Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry - Vox Machina Ep. 24 - The Feast

Episode Date: November 30, 2021

Percy reveals the full tale of his blood feud with the Briarwoods, leaving Vox Machina just one week to prepare. While half the team returns to Kraghammer to settle old debts, Vax acquires some new weapons, Percy forges a special surprise, and makeovers are applied to Trinket and Grog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm the champion. My brain. Pike left back there to finish up the renovation of the Temple of Serranrae. That was discovered. The rest of the party moved on back to Iman, the rest of their business complete. Within Amman, they returned to the Grey Skull Keep, where they encountered a fan, apparently, of Ox Machina that had been camping for two weeks outside, who was promptly bludgeoned in the temple by our Vax to teach him a lesson. To teach him a lesson.

Love, wasn't it? Hover, you know, brought back from the break and taught that hard lesson. In fact, this is a dangerous field, managed to seemingly reach out And to touch the heart of this, this young, intrepid, wannabe adventurer to possibly try and better himself before he throws himself in a dangerous way, and he ran off to train harder. Dagger, dagger hug.

Indeed. Upon returning to the keep, notice was sent off to one of the other members of the Council of Taldore, Seeker Assum, who is a halfling head of essentially whispers and all sorts of subterfuge across the countryside, who came to you, notifying you that within a week's time, the Briarwoods, Lord and Lady Briarwood,

are supposed to be arriving here within Iman for a feast to discuss apparently a building of a bridge and a more political joining between Iman and the Taldori royal family and these up-and-coming lords and ladies who have a very dark history apparently with Percy's character. So you have a very dark history,

asked to join as part of this feast, as you previously requested with Sovereign Tal'Dorei, that should anything involve the Briar Woods, you'd be included. You have a week to figure out what you want to do in advance to that. And that is where we left off. What time of the day is it right now? Right now, after this discussion, and you guys' arrival, I'd say it's probably mid-afternoon. The first thing's first, though, after this discussion with Secret Assam, who leaves the keep, you do have a brief moment of awkward silence as most of the people that work within your keep turn to you.

Lena kind of looks about the rest of the views. But by the way, we've been working here for about six weeks on the pay of full. We've come in close to our next pay scheme, and you tend to leave often and for extended periods of time. We would also like to be paid if possible. Definitely, dear. Oh, right. Yes. I thought.

We are definitely going to pay you. Does anybody remember how much we are supposed to pay them? What is the total of the staff's payment? Can you kind of thinks to herself at which point you see Erwin, the elderly servant at the back says, well, actually you had previously said that it was both of our services were 50 gold each for the month. And if I recall the other mercenaries or the other mercenaries or guardians that you've hired to watch the walls of the keep are at a discussed 100 gold for the month's wages each. And how many of those guys do we have?

You currently have five on your payroll. 600 gold a month. 600 gold pieces. Lovely. Total per month for the services of everyone keeping your keep. Tell you what, I will front this from my personal funds this month. She beat me to it. Just because we don't have enough in the party funds to go there.

We don't have 600 gold? We do not. Who's our treasurer? I am, but you bitches keep spending money. We've got cool stuff now. I'll go half-seys. Havsies? Lovely.

Twinsies will pay halvesies. Here you go. 300. Thank you so much. I'll make sure this gets the appropriate individuals immediately. They'll be very happy to not have to walk away. Of course.

Yes. Don't worry. You will always be paid from box-mocking. What, I'll put it. And Rowan steps and he goes, By the way, if you do intend to leave for an extended period of time again, I would recommend, perhaps paying that in advance. There was a bit of unrest last time. Should we pay another month?

No, no, not yet, not just yet. I will. Later in the week. I will. Wait, wait. I'll pay them with an invest right now. Just get out of the way. There you go. Got it. Very well, sorry. This will be disseminated amongst the other employees.

Traditionally, the head of house does dispense out the stipends anyway. That would be appropriate. I'm not even in the room, am I? Never mind. Sorry. Sure, you got where I was. Speaking of the workshop. I'm down in my basement. Can I go find Percy?

You can. We should all go find Percy. We should all talk to Percy. Thank you, kind, be Tiberius. Thank you. He wanders off and begins counting out change and do like a smaller person. When they start to go, I would like to make, I'd like to go to the temple with the sigils and talk to the guy who runs the place. Oh, you mean the at the the Lyceum?

Yeah. Okay. Is that a way? The Alvester Lyceum. because I learned something new this week, and I was like, oh, I'm done. But that's what I like to help. All right, so you make your way towards the Albas where I see them.

The rest of you head down into Percy's Workshop. So you head around the outskirts of the inner portion of the keep itself, down the stairway that leads to the basement floor. The basement floor, which contains a small cell, like a holding cell that you had constructed for you in case you had somebody you'd take a prisoner at some point. To the right, to the left of you, there's a small turning hallway that leads into the workshop. The workshop contains a series of various tools, work

benches, actually has a forge, a working forge with anvil and various blacksmithing tools. And as you guys come down there, the heat's already blasting from it. You can see Percy's madly into just diving into work of some kind. What are you doing, Percy? Are you making more mousetraps? Is that the fine? Oh. I guess not. I'm a bit busy. I am making more I'm working on a few projects that have been rolling around in my head for quite some time now.

Don't forget the bolt. The bolt is on the list, yes. Quite the worker. I've got a lot to do. Yes. So, um, darling. How many of you are down here, right? I grow here.

Everyone has set Tibbs. I'm moving through his stuff. I let Trinket forage around the courtyard, so he's not down here at the moment. I think we need a little history lesson on these. Frog, don't touch that. Why not? But it moves. Don't touch.

Matthew. Anything. I took some fine meats before I left, and I'm putting it to Lockheed along the way, by the way. Okay. Lockheed enjoys them thoroughly. They're delicious. Comfort food crafted by the finest cooks

in Grace Gold. Percy, it's hard not to clearly notice that you're quite distressed, and we're concerned. And you know, we kind of were talking about it. Not that we were talking about you or anything behind your back or anything, but you know, we never really. We found out why you were in that prison cell.

I've never questioned it before. We never wanted to make you uncomfortable, but we're about to walk into a party. And I feel like we need a bit of a history lesson. I know you're right. Should we guess, was it public nudity? A bit. I've never had to say this out loud before.

never actually had this discussion with anyone. It's okay. It gets better. Do I get an inspiration die for that? I'll give you D6 inspiration. The Briarwoods, Lord and Lady Briarwoods, are responsible for the death of my entire family. White Stone was my home. Many years ago, I don't want to get into the details.

I came from a big family. I came from a proud family. One night, they were invited in to our home, and over the course of that night, they slaughtered everybody. They are evil. They are corrupting. The few survivors, of Castle Whitestone who did survive,

only survived through deceit by working for the Briarwoods, turning on their masters. Thankfully, the Dorola family still has standing elsewhere, and there's other branches of the family other than my father's. I was lost for quite a while after that happened. I had nothing else in my life other than my family. I was never really going to inherit anything.

I wasn't going to. to run anything, was idle. And at some point I made the decision that I was, if nothing else, I was, I survived to maybe extract some vengeance, maybe set something right, maybe stop whatever it was they were doing. I don't know. I don't know. I, there was one of their party, Dr. Ripley.

She was in charge of something during the murder, I don't know what. She... I chased her. I chased her down. It took a year. I had my gun. And I discovered where she was and where she was working on some ruins.

And I approached her. And I never even saw her face. Her guards captured me, beat me up. Didn't even bother to her. taking my things, they just threw me in that dungeon. I didn't even, I never even got close enough to see her face. You know her name, but you've never seen her before. I saw her when she was interrogating me in my home.

So you could recognize her. Oh, yes. How did you get away when they, with the rest of your family? My sister Cassandra, my younger sister, I see somehow evaded capture. I don't know. She set me free. I don't know what became of her. I don't know what became of any of my siblings.

Probably not. Nothing reasonable, nothing good. I, you witnessed none of these deaths. I saw bodies of a few of them. It's all a bit shady. It's all a bit of a blur. How many years ago was this? Four now, five now.

If you know that they murdered your family, how are they still part of society? I don't know. I could have gone home. I could have gone home at any point at this point. I just, I'm scared. Did they take over White Stone? Are they still there? I discovered approximately a week ago that they're still at White Stone. Will they recognize you? I don't know. And these pricks are in good standing with the council.

I don't know what to do. I'm preparing for anything. When I got thrown into that dungeon, I came to a realization that maybe I wasn't doing this the right way. I wasn't being responsible, and I prayed to whatever it is I prayed to, that maybe I would have a sign of what I should be doing.

And then there you were. I've been trusting that Voxmachina will take me where I need to go. And maybe what I need to do is confront this, but I don't know what this is. And I'm terrified. And the remains of your family, were they killed by the sword? I don't know. There was an interrogation. There was a...

Dr. Ripley was a... She was asking questions. I assumed for all these years that that's what became of my family. What was she asking questions about? What did they want? Or was it just a political coup? Are asking questions about the castle? Um, about things about the castle. It was a long time ago when I was not equipped for torture. I don't remember much. Do you want them dead?

I think so. So. Should we interrogate them first? Find out more about your family. Or just give a head to the dead. I put down my gun and I turn the barrel. And on the barrel is, of the six barrels, five of them have names. And Lord and Lady Briarwood are two of those names. Dr. Ripley is another. What are the other? Sir Stonefell is the other and Professor Anders is the other, and then there's one blank one. Are they all members of the same party? Yes. They travel with Briarwoods. I don't know.

Wait, what were the names? So there was the Briar Woods, Ripley. Let's make your life you do. Oh, good. Awesome. So Karian Stonefeld, who's he? He was the captain of their guards. And Professor Anders, who's that?

Professor Anders was my teacher. He was my tutor, and he was in collusion with them. And he was the one who, I believe, allowed them in. Allowed them to take the council. in the night. And do you remember why they were invited to White Stone to begin with? They were traveling. They were on the road. I was my brother Julius and my sister Vespher who handled matters of court.

I was studying. I didn't, I didn't think. And how many brothers and sisters do you have? I had six. You might have six. We don't know what happened to them. Stoke, yeah. You said you saw a few bodies of families? Do you remember which did you? It's all very much a blur. It's things, the things you just forget.

Well, this is certainly tragic. But looking forward, what do we know of this meeting, event, party? What are we doing? Well, I think we need to do some. Recond? Well, have we, do they know Percy's among us? That's the thing.

I don't know if they do. You don't have to get involved in this. Oh, we are so involved in this. Yeah, we do. You said you won't have dead. We've got your back on. First of all, you don't really have a choice in the matter. My sister and I know a little piece of your pain.

I'm not going to get into it, but there's nothing she and I can do. We can find reparations for you, but we will. Percy, is this what you want? There's only one way to find out. Yeah. And if we kill them, how much will you pay us? Just kidding. Just kidding.

We ask other people that, but not me. But something I do need to know. Not getting your inspiration, I'm right. That's one thing I can tell you. Percy, if we see them and we're not ready to show our faces, will you be able to contain yourself? I think so. And would they be able to recognize your face?

Yes, that's right. Which is why I was planning on. I know we have a cap of disguise. Yes, we do. We do. Scanlon has it. I've got one. I don't even know if they would recognize me at this.

My hair is different and... Less purple. Less purple. We could go into town and find you a bushy moustache. It's worked for me many times. I don't think I wear one as well as you do. How does that cap work? Well, that cap...

It's more of a hat. Are there any tools? While wearing the hat, you can use this action to cast a disguise spell. Oh, cast a disguise spell. Do you have to be a spell castor? Do you have to? You do not have to, no. Okay.

I see a shiny tool. I don't know what it does, but I try to take it. You reach over and grab it, and it's a large set of tongs. It looks to use for gripping large heavy pieces of metal, either for the actual forge itself or to bend and, you know, manipulate on the workbench. I take it, oh, put it in the bag of old. Make a slide of hand check. You're stealing from the workshop that you partially own?

There are lots of cool stuff in there! You're stealing from a crying, that? You're stealing from the good one. 17! My passive. Oh, snap. My passive perception is 21. Do you see Grog, slip this away?

No, this could be funny, let this happen. I give him the evil eye. She gives you the Y. It hurts, I put it back. That was fast. Out of curiosity, what did you pick up? What did it look like? It was a big thing of tongs.

I didn't know what it did. I just wanted it. Tongs. It was a big thing in tongs? Of Tongs. What would I have to roll to find out if it was covered in like some some basic, basic acid? It was just like, it was one of the things I was using for like,

for casting. Oh, interesting. Well, you know your tools very well in your workshop. And yeah, the metal is scarred and pockmarked from use with various corrosive chemicals. I'll take about 10 minutes to take effect. All right. Stupid.

Well, not there. Well, not there. Well, this hat of disguise, Percival, it requires some attunement. I don't know how capable you are with magical items, but. He just has to kind of hang out with it. I can find out. It's a short rest.

Well, I can make. We got seven days. I can make you look like anything. I can talk to the right people and get you the right paperwork and you can be anyone and no one will know a fucking difference. Okay, calm down there. I can forge I can forge paperwork as well. Oh, yes, he can. He's actually the guy we go to. He is that guy that you meet on the corner of Sandy Alley. I can make us all into birds. Are we supposed to go meet the council right away? No. No, in a week. In a week.

Have a week. Have a week. What do we do in the week? Prepare? Recon. We can do things. I mean, how long of a drive? Of a ride is it to Craghammer?

To draghammer on horseback? It's about two and a half days. Solo style if you're fast and back. Fast and back? Or if you're an eagle. It's two and a half days. I'd say about just under two days probably. How about the giant eagle flies?

What if you're flying? Hey, what's Ted Beers doing? I'd say, well, the eagle, the horse is far a little faster than the eagle. But you don't have to stick to a row? as an eagle. True, exactly. Coast through, I'd say, put you there at about the same pace. About two days on the eagle, because you're going to go straight through.

What is Tiberius doing? I mean, you want to take the road, because you know there's a lot of dangerous things that wander the wilds that are between there. Because this was more important, mile is secondary. I mean, what do you think? Is it stupid to go ride hard and try to get there and back before? We are kind of cashier over there. Wait, we're going to get cash and come back? and come back?

I mean, we don't all have to go. Just a couple of us can make a fast ride. Tiberius is working on it. I have a feeling deep down inside. Why would you say that? You know I deduct points for metagaming. I didn't do anything. I agree.

We should send someone for the money. I agree. And we won't take us a full week to prepare for this party. All we need is a couple of disguises. Yeah, but we need to do research. You barely know who the Briar Woods are. who the Briar Woods are. We don't know if these people are straight up gangster

or if there is something supernatural, seriously, supernatural about them. That hat, probably would work on 80% of people, but I don't know. We don't know anything about them. Well, they're not gonna recognize any of us right now. That's right. We could go do some recon.

Besides, have we seen all the brothels in Amon? I don't think so. We can do some recent, do some recent. some research, some reconnaissance. Some boutique shops in the... While someone goes for the money? Or should we wait? Just... I don't really want the money. People get married in my family for money. I think it's perfectly reasonable. Listen, we could all go get the money and be back in four days, right?

Some people need to do some work. We need to just send some people off. Split the party? Yes. Quickly. Hopefully be back in time. We can each... There's four days we can each do our part. Five days. Keelis, can you and Kiki? Yes.

She's busy talking to the air. Can you and Scanlon fly to Crackhammer? Yes, I would like to stop and talk to Gilmore first, though, before I leave. It's smart to stick to the road. Our illustrious god just told us. Oh, wait. It's smarter to stick to the road because there's bad things. In the air?

There's air traffic. I have to worry about air traffic. By horseback, you want to sleep to the road. By air. Oh, okay. By air, though, check yourself. Before you wreck yourself. What?

You, I would assume, use polymorph as I do. No, I use my bee shaping. Oh, that's so sexy. Of course it is. Does that last for longer than a day? It lasts as long as I want it to last. This is getting weird. I go up to the kitchen and look for something to eat.

It's starting to flood. You can be an animal as long as you want? Where are you going with this? I've just got a chub on, that's all. You can stay in B shape for a number of hours equal to half your Jewel-level. I'm putting a little bit of powder in a bag. And five hours right now.

You can transfer. What's my pass? So, when I mean as long as I once, I mean like long enough to where I've never had to really think about it before. Now. Well, then like me, Flying there would not be an option. We'd have to stop, rest, walk, sleep.

Yeah, that would slow it down a lot. Well, I could get 10 hours because I can use two B-shaping abilities. But that's still a two days flight. And then rest. That's two days is the horse riding hard. What about an eagle? No, I just have to rest for,

I get my druid shapes back after a short rest. Oh, okay. So you could. Circle of the moon, bitch. Sorry. So you could. B-shaped twice, rest of 30 minutes, B-shaped twice. Respect my gangster.

The Eagles! I'm not here. But can I go, can I make a stop first and then I'll run the end? I don't have a lot of money at the moment. She might have some. Yeah, I've got my personal funzies. Can you leave me an earpiece so that I can just keep in contact? I'm not leaving my workshop.

Yeah, I have an earpiece, right? We'll leave you alone, Percy, to work. Is there anything else you need from this, Percy? Is there anything you need while I'm out and about? Leave me in your personal call if I need anything else. Firsty, is there anything in this shop that you want in the bag of holding for Neda? Not yet.

Thank you, Grog. You're not there. Do you not have any apace? Hmm? You don't have any apace? No, I don't. I'll give him mine. How many minutes has it been?

I'm wondering if his hands are starting to itch yet. About this time, you started getting this weird tingling sensation around your fingers. Do they crave blood? No, they crave some sort of an agent that will prevent the now slight burning sensation. Owl skin.

Quick question, sorry. I kept something from falling in the shock really quick reflexes. It's making my muppets tingle. Do you have anything for that? You haven't been scratching yourself? No, no. I had that before. Not the same thing.

