Dice Shame - 132 | 'Red Flag'

Episode Date: April 21, 2022

Truths come to light as the team heads into a much different Everlund than the one they left behind... Comedy, action and a whole lot of shaming come together in Dice Shame, an Actual Play Podcast of Storm King's Thunder by Wizards of the Coast! Join our GM Jo; her partner Harlan, his brother Alex & their best friends Justin and Rob as they tackle the daunting world of Faerun in this legendary adventure module! Dice Shame is a podcast that welcomes its audience to the gaming table. Like the games they play at home, they try not to take themselves too seriously. The show aims to be entertaining, inclusive, and irreverent, while still taking the rules (somewhat) seriously. Join us every Thursday morning for brand new episodes available on all major platforms including; Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and more! If you haven't checked it out yet... what are you waiting for?!? Content Warning: swearing, violence, horror, mental illness and suicide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We shouldn't have let that mammoth go. That could be kind of awkward. Now, that wasn't his name. I asked him. And I'm not saying Rails, anything like that. No, I know, it's all right, Jack. We get drunk and we do silly things. I mean, hey, Doren, he said there's hope. The legendary axe on his back.

Hey, uh, you got any weight of disguise? Just, uh, hushed down now. I had never met a dwarf of your caliber or your type. You can, you can see those words cut. A look in your eyes. And then he'll be like, oh, thank you so much. I need to protect you. Like, I couldn't back in that marketplace.

You mean you had something to do with the assassination attempt on my life? Welcome back to Dishame. This is episode 132, Red Flag. MVP this week is my friend Aesan Rahi, who's been a long-time friend and now a long-time listener. Thanks so much for being a part of the show. buddy appreciate your support and friendship thanks a son parkdale haunt is a chilling podcast that follows protagonists claire and judith as they renovate the old house they've just inherited but it's not all drywall and detergent for the two friends things start to go wrong pretty much immediately and the found footage style format at the show lends itself perfectly to chill listeners to the very bone parkdale haunt has received glowing reviews and if you're a fan of the genre you should definitely give it a go it's spooky

All right, should we play some D&D? Let's do it. As you travel, the familiar scenes of half-burned farmhouses, covered in snow, reminds you of your unfinished business with the dwarves from Jalenthar. It's late morning on Hammer the Third when the walled city of Everland appears on the horizon. So then the plan is still, we head to Evelyn just for a show. short time, I get some health potions, and then we head down to Brianna's well, right? Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean, I think it makes sense to check in with Calliope, see that she made it all right, and, you know, take the road east to Jalenthar and forward the river there and then head straight south to Barona as well. Jalenthal, eh? Huh? I'm just hoping that Chaos Hammer doesn't pay much notice to us if we do have to pass through Jalenthar. That could be kind of awkward.

I'm not going to lie. Well, those are our options. I mean, we don't have to go there, Orrin, if you don't want to. No, no. The road is far easier to take. And you know what? I'm not afraid.

I'm just, our duties here are far more important than, you know, what their concerns are with the king in Citadel. But, I mean, you have a point. What if, as passing through Jallanthar, they do want to stop and talk? Are we just going to say, we didn't have the time? Or is there anything you want to do actionable right now

that might help that when we get there later today or tomorrow? We didn't have the time, and that's the truth. And number two, you know, they're trying to blackmail me. You guys all know the truth. Right. There's nothing really that they can hold over my head here. I, you know, I don't think that we're going to be concerned about getting into a big battle with a bunch of dwarves. I mean, I don't see that happening.

So besides a little bit of awkwardness, I'm fine. I got to admit, the thing I'm worried about, is if we roll up on KS. Hammer's dwarves and we find they've burned another village and ousted another group of people. Yeah. He's not on anybody's team right now. He's kind of a loose cannon

and he doesn't seem to care much for civilians. That's the part that worries me. And when Doran and I were up in Silvery Moon, there were a number of supplies taken from Everland through Emeris. That's right. That might have very well had a hand with the Jalentard dwarves.

