High Rollers DnD - Crownfall (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #88

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

The Sovereign sends his 'gift' to the Heroes as a shard of the crown falls into Altheya! Altheya: The Dragon Empire Campaign Setting begins in Q1 2026! Register interest and support the journey to release here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rollandplaypress/high-rollers-altheya-the-dragon-empire Can't wait for Part 2 of each episode? Join our Patreon to get early access EVERY week (+ a few other bonuses)! www.patreon.com/HighRollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ _______________ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Add official High Rollers Minis to your TTRPG collection here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bless your table with the Clever Toad Dice Set: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dispeldice.com/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 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/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠v Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pickax. 2026. A brand new year, brand new high rollers. It's time, everybody. We're back. Hello, everybody. I'm your dungeon master.

Marks slash Shulik Humes slash the dungeon buster slash friendly neighborhood storyteller from Batman. I got all the names. They're mine. Your name's mine now. I own it.

Who, boy. What an exciting time. Brand new year. A couple of big things to talk about. The first one, and this really is a big, big thing. Guys, this is crazy, but 17th and 18th of January, it's our 10-year anniversary. 10 years of high rollers. That's like next week, right?

Yeah. Next Friday. Next Friday. So, next Saturday. Sunday. Our 10th anniversary is on the Saturday, but obviously on Sunday the 18th, we're going to have a very special Hirollers episode. We are going to be doing a special one-shot adventure instead of our usual Althea episode, but this is going to be a very special one-shot. It's going to be a

celebration of campaigns past and present, an epic, unmissable one-shot for fans of Lightfall, Erois and Althea. I like all three of those. I love all three of those. So it's going to be very, very special. We're going to be celebrating our 10-year anniversary. We would love for you to be there. You know, if you're catching up on the Vod, you know, and you see this, we'd love for you to join us live. Let people know in your community. If you know people who used to watch Lightfall, but haven't caught up on Althea, let them know

that this is the time to jump in and watch the episode. We'd love to see, like, a huge spike of all of our fans and all of our community coming together for this celebration, basically. So come along and join us for that. That's going to be a very exciting time. Also, to let you know that the Eerois merch will be ending on the 17th of January. That'll be the last day to get any of your Arrows. Rose merch, maybe to make room for some other surprises that will be coming along.

So go and check that out. Also, and this is an exciting one, Altheir campaign guide to Kickstarter. You may have heard about it. Maybe you haven't. I've actually had quite a lot of people who had no idea it was happening. So here's another sign. The Alfair campaign guide, I've got it here. This is happening, and it's going to be hitting Kickstarter in February, early February.

But did you know, guys, we're up to 3,750 sign-ups on the sign-up page. wouldn't it just be swell, wouldn't it be lovely to get $4,000 before the 10th anniversary? 10,000 for a 10th anniversary. That would be amazing, Troub. Let's be realistic. So all I was going to say is if you haven't yet, please go and send the link to friends, to your gaming groups on Discord,

to gaming communities that you know, let them know that this is a cool new campaign guide setting that's going to be coming out to Kickstarter. It's going to have subclasses, it's going to have magic items, it's going to have loads of additional rules, but also most of the book is law, so it can be used in any game system.

You want to do a dagger heart campaign but use all the world law? Great, this book is still for you, even if you don't use the 5E rules section of it. Best bit, it's going to smell so good. It's going to smell so good. It's going to smell so good. It's so nice.

I love the smell. I'm going to hand scent all of them. That's gross. No, with a nice thing. Oh, okay, I thought you might put a gland on us. We're going to rub it on my scent gland. Which gland? And I'll have, you know, my scent gland,

and smells wonderful. But yeah, so that is coming. So we would love to hit that number, 4,000 for next Sunday. Yeah. It's amazing. It's 250 more people. 10,000, let's go. 10,000, that's right.

That's a 10. With that, those are the announcements. Is there anything I missed? Anything that people want to shout out or be hyped about? I want to complete my New Year's resolution of playing more D&D. Think, hang on. Yeah, we can make that happen. Let's run that intro.

Welcome to Orthea. the Dragon Empire. Crownfall. Scholars have noted this phenomena since the earliest days of the empire, though some say it happens with more regular occurrence now than it has in the past.

The event occurs when pieces of the unstable moon known as the crown break away from the main body and plummet to Orthea's surface. The crownfall appears to be compromised of stony, rock-like mineral, as well as the metallic ore that makes up the metal called crown steel.

The majority of this mineral in the metal itself is burned up as the debris falls to the world's surface, leaving behind various sizes of raw metal ore that causes large craters and shockwaves upon impact. However, this is not all. The crown appears to be some sort of habitat, or prison, depending on the scholar's interpretation, for creatures comprised of celestial and fiendish planar energies.

These are believed to have been the soldiers that fought alongside sovereign during the Equinox War and called forth as part of the bright storm. These creatures seem untouched by the forces that burn away the rocky structure of the crownfall and cling to it as well as each other, similar to the phenomenon observed when a queen bee is removed from a hive. The creatures swarm over the falling debris

and form a cocoon around it, arriving on Althea, along with the surviving metal. These creatures come in various forms, with varying degrees of sentience and intelligence. Most are like enraged beasts, but some, often called emissaries, show great intelligence in magical powers and are able to open riffs that draw forth more of their kind

from somewhere yet unknown. Regardless of form, the creatures show utmost malice, hatred and violence towards the people of Althea and strike out at populated settlements with little fear. Various laws and edicts have been put into place for both citizenry and draconian. nobility concerning crownfall, a breakdown of which can be read in Scholariat's Edina Farlow's history and politics of the empire. Quote, natural and magical phenomena of Elmera, Scholariet

Hadrian Tamtree. Gruff, you were enjoying a quiet evening, a cold evening out in your sanctuary, looking up at the night sky and the moons of Althea when little spring heart. the dryad that you had rescued from the Faye-wield, sort of tugged at your paw and sort of at your fur as you were holding it and sort of pointed up into the sky like, Gruff, look, look at that pretty light. And as you looked up, you saw this streaking light falling from the crown, a red and golden firework that is growing and growing in size

as it begins to plummet towards Althea's surface. What happens next? Can I kind of see the trajectory and guess what direction or distance it's going to land? I would say that that's going to be, well, in fact, before we do that, because it's important, let's roll our fate, because I think that that is going to be a factor into this. Crucible of fate, our custom system. To give you guys a little advantage,

but also perhaps empower the enemies and forces against you. Katie, what do we get? Forward. That is a dice for you. I got a 2026. That's a dice to be my joke. It's a dice for you. You don't go again if you want, you might get up better than me.

I got a 2026. Nice for you. Yes. Chris Trott. Got a 2023. That's a dice for me. 2024. A 24.

Another dice for you. And then what is my role? Oh, a 1. That is a dice for me. So we have a 4 to 2 on our Crucible of Faith. slightly fate is leaning in your favor currently. But Graf, I would like you to make, you want to track the trajectory and estimate where you think this thing's going to land.

I think that's going to be more of a survival role than a perception role, because it's not just about seeing it, it's about making that guesstimate of, you know, land and terrain and, you know, trajectory. 8 plus 8, 16. 16. I'm not going to give you, for a 16,

I'm not going to give you an exact answer. You, I'll let you out. Like, as a question, what would you like to ask me as a question about its trajectory? Like, exactly where it's going or... If it's, like, in the direction of Kelskaris, like, the kind of vague, like... Vague direction.

I will tell you this on a 16, it is not going to impact into Ashen Rest. You don't suspect that based on where it's falling, it is not going to land directly here. It is not going towards Kelskaris. It is going to land. within miles, several miles, of Ash and Rest, out to the West-ish.

