Main Character - Ep. 25 - Dawn

With the party split and Muhn gone, our group tries to figure out their next moves.

Join us for a live, improvised actual play journey where the lines between game and reality blur, and every choice could shape the fate of a world.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, this is Wax Stephen from table Story. If you
like this podcast, please make sure to rate and review it.
If you would like to listen to more of our podcasts,
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slash support, and if you'd like to join our community,

(00:21):
make sure to go to table story dot tv slash discord.
Thank you, enjoy.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Moon.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
You awaken. As you begin to awake, you see a
strange sight around you. You're laying on what feels like
a blanket, but it's hard. Beneath the blanket, it feels

(01:25):
like stone rock. Oh, you're in pain. You are weary.
It feels like your body's been through the wringer.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
I set up all the way.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
You see a strange sight before you out Beyond this
room that you are in, you see ruins and not ruins,

(02:20):
stone city, lava. You recognize that you are underground.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
What does it smell like?

Speaker 1 (02:44):
It smells like a little bit of sulfur, smells like.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Charcoal.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Am I on a balcony right now looking at all
of this.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
You are in some kind of stone cave. There are
furnishings around made of mostly stone, blankets thrown over them,
leather and such.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
I reach out to touch the leather. What kind of
leather is this?

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Let's see. I'm gonna activate something for you. You should
see a new character sheep for yourself.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Man, mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Do you see this?

Speaker 4 (03:54):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Okay? You realize that you you are, first of all,
not wearing your armor. Your shields are nowhere to be seen.
You're in simple lane, feels like black vestments. It's kind

(04:18):
of hard to see. It's very very low light. You're
getting some light from what appears to be outside the window,
a lake of magma.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
I stand there and allow my eyes to adjust and focus.
Even though it's dark, I can still sort of make
out these really strange shapes and these strange buildings, and

(04:59):
I'm trying to see a scan for any sort of
life activity within these buildings ruins from here.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Sure give me an insight, and insight please just an open.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
A nine.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
You don't really see anything happening there as far as
signs of life other than the magma flowing about from
different rivulets, coming from various places, flowing into the lake.
And what must have some sort of outflow. Maybe in
the far distance, you can see a few almost like Minecraft.

(05:45):
You see the little little bubbles pop of magma, and
they just kind of throw some embers up into the
air here and there.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
I'm watching all this and waiting and what feels a
little bit like too long of a silence. But I
almost feel like I'm dreaming. So I pinch myself, and

(06:20):
I'm not really feeling the pain, so I just kind
of pinch myself some more. And then I realized that
I'm pinching this part of my arm that has a
weird slash through it, and that's actually not something that
I can feel right now. So I call out, hello, Hello, Hello.

Speaker 5 (06:39):
Hello, hello.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
Voice from inside the room seems to come from nowhere.
Hello there.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
I swallow so hard. My name name is Moon, Moon Moon.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Please do not shout it bothers my ears.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
I make myself small.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
Sorry.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
I make my way out of the cave just a
little bit.

Speaker 6 (07:29):
Where where are you?

Speaker 1 (07:38):
I am here, and looking to the side in a
sort of shadowed nook of the room, steps forth a
very very pale looking elf, gaunt and small, probably five

(08:05):
three something about like that. They are wearing what appears
to be black paint around their eyes, black robes, very thin,
very pale, very gaunt, but their eyes are this sort of.

Speaker 6 (08:33):
They're like a bit.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
Larger than normal, and they have this golden sheen to them.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
I feel the little hairs on the back of my
neck stand up as soon as I make eye contact
with this individual, and I realize that I'm wringing my
hands together because I'm actually afraid, and my gut feeling

(09:05):
is telling me one thing. But instead I stand my
ground and and I ask, what's your name?

Speaker 1 (09:27):
Are you from the surface?

Speaker 2 (09:32):
I nod hesitantly.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
It has been some time since our people I have
met anyone from the surface.

Speaker 7 (09:54):
How long would you say, any decade's at the least?

Speaker 2 (10:07):
I see I am Assurial.

Speaker 1 (10:20):
Asheriel nods his head briefly slightly.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
Can I just call you bash? That is not my name, okay,
Vecheriel it is. It's good to meet you. I just
woke up in this cave, and I gesture, I'm gonna

(10:53):
be real with you, that Scheriel. I'm not sure how
I got here.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Neither are we, unless you mean in this room.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
I take off my gloves. Everything has just a hint
of blood. On it. Do you have a place I
can rest?

Speaker 1 (11:37):
This is the place we have provided for you to do.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
So this an I gesture, This is the this is
the place. Yes, cozy, I suppose. Uh would it be

(12:04):
too much to ask if maybe I could join you
for a meal?

Speaker 1 (12:12):
Of course you are hungry and thirsty.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yes, yes, And as he says this, my stomach goes araw.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
I will see to it.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
But first, your name, My name is Moon, And I
extend a hand.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
It looks at your hands strangely alien? What is this?

Speaker 5 (12:49):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (12:51):
Uh, well, it's it's really more of a of a
of a greeting on this surface. And I take both
my hands and I put them in front of myself
and with this, you know your other hand. You like this,
and you we shake hands, and you offer me your
right hand, and then you clasp mine, and that just

(13:14):
kind of says.

Speaker 1 (13:15):
Hello, Your hands speaks.

Speaker 4 (13:25):
In a way.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
Sure, this is strange.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Wait we can we can always work on that later.
You know, no worries, Oh no, I just I just
tend to greet people emphatically.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Ah, you're not worried, bitar, And I do not believe
this one wishes to hurt me.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
No, no, but I am looking clearly uncomfortable. So about
that food, I would love some.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
I will provide you with food and drink. Your injuries
have been.

Speaker 8 (14:23):
Severe, yes, yes, And I look down in my arm
your and then I look back at the sheel.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
I think it would be best if I didn't stay long.
I'm mum. I'm kind of running from a series of
bad events, and I don't want to get you involved.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
That is understandable. However, I am the one who tended
your wounds. Oh, in our settlement, it is unkind to

(15:29):
do such a thing, To leave after such a gift
has been given.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
My shoulders drop and you can see my tension kind
of ease a little as he says that he tended
to my wounds. My apologies. Of course, I can stay,
and I mean that genuinely.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
Good tarn. We'll watch you. I will be back shortly.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Okay, thank you.

Speaker 1 (16:16):
He just kind of SLINKs into the shadows and he's gone.
You just lost track of where he went.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
But okay, I look around some more, kind of sniff
the air, and it almost seems like it's not volcanic
in here, but but it is warm, and I feel

(16:44):
like say, it's both humid and dry at the same time.

Speaker 1 (16:50):
Yeah, and there are it looks like stars in this cave.
And maybe you can just barely make out something hanging
from a from a stalac height. Ones that are tight
hang from the ceiling.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
I think stalactite.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
Yeah, you can make out that there are Yeah, there
there appear to be things fluttering about the bottom of
a stalactite nearby that are giving off this kind of glow.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
I look at it for a second too long, and
it's like looking at the sun. I feel a tickle
in my nose. Ah, I'm so thirsty. I examine the

(17:52):
stalactite a bit closer.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
It's still like not super close to you. I mean,
you're just kind of looking at one that's it's.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
Maybe, but it's pretty far up there.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, maybe fifty feet away something like that. And there's
just that there's just like the barest differentiation and a
shadow nearby. You get the impression you're not alone in
the room.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
I suddenly looked to my left. Is someone here?

Speaker 1 (18:42):
Do you think we would leave you alone in our home?

Speaker 2 (18:52):
I would think you would at least want to speak
face to face if I'm in your home. Otherwise I
feel like a of an invader.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
You are an invader.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
Now, that's not very nice.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Partially emerging from the shadows, you see another figure slightly taller, thinner,
and wearing what appears to be a strange kind of
armor that you haven't seen. She has a slightly feminine

(19:32):
feel about her, and she has long white hair, white braids.
The armor looks tightness nature.

Speaker 4 (19:56):
Hello.

Speaker 1 (19:59):
She does not respond.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
My name is Moon, and I don't want to overstay
my welcome.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
That is good. I warned as serial not to let
you into our home.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
I look at her with more concern than threat, and
I say, you.

Speaker 4 (20:44):
Were right.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
To think that. I I like your armor.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
You will not take it from me.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
I will not take it from you. Did you craft that?

Speaker 5 (21:18):
Here?

Speaker 1 (21:25):
You can't see her face, it is hidden behind this
kiteness mask, but her posture changes slightly. Perhaps why.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
It's unlike anything I've seen. This is my first time
in this in this place. I'm from the surface. It
looks like that took a lot of time and attention,

(22:03):
and that it's well made. Sometimes good armor is hard
to come by up above.

Speaker 1 (22:11):
It is necessary here.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
I look back, and I look around. Is there anywhere
to maybe light of fire? Are they these camping folks,
because they don't seem like the camping type.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
I imagine it's pretty warm. It's probably like maybe even
above room temperature. It feels a little.

Speaker 6 (22:48):
Bit like a.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
Like a warm summer day in the corning.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
I think I'm thinking more along the lines of like
a community, like a circle or some somewhere where we
can sit. I don't I don't know.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah, yeah, I mean there's like there's this sort of
slab of stone that must serve as some kind of bed,
and there is probably like a table adjacent built from
the wall, and like a like a stool or something

(23:26):
to sit on, all made out of stone.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Okay, So stone is the default furniture, seems like okay,
And she's still just staring at me. From from what
I can gather.

Speaker 1 (23:54):
She's turned in your direction.

Speaker 4 (23:55):
Yeah, okay, I am.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
I look at the ruins or city. I look at
these structures. What do you call this place?

Speaker 1 (24:20):
You must excuse me. I am not well versed in
speaking with surface dwellers. This is.

Speaker 7 (24:42):
Fervillai fervillay.

Speaker 1 (24:51):
The surface folk would call it the echo of dawn?

Speaker 2 (24:59):
Have I heard of the good.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
You can make? Insight? And insight difficulty will be fourteen.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
Okay, Oh is this open check a world tigre insight
and insight?

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (25:19):
Oh, but it's a twelve. But it's a crit.

Speaker 5 (25:22):
But it does.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
But I didn't make it.

Speaker 1 (25:24):
No, that counts.

Speaker 2 (25:27):
Yeah, twelve, but but the difficulty is fourteen.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
It doesn't matter a crit if you so basically, if
you're on max on any dice, even if it would
normally be a fail. If you roll doubles maximum on
any die, that's a crit.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Okay, right on, all right, so sweet cool.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
So you have an opportunity, how would you like to
use it?

Speaker 2 (25:52):
Okay, let me consults the opportunity list here. Oh kind
oh m hm, well I think I really I would
love to go with unmask and uh that I think

(26:16):
would go to this person in front of me. I
would want to learn the goals and motivations of her.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
Okay, she's clearly a warrior. They are clearly concerned about you.
You have not they have. It's if they are being
truthful with you. They have not seen a surface dweller
in many decades, okay, And considering that this person is

(26:52):
with the healer suggests that this person is some kind
of guard or some such and I think as they
say this, they say, I am Trn, I am the

(27:17):
guardian of the tunnels. Oh, I am a sentinel here.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
I see that's a worthy charge, very honorable Tarn? Was it.

Speaker 7 (27:37):
Horn Horn?

