Hello, this is Brad Woto from Table Story. If you enjoy this podcast,
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you for listening and enjoy. The door freezes over behind Cyrus as she steps
through to join the others, and the temple here immediately becomes a maze of
long hallways and twisting corridors that are carved in part from ice by ancient hands
that have long since turned to dust. There are sort of natural caverns in
this part of the temple that you're probably moving through. I'll just imagine that
we're moving through here as the four of you progress, and the parts of
this cavern that are natural sort of hum with the ancient energy of Worio,
the mountain angel of Unitiss with in whom you are now moving through the bowels
of and in other places, the walls themselves glisten with a faint sheen of
frost, and the air here is kind of thick, with an eerie stillness
that seems to swallow sound. And I think you guys can sort of progress
forward since you're generally heading upwards. You get the sense that you're moving through
almost like back corridors of this temple. And there are parts where the path
is actually quite difficult to traverse because it will be covered in snow and ice.
There are these icy staircases that spiral endlessly upward. There are walls that
are adorned with intricate carvings depicting the scenes of frostbiten landscapes and goliath leaders and
sort of mythical creatures that are locked into these battles. It's cold as well.
It's very cold in here. The cold would actually begin, I think,
sort of sapping at your strength with every step that you take, because
this place is sort of immense and intense, even though there's really not much
here, just a set of hallways, icy caverns, chambers with nothing in
them. And I think for a while you end up just sort of walking
to the sound of nothing more than the crunch of your own boots on the
ground, and maybe the occasional creak of sort of shifting ice echoing down the
halls. It's quite isolating. I think as you move through these hallways and
after the interaction with the door might be weighing on your senses and your thoughts.
I don't imagine that there's much to sort of interact with other than each
other as you do move through these corridors after that scene with the door,
Does anybody mention any of it to anyone else? Do you guys discuss that
or is it a thing that you keep to yourselves? Yes? I take
thrack aside. What did you pick? Serious? Uh hmm I I uh,
I don't know. I came through before. Did you at least talk
her out of what she wanted to do? I'm not sure? I hope
so a glance back at Sirrus somewhat trouble. I am. Perhaps we should
all take a moment and discuss what just happened, what why? Well?
I believe all of us will be changed by this, and since we will
be traveling together, I propose that we rely on one another if possible.
What do you mean exactly by rely on each other? Because this entire time
I've been here with you three I feel as if I've almost been bessess upon
by duties and just okay, fine, we've been through a lot together already,
and sure we're not good, and apparently now with cure. But what
exactly is it that you mean by relying on each other? I'm feeling icky?
See how let me ask you something. You already asked you a question
to die? Do I want to die? Yes? That is a strange
question, and I'm no, no, I don't want to die. Why
would I want to die? Of course you don't. But without fear you
may be in a greater danger of that. You could rely on us keep
you safe in certain situations. And how exactly do you plan on doing that?
Exactly? Well, you would require trust from you. Listen to us
when we say this isn't the best idea. Require you to put a bit
of your pride aside, young man. M m okay, trust and pride
to maybe if I leave and come back in, I can just tell the
Big Rock perhaps to take that from me as well. I think the less
we lose at this point onwards, the better beside as Track says, I
disagree. However, we've been through a lot as people in each other's company,
but hardly say we've been through a lot together. In fact, I'd
say, if anything, we've been acting on our own, just beside each
other's side, all right? And how do you owe leathery one? How
would you propose that we beginning new or fresh or whatever? This is?
Now? Yeah? I believe that was a gift that was just given to
us. Tell me, do you not feel changed? Do I not feel
changed? Feel different? Changed? I believe we'd change every passing breath.
But even if I had changed, what's the point here? Have you ever
had to work together with anybody in your life? Hmm? No? In
fact it was frowned upon. Well, nor have I? And yet here
we are, and here we are? Serious child? Speak to me?
Would you? What is it you chose? Did you put your shame aside?
Don't tell me you got rid of hope? Don't you? Dare kind
of cleric? Doesn't have or is it shame? Guilt? Sorry? Go
on, I'll just I'll just be here. Ye should give your thoughts to
yourself, young man. I did not choose hope, that's good? Did
you chose relief? Relief? Oh? Tell me? Are you chafing right
now, this instant, so far, I feel no different. Mmmm.
That is a burden, a great sacrifice. I mean, if you don't
feel any different than perhaps you never felt relief to begin with, we'll see.
I wonder what does relief mean to you? Anyway? To me?
I mean, there's so many ways of achieving what you might think is relief.
You know, you might want to relieve yourself behind that staalic mind,
for instance, or you might want to I don't know, like you feel
the relief after scratching your back? Are you itchy? I'm not itchy?
Hmm, but I suppose I relief is relief all sense of the word.
So, and I wiggle my fingers and as I do, you notice a
spider crawls out from behind your head and starts to dance on your shoulder.
And it's not going to bite you or anything, but the intent year is
to make you itch. So does it make me itch? That's up to
you, my scaly friend. Oh. I reach a hand up and I
try to coax the spider h off of my shoulder into my hand. It
moves away from your hand and back to another spot, almost like it's trying
to tickle you all right, I am uncomfortable. It's a grand trick,
okay. And you see the spider crawl into a shadow, maybe in your
sleeve or something. But as it does, it just all of a sudden
is gone. How do you feel now? Are you relieved it's gone?
No? I think the six slits, these magenta marks that open and close
during combat, are almost sneering at serious right now. No, I see
m I cannot guarantee that I've would have felt much before either. I must
admit I'm having a difficult time remembering what really felt like curious. I think
it is an adequate sacrifice for what we were asked, and it shouldn't impede
my abilities to heal or fight or do what must be done. Yes,
perhaps it would not imper do for the road ahead. But I only wish
you'd chosen something that might help you long after before you'll seize my sacrifice as
being worthwhile. Perhaps I will be gifted it back when I've earned it.
Bear me warial, look down upon you favorably, and all of us for
that matter. Thank you children. I'm touched visibly by that read What do
I now about? Blow you reckon from me a religion or a history check.
I guess twelve. Not easy to come by information about Loth But Loth
is a sort of a sort of demonic evil evil depending on your perspective.
But you know, pretty pretty nasty goddess that some of the Drow that are
very deep underground worship predominantly the drough in Menzo Bransom, which is a place
kind of at the center of Gaya under the world, very very deep under
the ground. There's a subterranean city which is on the back of an absolutely
enormous spider that lives underground known as Menso brands And and that spider is the
Angel of Loth known as Meguindia. The Rift is the mountain range which is
to the east of where you are from. M But yeah, there isn't
a huge amount of information. I don't think that you're able to draw about
that where I'm from, all right, east of west of where you're from.
Sorry, Yeah, there is a mountain range known as the Rift Menso
brands And is deep underneath that. Okay, very very far. I just
want to clarify you're saying the city m hm. He's on top of a
giant spider. Yes, there isn't. I wonder, well, he doesn't
know it as in and he is what I'm giving him here. So twelve
is actually not enough because this information about most of the subterranean places, races,
and angels is significantly harder to come by. But it isn't like it
isn't you're not able to There are plenty of drough and there are plenty of
people that have lived and traveled that have been able to present some of this
information. And I assume that since thrack rot a history check rather than a
religion check, there he pulled this information from maybe a book somewhere, rather
than it being hearsay or you know, there's no way that I could imagine
thrac would have actually been there. So yeah, this is just it's not
easy to come by, but it is what would be the most common available
knowledge of men'so brands and of the Angel of Love and what their deal is.
There's no telling any of the information that I'm giving you is fact.
