High Rollers DnD - Feyweald Favours (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #82

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

The party prepare for a journey to different planes but Ophelia must first conduct some sacrilegious sermons! Altheya: The Dragon Empire Campaign Setting begins in Q1 2026! Register interest and support the journey to release here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rollandplaypress/high-rollers-altheya-the-dragon-empire Can't wait for Part 2 of each episode? Join our Patreon to get early access EVERY week (+ a few other bonuses)! www.patreon.com/HighRollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ _______________ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Add official High Rollers Minis to your TTRPG collection here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bless your table with the Clever Toad Dice Set: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dispeldice.com/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enhance your bath time experience with the official Altheya themed DiceBombs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geekyclean.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highrollersdnd.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all the latest HR News! Love the podcast? Give us a glittering 5 star review! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-rollers-dnd/id1401508198?see-all=reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound, TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters), Monument Studios and Jolene Khor! Check out Jolene Khor and all her wonderful work on High Rollers on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pickax. That's annoying. What? You're a muffler. You don't hear it? Oh, I don't even notice it. I usually drown it out with the radio. How's this?

Oh, yeah. Way better. Save on insurance by switching to Bel Air Direct and use the money to fix your car. Bel Air Direct, insurance, simplified. Conditions apply. You know what's better than the one big thing? Two big things. Exactly.

The new iPhone 17 Pro on TELUS's five-year rate plan price loss. Yep, it's the most powerful iPhone ever, plus more peace of mind with your bill over five years. This is big. Get the new iPhone 17 Pro at tellus.com slash iPhone 17 Pro on select plans. Conditions and exclusions apply. Oh, hail and well-met adventurers. Hell and well-metters. Tis I, your games master, mark slash morris, slash helicubes.

I've got so many names. I have too many names. Welcome, it's time for another episode of High Rollers D&D. Right, I would like to request you will get your sillies and funnies out right now because I'm about to do quite a genuinely serious announcement. Would you like a Pez? I don't want a Pez, thank you. But it's a Yoshi Peas.

It is a Yoshi Peas. Are we all good? I'll keep a quiet from it. Well, it's coming up to 10 years of High Rollers, would you believe? We've done an awful lot in that time. Three major campaigns, big ones. We've done loads of mini-series and one-shots, some amazing one-shots. Things like having hosting the Castor Balders Gate 3, their first ever D&D.

We helped launch the Cosmere RPG and the Avatar RPG on Kickstarter. You know, we work with some amazing business partners for sponsorships and merch. We've appeared as guests on other TTRP shows, and we've even done our own live show on London's West End. But there's one thing we haven't done, something I really wanted to do during a rowist. But I couldn't make it happen on my own. The scope of the work was just a bit too much, and it became a little bit of a joke. Well, it's not a joke anymore. Coming to Kickstarter in Q1 of 26.

In partnership with our amazing friends at Role and Play Press, I am delighted to announce Althea the Dragon Empire campaign setting. Woo! What is royalty? Oh my God, it's so cool. It is happening! It's happening! Junker!

So the Kickstarter is coming at the start of next year. we are in the process of locking down the interior contents, but what I can tell you is that it will have a comprehensive chapter on all the law and history of Elmera and Althea, which will include all the gods, the planes, magic, all of that stuff. It will have detailed chapters for each of the provinces and Kelskaris, which will have secrets and plot hooks and law and NPCs, maps, all of that good stuff. It will also have a little bit about lands outside of Ilvera

just to inspire some ideas. And there will also be a GM and player toolkit section for subclasses, including Gruff's Order of the Green Shield and Ophelia's Path of the Blood Fury, and a couple more that never made it to the campaign, plus magic items and monsters as well. The Kickstarter, as I said, is launching early next year, But what you can do right now is sign up for notifications when the Kickstarter page will go live.

And the more folk that we get to sign up early, it will actually help Kickstarter boost the project when it does launch. So we want to get as many people signed up for the notifications as possible. You can go to roll and playpress.com forward slash high rollers. That will take you to the Kickstarter page where you can sign up to get informed of when Alphair the Dragon Empire Kickstarter. campaign setting is happening. There'll be cool stretch goals. There's loads of cool stuff. This has been something

I've been cooking in the background for a while. Let it cook. Yeah, big thank you to our good friends role and play press. Honestly, they have been so good with all of this. And this is a work in progress, but it's going to get there. Loads of gorgeous art's going to be in the final book.

It's going to be an amazing project. So you come and check that out and go sign up for the notifications for when the Kickstarter launches. God, I really thought I'd be all right getting through that. Hey, you did fine, you did fine. We all knew. I thought I was going to be all right.

It's happening! It's happening! It's happening! Hello and welcome back to Althea the Dragon Empire. Previously, the heroes of Ashenrest spent a little bit of downtime following their adventures and misadventures in the Suncrest Isles. Training, tavern running, research and religion were all on the cards, but a letter delivered to Xanthius Oregon, penned by his draconic father, Lord Oragonus,

brought them together in solidarity and heartfelt conversational. were had. They decided to inform Lord Obsidious of this turn of events their unlikely ally in the Crown Steel conspiracy they find themselves embroiled in. Lord Obsidius agreed to help keep an eye out and do what he could. But alongside this, a large Black Raven sought out Daisy Thistleheart and speaking on behalf of Blackwing, the Elven Mage they had befriended months before, asked to make good on a favor that Daisy owed them. Meeting with the alien and strange elf in their tower, Ravenstar Spire, the party have been tasked with travelling into the Plainar Realm of the Faye-Wield to recover some personal effects of Black Wings that were left behind

when the elves were forced to abandon their planar home in the face of a bloody and vicious coup by the unseely Faye, Hags and Formians. Blackwing offered the party to take whatever else they could find in their estate but asked for three humble items to be recovered. And that is where we pick up our story today. As you make your way back, having visited Blackwing, the sun beginning to set over Ashen Rest. And that is where we find ourselves today.

