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C1 Ep. 5 Finding a Trail Chapter 1
944 Plays8 years ago
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It’s time for our heroes return home, and figure out what comes next. The hunt for Jacob continues, but new tactics are needed if the heroes want to rescue the young boy. Join us and discover what new leads rise up and where the trail leads on Eberron Renewed!
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Transcript
Opening Quote and Episode Introduction
00:00:06
Speaker
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu.
00:00:46
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode five of Eberron Renewed, a D&D fifth edition actual play podcast set in the Eberron campaign setting. I am your dungeon master, Eric.
00:00:56
Speaker
D20
Session Two Recap and Artifacts Discovery
00:00:57
Speaker
radio, your game is rolled.
00:00:57
Speaker
I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. This is actually the start of our second session of play. So we've all had some time to forget, forget, think about playing. Yeah. Why don't you guys tell me and the listeners what happened last time?
00:01:15
Speaker
After defeating Dreck, we fought some skeletons in a hidden burial chamber, and each of us found an artifact. Beric found an amulet that allowed him to transform the more necrotic nature of his magical powers into radiant damage every now and again, which is pretty cool.
00:01:35
Speaker
My character found the armor that is very shiny. Yeah, and then Lyle, who is Dex, found an ancient weapon that is called a ribbon weave that is essentially a whip that is a sword or a sword that is a whip. It's real rad. And it also has the ability to light up with the power of daylight once in a while.
00:02:00
Speaker
What's every now and again? When I remember it does. Okay. We found the shiny objects and had to fight some skeletons to get those things and then we continued on past that to some shadows that popped out that we defeated.
Mission to Find Jacob
00:02:15
Speaker
The whole crux of our mission was to find this boy Jacob and we did find him there at the very end right before he was passed into a portal to another dimension or realm or plane or something. Yeah. And we just got
00:02:27
Speaker
big bossed hard by a malevolent being and he killed Aiko and that is where we stopped because none of us had any idea how to go on after that. So Jacob's gone and I guess we're heading back to town to let his dad know. Yeah. So essentially for the start of this session, we're going to have a bit of a time jump to the next morning after you all have taken a long rest. Presumably you went and informed Trant as soon as you got back or what? Absolutely. Because he would have been awake.
00:02:57
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And he was obviously as distraught as you would expect him to be. The only real question, I don't want to get into a role-playing theme with this, but what type of tone would you have conveyed to him in regards to Jacob's future?
00:03:14
Speaker
I guess, would you have been very hopeful and allowed him to hold on to hope? Would you have been more realistic of we're going to do our best, but we don't really know how to move forward here? What what type of tone would you have taken with Trent? I don't think those are mutually exclusive. I think that you can be realistic. We can convey the realistic expectations while still trying to keep him hopeful. OK. I mean, I think that's what I mean. That's what we would have done. OK. I think I don't know, guys. I assume that like I would have started the talk and you would have.
00:03:45
Speaker
Not allowed we would have left you We'll meet you at the end Okay, Eric doesn't say anything and in this he's just He has no idea how to deal with this, right? Okay
00:03:59
Speaker
So after many hard fought battles and getting your butt whooped a little bit there at the end, go and rest up, lick your wounds and level up. So hooray. But the next morning, one of the first things that happened is presumably you all have your own lodgings within Miss Marsh.
Reflections and Prophecy
00:04:18
Speaker
I would expect you're not like roommates. It's not like the real world. No, there's not a barracks or something. I don't think I wouldn't think so.
00:04:26
Speaker
Actually, in this case, I've been thinking about this. Eric spends the entire night sitting in a corner of Red Wolf Inn, poring over his mother's journal, trying to find anything he can that will be of aid in dealing with this situation.
00:04:44
Speaker
I just have a little cot in somebody's house that I sleep in. That's what I was used to for like 10 years. It's a different person's house each night. They draw the short straw for the week. I think that Lyle went home and went to sleep, understood that there was nothing more that could be done that night. He was already tired. He was wounded and understood that in order to be his best self the next day, he'd get moving. It required recuperation.
00:05:09
Speaker
Well, given the events of last night, life still moves on in Miss Marsh. So the deputies are needed at the sheriff's office. So Graham is waiting outside for you all to approach. She looks exhausted and kind of freaked out. And when she sees you all approaching, it's clear that you are the three people she is looking for. Do you all say anything as you approach or do you let her get the first word? I'm surprised we have a choice and she doesn't just start talking.
00:05:35
Speaker
You are approaching and seeing her from a distance, so you could- Beric's making for the door. I don't think he's in a state of mind to deal with whatever minor trinket she's lost. Okay. I'm giving her like a shoulder-level wave, like just like bring the hand a little bit because I see- because like I know where she's at the town, so I'm just- Hello. I think I walk past as well. If she wants to talk to us, I mean, more pressing things than what we assume she has to say. Once you all get with an earshot, she begins to say,
00:06:02
Speaker
I had a vision last night while you all were away. A figure made of brilliant silver light appeared in my room while I was in bed. A majestic voice said, I don't understand what this means, but it said to me, to retrieve youth, the fiendblood must find the shaper of his own. The darkness will creep into the light, and the light that holds the shadow must venture to the darkness to stop the sun from snuffing out.
00:06:32
Speaker
Well, we have something in common because I don't know what that means. I also don't know what that means. But, I mean, obviously there are trigger things in there that we would immediately, this is something that we need to pay attention to. I assume demon blood. Fiend blood. Fiend blood. My brain went to wherever it wanted to. Fiend blood sounds like scary blood, but the only people with scary blood I know is me.