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Tarn? I'm moan, it's good to meet you. Perhaps you
can show me some of these things that you're guarding
yourself from. Maybe I can help. You've already tended to
my wounds, and I'm about to. I'm assuming and indulgence
and food here, so I wouldn't want to take anything

(28:01):
without at least having helped in some manner.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
You had wounds from weapons and scratches. According to Ashriel,
you are a warrior.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yes, why are you here? How didn't you figure that
out myself? It's I'm still looking for the answer to
that question. I somehow heliported, and I'm hoping that she

(29:00):
understands what that means. But I look at her kind
of quizzically. I'm not sure.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
Another voice from your right, as Ashriel makes his presence known,
I do not know what you.

Speaker 6 (29:37):
Prefer.

Speaker 1 (29:39):
What this is what we have for you. There is
a plate of what appears to be various kinds of
fun guy, and some clearly like some insect meat, m

(30:02):
and some water.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
To me, it looks genuinely delicious and I take it willingly.
Oh wow, And I inspect the fungus especially. Is this
a fungus that I recognize?

Speaker 1 (30:22):
Now? You gotta quit. I will from before.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
I'm supplying to the fungus check.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yeah, well this was in regards to you. This was
in regards to you, kind of just like I guess,
just recognizing that word. And you must have heard it
somewhere before. I don't know where you might have heard
this place mentioned before, this thur villets, but it is

(30:54):
it's familiar to you, okay. And as far as the
mushroom grow ago, I think you just kind of recognize
maybe that they're like not poisonous.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
Okay, so they're edible, okay, I uh, I take it
and I thank him. This is gonna go down real easy.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
And I heard you speak too, Tarn. Your name is.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
Moon, yes, kind of just standing there with a plate
of food and looking down at it, like, do you mind,
do you mind? If do you mind?

Speaker 7 (31:38):
If I can?

Speaker 2 (31:39):
I can? I have?

Speaker 1 (31:42):
The body does as it does mm hm, oh my.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Gosh, I'm so hungry.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Oh.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
I shall thank you, Torn, thank you. I mm hmm,
do you know what hungry is? We are you're hungry
and you're angry. Do you ever get angry? From?

Speaker 6 (32:03):
Do you get angry?

Speaker 1 (32:07):
They sort of like share a glance with each other.
I do not understand what you speak of.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's like when you're hungry and you're angry and you
put the words together and you're you're angry. Hell, I'm
speaking nonsense. I'm I'm sorry, I've been I've been a
bit dazed. Just ignore me.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
I have only tended to your most severe wounds so
that you would not die.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
Thank you, Thank you, don't I don't feel dead.

Speaker 1 (32:50):
You mentioned, too, tarn, that you are a warrior and
that you are unsure how you arrived here. Yes, and
yet you have found our settlement that no one should
be able to find.

Speaker 2 (33:14):
Very sorry about that. I it wasn't intentional, and I
am uncertain of how this transpired, but I was saying
the tarn that I really would like I'd like to
help offer assistance. You saved my life, and I dig

(33:37):
back into the food. You know, I'm good at I'm
good at killing things, and I can I can help
you defend if you need defend. I'm pretty good at that.

Speaker 5 (33:51):
If you need.

Speaker 2 (33:51):
Anybody tossed out of a house, I can do that too.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
We are unsure if you can be trusted for now
your armor and shield and what remains of your other
shield or not here before you return them to you.

(34:29):
We must know that you mean no harm, despite what
you say. Harn then speaks up, despite what you say,
we do not know you, and we have no love

(34:57):
for the people of the surface. Are you from Millifax?

Speaker 2 (35:11):
No, but I am familiar with Millifax, and if I may,

(35:32):
on the surface, we feed those that we love. We
don't waste food, and I would never say that you
should have any love. But you just gave me a
great sign of trust. And I also look at Ashril.

(35:57):
I won't throw that away. You saved my life. But
I understand and I will prove myself.

Speaker 6 (36:15):
Moon.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
It's been a long time since I've really had to
do much with your interface, aside from when the group
arrived for the second time in quite a while. You'll

(36:41):
notice that you have notification.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
I squint my eyes because it's it's not something that
I've seen in a long time. It's like looking at
an old photo and it's just like you see it
in your mind and I kind of reach out like
ah and I touch it.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
You have a new quest should be visible to you
in the journal tab. It is titled get Answers, and

(37:37):
there are two objectives that you have listed there. Find
out why you can absorb emberstone and why is Tim
Cross here and what is his part in all of this.
You will also note, for the first time in a

(37:59):
very long time, Moon, your level is fifty one.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
I don't believe my eyes. Is this broken? Is this broken?

Speaker 6 (38:20):
What?

Speaker 1 (38:26):
You also remember another thing that catches your eye. You
have some kind of new resource available to you, ultimate points,

(38:54):
and says that you have three.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
I tap on ultimate points?

Speaker 3 (39:08):
Is this is this right?

Speaker 7 (39:12):
That's all right?

Speaker 2 (39:13):
Why is that there?

Speaker 4 (39:15):
Do this makes sense?

Speaker 2 (39:19):
And I realized that I've been saying all of this
in front of Ashraylan Tarn. In any case, I'm I'm
your guest. I'm your guest, and all I will respect that.
My eyes keep darting to my in gay menu.

Speaker 1 (39:42):
What the fuck? Moon? Even after you've eaten, there's like
a strange feeling that you have as well. You've eaten food,
you drink water, you still feel thirsty.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
I look at my water glass, which has more water
in it.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
It's probably a stone cup. They wouldn't have glass.

Speaker 2 (40:25):
M all right, stone everything, and uh m, I ignore it.

Speaker 1 (40:47):
Are you well? You are speaking strangely?

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Yes, I'm sorry. I'm okay. Perhaps we could go for
a walk. I do feel a bit antsy after eating
and just waking up. I think I could use maybe
a walk to clear my head.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
We will accompany you.

Speaker 4 (41:27):
Certainly.

Speaker 1 (41:31):
You can see without you you didn't notice this happened
in the slightest, but you can see that horn has
moved next to you. And she says, do not threaten

(41:55):
anyone or any of our belongings, or I will kill
you where you stand.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
You got it?

Speaker 6 (42:17):
Follow?

Speaker 2 (42:21):
I follow, I clench my jaw. I'm aware of this.
It's almost like a like a feeling, like a splinter
an itch. I look at that's reel ash reel. How

(42:46):
tall is.

Speaker 1 (42:46):
Tarn maybe five four five five?

Speaker 2 (42:50):
Okay, so they're both for a relatively shorter than I am.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
Oh yeah, you're like almost seven feet tall.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
I think, yeah, I'm definitely looking down. So when she
says I'll kill you where you stand, I hope there's
no smirk on my face. But I'm thinking Sherry little shorty, okay,

(43:17):
but I follow them.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
There's an arch that you pass through, serving as kind
of a doorway. These places full of arches and columns,
varying kinds of stone. If you don't get a good

(43:45):
look at it, it might look the same, but there
are subtle differences amongst the stones, different designs, and.

Speaker 6 (43:59):
There are are.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
Very few lights. Most of the light that is in
this place comes from this whatever these stars are, and
the lava lake outside. As you leave this place, there
is a i guess, a small path leading to this

(44:28):
what appears to be a small home. The buildings are
often domed and spiked with towers. You get the impression
that some of this settlement, the city below the surface,

(44:50):
is made from ruins. Maybe it's a slight difference in
the architecture that you might see between the ruins and
and workings of this place.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
I'm in awe. I look around.

Speaker 1 (45:09):
It's definitely very strange, like it's the city is kind
of built very differently than you might expect. There's a
lot of darkness here.

Speaker 2 (45:21):
I think it's beautiful. It feels so nice on my eyes,
like like those things that you had as a kid
when they spun in your in your bedroom and it
lit up and you can see the stars kind of
on the ceiling. That's how I feel right now. It's
like everything is this very gentle night light, and I'm

(45:45):
not uncomfortable even though I'm so unfamiliar with this area.
It's like, I don't mind staying a little longer.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Ash Reel is leading the way and Tarn follows behind you.
As you look, you see no one. It feels like
this place is empty. Maybe you can catch a whisper
here and there.

Speaker 2 (46:23):
I imagine I'm probably sticking out like not just the
sore thumb, but all five fingers.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
You wish to walk this is our home.

Speaker 2 (46:42):
Oh. I didn't say that out loud, by the way, GM.
I was just I was just thinking.

Speaker 1 (46:45):
That the walk part.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
Oh No, the walk for sure, but I wouldn't say that, Oh,
I'm sticking all like a sore though. You're like, I'm
just kind of okay, okay, yeah, and I respond, it's
very lovely.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
You are the first surface dweller that has seen this
place in a very long time.

Speaker 2 (47:19):
Well, I'm I'm I'm honored, and I won't take that lightly.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
You say you are not from Milifax. No, that means
that mile Offax is still flourishing.

Speaker 6 (47:45):
Yes, a pity.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
May I inquire as to your history with mill Offax.

Speaker 1 (48:05):
I think for the first time you hear you hear
tarn sort of speak out of turn, and there's just
kind of a like a tick or a tisk that
you hear hard. Please, I am sorry, ash real mill

(48:35):
eFax is our enemy.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
And I at this I I have several things I'd
like to say, but.

Speaker 6 (48:57):
I go with.

Speaker 2 (49:01):
I see, they've as long as I have known, mill
Offax has always been there. Are you saying there was

(49:22):
a time when perhaps you knew mill Offax better.

Speaker 1 (49:32):
Our people were Once on the surface, we had a
great nation, and now it is ruined.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
And look around some more.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
We have made our home here out of necessity. Once
mighty people reduced too dwindling numbers. Do they still speak

(50:24):
of Alan Hue on the surface?

Speaker 2 (50:34):
Yes, of course. And I blink several times like, wait
a minute, is that? And I look around? Is that
where I am right now?

Speaker 1 (50:57):
As I have said, you are in.

Speaker 7 (51:03):
Fervolay, of course, Ervola is it?

Speaker 1 (51:19):
Milan Shu was the dawn and we are but an echo.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
I see, And I try and remain neutral as he explains,
my people.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
We are known as the Velithar. Those who remain Hm.

Speaker 2 (52:04):
I see, well, is this the life that you want?

Speaker 7 (52:16):
Are you.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
Are?

Speaker 2 (52:18):
Are you here because you want to be here? Or
you can't leave? Do you want to be on the surface?
I have so many questions and they all kind of
come babbling out of my mouth like art, But are you?
Are you happy here? Have we there's community up on
this on the surface. I'm certain we could. There's so

(52:40):
much space. If you don't like it here weed, there's
there's spots for you. This is I realize, of course,
and I'm babbling and I'm immediately like shut up, moan yes.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
As they continue speaking with you and walking, you come
to what appears to be a statue in a some
sort of communal square. It's not square, it would be round,

(53:39):
be cylindrical here, almost like an amphitheater actually, and there's
a statue in the center that you recognize. You it's
not quite the same, but you have seen the representation

(54:08):
of this statue before. It's different, but there's enough there
to trigger your memory. Looks a little bit like vulcanar
irises or canon.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
And suddenly it makes sense why I feel somewhat familiar
and comforted by these people. Oh, oh my god, Iris
won't believe this. Iris, And suddenly I start remembering my

(54:59):
friends and I look at that's real? How long would
you like me to stay as a guest.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
This is a statue of our people's last king.

Speaker 6 (55:38):
He was a.

Speaker 1 (55:41):
Master of the forge.

Speaker 2 (55:50):
And was all remember his name? Right?

Speaker 1 (55:55):
Do you think you do?

Speaker 2 (55:59):
I want to say it. It was Vulcanar.

Speaker 1 (56:06):
Is that you are you asking me?