Again, they might have spread out a little bit. I think you'd bring up a great, Point, Jack. If they've turned straight up to banditry, well, maybe we need to deal with them like bandits. Maybe there'll be more word once we reach Everland. Yeah. Locals might know more. Maybe some of the refugees we could connect up with, see what they know since we last ran across them. Yeah, good thinking. Good thinking. And there is a, there's a pause. And Kralath says, all right, I need to bring something else up. We shouldn't have let that mammoth go. We shouldn't have let that mammoth go. That could have been at least three months worth of food, and we just let

it wander off into the wilderness. What were we thinking? That's a lot of jerky. Look, I read its intention. I looked into its eyes. I used my animal handling, and that thing wanted freedom. Now, none of you could have stood there and kept another poor creature captive under my watch. The thing, deserve freedom, especially after having those terrible nose. And as if on perfect Q, Kraloth's stomach just rumbles really loud. Noromath's going to have a great life out there. Now, that wasn't his name. I asked him. Stop putting names on others. You're putting too much of your own projections on others. They're not elven.

What was his name? Cluth. It's around midday when you reach Everland. You're familiar with the city now. It's been a few times that you've been here together as a party. And it's steeply pitched roofs and colorful banners are a welcoming sight. Hmm. Everland. Is this the geese town? This is the geese town.

Of all the things not to like about Everland. Neverland? Where's Never, Neverland? Neverland. Neverland. It's beyond the second star. As you enter through one of the city gates, you see that the number of refugees from the surrounding countryside has exploded. There are people all over the bell market.

Tents and lean-to's occupying. alleyways and green spaces and their residents are gathered around cook fires and tending to children. What the hell's a cook fire? He's an old fire cook fire? No, I always wonder why. Candles aren't cook fires.

Forges aren't cooked fires. No, they're not. You can cook anything over a fire. You can cook anything on a candle. Mammots. It takes longer. Candle fires and cook fires. I'd like to roll a perception and see if I can pick up any conversation

as to why there might be an increase in... Like, the assumption is that it's dwarves, but, you know, maybe there's... I'm sure that if there's, like, all these refugees, you'll hear, chitter-chatter. Chitter-chatter, let's get at her. That's gonna be an eight. Whoa.

Nice. I'm very perceptive. Yeah, it's just kind of a bit of a hubbub around. You can't really pick out any specific information just by walking close to people. Okay. Okay. I'm also going to roll perception

because I'm very observant I have a natural perception of 17 You can even read lips I can yeah And I don't get to use this feet very often So maybe Doren's like I don't know I have no idea why there's so many refugees It's not making sense

Let me see what I can piece together buddy I can't even I can't even understand what people are talking about Red what are they talking about Where are they all here? It's a 25 Holy shit Whoa let me see

Red scans the crowd and locks eyes with someone and then their lips that's good I read it I'm imagining Fred looking at like so intently in someone's eyes and then just like slowly

traveling down their face and just stare you know it when someone's staring at your mouth when they're talking oh it's the best Redd you learn something that's a little bit chilling

that these These refugees were roused from their homes by the dwarves of the Nightstone Four, a band of mercenaries and thugs who claimed that they're occupying territory surrounding Everland in order to safeguard it against giant threats. And several different people use the name of your party. Oh boy. And I feel like Red maybe read someone's lips from far away. and then he just like leaves the party and goes you see him sort of talk to somebody for a second he goes to someone else talk to someone and then he comes back like just to confirm what he's picking up you know rather than just take it at face value because it's a lot of information to gather from one person just reading their lips yep and then like i kind of picture you like push us all into like an alleyway yeah and i like all right listen um something's wrong i think those dwarves i think those dwarves went ahead with their plan

to use our name. It seems like they acted on behalf of the Nightstone Four when they threw these refugees out of their homes. Well, that's not good. That must have been their plan all along, Doran. Had you signed it, I can't imagine what would have been different, so obviously you did the right thing. It's definitely nothing we did, right?

I don't remember burning a town down. I don't think so. You guys do tend to kind of... We got really... We get drunk and we do silly things. We might as well have. I mean, we came to Jallanthar a month or so ago. I mean, we never came back to Everland.