00:06:55
Speaker
Well, but who knows what we haven't. Like, I mean, here's what we know. We know a youth is missing and this has to return the youth. We know that it's talking about lights and shadows and we happen to have weapons and artifacts that are called shadow thing and light things. So obviously this is something that we need to ask Eric to print out more copies of so we can keep reading it. But I mean, at that point, I mean, when you guys, I invited her in, we need to.
00:07:18
Speaker
When Graham said the Fiendblood, she looked directly at you. She's presuming she doesn't know for certain, but she also knows only one person with scary blood, and that's you. So I imagine Fiendblood refers to you, young man. Maybe. What gave it away?
00:07:38
Speaker
the horns so it was it was the fiend blood must return to its shaper the to retrieve youth the fiend blood must find the shaper of his own okay okay so i have no idea what that means but well somebody that shaped you in your youth oh i think i know
00:08:01
Speaker
Okay, so that was that one. What's the next stanza shadow will come into the light darkness will creep into the light and The light that holds the shadow must venture to the darkness to stop the Sun from snuffing out Well, those are a little more obtuse. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what that means
00:08:19
Speaker
But we got it written down. All right, Graham. Um, thank you for, um, for coming and telling us that, uh, I don't know if you've heard, uh, Jacob went missing. Clearly what you received last night is, is some, some, some force that's going to help us.
00:08:34
Speaker
get him back although not in the most helpful way apparently that he could but thank you if you have if you have others please come in and let us know in the meantime I hope you understand we're not gonna be searching for trinkets for a while so you're just gonna take those to us small claims police officers as opposed to us so I have a great day I take it you didn't find my locket
00:08:58
Speaker
No, we did. We did not find your locket. We didn't. We didn't go into that room, apparently. We let her learn in the last episode. No, we did not find your
Rookin's Request and Lightning Rail Mission
00:09:07
Speaker
locket. And I'm gonna be real honest with you, we're not really searching for it right now, Graham. Sorry. Okay. If we see it, we'll get it to you. Okay.
00:09:15
Speaker
Alright. As you all enter the sheriff's office, walking past Graham as she shuffles on, you all see a figure in the sheriff's office talking to Albin, who's already behind the desk. And the figure is standing, you all note, very regally dressed. And as you all enter, he turns to look at you and goes, Barak, who are your friends? You recognize this figure as your second cousin?
00:09:45
Speaker
Rookin Irkhlarn, Albin's father. Oh. Prime Minister, this is Drakonos and Lyle. Real nice.
00:10:02
Speaker
Pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is the Prime Minister of Vreland Rücken-Erklarn. I put my hand out. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. He kind of looks at your hand and gives a little dry smirk and shakes it begrudgingly almost. Like, it is very clear that he does not consider any of you on his level. Sure. Well, when he takes his hand, when we break the handshake, I wipe my hand off my shirt very clearly in front of him.
00:10:32
Speaker
I see him shake the hand and I'm like, oh, we're shaking hands. And so I want to go too, but because I don't, I don't catch it at all. You don't understand what's happening. That's fine. He looks at you and shakes your hand as well. And I look like this, a very happy grin.
00:10:50
Speaker
So my son tells me that there was some commotion last night. He had to tell me what happened. The boy went missing into the faded forest and we pursued him, but we arrived too late. Something opened a portal into, well, we really don't know where. And the boy was handed through as we arrived. We were not able to stop it.
00:11:20
Speaker
Now, according to my son, many of the townsfolk think it to be goblin-related. There are goblins out there, but this was not related to them. In fact, they were... they aided us in finding... working towards finding the boy. The goblins are completely not involved. Well, goblins are notoriously cunning. They may have simply helped you to cover their tracks, so we can't rule them out totally.
00:11:47
Speaker
Anyway, he kind of turns and looks down at Albin with this very disappointed look, and where were you? You could have been with this potty, brought some honor onto our name, but no, you were at home asleep, weren't you, Albin? This is where we watch Eric have a conversation with himself. That's not gonna happen. He turns back to all of you and says, well, in spite of
00:12:13
Speaker
Your dealings last night. I have a request of you. I was in here discussing things with my son, seeing if he could spare you for a bit. I'm sure you all are aware that we have been working diligently to build a lightning rail station in Mistmarsh, which you all are aware of this. Oh, I forgot. Everyone's got some, like, steam bunking. Yeah, the Walmart's coming in.
00:12:40
Speaker
Gonna take out the mom-pop, mom-pop blacksmith. We are. That's good news for Jacob's dad. Yeah, your son's missing and you're going under. God, I hate big artificer.
00:12:55
Speaker
connecting new Kaya to Shawn via a lightning rail that's a more direct route than what we currently have and that's what brought me here the conductor stones have been laid the station is finished so I took the journey here on the lightning rail and I would
00:13:12
Speaker
Ask you three to join me in my journey to provide protection to some high-value persons that we will be picking up in Nukiah and taking to Shon. You don't think we are to stay here and try to find out what happened to that boy?
00:13:28
Speaker
Well, doesn't sound like there's much to be done now. If it's talking about planes and things of that nature, what would you do? Go back into the forest now. Yeah, I mean, there's plenty of research. Draconos, when he said the name of the city, Sharn, something clicked in your brain and connected because you're on the path with that riddle that Graham threw out there. The last known location that you have of the figure that shaped your youth is Sharn.
00:13:59
Speaker
Oh It's not it's not like a town sharn is like the big metropolis of so it is a real end. Yeah. Oh Okay, cool. That's just the last place that that's the last place that you knew he was headed. Okay. I think he's my second cousins Father maybe no
00:14:16
Speaker
My second cousin is Eilatse, okay. That connects that if you're going to follow the line of Graham's vision, Sharn is not a bad place to go. Listen, Prime Minister.
