D&D is For Nerds - Jarren’s Outpost: EE #10 Ave Maria

Episode Date: March 29, 2025

Chaos spills crimson across the streets of Jarren's Outpost. Missing family members, riots in the streets, gang warfare. And in the middle of it all our heroes attempt to come up with some kind of plan. The attack on Papa Littlelow sends Leo on the warpath, Perriwinkle battles his own demons attempting to instill order amidst the dissaray, and something terrible has happened to Gregg Piss. One of the two moons in the sky is full, and he is changing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's finally here, the board game based on Jaren's Outposts we've been threatening new since 2018 is launching on Kickstarter tonight, or today, or it's already live March 18, 4pm UK time, which is March 19, 3am Melbourne time. So either way, if you've dreamed of playing a board game, designed in part by myself, Jackson and Adam, do I have the best news? We've got a regular version, a Blood Cultie expansion, and a shiny deluxe version you can get your hands on. Just head on over to Kickstarter and search for Jaren's Outpost

and help support this harebrained scheme of ours of bringing one of our campaigns to life in the form of a board game. It's 2-5 players, it's silly, quick to learn, and it's always fun screwing over your good friends. We're going to be demoing it over at twitch.tv slash sanspantsradio during the campaigns, so be sure to check out our socials for updates. And by socials I just mean the Discord and the Facebook stuffer nonsense group. Jaren's Outpost is a bustling city located in the nation of Goldcrest.

A nation that nobody cared about until the king was slain by a bunch of adventurers. Unfortunately, adventurers did what adventurers do, and they didn't think of the consequences of killing a powerful tyrant, and they promptly left the citizens of Goldcrest to figure it out for themselves. For now, Jaren's Outpost is a melting pot of religions, criminals, politics and paranoia, with everyone keeping everyone else in check. But all that's about to change.

Welcome to the enhanced edition of Jaren's Outpost. Piers, where were you? I'm in a gnomish prison. That's right. I spent 20 years in a gnomish prison. With Hannibal Lecter. You know you have Gary the Ghost, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was wondering, with Gary, can a ghost unpossess someone? Unpossess? If you make him possess someone, yeah, you can get back out. Oh, that's real good news, Adam. Oh, what are you going to do? A gnome walks down. He's flanked by two guards

with those plague mask... masks. He walks up to you, brings a chair, sits it down, he sits down on it, and you can tell that he's wearing just the chest piece to a set of armor, gnomish armor. He folds his arms and says, alright then, you wanted to speak with someone important. My name is Governor Tingle Lotbot Fothop Throttle. Ah, right, I'm gonna call you Frottle, but that's very funny. Right, Frottle, unfortunately the information that I have I will not give to anyone other than Erky. But let me know you now that this information is of grave importance to the Gnomes specifically. I'm in charge of Gnomish forces here.

Erky Timbers is just a representative of the Gnomish trading company. Do I believe that? You don't think he's lying. You don't know what's going on within the Gnomish power structure right now. Alright, well he's a skinny. Damien Eaton is amassing an army. An army of the undead. I don't know why, and I don't know how.

But he plans to take the weapon from you. You know a little bit about how. By force, by hook, by crook, whatever he can do. Mm-hmm. I don't want to be caught in that. So I bring the information to you. Maybe I could be a little bit protected by the Gnomes here. What's your thinking?

Governor Throttle nods his head. An army of the undead. Can you tell me numbers? How many dead are in the city currently? Hundreds of thousands? Hundreds of thousands. That's quite a lot. It's worrisome.

Well, this could work to our advantage. What do you stand to gain in all this? Well, Damien Eaton has me shadow. So I was thinking if in the ensuing fray... Where you could get you your shadow. Yeah, well that'd be nice. If you help us bring down Damien Eaton, we'll gladly give you your shadow back. That's wonderful. Also, and you don't have to do this, but it'd be sweetening the deal, the blood cult's got me soul. Whoa, that's some intense magic right there. Yeah, it's rough. We'll promise to help, but we can't make guarantees.

Alright, wonderful. Alright, so there is magic to bring the undead to life and there's magic to control the undead once someone else has brought them back. Now, my mama always told me, don't buy the cow if you get the milk for free. We're gonna give you a little crystal, a device that can control undead.

Damien Eaton summons them, you activate this crystal, we control them. Wonderful. Sounds like an excellent plan. Now, just to check to make sure that you're not telling a little bit of a fear, we have recently procured the services of a certain gentleman who is quite good at these sorts of things. Yeah, right. Soft elven footfalls come down the stairs. That's crying shame. The elf walks up to the bars standing next to Governor Throttle. He's wearing like a nice three piece suit and he's bespectacled. There's a couple

telltale droplets of blood on his glasses. Hello again. Oh, that voice. Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? The gentleman here has assured me that there is a place in the brain that is responsible for lying. Is that so? Yes. Double cross us and I assure you he holds up the rod that you would strip to be blind. I assumed so, yeah. He holds up the rod that Damien Eaton gave you and he starts twirling it in his fingers. I know much more about you than you think I do.