I don't know, there's a bucket of water in the corner. You can try that. I go over to the bucket of water and I stick my hands in the water. It'll make it worse. Yes, it does. It does. The slight burning sensation now has turned into a very vibrant burning white hot

on the skin. And you can see bits of the skin start to peel back a little bit but then the lower layer. Hand him a small bag of powder. Now you've learned not to touch things if you don't know what they are. What do I do with a bag of powder? Power the powder on his hand. It kind of foams up a little bit in places, but...

It is. Yeah. You're a good friend. It's Gold Bond. Can I leave, though? Oh, any. Yes. I'll go to the kitchen to eat. Okay.

All righty. Easily get another meal mustard for you. I'm going to go make a trip to Gilmore. Anybody want to join? I should probably tag him. There's a broke-ass vision. I'll come to. Me and back.

workshop, you're eating. You guys are going to Gilmores. All right. So as this is happening, Tiberias, you make your way over to the Alabaster Lyceum. You come up to the front main area of the structure itself. It is essentially, it's an arcane college. You make your way to the front clerk. Looks up to you.

A nice young fellow looks like he's trying to work through his credit in the school through his training. He looks like he's dressed in the ceremonial robes of somebody who is a student who is currently stuck with the job of working as a clerk moment. It's like, hi, can I help you? Yes, hi. If you do not remember me, I'm Tiberius Stormwind, from Draconia. Right. Moreover, Voxmarkiner, over at Grey Skull Keep. Where have I heard there?

When we told you multiple times before, we met with you using your sigil of teleportation. It's fine. I come here on a matter of business anyway, so that's neither here nor there. I was wondering if I may procure a address or number, as it were, for a sigiled to Craghammer. I believe the Thunderbrands would have some kind of facility near theirs or on their own premises where their sigiled could be channeled through the circle of teleportation spell. If you're talking about sigils for teleportation, you would probably have to discuss that with gatekeeper Xandras. Yeah, where you see?

I thought that was you. No. I'm the clerk. I run the front of the... Follow me, and he gets up. And leads you further into the structure to the central circular room, the white marbled room that contains all the doors around.

In the center of there is the... This is called the... This is called the Traverse Junction. This is where you guys have entered, the place you've stumbled into every single time we've teleported back to IMAN. And there you see the Elven Wizard, who you recently bothered not but maybe five hours ago,

who stumbled in, who's like currently setting up some sheets. It goes back. Oh, hello again. Hi, I'm Tiberius Storm from Griconia. And moreover, Voxmarkiner over at Greystone, I was wondering and I asked your clerk here, because I thought he did what you actually do here. If I may procure for coin or perhaps some kind of, I don't know,

favor of sorts, the... Damn it, snap. The address or number or code or whatever it is, that would work for the Craghammer SIGL of My Spell with Circle of Teleportation for this. Sigel Gerts. I get an understanding here that you're seeking access to one of our many sigil-based rooms of transference.

Those rooms are currently under very protected lock-in key, approval by the headmaster Thurmond Adlam himself. Okay, well, where is he? Oh my God. Do I, how do you, can you take... It's like calling time order cable. Who, can you take my day? take me to him, or is he, where is he at?

Glances over at the clerk, goes, Right, I'll, right this way, Mr. Stormwind. Okay, alright. Meads you back to a long, long hallway, you know, arched ceiling. You'd see that the marble itself has these carvings and sculptures of various almost dead looking faces of, you know, long past mages that originally

either built or were very held in high esteem within the halls of this Lyceum. At the very end, it opens up into a, what looks like a pretty well-decorated, almost over-the-top decorated office room for the headmaster himself. The interior is just lined with large, large, 15, 20-foot-tall bookshelves. So on this giant oval room with, you know, sliding ladders that are attached to them that just kind of slowly glide on their own. They're on some sort of arcane-based pattern that just puts them back and forth. There is a large chandelier of brightly, colored orbs that sits about 35, 40 feet in the air that slowly rotates on its own, that keeps this kind of slowly fluctuating, changing color of the room. And in the center, there is a circular desk. And sitting there at the desk, you can see, is the headmestertherman, who is this extremely elderly human male. Shaved face, very, very, very short, kind of, you know,

curved, bald head with a little bit of hair in the back, hunched for, and is currently collecting a series of books into his arm, and it looks like he's about to get up, and he turns and looks over. Can I help you? Hello. I'm Tiberius Storming. I'm Gittoronia.

Moreover, Mark's Machina and over a grace called keep here in Eamon. We are the saviors of this town and whatnot. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I went through this fellow who I thought was the job of

this fellow, but it wasn't. Either of those jobs. It was you who I've needed to talk to, I'm assuming. What do you require for me then? I'm looking to procure an address or the access to the sigils of Craghammer and through my circle of teleportation, spout and whatnot, using your archaing gates. That's about it. Well put.

Well put. If you're asking for access to one of our mostly guarded sigils for the Thunderbrands, you say, within Crackhammer. Yes. We have business with them as well. Well, then I will... Just one moment. And he reaches in a pouch and pulls out this mirror, this like oval mirror and sets it onto his desk. Reaches underneath.

He pulls it a small chest, opens up the chest, and you can see it in this chest. There are probably two dozen of these tiny little marbles, all different colors, some different shapes. And he goes and there's little labels. You can't really see it from your perspective. He takes one out, places it on the top of the mirror. And as he does, the mirror all of a sudden, shimmers for a second. And what was originally just a normal reflection

is now this light, glowing blue, slightly glowing water-like surface. And he takes it and lists it up to himself and, Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! A moment later you hear this distant voice kind of echoing with a strange kind of warbling filter over it.

I'm coming, what's taking your time? Yes? Headmaster, what do you require? Well, there's a gentleman here, Dragon Boer. I'm sorry. Who is requesting use of your sigil of teleportation? Do you know this gentleman, turns it around, and you can see in there.

There's, uh, is it, hello? This is the same long bearded, a Dwarven individual that met you at the actual Stormbrand, or sorry, the Thunderbrand house, and had a bit of an argument with you early in your travels of Craghammer. Oh. That guy. Yes.

We got things for you this time, like we said, we would get for you. And the underdog is really inconvenient, but we have things. But we need to get you quickly. Now, listen here. Last we spoke, you and your friend stormed into our lair. nearly destroyed our precious arcane defenses of our host. I'm drinking, he's an alcoholic. He's got help since then.

Look a deception, check. You go to Kraghammer, rest one. Oh, no. Wait, what is it? What is it? Persuasion? This is a deception. Oh, uh. Well, you are an alcoholic, but that wasn't what he meant.

What is that? 11 plus 9 is 20. 20. 20. Thank you. Yes. Either way, we can't just let anyone

just willy-nilly knowing how to directly appear in the central of our homestead. Of course. I mean, sorry, I was starting. I started to tackle you. Yarr! Wait, geez, wait. Bring me another accent.

See. Of course. Don't be. I wouldn't expect you to, but... Exactly, that's him. That's him. But I'm... Tibera Stormwin from Draconia.

My father, Draconi, Kravannis, Stormwyn, has held the council for over two generations. Your name was Craghan. Oh, my parents! Yes! We come from a noble house, and I give you my word that I will never abuse. Abuse.

That one. However, you pronounce it in your tongue. The privilege of quickly traveling to your stead to do business with you. with you and there would be no other intrusion otherwise. I guarantee it as my name as a stormwind. Make a persuasion roll. Chief negotiator.

Oh. That's a 11. 11. He goes, his head turns to the side a little bit with a kind of peering through you with a slight scowl. You know, last we talked, the reason we didn't report you to the guard for breaking through our defenses was you promised to look beneath the city and bring back

Various artifacts you were in search of. Oh, we found one. Did you know? A couple, yes. And we killed a bunch of those buttholes. Can I see one of these artifacts? Oh, I don't have it on me. Right.

It's with the, who has it? We're done here, headmaster. And this mirror shimmers and closes suddenly. Wait, wait, wait, he was like, what, no? Good try. Oh, we can bring, we can bring, we're not there. No, we're on. Yeah, master takes the more black.

I'm sorry they didn't seem to go your way. It's fine, headmaster. I'll be back in about 15 minutes with the proper proof that we did procure the things that the man that needed to have proof did. Excuse me, it's actually, and I go out of there. Okay. Yeah.

And as soon as I get out of there, I cast fly myself, and I Gandalf right back to the keep. All righty. Um, so you're eating, you're crafting. Are you going with the rest of them to Gilmore? I don't know. I don't know. We went to Gilmore.

I'm going to see Gilmore. All right, you guys make your way to the outside of Gilmore's glorious goods. As we walk, do we see Tiberius sort of fly over our heads? Yes. Actually, I'm staying at the keep. I'm staying in the keep. Not yet.

Travis is my target, right? Are you still at the keep? He's at the keep. Yeah, I'm eating. Yeah. Yeah. As far as time goes, you haven't quite gone to that point yet for these guys. So you get to Gilmores.

You get to Gilmores. You enter. You enter the interior. You can see that for the most part, there aren't a lot of people in here. It's getting later in the day and a lot of the customer business seems to happen almost earlier, like either pre-noon or around noon. There's no current sign of Gilmore. You do see across the way, what's your name again?

Is it Sherry? Sherry, the Mousie helper who runs the shop in Gilmore's absence, or at least runs the first portion of with her thick glasses kind of up on her nose, and she's sitting there with her elbows over the top of the main desk. It's been a day. She looks up as you enter and kind of takes your glass and folks them for a second.

Hello. Hi. Hi. Do you remember us? Right, I do, I do. We've worked. Fox Machina, we're sponsored by Gell-Mor. Yes, I recall.

He put the brand on my armor that my mother gave me. And you should be wearing it proudly, yes. Mm-hmm. Now, what can I help you with? Well, as Gilmore around? Yes, I was hoping to catch up with him. We've been gone a while, and I was hoping to trade news with Glorious Gilmore.

Is he not in at the moment? Gilmore's in Western, currently setting up the expansion of the Gilmore's Glorious Good's business. If this is important, I can certainly summon him here. Well... I hate to pull him away. away from business. I don't want to get in the way of his business. I mean, I am rather sad

not to see him, but no, I don't think that would be a course of action we'd want to take. Let him continue to set up. Right, I suppose. Can you get a message to him, though? Yes, I can, actually. Well, tell him Vaxel Down and Friends visited. We're in the city for a week. She pulls out a small sheet of what looks like kind of a rough around the edges. piece of parchment, it starts ink well, scribbling down.

Backs ill done, that's with an A, not an E. Right, right. We're here for a week. I don't know if he's going to be back from Western before then, but if he is, tell him to get word to me. I'm very interested in exchanging news the past few weeks. All right, Sirakona.

It like flashes and disappears in front of her. Well then, he'll be receiving the message right about now. Oh, awesome. We'll pass that on, and whenever he'll returns, I'm certain he will get back to you and deal with whatever business is necessary. Thank you. We're here late in the day. Are you still open for business? We are open, yes. I was just curious if you guys had a chance to think about the alchemy workshop that we talked about before,

or if you maybe had any alchemy books that came in that I was sort of requesting? It's possible. We haven't completely restocked the shell. Elvis is of late. I know we had some new things come in. I can go check. And as she turns, all of a sudden, there's a large, vibrant, white flash of light and a f f f f-sound from the back room.

The beaded curtains kind of shift for a second. And here, heavy footsteps, and pushing through the beaded curtain you see before you, with the beaded sweat on his head, Gilmore. I'm so glad you came back. Gilmore. I'm sorry. I was about running some business ways away. You didn't have to go to all that trouble to come back here.

Oh, could I miss seeing my fight? There's not as many of you as usual. Oh, we're seeing to different bits of business. I turn back to him. I walk forward with hands out. I walk up to him, take him by the head, give him a good European style kiss just about here, right there. Come back and say, there is so much to talk about. Oh, yes, there is. Where can we be alone? But, but... He looks over the rest of the group.

Well, I mean... But of course. See to whatever business. We'll just peruse, yes. We'll window shop. He walks back through the beaded curtain, kind of giving his look over his shoulder. As he does, as the curtain kind of falls behind him. those beads.

Oh, jeez. Whoa. I just walk right in and following in. All right. Have a smell. As you go on there, there is, and you can see now, is the glow gently fades. There is a rug that's kind of pushed to the side. And on the floor of his room, there is a familiar sigil, kind of similar to the one that you've

seen Tiberius scrawled before in some of his bells. That's apparently how he got here so quickly. But he walks in and he kind of kicks the rug back over it, sits down on the edge of the his bed, puts his hands kind of up and lars his chin on his face, goes, what seems to be troubling you? So I walk over and I sit down opposite him and say, before we talk about anything, I feel like I should apologize, because although we didn't have any sort of written

agreement, you and I are friends, aren't we? Yeah. And I was supposed to help bring your brand. wherever we went. And I thought that would be possible. I've basically come back. We came back from the underdark. We had a very hard time. Some of the hardest weeks of my life. So I haven't delivered on my promise. And I mean to, but I haven't yet. So I apologize, wholeheartedly. I'm sorry. That's all right. I understand. People grow busy. There are things. you must tend to, that's all right.

And I appreciate you being so honest. I really do. In addition to that, I am changed and promises me more to me even more than they did before, and I promise to follow through. In the interest of time for the game, DM, Vax tells the whole story of the under dark, of the horn, of how close it was. What is taking him so long? While that's happening, the rest of you are left there,

kind of awkwardly staring about the... Did Sherry find my book? Sherry! A few minutes go by, Sherry comes back. She brings like two books over. How best I can tell these, maybe what you're looking for? I can't quite and... sets them down. One is a book that just is the properties of various liquids, chemicals,

and things that are found on this plane and otherwise. It's kind of a good way to... way to locate and identify phantom liquids, should you come across any. The other one. Might be good for Scanlan. He's the source of a lot of phantom liquids. Exactly.

Yeah. The other book appears to have a section about alchemy. It's essentially a, I want to say beginner's guide, but it's a very, very easy to follow introduction to a number of various low-level sorceries and the creation of the level spell components preparing them for use with spellcasting, and there is a chapter on Lova Alchemy. Okay, how much are these, Sherry?

Ah, they haven't been priced yet. I mean, they're like, they're all right, so. Well, he's busy. I'll give you... I like it. 25 gold each. 25 gold each. Oh, come on, I know some university student drop these off and donated these.

Don't kid me, Sherry. Am I doing it right? Do I sound like Vex? Give persuasion roll. Damn it. I have to say, make her do a persuasion roll to be funny. You should do it like grow up. Unforced error. And she's all grown up. And she's all grown up.

Oh, enforced error. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Oh, oh, oh. So perfect. So perfect for you. It takes the books and slides them back and says, well, if that's how you feel, perhaps these can return to those you know, can return to those university students that perhaps left him by.

I should put these in the lost and found. Sherry! Sherry, Sherry, Sherry, Sherry, if I may, if I may. What Keeleth was trying to say was that she never got a chance to go to college and that she wanted to feel like she wanted to get that university experience. Oh, good luck. Well, that didn't work. Hey, can you serve me now? Scallon, Scanlan. Will you buy those books for me and I'll reimburse you? I can hear you. I'm right to you.

Walk away. Yes, I'm happy to help you. I was wondering if you had a small box of some sort that could carry a magical item and perhaps shield it from detection. That, yes, we do have a couple of those. Hold on. She darts up a stairway on the other room and goes to the second floor. A few moments later she comes back down with these two small chests, they're about that big each. One's like a lighter wood color. The other is painted black all over. We have both of these. They should shield something of this size from most low-level magical detections.

These will run you about 200 gold apiece. I just need one. You're a woman of the world, and I'm sure you have fine taste, judging by your appearance. It is quite fine, if I may say so myself. say so myself. If I were a little taller, I would probably ask you out on a date. If you were a little taller, yes. Sherry is sassy today.

She's full sad. Which one is the fancier of the two? Well, looking at these, this much points to the one that looks like just a casual wood chest. This would be easier to hide in plain sight amongst the rest of your furniture. This one, however, would be difficult to locate in a more shaded or lightless circumstance. I want ostentatiousness. Oston, yes, please. Thank you.

200 to you. Also, I know Gilmore is otherwise entertained. Can you try to identify something for me? Do you have that? I mean, judging by the glint in your eye and beauty and your heart, I'm sure you have many skills I don't know about. I'm Mr. Reynolds. But I'm wondering if you could identify this small red vial

with a floating something in it that I procured quite some time ago. Yes. Okay. But this vial, if I recall, this has the small...

Did I try this once before? I don't know. This was one that was found... Me and Pike found some stuff in somebody's house. I don't even remember. This is like a year ago. Right. Right, right, right, right, yes, yes. Okay, there we go. She takes the, and then make a persuasion roll, actually,

on this one. A lot. Oh, look, a real roll. Shut up. It's like 18 plus, I think, 10 persuasion? It's a real roll. I'm so bad with the talking. It's 35.

It's like the dice now. Wait, 31, 31. Matt just visited his mind palace. She, uh. She, uh, she looks at you and goes, you've been good patrons, and you've been much kinder to me than others.

We'll put this one on the house. Good job. We'll call this on the house. And she takes the vial, sets it down, and she pulls out another book that she kind of shuffles through, puts it up, and she's coming through pages, and kind of looking through. This here would be a potion of fire breath.

When imbibed, should give you a temporary time period to breathe fire, much like a... relatively young dragon. This one particular is fire. There are many different vials like this that pertain to different colorations of dragon, but this one is specifically for the rent. So, thank you so much. Thank you. That's all hot. Get her phone number. Well, thank you so much. Two more questions then I'll leave you alone. One, where could I go get business cards printed up in this town? Business cards? It's like a calling card. Never mind. Forget it. Like a

Like a flyer? Yes. Those can be printed. There is a, actually, a pretty well-designed print facility, not that far up the road. Oh, great. Thank you. I'll go investigate that. And one other thing, you know those books that my friend was asking about? Could we maybe make those happen for her?

