Speaker 1: You are listening to Table Story.
Speaker 2: Everybody, and welcome back to Table Story Dust. Vote with
your host me.
Speaker 1: Oh man, you just got like ten percent cooler.
Speaker 3: At least, and also other members of the cast, including
Jay Rotato.
Speaker 2: Hello, you stay great, and a bunch.
Speaker 3: Of like EXCaliber and Connor who still doesn't have a camera.
Speaker 2: Sorry you fixed that. You will be you will be.
So what happened to your old camera? The camera burned out?
Like on fire or just the lens? Did you get
in a way there? Who do we? How? How blowing
up are we talking here? Like now the I've tried
new drivers and everything, and it must be the ones
like I can literally if you want, I can turn
on now. No, yeah, let's see it. I want to
see what it looks like. Just he just suddenly disconnects
from Yeah, the whole computer explodes.
Speaker 4: Watch it works And this was just a scheme to
get money out of Brad.
Speaker 2: Yeah, played me like a damn fiddle.
Speaker 5: Hi, everybody, welcome back.
Speaker 3: We have had a sporadic run the last couple of
weeks with packs and whatever else, but we're back to
maybe finally finish the mystery of abigailistone to murder mystery episode,
single episode that I planned for it to be that
has become a trilogy or more.
Speaker 2: I don't know. They might drag it out longer. Who knows.
Speaker 3: It really shouldn't have been a difficult, but it was.
I feel absolutely fantastic. How does everyone else feel any
packs plagues who went to packs?
Speaker 2: I'm like getting low key sick. Yeah, yeah, I am
above such mortal concerns.
Speaker 4: This is why I need to feel like the problem
is sick. So like she's my one. Yeah I have
to I have to like skirt around and go in
the other room when she comes in, you know, like.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's over, it's toxic. Never escape. Yeah. I usually
come back with my throat pretty wrecked from yelling rather
than from getting sick, just from having to, you know,
make myself heard over all the drunk people, that all
the crowded gatherings and whatnot. So but I didn't do
as much of that at this event. Just spent more
time hiding in my hotel room like a cranky old man,
grumbling on you know, Facebook about these kids and their
new fangled twitters and stuff. So, yeah, it was great,
it's great. Everyone else is like, man, it's five am
and I'm hung over, and I'm just like in bed
at midnight and I'm just like, this is.
Speaker 5: The life, rocking with a blanket over your knees.
Speaker 2: Yep, I was knitting. I was nitting at quilt while
everyone else was yeah, but yeah, No, I think I'm
good this year. I didn't really. I don't think I
caught anything. When I came back. My throat was a
little raw, but it's already feeling better now. I just
took some cough drops and that was that nice.
Speaker 3: I have a mild headache from some sort of strange
sinus infection thing, but I met it up the moment
the men's wear off, the episode ends. That's how this
is going to run today. It could be half an hour,
it could be ten hours. It doesn't matter. If I've
got this forever. We never stopped. That's the rules.
Speaker 2: If the pain doesn't come back.
Speaker 3: We never stop playing. So a couple of weeks ago
might as well jump into it. A couple of weeks ago.
God that it was like a month ago. We started
this is bad. We started with the mystery of Abergaala
Stone Tooth. You guys came to the town of Lost
Stone and discovered that it was an interesting, strange little town.
Speaker 5: You're unable to cast magic.
Speaker 3: Incorrect, You're unable to cast magic without it being punished,
is a.
Speaker 2: Better way to put it. You've actually successfully I've.
Speaker 3: Done that yet, which is pretty pretty impressive, and I'm
impressed for you guys that you haven't turned yourselves into
a frog or something. But other than that, the town
is controlled by a sort of mercenary guild that seems
a little suspect, not necessarily on the right side of
the lower known as the Carved Men. And though you've
done a few bits and bubs around town, for the
most part you've been investigating the murder of a woman
known as Abigaila stone Tooth, who is the wife the
deceased wife of the head of the Carved Men, a
gentleman known simply as stone Tooth. So in your investigation,
will it is I'll just catch you guys up with
the notes of the investigation that I've got them written
down as and we're just jumping from there as opposed
to trying to like go over.
Speaker 5: All the little bits and bobs, because it was quite
a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3: It's been a lot of town episodes where you've just
been kind of going around and investigating things. But important
notes would be that, let's see two nights ago, so
it would be three nights ago. This woman, Abigaila stone Tooth,
was found dead in her bed. She was seemingly stabbed
six times with a dagger or something small ship. The
bedroom window was unlocked from the inside. There were grapple
marks on the outside. One of the members of the
Carved Men, known as Young Crummell, who was a halfling gunslinger,
saw a large, shady figure in a black robe skulking
about outside.
Speaker 5: Around the same time, there.
Speaker 3: Was a Rogueish dwarf known as toval Bones, who believed
it was Ritzel Solden, who was a knight of the
Chancellor's Guard. He was convinced they were having an affair.
You guys interrogated Ritzel Soldoen by throwing him into a
cabinet and dragging him outside the bounds of town and
then interrogating him from necessary, which was absolutely necessary, and
you kind of revealed that he was secretly just friends
with Abergaala. You discovered a bunch of cats in a
tower known as the Old Lookout, and it seems that
he's also the person who cares for those cats. The
killer was revealed by a divination to be walking from
the drawing room into the ballroom of the house Stone
Manor at precisely four pm today when we jump back
into it, the jewels that belonged to Abergala were found
inside of a homeless hovel kind of abandoned house, hidden
under a bunch of pots and pans. It looks like
they were placed there as opposed to taken by these
homeless people, or they were paid off.
Speaker 5: Or they were involved directly in any way.
Speaker 3: And as far as I'm aware and I can remember,
the group's plan is to have Lash speak to Ritzel
in order to sneak them into the manner at around
four pm to see precisely who it is that crosses
over that threshold from the drawing room into the ballroom
as the clock tills four.
Speaker 2: Do you have a clock? Nope, let's begin.
Speaker 3: Luckily you have a sand walker who always knows the time.
It's a special move known as Zephyr Strike, which can
do anything it wants to do.
Speaker 2: I am limited by spell sluts. You under step this right.
I can't remember exactly where you guys were.
Speaker 3: Do you remember where you were? Because I think we
just pick up from them. We're gonna have to pick
up from the moment. I think you guys ended the
episode at the car of men. I was going to say,
I think you guys went from the sort of homeless
home to the car of men hired out with the
intention of kind of sitting around and waiting until around
four pm. So if we want to fast forward through
the day, we can say that you guys have sat around,
maybe had some lunch and some food. You've seen a
couple of different mercenaries come and go. The elven bar
made here in this kind of low roofed, sort of
dimly lit tavern ish part tavern will have provided you
with like a decent lunch again on the house, So
no doubt you would have had a basic lunch, nothing amazing.
They don't have great food here. It's still a pre
it's not exactly there the rips. You can have had
a decent lunch and then maybe sat around letting the
time pass. We can say that it's approaching four half
three in the afternoon, the sun beating down on the
small town of lost Stone, clear day towns in full
swing around you. For the most part. The mercenaries have
come and gone out doing whatever business it is that
they get up to daily, and you guys are sat
around a couple of empty plates in front of you,
a couple of empty mugs and tankards, the familiar faces
of toval bones, the roguish dwarfs sat in the corner
tending to himself, and young Crumbell, the halfling gunslinger kind
of cleaning a pistol in one corner. And then the
elven barmaid are the only people in here with you.
And then you guys probably sat around a central table.
What do you guys want to do?
Speaker 4: I'm just looking through the scrawls that we gott the
other day on the.
Speaker 2: Trying to stay as far away from the case as possible.
What time is it? We'll say three twenty three in
the afternoon, guys, it's three twenty three in the afternoon.
Speaker 3: You guys are able for the I hold up one
hour to tell the time exactly.
Speaker 2: I hold up a carefully crafted clock from it's a
bowl of water with a needle inside that's been magnetized
to make a leaf point north with like little notches
cut in it, like a sun dial. So I just
hold that up and I'm like, guys.
Speaker 6: Three twenty three exactly what running out of time?
Speaker 2: You just made a compass. That's not a clock, that's
it's a clock for today. No, No, it points it
points north. But then I cut these etches in the side.
It's a sun dial. It's a clock dial. You know that, right,
there's no sun inside here. There's sun coming right through
the window. Here a shaft of light.
Speaker 3: There's a perfect shaft of light coming through the window
and hitting the sun dial.
Speaker 7: You look out the window and there's arden.
Speaker 3: There's there is full divine intervention for you, guys to
know the time for the next want you.
Speaker 5: To beat this fucking.
Speaker 2: I have five weeks of sessions planned and you gets
are stuck on this one side quest.
Speaker 8: So I hold something up to and it is my
ring of invisibility, and I say.
Speaker 9: Guys, what if I use this and I sneak in
there and then I wait and I'll see I'll see
the person, and then I'll come out and then we'll
know and then we can strike later.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but you're gonna have to take Rasia's sundial compass
thing with you know, time, we.
Speaker 2: Can just send her in there two or three minutes
in advance.
Speaker 5: It can't be that hard.
Speaker 1: I have I have ten minutes. We can do this.
Speaker 2: My only can I go get the captain and see
if you could help. That's still an option. My only
can so is that we don't know that the culprit
will be the only person walking between So what if
we go there and there's a crowd of people, we
won't be able to pick him out of a crowd. Well,
process of elimination.
Speaker 5: You want me to eliminate all of them?
Speaker 2: Know you eliminate each I'm not going to murder them all.
Walter kill them?
Speaker 7: You not.
Speaker 5: I kill zombies, not people.
Speaker 2: Okay, never mind. I can't believe you even suggested that
he just turns to Carlias Walters losing his head. I
don't know, I don't know. I guess we could try
to disguise one of us, probably Walter, and then send
Lashing as a backup, have two people in there with
eyes and ears, and the rest of us could wait outside.
I mean, Arden can make him look really at all?
Now do the woman thing again? Yeah? But then do
we do?
Speaker 4: We need a way to get into the palace?
Speaker 2: Is there? Can we just walk in? I don't know,
do we need an appointment. I'm not from post to
be seen by the captain again, being we kidnapped him
last turn her turn turn him into a different woman
this time. You you I don't know about that. If
he has two women walk up to him in two
days like no, but don't don't hit on him, a
flirt with him, just so I have an appointment and
try to walk In the worst case scenario, we can
just have Lash walking in.
Speaker 5: Or we could get his assistance.
Speaker 2: You know, he did say he was friends with her,
maybe he would help us out. Well, that was the plan,
was to talk to him and get him. Since he
didn't see Lash. Flash would be the perfect one to
walk up to him and get him to come over.
But if she can get in with the invisibility ring,
then we don't.
Speaker 8: Need him or no, but that would just you guys,
and I kind of looked down at my like.
Speaker 2: How many minutes ago?
Speaker 5: We all know you don't want to Lash.
Speaker 2: It's fine, Fabia for me to take one of your
shiny things. Besides, if we just sent her in there alone, yeah,
that's what if something goes wrong, what if we dress
you up? I'm useless anyways, me yeah, ah, Arden, can
you do it? Of course, I don't know how well
i'd be able to pass myself off as a noble,
even a male. No way, try try and sound like
a lady. Try. I mean, Arden can dress you up
all fancy. Yeah. See if you can do a voice
as good as mine? Yeah, Hi, well that work? Great
performance check first all the day? Oh uh pretty good?
Speaker 5: You know it's uh, it's some good voice acting right there?
Speaker 2: A rarity Carla is taking a drink and as he
talks that, well, I feel like that was and I
feel like that was Speaking's luck though, I feel like
I couldn't. I wouldn't last to you understand, I spent
half my life living in the desert eating cactus and roaches.
I won't be able to pass as a noble, let
alone a female noble.
Speaker 4: I'm going to like reach over and like pull the scarf,
like I mean, like, now you're a mysterious noble woman.
Speaker 2: Hey, you could just say you speak a foreign language.
Speaker 1: Can't he be a nobleman?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 2: This is true. It doesn't have to be a woman.
I don't know where that even came from. Well, it
was before to seduce the guy. But I guess if.
But we're not seducing him. I just turned me into
it after us as well, though I'm trying to lay low.
We don't need the guards after us. So the only
way people find me is the bright red If I
touch this, no one knows who I.
Speaker 4: Am GM Bradley with a can I rule an intelligence
check or like would we know if.
Speaker 6: There?
Speaker 2: Like how do we get into the manner? Is it invite?
Is it other guards that will stop you if you
walk in this? Is this something we even addressed? This
does seem like kind of a general knowledge of the
world type question.
Speaker 3: You've been You've been around the town enough as well
to know that the So the manner itself is kind
of is like this big extravagant building in the center
of town, and it's got a it's got to like
it's the only building with any level of fortification around it.
It does have a set like a stone wall around
the entire grounds. It wouldn't necessarily be difficult for you
to climb, but in the middle of the day you'd
almost definitely be spotted because it is a central position
in the middle of the town and there's just people
coming and going all the time. There's general guards that
move around, and then there are the Chancellor's personal guards, which.
Speaker 2: Are more like knights.
Speaker 3: There's a big courtyard at the front of it, and
then there's the building at the back.
Speaker 2: There's a single main.
Speaker 3: Entranceway and opening at the front of.
Speaker 2: The building or of the wall, which is where you met.
Speaker 5: Ritzl before and spoke to him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, okay, and it's just guarded twenty four to seven.
Speaker 2: There doesn't appear to be any other way in, not obviously.
Speaker 4: And if we were to go through here that we
would get stuff like we can't just waltz in.
Speaker 5: No, yeah, you would definitely be stuck.
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, but a nobleman could demand a visit, but.
Speaker 2: Then we'd have to make a lie about the nobleman.
Speaker 8: We can make lies out looks Alias Calias.
Speaker 2: You're talented with faking signatures and stuff. Right, I don't
need to take anything. I already have that one dude
from the train.
Speaker 5: The France.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I have his papers right here. You can be
William forge me an invitation. I know enough about sin
River that I can probably have to see an actual invitation.
Speaker 8: I don't know what we don't either, Well, just say
you lost your invitation and that's who you are.
Speaker 2: William LaFrance and the train. The train did just come in, right,
I think it came in yesterday. No it happen't. Okay,
that was an illustination from yeah, yeah, all right. Here's
the plan. I think I I've got it. I'll go
in undercover as this La France guy. Or maybe you
should do it, Walter. I don't know. You're better at
taking your with you've been to sin River. You can
act like you're a nobleman from sin River. But plus
you know the guy Raja, and I'm.
Speaker 4: Gonna like pull out my dagger in the crossbow and
be like this is all I have.
Speaker 8: And I'll say, Raja here and I'm gonna hand him
my ring. If you get into trouble.
Speaker 2: No no, no, no, you come in with me. Here's
the plan. I go in undercover with you, invisible with
me the rest of you. Maybe try to see if
the guard out front can help and smuggle you in
that way. If you guys get turned down, you know,
at least to me and last year inside, if I
get kicked out or discovered, well then maybe you guys
will have more luck than I did at least it
gives us more than one angle to try. Raja, Yes,
I need one thing from you. I just point to
your red scarf. Oh yeah, you take it. Here's the papers. Now,
I don't remember the guy's wife's name, the old lady
may I want to try and you mean the person
whose death we're investigating, or you mean La France's wife,
La Frances. Oh I don't.
Speaker 5: I actually have it written in my journal.
Speaker 2: Literally, you have the you have the deed to the
Madelina la France what's her name? You have the deed
to the La France land, right, is that what you have?
Or you have his pedigree of pedigree idea is okay?
All right, never mind? Then okay, yeah, so you just
have that.
Speaker 3: It's just the same like people usually have a ring
or a writ of pedigree to essential that prove that
they are yeah, noble, that's.
Speaker 2: What I got.
Speaker 3: You have the Wilfred Lafranz writ of pedigree to prove
that he is noble.
Speaker 8: Hey, you guys, don't think they lock the doors to you,
because what if what if I need to be in
there longer than ten minutes and then I'm not You're.
Speaker 2: Really good at hiding even when you're not invisible, and
I'm sure there's a few windows open around Okay.
Speaker 4: And the worst case scenario, you can just pretend you're lost.
Speaker 2: And honestly, once you're inside, it's not like they're going
to walk around checking everyone who's already been admitted. Although
we may want to dress her up just in case.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Arden, can can you give me pretty dress?
Speaker 2: I'm gonna look at the sundial clock.
Speaker 3: Yeah, suppressed, it is three thirty nine.
Speaker 5: Shit, okay, make it quick. Then let's do this.
Speaker 1: A pretty black one.
Speaker 2: I didn't got to sew you an entire.
Speaker 1: Dress with a with a feather store.
Speaker 7: Oh no, probably just is there is there a place
nearby I can just swipe one?
Speaker 2: Is there a table cloth? Yeah?
Speaker 7: Does the bar maiden have one?
Speaker 2: The bottom?
Speaker 5: Maide is wearing a pretty black dress today?
Speaker 6: She is?
Speaker 2: She is like three times?
Speaker 7: Do we have a bunch of just like clips? Just
clip it all in the back cap on her.
Speaker 2: Russia's shamagh thing is probably big enough to put a
dress on her. It hangs down to it hangs down
to his waist.
Speaker 7: I'll see what I can do.
Speaker 2: I can ask, can we.
Speaker 8: Have the bottom part of your dress?
