High Rollers DnD - Den of Heathens (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #74

Episode Date: August 19, 2025

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Pickax. 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 Usinor the Wizard. I greet thee, listeners. Look, I'm trapped in the magical land of foon, so I started a podcast, interviewing elves, unicorns, and other weirdos. We have great guests like Felicia Day, Jason Manzuka. 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. 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 Althea the Dragon Empire. Welcome back to Althea the Dragon Empire. heroes vanquished, Agamox the Doomclaw, champion of Ojania, during a desperate battle in the village of Netting on Sea. After the intense and exhausting battle, the party recovered in the former home of Reeve Merrick Ogden and began searching for clues and information about the village's local secret cult and how they might be able to find the other champion, Coral Song. Sister Ophelia and Gruff travelled to the church of St. Tila near the village to try and put the

unquiet spirits of the murdered priest to rest, swearing an oath to track down the villainous Jameson, the former marshal of the town within a year, or Gruff's life would be taken by the priestess herself. Now they must continue their search for clues and complete Gruff's knightly quest. And that is where we pick back up this week, everybody. You do what?

You did find in the home of Merrick Ogden, in his family farmhouse, you found a secret shrine to Ojanja, in which there was a crude map and various offerings and symbols. Cults for beginners. Very much cults for beginners stuff. But most importantly, the map was of particular interest because it did seem to highlight a section of coast near the village.

I can see what you're doing. You little MCR fan girls. We got to take it to go to me my camera! I didn't! I, that exactly, can we not rub it in poor Rianne's face please? Thank you. It's all right, the queue is stupid. We try.

It was like 80,000 people in the queue. Jesus. Yeah, it was a lot. Yeah, it was a lot. Sorry. That's right. My parade's fucking huge. I know, it's weird.

It's a big parade, yeah. This map, perhaps indicating another place to search or, you know, where information may be found. You do have the quandary of where to go next. Did we find a trail of... That's right. We did have some... Man trail.

Man, we had some man fresh. Are you asking me in real life or in the game? Both. We had some technical issues at the end of the last stream, which meant it was a bit choppy, and we just decided to, like, you know, cut our losses where we could. You had gone in search of to try and see if there was some sort of trial, and you were looking specifically for, like, tracks of perhaps Jameson

or somebody fleeing this way. What stank? Let's give that a brand new... Let's give that a brand new role, but before we do a roll, we do need to roll, for fate. Yes, we do. So I will sing Link's Africa's praises till the cows come home. Really?

I love Link's Africa. I mean... I can now choose... What? Tell you why, actually, I... Would anyone like a dice... That's true. A dice rock, dice tower. Yeah, I'll take that one.

I bought the Body Shop's white musk recently because I need to return to the 90s. Yeah. Not as good anymore. It fades really fast. Sorry, is this the Body Shop podcast? Can we play D&D? Do you know, there's share butter?

Really good. Right, D6 it, please. One. So one and a two, that's two for me. Two. Oh, another one for me, lovely. Two. Is this gonna be a full stack?

We don't have a trot either, so it's, there's only one left. Five? Five, okay. Close. It's not super lucky though. As a reminder with fate, don't forget there, I did introduce a new way that you can spend it. Not only can you add a D6 to an ability check

or a saving throw or an attack roll, you can also spend it. If you fail, you can basically try and reduce the consequences of a failure to give it a bit of a positive spin. I can't wait to use all of that. He tells us now we have one. Well, luckily, if you guys succeed at ability checks, I can also spend mine to add little complications.

Just succeed, forehead. Just succeed, and I'll spend them. Mom? So let's start with a fresh new role searching for signs that Jameson may have came this way. Because I think you did see that there was a boat missing. You didn't find that a boat had been taken. But I think that there was still this, like,

let's see if we can find any trail or evidence. Yeah. This would be a survival. roll from someone. Probably kin. I have plus eight. Plus eight. Yeah. A little plus four. Rowan is happily and quiet.

Can't find a trudging behind you. Oh my fucking God. Are you shit. Don't buy these. Don't buy these. Don't buy them. Don't buy them, just don't be Kim. Yeah, yeah. Do you get one?

Maybe you just roll it normally. Can I? No, no, no, that roll counts. So you... Oh wait, it's a seven. Okay. So you got 15. It's seven, I'm gonna spread it.

Plus eight? Fifteen. 15. Okay. Fifteen. With that, yeah, you would find that there is signs. You kind of make your way out of the western side of the village because there's no gates or walls or anything here. So you really just kind of go past a couple of the shops,

the general store specifically, and begin looking around trying to see if there is like a nature trail or a trail that people look. And you do find that there's like a woodland pass. that follows sort of the edge of the coast but making your way through that there is signs that there is not a trail or a dirt path or anything like that but gruff with your keen sort of wilderness senses and having grown up in a place like ice heart which is quite rough and difficult you're used to seeing the signs of like creatures or people passing by and you can

see that in the soft earth there is signs that not recently but somebody goes off this track and begins making their way down into the cliffs along the coast itself. And you can find that there is, you know, when you start making your way down to the rocks and things like that, there are pieces of rock that have been carved out and like ring pulls, like handholds have been added in, but they're kind of hidden from the trail itself. So only those who knew that this place was here

or knew where to look would possibly have found this place. You would have, you know, there's no way that like just walking that trail you would have spotted this from the trail itself only somebody who knew where to go would be able to find it and i think maybe as well like on the trees that sort of lead off the path going down to that side you might find uh like a very rough engraving like a carved symbol of a shark's mouth and that's again like yeah this is obviously the sign for members of this cult to turn off here basically um what's like but i'm assuming you don't go down too far because you just wanted to see if there was like a trail.

Yeah, little. Because everyone else was all split up. Yes. Would carvings like that? It's not anything I have, but it'll be what Daisy has, I believe. Would that fall under thieves' cant, those sort of scratched in sigils and things? If it was more of a thief or a criminal organization, yes. I would say that this probably wouldn't count under thieves' cant because it's very specifically religious and cult.

Just in terms of like finding them, I suppose, more than anything. It would be more like a perception or investigation, like a high mass of our investigation. If this had been like, if you were in a city and, This was a sign left by, like, fence here, which I think you used in Ashton's Rest, actually. You found symbols that, like, this person is a fence for stolen goods and things like that. Yeah, absolutely.

But this is a bit more culty, so it's a bit more not-duty. Do it message? It's carved in wood? No. I mean, you guys can already recognize it, right? Like, you already recognize this. We've already seen it. We've seen on the map, yeah.

Does the vague direction this is going, does that match up with the map that we found and the single we found on that? With the 15, it's pretty easy to guess that, yeah, basically this trail will lead you in that direction and is, you know, looking at the way, like, looking at the cliffs of the coast and the seaside, you know, sections of it have been worn down

resembling steps, and like, it's very rough, very roughume, but yeah, you're like, yeah, somebody can make their way down to the cliffside here. Okay, I would go back to the village to round everyone. People were doing various cult-y things, won't you? We were just basically gathering the evidence

so that if anyone was to come and investigate from the main islands, that there was evidence of that cult and that... Bad boys were now. Jameson would be arrested if they found him anywhere else. Yeah. Stuff. Yeah.

Yeah. You did, you found, again, you found cloaks and ritual daggers in Jameson's house and you had witnesses there with you, You had Anna Breezewater, the Otter lady who runs the general store. I believe that Ophelia and St. Drona had maybe checked on the ship, like on the docks, and you were the one who seen that, yeah, there was a small, only a coastal ship. It's not like a deep water ship or anything like that.

A coastal ship was missing that was supposed to be there. And you were the one who saw that. Okay. Okay. Hello, my name is. Hi Graf. Hi Graf. I'm from a little village called Tomorrow.

I'm aware. Zanthias, what have you done now? Nothing. I've just been... Zanthias, put that down. I'm not holding anything, Gruff. Hello, Zanthius. Hello.

Just some vocal exercises, as always. Is everyone okay? Yes, I think so. I think we're all rested up now. I don't, well, you... Oh yes, I think I'm fine. You sound just a little bit like he has a cold or something, but... Yes, I think I've got a bit of a cold.

Bung up, no. Yeah. Maybe just let your voice rest for the remainder. You sound like Richard from the IT crowd. You know, the gothic. Oh, yeah, the goth. Well, not an actual cradle of filth. That'd be disgusting.

Right, I found what I think is a trail that Jameson may have taken. Okay. It matches up with the map that we found in the Ogden's house. So I believe, well, really we have two choices here. We can try and go after and find this hideout and see if we can catch up with him. Or we carry on to pursue chorosol. The only thing is, I don't have a trail on chorosong.

We had the conch, but obviously that suffered a mishap. Well, one looks sad. Well, presumably Jameson's fled to that second location, right, on the map. Yes. I mean, that depends. One of the boats was missing down of the docks. Well, the boat would be quicker, right, gruff? Quicker than walking, running.