00:14:33
Speaker
Yes. Listen, it's not that I don't appreciate the opportunity you're giving us to do something else, but I think that we need to stay here. We just heard this crazy prophecy thing that we need to research that. We need to go back into the forest, talk to the goblins some more, see if they know. I mean, one of the goblins was standing right there with us when we lost Jacob, and we need to ask him to ask his people what they know. There's a boy missing, and we need to
00:15:01
Speaker
Well, I- Interrupt! She was on a roll, so I was like, I'll wait till he's done. Because that's what you do, is you keep talking until someone interrupts you! I didn't want to be rude. Daconis isn't rude. Well, I think- Hang on, don't you both agree? No! I absolutely- No! My turn!
00:15:27
Speaker
I think we should do what he says, because like you said, we got that crazy riddle from from Graham Graham, and... Wait, what'd you call her? Just Graham! I know, I like, like, Graham Cracker? What do you call her? What? What you were talking about that she said was the crazy prophecy thing that she got, but one of the things that I noticed
00:15:53
Speaker
It has something to do with this town he wants us to go to, so I think we should go.
00:16:28
Speaker
Oh, you didn't get what I was saying? No. Okay. Well, I thought you, I just, everyone speaks in weird obtuse rhyme now is what I was all for all I could tell. Well, okay. So you remember the part that she was talking about, like the theme blood and to save the boy. He has to find his maker, shaper, shaper. Yeah, sure. Yeah. What if, get this. What if the theme blood thing is me? Therefore the shaper, my master made me paladin.
00:16:35
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. Dex doesn't take takes yet. We're going to step away and have a brief conversation at Prime Minister.
00:16:55
Speaker
Last time I thought, last time I saw him, he was in this, this shorn place. Or yeah, I'd see him. He was heading there. But like, if he's there, you know, like the boy could be there. And then yo, what's up? That is literally all you had to say. Let's go to shorn. Oh, all right. Cool. I mean, Eric, right. I mean,
00:17:15
Speaker
I don't understand how you're not super horny for this next poem history thing. And Feenblood, why are you not already on the train? Alright. I'm gonna shine. Hey, we can take some books. Well, I think I have one of the only books in this town.
00:17:32
Speaker
Well, then I guess no one can keep you from taking it. This is so dumb. I guess, would you tell, since he's your relative, that we're going to accept, or we're not really accepting, we're acquiescing, because he's told us to do it. Beric, step-seconds. If you really feel that this is more important, then, yes, we'll go to Sean. Very well. The train will take us to New Caya, and then we will pick up the people that we need to pick up and return to Sean.
00:18:00
Speaker
Who are we picking up? Yeah, who are we working with? Well, the person of interest that I've, we really need to have protected is we are going to be bringing Prince Orgev to Shon for talks with King Boranell. You all know Prince Orgev is the displaced Prince of Cair, that is now the Mornland. So, but Cairan refugees have started up a new city in Breeland called New Cair, which is where he lives.
00:18:25
Speaker
So any business you all want to resolve before basically the train will depart the next morning? So you have one last day in Miss Marsh? Yeah, anything I I mean we need our if you guys want to come you can Lyle would go to Trent and tell him that we're not abandoning If you want to play that out we can but I would like to gather
00:18:46
Speaker
And I'm assuming that Graham's shack or whatever she lives in contains any of the other books that exist in this town. You know, I have a question. I said I'm going to go to Tran. Because what I would do, we live in a world where there is mundane magic and deities
00:19:06
Speaker
demonstrably exist. Therefore, if I were to say to him, Graham had a vision, a prophecy that matches pretty closely to some things that we've already seen, he wouldn't be like, I can't believe you're doing that. He would at least there would be a smidge of skepticism simply given the source. Fair enough. But but it's not like he he'd think we were chasing something completely irrelevant. Okay, I just wanted to make sure is that I mean, that's how I would explain it. He would just be honest with Trent because he's missing his child. I'm just looking for any
00:19:34
Speaker
Any books that exist about the fading forest, if there are any here, there may not be. The only book that really catches your eye, because Graham obviously invites you in and is all matronly and stuff, that you may peruse my books as long as you bring them back.
00:19:50
Speaker
of course you scan them and the only title that really jumps out at you given what's on your mind currently she doesn't have anything titled like history and secrets of the faded forest but the one that kind of jumps out to you is history and edicts of the silver flame okay go ahead and give me an investigation check real quick Barrick
Magical Investigations and Diplomacy
00:20:11
Speaker
22, 22. One other thing that you notice, it's not a book, but just something that catches your eye, strikes you as a little odd, and then you move on. There is a small painting of a young girl on Graham's desk in very ornate clothing, and it's a very regal-looking picture that is painted.
00:20:32
Speaker
What's this picture of? Oh, that's me and my youth. Where did you live in your youth? Oh, I'm from a train originally. How did you find yourself in Mistmarch?
00:20:45
Speaker
Oh, you know, woman gets older and I was unmarried, so just wanted to strike out on my own. I was in a situation where my skills were no longer needed and I just wanted a simple life outside of Thrain, which tends to be a lot more restrictive than Brayland.
00:21:09
Speaker
Your skills? What did you do? You get the sense that she's kind of... she doesn't like this line of questioning. She's getting very... closed up. She was not a prostitute. I get the sense that she may have been a sort of concubine courtesan? You can give me a... Philip gets that sense, but does Barak. Right. You can give me a persuasion check if you want to try and get her to reveal a little bit more.