Speaker 3: Ma'am, I'm sorry you what like the whole?
Speaker 5: She's she's kidding.
Speaker 1: Why because it's really pretty.
Speaker 3: It's pretty, but if I rip off the bottom of it,
I ain't gonna be pretty no more? Is it.
Speaker 2: Well, I can take care of that for you.
Speaker 7: I mean, a little more leg always helps, right, it
does so, And I hear frills are in nowadays, So
maybe I could take it up a little bit to
give you some frills, maybe some sequence, give.
Speaker 3: Me a persuasion or a deception check. I'll take one
the other as well.
Speaker 2: If it was higher up, you may get more tips
and such.
Speaker 3: She she's going to need to roll her own diyes
for that one first, my first role after two weeks one?
Oh my god, Yeah, you're right, let's do that then, all.
Speaker 7: Right, So if I think I can put it together
fast enough, we'll do that.
Speaker 3: She like grabs you by the hand and then let's
just dranks you to that storeroom with all the weaponry
stuff and stores and food and drink and stuff in and.
Speaker 7: It just comes back thirty minutes later. Wait, what are
we doing?
Speaker 5: How does she look? How does he do that?
Speaker 3: She pulls you into the the thing, closes the door,
a need to roll anything.
Speaker 2: What are you doing?
Speaker 5: You're creating a dress.
Speaker 2: Do you?
Speaker 7: I'm gonna see if I think I can do it
in eleven minutes.
Speaker 2: We have minutes.
Speaker 5: I guess you'll have to create.
Speaker 3: I guess you'd give me a disguised kit roll but
with disadvantage speed would do it?
Speaker 5: Still pretty fucking good.
Speaker 3: There's yeah, like like three minutes go by, and then.
Speaker 2: And then.
Speaker 3: And then the the Elven barmaid comes out and she's
just got this like like hemmed bottom short dress that
comes like way too high above the knee, but she kind.
Speaker 2: Of like struts out.
Speaker 3: There's a few frills around it, and she like walks
over to the table like what do you think?
Speaker 2: Does it look good?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 1: Wow, you'll get.
Speaker 2: More tips, thanks very much.
Speaker 3: He's pretty good. Uh at the dress making.
Speaker 2: I think I have to roll deception if I'd say
it looks amazing.
Speaker 5: She's she's she's.
Speaker 2: Already rolled out one for the day.
Speaker 3: She she heads back over to the bar, but she
kind of does it.
Speaker 2: With a flourish just like drop like.
Speaker 3: Five more go uh go by presumably while lash you
have and create you.
Speaker 2: By dress.
Speaker 8: Right, So, with Arden's help, my plan for the dress
would be let's say we have like a couple of
yards of black fabric, I have some black underclothes. It'll
be shoulderless dress that it'll be split in the front
because that's the piece of fabric we have and we
don't have time to.
Speaker 1: Sew it, and I will cinch.
Speaker 8: It under my boobs, like around my waist, so that
my underclothes will show at the lower.
Speaker 2: Part of it.
Speaker 8: But they're blacks, you won't really notice. So it's a
split front dress, but sinched at the waist, so my
underclothes show a little bit at the top and a
little bit at the bottom. And hopefully that just the fabric.
Speaker 2: Is Canso project the artists, so.
Speaker 5: Arden you make a close approximation to that.
Speaker 3: I would say it's not like dead on perfect on
a fourteen, but it's definitely good enough. The fabric that
you're using is pretty nice. This the bomb aid's dress,
was pretty nicely crafted in the first place. Fabric is
probably like a fine satin or something, so it does
have a shimmer to it, and it does look nice.
Under super close inspection, you'd see that this thing has
been like hastily put cobble together out of the bottom.
Speaker 2: Of someone else's dress.
Speaker 3: But it fits you pretty well. And yeah, he makes it.
He crafts it within eight minutes.
Speaker 2: That's okay, coming but that makes the time. But it's
pretty close to the time you need.
Speaker 8: To be leaving five plus thirty nine plus thirteen. It's
forty nine plus three is fifty two.
Speaker 2: Jesus, we gotta go.
Speaker 3: Three fifty two Lash steps out in her brand new dress.
Speaker 7: We'll let them know that at four he'll be walking
out of the drawing room into dancing. So look for
the person before that in the drawing room leaving.
Speaker 2: Her everyone or just gotta go. We gotta gotta go. Wait,
what's what's the drawing room?
Speaker 4: As we're wad they just draw in there?
Speaker 1: Or did they know it's it's a no, we don't
have time to explain.
Speaker 2: Also, you still haven't disguised me. I look like a
desert rat roch just like he's covered. Well, actually no,
he did. He's not as filthy because we actually took
a bath like the first night.
Speaker 5: We got it down.
Speaker 2: But even with that, it's still like beat up, dusty
armor with like cut marks and scratches and stuff up
and down, and he just has oily black hair. It's
like completely uncombed and unkempt double clothes.
Speaker 1: One of you has a set of double clothes.
Speaker 4: I remember, I'm going to give you a set of
fine clothing that I have. It should fit a human
or half elf of my size and your I think
my size.
Speaker 2: So okay, I'll just like like I'll start putting it
on as we run.
Speaker 5: Yeah, like running down the road, dropping clothing room.
Speaker 2: Run.
Speaker 3: Yeah all right, so you're running up to the entrance
of the man I wait, yeah, yeah, you're not like
busting in through like a thin climbing the thing and
hiding it through a window.
Speaker 7: If I'm going to do the project runway thing as well.
So as as there we're walking, I'm just doing uh
Raja's haird stuff, trying to help him out a little
bit more. He's gonna be like this just nice celebrity
and everybody's around him.
Speaker 2: Just you understand, no one's going to believe I'm a
noble right, I want to believe you. My charisma is zero.
Speaker 6: I mean my I.
Speaker 1: Don't well, look, you're just the silent type. Just don't
say much.
Speaker 2: I mean I could talk for you. I mean fair
enough at least your proteg. You know, at least every
time I ever saw the Chance in town, he usually
either had one doing the talking for him or he
just had this like stern stare. So maybe I could
mimic that Parlias has the headscarff just wrapped around his face,
just like through Roger. If I could talk for you,
if you will, I'm gonna be able to see my
face whatever. No, no, you stick to the plan. You
guys talk to the guard, try to get in your
own way, and I'm just going to bluff my way
and this will definitely work. And I just walk up
to the front door. So yeah, you're you're next to him, right.
Speaker 8: I've been walking behind him because I'm short and I'm
hoping not to be seen, so i can put my
ring on at the last moment. So when we get
within reasonable viewing distance, like they could easily see us approaching,
I'll slip the ring on.
Speaker 1: Whatever time it is.
Speaker 2: Sorry, the ring last ten minutes.
Speaker 3: Remember, Yeah, I'd.
Speaker 2: Say, like, as you guys approach the.
Speaker 3: Manner entrance way, there's it's not really the teresce in
a manner, it's the interest to the ground.
Speaker 2: It's the same slight incline that leads up to a hill.
Speaker 3: There's two guards and they appear to be entertaining a
small group of people that are just passing through. They're
checking writs or invitations or speaking briefly to all of
these various individuals. Most of them are dressed relatively well,
but they're not in like full ball gowns, like preparing.
Speaker 5: For a ball at four pm.
Speaker 2: They're just.
Speaker 3: They just they just look to be noble, though not
necessarily as if they're approaching for.
Speaker 2: A big do.
Speaker 3: As you guys head up, lash suddenly just disappears.
Speaker 2: I'd say, there is like about this as I'm guessing
I can't take my giant toll water. Yeah, I assume
you're you're I'm gonna I'm gonna onload all of my
stuff onto Carlias, I guess, except I will keep the
ever smoking bottle because it looks like it's just, you know,
my flask, So I figure they're not going to look
into my water bottle. And I'm you're gonna keep my gun,
except I'll have a like tucked on the inside of
my leg down near my ankle or something.
Speaker 3: Uh. There's a couple of people ahead of you, and
you jump onto the end of the sort of small queue,
checking your device that you've now craftily added to your
wrist for the time, discreetly revealing that you have still
a few minutes. Once the a couple of people ahead
of you head inside, the two guards look towards you.
Speaker 5: One of them is, I'm recognized.
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna wait like I'm gonna if if the
guards are already like talking with the group when we arrive,
then I'm just walking around them like I own the place,
just with the confidence I belong in here is kind
of a stride, So I don't know if I don't
know if they will stop what they're doing to try
and confront me. Yeah, I'm doing the I'm rich and
I own the place. Walk right past them. Yeah, give
me a performance check? Does it have to be charisma?
You still do it?
Speaker 3: And you kind of like like saunter up and try and.
Speaker 6: Visie.
Speaker 3: It just looked like idiot head. It doesn't, but it
does look like the Vince McMahon walk. And immediately as
soon as you try at the very large armored orc
with a huge great sword on his back immediately turns
to you and says excuse.
Speaker 5: Me, what is it?
Speaker 2: We need to check you first, of course, sire.
Speaker 3: Yeah, are you here for the for the bull, the bull,
the practice the bull practice?
Speaker 5: Yes, yes, rehearsal.
Speaker 2: And I'm also supposed to meet a architect by the
name of a Gromner, a Dwarf, regarding a new aqueduct.
Speaker 5: Not here. This is for a different town.
Speaker 2: But since we're here in the same town, I need
to talk to him in the drawing room at some
point here, and I'm gonna like, while I'm throwing all
this stuff at him, I'm also like handing him the writ.
Speaker 3: But he looks particularly confused. He although his body is huge, his.
Speaker 5: Head is tiny. It's really small. He looks like that
remember that old Mario film guy.
Speaker 2: Yes, he had the big Cooper bodyguards with the tiny
little heads. It looks like one of them, but green.
Speaker 3: He he looks over your writ and.
Speaker 5: This isn't a forgery, is it?
Speaker 2: Actually?
Speaker 5: This is just no, this is the actual real one.
Speaker 3: So so yeah, he looks it over, gives you a
look as well, and then hands it back and says.
Speaker 2: Mister LaFrance, welcome.
Speaker 3: Yes, the drawing room is the big room.
Speaker 2: What you're walking first, excellent, thank you, and I'll just
dismiss him and walk inside like I have better things
to do.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he looks like he's about the same morning. Oh yeah,
And he turns to the next person. So you head in,
presumably lash I'm just gonna.
Speaker 1: Sume xourying to keep up with it.
Speaker 2: But we can, we can invisible see you.
Speaker 8: Yeah, walking and he has a longer stride than I do,
so when we get out of your shot of them,
I would say, nice job.
Speaker 2: I don't even know what an aqueduct is.
Speaker 5: I heard it mentioned once.
Speaker 2: I think it moves water. Luckily, neither does the orc.
Speaker 3: The orc of the two was the one that rolled
a crip twenty by the way to spot you perception.
The other one was this this particularly nosy halfling. So
you did. So, you guys head into this kind of
courtyard area. There's a handful of people that look like
they hear for the the ball rehearsal, which appears to
be happening today. But there's also several minute arms that
are training these sort of gleaming nights in armor. They
look as if they're from some lush off continent castle,
as opposed to sort of the more rugged aesthetic of
dust veell. But you guys have noticed previously that their
armor when you look at it closely, it's polished, but
it's not very new.
Speaker 5: Maybe this is more for show.
Speaker 3: As you guys walk past them and join the couple
of people that are filtering into the manners opening.
Speaker 2: Ahead of you, there is this manner.
Speaker 3: It's quite impressive in size, considering most of dust Vow
is littered with these much smaller wooden buildings. Sin River
had a couple of large stone structures. There are a
couple of temp like the one in Shallow Scar and
this has its own strange architectural design, very out of
place among the rest of the town, with like these
slate roofs large ornate windows. There are several entrances, though
the main entrance is very obvious upper set of polished
stone stairs and into this very open, clear instant drawing
room area, and there's a lot more people in there,
milling about just kind of talking to each other. It
does look a little like it's a.
Speaker 2: Kind of.
Speaker 3: Party almost. It's like you're kind of approaching a party atmosphere.
People are kind of drinking and eating and speaking to
one another, but all of them are in like fine clothes, and.
Speaker 5: You don't really look two different to them.
Speaker 3: I would say, Rajah, if you're in fine clothes, these
people aren't the kings and queen means of the world
there's they're just general nobles, and you kind of probably
would fit in with that state pretty easily. Approaching up
to this very large main entrance, assuming you just walk
straight in.
Speaker 2: I'm walking in, but since we have fairly limited time,
I'm just immediately trying to survey where the drawing room
and the ballroom are.
Speaker 3: Give me perception or an investigation check which other one
you want to You can do it as well.
Speaker 2: Just as a heads up, slight. All right, we're good,
welcome back.
Speaker 3: The guys are just walking up to the drawing room.
So Rajah, you head in to through this sort of
low arched doorway that opens to an impressive grate.
Speaker 2: We're in not live opening, Yeah we are still not live. No,
we're locally recording it too. Right, Yeah, we're alive.
Speaker 3: Right now, we've we'll love. There's a delay on. I
don't worry, let's just twitch one.
Speaker 2: I want Sorry, I still see you online. Down I'm
looking into the internet.
Speaker 4: That's like one hundred upload, so hopefully we'll have that
next week.
Speaker 2: No, we're good, We're good.
Speaker 5: I can see it too.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so you guys head in through these big ornate doors.
Speaker 2: Ahead of you, you see this.
Speaker 3: Room which is definitely the drawing room. It's the room
that's designed to Greek guests. Though it's very large, you
would you would probably immediately ascertained that this is what
this room is. Looking either side and at the various
doorways that lead out of the drawing room, there are
two sets of stairways pretty large that tend that seems
like they're leading up to a second level. Nobody seems
to be going up and down them. Everybody's milling around
in one main area. There's another room that seems to
lead off into an area, and as you step through,
you can see that it's kind of a very small,
maybe like church like an or an area for prayer,
designed for prayer where maybe lots of the nobility come
and pray as opposed to sticking with the riff raff
in that big dwarf and temple that's in town. It
seems to be a very small altar. On the other side,
there's an impressive and large ballroom. It's pretty obviously a ballroom.
Speaker 2: I would say.
Speaker 3: There are these huge, expensive looking paintings that punctuate the walls.
Speaker 2: All the way down to the far end.
Speaker 3: Chandeliers and lanterns that hang about that they're not lit
right now, you'd imagine it would create quite an atmosphere.
Speaker 2: And then just an enormous.
Speaker 3: Marble polished floor with all these ornate, ornate works of
art painted into it, and then a huge lattice work
of woodwork across the ceiling. Almost definitely the room as
you walk in on your right is the ballroom. A
room on your left would be the altar. Each of
those rooms themselves seem to lead off to other rooms,
but it's kind of irrelevant right now. And then there
are some stairs that lead upwards. There are a handful
of people milling about. There's a very large group of
people that are gathered on your right hand side in
front of that room. There's no one in the ballroom,
though you do hear some music coming from in there,
suggesting there might be a bard or two in there prepared.
But as you walk in, there's a very large individual
who stands out amongst the rest of these people. Your
general knowledge of the area would probably immediately reveal to
you that this is Chancellor Silric himself, who's a big
dragon born green scaled of stands tall among the rest
of the people, and he's entertaining people as they walk in,
shaking hands with people and speaking to them.
Speaker 2: But as you guys.
Speaker 3: Step in, he says, okay, it's time to head into
the ballroom.
Speaker 2: Now.
Speaker 3: Remember when the other chancellors are here in a couple
of months, we won't be standing here. We'll already be prepared,
so you'll have to take your positions without my instruction.
It's very important, and of course I'll be heading in first.
As the clock strikes four, the Chancellor steps over the threshold,
followed by a full group of people, maybe eighteen nineteen
people and a set of nights are all standing about
as well, and they step through into the ballroom as well,
and you can hear the Chancellor continuing his speech. My
father held many balls here and it was very important
to him and very important to me that we keep
up appearances, says it steps into the ballroom. Most of
the people in this drawing room area are now filtering
through into that area, though a couple of nights stand
about they're not really ugling you or eyeing you up
or anything like that. They don't seem to be aware
of Lash at all. What do you guys want to do?
Speaker 2: I'll follow them in, I guess, But I'm also gonna
I guess. I don't know exactly where Lash is because
she's invisible. I don't know if I can try the
perception to kind of figure it out roughly where she's standing,
like listen for her breathing or something like that.
Speaker 3: If you're doing anything particularly obious, Flash.
Speaker 8: I'm not doing anything super obvious. When we walked in,
my perception, I think allowed me to figure out pretty
quickly where the ballroom.
Speaker 1: Was, so I would have headed for that, probably as.
Speaker 8: The speech was going on, So I think I was
actually probably we just over the threshold in the ballroom
when the Chancellor stepped through.
Speaker 3: All right, Yes, you've watched him take his steps, and
he's a very big, broad shouldered dragon born.
Speaker 2: He he looks pretty old.
Speaker 3: You're you're closer to him, probably than Raja was as
he stepped through.
Speaker 2: Originally, he looks he looks pretty old for a dragon borne.
Speaker 3: His his sunken eyes betray his late age.
Speaker 2: Although he does look to be in pretty good shape.
Speaker 3: He's got a kind of muscular structure to his body
that is not necessarily like most dragon born are quite
muscular anyway, But it also reveals that maybe he's.
Speaker 5: Like an aged warrior or something like that.