I know that you had quoted her a low, low price of 25. I'd be prepared to pay even more than that for them. and compose you a little song about yourself. At which point, for the first time, since the entire time you've been in the shop of Gilmore's Glorious Goods, you see a slight grin, creeper-crosser-lilip. He likes that.

How could a lady say no to a song? 25 gold, the price standards. So I have to pay you and sing to you. Yes, yes. We're on a business here. Yes. Pulls the books out. I bring out my...

something you know Librate Sherry baby Sherry baby Sherry won't you come home tonight Come home tonight

You you better as your mama Tell her you're with a gnome. Bo, bo, bo, bo. Why don't you come on to my kids? Pay for the book, I hear you. You see that, her face is flush and she kind of like...

I kind of drew it craft a flower real quick and slip it to Scanlan to give to her. Here you are. She's bread in the face. At this point in time, the beaded curtains are you finished the cover. Or did you want to keep up? No, no, no.

After 10 minutes of finishing all that of telling him every tiny detail, if you mind me backtracking, I briefly place my hand on top of his and say, it was terrible. I've never seen anything like it. Now we're back. And we're in our home, and I'm hoping to learn how Uriel is doing, how the city is faring.

Is there any news? Things are ill in Craghammer. They still haven't seen the last of their troubles, but I'm also concerned for our new home here. As far as I'm aware, the city has been doing rather well. I mean, since winter's crust, just this previous year, the trade has been booming, we're opening up pathways all across the continent.

We've improved relations with many other distant kingdoms and I'm opening a second shop. I mean, that's amazing. And how does it going? So far, so good. We're going through the construction process and I'm making sure that I have a rather supple income of artifacts and oddities

that I have to sell at both locations. So I have to widen my input of various items. You're a busy man. You only term for leisure? That's what that is. Eventually. Eventually. And you can see he's a little more worn than you've seen Gilmore before.

He's still a little bit more excited, but after the tale you told him, and you can see the opening of the second shop has been a little rough on him, and his juggial self is a little more wearied. Though he still looks fabulous. Right. You seem a tad weary. Is there anything I can do to help you? Just praise the brand. Praise the brand, young facts. That will happen. I did not even mean to discuss this coming here, but I noticed coming in a sigil under your carpet. I had no intention of this, but we need to get back to Craghammer in a bit of a hurry,

and I certainly have no abilities, but do you remember my friend Tiberius, the Dragon Boyne fellow? Yes, yes, I remember him. He needs to run an errand back in Craghammer. Is there any way you could hook us up with a favor? What kind of favor? I just want to send the lizard to Dwarf Town. Do you think we can make that happen? Sins the lizard to Dwarf Town?

How many more slurs can you have in one sentence? See, my... What a fucking lizard is for my... I don't hear. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. Returning personal use.

Oh, all right. Did you hear that? There was some strange noise in this guy. I'm using my earring. I hear this. This is for my return use. As far as an outgoing, most other sigils are up here. Looking for that, you're going to have to go to the Lyceum, I'm afraid.

Understood. I don't want to push my luck. However, if you're going to the Lyceum, I am out of favor or two. favor or two. Let me see what I can do here. And he goes and he pulls out another piece of similar paper, he writes a quick little note on the side and sets it up in the air and it finishes. So awesome. He says, I've just done you a favor. Keep that mind.

You have a lyceum, you should have access to one of these sigils. Make sure you choose properly. You only have one. I'm pretty magic stupid. That work for you? Then don't be the one that doesn't. Talk to you a friend. It's Tiberius, fella. We'll know what to do, I'm sure. Correct. And then one last, it's smaller, it's boring, it's business.

I need a dagger. I don't want one for free or anything. I want to purchase it. We're a little low on funds. The reason Tiberius needs to go to Craghammer is because we're owed a large sum of money. Right, you mentioned this last time when you almost opened to the line of Gilmore's glorious credit.

Mm-hmm. I'm not there. What would the credit entail? Previously, we discussed 25,000 gold pieces, the amount of which you were going to retrieve. I was going to, what was that? Retrieve. God, I've been in the underdark so long. What was the deal? The deal was, since you did not have funds, and you had to retrieve this money from this dwarf town, as you so graciously put it.

Oh, shit. That you would borrow the money at the time and then pay me back within a month. Not there. Within a month. Understood. Wait. Is Gilmore trying to say we owe money? No, no, no. We almost did that. Oh, not there. Correct, DM?

That's what we almost did, but we didn't do it. He offered it. He backed out last minute. When you realized there was apparently hidden platinum. A shit ton of platinum. I would be interested Gilmore. I really just need a lot of. a quick favor, and I mean to pay you back quickly. I was hoping I need a dagger for something.

Not your best dagger, not your shittiest dagger either. I just need something nice. How much would a fine dagger cost, something that would be good in a fight? And could I pay you back in a couple of days once Tiberius returns from crack hammer? If you want something functional, there are masterwork daggers out there. We do have base-level enchantments that give you a fine a fine-honed edge and a balance that cannot be beaten for its price rate. For that, I can easily give you one of our base on enchanted items for no more friend discount included. 400 gold pieces. That's a pretty good. That's a really good deal.

Can I please purchase three of those? You may. Done. All right. I'll give these right now. He stands up and now it's suddenly, now there's some sort of business involved. completely renovated and recharged. He comes through the beaded curtain again. You guys see Gilmore burst out. Like, ha ha. We're in business. And he goes into the

next room and back up the stairs and takes a few moments and comes back down with an armful of these daggers and kind of like sets him down on the counter. Three for you. That'll be 1,200 gold pieces, please. I reach out and I give his cheek a little booby squeeze and then clap him on the cheek. Cool. And say, I'm good on my word and you're a good friend. Thank you, Gilmore. Least I could do. Pay me back.

I'll find you. I know you're good on your word. Really? Killith. Scanline. Oh, yes. How to Gilmere. You're walking straight so it couldn't have gone too well. A little warm in here.

I thought the dagger so sharp it could cut the sexual tension. Is there a messer work? I slide the daggers back into the box. They are plus one enchanted daggers. Well, let's get out of here and go. Did you find us any? I'm good. No, everything's good here. Just not everywhere else.

Let's get out of here. Go back to the keep. Have I reached him yet? Which at this point now, Tabaris, you have coasted over the air, and as you come careening in, you hear, and look down and two crossbow bolts just whizz past you. Shit. It's me, you idiots.

I wish you immediately, oh, sorry! Sorry, we're not used to having you bolt in from the skyline. I'm in a hurry, sorry. Do you switch to pass, Chardonin, Cordell, they both change their bolts and they both kind of arguing with each other. Like, I should have seen him, sorry. Sorry again. Make it rain at the courtyard inside two, inside.

gray skull keep. What did you miss? I go into, to brush into, I find him eating. Kill up, kill, kill, kill, quickly, quickly, and I go into the bag of holding and I take the item out that we, what the, what the, how was it? Tyberius, Tiberius.

Wait, are we there? You know, well, we're not there yet? Do you have the earpiece, though? I walk into the room to see Tiberius just, I do. Throwing things out of the bag of holding. I'm assuming. What are you?

I have to fit, I have to, I can't, because I, you have to visualize what it is to pull it out. What are you looking for? That thing, that we heard it is... I'm gonna start using my earring on the walk home. Does it, I don't know what the range is. Tiberius, can you hear me? Tibbs.

Tibbs. It's pretty, you're pretty at this point. What are you looking for there is? The thing that, I take it my hand out, the thing that we, when we were in the under dock and one of the items that we procured while we were scavenging and we looted it and we could give it back to the Thunderbrand.

Oh, like pieces of the enemy. We get paid for it. Well, that, but there was artifacts that they wanted. They wanted like a necklace, right? We found like one or two of them. You found a necklace. You found a necklace who was supposed to go, hang on, I'm finding them.

Oh, I've got two gold necklaces, two gold chalices, two rubies. It was actually a magical item. One of you may have it equipped. It'll say in the description of the item that it has an inscription in the back. Oh. Oh.

Oh. I don't have it. I don't have that shit. I don't have that. What? Was it a necklace with a rifle? I got a protection of some kind. What?

A ring of protection? Amulet. An amulet. Oh, no. What if we gave it to Kima or? We didn't give it to them. But Kima took some armor we found. Amulet of natural armor?

Look in the description of the item. It should say underneath the name. It'll have the actual inscription written in the descriptor of the... Everybody look at your stuff. I don't have it. I don't have it. I don't have it. I don't have it.

I look inside my belt of dwarf and kind and it says, He's badass. It's a sapphire pendant that should say, to Lorna, my love. Oh. That's what I've reached in and grabbed. Okay. House Thunderbrand.

There you go. Yes. We didn't equip that. I mean you're... It was a ruby? I like your hair. It was an... It was a cool.

It was... Yeah. It is enchanted. It is a... It's not the one you're wearing, right, Scallon? We didn't like... No, it's an item. We found it and nobody equipped it.

It's an item. Put it in a bag. I got it. All right, so there you have. Take it out and I put it in mine. Grog, I'm finding out as soon as I can show this to a fellow, and we can go in to crack him out very, very fast. Oh, really, slowly.

That's wonderful. So we should leave right now. Can I go with you? Yeah, and I'll cast, because who's around, just them to you? I cast fly it like again at like whatever. third or fourth level to cast out. I don't want to go. Now all of a sudden you're like,

looking at the air. We get the most fast, we can get the most fast if we can fly and die go. I take off after him. But if I want to stay, let's go. You can say and just hover on and plon. I'm fucking floating above my middle. Yeah, you can control it in that.

This is bullshit and I'm bouncing off the ceiling and shit. Can I control myself? Yeah, it takes a moment to adjust to it. Oh, no. You have done it. You're just trying to eat chickens. I was not like trying to swim down to my plate. Oh, you can't try to swim down to my plate.

It takes you a little bit, but you do eventually get control. It's not. It's eating so bad. And I float. Propulsion does work. As we're flying, can I keep an eye out for our party members that are returning? Yep, and as you guys coast over,

you see leaving the exterior wall gate to the south side of Iman, you see the rest of your party walking back towards the key. That means we're close enough. Yeah, yeah. Brother. Hello. We're heading to the portal to the Tiberius. is working on something we can get there fast I'll be back soon all right Gilmore has an

in he said we just need to mention his name and we're through we can send Taviris through does that work brilliant I'll let him oh that gives you a wonderful idea and then I'll cast it at fourth level again because we'll fire arrest right I hope and I'll go and cast it on just because I think it's funny I see your grog is flying over too right I'm in that kitchen floating around farting and eating food I'm in space. I've got priorities. Okay, well I see you guys are flying, the two of you? So you fly down and cast fly on the rest of them?

Right. All right. Oh. Come on, fall. Holy shit, I've never flown before. This is amazing. I fly in two, what's happening? Yeah.

So you guys are not floating. You guys are floating as well. You're coasting over Eman for roughly 12 or so seconds before grog, you dropped to the ground. And And now Tiberius and Vex, you begin to plummet. Why are we plummeting? Light's a concentration spell.

You cast it again. Your amulet keeps it up for two rounds, which is 12 seconds, and then the previous fly spell deteriorates. What about my circuit then? That's what I'm saying. The struggle lets you maintain concentration for two additional rounds. Oh, okay.

Tiberius, I'm falling. Huh? Oh. Falling thing like. I'm falling. I cast fly again at six level. on everybody else. I start falling.

And at that point, no, because I can catch everybody. At that point, now, yeah, now all of you guys are currently flying. Oh my goodness. And you catch yourself. You fall in the kitchen though. Yeah, you, on the ground.

Well, that makes things simple. Is this going to stick Tiberia? Yes, yes, it's just one spell. I just really need a nap after this. I really need a nap after this. That's all I'm saying. Talk about having gas. I go back again.

Okay, make your way towards. Now, you eventually, all of you following Tiberius, you coast over down to the Alabaster Lyceum, landing right through the front area, this whole party now appears. Catch your feet, and there you see the same clerk there, looking up. Ah, I see you've returned.

Yes, can we not talk to the middle guy first? Can we go right to the last guy who can do this? Down that hallway, follow up to the very end, his office is in there. You'll welcome. You'll welcome. Follow me, everybody. You all kind of glide through the hallway, or walk if you prefer.

To the end of the hallway. You open once again into the office, and there you see behind his desk once again as the headmaster, Thurmond, who looks around, Oh yes, you've returned. I received the note from your friend Gilmore, and you are welcome to utilize one of our scissors. Wonderful. That makes me quite happy. To craghammer, was it?

was it right? Yes, but I do not want to use that favor for that sigil. I would like to show, call our friends, and I brought the item and I bring out the amulet. I would like to show our friends in Kragammer that we actually brought them the thing to get their permission to go upon their sigil. And the other continent that we were around was called what? The other continent? Vassiline?

Yes. The favor I would like for Gilmore was to get to the Vasselheim sigil, please. But let's contact offence at Crackhammer first. To note, there is no sigil in Vasselheim. They have been outlawed and destroyed to prevent arcane intrusion. It's like magic. There have been historically many wars passed

in which Vasselheim nearly fell to the sudden appearance of small armies within its walls. And as such, many of these sigils, all of them have been destroyed. over the past 1,000 years. That's a long time. It was the third war. It was going into a long tie about the history of that.

You are so educated. Perhaps we could talk later about all of this wonderful history. Certainly, certainly, yes, I'm sorry. The mirror. And he pulls out the mirror, pulls out his chest, brings out the same marble again,

pops it into the mirror, it shimmers. Hello! Hello! You hear another voice? Are you kidding me, really? Step, stop. You again. Look.

All right, no. What are you bothering me with? This, I'm, I'm, like, spinning. It's one of the things that you wanted us to get. Who are you talking to? What is this? I can see it.

It's fine. What's it say? I can't read it from here. Read it up for me. To Lourna with love. To Lourna with love. To, it's written right there, Tiberi. Oh, sorry.

Hold on. Oh, there it is. To Lorna with love, brevive. At which point you see like the eyes of this door that were very kind of, you know, untrusting. Look. Open wide for a second. See, it says it. All right, all right.

Give him the schedule. Send them through. Hey. I'll see you soon. All of us? Mirr, gets us out again. It's Tibbs. Oh, all of us? All of us?

then takes the mirror and puts it back down, and he points back to the clerk who's in the hallway behind you again, kind of waiting. He says, go ahead and bring them to the junction, allow them access to the sigil for House Vanderbranding Kraghammer. Thank you so much. Of course, of course.

As he's doing this, I'm writing the sigil things that I'm seeing forming in my... Well, he leads you to the junction, and there is one of the doors he opens up, and on the inside there is the average actual sigil to Craghammer there. Gives you some time to study it, you memorize it, you get it locked in, and you now permanently know

the sigil of teleportation to Craghammer within the House Lenderbrand. Two. Yeah. Shall we go collect our money now, are we? Or do we want to do? Yes, yes, yes. We're all going, all of us.

We don't. Might as well, it's a quick ship. I guess just the five of us, because Grog and Percy are back in the key. Would you rather just send them Tiberius then? No, no, no, no. We should all go.

I can go back and check in on them. Is there anything else? I'm with you. Everybody's here about Grog. And me. And Percy. Where are you? I'm working.

Tinkering. Yeah, you could go back and check on Percy, Asper. I have an errand to run. Let's go. Let's go check in with Grog and Percy. And let's all go together because I like you guys. It sounds like it's going to be. It's me and Vex.

You, me and Vex. Yeah, go get the money. Okay. Thunderbrands are buttholes, so. That's all right. We'll take care of it. That's why we're taking the heaviest head. I was just say that.

Wait. We'll address that later. Come on, Vax. Custration wise. Right, yes. That's true. So you guys head back to the keep, meet up with Grog and Percy. What about you guys?

What are you doing? Huh? Huh? For Tiberius, Scanlan. We go through. Well, it's just the Cidivier. you have to cast the spell. Oh.

Yeah. Oh, is that what you want to do? Is that what's going to go? Let's go. All right. There's a spell? I don't know if it works. Oh, shit.

No, actually, I need to, I need to sleep. I, all that flying, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Sorcerers, they improvise. So wait, you're saying that we cannot go through. Well, hold on.

Maybe there's a way I could just trigger this spanish. Let's go home and go to sleep. Because it's the December. Go, we're going to sleep water. So wait. Ooh, I mean, let's get a drink. Maybe. It's home already.

You can cast that sigil anywhere, right? We don't have to be yet here. No. We can do it from the home. Let's just fucking go home. What time of the day is? Because it's still like afternoon, right? At this point in time,

to travel back and forth is getting close to dusk. Great. We'll take a nap and we'll go tomorrow. It's getting late. The Thunderbrands are probably going to bed at this point. We don't want to like invade. They're probably just sitting down for dinner. Since we are going,

there's no real time there. And my swallow's been crafted at the other place, right? Is that happening already? Yeah, it's been crafted for you. Okay, sorry, I had a swallow. It's not a swallow. It's a quarter staff with knives attached to it. I'm calling it swallow.

Okay. Um, on the way back, because we're obviously gonna leave in the morning, right, to do stuff. For sure. Thanks. I'd like to quickly stop at any blacksmith I see on the way back to Grace Cookie. Okay, there are a couple of blacksmiths

that you know about on the way through. I'll go to the good one. Not the bad one. Her reputation. The best reputation is Karen, but she's a specialist one. That's the one that made trinkets. Yeah, Karen. Although her. Because she's awesome. All right. You go an approach there? She's currently working away on some custom piece that she's currently working on.

Hello, can I help you, Dragonborn? Yes, I'm Tiberius Stormwind from Dachonia. Moreover, from Voxmar. What can I help you with? Sorry, right, we've done business before. I would like to commission you, and as I'm doing this, I'm taking out five of my daggers that I have, and I'm going to hand it to him like,

I would like to commission you to somehow craft these daggers into a type of bended glave. if you would. I don't know how long it would take you to do so, but I'm... What? It's like, you see, it's kind of like it will look like this, right?

