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Ep. 40 The Word Dance - Bellum Draconis
130 Plays1 year ago
Alpha’s words start to betray him as the secrets he shared with Nyx and Morotah start to come to light.
Follow us on our Twitters - @FellowshipTable
Intro written and produced by Joseph McDade
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Transcript
Introduction and Humor
00:00:00
Speaker
Callum, you ready for notes, yeah? You know? I have my pen here. Nothing to write on, but I have a pen. Just go right on your chest. Yeah, right on your body. Like Memento. And then just send here a picture of your body.
Podcast Introduction and Character Intros
00:00:47
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Fellowship of the Tabletop, Bellum Draconis. We are a live play 5e D&D podcast set in the magical homebrew world of Aerith in the Kingdom of Sleepguard. My name is Mark and I am the Dungeon Master. And also with us for this week's episode, we have Will who plays the human cleric Emron. Hey, what? We've got Darren who plays the High Elf Artifice of Rainshadow.
00:01:09
Speaker
Don't count your tips in public, Cedric. You've also got Callum, who plays the Warforged Artificer Alpha. Hello. We have no one else.
00:01:22
Speaker
Everyone's dead, Dave. I've had a tough couple of weeks and I'm taking it out on characters, apparently. We've unfortunately lost Ian and Danny again due to player deaths over the last couple of weeks and the last couple of episodes, which I'm sure you've heard and I'm sure you are as full on as I was, but not as full on as Darren was, as to their deaths. But suck off, Callum.
00:01:48
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Can I take a brief moment to announce?
Game of Thrones Reference and Setting the Scene
00:01:51
Speaker
No. Please stop sending me hate messages on Twitter. I didn't mean for more hate messages. No. More hate messages. Keep sending home hate messages. He needs to live in shame. I already live in shame. I already feel bad enough with the tears.
00:02:06
Speaker
I think we should do what they do on Game of Thrones and ding, ding. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame
00:02:34
Speaker
It's large, unfinished keep. Son's Wall, Son's Palisade, Son's Protection has fallen even further into disrepair when they came over the hill, over the horizon, and saw it in the distance, usually a sense of warmth and comfort and safety.
00:02:51
Speaker
would descend upon the group, and instead this time a sinking feeling, a feeling of dread, a feeling of, why can't we get a fucking break? Smoke rising from the armoury, from a fire that has long since gone out, still leaves a faint trickle of smoke rising high, almost as a beacon
00:03:11
Speaker
to sabotage, a beacon to damage, a beacon to a warning, perhaps.
Vordand's Demand and Confrontation
00:03:16
Speaker
As the party approached, the bold, thick, mustached, pale-skinned figure of Vordand appeared round the corner, the debtor to whom Orla
00:03:28
Speaker
and by some stretch of the party, owe him in excess of, in her own words, 3,400 gold pieces. All up until this point, it's taken the debt upon herself, and it's kept a lot of the information about the debt, about the money owed and the reasons behind it to herself as to not put added pressure on the party. But now Vaughn Dand is here, that might change. Vaughn Dand walked around the corner,
00:03:55
Speaker
and set a pithy little quippy line, I believe, about money talking and right now it's screaming. Orla responded by saying, Vordad, you're here. Vordad releases again another large white-toothed smile as he looks over the four members of the party that approach. Great. As soon as he gives us that satisfied grin with
00:04:24
Speaker
stark precision the Rubik's Cube and this little squirrel come flying out of the bag of holding, rains grass the Rubik's Cube and the armour just forms around him as he just starts to take steps towards this person.
00:04:37
Speaker
As you start to move towards him, there's a tree off to your left as you try and kind of traverse across the distance towards where he is. He's come out of like one of almost the alleyways next to the long, large hall, which you know so well. As he stands there, his hands are kind of interlinked, his fingers interlinked, his thumbs resting, always touching like a steeple on top of his slightly round belly as he leans them forward, looking unperturbed as you start to approach from either flank of his to large and extremely well-armored
00:05:06
Speaker
Guards appear. I'm talking full plate metal, large polished shield and long almost bastard length sword. These two individuals are fully masked. You can't make out a distinction feature of the human or part, anything else really, but they stand tall. They stand tall above Vawndand as well. Their weapons aren't drawn in terms of aggression, but just in terms of defending what must be their leader or commander in some way.
00:05:36
Speaker
His smile drops though as you start to come closer. What is it you intend to do with that interesting armour you have? I have the means of producing a series of painful projectiles that will have the means of getting past your two big bodyguards right there. They're gonna go square up your rectum unless you tell me why our armoury is on fire right now.
00:06:03
Speaker
He turns his head to look up at the armoury, which is off to his left, your right. It doesn't seem to be on fire anymore. Can we assume that you were responsible? For that. Yeah.