Speaker 3: He wears a very casual burgundy robe over a set
of very fine clothes, probably much finer.
Speaker 5: Than everybody else in the room at first glance, but
he seems to be pretty pretty happy.
Speaker 3: He's he's stern and speaking very seriously about what he's doing.
He's doing it kind of jovially, as if he's very relaxed.
Speaker 5: On one hit.
Speaker 3: He does have a very expensive looking two handed long
sword that he wears very comfortably and just walks around
the room. Nobody else of the guest is armored at all,
but there are again a couple of these personal guard
night types. Rager you step through as well, I assume,
and see you'll probably see this now, Yeah, what was
you gonna say of.
Speaker 8: The eighteen or so people that walked through after he
stepped over the threshold? Is there anybody with my thieves
eyes that would have looked a little bit out of
place here or that I might have noticed?
Speaker 3: Give me a perception check or an investigation check. Can
you either, it's still part of your investigation.
Speaker 5: Yeah, So you look over all of these people.
Speaker 3: To try and see anybody else that might match the description,
since everybody kind of shuffled in over around the same time.
There are two individuals who are large humans. One noble
who has very very dark skin, looks like he's not
necessarily from dustfel somewhere else in the world. He's wearing
very strange exotic clothes and seems a little out of
place and seems to feel a little out of place.
He looks a little uncomfortable to your eye. As he
steps over the threshold. He kind of when people speak
to him, he seems to kind of react a little oddly.
And he's very tall, not as thickly built as the Chancellor,
but he's probably one of the taller people in the room,
standing over six foot somewhere. And then there's a second
human who looks a lot like dressed similarly to Arden,
probably in his casual attire as opposed to his armor.
Speaker 5: He looks very clerical in stature and very old.
Speaker 2: But he's very rotant.
Speaker 3: He's quite tall, but he's also kind of thickly set
and thickly built, like he's spent his whole life eating
nothing but meat and cakes and then sitting and praying.
So he's almost definitely he's almost definitely the cleric or
maybe the person who tends to be alter in the
other room. The rest of the people are men and
women of much smaller stature, a couple of dwarves, a
couple of halflings, and a couple of humans who are
much smaller men and women, three people still large.
Speaker 8: Having taken note of that, I would sort of be
line over to Raja because I would be thinking, at
this point, you know, our target at now is probably
a large figure because we heard about the large you know,
cloaked figure. So I'll happen over to Raja wherever I
end up meeting you.
Speaker 1: Whereabouts are you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, Russ is probably like bringing up the rear,
trying to avoid attention, like one of the last people in.
But as you get there, you see he's like like
like he just said something to no one. I Like,
as you're approaching, but you're still like twenty feet away,
you see him turn and whisper to where he probably
thinks you are still standing. As as He looks down
and says, this is.
Speaker 5: What I was worried about.
Speaker 2: There's too many people crossing the threshold at the same time.
Speaker 1: So I'll wander up and uh and tug on his sleeve.
Speaker 5: Like on the other side.
Speaker 2: Oh oh, do you think take.
Speaker 1: A look at that guy? And I point to the
guy who looks foreign and exotic.
Speaker 2: Point, yeah, I don't see your finger. I don't see
your finger. We'll call him a globalman.
Speaker 1: I wonder if I can I can be heard by
other people.
Speaker 2: I'm going to try and drag you.
Speaker 3: A ballroom itself is pretty damn large. As you step
in through the doorway. On the left, there's a like
a stage almost that's been built up, and on it
are two Elven bards, one of them playing flute, one
of them playing a Look.
Speaker 1: Great, there's music happening.
Speaker 3: And they're strumming. Yeah, sort of like a casual entrance
he thing. It's not like a Irish jig, and it's
not like people like clashing drinks, but most people are
kind of like mumbling and speaking to each other. And
there's also the booming voice of Chancellor Silric himself, who
takes a position up by the bards and then starts
to instruct people and says, yeah, so make sure that
you stand further on the left. You want to make
sure that our esteemed guests takes sense of stage ballroom.
And he's sort of just kind of speaking to a
lot of people. And yeah, I'd say you're probably pretty
good at You're pretty pretty good with just.
Speaker 1: Being So I'll lean in Russia. What time is it?
Speaker 6: You lean?
Speaker 5: You lean in, which means you're about four feet tall.
Speaker 2: What time is it?
Speaker 5: It's four oh two?
Speaker 1: Okay, I have a few minutes. Listen the two large
men standing together, the one who looks like a cleric
and the other darker one.
Speaker 9: The fact, well, anyway, those two are so wreck he's
really big.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we know that person we're looking for has a
large stature.
Speaker 5: Brett Howe did you're right at four?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I was gonna say, how exact was the like
the clock dinging for as he walked in? Was it
like he's mid step, like across the threshold when it
goes ding for the chancellor? Or no? Give me an
intelligence check? Okay, bread, Why am I? Why am I
rolling an intelligence check to why someone?
Speaker 3: Well, because you need to work out you don't sort
of really have a you haven't got a rolex on.
Speaker 2: Dinging four?
Speaker 3: Yeah, somewhere in town there was a clock dinging for four. Yeah,
you'd say probably as the Chancellor stepped over, but everybody
was pretty quick to follow him over over over things.
So depending on whether the tricks to God was being
dead on speaking in specifics or not.
Speaker 2: But it looked like, you know, like he.
Speaker 3: Took his first step over that threshold and somewhere the
dwarf and temple did a four time.
Speaker 2: Ding Let me guess it went ding ding like four
times as the entire crowd over.
Speaker 3: Yeah, depending on how superstitious you are, the Chancellor was
definitely the first one.
Speaker 2: I rose the wild stide tolling. You would think that
if there was a possibility of it being the Chancellor,
that stone Tooth would have mentioned it to us, right, And.
Speaker 1: What you know, I mean, what would be his motivation?
It's not like, oh, unless unless he's trying to run
the stone Tooth out.
Speaker 5: But listen, listen, maybe she knew something.
Speaker 1: Look at the one guy, the darker guy.
Speaker 2: He looks uncomfortable.
Speaker 1: He looks like me, Well, you're not supposed to be
here either.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna give me an insight, check the exhaust. Sure, gosh,
I can't roll today until as soon as I need
to stab something, it's gonna be a twenty. But prior
to that, I can't roll three sevens from you? He
looks guilty.
Speaker 6: Do I give like.
Speaker 2: Inspiration for rolling seven seven seventh limit break or something? Yeah?
Speaker 3: If you do it against Emerald Weapon, you'll be really
fucking sortied.
Speaker 2: But the situation no weapon with you beat Emerald Weapon
without touching my controller like I started to fight and
put it down. Of course, I don't doubt that. I
don't doubt it, actually believe. I believe you.
Speaker 1: That's just like standard fair.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Rajah, you're pretty convinced that the exotic nobleman looks
shifty and guilty. Ship, he looks like he's guarding a
dark secret. He's got the Macbeth bloody hands going on.
Speaker 6: Lash.
Speaker 3: You're pretty convinced the guy just looks the same as Raja,
just really uncomfortable being here.
Speaker 1: Okay, can I.
Speaker 5: Check guys hiding something?
Speaker 2: Look? But also I was just doing like the same
movements and ship.
Speaker 5: Doing the exact same.
Speaker 2: Why am I in here?
Speaker 1: Can I check silric?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Give meaning? Such? I guess I'll like, can we
do we roll for each of the three targets?
Speaker 5: Yeah, you're free too, that's why you're here.
Speaker 2: Now.
Speaker 5: This my nine is for the chancellor.
Speaker 1: Everybody looks after Raja.
Speaker 2: And then the nineteen is for the chubby cleric. Yeah, the.
Speaker 3: Chancellor to you, Lash, it just looks like completely comfortable here.
He doesn't look like he gives a ship. He does
not believe that any of these people are anything other
than things for him to just you're supposed to be
here and doing these things, you know, I am the Chancellor.
Speaker 5: He just looks like a posh, strong individual.
Speaker 3: He doesn't look nervous, he doesn't look uncomfortable, doesn't look
like he's hiding any secrets. He just looks like he's
just doing his thing. This is what he does all day.
To you, Rajah, the Chancellor looks nervous. Shit, not quite
as nervous as the exotic moment, but he looks like
he might be hiding something, hiding a dark secret perhaps.
Speaker 2: And then do you want to give me another one
as well? Lash? Oh? You did? I just did?
Speaker 1: Yeah, sorry for the leg.
Speaker 3: For the Yeah, the chubby cleric, he just looks hungry
and bored and just sick of doing these rehearsals every
few weeks, and sick of being drafted in on doing it,
and just looks like he's waiting to go back to
whatever it is that he does during the day, which
isn't probably standing around and dancing.
Speaker 5: That being said, the Chancellor does.
Speaker 3: Say okay, everybody pair up, and they start to pair up,
and then we'll begin now with the opening piece, and
the bard's big into play a different song, and then
the people start to dance.
Speaker 2: Around a little bit.
Speaker 3: It's at this point that the Chancellor notices you, Rajah,
I was gonna say that, I'm gonna say at this point,
as he says.
Speaker 2: That I'm gonna look for like an unaccompanied female nearby,
or if there's no ladies, I'll grab a freaking dude
just to avoid getting looked at. Is there anyone nearby
that doesn't have a dance partner?
Speaker 3: No, everybody has a dance partner because they're supposed to
be here, and they're all in position and ready, and
they all start doing their dance and the Chancellor turns
to you for a moment and says, I'm sorry, I
did not realize we had another guest, are you here
for the rehearsal?
Speaker 5: I do not recognize your face. Yes, but unfortunately my
wife was running a little bit late.
Speaker 2: M I am Chancellor Silvic. And who much will be.
Speaker 5: Wilfred of France of sin River?
Speaker 3: Hmmm, Wilford Lea France la France Madeleine's husband, correct, as
I do believe we met a very long time ago
sin River.
Speaker 2: You owned some land, beg your pardon?
Speaker 5: You owned land in sin River?
Speaker 2: Correct?
Speaker 3: If I'm not mistaken, Yes, sir, I was not expecting you.
I was not informed by any of my people.
Speaker 5: He shoots a look over at one of the nights
that he just kind of does like a.
Speaker 2: Silence.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry that I did not expect you here, and
especially not for this rehearsal with the ragtag group.
Speaker 2: Please.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And he turns to the bards and says, keep
playing and you keep dancing, And he says, if you
would like, I can entertain you with some food and
drink until this is finished.
Speaker 2: And I certainly i'd hate to interrupt. I I believe
I probably stepped in here by accident. Regardless. I was
on a trip up to Clear Peaks and I was
supposed to meet an architect here, But I figured i'd
stop by and say hi and see how your affairs
were going. A deception check.
Speaker 1: Can I glance at Raja's wrist situation?
Speaker 5: Wrist situation?
Speaker 2: What's his wrist situation? The clock? Yeah, the clock? I don't.
I don't know why I looked at like wrist like
I'm wearing a watch. They're not invented. There are there
clocks mounted on the walls in here.
Speaker 3: No, the.
Speaker 5: The watch device has fallen apart and melted out.
Speaker 2: You're leaving right now.
Speaker 3: The Chancellor looks at you quizzically for a little while. Raji,
his eyes a deep kind of sunken red, seem to
bore into you for a moment in his imposing presence.
He's much taller than you. I can't remember how tall
you are, but he's six eight. I think he's six eight. No,
he's seven to two. He's seven to he sixty eight.
He is very tall and very he's large with it
as well. He's like he's almost goliath. And you can see,
being this close to him that at one point he was.
Speaker 2: Probably just a beast of a warrior. And he looks
at you for a.
Speaker 3: Long time and then says hmm, yeah, please do continue.
Come with me, sir, I'll sit you down with some food,
takes you into a room that leads off from the ballroom,
away from the drawing.
Speaker 2: Are we leading? Are we heading further away from the
can I can? I? Can I tell if he believed
me or not.
Speaker 6: Insight because that sounded suspicious.
Speaker 3: He just seems to be kind of flustered about having
an unexpected guest who's actually somebody of vague worth.
Speaker 2: And note that he just wasn't expecting you to just
be there and he yeah.
Speaker 3: He leads you further through the ballroom, past some of
the dancers, and then into a separate room.
Speaker 2: Which is a very long room with it and there's
more people in here as well.
Speaker 3: There are four tables, very long, ornate tables with all
these lovely, wonderful, luxury looking chairs. The tables are not set,
and the room is very similar to the ballroom and
that it has these ornate paintings and an enormous fireplace.
There's also three entrances that open out into the courtyard itself.
As you were walking through, you may have glanced over
and seen that it leads into sort of a dining area,
and he walks you into here and then and just
kind of like pulls a chair for you at the
closest table and says, please sit here for a moment
if you wouldn't know, Oh.
Speaker 5: I thank you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll just go ahead and take him up on
the offer and sit down.
Speaker 3: He clicks his fingers and one of the serving boys
comes over and looks, and he says, get this man
of drink and whichever food he likes that we have
on offer. I believe we have some poultry. You'd be
interested in some guinea fowl. Sounds delightful, and yes, a
glass of wine. And the boy nods and runs off.
He says, I have some business to attend. We run
these rehearsals.
Speaker 2: Of course.
Speaker 3: We have a ball every year for the chancellors, and
I will be entertaining it again this year in just
a matter of months. So I like to practice and
ensure that the ballroom is prepared and the musicians are ready.
Speaker 2: Of course, do forgive me for walking in at the
most inopportune moment.
Speaker 3: H I must say, I remember you being rather shorter
the last time we met. We must have been working out.
Assume it's it's a.
Speaker 2: Long story, But thanks to a train malfunction, I was
coerced into walking through the desert for an extended period
of time, and that opened my eyes to the need
to get in shape and be able to find for
oneself instead of relying on servants and gods all the time. So, yes,
a lot has changed since we last met.
Speaker 5: I've I've.
Speaker 2: Actually like, I'll actually like pull back the pull back
the sleeve, a little bit of just flex. I've actually
taken to quite the strict exercise regimen.
Speaker 5: Give me a deception check with the advantage, because it's
kind of true.
Speaker 2: He's out there some way.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's like listening to you and nod in, and
he seems to relax a little more as you're speaking
through what he says, and he says yes, and you
seem to have shaved off that garsoly mustache you had. Yes,
it's coming back to me now, of course. Well it's
very good. A man must learn how to defend himself.
Of course I was once part of the.
Speaker 2: No. Sorry, I didn't need to cut you off. I
was just going to say, not all of us are
quite as fortunate. And I'm like, like, anywait, is he
you said he's wearing arms or not. No, he's not
got any armor on, but he does have this really
nice looking long sword on one hip. Okay, well, instead
of tapping him on the gut, then I'll just kind
of like tap him or like tap the towards the
handle of his sword and say, unfortunately, not quite all
of us are blessed with your stature, and well the
means to defend oneself so well too.
Speaker 3: I was very, very fortunate to be born into a
noble family and placed into a position high up in
the dragoons. But that didn't mean I didn't learn how
to use this.
Speaker 2: And he kind of.
Speaker 3: Pulls the sword out a little bit. It's very sharp
looking and gleams in the sunlight, puts it back. I
may be aging, but I can still use it.
Speaker 2: I assure you.
Speaker 3: Worse comes to worse, I can always bite them. He
reveals his teeth and there he says, I.
Speaker 5: Will tend to you sooner.
Speaker 3: Would like to learn of your regime, how you get
into shape, and you've obviously spent some time in the
desert like one of those ghastly sand walkers and filthy peasants.
And he turns and the serving boy heads over with
a glass of wine, places it in front of you,
and a moment later, another serving girl comes out with.
Speaker 5: A big meal.
Speaker 3: But there's just like full roast chicken, nice garnish of vegetables,
side of very like fresh baked bread.
Speaker 5: This is like a good fucking meal.
Speaker 2: And the Chancellor says, please you excuse me, I'll be
back very very shortly.
Speaker 3: And he steps away into the ballroom begins to shout
and bark orders from Afar again. Lash, I assume your
invisibility ran out, so when they conversation, Yeah, and I
looked at Rajah's rest and noticed that this thing had
kind of fallen apart.
Speaker 8: I would have taken at least what I knew to
be the most expedient route out through those out through
the courtyard and out again.
Speaker 2: Cool.
Speaker 3: I don't wanna see if anybody smells or hears or
sees you with some very ship rolls.
Speaker 2: Nobody does you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you kind of like do your thing and just
your little halfling feet pit a patter back through the courtyard.
As you're heading through, you might glance left and see
Rajah sitting at a table, the Chancellor and shoeing off
a serving boy. While they're discussing something, and then you
head out of the front gates where you see Arden Carlias.
And I was going to say, Wilfrid's.
Speaker 2: Occupied Walter.
Speaker 3: Outside and probably doing the same things they were doing
last time when Walter was sent up, with their heads
Scooby Doo style around the closes, just waiting patiently.
Speaker 2: Like a bead of sweat on each of their heads.
Speaker 3: Halfway over to where they are, you just peer in
front of them again, Hi, oh, in front of us.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, she's a suddenly probably like a yeah, yeah, oh,
Russia's stuck. What do you mean stuck? What happened?
Speaker 8: The Chancellor, he just wanted to talk to him, and
he just pulled him into another room and I had
to go because I didn't want to get in both
of us in trouble.
Speaker 2: The Chancellor I want to talk to him.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 7: Just assumed the whole time we were back there in
this alley way just hiding. I'm just casting cantrips in
front of Walter.
