High Rollers DnD - Fishy Business (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #70

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

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With Grey Goose, we invite you to live in the moment and make time wait. Sip responsibly. Welcome back to Althea the Dragon Empire. The glittering coast of the Suncrest Isles. Province of the Bronze Dragon Host, our heroes had departed the town of Wavemeat in shame and uncertainty, forced to leave and never return to avoid dire consequences incurred with the local authorities. They sail along the coast aboard the Sun-Kist, a small sloop owned by Sir Joran Harper, Knight of the Circle of Loyal Hounds and the next mentor, the Gruffeth of Tremorrow, in his pursuit of becoming a Knight.

His quest, to find and slay two champions of Odjanya, Mistress of the Deep, Mawr Mother, She Who Sinks Ships, a goddess who helped create Ulthaya but was corrupted by Sovereign's madness and turned against her own creations. As the group sail along the beautiful coastline towards a small village called Netting-on-Sea. They discuss the incident in Wavemeat, and a heartfelt moment is shared between the group. But such a touching moment does not last long. As the party spot floats them and bodies washed up on the rocks, they are ambushed by abominations. Half-crab creatures created by Orjanya, and most certainly servants of the two champions

Gruff has been tasked to slay. The battle is fierce, but the heroes emerge triumphant and continue on their way. And that, my friends, is where we begin this week. The twinkling azure ocean as the sun is beginning to set. Or perhaps, sort of just before the sun begins to set, the sky beginning to turn that dusky pink and orange. You finish this journey, traveling along

the glittering golden coast of the Suncrest Isles, you see this rocky cliffside break away, and a small mouth of a river begins to widen out, creating a much wider estuary. A wharf not as complex or as well put together as the one in Wave Meet, this more local, more ramshackle, as you begin to see little tiny houses dotted around the landscape inland as the village of netting on sea comes into view.

It is not by any means a grand place. This is a small fishing village built alongside a river just before the coast. And you can see that there are a few small coastal fishing vessels making their way back in, bringing in their nets, bringing in their catches of the day, returning home to this small, quaint little fishing village built upon the banks of the river and the coast.

You can't see too much from your current position. Ser Joran begins to bark orders, having you sort of take in the major sails, relying on just the small front sail now to help the guide in towards the docks. He, this very old sailor, covered in scars, his white salt and peppered hair, a few days growth of a beard,

he looks towards you, Gruff. Well, it's up to you now. He looks towards you, Gruff. Well... It's up to you now. Got us here. You tell me what you want us to do, Gruffydd. This is your quest. You're in charge. I want to see how about you go. It doesn't look like... It looks around and looks like everything's running as normal in the village.

Daisy walks up beside you and goes, you got this, Gruff? All right. Gruff will kind of shake out his shoulders, look around. OK. Who has the best vision out of all of us? Oh, certainly not me. Daisy, Ophelia, can you look on the shoreline?

Tell me if you see anything suspicious. Yes, Captain! Ripples in the water or anything like that. Yes, of course. Sure, yeah, give me, um... Ah, but before we make a roll, forgive me. We have been playing Daggerheart for a couple of weeks, so it is time for fate.

I will do a reminder if we did it slightly adjusted fate rules as well. Oh yeah, sweet, yes, yes. Oh yeah. What do we get? One. A one, that's a dice for me. A one.

Oh, another one, a nice, lovely dice for me. Five. A five, a dice for you. A four. A dice for you. A dice for me, oh Or it's looking very even. A three. Another one for me.

Lovely. Four and two. Four and two. Now I will just remind you guys once again. I've lost my piece of paper I had with my notes on it. But basically for you guys, the fate points. Yeah. Primarily where you spend them is you add a D6 to an attack roll, ability check, or a saving throw.

Has to be done before. Gonna rescind that, you can roll it afterwards. It has to be chosen and spent before you make the roll. Or at least before you know the result. You can also use them to power, there may be boons and magic items, special abilities and things like that, that will require faint points to spend.

But the main difference for you guys now is when you fail an ability check, so not an attack roll or a saving throw, but an ability check, you can spend a fate point to sort of generate a sort of positive, not complication, but a sort of little bonus, like a little, okay, you don't get what you want, but you get a little something.

You can kind of alleviate a success, make it a failure. You can make it so it's not as bad. On the other side, I can spend my fate points primarily to power enemy abilities, but also to increase their damage rolls, also to give them temporary hit points. But also now, when you succeed in an ability check,

if I feel it's narratively appropriate, I might spend a fate point to add a complication to it. I'm not gonna take away the success, we're gonna succeed, but maybe that success has a small cost, or there is some other complication to it. And as a reminder, if we spend them on the same thing, if we both spend one, those two dice are removed from the pool, and they're gone forever, basically.

For the rest of the session, anyway. Yeah, okay. So it will limit the number of fate points available. All right. Nice. So, perception checks from Daisy and Ophelia, as Graff has asked you to look to the shoreline. I imagine Ophelia's sort of looking primarily to the shadows, using her dark vision

to try and pinpoint any. Sure, yeah. It is, you are quite far out. Your dark vision is only 60 feet, I think. 120. 120, okay. So, you know, further, but you're not gonna be able to see too far away, but yeah. And it is sunset,

so there is a little bit of darkness creeping in. Shadows are lengthening, that sort of thing. Cute, 21. 21 from Daisy, fantastic. 16. 16. I think on a 16, I'll do the 16 first. Cute, 21. 21 from Daisy, fantastic. 16. 16. I think on a 16, I'll do the 16 first, you get the same information Daisy, but you're gonna pick up a little bit more here. On a 16, Avilia, you could see with your keen eyes,

the fishermen bringing in their catch are making their way sort of a little kind of stoke, like carved into the cliffside set of stone steps that go up to what you can see is a sort of town square right by the main entrance into the village from the coastline. As it, it's a very gentle slope up to there. It's not like a tall cliff face or anything like that.

Like a gentle hill leads up to this town square. You can see that there does appear to be something in the works. some sort of festival maybe, you can see that there are people sort of placing decorations around. There are more people out and about than you would expect there to be. And they seem to be carrying various sort of decorations.

You can see a lot of them are carrying like pieces of driftwood and things like that around with them as well. So you can see that. You can see that it is not a particularly dense population here. It's probably similar to Colvell, the small village in Caldre that you guys visited.

This is not a big town. This is a very local village. And you notice that there is a large pyre, a big sort of fire pit that's being constructed in this town square. Maybe as part of these celebrations. I'm trying to assume that. Yeah. Okay.

Yeah, you would assume it's part of these celebrations. That there's some sort of, you know, ritual where they're gonna create a big bonfire. Yeah. Relentless gruff. Yeah. Daisy, you see the same thing, but you notice one thing.

You can tell me why you think Daisy picks up on this, but you sort of look at that, you see the townsquare, but you start looking sort of further afield. You're like looking up in the sort of taller hills, in the cliffs and things like that, away from the main village. And you would see that there is, you catch just a glimpse of it,

a very, very run-down stone church. And that's unusual because, you know, the Empire, the Dragon Empire, is a fairly religious empire. And your local church, I mean, where you grew up, that was a big part of the community, that was where the community all went, it was kind of where a lot of things

were kind of celebrated around, and this looks really overgrown and rundown, and it just strikes you as odd. You guys don't see anything suspicious in the water, you don't see any signs of battle, people here seem pretty chill. Can I, I don't know if this fits as a little retcon, like when we had a bit more time to sail. But assuming we had some bodies of the monsters

that we fought on the deck. You would like to have some, have kept some on the ship, on the sloop? At least to have with Xantheus a kind of cursory examination of the ones that were covered in coral that had the magical resistance. Now I know that we discern that the coral markings protected them from thunder and lightning

and had an overcharge and could be broken. But I think what Gruff would have asked Santheus' help on is ascertaining if it could be removed and used by one of us. Yeah, I think... I feel like I did that on one of them, and it was so disparate. I mean, I can do it again, because it was that one that we were trying to interrogate as well.

Oh, yeah. So if that one is still around, I can't remember if you threw them out. Well, so what I'm gonna say is, you could have done this when you first examined it. You are not sure, like you break off a piece of this coral, and there is definitely, as soon as it's kind of broken off the creature, it seems to become more inert. It seems to lose some sort of power or charge,

you're not sure, but it definitely seems to lose some sort of power or charge, you're not sure. But it definitely seems to be that the, it is, it's not grown out of them, but it has some sort of relationship with these creatures where it doesn't activate when it's not attached to them. It doesn't seem to have its properties without their nature being involved in some way. So you sort of break it off and it doesn't really work.

The other thing you would notice is once it's out of the water, that body decomposes way too quickly. It is like turning to slime and it's breaking down rapidly the longer it's kept out of the water. And especially as it's in the hot sun and things like that, it breaks down really, really quickly.

So that's not, that wasn't an effect that we were seeing on the ones that boarded the ship while they were alive. No, because this has been several hours now after that battle. You know, you've had this thing on board for maybe four or five hours, but also potentially a post-death scenario as well. Okay.

You get the sense that this is almost like a magical, magically enhanced decomposition. So with the blood that I caught in the empty bottle. So I think because that's in glass, it depends if you've been keeping that out in the sunlight. I've just been keeping it on me, so just on my waist. You did actually also have some, because you scooped it within the sea, didn't you?

I did, yeah. So you still got some water in there. So I'd say that because of the sea water in there, that blood is staying preserved. Interesting. But even the chitin, or I don't know what you would call a crab shell, the shell is becoming very brittle and almost flaking apart as it's handled.