It's entirely plausible that people would have seen us in town. And then remember the hunt lords. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if the name is a little tarnished around here. I'm curious what the baker thinks. Yeah, yeah. We established the orphanage in Everland under the name. of the Nightstone 4. I totally agree.

I mean, they would probably have a pulse on it, but also, I don't know how recognizable we'd be. Like, it's entirely possible that if Valharo or anyone else in town that we associated with ended up, you know, making a scene of it, I mean, he was sort of the magistrate of this town, was he not? I don't remember the interaction that well. He's a, I mean, he's a major player, but he's, you know, I don't think running the town.

All I mean to say is remember how, despised the idea of the dwarfs were when we first came into Everland. It's possible that if they're using our name, that that could also be on us. And because of that, and Red Lake puts his hood up, we should be mindful of maybe where we go.

Kralas, right, we've got to get to the bakery. Yeah. Yeah. And maybe, you know, if if it really is the dwarves at Jallanthar and they're just using our name to tarnish our, as I say brand, our brown.

our reputation, then, you know, nobody would recognize us. And in fact, that kind of works to our advantage in some respects. But regardless, I think you make a good point, Red, that we should probably just keep low profile and as we make our way through the town here. Well, I wouldn't mind doing a little bit more sleuthing. Doran, if you want to stay with me and help me out, I wouldn't mind trying to poke around and see exactly if there's any sort of damage done to the four of us, not just the name. But if you want to go with the bakery, are you willing to as well? But is it a smart idea hanging around with a dwarf if it's been the dwarves that have been causing all this havoc?

Doren, Doren, and Red puts a hand on your shoulder and be like, it's going to be fine. It's not your fault. They would have done this anyway. And additionally, I'm sure there are plenty of dwarves in town. They're not going to just cast as Sunders. on one race of people because of the actions of a few. Some of the refugees are dwarves I saw, too. True, okay.

Yeah, I'll stay with you then, Red, and I'd like to know some more, and maybe we can start correcting some of these rumors. Who knows? Hey, that's not a bad idea. Let's meet up in an hour or two. Dorn and I will come to the bakery to find you, too, in a little bit.

Sounds good. Sounds like a plan. Mm-hmm. Good luck and save travels. Watch your back. I think Red walks around, corner a little bit, and instinctively, he's going to cast, for the first time, disguised self on himself. Oh. Oh, that's right. You're just doing on yourself. Well, admittedly, a dwarf

in and amongst many other dwarfs is going to be tougher to pick out. Right. Then at Tabaxi. But at Tabaxi, especially the only one of its kind in most of this area, is going to be really, really tough. Are you doing this with your tattoo? Yeah. So my tattoo allows me to have that spell. So I'm going to cast that on myself. So what do you look like now? Red immediately transforms into this maybe six foot one male. You know, he's sort of got longish blonde hair, chiseled features, and he looks identically to the actor we know and love is Kevin Costner.

But in Feroon doesn't exist. Yeah, so Red's like alternate disguised form is just literally Kevin Costner. And with Red's like accoutreement, like all of his gear and stuff, he just looks at like Kevin Costner and Robin Hood now. Great. And he turns the door and he's like, wow. Yeah, you might want to change your appearance in some way, maybe actually funny, before you even said anything

about changing your appearance. Doren's like straightening his hair, trying to like, you know, put down all the The way that you, like, lick your hand and yeah. I'm like leaning down into puddles on the street. Not alone the legendary axe on his back that is immistakable. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rubbing the water off on my face from puddles and like washing off the dirt and the mud and the blood. I love the idea of Doran being disguised is washing the mud a lot. Dorn is less recognizable when he's clean. He'll pull out one of those cloaks from the bag of holding and they'll hand it to you.