I know that you're in league with damn near every faction in this city. Yeah. Why are you an idiot if you think that's a bad thing? Because that works to your advantage, doesn't it? You betraying everyone you've made a deal with so far works to my advantage. Well, not that aspect of it, but you want to get rid of anyone? Well, I can get. The benefit of being everyone's enemy is that everybody who hates you

wants to see you at some point face to face. Governor Throttle gets up, starts to walk away and says, we'll give you your equipment and the gem. You need to wait until after he brings the corpses back to activate the gem. Once that's happened, do it within his keep. We will take control of the corpses and whatever else he manages to create. And we will take this city, regardless of what some others might believe. And, he points your little rod at you, if you betray us, we won't give it back. Uh oh. It's a pleasure doing business, fella. Take his lips. What?

Governor Throttle leaves. He's gonna take me lips? This'll be much easier if you just... Relax. Told him I shouldn't do surgery on me. I want the ghost to possess the elf. Oh boy. The ghost is in him.

Right. Go tell him you couldn't be bothered or you didn't want to do it something like that make up an excuse swaying slightly looking like he's about to be sick the elf turns about and walks oh wait hang on come back can I just cast alter cell for myself to look like I don't have lips sure yeah I'll do that but don't worry about it do I I don't have my spells back do I, I'll do that. But don't worry about it. Do I? I don't have my spells back, do I? Haven't had a rest? No. Alright, yeah, go tell him you did it. He staggers away from you, drooling slightly. That's fine. I'll just chill in my cell till they let me free. Alright, some guides come by later on. They give you your equipment.

Alright. Plus a glass container with a, it's about the size of a football a green gem Slowly pulsating in it the gnomes explained to you that to activate it you need to grab the top handle and twist it 90 degrees Okay, all right. You're gonna have to keep it secret on you. They mean eat and might know what it is. Yeah I'll keep it secret. I'll secrete it somewhere. Okay. Oh Excellent the elf returns. What are you doing here? The elf slowly? It seems you look sick. Yeah, take me infirmary far with you All right, then come along The note one of the gnomes gently grabs him and starts pushing him along.

He resists, but only lightly. He's slowly being dragged away. He reaches out with a hand towards you. I don't know what you want, mate. Oh, wow. Alright, he's led away as the other Gnome says, you can just use that little thing to teleport now. Alright, where do you teleport?

Okay, if I assume that my shadow is getting got back by that plan, then my next move surely is to reacquire my soul. So I want to teleport myself into the sewers. Alright, specific place. You could teleport straight into the Blood Cold headquarters if you thought you couldn't do it. Make it safe. Yeah, sure. You teleport into the Blood Cold headquarters. You teleport face to face with, uh, Moroni. Oh sweet. Is he the one that has my soul? Yes. He's also the leader. He's got it in a locket around his neck. Can I just grab the locket and teleport? Wow. Wow! Snap! Bye! He goes first. He grabs you by the face, and you feel your energy being sucked out up along his arm. Your cheeks become gaunt.

Any breakfast or meal, the last meal you might have had, you feel as if you hadn't had it. You feel hungry, you feel thirsty, you feel as if you hadn't had it you feel hungry you felt thirsty you felt tired your skin takes on this shallow like awful yellowish appearance like you maybe your liver is failing any old wounds you have begin to open up your many old surgery wounds open up and begin to bleed too good you feel like maybe you're like a tooth falls out. Alright, you take 16 points of damage, it's your turn, what would you like to do? Grab the locket, teleport. This is just... You try to reach out and grab the locket, but Moroni takes a step back. Die, Eton! He screeches at you. What? Die piss!

There it is. He grabs the locket. Yeah, and Takes it off his neck. He holds it out behind him and Throws it against the floor That's a crying shame, but also means I don't have to fuck with a blood cult anymore if it's gone It shatters into a thousand pieces. You're so... OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHUT UP I teleport to above where it'll come out.

Oh wow. You teleport into a wall. It feels really weird to have like a wall in you. Yeah. And then you get what is known in D&D shunted. It feels really weird to have like a wall in you. Yeah Yeah, then you get what is known in D&D shunted Yeah, so you are moved until you are in a safe place for you to stand and every five feet that you need to move You take a d6 damage, right? Holy shit, you need to move 15 feet to get to a place where you are safe.

You take 12 points of damage. Your soul escapes past you moving through solid rock as if it were nothing. So you slam your head up against the wall because it's like half in the wall, half out. Open your mouth as wide as you can and you start catching half of your soul Just though when the soul is completely past you it starts because you didn't catch all of it It's just like slipping out of your mouth It's gone You can teleport again. Yeah the building you were in. Can I teleport to the top of the building and put my mouth over the lip?

You can, yeah. Yeah, I'll do that. I think I've got one left. You teleport to the top of the building, your soul begins to... It's going past you again. Oh, god damn it. You jam your face into the middle of your soul. You start sucking it up. It's like trying to escape again.

Even using my hands pushing it down. Like smoke. It's very difficult to manipulate with your hands, but with your hands, you're able to get the tiny little wisps, the bits that you didn't grab and just... Your soul is back inside. that you didn't grab and just... Oh, fuck. Oh. Oh. Your soul is back inside. Yay!

Greg Piskott is soul back. I imagine I feel better than I've felt in such a long time. You feel amazing. But also you might have liver cancer by someone running to you. You have a rock hard erection. The first one you've been able to properly get since you lost your soul. You think maybe the soul is required to get a stiffy maybe.