Speaker 2 (56:08):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (56:09):
Okay? I mean this is up to you if you
remember this or not. But Vulcanar is correct. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (56:19):
I think I probably won't say anything and I'll just
keep gazing at the statue like huh. But I know
who this is.

Speaker 1 (56:31):
He is both a hero and some see him as
the failure of our people for not stopping Millifax from

(56:52):
destroying us. When I see tails that we have. One
of the tails that has remained was that vulcan Aar

(57:21):
would take in those in need. Some people believe this
to be foolish. Some people believe this to be altruistic.

(57:46):
Tarn believes we should blindfold you and place you in
a cave somewhere and let you find your own way,

(58:11):
you yourself have said that we should do such, and
yet you say that you wish to help us.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
I do that's only if you require assistance. I think
that one good deed deserves another. And if I were
to give someone some of my food and heal them
and tend to their wounds, I wouldn't be expecting anything,

(58:55):
but I'd at least expect not to disturb the peace.
So all I'm asking is for safe passage. I should
probably leave sooner rather than later. And I kind of
look at him a bit more intensely. I am familiar

(59:20):
with lots of death, and I don't want to bring
that here.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
And the way that you can repay us is by
telling anyone what you have seen here today from the surface.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
I have my word.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Very well, then follow yet more. I will not use
to your weapons and your armor.

Speaker 2 (01:00:23):
If you think, and I look at tarn, if you
think you would rather blindfold me and leave me in
a cave, I've had worse. I'd find my way. You
wouldn't have to worry about me. You've already saved my life.

(01:00:45):
Let me leave you in peace.

Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
Very well.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
I will take my things and go, or you can
lead me out of here and turn. You can be
the one to put me anywhere.

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
There is no need yet, I will act when it
is required of me.

Speaker 6 (01:01:34):
I not.

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
Down below the surface. We know better than to waste
our energy. Follow begins to step down a path from
the sort of amphitheater like area here, and you walk

(01:02:02):
through a series of columns all sort of shadowed.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
You kind of duck my head in some spots.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
These people are seemingly much short shorter than you. But
the archways and such are very tall.

Speaker 4 (01:02:23):
Oh they're large.

Speaker 1 (01:02:24):
Yeah, And the columns and such are very tall. The uh,
they seem to be both for ventilation as well as
for I guess vision, probably m hm. And eventually you

(01:02:46):
come to another arched area. There appears to be just
kind of like a stone box, and there is a
resonance from this box. You feel something inside. Now you

(01:03:09):
recognize your shield was badly damaged, and I read you.

(01:03:36):
You see that Angel's revelry is no longer a shield.
What remains.

Speaker 6 (01:03:56):
Is a sword.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
Then I pick it up. It's surprisingly heavy, and I
lay the blade into one hand and have the hilt
in the other, and I look, what is this? It's amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
Smith's could not understand what this was. They saw your
shield and its enchantments and presumed it would be unbreakable.

Speaker 3 (01:05:00):
It's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:05:01):
I don't know what to say. I haven't seen this
type of craftsmanship in a really long time.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
I take it and I step away from the two
of them. Whow And you can hear as I like
wield it, there's like a bit of a Doppler effect
from the breeze. It's cutting and sharp too.

Speaker 1 (01:05:34):
This well, here, Smith's my.

Speaker 2 (01:05:37):
Highest compliments.

Speaker 1 (01:05:40):
They did nothing. This is the shard of your shield.
They were able to identify it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:02):
Give them my thanks for finding it and taking good
care of it. Anyway, I grab the rest of my
things and start to don my armor.

Speaker 1 (01:06:15):
You see that one of your shields is still a shield.
Death's embrace still remains well faithful.

Speaker 2 (01:06:28):
Then I pounded a little bit. You can hear like
the toun reverberate.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Your valkyrie plate still remains, your winged helm still remains.
As you hold this sword, it is an echo. You
feel it's sort of resonance, like you felt when you
would hold Angel's revelry. But this is no longer Angel's revelry.

(01:07:00):
This is your soul bound weapon, broken revelry.

Speaker 2 (01:07:08):
Broken revelry. M that's somewhat accurate. I look at my
two new friends. I'm not even sure are my friends,
and I nod at them. I'm forever in your debt,

(01:07:32):
but please let me be on my way.

Speaker 1 (01:07:43):
Very well. I will guide you. You will wear this
over your eyes, and Tarn goes forth a essentially a
bandana like windfold Lusha.

Speaker 2 (01:08:14):
I had a bandana right now, I kneel so she
can put it around my face.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
Moon, you noticed something else. One of the structures nearby
has worked into some of the some of the architecture

(01:08:46):
a familiar red crystal. Recognized it immediately as emberstone.

Speaker 2 (01:09:07):
Emberstone, So Eve been down here.

Speaker 1 (01:09:13):
I would like you to please make me willpower and
willpower check. The difficulty is twelve.

Speaker 2 (01:09:24):
Just a rule check. That's a ten failure.

Speaker 1 (01:09:32):
Okay, Moon, Tarn is instructing you about something, but you've
kind of lost Tarn in the background. You find yourself
moving towards the wall. Now you see this emberstone crystal

(01:09:57):
worked into and the rest kind of is drowned out. Wow,

(01:10:17):
it's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:10:26):
My eyes are just wide. You can see the reflection
of the emberstone in my pupils and I reach out.

Speaker 7 (01:10:47):
That's so beautiful.

Speaker 1 (01:10:54):
As your hand makes contact with the emberstone, begin to
absorb it.

Speaker 2 (01:11:05):
Mm hmmmm.

Speaker 6 (01:11:14):
M.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
Please roll.

Speaker 5 (01:11:21):
A.

Speaker 1 (01:11:22):
I think this will just be a D two.

Speaker 2 (01:11:28):
H two.

Speaker 1 (01:11:34):
You gain two ultimate points.

Speaker 4 (01:11:39):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (01:11:46):
I feel like I can breathe eier and I feel
this sense of imbued energy like I just took shot
a caffeine or hell, I don't know what this feels like,
but smoked a whole pack of cigarettes or something. I'm

(01:12:08):
on cloud nine. I can feel it. It's like a
head Hi. I'm just swimming in this pulse right now.
It's a good kind of pulse. It's like the opposite
of a headache. It's like a really good solid throb
and it's coursing through my veins.

Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
A enes as we find a different member of the party. Rue,

(01:13:10):
you're all the way back in Skaldmere and it has
been a day. I would like you to start things
off with a role for me. Please. I would like
you to please roll.

Speaker 2 (01:13:32):
A.

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
I think this will be a dex and a dex.

Speaker 9 (01:13:41):
Oh no, okay, okay, how did things go wrong on
your quest to find the source of these problems?

Speaker 5 (01:13:56):
Oh? A beautiful woman was involved after all, and instead
of agreeing to end the cause of all these issues,
I have been ensorceld and now I'm in the middle

(01:14:20):
of trying to figure out how to con all of
the sailors and dock workers alongside this very beautiful woman
that I don't even know what her name is.

Speaker 1 (01:14:31):
Okay, you said in front of a dock worker.

Speaker 5 (01:14:39):
No, we are going to rob all of the dock workers. Okay,
coming up with the plan. I am definitely not getting
paid anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:14:48):
Okay, So your plan was to completely ignore the quest
and rob the dock workers. Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 5 (01:14:56):
Not the plan, but that is the plan. Now you
see how it's all turning Belly's side up. Okay, I'm
just leaning over this crate listening to this woman talk
about whatever it is that she's been doing to these

(01:15:17):
hooks and these people and these men and these workers.

Speaker 4 (01:15:22):
Uh huh.

Speaker 5 (01:15:24):
My tail flicks curiously behind me, almost like a question mark,
as I'm just staring deeply into her eyes. Yeah, yeah,
I am. They they have no idea. I uh huh.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
Why are we trying to rub us?

Speaker 6 (01:15:58):
Well?

Speaker 5 (01:16:00):
You know, I was put under a spell.

Speaker 1 (01:16:06):
Yeah, smacker again, And there's this like crusty looking. Uh,
there's this crusty looking doc worker that just kind of
like backhands you across the face.

Speaker 3 (01:16:24):
That's what thieves get.

Speaker 1 (01:16:27):
Mhm.

Speaker 5 (01:16:32):
You should have seen her. I mean you would have
made the same call. I guess.

Speaker 1 (01:16:43):
Who's ha.

Speaker 5 (01:16:46):
The mermaid.

Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
They all look at each other.

Speaker 5 (01:16:53):
The mermaid, Yeah, she's all done. What with your hooks?

Speaker 1 (01:17:03):
He's making an insight and willpower open check.

Speaker 3 (01:17:07):
Jesus eight.

Speaker 1 (01:17:16):
Yeah, they kind of they look at each other and
they're like, yeah, but that doesn't give it a right
to steal. Nobody's been stealing. And yeah. Uh, the one

(01:17:36):
that smacked you's got got his arms crossed and he
just he's glowering at you, grabs you by the chin,
sort of like gets a good look in your eye,
you know, smell tail, stanky bioh and nasty breath.

Speaker 5 (01:17:55):
Smell my tail like an exclamation point just goes straight
up bristling.

Speaker 3 (01:18:01):
Hey, what go of me?

Speaker 5 (01:18:05):
If you know what's good.

Speaker 1 (01:18:06):
For you, you're gonna answer our questions fashed.

Speaker 5 (01:18:10):
I'm gonna stab him with a bladed rose.

Speaker 1 (01:18:12):
Okay, yeah, I'm make an attack roll, I guess and
eleven Okay, yeah, you stab him. It looks down like holding,
where did you stab.

Speaker 5 (01:18:29):
Him in the neck?

Speaker 1 (01:18:31):
In the neck? Okay, yeah, yeah, all right, yep, stab
him right in the neck.

Speaker 2 (01:18:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:18:43):
I warned you what you want?

Speaker 1 (01:18:47):
Weapons?

Speaker 6 (01:18:47):
Grab up.

Speaker 1 (01:18:48):
Everyone just kind of like there's like a group of like, uh,
roll for it. I guess, uh two others aside from
this woman and this one that you just stabbed. As
you stab them in the neck, the blood immediately like
covers your hand, squirts out all over your hand. Uh

(01:19:11):
and uh yeah, they just they fall back to the
ground and the others, the other three that are there
are all a bit bewildered at what just happened. And
holy shit. They they're looking around a bit wildly.

Speaker 6 (01:19:37):
Where did you get that?

Speaker 10 (01:19:38):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:19:38):
I checked it for weapons, and uh yeah. They they're
kind of like circling you a little bit, and you
can see like somebody is like reaching for something. They're
reaching for some kind of a weapon.

Speaker 5 (01:19:51):
I opened my inventory, I take out the rainbow fish
that I took from the gathering US State, and I
smack them with the fish.

Speaker 1 (01:19:59):
So to the this looks like you reaching into the
air and you grab a fish from the middle of
nowhere and wam give me another. Uh yeah, I guess
just make an attack roll again. I love that you're
doing these amazing roles when this is like an off

(01:20:19):
scene that we're doing. Yeah, and it doesn't fucking.

Speaker 5 (01:20:24):
Matter of course.

Speaker 1 (01:20:26):
Yeah, Rue, you just deck you deck one of them
with a fish.

Speaker 11 (01:20:32):
They just like spin, you see, like fucking birds, like
flying up and over around their head like and their
eyes crossed and they just kind of like twirl and
uh yeah, they.

Speaker 1 (01:20:43):
Fall off the dock into the water.

