High Rollers DnD - Altheya: The Dragon Empire #29 | Festival of the Forge (Part 1)

Episode Date: July 16, 2024

The grand tournament is almost here but first we celebrate with the Festival of the Forge! It's time to explore all the delights Altheya can offer! ANNOUNCEMENT: New Clever Toad merch! Get your favourite legitimate prophecy telling toad on a t-shirt here: https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/product/the-clever-toad-t-shirt/ HIGH ROLLERS LIVE in London on the 17th September 2024! Tickets live now: https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/high-rollers/ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/ Add the Heroes of Altheya Minis to your TTRPG collection here: https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers Enhance your bath time experience with the official Altheya themed DiceBombs at https://geekyclean.com/! Check out https://www.highrollersdnd.com/ for all the latest HR News! Love the podcast? Give us a glittering 5 star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-rollers-dnd/id1401508198?see-all=reviews Support the High Rollers on Patreon and get early access to Podcast episodes, vods and more: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound, TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters), Monument Studios and Jolene Khor! Check out Jolene Khor and all her wonderful work on High Rollers on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Dice, dice! Dice, dice! Dice, dice! Dice, dice! Dice, dice! Dice, dice! It's a very special Sunday. Just before we get into our game, first thing, big celebration, 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.

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We got the High Rollers live show, 17th of September. It's getting closer and closer. Not long. So make sure you go and get your tickets. We want to see you there. Big event. The biggest High Rollers event ever. Nice. Hey, I want to play D&D. Let's do

that. We're going to run the intro and we'll see you back there and we'll do the recap. Nice. We'll run the intro, we'll see you back there, and we'll do the recap. Nice! Welcome back to Althea the Dragon Empire. After the events of the Lamplighter's plot and the demonic attack on Ashenrest, our heroes have spent a few days recovering and helping with various efforts around the town, which is also preparing for a holy festival and tournament at the same time. A much-needed distraction and celebration to forget the horrific events days prior. Sister Ophelia has commissioned a local stonemason

to build a shrine to the grave father, whilst Gruff, Xanthius, and Daisy spent some time at Dante's, an elite and pricey weaponsmith and armorer, striking a deal for some loaned armor to be worn in the upcoming tournament. But for now, stoke the flames of inspiration, citizens. The Festival of the Forge begins.

Nice. And that is where we are going to pick up with the session. I believe that the last things that we did were you guys had spent some time training with Gruffydd after acquiring some of these new masterwork material, like masterwork weapons and shield and things like that, with an agreement that armor would be delivered in the morning. You had gone to the forge

and had done some little sparring sessions here and there. And a certain weapon recovered was then analysed by Blackwing. Don't worry about it. And I believe that is where we left things off. He has a demon gun now. Yeah. Yeah.

It's got a little demon inside it. Yeah, it might be. It's currently asleep, though. It's sleeping. But it could wake up. I might use it. I might use it. But it was identified that, yes,

it might be quite difficult to, not necessarily difficult to find, like, to get rid of. It would be quite difficult to not necessarily difficult to find like to get rid of it would be very difficult to destroy but you know if you can find the right buyer but you know that might be tricky um uh connections might be just yacht into a lake somewhere you are yeah you can absolutely do that if you just want to rid yourself of it they're like the start of all the rings what Rings. What, fish guns? It's fine. No one will ever find it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Definitely won't be picked up by a little river folk. And murdered by their boyfriend or something, I don't know. Their husband. Yeah, cousin. Same thing in The Hobbits. Oh, wow. All playing in red, aren't they? Wow.

Shots fired, nine minutes in. Oh. All bloody and bread, aren't they? Wow. Shots fired, nine minutes in. Wow. Well, you know, they're all related, aren't they? All the toques and tucks and boffers and boffins and... Pucks. Yeah, they're all the same, aren't they? Proud feet. Proud feet, proud foots.

Right, jokes aside. Yeah, proud bread. Was there anything... Was there anything during the evening or after you'd gone to visit Blackwing that you would like to do? Hmm. Yes, yes, yes.

Ophelia has something. Ophelia will... It depends where we are. Are we... If we're back at the inn... You can be. Ophelia will... I don't know what Gruff's doing,

but Ophelia will present this don't know what Gruff's doing, but Ophelia will present this to... Oh! Oh! Look at that wax seal. What is this? What? Consider it a good luck charm for the tournament. It's my letter of recommendation, as promised.

Oh. Oh, flattered. Whenever you find the Order of the Loyal Hounds, present that to them. I'm sure they'll find that interesting. Do I open it now? Am I allowed to open it? You can open it. Am I allowed to read it? Yes, you can, if you'd like to.

Do I need to keep it until I find the Order? I could do whatever you want. I can't do this in front of you. Okay. It smells divine. Oh, thank you, yes. Is that sandalwood? It is, yes. Oh, thank you, yes. Is that sandalwood? It is, yes.

Oh, have a whiff of this. Oh, that is lovely. Oh, thank you. More bloody. It's my favourite smell. Kind of. Yeah, it's really good. I like that a lot.

Sister Ophelia de la Rosa of the House of Blood, this is a great honour. Oh, the honour was all mine, writing about all your wonderful escapades and how you've been such a wonderful help to all of Blood. This is a great honour. Oh, the honour was all mine, writing about all your wonderful escapades and how you've been such a wonderful help to all of us. It was an honour to write it about you. I'm going to go into the kitchen now. Okay.

And as you hear him go off and the door swings shut, you just hear sobbing from the other side of the door. Rowan's got an ear to the door, and I just nod at Ophelia. She's crying. I, like the other side of the door. Rowan's got an ear to the door, and I just nod at Ophelia. She's crying. I come out of the kitchen. What did you do? I just gave him his letter of recommendation.

Oh, you didn't insult Gareth? It's wax sealed and everything. Perfumed. Oh, it's a really long letter. It's really long. There's a lot of writing. There's a lot of words here. Oh my god.

Is that two, what, is that two pages? It's two pages. It's full. It's written in blood. Wait, is it front and back? It's just reading. It's fine. Just make. There's someone outside who's now like...

Just like, ask. What, do you think that in Osseous they've got to get that blood from somewhere? One page. You are. One man. You know, I think that it genuinely probably would be like some poor steward's job to be like, come, cut their arm, bleed into an ink pot. Yep, you're done.

Right, thank you. Dip, dip, dip. Write some letters. Actually, no, that would be a waste of good blood. Oh, true, yeah. Maybe it's like animal blood or something. Yeah. Sorry, what was this for, Ophelia?

Recommendation? Cross-letter of recommendation. Yeah. He has asked all of his paddocks. In order to join in. Oh, yes, of course, yes. Character. I still need to do mine, yeah.

I have one from Zarentekis as well. Do you? Yeah. Just waiting for Mark to be like, mm, actually. No. Well, Ophelia, I would ask what you've written in yours, but I don't wanna make it look like

I've copied your homework. Just don't make it obvious. Yes, don't make it obvious, it's cool. There's so many accomplishments that Gruffydd has done that it's impossible to overlap. Well, yeah, so I'll just leave me on the road. So you can walk in with a giant piece of cloth that just says, Ye Graf.

It's got a little picture of a very crudely drawn little lion on it, and she's just tangled up in this huge banner. I'm going, does this count as a letter of recommendation? It's really big. I think it will work. It will stand out in the crowd. What colour is it? Gruff's colours.

So what colour? Well, the cloth is, like, just white, but all the writing is in, like, blues. It's just bedsheets. It's like a bedsheet, basically. No, it's probably proper cloth. White cloth. But, like like with blue

writing blue text lots of blues like a kind of dark blue and then like a little crudely drawn

gruff face chibi gruff face so is it actually like good or is it like let's find out she's got good lettering though

yeah let's find out oh well before we make a roll... Paul, we're good. You could have faith to this one. I'm going to. You are. Yeah, go for it.

All right, let's see. Dice. Shite. Six! A six. That is a dice. For me. Yeah, for us.

Is that your sign? Yeah. That's our sign. I'm out of it, man. I got a two, which is a dice for you. Dice for me. I, for us. Is that your sign? Yes. I'm out of it, man. I got a two, which is a dice for you. I got a five. Dice for you. Four.

Dice for you. Four. Three. Dice for you. Ah! All right, I'm three. So it's a dice for me. Nice.

Wonderful. So violent. Well, yeah, you have plenty of points. So this would be, because we did determine that you would absolutely have artistic tools as a proficiency, even if it's not something you're getting from a background. So this would be, I'd say art. Ooh.

I think dexterity makes sense. Well, no, it would be dexterity plus proficiency if you're proficient in tools. So dex plus proficiency. And then if you'd like to spend any extra skills or abilities or points, you may do so. I must spend... Yeah, absolutely.

Why wouldn't you? Well, we're now three and three. You've evened it out. What did you rub it in? Yeah. Wait, does it actually smell good? It smells amazing. Does it actually smell?

