High Rollers DnD - High Rollers: Aerois #161 | Chaos in Horizon (Part 2)

Episode Date: September 29, 2022

Quill tries to make a magic preservation box for Howard and the others have a spa day. Quill regrets not going with the others. Support the High Rollers and get early access to podcast episodes and Studio updates on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Grab some High Rollers merch: https://freshmerch.fm/collections/high-rollers Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound & TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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i was just like i was like i started and i was like I couldn't stop it. Oh, no. I was just like... Full 180, my guy. I started and I was like, I can't stop this. I'm just like, what's to happen? I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry, podcast users. Tom's not going to edit it out, so I am very sorry. He's saying it.

No, yeah, he's not going to edit it out. Oh, podcasties, I feel so sorry for you. So professional. No, this is why we're so great. Are we RPing now? Should we start again? No. Yeah, yeah.

Keep going, keep going. No, let's start again. Our party, the heroes, the champions of Eros, have made their way back to the sky city of Horizon, which they find has caught up with the dreadnought, the Astoria, the vast battleship made from a portion of the city of Solvin, risen from the depths of the sea.

The party have met with Danica. Everyone loves a can opening. The party have met with Danica, the leader of Horizon, and have caught up on some of the things that have been going on and some things that they need to consider for the future, including who will command the Astoria, as well as what their next steps may be, involving the beasts of Italicus and the Ganassi city of Vortensar.

But the party had gone to speak with their old friend, their lovely friend, who they love, Azaria Perel. A very talented talented enchantress mage who has done many wonderful and incredible works of artifice

and design just watching Rhiannon desperately trying to drink this red ball just tip it down the sink mate I've just got to be drunk I don't need it but yeah

they've gone to visit Azaria and yeah there may be other things that they wish to do. It's basically kind of catching up, setting everything up. Yeah. Just make sure she's not, you know, really dipped into the other side, because she's like borderline evil, right?

I mean, well, I mean, well, A, how do you even know that? Who is it? And B, what defines that? She just likes the spookies. Oh, yeah. Yeah, she has skulls. Yeah. Who doesn't have skulls?

She's not looking 24-7, baby. I have a skull. You know, not that everyone gothy is evil, man. Inside you is a skeleton. Just waiting to come out. There's a very old horror story, actually, about a guy who is bothered by his skeleton inside him, and he just starts rubbing his skin away. Is that

Robbie Williams? He did make it a song, yes. That's possibly the funniest joke you've ever said. That is like a 12- tier fucking comedy. I don't want to rock, DJ! That one, yeah, that one.

Gonna just make him feel all right. Yeah, that one, yeah. Oh my god, that genuinely is the wittiest you've ever been. Have some sweets. Right. Well done. Oh, I'm crying. So. Oh oh fuck me

can we go home there are uh regular we'll end the show we peed you know what I'm tempted

we peed we're gonna keep going there are skiffs that will take you down to the story and back up to the main city of Horizon so that you don't have to

go on your big airship and take that down if you don't want to um but yeah otherwise you can make your way down to catch up with I'm fucking burping again so that you don't have to go on your big airship and take that down if you don't want to. But yeah, otherwise... You can make your way down to catch up with... I'm fucking burping it.

I can't, I can't. I'll just decide not to, will I? That's how it fucking works. I'll just be like, oh, I won't do it again. I'll just decide not to. God, we are like four sentences into this episode. After all this time. This is what happens when we take a prolonged period

of not doing an episode. I'm so tired. I just couldn't take another burp. Oh, my stomach hurts. Oh, my stomach hurts. How do you be people? We haven't been outside our house in four weeks. How do we do it?

I just prefer how to people anymore. We haven't been out, but you haven't been outside our houses in four weeks. How do we do it? I don't know how to people anymore. We haven't been out, but you haven't been outside your house in four weeks. The rest, some of us have lives. That's what I'm talking about. It's like we had to take the four weeks off because some people had things to do. The rest of us just devolved into

blobfish. It took a lot of effort to put clothes on and be outside in here right now. Are we human? Or are we dancers? No, there's no S on the end. No, it's just, are we dancers? Are we dancers?

It's our time, boys! It's serious. Dancers! Dragons! Time! D&D time! Shut up! Don't push the gas out. I need a rot! D&D time! Shut up! Don't push the gas out. I need a tissue!

Go and take five minutes if you need five minutes. Thomas, you're the most with it, I think. What happened? Azaria! I've got something in my mouth. Honestly, I'd rather deal with that right now. Azaria! Hi. Causes shoveling worms in my mouth. Honestly, I'd rather deal with that right now. All right. Hi. Causes shoveling worms in his mouth. Sorry.

Gummy worms. Sorry. We went past a mud patch on the way here. This? This is what you got? It's good. I haven't eaten since we got back from... My scrunchie.

Hi. sorry. How are things going on the Astoria? So you make your way and you find... You would probably follow it... Wait, is she not there? I'm saying this is how you got to it. This is how you got to it. You probably would have followed packs of skeletons

that are carrying things here and there. Eventually, when you follow one of followed packs of skeletons that are like carrying things here and there um eventually when you follow one of these packs of skeletons they lead you to one of these like uh workshops like these kind of like workbench areas uh that azaria is kind of commandeered with all sorts of arcane sigils and things all around um and when you walk in she would probably be in the process she has like a large crystal, and she's in the process of inscribing runes into it and then seeing what they do when she activates them. And occasionally you probably walk in as it starts levitating. The man who was having a go at me for burping.

Just let out the loudest sneeze. I tried to suppress it. I don't need it. It's almost like you can't. It was more for me. Please don't go up there because I can't handle it. Okay. That was the quietest sneeze I've done in a while.

It was the quietest in a while. Rianne and Kim are facing the walls now. We follow the skeletons. Yeah, and you find her working on this crystal Matthew gone, like Rhian and Kim are facing the walls now. Wow. We follow the skeletons. Yeah, and you find her working on this crystal and she actually finishes and scrubs this thing, touches it, the crystal starts levitating, vibrating aggressively, and then she quickly touches it

again and it settles back down. And then you see she's like, oh, that doesn't work, goes back to it. Um, I, uh... Oh! You do know what you're doing, oh, that's my man. Goes back to it. Um, I, uh... Oh! You do know what you're doing, right, Azaria? As far as, as much as can be considered, yes. But all progress in the magical field

requires experimentation. And what are you hoping to achieve, just so we know how far this could go wrong? Well, this particular specimen, this is one of the crystals that they use to create the large scale environmental shielding here on the Astoria. I am trying to test it and see its limitations and how moveable it can be when inscribed onto a new source. Great. Did you receive a message from Danica?

