High Rollers DnD - Gifts of the Planar (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #87

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

The heroes return to Ashen Rest with a bounty of essences as Xantheus prepares his arcane workshop! Altheya: The Dragon Empire Campaign Setting begins in Q1 2026! Register interest and support the journey to release here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rollandplaypress/high-rollers-altheya-the-dragon-empire Can't wait for Part 2 of each episode? Join our Patreon to get early access EVERY week (+ a few other bonuses)! www.patreon.com/HighRollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ _______________ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Add official High Rollers Minis to your TTRPG collection here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bless your table with the Clever Toad Dice Set: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dispeldice.com/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enhance your bath time experience with the official Altheya themed DiceBombs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geekyclean.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highrollersdnd.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all the latest HR News! Love the podcast? Give us a glittering 5 star review! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-rollers-dnd/id1401508198?see-all=reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound, TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters), Monument Studios and Jolene Khor! Check out Jolene Khor and all her wonderful work on High Rollers on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠v Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Visit unsmoked.ca. realm of the Faywield, a place where life and magic are intertwined. They sought out the estate of their friend Blackwing, an elven mange of ancient years to recover personal belongings of the strange weaver as payment for a favor granted months prior. Whilst investigating the estate, the party met Springheart, a dryad rescued by Blackwing and bound to her tree in the estate, and recovered several magical relics and essences. However, they were pursued by a terrible Femorian warrior called Blood the Conqueror, servant of one of the hag queens who now rule the Faye-Wield.

As Blood approached, the party had to think quickly of a way to save Springheart, and thanks to some clever magic use by Xantheus and Gruff and Daisy's healing and determination, they were able to break off a branch of Springheart's tree and keep her spirit bound to it, though it regressed the dryad to a younger form. As Blood launched his attack and the portal back to Ashen Rest slowly formed The party fended off the attackers Before eventually escaping

And back in Blackwing's Tower They handed over the items And Gruff admonished the Elven Mage And encouraged them to return home And to help their people fight back against the hags and the unsealy Blackwing formerly sort of rebuked

Ask Gruff to take Springheart into his care As they felt they had failed the dryad And would not be fit to help further And that is where we pick up today. And Tom was desperate to get my attention about something I missed in the recap. No, it's not something you missed. No, I don't want to put my foot in it.

I don't listen or what. I think this is well known. Has it always been blood? You said blood. You said blood. You said blood. So when you said blood, because you were just doing a northern accent,

I thought you'd just. It wasn't blood. It was blood. I've had it blood. I've had it blood. But what do you mean you've heard? Because you've written down, I said blood.

But if you write down the word, blood, you said blood. B-L-U-D-D. You said blood. B-L-U-D-D-D? I need to change the descriptions, dude. There's always been blood. Maybe you should check with me when you write the description. Maybe you should pronounce. Why is the B-L-U-D-D-A-U-L-D-A-L.

That's how I said it. You didn't say, you said blood. Chrisby said blood, so I believe, Chris. The audience says they heard blood. Well, what people hear of what I said. You said blood for sure. No, me, who said you wanted. Blood for the conquer.

I heard many tweets last week. or the other week is the month, there were blood. Okay, okay, okay. You know how we said this is the last Althea? Actually, this is how it ends. Which is very, like, that's why both of us went... Blood. Blood?

Blood. Blood. Blue, no. Blue, not... B, L-U-D-D. No, but you were just doing another Northern Ireland. No. Because you were doing it in the intro.

No. We were all the blood before. You said blood. That's funny. I didn't intend to. I thought I was saying blood. Okay, all right. They sound very similar to me.

I can understand you. you mis-hearing. But all of us miss-held. Well, clearly not, yeah. And the audience. Clearly. This is how you know that Highrollers is an authentic, non-scripted D&D show

because we have arguments like this. At the top of an episode, at the final episode of the year, fucking Critical Roll wouldn't do this. Sorry, but Tom and I both locked eyes at the same point that you said that. And when, wait, that's not, and then you did it a second time.

A third time. Blood, what? Blood the conqueror. The blood. It's been spelled that way in my notes the whole time. Shame on me. Say blood twice. If you said, if you pronounced it that way in the other ones,

we wouldn't have had, but you said blood for sure. Yeah. I die on this hill. Die. I am the master of the world and it's been in my notes as B-L-U-D-D-B-L-D-B-D, and that is what I've been saying this whole time. I'm having a great time. I wouldn't even read B-L-U-D-D as blood.

What would you read it as? The Welsh Bluth. Oh. Very good. Right, with that. With that out of the way. It's like a G-Mod-K-Marchter. Fuck, so shut up.

Blu-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-. I want to go home. With that out of the way. Get the giggles out of it. We find ourselves Return to the 87. Thank you. Return of blood.

Return of blood. Return of blood. We find ourselves in the beautiful and now quite homely to all of you, as you've spent much time here, town of Ash and Rest. You have emerged out of Black Queen's Tower having handed over the various personal items.

Xantheus you have this plethora of essences that you've gained whilst they were there as well as a few different magical relics I believe You picked up a few different magical relics Which I think people wrote down that you will have And accompanying sort of still clung in gruff's arms I imagine

sort of this potted And I think Rowan is carrying the potted plant version of it, Springheart's tree in this potted plant, this smaller little grown sapling, and sort of nestled into Gruff's fur, sort of peeking out, very scared, but innately curious, blinking against this sudden, extremely bright

light for someone who's grown up in the Faywield and in the estate of Blackwing. This little dryad, you know, youth really, this slender, her body made of twigs and branches, but shaped into a, into a feminine form, her hair made of these pink and teal buds and leaves and vines that have all sort of grown from this same rose gold-colored skin bark tree is the same as the tree, and sort of like, sort of peering, sort of over gruff shoulder as you're sort of holding Springheart close, sort of eyes, these sort of like just

beads of light really in the wooden face sort of peering and looking at everything in this state of awe. But you find yourselves returned to Ashen Rest. I'm not sure how much longer bark he's going to be around so probably only for a little while as this little waddling piece of bark that was brought to life by Rowan's magic

is sort of waddling beside him. Also, it is time. time for a fate roll, I believe. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. After our argument about blood. Blood? Bluth.

What's a four, Mark? A four, that's a dice for you. I do, what a four? Ah, another dice for you in the crucible of fate. Cinco. Oh, another dice for you. It's five. A two. Oh, Riannan, you never let me down.

I never do. You never do. You never do, and then you can see what I do. A one, isn't that lovely. It's a three to two. It's a three, nice. Nice. Evens.

Yes. Kind of. I'm trying to recall. Did I use one of the essences to preserve? No, you didn't. I didn't. I think you discussed doing it, but you didn't. Okay, so I have the three essences then, the spider, the bark.

The spider. What was his name? Oh God, what was the third? Derwin. So it's the bark, the spider, and then also the frost-covered rose as well. That's, I believe, Ophelia's unseen servant is going, You have quite an entourage of like creatures because you have Barky and then you have the unseen servant

who's carrying this thing. I believe Gruff, you were holding the spider but it kept, it does keep trying to bite you. No, the unseen servants holding the spider. Oh, it's got the both of them, hasn't it? It's got the rose and the spider. The two things that are harmful to be held, yes. Is it either that or Percy who's immune to, either way.

Yeah, Percy could also hold the spider because he's immune to the spider. Yes. But easy to it, let's say that Percy's harring. Let's just say that that's that. The bark is in like a canvas that we ripped off. No, the bark is animated. He's walking, there's Rowan animated. Yep.

He's got little, little teetis. It's been a while. Yeah, that's fine. He's got little tootsies. So you find yourselves, once again, standing on the sort of bustling streets of Ashton's Rest. Yes, okay.

Action rest. We need to get back home. I need to, well, at least I need to get back home. I need to do as much research into this as I can, these essences. but that's now four out of seven, four out of seven that I've now got. Oh, brilliant.

We are actually making progress somehow. That's quite a lot of progress. I know. I know. We have extra. Maybe some of these would be useful if you weren't using them, and we could do something, you can work out some fun things to do.

I'll try and figure out what we can do to... Weapons and things and stuff. Well, one of them actually, one of the essences is the Luxen charts. They're mine bitch. Okay. I'm joking. Language.

I have three out of seven. Gwaffe, what's a bitch? No, I wouldn't say that. Oh no, wait, I've got five out of seven. You have five, yes. Because I have Percy's heart as well. No, you are taking that. That's absolutely not.

Okay, all right, just a sword. Thank you. No. Is she unfortunate? Something from the Greylands. I need something from the Greylands as well. Yes, well I can ask. But I don't know.

