Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry - Vox Machina Ep. 56 - Hope

Episode Date: January 10, 2022

With Umbrasyl defeated, Vox Machina must now help decide the future of Westrunn. With special guest Patrick Rothfuss!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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which had been partially destroyed by the attacks of the Chroma Conclave, a dangerous group of chromatic dragons, very powerful entities that tore through the countryside. In the wake of this destruction, the herd of storms, a roving barbaric tribe that Grog once belonged to, swept in and conquered the city of Western. They made an accord with the returning Black Dragon Umbrasil that they would alleviate most of the spoils of their fight toward it and as such would not be in conflict with such a powerful and dangerous entity. Voxmachina swung into the town, cut down the rather brutal and ruthless leader, Kevdak, and aided his son, who seemed to be of more honorable mind, Zanroar, and Grog himself, to temporarily take the herd in its current state

and use this moment to surprise and hopefully take down this ancient black dragon, known as Ambrasil, the Hope Devourer. devourer. They set a trap. They sprung it and kept the dragon close to the ground as long as they could, dealing vast amount of damage, but not enough to stop it as it began to tear through the herd, as well as Voxmachina itself. Vax and Scanlan had, through the use of magic and ingenuity, teleported themselves inside of the dragon. Didn't seem to go as well as they intended as the dragon took off, leaving a dangling grog with his axe and chain stuck in its side, flying off towards the high, darkened mountain of Gat Shand. The mid-air battle ensued as they tried to find ways to carve their way out of the beast. Vax utilizing the embedded arrow hole and loosening the tension of the muscles with the dragon blade at his disposal. Scalind's technique a little more... I fissed it. You fisted the dragon and as such found your way out. During this period of time, Vax embraced.

the blessing of the Raven Queen, taking a level of Paladin Grog, got more intelligent briefly as a giant eagle, and you managed to reconvene with your party members as the dragon went to recover within its layer at the top of Gatchetto. You then encountered a very elderly Goliath that you hadn't seen quite some time named Shale, who spoke of the scouting crew that had been obliterated by the dragon. You followed Shail as she led you up the mountain to where the dragon's current layer resides. You did battle with Umbrasil, a very hard-fought battle. Many of you take a bunch of damage. But you prevailed, and Grog dealt the death blow,

killing the dragon. You all began to sift through its horde, which the bulk of what we'll be doing as you rest into the evening here, shale shambling down the mountain on her own to see the rest of her greater destiny. So as we come back, you've all decided to take an evening's rest to recover

from this heinous battle that you just suffered. You carved out some elements of Umbursell's corpse that were not destroyed by the anger and might of Grog. I believe I told you a tooth count, a blood vial count. What did I not give you from the remains of the Black Dragon? We don't know what we don't know, ma'amasked and claws. I don't know if I got a toothed by there. I think it was three vials.

Three vials of Umbursell blood is all we have. It's all we had. Okay. That's all like... Yeah, the teeth was a lot of teeth, I think. Yeah, it was like 15 or so, I believe, because a lot of them were destroyed from the perpetual axe bashing into the mouth. I'm not sure it's that.

Yeah, exactly. The more important part, really. I'm writing the body parts in the bag of colding. What's a dragon kidney stone work? Okay. 15 teeth. Does it turn into a pearl? It might be, you know.

You never know. It's a diamond at that point. What about scales? Well, ten dragon claws were harvested from. this entity. Um. Out of a dragon's little. And about, and it's going to take it quite a while.

Like you're probably not able to rest if you continue to harvest from the corpse to get scales off of it at this point. Because that's going to be more dragon hide than just scales. You're taking the hide off of it and that's like you're going to need a team of people and an extended period of time to do that well. I said I was going to help with the sword with that process since I've got it. Okay, that does help. It's still going to be, like, there's a lot of height. We only have like 60 pounds of scale. previously left over.

What is happening? Umbricil's ghost. Yeah, ravaging the countryside from the east. We're still in the layer? You are still in the layer, yes. We have 60 pounds of scales left. Yeah, but these would be umbersill scales. This week could make like umbersill black dragon armor.

That we can have like, yeah, black and white scales. You've never used the other scales, by it. Yeah, yeah, but we could make dragon hide. You can make that as armor, right? Is that correct? It's possible. Yeah, we could have done that age. I want some black and white armor.

Do keep mine, the bag of holding can hold upwards 500 pounds to the max. Oh. Just be aware. It's not infinite? No. Oh, I thought it was. Also, many of the shots that can do that kind of thing are destroyed. Oh, we're okay. There's not a bunch of big stuff here.

We'll get some. We should get some. What about the gold? Did we find out how much gold? We're about to find out. Okay, I'm definitely doing that while they're looking at five. We'll work on the scale. As you guys are working on the scales. I want to work most with, I want to take as much as I can. as much as I can.

Of the scales? Mm-hmm. Okay, that's fine. Hide. Dragon hide, we'll say. Scales themselves just little pieces. Use more for alchemical elements. Can be removed from a hide later, so we'll call it a hide.

So I want you to go ahead and make an investigation check, Lord. Oh, man. Also, I believe I was first to the pile. I was looking at what weapons there are, and I also want to watch her very closely with everything she does. Does this have to do with dragons? Is it an investigation about dragons? No, this is more to do with the... No.

Of gold. What about, because I'm in a mountain, and it's my favorite terrain? Your favorite terrain, ironically, it's not gold. It is mountain. No, it's mountain. However, when you level up as a ranger, if you choose to, your next favorite terrain should be gold.

Mountains of gold. Just I think it's a character choice. I'm just checking her. I want to be sure I'm rolling what I'm supposed to. Duck tails, woo. 13 is all that I rolled, though. Okay. The swimming speed of 40 and going.

It is quite a lot of goals. As you start counting up a section of it, and you being a very, very discerning eye, you're looking upwards around 78,000 pieces. Oh, but some of this is Westerns. A lot of this is Westerns. Is it though? It is. You know what? I'm going to keep it. We're good.

I keep it 10. No, no. I'm just saying. I'm keeping it in a separate stock because I don't want to take money away from Western. Just as you're, just so you're aware, that's $1,500. 170 pounds of gold. Hell, you can't carry it? You can't carry all that.

If we separated it, we're going to put a marker in it and let Western know that this is their gold and then we'll send them up. Oh, that's fair. They can come back up and get it. Yeah, they can, because how else are we going to get it to them? So. I'm just going to take a little bit of it. How much you take you?

20%? Did we put it in? 15,000. Did we put it in? The what we put in is still down on the ground. 25%. How much should we put in? 25%.

I think we should take like 10,000. Higher. Higher. But it's Western's money. We could let the people decide. And we have spent a lot of our hard-earned cash saving this for them. I'm going to need a little bit of that money to fix my gun too, which is very broken. How much do you need by saying?

I don't know how broken it is. Our hero's feasts are a thousand bucks each. About how much is 500 pounds worth of gold? Maybe that's the old question. Fifty gold pieces is a pound. So that's about 100 pounds. Or 5,000 you said? 500.

500 would be, you know, 10 pounds. We need some platinum. Oh, is there platinum in there? We're so greedy. It's mostly gold. Platinum is not too heavily traded. It's usually more, you know, are a lot of people in general town, you know,

in cityscapes of Western and these areas of the country that carry large blinds and platform. They're more like inter-country, large, large purchases that are made. Most of this has just been gathered from people's homes, from personal stashes and merchantile storehouses. So, most of it here is gold. How much should you say was the total again? 78,000. I feel like we should take 15 to 20.

So 20 percent would be $15,000. $15,000. 15 is fair. 15 is fair. Is it? We put in a lot of work. If you want to do more, you can tell the children of Western. No, I don't want to put more. I want to take less, honestly. Why do you make children, Vex? They're very dirty and smell terrible. Zai, is it a terrible idea to let the people decide? Because maybe they would give us more.

The people? How? Hold a vote. Do you want this money or do you want us to have it? I don't know, because maybe some of it, maybe not all of it is there. No, it's a good idea. You could pray on it. Thank you. Could you pray on it and ask what Sarah and Ray would do? Sarah and Ray would do? I'm not gonna pray over this money. I think if we ask them, they're just going to argue amongst themselves.

Like us? Like us? Yeah, I agree. Okay. We were asking an entire town to come to a decision. That is 300 pounds worth of gold. If you were to put that within the bag of holding, that's the most you could carry. That's all right.

Your bag of holding, I'll say at this point would be full. Maxed out. I could do that, plus I can make myself really big for a little bit too. All right, but that's all we're taking. Okay. These people are in need. It's very hard to say, but I don't want people being homeless and we're walking around with a bunch of gold that's... Beyond homeless, they're going to probably have to run, so any money we give them will be money they will use to get out of town.

Go somewhere else. Are we sure there's people capable in town to bring back all this money that we trust? Sure, if they had enough people and enough wagons. However, if we leave all this gold just sitting here, won't Briggins come and rob it and... Probably, but what are we gonna do? We can hide it in some stone shit. Can't you make some stone shit to hide it?

Some sort of... Oh, yeah. Like a wall or something? I don't know, like a fake stone wall that they can walk through. I don't know. That only lasts for a while. I can stone shape like a little...

No, stone shapes. It's permanent, right? Yeah. It's instant you just... Okay, okay. Stone shape's permanent so I can like stone shape a little cubby and put like a little symbol over it so we know. Okay. But hide it well.

I'll hide the hole so that we tell them where it is. Okay. So as you begin moving and trudging through the gold, as you start moving it into that pile, you also discover 25 pounds worth of precious gems. Most of them cut, some of which are also rough. Do any of them have identifying like wedding rings or? I mean, there are a number of gems that are

part of necklaces or rings, yes. I wonder why he's asking. Gems are just possibly There are a number of gem-encrusted rings that would be very, very beautiful wedding rings if they were utilized, yes. Any particularly small ones? There are a number that can fit smaller folk fingers.

They can be. I'll take a top ring. Saffire. Okay. It's about. It's about a 400 gold worth sapphiring. Oh, this one's nice. Let's also remember that gratitude is worth something.

So note the 25 pounds worth of gems. Okay. You could attempt to ascertain their worth later. Okay. You don't have the materials nor the actual and personal knowledge to figure out exactly how much those gems are worth at the moment. Okay. Pretty shiny.

You do also find a bunch of art and fine and decor, brass and gold statues that are pull out of homes, looks like art pieces, silverware. Do some archa check on some of the stuff. We have a... We have a... No, no. No. I'll go ahead.

Here. I hand Scanlon the Hul's quall. Is it for quall's stuff? Or is it for everything? It just finds magical things, right? I thought it was just for his own special stuff. It finds things with magical... Scanl and she's metaphorically learning you quall.

Do you want to hunk a quall? Sure, I'll qual it. Quall it. Okay, make an icono check. 20. It sparks for a second and then goes dark again. Looking at it, it seems like whatever it was designed to find, it is found and expended most of its temporary enchantment.

Name the who. Okay. So it doesn't do anything. Should we look? So then I'll scan through the stuff and looking for magical dope items. Make an investigation check. Are there any pretty paint?

paintings that grab our attention. There's some very pretty paintings. We're not taking any paintings. I can roll it up, Grog. It's not your call. They're very heavy. I got a 14. Anyone want to help me look for magical shy-set? I'll help you. I'll help you look. No problem.

The armored gnome Pike leaps on to the pile of gold coins and eagerly sifts through with her giant ogreish hands. I just rolled a wand. There's nothing magical here. You want to help? Just look for magical shit. I'm covered in... Vicerra. Legiturately...

I mean, I can... Grog, look for magic. Arona 16. That's better than us. Hold on. His large size allows him to push through large swaths of the pile of coins. You do pull through what appears to be a very, very... very fine ceramic jug that has kind of ruins carved along the sides.

And it rightfully should have broken under the weight of most of the metal that had been placed upon it or shift at all. It's almost all broken anyway. No, no, no, no, no. Do any of us recognize the type of wounds? That really seems right up your alley, buddy. I think, you know. Can I try reading the rules? You may.

You may go ahead and make an archaicons. You can put ale in the end in the rins. Actually, you know, this, yeah, that's be an comment. Just, I kind of check. Come on. Big money, no whammy. 16. 16.

It's not a specific language. They're all basic magical runes that are used in transmutation magic. You're not too familiar with anything in this realm, but transmutation is the most you create out of it. Oh. Let's just take it. Hang on, wait.

Grog. Grog, come here. Okay. I cast create. water and I fill the jug with water. Okay. It explodes. Pour it out your thumb.

If I die because of this. Buh. What's interesting is you take the jug from him. It's empty, but you still hear sloshing. Even though it's empty as you hold it before you. You put water into it. A bucket of infinite urine. Can I tip it upside down?

Yeah. You tip it side down and the water spills out. Anything else? Nope. Can I shake it? You shake it? Can you still hear. You still hear the slishing, yeah.

Can I put my head in the jug? You do. It blocks it quite a bit. Your voice is ringing in your ears. Can I shake the jug? You still hear kind of around you. What is there, witchcraft? Do you hear the ocean, Grog? Do you hear the ocean?

No, no, no. Bored, Vak starts tossing gold coins off of Grog's junk. Wow, that's on there. What the hell? They're very small. Oh. Ting. Ting.

Come on, let me break it. It's obviously broken. It does something. It does something. Can I try taking a sip? Sure. What do you just take it? Just seeing if I can drink anything in there.

You tip it, nothing comes out of it. There's something to this job. If you reach your hand in, can you touch the bottom of it? Yep. You feel the bottom. It's all dry ceramic. I'm going to, I'm going to take the jug. I'm going to put some of the dragon blood that's drying out in the jug

and swirl it around a little bit. It switches around and pour it out. It pours onto the ground. It's just blood. It's just blood. What the what? I scoop up a little bit of dirt. Take a little bit of dirt and put the dirt in the jug.

What is it? Dirt in the joke. This is a filthy jug. Dirt falls across the ground before you. Hey, what the fuck? I put some semen in it. Gross! No!

I think that's the magic. Literally some sailors that are at sea. Yeah. And the baby comes out and now this is your responsibility. You go to the Docks of Imond. No. We have to take some time with this to discern what it actually does. All right, we'll just hang on to it.

It's just like a jug of holding. You can just keep putting stuff in it. No, don't throw it away. It's boring out, but there's still something in the bottom of it. Take it to an expert, we'll find out later. There are smarter people than us. You also find amongst this chaos a number of glass shards, and you start discerning that there are a number of empty vials

that were shattered and broken across the floor in this area and across the coins. Are you gasping? Oh, no. A bunch of empty... Potions all mixing together. A lot of things that were seemingly recently used in the recovery of a large entity. Yes. Interesting.

However, there is one unbroken vial that you see that contains like a cloudy gray oil. that kind of swishes around on the inside. Some of it tends to seep through the glass almost and then evaporate instantaneously upon touching the air. Who wants this creepy looking shit? I'll take it. Scanlan. Can I have I seen anything like this before? You haven't actually.

Damn it. Can I sniff it to get any clues? You sniff it and it smells metallic strangely as you pulled the stopper off. It's not liquid, it's more of like a thick oil. It's very viscous and slowly swishes in places. You kind of rotate the glass. I'll hang on to it for now. Might be massage oil.

What? You never know. You never know. You do also rummage through you find another unbroken. The glass itself has cracked a little bit, but it's still intact. What appears to be a small kind of brown, silver, and gray layered liquid. It's like three different layers that are all sediment and separate from each other, based on how it's been laying there.

Should we put this inside another glass container, so if it breaks, it's okay? Honestly, I think just putting it in the biological. Big bag of colding. A bag of colding. It might be wine. Layered brown potion is what I'm writing. Gray. It's got layers of brown, silver, and gray.

Layers. It's like a birthday cake shot. Kind of. And then as you push the last of the coins into this hole that you've made in the side of the wall to the height of the way, you do also find at the very bottom of this looks like an old book of some kind, like a tome. It's about this big, with a heavy, thick leather binding around it.

Oh. Can we read it? Totally worth this. No, this could be the spellbook. What spellbook? Oh, yes. Dresvena's spellbook? Or no, no.

Abdrish noia. Or Abdrish noia. Or your, yes, yes, Abra's nose, yeah. Does it look like a spellbook? What language is it? If we see a spellbook? You look through and as you open it up, the words are scrambled, but then as you focus for a second, they seem to reassemble them in common.

Hmm? And as you read through, the first page has a large title across the top. It says, Tom of Leadership and Influence. This is special. It is. Who should read it? I want to read it right now. Only some of us can read. No offense. Frogs. Oh, Krogs. How big is it?

How big is it. There are no pictures. It is pure text. Your face. Completely worthless. It's awful cold. If Grog looks at it, does it reassemble itself in stick figures? Yeah. It's interesting. You look at the pages and the lines don't make sense to you, but for some reason you understand the gist of what the content is.

