Speaker 1: You are listening to table story.
Speaker 2: A wagon preaks down the main street of Embastead. Again.
You catch sight of the mountains that you've driven this
cart down into and between, sort of following the road
a little off into a valley high above you. In
these mountains, there is an observatory which is sitting above
a set of coal and metal mines. It's sort of
just a squat stone tower with a copper dome glinting
in the sunlight. There's a sort of a mist and
a fog that is sitting over the mountaintops. It gives
this town sort of an overcast look, even though it
is summertime and it is warm and the sun is
out around this town. The mountain sort of closes in
around it. So Emberstead feels like such a contained little
settlement right on the very edge of the Kingdom, at
the base of the Titans Crown. Just on the other
side of this mountain range is the country of Invictus Concordia.
Your wagon rolls into this street. There are dwellings all
around you, big timber framed houses, gray slate roofs, lots
of sort of soot blackened chimneys and stuff like that.
Because The town is in part sort of a whole
mining town, so there's a lot of like black soot
smoke coming out of the chimneys because it is it
is in good supply here. What is your general port
of core Do you have a particular plan, Well, you
had a couple of things that you were requested to
do here in Emberstead, but you can essentially what was
your What is the plan for you guys? There's a
couple of guild halls in the town. There's the Barracks settlement,
there's the the Church of the Radiant Path is a
big looking thing in this town. And you know there's
just like there's a there's a tavern. What is the
approach to this town? You've been traveling for about a
little over a day.
Speaker 3: I think, I think, well, we're all sick, right, so.
Speaker 4: No, yes, but no mechanically not.
Speaker 3: Oh right, never mind all he we can heal us, yes,
little mind.
Speaker 4: We could be tired from it.
Speaker 5: Because I'm a good man.
Speaker 6: Remember when I.
Speaker 4: Hear yes, I do, thank you. I don't know what
we would do otherwise I would probably still be walking
behind the cart.
Speaker 5: And see, your little legs would be so tired.
Speaker 6: They're already pretty tired.
Speaker 7: Maybe we should get massages.
Speaker 5: Excellent idea, A great idea. First ask is to find massage,
a massage.
Speaker 6: Let's go to the temple.
Speaker 4: Already a path, got like a membership, right you probably
have like a spa.
Speaker 8: Yeah, oh yeah, there's no You are correct. The radiant
stuff is just like a big small and we go
there and we have and then there's wonderful.
Speaker 7: Don't dash his dreams.
Speaker 8: He's very hard.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I've got the banking fad. You could go for
a real, a real massagery. Whatever she said, what were
you calling?
Speaker 5: It?
Speaker 3: Doesn't Where do we find this misogyny?
Speaker 5: Gee? I wonder and I look at him.
Speaker 7: I think.
Speaker 8: In the top and just you might be able to
find somebody who can deal out this misogyny.
Speaker 3: Mm hmmm. I doing. We had to relate a message. No,
that's our our task in here.
Speaker 5: Oh right, and I think I have the letter do I?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 5: Yes, he was given to you. He threw it in us. Yeah, yeah,
I pulled out the letter. Oh yes, we have to
give this someone, don't we yep?
Speaker 6: And then.
Speaker 5: Hit guild foundation. Oh yes, and this one as well.
Speaker 8: Well?
Speaker 6: Is that a carbon copy?
Speaker 3: M it's not a copy.
Speaker 2: They were intended for two different recipients.
Speaker 5: No, one of them Foundation and the other one.
Speaker 2: Is to let me read it here it says, it
doesn't say anything, It just has the seal of It's
sort of Sergeant Ruins, how celestial symbol. It would be
like a little crown symbol, just official schigil, doc remember
back seal.
Speaker 5: Mhm.
Speaker 8: I don't remember being here for a conversation about this.
Speaker 5: I didn't think you were a second. The man with
the metal arm came in and threw some letters at us.
Speaker 7: Oh yes, I was occupied.
Speaker 6: Huh oh okay, how occupied were you?
Speaker 3: Well?
Speaker 5: I know one of them goes to the Foundation killed?
Which one do you? Guys?
Speaker 6: Just love a coin?
Speaker 5: We can open them, I guess.
Speaker 6: Oh you'll break the sea.
Speaker 5: Well, surely in this world of magic and dragons, there
is a way to reseal a broken seal.
Speaker 8: It's the point of the seal, not that it is
not broken, so that it is not read by the
person who is not supposed to read it.
Speaker 7: I think this is circum the point, So breaking it
would the will maybe not be good.
Speaker 5: For you, And I am good so I would never
do that. So how do we figure out where these girls.
Speaker 6: H and I take out a cap, repeat.
Speaker 5: Okay liberally, and.
Speaker 4: Then I go, okay, well you gotta if you're gonna,
I'm gonna flip this and then you gotta say head.
Speaker 5: Your tail okay, right, go ahead, flip it.
Speaker 6: As it was tails?
Speaker 5: Okay, Now what does that mean?
Speaker 6: Okay, So this time I'm gonna do one more time?
Heads means it's that one that we're going to give two.
Speaker 5: Foundation. I think that's one of the people we have
to give it to.
Speaker 6: Right, all right, heads road two me no, I do it. No,
that's fine, perfect heads.
Speaker 5: Okay, So it's this one.
Speaker 6: Mm hmm that's the one we're giving.
Speaker 5: Is there any riding on either of them? Or is
it the same? Seal?
Speaker 2: They look almost exactly the same?
Speaker 9: Almost?
Speaker 7: What you mean almost? What do you mean almost?
Speaker 2: Well? There, I mean they're not the same. I don't
want you to think that they're the exact same document,
but they basically look almost exactly the same, like there
really is no difference. The seal is the same, the
parchment is the same, the size.
Speaker 3: Dear, do I remember who the recipient was for the
second one?
Speaker 2: Did you write anything down on.
Speaker 4: Else?
Speaker 2: Have you ever taken a note.
Speaker 5: He doesn't know how to spell.
Speaker 2: I'm not asking his gut.
Speaker 3: Oh, I only write what my character would write.
Speaker 2: Did you take the key mind feet? No, thinks it
was only a day ago. You guys can make it.
Just make some intelligence checks. The three of you.
Speaker 5: Okay, yeah, it was in my head.
Speaker 8: They were all looking into the sky. I like that
monk keepers or like yeah, okay.
Speaker 2: You have no idea. You remember the conversation, but you
just threw two things at you and said that they
were for someone and someone else.
Speaker 6: There we go.
Speaker 3: Do we both have minus one for intelligence?
Speaker 5: Yes? And I also something. I can't see the role.
So what did I?
Speaker 4: You got a natural twenty?
Speaker 6: Help me?
Speaker 5: Help me?
Speaker 2: Do you guys you have a minus one because your intelligence?
Or are you still exhausted? Is anyone still exhausted?
Speaker 5: I have minus one two intelligence.
Speaker 6: I'm just.
Speaker 4: Nate forgot that we still had that.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm exhausted.
Speaker 2: I used to Okay, yeah, Ricard, you remember that. So
the first one he threw into the room was for
Commander Klaan at Emberstead, is what he said. And then
the second one he said, deliver it to the foundation
head of your guild at Emberstead.
Speaker 5: Right. Is there is there like a guard like I
don't know where we are right now, but is there
like a guard around? I can harass about who this
commander is? Twenty the commander?
Speaker 3: What was his name?
Speaker 5: Again?
Speaker 2: Write it down?
Speaker 5: Claim I can't see my roles?
Speaker 2: Why not refresh the page?
Speaker 5: I don't know.
Speaker 2: There currently isn't. You don't see any military presence here
at all. Actually, in fact, maybe that would read is
a little weird, because usually there is, or a town
might have its own policing system, like the sheriff or
Eldessa has a subsect of like constables. But this place
doesn't seem to have any military presence. You don't see
anyone who looks like an official military or police force.
Speaker 5: I walk up to civilian on the street and say,
excuse me, where can I find the commander?
Speaker 2: Mean?
Speaker 8: Roll?
Speaker 2: You know, I'll roll here so that you don't know
what I've rolled A ten. Yeah, there's a slightly older
looking man, maybe sort of pushing his fifties, maybe in
his early fifties, kind of a lot of wrinkles on
his face, sook covered hands, but kind of looks like
a classic flat capped coal mining town character who turns
to you and says, oh, hello there, hello, What did
you say? Do you know where the commander is the
commander of what of this place? Commander of this place? Yes,
you mean commander of Clane. Yes, that's the one commander
claim to be at the barracks. I would imagine.
Speaker 5: Could you point me in the right direction?
Speaker 2: Oh? I, you see straight up there? He points like
kind of dead down this road. What you're looking at
for this town as well, It is a bit of
a winding road. It's not like a dead straight road.
But the the you're looking at kind of two predominantly
rows of buildings that run along a main road. There
isn't like a lot of offshoots. The town is kind
of just this one singular road because it's at the
base of a valley. There are buildings that are up
on the mountainside and a little further up, and they
look quite difficult to get to. But he kind of
just points straight down this road. For the most part,
this town is just a sort of single main street
quite wide.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: He points sort of into the mountain side at a
sort of cluster of buildings that look like they're around
a very large kind of bridge structure at the base
of it, and on this side of the bridge, he
points at just a pretty squat looking square stone building
with sort of narrow slidded windows around it. It's one
of the only buildings in town that doesn't have really
any flare to it or any of the timber framing.
And he says, you see that square, ugly thing up there, Yes,
I do, that's the barracks.
Speaker 5: Right, thank you. And I hop on and I like
hold on to the w wagon and leaning off of
it like I'm in a musical. I say, fare wow, citizen,
beam a little salute, and I am waiting for the
cart to start going, hoping that it goes so that
I look cool. Doesn't move a pause highly.
Speaker 3: I think there's a pause, and I look up. Oh yes,
let's get away number three, and I go I undo
the horse break.
Speaker 2: And well all right, And it was what the horse
is called, Stephen and.
Speaker 3: Ratrosphere.
Speaker 4: It was just.
Speaker 2: That's right, rope, Stephen, head on down there. I don't
need to make a check for this. They just start
trundling on. Yeah. The man kind of gives you a
little wave ever so slightly perplexed look to his face.
But I mean you're just sort of travelers coming into town,
and you head on along the main street here, and
you're going straight all the way up to the barracks. Yes, yes, yeah,
you pass through the town. It's not at all a
busy town. You're also coming into the town sort of
mid afternoon, so it's you get the sense that there's
probably quite a few people that work in this town
in the mines, and they're probably away. They're not the
type of people that live and work in the center
of town. You do pass a little market. There's a
handful of traders and maybe some other travelers, people who look,
you know, not too dissimilar to yourselves. They don't quite
look like they fit. Here, a couple of wagons. You
pass underneath the Radiant Paths Shrine here, which is a
pretty solid looking classic stone church with a big bell
tower on it. You pass past two twin looking buildings here.
Speaking of Ratrosphere, he's a twin in case you didn't know, Yeah,
the stream of Ratrosphere is a twins. You wouldn't. Don't
worry about it. You see the two guildhalls and you
recognize the sigils over both of the doors. One of
them being for foundation the sword of the Sword with
the sunburst behind it, and the other one being how
Celestia with the Celestia crowned sigil. Two pretty like large buildings.
They get kind of lost in amongst all of these buildings,
but you recognize where they are. Just beyond the market square,
you see the tavern. Just to mark in your brains
where these buildings are.
Speaker 3: You now know.
Speaker 2: You see a tavern with a wooden sign above the door,
with a flame rising up from a blackened lump of coal,
and you get the immediate sense of a tavern here. Again,
most of the buildings look almost exactly the same architecture wise,
building wise, size wires. For the most part, they seem
to have been built at the same time and in
the same style. And you follow the road upwards. There's
a short piece of road where there's really nothing on
either side. It just opens up to sort of a
few trees and some of the mountain valleys, some rough stone,
and then the wagon starts to move upwards a little bit.
