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Ch. 36 - Better Than You Found It | Corrupting Presence
34 Plays26 days ago
Maybe the real soup was the friends we made along the way.
Meet the cast:
Dungeon Master – Zach Meikle (IG: @zachabee)
Clay Campbell – Prima Zhao (IG: @primbdraws)
Faunalyn Vaydark – Shannon Meikle (IG: @sharsharbinks)
Glimki Treefellow – Jordan Johnsen (IG: @jordan_johnsen)
Edited by Zach Meikle
Follow the show:
Instagram: @bard_soup
TikTok: @bard_soup
Website: www.bardsoup.com
Music & Ambience
The following songs are created by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Beyond the Horizon (0:00)
The In-Between (5:14)
Enchanted Forest (29:31)
Hippety Hop (1:06:41)
Impact (1:13:32)
Dragonsong (1:22:05)
Crescendiocity (1:25:37)
Megaepic (1:32:20)
Fantasy Ambience (1:33:19)
Achievement (1:43:01)
Crescendo (1:52:51)
Celebration (1:55:26)
Relaxing Piano Improvisation (2:01:27)
Sunrise (2:08:00)
Non-Seeing Eye (2:21:22)
Musical Therapy (2:23:47)
Fall (2:26:54)
Dreamy Interlude (2:37:50)
Frozen Mountains (2:41:07)
Emotional Guitar Improvisation (2:48:03)
8-Bit Tavern (2:52:29)
Adventure (2:57:46)
Additional music and ambience created by Tim Roven (www.tabletopaudio.com)
Field of Heroes (6:24)
Escape from Shadow (16:19)
Cry Havoc (25:56)
Witch Mountain (53:23)
The Gaping Maw (1:03:06)
Dungeon Collapse (1:14:55)
Dusk of the Dryad (1:31:21)
Protean Fields (1:37:47)
Waterkeep (2:10:33)
Interrogation Room (2:11:27)
Lakeside Camp (2:18:25)
Adventure Begins (2:25:55)
Voyage Begins (2:44:37)
Debussy String Quartet in G Minor Op 10 Arranged by GregoryQuendel from Pixabay (2:32:15)
Sound Effects
Additional sounds provided by Pixabay
Recommended
Transcript
Rebellion on Mengin Island
00:00:00
Speaker
Now, let's see. Where were we? Ah yes, that's right. After days of meetings, schemes, and plots, the seeds of rebellion planted by our heroes and their allies sprouted at last, and the people of Mengin took to the streets in a desperate bid to oust the Korak Mining Company from their island.
Heroes' Mission and Discovery
00:00:21
Speaker
our heroes split up to accomplish their separate goals of both aiding the rebels and getting fish head franny to leave glimki alone glimki fought through the streets of onkyr with the rebel army overcoming waves of dwarves massive constructs an ogre with a cannon strapped to its back and a foul hydra created by fish head franny While this was happening, Clay and Farnelin rode to Manus, where they at long last entered Flotsam Tower, home to an item sought by Fran.
00:00:51
Speaker
They discovered the tower was flooded with a seemingly endless supply of water, and was haunted by the ghost of its past and present occupant, Torbus Delicotte, an infamous elven wizard.
00:01:03
Speaker
Though it was difficult, Clay and Farnelin managed to reach the top of the tower, where Torbus possessed Clay and asked Farnelin to assist him. However, Farnaline chose to bypass the elven wizard and went straight to the source of his power, an imprisoned genie named Burakan the Untimely.
00:01:21
Speaker
Farnaline broke the vessel that bound Burakan in exchange for her ongoing assistance, and in the process enraged both Torbus and Franny alike. But Clay and Farnaline and their new companion rode out on a magic carpet that quickly began to erode as they streaked through the sky.
00:01:37
Speaker
They rode this carpet straight to Tria Mine, where they were reunited with Glimke, who had abandoned the city in pursuit of the greater good of saving Etigan.
Battle with the Rock Creature
00:01:46
Speaker
The party entered the mines, led by their Bryginok companion Booth, and he brought them to a hard to reach location deep within the island.
00:01:55
Speaker
They detonated the last of their blast power and revealed a hidden cavern. Within this cavern, there was a massive stone tree pulsing with a sickly sweet energy. But our heroes weren't the first to find this tree, as a massive mound of rocks suddenly shook to life, revealing a bizarre, rocky-looking creature with three arms, three legs, and three yellow amber eyes.
00:02:17
Speaker
As Clay and Glimke prepared to combat this guardian, Farnelin heard the sound of someone approaching from behind. and she soon discovered it was the worm-infested corpse of the dwarf Fat Sal.
00:02:30
Speaker
Farnelin instructed Burakan to take him out, and she did, but as the blast powder inside Sal detonated, his body continued to push forward as a mass of writhing worms protruded from his destroyed body, lashing out at Farnelin.
00:02:46
Speaker
what would You already said all that. Yes, but it was too good to believe. Wouldn't you say, Clob? Wouldn't you? Oh, please tell me, wouldn't you? Anyway, on with the start.
00:03:12
Speaker
Come gather round, travelers, and sit on the stoop. We'll tell you a story about Batsu. Three lovable scamps in our traveling troop.
00:03:26
Speaker
We'll tell you a story about Batsu.
00:03:43
Speaker
It's Supertime!
00:03:52
Speaker
Do you hear the artist sing? Singing a song of Angry Men Gun? It is the music of a people who are saving it again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the marimba, there is a cow cleric of light, who are you prima?
00:04:09
Speaker
Hi, I'm Prima and I play Clay Campbell. Will you join in our crusade who will be strong and stand with Sap Fiend? Beyond the barricade is there a guy who plays Glen Key?
00:04:20
Speaker
Hi, I'm Jordan and I play Glimki Treefellow. Then join in the fight, they'll give you the right to be free! Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry pals, it is the music of an elf who is fighting Fat Sal!
00:04:35
Speaker
And my name is Father Lynn, and I'm played by Shannon, and I am really happy to be here This is the anthem of Bart Soup, my name is Zach. Welcome back to Bart Soup, let's dive in!
00:04:51
Speaker
Oh my god, you're the dungeon master of the house. That's better. Is this a reference to something? This is Les Mis. this reference? It THE reference! It'd be crazy if I just improvised or wrote pre-wrote my own bombastic music. That was really good. Why this thought that you did?
00:05:09
Speaker
i thank you for that. That's very flattering, in fact. need to look this up.
00:05:16
Speaker
We join our heroes scattered amongst the caverns of Chariah Mine. Glimke and Clay, you watch in horror as this massive mound of earth rises up before you.
00:05:29
Speaker
You behold this three-legged, three-armed rock creature. It has three golden yellow eyes that are scattered equally around its body. And you look in horror as its mouth upon the top of its body opens wide. These long jagged teeth, dribbles of saliva dribbling down the sides of it. as it reaches down and grabs the roots of this stone tree turned gold and consumes them.
00:05:56
Speaker
Fawnelin, out in the outer cavern, you see a mass of worms, tapeworms for those that care. flipping about, flapping about, writhing out of the lower torso, the remains of Fat Sal, who stumbles towards you, worms slapping into the rock walls, grabbing on, crushing the rock in its grip.
00:06:21
Speaker
There's no time to waste. I need everybody to roll initiative. Oh, man. Battle music. Ooh, first roll is a nat 20 for initiative. Nat 20 for... Oh, natural 20! What, you too? Yeah.
00:06:34
Speaker
I got a 16. Okay. So we've got Fawnelin, Clay, Glimki, the Rebels, Burakan, Fat Sal, and the Rock Monster. Okay. Also rolled high for that. Okay.
00:06:48
Speaker
You've got a map there. I'll describe it in like a little bit more narrative flair, but Fawnelin is out in that left-hand tunnel. You can kind of choose anywhere like in the around the midpoint roughly. There's five other guards and Burakhan with you. Fat Sal is at the other end. I know there's torches on the wall, but I'm going to say they're like blown out from, uh, I feel like I've seen this map before. No, it's a new map. Yeah. Like in like an anatomy textbook, I think.
00:07:13
Speaker
oh thank you yeah it looks like a neuron or something it's a really cool map stack uh then you see there's a small side tunnel small little side tunnel and then the big tree room the trees at the center glimki and clay you are somewhere in that like bottom bit there's the big black rocks those are like pillars that go from floor to ceiling oh i see yes and then the other ones like on the edges those are raised platforms that you could climb up you wish. Oh, tree extends roughly to the ceiling. to this shit And i yeah, rebels are kind of like have pulled in behind you. Boof is on Clay's shoulder and the creature is roughly, you see like the the the long rock pillar thing, roughly kind of at the end of that between you and the tree.
00:07:58
Speaker
was feasting on rock, feasting on root, and then one of its eyes, which was kind of positioned backwards, looking just away from what it was doing, saw you and it got irate. Okay.
00:08:09
Speaker
We are going to dive in with Faunalyn. Hell yeah. Okay. the didta ah Fat Sal is coming down the hallway towards me. I'm going to use my movement to kind of step into the tunnel, use my bonus action to hide around the tunnel so that I'm hidden. And then I'm going to draw my bow which I'm already annoyed about just having it strapped to me because normally I hide my bow and it's all aesthetic and pretty and hidden in my gowns. In these last few freaking days, i have given everything to this island. I'm dressed like a peasant. I'm carrying a weapon like a ruffian.
00:08:44
Speaker
And now there's a tapeworm monster coming after me and I'm going to take a shot with my arrow. Oh lordy, that's really bad.
00:08:54
Speaker
That is an eight to hit. 8 to hit Fat Sal will miss. Damn it. You shoot this arrow down the hallway and the lights are blown out from the explosion that destroyed the upper half of his body.
00:09:07
Speaker
And one of these worm tendrils just lashes out and snaps the arrow in two. And he keeps coming. Fuck. That's disgusting. As I hide around the corner, I'm going to call out, and I'm just imagining my voice echoing around this cave. I call out,
00:09:21
Speaker
Franny, I swear to God, I am so sick of your bullshit. You know how this ends. I am better than you. Leave us alone.
00:09:32
Speaker
If Fat Sal had a mouth, perhaps he would say something in response, but... But instead, it sounds like... Yeah, that's fucking gross. see Okay, Fondlin hides.
00:09:45
Speaker
make a Make a stealth roll for me, if you're hiding. It's a natty one. How do you want to? Excellent. We're a total of what? You might have a bad ah passive perception. You don't know? ah um Worse than seven.
00:09:59
Speaker
Worse than seven? We'll find out. How perceptive are Taper monsters? He's got no eyes. The people have been dying to know. I'm going tell you what. Seven fails, but not by as much as you might think.
00:10:11
Speaker
I see his perception is eight, eh? Maybe. Nine, probably. Clay, it is Yoitoin. Okay, so this big guy has spotted us with its eyeball.
00:10:23
Speaker
It has. a Clay's going to whisper to Glimki, go, you you go restore Et again. I'll distract this thing and I'll cast my spiritual weapon in front of it.
00:10:41
Speaker
Got it. Be careful, Clay. Yes, you too. Especially you. a fifteen 15? 15 is not enough.
00:10:53
Speaker
As this weapon, this spectral mace appears in the air and clangs off the rough, rocky exterior of this creature. It has a thick, natural hide.
00:11:03
Speaker
You don't know what this creature is. You have never seen one. You've probably never heard of one. But as you're looking at it, it looks big and it looks strong. You get the sense that it has been feasting in this cavern for quite some time.
00:11:19
Speaker
Okay, then trying to draw its attention, can I run towards the platform at the bottom? Yeah, 100%. We'll say you can
Tactics and Struggles
00:11:28
Speaker
like climb up it. You can't like get passed like ah like farther into it but you can use like half of your movement to get there and the other half to get up to on top of it okay how high is this thing like am i out of reach uh it's like eight feet tall if it like comes right up to the edge you could probably grab at you but like it would have to okay but if i step back then maybe yeah if you're able to get away like it won't be able to reach you unless it follows you up
00:11:50
Speaker
Okay, so that's my bonus action movement. And then i will try to keep its attention on me and cast Sacred Flame at it, which is a dex save. It gets a 10.
00:12:04
Speaker
So it fails and it will take five radiant damage. If it's not as good to it. Does it look like it took that damage?
00:12:15
Speaker
It did. Okay. You see that some of the rock burns with like a, like a radiant light. Like it looks like it's gets melted red hot just in a small patch. But you see that a bit of that stone almost contracts and you can see like fleshy bits underneath and then the rock cools and like spreads back down.
00:12:31
Speaker
Anything else, Clay? That's it. I think I used all my things I can do in a turn. Sounds good. In that case, we are going to roll for your rebel friends. Actually, no, it is going to use a legendary action.
00:12:47
Speaker
That's oh already crazy. And you watch as it makes an earthly retreat and it is going to burrow into the ground and disappear. It just like sort of like knelt into the ground. Okay. Come on. Okay.
00:13:02
Speaker
And after that, the rebels will go. ah They've got nothing to attack. So we will say... we'll say a couple things. We'll say a couple of them hold torches, because it's not all of them have darkvision.
00:13:17
Speaker
A few of them have torches or lanterns. And we will say those that do prep ready in action with a melee attack in case it gets close to them. And the other handful, we'll say the other three, will pull out shortbows and wait to shoot at it.
00:13:34
Speaker
Meanwhile, in the hallway, We will say the rebels move to engage and we'll say three of them go in with swords and shields, whereas the other two have short bows and they will fire those at Fat Sal.
00:13:50
Speaker
So, green, red, and clear are our melee combatants. Brown and purple are our ranged combatants. So that's a hit, hit, hit, and hit.
00:14:03
Speaker
Oh, lordy. 10, 17, 19 damage You watch as they just start carving into it. These brave soldiers run up and start just hacking away at the worms. Two more shoot him with arrows and he like starts to writhe and you hear several of the worms emit a noise that you can only assume is a scream, but they lack mouths and vocal cords. Yucky.
00:14:31
Speaker
Ew. So yucky, Zach. So yucky. After the rebels turn, The creature is going to use another legendary action.
00:14:42
Speaker
You don't know what it is, but it's burrowing. And we go to Burakan, who is going to run up next to you, Faunalyn, and say, hey, I think we're going to get out of here. All right. I know we just met, but time for us to go.
00:14:57
Speaker
And she says, with a snap of my finger and snaps her fingers and attempts to cast plane shift. And you just watch as blood starts to trickle out of her nose. And she like screams and grabs her head and falls to her knees. Ah!
00:15:11
Speaker
ah And the spell fails. We move on to Glimke in the cavern. But before we do that, the creature is going to use the last of its legendary actions for the round. It's going to emerge from the ground. Where?
00:15:27
Speaker
Right in that mix of rebels. What? It left the game? The tunnel? No, no, no. the The rebels with you guys. oh Okay. Gotcha. Sorry. So the two with bows will shoot with disadvantage.
00:15:40
Speaker
That'll be either there a seven and 16. or... Oh God. Okay. Nope. They both miss. The three with swords will attack normal style. But normal style. That'll be two hits with the swords. So it'll do...
00:15:59
Speaker
Wow, max damage. Wow, that's so fun. Let's go. Wow. I love playing D&D with myself. And... It's like watching a combat simulator. Yeah, yeah. Enjoy it while lasts because it's about to blend them.
00:16:16
Speaker
Glimki, it is your turn. The creature has bypassed you, not identifying you specifically as a threat, and going after the larger group. What do you do? I'm going to try to keep them separate in terms of sim and combat, so I'm going to run away from combat.
00:16:30
Speaker
Okay. I don't have to disengage or anything. Nope, it is not close enough to you Okay, great. Then I'm going to use my action to dash. I want to get to this tree as fast as possible. Okay, your movement speed's 25 feet, so you can go 50 feet.
00:16:42
Speaker
So, say 5, 30, or 5, 15, 20, 30, you get up next to it. Let's go! Takes about all of your movement to do so, but you can get up to the tree. So, I guess i was that's my action and movement, so I don't have any time to, like, do anything else here.
00:16:56
Speaker
Unless you got a bonus action. Bonus action... by bye bye No. The only thing I can do, it's one of my maneuvers, so I don't want to waste it. So, I'm just here. Made it to the tree.
00:17:08
Speaker
Love it. You get to the tree and the creature is going to start attacking. With each of its arms, these clawed appendages, it is going to make a claw attack against three different rebels. The ones with shields have an AC of 13. It is going to make... Let's just keep it simple. Three attacks against the three with... 13! These guys are going to die, dude! Yeah, they just they don't really have armor. They've picked up some shields off the ground.
00:17:36
Speaker
Oh, that was almost a nat 20. Instead, that is a miss and two hits, which will be...
00:17:45
Speaker
I'm rolling bad for the bad guys and good for the good guys. Good, you're on our side. Guards seven and eight are going to take four and six damage respectively.
00:18:00
Speaker
Basically bloodies two of them. And then the one of the archers, I'm going to say it tries to scoop him up and make a bite attack. And let's see for a bite that is going to be a 25 to hit.
00:18:12
Speaker
You watch as one of the archers is scooped off the ground and dropped into this creature's mouth and disappears with a wet crunch. Oh no. Oh no, no. Oh God, he ate him? He ate him. Fully, fully ate him. my God. Consumpted. damn.
00:18:27
Speaker
We're gonna to Fat Sal. Fuck. Fat Sal is going to make two claw attacks against two of the soldiers next to him. That's a miss and a hit.