Or anything like that regarding our ideas about the Astoria and Horizon and the merging slash separation? I think that some messenger came by to inform me of something, yes, but I disregarded it for later. I will, once I've finished here, I tend to go over my messages from the day and the evenings. Okay, okay. Yeah. So all going well, then? It seems to be progressing well, yes.

This ship that you've given me access to is full of wonderful mysteries and secrets and arcane formula that I've never encountered in all of my years. who is full of wonderful mysteries and secrets and arcane formula that I've never encountered in all of my years. It's fascinating. Is the amount of presents you're giving right now exactly the same as the amount of presents you gave to the messenger?

I'm just wary of how much is actually sinking in right now. You seem very lost and separated from the world right now. Yes, I have stopped sleeping and eating. Oh, okay. I've been using spells to provide me nourishment, so I am perhaps a little more distracted than normal, but it's all just so fascinating. There's so much to be done.

Would you like any food? I can send you like rummages in her bags and like- Oh no, I feel that if I ate something now I would most likely be very violently ill. I've sort of become quite accustomed to nourishment gained from spells now. Ah. Interesting.

She does definitely look thinner and gaudier than she did. I don't think that will... But it doesn't seem to have hindered her energy or mind. She's, um... Well, I'm glad that you have plenty to be getting on with, especially with the Astoria now. Yes, so busy.

Well, I'll plan before you read your messages of the evening. Why would you do that now? And look at me. That was Coke can. Sorry, there was a, one of the undead over there has a worm attached to him. But you've had enough worms today. I've only had like three. Anyway, sorry about that.

Lucius LNS today. I've got the hat on. Yeah. So we just want to inform you so you're not wasting any time. Good. Yes, that's very good. Our plan is to keep Horizon and the Astoria separate, but both be space-faring entities.

Yes, yes, yes. To replicate the Astoria's planar transportation magic to Horizon. Interesting. A large-scale task. Yes, to replicate the Astoria's planar transportation magic to Horizon. Interesting, a large-scale task. Yes, yes. I know you've been thinking about the possibilities of combining the two, using the Astoria's ability. It was an idea that we entertained, yes. I'm just making sure that we focus on the path of separation.

Very good. Allow me just to... She will wave her fingers, and there is a flicker as a skull with glowing flame in its eyes, and its mouth appears. Yeah, of course, mistress. That was me last week. Take a note, my dear, that we are to keep Horizon and the Astoria separated, and instead we are applying the planar transportation system to Horizon. We will need to conjure more labor. Very good, mistress.

Where are you? There it is. That's what I was, knew something was missing. Did someone say a joke? What? Did he laugh? A joke? Yeah. No, it's the skull.

Oh, it's quite insane. Is it? It seems quite jolly. Yes, very, very. They love it. They love the eternal undying servitude that is forced upon them. Forced, okay.

Now, where are you getting all of this labor from? Graveyards, mainly. Okay. Are there any ethical considerations with Horizon or where you're getting the grave? I'm not taking them from Horizons. Where are they coming from? From the lowlands somewhere. I have them brought in for me getting the grain. I'm not taking them from Horizons. Where are they coming from? From the lowlands somewhere. I have them brought in for me, the remains.

Aayla's not here, is she? No. No, okay, good. Because I don't want to reply. That's good, though. She didn't need to hear that. All right. Has that been okayed with anybody?

Are you using, you know, family members? Are they ethically sourced? I don't know. I pay someone to acquire them for me. Who, who, who, who? I don't know. You don't know? Why would I know?

Why would I care? Doesn't care. They are just bones in the ground. It's not like I've harmed, I've not killed anyone to obtain them. No, but you are sullying the memory of them and the living members that would be related to them. I don't understand.

Okay, you don't understand. I think we all understand. We're all understanding. If we saw walking cadavers of our people that we care for. Oh, they don't see them. These are from who knows where, but none of their family would be here on the Astoria. They would not witness any of the labour.

I don't think the Astoria will move around a lot, though. Well, to be fair, I don't think they'll recognise them. Is this a temporary thing? Yes, yes. I will not keep them animated. Once their use has been completed, I will make sure that the remains are properly sent back and reburied wherever they need to be reburied.

Okay, okay. And this person you pay, granted you don't know, the graves themselves, they're not left open? Open? Are they? Well, I have no idea. I am not a gravekeeper. I do not guard it. I don't know. I would imagine that if whomever is being paid for these services professional enough to clean up after themselves, as one would expect of any sort of service provider. Could we get a rough figure

of how many labor force you have and are willing to get? Hastings. The flames guard's like, yes, mistress. How many bodies have we acquired? Approximately 600. Oh my god. 600. That's a lot of. It's a lot of.

Is that not excessive? Well, the ship is a very large ship. Horizon is a very large ship. Horizon is a very large city. Amongst all the guardians and also the dwarves. The population living to undead must be almost half an arm. No, no, nowhere near. No, I think you underestimate the size of this place and the city. 10, 20, amongst the horizon.

Six hundred is but a paltry sum. Do they all require your power to do this? No, no, I could not maintain that many all at once myself. I've developed a ritual which is only temporarily binding. Simple tasks, I cannot command them as I would if I were to create some right here before you with my own magic. Mainly to carry things or to inscribe simple runes where they are required.

Build things. Now, the deposit. Yeah. To change subjects. Yeah. We gave you that. Yeah. And we know exactly why we did. Yes. Which was... Or to keep in case you required any

magical enhancements or relics to be made for you. Made for what? As well as for your airship as well. But you are still to require me the elemental or the powerful magical essences for your engines. Two of opposing forces. As the work continues on your storm chaser, now that you have brought it back, I can continue working on the various systems, but until we have those essences, I'm afraid I will not be able to fully power it.