There's a little bit of a zig zag in the
in the approach kind of it's almost like a switchbag,
but not quite as intense and it brings you up
to a set of bridges. There's loads of them, and
they sort of come into view here, criss crossing across
the mountainside, and the one that you're looking for is
the sort of the main bridge. There's a drawbridge that
spans a very deep gorge at the valley entrance here,
a natural gorge that splits the town from the mountainside,
and you can see just endless bridges above you now,
just kind of a spider's web of bridges throughout the
different parts of the mountain above you. The enormous drawbridge
in front of you has two towers that are sitting
on either side. But in front of that and off
to one side of it is the barracks. And for
the first time, you see a military presence here. Not
too many soldiers. It's not bustling or anything like that,
but you do see a handful of them moving around
in those two towers. And you see two foot soldiers
standing at sort of a attention in front of the barracks,
who then step into the road and hold their hands
up again. They're holding hands up, but you don't see
their faces above the nose underneath these steel helms and
They have the large plate armor with the pauldrons that
have a cloak that come down over the back of them.
The two of them step in front of the wagon
and hold their hand up you bring it to a stop. Hello, ye,
by the horse, break, Let's see who's going to deal
with you today. I'll roll a dice determine your fates.
A two a sort of tall in the two of
both Both individuals that step out are quite tall. One
of them is a little more muscular than the other.
You can see a trimmed short beard underneath the part
of his face that you can make out, and little
gar that runs down into it. He also has an
additional kind of patched cloak that is sitting, you know,
partially under some of his armor that you can see
poking out in places. The second individual is a little thinner,
little shorter. You see that she has a pointed, thin chin,
some freckles under there, some black hair sort of bound
in a simple braid. The woman here has a bow,
whereas the man has a quite large great sword on
his back. The man kind of glances over to the woman,
and then he approaches your wagon and says, do you
have business with the barracks.
Speaker 5: Well, I might.
Speaker 9: What is your name, Corporal Dale Warren, Corporal Delaware and
Dale wearin Belle Wearing.
Speaker 5: Well, that's a lovely name. I have a letter, thank you,
new guy. I have a letter for your commander.
Speaker 2: Very well, he holds his hand out.
Speaker 5: I must deliver this letter in person.
Speaker 2: Okay, I don't know, I don't.
Speaker 5: I look back at and I kind of like shrug
at everyone, like I don't actually know.
Speaker 2: If that's true. Mm hmm.
Speaker 6: I'm the massages.
Speaker 3: We look at the guard questioningly.
Speaker 5: It is from the guy with the metal arm. What
what's his name? Everyone? Rune is Namers Roone. It's from Roone.
Speaker 2: Rune. Is that something in town?
Speaker 5: No, he's up the road in the toll house.
Speaker 2: There, there's the voice of the second person, says a commander,
sergeant room, sergeant.
Speaker 5: The one he is a sergeant, Yes, but he is
commanding the place because their commander is dead.
Speaker 2: Kind of glance at each other and then look back
up to you. The corporal says, very well, if you
could take the wagon off to the side of the
road here, maybe bring in beside. The barracks says, not
to cause an obstruction, and then we'll all four of
you be coming inside or just you sir?
Speaker 5: Yes, all right, then.
Speaker 2: That was a question.
Speaker 8: Yes, we will be coming inside. Yes, Sorry about my friend.
He's hard of hearing. He only hears things he wants
to hear.
Speaker 2: That's right understood.
Speaker 5: I also just go to get life.
Speaker 2: Yeah. You bring the wagon off to the one side
of the road, you know, sort of like attack the
horses and then jump off the back of it. The
the second soldier moves up to the back and as
like two of you jump out, she takes a look
in and grabbing at the sort of the cloth and
peering inside, she says, anything we need to worry about
in here?
Speaker 6: Wow? Well easy, that's mythel.
Speaker 5: Are you allergic to mithral?
Speaker 2: I'm not allergic to mythel?
Speaker 5: Now, then we're good.
Speaker 3: Merchants, bound to move the mythrill. No merchants, No adventures
on a mission of.
Speaker 6: Higher porties of high importance.
Speaker 2: Guild work, yes, right, Uh okay, can I tell your names?
Speaker 6: Why'd you say it like that?
Speaker 4: I arm what she said guild work like it was
something lower than whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2: Oh, I thought you were merchants. You're guild workers.
Speaker 5: That is correct. I am record, and we are recording
the Fabulous Three. You've probably heard of us, we.
Speaker 2: Are of this group. I've not, no, not heard of you.
Speaker 5: Won the Silver Jubilee Contest.
Speaker 4: Silver leet single handed lega rid of the Undead Minister
devouring all of the toll House gates.
Speaker 2: Oh right, I think we did hear about something that
the toll House.
Speaker 6: Right, you're welcome, that's us?
Speaker 2: Yeah right, oh okay, okay, yeah, great, fair enough. Huh
shall I take them in? Yes, you take them in.
I'll remain here, all right, follow me?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 7: Now we do not even give them more names.
Speaker 3: The Fabulous Three works, I.
Speaker 7: Suppose been reduced to a number.
Speaker 2: Uh huh, yeah, yes, your number two. He takes Rickard
and the Fabulous Three as a thing. It should be
noted as well that people, like lots of adventuring groups
have names, you know what I mean, Like, it isn't
too crazy to just show up and be like, yeah,
we're Motorhead, your money, you know, nice to meet you.
You know, we're the Kaiser Chiefs, and you're like, oh,
it's the kais a chase we've heard.
Speaker 5: Probably not a name as silly as main character that
we're main character. That'd be crazy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, those guys we don't talk about. They are a
little bit full of themselves. I do like one. I
like one of the characters, but I'm not gonna tell
you which one it is. Yeah, we have the same
we talked about. It doesn't matter the corporal. The corporal
turns and takes you inside. And by the way, they
seem pretty casual. They don't seem too overly stressed about
sort of checking you out or whatever. You get the
sense that a handful of them are kind of like
looking you over, but they don't really. There's no metal
detector theaking through. As you walk into the barracks, there's
a handful more foot soldiers that start moving around. You
feel like this is genuinely more like a barrack than
an official building that you might have been used to
maybe in Eldessa or in other places in they Fall
that are military run. It doesn't feel like this is
where you might go to maybe report a crime or
something if it was only the military in town. It
genuinely just feels like the barracks where the foot soldiers
sort of stay and live. As you step in, there
are a handful of them that are in uniform and
a handful that are out of uniform. There are a
handful of them in sort of dressed down like military
fatigues basically, but sort of medieval, not modern looking, classic
camo looking shit, just like greens and basic trousers and
traveling gear boots. The corporal brings you down a long
stone hall, lots of different rooms shooting off from this building.
All of the windows in this building are just sort
of narrow sliddied cuts in the wall and there's no
glass in them, so there is like a draft coming
in through the through this space.
Speaker 4: The whistles when the wind blows.
Speaker 2: Yeah a little. The lower level, as you're sort of
led through, it seems like it's kind of a lot
of storage space. You can see that there are several
rooms that store arms. There are several rooms that seem
to be storing coal. And the corporal takes you to
the end and says, we're just going up the stairs here,
a set of stairs quite wide enough for you know,
a full group of maybe a squad to move up
and down comfortably. He leads you up these huge stairs.
It turns in the middle, and then up to the
second floor or the first floor. I don't know what
you Americans say, he brings you to the upper floor,
and you can see that he brings you straight into
a mess hole. You walk through a mess hall, then
into a drill space, past a set of dorm tories,
and then at the end of this room there is
an open door into a pretty simple looking squad square
room that probably sits above the entrance way of this place.
You probably just walked all the way along the hall
up and all the way back. A knock on the door, Commander,
we've got visitors. They have a missive from Sergeant Roon.
He kind of looks back to you guys from inside
you hear very well, send them in, all right, and
you go, no funny business. And it looks.
Speaker 5: Across the saunter I sauntering, you sauntering, sash hey and
I and I I say, fierst, Commander, I have come
to great peril. I have come add great peril to
us to bring you this very important missive. And I
like flourish and bow and then hand it to them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you sache into the room. The other three kind
of walk in normally after you. Yeah. And as you
step into this room, it's a pretty again a square room.
It's pretty simple looking. There's a smell of like coal
and lamp oil in here. There's a big heavy oak
table in the center with a big hand drawn map
of the Auroran Kingdom. It's got all these colorful stones
on it, lines of coal that sort of show units
and patrols and their positions and stuff like that. A
handful of shelves on the far walls with ledgers and
other sealed letters and a few texts on fortification supply.
There's a big, long, single window slit that looks out
over the drawbridge and the mountain.
Speaker 3: It is.
Speaker 2: It's it's a pretty uncomfortable looking room to be sat
in all day. Every object in it is kind of
like placed for duty and sat at a small desk.
Is a very broad shouldered, weathered looking human, short cropped
gray hair, but it's kind of loose and sort of
tussled and tousled. It's got a dark streak through it.
He's not quite lost all of the color on his hair.
In the classic araor and military command where green and gold,
and he says, yes, very well, he holds his hands
out for the missive.
Speaker 5: Yes, I do the flourish and then ah put it
in this hand, Thank you.
Speaker 2: Wait there, and he looks at the seal, glances up
at the four of you, and then breaks the seal
and pulls the the parchment open. He takes a good
amount of time to just sit here and read. What
you can see from your sort of vantage point. Isn't
an enormous amount of text that's been written out in
a sort of almost like a chicken scratch. You get
the sense that this was handwritten by Ruin himself, and
he doesn't have very nice handwriting whatsoever.
Speaker 4: As a who wrote it.
Speaker 2: Chicken himself wrote it, I don't know if chicken can write.
To be fair, The commander kind of every now and
then like his eyebrows raised, or he sort of he
sort of lets our little and then he rolls it
back up and then looks up at each of you,
his eyes kind of like moving across the four of
you for a moment, and then he says, you were
present with this siege. That's correct, and your task.
Speaker 5: Now to give you the missive and also we have
to deliver some myth.
Speaker 2: Roll, right, that makes sense, myth roll silver steel.
Speaker 3: Mhm.
Speaker 2: I trust you understand that all of it has been
going missing in recent weeks. Monster, He looks between the
two of you. It's one of you says yes, and
one of you says, essentially.
Speaker 5: Yes, the monster. We did hear about a monster that
eats myth roll?
Speaker 3: Yes? M hm.
Speaker 2: Where is it due for delivery? The Capitol?
Speaker 5: No, that's where we came from. We are going to
and I say, it's just like that. We are going
to as I pulled vai Win. We're going to vail Win.
Speaker 2: Perhaps if you are going to visit vale Wind, you
might bring a missive with you from me. Sure, He
pulls open a drawer. He pulls open a drawer, pulls
out a little sack that is clearly filled with coins,
and puts it on the table, pushes it sort of halfway,
not quite over to you yet, and says, I better
be coins. He says, I'd send a runner of my own,
but we're thinly stretched. I've lost two scouting parties, not
to mention the group that I sent to gil Hollow
this morning, and the foot soldiers already at veil Win.
So if you don't mind, I can offer you fifty
gold pieces. I believe your adventurers. Therefore I can offer
you one hundred XP. It is within my purview to
entrust these sorts of things to guild members.
Speaker 5: After all, my eyes are staring at the pouch of
gold and they actually start looking like golden money signs
that like flash, it's kidding, that's a joke, because but
I am looking at the bag of coins, and when
I hear XP, my eyebrows climb up my forehead.
Speaker 3: He says.
Speaker 2: If if that works for you, please allow me to
write in your journals.
Speaker 5: Give there you go over too.
Speaker 8: I just seem normal.
Speaker 7: This was too I'm really suspicious.
Speaker 2: You can give me inside check, or to be honest,
I'll let you. You could roll an investigation questions for.