I don't know. Well, I don't know what I could bring. I mean, to be fair, your rituals and your sermons are filled with huge wealths of magical energy. Every time you do them and you communicate with the Greylands, there may be some way to siphon some of that away. Cawaf. The Quaylands are bad.

He shouldn't do anything with the quail lands. Yep. Just whispering in your ears. It's dark. We just got precedence. We also have the child. Yes, we do. We don't need that one.

I'm not saying, not saying it's in essence. I'm just saying this is also a thing we need to take care of. Oh, yeah, we're all. Okay, maybe, we can't, we can't exactly go. Let's separate the conversation from essence. Sorry, sorry. I know, no, no, I'm not saying that, but I'm just saying that we need to figure out logistics

because, well, we can't go off on dangerous adventures and carry a child around. Mateo could look after. Why? I was going to say, spring art, I've got a question for you. We're going to need to replant your tree here. Okay. And, well, do you want your tree to be in this city?

Or would you rather be out somewhere a bit more natural with more woodland? I don't know anything about this place. I was in Blackwing's house for so long. I don't know. I just want to be near you and the people that look after me. I think the garden's probably a bit better idea. Well, we're going to take you to somewhere where we're staying at the moment. It's safe there.

It's very loud, because you can hear, like, the bustling of, like, merchants and barkers and things like that. And she's sort of holding, like, the little branch, like, hands over, like, where her ears would be. Also, like, kind of shilling her eyes. Yeah, like, because she's like, yeah, like, she doesn't have, like, eyebrows, but, like, the light dims, like, almost kind of gives the impression that she's squinting or blinking. Oh, yeah, sunglasses. Oh, they look so much better on me. Yeah, but she's...

And me. Fine. I need to get my own hair. Here we go. And she like, get the sunglasses out of a pouch and for the child. Thank you, Sister Ophelia. Yes. You can see that Springont doesn't want to take them.

Like, she's just like... They'll just help you to see a bit better. There's nothing, they're not from... They were bought here, if that, from a merchant here. They will help. Just don't break them. What do I do with them? Just put them over your eyes like this.

Do the arms first, put the arms go over your ears. There you go. So she doesn't really have ears, but there's like, branches that kind of stick out so they're kind of like lopsided like they're kind of a bit wonky one's a bit too high but she manages to sort of balance them on and then they sort of sit on the face and she and you can she's like oh that's better it's not so bright oh they do look good on you actually that's really annoying I look good on everyone yeah great tongue glass they look great yeah we should all get some we should I need some I'm still

striding towards yeah I figure this is a walk-and-talk situation so you'll make your way You head through the main plaza of town, passing through the center, the Dominus Ignarum, the palace of Duke Ignaris, sort of rising up on the hill, sort of overlooking everything. And you make your way back and find your way back to Tyria's Rest. You're in, your tavern, your home, at least temporarily. You can see in the gardens the little shrine of the Gravefather is sort of looming over the iron fence, nestled in amongst the garden and as you make your way back.

The tavern is open for business and Mateo is busy at work. Garrett Erden, your halfling bouncer, sort of gives you the nod as you approach. You can see probably Garrett would stop initially to like see if this is an illusion. I see. Like kind of test to see if like, he's like, yeah, you're fine and sort of gestures in.

Very good work. Very good work. Any trouble? Why don't we've been done? No, I mean, you've only been gone. The mouth breather? Miss Daisy. There's the mouth breather? Mainly talking about him. You don't have to worry about him. Oh, okay, good.

But no, it's only been, it's only been a day. It's only been gone less than... It's been a very long day. Oh, does it feel like it's been a week? I know. It feels like it's been approximately... Oh, I need a bath. I really need a bath. Well, you'll need to sort of out of yourself, my lady.

I don't... That's not my offer. No. We should have put it in the job description. But inside, things are... Fustling. Well, you know, it's active, right? People come by for drinks.

You know, there's a few people inside having sort of like, you know, afternoon beers. You can see Mateo behind the bar. He's just like, oh, hello, friends. Hello, Mateo. How are things here? It's going as normal. It's quiet, but, you know, it's pleasant. It's not too bad at all.

Fantastic. Mateo, look, meet Barkie. Yes, yep, that's a walking piece of wood. Don't touch it, though. If you touch it, it's bad. I wasn't planning on touching it, Daisy. Okay, good, good. But that's good to know, thank you.

Everything go all right in your little jaunt? I think so. Oh, actually, surprisingly very well. Excellent, oh well, I need to hear the story. Another story to compose the tale of the heroes of Ashton's Rest. The Faywild is a scary, horrible place now. Brilliant, that's great, what a great setting for a story. Like an actual, you know, witness

The Count of the Faywild. Oh, that would make an excellent, an excellent tale. Oh, you need to give me the details, Daisy. Drawings, do drawings, do drawings for me. I don't want to draw it. Draw the nice bits. Okay. Draw a bit when Ophelia blew up a river.

Like the sort of, the landscape. Boy, I could draw the landscape, that's nice. The big tree. Yeah, the big tree. I'll do that. Big tree. Huge tree. Huge tree.

Giant trees. Gargantuan. Gigantuan trees. Larger than life. Trees that eclipsed the sun. The sky. Trees. I mean, we couldn't see the sky at all.

There was no sun, for the tree was sun. It writes itself. I know. I know. Okay, I'll do that. There was no, but then just not the part where they had like ears hanging from their armor and stuff. Oh, no, leave that bit.

That bit was quite exciting. No. Well, yeah. Perfect for a good villain. Yes. Oh, the villain. Oh, this blood fellow. Blood?

Blood. What's curious name? I think it was blood. Blewed? No, I think it was blood. Blood. I have to get all the details from you. Big Crown nailed his skull.

Look, where's my quill? Where's my quill? Where's my crumb? Where's my bucket? No, he like goes and under the bar and he like fetches out a parchment and he's got like a leather journal and he gets like a quickly start scribbling down

like notes and ideas as you start telling it. Before you get too deep into this video. Oh yes, yes, yes. The door to the basement, how secure would you say that is? Oh, well, I mean we've still got the ongoing works but all the security, the two orders I think all being put into place,

all the wards and things like that, so that's all, I think that's all tip-top. Nice, just let us know if anything untoward happens. Nothing to make their way into it. Oh, we did have... There's a gun in there. I just had a vision of him setting off his own security traps. No, but there was...

Somebody came by. They said that they were going to come back later on to find you, but they were looking for you. Do we... Wait. It was just a messenger. It was a messenger from one of the town messengers. Were they an illusion?

Were they disguised? I don't know how I would know that. Did they leave a letter? No, they just said they would come by again, like they said they would come back and try you again. Okay. This is yesterday, so. Right, and you've never seen them before.

I've seen them around Ash and Rest, yes. Oh, okay. They deliver it. It's one of the messenger boys. They just deliver, they run errands, deliver messages and things like that. Okay. Nice, okay, they'll be around later. Fantastic. Yes, perfect. You're gonna go and try and figure out some stuff

and some things? If you hear some noises from downstairs. Do you want it to send Barkey down? Yes, please. Bring Barkey down. I'm going to help the tear out. Say goodbye to Barkey. Oh, flick my goggles.

Really? Say goodbye. Barkey. He's like Rowan kneels down. It's been so long, and I want to give you a hug. No, but I can't. I'm not allowed. I thought he was going to miss you.

You are my second best friend. You're not a rock, but you're pretty good. I'll miss you. He goes in for a hug. No, no hugs. No hugs. All right, off you go, Barkie. I miss you.

Top, top tier of rowing, my precious. Yeah, I try. All right, Barkie. You're the best class, Barkey. Produce flame. It's time to go. Barky's going to a farm upstairs. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Can we keep Barky and destroy one of the other ones? Well, Barkey will cease to be animated in about 20 minutes. Yeah, but you can come in and make it again. You don't do it once a day for an hour. Hey, it might not be, I don't know what I'm going to use as the essence for my little. So Xantheist, you're going to go down into your workshop, take the essences down there.

Can I bring the unseen servant with me? With all of the, they're carrying the things. They're carrying the. Personal also has the spider, we decided that Percival's carrying the spider. Yes, yes, yes. If we can get those caged up or like in a jar or something, so I don't have to touch them too much. You probably would have stuff in your alchemy,

like in your archness lab that you can like, I've got big, thick gloves. Well, yeah, you've got, like, thick gloves. You've also got, like, apparatus that you can suspend it on. I just have the gloves. I just had to. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just had this vision of him, like,

easing style and cronk with big gloves and then pulling a lever to go into this fucking album. Wrong lever. Yeah. It'll be Rowan. Come down, though. Make sure everything's okay. Okay.