I'm just always giving you information that you would perceived to be fact based on
the checks that you make. But yeah, that's it. Really, I
don't think you know much more than that about the place. So that's it.
Really, loth Is, for all intents and purposes sort of Revere is
almost like a demon queen, which is that level of evil, and demons,
while we're on the subject, are significantly less powerful and impactful in this
scene. They are about and there are like creatures and things that are known
as demons and stuff, but there are no like massive, unbelievably op demon
lords and nine realms of health situations. There are just creatures in the world
that are demonic in origin and demon's blood and stuff, but they're not that
strong really, They're not a huge presence here. But loth Is sort of
considered almost one of them in a way, and they sort of treat that
giant spider as sort of demon king as well. Thank you. I would
address the group and say, I do believe that all of us will have
different perspective and all of us will need to rely on one another in order
to survive and not just survive. But who are the tasks they have plan
for us? Something to think about, I suppose, And then I'll start
walking or wherever we're going. Yeah, I assume everyone has been having this
conversation partially walking and and pressing on I think as you do so, and
you start moving through the mountain and the angel and the temple, all of
which are one and the same. Really, here there is just just corridors
upon corridors, stretching on endlessly. It's quite the climb because you are internally
making your way up an enormous structure. This temple goes very high up.
It doesn't reach the top of the mountain, this temple, the mountain is
way too big. But the temple does sit outside and within this mountain,
and the Angel sort of attached to it like a tortoise shell in some places.
And I think the only sort of respite from the monotony of this climb
is a sort of an occasional glimpse of light filtering in through some windows as
the sun sets and the moon starts to rise. There are natural openings that
cast long shadows across the floor in places, but also let in a significant
brisk chill the higher up you go. At last, after what feels like
an eternity of winding passages and steeper sense, you reach what is essentially the
peak of the temple. It's by no means the peak of the mountain.
It's merely just the last parts. You're in one of the last parts of
the enormous man made structure that's attached to the Angel. And I think all
of you, regardless of your sort of relationship with magic, would sense a
crackling in the air, this palpable sense of magic, the sort of weight
of centuries pressing down on you as you move upwards and into these final sets
of chambers, and the biting cold of this place sets in. And I
think most of these rooms have an element of ice to them now, like
there were parts where there was no real life present, but pretty much all
of the rooms up there high are just covered in natural ice. And you
enter into a sort of final circular room which has very little in it aside
from a solitary altar of ice and an ice covered doorway, this time not
the same kind of ice ice door literally made of ice, but what looks
to be a sort of stone door that has lots of ice across it.
At the center of the room, this altar is sort of covered in strange
symbols and ruins of the Goliath language. There are three circles that are present
on the altar, and each of the rooms are carved into small little wooden
blocks that you'd be able to pick up and look at, sort of the
size of a domino. Move around on a stone tablet beside the altar are
three riddles. I'll bring you over to this that all of these things that
you should be able to see. There on the left you should be able
to move. And there is a handout of the stone tablet with the three
riddles underneath, which that will never be able to read because I highlight them.
What do you do? The riddles out to everybody? Please do the
first riddle, I rise at dawn a golden crown. I journey high,
then settle down. I bring warmth and light to all, yet disappear when
shadows fall. The second one, well, I'm right. I take my
stand, shielding the innocent across the land. I guard against harm, I
ward off strife, ensuring fairness in the balance of life. And the third
I stand tall, rooted, deep, and storms fierce my secrets, keep
my limbs reach out unwavering, a symbol of power, always enduring. Mm
hmm. Okay, And what all these rooms then? What do they say?
What do they mean? I list off all of the meanings of the
runs, pointing out and see this sence fertility and that one is God and
that one is wound. Is the answer February not to any of the questions
we've asked. But I'm sure of something so is of these riddles? Is
there anything that indicates that the riddles are connected to any of these openings or
tablets. I'll I guess you can just make me an investigation check. We'll
go with an inter based approach to this puzzle. For you, A clue
twenty two twenty two is fucking high, So I'm just gonna go ahead and
give you a lot of info. I guess, well, I'll give you
what you assume to be somewhat of the answer. Each of these riddles presumably
has two possible answers that are indicated by the ruins, and the little wooden
pieces that are about the size of a domino would each fit in the sort
of little inside of each of these three circles. There are two depressions each
that you could easily fit these little tokens into. Right, Well, I
assume that the first riddle is Sun and day Sunday no two different rooms,
one meaning sun sure you knowadays and one meaning day I've been well acquainted.
So I'm going to look towards the other party members and sort of gesture to
the tablets, like seeing if they mind, if I please, please,
do you just see me? Shrug sorr, yours track and I'll move Sun
there and day there. There isn't any significant thing that happens when you do
this. They fit into place nicely, A little click. Okay, perhaps
we need to do oh sick, Yes, read off the second one again.
Right in the realm of right. I take my stand shielding the innocent
across the land. I guard against harm, I ward off strife, ensuring
fairness in the balance of life. M hm. Well, if this place
was made by Goliath, then I can only assume it's either about Goliath or
their god. Yes, my first thought was the angels themselves, but yes,
well, not everybody can rely on the angels. I I look at
children. Could it be home? A home can protect you against those things,
so it can so can look. Sometimes there's also the ruin of protection.
Hmm. I think the ruin of protections are given luck. I'm not
so sure is the shield of the innocent though I suppose justice mm hm.
Justice could work, but I still feel like the people who made this will
likely have themselves in mind. So I'm thinking either God has to be in
there somewhere, and perhaps maybe if there is one giant or goliath or something
as well. If there is a giant, I pick up a giant room,
take a good close look at it, my guess would be giant God.
All right. I'm not sure how a giant god insures fan as if
we're going along those lines, but I'm sure the goliaths believe that way.
If you don't, I think that's perhaps I might kind about giants from myself
or from children, from from you, sir. Why why is that?
The giants are humble people? Right? And it's their God, is it
not? This is their temple? So why would they not exalt their God?
I tilt my head. It's not. I believe that exalt would be
the wrong word. Does not ask for exaltation still fear justice, fears or
in the realm of right. I take my stand. I agree with children.
I do as well. I think protection and there also not to be
too much of an inter based character. But I know exactly what you mean
to rag. Sorry, I'm talking to Brad not to be too much of
an in based character. But giants and Goliath are different things, right,
yeah, okay, and are okay? Yes, it doesn't right, yeah,
So I will move the protection and justice roots into place. Yeah.
Again, nothing significant happens. They click into place nicely. M I stand
told, rooted deep in storm spheres. My secrets keep my limbs reach out
and wavering, a symbol of power, always enduring. Yes, it might
be referencing that tree that Cyrus mentioned before in the previous puzzle. Perhaps strength
h tree and strength tree the sm symbol of strength to some. For many,
what are are? And my secrets keep? Believe something there? It
might be just in reference to the fact that in a storm a tree is
not as likely to fall as perhaps a person. But you're right about secrets
being odd. Perhaps here is where it could be God, tree, God.
I am more partial for strength tree or tree strength. But and I
shrug again. All right, I just look at the rooms and then back
to thrack. I also look at the rack and then take a step or
two back, just in case, would I I think I will. Uh,
Oh, that's a good question, tree and strike. See what happened?
The door ahead of you opens? Oh, a gust of wind.
As well as if it leads outside. Almost mm hmm. I am dance
break very good. I never had any doubts. I remove the strength tablet.
See what happens? Nothing? It does nothing, The door doesn't close.
Okay, all right, well, I guess that was it. You're
not thinking of stealing their way. I was wondering if any six tablets would
have opened the door, and depending on which combinations, some different way would
be open to us. I see, I do wonder for how long that
door is going to be open with that ruin gone? Yes, you should
carry go. Yeah, I take strength and I just put it back onto
the before I linger behind and tried to leave last. And as we go,
I try to take the protection room. Okay, you can do that?