Speaker 6: You, mister. That's a commander claim. I'm just noticing that.
Speaker 4: You got a lot of patrols scribbled down here on
your parchment.
Speaker 6: In front of you.
Speaker 4: Is this normal for the past being so close to
the invictors Concordia or is there something a little bit
more untoward happening?
Speaker 6: And also is.
Speaker 4: There a monster for the mythro or has there been
some hijackings of mythral lately? And is that why you
need us to go drop off some more mythel or
also a missive because we're disposable adventurers.
Speaker 2: He takes each of your but I have so lightly
better intelligenced everybody.
Speaker 7: Else nineteen on insight.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Fitch, you can make me an investigation check insight nineteen.
So it isn't necessarily normal, but it isn't unheard of either.
You actually get the sense that his comment a bit
about being very thinly staffed is very true to the
point where he's having he has no choice but to
enlist the help of adventurers over his own scouts.
Speaker 8: A feeling for why that might be why they're so
thinly stuffed, Like is it obvious to something going on,
like do we know that the people have gone up
to the city or anything like that, or is it
just does it.
Speaker 2: Just seem you can you can roll me an investigation
check as well. Again, you do have the map in
front of you, you rod an insight, I mean, I
said in investigation, so you can reroll that.
Speaker 3: Please be kind.
Speaker 8: Eight.
Speaker 6: I am pleased to know.
Speaker 7: You're still exhausted.
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's why.
Speaker 4: I'm really hoping for a miss the same.
Speaker 6: Massage eleven.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, you do sort of notice that, you know,
the the scribbles in charcoal and the movements and stuff.
You can see that there are lots of arrows that
are moving up and down from Veilwind back to Eldessa,
back to Emberstead. You also see there are markings in
some of the other locations around Aurora. There are stones
that run along the center of the Titans Crowned Mountain
range that maybe represent his scouting parties that he said
have gone missing. And then you can see that he's
got a lot of little stones that probably represent numbers
of foot soldiers, and a lot of them do seem
to be moved away from Emberstead and down in Valwyn
and over in Eldessa.
Speaker 4: There isn't an active war between in between these two
kingdoms yet.
Speaker 3: Is there?
Speaker 2: No? There is and has always been a ridiculous amount
of tension in Victors. Concordia are pretty aggressive and pretty
like they're the guys that are a bit of a
powder keg, a little bit of a concern for both
felsen Haunt and the Auroran Kingdom and even the towns
that would be found in the fringe in the no
man's land. But yeah, no, there's no active war. That
they have been at war several times before the Tourer. However,
you sort of pick up on a few more things
you pick up on the information as well, but you
sort of recognize and maybe piece together that they did
mention a couple of times at the castle. I can't
remember if it was to you or to the others
or what, but they mentioned that they'd moved priests out
from the toll castles as well, So you also recognize
that some of the stones that have been moved down
to Velwyn and over to Aldessa probably represents some of
the majors and priests that are part of the fighting
strength of Emberstead and some of the other towns. So
it is it does sort of make sense, I can
Did you have a specific question or was it just
to back up what your original thing? We was sorry,
I've got bombed.
Speaker 8: Yeah, so this was insight into whether or not he
was telling the truth, because it just feels like an
easy X you pick up for us. So and now
seeing this, yeah, now it's like, oh, okay, what's going on?
Speaker 2: It does seem like something's up?
Speaker 8: Yeah, so why what tap the about up in front
of him just lately, not aggressively and just like you
seem to be.
Speaker 7: Lately stuffed as you're saying, is there something going on?
Speaker 8: What I said but what she said you as.
Speaker 2: Sorry, he s did, yeah, but you you back him up.
Speaker 4: With that comment in a very average way.
Speaker 2: He he kind of he looks across each of you
and then looks down at the map. You get the
sense of him sort of piecing together that you probably
maybe you know, he's like trying to figure out whether
he should trust you with any information. But he kind
of just seems to very quickly concede and says, hmmm, something,
maybe your foot. He looks down at one of your
He opens sort of records journal and begins noting something
in it. He does glance at the information as he
opens records journal, like takes a look at Recard's name
and information, and then moves to a page that's blank
and begins writing. And as he does say he says,
I don't want to jump to any conclusions. I wouldn't
really know quite what conclusion to draw. But if these
events are connected, we may be looking at a countrywide issue.
He closes the first book and slides it over and
then opens gots up and takes a look and then
glances up at got for a moment, looks down at it,
and he begins to write a similar looking thing, he says.
He nods over to the map with all of the
lines and things and says, who's be told. Several elements
of what I will reveal to you are classified, but
in the interest of your safety, and since you are
now temporarily working for me on behalf of House Celestia,
I can explain part of my theory. He closes the
book and then opens up tourists book and takes a
look at tourists information and then looks up at tour
and says, hmm, are you a bright warden?
Speaker 8: I fet There's so many terminologies for what I am.
Speaker 2: You're not a bright Bright wardens are the like the
sas specialist paladin guys that are just sent in to
like purge evil.
Speaker 8: Right, I'm just writing in all caps in my characters.
Speaker 7: Are not a bright word.
Speaker 2: This has happened to you the whole time you've been
sort of a trained paladin. They will always ask if
you're a bright warden.
Speaker 8: First, okay, no, no, no, not a bright warden.
Speaker 7: I am with the radiance path.
Speaker 2: He looks at you for a second, and then and.
Speaker 8: My book, by the way, for my quest will be
like a proper like stereotypical Sunreach Boss sort of neat
leather book that you would get from almost looks like
a gift shop.
Speaker 7: Kind of thing.
Speaker 8: Is so neat and tidy and orderly and printed properly.
Speaker 5: Since we're on the subject of books, does it include
like quests that you've taken that you didn't complete, what
didn't you complete well like before, right, because that's like
my backstory is that I've done a bunch of Oh.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it probably would. Yeah, unless unless you went out
of like a dozen quests not completely complete a bit,
let's say abandoned. You could go out of your way
and get a new book if you had done that.
It's up to you. But yeah, I don't think he cares.
He just thumbs through the whole thing when he was
in your book.
Speaker 8: And I imagine it's fairly common as well for adventures
finished quests.
Speaker 7: They just grabbed things and they don't do it. They
don't do it.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I will judge sort of will look at your
book and be like, interesting.
Speaker 2: He when you say that you're not a bright warden,
he just kind of like he does his own little
insight check on you for a second, because that's interesting.
Speaker 8: Would be lying about that.
Speaker 2: Well, they're they're like black ops. So he just kind
of works in. Lets it go the bright Warden.
Speaker 8: I'm not paid enough to do this, let me tell you.
Speaker 2: He closes the book he opened owl Wins book, and
then begins flicking through the pages. He looks up at Fitch.
That's a double take a roll for his little check
here a dirty twenty. He looks down at this book
and then looks back up at you, says.
Speaker 10: Alwyn, Yes, yes, Olwen hmm, I say, frowning looking at him.
Speaker 7: I thought you said her name was Fitch.
Speaker 5: What I just called a new guy? I don't know.
Everyone has so many different names, don't they.
Speaker 4: It's a nickname, it's a fit name, it's an home thing.
It's Owen right there here.
Speaker 7: Just think, even though it is I look visibly confused.
Speaker 6: You could just sign right there.
Speaker 5: I'm smiling really big. So do you get your uniform
pressed every day?
Speaker 2: He says. At the scene of gil Hollow, the commander
you said he fell.
Speaker 6: An devoured, Yep.
Speaker 2: I was there.
Speaker 6: He was pushed over.
Speaker 2: He was a competent warrior, he was.
Speaker 4: And he died like one, except for when he was
incompetent and that's when he died because he wasn't as
competent you would need to be in that situation.
Speaker 8: He was overrun by many on that. I don't think
any competence can can help with that.
Speaker 3: Had he been any other man, he would have died
by the first, but he took several down Mm, that
is true.
Speaker 5: I wasn't there for his death, by the way, So
just putting that out there.
Speaker 2: He glances down at the book again and then looks
back up and says, the Brightfoots of Dawn?
Speaker 6: Is that what it says? Yeah.
Speaker 2: He leans back in the chair and steeples his fingers
and fixes you, Fitch with a look and says, I.
Speaker 8: Almost mirror him.
Speaker 3: I do the same.
Speaker 2: Then he is there, I'm giving the cheesiest cheese smile possible.
So you seem to have confusion.
Speaker 6: What do you mean, I'm I'm not the one asking
questions about the book?
Speaker 2: No I am. What what is your confusion about your
own family?
Speaker 3: I use the a problemsfer.
Speaker 4: Oh you tell me you were saying something?
Speaker 2: What was that got This book seems to belonged to
Helwyn Brightford.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a new guy.
Speaker 2: I think a wizard out of silver Brook Academy.
Speaker 5: It's not the best wizard, but I suppose technically he
does make magic, so not that good.
Speaker 2: Notably a halfling.
Speaker 8: It's another Haffling's another halfling.
Speaker 3: Look at him, he's like half everybody's size.
Speaker 8: Okay, And if you are a wizard from silver Brook,
you do not Why did you not do magic?
Speaker 6: Like the need magic? I could do magic.
Speaker 4: Did you see the exploring devils?
Speaker 6: Excuse me? Excuse me? Exploring undead.
Speaker 7: Spoke?
Speaker 5: It was undead, it was undead.
Speaker 2: And I should believe that you are Helwyn Branford of
the Bridford family.
Speaker 6: From from darn West done. That's what he said.
Speaker 2: I that you are recently graduated from silver Brook, and
that you are a halfling. And not to be too presumptuous,
but you look rather predominantly no mish.
Speaker 5: Now hold on a minute, Sarah, I do think that
it's offensive to get one's heritage is confused.
Speaker 2: It can be, and that's why I'm asking a few questions.
Feel free to correct me.
Speaker 8: You would not be lying, would you'd star lying?
Speaker 6: I'm not like the book could be lying, but I'm
not lying.
Speaker 11: I've been saying that that book says how in this
whole time.
Speaker 2: Is this your book it is now.
Speaker 4: Being No, it was Holwin's before.
Speaker 2: I'm fitch, right, and why are you handing me Holwin
Bradford's book?
Speaker 6: Could I have a book?
Speaker 3: Okay?
Speaker 2: Why not? Are you not a member of the.
Speaker 6: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Then do you have your own documentation? No?
Speaker 6: I have that one.
Speaker 2: When you signed on as a guild member.
Speaker 1: Mm hmm.
Speaker 2: As I'm to understand, they give you your own documentation, They
help you figure out a journal to keep your quests logged,
and then they give you your own pieces of paper,
any sort of affidavits and things to right help identify you. Right,
your a member of the guild. But you didn't go
through that process, and instead you are the keeper of
Helvin Branford's book.
Speaker 4: Right because how and how and died to bandit attack
on the road. So I just decided to keep on
the legacy and also just to cut out all the
boring paperwork crap and just take that.
Speaker 5: Am I.
Speaker 11: This is not you shouldn't do this because I I've
never been trained. I'm just sort of making it up
as a go. I do no magic, not of course
as much as trained as most people. But I'm very powerful.
Speaker 6: I've gotten rid of others. Remember the that undead horne
I was telling you about.
Speaker 7: I told you to speak of this.
Speaker 2: Persuasion. Give me a persuasion check. Unless you're like outright lying,
I don't actually know if you're lying right now.
Speaker 6: He's trying. He believes he's very he just doesn't know.
Speaker 4: He just doesn't know how to use his magic.
Speaker 6: I want to make you persuasion. Here we go. I'm
still very tired. Good. That's a two. I am a
very powerful person.
Speaker 2: The commander kind of leans back as.
Speaker 4: I like go to like snuff out the candle nearby
with my fingers, but get wax on my fingers and
burn my fingers, and I gets in my eye and
my eye starts to hurt them, and I fly a
little and knock over the candle and it hits the papers,
and I start to my.
