D&D is For Nerds - Barovia IV #18 The Life and Death of Hecktor the Beautiful

Episode Date: December 7, 2025

Hecktor Alabaster would die doing what he loved, trying to save someone else and never thinking about himself. Hecktor Alabaster was born on a hard stone table at his family's home in Northern Candor, the second child of decently well to do and hardworking parents. He came of a people who had been stonemasons for generations, men and women whose bodies became as hard and unbreakable as the stone they worked with. Hecktor Alabaster was a boy of quiet habits and soft hands whose mother would describe him as timid and shy. Reading stories of heroic knights and larger than life adventurers, Hecktor would often wish he could be anything other than like himself. He wished he was brave. He wished he was strong. But most of all, he wished he wasn't afraid of the dark. If you're still wanting to pledge for the Jarren's Outpost Board Game you can right here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oi, lads, did you miss out on the Jaron's Outpost Kickstarter and wish you weren't such a big doofus? Well, fear not. Late pledges are now open and they'll be open for a little while, so just head to Kickstarter search for D&D for Nerds or Jaron's Outpost and slam that late pledge button. Although you see no water for miles around, you are, like us, marooned. You're stranded in this sad and lonely place called Barovia. To mix metaphors, we are incarcerated.

The fog that surrounds us are the bars of our dungeon, and Baron von Strade is out jailer. As far as I can tell, there is only one way out, and that is to kill the devil Strad. Hector, you look at what is left of your body. One of your arms is almost entirely intact. The skin of your forearm has... been peeled back to reveal sinew and muscle beneath. Oh, good. That's

disgusting. You look down and you can see that your body has been removed from a bit above your belly button. It took my penis. They took your fucking dick. What do you mean? Hang on. What do you mean? Wait, so

what? Is he just a top off? Am I just... You are one arm. You're from just a your belly button up and then... You robocopin? Son of a bitch. You don't know how much of a face you have left right now.

Well, you would at least be aware that you are looking through one eye. Okay. Can I... Okay. I then, I guess, to test out what...

Okay. Slowly you begin taking in the room. Well, I don't think I would. Can I wiggle my fingers? On which hand? The hand I have. The hand you have wiggles its finger. Yes.

Okay, I, um, okay, I close, I open and close, I can try, I try and basically wink, but not wink, but there's no, I want to blink with one eye. Which is technically a wink, yeah, but I'm not, I'm not, I'm not being saucy. Which left or right? I'm, I do my right eye first. You attempt to wink your right eye and nothing happens. And then I do my left. Your entire vision blocks out and comes back. That's cool. Can I move my tongue?

You attempt to open your jaw. Oh, no. You realize that your tongue is hanging out of your mouth because you haven't a jaw. But I can move my tongue. Okay. It's going to be really hard to take down struts. You just got to find most of hecker, which is not in this room. It's become very complicated.

On the tables all around you, you can see what you imagine to be most of you. you has been dissected and taken apart. Right. All right. I, shit. I look around, actually. You look around? Is Gretchen around?

I look around. No one is in this room, save for one other entity. You hear them almost before you see them. Some, like, utensils get scattered about. You hear, like, a metal tray hit the floor, and you wheel around to see... Pep. Oh, hi-oh. She's scrambling around.

She looks over at you. What did she do have? A week. A week. A week. A week. Can I naughty? Hmm? Cut it on it, you, Eric. Hmm. She taps you on the chest?

I mean, that wouldn't hurt. It's all hurting anyway. Yeah, exactly. You can't add more pain to pay. It's a dull, aching throb, but it is not sharp and agonizing pain. She taps you in the chest, and you swing back and forth. a little bit. That's horrible.

Truly awful, Adam. That's horrible stuff. Uh-huh. So long, so long asleep. Asleep for so long. She tried to wake you up many times, many times. I'm too good at. What did Pip say?

I can't read it. He spoke. He spoke about me. I kind of look around. Did he say the letters? The letters? The letters? He did.

He did. She turns away and starts scrambling again. I can't even nod. No. I don't, yeah, you kid. You sleep, you sleep for so long, and I have so many questions. Very sketching. Hmm?