I did see signs of someone passing there. Not recently, though, as I said, it would have been, you know, it showed that that trail is used, but not. You didn't see any fresh, like, tracks. My apologies, if that was unclear. Using his boat knowledge, would it be possible to get to that location by boat? I mean, it's possible. You don't know if it would have been any quicker.

By the time you actually got the ship ready, to sail, like this is not far from the village. This is maybe like a 10 minute, 15 minute walk. By the time you got the boat ready and like out of shore, like you could have walked it in that time. The only reason you would probably take a boat from netting on sea is if you were going further, if you were going somewhere else. Right.

I don't know if he does know where a choral song is, you know, because they had to light that big fire to call them here. I don't think they're very good at it. Well, Loss, I don't believe that Coral Song actually knew what Agamox was doing here. I feel that perhaps this was a pet project of Agamux, you know, from what Rowan said and Xanthia seduced. She was like, where are you, you know, didn't know where he was, what he was up to. I don't think they were a good enough cult for her to care. No, small fry in the grand scheme of things.

Well, it certainly seemed to be the case. I mean, they were killing the cultists. They didn't care about them at all. They were just wanted to slaughter, didn't they? I didn't see Mateo's like stroking his little goatee. Very curious. Particular brand of cruelty, though, isn't it? Oh, yes, ghastly stuff.

So, I think... Okay, what are our leads then? Obviously, this second location, but... Our leads are the second location on the map, and I found the trail forward, and then there's the missing boat. Well, I mean, you're all... I've seen you use incredible... magics and powers and things like that.

Do any of you have anything like that that could sort of guide the way? You give you a clue? daggers. You do have knives, but yeah, but you've got your friend, you know, the wings and light. I don't think they will know

where horrible creatures are. Oh. I thought maybe they were, I don't know. No, no. A lot of my magics is offensive. in nature, I suppose. Yeah, same. Mainly fire. And fire making things.

I don't think I've got anything, but I will look. Well, maybe we could check out the place on the map anyway, since we're here. If we have to get a boat somewhere else, then we may as well try everything when we can here first. I mean, I could send Sarin

to go and scout the waters and see how, you know, if she can spot anything. Yeah, because how... How far can you serve? It's quite, it looks like miles, right? I'm not, I'm just trying to be... I think your telepathic communication...

Telepathic is 100 foot, but it doesn't say... Serran can go further than that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Serran's a creature, right? Serran is a familiar. They're a fay creature now. They can fly as far as you want them to. It's just you would lose telepathic communication with them after 100 feet.

Yeah, so I... But you could, you could, like, imprint in Seren's mind, like fly down the coast to the west, and then in an hour, come back, or 20 minutes, come back to me, and then tell me if you saw anything. I mean, all right, I could fly myself. No, we need you here. The best you stay here, I think.

Actually, most of us can fly. Yes, I don't think we should split up anymore. No. Yes. You fly now? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Right. I'm a bit mad about that, actually. That was my special thing. I'm sorry. Well, Graf can fly too. Oh, yes, I fly now. Yes, Groff flies now. I feel it can climb a wall.

Oh, okay. I'm not. I get it. Daisy, I can't fly. You're still much more special than me. Oh, no, but you're spiking. You have the prettiest wings out to all of us. Well.

You're not very fiery. I couldn't really see them, I'll be honest. They were very scary. Really? But like in a way that that's good because if I was fighting you, I'd be like, whoa, no, no thanks. That's good. And as a reminder, they're not crown steely wings,

are they there? No, not crowsy wings. I mean, this is literally from, like, the dragonborn ancestry. So this is like golden flaming wings. They're not crown steely. There's some runic element to them as well. Daisy's wings are very pretty. Yours are very commanding.

Oh, that commanding works. Yours were very, um, eagully. If you were a seagull, they'd be seagully. If you're an eagle, they were very eagles. They were majestic wings. Oh, majestic, yes. Powerful. But anyway, we're talking about wings when we should be

bending wings. I'll send Serran out. Yes. So I will, you know, I mean, Saran would probably actually already be on my shoulder. Yeah, unless you dismiss them. They are sort of permanently there.

I assume when you go into combat, normally Seren is somewhere safe, like, for the time. I'm being a bit more protective over her at the moment. She helps with, you know, in terms of flavour, she helps with spells and spell casting and stuff. But it's like normally, like, flying high up above. She's not like an offence. Just as a point, like, yeah,

Because enemies can attack Serran, so I assume, yes. Being a bit more protective of my baby girl. So, yeah, I would speak with her quietly and ask her to go and scout. Yes, I can, yes. What should I look for? We're looking for, well, for two things. Primarily, we're looking for, remember that Jameson? Yes.

We're looking for him in a small boat, perhaps. Yes. Or anyone in a small boat. You see those boats down there on the door? Yes, yes. That's a sailor boat. Yes. What direction they're heading in.

Okay. You know, if you can see how they look. The other thing we're looking for is signs of more of these creatures. Oh, the terrible sea creatures. Yes. Yes, I will look for them. I will look for them.

Yeah, if you fly perhaps for an hour and then come back to me. To the west. I will be heading down to this cove and I'll show them. Yeah, and as soon as she's in range, you can just, you'll know where she is and she'll know where you are.

So, yeah, so Sarah and will say, like, yes, of course, takes off and begins flying out to the west along the coastline and we'll begin making their way. And after, after, you know, a few beats of her wings, she's out of telepathic range and you lose, you know, connection with her. But yeah, so yeah, you've got an, like, if you want to wait an hour, if you guys want to start making your way, you could do. I suggest we start making her way down to this cove,

but I don't know if anyone wants to pick up any supplies or anything before we go. I mean, have her ways. With the Otter Lady. We can't have a look and see if there's anything useful. But we need to be quick as well. I just want to make sure we don't lose trails. I don't think there's any way of replacing anything that we lost during that fight, but it's worth having a look.

And also to meet an Otter Lady. Sad grieving Otter Lady. Yeah. Furious, Matt. She was very up, she was very cryy. We drove past an Otter Sanctuary. I've been away this weekend. We drove past an Otter Sanctuary,

and I had to fill Ted in on the whole, like it took 20 minutes. We're just like weeping. And then? He was like, let's go to the Otter Sanctuary, and I was like, nope. Too soon, a bit of a source of different now. So, on the western side of netting on sea,

with little flower boxes and nets straped over the roof, dyed sea green, with a handmade sign of a sweet-looking otter in a shawl holding armfuls of little pretty trinkets as if they were stones being collected. You enter, and there is no name on it, but you could learn from locals that it's just referred to as Auntie Anne's.

Aww. I think I read that one. And you enter inside. Inside, it's really quite, not bare, but there is not a lot here. There's sort of a couple of shelving units in the middle kind of display tables, really, shelves along either side. And it reminds you of the kind of, you know, this is a local general store. There's, you know, wrapped, dried rations, there's fishing equipment, hunting supplies, clothes, cloaks, boots,

the sort of things that local people would need. scattered around there you might find a few decorative pieces, a lot of driftwood that's been shaped and carved into different sea creatures or plants and things like that there's probably actually little potted plants that are for sale as well with little sea green painted designs

all around the outsides and then at the back there is a sort of door that obviously leads into a living part of the house and there's a small counter um with a little sort of dinky register like a clockwork like it looks quite rusted and old probably from like kelskar is bought like second or third hand um and uh you can see uh anne breeze wore to herself this this otter wild heart dressed in a little cloak and shawl and she's she's sort of busying herself by just adjusting the shelves but she's not really doing anything important you can see it's just

busy work. It's like she's taking everything down on the sort of tackle boxes and it's moving it to where the mugs are and the mugs are going over here and it's just moving, it's just busy work, right? Why is she doing that? Just because it's something to keep her distracted. Why does she need to be distracted, Mark? Because she's mourning the loss of her family and the horrific things that have happened in the village yesterday. She sees you enter. Oh, oh, hello everyone. I'm sorry, It's a bit of a mess I've been trying to... I was thinking of rearranging... Lovely in here.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. We were going to be heading out very, very soon, down the coast. So soon... You don't think those awful things are coming back, do you? No, well, no, of course not. No, I think we've dealt with the worst of it. Oh, good, good.

By the Sions, I hope so. But knowing us, we're likely to find something out there and that will inevitably send us soaring across the world in a completely different direction. So likely we'll need some sort of supplies just in case that happens. Oh, well, we have a few things here, yes. We've got rations for travelling and food

and water skins if you need that sort of thing. Do you have cloaks? I mean, it's warm, but it's getting near the end of summer. It'd be autumn soon. It might start to get a bit chilly. Well, I mean, we... She just looks at you with these huge, like, wide, otter eyes, like, just sort of doesn't really know what to do with, like, these seasoned adventurers in our shop.