Some, and you could make an arcana check for me if you'd like to sound this. Is the same effect happening to their weaponry and any armor they might have had, if there was any at all? Most of their weapon was made out of a coral-like stone. That doesn't seem to be breaking down. But things like the spine starfish shields are having the same effect.

Was that shield attached to them? Yeah, it was a living starfish. It was like a creature. It was like a starfish, basically, like a creature. It wasn't like a, it was like a starfish, basically. It was kind of wedged onto, but that is having a similar effect as well. Okay, all right, arcana. Plus three.

Oh, five. Five. You have no idea why this is made in this way. But you know it's not natural. Obviously this is very unnatural. It's gonna be like this. Right, Rowan and Mateo. Oh yes, yes, yes.

If you could help me with, I suppose, first contact, greetings and all that, good impressions. Certainly, absolutely. Just like, yeah. You could take that. You bestow upon me this honor of making contact for you. Rowan, you're very charismatic. I'll do my very best for you.

And you're very, very shrewd. Sir Gruffith. Don't call me Sir Gruffith. Sorry. Just call me Gruff, okay. Yeah. Gruff, not to question your leadership, but can I stop investigating the bodies, please? Yes, sorry, sorry, Dan. Thank you, okay, good, they are disgusting.

Maybe tip it over the side. I, I, I, you need a mop. Okay. Okay. So, so Joran will hand you a sort of, you know, mop and a bucket. I'll do it then. Yeah, mop the bilges.

Okay, yep. Yep, yep, mop the deck. You, by this point, the Sunkist has now basically brought up to the wharf, and you can see it's basically nothing more than a very solid wooden jetty that goes out into the sea. There's a few fisher boats tied up. These would be more akin to what,

could not quite like yours, Gruff, because obviously you're an ice diver fisher, but these are small, kind of coastal, little more than rafts, really, or like little rowboats with like big nets that go out, they catch the coastal fish more than they think, this is not deep sea fishing or anything. You would see that there are a few fishers

still kind of hauling in their catch, and they are definitely giving you the like, you're not from Rome, you're ice. They're like, kind of giving you this like, uncertain eye, men and women. Like most of the Empire, mixture of sort of humans, dwarves, and halflings, mostly. You would see that just before the stone steps that lead up into, and it's only a short little hill,

but they go up into the town square. There is a sort of very rudimentary makeshift tower the stone steps that lead up into, and it's only a short little hill, but they go up into the town square. There is a sort of very rudimentary makeshift tower that's sort of been constructed on the jetty. And there is a lone, I mean, I hate to use the word guard here, because they are literally wearing like a hunter's jacket. They've got a bow, but they don't,

this is like a villager who's like a militia man. This is not like a trained guard. And you see he kind of is like looking at you, and he's kind of got his hands rested on the bow with an arrow knocked, but he's not drawn it yet. And he's kind of like looking, you can also see that he has round his neck like a hunting horn, like probably some sort of alarm horn,

and he's kind of like looking at you. As Sir Joran brings the boat up, he tosses the rope over, steps out, and starts anchoring it to the jetty. I think as well, like, yeah, when you see that, I, you know, lift my paw and give a kind of friendly wave to the fisher folk and then to the watchtower. They give you a sort of nod.

That sort of, like nothing more than that. Just a firm and still not quite certain, but polite nod. Well, gruffs would be polite, not, you know... Yes, yeah, but these, they're sort of, eh, aye, g'day, they sort of look. But you can definitely get the vibe. You don't even need to make insight checks that these people are not used to visitors,

or at least certainly not visitors of your design. What do you mean by design, Mark? I mean a group of clearly armed adventurers and spellcasters and things like that. Bunch of weirdos. Okay, you don't mean like a Leonid and a Janyan. I mean like the actual individual. Whatever this is.

Well the individual ancestries, not so much, cause you know like Leonid, like wild hearts are common enough, like you know Dragonborn. I'm just ending up holding a girl. Like it's not so much that, it's more like the way you're dressed, the fact you all have like, like you know, Rowan is wearing armor and has like a weapon, you've got your shields

and Xanthius is clearly a gold Dragonborn. But I am sloshing goo over the side of a ship and looking very blue right now. Yeah, absolutely. And Ophelia's got the wraith here and everything else. I think Mateo is definitely that kind of like, hello, hello there, friends, hello, like kind of greeting

a bit more ostentatiously than Gruff is. And these folks are kind of giving him the stink eye probably most of all, like, who's this joker? Like. He's too enthusiastic. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, what do you guys do? Like, so Joran is like tying up the boat right now.

Broan will take initiative of the task that he's been given by Sir Gruffydd and he will step out and look up to where the closest person is that's eyeing us up. Yeah, I mean, like the closest people are probably the fisher folk, but they're busy sorting out their own boats

and bringing their catches in. An immense, just strong waft of oil, like that salty, fishy smell as they haul in, like this big sort of net full of all sorts of things. There's probably a couple that are bringing up like crab pots and things like that as well. And it is this intense, salty, briny aroma that just hits you like a truck.

You can see that they're all wearing, this isn't cauldra, they're not wearing, the civilians here are wearing fairly rough spun, there's nothing really ornate or fancy about their outfits. They're stained with fish oils and water. Most of them are probably wearing shirtless, very hairy, broad, ropey physiques. Yeah.

But there is also that guard up in that tower who's kind of watching this, this lone guard before the steps go up into the little village. I'll probably walk past these fissure people. Okay. And just do a gentle hand wave and a nod. Just mimic their behavior somewhat,

but then keep going and kind of make eye contact with the guard. Yeah, absolutely, he makes contact with you as well. Young human guy, not particularly, looks pretty physically fit. I'd say you'd probably guess he's some sort of farmer or laborer, and as you kind of approach, you definitely see he kind of tenses his muscles

a little bit more, and he's like, hold! I hold. Who are you? What are you doing here? Hello. It is an honor to dock at Netting on Sea. We're clearly not from around here at all. Clearly.

So we would very much appreciate some local guidance. You seem like the person that would know quite a lot about the place. I know a little bit. What's your business here? You know far more than me, that's for sure. What's your business? We've been sent here on a mission.

Mission? A very important mission. What mission? What for? Troubles in the waters. You see he kind of looks at you. And we're just looking for everybody's safety and security. And he kind of looks over, definitely taking you on. He's like, oh.

You better speak to the Reav and the Marshal. I know this is more than I'm... It's more than what I normally have to deal with. Do you want to escort us to the Reav? Yeah. Well, this is more than I'm, it's more than what I normally have to deal with. Do you wanna escort us to the Reav? Yeah. Well, okay, I'll assemble the team then. Yeah. And is there a good bar here, a tavern?

We got a tavern, yeah. Good food? We've been on the waters for quite some time. Do you like fish? Oh. Yeah. Love the stuff. Good- Can't get enough. There's good food, yeah. Love the stuff. Can't get enough.

There's good food, yeah. I mean, if you want good food, don't go to the tavern. You want to be best eating with a family. But, uh. The family? Well, yeah, like a family. Oh, a family. It's a local place.

We all know each other here. Tavern's owned by foreign lasses. I don't know. We go there for beer, but I don't eat there. OK. Great advice. Thank you so much. but far and last, I don't know, we go there for beer, but I don't eat there. Okay, great advice, thank you so much. All right, well get your crew, and he starts making his way down the ladder.

He probably leaves the bow in there, but you can see he's got this wicked looking like axe, like a kind of hatchet axe, and he hoffs like a small wooden shield, and he begins climbing his way down. You can see there's definitely, this guy is still quite wary. Proper kind of like tanned,

but only in like sort of arms and face. You know, if he were to like pull his shirt down, he'd probably be a lot more pale than the rest, but. When he kind of goes out of eyeshort, then kind of turns around and starts dry retching from the smell of fish. I don't think I'm going to breathe through my nose for a while, just because it's quite a lot.

I'm just gonna not do that. I run back to everybody else. If Robin doesn't like fish, this is gonna be a critical character moment between you and Groff at some point. That's gonna be huge. I mean, you've learned to make a fish stew. Yeah.

This, the wall of fish. But this is so much different. This is very different to making a fish stew in Caldra. This is This, the wall of, But this is so much different. This is like very different to making a fish stew in Caldra. This is like, wham. No, he genuinely loves his stuff. He's just overwhelmed by the hall that's just come in. I did it. I did it.

Okay. The guard is coming down. He's gonna take us to the reef and we can update them on our mission. Brilliant, well done lads. Thank you. Very well done my friend well done lads. Thank you. Very well done my friend, very well done. Thank you Mateo.

I tried to make an impression on these fine folks but they don't like me, quite clearly. What I've noticed is you gotta kind of match them, match their vibe. They do not, I do not. Right. That's a good idea actually. Coming from a fishing village myself,

these are probably very hardworking folk, so they don't have time for nonsense and I suppose. But nonsense is better than butter. I know, Mateo. But I'm all about the nonsense. I know. It's so fun, isn't it? But maybe you should take the lead.

So sorry, Rowan, I think the smell has stuck to you since you went over there. What smell, though? It's really sticking to it already. See you in five minutes. It's very fishy here, Gruff, and I know we all like fish, but it's the first time I've been around

this quantity of fish. It's quite a lot to get used to, but I'll get used to it. For now, I'm not gonna. I can't smell anything. Maybe you would be the best person to speak to them because you know what their lifestyle is like and they'll probably like you a lot better.