Where is Gretchen? The woman? I nod. I try to nod. Below, below, far below, the dungeons. Is she okay? I don't know. Maybe.

She, Ivana, pep taps her chin. Hmm. I don't think she's gotten to Gretchen yet. at Gretchen? I nod. Why? Is Gretchen know PIP? I shake my head.

No. Gretchen knows pop. No. She doesn't know PIP, I mean. I shake my head, no. Like, there must be pop. Must have pop. Must no pop.

No, if she doesn't know PIP or pop, she must know pop. Must know P. Obviously. Or Papp or? How am I alive? Hmm? How are you? I don't know.

Handshack. Hmm? A hand check. What? What? What? You hear footsteps of someone approaching, and Pep says, oh, I'll be back, I'll be back, I'll be back. I'll see around.

Avana walks into the room, dude. You are awake. Uh-huh. Yeah. Avauna loving. caresses your cheek I don't move back

because I come Yeah She leans in and she says I found them You're behind Your wings Oh Please let me

She looks around Put you back together My poor Poor broken toy I look at My beautiful She starts gently caressing both of your cheeks, my beautiful, wind-up toy.

Hector, you experience a moment of excruciating pain. Can I go unconscious? And then blissful unconsciousness takes you again. Thank you, Adam. You are kind. You kind man. Wow. Okay.

Hector. I gain a level intro. Yeah. Yeah. Hector, you're standing in darkness, an abyss again. Oh, okay. At least, I look, okay. You can hear bells.

Okay, at least I can't, in the abyss. Am I have fully bodied me? You have your body in the abyss. Okay, I just start like, like, I guess, scrunching up, like, bawling up my hands and just like, yeah, bawling up and letting him go, just like, mm-hmm. You hear bells. Okay, okay, I can talk.

All right, I start rubbing my jaw. I'm like, okay, I just, I just get, you know, you're just like, you know, you pat in your body because you're like, hey, I don't know where I am. This could be metaphysical. This could just be in my, in your house. My little mine palace, like that. My mind palace is a void. That's good. Anywho.

Sometimes it's your childhood home. Yeah. Okay. All right. Bells, palace. I look around for the bells. Or the where the noises The church that you grew up in

At the church You're just outside You're nearly blinded for a moment The sunlight beats down upon you You're somewhere warm Your skin feels warm Your clothes feel warm The earth beneath your boots

Feels warm You look around You see you're out the front of the church The bells are tolling for midday And you can tell that a service Is happening inside the church Penneur is really shining today. I head towards the service.

All right. You step inside the church. Any iconography, it is identical. It is the church that you were raised in, that you were taught in. Any iconography of Peña is smeared. It's just a blur. You cannot see any iconography of the sun or of Peña anywhere here. When I said Pena, did anything try and stop me?

Like, could I try and... Okay, that's good. That's good. Didn't come out of... You can see there are many people here. I start darting around. I start looking at all the icons. I look at maybe what I'm wearing, like, the sun.

You would be wearing what would be a sun amulet, but it is smeared. It's like you're wearing a smudge. All right. Okay. There are many people here in robes. They are all quietly praying. You can see that there is a person. leading the ceremony, you recognize this person, they are the person who spoke to you

the last vision, but they look completely different. It's a man now. It's an old man with that friar tuck type hair. He's wearing the, he's wearing the robe, same robes as everyone else. He has the medallion, but it is also a smear. But this is the same person. This is the friend who spoke to you last time. A friend. It's nice to see you here. Hector. Yes. Please, he gestures to the pew at the front row. I had the strangest visions, I think. I don't know.

Hector. Good to see you again. You know they are not visions. I was hoping I was the dream of reality. The friar is taking your hands in his hands and he says, Hector, these visions are the lie. A comforting story. for me to tell you while a terrible thing is done to you.

I mean, and you're saying that it is reminding me of the terrible things that have happened to me. So it's not that comforting, to be honest. He's kind of worth it. He could have really, really lent into that. The friar sits down next to you. I wish, Hector, I could give you a happy moment from your past, but I fear you have none.

Hector sits in that? Too long. Hector, when was the only time, the last time you were happy? Happy for yourself? I mean, it wasn't that long ago. Well, I got strawberries for a friend. A nice thing to do for someone else. But when are you going to look out for number one?