Is there potential that the things you've learned from the Astoria could be applied to the storm chaser? Oh, most certainly. I intend on using much of what I've learned from the Astoria to enhance the main cannon that I believe I was working for, your powerful weapon. But in terms of the engines, I'm afraid not. It will still, even the Astoria itself, I do not know what this goddess Velenor did, but whatever energy source she has used, it is a similar concept, but far beyond my understanding. Horizon is different. There are numerous elemental engines built into Horizon currently, and they are fueled and recharged, if you will, by Danica's seemingly unending source of magic. I really must learn how. But, yes, for your ship, I would still require powerful magical spirits.

for your ship, I would still require powerful, magical spirits. Do not keep in mind, you do not need to go out and find the most powerful. It is just simply that the more powerful spirits you can acquire, and the more in sync they are, the more, the greater the results. Right. We'll keep that in mind.

Yeah. Any other matters before we let Azaria get back to her very important work? So busy. Oh, we heard that you are, well, I say attempting. It sounds like you're successful in replicating the twin star to some degree. Yes, quite fascinating after you very kindly let me study it for so long. Yes, the pilot Thalia, I believe. She and I have developed a system.

We've had to scale it down. The Twin Star is a very large vessel capable of storing transport and many individuals. We are not able to replicate it to such a size, not with the scale of engines that we are able to build here. We are only able to conjure new small elemental creatures or astral essences. But yes, we are able to produce a fleet, a small number of them at least. And are they able to traverse the Astral Sea? No, no. We believe that using the Astoria's storage we would be able to house them within the Astoria, then if the Astoria were to become

under attack in Astral Space they would be able to traverse Astral Sea locally but they would not be able to go beyond, they would not be able to enter the river Styx and the infinite staircase. Short flights. Understood. Interesting. Luthalia referred to it as a sort of, what did she call it? Mutt fighting, dog fighting, sort of. Fighting other smaller vessels.

Right, OK, yes. That makes sense. Point defence. Do we actually know if, like, Starbanebane valkyrian empire have those kinds of small values as well like you actually encounter them on the twin star not valkyrian ones but you have seen similar small ships okay um but you know that like the mind flyer mind flare pirates and stuff like that use them and like definitely imagine like thalia has seen it as well gith yankee sent sent smaller fighters after you

and stuff like that as well. But yeah, there are definitely smaller vessels. And in classic sci-fi trope, big ships fight big ships. Big ships can't hit little ships. The main weapons on the Astorian horizon won't be able to target smaller airships. Too slow.

Yeah, they fire too slow, they aim too slow. So that's why you have to have smaller vessels vessels and also your deck crew will be armed with weapons to like take pot shots and things like that and things like that so yeah um what was i gonna say oh yeah um how many of these smaller ships have you created so far i believe we've only managed to replicate about four or five at the moment the The aim is to create twelve of them. Okay. Wow. Two squadrons, I believe, that Thalia referred to them as.

That's an impressive number, twelve. We are building them. They will be... They will not be as fast and as agile as the ships that Thalia has encountered elsewhere in astral space, but we believe that we can make them sturdier and reinforce them with some of the same environmental shielding that we have here them sturdier and reinforce them with some of the same environmental shielding that we have here to provide a sort of way of deflecting magical energies, similar to the Astoria's and the Twin Stars' shielding systems.

Okay, and will we need to source some kind of twelve ships, you say, single person, will we need to find twelve people to... I believe Thalia is already working with that, the various guardians, but also volunteers from the city. She's been training people. Oh, okay. Wow. That must be a massive shift for them. Yes, well, I think that she's recruiting from orcs who are sailors on the sea, so there

are some similarities, but also airship pilots and navigators and the like, they have taken to it a little bit quicker than most would. Some of them, however, are completely new. There are people who worked on farms and blacksmiths and the like, but people who are brave, they know that it is a very dangerous role that they are taking on. Thalia's amazing. She sounds pretty good. Very unique individual.

Thalia's amazing. She sounds pretty good. Very unique individual. I was very surprised to learn of the transformation between her previous form and this magical fey essence that she carries. Most fascinating. How did she respond when you said you wanted to study her? Oh, she seemed quite flattered. Oh, yeah, okay.

Thalia can hold her own. Yeah, yeah, that's true. Um, um okay i mean i i can't think of anything else just wanted to check in if you find any solving relics aboard the ship like as a note whenever valia looks at century it's just like eyes go wider like yeah i mean Azaria? Azaria. Azaria's eyes are just like... Hello. Yes. My favourite test subject. Yes, I wish.

Let me get them phalanges in there. Aww. Aww. If you find any Solvang relics, could you put them in a... just in a secure place for me? Oh, well, I believe that most of the things that have been accounted for, the maidens, they are either parts of the ship or that they are stored in secure areas. I've been studying some of them but the maidens keep them in various places around them. They have

historical importance I am led to believe. Yes, I'd like to use them to make something. Oh, well, speak with the maidens, my dear. They're keeping them in various places. If there is anything you are looking for in particular, I may be able to help you. Thank you. Just anything left behind, like old weapons. Mostly metal things, really. Swords, shields. Yes, I believe that there is armouries aboard the Astoria,

many armouries equipped ready with ranks and racks of weapons and armor. Some of it appears to almost be magitek in nature, but more arcane, less technological. Very fascinating, this work of Solvein and this Queen Guinevere. I did not know much about her until now, but I'm fascinated. Oh good, she would have loved to have heard that.

Ah, good. When will you be coming by again, Cynth? Well, I think it's about that time again. We should let you get back to work. Yes, what a shame. Yes, too much to do. So many things I would like to investigate. But yes,

thank you. It's okay. Hastings, see them out. We know the way out. It's fine. We'll figure it out. Thank you, Hastings. You're welcome. What a jolly song. 600 plus.

I really hope that's not going to become a problem. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, you know, the saviors of Erois using... Necromancy! Not just a normal necromancer. Very much a necromancer is trying to become a lich as well. Yeah. She was definitely looking more lich-like, by the way.

Start looking for her phylactery. Let's just follow that under problems to deal with once we've saved the world or the world has been eaten by Hadar. Once we've run out of things to sate her. Because then she's gonna, you know. She didn't even want a snack. Most people love a snack.