00:06:20
Speaker
One may make an assumption if you want, but until we have any proof, I think it is best to realize that that could have been the work of anyone, from the nearby goblin clans to those that might have ill wishes against you looking at them. Them goblins have been dealt with. So, you know, personally, I think a building that's practically empty, suddenly setting on fire,
00:06:50
Speaker
bit daft whoever did it he makes a interested noise in his lips purse slightly and his eyes glance to the guard on the left whose eyes kind of his head kind of moves to meet his glance ever so slightly and they both look back
00:07:08
Speaker
I tend to know much about the movement of monsters in these lands. I did not realise they had been dealt with. Pray, tell me, man, what do you mean dealt with, as in, decayed, dead, demised, or moved on? Our companion here, an emerald gesture towards Alpha, was part of the group that dealt with him. As far as I was aware, I can't remember what you said had happened to him, Alpha. Pray, come forward.
00:07:39
Speaker
Apologies, I did not hear you. Come, come, man, speak to me. For what reason have they gone on? I could pay handsomely for information. Information is the way that moves the cogs in Goldview and Aerith. Alpha not going to move toward him. He's still going to keep a little bit of safe distance, but his hands are kind of hovering round the pistol a little bit, ready almost for chaos to ensue. But it needs like most clearest voice.
00:08:10
Speaker
The goblins have moved on already. I and two of my companions, who I'm afraid are no longer with us, were able to barter a deal where they left peacefully and without qualm.
Armoury Examination and Debt Options
00:08:27
Speaker
As I rose, shoot up and down slightly at this, almost as an instinctive reaction to what you said, like you didn't really mean it to happen at all. Almost tell. I see.
00:08:39
Speaker
Would one of your companions involve the graying man who lives on the hill nearby from here? I know not of such a man. The man with the owl. Looking around at Rains and Emerald, just a quick glance as I... No. No such man is known to me. Old Gelm, you had seen travelling with him not too long ago. I have spies in the land.
00:09:08
Speaker
Oh, old girl. I'm afraid I knew him by name only. Not by sight. Interesting. Your companion seems to be an excellent fighter and be blind at the same time.
00:09:27
Speaker
Yeah, the magic missiles are still close to being primed, but what Reigns has started to do while these questions from everyone on Alpha have come in is that Reigns has glanced around and is just looking to see what other damage could have been surveyed, the potato fields, the fields that he was planting, and just how bad the damage is to the armory. So Reigns is just starting to survey the damage that he assumes this person has done.
00:09:54
Speaker
Okay, from your vantage point, you can see that the damage to the roof seems more aesthetic than anything else. The fire seems to have been put on top, as opposed to internally. It's almost done as a beacon in some way, like there's almost like the remnants of wood kindling logs, like someone has put a fire on top of the roof. The actual damage to the roof, charring.
00:10:16
Speaker
Maybe some of the wooden slats might need replacing, but the roof all in all is in all right, Nick. It's not like the entire thing's collapsed. This isn't a fire from the inside. Someone's put a fire on top here. The fields upon your entry were all as you expected as you left them. The crops are growing on slightly. Potatoes are growing well. You just caught a glimpse of your plow chugging away in one of the lower fields near the Smith yard that seems to be working fine, the armory.
00:10:45
Speaker
I love the armory. Sorry, the, what did you say? The, what was it called? The armory, not the armory. It is the armory that was thrown burning down. No, sorry, the armory, the room nearby. That's the room, the armory. I'm talking about the forge and all that stuff off to the side. Yeah, the forge, the smith. The smith. Sorry, the smith, yeah. It's been chugging around the field there. That's all seemed to be fine. The damage seems to primarily be there. Could you though, give me a perception check, please, Rains? Absolutely, Mum. Given now that you're actively looking.
00:11:14
Speaker
Good. It's good. It's a 19. You noticed that on your approach, after you've surveyed, you're looking around as this conversation takes place, and you notice in the mud, the slightly thick and claggy mud around the keep that seems to sit so often and causes so much issues with getting off before entering into the keep, that there is more footprints than three.
00:11:40
Speaker
there could be nine on 10, 11 sets of footprints that seem to enter into the keep that none seem to come out. They could pass through. They could have gone through the other side, but none of them are the route that you would normally take. Normally, you take the routes to the right, which heads through some of the other buildings. You check on them before entering into the hall. These go along the kind of alleyway directly towards the hall, a route that you and Orla and others tended never to take when you took this northern road.
00:12:07
Speaker
or care to be in Latin as about who these folk are before I do something that I'm likely to regret. She'll let out a slight cough and then almost as a presentation. This is, this is Vordant. He is a debtor amongst other names, which I'm sure he'll want to call himself a surveyor of goods.