Pocket it would I notice that. I guess give us another sleight of
hand. I don't know if you're actively looking or you want to just measure
it against your passive perception. I'll go with passive perception. Yeah, twelve
on her sleight of hand. There as she just quietly pockets the protection room
and you guys head into the next chamber. This one's interesting. This room
opens up literally one side is entirely missing providing a sort of overlook of the
town and the landscape and the lake. And sitting at the far end of
this absolutely enormous room is the dragon Riothemus. His body is curled into his
front legs and his red eyes are regarding each of you as you step into
the room. Despite the presence of the dragon, the room is absolutely freezing.
It's much much colder than the base of the mountain was when you guys
first entered into the mountain, probably like an hour ago. It's probably been
a decent amount of time as you guys traveled upwards and into this place.
The walls here are covered in sort of twisted, cracked ice. It's like
split lightning, and the floor of the chamber is a sort of giant piece
of very smooth ice. It's probably quite difficult to keep your balance when you
first step in. Looking down, it's like looking into a frozen mirror.
However, at the center of the room is what's most odd. There is
two towering trees in this room, absolutely enormous trees on the top of this
mountain tin. The the oddness of seeing these trees in this sort of stone
part stone room, part cavern, entirely covered in ice, would be would
would feel, would feel odd. But there's also another sense of that sort
of crackling magical energy coming off of these two trees. There is rising from
the very sort of stone of the angel itself, these sort of wondrous trees
defying expectation, and their roots running out across the icy floor and intertwining with
ancient carvings and sort of frozen relics in places I think. As you start
to step across the room, a strange singing noise begins to echo, as
if from the trees, a sort of high pitch. It's difficult to hear
at first, and then it begins to take shape, and it gets louder.
It's almost invading your ears, and after a few moments it forms notes
recognizable somewhat like someone playing a violin. A few more moments and then the
singing starts to begin to take the form of words, almost and then soon
the singing itself tapers off to speech that you can understand. It's simple speech,
but you understand and recognize that the trees are speaking to you. What
you hear them speaking to you like is whatever your native language would be,
whatever you might consider your native language to be behind the trees. Perched on
the edge of the opening. Riothemus closes his eyes and appears to go to
sleep. When these trees speak, you can you can understand them, but
it's an odd sensation. As they do so, it sounds as if it's
coming from them, but also coming from within your own mind, and also
sort of echoing off of the walls. And one of the trees simply speaks,
we are known to you as the two. I collapse to my knees
and I raise my hands. I lower my head to the ground, my
forehead on the ground, and I raise my hands up, palms facing forward,
end up. Child of the Angel. We were born of the Angel
itself. I am the grandson. This is the granddaughter of Junitism, the
mountain god. I am the first tree known as Ash. The tree which
is speaking quote is a majestic ash with branches adorned in only a very few
delicate crystalline blossoms that shimmer in the pale light of the sort of frigid icy
room. Here. Each of the petals glows with a sort of ethereal luminescence.
It casts a sort of soft iridescent glow upon the sort of snow and
ice that's in the room. Despite the conditions up here and what you would
expect, even with the sort of protection of the angel, it's still quite
intense. The trunk of the tree is extremely sturdy looking sort of unyielding,
and his bark is etched with the intricate patterns that are sort of reminiscent of
frost covered windows. Beside Ash is the second tree, which speaks sounds exactly
the same. I am Embler, a second sentinel, this towering elm,
whose branches reach towards the heavens like our outstretched arms, and no leaves are
present upon Embler, but there are icicles that hang down from her branches,
giving the effect of sort of twinkling foliage. Where Embler's roots intertwined with the
ice and stone underneath, there's a constant pulsing glow of arcane energy that radiates
outwards and through the It's almost like a soft lightning effect. And upon each
of the trunks of the trees, facing inwards towards one another, you recognize
the mark of curer, similar to your own, similar to that which is
on Riothemus. Together Embler and I we are Curer. The dragon bonded to
none is curer. The trees have no face, but you feel an intenseness,
as if they are focusing on you now for the first time, as
if they've finally sort of aligned with how to speak to you and how to
interact with you, and they and you finally truly understand them. We are
bound to it by route. You are the ones who must venture forth.
You for our curre Riothemus must defend this place. I am taking diligent notes
by everything that's happening. Do you understand us? Wish ah, I understand
you quite well, Thank you. I'm just recording this. As it turns
out, I am also fluent in three hmm. What is the purpose of
your being bound here? What is the purpose of your legs? Where?
If we must go forth and protect and Riosimus must protect this place, do
you have a job. Most angels have no ability to communicate with us mortals,
not directly. They sit quietly. However, Emble and myself we understand
Woriol. We hear the song of the gods the world away. We are
the bridge necessary or your task? H Why Cirrus, I'm still praying,
So I'm still praying and my head is still like on the ground, and
tears are streaming down my face and like dripping onto the ice below me.
I'm unable to speak at this time. You're embarrassing yourself in front of these
interpreters. Cirrus. I'm drawing a little sketch of Cirrus and the trees.
The moment he says, I'm embarrassing myself, I like lift my head shocked.
What stand up? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and I stand you
West precious time this communication. It is not easy for us. It takes
other Mortals an entire lifetime to be able to communicate with us. Said after
you, I say, I understand. What is it that we need to
know? What attacks us? Is an angel brother to Woriel and the others,
the lesser angel of kellum Vore, the lesser angel of life and death.
Mortrial, born on an Isle are to the west. We do not
know why Mortreal is doing this. More confusing is angels possess no power to
kill other angels. There is only one thing in this world that can destroy
an angel. It is a secret, and that secret is kept among even
the highest of our order, a secret known only to a few across generations,
across all of Gaia. The Goliath call it Gungnia, the Orcs call
it the Great Thunderbolt, The humans of Sarasvati known it as brah Mastra,
and the deep Gnomes call it r Yui giu bang. For now, we
will call it the Angel Spear. That seems to be the least difficult.
I'm glad you brought up the topic of a spear. You said, our
dragon friend is going to remain here right to protect, and we have to
go forth. I look at the elm right directly, and it's not And
maybe perhaps you know, focus on that as if it's a face, and
say you wouldn't happen to have any spare branches? Would you a stick?
Perhaps you wish to tear a part of me away, well, not tear
a part of you away, but perhaps borrow a part of you to help
save the world. If it is to help, then you may. I
ain't gone a minute, and I slung a hand against sea before he can
do anything. If anyone's going to take a part of any of this,
it should be serious, not you. What's Syruhs going to do with a
stick? Figured that out later, But she at least has pure intentions,
Sarrus, can you please rip a stick off the alm for me? Please?
It gave permission. I stepped towards the tree. Bah, this is
the worse. If you can and I bring up my stuff something like this,
I put it back especiatically my point. I wrot my eyes. Uh.
What sorts of branches do I see here? There's a lot of them.
Yeah, this thing is enormous. Like, there's branches, there's roots,
there's there's twigs even coming off of some of the branches. There's probably
one that's within sort of arm's length that maybe looks like the breadth of a
spear that you could use if you were to grab it and snap it and
pull it down. Okay, I ask it. Are you sure? I
do not understand this word, but I believe the answer is yes. Goodness,
Okay, okay, I'm going to try and pull this branch off as
gently as I can, but I don't know. Actually gently would be worse,
probably would cause more pain. So quickly, okay, yes, give
me an athletics check. Oh goodness, and make me a constitution saving thrower.