Holy shit. That smells like the Xantius bath bomb. Available now. It really does smell like the Xantius bath bomb. Available now. It really does smell like the Xantius one. 29. It's 3D. It's fucking great. It's just strobe lights.

It's the best banner you've ever seen. Despite the simple design, it is exceptionally well made. More like, because the materials you've used are not expensive materials, but the stitching is exceptionally neat. The painted gruff face is so vibrant and full of artistic life, and it is very striking. The choice of colour, the composition, all of it has been done to an innate standard.

I like to imagine that there's almost that kind of medieval-style font of the yay gruff is written in this elaborate medieval style font. The message is simple, but the writing is beautiful. Perfect. Very good penmanship. Yeah. No one's going to find a way to mess that one up. An incredibly striking banner.

Good luck, fan artist. Now you have to match. Perfect. Well, it was one off, but it wasn't 30. No, but it was very good. It's exceptional. Certain to draw an eye to whomever it is being waved for. Groth goes back in the kitchen, comes out again afterwards.

Pant in the fur around the eyes. Everyone's just got tissues for you outside the door. Expecting it. Daisy's going to just drape it around herself like a little shawl until they leave so she doesn't forget it. How big is this thing? Because, like, you know, normally a big flag banner, you would be swathed in this thing. It's like swaddled. No, like, it's not huge because she needs to be able to hold it out.

Oh, right, okay. So it's big. It's like a big... This isn't like for it to go on a pole or anything like that. Or two person. No. This is like for Daisy to hold it. It's for Daisy to hold up.

See, okay. A3, A2, that kind of stuff. So like in a wrestling show, when the person holds up the sign and it blocks everyone behind them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, like that. Got it, got it, got it. Okay, Gruff.

Tournament. What else do you need us to do? We've sparred, we've tested your combat ability, we've rested, we've had some good food. Thanks to you, by the way. Thank you for the food. We've prepared combat ability, we've rested, we've had some good food, thanks to you, by the way, thank you for the food. No worries. We've prepared you for potential scenarios and situations and speeches and so on and so forth.

Is there anything else you might need us to do just to help you for tomorrow? Oh, I think there's two things. Someone mentioned something about a crest. I can do one thing. Okay, someone mentioned something about a crest. Ah, okay, a crest. I don't remember. Okay, a crest.

I had an idea. I'm delegating. Burner! I had an idea for a crest. But I don't know where you're meant to put it. Do you know? Your cauldron. It'd be on the armor, right?

Armor, shield, anywhere on sort of the person, or a banner, like a banner being held. Because Gryold had like the... He has it on his... Shoulder. Like his whole disc thing that goes on the pauldron. It's not the pauldron itself, it's like a big disc, like a protector. But I guess you're borrowing the armor. But you've got a shield. I've got a shield and I've got a hook staff.

So it could be a banner on the hook staff or on the shield. Yeah, because the hook staff is taller than a normal quarter staff because it has the extra reach. So you could add like a simple banner, but you'd have to wave it tostaff, because it has the extra reach. So you could add a simple banner, but you'd have to wave it to show it, because obviously it would just be fabric. The shield is generally a place where most knights will put their crest. If they carry a shield.

I had an idea, and it's a very simple idea. I'm a very simple lad. I thought it could be an art, because it looks like ice art. Oh, sorry. I thought you meant heart. No. Heart. It should be very cute, a big heart in the middle. Oh, it is an art.

Yeah, an art. Heart. Oh, it is a heart. It is a heart, okay, right. Oh, delicious. It's shaped from two ice divers. Ice divers. So the beaks are together, like the top of the art,

and they come round to form the bottom, and their wings are kind of coming out all glorious-like. Maybe some radiant bits of light coming out around it. I can see that. Is there anything in the heart? Not that I can think of, because I think with the ice divers making it, that's quite complicated. You want a simple design. Okay.

What about a shield? I drew it here. Not very well. But kind of like that. It's very bad. I can't draw. Oh. Oh, that's very nice.

So it's like their necks and their beaks, but not their whole body. Well, you could have their wings coming out. One wing each. Yes. Oh, that's very nice. So it's like their necks and their beaks, but not their whole body. Well, you could have their wings coming out. One wing each. Yes. Like on heraldry, you see around here. You know how all animals on heraldry are like one-sided? And where do you want this?

On the armour? Well, we can't get it on the armour, but maybe in some cloth or a cloak. A cloak? A cape. I don't know how to fight with, but maybe in some cloth? Or a cloak? A cloak? A cape. I don't know how to fight with a cape. On the shield? No capes.

On the shield, maybe? The shield will work. Yes. Hmm. How do we actually get this to happen? Just paint? Paint. Paint on the shield?

You can paint it. It's a metal shield. It's like a wooden and metal shield, so it has this kind of extendable metal fan, this masterwork shield. It has almost like a kind of curved teardrop design um so the actual shield has uh the teardrop style kind of like long bottom you know it's kind of longer but then it has this device where a section of it the metal fans extend outwards so it almost has almost looks a bit like a wing itself like the side that extends

out is almost it's folded metal sheets that then chunk out to create this uh this cover that can be extended um if the side of the wings go up a bit more I like the idea that Daisy has literally got like her sketchbook and is like sketching the designs out and working it with Gruff. Like angel wings going up. Okay, well, we could paint the shield. What was the second thing? Well, I need... What do they say?

I need someone to speak of... To introduce me to the crowd. A herald. A herald. Oh! Is that so? You need a booming voice. Yes. With which to mark your deeds. Yes need a booming voice. Yes.

With which to mark your deeds. Yes. And introduce you. Yes. Stay no more. I can't think of anyone. I would be honored. No, I have no idea.

Who could it be? I strum a chord. I would be honored if it was you. Oh, me? Yes. Little old me. Big old you. I'd love to. That would be lovely it was you. Oh, me? Yes. Little old me. Big old you.

I'd love to. That would be lovely. Thank you. So they mentioned that you need to introduce me. Ruffeth. You need to speak of my accomplishments and my intentions. Oh, how long have they got? Oh, I don't know. I only have one intention. Okay. And also, you need to speak about Mistress Elana Vedante.

From Dante's. Somewhere near the beginning. Because of the armor. Because she gave me the armor on loan. Right. And you are fighting with her weapons and shield as well. Yeah, so she, in the last episode we bought a shield, a staff, and then she's loaning me the armor for the fight,

so we gotta give her a big thanks. Right. And I think for Rowan, you know, you have grown up in the Empire and you are not uncommon. And being a bard yourself and a storyteller and someone who loves music, you've probably witnessed tournaments where these heralds, like this is a big deal, like to be a knight's herald is kind of a bit of an honor in itself as well

because you are the one who basically comes up and you do that whole thing from Night's Tower where it's like, my lord or the great, brave Sir Gruffeth and you tell the story and you have to be quite concise but you also want to capture everyone's attention and make them love Gruff and, you know, it's that. It's kind of quite an important role in this society of knighthood, basically.

Run for his knees. Hero, Gruffydd of Tremorru, are you sure you bestow upon me this honour to speak for you, of you? It's such a big tournament, I don't know. You're a hero yourself. No. You know that. You were there fighting beside me.

Please! All of you. You are all the heroes of Ashenrest. And of course, I can't, it would be an honor. I mean, I don't need to see it. Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah, that's great. I just wanna make sure Kim's okay yeah it looks great yeah and maybe

like some radiant light kind of coming out you know where it's like just add some radiance to it well i would also say it's very traditional in heraldry so you've got the design what color would the back the color behind it be and don't forget you can do split colors to represent different things so for example uh for a knight of the realm, it would traditionally be typical that your colour would match that of your realm's lord, and then sometimes they would split the colour. So for Sir Gryold, his would normally be a red and orange background, because orange is Duke Ignarius's colour, and red is the cauldron colour.

So for me, it would be silver. It would be, yeah, silver or white. I have ice heart. Nacreosa, thank you for giving me one of the hardest named dragons for my region. Oh, it's not one of the hardest. It is to me. She's a silver dragon called the silver eye. Ice heart is one of the silver dragons, yeah.

Oh my god, maybe there should be an eye in the middle. No, let's keep it simple. But yeah, because don't forget, you're not necessarily wanting to become a knight of the realm, so it's a different thing. So I was thinking colours of silver, that kind of like pale icy blue,

and then the kind of spectral green that Saren is on the staff. So maybe the cormorant, yes. So maybe the cormorants are like the spectral green. Nobody on the street,

I'll take that. And the heart in the middle is that sort of like pale icy blue. The ice diamonds themselves are the blue, Nobody on, I'll take the ice from it. And the heart in the middle is that sort of like pale, icy blue. The corments themselves, the ice diamonds themselves are the blue, and then we have the white. And then, maybe the radiant light around them is gray

to represent the silver eye. So silver on the light. Silver for the light. The corments are that spectral green that Saren is, and then the heart shape that they make in the middle is like icy blue. Mm-hmm. Nice. Yeah.