West-ish. Yes. Right, so I've got Spring Art in my arms. And she's just, she's looking up at this thing just in awe, like, wow, what is that? Like, what's that thing falling from the sky and like pointing at it? I think his arms around her just gets slightly like tighter,

like as he kind of tenses up and, And like, oh, it's very pretty light, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, and she's sort of looking up it in wonder. Right, Springard, we're just going to go inside for a wee moment, okay. You're just going to go inside. Meanwhile, Xanthius, so you're heading inside with Springhart, Zanthias, you have awoken from that dream that you had. Yeah, and the last words from my dream visitor

was something along the lines of, I'm going to send you a gift, right? Correct. Yes, okay, good. Okay, good. You wake up in your bedroom, in Tyrea's rest. Are you, like, sweating? What kind of state is, Anthony? I mean, I imagine the arm, the corrupted arm, is hot.

Like, it is burning, but it's not something I'm, like, feeling pain over, but it's, like... Like, the gold lines are, like, glowing, and there's that heat emanating from it. Yeah, and I think my initial thing would be to rip off any coverings I might have over the arm to see if it's spread any further. I'm expecting that gift to be an internal thing. Like, he's affecting the Crown's deal that I currently have. So that's why I... Let's have another role here.

Let's have a medicine check to see if you can determine if this thing is spread, the corruption is spread. Yeah, because unless Crownfall makes this loud-ass noise, you don't hear anything. Okay, fantastic. Not yet. It's just an air raid siren.

Minus two. That's a five. You look, and there's this panic in your mind where you're not sure, like, has this spread up your arm? Like, wasn't it closer to your elbow? That little mole on your arm? Isn't it there before? And you're not quite sure if this is spread or not.

But you don't feel anything different. You've always felt when the power is grown, when you've developed new abilities because of the corruption, like you've generally been aware of it, and you don't feel that currently. Okay. There is this uncertainty. Is it also a dream that is,

fully lodged within my mind or is it like you remember every second okay um uh in that case i will yeah i will i mean it's like late at night it's like it's like but you guys went to bed fairly early because you knew that you'd like been doing quite a lot of things so like this is probably isn't like you know middle of the morning this is like late like midnight is you know something like that hmm okay um yeah i will start to well i'd put some uh covering on um and i will um and i will Make my way downtown, walking fast. Okay. I'm homebound.

I'm homebound. Daisy, you also had a dream. Slightly different to Xanthius is. A very odd dream, a mixture of being chased and being hunted, but those were memories, NIM's memories, not a dream, not yours. But then you remember this hunter. And there was this almost benevolence and kindness and gentleness that perhaps might have been unexpected.

I know. me, but there was this generalist, but then this immediate sense of when you try to run and save NIM this pursuit, this awareness that you are now being hunted. But you wake up, what does Daisy do? Probably burritos and puts her face completely under the blanket and is just lying in the room. She probably just doesn't know what to do. So she's like, I'm just going to hide myself. It's just a bad dream maybe. I think she's always aware that it's something that could happen. So it's something that's obviously crossed her mind,

plus she's talked about it already anyway. So she knows that it's a possibility. So it's not like a... I imagine it's something that's potentially happened before that she's had a nightmare about, like, so... And does she think about that? Probably. So I think that you remember being very, very young,

growing up in... You grew up in hearth, didn't you? in the village of half? No, it was Greenvine, I want to say? Oh yes, it was, yeah, correct. You remember being a young girl and having a similar sensation

but there was no face, it was just a sense like being tracked by a wolf or a creature, but that same sense of being hunted kind of dawns on you. But now there is this strange, completely faceless hood of just light, but sensing this powerful being

residing into it, these ribbons of light trailing off of them. But you sort of bundled yourself up, hoping to, you know, just, it was a bad dream, not going to think about it, you know, do you reach out to Nim or? I don't think she would because I think she also is aware that Nim knows this and Nim feels bad for putting her in danger anyway. So I think that she probably doesn't like to make Nim feel bad and just keeps it to her. herself. I think that without doing that, Nym would probably tell you though, like, little one, I thought I heard, I think, I heard something from Xanthius's room,

because I think you guys have rooms next to each other. Yeah, they're next to you. I thought I could hear something. I don't know if he's all right, and you kind of hear that. Oh. And then you hear the door open. I will come outside. I've got the blanket completely wrapped around me and just my face and probably some curls just on. and I'll open the door. So you open the door. Oh, Daisy, oh, just scared the life out of me. And on that, I'm gonna throw it over.

So as you have this moment where you're like, oh, and then we're gonna throw it over. Rowan, you had just gone to bed. No strange dreams for Rowan. But is there anything like, that you think, is this, is Rowan just peacefully asleep in his bed? Or is this like, have you woken up for like a little snack or anything like that?

He's like, really deep. Deep slays. No, he probably spent a good amount of time finding a new spot for his new boots. Perfect, yeah. And once he've settled on there, he starts to go to bed just at the point. Where this is happening. Where this is happening. Sure, sure, sure.

He's content now. They're at a good spot. They fit your feet perfectly. You've like stretched them out. You know, they fit nicely now these elven, sort of elvish green leather boots with these beautiful designs of fairies going up the sides. Like these boots of levitation that you have. you've taken them off, you've got them all set nicely and then, yeah, you hear this kind of like,

boom, boom, oh, you scare, and you kind of hear this conversation happening outside. Okay, and then I'll walk to the door and... Sure. Boo! No, wait. Yeah. We hear that scream sort of echo through.

What about Ophelia? I think Ophelia wouldn't be in the tavern. She'd probably be in her shrine after the commune with the Grapefather. Yeah, you remember, and I think that the memories of that communion are still lingering a little bit with Ophelia. And I don't know, you'd tell me because there was a moment there where the Gravefather seemed very displeased with some of the things you said and asked for.

And how is Ophelia feeling after that communion? Yeah, I think Ophelia would be sitting on one of the pews, Percy, maybe Teresa as well, just like sat by her side with like a glass of wine in one hand. Just sort of mulling it over with her eyes closed, just... I don't want to feel like I'm doing the wrong thing in his eyes. How could you be, Sister Ophelia? But I'm doing the right thing in Zanthius's eyes, surely. Are you talking more to yourself here?

Yeah, she's just sort of mumbling just... So many paths to take. So as you go to take another sip of that wine, Ophelia, gruff, maybe a minute has passed since spring. heart pointed that out and you've been as you went in do you like go to the window to like check it or are you just going into the in to try and gather everyone else um i would just go straight in like um just open and you go in you're like you start making your way up the stairs to kind trying to grab everybody when this shockwave of like impact like force like wind buffets the windows

right in the little uh past the corridor where your rooms are the three row and daisy and xanthias the windows kind of kind of shudder and the whole tavern almost seems to like shudder for a second. Athelia, the blast rips through the shrine, you know, your wine goes spilling

all over the place that the candles are all blown out as this impact shock wave. Not enough to cause destruction, but enough to be felt throughout all of Ashen's rest. Yeah, I think Othelia would draw her sword, like get up and run to the door

and surprise open the shrine door. You can see that, like there is, you know, dust from the cobblestone streets and leaves from the garden have all been sort of blown out and things like that. Maybe there's, you can start to hear neighbors like, what's happening? You kind of hear these voices down the street, children crying, babies crying. There's like maybe like something just broke my windows. You're kind of hearing this conversation scattered around. But there's no immediate thing, but there's, yeah, you just remember this immense kind of sense of force blow past you. Gruff, you make your way up the stairs and you sort of hold on to

the banister with Springheart as this thing rockets and rocks the entire inn for a second. And you can hear the sounds of the others upstairs like making their way down. I think there'll probably be a moment where we all see each other and I just... From the sky. It's fallen.

From the sky. Oh God, I thought it might have been that. What? What's falling? Yeah. What is falling? I've tripped over my blanket. I'm on the floor.

What's happening? My plane is on the floor. What has just happened? The crown. It's fallen from the crown. He visited in my dreams again and promised a gift to me. I think that might have been me somehow. What?