Fourteen. As you grip the branches of this tree, there is a
sort of a It feels like you're grabbing onto what would feel to us like
you're grabbing onto an electric fence or something like. There is an instant shock
as your hands touched this tree. It isn't necessarily immediately uncomfortable or painful,
but there is an almost overwhelming sensation of being attached to something that is just
way, way more powerful than something you should be touching. You pull on
the tree and there is absolutely no movement in this branch whatsoever. Oh,
is there a problem? You're very strong. Maybe if you say, please,
would you be able to let go of this branch? Let? Yeah?
There is quite a long pause, and then there's a crack and the
branch falls. I put my hand where the branch was and I cast your
wounds on it. Okay, I know it won't do anything. Uh and
I actually I'll say, I'm not sure this will do much. But thank
you, Ronny and another constitution saving throw touching the tray yep six. I
think you fall down. I think you black out for like half a second,
but your hit point maximum does increase by one. WHOA Okay, but
to everyone else, it's like she's touched an electric fence and she just kind
of like jolts backwards and then stumbles. I think probably before you completely collapse,
you're able to sort of regain your composure. Thank you. I am
sort of stumble back, and I thrust the branch into sears hand. It's
my birthday. Yes, yes, a great one who can wield gangnier.
Wha again oozamala. The words start to jumble in your head before they sort
of reform again. We are losing words. Only rioathemous. You must find
the angel sphere. You must bring it to Riothemus so that we can end
montreals malignant and crusade. Any idea way to look run? Only two persons
places in this world? No location carried when the Angel of Ogma in the
east, and even Tier the Angel of Tier in the west. I thought
the angels were bad. We do not know. There are echoes still something
some they're going off old info. I think, oh, I just something
more to this than we know. They mentioned an evil in the west,
So would it make sense to go west or to trek east first? I
wonder we have we're running out of time. Do we have any more questions?
Hm? Hmm, Is there any other advantage you can give us.
Do you rely on strength or brain? I look through the party, and
I look back and say I struggled for a moment, and then I brain.
The crackling underneath the tree, which was sort of an arcane set of
lightning and bolts, lights up so intensely that it makes the rest of the
room fall dark. There's a sort of intenseness as each of you feel this
bolt hit you from the ground. H good, good, warning would have
been nice, but perhaps also console this word. We do not know that
that was too the green one, not to yourself. Can you see color?
Don't waste any life? It's time? Mm hmm. What what have
you done to ask? Father? Aid? Thank you for everything you already
have done. I have got more question and add any more cure purer?
Yes, no, those that are marked soul bound, you will be immune
to more drill's effects, somewhat stronger in fight, harder find detect. Can
we detect each other? Only each other? H I look to throw it,
write back down, write back down. Of course, I close my
eyes and try and walk towards the total off the spinning around a couple of
times. What you're doing, your fool. You can rub me a D
twenty okay, fourteen? Then you walk somewhere. How we travel to these
places? They are there? For? Why are they not? When leave?
Pause and run? Take run? Yes, yes, y way ahead
of your the ruin all right? And what do we do with them?
The trees suddenly falls silent. It's an odd sensation because it's almost immediate you
realize that they've partially been speaking to you telepathically. But it's the equivalent of
someone hanging up a phone. It's that quick. And even when they do
so, the room itself, the sort of arcane energy and the intenseness of
it, even the size of the trees seems to shrink a little. The
sort of sparkling and the twinkle in the icicles and leaves and blossoms that are
on the trees dull a little bit, and there's no pulsing of arcane energy
coming from the roots of the trees. I had so many questions. That's
to the dragon the both of us looks like he's asleep still, but he's
that I forgive you, I say to Seir, what for? I don't?
And then I turn and I start to try to find my way out
of here. I didn't ask you to do it. A letter's hope more
drill doesn't have a good argument. Uh, the way out is the same
way you came in. Unless you can think of another way. There is
a giant, great, big open door. I'd like to go back to
the room with the rooms in it. One is missing, right, What
were the two to the east and the west with those angels? Yeah,
here are the rooms by the way. Just you can have them as a
handout as well. Gared Win the Angel of Ogma, and live in Tier
the Angel of tear right. Yes, you can give me religion or history
checks if you feel like you might recognize or might know anything about these guys.
I'd like to know how much I might know about the Eastern because I
think I came from the east. Hm hmm, horrible stuff. An eighteenth
from Frank and an eleven from Jildin. So up to you, sorry,
yep. I was gonna say it's up to you how much the seekers know
about all these things, because I think I would probably have some recollection based
on that. There'd be some seekers that know a lot about this, whether
they've told you or whether you've spoken to them or whether you've inquired the entirely,
but you can you can justify that they are seekers that know a lot
about a lot of the angels. Okay, And would I be able to
rule religion for this? Ah? Yes? A seven? Maybe you just
didn't speak to anyone about them. We'll go with this one for the East.
Then carriage when so Thrank you know about carriage? When Jilden you will
know less? Sea even less? And Syrus do you want a role?
Do you care? Do you think you would even know know? Actually?
Yeah, I don't think, Okay, I would have a clue. Yeah,
So Ogma is the god of knowledge and carried. When is the angel
that is present here? Now? This is one of the least known about
angels on all of Gaya. This is so unbelievably rare to hear a story
of anyone saying that they've interacted with this angel, they know anything about this
angel. What little information is out there is for the most part hearsay.
Because this angel lives within a forest known as the House of Knowledge. It's
also known as no Lands Forests n o elk Lands Forest. There's an area
known as the now Lands, and then there's an even larger area that is
known as the House of Knowledge. This forest is nestled in between a whole
mountain range and at the foot of it is a huge forest, and there
is an area in front of that which is a sort of separate forest known
as the Nolands Forest. It is almost completely inaccessible to most morals, so
pretty much no one's ever been there, and no one really knows anything about
what is in there other than creatures that come out of it, and from
those creatures people have had brief interactions and perhaps conversations with. The creatures that
live in this forest are phase stags, which are like magical elk gollumns,
like ancient gollumns that were made hundreds and hundreds of years ago by like majores
of some sort that seemed to be able to go to this place, pass
through this sort of enchantment, this shield centaurs satur creatures like that, very
much sort of Faye based area of the world. No one knows what the
deal is with this angel, and no one knows really what's going on inside
this forest, other than supposedly this angel is also a tree, and that
if you go into this forest, you don't come out for some reason,
and it's just the home of lots of these sort of fay based creatures.
The only other thing I think I'll give you on an eighteen is that you'd
probably be aware that these the creatures that go into and are able to come
out of the forest pretty much all have like minor esp they can read the
thoughts of people. So anyone that does interact with them, they get the
sense that these creatures were able to read their minds while they were talking to
them. Again, much of it is here, say, no one knows
what's going on in that forest, and no one knows anything about the House
of Knowledge. Really, people go and camp out in that forest, and
people have spent years and years and years living in and around that forest in
the hopes of getting just sort of a glimpse or an understanding. But really,
if they're very lucky, they might bump into a centaur who will maybe
give them a sort of like you know, a glancing riddle that they might
get some information out of. And then that information again disperses across this world,
eventually makes its way to a book. That book makes its way to
Hard. Hard passes you the book and you read that, Yeah, it
doesn't seem like facts, but this is all that's known about it, so
I think that's all you'd really know from that, and I think you can
justify Jilden knowing some of that as well. I think this so in the
where you're from, the no Lands is north of where you were born,
so it's kind of it's pretty close. I'll give you an idea. I
would tell the rest of the party everything I know about this Eastern angel Tebash
division. Well, if you know the way, I say, not paying
too much attention. No, I don't know the way at all. You
can also give me checks for even tier as well, if you want,
yes, I will an attention to that one. Nine, five, ten,
okay for you. This The DC on this one is a little lower
to get some information because this is one of the most famous things in the
world. Tia is sort of a revered as the sort of almost like a
Paladin god. Basically, he's known as a sort of a god of justice,
a god of good, a god of protection. And the angel even
Tear is just about as close to a classic looking angel as you might imagine,
a humanoid form with four arms and wings, four wings, just a
big twenty five foot tall man looking angel. The thing that you'd be more
aware of is that the Tyran Empire is one of the foremost technologically advanced.