Yeah, so, oh, so you're going to go down. I'll go down with them of everybody. And then Daisy and Gruff, what are you guys going to do? So I've probably actually, when they were all having this conversation, especially about the more gruesome bits. You're like, I wouldn't have said it from a kid. The child, I've taken a child somewhere a bit more quiet. Especially because she was complaining that everything was noisy and stuff.

I mean, the tablet itself is too loud. But these guys were being loud and boredy. But Mateo's like asking all these questions. How many ears do they have? How disgusting? Yeah. So yeah, I definitely would have walked away at that moment. I guess maybe heading out to the back to show.

sanctuary. Yeah, and show her. So I think, like, you take Springheart out, and once she's, like, out in the garden, like, she, like, lights up, and she's, like, looking around, like, I've never seen trees like that. What plant is that? And ask, like, immediately is like, what's that, what's that? What's that? And it's, like, asking why?

Why? Why? There's this incessant curiosity. And, like, just, like, grass. Like, it's like, why is it green? Like, oh, like, what's, and, like, the snow, right? As soon as the snow of the, because you have this, like, supernatural sanctuary of Ice Heart, like, what's this falling from the sky?

Why is it, it's cold, like, doesn't understand what it is. That's what, the weather's like in, where I'm from in Ice Art. And, like, like, like, gets, like, kind of climbs down from you and starts, like, scooping up handfuls of it. And it's like, like, throws it. And, like, it's just, like, it's so enamored by the magic of this thing. And then as she's playing, you see coming out of the little Warren,

Squire Leo. It's like, oh, Sir Gruff. Hello there. Oh, you're back. Hello. Oh, Sir Squire Leo, this is Spring Art. Hello there, child. Oh, it's a triad, so rough. They're from the Faywield. Yes, yes. The mistress, the Lord and Lady, told me about it. We've heard of such creatures. Sometimes they come through to the material plane. Well, we had to rescue her because, well, we went to the Fayield and there were unseely attacking where she was. So we've brought her tree with her in the hopes of regrowing it.

Oh, very knightly of you, sir, brother. What a pleasure. What a, what's a... And then you just hear, like, rabbit! And then just, like, Springheart just picks up Sir Leon. It's like, ah! It just, like, hugs it. Gentleands, gentlemen's...

Oh, my God. You have... You sense a bit like the Faye-Wield. You're like one of the jackalopes. You're a jackalope. And he's like, oh, I'm not quite a jackaloupe, young lady. I'm a rabbit. I'm a rabbit spirit.

It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you like it here. Come, would you like to see my Warren? And she's like, yes, I would. And he, like, takes her into the Warren and she, like, gets on all fours and, like, crawls in. And it's just, like, completely... There's, like, a comfort immediately.

Like, this... Your sanctuary is infused with primal magic that resonate so strongly with the world that she knows that this... There is this immediate, like, yeah, this is the right place for her to be. And you take that time, you kind of get the potted plant I was going to scoop out the earth. You turn around and you see Daisy just dragging the plan.

To Daisy's dragging it in. Grasph, I brought this, but I'm going to be so honest. It took me a long time to get it over this far. Yeah, there's my other child. Help. The older one. But yeah, so you kind of go over and like, you know, and with Daisy's help, maybe you like scoop out some of the earth

and you get to transfer. We'd ask Springheart like where she'd want it because I'd very much want her, like, you know, where do you. She'd probably want it like near the pot. pond. And I think like she would come out and maybe be a bit, she would say like, it's a little bit like my grove. We used to have a pond in my grove and my tree was near there. So maybe here and like, no, here.

No, no, no, over here. And like, and then. You can only choose one. Squirely it was like, may I miss Spring Hodd? I think this one's very good. And she's like, okay, that one. And like, you know, he seems to be very naturally good at sort of like connecting with this natural spirit as well.

the two of them sharing this kind of mystic bond and yeah you go and you sort of scoop it out and plant the tree and there is this moment where you worry the climate of ice height is very different the Faywheeled is it okay is this tree going to withstand here

but there is still a remnant of that magic from Xanthius that runic protective magic and the healing magic of your own and daisy celestial light that sort of seems to flow and the bark, rose gold, it doesn't change color,

but it does grow a little sort of duller in its shine, and the pink and the blue become a little bit more saturated than they were. No, sorry, other way around, they become a bit more muted. But the tree does not wither, it does not show, you know, it seems to be adapting to the material plane. it's losing some of its more fay-like qualities. Make a nature roll for me. Okay, minus one.

You may add a fate if you like, you have fate? Can I roll it? That's fine, I'll let you, because you didn't think about it. I think it's easy to forget sometimes that fate's there. Oh, six. So 18, minus one, 17. 17. With a 17, I won't give you everything,

but what I will say is, and you sort of notice. notice this, that when Xanthius and yours and Daisy's magic helped break off that branch, you could tell that Springheart themselves, she became a bit more mortal. And you remember the story of how the elves came to the material plane, came to the world of Althea, and in doing so, they sort of had to give up some of that immortality that they once had as plain our creatures. And now the new generations of elves that are born are just, they're no different to a human

or a dwarf, they have traits of the elves, but they are mortal, they're normal lifespans, that kind of thing, maybe a little bit more long-lived. And looking at this tree and how it's losing some of that saturation, that larger than life, that alienness, and it's becoming more muted, it's almost blending into the environment now, as if it were a natural part of the world. You have this sensation that in time, Springheart herself may also undergo that similar transformation and she may become less of a dryad and more like a mortal creature and it may adapt her over time as well and maybe this could be a brand new race and ancestry that might one day bloom right because there is mortal now blended in here

this is not just a pha being let's just hope it's not a parasitic one we don't know we've got some celestial in there we've got it We don't know. But you think that the tree is taken root and it will thrive here, but it is changed. Like, nothing can be taken from the plains and moved here without something changing. And it's very likely that, unlike the elves,

like, you know, Blackwing came from there, lost that motto, but they're still connected to the fair world. Now Springheart will probably, she might not be able to ever return to the fairwood in the same way. Do you know what I mean? like that she can't take that tree back and go and live in the Faye Wild again.

She is now irreversibly changed by these actions and perhaps will continue to change as not just a child but as a creature that is becoming a part of this living world. But yeah, you feel that that has changed. You also, I'm going to count this as one of your spirits as private sanctuary. You now gain a third level spell slot

that can only be used on cure wounds or healing wood. So you basically have a free, third level heal, basically. Amazing. Wow. As long as Spring Harp is alive and well. She should be. She's staying here.

But the idea is that because her magic is very innate healing and restoration, that kind of is bestowed now to you through the power of your sanctuary. How are you feeling spring art? Cold. Well, that's okay. But it's nice.

It's a nice, I've never felt cold before. Well, maybe we could get you some mittens or something. How, like, funny clothes like you wear. Yeah. Okay. But are you okay? Does the connection with your tree, does that feel okay? Mm-hmm.

Yeah. I can, and she, like, goes up and, like, hugs the tree and it's like, yep, feels like home. And you see that she can still, like, melt with it. And she sort of gets sucked into the tree, and you can hear her voice in your head, like, yep, seems okay. Okay, that's good. Okay, well, that's good. And then she sort of kind of comes out on the tree as well, like, smiling up at you, like. Okay, that was a little bit scary.

So, while you getting settled, dear, Mm-hmm. Can you make me a promise? Okay. Please don't leave these grounds, okay? Oh, I can't leave. I can't go far from my tree. Good, okay.

Like, we just want to make sure you're safe while you get settled here, okay? Yeah. But you should be safe, and people should be kind to you, okay? Okay. And if you need anything, there's Sir Leo, and he can help out. I love him.

I'm sure. And you see Sir Leo's, like, sort of, like, stood right next. We're almost like a dog, You know, when you get, like, staffies that, like, love kids and are just, like, always by their side, like, so Leo's just, like, they're, like, looking around, like, hmm? Oh, do you need not fear, so Grafai, will take care of the young miss. They have no fear.

Oh, right, excellent. As much as I can, anyway, I am only a spirit after all, but... If you do see a dog around here, that's Stuart, and he'll... What's a dog? I'll go get him. Okay. Okay. Is he a friend?

I'll go get Stuart and bring Stuart out. This little dash and comes out. This is Stuart? Ah! Okay, I thought so. Gentleands, gentlelans, gentle, gentlelans, soft pads. Soft pads. He's so long.