You saw it fall outside? Oh, Xanthius. Okay. That wasn't very subtle of him. If that was the intention, it wasn't very subtle. It was... and then now the whole of Ash and for Estes felt that because that was horrendous. Well, we need to leave, right? We can't stay here. I can't stay here. If everyone knows that that's just happened and that's apparently for me. Well, where did it, where did it, did you see

where it landed? A general direction. Hold on. I go upstairs and get my boots. Start putting the boots on, tugging those boots on as you do. I feel that you've sort of running, you've heard this conversation, you've now joined, you know, everyone. Teresa, as you're running, I have to get to. I have to get you. get home to my family. I need to go and check on. Yes, Theresa, go. You must. Of course. As you guys, about five minutes after you saw it, Gruff, four minutes since that sort of impact wave hit, you now begin to hear bells ringing across the city. And it doesn't take long before one of the Duke's guards

is making their way down your street where the tavern is and just is calling out, Crownfall, Crownfall, citizens of Aschon's risk, gather supplies, more information will follow shortly. Crownfall, Crownfall! And they're making their way calling this out. There's a cry with a bell ringing, and you can hear the alarm bells from the watchtowers going. And with that, you begin to hear the hustle and bustlers as citizenry is jumped from their beds

and is now preparing for this event. So none of us are actually from Ashendresd, but do we know a general sort of procedure for Crownfall? I think the thing is, you and Daisy are from Caldra, but you're from villages. Yeah. So it'd be a little different for you guys. So you would know some stuff but not everything.

Same for you, gruff up in Ice Heart. Rowan, you're sort of a traveler who's moved around a fair bit. So again, I don't know how much you would know of like city or town life. Something like this. Duck, dip, dodge. We. Dive and duck. And affiliate for you, just no idea.

Like, you know of Crownfall, but when it happens in Ossius, it is dealt with by the upper members of VIII. the faith and a citizen like you is, you just know it is a thing that happens sometimes, but you don't really know anything about it because it's very much kept by the ecclesiarchy, by the Mautauk ecclesiarchy, they handle it. So it's never really been something you've ever had to trouble yourself with. For those of you from like more village life here, you would know that, yeah, Crownfall is a phenomenon that has been happening for a long time.

It is rare, but it is common enough that there are processes and procedures and things like that for it. You might not know all of the ins and outs and like the technicalities, but generally if a settlement, if Crownfall happens near a settlement, you get your shit, you get somewhere defensive or you get out, basically. And then the local lord or lady will dispatch their army to deal with the Crownfall. You might not know what that means. Now we as players know that it sounds like there are these creatures that fall and there's Crownsteen and everything else,

but all you would know is that, yeah, Crownfall Bad and the Army deals with it, basically. It's like a quarantine zone. Yeah, kind of, yeah. But also some sort of threat. And I think, like, I would say everybody can make a history role for me just to see if you know any, like, stories or you've heard of anything else that happens with it.

That's pretty cool. Can I load my role with a question specifically? Yeah, absolutely. I'll make that, I suppose if it's a specific question. No, don't worry, I've got a fine. I was going to say I'll lower the DC, but... Okay. But what was your specific question?

The specific question was more a question of what kinds of creatures would come out. Like, not to use the phrase sentience, because birds are sentient, but like... We famously know, birds are sentient. It's smarter than sentient. But are they able to communicate? Are they able to do stuff like... So I'd say, on a five, what I'm going to tell you is all you know is childhood stories. Right.

And when Crownfall happens, it brings monsters. Sure. And those monsters are the most terrifying. They're worse than Volt Sporn. They are to be feared. You run away. They were servants of sovereign, and they can burn. They can destroy your soul.

You know all these horrific stories of monsters. How much sentience they have and how they can, you don't know. Okay. I better start believing in those stories. I am one. What did we get history-wise over here? I think... Three.

14? 13. 13? 2. I'd say on a 13. We did goos. This is the first time this has ever happened. Rowan, you would know, you're a barge, you're a traveller, you know stories as well.

You know that when Crownfall happens, there are creatures that fall with the metal, with the chunk of the crown. And these creatures are, they will attack any settlements. They are savage. They're not like you can't negotiate with them. They won't listen. They are like beasts, basically. And they have strange powers. You know that they possess magic, you know, powerful abilities.

And you know that often if an army is not sufficient or like does not have, if it is not a large force, like say a small village town guard. they're not going to be able to hold these things off. This takes armies or powerful knights. And in fact, many stories of knights are them facing the creatures of a crownfall and defeating them and, you know, neutralizing them. And that's many of, you know, so it takes powerful individuals to actually defeat these things, or armies, basically.

And depending on the size of the crownfall, you might be dealing with a dozen of these creatures. you might be dealing with hundreds of these creatures. You might be dealing with thousands of these creatures. You just don't know. This is really bad. This is awful. And you're saying that you had this...

Sovereign appeared in a dream and was trying to tempt me, turn me over to its side again. But I resisted. I fought against it. I even tried to... It showed me a dagger. I tried to attack him.

But he offered me a gift, and that's when I was... and there this happens, it's too much of a coincidence. Do you think something specific felled that he wants you to have? I don't know, I don't know anything more than... You can't have anything that comes from Crownfall. No. It's all monsters, it's terrifying.

But also, I don't think anyone else should have it either. What if someone bad finds that? What if because you tried to attack him, he sent someone to attack you? I... it's... from the dream. It's a gift. it's a gift rather than a threat, right? Or, I mean, sovereign's this alien divine power. Yeah. You know, sending something to fight you and make you stronger

could be a gift in its eyes. How do you know this creature? Like, this creature is not a human mind. Sure. It's not a humanoid mind. I sent you a gift. It's your own doom. Yeah.

Yeah. It could be. It could very well be that. It's very hard to tell. I will let you make an insight, but I'm gonna tell you now the DC is... Preemptive insight on sovereign, a post. Post emptied.

Does the gift come with a receipt? Yeah, can I return this? But the DC for this is very high. I'm gonna fate it. Okay. Because insight, you say. Insight. Plus two, but watch this.

Drive, oh, 17. 17 total. 17 total, not terrible, but... Probably not enough against the dog. Probably not enough against the dog. Yeah. Yeah, yep, yep. Impossible to know this thing.

this could be a weapon. It could be a particularly powerful bit of crown steel to like fuel you. It could be a creature to test you and make you stronger. Who knows what this thing could be? I don't know, but whatever it is, I don't know if it can speak, if it can declare itself. I don't know if it will talk about me. I don't know anything about it. Um, speak. Is it just metal? Is it just crown steel that, Is it? It could be anything. But should we get there?

Because if we don't get there, then the guards will get there, and if it does speak and it says your name. Is it expected of us to join this fight against It is a fight? It wouldn't be unexpected for us to show up. Although, you know, crowd four happens, And us going to Crownfall is going to make you to a particular someone very suspicious.

In front of an army of dukes and more. You know what happens when he goes near Crownsteel? And we are so close to getting those essences for you. We are so close to fixing this problem. I don't want to take that risk. I am going regardless. Where are you going? Like Springheart's been here.

Yeah, she's been in my arms the whole time. Where are you going? I'm going to where the crown fell. Can I come? It looks so pretty. No, little one. Why? It'll be very dangerous for you.

She sort of like looks around. You know fire is very beautiful. I don't like fire. Exactly. It looks lovely, but it feels hot. Is it like a big fire, Mr. Rowan? I don't want to go to it. We'll have you say with your uncle, Mateo.

Okay, I like Mateo probably is like, because I don't, I think he stays here, he has like a small room. Yeah, so he's like on the level below you guys on either side and like he will sort of like, obviously I don't want to interrupt it. I think that there's important conversations happening, but what is the plan? Can you look after Sprangart, please?

Of course I can, of course I can, but what is, I mean, I know. Look at the window and see, because obviously everyone, there was guards with the bells and things. Is there like general, not chaos as such, but people fleeing their house? No. No, no. In fact, you would see... An upside-down car on fire.