And of course, is the beginning of a new session, which does mean if it's time to roll for the crucible of fate. Okie dokey, watch this drive. Oh my God! Judging by Katie's reaction, I'm not. I believe that is a dice. It's a five! For you. Thank you.

Two. A dice for me. One. A dice for me. My special day. Five. Oh, a dice for you. I don't think I've failed recently.

Too good. A deuce. Oh, nice for me. I've repeatedly rolled twos. Can I make this even Stevens? Come on. Would be nice. No.

Two. That's a dice for me. Oh, no. Four and two. Four and two. Can I ask what the three, three, things that we were asked to recover work. I've got folio of artwork. A jewellery box, the shape of an ever-bloom flower.

Yes, the blanket from their sitting room. That is correct. Jewelry box is the one thing I was missing, thank you. In the shape of an everblown. Gotcha. Found in their bedroom, in Blackwing's bedroom. Okay, doke. Oh, the jewelry box.

Yes. Yes. Study bedroom and sitting room. Yes. Very good to know. But yeah, so having complete, having had that conversation, and from the sounds of it, very much agreeing to perform this for Blackwing, you have made your way out. I believe that there was a little bit of chat about gathering up some supplies,

perhaps purchasing some scrolls, but also perhaps there is some business to be done as the sun fades. Bidness? Night falls. We can embark on some bidness. But the first thing was Pass about Trace, which Graf already has prepared. I've got that covered.

So we don't need to worry about pass-minute trace. This is a stealth mission after all. Disguise. That's all that's a lot of up to us, yeah. Disguise self or disguise. Physical disguise, a body. Disguise kit. Yes.

Yeah, well, yeah, I guess the scrolls. So does anyone have a disguise kit? No. Nine, my chair. Nine. I thought I did, but I didn't. Got Percy. No.

Oh. Oh, I do. Oh, I thought so. Someone did. You actually, like, proficient in it? Oh, what's that from? Probably your background as like an entertainer. I don't think I'm proficient in it.

I just have it. I've just got it. You're like me with makeup. I'm a scarab armor. I guess I could just be like, it's not very fake. It doesn't look, well, yeah, it doesn't really look Faye like.

Unless you were some sort of creepy bug person. I could be a creepy bug person. You could be a creepy bug person. Are they in the Faye one? You don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I guess the best way would be to get the spell scrolls,

but how much would five disguised self scrolls cost? Well, as a good, because it's only a first level spell. I believe that Disgrey Self only lasts one hour. Oh, what's a good one? So it's the kind of thing you have to choose when you use it. Can you have a sculpture? No, it's, yeah, shut up.

So the wand of the sculptor, I think, does have some stuff on there. It does, have Alter Self on it. Yes. But I think the other thing is Disgray Self can only be cast on yourself, so you won't be able to cast it on each other. But for those of you who can cast spells,

it'd probably be about 100 gold for a scroll of Disguide Self. It's a first level spell, So it's actually purchasable from the house of the quill, which is here in Ash and Rest. Okay. Do you want to go five honey deep on this? Four honey deep, have you got it in your wand?

So I can... House of the quill and scale, which is to St. Aberdon, which is the little library. I can wild shave, so... Yeah, yeah, you could become an animal, and that would blend in pretty well in the Faye Wield, yeah, absolutely. So I probably don't need one from one. They did say that... Can you still cast spells right when you're wired shape?

No, I can cast a spell, then go into wild shape, and concentrate on it. How long has passed without trace? An hour. I think it's like six hours, isn't it? It's 24 hours? Oh, maybe not. It's the update. It's six days.

I think it's one hour. Yeah, since the... Oh, yeah, it's an hour. Oh, it's one hour, okay. Still, we can use that, but that means we'd have to un-wildhape to cast that and then really wild shape, which isn't the worst, but up to you. They said that higher level things would see through magical disguises. So I'm wondering if we look at getting physical disguises instead.

Because then we don't need to cast it multiple times. You would just be a bit more limited in what you can do with the physical disguise. It'd probably be easiest to disguise most of you as elves. but just to remember from a law perspective the elves were basically chased out so any elves that remain are probably subjugated by the unseely and you don't really know what the unsealie look like

or anything like that. So, hmm, something to consider. But you can think on that as you make your way back to Tyria's Rest as I said, the sun is dipping down and Sister Ophelia, I believe you had some plans. Yes. So Ophelia has been handing out pamphlets, left, right and centre, putting them up,

drawing attention to the upcoming sermon. Quite a crowd is gathering, as you have made quite an impact in the last few weeks with this particular most recent pamphlet, which questions the cost of worthiness, a key factor in the Church of the Sion's kind of religious beliefs here. And you've drawn in quite an eclectic crowd, a lot of disenfranchised sort of lower wage workers and labourers mixed in with middle class merchants who are perhaps more academically questioning of faith and religion.

There is also probably, you know, as you've advertised these sermons, you can see that, you know, down the street, not far from Tyria's rests, groups of faithful, the signs, are sort of, not quite protesting, but are trying to stop people, you know, like, this is heresy, you're risking your soul.

Please, like, don't listen to her. She's been sent here to corrupt your soul and get more soldiers for the Grave Father. You know, she's a vile tempter, you're sort of, there is this beginning to take place around the streets and things as well. Your flyer as well, I'm trying to recall, it had a depiction of Saint Defeb,

but what is it, was it you as the saint? No, it's Saint Defebvre. Oh, okay, I thought, for some reason I remember it being like Ophelia, but with the bow. No, no, she's got, St. David has a skull face. Oh, right, okay. Because I was going to say, if it's like Ophelia as the saint,

that must be more, That would have been a big deal. I think even gruff would have been like, no, no, no, too much. No, no, no. It's got a skull face. Okay, oh, is it is an artistic but truthful rendition. It's not far off Ophelia's outfit.