D&D abides by straight rules. Oh my god, where's that on my sheet so I can tick it? Reacquire soul! Done! I'll just kick it up here and rest. Jumping back to... Who, where... am I... You both arrive at your different locations at roughly the same time,

but I'll go with you first, Periwinkle. You get out of the carriage, Little Little, they park kind of like around the corner because Little Little is a bit nervous about being seen right in front of the guard house. Fair. You wait here, I'll go inside, and if you hear fighting, that's the cue to come

in. Little, little nods. I got you back. Alright, off we go. The front of the guard house is just a complete mess. There's a large carriage with a four-horse carriage, massive, like a big, like fancy looking number, which you imagine to be the captain's personal carriage. It's got like a rider on the top who maybe

recognizes you and gives you a curtain nod as you pass by, but there's also like a thousand horses hitched here or whatever, not a thousand, but like it's pandemonium. There's criminals being led into the guard house and all of them are struggling. There are more criminals than town guard right now. It's a mess. When you get inside, it's no better. There's dozens of desks, heaped high with paper

and parchment and all different files and stuff like that. There's a handful of town guard trying desperately to work out this paperwork. There's a handful of town guard trying desperately to work out this paperwork. There's a gigantic notice board with thousands of messages like, here's a description of my husband, if you see him please contact me. Here's a description of my son blah blah blah blah. Maybe even some like of pets, stuff like that. Oh Jesus. There's a big map of the city and there's pins stuck in danger points. Little Tigalai has just been scribbled out by someone and a note has been marked next to it saying, lost? Fair. You glance through to the jail cells and they

are shoulder to shoulder full. There are outside the jail cells criminals handcuffed to the bars. Good use of space and resourcing. Guards here are still outnumbered by criminals and they're having trouble doing anything. There's so many people here yelling at a duty sergeant that the duty sergeant has just got his head in his hands and is shaking his head in his hands and is shaking his head slowly to the chorus of a hundred people calling out like where's

my husband, what happened, even mundane shit like we haven't had water for days. The stairs to get up to the second level where the captain is are packed tight. You have to push your way up. I stand up on a table and just yell. Quiet. QUIET! Yeah. You instill quietness in a 30 foot radius around you. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks at you, but the majority of the room continues. Really want to try again. I want to make this room real quiet.

Be like full on Orc scream. Orc! Quiet! Quiet! The bottom level goes silent. Everyone's looking at you, waiting for you to say something. Alright, two things. One, make a line behind the duty sergeant's desk. He cannot hear 400 complaints at once. With a lot of pushing and shoving, a line begins to form. Alright. Now while in that line, if your complaint is about a missing person,

form a line over with this guy over here. Larry. Larry puts a hand up. All the details of people looking for missing people. Larry gives you a very sad expression. I give Larry an intimidating expression that says, You'll do this Larry, you owe me. Uh, a less orderly but nonetheless line forms at Larry. Okay, now I'm going to go upstairs and I'm going to have a word with the commander. If I come back down here and you're all doing the same thing you were doing five seconds ago,

I'm gonna punch people in the face. You don't think anyone is going to question your orders? Good. As you were. And I go up the stairs. The duty sergeant gives you, like, a thank you look. You still need to push your way upstairs just because it's like so packed. That's busy, I get it. This is like where the quotation marks detectives work. It's like,

you know, individual cases. A lot of the detective's offices have been cleared out and are being used as extra jail houses. Beautiful. The office to Captain Tolton, Commander Tolton, is open and there's a guard posted out the front. I'm here to see the commander. The guy looks you up and down. He nods and says, go on. The commander is like across the table from some, you notice them as some, you recognize them as some upper lords and ladies of the city, just like important people with a lot of money. He seems deep in conversation with them. You can tell from the conversation that he's trying to rally support. He looks up when you enter.

Good. I was like, oh, what am I going to do now? Commander? He blushes a little bit, like embarrassed. And he says, um, I need a moment to the lords and ladies. A bunch of them get up, some of them like willingly, but some of them he's like, I need a moment, to the lords and ladies, a bunch of them get up, some of them like willingly, but some of them he's like, I need a moment, please leave, and some of the more pretentious ones get up in a bit of a huff and leave. In among them, you spot Lane Biddlecough.

You know him as a very wealthy spice merchant and also probably, but can't be proven, member of a blood cult. Do I have the suspicion that he's in the blood cult though? Everyone suspects that he's in the blood cult but there's no proof. I might grab him on the way out. Commander, how are you? Please. I take a seat.

Obviously I need to apologize for my conduct. I am very sorry for what I did. Behind him, there's like this massive panoramic window to the chaos downstairs. You can still see the orderly lines though. Got him. He reaches into one of his drawers and he pulls out your badge, sets it on the table and says, it's here if you want it.

Sir, as much as I respect you and this establishment, I'm currently working where that isn't going to help me. He leans back. You're working with the Halfling families? I'm working with people who need help. You're not. Who are you fighting for? I'm fighting for the city, the whole city, so that people can survive to the end of the night so I'm trying to ask you for a favor I guess I'm just bad at it walk with me he says he gets up all right let's go grabs his sword silver steel and he travels with that he grabs your badge as well he's not like offering it he just grabs it you notice

that he grabs and he picks it up you walking back downstairs with him like Moses and the Red Sea people part before the both of you. Even criminals chained to bars and such like that just don't want anything to do with the two of you. I'm going to quickly jump to Leo. You don't need to be there to be between the Chief Priestess Clara and Little O. Everything moves more smoothly with you there. Yeah let's just help each other out and I'll need to get to them sabres without Harry. You do a good job.