It goes beyond the barrier of language. And for a second, it's almost like there are pictures. But the pictures are assembled by a bunch of tiny lines in a row in different shapes that show you what it means. See, it's a book about leadership clearly. it wants to communicate something to me. An intelligence, Rock, thank you. Brogna comic book in Fallout is what this is. Yeah, yeah.

I was gonna say how to win friends and influence people. As the unofficial leader of the group. Yeah, Revee-Skennan. I don't really need the book. That's true. So perhaps Percy should look at it. I was actually thinking, Keyleth might actually.

Both of you do. Yeah, Keyleth, perhaps would want to take this book. Oh yes. I am not leading anyone. You're a wannabe leader. Thank you, Scanlan. Thank you. Kila, if you want to trade the book for the stupid vase?

Uh... It's not Secret Santa. We're not trading things. I know. I mean, I guess because I happen to be holding the vase at the time. Sure. No, no, no, no. No, you can have it. I can have the book.

No, you can have the vase. Wait, what's the book? The book is leadership and what? Leadership and influence. If you guys want to take the evening to kind of look over these items, you could probably discern most of the nature of them. Okay, well, let's do that. Let's take a look at them overnight.

I'll take the next. I'm going to continue emivcerating a drag out. I'm going to continue helping to eviscerate. Okay, I mean, you get to the point where you guys late into the night have carved away roughly 40 functional pounds of hide before you're exhausted. Wow.

Yeah. You're exhausted and there's still plenty of hide here to pull off of, but like, it would take you a week and you can notice The more you go, the scent is changing. It's almost like the acidic contents of the body are beginning to accelerate decomposition. It is actually, essentially, now the body is no longer living,

the acidic bile that it usually utilizes as a weapon is slowly consuming its remains. Sure. I'm perfectly content with 40. Yeah, we can make a decent amount of armor with 40 pounds. So everyone wants to carry that, because it's got to be carried, because the bag of holding is full. I'll drink it.

I can carry some. We have a bag. I'm strong. How much is the biological bag hold? The biological bag holds 100 pounds. I could put some in there. Yeah. I don't have very much in here.

Okay. And there you go. It's all light. Cool, cool, cool. So 40 pounds. Yeah. 40 pounds of dragon. All right.

It's a lot of gold. It's in a magic. It's weightless. Is it? The bag of colding. The bag itself weighs five pounds to her, but they can contain 100 pounds. Oh, thank you. So, as you guys work through the evening, who's looking over which items?

Who's looking over the book? I'm looking over the book. Will you stand up there and give me the vase? There is the vase. Was there other things to look at? And there are the two vials. Oh, look at the vial that I have, the layered one. And I think...

Layered one is climbing. I'm going to sit and try and get my gun marking again first time. They're no good for me, but I think last week you said something about spears or javelins or something. I mean, there are various, like, basic weapons in there, but nothing that comes across as anything beyond just well-crafted weaponry that was gathered. Are there any short swords in the pile? There are a couple. A lot of them have been dinged up and wrecked, but there are two regular short swords that seem to be functional and not damage too heavily if they still use them.

Okay. So two short swords would be in. You should just make some mayonnaise right now. I don't know how I even feel about that. So, Percy? The level of broken that bad news is would require a workshop of some kind. Even just the basic blacksmithing tools. I was going to use the workshop that's in the house.

Okay. If you guys want to go rest in the house, then that's doable. Yes, I'm doing the house. Okay. So, all of you hop into Scanlan's Morgon Kind's Magnificent Mansion? Yeah, chicken! Get yourself a delightful chicken dinner. I think that's, I know what that spell is. You just pass through walls or like a ghost. like a ghost.

Yeah. So what's that? That is plus two to charisma permanently. This is fucking brilliant. Does anybody need, who's shit at climbing? hike? Hey! We're actually a lot better than she used to.

Am I shit at climbing? No, your strength's pretty high. You can rock climb. Oh, it's based on strength? Climbing is strength. Oh, we're shit at climbing. I'm okay. I'm shit.

All right, havin. It's athletics, right? Oh, hey, by the way, take your fucking shoes off and give them back to me. Oh, what? These fabulous shoes that fit me perfect? Yeah, give them to me or I'll just take them while you're sleeping easily, easily. You think you could do that, like I would notice you sneaking up. So fucking easily. I don't believe it.

Keep your boots then. All right. See if they're there in the morning. All right. As you all find yourselves to rest within the confines, the comfortable confines of Scanlan's mansion, Percy, I want you to go ahead and make a tinkering chinkering chet. Check. Tinkering is plus four plus proficiency bonus plus a D20, if I recall. It's a proficiency bonus plus your decks for the purposes of fixing this.

Okay. That's even better. That'll do. 20. 20, okay. Yeah, it takes you most of the evening. You'll rest up, but we'll say for the purposes of this, you've only regained two hit dice for the evening's rest. Have you spent hit dice? Okay. So I'm just down to hit dice. Yeah. Or any that you've used, if you had used any, you don't recover any but two. Okay.

So yeah. Normally you recover half of your unused hit dice right now. The gun is fixed. The materials that you are required to use will cost you half as much as the actual weapon is worth. Lord Almighty. Which, let me look at my list here for that. You're a terrible person. It's going to come to roughly 400.

400 gold in materials. It's terrible. I thought it was a more expensive gun than that I feel a little bit. Oh, that's right, it's not the cheap gun of the two. Never mind. What about the bad news? You broke that one too, didn't you? That was bad news.

Yeah. Oh. I broke it, but it was just jammed. The bad news was like, shattered. Yeah. All right, so the evening's rest goes relatively uneventful. I've commanded 10 of my invisible guards to protect

Vex's feet. Okay, bless you. Vax? Okay, so in the middle of the night, I'd like to swing by the kitchen. I'm sleeping with them tucked like up under me. I'm going to sleep like, you know how little kids sleep with their butts in the air

and their feet are tucked like up under them? Children's posts. Okay. Okay, I go by the kitchen and I get a mug of water and some some spices. some spices. All right. Just some various, you know, simple stuff. Yeah. I'd like to sneak in my sister's room. I would like to check the door for traps. Go for it. Go and make an investigation check. It's not very high. Oh no, yes it is. This is 20. All right, it does

not appear to be trapped, however it is a loft. Okay, I would like to pick that lock. Do I notice this happening? 30, you're sleeping? Yeah, but I have a really good passive perception, bitch. All right, 30 on the trap. Right. On the lock, you know. On the lock, yeah. Okay, I would like to sneak in. Ever so quiet, ever so quiet.

You make it into the room. Put the door close to close, but not entirely. You look up and what little bit of low firelight is coming from a distant fireplace in the far corner that's down to like very, very simple embers. You see drifting in a semicircle around the bed, 10 spiritual servants all arms crossed, just standing. just staring right at you.

Protecting her feet, right? That was the command. Protect your feet. Protect your feet. Yeah. That was the command. I walk in. Not on her feet.

Yeah, I want nothing to do with her feet, guys. I just want those shoes that she's hugging. No, no, no. I want to try to take them. I have the shoes on my feet. You said you were hugging them up here like this? No, no, no. I said I'm sleeping with my feet tucked up under me.

Like how? Like, like, Sir Toulouse L. Like Child's Pose. No, like, child's pose. You know what I'm talking about. People do you sleep that way. Let me demonstrate. With your feet here.

No! That's what you said. Like this. Like this. There you go. Like when a kid's sleeping in a gentleman. No face is done. But it's like this.

Liam. Okay. Oh, that's fine. So vulgar. No, not. Okay. Guys, this is a little bit of family trouble. This is a little bit of family trouble.

Just give me a minute. And then I leap on to me. top of her and I take the cup of water and I splash it in her face and I throw flour on a face like that. What? Give me my boots. Give me my pants. You give me my damn boots. You are immediately pulled off of the bed, slammed under the ground of the floors, all the spirits. I didn't get to roll. What did you do? No. No, no, no, because the moment that you go ahead and splash the water and go towards her, they're on top of you. This isn't about dodging. Wait, wait, wait, what's happening? Don't attack him. Right. Don't attack him. It was less of you trying to avoid it more than just seeing if they can grab you.

Yeah, okay. So you're, you're, holed off and slammed it under the ground and they're just holding you there. Not attacking you, they're just holding you. Your eyes are watery. It's awful. Give me my boots, you greedy shepherd. You think I was really gonna keep them? I want them now. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you.

I want you to put them, just keep holding me up guys. I want you to put them on my feet now. But they look so good on me. Now. And your feet are so smelly. Are you mad? I gave up my life for you? You do.

I will have my shoes, please. One of the servants begins, like, slowly going towards your foot and... They're smelly, and they're very smelly. We should cap them, right, boys? What if... You think any of my servants are boys? I assume they have both sets of parts, actually. That's true, that's true.

Amazing. I suppose I could part with them. Waiting. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm not putting them on your feet. Sure you are. No, I am not. But before I do, I want payment for these boots.

boots. What's going on with you in Keylove? Right here, I'll give you this boot if you tell me. I could rescind my deal with an all-powerful deity and let you fall to the ground, or you could hear about my personal's. What's your choice? What? You love her? You love her. You love her so much. Take one.

right here. Put it on, cover up at least one foul stench in the room. No, I can't because they're holding me around. Oh, well. Two, the servants take the boot from her and start putting it on your feet. Has he? They're so hopeful. Kind of polish it a little bit. Does she feel the same way about you?

Ask her. Here's your other boot. The servants. They take it and they kind of hold you down, even still forcefully, grab your other leg and gently put the other boot on, polish it. Now go to sleep. We fought a dragon yesterday.

yesterday. I love you, but you are a terrible person. I look out the door. And you walk away. I spent 15 minutes getting all the flour off of my bed. I go to Scanlan. Scanlan. Scanlan. What? Did I hear you had like a hot spring or something like that, or like a spa here? I feel like you'd have a spa.

Because I am covered in Dragon Bile. Ooh, yes. Well. Not. No. No. No. Just, can you point me in the direction? Oh, I'm not coming with you. Don't worry, darling. Yes, it's downstairs in the third basement. I don't know. Thank you.

What is supposed to be? You don't want to know. It's a third basement is created in the bottom of the mansion. Outstanding. Right next to the boiler room. How fantastic is a bathroom. Another show you has no apparated right next. Is it just a full bathhouse?

Is it a very fantastic bathhouse? It's not bad actually. It's a fine natural hot spring. It's a comfortable hot tub. Hot tub temperature. Oh my god. It's got like Russian temperature, Swedish temperature, Finnish temperature.

Ice room. I go over the comms and I say, hey, hey, Vex Pike. I think I just found the new hangout spot for the ladies. Where are you? I'm in the third basement. This is so turning into an animal show. There's a third basement.

Keenan. What's in the third basement? Yeah, we can all hear you. I know, we can all hear you. I mean, you can't just pick me. You are aware of them. This is not Keeleth. This is not.

This is another transmission. You're picking up, sir, you all change the channel. There's a mysterious person. You should find out and investigate. All right, let's go down. We're all going down. Oh, yes.

So, ladies, you all convene, and this beautiful, hot air filled with steam. There's a fountain in the corner with some rocks and some nice plants around the area. There's a beautiful giant portrait of Scanlan, nude, all over the rock. The towel just gently placed on his knee. Yeah.

Not covering anything. No, no, no. It's decorative. Oh my God. As soon as you all sink in this moment, the door opens behind you as Percy and Grog, just comes storming in. Sit your cannonball! This was peaceful. Oh, god damn it.

Look at Skidlandwina. Net picture. I'm gonna cannonball in, too. Mike jumps in. Nice. I'm taking off my glasses and going to go soak in a corner quietly. Oh.

I go find key, babe. All right. So you guys have made your way comfortable into the hot spring. Vex saunter's over to you with a look of intention on her face. You look so intent. Yes.

Do you like the hot springs? I love the hot spring. Are they fantastic? Yes, me too. I sit down next to her. So, my brother, what's going on with you guys? Because I just asked him and he got really awkward. I mean, is it like for real? Is it definitely happening?

Are you guys in love? You getting married, having babies, little druid babies. Oh wow, you just did a lot of things in a very short amount of time. You know, we just killed a dragon. We did. We just killed dragon. I know, I feel so alive. Okay. Um, so that's about as far as I got. I wasn't sure if I was gonna, you know, live past that.

I wasn't sure if he was gonna live past that. Yeah, sure if you were gonna live past that. Really, any of us. But we did. So, yeah, we did. We did. And now there's three more. and I have a lot that I still have to do and still have to figure out, you know, about my, you know, myself.

So do you like him? Do you love him? That's an answer. You can just answer it. It's not a big deal. You just say yes or no. Uh, I'm afraid what will happen if I say yes. I say yes. Okay, that's not what I asked though. Don't think about the fear. Just think about what you're feeling. Maybe. Will you hate me if I do? No. Sure. Because I kind of thought you might for a very long time. You know, I thought I might as well, but here's the thing. We've been through a lot. We face death on a very regular basis. And I see the way he looks

at you. And I see the way you look at him. And happiness is fleeting in this world. We don't know when it will end. Take advantage of it while you can. And stop living in fear. Maybe we're not people who are allowed happiness. That's bullshit, Kianath. And what happens if I lose either of you? Well, you go on. You can't think about that. You've been to the other side. I have. What did you see? Anything? Is there an afterlife? But I wasn't there for very long. I think there can be. My brother serves death. Keebeth. And death is a natural thing that happens with or without him. This is true. Do you believe in the gods? Do you believe that Vax actually serves death? Yes. Yes, I do. What do you think that means for the rest of us? I think it means that what we do have a purpose. Regardless of the outcome, there is a purpose. You don't think we're just destroying everything everywhere we go. No. Are you kidding? We saved an entire town today. More dragons may come, but for the time being, the people are safe.

And we are safe. If we're successful, we could save this entire fucking world. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a hero. You already are. Greetings, adventurers. Spring has sprung here in Los Angeles, and that means it's a brief period where it's only 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees. I'll take it.

And that means I've been outside a lot more. Walking around, occasionally galloping after a toddler hopped up on juice boxes, traveling a bit, you know the vibe. And after doing some spring cleaning, my wardrobe, I got to say, looking a little bit sad. I want clothes that can keep up with me and my son, but updating my wardrobe every spring sounds pretty expensive. So that's why I wound up signing up for Fabletics as a VIP. It let me overhaul my springtime outfits without obliterating my bank account.

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Go to him. Just live in the moment. Don't worry about it right now. Maybe there's another time and another place where we don't have to. But now I feel like we do. We're in a mansion right now. Fucking cannonball. And I get up and I cannonball. Big splash, hot water across your face. Four and a half. All right. I need a high of, I need a broom. Servants combine, fill your govins that they're

brought to you with wine because drinking in hot tubs what could possibly go wrong? Did you just cannonball away? We all do it. We all do it. Should we have the cannonball context? I cast breathing underwater on myself and I just sink to the bottom of the pool. Stay there for a really long time at the bottom of the pool. Do you have water breathing prepared?

No. Is this your alter self? She kills herself. So the sides of Keelis throat, the sides of Keel's throat just sprout gills suddenly naturally. Oh, oh. Oh, perfect day. Kiel is no! No! I run over and I pick her up off the bottom, which is essentially suffocating her, right?

Pulls you out of the water and shakes you abruptly. Oh, Godness, my friend. Oh, gills, sorry, I shove her back. Back under. And I just let myself sink again. A side note, I have an earring as well and I heard everyone go down to the hot spring, so I went back to the kitchen and I got some of that chicken sorbet that they make here. And I went back to my sister's room and I pulled the blanket down and I just smear it all along the inside of the bed.

And then I bring up the blanket and tuck it in nice. It looks perfect. The 10 servants watched the whole thing and just nod, well done. That's disgusting. They had their orders. You are the worst of us. Good night, boy girls. Good night. Percy's it.

No? Let's go back to my friend. Is Percy in the water? Yeah, Percy's in the water. You got in? No, he went into the corner. Did you do a cannonball? No, I do not cannonball.

Percy. Cannonball, Percy. You do a contest. Are we doing a contest? I'm going to hit something. A cannonball contest? Bleed everything. That would be based on like.

You want to do a cannonball contest? Let's do a cannonball contest. Fine. If there's a, if there's a There's a dare involved, that's completely different. This is too real. How much money should we put on it? 15,000 gold.

How about five pounds of gems? Sure. Do you all have that? No, but I have it, and I'll put it in the middle. All right. Five pounds of gems. Five pounds of gems. I haven't been here, but I wander in eating some chicken with no pants. Why would you put pants in the chicken?

I don't understand. Oh, Scandman. Oh, I heard of a project. Your painting. It's not accurate, Scatlin. Oh, no, of course not. It's autistic license. Did they run out of paint?

