High Rollers DnD - Cult Smashers (Part 2) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #73

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Ophelia does what Ophelia does and spends the night in a graveyard while Gruff tries to find a way to end a curse! Can't wait for Part 2 of each episode? Join our Patreon to get early access EVERY we...ek (+ 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/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Pickax. Searchlight Pictures presents The Roses, only in theaters August 29th. From the director of Meet the Parents and the writer of Poor Things comes The Roses, starring Academy Award winner Olivia Coleman, Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samburg, Kate McKinnon, and Alison Janney. A hilarious new comedy filled with drama, excitement, and a little bit of hatred, proving that marriage isn't always. always a bed of roses. See The Roses, only in theaters, August 29th. Get tickets now. Hey, I'm Arne Neekam from the fully improvised comedy podcast, Hello from the Magic Tavern. I'm here with my co-hosts, Chunt the Talking Badger, Bing Bong, and Usenor the Wizard. I greet the listeners. Look, I'm trapped in the magical land of foon, so I started a podcast, interviewing
Starting point is 00:00:53 elves, unicorns, and other weirdos. We have great guests like Felicia Day, Jason Manzook, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Amy Mann, and so many more. Oh, and I think one time we interviewed a sentient shoe? I hope it was sentient. Not to mention the evil people we've had to interview. How I hate evil. Join us as we bar crawl across the magical land of foon. Looking for adventure.
Starting point is 00:01:17 Getting caught up in escapades. Hello from the Magic Tavern is available right now on your favorite podcast app. And add free and with lots of bonus content on Patreon. Subscribe to Hello from the Magic Tavern today. Welcome back to Welcome back to Part 2 of Ophair the Dragon Empire. everybody our heroes are in the village of netting on sea having concluded their battle against agammox and the cultists they are now dealing with the aftermath of everything that happened they
Starting point is 00:02:13 have traveled to merrick ogden's farmhouse to stay the night and in doing so have discovered a secret room protected by a glyph of warding sister ophelia during the night traveled back to the church of salan uh talan staying just outside of its boundary to ensure that she was not attacked to feel grounded and connected to undearth. And that is where we pick our story back up today. Hell yeah. Hell yeah.
Starting point is 00:02:41 Hell yeah. So you have all taken a long rest. Your hit point reduction is gone. That is removed after a long rest. So your full hit points are now fully back. And that is where we pick things up. Ophelia, like, do you go back? before the sunrise or are you missing when everyone else awakens?
Starting point is 00:03:05 No, I imagine like when the sun starts cresting, she'll sort of wait with the sun and make her way back to the house. Okay, so you're probably the only person you would encounter would be gruff, as we know, gruff is an early riser. And yeah, you gruff would probably see as you sort of help yourself to a few morning rations in the kitchen sister refilia returning a little dirty and a little dirty and a little covered in leaves and things like that.
Starting point is 00:03:33 Hello, good morning. Good morning. How are you? All right, sister, Ophelia. I went to the church. Right. But I didn't go into the church. I just went to sleep by the church.
Starting point is 00:03:49 Just for a little grounding. How did the ghost see? They didn't seem quite. as aggressive, but they were still very present. Especially that priestess, she was looking at me a lot. I, um, I might be able to help with that. I've been, I've been, set up reading her journal. I think, well, obviously, we let that Jameson get away.
Starting point is 00:04:19 Well, I let Jameson get away. Don't, don't blame yourself for that. It's something we need to think about. But for now, I think we need to show them. at the very least that some justice has been carried out. Yes. I can't quite think how to do that, but, uh, well. Maybe the sword, Rowan, has...
Starting point is 00:04:41 No, the sword was linked to Agamux. I see. To the family that killed the priestess. I think, unfortunately, what I need to do is perhaps a little... Disrespectful in itself, but... Oh, what is it? I'm keen. I was thinking of taking some of the bodies up to the church.
Starting point is 00:05:04 Oh, that's easy. I mean, we have Rowan made that lovely cart for us, so we could just wheel a couple of those. Is it gone? For podcast listeners, Chris Trott did a on his neck gesture and then made a kind of like, it's gone gesture. Well, in any case, we could just transport
Starting point is 00:05:25 some of those naughty cultists up there. I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult. I was actually heading out to go do it now. Well, do you need help? I didn't want to wake the others and involve them in such unseemly business. Perhaps how about, we leave them a note and we go down and I would gladly receive your assistance in this. Of course, anything to help those spirits. And, of course, you.
Starting point is 00:06:01 I'd rather do it in the early morning as well, in the ops that the fewer villages are up to see it. Did I see many on my way back? No, they, I mean, they're going to be wiped out at least until, like, you know, later morning. This is still, like, dawn is just cresting. Like, you know, this is probably like 5am, 6 a.m., something like that, you know, even earlier.
Starting point is 00:06:23 So, yeah, like, if you go now, you will probably get there. You'd also notice that because you guys didn't move the cultist bodies or anything like that last night, they are all still spread around amongst, like, nobody attended to that last night. I would have said, like, when we were doing, like, to gather them in one place. Sure, in that case, they were gathered in one place then, but nothing's been done. You're not sure if the villagers get up, they might want to do something about them. So going now is definitely advisable. I mean, I would ask the others to join us, but they're all so tired.
Starting point is 00:06:56 to leave it. So let's leave them a note and let's do this as quickly as possible so we don't cause any distress to any villages. Yes, of course. Could you write the note? Oh yes, yes. You've got beautiful handwriting. Oh, thank you.
Starting point is 00:07:09 It's better than my script. Okay. So if we just leave a note, I think, saying something like, we've gone up to the church. You can probably find paper and pen and things like that in Merrick's office. You know, you find like scrap paper write out a little note. Yeah, you don't have to worry about the exact.
Starting point is 00:07:26 Right, no, we've gone here, done this kind of thing. And yeah, you guys head off. I'm assuming the other three of you, Xantheostasy and Ryan, you do sleep in, unless you are woken, I would assume you remain asleep. I sleep horizontally across two half-ling-sized beds. Throughout the night, though. On my back, throughout the night they slowly split up.
Starting point is 00:07:47 Well, how would you sleep on your back? You have a tail. The tail is in the slight gap in between the two, but the gap has widened through the night, so I'm, like, folded in. Danger. I felt, because I, somebody made this point. First of all, like, teethlings, how do they sleep?
Starting point is 00:08:03 Like, or, like, any character with horns. Because if you were meant, like, that's, you can't sleep on your side, like, so how do they sleep? But then if you have a tail, you can't sleep on your bag. Maybe they have special. So I imagine, no, Xanthius just sleeps face down. And he's just, like, in a massage bed. Like, Zanthus could sleep on his side.
Starting point is 00:08:19 I need a hole in the bed, whether I'm laying my back or front. That's true. Oh, God. I could see that forming as, like, you... He said again. You cannot be stopped. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're going to leave that now.