Maybe there's even some laughter at the meeting. But yeah, you're not required. You're just the oil that makes sure that the machine runs smooth. The grease. The grease. The grease, yeah. That makes sure the machine runs smooth. Grease, boy.

It's not just a spell. Before you're able to leave though, I'm going to jump back. So, you're walking down the stairs, you're walking through the lobby. He updates you on a bunch of small information, nothing that's really pertinent. Every now and then he gives you a sideways glance as if like, maybe not concerned, but like, concerned whether or not you're going to be returning to the Force. Alright, so as we're walking I basically explain that the town guard need to go to the Gnomes. He nods. He gets a pained expression and he's like,

Yes, I think we might need to make some difficult allies. You say difficult? They're alright, they're good people, they're just scared. They've got their weapon back. I don't know why they're still here. So potentially what I'm suggesting is... Tell them to take their weapon and leave. Possibly. What other point do they have for staying here? You think they can do that? I don't know, but it's worth starting a conversation.

And as literally the only force in this city anymore that isn't going to murder them, I think it falls to you. He looks you up and down. You're like at the front doors at this point. city anymore that isn't going to murder them, I think it falls to you. He looks you up and down. You're like at the front doors at this point, and the lords and ladies are standing outside waiting for him to return to them. You're a damn good cop. You would have made a better detective. Oh, that's good. Oh, that's good. Thank you, sir. That means a lot.

If you want to take your badge, take this. He gives you silver steel. I know you don't like to use swords, but you might find it comes in handy every now and then. Okay, sir. Thank you. Think about my offer, and if you're doing it, you'd need to do it soon. Don't worry. I'm gonna make sure it gets done. Alright. He quickly jots down a note and passes it to one of his second-in-commands, and he like whispers some words to him like he's basically giving him your plan, says

just make sure it gets done, blah blah blah blah blah. Then he turns back to you and says, is there anything else you need? The short answer is, if you have any information on our old friend Papa Shorefoot, that'd be real nice. Ah, I wish I had any. We've been leaning pretty heavily on the families trying to get the various poppers to come to the table. On that? Maybe don't lean so hard on all of the families.

Some of them might be prepared to come to the table if the approach was more diplomatic. We've had several threats, fair enough. Don't worry, my family is safe and I'm ready to do what it takes to get this done. But I'll lean off them for you. Good. He walks...oh sorry, you had something else to say? No, I was just going to say, if he's going to walk inside as the lords and ladies go, I try to surreptitiously grab old mate.

Actually he's walking out with them. Okay. They're like approaching their carriages. It looks like... What's his name? Biddlecough. One last thing, sir, I'd like to have a private way with Biddlecough. I think he can help me with something. He gestures and Biddlecough comes over. The ex-officer would like to have a word with you and he walks over to where all of their like transportation is linked up or whatever. It looks like sounds like they're gonna go like have an inspection of some of the guard houses and like

Talk about improvements that they can make and one last thing commander. Hmm real. Sorry about this and I grab Old-mate spice merchant and just fuck off So This might be very difficult. I know it's like getting the rights to a song is damn near impossible. But if at all possible, could you please just play as much Ave Maria under what's happening right now as you possibly can. I'm pretty sure I can make sure that Jackson could give a lovely rendition of Ave Maria.

Hang on, wait, not just yet. I'll cue you when you need to start doing it. So, Commander Toth standing with like one foot in his carriage and one hand on his carriage looking at you with like this weird perplexed expression, everything goes into slow motion for you. At the same time, Leo, as Little O is walking towards his carriage, Flipchand grabs you, and one last moment she gives you a tender kiss. You turn away from her towards Little Lo as he climbs into the carriage ahead of you. He looks back and gives you a wiry smile.

Everything goes into slow motion for you. Ave Maria! I don't know any of the other lyrics. The Lord Commander's carriage explodes. Whoa! Little Low's carriage explodes. No! Shards of wood, metal and glass fly in all directions.

A giant fireball ripples from underneath both carriages, engulfing everyone within ten feet. Can my light, can a reflex save me? I want to protect Flipcham. You two are both pretty far away, but the shockwave is slowly rippling out towards you. With your huffing reflexes, you turn around and tackle Flipchamp to the ground, shielding her with your body. At the same time, you, without your halfling reflexes, are simply blown backwards into the guard building with the Spice Merchant. You slam into a wall. The Spice Merchant sails through a glass window and out of your hands. Oh fuck. The shockwave rattles you to your bones and then you feel the intense wave of heat wash

over you. The fireball doesn't engulf you but you certainly feel the heat of it. Everything returns to normal speed. You slide to the ground. All either of you can hear is just... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEE EEEEE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE EIE E crying, screaming. There's bodies all around both of you. You, Periwinkle, the bodies of guards, criminals, and even just some civilians who were caught up in the blast. Jesus. Leo, the bodies of acolytes, of penia and gnomes, the bodies of gnomes, gnomes as in with a G-N.

Fuck. The charred remains of both of your mentors are all that you see. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Leo. Smoke. The charred remains of both of your mentors are all that you see fuck fuck fuck fuck Leo smoke all you have eyes for right now is flip sham who's gently sobbing a shard of glass is impacted in her thigh Jesus you begin gingerly trying to help her Periwinkle you have no loved ones nearby all you're doing is scanning the scene Periwinkle, you have no loved ones nearby. All you're doing is scanning the scene. I run over to the window where that fuckhead fell and flew through.