Speaker 5 (01:20:47):
And I throw it at another person's face.

Speaker 1 (01:20:52):
Okay, another attack roll, another sixteen, Yeah, smack them with
another fish.

Speaker 3 (01:21:05):
Stupid game.

Speaker 1 (01:21:08):
Are these?

Speaker 3 (01:21:08):
I wanted to begin.

Speaker 5 (01:21:14):
I throw the fish and then I grab Greg's hand
and I start to run.

Speaker 1 (01:21:20):
Yeah, Greg is not here.

Speaker 5 (01:21:23):
What is this? I let go of a handful of
leaves from it's just.

Speaker 1 (01:21:28):
Like a fishing I imagine. It's like a fishing net
and there's just a bunch of shit in there.

Speaker 3 (01:21:34):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (01:21:35):
And yeah, you just you start taking off and you're
hauling ass, running along the docks and kind of like uh,
you know, nimbly bouncing between areas, and you can see
like fisher people like trying to grab you. Somebody like
falling like as they're chasing you, and you just take
off like a bullet, bouncing bouncing around and uh, there's

(01:21:58):
a lot of people around. It's it seems like it's
about the middle of the day, right about now, as
uh you're rushing around and uh, I need a decks
and decks. Are you trying to stealth or are you
just trying to haul ass?

Speaker 5 (01:22:13):
I'm hauling ass for now.

Speaker 1 (01:22:14):
Okay, so then it'll be it'll be might index.

Speaker 5 (01:22:19):
Okay, mit, decks open, check six okay.

Speaker 1 (01:22:25):
So yeah, your little like burst of speed kind of
gets halted as a lot of people are here now
and you can't There's just too many people to like
force your way through quickly. So you're you're starting to
mingle amongst the crowd and trying to shove people out
of the way. You can't really find anything to parkour
over or hop through, and you can hear some yelling

(01:22:48):
from behind.

Speaker 5 (01:22:51):
I will reach into the folds of my boostier and
I'll pull out a small packet and I'll rip it
open and sniff it it catnip, and I want to
use spell.

Speaker 1 (01:23:08):
You're going to use a spell?

Speaker 5 (01:23:10):
Oh shit, I'm gonna use my heroic feature of extra
my heroic skill of extra Spells, and I've taken acceleration, okay,
I'll gain an additional action during each of my turns.

Speaker 1 (01:23:30):
So the way that the heroic stuff works everybody is
that there is a there. Once you hit level ten
in a class, you can take certain heroic skills. One
of the options is extra spells, and you can just
basically pick a few spells from other classes, and that's

(01:23:54):
one of the options. So what is this you you
you hust snapt nip. Yeah, like a long, long pinky
nail like.

Speaker 5 (01:24:03):
Yeah, and then you see my eyes just dilate, my
pupils expand.

Speaker 11 (01:24:12):
Yeah, okay and yep, and it's just like it looks like,
you know, at the beginning of Phantom Menace.

Speaker 1 (01:24:21):
Like the Jedi speed that ship. They're just like, uh yeah,
takes off like a fucking bullet and there's people in
the way. But you're just like bobbing and weaving through
the people.

Speaker 5 (01:24:32):
No, I shoved them, I push them. I don't give
a fuck, get out the way.

Speaker 1 (01:24:38):
You're just running back like stiff arming them in the
face and the chin. Yeah, okay, fair enough. Yeah, you're
making a bit of a scene here. It's again it's
basically like mid day and the place is packed and
you're just kind of knocking people over, making making a

(01:24:58):
big scene.

Speaker 5 (01:24:59):
At the moment, I'll duck into an alleyway and begin
to slow down, trying to actually be stealthier at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:25:11):
Okay, decks and decks open check.

Speaker 5 (01:25:18):
Fourteen.

Speaker 1 (01:25:19):
Okay, as you come down from your high and you
slow down a little bit, uh, you find a spot
in between some buildings, and you you see like the
crowds sort of like.

Speaker 3 (01:25:39):
Alright, somebody went that way.

Speaker 1 (01:25:41):
Somebody just shows me the face, like people talking and
you we just see like your ears like perking up
from behind a crate, and it looks like all clear.
You definitely hear there's like a commotion. People are definitely
looking for you.

Speaker 5 (01:26:00):
Hm hm hmmm. I'll look around and see if there's
anything that could potentially make a quick disguise off of
maybe a dirty tarp or something to put over my head.

Speaker 1 (01:26:12):
Okay, insight, insight open check mm nine. There's stuff around,
but nothing like really super great for this. You know,
like there may be like a few bits of cloth,
but nothing like you can use like as a cloak
to like hide yourself.

Speaker 4 (01:26:33):
Damn it.

Speaker 5 (01:26:35):
Oh, I guess I'll just keep moving then if I
go into one of these buildings and they're probably gonna
find me.

Speaker 1 (01:26:44):
Okay, I begin.

Speaker 5 (01:26:48):
To make my way towards perhaps a more well established area,
making some distance between myself and the dock area, perhaps
back over towards where had bought the pair of very
expensive thousands in it goblets.

Speaker 1 (01:27:06):
Okay, yeah, it's super nice. I mean this this town's
got a little bit of everything. You know. This is
a this is a trading port. It has a lot
of people that are like dock workers, but it also
has like a lot of people that are wearing fancy clothing.

(01:27:27):
It has people that are merchants. I mean, you got
a pretty wide breadth of different kinds of people here.
Definitely a melting pot.

Speaker 5 (01:27:37):
Well, I more or less begin to and creatiate myself
into some of these establishments, especially because I don't think
the dock workers you're gonna follow me here, No way,
They'll get kicked out because they're stinky. I wander into
a shop.

Speaker 1 (01:27:57):
Hmm okay, uh yeah, there's probably like a little bell
as you open.

Speaker 5 (01:28:06):
Hello Miami customer.

Speaker 1 (01:28:12):
Nothing says customer like walking into a shop and announcing
that you are, in fact a customer. Sure, you walk
in and there's probably like a few people browsing. I
think that this is uh let me roll again. Okay,

(01:28:38):
this is like a general goods kind of place, so
there's a little bit of everything here.

Speaker 5 (01:28:48):
Oh what's this? I pick up a strange circular object.

Speaker 6 (01:28:55):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:28:55):
Yeah, there's like a customer that's sort of browsing nearby.
That's a play.

Speaker 5 (01:29:03):
Weird looking plate. I put it back. I look this
customer up and down.

Speaker 1 (01:29:12):
Uh yeah, it's uh, it's just it looks like an
average guy, probably in his I would say, early thirties. Uh.
He's a bit disheveled, has blonde hair and uh, very tanned,
like leathery skin.

Speaker 5 (01:29:34):
What is he looking at? What is in front of him?

Speaker 1 (01:29:37):
Yeah, he's looking at I think some different kinds of rope?

Speaker 5 (01:29:44):
Uh what are you?

Speaker 4 (01:29:48):
Why rope?

Speaker 1 (01:29:52):
Why do you care?

Speaker 4 (01:29:54):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (01:29:55):
Just you know, making small talk.

Speaker 1 (01:29:58):
I need to tie something up.

Speaker 5 (01:30:00):
Up, do you know?

Speaker 10 (01:30:04):
Shit?

Speaker 8 (01:30:05):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (01:30:06):
As I'm just making small talk with this person, trying
to look casual. I will occasionally peer out the window
to make sure I wasn't followed.

Speaker 1 (01:30:15):
Yeah you, I mean you look super fucking suspicious. You're
you like pick up a plate, like what's this and
like what you're looking at there? And it's like obviously
rope and you're like peering out the window like suspiciously. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:30:27):
I don't care what this dude thinks about me. I'm
just looking out the window.

Speaker 1 (01:30:30):
Uh huh hmm.

Speaker 6 (01:30:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:30:34):
A lot of a lot of good uses for rope, huh.

Speaker 1 (01:30:39):
I mean it's usually to tie something to something else. Okay,
I'm gonna go over there now, and he just kind
of walks away from you.

Speaker 5 (01:30:55):
As he walks away, I'm gonna try to pickpocket him.

Speaker 1 (01:30:58):
Okay, dex, dex. I'm gonna say this is difficulty twelve.

Speaker 5 (01:31:05):
Jeez, all right, I've done this every day in my life.
See easy thirteen.

Speaker 1 (01:31:13):
Okay, roll a D twenty. Yeah, you've grabbed six zen
it from his pocket.

Speaker 5 (01:31:26):
Great, I've doubled my money. If the coast looks clear,
I might dip out.

Speaker 1 (01:31:35):
Now, okay, yeah, looking outside, give me another insight and
insight eleven. Yeah, you think it's probably safe.

Speaker 5 (01:31:56):
Okay, I begin to make my way out, and where
would Greg have gone? We'll be back at the ship.
We did get separated.

Speaker 1 (01:32:14):
You're having trouble remembering exactly what happened this morning.

Speaker 3 (01:32:21):
Think think, think.

Speaker 5 (01:32:26):
Whatever, He'll figure it out.

Speaker 1 (01:32:28):
Every time you try to think about what happened this morning,
you just think of lout this like it's like the
equivalent of having like a day dream sex dream?

Speaker 5 (01:32:42):
What yep, I just want to stand there in the
street for a while thinking, I just start walking.

Speaker 1 (01:33:03):
I mean, if you've ever had like a sex dream
before and a daydream, it's some kind of amalgamation of both.

Speaker 5 (01:33:13):
Nice, yes, that mermaid. I will as I'm walking down
the street, I will try to make my way back
towards the airship.

Speaker 1 (01:33:31):
Okay, sure, you begin to head back towards the airship.
You don't have any problems doing this. It just takes
you a few minutes making your way back up the
tower the docking the airship docking tower away from me.
Hustle and bustle, Greg, Greg, open up the door to

(01:33:56):
the airship. Make your way in. Inside. There is a
about a half an inch of water on the ground.

Speaker 5 (01:34:09):
Oh my god.

Speaker 6 (01:34:11):
What.

Speaker 5 (01:34:14):
I tranced into the room on my tippy toes and
I try to head towards the bathroom. Oh, Moon's gonna
kill me. And it's gonna kill me. Moon's gonna kill me.
Where's this water coming from?

Speaker 4 (01:34:31):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:34:31):
Your head towards the bathroom and yeah, you open the
door and there's a little bit more water that like
comes out. I imagine it's a bit like a hatch
you know, to get in there. You know, like it's
a not quite like a submarine, but it has a
you know, it's like a sliding kind of hatch that
you open.

Speaker 5 (01:34:52):
With a spot of water. I stick my head in.
Are there any faucets on?

Speaker 1 (01:35:01):
Uh, there is a bathroom, not a bathroom, a bathtub
fawcet on like a shower, the shower faucet it's on.
Oh god, damn, it's like a slow trickle.

Speaker 5 (01:35:13):
I'd begin to slash my way forward and reach up. Yeah,
I'm gonna turn it off.

Speaker 1 (01:35:22):
Inside the bathtub. Uh, there are a there's a oh,
how shall I describe this? There's a lot of leaves,
and there's well, there are some scales around.

Speaker 5 (01:35:52):
Scales h what kind of scales make it?

Speaker 1 (01:35:59):
In Site Insight.

Speaker 5 (01:36:04):
Seventeen.

Speaker 1 (01:36:07):
They're familiar to you. When you start thinking about what
happened this morning, you get a little bit of a
It's like one of those hangover flashback moments where you're
just like, I recognize those scales?

Speaker 6 (01:36:23):
M M.