00:12:38
Speaker
I don't know what else he'd want to call himself. He's the head of the Bortz Ghostfire Legion, a small band of mercenaries that in his extreme wealth he's brought in. I believe these two are members of such a group and he is the person I owe
00:13:02
Speaker
3400 gold pieces too, and he quips up at that. 3421, given the journey we made to get here. Prices go up. Travel is not cheap in these parts, Ola. You know that.
00:13:17
Speaker
Well then perhaps you want to just go back to Goldview and stop trespassing and you know let us earn the money to pay you back and you know you can fuck off and we'll see you later. At this Rains will lower the helmet before stepping out of the suit and just eyeing up this man and we'll just glance around and go you brought a lot of finer
00:13:42
Speaker
people with you and you brought a merry band with you judging by those footprints for what I can assume is some form of negotiation because actually that that fire that's happened on that roof it seems as if that's more so to get someone's attention well congratulations you got my attention so how about you tell us why you've come here with a bunch of brigands and there we'll go from there
00:14:07
Speaker
His face is unmoved, stoic stone as you speak reigns, and then all of a sudden it bursts into life. I don't like to resort to violence, but sometimes it's the only language people understand. These are merely here as a backup plan, let us say.
00:14:30
Speaker
But before... Well, let's just do a bit of a retcon here. I come from the Kingdom of Shadowman that I happen to be proficient in...
00:14:40
Speaker
The common tongue, in the elven tongue, in the sylvan tongue, in the orchish tongue a little bit, and it's the draconic I'm pretty good with, and I can also speak primordial, the language of the Ganesi. So lots of languages to resist the need to resort to the language of violence, I hope. Well, my good man, I unfortunately only speak common, so I can only use the language that my mother and father were so kindest to bestow upon me.
00:15:07
Speaker
I'm very pleased for your exploits and obviously must have had a very good upbringing in order to learn so many languages. I can appreciate that. I know you're tired, so how about you just leave? We'll get on with our stuff. You'll get your money when you get it. Either you can stick around here and this turns into a Barney and you still don't get your money and there's more chance of you never getting your money.
00:15:35
Speaker
Or you realize that the only way you can get your money is if we stay alive. So how about you leave us to it? Oh, I'm afraid as much as I would love that to be this case, Imran. Happy Chops over here hasn't come all the way from a shoon gold view with a brigand with a merry band of 10 people and has lit a nice fancy fire to welcome us home upon that roof just to fuck off.
00:16:00
Speaker
So if you ain't gonna be getting to the steppin' as my friend would like you to, I suggest that maybe we stop this word salad dance and instead you get down to why you're here. Smiles. A long, wide, straight smile across his mouth as a line of teeth appear. Very good.
00:16:24
Speaker
I like how forthright you are. I would like to know firstly your names, as I may know how to address you, as aside from what I can assume might be your trade, which unfortunately wouldn't be a very accurate representation of you each, I'm sure. What may I call each of you? I am Vordad. Your name, sir, and he looks towards you, Reins. Prince Reins, heir to the kingdom of Shadowman. Very good. And yourself, sir, looking over towards Emron?
00:16:55
Speaker
and run.
00:16:57
Speaker
and you you can call me alpha alpha thank you very much uh alpha m ron and just let's let's let's stop dancing here we know full world if you've got spies who know that my friend has done things with goblins that me and m ron didn't know up until this point that you know full well who we are so my father told me about word dancing and this this is a word dance and i got to their feet so please can we just get to the point
Dice Roll Strategy Debate
00:17:28
Speaker
He smiles again big and holds his arms out to the side. My friend, look at me. I'm not exactly the physical dancer and all I have left is my words. The word dance is the way I communicate, and so unfortunately I don't know anything else. To not word dance is to be flat-footed and monotone, two things that I physically cannot do, unfortunately.
00:17:49
Speaker
But as you say, let us get down to business. The hands come apart and clap once together and as he just starts to lower himself down into a seated position, a stool just appears from underneath him. He sits himself down. His hands start to go down towards his waist and one of the guards places under it a small platter of cheeses which he starts to delicately pick up as he talks.
00:18:11
Speaker
I hope you don't mind this slight indiscretion of mine. I find communication in this way is somewhat lightened when food is in the mix. Would anyone care for some Camembert?
00:18:25
Speaker
I happen to share that philosophy, and I haven't eaten since this morning, so thanks. Do come, sit, and he'll pass over a plate, and as you approach a stool, one of the guards brings out a small three-footed wooden stool from the keep and places it under you. Vordad glances towards the other two. We're still kind of sitting under the shade of the tree, just outside the keep area for reference.
00:18:54
Speaker
Enron will look at Vordand and shake his head and fold his arms so that sort of his his large sort of black smithing arms sort of board slightly and he just just chooses one of the guards of Vordand's and just just stares at him. Vordi gestures towards Alpha. I don't offer a gesture of Alpha
00:19:24
Speaker
I am not hungry. And he's trying to say it with a little bit of disdain. He does not agree with rain-breaking bread, or breaking cheese in this case, with vaudeville. He don't eat much. I wasn't worried too much about that. Is that a red or a rose while you got there?