00:18:42
Speaker
The one that he hits, you watch as one of the swordsmen next to Sal, he grabs him by the hand and these worms just force its way down his throat and he writhes and writhes.
00:18:58
Speaker
And then drops. the fuck? We got last of us. One of the tendrils of worms is going to lash out and you watch as it detaches from Sal's body and flies at one of the archers.
00:19:11
Speaker
He can fly now? They fly now. Nope, nope, nope. Targis make a Nix-Berry saving throw, which it succeeds. You watch as this archer ducks out of the way as this worm comes whipping past his head and just lands on the ground, like maybe 10 feet behind him. And you see it is still alive. It is still writhing and moving on the ground.
00:19:32
Speaker
Gross. That is Fat Sal and we're going to go to the top of the initiative once again. Funneling. Booth didn't get a turn. Booth is not a fighter.
00:19:43
Speaker
What? Booth is side mission, side objective. Keep Booth alive. Oh my lord. Booth is a like eight inches tall. He has time stopping powers. Does he not get to use those? Well, he's got them within a better one foot cube around him. Oh my lord. And I believe he has to take a short rest before he can use them again.
00:20:04
Speaker
it. Oof is eight inches tall. Yeah, he's like mouse sized. Oh my god, I was imagining them bigger. Anyone else? No, they're tiny. They're little guys. Little guys. You wore like a a hundred of them like a suit. Yeah, imagine how badass that looked. My rat. And you were so cruel to them.
00:20:20
Speaker
well So cruel to them? What do you mean? Yeah, you were cruel. Pinpoint to cruelty. don't know, taking Boof's house. I'm okay. All right. That's true. You want house Boof?
00:20:33
Speaker
and wonder I wonder how the mushroom bomb is going. I hope that's going well. So true. We'll find out. Could it go anything but well? It was such a perfect plan. I see all my allies in range of Fat Sal the parasite monster, and I know that that means that I can get a sneak attack.
00:20:50
Speaker
I look at Burakan and I say, did I say I wanted to leave? I obviously have business here. Yeah, I don't really care because if you die, I'm losing out on a set of hands that I think I'm really need as she wipes blood off her face and like looks down at her bloody hands.
00:21:06
Speaker
Burakhand, get your shit together because you have an end of the bargain to fulfill. And Faunilin is going to notch another arrow and she is going to, she's not going to hide because she has allies within range of Fat Sal, so she is just going to shoot him. Okay, so it's going to be an 11 to hit. An 11 hits. Yes!
00:21:26
Speaker
There does not appear to be any real intelligence and if it weren't for the worms, you reckon he'd be little bit more than a zombie. But there are worms. Okay. And they're bad. Yeah, yeah, boy are there.
00:21:37
Speaker
That is 17 damage. Fondalyn is going to look at Burakan again as she releases this arrow before the bow is even fully snapped back. You know, before she's even finished the movement, she's looking down at Burakan and going, have you got anything for me to hurt this guy?
00:21:54
Speaker
She grabs at her head and says, yeah, I think so. i think so. i mean, with a snap of my fingers. um Yeah, maybe. Yeah, Faunelin imagines what she wants to do to Franny and this thing. That's it. She's going to end her turn.
00:22:10
Speaker
After Faunelin's turn, Clay, one of the three eyes of the creature in the tree cavern fixes on you.
00:22:21
Speaker
You just watched it devour a manhole, but one of these eyes looks up at you. And you begin to feel a magnetic pull upon your body as it uses a legendary action once again.
00:22:37
Speaker
okay. So it didn't burrow after attacking. It's just standing there. No, it did not burrow after attacking. It's just standing there. Are you wearing metal armor? What scale mailman out of?
00:22:47
Speaker
Leather with overlapping pieces of metal. Looks like the scales of fish. Can we say it looks like the scales of a dragon instead? you definitely say that. That's so cool. Yeah.
00:22:59
Speaker
Hell yeah. So Clay, I need you to make a strength saving throw. God damn it. But because you are wearing metal armor, you make the save with disadvantage. Oof, cool.
00:23:11
Speaker
Strength is not my forte. It's a seven. Seven. You failed by five or more. And you watch as clay, you are pulled off that platform and right onto the creature and you're stuck to it.
00:23:25
Speaker
um You are currently grappled and restrained as the metal armor that you're wearing binds to the body of this creature. Ew. But I'm not in the mouth, right? i'm just Not in the mouth. You're just like attached to its side. on like one You look up and one the eyes is just like looking down at you and you feel a little bit of drool kind of onto your head.
00:23:45
Speaker
Uh-oh. Clay, it is your turn. Does restraint mean I can't take an action? You can attack with disadvantage, but otherwise you can still cast spells as normal if that's what you wish.
00:23:59
Speaker
My spiritual weapon can attack it right? Yep. No restrictions on that. But a 15 doesn't hit? Man, I know. so Swing true.
00:24:10
Speaker
Okay, that's an unnatural 20. Let's go. Abnormal. Abnormal 20. Yeah. 10. Fire damage? Not fire damage, force damage.
00:24:20
Speaker
Nice. And then what are you doing for your action? Does it loosen its grip? It does not. If you wish, you can attempt to escape as an action. Okay. What does it take to escape another strength, Chad?
00:24:32
Speaker
It would be a repeat of the strength save, yeah. Okay. Can I still cast spells while I'm being grappled? Yeah. So when you're restrained, the only the only impacts that it has are your speed is zero, attack rolls against you have advantage, and your attack rolls have disadvantage. You also have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws.
00:24:50
Speaker
Okay, well, I'm going to stay grappled and cast Flaming Sphere next to us. Whoa, you're crazy, dude! Hell yeah, hell yeah, hell yeah, hell yeah. Okay, the Flaming Sphere back. Like, hell yeah, but also maybe not hell yeah, I don't know. There's a tree there. It's stone, but we'll figure out. We'll figure out! I'm keeping it away from the tree, and I'm going to yell at the other rebels to spread out.
00:25:16
Speaker
Okay. So this ball of fire, like dragon breath appears on the ground. We'll say you put it far enough away from your allies and nobody else is near it except for the creature itself.
00:25:28
Speaker
Yeah. Can I smash it against the creature from the other side? That would be bonus action. ah Doesn't do anything on the first turn? Nope. When it ends its turn.
00:25:38
Speaker
Okay. Well, I'm going to be chasing it. Okay. Clay and then the rebels, actually before the rebels, it is going to use another magnetic pull and attempt to draw in one of the swordsmen who has to make a strength saving throw and they succeed. And you watch from your view on the side of this creature's body, you see one of the other rebels with a sword and shield in hand, the weapons almost pulled from his grip and he is dragged a few inches across the ground, but he digs in his heels and manages to resist the magnetic pull.
00:26:09
Speaker
And now the rebels can go. We're gonna two sword attacks against this guy. That's a natural one and another number that is too low. And the other two are going to... The archers are gonna back up. One will provoke an opportunity attack as a result.
00:26:30
Speaker
And that will hit. for three damage. Rolled pretty low there. Actually, sorry, five damage. Still rolled pretty low there, but... So they both run back. One gets clawed for his troubles, but then they both fire.
00:26:43
Speaker
One gets a natural 20, the other gets a natural 20. No Nice. So that'll be... wow that's huge. That's 20 damage total.
00:26:55
Speaker
Good job. Wow, that that is crazy. Meanwhile, back in the hallway... Oh no, one of the archers is dead. Tee- Oh, that's a bummer. Ah, that's fine. It would've been one of the swords guys anyway.
00:27:09
Speaker
The damage is the same. So one of the swords guys gets a crit. The other archer gets the crit. Damage is the same either way. It takes 20 damage. We go back out into the hallway where two sword guys and two archers are going to attack Fat Sal.
00:27:23
Speaker
I will say one of the archers looks at you, Faunalyn, and then looks at the worm crawling on the ground a few feet away from him and says, should i Should I kill that or him? Yes, and then him.
00:27:37
Speaker
Okay. Yes, sir. And we'll shoot at the worm. So two sword attacks against Sal. That'll be a 16, which is a hit, and an eight, which is a miss for seven damage.
00:27:52
Speaker
The other will make archery attack against him, which will be a natural one. And the other will shoot at the worm. The other will shoot at the worm. i have to imagine you need more than a five to hit, but let's see.
00:28:07
Speaker
Yeah, you do. Excellent. So he shoots at the worm, misses the worm. He looks at you and says, I missed the worm, sir. And the fight continues on.
00:28:20
Speaker
The last of the legendary actions is used by the monster in the cave. And it is going to attempt to magnetic pull the archer this time. I don't know before. Last of its legendary actions. We heard that before. well it gets him back. Of the round.
00:28:38
Speaker
Oh. he fails by five or more, so the archer slams into a different side of this creature. Crap. And he restrained. Burakhan looks at you, Fondolin, and says, i don't know. I'm like, i don't I don't know what the fucker in the tower did to me. I'm a little drained at the moment. ah Not a great time to figure that out.
00:29:00
Speaker
But she puts her hand on your shoulder. Maybe you'll have better luck. And you watch as she begins to shrink. She begins to diminish. She was...
00:29:13
Speaker
maybe a couple inches shorter than you when you first pulled her out of the jar. She's now Glimki's height. But as she shrinks, you feel a surge of power move through her fingertips and into your body.
00:29:27
Speaker
Don't waste this. I'm running out. Understood. And we're going to Glimki. Okay, Glimki is at the tree sheathes his sword and falls to his knees and places his hands on the tree like he did last time. And he closes his eyes and he starts calling out to Ed again. And he's like, I know you're hurting e again, but we're here.
00:29:50
Speaker
We made it to the heart of the island. I just need i need you to wake up now. If you can hear me, Etigan, you're home. You hear that voice and you haven't heard it in over a week.
00:30:02
Speaker
Probably at times you reached out, you said something, and you didn't hear a response. You could still feel a presence, so you knew that he wasn't gone.
00:30:13
Speaker
But for the first time, you have confirmation of this. As Etigan speaks faintly and says, You have to destroy it. Destroy the heart inside the tree.
00:30:26
Speaker
What? What? Destroy the heart? Too much myself is trapped inside it. I need it back. Oh, is it like you have to release power from the physical prison of the tree?
00:30:44
Speaker
This, i don't know if it's just me, but now, can I do an inside roll? You certainly can.
00:30:53
Speaker
I did not roll very well. I got a seven. With a seven, some skepticism is probably warranted. It's probably healthy.
00:31:04
Speaker
You're talking to a ghost in your brain. You've met other spirits. They have been duplicitous. They have been jealous. They have been antagonistic. Etigan hasn't been those things, but you don't know if you can trust this entity.
00:31:22
Speaker
You don't. You just don't know. What the hell? Why didn't he? He's never said that before. don't think so. He told you to find the heart hidden within the island.
00:31:35
Speaker
don't know if he told you to destroy it though. We didn't know what you would have to do once we got here though. baby Maybe, we do have to destroy the tree. Damn. this might okay This might be burning a turn, but can i use my divine sense to detect good and evil?
00:31:54
Speaker
And obviously it like it only really helps me know the location, but I don't know if you'll let me throw an arcana roll in there or something, because I don't know, this is the first time I've like suddenly had no confidence in what i'm doing.
00:32:09
Speaker
I love that you've chosen the worst possible time to have a crisis of faith. He didn't say of this! I'm here I have to destroy it? I fought all this way thinking that I had to like help this guy get back to it and now he's like, bro, you have to break What you mean?
00:32:27
Speaker
That seems like important information. What's that are gonna do? Die more? Yeah, you can certainly do that. Yeah, as an action to detect an evil until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the Howl's Bell or know the location of Celestial Feet and Undead within 60 feet.
00:32:41
Speaker
I don't know. I'm going to know it may not be like explicitly in the writings of this spell, but... No, I'm going i'm going to... ah You know what? Make a nature check Oh, God.
00:32:55
Speaker
It was on a 20 and then it it rolled over to a 2. No! I hate it when it does that. Oh no. I think with a 2, I'm going to hold you to the letter of this spell.
00:33:09
Speaker
And within 60 feet of you, you detect no celestials, no fiends, and no undead.
00:33:20
Speaker
There's probably an elemental. Looking at the big giant rock monster, you got a feeling. But you get no further insight. What do like nature spirits register as? that Does he like detect etiquette?
00:33:34
Speaker
He does not. Not celestial. Okay, Glumkey. I can't do anything this turn again. I guess I'll just move to the other. Can I just rotate around the tree? Yeah, you run around the tree. I say the creature, you look over and you see clay is stuck to it and one of its eyes is looking at you, but you run around the tree.
00:33:51
Speaker
Yeah, takes his sword out, but that's it. Okay. You hear the sound of the creature shredding the rebels you brought down here.
00:34:01
Speaker
Or maybe you don't. Because it attacks the one restrained. Clay, I'm sorry didn't roll this for you first. I rolled this guy first because i really thought he would die. oh that's fine. I want these guys to live. i roll a two and a three. The one that is trapped on the side holds his bow out. He just manages to get it up and the claw snaps onto and tries to grab him, but he holds it off, surviving temporarily.
00:34:25
Speaker
Good. The second attack will be with advantage against you, Clay.
00:34:31
Speaker
I roll a natural one. and a 21. Oh. Clay, you will take... Wait, how does Warding Flare work? Attacked by a creature within 30 feet that you can see, i can use my reaction to impose disadvantage. So if it's an advantaged roll, you take the lower one instead or do you just roll a again flat? It would neutralize it.
00:34:56
Speaker
So I would say in this situation, because I've already rolled it, I think technically it's supposed to be said beforehand, I would reroll just a single die. Okay. So if you want to avoid taking this damage, ah I will reroll if you want to use your Warding Flare.
00:35:07
Speaker
Yeah, going to use my Warding Flare. Disadvantage. I guess flat roll. Flap roll.
00:35:18
Speaker
That is a three on the die. Imagine if it had nat 20, wouldn't that have felt so bad. The stats are not in the favor. way I don't think this, know. It is going to make a claw attack against one of the swordsmen.
00:35:34
Speaker
Regular claw attack. That'll hit as an unnatural 20, dealing seven slashing damage. And swordman number eight perishes.
00:35:45
Speaker
Which one was that? We'll say his name was Bruno. No, Bruno. Bruno. He had a bad breath and liked to sing. Aw. I dreamed a He dies with a dream upon his lips of a better Mangan.
00:36:04
Speaker
Clay, it's going to try and bite you. Bite me. As it fight me pulls you up, dangling you over its jaw on the top of its head, if it even has a head.
00:36:16
Speaker
Clay. Uh-huh. You are restrained, so this will have advantage. But I will tell you the first roll will be a miss. You just need me to roll bad again. Does a 14 hit.
00:36:28
Speaker
Am i carrying my shield on me? I'll say yes. Yeah, then it doesn't hit because my AC is 16. Let's go It drops you and you fall towards its open mouth and you pull your shield down and wedge it in the creature's jaw.
00:36:46
Speaker
And it tries to crunch you and you pull your arm free and roll down the side of it, landing on the ground back on your feet. It is unbothered by Glimke. It doesn't care about what Glimke is doing right now. Out of sight, out of mind.
00:36:58
Speaker
And it does not care about the fireball because there are delicious people to consume. So what? It has to make a saving throw? It's still within. Yes. Yes. Dexterity saving throw.
00:37:12
Speaker
It fails. Okay. That's 2d6, I believe. Let me just double check. Okay. That's seven fire damage.
00:37:22
Speaker
Clay, going tell you this now. It has been hit several times. Rebels have been slashing at it. You've been hitting it. Your spiritual attacks and this fire, this flaming sphere, have done as much damage as you expected to.
00:37:36
Speaker
but seems to be resistant to the basic weapons of the rebels, which means it has secretly taken less damage than I had marked out because I forgot it resistance.
00:37:50
Speaker
That being said, I even said it at the start, dude. Yeah, it's resistant. That being said, it looks it looks bloody. It is.
00:38:00
Speaker
oh shit. Okay, okay, okay. The hits are adding up. Like, it is a tough creature. It is a big, strong, mean-looking creature. And you're starting to lose your your forces, but maybe who the creature's turn ends.
00:38:14
Speaker
It gets its legendary actions back. e And it's Fat Sal's turn. Fat Sal. Let's see. So Faunelin, you stayed back. You shot. There are two swords guys in front of him. So he's going to take a claw attack against each of them.
00:38:31
Speaker
That is going to be a hit and a hit, which means... Oh, triple snake eyes. That guy should have died. I rolled three ones on the damage roll.
Turning the Battle's Tide
00:38:43
Speaker
He's supposed to live. Chosen one. that's crazy The other guy will survive with one HP. Oh, This is a game of inches and I can't help but feel like so this is going to add out.
00:38:59
Speaker
The archer that tried to shoot that worm on the ground screams as the worm rears back and launches himself watches itself at this archer. He has to make another dex save.
00:39:13
Speaker
and he will fail. You watch as this worm launches itself at him and starts to, it and it lands on him. It starts to constrict around him. It starts to like bind onto his arm and he starts to scream.
00:39:25
Speaker
And that'll be end of Fat Sal's turn. I'm going to say that the three-eyed monster in the cavern is going to use its earthly retreat to take the disengage action and burrow for up to half its speed.
00:39:40
Speaker
And you watch as the ground just starts to like shh. shake around it and it just melds down into it. Ah. Fun one. yoi tin Lovely.