But it's... Croll? Yeah, totally. But the blades are banded, but they're all connected in the center. You could use an iron or a steel ingot to connect the... I can certainly try, yeah, right. Wonderful.

Cram. All right. It will take me about two days and you've already supply materials other than a bit of the side bits. I'll say I'll charge you a hundred gold pieces. A hundred gold pieces. I'm a specialist.

You went to the good one. That's all? I mean, I'll... Yes, of course. He's 120. Certainly. Thank you. All right, it should be done within the next two days. Wonderful.

Be afraid to come by and check it if you like but it'll be done. I trust your work. Tricket's armour was fantastic. What? Did she do that? I thought it was the same... No, Karen did. This is Karen? Same Karen.

Yeah. She just thought bear, she just knows. Bear's armor. The Bear's armor was amazing. Oh, your friends were that one! She was real nice and that bear was adorable. Happy to help with that one. Its name is Trinkett. If you do know, oh, is that one? Yes. I'm actually didn't tell you it's an adorable name. Probably heard it. It's just been a while.

This is lucky. Imposes by him. You guys talk for a little bit. Oh my god. And I do business and I go back to the keep. All right. When he comes out of the, are we still waiting for him outside? You guys are right outside.

When he comes out, I've cast a minor illusion to make my, make it look like I have a long gray beard. Can we go home now, please? I'm here. Yes. Sorry. Any other stops you'd like to make? Dry cleaners, perhaps?

I got my robe. Oh, pristiditation. Here. Oh, that's great. Now let's go night night so you can cast a spell on us. All right, you guys head back to the keep. While they're doing that, I stealth away from the group. Okay.

Okay. Can I do a passenger check to see if I notice I'm sneaking away? I would like to fart. And a natural sweaty! It's a huge fart. There's a fire! Sorry. Go ahead and old perception.

Do I roll perception? I rolled a 13. All right. Perception or passive perception? Or just perception? For this, because it's not active, you're not actively going like where it's next. It would be your passive, you know. Then that is 24.

Vax is vanished. Um, and you might have noticed instead the, the explosion, like, eruption of gas from your Dragon Board and friend distracted you and gave from the proper gateway. So, you vanished. Yeah, I'm totally done an ally. into the alley onto another main road there. I just grab a random person on the streets. Excuse me, I'm looking for a butcher,

a specific butcher. Harold the butcher. Do you know, I think he's in the upper slums. Can you point me toward him? The individual you stopped, a younger gentleman probably in his mid-20s or so, a bit dirty in the face. He's just coming from a day of work,

going to the local tavern and finishes his eaves and drinks. I can't say I do. I mean there are butchers all over town. There's one... Where's the upper slums? Upper slums, please. Oh, there'll be the north side of I'm on that way.

And he points you kind of towards the... I don't even say anything else, I'll just keep walking. So I don't know how long that'll take me if that's like... I'll take you about from where you are now. 30 minutes? Let them do whatever and then get back. All right, so you guys get me right back to the... Greetings, adventurer.

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I'm asleep on the table. Yeah, it just passed out. Percy's never to be seen. You, I would like for you to make a tinkering roll in relation to construction of ammunition. Is that a key? 10. 10? 10?

You managed to utilizing material for 20 bullets, only craft 10. But you get 10 bullets out of it. You're supposed to wasting the materials. It's our key. Is it possible to, before I go to sleep, use, I have a basic poison potion, I'm kind of hoarding. Can I try to dip my tip of tip of my tip of? of one of my bolts up in that thing?

You certainly try it. There is between poison and disease. Oh, that's different. The portion seems to have no effect. Like on bolts? Okay. Yeah, well, it doesn't have anything. How many batches of bullets are you going to let me

attempt to make, or is this going to be? For the day, that's what you spent making for this day. Tomorrow we'll get to whatever, so you want to try to craft then. All right, so you go off, you manage to make your way to the upper slums. Yes, I see a stunted, stunted old woman and stop her on the street Grandmother, I'm looking for, I'm looking for, Harold the butcher.

Anita butcher, have you seen, do you know where I can find? Hey, best time, you gather. You're all that way. She kind of points you, and you, the breath is awful, this missing teeth, but she can, her crooked finger curves off at the side, and you can see what looks to be a relatively across the way, locked up right next to, it looks like some sort of a homestead, a hovel of that. There is a very, very humble looking butcher.

that is currently in the process of closing shop. I'd like to go stealth. All right. Okay. Rolled a 20. Yeah. All right, you make your way up there. You can see there's an older gentleman

in the mid-forties or so. Kind of salt and pepper hair, black, usually with a little bit of gray in the sides. It's currently in the process of closing up. Do I see Kynan anywhere? No. No. And it's a home.

It's a business and a home? It's hard to tell. It looks like a business from this perspective. Okay, I'd like to go around the back of the building. Okay. And just escape it out. While you look through the windows, there's a dull light in the inside,

just from what looks like a small, hooded lantern that's set up for a little bit of interior light, but there's nobody else in the house. There's nobody in. I'd like to, at the window, just try to listen and use perception to see if I can tell if anyone's inside. Okay, you listen for a while.

Do you make perception roll? Yeah, that's, uh, go, go, go, go, go, okay, oh, that's the one. That's 25. All right. As you continue to listen, eventually you hear the slamming of wood. You look off and through the little bit of glass window, you're kind of peeked up from the inside.

You see the same gentleman who was closing the shop enters this room, where the hood lantern is. There's a table. He kind of just sits down quietly for a second, looks at the lamp. Just cleaning his fingernails a little bit. Gives a big sigh and turns off the light of the lantern and exits the room, closing the door behind them.

Is it one floor of the building? It's one floor. One floor. Is the window locked? Burn it down. You check the window is not locked. All right. I'm climbing in.

Okay. You slip in. That a problem. You've done this many times before. I'm looking for a family residence where Kynan lives. Are the bedrooms? It's hard to tell. Looking around the room here, there are three doors that exit.

One that he came through, which apparently is from the front of the butcher shop. This appears to be kind of a central room that connects this to wherever else he walked. walk, there are two other doors. All right. I'm just going to, well, I'll, they're not trapped out, eh? Get the butcher. They're not trapped. Yeah, so I'm going to push open.

I'm going to crouch down and push open the first door and see what do I see? The door to meet you're right or the door that's in front of you? In front of me. The door in front of you is one of the man traveled. Oh, no, not that one. There were there two other doors, weren't that? There's the door that he came in from, and sat down,

and then he left on the door across the way from you, and there's a door that's been on. So there's one other door. Yeah. Yeah, that's the one. and you push open the door. Yeah. Very quietly.

It makes a little creaking sound, but you stop, peering inside it's dark. There appears to be a bed. There's a small table. There's, it looks like an old pair of boots that are worn out on the side. It looks like a bedroom that's nobody's currently in. And there's no sign that this is a youth's bedroom or the father's bedroom. Can I glean from what I see in here? Make an investigation check.

Seven and use luck. That's better. 22. Okay. You take a little bit of time in peering over the materials, looking at the bed size, looking at the boot size, looking whatever you can nearby. This bed is definitely weathered.

It's been used for a long time. There are a couple of small knick-necks in toys that are discarded underneath and have been there for a while. It leads you to believe this wasn't one point a boy's room. However, what you do notice is that, most of the materials, most of the belongings, anything that you would normally see in a boy's room, anything that would say a person lives here,

seemed to have been hastily grabbed and taken off. And the father went out the other way. All right, so I creep back out the window. Okay. And I go around the front, and I knock really loud on a front of it. A couple moments later, a voice comes through the side. Hello? Hello, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to bother you. I know you've closed up shop. You're done for business for the day. Come back tomorrow. I'm actually, I'm not looking to buy anything. I owe your son a bit of money. I lost some money in a wager we made over a dog fight. And I was hoping to reimburse him. Do you know where he is? The door opens, just a little bit and I peeks through. And you gather, there's a slight scent of alcohol from the other side, just as he starts talking through it. I don't know where my son's got off to. He came in and a half. We got in an argument. He grabbed his stuff and left.

He does this every now, and then he'll be back. You think he'll be back? Or he's... This isn't the first time he's done this. I want to leave something with you. You said it's money you owe him? Yes. I can get that to him.

I take 50 gold of what I have left, and I leave it with him. And I take out the three daggers. Yeah. I can just hear my sisters voice in the back of my head. I want to use insight on him to make sure that he's trustworthy. Oh, that's good. That's 20. Okay. There's something about his face that kind of gives you the feeling that he's more interested in the contents of what you're leaving than actually transferring these to the intended recipient. Just give him the

50 gold. Thank you. I know. Okay. Close the door behind you. You hear a lock. Light goes back out in the room. Go in there, kill him. Kill him, shit on this bed. I head back to the camp. Okay. All right, eventually Vax finds his way back to the keep. The rest of you are there for the evening.

Is there anything else you want to accomplish before the nights out? I just flip through my book on that alchemy section for a bit. All right. You all find yourself to bed for the evening, rest up for the next morning, and at that point, we're going to go ahead and take our break. All right, cool. So let's get back. I'll see if we can roll through some of this stuff.

Power through the power. So as you wake the next morning, you guys awaken to the dull sound of metal cleaning as Percy has already been the first awake and is back in the workshop. Thank. To beer, as you're well rested. Everyone's spells have returned.

You get to make a beer roll. Beer check, please. Beer check. Beer tree. Five? 35. 35? 35.

35. Bundles of kittens, by the way, one. Congratulations, bundles of kittens. That's a good thing. Bundles of kittens of kittens are. Everyone loves prides. It's a bundle of death. Yeah.

35% does count. As you wake up, you reach up, and you feel the return of a nice, hefty bit of scruff to your chin. Scruff? Yeah. Yeah, it's getting pretty thick. It's a good like half an inch to an inch length. Oh, wow.

Half an inch? And you're starting to get a little, you notice the first time you grew some, some facial hair is coming through that weird, creepy, translucent color. It's starting to come through with like a proper, almost like a dark red brown color to it. What?

Yeah. Got a little bit of that Irish thing going on. I don't know. I'll have to get a cage. The women are gonna come running. Because you all got on breakfast. You get your fill. Fine breakfast is wait to you, already prepared by your servants

of the great school keep. What do you wish to do? Good morning, Voxmachina. Oh, geez. Lovely to see all of you. So Grog, you fell asleep in your plate of food and woke up with a beard. Oh, no, some guys are just lucky.

Have we checked to make sure it's not a stain? Hey, fuck off with your stinging burning shit, all right, I'm not putting anything else in water. Don't touch any water. I don't know if you know Scanlan, but water burns. God, good job, Percy. Now he's never going to be.

You may have taken the wrong lesson away from that. I'm pretty much got it. In, burn, out, powder. No, you're not a chinchilla, grog, which is a small creature that bathed itself in dust. But you are a human which water is good. I'm not a human. Well, you are a humanoid, which is water is good.

It's like you, mostly of you is water. You always drink water when we drink, does it burn? No, we're actually, it's rather than me. Let's get going. Oh, yes. Breathe fire. I'm feeding Lockheed so my breakfast. Certainly.

Lockheed enjoys breakfast. Lockheed is looking healthier. The color is a little more of a deep emerald green and it appears to have a little more energy which this morning. Creeps me out, that thing. I'm gonna, is it shit on your shoulder? shoulder. Oh.

He hasn't noticed, but there is a slight streak of dried Pyridu dragon who's not aware of it. He has that yet. He thinks the DM doth speak from experience. Oh, the owner he does. I'm going to, I rolled, I'm going to roll for the day. I think I wrote one from the day and I'm going to go, Start, start, and I'm going to, I roll the 14 to try to teach it to sit.

It sits down on the edge of the table. Oh. Oh. And I give it, and I treat it, it's, it crara, it's in the cras. Bites your finger. As it's hanging, I put it on my shoulder. It's his, sir.

They get nippy. It's in the breed. So, what do? What do we want to go to the city? We want to get out of here. We can cast the thing. Let's go. We go to Craighammer.

As I'm having my oatmeal and such, I start to cast the sort of celebration. I still think maybe the more talkative members of the group should go. Okay. You still want to split the party? I'm going to go. I'm staying home anyway. I'm checking in with Tiberius. At which point the teleportation signal appears in the center of the floor.

Let's go. It's glowing right now. I've got all the creature bit, so I should go with two. You, take care of my bear. I'm leaving him here with you. All right, I got him. Come here, trinks. Oh, drink it.

I love you so. I love you so. Okay, all right. I'm gonna feed you so much chocolate. It's okay. It's really bad for him, don't it? Let's go. It'll be fine.

Oh, I'm going. I'll be, I'll start to spark. I jump in. I jump in, go. I jump in, so all of you who are going, you leap in, you're staying and you're staying, correct? I'm saying, correct? All right.

And you're staying. So, Keyless, Percy, and Vex. All of you guys step into it. All of a sudden, there's a familiar whoosh of some sort of dark transference. You feel as of gravity for a moment doesn't exist, and your feet find purchase on some sort of a wooden floor. The room is dark. You glance about the immediate vicinity and for those of you have low light. There's very, very little that you can actually make out other than the fact that this is a basement of some kind.

And you are amidst a bunch of sheet-covered crates. That is no light. As the light filled out of the light. If the light fills the room, you look around. Can I cast it on Lockheed, on his tail? All right. Lockheed begins trying to shake the light off the tail, so the light kind of moves around a little bit in the room.

What is this? Oh, Benzfelk, that means good, and draconian. Benzfelk, Benzfelk. Benzfelk. I feel him a treat. All right. As you look around the room, there are about six or seven of these crates immediately visible to you

that have sheets put over them, there are different sizes, some sort of storage room. There is a staircase that leads up to the floor above. Ooh, wait. Can I, but wait. Do they know we're coming? Doesn't matter. We're just in the middle of their home now. Yes, they, of course. They know. Fex, they know we're coming. I showed them the amuletive which is how we got the surgical to come in to begin with. We're fine. We're doing business with them. It'll be good. Can I perception and make sure there's no

traps around us? Can. Just to make sure. We're just kind of popping in and this is a magic house, am I right? They're expecting us. We have permission to be here. So I can't check for traps worth shit. The room looks safe. Great. Good.

Great. Oh good. Let's go out of here. Good as people. All right. You guys make your way up to the second floor. As you step up to the top, you can see there is light, definitely, emanating from the top of the staircase, and a figure moves into the staircase.

A stout, dwarven figure. This is the same individual. that you spoke to previously. The dwarf kind of steps to the top and says, it was kind of an air of annoyance to the voice. All right, waited a ball night for you to arrive and you never did. Then you come here and interrupt my breakfast.

I'm sorry. We thought you would like a night's sleep before we intrude in- Ah, fine step up the stairs, please. He steps out of the way. Leads you into the center, central chamber. This house is unfamiliar to all, but Scanlan, who turned invisible suddenly and decided to wander in briefly. Yes, I did.

That's right. That's right. The classic, I don't know. Looking about it, it's very well kept. It's an old house. The ceilings are tall and you expect for a dwarf type home. A lot of these ceilings are a little low, especially if you grow up. This one's built, roomy. There's actually, actually, you're a a lot of cultivated cave plant life in this. There's a lot of boxes that contain various underground-dwelling plants and other such funguses. The air itself is a mixture of sweet

and pungents, kind of mixed, almost like there's a spice garden somewhere that keeps shifting. You're unable to really take a beat on what the actual interior would smell like normally and keep changing around you. I love it. You're brought to the main foyer area, and the dwarf transvaq. You're brought to the dwarf back, he says, all right, you've made your transference. Where's the amulet? Oh.

I'll open the bag of holding. He's got it. And I'll take it out. Now, before I actually go over and speak, I'll turn to Scanlon and Vaxi. Is he the same person who pays us for the other account? No. I should probably go find that guy.

Or we can go all together. I just didn't want to say the wrong thing this time. No. Don't want to say the wrong thing. worry, you will. It's yes. Sorry, here is the amulet, and I show him, and I'm like,

now, as far as as trade, it was rather taxing to procure this particular artifact. Incredibly difficult, he means to say. Yes, I just, yes, she's correct. I was wondering if we could, per chance,

trade it for a favor of your arcane ability. It's funny because I already did I gave you a permanent entry to my own household to my family's household by offering you the sigil that gave you entrance to the interior of our well-guarded estate.

That was a trade enough. That was what we agreed upon through the mirror. That was just to get me here quicker, I thought. So you come into my home and try extort me? No, not at all. You better, no, not at all. It's just, here's what happened. See, we were on an adventure

and I pull up the carpet out of my bag of hold it. And I was like, and this carpet was enchanted once with the ability to fly, and it helped us many times in many adventures. It was decanted, I guess, so we wanted to say it, and if we needed re-chanted. And I thought that the house then the band would be as strong enough house to have the ability to do such a thing. So maybe not to change,

and I hand him the amulet as I'm saying this. He takes an idiot. And I'm like, I'm not as a trait, but as a favor for just the effort, or mainly because I'm not strong enough as a source for myself to do it. Make persuasion rule. People speak very, very high. Oh, not good.

Thank you. Can I assist him? Can I assist him? Don't bother, it's not going to matter. Wink. Um, all right. Yeah, we've heard so much about. You keep talking, and as you're explaining this,

he's not even paying attention to you. The dwarf is staring at the amulet and is looking at the back of it where the inscription is. And you swear for a minute, you see what looks like a tear gathering in the corner of the eye of the dwarf, who then reaches up and kind of wipes it from the corner and takes the amy and puts it into poxies.

My apologies, thank you for returning this. You were talking about the carpet, right? Yes. Yes. I wanted to be enchanted. Well, we've heard Very wonderful things about your abilities and not many people can do such a feat. We have done a carpet before. Only one. It's very possible. It's a strong magic.