And your friend taps you in the chest? I mean, I I After that I I basically tried to I did so much

I did to save Iris That was a good I was happy That she was alive I was happy That she was cured Happy for her

Happy for Pip When have you been Happy for Hector I saved The children That were bit Happy for the children Hector

When were you happy for you. I, the dog, I saved the dog from being sacrificed. That was... Hector. Hector, Hector, Hector, Hector. Tearing so many parts of yourself

off and giving them to others. I spent time with the Birge Master in Huchery Alain. That was... Burgermaster Tomak. Were you happy for her?

Happy for you. To be honest, I think I was a little scared. Hector, so selfless. You came all this way for a girl you knew for a week, maybe. How is Tiffany? The last time I saw her, I mean, her father was a hero of, well, they say never meet your heroes. You were putting yourself through all this for her, and then when you're done with this, you're going to go help her again.

again? Well, whatever has taken over Sir Grace is a threat to the nation, to the world. How so? Whatever was controlling the seer before. You're so busy worried about everyone else. You forgot, Hector. You forgot to live. Well, I look around. Maybe that is what happens when you are raised by the church. This is what happens when you are told that you are the front line against the demons and the devils that will be coming in to the world. That is what happens when you are told that you need to be the one to stop them. You don't have time to think of yourself.

Friend puts up his hands. I'm sorry. I'm just wearing the clothes. Hector, I feel like we've turned the corner Look, hey, all I'm giving you right now Is a piece of, and he says this like he's really happy with this line I'm giving you a piece of friendly advice Anyway, our time here is almost done It's okay Hector

The favor I promised you last time Hasn't actually happened yet This little thing he says and he gestures around This is just a sign of good one will almost. I'm not asking for anything for this. Right, you want to do. But for the next thing I wanted a favor. I remember.

That I need a favor for. What do you want? What do I want? Hector. I want what Pennyer wants. I want what Eileen wants. Hell, I kind of want

what Straud wants. I want you back in the material plane. That's something I guess we can all agree on. You got to promise me, Hector, because I know you're going to be tempted to stay. I look around. Not here. He laughs.

He maybe does laugh. Not here. Tempted to stay well. I'm then in Borovia. You're going to be tempted to stay because you're going to see all the pains of Borovia and you're going to want to try and help them. But Hector, all I need you to do, the favor I want, is for you to help yourself. All right, it taps you on the shoulder. I'll see you.

Don't forget, all you need to do if you want to talk to me is call for a friend. Call for a friend. Save myself. That's what I am, Hector. I'm your friend. I'm the only one who's going to tell you what a friend should tell you to look out for number one. Feels very counterintuitive to me. Everything else I have been taught. Hector, you wake up. Once again, every part of you is agony.

Okay, I don't open my eyes just. Yeah. I listen out. I try to feel. I try to be like, what the thing? I move my tongue. You can move your tongue. It's inside a mouth.

Thank God. Okay, all right. Then I open my eyes. You open your eyes. eyes, and Hector, you scream. But for a different reason than last time. Oh, no. You scream because PEP is so close to you that when you open your eyes, your eyelashes brush hers. You're giving each other butterfly kiss. She's a cobbled, right? Yeah. Where's a snout? In your mouth. She rocks her head backwards.

I wake Hello Awake, awake, awake, awake, awake, awake, awake I can talk, I can talk Can I try and move my hand To, like, rub my jaw? Can I do that? You attempt to move your hand

And it does not reach your jaw Not because you don't have one But because you are strapped Frankenstein's monster-esque to a table Great Yes, I'm awake I try to move my head, is my head strapped down as well? Your head is also strapped down

But you have a little bit of give enough give to get an idea of what you're looking at. Can I move my code? Hector, you are no longer your body. You can see stitched lines all over you. Jesus fucking Christ. Hector, you see pieces from all sorts of creatures. What am I?

