Dice Shame - 51 | 'Caught Red-Handed'

Episode Date: October 1, 2020

The party returns from Icewind Dale ready to start a new chapter... 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?!? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come here, guys, B-Cot this one! The only thing you eat is orc, isn't it? Ha-ha-ha-ha. Nice. I'd love to hear a little more about Nooner's Hold. I remember feeling alive. I remember it. You guys just keep talking.

I'm here. I'm listening. And Kralath is surprised, and he's got his shield and Mesa. We'll keep an eye for any danger while we're in town here. As if that solves everything. Some rooms for you, sir, and your friend? Uh, we'll get one room. Uh-huh.

We'll get two rooms, please. Welcome back to Dice Shame, episode 51 caught red-handed. MVP this week is Nick Menler, who found us through our podcast of the Frost Maiden and joined us on Facebook. Nice to see you, Nick. Nice to see you, bud. Dice Shame is once again participating in Extra Life. For the past four years, we've dedicated this time to raising awareness and fun. for Sick Kids Hospital through the Extra Life event.

This November 7th will be live streaming video games and RPGs for 24 hours straight. Please, if you have the means, consider supporting us in this goal. Head to Dyshamepodcast.com and scroll down to find the Extra Life link and donate what you can. Every little bit helps. Every little bit. Shall we do this? Yeah, let's do it. Onward!

So I'm pretty good at... going to the dentist. Oh, I did that today. You did? Yeah. Fun and excitement. Good job, Justin. Why your teeth are so sparkly.

I know it's not like a standard thing that people brag about, but I'm not afraid of the scrappy things. Oh, I love them. Oh, I am. Really? You're afraid of the dinner? Well, not afraid. I mean, describe afraid of. Fearful.

Am I like, don't want to go to it because of the sharp, pointy needles? Yes. It's uncomfortable. No, I mean, it's exactly. Yeah, Rob and I, it's uncomfortable. I don't enjoy it and I don't want to go. I like taking care of my teeth. That's my thing.

And I like someone else kind of like grooming me. That's interesting. I think being there is different than thinking about going. I think thinking about going is very uncomfortable for me. Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when I had someone else's hands in my mouth, like scraping away all my little tooth dirt, I was thinking about D&D.

I was like, imagine wizards can just use prestidigitation. To clean their teeth. They can clean an object no larger than one cubic foot instantaneously. And I was like, man, do wizards just have really good teeth? Because they can just do it, right? That's a whole new world. Look at that. Only if they press to digitate every day.

Yeah, but you know, you clean your clothes, you clean your teeth. It's one big, everything, all clean, everything. Think about the profit model for Jack. He's retiring as an archaeologist and becoming a dentist. A dentist adventurer. Could you imagine a wizard, just a landscaper? Or even just like construction team, right? Yeah, yeah.

But here's the question. Is landscaping and construction, are those issues at all in this world? You know, like, I think so. But with it being so easy, like, why would it ever come up? Like here, you're like, oh, I want to cultivate this thing. But if it's ingrained in your society, I don't even think it's really a conversation. Like, walking by a house that doesn't have a well-cultivated landscape would be so weird. I love going there.

That, that, I, like, I've done the math to figure out how much Jack could earn with Molder. Somewhere I've got a spreadsheet. Bless your heart, Rob. I do, bless your cold, nerdy heart. I mean, it really just depends on how much the DM is willing to let you use Mold Earth. Absolutely. Speaking of how much the DM lets you do, you guys have just returned from Icewind Dale. The glowing blue ruins on the ground flare to life as a white portal opens in the middle of this meadow.

and the four of you step out covered in snow. That is a place I don't want to go back to again, please. Yep, right there with you. Oh, so much warmer. Oh, for sure. Right? Oh, this snow feels warm compared to that snow. Oh, for real.

I hate to remind you that frost giants are in our future. Let's just pretend that they're not in our future for now. Let's get a nice hot meal. Yeah, can we just... Where's Oren? I could use a song. I could use a song. And a hug from me. B. B. Red. Red. I really could use a bath. You guys tell B and Oren what just happened to you and

you have some breakfast together. Perfect. Are we continuing our giant lessons? Yeah, I'm probably continuing the giant lessons, but way more focused on making sure that Kralath learns how to speak giant and less interested in teaching Kieran Giant now, like not so focused on spending time with them quite how they were. Okay. You're just finishing up your prayers to Kalimvore. You've maybe found a quiet place off to the side of where you've camped away from your friends, maybe a couple hundred meters between you and them.