00:39:52
Speaker
Excellent. I'm going to look at Burakan and say, all right, let's see what you can do. I assume that the rebels are between me and Fat Sal, yes? Yeah, the swords guys stayed next to him. They're like, they're clanging, trying to cut him down.
00:40:07
Speaker
Okay. I'm going to move past the fray that I'm standing behind Fat Sal. Fonelin summons the energy that she felt pour into her when Burakan shrunk and passed over that power. And she doesn't know what she's casting and she doesn't know how to cast anything. So her movements look stilted and jerky,
00:40:30
Speaker
but She summons this power and she is going to cast Arms of Haydar. And what happens is the shadows elongate around her and then billow and curl through the air. And in a split second, they unravel to encompass Fat Sal in the perimeter of this shadowed region that she has just summoned.
00:40:53
Speaker
Falls just shy, it kisses the feet of the rebels that were standing in front of Sal. The tips of their toes are darkened by this black shadow. And she and Fat Sal, who are within this darkness, don't just see darkness. They see the the shadow cast by tall trees. He's moving, shadowy, phantasmal columns of darkness that echo the parts of the forest that frightened Fawnelyn when she was a child. And they are lost in this forest together. And I need Fat Sal to roll a cutie little strength saving throw.
00:41:29
Speaker
I truly hate that I have to do this, but I rolled a natural 20. Oh, boo. That's okay. That's okay. That's okay. That's okay. He, he's still going to take half damage.
00:41:42
Speaker
Ha. Suck it Yeah. Oh, he is going to take um
00:41:47
Speaker
he's gonna take, he's gonna take 1.5 damage because on my 2d6, I rolled 2 and a 1 and that is halved. So of a possible, of a, of a, yes, yes.
00:41:58
Speaker
And he suffers no other reactions. I take it back. You don't have to suck it. Ah, suck that 1.5 damage. Yeah, he takes 1 damage. Did it kill him? Did it kill him? You know, I'd love to play this little game and say, yeah, but no. Maybe if you did 1.75. Maybe 1.75. Yeah, even 1.6.
00:42:21
Speaker
Oh, I'm not done, though. No, 1.6.
00:42:25
Speaker
i'm sex With my bonus action, you tell me if this is too cool. Tell me if this is too sexy and cool. love that phrase. Maybe it's not allowed because it's too cool.
00:42:38
Speaker
But I would like to use my bonus action to hide. And I know maybe it's mechanically not possible, but there's like boxes and things around on the map. Can I like step into a shadow? Like I'm pacing around these trees and I want to step into a shadow and I want to call out. And i imagine my voice echoing around this cave. and say, the problem with you, Fran, is you don't know how to show restraint.
00:43:04
Speaker
There's a time and a place for vengeance, and I assure you, you've missed your shot. Give me a stealth action. If I fail this, i'm actually I'm actually going to get up and leave. If I roll bad, I'm just so embarrassed. We're going to have to be like rolling first and describing after.
00:43:21
Speaker
And then describing, and then I'll be like, okay, if I roll bad, it was really dorky, but if I... Oh, God almighty. That's an 11. 11. eleven Okay. yeah You step behind one of these shadowy trees that you've conjured forth.
00:43:36
Speaker
And we go to clay. Where'd he go? Where's the bad guy? Wait, what happened to the archer that he was grappling? He dropped him? Um, yeah. We'll say the creature molds down into the ground and like scraping onions off a knife. It just like just gets deposited on the ground.
00:43:58
Speaker
Okay. Is there any sign of this guy around here still? He leaves no trace. Mm-hmm. Cool. A turn with no target.
00:44:09
Speaker
That's great. Mm-hmm. Can i ready an action for when he reappears to attack him? Totally. How does that work? Do I only get my action then if I prepare an action or can I like delay my whole turn until after he appears?
00:44:25
Speaker
Only your action. Using your reaction to use an action. Okay. Can I still see Glemke? I don't think so. No, he has disappeared behind the tree.
00:44:37
Speaker
This big old tree. I think you roughly know that he is back there, but you can't see Okay. Can I move to just maybe like spread out and try to get Glimki into my line of sight to keep him in sight of me? Because I want to bonus action cast Sanctuary on him. Okay.
00:44:58
Speaker
Let's see. Based off roughly where you were, you were pulled off of the dang cliff. And how generous am I not to give you fall damage? How generous am I as you slam into the side of this creature? generous?
00:45:09
Speaker
I would say, sorry, are you holding an action? Yeah, I think I want to use my movement bonus action and then hold my action to attack when the thing appears again.
00:45:21
Speaker
Sure. And what do you want to with your bonus action? Cast sanctuary. Oh, is that a bonus action? It's a bonus action. Nice. You ward a creature within range against attack.
00:45:33
Speaker
The spell ends. Okay. It's not concentration and you don't need to see the creature. Oh, I don't need see I will say you cannot, you can't gain line of sight to Glimki, but you know where he is. But can just it on him.
00:45:44
Speaker
Okay. And you just reach out. You cast this, you you say this prayer asking the Krog to protect your friend and you know it, it, it, it takes hold. And Glimki, I'll say you see like this little fiery shimmering dragon sort just like swirl around you.
00:46:00
Speaker
Yo, why is Puma so good at this game? I don't understand! What's happening? That spell is sick as fuck! That's, um, I think... Oh, that's a first level spell, too. Awesome. Yeah, but that's sick.
00:46:16
Speaker
I'm just like, it's less about just the spells, it's more about this like all the synergies lately have been crazy. Knowing which spells have concentration. Like, you've got three active spells right now. yeah And you're only concentrating on them, and that's crazy to me.
00:46:28
Speaker
ah Yeah, I'm trying to like maximize my action economy. She's a min-maxim. Holy shit. Who would have known? oh Clay's just really of finding herself. God damn.
00:46:40
Speaker
That's crazy as hell. Okay. Do I have to say what my ready to action is? Like what I want to do? Yes. You have to define the action and the trigger. Okay, when he appears, I'm going to sacred flame him again.
00:46:53
Speaker
Sounds good. So you ready a sacred flame looking around, eyes darting around this darkened cavern. There's no light except for the light the couple of remaining swordsmen are carrying. And speaking of swordsmen,
00:47:05
Speaker
They're going to spread out a bit, not liking how this creature been tearing them down. They will say the archer is no longer stuck. He readies an action. The swordsman fan out a bit. They ready actions out in the hallway. However, the two swordsmen fighting against Fat Sal are going to lock eyes in the heat of combat.
00:47:25
Speaker
And one says to the end, sister, we won't stop until we see Mengan free. And they're both going to attack. And they're both going to hit.
00:47:38
Speaker
And collectively they do nine damage. i Apologies, dear sister. Fat Sal does regain 10 hit points once again. I keep forgetting to do that on his turn. So he has healed again, but he will take 11 damage from these two attacks. So it kind of cancels out. Essentially the swordsmen do the same collective damage that you did with your spell.
00:48:00
Speaker
Yeah. One damage at a time. One damage at time. Journey of a thousand miles. Vanessa Carlton style or whatever. One of the archers is going to, he's going to rip the worm off and throw it on the ground. And the other one is going to attempt to stomp on it. So they're not going to be attacking Fat Sal. They're worried about this worm that as he like scrapes off, he's like, he it's burrowing into me. oh half And he rips it off.
00:48:21
Speaker
And the other one is going to stomp on it and just crush it under his boot and destroys it. Good. Burakhan, the untimely. I'm going to say she looks at the dead swordsman, the nearly dead other swordsman and says, this isn't looking so good.
00:48:43
Speaker
going to try something else. And she extends her hands out and you watch as the walls of this cavern begin to close in like a sliding door. start to like pinch off between you and Fat Sal, blocking him off with the other two rebels.
00:49:00
Speaker
And as the walls start to close, the stone starts to move. This wall of stone starts to take shape. You see it starts to vibrate and her hands begin to tremble and you look over and she shrinks again down to only a foot and a half tall.
00:49:12
Speaker
And so the spell breaks and you see just blood coming out of her ears now. What the hell? It's no good. It's no good. It's no good. Oh, he did something bad. He did something bad.
00:49:24
Speaker
and we're going to move on to Glimki standing in the shadows of this completely dark cavern with no light. Glimki standing amongst the roots of this massive stone tree.
00:49:36
Speaker
Okay, I guess it's time to do my job, which is free the heart of Ed again. I'm going to try attack this tree. Does a 14 hit the tree? Give me a second.
00:49:49
Speaker
Fuck. Ah!
00:49:54
Speaker
Sorry. You strike at it. Miss? All right. You don't miss. You don't miss, but you swing at it and your sword just deflects off of it. You see sparks from the impact point, but the stone is thick and it's been growing for a long time and you don't get through it. What the hell? All right.
00:50:15
Speaker
Anything else you can do? Nope. Literally no. Okay. If only we had more blast powder. I hate to see it.
00:50:27
Speaker
That's a bummer. I'm going to need some better rolls from you going forward. The creature does not appear. Does not do anything. Show yourself. And we move on to Fat Sal once more. i mean, if you guys aren't doing anything, we can hang out. You can come hang out out here. You're not doing anything in there.
00:50:46
Speaker
Fat Sal is going to attack both the swordsmen once again. That is going to be a hit on both.
00:50:59
Speaker
And with these vicious hag claws, he cuts down both of them. six Faunelin is hidden. The two archers remain. And I'd say the one that stomps with its boot, crushing the worm, he reacts to that and is going to launch another one off of his body at him.
00:51:21
Speaker
Stop throwing tapeworms at people. But they dodge out of the way. He moves down the hallway towards them, getting, we'll say within 10 feet, kind of moving past where you're hidden, Faunalyn, running past you. I mean, he's like ignoring me. Oh, can I take a opportunity attack?
00:51:37
Speaker
Well, you're hidden, remember. Not ignoring you, but you hid. I will say, sure. Hell yeah. I do not get sneak attack on this attack, though, do i You would, because you have advantage. I would?
00:51:47
Speaker
If you attack from hiding, is that advantage? Oh my god! That's an eight to hit. Does it hit? Did you roll with advantage? No. That's a 24 to hit.
00:51:58
Speaker
Ooh, an eight would have hit, but 24 misses, unfortunately. Dang it. Oh, damn. Yeah, it hits. Ooh, max damage on both die That's 22 damage. 22 damage. I rolled max damage on two out of three of my die.
00:52:13
Speaker
I really did something cool with my stupid arms of Hadar. That was awesome. You step through this shadowy conjured tree as Fat Sal goes running by and stab him through the remains of his chest.
00:52:27
Speaker
A dozen worms die on your rapier and you pull it loose and he spins around. little
00:52:36
Speaker
The fight continues on. That was a big chunk of damage. And now I do have to admit, I forgot he did heal at the beginning of his turn. So he's hardened, but slightly less hardened. I'm going to say though, bloodied, despite the healing, bloodied. Okay.
00:52:52
Speaker
Okay. We're making it happen. You're doing big damage. Faunolin, it is now immediately your turn. Oh yeah. I'm going to swing again with my rapier. That is a dirty 20 to hit.
00:53:03
Speaker
Okay, you will not get sneak attack because you're no longer hidden and he is no longer next to any of your allies. i lied. I'm going to take a bonus action first to My trees are still up, right? I'm to say they're gone.
00:53:15
Speaker
I hate you. I was very kind with the trees. We can all have that. I was very kind with the trees. hate you. You're mean. No, don't say that. mean that. Bonus action. Disengage. You know what? You know what? Hey, do you want do you want some love for me? do you want some love for me?
00:53:30
Speaker
You look at this creature and you're like, I don't have an ally nearby. I can't sneak attack. And then you glance down at your shin and see the one foot tall Burakan. Oh.
00:53:42
Speaker
Ah! Grabbing him by the leg and she says, stab him, stab him. Get him! Oh, that is so nice. so if I say i hate you, you change, you fundamentally change the setting to make the world nicer to me.
00:53:57
Speaker
I'm a kind man. Many people think otherwise. fear we're setting a precedent that entails a lot of verbal abuse from me, but it's fine I'm going to allow it for today. you got an unnatural 20 on the attack roll.
00:54:09
Speaker
I sure did. That is a meager 13 damage on my stabby stab. Okay. He's starting to look pretty rough. Fantastic. I look to one of my allies, I lock eyes with them, and I say, if we win this, even if we all die, our souls will roam free in the gardens of Ed again. I'm emotionally manipulating this man's faith to give him the help action through my- He dies. Yes. Let's go.
00:54:42
Speaker
yes let's go Clay, it is your turn. okay The creature has not reappeared. You are currently holding three spells in your mind. Sweat drips down your body as this arcane force that you're wielding swells and grows.
00:54:59
Speaker
What do you do now? And i'm going to be i'm goingnna I'm going to make a note of something. Holding a spell as a ready to action does require concentration. I forgot about that. I would have warned you. So we'll say if you want to maintain the flaming sphere, you wouldn't have cast you know you wouldn't have held sacred flame last turn.
00:55:16
Speaker
ah Which is fine. You can if you still want to, like if you wanted to have, but I imagine you'd rather have a flaming sphere than a- Yeah, I think I would have just readied to hit it with my physical mace. Okay.
00:55:28
Speaker
So you pull the mace out, three spells held in your mind, shield and mace drawn, looking around in the darkness, waiting for it to reappear. Hasn't appeared. We've established that I actually cannot see Boonki, so I did not see him start to attack the tree.
00:55:41
Speaker
you heard a strike from the darkness, but don't know what it was. I don't know what's happening there. I'm going, how many rebels are still alive? You have two swordsmen and one archer. Okay. I'm going to say to them, i think it's gone.
00:55:58
Speaker
You guys start heading back through the tunnel where Lady Fonelin is. Bring our fallen comrades and maybe we can regather on that side.
00:56:09
Speaker
I'm going to stay here with Glimki, but you guys should make your way out. yeah Yes, sir. And you look at this young, young human teenager, really probably not even 18, covered in the blood of his ally.
00:56:22
Speaker
And they, well, there's only one body. The other was devoured. Yeah. So hopefully they help carry him. Two ah one of those the swordsmen and run off back down the tunnel on their turn. Anything else on yours? Since the bad guy is not here anymore, now I would like to go move so I can see what Glinky is doing. Just from afar to see how and maybe he's planted Etigan or something. i don't know.
00:56:50
Speaker
Okay. Are you moving your flaming sphere, spiritual weapon, either neither? Where are they? Are they like next they're next to each other because i More or less. Yeah. One's like hovering in the air like 10 feet from the other.
00:57:02
Speaker
Can I just spread them out a bit so in case the thing appears, it might be within range of one of them, one or the other Yeah. The sphere rolls down the tunnel or down the cavern towards the tree, casting these long dark shadows.
00:57:17
Speaker
It dances, the light of it dances through the roots of the stone tree. Spiritual weapon, you can see it moving through the space, fans out. I can only move one of them though, so. That's fine. It's flavor.
00:57:30
Speaker
And that's your turn. Yeah. The rebels are going to drag the body out. And as they disappear into the darkness, you hear the sound of falling stone.
00:57:44
Speaker
And you look up and you see the creature has burrowed through that stone platform at the southern end of this chamber and stands upon it. a
00:57:58
Speaker
It is Burakhan's turn. And she looks up at you, Fondolin, and says, I didn't think this is how it was going to go. But honestly, we're not even one hell of a ride. We got one ride on a carpet and it fucking melted. So it was a a ride though one hell of a ride.
00:58:17
Speaker
She reaches up a tiny hand. Whatever you're doing, don't do it. Don't kill yourself. But while I say that, I'm taking her hand. You have so much to live for. Think of the vengeance. But I'm taking her hand.
00:58:28
Speaker
She shakes your hand and says, oh, no, no, no. I'm i'm not, believe me, I'm not dying for you. Not today. I'm probably dying for me, but it is what it is. I'm, I'm, I'm useless.
00:58:39
Speaker
I got nothing. and we're going to go to Glimki. Actually, before we do, the creature will use its last... Legendary action of the round and clay, you begin to feel your body pulled through the cavern once more.
00:58:55
Speaker
I need a strength saving throw with disadvantage. Why is it still disadvantaged? cause wearing armor and that's why. Wow. One of them was a nat 20 and the other is a nine for a total of 10.
00:59:10
Speaker
Looking at the map without trying again to get into trigonometry, I'm going to say it's just enough. as you are pulled across the floor, up this ledge, and find yourself stuck once more to the side of this creature.
00:59:26
Speaker
Glimki, it is your turn. You look over and you see Clay disappear through the darkness. Fucking shit. Okay, Glimki is pissed off because why he's confused at why he needs to destroy this tree, but he feels he must, so he's going to try swinging again.
00:59:44
Speaker
Please get through the tree. Wow, that's ass. That's worse than last time. That's actually- What the fuck? Okay, it's fine. Hold on, hold on, hold on. hold I'm going to use one of my maneuvers to add a superior to it.
00:59:57
Speaker
Okay, okay. Okay, is a 16 enough? Probably not, right? Come on.
01:00:09
Speaker
I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you. i For transparency's sake, it has a 17 AC. Yeah, that's great. That's really good. Quick, tell him you hate him. genuinely sorry.
01:00:20
Speaker
Yeah. Tell him you'll hate him forever. Yeah. Well, I literally can't do anything, and I just used one of my maneuvers to try get the thing up because I didn't want to waste the turn.
01:00:31
Speaker
but Well, no, I wasted the turn and I wasted the maneuver. Oh, man. That's a bummer. It's okay. I'm sad for you and sad for everyone else involved.