And then I put the cloak on and it covers up it looks like I have a big backpack though. Nice. Yeah, you hear a little muffled voice from underneath going, you'll be afraid of who you are. All right, just hush down now. Yeah, and I think Red and Doran walk off towards the refugees and begin sort of poking around a little bit. Jack and Crayloth, you cross the Bell Market toward where the bakery slash orphanage is. And you see that the sign that the baker had proudly painted indicating this to be a orphanage founded by the Nightstone 4 is now missing from the front wing.

though. Although, looking inside, it does seem that there are a number of refugees who are being fed. Looks like maybe this is a soup kitchen now. Excellent. We go inside. Hold the door open for Jack and look around. I imagine it's very busy in here, right? It is very busy. It seems like all evidence of the partnership with you has been scrubbed from this place. However, it seems to be a fairly efficient soup kitchen, probably run by the city, you would guess, by the look of the volunteers, although you do spy the baker in the back who looks over the tops of some of these refugees' heads and sees you come in. Yeah, I think I make sort of a straight line back towards where they are at the back.

He holds up his hand, and he gestures for you to go out the door. All right. I will leave and maybe walk around back. Try not to make ourselves too noticeable. Yeah, definitely us. Adventure is known for their subtle, subtle looks. Clearly a wizard followed by the happiest golden retriever in the world and a giant man in armor. I guess we're probably not welcome around here. In the back alley, besides some barrels, the baker lets himself out of a rear door and gives you kind of a panicked look.

Looks like it's been a time around here. What are you doing here? Just passing through what has happened since we left. We're hearing all kinds of shit done in our name that we have no association with. I've heard the rumors. What of the Nightstone for purportedly done? All manner of ill things to these people that you're responsible for the displacement of towns. Listen, I thank you so much for having financed the initial investment in this property.

for everything that you did for the children six weeks ago, but you have to leave here before you're recognized by anyone else. You may not be immediately known to most people, but I recognize you and I won't be the only one. And I don't know what to make of all of this, but I have to take care of these people. I mean, we saw that in you, and that's why we picked. you with this we've got some more funds we'd like to drop off if that's acceptable if not we can make ourselves scarce that we're supposed to rendezvous with with the other two in an hour listen i am funded by the city i don't know that i can accept money from you i i hate to say it but i don't know where it's come from so i wish you well on your journeys and i hope that

all of this gets cleared up soon me too be well and he goes back in the back door. Well, we're not winning any hearts and minds. Kralath reaches into a bag on his hip, and he pulls out a black wig that he picked up in Yarder, and he puts it on his head and snugs it into place, and it's slightly askew, and he looks at Jack and says, hey, you got any way to disguise yourself?

I mean, Jack, minor allusions. a different hat on his head. That's the best I guess. That's all I'm willing to do. Look, Carol, it's just like deadpan stares at him. Like, it's just a different hat. It's a much less descript hat. I don't know.

I think he does his best to sort of... Something only a true fashionista would notice is... Occupy an illusion of him looking a little bit dressed down, but it's not necessarily his strong suit of magical talents. That's great. What does your new hat look like? I mean, it's really just one of those ones with the flas, like a winter hat with the flaps and the tucked up wool fur kind of thing.

So I forget what those are called. It's just a very cozy winter hat. You guys are incognito. Deception 100. Incognito. We maybe should try and stick in one place to minimize the amount of people who see us. You know what I mean? Meanwhile, Red, Doran, what are you guys doing?

Yeah, after disguising himself, and, you know, stepping a little ways down the road, Red turns to Doran with a little bit of seriousness in his eyes, and he drops his guard a little bit and just says, look, thank you for agreeing to come along, but the truth is I don't, I want to talk to any of the refugees. I wanted to talk to you. I haven't stopped thinking about the other night with you and me.

Neither have I. I thought about something important. You remember there were no options, right? and Red pulls out Kraloth's ring. And as they sort of walk into an alley, he slips it on. The ghostly figure of Captain Tranieros

clad in his grave dirt-stained, heavy armor with glowing eyes, walks around the corner of the building and stands there staring at you, red, with his arms folded across his chest. He's here again. And he says to you, What do you want?

Look, you told Doran and I the other night about what happened, that you told Kralov that he had to kill himself, that he was an abomination, and you said there was nothing else that could be done. That's right. There's no way to cure Kralov of this vile mutation. Look, we took that at face value, despite our objections, right, Doren? Right.

I was thinking about something old today. When we were in Silvering, Jack's mom, she waved her hand and she removed some sort of curse, some sort of thing that made these hunt lords track us down across all of Fyroon. So you can't stand there and tell me that there's no way to make our friend whole again, to bring him back to life other than him just ending his life. I won't believe it. If magic exists that can do something that powerful, then either you don't know about it or you're not telling us.