And then the backing color. Backing color. Because you have the base color, so just white, yeah. Yeah. Nice, we can put that on a shield. Yep. We need some paint. It's just simple.

I wanted to keep it simple. Yeah. Okay, and for tomorrow, We need some paint. It's just simple. I wanted to keep it simple. Yeah. Okay, and for tomorrow, do you want us to follow you around, answering to every call, so that you can focus purely on the tournament? Oh, a day off.

Kind of. Sounds nice. You can prep for the tournament. What time does the tournament start? Would you, I can give you information on that if you like. Okay. So the Festival of the Forge lasts two days. Okay.

Tomorrow is the first day. The actual kind of official start of the tournament doesn't start until about 3 p.m. It's late in the afternoon because they need to give time for everyone to sign up to their events for the knights to come forward and properly sign up and things like that. There is an opening ceremony when the tournament begins. Then the rest of the afternoon is dedicated to what they call the minor tournaments. So this is the one-on-one battles and things like that.

And then tomorrow is the whole day is focused around the tournament and specifically the two big events. The Conquest, which is the tournament, the team battle tournament, which replicates battlefields and like warfare. And then you have the Joust, which is the big spectacle event. This is like the best knights will compete in that

and they are the ones really getting the glory of everything. Obviously, everybody else still wins prizes and they're still acclaimed and, you know, renowned to be one getting the glory of everything. Obviously, everybody else still wins prizes, and there's still acclaim and, you know, renown to be one in the rest of it, but the joust is, like, the big spectacle event. The conquest is also kind of, like, the second kind of big event as well. It's, like, generally seen as, like, the...

This is also, you know, it's nearly as good, but it's not quite as good as the joust. Sure. So tomorrow will actually be, you know, if you wanted to enter one of these one-on-one tournaments, you could do that, and that will give you another chance to win, you know, honour and acclaim and prizes and things

like that. But that won't start until late afternoon anyway. You will have to be there for the opening ceremony. That's when you will do your introduction speech, and like that will be all of that kind of stuff. Sweet. But there will be time to sign up as well, right? You will also need to sign up, yeah, and that's got its own process.

But it does also mean that also keep in mind that the festival is not just the tournament. This is a holy day for all of the Empire. This is a big, big event. So all throughout Ash and Rest, there will be other events. There will be games. There will be things to go and do as well. So it doesn't just have to be dedicated to Gruff and the tournament, obviously that's a part of it, but the rest of you definitely, if you wanted to,

can go and explore the town and enjoy the festivities as well. I don't wanna take up your all day. I'm a big boy-o, I can look after myself, thank you. I know, but... Well, someone has to hold the banner up, so I mean... Well, obviously I expect you to be in the audience, but I'm not saying you have to, you know, look after me.

A little breakfast would be nice. What do you want us to cheer that would be the least distracting, but also the most emboldening? Oh, I can't ask. I can't say that. I don't know. Gruff's great. Gruff's great. No, it's not. He's our man. Gruff. If he can't do it, tomorrow can. That's pretty good.

Someone else will come. Do it tomorrow. Do it tomorrow. There's the lyricist I know. There's lots of things that you can all be getting on with as well. There's going to be lots of activities. I don't want you to miss out on any of it. I don't want this to be just about me.

This is a time for you all to celebrate. Ah, well. Celebrate vicariously through you, winning everything and becoming a knight. Well, I think there's probably still a long way to go on the actual becoming a knight. I doubt that they're just like, yes, you might knight him right there.

I'd probably have to be a squire for a bit and train up and prove that I'm worthy. Okay. It is the traditional journey of the knight that one becomes a knight-errant first. They complete tasks set by their lord, or the order, or the holy, you know, the service, the church,

and then once those tests are completed, they are sworn in as a true knight. So even if Gruff does manage to attract the attention of the circle tomorrow, it will likely be a period of becoming a knight-errant first, and then, you know, developing that as they go on. Okay, well, tomorrow, it will likely be a period of becoming a knight errant first and then developing that as they go on. Okay, well, tomorrow, whatever you need, just call on us.

Yes. We will intend to join that team fight anyway. Boy, we're definitely signing up for that. Oh, yes. It will be so much fun. The conquest. The conquest. And yes, we'll just help you out with whatever you need.

Good. Solved. I'll get the fish stew going tonight so that the fish is ready in the morning. I'll leave it slow cooking. Yes, good. Just put it in the morning. Fantasy slow cooker.

It's going to be the fridge all over. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We need to get ZZZ on there. What kind of magic is best for a slow cooker? Slow cookers are pressure-based, so you need to generate pressure. Something to do with force? Yeah. It's like something's going to explode.

What school of magic? Timing magic, yeah, as well. So it's like a, you know. Necromancy. Yeah. Strong necromancy. Incorrect. All right.

Okay. Well, rest up. Rest up, sleep well. In our, we don't have beds yet. On the floor. Yeah, like, there are beds, but they're definitely not good to sleep in. They're sort of like broken beams,

and the straw mattresses have all been thrown away by Percival because they were all filthy and disgusting. I imagine we would have used our camping supplies to have set up like we did at the, you know, outside action rest. You're basically camping in, like, an old abandoned, broken building right now. But it's, you know, nobody's going to bother you

because everyone's still terrified of the ghost. And so you're kind of safe, at least. It's not the most comfortable rest. Like I said, you do not normally, you wouldn't get, like, all of your hit points back. Not that you have to worry about that right now. And if you do stay in better conditions, there are buffs and things, don't forget.

Same with meals. If you go and have, like, fancy meals, you do get, like, little buffs and things like that if you take the time. Rowan is going to put his bedroll on Gruff's bedroll and sleep on the floor. Aw. Okay.

You need all your physical... I can't take that, but no. Please. I've slept on the floor many times. It's very common. It's fine. But you've been having a lot of rough-night's sleep recently, so you deserve a good night's sleep.

All I have to do is give a really honorable speech. I don't need my body for that. night's sleep. All I have to do is give a really honourable speech. I don't need my body for that. It's okay. Take it. It's okay, Gruff, tonight. I know I did last night, but I'll take the room with the hole in the ceiling just so you don't have to deal with that.

I'll take that room. If it rains tonight, like it did last night, I'll take that burden. I could go and sleep in the Grumpy Hog for one night. You know. In fact, we're heroes of Ashen's Rest. Why don't we all go sleep there for one night? We can go to the Clever Toad.

We can afford it. I could get a premonition about the tournament. Yeah. I'd rather go to the Grumpy Hog. I do recommend it. It is lovely. As I recommend. You haven't come to the Clever Toad yet.

I haven't? No. No. I haven't used this machine that you keep talking about. Well, you really should. I've saved a bronze coin for you. Have you? Yes. Absolutely yes. I genuinely have.

Where is it? Yeah, I've got it. Well, you must have a go then. There it is. Fine. Wonderful. Okay, well, let's not stay here then. Let's sleep elsewhere. Good.

Night. Well, I've heard a lot of ideas, but I haven't had any concrete, this is what we're doing. I will lead whoever wants to come, all of you, to the Clever Toad. Sure. I'll listen to another premonition. So we have Rowan, Xanthius, and Ophelia going to the Clever Toad.

And me. And Daisy. And then Gruff is going to go to the Grumpy Hog, or are you going to go to the Clever Toad? I was hoping to get a nice little buff from sleeping. You can. I can meet you back in the Grumpy Hog. You don't have to stay in the Clever Toad. I was hoping to get a nice little buff from sleeping. You can. I can meet you back in the Grumpy Hog. Yeah, you don't have to stay in the Clever Toad.

No, we're just visiting the Toad. I'll go with the children to the Toad, but let's book two beds in the Femtas. Absolutely. Rowan, just really quick, if this thing comes out sounding all negative and stuff, maybe try and spin it to sound good and positive for Gruff's sake. Just not to put extra nerves on it.

You can't put words in the toad's mouth. Roro puts a hand on Xanthius, like a heavy hand. Okay, what? We do not meddle in the affairs of the toad. No, of course not. What the toad says is. Was that the end of the saying? Is that how it goes?

Okay. Yes. I thought it was going to go further than that, but no. What the toad says is. All right. Comma. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Dot, dot, dot. Will. All right. You guys make your way out of the inn inn uh formerly known as the enticing devil uh the town of ash and rest you can see that some buildings have got little bits of like wooden scaffolding you know roofs are being repaired um there definitely is a bit of a an atmosphere of things are still being real still being rebuilt but you also see that hung up you know between

the streets between buildings are these uh colorful pennants and banners But you also see that hung up, you know, between the streets, between buildings are these colorful pennants and banners. You can see that in sort of little miniature squares and plazas in between all the houses, people have built these communal fires and they're all gathered around with drinks and food and cooking together. You can see that shops have got these elaborate, all of the shops have put out these elaborate displays out front that showcase their wares or invite people in people are doing like special offers and deals and things like that you can see that in the central plaza as you pass through it on your way to the grumpy hog a massive market fair is being set up like big tents and marquees with little stalls for artisans to come and peddle their wares at and things like that.