Well, in my experience, a Fur Man shake, a good bit of eye contact, no nonsense. That ruined. What do you want me to do, Gruff? Do you want me to stay? I can stay with the... Are you familiar with this village? She won't be boring me or anything. I've got it. Hang on a minute.

You bastard! There we go. Sir John. Bastard. Do you want me to stay with the Sunkist or do you want me to come up with you? Are you familiar with this village? I've passed by. I can't say that I've ever stopped by. I've not had much reason to. It's a pretty small out-of-the-way place. Right, well, I'm not sure if you need to observe me at all times or anything, but, um, you're welcome to come with us, but...

You know... You know the task that you've got at Handgruff. I'm not here to babysit you and watch over you. I'm not here to mark you on anything. I've given you a job. How do you get it done? I leave to you. Perhaps you on anything. I've given you a job. How you get it done, I leave to you. Perhaps you could stay here on the sun. What the fuck is this boat called? The sun-kissed. Sun-kissed.

You tell me what you want me to do. I would like you to stay here, and if you could keep an eye on the waters. If you see anything, raise an alarm. All right. Anything untoward. Yep, he digs out from like a pouch, he's got like a quite shrill signal whistle, and he kind of wraps that around,

he puts that over his neck, and he's got that, you'll hear this, and he's just, if you hear this, it's bad. Is there anything you need from the village, any food or anything? No, no, I'll be fine, I've got everything I need on the boat. Okay, thank you. Right, so I reckon we go in, we introduce ourselves,

we say that we're investigating sightings of these two champions of O'Djannia, Doomclaw and Coral Song. Yes. There have been various attacks up and down the coast, so we're here to help if needed, if they've seen anything or heard anything unusual. And I guess just keep your eyes out.

I don't know if we want to mention anything about the church to them, because it looks like it's, well, they're not using it at all. It's a bit overgrown, it's a bit weird. Do you not find that weird? That is rather unusual, isn't it? I wonder if we can find out anything about that. OK. Do you, when you spoke to the guard, did you find out anything about this festival they seem to be preparing for?

No. Okay. I found out about the tavern, and where we should eat, we should pick a family and move in with them. Sorry, hang on. And eat their food. That sounds a bit direct.

Yeah, is that how they do things here? Be a local custom, I don't know. Choose a family and move in with them. That feels... I may have done a little leap there. Okay. Yeah, just a little. All right.

All right. But they said find a family. Okay. Well, we can, I can find out about this festival, I suppose, and see. Maybe that'll open up a couple of doors, so to speak. Perhaps you two find out about the festival. Daisy, if you find out about the church.

Santheus, anything interests you? Oh, I could do some more research into our journey themselves. Fantastic, and maybe make sure your clothes don't fall off this time or anything like that. That doesn't happen all the time. It's, okay. It's happened a lot.

What set of clothes, this is like, If I had a gold piece for every time it happened, We'd have a lot of gold. I'd have a lot. Like three or four pieces of gold, which isn't a lot of gold, but it's weird that it's happened four times. That's weird, fair enough.

So as you kind of finish up this conversation, you see that guard is sort of waiting by this set of stairs, sort of shield, loosely held, acts firmly in sort of the other hand, and sort of is waiting for you guys now to take you up into the tower. Yeah, so do you, yeah, what'd you guys do, just head up? Yeah, so he'll sort of gesture, he'll be like,

all right, come with me, don't do anything funny, and he sort of looks at you, very clearly aware that at least several of you are armed and he is very much outnumbered, but is trying to put on this front of, yeah, I'm a guard and you need to do what I tell ya. So sort of encourages you up the stairs. When you go up this little sort of,

very small set of stone steps that leads you up the hill into the town center, When you go up this little, sort of, very small set of stone steps that leads you up the hill into the town center, you see a pretty large open space, the kind of place where they would have like a market day. There are a few buildings directly attached to the town square, but most of the village is like farmhouses that are a bit further out,

or little houses built on the river, you know, things like that kind of scattered around. One feature that does kind of stand out to you, a couple of features actually, most of the buildings here are decorated with old fishing nets, and they have all sorts of trinkets and little pieces sort of embedded, wrapped up in the nets.

It's like little decorations, right? So they've got, like some have got flowers in them, some of them have got painted little wooden toys and trinkets, people have got shells, all sorts of things that, you know, driftwood, all that kind of stuff. And the nets themselves are often painted, or like dyed, it looks like, to give a little pop of color

around this little village. The other thing you would notice is in the town center is a large driftwood sculpture. So it's made of different pieces of driftwood and it resembles a humanoid figure sort of holding an oar with one hand sort of stretched out maybe. It's almost been shaped to look like

they're in a cowl or a hood. And those of you who are from the Dragon Empire would probably assume and guess that this is Saint Talan, who's one of the Divine Saints, one of the Ascended Saints. Talan is often regarded with healing, but also the weather, like tempests and things like that, storms, generally no, or like rain, probably more rain. They're sometimes known as like the Saint of Healing,

the Saint of Gentle Rain, but in the stories, when their ire has been sparked, they can be furious and they can bring physical health in a sort of combative way as well. They represent health in sort of all forms really. So healing and mending, but also physicality to fight and to survive. They're also known as the Saint of Rivers as well.

Yes, Trot. This statue, does it look somewhat neglected? It's hard to, because it's made of driftwood. I wouldn't say it looks neglected because, you know, it's not covered with moss or anything, but it is all dead wood and it's sort of been... Kind of looks like by design. Yeah, kind of, a little bit, yeah.

It certainly is just in the town centre. I wouldn't say it's hard to tell if it's been neglected. You probably need to get a closer look and make a check. Yes, Kim? I may be getting my lore confused. Yes. But is St Tiffine... need to get a closer look and make a check. Yes, Kim. I may be getting my Laura confused. Yes. But is Saint Typhine Orjanya

before she became Orjanya? No. Saint Typhine, they're two complete sets. Saint Typhine is a literal succubus who came to Ulthaya and redeemed herself. Oh, Saint Talan. Talan. So Saint Talan is a man,

first of all it's a male figure. Saint Talan is a masculine figure. No, they were a mortal man who was a healer. They were known in the difficult times of the Empire's founding. They founded a lot of the, they wrote a lot of healing medical journals and things like that, a lot of physical fitness, and they went around helping people. They were sort of known as this Saint of Healing. They came from a small river community, and they generally traveled on rivers

throughout the Empire, and they ascended. They proved themselves worthy in the eyes of the Scions and became a divine saint. So yeah, nothing to do with Ojanja. It's separate. Yeah, it's just because you mentioned rivers, and I was like, the boats were acting. Yes, no.

So Ojanja is not connected to rivers because O'Janya is the deep ocean. So coasts and rivers are not really O'Janya's sphere. Hers is the deeper sea. So rivers tend to be perfectly fine and safe and are actually seen as a little bit holy because of this connection to Tevant, to Saint-Aulat. But yeah, so that's like a key thing.

You would notice that one of the shops adjacent to the town square is very clearly a tavern of some kind. It's quite a homely building, double-storied. There is a stuffed giant axfish hung up outside, sort of strung up like a catch of the day. It's obviously been preserved and lacquered, and it's become a sort of strung up like a catch of the day. Okay. It's obviously been preserved and lacquered and it's become a sort of sign.

And you imagine that that's where, you know, that's used as the sign for it. It looks fairly neat. It actually kind of looks like more of a pretty building compared to the rest. Maybe a little touches of... Somebody who maybe has lived a more opulent life and is trying to kind of carve a little bit out here,

out in the village, you know. Like the window boxes have all got fresh flowers in, there's like fine stenciling and painting around the door frame, the glasses are all like, the windows are all freshly cleaned and they look a lot nicer, basically. And it's still well-tended, too. Yes, very well-tended, too.

The other main building just off the town set that you would probably recognize is, appears to be some sort of general store. It has, again, little flower boxes. It has the nets that are all sort of draped along its roof, are dyed a sea green. And there is a handmade sign out front of a sweet-looking otter in a shawl

holding armfuls of little trinkets. I want to go there. And that's like a little sign on the door. Interesting. Do you know that otters have pockets? Yeah. It's where they keep their stones. They put their favorite rocks.

They put their favorite rocks in their arm pits and they put it in a rock and they put it in a pocket. Then why is he holding all the trinkets? And they hold hands to sleep so they don't trip apart. There's too many. Oh, why can't I hold all these trinkets? That is literally like the pose is that, why can't I hold all these lines?

It's like the trinkets spinning. And this little kind of cute little otter, like little shawl, like little grandma, awesome. Yeah, it's very sweet. Those are kind of like the two buildings. The other building is like a, probably, I would say, is like a stone building. Maybe you guys would recognize it.

It'd probably be the Marshal's office. So the Marshal would be like the local military force, or like the sort of local sheriff, if you wanna think of it that way. Is that what we're being led to, then? I think you are just being led into the town center. You can see that there are people bustling all over the place. People are bringing driftwood and local branches

to this big bonfire that's being set up. People are hanging up banners with painted waves on them, and like cornucopias of fruit and fish and shells, and people hanging up these banners. People are singing, there's like little songs, like kind of sea shanties about the bounty of the sea and things like that, and people are sort of busying themselves around, and this guard kind of

begins leading you into the town center and calls over a halfling woman, probably in like her 60s, sort of mid 60s. He'll be like, he would say, Madeline, Madeline, I need you, can you come over here? And she looks over and definitely takes, like kind of looks a little taken back by all of you. She's got big frizzy, kind of brown, curly hair,

no shoes on, obviously being a halfling, and she sort of totters over to you all, wipes down, like brushes off. You can see she's got like paint smudges all over like an apron. You know, she's clearly been making some of these signs, and she's like, hello? Darren, what is, who are these people?