It didn't look anything like this one. Very a while. Not this pattern, no, that one was more of a blue. I mean, this can be enchanted, but the materials and the time put into it, it's a very pricey endeavor. It is. A cupboard of this size, especially. Oh. How much? Ah, look at it. I mean, If we're looking at the better part of a year to enchant this,

and that'll cost you about time included, close to 50,000 gold pieces. Oh my god! I throw my hands up. I just can't. I just can't. Sorry, she's very... How did we not... Oh my God. She's very fond of the comment. Open mom around Vex and try and console her. You're not this. Wait a year. Why? Thank you so much for... Well, there are smaller ones. You might grab me.

Why don't swimmer for the size? It's a rather large. Yeah, no, it's a really beautiful carpet. It would cost a lot of money to fix up. She loves the hand-woven carpets. It's just very tragic. All right, well. Shall we go get on money?

Who's the man that we need to see about that? Oh, that's the Kraghammer. We go see. Johnny Kraghammer. Johnny Kraghammer. That was good you do. Nostrock Gray Spine. No.

Nostok Grace Spine. Nostock Grey Spine. You're escorted out of the the House Lundner Brand. Make your way down to the quarry at the very, very, very bottom level of Craghammer. Once again, it's been a long time since you've been in this portion of the world, let alone the city, where you started this leg of your entire journey. You do, because I like to use this one here. There we go. Make your way down into this area to Lord Nostok Grey Spine's proper office, one where you manage to procure

his expensive line and make this business venture at the very beginning. You step to the familiar halls. As soon as you enter, you have a brief discussion with the guy at the front who recognizes you and leads you into the office. There waiting behind his desk is Nostok, who's currently in the process of looking out the window

over the entire quarry of his mine and turns over his shoulder looking at the rest of you. Well, surprised to see you all alive. Just assume you all got yourselves killed. the usual bumpkins that come wandering this far down in the mountain. No, no, we did not die. We in fact succeeded in taking care of those creatures that under dark carpet. She's that time of the month.

Oh, excuse me. We came to collect the money owed us for completing the mission you You sent us on? Oh, yes, of course. Of course you know. Understood. What was the price we had to read for that one? It was 30,000 gold.

Plus all the extras for the scalps that we acquired. Open the bag of holding and I go, here, here's one brain chunk and I'd dump it on the floor. As a note, I'm pretty sure at practically no point in the entire adventure to the underdark, did you ever say you were scalping a creature? dropping a creature. We're above base. We definitely totally sort of forgot about that. You completely in the entirety of that adventure didn't collect a single scalp from anything you killed. I thought I grabbed a dead brain chart.

No, no. I thought I grabbed an arm. The audience has been very clear. You did grab an arm. He grabbed an arm from the, the, there was just an arm from the trap and he put it. An arm. There's a arm.

There's an arm part. It's this. Nockstock, also looks you and goes, looks and he goes, and while I respect your memory, yeah. A dwarf's mind is like a trap that you can't escape. And I believe the agreed upon price was 25. Oh, it was.

It was so weird, I remember 30, but it's... You get an extra five for like, you know, it sucked. I don't even know what you thought. If you're going to collect your money, tell me what the hell you freak and kill. We fought... A beholder! Have you heard of a beholder? You fought a beholder.

We've been a fucking beholder. Really? And you're all still alive. Well, no, not all of us. If you'll recall there were more of us when we came down here and some of us aren't here because they died. And I still pretending to cry.

Oh. That's really good. That's really good. That's really good. I'm pretending to cry. I'm sad I'm not here. All right. Oh, I hope that doesn't come back to my next.

I start thinking about the carpet and I really do start crying. Okay. So before you berate us, know that we are more the loss of two of our members. And a bear. And my bear. Uh-huh. Behold, you see.

It was really big. What else would you encounter? Lots of Ilithin. A whole city of Ilithin. A whole city of Ilitha. We destroyed half of an elder brain. Part of an elder brain. And there were all these dark, um,

dark... Dwarfs. There were dark dwarves. Dvogar. They were mind-controlled. Dyrga. They were mind-controlled. Yeah. It was crazy.

We're not just making this up. It would really happen. It's excellent. Oh, very, very, very true. He almost died. It's from this one little brain. Strange thing, if you're stupid and it looks at you

at its wrinkled testicle face, you go unconscious. I know the creatures here to speak. I've dealt with my share of Dirkar. I completely stayed away from it because I was terrified. Make a situation, show. Oh, my God. Roll high.

Oh, are we all rolling? Because we're all talking? You were spearheading that part of the conference. I was, I thought Scanlan was. Canlan already made me a roll that badly. What about giving her advantage? Because I was talking about testicles. No testicle advantage in that roll.

No, no. No, no. What circumstance has a testicle advantage coming to play? I'm Gil Morris. I'm Gil Morris. I'm going to go more. That would be 11. 11?

Granted. Can I just? Yes. Okay. Looking at your number, I can see that you've certainly encountered some dangerous things in your travels, taken some losses. And I will say, since you've left, we haven't had at least one excursion. See? I think that's a coincidence?

It's been very helpful. The fact that you've returned with these tales, I believe most of it, I'd say, given that that circumstance, I'd be happy to pay you up to 18,000 gold pieces. I am going to cast suggestion on that. 18,000 gold in addition to the 13. He's doing it, he's doing it. All right. I don't counter.

This is D&D, man. He's doing it. I don't have my hand cone out, 17. This is natural one. Yeah. Money, money, money. I'm going to suggest to him that he is an honorable and we had a deal, and that he should honor it to the fullest extent of the word.

He looks about the earth she is. I also, as a cantrip, I concentrate. Don't do it. Don't just don't. The gray spine name holds weight in this city. The last thing I want is to that be solid by a miscommunication. If we agreed to 25,000, and I'll pay $25,000.

But I hear a single disagreement out there or a bad word that came from your lips about our exchange here. I'm gonna come for the rest of that money. I'll hold up the Durabar severed arm, and I curl all the fingers in and make up like that. He looks back at you very slowly as you do this with a tense stare. It's all right. It's all right.

It's just bringing up coin purse after coin purse, after coin purse, counting it up as he does. It takes them about five minutes or so, but eventually it counts out. At your vision to approve it, 25,000 gold pieces and platinum pieces all together and pushes it across to you guys. You retrieve that. No additional funds as no scops were collected, but you dig it in 25,000. How stupid. You want them. You can own enough time.

You can hold on to that, thank you. You're very gracious. Put it back in my back. 25,000 gold in my hands right now. Thank you so much. This won't make up for the lost lives we have suffered, but... Don't fuck us out.

It helps. I'm glad. And I'm sorry for your losses. Perhaps you'll be less stupid in the future. Probably not. We should go. We should go. Thank you. Remember the blood we spilled

for your people and your safety. Folks, mock enough. Mokka, but I go to give them a business card but then I realize I never got them printed. Also, Gilmall's glorious goods. Oh, yes. Great work. Yes, Gilmores.

If you're ever over dark, come check it out. It's a great, great store. Like an unexpected web pop-up. He gives you an expression of, where is this coming from? Get out. Get out to my office. Thank you very much. You've been wonderful. Tell me, how do we get out of here quickly?

I just go back to the chamber and I'll do the spell again. Can you do it again? Don't you have to rest? No, I can do it twice. Oh, thank God. You do it twice? Six level spell twice. No, it's a fifth level spell.

What, the celebration? Yeah, it's fifth level. I can do one. I think it is. You're right, you're right, you're right. Yes. Very well. We can go back. I thought that would do.

Cool, cool. And then we'll go back to, and I'll choose them on. Nice. Yay. Excuse me. As soon as they left, Trinkett and I, we left. We left, and I went to the nearest shop and bought a lot of pink ribbon. And I have been furiously tying bows all through Trinket's hair the entire time they've been gone.

Actually, I'll help with that campaign. I do some braids. I do some braids and add some flowers. teeny tiny little braid. All tiny braids. Keyleth has been weaving flowers in and I've been knotting braids started at the head and then work all the way down, trinkets back and down the tail the entire time, feverishly.

I come up for lunch. Keyleth, can I borrow you for? What in good God? Is it important? Do you need me right now? Listen, don't argue it. This is pretty important. He's drinking comfortable with this.

He's so comfortable. I gave him plenty of streets. He doesn't even know what's happening. It was mournful, low, guttural, garage. You're pretty sure it just translates to, whoa. I feed him a piece of chocolate at that moment. Don't give him chocolate.

Licks it off. Doesn't matter. Sit in there, he scratches his balls a little. On the moment, you make him sick. When you have a moment. When you have a moment, I need 10 more minutes.

I'll be down in 10 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes before the keep doors open and the rest of your party returns. And I run downstairs really fast. Side note, I let Trinkett give me bear kisses all over my face. Bex never lets Trinket kiss her face, and it's so sad.

His breath is terrible. And I let him just plow-bhru-l-lo-roof-me face. Disgusting. I feel like there's a real-world melbourne. I feel like we're playing out some sort of real-world psychotrama here. As this is going on, that's a good boy. God.

I want to turn to Scanlan and go... No. I... I have an idea that I want to run... Yes, Scaly. Bia. Yes. Your name is Scanlan. Okay, careful.

Okay. Hawaiian man. I think we should... I was going to go and do this just on a whim as I usually do. But I was thinking that we should speak to Ulura. And I don't think I should speak to her alone. I'm sorry. I must be asleep. Are you planning something?

I am. Ahead of time. Yes. Wow. That's amazing. You know, it's sometimes, you know, like I told Vax, you just have to chill out sometimes, and I'm like, well, maybe I should run it by. Whoa! The man with the mouth.

Wow. The Vagraim. Well, you've come to the right place. I do have quite a mouth. Yes. Yes. Let's go talk to her. Wait. She's the woman you fancy quite a bit, isn't that true? Yes, yes, but this is more blueness rather than denied pleasure.

What do you want to speak with her about? As far as I see it, there's no other way to get our carpet re-enchanted. I want to confess what we did to her, and hopefully she takes mercy and helps us out regardless. We've helped her out far beyond anything that could. At this point in the discussion, you guys all look up and see sitting in the center of of the main foyer area of gray skull, a very mighty bear brought down low sitting covered in pink ribbons, looking forward, going,

hmm. See, I told you it was a girl. Brinket. You look so cute. Oh, I know she'd love it. We need to get these off of you immediately. But you look really, really, really cute. And I scratch it.

Oh, let them sport it for like a. How did you do this? We look over too. There are traces of chocolate smears across the face of Vax. Vex. Vex. Stand over. No, Vex.

Me? Yes. Stand over across it. And I use my still image and take a little little spell of her. Say it's staffy. Just say staffy. Take that staffy.

No, but it's of her. It's a Ui. Yes, but it's of your staff. It's a stoofy. What is the piece of art? immortalized upon a piece of wood. Oh, what? And I opened my scroll of telescript and I'm like,

you see, it didn't, it doesn't it's a good. Oh, look, now I can remember this moment forever. You should patent that. Trink it, let's go get you a back. We got so much money. I go and put it in the party funds. We got our gold. Good job.

We can pay back your more. I go down to help Tyberia. That's the second time I've done that today. Let's Talosan Tiberius. Yeah, I think it's fine. My share. Just my share. I'm gonna look up all of the possible right now.

I'm gonna hand it to Vex. I want to ask for another one for it. She's not paying attention. Vex. What, darling? I give her the picture. I'm like, now you have a picture of your bed with the silly bows that you'll like.

Oh, thank you. And I take advantage of her good mood and say, I just want 1,200 gold and I won't ask for any more of it, any of the amount. What? Oh, yes, I would like the same thing. Do you want me to spit up all the party gold right now? No, I don't.

No. stipend, give us each 1,500 and let's move on. Everybody gets 1,500. Wonderful. Great. Yay. Is everybody happy? We're all happy.

Now let's go do some recons. Listen. Tiberius. Pulling them out with the claws as best he can. Sweetie. Bats time. I think we should go do our recon first. Let's do that.

Trinket stands up and heads out to the front courtyard. All right, so it's 1500. I'll do the math. Do the math. Please. Do our recon. Who's doing it? Oh, are we going to kill them? No, we're just gonna go spy on them.

I'd like to finish my morning crafting before moving in my evening crafting. Okay, are you making more bullets or are you working on Jersey downstairs? I'm gonna have help. I'm working on project number three. Okay. This is probably gonna take you the rest of the week.

It's an extensive project to do this. If I have a little help. You have a little help? I have been, this is something I've been tinkering with for quite a while now. Right, right. But it's also the most complicated thing outside of the gun that you've constructed.

You've got a couple more days, too. How many days have passed since we've been doing this? Two. So it'll take you the better part of the week. I still need bullets. Bostie, you just, you go to work. We'll figure out everything else. It's up to you.

Okay, well, as long as I... Do you think I'll have time to finish everything that's on my list if I roll well? Probably not everything. You have to choose routine a couple. What if he rolls a 20? Because I was going to have Keelith Lightning Spell to help set the... set the battery for the... Right. Well, that is technically an enchantment.

If it just uses it to start a charge? Oh, to start a charge, then you could do that, yeah. Okay. I was going to Frankenstein this just so I wouldn't have to generate it. We could begin the roll now. All right. So go to make a tinkering roll? That's better. 20.

20. Okay. You, with her help at least, you know, not actually doing the charge yet because you're building the basis of the structure. You help him just downstairs kind of in his workshop with various materials to begin crafting the actual shell of the wrench. The item. So, stay away from the water down there. What's you guys doing? Let's go recon. Let's go recon.

Yeah, what are we checking out though? I mean, it's not like the Briar Woods are out in public. We don't know anything about them. We need to ask around town about the Briarwoods. We need to go to the... We need to get into the Briarwood State. Briarwood State and talk to them. Talk to them. Yeah.

Well, they're not local. They're coming into town. But they've got to be states. Oh, they're not here yet. They're coming into town in five to seven days. No, they're arriving now in six days. Oh, shit. And arriving for the actual feast.

Where is the feast to be held? It's to be held in the palace. Shit, we can't do any spying. Not on them. All we can do is, you know, get gear and do things and we can go to the club and we can sleep for a few days, And then you can help me in the workshop. Help him in the workshop.

Make a plan. Maybe make a plan. We don't really have a plan. What is our plan? Can you remind me in the group the dinner, I know it's with the Briar Woods, but who else? Is it with Uriel or who is it with? It's with the Uriel, the council.

Which is why you guys are invited also because Percy asked and the Briar Woods. It is partially to discuss and celebrate the agreed upon construction of a bridge that goes across the Shearing Channel. It's like the far northeastern side of the continent of Taldore. There is a large channel where these two large mountain ranges, which is the closest the two continents are to each other,

but it's a very treacherous pass of water. So any trades having to be done has had to travel southward, like in a big arc around the bottom of the island, or take it be a sky ship, both are very expensive. This bridge will enable a much faster trade route between the two continents. And White Stone is essentially been in charge of spearheading the construction.

of this bridge and making this agreement with Uriel that would be overall helpful for both continents. And since they've agreed upon this, they've been invited here at Amon for the first time to have dinner with the council and with Yoreal to celebrate it. Maybe you want to talk to Yoreal. Maybe. Maybe you guys should go,

because I want to spend the next few days training trinket how to roly-poly roll forward and bludgeon people with his armor. Yes! Okay. Metroid that. I mean, the only thing I can think, Kersie. I think, Percy, do you still have an idea of what the Briar Woods look like?

Oh, yes. I could attempt another scrying spell. We could even possibly go to Allura for help, try it again. See if the Laura will come here, because I want to keep working. Okay. And I'll also say we should send word to Uriel that I will not be myself at the... Yes, that might be very strange. We should maybe send word to him that the Briarwoods.

should be watched. I don't, the less we say the better. Well, it makes you say that. I do you think people working for Muriel might be in the Briarwood's pocket and pass on that would not be the first time. That's true. Yes, even if you wear this disguise hat, Percy,

how are you gonna get into this event? It's a private event. You can't just be some random person. I will be with you. He'll be part of Alex Mockingham. And if we can let Yeril know that I'm coming under a false pretext. There, well, it allows all kinds of suspicion. Exactly, yeah. If we tell Yoreal you're coming to someone else, he's going to ask why.

He knows, he knows that I don't trust them, and he knows that I'm in eye. He does. Wait, who was it that came and talked to us? Who was that? It was a secret assum. I was to say it was secret assam. But he didn't say that Yoriel had his doubts. He said he had his doubts.

So let's let's say. Let Hassam know of it. That Asim know. Why don't you disguise yourself as... Furt Reynolds. What about Vax? And he can sneak in. Actually, well, I don't...

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders, an army scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying. The darkness chooses, someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins.

This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time. And when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow.

dark every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on YouTube.com slash the glass cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark. You know that feeling when you hear one interesting thing and suddenly you want to know more. Well, that's the idea behind my podcast, something you should know. Every episode starts with a question you've probably never thought to ask, like why people do or don't like you. Why certain habits stick, or what everyday advice is actually wrong. I'm Mike Carruthers, and I talk with scientists, authors, and experts, and I keep it practical, surprising, and fun to listen to. If you've got a curious brain, come try one episode of something you should know on the podcast

app you're listening to right now. I'm thinking, will the hat let me choose who I look like? Well, the hat like any minor illusion spell, you can choose your appearance. How much of a shape change can I? I mean, you can look pretty close. close to somebody else. What if, like, could I look like grog? You could, be, but as it is an illusion, there's no physical. Your size wouldn't change.

So if somebody were to, like, reach up and touch your shoulder, it would just pass through. Right, so it's, and your voice doesn't change. No. So you probably don't want to have to try and sound like grog all night. Noelle, I was actually thinking, Pike, but.

Ooh, Pike. You could be Pike. You would be a very big Pike. Yeah, but people could have been without realizing his step. There's nothing I want more. than for you to take bad news and unload it on every one of those motherfucking shits. But if you're me and I'm...

Oh, nobody, if I'm a ghost. All right, that's actually... I can help take out one or two. You'll stick to the shadows and I'll be you. Yes. Not to be, you know... Sorry, are you going to say something? No, that's actually...