Well. It's just a floater face. It's a floy road. It's not far off of the middle bit. I can see Ophelia in that skull. I see more Percy. Yeah, I'm seeing more perusing than I feel it. Oh, so not even the higher up is good enough to be the saint.

The saint is just your man-servant, your skeletal servant. You're reading so far as it. I'm just trying to think how much you're insulting these people. I mean, she's insulting them enough. A feeling is enough. Very similar inspirations and vibes. We just, you know, same Pinterest board. Yeah, same Pinterest boards, yeah, exactly.

Religions have commonality. you know, so it's not. But she took those and then went... Here's what you're wrong. Shook them all up. You are not quite at the point where this is causing enough of a commotion way, like guards have been

called or anything. Like the faithful of the Sions and you know, you're talking about like school teachers and like local bakers, like, you know, normal common people who are volunteers, effectively. they are, you know, and perhaps there is maybe one or two minor priests with them, they are just speaking to people that they, you know,

they can see are making their way towards the shrine, perhaps those who are dressed in dark robes and things like that, as people are sort of approaching. Many aren't in dark robes. The curious have come in their own attire, but it is becoming something of a second. What does Ophelia... The curious.

Yeah, the curious. How does Ophelia react upon sort of seeing this? Yeah, I imagine Ophelia's in her room, sort of getting ready, putting her robes on, and I imagine maybe she sees the torchlights of people like gradually lighting up her room. So she looks at her window and there's the crowd slowly amassing and she's like, they're not all here for me, are they?

By the great father, they're all here for me. Friends! Friends! We have a lot of work to do. What now? What happened? If they're an angry mob outside. Ophelia? Is there an angry mob? They're hit for you, I think.

They have torches. There's a lot of them. Do they have pitchforks? Does anyone have pitchforks? Open the windows. Who are you here for? So there's sort of gathered crowd as they are beginning to filter

into the sort of half of the garden where the shrine is. They sort of look up questioning and be like, we're sister Ophelia's shrine for the grave father? And not a sister, she's a very naughty girl. That's good.

Sort of look up, there's even more confused now, sort of looking around questioningly. And you do, you hear mutterings from the outside. Like you can hear like one old preacher just maybe like, you know, a bit down the street. Like, you will condemn yourselves. Do not go into the... that den of wicked darkness.

You, the grave father will turn you into a soldier of him, or you will fight forever. You will never know peace or kindness or worthiness again. There's all this kind of like shouting, and there's probably a chance that it might affect some people or at least sort of turn some people away. Doesn't seem to have too much of an effect, though. Good.

Yeah, I think Ophelia will just like guss yourself up, like straighten her robes. Okay, Percy, I'm going to go out. Yes. I think we need to do a little bit of crowd control, maybe. Shall we go and meet them? We'll go and meet them, yes? As whatever you wish, Sister Ophelia.

Okay. Yeah, she just swing the door of Tyree's rest open and just make her way, just sort of gracefully. Harns tucked at her chest, just gradually walking over to the crowd. Yeah, there's like a murmur of like they, because some of these people have not,

they know you, but they've not been sort of in, incited to come here by you like they've read the pamphlets or they've spoken to Theresa, they've maybe seen you giving them out. And so it's not like a clamouring of a celebrity here. There is a sort of hushed quiet that falls over them

as you approach. More of a reverence more than a sort of oh my goodness or anything like that as you sort of make your way and behind you is this very tall broad-shouldered skeleton draped in these monks' robes but, you know, definitely a little bit more obvious

than they were before, sort of walking behind you with, I think, rough staff, right? And then in every window is all of us, like, peeking over? Or is it just one window? My nose is just pressed against it. So you're sort of looking out the front onto it as they sort of snake their way around and you begin to follow the crowd through it.

Teresa is desperately trying to fit everybody in, but as you arrive, the pews are full of probably the earliest adopters. some of those faces who first came to you many, you know, months ago now, they adorned in their own regalia of an Ilmeran gravefather worshipper, basically. You know, dark robes bearing the symbol of the grave father, kind of dress more like Teresa than yourself, because these people have never lived amongst their great houses. You know, they only know what they've been sort of taught and learned. So somber black robes, symbols of the grave father, but you recognize

a couple, a young merchant's daughter who you remember sort of coming in those early days now just fully bedecked out and sat with a few quiet friends who bow their heads when you sort of enter. But as it gets further back, you get some more of these curious. And then it's just everybody's crowding around the doorway

and sort of trying to lean in and listen in. But you're not going to be able to fit many more people in to this shrine as you currently have it. Percy, I think we might need to expand for the next one. It is getting like a crypt in here, my sister. It is becoming rather close. Well, I'm ready. Not bowes his head.

Theresa looks at you and what's like a right, what do you think this kind of ritual would be as you enter? Is this Teresa announces you or is this, you know, she begins hymns or singing or? Yeah, I think, I imagine like, Teresa would kind of lighten incense. And then as she's doing that, she would start slowly humming that low, droning,

like singing that Osceus is known for. And she leads the congregation, so she'll come in first. And then, yeah, I'll come. I'll follow after her. And then Percy will be at the back with the staff. Sure. My God, this is like being in primary school.

So you see that... Just doing an assembly. Yeah. Reza has probably fashioned, you know, being something of an artificer herself and being an engineer and skilled well, she's made this metal skull-headed sensor on a chain.