Starting point is 00:08:34 So Gruff and Ophelia, you guys make your way back. Just have a think about it. I will. You know, there is a little sign of life in the tavern. You can hear probably Sojourn and maybe Carla kind of beginning to make food or things like that, but nobody else is out in the village square just yet. You now see, in the light of dawn, it's a pretty
Starting point is 00:08:56 the buildings aren't damaged but you know there are these puddles of this like briny slime left behind by the deep children the cultist bodies have you know it's been overnight you know there's no flies or rot but there's just this mound of corpses
Starting point is 00:09:11 there's blood everywhere there's scorch marks from the wall of fire you know it looks pretty bad here but nobody is up and about the destroyed statue of St. Talon the Driftwood statue that Rowan animated is like, you know, scattered and all the pieces are broken around
Starting point is 00:09:27 as it was destroyed. But you go over to the pile of bodies and what are you, what are you going to do here? Is this, like, what are you, who are you taking? What are you taking? Like, what is the plan here? I was thinking of taking Madeline and Merrick's bodies to the church.
Starting point is 00:09:46 Sure. Yeah. Good choice. Yeah, they're also half-ling, so it's a lot easier to carry the two of them. Yeah, you pull those out. You know, Merrick is, I think it was Merrick who was destroyed by Xanthius' scorching rays, so it's like blasted with the fire. Horrific burns, like the skin all blackened and tortured.
Starting point is 00:10:03 Madeline, I think, was crushed by, I know, shot through by the rifle. So it has this, like, bleeding wound, you know, this gory chest wound. She's got a handle. I'll just light it through. It's pretty wet. Cut the spine. What are we doing here? I regret this.
Starting point is 00:10:24 Weird briefcase. Graph and Ophelia, you take these bodies, you carry them, and it's a 30-minute walk. You go back up, Aphelia, retracing your steps to where you just were not that long ago. And when you approach, the area around the church still has this unsettling coldness to it. There is the sense of dread here. There is a sense of that this place is unwelcoming. But in the daylight, it does ease off a little bit.
Starting point is 00:10:57 And you don't notice any spirits moving around or anything like that, especially the outside area, the graveyard. You can see a few wildflowers and things like that, poking through around the gravestones. Not much, but just a little touch of life here and there as it makes it easier. Hello? Nothing.
Starting point is 00:11:17 We all good? We're good. I was fine until I looked at trial. You're right there? That is a normal reaction to have a little. Anything you want to share? He's trying to, he's been trying to open a can for it. He's the anticipation of got me.
Starting point is 00:11:32 I've been holding a can and I've opened can for a while. He's just been looking at the stream and then going. I was, I, thank you for holding fire. Well, I appreciate it. I was going to do it in an opportune moment. Yeah. Unlike some people.
Starting point is 00:11:51 Great. Dung, don't. So, yeah, you guys make your way up there. What do you guys do? Okay. It feels a lot of calmer up here now. Yeah? Well, I was thinking of coming in daylight with Elf
Starting point is 00:12:05 because, you know, ghosties don't like daylight. I suppose we could try and go closer, but if they start going hostile, we leave. Yes, yes, of course. Yes, they're still very angry. Or maybe... I think standing on the boundary, I would call out, uh, priestess Eleanor Yarm, are you there?
Starting point is 00:12:33 Just like rustle in the trees from the wind as the sea breeze casts over this little bluff. No response from you don't see anything. I'd cross the boundary. Across the boundary. Wait a few heartbeats. Nothing seems to happen. you would note like the interior of the church is still dark and you would notice that where those windows
Starting point is 00:12:57 that you would kind of climb through and things like that there are rays of sunlight coming in but the interior of the church is mostly dark inside blocked from the roof and tapestries and the occasional wooden board over the window and things like that yeah step over the boundary and I guess nervously looking at Ophelia
Starting point is 00:13:18 just keep walking towards the entrance where the door, the open door. Yeah. I've got your back. Yeah, you walk and you don't get any strange sense of presence or uncomfortable cold or anything like that. When you do step inside the church, it's a lot darker. That sense of cold and that sense of unwelcomeness,
Starting point is 00:13:39 sort of almost pressing on you like a weight, does seem to increase. And you see those dried blood stains on the flagstone floors, you see the signs of a struggle now. And yeah, you feel a presence here. In the same way that when Tyria during the day, you knew Tyrea was there, but wouldn't manifest in sunlight or appear in daytime.
Starting point is 00:14:09 But you could feel her presence there. Do you feel that? The strange tightness in the atmosphere. It was similar to when Tyria was about. she'll be listening please stay selling a yarm a wind
Starting point is 00:14:30 that should not flow through a building this obstructed you feel this cold wave over you and a prolonged you can almost feel anger in the air
Starting point is 00:14:48 and you begin to see a black shape not as defined as it was during the night this black shape is almost in the corner in the shadow where a sunbeam cuts the room in half by the altar which is completely shrouded in the shadow you see the vague outline of a woman and just the tiniest pinprink of red eyes Priestess, my name is Graffeth, Graffeth of Chemorrow, and I am a knight-errant of the Order of the Loyal Hounds.
Starting point is 00:15:29 The third of our tenants is to bring hope and comfort to those in need. I saw what happened to you. I saw what happened to so many on these grounds. I saw those who did it to you and I bring now to you the bodies of those who wronged you who killed you who spilt your blood
Starting point is 00:15:52 and committed profane acts in this holy ground you see the shadow tries to step forward and reach out but the sun almost like a barrett they are slain Heretics, traitors, murderers. You see some of the blue spirits, the other ghosts, you begin to see their shapes appearing around you.
Starting point is 00:16:28 These are civilians, some of them farmers or traders, merchants, travelers. Some of them, priests of Talan as well, they sort of draw close but drawn to the bodies, they look, and one by one, those blue ghosts, the weaker spirits, wink out of existence. Not in a sense that they have moved on, you get the sense, that they seem to be appeased by this, but the shade of Eleanor does not. you took the ampule are you a follower of the saint of rivers
Starting point is 00:17:15 I am a follower of the saints in Sions This place was desecrated by their heretical acts and one of their number still lives. I felt them flee this place. The curse of this cult lingers on. It will be reborn elsewhere. I will know no peace until they are brought to justice.
Starting point is 00:18:02 but if a holy oath is sworn in this place I will accept it but be warned my touch will linger with you until the deed is done I have made so many promises to so many people being a knight's not easy
Starting point is 00:18:36 Groff It doesn't have to be you But Groff would put down the body that he's carrying And he would kneel On one leg Pleistess Eleanor Yarm
Starting point is 00:18:53 I swear on my honour As a knight-errant I will pursue Jameson and I will have justice for you. You see, the spirit pushes itself painfully through the sunlight to sort of emerge on the other side before you, and it takes on a greater form, this time of a rather homely, older woman, human.
Starting point is 00:19:27 But color begins to drift back in, not fully desaturated, but the blackness and the red of the eyes seems to fade. She reaches out and places a hand on your shoulder, and you feel that shoulder go cold. I know that you pursue greatness. You pursue the work of your circle. you are touched by the saints and sions to do great deeds I grant you one year to perform this oath
Starting point is 00:20:12 find this Jameson ensure that the cult of the bountiful net does not reemerge should you fail or should you turn from this oath My touch will claim your life. I'll hold her gaze. Sister Eleanor, you will no peace. I will. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:20:46 She begins to fade into nothing and vanishes, but you still feel that cold handprint will always feel that cold handprint until the oath is fulfilled or forsaken. And she is not passed on, but her form will no longer haunt this place. Instead, it remains with you now. I think as the last act before we leave, I would take her journal and put it on the, I know it's broken, but I would put it on the altar.