They're like the Roman Empire basically of this world. Justicias, paladins, clerics,
missionaries. They've managed to send groups to almost every corner of Gaya.
So it's a good chance that you will have interacted with them in some way,
or you would have been through a town on travels, or you know,
no doubt they've been here at Moon at some point. Pardon the pun,
but are they tyrannical. They're not tyrannical. No, they're very good.
These are the good guys as far as you know. That goes with
you know, a huge empire, predominantly the So you guys are in sort
of like the center north of this Pangaea of this world. In the west
there is a couple of these kind of areas which are a lot more developed.
They are larger cities and kingdoms with other settlements. The east is a
little bit less. So the east is filled with forests and sort of much
more weird dreamlike angels that are kind of affecting the landscape. People living simply
off the land forest based creatures. In the West, there seems to be
an abundance of more sort of militant based, strength based angels that give boosts
and boons to strength and things like that. Because of that, you end
up with there are three kingdoms over there that are in a sort of perpetual
war because you have the Tyran Empire, which are the quote unquote good guys
here. And I'm just generalizing for the sake of getting a point across again
within the confines of this being less than a tens DC worth of information,
because you're just hearing this at this point. I think this is just like
what you've heard about, and maybe you've seen these paladins move around and missionaries
and stuff. There is a second kingdom, which is the Corinth Empire,
who are a bunch of dark paladins elves who are trying to kill everyone.
They're trying to kill everyone, and they're trying to claim other lands and claim
their angels, of which they've done. This is the only kingdom that has
two angels to its name because they conquer a kingdom and they have a second
angel that they use and have and have access to. Opposed to that and
really one of the only things. And at least this is what their propaganda
maybe says, or at least this is what you've heard. One of the
only things that's stopping that evil set of unbelievably strong Paladins from just wiping everyone
out has been the Tyran Empire and the Angel of even Tier. Even Tier
supposedly gives them a kind of essentially gives them that the paladin class by being
born and training under the influence of the angel you do have. That's how
you kind of become what we know as a paladin in D and D and
having access to that sort of level of power and strength as a bone.
So even Tier is sort of the ultimate paladin angel in this sort of world,
and and Ogma is the ultimate knowledge angel. But is no one's ever
been there, or at least no one's ever in there and come back and
told a tale of it. Each of them is about equidistance away. I
think you'd have some generalized idea of what the shape of the world is and
how far away they are, with even Tire being a bit further away than
the House of Knowledge or Caradouin. So yeah, I think that's probably the
history lesson from the information that you get there. I think I if the
rest of the group are talking about these gods and deliberating what we're going,
I'm going to be near ish the trees still. I hadn't left there yet,
and I'm looking to see if I don't know, are there any nuts
or berries, or are there any leavings or droppings from this tree or these
trees? Romeo saviaval check survival. I'm great at these roles at twelve.
No, they don't seem to produce anything like berries or any sort of like
yeah little things. They don't really have foliage either. There's a couple of
blossoms that are on the on ash the ash tree, but there is They
sort of have no leaves or any real foliage, and they don't have any
berries or anything either. It's a sort of an odd looking thing, but
they do have some One of them has some blossoms and the other one is
covered in icicles that are oddly close to leaf shape. I see. I
was going to ask them if perhaps they found the term make like a tree
and leave offensive, but sadly that was taken from that'd be a bit too
complex for them. Right, They're still a sense of power coming from these
trees now or are the entirely dormant as far as you can tell, Yeah,
that's how it feels. It would feel. The equivalent I think for
us is as if you were just if this call dropped, you know,
like and then suddenly you're just kind of in the room. That's what happened.
They very suddenly lost their that sort of semi telepathic connection to you.
And it was sort of semi telepathic because you really did get the sense that
you were hearing the trees seeing and speak, and it was echoing off of
the walls, but as this sound reached your ears, it was almost being
translated. It was sort of kind of telepathically shifting into a language that you
were able to understand. And then also the inverse. While you were speaking
to the trees, they weren't. They were very clearly not understanding what you
were saying directly either. Curious. I think I just followed the rest if
they've left the room. I was staring at the rooms. But I don't
see why we can't just take them old. Wouldn't that lock away anyone else
who wants to have some tree time and there won't be anyone else if we
can't complete whatever the heck it is we're supposed to be doing. That point,
they said, use the rules, they did crack. What do you
think that means? I'm not sure to other places? Sorry, Throck.
I these rooms to open a door, right, and you suspected that if
we removed. Yes, let's all come in here and attempt to remove all
the rooms and see what happens. I do that. You can just take
them all. I just remove the ruins from the from the places that open
the door, the little sockets. Yeah, there's no like major thing that
happens. The door doesn't close or anything. They really do just feel like
little like pieces, like as if you're holding dominoes. M it's respect.
If we find the correct runs to correspond with the angels or the gods,
perhaps it could be of yours if you find a place to put them.
Well, these ruins are Goliath rooms, right, yes, so I'm not
sure that the Golias would have ruins, the ruins that would correspond with all
of the angels exactly. The angels are attached to God's though, and those
have well ideas that to stand the test of time. Shall we say,
Well, I see no room here. There is the ruin of knowledge.
Who there is the tree ruin ruin which might might mean the God of these
will look all, perhaps the ruin of justice a tear mm teas the God
of justice what I remember at least anyway, Or we could just take the
ruins for god horse and hope we get some fantastical beast to ride it along
on our journey. Well, we take them all, and just if we
find something like this, use them. Then what I was saying earlier,
just take cared of them. Why not? If we take all of them,
then we can return them to Thors if they are needed. It is.
We're keeping them all under my bag. Just clock clock, clock clock.
Okay, you may take them all. An extra one appears the greed
room. I'm kidding. Okay, yeah, you have them. You have
them in a little bag somewhere. I keep the protection one that I took
in my pocket. That's not with the rest of them at the moment.
Okay, I say, I think we should try and speak to rethemus about
how we get to these places, and I'll walk back into the room.
You want to wake up the sleeping dragon. We've already done it once.
I wouldn't think that you would have a problem with that, not at all.
I'll stay here. I approached the dragon barely class m hm, and
I'm sort of stood there, and I'm considering my options, I think,
for a few minutes, trying to decide the best way to wake up this
massive, intimidating predator. I think maybe I even opened the book see if
I can see if I can get some sort of help. Probably not.
Are you hoping that you know how to wake up a sleeping dragon? Safe
there? I am hoping that perhaps I've read something at some point about this
particular dragon, or dragons in general, and what they might do to someone
who wakes them up. Okay, I think for you this might Yeah,
this is a nature check okay. Eighteen. As with most of the things
that you're trying to pull information about, there is not a huge amount that
is written down about dragons and the and the golden dragons that in particular.