It's a pretty good plan, actually. How many days left? I know. Six days. Can I ask you a question, DM? Yes. I have the, in the assassin perks, I think it's a seven days.

I can be anybody. As long as I don't do anything else and I work on getting the right papers and no one will know who I am 100% but it's six days. So my shit out of luck. Fortunately, you're just under the time.

Oh. I was talking about it yesterday. Oh, that's okay, it's a good plan. I think this plan is a good plan. All right. I think we'll be fun, because I have the privilege perked. You make me invisible. I can also do that.

You make me invisible. Or he can. Yeah, one of you two. No problem. And we should have some sort of a, I know it's a few days off, but we should have some sort of safe word, some sort of attack word.

Well, also, we're not hired to kill the bad words. Grog, any suggestions? Genga. Geng Geng Geng. Gingot is. I know that place. I like that. We're not hired to kill the Bribe Woods.

And not to be that member of the group that, you know, has a golden heart and wants to ruin everyone's fun. I don't want to stand in between you and your revenge that you are absolutely owed, Percy, but are you sure this is what you want? Is this going to make you feel better? Just... I don't know. I don't know what I want. I want to see them. I want to look at them. I want to see them.

Do you want to talk to them? No. I want to listen to them. Can we follow your lead? I want to see them. I want... I don't know. Do you want us to fucking capture them and drag them back to the cell that we built in our keep? Whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. We built it for a reason. Okay, watch it, Minxie.

Let's see how it looks. She gambles now. She's crazy. I know, I've been opened up to so many things. The best I can give you is I just, we just have to see what happens. First of all, I trust you implicitly. You have earned that trust. Thank you.

Do you believe them to be evil in the purest sense? I do. That's all we need. That's all we need. If we don't even need that much, if you just said to kill someone, we'd probably do it.

Amen. I softened. I saw things. Should we just prepare? Should we prep for six days and get it on? Yeah, let's do it. All right, so, prep for six days over the net. Can I have been training trinket though?

Does that help? Go ahead. I've been ringing my alchemy books. How many six days? I went to get business cards. All right, it will cost you 25 gold for 100 flyers. Half of the, yeah, I'm gonna get two sets, one says Scanlon and one says birdramels.

Okay, both have been instructed without question. I already paid my debt to Gilmore. All right, debt is paid mark off that gold. Nothing left. Ah, yes! How many is that? That's four. And five, five total, right?

Right. That is this funny. So it's 17, 15. 26, 45, 55, a one and a 95. A one and a 95. You wrote one. By the end of this week, you have grown what is a rather, majestic full chin beard matching all over.

You were probably the first Goliath to have facial hair, let alone white that strong, no, it's a full, like, like, we're talking Portland Man. Portland Man? Oh no, no. Another thing that I did, brew coffee. Was go off and get some like a lathering cream.

Okay. And on the second to last night after I took Grog out to the tavern. Oh, no. I bought him a lot of drinks. I assumed Dodge. I didn't shave off his whole beard. Don't shave off any of it. Only half of it.

I just became the most handsome man in the world. Do not shave his fucking beard off. This much. Make a stealth check. A stealth check first. Oh my god. You should be so mad at you. We're a terrible person.

Make a perception check. You just broke a mechanical pencil. Oh. Did you? Oh my God! DM, DM. I rolled a natural 20. I have advantage on stealth checks and I rolled an 18 and a 20. Natural 20.

So, so, sleeping soundly, drunk. You are so mean! Oh my God. Hear the approach of Vax. As you pull out your blade and get ready, I want you to go ahead and roll a slide of hand check. Oh my God. Still gonna do it. After the time in the room.

You got in the room. One thing you're obvious, it's another to shave someone's face without being noticed. This is about stillness of fingers, not just how quiet or stealthy you can do. White or stealthy you can be. I'm using luck. Okay, so I wrote a 21. Roll a perception check drop? Yes, I did.

Was it advantage because this is against your face. Because it's against your face. Can you rage? Fuck. I have three of a. 13. 21. All right.

Why are you so evil? Why did he trip me making shit two months ago? Why do you? Oh! It's an appetizer. It's an appetizer of things to come, my friend. The crowing sound, the distant roosters, and the outside of the outskirts of the farmlands that surround

the outside of Iman, which are relatively close with an earshot. The morning sun rises cresting over the eastern skyline of Taldore. You come to consciousness. Stretch, reach up to rub. Half a beard. Half a beard. beard, like just one side of my face. Just one side of your face.

I say in a low, got a real brow. You have no idea it was me. Vax. I didn't have to wake up to know it was you, mother-fucker. Make an intelligence check. Make you make an intelligence check. Oh, we all know it was you. I reached out, I find a dark stone,

I find a dark stone on the ground, and I go over to the bare side of my face, and I draw a very beautiful mustache to complete the other half of it. All righty. He is dumb as a post. Why does he know? Because you're the only fucking idiot stupid enough to do that. Magic is mysterious. Why wouldn't you, why couldn't you grow half a beard due to magic? No, no.

Maybe I, maybe, maybe, maybe I don't know. Let's say I assume. Oh, what? However it is in the morning, all beer check. Oh, come on. Eight, four. No, no movement. Smooth as the baby's best. Sorry, big guy. All right.

So as a note two, Percy, I want you to go ahead and make four more taking rolls. All right. I'm going to give him inspiration for one, one of them. Do you want to build a machine gun? Why, yes, I really do. Alright, what you got? 18, 19, 20.

28, okay, second one. Um. Inspiration. Oh, oh God. It's going everywhere. Oh, my inspiration's 10. 20. Oh, inspiration.

I got a D6 from the last one you did. Oh, okay. what I gave you. Yeah. Okay. D10, so yeah, I'll roll a D10 with the next one. So that was 20. All right, third one?

18, 98. All right, and then the fourth one? 23. Okay. So over the next few days, you've constructed what amounts to a large, metallic gauntlet. You have taken this gauntlet, and wired all through it, insulation. through it insulation and metallic insulating tips,

and what is essentially a small type of, a flag of a better term, an alternator of some kind. I'm just gonna try and sneak in a few bullets during that. The fifth one is gonna be done. So you have constructed this device. The quality seems fair. It's untested technology.

It's just something that's a brainchild of your own, utilizing Keith's aid. Keyleth, I'm gonna have to have you roll ahead and just roll a wisdom check. All right. We'll add at five. You got this. Well, add my, just my base wisdom?

Base wisdom plus five. Plus six would be. Yes, plus six. So 20 total. 20 total. You step out and you set it down in the middle of the courtyard. Keel, if you summon a storm that slowly gathers above the top of the keep, you guys start hearing

something rolling thunder outside and you come and look and you see Percy and Keele throughout standing in the middle of the courtyard. Keelith threw their arm up in the air as this black, dark, storm cloud begins to slowly swirl above the entirety of Grey Skull Keep. With that, she brings her hand up and then brings her fist down as a bolt of energy. Streaks down from the clouds, slamming into a small object on the ground. It gets flung about 15 feet in a random direction, tumbles to the ground. You rush over to grab it, and you can see arcing over the metal to these small electric arcs.

You reach over and wait a second, you kind of prod it, pick it up, and it's hot, and you drop it instinctively. You give it a few minutes to cool off. You pick it up when it's warm enough, you put it on, and there is essentially this large, kind of sparking metal center piece that's giving out this low hum. Did it work? On Tiberius. Sure.

Yeah. Touch. Okay. Yes, yes. Make a Constitution saving throw. No. No. All right.

You suffer 14 points of lightning damage and are stunned for a round. round. I need you to go ahead and... That was awesome! Just roll a D20. Cockadood. Cockadood. High rolls startle him. 19. 19. Okay.

It stays intact from the force of it. A little bit of the energy that was stored in there appears to dissipate. You figure there's only a few applications of this before it needs to be recharged. And every single time it's utilized, there is a... there is a low chance that it may detonate or tumble or something bad may happen. Tarsi, that's amazing. What do you call it?

This is good. You're busy. Are you all right, Tavereid? I just kind of go over and give him a cure wounds. You managed to eventually shake off all your muscles that were so locked tense giveaway. It's effective. I call it diplomacy. Diplomacy. Yes. That's great.

Fitting. Very fitting. There you go. As we're standing watching that Trinket comes rolling into the courtyard. Let's go ahead and make an animal handling check. Okay. Oh, why didn't I get more points in that? Roll high. Roll high. Come on. Thank you for the inspiration. I see with advantage because Trinkets are That was very helpful.

You know, Trink's been your companion for so long. Do it. Yes! Which is close to what you needed, because it's a very difficult feat. Over the week, you've worked with Trinket and you've worked in a technique where as instead of a multi-attack, Trinket can do as essentially a trample attack, meaning Trinket can roll forward and roll through anything that's equal to or smaller and damage everything in that path. Oh! Circus Bay, Circus Bay!

That's good good. That's awesome. We'll go for the logistics of that some other time, but the Trinacin has now learned a Roli Polly Polly Trample attack. Should we call the Roli Polly or the Cannonball? That's your call. Yeah, it's your call. Call what you want.

Rolipal as cute, cannonball is... I think I like cannonball, because that's better to shout during a battle. The Trinacenhavena! Rony Pone! That's take me. For brevity, I rolled six dice. I rolled the only high ones with mentioning it was a 13, 15.

and 18. You're 15 and 18? 17, I mean. Okay. Because they're all negative three. Right. This is the term. And I attempted to teach it to,

Al-Qaeda to hide and speak and to stay. Okay. To hide and to speak. Stay did not stick, unfortunately. You had two roles that were hiding enough to get those two in there, though. So hide and speak? Hide and speak. Okay.

All right. The morning has come to fruition. You have a few hours before you're supposed to arrive at the palace. You have been notified that this is a very formal event. Hmm. We'll need fancy robes. Yes. We have any more. Oh, we have some formal dresses already.

We too. We do. We went shopping. We already have pretty dresses. 22. You managed to construct 20 pieces of ammunition from 20 units of materials. We have three fits. And I picked my... ...gave, right?

Two days. It was tempted. You go back to Karen, you now have some kind of a knife-glave thing. Krall. It's a pinwheel. I'm naming it Krall. You're unsure how it will work in combat? It looks pretty cool.

But it looks neat. And I attach it to myself. Cool. I'm just going to hang this in the side. Do I... Do I still have the fine Oriole I wore to the Velvet Cavalry? You would, yes. Yeah, all right.

So we have to worry about you, Grog. Are there any tapestries or curtains in the castle? There are, actually. I walk up to the prettiest one, and I'll rip it down, and I throw it over myself like a toga. It's like sound amazing. It's pretty good. It, in a foreigner in a foreign land kind of way, could work. And I'll practice my courtesy.

Because I've seen Vex and... Keele's doing. So I think everybody does it. Why do you guys think? I do it as well. I don't know what's going on. I want to see him roll in athletics check for that. Could Tiberius? Yes. Could you present digitate this thing and make it look like an actual, you know, thing? Not from very long. That's what illusion? You pull the hairs out.

What's wrong with this? I'm from a strange land. My customs are my own. Grog, have you washed yourself in water at all this week? Now it burns. Okay, I do press the invitation immediately to get rid of some kind of smell. I'm sure it's emanating. Oh, I freak out running around the room. It's not water, but it's, and I keep casting out of its fine. See, I don't smell so bad.

It must have been that powder you gave me before. It made me immune. No, it was. That's what it was. You're immune. You're definitely immune to water now. Yes. It's fine. You're immune to water.

And I'll, because what's wrong with his, what's wrong with what you're wearing now? His toga? Yeah, I think between this one of the tapestry. He's wearing a toga made out of a tapestry. Oh, so I'll go and I'll do some of my dissolution and I'll s pf on what he's wearing and shape it into a fancier robe. It's still. From a visual standpoint, the robe kind of tapers and curls around his form and comes to look like a nicer. robe. The material looks like it's made of almost like a reddish silk. The actual imagery

of the tapestry slowly fades and becomes just various textures and material. From your eyes, it's less interesting, but from a presentory standpoint, it could be passable. Don't forget his exotic facial hair as well. That probably lends to the whole package. Yeah, which, by the way, you guys do see. It's like half giant beard and half scrawled on and charcoal. And as I noticed this, I go, oh, oh, grok. And I just a little bit more dust, I'm right to smear it on there. I'm not wipe it away.

No, no, stop. Here, here, I put it on. Actually, I'm gonna take it. Dad thumb. Listen, I'm gonna actually, I'm gonna put it in your hand. I'm gonna be like, I'll put it on your thumb. I'd be like, I want you to smear this where the, the beard was, and I want you to think really hard

that you want it there. Okay. So put it on first, there you go. That's it. And as you do. And now think really hard that you want it there. The dust tends to glisten, and where there was once Chonkle outline a mirror to your once beautiful beer.

It continues from you out full as if nothing had happened. I reach into the bag of holding and I take out a little goblet and I pour some some air in it and I walk over to the backs and I go, there you go. This looks very good. You're welcome. Would you like more? No, I don't want to cloud my thinking before we go up again. against the bride.

Probably smart. I'll take that back. Sure, here you go. I'll crush the goblet in my hands. Couldn't drink it at a lot. This crinking metal sound, the gathers are destroyed. Oh no, what happened? All right, dressed up, you all make your way

to the Cloud Top District as the sun begins to bring itself to the other side of the horizon. As you approach the outside of the Tal'Dore Palace, you know, there are general guards set up. to accept a guest. They're just there in wait as part of their process today. As soon as you arrive and announce yourself as having arrived, is there anything you want to do or prepare before you? Well, are you in disguise yet, personally? Yes, I'm, I look like, I look like... Cloaked Vax. Are we there? We still have iconic stuff. Are we... Where are we? You guys are nearing the palace, right?

Nearing the palace. Hit me. I make a few... I produce a few flour cumber buns and start pinning them on the body. I go and put my arm through... my arm through Percy's arm to make it seem like we're twins. So I go in with Percy to make it look like we're the twinsies. Okay. I'm going to cast invisibility on Vax. All right.

I hand the potion of climbing to Vax and say, don't die. No promises. You got one hour until my invisibility is going to wear off. So find a shadow. Yeah. All right. It's a good until it is. Do you guys make yourselves known at the palace front?

Yes, we're friends here, yes. As you approach, you make yourself known. The guards lead you to the front area of the palace. The sun's just starting to kind of hit the distant side of the water of the Osmit Sea to the west of Iman. As you guys finish talking with the front guard that you've arrived, Seeker Assam steps out of the steps out of the front of the palace and kind of sees you. Ah, very good. I had you could make it, please.

Enter. I wish to speak with you briefly before the event this evening. Cool. Wonderful. Are you missing anyone? Oh, um, yes, Percy wasn't feeling very well. He ended up staying home. Heather runs. Bad bit of beef.

He was running around a lot. That's what you mean. Yes. Matching. Uh, 11. I said that right. that right. Come.

Everyone has magic croissons. Very well, very well. That's unfortunate. But this gills could have been used to me. Come inside. Come inside. I pat. Vax's hand.

Percy's hand. What the fuck, this is creepy. All of Vaxi. Vaxi. That will work just fine. Thank you. He leads you into the green meeting room you guys have had previous council meetings with. It's currently empty.

He sets the guards at the side and brings you inside and says, All right, so if my little birds speak truth, they should be arriving around us, so you'll probably have no more than 20 minutes before they hear themselves. If you're not aware, they should be referred to as Lord and Lady Briarwood. Their name's Lord Silas Briarwood and Lady Delilah Briarwood.

Silas and Delilah? Silas and Delilah. Hey there, Delilah, what's it like in Fort Buckfordome? This is a political. Dental dinner. Please do your best not to cause a scene during the meal, as I need that time as a distraction to do my own digging. Yes. Of course. Vax. Yes.

Your light of step. I'm quick to fade. Would you wish to join me on this, so stay with the dinner party? I'll stay with the dinner party. I wish to observe. He also has a bit of a cold, so... I wish to observe Brow Woods myself. Also, why are you... I'll take a deception, show. I wish to observe. I want to go more nasal talism. Yes, yes, nasal.

Yes, you need to come down here. Sort of like sandpaper on a chalkboard. Sounds like Sam legal. I should have done something about this. Five. Asson goes. All right, if we had to do this, I would appreciate a little bit of honest

at the front point. Well, I'm Tiberius Stone. It's going to be. It's all right. It's all right. This is not Vax. No. He's gathered.

Hassan is me. I gathered as much as soon as you began to speak. Now, I can understand, based on a previous conversation, that you have interest in keeping low-key, but know that I'm an ally in this. And if you're not here, where is the rest of your party? Where is Vax? Vax is here. He is... He's here. He's... He's stealthing. He's being quiet. He's invisible. Oh Vax, if you can hear me, follow me. When the meal begins, I may have use for you.

All right, so the Briwa's of a very good relationship with Uriel and the Tal'Dori Council. Established back before they expanded outside of Wild Mount. I've sent two of my best gatherers into Winandia to seek out more information on them. I don't know where that information will be available. They've only been gone but three days. and hopefully in time we'll learn more of what their imaginations may be. Many of the noble houses of White Stone were left vacant when the Doros passed and when given to friends of the Briar Woods. Whispers that reach me speak of these new nobles not being high born nor affiliated with the gentry at all.

So I'm curious as to what allies they've made, either before or after taking White Stone for themselves. What are the names of these people who have taken over Whitewater? I can know the Whitewood. Those are Briarwoods? I don't. The Briarwoods have. But the... White Stone.

I do not know yet. I've sent folks out there. Those who have been sent to White Stone have either defected or quit and sent me that as a resignation, which is part of the reason I am very curious as to what's going on in Whitestone. Now, I've also found the documentation that delivered the ungoverned lands of White Stone to the Briarwoods was signed, officiated, and cataloged months in advance to the direct. to the Dorolo's family of passing. I'm still following the trail,

but I find the timing far too convenient. With arrival coming up, please be controlled. Remember what I've told you, and as more information comes in in the passing lease, I'll bring that to your attention as well. Be observant, listen. Pry what information you can,

but do not raise suspicion. We will be as quiet as a house mouse. However, if you need us to ask, Just utter the word jenga? Yes. Jenga. Oh, and then I also make a matching corsage and pin it on his lapel as well.