Some people who are kind of like on the voyage to become the living undead. Food is the first thing that goes. Very bottom of the list prior to that. That's worrying. It's low on mine now, after all the worms. I'm good. I thought about it when I was pulling all-nighters in the study halls. Becoming a lich? Yeah. But I.

Sorry? I quite like flesh on my fingers, you know, not bones. Oh, you've tried it, I suppose. No, I'm just. I mean, you had the hand at one point. Yeah, thank you for reminding me. No, I just thought, you know, you've been there. Yeah, so I'm definitely not going down that.

If I, you know, need to pull an all-nighter again. Also, phylacteries, very tricky thing. Right. To put your living soul in a thing that people can just smash. Yeah. Doesn't strike me as the safest thing. Heroes of Rose. I mean...

Is raising... Is buying people's bones of their relatives and then raising them as undead minions? Yes. Is it evil? Yes. It's a moral gray area. I want to have that all taken.

Unless the families agree to sell. Yeah, and they sign that consent form. Maybe that's happening. Maybe. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. They're donors. Maybe. They're donors. We don't know. We don't know. Azaria doesn't know.

No, she doesn't care. No. She does not care. She's not a woman for paperwork. No. Right. So we have a bit of time before we get Nanny Norfear's report. Put it in the sink.

Put it down the sink. I just thought of a terrible joke. Go on. I'm not going to say it. Share it with us. I'm not going to say it. Share it with us. Come on, you're sitting next joke go on share it with us share it with us come on you sit next to tom share it with us is it is it like a bad joke in it is just bad or is it like a bad joke i shouldn't say on the internet i was just gonna say that undead donors should be called boners i'm sorry

I'm sorry. Sorry, everyone. I'm dying. Troy, you were same. You've forgotten, haven't you? You're better than that, you know. Is she? We have a bit of time before Nanny Norfolk gives the report. So what would you like to do with the time?

I'm going to go back and hold my girlfriend's hand and be awkward around her. Again? I spend a lot of time with you and a lot of time away from her. You can hold my hand. It's not as soft. How? I must dress every day!

Whoa. To be fair, she does have the freshly transformed skin, I suppose. Oh, yeah, so what's her routine? She's fae. I mean... Yeah? Oh, she's fae. Oh, okay.

And she's a princess. You do hold... No! You hold a sword quite a lot. That builds up calluses sometimes. Oh, my God. You're. That builds up calluses sometimes. Oh, my God. You're right.

There are calluses. It's also you sometimes get a bit of acid splashed on there, a bit cold. Like the skin is definitely tough on the old hand. I've got some nail snags. You need a manicure. You've been out in all weathers. On one hand, almost all the time. Yeah.

You know when you get sweating? Have you taken that gauntlet off any time? We need it a lot. I've got a gauntlet hand. A little bit of fungus growing in there? I hope not. I need a bath. I need a bath! You need a spa day. Spa day. We don't have time with the Champions of Ross.

We make time. That is very new-lucious. It's good for morale. What, spa days or? Spa days. Oh right, yes. I'm going to gather what is needed to make that. Spa day.

I. Everybody needs a spa day. If this was an anime, there'd be like a clockwise transformation as we all pose as, and then the next scene is, we're in a spa. You don't watch a lot of anime. No,'t i don't this is what i think this is what i think anime is it doesn't happen i mean a hot springs episode yes that's why you don't get a

clockwise transition and then poses no anyway in my head you were saying tom i'm going to go sorry this is rp now we're playing dungeons dragons just real quick. If that's okay. Do you have my permission? Nice. I want to get the materials together to make that box for Howard. Okay. Yeah. 100 gold.

Are you making it? Yeah. Would you not rather someone else? Now I've got to look up the magic item making rules from Hazel. Maybe you've missed, but I'm a fucking level 18 god king. Yeah, but you know, rules is rules, Tom Hazel. I gotta look them up. Have you made a fridge freezer before? How hard can it be?

Nova's made a wing. I've made a wing. You do it then. No, after you talk to me like that. Have you used a saw before? A saw? No. Right, so what are you making this chest out of? Wood.

All right, so do you have carpenter's tools? Are you proficient at carpentry tools? I like to make it out of jewels. Out of jewels. I've got jeweler's tools. Right, but you can't make a chest out of a jewel. One gem. And it opens up. You can find make that whole thing. Right. But you can't make a chest out of a jewel. One gem. And it, like, opens up.

You can find a big gem and cut a hole in it. And climb it. A chest-sized gem. Yeah. All right, yeah. How much is that? That is 40,000 gold. Should it be, like, special?

Sorry, Howard, it's going to have to wait. A huge gem. Like Spar of the Dragon. Like a chest. What is that? It's a fridge. It's a fridge. It's a 40,000 gold gem. You can see everything inside it as well.

It just refracted a ton. So it looks like you have way more food than you actually have. That would cause Howard more stress. That's true, actually, yeah. How many have I got? No! One bread and a leg of sauerkraut! One for four million.

Okay, I won't, yeah. Fuck it, I won't then. Okay, fine then. I have cartography tools. Okay. I'll make it out of a map. All right. No.

Okay. I mean, here's an idea. Can I hire someone yeah i'm looking for someone i'm putting a posting on the bulletin board okay needed wanted desired it felt like bread need nope uh one carpenter to build one magic box. Inquire soon. Are you hiring somebody to build the box? Yeah, I don't have carpentry tools.

That was literally step one. I can't even make the box. That's what you were hiring an assistant. I'd like to go buy a box. I'd like to go buy a chest. I'd like to go buy a chest. Okay. Can I do that? Yeah. Yeah, how much is that?

Probably about, like... Like, how nice do you want it to be? It's for Howard, like... Well, now you... Now you're cutting corners. No, I'm not cutting corners. I thought it was going to be a 40,000 gold max. Yeah.

How much is that? Well, if I can't have have that then what's the point um oh yeah i'll just get like you could spend you could spend like 25 gold on the on a chest it'd be really nice chest really 20 stain like yeah yes wood gold things i don't know it's just the mundane chest i don't know how much chest is all right All right, there you go. So, yeah, I'll spend 25 on that. Hey, you get a nice chest. It's like a good sort of like big size trunk. How much is a carton of milk? How much is a carton of milk? That's the ultimate test of how much you know that you're a middle class,

upper class adventurer. Arakokra. Six gold, I think. Yeah, six gold for a carton of milk. Yeah. Right. But, yeah, you buy a nice lovely chest. It's like dark wood stain.