00:21:38
Speaker
Well, that is 10. No, she's done talking about it. It's like, oh, I just helped people. I see. And provided them guidance. So as I continue to peruse her bookshelf, I also make use of my new Eldritch Invocation, which is Eldritch Sight. Okay. I can detect magic at will. Okay. And so... Barak's eyes kind of glaze over silver and he starts
00:22:06
Speaker
just looking around the room okay trying to be circumspect you notice something very odd there's a small box on her her desk next to the picture the box itself
00:22:21
Speaker
There's like residual magic, but whatever was the source of this magic is no longer there. Is there anything interesting about the box? It's a very nice looking box. It looks a little weathered, but it's clearly a master craftsman made this box. There's some ornate inlays and carvings. Is she looking at me? Probably not intently. She thinks you're still looking at the books and stuff like that, which are also on her desk. So you're just kind of
00:22:47
Speaker
If you want to open the box, I need a stealth check. She's going to know you did it because you're going to turn it black. Minimize the length of the contact. It takes a little bit. I pick up a stick and I open the box. Use my short sword. 24. Yes, she has no idea that you're opening this box.
00:23:11
Speaker
Tip it open. Anything inside? It is lined with very fine velvet. Once again, just, but whatever was holding this box, it is empty. Okay. Um, and there's no like runes on it for me to read or anything. No, nothing like that. Okay. I close it again. Okay.
00:23:29
Speaker
I say thank you very much for the loan of the book. I'll be sure to return it as soon as I may. Very well. Good day. So that was scene with Graham. Lyle, you're going to talk to Trant? Yes. So you walk in and it's very clear, or you knock on the door, and when he answers, it's clear he has not slept at all. Hey, Trant. Listen, can I come in for just a minute?
00:23:54
Speaker
Fine. Thanks. You may want to have a seat. There's no more bad news. I don't know what you can even consider worse news. I understand that. But I need to tell you where we're at in the investigation. We are tracking down what we believe to be a good lead on how we can get Jacob back. I need you to bear with me for just a minute while I tell you what happened this morning.
00:24:19
Speaker
And I just, I tell him the riddle and without, cause it's not my story to tell without giving too much away about Jack's story. I want to say we, we know some things about that prophecy. We know that we need to, to at least try to get some, some, some information and meet up with some people in Sean and we've just been given an opportunity to get to Sean with relatively safe passage from the prime minister.
00:24:48
Speaker
We're leaving town for... Honestly, I couldn't tell you how long we're gonna be gone, but we're not giving up on Jacob. I want you to know that we're still working towards it. This is still the most important thing, at least for me, is helping you get your kid back. Don't think we're abandoning anybody, because we have to leave town for a lot. I just wanted to give you that information, because I know that you deserve to know what we're doing. And also... Very well.
00:25:15
Speaker
Just find my boy. We're gonna do our best. I promise you that we'll at least be better equipped to do what we need to do when we come back. In the meantime, do you have any studded leather on? That's not true, I don't say that. Draconis, anything new? I'm outside. I assume like the children are still like
00:25:42
Speaker
The children of the town, do they kind of know what's going on with Jacob? Yeah, I mean Julian and Farah wouldn't have been quiet about the fact that Jacob had run off into the Fated Forest. Okay, so there's not really kids playing outside and stuff like that? Most of the parents are kind of freaked out. They're... Okay, then I'm just probably chilling outside the bar playing with Cashew.
00:26:01
Speaker
as you're chillin' outside the bar. I love it. I love this dumb demon, this sweet demon. The door opens to the inn and Farlin, the dwarf that got into the fight last night and that gave the side eye to Lyle, walks out with a bag and a barrel of ale just over his shoulder and he stops and turns and looks down at you, looks at the mouse, looks back to you. Well,
00:26:29
Speaker
Looks like we're gonna be traveling together. Oh. It spreads fast in this town. Yeah. I didn't know you were going. Yeah, I gotta get to Charne, do some trading. This tiny town of 500 people is not the only place that I sell my ale, so. Oh, okay.
00:26:58
Speaker
Well, I hope it's a relatively safe trip and that all goes well.
00:27:09
Speaker
We'll see. What do you mean we'll see? Well, I mean, Albin was telling people that you all were hired to provide protection and I don't imagine the Prime Minister would spend money bringing people on if he thought nothing was going to happen. So we'll see. And he just walks off. Okay, bye. He says nothing.
00:27:33
Speaker
Okay. So unless there's any other business that you all want to take care of. Let's go. Yeah, I'm set. Okay. You see Betsy on the train platform crying as she sends you bid you all farewell. Um, I don't say anything cause I know I'm going to a bigger city.
00:27:51
Speaker
Okay. Wow. So you're the worst. He's not a good person. So the train has four different cars to it. There's obviously the conductor car in the front, followed by the dining car, then the sleeping car and the cargo hold.
00:28:12
Speaker
in the rear. So those are your four cars. As you all get onto the train, Farlin and Rookin are sitting at separate tables in the dining car, just kind of watching the landscape start to go by, sitting there quietly. They're not really engaging with each other.
00:28:29
Speaker
Eric has also got his books set up on a tape set out on a table He's got the the journal open here and he's Silver flame book he's got this little Black Jim broach amulet thing set on the table as well and he's just sort of back and forth. Okay studying I'm playing solitaire. Okay, what food do they have in the dining?
00:28:55
Speaker
I want to know because I want to be specific. They have pie. Can I see a menu? Oh my gosh. They have pie. He's eating pie. All your dreams come true in this car. They have pie. Oh, I'm so happy. What kind of pie would you like? Pumpkin preferably, but he'll also accept Apple. Okay. This is a real all American demon. One of the workers brings you a piece of pumpkin pie. Oh, I'm so happy.