00:19:45
Speaker
Just some port, a small aperitif to go with what we are consuming at the moment. Of course, please help yourself and a small pewter cup is given over towards you to sit down under the tree. Raines will take a sniff of it and we'll go a Hentian, what, 26 year vintage?
00:20:12
Speaker
27. Not bad. Not bad at all. Okay, so you travel fine and you bring good company. Again, as lovely as this is, I'm slightly worried that my two companions are about to hit someone square in the face, and I ain't sure if it's you, me, or one of them. So, how about we talk? Let's talk. Let's. I'm a man of money, as I'm sure you can tell.
00:20:42
Speaker
I'm a man that will give money freely as long as money is returned within time. Orla, my suggestion is to Orla who has stood stock still and hasn't really moved since this has begun, has borrowed a number of substantial sums of money from me, which of course I am more than happy for her to ascertain and to work with in order to keep this
00:21:02
Speaker
fine establishment, he says as he looks around, up and running and in working condition for her needs and her monster hunting limited company.
00:21:13
Speaker
Unfortunately, the difficulty we've come into is a lack of funds being passed over. The last few payments, Orla, and he holds a right hand up to kind of gesturing over his shoulder, and a guard puts a slip of paper in it, which he then opens and looks at. 20 gold pieces, month one. 15 gold pieces, month two. Five gold pieces, month three. Zero, month four. Zero, month five. Zero, month six.
00:21:45
Speaker
and he hands the piece of paper back to the guard, still stock still in full plate armour. I'm a generous man. There are many in my line of work that would take full consecutive non-payments and find a reason to default and take items from said person to make up a fund, be it a ship, be it a substantial family wealth,
00:22:13
Speaker
Be it in established plans. We get where you're going. You're going to have to put some input in here. What say you to all of this? Everything, she steps forward, but still staying out of the kind of communal area that you formed reigns with, Vordant. Everything he said is true. I will say this for you, Vordant. You don't lie.
00:22:42
Speaker
You're brutal, but you don't lie. She kind of steps back away. There you have it. Brutal, but I don't lie. Write that on my tombstone, why don't they? Now, let's talk money, which I'm sure we're here to really to discuss as he takes another bite. I assume you have a, I believe it's called a writ of debt. Yes. On this subject. I do.
00:23:13
Speaker
We'll scrape, and you'll practically show us. All in good time. The debt isn't towards you, good sir. No, no, no, no. As a tradesman, I'm familiar with fork that lend money, and there's two types. There's bottom feeders who scrabble around in the filth, and then there's legitimate people.
00:23:34
Speaker
last time I checked most legitimate money lenders don't give out something near north of 3000 gold to someone unless they're really sure they can pay it back. Now you've tracked me like the first time the bottom feed is it will lend money to anyone even if they can't pay it back just because you know you're scum. So unless you've got a writ of you know debt to prove you're actually a legitimate person
00:24:03
Speaker
Would you can treat you like the criminal you are? I can't disprove or prove what my friend has said because I just met you. But just to prove he doesn't have a point and to prove that this is all above board, I think this conversation may take a constructive turn if you show us that now and then we can resume from where we were. Port's really good, by the way. Thank you. Imported, as you said, from the Hentous Empire.
00:24:33
Speaker
As opposed to the, as a question of the writ of debt. Of course I can produce it and will produce it, but good sir. Good night, Emron. You speak of the debts of me lending 3000 pounds. That is not correct.
00:24:47
Speaker
Firstly, because I don't deal in pounds. Oh, did I say pound? No, I said pound. It's a slipper. It's a faux pas. Over in the Henders Empire, it's dollars or pounds there. God knows what they do. It's the port going to my head. No, no. I misspoke. Not pounds. I work in weights you see as well. Merchantile. Work with many of the ships I'd in Goldport keep. Goldview port. Good God, this is a good port. The question
00:25:12
Speaker
You made, was ascertaining to the amount of money that was lent upon the writ. The debt of writ was 3,000 pounds is incorrect. Ola, how much money did I lend you those months ago? 1,500. That's quite a time ago, wasn't it Ola? Yes. So I'm going to take your comment of criminal and your comment of bottom feeder, which sounds lovely, by the way, sometimes, maybe on a weekend.
00:25:41
Speaker
And I'm going to ignore them given I am a calm, well-meaning person. And I will nicely now state out my purpose. Alla, all those related to or joined with Alla in some way here at GoPodKeep, there are some options we have available to you, some that are open for query and question and some that might tickle your fancy. Number one,
00:26:10
Speaker
I need 1,000 gold pieces now. That's one option. I will then buy you. It will buy you a couple of months of time. It will help cover the credit. It will help cover a number of costs and give you time and space to find the money. As your friend here said they want to do, find the money and fuck off, I believe is what he said. That is one option. Another option is I take gold port keep.