Starting point is 00:21:23 just it didn't feel right taking it when you place it back and Ophelia you would feel this very profoundly that sense of dread and unwelcomeness
Starting point is 00:21:35 goes it's like this place is suddenly not filled with light but a weight is lifted off the air within and you can hear you didn't realize
Starting point is 00:21:46 but the whole time you've been in here you couldn't hear birdsong from outside you couldn't hear the waves it was so dead in here. But now you hear the rushing of waves up against the cliffs far below. You hear birdsong in the trees from the woods nearby. And this place just becomes an empty abandoned church. It is no longer haunted. But looking at Gruff, I think
Starting point is 00:22:13 Gruff doesn't see this. In fact, Ophelia, you're the only one. Like where she touched him, there is this like ghostly glowing handprint now on Gruff, like a slightly green blue symbol that is imprinted on Gruff's shoulder. Interesting. You've been marked. Oh, really? Yes, there's a handprint on your shoulder. This one?
Starting point is 00:22:42 Yes. Oh, that is where it is rather cold. Hmm. Are you sure you're okay to do it? that gruff. It's a very, well, I mean, there's no turning back now, but... It was something I wanted to do anyway. So it made sense. Didn't quite expect a year deadline, though. No. No.
Starting point is 00:23:02 I mean, it's quite generous. I was hoping, really, that we'd find Jameson in the next few days, so, you know. A year is a long time, to some. We'll help you. It seems like this place was waiting for the right person to come along and... I feel like a... like a year to complete a nightly oath. Seems very thematic, very green a night, for example. Oh, God, yeah.
Starting point is 00:23:28 It's got to come my head off. What was one of the things, one of the references you gave me inspirations for Grub? Yeah, I did as well. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, you feel peace returned to this place. Let's cut back to the team, hopefully at this point waking up, but we'll see. These two.
Starting point is 00:23:47 Star-fishing. Anyone waking up or? I'm sleep-hopping right now. Huh? No, I wake up. Trot is O-C-and-I-C-exhausted, so it's just like, I'm sleeping. I'm sleeping through this whole thing.
Starting point is 00:24:04 There is a level of exhaustion as Rowan gets up later than it usually would. He's got bags under his eyes. You actually had mechanical exhaustion as well, right? Yeah, so that's gone now. As long rest is helped. Yeah. There's a lingering sense of exhaustors. The bags under the eyes, like recovered, but still, you know, low energy.
Starting point is 00:24:23 I'm carrying around this massive great swords. What's your strength? 13. Oh, okay. Plus one. It's enough to use it, I'd say, yeah. Morning. Hello.
Starting point is 00:24:37 Good sleep? Oh, that was probably one of the nicest nights of sleep I've ever had. Incredible. It feels like a day and a bit since I last. It feels like an entire day and a bit, maybe even more, because remember the whole thing in wave media, that didn't really get much rest then either, so it was rough, but where's everyone else?
Starting point is 00:25:01 Oh, there's a note over here. Here is the note. Shall I read the note? It's written in Osseon. No, we can't read that. Just like skulls and like bones. It's like wingdings, but it's all undead stuff. Edgy wingdings.
Starting point is 00:25:18 Yeah. That is not canon. That is not canon. Brough? Daisy? Oh, we? A fairy? Oh, Daisy.
Starting point is 00:25:28 Hi, Daisy. You awake? Yeah. You with us? Among the land of a living? Breakfast, please. I'll see if I can rustle something up. Good idea.
Starting point is 00:25:37 Thick cut bacon. There's mushrooms to be fried. Nice, really nice, like, hot iron skillets and things like that to cook with. Like, this is half like good shit, you know, this is... I'll try and prepare a breakfast in the hopes that everyone comes back at some point. Sure. Is it actually written in Ossian?
Starting point is 00:25:56 No. Is there in Ossian as well? Yeah, of course there is, yeah, absolutely. Ophelia's got like an engraving on her whip that's written in Osce. Oh yeah. It says, here, right, they've gone to the church. What?
Starting point is 00:26:11 I'd peek around the doorway from the kitchen. What? Girlfriend Ophelia, church. They went to the church. Why would they go there? Oh, because, uh... It's haunted. What did it say?
Starting point is 00:26:23 Somebody's gone to the church and we'll be back soon. They'll be back soon. It's haunted, sure. But they're there during the day, it's fine, I'm sure. Well, shall I take this off the heat? They said they'd be back soon, I don't know. Well, they might not make it back at all. If you're... I can keep it warm.
Starting point is 00:26:38 Oh, yeah. So point. Portable stove. Yeah. They could be in danger. Why didn't they inform us? Because they probably thought. they'd be fine. They'll be fine.
Starting point is 00:26:49 We can go if we want. Come on, let's go. Okay, let's go. Ophelia threw a chair out of the window recently. I'm questioning judgments. But Groff is there as well. But that is Ophelia's handwriting. Yes, but we, now we know this for certain.
Starting point is 00:27:03 We do not question Grust judgment, which so far has been, uhlis, right? Now, I don't mean to poo-poo, Ophelia. That's a weird phrase, but sure. What if she's lied in this note? And Gruff's not with her. What if Ophelia's eaten gruff? Oh my God, by the Sions.
Starting point is 00:27:22 All right, fine. By a distant star called Siasko. Okay. All right, let's go take a peek. Okay. Open the door, I don't know if you're heading back at this point or where you are. Yeah, we're right in the door.
Starting point is 00:27:34 Yes, like, hello. Or like, they're at least coming down the path towards the house at this point. Ophelia's eaten gruff and it's going to be a blood bath up there. I'm certain of it. Oh, hello. Good morning. Why would you go to the church? Why?
Starting point is 00:27:50 Yeah, we were wondering why you went to the church. Well, I wanted to tell priestess Eleanor Yom that some measure of justice had been carried out. Engrafted an exceptional job, I must say. Oh, yes, well, we expected nothing less. You should report to Sir Join. Well, I mean... I'm keeping track.
Starting point is 00:28:08 You'd be great at Osseus, I'm just saying. Me. You handle spirits with decorum and calm, and respect, it's wonderful to see, honestly. Oh, well, it's very inspirational. Oh, what happened? Yes. Well, we took the bodies of Merrick and Madeline,
Starting point is 00:28:27 and, um. Oh. They didn't look very nice. They were. No, and filthy. Really melted one of them, yeah? Yeah, crispy. You really handled.
Starting point is 00:28:38 Is that bacon? Yes, bought some. I'll get that back on. We took the boardies up because I felt they perhaps would need something tangible. And Ophelia mentioned she'd gone to the graveyard last night and they were still a rather furious. Why would you go to the graveyard at night? So actually I'm talking to Ophelia, why am I, why am I questioning? Just I feel a little closer to home.
Starting point is 00:29:04 You, okay, I mean, well, Ophelia's here now, so. Everything's fine, everything went fine. What are you guys talking about? Ophelia went to the graveyard last night. Let's go away. So I wanted to show them that some justice had been carried out and the cultists who killed, particularly the priestess, was now dead. Graff has a new quest.