And it's made of dark iron, and it has a little bit of minor magic where the eyes are a glow. And it's the sensor, the sweet, like quite sweet, but there's almost a, like a metallic tang to it as well. It just pours out of the skulls like teeth and mouth and just fills the floor,

this very heavy, thick-smoked incense. And soon the very floor, you can't really see your feet or shoes as everything gets filled by this censure. But being a bit magical, it never rises or gets too much. It stays at just the right level, dissipating early enough

so that it can be replenished to create this very mood, atmosphere. And yeah, you, Teresa, this little light gnomish voice begins to sing. And it's a little rough. Teresa has tried to learn the language of Ossian and is in that process. But it's clearly somebody just repeating from memory really rather than understanding the words. And that's quickly picked up by a few people. Many of the guests and visitors don't know the song and don't sing along, but as it gets to the chorus and they begin to learn a very simplistic chant, they sort of begin to follow along, and soon everything, and then as the song comes

to an end, you sort of making your way down the central part of this small shrine, you take your place at the head by the altar, Percival to one side, Teresa to the next, and this quiet as the singing stops, this deathly silence. fills the room. People cough or sort of shuffle on their feet, but the presence, the divine magic infused into this place by your worship, deadens those sounds. Somebody coughs, but it's way quiet and it should be.

It's not as disruptive as it could be. It creates this very heavy, quite oppressive atmosphere. Friends, new faces, thank you for joining me today. Nathelia says that she'll turn to the shrine at the back of the... The shrine, the Grafathers, the effigy that's at the back of the shrine. We give so that we may continue. And then she takes out Lord Veracity, strikes it across her palm. and bloodlets on to the effigy of the Greyfather.

First we must begin. We have thanks to give to our Lord. You see a murmur and some hesitation amongst those nervous faces. Roll an insight check for me. Eight. You continue on, unaware of, you know, almost losing yourself in this moment. What you don't pick up on, Ophelia is, there's quiet murmurs that sort of, do we need to do, I don't want to comment.

You know, there's this kind of nervousness seeing you bloodlet. But you see that the loyal followers who have been around. for a while, they just keep their focus wrapped, you know, wrapped attention on you. Greyfather, my soul is eternally grateful for your strength and protection, guiding my blade through the flesh of those who threatened our purpose. Their souls rendered, their sinew torn from bone. Ojanja's grip has loosened, the path becoming ever clearer for you, my lord. Your gates forever open, your eternal kingdom, our refuge.

Let us raise our voices and thanks, so that all of ash and rest may hear us and rejoice. Flesh for the mortal, blood for the eternal, in your grace. Flesh for the mortal, blood for the eternal, in your grace. That front rows, those first few rows of the regulars, all repeat it, you know, ad homin. The newer faces on certain, more like observers, aren't sure if they should join in. a couple sort of murmur half-finished sentences, perhaps of the last moment, that last few words, but there's definitely a sense of being uncertain at this point.

Now, new faces especially, let me guide you to the subject of today's sermon, worthiness. Definitely creates a bit of a murmur. Who among you can say? they are truly worthy. Who in the eyes of the saints and Sions can say they uphold the faith, who is worthy of living their lives in fear of the end,

afraid of the judgment that awaits them by Saint D'Ethier's arrow. To forget all that they are, all that they ever have been, only to try again and again. To what end? The saints and Sions turned a blind eye when netting on sea succumbed to the huddied words of a Janja's cult. The saints and Sions looked away when one of their most loyal devotees in Ashen Rest

corrupted their faith with demonic influence. The saints and the Sions were silent when Bernel was being incepted by Belaan's influence. Are these people worthy in your eyes? Would you ascend alongside these who say that they are faithful when they feel that arrows sting? Would you put your faith in Saint Dothier's end? Are you willing to pay the price to be deemed worthy?

My friends, the Grave Father's only ask of you is that you celebrate your lives with joy. Basque in his creation of mortality and all of its splendor. Isn't this gift of life precious? Treat it as such, and the Grave Father's gates will be open to your soul, his eternal kingdom, your home. True divinity is found in mortality. that hushed silence you see the eyes of those who are invested some perhaps even still a little on the fence themselves this cements in their hearts like yeah this is the path i wish to follow this is i am in

there is trepidation still lingering amongst the faces it's you don't need an insight roll to pick up on that. And I think that you see one nervous, quite young man, maybe looks like he comes from, you know, some money, but not too much. Um, nervous, but is almost, you can see that he wants to speak or ask a question, but isn't sure if that's permitted or if this is, this is what's right. But you can see that there's this look of, of one, somebody anticipating like they want to come forward and speak, but isn't. sure. Do I pick up on that?

Yeah, I think so, yeah. I think that's pretty easy to pick up. I mean, you're looking out all these faces and you see. He's quite central, you know. Sir, please, you look troubled. Can I help you with anything? It is just, forgive me, sister, and I came because I was curious. I hear what you are saying, but is it not true that

if Gravefather, if we gave our souls to the Grave, and you speak of divinity and immortality. But would we not be soldiers? Would we not be forced to fight against the other planes? I am no soldier, madam. I don't wish, I'm not a violent, I don't wish to be a fighter. I don't wish to live and die and die again and again and again in service of anyone.

Would you want to live a thousand lifetimes over and over again? At least I would not remember them. not remember them. But the idea of only ever knowing war, I do not know if that is something I can withstand. So it's true then. That is what we would become. Osseus has many great purposes for souls. You could join the house of rot, house of bone, shroud, shadow. There are many uses for souls and Osseus. I don't know what they mean, but are you saying that we would not have to be soldiers?

I could, could it be that I could be an artist in the Great Father's service? Could I be a sculptor or a writer, a scholar? You could be the best scholar, the best sculptor, the best writer in the lifetime that you have. Wouldn't that want to make you aim for greatness in your mortal life rather than wish for it eternally? It is more that I just fear what would become of me when the inevitable comes.