You would see the opposite to that. You see very orderly. You look out the inn and there's a family that live on the other side of the street. And they are making their way out and the dad's got like one of the kids who's like a bit younger up on his shoulder and he's got a backpack which seems to be full of supplies.

The mum's got like several like packs in her hands. They've got another sort of like teenage son with them who's also carrying some supplies. and they're now waiting out on the street and you see more and more of your neighbors are like coming out. And then after a few moments, like a squadron of the Duke's army come along and they're like, citizens, do you have everything?

Right, follow us, we're taking everyone to the barrack to the forge. You'll be safe there. Do you kind of like, do you have everything all members of your family accounted for? Yes, of course, yes, you've got you come with this way and you see them being led to the forge barracks. And it seems quite orderly. There's fear.

There's definitely that these people are afraid, and scared, but the guards themselves seem a little uncertain, but there is a process here that's being followed. Yeah, yeah. Right, Mateo, grab some supplies, grab some of your belongings, take Spring Art, go to the barracks with everyone else. All right, and Spree says, no, I can't leave my tree. Ah, right, sorry, I thought you could, as long as it was in the...

I can't go too far from it. Mateo, are you okay to stay here, then? Of course, I mean, I think I should stay here and look after the place anyway. I mean, if nothing else... Zanthius, your workshops down in the basement. It is, yes. I can take her down there. It's still within the realms, but it should be fine.

I mean, I don't know much about this town, but, you know, it's got walls and defences, right? So it should be fine. I'm sure we'll be fine here. This is all just precaution, right? For the crownfall? Hopefully. Yes, I'm sure it will be right.

But, yes, I suppose you all need to think about what you're going to do. I'm going to go out there. There's no question about that. I don't expect any else of you to kind of. Oh, I have to go. Byzantius is our priority. I don't know if I should go. I know, that's what I'm saying.

It's probably dangerous for you to go, especially with other members of the public going there as well. Unless we just try and beat them. Then we have to go now. I also don't know what will happen if I don't go. I think he needs to be there. If it's a gift for him, what if we need him to be there? be there.

Ron starts counting on his fingers. I've got an escape plan and I bring out the Roosone of Hathen home. Things get bad. She's come back. Instantly come back. That's a good contingency. Mateo will sort of be like,

come on, Springhart, darling, come on, I've got it. I'm got a show, I've got some stories, I'm going to tell you. And she's like, yeah, I love your stories. And he'll take her off and sort of give you the nod. And as he leads it down the stairs, he's like, well, did I ever tell you the story about how a good old Uncle Gruff saved me from a monster from the sea. Oh, lemon and starts telling this story

about your adventures on the coast and things like that. Don't go near the cold spider. Don't touch it. Very good. I will not. The cold rose. The cold rose. Don't go to any other thing down there.

Just don't touch things. Or the bucket of acid. Why don't we stay in the bar until we desperately need to go in the basement? Yes, I think, why don't I get you a nice hot chocolate? Do you drink hot chocolate? You're a tree. Maybe it's on water. Just sort of like takes her down and she's chatting away with him as you guys are left down.

So you guys have been having this conversation for a little bit of time. And Xanthias, of course. Here it comes. A message in your mind. I was waiting for that. Where are you? My father is going to send a summons for you and the others. what is your intent?

See, we're being sent anyway. Sovereign sent a message. Gruff intends to go. Lamed out, sure. Tell me what to do. And you sleep at that. He's learning to be honest with him. It would be a few moments later you would get another sending spell from obsidious

That would say in this booming draconic voice in your mind I'm surprised You should come to the summons You should hear the situation Then we will decide I fear Allowing others to claim whatever is there That's fair

The Duke is going to summon us. The Duke is going to summon us anyway. Ossidius is telling me to go there. Oh, okay. Fair enough. Where? Probably to the... To the Dominus, yeah.

This would be like a summons to meet with the Duke, basically. Should we just go now? I feel like speed is... Groff's already at the door. He's doing that thing. You know when dads are like, they've got their car keys, and they've been waiting, and they're just like... And everyone's faffing.

Wait! I will stumble over my blanket as I pull my boots on over my frilly socks. I'm coming, I'm coming! Yeah, like, are you guys going to grab anything extra? Obviously, I'm going to assume you take some moments to grab your gear and your weapons and armor and stuff like that. Because don't forget putting things like armor does take a bit of time and stuff.

For those of you who don't have magical scarab armours. Percy, you're ready to come for another little walk? Yes, of course, wherever you are needed. Walkies, Percy. Wherever you need me, Mother, I will go wherever. What do you ask? Should I get Rodry? Rodry's back at the...

Stable. We should probably find out what we need to do first. Then we can get him. I've got another means of transport too. Never mind. Possibly. No, no, it's fine. By the time you guys have kind of finished gathering your supplies,

putting your armor on, all of that kind of stuff, I think that there would be a sort of knock at the door as you're kind of gathered in the downstairs part of the tavern. and you see, you actually recognize the soldier sort of at the front of this little squad, a pink typhling that you'll remember is Bliss, with a little heart tail, and she'll sort of like, and be like,

oh, sorry, I'm glad that you're all here and all up. Duke Ignorius is sent word to summon you to the Dominus Ignarum. He wants to meet with you about the Crown Four. Wonderful. Are we already? Yes, I think we're happy to follow you. Liz. I think we're happy to leave now, and yes, Go, go. Great, yeah. He said as soon as possible, I'm to escort you there. I'm not meant to leave you.

Has he sent any forces already? A scouts have been, yeah, scouts immediately were established. We're establishing the extent of it, what we're looking at. He's currently meeting with the Lord Marshall and a bunch of the others to discuss plans for how to deal with it, basically. But he asked for you to come and attend that meeting. Well, we can't say no to a summons. No. No. Duke himself. All right, if you follow me then, please.

and the group of them, and the guards kind of form up around you, almost like a little protection squad. Oh, this is nice. As you are led out, I mean, I say protection squad, they know that you're stronger than them, but it's that, like, giving you that air of authority

and that, you know, they are on important business. Like, do not interact with us, basically. It reminds me of when we were in Wave, mate, we had guards surrounding us. Yeah. Yeah. But you make your way through Ashen's, rest and what you find is the town is mobilizing. You can see the watchtowers, the Brazias

have been lit, you can see that there are soldiers already taking archer positions on the walls and things like that. In the street, citizens are being moved to the barracks, the forge, or to other secure locations in the city like the Stone Mason's Tower and things like that. Any sort of defensible, sturdy building that they can be housed, they're being moved there. And I think with this being, you know, several months since the demonic attack here on Ashton's Rest that in fact earned you the moniker of the heroes of Ashton's Rest, of Ashen Rest, people are, there is a stoic doggedness to their movements. You can see that, you know, men and women, mothers and fathers and things like that, they haven't just gathered supplies, you know, they're clutching like

their old family sword that they, you know, their grandfather had it as a soldier. or they're carrying like blacksmiths hammers and things like that. They've put on like scraps of leather as like a kind of crude armor. These are people who have already gone through one quite, you know, powerful attack on the city, and they're not willing to be caught unprepared again. Not another one. Not another one.

And you see that these soldiers march through the streets and squads, moving to certain locations, carrying missives, delivering messages, escorting civilians to certain places. This is a very mobilized endeavor, and there is structure and order to what's happening. You make your way to the Dominus Ignarum, and even considerate Orgrim does not give you much trouble this time as you are sort of marched through its doors.

You can see that elite knights of the Dominus Ignarum have formed up and are mobilizing as well. And you are led through, not into the main audience chamber, a side chamber where there is this long, huge ceiling, like tall ceilinged passageway corridor with all sorts of seating outside of it, a sort of waiting area. And there are these enormous dragon-sized doors that lead into a chamber that is currently closed. You can see there are several offices of the Duke's army already waiting.

And two other figures that you recognize, Sir Greal. in his armor, his beautiful sort of titanium platinum platinum crown of earth skin growing out of his head, his big beard braided, fully clad in armor, his crossbow on his shoulder, and he gives you all a very sort of stoic nod as you all center, and he's like, I'm good to see, good to see you, and sort of gives you this nod as you all enter.