Is that what happened? Not square shaped at all. All right. The rules, everyone gets one jump to be officiated by who? Oh. Sarah and Ray. Why your servants?

They'll vote for me. What are we doing? We're doing a cannibal contest or something? It's not fair if I do it, so they're not hard to join. I swim back up to the top to join. Okay. Can you officiate? Are you going to join?

Are you in too much of a funk to... No, I'm going to join. God could officiate. It's inappropriate. He doesn't know what numbers are though. Oh, no. More fair, really. A vote for me.

Who's that first? Who's at first? Who's going first? Alphabetical order. He left. He left. Yep. Oh, sure.

So, Keyless, you go ahead and swim up, take some time back, rush forward, leap, making that... You've got a short rest, right? Correct. Okay. An acrobatics check? No, this is an athletics check. Okay. This is a jump leap in...

Not bad. Um, 19. Oh, that's great. She jumps into the air... And in midair, I use my bonus action to turn into an Earth elemental. turns into almost a literal cannonball and splaces enough water to the point where the actual water level in the hot spring now is about two inches lower than it was before. I run upstairs, you got a bottle of raw sodium. It's on, motherfucker.

Raw sodium. I come out, yeah! That was good, though. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, I send a servant. I tell them what it is. And then can we refill the pool after each use?

after each use. Is it magical enough to where you can refill a pool? Sure, there's a trickle. It's something real. Hey, it's my turn. All right. Do a little stretching. Do you have your gauntlets on or not?

So you are just like, you know. Naked with gotlets. You're not wearing anything? Nope. But you can't see your naughty bits because they glue with a heavenly light. You're the artist. The sound of 10,000 dead and painting paper.

This, this, this, this, this, this, This strong, stout, powerful gnomish female form steps out of the water with these large gauntlets with an ogre face across the back. Looms up, gets a good distance, turns around, focuses, doof, leaps, make an athletics check. Squash that. Oh shit.

23? As amazing as your Earth Elemental form was, it displaced about the size an Earth Elemental Wood. Pikes, much smaller form, managed to displace about as much as an Earth Elemental Wood. Water goes flying out, spraying you guys. Water itself takes a while to actually calm down for a bit. I actually slip and fall backwards like, oh,

oh, whoa. Whoa, that was a big one. It's pretty good. It was pretty good. What's up next? Percy. I'm not done. I'm still working on something. Oh wait, you should have gone before me.

I'm working on something. You go next. Okay, that's Vax is next. I've got a pot and some cloth and a whole thing. Oh, I'm the only one that's left except. No, I'm here too. Okay, but... Oh, S.

That's me. Oh, boy. Sorry, I jumped you, Percy. He's upstairs. Not done. He was gone, that's why. All right. I'm gonna take a flying leap and jump in all cannonballing.

All right, I thought it's Jack. Oh, splush. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, that's an 11. And when I hit the water, I set off a level two Thunderwain. Yeah. So, Scallin, Doesn't sprint, but gingerly jogs up to the side of the pool, leaps in the air. Vooosh!

It sends waves out from each side and drenches all of you waiting on the side again. As the water comes rushing back in, slapping into you, Scanlan after the fact, but nevertheless, a very impressive display. Thank you. Take a bow, take a bow. Good job, good job, good job, thank you. Thank you. Percy, are you back yet? I'm ready. All right.

I've got a kettle. And what is essentially a giant cheesecloth tea bag of raw sodium in an oil holding base? You're aware of what will happen when I hit the water. Yep. Okay, cool. I grab the kettle, put it in my chest. I take a run and I leap into it. Yes, this is a terrible idea. Do not do this. Do not do this,

you will die. When I take a run and jump into the, head into the, belly flogic. Big an affidavit. Not acrobatics. Oh no. 23. 23, okay.

So as you land and hit the water, there's a momentary pause, a little spush. A secondary explosion that sounds dulled and covered, but then as it hits the air into a loud caffeinist, boom! Water and smoke and pieces of metal go flying as the kettle is destroyed. You, Percy, take it.

Suffer. Should have mostly directed down, but I was aware that I'm gonna go to seek. 23 points of bludgeoning and piercing damage from shrapnel and pieces of metal that have just scattered across your chest, but nevertheless a very impressive display. Science!

Science! Friends. Total party killed cannonball. I'm looking at a small piece of the kettle like out of my pectoral. That was very impressive. All of you, I'm very impressed. It seems to... The twins.

The twins have been gone. Oh, oh. I'm so sorry. It's all right, Grog. No, no, get it. Go do it. All right. I take my broom.

Here comes the bell. I fly-flop. Right? I fly... Two twenty feet up? As high as the ceiling. How's high as the ceiling? Not bad, high.

Okay, it's about 15, 20 feet up from the water surface. Okay, it's about 15, 20 feet up from the water surface. All right. Stand up on the broom. The ceiling's like right above you, you're having to hunch forward a little bit. And right as I cannonball off of the broom, I release trinket out of the necklace Tuesday. Oh! As you leap off, making athletic shirt,

Check? Okay. Oh. Um, 13. Make a little check for Trinket. Oh, yeah. Oh, dang. Oh, man, I thought it was gonna be good.

Me and Trinit kind of suck. What is that? Strength? Strength, yes. 16. 16. As you hit the water, there's a boosh as a bear is suddenly placed magically

into the water beneath you at the same velocity, causing the water itself to splash outward in a large column, a spray that gently comes down around the sides of the initial splash. Impressive, a very impressive. Impressive, and she didn't really use magic. So that's good. Bonus points there. Trink it eventually comes out of the water. Shakes off.

The lips come... Like artistic interpretation, like ice skating. It's up to grog. Well done all around, really. I'm really quite impressed. However, there was only one. He still has to go. No, he's not in the room.

He's not in the room. Yeah. Wait, is Vax gonna do it? Is he coming down? Is he like stelfing right now and he's actually in the room? I don't think so. Mm-mm. No, there was only one that managed to draw blood

with their display. Therefore, Percy is the winner. Well met, well met. Fair, fair, fair, fair. Five pounds of gems? Yeah. He needs it. He takes it and smiles.

He takes it and smiles as the blood slowly runs from one nostril. Oh, man. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to sleep off this spa. Those gems are gonna turn in the lead, huh? Got plans for one of them. He takes the gems in one hand, takes the towel, wraps it around as he steps out of the water with the other and makes his way outside of this spot. Leaving a little trail of blood.

Oh. Good game, good game. Good game. Good game. Good game. All righty. All right, I'm going to bed. Yeah, all right, all right.

You guys go find your way to your respective rooms, rest for the remainder of the evening, wake up to the smell of wonderfully cooked chicken waving through the hallways of the mansion. The only person that has a unique evening sleeping would be Vex who slides into her comfortable silk sheet bed to a... Oh!

To find some sort of now chilled but loosely room temperature chicken paste. That is just disgusting. Don't you mean that's foul? I don't even... Oh. Oh, fowl. I don't even care.

Trinket loves it. And Trinket is all over that. Trinquet is now just lapping it up from the inside of the bed. I just go to sleep and I'll take shower in the morning. Okay. All right, you all wake up breakfast. Is that your disposal? You begin to eat comfortably.

You wash up, vex. A lot. Is there anything else you wish to achieve here, or shall we continue with the rest of your journey? Well, we just have a few things to divvy up. I've learned about the book that we found from the dragon. Oh, yes. It is filled with knowledge that can increase someone's abilities.

What abilities? The abilities that I happen to be very good at would be even better. I don't want any part of that. It's not my second. It's not my second. Oh, oh. Well, actually, technically, yes, technically yes, my sex ability. What abilities?

Charismatic abilities. Oh, it just gives you, you have just all the charisma. Permanently better charisma. Well, Keelith. As you make that awkward space, maybe you should improve your charisma. You smell like chicken. Yeah, somebody put chicken paste in my bed. I don't know who it could be.

Weird. We got to get out of this mansion. Weird. Well, I also went to my room and I was like, man, well, I could really, and I was holding a jug at the time and I was like, I'm just gonna break it, nobody will know. Oh shit. It'd be great. And I was like, I could really go for some beer right now and all of a sudden the jug was full of shit loads of beer.

What? Yeah. Is it a never ending beer jug? No, it's not never ending. It stopped after a bit, but I got plenty fucking wasted. Is it just beer? Is it just beer or is it any spirit or what? No, I said mannays and it started to make mannays

and then it stopped, so I think there's a finite amount of stuff it can make in a day. Ooh. Oh. Do you have a jug of mayonnaise now? No, I ate that too. Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. We hours of the morning. There's chicken. chicken. That was one of the best exchanges of our entire room. Oh my god.

Wow. So. I can't stop laughing. Oh my goodness. So what else? Okay, now you're gonna get a bunch of mayonnaise shipped to our mobies. Yeah. No mayonnaise. No mayonnaise.

No mayonnaise. No mayonnaise. Beer, send beer is fine. Oh, that one brought to you. Please somebody draw him just sad at his room. He's right. He's going to be scooping mayonnaise out of the jar. The Grecian urn of mayonnaise.

My tears. It's the saddest we need the poo ever. I also found out that one of the vials is a potion vial. It can temperate. I'd temporarily give the drinker a spell of etherealness, which is like you temporarily turn into Casper the Friendly Ghost, you can pass through walls. Oh, cool.

Cool, cool. Anyone who drinks it. Vax? Oh, that would be good for you. Less drinking, more like applied. Oh, is it rubbing? Yeah, it's an oil. Oh, don't think.

I would not recommend it here. I can rub it on your back for you. You have to rub it on you. I'm all right with that. You need to use it. stepping stool to do it, but too could. The other one was a potion of climbing, which we've decided. Right.

Oh, you, oh you. I suck at it, but anybody else can have it. Did you have a broom? Huh? Did you have a broom? You ain't going to be climbing. That's true. I don't need it.

How do you take it? High ground is occasionally very useful for me. I've got a broom. I'm okay on strength. That flies. I'm not that strong. What was the name of that tome again, Scanlan? Tome of leadership and influence.

I'm torn, Keelith. You. have some charisma issues, shall we say? Uh-huh, no, keep telling me about myself, Scanlan today. Well, I'm just saying that I am quite self-confident, sure of myself. Some would say charming. Yeah, for good reason.

Some, not most. And this book would make me unstoppably so. Sure. Some people say Scanlan is high and chorus. So, I don't know, we can Rochambeau for it. What does the group think? I think Keyleth should read it. She's trying to lead her people. Yeah, Rochambo for it. I don't want, what?

I don't like wanting things. I don't, I don't care. You don't like wanting things? Who has... This is... Who has charisma-based spells? Me? You. That's a big fat pause is what that is.

Yeah. Why don't we think on it? All right, we'll think on it. You think it deliberate. To be fair, it takes days. It takes six days of reading to take effect. So if you read for two days and then pass it up to someone else, does it just restart? No.

It's once a century it works. Oh, shit. I have a similar book that I used. What did you use it on? You live for many centuries, Keyleth. You can have it nexties. That's actually a very fair point. That's kind of perfect.

I was about to say, would you like a manual of quickness? Here, for you. Oh, hey. Oh, the next century? 99 years from now. Sure. We're all gone to it for that long. We're all quick.

I was holding on the hopes of finding somebody long-lived to seven to. You're going to have a ball. Oh, right. Red-Bin-Loons. But speaking of old, are some of the long-lived? Are some of us older than we used to be? Are we still? No, no.

No, that was gone. I would say for the purposes of the travel, because you guys had a few days travel from the actual Sphinx's layer towards Westerm and you were traveling back, if you had the opportunity to use greater restoration to get rid of it. Between Pike and I. We don't want to be any younger. Then you could have said no and kept that as you go.

If you wanted to take in your nice salt and pepper. How old do you now, then, if you keep it? I don't know. That's salt and pepper hair? A girl never tells her. Would you want to maintain your little creeping Reed Richards going on on the sides there? No, I'll get young again.

Slightly. You said begrudgingly. I know. I think that, well, set that dial back to 39. Please sit up. All right then. All right. Anything else?

I was thinking perhaps you're not necessarily the person to magically augment your path. It's kind of my hesitance about it, I guess. I had meditated upon the idea of it for a minute. I'm honestly kind of afraid of what kind of leadership things and influence it could possibly tell me. I don't know. I don't know. I do. You can read it, Scanlon.

There you go. At the very least, it'll keep him busy for four or five days. That's true. That's true. That's true. true. Because it's, you have to read for 48 hours. What if he gets even more charismatic and then he proposes again? And he charms you. What if he's so charming? I just wouldn't be able to help it. Yeah, it's possible. I know, that's my, actually my only other regret is do we want to turn Scanlan into like a charm nuclear weapon? Because that's what we'd be doing. Kind of already is. I kind of do. I kind of do you want to do that. I kind of want to see.

He's super good at talking to people. He is. And I think there's enough of us that we could all keep each other in check from... Between Grog and Scanlan, we can solve any problem, I think. So beef him up, so to speak. Tell me what kind of leadership things, whoever, who wrote that, Scanlan? Lao Tzu. Tell me what kind of leadership skills, Lao Tzu wants to bestow upon you.

If there's any good ones, pass them along. All right, I'll give you some tips. All right, you guys finish your breakfast, make your way out of you outside of the mansion, back into the Dragon's Den. Is there anything else you wish to do before you leave? As you can only take the amount of gold that you retrieved, and the items you can farm the rest will have to be left behind. Hopefully, to be retrieved some point at the line by either

the remnants of Western or yourselves. I'll just say that I've attuned to all my old ship, Wildroom was swimming. Okay. Cool. Shake the flower off the boots. Yeah. I carved a pretty little heart on the side of one of the boots just to make it extra.

Extra girly. Okay, make a perception check. I would just think that meant you love me. Maybe I do. That is a 39. 17 plus perception is, do I get it wrong? Am I too tired? I've had a long day, people.

It's 29? Let's say 29. 17. Would you take perception as one of your... Yeah. Oh, then yeah, okay. You take the bus and you put them on immediately. It's a heart there.

And you're like, oh, that'll probably mean she loves it. I'd probably mean she loves me. You like, it's fine. At first you're like, sh- No, no, it's good. All right. You guys, back in the Dragon's Layers, is there anything else you wish to do?

We're going to make sure that we walk around the trap that is still active in the front. Make a way back through the tunnel that you guys have carved before. And I would... And I would like to... I'd like to carve... Thankfully, through magic healing and other means, there were no scarring.

The tattoos and the beard that were partially destroyed or restored. I was going to be... The beard's a little bit reduced from just the sheer volume of acid was thrown into your face, since healing magic was applied shortly thereafter, the little bit of the beer began to singe, it stopped the process. So you still have some facial hair, just may have to grow back. Let's full adjust.

I need a haircut and a day or two. Ooh. Whoa. Can you stone shape something for me? I can help you a lot. Absolutely. Oh. I would like to stone shape a,

I would like to have Keel a stone shape and use one dragon scale, if you would be so kind. Or actually one tooth, if that would be all right. Sure, tooth me. I would like to leave the VM seal on the side of the cavern. And just written in, what would a dragon understand? Drakonic. Drakonic.

We have somebody who can do that. One down and let's embed the tooth into the rock. Oh, shit. Yes, I like it. We might as well. I like it. I like it. I like it a lot.

Fuck them. So I do the Vox Machina crest. Okay. And then. Who's here? Speak to Giaconic? All right. So you get with her, you scribble under the ground what that phrase would look like. You go ahead and copy that, and you imprimmently and immediately into the side of the stone.

It's it. All righty. You guys make your way down Gat Chatterow through the Ramblewood Forest to Western itself. Western itself. As you hit the base of the mountain, start getting towards the edge of the forest, you see a pillar of smoke rising up from that direction. From Western? A relatively thick pillar of smoke for you, actually. Wait.

Wait. They've already attacked. We go fast. Oh, no. We go. We go. All right, you guys rush through the remnants or the remainder of the Bramblewood, come out into the field and are met by what looks like a series of fires that are out in the open field north of Western, not from the actual city.

They're burning the dead, probably. You see these are pires. The dead of the Umbrasil battle are been set aflame, being given off the proper hero sending. It is a standard as an after battle remembrance of those who fell for the herd. You see standing amongst them the 12 surviving members of the battle, many of them pretty badly scarred from the encounter, but alive. nonetheless, bandaged and kind of taking a moment of silence. You do see of that group as well, Zanroor, Mora, are there. They haven't noticed you yet. And standing behind them all,

one large, aimless stone golem with a big chain kind of out of its chest just standing there. Fastbender! Who controls him? No one at the moment. Yep. Oh, you took it off? I took it off. But you have the circlet. I also have the sofa, yeah, but.