00:29:20
Speaker
after probably about once you all are firmly out of town and the train is up to full speed Farlin comes over to talk to all of you and kind of does not want to be with an earshot of rukin so kind of nods you all over to a table opposite the dining car from him do you all i think i begrudgingly stand up like what
00:29:44
Speaker
I realize that we're stuck with him and I've learned lately that some diplomacy is a good thing. So I get up and I start walking and I kind of make eye contact with the two of them and I obviously don't order anything because I can't do that, but I kind of, let's just give it a shot. Okay. I'm going to be honest. It's going to take something less subtle than a nod or eye contact because Barak's head is like literally down hovering over these books. I pull out my ribbon.
00:30:14
Speaker
No, I just, uh, I just, I kind of knock on the table near where you're looking. All right. Barrett gets up and follows him down. You can bring your pie. Okay. Wait, can you run me again? Just cause I forgot who the other guy, the ryukin guy or whatever. The prime minister of Breland Albans father. Okay. He's the one who sent us on this. Okay. And Rook is just sitting there reading a copy of the sharn inquisitive.
00:30:37
Speaker
just flipping through the pages do we know what that is yeah i mean i know i don't know what that is it's one of the biggest newspapers in breland it's kind of a it's a tabloid yeah is it the quibbler it's it's kind of a trash a trash paper it's a tabloid his brother owns it
00:30:55
Speaker
Okay, so I mean I've heard a couple different stories spreading around the town about what happened. What really happened? Did you see Jacob? What happened to him? Who did you encounter that could have possibly had something to do with this? Because we've known him for a while and he's rough and grumble.
00:31:17
Speaker
is it would he be generally considered i don't know like do people still like him even though he's kind of they love him he makes the best ale like well i guess yeah because i mean i i don't know if i trust him at this point that was what i was going to ask is he doesn't we clearly he and i don't get along but i think it's because i'm the law and he's a rabble rouser but would i trust him knowing
00:31:43
Speaker
There's no indication for you to distrust and he's just he's the brewmaster of Miss Marsh Say Listen Farlin We're still processing a lot of it ourselves. But yes, we did see Jacob and we don't know what became of him except for that This I don't know. Would you guys describe it like a portal? I don't know. I worked out any of that like
00:32:08
Speaker
This is something Barak's kind of obsessed with, so... Yeah, like, I don't think Lyle has the words, despite some of his backstory, I don't think Lyle has the words for inter-planal travel to, you know... Is this Arcana? Yeah, if you can give me an Arcana check.
00:32:24
Speaker
You are killing it today. Yeah, I'm not gonna last in combat though. Yeah, that's just gonna turn off in combat 22. Okay You've been able to make out that the archway was clearly connected to another Plane because like dimensions aren't really a thing in everyone but you would know enough about the planes to put that together Can I surmise which plane or?
00:32:50
Speaker
top of your list would be Mahbar, but there are some other potential just because you don't have enough to go on solely for that.
Portal Discoveries and Journey Continuation
00:33:00
Speaker
You have some suspicions that it's an archway that somehow connects to the plane of Mahbar.
00:33:09
Speaker
What does Barrick know about that? Philip knows plenty about that. What information would Barrick have on? Academically shadow plane. Yeah, darkness, bad stuff. Yeah. The eternal night, that sort of thing. Yeah. Okay.
00:33:25
Speaker
Well, then, then, okay. So, what kind of portal? Like, what did it look like? What was it made of? What did you see beyond it? Nothing. Darkness. Eternal night. Uh, listen, Farland. Probably the plane of Magmar. We saw some grabby hands. Yeah, Farland. Wherever they took Jacob, there were definitely other people trapped there. We saw that. Which is, you know, why we're still hopeful. Obviously, if others are trapped there, Jacob's not.
00:33:55
Speaker
I don't like saying this. We don't think he's dead yet. Everyone give me an insight check. You say he's probably dead? Yes. I think, I don't think he's dead yet. Insight check. I don't remember what we have for that. Wisdom. Wisdom. Oh, uh, 15 for me. Seven. Draconos, you kind of pick up that it looks like Farland's gears are turning very quickly. He's like processing this information and there's like,
00:34:24
Speaker
he's clearly half listening to you and also like just processing it very quickly. And it seems to be very what you're saying is very meaningful to him. So besides, you know, kind of how we've described it, we don't really have anything to go on. All we know is what we saw. Do you know anything that could
00:34:46
Speaker
Were there any denizens of the portal defending it? Did you have to fight your way to it? Shadows. Just shadows? Living shadows. Not just shadows. They attacked us. That sets them apart from other shadows. Well, and then there were those zombie goblins.
00:35:04
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, there were some undead goblins. They were undead, kind of. Farlin almost gave it corrupted. Yeah. And then there was there was something that the thing that handed the boy through the portal. But do I know it? Were we able to identify that? Is there something we can
00:35:21
Speaker
I mean... It was a dude, right? No, there was a big humanoid figure. Right, that was the thing, it was a large humanoid was all... And I don't recall if we got a clearer description of him, really. No, I don't even think we got a sound out of him. A lot was happening. Yeah, no, I... Okay, hang on. Eyewitnesses not being very reliable on all that. Now... There was a dragon, a... demand bear... I killed four orcs by myself.
00:35:48
Speaker
Um, that's not true. I don't say that in character. Uh, no, but you continuing my, uh, meta game talk. He, uh, Draconos noticed the wheels turning, but now that he started asking more detailed questions, can I roll to see if Lyle starts picking up? He may know something more. I want to, I want to ask you if he knows anymore, but I don't want to do it unless Lyle would. Yeah. I mean, you can give me a either insider perception. We're going to go with perception.