The other figure that you do recognize is Dame Cassandra, the other knight of the realm, who you had an opportunity to go on an adventure with, but went elsewhere. You can see that she now has this eye patch and quite heavy scarring down one side of her face, and she's got several band. You know, she looks like she's still recovering from some injuries,

but she has a giant big sort of musketeers hat on. She has a rapier at her side, and she kind of gives you a weak sort of like nod and a little curtsey bow, but you can see that she does not look to be fully recovered from whatever events and adventure she went on, but they sort of nod in your direction as you arrive as you are,

and the guards at the door will say, please a moment, the Duke is just in another conversation right now. We will meet with you all very, very shortly, and you're sort of asked to wait outside. Is there any part of, because Dominic Nynarum is quite high up in the city, right? So elevated. Is there any part of the journey either into the Dominic Nauram or past any windows or anything that see over the walls of the city?

I'd say, let's say that there's a window here, like there's these beautiful kind of arched windows, in this corridor that you're currently facing, that just so happens to be, it runs along the western side of the building and they look out from across the city walls, because it is, yeah, you're right high up, and you absolutely can see it into the beautiful hills

and countryside beyond. So is there an area where this is obviously fallen? Not. Give me a perception roll. Let's just see. It's also nighttime. Yes, right. And you are staring at the...

I mean, I'm expecting... In my head, I'm expecting to see this fucking glowing thing. Crater. Perception minus two. 12. 12. You don't see anything immediately in sort of your vision range, right? But it is quite hilly terrain around you.

Caldra is very hilly. There's a lot of valleys and veils. And so you don't immediately see like a glowing crater or like, you know, armies summoned being, you know, surging out of somewhere or anything like that. Quest icon, you don't see that. Objective. No, you don't see any of that. If anything, the only thing I would say is that the far horizon,

you almost think like, whoa, is this, is it, I didn't think it was that late, like that late, because it almost, you almost feel like it's the beginning light of dawn, but then you realize it's in the wrong place, it's on the wrong side. Okay. Because there is this, on the horizon, this very faint kind of golden, glow that's almost like rising from something in the distance and it's creating enough light

to almost create this sort of not very very dim very dim sort of effect yeah okay but i'd say that's about it um whose passive perception by the way is over uh 16 mine i think daisies and gruffs so as you're all 19 what if mine is exactly half of that then you don't hear anything so those of you who don't have it so those of you don't have it so So Gruff, you're going to hear this very much, like, you can hear a muffled conversation because somebody in that room just is raising their voice, but these are thick walls, thick doors. So you don't hear the exact words, but you definitely hear, like, a raised voice, and you know

it's the ducous. The rest of you don't really hear anything. Maybe you're having a chat with somebody, you're chatting with Bliss, or you're sort of taking it, you know, you're looking at the windows, Xantheist, maybe you're taking in the, sort of like, what's going on. But Daisy, whether it's nym, sort of augmenting your hearing. or something like that, you can make out the words that are being spoken inside.

And you hear the Duke's voice, you know, trembling and thunderous as it is. You know the edicts and the oath sworn. You will go nowhere near that thing. Neither of us will. We will help with the defense. Is that understood? You hear that sort of...

I'm starting up a group chat between everyone. You feel like NIM's connection reach into your mind as this telepathic conversation links you. And I'll just repeat what was said. Um, the Duke is, doesn't want them going near it. Who? I think it's probably obsidious.

Ah, yes, I mean, trackers and crownstool. Yeah. Bad history. Science, it means there's more, the more reason to send us then. That's probably why we're... I know. Um. But,

We're still gonna need a plan because he can't know anything. Dame Cassandra, Gryold, sorry we're so nervous and tired. Understandable, that, understandable. We don't- Is this Gryld's voice? I don't think it's Scottish, isn't he? Is he Scottish? Yeah.

I don't think so much. Do you want to show at you again? No, understandable son. This is a grave, grave moment. Yes, we don't really understand the usual process here. Have you experienced Crownfall before yourself? Myself, no. I've never, Crownfall has never happened this close to Ashen's rest, and I tend to being a knight of the realm.

I mainly deal with affairs here in Northvale. Dick Cassandra. Oh, what's that? You have, Rowan. Ah, good. What do you know of it? Well, only as I'll step when we were roaming around. Must be very different there without a permanent, more permanent structures to fall offensively behind. All we know is this big golden light fell from the sky miles away, kind of similar to where we are. Before we knew it, we were upheaved because these huge military units were carving their way through where we were currently staying. And all I could see, because I was very young at the time, strange creatures and stories that came back from

injured militia. Yes, I've heard the stories. Dame Cassandra, what about you? Well, I, forgive me, it's wonderful to see you all again. What I do know is in terms of processes is the draconic nobility are not a... They swore oaths to the Empress, and there are laws set down by the Empress that dragons are not allowed near the impact sites of Crownfall. Instead, that falls that duty, but falls to the Church of the Sions. And that is where the Holy Knights are dispatched to recover the material, let's call it, to make sure that it does not fall into the wrong hands,

but there are always stories. One so visible as this, I imagine that there will be other forces making their way to try and claim it as well. So swiftness is of great importance here. But also, there are creatures that land with the crownfall as well. Beings, monsters made of planar magic. I'm hoping that this is not a large one.

I've heard stories that the large ones can be. These creatures, they are not, you know, they're not soldiers or beasts. They are resistant to weaponry. They have magic all of their own. It takes, what, 10, 15 soldiers to take one of them down. So their numbers, although small, they are quite a potent force for us to deal with. We can only hope the Duke is an experienced commander and a great military mind.

I'm sure that we will be able to put this to rest without any danger to the citizenry, at least. But yes. Indeed, I imagine that I won't speak for the Duke, but I imagine that he will ask me to march out with the army to encounter these beasts, whatever they are,

will likely set up an advanced sort of force to intercept them before they reach the city walls. whereas the second company of the Duke's army will remain here and defend the town itself. I imagine Duke Ignaris will probably join the interception force, but I don't know. Sounds very thorough, very efficient. And I know I've not had much time to speak with Sir Glory,

the newest Holy Knight, but I know Sir Morning, where the other Holy Knight of Melia, very skilled swordsmen, swordsperson and warrior. I don't know what their chance is against the beasts the impact site will be, but I know that they have the blessing of Malia

and the blessing of Pyrus, and I can only hope that that's enough for them to deal with it. They'll have a small squadron of warriors, I imagine, with them as well. I will join them. Really? I believe that, yes, that may work out quite well, Sir Griffith. As a knight of the realm, I am not allowed near the impact site. Neither is Dame Cassandra. We represent the Duke and we are servants of the Duke.

We are sworn to the Duke. And so his edicts, the oaths and edicts and laws that bind him from approaching apply to us. But a knight of a knightly order who is not bound to a draconic lord or lady, you would be eligible. Even though you are a knight-errant, I understand you are not fully a knight yet. I believe that they would be unable to refuse your assistance should you offer it, but that would be very brave of you. I have no idea what you will face out there. It's just, it makes sense.

People need protecting. Aye, aye. But the Duke will have more information, surely. You can see, I think... All right there, Tom. Like I said before, my next character is going to be a plank. What were those famous words you said to me when you created Xanthius? Something about knives, I think.

Fuck my boy up. Just really. Fuck my boy up. It doesn't tell you, after that kind of conversation, there is a sort of the doors open and you would see kind of stepping out of it. The Lord Marshall of Caldra, who I forgot to bring up my notes with all of my extra MPC names. Lord Mary Marshall. No, it's not.

Not Harry Marshall. Barry, please stop the brownfall. No. No. I quit. For those who who don't know, the young star's now friend, Harry, that's how he talks. Harry, Barry.

Brown for. Harry. Barry. The brown, the brown. You gotta stop the brown point. That's really got me actually. High Marshal, Logan Gray, is who comes out. You have met before.