Speaker 5: Sorry, oh.
Speaker 4: Boy, sorry.
Speaker 5: Get that new guy. He's new, by the way. I've
been trying to guide him, but it has been a
bit difficult. We've had a difficult time. I tell you, what,
why don't we just run along and do your mission
for you? And then when we get back to Aldessa,
I will sort all that mess out.
Speaker 2: What do you say, hmm, well, I can't rightly entrust
you with this quest until we really until I feel
confident that I know who this person is. What is
your real name? If it's not Halwin Brightforot, it's.
Speaker 4: Fitch Abercrombie of the Abercrombia State, you know, the Abercrombia.
Speaker 2: State, the New Room Winstein.
Speaker 6: Yeah, of course, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: M actually yes, I have had dealings a long time ago.
Speaker 6: But you may have heard of my dad, Chad.
Speaker 5: Hm hmm.
Speaker 2: Maybe you your family deal in weaponry mm hmm mhm. Okay,
was there is you?
Speaker 6: Would you like? I'd probably give you a deal or something.
Speaker 2: When mister Brightfoot was killed by brigands? Was there any
official record of this? Where did it take place? Was
it on a uror and soil?
Speaker 6: It was on a uroring soil. It was either between the.
Speaker 11: Fewerside not or it was it was.
Speaker 4: Probably the fringe or it was a roring, but it
wasn't documented.
Speaker 6: I just was scared.
Speaker 2: I think it wasn't a fringe from your backstory.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, it was somewhere so, I mean technically in
the fringe, but he doesn't quite remember if it was.
Speaker 6: Lurid traumatic.
Speaker 2: He says of it.
Speaker 6: I don't even know.
Speaker 1: What I what like.
Speaker 4: If I even gave a burial, I just sort of fled.
Speaker 6: You're very scary.
Speaker 2: I want to believe you, but unfortunately I can't intrust
what is essentially a military missive with somebody who has
meaning to or not stolen somebody else's identity. So I
shall have to get to the bottom of this. Mister Abercrombie.
Perhaps you and I could have a private conversation and
then I will keep this for now. He brings the
book close to himself and says, I have a means
of ensuring that you are telling the truth. It is
non invasive, not painful, if you will allow me not painful, Oh,
not painful. If you will allow me a few questions
with an associated mind. Right, then perhaps we can head
down to the guild House draft you up some official paperwork,
and we'll have to report this a Brigandry Aurora and
or not, and we'll have to get to the bottom
of that.
Speaker 4: How does that sound, Yeah, it sounds wonderful.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'd love to.
Speaker 4: Or I can make it easy and I could just
skip down now and never see these people again.
Speaker 6: I wink in my buddy, let me get.
Speaker 5: That out of vegitation.
Speaker 2: Thank you, kind of looks over the rest of you begins.
You get the sense that his good faith it has
waned a little bit, and that his mistrust now bleeds
over to the rest of you. The first time he says.
Speaker 6: Massage, I knew it.
Speaker 2: Anyway, you look tired.
Speaker 6: I'm very tired all of them.
Speaker 2: Perhaps you should get some rest. I would prefer that
none of you leave town. Okoy, evening, we.
Speaker 8: Will not leave town.
Speaker 7: We will stay here.
Speaker 8: We are people of our world, aren't we people?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 5: Yes, yes we are. We are. If if there's any
group you can trust, it's Rickard and Fabulous three. I
don't know if you know this, but we did win
the big silver race and the capital.
Speaker 6: You're over selling it. You can trust us.
Speaker 5: Anyways, we do have a little bit of business in town.
So we're gonna go take care of that new guy.
You make yourself at home here as she's staying here.
Now is he coming with us?
Speaker 2: What he says the silver race, you were the winners,
that's correct, that's right. So you were present for the assassination.
What I'm sorry, as I'm to understand it. The Prince
was the one who uh, delegated the winning gave me
the string.
Speaker 3: Mhm.
Speaker 4: Right, then we picked up the mideral job, and then we.
Speaker 2: Love and then you left town.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry, you don't really trust me right now, I'll
just stop talking.
Speaker 8: Yeah about the assassination because I joined them afterwards.
Speaker 2: I mean, it depends on exactly where you were up
until the point that you joined the party. If you
were just traveling, so you were on the road, then
maybe not. If you were just milling around a town.
It was kind of all the all the rage. A
lot of people were talking about it in Eldessa. It
was a big deal. But the news moves quite slowly
here because they still use missives like this every now
and then. They'll use magic items if it's you know,
super imperative, or they'll use pigeons, but pigeons really are
just very small coded messages that aren't, you know, incredibly detailed.
Speaker 8: Since I'm now suspicious of my companions things to their lives,
I'm staring at them intently as they seem to well
not know about this assassination, and I'm like, this is
climbing is very suspicious.
Speaker 5: The first I've heard of an assassination. Are you telling
me the Prince is dead?
Speaker 6: Was it an attempters? He gander?
Speaker 12: You three definitely know this, we do, do we. I'm
pretty sure you found out in Sunreach.
Speaker 5: We found in sun Reach, Yes, I remember.
Speaker 2: Maybe you didn't, but I mean, I'm pretty sure I
told you, Like Sheriff, I'm pretty sure at least told
Rick Card you.
Speaker 5: Know, yes, yeah, Okay, So I'm like, yes, I did
hear about that in Sunreach, but that was the first
time I heard of it. We were already in Sunreach.
And yes, we did meet the prince. We met the
Prince the day before he died. Did he die that night?
I don't know, but we that's the only time I've
ever seen him. Hm, and we don't know what happened
to him.
Speaker 2: Me a persuasion Jack, the number to be yes, sixteen.
Speaker 3: Sixty.
Speaker 5: Number to beat is sixteen.
Speaker 2: Already number to beat exactly.
Speaker 8: But Okay, even though I know the answer to this,
I'm going to roll inside for my character because she
doesn't know if you guys are pushing.
Speaker 7: Fourteen.
Speaker 2: He seems to be telling the trade. Yeah, eighteen. It
seems convincing. It seems like the truth. The commander kind
of looks over at his map, does a bit of
a mental calculation and says, very well. He takes the
bag of gold and slides it back into the drawer
and closes it. He folds the He pushes the three
books back across the table to you know, the one
that isn't features or Howind's, and he says, very well,
if the three of you want somewhere to stay, there's
a decent having an inn down the road. Call fire
rest mister Trabber Crombie. You can stay with me. Please
take a seat in the room and give me a
little while to finish my duties and we can get
to the bottom of your situation.
Speaker 5: All right, okay, all right, so long new guy. Yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah. I mimic you at him. Yeah, Like I
say goodbye, new guy, and I like pat him on
the head, and I'm walking away, and as I hear
you behind me say like, do not light I turn
around and go, yes.
Speaker 3: Do not light it.
Speaker 2: Uh yeah, you the three of you step out. You
hear the commander say, reeve A foot soldier that is
stationed at the captain at the commander's door may take
a nab steps forward and steps into the room and
He says, would you fetch Priestess Priel and bring her
immediately to my study if she is willing and able
them free. A very thin, almost kind of gaunt looking
Elvin looking individuals says certainly, sir, and then follows the
three of you out. As the three of you kind
of walk away, the commander says, you may do as
you please, just you remain here, okay, and he gets
back to whatever he was doing. He was like pouring
over some paperwork in front of him. He opens a
few parchments and yeah, you immediately doze off. We'll follow
the three of you as you head out. There is
a foot soldier that is just following you. This sort
of gaunt looking tall elf in military where following the
three of you out?
Speaker 3: Are they escorting us or are they just following us out?
Speaker 2: It looks like they're just following you out, but they're
keeping pace behind you.
Speaker 5: I don't think I noticed, and I'm just like, well,
that went better than I expected. Anyways, let's go on
to Foundations so we can turn this other letter in.
Speaker 2: M Okay, Okay, yeah, you saunter out, sash out of
the place. Okay, yeah, so are you taking the wagon
or are you walking back into town? Secure?
Speaker 5: It's just on the side of the road, right, so right,
I would not leave it. Yeah, check the bag, make
sure there's nothing missing.
Speaker 2: Yeah. The foot soldier moves around you as you step
out and begin to set up the wagon to move,
and he starts walking quite swiftly down into the town.
As you set up the wagon, reclaim ratro sphere and
Stephen back the wagon out and then slowly bring it
back down into the town and you are headed for
the Foundation Guild. Yes, yes, you know where it is.
You're easily able to find it. You can bring the
wagon in sort of park it up on one side
of the road. Each of you hops off and heads
in again. There's two buildings here, two guildhalls that stand
side by side. It's on the upper side of the streets.
Are quite close to where you leave the barracks, past
the kind of no man's land bit and back into
the town. A few buildings in these two two story
half timbered houses basically with very wide fronts, whitewashed panels
with these blackened beams. The masonry is in the shape
of Foundation Guild over the left hand or and the
Celestia Guild over the right, and you guys sort of
move in under the doorway of the Foundation Hall, the
left hand building, big heavy oak doors that are open
with small latticed windows running along the sides of the building,
and you step in. There's a sort of crisscross of
plain wooden beams above you, long benches in the center
of the room, walls hung with tools, and one side
has the familiar looking quest ball board. It's not like
obviously exactly the same, but you can tell that it's
the quest board. A large piece of the wall taken
up by these quests that have been posted up. At
the far end of the hall, there's a raised bench
with a single worker kind of surrounded by paperwork. A
sort of round halfling man with curly brown hair thick
rimmed spectacles looks up at you as you enter and
gives you a kind of warm smile and a little
wave as the three of you walk.
Speaker 5: In, Hello, darling, I've got this for you, and I
slide the letter across to him.
Speaker 2: Oh a letter, who's that from?
Speaker 5: It is from Sergeant Roun.
Speaker 2: Never heard of him. Let's have a look. Then he
doesn't do it, He just cracks this thing open, slides
it open and begins to read. Three sentences in he goes, oh,
and looks up at all three of you, Yes, your heroes.
Speaker 7: What what did it say? What does it say?
Speaker 2: There was a problem up at the castle.
Speaker 5: At the tod Castle. Yes, it was quite awful. Actually
smelled pretty bad too.
Speaker 2: The vain are twins?
Speaker 5: Are those the very attractive ranger looking.
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 5: Yes they are dead as i'm that's true, so they
saved my life then they.
Speaker 2: Well, I can read it all on. He keeps reading.
He reads a few more sentences. Oh, oh, nasty bit
of business as well?
Speaker 8: Is that blimey peak cover to see what he's reading.
Speaker 2: It just describes what essentially it's. It's pretty simple. It's
pretty like you're reading upside down. He is not bothered
at all that you're reading this thing. He's he's reading
it like he's reading a like a novel or something
like that. Yeah, he's reading the gossip column And it
pretty much just details the the the two dead guild
members who were discovered in the forest outside of gil
Toldcastle gil Hollow Rangers, eyes burned out, partially eaten, cause
of death unknown, cause of siege unknown, because I don't
believe Rickard actually gave the information that they requested that
he'd give, so I don't think anyone actually knows. It
was like red Wizards and ship. I said red Wizards
to Rone. I'm pretty sure. But after he'd already written
the letters, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just I remember them saying,
make sure you tell him this stuff. And you went in,
didn't tell no one the detail that needed to be
passed on that you then said it afterwards.
Speaker 5: I was, I was, you.
Speaker 2: Gave them some of the Yeah. I didn't take good
notes that night, but I'm pretty sure I remember it
going that way because I was like, this is, yeah,
this mass. I'm sure someone in the VOD will tell
me in three years, but yeah, this is pretty much
what he's reading.
Speaker 3: And he.
Speaker 2: Pushes the scroll to one side and says, oh blimey, oh,
I know those twins. They were nice. They were they
were really skilled too. Must have been something right nasty
to get them.