00:26:39
Speaker
That is your second option. However, and one corner of his cheek just lifts slightly as I come with a little twitch. There is a third option. And it is one option that many tend to take. And it is that we roll a dice, a six-sided dice, and for each one,
00:27:02
Speaker
There is a different option that doesn't necessarily involve the payment of money now or the payment of money sometimes later, but may allow you some wiggle room, let's say. Each of these options is different. Each of these options is a route out. Would you like to know what they are? Actually, I don't ever want to tell you them, actually. It's sometimes more fun not to.
00:27:31
Speaker
Well, you see, there's a few things going on here. First off, I have to say, this monster-hunting venture and this hunter-to-death ratio that we have had going on the last couple of months, which this fellow will already know about, so I ain't revealing anything to him.
00:27:51
Speaker
I gotta admit, I'm looking at our chances and I'm not feeling it all there. So, Mr. What was your name again? Von Dand. Mr. Von Dand, you provide some excellent port and some good cheese. Do any of these options involve going out and killing monsters? Because I gotta tell you, the odds just haven't been good on that score.
00:28:15
Speaker
No, none of them involve going and killing monsters or creatures or anything of that matter. No. All right. Okay. Next question then. As someone who has walked away from quite an inordinate amount of wealth in my lifetime, I can tell you that the finer things like my, my, my Tim Paul armor and my top hat squirrel and my, as you can see over in the fields over there, my, uh,
00:28:43
Speaker
whatever that is, I call it Elmer. They make me so much more happy. I suppose my question to you is, is it going to be much easier for us to serve your cause if we find out the things that are going to make you happy? Because I'm getting the option that
00:28:59
Speaker
You don't really want option one because if you wanted option one, well, you're the ransacked, the place took what you can and then just hold and then be hanging those out to dry for the difference. Or you'd started already trying to throw out the hostilities. You certainly wouldn't be treating me to pork and cheese. Mighty fine as that is.
00:29:17
Speaker
So clearly you favor either option two which means you want to keep and i truly believe you want that because you could have made a bomb fire that was much more destructive than the one that you said so i believe wholeheartedly that you want this kid.
00:29:34
Speaker
That brings me to why you're offering as an option free, and it's because either options two or three are your preference. Now, you have me intrigued as to what option three could mean, and to make you a decent offer, it would be much more palatable for me to just know the full entirety of what you want. He smiles at your well-formed and well-versed response.
00:30:05
Speaker
tasks in question. Each of them, there are six that you might possibly undertake. The names of which I can give you, their options,
00:30:21
Speaker
I will not. Let's just say it's part of the enjoyment. It's part of the whole package I offer towards anyone that this is part of the deal. I assume that you don't really care which one of them we do, otherwise you wouldn't be leaving at the chance. That's what you'd think. One of the numbers does involve total annulment of the debt.
00:30:48
Speaker
Full stop, no questions asked, no job entailed. Here, now, you and me, the number is rolled, the debt is paid. I walk away, my men leave, you never see me again. Unless, in dear Orla, you do require my assistance further in the future, for financial reasons, of course. That is one option. It is not the only option, but it is always an option.
00:31:13
Speaker
Otherwise, many people would not choose it, especially those without such a wonderful place as this to put up against as collateral.
00:31:36
Speaker
I'm a believer in loaded dice, mind. The other option, obviously, is that the place is handed over now, and we walk away, my men leave, and you never hear from me again. The same thing would happen with that, as opposed to what happened. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I get that. That is an option. But you're trying to get us to move towards option three by sweetening the deal with the fact that you could walk away the day. Now, I'm actually curious to see if you're the type of guy who gambles money and gambles bringing all your fine folk and your nice port and cheese out here.
Decision and Roll Outcome
00:32:05
Speaker
i'm curious to see if you're willing to just gamble all that so you have me intrigued towards option three but of course i'm just one of four people here you gotta you gotta convince the other three as well he leans forward over his portly belly pushes the cheese to one side i don't think i'm the one that will need to convince them prince reyns reyns i think i might be leaving that to you reyns can we either
00:32:33
Speaker
be done with this or start fighting. I'm afraid my friends have the point that I think we've probably exhausted the the options here. All right. All that seems quite fond of this place. It's a family heirloom. So all the correct me if I'm wrong, you're not going to want to give it up, which which as we don't have the gold means we're taking option three, I suppose. Very well.
00:33:01
Speaker
The options at your feet are this, and he has his hand up again. Another letter is put in which he opens up with six words written upon it. The first one, relic. The second word, collectors. The third word, oath. The fourth word, collateral. The fifth word, gamble. And the sixth word, annulment.