You have met before. Logan. In fact, we made that very joke. Yeah, for I remember that, yeah. We are repeating. We made that very joke. We have one joke. Bug on me, Logan.

And he steps out and says, oh, thank you all for coming. The Duke will see you all now. Do we have the lead scout here? And you see a young, dwarven girl. She has like copper studs around her eyes for her earth skin. She's like, hey, I'm here, Lord Marshall. It's like, step inside.

And you are all brought in. together. Inside is a war room, an enormous table with a sculpted map of Northvale and the surrounding lands. You can see that this is a beautiful work of art. It's been carved from wood, but then painted with the topography and landmarks and things like that. There are carved wooden miniatures to represent forces and things like that around it. Around the room is an armory of weapons and things. and armours and shields sort of displayed with a roaring fireplace in one war that is emanating heat into this room.

Those of you who are not dragon-blooded may find it quite uncomfortably warm to an extent, but Xanthius, you know, this is, it's creating a relaxed sort of comforting warmth for you. Yeah, okay. And... Not for this, furry boy. No, no, no.

You see that As the group of you enter, you see just the fading magic where previously both Duke Ignarius and Lord Obsidius had been in their draconic forms, but now as you are entering, you see just the faint traces of magic leaving them as they revert to their humanoid forms. Duke Ignarius heavily scarred his braided,

sort of dreadlocks like hair kind of pushed back with a circlet, a sort of armored circlet over his head, shaped with a single, crown like a horn that wraps around his own horn kind of thing beautiful piece of armor and jewelry dressed in formal sort of military attire obsidious not a no insight role needed to see him sort of seething in frustration in his decadent black and red robes he is holding you've never seen him use this before but an enormous staff like a wizard stuff with a sort of clawed black and red draconic hands holding this pulsating sort of gemstone at the top of it,

and it has this sort of twisted handle that goes all the way down to a spiked end. And he's sort of holding that to the side as he looks over the map and all of the group that enter. Chairs have been set aside for every single member who is here, as well as the other guests, and you can see the cobbles of the house are bringing out, you know, you know, water jugs and glasses and refreshments and things like that. The Duke will boom a... Thank you all for coming so quickly.

This is a rather urgent matter, and we have much to discuss. Please, seats, and we'll just gesture for you all to immediately sit down. Without waiting for a beat, he will immediately be like, is the lead scout here? And the Lord, the High Marshal will say,

she is, my lord, deliver your report, scout. and this sort of young dwarf girl looks like a kind of very rangery, kind of has like loose leathers. You can see that she is dripping with sweat as if she's just run across the entire town. And hanging from her belt is a sending stone that is almost softly glowing in like pulses. Like it will go off and then a few moments later

it will go off again and she constantly has to kind of like, and then you can see that on her for bra, her van brace, she has this kind of like notepad that she's scribbling symbols into like almost like quick like she draws a symbol and that means a whole word to her kind of thing so she's kind of writing in expert shorthand

and she's like okay and then she puts the thing back and then goes back as she's called up she will bow and she will just say Daxa coperize your lord lead scout for the third company we've had reports coming in

from our advanced parties they've done their best to get as close as possible to the impact site. We estimate it to be several miles northwest of Ashen Rest, still within Northvale, but bordering on the Heartlands province as well. We do suspect it from our reports, it's a big one. We suspect that there are quite a lot of the creatures that have been spotted, two forces of them, the largest of which it's heading straight for us. Like they know exactly where we are. There's normally these things they scout out around, they look for settlements,

but this one is coming right here. There is another smaller force that's peeled away because there's also a small village not far from the impact site, the village of Hath. It's about equidistant from the impact site as Ashen's rest, but a smaller force has gone in that direction. We can only hope that the Lord Duke of the Heartlands will be able to send his own troops to help support them

because I don't think we're going to be able to get there in time. With that, and she sort of stumbles a little bit and the Duke sort of kneels down to get down to her height. It's like, you're doing very well, soldier. Please, take a moment. The other report I have is At least one emissary has been present at the impact site, sir Eyewitnesses have said they report rituals beginning

We think that they're summoning another wave of these creatures They're not sure, but the scouts did say there may be a second emissary present as well But they weren't able to tell they had to flee the area before they were discovered Very good, very good We estimate based on their current location and their speed We're looking at about five to eight hours Before they arrive here in Ashton's rest You've done very well you and your team should be very proud soldier

Excellent work please resume receiving your reports on the sending stone She's like very good my lord And she kind of steps to the back pulls off the sending stone And again immediately starts like taking messages and missives I'm just trying to figure out what the gift is Friends, lots of new friends. Yeah, loads of new friends. Yeah.

I think this might have been a threat. Maybe, who knows? It might be his love language. Yeah. You will see the Duke. He doesn't address any of you yet. He's looked to you and acknowledge that you're here that he's not speaking to any of you directly yet.

He will look around and he will nod to the high marshal and then turn to the rest and say, This is unprecedented in North Vale, but it is not unexpected. Crownfall has been happening across this empire for us. Well, since I was a wormling, we are prepared. We know what our duty here is to protect the people of this Vale. People of Ashen's rest, but also those beyond. I want solutions to this village in hearth.

We are far away. Can we divert a scouting force? Are they enough to intercept, to buy the villagers more time? Murmurs of going on as that conversation takes heat. He then turns his attention. So, Gryold, Dinkistra. My knights of the realm, I will be instructing you to join the interception forces. Unfortunately, because of the oaths and edicts, I am not able to send you to the impact site.

So Gryold, you will join the second company and form a defensive line outside of the city on the fields to the west. you will be our interception force. I will be joining you there. Dame Cassandra, I know you are still recovering from your injuries in the matter of which took you away from the city. You and my son, he looks obsidious, will remain here.

My son will be able to provide magical defenses, and you will be able to lead the first company in the defense of the city. I think that that would be most wise for you. I hope that you are not insulted by this position. I understand that I offer this to you as you are wise and tactical and cunning, and I would entrust the defense of this town to yours.

And she's like, no, of course not, my lord. I understand my injuries are still quite grievous, and I am recovering. I think that this is the most prudent solution. My honour is not impeached at all, my lord. You do not need to worry about that. And he sort of smiles at her and she smiles back. How does a subsidious look? He is not happy.

Again, no insight role is needed. He is not happy with this. but he is not saying anything. What are you guys? What's kind of going on with you guys at the moment? Conversation turns to the High Marshal who starts talking about like troop deployments, what squadrons are going to be called into like,

you know, service, who's staying behind, who's doing what. They are talking about interception for this village of half, which is, you know, further away. So they're kind of going on to that, which gives you guys like a little bit of a minute here. if you wanted to have like a private conversation with each other, but you do also have Daisy's mind link. But also like, what are your reactions to everything that's going on?

Like, how are people looking? What are you doing? I'm just looking, Daisy's just looking between the Duke and Obsidious, just looking at them back and forth, just trying to keep an eye on the overall vibes. So when you do that, you would see that the Duke, He pays little attention to Obsidius. He is like talking to his advisors.

He is planning this military strike, discussing military tactics, you know, defensive formations and things like that. He barely acknowledges Obsidious in all of this. Like he's done what he said, this is what you are doing and this is what you're going to do. I don't need to say anything else. Obsidious is glaring daggers at his father,

but he also is glancing towards the group of you and especially at Xanthius. and you can see that he is deep in thought. What is everyone else doing? Or do you want to have a little conversation I want you to? I've been staring at Xanthius this whole time. Okay. Just staring.

I'm just, I'm deep in thought trying to figure out what it is I'm meant to be doing here. If there was a task that is being given to me by Sovereign, what is it he wants me to do? And in that case, how do I not do that? Like, when there's plans to defend half, I'm hoping that's the job that will be given. When there's plans to defend the city,

I'm hoping that's the job will be given. It's starting to whittle down further and further and further that there's only a certain group of people that can go straight to the landing site. Oh, wow. And I really don't want that to be honest. Oh, okay, interesting. So, Gruff, you're just looking at Xantheus,

just... Not like in a nasty way, no, no. Just concern. Yeah. Just like, you know, he heard snatches of like, there's been a dream, there's been contact with sovereign, there's this gift and he's just staring at Xanthius like, who's touched my baby?