It's got like little fittings and everything else. It's lovely. Perfect. Thank you, sir. Shopkeep. The lady says like, you're welcome. My apologies. Oh, I am so out of touch.

I was about to say that, but we're talking. Great. I'm going to take this back to the storm chaser, I suppose. Wait, what other things do i need to like i need like magical stuff right yeah yeah what just giving out no i know i know i know i needed more material now that you have that now that you have the chest let's say it's possible it will cost you 75 golds worth of magical yeah it's 100 gold in total um and well 100 gold if you make it it's 200 gold if you just buy it yeah there's 100 so 75

goals of like essence i could have just spent okay yeah you could have just bought one for today um and then it's going to take you i believe takes you two weeks off two weeks divide the total cost of the items price by 50 that's how many work weeks the item takes to make sure just bought one mate are you joking no two weeks divide the total cost of the items price by 50 that's how many work weeks the item takes to make should have just bought one mate are you joking

no two weeks two weeks you've got to slowly work on it in the evenings when we have evenings can we make a hard cut

between Quill running around stressed like this was like maybe we should have a spa day you know and we just have

a real nice gentle time it's probably not like a spa but there's like bath house where they it's not like a natural spring or anything like that but it's like they'll bring in like they fill up with the magical water they heat it and stuff like that treatments anything like that you can get things like massages and like manicures and stuff like

that yeah but like um no like yeah it's not like a natural spa but it's like yeah there's like you know hot pools and then like you get massaged you can get you know a nutrient meal like a natural spa, but it's like, yeah, there's like, you know, hot pools, and then like you get massage, you can get, you know, a nutrient meal, like a lovely, you know, delicious fresh cucumber water. I don't know. Bit of lemon in it. But yeah, lovely. You can have a lovely time. You can have a lovely time.

Can Thalia be there as well? Sure, yeah. You can find whoever you want. And for the champions of Aris, they don't even charge you. It's free. Oh, nice. It's a gift. Please.

Oh, we'll give you some. One platinum. Yeah. Four platinum. we'll give you some. One platinum. Yeah. Four platinum. They'll give you what it is. Four of us. Sure, if you wanna pay some money, you can absolutely pay some money,

but they're honored, they're like champions. Oh my gosh, yes, it'd be our pleasure, our pleasure. Look at this, feel my hand. It's like a gnome, and they like take your hand, they got like bright pink hair that comes out in like two cotton candy cones and they take it

I know I thought they were soft they like grab your hand under your arm like under their arm so you're like down

like you're like being drank and they drag you to like a and they put your hand on like a thing I had no idea and they

clap their hands and 20 gnomes just all come out. And they're like, and they, like, scramble over, and they've got, like, files and lotions. Porous rocks. Two gnomes to one thingy. They take turns. Like, one buffs, and then they swap out while they kind of, like,

rest their arms, and another one comes in. Have you seen the intro sequence to Westworld? I've come out like milk. The thing I had in mind, because it was so many gnomes, it was like Despicable Me with minions. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Can Thalia come and be like, touch Thalia's hand? Oh, right, so Thalia's like be like, touch Thalia's hand.

It's like, because. Oh right, so what, Thalia's like, Oi, gnome, come here. And the gnome's like, huh? She's like, touch that hand. It's like his eyes go wide. And this is in front of Lucius as well. I have never touched something so soft in my life. Told you.

Lucius cries. A single tear. It's like 20 gnomes are around him. Just wiping up the tear. Yeah. They put like a hot flannel on your head. They massage your face. Sit you back.

Like it's a whole treatment. They're not just doing your hands. They're doing the whole treatment. Manicure, pedicure, facial mask, body mask. Which just goes into a trance yeah hot stone treatment perfect meanwhile uh sorry i've made a terrible mistake he's like oh like these little weak bird arms he's like carrying this chest back it's so heavy it's full of like the the essences and the powders and the engravings it's like here we go project so he's bought like a how to make your first magic item kit he's got like everything in it put it on the storm chaser

he's like here we go and he's opens it up the instructions are like in two weeks time you too the owner you step one i like flip through the pages of 700 what missing like yeah and it's actually you have to every week every day you have to go buy the next copy of like oh that's how they got me

the first one it's like 250 and you get the box you get the instructions it's a good box and then afterwards it's like five quid

and it's like every time you only get like a tiny piece in like 13 days Americans are gonna have no idea what we're doing like in time you only get like a tiny piece in like 13 americans are gonna have no idea like in 13 days i'm like they they cancelled it yeah releasing the final one it's freaking stopped you've got half a bill of a skeleton you've got half a skeleton and then it's like

we're not making anything i need my three ribcage they always build it from the feet up yeah yeah all the boring bits. Yeah, yeah. Man, being a kid in England was rough. Yeah, that sucked. You talking about we had the beano? Lol. Anyway, what the fuck was I doing?

You know what I mean? You're spending two weeks making this botany. Would you say this is a divination spell? No. No? Why not? Because it's not. You're trying to use that thing where you get to cut it in half. Yeah, yeah. Because I'm a divination wizard.

No, absolutely not. Right. I am the champion of Hespa. Why can I not make this fridge? It's a fucking... It's a fridge. Common magic item, yeah. It's common?

Yeah. How does it take me, Quill, God? Seer of the universe. Take it out with Dindy. Get good, son. Oh, my God. Are you going to join me at my bonfire?

I've got two things now. Bonfire. Hold on. Bonfire. You're a seer. You're a champion of Hesper. When have you ever made anything? True.

Also, you've got no skill in it. Being a seer, shouldn't you have known how long this would take? Oh! I should have seen this one coming. Yeah. From 30. Didn't predict that now, did you?

A little bit higher than 30, actually. But my iPad has crashed. It's 33. Do they round down? It's 33. 33, yeah. They do maybe round down. Needed, requested, desired. One, Wizard of...

What school would this be? Creation? Is Creation a school? Nope. It's like preservation, so like... Yeah, what would it be, Tom? You tell me. Oracle, Master of Magic, Champion of Heroics.