Okay. Is there equivalent of us like, yeah, the Jesus Christ, of the penia pantheon of just like you know like oh bones above or something like that

Is there a penia equivalent fucking suns No you can make one of Sons and Stars Suns and Stars I think it's already been used I think Sons and Stars

is maybe already established Sons and Stars What is if Oh what has happened I just take a breath I free you Pep says she doesn't care. I free

you. You tell Pip. You tell Pip. Pip comes and saves me. Why don't you come with me? I can't. She says. She taps the disc that you realize is the bottom half of the device that Avana was holding on to.

I can't. She says, and she taps it. What is that? She kills me if I leave. She kills me. But Pip can help. We'll help. Pip will help. One more, one more letter. One more letter.

Pep says. And then she reaches a claw into a pouch and produces a wet piece of paper, which she stuffs into your pocket. I'll make sure that Pip gets it. Pip will read the letter. Pip will love me instead of pop. I don't think he loves pop. Pip will love me instead of pop.

Of course. And then Pip will come and people save. What is the, I kind of tried a gesture to the little bulb thing, but she did that to me. What is it? I take it out. I look at what she's holding. Wait, that is in me?

Wait, that was in me? Pep. Wait, what is happening? Pep lowers herself down a little bit, clambers down your body, and you see that there is an identical one over your chest, where your heart would be. It attaches to your heart and kills you if you disobey,

and it makes you obey. sometimes as well. She does many things through it. I don't understand. But I'll get yours out. And then Pep wraps a hand around the sides of it and planting her feet

firmly against the table. She pulls. I'm about to be like, why don't you do it to your... Hector. Time freezes. Everything stops moving. And then you hear a voice from behind.

you. You can't see just a voice as if someone was standing behind you and the voice says, Hector, it's friend. Here's where the favor comes in. Sorry. She's about to kill you.

That thing's attached to your heart, Hector. What is this expression of? It's kind of... Pained, quiet resignation. Like, quiet. Like, quiet. resignation mixed with like, oh, of course, they haven't figured it out. She's just as clever as Pip.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. She's about to kill you. That's going to tear your heart out. That happens. Look, hey, no one knows the future, but I'm pretty confident that what's left of your corpse is going to get amalgamated into a bunch of different flesh golems. It's nice that I guess I live on.

One of your arms might cave in. in Keening's head. I'm not sure on that. That gets murky. But if you want, we can make a little deal. I've already told you what I want. And in exchange,

this doesn't kill you. I mean, you don't really have much leverage here. Wait, wait, Keening? Keening. He's alive. Right now. In a matter of speaking. In a manner, he's in, um, yes, he's in, he's in, uh, he's in a rough spot right now, Hector.

What I mean he's in a rough spot? He's in a rough spot. Father Lemick is not a friend. Oh, he's up against, I kind of, um, I guess look to the still image of PEP holding this device, which is almost tearing my heart out. You realize, as you look at Pep, time hasn't stopped. It's just moving very, very slowly. I mean, I feel, friend, that you really should stop meeting like this. But okay. All right.

But okay, I guess this is the second time. You would have witnessed me to something for me. Adaboy. Time resumes its normal pace. Hector Pep Rips the device

out of your chest You see the tips of those tendrils come away with little pieces of heart but not your

heart And it looked like it were There is a The tendrils have this They're kind of

frozen in place They have the appearance As if they had been wrapped around something perfectly

heart shaped Wow Pep lands in a heap on her butt. Do me a favor, Pep. Do not do that to anyone else. But thank you. Pep,

starts chewing at your binds? Pep's so scary. Everywhere, it's very similar to you. One hand is free. Okay, I got, I use that head. No, okay. It's like, well, you try to like, take a toy off a dog.

Okay, no, you've got it. You've got it. Got it. You've got this one. Another hand is free. Okay. She clambers her way along the table. You realize she's coming through your neck. Okay, look, I've got this one. I've got this one. I've got... I... Oh, I'll stitch them. I don't mind. Okay. What is... What is still originally me? The parts that I was describing before, everything else is new.

Hector, once you were free, new penis. I got someone else's penis. New penis, new bottle. Nice. Nice, dude. Is it at least better? Hector, once you are free, you can sit up and swing yourself off the table. As you do so, your body moves with a new strength and litheness. Oh, okay.