Like, you know, like, what's, like, is he okay? Yeah, sure. What about Rowan and Ophelia? What's going on with you guys? I think Ophelia would be looking around at like the maps on the wall. I'm trying to sort of gauge, see if you can see like half on the wall, if that's a map that's up there somewhere.

The map is like in the middle of the table, And I think that they've highlighted, so you can see that they've got this kind of, almost like an objective, like wooden marker, like an objective point. It looks like a sort of tower with a star on it. And they've placed that in the countryside northwest of Ashland's Rest.

And I think you can, that's probably the impact site, right? And then about equidistance between that, the distance between Ashland's Rest and the impact site, that same distance is, you can see that there's a tiny to the west of the impact site, which you believe to be hearth, based on the conversation they're having. You can see that there is a unit of scouts

that are basically where the impact just slightly to the side of the impact site. There's like a kind of wooden token for like a little scout, and then you can see that the High Marshal is like maneuvering more of these miniatures to form a defensive line between the impact site and Ashin's Rest, and is beginning to layer up an advance party. party. He also pulls out a golden silver little marker of two knights and he places them at

the impact site. Yeah, I think as he does that, Affilius eyes just kind of widened and like you see just sort of start to like fiddle just like out of worry. What's the situation that's just being unfolded on this table? Yeah. I guess this is this, is this Aphelia's never really seen like a war counts. No. I'm sure that's true for everybody, but you know, you were part of quite a society in Osceus, but this is the sort of thing that you would not have handled or would not have been, even the countesses really, you know, realm. So this is quite new for you.

Yeah, I think she's just like look back to Percy and just like... Percy's just got his head up, like, I'm not a skeleton, don't look at me. I'm just late sister Ophelia's butler and hiding at the back. Hello, fellow skin havers. How do you do?

How are your organs today? You know how I've got gloves that have like skeleton hands on one? Does he have gloves that have human? Human hands? I think those are just called gloves, Kim. Okay. They're all the wrong hands.

What about Rowan? Rowan's a little overwhelmed and a little disjointed, should we say, from being dragged out of bed, just getting down to bed to method acting. Huge explosion to suddenly at the Dukal Palace, trying to absorb all this information.

Yeah, there is quite a lot. So he's kind of close. kind of closing off a little bit, trying not to listen to too much information. He'll just go where his friends go. Yeah. And instead he's now narrating himself to try and preoccupy. Okay. And unfortunately, some of that is going through to the group chat. Like, tomorrow, I hope I have a bath. I hope there's enough time for that. Um, did I pack enough rocks for my journey? Everything's fine. La la la. Yeah. He's going to turn at 10 and be like, oh, Beth would be really nice.

Nice, actually, yeah. You're kind of hearing, bound around. Yeah, no, no, you're talking to the group, Rowan. Yeah. It's okay though, I kind of like it. It's a bit stressed, so. Yeah, I'm a little overwhelmed about all this. Yeah.

As this, the conversation begins to drift, and you see the High Marshal kind of take some of the offices away. Dax of the Scout is sort of reporting with him. Even Sir Greal and Dame Cassandra have finished that conversation with the Duke and are now basically going over and talking to some of the officers, well, which leaves just the group of you and the Duke and Obsidious, who are not already engaged in conversation. The Duke looks to you all and bows his head, inclines his head towards you. My friends, it has been some time since we spoke, and I must apologize for my demeanour

in the last time that we spoke face to face. When you informed me of the activities of this cult out in the ash hills. I gave him the book. Oh, that was a bad time. My, please understand, my anger was not directed at any of you. You had done a great thing for this veil, for my people, but my history with Galvasser and Crownsteel is a painful one. And so I was disturbed by what you brought me as,

But I've overcome that now, and we have a problem. We have a great challenge before us. You are citizens. You owe me nothing. And if you wish to remain behind these walls as citizens, understand that it is my duty to protect you, and I will do so as will my army. That is the pact made between dragons and non-dragons.

I will protect you. You are skilled and you are experienced and you have power. And I would be foolish. I would be doing injustice to my people, were I not to ask for your aid in this? This crownfall, the emissaries, the impact site. It will be dangerous and I am, I must tell you, I am not certain that the Church of the Sions can handle it alone. alone. And if they cannot, the emissary will call forth more and more, and it will be a bloody battle to fight to that impact site. Many of the soldiers will die, and if we cannot stop them, they

will attack everything and anything they can. I and my son are forbidden by oaths sworn to the empress herself, by edicts and laws set down in stone and to conic law, we cannot approach that sight. For even with one such as myself whose anger and hatred of Crown Steel is so great, I may one day be tempted and I will not risk that. Nor will my son. He doesn't even look at obsidious when he says it. But you owe no obligation. This is a request and there is no shame, no loss in honor or glory in saying no. Night, night, back to bed.

Lord Obsidious, um, if I may. Duke Ignorius. No, yep. Duke Inarius, there's two of... Groffwood now. Groff would get it right. Kim is asleep. Yep. Um, wait, which one I was saying? Slexic.

Duke Ignorius. Duke Ignorius. Duke Ignorius, if I may. Um, I was on my way, even before the summons came. I cannot speak for my companions. but of course I will go. Just sort of kneels down, big draconic hand on the shoulder.

Truly. None others have deserved the title of night more than your noble heart, Gruffeth. I have been informed that you are closer to your goal. Were it my power to give, this would be the last act you need to. Oh, thank you, your lordship. I understand you have made your decision

to join the circle of loyal hounds, but know that I will. I would have been honoured to have you as a knight of the realm. Oh, poor. A great honour, your lordship. I just, I just want to go. I just want to protect the weak. Those who cannot stand for themselves.

That's all I want. And that is why you are a great man. Oh, I'm, I'm just a man. So of nods in your direction. I will inform, I will send word to Sir Morning and Sir Glory that you will join them. Where is it you think best I go? I thought maybe half, but...

Half is a difficult decision. I think that what would serve best, I can go to half. I can take... I can take a small squadron of soldiers. We have means to get them there with me. A rather undignified one, but a method of getting a squadron.

and myself, we should be able to protect Hath. I cannot go to the impact site. You can. And I would trust, I trust all of you, and he looks at all of you, because he doesn't know. No. If there are any here in Ashton's rest,

who I would trust to ensure that that, befouled, disgusting metal does not fall into the wrong hands. It is the five of you. Six of you, because he thinks Percy's normal. The six of you. I will go where is best. However, I speak for myself. I do not speak for my companions.

I'll come with you. Yeah, it makes sense to at least try. There's a fight either way that needs fighting. We leave no one behind, Griffith. Of course I'm going to follow you. I just didn't want to expect you. Also, to Connick Majesty was very nice just there, and he really swelled our bride.

I have a copy of all the deeds that he's done so far. It's very impressive if you ever want to read it, but that's for another time. I would be delighted but for another time, I think. Ophelia, and then I do want to check him in Xenthus, but first Ophelia. How's Ophelia reacting? Felia's torn, she sort of looks at Percy, looks at the door, looks at the group, and she just sort of relents. I can't, can't be alone in Ash and rest.

I get so bored. Sister Ophelia, if I may. Yes. are an emissary of Osseus, and were anything to happen to you, it would be, I would have to seek such reparations with Osceus. I do not wish you to come to harm here, but I've been informed of your fighting skill. I know you are a great warrior, and the people of Ashen's rest have come to speak quite highly of you. Those who have come to your faith speak very highly of you as well. I have told you before I am not a particularly...