Speaker 1: And I'm just like talking way too fast to make
any sense. But you hear something like maybe.
Speaker 8: He'll just say he doesn't feel well and he has
to go because he did say, how to meet a
guy about a knoquaeduct?
Speaker 2: Did you did you find it? Did you find a person?
Speaker 7: Though?
Speaker 8: So the thing is at four o'clock, twenty people went
across the threshold Walter twenty.
Speaker 2: And look over at bolt. We're not killing them all.
Speaker 1: But there were three, three big ones.
Speaker 2: Okay, let's makes it more of a chance to find them. Okay,
So did you narrow them down the process of elimination.
Speaker 1: To three people?
Speaker 2: But to three did you describe them? Who? What? Uh?
Speaker 8: One one is a really large, rotund cleric, and the
other one's a foreigner with dark skin, and the other
one is the chancellor.
Speaker 2: Oh, you've gotta be kidd right. I'm not though, kill
a chancellor.
Speaker 1: No, I mean, we don't know if it's him. Maybe
it's good that Raja got waylaid and he can learn more.
Speaker 2: But wait, is Raja talking to him? Yeah? They're all right.
I'm alright back. I'm gonna walk over head wrapped around, walk.
Speaker 5: It over to the guard the guards that are at
the front of the manor the captain. Oh, he's not there,
is there? Ritzel isn't there right now?
Speaker 2: Now? Yeah, I'll walk over to the guard. Yeah, there's
a big half orc looking dude and a small halfling.
Speaker 3: As you approach, the halfling gives you kind of a
filthy look, eyes just narrowed at you because you look disgusting,
and the half orc just looks at you as you approach.
Speaker 2: Hey, I don't suppose you know your captain is mm hmm,
which one? What is his name? I forget Fritzel Ritz?
What do we agree? It's Ritz? His name's Ritzel.
Speaker 3: It so so he went had one too many last night,
came back with a bottle on the nogging.
Speaker 2: What idiot said? He like fell into a cupboital something.
I don't know. I've done that life. I bet he's
drinking too much. Shit kicker he that'll do it to
a yard.
Speaker 3: Maybe he probably a full saying a bit better than
that slot. But yeah, well easy inside. What do you
want with him?
Speaker 2: Need to have a conversation about building some stuff for him? Well,
he's on the contact. What's what's the word. What's the word. Oh,
I'm an aqueduct, I'm i Oh it's something to do
with water. Aqueduct. Yeah, the one one that's the one
half way. He's an aqueduct. You just tell me about
that we had a fellow coming to what was the name.
What's that fellow's name? I am here to talk to
another one. Well, we can't give that information out information obviously.
Oh god, what was it? L l l l la France. Yeah,
the France.
Speaker 3: I mean I can't give that informations private information.
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm sure he's here, the I did. I
was told I was going to meet him there as well.
Give me, give me a persuasion check.
Speaker 3: As the halfling nudges the half ork, I'm sorry, I
forget for he says, I'll tell you you wait here,
no funk around. You can't come in to day. They're
doing a practicing. They're doing the dancing practice, the taste
I don't get. I'll go and get I'll go and
get captn Rize.
Speaker 2: I look back over the group and I just like
hand signal behind me, were just freaking the hell out.
The team of one still standing look like no, I'm
looking at him, but my hands behind my back and
taking that as time to walk in.
Speaker 7: Let's go.
Speaker 2: The halfling is still there in still fine. Is there
anybody else? There's halfling engaged with with Carlias.
Speaker 3: The halbling is just standing silently staring glaring at Carlias.
Speaker 4: Okay, I'm gonna I'm just going I'm gonna put the
hood up and I'm gonna try.
Speaker 2: And before he comes over over to say so, how's
how's business?
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I'm already Yeah, I'm already committed. I'm gonna
try and just walk walk into the walk through the gates.
Speaker 3: The halfling says nothing, you give me a stealth check.
This halfling just continues to stare at you.
Speaker 4: With as well, they have disadvantage, So technically it's only
on perception. It's hold on uh the cloak that one.
Speaker 2: Oh I forgot about the cloak of health and kind Yeah,
that's that's I'm gonna you want to self check, give
me stealth check with what is it they have disadvantage? Oh,
I have advantage. Oh but that's the hide though? Is that?
Are we taking that literally or how do you do? No,
you're not really hiding, You're just sneaking past.
Speaker 3: I mean it's cool because you pull the cloak up
and the halfling is glaring at Carlias and you walk past,
and you're in You're in the ground. Now there's this courtyard.
There is a bunch of people around.
Speaker 2: Though, but I see him in my vision. Yeah, you
see him all right, I'm going to distract the guard.
I'm going to disc So how's how's everyone? You know,
I've seen danglers.
Speaker 3: And glares at you even more doesn't say a single thing, right,
not not on freakn.
Speaker 5: She's even more concentrated on you.
Speaker 2: The not used for people staring at me last sight,
I mean, ull if you want to go for a
shitkicker or something continues to clare that you hatefully rest,
rest is filled my favorite and pie.
Speaker 3: Now the courtyard is filled with several men at arms
who are training, though I just can your helm kind.
Speaker 2: So I'm going to roll a couple of casually strolling
you know.
Speaker 3: Uh one god seize you as you're halfway through the
courtyard and runs over towards where you are.
Speaker 2: What are you wearing your normal clothes? Yeah? I think, Well,
the cloak is the cloak is green, I think, and
then underneath is just normal clothes.
Speaker 4: I'd assume they're not too like sand beaten because we've
been inside most.
Speaker 2: Of the time we've been here, so I'm hoping call
it normalis.
Speaker 5: Running up from behind you. You hear the voice of
Captain Ritzel.
Speaker 2: Go ah, Melady, melady, Oh, very good to see you again.
Everything that went wrong? Oh wait, hang on a second,
turn to you around. It's you, isn't it.
Speaker 5: You're not one of You're one of them, aren't you?
Speaker 2: But what if? Who? What do you mean? What are
you doing here?
Speaker 5: You're gonna get me fired?
Speaker 2: Carlias?
Speaker 5: Who the fuck is Carlias?
Speaker 2: He's a great guy and you should see him sometime.
Speaker 5: Carlias Drex, that fucking Heeds and that criminal.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I saw him like five towns over. I wanted
you to know.
Speaker 3: But anyways, there's a horrible sickening dawning on this man's
face as he realizes exactly who you are and who
all of you are, sat back a moment and very
confused and says, you can't you can't be here, You can't.
Speaker 4: Please, what do you mean if you what you Hey, no, listen,
there's something happening right now that you need to know about.
Speaker 2: We've never remember before in our lives, trying and kill
us all, aren't you what? You've killed half the half
the country as far as or something. What are you doing?
Speaker 5: What is happening?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 2: No, oh no, what am I guas to do. He
starts to get a little.
Speaker 4: I'm gonna like I'm just gonna grab him by the
arms or like put shoulder around.
Speaker 2: Okay, ritzle, right, it's a ritzle. The half hawk says
from further away, what's going on? Captain? He said, yeah,
go back to your post, to your post, you'll come
with me. He dragged you sideways, he's drinking me.
Speaker 3: He's like half falling, half dragging you to like a
darkened corner under one of the archways that run along
either side of the manor next to the walls, and says, listen,
I know who you are. I know who all of
you are, and I think I've worked out precisely what's
going on. It's bloody assassination attempt, is h that's why
you're trying to trying to blackmail me?
Speaker 4: Can at this point work out that there's no way
to save myself from him, knowing that it's it wasn't
me last night, or.
Speaker 2: Insight exactly what he's speaking about. You can give me.
You can give me an insight. Chack, Yeah, what have
I done? It's like, oh, you used this well, this
strikes me as one of those times you don't roll
a die. That's on you.
Speaker 6: See, I told you, I.
Speaker 3: Told you you were probably only as confused as you
are in real life. You don't can glean anything from him.
But he, I mean, he log's panning.
Speaker 2: Just allright, listen you what's your what's your name? What
is it? Listen at least let me get out of
the Let me get out of I'm.
Speaker 3: Not even from here. You must have no real allegiance
to the Chancellor. I don't even like these people as long.
I'm just here as a post. I'm supposed to train
under the Chancellor. He's a big shot Dragon River.
Speaker 2: You'll be safe. Okay, you leave the second the train
comes in and speak to nobody. You'll be safe. Can
I go home? Okay? Well, where's home here?
Speaker 5: Or Crimson Crimson City?
Speaker 2: There. We're not sure. We've heard some bad things. What
are you going to do? It's not I thought, well
we're going to do.
Speaker 5: He's sick in his mouth and a little bit dribbles
down his through his hands.
Speaker 2: Okay, please just please me. If you get your family
and sin rivers the family with whatever's going on, just
don't get my name dirty in it. Okay, of course,
leave tonight. You promise yes, give me.
Speaker 3: A deception or a persuasion check, depending on the aligned
him telling the truth.
Speaker 2: He uh he, it's fully sick down himself. I have
to go you. I'm walking away. I'm walking out of
the manner idea turning around and leaving.
Speaker 3: He you hear wretching and gasping from behind you as
he puts a hand against the wall and just kind
of pale face stricken, looks around, sick down in front
of his polished armor. He goes to like rattle at
his sword and then thinks better of it. It kind
of has a flashback to the previous evening, stands there
and just kind of just does like a few circles
and then just puts his back.
Speaker 2: Against the wall. His armor scrapes down it, and he
just falls to the ground, having a full blown.
Speaker 6: What is it?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: What does this look like? How did you manage to
make how did you manage to make the situation so
much worse?
Speaker 5: I even know why you were going in there in
the first place. You need walk past.
Speaker 2: Carlias sees you coming, and probably.
Speaker 6: Do I see the whole throwing up situation.
Speaker 3: I think you probably can't see everything because you're outside
the walls, so you can only kind of see a
narrow bit.
Speaker 2: Of the thing.
Speaker 3: The Orc returns, and then the halfling stop staring at
you quite as intently, and the Orc says.
Speaker 2: To you as he approaches, Rize will be on his way,
and then like one second later, Walter just blitzes us.
As soon as you're getting out of vomiting.
Speaker 1: As Walter is vomiting, I'm like, well, there's no Rajah
will make his excuses.
Speaker 8: There's no reason to go in there.
Speaker 7: What did you do? Do they know about us?
Speaker 2: Why are you barfing? Okay, okay, listen. I thought I
could go in and help Roh. He was carlised. He
gave us a signal. Where were you hurried?
Speaker 4: How are you gonna help him in?
Speaker 1: There's a big stir No, we just needed he just
you can just say it doesn't feel well, I think just.
Speaker 2: Listen, I think you're you're It's absolutely fine. Don't worry
about it. Nothing nothing went wrong. I didn't get very stressful.
That's why I came back. It was just really strong.
I got I got way too nervous. This is not
the kind of thing for me, and I didn't walk back.
I'm still by the guard. I'm gonna walk over and put.
Speaker 7: My hand on Walter. I'm sorry you're not feeling well, sir.
It's been a long time, and it felt like you
might have been in trouble, and I felt very stressed,
and yeah, let's let's let me help. Don't I just
don't cast your shoulder.
Speaker 2: Damn it, Arden, there isn't that better? Yep?
Speaker 7: Okay, I'm gonna go walk over there and continue to
be useful.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna slutch down and cut the cab. That's what
I'm done.
Speaker 3: Inside the manner, a sword is placed to your throat.
I'm kidding, isn't You're eating a lovely guinea fowl dinner.
You're probably halfway through it when a very chubby looking
cleric sits down in front of you and just takes
off his hope looking hat coming what they called, and
puts it on the table, wipes his brow. He's very
sweety brown, looks over at the the bird in front
of you. How's the bird so so.
Speaker 2: So? Russia's not He's never sad in like an expensive
noble hall. Before being in the Velvet Crown Casino was
like his first ever. Hey, look I'm in somewhere fancy auriens.
So initially his thought was, okay, I've been caught. I
need to get out of here as fast as I can.
And then they put the food down and he's like,
he's just like both answers, just like going full going
full cave man on the.
Speaker 6: So when the guy's like, how's the bird?
Speaker 3: Just just.
Speaker 2: Quart good?
Speaker 3: And he clicks his fingers, boy, I'll have two of
those and bring the bottle of wine. And he sits
and watches you eat for a moment and says, the
name's Maximilian.
Speaker 2: Nice to meet you. I think now that one of
my targets has arrived. Like I'm finally like, oh yeah,
hang on, like, wipe my hand thoroughly on a towel first, and.
Speaker 5: Then nice to meet you as well.
Speaker 2: Are you from lost Stone? Born and bred?
Speaker 3: My family are always present with the silrics. His father
was the chancellor before, and my father was the cleric,
personal cleric.
Speaker 2: Here the man. What does a personal cleric do exactly?
I can't say. We have one. In sin river.
Speaker 3: We just dourved dabble with the river rere from the peasantry.
We do our own private sermons. Of course, you're a
pious man, of course, how horrendously rude of me. I'm Wilfred,
the chance.
Speaker 5: Of sin River.
Speaker 3: Oh, not familiar with many from sin River. Sin River
by name, of course, sin River by nature.
Speaker 5: That's the common saying.
Speaker 2: Yes, I don't normally make it up this far north,
so I wouldn't expect anyone here to know me. But
as I happened to be on trip up to clear Peaks,
I figured i'd stop by body. Hmm.
Speaker 3: If you would like to pray, then please do. Feel
free to use the altar and may pray to whomever
you wish.
Speaker 2: Yes, I noticed the private chapel in the manner. That's
a nice touch. I should have one built in my manner.
It's not a bad idea.
Speaker 3: It saves you from having to sit on the dirty,
filthy chairs on the ground where they kneel. And the
dwarves of this town are particularly dirty, leaving all sorts
of filth. They've segregated their own area. Fegston runs the
temple in town, the filthy wretch.
Speaker 2: Of his own.
Speaker 5: Have you ever met a clean dwarf?
Speaker 2: Heard nervously take a drink of wine and wonder if
casual racism is accepted it's so accepted because he's so
rich and fat and white. And he he he barely
laughs along.
Speaker 3: With you as they bring two more of these chickens
over and put them in front of him, and he
just begins to tuck in. Doesn't really say a lot
more while while he's eating. He doesn't say a prayer
or anything either, for the record, he just starts eating,
and yeah, he raises a glass about halfway through one
and well to worth happiness, all the important things.
Speaker 2: He carries on drinking and eating. You do anything mad
while you're in here not doing anything crazy, I'm probably
I'm trying to figure out how to grill him for
information without being super suspicious, until eventually I'll say, Yeah,
I definitely don't come this far north very often, but
I've had a couple of friends who've you know, they've
had quite a measure of success up here in the north. Obviously,
Chancellor and I have met a few times.
Speaker 5: In the past.
Speaker 2: Have I've also got I feel like everyone has one
of those friends you don't talk about as much, But
my that friend happens to live here in town. So
I figured I'd stop by and say him terrible, who
who is it?
Speaker 5: You've come to see.
Speaker 2: Stonetooth is his name, But unfortunately I have terrible timing.
Apparently my wife just passed away chokes on his chicken.
I'm sorry, And you say friend, I assume it was rhetorical,
absolutely filth, the worst of the worst. Of course, I
suppose that the phrase would be acquaintance. I don't know.
We met when we were just children, before we went
our separate ways. I know his methods are quite questionable.
But yeah, like I said, brigand of course more than
a jumped up Brigand I'd say that is what he is.
A blight on the town.
Speaker 5: Yes, I've I I can't argue with you, but you know.
Speaker 2: Another criminal to put to the blade, that's what I say. Well,
I don't know that i'd go that far, but I
can certainly, I can certainly say. That's why I don't
mention him very often.
Speaker 3: Well, of course I understand that he's a friend of
yours and filthy flea of a human of course, little
more than a bloodsucking wretch.
Speaker 2: But I will say his poor wife was murdered. She
wasn't too bad, I suppose for one of those. Yes,
that's it's unfortunate. She certainly didn't deserve it. I assume
there'll be Apparently, and it wasn't just death by natural
causes either. Apparently she was stabbed, which is quite frightening.
Speaker 3: Probably stabbed by stone tooth himself cop a piece, no doubt. Soulless,
heartless bastard, he.
Speaker 2: Is quite That's why this is why I so often
find if I need to employ him instead of more
official channels.
Speaker 3: Employing him is one thing, and his filthy men, but
then more likely to do the job, take the money,
and then stab you for more.
Speaker 2: This guy really doesn't like stn't you very much? Does he? Yes,
there's the nature of it, Although you know, the saying goes,
it's better to do business with the evil you know
than the evil you don't know. Yes, I at least
if I know right from the get go that he's
trying to stab me in the back, I can take measures.
It's easier to deal with that than it is to
talk to people who claim to be your friend at
one moment, and then the moment your back has turned
you find out how they really are. I don't think
you're his wife, felt forgive me. I didn't mean to
make the conversation so unpleasant. I guess I've become quite
cynical in the diplomatic and economic matters in Sin River.
Speaker 5: As you know, it's not the friendliest town.
Speaker 3: Well, of course, you're obviously rubbing shoulders with all the
common filth bound to get dirty. I suppose that's how
it goes. I spent too long behind these walls, where
I must say I'm quite happy. Good good food, good drink.
Speaker 2: So at any point during this is he he doesn't.