And he would say, Madeline, these strangers are here, apparently this one, any points at you, Rowan? He said they're on some sort of mission, I think that they should talk to the Reeve, or maybe Jamison, I could go get him. And she's like, oh, we certainly should go and speak to somebody, I think, I mean, Merrick will want to speak to them if they're here on some sort of important business.

Hello, by the way, no, you go on, go get your brother, Darren, go get your brother, and then he can speak with them. I'll look after these fine people. I'm sure they don't mean any harm here, do you? No, no, no. No, no. Of course.

Well. Oh. Um. Uh. You see, Matteo will sort of step forward and be like, gracious lady, and he'll like offer his hand and then kiss her. And she's like, oh, lovely.

And he's just like, duh. And she will turn to you and be like, well, my name is Madeleine Ogden. I'm the local reeves wife, my husband Merrick. Yes, I'm happy to, young Darren, he's quite young. I think he's a bit flustered. We're not used to, well, we have the occasional visitor, but certainly no one in your sort of standing.

Can I ask what your business is all about? Well, let me introduce you to Gruffith of Tremorro, who is our team leader. My name is Gruff. Oh, you're the leader of this little merry band. Wonderful, lovely to meet you, Gruffith. A pleasure to meet you too, my friend. Oh, thank you very much, yes.

I am Sister Ophelia de la Rosa of the House of Blood. Oh, yes, very well, quite a title. Thank you. Yes, don't worry, very flum. Names get more simple from here on. I'm Xanthius Oragon. Mr. Oragon? Lord, lord, you can see that there is a terror of like,

you're a dragonborn, what the fuck are you doing? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, just Xanthius. Just Xanthius. That's fine. Oh, all right, okay. I'm Daisy. Hello, my dear. She's like looking up at you.

She's just half-ling, she's only like three feet tall. This is Rowan. Hello, oh, quite a large gentleman, hello. Big, Rowan. Hello, Rowan. Hello. And then Mateo, be like, hello, Mateo, my dear.

He's like, oh, charming, charming. What business, what on earth could bring you all the way out here to a place like Leti-on-Sea? We've come across reports of some attacks by champions of Oceania. Oh my goodness. Two champions called Doomclaw and Corosong. So we're... You don't think that they're coming here, do you?

Well, that's the thing. We've heard reports of attacks along up and down the coast and on some of the islands nearby, Eredir. That's a fair ways away from here, but... Yes, and in our travels this way we saw evidence of such attacks along the coastline. My goodness! So we've come, well basically, to see if there's any potential attack coming here and see what we can do about it.

Oh, well, goodness me, it's good to have you here, but I haven't heard anything about this. I mean, we have fishermen and fisherwomen going out every day and they've not reported anything like this. I mean, not to say that I would know. My husband, Merrick, would know. Perhaps Jameson, our marshal, might know more. But certainly, it's news to us.

We're preparing for a festival. It's all been fine here. So you haven't heard of anything in the coastlands nearby? No, I can't say that I have. So, I'm out of RP. Okay. Just my hands up. Yeah. So, I'm out of RP. OK. Hands up. I'm out of RP. Yeah, you're not doing the Welsh accent, so I know. Well, I wasn't really doing the Welsh accent before.

So, we got attacked on the way here, and then when we sailed onwards, we saw another sloop that had been attacked near the coastline. That was when you got attacked? That was when we got attacked. Yes. That was when you got attacked. That was when we got attacked. Yes, that was when you got attacked. How long was it? It's been like six, seven hours since then.

It's been a while since then. But in terms of along the coast, that's not too far from here. So it is weird that these people are apparently reporting nothing. Yeah, it's weird that none of their fishermen have been attacked or anything, if attacks are happening. While we're talking, can I do a perception check?

And I want to see if there's any... Icons or like, religious-y type things. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check.

I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. I'm gonna make a perception check. 16, you glance over this elderly halfling woman. You don't spy any holy icons or tattoos, or nothing that would stand out as unusual. She's wearing a little apron, she's got paint on it, a little belt with a pouch maybe wrapped around her dress,

like a very, she does look a little bit better dressed than everybody else, but if she's the wife of the Reeve, that would make sense. They tend to be a little bit more well off. But yeah, she just seems like this... Honest. Little halfling lady, like yeah, no like holy amulets or anything like that, you know.

Right, so while we were sailing here, we came across, well, we were attacked ourselves, but we saw. Really? My goodness. We saw another boat that had been attacked about six hours from here. My goodness, well, you absolutely must speak with Jamison and my husband then.

If we've had a ship attack that close, they need to know about this. Why don't I, look, why don't you, you've obviously traveled a long way. Now, she is a little strange, and she's not from around here, but the tavern, you can get yourselves a drink, have a sit down, just take a minute. I'll go and fetch my husband, Beric.

Darren should get his brother Jameson, our marshal. We can then have a conversation. I feel like this absolutely needs to be something that is taken very, very seriously. So why don't you go and get yourselves a drink, and then we can hopefully get to the bottom of all this. And goodness me, if there is a threat to netting on sea, we'll have to do something about it.

We only have a few guards here, literally just locals who have been trained by the marshal. I mean, I suppose Jameson's mother, the former marshal, she's still quite spry and good with weapons and things like that. We could muster some sort of force maybe. But yes, let me go and fetch Merrick, and we'll get Jameson and we'll have a proper conversation about this. But why don't you go get yourselves

a drink first? It's just that building there, the catch. And she points to the one with the big stuffed fish. Oh, with the fish. Oh, lovely. Thank you very much, madam. We'll do everything we can not to interfere with your celebrations. Yes, yes, it's a bit of a festival. Well, you know, it's coming to the end of summer, and so it's going to be proper harvest time soon for the farmers and things like that. So we, and you know, it's been quite a hot summer,

so we thought we'd throw a little celebration, you know, sort of bounty of the sea, bounty of the land, just before everybody has to work really hard. I see. So we're going to have a big party, lots of booze, lots of the land, just before everybody has to work really hard. I see. So we're going to have a big party, lots of booze, lots of food. Okay. We're going to have a big fire, dancing music.

And that is, what is that? That's really dangerous. There's a big, it's a lot of wood there. Oh no, no, I mean, she points like, no, no, it'll be absolutely fine. We were thinking of having it tonight, like late tonight. Oh, so we're just in time. It's just in time.

We can stay inside, it's okay. Yeah, just stay really quiet. No, no, if you're here, you simply must come and have some drinks and food. You can't come all this way when we're having a festival. Is there music and dancing? Yes, of course, yes, yes. Fabulous.

Yes, it'll be all of that, yes, absolutely. But that won't be, we've got some time. That'll be late tonight, you know, our last big celebration. So people have got to finish their work for the day and things like that. Yes, anyway, let's get to it. And she begins tottering off.

You can see she's heading out of the town square, like more inland, probably towards a large farmhouse. Right, the catch then? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, let's go to the pub. Okay. From, sorry, from the outside, is there a reasonable way of telling where,

like, this person may have come from before? Is it very Cauldron in design, or is it like? It's not Cauldron. Okay. You would know that. You and Daisy can tell this is absolutely not cauldron. It reminds you more of the style of house found in like Wavemeat. So maybe like somebody who's from a bigger

Suncrest Isles city or town. Cool, fair enough. Not like the villages here bear very little resemblance to the stuff you saw in Wavemeat. This place looks a little bit more like that. Without all the magical illusions and little arcane touches and stuff like that. But yeah, you make your way inside and it is dead.

Like, there are no locals in this pub. It is well cleaned, flagstone floors, the fishy smell is being kind of counterbalanced by a heavy scent of spices and incense that sort of fill the room. You can see that there are dozens of incense burners like going all hours basically to try and purge the fish smell.

And there's just nobody in this inn. Like you walk in and there's maybe a little jingle of a bell and then as you kind of step in you hear a, fuck, like what do you want, like ugh, and like almost this sound of irritation as this woman comes out with a book still in her hand. You can see she's been reading some sort of sort of seafaring romance novel.

Which is called? Which is called... Motion in the Ocean. Motion in the Ocean. No. The problem is, and I know Kim's read this, I've just been reading a series of books called the Paladin series.

Yes! And all I can think of in my head is those books right now. It's got some ridiculous corny name, like you know, the Azure Maiden. And it's got something, it's not called Motion in the Ocean. But she comes out and you can see this is a dark-skinned woman

with almost like straight black hair, with a very prominent streak of, I guess at first glance you would think it's blonde, but within a few seconds, gruff I think, you and Daisy pick up, it's actually golden. It's like gold, like a streak of gold through her hair. Or maybe like bronzy, brassy, kind of like metallic color. And she's much darker skinned,

like a very hawkish kind of nose, deep set eyes, very well dressed, like she has like a lace kind of silk blouse, sort of half corset type pants on, and she kind of looks very, very taken aback. I'm sorry to have interrupted your reading. No, that's all right, you're not from, nothing I see, you're visitors, you're travelers. Yes.

Oh, thank the scions, I might actually have some business All right, you're not from nothing but sea, you're visitors, you're travelers. Mm-hmm, yes. Oh, thank the science. I might actually have some business for a change. Come in, come in. Daisy. Can you, in fact, I don't even think this is a role, Nim says something in your mind. Nim is like, little one.