00:33:30
Speaker
And he says if these words act to you, I don't know why I didn't just say it in his voice anyway, but he says each of the words act to you in that order.
00:33:37
Speaker
Now, these aren't in any particular order. I've randomly assigned them the order in which they are, does not mean they sit. One, two, three, four, five, six. You roll the dice, I tell you which. Well, no, no, no. Hang on. That sounds like a gambler's trick. That's you roll the dice, then you decide which number is actually which number that's rolled. So how about you tell us which numbers which now so you can't, you know, pull a fast one after?
00:34:06
Speaker
Heads you in, Tails, I lose. Very good, very good. A little game I like to play. Of course, I would tell you the options. They are indeed in the order in which I read them. A six is the annulment. That is the number you want. The total payment covered. No questions asked. We walk away 3,400 gold pieces worth of debt. Wiped, clean, slate. No strings attached. Five is your gamble. Four is the collateral.
00:34:35
Speaker
three servitude, two collection collectors, and one relic. Now, and even more, the more these words tell you, please do not dig too deep into it. It's just an interesting tipple, a facade that keeps me and my men interested, and also allows for my debtors, my collectors, the men who end up working for me eventually, some form of entertainment, as well as myself.
00:35:05
Speaker
Now, are we in agreement? Well, please feel free. Apologies for interrupting Prince Rains. I will walk away and give the four of you a moment to discuss. I will speak to my man here and then I will come back over when you feel ready. I feel the pressure of me waiting upon it.
00:35:27
Speaker
might be assuaging your choices or pressuring you in some way, which of course I do not want to do at all. It wants to be a decision that you can make in the fullness of your own mind, in your own cognition. Let me leave and I will be post-haste just over there near that pile of mud, near the hall. I believe you call it a hall, all are fabulous. We'll be near the doors to the hall there, okay? Just shout when you're ready.
00:35:53
Speaker
and he's going to stand up, the chair will disappear underneath him, a guard picks it up, he walks off, and then one guard walks off, and the other just takes a few steps back, kind of blocking, being in the way of the way past, but kind of looking down away from you with his back towards you, giving you a sense of, kind of being on your own. What would you like to do?
00:36:15
Speaker
Look, Rains, is this guy's the one that trashed all his place when we came back from the city, if you remember, all those days ago? This bastard, well, he's the one that already said he trashed the place, so you know. Let's just roll the fucking dice and then if he tells us to do something that we don't want to do,
00:36:39
Speaker
We'll just we'll just deal with him because quite frankly reigns I'm sick and tired of folk times what to do. I'm just um He needs just yeah, let's just get this sorted and I Hear yeah, I hear all are your kenku crows allow this in this game. What do you say? I
00:37:04
Speaker
I say I'm in no position to force your hand in any way, shape or form. I shouldn't get a say. This is your decision to make. Is this guy legit? Or is his debt to you as shady as he fucking sounds? No.
00:37:17
Speaker
It's all a facade. He gives the impression of being shady because it undermines other people's opinion of him. The man is incredibly intelligent. It's all a ruse. I've never seen through it, but the man is too bright. He's never been caught. There's never any dirt on him at all.
00:37:38
Speaker
So your debt is legal in gold view. Yes, yes, it is. And he is right. It was for half the amount. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to ever bear you with everything that went on with Marota and with Nix. I didn't want to add to that and force you out into fights and battles that were too big. It is fine.
00:38:01
Speaker
People make mistakes. Look, we're going to get good payment for the guard drake at least. It's just not right now. I just need to go into town and speak to them. Well, all right. Yeah, but it's not going to be a thousand gold, is it? No. And stop bringing Marauder and Nyx back in. They're gone. They don't have a say, and there's nothing they can do for us. Right, so. Alpha is here before we move on, though. Alpha, what are you thinking? I do not like the idea of dealing with this gentleman.
00:38:31
Speaker
There is an aura about him that I do not trust. Yeah, I agree. I would much rather to shoot him and be done with it. Yeah, but if the debt's legal alpha, then we do that and then we're up shit creek with the authorities in the city, aren't we? So if this debt were illegal or was a loan shout like I've encountered before, then fine. Smash them about, be sorted. But if this is legal, if he has got a writ of debt,
00:39:01
Speaker
has the entirety of this man's fortune been built up on shady deals like this, putting people under pressure unnecessarily? Well, that's an interesting point, Alfred. You see, we don't know a lot about him, and me and Emron, at least, don't know much about a cloak and dagger deals, but it apparently turns out that you do. So before we move any further,
00:39:27
Speaker
What kind of deal did you strike with these goblins? Because it might give us some insights into what we need to strike with him. There wasn't much of a deal. Is there still a god in the room here?