I'll take it as no one else down. Can I find my way to Zen rule? Do you want it, Percy? Is it attunable? His wife? His woman. His woman. Yeah, they're both next to each other.

And as you get close to you notice, most of them have gathered their belongings. They have travel packs. They have taken sacks and whatever they could to bring whatever belonged to them. And it looks like they're getting ready up and move. You see Shale a bit behind them as well. a little bit behind them as well, who is also taking some small supplies with her one good arm and putting it over her shoulder and tying it to her armor before she grabs her staff again. So you walk up to Zanroa and Wara. Zanroa looks over to you as you approach, so arm's still around Wara's shoulder. It's good to see that you survive, Grog.

Yeah, did more than that, actually. Found their way up to the cave where Umbresil was left him in pieces. As Shale told us. The bearded king, she said. Ha! A word of advice. If, as you're finding your way out of town, you were to stop by a certain cave, there might be some things for you to pick up.

I take my sister up my hand over her mouth and I drag it back about 30 feet. Give you look. Looks to war, looks to her belly. That's for the people of Westland. Appreciate that. We'll take what we can. You little one. You take care of him, her, it.

Or will. Do you want to come with us? We know we cast you out once, but we're not like that anymore. The herd's dead. We go to find prosperity with the River Mar. The people we wronged. And I'm probably going to spend some time making it up to them

for my father's infractors and fractals. You may be one of us now. We'd be honored to have you. I'm honored. Truly I am. But I lost a family all those years ago. And while I will always think fondly of you, I have a new family now, and I must stay and guard them with my life.

I understand. Not very good at these potting pism trees. Put his arm out. Stereo, yeah. Come on, it blew your hair back. Yeah, a little bit. Magna boxing. You'd be safe.

You find a way out north of the silver cut. You're always welcome in our tents. I'll keep that in mind. Travel safely. He goes in takes up his bags. Shale takes up her staff, comes up to you, and... We'll see each other again, Grog. This I'm sure.

Yeah. Totally sure. You look out for that other hour now. Don't lose the other, because then you'll just be like, in the dark. As you're doing that, she smacks you in the nose with the staff. I'll be fine. And she walks away with a smile on her, weathered, crooked face. Zanwar yells out, come. We move west. Everyone kind of turns their heads and gather their things, and they walk by. As all the soldiers walk by, those wounded not to eat. each of you, they bow their head and respect.

You swear you hear a couple murmured, as they all solemnly make their way out west, away from Western. Is it just the remainder of the herd? Herd leader. We trust you will leave something in that cave for the people of this town. Something to help them recover.

Zaynor returns to you and says, there's very little in our lifestyle that has use of this coin, just enough to make it from place to place me be. Besides, occasionally we need supplies. Something to trade with. Not like my father. This I've learned in recent months. Prosperity on your family. Looks to Grog, your family as well. Turns around and continues the walk. You're lucky he's nice Grog. What? What? Offering all the gold to the herd instead of the people of Western...

I didn't offer all of it. I said there was something to pick up. He might have grabbed a bunch of muck. what you should say about. He meant well. Yeah. As you guys make your way, where are you heading? Oh, into Western? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Is the gold pile trap still there?

It is, yes. It's sprung, we have to pick. Is our gold still there? Yeah. Your gold is not there. Oh. It's a good thing I only bought a little bit in. I'm gonna go take like five minutes.

I'm gonna kneel down and sort of meditate in front of one of the pies. But you do notice, ironically, while the gold is still there, it's scattered about, because there has been an explosion where the gold was left behind. Oh, shit. Oops. What? Nearby. My bad. Hereby. I made a bomb.

There is a, there is, there is, there is a groove in the dirt that is dragged on. for about four or five hundred feet before there appears to be a body at the edge. Dead wharf? He killed someone? Is it a dwarf? No, no, it's not. It's a gentleman that's appeared as you let him out of prison. Oh!

He deserves it! That guy? That's a fucking asshole that pieced out. Blackfoot. What was this there? No. Blackfoot. I knew he was going to go for the gold medal.

Orn or whatever. Or in Blackfoot? As soon as he waited, as soon as you guys left, He seized the opportunity. Oh, bitch. A motherfucker. Good kill. Good kill.

Play of the game. All right, all right, all right. I'm taking a moment to pay my respects to the dead. Okay. All right. Yeah, I do the same. I'm a tuning, fast bander. I'm working on getting the chain removed from him.

Okay. I kind of, Keyleth takes a minute to druid crapped like some wildflowers around the pyre. Okay. As you guys are taking this break, Vex, you notice a small group of individuals walking from the town in your direction. Make reception check. I bent my paper.

I bent my wookie. 17. Okay. You glance over and what best you can make out, some appear to be armored. Some appear to be just carrying sacks and goods. There's a cart being dragged behind with two. beasts of burden affixed to the front. Looks to be a set of horses.

And at the front of them, you see a, appears to be human, male, wearing chain mail with a heavy shield to one side, just walking up and approaching. You see in these mid to late 40s, big black and gray-streaked beard, pulled into two points. Kind of wild, crazy-looking dark hair, also gray-streaked. Sundafled knows and he just walks up with his hand in the air.

Oh, friend. We want to go ahead and have our guest enter. Ooh! Yay! Yay! Yeah! For the wait. Yeah.

A hot spring episode. Cannonball. A competition. We had to get to that. Sorry that I was laughing loud enough for the mics to pick it up. Some people on Twitter were saying that they heard me laugh. That's fine. That's fine. Patrick Rothfuss, joining us today.

Yay! Yes, writer. So, as you're walking up to... So as you're walking up from the city of Western, carrying behind you the group of eager to leave refugees that have kind of gathered around you, you notice the burning spires, and as you step out, you see... The war is over, and both see...

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, 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. Oh please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter, some lighter music here? Are you a fan of true crime TV shows? And what about Unsolved Mysteries? The show that jumped started all of our love of True Crime.

I'm Ellen Marsh. And I'm Joey Taranto. And we host, I Think Not, a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries. Baby, you will laugh, you will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way,

and you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics? New episodes of I Think Not are released every Wednesday with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday you can listen to our True Crime Rundown, where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week. So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcast. The remnants of the horde leaving westward behind the group of heroes that you all had feared

had gone to the top of the mountain to meet their doom. They stand before you live and resting. And as you approach to hail them, one of them, the half-alf female hails you. Sir, how fast, how are you doing? Charisma. Give me the book, give me the book, I hear the book.

Amazing. Couldn't have done it any better. What's happening in the town? You leaving? Nope. No. Like, how many people are left in town, and how many have come with him?

In town, there's probably a couple hundred that are scattered throughout. Most of them have left, the party has sent them out, but many individuals that they didn't get to have still been a hold up in their homes. You have with you right now 20 people, and these are the folks that have congregated around you to figure out a plan of what to do.

Okay. What's with all the questions, Nark? I will admit I did not expect to see you folk again. They were here. What? What's happened? Oh, you know, that dragon? I noticed the dragon.

Gone. Killed. Dostroth. Borgna. Give me the book. Nope. I don't know what to say. I was expecting to have to bury some more bodies.

Well, thankfully that is not the case. And you are smart with leaving town. Well, we, the town itself hasn't decided exactly what to do, how much to rebuild or whether or not it's even worth it. But now at least we can make some plans. Definitely. Boy, what's your name? Oh, my name is Care.

Care. Yes. Like, is that like C or a K? With a K. Oh, K. Care. Care. I like it.

And tell us about yourself if you don't mind. I have been here in this town for a while. I settled down after, I had a bit of an adventurous youth. Oh, I like. Yeah, me too. Like, how old do these guys look, you know? They look younger than you.

They look like a bunch of young upstarts, for the most part. Puppies, right? They're puppies, but looking close up, you can see the weathered experiences in their eyes. You can see. They came back from the dragon, right? But still, these are like kids, right? From your perspective, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

I'm an adult man. Who's a size of a little way. Just roughly past your knee. I welcome you back to what is left of the town. And I offer my thanks and thanks on behalf of those of us that are left. Are you responsible for these pious? The town has been pulling together, and we have been doing what we can with what we can. have. And what's your position been in Western? Oh, I'm I don't have a position in the city. I'm

just the Smith. Oh. Oh, blacksmith. The Smith. Really? You make weapons? Yes. Armour. I make, well, I make things. They're not. Maybe you guys can get no room together. Just talk. Smithing and gadgetry, while I can see how to the laymen they look very similar are in fact quite different. I actually might have a project for you. I'm offended. If I'm We have a moment. Okay, before we start hitting him up for work. Was this everybody you could round up to get out of the city?

Well, this is everyone who is interested in coming out on this particular expedition. Oh yeah, what is your expedition? Mostly exploratory. Like I said, we just didn't have any information at all. I didn't know if we were going to be bearing more bodies or dealing with an increasingly angry dragon. Well, the dragon in the mountain is dead,

but there are increasingly angered dragons in other cities that will probably be coming here to retaliate. That will be coming here. Possibly. More than likely. Probably. Maybe. We don't know.

No, no Cheds. Actually, this raises an important question. What do the people of Western do at this point? Do they rebuild? Do they go underground? Do they leave and abandon the city? It's a huge question, yes. Yes. What do you think personally?

What is this small group that you're leading? What's your plan? I've offered to come along with them in case they needed a strong arm. I don't speak for the town. I just know most of the people involved, and I wanted to make sure that they stayed safe. But the truth is there's a lot of people

who have nothing to rebuild and nothing to rebuild it with. And if there might be dragons coming back, I don't know. Well, Kerr, Pike and I are both from Western. Yeah. Huh? Yeah. I've seen you before.

Do you know Wilhand, my great-great-grandfather? He just... Great-great, great, yeah? Two greats, not just one. Tiny kind of... ...hunched over, gnomish gentleman, a little absent-minded but friendly enough. but friendly enough.

Likes to drink. Ah. Yes. You probably have had some drinks with him before. A little bit. And I haven't met you, but I've heard of you. Oh yeah? Yeah.

What have you heard? I heard that you were a good member of the community. Yep, that's me. You are incorrect. He was. It is, but we're just never home. Grog is my name. Your name.

Chair, do you have a sense of how many people are left in the city, roughly? Uh, maybe as many as a couple hundred. Oh, that's it. A lot of people have been leaving, but some people can't. Well, look, I would just like to put this forward, right? Western's their home. It's Pike's home, it's my home. And if you start running, you never really stop.

Where are they going to stay? I've been down to the sewers, and there's crazy giant creatures down there. You could treat it like a weather shelter. Like if the dragons come, we set up an early warning system. They go underground. But this is their home. Here's an interesting thing to contemplate about this whole problem, is that we have three dragons still at large.

Three dragons who have probably found cities of their own. So the chances that they're going to come back and take time away from their own city to go look at one that's in theory already taking over is very thin. And if they are traveling, then they're going to travel to cities that haven't been plundered yet. That's true, this one has been plundered. This is no lesser, there's a risk either way.

It's just the risk of running or the risk of staying. Also, the dragons know that the last dragon who came here died. Died. That's why I think the dragon's motives have probably shifted by now and where the dragons might not be interested in plunder anymore, instead might be interested in any city that we are in. Which I imagine we're leaving soon anyway. They might not believe we'd be here, but they also might try to...

Is there... Are you an honest man? If they were going to introduce a lesson. I've been called an honest man. Inside check him. Oh yeah. You may both make inside check. Wow.

90. Oh. If you went for the Gwag, it's going to make me really happy. Yes. He just said, you fart. Mightily. Okay. Oh.

Excuse me for just a minute. Mm-hmm. That's me smelling gross. What was this about Lutecrate? $3 off if you use. Loodcrate. . But that's no secret.

Damn, extreme. Wow. Wow. Take an inside check. Not too. I trust him with my life. I pledge my allegiance to you, son. You just dapped to him?

Scanlan literally hasn't said that to me in the entire three years I've known him, so. What was your name again? Scanlan just found out that Care has a daughter, is what he found out. Wow, you've pledged a life to him? Gee. Kerr, you said you were an adventurer several years ago.

Many years ago. Many years ago. I've lived here I've lived here a lifetime at this point. Did you have a party that she traveled with as well? I did. Would we happen to know any of them, Allora, assume? No, no, that was a long time ago. And I'd be very surprised if you'd heard any of the stories from back then.

I will say though from what I know about Dragon, that perhaps vengeance might not be outside a reasonable expectation. There might not be anything here for them to plunder, but. But no one likes having their ass handed to them. Well, and these creatures are old and intelligent and powerful, and they stay that way

by striking fear into people. And as much as I hate to leave my own home, I don't know who will be able to help my people if any other things like this happen. We can't be everywhere at once. What about the sewers? Well, you were down there and there was horrible, creepy things. You could help with that.

It could clear out the sewers. But that's not indefinite. No, it's no. They'll be back. I mean, the only other option is... There's the traveling band by the river. Split the... split the city up. Everybody leave.

There's White Stone. Take some of it. There's Waxelheim. There's rapidly becoming a very large target. Very quickly becoming noticeable, I think. Have it been to Vasselheim? Refugees are often very unwelcome too. And most of the people here did not have much left to live.

lose before they lost it. Well, we have claimed to the gold that was stolen. It's up in the mountain, it's just hard to get down. Someone honest is going to have to come and help divvy it up amongst the survivors? We could look for an honest person. What if all of the survivors are excavating the city? We could probably, I know enough people to put together

a group of like carters to go up there and start fetching stuff down. Yeah. And the people that have gathered around here are people that have been around you most of the time you've been in the city, or at least have known you long enough to the point where they themselves are also like-minded. So you can trust most of the folks that have walked with you out towards the pyres. And I'll say, excuse me for just a minute. And I'll walk off and I'll kind of chat with them a little bit. and you see I'm pointing up and I'll do a little talk off with them, so you can talk about me without me. Oh, he stopped himself. I like this guy, huh?

You do. What did you, why do you pledge himself? I just feel like he's an honest man. He's a good guy. He's got a nice twinkle in his eye, and I recognize that as a sign of honesty, because I have a similar feature. You do.

You do? I've never noticed a twinkle. I've used it. No, I think it's a minute. The light has to hit it just. No, it's a crusty from the morning. You might just like, say. How do you get glitter in there?

That's really, it seems like such a shame. I mean, shouldn't we ask the people of Western if they want to stay or go? Well, there's only 200. We could have a huge meeting and kind of put it to a vote. The town hall thing. Why not? But he said some people were incapable of leaving.

There might be elderly and sick here that can't travel. Is there a way to hide the city with magic? We've seen that done before. Can we make it look like it's already been burned down? It has already been burned down. That won't be hard at all. Can we hide? Can't they have sentries and the shelter and the sewers?

They could clear out part of it and have sentries every night and any time a dragon comes. They just go underground and wait, wait it out. I don't think this is a terrible. I think this is a pretty reasonable idea. What do you think, Rock? Pike? That's what I said. I feel like that's a good idea. Yeah, I don't... I don't think if...

Hold of phone. We could spend a few days here and get them started before we're going on to find shelter and protection. That's not a city that's, yeah, where you're unwelcome in the first place. Well, there's, this is an unwelcome world at the moment. We could leave Fastbender here to help protect everyone. Oh, well, yes, I guess if we gave him away, but we need him. Do we believe him? Do we? He's going to slow us down. How are we going to get Fastbender anywhere with us? Tell him to walk.

Are we returning the band? Yeah, Quall did want the circlets at some point. It's not necessarily ours to give away. Well, is he? Is he? We could just say we just left it in West Run. We are under contract, technically. That's true. What were you to say it? We could just leave it with Wilhand.

We didn't leave it with Wilhand, actually. And then we could tell. Oh, call, we didn't know where you were. We couldn't find you. We left her with Wilhand. Is that your lying voice? Is that you're saying? Oh, sorry, buddy.

What is the general? general atmosphere in town? Are people just done? Um, yeah, right. I'm fucking over this shit. Best that you can ascertain, a lot of people are scared because they were separated from their families. A large bulk of people left south to Kaimel, right, which is the nearest township to Western that feasibly could take in

refugees. They left directly after the dragon attack even before the herd was there. And when the herd came in, the maybe 10% 15% of people that stayed behind were then captured. Some of them were killed as they fought back. Many were enslaved and brutalized. And a number of them did escape thanks to this group's efforts. So I'd say those that are left behind, they're eager to see their families.

They're probably eager to leave for the time being. Some of them do want to stage because they're stubborn, but the majority seems interested in not being in a place that could be a target for more dragon attacks. As rumors have come back that there is more than just the black dragon many of them recall the red, the green, and the white that came with the initial onslaught that tore through the city. Right. Or would have been the green, white, yeah. Okay, so I'll wander back and I say, my friends here are willing to go on a retrieval mission.