I, and you begin to see around this woman, there is almost a golden aura that nobody else sees. And she, like, initially is like, she's like looking at Zan like, oh yes, come in, go have a seat, what can I get? To drink. And she kind of looks curiously at you. I suppose we could just take this table here.

And sort of like blinks a little bit. Boof, boof. And she kind of takes a minute and is like, yes, yes, drinks, drinks, what can I get you? I'll just have some water, please. Really? I probably shouldn't drink. Fine.

Last time I had a drink it didn't end so well. Fine, please tell me some of you are drinking. I'm really sorry. I'm drinking! Mateo's like, I will certainly have a glass of whatever you have that's good. And she's like, that I can do. I have some fine, I have some fine

liquor from Brasser that I can do. I have some fine, I have some fine, liquor from Brasser that I can share. It's my last of it. What did you say your name was? I didn't, my apologies. My name's Carla, just Carla. How are you spelling that Mark? K-A-H-L-A. What's your name? Daisy. Nice to spelling that, Mark. K-A-H-L-A. What's your name?

Daisy. Nice to meet you, Daisy. Give me an insight roll. Okay. I feel like all of us can see this weirdness going on. I mean, yeah, but this is just like Daisy and her have this weird sort of like, yeah, what's up with you? But to Daisy, this woman is literally,

there is a golden aura around her. It's faint, it's not like blazing, but it's faint. And she seems to be seeing something around Daisy. 19. 19. You notice that she kind of laughs and goes to turn and is getting these drinks, but you recognize when somebody's having

a conversation in their head. And you can see her, she's almost imperceptibly nodding and sort of like, as if she's talking to somebody in her own head. Interesting. But she starts pouring water for Ophelia. She pours, she gets out this beautiful, almost brandy-like bottle,

which has got these glowing arcane runes on it. And she pops that open, and Matteo is like, now that looks like my kind of drink. And she pours a nice, almost like a shot glass, but a bit bigger, of this liqueur, and slides it to him, and he's like, wonderful. And he pulls out a few, he pulls out some gold coins, and puts them down on the table.

What can I get for the rest of you? That looks really good. Yeah, that. Would you like some as well? I'll take some water as well. It's a... Oh. One water for the big man.

But, sir, please. I'll try anything from Brass or Shore. Excellent, it's a little expensive, is that all right? That's a good question I spent. How much are we talking? I mean, this is my last bottle. Would three gold be all right for a glass? It actually isn't all right.

Oh my god! Oh! You have one? You bought the... He has one gold. I bought a lot of... You bought the ring. No, I did buy the ring, no.

I... Oh, you bought... I've got some fine ale that you'll be... Welcome to the club, my friend. That's a few silver coins. What happened to all the money? You will need to change that one gold into 10 silver, and then you have seven silver.

You definitely have money. Gruff gave you money. Gruff gave you guys money, and then you didn't spend it all. But it's not in that inventory it looks like. It's just spilled out into the ocean. Out of pockets. Great. But yeah, she'll pour you a nice ale.

I got confiscated by the police. Thank you. A glass of water for Rowan. Oh, lovely. Something I'd just spend a lot of money on. Oh, yeah, no, I can't, I never definitely. A glass of water for Rowan. Oh, lovely. Something I'd just spend a lot of money on. Oh, yeah, no, I remember, yeah. What about you, Sam? Let's see what looks over to you, Grav.

Do you have anything that is non-alcoholic, but more interesting than water? Non-alcoholic, but interesting than water. I've got some chilled milk, I've got some fruit juices, things like that. It's kinda hard to get anything more interesting out here. I have to go to local suppliers,

and this is pretty far away from anything, any interesting suppliers. Perhaps the juice milk brings me out in eyes. All right, she'll go and find, and it's like a sort of apple juice, basically, like a pitcher of it, juice. And you can see that she definitely uses a find, and it's like a sort of apple juice basically, like a pitcher of it. And you can see that she definitely uses a little bit of magic herself, like almost like a ray of frost,

like she touches the pitcher, and you see kind of frost form around it to chill it basically, and then she pours a nice glass, and she'll do the same with the water as well. Okay, you don't know her, are you sure she doesn't know you? Yep. That's just a weird rhyme, I don't know what it is.

Well, the local people said she was weird, wasn't it? So what brings you out to a place like this? God, it must be something pretty interesting. I mean, I don't know why the hell anybody else would come out here. Weird word of potential attack on this village. Well, there's been attacks up and down the coastline. Blimey, bandits, pirates, that sort of thing?

Champions of Ojanya. Champions of Ojanya? The Embered? Out here? Why here? Not sure. That's why we're investigating. Hmm. Hmm. Interesting. Okay. There was a place not too far away that also got attacked, unfortunately. Oh, and we did too. And we did, yeah, not too far from here, actually.

Really? Yeah. You're in this crowd of monstrosities. Jump on my boot. I think some of them are still on Xandias' boots. Oh, you're right, sorry, I really should have. Yeah, and she'll throw you like a rag. Yeah, thank you.

Would you mind? Thank you. I tried my best, but it's everywhere. I should probably just take all my clothes off. I mean. No, not again! Is it just your boots? It's just my boots. Santheus, come around here, and she'll come around,

and she kneels down, and she'll prestidotation clean them for you. Oh. And you can see that she's very clearly some sort of, she's got minor training in arcane magic. And she'll just, whew, whew,'ll just, and you watch as this kind of almost, like a pattern of bronzy magic kind of, like kind of sprays across your boots

and it rips up all the bits and juice and just disintegrates them. And she'll say like, yeah, sorry, there's... I, hmm, you sure we've never, you... No, you see, these guys know about... Right. Um, these guys know about... Right. So, and I'm feeling that... Okay, okay, okay.

And you can see that there's still a lot of hesitation here, because she's looking at all of you. Wait, Daisy, are you saying that she doesn't know? I don't know, I don't know. I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying these guys know about things and stuff that I- My friend says to tell you,

and she doesn't mean you, Daisy. to tell you, and she doesn't mean you, Daisy. Mm-hmm. Says that, where is it? Peter. To say that, a sabrel says hi. In my head, I will say that. Nim hears it.

Okay. And you hear Nim say, a sabrel? No, a sabrel, I know that name. They were a siege gunner. I worked with them once in a battle. I know the spirit. I hear it.

Tell your friend that Sereninem says hi. She definitely takes this look like, well, fuck me sideways, I can't believe it, another one. You're like me. Another one? Well, like me. I never met another one. This is weird. Me neither, but gosh, I thought for, I worried for a second that,

I wasn't sure if you worked for them. No, no. Have you encountered one before? No. Pray that you don't. There's a reason I'm out here. I had to give up everything and flee, but I can't believe it.

If you could hear what she's saying right now, she is so excited to hear that name again. And they all know? They know, Nim. Oh, yes, Nim. Yes, yes, yes. Nim, yes. That's, I get it now.

Yes, but you also. Yes, my friend is called Asavriel. Asavriel? She came to me a few years ago. Would Asavriel be kind enough to spell? Uh, yeah, A-S-A-B-R-I-E-L, Asavriel. I'm a fucking genius. I feel like that one's a failure.

I did an A instead of an E. Listen, that makes a lot of sense, and maybe this means that something's weird here in this town. I noticed, it seems weird. We don't know what it is, but the locals don't like me, fine. I'm a stranger, I get it.

But Asabriel says that there's something funny going on here. Mm, how long have you both been here? About two years. Not long. I came here just after I had to leave Brassur. It was, well, it was when Sabriel and I joined together. It was a very public incident. Oh.

And I had to flee. I mean, your friend seems to know a little bit, but I don't know if any of you have encountered a Jaeger before, a Celestial Jaeger. No, not since Daisy. Well no, no, no, that's- Is it different? Yes, a hunter, a Celestial Hunter.

Oh, no, I don't think we have. That's a mid-word. Then you should be careful with your friend. Wait, Daisy, you're aware of this? Yep. Oh. Roy. Did we know of that contract you got? I know you, we know of that contract you got?

We know you got it, but did you open it in front of us? I think so, because I gave it to Xanthius to look at. The rod? Yeah, the rod. Yeah. I gave it to Xanthius, but I think it's in Celestial, so I could read it. But I had to tell Xanthius.

Is this something to do with that contract you found? Oh, I have this thing. I will show. I've never seen anything like that before, no. I mean, this looks, I mean, I don't know what that is, but no, you would know what I mean. If, you've, I don't think you know what I'm talking about. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but

you know a little bit about what we are, that we bond with a celestial spirit, right? Yes. But those spirits, they're deserters. They're, I mean, a sabriel was a siege gunner in the celestial army, and they fled, they didn't want to fight anymore. The celestial legions, they don't like their soldiers leaving their post and they send find them and bring them back. And they are specialist celestials

who hunt down spirits like ours. Nathalion was the one who came after me. It was just after the incident where Asabriel and I bonded. The whole of Brassur had heard about the incident. I was being accused of heresy, being accused of all these things, and then just as I'm getting ready to leave the city, this thing shows up.

It's just armor and light. And it didn't care about killing me. It just wanted a subreal back. Let me tell you, I am lucky to be here. It was only because I knew the city well enough, I evaded it, I managed to flee, but I had to leave almost everything behind. I had a small fortune to buy this place, but I just had to run.