Speaker 5: Yes, I don't know exactly how do I put this? Actually,
hold on, let me think for a minute. There was
a lot of undead twins were fighting them. They saved
my life and something about red Wizards, Red Wizards, Yes.
Speaker 2: Lighted read wizards. They're red wizards. Keep hearing about these
red wizards? You see him or no.
Speaker 5: I offered my services, but unfortunately I was had heroically
taken some injuries, so I had to quite craftly, I
might say, find my way into the castle to help
from the inside. You adventure.
Speaker 2: That's right, Oh right, okay, so you're not working for
the army helped, right right? I see right?
Speaker 7: Do you mean for of these red wizards? What else
have they been?
Speaker 10: Oh?
Speaker 2: Quests coming in up the wazoo, all sorts.
Speaker 7: The same things they are bringing on dead.
Speaker 2: Well, one of them is. I seems like it me
all honestly, and let me see what I've got here.
Maybe I've got something for you. Let's see here, red wizard.
The thing is, they've all been snapped up because it's
the most golden xp you can ever wish for. Well,
it's a lot. It's this is this is pure. This
is main story quest stuff right here. That's what. Let's
have a look not really here, let's have a look
at your paperwork. Here you go, perhaps your book flips
it open and flicks through some of the pages, goes
back to the beginning, looks back and says, oh, oh, oh,
I didn't realize. I'm so sorry. He hands it back
to you.
Speaker 6: What what?
Speaker 2: Oh, I didn't I'm so sorry. I thought that maybe
because the way that it was presented, it sounded like
you were fighting alongside the twins.
Speaker 5: But I sort of, yes, I assisted them.
Speaker 2: Right, of course you did. Anyway, not really got anything
for your capabilities to do with Red Wizards, unfortunately. But
I will pass this missive straight up to Dodo himself.
Speaker 5: I think I've actually heard that name.
Speaker 2: Who is that's the guild head in Eldessa.
Speaker 5: Right, we have heard of dow Dough Wow Old.
Speaker 2: He's right on this red Wizard stuff, I tell you.
Speaker 5: And there's I'm was this not a quest to give
you this note? So we're not getting any XP from
giving you this, right, this is just we just gave you.
Speaker 2: Take that book again. I'll have a look.
Speaker 5: Okay, let's see you.
Speaker 2: So it looks like, oh, it looks like you've taken
a quest today from from next door how Celestia under
commander claim Oh the barracks?
Speaker 3: Was it? Well?
Speaker 2: Well that's nice. That's he's a lovely champion. He does
his he does his due diligence. I tell you keeps
us all safe. Yes, so we've noticed it says here
you don't you're you were given Oh that is hard
to read. That, isn't it something about defending a castle
and you've been you've been awarded that.
Speaker 5: Oh right, that quest.
Speaker 2: So that's a completed quest. Congratulations on that, well done.
But you've not got a quest for delivering this. No,
were you're not paid.
Speaker 5: I think we were paid. When we think we were paid.
I think we were paid, and it would be the
right thing to do to inform you that we were paid,
like good adventurers.
Speaker 2: Right, it doesn't seem like it was a quest. Just
a few few coins for job well done. We've got
plenty of quests if you want to pick up some more.
It seems like you've got two going hands to your
book back.
Speaker 5: I take it back. Yeah, I don't want.
Speaker 2: To overload yourselves too much.
Speaker 13: You know, I see a lot of you know, fledgling,
you know, lower, newer, you know, green, you know, just
slightly less experienced adventurers take on too much at once,
and that's how you get eat up by something that
curls up out of the ground.
Speaker 5: Now, I've tried to tell them, those young newbies, you
the same.
Speaker 8: You know, they take these quests that take a long time,
and they find themselves on the road for many, many
weeks without actually getting anywhere, and they just they never
seem to.
Speaker 7: Get to the end.
Speaker 2: Right, It does happen. It does happen a lot more
more than you'd think.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm glad to see that. You're you're doing
your your work carefully. You know, you've got to get
that myth row seems like out of veil Win.
Speaker 5: Delivery and quests to veil Wind? Do you to veil Win?
Speaker 2: Let's have a look, shall we? Let's have a look.
Been a long time since I've opened up the quests
because I needed them, even though it was the point
of the show, was going to pay the devastating mistake,
didn't I you realize you all out me are too late.
I did quests to veil Wind. No, nothing not in
the vail.
Speaker 5: I'm okay, all right, Well that's that's fine. Then we'll
just we'll just do the two quests we have. What
were you saying about it being dangerous? What's going on there?
Speaker 2: There's all sorts going on on the roads at the moment,
and missing that's why you're getting paid the big box
for this. I think I think.
Speaker 8: You're regular and highwaymen or something connected.
Speaker 2: From what I understand in everything, you know, everything in
the kitchen sink and thrown it, or travelers and merchants
and you know, just random adventurers moving up and down
monsters brigands.
Speaker 3: I wasn't able to ask before, but have you sent
any adventurersself recently? And if so, have they come back
or have they perished to this creature? Oh?
Speaker 2: They come and go. I'll be honest, I don't really
know where what happens after I send you a lot
out that door. Sometimes you come back, sometimes you don't.
Doesn't mean much. Sometimes we're sending you all the way
down to felsen Horne. I'm not expecting to see you
come back anytime soon. But there's been a few that
have come through. I have plenty of people coming through,
lots of coming down from dorn Mare, up from the
Fringe and whatnot. But I mean, we've sent quite a
few down a vail when there's a lot going on
in the fringe. So there's a few things. You're a
bit of a monster hunter yourself, I would imagine lots
of lots of new quests coming up from the fringe
monster hunting and that so quite a few, you know,
the rough and tumble types for it hidden down there
for that few of them coming back. But I don't
really take note of it, to be honest, don't have
access in the records. You'd have to go to Eldessa.
Speaker 3: Right. It seems then that either this Captain Clain's men
are made of lesser stuff or this mythral monster is
not anything to worry about.
Speaker 2: After all, my monster out there is there blow me
and you're delivering myth room m hmm, all right, will
you keep you knowing? What type of monster are you
dealing with?
Speaker 3: What is it?
Speaker 6: We don't know.
Speaker 5: Do you have alista for rent that we could mount
on the back of art.
Speaker 2: I don't think i've got the lista. No, you might
have to head back on up to the barracks and
ask the commander anyone's got does What is a ballista?
Speaker 5: It's like a big crossbow. I can do that, okay, okay,
really big crossbow. All right, Well, thank you so much
for the information. I suppose we'll take our leave, all right.
Speaker 2: Well, it was a pleasure we have got quests here.
When you're done with that and you're heading back, come
in and see it. I'm going to take this next
door and shoul Renner because I think she needs to
know about this and all. And he pops down and
walks around his bench, and he's actually like elevated up,
so he's been talking kind of down to you. And
then he walks around, walks down a few steps and
he kind of looks up at you. It's like three
foot and he looks up and waves the missive and says,
if you want to take a look at anything on
the walls or take a look at the quest, you can.
I'm just going to be next door, all right, And
he walks past you and heads out the front door,
walks next door and heads into the the right hand guildhall.
Speaker 5: Well, should we get rooms for the night and secure
the wagon?
Speaker 7: It would be nice to have a comfortable noise rest
and massage.
Speaker 5: Yes, oh yes, could you get us like pull service
rooms that your.
Speaker 8: I could probably get myself in the only service room,
but you might have the look elsewhere.
Speaker 5: What might not be light enough for you?
Speaker 8: You should not have enough work for the for the
radiant path you think it comes for free. No, it
is just because we do work for the Radiant Path
and they repair us by offering his lodgings.
Speaker 3: How much.
Speaker 5: By the Radiant Path you got what you had me
I got grifted by the Radiant Path, who grifted you
a priest and Sunrach.
Speaker 7: The different people work very differently in the race.
Speaker 5: Yes, yes, of course, of course.
Speaker 8: Well perhaps some people are swayed by money more than
they should be here. But look, he works to his
own standards. I cannot speak for him.
Speaker 3: He owes us a thousand gold.
Speaker 7: Yes, perplexed.
Speaker 5: Yes, we paid him to resurrect our friend and they
didn't work. Oh, no refunds.
Speaker 7: That is unfortunate.
Speaker 8: They should tell you, though, that these things do not come.
Speaker 7: With a guarantee. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not work.
It is the fate of the spirits. I supposed to
understand these things.
Speaker 5: Mm hmm.
Speaker 8: Risk takers, and you like taking risks, and this was
another risk that you have taken.
Speaker 5: Really with her, that took the risk. We were just
trying to, you know, bring it back.
Speaker 7: You seem upset.
Speaker 8: We should go get a drink, Yes, let's yes, and
try and find that's happened.
Speaker 3: I wonder what pitches up to.
Speaker 2: Let's find out, Fitch. You're being gently roused from.
Speaker 4: Oh oh, you.
Speaker 2: Come to consciousness. You've had a short rest, not a long.
Speaker 4: Rest, Okay it counts.
Speaker 2: And uh, standing sort of leaning against the table that
has the maps on it is Commander Clane. His arms
are kind of crossed over his chest, and there's another
person in the room. This time the door is closed
as well. You are being gently roused by a sort
of aging, quite elderly looking elf. Not not like super old,
but aging elves can sort of on average lived to
about two hundred, but they can make it to three hundred.
This one looks a decent way is over a hundred
somewhere like that at your best guess. A woman in
priest robes of the Radiant Path, kind of gold and white,
gray hair pulled back long and straight, running down over
eleven ears, and she's sort of just got a thin hand,
just sort of very gently trying to wake you up.
M hmmm, hello, dear.
Speaker 4: Bye, take me a moment. Oh right, sorry, I go love.
Speaker 2: Yes, Commander Claim has asked me to assist with determining
the appropriate truth to your story so as to verify
it so that you can take on a quest.
Speaker 4: Okay, what do you need me to do? And I
try to hop off the chair at armand.
Speaker 2: She sort of raises her hand and she sits in
the chair opposite you and sort of gives you a
pretty warm smile. She says, I'm the high priestess here.
My name is dawn Keeper pre.
Speaker 4: L, dawn Keeper Pril Hi.
Speaker 2: The fitch PA, I'm going to ask a spell. I
would ask that you don't fight against it. It simply
allows me to determine whether you are telling the truth.
It should ensure that you are unable to respond with
a lie. I'll ask you certain questions while under the
a view of the spell. It would be useful if
you would answer as truthfully as possible, try not to
avoid the questions or speak in ways that would allow
you to evade appropriately within the answers, just so that
we can verify your stor.
Speaker 4: Right and now and make it really hard for you
to trust me, which is what we're trying to do.
Speaker 2: Yes, the commander kind of nods, arms crossed. He says,
jorn Keeper pre L was once considered our most dangerous
war caster within the military, so I wouldn't get on
her bad side. She gives him a look and then
looks back to you and gives you a warm smile
and says, I no longer work for the military.
Speaker 4: Okay, business, what you're okay?
Speaker 2: Well, this is a favor. Oh, she says, Okay, if
you're willing and prepared, I'll cast a spell.
Speaker 4: I'm I'm ready.
Speaker 2: She reaches behind her and there's a there's a stave,
like a sort of short looking natural piece of gnlled wood.
At the top of it, there is a large looking sunstone,
which are very common within the priests of the Radiant Path.
She grabs it and she touches it to your chest,
and you feel like a very intense, not painful, but
an intense heat suddenly radiate from the center of this
thing and across your chest. You feel this sensation wash
over you, and the room brightens ever so slightly. If
you want, you can make a charisma saving throw to
try and yeah avoid this effect, or you can just give.
Speaker 6: It to it and allow it to help.
Speaker 2: As she casts Zone of Truth over you, which is
a essentially you can't speak a deliberate lie while in
the radius of this spell, and you're aware of the spell,
you can avoid answering questions to which you would normally
respond with a lie. You can be evasive if you want,
but you can't deliberately lie while under the effects of
the spell. She says, let's get this over with, shall we?