00:36:18
Speaker
That is a 21. Okay. Yeah. You noticed that he's being, you don't know to what end. You don't know if it's just concerned for the boy or what, but he's being overly inquisitive about the situation. All right. Hey, listen, Farlin. Um, I got no problem admitting my shortcomings in the area of the knowledge of this sort of stuff, but it seems your other shortcomings that you need to acknowledge, Lyle. All right. I kick him across.
00:36:45
Speaker
I pick up the door. Can I roll for throat war now? No, listen, I'm trying to have a conversation here. I'm trying to help train his boy back. Can you just be cool for like a second? All right. I don't know this stuff, but I can't help but notice you got a lot of questions. Do you have some background in this that we don't know about? Is there something you can bring to the table here? No, just brew ale and Miss Marsh. I don't buy
00:37:16
Speaker
You can roll some things. Yeah, no, I just, I keep rolling. Yeah, I'm gonna roll for, what is it? It's a game predicated on rolling dice, Jeff. It's okay if you roll. Oh, no, it could be. Barak is like, I don't know why everyone's asking all these questions. A natural one on my insides. Right, so, inside, inside. I don't understand why we're being so, so pushy about this. It's just, you know, inside check. Just a humble brewer. Four. God. Seriously. You can make it two if you want. Seriously. Okay, I might as well. You're being rude. See what's going on with me over here.
00:37:46
Speaker
Gosh, I do, okay. We all forget what we were doing and go back to our tables. I feel like we've been extremely rude and I'd like to apologize to Farlin for questioning his motives. All right. Yeah, no. I'm sorry, Farlin. I didn't. I wasn't questioning your motives. I thought you might be able to help us, that's all. No, you're fine. All right, so what else? I mean, is there anything else you want?
00:38:09
Speaker
I'd like to go back to collect it myself. Yeah, my thoughts So unless you're something else you need or can help us with I'm gonna head back. No. All right, Barrick walks back to the table and then use I I point at the bride. I'm like you should get some of this. It's really good And then I'm gonna go back in God, I wish I'd rolled that better
00:38:31
Speaker
Okay, so after some very uneventful travel, allowing you all to gather yourselves, do you notice that the lightning rail begins to slow? And if you all were to glance out the window, you see a small settlement approaching your view.
00:38:48
Speaker
It's getting closer. We're getting closer to it. By your perspective, it's getting closer. This town is rushing at us. It's getting closer from a certain point bearing its teeth. I can't remember. Is Nukire close enough that we can see the mornland from here? Probably in the distance you can see Gray mist on the horizon. Okay. Does that jack you up? I don't know.
00:39:11
Speaker
As the train began to slow, Rookin had put his paper away, he's getting very done up, and you see Rookin kind of rush off the platform to shake hands of a very handsome, like mid-30s...
00:39:32
Speaker
See how you were describing them Just very very handsome mid 30s young go on very charismatic Mid 30s young man. Yeah, that makes me feel really good. Yeah
00:39:48
Speaker
By his side is something like you all are taken with just the chiseled features, but then you immediately go to the giant dragonborn that is standing next to him in very ornate armor and has a sword, shield, just your prototypical paladin, but it's a giant silver dragonborn. Have I ever seen a dragonborn before?
00:40:12
Speaker
Have you? In your travels? No. Okay. I have. Okay. I mean, they're... Yeah. Well, I forget what their faces look like. You remind me? Like a dragon. Dragons. Well... Some dragons have horns. Does he have horns? No, they do not have horns. Okay. Well, I'm st- Sorry, your thing- Are you looking for something in common? Yeah! I'm looking for like a beard bros thing going on. You're both paladins? Is that not enough for you? I guess it is, but...
00:40:37
Speaker
It's not instinctual. Typically, if I meet somebody with the same job I have, I have more in common with them than somebody who also has a beard. That's awesome. Never mind. This is how he thinks, okay? Fair enough. So, I've never seen a dragonborn, and I'm so flabbergasted. Okay. Specifically, I look how, when Philip just showed me what it looks like, I was like, that's so cool.
00:41:02
Speaker
Um, so Rookan is just putting on the cheese with Orgev and just bowing to him and gesturing him onto the train. This is natural enough that Beric does actually make the effort for the first time in the last couple of days to actually, like, straighten his clothes. Okay. Lyle takes a moment to dust a crumb off of his jacket because he noticed it. It has nothing to do with juice around him.
00:41:27
Speaker
Orgev and this dragonborn walk onto the train and there's some people moving their cargo back to the cargo car and they come in, find seats in the dining car. I mean, do you all say anything to them as they enter or do you just let them go about their business?
00:41:42
Speaker
Oh what emotion do we read just as a glance on their face? Well you can give me a insight check to just... I would like to make a perception check. They're both they're both smiling and look happy but you can get an insight check to see if anybody looks like shady or armed or you know they're carrying a bomb in their bag. Okay.
New Allies and Approaching Conflict
00:42:03
Speaker
I'm not gonna do any sort of check because genuinely because I think that
00:42:07
Speaker
Lyle recognizes that he needs to play the nobility game if he wants to get what he needs out of him later and all that sort of stuff. So I'm gonna follow Beric's lead. You shift your features to look slightly more aristocratic. Hired cheekbones. Hired cheekbones. Just a little bit.
00:42:25
Speaker
16 perception check. Okay. People getting on the train. You don't notice anybody really shady or anything. You in fact notice a lot of people are giving this Dragonborn a wide berth and by virtue of that Orgev as well. So. And I just I want to roll to see. Get a read on their emotions. I don't remember what I add to it though. Insight is wisdom. Insight is wisdom. 11.