Well, unfortunately, we were quite quick to sort of stuff all of our supplies onto the boat when we left. So, I don't know, where do we stand on supplies and things? I don't think you have a lot. So, Jordan, you bought some supplies, like food and stuff like that. Got some stuff in the house, didn't we? Just how much of it was like... Yeah, that's true, actually. You did raid Merrick Ogden's house as well.

Did you do that? Yeah, you've probably got more. than enough food for like any sort of like decent journey that you've got coming up. Yeah, but fan service. Listen, if you, I mean, like, if you just want to, because like, you imagine that if you drop a lot of gold in this lady's business, you're probably going to make more money for her than she makes in six months. You know what I mean?

But most of it's kind of like little local trinkets and... What kind of trinkets do she have? So she has, like, you can see that there's like, you know, carved animal statues made from like driftwood, like very decorative, like dream catchers made out of like netting ropes and things like that. You also notice quite a lot of like shell necklace and jewelry as well. Seems to be she has like a little glass cabinet and it's got all these like very pretty shells and like chains. And this, it looks handmade, like handmade little jewellries and things like that.

I'm interested in this jewelry for my, um, my wife. Oh, really? Oh, yes, I've got a, there's a lovely selection. We've got, um, and she starts going through it. And there's like, you know, a big scallop that's been painted and decorated with not precious stones. It's all just like, you know, kind of non-pressure stones that make it glitter and sparkle. But it's kind of like a hollowed out scallop shell and it's been inlaid with like a maybe like a resin or something like that. Very pretty, but probably not very expensive. You can see that there's a few other things, little kind of tiny conch shell earrings and things like, you know, little tiny baby conchers and stuff like that.

One thing that maybe does draw your eye is a necklace of strong. strong cowrie shells, which are the little kind of like tiger kind of patterned ones. And there's six of them, very beautiful, put around like this leather cord. And that seems to be sort of prominently sort of the main centrepiece. And when she sees you as like, oh, those are lucky cowrie shells. They're kind of a little thing along the coast here. each one's supposed to give you a little bit of luck and that's it really

and yes things like that I do like luck find me a person who doesn't like luck and I will show you a liar but there's like little there's probably like little price tags on all of these as well most of the shell jewellery

is like five silver to like five gold it's really not much at all this lucky cowrie shell though is priced at 20 gold. But you get the impression that, like, yeah, it's probably, again, you could easily spend more than that, and it would probably make her day, you know. It's up to you guys.

But yeah, but there's no, I will say, at most in terms of adventuring equipment, things like rope, lanterns, all of that stuff you could easily buy. There's probably one healers kit here, not even like healing potions. This is not the kind of place that is going to stock much of that stuff. Yeah. How much of the stuff?

because the boat was not completely stripped of supplies. It was always that man's just chained down. Yeah, it was just taken down. It wasn't like taking, no, nothing was damaged or destroyed. Oh, I thought like the harpoons and maybe all the weaponry and stuff. No, no. It was taken, like, that's the, like, there were no harpoons on the decks. That stuff is probably gone, but it might be that Sanjore's got some more hidden away somewhere.

Yeah. There probably is, like, harpoons here. Like, there's, like, you know, just got, like, up on the walls, like, on little hooks and things like that. There's a big giant stuffed sort. boardfish up on the back as well that looks like it's for sale, but it's enormous. Rowan's looking at it, like, ooh. There's fishing rods, there's like fishing equipment,

spears, like any kind of bows, like hunting equipment, arrows, crossbow bolts, that sort of stuff. Very common, regular, mundane equipment for sale here. Does anyone here want the cowrie necklace? You can go for it. I can go for it. Well, if nobody else here catches their eye,

I would absolutely love to take that cowrie necklace from my wife, please. Absolutely, of course. Oh, that'd be wonderful. She starts taking it out and has got a little tissue paper and, like, wraps it up and stuff and puts in, like, a little bag and hands it to you. It's 20 gold. I will tell you, there is actually a very minor magical trait to the lucky cowrie necklace. Basically, it has six charges, one for each cowrie. You can spend one charge, and you grant a plus one to an ability check or a saving throw.

But once they're gone, they lose their luck, basically. Does it, is it just like, the cowrie will still be there? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just loses that luckiness, basically. It's going to destroy itself. Here, wife, have this string. Smouldering, black stones on it. No, it is just, yeah, this is literally just like a touch of supernatural luck on each of these shells. And they're like pristine specimens of the cowrie shell.

You don't imagine every cowrie shell is going to give you that. Could I also have that necklace over there with the scallop shell? Yeah, yeah. And that's one of the, I'd say, like, five gold for that one. So, 25 gold total. Girlful put down 50 gold. No, this is too much and, like, goes to give you the change. No, absolutely, it's fine.

Like, you know, it's... But, but, but, but, but that's double. That's far too much. So, no, no, no, that's... And, like, looks and you realize is that, like, you're just... Yeah, I'm like, no, that's what I'm going to give you. And she's just like, thank you. Thank you so much.

Like, like, looks at it. Probably more money than she's held in a fairly long time, you know? Call it in, like, sart tradition. It's not. Okay, yes, if that's, yes, of course, I don't want to insult traditions and things. That's very generous of you. Thank you so much. Is there anything else I can tell you? Do you need anything else? I think we've, this is really everything we've got in stock at the moment.

Well, just on a... We're just more used to catering to the locals, really, not to travellers and adventurers and the like. It's absolutely fine, Anne. I was just going to ask, though, how would you feel about, you know, taking charge around here. What do you mean? I'm trying to help out a little bit.

I think everyone's a bit out of sorts with everything that's happened. Well, we've been told that, you know, you're fairly popular here. You're very well known in the community. That's very kind of people to say. You know, I've seen this place is now without a leader. When you say that, there's definitely like a dartlight,

she's like, and she'll probably make, like, she'll like hold her little hands, you little otter hell, like in prayer. Just like, oh, I know, I know. I just, I still can't quite believe that Merrick and the others, you know, they've been around for so long ever since when we first move, you know, my family's been here, I grew up with them

and to think that they were secretly up to all that awful business with the emberd, or, like, makes the sign of the sions sort of over a heart sort of thing. Well, I mean, it sounds like, you know, there could be, you know, there's a need for a good-hearted, um, leader in this place, someone who can heal the community. Oh, I don't know if I'm, I don't know if I'm much of a leader.

I'm quite quiet and, I mean, I get on with people. Sure, I'm good at looking after people, but I don't know about a leader. I don't think people here would want a very big, loud leader again right now. I think that they would like someone that they can talk to. Oh, I suppose so. Well, I guess I could think about it. If everyone in the village was agreed, I suppose I would take, if people wanted me to, I'd be more than happy to try and do what I can.

But, I mean, won't that? I'll have to go and speak to the draconic lord and all of that, won't I? If I'm the Reeve, isn't that what they do? Probably only once in a while, you know, how busy they are. Oh, I suppose, yes, I suppose that's true. There's not much. I suppose it's just the hoarding and the tie things and things like that that we'd have to. But I suppose that can all just be, well, I suppose it's not much different in running a business, really,

making sure taxes are paid and delegations a thing. I'm sure you could find someone to help you with that. There's a lot of good people here. Maybe all that awfulness from last night will bring us a bit closer together, I suppose. Like I said, if everyone else in the village was agreed and wanted me to do it, of course I would, of course I would. But I don't know if I'm cut out for it, let's put it that way.

You've got a good art, and I think that's what this village needs at the moment. Oh, wow. Yes. perhaps I'd feel better if I could find somebody who'd be a really good marshal, somebody I could trust, somebody who can do all the bits I'm not good at, do you know? But I just don't really know anyone like that. Because that would be another position that would need to be filled, is the Reve and the Marshal, so.

Well, perhaps an answer will come in time. Maybe. But, yes, in the meantime, is there anything else I can get to? Anything else you need, or... Um, I'm afraid I am very, very light on gold at the moment and by that I mean I don't have a gold piece to my name. There is Kim's complete lack of surprise. Because I spent it all on nets and crossbows for your quest.

So how about that? And gambling. How many? And gambling. And gambling. And I split it all on gambling. Um, you did. I mean, I don't know if anybody wrote it down, but there was gold that you found an offering.

and things like that in certain places. What I have. Okay, I guess we'll see her. Groff didn't take any of it. No, we need, should have? Sure. Was there anything else? Anyone needs?

Well, I didn't take any of it because Ophelia was too busy shoveling it into our bag. Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure. Yeah. That'll be me next time. That's a guarantee. Guarantee.

I think we're good. Any word from Serran just yet, or are they on the way? Not hearing anything at the moment. You said an hour and you've been like 50 minutes. It's just, you know. You're in a little shop next door. I'm just going to tell Sir Doran where we're off to

and then get on my way, okay? Okay. All right, yeah. You step outside and say, well, thank you so much again. Thank you, goodbye, everyone. Thank you, Anne. See as you all go.