Yeah. He reminds it, and she'll say, like, some name of some bizarre fey creature. He's like a snorgle wiggle. That sounds very sure. No, they're dangerous. Oh, no, this is not dangerous. He's good. He seems nice.

He's a friend. He's a friend. I love him. Another friend for you. Just sort of like, and. Stuart, like, but I think she's like, he's not real, though. He's nice, but he's not real. I can tell, he's like magic.

He's like, he's like me and Sir Leo. He's like made of magic. Yes, but... He's still cute. He's still here, and you can play with him. I love him. Great. But he's not real.

He's real enough. Stop saying that. Okay. Oh, we're going to fight. Oh, no. I think as all of this is happening, and we're settling Springheart in and all that. Like, gruff is definitely different.

Like, he's a bit softer, but also in a way, a lot more awkward. Like, yeah. Makes sense. Like, he doesn't quite know what he's doing. Yeah. Like, yeah. I need to write this in the list of things that you've done that are very nightly. I have a list.

I've been keeping a list, and I'm going to. add this because this feels like an exceptionally nightly thing because without Springhart being here then we don't know what would have happened and now we've we've helped her and that's great assuming that this is a bit away from Springhart I mean she wouldn't say it right she's tussling with the the fluffies yeah um but yeah oh well it didn't feel right to just leave her no it wasn't we had to try something it wouldn't it wouldn't it would have been right at all and And honestly, that Blackwing really pissed me off that he just left her and didn't even think about her.

I think that maybe the elves don't realize some things. Like, they don't... They live so long that they just forget. And I think that's what happened. But I don't think he should have either. I can't imagine ever forgetting someone who was a good friend. Especially, it sounds like he was... That Springheart was a really good friend

when Black Wing was really struggling. You shouldn't have left her behind, though. You shouldn't have left her behind, especially with no one there. No. Especially in such a dangerous situation. And especially after he helped to rescue her in the first place, surely you would remember that. No, you need to be responsible. Well, yes, but...

You can't just walk out like that. But you have been responsible. Look, she's here. You saved her. Her, maybe, yes. There's maybe a little flicker of a memory, Graff's eyes. Do you want to talk about something, Graff? You okay?

I'll be fine, Daisy, thank you. Oh, no, I think we're going to cut across as we go into the basement of Tyria's rest. No, Ophelia, don't judge me. It's been a while since you've been down here, but I've been doing some experiments. I've been playing around with things. Smells in here. No, that'll be some of the...

There's some powders and things that I've been playing around with. I'll be honest, Aphelia. I don't know 100% what I'm doing down here. Right. But I'm trying my best and I think I might be getting a grasp of all of this. It's all very exciting. All this magic is very, very new to me. But I'm hoping to decipher it all and try to figure out how it all works.

And I'll like do a produced flame on a little tiny orb in the corner. And it almost, yeah, it's like a fuse lights and around the circle of the room. Oh my goodness, you have been busy. lanterns light up. So, this is my workstation, and it's this massive table with balls built into it. There's, like, vials hanging off it. There's strange crystals that, like, coalesce with magic.

Very good, very nice. But these are the planar essence that we've gathered so far. The demon gun, we've got the luxen shards. Yes. Off limits, apparently, but we'll see. It's in my pocket. Oh, yes. We got the Ifriti gauntlet, this thing here.

Remember when we got that? Yes. The photo magic vault. And now, not one, not two, but three essences from the Faywild. Amazing. Which means we're ever closer. I really need something from the Greylands, though. I'm going to remind you, a demon gun is not an essence on its own.

It's not an essence. Oh, yeah. You would have to release the thing inside and try and write that down. Yes. The potential essence. Yes. But something from the Greylands. You've been there.

You've traversed. Well, yes, I have been there when I died. But we're not going to do that again. I mean, not until later, but... Or at all, perhaps. Well, I'm working on it. Or never. Maybe.

It's not completely written off. Okay. There's plans. Future plans, fun times ahead. Okay. Yes. Immortality is going to be great. Immortality here, though, right?

Who knows? I have plans. I have plans. Oh, God. I'm trying to think. I'll say goodbye first, right? Yes, well, hopefully. Anyway, so.

Mrs. Xanthius, where would you like me to place this spider? It is trying to like me. Yes, I have like a jar somewhere around here. It seems to be well contained in its kitchen. Put on the table. It isn't a cute. All right. Maybe I should put like a book on top of that or something.

Okay, I'm just gonna hold it. It's like this, it's quite big. It's like larger than a big tarantula, and it's bright lime green. Yeah. And it's fangs drip with some sort of like, you know. How strong is that lock? Mending around the glass to the table.

Just weld it basically. Sure, I'll allow it. There you go. Yes. See, that's not going anywhere. Yeah, its cage does seem to be, and you can see that it's woven these long strings of this web, almost silk-like web,

but they have this metallic sheen to it, like this, this, this, this silk that it's creating. Yeah, we should maybe see what that creates. Terrifying, interesting. So I don't think that can escape. How good is the lock? Is it acid resistant? Lock, it's a bell jar,

but I've welded to the table. Of course. Wait, did you take it out of its cage? It's also in the cage. It's also in a cage. It's in a cube, a cage inside a giant bell jar. Yeah, looks good. It's not going,

many places. What you've done is basically put the thing over it which was the second layer to stop it biting you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good. Okay. If it gets out, it's not going to get through the door. Of course not. You think it knows how to you handle? No. No. No way.

Spiders are dumb. Spiders are very dumb. I'm reminded of the Alien Earth TV show. Oh, I love that. I love the eyeball. I want a whole series. Okay, so... So the spectre is holding the frost-covered rose. Barkie is just sort of stood there, and then maybe like five minutes into this conversation,

the feet disappear. Farky, just stand on this table real quick, and then I'm just going to leave him there until he dispels. What about this, the jar, the rose jar? The rose? My spirit doesn't have too much longer either, so... Oh, well, I can just go...

Don't touch it. Slide off a load of books on a side table. Here is good, I think. Okay, would you mind putting that rose on the... Thank you very much. Lovely. So delicate. It does frost the table, but it only goes out about five feet.

So it dominates like a five foot cube. It's just ice cold. Oh, wow. So like if you go near it, you know, your goose, your skin, goose bumps and prickles. So all those books that I just swept off, they're ruined. But that's fine, I can replace those. What about if I, the shrine?

What if I gave you something from my shrine? Would that have Greylands energy? It would have energy, but it needs to be a lot. Like, think about all of this fay-willed stuff. Compressed, contained, very, very powerful things. I need something like that from the Greylands. So, as a reminder of you, Xenthius, these essences, they basically have, like,

trait stones. They're all fay essences. They also have their own individual ones. So the ant bark was endurance. The spider is poison, and then the rose is ice or frost cold. And, you know, depending on what you want to do, you know that you can take those essences,

break them down, create magic items with them, apply them to other existing magic items. You can do lots of cool things with them. Like that, same with the other essences that you have as well. Yeah, the demon gun does need, you have learned a ritual, you know of a way to basically crack it open and release what's inside

and then break that down into an essence. That's it. And the Afriti gauntlet itself is much like the things. And that gives off a constant radius of heat as well. You notice this Afriti gauntlet, not as powerful as the frost, but it's definitely very hot to touch. Near the frost. That's a thought for another time.

So we have... So what have we got left? So we've got for Greylands. Greylands, which... I can ask the Greyfather and give me some advice on that one. Chuck in essence our way. As a reward, of course. After that, we have...

chaos essence and a law essence. Chaos and law. But, Mm-hmm. Interesting. You ever been to the Howling Sea? No. You ever been to the precept coil?

No. Do you know how to get there? No. Do we know anyone that does? Yes. Probably. We know some very powerful individuals that may know.

Okay. Okay. Maybe Duke Ignarious might know. Maybe. Maybe Obsidious would know. Possibly. Black Wing might know. Considerably.

That other big dragon. The other big dragon? Another big dragon, yes. Is that a house? That one. Thank you, voice and head. Thank you, voice and head. Who said, Daisy?

Meta pigeon. You up there? I'm too scared to come down. I don't know what you're doing there, but I heard some noises. Haunting things. Okay. It's so messy in here, Daisy, you would not believe it. Beautiful, lovely, organized chaos.

Unique brand of chaos. There's scourge marks all over the place, I don't want to die. Oh, in all those. Other than the essences, what else can I help you with? Is there anything you need from me? Apart from my energy. Just essence.

The essence. Yeah, essence. Yeah, essence. I don't know. Is there anything you need from me? How are you? I'm fine, thank you. Yeah, you're doing okay.