Starting point is 00:29:29 Oh. Oh, another one. Well, it's not so much a quest as what is right. I was going to do it anyway, but after Jameson left, well, we can't leave that. Unanswered, he needs to be brought to justice. for what he's done. Oh, right. For the villagers he killed.
Starting point is 00:29:46 And for his part in this whole cultist business. So I... He ran off very quickly after you, well, told him to, so... I mean, I'd rather lost myself. I was quite angry, and I really should have. I should have apprehended him right there and then, but I was rather irked. We were all in the midst of some irking, for sure.
Starting point is 00:30:10 Um, but we can maybe try and find out where he's gone. He's going to be alone on this, in this place. He can't have gotten too far throughout the night. Well, I, the, the priestess she wanted an oath, which, of course, I was already going to do it, so I swore an oath to the priestess that we would bring Jameson to justice. I've got a year to do otherwise I die. What?
Starting point is 00:30:34 What? Is that bacon's ready now? What? Everything's ready. Gross. Just tomatoes. Rob said the word done. There's be bacon. There you go.
Starting point is 00:30:43 Here's a bacon sandwich. Graf, are you dying? Science, bless you. Toasted. He's got like a year. I'm going to make a place. A year? Yes.
Starting point is 00:30:52 Oh, to be fair. Wait, what? I drop everything. What was that? The priestess put a mark on me. You know how I've got this green ribbon from the Faye as part of that. Mark, stop it.
Starting point is 00:31:10 You know, to symbolise the oath that I, the promise that I would do for the Faye. Yes. She also marked me. You can see it. He's got a lovely green handprint right on his show. Well, I know. Another oath.
Starting point is 00:31:23 It's rather cold, actually, but chilly. It's quite nice. I can't see it, to be fair. It's quite nice for Wayne's me home. But, okay, so you have a year to, what is it just? Putting Jameson to justice. In what form? Well, I suppose.
Starting point is 00:31:36 Same as Merrick. Justice can be many things. It could be, like, having him arrested. Like, heresy is a crime in the empire, or it could mean kill him. One of two things. Okay, well, it depends how much of a fight he puts up when I find him.
Starting point is 00:31:51 Probably quite a lot of one. Well, then. Being the only... Yeah, he might actually fucking roll well next time he'd fight him. So is that the next thing we... He was shit, by the way. Well, I'm rather glad he was.
Starting point is 00:32:03 Yes. We'd have more dead villages otherwise. That's true, that's true. What's happened? He would be good for Percy Bones. would bring him to justice. We were thinking about, yeah, we need to start thinking about. He has a lot of baggage.
Starting point is 00:32:17 But he wouldn't anymore. No, true. We could free him of the baggage and add new baggage. A life of atonement. Mm. Service under us. We would have a lot to answer for. You would.
Starting point is 00:32:30 Also, I will remind you that, like, the Percy spirit housed in the heart takes it. Like, there is nothing left of Jameson. It's just Jameson's bones. Yes. So, yeah. Just a resource. Oh, no. I'm starting to think, like, Ophelia, in terms of bones and...
Starting point is 00:32:45 This is wonderful! We've got... Oh, gosh. Now, they're just resources. They're just, it's... What are you going to do? Put bones in the dirty ground? I don't want to put them in the dirty ground.
Starting point is 00:32:54 He's a horrible. He is horrible. He is horrible. He is horrible. These old faith, these Elmerans, it's mad. There's madness. All these farms, they do that themselves, Ophelia. It's madness.
Starting point is 00:33:07 Exactly. I've been carrying these backpacks around my back for weeks now. Actually, Roman was carrying them for a bit. That graveyard, it's full of good bodies. Totally usable. I might have to go over a look later. So what's the plant, what should we do to try and find him?
Starting point is 00:33:25 Well, where did we last see him? He was running from the Marshal's office. I think he went over the wall that I went over me. Went somewhere, he went out of the village. That's all you saw us. Last he saw him, it was late at night, it was dark. He probably went along the coast to some of the coves around here.
Starting point is 00:33:41 That's good, it's only been one, it's not even been a day, so we might be able to pick up some kind of trail. Now, he got attacked by the very thing he was worshipping. So do you think his cultist ways are so deeply embedded that he's maybe drawn towards Coral Song?
Starting point is 00:34:06 Or is he rejecting it now? I honestly couldn't say that. Because if it could lead us to Coral Song, that's two and one. They had to bring people to them. They lit that big, flaming fire. I don't think they have any idea where they are. They seem quite out of touch with the reality of the situation. Sounds of what you both said about the Contch as well,
Starting point is 00:34:27 it doesn't seem like Corrosong actually knows very much about what's going on here. It just exploded in my hands, crazy. I did see my face, yeah. I did see Coral Song's face too, by the way. What? Yeah. How? I was just, when I was just taking a peek at the conch,
Starting point is 00:34:43 just something happened, like a magical flare of energy or something, I just got a glimpse of Krollsung, and they may have gotten a glimpse of me. But that doesn't matter too much. I don't know where we are, right? But we might be able to find more places. They can't have only been operating here in the village. There must have been places they were meeting.
Starting point is 00:35:05 There's obviously this door we need to get through somehow, but... On that, my God. I can dispel it now. Great. I will dispel the door. Yeah, so you cast a spell magic. What does that look like for Gruff? Like, how does Gruff manifest this magic to the spell?
Starting point is 00:35:24 No idea. Okay. Just take it a razor. I think, I think. Use your tail. Well, all of his magic so far has been used through sarin. It's like water and wind and sarin. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:35:37 Sometimes it's like water or wind and things like that. Make your poor? Perhaps he summons Sauron, plucks a little feather out from her, and then kind of brushes the feather on the runes. And you see this wind generate from the feather almost blows the ruins away. They kind of peel off like paint and . And yeah, you successfully dispel the glyph of warding,
Starting point is 00:36:03 leaving this door free to be opened. When we go downstairs, this will be the headquarters, of Ojania and all the plans where Coral Song and Acomox are going, right? Oh yes, absolutely. That's what I'm hoping for. Or if we're lucky, Coral Song is just there. Oh, good. Hello, I'm a kid.
Starting point is 00:36:22 I'm little Coral Song. Don't attack me now, that'd be the worst. And then obviously we do, we win, we save the day. I've opened the door. Right, the door opens, and it does indeed lead down to, except stairs going down to a cellar. You can see that hung up on the sort of rafters of the stairs above you, leading all the way down is netting.
Starting point is 00:36:42 Very much like the outsides of their, well like the outsides of the buildings as you were coming in, they use netting to decorate the town square and the buildings. This one has been hung, but it is stained blood red. Oh. And hanging from it are shark teeths and like deep anglicy fish like mouths,
Starting point is 00:37:02 like kind of horrid things. You know, driftwood, but it's been carved into like skull-like visages and it's all been hung up. You can see clearly live chickens and things like that have been like strung up here and, you know, they've turned skeletal and things like that as well. And the steps lead down. Are you heading down there?