May the Saints and silence bless you, Anne. Yeah, she's like, watch as you all go, this little tiny otter lady. Did she pull a rock out from her pocket? No. She's got loads of trinkets around. Tons of rocks. She was juggling.

the entire time. No, you make your way outside. It's not hard to join, I think, probably still helping people adjust. Actually, no, he'd be down on the sunkist, getting the sunkist ready. He'd be getting the ship ready. So you easily, before you head out,

you can just peer down, you know, the docks of Netting on Sea are right below the main square. Like, you just go down these little steps onto the beach. And, yeah, you see him there, kind of getting the sunkissed ready, sort of grumbling to himself. bloody fishmen, crabmen, ruin my boat, that sort of thing, he's kind of just grumbling into himself.

You go down there, he's like, have you made any progress, Sir Griffith? Well, we've searched some of the houses, and we found this map in one of the colour of this houses. I've also had a look where I thought perhaps Jameson went, and I've picked up the trail that matches to this. So I've sent two things. There was a boat missing.

so I sent Sarah to go on a scout on the seas to see if she can find anything and spot any sign of it but also we're going to go scout this marking on the map okay that sounds the reason it's going to take me a while to get the sunkiss ready they you know they've put fully took the mast down

all the sails some of them have been torn I'm going to have to repair them that sort of thing it's going to take probably a good few hours for me to get the ship ready the schooner that he's got it will take me a while to get things ready Yeah, but that I mean certainly look into it

I don't know about this I don't know if this, what this Jameson would have done these cults if they've been operating this long netting on sea then it's been ingrained in a lot of them

I'd be interested to see you hear what you find at this place though but choral song the other champion is still out there somewhere and I imagine that if they find out or if they begin to suspect that something's happened

to this Agamox they'll likely get worse they'll increase their attacks, they'll increase their violent behaviour. So I think it's important that we try and act as quickly as possible. Well, I'm hoping that this cave, this marking will give us something on chord or something

on, because that's something we haven't found. We found plenty of Agamox, but, you know, it's probably... I mean, there was also the attacks on the other place on Twin Peak Isles, to see if there's perhaps more information there. That was going to be my next point of call of... nothing comes up here. But also I just want to check out this cove

and check the last of this cult in this village is gone. It seems that, I mean, my, what immediately comes to my mind is how does a small, you know, fairly rudimentary, fairly sort of, how should I put it, local cult like this, how does it even know about creatures like Agamox and the champions?

I mean, how did they know that lighting that signal would bring them here? You must have spoken with them, or had some sort of contact with them, I think. Perhaps there may be something. That's what I'm open. All right, well, I'll be here when you need me. You can always send your seren to come and give me word. If it takes you that long, I mean, I shouldn't imagine it will take you several hours.

But if it does, I can always bring the sunkiss round to this point. And he'll look, he's like seen the map now, so he knows where you're roughly going. I can always bring the sunkiss around there if you need me. Do you know any supplies for the sunkiss? How are you on harpoon, weapons, all that stuff? They chucked out most of my ones up here on the deck, but I've got a stash down below. But that's it, until I get back to somewhere I can have some more maids.

That's probably going to be limits. I've got five more even below. Anne's got some in her shop, so I can get you some more if you would like some more. I'll go check them out. They may not fit, so, because the balister is particularly, it's more than just a regular harpoon, but I can see if they'll fit,

and I might be able to modify them myself. but that's very kind of. Leave that with me. I'll go speak to him if need be. But in terms of the rest of the supplies, I should have everything I need to repair her and just get back up and running. They didn't do any real damage, just more.

Made sure that we couldn't leave in a hurry. I think it was more the villagers, more than the creatures, so they just wanted to make sure we couldn't get away. Hey. Hi. Oh, good. All right.

He'll take another, puts out his little cigarette case, he opens it up, puts out one of his little rolled-up cigarettes. lights it and all right, I'll see you soon. Puts it back and gets to work. All right. Off we go. All right. Down the coast. Yes?

Down the coast, sorry. Okay. Do you say about 15 minutes-ish? Yeah, it's not far at all. And you're going to follow the woodland trail that you found earlier. The coastal trail. Yeah, you make your way down and you would find, And it doesn't take you long.

You retrace your steps graph, you find the tree with the symbol of the sharks moor on it, and following that and your own investigations, you find the sort of cutaways, not really cut, but like worn down stairs that lead down directly into the rocky, rocky cliffside coast. There's not places to, there's not like sand to walk on here. It's mainly rocks, and the group of you make your way, you know, you don't need to roll or anything like that, but it's not the easiest trick. Like, you have to make sure you don't slip and fall. It's quite rocky, quite sharp.

The tide is fully come in now and is like splashing up against the rocks, making it even slipperier and more treacherous. But working together, you sort of make your way and hop along. It takes you about 15 minutes of navigating. Along the way, you find quite a few little alcoves and nooks, but eventually, Eventually, when you reach the point on the map, the cliffs are really soaring up, like a great wall beside you. They get steeper and steeper and steeper and eventually, at the point marked on the map, there is a small inlet that goes in, and quickly you see it becomes an under, a cliff becomes a cave, like a seaside cave. and you notice that there is, again, the rocks have been worn down or chiseled or something has been done enough to create a ledge big enough

for humanoids to walk very tightly, you know, one by one. Rowan is really going to struggle, but you can sort of shimmy along and there is a little ledge that leads you inside this cave from the rocky path you've been following. Is it just all the cult stuff, or is this place kind of ominous? Very ominous. Very ominous. Okay, okay, good.

All right. Well, not good, obviously. We're going to sidling through that gap there. It's the only way to go. Okay. Where's Saren? Saren's still flying. Okay.

No boat. No boats yet. Well, I haven't heard anything. Okay. I can only hear her when she's within a night. hundred feet from me. All right. But this is a place on the map.

It is pitch black in this cave as well. It goes back far. Far enough that the sun in its position, like maybe early dawn or late dusk, this cave might get a bit of light. But as the sun is rising higher, the cliff sort of ledge out front is blocking most light from coming in.

So once you get, like, peering in, you see about 60 feet, 80 feet in, and then it becomes pitch black. see that this cliff seems to go deep into the side of the earth. It is quite a deep seaside cave. I'm trying to recall. Regular Dragonborn have dark vision to Altheian. So, this is the thing, quite because when we changed over to 2024,

we reverted to some of the standard versions of like Dragonborn and Asimar and things like that. The way I've always tried to play is like if you had low light vision before, I would like to that you still have the sort of low-light vision. If you had true dark vision before, then you still have true dark vision. So, like, Ophelia had true dark vision as a dampier. Whereas, like, most of the rest of you, I think, only had low-light vision originally.

That may now be counted as dark vision in 2024 rules. Yeah, I didn't have it before, but I do now. So do I just remove it then? I would say just, you don't have to remove it, but just try and remember that it's low-light vision, not dark vision at the most of you. Okay. Okay, so I have dark vision 60 foot, so it's...

Low-light vision. be the same thing for you guys, yeah? Yeah. Cool. So a little thing that... I don't remember if I had it because of my... So I don't believe Davey had dark vision, no. I think very few races and ancestry, sorry,

had true dark vision before. Because it's actually a problem that I think D&D gives dark vision way too easily. And it means that a lot of abilities and spells kind of become redundant. So that's why... But low light vision means that, like, you can see twice as far in dim light.

So, you know, you can see deep, into this cave. And you probably see a bit further, maybe like 100 feet back. And those of you with that low light vision can see that there is, the sort of cave becomes narrower and narrower. But there is what appears to be a very crudely built wooden sort of post with, that looks like, next to this ledge where maybe a boat could be tied up. Okay. And then there is a sort of opening in the back wall that actually becomes like a tunnel. Okay. What's the strategy here, Graf? You can obviously light torches and things,

but do we want to go in quietly? You just hear this concert time as well, like you are pressed up against the side of the stone wall, and you just hear this as the tide is fully coming in. It is rising as well, like you are coming in as the tide is rising, and it might be that this whole ledge will become fully submerged at some point.

For starters, I would write... I would like to... I'd like to cast water breathing on you all. Just the way that tide's coming in, I just want to keep an eye on that. So if the worst comes to the worse, at least you can breathe underwater, okay? Yes, good idea. Oh, that means gills again.

No, because it's not the one of the sculptor. Yeah. Yes, you're right, yep, okay. Gruffs is just like a primal magic, right? Yeah. Um, so I will cast water breathing. It's up to 10 willing creatures, so everybody here. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Last 24 hours. hours, you're welcome. That's basically forever. That's basically, that's going to be out of four episodes. I'm not going to think about that tomorrow. Four episodes. The way that combat went, that's like 60 episodes. Episode 100.

It's a good thing not everything is judged in round time. All right, so yeah, Gruff, you summon this magic, you chant, you spread your hands, you use the somatic components, and yeah, all of you feel this kind of refreshing sense of air surround you. Well, I've got a few spare torches if we need those. I'll just cast light on my diagram. It's just got light, but it's just... I can see in the dark.