That being said, they are sort of known for the most part as being
very even the again quote unquote good ones like this one is potentially they are
predator, that they are the type of thing that on a whim will just
destroy everything of them. There are some dragons that are way worse. The
chromatic dragons, as they're known, are are the ones that people fear,
and then there are the metallic dragons like this one, the Golden dragon,
that people have. I guess there would be what it would be is that
there would be stories that these ones are the ones that have rescued people,
and they've saved villages and they're not as dangerous, and they've you know,
there are tales told of some of these dragons which have been sort of featured
as heroes in these tales. Generally speaking, it is considered to be incredibly
unwise to wake a sleeping dragon, not because you know the dragon is going
to be grumpy when it wakes up, but because when they sleep, they
sleep for a huge amount of time because they the amount of energy required to
be a dragon is so immense that they have to sleep a lot. It's
somewhat how they gather power and energy. Briothemus was probably up until when you
woke him on the island asleep for maybe something like fifty years. So when
you know they go into a sleep for a dragon, fifty years is probably
like sleep in about five minutes and these guys need like eight hours of sleep,
so that's generally what's considered to be a bad idea. That being said,
he closed his eyes half an hour ago, so your best guess and
judgment, well, knowing that, I turn around and leave. Okay.
I love that scene by the way of you walking over to the dragon,
pausing reading a book, putting it away, turning around and walking back to
the other Okay, yeah, yeah, what do you guys do? I
say, I think we need to we need to speak to someone about how
we're going to get there. This is and correct me if I'm wrong,
But this is potentially years of travel my foot. It wouldn't be no,
it would be months, a month, one month? Yeah, okay.
How long did it take Frodo to get to Mordor? Yeah, you've taken
a year. Take them one year. I'll take you a year. Then
was that a request I can expand the world? Yeah? No, this
will this, this will, this will take some time. You're looking at
a month two months to get to one of them? Is that what you
meant? And the other one you're looking at like if you say two months
if you were to go east, and then you're looking at four months back
and then two months back to here. If that was the journey that you
were thinking of taking, you're getting closer to on then infested lands. Okay,
so once the what have we decided, then we'll speak to Thors?
All right? Mare? Okay, good place. What did you say we
want to go and speak to Thors? Yes? Okay, so you can
sort of head back down through those corridors. Is that the plan there?
Just to go back down through all the through the mountain, through the the
chambers and hallways, and back down those stairs and again. It probably takes
you, looking at half an hour forty five minutes of just sort of like
trudging downwards and heading down to the bottom level again. Once you get to
the room with the icy door there, there doesn't seem to be any ice
in the doorway whatsoever, no water or anything. It just looks to be
sort of an open archway that you can step right through very easily. Oh
I'm fear you fashed. Okay, I've already started going. Yeah, you've
already walked through it. Yeah, there's no there's no sensation or change or
you don't have to go through that same test or anything like that. Eventually
you find yourselves. I think back outside at the lakeside. Yeah, after
we go through that portal door, I do turn around to see if the
door is still visible to us, or if it's ice, or if it's
still transparent and trans if we can still go back and forth between it.
Yeah, it seems like you can get in and out of that doorway freely
now there's no ice war So just to confirm that what we have lost or
given, we still have lost or given. Presumably, presumably eventually you make
it back outside, there are clerics coming and going. Still, once you
get through that doorway and start moving through, you start to see that there
are clerics moving around, but you also see that several of them are getting
into boats and making their way back to the other side of the lake because
night is beginning to fall, and you can probably hear them as you walk
through and pass them that they're saying, you know that when night falls,
the dead comes, So they have to be present because they are the healers
of the town, and they want to be present to provide that kind of
service. So they seem to be kind of like heading out to do that.
And I think it's quite easy for you to jump in with that,
take one of the boats, and head back into town, assuming that's what
the plan is. Yeah, yeah, I don't know if there's not really
anyone here to speak to. But never know. Sometimes, you know,
sometimes people want to do something, kill a cleric. I mean, does
does everything? Does everything look the same or has there like, has there
been any change in the temple? No, everything looks the same. Yeah,
everything seems to be. Yeah, No, there's no like mad change
or anything like that. Okay, Yeah, I think you make it to
the other side and that there doesn't seem to be an attack. There doesn't
seem to be chaos, nothing crazy happening. It seems if you didn't know
better and you didn't feel that sort of tension in the air of people sort
of preparing quietly for what they think to be another attack. After having this
two nights in a row, it would seem like any other night here that
you've had for at least the past year. All Right, where do you
go? I mean, you're on the other side. I don't know.
I don't think it's not like Thors is waiting for you. Unfortunately, I
know a couple of times he has been. But here, Yeah, you're
just on the other side. There's the Long House where the two of you
have been staying. There's a lot of people heading south towards the wall.
You can see the warriors and shield maidens and captains of the Guard and watchmen
and that moving, but nothing else happening in this bizarrely quiet Perhaps we should
try the Long House. Fish nice, go, yeah, heading to the
Long House. You the last time you were here the they were packing children
into this place because it's one of the better fortified, larger buildings and structures
in town. And during the chaos of that first night, they were kind
of just throwing everyone in there with with no sort of reckless abandon and rushing
out to try and deal with things. There is a guy that runs this
place known as Fraisteine. He's a very friendly goliath. He's been looking after
you probably since all of you got to town. I would imagine you would
have spent a lot of time with Fraisteine in this inn. The Longhouse is
known as the Stone Home to a lot of people as well, and it
has the magical ale fountain at the back of this place is sort of endlessly
pores ale from it. You can see that there's a lot of people in
here. For the most part, it does still seem to be being used
as the place for the children or the elderly or the sick to gather to
be safely together, while the people who are able to fight are able to
go out and do so. But it doesn't have that same warm and friendly
vibe that it normally has When you come in here, there's usually music playing
and people drinking and laughing and merriment and stuff. Coming in here tonight there's
a few kids running and laughing, and there's a few people sort of trying
to sort of act normal, But you get that sense that everyone in here
is just a little bit tense and a little bit concerned. Looking around,
there isn't I don't think anyone notable that you might recognize, other than Frastein
himself, who's sitting at the back where he always sits, cooking up a
huge, huge amount of fish to prepare for the evening and handing out steins
and tankards of ale and stuff. But no Thaws in here. I walk
to go speak to Fristine and ask him, hello, Fristine, have you
seen thors the thors ours I saw him an hour ago. He was a
he was talking to you right, all right, thank you. He's probably
at the mending tents or perhaps on the wall. Yes, that's good idea.
You're doing all right. This has been a troubling couple of nights.
I haven't seen you. Yeah, we've had our own. We've been helping
in doors in different ways. Are you all right? I know that it's
been heavy here as well. Yes, very Steen is always all right.
I would like to go out and fight, but I cannot leave the stone
home. Right. Do you need anything? No, we have everything we
need here. He puts an enormous hand on the top of your head between
your horns, and it's crazy how heavy this singular hand is as he rests
it on your head, and he's doing it in the softest possible way that
you can. But he's quite a big, stocky goliath. And he says
everything will work itself out. It always does, Yes, it does.
But would you like to take some fish? I think thors might appreciate some
fish? Could I take a small amount? Yes, wrap some up,
take some to the wall. I do that. I wrap some and prepare
to take it to the wall. Yeah, safe travels be careful. I
hear they are coming from the lake now, thank you, and you you
as well. Ah, yeah, I think we should try the wall.
I say to everyone, Oh, if it's not there, we have fish
for them, fish for me. Ya. No, I'm already wandering away
with the fish. Any Okay, Yeah, I think we sort of see
you guys leave the stone home and make your way down towards the wall.
Give me a perception check, cirrus an eight. I think when you kind
of get close to where the wall is, you you do not see thaws,
You don't see really anyone that you recognize, but you do catch the
sound of Oswald coming from one of the towers. There are a couple of
different towers that run along the outer perimeter of this area. A few of
them set further back from the wall because the wall fell at an awkward angle.
It wasn't a perfectly built wall that was running along these things. But
as you're moving through, you sort of hear the voice of Oswald, the
head of the Watch, barking orders at people coming from one of those towers.