Starting point is 00:37:27 And what's like your order? What are you guys doing? You taking any preparation? It's rather distasteful and obvious. It is a little. It is a little bit, actually. Like, it's a little obvious, like, my first cult for like, you know, like... Cult for dummies.
Starting point is 00:37:43 Yeah, kind of. It kind of feels that way. They don't have inspiration. They put one door there in the way, you know. They did. They tried to trap it. They did. Hot topic cultists.
Starting point is 00:37:54 It's a bit of a shame. Oh, should we head down? I can't imagine there's much more. I would need to know an order. It's a single file. It's only just barely big enough for, you know, individuals. I'll keep the food. Okay.
Starting point is 00:38:07 For everyone, wouldn't they come back? If you want, I could try to just track for more magic. Oh, look. Yeah, if you can. Detect magic. Yeah, did you replace your charges? I did. I got two charges back. I got mine for the ring.
Starting point is 00:38:20 So I will, yeah, detect magic, and then I suppose I'll be either at the front or among the front. You would need to be at the front because this is really narrow. You're not going to be able to hear around somebody and stuff. Okay. Follow me, everyone. Produce flame. I've got a light as well. Um, so can I have a perception check
Starting point is 00:38:39 or investigation if you are actively taking time to search? Can I use my dark vision to have a good look deep into the tunnel? You can certainly try. If you're right behind Xanthius, I would say you can make a perception check but it's going to be a disadvantage because he blocks a lot of your view. Santhius, your body is in my way. I'm sorry, it's a very tight corridor. Oh, bodies, I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:38:59 I think I'm being careful heading down here, so I'll go with the investigation. Um, nice, 18. 18. 12 perception for me. 12 perception. You, it's really hard to see much, uh, from behind Zanthius, like, peering down. The tails. It's not particularly, I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:39:16 It doesn't go down too far. It's like maybe 15, 20 feet down. And then you can see that it does open up into a larger room downstairs, like some sort of wine cellar or cellar or storm, you know, storm cellar or something like that. Um, Zanthius 18. Yes. Um, just as you are about to take, it's probably like four steps. or like five steps from the bottom,
Starting point is 00:39:36 you're about to, like, step and you're kind of taking your time, you notice another line of runes across that step. Okay. And they look identical to the runes on the door. I'm doing my best. Can you stop jabbing me with your... Wait!
Starting point is 00:39:50 What? What? There's more runes down there. More runes. Another trap, I think. Okay, stay. Don't move. Stand very still. Well, we can go a little bit closer.
Starting point is 00:39:58 It's just a line down there. I can cast the Spear Magic again, I know that I know how to do it. You could do. I mean, before you waste it, let me try and figure out what level it might be. Can I try and do like a check to...
Starting point is 00:40:14 I could literally just do it. I mean, I will tell you, it's another glyph of warden. Another glyph of warden. Okay. But you just don't know what effect is imbuned into it is the main thing.
Starting point is 00:40:23 Yes. Is it only on the floor? It is on that step. So it's on like the fifth step down. Can spider climb and go upside down? You can? Yeah, you can. you're like literally on top,
Starting point is 00:40:34 sort of directly behind Xanthius, you're now upside down and he's upside. You can sort of walk around it. Do you want to try and go over it? I don't really want to step on it, so I'm just going to stay here, just in case. Right, I'm going to cast dispel magic, that's a good idea.
Starting point is 00:40:52 Yeah. I just know what I'm like. Sometimes things go a little rye. All right. So Gruff, you sort of peer behind all of them to where Xanthius pointing out, you cast the spell magic with a feather and brush it away. It does, yeah, to spells again.
Starting point is 00:41:03 It was only a third-level spell, so. That one could have just been holding, like, the light spell or something like that. It could have to be safe and sorry. That's true, that's true. Especially the run of luck we've had recently. They're still here. Just about. And choral song is just around the corner.
Starting point is 00:41:21 Do you finish going down? Yes. Okay. So when Xanthias, you make your way to the bottom and you emerge into, you know, a storm cellar or wine cellar, You see that this has been converted into a crude and rather obvious sort of goche shrine. You see that there is an altar made from a piece of sort of, you know, rock, like sea rock, you know, kind of carved from, you know, one of the cliffside rocks and things like that. It's been placed that's got like a flat top to it. It has got a big set of shark's jaws, like, you know, bones set on top of it, inside of which is.
Starting point is 00:41:59 like a very crudely shaped wooden chalice. It looks quite dried red on the inside. Around the room itself, there is a map, a very old-looking, quite crude map of a coastline. Okay. And it looks like there is a mark on it for a settlement. And then along the coast,
Starting point is 00:42:24 there is a symbol of that same shark's teeth over, like, a part of the coast, like a little inlet, basically. And that's marked with, like, a bloody version of this same symbol of the shark's teeth, which you probably would recognize is the symbol of a January at this point. Okay.
Starting point is 00:42:43 So if we had, like, is it, sorry, west or east or... So if you go down to the coast from where you brought came into netting on sea, if this is the same settlement, which it does look like, you know, the topography of it, it would be heading your east from your perspective.
Starting point is 00:43:04 So facing the ocean going east. Okay. Whereas the encounter you had against the Deep Children was west of here. Yes. Facing towards the ocean. Yes. Go east. But yes.
Starting point is 00:43:20 And it looks quite old. This is probably 50, 60 years old this map, maybe more. there is also in this chamber as well you would see there is offerings laid around that altar crude like not necessarily crude actually pieces of jewelry
Starting point is 00:43:45 you know polished gemstones like small little gemstones things like that all kind of laid in like a clam shell and the offerings are probably worth about 400 gold in total. There are also a crude rail has been implemented and there are like robes hung up on here as well. All of them half-ling-sized.
Starting point is 00:44:09 And they are these kind of very crudely stitched like capes with the big hoods. And instead of a brooch, they have a sort of scrimshaw carved symbol of those shark's teeth as well to pin the cloak together. And you see, yeah, kind of this all seems to be like a kind of family cultist shrine. Fun for all the kids. Hey, kid, me.
Starting point is 00:44:36 It's like a scrapbook. Our first sacrifice. Yeah. So the room we're in now is not as tight as the corridor coming down. No, no, this is maybe like a sort of 15 feet by 15 feet room. Okay. Didn't even wash the chalises after they used them. It seems rather than hygienic, isn't it?
Starting point is 00:44:56 Yeah, honestly, that's the worst of their crimes. Pretty bad. We've got a map, though. We've got a map. I've got a map with my stuff upstairs that we can perhaps compare to. Yes, good idea. But that could be where they're headed to, Jameson.
Starting point is 00:45:11 So we could follow that, just east on the coast for a while. I wouldn't mind, actually, before we leave searching Jameson's house as well. Yes, good idea. What about these robes? We're not 100% certain that every cultist was here in the village when this happened. I think we take them and we burn them.
Starting point is 00:45:35 That works too. This is profane and should not exist. All of this. I think we should remove it all, take it outside and burn it, and I think we should ask the villages to do the same. They will know of the dead who were also cultists and perhaps they can search their own up their houses and do similar and cleanse this place.