Tell me, what school of magic would a fridge be? Eight schools of magic. It's like the Simpsons when Homer's making the barbecue. Why does the mind look like that? Why does the mind look like that? You tell me, Mr. Level 17 cleric, or what is it? Level 15 cleric 2 wizard? It would 100% be abjuration.

Nope. Why the fuck not? It's a focus on protective spells. It's protecting the food. No, it's not. It's not protecting the food. It's not protecting the food. Give it a shield. The bacteria's attacking it.

I'm not protecting it! He's like, no! Ah! Barrier. Necromancy. No, it's not necromancy. Well, it's stopping it from dying. It'm not protecting it! He's like, no! Ah! Marry it. Necromancy. No, it's not necromancy. Well, it's stopping it from dying. It's not invocation.

It's stopping the fruit from dying. Maybe like a charm or an enchantment. It's not divination, evidently. It's not conjuration. No. It's not alteration. What? There's no such thing as alteration.

Or transmutation. Oh, transmutation. Something that converts the properties of one thing to another thing. I'm not converting. Something that converts the properties of one thing to another thing. I'm preserving the properties of it, though. Yeah, like you're keeping it the same. That sounds like... I'm literally protecting the food from ageing.

I'm literally raising it back from the dead. I'm putting illusion on the fridge to make it look like the food's fine. And then you eat it and you're like, ugh. Transmutation. Fucking transmutation. One transmutation wizard, two weeks job. Fucking all materials provided.

I've cut it down to one week. One week job, all materials provided, 50 gold materials provided 50 gold okay yeah i mean you get somebody who comes in you get like an old man with a big brown beard and a hat wait where's like hello friggin zigzags or whatever his name was the goblin we saved the gravity wizard that was his name where's he can he do it yeah i mean you could go and find him i think he's on gustaven i think yeah he just drifted off somewhere disappears for a year plane shift i'm in gustaven now that's not how plane shift works no not playing you get the book what angle who shows up uh yeah it's like guy with brown beard and a sort of big round wizard hat

and he wears the robes. He's like, hello. I'm so- I heard that you are looking for a transportation wizard. I am, look, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm a very powerful wizard. I'm sorry if I seem-

You told you so. I'm sorry if I seem so stressed. You're very stressed. I have this chest. I have all the materials provided, I simply just need to cast a spell of preservation on this chest so that all... Simple matter. Simple, exactly. It should be, you'd think so, but apparently... My friend, you are clearly distressed by this. Leave it with me.

Okay. If you pay me the money, leave it with me, and I will ensure you I have this chest up. Okay. Well, I mean, if you could deliver it to... I mean, will we still be here? If the Storm Chaser, the ship, the Storm Chaser is still here, please. Please. I'm beyond an insight check at this point. I'm just laughing at your face. Like, it's making me laugh.

I'm distraught beyond an insight check check at this point so I'm going to give him the 50 gold okay and then you just tell him to like take it and come back with it but what's your what's your sorry what's your name my name yes yes Zam Zim Zimbalist you have no idea how how thankful I am that you answered. If I will contact you... It's a good job you didn't put a conjuration wizard on the advert. They were only able to do it. No, absolutely, because it's a...

It's transmutation. That's transmutation spell, that's what I asked. Yes. See, for a second there, I was thinking that, like, a necromancy might be... Can you imagine? Can you imagine? I would have been the champion of the arcane gods.

So in a week, Storm Chaser. In a week, yes. Not a problem. I'll contact you. Zam, Zim, Zimbala. That's it. Wonderful. Please, please.

Bye. Goodbye. You're not getting that fridge back. Meanwhile, in the spa. I need a spa day. Lovely time. Yeah, great. Lovely time.

It's a perfect lovely time. What does Sentry do at a spa? Because everyone else it makes sense. Polished and buffed. Yeah, you could get a buffing. Does anyone try to massage you century would like sit in the hot water pool but like her vines would be like mega relaxed yeah drink up all the water yeah like her she like she likes flowers yeah it's like and volumes yeah like pond weed

like it just spreads everywhere and like she's just like, just sinking into this water. Is it changing the colour of the water around you? A bit green. A bit green. A bit of mud comes off. The sound of looking at it like... We're going to have to change that. Yes, lovely, lovely. Just nice hot water.

Yeah, just relaxing the vines. I guess it's like a hot plate. Yeah. All over. Just a whole body hot plate. Is this the first time that Century has had a hot bath? I think so, yeah. So this must be an incredible experience,

that feeling of warm plate all over. It's just transcendent, just the best place ever right now. Nice. It's like, oh, I wish... Why can't everybody feel this all the time? Do you have the wishing ring on? I don't. No, good.

Suddenly the entire universe... It comes to this spot that's what made her dark yeah yeah oh yeah let's wish a really chill all right anything else no are you saying the dog just needs a spa day. Yeah, probably. This is not so bad. We should remember that in our final episodes when we're fighting him. We need a spa day. We brought some hot water. And 20 gnomes.

With little puppy things. Get in! Just imagine 12 gnomes just shaking. With their little pumice stones. Hand. Pumice stone, that's what it With their little pumice stones. Hand. Pumice stone, that's what it was. Pumice stone. The next day, after all of this madness,

sleep. No, there's more. There's more coming. Early in the morning, you are contacted by, well, a member of the Horizon Guard comes knocking to inform you that Danica and Commander Rain

have requested your presence as a report from Northere has come in and they say that you should come and speak with them immediately. Oh, I rush around knocking on everyone's door if they're not already awake. We have a report! Come on, everyone get up, please. Coffee, coffee, anyone want coffee?

I've already made seven. You've already made seven? Okay. I don't know how to make coffee though I hand you granules and boiled water in I ate all the coffee beans come on let's go I told you it wasn't going back to normal no I know it wouldn't you guys make your way and yeah you enter into the sort of council, the war room with a big round table and there are several maps laid out on it. Nova, when you see the maps, you do immediately recognize the layout of Vortensar on the map.