You are unaccustomed to this new body, and you nearly topple forwards when you sit up. You realize you are stronger now, different. That's very strange. I'm naked, I'm assume. And naked as the day you were born What's the penis sitch? Yeah Hyes or Lowe's

Oh, no Adam, Adam, no Adam, no Hyes Lowe's I will spend any number of good boy cards right now, Adam

You go on Lose? Do I need to spend a good boy card? I will trade whatever you want Lowe's? Yeah, I do, do I? You want Lose? Yes?

Yeah, we're going Lose, going Lose? Help a fella out here Hake him once. Yeah, you've got to be on our side for this dude Adam's going Lose? Yeah.

It's about as good as it was before. Okay, hey, that's honestly, take it. Double or nothing. I'll go double or nothing. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Make you a Ken doll. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're good. You say about as good, like, a bad as in, it's a little bit worse or a little bit better?

It, I mean... Or is it, like, better in some way, like... Like, different, tighter balls longer foreskin. You'd have to wait. wait until you got next got an erection and have a tape measure to know the difference

that's not too bad that's not too bad okay we're all right so like you it's uh he Hector was purple yeah yeah that's true

what are the like we're looking around is it well I'm looking like well that's human that's a bit elf this is a bit orcish

he's like a little patch quilt yeah okay okay can I can I try and He's definitely something else. Yeah.

Is something. Can I lay of hands or something? Am I wounded? You feel no connection to the divine, Hector. Okay. Okay. Can I... You're not sure where it happened.

Maybe it was the conversation with friend in the church. Maybe it was remembering your childhood. Maybe it was something that Ivana did, but you feel no connection to the divine. You do still, however, feel Eileen. She, you would not describe as the divine, but there is a connection to something ancient and sinister that you can still feel. While your soul no longer has this divine connection, Hector, your body. feels stronger and different now.

Hector, you lose all paladin levels and you instead gain fighter levels. Cool. Oh my God. Summon a spear into my hand. You feel Eileen's presence

like a poison through your veins slipping down from your shoulder into your arm, into your hand. You see as the skeletal structure beneath your flesh is revealed and it looks very different to what it was before. You can see

metal grafts keeping bone together and the spear appears in your hand. All right. Okay. I try to remember any basic training

of going up in the knighthood, night of the cloth. where's Gretchen I ask Pep you look around Pep's gone

I look around the room is there anything equipment a loincloth at this point yeah no you've seen

no equipment no okay what else is around here is just one room there's one door to the air and exit there is one door yes it is closed

it is as well I say one door it is two doors in one door way there is you know how There's, you know, a fly screen. Yeah. Imagine a metal great door that exists as a fly screen over a wooden door. Oh, all right. I look, I'm assuming Pep went through that.

Otherwise, I'm not assuming that because it didn't open. She might be hiding under a room. You know. You can, if you want, take a closer look of the room. I look around. You literally just looked around. Yeah, I maybe do a deeper scan of the room and maybe call out, but quietly. You, a deeper scan of the room, as you walk around, you do more than just a boy look.

You actually move things aside. And as you're doing that, you spot that there is kind of like an air vent, you might describe it. There is a hole where you are in, it feels like you're inside a tree. The walls all around you are bark and wood, but not like planks of wood, like a tree grew like this. And there is a gap, a hole. And as you look into that hole, you can't see her, but you can hear pep crawling through. I may be like, pep, pep, pep, good luck. Where's Christian?

Do you, Pip? Where's Christian? Where's Christian? A chin pillow. Get to Pip. Pip help me. Pip love me more than pop. I'm like, how do I get out?

Good luck. can I read the letter the wet letter you take out the wet letter it has a wax seal that you would need to break Oh he would never

Put it back in Okay All right Below I look around the door Can I can I Is it openable Is there anything else in the room

That I can try And There's all those tables I said before but they have been wiped clean. It is a surgical level of cleanliness in this room. There are tools, medical tools, but none of them would be as effective a weapon as your spear.

Okay. Okay. I go towards it all and... It opens for you as you approach. I keep walking. Both doors unlock themselves and spring open for you. You walk into a corridor. Pip.