Yes, I could live that life now, and I aim to, but if my soul is committed to the Gravefather, what happens then? Then you are welcomed into his house. As a soldier. As a soldier? You see, he nods. Thank you for your honesty, says Rhea. You see that this young man and maybe 20% of the crowd that you've gathered here today, they definitely kind of take a step back and you can get that sense that this has sort of lost them a little bit,

that they were maybe hoping for something else. but the rest you see if you nod and look and turn and it's prompted discussion amongst them neither lost them nor convince them those who are here they nod at you in that yes that is the price I'm willing to pay for what I can gain now

but it's an interesting flow as it goes is there anything else you'd like to say or do I think Ophelia wrap up say thank you everybody for coming and thank you to all the new faces for joining the congregation today

the Gravefather looks upon you with fondness They nod and you hear the mantra repeated back and as people begin to filter out the loyal first few pews come up before the Gravefather and into the altered bowl

where you've spilled your blood they come up and you see them pull small blades things like that and they and offer a few of their drops into the bowl as well and

flesh for the immortal blood for you know they speak to you as they offer their drops and they whisper silent prayers to the Gravefather and they just nod to you Sister Ophelia

and they sort of begin to make their way Thank you for your devotion of course of course sister and they and you get you know some male voices like, sister. And you can see that there's soldiers amongst those loyalists.

You recognize some of the city guard. They're definitely... And they kind of turned to you, and I think maybe one of them is a bit of an older soldier. He'll kind of just say to you, just like, I've had a lifetime of training.

It would be nice to know that there is something more but at least I know I'll be of use to him when the time comes there's a peace in that yes thank you

of course and he goes up and does his bloodletting and then makes his way out but you can definitely see that some of those newer faces yeah it's a it's a very fine balance of testing what they believe and what they've been taught and what they know

but also offering something on the other side. Teresa is sort of thanking them all as they make their way past and will turn to you. And she kind of keeps the discussion going with some of the loyalists and things like that. Is there anything else she'd like to be? Percy, how can I've made that better? It's not for me to say, Sister Ophelia.

I have no knowledge of such things. I do not know if your friends could offer advice. But it's not for me to say, Sister Ophelia. There must be more. There must be more. Am I missing something? I mean, you are perfect. You are perfection. You are, you are the greatest. Of course. Oleg. It's fine. It's fine. Everything's fine. Right? As long as I am with you, mistress. Yes. Of course. Good. Good. Do you need something? Can I fetch you wine? Can I, can I, can I, do you wish a back rub? What would you like?

Wine in a back rub would actually be. Of course. Amazing. Thank you. I will fetch the wine now, Sister Ophelia. Thank you. in his ever dutful way, Percival shuffles off. Yeah, I feel like when the crowd start phasing out, Ophelia's calm demeanor just drops again. That nervous. That nervous, just energy picks up again.

Yeah, perfect. What about the rest of you? Are people listening in on this, or are you all hiding out in the tavern? Like, we're not getting involved. There's a crowd in our garden right now. It's hard not to listen in, right? Yeah.

Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking. Because I know that some people do not like about Aphelia's Gravefather stuff, so that's why I'm curious. I'm probably in the inn with Stuart. Just trying to avoid. But every now and then, she'll drift past the window just holding Stuart, and you'll just see a tiny, like, sausage dog and Daisy just like,

she's still going, yeah. I feel like it will eventually be a situation of like, Ophelia's coming back, look natural. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You probably get the heads up when, like, the back door opens, and Percival is just like, I need a bottle of wine for Sister Ophelia. And then just, that's not an ask, by the way. He's just stating what he's doing.

So he goes immediately over to, like, all your new wine bottles and fetches a goblet and, you know, fetch, and then returns. And you know that, okay, that means she's kind of coming in a minute. What about Gruff? Gruff would have attended, because he attended the first one. So he would have attended. What does Gruff think? He doesn't like it.

No. What do you, we would, you, I think Gruff, because you'd probably be close to the back, right? Yeah. So you would see that that young man and, you know, that group of people, as they leave they're just like it's, you know, they're basically saying it's what the Sion's taught us and they're sort of muttering to themselves

like, no, we can't be part of this. I think, yeah, Gruff would be like there are some fundamental flaws in this theology. Like he doesn't want to be disrespectful and it may work in like, you know, nauseous and stuff like that, but he doesn't,

he fundamentally doesn't think it works here. I love it. And also the idea of going to war when you're dead is exhausting. Honestly fair. It's hard not to. There has to be a pretty compelling reason, right? It's a pretty big cost.

And either you get away with not telling people the full cost or you have to make it, that you have to make them believe that what they're doing is the right thing or that it's worth it, right? It's very front-loaded, the great-fog. It's like, it's all the good shit's here. I did like the...

Just be a good sculptor now. Yeah, which is true. And it's, but unless you can be one of the rare few who get to be the more powerful of dead. I can't promise people. You can't promise people that, right? Plus that's what Ophelia wants to do. Exactly, and exactly.

She doesn't want them to become rivals. Yeah, exactly. And hence is what we learn much of the culture of Osseus, is there's a lot of that. You have to tempt people that. You could be a vampire. Oh, but no, no, no. It's kind of ears.

Not that's Mark's commentary on a lot of religion. I think Rowan was pressed up against anyone else that was sharing the window. So, like, Rowan's up here, Daisy's here. You're doing the Scooby-Doo. Stewart's, yeah, yeah. So it's like, it's in the middle. It's Daisy.

Yeah, just like, sclero. And then Stewart says a bomb. It is the full Scooby-Doo of like, bo-oo-oo-looop. A little bohemian. She's going. She's coming back. I think at a certain point, when Rowan's listening in, very early on...

You read the script. Well, you read my script, though. The camera didn't see it because we were fully on Rhee and Mark for that, but throughout it, Trot was like... What the fuck? As you kept going, he just kept going... That was such a good speech, by the way. Did you wing that bit?

What a bit? Okay, now there's a point of the sign you and pierce the flesh. Tear the sine from those that would go against. Yeah, on that, like the great father. I made the note. All the rip and tear stuff. But it happened IRL though. We did do that.

We did tear flesh from sinew and kick a head around on the ocean floor for a bit. You did that. I started it. I mean, he's a special case. Look at him. That alone made Rowan step back and not want to take part in this handball

and he goes to a quiet corner of the bar and just gets a drink and just stays away from it. There's one thing I do need to roll I need to see what Mateo thought of it. Does he attend, I suppose? Okay.