How are you after all the Faye stuff? Fine. How are you really after all the Faye stuff? They were saying some, frankly, horrible things about you. They always do, Xantheus. Just, you know, it can grind you down. I just want to make sure, you know. I'm okay.

Maybe. I'm so confused. About what? What about? This big war that's happening. The big planar war? A big planar war. Yes.

Okay. It's really annoying. It's a frustrating one, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's really... It's just annoying that it's happening and it's... And I don't want it to. And I feel like somebody should do something about it.

But it feels too big for me to do something about it, but I want it to not happen. anymore. Well, how does it, in what way does it impact you? How, what, what happened yesterday? Hmm? Everybody hates each other. I hate the Faye, the Faye hate me. It's just, it's going to be this never-ending cycle until someone does something about it. Now, I don't want, I don't want to be a hero. I don't want to be the person that comes in and saves the day. I have my own thing to do. Well, just a quick one, you are a hero.

No, no, no, no, no. And you have saved the day multiple times in multiple places. I'm just, I'm just, I'm helping you. I'm helping everybody. That's, we're a team. It's, I'm not a hero. I'm just doing a, a job. But, at the, everything just feels too big for me right now.

There's, there's problems that are happening way beyond my scope. I was just sent here to do one thing. And yet I'm sitting here feeling like, I need to solve this problem. You break it down into the little tasks. You came here to solve one thing. Yes. And that was?

I came here to be a diplomat to spread the word of the Greyfather, to help establish a place where people can worship the Grapefather here on Ilmera. And on the other side of the sea, when you were given that task, what was your first for? Well, it's just been yes, yes, everything, that's all I know to do is to say yes to these things. But it must have felt overwhelming, an impossible task, crossing the sea in the first place, coming here to engage with people you've never met before, convincing them of a power well beyond their reach, and to become a diplomat.

But that's... It must have been scary. And yet here we stand, you were the shrine with a following of people in Ashen's rest. You've become the hero of Ashen's rest. Diplomacy, you've succeeded. All of those things you have achieved. Yes, but... Sure, you're thinking about ending an eternal war.

I just... But what's the next tiny step? Kelskaris, I suppose. And Kelskaris is in reach. And we will achieve that. And then the next step. attending a ball and telling that guy to go fuck himself. I can't wait for that.

We can do that. And we're going to tell your sibling to go fuck themselves also. Well, do that also, yes. Two for one. Maybe they're the same person. That would be crazy. Oh, I hope so. What? No, they won't be.

No, that'd be crazy. I mean, I know they're not. No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. But could you imagine? Could you imagine? Wow. Imagine two birds of one stone.

Well, two birds of one, fuck you. Anyway. I'm like that guy so fast. I'm weak too. Right. But tiny old steps. and each of them are achievable. And in two months' time, six months' time, a year's time,

you're going to look back and say, be so impressed of what you've achieved. But it's not good enough. It's, that's, what I can't get out of my head is that these things I'm doing, they're not enough. I need to do more. To him, I'm not enough. And I don't know if I ever will be.

And I'm exhausted. But to me and to everyone you know, you are. Yeah, you hear it. Oh, sorry to interrupt. Just that messenger is back. I thought I should let you know down there. I've let Gruff and Daisy know. But that messenger's here for you.

Okay. Thank you. Can... Little steps. Little steps. We'll achieve them bit by bit. I need to go fight sovereign. You need to stop an eternal.

a war. Little things. Little things. Little things. And we'll piece them apart and tear them into shreds. And by the end of all of this, we win? I don't. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. One more little step. Hug? Yes. Okay, yes, yes, please. Thank you. Not over here. There's scorch marks and poisons and stuff over here. This is right. In the corner. Are we safe in the corner? It reminds me when we were dancing. It's awful. Yeah, I don't like it, actually. Let's go upstairs. Let's go upstairs. Let's go upstairs. It's if you make your way back up. Daisy and Graff, Mattel has grabbed you guys as well.

As you are there, there is a sort of little messenger lad, a little satchel, little uniforms wearing the Clarion uniform. He's like, oh, hello, I've got a message for our certain individuals. I was hired, got paid by a gentleman to come and deliver a message. For one, Sir Gruffeth, one sister Ophelia, one Rowan, one Daisy. and one, Lord Xanthius, Orygon. Oh, God, okay. They give you a title.

They give you a title. Did you miss my title completely, sir? I can give me my surname, that's fine. Yes, we'll receive those willingly. That is all of us. Oh, but it's all paid for sure. You don't have to pay or anything. It's all for pre-paid.

He did say that I've got to say this next bit. It was part of the cost. Okay. All right, hang on. I've got to read it. Master K of the Silver Tongue Emporium Charlottes Royal Economic Advisor

and Althea's sexiest person of the year He paid me to say this Right, okay Ask that you come visit him At the House of the Rose At your earliest convenience Oh good, I need a bath

That's wonderful, okay, thank you Thank you very much That's all right, thank you It'll be paying Silver Tongue Emporium That's what he said sir Okay, you just said That's what he said sir

I was paid to say it I don't think that's a real award. I mean, it's not wrong, though. Well, he is a charlatan. Didn't enter it wrongly competition. They are a charlatan. I'm gonna go now. Oh, yes, thank you.

Yes. Travel well. Gross looking at him a bit too hard, expecting it to like shape shift. Can I just prod him? He probably wouldn't like, he'd be like, what you doing? I don't think he's, I don't think this is legit.

You're weird. Thanks. You have real skin. Oh my God. You see, he looks utterly terrified. you fucking weirdo he just runs out oh don't

no I don't tell anybody he said that no it's all fine Santhius don't say that children didn't think I did canonically but you've learned the lesson that sometimes when you say things at the table I'll make them fucking canon

you and your little funny jokes not so funny when it's real it happens last time we met a messenger they didn't have real skin Right, okay, well, I, that's your business. There was an illusion. Your business.

Your business. You were, an illusion. Well, it was Caliphress. Remember you met Clyphras? Yeah, green eat. Yes, the lovely lady. Yes, I remember Lady Caliphers quite well. Sometimes they're a man.

That's also lovely, lovely, lovely man. So, like, but they, sometimes they're a man, sometimes they're a woman, sometimes they pretend to be post offices. And then they spring out on you and, yeah. I love a person in uniform. Who doesn't? Who doesn't? Who doesn't? Who doesn't? Who doesn't? This is a charlatan.

Well, charlatan, there's a rather harsh word to throw around, I think, Gruff. I mean, would you call Sister Ophelia a charlatan? No, because she's the most authentic person I know. Well, you don't know that this person isn't... Oh, if I wasn't dead, my heart would stop beating already. You're dead? No, I got it wrong. I'm...

Half dead. Half dead. Working on it. Working on it. My goodness. Well, listen, I've got the place locked down. You don't need to worry about that. I just want you say nice things to me.

It breaks my heart in a good way. I don't mind staying here. I'll help me tear. I can look off to spring hard as well. Play some songs. Yes, yes. I can do that. Okay.

And the rocks and the rocks. That's my fate. I love this one. I'm going to have to stay to listen to the whole song. No, that's all I've thought of. That's all I've got. But that's like three more. I'm not sure I like it.

That's like three more words. No, I'm going to change it. I'm going to back to square one. I don't think when Trots back at the table, he'll ever speak of this again. Perfect. So yeah, you guys, you've had this message delivered. It sounds like your good friend Caliphress

is waiting for you at the House of the Rose. What was that? Royal, Royal Advisor. Royal Economic Advisor, Master K of the Silver Tongue Emporium, Royal Economic Advisor, and Althea's sexiest person. Who gave them that title? Them. Them. Yeah.

Interesting. Okay. Because I'm pretty sure if there was that award, you probably would have entered for that competition, because it's the kind of thing that you would stay. I did, and I won it. No, that wasn't the sexy, that was just a fashion show. But it's the kind of thing that you would do.

I did. And I want it. And then Ophelia would be really memorable. I'm mad about it. I still am mad about it. Yeah. Well, I think you're a handsome lad. Thank you.

But he knows to well. But he's... I mean, you're not wrong. You're not very handsome, but I'm just... Anyway. Did you say there was individual letters? No, it was addressed to the group of you, basically. It's just like...

And it was like he just wrote down the message that he was told to deliver and came and read it out, basically. He made me say this. Yeah, literally. He literally did. Okay. I wonder if he paid extra. for the sexiest person award message. Probably not too much more. I don't know how any of this works.

I mean, he'll say anything if you write it down for him, so. Oh, what are he? Yeah. He'll say anything. Tom was Antius. I'm merging you. Okay. That's the eternal question, isn't it?