Starting point is 00:45:57 Let them know what to look for. Dismiss. Yeah, you can easily do that. There's no more traps, or you certainly don't detect any magic down here. You gather up the things, you gather up the robes and the, you know, the accoutrement of the cultists here. Do you take the map with you,
Starting point is 00:46:15 or are you just going to make a note of it? Take the map. Take the map with you. It's quite large. It's kind of, it looks. It looks like it's made on like cowhide or something like that, so it's quite a big thing, and it's all shredded at the bottom, and it's been painted.
Starting point is 00:46:27 Is it anything just fucking normal? No. Actually, no, it would be like, it would be like shark skin, yeah. It would be like a big piece of shark skin, and it's been burnt on, like, the actual outlines of, like, the cliffs, and then the hills and the forests, and then it's very obviously netting on sea.
Starting point is 00:46:46 The buildings, like the church is like up on the, you know, it's not labeled church, but there's like a square building up on a hill, you know, near the village and the farmhouse and, you know, all these things are like placed around. Well, we take it upstairs at the very least to compare it to... Sure, perhaps we can have an update location.
Starting point is 00:47:02 Yeah, like, to speed through this, like, easily enough, you take it upstairs, you set, you burn, what you want to burn. When you make your way back into the village itself... Yeah. Go on. Did you take the... Are we just adding the rubies and stuff as gold? If you want to, you can just add it as gold
Starting point is 00:47:18 to the group fund, but that's not my job to keep it. keep a track of. You take those? I'll take the shinies. You'll take, just add 400 into your... Write it down. Yeah. I go.
Starting point is 00:47:30 Yeah. Okay. And then also you took Madeline's jewelry as well, right? I could take some jewelry. So there's about 50 gold worth of her jewel. I'm rich! Hell yeah. I've got a locked chest.
Starting point is 00:47:40 A locked chest, yeah. Can I pick the lock on it? So, you can certainly try. Yeah, give me a thief's tools. So... Are there any diamonds and all? No. Also, it's jewelry.
Starting point is 00:47:49 So even if there were diamonds, they'd be very smooth. Oh, I'm gonna buy so many gifts. Remind me, is it just my proficiency. So it's your proficiency plus your dexterity. Which is now four. Mm, yeah. Well, if you've got expertise with these tools as well, if that was one of your expertise options, it would be doubled.
Starting point is 00:48:05 It is. So eight plus your decks. So five, so what, 13 total? My dex is plus five. Yeah, so plus eight, 13. 13 plus 13. You spend a little bit of time with it, not too difficult. I'm not going to spend any complications or anything.
Starting point is 00:48:26 Yeah, with your lockpicks, Daisy, you just and you click it. Opening up inside, you do find a bag of gold, platinum specifically. There's probably about, I would say, 300 golds worth of platinum in there. But there is also two sealed documents. One is the deed to this farmhouse that they, own, but also it is the warrant of the Reeves. So this is like the Reeves seal, like letter of authorization, basically, from the local Draconic Lord.
Starting point is 00:49:01 It's not signed by that Draconic Lord, it's signed by their considerate. But it is basically what proves that Merrick Ogden is the current Reve of this place. So that's like 30 platinum? Yes, 30 Platinum. So it's like a small bag. It's like a small bag of platinum coins.
Starting point is 00:49:22 And then, yeah, the deed, which is a family-owned home. Like, they bought it. And then the writ of authority. Sweet. Stuff? I don't know who to give these two now. The, what, money? No, the house.
Starting point is 00:49:42 Oh, okay. And the reeve things. I mean, I was just giving it to whoever's in charge, but. We don't know who that is. Yeah, they do need to... They're all dead. They're all dead. You need to collect a new person.
Starting point is 00:49:53 We need to also figure out what to do with Carla as well. I was going to suggest we go speak with Carla. Yeah. A, because checking in, B, because they've been here for two years, would have a good understanding of the villagers and who to reach out to with this sort of thing. Or if Carla wants to stay, then they could have a house,
Starting point is 00:50:18 aside from, you know, staying in the tavern all the time. If they want that, I guess. Let's find out. Free real estate. You guys make your way back. You would find that people have begun to gather outside the inn now. Sojourn is sat outside on a bench smoking. You know, he's got his little cigarettes that he rolls.
Starting point is 00:50:41 He's smoking one of those. Mateo is probably helping pick up the driftwood statue of Talan. and the locals kind of like gather it all up. And a few of them are scattered around. A group of them, including the Otter Wildheart Lady that you bandage gruff, are stood around the pile of like cultist bodies, and it looks like they're trying to decide what the hell they do.
Starting point is 00:51:05 As you guys make your way in, Carla kind of comes out, sort of finished, like, wiping our hands. Oh, you're back, you're awake. How is everyone doing? Is everyone all right? Honestly, after that sleep, much better. Yes. Yes, yes, definitely.
Starting point is 00:51:22 I feel the same way. Are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine. I got knocked out on the head, and I was fine. They didn't hurt me too badly or anything like that. I just sort of got knocked out. But, yeah, I feel okay. Glad that I could be of help yesterday.
Starting point is 00:51:39 But, yeah, I'm a bit worried about all of them, and she points out to the crowd. They just, they're so stunned. by this, like the Merrick and the others being these cultists, the creatures, it's a lot for them. They're trying their best, but right now they're just trying to decide what to do. It used to be they were telling me last night, it used to be that, you know, going back decades, they used to bury their dead up at the church here, you know, have a proper service for the Saints and Sions and things like that.
Starting point is 00:52:12 And then apparently, you know, 60, 70, 80 years ago, whatever. it was, the Ogdens and the Canberrake started proposing that, you know, it's a fishing village, they should do burials at sea. And now people are worried that, well, was that really to feed them out there? So now they don't know. For the last, you know, a few generations, they've done funerals, burials at sea, but now they don't know what to do. But they are also terrified of going up to the church.
Starting point is 00:52:41 You know, a few of them have said that, you know, the miracle of St. Toulan, the statue, they feel that they should go back up and, you know, worship St. Toulan again. But a lot of them are scared to go up there. Is it? The statue? Yeah, they, I mean, they said it was a miracle. The statue of St. Toulan came alive and helped defend the village. Oh. Well, let's shelve that for a second.
Starting point is 00:53:11 stroke of good luck that Toulan blessed us. Thank you, James. So, Ophelia and Ruffeth have good news about the church, and I step backwards. The majority of the ghosts have been put to rest. Really? I mean, I only heard the stories, but...
Starting point is 00:53:31 The Ogdens and the Cambricks were involved in sacrificing locals and the priestess. Up at the church, that is why it is filled with ghosts and wraiths. I thought that they were smuggling or something. I knew that something was a little off with them, but I didn't expect it to be like murder and sacrifice in these cults. They've got a shrine in their house.
Starting point is 00:54:00 Mark has run. No, we uncovered, yes, yeah. We've got some deeds and things like that that maybe the village could have back and they could decide to do with it. Yeah, absolutely, they should, yeah. I mean, absolutely. Do you think you know someone that could rally the troops or rally the village together?