As you do, it kind of looks down out and go, Thank you, it's not my color. It's just, you know, fine, it's fine. I appreciate the offer, but my theme goes with browns and black, so it's not to be seen. I mean, it might have had more utilitarian purpose, but it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. I'm not going to be at the dinner.

Fine, fine, fine. Any of your people learning about the Briarwoods, have you heard any sort of, are they magic users in any way? Are they, have you heard anything? The only thing I can recall was the information of the Briar Woods, at least what's come this way, was while they were ruling their lands in Wildmount, part of the kingdom there.

They are... Lady Delilah Briwood was an accomplished practitioner of the arcane arts. A long-trained wizard, as far as I know, had been through quite a few different schools, and had a brief stint here in Mim training at the Lyceum, but that was not but nine, ten years back, maybe more. Do any of you know, as somebody practiced in the arcane arts, are you good at seeing through illusions? Or, um... Who me? Who us?

Anybody that is very skilled? Of course. I just need to know that one's happening. Okay. So, she wouldn't... She wouldn't... She wouldn't automatically know. They wouldn't be able to spot immediately

that Percy is not actually. Somebody would have to have rather powerful abilities to see through an illusion spell, or a disguise of such. It's, you know, like a Rakhasa could see through that kind of thing. Per experience. So, it would have to be a creature.

I doubt that the Briarwoods have any kind of... At which point you hear muffled in the distance and say, this horn sounds that seems to be blown as a notification that the arrival of guests... It's time for dinner. Are you ready for this back? No. No. Let's do this. Would you like me to cast a fireball?

Oh, no. Assum goes, no, please, none of that. Fax. Max, if you can hear me in this room, 10 minutes into the meal, see if you can spot me and follow me in the foyer. Keyleth, I hope you phoned ahead and gave them your order for a vegan meal?

Oh, I always do. Okay, good. Yeah. She's vegan, of course she told them. Exactly. It's on the RSVP. Assem leaves the room. You guys, do you wish to stay inside? Do you wish to go see the guests there, right? I guess we should go in...

Let's go mingle. Let's go mingle. All right. You guys head back out to the front of the palace, the large stairway that leads down into the central road outside of the palace in the middle of the Clop Top District. The sky itself has now come to a dark purple blue, slowly moving over into the distant sunset.

The sun has disappeared beneath the sea and you've completely dusk as the sunset. and slowly turns cold. A dark wood carriage flanked by four armored men on horseback pulls onto the road right before the Tal'Dorey Palace. A young man steps from the front of the carriage and opens the door. Steps out.

Stepping out, you see a strong, tall man in the nearby lantern light. Short brown hair, frame a very chiseled and handsome face adorned with a well-groomed goatee. His clothing is based in blue and black, fitted elegance, trimmed with golds and red, a strip of gray fur cresting over one shoulder framing his torso.

He turns and extends his hand towards the door, where a feminine, gloved hand finds it. A beautiful woman steps out after him. Her hair, dark auburn and pulled up into a tight-braided bun, resembling some sort of a glamorous schoolteacher almost. Her gown is in the same color scheme as the man, if a bit heavier, blue than black, and a long, billowing skirt tapers up to be form-fitted across her body,

continuing upward to wrap her neck nearly to the jaw. they both turn to face the greeting party, bowing slightly as two of their companion guards flank the reproach up the steps, the other two helping the young man who steered the carriage carried the rather large bags behind them. Look, there are a lot of celebrity interview podcasts out there, but there's only one happy, sad, confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and yeah, I'm the host of the show, so I'm a little biased, but truly happy, sad, confused is the place for nerdy and intimate conversation.

with all your favorite actors and filmmakers. From Andrew Garfield and Scarlett Johansson to Christopher Nolan, casting what ifs, backstage stories, and much more. Listen to Happy Say It Confused on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement and modern leadership. I'm Mick Hunt, your host, and I'm here to challenge your why and fuel your because. This is where leaders, entrepreneurs, and go-getters come to level up. Each week, I bring you unfiltered conversations, game-changing strategies, and the kind of motivation that transforms lives and legacies.

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behind you, a hand reaches over and touches the back of your shoulder. Look behind you, and there, smiling is Archonist Alora Vaiso. That's in a very, very fine blue gown. You've never seen her quite so formal, but very, very beautiful type, and she kind of adds up the shoulder is. It's so good to see you. I'm so glad you all could make it. So wonderful to see you. I give her a hug. She gives a little hug, too. Gladys is over at you. A pleasure.

Vaslvan. She can see it. Yes. She can. What are doing? So, Nora. My friends are just making weird faces right now. It's probably because of our beautiful, you know,

like that's an expression. As you guys are having this discussion about 15 feet away from you, the Briar Woods enter the palace, their guards enter with them. There's been no pleasantry, and they're very much an intended None of you are recognizable to them, thus they make no intent of introducing themselves. Do we catch any of their eye at all? They appear to be looking about and taking in the surroundings, but they're both engaged in kind of mumbled conversation between the two of them as they enter.

Is anyone waiting to greet them? As you guys kind of follow where they're going, there is a, as you walk into the main foyer area, where you're kind of sitting there waiting carefully to the back, there are a number of servants that have arrived and take in some of their bags and help them up the stairs. There is one of the head servants who's there talking to when you hear him speaking to them, wait on your quarters, be ready, the meal should be ready within the hour.

If you would be as so kind as to prepare yourselves, relax, unwinds, set up. Your rooms, you're to stay for a few days at the very least. But we shall call you when the meal is ready. Which Lord Celest Briar Werdron's soon and says, I greatly appreciate the information. Just come into our room and let us know when the food is ready. Now come, my dear.

Can I keep an eye on them as they're walking to their room? Mm-hmm. Just as long as I can see their mouths moving, I can read their lips. Okay. I also want to scan their entourage to see if I recognize any faces. Okay, perception check. Perception check for you as well. As they kind of scoot up the-

Do I have to perceive it? I have a feat that I can read it. Oh, you do? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have observant. Read lips, meaning I can read lips from any language I can understand. That's true. Okay, good to know. All right, so...

19. Now, they all appear to be run-of-the-mill soldiers, nothing that catches your attention. The young man who's helping them as they go through seems kind of familiar, but no one that's jumping out at you right now. Someone you may have crossed paths was in the past, but nobody that's really been formally involved in your life previously. Maybe a denizen of white stone that you've crossed before when he was younger.

As they walk up the steps, you kind of keep an eye best you can as they go. You catch a little bit of conversation that seems to speak about how long the journey's been, that's all right. We'll be in there soon to discuss and we'll be out as soon as we can. They won't stay any longer than we need. And that's the extent you gather as they continue up the stairway. As the next hour or so passes, I flirt with the Laura. Do you want to talk with Laura? Do you want to talk with Laura? I flew throughout the hour. Okay, okay. She's grateful for the conversation. She's grateful for conversation, she laughs, and she's very attentive to all of you and excited to see you.

And she kind of lets you know that she's been caught in kind of a little bit of bureaucracy in the city and despises that. She's taking some time off for herself for about a week or so. Actually, towards the end of that conversation, I would like to bring up the specific thing. Yes. We've been having such a wonderful conversation. Of course. No, no, of course. I think when things settle down a bit, perhaps you and I, and maybe dog and Lady Kima can

perhaps go out on a break bread and have some wine and such on an evening with each other. I believe my friend rather fancies, Kimmer. What say you? That's very flattering, Tiberius. I appreciate the invitation. I would say that particular mix of company might prove a bit of a bit of awkward. Well, of course. If it was awkward, nobody wants that. That's all right. I mean, if you would like to get some tea sometime, I'd be more than happy.

Oh, just you and I? Yes. Kima's quite a ways off. I believe she's still in Vasselheim last I spoke with her, and yes, tea would be lovely. Okay. All right. Wonderful. You walk away. I walk away. I walk away. I walk away. You got a date. Is that carriage? Is the carriage still there? The carriage is being led off slowly by to the servants to a side area of the palace.

And armed on horseback that were with the Briarwoods when they came in? Two of them are armed with the Briarwoods and they're two helping bringing their stuff up to the woods. So they're the four with them. The four are with them. I jump up and give him a little high-five. Then as an hour has passed, I beckon to Vax and find sort of a shadowy area.

Real Vax or Vaxing? No, real. Yeah, real Vax. Because my thing's wearing off, buddy. I've been kind of scanning the crowd. I've been noticing thing over the past hour of any of our people, any locals, like any council members who may be acting a little shifty?

Looking about, like the council is roughly stepping in and out of the area, like they're kind of getting ready for the dinner and then arriving from the Clown Top District. You do see. I'm breaking a sweat, acting weird? Yeah, I want to check out this too. I've been posting up. Go ahead and make an insight role of you guys.

I can do it again a couple of one time. Let's do one more time. 22. 23. Good. Two of these getting over. Looking over, there's Lord Riskel Daxio, which is an elven male who is the one

who's the master of trade of the city. He's the one that handled the ordering of your keep when you first had it brought to your attention by Uriel, Alura, of course. Tofor Bortores is there, the female dragon-born paladin. Oh, right. She seems generally just not happy about the whole scenario. And she's not armored.

She's dressed in what would be considered formal attire, but it's not a dress. It's not a suit. It's just kind of this asexual formal outfit that looks kind of like a robe, but also like a suit. And she does not look to be happy in it at all. And just arms crossed the far end, back against the wall, just slowly, doing, not wanting to be there. You also see Arbiter Brahm Goldhand, who is the master of law. It was previously one of the heads of the guard there within Imann,

and then was then given the job of being the head of the watchful hall. He's the master of law, essentially, in the city, taking over that. And then, yeah, it's right, Tofur's master of defense that took over for Krieg after Creek was slain. So, yeah, actually. So those are the council members. Most of them are seen servants. As time goes on, eventually, there is the ringing

of a dinner bell down the hallway, and everyone kind of turns their head and notices and steps over to the great hall of the palace where the feast is to be given to you and other guests. As we move, I release and then recast invisibility on him when I see that there's a moment where everyone's all righty. So you rejuvenate the invisibility spell?

Oh, look, Tyberies, they have bananas. Oh! I can sense you, you dick. I do. So, as you guys, you're escorted to the hall by Alura. She keeps chatting with you guys and kind of asking questions about how Vasselheim was, and, you know, as Kimmel, she said back there, she asked questions about why Pike isn't here and you tell the story that she stayed behind and everything.

You make your way into the Greyhall, which is, it seats... A vast number of people. There are five major tables meant for like large feasts, but there is one central square table on the far end that is by this giant hearth, this fireplace. It's probably a good six feet high, about 12 feet wide. It's a grandiose visual on the far end of this hall, and there's a long table right there set for about 20 people. You don't know if there'll be that many there at the table, but it can seat that many. At which point, all the different members of the council have their seats around it. You guys find your seats. Can we get a feel for where the Briarwoods are going to sit?

With this many seats set, it's hard to tell, but you gather that they're probably going to sit. Are there place cards? There are no place cards, but there are two ends of the table that have two chairs each end. Okay. Can I position myself when I sit to where I can see them? Yes.

So I can read their mouth specifically. Yeah, certainly. So you can probably sit on the center or the far end of the table looking in their direction. Should be fine. Can I seat at the far end of the table, the very opposite end, if not at the head of the end? Okay.

You go to sit at the head. Oh, who? The king. Oh, not that chair. Okay, but adjacent to you. Yes. All right. That would be rude, I think.

Okay, fair enough. I assume I sit at the kitty table because I'm so tiny. They've got a booster chair for years ago. Oh, good. They do have adjustments for nomish guests. It's been a fun way of putting it. After you guys sit for a few moments, I never sure my steps forward and says,

please, if we might rise for our guests, Lord and Lady Briarwood, to join us at the table. I am, as an already. I'm standing already. Lordly, Briarwood now enter, arm and arm, slowly walking from the far end of the great hall. They make their way

to one end of the table. They both wordlessly sit down, smiling. and acknowledge everyone at the table. There's a moment of silence, and then another servant says, and would all please attention be given to our sovereign, Uriel Tal'Dore,

the second, and the Empress Sal La Tal'Dore. At which point the sovereign and his wife enter from the same entrance point, everyone stands up from their chair, waits them to get to the edge of the table, at which point they kind of nod their head, everyone gives a low bow,

You guys kind of follow suit, kind of following the social graces you're not familiar with, but trying to learn as you go, except for Tabiris. You know this deal. And you all kind of, like, follow his lead on this. Eventually, everyone sits down again. Tables are pushed in by servants behind you. You're kind of like, oh, kind of caught off guard by the whole experience. At which point, Uriel looks about the table with a smile, his shoulder length, brown hair, and his kind of chin goatee, very well crafted into almost like a point now. He looks about the table.

Thank you, Lord and Lady Briarwood, for making the journey across the lands so that we might meet in person finally. Please, allow me to introduce our dining party and esteemed council of Taldori. And he goes around the table introducing. Arbiter Bram Goldand. He is the master of law of our city

and is responsible for maintaining all of these grand people of our fair town in the room of safety and order. We have Lord Riskell Daxio. He is our head of planning and construction, has overseen many of the expansions of the city and as a trusted friend of mine. We have the archinist Alura Vicerin,

one of my trusted advisors, one of the greatest arcane minds of all of Tal'Dorei and the overseer of all things arcane within our city. We have the guardian Tofor Brotaurus, a fierce warrior, and currently the master of defense in our city, and hopefully for a long time to cut. And Tofo for kind of gives a son. Everyone's kind of put off by it, but they're also seemingly used to it. Arbiter, Ramgold and Master of Law, my lovely wife, the Empress Salda. We have here with an

I'm miss as well. Vox Machina, a team of intrepid adventurers who rose up and saved mine and my family's life in very well the city of Iman, and they've since proven very useful to our territory. Grog, strong draw. A Goliath of interesting dress, but strong of heart and blade. We have Vexalia, half-elven maiden with a bow is swift as the fastest eagle. Looking next is, we have here. Vaxel done. Blades quick, and eye is sharp. Not a whisper passes his ear.

Ah, there you are. Scanlon Shortholz. Performer known far and wide. A wit as clever as you ever seen, his songs are whispered through taverns across the land. We have Tiberius Stormwind. From draconia. Hailing from draconia.

Haleigh, which, across the Brow Woods, which as the kingdom you hail from originally, not being far off from draconia, perhaps you've had some dealings with the stone winds and the Briweds. Can you give a nod? Yes, we have seen them in the past. We've heard many good things.

Pretty cool. We have, over here, Kielith, of the Ashari, if I'm correct on that. She is a denizen of the natural lands and protector of all things nature within Tardore. There was one more. Two, and they could not be in attendance. They were running around. They got diarrhea.

Isn't that what you said? Yes. Anyway. Yes. Too much. I understand. Welcome and thank you. And he reaches over and takes a small glass and clings it with the silverware, the servants immediately muster up and start pulling glasses out and pouring wine into everyone's glasses.

And the conversation begins to naturally bustle about for this meal. Immediately, conversation builds in about Uriel talking across to the Briar Woods, talking about the bridge. He says, now, the Uriel bridge. I don't think the name was necessary, but it's appreciated from my perspective. Now, is this union between Wild Mountains and Taldore, do we have a confirmed trade route between the two, and which Lord Brevard returns here? This is indeed very true. We are hoping that through this passageway, we'd have means of rather a quick trade between this kingdom and yours. Not to mention this would allow for individuals to travel for carried parcels very quickly, and we're hoping to establish a perhaps a very quick means of communication outside of the arcane for those who cannot afford these various luxuries. Lady Briarwood kind of taps on their shoulder and says,

Yes, and by the way, I don't mean to bring up a sore subject, but it's come to our attention that apparently last Winter's Crest there was an attempt on your life. And the table gets kind of a little quiet for a second. We're sorry to hear that. I wish to express our... kind of puts his hand down and says, no, no, it's quite all right. It was but a paltry attempt and was thwarted actually by Voxmachina proper.

They've been tremendous in keeping us safe, and I really appreciate their aid in overseeing my family's good fortune. Yes. All this is going on. Can you describe what's behind, are the briarwood couple together seated next to each other? Yeah, seated right next to each other

and at the head of one table, crossed away from the... I intend to be behind them, but what's behind them? What's behind them is just open space and servants. There's probably a good 25 servants here. They're just like sitting there patiently, lying in wait. And behind the servants is a wall,

so there's lots of open, busy, crowded space. Mm-hmm. Okay. And tables. There's like other unused tables in this great hall that are just kind of out there. All right. Four other ones. I'm going to drink the potion of climbing that Grog gave me.

Just do it now. And I'm sputtering up a wall. And I'd love, while listening to all this, just. You made a noise. Damn it. That wasn't me. I'd love to make an insight check on them

just as they talk, just for funsies. To inquire about. Just to see if they seem like sacks shit or or luck. Oh, not that lucky. This is going to be very low. Yeah, no matter. Low.

Very low. It's hard to talk from this distance, really, at all. They're very charming. You were expecting this very dour, dark, evil couple from all the conversation, but they seem nice. They seem earnest. They keep them themselves, definitely. They're definitely a very tight couple,

but nothing about them catches you off guard as being anything instinctively twisted. It's very hard to read them upside down. Also viable. Could I inquire to Lady Briar You're saying this out. The conversation comes up to tell you. Yes, of course. I'm so sorry. What was your name again?

Vexahlia. Vexalia. Yes. Absolutely pleasure to meet you. You as well. I noticed your dress is quite lovely. Thank you. It doesn't look like a fashion that I'm used to seeing. Where do you hail from originally? We hail from Wild Mount. It's quite away from here.