I am not a believer in the faith and religion of the mortal kind. We dragons have our own spiritual beliefs. I have taken very little interest in that of the Church of the Sions or much else. If your grave father can help protect my citizens through you, I would welcome it. Well, how can I turn that down? So charming. One of this has all been going on with the Duke speaking of gruff and Ophelia

and Daisy and that kind of like talking to them. So Xanthius, you kind of fallen into the background of that little crowd. And I think that in the cinematography, we see just this like shot of you and you glance up and Obsidious is looking at you and you're sort of looking at each other across this conversation as it's happening.

What's going through as Xanthius is here? There is a point in the conversation. in which you would suddenly hear a chair sort of scratch along the ground. Well, I'm just going to stand up, nod to everyone, and then I'm going to leave the room. Because it's too much, too much. There's what the Duke said about crime steel, and no one here would fall for that.

And all of this of honour and the talk of like a village being under attack that desperately needs to be defended, and many soldiers in the army are going to die. Like, in Zanthius's head, this is because of him, so he feels like this is all his fault, right? Sure. So it all becomes a bit too much, just too much noise. You just leave that war room.

And I want to get up, get out, and... So out in that corridor, you kind of leave, and there's this immediate, like, relief of pressures. Once you're out of that war room, all the sound that was bouncing around the Stone Wars echoing, it sort of quietens. And you're in that long, long corridor, and you move up to one of those big archway windows

and you're looking out onto the countryside in the direction that you know this thing is landed. Yeah. And you're just sort of looking out and taking this moment of peace for yourself. Is there anyone else in this hallway? I would say no. Like, far down the corridors,

like there's maybe guards moving here and there, but nobody in the close proximity, nobody to overhear you, nobody to really observe you, unless you were to do something very loud and obvious. Right. I mean, I am going through so many different thoughts in my head that I'm trying to almost open a message back to Sovereign again

and find a way to communicate with him. And the only thought I can think of is that I would take the glove off and touch it to the crown steel in the middle. And I'm sort of mostly in my head, if not very, very hushed kind of... Whisper to yourself. Of like, I've received your message.

You don't need to kill anyone. I'll go to the landing site. I'll receive the gift. Pull back your forces. You don't need to do this. Can you roll a D20? Yeah. And add your charisma.

modifier. Oh, okay. So I've got a plus four. Yeah, let's fate this as well. Okay. Delicious. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Oh wow, oh wow, 24. 24. Yeah. 24 is pretty high. Pretty good, but again, I am communing with a god. It's not 25. Ah! But that's not to say you failed. So what you hear-. Whether I convince, I suppose. What you hear, I also realize I'm trying to break a barrier here that is, he can commune with me in my dreams, but never in my waking movements. What that role was for was whether you could establish contact. It wasn't to convince them.

Sure. It's quite high DC. Like I said, 25. You didn't meet it. But you're only one away. So what will it cost you to succeed? What would you give up, Xanthius? or what would you inflict on yourself

to turn that 24 to a 25? I mean, let's think about the actual mechanics of my crown steel and my magic and this corrupted hand, and it's that there is a barrier stopping the two from touching, right? The runic barrier? The runic barrier. That is keeping the crown steel from affecting those around you,

keeps it internal, means that the corruption is only affecting you currently. So within my head, I'm of the opinion that a corrupted hand and the crown steel together would be powerful enough to make that thing, right? But there's something in the way. So I don't have full control of it. I'm not saying that the thing breaks and is gone.

I'm giving you this opportunity. So you tell me what consequence is worth making this a success. It's gone forever. You know, I don't want it to be broken and that's it. I don't have any protection, ruinic protection anymore. So what are you? What do you want?

What are you willing to give? Enough to disappear for like just a second, just for the message to go through, you know? Okay. I don't think you get to control that. I know, but... But what you're saying is... Mechanically speaking, that maybe makes sense is how it works, right?

Is that... Is that... I mean, that's a great mechanical... Is that something I'm willing to give up to make this work? Yeah, that's my question. Fucking no. But that's the only thing I can think of. So it probably is what would be what would happen. Okay.

Oh my God. You touch this clawed hand to your chest, and you can feel the thrumming power of these runes. And there's a moment where you begin to understand a little. These runes over the crown seal in your chest, It's a glass dome. It's keeping all of that power, all of that pressure in. It's stopping it getting out.

They're your ruins. It's your magic. You have been doing it subconsciously up till now. You can control it. And maybe, just maybe, if you lower it for a second, you can make this plea. So you focus and you feel this agony in your chest as the runes, maybe a scant few of them, banish like you spent.

They disintegrate. And there's this relief. It's like pressure and weight that you didn't know you'd been carrying for this whole time. It's suddenly let go. And it feels good. It feels so good to have that. pressure released. And you hear in your voice.

My vessel. So why? I hear you. I feel you. I see. Send your forces back. Turn them around. Send them back where they came.

Can you make a persuasion or an intimidate check for me, please? Uh... Again, this will be a high DC. I'm gonna call this intimidation. I have a plus eight. Okay. Would you like to spread out of eight? Oh my God, I didn't.

I also... We'll just have to go with the flat roll. Didn't roll super, super well. I got a... Dada, did it, did... A 12. Yeah, 12. You have very little power over me.

Your little threats, your pleas, your begs, means so little. My forces. Forces, no, these are my children. And they are so angry, Zanthians. I can control them no more than you can control a ravening beast. They hunger, they rage, they remember. But you still have this contact open.

You want me to have this gift. It's a gift I will claim unless anyone dies. make another intimidating. Okay. This is so juicy. Faye? Two left. Two left.

I'm gonna use all the fate at this point. Spent it? Oh my fuck. I actually got worse that time. Oh, that's a shit. I got plus eight, sorry, I got 11. 11. 11?

You will come anyway because I know in your heart you want whatever. what I have sent to you because it will give you the power to take what you want most of all. You will come and will find strength like you have never known by vessel. As... I want to try to re-forge that shield. No, no, no, no, no.

That control that you briefly had, you don't know how to put it back. You were doing it subconsciously. And it's not there. That's when I'm going to spend a point of fate because that's the moment obsidious approaches from behind and draws close. And as he does, because now the crown still

can affect those around you, I need to make a saving. Fucking Christ. Fucking Christ. Fucking Christ. Fucking Christ. Fucking shit. Fucking Christ.

God. God. Damn it. No. Please. No. Places. Hand on your shoulder.

Sovereign goes silent. I am sorry. As Obsidius taught you. I imagine that this is quite much. I did not quite understand your message, but you seem to imply that you knew that this was happening that this is connected to your predicament? Can I pull his hand off me, off my shoulder? Yeah, push it away off me.

I want to glove up as quickly as I can in case someone else sneaks up on me. Pans for a wall. Obsidious, I've made a very, very big mistake, and I need you to leave. Whatever it is, we are in this together, Zanthias. I told you that you would have my health. in dealing with sovereign with dealing with all of this. You are not in this alone.

Obsidious, I've made a terrible, terrible mistake, and you need to get out of here. Whatever this is, and he points out the window, it is not your fault. It is its fault. Obsidious. I'm going to leave. I'm turning around.

Do not follow me. Do not follow me. You see, like, just before you turn around and start to leave, you see this confusion. And then that confusion just turns to just like, why did I even bother? And then he returns back to the room. Oh, God, good, great, good, fantastic, but also fuck!

He was finally your friend! I know, but I can't be right now. This is so rom-com, I love it. I love him later. It is actually, isn't it? Misunderstanding him driving away. You need to walk away right now. You don't understand.

Go to him. So, as Xanthius walks down the corridor away, Obsidious turns, and we as an audience get to see something. Because we see in his draconic eyes, in this beautiful humanoid form, where he touched Xanthus's shoulder, there is just the faintest, faintest touch of black, red and gold.

It's like the formation of a single half scale crown steel corruption. And that's where we're going to take our break for part one. Oh my God, it's been an hour and hour. Holy shit. We'll see you in part two. Don't go anywhere. We'll be back in five minutes, everybody.

Oh, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.