It's just on my belt. Whether or not we want to go in quietly or not. I think, to be honest, we need speed rather than stealthier. Okay. If you have torquess, Daisy, I can see. I've written down. I can literally see. You're welcome.

So I will light a torch. I guess that'll light a torch. Pretty slain. I'd have to do it in a cool way. Do you want to do that in my torch as well? Yeah. Pretty flame, there you go. Thank you.

You're so welcome. You light a few torches. You have the magical light on Daisy's belt. It's very fun. As I said, this is very narrow. I need a very strict marching order here. You can literally travel five foot by fight. It's one at one, you know, single file.

Graffeth will take the lead. Okay. I'll go behind Graf. Okay. We'll go behind for you. Okay. And Zantheus and then Rowan and Mateo will probably take up the back. Yeah.

What's here? Why would Mateo not be here? Mateo has to be here because there is every episode a poll to see whether or not he'll die. Okay. Is there actually every episode? Every episode. Live Twitch chat.

Live Twitch chat, well, a, not a poll, what is it? I want to know what the percentages have been so far. Oh, it's like 90-10 every time. That he's gonna die? No, Liv. Oh, they have faith in us. That's quite surprising, actually. You have more faith in us than I do.

I want those bones though. We do want those bones. Now if he dies in an episode and bones in the same episode, get bees bones, not does bones, bees bones, does that count as living? Living adjacent. Living adjacent? No, because Mateo is very much dead.

Percy lives. Your Percy is dead. That's true. Especially if you then strip all of his flesh off and make him bones. Or would you want zombie Mateo? Flesh suit, Mateo. You're a wronging. I'm a little bit wrong.

I'm a little bit wrong. So with that, rough. I can't even make a hat. That's bad. Yeah, that was bad. Yeah, that was bad. That was grotesque. Gruff, you lead your team.

You're a study, like, for you, you don't have any fear of your feet slipping on this, like, wet rock, you know, sodden rock and seaweed and things like that. You, you're a seasoned sailor. The others, it is a little bit of a riskier. At this point, I would ask, I'm going to ask for an acrobatics role from everybody. I have good fun. Spider climb is fine.

Still gonna be, because this is not your usual, sort of state. We're not near the sea. I'm just on the wall. You're used to the sea. 23, plus nine, but I believe. 23. A humble 16. 16.

Five for Xanthius. I will roll for. Rowan is fine. Mateo is fine. Damn it. So, I mean, it's a good job. So you don't want his body to be sucked the way by the sea. It doesn't even cleaned.

Easy clean. Yeah, but he'll be very far away. So as you are sort of shimmying along this wall, about 100 feet, shimming your way into this underground cave, basically. There are dripping stalactites from the top. You're shimming along. And Xanthius, for you, it's just that unfortunate luck

of, like, you put your foot down, you hit this really slick, wet patch of seaweed, you slip, and you don't fully go in, but you are, like, soaked to your waist as you, like, fall into the water. People managed to grab you and sort of hoist you back up. My torch? Yeah, the torch would go out.

Oh, and all my other torches are wet now. Come on, Santhius. What do you like? Fabulous. Well... As you are... And it just delays you a little bit, as you're kind of shimmying your way along. You manage to pull them up and make your way to the back of this camera.

It widens enough for you to not have to worry about slipping in. You can see this wooden, host has been sort of, you know, crudely bolted into the stone. And around this sort of very crude, natural cave entrance, it's very narrow. It kind of seems to wind and twist. You can see that the symbols of that shark's moor have been scraped in. And the words, the bountiful net catches all, have been in. inscribed above the entrance itself.

And there are all other sorts of other runes and sort of quite violent symbols of, you know, creatures, anglerfish, sharks, manta rays. All these kinds of like sea creatures have been sort of all very crudely engraved into this back wall. I'm getting to yavu. A lot of carvings. You know, it's like that's...

The vault of all the carvings. Reminding me... Reminding me... Well, no, but it's just... It's just... It's just... It's just... they like their carvings. They all do, really.

I think maybe we just make a note that carvings means bad. Carvings means bad, yes. I think we can probably go with them. Yes. I mean... Druits you as carvings. Carvings sometimes means bad. Carving sometimes means bad.

Ninety percent. of carvings are probably bad. Sometimes the thieves can't, the stuff that I see is very useful actually. It's very good information. 80%, 80% of carvings means bad. Most carvings are actually quite good, I think. You know what, maybe carvings be fine.

These carvings though, they're bad. These are bad, sharked face, that's awful. Yes. Well, only because of the cult. Yes, only the cult. Because of the implications. Yes. Quite well done, actually.

Where are we? I don't know. No, I'm soaked, and this is four, four. I haven't told you this before, I probably have, I hate water. Well, that makes sense. Swimming? I hate baths.

I don't hate bars, I love baths. Bath's great. I'm a big fan of bars. Can we get into this place? Grafts, you begin pushing forward, leaving this conversation happening just behind you. So you two still nattering away. It's just the kids are bickering again.

I'm going ahead. You step in and you, things become very tight, gruff as you're trying to shimmy through this. natural seam in the rock. It's not too far. You sort of make your way through, and then something, you know, in the dark,

you've got light kind of spilling from behind you, your torch kind of held up before you. You begin to see that hanging from above, old nets have been again hung up, but from them, very much like the shrine when you went down, there are skeletal remains. But these aren't chickens and fish. you are seeing humanoid skulls,

you are seeing pieces of pelvis of, you know, arm, nothing intact, not like full hands because obviously there's nothing to keep them there, but they have been strung up. Mixed in with shark's teeth, you can see talismans of Ojania have been sort of wrapped around these crude runic symbols of prayer,

sheets, you know, the prayers speaking of the Great Moor that gives life, feed us, feed us, you know, like we are your children, these kinds of prayers have all been attached as you begin making your way and shuffling past. I would like Gruff to make a perception role for me, please. Six plus eight. So 14. terrible you are you are brushing past and this kind of natural seam has lots of crevices and gaps and things like that as you're making your way along kind of shuffling through it's very awkward to move through

and you feel like rocks and things like sticking into your back as you're trying to press through as you pass over one section you unfortunately don't see it until it's too late these giant purple spines like of some deep sea creature have been wedged into these gaps and as you kind of round a corner, your arm just brushes and it scrapes. And it's not a deep cut,

but a very quick burning begins to spread through. Uh-oh. You're going to take 11 points of poison damage. I am resistant. Then you would take five points of poison damage. Yes. Why am I resistant from it? I believe that is the ampule.

of St. Tala. Oh. And also, I had five-tenth HP from having a lovely sleep. So, in fact, I'd say that with that, you managed to shake off most of that burning, and you get this kind of faint warmth from that ampule around your neck.

And you... I imagine, like, I guess, like, if this isn't gruff, tell me, but, like, you would quickly, like, kind of, like, spit and, like, try and click on those. Like, trying to get, like, whatever's in your sister, maybe, like, suck that, and then kind of... spit it out, and yeah, you can tell that they're these spines,

and there's more of them. You brush up only against a handful of them. They're wedged into this crevice of some awful creature, and they're still highly toxic when you brush past them. Right, everybody old, old. What's that, why? What's this happened? And I'll bring my torch to show the spines.

Yeah. Watch out for these little bastards. I just got a nasty nick from one of them, and there's poison in them. Poison, you're not poisoned. No, I'm fine. And I'll continue sucking the wound out and spitting it. Okay.

Stay away from the walls. Stay away from the walls. So if you're just going to try and move past them, is a gruff is now past them, but it is a dexterity saving throat. Could I use, like, my staff to try and knock them out? Yeah, if you want to try and do that. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and doing that, like, yeah, you just snap them, right?

The points of them, you just do-ch-ch-ch-d-d-dr and snap them, they come off, and then they litter the ground. And then that renders the trap, you know, useless, basically. I'll keep looking, like, maybe when I move forward, use a torch to kind of... Yeah, yeah. Now that you're aware of it, you move a bit slower,

you have to take more time because you're now actively searching. Later on, there is another kind of bend, and the same thing, you know, wedged on the inside of the bend, so you just, you won't see them unless you know they're there, and you manage to stop and snap them all off, break them again, it's not a problem.

With that, that seems to be the last bend before the tunnel starts widening out. and you get this smell, brine mixed with iron. It's kind of sulfuric, but there's this strong kind of briny, deep ocean smell that you would know quite well. And there's a cold in the air as well

as you approach, and it winds out completely pitch black. It's just the light of your torch flickering at this point and the lights behind you from Daisy and the others. But it does begin to spill out into a wider, cavern as you emerge into it. Inside you find a sort of crude simile of a church. There are benches here made out of driftwood and adorned with great spines of swordfish and things like that that have almost been used to create like backings mixed with

like net ropes and things like that. There are paintings on the wall, paintings made not of paint, but of crimson dried blood depicting waves and oceans and things living beneath and some great shark-like figure rising from the ocean and blessing the lands with bounty of fish and riches and people celebrating it. Very crudely done, but clear enough to understand what's going on.