And all around you see small effigies or banners that display this figure of Saint Misara, this dwarven figure, non-binary, with this kind of shadowy, glittery arm with a forger's hammer in their normal hand and like an anvil placed before them and things like that. Kept quite a very vague features. No real detail into their face. It's all very stylized. So as not to implicate that it looks like they look in a particular way. But you see all of this stuff being set up. There is still a pretty heavy guard presence around, though.

Most of the Duke's guard looking quite tired and worn out, as if they've been working non-stop rotation shifts and things like that as they go around. You make your way to the Grumpy Hog, in which Hogrim Hawker, the Porcine Wildheart owner... Oh, if it isn't my favourite phrase. the Porcine Wildheart owner. Oh, if it isn't my favorite phrase, welcome, come in, come in. Oh, we're not staying.

Oh, you're not staying, oh. Well, actually, that's not true. I will be later, and so will the sister. Oh, wonderful, well, after what you did for me and my customers in the town, I can at least offer you, certainly you can stay the night, no charge for at least one night. No charge?

Well, three rooms, please. Yeah, certainly. I mean, we're pretty busy with the festival and everything else, but I can make room for the saviours of the town, just for the one night, obviously. I still have to make my money, but I can certainly do it for one night. Thank you.

Of course, yeah, my pleasure. Would you like dinner as well, or are you going out somewhere else? You seem to be, you said that you're going off somewhere else. Really want to get that premonition in. Oh, we'll be heading off just to one place before we come back here for the night, yes. To get a...

So, no dinner? I wouldn't like dinner, yeah. You can... You smell... I definitely haven't been here. Just this spiced stew and meat, and you can hear the bubbling of something in the kitchen. Fresh bread.

How long is service lasting? Well, I can keep the kitchen open for a while, if you like. An hour? About an hour? No, I can keep the kitchen open for a while, if you like. An hour? About an hour? No, that's fine. Absolutely, no problem. Do you have any of that delectable cauldron red at the bar? Of course we do, sister, of course.

Absolutely, absolutely. Lots of different wine. Whatever you want with your dinner, whatever you like. Wonderful. My small way of repaying you for what you did. Well, the thanks is all ours. Of course, of course. No problem. I'll only start shouting at the kitchen staff, we're going to keep the kitchen open for the next hour.

What are you talking about? Okay, well, we'll definitely come back here for that, because that sounds wonderful, but for now... All right. You continue on, you head definitely come back here for that, because that sounds wonderful. But for now... All right. You continue on. You head out of the Grumpy Hog, make your way down the street, and as you come across the familiar sight of the Clever Toad,

you can see a big hulking figure in the doorway in the process of throwing out some drunken craftsmen. This happens every time we go out here. Yeah, it's that kind of place. And you just hear a, don't come back, kind of thrown out, sort of, oh, don't come back. You're naughty, don't stay here.

And just kind of points in that direction. Friend! And you see this, like, little cobalt snout, this, underneath this big burly hood, kind of look up, sticks his face out the door. Well, if it isn't the boulder. Oh, it's Big Rock Man. Hello.

Hello, friend. I mean, Rowan's strength is not that high, but Barrick's certainly is. So there's almost like a... You can really hurt your hand rowan and he says oh welcome back phrase uh come in and cut me please come in yes it's my god here we are our friends is there a cue for the clever toad oh he like looks in uh you can see like a very drunken dwarf is trying to put a coin in the slot, but is scraping it all around.

And Barak's just like, Oi! Burn it off! He's like, Mmm! And then wanders over to the bar, very drunken, stupid. He's like, Not anymore!

Amazing. Good to see you again. Yeah, good to see you. He looks over. I believe it is Iskit Tarek and Biscuit Tarek working the bath. How's the Tareks doing? Yeah, it's all right. Yeah, that stuff with all the demons was pretty scary.

But, you know, Mum gave me... It doesn't often happen, but she let me use the knives. Oh, my God. Woo! By the silence. She gave me the knives and said, don't let any of them in. And I didn't let them in. I bet you didn't.

Chopped them up. You know, a boulder makes a great wall. Well, this will take more... That thought now occupies Barrick for, like, the next 20 minutes. He's just like, whoa. He's, like, standing up in different positions. If I was a wall, I would be like this. He, like, starts measuring himself against the door,

and he's like, I'm not wide enough. And he starts, like... It's like someone playing hole in the wall. No, he starts doing press-ups. He wants to get bigger. He's not quite wide enough to fully block the door. So he starts working out. And you can see that next to the door,

there's just a piece of rebar with rocks dug into the sides. And he starts curling them. He starts shoulder pressing them. Just right by the door of the tavern. That's where I keep mine. Yeah, a load of people just looking in his direction, just shake their heads door of the tavern. That's where I keep mine. Yeah, load of people just like looking in his direction,

just shake their heads and go back to what they were doing. The swamp hobo. Biscuit Tarek and Biscuit Tarek, one is doing the bar and sort of like

serving drinks, the other one is doing the little yakitori sticks and they're just like, oh, hey, welcome, welcome, come in. And they kind of

gesture for you all to come inside. I grab Ophelia's wrist. This is very good. Over here, come on, let's go. I grab Ophelia's wrist. This is very good. I'll be here. Come on, let's go. So for Ophelia's benefit, this is your first time being in here, right?

Yeah. And you do have a slightly, not in a game mechanics term, but slightly heightened senses. This place reeks. Like, it stinks of booze and sweat and piss. Like, it is not a pleasant environment. Looking around, there's, like, very mouldy hay in the corners.

Like, the walls are, like, covered up with stuff. There's God knows what stuck underneath the tables. Like, gum and snot and, like, just every kind of... It's gross, this place. Is it, like, your feet stick to the floor kind of? Feet stick to your floor kind of bar, right? Absolutely. There's also skirts up and like try to...

Yeah, the skirt's already like edged with a bit of grime. Come on, right to the ice over there. It's very overwhelming. I bet you're feeling a bit envious now that I'm staying here. No, I'm quite fine, Rowan. Actually, I'm quite happy with my decision. Okay, you sit here. Okay.

And then you put this coin in that slot. Just take your time. So what you're looking at, Ophelia, is a kind of very crudely made wooden sort of pedestal with a glass container on top and one of the worst examples of taxidermy you've ever seen. This toad is very clearly stitched together, lots of toads that have been cut up and stitched together

to make it big with glass eyes and everything. It's wearing a little wizard's hat. It's holding in its little froggy paw, I guess they'd be called. It's got a little staff and it has an inscription of, you know, I will read your fortune kind of thing, with a little coin slot. This is it? This is the toad?

This is the clever toad. Roman's already in prayer. This is the toad. The clever toad, please bestow. I did tell you, didn't I? At length, that night, I got a bit drunk. It's an affront to taxidermy. Yeah, I mean you would know the houses of Osseous, this is, this is,

they know how to do taxidermy well. You know, how to stitch up a body. This is bad. Who did this? How many toads are here? I don't, I couldn't answer that question, but Rowan believes firmly in the premonitions that this thing's spit out. I think we should call it. You can make a medicine, if you want to know exactly how many toads went into it, it's a medicine check, by the way. Oh, yes.

I'm going to find out. Fate dice. Oh. That's where we are. But of course. Please. Oh. Oh, I needed it.

Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Fourteen. Fourteen. Ooh. Just, you're not sure. At least four, maybe more. But it's hard to tell exactly how this abomination was made. I hope those toads were already dead before they became this.

So I just put the coin in here. Hold on. What is it? I think the last time I did this, it went better if none of us looked at the clever toad and I had my left foot off the floor. Oh, really? So if we could all do that.

Oh, all of us left foot off the floor? And not look at the toad. Okay, if you... And then on three, then you put the slot in and pull on the... Do I need to do anything else? Like think of anything specific? Happy thoughts.

Manifest Gruffydd winning every tournament that he enters. Left foot up, three seconds, don't look at the toad. Okay, if you think this will help, sure. It went really well last time. Okay, yeah. Okay, okay. Are you doing it yet? No, hold on. Okay, I'll count down, I'll count down.

Okay, I'll turn away, I'll turn away, left foot up. Three, two, one. Coin in, Ker'll count down. Okay, I'll turn away, I'll turn away, left foot up. Three, two, one. Coin in, Ker-chunk. Ker-chunk. You pull the lever, just give me a moment here. I'm getting some. Just go on the website. Huh? Just go on the website. No, I'm not going on the website.