I'm assuming you folks could use some rest and the hospitality of the town isn't what it used to be, but I'm sure a lot of people would be very glad to see you. Have you set up protections? Did you hide the treasure? Could you draw? We did. It's hidden in a cubby with a little mark on it. So there's a little. We'll give you instructions.

We'll sketch out. Yeah, a little walk around and cool. Oh yeah, the walk around's important. But they're all stuff out there in the woods. There are things. Yeah. He's a strong man. Well, and I've got these are the more capable,

like these folks can go out on their own. A number of them can, yeah. Some of them more there for just general visual support, caring things for them, stewards that are kind of taken up arms just because they have to. But there are, you're essentially the strongest of a group of relatively capable individuals. I'd hate to send you into anything that all of a sudden got like a bit too nasty. I see you wear and chain wear. If I may, what is your weapon of choice? I'm partial, I was partial to the Warhammer. And I'll reach out to shake his hat. That's your choice.

Kerr, do you know how to make armor be quiet? That's probably the first laugh you get, you know, where it's like, I've been there. I've been there. I lived there a long time. We could talk shop about that. I love talking shop. Yeah.

Let's do it. Okay. So I'll send out, you know, I'll kind of set up a little expedition. I'll send people out, knowing that a lot of these folks that are here are going to head out, they're going to need the resources. So, and based on what they've said, like, my team can go out and get some of this treasure.

Yeah, based on the description they said in the sheer volume that's there, they end up taking four carts that are capable of doing a somewhat treacherous mountain journey with the strong individuals you send up as well. I don't know if you wanted to go avoid them or stay behind. I think it sounds reasonably clear. We'll send up a good group with spare parts, and they're all craftsmen here. They're all farmers. They can fix a card if it breaks.

I still like an idea. Is there any way for them to contact you if shit goes down while they're up there? Like if we need to go in as the cavalry or the rescue. Are there any, like, can send one of the stones with them. Anybody with time trippy,

like message sending. Unfortunately, anybody with any modicum of arcane practitioner capability left when they beat the feet long ago, As soon as shit hit the fan, they were like, nope. At this point, it's people that are stubborn and with really low intelligence scores. They're the only folks that left so the Whites like right away.

Yeah. It's appropriate on occasion to just leave people to a modicum of risk. Life is risky. It's perfectly reasonable to send people on themselves. Can we steer them away from the area where we ran into those basilists? Yes, we will tell you about.

They're locals. They're locals. They should know. Well, the basilists were far south. the frost grass. As far as you know, nowhere near the rainbow wood, thankfully. It's a day walk. So what should we do here? Clear out the sewers? Is that what we're sure? No wait, there's three options for these people and they have to decide for us. They can stay

here and live in the sewers. They can go to, what's it called? Kaimel. Kaimel. Where they're still accepting refugees or they can just wander off into the desert. Well there's also, there's also that group of people wandering around. That's that group. That's what I'm saying. Hey guys, so remember the farmer outside and then he turned into a scarecrow? Yeah, yes, we remember.

Oh, found his daughter. Oh, where is she? Oh, do. No, no, I didn't know what to do. She looked like a deer in the headlights. Where did she go? Where did she send her back? No, no, she was in a prison with Dresbyn her,

and I got them all, Abderas, Jesus, Abduce, Nosea and Blackfoot, who's now dead. So, what's her name again? Amelia. Amelia. Good night. Really sweet. Did you send her towards refugees?

Was she around? I brought her out before we attacked, took the fight to the dragon, so I think she's still in the town, but I don't wanna tell her. We should tell her, Grok. Yeah, I know, and maybe give her a little coin, but like Pike, you think maybe you could.

Tell her? Yeah. Okay. Do I remember where he is? The original is? Yeah. Yeah. I head off that way.

Okay. It's directly west of the town, so it's pretty much south of where you guys are currently standing. So the drop point was northwest of the city. He is still affixed. I bring him back here. Yeah, make him sound real brave, you know. Paint a good picture when we talked to a... He was real brave. There's only about 200 people left. Do you know someone named Amelia?

And you know of Amelia, though you... No, you did see her last time. You haven't seen her in a while. She was one of the people that's still in the town. She was peripheral to the battle with the dragon, but fled as soon as she saw it. Unfortunately, dragons have that effect on people. She's a little ashamed by it, but you calmed her down. But you do know that she's safe and reachable. Yeah, she's around. Where is everyone staying within the town? Are they scattered about or are they staying in a central location?

We've kind of organized places for people to sleep. if they don't have places for themselves, where it's makeshift, but, because it's been a couple of days at this point. It's been almost two days since the initial encounter. Right, so we've got like triage camps set up. I will say some people are going to stay no matter what, and they have the right to stay and that's their choice.

I imagine some people will come back and rebuild here, but most people, they are ready to go. They miss their families. An entire city. We can build a dragon shelter, at the very least. That is something we can do. But these people are prisoners here. They feel like they're prisoners in their own home,

and that's not a home. We let them make their choice. They'll do what they're going to do, but we can give them an option if things get Harry. Let's make our way toward them then. Yeah. Okay. You guys make your way towards town. The largest concentration of survivors

that you've been keeping tabs on. actually aren't that far from Wilhands home, up in the area where most temples are constructed, which is generally considered one of the oldest and most protected areas of Western. There are two inns that are basically just now ramshackle homes for sleep. There's just bed spreads across the entire floor.

All the tables and chairs have been moved out, and it's now just a giant room where people who have had their homes destroyed come and sleep, not because it's comfortable, because there's comfort and safety in numbers. People have gathered what belongings they still had that are worth anything or they might need for a journey. Many of them are still gathering bits of dried food and fruit and whatever, preparing for whatever the next step of their travels may be.

But you probably have the bulk of the people in the town, other than a few older, very stubborn folks that are like, I'm going to stay in my home. The folks that stayed at Mount St. Helens. Yeah. And you're just like, come on, guys, seriously? There's always some. There's always some.

But yeah, so as you approach and the door swings open to the first tavern as you introduced them to a few of the folks kind of perk up a few children who couldn't sleep, kind of look over to the kids that recognize you're not up, Uncle Carrick! They run up and kind of, you know, grab the side of your legs. Your chain mail kind of clinks and you pick them up. I'll look around for Wilhand. Willhand is not amongst this group. Willhand probably stayed safe within his home, which kept him safe up to this point so far. Do we see Amelia? Looking about, yes, you do see Amelia.

She is asleep right now, though. She's the girl tell her dad's dead. Hey, it's really important to tell you right now. We see her? She's asleep right now. She's asleep right now. It's later in the day from the travel. You guys took down the mountain to even get here after you woke up in the morning.

It's been spent most of the day getting back to Westrand. So you're getting pretty close to sunset. The group has been set off for the evenings, travel towards the top of Gatt Shadow. towards the top of Gat Shadow, she appears to have fallen asleep early. I'll, like, kind of start a few things, you know, and I'll spread the word, and everybody could really use a bit of a party here.

And like, you know, we don't have many resources, but I'm betting there's enough liquor for everybody to get good and drunk tonight. Oh, yeah. And so, like, that's the resource that there's always an abundance of in this point. So we'll kind of put the word out. And honestly, I don't need to organize it.

I can just say, dragons dead, and they did it. We're gonna throw them a party tonight, and I'm just gonna let that happen. And with each chain of that word spreading, the energy immediately lifts up within the room and the building adjacent. And folks that were either resting or in a kind of a state of perpetual anxiousness

suddenly brighten up, even with the dirt smeared faces, you could see smiles poking out as people begin coming into the room to see those who slew the dragon that threatened them. People start coming up and shaking your hands. individuals who haven't seen you guys for years. People that just lived in the street and gave you a passing hello in the younger days of your youth are now coming up to you with a look of absolute appreciation and thanks. And just as that energy picks up the wine and the ale begins to go throughout the area as stores of them beneath the taverns that were not found by the herd, as there was only so many members of the herd and only in a larger number of actual inns and taverns throughout the town, people just start grabbing cups. Even some of the kids start coming up with cups, and the parents are like, a little.

Yeah. It's New Year's, you can have to say, you know. Dr. Some of the evening times, everybody drinks. So yeah, without much worry at that point, everyone's getting nice and liquored up and happiness has ensued. Some folks pull out some meager instruments. There aren't a lot of extremely practiced barred, so your ears a little just at the sound of imperfect music. But there is honesty and joy coming from it, so you choose not to lend any sort of constructive criticism to the performers.

You'll send the last decent parts out of town, well done you. Can I kind of hang out outside? I kind of want to keep my eye on the skies. Yeah, yeah, that'll worry. Go make perception check. Oh, geez. I was about to say I was going to join you. It's a little, I've had my fiddle party.

I'm sure you were. Wait, what is that? 32. That's okay. 32? Yeah. All righty. You look about the sky, it is clear. The dark clouds that had loomed towards the top of Gat Shadow have since blown away.

The starry night sky now spreads infinitely above you. And for the first time in a long time, knowing that the immediate danger is no longer chasing you, you take a minute to appreciate the sheer beauty. of the view that Western always had. And this brief moment to allow yourself to exhale helps remind you really what all this is worth and the importance of moments like this. You can hear the laughter behind you within the inn.

You can hear the music. You can hear the kids chuckling and telling jokes, people clinking glasses together. And in this tiny little microcosm of a moment here, you let yourself silently smile and really know what all of this is worth. I'm going to join. About that time I reach you and grab Percy's hand

before he leaves the door. Percy, Percy. Percy. What? This is giving me a lot of anxiety. There's a lot of people here. Is it about your feelings about Vax? Is that the whole problem right now?

No. I really don't. There's so many people calling us heroes. Yes. We're not heroes. We're pretty much are actually. I hate to tell you this. No, we're not.

We're terrible people. We're terrible people. We're terrible people. God, if I had to shake one more townsperson's hand oh god I feel like I was cursed I was cursed I don't want any of this you do as you guys are having this conversation care walks over with a rosy grin on his face is your first time it's like I'm I'm Keelan I'm Keelan I'm Keelan do I'm Keelan do you want to step out I come back inside.

Let's step outside. Okay. You guys pass Vex as she steps back into the tavern passing again. Tattered on the back. Drunk. Already? No. Not enough. Panic attack.

You don't even, it's... As you step outside with care, the cold night air kind of comforting to you, hitting your face, hitting your lungs, it helps the breathing slow and you have a moment of control over your emotions. Oh, well, is the nausea, like always happen? Is that always the thing? Uh, is it the people? Or is it the fact that you have finally realized how pointless it all is? Maybe it's the fact that I feel like I've been lied to

my entire goddamn life and it's all crashing down upon me, down upon me right now. She's drew. So, Drewish. So yeah, you could say, how about a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. How did you deal with it? I found other places where I could do good things. Really? Yeah. Like what? Like I make wagon couples.

Oh. The thing that- I don't know exactly what you said. You have a wagon. Sure. And then you have a horse. Right, yeah. And then something needs to hook the horse to the wagon. Gotcha.

And if you have a bad one of those, it breaks. Mm-hmm. And so people need good ones of those. I don't know at all. know at all what you just told me. I'm not gonna lie. But I think I get the message. Well, I'm guessing that you are bothered by

the fact that no matter what you do, you seem to end up destroying more things than you fix. Yes! Jeez, you're like the first, no one else gets it. No, they don't. Is that it? That's it. We just, we will destroy everything we touch. We will cause more harm than good.

We will carve a path. of destruction and make it seem like we're doing good and then people will worship us because they think we're heroes when in the back of my head I'm thinking about all the death that has come by our hands? That can be a lot of it. I'm not going to lie to you about that. Yeah, you know, Kare, you're not really like helping making me feel better about this. I'm not going to lie. Well, I imagine that your friends will tell you a lot of things that would make you feel real good. But I'm not one for short-term solutions. I think that you're right, and I think that you've obviously put a lot of thought into this.

And... I swear, got a nosebleed. Keep going, that's beside the point. And I've known people like you before, people who are very sensitive to this sort of thing. And I have been the sort of person you are. And it's not simple. Your friend, you know, who lived here for a while.

the big one, what's his name? Oh, Grog. Yeah, yeah. Right, he doesn't have this. He has the opposite of this. It's all good for him, right? And you're kind of jealous, aren't you? I so badly wish I could have what he has.

Yeah. But somebody has to look at the big picture. And sometimes that's us, and usually it's unpleasant. But somebody needs to do it. So you're saying this is my curse. this is my duty? I'm saying that if you aren't careful, it will rip you apart from the inside.

But that's not a long-term solution. That's just another piece of destruction. You need to find a way to live with the fact that you do what you can, because that's what you can control. and sometimes bad things happen anyway. And so you just have to decide where you're going to pick your hill.

You find your hill. Everybody gets one hill, and then you plant your flag, and you can die on that one, but you have to be careful, because you only get one. If you're really unlucky, you get more than one. And what if the ultimate problem

is that I feel like I have, I've had zero control from the start since birth. Hmm. Uh. I didn't want any of this. I didn't want my abilities. I didn't know I was special. Oh.

Until now. And I so desperately just want to be normal. I want to go back to being ignorant and bliss and... Then I do have a momentary, a momentary, like, short-term solution for you. Shoot. It's actually there, and I will get you another one.

Yep. And it will help a little bit for now. It'll smooth out some of the rough edges. It's long enough for us to talk for a while because I've been down this road. Okay? The thing is you're not wrong and you're not crazy, but it's not hopeless either.

Okay. I'll do maybe one of these. It feels like she wants one of these. Yes. I can read that. I give in, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. You know, care?

Yes. You've been surrounded. Awful, no. He started you in the back. I was actually just thinking, you should roll one to your head. Oh my God. He cut out your kidney.

You're dead. So anyway, as the chroma conclave sends its record. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh my God. Oh, my God.

He brings you into a warm hug. And at first, there's the resistance because this is a person you don't know. Yeah, and my head rustle is a little wonky. A little wonky, due to the drink, due to not concentrating. However, as much as you travel with your friends, this stranger has seemingly come to you with more wisdom and understanding of your continuous predicaments than anybody has in a long time, if all. And you just kind of give in to the hug and realize just how nice it is to have somebody understand it. I was pretty much going to say that in character, but yeah, that's pretty much what I feel. Sorry.

No, no, that's, I wasn't, like, yeah, yeah. I just kind of tell Kerr and... Kerr, car, car, care. Somewhere that you wrote. Care. Care. Care. I tell care.

Even surrounded by friends, I often feel so alone. Thank you for being a friend, even though we just met. I get that. Yeah. He brings you in, get you another drink. Actually, I'll bring another drink out to her. Oh, perfect. All right, so. It's crowded in the south.

We'll stumble outside for a bit as well at this point. Okay. Meanwhile, I'm telling my table a story about how I won a cannonball contest last night. They are in rapture. It was in a dragon's lair. I was amazing. Is Amelia awake at this point? Amelia has woken up due to the sound and noise

and she's wondering about with a drink in her hand now. All right, we'll walk over to her. I'll stay with you, but just behind you. Okay. Amelia? Yeah. Hi, yes. Oh, yeah, thank you again.

for releasing me from terrible stocks. I really appreciate that. Thank you for everything you've done for Western. Well, thank you for everything you've done. I've heard amazing things about you and your family. Oh, we're meager folk. We come from very simple roots. I, she takes a big, long,

her flag and sets it down on the table and kind of wipes her mouth. I mean, truth be told, I As soon as I saw had Dragon, I ran straight away. I didn't... You guys are the heroes. I didn't do anything. I sit down next to her.

I sit down next to her too. So, we knew your father is Reginald. Yes. Have you seen him? Yes. I take her hands. The bravest men I've ever had the honor of meeting. There's recognition in her eyes.

Her head kind of pulls back. back a bit. Her expression goes stoic, that she kind of sinks in the wordless reality that you've just bestowed upon her. This can be, I know how hard this is to hear, but none of this would have happened. None of this celebration would be possible without him. He sacrificed himself so that all of us could live, and he spoke your name in the end. He wanted nothing more. than for you to be taken care of. That sounds like Dad.

It just kind of wipes her eyes. Would you like to pray, Pike? I don't know if you're a woman of faith, but... What faith do you belong to? I follow Sarenrae. And for the night, as do I. She reaches over and takes her flag and the tears are just streaming down her face in spite of her smile,

and she kind of looks to you both and looks to you. To Reginald to Dad. To Reggie. To Reggie. To Reggie. And she just starts weeping into her hands. Amelia, you should also know your father was a man of a few tricks. He told us that he had been saving this up whenever you were old enough, but I think you should have it now.

I hand her 400 gold pieces. She kind of looks up for my... How? How did... They took everything. He hid it. Hit it. Um, this, this can help a lot of us.

Okay. I think he knew you would do well with it. Dear, there's more coming to the town. You take care of yourself. We'll take care of each other. I think that's what he'd want. She grabs your flagging again and takes a big old sip, sets it down. Her eyes are dried a little bit and she kind of wipes the ass away.