And you're just spending some quiet time, preparing your spells for the day, doing your morning devotionals. You hear a voice. I hear your voice in the morning Calling out for your Lord Callumphor Come down to the river And speak with me Hello

What river, who are you? Down to the river Krayloff glances back to the party And sees that Doren is taking care of Cooking some breakfast And Red is snoring and Kralov feels like they'll be fine without him and begins making his way down towards the water.

Yeah, you head down into a little gully. The carpet of leaves crackling underfoot. There's a little bit of snow on the ground here. The water's icy, cold. And as you stand there at the riverside looking around, a little blue imp pops into existence and bows low in front of you. And Kralath is surprised, and he's got his shield and mace up,

but he slowly lowers it as he sees it bow and says, Um, you were the one who summoned me. Yes. Crayloth, sire, allow me to introduce myself. I am Shaxil, and in from the house of the late lady, Hamperat. You're quite the specimen, aren't you? A cleric so devoted to his lord and God as to invoke his name every day, and blessed in return by him with the power to heal and smite in equal measure.

How do you know this about me? Oh, Shaxil has been following you for days, and Shaxil can see things other creatures can't. Shaxil knows your secret, sire. Maybe Shaxil knows you better than you know yourself. You are a hypocrite. You are damned. Your very existence is blasphemy to Calamphor. You must feel it.

An emptiness. Something missing. Think back, human. No. Jack has told me about your kind. You play tricks. You play tricks on people. You tell them lies in order to manipulate them.

I'm not going to fall for tricks. Think back to a time when you felt whole, sire. Can you remember when you felt whole? And Kralath has taken back. back in his mind, he kind of staggers on his feet a little bit as he's kind of plunged in the darkness of his memory. He just sees mist all around him and the dead, the faces of his comrades who died in his hands, and the bleakness of everything there, and the tears and the hatred and the struggle. And then he remembers the color orange, and it gets bright.

and brighter and brighter and brighter. And some faint music, a tambourine playing on a stage, and a tabaxi dancing on a table, and a feeling of warmth rises through him. And he comes back to the moment and he says, I remember a time. I remember one time, yes. It's just a little over a couple months ago. I felt whole. The imp stretches its wings out impatiently.

Shaxil knows where it is. Shaxil knows how you can get it back. Become whole again. Only Shaxil knows your secret. Shaxil knows what's missing. If you take a grievous wound in battle, if you succumb to illness, or if you somehow are lucky enough

to breathe your last breath, as a gray and brittle old man If you die, Kralath You will not pass on You are doomed To wander this plain As the very undead Your God so despises

The way your companions Haunted you No, no, I... You whimper about them in your sleep Kralov I remember feeling alive, I remember it I remember like it was yesterday You are set to follow them

into a realm of mist and sorrow Where you will never pass on To join your God in the afterlife What do I do? The little imp starts pacing back and forth in front of you Its little hands clasped behind its back Shaxil is sympathetic to your despair Shaxil sees how you gain

So little enjoyment from your life Day after day Shaxil wants you to be happy again To be whole again Shaxil will help you, sire Shaxil knows where your soul is Shaxil must be sure You will not betray Shaxil's confidence.

If you do, Shaxil will disappear forever and you will be lost to the ages for eternity. Shaxil wants you to prove that you can be trusted in this before you receive any help. You must retrieve something. Here is what you must do. And then we see Kralov coming back from the creek by himself. his brow is a little bit furrowed, but as he sees Jack sitting and writing in his notebook, he jovially pats him on the back and says, what are you writing about, friend? You finally writing that novel? Um, Jack quickly closes the book, trying to make sure nobody sees his notes.

And, uh, uh, you know, just keeping a good history of what we've been going through. We've been through some pretty historic sites already, you know? Indeed. Wow. How, how long has it been since we started out on our trip. Just about a month. We're just sort of passing that a month since Nightstone, which I guess... Just a month? Yep. Feels like a whole lot longer.

Yeah. How's Doran doing on that breakfast? I picture Doran and Red actually kind of huddled together, and Red has killed something with his bow and arrow, maybe a small wild pig. You holds it out to Ork Splitter. By the time Krayloth comes up, we've actually cleaned it up, and we've, We're actually cooking, and the smell of bacon on the little fire that we've created is just filling the air around us.

Come here, guys, B caught this one, Tata myself, and I pat her on the back. Oh, this is going to be delicious. What do you think, Ork Splitter? Do you want some of this as well? Oh, what am I kidding me? You don't eat. Oh, deep, Ork Splitter. She eats.