I would say that seeing that would make Nova feel a bit sick. Like a bit like, oh, I never thought I would see Vortensar on a war council. It's laid out on a map. And it just makes me feel ill seeing everyone looking at it. You can see representations of battleships and things like that. And Raine and Danica are there. And Danica will just say like, ah, champions, I'm so sorry to call you immediately,

but yes, we have had report from Norfya, and I thought that you should know right away the state of matters. I will now hand it over to Commander Rain. Rain will look at you all and say, Champions, it's distressing, but it is not. Things have progressed quickly. Norfyr has written to us, has sent us a very direct and short communication to let us know that Shansara and Harmony

are on the cusp of activating their teleportation system. We estimate Norfyr believes that they could be anywhere between 10 to 14 days away from activating it. So she has requested your presence as currently both her and I are of the same mind. A direct assault is out of the question.

It will only drive people into believing what Shansara and Harmony have been saying about the rest of the Rois, that we are the aggressors, that we are here to keep them there, that we are going to use force to try and prevent them. We don't want to do that. We want people of vortensar to make that choice but we do believe that there is manipulation at work here certainly by the valkyrian empire with this shansaran and the various elves and fey and other creatures that she has with her but we also believe

that the leader of vortensar this harmony Harmony, is not acting in their right minds. They have been taking aggressive behaviours towards their own people, and we feel that we know that several of their previous council have been replaced and have gone missing. We know that various influential individuals from the city have been taken and are being kept against their will. Jocelyn Whitsong, who I believe Nova knows, was originally one of these, but managed to escape with the help of locals there and, you know, was initially sort of provided us information about what was happening there in Vortensla. The difficulty will be getting inside. We already have agents with Norfib in the city, but most of the access points are now being carefully watched. Teleportation is impossible currently, which means that any access to the city will need to be done manually. manually. Currently, non-Ganassi, there are very few, if any, in the city at all. So entering as you are, you are all very well known, is out of the question. Either you'll need to infiltrate

disguised in some form or undetected. I have a number of suggestions, but ultimately this will need to come down to your decision and i know that with miss vega's personal connection to the city i did not want to make any assumptions or plans without you here i have here a city a map of the city like lays out and for those of you the rest of you nova doesn't need to know this but the rest of you vonsar is divided into four quarters and the maps don't really show any sort of scale buildings they are just like blueprints almost right just like you know kind of scoped out street names you know angles and things like that but no graphical or cultural emblems it's all just

very like this is the layout of the town of the city sorry it's a large city divided into five districts four quarters and then a central circular district in the middle. It is on the coast. One of the districts faces into a harbor of sorts that connects to a wide mouth, a rivered mouth. And then on the far side, another district connects to the mountains, and then it has open plains leading, but it's quite highly defended. You either have to enter through a main city gate that connects to one part of the city enter it via the harbor that is connected to one of these districts or via airship connecting to a large airship dock built into another one of the districts there are various notes laid out

and things like that but there's also a chance to ask questions um and get the lay of the land um well i presume that they have strict monitoring uh on entrance and exits from the city so they do but we don't believe that they have unlike horizon they do not seem to have a large number of mages who are capable of detecting things like illusions or shapeshifting. They have some, which can be problems, but Norfair believes that for the most part, unless they have a reason to suspect somebody, most people are just examined by eye and by a few questions when you're entering the city. Ganassi, in that case, anyway. There are other options which are more subterfuge. Because the water district connects to the river and there is a harbour,

it is quite possible we may be able to smuggle you into it via a sailing vessel. There are still some traders who are allowed to bring goods into the city. The goods are inspected, but we think we might be able to get around that. Another option would be they have a number of Valkyrian gunships and local airships that patrol the airspace, but we do have some advances on those as well. It may be possible for us to deploy you from an extremely high altitude into the nearby sea, and then you would be able to swim and enter the city via various sewer and integrated systems. This is dangerous, but with magical protections,

we think that we may be able to do this. How heavy is the Valkyrian presence there? Because is there just Ganassi there, or are there Valkyrian soldiers? There's Valkyrian presence there? Because is there just Ganassi there or are there Valkyrian soldiers? There's Valkyrians. We estimate one legion completely loyal to Shansara, this propaganda agent, this singer. They seem to be completely devoted to her. They, in fact, wear tabards and colours that aren't just the Valkyrian Empire emblem. They have a stylized flame symbol and

wings which are meant to represent this Shansara. They're completely loyal, approximately a legion size. So a substantial force, but not insurmountable. However, the city itself also has swelled with its number of volunteer guards and military personnel. Many of the Ganassi have rallied to the cause of this Shansara and this harmony as well, and have volunteered themselves as a sort of people's militia that are now also patrolling the streets. I wonder if disguising yourselves at least as Valkyrian

would perhaps be easier than Ganassi. Or maybe it's two sides of the same coin, really. Whatever you think is possible. I think that Norfea has been using more physical disguises and elements to get in and out of the city, which is her specialty, and we have some people who may be able to help you with that. But also, magical disguises may also be able to function

at least to get you inside. It may not be something that you can keep up for an entire day, but it might allow you to walk around the city and get to where you need to go initially. Like I said, we don't believe that they have too many specialists. Unlike here in Horizon, we've specifically trained our people to detect those using illusions and magic to hide themselves. We don't believe the Ganassi have done so.

and magic to hide themselves. We don't believe the Ganassi have done so. Do you have any idea what happens to the ones that are caught trying to enter the city? We do not know. Something that Norfear and the Seekers, as they are calling themselves, the Seekers and Norfear have tried to rescue several of these individuals and council members. We believe that Norfear's communication was brief, she mentioned that they had uh good chances of rescuing at least one council member

um who had been sort of taken into custody but they do have heavy defenses the earth quarter the earth district um is very heavily fortified for things like prisons and things like that the ganassi a lot of the ganassi have natural control over their elements. The Ganassi who can work stone have been shaping additional buildings, fortifications on their walls, that sort of thing. I was just wondering if there was any way we could maybe communicate with Norfear

to try to draw the presence of the more experienced mages away from our entry point. It's possible. At the moment, we have to rely on physical communications. Sending spells and the like are also no longer functioning into the city, but Norfear has been sending us some physical communications wherever possible, but it is sporadic and how much we can send back to her is difficult. We need to use coded language and dedicated agents to transport these communications. Those are the people where if we intended to try and smuggle you in, we would try and use one of our contacts that we've established there. My three recommendations would be either entering the city in disguise via its main entrance. There are still a large number of

Ganassi coming and going from the city, getting supplies, working the farms nearby, that sort of thing. So being able to get you in shouldn't be, you wouldn't stand out. There would still be a crowd for you to enter as part of. The other would be to smuggle you on a ship through the harbor. The other is potentially having you swim via the sewer systems and aqueducts into the city itself not aqueducts sewer systems i'm trying to think of the name the water system the canal system that's what i'm trying to think of um via a high altitude uh low feather fall jump are there training grounds for the militia yes Yes, yes, within the city, yes, they have barracks and things like that. They are using open plazas to train.