Starting point is 00:54:19 Be a morale boost? I mean, I don't know about morale boosting, but I think that the person who's got the best head on their shoulders is probably Anne Breeze Water, the owner of the local general store. Like, she knows... We need to go to that store. She knows business, but also she's well respected, well liked in the town. Her family is quite, you know, it's an older family.
Starting point is 00:54:39 they've been here, you know, as long as the Ogdens and the Canberks have, but they were wild hearts, so they were kind of always a little left out of things, but they're well-liked, they're, you know, pretty well-respected. Like Anne's smart, you know, she's older. She did lose one of her children, sadly, in the attack last night, but the family's a big family. Hopefully they'll rally together. But I think out of everybody, she's probably the one that I would want to see in charge.
Starting point is 00:55:09 I certainly don't want, I'm, I'm thinking maybe I should sell this place up and get the hell out of here, you know. I came here for a nice quiet life and then this happens, and I'm worried that. Do you have a tavern, you know, the wheel. Okay, well, that's interesting, but I'm just worried that, you know, I've not used, I've not used her powers in a long time. What if, what if he comes after me? again, you know? Well, if that happens, there's more than one of us to defend. I don't know, Daisy. This thing was, it was strong. It was powerful. I mean, the guards, the whole of brassists, like the city guard were trying to stop this thing, and it was just
Starting point is 00:55:55 knocking them aside like it didn't, they didn't mean anything. Like, listen, I got to see firsthand how strong you guys are. I mean, I wouldn't want to fight this thing still. Well, Daisy has a lot of information about the similar thing, and also we're not new to the idea of big things taking over and losing control. I have no idea what he's talking about. Hypothetically speaking. Hypothetically speaking, if someone was to... Okay, yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:32 Sure. Carla does not pick up on this at all It's like, okay, weirdos We're quite I think people like us in Ash and Rest Oh, they love us there If you... Where is that?
Starting point is 00:56:46 Caldra. Caldra? Yeah, not too far from here. Yeah, listen, I used to go to Caldra on vacation And things like that, I quite like the place, yeah, it's nice. Lovely place. And we have a quick way back if you did want to get there quickly, but...
Starting point is 00:56:59 Well, it depends on if I can sell the place, you know, I need to... That's true. I invested a lot, like pretty much everything I had left, I invested here. I want to make sure that I get something back, but maybe somebody in the town would buy it from me. The offer's there. Yes. From all of us, you always have a warm hearth to come to if you wish to visit or take a break. I'll have a think about it.
Starting point is 00:57:21 Let me think about it. It's called Tyria's Rest. Tyria's Rest, okay. Well, let me think about it. I mean, what's your plan next? You came to fight these things or warn us about these things? Is that all done now? We would defer to Gruff of the Luda.
Starting point is 00:57:35 Well, first and first, I want to search Jameson's house and perhaps the prison. Right, that's a good idea. The quest is two-fold now, really. Primarily to find the second champion, Korozong, and kill her. We might have a lead on that. And then we need to find Jameson and bring him to justice. We might have a lead on that.
Starting point is 00:57:56 Okay. Well, that's great. I mean, I'm glad that you've got a lead on in those things, but... It's the same. lead. Yeah, I mean, listen, I don't think I can come with you to help you on any of that. You know, that fight was more than I've, more action than I've seen in a long time. You were brilliant. Yes, you were. Thank my friend for that. That's, I'm not, I've never been a fighter. You know,
Starting point is 00:58:19 I was a merchant, but. Well, I think they came to you for a reason. Certainly, I think we have similar morals and ideals, but yeah, I don't think, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do that again, anytime soon. So I'm not afraid I'm not going to be much use. But I can try and keep an eye on things here, help out, help people rebuild and figure out what they want to do with leadership and everything else. We'll need to write to the Duke and, you know, sorry, the local Draconic Lord. We need to tell them what happened. I can help them with that at least. You know, I'm good at negotiations. So maybe I can help them get that resolved at least. It would be really, I've spoken to Sir Joran. I think his word will have a lot of sway in that. But
Starting point is 00:59:01 if I could maybe get some, like, signed documents from all of you attesting to what took place here and what you knew. We've got good. The authorities will probably be pretty grateful for that because they're going to ask questions. A Reeve, a Marshal, the former Marshal, all being killed in one night. I mean, they're going to have questions about it. Understand what you say.
Starting point is 00:59:23 There are, there's lots of proof of, you know, the whole cult thing. If you go to the... You mean all that stuff that you just burnt up there? thing. There's still a whole, well, we burn some of the things, but there's still a hidden room with, you know. If you find any more cult stuff, like, I would say we might want to keep some of it for everything. On the bodies. Yes, but we are also going to go to Jameson. Of Jameson, American, Madeline, Madeline has a... Madeline- They have, like, yeah, like some of that, you know, but that, a good authorita could
Starting point is 00:59:58 maybe make a case that that's not conclusive evidence. Oh, they're annoying. Well, lawyers, man, like... Well, we could... Anyone who had any involvement, their houses haven't been searched yet. Yes, that's what I'm saying. If you find anything more,
Starting point is 01:00:13 any proof, any documents, anything like that, that might be a good thing to try and keep hold of, just to try and prove to the draconic lord that, you know, they were a cult and it's been put to justice and things like that. I mean, look, I'm sure it will all be fine. You know, the authorities have magic to help figure this stuff out,
Starting point is 01:00:30 and things like that, but anything you find is good. You know, just keep that in mind. Like I said, some signed statements. That sort of thing will do one is. We'll do a witness statement. Stuff I had to do when I was one of the, when I was applying to be Guildmaster and Brassus, I had to go through a lot of this stuff.
Starting point is 01:00:49 And it's useful to have. Paperwork makes things go way smoother in bureaucracy. All right. Well, I assume we're going to speak to Sir Joran anyway for our next destination. So we'll get that sorted before we leave. Okay. Also, we know Scaratelos.
Starting point is 01:01:08 Yeah, we, yes, we, yeah. If we need a vouch from a high place, it's also draconic to lend some credence to this, in our words, that could be a... Sure, I mean, definitely speak to Sojourian and speak to the village is about that, but definitely, like, whatever you can. He's a sleepy, though.
Starting point is 01:01:25 He's a sleepy, a little fellow, a sleepy guy, yeah. Well, we could, yeah, speak to Sojourn, check out Jameson's house. General Store? Stop by the General Store. I think it's best that we don't. It's not up to us to decide who becomes a new reeve of this place, but... No, the village themselves will decide that, but, you know, I can... Like I said, I'm a pretty good negotiator.
Starting point is 01:01:49 I can put some nudges in that people... Great. You know, that Anne might be a good person to choose for that. Shall we leave these deeds, son, with you for now? If you, yeah, sure, and she'll take those and be like, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I can make sure these get to the right people, so. But I think, yeah, if you've got a lead to follow up on or if you've got investigations to do, focus on that first.
Starting point is 01:02:10 General store's not going to go anywhere, we're not going to go anywhere. Look into that first. Oh, I really want to see it, though. Right now, well, I mean, do what you want do, but I'm just saying. We should probably chase Jameson. What should we do, perhaps? Before it gets too far away. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:02:24 We'll follow your lead. I think I'd rather... I'm sort of wondering whether to try and pick up its trail first and then search his house. Well, we don't have to be the ones to search his house. Some of the villagers could do it, or... Perhaps maybe a couple of you could take a villager, at least to witness if these authorities are going to come around.