She eats. I'll find something she'll eat. And Red stands up and stomps up. The only thing you eat is Ork, isn't it? Oh, here, have a piece of this, this Crayloth. Hold your, hold out your palm there. Okay. And it puts a little hot piece of bacon in your hand.

Like, you know, a female-sized bacon. This looks incredible, Dorn. Hmm. Oh, I would say so. It's even got a bit of a little bit of flavor on there. So Jundar's Pass travels north and east through the desert and hills, all the while with the high forest on its east side, endless and foreboding. You can see it.

places as it approaches the road and then recedes back from the road. The mist shrouded shoulders of the star mounts, an ancient mountain range, are just visible from the road. The mountains must emerge from somewhere deep in the forest far away. And as you travel, Jundar's pass and the days go by, you see that there are some dwellings along the road here, woodcutters, cottages, and trappers. It's generous to call this a road. In places it's little more than just a trail here. But there are occasional dwellings, and if you care to, people will, you know, say hi as you're passing, whatever. There's like an old burly dude cutting trees at the edge of the woods. But largely, it's a deserted countryside.

So we came back from Ice Wingdale basically yesterday, right? Yeah, with... So I think that evening, Red gets sick. He's got a cold. So, like, as we're traveling north, he's just getting a little bit more worn, and he's just kind of like, I'm fine, I'm fine. But I'm picturing this huddled mass as the cold weather is encroaching on us. Each of us sort of being quieter as the days go on as we're traveling more and more north. And Red just like coughing to himself as we continue moving north.

Make sure you're wearing a face covering and not coming within two meters of us, all right? But even the mood of Red has become more dower. And he's like just a little grumpier. And I think it's kind of washing over everyone because he's a bit grumpier. Bees a little bit testy. Yeah, Bee keeps to herself a little bit. Because the training is a bit stricter. Not to mention you're not used to the cold weather.

This is like your first experience with it. I'm wondering, do you ask Kralath to heal you? No, I think just like it is now, common colds are common colds. Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. You know that sweaty feeling when you're wrapped in blankets and you kind of just aren't comfortable when you need a good showers? Sniffly. Yeah. Jundar's pass crosses some eastern branch of the Deseran River.

Both sides of the wooden bridge are decorated by a. a cairn of weathered and lichen-covered orc skulls. You hear from your back where she's sheathed, Doreen, orc splitter just goes, Nice. Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. When she ate that, I could help that and get her a piece of skull. The pass ends where it intersects with the Evermore Way, a trail that travels in an east-west orientation.

A tall ridge overlooks the intersection here, and a large field stone structure with adjoining stables stands on the ridge surrounded by tall old trees. A new village has been built around the intersection, some of the log cottages still leaking sap. The bark roofs freshly shorn and peeled. Some of the log cottages, older, stand in neat rows climbing the side of the hill leading up to the stone inn. A wooden sign indicates you've come to calling horns. This is Uctur, the rotting. the 11th month of the year, and it's cold as fuck today.

Let's go find a fire to sit by. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a good idea. Maybe we should check into this inn. I'm sure they'd have a bed or two to stay up. Oh. Bless you, Red.

Bless you. So you guys ride up the hill? Yeah. Yeah. And maybe we look for the stables, because now it's not so fair to leave the horses just standing outside. Red, why don't you go inside? It's my turn for the horses.

I'll take care of it. They go, whatever the other thing is. I mean, falls off his horse, and he walks into the... Bingo bingo, right? I feel like he's, like, just holding all the blankets around him, too, as he, like, walks into the end. It's like, it's a big thing of blankets. Do you want to go with him, Kralath, or do you want to go with the horses?

I'll go with him and speak to the bartender. All right. I'll come with you, Jack, and we can stable the horses. Sounds like a plan. Come on, shit fart. He's got a cult, too. That was the best one. the common room of this inn is kind of small there's a nice fire burning in the hearth but there's

no one immediately visible to help you out so you guys get comfortable oh like et shuffles over to the fire oh that's better and after a minute or two a human woman in about her 60s bustles in she's wearing fairly nice clothes not like silks or anything but well Well-made, well-cut garments. She puts her hands on her hips and says, well, look what the cat dragged in. Ah, that's an offensive toe. Some rooms for you, sir, and your friend? Yes, please.