As you get up, you spot down a side alley near where Little Little is. Not exactly where, but near where. You spot a halfling with a shock of red hair, give a wiry smile, and slip down the side alley. You hear moaning inside from the spice merchant I just barely managed to suppress my anger at the redheaded sure foot family the pack of fucking dicks that they are and I go for the spice merchant brutal cough gruff little cough little bit of it. I should probably lane Biddle cough You pick up silver steel. Yeah, maybe almost just reflexively, and climb in

through the window. Silver steel warms in your hands. This is nice. So I'm still inside. He's climbing through the window. Biddle cough is lying broken and bloodied on the floor. He doesn't look like he's going anywhere. Is he conscious? Yeah. I get real close to- People are like running, this pandemonium.

You could do- you could slit his throat and no one would notice. Yeah, I'm not gonna do that just yet. I get real close to Biddlecough. And uh- I'm a friend of the gods! I'm a friend of the gods! Are you also a friend of the blood cult? His face snarls.

Fuck you! Whoa, temper, temper, temper, because you may be a friend of a guard's, but I'm not a guard anymore. And I just put the tip of the sword just to his neck. The sword gets red hot, but not painfully so in your hands. Just like it's excited. Spill my blood and you send me to my god.

Okay, so I'm not gonna spill your blood so you don't get to go to your god, you just get to lie here in pain forever. I can break bones without making you bleed. He starts leaning forward such that the sword starts cutting into him if you don't move it. Do... your... worst! Pull the sword away, don't want him to kill himself. He starts bleeding a bit from his throat. You're gonna show me, draw a map, fuck, I'll carry you. You're gonna show us how to get through the sewers into the Gnomish district.

No. Okay then I'll just break some more of his fingers. You grab some of his fingers and just crunch. They snap, crackle and pop. He's staring daggers into your eyes. Five down, I reckon you've got fifteen to go, so go to the other fingers. They crunch as well. He cries out in pain, but still does not relent. Well then, I'll just keep this fucker alive. For ages.

He'll never get to bleed out. He'll never get to die. You'll never get to see your god. Because get this, I could do this a really long time. You carry him out to where Little Little is waiting with the carriage. He was injured in the blast that broke both his hands. You get to Little Little Little is waiting with the carriage? He was injured in the blast that broke both his hands. You get to Little Little. His driver was kind of like peering around the corner looking at the carnage.

Little Little is sitting on the carriage smoking a cigarette. That the guy who did it? No, the guy who did it was about your height, had red hair. Just like the sure-foots then? He hops down off the carriage. Sorry we couldn't do anything. This guy, we need to take him with us. He's a member of the Blood Cult and also a giant pain in the arse.

I suppose all you need is four walls, a roof and a chair for this guy. Yeah. How many times can we just drive around the block for a little bit? He pats one of the ponies. These girls could go all day. Good. You climb into the carriage you little little and Lane do I know that I don't know that you're there do I I'm on the other side and like within the gnomes but like with an end we go off driving and it's like I could drive for ages again same threat you're not gonna

get any relief any any anything and I'll just... Alright. Yeah and also you're pretty well off, Mr... Biddlecough. Biddlecough. Nice strong family name, Biddlecough. It is a strong family name. Spice Merchant Company, I know all the addresses of your family because you're quite a well-to-do man. Ohhhh. Mr. Biddlecough.

Oh you're using the tactics they're using, Mr. Biddlecough. Oh, you're using the tactics they're using, Amy. Sure, there's a Mrs. Biddlecough, a couple little Biddlecofs, an old lady Biddlecough, and... I don't know about you, but I reckon they break a bit easier than you do. Silver Steel Cools. Okay, that's not good. Who cares about the sword? Don't let the sword control your life! The sword knows that I'm not gonna hurt them though, right? It's a sword!

But I mean, we don't have to worry about that. I'm not the kind of guy who would hurt someone's family, but... I mean, I do happen to know a large portion of the Halfling Mafia. You saying that for him or for the sword? Both. Alright, we'll jump to Leo, because you unfortunately haven't gotten much. I've just been helping save the Gnomes' lives and then they all blowed up. No, a couple Gnomes were killed. It was mostly Acolytes and just like some civilians who got caught up in the blaster.

So how's Flipcham? Is she okay? Is she doing alright? She's shivering. But luckily, surprisingly, there's quite a few priests on her. Bustaketan immediately wanders over. He just quite a few priests on here. I mean like the key immediately wanders over He just puts a hand on her casually. Yep, her wounds heal and he keeps moving Okay, I'm gonna run over to the to the little oh like is the little a little low and try and you Pretty much can't identify the corpse is there his ring You come on Adam give us this Find his body and on his body you can get some of his rings.

I just wanted that ring of protection. I think little, little, little would love it. Yeah. Alright, you take off your pilfer from the dead, a ring of protection. I also don't know that little low's dead, so I can't tell little, little about that. Exactly, this is for your son. I wanna look around, can I know anything, any little fuckers around that might have done this? No, you were too concerned with Flipcham. Can I just yell, anyone see anything? Anyone see anything? Anyone know anything?