Little column A, little column B. Where is the border? Where does one end? Where does one begin? Who knows? All right, should we go to the bus? Absolutely, yes. Yeah, you guys make your way there as you arrive.

Very, very well known at this point. You know, door donations are not really required of you anymore. When you enter, there are some attendants. You don't see any sign of Reverend Mother or Rella or Reverend Father Dandelie. The attendants sort of see you coming and are like, oh, oh, you're here, marvelous. The Reverend Mother and Reverend Father are with their guest down in the baths. to let you know there's one of the private bath chambers is ready for you, but

the guest wanted to meet you down there, so we can take all, you know, do the usual service, take all your clothes and everything else, but I believe that they want to have a meeting in the baths. It's very on brand for them, to be honest, yes. Yes. Okay, well, we'll head

down straight away. Yeah, get the sober. You get like, you know, undressed, you kind of get everything prepared, you make way down into the bath, the attendance lead you to one of the private bath chambers that you've used before and sort of as you're opening you do you immediately hear sounds so you hear giggling

you hear sort of cooing and sort of fussing coming from and as you open the door you just hear like oh master k you are such a delight and sort of like things like that and as you kind of make your way in sort of sat with their arms sort of laid across the back of the bath house

Reverend Mother Arella in their lap and dandily sort of draped on the side feeding grapes into his mouth you see Caliphras in a male form. Very broad chest, very muscular, a little of long, dark hair kind of spilled down their back.

Their horns, all still elaborate, but almost not quite hyper-masculine. A little sort of like goatee beard, sort of like chatting. They're kind of like chatting between the two of them. And then as you sort of, oh, my friends. Oh, there you've arrived. Finally, finally.

I'm glad my messenger found you. Well, thank you having the meeting here, thank you. Well, I thought you would enjoy it. Oh, of course I would. How could I resist the allure of such an, like, sort of like kisses the cheek of the Reverend Mother and like kisses the hand of Dan. Such beautiful, loyal priests of Saint Typhine.

What an absolute pleasure, darling. And they're sort of like, ooh, bha-b-b-bhugling in the tittering way. He kind of like, as they get up to leave, he like slapped both of their asses and stuff. And they sort of like cheekily, just like, oh, you scamp, like kind of thing. And he's like, ah, I will be back soon, my dears, back soon, my dears.

Please come and join me in the water. It's beautiful, beautiful water here in Ashen Rest. I hear these volcanic springs are so good for the body and the mine. Oh, they are. They feel just wonderful. I'm going in, I'm going in, straight away. Yeah, perfect.

Not wasting any time. Yeah, he's sort of just lounging there. There's like a caraff of wine. There's glasses that have been laid out one for each of you and begins pouring. Probably with a gesture of magic has it pouring. itself and sort of gestures a wine goblet over to whoever wants one. And sort of, just like, oh, so how of things going?

I heard that you had to leave Wave Meat. I went looking for you and I heard that you had to leave rather expediently. Oh, we left a message for you in the hotel. Yes, yes, yes, I got the message. There was a chair and a wheel. Yeah, things would turn, but it's fine. Misguided. Well, I figured that I should just head back here and find you here.

No, wise decision. Viraled out of control. Just a tiny little, yeah, a lot. As things happen, I mean, I'm not one to judge or blame at all. You know your business. Whatever happened, I'm sure you did the best that you could and made the best of it.

Look at, I feel like I'm confident. Oh, I like how grub is probably just staring daggers at Gila. That's pretty much fair. But it's like with a bath towel. Oh, no, no, no, no, are we in a pool? Yeah, this is in the bathhouse. Oh, gosh, that's naked.

Yeah, okay, so, like, just naked, just, like, staring at. He's sat in the pool, directly opposite. He's just, like, gruffe. And that's the thing. Gruff knows that Caliphis knows how to wind him up, and he can't stop being wound up, and that is winding him up. And he's just... Are there wine, Sir Gruffeth?

No, thank you. This was business. Oh, very delicious. Well, yes, but why we can't have a refreshment? Can't be Sister Ophelia? No, a little hot. A little bit much. A refreshment?

No, why the work? No. Why not? He's like, would you like come and join me? Oh, sure, why not? Like, slightly, you know, he's got his arms on the side, so it's like, you're kind of like, he's doing the kind of like, not putting his arm around you, but it's like very, you know, and like it's, you know, he is butt naked under the water as well and like, you know,

his tail, the tail is like coming and splashing a little bit or like slight, slowing around. Daisy sings far away from everyone as she can, just like, do, do, do, do. Santhius, like I just did at the table, reach for the wine and then stop and then look at gruff, like, Graff doesn't care. He's just like, and he's just, he's only got eyes for, um, for Gleifis. Bless you.

Sorry. Well, it is business. You're right, Sir Rufford. And, uh, but, yeah, I thought we could enjoy ourselves. And I do enjoy the Reverend mother and Reverend father are rather delightful, are they delicious. Yeah. Um, but anyway. I'm just going to sit on my own and not look at any.

There is, um, I had some good progress on the matters that you asked me to look into. Fantastic. Two of the essences. Yes? I've spoken with the Baron. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. The Baron is in a very good mood and is you are very much in the Baron's favour right now.

Oh. You see, well, not only did you help return his rod that was wrongfully stolen, and I made it very clear how helpful you were in returning his, the lost item that was stolen. Yes, that's how it happened, sure. You were so helpful in me recovering it. Yes, well, okay, yeah, no, that's what happened, sure.

If it benefits us. Hey, the Baron, yes, okay. Of course, I make sure to keep, you know, make sure that everything is, but also your assistance on the beach against that other warlock. Well, the Baron was delighted. Not only did he selling my pact mark earned to the Baron quite a considerable trade of power,

but also, well, you stopped one of his rivals taking out one of his best agents. So he feels like he's double-dipped, he's got the best of both worlds, keeps me on hand, I'm still useful to the Baron, but also he gained leverage over his rival. He's gained considerable wealth and power. How amazingly serendipitous.

Serendipitous. Double, double serendipidus. So the baron is feeling particularly generous. Well, that's good. And is willing to part with two rather rare items from his collection, which are both essences of the rarest of the planar realms. Yes.

The precept coil. Yes. And the howling sea. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, okay, yes. So yes, you are... Sorry, I may have played my hand a little too early there. You seem rather keen.

I'm extraordinary. What are the essences? What do they do? How do I get them? When do I have them? How do I use them? Well, they are in a secure location, which I can provide, and I can take you to them and such things. But this is not a gift. This is a trade.

The Baron is just, when I say feeling generous, he's willing to offer a very good term. He is willing to operate on a very fair thing. He is happy to provide the essences up front, but there is a payment required. The payment... I thought the payment was, you know, the beach and... That has just put the baron, as I said, in a very generous moon.

I see. Okay. It means he is very... He was willing to listen to my proposal that he should trade with you and that this is, you know, what is not of much consequence to him. These are rare items, but they do not.

really for the Baron, but you, I've spoken highly of your skills and your talents and your proximity to the material realm, and he's very keen to listen to that. He has agreed to, wait, you have two options. Either he would like two magical objects that are unique to the material plane, so not planar items or not plainer, something that is unique and powerful in the material realm. I see. One for each essence. Right. Or an agreement, a signed agreement, that you will perform a service for the Baron at a later date. Now he is willing for me to negotiate a little bit in terms of terms if you have any certain stipulations. I made it clear that you are a heroic sort and I was very clear that I doubt he could ask you to do anything.

Well, dustedly, he looks directly. Anything that you'd want to do? No, not at all. You think so ill of me, Graff. You break my heart. No, no, no. Nothing cruel or malicious or anything like that. You know, I made it clear you're not assassins.

You're not, you know, soldiers of fortune. your heroes, but this would be some sort of service, likely conducted in the Primal Isles. Interesting. In the, oh. Primal Isles, oh. The elemental play. B.

Right. So there would be no fear of causing harm to your fellow, to fellow mortals, or to people who are undeserving of it. But still a powerful realm. Yes, yes, yes. Could we maybe have some time to think about which payment we want to choose? You can have some time, but not too much.