You would see Because I think you've still got tavern patrons in, right? They've actually probably got tavern patrons in at this point. So Mateo's kind of like at the bar. They're like, can we get another week? No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, Mattio's like, come here. I'll do it.

And he's serving them. But every now and then when it's quiet, he'll like drift over and he like listens in at points. I think you would need to make insight checks to see what. Like if those of you who are present in the bar would need to make an insight check, I think I'll skip that scan because I want. to keep an eye out on the rivalry, I suppose,

that's happening outside as well. Oh, the protesters. Yeah, I want to see, effectively. Is, like, I want to almost get a read on that of is there like some murmuring going on of like potentially turning this into violence or something like that? Sure, you don't make a role for that.

I'll give you that for. Oh, okay. Oh, seven. I'm too preoccupied, probably. 22. 22. Yeah. You see Mateo listening in

cuts his hand and he sort of he kind of makes a sort of wintzing face in that early part where it's about violence and it's very aggressive and then again sort of he drifts back over and listens into the young man asking the question and he sort of like and he nods his head along with that young man and sort of like then he turns back and you get the sense of he's just like yeah no it's not for me And you get the sense that he, for him, it's more that like, he, again, like that young man, he's like, I wouldn't want to be a soldier forever either. Yeah. Rowan has a different reason for not liking it.

But, yeah, I guess he can share him. He can feel the vibe. Yeah, you just pick up on his body language and like the slight, you know, emotions in his face and the facial expressions he makes, you get that sense that he's. Rowan leans over the bar and just gets to something from the taps. Sure. And offers it to me. Oh, yeah, oh, thank you, yeah, thank you for rent, yes. Just a nice, good, stiff drink.

Sort of distraction. She's very busy, isn't she? Quite popular. It might be nice if some of the patrons come swing back, and it might be good for us, I guess. We could do a little offer. Children of the Great, you know, worship as a great father, 20% off.

I'd like to not do that. All right, that's fine. It'd be good money, but no, that's fine. No, no, yes, yes, I'm sure that maybe some of them are doing by. And he just goes back to doing his job, basically. Very, very briefly. In terms of outside. Does she is, do they have pitchforks yet?

Are they okay? It doesn't look like it's turning violent now, but, I mean, it's, the thing is, is you have this sudden realization of, like, the more Ophelia's influence grows, and the more common that worshipping the grave father becomes, The Church of the Sons is going to push back on it. Now, how aggressively Ophelia contests the Sions

and brings into it things like the concept of worthiness, that will determine their attitude. Kind of think of the Sions. It's like an MPC, right? MPCs can be hostile, they can be, they can dislike you, they can be friendly, they can be helpful. Right now, it is very much the... The Church of the Signs actively dislikes Ophelia

and the Church of the Grapefather, but they are not hostile yet. But it will determine on how she goes about things. And also what her worship, what her congregation now does. Because Ophelia can only control this congregation so much. Sounds like they're gonna live their best lives. Now, yeah, they're gonna live their best lives. and also it was very clear that violence is something

the Grave father endorses, that they should live their lives kind of to however they like and do whatever they want. In death they can become soldiers. Doesn't matter how you get there. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. They also were specifically instructed that much that the Sions and their priests are easily

corrupted and serve the embered. Now that can be interpreted in many different ways. And there's going to be some good from that. There's going to be people who are just going to try to be the best sculptors right now. Yeah. There are some. Yeah. It's whether or not they can afford that lifestyle.

Yeah. I'm worried about the 20% that left. Can Ophelia afford my life? They didn't seem fine. They seemed just like, gain. the things she needs. Oh, yeah, oh yeah. Affiliya has no concept of material possessions or there were.

But then does that mean that your followers are then going to be like, if I want something, I could just get it. I could just take it. It's my violence. Just rely on the kindness of others. I should live my best life. I'll try that drug. I'll do, I'll gamble, I'll drink, I'll do whatever.

What was it, Aphelia said to Gruff, and her apology, I take and I take from you? Oh, no. So anyway. sister Ophelia returns. From the shrine. Drafting your next pamphlet. How many people can I offend with one headline?

Let me say something. I will support a character's wrongs as much of us I support characters' rights. Oh no, it's great. It's so good. It's just hilarious. When you have a... Yeah, it was great.

Now I've stuck up to be this bit. It was great. It was great. It was true. We'll live with it now. But it's also very, very in keeping with Ophelia. No, I love the... And I'll tell you.

Who is going to love it? The Great Father. He's going to love it. You got a ball of blood there. Yum, yum, yum, delicious soldiers primed for violence. Goody Goody, Goody. House of Rot will love some of them.

Dostophilia partaketh in the ball of blood? That's a sacrificial blood. That's a sacrificial blood. That's off limits. That's for the great father. Was there a moment there when everyone was drawing blood in front of you? Could on a Whiff save.

Whiz save would have been fun. Whistee. Can you imagine if the whole Fred was there? I didn't want to, I don't want to enable this. Rietta's choice. It's like, this campaign's turned into midnight mass. I was gonna do that. Yes.

I thought that's kind of spoiler. I haven't seen that show. It's so good! It's so good. I'm gonna stay wide up. This is gonna determine how bloody Ophelia turns up in a tavern, I suppose. I've got to come up with a DC for this. I wish that...

You didn't even ask for the fraud. I didn't ask for it. Twelve. Twelve. I think that you are seasoned enough. You are not desperate. You are not ravenous. It is not gushing blood.

I think a 12 is enough that you to resist for now. A thought does come across you though. Yeah. You know, blood and aphelia's feeding and things like that and where you get your blood from as being a kind of consistent thing.

One thing I will tell you is your congregation if you ask it of them, they will let you feed. Oh, God, the last night's... Because they know what you are at this point. Like, you know, it's very clear that you are blessed with undead, even if you are not fully undead,

that you can drink the blood of the living. And I think that kind of, you know, in classic vampire style, like this congregation are your loyal followers. And if you, like, Teresa and all the others, like, what Teresa probably would have said to you, like, if you are ever hungry, sister, Ophelia, please just ask. Oh, thank you. And, you know, there are, now there are more of this number, right?