And a nice bowl of, you have like a rabbit stew or something warm and hearty? Nothing's on the fire right now, but I can put something on for you. That'd be wonderful. You want some dinner as well? Yeah, yeah. Not a problem. And how many rooms for the night? We'll get one room.

Actually, we'll make it two rooms, please. Not a problem. My name is Tamlin Zohar. I'm the proprietress of this establishment. So if you need anything, just holler for me. I'll go prepare your rooms right now. Very nice to meet you, Tamlin. Kralath, and this is Red.

We're just coming from the south. Pleasure, I'm sure. She leaves... I like her. No nonsense. Just straight to the point. Mm-hmm. The further north we get, I imagine the more people are going to be like that.

After a minute or two, she comes back into the common room. She hands you two keys for your rooms. She says, they're just up this hallway upstairs, first two doors on your left, and just the two of you for tonight? No, we have friends outside that are coming in. They're just stabling the horses right now, actually. And how many horses? Sorry? How many horses are you stabling?

My ears are plugged. Yes, two rooms. Four horses. Six. Six horses? I thought, does Orrin have? Jack comes in with numbers ready. How many horses do we have? Six horses. Four of us plus B and Oren.

Oh, B shares my horse. She doesn't have a road horse. No. I think Oren Knight. Does Oren have his own horse? Four horses. She takes a look as the party gets larger and larger, you know, then Doran comes in, then B comes in, then Oren comes in, and all of a sudden her front room is just like full of adventures, sweating and pulling off scarves and stuff. I'm just going to give her a quick side-eye insight. I just, I love her demeanor, but I want to make sure it's, I'm not missing a red flag.

Only eight. She's probably got some noble blood in her. Okay. As if that sells everything. So you're one of those. Hey now. Also, that's her issue. We have what I used to.

And food for all of you or just yourself? Oh, yes. No food for all of us. Yeah. Food for everyone, yes. I understand. Are you adventurers? What gave us away?

I'm sorry. I couldn't help remarking all of your many. weapons. Not that it's smart to go around these parts unarmed, of course, but... eccentricities abound in your party, shall I say. It's just cold out, okay?

Yes, we are adventures, but you mentioned danger. Well, just with the proximity to the evermore's, you know, can't be too careful. Are you from? Where are you from, the lot of you? Waterdeep, I'll say proudly. Ah, far from home

then. It's been a bit of a travel. but I'm an archaeologist by trade, so I've been traveling for a long time. We travel here to you now from Balliard. Actually, we're trying to reach Shadow Top Cathedral. You don't know where that is to you. I've heard tell. Could you tell us?

You'd best to head there through Nuanar's Hold. It's a hunting lodge. Just head to east down Evermore Way, and it's the first turn to your south. I don't have a pen. Jack, you got that there, right? I'll snap my fingers and the map will appear, and sort of the route I think she told us

it was sort of highlighted on it and just be like, something like this? Show off. Yes, that's about right. Perfect. Cool. Well, that saves us some hassle of walking around. Now, being adventurers, as you are,

I do offer free room and board for those who are willing to... Yes? Help solve local problems. Well, we've been known to solve a problem or two. Ed creates them, actually. We don't intend to stay too long, though, because we're on an important...

And I look over at Jack. Tamlin, why don't you tell us what's going on? We'd love to hear what the troubles are. And if we can help, we would love to. Just ongoing issues, really, with orcs, trolls, other monsters, barbarians have been a substantial problem lately. You hear that? Dorn kind of looks over his shoulder at his axe and says, you hear that?

Orcs. Fuck yeah. Where are the orcs? I'm ready. Sounds like we need a bit of exercise. We should take on one of these. I mean, there aren't any... roving bands outside the front door right now,

all I'm saying is if there's any trouble and you feel like stepping in, it could be worth some coin to you. You just need to say that if something happens, yes. You don't mean that somebody actually needs a help, do you? Not specifically. Right, well, I count us in, and red like starts falling asleep.

Just wake me if someone comes in. Hey, buddy, why don't you go upstairs? We'll bring some food up to you. Why don't you go? I'm fine, right? I'll get you some tea. Come on. Let's go.

Red, here. I'm fine. It's old. You guys, you guys just keep talking. I'm here. I'm listening. You just keep going. So as you guys get yourself comfortable in the common room, she like slides some gross down in front of everybody.