No, no one saw anything. The perpetrator probably wasn't even here when it happened, Buster says. Do I have an inkling? Well, this is pretty typical of the sure-fofoots but it could also be someone just trying to implicate them. Like the Quiet Knives would do something like that. It disturbs me how quiet the Quiet Knives have been. Any little-os around here? Any of our crew? Maybe a couple of the suits, tough guys. Alright I want to just grab one of the suits and just be like give the ring to him and be like give this fine little little he was down with the guard tower go tell him what's happened pretty sure it was the sure foots go go now he's gone get a horse whatever the other one okay we need to get these gnomes to safety I like gonna

get it to bust them like buster can we how I don't I don't know how safe the mansion is gonna be anymore. I don't know. I just don't know. Buster says we just have to keep them here so we can find somewhere else that's safe. Okay. Do you have anything that you can help me with this? Weapons? Potions? Anything? Resources? Very low on healing supplies. Another one of me. You go into the store room with him. It's pretty much empty. Yeah, okay. But he's able to rustle up three potions of Cure Mockret for you. Do you want to know how many I have?

Simon? Anyone know of anywhere where the Shorefoots might be or like an inkling of like again where they are going to roughly maybe hang out? They had a place that the docks, they had the jewelry store and the dry cleaning place, but the place of the docks obviously is no longer under their control unless they have a secret way to get there. The buildings in the little Tegelai have just been demolished. The only other place that they could possibly be is they have a place, not a mansion, but a very nice high-rise apartment that was owned by Papa Shorefoot in Blood Cult territory. What's the address? You probably know, not the address, but how to find it. But that's not a place you want to go. It's very heavily defended and it's unlikely that they're actually operating out of it. Okay. But that's like not a place you want to go. It's very heavily defended and it's unlikely that they're actually operating out of it. Sheet. They'll be operating out

of somewhere. It's one of the well of the places that you know it's literally the last place you know. Okay. Okay. Just go for it. What I'm going to do. See you Jim. So another one of our little little low-guide a guys is just trying to like look this might be a long shot, but I want you to go to the Sabres and Ask them like what the fuck they're doing there And can they hear the moans and that maybe they should be worrying less about the gnomes and more about the dragon And what if fuck that is? I'm going to blood town I'm going to blood town you know this means by the way hmm you no longer have a bounty on your head

everything's coming up here which means everything I was paying that bounty everything's coming down through this to the certain point is that no one knows right now I pretty much just got my shadow and then I'm back to square one all right I'm gonna go sure foot hunting. All right, you pull down your hood and go full assassin Come and tell flip sham. I could have told maybe flip sham where I'm gonna go just just in case you need to tell someone Good luck. I might be back. Dad is gonna work. Dad is gonna work Flexax out of a cast that I didn't realize I had. She nods and says, stay safe. Where are you heading, Periwinkle?

We're driving around with... I don't need any information on what you're up to. I'm just driving around with this blood cultist, trying to get him to talk. You eventually inflict so much pain on him that he passes out. Little little shrugs. I don't know what we can do. Me neither. We can take him to Little Low. Little Low's good at making people talk.

Yeah. We'll regroup with Leo. Where were they supposed to be? Back in the town? Organizing with the temple. Organizing with the temple. We'll go to the temple and find out where they are. Hmm. Organise him in the temple. We'll go to the temple and find out where they are. Also, does Old Spice Merchant Boy got anything good on him? You find 900 gold pieces. Awesome.

You find he has a locket, and in the locket is a small masterpiece portrait inlaid with opal, and the locket itself is made of gold. I love how I have all these things and I'm like like I don't actually know what they could do for me it's roughly 500 gold pieces if you want to in brackets that's how much it's worth cool cool on that necklace as well you find a little token of a tree when you touch it it warms and you can tell it as a magical aura about it but you're not sure what it is you can write tree token for that one ah and his cloak when you're patting that down, you tell that it also has a magical presence about it.

A cloak of elemental protection. Whoa. All right, so we're gonna head to the temple and find out what's going on. You arrive at the temple and you see a burnt out carriage husk out the front. Little, little catches sight of it and he catches sight of all the bodies

being the charred bodies being moved away and you hear him start muttering no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no He needs to do this. He grabs one of the acolytes and you see the acolyte shakes his head slowly and says something in return. Little Little falls to his feet, puts his hands up to the sky and wails, NOOOOO! I have a pretty good understanding of what that means I assume.

Little Little collapses and you just see him sobbing. I get out of the carriage and I go over to comfort him, but I'm also looking for you. You don't spot Leo anywhere. Okay, do I ask Flipcham? Flipcham is probably among the wreckage. She's helping supervise taking the bodies of gnomes below. She looks at you, her eyes go a little wide with surprise,

and she hurries over. Periwinkle, what are you doing here? Same thing happened at the town guard, they killed Commander Tornton. She gasps. So I'm the captain now. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.

So I ask her, where's Leo? He went to the Blood Cold section, he's looking for the Shorefoots, they have a... ...some place there? I don't even realise it but but all of a sudden my hands just are all tied around my sword. It goes warm. Shorefoots, eh? Blood cults, eh?

How long ago did Leo leave? Maybe an hour. You might have passed him on the street and not even known. Great. Alright. Well, my plan was to try and... Flipcham, is there any way you know of any secret passages? I don't know the sewers well. What's my relationship like with the Gnomish people right now?

Um... Where do I sit in their feelings? Probably not very well. You were in the, um, well I don't want to say assault, but you were certainly last night present and very... It's hard not to... It just is to your B-suit. It's hard not to know it's you. Fair enough.