Starting point is 01:02:50 And if you search his house with a couple of villages as well, and then maybe I'll go down and just see if I can pick up anything from where you is if anyone wants to join me on. Yes, Rowan. Can I, I've got a great idea. The smart otter lady, Anne, I'll take Anne to Jamison's as a good eyewitness and then we'll debrief at the general store and then I'll spend an extended period of time then making sure that all that information is there and then I'll meet you at the boat. That's very, yeah.
Starting point is 01:03:25 It's all good. It's good. All right, I better get going. Oh, we're taking the boat to this place, or are we going to follow you? Oh, no, I just meant track, like, to see what for the big direction if you went in? Or if there is a boat missing or anything like that. Do we get a judgment on how far away that pinpoint was, that marker on the map? Maybe like 20, 30 minute walk along the coast.
Starting point is 01:03:47 Oh, right, okay. The coast itself. Just go now. The coast itself is quite rocky, and if it looked like, Like, when you looked at that map graph and you would know this, like, if you didn't know where to search, it would probably be very hard to find because it's, like, very craggy.
Starting point is 01:04:03 It's, you know, it could be quite easily hidden. But once you know where it is, like the distance isn't far, it's just going to be actually reaching it and finding it. It's going to maybe be a bit trickier. In which case, I kind of actually wonder if we just go straight. I thought it was a sailing journey. No, no, no, no. This is right.
Starting point is 01:04:20 And it's going to that way. Yeah. Yeah. May as well follow the trail. And on the map, it probably would have had, like, a trail. Like, you don't have to go along the coast. There's actually, you kind of follow the woods and the river, and then you go along the coast and then down into it, basically.
Starting point is 01:04:35 So it probably is, like, some sort of trail or something like that. Okay. I would say, search the house. And then I will just quickly go and see if there is any sort of trail or suggestion of where he went. But this mark on the map is probably the best place to go next. Yes. Any issues send Serran back to the village?
Starting point is 01:04:56 Well, I don't intend to go too far. Okay, either way. Send a signal. So, my understanding, graph, do you want to... You're not going to the place you just want to see. No, no. I just want to go to where the square was, where I shouted at Jamison
Starting point is 01:05:10 and the direction that he shot off in. Right. He actually would have run off in the opposite direction, but to where this marker is. Yeah, yeah. But he might have just run and then... Exactly. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:22 So he would have... So you want to actually go and try and look for tracks? Yeah, I don't want to leave the village. I just want to kind of see where did he go? Is there anything? Is there a boat missing from like the dogs? Sure, okay. That kind of stuff.
Starting point is 01:05:34 Yeah, so when you, so I will say immediately, because you brought it up, when you check, you walk past like where the fishing boats and all that are tied up, and there is a boat missing. It's a boat missing. Well, shit. Could I send Sarah out? I can't remember how far she can go, but. Can you go like a mile or five miles or something?
Starting point is 01:05:55 Yeah, just up and out just to see. With at least eight to nine hours of travel time, it's probably long gone from that distance. That's... So that would just be my report. Yeah. Okay. Searching Jameson's house, you would eventually, no magical wards, but for the sake of brevity here,
Starting point is 01:06:17 you spend a bit of time and you find another secret chamber. No magical traps or anything on this one, because Jameson didn't have magic, him or his mother didn't know magic. There's no traps, but it is quite well hidden. It's actually like a flagstone trap door that goes down into like a very, very small, this one nowhere near as big. It's barely enough room for like two of you to stand in. Just with a small version of that same shrine down there
Starting point is 01:06:44 and, you know, a few robes hung up on, you know, the walls, basically. That's it. That's really all that's down there. What's down there? No offerings or anything like that. Just some robes. Just the same stuff as in the other house. Okay.
Starting point is 01:07:00 Not as interesting. Do you want me to send the villager down? Yeah, go ahead. Sorry, what's your name again? Oh, I'm Anne Breezwater. Oh, Anne, yes, of course. Anne's going to come down if you want to come out and just take a look at it.
Starting point is 01:07:12 I'm sure it's safe. It's safe, yeah? Yeah, it's fine. It's totally fine. It's just to be crude, a bit crude. All right. A bit crude. A crude.
Starting point is 01:07:19 and this little otter lady kind of comes down. You see, like, she's brewing with tears when she sees this awful shrine and there's, like, blood stains all on it. And she's just, oh, well, it looks awful, doesn't it? It's terrible. I can't believe that Jameson and Hannah were involved in all of this.
Starting point is 01:07:35 I know. You'd think they'd get a decorator in or something. Yeah, what? What? No, I meant that we've known them for so long. Oh, yeah, sorry. I'd be involved in something like this. It is terrible.
Starting point is 01:07:47 It's terrible. I'd sympathize great. The things they were going to do, Jameson, he killed. Like, she's like, literally on the verge of tears at this point. I'll bring her in, like, an awkward, like, hug. She's, like, kind of just like, she's, like, crying, like, she killed her. And, like, she's, you know, she watched him slay one of her own family, like,
Starting point is 01:08:08 and just being confronted with this horrific truth that, yeah, these villages that you've lived alongside for your whole life, oh, by the way, they're crazy murdering cultists. They're all gone now, Budwan. They're all gone. Jameson got away. We'll find him, we'll find him. You promise, you'll bring him to justice.
Starting point is 01:08:28 He needs to pay for what he's done. Yes, he will. We have sworn an oath. Mark me with another oath. Yeah, the otter lady, like, oh. No. Give me a pebble from her otter pocket. He will be found.
Starting point is 01:08:40 Don't worry. Thank you. But yeah, she needs to be able to bed. Okay, just a bit cryy. Oh, okay. Well, do you want to... Come out? Yes.
Starting point is 01:08:51 Okay, good, all right. But yeah, this is all you really find in Jameson's. There's not too much more there. Same with the Marshals. The Marshal's offices, there's nothing to really hide. It's a very simple, small building. Anything at Hannah Kembrick's house? Well, it's the same as Jameson's house.
Starting point is 01:09:05 They live together because the mother and son's. She had fucked up Sharp's teeth embedded in her skin. Yeah, I think you might find, like, in Jameson's house, like, a file amongst, like, Hannah's belongings, and, like, she was literally sharpening her own teeth. Cool. Yeah. the villagers sort of appease that the church is now safe or safer,
Starting point is 01:09:25 discussions about what two of these dead, perhaps discussions with Sister Ophelia on, perhaps, you know, using these dead bodies for the benefit of the Mautark Ecclesiarchy of Osceus. What? It's a new new term. No, no. But with that,
Starting point is 01:09:46 we are going to bring this episode to a close so that we can continue on next time where we'll dive into everything else and perhaps go and explore this point on the map that you found and see if that leads you any closer to... I didn't expect it to end right there.
Starting point is 01:10:05 I know. It's almost like we've had technical issues and I'm trying to wrap things up. But with that, thank you very much everybody for joining us. We will see you next time for more Altheir the Dragon Empire. Bye! Bye! Bye. Bye now. Ready to level up.
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