And you see a few grouped up Goliath receiving their orders from him.
Yeah, I approach him everything all right? Else what you Yes, everything
is fine. I hand him a fish. Yeah, I have Have you
come to fight I'm looking for? Of course, yours is in the tower
and the furthest end. He is providing relief. I think to the injured,
all right, thank you your dragon dragon, not ours. You came
with the dragon we did. Are you able to control it? I regret
to inform you. It is a sentient being with its own personality, and
but it is here to help protect the town. That's what turns to one
of the watch and says, lay down. He laes down in the snow,
facing the snow, his face in the snow. He is also a
sentient being. Stand sword shield. He stands up, puts his shield in
front of him, brings his sword out of use your dragon this way you
can try. She's a result. I highly recommend against doing that. This
is not why you've got the dragon in the first place. We got the
dragon to help, but it's sort of dash things. And why I believe
rest is shured we have it on good authority by two trees. Nonetheless,
that the dragon will help if need be, but only if needs be.
Very well, It's not gonna ask about the trees. He's pretty smart your
head in his own way. I'm sure I've got a question. I did
take notes when we were talking to the trees. What specifically did they say
about the dragon in protecting this is a question to me, not sorry to
ask everyone else. So sorry. They said that the dragon will defend this
place while you venture forth? Did I did it say like the town or
the temple? Just this place? Just said this place? An The other
thing they said is that the dragon is cure but bonded to none. Right,
okay, so I will have my notes out and I will say,
well, according to my notes, the dragon will protect this place. And
when we were told that, we were standing inside the temple. So it's
unclear whether they will protect the town or not, but hopefully well you might
want to perhaps move people to the temple if things go to hell, fine,
unintended. We will hold the line. You have business floors. He
is sending you somewhere. Yes, you have a plan. Just about what
is it? So I need to know base or Sunshine. We will do
everything we can to stop the Untida hold Force has put his faith in you,
hard believes you are the only hope. But so far I have seen
nothing from you that I could not get from ten strong goliaths. Have you
seen hard Chance not for some time? Right? Can you not find him?
Can you not use a spell? Perhaps I could do with hard right
now instead of a useless dragon that cannot be controlled and four people that everyone
believes in. Well, you welcome to send some goliath sash gardners. I
don't to track across the world. Can you determine know when they come back,
and we'll go from there. Perhaps I will do just this. Then
I take the fish that Serious offered him. I just it's delicious more,
I just count. Yeah. He immediately turns away from you and just continues
to sort of like lay out plans for where he wants certain Golias to be
and if they encounter things, how they react to it. Blah blah blah.
They sort of go through that a very militant way behind you as you
guys are track off towards I assume the watchtower. Where where cause is?
Yes, Yeah, there's a couple of different towers. You find one,
you check in, he's not there. You come to the next one,
you check in, he's not there. There are only two left. There's
one that's right the way down by the lake. But the one before that,
you recognize that there are tents set up next to this one that they
seem to be using as sort of medical tents in a way. There's nobody
in them, but it seems like because there's a group of watchmen, but
there are also clerics here that maybe this is one of the points that they're
going to potentially bring injured throughout the night. And you recognize moving between the
tents and speaking to some of the clerics. Thows as he's moving about,
and as he turns from one group and he's sort of hurriedly speaking to them,
he turns back to you and links for a moment and then recognizes you
and says, oh, good, good to see you. You have finished
you're stone walk. Did you know trees could talk? I think perhaps they
are more singing in a sense. I suppose, Yes, we did meet
with them. Yes, inside, we will sit. Oh, yes,
yes, lovely, yes, yes yes. He ushes you into the first
floor of the room of the watch tower. There's a little half going in
here. It's a little warmer, it's a little more comfortable. There's a
handful of people coming and going, moving through the moving through the the watch
towers. They've arm themselves and move up and down the stairs. But he
sort of gathers you in around one of the tables, sort of a round
table, offers you each a seat, and then sits folding his arms,
seeming quite casual, and he looks at you expectantly. Yes, hello,
we are supposed to. We are supposed to, and then I'll relate to
him. We're supposed to go to this angel the east, and we're supposed
to go to one to the west to try and find the angel killer or
whatever it is called. So I rely all that information to him. An
angel spear? Could it be true? I have never heard of such a
thing. Apparently it's kept secret, even though it was apparently known in several
different languages. Yes, apparently it was kept secret until for some reason you
decided to tell everybody. Look at that m hm, and you must collect
it and bring it to real tom us. Correct, although I'm rather quite
curious how a dragon is supposed to hold a spear, I mean, with
claws or whatever, unless it's getting carried in its mouth. It is an
angel that is doing this, apparently more adrial. Yes, ring any bells.
Yes, many know of the angels of klam Voor. There are two
of them. Not very often that there are two angels born of the same
god. Apparently less is Modrial. I shake up into wishadow and sit down.
They are on an island very far away, a place of peace,
isolated from all the place is around it. The people there practice extreme inner
peace. To hear that this is the work of one of these angels,
it hurts my heart. Could there be a chance? Is not acting result?
Who or what could have such power? You'll tell me. I cannot
imagine an angel in general. He looks to the window and through it you
can just make out sort of part of the the mountain at the center of
the like. I cannot imagine how one would control such a being. We
need to get to these places. You know of a wire to get there
faster than by foot. It seems you have been given the choice. Do
you seek the militant arm of even Tier or perhaps the knowledge of Ogma?
First? I look to the party again, and I sort of take maybe
fifteen seconds the thought of before I answer when he mentions Ogma, I think
I just look at bit shifty. I look a bit thank you? Do
you say no thank you? Or do you just are you doing that?
My facial expression would basically very non subtly look as though I'm really not interested
in going that direction. They say not much is known about Ogma in the
first place, so going there is a even a guarantee that we'd even find
them. I suppose our friend over here might know that. But it sounds
to me as if tear is more of a sure thing, or even tear
even I disagree. I think that Akma makes the most sense. We are
still seeking knowledge. We do not know our true foes if we if we
go to war before we have a strategy, we have no tactic. It's
just a war band on the loose. Well, I mean, we're not
going to war with even tear. We're just going to see if the Angel
knows anything about this. They're not tyrants. Besides which a little strength couldn't
help. We couldn't hurt, by the way, said my piece, and
I looked at you, Throck, I think that either wire is the question.
We have no idea whether either of these places are what we think they
are. Besides, can you imagine if even it's dead, their entire empire
is going to fall to ruin. Surely. I think light cashes my magenta
eyes when I say that, which could be true by the time we reach
it. But it could be true of either place. Yes, consider the
idea that all angels are dead anyway, in which case, which would be
the safest place to travel to? The place wheret? Yes, the west.
The forest is in the east. But I guess the question is,
if both angels are dead, which one's the best place to go to the
place with the fallen empire, with the empty throom we know the angel is
going to be, or a secret forest with a secret god that nobody knows
really much about. Anyway, Yes, that is precisely what I'm saying,
right, I'll leave it to you. The tree seem to think if we
are a party of knowledge, that we should go to the east. I
think that is the party we are, right. The East is filled with
all sorts of strange creatures, and it's not a kind place to travel through,
and they will never I recommend not going there. What I'd like to
just roll some insight on whatever was going on with Gilding. You may do
that, and you have advantage, all right, Jilden, you may roll
deception. I guess if you want to try and deflect this and you got
it with a natural twenty one, can we just say it NATS twenty and
that one in the same role. I don't know how you guys want to
resolve this well. I want to say, I want to say, last
episode thrackt uh, was that a memory? It was a secret children's thanks
And I feel like that would probably weigh you're inside somewhat and I think what
you would see on children's characteristics and mannerism is a shame. I look at
you're doing, and I say, I think you should decide that you should
take a minute and really think about it and act with your mind and not
your instinct. And you know that in this moment, usually this would be
exactly when I would react with, what do you mean I should choose?