At the far end of this sort of church-like cave, you can see that there are spaces for stories, sconses for torches to be placed. And there is a giant, what would have once been like a great white shark's mouth, but it's just skeletal sort of jaw now has been mounted with its teeth pointing down. And in the middle is a painted symbol of that same holy symbol that you've seen of the shark's mouth. There is a crude stone altar, really just a column of rock that's been chiseled and shaped and flattened with a small divot inside it,

which again is crusted with a reddish brown. And behind which you think, and you haven't seen it yet because you've not fully moved in, but your light, there is something glittering behind that altar set into the floor. And that's what you see. Sister Ophelia, yes. Can you see, you can see into the dark, can't you?

Hmm. Can you tell me what you see? I just, I'm wary that there might be more traps or something. It looks like a place of worship. Crude, but all the signs are there. There's an altar. I can see just up ahead. I think it's an altar.

It's just a little. Can you give me a perception check, please? Perception check. Maths for 11. 11. You see what I described. Again, you can see there is something glassy, sort of on the floor behind the altar.

And it almost looks like the room again widens it, sort of goes straight like a church, and then behind the altar it becomes more circular and round. But it looks like there is something almost glassy. Hard to tell it because your dark vision is that kind of just black, gray, and red. There's no color, so it's quite hard to see. But you think you can kind of see light reflecting. There's something shimmery back there behind the altar.

It's weird. As this party's foremost expert on blood? Can you confirm that this is blood surroundings? Oh, yes, 100%. Yes, that is blood, yes. That's great. That's dried blood. Yes, that's blood.

In the altar there? Yes, they don't even clean. the blood out after they use it. That's just disgraceful. That's the worst part of it, honestly. It's just not pure then, is it? You're just tasting old blood. It's just not as good.

Any sign of maybe Jameson at all, or if they might have been here? You can make... With that perception check, you don't see anything. Oh, I see no movement, but I might go check that glassy thing. Yeah, maybe you check out for traps. Daisy, is it worth just taking a look?

You're good with traps and things. I can try and look. I would need to know where you are looking and what you are doing specifically. I can maybe look from the magical traps, but knowing those spines, they might be a fan of spikes and pitfalls, things like that, and nets.

Could you look at the altar, and perhaps I don't like the shark jaws? In my experience, sharks tend to bite. How old are these shark jaws looking? Pretty old. I mean, they're bones. It's hard to tell. You know, it's definitely been preserved with some sort of chemical or wax or something like that,

you know, to kind of protect them from the elements and things like that. But hard to tell, not without fully examining it. How far away from the altar are we at the moment? You're at the back of this room. So imagine you're at sort of, if this were a church, you're at the back where sort of you would enter from. You have like rows of pews, an altar, and then, like I said, this more circular chamber beyond that. But there doesn't appear to be any other entrances or exits from this room.

Can I send a mage hand just over towards the altar, but just to, like, move through, like, the pews, just to try and, like, scope out if it touches anything, like, physical or if it disturbs any traps or anything. Yeah, like... Yeah, yeah, you send your little mage hand out, like, kind of flying between the things, like trying to grab at anything that might be there and touch the floor.

It doesn't weigh very much, so if it was anything pressure-based, mage hand isn't going to set it off. because it doesn't have enough force to, like, press down as well. It doesn't encounter any trip wires. It doesn't encounter any sort of, you know, invisible sensors or anything like that. And it reaches the altar undisturbed. Okay.

I mean, I'm going to risk a look. Goal, let me go with you. I'll detect magic. All right. Yeah, that's actually a good idea if we do that. Detect magic, I'll come with you. Okay. Gold's eye, flexed down.

One of the lenses. Yeah, you see the sort of in the flickering torchlight that you have Xanthias, like you can see the gold sight eye activates. And the two of you step into the chamber itself. Okay, where are you going and what are you doing? I'm going to go towards that glassy thing behind the altar. So just move straight down to the water. Yeah.

Following the same path as the hand, right? Yes, just make sure we don't touch anything weird. Can I step in and look at, I want to look at the floor the path towards the holder. You wanna do that before these two go down it? Yeah, I kinda just wanna see if there's any like pressure plate type things. So there'd be an investigation check

for the floor specifically. I have a plus zero, so I'm not the best person for this. Just as if we're future records. I'm minus one on investigation. I've got a plus zero. Seven. I'm okay at perception, but investigation I have. Yeah.

So generally, like, perception is good if you're, like, looking for things. If you're searching for something, it's normally more investigation because you're searching to see if there's, like, any pressure plates. You, like, press down, you, like, try and, like, try and, like, examine for, like, air, you know, passages of air and things like that. I'm only useful when it comes to maybe helping to disarm things. Not to look at things. I don't think anyone of that's a good investigation.

minus one. Yeah, plus zero. Yeah, none of your passive perceptions has, like, revealed anything as well. I mean, considering with those quills, right, they were positioned in a way that you had no way of seeing them until you were basically on top of them.

So perception can only get you so far. I mean, if worse comes to worse, I could walk on the ceiling, I suppose. How tall is the ceiling, actually? Not very tall in here. Like, I'd say Rowan, It's like cresting, like, Rowan's head. Like, it is not built for anybody more than...

I'd say, like, ten feet tall at the most, like, maybe nine feet. It's rudy to me. Yeah, that's pretty roomy. It's roomy to you, short arces, yeah. We all know that D&D is measured in Kim's. My five-foot, Kim squares. It's two Kim's tall. Two Kim's tall.

Two Kim's, just about, maybe a little bit under. Five-three, it's not quite, so... Yeah. Yeah, two Katie's wouldn't fit. Two Kim's, though. Two Kim's, maybe. Yes, maybe, maybe. The top kin would have to sort of cratch down a bit.

Yeah. But yeah, so what's the plan? Is Xanthius and Frieda going forward? Well, I'm wasting time on this thing, so I need to go forward. But I don't see any traps just yet, or anything, of that matter. Really magical. What's the worst it could happen? Well, probably nothing.

Probably nothing. And worst case, we've got luck shells. No. I'll walk on the ceiling then. I'm going to walk on the ceiling. Sure. Yeah, okay. I'll walk along the floor.

Do you? Want me to carry you across the ceiling? I can fly if needed, but I'll just walk. Can't see any traps. The mage hand didn't do anything. I've got to take magic. It's a clear route.

Yeah, let's just, yeah, we're overthinking it. Overthinking it. We do this a lot. Exactly. Let's just go. Let's just go. If I was to throw a light dagger just down, like summon a dagger

and throw it towards, like, the back wall. We've activated the trap. then light up the intangina's colder. It would light up the altar area, right? Vagely, because they're radiant daggers. They're not necessarily like daggers, like, blooming with light. It's the argument of, like... It's not juice.

It would give off a little light, but not enough to, like, illuminate. It's not like a flare, you know, going off or a glow stick or anything like that. But it would give enough of a light, but, like, a light spell cast on something and then thrown would do a much better job. Like, that's kind of the point of light spell. Like, you could put light on a coin on a rock and throw the rock? I'd say that there's like a tiny pebble you find like on the floor, like loose or like a bit of wall that you can break off.

I'll do that. You can cast light on it and chuck that. Yeah, and like the light, and you throw it towards the back, you say. Towards where that, like, close to the glassy thing is? Sure. Those of you have got a passive perception of 15 or higher, you will hear as Daisy throws that.

You see the light. and you hear the faintest, bloop, and then the light seems to sink into the floor and becomes all distorted and warped, almost like it's rippling. And then it settles, and the light is dulled, but that part of the room is now lit up. Bigel.

I mean, me and Aphelia don't have that perception level, so we're already walking into the room. So you guys move forward. Ophelia are up on the ceiling, sort of walking upside down, Zanthia's moving straight down. You guys walk straight down and... No traps yet.

Nothing happens. Nothing up there. You reach the altar. Clearly, yeah, like I said, a kind of divot with a brown stained blood on the inside. The area that is beyond it is a kind of large circular space. There are a couple of wooden stools, effectively, that have been placed around it. But it encircles a large still. pool of water that is just it's clearly being fed from somewhere from the sea from somewhere but it is

perfectly still or it was until it was disturbed by the rock which is now glowing from within within this kind of shallow pool you do see little bits of flora kind of undersea plants a little urchin sea urchins and um you know little rocks maybe even a tiny crab kind of skittering away from this now glowing light trying to hide in the very pretty colorful corals that have been arrayed. I mean, it looks very cultivated, like one might keep a little garden or something like that. As the last of the ripples, though, reach the edges of that little stone, you see that the water, the ripple reaches the edges, and then from the middle of that pool, it begins to bubble. Oh, something's happening over here.