He doesn't seem to be batting an eye at me,
mentioning the murder or anything like.
Speaker 5: Obviously he doesn't like stunt.
Speaker 3: But give me like a general insight checked to see
how you feel about him. Yeah, he doesn't like he
At first he seemed kind of disgusted that you were
friends with him. Then it seemed like he immediately was like, oh,
he can't actually be friends with him. That's silly. Who
I would anybody be friends with him? In general, he
just seems like he Yeah, he's not too bothered. He
doesn't really seem to be bannon eye it. He's already
gone back to eating his food.
Speaker 2: Okay, do you certainly get a lot of interesting characters
passing up along the north side of the continent. Do
you know who that is? I'm gonna point at the
exotic looking fella that you mentioned it, Like, but he
said you said he had to much different skin tone, right, yeah,
the nervous the nervous looking foreigner I appointed him.
Speaker 5: Like, where's that fella from?
Speaker 2: I don't think I've ever seen anyone looks quite like that,
at least not a human. Mm hm.
Speaker 3: He's a old friend of the Chancellor's who did something
way back when in the well the Chancellor was still
in the employer of the Emperor and the dragoons, and
one sure, it's been rather secretive about it if you
ask me.
Speaker 2: He seems to be a.
Speaker 3: Decent fellow from somewhere off off the Island's interesting man
who speaks many different languages. He's a traveler, seen almost
every part of this world that there is to know,
and he's got some strange stories, some dark stories, and
not very many jovial ones. Showed up about a week ago,
been dailly dallying about. Chancellor put him to dancing with
the others. Give him something to do while he's in town.
Speaker 2: Sounds like an interesting character. And what if he spent
to a content where they have rain, rain, rain, Oh,
what is that a drink? No, it's it's it's when
water falls from the sky. Yeah, yes, of course, yeah,
the work of amber Leos some other god of the sea.
Speaker 3: Miracles, of course, like that won't be happening here. He
probably willingly speak to the gentleman yourself if you can
get a word of sense out of him.
Speaker 2: Racia is his name.
Speaker 5: Well, my father wasn't from the Veil initially either.
Speaker 7: This is.
Speaker 2: For the record, This is Roger totally losing track of
his cover story because he's talking about his real father
right now. So well that my father wasn't originally from
the Veil either. He's from the northeastern end of the world.
And he said he saw rain, but that spent some
twenty thirty years ago. I suppose I've never seen it myself.
I'm not sure if I believe the old bugger.
Speaker 3: It sounds rather terrifying, frankly, rather not drown I can't swim.
Speaker 5: Imagine that.
Speaker 3: Water falling from the sky, or would you give it
a day before the place fills up and we're all
just part of the sea.
Speaker 2: Imagine it's happening here, to be mud, it would be
the mud veil. I suppose it might be Rais. He
seems a little scared now that the rain might kill him.
I'll leave you to your priestly duties. I've got a
couple of rounds to make in limited time to do so,
so I enjoy the bird. I think I'll have another
boy another bird. Yeah, I'll excuse myself from the table
while he's getting another bird. After I walk away, does
he start eating like I was eating hot there's no
nobility already refined, but it was just rapp in his Hey,
this is the first real meal I've ever had in
my life. Yeah.
Speaker 5: No, he's just eating it. That's how he eats.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll go approach the foreign guy.
Speaker 3: Okay, he's still in the ballroom area where Chancellor sil
Rick is kind of like Okay, and then make sure
that during the second part of this particular song, you
all move out of the way.
Speaker 5: This is when the blah blah blah blah blah.
Speaker 3: And he's just shouting all these bollocks about moving people
around the room. The individual you're looking for is stood
next to another noble woman and they're kind of listening
to the Chancellor while he speaks and you kind of
linger in the doorway presumably Yeah.
Speaker 5: I'm not going to go in there.
Speaker 2: Then, I'm just going to kind of meander around and
wait until the current volley of instructions is done and
maybe the people start to eventually filter out of the room,
or maybe I don't know if the others are still
trying to sneak in, but I'll I'll just literally stand
there and kill time and observe them.
Speaker 3: Cool, good time to go to a break, I think, well, Rajah,
mill's about inside, the other's mill about outside.
Speaker 2: And the priest eats three chickens. Three chickens. Everybody varmits.
It's like that scene from Game of Thrones with a
hound just demanding a chicken. All right, we'll be back
in three to five, see you soon.
Speaker 3: Welcome back, everybody. Two table story Dust Fail, a story
so ancient and demonic that only fair Light EXCaliber and
save us up at today, their gang are in Lost Stone.
Many of them are gathered outside the Chancellor's manner, but
one is inside the Chancellor's manner que the mission impossible
theme for one remains. Maybe half an hour passes for you, Rajah,
and you'll just stark watching all these people dance around
all hoity toity. Eventually the music stops and the Chancellor
dismisses most of the noble people. He does it politely
and shakes each of their hands individually. They seem to
be kind of low rung nobility here in town, nobody
of extreme importance, people that seem to have a little
more money than the basic peasantry. Bar the chubby cleric
and the exotic nobleman and the bards who the bards
seem to head upstairs to some private quarters.
Speaker 5: The chubby cleric heads off into his.
Speaker 3: Temple area private chapel, and silric and the exotic nobleman
who the cleric told you was called Rash. They head
over towards where you are and into.
Speaker 2: The room was the cleric or the foreign guy. The
clerk was called Maximilian, and Resh is the yeah, the
foreign guy and yeah.
Speaker 3: They head over to where you are and then passed
you into the same area. And the chancellor turns to
as he walks past and says, oh, yes, come, let's
enjoy a glass of wine. Certainly, go ahead.
Speaker 2: And the.
Speaker 3: Guy in the kind of really strange clothing. Now that
you're a little closer and you look him over. It's
nicely made clothing. His boots are a little scuffed, and
it's relatively similar to your sand Walker garb in.
Speaker 2: Its design, like it's lots of life? Do we lose?
Did I go back and forward? We're just starting to
describe the guy's claws and you vanished.
Speaker 3: Oh sorry, they I don't know my internet is doing
which shit? I think they look? It looks pretty similar
to your sand Walker gard but a little more fine
and a lot more colors going on. Though it's designed
in such a way that it can be The fabric
can be like pulled down over his arms, or pulled
up to create sort of sleepless effect, pulled up and
down on his legs and then pulled up as a hood,
or pulled back down.
Speaker 5: It's kind of like a.
Speaker 3: Versatile He doesn't say anything to you, but he does
give you a sort of curt nod and then heads
in and they sit at the tables or the table
where you were sat previously, although all of the dishes
and things seem to have gone. The Chancellor offers a
chair to you and then to Resh and sits down
across from you, next to Rash, and both of them
look at you while the Chancellor orders three more glasses
of wine. And Chancellor says to you, this is Modeen
van Resh, a traveler from well, from just about everywhere.
And this is Wilfrid LaFrance, a land owner from a
nearby town sin River. And Moden van Resh says, it's
nice to meet you.
Speaker 2: A pleasure from everywhere. You say, that's quite impressive.
Speaker 3: I have traveled from Dragon's Ridge to the Coral Kingdom
many places. Originally I was born in Theelmesia. He's all
off continent places. They're all like, they're all like different continents.
Speaker 2: You know what's funny is you're speaking in the voice
that I was originally going to give Russia, and I
got tired of maintaining it and gave up and just
started talking normal.
Speaker 3: This is what happens when you use what is it
the lightning stone or whatever on a sandwalker.
Speaker 2: They become one of these like super travelers that go everywhere.
Speaker 3: M hm.
Speaker 5: Yeah, he's similar.
Speaker 2: To you, I see. And what would you say was
the most interesting of these variety of locales you're visited?
Speaker 3: M by far, I would say the mist Lands, home
of many elves. They have all sorts of strange.
Speaker 2: Clothing and foods.
Speaker 3: The entire place is covered in a thick mist. The
longer you stay, the more m hm crazed you might become.
You must have very strong mental fortitude. For I was
there one day as modern van Esh, but by the
end of the week, I was a crazed dragon flying around.
Speaker 2: Of course, it was all in my head. You know,
we have mushroom right here on the to do the
same thing.
Speaker 3: Hmm, very similar, though those mushrooms are probably not as
powerful as the ones from Fien Failure.
Speaker 2: Well, you know how it is with those hells. They
always make everything we do look rather shoddy. Tell me,
have you ever seen rain? Why?
Speaker 3: Of course the mislens himself always raining. The Chorl kingdom
was said to have rained so much that is why
it was left underwater. So of course I would say
probably the only place that does not rain is here
and does fail.
Speaker 5: Interesting, so so where does the water go?
Speaker 2: Then?
Speaker 5: Does it not just fill up?
Speaker 2: I am not a man of science.
Speaker 3: You should speak to one of your normes who create
these strange contraptions that dart across your lens.
Speaker 2: I'm sure the gnomes could educate it quite a few
many things, or perhaps the gods. So how did you
end up then in a dry bearing place like this
if you've been to all these fantastic born places.
Speaker 10: Mmmm.
Speaker 3: A traveler must always make money. And I bring the
Chancellor gifts in exchange for coin. And the Chancellor kind
of turns after pouring out or handing over the three
glasses of wine that the boy brought over and says, yes,
brings me many things, the dwarven coins from the dawn
Darrul minds. And of course there was that one time
that you brought me the giants tears from the giant lends,
dark swamps. That was a very interesting gift. Indeed, Wresh
kind of just nods his head at each of these things.
Speaker 2: Teeth. Oh no, no, no, no, no tears. He says.
Speaker 3: There is a pool of deep within a swamp inside
the giant lands, and if you can sneak your way
in and take a few drops, it is said to
give you strong fortitude aged life. Suppose it has worked
very well for the Chancellor. He looks very strong, would
you want to say?
Speaker 5: Chancellor paps up his chest. Don't know if that was
the tears of the giants or just hard work.
Speaker 2: It does look quite sturdy, even by dragon born standards.
Speaker 3: Years ago, I had mode and bring me a cloak,
very strangely woven, shrouded cloak, almost like a shadow itself.
The cloak of eldin Kind, black in color, helped me
sneak into a criminal hideout and murder the head of
the organization, cut off the head of the snake. That's
what I say in the.
Speaker 5: Nurses. Yes, of course, that was how we first met.
Speaker 3: Held me travel across the world to collect very special artifact.
Speaker 2: Do you still keep it?
Speaker 5: And the Chancellor?
Speaker 2: No? No, no, I lost it many years ago. How
many of these cloaks were made?
Speaker 5: Do you suppose?
Speaker 2: Were they common?
Speaker 6: No?
Speaker 2: Not very common.
Speaker 3: But the mist lands and the elves there they use
strange magics and twine them in the fabrics, the metals
of their swords and the arrows and bows. So perhaps
there are many, and perhaps there are not, But I
have only seen one.
Speaker 2: Oh, very interesting. Suddenly I find myself quite limited, having
been contained to the veil, and even inspired me to
go traveling when I get back. But I'll add that
to my exercise regimen. This is a very difficult and arduous.
Speaker 3: Sometimes you will find yourself in strange predicaments. You should
be good at running, at fighting, at speaking even.
Speaker 2: Well, I feel like I've gotten a little bit better
at all of those things over the past couple of years,
but I'm certainly not not on your level.
Speaker 3: Of course, you should try as your sand walkers sandworkers.
They are very good at traveling. They know how to
survive in the wild, how to avoid creatures, and how
to kill them necessary.
Speaker 2: Sounds like it does sound like quite a dreadful experience,
but I do suppose that the skill set would come
in handy.
Speaker 3: The Chancellor, for this man does not need to spend
any time with the sandwalkers. He lived by himself out
in the wilds for how long.
Speaker 2: That was, Oh dear, it wasn't too long. It was
actually very short. People do exaggerate the story. It was
only about four or five days. But that was enough
of a wake up call to change my lifestyle. After
I got back to Sin River.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm rather long in the tooth for such things.
Don't really head outside of these worlds too much anymore.
I'd rather entertain what years I have left inside them.
No children, no wife to speak of, so and must
also find an heir.
Speaker 2: You know, so I imagine that must be quite challenging
with the relatively low number of your kind around.
Speaker 3: Well appoint somebody, probably not one of these rabble. He
kind of looks around at the Knights. There was one
captain that showed some promise, but I'm not sure. I
don't know if he's got the spine for it.
Speaker 2: Definitely doesn't have the breakfast anymore. I see, just choose
your successor via inheritance. I suppose that's another way to
do it. M the the.
Speaker 3: Traveling Man sort of looks you over a little bit.
He kind of settles on your face and on your
eyes for a moment while you're speaking.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna use slayers eye on him, and I'm just
I'm just getting the like the the extra one six
if I hit him and studying him for weaknesses, and
he's just seeing some sharing gun nonsense go on when
I stare back at him, like no, no actual like
magic movement. But I figure, since I have like carefully
studied someone as my ability, if if I see him
like looking at me, I'm just doing the same thing
right back to him, just studying him.
Speaker 3: He says, you have the face and the skin of
somebody who has spent many years outside, not the one,
Not the skin of somebody who has spent his life
garnering land and entertaining balls.
Speaker 2: Well, I'm pleased to hear that the couple of years
of more vigorous lifestyle have made that much of an impact,
because I certainly wasn't like this four years ago. Give
me a deception, Jack, He nods curly.
Speaker 3: Of course, the sun beats incessantly and heavily at all
times here. This is strange land, indeed, But then each
land has its own secrets.
Speaker 2: It's very true. Perhaps one of these days I'll have
to branch out and go see them for myself, maybe
after I find someone competent enough to take care of
my affairs while I'm away. And yet, every time I
take even a short chip trip, I end up returning
to a shambles and a mess that I have to
clean up. It's so hard to find we can help
these days, especially when it comes to running large businesses.
Speaker 3: Indeed, if you do find the time, I would suggest
that you head east to Alexandria. They say it is
the home of the humans. This is where we are
said to all have been born.
Speaker 5: And created and come from you will also be interested
in the rain that falls.
Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe one of these days Russia just like drops
the fake except for a split second, as he says.
Speaker 3: In one of these days, Fresh says, if you don't mind, Chancellor,
I would like to go and rest a little.
Speaker 2: I have had a.
Speaker 3: Trying time dancing with your noble folk. And the Chancellor says, yes, yes, Rash,
what you will, and Reresh excuse himself.
Speaker 2: Nice to meet you, sir, Safe travels my friend. He
heads out. The Chancellor kicks back a little more. M
an interesting fellow, so just about to say the exact
same thing. Where did you find him? Hmm?
Speaker 3: I spent many years as at Dragoon, working in the
employee of the Emperor, and we had to make use
of all sorts of people that we could find, had
uses that we could use. His was very interesting. He
can collect almost anything given the right time, and.
Speaker 2: Calling very valuable skill to have.
Speaker 3: He's also very good at sneaking in and out of places.
Those travelers learn the ways of places, cities, they know
the way and we can use that. And I've always
kept an eye on Mode and Rash helped me many times.
But he knows a little about me, and I know
a little about him. Have him keep coming back and
bringing me ordments from around the world, then I can
always keep him in line in pocket.
Speaker 2: Well, it's definitely, definitely good to keep your loose cannons
in check.
Speaker 5: As it were.
Speaker 3: He fights very strangely, uses long spears, much like a
toll war.
Speaker 5: I see.
Speaker 2: Nothing quite so grotesque.
Speaker 3: That sort of thing should be for fighting beasts and
not men. I like to look a man in the
eyes when I.
Speaker 2: Kill him, right, Can you believe that they curved sorts?
Curved sorts they used. It's just it's unheard of. Have
a feeling.
Speaker 3: Given the chance, this long sword would take out a
tall war any day, no matter how good the fighter.
Speaker 2: Yeah, trusty seal held close to the body, it certainly
does look quite solid m someone far back. Suppose if
someone were suppose that someone wouldent enough to swing a
toll war straight into it at full strength, Yes, it
would certainly, ah be go in your favor.
Speaker 3: Close the distance, even on a horse. I'd rather have
a lance or spear to folly the wretched peasants feral creatures.
Speaker 2: Is it true that tolls are usually used for fighting
monsters and creatures of some type. I once heard a
man say that regular swords tend to become lodged in
said creatures, and that's why you would use a toll one,
so that it doesn't get stuck.
Speaker 3: Indeed, and that's why we leave the fighting of the
beasts to the savages with the toll.
Speaker 2: War was quite glad.
Speaker 5: I don't have to deal with any of that, indeed.
Speaker 2: But sometimes what did you use while you were out?
Maybe not like the answer.
Speaker 5: The time, I used a spear.
Speaker 2: And I had a small ceremonial knife that was gifted
to me by my sister many years back, and I
happened to carry it with me often for good luck,
and it was all I had, So I attached it
to a stick using strips from my robes, and made
a crafted spear, if you will, and I use that,
and I on the first day, I killed a snake
and I.
Speaker 5: Cooked the meat. That was where it started.
Speaker 2: And then after that it began the long trek home
by myself through the desert, and it was it was
quite frightful, quite disgusting, many nasty things up there that
I ended up having to run away from and fend off.
But it was an overall a valuable lesson for me,
because then when I got back home, I realized just
how dependent I had become on having servants and bodyguards
do everything for me, and I immediately hired a sword
play instructor, and I've been taking lessons since then. I've
also been riding and going for long runs through the
surrounding desert and not out into the desert, mind you,
but like right around the borders of Sin River two
hours every day for the past three years.