I pour my flagging into hers. She laughs and drinks of it again. Again, definitely embrace the idea that she's going to get really drunk tonight. Yeah. And she begins joining in singing in the music and the rest of the party picks up as the celebration once again fills the air. The rest of the folks gathering around. I don't know why there were birds in that track.

Is it morning? There will be a lot of partying through the night. So probably that's an eventuality. However, we will take this moment to take a quick break. break. Welcome back. So, as you return here, Billy's Fool,

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Hit play, subscribe, and join the millions who've made. Mick Unplug their go-to source for growth and greatness because your next breakthrough is just one episode away. This is Mick Unplug the voice and face of modern leadership entrepreneur and self-improvement. Let's get started. Rabble Rousing and stress release through conversation and laughter carries through until the morning light comes everyone wakes up extremely hungover but in a way that is well-earned and still worthy of the evening that transpired before it. You all come to consciousness, about midday at this time now. Whoa. You all slept in after

I had a drink. I actually spent the night in a field with Reginald. Ew. You did. That's your brain, man. I sat next to his body, waiting for people to come back. They never did. I piled some Achilet's flowers on his chest, and then I fell asleep in the field six feet away from him. Party. Did she think we were gonna? Yeah, I don't know. Oh shit.

I don't know what I thought, but that's what I did. Why should check up on the earring, dude? I wanted some space. So as you all come around to the breakfast morning, food is being cooked up within the kitchen by some of the various villagers that have taken up to help out with what they can in the area. You start realizing that Vax is nowhere to be found, and as this conversation begins to

to progress, he eventually finds you guys and waltzes into the groaning room of semi-conscious Western denizens. Where were you? Getting a good night's sleep and a field of grass. How you doing? We had a bender. You need some water?

Yeah. And that endless jug? Yeah, beer and mayonnaise. Just say water to the endless jug. Yeah, it makes water. It seems like a weight. Give me water like the ocean. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

The jug is now filled with water to the top. Yeah, look, water. Is it salt water? I dip my finger in and take a taste. It is salt water. Oh, damn it, wrong. Did I do it wrong? Oh, you did it wrong.

You should try that, though. See if you like it. Is there anybody else sleeping in the room? I mean, there are a few folks that are probably still sleeping off the drinking, but I'd say the majority of folks have woken up in various states of groginess. Hey, should we wake up the rest of the people with, you know?

The people who've lost their city? You're gonna prank them? I'd fit in a bit salty this morning. All right, sure. So, I'd go outside, I'd dump it in there. So we should- I cast a create water spell so that we can all have some water. We should probably call everyone in the town

to talk. Yeah, we should probably have a big meeting. Let them decide what they want to do with the rest of their fucking lives. What did you have to drink last night? Is there a bartender or somebody that's running the inn that everyone's staying at or is it just kind of makeshift?

It's just kind of makeshift. Whoever once ran this place is no longer here, probably left with the first or second wave of evacuees. Everyone here is just kind of doing their part to keep it going. Can I grab someone nearby that looks like they're up and about and actually accomplishing things. Yeah, there's an older woman who did not drink,

but just was around this evening, who's done most of the cleaning. And even though there's no reason to clean, she's still just kind of going through the motions of wiping down the counters and putting things away properly. Dear Hart, yes. Could you spread the word that there's going to be a town meeting? Town meeting, why for?

So we can talk about how to keep everyone safe, dear. All right. Yes. As soon as possible, can everyone meet here? No, no, no, the central... In the center of town. Where we killed... Where the Goliaths, where the barbarians, Sarah Grog.

Where all the mean people were. All right. I'll get the word out. And she puts away a couple of towels and kind of grabs a couple of people near her and the three then saunter out into the main walkway. Also, I don't know if he remembers, but sometime in our reverie last night, I asked Care if he could...

I gave him a sheath. just a sheath of a sword, and I asked him if he could make just a little, there's little some metal and metal components to it. I was asking if he could just make like a little secret compartment on it, like a little place that you could hide like a little vial or a little thing of powder or little note or something, just in the side of the sheath. What are the odds that I would make a total hash of that?

I'm imagining I don't do that much delicate. work. No, but also how much did you drink last night? Oh, right, yeah. So, how much, how drunk were you? You know, I probably was pretty modest. You know, I probably drank a few

with her, like, to be to be social. And then I probably just like kind of prowled and made sure nothing got out of hand and everyone was okay. But yeah, I probably, I'll I'll take a shot at it.

How attached to this sheath are you? Yes. By the belt. Extreme one. I'll see what I can do. You just nail a sock on the side of it. It's great. I don't make the best decisions.

Especially while drinking. Don't make the best decisions. You find a way back to your forge, which is still functional. It was not one of the buildings that fell in the initial attack. You heat it up. Later in the evening, it doesn't require a lot because it's smaller work. Go ahead and make a blacksmithing check with your proficiency bonus. Plus, with this, this would be dexterity, because it's very, very minute work. Could I have inspired him?

You could, yes. You can. You can very much do that. I will give him a limerick to inspire him with. Drunken Scanlan Limerick. Here we go. Have you heard the legend of shale? One eye, elderly, frail, to a black dragon she told him. You may be ancient, but I'm old, and somehow live to tell the tale. Go ahead and take your D-Tint inspiration dice if you want to add that to the roll. All righty. So just proficiency bonus. Plus your Dex bonus.

Plus, yeah, my vast Dex bonus. 16. That's not bad. It's not the finest craftsmanship in the world. in the world and what once was a very, very beautifully detailed sheath to a weapon now has a somewhat hammered, dented element to it that you probably want to hide by like a silk or something. It's an imperfection in what was previously a perfect element, but it is functional.

It is a small compartment that actually has a tiny metal slot that can be moved, closed, or open with your thumb. It's functional. This is not pretty, but it is functional. We focus on function here. I understand. Thank you for your nimble fingers. Next time I'll ask Percy to do it. And it will explode. I make a tonic out of the glyph foil that I had in my pouch from the garden, back in Mim,

pass it out. They'll, you know, hangover tonic. It does help actually. Yeah, good. All of us? Yeah. Sweet. Yeah. Little crush herbs and water, like a tea.

Oh, little hair of the dog. Thanks, Kee-Kee. Yeah, totally. We need drinking. Also, before we go to the meeting, I haven't used it in a while, but I would like to use my scrying potion to, not potion, the scry that I left in our gray skull

keep so long ago to kind of see what's going on at gray skull. Shri-pie. Yeah. All right. Glancing it at this moment now, and it's about midday, you concentrate on what you left behind. Yeah. You all know what it was. You have a brief view, a small windowed view of the kitchen before you.

It seems to be currently empty. But still standing. But still standing. You do notice in the sink there are some fresh dishes. Oh. Okay. Squatters. Fucking squatters. Or maybe our staff.

Squatters. Unpaid now, so now they're swathes. Okay. It's an important distinction. Can you talk through your poo? No, no, I can. Pooh doesn't work that way, Travis. It's a one-way street.

A finer point for a lost dog making. You left it in the kitchen? I left it in a jar in the kitchen. And I told the people not. to open it. Yeah, we only got a C on our general inspector rating. Partsman that's just nailed to the outside of the keep. D minus.

At least it's good calligraphy. All right, so, lest you have anything else to prepare in this time. Most of the town folks are beginning to converge towards the square in the central southern region of Western where you had the showdown battle with Kevdak outside of the market. Margraves home, the now deceased Margrave. Everyone seems to have gathered together, and there is an air of tension as you approach as folks are muttering to themselves, and it gets quiet as you all step into the central area. There is still, it's been pulled over. It was partially damaged before, but there is a large elevated platform that was used for speeches or celebration elements that has been, for the time, time being fixed to allow you guys to stand up if you wish to address the rest of the folks.

You want to talk Scanlan. You're so charismatic. What are we going to say? Still read in my book, but yes. Well, we're just going to ask them a question. I think we just need to ask them where they want to go. And if they ask what we think... We don't think anything. We'll support their decision, right? I think something.

What do you think? Seward. I guess I could talk to them. I think Seward. I would like to build. The death of a city is such a blasphemy. It is not good, the murder of the dead. And I am horrified.

Percy, a city is nothing without living people in it. A city is made up of the people that live inside of it. It is. We have to protect them first. And Percival suggesting letting them live here, building something for them underground. Which we can. facilitate. Rather than running.

We have a lot of other things to do. Well, let's talk to them. How about Park talks to them? Me? Yeah, you were born here. This is true, Pike. They know you. This is your hood. Well, I'm not very charismatic.

I'll be with you. No, but you're genuine. Do you want to help me? Exactly. You are genuine. So we're telling them, asking them if they want to stay. And if they do stay, that we can build them, we can help them. Shelter. Help them take shelter in the sewers if there's danger.

Dragon's dead. We don't know if another one will come. Can we ask before we go up on the stage if you're willing to help? Should they want that? Is that something you could help us with? I would be delighted to help facilitate things between you and the community.

I know a lot of people that have left, will return. I don't doubt that for a second. But right now everyone is scattered and scared, and a lot of families have been separated. A lot of people who would love to return here and rebuild the city, they don't know where their loved ones are. And I know that is preying on their minds more

than their own safety in some cases. You know, I know most people are looking to leave and come back eventually. And depending on their resources, like what you've generously offered from the caves, that will keep them from being refugees. You know, they can continue to be a community in this other town and then return well organized

and with resources to build it. But I don't feel they're ready to do it here and now, though. I don't feel they're excited about that. I know that so many of them have people from their lives, they're just missing. And by the way, it's gonna be a hot second before the carts come back from the cave, right? Yeah, probably a few days, right?

Another day or two before they arrive. Can we even say that these people are in them? So are you thinking they won't want to stay then? I think, I know from speaking to a lot of people over the last couple of days and even speaking to them last night, they're relieved that the dragon is gone, but they're worried about more in the future, but primarily they're looking to be safe now

and reunite with their friends and family, and most of those people are in. Kaimel. Kaimel. I think we give them a choice But I think, Pike, I think it's a good idea. I think you present the idea of staying and getting word to the people in Kaimel

that some of their loved ones are still here, still living, the dragon is dead, and summon them back to rebuild. How far away is Kaimel? Two days travel. Oh, okay. Wow, fucking short haul. How do you know?

What's the point in rebuilding now, then? My girl is there. Your daughter's in Kyme. Yes. I'll be going there anyway. Haley. And Kaimel hasn't been hit yet. Not yet.

Is Kaimel bigger or smaller than Western? It's smaller than Western. Well? They're better off in Western. I'm afraid with each refugee we add to another city, we're only making it a larger target. Which is why there is no safe harbor right now.

And there's no point in rebuilding. There is. Rebuilding. Why? Because this is civilization. This is civilization. There's no point in rebuilding right now when there's still three other dragons who will only come and go stomp, stomp, stomp dead.

They might. They might. They might. They might. We don't know they will. If you were a dragon, what would you do? I would hit the city where all the refugees are going. Because it would hurt more.

I would not hit the city that's going to take 200 years to be a shadow of its former self. Yes, but you're also not a vain dragon. vain dragon who just had one of its allies taken out in this very city. These dragons are going to have a huge vendetta against Westran now. I may not have lost an ally, but I am a vain dragon. Maybe they will, maybe they will. How about for those that want to say, we help build some fortifications? For those who want to leave, we'll protect them on the way there. We're at war time. The people can live underground for now.

The building will give them something to do. And if the dragon comes back, they will be safe underground. And if the dragon doesn't, we have saved thousands of years of inspiration and life. It's, you can't just abandon something like this. There's too much here. Otherwise, what else are we fighting? Otherwise, it becomes our friend Pike from nowhere.

That would be bad. That would be bad. That would be terrible. Skalin, get their attention. Be blasphemous. Get their attention? Yeah. All right.

Okay, I'll go, I'll go. I blow my horn to call the meeting to attention. Everyone, although I think it's really quiet, the two of you step up onto the platform. It gets, it gets quiet, everyone's quiet, you hear one voice, the back go, that's my bike! And you immediately look over and see to the far end

there's will hand kind of like, leaping up trying to get a view between the crowd. Yeah, old guy. Oh. Okay. But everyone's quiet, they're looking out to the two of you now atop this platform. Which puts you like just over head height for the rest of the folks, by the way. Uh, hello, everybody from the town.

I'm doing sign language interpretation. I know I'm not one usually to speak up, but, um, because I know so many of you and some of you are family. We, I'm sure you guys have heard, and because of the party and festivities from last night, the dragon has been killed. There's a cheer. Laughing. And we know that some of you have stayed because, if anything else, this is your home. It's murmuring. And.

Some of your family has left for Kaimal. Kaimal. Kaimal. But we wanted to give you all an option. And for those of you that do want to stay, we would like to provide you with an underground protection of sorts. Whispers to the crowd. As we speak,

upwards of 40,000 gold are being delivered by your finest men. This, with our help, can help to construct a sturdy underground layer that will shelter you if a dragon were to come back. It will take days, possibly weeks to construct this, but if you wanted to stay, this would be your best bet. However, we're not forcing you to do anything, if you'd like to go with the fellow refugees to Kaimel, or find your fellow citizens scattered about roving in the

In the lowlands, that would be fine too. We need to come to an agreement today so that we can help you do what you want. One gentleman takes to the stage next to you guys. He's younger 20s, kind of so it smeared on his cheeks. Looks like he's a little weathered by the experience, even though he looks young and thin, there is a general hardness to his face

from the recent experiences and he kind of raises up. looking at both of you, below him. I have one, miss my family, and have no home to go back to. And the homes that are empty in this town right now are empty because those who live there are now dead. There are ghosts here. I wish not to see every morning I wake up. If I'm going to live here, I want to return with those that are important to me

and build a new home over the old. Now's not my time to stay. Especially if more of those things are coming back. If anyone wishes to come with me to Kaima, please stand with me. And he steps off the stage and makes his way to the right side of the stage. Everyone in the crowd kind of looks to each other and a few folks being filtering off and kind of gathering around him. I'd say about a third to half of the crowd begins to shift over. Another person steps up right next to you guys actually.

This is a woman in her late 40s or so. She's wearing relatively nice clothing that's been kind of just torn apart through constant use and not really having an option to change into. She looks like she came for money, but has definitely been pulled down to the same level as the rest of the folks here. They're living in destitution out of necessity. Her hair has tried to be pulled up into a bun, but a lot of it just kind of fallen around her face, and she's keeping this kind of this poor facade of her previous life, and she stands up. I myself, my family's history is here in this town, and I would be remiss if I didn't express my hesitation in leaving that behind for the next roving horde of barbarians to Russian intake from us while we're away. Especially if this gold is to be retrieved, how do we know how much of that is to be distributed?

How much was my family's versus yours? If we had to divide ourselves here at this point, we're leaving ourselves open to in a, in a, conflict lest we have a very clear idea of where these funds are going. And I, I for one, want to make sure I have a home when my family returns. So I'm not leaving. I'm not going to come back here months down the line and find four layabouts living in that home, made a complete mess of our things in telling us it's now theirs. Those wish to stay. Stand with me. And she walks off stage inside. I'm going to get up on stage. Oh, you are? Oh. You don't live here. Doesn't matter.

The terrible woman may have a point. Thank you. What? Many of you are going to leave, and that's fair. And that's right. You are free to do so. I wish any of us could promise you safety once you leave this city. But there is no safety. But there is no safety anywhere.

The dragons fly freely. They may come back and reap their vengeance upon West Run once again. They may not. They may find new, fresh targets. We don't know. We will build an underground haven in case of attack free of charge. We will make a place that's open to all. Since there seems to be some dispute about the finances, we will create a trust that will be

used to help those who stay and help rebuild. It will be managed and it will be fair. And it will not go to titles. If you're properly titled, you'll have money elsewhere and you'll figure it out. You hear a new money. Old magic. New money. From ivory towers. I would urge you to stay.

I would urge you to leave, collect your people and return. I would urge for one city not to be wiped from the map. And anything we can do to make this at least livable while it is rebuilt, we will do our best to help. It is such a victory for them, a victory for them if Western falls. And I sit back down. Make a persuasion check with advantage.

Yeah, dude. 22. There is a silence in the crowd, and people have stopped shuffling from side to side. Some of the folks on the side of the gentleman begin to shift back, and people seem to stand up, and even the gentleman who was standing opposite side kind of punders for a moment.

Well, regardless of what happens, we have to get word out. We have to let our loved ones know what has happened and that it's safe to come back. If you indeed can help us set this about, I'm confident we can keep out of sight. At least, hopefully. I stand up on the podium, while the terrible man and the terrible woman both absolutely have a point. He's not that bad. I'm not bad. I look at the man who stood off to the side.