Last time a chair went out of a window when someone said yet. Yeah, but no, this is fine. He was consensing to it as well, and a chair went out of a window. Well, perhaps Ophelia has learned her lesson since then. Doubt. Who knows? Does the Celia learn? Doesn't sound like who.

All right, okay, now you can get the others to help you with this. What I would like to do is we have Teresa. and then I'd like some names for your sort of loyal congregation. This is including like the older guard as well. Yeah, like if you, like yeah, you can name him. There's the younger, the sort of merchant's daughter who's a bit wealthier.

Just that I've got, if I need to refer to them. Patricia. Patricia. It's Rihanna's final decision. You're gone for the older fellow. Your gone, as in you're gone. As in your gone soon. Oh, no, not any of you.

No, no, your gone is written down. God damn it. I'm going to eat the flesh. Yeah, two ways. You're gone. You're gone. What about blood, de boy? Blood, the bag.

Any other suggestions? Or if you've got an idea of like, can one of them be a halfling? Can you know, whatever? Yeah, let's throw some, yeah, let's do a halfling. Any of the, kind of one of the dwarves as well. You want dwarf? Yeah.

Maybe can you all gonna be a dwarf? The soldier? A fucking pick and mix. Yeah. What about Hema? Hema. Hema globin. Oh, Hema globin.

They're a goblin though. Hema goblin. Um, with a dyslexics out there. You don't have to pick them now, but it was just, if you don't want to pick them now, then just come up with some... I don't know why I'm drawing blanks on me. We've all had a long... Bob. Felix Navvy's dad.

No! That is... It's the worst. We can go, we can do a Patricia, throw Patricia in there. Patricia, yeah. Patricia, yeah. Patricia. Patricia.

Maybe a Mavis, I like the name Mavis. Mavis. Bantheus. Bantheus. Tough. You don't have to come up with them all now. Just have a think. No.

I'm doing a spider web in my head. Bounder, like spider diagrams. Mine's just carbon and webs. Dust and cobwebs. Mine's just the corpses of giant house. Dmitri. Dmitri. Oh, fucking hell.

Perfect. All right, well, it gives us one, two. Sorry, if he joined the group, we can always come up with some more as well. How sounds like you have? If you say one of the names is like Ignarious, then you... Sounds dat to. No, I'm not Ignorius.

Oh God, you're not, are you? Sorry. Nice trying. Right, with that, Sister Ophelia, you return. Percival has wine, has ready to bath for you. His bony hands, the most amazing back massage, you can imagine. He knows all the spots as well, because he's a skeleton and he knows the best bit.

Yeah, just gets those phalanches, you know, deep in. Hello. Deep tissue. My book is upside down. Oh, Ophelia. Hi. How was that? Oh, could have gone better.

It was okay, I mean, it was intimidating. A lot of people. A lot of people, yeah, they were spilling out into the garden. Yeah, that was terrifying. isn't big enough anymore, is it? No, no, no, no, no. Do you think they're all coming back? I've, majority might.

A fair amount of the might. Do you think more might be coming next time? I don't know if it's, I don't know if I should do it here anymore. Well, where would, where would you do that? I mean, yeah, you could try and purchase land either in the city or outside the city to have something bigger built.

Yeah, so the garden's lovely, but I'm worried about that I might take up a lot of space that we all need for the tavern. If the tavern needs expanding, then my shrine needs expanding, then we're going to have, there's going to be a lot of space taken up either. To be fair, we could open some rooms for guests. That was always an option for the future. Start thinking about expanding the tavern, building it out and building it bigger. But also, you know, if there is anything in the sort of close distance, you know, you could build something outside the city walls. You could maybe find an old ruin to sort of take over and redo,

something like that. Obviously, in the city, planning permission for a whole new church might be a thing, but you are close with the draconic lord. But it's certainly an option. I mean, the word is out now. You could do some more public. I regret saying that. I could have ever think any more public.

That was pretty public. That's what I'm saying. If you need space, there's space all over the city. I don't know if they will... Will the guards let you just stand in the middle of the city and do that, though? Technically, we own the guard and in the house. Oh, goodness, no, I need a shrine.

I need a house for all my stuff. Yes, it would also, I think you would... In action, rest, you would be okay. Because, again, the Duke has kind of given you express permission, but it probably would be very unfavorable to do that. outside of Ash and Rest, like street preaching would very much get you in trouble if you were preaching things that were not approved religions.

But yeah, definitely something to think about for the future. About the flyer, Ophelia. Yes. Might be a little bit too close to the no pun intended bone. I saw some saints and there was some protesters outside. I'm sure you saw them as you were going out. I'm not surprised. I mean, I spoke to one of the priests in the Bright Spire Cathedral, and they very much had something to say about it too. I knew this was coming. This was inevitable,

and this, yes, of course, this draw up a crowd. But I had a point to get across. To me, it felt important, but I, yes, I'm very much aware. Sister Raffili, I have a question for you. You talk about the cost of being worthy. Now, I don't mean this to offend you. But are you worthy of these followers, of these open minds? I ask not to be provocative, but looking at the questions this is raising. You are now responsible for the actions and the deeds of everyone in that room.

And you preached violence, and you preached indulgence. Violence and indulgence is my life, I suppose. It's the house of blood, it's osseous. It's what I've been taught by my predecessors. I was taught by Ursa to fight for the grave father and to worship him in blood spilled by others. and I lavished in the house of blood's benefits, but I suffered so much to have that.

I've been, I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about what I was before. It doesn't matter. I, it's all I know. So if your followers were to get the wrong idea and start acting violently against friends, followers of the Sions and bring violence to the streets of Ash and rest. That's a good point.