And Red sort of nudges Doran, because he hadn't had time to tell this to Doran. He sort of thought about it on the walk in last night. Right, Doran? Right. Yeah, tell him, I say right. And he says, well, he can hear you. Oh. Yeah, but you just can't hear him.

He's looking at you now, actually. He looks kind of angry. Captain Traniero shakes his head, and he caresses the, pommel of his sword as he heavily walks down the alley towards the market and looks out at the life happening and people walking around. He's looking at the people walking around. He seems really introspective. Okay. And then he turns back. It's been many centuries since I've walked these lands. What's he doing now? He's talking now. Under the volition of a beating heart and breathing lungs. What did he say? Shut up. He's talking. If such a spellcaster or magic item

exists. I could not tell you where to find it. Can it be done or no? Shut up! No. Krayloff's fate is decided. I don't know. He said something about a spell... I don't know. I got distracted. There's a bird over there. I think he said something about if a spellcaster exists, then he couldn't find it. Okay, fair enough, we can find it. Red pulls off the ring. Yeah, he's like starts to say something and he's just gone after you pull the ring off. He's right. He said, look, if a spellcaster exists, then we could find it. So all we need to do is find a spellcaster, as powerful as Jack's mom, and then maybe they can do some magic and make

Kralov alive again. That'll be our next goal. I like that. That makes me feel better. That gives us hope. Hey, Doran, he said there's hope. Bred. What if Kralat doesn't want to be alive? I mean, he seems actually for once to be happy in a... weird sort of way? Look, I know Krayloth. I know Krayloth better than anybody. Is he content now? Yes.

But he's not happy. I met his eyes back in Jack's Mum's house and Silvery Moon. And there was something behind them, yes. And maybe it was Krayloff, but not the way he wants to be. I need to do this, at least to see if there's a way. And fair enough, you know, at the end? If we find a way, we'll bring it to him, and we'll let him decide. But we have to at least see if there's a way we can help.

Team awesome boys? Yeah, absolutely. And I put my hand out, Team awesome boy. Good. Now we just need to find a mage. And I picture red scanning the horizon, and maybe his eyes fall upon Valharo Tower. You see Moongleam Tower there. It's looming above the bell market, this interconnected cylinders carved from black stone.

You've been there before. And I think I might know someone who at the very least could refer us to a powerful wizard. Come on. And Red starts trotting off towards Moongreen Tower. Jack and Kraloth, you're waiting in the alley by the bakers. I'm picturing Jack and Kralov sitting in this alley. Maybe one block over.

We can sort of see the bakery for when Doran and Red show back up. But just kind of keeping a low profile. Certainly. And there's maybe a pause for a second. And then Jack goes so, uh, Rael. Yeah. Yeah. What about her?

Ew. Kralov, like, spits a huge lugi at the wall. Like, slides down. Evil Kralov. We need a sting. We need a musical sting. I, uh, I mean, I, I'm curious what, what you know about her. I'd certainly love to know more.

Well, she's very tall. She's got great powers. She was able to make me... I mentioned this by the fire. She made me like food again. That's huge. Which is, you know me. That's my favorite thing.

And, yeah, I don't know. She's got kind of a nice voice. It's kind of like ethereal sort of mystical sort of vibes. And so I just, just from another perspective, I'm hearing a lovely voice who offered me power and didn't ask for anything in return. Yeah, no, nothing, nothing. And I'll be honest, I was a little suspicious myself.

Yeah. I thought, you know, this, this does seem too good to be true. But, you know, she hasn't led me astray yet. I, so far, haven't met any ill effects of this. No, and I'm not, I'm not trying to make you down. anything. Like I want you to look at me as a cautionary tale as someone who in a real dark moment was really desperate and reached out for something and found the tiniest little imp to really mess up our lives for a long time. And I'm not saying rails anything like that,

but as an otherworldly entity beyond our comprehension, you know, there is a plethora of demons and fairies and evil spirits of all kind who might want to, you know, find agents in the mortal realm and I think the line between a cleric of a faith and a warlock doing the bidding of an entity is very slim and I I just want you to be wide open eyes wide open and if you ever come across something you want to second guess or want some help trying to you know sort something out or bounce an idea off of or anything like that I just want you know I'm open like you don't have to no no no No, no, it's all right, Jack.