00:39:44
Speaker
You're still outside Goldport Keep. I've just popped you on to, while I've been chatting, on to Roll20. And if you just fire that up, you should be able to see roughly what I'm talking about. You are to the north, outside the Goldport Keep. And Vondand is moved down one of the north to south alleyways that's nearest to the hall. There is a guard stood nearby
00:40:14
Speaker
to you all, but his back is to you. He's looking down the corridor towards the corridor, down the path towards where Vordad is and the entrance to the hall.
Episode Closure and Listener Engagement
00:40:26
Speaker
Okay. Alfred is going to take a quick glance around and just try and lower his tone a little bit. When I was with Nick and Maruta, there was some
00:40:39
Speaker
fighting that ensued. But the deal was struck where, if we were able to dispense of their leader, we could control the clan. It was Nixon Marotta's idea, and I'm their chief. Now it will appear. Okay, well, I wasn't expecting that.
00:41:08
Speaker
No, I can imagine so, but I believe it presents an interesting opportunity for possibly an option for. The old gentleman that was mentioned, old girl, he has a unique ability of locating certain objects of unique parameters distinguishable.
00:41:34
Speaker
he was able to guide us to exactly where a particular orb he knew was kept. If we are able to acquire a substantial amount of gold and put in to that gold a unique object, we could use Old Gell, as Vodan has termed himself, to find out where he takes the gold and possibly take it back. This is a
00:42:05
Speaker
distrustful man, I believe, should possibly be taught a lesson. We can pay the debt, or some of it, be upstanding. However, a person who has bought all her much suffering gets come up.
00:42:27
Speaker
It is merely a thought that I have been processing while you have been eating cheese and rainers, and, Emma, you have been getting rather angry and tired. It's good cheese. All right. So what you're saying is that we take option three and get this guy out of here, and then who knows, maybe we find an option four. That's the TLDR, right? I believe so, yes, TLDR.
00:42:59
Speaker
That's just three letters. I'm too long to read. I used to say to my father all the time when he tried to lecture me about the visits from Royal End to End. I thought it was too long. Don't read. Normally my father would go, have you read this? And I would go, father, I won't lie. That was a mighty long letter. And I just could not be bothered. But anyway, that's not going too far down memory lane.
00:43:26
Speaker
No, I don't believe we have the time to discussion. A choice must be made rather quickly. This is my preferred option. Let us make our own fate. As you have so rightly said, Emman, you are tired of people telling us what to do. Why not make our own choices?
00:43:43
Speaker
We could, possibly. My apology in order. Sorry, and she's just gonna pop her head like through the hip height of you girl. Plus, all we could do also, you could use the goblins. She obviously doesn't know about this either. The goblins at your command, Alpha, and you can fucking kill them all. That could be good as well, couldn't it?
00:44:02
Speaker
It is a possibility. They would do what I ask of them. And they do have, last time I was there, a substantial amount of gold we could use. And at this all is going to grasp at like just something at your hip, like clothing or something to pull you close and go, then why the fuck didn't you tell me this earlier? We could have avoided all of this.
00:44:22
Speaker
because you only have recently advised how much gold you actually owed this gentleman. So hang on, just give me a minute. So we could tell this man now that we could have the money by nightfall and be done. Mark, just a quick question. How long will it take us to get to where the goblin shack was and return?
00:44:44
Speaker
The old remains of the mansion, which they currently allude to me, because this is a very interesting route. Of course, you changed it as well. Yes. Oh, that's what I changed, wasn't it? Like 12 times. Yeah. You had no idea what it's called. I'll look it up in a bit because this is a very interesting route. And that is about half a day to the shack where we find old girl. And then after that, I believe it was a decent full day's worth of a trek across land to get there.
00:45:13
Speaker
You're talking... Oh no, you did go on a bit of an off route. If you went directly there as the crow flies directly to the place where the goblins... We would need to call by Old Gell as well, so it literally is the same route that we took there the first time. Yeah. I think it was more like a day. I think it pretty much was a day. I think, oh no, didn't you get there at night?
00:45:31
Speaker
I think it was a day there, and these movies got been described as being local, so yeah. Yeah, it was a day, long rest outside, then you went in, didn't you? Yeah. Yeah. So it just took a bit longer. Yeah, so you were looking at days worth of travel to get there, days worth of travel back, two days, anything in the middle to, you know, long rest, et cetera. Yeah, two days to do a cover record. What I'd like to think is that this conversation has just played out in Alfa's head if he goes through the memory bank of just tracing his steps, and we're all just staring at him waiting for an answer.
00:46:00
Speaker
Alfred, what are you doing? Out with the glaze. My apologies, I was recalling the route. I believe a day there and a day back should suffice in order to acquire said amount of gold. And you're saying we can get 3500 gold from these people. I'm unsure exactly how much was there. Alas, I did not count every gold piece. If you've got perfect memory, can't you just picture it in your head and count it there?