01:00:42
Speaker
Clay. I feel no sympathy. None? I feel only rage. No, none. See, some of us pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and use the world around us to deal a 1.5 damage per turn.
01:00:53
Speaker
ah So no sympathy. Actually, so much sympathy. That sucks. Yeah. Why is this tree so hard? Why is this stone freezing You guys, this combat encounter is really fucking putting me down.
01:01:09
Speaker
Yeah, etiquette. What kind of stuff you're dealing with. I'm clanging metal against stone and nothing's happening. a thing It's cool. I'm single-handedly finding a tapeworm monster. It's cool.
01:01:23
Speaker
Clay, it's going to make three attacks against you with advantage. Oh my lord. I would like to warding flare. Okay. Love that. Again. ah you know what? Hey.
01:01:35
Speaker
You rolled too fast. I was going to use it. Yeah, that's fine. You know, I rolled first before telling you. That's on me. i will. Yeah, take back that nat 20. I will roll again. Single die.
01:01:47
Speaker
And I know the answer does a 15 hits. No, it does not. Cause you're carrying. No, it does not. Yeah. That what could have been a natural 20 becomes miss. The second attack is cocked.
01:01:59
Speaker
That'll be a 13.
01:02:01
Speaker
Doesn't hit. And an unnatural 20. Ah, that one hits. For nine slashing damage. And it is going to take you as it grabs you with those claws and it is going to dangle you once more over its mouth and make a chomp attack.
01:02:20
Speaker
I'll say this is without advantage and it is a 13. I need you to make a choice for me. You can either pull free of its grasp and risk falling off of this ledge or you can just stay where you are.
01:02:37
Speaker
I want to like chill on this guy's face. Okay. Like starfish are across his mouth. So I'm not. yeah You spread your legs and arms out and jaws are clomping below you desperately trying to draw you in.
01:02:53
Speaker
Amazing. Okay. At the beginning of Fat Sal's turn, he regains 10 HP. I remember this time, everybody. I remember this time. i like it when you forget. Thanks. Me too.
01:03:04
Speaker
He is going to... Attack Faunalin twice. Did I attack with the rebels last turn? i don't think so. when what Did the new rebels fill up yet? When did the new rebels, the rebels from this room go into that room? Do they get a turn? Next turn.
01:03:17
Speaker
Ah, okay. I'm not convinced I attacked. And if I did, i don't think I did because it was two archers. I don't think I did. I think I skipped from clay to Burakan. So I'm going to retroactively roll an attack roll with advantage and an attack roll normal style.
01:03:33
Speaker
Normal style attack roll is a hit. Advantage attack roll is also a hit. So Sal will get hit for nine damage, which functionally overturns the healing he got.
01:03:50
Speaker
And he's going to attack Faunolin twice.
01:03:55
Speaker
The first attack is an unnatural 20. Yeah, that will hit. You're going to take five slashing damage.
01:04:05
Speaker
And three necrotic damage. Okay. You're still up. Yeah, Funnelin's hanging on by a thread. He's going to attack you a second time. Cool.
01:04:18
Speaker
That's a natural 20. Oh my god. ah You're gonna kill me outright! No, what yeah You could, no! Ah! Ah!
01:04:30
Speaker
The number is 25, Zach. If you deal 25 damage, I'm dead dead. Oh my God. No, I'll say I hate you. I'll say mean things. So factor that in.
01:04:41
Speaker
I rolled six dice. Five of them were twos. Oh my God, okay. That's good. You take 17 damage total. Shit. You are locked unconscious.
01:04:52
Speaker
Fuck. Oh, big time. But you are not dead. yet Don't worry, guys. Glimmy's going to get this trick down right away. yeah Yeah. Okay, Lumberjack.
01:05:04
Speaker
There's some other rebels coming to join you. Do any of these rebels carry the healer's kit that we spent like a week working on? You know, I'm going to say two of them had healer's kits, one from each squad.
01:05:17
Speaker
I'm going to roll 2d10 to determine which of the 10 that came with you had the healer's kits. Okay. It'll be swordsman number six and the archer who was eaten.
01:05:36
Speaker
Okay. So we have one healer's one healer kit. One healer's kit. Okay. Where's Boof? Yeah. Boof is on your, okay. You know what?
01:05:46
Speaker
Clay, as you're pulled away, going to say Boof. You look into the mouth and Boof is not there. Oh, no did he fall in? Boof. Fawnelin, it is your turn. I'm going to need a death saving throw.
01:06:00
Speaker
Love being top of the round. Should I DM you the results? Or would you just like me to say it out loud? This is a podcast. Say it out loud. Are we doing secret death? Or we can build the suspense. Yeah. What's our, what we like? that's okay. There's enough, there's enough tension built into the fact that your healer is about to get, you know, munched and Glimke is struggling with this big ass tree.
01:06:20
Speaker
Yeah, guys, this combat's hard. Really having a tough time. I rolled a 12. A 12. Clay, it is your turn.
01:06:31
Speaker
You are perched above this creature. What are you doing? I would like to pull out that one mushroom. oh Oh! That you gave me.
01:06:43
Speaker
Oh my gosh. And say, you hungry, big boy? And I drop it into the mouth. You fucking genius.
01:06:52
Speaker
What does it do? Because I don't know. Prima, will you roll d100 for me, please? That's a 96. 96. Okay, Clay.
01:07:04
Speaker
Something weird happens. You hear a rumbling within the creature, and you watch as these stone scales that cover its body, this natural armor, they begin to withdraw and pull back, revealing exposed flesh.
01:07:23
Speaker
And then you look at yourself, and you see that your scale male is doing the same thing, revealing chunks of your exposed skin. What that means is that you and the Zorn I've been dancing around saying his name for some odd reason.
01:07:38
Speaker
The Zor. Gain vulnerability to piercing damage for the next minute. Okay. I'm going to tell you right now. pretty much nothing me. One of the better results for you because another option was just like its hair falls out.
01:07:54
Speaker
Oh, man. There was also some options that probably would have just blown it yeah there was There were some options that would have mucked it right up. Man, it's not even as good as Blackleaf.
01:08:07
Speaker
Yeah, what the heck It's a different kind of high. ah Clay, you drop that as an action, we'll say, to pull that out and drop it in. Bonus action? Are you sphering or weaponing?
01:08:18
Speaker
I'll say either of them can just barely reach. Am I grappled? You're like on it. I'm on it, right? Can I just- We'll say the magnetism is worn off. Yeah, because I don't have armor anymore.
01:08:30
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, there we go. What's closer, my spiritual weapon or my flaming sphere? I'll say like they spread out a bit and they're like, they're equally close. They both can just reach. Oh, cool. Then I'd like my flaming sphere to start rolling over and slam into its naked body.
01:08:49
Speaker
Okay. That's a dexterity save from it. Mm-hmm. Ooh. That is a natural 19 on the die. God damn it. I don't think it takes anything, does it? Half damage.
01:09:02
Speaker
Oh, half damage. Okay. So it still takes a little bit. It takes 3.5 damage, 3.5. Okay, so it takes 3 damage as the Flaming Sphere comes rolling up this hill, Kate Bush style, and that's not the words, Sisypus style.
01:09:21
Speaker
It is like a profane cooking pot as this flaming sphere is underneath this creature and you are perched above it. It looks like a giant rock covered fleshy cook pot. Something maybe some of the witches you've met in your travels would adore.
01:09:36
Speaker
But it wants to eat you and you don't enjoy or adore. Probably. Maybe you do. might be a freak like that. so i might be a freak like that Can I just shout over to Glimki? Be like, how's it going over there?
01:09:50
Speaker
you need help? Not great. what tree is harder than I thought. You had to break it? i think so. Just polite top of a creature actively trying to eat you.
01:10:04
Speaker
but Yeah, that's the most clay thing ever though. Yeah. You're just like sitting there like legs kicking off the edge of this is this monster. Yeah. Imagining Gloomkey like very anime out of breath sweating like, this tree is putting a more of a fight than thought.
01:10:22
Speaker
Clay's like still starfish over its mouth. You good? yeah Actually, Clay, I do need a concentration check from you. Oh, yes. What does that entail? You need to make a constitution saving throw and roll a 10 or a higher.
01:10:38
Speaker
Con. What is my con? Oh, yeah, that's ah another abnormal 20. Nice. This profane 20 keeps your flaming sphere there, means the damage you did actually happened.
01:10:50
Speaker
And it takes it again ah on its turn if it doesn't move. Oh, and it will not move, probably. We're going to say two archers fire at Fat Sal. No advantages gained. Oh, one hit, one miss for minimum damage of two.
01:11:08
Speaker
The other swordsmen run in down the tunnel. We will say one, the archer, shoots down at Fat Sal as well. That is a hit.
01:11:20
Speaker
Dealing an additional, everything averages out, another seven damage. He's starting to look pretty beat up. I've heard that before. I think one has a healer's kit, but I don't think his initial instinct would be to heal Faunalyn.
01:11:32
Speaker
I think he sees this creature and I think the two swordsmen are going to drop their friend and run in to try and cut down this freakish creature. a hit and a miss.
01:11:47
Speaker
Hey, Zach. Oh, never mind.
01:11:52
Speaker
Never mind. that about? Don't worry about it. It survives with one hit point. Glimki, it's your turn, baby boy. You can do this. I literally can't.
01:12:07
Speaker
You say that. And then you hear a voice in your ear and Boof says, bro, you literally can. And he's going to give you the help action. Come on.
01:12:18
Speaker
Okay. Just for everyone's reference, I rolled a 10, which is 14. Wow. and bandage No, the second dice I just rolled
01:12:35
Speaker
This is an above table question! I don't know how much the damage this thing can take. Should i blow a Divine Smite on it? It survives? Yeah, because that's really cool. Okay, we're doing it because fuck, if I don't do it in one shot, I'm gonna kill myself. Oh no, Glimki!
01:12:54
Speaker
bad oh no good you Kay, these dice are the worst. I just rolled a one. So that's three damage. And that's divine smite.
01:13:05
Speaker
Kay, are you fucked? I just rolled another one and a six. So we did a total of 10 damage. Great. It's a tree, it doesn't have that much help. Right? The thing is, Glinky, you don't need to destroy the tree.
01:13:23
Speaker
You just need to destroy enough stone to reveal the heart inside. So yeah, so like 40 more hit points probably. And you do. The heart's... Oh, see? You take this blade and it starts to glow bright and you wedge it into this tree.
01:13:42
Speaker
Green light starts to spread through the stone, begins to crack and chip. And there is an overwhelming flash of white light. I need you to make a constitution saving throw.
Cave Collapse and Escape
01:13:54
Speaker
Oh, that's good. 11. eleven
01:13:58
Speaker
Can I roll one thing good? You are blinded. Yeah, that's what I thought. as this previously dark cavern is filled with a searing white light, the vision of this crystal heart at the center of this tree is burned into your retinas and you cannot see anything, but you can feel it.
01:14:18
Speaker
This sickly, sweet, overwhelming presence, something that wants to be good, something that wants to give, is there pulsing at the center the tree.
01:14:29
Speaker
And the cave starts to shake. Slowly, at first. Glimke, anything else you wish to do? I'm blind. blind. Well, I suppose that's about it.
01:14:42
Speaker
Is there any reaction from Etigan now that the heart's exposed? Yeah. The tree shatters all around your blade. Once more, please, destroy it.
01:14:54
Speaker
There isn't much time.
01:14:58
Speaker
We go to the Zorn. I feel like I went a whole round without it doing any legendary actions. That's my bad. Oh, well, it's fighting you and it's a little vulnerable to piercing damage. It feels weird in its tummy. Clay, three attacks, none with advantage. Warding Flare.
01:15:15
Speaker
Oh, none with advantage. Nice. But now it's disadvantage, one of them. I'm going to give you a note or an insight. You've seen people get hit by these claws and it hurts. You've not seen anybody killed by these claws.
01:15:27
Speaker
You did see somebody bit in two. Okay. Can I Warding Flare the bite attack? Yes. It is going to claw first. So there is a chance you don't survive until the bite. But my recommendation would be bite is the big one.
01:15:41
Speaker
The big one. Okay. Yeah, I'm going to save it then for the bite attack.
01:15:50
Speaker
Okay. 14 misses. A 9 misses. An 11 misses. You are on this creature. It is clawing up at you. It can't really see you. And it's blindly reaching up, trying to force you into its mouth.
01:16:08
Speaker
and you feel its hand press upon you, trying to shove you in for a bite attack, and you flare with your final warden flare.
01:16:18
Speaker
It would have been a 25, but instead it's an 11. Cool. As this brightness flares out from you, you look out and you see Glimki just in a floodlight, just fully caught in this beam of radiant light. He's clutching at his eyes and we continue on.
01:16:39
Speaker
Fat Sal is going to heal. i feel like I need to roll a death save at some point. You rolled one. Did I miss you again? Is it only been one turn since then? Yeah, you go right before me. So yeah, pretty sure.
01:16:53
Speaker
I haven't had a turn. All right. brings along Big fight. Fat Sal is going to heal for 10 and then going to turn on the new swordsman who are attacking him. ah I said them. Attacked to each.
01:17:08
Speaker
That's a natural one and a hit.
01:17:14
Speaker
barely survives very lucky roll for that archer or swordsman rather there are now three archers in the cavern standing back uh he is going to shoot a new worm at the closest one and he dodges out of the way people have been rolling good against sal not gonna lie if you had been healed up would have gone different final one give me a death save that's a 14.
01:17:37
Speaker
Okay. I think lying on the ground, you are aware that despite your taunts, your challenges, Franny isn't piloting this creature.
01:17:53
Speaker
She set him loose, instructed him as to what he was supposed to do, but he's running free now, and it's your job to finish him off.
01:18:04
Speaker
At least it would be if the cavern didn't begin to shake violently. I need everybody to make a dexterity saving throw as an earthquake rips through the entire mine. I am unconscious.
01:18:17
Speaker
You're unconscious and prone. You don't need to worry about that. and Don't worry. I'm not even worried. I won't worry. Thank you for taking it away from my worries. I rolled a 19 for a total of 19. That's awesome.
01:18:29
Speaker
Clay, the Zorn fails its save and you manage to jump off of it as it hits the ground, keeping your balance and it is on the ground, claws lashing out at you.
01:18:41
Speaker
Glimki? I got a six, if you would believe it. I would believe it. It's okay. You don't see the ground. You just feel it. You fall prone.
01:18:53
Speaker
I've got a roll for two, three archers. Save, fail, fail. And two swordsmen.
01:19:05
Speaker
save fail. I believe that is everybody. Boof hits the ground and says, come on, dude, get up. We're almost there. Not for any real benefit, but just, you he's a good guy.
01:19:17
Speaker
hu Clay, it is your turn. Do i have to roll concentration for getting attacked or only if I get hit? Only if you get hit. Okay. Then the Zorn should have made another deck save at the end of its turn for the spear.
01:19:34
Speaker
It fails. So it takes another 2d6, which is to six Six, okay. Then I'm going to bonus action and try to hit it again with the spear.
01:19:47
Speaker
Go for Does it have to roll again? Yes. It gets a 12. This time it takes nine damage. Okay. you have an action?
01:19:57
Speaker
Yes. Do I get the feeling that Glimke has to be the one to hit the heart or can i attack it also and not kill Etigan in the process?
01:20:12
Speaker
Give me Arcana check. This is weird ancient magic that you don't really know. Oh, that's bad. I don't want to like get in the way and accidentally hit Etigan because I don't know what's going on there. I rolled a two Arcana.
01:20:29
Speaker
You don't. ah Which is a one. You really don't know. It is weird nature magic. You guys kind of operate in very different realms. On paper, you are similar in the things you can do and the magics you have access to.
01:20:47
Speaker
But in practice, is fundamentally different, and you just don't know what will hurt and what will help. Okay, then Clay's going to shout at Glimp Key again. What's going on over there? I can't see!
01:21:01
Speaker
I'm blind! is that the heart did we do it is it all almost there what do we got to do what what it hit it just break the stone okay um i only have one let me see one level two spell slot left and i would like to cast a scorching ray which is three rays of fire and i can aim at three targets okay So I would like to throw one at the tree and two at the Zorn.
01:21:36
Speaker
I'm going to stay starfish on its face and just plunge one hand into its mouth and shoot it that way. okay I love that it fell over and you just like clung on. didn't roll away. You just like, then just like ram that hand in there yeah and start burning.
01:21:52
Speaker
Give me two attack rolls. That's a 20 and a 21, a gnat. Those both hit. Mm-hmm. I rolled a 13 and a 14. That's a 12.
01:22:03
Speaker
No, that's not right. Sorry. I did my math wrong. Okay. That's 16. 16! Yeah. Hey, it had taken 57 damage and it has 73 hit points. You can look it up.
01:22:17
Speaker
Azorin has 73 hit points. 57 plus 16 is 73. Whoa, exactly. freema Perfect kill. How do you want to do this?
01:22:27
Speaker
Well, I kind of described it. I'm like crouched over its face with my hand down its throat. And I'm like filling it up with fire from the inside.
01:22:39
Speaker
Amazing. I think you wedge one hand in there and start blasting. Four beams of fire come off of your fingertips, and you reach out with your other hand, and like bowling, you just draw that flaming sphere in, and you step out of the way, and it pours down the creature's gullet, and it just starts to writhe and convulse and steam, and then it falls quiet.
01:23:03
Speaker
Holy shit. Nice. And my last ring. And your last ring, you shoot it at the stone tree. Okay.