Speaker 5 (01:36:27):
I pick one up. Does it seem like something I've
put in my mouth today?

Speaker 8 (01:36:39):
Up to you?

Speaker 1 (01:36:47):
I tested out, it seems familiar.

Speaker 5 (01:36:57):
Oh, what is happening? I begin to rifle through the leaves,
trying to see if there's a Greg attached to the.

Speaker 1 (01:37:06):
There's definitely no Greg in there.

Speaker 5 (01:37:10):
Why this mermaid fucked me up?

Speaker 2 (01:37:16):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (01:37:16):
Well, I try to unclog the bathtub.

Speaker 1 (01:37:20):
Sure, it's effort, you know, It's like there's a lot
of debris here that you have to clean up.

Speaker 5 (01:37:30):
Crying the whole time. I'm broke and I'm doing this.
Everything's awful.

Speaker 1 (01:37:39):
Eventually you clear.

Speaker 5 (01:37:40):
It, sort of slump over the edge of the bathtub,
catching my breath.

Speaker 1 (01:37:47):
It's like me every time I do my dishes.

Speaker 2 (01:37:50):
There's gonna be a better way to do this.

Speaker 5 (01:37:54):
How do these heroes even manage to limit this fucking world? God? Yes, okay,
I pull up my scroll. See if I've gotten any
messages from anyone?

Speaker 3 (01:38:15):
Nothing.

Speaker 5 (01:38:21):
Dear Iris, we really need to upgrade the plumbing on
this ship. Do you know any cures for hangover and
or memory inducing cocktails that can help a girl out
when they've had a rough night. Hope you're not dead,

(01:38:45):
smiley face, and I send it. Okay, Okay, Well, I
guess I'll just make myself a smoothie.

Speaker 1 (01:38:56):
Okay, head to the kitchen. As you enter the kitchen,
you see another mess. This time. You can see that
the smoothie that you were going to make, all of
the materials, the blender, and like various fruits and things

(01:39:21):
are kind of a bit scattered in the kitchen. It
looks like smoothie has spilled over various countertops and things
in here. There are more leaves.

Speaker 4 (01:39:35):
Did I try making a smoothie this morning?

Speaker 6 (01:39:39):
Hmmmm?

Speaker 5 (01:39:42):
I just sort of slide the leaves aside. I go
about suspiciously making another smoothie fresh if there's.

Speaker 1 (01:39:51):
Ingredients, yeah, okay, maybe.

Speaker 5 (01:39:55):
Something about remembering through tree you've seen your steps.

Speaker 1 (01:40:01):
Sure, As you begin to make the smoothie, uh, nothing
is like triggering any flashbacks or anything. However, after the
blending is done, you hear something muffled.

Speaker 5 (01:40:19):
My ear twitches. Hello. I start slapping the side of
the blender.

Speaker 1 (01:40:36):
The blender does not make noise.

Speaker 5 (01:40:42):
It begins sniffing.

Speaker 1 (01:40:44):
Inside and inside open check.

Speaker 5 (01:40:48):
Nine.

Speaker 1 (01:40:49):
Okay, are you just looking in the kitchen. Yes, start
opening the cabinets and everything. Nothing.

Speaker 4 (01:40:59):
M okay.

Speaker 5 (01:41:07):
I take my smoothie and I go into the main
lounge and I sit back and I drink it.

Speaker 1 (01:41:15):
You're drinking it from the blender like some kind of
savage of course. Oh my god, horrific.

Speaker 5 (01:41:23):
There's nobody else here. No one can see it happens,
so no one's gonna yell at me. Yep, it's delicious.
What is that?

Speaker 6 (01:41:38):
What?

Speaker 5 (01:41:40):
I lift up one of the cushions. I try to
find the source of this sound. I turned the table over.

Speaker 1 (01:41:51):
I imagine Rue is checking all the places where there's
no possible chance that any anything could be there.

Speaker 5 (01:41:58):
Look, it's quite possible that whatever this is a very
tiny person.

Speaker 1 (01:42:07):
Sure, sure in a movie once. Sure, So you're looking
around and nothing. You're just hearing more.

Speaker 5 (01:42:22):
I poke my head into different rooms to see if
this sound gets louder.

Speaker 1 (01:42:26):
Yeah. Eventually the last place that you check the storage room.

Speaker 5 (01:42:33):
Hello, Greg, So you I step inside.

Speaker 1 (01:42:47):
You step inside. More leaves.

Speaker 5 (01:42:51):
I brush them away, try to clear debris, move boxes,
whatever I need to.

Speaker 1 (01:42:56):
Yeah, this is the equivalent of like a pantry, right
that you're looking in here? So there's shelves on the side,
and there's a few crates and things. One of the
crates is sort of halfway open.

Speaker 5 (01:43:13):
I open it.

Speaker 1 (01:43:14):
Inside you find Greg missing many of his leaves, and
you can see he appears to be tied up.

Speaker 5 (01:43:30):
What happened to you, buddy? Would you like some help?

Speaker 1 (01:43:48):
He squints at you angrily, say please, squinting harder?

Speaker 5 (01:44:02):
Good enough? No, reach in and I start untying him.

Speaker 1 (01:44:07):
A jumps jumps out of the crate.

Speaker 5 (01:44:14):
What happened? Uh huh?

Speaker 1 (01:44:26):
And he like reaches up and puts a hand on
your face and then put puts two hands on your cheek.
What what puts a hand on your head? I'm okay,

(01:44:50):
Oh looks like really surprised.

Speaker 5 (01:44:53):
I had to stab somebody.

Speaker 6 (01:44:57):
Ou he's probably dead, yeah anada?

Speaker 5 (01:45:05):
Oh yeah, uh so new plan? The quest was a bust.
I don't think Krusty Bob or whatever his name was,
is gonna be then help to us. Yeah yeah, yeah
that guy yeah, uh the one yeah, but the wife

(01:45:26):
and the nose. Yeah, we're gonna have to come up
with a new plan.

Speaker 1 (01:45:32):
Ah hm hmm.

Speaker 5 (01:45:38):
I reach into my pocket and I pull out one
senate and I give it to him takes it a
robbed a guy. He's definitely into some kinky ship.

Speaker 1 (01:45:51):
Nope, good job, points he points to you, and then
it looks like he shrugs.

Speaker 5 (01:46:08):
Start shimming. What I really wish I understood you.

Speaker 1 (01:46:16):
This is so annoyed, and like walks into the walks
into the uh walks into the ship.

Speaker 6 (01:46:25):
And then.

Speaker 5 (01:46:28):
I didn't do this, It was probably you. There's leaves everywhere.
Why are there scales in the bathroom? This is something fun?

(01:47:02):
All right, I'm sorry. I'm starting to understand your relationship
with jan I'm starting to really really understand this now. Anyway,
the past is in the past. Whatever happened, happened feels fun. Great.
If it wasn't, they're not here anymore, so it doesn't matter.

(01:47:26):
Let's find we gotta find money. Gotta find money, all right,
let's put our heads together. Work is obviously not gonna
cut it. That zena I just gave you. I robbed somebody.
We could rob people. That's pretty so far, pretty successful.
How much zenna did you get?

Speaker 1 (01:47:49):
And then he walks over the counter and then just
you see, like a bunch of zen it fall out.

Speaker 4 (01:47:57):
Holy shit, Hice.

Speaker 5 (01:48:05):
Start picking it up and counting.

Speaker 1 (01:48:07):
Yeah. Yeah, there's probably like a grand tot of about
fifties in it here.

Speaker 5 (01:48:12):
Oh nice, my little guy. Okay, so whatever you did
to get all this, keep doing it, all right, we'll
get there eventually.

Speaker 6 (01:48:25):
Watched it.

Speaker 5 (01:48:25):
The buggy cost it was like five hundred or something
like that.

Speaker 1 (01:48:36):
Are you actually trying to remember?

Speaker 5 (01:48:39):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:48:39):
Okay, insight, insight.

Speaker 5 (01:48:41):
It hurts to think as rue anytime I think, I
just start having a headache. Fifteen.

Speaker 1 (01:48:47):
Yeah, you remember, it was about fifteen hundred.

Speaker 5 (01:48:49):
I think, ooh no, so it was five hundred.

Speaker 4 (01:48:56):
We're so broke.

Speaker 5 (01:48:58):
I got to remove that one that I fed, so
I went down to eighteen. Okay, okay, you know what,
new plan? New plan? Maybe we think about the friends
we have here in this city. Yeah, that guy, the
crusty guy with mommy issues. You don't know him. You

(01:49:23):
didn't go. Maybe maybe we try to hit him up.
I slept with the seamstress. Maybe she can help. Probably not.

(01:49:44):
I'd love to see her again, though, Papa, All right,
pack your bags. We're going to a rich person's house.

Speaker 1 (01:49:54):
About He goes over to a piece of paper and
then makes a He makes a stick figure of you,
like just with your cat ears and your tail being visible.
This is the distinction. And he draws like a question mark.

Speaker 5 (01:50:15):
We are going to find rich guy.

Speaker 1 (01:50:33):
He starts to draw again and he draws just a
generic like stick figure, another question mark, A ba ba.

Speaker 5 (01:50:47):
Mister G lord G. I don't know his name is, start
with a G. Hobop jeth.

Speaker 1 (01:51:02):
Greg begins to uh gather his leaves, like scraping them
closer together, starts bundling them all up.

Speaker 5 (01:51:11):
And I just sit there just slurping on my smoothie,
trying really hard to remember the name of the guy.
Good friend, that's what his name was.

Speaker 3 (01:51:19):
Fran A Ball.

Speaker 5 (01:51:21):
Yeah, he's this guy. He's got a really fancy house
soundside the city. So we're gonna have to get a
a horse, right, that's what you have. No, they had
those little dinosaur guys. That's what they came in on.

Speaker 3 (01:51:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:51:45):
I don't want to walk, you're gonna walk? No, we're
not walking. We're not walking.

Speaker 1 (01:51:50):
And he holds up a zenatet.

Speaker 5 (01:51:53):
Yes, we're gonna get a ride with the.

Speaker 1 (01:51:59):
Money, gathers up the leaves and like throws them out
into the bin and then he will sort of he's
like looks depressed walks over to the door.

Speaker 5 (01:52:22):
I dropped down to crouch in front of him, and
I grabbed the side of his face like he did
with me earlier. Do you want more money, buddy? Yeah, okay,
we'll give the job board one more shot. I'll just

(01:52:53):
follow you for a little bit. Come on, just just
I'll just follow you. I don't understand you. I'll just
follow you. Let's go, let's go. We're burning daylight here. Buddy.

Speaker 1 (01:53:03):
Grace throws open the door. I follow him, be insulide
away proudly.

Speaker 5 (01:53:11):
I don't know where we're going. I close the door
behind me as we leave.

Speaker 1 (01:53:14):
Sure, it's like some water that follows you as you
leave this, you know, it just splashes out onto the dock.
M m okay, and you head out. Meanwhile, in yet

(01:53:35):
another location, far away, we find another group bow and iris.

(01:53:55):
You begin to wake up.

Speaker 3 (01:54:02):
You hear bubbling from a pot or wait, where was
I sleeping? How was I sleeping? DM?

Speaker 1 (01:54:08):
You are in fact in some kind of pot.

Speaker 3 (01:54:13):
Then you hear a pot churning?

Speaker 2 (01:54:24):
Did it?

Speaker 4 (01:54:26):
Did it work? I kind of try to rub the
the just drowsiness out of my eyes, and I'll crawl
on over to where unders was did it work?