Speaker 5: There's a hell of a lie.
Speaker 2: Give me a exception, Jake. Do I get advantage on
it for being thorough Nope, nerdous.
Speaker 3: He says, like he's watching you a little bit, and
he a couple of time irons. He kind of squints
a little and kind of eyes you up for a moment,
but he seems like maybe he's just sort of kind
of looking you over thinking that you're just fluffing because
you're in front of big strong Chancellor cell Rack, but
like you know, still kind of believes mostly what you're saying. Says,
I very much like to see that ornate ceremonial dagger
that you have.
Speaker 2: Oh, sadly, I don't have it with me. The gnomes,
and within the last year they've become quite upset at
people bringing weapons on the train without a valid reason
for it, and I've taken to keeping it at home,
especially since I almost lost it on that trip.
Speaker 3: H Well, the trains are usually reserved for the nobility,
but I've heard there have been some ruckus on a
couple of them recently, heathens and criminals and the like.
Speaker 5: I don't I don't trust them, and I don't blame
the gnomes.
Speaker 2: Well, they certainly don't know it. They certainly do know
a thing or two. I suppose there's a reason there
kind has survived for so long despite being so small.
Speaker 3: Being paid to create things for the Emperor, trinkets that
ride all around the veil there.
Speaker 2: We'll say.
Speaker 3: The trains are quite useful for heading from one place
to another swiftly.
Speaker 5: The gnomes are something else.
Speaker 2: Entirely, it is quite handy, although it's not without its drawbacks.
I've noticed that just an amount of riff raft passing
through towns, and corruption and such travels faster. The faster
we travel, the faster the negatives travel. It seems it's
very unfortunate. I heard some rumors as I entered town here.
You've been having issues here of your own. Is it
true there was a woman murdered in town not but
two days before my arrival?
Speaker 3: Hmmm, yes, bratchod woman belonging to a brigand the wife
of a horrible blight on the town known as Stone
Tooth Mercenaries guild if you want to call him that,
A bunch of criminals.
Speaker 2: If you ask me as you say, well that I
suppose we might be better off without them, though that's
still rather concerning that.
Speaker 5: You know, what if it had been someone else.
Speaker 2: Killers on the loose is never good, even if you
know perhaps their targets might be justified in some cases.
Gonna am I getting any kind of reaction out of
him from this me and in time? No, he seems
pretty relaxed and pretty chick one hundred percent guilty. He
seems pretty chill.
Speaker 3: It doesn't seem like any of this is like affecting him.
He doesn't look guilty. He's not His eyes aren't flicking
all over the place or anything, and he's sipping at
his wine. But common filth. Mostly as you say, the
train brings them. It's swollen lost Stone in good ways
and bad though a lot of it brings those criminals in. They,
by law and right, are allowed to practice their mercenaries
guild here. Bounty huntings of course one way of making money.
But I believe that they're really running a deep criminal
organization which will, no doubt one day undo the very
fabric of this town which my father built.
Speaker 2: Can you not issue some sort of an edict to
I don't know, oust them from the city, or perhaps
maybe not all at once, perhaps a very slow one
at a time, and you know, a minor change to
the law here and there eventually maybe drive them off
to do business elsewhere. It sounds like they're not healthy
for your town at all.
Speaker 3: We've tried to do a few things though, a store
keep here, a bartender there. Once you lose all of those,
the town stops flourishing. Want to keep the trade up,
want to make sure that the town is still prosperous.
And unfortunately they're like a poison. They're in every Newton cranny. Really,
they need to be replaced. I suppose you can.
Speaker 2: Be in on this one.
Speaker 3: But we have a sort of plan of attack here.
We're going to see if we can remove the head
stone tooth himself and replace him with one of our
own and then work them out from the inside out.
Speaker 2: That would be the best solution, yes, because then you'd
have that you still have their economic staying power, but
you'd have it under your bomb where it belongs, instead
of in the hands of some rabble and peasant.
Speaker 3: And they have a painfully large amount of control over
various parts of the town. When my father was dying
and weak stone Tooth put his fingers into the pie
and that's when he made his move. Unfortunately, by the
time I was in power, they were well established.
Speaker 2: That's unfortunate how being just a few moments late can
have such a big impact.
Speaker 3: As a dragoon, we did one of two things every time,
send in the dragoons and wipe out all of them,
or cut the head off the snake, which was my
preferred method.
Speaker 2: And I suppose with the number of them that are
infested here, standing in the dragoon is not quite a
valid option.
Speaker 3: Set to their own business. I have no control over them.
They really do work for the Emperor. I am long
since retired. I've got my own men here, though they're
not quite up to the standards of the dragoons. I
wouldn't mind one of them in charge of that guild.
Speaker 2: Well, hopefully, and I'll reach for the I'll reach for
the wine glass and just kind of say, well, hopefully
you're able to get rid of that nasty peasant and
get the affairs in order here where they belong.
Speaker 5: Although m it's it's odd his his wife was just killed.
Speaker 2: Indeed, you would think if you were going to cut
the head off the snake, would that not. He's probably
quite alarmed, I suppose.
Speaker 3: Well, I imagine one of his rival did it. They're
all killing each other all the time, aren't they peasants.
Speaker 2: Of course, I didn't mean to imply that you knew
who did it. I'm simply saying that it will probably
be more difficult to dispose of him. Now, he'll be
on guard if he's just lost someone that close to him.
Speaker 3: There's a knocking at the door, and behind there is
a knight Finn, quite good looking, sick down the front
of his armor. You would recognize him as Ritzel. He
kind of tries to get the attention of the chancellor.
Chancellor A word, what is it, Ritchel, Come on? What's
on in front of you there? Chancellor?
Speaker 10: Word?
Speaker 2: In private? Oh?
Speaker 3: Matter to attend to no matter. I'm having a conversation now,
just pull me away. So if you wouldn't mind, it's
rather urgent. He turns to you and says, well, I
have to speak to my captain here matter of urgency.
If you wouldn't mind, I'll excuse myself duty cause.
Speaker 2: And as it were, I have to get running anyway.
I'm supposed to meet with an architect, and he's oh, yeh,
I'm actually I hope I'm not keeping him waiting, if you'll.
Speaker 5: Excuse me, And.
Speaker 2: I'll look at my imaginary watch, and let's just stepped up.
Where do you go? Ritzel is in the doorway that
leads straight out to the courtyard.
Speaker 3: There's another doorway at the far end, and there's a
doorway that leads to the ballroom and then back through
to the drawing room.
Speaker 2: I will walk towards like I'm going to walk past
Ritzel and out cool.
Speaker 3: Ritzel is staring at you like you are a demon
that has been risen up by Satan himself and approaching him.
Speaker 5: He never saw my face, did he?
Speaker 3: He takes a step back, the kind of watching you approach,
and hesitantly.
Speaker 2: Lets you pass.
Speaker 7: And then.
Speaker 5: I don't want to give him.
Speaker 6: I want to give him the.
Speaker 2: Smuggest of ogrins. I want to give him the most
I guess some Patston out the door.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and then give me a perception check as you
head away, sure you like you hear like as you
get without like outside of the earshot, you hear.
Speaker 5: Ritzel suddenly go.
Speaker 2: So I've uncovered a terrible, terrible thing. There's a there's
a plot. There's a plot.
Speaker 5: I'm not sure that man might be one.
Speaker 2: I'm going to try and like as soon as I'm
able to break line of sight, just kind of like
flatten against the wall and hear out the rest of
what he's saying. The Chancellor says, what is it? What plot?
The criminals? There's criminals? Are the ones?
Speaker 3: The ones who are the Emperor has put a great
bounty on their head that you warned to solve that
would potentially be coming to town. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
the Heathens, the bliztering Heathens. Yes, they they are almost
definitely here in town, sir, And I think I may
have run into them once or twice and you didn't
put the sword to them. No, I'm not quite sure
if it's them or not. Well, actually I'm pretty sure
one of them definitely, which means all of them. I'm
not sure exactly what's happening, but please do please don't
have my head for this, but yeah, one was here
in the grounds in the courtyard.
Speaker 2: Did you arrest him?
Speaker 5: No, sir, I rather thought he was going.
Speaker 2: To kill me. You're a you're a knight.
Speaker 3: You're not understand you're a personal guard of mine and
you can't protect the grounds that you're employed to. Yes,
I'm very sorry, sir. But if we move quickly, I
think we might be able to catch them, right, Okay, well,
then gather the other guardsmen.
Speaker 2: That you can.
Speaker 5: Not sprinting, But at this point I think it's a
quickly walk to the end.
Speaker 11: So it was a human and it was a cleric
fear bowl and a half off the dwarf and a
ken coop apparently, right, get the world out to the
common Watchman.
Speaker 3: Everybody else you are outside presumably still when Raja.
Speaker 2: Down dy, Vince McMahon's out the front door. Left it
on Raja for a while.
Speaker 3: I honestly thought you were all going to go in
and attempt to sneak into this place and do all
this bit.
Speaker 2: But Raja did it. So yeah, I thought I thought
everyone was coming in. Well, I'm just trying to get
that conversation was just too good to interrupt you. You
see Raja heading out. The two guards that are at
the front.
Speaker 3: Raja, as you walk past, give you like a court
good evening your head out up into the.
Speaker 2: Town, including the including the halfling that has like the
depth stair right.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, as I'm walking out.
Speaker 2: As I'm as I'm walking out, I'm just gonna say,
I call it. Sorry, Well you keep it up. Good
job to the.
Speaker 5: Mean stair.
Speaker 2: You good job, keep it up. I like it walking
up the Yes, Grumner, the architect I'm supposed to meet.
I we're talking about the aqueduct. Yes, I turned to
the guards. It's private business. Don't listen. Well, I'm actually
finished here, so we can head to a tab on
something and discuss it there. Carrier come on personal certainly,
not sure they have better ales available, but yes, let's
and I'll start like walk away from the guards with him.
As we argue about ale flavors, I turned to guard.
Don't you like a shirt cocker?
Speaker 3: The big orc just goes, yeah, well I'll tell you
what you get A good ship kick around in town.
But you know there's a private store that we've got.
I mean, he looks down at the half thing. No, yeah, no,
I don't like it very much. Actually, if you wouldn't
mind moving, so.
Speaker 7: I'll just.
Speaker 2: Clean, I'll lean back and and go a private store.
You say, do you tell I'm afraid? I don't know.
Speaker 6: I'll look down at.
Speaker 2: The half thing and go, oh, come on now, don't
keep secrets.
Speaker 5: That's just rude.
Speaker 2: The half thing says, you'll have to inquire within, sir.
Speaker 5: Oh, well, if only I had more time. We'll have
to come back after our meeting.
Speaker 2: Of course. A shirt kicker, I'll just trot all.
Speaker 3: Uh, we're gonna catch up with everybody else hiding down alleyway,
Scooby Doo style, the rest of the head looking around.
Speaker 2: Literally, just get around the corner off in the distance,
and then where is everyone? You guys left me in
there for forty five minutes. What if I were dead? Well,
I was trying to get in, trying to play dress up. Yeah,
before we get too distracted. Ritzl, Ritzl's onto us. He's
he's in there telling them that we're in town and
giving our descriptions right now, and we need to go, oh,
did he have we come back to us?
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're okay, because I've got like a plan of
attack laid out drawn from the sand of how to
get into the manor and save Rager.
Speaker 2: You come.
Speaker 3: You go around down an alleyway and they're like sat around.
I'm like with like a steak and drawing.
Speaker 2: Oh, Roger, you're fine? Okay?
Speaker 7: Did you figure out who I just held?
Speaker 2: They find that telling them I think Ritzel might be
onto us. I think now gonna like what, I'm just
gonna put my hand on Walter's shoulder and go just
kind of like this, what am I gonna do with you? Si?
Speaker 5: Yes, he's he's onto us.
Speaker 2: So we were gonna get in there and save you,
but we probably get hold on how did you get
onto us? I don't know. He never saw us, but
someone must have tipped him off. It's a bizarre coincidence,
so we'll never know. Yeah, and I don't know.
Speaker 6: I mean, that's the that's their.
Speaker 2: Can I can I roll more minuts?
Speaker 7: Check from my poker face?
Speaker 2: No, Boulder, what the hell did you do when you
went in there? Wait?
Speaker 5: You went in well, I went and came back.
Speaker 2: Ritzl saw me somehow he knew was us.
Speaker 4: But what do you mean, like he's he's coming, or
because because I totally threw him off the case?
Speaker 2: He was no, no, no, no, he was definitely. He
was reporting directly to the Chancellor, and he was telling
them to be on the lookout for a tour for
fear Bolg and I'll get the rest of us. We
should have killed him, he told me he was going
to leave town. Well, I got to grow in over
six feet, then, because I can't be a dwarf around here,
should we should we go back to the carved men then?
Speaker 6: Or well?
Speaker 2: On on the bright side, I'm about ninety nine percent
certain I know who the killer is, So that's good.
I know who the killer is. But we're going to
be killed exactly. It might not be worth our time
to stick around. What we can, we can drop off
the information and then quickly head out to or hide
out until the next train.
Speaker 5: This is true. The Chancellor said he only needed the name.
Speaker 2: If we get him the name, can't his friend Cambell
Palopolis help us the Chancellor, It doesn't the stone stell tooth.
Oh you said, Chancellor, did he.
Speaker 5: You know what he meant? This is no time to
be dwarfish, let's go.
Speaker 2: It was actually Ros that said Chancellor. I wasn't me.
I didn't even notice. I was just gonna I'm just
gonna say, let's let's go back to the stone men.
We'll report our findings on them. We need to get
out of here, all right.
Speaker 3: So you guys head away from the manor. As you're
moving down the side of the manner, you can hear
a commotion from inside, as if people are packing things
up and armor is being strapped on, and there's a
bunch of Yeah, there's a commotion heading back towards the
the carved men. You head inside, and I'd say it's
pretty similar to how it was when you left.
Speaker 2: There's just a single dude, total bones, and.
Speaker 3: Young Crumwell and the barmaid in a particularly short skirt.
Speaker 2: Now there's probably a few more people in as the
evening begins, probably like six pm or so.
Speaker 5: Now you kind of had some time there. Six seven
people starting to head in.
Speaker 3: She's starting to move around the room and provide drinks
for people, but generally still relatively quiet.
Speaker 5: What do you guys want to do when she step in,
because he's still on tooth straight away, I guess straight.
Speaker 2: To the definitely.
Speaker 3: So yeah, you head in and then down that long hallway,
past the stairs that lead upwards into that far end door.
Speaker 5: You give it a wrap.
Speaker 2: He dismisses the two guards. They head out. You guys
all pile in, close the door and starting.
Speaker 3: Two sits in front of you again, short human man,
big guesk in front of him, gray hair, big thick
spectacles on his face, and a bunch of coins and
jewels laid out in front of him. He brushes some
of them to the side, crosses his hands and says, right, then,
got more.
Speaker 2: News for me, have you?
Speaker 5: I've got the name.
Speaker 3: You finally got the name, and you're sure of it
quite hmmm. Who's van resh Modeen? Van Resh?
Speaker 2: I couldn't kill him because he was in the Chancellor's
manner at the time, but it's him, and who might
that be? He's apparently a traveler slash collector of curios.
Reminds me kind of like a sandwalker, except leaves the
country frequently. He's in the employee of the Chancellor and
he I guess he lives in the manner. They said
he showed up about a week ago and they've had
him doing odd jobs for them. Ever since he has
he matches the description, he's the right size, he has
the expertise and the weaponry to get in and out undetected.
And furthermore, he's also a collector of foreign objects. So
whatever kind of gemstones he stole, that's right up his alley.
M sounds about right, an off worlder.
Speaker 3: See how normally get my little cobalds to go around
and collect the things what I need, don't need to
pay through the teeth. You've just got to pay the
niggs molden van resh right. And he opens the drawer,
pulls out parchment, pulls over an ink and pen, and
takes the description. I assume you give him the description,
folds the paper again, puts it in the top drawer,
closes it, and says, right then, if you're completely sure,
I'm completely sure, I'll have him bagged, dragged and hurt.
I wouldn't say killed, not yet. We'll see how many
fingers and nails and teeth and we can pull out
of him.
Speaker 2: First, I may have uncovered information more interesting than that
while I was there.
Speaker 5: Go on, then, the chance is going to have you killed?
Speaker 2: Gonna have me killed? Is he apparently he's gone. He's
grown quite tired of your influence, and rather than try
to bring your entire empire down or run the carved
man out of town, he's just going to have you
killed and put try to install a puppet in your place.
Speaker 3: Hmm.
Speaker 5: I didn't suspect he might be trying something like that
at some point.
Speaker 2: Doesn't like me, None of them do, right then? Yeah,
I believe his exact words were a blight on society
and a a blister needing to be removed. Something along
those lines.
Speaker 3: Sounds about right. All of them toss up there, dancing
in the man. I don't know what's coming. We're perfectly
prepared for it. He pulls out a weird looking weapon
and slams it on the table. Carlias, you would recognize
this as a scatter gun, very sim looking to a shotgun,
and he slams it on the table and pushes it forward.
He says, there's been a civil war coming a long time.
Never knew which one of us was going to pull
the trigger.
Speaker 2: I guess it'll have to be me, just large, just
like Oh.
Speaker 3: He winks at you, Carlas and says, always got to
be quick on the drawer.