Yes. you spend the night in the Vistani camp? Yeah, nothing really that I... Unless anybody talks to me, I don't talk to anybody else. You can see Iona is very anxious. She paces up and down a bunch. You can see she's kind of muttering to herself. Every now and then she starts flipping through a book

and she writes down little notes in her own book. Okay, if I see that, I might kind of approach her and, like, watch her for a bit and then be, like, concerned? Concerned? What would that be concerned about? You're just sort of pacing back and forth, very agitated. Well, it's an agitating time. I get it.

Yes, she says, yes, it is agitating. Is it a sort of an antsiness to get inside? I, or. millennial it has been a year, more than, since I have seen her last. I did not know that she was alive. Thank you. by the way. Hey.

Yeah. Is that with sarcasm? Yeah. Yeah. That was sarcasm. Right. Right. Yeah.

It's okay. I'm sorry. I am sorry. Pip, you have been, you are as the dog who has been punished enough. Yeah. Well, I'm glad you think that way. Or I'm glad you feel that way. it is it does not help us at this point to continue to kick you like this yeah i mean i

well yeah i i appreciate that and and and you know even though the circumstances are different you know we are in the same boat in that i haven't seen keening in well longer than a year really or i mean i have seen him but i haven't spoken to him properly you know that the the the There is some reconciliation or confrontation. Yes. And I must apologize for my role in Zat. I understand when Keening came to Kuchari, I did not understand that there was affection. Well, I mean, he wouldn't have, you know, it's not on you.

Well, I need you to understand that it was much happened. in Couturey last year and there was a lot there Hey, like I I've already said

I don't blame you and I don't blame him it hurts but I understand why it happened I guess I just wanted to say that I know how it feels to be nervous

to see your other for the first time in a long time because it's a lot there well yes Keening for myself

well I understand Well, I... Elenial for you, for you. Yes, she says. Yes. There is, I did, well, for me and Elenials, this is, it was, it, there is a lot. It is a very confident relationship. I just, yeah.

What have you told him of your feelings? Oh, as in, like, how I, yes. I mean, I think he knows. I mean. Have you said the words? I'm not I mean I don't know

I've never said the words Never To anyone To anyone Yeah How old are you I don't know Somewhere in my 40s I think

Not even We use this word To mean Many things You have not used it in any context I suppose in my life I've met more people That I've hated

It was a sad way to live. I don't know. I think a lot of it's out of my control. You don't know the people I grew up with. This is true. I did not know the people you grew up with. Was they worse than here in Borovia? Have to think about that?

Define worse, I suppose. This is an unhelpful line of inquiry. and perhaps even outright rude on my part. No, it's fine. But you feel this way of keening? If a lizard could sweat. I would be. I think so.

How do you know it's not just that they feel that way about you? You ask if you do not simply. if you are not simply reflecting what they are feeling about you? Well, if someone say, as well as having never said those words, had never heard those words, how do you be the first one to say? Yeah. Or when you do hear those words or feel that feeling from somebody,

how do you know, yes. yes there is no small amount of courage that must be taken it is there is no way to put oneself out there other than to put oneself out there uh you need not say all the words you might find a creative way of saying it uh but that is not to say that you dance around the words you say what you mean and if you want you can be poetic about it yeah i don't know if i'm the most poetic person in then i would say you should say the words it's very very easy for you to say i mean i do not think so i mean you told me back in couthery that that for you saying those words is easy comes to you very naturally

and it has hurt me in the past it is easy to say but not so easy to say but not so easy to to feel it is it hurts to have a heart that is open yeah it's one of the benefits of a heart that is closed but you know that comes with its own problems a ship at port is safe but that is not what ships are for yeah and what if you say the words and you don't hear them in return how do you come back from that how could anybody iona sits down i have a heard the words, or their absence many times, you live. It hurts, but you live. I'll take your word for it. It's okay, Pip, if you don't know how to move on. You can start with something simple, like not going back. I'd say Pip has probably reached the point in this conversation

where to stay... She maybe picks up on that and she... Yeah, yeah. She stops talking to you. Well, I think Piplish Stephens. Well, yeah, okay. Good chat, I owner. I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to head back to the camp. If I were you? Take a key. Yeah. If I were you, I would stay up tonight, sinking of the words. Yeah. Well, we'll see. I'm pretty bushed. So, you know, it's been a long. We went through the tree realm and that was a whole thing. And a whole thing. And, I mean, it's fading. Now, thank God. but I, you know, I'm oh

time for me to hit the sack I think Iona and and you know all this conversation between I mean like this was strictly confidential just between us gals just