I must, I maybe only have a day or two here, and then I will need to depart. Exactly how powerful do these items need to be from the material payment? It would be up for me to judge, I'm afraid. Now again, I am happy to return. He is happy to, willing to provide these essences up front, so I could return for those items at a later date. But if they do not meet the Barron's standards, we may need to have a conversation,

and I will need you to sign an agreement that you will make a suitable payment at a later date. I should probably do it while you're still here, because I don't know if we... I mean... Well, I can always come and find you elsewhere, but this is a limited time deal. And if I may, and I know, Sir Griffith,

you don't trust me. Not that I think I've given you any reason not to. I've been so delightfully helpful, but... Mainly the broad thing. Oh, but look how well it's turned out. It just really set us off on the wrong foot, though. But I gave you the potion, didn't I? That was a lovely thing.

It was a lovely potion. It was a lovely potion. And it came in a nice box. Lovely box. So go to that myself. I went and found that box. Made sure it came in the delivery. But, oh, I found some shop I found.

Right. Some shop. I'm sharp, I don't know. He certainly doesn't miss it. But I will say, the baron's moods, the baron being a Tao is very stubborn, and his moods can last a very long time, but when they change, it is unwilling to, you know,

once he has set his mind, that's it. So I would make sure you capitalize on his good favour right now. This deal is likely not to be this good again. Okay, everyone, let's just wait over. These are the most difficult. I'm going to just set up a group chat in my head. Blu-bib-bloop to the cold plunge. To the cold plunge.

What do you all over the same thing? It's just absolutely normal. If anything, it's his optimal temperature. So my worries, we just did a favor, and it was quite going to a different plane and doing a favor is quite a lot, and I think that the Baron would probably ask us for quite a big favor in return.

for that, so. Well, the other promise is it depends on how powerful the item he needs. I don't know if we have stuff that's that powerful. I don't have too much. Not from the material plane. I mean, if we're talking about things potentially as strong as Parheelian,

we don't have those to spare. If it's as simple as just my little alchemist goggles, easy enough. I don't think that one. immovable rod. You are probably looking at more than the goggles. I mean, Parheelian would be an incredible thing. Sure.

But if you, I will give you a little thing that you would, and I think Xantheus and you guys have been to a vault, you know that they are unique. The protomagia is a unique thing to the material realm, but they would probably still need to be significantly magical. I mean... But this is a potential future payment. This is, you know, a promise.

This is alone, effectively. Like, you know, you would have to provide these at a later date. And if you don't, well, maybe the Baron will send some people to come and collect. I've already got a ghost that's going to kill me in a year's time. I've already got a tibling coming after me. Just put it on the tab. You've got that person. I'll get around to it.

You've got some people after you as well. I'll get around to it. Rowan's got an elder god after him. Add it to the list. It's true. Yeah. We've all got someone after us. What's one more?

What's one more? What's one more? Get in the Cuba. That's next year's problem. It's just a load, it's like that scene in an airplane where they're slapping the person to wake them up. It's just a row of people ready to slap our party. Is it weekend, no, they're going calm down.

Calm down, that's it, that's it. I have a, I've got my scarab friend. If I can detach that. But it's not from, does that count? If it's from a vault? I don't know. You think it would, Dan, because they are, they are material. But you can ask, yeah.

Yes, my dear, yes, Daisy. What are the restrictions around what plane? If we were to find something in us, please stop doing that. Oh, sorry. Sorry, just... Yes, we get it, you're beautiful, okay. And beautiful, oh, Daisy. Ophelia.

Santhius. I can't compete with that. What do you mean? What was your question? Oh, with that. How do we, is it from the rain? If we were to find something. I can't.

I'm so weak. Oh, me too. You too, shut up. Can you finish? What about if we found something in a vault or in the Faye Wield? Faye Wield, no. It's not intrinsically from the material plane. We have artefacts from the Faye Wilt.

From a vault, a protomagai vault? Yes, the Baron would be delighted. But again, it would need to be magical, not the most powerful, but certainly beyond a sort of common trinket or even an uncommon trink. It's something of a rarity, you know. But yes, a vault, the protomagy, I think the Baron, that is something

that the Baron does not have much of. Even I've struggled to procure vault protomagai relics for him. We don't have any, it's fine. Go back to the Crofts. It's itching her neck. Not that we do have those. No have any!

It turns out the Gold Sight Eye is a wondrous item. Yeah, Wondrous item is just a type of magic. I admit, it means it's not a ring or a weapon. Oh, I thought that. It's like a miscellaneous category. So it's like gloves and braces and belts will fall under Wanderasite. Oh, I thought it was so. It's the rarity you're probably... It's just a blue.

It's just a blue. It's just a blue. I would say blue might be pretty good. I've got a purple on me. What's that? It's a crown steel shot. Crown steel now that. That would take you for it.

However... It would kill you. Do you want to say that? If I... No. No. No. No, I don't think I'll give that to him.

I think that, speaking of it, again, if you did have a crown steel item, for a planar creature, that would be very interesting. In the same way that the Protomagai item would be interesting. That makes me feel bad. But yes, well, you know that they enhance magical creatures, especially creatures that consume them and stuff,

but has its effects. Okay. I'll go with what you guys think. I don't know if Rowan has anything else that he might think would work, but I don't think we can give the things that we have or they're from somewhere where they're not interested in,

like the Faywheeled. The benefit of going to the Primal Isles, sorry, yes. Why not I have Primal Isles written down? Primal Isles is the elemental plane, basically. Yeah, is that it would also be brimming with magical energies as well. we'll be able to get even more magic from that place

if we were to go there, but it's more a question of what we'd be asked to do there. Exactly. I mean, my abilities would be vastly strengthened there, and I like the sound of that. But it does mean no touching rivers. No. Just don't touch most things in other planes.

I don't like to touch things. Don't do it. Can you imagine if you put your face all the way in? Well, again, I will remind you, don't forget, the Fayield is the realm of life and the Greenland is the realm of death, so they are opposed. The elemental plane, it might not have a bigger,

as a bigger effect on Ophelia, right? You know, it might be okay. But it might be like, if you are in, like, a fire part of the Primal Isles, gruff's, like, cold magic, or, like, water magic might not work very well, right? But Xanthius' fire magic might be enhanced, you know. Fire incarnate.

Yeah. Is there a counter to the elemental? Because celestial and demonic, I imagine, counter to each other. They wield and undead, law and chaos. Yeah. So the element, they counter each other. So the Primal Isles are always in civil war with each other.

Oh, I see. And they are also traders, so they trade with everybody else. They kind of are like the arms dealers that work with everybody else, but then they fight internally. So fire nation attacks. It all changed when the fire nation attacked. Gotcha. That's right, yeah.

Yeah, sure, let's go there. Why not? Sounds great. Is there anywhere there's not in war with each other? No. Anyway. I feel like the primal Isles sounds more like a gamble. I feel like it sounds terrifying.

Yes. Do you have... My darling, Xanthians. Stop it. Do you think... Stop looking at me. Do you think that... I'm gonna have to just speak like this.

That you'll have an idea of what we'll be asked to do when we go to the Primal Isles? Are the things he's asked people in the past? I can give you my best guess. Okay. This is non-contractually binding, nor is it any indication of what the Baron would ask you. My favourite kind of conversation.

This is a hypothetical. I would imagine the Baron would ask you to the nature of the Primal Isles. It's very, very political, very fierce rivalries between the barons and baronesses and things like that. I would imagine that Baron Feldspar would ask you to, take some action against a rival, perhaps sabotage, something that they're up to, steal something from them, something of that nature.

Not murder, not. Well, it's not really, it's very difficult for you to permanently kill anything in the realms, don't forget. If you kill something in the planar realms, they will eventually just reform in that realm. You know, it's an eternal realm, after all. But, yes, it would, you know, you may have to fight and defeat or maybe kill or destroy guards or things like that.

I can't promise that you won't have to do that. But I can at least tell you that, I mean, if you're, there are no, there are no innocence in the Primal Isles. They're all just as ruthless and backstabbing and ambitious as one another. They are, they would gladly do the exact same thing to Baronfeld's Bar. You saw what that warlock was willing to do on the beach. My poor vulnerable, weak self. The podcast listeners, quote off a shooting absolute daggers. And I made a little pouty face.

And a little, you see his jaw, like, shift at that. In head, maybe a wish you... Perhaps recover something, maybe something that was lost. I have some room. I can make some suggestions to the Baron if there is anything that you particularly want me to lean towards, but I can't make any promises. The agreement would be a service.

Now, we can put in some provisos. You know, if you're like we don't want to assassinate someone, I can put that in the contract. I can make sure that that's part of it. But there would need to be some flexibility for the Baron himself. That's kind of why I'm here to negotiate. Do you like maybe not assassinating someone, but retrieving something, if they're all at war anyway, wouldn't be the worst. It just feels very, well, the items feel like a guarantee in my head, whereas...