You have my sympathy. Thank you. I mean, luckily, this was a few years ago and nobody knows I'm here. My name isn't really Kala, but I've been using that name to avoid attention. But yeah, just pray that Nathalia, or maybe another Yeager doesn't find your friend here.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Daisy. I did know that, but so far, I pray that Nathalia or maybe another Yeager doesn't find your friend here. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Daisy. I did know that, but so far we've managed to avoid things. Well, mainly because we didn't really know that it was a thing that could happen. But if this Nathalia is a, what, a piece of armor? This is why I don't tell people. Oh, yeah. I told you guys

because we were... Nims helped us a lot and... I imagine. And... It's kind of hard to ignore some of the abilities I have without explanation, so I told these... Can I ask, when did you bond with your... I was like a toddler. Oh, right, well, yeah. I was tiny.

Gosh, so you probably don't remember much. Well no, but Nim saved my life. I would have died in a house fire if Nim hadn't saved me. Right. So it's likely there wasn't really anybody around when it happened. Nope.

Unfortunately for me, it was very different. I was older, it was only two years ago. I also nearly died. I had been poisoned by... people that did not like how successful I was being in my business. And this voice just offered to save my life. I was desperate, it was so painful, and I agreed. And I remember it all.

I exploded with light enough to blast away. This was in a packed Guildmasters meeting. It blew tables and chairs and people across the room as I just erupted in light. It was like I was made of light, like I became somebody else entirely. And that sort of thing can't easily be ignored or forgotten. And it wasn't long before this this hunter came after me. And this thing did not care who saw it or knew about it. It battered away guards, like people jumped, like guards were trying to stop it and it just did not care. Oh, um. I mean, some of them, it was able to just command them,

draft them into its service. It's like it was law and order itself. And these guards, these soldiers, something about them, it just managed to grab them and take hold of them and use them as its troops. Well, thankfully, this hunter is not hiding or hidden. Well, I just mean, if we are to see it, it should be very, very obvious what it is.

Okay. I just can't believe you walk into my place. Another spirit like me. Weird. I can, if they wanna talk, we can probably. What would you mean? Oh, okay, no, this is a me thing. One of the abilities that I have because of Nim

is that I can connect our thoughts and then. Really? It's like a little chat in your head. That's it, you can do that. I'll do it with. And you can see she kind of blinks for a second. And you would hear this conversation. You would hear Nim...

Sabat... Asariol? Asabriol? Surinam? I cannot believe it. It is so strange to hear your voice after all these years. Yours as well, my friend. I did not know that you had deserted when... Oh, it was after you these years. Yours as well, my friend. I did not know that you were deserted. When? Oh, it was after you had left.

The legions sent us to... And it's kind of long-winded. You can kind of drown it out. You can kind of lower the volume almost. But they begin sort of having this long conversation, these two celestial spirits in your head. But you can definitely tell, this is not an ability this Carla has.

She doesn't seem to have that same ability as yours. Instead she will be like, well I can't do that, and she'll sort of look around, but I can do this. And she holds her hand out, and you watch this shimmering golden gun of light kind of into her hand. Oh, dude. And then she dismisses it basically.

I'll get a dagger and be like, yeah. Sorry, that, I got excited, that was fun. That's very cool, not to diminish what you can do, but we've also seen, you know, with the... Yeah, oh yeah, she can grow wings. Wings? And fly. When the hunter was chasing me,

I remember I felt like I was burning up. And these guards, when they rushed to try and grab me, it was like they were being burned by something, by light. It seemed to just be coming out of me. Can I ask what your trade was? Was it running a tavern or...? No, no, I was... I was a very, very successful spice merchant in Brassa,

which is a big trade here in the Suncrest Isles. I was actually... I was supposed to become the guild mistress of the Spicing Guild. But let's just say, there were those who were opposed to me having that position. I see. Where is Brasa, sorry? So Brasa is here in the Sun Crystals,

it is to the west of Wavemeat, so you went east, this is to the west of Wavemeet, so you went east, this is to the west. It is one of the two major cities of the Suncrest Isles. Is Wavemeet the other one or? No, no, Wavemeet is like a big town. It is Zenith and Brassus, and Brassus is the original capital of the Suncrest Isles. But it was heavily damaged during the Aureat Insurrection

and a lot of bronze dragons either joined Galvassar or were slain by Galvassar. So a lot of the bronze dragons were actually kind of killed and so Zenith was built as a new city to kind of symbolize like a rebirth for the province basically. And Zenith is like this new, it's the like new Vegas kind of thingize like a rebirth for the province, basically, and Zenith is like this new, it's the like new Vegas kind of thing,

versus like the old capital, which is a bit more traditional. It's like been there since early days of the empire. Still functioning as a city, but a lot of it was badly damaged. And so it had to be rebuilt, and so they built Zenith as sort of like a new city for the new leadership and for the new future of the province, basically.

But yeah, Brasser is, it's a big city. It's kind of like Feroz in Caldra. So one of the big capital cities of the provinces. Okay, cool. I was just wondering. Yeah, and that's actually, it's quite close. Brasser is inland and it's close to the Gildai border, which is why it got so badly damaged.

It was the war front, basically they fought over Brassa during the Aurea interaction. Okay. Okay, cool. Nice. Little bit of lore. Yeah, I was just wondering exactly where it was. Yes, but yeah, I was supposed to,

I was very wealthy, I managed to bring some of it with me here by this place. I think that's why the locals don't like me, because they didn't expect some foreign person to come in and buy it off the previous owner. Some stranger. They don't seem like they like new people. They're set in their ways, I think.

No, very set in their ways. Listen, you've got gotta remember as well, there are a few big families here, and they have been the Reeve and the Marshall for generations, as I can follow. They control this place. The Ogdens and the, sorry, the Ogdens and the Cambryx, they run this place.

Every time a new Reeve is elected, it's an Ogden. sorry, the Ogdons and the Cambryks, they run this place. Every time a new reeve is elected, it's an Ogden. Every time a new marshal is elected, it's a Cambryk. Every single time. There are other families here, they're more than happy to just let these two run it because the town does do pretty well for such a small, out of the way place. They never really seem to have any trouble.

They make good money. It's hard for me, because very few of them will come in here, but I have a few regular customers of the families who are a bit more independent. But they treat you well enough here? They sort of treat me as a sort of unwelcome guest. Like, they're not violent, they're not aggressive.

They can be a little rude, but some of them are desperate enough for a drink, they'll come in, but they're not exactly friendly towards me. Are you going to the festival tonight? Probably not. I'm probably gonna sit in, I'm gonna get in my bed, I'm gonna read my book. Much more my kind of speed, I'll be honest.

Okay. I mean, did you ever hear what happened to the church that they have here? Geez, the church, point of silence. Because I don't wanna offend anyone by asking, but maybe you would know. Listen, the only thing I know about that place is nobody here will go towards it.

Not even other members, not even the smaller families. They avoid that place like it's got the plague. I'm not about to go up there and check it out either. Like that is, I am not that person. Why, do you know why? It's no one knows. Listen, when people get in the cups and they've had a bit to drink,

you know, they start talking about how it's cursed, haunted, all of that kind of stuff. I don't know how much of it to believe, but that's what they say. Well, a little curse, a little haunted, not so bad. We did have a haunting here. Quite a collection of characters. There's a lot going on. Yeah, tell me about it. I think it's at this point, you've been having these drinks but quite a collection of characters. There's a lot going on.

Tell me about it. I think it's at this point, you've been having these drinks and this conversation. Matteo's been just so engrossed in everything. Yeah. But it's when there is a knock at the door, and the door opens and several people now come inside. Because this conversation will be going on

for a little while. Do you want to take the lead, or how do you want to do this? Yes I can. Yeah I think as you kind of ask that question these people are coming. So you see Madeline, the little halfling lady, the older halfling lady kind of steps in and she's holding hands with like Bilbo basically.

He's got like gray hair, it's kind of puffing out the sides. He's got this kind of kindly sweet, like a couple of like little wispy hairs on his chin, wearing a little vest with little buttons. He's probably got like fish bones instead of buttons actually, kind of like fish bones, sort of like teeth or something like that. And he kind of comes in, you can see he's got like

a little patch of netting instead of a handkerchief and things like that, and he kind of comes in. You can see he's got like a little patch of netting instead of a handkerchief and things like that, with a little badge of the local Reeve authority. I mean, he's got a walking stick, and he comes in, and he's kind of like looking around, and he's like, oh, hello, Carla, hello, hello. And he kind of steps in, are these them, darling? And he's just like, yes, these are the Travelers, Merrick.

He's like, oh. And then behind him come two humans, way taller than these two halflings, but also broader. The first is a man. He is wearing polished chainmail. He has a rough tabard with a swordfish on the front of it. He has clearly got a well-kept axe and a hammer and a shield. I mean, he looks like a soldier, this guy.

Dark skinned as well, black hair, and he kind of steps in, looks a lot more serious and stern, and he clearly proudly has the marshal badge, basically like a sheriff's badge, effectively, on his chest. Beside him is a woman that is clearly a familiar relation, probably his mother or an older aunt or older sister. But she is also very broad-shouldered, very muscular.

She is wearing a sort of simple sort of homey dress. But you can see she has also got on her belt loop like a hefty looking cudgel mace. And like an iron banded beating stick basically. And she comes in wrinkled, very serious, matronly face. Hair pulled back into a tight bun, a soldier's bun. Something that can't be grabbed or anything like that. It's cool. I don't know why, but I'm imagining like Miss Trunchbull.