If I live to be 100,000 years old Pip Mandarin not another soul will hear of this conversation All right you have a great night Iona

thanks for the chat sweet dreams As you walk away, you hear Iona plucking at a lute. And you hear her singing, hip mandarin, a heart of gold is heavy to hold. Nope, it became too much. She took it too far. There's quite clear, like, an edge to what she's singing. Like, she knows she's making fun of you right now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't get the impression that she's actually writing a song. you get the impression she's just playing a joke on you I like to think I just go up to like Muriel and just start chatting to her to just completely so sometimes a raven

pretty cool Muriel as you wander over you see she had a little book open and she maybe had that book open with oh do you know that old man's name yeah absolutely

Absolutely not. You would have heard about him in passing at least. He is the patriarch of the Mardikov family and the, as you have discovered, the leader of the way of the feather, the where raven, like, underground resistance against Strad. Davian Martikov. Davian Martikov. Davian and Muriel are sitting in a hushed silence. As you look over, you sit next to them, you see, Muriel has a book open, and you can see that the book is a, it's open to a family tree, and they are, you immediately, after only one sentence, you immediately clock that they are discussing who is alive and dead and making funeral preparations. Oh, no.

Tell me my one sentence isn't, so you're a raven sometimes pretty cool. I think it might Unfortunately have been So you're a raven sometimes Pretty cool Oh Sorry Muriel

Pruning some Pruning the family treat Sorry Didn't mean to say that That came out wrong Pymiel Miriel gives you a look That if you had been on one hit point

Would have killed you Okay Maybe I'd go get some firewood or just leave. Yes, Muriel says, I think you should leave. Okay. I guess I just go into the woods

and just stand like if there's like the firelight and everybody illuminated by it, I'm like five meters back. It takes you, and this is so funny, it takes you a moment, a beat to realize

that there is a figure crouched, not crouched, but sitting cross-legged next to you or near you. You look over and you see quietly sitting, staring out at the fire, not saying or doing anything, is a go-gash. Oh, my God. Sorry if you hadn't mean to impose.

Not coming over for a chat. I'll get out of your hair. Crazy night. Where to go next? Pip. Pip, you have a very difficult night. Yes, absolutely. I guess I...

You gain the benefits of a short rest? Hey, I'll take it. Ooh. Okay. The next day, you are... Well, not breaking camp, because this camp's kind of largely... It's kind of a permanent situation.

You're having maybe a bland porridge breakfast with Muriel... No, sorry, it's just you... Yeah, you, Muriel and Iona are having a very bland porridge breakfast as that placed... you know a go-gash is, you see as a go-gash stands up and starts walking into the camp again. Okay. This time probably he causes a bit more of a commotion because some, you know, there's no such

thing as the sun in Borovia, but it is, ostensibly speaking, daytime. So a lot of people spot as he just suddenly stands up and walks in. And that does startle a bunch of people, but no one pays him too much mind. Mm-hmm. Okay. Does he kind of join us? Yeah. He stands expectantly waiting nearby. So, Gogesh, you seem to have some kind of handle on the situation. What's it looking like in there? It is unpleasant.

Yeah. To be outside is to endure a cold, cold time. For me, it batters against my hide, my skin. I would say it is uncomfortable for me, but for the three of you, it would be hazardous to stay exposed. We may have to move from building to building. Each one could contain cultists who would resist our advance. They will fight against us with a fervor unseen and unheard of.

We will make our way to where I last understood. stood keening to be, and then from there, we will either find him immediately or fan out in search. Right, okay. If we meet the Berger master, be wary. His deity has given him terrible powers. Right, okay. He will be difficult to contain. Once he and his god are dealt with, then we will need to turn.

to matters of Velikai's future, at which point things may indeed become complicated. Right. As my master, and perhaps you, will have conflicting views. Do you have any method of contacting Keening? He contacted me in a dream most recently, other than that.