Speaker 14: Right?
Speaker 2: What is your true name.
Speaker 4: Fitch, I wishes Abercrombie.
Speaker 2: Whose name have you been using?
Speaker 6: Howen?
Speaker 2: Rightfully do you claim to have taken this name after
its owner was killed? Yeah, the best of your knowledge.
Where did this person die?
Speaker 6: Between the Fringe.
Speaker 4: And Eldessa, but probably Fringe.
Speaker 2: How did you come upon that body?
Speaker 4: Well, I was there. I I woke up or came too.
I don't know, there was I should probably start from
the whole thing. Howen and I were traveling two because
they were on break. They were on break from the
Silver Brook. They were starting a new semester. They were
traveling back. I was going to Silverbrook. I didn't have
a sponsor or anything. I just left with my parents
just kicked me out. So I because of my demon blood,
you know, even blood RIGHTSIM a whole like sorcerers and
stings and magical people, and they don't like it. So anyway,
I happened to be a powerful mystical sorcerer and I'm
and anyway, I just they I left, going to get
my training. I met up with Howen. I would then
travel with Howen to Silverbrook. They knew the way. And
then one of the nights, a robed figure came over
to us, attacked us, grabbed me, threw me to the ground,
and then went after Hallowen. And then I remember screaming
something and then I woke up and there were two bodies.
One was this cloaked figure. I don't I didn't like
use face down, didn't really I don't remember investigating further.
And then I ran over to Holland to see if
Howand is okay. And now one was dead. I had
a bloody nose, and Howand also had a bloody nose.
So whatever happened happened to.
Speaker 6: Both of us.
Speaker 11: Were one of us.
Speaker 4: And my parents and my family despise the use of
the arcane. They utilize arcane technology. It's a bit of
a weird like hypocritical thing. They liked arcane devices, but
they think the They have always believed that learning magic
is bad for business. So anyway, I was always taught
that this this catastrophe would always happen. It always does happen.
There's always going to be a time where someone will
get hurt and it'll be my fault.
Speaker 2: And I just.
Speaker 4: This was it. I was assuming, So I just left.
I from what I remember, I left, I don't remember
if I even buried Allen or if I even put
a mark of where it happened. I just that's a
bit of a bird to me. But I remember seeing
his their notebook, their their their guilt card booklet on
the ground. So I took that and figured this would
help me get I didn't have a sponsor for Silverbrook,
but now I have a name, and I have and
a whole curriculum where I could actually learn to make
sure this doesn't ever happen again. And then I made
my way to Heldessa and met up with the fabulous three,
and Ricord started, you know, vibing with them, you know,
I started working with them a bit, you know, we
I was like, hey, this is cool on the job training,
you know, I just learned this as I go. And
there was a graduate Persephone she was there for a
bit as well, and like the deal was she who
was going to train me and everything? And then she
also passed on the road and now, okay, And I'm
realizing after I say this that there seems to be
a student that I'm traveling with that then happens to
die on the road, and that's not like a that's
just coincidence.
Speaker 2: Plane sort of shuffles and stands up a little.
Speaker 4: But I anyway, so I.
Speaker 2: Don't keep a pril sort of holds her hand up
and says, did you intend to deceive others by taking
on this new name, this new personality?
Speaker 4: Well, yes, but my intention wasn't for it to be malicious.
I just won't wanted to become a I wanted. I
wanted to not I wanted to be better at either
being a wizard or as sorcerer or whatever. I wanted
to be a mage. I wanted to do what it
is that you do. I wanted to maybe someday be
the person who waves a narl branch around and pokes
the gnome in his chest for him to tell the
stories proof Willy. You know, I just that's just I
just didn't have a way to do it. My parents
weren't going to pay for my way.
Speaker 9: My.
Speaker 2: Doing to hold the time up again, do you know
the family or companions of the one whose name you took. No,
have you claimed any rights, property, or status by using
their identity outside of the guild.
Speaker 4: Outside of the guild, No, I don't believe.
Speaker 3: So.
Speaker 2: Do you know any details of their past that a
stranger would not?
Speaker 6: No, not much.
Speaker 4: I mean it was we known each other for like
two or three days where we just sort of like
got to know each other, but nothing really like like,
I didn't know a lot of information. I just knew
that Howan Brightfoot was excited to go to Silverbrook again.
I think he had a crush on someone he was
excited to go say hi to. He was gonna introduce
me to his friends.
Speaker 2: The best of your knowledge, your traveling companions, Richard Richard, Ricard, Ricard,
Silver Tongue, got Stone Eye, and Tura Vashra, these companions
of yours again, to the best of your knowledge. Are
they trustworthy? And would you suggest that those are their
real names? Their true names, that is their real name.
Speaker 4: Or as I can tell, I mean, they haven't told
me anything anything different, And would.
Speaker 2: You consider them to be trustworthy?
Speaker 4: No?
Speaker 2: Why?
Speaker 4: Well, because there have been times where.
Speaker 2: Wait a minute, he leans in.
Speaker 6: When it comes to.
Speaker 4: The betterment of the guild and getting a job done.
Hard to say when it comes to actually getting a
quest complete for the guild. I think so.
Speaker 6: Maybe not maybe not with like.
Speaker 4: A secret because I think before when we were coming in,
we were trying to figure out how we could probably
break the seal and read what the notes said, and
I was also I didn't say let's not do it,
but we were thinking about it. So there is like that,
like is there maybe some nosiness to the group but armless.
Speaker 2: The spell flickers and command to Klaiane steps forward and says,
will you attempt to deliver this missive to Veilwyn the
best of your ability?
Speaker 6: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I think we can.
Speaker 6: I can.
Speaker 2: Yeah, spell flickers and drops. Dawn Keeper pre L looks
at you, smiles and says, hmm, I think we have
everything we need. Commander Plane says, I believe so you passed.
I would still like to keep on. I'll keep this
journal I shall have when some of this business is complete.
Somebody delivered the news to mister Brightfoot's family friends companions.
I believe they're in dawn Mere.
Speaker 4: Dawn yea, yeah, yeah, we should.
Speaker 2: Be able to find any information we need through Silverbrook.
Of course, you may find and contact them in your
own time if you'd like to keepsake something of Hulwin's,
but for now, I think it's best that I keep
these items, since there is now no doubt going to
be an investigation of sorts into what happened with these
brigands and what happened with you. Of course, perhaps we'll
contact you again, but for now, I'm afraid I do
have more pressing matters, and as the only adventurers in town,
it's actually very useful that you're here. And as far
as I'm able to aware, able to be able to
be aware, and Gornkeeper pre L's spell as allowed, I
think you can be trusted to deliver this messive for me.
So I would suggest, well you did, I would suggest
perhaps head down to one of the guild halls we
have two in town. Foundation and how Celestia have them
draft up official documentation for yourself, Draft yourself into the guild,
return back to me. I will brief you on what
I think is afoot your own safety. I'll give you
the missive, and of course right in your new journal,
provide you with payment. You can go about your day.
So let's say it's getting on a little bit today.
Let's say tomorrow morning if you head down to the
guilds now sort that out, get yourself some rest, and
then bring yourselves to me tomorrow morning before you head out.
How does that sound?
Speaker 4: It sounds wonderful. Before I go up, could you do
me a favor and I want to, like probably rip
off a piece of the map, just like the corner,
and then I want to just could you write down
your referral for the guild. I want to make sure
you get your benefits.
Speaker 2: He takes the piece of paper and then places it
on the table, and then turns around and heads to
his own desk, takes a piece of parchment of his
own and a pen and something, dips it in and
begins to write a little short referral for you. He says,
thank you, Dawn Keeper. She stands up, kind of she stands.
She looks comfortable, but there's almost a WinCE as she
sort of writes herself, and she brings her hand to
her lower back, tucks the stave under one armpit and says,
a pleasure to meet.
Speaker 4: You, Celine Dion. The print of the priestess.
Speaker 2: Is Celine Dion, and she says thank you for being compliant.
Speaker 4: Of course, and You're thank you for all your time.
Speaker 2: Your spells that you are able to cost. Do you
do it boy naturally or.
Speaker 4: Do you pray just comes natural?
Speaker 5: I don't.
Speaker 4: I haven't. I don't like carry a book which grows
or anything. It just sort of happened. Usually when I'm
upset or activated, you know, when I get real mad,
sometimes it happens. Or if I get real happy, we're
nervous or sneeze. One time I farted and and and
uh thunderclapped. Gough got right off the cart.
Speaker 2: She kind of looks you up and down and says,
there are natural mages all across aful. There are those
that have to train and learn. There are those that pray.
There are those that make pacts with untoward creatures.
Speaker 4: Our last one sounds really silly.
Speaker 2: Anyway, She says, when this business is completed, if you'd like,
you can return to me and I can try and
help train you in some of this. I train warcasters
from time to time.
Speaker 6: Forecast.
Speaker 2: Yes, it's training, not quite the orthodox way that I
would train somebody, but perhaps it would help in allowing
you to approach Silverbrook. I'm sure that with a little
training and some du diligence. You'll be able to apply.
They take sorcerers, they take all types.
Speaker 4: Sorcerer.
Speaker 2: Yes, right, yes, you're a sorcerer, mister Abercrombie.
Speaker 6: Okay, I would like that. I would like that. I
would die right with you. I'll see if I could.
I'll see if we.
Speaker 4: Can swing by after her deposit.
Speaker 6: With the myth will I'll see if I can come
back and see if i'd love to. Yeah, that'll be.
Speaker 2: Great anytime, Commander Clain. He doesn't even look up and
just says, thank you, pre l and she turns and
sort of glides out like a few minutes later, Clain
hands you a piece of parchment that has just a
general referral that says that you are you are. There
was a miscommunication, some misunderstanding stuff that you urgently need
documentation written up asap. He hands it to you and
says it's got a referral code at the bottom, a
bar code that he stamps on. Hands it to you
and says, either of the guild houses he's got a
QR code On't you a scan that? And he sends
you on your way.
Speaker 4: Thank you, got the got the like the piece of
paper in my hand and I hop off and.
Speaker 6: Thank you so much.
Speaker 4: And as I like waddle towards the door, I stop
as the door is halfway open, and I turned back.
Speaker 6: And really means a lot. Thank you.
Speaker 4: I am I will let you down. Here is promise.
Speaker 2: He gives you a nod and says, we see all types.
It's best not to immediately judge a book by its cover.
Do you have money?
Speaker 4: No, no, I'll figure it out right, I gotta do
some jobs first.
Speaker 6: It's how it works.
Speaker 2: Well, good luck, I shall see you in the morning.
Speaker 6: Yes, thank you.
Speaker 4: You wander out the door still open. I probably talk
like from the from their point of view, I like
talk with the guard.
Speaker 6: Where are my friends?
Speaker 4: Okay? It's just like that awkward like wait me and
that out of the way.
Speaker 2: It just shrugs for the most part. And I think
he's even aware where they went. As you leave, you
kind of look out and it's not obvious where they are.
You head down into town. They moved on to the tavern,
so by the time you get to town, their cart
and wagon would be missing from the front of the
guild houses, which are closer to the barracks. So you'd
come to the guild houses first if you want to
do that first, you can and we can fast track it.
You just go in and you do the whole process,
the whole DMP thing, right, Yeah, you go in. Which
one do you go to? How Celestia or Foundation?
Speaker 4: Just probably Foundation, that's probably the like, that's what I know.
Speaker 6: They'd probably go to Foundation.
Speaker 2: The Halflang reads the thing. He's very warm. You're probably exhausted,
and he's there and he's like, this is going to
take some time, and it probably does take like an
hour or so because he has to gather.
Speaker 4: Long in my mind because I'm so tired.