What happens then? The range, I'm doing my own. All right. Doesn't matter, we know how this is gonna end anyway. Gruff of winning the tournament, becoming a knight. Good thoughts. I bet this ends with tomorrow. Tremoro. Or what if it did?

Or at midday. What if it came out with the most specific? Gruff of Tremoro will succeed in the tournament tomorrow. What? Here it comes. You see the toad's mouth opens. It's even worse. And a voice, like a disembodied voice,

comes from within this device in some way. This is cursed. The stone guard will. The stone guard will. The stone god will. Are you writing this down? Become conspicuous in. Okay. What's that mean?

The message of the. This machine is slower today. I remember it being so much quicker. Radiant sun. I think it's done. Right. Oh, no, the toad... It doesn't do that, it doesn't do that.

Okay, the toad's gone to sleep or whatever it is. Yeah, it's eyes closed, the mouth shuts, it resets. Okay, so, sorry, read that one back to me. The Stoneguard will become conspicuous in the message of the Radiant Sun. There's so much to unpack here. What do you get to be throwing? Well, hi, I don't want to speak on behalf of the clever toad. Of course not.

But I believe the Stoneguard is Gruffydd. Conspicuous, I don't know what that word means. The message, that's probably my message that I have to give tomorrow. In the radiant sun. In the radiant sun. It's going to be good weather. What if, I don't want to shake up your entire theory here, what if you're the Stoneguard?

Waiter, I like rocks. If I described anyone as a stone guard it would be but i don't need to guard a knight the knight is the guard all right just saying there's so many ways to interpret this message yeah but stop doing that okay i'll let you do i'll let you do this what if you're guarding the knight's honor iskit tarik is like looking over to you do you have more knowledge on the Clever Toad? Nah. I'm just saying, right, you could, you know, physically guarding,

but you can also guard something metaphysically. I grab Gruff by the shoulders. Oh, bloody hell. Your life might be in danger. Don't squeeze too hard. Yeah. Iskit Taric is like a genius. We need 24-7 vigilance on.

24-7? A guard is required. I don't think I'm in danger. I think it's okay. I think what Izzik there said... Iskik. Iskik. Apologies.

Like a biscuit, but without the B. Yeah. Apologies. If it was with the B, it would then be biscuit. Biscuit. I like a biscuit! Iskik. I think what they said was with a B, it would then be biscuit. Biscuit. Biscuit! Biscuit. I think what they said was actually the truth of it.

Maybe you have to guard my morals. Or maybe your reputation could mean anything. Quite a vague statement. No shit. It's not wrong. He says that any time he's used it. No shit. It's not wrong. He says that as he's flipping, like, rat sticks. Like, rat meat sticks on the egg. He's like, could mean anything.

And he's coming out with the emo point and shit. You've never heard of that. Yep. Okay. I will guard your honor. All right, well, we just need to look out for the radiant sun. Don't look directly at the sun. Not to look directly, I know that.

But there you go, there's your premonition for the tournament tomorrow. Brilliant. Does that make you feel better? I feel so enlightened. I really, yep, real focus now. There you go. Iskit. Eh, hello?

You want a rat stick? No, thank you. Wow. I've had a rat stick today. Tim, do you want a rat stick? Drunk dwarf. Slide those down. How many rooms do you have available left today?

Ooh, I think we've only got one. We've only got one common room left. It would be a squeeze for us five, wouldn't it? I'm sleeping at the Grumpy. I'm also at the Grumpy. Grumpy Og, yeah. Are you sure? What? I'm very sure.

You're sleeping where? Well, we, um... Oh, hoity-toity sleep at the Grumpy Og, eh? No, we were given free rooms, so we thought we'd accept. You could have a free room. Well, we've already accepted, it would be rude to not accept a free room. Ah, rude to the ground beyond. I see how

it is. Mum! I don't want a free room! We could come tomorrow. You can do what you want. I will. I bloody will. I will. It's so

non-sense. You just sounded so insulted. Nah, not really. Okay. Well... Let's clean it. Either way, you're going to do... Grumpy Hog's a fancy place.

You stay in there, I'm assuming you're fancy people. Well, you're probably... Okay, well, there's three of us who are staying there anyway, but there's only two people, I suppose, staying here. You're going to take the rooms, Antheus? Rose chin wobbles. Well, I was offered it again. Like I said, it would be rude to not accept it.

It's a gift. You can stay with me in the Grumpy Hog if you want. Cover your ears. Me? What's the other me you want to worry about? Barry. He talks about you all the time. You're his, like, one friend.

But he's not Biscuit or Biscuit or... I'm not his friend. He's my brother. He's not my friend. Look at the size of him. He's a freak. He'd eat me. If I'm not careful, he'll eat one of us.

Or he'll snap us in half. Is that how he got so big? Is it maybe he ate some of you when you were... Listen, we don't like to speculate, but it is a possibility. How many Tareks were in there to start with? From your clutch or whatever. I don't think he's ever eaten a taric, but we've had a lot of

pet dogs over the years. They've gone missing. Now, they might have run away. Maybe they got killed by wolf rats. I don't know. I'm just saying, we've had a lot of pet dogs and Barrick's very big. Maybe he's a big. Maybe he's

set on them. That is a possibility. I think we'd find the remains, but who knows? Has he ever just done that to an halfling? Like, just sat on them? Oh, yeah, when they're causing trouble, yeah. Suffocates

them. Not kills them, knocks them out. Do you know what I mean? I wish that were me. Suffocates him. No, not kills him. Knocks him out. Do you know what I mean? I wish that were me. Suffocates him. Well, I'm sure you can ask him. So you can stay here if you want. Three rooms have been already booked. If I want.

Well, I'm sure. Of course. It would be an honour to stay with the Tareks the night before the tournament. Good man. Where it's real. What about you, Daisy? to stay with the Tareks the night before the tournament. Good man. Where it's real. What about you Daisy? I like the idea that in all of this,

Daisy's just like. Frantically. I'm basically making Gruff this crest, and I'm like, sure, I'll go where there's bread. Just like real life, you are just. We got bread, cornbread, but it's bread, isn't it? Yes. If you call it bread.

Is it bread if you call it bread? What makes bread bread? The shape of a thing? The shape of a thing defines the thing. If it's bread-shaped. Oh, that's interesting. So if I was a man-shape, would I be a human or am I something else?

An elf is a human shape, but are they a human? What is a person? Very philosophical. Oh, this is too deep for this. I've not had enough wine to think about this. What makes a sandwich? Is it anything between two pieces of bread? Something between two slices of bread.

Well, then what about a burger? Is that a sandwich? Well, it's a hot filling. Yeah. By your definition, it is a sandwich. Because you can have a bacon sandwich. It's a hot dog, a sandwich. That is a great question. Is it an open sandwich?

Yeah, very good question. But you can also have a bacon sandwich. An open sandwich. If you fold a pizza in half, is a calzone just a sandwich? No, that's just an abomination. All right, well, Rowan, have fun here. We're going to head back to the... If I put a block of cheese lengthways between two blocks of bread, is it a sandwich?

No. Can't eat that sandwich, though, can you? You could. It would just be effort. You'd have to deconstruct it. And then is it even still a sandwich anymore? If you had one person standing on one side of the world, and they had a piece of bread and they put it on the floor, then another person stood on the other side of the world and put a piece of bread on the floor. The under bit of the world. How do you get, what, you go under on the opposite side? Very good, Ophelia.

As a sign, you have to go round the bottom. Round? Why do you keep saying this word round? Or on the underside. You can't get to the underside. It goes on forever. Ophelia, are you talking about two sides of a building? Two sides of a wall, a door? You're talking about a hill? You can't get to the underside. There is nothing. There's just more world.

You could do it for a bit, I guess. Yeah, I mean, but... So if I go to Osseous and I go beyond Osseous, then does it just keeps going? It just keeps going. It's just more sea. It wouldn't be in between. Osseous, what's that? But why is the crown round?

What? It's a disc. It's a sticker. It's like a coin, isn't it? So it's only round on one side? I don't know. I've never been there. Well, who's to know?

The other side. Well, surely there must be another side. It's really nice, actually. Most of the other Tareks beat me up when I ask them questions like this. It's nice to have a civilised conversation. I'm close. Picks up a yakitori rat stick. Grosch just sort of depowered in the corner.

You know when dads are just, like, checked out of a conversation, they're just waiting to hear some relevant thing that means they have to do something. That's what he's doing. Your head is slumped forward, you are taking a nap. It looks like he's taking a nap, but if he hears it... He's resting his eyes. Ah, he's resting me eyes.

If he hears a key phrase. Okay, well, like I said, Rowan, if you want to stay here, Daisy. What? Sorry. Are you staying here as well? Bread. Food. Bread, sandwiches, et cetera.