I agree with you that finding your loved ones is most important. I believe we can actually maybe do a little bit of both here and solve both problems. Me alongside of the help of my other magic users can help quickly build an underground bunker. And I would be willing to help escort any party to Kaimal in order to help find your people.

For as I do agree, To an extent with Percy, that we should not let Western fall to this. This city is only as great as its people. Leadership! That was definitely done. Thanks, Max. You folks kind of agree and nod their heads. The gentleman you've been talking to kind of looks at you and he's very intently engaged in nodding in agreement.

Uh, uh, uh, uh, Hazzaw! Hazzaw! Awkward woman makes a fine point. Yes! She will eventually raise her arms. The sarcastic man agrees. Just the clapping comes together.

This is so terrible. Pipe for all rules! Pike, do you remember that spell you cast on gray skull when it got hit by the dragon? That thing you did to help. That was divine intervention. Was that divine? No.

No, she summoned to play in her ally. For that one, that was the angelic creature. To help rebuild. Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. How, that was expensive, that wasn't it? No. Well, Pike and I can...

Yes. Yes. Was it like a thousand gold or like... It was... I can pull it up here. That was planner ally. To rebuild. I mean, underground.

You want to rebuild underground. Are you saying rebuking the town? The underground should be very simple. Isn't how long you want it to stay? So a task measured in hours requires a thousand gold per hour. Oh, no, no, no, no. Task measured in days requires 10,000 gold per year. No, no.

No, no, no. Holy. Let's wait on that. I could just try divine intervention. These entities can do some crazy stuff. Yeah, and we have 40,000 more gold coming. That's four days of enter-time. We can do that after things.

What else are we gonna spend the money on? Try divine intervention again. No, we don't want to rebuild a city that's gonna be stoned by dragons in another three months. No, just the bunker, right? Just the bunker. Not the city. Keyliff can make the bunker.

Keyliff can make the bunker. It's fine. For hundreds and hundreds of people? Yeah. Honestly, if we take a couple days, I can make a pretty extensive. We're gonna use a previously existing sewer system, and we're just going to reinforce it with pillars

and then block off any of the sewage and reroute it, since it doesn't have to handle the load that it used to. We're gonna build a vault. We're gonna build a vault. While they're chatting, I'll step forward to the, and I'll say, we all have a lot to think about, talk with your friends and neighbors, and come to know your own minds.

This is a decision that has to be made soon, but not on the spur of the moment. Thank you for coming. One man in the front, an old friend of yours, named Joseph, puts his hand up. Kerik! Of which mind are you? Are you staying or are you going? Are you going to escort?

Go along as an escort with this woman, woman, or are you staying to protect us? Where you walk, I walk. I am going to do what will be best for the town as a whole. I am not sure. To a certain extent, I will be led by what is needed by the town. If what we need is a decision. If I may, if I may. I'm so sorry. I know everyone's talking here, but A city is not just a collection of houses and streets. It is a person of itself. And we can't go and dividing it right now. Everyone should stay here.

Everyone should be a unit, a cohesive unit. And we, me, Kielith, and one of your own, Pike, will definitely travel to Kymel to spread the word. If you give us a list of your ancestors, family members, friends, we can get word to all of them very quickly. Make persuasion, check. 28. Thanks.

Everyone in the crowd seems to nod, and the gentleman kind of nods his head to you. And you, all right. And you're a monster. Since you haven't been as present in the community for a while, if I'm sure that things are adequately defended here, I might go myself to ensure that, the proper apportionment of funds,

and to talk to those of our townsfolk who have already left, and perhaps organize them a little more effectively so that they can return. There's a few nods of agreement that spread through the crowd, and actually the folks on the left side with the woman that seemed to be building tension and arguing amongst themselves over the ideas of that seemed to quiet a bit at you taking up that position.

There's kind of, you guys noticed this too, there's kind of a general respect for Carrick, You know, other folks don't seem to really carry in this community. Everyone kind of nods, give it. Well, I have no objections. Neither do I, the woman on the other side. Ah, no other choice, do we? Everyone kind of nods and they look up to the rest of you, look to you.

Then, let's begin building. Bunker it is. We start sketching. As all that starts to wind down, I ask my sister to point me towards Reginald's daughter. Do you see her? The one of the nice hair? Yeah, that one. And the giant bag of gold.

I see her out in the crowd. She's still kind of looking up to the, she's kind of by herself in the crowd, just kind of clapping and looking at the side. I'm going to hang near him. Excuse me, young miss. Yes. Hi. I'm sorry. We haven't spoken, but you spoke to my friends.

You spoke to my sister. My sister looks very much. I can see the similarity, yes. I know the news they delivered to you. I am so sorry for your loss. Your father was very brave at the end. Impressively so, and I want you to know that. I've also recovered his body,

and I thought to add him to the pires that the city did outside the city, But I thought maybe you had a family plot or somewhere you'd prefer him to be late to rest. I'll gladly take him there for you or take him with you, whatever you prefer. I'll come with you. I'd like to see him one last time.

We have no family plot. We were meager folk. But he spent most of his life working in that field. I think it's only fitting that's where he spends the rest of his days. Show me. As you guys begin the building process, she follows you out to the field where she is shown

the body of Retinal, and she takes a moment of quiet with it and kind of cradles his body. But there's a smile on her face, and she says, thank you for letting her say goodbye, face to face. And with your help, you both bring the body back to the farmhouse where you had first met, and you spend the rest of the day interring his body within the hillside.

that is buttressed against the actual farmland that he tilt. Lose a parent before their time is no easy thing. I'm very sorry for you. He did good. Let's go ahead and make sure the rest of these folk have more to look forward to, shall we? She kind of looks at you for a second, and you can see she takes a general scope

of your expression, your emotional state, and even for a young girl, she has a stronger insight than you're expected, and she kind of puts her arm out and touches your shoulder and says, you carry too much sadness with you. You've done a lot of good. Let yourself, let yourself understand and accept the fact that you've done a lot of good.

She starts walking back towards the town. I linger for a bit. All right. Now, you guys begin the process of building this sub-training bunker. You take the first day scanning through as a group. clearing out whatever creatures lurk beneath the city. Nothing of severe threat lies down there to your power level.

And what once was a threat to you guys long ago, within the period of a day, you've cleared out a very, very sizable portion of the sewer system. And because it's been empty for quite a while, it's also not in a very terrible state either. I mean, it still needs to be cleaned, but that's also the specialty of those who can control water and air. let alone reinforcing the stonework

that keeps the walls themselves sturdy, strongly able to support any heavy weight on the surface. Within the next couple days, you guys continue the reinforcing process. People begin actually moving their supplies down underground and begin taking bits of furniture and elements that would at least make life down there more comfortable, or at least a ghost image

of some of the life they lived above. Because when you're down there, the comforts of what keep you going. But the people seem, as the more and more of it comes together, folks genuinely begin to get a little excited at the idea of having a safe place to live for a while. And you feel like this is doing some good for these folks at the very least.

Whenever you guys would like to take your journey. I would like to do a couple things just to the room before we do anything other than the storehouses. I would like on one wall to carve the names of every survivor who stayed in the same. city. And on the other wall, start. In draconian. In traconian.

Yeah. Terrible person. And on the other wall start carving in the story of those we've lost. That's not what you're going to save the city and where the story and where the city came from and what has happened and make a place where other people they can start. Creating their own. Carving in also the history. and everything they need to say about the city. It's just one of the giant walls. I just want to start filling in with stories of the city. Okay.

This catches your attention too, because as a pragmatic individual, as Percy is, this is, as strangely artistic endeavor of his point, at least the intent behind it. You disagree with my opinions. I don't really agree of immortalizing ourselves in stone. It's not about us. Way before we're even dead.

It's not us, Keyleth. It's the history of the town. Peck up. It's driving me crazy. How long do you live? If I complete my journey, it could be upwards of a thousand years or more. How long do you think I live? Less than a hundred, if you're lucky.

No. How long? I am Percival, Frederick Stein, Van Musil, Kowalski, the Roll. No, the third. No kidding. My ancestry dates back thousands of years and will continue for thousands more unless White Stone falls. I live as long as White Stone lives. This place is the human soul. This is what we have built with our tiny moments. To lose a place like this, we don't feel it immediately, but it would ruin everyone. in small ways.

Not all of us are lucky enough to have a lineage in a name. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a lineage in a lifespan. Not enough. Not many of us are lucky enough to have a lineage at all. Which is why we save everyone we can. I guess that is one thing we can both agree on. This is good we do here. This is great good. And it's not about idolizing ourselves.

It's about a very long long time. very long story, which we are, even you, a tiny part of. At this moment you look down and notice that while you guys are having this talk, a small child has walked up to the wall and where Percy has stopped the carving. The child has picked up a piece of wayward chalk that was in the ground, and this began to draw little stick figures in the wall where he stopped. And then a little bit of the quiet stops and looks up over his shoulder

at the two of you and just smiles. And then just goes back to writing on the wall. He'll outlive you right there. Yeah, no. You'll probably right. Look at him. I guess this little guy is like the moment encapsulated. Hey bud.

That's a octopus. This is a shark. This is a flower. This is a baby. I give Keith with a little hug. Pikes. Pikes, do you want to have gone to Kymel? Or do you want to have stayed and helped?

Didn't you volunteer me to help? I volunteered you to come with me to Kaimel. I'll go with you to Kaimal. I'll come along to chaperone now, okay. Okay. Oh, so these two things are happening simultaneously? Are these two things happening simultaneously? It would take...

Well, this is up to you guys. The Kaimal journey... Is it a couple days? A couple days and back. Well, not according to Druidic... Checked spells. Oh yeah. BAMF us there.

Oh, right. And then... Magic. Which is what I assumed you were referring to about instantaneous travel. Yes. At some point we should put a teleport circle in this, in this down here to Kaimo. Or yeah, you have to contact it. They have somebody else is going to do this.

Yes. Let's bamfin. Let's go do it. So where are I going to go? Oh, I don't know. I'm going to stay and help build. Okay. So Scanlan, Pike, and...

Pike and Keelah threw on with him. I guess so. You guys are going to need me to get back. Well, we can, uh, that's true. Unless I can get you there and then you can walk back. Oh, we can get them? Oh, we can get them? Or you can... Teleport.

Can you fly? I can fly. I can mist form us and then we can get there in how many hours? Uh, ooh, mist form, we'd get there in under a day. Teleporting is more fun. That's what you doing? Do it. and then it can get back on.

Do you guys want to go on a field trip? We'll go back on our own. It's two days. All right. They just killed a dragon. They'll be fine. It's a bandit gonna do. Have fun, you gnomes.

All right. She finds one of the surface trees just outside of the sewage system as she touches her hands to its bark. The bark cracks and splits open, revealing the doorway behind it. About five foot of internal wood tunnel leads to an opposing side that opens into

what immediately is a tent city on the outside. side walls of Kaimel. You guys quickly step through with the moments you had before the portal slammed shut. High five. Hi-five. Nope. Aw, asshole. You do get a little tag from Pike. Yes. Scandal you suck! You guys are now standing on the outside of a small cluster of trees outside of Kymel. The mountain range, behind it you can see. There are hundreds and hundreds of people that are displaced in the outside of the city in tents.

Because assuming it's been, it sounds like a couple of days, if there's walls and stuff and artistry happening, have the wagons gotten back? They have, actually, yes. And if there are those resources and I know that this trip is happening, I've got to go across and make sure that my people, like, aren't dying of dysentery. True enough. They're coming? If, yeah.

Great. And so, third wheel. I'm gonna get some action here. There's a, thank you. There's a high-five tag to Keeleth. As Pike jumps through it before it slams shut. K.R. goes, wait, whoop. And he jumps through after.

No, this is great. It's great to have an old dude with us also. Two old dudes. I wanted to talk to you about Kare, so I'm so glad that you came along. There's important work to be done here. There is very important work to be done, and I just feel like we all need to focus on that.

And just get down to the nitty gritty of it, you know? I think your nitty gritty might be done somebody. That's very attractive. Let's go, let's walk. Let's go spread the good word about Western and the great things happening in sewers there. Ding-dong. All right, you guys begin to,

You guys mean to make your way from tents to tents, finding individuals, many of which you recognize. Some have recognition of you, and there's a brief little discussion of what's happened, what's transpired, and you tell them of the fall of Umbrasil, of the herd being sundered and sent westward, and making sure, as Scanlon would, that Voxmachina is responsible.

Yes, and that it rhymes. Indeed. There is no central guidance here. I mean, the Margrave Tumnerwan, who actually runs Keimel, does occasionally come out to check out from people. It's not like they're being, you know, kept out of the city forcefully. There's just no room for them. They've taken in as many refugees as they can, and then everyone else on the outside is being helped to the best of their ability, but they're very thin on resources, and they've sent trade wagons out to Stillben, even southward. They sent some over into the Vernet Expanse to hopefully trade with Singhorn. There have been people that have been trying to help where they can't. However, most people outside are still beginning to starve a little bit.

A lot of the beasts of burden have been converted into food out of necessity. And so there's a lot of empty carts and wagons around, and people are just kind of in this holding pattern waiting to hear any news. And the news that you bring does bring hope to the eyes of those that do speak with you. At some point in our journey, I excuse myself for ten minutes. Drink my last shit-scrying potion. poop out a little loaf. Jack. Take a tiny bit of it.

Take a tiny bit of it. Wrap it in a little bit of parchment. Stick it in the secret compartment of the sword, of the hilt of the sword. Oh, okay. Of the, yeah, the scabbard. You should name the sword. Number two.

I like it. The clasiest of magic practitioner, is Scanlon Shorthal. You do so. Like spackling a wall, you fill the compartment affixed within the scabbard without issue. Thank you.

Shove that dingleberry in there. Fresh blueberry sherbet. Anyway. All right. Right, so we've spread the good word. Are people going to travel back, do you think? Many folks are now considering returning. Some folks speak of another group of people that are over by the former basin.

That they're going to head send people over there to give word. Some people are asking to see if their family members are okay, and you don't really know everyone's name there, but you tell them there are survivors. Most people you talk to are intent on returning, because this living situation is only going to be so good for, so long. We're not sentencing them to death. Well, to be fair, the town you're currently in could be gone next week.

That's true. That's true. Either way. I know what's needed back there. I've got access to money. They have wagons and labor. I know most of the people in town, so I'm not going to do it myself, but I know some, I know who is, honestly, anyone who runs a farm is like a better organizer than any modern small business.

This is very true. So I will talk to a few of these old capable farmer types and say, okay, you know, here's the money. You know how to bargain. You know, do your business. And we can, you know, we can, you know, get together and we'll head back maybe all together, you know, as soon as you can get everyone.

together and all that. Also, I'll put somebody in charge of, like, making sure that we're bringing in food, and I'll do a scan around, and I'll make sure that people, like, you know, literally aren't dying of dysentery, that they have a clean well and all of that stuff. Yeah. And, I mean, there is disease, as tends to happen when you have people who are displaced and clustered like that in subpar living conditions, but no, you know, major pandemics that are kicking through the people there. There are people who are are being tended to, and there are people who are medically practiced, or at least herbalists and such, that can help with that. You find a slight group of trustworthy individuals that you know would do well and understand the process. And with mere inclusion of a few thousand

gold, we more than enough to be able to purchase from the interior of Kaimel enough oxen, horses, and other beasts to bring most of the current carts back with you. That was the only real barrier, because Kaimel's like, we can't help you guys for free. Now, all of a sudden there's gold, people like, oh, well, let's talk. Charity only goes so far. But you do feel through this trip that you've definitely made an impact, and most of the people, at least, over the next week or so, will be outfitted with the proper materials, food for the journey,

and be able to make the way back towards Western, yes. Cool. And I will also go to look for Dr. Drah and Kaylee at some point. Go ahead and make an investigation check. I'll go with him. 27. Okay. As you walk with him, within mere hours, Almost like you picked up the scent on a hunt. You see a glimmer of short, dark hair,

and you glance over, and sure enough, there is Kaylee, who is currently holding over her shoulder, Dr. Dr. Dranzel, who is kind of limping alongside her. Oh, God. Is he okay? You can go and ask. I'll go and ask. They're kind of walking across the street.

They haven't noticed you yet. Oye, Short halt. There's a stop, and Kelly turns her head. Hi. She kind of drops Drenzel's arm and rush this forward and just gives you a hug. Aww. And then kind of lets go for a second,

pushes away and kind of. I just, you survived. That's good. You too? How's he? Nice. Got a foot infection, nothing too great to look about. You look down and he is when his left foot is all swollen.

He's like, I've had worse. Pike has healed feet before. May I? Please be my guest. Does the half-ork grins with his hat still floppy? floppy on his head and he presents his horrible foot that gives off a delightful smell of putrescence. While she works on him, I'm going to just take Kaylee off to the side.