Speaker 2: It's just awful. Yeah, when you're tired and you're having
to do paperwork or whatever and he's asking you all
these questions and they're filling out stuff. He does have
to get some like a journal for you. He has
to find one write some stuff into it, and you
write some stuff in.
Speaker 4: The journey picks the hero.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he updates kind of roughly based between the two
of you, what quests you have completed. But it's not
really like official official it's just like an update as
a note in the journal to say that you've done
this that the other. Since Eldessa, he updates that you're
currently on the quest to deliver myth role. It has
an official quest name, and it is completely gone from
my mind. It's like the Blacksmith's Order or something like that.
Speaker 4: I think the myth now it's there. Oh, maybe I
don't have it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's the Blacksmith's Order quest that you're currently on.
So he updates that and uh, yeah, you get a
new set of documentation identification papers, a referral from Commander claim,
an additional referral that you can that you reference. Dawn
Keeper pre l Dawnkeeper, by the way, is like a
really high priestess title. There are a few different titles
that you can earn in the Radiant Path and depending
on your ability to understand this, I mean Toura would
probably know this as well. So hearing the word dawn Keeper,
it's kind of like hearing high priestess.
Speaker 4: She's pretty s Hearing great Warden, I know it, I
know it means something right Warden is.
Speaker 2: Like hearing agent agent. Yeah, they're just they're the Yeah
they are the CIA or whatever, but of this religion,
by the way, not of the necessarily of like Aurora,
even though they're very intertwined. And yeah, you get a
bunch of documentation. You finally have an actual journal with
your real information in as Fitch, Abercrombie, full name, full identification,
quests updated, and you are no longer living very excited
double life. I think probably this brings brings you up
to like dusk as the sun begins to set over
this town, and you sort of stagger out of this place, starved, exhausted, tired,
stumbling around. The halfling sort of points down the street
to where the inn is located, and you can head
down there towards that inn, where I assume the others
are unless they went to the Spa.
Speaker 4: I head to the Great Yard and I'm kidding, I'm going.
Speaker 8: To absolutely we've found a hot spring, and we're all
like layer their towels our head.
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay. So then you go down to the coal
Fire Rest and you go into this lovely tavern and
there's a man there who's sort of a thick set
man in his fifties who tells you that the group
came in earlier on, they had a bit of food,
and then they wandered out like half an hour ago,
and they headed back up the mountain to the drawbridge.
They headed you guys. The drawbridge is down there. You
follow their trails. He gives you some food. He gives
you like a chicken leg, like you know, just mark
off a copper or silver or something. Mark off a silver.
He gives you a chicken leg. And you're wandering up
the street with a chicken leg. You cross over.
Speaker 4: The draw for some reason here.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, he's not in charge of the springs. There's
a walk up a steep path above Emberstead, past the
barracks again, past a bunch of these like mines and
mine entrances, and there's a little stone and timber kind
of lodge that is sitting against one of the mountain walls,
and there are cracks in the rock hall around it.
And as you get closer and closer, you can see
there's steam rising up from a set of hot mineral
springs that pool in the air just around there's a
few of them. There's a handful of coal miners in
there that are like bathing from the day, a handful
of metal miners that are in their bathing, handful of
people from the town. You see a couple of foot
soldiers off duty, and you see your three companions sitting
in one of these natural hot springs and relaxing immediately. Now,
the three of you, just the three of you that
are in there, do any of you have exhaustion points?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 2: No, okay, all right, yeah, you see the three of
them in this, in this hot spring that I had
to cobble together as soon as you got to town.
Speaker 4: Done. Hi, everybody?
Speaker 5: Are we under attack? What's going on?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 7: No, guy's back?
Speaker 4: No anymore. I am a fitch ebber Crambie, newest member
of an afundry. As I then hold out a large
journal and flip through the empty pages.
Speaker 8: Hey, no talking shop, we are relaxing.
Speaker 5: This is quiet time.
Speaker 6: Okay.
Speaker 8: But then a glance over his journal and I give
him a little not of approval and then space next
to me.
Speaker 4: Awesome, it's robe. I slide in.
Speaker 5: Where is the water level for.
Speaker 7: You to see in the hospital?
Speaker 4: How wonderful.
Speaker 2: As soon as you rest in this thing, one of
your exhaustion and points is removed.
Speaker 4: Jumpy, one per week.
Speaker 5: Just write this rule in.
Speaker 4: Nice.
Speaker 7: Yes, that's exactly what we needed. I can just throw
some melting away.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, sorry, I'm not supposed to talk shop.
Speaker 8: And I point to a sign on the wall that
says in big less no talking shop.
Speaker 3: Right, I'm not a fan of the smell. Right it
is nice and warm?
Speaker 7: Is this patina melting off?
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 7: I don't make a comment.
Speaker 4: You know what's really nice about these things.
Speaker 3: It's kind of like making a squid ink puddle bit like.
Speaker 2: Gods it applies to the patina back again.
Speaker 7: It's body.
Speaker 4: Really nice about these things. You can just go whenever
you want and like no one's gonna question it.
Speaker 7: You know, what would you what would you mean?
Speaker 8: Which?
Speaker 5: I love carrying to these as often as possible.
Speaker 6: That do I mean? May I go Mary?
Speaker 4: May I go the bathroom?
Speaker 8: Not here?
Speaker 5: Yeah, there's probably a bathroom somewhere, find it.
Speaker 7: Right, No, no, no, no, no no no.
Speaker 2: It's a good place to fade to black for the evening.
You wake up the next day having been.
Speaker 4: Unexhausted.
Speaker 2: Unexhausted you, Yeah, you can have a long rest, so everyone,
if you need to click the long rest button, you can.
You can do anything. You get anything back on a
long rest that you get back any exhaustion. Is that
the last one?
Speaker 4: Yes, I am back to me.
Speaker 2: Bropy the And we'll just assume that you stayed at
the inn. So you'll all have to mark off I
think a gold piece. Yeah, everyone mark off a gold piece. Wow,
mark four silver pieces as well if you want dinner,
and four silver pieces if you want breakfast. If you
want to wear a silver for breakfast, yep, you get
a miner's stone pot for dinner, which is a stew
of mutton, carrots, onion, and dumplings.
Speaker 3: Could I have tried to hunt for food?
Speaker 2: You can? You're in a How do you do this?
You're in a proper town in a valley. I guess
you can go all the way back out of town
into the onto the road.
Speaker 3: How long would that take to get to the outskirts
of town.
Speaker 2: On foot? I mean it'd be about a mile across,
like twenty minutes thirty minutes to get like out of
town clear enough that you can start finding animals.
Speaker 3: No, I stay with the others in that case. And
then I.
Speaker 2: Don't really let you go up into the mountains either,
not that there would be any easier track and find things.
Speaker 3: I have a better idea. Are there any birds flying
in the sky?
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a mountain range, okay.
Speaker 3: And when I see one that looks particularly juicy, one,
am my, my lower lip. I pull up and over
one of my tusks, and I blow and I make
a whistling sound, and as I do, Miranda flies overhead right,
and then I point towards one of the birds.
Speaker 2: Easy, easy, can't chirp chirp, chirp. No, what else I
need to do is update your sheet, right, didn't do it, Lucky,
there's no combat. Don't don't start on any guards, please.
Speaker 3: I turn to the nearest guard.
Speaker 2: It's really hard to do, by the way, your I
don't think it's possible because for some reason, your bird
is not a character to it's a feature.
Speaker 5: So I don't know.
Speaker 3: I have to figure it out.
Speaker 2: The Yeah in that case, Yeah, if you don't want
to pay the full silver for dinner and eat that
or is this purely from.
Speaker 3: Miranda, it's from Miranda and myself.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you don't have to pay the full silver
and you've made your own food.
Speaker 10: M hm.
Speaker 2: Assume no one else is getting creative with that.
Speaker 5: No, I have a lot of money.
Speaker 2: So a gold piece for staying the night, four silver
pieces for dinner, four silver pieces for break, a lot
of money.
Speaker 8: Did we split any money that we got from the.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I would love to do that.
Speaker 2: How did you get like two hundred and fifty gold
last week? I mean, maybe this conversation comes up at
dinner last night and he has to start.
Speaker 4: It would be wonderful because I only have.
Speaker 5: This giant pouch of gold. I'm like, here you go,
and I just here you go. There you go?
Speaker 7: Sha? Yeah, what do we got?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 6: What?
Speaker 5: I'm sorry you get dinner?
Speaker 8: You're telling me you slept inside a battle of alcohol
and you have all of the money even though you
you skipped everything, you skipped all of the fighting.
Speaker 5: I'm sorry I had to crawl my way through ship
and give you your colleague inspiration of me paying.
Speaker 8: There do you literally call the devil to save your
life and risks potentially losing his companion in the process.
Speaker 4: Thank you?
Speaker 6: Did you give me any.
Speaker 5: Did we get paid for delivering the letters?
Speaker 2: You got? You got? I think you've got fifty gold
for bringing the letter here?
Speaker 3: Right?
Speaker 2: You paid your head, and I think you got two
hundred gold for the support of the siege of Gilholler.
Speaker 5: Fine, well, I guess it was an equal job, wasn't it.
Let me do some calculation.
Speaker 6: Really equal.
Speaker 8: This fucking guy?
Speaker 4: Are you doing right now?
Speaker 5: Dividing two hundred and fifty by four, everyone gets sixty
two and a half gold, two hundred place sixty two
sixty two and a half all right, sixty.
Speaker 2: Two gold, five silver, and then mark off a silver,
four silver for eight silver unless you caught your own
birds and one gold for the night sixty four you
have breakfast at this place, a bunch of coal miners everywhere.
This place is actually way more alive in the morning,
miners everywhere, and they all begin trundling their way up
the main street and up across all of those bridges
and into the varying mines around you, presumably head back
to the commander's office.
Speaker 5: Mm hmm.
Speaker 4: I do mention that we should all go back to
the commander's office.
Speaker 6: He wants to see me in the morning. And I
yet't ald of you.
Speaker 8: I guess I've impressed your manage to negotiate your way
through the situation.
Speaker 4: I don't think I lie.
Speaker 7: You presented a book as if it was your own.
When your name is not al Win a bright Food,
it is Fitch Abercrombie. That is a lie. You don't
think this is a bad.
Speaker 8: Thing, think maybe that is something you should not do.
Speaker 4: Well, maybe maybe the commander thinks otherwise.
Speaker 6: I mean, I didn't lie.
Speaker 4: The bug was lying.
Speaker 8: I give them the most This is the biggest thing
I've ever seen staved.
Speaker 6: But yeah, I mean I told them the truth. They
asked me, they put they sat me down. They catch
a spell on me, and they asked me questions.
Speaker 8: I answered them, and I said, I am impressed by this.
Speaker 7: This is very good.
Speaker 8: Please do not lie about anything else in the future.
It makes things very difficult for me. It kind of
ruins my reputation. Okay, okay, well good enough for me.
Speaker 4: Okay, I promise I won't lie.
Speaker 7: I believe you. I say that.
Speaker 4: Now you get to live with that secret that's gonna
burrow in the back of your palad in mind.
Speaker 6: Is she gonna.
Speaker 2: We fade to black again? Rejoin you on the road,
see you in the commander's office. Because he hasn't given
you a quest, because he because he rolled very high
on an insight check or an investigation check or whatever
I rolled for him. He didn't plan for him to do,
but someone was going to do it at some point
on this uh this group. Yeah, he sort of like you.
You go back up to the barracks, they bring you in.
They take you up to his office. He brings you
into the room. He doesn't close the door. He stands
up and says, he brings you back around to the map.
There's like two or three things that have changed, just
like a couple of stones here and there, but basically
it looks the same as it did before. And he
sort of walks up and down. He looks to you,
tour and says, you are right. Something could be a
foot I'll give you this, and he places onto the
table a pouch of gold and then.
Speaker 8: He I pick it up before recordly even move his hand.