01:23:14
Speaker
Oh, well, I don't think I can hit 17. It's, um, no. Yeah, that's not it. See, the tree's hard. Yeah, the tree's It hits.
01:23:26
Speaker
It hits. But the fire hits the stone and just disperses. Ah, maybe you have to hit it directly on the heart. After clay, rebel rebels.
01:23:38
Speaker
Three ranged attacks, two sword attacks. I'll say they all pull themselves up to their feet. The ground is still shaking. It hasn't stopped. There's been earthquakes that you've had during your time here that have been just short outbursts.
01:23:52
Speaker
This one is just getting started. But everyone pulls themselves to their feet. Three ranged attacks, three hits, two sword attacks,
01:24:04
Speaker
Two hits.
01:24:07
Speaker
The remaining rebels scream out, Killert! Feredigin! Dealing 15 damage to Fat Sal. Nice.
01:24:18
Speaker
So happy for him. Cutting him in two, and he collapses to the ground. Glimki, it is dark. You can't see, but Boof grabs your hand.
01:24:32
Speaker
and guides it up the tree, helping pull you to your feet, helping you orient yourself. Okay, so I guess it's flat, like just a normal roll, because is he helping, but I have disadvantage because I'm blind?
01:24:45
Speaker
Yeah. Great, so no pressure.
01:24:50
Speaker
It's got to have a lower power. For the love of Christ. Just kidding. 18. Yeah. Yeah.
01:24:59
Speaker
Are you... Divine Smiling again. I have to, I guess. Fuck it. The other thing's dead. I don't know that I'm blind. But... yeah. Oh my gosh, sorry. All RP has gone out the window because I'm so irritated at this tree. You got mentally boomed.
01:25:17
Speaker
Fuck! Okay. Limkey versus tree. This is crazy. Okay. Your worst enemy. ah Okay. Wow. Not great. Eight plus six, 12. Oh, sorry.
01:25:32
Speaker
I can't count anymore. fourteen 14. Yes. You pull back. An arc of green slices through the air, flashing across the sides, the walls of this cavern, though you can't see them.
01:25:48
Speaker
With each flash, you see Callum shaking your hand in the attic of the Pike and Pint. You see yourself in the mirror wearing the Geronimo T. Gates costume for the first time.
01:26:07
Speaker
You see Faunelin and Clay look at you reassuringly before you part ways outside Korak HQ. You see home.
01:26:19
Speaker
You see hope. As your blade pierces the crystal heart at the center of this petrified tree, and it shatters into a million pieces, you feel a surge of energy flow past you.
01:26:38
Speaker
A warm summer breeze pulling at your hair, pulling at the edges of your cloak, It's not violent. It's in contrast to the ground shaking beneath you.
01:26:52
Speaker
If anything, as you spin, it's like it's helping you find your footing. It is a dance through a field on the night before somebody begins a wayfair.
01:27:06
Speaker
It is a comforting presence, a guiding hand. As Etigan's spirit, his pent-up energy, is restored. However,
01:27:18
Speaker
this the ground is still shaking and the ceiling begins to collapse. Fonelin, you are hit by the mining platform.
01:27:29
Speaker
That wooden platform in the tunnel buckles and slams on top of you. You instantly take one fail. What?
01:27:40
Speaker
That's fine. Limke, I need you to make a dexterity saving throw with disadvantage.
01:27:47
Speaker
Four.
01:27:50
Speaker
Wow. All ones. You take three bludgeoning damage as a chunk of branch, one of these stone branches just snaps off and clips your shoulder and that warm breeze almost pulls you out of the way. You still get hurt, but it could have been so much worse.
01:28:07
Speaker
Clay, I need you to make a dexterity saving throw. 18. Nice, nice. You dodge out of the way as this platform that you're on crumbles.
01:28:18
Speaker
You just pull yourself back away from the edge as a large chunk of it shears off, taking the Zorn's body with it.
01:28:28
Speaker
Fail, fail, fail, pass, pass. One of the surviving archers is crushed. Oh. Shoot. That's so sad.
01:28:39
Speaker
They fought so hard. The next archer takes five damage from the same piece of rock that falls from the ceiling. And with the exact damage necessary, one of the remaining swordsman is also crushed.
01:28:51
Speaker
What is this? God, is the Hydra coming?
01:28:56
Speaker
Faunlan, through the blood pouring into your eyes, that jolt of pain as the mining platform falls on top of you. You blink your eyes open for a snapshot, a brief second, and see Sal pull himself to his feet.
01:29:14
Speaker
still healing. No, no, no, no, no. no no no but no He is going to attack oh a swordsman twice.
01:29:24
Speaker
Ro oh and turns around kind of as the ground shaking and you watch as Sal just grabs him by the neck and snaps. He drops. oh Come on.
01:29:38
Speaker
Can somebody come to help me? I'm glad you two are playing with a tree and throwing rocks around, but some of us are dying to tapeworms. I don't know.
01:29:49
Speaker
Genuinely, I don't know. God. ah Sal is going to dart forward, tapeworms flailing. Attack one of these archers, rolls natural one.
01:30:03
Speaker
Shoots a worm at the other. who fails the worm catches him in the throat and starts to burrow in. Stop, what the hell? Fonelin, I need another death saving throw. This guy's OP, p I think.
01:30:16
Speaker
yeah what What happens when I roll a 10? A 10 is a pass. There's three passes. Can't kill me, Franny. With a 10, you feel a pressure on your hand.
01:30:29
Speaker
And you once again blink your eyes open, breathing shallowly. Your head hurts. Everything hurts. And you see Burakhan, this tiny, diminutive, one-foot-tall, once-proud figure, squeezes your thumb and says, We gotta get out of here.
01:30:47
Speaker
I'm sorry. We gotta leave them. And she is going to meld with the stone, pulling you with her. Oh, shit. You feel the ground embrace you.
01:30:58
Speaker
It's not comfortable. It is violent. The ground is still shaking around you, but you manage to move through it. It is unlike anything you've experienced before. You aren't scraped. You aren't battered.
01:31:09
Speaker
You are flowing through the rock. You travel like this for several minutes. You start to lose track of time. You fade in and out of consciousness. But second later, your eyes open and you see that you are in an open field.
01:31:28
Speaker
Ash rains down upon you. it is dark out. Night has fallen and you lose consciousness. The hell? I mean, she's a real one for helping me. My other two friends didn't, uh, didn't, didn't know you were hurt. Didn't know you were hurt.
01:31:42
Speaker
Yeah. I hope your new third party member, the tree you exploded is's as good at roguey stuff as I am. Okay.
01:31:54
Speaker
and this is The ground continues to quake. Clay and Glimke. I need dexterity saving throws. Again? I'm still on the ground. Ah, you pull yourself back Oh my god, when we get a turn to actually get out of here?
01:32:09
Speaker
ah shit. Six. And I'm assuming mine's with disadvantage. Yes. Haha, it doesn't matter. Nineteen. yeah Yeah, I got a 20 on the other one. Lemke, that warm breeze swirls and swirls around you.
01:32:26
Speaker
ah You feel the ground fall away beneath you. And though you can't see it, you are lifted off the ground, hovering several inches in the air. What? what Clay, you look across this space through the darkness.
01:32:44
Speaker
And you see Glimke hovering there. and You see dust and debris spinning around him. But as it does, you watch as the flower on the back of his head blooms once more.
01:32:57
Speaker
Petals sprouting, fanning out. And as it does, a few of them are ripped away, caught up in this vortex around him. But they continue to grow back.
01:33:09
Speaker
As soon as one is plucked away, another takes its place. More and more petals swirling around him until he is entirely obstructed from your view.
01:33:22
Speaker
Glimke. Yes? You haven't died. At least not yet.
01:33:30
Speaker
But you open your eyes
01:33:36
Speaker
And you see that you are in a familiar place. A place of endless fields and infinitely tall mountains. Impossibly tall trees.
01:33:48
Speaker
And you see a being towering over you. 30 feet tall. Made entirely of swirling flower petals.
01:34:00
Speaker
Oh my god. You watch as they kneel down in front of you. And though they 10 times as tall as you, you see eye to eye.
01:34:16
Speaker
At times, clarity of a face comes into view. At other times, it's just more flowers changing, growing, falling away, being replaced.
01:34:29
Speaker
Sometimes plumeria, sometimes roses, lilies, flowers you've never seen before.
01:34:39
Speaker
You did it.
01:34:42
Speaker
You saved me. I barely did anything. it's It's all your people that did the work. They forgot me. But you, a stranger, did not.
01:34:56
Speaker
they were They were tricked at again. That may be. I do not hold that against them so much as I say it to thank you, to call attention to the kindness you have shown me.
01:35:13
Speaker
I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. But can save you.
01:35:25
Speaker
At least this one time. Well, what about Clay and Fondolin? She is gone. What?
01:35:36
Speaker
I apologize.
01:35:39
Speaker
She's left the mine. Okay, good.
01:35:45
Speaker
And Clay too? Clay is still there, and while I am restored, there is still much healing that must be done.
01:35:56
Speaker
I'm afraid um will only have the time to take one of you. Okay, then put me back. you pick You picked the wrong one.
01:36:10
Speaker
He shrinks down closer to your size. Takes both of your hands. Are you sure? You saved my life.
01:36:23
Speaker
Not just today. but by coming and finding me in my grove. No one else could have done what you did. You have a ability not seen in this world in a thousand years or more.
01:36:41
Speaker
It would be a pity for it to be snuffed out like this. I mean, maybe I, uh, I feel like maybe I just served my purpose. i I got you out of the tree.
01:36:55
Speaker
If anything, just just go help Clay. And then the only other thing I ask is is help Malari. The parashat is coming, and I still don't really know what that means.
01:37:10
Speaker
But i I did my part. Malari saved me. I saved you. Now you save Clay. If his greatest crime was creating you,
01:37:23
Speaker
I would not be here but for him as well. I will stand at his side when the time comes and I will ensure your friend makes it home.
01:37:36
Speaker
Thank you, Klimki Tree Fellow. And the flowers start to slowly fall out of the air, falling around you, filling your field of view until it looks as if you are in a vast field of flowers.
01:37:55
Speaker
And then you wake up. The world is dark. The ground is shaking. Rocks are falling around you. You can't see them, but you feel them landing closer and closer.
01:38:07
Speaker
Clay. You begin to move towards Glimki. I can only imagine. Trying to cross the space, picking yourself across the ground as the mine collapses in and on itself.
01:38:22
Speaker
But the wind begins to blow towards you. Strong and insistent. And as hard as you push, it pushes harder.
01:38:38
Speaker
I'm sorry, little one. It was his wish. Uh, no thank you. ah let me go help my friend. What are you doing?
01:38:49
Speaker
The wind lifts you off your feet. No, no, no, no.
01:38:56
Speaker
No! Stop it! And he disappears in the darkness. You see the last two of these archers facing off against a writhing mass of worms only for a rock to fall from the ceiling and push fat Sal.
01:39:17
Speaker
No! Enegan, help them instead! Help them instead. They need it. I'm going to go back for Glimki. Let me go. I'm sorry. He does not listen.
01:39:28
Speaker
ah You are pulled through endless tunnels closer towards the surface until you reach the main shaft that you entered into originally. You're pulled up through the air higher and higher before you are placed upon the ground at the edge of Chariah Mine.
01:39:48
Speaker
You run back towards it and feel a hard, firm grasp upon your wrist. You turn to see a being made entirely of flowers.
01:39:59
Speaker
It shakes its head.
01:40:03
Speaker
Down in the dark. Glimki, you hear screams and fighting off in the darkness. Back where Fawnelon was, you know she's okay and that's enough.
01:40:19
Speaker
You're alone, but you're not. As a tiny mouse-sized individual grabs onto your thumb and gives it a squeeze and says, We did it.
01:40:32
Speaker
Couldn't have done it without you, Voof. Yeah, it's probably true. It most definitely is. But I don't think any of us could have done it without you. Ah, shucks.
01:40:45
Speaker
A rock hits close to you. A spray of debris kicks up. You hear the stone trees start to crack and heave, and it collapses with a deafening roar, filling your lungs with dust.
01:41:02
Speaker
You can't see it, but you know it's any second now. How does Glimke feel in this moment? After the fear and the anxiety slowly, like I guess, loses its hold on him, sitting with Boof in the dark.
01:41:24
Speaker
I don't know. I think he feels proud to some degree. imagining that like this line will be written on a page of a book that somebody will read and ah yeah his name will live in story become myth and one day a legend as you sit there in the dark waiting for the inevitable end You imagine that book.
01:41:57
Speaker
You imagine someone flipping it open, turning pages, leafing through it. It feels so vivid. It feels like you can see it. It feels like you can hear it.
01:42:11
Speaker
The flutter of the pages on the story of Glimke Treefellow's life. But amongst the rumble and the stone, that flapping sound persists.
01:42:29
Speaker
And you hear a voice in the dark. I told you I would find Etigan and tell you where he was. You didn't wait half a day.
01:42:42
Speaker
That's fucking crazy.
01:42:45
Speaker
Get upon my back, tree fellow. Your work is not done, nor is mine. As long as Boof can come. Who the fuck is Boof? um This is Boof.
01:43:01
Speaker
Do you blaze? No, I do not blaze. And you feel the back of your shirt is pulled up as a large crow manifest in the physical space, pulls you up onto his back and you fly out through this cavern, down the tunnels.
01:43:25
Speaker
Though you don't see it, the last two archers fall. as Fat Sal once again regenerates and heals, tearing them apart.
01:43:38
Speaker
Only for a wall of rubble to sweep through the tunnel behind you, crushing him, you hope for the last time. You fly upon the back of Mulare, or at least his avatar.
01:43:53
Speaker
The wind sweeps through your hair, You reach back at one point to grab your hood from your cloak and pull it back into place. And as you do, you reach for that flower that Etigan gave you and you see that it's gone.
01:44:07
Speaker
The air is warm down here, but as you fly, it begins to go cooler and cooler and cooler. Clay, standing there at the edge of the mine, you hear a great rush of wings as a large black shape flies inches past you up into the air and you see a massive crow wings 15 feet across and you see your friend Glimke perched upon its back.
01:44:41
Speaker
The crow circles and circles and comes to land maybe 10 feet away from you. Etigan lets you i've run towards Glimke.
01:44:54
Speaker
Glimke! You stupid idiot! You're alive! And so are you. and And Fondalyn too? my god, Fondalyn.
01:45:06
Speaker
oh no, if she's still down there! No. Thanks for remembering me, guys. It only took you three hours into the recording session. Haven't seen you in a whole episode.
01:45:20
Speaker
Clay's memory's like a goldfish. I'm dead in the field. It's fine. Wait, we have to go back down for her. She's gonna get crushed. we Wait, yeah, we don't see her here?
01:45:31
Speaker
You don't see her. Oh, Ettingen said that she was okay. I swear he said that. I don't know if we can trust Ettingen. What? No, no, no. We can.
01:45:42
Speaker
We can. He dragged me out of there. He did you didn't save the others, though. Yeah, I kind of take his word for it. Clay, as you look at Glimke, you realize his eyes are unfocused.
01:45:53
Speaker
He's not actually looking at you. He's looking past you. I turn around. There's nothing there. I turn back to face Gloomkey and I wave my hand around.
01:46:05
Speaker
Hello? What are you looking at? What do you mean? Your eyes look different. Your eyes look different. What the hell?
01:46:16
Speaker
We just saved this island. I'm not blind, you're blind.
01:46:21
Speaker
Is he blind though? Still? He doesn't flinch as you move your hand past his eyes. Oh. Oh yeah!
01:46:32
Speaker
What do you mean I'm blind? You're blind! How many fingers? Maybe my other senses are so... heightened because of the lack of sight. Do the finger thing again.
01:46:43
Speaker
How many fingers? Three. How about now? Six. Great visual gag.
01:46:55
Speaker
The ground continues to shake beneath you. Boof says, we gotta go. Well, let's go find Faunalhead. Let's do it. Wait, Malari still here? Or did you did he dip? Yeah, and Etigan.
01:47:08
Speaker
Clay, you look over and you see this large bird and this being made of flowers standing near each other They don't appear to be saying anything, but the crow dips its head and the individual made of flowers gives a dramatic bow at the waist.
01:47:31
Speaker
And then the crow flaps its wings and takes off into the air and the petal being disperses flowers falling across the ground that continues to shake.
01:47:44
Speaker
Wow. Was that, was that Mulari? Yeah. That guy can't get rid of me. totally No matter how hard I try. Well, I think you should try a little less hard.
01:47:55
Speaker
Yeah, maybe. think he's getting pretty annoyed. What do the two of you do? Find Fondlin.
01:48:04
Speaker
if We must. how Clay, you guide Glimki out of this mining site. The grounds near the mine continue to shake and you watch as these buildings that were erected, these refining buildings that were placed right here, crumble as the ground swallows them up.
01:48:27
Speaker
Glimki is unable to see and it slows you down. But you run around. Give me a perception roll as you search for Faunalyn.
01:48:39
Speaker
You will be with disadvantage. Boof, help me look for Faunalyn. Boof helps you. Is that a straight roll or is it at disadvantage? That'll be in a straight roll. Okay. Cause my first roll was a 14 plus four, 18.
01:48:54
Speaker
It takes you some time. You're kind of like fanning out. The ground settles down after a time and you wander through the night calling out every so often, looking for your friend, trying to make sure Glimki doesn't trip over the roots of whatever trees are here.