Yeah, it's easier enough for you to cleanse elements of disease with minor healing. Yeah. We'll save the purpose of this through a couple of low-level spells, you're able to pretty much take care of his foot entirely. It's like, noise. Nice. It's incredible. Well, I mean, if you ever need a traveling troop, we're always looking for

for someone to keep us on the up and up. Can you cure hangovers? I can. Well, hang with me, young pike. While this is happening, you turn to Kaylee. I'm so happy that you're alive and safe, and I just, I came a great distance to do other things, but mainly to see you, and I just wanted to say a few things

before I go off to complete my mission. And well, you know, I know I know I'm not the first, father that you wanted, but I'm the father that you have, and I'm sorry. And I just wanted to tell you that, you know, I've been doing a lot of thinking about you and me and where I fit into the life of a family man. And, well, most of my adult life I've been longing for a gnome to care for. And I met a really good one. and she's here and her name's Pike, and she's beautiful and wonderful and possibly my soul mate,

but I've learned that she's not my family and never will be. And you're the gnome that I'm to care for forever. And I'm doing something very stupid now with my friends. We're gonna try to save the world, and I didn't know why, but now I know. And if we died, doing it, it will be for a good thing. And if we don't, then, well, I'll find you, and I'll be whatever kind of father you need me to be, one who's close and helpful.

She shushes you. She shushes you. It puts her finger up and shushes you. He steps up and looks you. The hardness in her face softens, and there is a little bit of tears gathering at the edge of her eyes, and she says, don't you die? You stay alive. I don't intend to, but you know, I was just inside. They're not going to die. You're going to go do your stupid world saving mission like you told me, and you're going to come back, and we're going to have a lot to talk about. All right.

All right. Can you do that for me? I promise you. I promise you. I'll hold you to do that. Well, you do the same, all right? Stay safe. I got you a pre-all right. It's a ring. It's a beautiful ring because you're a beautiful girl. And I'd like you to keep it. She takes it and looks out it goes. Are you sure this wasn't for someone else?

No. Never. She puts it on. And you're also strong, and you'll need this sword. And I give her my singing Dawn Blade, which has an unique little imperfection at the bottom of it. And I say, this sword has killed a sword has killed the king, which makes it almost worthy enough for you. And I hope that it keeps you safe until I can see you again. I don't know what to say.

I'll start with thank you. Well, I feel pretty well protected. Okay, get out of here, if you can. Try to make your way to Vasselheim. There's three more dragons, and it'll be a while before I kill them all. I don't know, you've done quite a bit of work and even just these past few weeks.

Um, Masselheim. I'll talk it over with the doctor. See what he's interested in. Okay. You promised. Nome's honor. And she kind of reaches up and grabs your shirt and gives you a kiss in the forehead and then pushes you away, and says. I'm out of my fucking face. Turns around and watch back towards Dr. Drenzel. All right, Pike, I'm done. Okay. But she's done, ton. You're sticking with us, right?

I don't think I can. Oh, I know. I'm just... But you guys are headed to... Where are you headed to? Where are you gonna go? I don't know. I figure we can... Based on what we're here and around here, folks are heading back to Western. They probably need some cheering up on the road, and... From there, who knows?

Actually, never actually... been to Marquette before, but I'm thinking, and at this point, And Kaylee comes up and goes, Let's have a talk. I'm feeling a bit of religion coming on. Raps, we should look farther west, northwest. Fasselheim. Not law of music in those parts. Lillen to pay for that, I assume. Basseline.

It's cold there, isn't it? Let's get some furs. They both kind of start walking away from you guys. Before they go, I just reach up my hand. introduce myself to Kay Lee. I've heard many lovely things about you. She looks at you kind of guardedly and takes your hand.

As I've heard of you, he made a promise. Make sure that he keeps it. And they keep walking. So, with the money dispersed, the group having a returning sense of hope, with materials, goods, food, being redistributed amongst the refugee it appears there is a direction for the future of Western that you've set into place.

As you guys gather the rest of your things, Kieleth, you take an evening's rest with the troop and the next morning return back to Western. Mm-hmm. Last night, in all the hubbub that's going on in Western, I find my sister, I spent some time to find my sister and I wanted to stelf up on her. Easy enough to do while they're out and about taking the rest on the rest. with the group in Kynol while you guys are still helping rebuilding. So yes, go ahead and make stealth check. Just reading these names on this wall.

20. What's your passive perception? 21. Oh shit. You hear a few very, very faint, very familiar steps come across the stones behind you. I pretend like I don't hear them. Stubby. I pull her into a big fat hug. Your hair looks like shit. Sit down. You start braiding it. I love you too.

Elena would be proud of you. I am proud of you. That's worth more. Save my life again. Did I? I crawled out through an arrow hole. I saw this little lump squirming. I thought it was probably you.

Tiny little you. It's a bit of chicken here. Oh, ow! One day at a time, right? One day at a time. Ow! As you guys spend the next few days together forming what is a fairly functional stronghold

for at least the necessary needs of protecting Fairmen refugees beneath the northern area of Western, you feel confident that the folks that are here and the folks that are coming. There's enough of a community building now where they may not be absolutely necessary for your perpetual oversight and presence shows you have business elsewhere.

Anything else you wish to take care of before you continue your journey? I have a small package and letter that I want to deliver to care before we leave. But other than that. A care package? Yes. I was hoping, I was really hoping someone was going to. I would like to just pull care aside and say, you know, these people here, they're a bit lost, and they need a leader.

And they need a leader. Oh, yeah, they absolutely do. We'll see if we can find them one. I'm looking at one that would be wonderful. Just something to think about. I've thought about it, but no. But you're very kind. You know, over assuming, how long has this been going on?

How you're going on a better part of two weeks? since the initial dragon attack. A little over two weeks maybe by now. You know, one thing that I'll make a point of doing is, you know, while a lot of this is going on and I'm kind of seeing what they're really capable of in terms of reshaping everything, you know, I'll spend a little bit of time

kind of at her shoulder. We'll talk maybe a little bit or not, maybe, depending on what she's in the mood for. And, you know, the general gist of it is, you know, I'll talk a little bit about that, you know, it takes a long time doing the stuff like this. You know, actually, you know, making something. and sometimes it doesn't seem to like balance out that scale very well, but that's all you can do. And sometimes all you can do is be around for people while they make things.

Because you can't do everything. Well, Kerr, I'm certainly glad that you showed up. in my life in this time when I am building this, whatever the hell this is. So thank you. We've made you something, if you will, accept it. Yeah. We pull out a small wooden box that we put together.

I've put some like, you know, Ashari decorative stuff around it, you know? So it's actually, the boxed up is wooden, but there is like fresh living ivy curled across it with a few bursts of beautiful red flower, on each side. Totally. What's the flower of Western? The flower restaurant would actually be the white iris which grows around the western side of it. It's you... It's covered in white irises. You sick fuck. You're amazing.

Oh, the white iris, no big deal. It's the white iris. Talk western to me. White iris. White iris. Oh. Spring snakes! Too soon! Inside is a scrolled parchment, a wooden bracelet, and a metal circlet. Spring snakes. Trying to have a moment, thank you. Have I got the first clue?

No. The parchment will explain everything and how to use them, but this circlet and this bracelet will help make you a champion that can help protect this city now. And should the need arise, this circlet will give you control of a body of a creature that will help. His name is Fassbender. His name is Fassbender. And he's got an awesome mustache. And the bracelet's kind of just a bracelet, but I, you know, I'm, I made it. It might be a friendship bracelet.

I'll put that on. It might say friendship in Ashari. The circlet will, if anything, if the need ever arises, it will be something that will help protect the city. And the scroll will explain the particulars. If you go all by the funeral pyres, where he set the trap, you'll find him. I've already moved him.

Percy, I did it. We'll tell you where he is. It's in the scroll. It's in the scroll. So just read the directions. As you read the scroll, kind of glance over it, and you may have seen this entity walking in there vicinity once or twice during the time you met them as a 12-foot tall stone

golem and it is explaining this that with the use of this circlet you have control over this creature the the people of this town are you know that they're grateful and the problem is is that for some of you they may not be able to say that in a way that you can hear right now. But know that they are and know that they will be for a long time. And if I have anything to say about it, it will be a very, very long time. And so thank you. Thank you for them and thank you for me. I give care a big hug. No, free hug. I watch awkwardly. You do?

I watch awkwardly. As you guys break your hug. You look down. You look down. I'm going to miss, you care. Yeah. No, it's okay. You don't have to say it back. You know where I am.

And it could be that I will see you before, before too long. Some of us have more time than others, of course. I'll be sure I will see you at some point later. As you step away and turn back to the wall, which is mostly done carving with the names and the story bits, you're Percy had been working on during this time, that child is returned and is still drawing with a chalk. And as you look down at the stick figures, you can see one with antlers,

two that are smaller than the others, one that is larger than the rest, burlier, thicker around the chest, one that you can barely see, and one that flies across them all on a broom. And then at the very end, just finishing one with funny glasses. And the kid just stands up and looks on it once, goes. It's done. And then runs off. Oh dear. I just take a little piece of chalk and I add

trinket right on the list. I'm so much better drawn than the rest of us. Almost perfect. I can be right every now then. I hate you. What's your next step? We have more vestiges to get? Yeah. An airship to steal? Yes. No. Please. Vesselheim?

I have to go to Vasselheim. You have to go to Vasselheim? BASLheim is so far away and the Faye Wild is so very close. I have to go to the water tribe of the Ashari. The Faye Wild is close. I have to go to Baselheim now and I will go on my own if I... What? Why?

Oh, that's why. Yeah. You have many avenues at your disposal. You have to come up with some central choice here. It's also Whitestone. which I've been doing a while yet to check in with anybody. That's true, that's definitely where all the vestiges are currently held. There is all those locations.

So what is your next step in the journey? Why do you need to go back to Vasselheim? Right now. Done with her. I think I know why he needs to go back to Vasselheim. Why? It's not my place to say. I have to go now.

Whether it's just me, Just me. Pike. I would be grateful if you would go with me. Well, I'm going with you too. I don't think this is somewhere that you can go with me. Vasselheim, I've been there. Yes, you can go to Vasselheim, but what I have to do there, I don't want you to have any part of it. Just this, just this, just this, one thing.

Well, then I'll go to Vasselheim. Go to Vasilheim and I'll wait outside. I take him and I pull him aside. Know that you've been avoiding me. I just have to say, I don't know who this, I don't know who or what this Raven Queen is and I think that's what scares me the most. I know if you're choosing a life of faith

or whatever you want this to be, I'm happy for you. I take it by the hand and I pull her further away, much further away. Did the others tell you what happened in the tomb, in the sunken tomb? Getting bits and pieces. I have been avoiding you. First of all, there was a trap and Vexallia. I almost lost Vexallia and a woman appeared.

Not a woman, a god appeared. appeared and I did something. I tried to save my sister. I did something stupid. I tried to bargain. I didn't even fucking want the armor that I'm wearing right now. I didn't want it. I don't think I've ever told you how much I admire you. I always have. You have a kindness about you that comes with such ease and honesty. You've always carried a light, her light. And I think You know, I admire everyone in our band of Misfit Toys, but you most of all, and when you left,

we all noticed its absence, all of us. And I think I wanted to find it again for myself. Hers, your benefactor. I felt her. And I told myself that when you came back, I was going to come to you, and I was going to learn from you and follow you and follow her as soon as you came back.

And like so many things that I reach for in this life, it slipped through my fingers. And I've gone and painted myself into a corner, and I can't anymore. And I think when I saw you, it was just a reminder of what I lost. I'm sorry for avoiding you. I understand now.

And I don't think that you're lost in any way. I think if you felt in some way that this is who you've needed to follow, Then follow her. Well, the bottom line is I couldn't walk away if I wanted to because I know that I would lose my sister. But I don't want to anymore. We've all been close to death, all of us.

Now I'm just a little bit closer. It took me a bit, but maybe we are not meant to be happy. I don't know. I don't think that's true. Well, I don't know, but I know that I know that I'm not. I don't know, but I know that I can be of use. You can be, and you are of use. I'm not the type of person that would ever say

that you have to choose and follow who I follow, but I just will tell you now that if the Raven Queen fucks with you or hurts you or doesn't change you for the better, then she's going to have to deal with me, and we're going to have a problem. But as of right now, I love you, X. It's going to be fine, and I am here for you no matter what, and you can talk to me anytime.

And don't be ashamed or embarrassed. I was. I'm doing better. Be ashamed, and turn that frown upside down. It would help if you stayed around. I will do my best. I know. Because sometimes people call, and sometimes I just have to go to do work. But maybe...

Maybe you'll discover that with the Raven Queen. Maybe she'll take you to jobs and you just have to go. Prime time. But I adore you, okay? I was all kinds of fucked up a couple of weeks ago. Well, you are all kinds of fucked up all the time. And that's all kinds of fucked up. And that's why we all are together.

I walk by eating chicken and wearing no pants. And I give him a slap on this bare ass as he walks by. You okay? You will be. Ish. That's all we can be is isish. Okay. To the Fay Wild.

To where? He needs a destination. What is your next plan of action? I think we should. I'm good. going to Vasselheim. God damn. To Vasselheim.

To Vasselheim? To Vasselheim then? If Emo Elf is going to Vasselheim, we're going to Vasselheim. You could go to go to Vasselheim. No. We can't go buy yourself. We have the rocks. We can send a rock with him.

It's true. It's fucking stupid. All he has to do is go up there and... I would let him go to Vasselheim. I have things I can do in Vasselheim. It's the only bastion of standing civilization left. Can we go? Is Faye Wahew going to go? Wild on the way.

No. No, it's in the opposite direction south of here. In the Faywild's ever present, technically, on another. Is it another plane? It's another plane. Oh, let's go on the way. It's like on the way, practically. We know an entrance to the Fay Wild in the Frostwood.

There are many doors to the Faywild throughout the world. You just only know one. Let's just let Vex go by himself. No. Now, there's actually things that can be done in Vasselheim. I pull Vax aside. Oh, Christ. Oh, Christ.

You had two hours to beat the shit out of a Goliath. Sit tight, buddy. I pull Kara aside. I pull Grog aside. I walk away. Catchphrase, catchphrase. Meme. Tweet, tweet, tweet. All right, so.

That's Gith pulls you aside. Do you want to go alone? Do you want to go by yourself? Because if you want to go by yourself, say something and we'll let you go. If you think this is something you need to do by yourself. I'm actually scared shitless, and I would like Piking you to go with me.

I would like my sister not to go anywhere near. Too fucking bad. Her. And that's what I would like, and that's it. You and Pike. Didn't say something. No, you didn't. Hey, I'd like to go to Vasselheim.

Pike. Kieleth, can you open up a hole in a tree? We can go quick. Everyone could go to Vasselheim. That's just a specific place in Vasselheim that I need to go. And I love you, but I just don't want you to be a part of it. So you either hang out with Grog or stay outside, okay? To Vasselheim.

To Vasselheim. Outside of building Vasselheim. Indeed. As you find. Outside, to a far wooded area where magic is permissible. Veselheim, actually. Outside of Vasselheim, yes. Divine magic is permissible.

Like the essence of pulling magic beyond the powers, it's the arcane practitioner that is frowned upon. It's not illegal, it's just generally frowned upon. Sure. It's go shh. Yeah, sure. But yes, as you step back to the surface beyond the subterranean personnel bunker,

that is now the sewage system of Western, you find yourself at a nearby tree, the doorway opens, and you all dart through into the cold, snow dappled, cobbled, stabbled streets of Asselheim. And that's all end tonight's game. 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,

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because your next breakthrough is just one episode away. This is Mick Unplugged, the voice and face of modern leadership entrepreneur and self-improvement. Let's get started. Look, we all know there are a lot of celebrity interview podcasts out there, but there's only one happy, sad, confused. I'm Josh Harrowitzin. Yeah, I'm the host of the show, so I'm a little biased, but truly happy, say, confused is the place for nerdy and intimate conversations with all your favorite actors and filmmakers. From Andrew Garfield and Scarlet Johansson to Christopher Nolan and Quartheon. Quentin Tarantino for over 10 years and over 700 episodes.

Happy Say I Confused has broken movie and TV news every single week. That's because I ask all the questions I want to know, and more importantly, you want to know. Casting what-ifs, backstage stories, acting pet peeves, and much more. So whether you're into superheroes, prestige TV, or just the coolest actors and directors alive, you're going to learn something in every episode. Listen to Happy Say I Confused on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not-so-dark, not-so-stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the Intrepid Chaotic's detective agency as they take on their biggest case yet.

This high-flying action-packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every quill they can fight. It's one heck of a tale, which is good, because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you. Wait, what? All will be revealed in. Sonic the Hedgehog presents the Chaotic's case files.

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