A little bit less kind of like plump and like this is muscular and less kind of like not warty and things like that. Like she looks like an athletic, quite fit woman. But definitely is like that older kind of like stern figure. And they sort of follow in behind these two little halflings who kind of come in. And you see Merrick, the town reeve will be like,

oh, well firstly, welcome to Netting on Sea, my good friends. My wife has told me some rather disturbing things. Carla, would we be able to have our friend, have our travellers had a drink? Would you like another? Oh yes, Carla has been very accommodating. Oh good, good, good. He'll take out a pouch of coins and reach to put it up on the county. Let us get another round and I think I'll have an ale, Madeline. Oh yes, an ale, please, darling. And what about you, Jameson, my good boy? What about you and your mother?

We'll be fine, no ale for us, I'm on duty. Mother, and she would say like, no, no, no, I want to keep a clear head. From what Madeline has said, this is an important matter. And so they take this more stern thing, but this half thing's, oh, more for me. He'll like, you know, reach out, and Carla definitely immediately takes like a bit more of a like, sure, Merrick me. He'll reach out, and Carla definitely immediately takes

a bit more of a, sure, Merrick, yeah, I can get you some drinks. But you can see that this is not normal. This guy does probably not come in here. Sure. And so she begins pouring drinks, probably gets you around, we'll get you a glass of that special stuff,

because if he's paying for it, yeah. I was literally gonna be like, I'll have another one of those. No, she gives you a wink,, because like, if he's paying for it, yeah. I was literally gonna be like, I'll have another one of those. No, she gives you like a wink, and is like, another one of these, Xanthius. Thank you, yes. Yes, no problem. And you see, he's like, oh, that looks expensive.

It's my second one. Yes, absolutely. It's like another for me as well. And definitely kind of pours it around. But they say, now, what's this business about an attack? You were attacked on the coast? Yes, so several days ago we heard word that the two champions of Ajanya

have been attacking various settlements and islands. Oh, it was me. And other minions, other creatures of Ajanya have also been attacking coastlines, villages, and even taking some villages with them as they return to the deep. Oh. As we set sail for here, we were attacked by several creatures. About six hours...

Six hours sail from here. Six hours? That's... That's very close, Jameson. You've not heard anything. I began as when Madeleine came and told us. I asked a couple of my guards and the local fishers. We haven't seen any sign of these creatures, but some of the fishermen did say

that they have seen less travelers on the coast lately. Normally we see a few ships coming and going along the coast, but apparently, the last few days, they haven't really seen anyone. That could explain if people are being attacked. Perhaps they just haven't arrived here yet. Perhaps we're too small to be of interest, I don't know. But as far as I can tell,

nobody's reported anything like that. They're obviously, and he'll look at Merrick and be like, I mean, know, but as far as I can tell, nobody's reported anything like that. They're obviously, and he'll look at Merrick and be like, I mean, obviously there's been that talk about what's been happening up at the church, but that's very different. Yes, yes, but I... What's happening at the church? Well, you would be doing us a big favor.

People have been saying for the last few days, I mean the place has always been abandoned. We don't go up there anymore. There's always been talk and stories ever since I was a boy here. Tends to be left to it. Apparently some horrific tragedy in the past. Always been rumors of it being haunted or cursed or something like that, but lately, last few days, people have been saying they've heard strange sounds

and seen lights up at the church after sundown. Now, none of us here, even good Jameson here is a trained soldier and athletic. I mean, we don't want to risk somebody meddling in affairs like that. So we've been leaving it to it. It hasn't been causing us any trouble, so we've left it to it. But I don't see how this could be connected to what you're claiming, though.

Unless these... Do these creatures... Could they have taken up residence in the place? Found somewhere abandoned or something like that? Anything is possible. It will be something that I investigate. I would say, good sir, you would be doing us a great favor by investigating it if there is trouble to be found there. And no one goes up there even during the day?

Oh, you would have to be a brave soul, I think, after all, I mean, this is a very tightly knit community, sir. I see. You know, everybody here, after all. I mean, this is a very tightly knit community, sir. I see. Everybody here, well, perhaps not Carla, who is a newer resident, but most of the families here have lived here generations. We've all grown up with the stories of the church. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

I mean, perhaps when we were children, you'd get the odd dare to go in and take a grave blossom off one of the graves, but honestly, you get within a few steps of the place and oh, goodness me, no, it doesn't matter what boy or girl you're trying to impress, you don't go in there. And with this tight community, I suppose you would notice, of course, if, science forbid, anyone was to go missing or?

Missing, well, I mean, yes, if it was anybody, right? I mean, he'll look to Jameson, and he'll be like, we are quite far away from civilization here. There are occasional travelers, merchants who are attacked by bandits and things like that. Nobody really from the village goes missing. The only one exception to that is we did have

a priestess of St. Talan. This was decades ago, I think when you were a boy, right, Merrick? Yes, yes, yes. They came to take the church, they were going to take over the church, run it. Said that they were here to provide us spiritual guidance. But we never saw them again.

Just vanished. So where do you worship now, sorry? We, I must say, there are... Actually, Merrick was... My wife and I, a few people keep to the traditions, and then we have the statue of Saint Talan in the town square, but I think, if I may be honest, not a lot of us are very religious anymore.

We tend to focus on the practicalities of survival and living. Stand down. Stand down. Perhaps we need a new one. Oh, we've been getting on by fine without any divine guidance. Well, I feel it's certainly something we could have a look and see if maybe there's some kind of,

if a house of shadows might be involved in the church or. Goodness, what is that? Some sort of assassins? No, they're from Osseous. They're one of the five houses. What's an Osseous? Osseous is where I'm from. I'm from across the ocean. What? Very far across the ocean. Veryides. What's an Osseous? Osseous is where I'm from. I'm from across the ocean.

What? Very far across the ocean. Very far. That's impossible. No, it's not, no I didn't. You can't cross the ocean? I did. What?

What? What the? Oh! Is that it? That's incredible. Well thank you, yes, well it was quite a harrowing feat. Osseous?

Yes. Never heard of it. You get the impression that these are not like very worldly people in this place. Sort of this incredulous moment. Jameson would probably kind of take a moment here, this is the young marshal, Marshal Jameson. He would probably step forward and say, we prefer to find faith in people here.

There are a few locals who still keep a little shrine and prayer book to St. Talan, but most of us are focused on community here. And that's worked out well for us. Well, I mean, we could go investigate the church. I will say the connection might be a bit tenuous, but if there is some... Could we offer you something to investigate for us?

A reward or something? I have a little bit of gold, a stipend from the local authority. I mean, it certainly wouldn't hurt to check it out. It's just... No, it wouldn't be our first warning. Under Gruff's guidance, who is currently sitting with a middle finger up to me in her resting position right now. Gruff or Kim? I'm consciously swearing at him the whole time.

Um, no reward is necessary. It is our duty and our mission to help out. Um, I would ask, what are the combat abilities of this village, capabilities? You see Jamison will sort of stand more to attention and his mother beside him also kind of stands a bit more proudly. He did bring his mumsy though, so not really.

His mum looks like she could beat the shit out of him. You met my mother. Physically out of him. Yeah, physically. You met my mother, Tom. You would also, like... Your mom would be... She's also just bought a new set of knives. I feel like this is for everybody. You get the impression that his mother,

I don't think you know the name of yet, is the former marshal. So she is actually, he has inherited that role from her basically. They sort of like take her thing, well we don't have trained soldiers, we have maybe 12 guards, some of which are more trained than others.

Most of them are just local farmers and fishers that we've taught to use a spear, taught to use a shield, form up a basic shield wall. There are no defensive walls here. Honestly, we're mainly here to deal with bandits and wild creatures. The occasional vaultspawn, if it comes out, but there hasn't been anything like that

in this part of the Suncrest Isles in centuries. That's a relief. I've done my fair bit of training. I would say that I'm a fairly competent warrior and my mother is the former marshal, so she is also very well trained. We know how to keep our people in check, but if these champions or these creatures were to attack, we would certainly be able to,

we would certainly put your help to use. Does anyone have any magical capabilities here? All of them look around at each other like, no, no, no, no magic here. I don't know if, I don't know if any of the, excuse me, I have to look up, I don't know if any of the Breeze Weavers know a little bit of magic.

I don't tend to speak to them very often. Oh, I don't think so, darling. No, no. I don't know if any of the Breeze Weavers know a little bit of magic. I don't tend to speak to them very often. Oh, I don't think so, darling. No, no, I don't think that they have any magical knowledge whatsoever. You see, Daisy, you would notice this, Carla is just avoiding this conversation, but you've all seen her use magic. Clearly they don't know that she can.

Gruff is looking nowhere near. Yeah. She is like melted into the background. She's reading a book, or at least that's what she looks like she's doing, but she is listening very intently. Yeah, I was gonna eye her up and just see if there was even a consideration of like...

Well, it's very clear they don't know she can use magic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, like she clearly used magic with all of you out in the open, doesn't look like she's ever done that with these people. Yeah, that's fair. Right, well, I'm assuming that if there is to be an attack, it will come from the ocean, from sea. Or caves.

Or caves as well. They've been using that. There are, the problem is all along this coast, there are dozens of sea caves and even some underwater and things like that. Smugglers and pirates occasionally use them to even some underwater and things like that Smugglers and pirates occasionally use them to store their goods and things like that We were trained when I was training in the Sea Guard. We were trained to look out for them I I can try and mark some on a map for you, but they're kind of scattered and separated all along the coast It's miles and miles of it, but I can I can put that down on a map for you if you'd like

Thank you. I'm just thinking, if the worst comes to the worst and these creatures do attack, I think our priority should be to evacuate the village. Do you really think so? It's best to be prepared, just in case. I suppose after the town, the most formidable place would be our farmhouse, really, wouldn't it, dear?