The continent to the Far East. Really? I'm not familiar. You should come by some time. We haven't been home in the... number of years having to tend to Whitestone, but we have quite an elaborate homestead there. We would love to have you come stay with us if you ever find yourself that side of the world. I would love to visit. How long have you been at Whitestone? We've been at Whitestone for the better part of I can't even remember.

And Lord Briarwood looks his best I can recall, four or five years. Four or five years. It's an unfortunate mantle to pick up, but we've done what we can. in honor of the past daughter of family. I, in gold, sorry. I was just, were you to ask you? You seem to like that's a lovely couple. Do you have any children?

We unfortunately do not. It seems it was not in the carts for us to bear. However, we consider many of our esteemed servants and house guests are extended family. Oh, how wonderful. Leave a legacy however we can possibly do so. Can we insight check as what they're saying? Certainly.

I mean, I know that lion up the earth is FAP. 18. Seems pretty earnest. Oh, wow. Lord Briwood. Yes, hi. I'm sorry. He snaps and a servant moves a large pig platter out of the way

blocking your head from his vision. You can move that over here, actually. Oh, wait, should we eat over? Lord Briarwood, we may share a mutual friend or acquaintance of some sort. My father was a prominent doctor, and he may have studied medicine with a fellow that you know named Dr. Riplear, Ripley.

Do you know such a person? Yes, actually. Dr. Ripley is one of our esteemed physicians in Whitestone. Oh. Yes. Recently coming to some land herself, although she has been on holiday for some time. Oh.

Following her own research, as doctors want to do. Are you close with her? I wouldn't say close, but she's been a friendly of times, and she was one of the few that came with us from Wild Mount over to Whitestone and has helped us restructure and maintain and help facilitate the blossoming of a city without a leader. She sounds wonderful. Well, when you see her next, tell her that my father,

Dr. Jeff Shortholt, said hi. Jeff Shortholt, I won't be happy to pass that. Lord Briarwood, I'm not familiar with White Stone. How did you come to become caretaker of such a place? At which point, one of the other council members kind of goes like, It puts his hand out and it's all right, it's all right. And he kind of pats the hand of his wife. She looks over at you with a smile. We know not if it is connected with the disease,

but before all this occurred, we became very close friends with the Dorolo family about 10 or so years ago. Actually, the first time he met, this kind of been interesting Dale. If you want to tell him. So this one goes, all right, all right. So they were taking a brief vacation east to Wild Mount. Apparently they had not traveled, and they brought the family with them. A whole gaggle of small children.

And they were coming this direction. Now, our homesteads on the western outskirts of Wildmounts, so we're one of the first places you traverse before going into the kingdom proper. However, the family, the Dorolo family, had been caught in a bad downpour, a storm that had blown in and made travel rather impossible. And apparently they just stopped not far from our homestead. They came to our front door asking for shelter for the evening, and we were happy to, perhaps. Then we gave them dry clothes, food for the night, and other fast friendship was forged. As we could leave again to notice, they weren't just rabble off the street.

They themselves were a high... born as we were in a very dire circumstance. So we let them in, they stayed for but a week, we showed them about the western side of Wild Mountain, let them on their way. And since then, we've had many different years we've spent together as families going on various journeys and trips together.

But as time went on, we got busy on our own in separate ways, and we hadn't spoken in a while. They were in the process of discussing the building of the Ariel Bridge about five years ago and we were going to meet with them about pursuing this venture as a joint

when the disease took them when the family passed on we were surprised that they would have considered leaving Whitestone in our name and we couldn't say no at this point to carry on their legacy

I felt was important enough let alone in memory of that to carry on the building of this Uriel Bridge. I felt I really wanted to spearhead the wishes of Frederick. But it's so courageous. A toast, then. Yes. A toast. To gracious hosts. To gracious hosts.

Lechayam. So, Uriam, in which it looks across the way and says, one of our largest exports in white stone is timber from the forests and woods that surround Whitestone and the alabaster sierras we've had a rising danger in the surrounding woods that has made it proven difficult to export most of these

wooded goods if it is possible we would like for you to send some aids perhaps a small battle soldiers you would help us to try and clean up the woods and Uriel kind of looks cross the way and says, Oh, yes, we can definitely discuss that. I see why not. We're currently in peacetime, and we have a reserve of soldiers. We can send you away.

I mean, we're also free. Oh, yes. As this meal continues on, more conversations arise, a lot of bureaucratic BS. Anyone want to interject anything or ask any questions? Elura is there still? The Laura is there, yes. As we're kind of eating, I'm going to kind of...

You know, by the way, did you ever perhaps finish making that extra earring? I gave me several weeks ago. I don't know what it's been. Although it kind of looks at several of the sides. Yes, it's been completed. No one's come by to take it from me. I have no idea. I'll send someone... And as a note, I'm about a month away from completing the sigil in the basement. of your keep.

Oh, wonderful. Thank you. I'm so talented. What kind of flavor tea do you like? I prefer mint or jasmine, to be honest. Noted, noted. I walk away. I am.

You step up and walk away from the dinner table. I would. I whisper in. And go to the conference. The greatest stands up in the discussion and walks away from the feast. Maybe Broward would be so. Such an act of compassion to take, to take on such responsibility as a house. Tiberius, get back here. Oh, sorry. You said walk away.

No, that every time. Not every time. Thank you. This is the first time we've been away from White Stone in many years. That's, if, such a spectacular act of kindness and generosity. My brother speaks the truth. Would perhaps Vox-Makina also be of service to you? Perhaps. You seem strong of build and... We are handier than we look.

We killed a beholder once. Just right out with it. That is an impressive feat, young Keyleth. We should just... And Scalon has impressive feet in general. We killed an ilithin once as well. Slain a be a beholder, Uriel. You keep in the presence of some mighty heroes.

Uriel goes, They are... Proven allies. I mean, if you could utilize their assistance, that could be very possible. I may have something coming up that I could use them for myself, but we'll discuss in time. We'll discuss in time.

Nevertheless, the meal continues. And she kind of smiles and looks back at you. Can I do an inside check to see if she, that look at Percy, not Percy, was... You can make an inside check shirt. inside texture. Can you? Can you make an inside check? I don't think you can. She looked interesting. You're distracted by the pattern on her, that's almost like a brocade across her torso area. It's really pretty. You know you

could roll lower if you try. Yeah, thank you. I could roll. Sorry. Theoretically I could roll lower. I'll do it at our kind of check on them. What do you check me for? If they have any, if they have any, if they have any, they're armed with anything that's like, has arcane properties. Can I kind of check? I mean, it's not so much like something you can sense more than you can look for symbols and look for your old 17?

Yeah. I mean, it looks like there are elements of their kutraman that are like anybody, any of you are carrying on yourselves, like various, like, there's a necklace. There's like a, almost like a choker that's part of the outfit that Lady Briarwood wears, that itself does appear to have some sort of tiny enchantment-based markings across it. They are adorn in various protective, magical. but so was everybody else at the table. Gotcha, okay. Standard here.

Yeah, cool. Lord and Lady Briarwood, we are, in fact, quite handy. Vax, we also killed an illifid, if I recall. I think we did. Did we befriend an illifid or killed? And both. Both. We did both. We befriended it, betrayed us, and then we killed it.

Yes, we did. But enough about us. You know, earlier you were telling us about that poor family that came down with that disease. You know, I'm just curious, coming from a medical family. They literally try them, they kind of like give a sorrowful look. We do not know. We were only given the information that the family had passed, but a month or two after it already had occurred.

And the entire family, all of them. Most of the castle seemed to have fallen to it as well. So dreadful. Dreadful. Probably diarrhea. With where Uri-El says, My condolences, by the way, I understand that's very hard. It's all right. The least we could do is try and carry on the legacy.

I know how hard it is to lose someone very close to you. I'm sorry for your loss. It's appreciating. Looks at his wife, she kind of looks up for a second. It's all right. So I'm sorry. I just a little confused. Um, if the whole family died of a little bit of me. The family died of disease.

Weren't you afraid to go into this town, into this castle? Wightstone? Contracting this disease yourself? There was worry of such a thing, but before Whitesone Castle could be entered, we made sure to send in our best clerics to rid of any existing possible lingering disease

and to make sure to remove any corpses or bodies that may contain it. There was a period of time we were worried, but after a few months we came to the conclusion that it was safe, and thus we moved our way in. Lucky for you. Everyone care for some games of Jekka? This is, who is this?

And I'm constantly feeding Lockheed this all the time. At this point, the dessert has been brought out. It's like a fine, almost like a creme brule-type dish. It's delicious. No one pretty much, but enjoys it. Dharving. Numb-hum. Yum.

Are they whispering to themselves and all? As part of the discussion is happening, there are a few side exchanges here and there. The best you can make from the systems, things like, did you notice them? Oh. Yes, don't worry. Tonight we'll stay.

And those are the only things you're able to make out from the little exchanges back and forth. Do you plan on staying here, Lord of Lerner. After this dinner, I imagine a few days and we'll be on our way. Yes. We're merely here to finalize the paperwork for the bridge construction. She looks over and gives a nod to Lord Daxio, who gives her a nod back, and maybe see the city for a while and make our way back.

It's too hard to be away, and our nephew has been left in charge of this. Do you have plans on the morrow? I would love to give you a tour of the city. of the city. It would be lovely. Wonderful. Should I send word? How should we arrange this? Where are you staying?

We are outside of town at our own keep, actually. What's it called? Grace Gold Key. The Grace Gold Key. Yes. We will have you sent for when the time is right. Lovely. That will be so fun.

Vex is so into showing people who are some Perhaps you can show me some more of your fashions. I love your dress so much. Oh, it's hard to show you this here. What you need to see is the Wild Mount Fashion District. It is divine. Sounds wonderful. I look at Vax and I go,

Does anyone want any dessert? I'm having a lot. Vax. You looked at Vax? Yeah, Vax. Z? Z. Vaxy. Thank you.

The one that I can look at. Do you want dessert now? Would you like this fireball? No, just fine. Okay. I don't know what to do now. The meal has to be now wound down. The dishes are being gathered by the servants.

The wine has stopped being poured, and now everyone kind of settles in those size of a meal well spent. Oh, I'm so full. Some of the council members begin to excuse themselves. Serial stands up and says, My apologies, me and my wife, find that rest is in our eminent future. Please feel free to walk the halls as you see fit.

Thank you again, Lord and Lady Briarwood for joining us, and we're excited to continue this venture with you. A good night to you all. And your reall said that. Hey, you should hunters mark them or something. Wait, no, no, no. No, no. They can feel that way.

They can feel that. What's the gentleman who realized that I was there earlier? Before we came, was you talking about you? He's not in the room. No, he's gone. He's been waiting in the foyer for you. He was telling you to meet him in the foyer a long time ago. That's all right.

He's asleep. It's fine. He's just been. Go check out that room and I'll distract them. Go see if he's still there. All right. Lord Lady Bray would also stand up and apologize. In that note as well, I think I'm going to come to an end.

I appreciate your goal. Appreciate your guy and Lady Briwood continues the sentence. And we wish you all a fine night. Before you actually retire, I'm sorry. I'm clicking my boost of haste and scuttling along the ceiling back towards the door. Draconian magic. I know this particular spell.

It's wonderful. And I go, blow the stream out and do can't you control magic and start doing a nice dragon fire dance, like that I know of from my home. I play a little flute. They both sit and watch for a moment. Am I finding what's his face? Make your way.

Yeah. He's not there. You don't see him anywhere. I'm doubling back. Okay, you double back. After about a minute of this, yes, well, thank you kindly for that wondrous display. I will.

A little bit of sleep takes us, and we're going to retire to all quarters. Have a wonderful night, everyone. Are you staying within the castle? Yes, yes. Oh. Yes, I'm just customary. Fantastic.

Have a wonderful rest. We'll see you shortly. And good night. And they both stand up and they make their way out through the main Great Hall exit. I'm following. Okay. You kind of gather across the ceiling as you go.

You watch them head up the stairway to the second floor. They head to the right down a long hallway. A series of doors. They come up to a door where there are a door door where there are two guards standing outside, the one, the same guards that led them inside the building and were riding on a horseback. Could I hunter's mark him before they go in their bedroom? Uh, Hunter's mark is technically, it's a minor, little spell. You could try it.

I mean, they're walking away where their back is turned. Could I do it when they're not paying into it? Yeah, I'd say make a stealth check. Try and do this subtly at the table. 20! No! No! No! You hunter's mark, which one?

Lord. No. Silas or Delilah? No, it's your choice. Delilah. Okay, you mark Delilah. If she walks off, you have a sense of where she is at all times in the vicinity. As you follow them, they go to the door, the guards open the door form and lead them into their room and then close the door.

Oh, that fast, all right. How close to the door are the guards? Right up against it. Not like against it, but immediately to the right left of it. Just burn their room down. Go on the ear room. I'm just going to do it. I mean, would I feel like we should do it?

We gotta find Sikkar-a-Sahm or whatever is. I yank off my serpent belt and throw it as far as I can, not as far as I can, like 20 feet and set it in motion. So there's now a snake in the hole, 20 feet in front of these guys. All right. You take it and you throw the snake. Let me check one thing on a visibility real fast. Oh boy.

Just because. Yeah, the snake flies on the hall. If he does an action, it dissipates the spell. That's what I was to say, yeah. It's not greater visibility. So he goes, uninvisible. I want to do something. So attacks or casts a spell.

I throw my belt. It's not either of those. I throw a bell. Okay. Loophole. So yeah, you take the belt, fling it. The snake appears inside. One of the guards looks over.

So the other guard, he pulls at his weapon, and one of the guards steps over to where the serpent is. He starts trying to stop it out, and it kind of nips up and gets some of the armor, and he's stopping out the... So one's 20 feet away now. About 25 feet away, yeah. 25 feet away and one guy stayed. Yeah. Kill him.

I drop, and I'm going to be in him on the head like his name is Kynum. Okay. All right, as you leap off the top, you land on the ground. Mm-hmm. Go ahead and roll on attack. Okay. Advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the country. combat yet. And he's surprised because he does not know you're there.

I'm invisible, so that's an 18. That is 29 to hit. That definitely hits. Using the blunt end, I just want to knock them out. Right, okay. Go ahead and roll sneak attack damage. Doubled. And dice. Ooh! Lots of six. 12, 17, 23, 24, 26. So, 52. So 52 plus 52.

It's good. 52. No, I mean, how can this, if I am as skilled a rogue as I am, how can I not just want to knock somebody out and unintentionally 10 on top of the 52? 62 of, 62 of. 60 damage will do it. Beener damage.

You walk right to the side of the helmet, the doll, fom, sound, just falls like a sack of potatoes, right against the wall. A hand on the door, is it locked? Is it locked? The door is currently not locked. You can see one of the guard had the, the guard you just knocked out, had the key in his hand.

Yeah. And was in the process of going to lock the door, right, when that happened. Okay, so I just flipped my hood over my head, and I just quietly go in the door. Okay. Yeah, I know. Oh, shit. You are so invisible.

You open the door and enter the room, closing it behind you. As soon as you enter the room, it's a large guest room. Yes. There are two windows across the way with curtains drawn to the side. You can see the darkness of the night's sky behind that and the rest of the low-lit cloud top district, visible, and the courtyard surrounding the talus. To immediately right and left of you, you see two large tables that are covered in black cloths, that are kind of just tables to be, you know, vases

and stuff set up on them, one's clean, one has actual decor on it. There are two wooden tables immediately to the right and left of you. There's a large red rug, central to the floor that is circular. And on the far corners next to the two windows, you see armours, like dressers for clothing and such. In the center of the room, you see on top of the rug, kind of against the wall between the two windows, is a large canopy bed.

Very beautifully carved from dark wood. It has almost like a purple cloth and silk canopy that drifts down around it. And on the far end, you can see now, against one of the tables is Lady Briarwood is currently taking jewelry off. of one of her arms, while Lord Breyerwood is right by the bed holding on kind of the post, like he's kind of just walked over that area.

They're both at the bed? They're both at the bed, and they're both looking in your direction. Got a 25 for stealth? Yep. Yeah, didn't work. Both looking in your direction. All right. Oh, sorry.

Sorry, I heard a noise in here. I work for the city. I apologize. That was really stupid. As you work, as you work. As you were. Make a deception check. Sure.

I'll use my last luck of the day. Did she do it? Same thing. Nine. Eleven. Eleven? Yeah. Lord Breyer goes, Oh, well, that's all right.

Not to worry. In no serious rush. Isn't that right an idea? And she kind of looks over, she stops taking her jewelry off and turns. Yes, yes, of course. as you a man who works for this city. Yes, ma'am.

What do you do for the city, if I'm asking? Oh, I'm a gar. I mean, there's not really a name for what I do. I work for Uriel. I just am security man, and I thought I heard noise in here. And I heard a bodyfall. I thought, sound like a bodyfell. They both kind of step a little bit closer, kind of looking at you. I'm backing up as I'm right at the door. You're back up to the door right there.

I didn't shut it behind me. I just kind of cracked it open. Right. Yeah, right. Lady Briwood goes, you look strangely similar to a gentleman we just had dinner with. That's crazy. It's uncanny how similar you look. Yeah. Si rocanna, see what I run.

I ran. You get to make a wisdom save is what you are. is what you are. Oh, gosh, Jenga, Jenga! Jenga! It's not good, it says, it's an eight. You turn to move and your muscles tense up as you're unable to physically move.

This is awkward, man, I'm just trying to do my job. You're halfway through the doorway, stuck in place as she keeps walking forward now. You're curious look. Lord Briarwood kind of comes and flanks you from the other side. And I ask you questions. Come, let us discuss in more private quarters. And you feel the hand of Lord Brighwood

slam on your shoulder. Yeah. Don't worry. You look delicious. And he pulls you into the room as she closes the door behind. And that's where her end. Yeah!

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