I mean, I get it. You're jealous. I, no. I'm really not. No, it's all right, Jack. I completely understand. An all-powerful being reached out to me and granted me powers far beyond what I ever could have dreamed of. And you tried to do the same back at the Hemperat house.

And, well, you got screwed, Jack. And it sucks. So, I mean, jealousy, it's a human emotion. I completely understand it. So, yeah, I'm not going to worry too much about it. Justin, inspiration, yes. No, of course. Jack, how do you feel about that?

I mean, there's definitely a silent beat for a second. You know, you got me. I hate, I hate stumbling across something. I haven't found out everything about. You know that, Krayloth. It's just me fishing for information. Just trying to unravel a mystery. You know.

You got me. I'll tear your motives all the way down. Are you being honest? Oh, no. I'll do an insight roll on that. Kralath knows you better than that. I rolled a natural one. Oh!

Shame, shame. For shame. You can see those. words cut and I'm definitely trying to yeah, Krayloff got 24 Oof, yeah, uh-huh Oof, that stinks. He looks you dead in the eye and he says, Jack, sometimes having an over-busy

mind can get you into some tricky places. Sometimes it's best not to overthink things. Sometimes, I guess. Wow. Rob, inspiration for your delicate attempt at handling Krayloff. new situation in an empathetic way. And I love how Kralath just batted you down like that.

Well done, guys. Really well done. Back with Red and Doran. What are you guys doing now? I feel like we're at the front gate trying to talk ourselves in because we're no longer the Nightstone 4 and we're no longer the representatives of like any major faction. Yeah, you guys are at Moongleam Tower

and there is a page basically dressed in a black tunic. Look, I keep telling you, we're here from the delegation of silvery moon of the jack-mom person. Her name is, it's on the tip of my tongue. We know Chaz Roth from the other tower in Waterdeep. No, the other guy, it's a... Valhalla, Valhalla. Valhara is requested us. Can I send a message to him and let him know who?

is calling. Look, look, look, look. You, we just need a few minutes of his time. He knows us, he's an old friend. Tell him, tell him. Your names, please. I told you, my name is Peter Referrington, and this is my associate. Jack Page. Look, I'm sure we could find a two gold way to see Valharo. Wait here, and I will let Valharo know that you've come calling. Thank you. They'll know I'm here. They leave you alone to wait in the main entrance. 75, 76 cracks. Red's counting a stained glass window.

A minute goes by. Fuck it, let's go. And Red just leads Doran towards the office. Oh, you want to talk to the archmage. I mean, potentially. What else is there in this building? There's the teleportation circle. Oh.

Oh, you know, shit. And Red stops. He turns to Doran. Look, Doran, I have to tell me something. This is very, very important. And I guess here is as good at all places. I keep putting this off, and it's just, I think it's easier to tell you if I'm not myself. And looking like this handsome man, maybe it'll just be easier.

You're very handsome. You could be an actor. I feel like you're standing in a spiral staircase of Dark Stone, and Doran's on an upper step and Red's on a lower step. So you guys are face-to-face, which doesn't happen very often. I imagine the Kevin Costner version is a little bit tall. So you're definitely meeting Kevin Costner's eyes, but not like Red's perspective, which is just a little lower. Yeah.

Look down a little bit. Just look through my mouth. That's what I'm matching your eyes. Look, just follow me and I'll explain everything in a second. And Red leads Doran to the portal. Okay. You open the door to the portal. And there's a man sitting in an armchair.

And he's got the armchair kind of kick back. on two legs, and his feet are against the wall, and he's snoring lightly. Oh. You remember this man. This is flowing. Damn it. And we need him to cast a portal. Any idea?

What if we, like, you know, push him backwards and then catch him? We'll say, oh, we got you. Don't worry. And then he'll be like, oh, thank you so much. What would you like me to do for you? And then we'll say, well, of course, cast us the portal to the citadel. And then we'll go to the Citadel. Like, you know, like we're thinking.