She gets some soup on for red and like tea. And then, you know, beer or whatever else you guys are interested in wine and stuff. And it's pretty chill place. Like there are no other guests staying in the inn right now. it's kind of a small establishment and like as you look at the windows as dusk falls over this sleepy little community you see a couple of people coming and going from their homes

but really it's not a lot of action going on you said uh if we should leave here that we'd better to be armed because of the proximity to because of the orcs and trolls and the proximity to the evermore's yeah what are the evermore's what is that do you know about that jack yeah i mean Tamlin, I mean, you live closer by. I'd hate to be the outsider explaining it to everyone.

What are the Evermore's? No, certainly. I mean, you seem to be a man who's familiar with geography. She gestures towards the tabletop, reminding everyone of the fact that you're projecting a map of the area. The Evermores are just a large area to the north. It's hills, cold bogs, rocky ridges, just crawling with monsters and all.

manner of evil creatures. They tend to spill out over the edges of the Evermore's and raid the outlying areas every so often. Yeah, very interesting. Yes, it's savage, dangerous. The region attracts many prospectors. Part of the reason that I have this establishment here, because there used to be many old kingdoms and civilizations that have been overcome by these monsters. So, you know, lots of adventures looking for treasure and whatnot. No. Treasure, treasure. Red cells and then goes right back to sleep. Doren rolls a cigarette and licks it and then as, what's the name? Tamsin? Tamlin. Tamlin? And then he just eats it. No, and as Tamlin's finishing her thought, he stands up and steps outside.

Well, we'll keep an eye for any danger while we're in town here, but like I said, I don't think we can stay too, too long. And Doran steps into cold night air, smoking his cigarette. I'd love to hear a little more about Nooners Hold. Rob, roll a history check for me, please. I would love to. I think you may know something about this place to begin with. So 13 plus 10 is 23. Yes, you know quite a bit about Noonar's Hold.

This is a place of some ill repute. This is a village on the edge of the high forest, and it's grown up around a famous hunting lodge built over 200 years ago. In its heyday, Noanar's Hold hosted wild hunts that attracted the wealthiest nobles and merchants of the north. Some who ventured to Noanar's Hold never returned, spurring dark rumors that the five hunt lords who ruled Noanar's Harald, who ruled Noanar's Hold were arranging wanton slaughters

to amuse their guests and allowing their guests to hunt one another. Deadliest game. This place was shunned and the village fell on hard times. You also know that the hunt lords were human at the time. And yeah, so it's got some spooky ghost story history. Is everything they say about Nooners Hold true? You know, have you, they still play in the wild hunt games that way? that can't still be...

I feel like if there were still hunts happening, there would be nobles in from all over the place and I'd see them coming through, right? As to whether it was ever true, well, who's to know? I don't have the longevity that you and your kind do, so... Well, yeah, wizards are like that. She was referring to your half-elf ancestry, but... A hundred percent I know.

You're like, yeah. Wizards are cool. I myself employ nine guards just from the rag tag group of settlers that have accumulated on my doorstep here. Doran re-enters the establishment. Oh!

It's a cold one now. Greg, come on just go upstairs. You'll get some great rest of you. You'll get some great rest of it. You won't miss anything. We're not going anywhere. Come on, Red. Come on. And Kralov is going to grab Red by the shoulders

and he's going to hoist him up. and begin walking him upstairs. But I wanted to be part of the team. Oh, it's okay, Red. And Doran grabs his feet and helps you lift him up the stairs. Oh, thanks, buddy. And he grabs B to B. If something happens, you wake me up, promise.

All right, Dad. And Kralov kind of winks at B and, like, nods that she can go back down the stairs. I think she's pretty entranced by this ghost story stuff. Ghosts. Come on, Orrin, you must know a pretty good ghost story. I know lots of good stories, but ghost stories don't come to mind. Mostly stories of people I've made into ghosts. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

He slaps his knee. The axe laughs wildly. Kralov places red in the bed and sits down next to him and just, you know, relaxes, leans up back against the bed and waits until red is, you know, good and sleepy. And then Krayloth casts guidance on himself. And he leans down. And as carefully as I can, I go through his pack and look at all of his knick-knacks. And I see the giant hair, which he was very excited about claiming from the cloud giant, I believe. Zephyros, yeah.

And I'm just going to pick up the vial. Why don't you roll stealth for me with advantage because red is a sleigh? And sick. 10 with my guidance. Oh, my passive perception is 15. So he definitely sees this. So as you reach into the bag and you pull out this cloud hair, and I picture it's in sort of this long vial, you feel Red's hand on your wrist. And Red is sitting up.