But if I went to them as the new captain of the town guard... The new town guard that's different from the old town guard if you speak with Erky perhaps he might Not shoot you, but I don't know I doubt he'd let you in But the Sabres might attack as well. That's fine. Look I'm not gonna do anything stupid. That's a lie Is it yes, I'm definitely doing something stupid. She believes you. You're surprisingly good at lying when you want to be. Yeah, I know. Well, I'm gonna go find Leo in the Blood Cult and um, we'll navigate it together.

I have a pretty handy resource in the carriage. How good are you with like, is Kaden here? Yes, he is. Has Kaden got any restorative potions on him? No, Leo took the last of them. Can Keaton do any restoring himself? I could go ask. She hurries over, grabs Keaton and brings him over.

Keaton says, I'm so sorry. She told me about the commander. It's okay, he... He hugs you. Oh. I don't know what to do, but I can't have him okay. I'm glad I saw you though. Your wife...

Well, she'd like to know that you're okay. I'll let her know the next chance I get. Tell her I'm okay and tell her I'm doing what I promised I would. Hopefully less of the second part. He smiles. But what you can do for me is I need someone who requires urgent medical attention in the back of his car. Of course, of course! He rushes over.

Now what I need... now before you do this, father, is you need to understand that my job, and you know about my job, I've come to confession several times. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha the last person who could now lead the town garden and we're now in a bit more of a grayer than we were. Once you heal this guy, once you see who he is and heal him, you need to just get out of the carriage and just go and help all the other people who need more help. He gives you a very stern look. Also, how do you feel about blood cultists? Would Father Keaton assume this guy knows this guy's a blood cultist? He might. It's a not a very big secret Okay, well, that's good then so he probably wouldn't care who it is well He won't all right so Keaton obviously you know doesn't care about this man

But he cares about them if you start torturing him kids gonna raise a fuss. Oh, you know I'm not I'm not gonna torture him I'm literally gonna use him to help us get find Leo in the Blood Cult City. Keaton, standing in the carriage doorway, looks at him and looks back at you with that very stern expression. Looks like he's penetrating you with his eyes, like he sees every facet of you. If I heal this man, are you going to hurt him? He might get hurt later.

That's unacceptable. There are better ways to do this. All right, then, if I... Pick him up, I tell you what. A man can be compelled in many different ways. He can be compelled by force or he could be compelled simply by his own morals. But there are magical ways to compel someone. Do you know how to do that? I don't, but I know someone who can.

With one arm, you lift, um, you lift Lane and chuck him over your shoulder. You bring him into the small chapel and in the small chapel praying, perhaps for peace, the chief priestess is kneeling at an altar. She gets up and turns to you. What, what is going on? I need this man healed and I need you to put him in a zone of truth Kid and explains. Yeah Lay him on the table

She runs a hand gently over him and channels healing energy into him his wounds don't completely close But he's healed enough that he becomes conscious. His eyes flutter open. What? What? Hold him down. Bang! I'm very glad to do that. She calls upon the energy of her god and goddess to compel everyone within a circle around her to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

First of all, I need to know if the Blood the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. First of all I need to know if the Blood Cult have a way of getting into the Gnomish quarter. Biddlecough spits out the response. V-No! Rise. Gnomes sealed the entrance we used... last night! What about the Shorefoot's entrance into the Gnomish territory? I don't know.

Do you know how to get into Papa Shorefoot's apartment in the Blood Cult district? Yes. Good. Clara looks up at you and says, he may be he'll take you there, but he won't be in the zone of truth when it happens. Hey Keaton, pen and paper please. Keaton fetches you a pen and paper. Alright, Keaton I'd like you to dictate for me. So what I wanted, two things.

The instructions on how to secretly get through the blood cult to get to the apartment. And just the name of some prominent blood cultists if you wouldn't mind. Ralph Maloney is our leader. Okay then. Ralph Maloney is the second in command that the commander gave his orders to. How did I not know that? I'm just angry as shit right now. Alright, now I want the instructions on how to get in.

I assume he dictates that to us. Yeah, he feeds you that information. Great, I take that off and um, just for fun, while he's in the zone of truth. Hey, Biddlecough, do you have a small dick? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha dick he looks up at you and smiles no Wow Clara leans over him punches him once in the face giving him a bloodnose and knocking him out fuck yes all right Kaden you can come with us but you're probably better used here. Uh, Clara.

He's right. You're better needed here. You're the true spiritual guide of this church. I'm coming with you. Yes! Oh yeah! Got Clara on side! Alright, Hagrid.

We are going to bring holy wrath down upon these people. Yes we are. We needed someone to join the fight. I'm so glad it's the church. I kind of want to send a message to the town guard to say that I'm taking control of the town guard. I'll come with. We're going there now. We're going to usurp Moroni. You're taking control. Then we go on to the blood cult. Sounds good. Is there a way to get go on to the Blood Cult. Sounds good. Is there a way to get a message to Leo?

I don't know. I am out there deep in chocolate right now. It's fine. Alright. Let's go. Pierce, where did we leave you? I was lying on my back on the top of a roof having a rest. You have your little rest.

Yep. Can I count that as a rest rest? Yeah, sure, that's fine. That's what I wanted to do. It's like coming on night now for everyone. Right well my basic plan really is wait until Eaton decides he's gonna let loose his dogs of war as it were, that let loose the undead, chuck on the crystal,

sort it out. Till then it's not really much I want to do. Oh, okay. Is there a pub nearby? Yep. Might nip him for a pint. As a lowest. Oh my god.