00:42:48
Speaker
They both look happy. They both are smiling and just shaking hands kissing babies sort of thing So okay cool the dragonborn as they walk into the dining car Looks at he like sees you two and just gets this big toothy smile on his face and he kind of nods at you. Oh Oh cuz weirdos. Yeah. Oh, I totally I give like a rockin like a dude head nod back
00:43:13
Speaker
which is uncertain how to respond to that. He's really trying very hard. I really feel like I'd remember if I'd met a dragonborn. I do pick up on that. And it takes everything in me not to do some little thing when he looks at me and show him that, like, just let my nose grow, pop out, pop back, change my eye color a little bit so he knows I'm special too.
00:43:34
Speaker
But are you all sitting together or are you at separate tables? I would assume I'd taken over a table. Yeah, it would be really funny if Dracono said, I mean, there are some of my things to make room for his pie or something. That was exactly my thought was we are different tables because we're both using the services and he just picks a spot to sit across from one of us. There are enough people getting on the train now to where I mean, it might behoove you all to consolidate to a single table. I'm totally that guy on a train who would not.
00:43:59
Speaker
All right, I gather my cards up and I decide that I can be perfectly happy just riffling the deck, shuffling, and stuff like that in a smaller area across from Barrick. Barrick closes one of the books. I don't need the space. I'll do this in my hands, do what you're doing. I think it ended up helping us in the long run.
00:44:21
Speaker
So once everything kind of gets settled, you hear boom as the dragonborn paladin has pulled up a chair and sat down at your table and is looking at Draconos and Berikon like, you know, it's it's great to see some nonhumans on an expedition like this. Sometimes you feel kind of lost when there's only
00:44:43
Speaker
People like him around. No offense. Oh, oh buddy, don't take it. Don't you worry about it. Um, I'm, I'm Barasha, by the way, my friends call me Rash. I think it's personality defect, but. Okay, buddy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, well, Rash, my name's, my name's, uh, Lyle, uh, Lyle Nastras. Good to meet you. Barak Rowan. Uh, Jokarnos. Good to meet y'all. So they tell me that you all are kind of, we're going to be working together.
00:45:12
Speaker
You're the prince's bodyguard. Yeah. Yeah Protect him. I mean you're doing great so far. He's made it out. So yeah How long how long were you with him during the you were you were with him since the morning before the morning? Not this morning. Uh-huh little joke. I'm sure he thinks that jokes hilarious as you lost his homeland
00:45:33
Speaker
No, I I met the prince just about a year and a half ago In new Kaya. I I was fortunately outside of the mornland when outside of Kaya when the morning happened But I grew up in a little small town on the edge of Kaya named Oakhurst. Well, we're happy that it is weird like you all know here is
00:45:55
Speaker
Like, very human. Like, the very small population of even elves live there, so Dragonborn being raised there is odd, but...
00:46:06
Speaker
Okay. How did you get to Kire? Was it during the war? Well, I was born in Kibara and some hog goblins came in and killed my parents and a raiding party and I just kind of started wandering, ended up in Oakhurst, found a temple to Bahamut in Oakhurst.
00:46:29
Speaker
Yeah, I thought that was weird too, but the denizens of that temple took me in, they raised me, and I was pretty content to be a man of the cloth, and then this dwarf came into town that was a paladin, and that seemed really intriguing.
00:46:45
Speaker
So he started to train me and then he got called off somewhere promising to come back and then the morning happened. So I'm kind of untrained. Did you serve in the war? I would travel to battlefields and heal the wounded, protect the bodies of the fallen from scavengers and looters, things like that.
00:47:10
Speaker
Kind of a pacifist, I guess. I will defend those in need, but I'm not really the soldier type. Yeah, I protect those in need, but don't really go out seeking flights or anything like that. Nice. Dude, we have like a similar story. Both of our parents are totally dead. And then like, we both found a paladin. Like, you found one. Like, oh, this guy's awesome. And like, I was robbing him.
00:47:35
Speaker
But similar stories. So yeah, man, we got a lot in common. Good to see another man of the cloth and steel, I guess since we wear armor. But yeah, so who's your who's your God? My mother's dead. Oh, well, way to bring the mood down. Do you have your dad still going to kicking?
00:48:02
Speaker
Or is he not kicking? Well guys, I hate to raise the mood. What about your parents, Lila? Are your parents dead? Are we like a dead parents club? Are we the gang of dead parent kids? I'm sorry.
00:48:19
Speaker
Everybody in every D&D session ever has dead parents. That's how this works. My parents are dead. My brother was killed. I'm a lone wolf. Oh no, I've met all these people. We're gonna work together now. Look, it's a dragon. We killed it. Huzzah. That's how this goes. Man, you should write for IMDB. You're correct. No, um, no, I, I don't think Bear could actually ask that way. I'm sorry. I know. No, I don't think so either. No, I'm just gonna say, guys, um,
00:48:46
Speaker
This has been a fun trip down memory lane for you, I'm sure. I mean, can you tell us, Rash, what are we getting for? What are we doing? Why are we going to Sharn? What do we need to do? And also, why do he? Jesus.
00:49:07
Speaker
Why does the prince or give or give all right? Why does a prince or give need extra protection? You are very big and I have to assume it can put a hurting on people if you need to so what are we here for? Well, I I wasn't involved in hiring you obviously that was rukens Business and you might be here to protect him specifically and I'm sure that that's that's a fair point But speaking to itinerary like I asked you what do you?
00:49:34
Speaker
Well, as far as I know, we're headed straight non-stop to Sean from here on out.