Speaker 2: And fast hands and awe right, just looking at it first,
like he picked it up first, and he's kind of
kind of examining it, and he's like, it's kind of big.
Speaker 3: Is it.
Speaker 6: Directly into the grab the barrel?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you ever learned and looked directly down the barrel
of a gun stone too? Is like carefully pulls the
gun away again, puts it back under the desk. Maybe
I should keep that your ends. Oh maybe his hands,
but one of my mind.
Speaker 3: Your hands. You've got enough guns, boy, you don't need mine. Listen,
I've got some information for you lot before I send
you on your way. The Emperor himself put a black
bounty on each one of your heads, except the littl
n kind of looks down at you lash a bounty
worth such a grand sum of money that it can't
even be trusted to the common bounty hunters like your
boydres here.
Speaker 5: He kind of looks at the coins and the jewels
on the table and says, as far as.
Speaker 3: I'm aware, more even than this, there's some nasty types
after you locked, and I was one of them until
you did me this here favor. Now I'm going to
take my dogs off your backs. The winks at you again.
Carli's one of them's your old mate. He's had a
gun trained on you since you stepped into town. He says,
I suggest you all avoid officialdom from here on out.
Speaker 2: Considering I've just finished a forty minute conversation with the Chancellor,
I'd be quite happy to not have to keep staring
at the giant dragon board who looked like he was
ready to cut someone in half. Belt that we should
probably start to go.
Speaker 5: Oh, yeah, they know we're in town.
Speaker 2: Listen.
Speaker 3: I ain't saying I'm going to keep my mouth closed,
but I will say I like you a hell of
a lot more than that bastard we've got as an emperor.
So for now you're all right in my books. But
don't go swanning about thinking we're friends, because we ain't.
I'll cut your eyes out and feed them to your
own mother just as soon as shake your hands.
Speaker 2: Now here's a nice big bag of gold.
Speaker 3: And he just pulls a big fucking bag of gold
out and says you won't be needing to save any
of that for the train, but you will need some eggs.
Thanks for your business. Now fuck off, head up to
the old lookout and just whistle.
Speaker 2: Is the trader still open?
Speaker 1: We need eggs?
Speaker 2: Uh? Is it open?
Speaker 5: It's gonna be closing soon.
Speaker 3: Probably, I'm running out the door like eggs.
Speaker 2: I'll just take your word for it. You gotta find that,
gentlemen we saw earlier.
Speaker 3: Next time you head into this town, hopefully it will
be mine. And if it ain't, don't head into town.
We wish you the mest thank you, good luck with
your civil war, good luck with whatever business that's got
you in.
Speaker 5: And it's mess in the first place.
Speaker 2: I'll look, I'll look turn, I'll turn back to Arden
and Carlias and Lash and to say, you should probably
get out of here before the shots start firing. It
sounds like things are heating up to a boiling point
real quick.
Speaker 1: Yeah, can I see the gold? Maybe he put one
of those black gems in there.
Speaker 2: I'll just turn back to him. Can she have one
of those? And like point at the point at the gemstones.
She really wants one. She's been eyeballing them since we
found them. He looks down at him.
Speaker 3: In fact, give me a persuasion check with advantage because
of Lash's big puppy dog eyes staring up at stone tooths,
cold black heart.
Speaker 2: I'll just roll.
Speaker 3: He says, hmmm, one of these ones. No, these ones
have a rare meaning to me. But you can have
one of these. And he drags over one of the
boxes on his desk and opens it up, and there's
just an array of different gems in there. Blue sapphires, jade, emerald,
a diamond, you name it. There's one in there. You
may take one gem.
Speaker 1: They're so beautiful, and.
Speaker 5: This time you don't even have to steal it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a little bit of a challenge to
keep her hands off of them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the sapphire may be a painful reminder.
Speaker 2: I'm going for the diamond. Cool.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you snack chup the diamond. A small thing, but cut.
And he closes the box and pushes it and says, right,
I've got business to get too. Don't forget the eggs,
and don't forget the whistle.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 3: What kind of whistle, any whistle he'll find you sounds good,
thank you. It's gonna scurry you out of town quick sharp, all.
Speaker 2: Right, head towards the door. Yeah, I'm like, hieing it across.
You've already gone, right, You're like like across the train tracks.
Speaker 3: Right now, like like like just just a side swipe
to just a completely different area of town.
Speaker 2: Like there's there's like a there's.
Speaker 3: Like a like a bake or like a tray like
a fruit and veg dudes that just sells food. Who's
like turning the clothes sign as you like?
Speaker 2: Hey, like I am dwarf eggs. Hey you got your coeen?
How many? How many eggs? You go? There? A love,
We've got a dozen.
Speaker 10: I'll take them off, all right, dozen eggs. I'm fifty
five gold silver to silver.
Speaker 5: Come on, I want to get I want to get tam.
Speaker 2: Come on, flick them the gold shake kick you so
much and I'll run out real quick. Turns the sign
closes it. You know, I have a dozen eggs? Uh
have a dozen eggs? Where do you want to go?
Speaker 4: I'm going to run back over the carved man until
I see them.
Speaker 2: This one's getting like holding the eggs out.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I need I'm taking my stuff back from Carlias.
Speaker 2: And then then there's the Then there's the montage of
like putting the sword back in place, putting the knife
back in place, putting the gun back from putting the
gun back in place, putting the putting the robes back in,
like the Evil Dead one where he's like, yeah.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, it doesn't help with the heat.
Speaker 2: It was bacon there. It does help with the heat
off your in direct sunlight. You take it off when
you're indoors. Come on, you should know this stuff. It
was suffocating. The thing was wrapped around I can't breath, right,
you ready, don't wrap it around your nose and mouth.
Then I have to have my face.
Speaker 1: I'm still staring at my diamond.
Speaker 2: The point is that it keeps the sun from hitting
directly on your head, reflects it give us.
Speaker 1: How much good do you give us?
Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, I suppose I should look in the bag.
Speaker 6: Huh.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna pull out the bag and tally it up
with the eggs.
Speaker 3: You have one thousand gold pieces exactly in that bag
for not solving the murder.
Speaker 5: Not solving the murder, guys have got eggs.
Speaker 7: In all fairness, the guy didn't really I think cared
as much, like about the wife in and of itself.
Speaker 2: Well, my thinking is they're about to have a civil
war where he's gonna kill everyone.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and they'll probably kill Moden So.
Speaker 2: Then well, like whoever did it is gonna get it anyway,
so the problem is solved. I'm just upset that I'm
gonna leave town without getting to duel either the Chancellor
or Moden, because both of those sounded like interesting fights.
Speaker 5: Yeah, Moden was golden?
Speaker 2: Yeah, real quick, do you guys want me to carry
this around? Or should we divvy it up? Or? Okay?
What around the gold? When did I hand you the gold?
I'm pointing at the bag like, oh of gold? Bag
of gold? Yeah?
Speaker 5: Is he point pointing at the bag that I'm holding.
Speaker 2: Yeah, saying like, do you want me to this around?
Or are we divving it up? I guess yeah, we
can split it up in a bit. We need to
get out of here. I think I don't know how. See,
here's the thing. If the Chancellor and his men are
going to come looking for us, and stone Tooth is
getting ready to trigger some sort of rebellion, this might
be the spark that ignites it right now, like the
whole town could just turn to crap very quickly. We
should just want to We're going to get out right now.
Let's go and use the war as some form of distraction.
It's lookout tower, Yes, let's go now.
Speaker 4: And all of our rosco and all of our stuff
and run and you still have that cat, said, okay,
I'm keeping him.
Speaker 2: He's mine.
Speaker 3: You got two cats and a thousand gold and a diamond,
and you're all alive, and.
Speaker 2: You solved a murder and you started a civil war
in the town.
Speaker 5: Well, yeah, and all in the day's work.
Speaker 3: And yeah, you guys, head through the town now and
start moving through the the across the train tracks, through
the areas, past the area where the homeless people were
and the dwarve and temple that your character got lost
in Walter.
Speaker 5: There's a commotion.
Speaker 3: You can see quite a lot of the guards and
stuff of all moving towards howse Stone Manor.
Speaker 5: It does seem like something's going on up at the
Manor at the moment.
Speaker 3: As you head outside just outside of the town and
up that sort of incline towards where that old lookout
tower is, you approach it probably as the sun is setting.
You can see the sun lowering in a very Star
Wars New Hope way. You all step up on that
hill as the town turns into a hoff and you
come to the lookout tower and there's a sound of
mule and cats from inside.
Speaker 2: It, And what do you guys want to do? Do
you guys know a whistle? Yeah?
Speaker 8: I can whistle, and then you see me cry and
I just like with my new halfling face, I fail miserably.
Speaker 5: Who wants to attempt to whistle?
Speaker 2: Didn't? Didn't? Yeah? The Carlias, Yeah, give me a performance check,
no per for months? Nice? Yeah.
Speaker 3: Carlias lets out this like epic fucking whistle.
Speaker 1: Where he just like shadow Facts, actually.
Speaker 3: Shows a shadow Fax level fucking gandalf fucking whistle climb.
And this scratching starts coming from the other side of
the hill, the opposite side to where you climbed up,
and there's this sort of weird scratching noise and appearing
on the other side as the sun sets, there's two
sets of little golden eyes, the little character that you recognize.
Speaker 2: Who met him?
Speaker 5: Cambambulism all in the back room?
Speaker 2: Somebody I met him? I think I think it was
just me and Carlias.
Speaker 1: Oh don't, okay, Yeah, I guess the rest of us.
Speaker 2: There was three of you, and two of us stayed out.
Speaker 1: Who stayed out?
Speaker 2: It might have been me and Lash and Carlias and
then Arden and Walter were out of there.
Speaker 8: Because I thought I remembered being in there, like talking
about the gems and drunk.
Speaker 3: So you three, yeah, yeah, okay, so two of you
won't recognized this figure two and three of you will.
Speaker 2: A little.
Speaker 3: Satchel over his back, a little robe over his body,
and then like a little walking staff as he climbs up.
The little scratching noise is his little weird long toe
nail feet things. He's a reptile type thing, very small
that two feet tall, and he climbs up and he
looks over and sees each of you and stands up
and says, just us, So you are a little of
the town loss. Yeah, yes, the chim boundles bam bandle Loss.
He says to the two that he hasn't.
Speaker 2: Met and oh yeah, I'll hand him over the bag
of eggs. Has to say it was Ard that met him,
because I remember Arden thought he was a goblin. It
was Slash and Malta that haven't. I couldn't place where
I thought I had seen him. Yeah, there's a dozen
in there.
Speaker 3: Ipe he like opens them up and looks in wartless
and then he sits down cross legged and just picks
one up and.
Speaker 2: Hole pops it in his mouth.
Speaker 3: Fresh thanks you for as much, and he stands up
and says, fur alarmy light. And then he pulls out
a small dagger and says, I'm supposed to look to us.
Speaker 2: What does he give it to lash?
Speaker 3: He just hands it randomly, but lashes closest to him
as he hands it over, which is pretty weird.
Speaker 2: The dagger he hands you, he says.
Speaker 3: Those last gifts from star trifts. The dagger is a
really weird looking, kind of ritualistic looking dagger, and it
is an exact duplicate of the one that you got
from the Halflings in Sin River in the random.
Speaker 2: Game that you played. It looks a lot like this. Wow.
Speaker 3: As he hands it to you, you have two of
these exactly now, the strange halfling ritualistic dagger, he says,
stron of us, that's chandles, I don't know, don't use that,
aren't me?
Speaker 6: Okay.
Speaker 3: He starts walking down the hill, scratching down, and it's
more of a climb than a walk, but he kind
of does it kind of naturally, in that weird lizard
like way that lids are able to.
Speaker 2: Just climb down things. He starts just climbing down. It's not.
Speaker 5: Downwards ish climbing, and he says.
Speaker 3: The cowbirds are a little from the grounds and really
have from old trends. But we don't call them trunks, dorms,
call them trends. We don't like the norms. We're still
from the norms. And the mines recording mind carts, they're
just carts, I know, the mines, So the mine carts.
He carries on climbing down. It's again not too difficult,
but it takes a little while to get down there,
and he brings you to like a pretty well concealed
opening that clearly leads into like a tunnel system. He says, Okay,
run after the lover, jump in. Yeah, heading in to
the cobalt minds, he uh.
Speaker 2: Saying, last time I went into an underground mind cheft,
I was dead.
Speaker 5: Starts squawking inside. So he takes you into like a.
Speaker 2: Long tunnel that then.
Speaker 3: Leads to this area where there are these sort of
discarded parts of trains and mine cards, and these tunnels
that are not well crafted, broken down, splintered timbers push
endlessly down through this weird tunnel that seems to have
been carved out manually, and it's not very big either.
Speaker 5: It's pretty small.
Speaker 3: Space, like you'd be a little hunched in in here,
maybe six feet to the top, and there are a
sets of tracks, two sets that run just deep into
this tunnel.
Speaker 5: The whole thing is not lit.
Speaker 3: There's no like lamps or lights or anything that really
light this up. So if you have dark vision, you
can make it out, and the rest of you can
make out like a little from the.
Speaker 5: Sunsetting outside.
Speaker 2: But the.
Speaker 3: Cobolds down here seem to have made like a weird
underground tunnel mine car network. They've used the scraps of
what looks like bits and pieces of train tracks that
they've just stolen from the over land and brought down
and created their own little thing. They don't have the
brains of the gnomes, but they can tinker just as well,
so they make these weird.
Speaker 5: Mini tunnel network things.
Speaker 3: In front of you, guys, as you step through and
walk down into the area where this mine tunnel begins,
is this mine cart set of three carts attached, and
the frontmost cart has this strange steamlike engine just lumberly
like lumbered onto the front, and it seems like it's
been pieced together from the scraps of these overworld trains.
And it's very bulky, and it sits like partially under
and partially on the front section of the first car.
There's a small furnaced kind of boiler on top. Again,
this is all like like forced on, like they've just
bolted this thing together and they've just made this vague
engine and it doesn't look pretty compared to anything else.
Speaker 5: Up on the top side.
Speaker 3: Either side of the front are these two large chimneys
that run down the side of it that push the
steam out. Champanmbulis stumbles past you all and pushes and
hops up into the first cart and begins to fill
a large tank inside the front of the furnace boiler,
igniting it then and lighting up the area nearby a
little better for anybody who doesn't have dark vision.
Speaker 5: And it begins to.
Speaker 2: Rumble slowly, popping and wheezing every so often like a giant.
Speaker 3: Boiling globule of water will launch itself off in a
random direction because we avoid it, And Champambulis says, there's
runs to go into sun dunes. LUs, Yes, that's the
places very quick okay, you can go to the quick
roots or we can go to slow roots, or we
can take the dread tunnels. Oh, dread turners belong to
Region Rocks. We don't really want to go to the
drug tenors. We can.
Speaker 2: Maybe the fastest round. It's the fast it's the fast
route safe.
Speaker 3: Okay, that's two dolls to the route or in half
a dollar. We lose the drug tunners the fast route.
Speaker 2: Sometimes the types one does.
Speaker 3: Sometimes that we get a lost.
Speaker 2: Okay, this matters only if we want to be what's
his name right? Exactly? We have to get there first
if we never okay, we can't have those other guys
beat us there. Those ninjas or whatever they were calling
themselves will sound pretty nice.
Speaker 7: Actually, the dread tunners us exactly, So wont be anything there, everybody, Why.
Speaker 5: Why is it called dread?
Speaker 2: Who is this person you said is in there?
Speaker 3: The dread turners belongs to Region Rex.
Speaker 2: They'll have to prove fast.
Speaker 3: The regis that's been very fast dread start fast?
Speaker 2: Wait? Slow down?
Speaker 3: What?
Speaker 5: What what is the raging Rex?
Speaker 2: What is a rex? Look?
Speaker 1: Maybe we should just take the two days.
Speaker 2: Describe it? How big is it like or very big
brother specific features, big feet.
Speaker 3: Big arm, It has the book spilling blood on his arms.
Speaker 1: Guys, let's take.
Speaker 2: We're going to go the safe route, right, the fast
I don't want to say route. I think is the
best one.
Speaker 5: Half a day.
Speaker 3: You say in the dread turners the faster word too, brother.
Sometimes we get a loss on the fast route, and
it is a fast the dead Rose. I don't regard
the dead roses. Roses a scare, the ghosts, the turns.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, no, we we don't want to go south. Okay,
so perhaps we should avoid of the dread tunnels because
giant spinning blades. As entertaining as that sounds on offreed
lee in our plan right now. But I'm certainly not
letting Leon and the rest of his cronies get their first.
So we're going the fast way.
Speaker 1: But we last way. It takes longer.
Speaker 2: But if we go to Dead Rise by accident, they
get lost. We go to Dead Rise, then I'm going
to pick up a pair of flying shoes. Okay, fast route,
there's only one pair. That's why I said I'm going
to pick up ring shoes. I'm just looking at Lastly,
you realize he's having the boots, right. I can't. I
can't Dead Rise anymore. So let's hope we don't.
Speaker 1: Fast route it is.
Speaker 3: What are the fast roots LUs? Yes, okay, I can't
remember it.
Speaker 2: There's no way this goes to the dread tunnel either, right, there's.
Speaker 3: No way we can everything the dread tunnel. Sometimes a
dread tunneler loads to ours. It depends us or here
is ours, or is or thinks us.