01:49:11
Speaker
And you hear a voice over here. We're over here. Annalyn, you okay? Yeah, she's she's here too. I rush over to them.
01:49:22
Speaker
What happened to you? You're so tiny. Yeah, it's something I'm trying to figure out. I think the fucker in the tower siphoned off more of my power than I thought. I'm a fraction of my former glory. i don't know what to tell you.
01:49:34
Speaker
Oh. But she's alive. Sleeping it off. Hopefully she wakes up soon. Unless you got some something you can give her. I have one last first level spell slot to cast cure wounds. Save me.
01:49:53
Speaker
What does she get? Two plus four, six health. Ugh. I CPR are you and you get the breath of life. Phonelin thrashes awake, ready to stab at fat Sal.
01:50:07
Speaker
And finds herself in a field and is disoriented. What the f- What? what What? What? Oh god, are we all dead? we did it. Are all dead in Mrs. Purgatory and it's bad? We did it?
01:50:23
Speaker
yeah We fixed it again. Yeah, I saw eig again. i saw Mulare. Weird. Oh my god, they're real. I thought Limke was schizophrenic. Nope.
01:50:34
Speaker
I'm right here and it's Glimki looking in the wrong direction. Glimki! Glimki over here! Over here! And Farnam's like snapping like you snap for like a cat or a dog. She's like, Glimki!
01:50:48
Speaker
Sensitive question. Are you blind? He's 100% blind. No, you're blind. He's 100% blind. Glimki, Glimki, how many fingers am I holding up? Three.
01:50:59
Speaker
How many fingers am I holding up? Six. Clay, you've got to fix him. Can I do a medicine check? On his eyes? It'll wear off eventually, I'm sure. Does blindness often wear off?
01:51:17
Speaker
Blindness, Kinky? I don't know. that not one I've never been blind. You probably need to amputate.
01:51:26
Speaker
Uh, a not one is a plus plus six, so that's seven medicine. You probably don't need to amputate. Okay. You know somebody with a glass eye?
01:51:37
Speaker
Maybe she could help you out. True. it doesn't help, though, because the glass eye, can't see out of it. What if we replace one of your eyes with a glass eye I'm blind.
01:51:52
Speaker
I knew it! Actually, Glimki, it would look really awesome. Have you considered that? My god! No. The island's collapsing on itself, I'm pretty sure. maybe it's just the mine. I don't know.
01:52:04
Speaker
You know what? Don't take my word for it. I can't see. i Yeah, can we look around and survey what's going on? The mine is gone. You're a ways away from it at this point. Like she didn't take you out in a straight line, kind shot out like a rocket onto the surface.
01:52:20
Speaker
But the mine is gone. It's dark, but you look up and you see stars.
01:52:33
Speaker
What are stars? is You've seen stars. Oh, okay. Zav has stars? Oh, right. They're just different constellations than the ones in the tower. are they But what are they? Are they other phoenixes? or That is a question for astronomers and philosophers.
01:52:52
Speaker
And I'd say the three of you. The four of you. The five of you. Pull yourselves to your feet. Oh, Birka. And begin the walk back to Ankyil under the light of the stars that you have not seen since your arrival on Mengen.
01:53:15
Speaker
As you get closer, you see a display of light in the sky. For those of you that perhaps have been to some of the mountainous regions, or just been out on a weird clear night in the winter months, you would recognize it as something akin to the Northern Lights, though you would not call them that here.
01:53:40
Speaker
But they are in shades of orange and pink and purple. And as you get closer to the city, you realize it's not something in the night sky, it's not the stars or cosmic dust from Pharos.
01:53:57
Speaker
It is hundreds and thousands of butterflies. And as you get into the city, you see one of the posters that you made with the Etta Gang symbol hatches.
01:54:14
Speaker
And this orange butterfly emerges from it and flies up and joins its brethren in this lab. cool. That's awesome.
01:54:26
Speaker
The city is quiet. The sounds of fighting have dialed down. And I need to roll one last die. I won't tell you what this roll is for, but it is extremely important.
Victory and Reflection
01:54:41
Speaker
So don't roll it, man. You're God. Just make it happen. If you care so much, you know, like you're in control. You don't need to, you don't need to roll it. I'm so sad that Glimke didn't get to see the butterflies and the stars. While we were walking, Fondalyn was describing all of it. There's butterflies and stars!
01:55:02
Speaker
God dang it! you you You just hear like gasps of awe and like... um Oh my gosh, look at that. What waste. This is Ettingen's fault, I think.
01:55:16
Speaker
You walk through the streets and that quiet that you heard begins to give way to the sound of something louder, more explosive, further in.
01:55:30
Speaker
But you soon realize it's not the sound of combat. It's the sound of celebration. As the street is filled with rebels and artists, those who fought and lived.
01:55:44
Speaker
And Clay, you see an individual. They're short, covered in red scales with a bandage wrapped around their head. Clay!
01:55:54
Speaker
Is that you? Hammer! We did it! We did it. We did it. What happened? tell me Tell me everything that happened on your end.
01:56:07
Speaker
He tells you. He tells everything from the beginning. The fight down Artist Alley. Pushing Glimke out of the way.
01:56:19
Speaker
Getting struck in the head. Waking up with bandages and jury-rigged medicine from one of the kits you fashioned. Continuing to fight. Catching up with his friends.
01:56:33
Speaker
Some of it secondhand. He wasn't there for all of it. Sapfiend the Treant holding off the metal constructs that poured over from the northern bridge.
01:56:46
Speaker
A terrible beast, a hydra of numerous creatures, dwarven and animal alike. Kautongs and a ugly little dwarf named Terry stopped it.
01:57:01
Speaker
An ogre up on the roof of Korak HQ raining cannon fire down. and a young archer named Madin who slew it with a shot that is already the stuff of legend on the island.
01:57:15
Speaker
A lot of people died, but a lot more lived, and we'll get to continue to live in this place they call home because of what happened here on this day.
01:57:28
Speaker
It didn't take long. Once the last of Korak's defenses fell, for the dwarves to issue a surrender, Callum bravely led a team towards the governor's house, casting aside those guarding it with a mushroom-encrusted blast powder keg that did weird and wondrous things to all in its presence.
01:57:58
Speaker
At one point, a unicorn appeared. Whoa. But everyone decided it's best not to talk about that because things got weirder from there. Callum killed the governor.
01:58:09
Speaker
All right, Callum. Damn. Damn, boy. And a few of the more contractually minded individuals are meeting with the remnants of the Korak Mining Company to discuss the means by which they will depart the island, never to return.
01:58:31
Speaker
The night is a night of celebration, but also of sadness. A great victory was accomplished, but at the cost of many lives.
01:58:42
Speaker
There are fireworks, mixtures of blast powder and paint that are shot up into the night sky. There are these beautiful butterflies. There is drink and there is food.
01:58:56
Speaker
And in the morning, there is work to be done. I have a question for the three of you. There's no wrong answer. How much longer do you stay on Mangan?
01:59:08
Speaker
What happened to Buntar? Yeah. Imprisoned? He's just imprisoned. i There's a few things I'd like to try taking care of. Yeah, I guess my question would be, mechanically, would we do something where we could pass time if we did something like that? Yeah. I also feel like Glimke maybe deserves a ah speech to the rebels if he wants one. Yeah.
01:59:31
Speaker
Yeah. Maybe to be venerated, I personally think we should be celebrated like rebels. like the Like the leaders of a rebellion that we are Tell me this, are we celebrated?
01:59:43
Speaker
You are. But yeah there's work to be done first. Yeah, there's definitely work to be done. Fondalyn's telling people where they can put the statue. She's like, I personally think that the statue of Glimki Trefellow should be on the steps of the building whereupon he made his rousing speech because honestly, that speech should be memorialized. And if you're asking me for my artistic input, he should be pointing at the stars because he reminded the people of this island how to look for them again.
02:00:12
Speaker
Speaking of looking, Glimki, can you see yet? yeah totally looking the wrong direction. It's starting to come back, I think. It's coming back, I think. Soon, soon, soon, soon, soon.
02:00:27
Speaker
It's not coming back? Why are you nodding and shaking your head? zach being you're being cryptic. I'm just nodding along because I like Jordan. He's permanently blind now. Is Glimkin permanently blind? Yeah.
02:00:40
Speaker
He's blind for now. Okay, well, I want to try to find doctor on this island. I think can see shapes, I think.
02:00:47
Speaker
How does a week sound? Yeah, sure. Right. Yeah. To help them, yeah, like, infirm the wounded to rebuild some things to get people in order. bring Linky to a doctor? to help, you know, ensure that the vacuum of power does not just fall into some other power-hungry person. Yeah.
02:01:08
Speaker
I think, yeah, Clay would do some cleaning up stuff and like perform funerary rites for all the deceased and like help clean up Artist Alley. Probably check on the Brick-a-knock village also.
02:01:24
Speaker
There's other stuff she wanted to do. Okay. Over the next week, the island begins to heal. The refining facilities were all shut down and there's broad consensus that they should be bulldozed or, you know, mage handed, whatever.
02:01:44
Speaker
whatever Whatever means that they can be permanently shuttered and destroyed are recommended. a new government is formed, an interim one at least, with plans to rewrite the constitution that allowed this nightmare to happen.
02:02:02
Speaker
make something stronger, something more durable, something better for the people that it's meant to protect. In the days that follow, memorial is built.
02:02:15
Speaker
The names of every individual who passed away is carved into the stones of Artis Alley so that not one person can walk through the most important street of Ankhiel and not know what happened here.
02:02:33
Speaker
Faunelin, the statues are built. I'd say one day you walk into one of the Dwarven Smithies and you start to launch into a ah tirade about where the statue should go and how they should look.
02:02:48
Speaker
I've never launched into a tirade in my life, but valid. They're already built. Yes. Could you tell me with your guidance what they look like and where they go?
02:03:03
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. All right. Yeah. Glimke's statue goes on the steps in front of that great church building where he held that speech. And like I said, he is pointing up at the stars and I hope that they angle his hand so that his index finger leads and guides towards whatever, whatever Zav's version of a North Star is because he was the, he was the guiding light of this rebellion.
02:03:28
Speaker
i think Clay's statue And Faunalyn's statue also. i think they can go together. don't know. What do you guys think? Help. I had a really clear image for Glimke's. I think it would be sweet to have a common motif with whatever human shaped or humanoid shaped statues could have a hollowed chest with a somewhere you could put a lantern or something to represent the spark in every person.
02:03:53
Speaker
Ooh, I really like that. That's quite nice. The spark. or like Or like, yeah, or like clay could be like holding a lantern because clay like lights the fires.
02:04:05
Speaker
But no, your idea is very cool. But where should I put where should i put the the clay statue? I don't know. I think the Glimke statue enough. I don't think Klai wants a statue of herself.
02:04:19
Speaker
Too freaking bad. You're getting a statue because Faunelin wants a statue and it would be incorrect for there to be a statue of the two of us and not the three of us. Okay. I think that Glimki's statue is a little bit taller than Faun Olin's statue. um i think I think it's a three-tiered statue. it is a three-tiered statue there on the steps because Faun Olin and Clay were also there and they were also important. It's like a podium, like a first place, second place, third place podium.
02:04:47
Speaker
and I agree. I think Clay is depicted holding a paintbrush and I think Fawnalyn is depicted not as Fawnalyn, but as Faradeth Throwin. She's presented as a in her peasant clothes without her wig.
02:05:03
Speaker
Not her favorite depiction, but she'd rather not be depicted someone she isn't at the very least. And Fawnalyn is wearing the cape with the Ettegang symbol.
02:05:16
Speaker
stitched into it and i agree i think it's a pedestal type system and for the first time glimki is tallest and his eyes are a little wonky because he can't see well they're statues so we all look weird in the eyes it's like the the cut out pupils that they always give statues for some reason get baina to teach me how to do etchings and i make like glass eyes for the statue
02:05:43
Speaker
Jordan, you want to describe your lantern idea for the statues? I just think it would be sick if there was like yeah, some piece of the, ah like a hollowed chest or something where they like, there's that either like a piece of glass or some kind of like semi-precious gemstone that can catch light. So it sparkles or it's hollowed and there's like some like, you know, people in the town just like replenish the lanterns and light them.
02:06:07
Speaker
I love that. Yeah. To be like a reminder that like the sparks are in and every person or whatever. that's I love that. I should say or whatever. It's so it represents the sparks in every person.
02:06:17
Speaker
Or whatever. Or just like the endurance of hope under unimaginable suffering. Whatever. yeah Whatever.
02:06:29
Speaker
You. um Sorry. no I was just going to ask what people have on their list to do. Like, does anyone else want to go talk to Boontar? So Hammer survived, but Tongs and Terry both died.
02:06:42
Speaker
Yeah, they blew themselves up. Yeah, I think Clay would make statues for them, too. yeah Everybody gets a statue? Where are we putting all these statues? ah Where the dwarf city was. On the other side of the brick.
02:06:57
Speaker
Oh, that's kind of safe. Alright, everybody gets a statue. Ours are the most specialist. Because we are the most specialist, but I guess everybody gets a statue. i think they should. Yeah. Fuck hell they should!
02:07:11
Speaker
I think in addition to the names etched into Artist Alley, the three of you, well, the two of you, push this idea that everyone deserves a statue.
02:07:22
Speaker
And it becomes a massive collective art project where... fuck off Yes, a statue garden. Oh my gosh.
02:07:33
Speaker
Some of them are carved from stone. Some of them are impressions made of wood. But in the days and the weeks and the years that follow, the city of Ankyl is known throughout Zav for the 374 statues representing those that fought and for the most part died for the freedom of the people of Mengen.
02:08:01
Speaker
There is a lot to do. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but there are also quiet moments. clay is able to spend some time with beina and they just spend time making art and when you go see her you see that we'll say near the end of the week you go see her one more time and the crates of things that were packed up are all unpacked i'm not going anywhere this is my home and You reminded me of that, so thank you.
02:08:34
Speaker
It was all you. um i think you're going to be needed here more than ever now. We changed so much, so lots of work to be done.
02:08:45
Speaker
think so. think so. There time with Hammer. He's not sure if he's going to keep the studio open.
02:08:56
Speaker
It was always more than a two-man operation, and without Tongs, it just doesn't seem feasible. But that group of kids that he was teaching with Tongs that day...
02:09:12
Speaker
While you're having that conversation, you see they show up and they offer to work for him and he agrees. And the glass dragon stays open for years to come. Several days into this week, there is a less of a parade and more of a forced march as the dwarves of Korak are escorted the docks and placed upon ships that sail out of the harbor I was right there.
02:09:42
Speaker
Where is Boontar freaking Strigamol? we'll get Also, what happened to Franny? I'm also curious about Manus and what's going on there. The dwarves that are removed are largely minors and low-level employees.
02:10:00
Speaker
The vice presidents and senior managers and Buntar Strigamal are kept imprisoned in the basement of their own headquarters. There will be a trial, and with any hope, reparations, because while the island is healing, there is still a lot of damage that has been done.
02:10:18
Speaker
And that's going to take money to repair as much as they can. So Faunelin, you go to see Boomtar locked in his cell. Clay or Glimke, do either of you go with?
02:10:31
Speaker
Do I see yet? yeah Not yet. God damn, that's crazy. If that's the case, no, I think wouldn't go.
02:10:41
Speaker
i wouldn't co I don't think Clay would be interested. i think she's busy with, like, just helping rebuild and everything. If you want to go, i can, like, tie you to myself with the rope of climbing, like a toddler leash. No.
02:10:57
Speaker
Yeah, that's valid. I think Linky would just hang out with Callum and some of the other people that were involved. Oh god, you're war buddies. Like, I'd walk around town. Yeah.
02:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, all the impressive new artworks are described in detail to you. Yeah, Glimki's like trying to hide that he's annoyed. Like, wow, that sounds really nice.
02:11:21
Speaker
That's great, I'm really glad, thanks. Yeah, your statue over there has a lantern in the chest. Wow, sounds really cool. Glimki, you're given a ornately carved walking stick with solid piece of wood and it helps you navigate a little bit better, but it's still it's still frustrating.
02:11:43
Speaker
Fondelin, you venture down into the into the prison area. You're escorted there by to individuals who fought during the rebellion the day of rebellion.
02:11:58
Speaker
They tell you that they'll be you know just outside if you need anything. And you are brought to Boontar's cell. Hi.
02:12:09
Speaker
He sits on a cot. His beard is grown out and tangled. His three rings, four rings, are no longer upon his person.
02:12:22
Speaker
And he looks up at you with sunken, angry eyes. Boontar. I'm Faradeth. We've not had the opportunity to meet. You don't look to be enjoying yourself very much.
02:12:36
Speaker
Why would I? I just wonder what you dislike most about being here imprisoned.
02:12:46
Speaker
The tedium, the lack of productivity. I Well, I can't guarantee it, but I do have a proposal for a new venture that would be very productive.
02:13:01
Speaker
The only thing is it's got a bit of a down payment. Do I have your interests? Potentially. Jonalyn pulls out the contract that she wrote before the start of the rebellion.
02:13:13
Speaker
The illusory script has faded and now it clearly says, Boontar Stringable, willingly and knowingly sign on to assume the debts of every living person currently indebted to the entity known as Fish Head Franny and offer an additional surplus of 25 years.