00:49:40
Speaker
So just make sure, I mean, it's not common, but people rob lightning rails, bandits, thieves, things of that nature. Oh, I hate thieves. Oh, let me tell you, buddy. One thing I don't like, it's a thief. You know what I hate even more? Thieves that lie to your face, like people that you befriend and trust and then they turn out to be thieves. Oh, man. People that deceive other people. Oh, I told you I'm not a killer.
00:50:07
Speaker
but i might be so what you're saying is you uh you don't appreciate people who put on a false face yeah exactly he begins to feel uncomfortable for an entirely different reason because he begins to read into this and just very casually close this is mother's journal so so well it's it's because you know people like like draconos draconos draconos draconos and i and barrick here we can't hide our appearance we just have to
00:50:36
Speaker
deal the hand that we would dealt and you know i'm a half elf right yeah but i mean you look like a vampire so so what you're saying is you don't got fangs in its daylight so i know you're not but boy i tell you the best comic books are the ones where the heroes can't use their powers that's this is gonna be a real fun trip for everybody um so i loved iron man 3
00:51:02
Speaker
No, I get it. And more importantly, Dex gets it. I don't really know what they're expecting if they're expecting anything, but hopefully we'll get some nice gold for not doing anything. Those are the best jobs. Oh, you know what, Rash? I do like your style. Who is your god, by the way? Aw, he's got a name. I don't know. I don't remember. I picked him. And then I have forgotten.
00:51:33
Speaker
Well, I'm a paladin of Bahamut so cool I think mine's different but man if that's what you that's what you I'm I was some I thought I thought it was silver flame. Oh silver flame I thought I had I think you mean like a specific God
00:51:51
Speaker
Well, Silver Flame is a, like, deity. Oh, okay. Oh, then on that. Cosmic entity. Cosmic entity. I follow Silver Flame. Oh! You know, there's some people that think that, like, the Silver Flame and Bahamut are pretty much the same, just with some dragon dressing on the outside. Not to be offensive or anything, but, I mean, it kind of makes sense. All these divisions of religions and whatnot, but...
00:52:14
Speaker
Yeah, man. Like, whatever you feel. If whatever works for you works for you, what works for me works for me, man. Keep sailing down the river. We're going to get you a book about the religions of Iran. Thank you. Eric, very slowly slides edicts of the silver flame over to Draconis. I just did what they taught me. You might want to take a look at that. Oh, Jesus. No, the way you pronounce that, Draconis, is I was just following orders. That's how you pronounce it.
00:52:44
Speaker
Yeah, they told me what to believe, and I did. Boy. Personally, I really enjoyed every second of that exchange. Much different. As you all are sitting there talking, getting in a rash, the whistle on the lightning rail train begins to go off.
00:53:03
Speaker
at regular intervals, which is odd. And annoying, I imagine. You see Orgev and Rookin kind of get up and look out the windows and Orgev starts like he doesn't want to look away and he's kind of shocked so he's just like trying to get your attention by snapping and like pointing out the window. Is it out our side? Yes, they are looking out the same side.
00:53:29
Speaker
Bex sort of leans over towards the window and tries to sort of crane around to see what they're looking at. You see rapidly approaching the train, three earth sleds carrying warforged rapidly approaching the train. And they do not look like they're friendly. I don't think we're going to get paid to do nothing.
00:53:52
Speaker
end of episode.
00:54:10
Speaker
parent podcast and you can find that on Facebook by searching the Geek Pantheon. We're also on Twitter and Instagram at the Geek Pantheon. We'd love to have you guys join us on Facebook and really get that page going. And I also want to thank a couple of people who have kind of
00:54:29
Speaker
propped up our podcast on social media, who, who talked about us a little bit. Uh, some of, I don't know everybody who has, I apologize if I miss somebody, but so thanks a lot. Jenny Morano, Jack Walker, Jeff Norris, John Patrick, Isa Ahmad, and CJ Minard are all people who I've seen on Facebook and other areas, uh, talking about our, our show.
00:54:48
Speaker
And I also want to say thanks to Kevin McLeod. He is the composer of all of the music that we use. You can find his music at www.freepdmusic.com. Also, just want to give a shout out to Josh Boyd, who won our Reddit contest that we ran a while back for going and bumping up our posts on Reddit promoting the show. And Josh got to create a character for the campaign.
00:55:16
Speaker
And so Barasha, the dragonborn paladin, was actually his creation. Josh, what a cool character. So thank you, Josh, so much. We're actually running a similar contest right now for Eberron Renewed, where if you go leave a rating on iTunes or another podcast platform, Google Play, Stitcher, and email a screenshot of that to thegatepantheon at gmail.com.
00:55:43
Speaker
you will be entered to essentially do the same thing, create an NPC for the campaign that I will insert. And I will do my best to make them somebody of significance, kind of like what we've done with Barasha. But if you write a review for the show and send a screenshot of that, you get five entries into the drawing that we're going to do.
00:56:03
Speaker
So go leave us a rating, review, and we would love you so much for that. Just add someone to Barracks extensive family tree. Yeah. But yes, please go leave us a rating and review. It will really help us get the word out about the show. And I want to give a shout out to another podcast that has started up that has been very supportive of us, the Manifest Zone with Christian Serrano, Wayne Chang, Scott W. Scott, you don't have your name in the description of the podcast.
00:56:32
Speaker
Scott W and the creator of Eberron, Keith Baker, are doing a show about the Eberron setting and they've been talking about our show to fans. And so thank you all so much for helping us out and giving us some shout outs. So anyway, thank you for listening. We'll see you next time.