Well, actually, before I say that, is that the kind of thing that's like maybe dangerous information to give a go-gash? I wouldn't feel like everything would be Well, I mean, it would be very, it's potentially very helpful in that That information might be the sort of thing where a go-gash could then give you good advice But it is also information that a go-gash could use against you in the future I don't say that I go- Okay

No, not that I know of Hmm well then we must just find him in a mundane form Okay The town guard As I am aware Will mostly be fighting for the Berger Master But there might be some There might be some elements

Pocket of resistance Do not assume That everyone there will be hostile to us But certainly There will be hostile elements Right Don't shoot on side We're going to need somebody to run the town

How well are you known By the people of Alachi My last recollection before I was slain is that you were not popular within the village. Has that changed? Well, I mean, we did destroy a big tree that was on the way to destroy. No, no, it hasn't. Most people will recognize you one site. So there will not be much deception that we can perform.

He gestures to Iona and Muriel. The two of you may be a for. some element of secrecy, as you are not as well known. Unfortunately, your proximity to PIP endangers you. I suggest, should it come to it, you kill him in exchange for your own safe passage. I will certainly be planning the same. Not that I fear I will need it. Okay.

Rest assured, though, he's speaking just to you. Ironer, Muriel. Rest assured, though, should I slay Pip or should I watch you slaying Pip? Our alignment is not necessarily in jeopardy. His life is meaningless. Counterpoint. As are yours.

Counterpoint. Keening is quite fond of me. And were I to die, that my damage, if he's instrumental to getting rid of father. He's important. Yeah Yeah Yes

I just Slaying me Like that I'd complicate things I Gagash puts an arm A hand Sorry

On your shoulder And speaks as if he's As if he's reassuring As if he's like No he's speaking Almost as if he's like You're a child Yeah

And you don't understand Something about the world Pipp You must understand I don't care All right Noted Fair enough

in any cash we head for the blacksmith where you I believe found that sigil yes yes yes god

it's like a million years ago we'll head to the blacksmith to the tanner and the blacksmith we will break our way in if we must fight our way in if we must and then from there we will fan out

okay I uh go gash leads the way all right I Can I, is there like a point where it can just, just like fall back with just a go-gash? Well, the go-gash is up the front, so you can jump up to, I'm sure, yeah. And I go, I don't know if you're allowed to tell me this, but what of Hector? Hector?

Is he safe? I understand. I understand the master has some plans with him. The last I had heard, though, is that he is somewhere in the north, traveling with Raha-Di. So not quite there yet? No, not at Castle Ravenloft, yeah. You know. Yeah, you have more current information.

Kind of. But it was in the tree realm. It was in tree realm. It's fading slightly. Maybe as he says that to me, my memory of Hector being taken away by a bunch of horrible mechanical Spider-Men swims to the surface

from my period in tree realm and I kind of like shake my head with Rahadian safe with Rahadian Last I heard That is however Potentially out of date Well I mean obviously we have no allegiance to one another

I mean you'll kill me at the drop of a hat But if you find anything else out You know about how he's doing I'd like to know I will inform you if I can I mean I imagine you have no allegiance to him Anymore The master needs him alive

for his own reasons. Yeah, of course. And you are... Superfluous. Yeah. I will give you information. Do not fear. Rest assured in this, Pip.

You mean nothing. You are nothing, Pip. You are so small to escape the notice of large entities like myself. The small fish goes back into the lake. It's hard to remember liking your go, Gash. tell you that much. I wish I could say the same. All right, well, I guess I'll keep

following a Gogh and get ready to be taken into the ethereal realm. A gogash, as you get to the edge, just before, just as if you were about to step through that boundary and be inside that globe, just before then. A gogash stops.

You see, he plants his feet very firmly on the floor, and then he puts his hand, he points, as if he's pointing at something. He points down at the ground, drags his finger up, and as he does so, it's like he's tearing a hole in the fabric of reality. And then when he reaches the top, it's like curtains made out of the material realm. Well, you're not in the material realm. Yeah.

But it's like curtains made out of reality. He pulls it apart and offers for the three of you to step through. I do so. Iona, Muriel, follow you, and then a go-gash steps behind. Thank you.