S3 The Story So Far: Eps 31-40

A bonus episode recapping the plot events from S3E31-S3E40

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Tale of the Manticor bonus material the story so far
chapters thirty one to forty. The following few minutes of
audio is not an episode of Tale of the Manticor,
and it will not take the place of a real episode.

(00:24):
It's just bonus content. A summary of the most recent
ten chapters, told as briefly as possible. Let's begin. Chapter
thirty one takes place in the derowth of past and present,
alternating between two narratives. We begin with the PCs it
discover a private bedroom. In it is a bed with

(00:45):
a rock where the pillow ought to be. The narrative
then flashes back to the aftermath of the fight between
Rector Bium and Curate Amazon. The rector is consumed with
horror after killing his former colleague. Back in the present,
the companions find a beautiful crystal chapel and then another
storage room containing an ancient silver scroll case with a

(01:05):
roll of parchment inside. The next chapter picks up with
the discovery of the first Scroll of Galandal, the Derothis'
greatest treasure. Since it is written in Old Zation, the
pieces don't know what it is and simply pack it
away to go over at a later time, when they
continue their investigation of the caves, they find the map room.
In addition to the map, it contains a skeleton clutching

(01:27):
a note in its bony fingers. The note is the
diary and confession of Rectorbiome. In it, he asks whoever
finds the note to deliver the map and the sacred
scroll to a certain cleric Inzatia. He also mentions a
devil that lurks outside the cave mouth. The pieces decide
that it's time to go back, and when they reach
the exit, they are stunned to find a gigantic, misshapen

(01:50):
creature outside. Chapter thirty three is really just about one thing,
the fight to escape du Roth. To do that, the
companions must get past a giant forest troll. Between the
use of a glitterjust spell and the surprise reappearance of
the blink Dog, who aids them in the fight, they
eventually hurt the troll badly enough to drive it off.

(02:10):
In the next chapter, the companions leave de Roath and
head north, still in search of the recluse Odok Zagog.
A conversation in which Drenny quotes a dwarven idiom leads
to a flashback, where we learn that the elf before
he became a hunter began his adult life as a traitor.
The story then shifts to a second flashback, this one
concerning Aldbai. One day before a Killy was born. He

(02:34):
finds a young elfin woman asleep in the forest. When
they off, wakes up and the two look into each
other's eyes. They immediately fall in love. Chapter thirty four
concludes when the party makes camp and Achillia gives their
newest companion a name. In chapter thirty five, Flicker officially
becomes a member of the party. Fairwin has his first

(02:55):
real chance to study the first scroll of Galandal and
learns about something called the Golden Path that the Drothi
were seeking. He also learns that there is another scroll
and that both are needed for clear instructions on finding
the path. Later, Duranny calls a sudden halt when he
spies the Iron Tower once again, but it disappears long
before the pieces can approach it. Instead of causing Anchilla

(03:18):
grief and anger, this sighting only strengthens her resolve. It
also leads her companions to speculate about why the tower
seems to be following roughly the same path that they are. Finally,
the party has a run in with a dryad. Luckily
for them, the dangerous forest spirit is neither offended nor
threatened by their presence. She allows them to take some mushrooms,

(03:39):
and they are able to walk away from the encounter unentered.
In the next chapter, Tentu's life is placed in jeopardy
when he eats one of the dryad's mushrooms. Instead of
harmless hedgehog mushrooms, they are fools funnel, a fungus that
is deadly if ingested. Fortune favors the elf, however, for
he is able to split the mushroom out before its
poison can enter Assistace. During the following day's travel, when

(04:02):
the companions emerge from a hilly forest and get a
clear view of the mountains to the north, Achillier recognizes
the vista from Odok's ketchbook. Now they are certain that
the reclusive historian is not far off. In chapter thirty
seven is the companions draw closer to their destination, the
inter a region where the land is more highly infused
with the magic. They begin to encounter strange creatures and

(04:25):
have vivid dreams. Dernni has a troubling one. In it,
he relives the real memory of being commanded to abandon
his former mentor, the Old Crow, to a group of works.
Dernnie still wonders if he should have disobeyed orders and
fought alongside the other elf. Later in the day, the
companions encounter a displacer beast, drawn to them by the
presence of Flicker. The battle is furious but short in it,

(04:49):
the pieces take some injuries but ultimately slay the monster.
In the next chapter, the companions continue their journey in
search of the historian odok Zygog, but their progress is
altered by a terrible storm, forcing them to take shelter
in the hollowed out bowl of a giant oak. The
story now changes point of view to the occupants of
the Iron Tower. We learn that they are in possession

(05:11):
of the missing second Scroll of Galindal, and presumably are
in this region to search for the Golden Path. We
also learn that the master and servant relationship between fimgrim
Atrash and Bellario is not as it first appeared. We
return to the companions in the morning after the storm
has passed, to find dur Reni gone. Tenttu goes off

(05:31):
to find him, leaving the others to wait. Episode thirty
nine begins with the flashback in which Aldby and the
elfin maiden Eulalon share a blissful life together. Eulaluon teaches
Aldve the magical art of imbuing life into inanimate things,
and Aldve creates Robin. When we rejoined the Companions and
the present ten Tier has gone off to comfort his brother,

(05:53):
who has been suffering from guilt, regret, and self doubt. Later,
when the party members are all together again, they visit
all here. Court succeeds in communicating with an old willow.
From this, he manages to figure out the location of
odok Zagog's home. A few hours later, the Companions arrive
at the spot, and while they do find a cottage,
to everyone's disappointment, it appears to be abandoned. The last

(06:17):
episode of this roundup concerns the exploration of that cottage.
It certainly appears to have been abandoned, but when Fairwind
closely inspects a certain boot mat, remembering a past lesson
about seeing the true nature of things, the illusion is
broken and everyone can see that it is not a
mat at all, but a door and a strange one.
When Achillea opens it, the party is astounded to find

(06:39):
themselves looking down into what seems like an underground complex
that has been turned on its side. B