00:46:28
Speaker
The build of the gold is still too difficult to determine exactly the structural integrity and henceforth exactly every gold piece. You can't guess the area based on the amount you can see. I'm afraid not. My programming does not allow that. Okay, I've got another question. Another hypothetical lesson I learned from my father. He told me that we built haddell's palace. We built Vermont's fall on top of a big hill so we could keep an eye on all of our subjects lest they murder us in our sleep.
00:46:56
Speaker
You weren't been keeping your eye on these goblins for some time. I have been communicating with them. Raines will just glance at you, just to say, yeah. Indeed. Right, so are we just going to tell Vaughan Dad, give us two days and all the money says? I would rather us not tie us into all the money, rather a substantial amount.
00:47:21
Speaker
Yeah, that's all fine. But he's came here with three options. And he ain't gonna allow us just two days to get him the money. We want to buy time. Yeah, we want to buy time. We've got to take option three. We can take an option. And then instead of doing his plan, do our own. Okay, let's go.
00:47:39
Speaker
Or as he comes back, or let's sit down, have some cheese, make yourself look compliant. Emron's fucked him off too much for him to even believe that Emron will do that. Alpha, don't try and eat it because, well, you ain't ever eaten anything in the history of ever. Oh, I have tried. One other good thing though. Good listening, good observing, way to stay heads up. Thank you.
00:48:04
Speaker
Now, my new friends, as Verdant approaches. No, no, no. Don't use the word friends. Now, companions. No, no. Now, debtors, you owe me 3,400 gold pieces. Is that suffice? To the point, no word salad. We like it. Fabulous. Options. One, two, three. Which one would you like? Free, please. Then very well. Do you have a die? I believe you wouldn't trust me if I pulled out one of my own.
00:48:34
Speaker
Rains will go through his... Well, I got some playing cards, but I don't have a die. Alfred, you left Shadow Man with some games kit, any dice? I'm afraid I may have misplaced it. Did you leave it on that boat with bloody Hagbasket? Yes, quite possibly. God, we called her Hagbasket. Sorry. It was an interesting character.
00:48:59
Speaker
Okay, range will just start. Range will just start counting out six cards and we'll offer them out to him. You assign those one to six and we'll pick one and go. Surely, do you not have cards just numbered one to six? No, no, no. They've done two. We can do two. Hang on, hang on, hang on. This won't do. This won't do. Here you go. I've got a dice right here. Thank you. Thank you. We should say that before I counted out the cards and I'll put them back. You didn't ask. Thank you. There's something archaic and
00:49:30
Speaker
So tantalising about rolling of a dice, picking a card feels more like a magician. I'm not one to play tricks, I'm just one to offer options, you see. This takes it out of my hands, takes it out of your hands, puts it squarely in the hands of fate and choice. Who would like to roll? And he passed it around to all three of you, all four of you. Prince Rains? It's not my debt.
00:50:00
Speaker
I couldn't. This will impact on us all. I've, I've done enough as it is. Oh, just fucks it. Everyone grabs a dice in the frozen. It's like Jumanji. Right. Um, well, this is generally, this is generally in your, genuinely in your hands. Could you please, uh, on, uh, roll 20? Yep, yep, yep, yep. This should come out like this. What do we get? What do we get? What do we get? A two. Is that a two?
00:50:28
Speaker
Yeah, it is a 2. A 2? It's 2. Voldan looks up at you. Connectors? Very well. As the option you've chosen, that option shall suffice. I define out what that option is.
00:50:54
Speaker
You're gonna have to wait till next week to have a side of the fellowship on the table top. Come on! I was literally like, I'm just gonna make up this long show now.
00:51:04
Speaker
Yeah, no, I haven't. I got it there, but I thought that was a nice point. And you were all there like, really, really, really, are you bastard? I had to do it. Yes, you absolute bastard. I mean, what a way to... Yeah, that was an interesting little nail-biter. I was very interested in Raines' approach to that. You cheese fiend. Oh, cheese and port. Now, I really... We guys, we need to organize a cheese and port night.
00:51:25
Speaker
I am down for that. And if you wish to organize a cheese or Portnite yourself or perhaps invite us to your cheese and Portnite, we are great cheese and Portnite guests, then you can contact us on our very many social media sites. If you just search for the fellowship of the tabletop, you will find us through Google and you will find our Twitter and our various other social media links. It's not worth listening more, but you can find us. We're out there. We're also on Twitter. And so if you wish to
00:51:55
Speaker
contact us, you can find us at fellowship table on Twitter, drop us a DM, like us, share us, love us, because we love you. And if you wish to go one step further and follow us individually, you can do so. I am at Natural20will. Our lovely Prince Rains is at... Darren, page 06.
00:52:21
Speaker
and our lovely robot man is at the d20 gamer and our sleazy businessman is at any dark alleyway you want no hey senior old dm thank you very much and until next time folks