I don't like it, I don't like it. The gold sign eye immediately registers that there is magic occurring in this pool. Like it is, and it wasn't magical before. When you first reached there, there was no magic. Right, right, right. Magic is happening now, as if somebody is casting a spell through this pool and you watch as the giant shark's jaws on the wall begin to glow with the same magic,

with, sorry, with transmutation magic. Right, okay. And they fly off of the wall, and they are going to attack you guys. Oh! Check out that shark. I don't like that. Sharks tend to bite.

It's going to make an attack against each of you. So that is going to be 26 to hit Xanthias. Oh, God. And a 17 to hit. Ophelia? Do I have my armour on? Do I'm still wearing my armour from him? I think you are.

I don't think you took it off. No, so yeah, it doesn't hit. Doesn't hit, perfect. So Xantheis, you are going to take 9 plus 20 points of damage. Oh, my God. As these shark jaws bite down on you. And they're large and clearly reinforced. Yeah, I guess roll initiative.

Okay. All right. Fighting a shark. Flying shark feeds. Flying shark face. Hoo ha ha ha. Woohoo! 12.

That's a fantastic initiative. Gruff, 12. Daisy? 11. 11. What I was expecting like a three? I thought it was gonna be worse than I realized I had a plus five. 12, so Groff will go first for me.

Okay, and Ophelia. 22, I have advantage on initiative these days. Oh yeah. Barbarians, man. Rowan. This will be very quick. I don't expect this is gonna take super long, by the way. No, no, we'll take it to the end, to the very end.

Episode 100s. Oh, Rowan rolls a natural 20, 21. Oh, that is so trot. That is so true. Rolling 20, natural 20 on initiative. Yeah. Mateo's still here. Yeah, Mateo's still here.

Yeah, Mateo's six. He came with. What's happening? I'm at the back, I can't see. Is something happening? Big shock, yes! It's flying! It's flying! It's taken my arm off. My arm!

Tis but a scratch. And then for the shark, and we'll roll that, which will be. All right, Ophelia, yeah, you're the first to react. These jaws have come to life and have attacked Xanthius. Oh, we're going to attack on my back. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

It's like a large creature, so they're in north, like, they're pretty big, you know. Okay. Compared to you, like, it would probably, like, you know, half your, upper body and so is it like bitten and grappled or just like a great white sharks uh no it beat you and it's kind of now hovering in the oh okay just a chump just the just the teeth just the teeth just the just that's all that was there it was just like the teeth so that we're clear it's only teeths yeah

jaw and teeths like one of those toys you can get it kind of looks a bit of like a silly you know you know big shark yeah yeah I'm gonna bonus action rage and get on this lad okay get the old rapier out let's go first attack is a unnatural 20 to hit, these jowls. Oh yeah. Oh yes. First one is seven, eight, nine damage, and this is with vex as well.

Nine damage. So then I'm going to strike again with advantage because of my vex. Also, and I hate to do this, Tom, but I'm going to reckon it. You can keep going. I should have rolled more damage than I did. Oh, yeah. I rolled it for a smaller creature

just re-roll the entire thing and I'll put myself back to full. That is going to be less. Probably won't be though. That will be, watch this. 16. It was less. It was less.

But it is technically has the potential to be a lot higher so I can hold it again. Right, okay. So yeah, the first rapier strike kind of chips the bones and things like that. But, yeah. There's no reaction from the jaws.

I've got a natural 20 on the second. Oh, that's all right, okay. Huh? But that's weird, oh. Yeah. Well, you had advantage, right? Because of Vex, yeah. Yeah.

Perfect. I was going to say it's... Max damage. So 1D8. So 8 plus... Plus 5. Plus my rage damage is plus 2. So plus 7, 15 total.

15. And then another D8. And I also have a feat where I can re-roll my damage dice. Savage Attacker. Do you want to... Oh yeah, because in case you get low on this. you get low on this one. Because you got max on that first one.

Yeah. So in case I get low on this one. That is a... So it's a... So it's a... So it's a... 21. No, because you don't add the modifier again.

We've already added the modifier. So it's 21 currently. I think that's it. Yep. Yeah. 21 points. So 30 damage from two attacks though. Damn. Yeah.

You watch as Ophelia Verasty strikes in. The first strike really just doing little more than a chip to this thing. The second strike, however, cracks the jaws and you see a huge split beginning to form all over the jaws. Several of the teeth fall out. This thing looks like it is very bad, very badly broken and is being held together by difficulty. Very nice. Cool, I'm just going to stay in its range, just...

Yeah, you and Ophelia are right there. Rowan will be like, oh! Oh! Okay. and he will charge up to help his friends with his new weapons, stone raiser. Great sword, yes. Pulls out the giant great sword, which a few people might be like, but Mark, they're not proficient with great swords.

Well, Rowan is proficient with this one somehow. Magic. Magic. Rowan, careful with that thing. That is a 16 plus six, so that is 22 is a hit. Oh, I technically, if I was being smart there, I would have had him cast true strike because it means he does more damage. But I didn't, so it's just normal hit.

I mean, this is already damaged. This is 3D6 plus two because it does an extra D6 damage. That is gonna be 11, 14, 16 points of damage. Oh, dude. Rowan brings the great stool down on the point that Ophelia had struck where that crack has formed

and splinters the jaws entirely. They are destroyed immediately. Awesome. Whoa, that was close, Rowan. That was very close, thank you. Oh, it's just... Bone splinters. Bone splinters.

The teeth go shatter, scattered everywhere. Materia's like, what's happened? Is it really... It came from this thing. It wasn't magical before, but then it was. It stunted. The fur. The foam on the pool is beginning to calm.

And the school of magic changes on the pool. It was transmutation, and the gold sign is now telling you it's now divination. Divination, which of course means... I need all of you to make a... Let me check. Oh, what kind of save it is. Yeah, divination's a bad one for that. Wisdom saving throw...

From everyone. Everyone, please. Wisdom save, you mean me? Zanzan. The wisdom, man. Technically, it would only be one creature, but because of the nature of this, I'm actually going to have it against all of you.

What will? 21. 17. 17? 7. Fail? 7. Fail?

7. Rowan, once again, I'm rolling like a god. Rowan succeeds. 19, natural 19. Mateo. Oh, Mateo. Mateo. He has a thing where he gets to add plus two to all he says.

13. failure um yeah the those of you who succeeded which is rowan uh daisy and gruff you immediately know that something is watching you from that pool you are being scryed on uh the rest of you don't get that sensation you have no idea that this is happening even knowing this is divination you can make the guess if xantheus would be like i have a suspicion that we're being scryed on but you don't know it. That's true, yeah. But you would, I would say that, like, yeah,

like the three of you who do pass that save light, you immediately get this sense that you are being watched, that something is looking out from that pool at you. And also, you would get the sense that it is trying to make a connection with your minds. Zanthius, Ophelia, and Mateo. Alpha Squad. Yeah, Alpha Squad. What is currently on your mind?

What is currently on my mind? PG rated. Shark, we're a family. I was about to say bones. Because we were just being attacked by. So is it like a kind of? of like panic, like a bit of a, oh, like we just got attacked,

I'm a bit panicked kind of thing. Yeah, it's a heightened. I think heightened sort of awareness, as much as my shit-ass perception can be heightened, but looking out for danger, looking out for magic, and also, if I see it,

it's a school of divination, I would probably, first thought being, it's mostly God's stuff, right? The divination contacting extra planar thing. I'm thinking of a vagina. Okay, sure, yeah.

What is Ophelia thinking about? Probably thinking about the cult, like what other things might come alive to attack us looking around the church being like, you know, are there any other skeletons or any of the remains lying around like the ones that we saw on the entrance are they going to come and attack us?

Sure. Like, that kind of thing. You do hear, you wouldn't know this, but Mateo is trying to think up lyrics to his new songs. He's just going on in his head. He's like, Battle of Netting on Sea. I need a good tune for it.

He's like trying to think of his next story. Yeah, something like that. Gonna be going to be golden. The three of you, though, Xantheus Ophelia and Mateo, you begin to hear a song. I begin to hear this kind of, this kind of siren song in your mind. and your thoughts are there,

but you don't notice, but the rest of you notice, their bodies, they all start moving towards that pool and start, like, crouching down and reaching for it. Just not even aware that you're doing it, like your eyes slowly being drawn to it, sort of crouching down, probably maybe thinking for Xanthias, like, oh, I'm going to investigate it. So it is all part of, like, a natural motion kind of thing.

It's not that we've gone full-classy-eyed kind of thing. In your head, you're like, no, no, I'm going to investigate. It seems like the right thing to do, but you're, this is not part of your thought process. Mateo is just like, is there something in there? And he's like kind of, he's like peering down and his face is getting closed and close. I mean, it's always worth of a look, Matteo. There might be more skeletons, careful. I'll get to look first.