You should be the one choosing, not me. But instead there's none of
that. It's just a right. I don't feel. I don't feel I'm
the right person to choose here. I bias his work against me. I
say, but if we are cuer, then perhaps your biases are intended to
work against you to guide us. Is there something we should know about this
god, about this for it you asking Thors, I'm asking Jildren. I
wonder if I would have had any contact with any of these creatures that we
mentioned coming out of the forest. I spent up a lot of my time
in the area and traveled in fact past it. You can roll me a
D twenty and if you get a twenty interacted with one, okay, double
twenty is oh ten or at least if you have. They never mentioned anything
about where they were from or anything to do with this situation, you know,
or the angel or anything. No. I know nothing of this god,
of this changel, nothing at all. Oh you just is is there
a way that we could go there that you would be all right with?
I want nothing to do with asid In. I want to be nowhere near
that place. And I think Brack would know roughly where she's talking about.
Is that? Like, Yeah, asid In is southeast of here. You
go through there is an enormous forest which is the home of the Angel of
Silvanus, the sort of forest god. And on the other side of that
there is a land that is known as AzID In. It is it is
south of the House of Knowledge, forest the place that you are aiming for
quite significantly south. There would be ways you wouldn't have to pass through asid
In to get there if you didn't want to. I I approach you're Ben,
and I say, we will do everything we can to avoid going there.
Sometimes and I put a hand on a shoulder. We're forced to face
our past, and you and I I think, perhaps face it daily regardless.
And I'll give her a little squeeze, and then I'll say, we
need to go to the east. I am married in the past. I
sit down in the chair with a sag of diffuse Thaws, pulls out a
map, places it onto the table, unraveling it. He grabs a piece
of a little thin piece of charcoal and scribbles the sort of Goliath runs for
Uma in the area in the world where you guys are, there's another place
in the east where he scribbles the words house of Knowledge. He scribbles the
words Tyran Empire. And then he also scribbles the word Marble spelled b E
L onto this little map. We look something like this, with Marble being
on the on an island far out in the west, Tran Empire just across
the water from it. Uma in the center north and in the House of
Knowledge on the right side of the map there looking at all of you and
listening to you have that discussion. He grabs another piece of charcoal and he
draws a line carefully one way. It's going to be represented in blue,
but it isn't. It is in charcoal. He says, peace. This
is the route to take. It will have to travel south of Uma through
salve A. It will be dangerous. It is dangerous even if there is
not this threat through condor reach. Perhaps you can find a way through the
wind. You go peaks here, it taps the sort of mountain range north
of the House of Knowledge. There are tunnels, but there is also a
river of blood. It is very dangerous here, but it will bring you
through to the other side where you need to go. Of course, I
suppose if you are looking to go to see even here, then I would
perhaps he draws a second line south again through salve but you will want to
go through realed until significantly safer. But our threat, which is marching on
our walls, came up through the mountain pass. You could travel through the
deep tunnels, the deep gnomes here. There are many ways through, but
you will come out in the Kirent Empire. This is perhaps the most dangerous
place in all of Gaya. You must travel through this and you will make
it to even tear here marble. This is where Mordriell and Mordris sit perhaps
no longer. I asked the two about traveling faster. I said, to
use the road. M do you know anything about that? They asked you
to take a room each all that specifically, they just said, use the
roads. Usually they ask when you leave, take a room that means something
to you. This was not what you were told. I think they were
running out of words to use. We took them all. Are we supposed
to give them back now? And take one specifically? I suppose it is
up to your interpretation of what the two have spoken with you about. But
usually one is given M Yeah, the task to take a single rune.
He takes from his from behind his sort of tunic, a little piece of
string, and on it is one of the runes that looks very similar to
the ones that you have. A little bag of his has on it the
symbol Burkhana, which is death and rebirth. I pull from my pocket the
protection room that I stole originally I just stare at it. They're looking just
one if you like. M hmm. I didn't take this one for me.
I took it for order. I placed it down on the table in
the middle of everyone. I look at the water like I'm seeing a stranger
and chuckle to myself. H m hm. I take I take the one
for strength and put it in my pocket. H m I. What I
would do is IM take the room the home and I put it into Serious's
hand and sort of fold her hand over it. Serious nods. I look
at Thrac and look back at the rooms, and then I pick up the
gift room and give that to him. Uh I uh nod, and I
tuck it away. Yeah. I pick up corner the wound room, and
then I pick up the protection room once more, and this one as all,
and I pocket them both. Doesn't get it any closer to answering how
we're going to travel a though, are we? I don't think we're going
to leave tonight. We will have to wait morning. I would ask Thors,
you know, I see you recommend. Do you have any help for
us? Of course? Do you have any assistance for us to travel the
as quickly as possible? The House of Knowledge. M we have some sleds.
We have the wolves, but they are loud, noisy, and you
will have to care for them, feed them, hide them. More difficult
if we are thinking of moving quiet Ah, but it will be faster.
But there are many creatures out there now there is more than an army.
They seem to be endless. I will certainly arranged for travelers' packs to be
made filled with as much food and sleeping equipment that we can find for each
of you. Thank you thors. You will live in the morning. Yes,
there is a way you can move past the wall through the caves,
but it will not take you far. You will come out at the lake
you have been there before. From there you will have to travel across open
land south. I do not know what he waits you. I think a
good night rest before we leave is wise. One day will not make a
difference in a month or two months journey. You must rest. It may
be the last chance you'll get to have a good night of sleep in a
long time. Yes, yes, I say, you don't have anyone that
could scrape my toes? Do mhm? He just laughs at you serious.
They will, yes, treat with phrasetin. I will find things anything I
can find to help you on your travels. Thank you. Before after,
like everyone leaves, I would like to say something to Thorest before I go,
if that's okay, okay. As we're walking away, I put my
arm around, yielding, and I say, you know, with the perfect
person for the job of cleaning out your time should be eh who the man
with? Now? Fear you know you're right. I'm sorry to burden you
longer, Thors, but I am afraid that I embarrassed myself to the two
mm The two are an interesting set, or are they not? Sometimes they
appear as children others. As wise as there is time, I felt small
and unworthy. Well, that is because you are one must undertake the trial,
the cloud walk, the final cleansing. But you have done none of
these things. And yet you have spoken with the highest of our order.
Not just that, but children of the angel, born of the very stone
of the mountain. However, there is unworthy in scripture, in tradition.
But then there is your own worth within yourself, in the eyes of the
people of this place who look to you. Now. You were chosen,
as were the two. Your worth is not bound in the words of old
scripts. Your worth is greater, greater than the two, greater than wouriel.
Your worth is as old as those trees and as vast as the sky.
Do not burden yourself with foolish notions of self worth. There is more
to this life than you can ever know, and that is why you I,
the two have been tsked with preserving it. Thank you. I will
leave you now, Oh again, little cloud. Thank you. You may
feel like an outlander, and you may feel like you came in to this
a stranger, an unworthy, but you are our savior to take on this
task. We are not worthy of you. I am. I raise my
hand to him and a gesture of ah, well, love really is what
I'm trying to do. And I turn and I leave, and I reflect
on the fact that I wish so desperately that had relieved me. From the
side of the wall that overlooks the town, a little creature with large glittering
eyes watches the four of you head off and to bed. Hello. This
is Brad Woto from Table Story. If you enjoy this podcast, please be
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