02:13:33
Speaker
You know, but that's it. i I hand it over. I don't hand him the pen yet because what if he kills himself with it, but I hand it over and I say, i can't guarantee that I can broker the deal, but um I do think our friend Fishhead Franny would appreciate the gesture of good faith from you. And who knows, maybe after this time is up, you could um negotiate some kind of lucrative deal and go back to getting your grubby little hands on whatever, whatever natural beauty you can find.
02:14:01
Speaker
He looks at your contract, reads it over twice, does some mental math about how old he is and whether a hundred plus years of torment is better than all but certainty of dying in a cell.
02:14:20
Speaker
And he holds out his hand for a quill.
02:14:25
Speaker
I hand it over. As I hand it over, I say, now there's no guarantees that I can arrange it, but I'll do my best. Franny and I go way back. Very well. And he signs it in a crisp signature and hands it back to you.
02:14:39
Speaker
Oh my God. Fonilin's like kind of freaking out a little. She's like so excited that he signed this. She checks the signature to see if it really looks like his or she knows what it looks like. She wrote, oh history she's forged a lot of times.
02:14:52
Speaker
It is his signature. There does not appear to be any element of deception. Fun. Okay. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. fun Okay. Fun. She, uh, she takes it. She's like acting cool, but she's like, she's like itching to sprint out and go tell Clay and Glimke. She's like, oh, by the way, when I was rooting through the things in your office, I noticed that you had a contract with Prince Elling Malforth.
02:15:17
Speaker
Do you happen to know where he's keeping the princess? What princess? Insight check. I mean, I believe him, but you got an insight. You got an insight. It's a clickety-clack dice game. You got to roll the dice.
02:15:28
Speaker
That is 17. seventeen seems genuinely uncertain as to who you are referring to. At least so far as a princess is concerned. Right. up Don't worry about it. I'm just happened to be looking for Prince Malfourth. Have you been to his villa?
02:15:44
Speaker
No, I have not had the pleasure. It's on Bogatyr, eh? Any other specific directions? Shipping address, maybe? It is, uh...
02:15:56
Speaker
Garnet Hall is building a new wing for the the villa there. His family is, at least. it My business is not with the Prince Malfurth specifically, but rather the Malfurth family at large. It is their vacation property. And they are not in Onos, is my understanding.
02:16:13
Speaker
As for the exact location, as i said, it is Garnet Hall. It is upon the northern coast of Bogatyr. I'm sure someone on the island or...
02:16:26
Speaker
One of my crew who has gone there could probably give you more specific information. That was very helpful. Thank you, Boontar. didn't know I had this image of you in my head like you were a total, I guess, monster of a person, but I see you're just an incompetent leader. Deliver that contract.
02:16:46
Speaker
Okay, bye! And Fonilin sprints out and like she's like she's like a cat sliding on a hardwood floor. like She's like bashing into corners as she goes. She's like running, the contract flapping in the wind. She's like, Clay! Glimki! Glimki! Clay!
02:17:00
Speaker
Glimki! Clay! How was it? Glimki, over here! Over here, Glimki! Wrong way, wrong way! You're getting better! Yes, yes, yes, yes. Clay is describing a statue to Glimki and he's just facing the exact wrong direction.
02:17:11
Speaker
um hu Fadaline hands the contract over and is like, take a look at that, would you? that a joke? I'm
02:17:21
Speaker
ah sorry, I'm not used to it. I'm sorry, I'm not used to it yet. I had Boontar Strigamall agree to assume the debt of every living person on Franny's vessel, plus 25 years.
02:17:31
Speaker
So we know that that's at least 75 years,
02:17:38
Speaker
70, that's like 80 years of the people we know. It's deliberately vague because there might be additional people that we don't know. So if we're satisfied with Boontar's drigomal serving an 80 year sentence, we can negotiate, potentially, assuming Franny goes for it, the freedom of the other living people on her boat.
02:17:56
Speaker
Uh, yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Am right? Wait, are we is yeah and even living anymore? Can you still negotiate with Franny? Like, she did try to kill Glimki and us. Yeah, I think I burned that bridge when I sent a team of trained killers.
02:18:12
Speaker
She did seem to like you the most, though. Maybe you could still talk to her, but I don't know. You gotta be careful. Temperatures were running hot. It's been a week. I think things have probably calmed down.
02:18:24
Speaker
Annalyn travels to Manus and she wants to look at two things. Firstly, she wants to look at that old retired artist's house and see if there's any sign of like life and hope from within it.
02:18:39
Speaker
And then the other thing she wants to do is look at the boat and see if she can get visual confirmation that there's a living there's three living people on the boat. You go to Kusti Crowther Breeze's house, and it is much like how it was before.
02:18:55
Speaker
You get there in the evening, we'll say after your meeting with Boontar, you travel upriver, perhaps you take a barge that's been commandeered. You get there just after sunsplosion and go straight to her place.
02:19:07
Speaker
When you met her, the one time you met her, she told you that she doesn't go out after dark. And so you're surprised to see her standing at the shore.
02:19:23
Speaker
Hi, Kosty. She looks at you it takes her a second to remember who you are, to recognize you. It's been couple weeks since you first met. It's fine. I'm only the hero of the island. It doesn't matter.
02:19:38
Speaker
She doesn't get out much. But she she says, oh, hello. Can I help you? yeah Honestly, i'm I'm here to look at that. And Fonelin points out at the boat on the water if it's out there.
02:19:52
Speaker
There is no boat. Son of a gun. It is late at night. There's been moments that the Cali Marie has disappeared from view.
02:20:04
Speaker
Disappearing into one of the little inlets or alcoves of the lake. And so perhaps you stand there with her for some time. Staring out at the water. She doesn't say much, but after a little while, she says, think he's gone.
02:20:20
Speaker
as It seems the entire boat has gone is it been like that for days? I've not seen him since the night of that terrible earthquake.
02:20:32
Speaker
The night the fishhole died. Yeah, that was gross. You don't have to answer, Goosty. I know it's personal. What was your husband doing on that boat? Give me a persuasion rule.
02:20:44
Speaker
That is 17. She walks away. Oh. Up the stairs, towards her front door. She opens it and then pauses and looks back at you and says, I'll show you. Is this woman about to murder me in her house?
02:21:02
Speaker
All right. I gladly, i gladly walk into the house with her. if It's Franny! Somehow! I'm scared. I know I shouldn't be. i know this is a nice moment, but I'm scared still. Somehow Fishhead Franny returned.
02:21:14
Speaker
You traumatized us, Zach. Anything can burst into tapeworms at any moment. o You walk into this dark house. She lights a lantern, casting warm light upon the halls. You can see in that light the faded squares and rectangles along the walls where art used to hang art that now sits in a pile beneath her house.
02:21:43
Speaker
and she leads you down the hall to a closed wooden door and she pulls out a key and puts it in unlocks it and opens the door.
02:21:55
Speaker
You see studio. There is cupboards and shelves all perfectly organized with brushes, blank canvases, tubes upon tubes of paint,
02:22:12
Speaker
And at the center of it, an easel with a wide painting on a rectangular
02:22:27
Speaker
Oh my Moonlight reflects upon him. It was the last thing he painted. He was frustrated how his career was progressing and one night he went out to see
02:22:47
Speaker
When he got back, he seemed different, driven in a way. He locked himself in here for a week straight, didn't come out, barely ate.
02:23:01
Speaker
And one morning I came to check on him and the door was locked. He was gone. this remained the best thing he ever painted.
02:23:14
Speaker
Fonelin isn't an artist, at least not in a painting sense, good with a needle and fabric, but you've been around expensive art, you've been around good art, and this is perhaps the most impressive painting you've ever seen from a technical standpoint.
02:23:35
Speaker
The subject matter is dark and grim and the story behind it worse, but you can't deny The mastery on display here.
02:23:47
Speaker
That is a horrible story and a horrible loss. i guess, does it bring you any comfort to see that boat gone?
02:24:00
Speaker
don't know.
02:24:02
Speaker
Well, time will tell. i Are you a painter as well, Kusty? You are, aren't you? I was. The pile beneath the house was largely mine.
02:24:15
Speaker
Oh, yes, I remember. My friend Clay picked up one of the paintings and she she quite liked it. Well, I won't tell you what to do. You know how to take care of yourself and you have earned wisdom through suffering that I, who have also suffered tremendously, have not yet perhaps accessed in the same way. So I won't offer you any p placating words. What I will offer you is I hope that you will one day paint again because if you do, I think you will find...
02:24:43
Speaker
new life in the arts on this island. i know Clay is not the only one who would be happy to see your paintings. And perhaps it is time for a new a new easel to be placed at the center of your room. But I'm not good at this stuff, so I'm gonna go.
02:25:01
Speaker
Thank you for sharing that with me, Kusty. Your story will linger with me. Okay, bye. Give me a persuasion roll as you leave. Oh God, what am even persuading her to do? I'm panicking.
02:25:15
Speaker
i thought it was going to, I don't know what I thought it was going to be. I should have known that it was going to be sad. That's a 21. She doesn't say anything, but as you leave, you turn back one last time and you see the sadness in her eyes remains, but you see ah glimmer of resolve, a spark.
02:25:39
Speaker
And maybe one day in the future, Kusty will begin a rebellion of her own. One that she wages internally. That pushes her to pick up palette and brush once more.
02:25:53
Speaker
And create. a A few days later, Glimke is walking through the streets. It's just you and Callum. You're being led around. You've got this wooden carved stick.
02:26:09
Speaker
and he says ah tell me again would you how you how you brought back ed again again just one more time okay well there was this that the grove you were there and uh across that field and i don't know i just talked to them know. I guess they could hear me.
02:26:38
Speaker
That's amazing. You're really special. You know that? don't I don't know about that. I i feel like I just end up being in the right place at the right time sometimes.
02:26:52
Speaker
He's like leading you by the hand. And he stops. He pauses in the street. And you stop with him. And he lets go.
02:27:03
Speaker
and you hear him take a step back.
02:27:09
Speaker
You seem like a really good man, Glimke.
02:27:13
Speaker
What's gonna happen? Is this Franny? You're so traumatized. I think you deserve to know where he's buried. Huh? Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. It's Franny in a Callum suit. It's Franny in a Callum suit. It's Franny in a Callum suit. Oh god, Ned! Zach, what is wrong with you?!
02:27:33
Speaker
Callum, what are you talking about? He burst into the house, tried to kill me, but I was faster. Callum.
02:27:44
Speaker
He's buried in the backyard. When I become someone, i don't get everything, but get a lot. And a lot of what I got was you.
02:27:57
Speaker
Like I said, you seem like a good man. And I figured you ought to know the truth. You won't see me again.
02:28:08
Speaker
What? And you hear footsteps walking away. Oh my god. Callum's dead, bro. Oh my god. Oh When I told you I had to roll a percentile.
02:28:22
Speaker
I... Fuck. It was... On a 1 to 50, Callum defeated the individual who had replaced Fyedra Fumata. And I rolled a 51.
02:28:35
Speaker
Oh, it. oh Oh. Glimke is left alone in the street, stays there for a long time.
02:28:47
Speaker
Tears begin to build in the corners of your eyes. And as you blink them away, the world comes back into focus. You can see. Huh.
02:29:00
Speaker
Damn, that's crazy. I'm like kind of speechless. Did we know like anything about the shapeshifter aside from the contract that said that they would be replaced?
02:29:14
Speaker
Because like when we read those original contracts, it just said that like the governor would be replaced, so we don't really know. You knew it was between Korak slash Boontar and Vankayhaven. What the hell is that?
02:29:28
Speaker
I think Fondlin probably would have filled you in after the three of you read over the
02:29:38
Speaker
Order of assassins living on a remote island far to the north in the North El Sween Sea. Huh. Yeah, generally, ah yeah i don't know. i think Gunky upon seeing and... ah what the hell? That's crazy.
02:29:58
Speaker
That's wild. What the hell? Okay. 51. That's such a piss off. crazy No, it's so good. It's like, it's incredible. It's so good. It's so evil.
02:30:10
Speaker
Zach is an evil man. I've been saying No, it's so good. God, it's so good. It was one of those things where i it it couldn't be my choice, but I i wish it had been different.
02:30:23
Speaker
Man, it's crazy because I was like, in my head, Glimke was like, like was waiting until Glimke can have his moment and have this conversation with Callum to be like, hey, man, like, this is all because of you because it was like, we were were like, oh, maybe there is a rebellion and there was one some dumb kid was making one. That's so sad. That's crazy.
02:30:44
Speaker
Oh my god, he's the real hero. he is the real hero. That's what I'm saying. The assassin guy replaced Callum, but let Callum have his victory, I guess. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing, right? Callum is a hero of the story. Callum is a hero, yeah, for sure.
02:31:04
Speaker
He's not here to see it. Damn. That's so sad. That's crazy. There is one more statue erected. Anonkiel, of a young idealistic halfling who couldn't plot a rebellion if he tried.
02:31:21
Speaker
But he did try. And a rebellion did happen. And it's placed right next to the statue of Glimki. A few more things happen.
02:31:33
Speaker
As your time on the island begins to run down, there is a spot that I think, Clay, you visited during the preparation.
02:31:44
Speaker
You had a few interactions with Barksdale Stormare, the gallerist for the Galleria Fantasia, but... It was always under the pretense of rebellion, of planning, of coordination.
02:32:01
Speaker
And so I think as time on Mangan starts to wind down, you find yourself with a little bit of free time, and you see this big glass structure at the end of Artist's Alley, and you make your way inside. It it is A multi-storied building. At one time it was the tallest in Ankhiel and it is a temple of art.
02:32:29
Speaker
You see some of the most impressive pieces that you've ever seen on display here. You see paintings and artwork from some familiar names. You see a couple of abstract artworks by Kusti Crowther Breeze that are hung up in a little side nook.
02:32:47
Speaker
You see that there's a new exhibit that's currently being set up with old artwork from the governor, Fidra Fumata. It was buried down in the catacombs for quite some time, but given recent revelations about her life and death, Barksdale has made the decision to put her work back up on display, and you see many portraits of residents of the island and these intricate flower collages.
02:33:18
Speaker
You see a series of phallic soapstone carvings made by somebody named Doc Virtue, How long you been sitting on that? How long have I been sitting on a phallic soapstone carving? Not long enough, if you know what I mean.
02:33:32
Speaker
You see a ceramics wing by Ginny Stiffia. You see modern art by Bortenzo Delphar. Some of these names you probably recognize from your art studies. Get out here. I know it says Stiffia. Ginny Stiffia isn't the one who did the soapstone decks.
02:33:53
Speaker
Now it's time for juice, Meg. And as you're wandering around, you hear the kind of lopsided, limping footstep of Barksdale Stormare.
02:34:07
Speaker
And he says, Good good to see you, Miss Campbell. How are you today? Oh, I'm good. I just thought I'd finally take a look around the gallery. And it's amazing. So many artworks that you have preserved here.
02:34:23
Speaker
It is my greatest honor in life, recent contributions to overthrowing corrupt governmental systems included. It is an honor to hold these artworks and share them with any who come through our doors.
02:34:38
Speaker
It's beautiful. If you have some time, I would love to hear more about all of these pieces. Which one's your favorites and how you selected them for the gallery. Of course. So you see, the thing that most people think about Dark Virtue is, what a pervert.
02:34:53
Speaker
But I think there's a real artistry in the veins of this soapstone. Wouldn't you agree? it Yeah, the the artistry is is really impressive. And such a unique material to work with.
02:35:06
Speaker
I know. Yeah, I can't help but feel inspired. Yes, quite right. Would you believe one of them is modeled after myself? ah Wait, don't tell me which one. Let me guess.
02:35:22
Speaker
Is it this one? Nope. oh my yeah Smaller. me. Smaller. And he takes you through the gallery.
02:35:34
Speaker
and he he takes you through the gallery It is extremely inspirational So much so that I'm going to say you have advantage on the next role you make to create a piece of artwork.
02:35:50
Speaker
You just feel incredibly inspired. You've been doing a lot of not art lately, a lot of insurrection, a lot of fighting. And i think it probably inspires clay to get back at it. Makes it makes some new stuff.
02:36:04
Speaker
I think feeling inspired, she would, she has been helping with like the statues and the celebrations and adding, like getting back into that artistic, creative feel.
02:36:17
Speaker
She would probably like, just like inquire about leaving a piece in the gallery, like try to get her artwork there. Yeah.
02:36:28
Speaker
That's so cool. He kind of strokes his his his chin and says, well, that's just quite the inquiry. ah we we would We would be happy to present anything that you you have to offer, of course, after everything you've done for the island.
02:36:46
Speaker
Could you make an insight roll, please? and With a 10, he is not very, he's a pretty gregarious man. He's not very subtle. With a 10, he is being polite, but hasn't really seen your artwork before and is a little concerned that you are a hack.
02:37:04
Speaker
But, you know, he's he's agreed to show it, but he's like, oh boy, what have I agreed to? But I would say, you know, based off the quality of the work and your own personal artistic creations in the past, you could have something in here on Merit Alone.
02:37:19
Speaker
Oh, awesome. Clay's that confident? I think so. I think so. She looks at the soapstone dick. It's like, I could do better. could make a way bigger dick. Oh yeah. The most recent artwork that she's made. is So I would ask what piece does Clay create?
02:37:44
Speaker
Is there time remaining on the island to, like, create a piece? I think if you want there to be, there is. It's maybe a little rushed. Yeah. i mean, her main thing is, like, sculptures and pottery.