Doran, that is either the stupidest idea I've ever heard or the smartest. Let's do it. And Red walks into the room, pushes the man's chair, so he begins falling back and expects Doran to catch it. Oh, no. I thought you were going to catch him. He hits the ground. Yeah. The back of the chair actually shows.

shatters under the man's weight, and he wakes up with a start. His limbs play out to all sides and eyes wide open and panic. What? What's going on? You were sleeping on the job, that says, suddenly authoritatively. Yeah. I like that. Yeah.

Get up. What are you doing? Oh. Out of tension. I am the new visiting from Waterdeep. Yeah, he is. And so am I. Both.

We're both new visiting. Cast us a portal immediately, or I will report you directly to Valharo for sleeping. Okay, roll a deception for me, please. Happily. Can I give him a bit of an advantage on that because I'm helping him? Yeah, sure. Why not? Do I roll, or does he just get advantage?

Why don't you help him roll? You roll 1D20, and Harlan will roll the other one. Okay. Brothers. What did you get? Natural 20! Whoa! No shit.

So much better than the four I roll. Doran, how do you help Red assume this lie? Well, I just kind of, I do what I did and I back them up, but it's just so much more believable. Yeah. You scowl menacingly and the look in your eyes. You know, you're supposed to be here, keeping an eye on the portal and helping people get through.

You know, there's a lot of stuff going on out there. We can't all just sleep sleeping on the job. Now, come on. He starts picking himself up and he looks at the chair, and then he looks at the two. of you, and he almost starts to cry a little bit. All right, well, don't cry. Now you're making us feel better.

It's just a chair. I'm sorry. Look, and then Dora picks up the piece of the chair and starts chucking about the window. Look, nobody will know over the chair. It's all good. That one gives this shit. Like, it's fine. Everything's fine.

It's all good. Cast a portal to water deep. Sorry, sorry. Water deep. I mean, the Citadel? No. No? Wait, I thought we were going to the Citadel.

He lights the candelabras, the requisite for his casting of the spell. It's not really required for the spell, more so he just needs it to, like, pump up his adrenaline so that he can remember all of the hand motions and whatnot. And then there's a shimmer, a blaze of white blue light, a crackle of energy, and the glaring portal opens before you. Come on, door. Okay. The portal dumps you out into a magically lit stone chamber, one that is slightly familiar to. to you now, and the same half-elf woman that you met earlier is studying her books. Hmm. Hello. Hey.

Uh, uh, yes. Hello. You're new. Uh, you don't recognize me, but I'm red-handed Robin, uh, delightful tobacco that you met a few weeks ago. Oh, uh, nice, nice to see you again. Oh, and you're de Doran? You remembered, yes. Uh, nice to see. Wizards. duty to, uh, anyway. Well, look, keep it warm. We're heading back to Evelyn in just a few minutes. She hangs the amulet from her hand that is gathered in a chain around her neck, and she whispers, Myrna, and the stone-on-stone grinding heralds, the opening of the stone staircase of the sarcophagus, and you are out in the city of the dead in Waterdeep once more.

And Red immediately starts leaving the city of the dead. I guess I'll just follow. Doran's sort of like skipping to keep up. And as we enter into the outskirts of the city and we turn down a particular alley, Red starts talking. Look, you know that I came here from Mazdica. And I told you that I was a guild artist. And to a small degree, that was true. Red looks around an alley and starts walking down it.

Hmm. Yeah. That only happened for a really, really, really short time. Oh. Because it turns out, well, a gift that my dad left. me made me very, very valuable to a particular set of people. That's awesome. That's really amazing.

That's where the awesomeness ends, I promise. And Red turns again into a quiet street. And on the left side of the street is a large manner, but it looks completely abandoned. It's sitting right on the corner. There are boards in the windows. The windows on the second floor are smashed. And he walks straight up to the front door, which is covered in boards. I see. You want to build another orphanage. I'll tell you though, Red, this is not the

right time to do it. Now, Doran, listen to me. Listen. I was robbed one day, and I let one of my arrows sing true, and I killed him from 300 feet away down a crowded street, and I drew the eye of a particular set of people in Waterdeep that like to remain very, very hidden. And Redd-like pulls off a board from the front door of this place. Come in, and he climbs over the board. And he climbs over the to this, like, empty, dusty bar that looks like it hasn't been used in years. Hmm. A friend, let me borrow this place. More on that later.