Kitchen open. Yeah, we've got three rooms at the Grumpy Hog. That one. Okay, well, we're staying there. I suppose you're staying here. You are so deep into this. I'm so busy right now, Xanthius. I don't think you understand how important it is

that we make a good impression tomorrow. No, I fully understand. I'm just, okay, we're going to leave you here. We're going to go to the Grumpy Hawk. Can I have a bronze coin? I don't, I mean, maybe. I might have one. Can I have a bronze coin for the toad?

Sure. I don't think I have one. Get it out of the Duke's thing. Can you give me? Send a receipt. Gruff takes a bronze coin out and gives it to Daisy. Thank you. You get one. Everybody gets one. And we're gonna go back to the Grumpy Hog.

Nice finger guns. Well, you could play a game or something before you go away. You wanna play a game? No, you gotta go help me. No, I could play a game or something before you go away. You want to play a game? No, you've got to go help me. No, I will. It's all right. I'm fine.

I've got a game. I've got a game. See how long you can all be quiet for. That's impossible. You just lost to me. I just lost. You did just lose. Yeah, I did.

I lost as well. I win! Actually, I think you're fine. I didn't say anything. Ow! Bam! You got me. You're a clever one.

There you go. What a fun game. Night all. So, you all retire to your respective places and locations. Ophelia, Gruff, and Xanthius, you are treated to an extravagant meal at the Grumpy Hog. Their top, their highest, you know, tier of food that you can buy is a, you know, there is a sort of thick meat, meaty rich stew, grilled vegetables,

seasoned with all sorts of different spices and sugars and, you know, elements and things like that as well. There are these like sugared fruit candies that are brought out afterwards. Thick bread, as much as you kind of want, with like a fresh creamed butter and, you know, delicious. It is a fantastic meal. All served on like fine plates and cutlery and things like that. Your room is a kind of shared room, but it is like one of the finer suites. Three individual kind of big thick fluffy beds cushioned like feathered pillows um gorgeous kind of uh blankets and drapes the room

itself does have its own private like uh tin bath like a copper bath that can be filled within the room itself has like a plumbing system that you can just draw water into probably from the same place as the local baths, the temple baths that you get from, with a sort of little privacy screen that you can draw to separate it from the rest of the room, and you enjoy a wonderful night's rest, a full true long rest. Xanthius and Daisy, the Clever Toad has an atmosphere. What it lacks in finesse and finery, it makes up for in atmosphere. A very jovial, you know, the Tareks look after you,

kind of checking in on you every now and then. And plays a song or two. Yeah, lovely. Yeah, like they happily, like, you know, you were going to get the room anyway, because, again, you're very well known in these parts. But give me a perform check, just to see kind of the impression

that your performance makes. 17. 17. What's the performance about? Anything in particular? Cornbread. Cornbread, okay. The cornbread song.

I know how to get the cobalts going. Cornbread and rat sticks. Cornbread and rat sticks. And what is a sandwich? The song is calledbread and rat sticks. And what is a sandwich? The song is called What is a Sandwich? What is a sandwich? Is it cornbread? Is it rat sticks?

Well, you are delighted to earn four gold pieces in assorted changes. It's like bronze coins and silver coins. How many bronze? I will split it up. That's too much cheese for a sandwich. Sorry, stop tipping. Stop tipping in silver. Can I just. How many bronze? I will split it up. That's too much cheese for a sandwich. Sorry, stop tipping in silver. Can I just get it in bronze?

So you get two... So it would be two gold pieces, two silver pieces, and then that would be 38 bronze coins. Yes, there's so many bronze coins. How many, sorry? 38. Oh, my God. That's good. That's great.

We've lost them. It's a whole medley. What is a sandwich? That's like the emotional part in the middle. By that point in the musical everyone's bawling. But the chorus is just like, cornbread, cornbread, cornbread. And all the kobolds join in.

It's getting louder and louder and it's just screaming. It's a jolly little evening. Cornbread! Meanwhile, on like, the Tareks help clear like a long table for Daisy who's just got like books out and colouring pencils and paint and everything

else and is working on this design. Having a great time. Yeah. For those of you who stayed at the Grumpy Hog though, because of the, and you do, this is only a one time free thing, you all wake up with inspiration for the day. It's inspiration that only lasts 24 hours so you have to use it in the next 24 hours.

And the way that I'm going to do inspiration by the way moving forward to keep it separate from the Fate Dice is it in the next 24 hours. And the way that I'm going to do inspiration, by the way, moving forward to keep it separate from the fate dice, is it is a re-roll. It is a straight up, roll it and see you later. If you want to, you can change it and re-roll it. Okay. So it's not advantage. It's not advantage.

I'm going to give it as a straight re-roll. Very cool. Take the new one. And you take the new one, yes. Given that we've never used the inspiration. Yeah. I want to try and give it a strong reason to use it that is also separate to bardic inspiration and advantage

and stuff like that. So this is a... If we use fate with the dice and then we use inspiration... The fate dice stays the same, but the die roll can be re-rolled. Re-roll a d20. Yes, yeah. Because fate is locked. Once you've rolled a fate dice, that's fate spent on that thing.

Sure, that's cool. All right. All right. is locked once you've rolled a fate dice. That's fate spent on that thing. Sure, that's cool. All right. All right.

In the morning, you are awoken quite early by music and fanfare throughout the town. Basically, as soon as the sun is up, maybe like 20, 30 minutes after sunrise, musicians begin to play around the town and you hear criers and town callers calling out like basically the same thing that I said during the intro, which was,

Stoke the flames of inspiration, citizens. The festival of the forge begins. And they begin to play this very bright, uplifting music as they go about things. It is a very pleasant sort of late spring day. Radiant day. As the prophecy foretold. It's all coming together.

It does start with a very light rain because it is the end of spring, so it's not purely sunny. So it's bright and sunny, but there is this kind of very fine rain that comes and goes. I'm glad I didn't stay in the end of spring, so it's not purely sunny. So it's bright and sunny, but there is this kind of like very fine rain that comes and goes. I'm glad I didn't stay in the evening. So it's overcast, but it comes in patches. It's like spring showers. So it's like rains like a little bit, and then it's nice and sunny,

and then a little bit later a cloud pass over, a little bit more rain and things like that. But it might change throughout the day. It doesn't seem to put anybody off. When you wake up and look out the windows, you can see that the central plaza, you know, in amongst, you know, in between the dry patches,

people rush their goods to these little tents and begin setting up their little artisan stands. You can see that some of the town's administrators have begun to bring out these even bigger kind of tarpaulin sort of marquees covering up areas where little workshops are going to take place and things like that. Everybody is bustling to try and make everything work.

Yeah. You wake up and you have quite a lot of hours before you are needed to go and do the thing. Gruff, you will need to go and sign up, though. That is something that you need to make sure you do. Gruff, wake up. Gruff, wake up. Gruff, wake up. Today's the day. Gruff's been awake since, like, sunrise.

You've been resting your eyes again. You've got to stop doing that. It's so convincing. I love that idea that, like, yeah, you're going, and then his eyes just open. And he's like, I've been awake all this time. Okay, it's just you were snoring. No, I wasn't.

You were. It was a test snore. Test of what? Your nerves. Wake up. Time for the tournament. Well, not time for the tournament. Well, not time for the tournament. Today's the day!

You excited? I'm excited. I'm so excited. Ophelia? Yes? Today's the day! Wonderful. We've got so much cheering to do.

For you. It's going to be so exhausting for us. Can it be tomorrow? Tomorrow? I just want to stay in bed. It's so comfy. I'm so cozy. Okay, you can have 30 minutes.

Okay. Alright. Ooh. So we need to get you signed up for your, for the, for the things. As you keep talking this, because you literally are saying to this, as Ophelia, Percival like just puts a bony finger to his scars. Sorry? What for?

She's sleeping. Come on, lad, let's take this outside. Okay, I'll go outside. Sorry, I didn't realise this is new. Thank you, Percival. Well, because she woke up, but then you were like, no, no, 30 more minutes. Percival's like, oh, mistress is sleeping.

Shush. Okay. Wow. That's kind of rude, huh? No, I think... Never mind. Okay. You were quite rude. I was not quite rude.

When was I quite rude? When she was sleeping and we're making a noise. I gave her an extra 30 minutes. I didn't think it would be that quick for her to fall asleep. That was so fast. It was pretty fast. It's like dying. She just said, to fall asleep. That was so fast. It was pretty fast. It's like dying. She just said, oh good.

Dad reflexes fast. Anyway, we need to get you signed up. We need to get your armor. We need to get everyone else together. We need to get your shield painted. We need to get the mural. We need to get you fit and ready to fight. Good?

Yes. Why are you not smiling? I am smiling inside. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Bring it out. Tell your face. Come on. A little fang, like the lip curls up. Yeah, more, more.

And a little fang comes out. Side to the mouth, up. The second fang comes out. Pretty good. Not really convincing. The little fang comes out. Side of the mouth, up. The second fang comes out. Pretty good. Not really convincing. It's like Jujolmur. Yeah, you know what, that'll do.