His face isn't of anger or concern or he sort of got squinty eyes searching your face. Grey Loth What are you doing, bud? I'm just, I'm looking for some of that, some more of that bread. You can go back to bed. It's all right.

Red, with his other hand, reaches into the bag of holding, takes out the bread, and holds it up. Here it is, but. And then unlike you've seen Red ever do before, he takes the hair from your hand, locking eyes with you,

and just tugs it from your hand and puts it back. back in the bag. It's so much more focused than you've ever seen Red B, and you have never seen him steal anything or be stolen from before, but this is a very different side of red. And he kind of puts it back, and he sort of waits for you to take the bread from his hand. Yeah, yeah. Oh, thanks, buddy. Appreciate it. No problem. And then he, like, grabs the bag of holding and tucks it up alongside the bed. Good night. And then falls pretty heavy back into the pillow. Rayloth just swallows down the chill and opens the door and makes his way back downstairs.

Cool. I love this. All right. You guys have settled in for the night in your two rooms. Who's sleeping in whose room, by the way? I think Krayloth's probably sleeping with Doran. Yeah. Actually, I was going to say that, you know?

We're buddy, buddy now. And Oren maybe? Doran's got one side of the bed and he's hugging Ork Splitter. Yeah. It's going to get weird, okay? I'm just going to say this right now. I think B would share a room with Red and Jack. Yeah, B. Red and Jack.

I can see that. I feel like that's probably the hoidiest of the toidiest. You guys hear some weird sounds in the middle of the night. Who wakes up? Probably Red, because he went to bed earliest. He's like, you know when you're sick and you got that, like, sick brain? He just kind of like sits up in the middle of night, fully up. Yeah, I know the sick brain.

What's guy God? I hear something. Someone outside. B! Yeah. Are you moving? I think Doran also wakes up, but it's not a sitting up listening. It's sort of like an eye opening and looking around.

B, I, you away. It's like a weird scrabbling sound, and then you hear shit fart go. Is there a window in the room? Yeah, there is. Very sleepily, I walk over the window to try to get an eye of the barn. Roll perception. Happily. That is a 23.

There are a couple of large, dark shapes moving around outside. And red drops his blankets. They're stealing the horses, they're stealing the horses. And he starts yelling and, like, runs to the door. And I think he runs directly into the shut door, like, just bashes his head. Which if the yelling didn't wake everyone up, the bashing does. Sure, yeah. And Doran, much more coolly, hears Red kind of freak out.

And he grabs Kralas leg. He goes, let's go. Grabbs his axe and heads out of the door. I'm with you. And opens the door for Red because he hears the thud on the other side. Come on, Red. Yeah, you open it and Red's like splayed out on the floor. he's like, oh, what's happened?

Oh, the horses! And Dora, we need to get the horses! And he stands up and, like, runs out into the hall. I'm already down the stairs. Yeah. I'm already beyond you. I'm in front of you. No, I'm before you.

I'm out the front door. I'm through the front door. I'm already on the horses. I close the front door. So he sees his armor in the corner. He grabs his shield. He grabs his mace. He sees Doran's armor and pack.

Kralath is going to take some time to reach into Doran's pack. I'm going to feel around for a little bit. And I'm going to feel around for a little bit. And I'm going to pull around. something out. I'm a pilfer. Great. What are you pilfering?

What do you have there, Doran? I've got a ring that says stone hearts never bleed. Also a wooden ring that's no longer really magic. Okay. And a scary mask and robe. Okay. As well as some food. I think I probably grab that first ring.

The stone hearts never bleed. Yeah. I just reach in. I pull out this ring. Don't even look at it. Stuff it into my armor. And then I run down with my mace and shield. Great.

Jack? Yeah, I showed it, Kieran, to get out there, get eyes on them, and start running down the stairs after everybody else. So you guys all run outside in various states of dress and undress. Yeah. And, yeah, you're standing in front of the inn. You're hearing noises and the whinnying of your horses coming from around the back of the building in the darkness. Kieran takes to the skies in the raven form.

Takes a second, and then you hear... Last year. Master, they're breaking down the stables. Who is? How many? What are they? Three of them. They look like giants, maybe. I can't tell. There might be giants. We can do this. We can do this, guys. I'm ready. All right. Let me add them. Uh-huh.

Mm-hmm. Rout row. That's right. More combat on the horizon. Thank you once again to our great Old One Patreon. on supporters, Megan Shepardson, Adam Fry, and Christopher Ryan Evans. We love you.