It's probably the biggest building and we do have the wall. We do have at least a wooden wall around our estate. I mean, that's most defensible position, I suppose. As long as it's away from the water. Oh, yes, it's further inland up, but it is next to the river. I mean, most of our settlements here are along the river. The estuary feeds out directly into the sea. Do you have any way to raise alarm in the village?

Guards all carry a horn, an alarm horn. Nothing more than that, though, I'm afraid. But most of the villagers are trained that if they hear the alarm call to barricade themselves in sight, to prepare for an attack. Is there any means by which if something was to happen at night, lanterns can be lit so that it is visible? We have a few lanterns.

Most people tend to be at home at night though. Most people aren't out. This isn't a big city, I'm afraid. This is a small village. Most people are at home. We have a few lanterns we could set out, but not many. And a giant pyre. Well, I mean, for the festival, we will have that pyre tonight, yes.

You don't think that it would disrupt the festival, do you? Everyone's looking forward to it. Can't say for sure, I suppose. Oh, my goodness, with all the food and all the drink. Well, we don't know if they're even going to attack at all. We just wanted to be prepared. That's true. Well, it's very good to have you all here. Well, I mean, would you mind, frightfully,

going up and checking out the church before the party this evening? Yes, I do. It would do us, it would ease my soul, ease my mind, if I knew that that was taken care of. Do you believe the church? I don't know. I just know that people have been hearing horrible noises and seeing strange lights up there

and it's got a few people a bit worried. And when you come here with news of these creatures from the sea, I mean, it is on the cliff. I mean, it would not be impossible for a creature to climb up it, I suppose. One of the champions is a magician and uses illusion and things like that, so.

Even more. Can I insight check him? Yeah, of course you can. I mean, yeah. There's a part of me that is like, obviously concerned for the church, but it's also like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're trying to get us out of here.

Sure, sure, sure. Now this time is full of weird things. I mean, I only have a point. I would like to use fate. You haven't told me the result yet, so absolutely. I didn't see it before it landed, to be fair. But, uh, 14. 14.

And you were just inciting Merik as he's answering that question? Yes, it's just, it's the immediate like, please go check the church, go to the church. What about the church? It's creepy, go check it. Yeah, I mean like, you can totally take it that way, like that is your decision as a character,

to be like, I'm still gonna be suspicious. But there's nothing in his body language, he's not like glancing around, he's not nervously looking at anybody, he's like pleading with these like big halfling eyes. Like he seems quite scared. Yeah, yeah. He certainly seems to be afraid of this news

or your arrival. Like he's certainly worried. It seems to be genuine. Seems genuine, okay. Can I insight check the mother? Yes. Just on like body language here because she's barely spoken a word. Yeah, so I think as the conversation's going on,

you're just like keeping an eye on her body language. She's not saying anything. Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just wanna see like what her vibe is. Absolutely. 17 plus four, 21. 17 plus four, 21. Uh, yes, absolutely.

Um, first of Yes, absolutely. First of all, let me, God, it's like my brain just does not keep this information. She's the one who sat there with her finger up. All right. Where is her name? I have her name somewhere. You're dead. Frazojanya.

Are you learning the name from an Insight Shard? Hannah, no, so I had to look it up. Her name is Hannah Cambric. Two things, I'm actually gonna spend a point of fate as well. I'm gonna add a slight complication or a cost to this. She totally sees you eyeballing up. She sees you and can tell that you are sort of looking her up and down and, like, trying to weigh her up.

And she looks over at you. Um, and there is a bit of a kind of... Do we have a problem? No, I was just actually wondering... Well, firstly, what your name is. I'm Hannah Cambric, former marshal. Jemisin is my son. The 21 on the inside, by the way.

She is definitely more agitated by your presence than anybody else. Like she does not like that you guys are here, and you can tell that. And she doesn't like color. Like she keeps glancing over it and like almost sneering in her direction and she just does not like them.

And you can tell that. You can tell that there is, this woman is brimming with animosity towards you. It's an insight check, so it's not a perception check. You don't spot any like if she's got like a necklace hidden under her own tunic or anything. You don't see that. It says Yay or check, so it's not a perception check. You don't spot any, like, if she's got, like, a necklace hidden under her own tunic or anything. You don't see that. It says, yay, or jan, yeah. Yeah, but you can definitely get the sense from this woman

that she is uncomfortable with you being here and she does not like color. Those are, like, two things I will give you for certain. But I think that she kind of stands up and will just say like, call me if you need me. There's no need, I have things to be doing with, and she's gonna leave. That's the convocation, like she spots you

like checking her out, and she's like, I'm out, and leaves. Oh, what does Jameson do? He kind of like looks at her, and he's like, are you all right? And she's like, yes, I'm fine, I've just got things to do. He kind of like looks at her, and he's like, are you all right? And she's like, yes, I'm fine, I've just got things to do. He kind of like rolls his eyes a little bit, and then he looks to Merec and Madeline, and he'll look to Olivia.

I must apologize for my mother. She is not good with strangers. Well, I hope we haven't offended her. No, no, no. She just, uh... She's stuck in her ways. And she forgets that she is no longer the Marshal. Right. Um...

She's used to being the one at the top of the chain of command. Understood. Do you have any experience with the church or any insight or? If I may be honest, like Mr. Ogden said, I grew up on stories of that place and honestly it frightened me. I have not gone up there.

I can take care of a bandit. I can fight wolves and bears. I don't know what I would do against the supernatural. As only so much steel and, good steel and a shield will do you against spirits. And you can see that like he says that word very intentionally. He's like, there's almost like a look of like,

I don't fuck with ghosts. And he's like, to my shame, I have not gone up there myself and I've been hesitant to. Have you seen anything of these lights or noises? Me, myself, no, but my night guards have said that they've been some of the people that have heard strange, how did they describe it? Almost sort of wailing or... Strange... How did they describe it?

Almost sort of wailing or... Something almost melodic. And then seeing strange lights up there. Would that sound like familiar to Ophelia at all? Yeah, give me a... For Ophelia, an arcana check or a religion check. I would allow both. Religion, can I use fate, please?

You absolutely can, please. Ooh, 19 religion. 21. 21. Nice. Yeah, most certainly. Like, you would have been taught about all of the five great houses of Osseous.

You know that the House of Shadows contains specters and ghosts, banshees, spirits, wraiths. Lights, very common with spectral undeads. They can manifest as a sort of glowing blue or green light. They can often cast sort of an otherworldly pallor over a place. Melodic, like mournful wailing and noises, very common with unquiet spirits. Generally tends to be common with spirits that are angered or sorrowful or guilt, full of guilt.

They tend to sort of wail and bemoan their existence. In Osseous, that would be the sort of indentured spirits, spirits that have owed the House of Shadows debts, and so their souls are not to let go until debts have been paid. Things like more powerful spectral undead, do you remember your encounter with Tyria? Similar sort of, she was more quiet,

but lights and movements and things like that were quite common with certain types of ghosts and spirit. There are also powerful ones like wraiths that tend to manifest similar effects. If an area has an immense presence of cold, that is often also attributed to spectral creatures. Yeah. Cool. You would, the other thing I will tell you

is that if there are spirits, they tend to be weak against sunlight. So they don't tend to manifest in sunlight, and if sunlight is on them, they tend to weaken their power as well. With a 21, I'll give you that as just general knowledge. Sounds like very familiar territory for me. You think it is House of Shadows?

It's very well could be, yes. It sounds like somebody needs to make peace with something or someone. Yes, exactly. Kind of. May I ask what your plans are? It's time to go to break, but I'd like to go to break knowing what you're going to do. Did we get a judgment call on how far away the church was? Oh, it's like, you know, less than an hour.

Right, okay, yeah, yeah. It's probably like a 30 minute walk up the hill. 40 minute walk. You'd be able to see the town square from the church. Yeah, yeah. I think Gruff would suggest that we go up there, but also something stinks here, so very suspicious as to what is going on there.

So we go with caution. Would we continue to have a little chat after the Reaver's gone, just in this place as well, before we head up, or a walk and talk situation? I would ask, I think walk and talk, I would ask the Reav to send word to Ser Jorah as to what we're doing, as to, you know, we're going up to the church and there is suspicious

players and lights. So yeah, Merricor said, oh, I did not realize you had another companion, are they down at the docks? Yes, there's Sir Jorah, Sir Jorah and Harper. Sir Jorah and Harper, now that's a name I think I've heard of that. The Barnacle Knight. The Barnacle Knight! My goodness, well, we've certainly got the right people on hand

for any sort of trouble. He'll be keeping an eye on the water. All right. And he also has an alarm in case that he can raise in case he sees... Well, Jameson, perhaps you should go and speak with him then, while our friends go off and investigate the church. You can go and fetch him and let him know what's going on. Yes, I mean, I would love to speak with this knight.

Absolutely, yes, absolutely. We'll do that, no problem. Yeah, so we'll go up to the church and we'll have a look. Alright, good. Alright. Alright, well with that, we are going to take our break there. We've already run over a little bit, but I wanted to just set that up. That's cool. We will return in part two with the party going

to investigate the Church of St. Talan. Yeah. See you then. Bye, church. Bye. Hi, this is Michelle Madison. And I'm Jon Jacobson. And we're the Video Game Outsiders podcast and we just joined the Pickaxe Network. That's right.

We've been covering video game news and reviews for the past 20 years. On everything from Xbox, 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 videogameoutsiders.com

or anywhere podcasts are available.