Are you responsible for that? Are you ready to bear the consequences of that? You have their minds now. Be careful what you do with it. It is your responsibility. It is your responsibility. The spacecraft's words sort of linger. Materia begins the process of closing up the tavern for the evening.

Last call, that sort of thing, as the day has come to an end. Leaving that as you all retire to your rooms, the words that have been spoken this night, perhaps. lingering in certain minds. Just before we end the day, what's the last thing we see? Because it's been an emotional day for many of you. What is the last thing we see

as you all head up to your various rooms in Tyria's rest? Starting with, let's start with, what I imagine might be a little easier, Daisy. I think Daisy would probably go for a little bit of a walk with Stuart just like to... Just to... Everything's been quite heavy

so I think she'll just disconnect, maybe go buy a snack somewhere, have a little walk and then come back and go to her room just to have some time... A little late-night street vendor somewhere sort of, you know... Yeah.

In the plaza, you kind of walk down to the fountains, there's still a couple of late-night. vendors and, you know, people coming out of the taverns and travelers and things like that. Yeah, she'll maybe find a little bench somewhere or a little patch of grass and sit and have a little doodle in her sketchbook and just sit and enjoy some alone time for a bit. Yeah, I think the Market Plaza would be a perfect place for that. It has a beautiful view of the Dominus Ignarum and several famous knights of Caldra, like statues of them. You hear the bubbling of the fountains, you know, magic.

fountains that kind of flow their waters throughout the day, sketch those in your book, you know, Stuart happily munching on something that you've bought him from the vendors, and then you make your way back and head up to bed, quite pleased, peaceful, uh, wonderful. What about Rowan? I think Rowan, it always be like a little time lapse, that Rowan stays in that corner, and you kind of see everyone speed around and slowly, filter out to their beds or whatever. And eventually, Rowan will pull back his bar stool.

And he's been thinking for a long time. And he'll slowly make his way over. Firstly, to, I think, Xantheus's room. And you'll just let out a big sigh, and you'll come back. And then you can see him really thinking. and like almost building up courage and he stands outside Ophelia's room for a good amount of time

almost like he's going to knock but he lifts the hand up he doesn't and he goes to bed what about gruff I think gruff will spend some time outside in his hermitage just he misses the cold pitching his tent again yeah and he lights up

his pipe, you know, has Seren maybe, like, doing, you know, maybe she's flying around a little bit and then comes and settles. Yeah. See Sir Leo sort of like nestling in his Warren. Yeah, and that's just him until the stars come out. Maybe it's like as the lights of the nearby buildings all begin to go out, as people go to bed, we just see this in the dark lit by the silvery light. of Malia, the moon and a little bit of the crowns light and the stars.

And we just see the face of gruff illuminated by the embers of the pipe. And then goes quiet and goes dark. Xanthius. I imagine that we were all sort of around a table. Maybe Rowan was separated, but as people are filtering away, I don't know, Ophelia, how lost in your mind are you after the conversation of Gruff? Yeah, I think after Ophelia and Gruff's chat, like, Gruff will go out to the Hermitage.

I think Ophelia, shortly after, we'll go outside, see Gruff. Like, just look at Gruff, just say, goodnight, Gruff. And then go into her shrine alone, like, close the door with those words, Are you worthy from Gruff? Just in her head, just going round and round and round. Sitting there on her altar by the altar. Okay. Yeah, I think before you sort of head out, if it's just like just us too at the table now,

I imagine both of us have a lot on our minds that anyone that disappears, it's like sort of interrupted like, oh yeah, yeah, good night and things like that before we just stare off into the middle distance again. And I'll kind of sigh and grab the letter that is on the table in front of me and start heading upstairs before turning back to Ophelia. Your words might not strike true for some other people here, Ophelia, but I like to believe that those people that you were speaking in front of will instead follow your actions instead of your words.

They'll all do the right thing. I hope so. I hope this... I hope I'm doing this. this right. Do you want a hug? Okay. Do you want a hug? Yes, I do, yes.

Okay. Two of you just sort of embrace. Ophelia's very awkward. Like, you, yeah, I mean, what does Zanthius see? Like, you can feel like Ophelia is kind of distant and awkward about it. Is this like a Xanthius kind of pulls her in, or are you also awkward? It's a, asking if Ophelia wants a hug, Zanthius really. wants a hug.

So it's like, as she, like, you kind of, like, pull her in a bit more because you need this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So there's this moment where you're a bit awkward, and then Xanthia's, you know, probably I'd shock it. I don't know if this is shocking for a fear, but, like, really draws you in and you feel this very tight press. Yeah, I think the feeling would then, like, relax into it.

Relax into it a bit more, yeah, and responding kind, yeah. The two of you just stood there by the door or perhaps by the stairs. The last, you can hear somewhere in the back room, Mateo, turning off the last of the lamps. You just kind of just stay there for this moment, these two, maybe lost souls right now, clinging on to each other before being cast adrift. And you separate and go to bed.

And that's where we'll bring the end of the day. And we're also going to take a little early break here. We're going to take our five minute break. And when we get back, we will send you off on a new adventure. Yeah. A little stealth adventure in the faith world. Perfect. We'll see you in five minutes, everybody.

See you back in part two. Lovely. Bye. See you back. PC, Switch, and PlayStation. Sony's dead. They're not dead. PC Master Race.

Anyway, if you want to hear us, if you want to know more about the show and listen to John and I argue every week, you can do that on Video Game Outsiders.com or anywhere podcasts are available. All My Best Friends Are Digital is a podcast about video games and the stories they tell. Every week we cover a retro title, where Mark finds a way to bring up Terry Bogart or aspect ratios. And Caitlin grudgingly acknowledges that there are games other than Square RPGs. We do a feature review of a recent release and also chat about what we've been playing lately. We love the stories and memorable characters that video games bring us. Garris Vicarion will never love you the way he loves me. Sometimes a little

too much. Join us every week for all my best friends are digital. Wherever you find your podcasts.