Smile. Maybe in time for the tournament, you'll have that locked in, because for now, haunting. I'll be honest, Sandhya, I'll be happier when my part is done. You know? Gruff puts two big paws on both of Xanthius' shoulders. Keep cuddling to me.

Pulls them in close. Uh-oh. I'm shitting myself. Language, language. It's okay, you'll do great. You've done great in all the battles we've been in before. And this one, it's not even a real one. Nobody's watched me before.

I've watched you. When? Mostly when I was unconscious on the ground. And you run over and save me. Remember those? Yes, but you're not judging me in my virtues. Oh. And how did you judge me?

Great. Okay. The best. Of all of us. Maybe that'll be okay. Ow, ow, ow. I give him a little shake. Look, look, look.

I think you're going to do great. Don't tell the others what I said. You're shitting yourself? Yes. What do you want me to tell them? That you're... Great. Great.

You're great. I'm great. He's a lion, so it's okay. It's the same for your family. It's not a tiger. They're cats, yeah. All right, while you guys... For the listeners, I did do the gesture as well, the little Tony Tiger arm gesture. Whoa, don't say hello. Oh, yeah. All right, while you guys... For the listeners, I did do the gesture as well,

the little Tony Tiger arm gesture. Whoa, don't say, whoa, whoa. Oh, sorry. Unbrand specific. Don't name him. Name him now again. While the two of you are outside having this conversation, Rowan and Daisy, the same thing happens.

Even the town criers and the musicians make their way through the town to announce to everybody that the festival has truly begun. And the inn is going to be busy. You can see that pretty much everybody, all the Tariks wake up super early, a huge number of them. Mama Tarik Tarik is up and is shaking everybody out of the beds and kind of getting everybody ready.

But you see... Oh, my God. Katie's found a picture of a cat doing a smiley smile. Chris, I was just... Just doing this little grip. That's perfect. But you do, like, over here, as you're coming down, and, you know, out of the sort of side rooms

and into the main bar bit, you hear Barrick... Really? Really, Mother? And he's just like, yes, yes, yes, we won't need you today. Like, it should be fine. We don't expect any trouble. This is fine. Okay, okay. And you see a very

excited-looking Barrick at the door, and he's, like, taking his cloak. He's, like, wrapping it round him. He's, like, putting all of his things to the side out of the way. And he's, like, hopping around on his little feet, which is funny because he's so big up top, but then you see his little legs, and they're still quite spindly little cobbled legs.

He skips legs. Is he like Dorito-shaped? He's very Dorito-shaped, and he's kind of excitedly hopping, and he pulls out a little pouch, and he's counting up some coins, and he's wrapping it up and getting ready. Rowan looks at this.

Well, looks like I'm going to the tournament today. Oh, oh, are you going to the tournament? It would be really good if I could have a guard or something. Oh, I can't guard you because it's my day off. What if I need someone to play games with? Me, me, I can play games. I can do it. Who could that be?

Me, me, me, Rowan, I can play games. It's my day off. I've got mum's and my mother's giving me a day off. Oh. Would you like to go to the tournament? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to go to the market. I want to buy some gifts for my brothers and sisters. I want to go play some games. And I want to go to the tournament? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to go to the market. I want to buy some gifts for my brothers and sisters.

I want to go play some games. And I want to go watch some fighting. Can we go watch some fighting, Rowan? Yeah, we absolutely can. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can go watch some fighting. It's the best time ever. Yeah! He is still a kobold, so he is still, like, way shorter than Rowan.

He's, like, daisy height, you know. He's bigger than a normal kobold, but he's still very small. So there's this tiny ball-shaped kobold who's just like, ooh, these giant muscular arms. Very excitedly dashing around Rowan. We have an important mission. But I can't do a mission. I'll miss my day off. I know.

But something to keep in mind. Okay. The stone guard is conspicuous. Can I say the whole prophecy? His eyes go cross-eyed. Never mind. It's fine. I've got it.

Let's go play. You tell me what needs to be done. I'll do it. We need to make sure Gruff is always safe. All right. If anybody comes near Gruff, I'll punch him in the face. That looks bad. Not anyone.

Anybody who looks bad and comes near Gruff, I'll punch him in the face. No. I'm confused. Daisy's just going to shake her head. Run it by me first. Okay. I'll run them by you and I'll punch them in the face.

We'll figure it out on the walk. Easy. I'm good at running, but I can't do it for very long. Why don't you head to the tournament and I'll catch you up. I need to go get my friends. Okay. Get some candy sweets for me. Okay. I love candy. I'll give them a my friends. Okay. My day off! Get some candy sweets for me. Okay. Nice.

I love candy. I'll go grab it. I give him a load of bronze coins. Ten. He's like... Okay. Puts him in his little... But he, like, takes it out,

and it's like a... It's shaped like a frog, his little purse. Well, because it is. It's like a dead frog that's been turned into a purse, and he puts it in his mouth, and he closes it up. I mean, they have a brand.

Yay! And he runs down the street. You're pretty sure you hear a, like, bloody hell, is that kobold? That kobold just nearly ran me over! Like, he just steams through the town. Oh, I love him. This is going to be the best day ever.

I'm going to wrap the banner around my shoulders. Yay! Let's go get the town. Oh, I love him. This is going to be the best day ever. I'm gonna wrap the banner around my shoulders. Yay! Let's go get the knight. Yeah! All right, on your way, you tell me, Rowan and Daisy, how distracted you would be, because as you are making your way towards the central plaza,

you encounter stalls that are selling things, like little gifts and toys. You find people selling sweets and snacks. You also find games. You see one game. It's shaped where... And you can hear a barker is already like, Come on, try your hand.

Misara's Forge, Misara's Anvil. Come and try your hand. Two bronze coins ago. Fabulous prizes. Now we need to make sure we absolutely get to Gruffydd. Oh, my God, there's snacks! Wait a second, there's a game. You see, so nearby there's, like, a little stand,

and it has, like, all of these, like, kind of roasted, different kinds of, like, nuts, and they're covered in sugars and spices and things like that. It also has, like, it looks like potato that's been carved and spiraled out on these long sticks and then deep fried with salt and things like that. I've got like four gold from last night, so we can just go to town on this.

And you can see that the snacks are worth about five silver pieces. The games are only two bronze coins, but what it appears to be is it's like a, almost like a fake anvil, and they give you like a big oversized hammer, and then there is a tall thing, and there's a bell at the top, and there's different score points as you get higher, higher up with various prizes. The prizes are all things like toys and like little, you know, little wooden figures of knights with with little puppet strings. There's some little banners,

colourful instruments, like little flutes and drums. But the top prize is a big kind of doll, like a plushie doll of a giant owlbear, basically. I need that. Rowan, I need the owlbear. I need it. It's not a question of want, it's a question of need.

What? You're gonna use your fate thing on it. No! What is that? You can do whatever you like. Yes! Yes! Are you actually gonna use this? Okay. So what is it? It's the founder.

This is his prophecy that he was given. This makes my strength 26. You're going to call upon your greatest of fates. To win an owlbear plushie. You can do whatever you want. I mean, that is perfectly rolling. How big is it? Oh, it's big. It's like gnome-sized.

It's massive. It's like two feet tall, three feet tall. We need that owlbear. It would look so good in the inn and also I want... I give them the money? Yeah, it's like a gentleman, it's like a slightly older gentleman. He's like, oh, hello, ho ho, we got a big lad here, we're probably gonna win a good prize, aren't we, aren't we?

Oh, very good. I would like the owlbear. Well, you've gotta strike the bell to win the owlbear, my tall friend. Two bronze coins to go. Oh, yeah, I paid. Takes the two bronze coins. So I believe that it should say on there it's a plus eight.

Plus eight, 26. So do you have training in athletics? Am I proficient? Yes. So you get to add your proficiency as well. Well, it'll be plus three because it'll just be your proficiency because that's adding your strength as it is currently.

So it'd be plus 11 to the roll. Oh, my God. I'll actually use a fate dice. Yeah, why not? Keep in mind, Gruff might have to do some one-on-one combats, and I've got a lovely stack of these right here. But yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry.

Plus 11. 26. 26. 26. Wait, did you add the fate? D6? Oh. You didn't add your fate. 31.

You! He did the action and then thought about it again. Let me cook. Give him a sec. You grip this wooden mallet, decorated with symbols of Saint Missara, decorated to be like a blacksmith's hammer. And as you grip it, Rowan,

you see Daisy's face so excited at the prospect of this owlbear. And you look at it and you imagine the joy on your friends' faces, all of them. Santheus, Gruff, Ophelia, they're going to be so happy when they see this cute, plushy thing. It's going to be a symbol of your friendship as a group. And it reminds you of growing up up it reminds you of your friends and family and there's something about holding this hammer and what it represents a hammer and an anvil craftsmanship you think about all the effort that went into making sosinanto the loot this idea of craft and there's almost something primal in your Yotnia blood that you aren't consciously aware of this,

but something seems to connect with that, and this idea of it. You lift this up and swing it all over the place. You strike it. The weight flies up, hits the bell, breaks the bell off, goes flying into the air. You don't see it anymore. It disappears.