Speaker 1 (01:54:39):
As you look around, you realize that you are in
fact not in the office anymore. You are in what
appears to be a small bedroom.

Speaker 3 (01:55:01):
Five more minutes.

Speaker 10 (01:55:03):
Mom, hm, oh, we should, we should, We should just
get out of.

Speaker 4 (01:55:14):
Out of that and out of here.

Speaker 2 (01:55:15):
And see.

Speaker 3 (01:55:17):
See what what happened where.

Speaker 4 (01:55:21):
Anders well By ended? Do you not remember.

Speaker 1 (01:55:27):
What he was?

Speaker 4 (01:55:32):
He was not well? And we.

Speaker 3 (01:55:37):
Oh, yeah, he died. That wasn't a dream? Yeah, uh
well he can't. Yeah, yes, ship, we had a shared dream.
He went to a place and I could see everything
and things were kind of screwing, and he kind of
killed himself, and we brought him back to life. And
then we went to a park and then there was
him again, and oh did we save him?

Speaker 4 (01:56:02):
I guess, but there's only one way to find out.
I suppose.

Speaker 3 (01:56:12):
I pushed myself out of the pot kind of like
up ends, and I spill out and I jump onto
iris and I go onwards. Am I back.

Speaker 4 (01:56:21):
I'll secure his little ooze as it rips down the shoulders,
kind of like a backpack.

Speaker 1 (01:56:28):
Yeah, this room is reminiscent of like a college dorm.
It's very cramped.

Speaker 4 (01:56:35):
Now there's the room we stayed last night or is
it different.

Speaker 1 (01:56:40):
Well, you were in an office, you were in the
mouth of a carnimal office and.

Speaker 4 (01:56:44):
Oh no, I meant the first time we're here.

Speaker 1 (01:56:46):
Yeah, but yet it's the same room.

Speaker 4 (01:56:53):
They must have moved us or something strange.

Speaker 3 (01:57:00):
Yeah, I mean, I guess it'd be kind of ought
to be staying in a study. But why would they
do that? We were we were busy, we were working.
Let me with with with hmmm, Well, I guess.

Speaker 4 (01:57:11):
It depends how long we were out. I open up
the UI to try to see if there's a time,
date anything like that.

Speaker 1 (01:57:22):
Yeah, the uh, I forgot what we've said for the UI.
As far as the the date and stuff goes, I'm
pretty sure that that wasn't in there. You found that
in other ways, But I don't think there's like a
time or anything.

Speaker 3 (01:57:41):
Does Iris look emaciated?

Speaker 1 (01:57:46):
Iris looks a bit rough?

Speaker 3 (01:57:49):
You look really rough?

Speaker 5 (01:57:51):
Do I?

Speaker 3 (01:57:52):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 4 (01:57:55):
H And how do I feel?

Speaker 1 (01:57:58):
Do I feel as when you look at bow? Bow
looks a little different too, bo? Probably Bow. I think
the color is a bit off pale, Yeah, like not
as as intensely chromatic.

Speaker 4 (01:58:15):
Is so pale you look not your intensely colorful self.

Speaker 3 (01:58:23):
You can't just say that, well, no, it is.

Speaker 4 (01:58:25):
Just that you I do you feel all right?

Speaker 3 (01:58:32):
Hungry? I think maybe I imagine the iceis bangs over
a face like a border collie or something, you know, Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:58:48):
And I try to shake the fatigue away from myself
as I try to push open the door or pull
it open whichever.

Speaker 1 (01:58:57):
Yeah, so you would expect to be like full HP
full mind points. But I'm gonna say that both of
you are probably just above crisis, so halfway, a little
bit a little bit past halfway on both.

Speaker 3 (01:59:18):
And just did mention that we were going to be
what we were there for a long time. And then
that's when I kind of we have to leave, we
have to leave. But then so I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:59:32):
Right onwards, Okay, opening the door, do I see any
movement or any guards or anything.

Speaker 1 (01:59:44):
So there's no guards, but there are students moving about.
You can see that there is a little bit of
a hustle and bustle amongst this place. A few of
them are probably giving you the the stink eye as
you're moving around.

Speaker 4 (02:00:01):
Oh, as is does it seem like the stink guy
as in, uh this this one? Or does it seem
like the stink guy, like you look like shit?

Speaker 1 (02:00:11):
Do you stay insight and insight?

Speaker 3 (02:00:16):
What does an unwashed l smell like?

Speaker 1 (02:00:20):
I can't? You have your role set to private, so
I couldn't say.

Speaker 4 (02:00:24):
Oh, well, it was a five. I'm so sorry about that.
Do you want me to just show that off?

Speaker 1 (02:00:29):
I mean, it doesn't matter, it's just just a five.
Yeah it does, okay, Yeah, because there's GM roles and
then there's like private roles. Yeah, sorry, it must okay?
So uh yeah, yeah, you're not really sure. Honestly, I
feel as.

Speaker 4 (02:00:47):
Though we are being looked at, but I can't quite
tell what they're thinking. Hmmm, did we do something?

Speaker 3 (02:00:57):
I don't know? To be fair, I think that the
uh that that lady wanted help us also kind of
didn't seem to like you very much.

Speaker 2 (02:01:08):
Hm.

Speaker 4 (02:01:09):
She did seem quite emotional over her hard work.

Speaker 6 (02:01:15):
M hm.

Speaker 4 (02:01:16):
At any rate, we should that the professor, we should
try to find them.

Speaker 3 (02:01:20):
Right right? I think, yeah, you did kind of make
a whole mockery of her entire life's work. But being
able to do it like instantly.

Speaker 4 (02:01:30):
Huh, I didn't. I wasn't. I wasn't instantly, and I
certainly wasn't trying to make any sort of a mockery
of their hard work. In fact, I tried to defend it,
and then they got mad at me because I said
it was not foolish to try to work hard at
something in order to do better, And then they said
that it was foolish.

Speaker 3 (02:01:51):
It's just an observation, am I, And I lean a
little closer.

Speaker 4 (02:02:01):
Am I like one of those people, you know, the
people who who who are obnoxious and think they're better
than others.

Speaker 3 (02:02:10):
Not well, had cool.

Speaker 1 (02:02:13):
Time?

Speaker 4 (02:02:16):
Right looking around? Do I recall the stairwell that went
up to the professor's office? Was it professor Drosc or.

Speaker 1 (02:02:28):
Was it some professor drosc drosc?

Speaker 4 (02:02:30):
Okay, yeah, I'm specifically looking to see if I can
find them or if their office seems to be where
I recall.

Speaker 1 (02:02:39):
Sure, yeah, you've been there twice. Now I'm going to
say that, uh yeah, you can kind of remember your way.
I don't think we have to do a check for that.
And uh yeah, you, I mean you you you basically
are doing the same thing that you did previously right now,
right getting up out of the room, waking up, trying
to sort yourself out, and going yeah, I do you.

(02:03:03):
I imagine you probably try and use like a restroom
or something before as you just woken up.

Speaker 4 (02:03:12):
Oh yes, yeah, I clean up the bangs a little bit,
you know.

Speaker 1 (02:03:16):
I meant more like bodily functions, like Jesus Christ got
a piss. Yes, you sit outside.

Speaker 4 (02:03:21):
For one moment and you just hear an eruption of
bowel movements that is like bombs going off.

Speaker 3 (02:03:31):
Are you okay?

Speaker 4 (02:03:32):
Mah, yes, I'm fine.

Speaker 3 (02:03:36):
Did you drop your potions?

Speaker 4 (02:03:39):
I'm dropping something?

Speaker 3 (02:03:42):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (02:03:45):
Yeah, and uh our comes out looking a little bit fresher.

Speaker 4 (02:03:50):
Uh maybe maybe five pounds later, you know? All right,
I say, as I adjusted my skirt and I tapped
my shoulders for him to pop on up.

Speaker 3 (02:04:05):
Did you wash your hands?

Speaker 4 (02:04:06):
Of course I washed my hands.

Speaker 3 (02:04:08):
Did you want your back?

Speaker 4 (02:04:10):
What?

Speaker 3 (02:04:11):
I jumping them back? Anyway? Let's go.

Speaker 1 (02:04:17):
All right. So, making your way up the stairs towards
Professor Dross's office, you run into a few students that
are probably like making their way down the stairs. They're
all giving you like looks as you pass by them.

Speaker 4 (02:04:39):
I think I'll stop one of them. Actually, excuse me?

Speaker 1 (02:04:44):
What do you want?

Speaker 4 (02:04:49):
Did I do something to you?

Speaker 3 (02:04:53):
I think it's the greeting here? What do you want?

Speaker 1 (02:04:58):
What's your angle?

Speaker 3 (02:05:00):
I don't have one? I'm round?

Speaker 4 (02:05:04):
What what do you mean my angle?

Speaker 1 (02:05:07):
What do you want from me?

Speaker 6 (02:05:13):
Well?

Speaker 4 (02:05:13):
I suppose firstly, I was just wondering. It seems everybody
has been looking at us in a strange way. Did
I do something.

Speaker 1 (02:05:27):
Making an insight and willpower open?

Speaker 6 (02:05:29):
Check?

Speaker 4 (02:05:33):
Sixteen? Baby?

Speaker 1 (02:05:35):
I am you're clearly not a student here? How did
you get in.

Speaker 3 (02:05:42):
The door? What's your angle?

Speaker 1 (02:05:45):
You realize, Iris, you're the only one like not wearing
what appears to be the academy uniform.

Speaker 4 (02:05:52):
Oh, it was the professor who brought us in here,
right from the medical area. We were escorted by Professor Drask.

Speaker 3 (02:06:05):
Through the door.

Speaker 1 (02:06:09):
What a front prefessor have with? Have you in mind?

Speaker 6 (02:06:13):
For?

Speaker 4 (02:06:17):
I strug? Are you simply upset that I'm not a student?
Is it because I'm not welcome here? I don't mean
to devalue any any of your work. It seems like
everybody thinks I'm trying to devalue their work, but I'm not.

Speaker 3 (02:06:34):
You're not devaluing their work. You're just level ten.

Speaker 1 (02:06:39):
You're a hero, and you're from Ellen Drath and you're
not a student or a teacher here. You think it's

(02:07:00):
easy to get into this academy, What are you doing
bribing your way in?

Speaker 3 (02:07:06):
No, maybe you should mention the factory level ten at
whatever it is they do.

Speaker 1 (02:07:12):
Bo is just saying this from like on top of
your head, right, Yes, ridiculous. They just kind of try
to push past you.

Speaker 3 (02:07:24):
I think maybe perhaps you need to enroll as a
teacher or a teaito or something, you know, electra a teacher.

Speaker 4 (02:07:29):
I could never I could never be any sort of
I don't.

Speaker 3 (02:07:33):
Know anything really, be you sure.

Speaker 4 (02:07:45):
Basics I suppose And I start walking back up again
as we go and we're talking, because.

Speaker 3 (02:07:52):
That professor was like writing ruins and afford with all
the wrinkles she was making when you cause that spell.

Speaker 4 (02:07:59):
Yeah, I guess, I guess we progress faster than them
for something.

Speaker 1 (02:08:08):
They were walking down the stairs as you're walking out,
so they just like shove past you and begin to walk.

Speaker 4 (02:08:16):
I'm not going to try and chase them or anything.
I don't, okay, I don't want to make their day worse.

Speaker 3 (02:08:22):
Do you think we should try and steal it outfit?

Speaker 4 (02:08:27):
I'm sorry, professor first, and then maybe we we think
about it. I mean, I could learn a lot here.