Speaker 2: I don't know what I'm starting thinking. We would have
been safer with the chancellor. That's you're wrong there.
Speaker 3: I think that's that's very clever. I'm not myself the
marine carts because we're on the marlins and it's a
crops really cool.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I see the mines and I assume the carts
are is that is the cart nearby? Yeah, it's right
in front of you. It's I mean, I see them,
I see the mine and I see the cart. It's
a very clever name. I lean into the er. You know,
Dwarves came up with that, right, you guys never built
it all the way under the desert. Yeah, but we
kind of coined the term mine car.
Speaker 8: Remarks but fast fast fast, Yeah, I just hoped the
rearmost cart.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and in the Radix car.
Speaker 2: Wait, did these three all go to the same place.
I just say.
Speaker 3: Most of the times, I'm gonna go to hop in
the rear one with her as well.
Speaker 2: Is there in the first one or he. He watches
each of you and says hers to ride up front.
Speaker 3: Remove you're being in charge of pulling lovers.
Speaker 2: I'll do it. I kind of want to, you know.
Speaker 3: Faster with their eyes, faster their hands.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know the drill.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: I feel like this should be a job for Arden.
Speaker 7: I'm gonna sit in the back of the cart, like
right behind the first one and just kind of like
I am to make sure that he's doing it right,
even though I don't think Arden actually feels what he's doing.
Speaker 3: He says, uh, to ride on the central carts faster
with the eyes you must be Alberta spots falling rocks
and the spikes you must shot back.
Speaker 2: What why do you have falling rocks and spikes as
part of your design?
Speaker 3: This is the fastest fast man carts in the works.
Speaker 2: I'm sure they're fast, but could you have not built
them without spikes and falling rocks?
Speaker 3: You can't burn the mine carts outside on the mine cart,
then the mines there are traverse if we go up
the normes were still a stuff spock.
Speaker 2: Alright, who has the who has the quickest reflexes? Here?
Speaker 3: Probably everybody knows a quick reflect there on the front
in the middle, Lash.
Speaker 2: Maybe you should go in the middle. Okay, yeah, I'm
I'm half nudging, but half like actually just picking her
up and moving left to the middle. Cart likes, let's
do it this way. Didn't give back to Walter, and
I'm going to jump in the middle.
Speaker 3: Okay, turn us rather than behind. They're in charge of
killing the speckl routes.
Speaker 2: They chose sauce. Okay, I'm going to pick us. As
soon as he says that, I'm going to hand the
crossbow back to Walter.
Speaker 5: You're going to any of this. It sounds like you
can use this magic.
Speaker 2: I can use magic. After we get away from the city.
Right away from the city, we're still well within the
city limits, I think, so probably wait a minute or
two until we're farther away.
Speaker 1: I don't know what cats are riding in the back.
How big are those rats?
Speaker 2: The sps spoke?
Speaker 3: Oh okay, down the darks, you can sew them.
Speaker 1: Okay, we better go.
Speaker 2: Okay, let's let's do it, yep, I can't do it
quickly before I change my mind.
Speaker 3: Chambambulas like jumps into the front and then he pulls
out like a draw from underneath the front section of
the cart where underneath where the engine and stuff is,
and pulls out a giant, great big wrench and closes it.
Speaker 2: Who's in the front color is? He hands it to you.
What the hell?
Speaker 3: This is a lever one? This is a lever two?
When I shot a port lever the levers so there's
like a there's a cog or a bolt that you
can twist and turn. And there's two of them, one
on the left, one on the right, and it looks
like this wrench moves them and then affects something on
the front of this that affects the mind cart in
some way.
Speaker 2: He hands you that and says, have to be fast
when a total problem. Notice stand.
Speaker 5: And he points to the two in the middle cart,
which is who me and Lash.
Speaker 2: I feel I should make a note of this, shouldn't I.
Speaker 3: Is in cart one, Rajah Lash in cart two, and
then Walter ardin in cart three.
Speaker 5: Time we're done.
Speaker 2: By the time we're done, Carlias will be in thin
and Walter will be in Grindwood. He points to you,
Raja and Lash. He says, this is in charge of
telling us.
Speaker 3: One the ducks. We all have to duck the tunnels
and bridges on spikes, and sometimes there's the things with
claws and the cloister, and sometimes there's the bats. We're
gonna be telling us to run. This is coming uses
the eyes stop us from hing our hubs. It's very simple, okay.
Speaker 2: He points at the two in the back car, Walter
and Arden and says.
Speaker 3: Specl rats, okay, shoot them the choicest shoot them from
afar immuse or the specl rats. Attach it to the
rears and the slow us down. We don't want to
slow down because that's when the regi and rats to
get us. And then he hits a button and the
fucking cart starts going to.
Speaker 6: Anything.
Speaker 2: Okay, how dark is it going to be?
Speaker 3: That is now up to you to decide, because this
thing starts moving pretty quickly.
Speaker 2: Immediately I have done one. What do you want to
do right now.
Speaker 3: Before this thing actually starts and we begin the mini
game of Cobald mind?
Speaker 2: Okay, in this, in this, in this split second, I
grabbed Carlias by the shoulders and I join him like backwards,
up off his feet into the middle cart, and I
dive over onto the controls right because I don't have
dark visions, so if I'm supposed to be spotting spikes
and telling people to like duck, I won't see it.
So I was just like, he can see in the dark,
and I just joint him in the trade places as
fast as I can. What the hell, man, So Carlias
and Lash now in canto. I'm hasting Carlias and Lash
both of them.
Speaker 7: Okay, heist and then I'm going to cast a magic
weapon on what what do you have? Do you have
a weapon, Walter? Are you a magic stuff?
Speaker 2: I don't want to use magic.
Speaker 7: The second I got to I'm like, because my my
dumb ass can't use his crossbow. Well, he's just gonna
sacred flame. Can't trip though?
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I got spells.
Speaker 7: We're going okay near my I.
Speaker 2: Correctly passed the wrench back to Rasiak.
Speaker 3: The cart starts moving very quickly. So the way this
is going to go basically the car here, I'm just
going to give you the rules of the mini game.
Speaker 2: Oh boy, here we go, George final Fantasy.
Speaker 3: And we're uh, it's all. You can always find the
reference somewhere. It's a it's a better fun mini game
to play at home.
Speaker 2: What did I rip this off from?
Speaker 3: So the the mine cart starts going, and the engine
starts rolling, but also it starts going downhill, and this
thing starts to fucking motor and it starts. The wind
is now whipping in your face. The cobald in front
the chambanbulis faan Bamblas just sits there just perfectly fine.
Speaker 5: This is just what he does all day.
Speaker 2: Every day.
Speaker 3: He does appear to be pressing buttons and pulling levers
of his own every now and then throwing some coal
or some water into the furnace theme that he's got
the front of it.
Speaker 2: Raja, you have a wrench in your hand. What am
I supposed to do with this.
Speaker 7: Card?
Speaker 3: And he points at the two bolts that are there
that are wrench size correct, wrench size, socket size whatever.
The in cart one you're in charge of basically keeping
the car on tracks, and it's gonna be whenever. Essentially,
we're going to kind of do this in like action order,
so like there will be one action.
Speaker 2: That will go and everyone will do a check. You'll
make a deck saving throw whenever he shout, so you
to do it, Paul the lever the pecs.
Speaker 3: In Kart two, which is Carlias and Lash, you're in
charge of the party as well being you are going
to be needing to make perception checks each turn to
look out for something dangerous in the tunnel and shout
everyone to avoid it.
Speaker 2: Walter and Arden.
Speaker 3: In three, you're in charge of keeping the speckle rats
that rush after the back of this thing off of
it if it slows it down. If you're basically going
to be shooting at them and trying to keep them
off the back of the thing.
Speaker 5: So it's going to be attack roles.
Speaker 2: This is going to be let me see here a
ship a sh show you what. Oh, I'm just letting
you know. I'm turning spell slots into sorcery points. Just
do whatever you want to do. You guys should be
all full at everything. Who did you haste? I hasted
Lash and Carlias. You hasted them both? Yeah, I twined
it down both of them. Okay, you guys will have
two attempts. Nice to see. In fact, well, I think
I think while the instead of I'll give you advantage.
Speaker 5: It's gonna be easier.
Speaker 3: It's that is what I hate will give you in
this So the car starts like bombing it down this tunnel.
It's very dark, but there are holes and openings all
along it which do actually provide a little bit of
light for those of you that don't have dark vision.
For the most part, you will have some sort of
an idea generally that you're going along.
Speaker 2: You do also every so often.
Speaker 3: Pass like little areas which are just lit up where
there are creatures, some of.
Speaker 2: Them cobald something else.
Speaker 5: You're just moving real fucking fast.
Speaker 3: This thing starts like powering forward, and chamm Ambulis is
just screeching and saying things that you probably don't even
understand and that you speak cobold.
Speaker 2: But he just.
Speaker 3: As this thing starts moving, he then punches you, rajah,
and he says, which one dexterity saving trock?
Speaker 5: Okay, which one do you want to pull?
Speaker 2: I'll pull the well, he said plural right, pull the
right one. I'll pull the right one, and then the
left one.
Speaker 3: He says, everything in plural to be fair. Okay, So
as you hit, he hits you, and he says, pull
the levers. You pull the left one and then you
pull the right one. No no, I said right, then left, right,
and then left, So you pull.
Speaker 6: I don't often matters, but he didn't tell.
Speaker 3: This first check is just to decide whether you go
in the dread tunnels or not. So you pull the
right one, then the left one, and he says.
Speaker 6: What's the part of the right one, And you didn't
say which one.
Speaker 3: The car just goes and then launches and veers right
all if you feel the thing turned, it goes up
on one wheel and into the darkest tunnel you can see.
It's like a roller coaster into a pit of blackness.
Speaker 2: And that's where we end today's session.
Speaker 3: Welcome to the Cobald Mind Tunnel, everybody, and we'll pick
up where that left.
Speaker 2: Sessions. So how many sessions did we send on spend
on a murder mystery? And how many are we going
to spend on this mini game? Three?
Speaker 3: And like one bit of a session, this mini game,
this mini game is literally on rails.
Speaker 2: All right, DM, it could go very wrong for you.
I'm not gonna lie. This is actually pretty tough. It's
like I've sugarcoated it. It's really fun, but it's actually
just horrific. It got pretty horrific as well. So no,
it's all right, it's pretty fun. It's a fun little mini.
Speaker 7: Game that bet everybody's die.
Speaker 3: Maybe we'll see next time. And thanks for watching everybody,
Thanks for hanging out. Make sure you follow all these peaks.
Quick round of shout outs. Did we give up shout outs.
Speaker 2: Or did we not? I feel like we did, but
I think we did, and then we didn't. We were
like we should like one week because we were short
on time. Yeah, there you go. All right, well we've
got time.
Speaker 3: Let's do a quick round of shout Let's start with
Connor Cronus, who next time will have a camera.
Speaker 2: Definitely, it will be raving in the morning to extet
before its slash kind chronous. But I implore all of
you to give love to Brad because he's making that possible.
No longer is Ilios, unfortunately, but soon, soon, really soon.
I've been playing Final Fantasy fifteen though, my first proper
Final Fantasy, so this week I love it.
Speaker 7: I fall in love it.
Speaker 2: I wanted to go back and play all the others.
Speaker 3: Now, oh, you're going to be fucking in I'm not
going to even Start the Flame War also Final Fantasy
fifteen on the Connor Cronus Twitch.
Speaker 2: I did they play through with like no upgrades?
Speaker 3: Ah?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I kind of did that.
Speaker 3: When I did it, though, I just powered through the
main story with the intention of coming back and doing
all the side questions every game. It's a good side
quest game. It's a fucking great side quest game. Actually,
definitely a good stream game. I think I didn't stream it,
but I can imagine that it would be.
Speaker 2: When I learned about the one power of the Ring
where you just vanish people, that was a holy shit moment.
I loved it, This Black Ring, Ummons. And again, hey,
hey spoilers. I actually I haven't played it yet.
Speaker 5: Yeah, Emma hasn't played it, then she might.
Speaker 2: Be definitely worth Tuesday Gray, Hi, I'm Tuesday.
Speaker 8: If you want to watch me do things, you can
do that at Ford Slash Tuesday Gray. You can follow
me on Twitch and Twitter.
Speaker 2: You're coming back to streaming soon or am I being premature? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I'm not talking much about it yet because I don't
have a date yet.
Speaker 2: But I'm blowing that cover right there. I'm blowing on.
Speaker 3: Got the Scoops Tuesday Gray, Massive comeback stream tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Yep, minimum viewers, h.
Speaker 7: Hello Dark Souls three this week and then Yakuza six
next week. Yakaza six is going to be god here.
There's a cat cafe in this one. You get to
go there and have drinks and pet cats, so, you know,
very integral part to the story probably Actually, And I've
been getting my ass kicked around in Dark Souls three,
like I've never been kicked by a game. I've played
Dark Soul three before, but I've never played any of
the DLCs for any souls like and the first DLC
without spoilers, The Boss, The Boss Boss. I've been on
it for two and a half hours on and off.
I've never gotten my ass kicked so hard. So maybe
we beat it today. We'll see.
Speaker 2: I haven't done Dog Souls three. I need to.
Speaker 7: It's pretty fun. Actually, it's it's a little like if
you liked Bloodborne, because it's a little bit fast. It's
not as fast as Bloodborne, but it's a little bit
faster than Dark Souls one two and Demon Souls.
Speaker 2: And I thought that was pretty fun. Yeah, I liked
blood I like Dogs was one of them, Bloborn.
Speaker 7: Yeah, the DLC is supposed to be pretty good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, missed fair Light Excalibar. Hi, I'm fair Light ex
Caliber aka Raja, the guy who cheats I. Right now,
we're going through uh playing Total War Warhammer, so I'm
having a lot of fun with that. Never played any
of them before. And if you want to follow along,
it's twitch dot tv Slash, fair Light, Underscore ex Caliber
And I just got back from packs, so I'm still
I'm still tired. It's two days it's two three days later,
and I'm still tired. But we're we're gonna chug through
it anyway. And I think once I'm done with Total
War I'm gonna go play Final Fantasy fifteen. Nice.
Speaker 7: Also, if you haven't seen Uh, if you haven't seen
fair Light incredibly happy before, go watch him use flamethrowers
in Total War. He gets very happy when he uses
the flamethrowers in that game.
Speaker 2: For good reason. The smell of burning flesh and watching
my enemies melt before me is quite satisfying.
Speaker 7: Dude. The range on that thing is stupid. Like he's like,
all right, well, I'm gonna use my flame throwers and
melt people, and they're like really far away. I was like,
all right, man, good luck with that across the entire
map was like, okay, well never mind.
Speaker 2: I mean, if you've ever, if you've ever, like you
watch movies or play video games where they have flamethrowers,
they're usually like pretty short range. But then if you
watch a video of a real life flamethrower, you realize,
you know, they actually you can melt people from quite
a ways off because it's like it's it's liquid that
is on fire, and so it's like spraying a water hose.
It's not like you're just gushing pure fire that's gonna
go like ten feet and then dissipate into the air.
It's it's spraying out and dousing them with this flaming liquid.
So it's like it could go pretty far. Go get
yourself like one of the jet nozzles and put it
on a hose and look how far it goes. And
that's about how far you can get with a flamethrower.
You got everybody make your own flamethrow with fed like excali,
send me videos if you're melting you know whoever annoys
you on Twitter? Yeah, or just a tree. Maybe don't
kill tree, you know, mister Jay bro Tyite. I don't
even know what we're doing this week. I have no idea.
This week is Dauntless. That's it.
Speaker 4: Don Less, then you go or Cry and yeah, probably
like four other games. So yeah, there's a lot.
Speaker 2: Next week.
Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, I've never played Zero or any of the
other ones. So I'm just gonna go in totally blind,
like a.
Speaker 3: Tune into the on screen this Friday, and on Scream
on Friday, and seventh on a Sunday, which is D
and d neon Scream is the Sprawl.
Speaker 2: Right, what it's called? Yea Sunday.
Speaker 3: There's another table story show called seventh on the Wax
Stephen channel. And then we have a brand new show
called The Nameless Ones, where I say brand new. We're
on episode three, I think, which is a wine What's
Old is New campaign with lots of demons, and I
play a name creature on Mondays here if you want
to catch that other than that will see you next Weddnesday,
where this lot get to face the dread Tunnels are
so excited.
Speaker 5: Or whatever happens.
Speaker 2: What happens.
Speaker 3: Okay, thanks for watching everybody, and thanks for playing players.
Thanks for sticking with us, and we've been on and
off for a couple of weeks and stuff.
Speaker 5: So I appreciate everybody finding us and keeping up with
it all and that and on and off scheduling and ship.
Speaker 3: That's why you should follow us on discord, because that's
the best place to keep up with it.
Speaker 5: But we should be pretty good now. I think we've
got clean air, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, except for well two weeks and that's it. Forget it,
get it, we got get it.
Speaker 6: Bye bye, believer, believer Right.
Speaker 8: You've been listening to Table Stories Dust Fail. If you
like the show, please consider reading and reviewing for more
stories in this world or other worlds for us our
entire library at tablestory dot tv. To support what we do,
you can become a member for discounts on our merch
ad free versions of the podcast and additional bonus content
at tablestory dot tv slash Support. Thanks so much for listening,
and we'll see you next week.