. Does the presence of armed people at his door provide the same bonus or is he not so
00:44:14
Speaker
Cowed. Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Yeah, take the same bonus. Okay, that is a better roll. Plus that's 15 plus... Christmas four plus... 24. You see tears begin to welcome Victor's eyes. Don't know why, just because she hadn't been dead that long, but Reina was still in there when she woke up.
00:44:41
Speaker
oh She was strong as to the magic and to Mark. And so she grabbed me and we ran until we got to the top of the steps. Then I watched her change. Then she tried to kill me.
00:44:52
Speaker
Anything else? Oh, I'd like to know whether I believe him. I'm not yeah super good at that part, but I'll try. Well, with my plus zero wisdom and my plus one for my level, that is a 19. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You get the sense that Victor is selling you the truth. And you didn't see anyone else come out. No, I didn't. And you didn't bring anything out with you. Just the two lips. We saw the two lips. I took some down every day. I see. Right. Thanks. Lance is back at the rest of you.
00:45:21
Speaker
Valka's just gonna nod. We're good. Valka's gonna chime in before the door closes. It's just, I'm sorry for that. You had to go through the loss of her twice. I did make sure that her grave was presentable, that the tulips were back with her, at least in her grave. Sorry for... Thanks.
00:45:43
Speaker
He's going to give a thumbs up and just say. Nix takes her boot out of the door, out of the door jam. The door shuts. Don't feel the need to say don't leave town. So I guess when the door shuts, Kaz just means, okay, here's the deal with Terrence and kind of sews you guys in on his curmudgeonliness and that he, like, since that's who, oh gosh, I forgot their names already in the Allen kitten. Titian Darrow.
00:46:09
Speaker
Tish, I was gonna say Tig, I knew that was wrong. Tendero kind of pointed us in that direction. I kind of fill you guys in on some things about Terrace, the fort sitter. What about Taurus? He could have been trying to bring someone back. It's his sister-in-law that is dead.
00:46:25
Speaker
Right. But that death is lost but that but and that death cost him his wife. Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah. I was just trying to get my ducks in a row. i I don't know which ones would be more worth our time to talk to. I i mean, we got time for both, right? So we have time. I feel like we should probably chase after the people that we now know are more directly involved.
00:46:51
Speaker
This is Zao, by the way. Hi, and because yeah it' so I'm Kaz. What are we doing? yeah i couldn't I do that all the time. I don't know why I decided you are time for it. I think especially because we know that the dead person is Lazar. So we probably should circle that whole weird.
00:47:13
Speaker
love family, love affair, and the family members within that before trying to go back to talk to a very cranky boss to try to find an amulet amongst the many things he potentially collects. I'll smash all his English, I don't care. I don't think you should do that. I don't, that doesn't sound very smart. Selena just kind of put their hand on.
00:47:39
Speaker
I've been to problem solving, guys. I don't know what to tell you. I agree. I'll destroy it. I don't care. OK, so you're going to go try to track down Taurus. All right. Then we will figure out how that goes next time. So thank you all so much for listening. When we pardon conversations during this episode, you can hover to our Discord, the link to which is on all of our socials, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter. We also have a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash e-pantheon, where I do TTRPG related videos.
00:48:04
Speaker
Philip, another YouTube channel called the Laughing Tree, where we have another actual play that's on both YouTube and Spotify called Blades and Banners. It's Pirates. True. All right. Period. Thank you all so much for listening. I've been your game master, Eric. I'm Nia. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Madison. I'm Jeff. We'll see you next time.