Come on. And he walks straight to a door that leads down a set of steps. Wow. It seems like, you know exactly where you're going. At the bottom of the steps, it's a small stone cellar with a dirt floor, and Red walks to one of the corners and begins, like, tugging at a stone. And he brings a few stones down to reveal a small, maybe one, foot across, one foot tall hole in the wall. And in the hole in the wall is something wrapped

in fabric. Oh. And before he pulls it out, he turns to you and says, look, the people who wanted my help are an assassin guild called the Dark Tide. Assassin's? These are the same Dark Tide that tried to kill you two days ago. You see the gears turning once. again in his head. He's not sure what you're really saying to him. So, okay. And he's watching you retrieve this package from the wall. And I pull it down and I sit on the floor and I open it up. And what you see is a quiver. It's an empty quiver. And he lifts it up and almost with a reverence. He takes the one on his back, takes it off, he drops into the bag of holding and he slides it. this one over, and for a second you see him sort of breathe a sigh of relief, as if his arm is complete, you know, and he wears it, he stands up straight, and he turns to you, and he says, the dock tied with anta kill you, because I didn't.

And Doran sort of wide-eyed takes a few steps back, as though he's just been struck by a heavy object. You mean You had something to do with The assassination attempt on my life Look They hired me I wanted to get out The Dark Tide, they're very, very powerful

They mainly employ changelings They hired me to kill somebody A man named Doran Einfist They gave me information of where I could find him how we could pick him up on the road towards Nightstone, that typically I would befriend him, find a time to strike, and remove them as an obstacle.

But Doran, and this is where it becomes really important. I decided not to. I had never met a dwarf of your caliber or your type. I had for a long time doubted that this was the right path, and I'm so used to striking from a distance that the minute I got to know you and got to know who you were and got to know how important your friendship was to me. I knew I couldn't go through with it. I knew that it had to stop. And so the first chance I had, I gave them back the money.

I slipped it in our delivery place in the city of the dead. I told them on a piece of paper that I had wanted nothing to do with it. The contract was complete. But they didn't take it. They don't allow that kind of... I need cancellation, as it were. And so obviously... And as you're talking, it's almost like the words are like going over his head.

You're going in one ear and out the other. And as you're talking, he's walking backwards up the stairs. Just stop! They wanted you dead because of your past. Because of Stunted Danans Peak, somebody somewhere hired me. hired the Dark Tide to kill you. And Red takes a passive step to the bottom of the stairs and looks at you. That's why I need this.

I need to protect you like I couldn't back in that marketplace. And I get why you might need a moment and I understand why you might feel scared. But know this. I chose not to kill you, but they won't. You are sure is dead if the Dark Tide wants you dead. and we need to do everything we can to stop that. Doran stands at the top of the stairs now looking down at you, Red, and as you finish your sentence, he kind of gives a blank stare

and hesitates for a moment. Then looking up into the room, he takes a step in and leaves the doorway, leaves your purview. And Red waits. You hear it's Doran's footsteps. He just waits at the bottom of the stairs. He takes a deep breath, kind of nods to himself knowing this is the right thing. And after a good minute, he goes up to join Doran at the bar.

You look around the dark, dusty tap room, tiny pools of light leaking out between the gaps in these wooden boards. And Doran is nowhere to be seen. Thank you once again to our wonderful Patreon supporters Christopher Ryan Evans, Alexander Reed, Merlin, Mitchell Cadwell, Michael and Brianna Webber, Brian Blass, Heather Nichols, Colin Burkart, Daniel, Karasmith Blass, Doug, Gray, Jackie and Rain, Creature, Stephen Lovett, Jessica Orrett, Jonah Goldman, Melanie Cheyenne, Lars, and Mari Knesski. See you soon!

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