Speaker 3 (02:08:33):
That's okay. I'm just I just miss Rue. That's what
she'd do. She'd steal an outfit, or she'd burn the
place down for the reason by accident on purpose.

Speaker 4 (02:08:45):
We miss her too, but we'll be together again soon.
We just need to get things figured out. She's safe.
At least we've been in communication. Wait, we've been in communication.
I check the I check the scroll.

Speaker 1 (02:09:05):
Yeah, you see Rou's check in there?

Speaker 2 (02:09:09):
Right?

Speaker 3 (02:09:09):
How long has it been? What day is it?

Speaker 4 (02:09:15):
Does it have any sort of indicator of when this
message was sent? Or No?

Speaker 1 (02:09:19):
I don't think it does, right, I don't either.

Speaker 4 (02:09:24):
Oh gosh, I'll send a message back, essentially saying that Rue,
I'm so sorry. I don't know how long we've been asleep.
But Foe and I we we I think helped enders.
I don't know. We did our best. I'll update you

(02:09:44):
more soon, but at least the two of us are okay.
Are you okay? I will close the scroll out.

Speaker 7 (02:10:00):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 3 (02:10:01):
Do we know how to get back to the professor?

Speaker 4 (02:10:05):
Well, their office was over here up these stairs. Okay,
but it's a question of whether or not Professor Drask
is there.

Speaker 3 (02:10:18):
I mean, if they're not we're just going to camp
there anyway, riding until they show up.

Speaker 2 (02:10:22):
We suppose.

Speaker 4 (02:10:23):
So are you feeling okay?

Speaker 3 (02:10:25):
By the way, what do you mean?

Speaker 2 (02:10:30):
Well?

Speaker 3 (02:10:31):
That was a lot, you know, the dream.

Speaker 4 (02:10:41):
The ritual, But I guess it was similar to a dream,
the in between, that's what the professor called.

Speaker 3 (02:10:51):
It, right in between where and where exactly? I didn't
really follow.

Speaker 4 (02:10:58):
Well, I'm not exactly positive, but it seemed as though
it was some sort of purgatory, almost between this life
and whatever area of the spirit of a person goes.

(02:11:19):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (02:11:19):
Oh no, I'm not okay, because that's terrifying. Iris.

Speaker 4 (02:11:23):
I have no idea. It may have been some sort
of mind space kind of thing.

Speaker 1 (02:11:28):
Are you guys just stopped on the stairs by the way,
just out of curiosity?

Speaker 4 (02:11:33):
I think for a moment while trying to ponder this all, sure,
I don't know, hm, at any rate?

Speaker 3 (02:11:46):
You ready as I'll ever be.

Speaker 4 (02:11:49):
I guess I'm not hurting you by gripping onto the.

Speaker 5 (02:11:54):
Straps.

Speaker 4 (02:11:54):
You're right, that's what they're foll okay, right.

Speaker 3 (02:11:58):
And we woke up. This is are there only like
tapestries on? Like I'm guessing it's like a spiral stacase
or something tries on the walls.

Speaker 1 (02:12:05):
Oh yeah, for sure. This place is like old money,
you know, like this, this is like a very wealthy academy.
There's like rich furniture, tapestries, magical lighting.

Speaker 3 (02:12:21):
How close Irish walks to a wall, I may accidentally
latch onto it and start trying to eat, like a
tapestry or something to heat.

Speaker 2 (02:12:34):
Do I notice this?

Speaker 1 (02:12:35):
I imagine you would probably some slurping noises.

Speaker 4 (02:12:39):
Oh, please tell me you're not eating.

Speaker 3 (02:12:42):
Something eating subjective.

Speaker 4 (02:12:48):
After Please don't eat the tapestry. I don't want them
to hate us more.

Speaker 3 (02:12:54):
Okay, thank you, give them a little pat.

Speaker 1 (02:13:00):
Keep walking, okay, continue walking. You make your way to
Professor Droff's office. The door is closed.

Speaker 4 (02:13:14):
I will knock gently the professor.

Speaker 3 (02:13:20):
Yes, come, take.

Speaker 4 (02:13:26):
A deep breath, and I'll look to boo and I'll
nod before pushing the door open and walking in.

Speaker 1 (02:13:35):
Inside, the professor is speaking to someone.

Speaker 4 (02:13:42):
Do we recognize them?

Speaker 1 (02:13:46):
Partly?

Speaker 6 (02:13:52):
Yes, I've already answered your questions. I can tell you
what I experienced.

Speaker 1 (02:14:04):
So you remember almost nothing of the in between.

Speaker 6 (02:14:10):
A me to me? There was void, as I mentioned before,
But answer, it's all the same. Tons of whispers. All
I know is that I feel different. Well, I know that.

Speaker 1 (02:14:33):
Breathing and your complexion is better. And you have eaten
and had something to drink.

Speaker 6 (02:14:41):
Yes, consumption has happened, but it's not stated I need
more something. How long have I been out?

Speaker 1 (02:14:58):
Just a few days? Days?

Speaker 6 (02:15:04):
How does it feel like more?

Speaker 1 (02:15:11):
You've been through a lot? Ah, here are your friends,
Oh and friends.

Speaker 3 (02:15:19):
We were, We were in your head. The acoustics were amazing.

Speaker 6 (02:15:25):
Mm hmm. I stared at slime sentient in nature, it speaks.
There's a recollection in my mind. Yeah, a name bo Bo. Yes,

(02:15:57):
and you are hi, and you are come closer.

Speaker 4 (02:16:06):
I'm kind of frozen in place in this moment. I think.

Speaker 6 (02:16:12):
Still myles will snapped to you. Mm hmm.

Speaker 4 (02:16:20):
I'll take a step forward, extending your hands. Yeah, I
think I shakily put it into yours.

Speaker 6 (02:16:43):
Mm hmm. Fear, well, there's nothing to be afraid of.
Your eyes familiar IRUs.

Speaker 1 (02:17:02):
He seems to be having some difficulty reconciling everything.

Speaker 6 (02:17:11):
There are ruins all around his room. Protection spill, yes, hmm.
Was I.

Speaker 1 (02:17:25):
Dangerous, Not necessarily, but it was part of the requirement
for doing this. I didn't know what to expect.

Speaker 6 (02:17:37):
Right, Iris, See, you look like you've been through a lot.
Ouch are you okay?

Speaker 4 (02:17:57):
Well, m h you're here, So that's good.

Speaker 6 (02:18:03):
Is that you're doing me?

Speaker 4 (02:18:09):
We were involved in the ritual, Yes, ritual?

Speaker 6 (02:18:16):
What happened to me?

Speaker 3 (02:18:19):
Oh, I'll let you take this one. Iris.

Speaker 4 (02:18:25):
I don't know exactly, but when we arrived the in
between it, I don't know how quite to describe it,
and I looked to the professor in terms of a
little bit of guidance with regards to.

Speaker 6 (02:18:47):
This.

Speaker 4 (02:18:47):
I don't know if it was some sort of cricatory
or if it was some sort of mind space or something.

Speaker 1 (02:18:56):
But it was the place between life and death.

Speaker 6 (02:19:04):
Eh.

Speaker 4 (02:19:06):
Yes, we found you there.

Speaker 3 (02:19:12):
Oh, well, we found us there.

Speaker 4 (02:19:15):
M You were fractured. Oh, and we thought that we'd
be able to piece the fracturing altogether. Fortune, you're back stronger.

Speaker 7 (02:19:42):
I am here.

Speaker 6 (02:19:49):
Oh yes, I briefly remember a blow and then darkness.

Speaker 3 (02:20:00):
So the good news is you're about thirty three percent
less Psycho killer.

Speaker 6 (02:20:10):
Killer I failed, you failed.

Speaker 3 (02:20:14):
M hm.

Speaker 6 (02:20:15):
I am here. You are able to end it in death, right?

Speaker 4 (02:20:27):
Suppose we did what we could, but I failed to
reunite all of those pieces you speak of.

Speaker 6 (02:20:39):
Pieces and reunite. What does that mean? If I'm here
and you're real, then I believe you were successful.

Speaker 3 (02:20:55):
Mm hmmm. Are you aware of the concept of brain damage?

Speaker 6 (02:21:10):
I believe so.

Speaker 2 (02:21:13):
Well.

Speaker 3 (02:21:13):
I think. Hmmm, Sorry, my bedside man is really really bad,
I think, and I'm noticing this down myself, I say,
while on Iris's back. But I think maybe mm hmm,
you might be uh soul damaged.

Speaker 1 (02:21:34):
M I think what they intend to say is that
you are changed.

Speaker 6 (02:21:40):
Yes, that I'm familiar with, but I also feel full
in some other way oho knowledge that I can't explain
now that needs to be Do you have Grimour's grimoires? Yes, Grimoir?

Speaker 1 (02:22:10):
Of course, this is a magical academy, and.

Speaker 3 (02:22:14):
Believe us pronounced grimoires. Actually they would like to.

Speaker 6 (02:22:21):
A permission to indulge.

Speaker 1 (02:22:24):
You don't have it.

Speaker 6 (02:22:29):
I don't have it.

Speaker 1 (02:22:31):
No, what reason would we have to give you our
precious information when I have already been gracious enough to
provide support and help to bring you back from the
in between?

Speaker 3 (02:22:52):
Question?

Speaker 1 (02:22:57):
This isn't a classroom, It's not. No, this is my office,
you fool.

Speaker 3 (02:23:05):
Second question, is this the first time you've done this?

Speaker 1 (02:23:09):
By the way, brought someone back, okay, in his condition now,
in his circumstances. Definitely not. Not the first time, and

(02:23:32):
I suspect it will happen again.

Speaker 4 (02:23:40):
So you've done that ritual before.

Speaker 1 (02:23:43):
Yes, first time it has gone successfully though.

Speaker 5 (02:23:52):
Oh that is good.

Speaker 4 (02:24:01):
This academy. Your students seem upset that we're here.

Speaker 1 (02:24:10):
Oh, yes, I imagine they would be. Do you know what
they had to go through to get access to this academy?

Speaker 3 (02:24:24):
An entrance exam?

Speaker 1 (02:24:26):
Oh yes, not just that personal sacrifice or family sacrifice,
Briberry appearance blood. There is a hefty requirement to join

(02:24:48):
this magical academy. The only reason you are here is
because of the Empress's request.

Speaker 6 (02:24:55):
Empress.

Speaker 4 (02:24:56):
Yes, well, if if I may be so bold, if
Enders is seeking access to these knowledge and the grim
wars here, I mean, I too, very interested in developing

(02:25:16):
things further and perhaps learning more from you.

Speaker 1 (02:25:21):
Of course, I don't doubt it. They're the most prestigious
magical school in all of Millifacts, perhaps the world, although
I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Speaker 4 (02:25:33):
What if we took the entrance exam?

Speaker 1 (02:25:39):
Yeah, you wish to take the entrance exam?

Speaker 4 (02:25:44):
You look over at Enders and shrug, What all of you.

Speaker 3 (02:25:49):
I mean, how how could it be? I mean, Rice
has already done a spell you haven't able to do
properly before.

Speaker 4 (02:25:53):
Right, they have the professor has done the spell.

Speaker 3 (02:25:59):
Not successful, She said, I have met the ritual.

Speaker 1 (02:26:05):
The ritual that you requested was very specific and it
was not my fault that it had not worked previously.
Those that were involved, and she looks pointedly at both
of you. Bow and Iris failed the ritual successfully and

(02:26:29):
they died, oh like you would have had you failed.