Speaker 2: He places the missive very similar looking parchment.
Speaker 5: A little thicker, going to share that right.
Speaker 2: With another seal on it, and places that onto the
table as well, and says that is for Commander Thorn's
eyes only ideally, and he pushes it onto the table
as well, and not ours. He kind of points down
at the table and points at Valwyn on the map
and says several weeks ago in Vlwyn, on the border
of the Fringe, Commander Thorn requested additional support. Officers were
moved from Eldessa, priests from the surrounding castles, foot soldiers
from here in Emberstead. Since then, our cargo transports have
been relentlessly attacked across the Kingdom, brigands on the Iron Route,
monsters along Titan's Run, which is in the bogs you name.
It not a new occurrence, but the frequency has increased.
Then our Prince was assassinated, and further to that point,
it seems all evidence supports the idea that the intended
target was our king. Immediately after this, our toll castle
is hit with a wave of undead and he points
to other toll castle is along the map. According to
your report, it seems as though an unexplained miracle of
fire turned the tide in battle. We could have lost
a military stronghold in the blink of an eye. He
glances up at each of you and then looks out
of his window at the mountain range. And now our
very own mountain range in embers Stead is losing scouting parties.
Perhaps these occurrences are trivial, random, concidental, but if not,
something is afoot. Most of that is detailed in this missive,
but I think it's important to send you along with
an idea of the message contained within. Should anything happen
to the parchment, you can at least keep Commander Thorn
appraised of my thoughts and inform him of what happened
at Gilhollow Tollcastle.
Speaker 5: I'm going to write this in my notes, I.
Speaker 2: Am, because that's why I was being quiet, he says,
he said, we're going to veil Win for this. You're
going to veil Wind. Yes, he says. Have you noticed
anything else, anything out of the ordinary, as I understand
that you were infected with something.
Speaker 5: Rot roth blue. We had that. I took care of it,
though I'm quite adept.
Speaker 7: I mean, do you think this could be really so?
Speaker 8: I suppose it could be a sort of weapon, really,
a bio weapon, That is what.
Speaker 3: I'm asking you.
Speaker 2: Does it feel as though you were infected on purpose
on the route?
Speaker 8: No, this was entirely my own fault, I will.
Speaker 2: Tackling woman.
Speaker 8: No, I do not think that was deliberate. I think
this was me trying to save somebody.
Speaker 7: I have no fear. Although there could be.
Speaker 8: An explanation for this, it is strange that the Rotbloo
will suddenly show up now of all times.
Speaker 7: Hmm, right, will my bayrid.
Speaker 2: Okay? Anything else of note? Perhaps you've seen something on
the journey.
Speaker 3: M hm. Knowles pixies stones.
Speaker 4: You know about those things, Pixie stones them, Oh god,
they're the worst.
Speaker 2: They can be a problem. For the most part, I find.
Speaker 5: That oh, oh, oh, did we tell you about the
Red Wizards?
Speaker 2: His eyes sort of widen, and then he fixes lak
on you and says, you encountered the Red Wizards.
Speaker 5: Well, we didn't, but I was told about them by
a couple of very handsome ranger boys that saved my life.
And they're dead. Now, he did say, I think they're
with the a Guild. I don't know which. I think
they're adventurers, but they are dead. And they told me
the Red Wizards were the cause of the attack on
the Tall Castle.
Speaker 2: M that is pertinent. Yes, red Wizards.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: He kind of moves around the table. He looks over
some of the stones, and it's a hand to his chin.
I've heard a few rumors about some mischief with Red Wizards.
I'll take it into account if this was a targeted
set of attacks, I can't figure out why this group
of wizards would be doing this. Necessarily Red Wizards your bead,
well not necessarily what are Red Wizards? By all accounts,
I believe it's a group name not too dissimilar to
Ricard and the Fabulous three. Oh okay, seems to be
their going title. That's really all I A handful of
adventurers have mentioned red wizards, not unlike yourselves, bringing them
up again. But if they're strong enough to summon up
an army of the undead take out two of your
fellow adventurers, then would have a problem on our hands.
Speaker 3: Are the red wizards? We know they can make the
dead rise? But can they control fire as well?
Speaker 2: Because it depends how many of them there are. Wizards
are capable of a lot? I could ask the mage
I have on hand here, but I only.
Speaker 3: Ask because the two capable warriors who fell outside amongst
us the undead, their eyes were burned out.
Speaker 2: Yes, understood, wizards are capable of a lot. I can't
say that I understand it precisely. I have never been
capable of any magic, but from the wizards that I
do know in command, they are capable of many different abilities.
They can conjure up fire, they can conjure upt creatures,
they can change lead into gold. They're powerful enough.
Speaker 3: But a waste have lead.
Speaker 2: Gives you a sort of slight look, and.
Speaker 4: The combination of acids.
Speaker 6: You can easily do that. It's more.
Speaker 4: It's more about the sodium you know, doesn't.
Speaker 2: There's no end to what wizards are capable of. I
shall send a missive to silver Brook. Perhaps they know
more of this group. Can't say it's one that I've encountered.
Perhaps beware of anybody wearing red robes on the road.
Speaker 7: You will freedom with suspicion.
Speaker 2: Very well. I appreciate you taking on this quest at
short notice. I know that you were headed there anyway,
but it's additional work on your hands. The mis rule
itself is a dangerous enough task. Considering our transports cargo
have been being hit. I would ensure that you keep
your wits about you along The Titans run wouldn't be
the first cargo to be hit in recent times.
Speaker 3: We shall guard this charge with our lives.
Speaker 2: Very well. Any questions before I let.
Speaker 5: You leave, do you have a blister that we could rent?
Speaker 2: Absolutely not think My apologies, though I am to understand
that you are quite capable. You are yes spell casters
hunters mhmm.
Speaker 5: I think some of us can cast sp out.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, mhm.
Speaker 2: And keep your wits about you, and good luck with
your delivery and send my regards to command of Thorn,
Amanda Thorn.
Speaker 7: Yes, sir, we will do, and I take the scroll
from the table.
Speaker 2: Ok at that as well your your accent. Ms Vasher
From Where do you hail.
Speaker 8: From the south area? Not from the north like most people.
Speaker 2: Like me Elsenhort?
Speaker 7: Possibly law.
Speaker 2: Is the country at the south?
Speaker 6: Who's lying now?
Speaker 8: Ah?
Speaker 7: Yeah, it's near felson Hornes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he says. Have you spent any time in helm Guard?
Speaker 7: I think I spent a few months there.
Speaker 2: You are, I think from around Castellaccia, that's sort of
it is to the east of helm Guard. Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 7: We would the holiday there sometimes in my youth.
Speaker 2: Born is from there.
Speaker 7: Oh, very good. We will have much in common to
speak of.
Speaker 2: I thought perhaps from the accent might be the case. Well,
good luck. It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 5: So long, commander, And that's the work with your problems.
Speaker 2: There are many plenty of quests. Should you come back
around this way, I'm sure.
Speaker 4: I'll be making my way back. I got some training
to do.
Speaker 2: Very well. He kind of moves away from you and
heads back to his desk. Good day, good.
Speaker 6: Day, thank you, thank you for this opportunity.
Speaker 4: Thank you so much.
Speaker 6: Every day, you.
Speaker 2: Guys head out of the office. Sorry, Leah, it's just
pure chance.
Speaker 8: I just want to point out that, like, I have
all of this written down, but because my last character,
not a single thing was asked, I just didn't commit
any of this to memory.
Speaker 2: I was like, I didn't really encounter anybody from Silver
Broke where it's coming this way. You're bumping into people
from because the Radiant Path is so so intertwined and
predominant in the Auroran Kingdom, so they're like, they're just
super obsessed with Radiant Path stuff. And and yeah, this
character is basically from the same part of the world
that you're from. And I wrote him before you wrote yours,
before you start on me. He's always been this character
before You're like wow. And then also, you did a
random role last week that was entirely based on just
whoever was doing the this.
Speaker 7: Was written down. I've got extensive backstory.
Speaker 2: Does have a great backstory. It's a really good backstory,
and I just yeah, I mean I only vaguely remember
it as well. And I was like, you know what, actually,
he'd be like, I think I recognize your accent, you know,
I meeting someone who's from Italy and you're like, hey,
he's not like you're Italian and they're like yeah, he's
like that's the guy that you're going to see is Italian.
Speaker 8: Maybe you like cousins or.
Speaker 3: In the super Marial.
Speaker 2: I'll do my very best to RP check everyone else
next week, just to I've been kind of trying to
do it. I guess you got a little r P check.
Speaker 8: Today and scrambling scroll in my notes like.
Speaker 2: I always do when I'm playing character. It's going to
be interrogation, So I was you knew it was kind
of coming. I always do a thing with characters where
I just I put this information at the top where
I'm like hometown, brother's name, you know, like just I'm like,
just I need a quick notes thing because this happens
to me as well, where I'm like, oh, I have
no idea. I wrote four pages and I shouldn't have
done I should have written three line right.
Speaker 8: Show you the top of my notes when we're in
the green room. I'll show you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you also sort of wrote it in prose, which
makes it much harder when you need to just like
pull the pull the infact story. We see these characters
leave the the commander's office and head out back out
into the town. And that's where we'll end today's session.
As you sort of prepare to leave them instead, head
back out on the road with another little quest entire
a little like a little more XP. We've got like
two thousand to two thousand to go, you can get
two thousand. Trust this road is going to be brutal.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I like to hear.
Speaker 2: It's going to be so much XP available to you
on the road.
Speaker 6: Again.
Speaker 2: Actually, the first thing on the road.
Speaker 3: We don't.
Speaker 2: We don't get the most brutal thing. That's great you don't,
but maybe you can turn it in at the end
of the road and be like, we killed this thing.
Does anyone care? And the hunting, Yeah, you're going down
to every Weil Wind as well, which is right on
the edge of Sringe, so you'll finally have access to
the hunting guild. What is it called? I know my
own law. I'mr P checking myself, say that's started sweating.
It's called Maya knows it, but don't tell me, and
tell me because I have I have a right here.
Speaker 3: It is.
Speaker 2: It's all the primal lodge.
Speaker 5: Large.
Speaker 2: My brain did think it was called the lodge and
then I was like, no, that's just because you just
quickly had to make up a lodge. That is by right.
But there is a primal Lodge guild in Vailwind. It's
the I think it's the only one in Aurora. Hell yeah,
there isn't one in the Capitol. So you could potentially
like kill stuff and turn in because that's the that's
the monster Hunter guild. So you go and kill stuff
and then maybe they're like, we had out for that mark.
But it's it's the classic like video game, just list
of marks and you go out and find them and
kill them and just get xp that way.
Speaker 4: Just show up with a bunch of heads of different animals.
Speaker 2: Yeah, just like no, no, no, we actually have that one.
So there is technically ways that you could potentially get
if you kill something big and you know, predominantly a
problem on the road eating, Yeah, maybe maybe there's something
waiting on the road for them, And the only way
that you can find out is by tuning in next
week to the next episode of Me main character on Thursdays.
Thanks for watching everyone, We're going to get out of here.
I won't be here next week.
Speaker 5: What's tomorrow?
Speaker 2: Don't do this to me tomorrow is dracking him, bracking
him tomorrow. Main character on Thursday, unknown on Friday, deathless
on Sunday. So we've got a Schmorga's board this week
and none of us are exhausted. Wax only doing one
show a week, Me and PB are doing two shows
at the moment. Yeah, this is the wrong, This is
all wrong.
Speaker 4: Oh how the maclos have moored?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so thanks for watching everyone, We'll see you next week.
Everyone wave and say bye to them, quick bye, good bye.
Speaker 6: Wow.
Speaker 14: For more stories in this world or other worlds, our
entire library can be found at table story dot tv.
To support us, you can sport our merch or tip
directly at merch dot table story dot tv.
Speaker 2: Thanks for listening.