Highs. You walk into... He's got more lips in his balls, remember? Yeah, I've made myself look less like him. You walk into the Thin Blue Line line one of the most town guard friendly bars You don't even think you walk in everyone looks around at you and Perhaps you're actually standing next to a with a wanted poster of yourself

Everyone stands up alright Every guard in this tavern bum rushes you. Four guards get to you and attack. Alright, one of the guards hits you with his billy club. Another guard, when he swings, you jump backwards and he overextends himself, making himself flat footed for one round. Cool. Then it is your turn. Hmm, leg it for the door.

You run back, you cop another Billy Club straight to the face, you burst out of the tavern into the street outside and you feel weird. You feel sick like you're gonna throw up. You slow down and you stop running. The guards barrel out of the tavern behind you and start forming a rough semi-circle around you trying to surround you. You try to move your arms and legs but they feel so sluggish. You think you're like have I been poisoned? Is this disease? What's happening to me? You fall down onto all fours and vomit. You vomit heavily. You vomit until there's nothing but bile. None of the guards approach you. Some of them are just like, Jesus Christ, piss. What the fuck is wrong with you? All you can think about is like, what is wrong with me? What have I done recently?

Your two hands are like, they're covered in fucking like like just the bile and vomit and you bring one of your hands away, shake it and you notice it's hairy. Oh, very, very hairy. Oh, come on now. Your nails begin to grow at an extremely rapid rate. rapidly rate you look up and you see the two moons slowly rising from the horizon one of them full the other one half when you look at the full moon you feel ah ah something's happening to you oh wow do I feel like a blackout okay there it is oh my god that is such a good fucking payoff Oh wow. Do I feel like I'm moving? Oh wow. Lock out. Okay, there it is.

Oh my god, that is such a good fucking payoff. Greg Pierce the Were-Rap. Shane left his fucking mark on me. I'd say it works in my favour. So what are you two doing in the night? You're just going out to Shorefoots? Yes. I've made a beeline straight to the Blood Cold Town and I'm just being like anything with

red head I'm just trying to assassinate. So you've killed some Weasleys. Yes, and an aerial. When all is said and done, you've found and killed 14 operators for the Surefoots, people you know are heavies, mussels. You maybe even find a member of the Surefoot family, like a distant relation, a cousin or something like that.

Just walking down the street you recognize him, you're like, fuck you. When he passes an alley, you chuck a rock. He goes to investigate, you come up behind him, grab him from behind, jam a dagger into the base of his spine. Yep. He jerks once, tries to cry out, you whisper, The Pupp-a-little-o. He jerks once tries to cry out you whisper the Papa little Stab him in the base of his neck. I would have gone for Papa little I sense regards. Yeah Papa little I sense his regards Another one is maybe like a high-level made man within the sure foots He's like round behind a tavern taking a piss you

creep up behind him with a garrote, wrap it around his neck, turn around, and you, you're kneeling, holding the garrote over your shoulder as he is stretched out over your back, jerking. He dies with his cock in his hands. Dude, piss flailing everywhere. Do I get any information?

You kill another 32 just red-hedged halflings. LAUGHTER You're a one-man warpath. Wow, you're scarier than me. You get no information, though. I just keep working my way to that apartment block. I want to collect as many knives and daggers and swords that I can just be utilising when I finally use, like,

throwing out knives and everything. Sure. We don't need a number. You just get a bunch. Yes. Leo? Mm-hm? You spot a little old carriage. It's got the characteristic, like, black markings, stuff like that. Probably even maybe recognise the driver on the carriage trundling towards where you're going. Alright. Oh, well, then I kind of quickly...

Not quickly, but quietly make my way towards the carriage. Alright. Little Little's not with us I don't assume. No, Little Little is um... Grieving. Too distraught. He's got nothing. You and Clara both hear a telltale fwoomf of something jumping onto the back of the carriage. Huh. I get that sort already. Silversteel is ice cold in your hands.

Clara has drawn a morning star? I tell Clara that drawn a morning star. I tell Clara that it's real cold. Whose is that? This is the commander who gave it to me before I died. Silver Steel. I know the sword. It warms in the presence of righteous vengeance. Oh.

Perhaps the sword is informing you that you don't have beef with whoever that is. Leo? Yeah, by this time Leo has opened the door and walked in. I was sitting down next to you. I was about to drop a bunch of red-headed locks at his feet. Got a few. Nice. Nice saw.

Thanks. I got it from the commander. Sick. He's dead. Damn. I'm sorry for your loss too. It's okay. We're getting revenge.

Clara looks between the two of you as you have like an awkward, I'm sorry your father figure died. I'm sorry your father figure died. He was a good man I think. I'd say I'd run a father figure party. It is sad. It is sad. But we don't talk about our emotions and we just become like, nah, nah, it's fine.

We're meant toxic masculinity. It's alright for boys to cry. No? Half-blocks don't actually have tear ducts. Even if it were true, I can't. But don't worry, like, it's fine, after this we'll get revenge. Speaking of revenge, I have a plan. It's a terrible idea.

Sure. Good. You arrive at the headquarters to the town guard. It's still pandemonium. The line remains. Hey! That's good. The chief priestess stays by the door. She says, if you need me, call for me. We go in.

Where's Ralph?