Speaker 4 (02:26:39):
Oh well, I mean, if it is something you were
not opposed to, you there is. You and I have
business to work out regardless. What do you think.

Speaker 1 (02:27:02):
You didn't say? Will power this be a group check?

Speaker 5 (02:27:06):
Okay, I'm leading, this.

Speaker 1 (02:27:08):
Difficulty is going to be I'm gonna say. I'm gonna
say so, I'm actually gonna make this a twelve?

Speaker 7 (02:27:17):
Who thank you?

Speaker 4 (02:27:20):
Okay, group check started?

Speaker 3 (02:27:26):
Is there anything I can need to make this? Honda?

Speaker 1 (02:27:30):
Yeah? I mean you could ship on the floor.

Speaker 4 (02:27:32):
Okay, guys are so helpful.

Speaker 1 (02:27:37):
Okay, all right, Holy just to explain what just happened
to any of our podcast listeners, uh Enders and Bo
supported Iris's check. Enders started things off with a five.

(02:27:59):
Both started, followed up with a critical fumble of a two,
which doesn't matter in the support check, and Iris got
a critical success. What would you like your opportunity to be? Iris?

Speaker 4 (02:28:14):
Oh goodness, gracious on me. Oh my, this is splendid.

Speaker 3 (02:28:19):
She joins up. Potty, I think.

Speaker 4 (02:28:25):
I think I would like to form a bond with
the professor.

Speaker 1 (02:28:30):
Totally totally understand that. That makes total sense.

Speaker 4 (02:28:36):
And I think I'm just going to get rid of
my bond with Merrick in order to replace it with
the professor since I have maximum. I think it's six right.

Speaker 6 (02:28:45):
That is correct.

Speaker 4 (02:28:47):
Teachers pet, teacher's pet, teachers pet, and I'm going to
make it a bond of admiration on my end. While
they are kind of spooky, they are also very impressive.

Speaker 1 (02:29:05):
Okay, Dusk, you have added Professor Drosk to your bonds?
Fair enough? H very well, I will be a sponsor

(02:29:30):
for the exam.

Speaker 5 (02:29:32):
H really.

Speaker 1 (02:29:35):
And she she begins to walk closer to you, and
I think she's probably about the same height as Iris,
I imagine.

Speaker 6 (02:29:45):
And uh.

Speaker 1 (02:29:47):
She she stares at you in the eyes and she says,
you understand what it means for me to sponsor you?

Speaker 4 (02:29:57):
Well, you were putting your reputation on the line, I
would is right, I hope.

Speaker 6 (02:30:05):
Not. Are the requirements of this rituals or just the
understanding of magic?

Speaker 1 (02:30:20):
Well, first and foremost, it is about the understanding of
the mind and magic and your talent for it. Given
that you are heroes, you have a natural talent for

(02:30:49):
all skills in regalia spells as well. Your level much
faster than everyone else. And I can assure you, regardless
of whether or not you gain entrance into this academy

(02:31:14):
and become proper students, the rest of them will not
be happy with you.

Speaker 4 (02:31:29):
I suppose then we would have to prove to them.

Speaker 6 (02:31:33):
I am not worried about acceptance. I just want the
knowledge that's here. I can feel it. Great powers you'n
around you, yours different professor. Not all things are being said,

(02:31:54):
shall I believe is a smart choice. I wonder if
it's handwriting has changed iris.

Speaker 2 (02:32:05):
Hmhmm.

Speaker 6 (02:32:07):
You should go through some refreshing or is dimmed? Is
that my doing?

Speaker 4 (02:32:18):
I uh, I clam up slightly, but I clear my throat.

Speaker 5 (02:32:24):
No, well a little, but.

Speaker 4 (02:32:32):
I can't. I can't lie to you. A lot of
it was the ritual, but while we were in there.
I expended a lot of energy and you stabbed me.

Speaker 6 (02:32:53):
Stabs hm there will.

Speaker 5 (02:33:00):
I don't and I.

Speaker 4 (02:33:02):
Don't imagine that I see one looking at my hand.

Speaker 1 (02:33:06):
Think you would?

Speaker 4 (02:33:07):
Where do I.

Speaker 3 (02:33:09):
Gasp? Oh? I suppose I close.

Speaker 1 (02:33:18):
The wound.

Speaker 6 (02:33:19):
That explains me and being able to see yours. M hmm. Interesting, Well.

Speaker 3 (02:33:37):
Question you can just ask your questions.

Speaker 1 (02:33:43):
Just ask the question.

Speaker 3 (02:33:44):
Can I eat that stewl?

Speaker 6 (02:33:46):
No?

Speaker 3 (02:33:47):
But you have three of them, and it's a small table.

Speaker 1 (02:33:50):
And they're all very expensive.

Speaker 4 (02:33:52):
No, we will find somewhere to get some food in
our bellies. Thank you, And I look to the professor.
Are you from sinforis? No, You're Are you from Elendron?

Speaker 6 (02:34:12):
No?

Speaker 1 (02:34:16):
M hm.

Speaker 6 (02:34:19):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (02:34:23):
Since I believe that you are going to be endless
with your questions, I will just get this over with.
I'm from Soda Luisa.

Speaker 4 (02:34:36):
Really, yes, Oh that is very interesting. I don't know
much about the place. I suppose that's unimportant. I shouldn't
be prying so much. Well, at any rate, we will

(02:35:00):
get out of your hair, and thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:35:10):
Saving your lives, bringing your friend back from the in between,
sponsoring you for the magical Academy.

Speaker 4 (02:35:22):
Yes, those two those were the ones and also my hand.
Thank you, I appreciate it.

Speaker 6 (02:35:29):
We'll be shure to give a word to the Empress.

Speaker 1 (02:35:33):
You're going to do more than that, your friend agreed.
She's glancing towards you iris to help me with something. Regardless,
I need to do some work, so you're going to

(02:35:53):
leave me now. And in regards to the entrance exam, well,
it's midterm. I'll have to speak with the archvegus. We'll

(02:36:19):
see if he even allows it. There are special circumstances.

Speaker 4 (02:36:26):
Very well. Is there some sort of written exam or
anything like that, in addition to applications of it practical
practical use.

Speaker 1 (02:36:38):
She walks over to her bookshelf and she will get
a sheaf of paper and begin writing on it. And
you can see that she writes several uh, what appears
to be book titles down on a sheaf of paper,

(02:37:01):
and she says, purchase these.

Speaker 3 (02:37:05):
You can buy them in town, of course, all right,
I think these school book's always so expensive.

Speaker 1 (02:37:13):
This is your basic information in regards to magic, its application,
how it has formed, proper use. Must understand this before
you are to be educated in the use of spells

(02:37:35):
and such. Whatever it is you've been doing it's just instinct.
I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes that are being made.
Probably when you learn the correct way to do things,
it will be more efficient, excellent. An understanding of rituals

(02:38:02):
is important. But yes, there will be a practical exam
as well as a written exam.

Speaker 4 (02:38:12):
Very good, Right, you will get out of your care
and find some food and the like.

Speaker 1 (02:38:19):
Yes, I have much work to do. I have been
busy the last few days. Now get out of my sight.

Speaker 6 (02:38:35):
I'll stand up slowly, ye, but I have my eyes
so on Professor Drosk the whole time. And then I
look around the room and I'll slowly turn to the
others and walk past them and walk out the room.

Speaker 4 (02:39:01):
I'll look back to bow and oh, give sort of
kind of like tilted mouth expression like.

Speaker 3 (02:39:12):
Uh, I give a tilted slime expression.

Speaker 4 (02:39:15):
Back, and we'll leave following unders.

Speaker 3 (02:39:20):
Okay, do I have to go do school stuff too?

Speaker 1 (02:39:25):
No?

Speaker 4 (02:39:25):
No, I suppose it's just those of us who would
like to understand magic better.

Speaker 3 (02:39:31):
Ah, Okay, could I be all familiar or something?

Speaker 2 (02:39:35):
Then you want to be my familiar?

Speaker 3 (02:39:38):
I mean I have to be in school, right, But
I don't want to do any like exams and people
look at me funny anyway, So I may as well,
you know, leave up to the job.

Speaker 4 (02:39:48):
But you would look so splendid in those robes.

Speaker 1 (02:39:53):
Would I.

Speaker 4 (02:39:55):
In the uniform?

Speaker 2 (02:39:56):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (02:39:59):
M hm hmm, maybe I might.

Speaker 1 (02:40:05):
Why am I picturing like, you know, Pomeranians in little sweaters?

Speaker 4 (02:40:11):
Exactly what I was thinking?

Speaker 3 (02:40:14):
It probably absorbed after a while, he's eat it, But
for those five minutes I could look rather dapper.

Speaker 1 (02:40:26):
So Andrews has walked out, Iris and bow you leave
the office as well, I assume, mm hmm, okay, bye, yeah, mhm.

Speaker 4 (02:40:46):
Are you okay?

Speaker 6 (02:40:51):
You mean me?

Speaker 3 (02:40:53):
Mm hmmm.

Speaker 4 (02:40:54):
Of course looking at him, just I'm trying to see
his aura at the moment. Does it seem as though
it is different?

Speaker 1 (02:41:04):
Did you have any sort of aura site before?

Speaker 4 (02:41:08):
You can do magical detection using ritualism. If you do,
you know iner quartz ritual But all rituals don't have
to take forever. There are quicker rituals.

Speaker 1 (02:41:19):
Okay, uh, and you do an insight and willpower for that, Okay,
let's see here.

Speaker 7 (02:41:29):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (02:41:37):
So I think this is just going to be just
a regular ritualism thing. So this is insight and willpower
and I'm gonna say this would be considered okasichine and
know us located somewhere or something sense emotions for by

(02:41:59):
short turning ery. I think this is going to be medium, okay,
and see, so this would be difficulty ten and this
would just be against an individual. So this will cost
you thirty nine points.

Speaker 4 (02:42:14):
Okay, Doke, We'll have to use a potion.

Speaker 5 (02:42:20):
I think.

Speaker 4 (02:42:22):
That's okay, and then that would be.

Speaker 6 (02:42:29):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (02:42:30):
So that leaves me at forty seven. And you said
insight and world power.

Speaker 3 (02:42:36):
Fifteen.

Speaker 1 (02:42:38):
What do you think she sees in your aura? Enders?

Speaker 6 (02:42:41):
It's blazing, bright, blinding. I didn't have one before. Thing wrong?
It's me. No, I'm trying to understand things around me.

(02:43:10):
Everything feels, everything feels.

Speaker 4 (02:43:17):
It can be overwhelming.

Speaker 3 (02:43:21):
So what should we call you? I mean like, are
you enders still or just end or or does.

Speaker 6 (02:43:31):
I don't understand the human behind your question? I am and.

Speaker 3 (02:43:36):
Okay a few.

Speaker 4 (02:43:40):
Do you remember anything before Racalia or the name of
Frank Solomon?

Speaker 6 (02:43:48):
Who is there?

Speaker 1 (02:43:50):
No men?

Speaker 12 (02:43:51):
Ilay all get to eat up your animal.

Speaker 1 (02:44:15):
Hello, this is Wax Stephen from Table Story. If you
like this podcast, please make sure to rate and review it.
If you would like to listen to more of our podcasts,
you can head on over to table story dot tv
to check out a variety of other shows. If you'd
like to support us, you can visit tablestory dot tv
slash support, and if you'd like to join our community,

(02:44:36):
make sure to go to table story dot tv slash discord.
Thank you, enjoy