But we don't have them right now. Well, that we would want to give up. And then when we do get things, we don't know when we're going to do it. And what if he runs out of patience for collecting the debt and we still don't have anything to give? and then we have more people hunting us down. I can provide you with some, you know, time amounts. We can create an agreement, perhaps, you know, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, whatever you wish to sort of be looking at there.

A year is probably about the maximum I can extend to... Graf's all they've got a year, it's fine. I've got a really busy year. Yeah. What do you think, Roth? I personally would rather I'd rather take my chances with a vault than to insert myself in another war.

Yes, apathically acceptable. If you feel that you can find some suitable payments, that is absolutely fine. It's why we wanted to offer you this choice. However, Rosanthius, I am doing this for you, so I will do what you choose. Oh, good. No pressure.

I'm concerned that we don't have the means to pay for these things that I so dearly require with our current reserves. And I do see the benefit of going to the Primal Isles. It would great benefit. The Primal Isles, as much trade as you, you know, there are advantages to be gained, many things, depending on what the Baron asks for you. I mean, were he perhaps just a day he wants you to steal something from a rival,

well, if you happen to take a few things for yourselves along the way, or perhaps, you know, such things, or find a few essences that you can use for creation of your own relics or devices or consume potions and scrolls and things like that. That's true. And there's no, in the Primal Isles at the moment, there's no internal struggle that's dramatically shifting the very nature. of the reality of the...

It's... No, I would not say anything like that, but there are, there's always internal struggles. As I said, there's always at warring with each other. They're always conflicting with each other. You know, there are battles between the different, the baronies and things like that. So there is always conflict there.

And also, there are incursions by the other planar realms. You know, they're always the matter. It may be... The baron might send you to a former battlefield, to scavenge the battlefields of left over celestial relics or fiend relics or something like that. These things are always valuable. But in doing so, you may come across errant celestial scouts

or perhaps the modrons of the precept coil who have come to gather essence and things like that. The Primal Isles, many of the other realms, rely on the elemental essences of the realm, so they'll send forces to gather resources there. So you may encounter one of those as well. I cannot, I imagine it will be dangerous in some form. Yes, well.

But you are you heroes, are you know? You are brave and skilled heroes. We were very successful in the fake world. Despite everything to happen and it feels like it was an awful time, we were extraordinarily successful. Right? Uh. High five.

I got beaten by a witch. Yeah, where I nearly died. Yeah, high five, Daisy? Uh... A video? A little high-fi, I think it's more. We did, we definitely did a thing. All right, well, that's me, high-five with myself.

I think we did great. Well, I will do what, I'll do what. That hurt. Why did that hurt? It was a very delayed. You've got softened magician Hans. I don't know what this bath is doing to me, and also me, IRL.

Why did that hurt so much? You got Pruny Frieney for hands. It's been in the bath for too long. He's gone on pruny. I'm never gonna clap again. I'll do what you think is best. I worry that we don't have things yet to pay with the items. That's my worry.

But also then I worry about going into a new plane because that's terrifying. So I'll just do what the group thinks is best and I'm sure that we'll manage your week. Sounds like Xanthius, you're the one with the final vote on this. Will you, Charlotton, will you enable will transportation to the Primal Isles. And a way back.

Such harsh words. They cut to my very hearts. Yes, yes. Can we skip to the bit where you're giving your answer? I admire you so much and yet you are so cruel to me. Melodromatins really are quite draining. Yes, of course. I will arrange the transportation and bring you back and bring you back.

No assassinations. I vote no assassination. Yes, yes, I can do that. Yes, we can do that. Although people don't die. die there. I still don't feel like a sentencing. I will not be involved in assassination.

Did they come back? I will not be involved in an assassination. Yeah, meddling. We can, we've done enough meddling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Um.

I will not do anything that goes against my oaths. I. Have no jobs for you then. Cannot. I cannot. I could taste that. I will say this. Sir gruffer.

I cannot put that in the contract, but you are free to refuse to do anything. This will be a contract with Xanthius. If you refuse to take part or do any specific actions whilst performing the service, I leave that up to you. As long as the service is completed, Baron Feldspar will not care how you do it.

Standing to one side and turning a blind eye is not something I'm interested in doing. You know me, Tantius. I know you, I know you. For the sake of reference, what are your codes, Sir Griffith? What sort of thing are we talking about here? Protect the meek, the infirm, and the vulnerable, and he's making very strict eye contact with Caliphers

thinking about the last time they met on that. I think that that is fine. I can't imagine you will be put in a position where you would be forced to take any harmful actions against individuals that match that description. Well, if we, maybe you could strongly suggest that we collect something on his behalf. Yes, I will certainly make that endeavour.

A glorified courier service is something that we could probably do. Or perhaps scavenging a battlefield for certain things or recovering something that's been lost or... I will not do anything... Are we against thievery? Not really, no, we've done it once before. No, I will not do anything that involves cruxed. I think that that is fine, as I said. Now, you may be forced to fight guards or other creatures there, but you won't be forced to perform cruelty. The Baron is not a cruel figure. He's a businessman. He's not cruel. He's a merchant.

We want a year in the terms. Six months. I think a year is quite generous. Eight months. On my oath As a knight-errant Done Eight months From today From today, yes

And once you find out what this task is You'll let us know straight away Oh Right to refuse On the condition That if the essence cannot be returned, you will be forfeit to pay equivalent value of twice their cost to the Baron. What about death?

After all, if we give you the essences and you use them and then refuse the Baron's task, I will need to make sure that he is fairly compensated. What was that about a death clause? If any of us are to die on this endeavour? Yes. Some restitution? Restitution payment, body to be returned to the plane, the home plane. Yes. This is an excellent point, sister.

Some insurance. Now, what price do we put on? A life, a mortal life. You, I saw that. 5,000 gold diamonds, shall we sell? Yes, how much does that cost? I'm just thinking about the insurance policy that I recently renewed on this studio, and we're outlined, like, loss of a finger. Loss of a dough.

If I am to die on this endeavor, the debt does not fall to my comrades, but to my next of kin. You give me a persuasion or a deception, I'll let you choose. That's a fucking great play. Because Califras doesn't know about your scenario. He just knows that you're a dragon born.

Persuasion. Just turn it back. Or deception. You choose. I've never met that man in my life. It was both the same, plus eight. That was a, sorry, I rolled a nine, so 17. 17.

It's like, yes, that seems very reasonable. Host Oregon, the debt falling to host Oregon. Yes, that would be rather delectable. Can we just put the debt there to start with? No. In the event of my untimely and horrible, heartbreaking mind. If the payment is unfulfilled, we would. will transfer that to your next of care.

Potion or revivify. Mm-hmm. Yes, we would like the power to bring someone back should one of us perish. I will agree to that time, but I will only be able to provide it for one of you. That's fine. Any, so a maximum, we will have to put a maximum limit on debts.

And then we bring you back. Oh, oh. Of course, with the exception being, if it is Xantheus, then the debt will fall back. Damn it! Apples A. Ah, addendum. Damn it. Nice try.

Good try though, yeah, yeah, yeah. I would have let you just kill me there and there. Just right me. As part of the, in the event of an untimely demise, the Baron will provide one means of restoring the dead back to life. Brilliant, yes. If there are more than one death, it will be up to the party, you,

to determine whom that is provided to, and any other deaths will be seen as unpaid. Bagsey the river. No, you may, you may. Well, one may bagsy if one wishes. Bagsey! They have. I will draft this up into an agreement.

I will come and visit you at your delightful tavern. Thank you. We're getting busier now. Yes, I will come and visit you tonight to sign it. And once upon its signature and binding, then I will provide you the essences. Wonderful. I, thank you, yes, thank you, yes, thank you, yes, thank you.

Of course, I am here to help facilitate. This is what I do, my darlings. I'm here to help. We're getting there. And if you are ever in a position where you have more than you need, or you wish to sell something, or perhaps you wish to acquire something. The silver tongue emporium is always open.

It's the silver tongue that's been getting us to not, trust and then try and trust and it's just a lot of... Perhaps you simply haven't had the right taste of the silver tar. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm getting out the bag. I can show you something originally if you'd like, Sir Gruffa. You really are a slop tart, you know that. Yes, quite. Well, are you well?

I think I might die! It's just getting rather stevie. It's getting very steamy in here. Well, in that case, I will visit you tonight. Thank you. With the contract. Yes, okay. Thank you again.

And with that, we're going to take our break, which we just really need. We just want to wrap that up. But we'll see you in part two for High Rollers. See in a bit. Thank you, everybody. Bye-bye, bye-bye. Thank you.