Stay back. Are we still? No, let me. I would like to cast his spell magic on the pool. Okay. Could you please roll at fourth? Yeah. Okay.

Can you please roll a D20 and add your wisdom modifying. Okay, modifier. It's higher than... So it's plus four. Not the plus nine, that's right. No, that's your saving. This is just a D20 plus your wisdom modifier. 10 plus four.

So 14. The spell that is currently in effect and the user casting it is more powerful than your dispelled magic. What are you doing here? Those of you who failed, succeeded the saving throw here this voice. emanating from this pool.

Those of you who failed it, you draw closer and closer, and you begin to see things in the water. What is something that... Let's start with Ophelia. What could be in this pool that Ophelia wants more than anything? Really nice skeleton.

Just a body for Percival. A body for Percival, yeah. Yeah, so at the bottom, it's quite deep. Like, you're really going to have to go in there. But the bottom of this pool are these beautiful golden bones. Perfect bones. Inscribed, they're wearing jewelry,

the kind of jewelry that you delight in. And is that, that's a symbol of the grave father around the net. This is perfect. And you begin to see that at the bottom of this pool. For Mateo, he, you actually, I actually see his face kind of go a bit ashen. He's like, no, no, you can't be here, no. Darling, darling, and he's reaching out towards it.

What does Xanthia see? That's an easy answer. But I think seeing the visage of Ajanya when I touched the conch I think I would almost, that's what I would see, but not because I want to see Ojania, because I'm thinking of the cult stuff.

I almost want to be the one to find them in order to be, like, successful in the mission, I suppose. Like, there's a desire to... But let's... But here's my quote. What does Xanthius really want deep inside? Oh, come on, dude, you know.

Because this is... Filthy. This is more... It's tying into a more primal greed and avarice, right? like. Obsidious in the farmer. Yeah, he's nude. So come on in, Zanthias, come on it.

Now if I said it was like the drowned corpse of a person? Would that be too far? I think, like, what's the thing that Zanthias wants? And I'll describe what you see. What's the thing he wants most of all right now? He's not a big fan of his pub.

So I think what you see, it's not you see a body or anything like that, what you see is a weapon. And you see, it looks like a knife and it's engraved with these runes and the gold sign, they're ruins of dragon slaying. And it's this, and it looks like it's so powerful. You know that that dagger, that knife, that could do it, that could kill him. And that's what you see at the bottom. What are the rest of you guys do? Can I cast on your spell? You can certainly try.

What are you doing? Weak little maid. You cannot fight me. To cast, destroy water. Okay. And I want to destroy the water that's in that pool. Okay. Read the spell out for me. Um... You destroy...

So if it's at level one, but I'm going to cast... to, again, at level four. So at level one, you can destroy 10 gallons of water in an open container within range. So it's like, it's a pool. I don't know if that counts as a container. Enough.

And then for a higher spell slot from one, it's 10 additional gallons of water and the size of the cube is increased by 5 foot for every spell slot. I'm absolutely, this is absolutely going to work. There is a complication, which I'll spend a thing for as well. This is going to work.

However, you know that this pool is being fed from the ocean, it will replenish. But right now, you can totally destroy this. So you cast this spell and you watch as the water just, what is it like, does it evaporate, does it like turn to ice? What does it look like for gruff style of spellcasting? Saturn's not here, so I think it would be like,

I've got an idea so he would actually grab his net, his fishing net that he uses, spin it and throw it into the water and it's almost like all the water just goes into the net and maybe it freezes or it cracks or something like... And then just becomes steam and goes away. So you watch, yeah, and the three of you immediately feel this relief

as like suddenly you're brought out of this like cyrus, and call that was calling to you as the net gathers up all the end, you yank it back, this kind of ball of throws. And you, like, Mateo's probably like, no, what is any sort of like looks as then it just dissipates into steam and is gone? Is it obvious that there was a magic influence? Once this is gone, ah, right, okay.

Once this is gone, you know that like, you're like blinking, like what the hell, like I doubt, there's no way I saw that down there. And then I'd be like, Daisy Rowan, block that pool, there's a source of what, block it. Brian puts his fingers in. It's probably not going to be there because probably it's being fed from underwater.

There's probably like a lot of seams and cracks and things like that. Does Rowan have that like creation? He can create something to fill it. He can create an object, yeah. Can he create something to block it? Like a big... It can make a big bowl.

A rock or something, yeah, like... What's it coming out of like a... It's like the seams of the rock itself, yeah. Because this is like a natural thing, right? And it also, there's definitely something supernatural. otherwise it would have just filled this entire cavern, right? There is clearly something divine about this. But you can definitely temporarily block it,

whereas, I don't know, if you can think of a way to, like, parmently block it, sure. Rowan's put his fingers in it for now. He's like, oh, I think, I don't know. Can I, like, are there pews? Can I, like, break up some of the pews and, like, put some of, like, the wood in there, maybe to, like... I mean, yeah, yeah, but you would just be putting sort of wood

into like this craggy, rocky basin, right? Like, it's probably not going to be enough to fully... Like, again, you can sort of stuff it with things. You also notice that, like, all of their... There was, like, crabs and, like, this coral and stuff in the bottom. Shove the crabs in. Shove the crabs in, for sure, yeah. But it's going to take some time.

Like, I mean, you would have destroyed a lot of water, so it's not immediately filling back up and whatever effect you have had is definitely, like, bought you plenty of time. And so we, those of us who weren't affected, we heard, would we have known it to be choral song or? You wouldn't know that, you're not sure if it was a choral song or if it was a Jania, you're not sure.

Okay. That was horrible. What happened? There was something in the water, but that's gone now. I heard some humming, some music, I think. A song. You could call it a song, I suppose, from the corals. Coral song, let's say that.

Right. Yeah, probably Coral Song, now that I put the two together. I think she's very aware of us now. Did she speak to you? She spoke to me. What, no? I heard her. What did they say?

She called me a pathetic little mage. She asked why we were here. Uh, okay, there's, oh, so Coral Song knows we're here. That is kind of good, but also bad. Coral song might be coming here. Hmm. I suppose there might be, there's one way of looking at it. looking at it, it could be good news.

It stops us, speeds are up, up, our thing. I'm so frazzled. What does she say to you three? He didn't, she didn't say anything to me. I saw an amazing skeleton for Percy. Right. In the water. Yes. It was gold.

There was nothing in the water, apart from the crowds. Oh. Mateo, did you hear any voices? You see Mateo's actually, he's gone very quiet, and he stood behind everybody. He was like, yeah, yeah, so I heard a song,

yeah, a bit of a little melodic, pretty, pretty voice actually, yes. Do you see a skeleton too? No, no, nothing like that, no. Do you see a skeleton? No skeletons, no. Um, Rowan's still with his fingers in it. What should I do, Graf? That's gonna take a while, we need to really,

if we're trying to stop this thing from filling, I mean, should we do, I don't know. Was there something, you said there was something golden behind the altar, Was it this? Yeah, it was something glimmering. It was actually, it was the surface of the water that was causing the light to reflect it.

It was glassy. Because also the water itself is the magical sort of... I was going to say, your gold side eye is... It was the water itself... Right. ...seemed to suddenly flare with magic. But there is something about this container, you know, crevice or, you know, natural bowl,

if you want to call it that, that is also magical. And there is, you know, you get a sense that it's much more, it's divine magic. Okay. And right now it's divination, it's still divination, keyed, basically.

Right. And some of the plants, that coral, you couldn't really see it because it was filling the whole thing, but some of the plants, they're not divination magic, but there is something unusual. There's these kind of strands of red,

almost kelp that was like kind of wedged at the bottom and had naturally grown in. and they have a very faint, divine magic about them as well. They have a very faint trace of the same magic that the water in the pool has. Okay. I don't think we completely cleansed any magic from this

just by getting rid of the water, by the way. It might be that the water is obviously the catalyst that makes all of this spell happen, but it's still not completely clear just yet. so just blocking it alone might not be enough. We are well overdue for a break, so we're going to cut to break there. I just wanted to make sure we...

Oh my God. I didn't even know. What a whole stop that was. Oh my God, the brakes. I just slam my head into the table. I shop so hard. I know, I'm so sorry, but we are very overdue for one. So we're going to take a five minute break here, everybody.

We will be back very, very shortly. Nice. Enjoy part two when it comes up. Yes. Which will be next. See you in a bit. See you in a bit. Hi, I'm Dan Marr, host of the conversions podcast, where I invite the talented, inventive and uncompromising minds behind some of your favorite and soon-to-be favorite indie games to talk about what they do best.

On each episode, I invite two members of the indie community, many of whom will be meeting for the very first time to share their journeys, their formative experiences, their successes and failures, their advice for aspiring indie devs, and no doubt lots of unrelated waffle too. I mean, this is a podcast after all. If this sounds like your cup of gin, then subscribe to the convergence podcast from wherever you choose to ethically source your podcasts.