I think he might have won. It just crashes into the floor nearby, startling like a bunch of like a wagon bearing goods. Like people are like, by the Satan's eye, what is that? Something's fallen from the sky. There's a panic that goes out, but you see the shop,

the game owner, just dumbfoundly looks at you, looks at the smashed game. I offer the hammer. I would like the owlbear, please. Yeah, you can have the owlbear. He's like terrified of you. He like reaches up, pulls it down. Oh yeah.

Hey, congratulations. I hand it to Daisy. He just looks at the shattered remnants of the game he built. All the prizes. Two slaps on his shoulder. That was a good game. Thanks. And then you just walk off.

The handle of the hammer has your fingers and bring it into it. Yeah, he just stares, holding this hammer dumbfounded at the game, like, what just happened? That was a superhuman feat. I can't believe what I've just seen. The day's just starting, yeah.

Yeah. It's like we're closing up a shop. I think he holds this hammer and looks at the effigy of Saint Misara that's on the other side of the street and is like, this is a sign. This is a divine sign. And is so moved by this event that you have fundamentally changed this man's life i had to switch career for him yeah he's like

i'm gonna become a priest i have what what just happened like he's so dumbfounded by it but you two just happily skip off through the crowds. Do you buy some snacks, you know? Yeah, some snacks. Yeah, a big potato stick and some nuts. Big Albert plush, just like, it's as big as

Daisy that you're carrying. I'm carrying so I'm wrapped in the banner that says Yay Gruff on it with the little chibi Gruff. I'm holding the three foot owlbear and then I've got somehow a swirled potato stick in each hand. And I am so happy.

And I'm saying to Rowan, I think you should go into the tournament. That was exceptional. I didn't even see where it went. Do you know how high that went? No. I was just looking at the owlbear. Oh my goodness, it was so good.

You should definitely enter the tournament. How do they play another game of that? They must have backups. I just don't understand the game. I assume they just reset the bell and make happens all the time. It's disposable, you know. Yeah, I'm bell and make it new. Disposable, you know. Yeah, I'm going to make a note that Rowan destroyed the game. Rowan the Hammer.

Yeah. Was it a 31? You unlocked a core memory for this person as well. Everything they were. They've forgotten everything they were. For now. Yep. They shall now go They've forgotten everything they were. For now. Yep. They shall now be.

Well, one of you can write down you have giant Albert plush as prize. You can put that down. You're in possession of it. Enjoy. Meanwhile. Ophelia? Yeah, 30 minutes passed.

We're a bit late getting to pick up the other guys. I don't want to intrude, Percival, but 30 minutes. OK, thank you, thank you. Sorry, I was just having such a wonderful sleep. It's been so long since I was in a bed. We'll get beds for the inn. Percival has run you a bath in the tin bath. Thank you.

It's already laid out. Your clothes are laid out for you. You know, like, you know, glass of morning wine poured. Percival, I don't know why you surprise me every time, but it's purely, it's truly a gift to have you. To bow by my side. Thank you so much. Get you ready.

Okay, while you're getting ready, Gruff, should we go outside so we can see all the festivities and all the people and the happiness and excitement? I was going to say, in the half hour, Gruff has probably already gone back to the inn to meet... Was Mistress Vedante gonna drop the shield off, the armor off herself, or was she gonna send a messenger? Well, when you make your way back to the inn,

Xanthius is like, Gruff? Right here. Gruff, you make your way back. Waiting outside, maybe arriving just about the time you do, is Martijn, the armelier, who is carrying a beautiful case almost, like a kind of case. You can be.

Carrying it along. Obviously quite heavy. Not struggling with it, but it's clearly very well made. And bows deeply. Ah, Mr. Gruffydd, wonderful to see you again. I have Lady Dante's, Mistress Dante's armor for you. Do we have somewhere that we can take a moment? Oh, we can, oh, actually.

No, she won't like that. We could go in, we could go in this building here, and I'll point at the outbuilding. Don't worry about it. Just come in with me and go to Ophelia's shrine in progress. Yeah, you step inside there. It hasn't really been started just yet. That will probably start later today.

But, yeah, you lead Martijn in, and it's just a very plain-looking sort of run-down outhouse right now. He lays the box on the ground, and he opens it. Well, Mistress Vedante hopes that you enjoy the armor. It has been created out of... I know that we spoke of no metal being used in the armor. This has been created with Thunderbeast tied,

one of the Thunderbeasts reinforced, toughened. It should be as strong as steel. It has been treated with a special chemical of Mistress Dante's own creation to toughen it. We find it to be the natural hide of the Thunderbeast. It's very resistant to slashing and impacts, but it is still as vulnerable as anything to piercing attacks. So you may find that a slashing or a striking weapon,

you may feel the impact a bit less, but unfortunately piercing will still have a great effect for it. Everything has been modelled. One thing we did, we were not sure exactly how your restriction with metal affects your natural magics, but we hope that this decorative piece will not interfere with it too much. And you can see that Mistress Dante worked on this throughout the night. We thought that it would be rather fitting. And you can see that one of the pauldrons on the armour,

which is, it's attached separately, so it can be taken off, but it is a roaring lion's head. That's so good. And it has, you know, the style of your kind of like lion head, the kind of more Chinese lion-like roaring kind of thing. And it kind of then leans down into toughened leather plates along the arm. So it's kind of mixed in with the armor as well.

A little finishing touch of her mistress, of the mistress. This is a great honor. It is exceptionally well made. This is a beautiful piece of armor. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in all my life. I don't think my old village, we could pool our money together and we couldn't even

purchase one of the base garments. This truly is a great honour for me. I will pass on your kind words to the mistress. I would only advise you to make sure that you do your absolute best in it. It wasn't going to be anything otherwise.

I take this very seriously. Indeed. I believe that the Mistress would not have made this offer and this opportunity had she not believed you to be sincere in your efforts. But yes, we hope that this is useful to you. I will be, after the tournament is finished, I will come to collect it, to return it to the mistress. Ashamed to part with such a fine thing, but of course I understand.

Well, we will keep it aside, and should it not find a buyer any time soon, we can, unless anyone comes asking for it, I can perhaps keep it in the back. Perhaps one day you will be able to afford such a thing. Make a statement enough in the tournament and I'm sure that you will have many opportunities to earn a wealth of coin.

I will give my very best. That is all we can ask. I hope you enjoy the shield and the stave as well. Oh, yes, we were practising yesterday, and I must say it. Again, masterfully made weapons and the shield. Am I allowed to paint on the front of the shield, by the way? It is yours. You've purchased it. It's not on loan. I would ask you not to modify the armor too much.

Oh, no way. Yes, but the shield is yours to do with as you wish. If you wish to paint upon it, absolutely. I have a crest now. That would be very fitting, I would imagine. Well, I must go, I must return to the store. It will be a busy day for us in Dantes, but I hope you enjoy, and the mistress is looking forward

to watching you in the tournament. Good day, Mr. Griffith. Good day. Oh, there's a lot of people watching for me. And yeah, so you now have the Masterwork Scale Mail, which I gave you, and it reduces slashing and bludgeoning damage

by three. So if you take slashing and bludgeoning damage, it will reduce it by three points of damage. Piercing damage does the normal points of damage. Piercing damage does the normal amount of damage. What does it set your AC to? 17. Without armor of Oak and Thorn. Yeah.

Is that including the shield as well? Yes. Nice. So 14 for the scale mail and plus two for the shield. And then dex as well. And dex, yeah. Very cool.

Yeah. So I think because you were on 15 base before, this is an extra two AC. Plus it then it has the extra effect of the resistant damage. Yeah. So I think because you were on 15 base before, weren't you? Yeah. So this is an extra 2 AC. Plus it then it has the extra effect of the resistant damage. Yeah, and then the Oak and Shield thing that I do gives plus 2, so I could be up to 19. Wow, that's awesome.

Yep, very tanky. Yeah. Very fitting. Good indeed. Yes. And yeah. All right. So with that, I think that is a good point where we're going to take our break.

Yeah. We're going to take a little break here, and then when we come back, I think we'll probably just kind of have a get everyone together in the Central Plaza, and then you guys can go from there. Sign up and start tournament-ing. Yeah, absolutely.

All right. Well, we will see you in five minutes. That's the end of part one. Thank you very much. We'll see you soon. Bye-bye. See you next time. Bye-bye soon bye-bye see you next time hey do you like role-playing games well you should check out mystery quest it's an actual

play podcast where we focus on all kinds of indie TTRPGs with a rolling cast of special guests. You can find us anywhere where you get your podcasts. I'll see you there.