02:37:56
Speaker
So I think working with Hammer at the Glass Dragon, she would try to incorporate maybe some glasswork, like, some maybe, like, beginner glasswork into, like, the designs on her pottery.
02:38:13
Speaker
Yeah, so some sort of like nice looking pot, I think, inspired by the Heart of Etigan, something like tree bark inspired, maybe with like cracks in it, something like that.
02:38:32
Speaker
Sounds
Artistic Legacy and New Beginnings
02:38:33
Speaker
awesome. I'm going to say make a dexterity check with advantage. Okay, my dexterity is zero, so... Why is this not that great?
02:38:43
Speaker
With advantage, that's 14. 14's okay. It's rushed, you know, like obviously you don't have a ton of time. There's only a couple days left till you're supposed to take off.
02:38:55
Speaker
So there's some imperfections and you're aware of them. But overall, it's pretty good. It's a pretty solid piece. if You capture... You know, the artistic vision is is captured and you have this sort of bark looking ceramic piece with this crystal heart sort of burning within or glowing within.
02:39:19
Speaker
And you present it to Barksdale at the Galleria and he says, this is quite impressive. Have you been working on this for some time?
02:39:31
Speaker
Um, only just in the past couple of days. he does a spit take. A couple days! My dear, this is fantastic.
02:39:42
Speaker
Between you and me, I was a little skeptical of presenting your artwork without having seen some of at first. I'm usually very picky, but this is truly spectacular. just wanted to to show you a sample of my work. I swear if I had more time, i could I could make something greater. I just wanted to show you some proof that I could back up.
02:40:02
Speaker
Consider myself proven. This, i I promised you for as long as I have breath in my lungs, and frankly, I'm getting a little up there, so who knows? Ha ha! uh that i the this this art will sit in our galleria for for all time or at least the time i have left on this planet so that being said if you ever have more art that you wish to present i would i would love to see it i would love to display it thank you for all you've done here and thank you for this artwork
02:40:36
Speaker
No, thank you. It's an honor to have my work displayed here. And um yeah, I hope to be back and visit and see new artworks from the artists here again.
02:40:46
Speaker
Now that the Cora company's gone. I think we're going to have a lot of inspiration in the days ahead. i think i think the arts community has been revitalized.
02:40:58
Speaker
Nothing like a bit of bloody insurrection to just get the artistic juices flowing, am I right? Yeah. Yeah. And we are going to cut away.
02:41:10
Speaker
As the week draws closer to the end, things seem to be in a good place. Order is restored. There's the occasional flare up, misunderstanding, all the messiness that comes with new or redefined democracies.
02:41:32
Speaker
But ultimately it's good. But I think the three of you, individually and together, remember what brought you together in the first place.
02:41:44
Speaker
Over a month has passed since the princess went missing. You think you know where she is. You were found a Kenku recording nearly a month ago that pointed you in this direction in the first place.
02:41:58
Speaker
A lot has happened since then, but there's more yet to be done. And perhaps Clay, one of those evenings where you're painting with Baina and making art, you mention that you have unfinished business.
02:42:17
Speaker
and that you are drawn to Bogatier. And she doesn't say much, just kind says, oh yeah, that makes sense, and keeps working.
02:42:30
Speaker
But the next morning, she wakes up the three of you. I think you're probably staying at the Green Sapphire. It's tacky, but there's nice rooms, and... People want to treat you nice. Maybe it makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it doesn't.
02:42:43
Speaker
Either way. Not at all. She finds you. And she says, Okay, so I talked to some of the other folk in the interim government and I've got something for you.
02:42:54
Speaker
Oh, what do you got? Come with me. It died couldn't quite fit in my pocket. Okay. A follower. This is another statue. Baina, you shouldn't have.
02:43:05
Speaker
She leads you down the stairs and out onto that long street that runs from the docks to the remnants of Korak HQ. You expect her to lead you back to her studio, but instead she turns right towards the docks and she keeps going.
02:43:25
Speaker
You follow her. Most of the ships docked at An'Kiel have left, taking the dwarves that brought them with them, but a few remain.
02:43:37
Speaker
including a squat dwarven vessel. It's a mix of metal and wood. There is pair of large paddle wheels affixed to either side, several large copper pipes that run out of a metal cabin at the center and a raised area at the back with a cannon sticking off of it.
02:44:01
Speaker
See beneath that there's a balcony. with three doors leading into the interior cabins of the ship. So I got to thinking that you got places to be and not much traffic comes through here these days. We're hoping to fix that now, but it'll take some time to let the world know we're back open for business.
02:44:23
Speaker
So I talked to the other members of the interim government, like I said, and ship's yours if you wanted. It's the best one we got. You arranged us a whole ship?
02:44:36
Speaker
That's awesome. We accept. Good, good. I'm glad. It's ah one of the smaller ones left, but it should be reliable and only needs a crew of three to pilot, so should be good.
02:44:51
Speaker
Awesome. Okay, yeah, we've got the, uh, we've got Glamki, and we've got Clay, and we'll just get one more person, and then we'll have enough people to sail it. You hear a voice say, How about ah thousand more?
02:45:05
Speaker
yes Oh god, we're not rid of these rodents yet. I thought there was some magical being agreement we were going to sort them out. you see you see that the Briganox are stacked up in a massive pile like Faunalun taught them. and Stump and Snuffle are at the top of it and they look into your eyes, Faunolin, and say, Yes, yes, Claire here knows someone from our our realm that can get us home.
02:45:33
Speaker
But we're happy to wait a little bit longer earth it means helping you out. We, um... We made some mistakes. I don't think we took the time to think about what your world is like and the harm we were doing to it helping out the dwarves, so... If we can help you out with, uh, getting around bit, then, uh... We'd like to do that.
02:45:57
Speaker
Make things right. And then whenever... Whenever you go home, then you can introduce us to that artist of yours and, uh... We'll go home. We'll go home, right, everyone? and there's just like a mass of cheering little mouse folk beneath him.
02:46:11
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. I do think suitable reparations for the harm that you did on this island is to leave it and come with us so that I don't have to do labor. That is perfect and poetic.
02:46:24
Speaker
Welcome aboard. Thank you very much. It's going to be
02:46:29
Speaker
You sure about this? Oh, it'll be fine. Nothing's killed me yet. A hawk screeches overhead. my god. They scamper up a walkway onto the boat and like they start just like there's like a bunch of hatches that lead below decks and they start pulling them open and like Oh, there's coal down here. Great. Oh, we'll burn this. All right. And they just start, like, examining every inch of the place.
02:46:55
Speaker
Baina smiles at you says, well, there's probably a bit of work to be done just to make sure it's ah good to go out to open seas and... think probably a couple changes need to be made.
02:47:06
Speaker
and needs a name. It was called the Boontar before this, and that just seems distasteful. so Yeah, no. Yeah. Thank you so much for this gift. Of course. It's the least we could do. it just it's It's the least we can do.
02:47:23
Speaker
Yeah, you don't know what this means to us. We had so much trouble finding a boat the last time. You don't even know. but but
Farewell and Future Adventures
02:47:31
Speaker
Well, hopefully that's not a problem anymore because that means you lost this boat and that would be a pity.
02:47:37
Speaker
Oh no, well we'll take care of it. I'm sure you will. She hugs you. Hugged back. And the four of you venture back into the city, take some time, supplies are accumulated, bit of blast powder to fire. There's two cannons on this ship, bit of blast powder to fire the cannons.
02:47:56
Speaker
Oh yeah. Food. Rope. Coal, as it turns out.
02:48:05
Speaker
Phonelin, you get back to your room at the Green Sapphire later that night. Burakon is sitting on the bed on your pillow, cross-legged like she once sat upon that magic carpet.
02:48:18
Speaker
You so hear her muttering to herself, with a snap of my fingers, with a snap of my fingers, snap of my fuck. Oh, Hey, I get it, girl.
02:48:30
Speaker
Don't worry. it It'll come back because it has to. Yeah, no, no, no. It'll come back. It'll come back. ah I'm sure for both our sakes. I tell you what, I tell you what, I've been thinking about this.
02:48:42
Speaker
The fucker in the tower did a number on me. And that was before the 30 odd years of, uh, isolation. 30? 15? I've never been good with time. It's gonna take me some time to undo what he did.
02:48:55
Speaker
But, uh, I was wondering, you know, maybe I can travel with you for a bit, get to know each other better. Eventually I'm gonna have to go my own way, do my own thing. Doesn't mean it's the end of our agreement, but, you know, I i got i got i got genie shit to do.
02:49:10
Speaker
But maybe I can just stick with you for a little bit, Uh, just, uh, you know, get my legs back underneath me and then, uh, we'll be good. We'll be good. We'll both be good. I'll get my groove back. You'll also, I just want to make sure you like you stay alive. you almost died last week. And, uh, that was the first day of our relationship. I'm worried if I'm not around, uh, you'll get yourself killed. And then what good do you do me?
02:49:37
Speaker
Firstly, I can't be killed by any hand other than my own, maybe not even my own hand. I've tried a couple of times now with the buildings. Secondly, yeah, that sounds nice. I think that would be lovely.
02:49:49
Speaker
I'm hoping that you and I can have a very long and productive relationship. So a few leisurely days, see weeks, whatever, while the others row us around or however they choose to power the vessel.
02:50:00
Speaker
We can soak up the sun, have the rodents fetch us martinis. We can gab. I could try weaving you a new carpet. I've mostly done bracelets, but what is a carpet but like 7,000 bracelets stitched together. And um then let's topple another government.
02:50:17
Speaker
She perks up immediately, like jumps up to her feet, reinvigorated.
02:50:25
Speaker
I didn't know we'd have servants. Oh, stick with me, girl. I always find a servant. Oh man, I left some back in my place. They're probably dead. I did not feed them for the last several decades. but I hope yours were as resourceful as mine were.
02:50:40
Speaker
Probably weren't. As mine are. Hey, can i ask you something? Okay. The jar was bad. Like, it was bad. jar sucked ass, girl. wasn't even pretty.
02:50:53
Speaker
But I think... I don't like the open air right now. Something about too much space is freaking me out. So I've been staying in here mostly. i don't know if you've got like a lamp or, don't know, a flask I could hang out in while we we travel around together.
02:51:10
Speaker
Lamps are stupid. Fonelin takes off her wig and she shakes out some of the valuables that she's been keeping in there. And she like picks out like coins and jewelry and she's like, all my favorite things go in here.
02:51:24
Speaker
Does this seem proposed? She climbs in and like pulls it down over top of her and you hear muffled inside. oh yeah, this is gonna do just fine.
02:51:37
Speaker
You have a wig of holding? What is this? Okay, take good care of my my bracelets and my materials and everything. didn't want my threads getting tangled up. You hear a power saw and hammering.
02:51:51
Speaker
Yep, yep, yep. Sure thing, sure thing. Okay, yep, gotcha. Okay, talk later, bye. like her. Vondolin puts all her valuables back in the wig and she like apologizes when she drops the hot rock in and waits to see if there's any like commotion and then she puts the wig back on.
02:52:06
Speaker
You lift up the wig and you like peer in underneath and you don't see her. And you pop it on and head back outside. yeah I have a little secret and my little secret is that I have a genie patron living in my tall, tall wig. Awesome.
02:52:30
Speaker
Glimke, that night, the night before you depart, I think you maybe go for one last walk. The city is full of memories, good and bitter.
02:52:41
Speaker
Where do you go? Glimke will walk through the city and wherever there's like pieces of like, I don't know where the debris has been piled up from the houses and fences and window slats. mean, he's collecting like different types of like wood that it like might have different colors on them and putting them in a little bag and he's going to walk.
02:53:08
Speaker
to that bar? Where were we? That we met the old young guy on his birthday? The Pike and Pint? The Pike and Pint? He'll walk into the Pike and Pint, and he'll wave to the bartender.
02:53:23
Speaker
And he'll assume his seat in the corner where he sat before. and then he'll begin to arrange the pieces of the pieces of wood that are made up of different trees, different parts of origin. They're stained different colors into five letters.
02:53:43
Speaker
And you can see him in his little booth writing out the name Swift into a little sign that he'll... put on the back of the boat once it's all glued together.
02:53:54
Speaker
And yeah, that's what he spends his last night doing is making this little homage to a friend he barely got to get to know. Gone too soon. And hopefully this is like a good send-off for this kid who was I think greater than he ever knew.
02:54:12
Speaker
You stay there for quite some time. Rint eventually shuts it down, but Tells you to stay as long as you want. Drinks are free.
02:54:22
Speaker
They've been free all week. You stay there for some time and perhaps a little after midnight, you know. Tomorrow you're moving on and it's time to get back to Honkiel.
02:54:35
Speaker
Get ready to board the boat. you start to walk. It's still that long four-hour walk, you don't mind. It's a beautiful night. You can see the stars. You see a tree with little green buds growing off of it.
02:54:50
Speaker
Not much, but it's something. You feel a warm breeze tug at your cloak. And as it does, you glance down and you see plumeria flower in the center of the path before you.
02:55:07
Speaker
Hmm. Take it. It's yours. Okay. If you insist. And Glimki curtsies to the ah disembodied voice, I guess.
02:55:23
Speaker
You pull it from the ground, and as you stand up, the floral shape of Etigan stands before you. More solid than the last time you saw him.
02:55:35
Speaker
More intact. Bigger. More like when you were in his realm. Less incorporeal than he has been. If you put that flower back in your hair, I will be able to help you in your times of need as you once helped me.
02:55:57
Speaker
I spoke with Bulare. I understand a bit better of the power you have. The power subvert and possibly destroy the Gua Satmo.
02:56:13
Speaker
I would be honored if you would carry a piece of me with you. But the choice is yours, of course. I would be honored.
02:56:25
Speaker
And I think my hair could use a little bit of color anyways.
02:56:30
Speaker
You hear him laugh for the first time. It is a beautiful, rich laugh. With it comes just like the smell of honey on the breeze.
02:56:43
Speaker
I think it'll suit you well, Klimkitree fellow. Thank you again. Ah, it's no problem. God, this guy has so much fucking aura.
02:56:56
Speaker
Yeah, or whatever. whatever. Or whatever. whatever Sure, I guess. Do you put the flower in your hair? Only if you promise not to kill one of my friends.
02:57:10
Speaker
That's a DM. Yes, Glinky puts the flower in his hair. it takes root amongst the leaves, the branches.
02:57:23
Speaker
Sorry, Prima. There's a flower in his hair now. With that comes the ability... cast summon Fae once per day. What the hell is that? Whoa. You can summon a avatar of Etigan once per day.
02:57:40
Speaker
Whoa. That's awesome.
02:57:47
Speaker
The next morning, the three of wake up, assemble your belongings, and walk to the docks. There is a crowd of people.
02:58:00
Speaker
The entire city has come out to see you off. Baina, Hammer, and you didn't really meet them, but Madin, the hero who slayed the cannon ogre, are assembled, and they present each of you with a medal.
02:58:20
Speaker
It a piece of pressed gold that resembles the symbol of the Etta gang, They hang each of one upon you. And then it's time to leave.
02:58:33
Speaker
You climb aboard your ship. Glimke hangs the sign that reads SWIFT off the back. And for the first time under this name, the SWIFT takes to the sea.
02:58:48
Speaker
Little puffs of smoke trailing out behind you as these large wheels start to spin. You see Booth is wearing a captain's hat and says, All right, you landlubbers, it's time us be heading off to greener pastures.
02:59:02
Speaker
We're going home, but before we do, things are probably going to get a bit weird. right The swift sails off in the morning light, headed towards Bogatyr.
02:59:16
Speaker
You venture out onto that balcony at the back of the ship, You watch the island for a time, fading into the distance. It's a bright, clear day. Pharos is shining.
02:59:29
Speaker
The sky is blue. And things are good.
02:59:35
Speaker
And that's where we're going to stop tonight's episode of Bard Soup.
02:59:42
Speaker
Bard Soup
02:59:52
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening to chapter 36 of Bard Soup. And for listening to this arc. This is the last part of the arc. We are on to new horizons, a new island, new dangers and excitements.
03:00:06
Speaker
But I really enjoyed the story of Mangan and telling it with this group. It was a lot of fun. As always, I have been your sentimental dungeon master, Zach Meikle, joined by Prima Zhao as Clay Campbell, Jordan Johnson as Glimke Treefellow, and Shannon Meikle as Fawn Elen Vadek.
03:00:25
Speaker
you enjoyed this arc or this episode, I'd ask that you leave a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and... Give us a follow on Instagram, TikTok, you know the drill.
03:00:36
Speaker
Facebook, make a Facebook page for us. If you're such a big fan, why haven't you made us a Facebook page yet? Come on. And how about that last song, huh? The bard soup theme, a little bit more navel, little nautical, very exciting, very grandiose. Shannon had that made and it is one of my favorite things ever. We'll be back in two weeks with Chapter 37. So in the meantime, stay frosty or warm. It's kind of getting into that middle of the of the winter pre-spring time of year. So you can really choose how you want to be temperature wise.
03:01:08
Speaker
And, uh, it's enough from me. will see you soon. Bye. Bye.
03:01:17
Speaker
As a tiny mouse sized individual grabs onto your thumb and gives it a squeeze and says, we did it. Oof is with me.
03:01:28
Speaker
No, not you.
03:01:32
Speaker
ah like
03:01:38
Speaker
hello if My friends let me die. You're unconscious with a one foot tall genie. You have Burakan, I have Etiquette, and Gukki has Boof.
03:01:58
Speaker
Anne Hathaway was in Les Mis?