Most of it has been driven by the belief that Erois will try and stop them. And so they believe that they are training for some big battle that's to come. So the training is quite centralized? In most parts. The city is divided into the main districts uh mainly in the central district a lot of uh the harmony the council and shansara are located and based um in the outer parts of the city life functions as normal from what we're led to understand this is not a military occupation ganass and vortensar have welcomed the valkyrian empire and shansara she's celebrated them she's being held up as an icon, somebody who's helping take them home.

This is not a, you know, people are being held against their will, apart from dissenters. Dissenters, we don't know what's happening to them, but they are small in number. I pictured it as an occupation, so that's good to know. No, no, the people there are very, from Norfell's last communication, they are in...

What has happened is that Shansara and Harmony have announced that this transportation, this journey home, will be taking place soon. Their inside sources believe about 10 days. And it is... The town, the city is in celebration. They are wary of Eros attacking them, but they are in celebration. Banners, performances, concerts, dancing. It's an exciting time for many of them. of a row is attacking them but they are in celebration banners performances concerts

dancing it's an exciting time for many of them i think one thing that could help us is if we could prove what we've been told and that is that if the gate is activated if this teleportation system is activated it will be a disaster something like that would be important but we currently don't have that evidence nor fear and others, if you can get to them and speak with them, they may be able to help you find said evidence, but we would need your expertise on that. Would your eye be able to tell us what this looks like, if it works or if it doesn't? Yes, but again, it's the same as Calus asking if he can trust my visions. But I need to know.

Okay, we need to find some way of recording these, by the way. You do a sleep on him. You go to sleep and then do the eye while sleeping. I can't cast those spells anymore. Oh, yes. Yep. Regardless, so you want me to find out what happens if Vortensar activates?

If they activate this teleportation system, what will happen? Exactly that. What will happen? Okay. Trying to decide. Mm-mm. Okay. I'm trying to decide. Mm-mm. Yeah. I like all of you except Tom. To leave.

Oh! I want Tom to put it in his words when he comes back. Oh, he's the worst, though! Yeah, well, that's the way it is. I am the worst. I'm awful and terrible. You're the worst. Hang on. Let me just open up the Notes app for the first time today. Time to p-p-p-p today. Time to pick up a penguin.

Just film him with your phone and play it back to us. No, absolutely not. Ha, ha, ha. Trots is gonna play some music and then he's gonna come. I will leave, I will leave. Scary music. Okay. It doesn't need to be scary music.

It doesn't need to be scary music. It's gonna be scary. I'm about to see what happens if entire, wait, is it a sky city it's not no why did i think it was my kitty cat i don't know it's not a sky city though huh it's built into the the land but like teleported in initially and then it's been sort of integrated yeah yeah they've sculpted the land oh god i don't i'm not ready for this jelly just f FYI. You okay there, Trot? Yeah. Just play whatever. It's corridor smell, hurry up!

Okay, okay. I'm ready to listen and learn and love and lecture and luscious and luscious. Shut the door, are you raising a barn? Barns have doors. Teach me, teach me it all I know, but not all you know. What you see on the horizon, you see a city. Yeah.

A city that you've never seen anything really like it before. It's beautiful in a way. Set onto the coast with backdrop of mountains, you see an enormous city, walls surrounding it, not too dissimilar to other cities you've seen, but what makes this city unique is four enormous statues. One, a woman being lifted up on clouds, almost curling over a part of the city one quarter of it reaching down with an

looming hand around her there are flying platforms levitating hovering in place with buildings and homes and streets on them kind of surrounding her with all sorts of different lifts of air and cloud reaching up to her opposite her is almost lounging, reclined on their side, is a much larger Earth Ganassi man, kind of reaching up with one hand. And from him, you see all built along the arm, along the palm, along their body, are more buildings and houses, all kind of built into this giant statue

reaching towards the woman. On either side of those, facing each other, one, an Earth Fire Ganassi woman lifts her hands up and from her palms pour rivers of lava, almost like molten lava, pouring down her palms into pools around her from which you see forges and buildings and barracks all built into them as well, with great geysers of steaming vents with platforms that almost seems to lift people up to different parts of the city which are elevated or hovering and then finally opposite the fire ganassi you see a man reaching down kind of with cupped hands as water pours from them into dozens

of canals that run throughout the city, transporting people on little wooden boats almost on their own currents without need for any sort of poles or navigation. The city is magical and technological combined, very much like that you might have seen in the Valkyrian Empire but still connected to the world of Eroes. You watch as those four statues, their bodies begin to illuminate with runes kind of spiraling up their bodies. You see them beginning to pulse as symbols engraved into them begin to glow and they begin to shift and move and almost reach out their hands until all of them are facing towards each other the lava pools and stops as they reach towards each other forming a ring of hands around the

city as power pulses through each of them the whole city seems like it is about to flash as it begins to fade from existence and then something snaps and breaks. The statues begin to crack and break apart, but the city, still half-translucent, still half-phasing through, you hear a cacophony of screams and cries as parts of it break from reality, half-transported, half-not. Some of it just vanishes.

Some of it cracks and snaps and breaks until the statues collapse in on themselves and you see a great dust cloud fill, engulfing the city. And that's what we see. We're done. Oh, hell yeah. Hell yeah. Oh, man. Oh, yeah.

It turns out it's all fine. They're going to make it back. So we should just let them. What did your bird eyes see? Oh, they saw so much. Nova, Nova. I'm going to run over to, like, the war table, sort of, and the map in the middle.

I saw Vortensar. I saw the giant towering statues that that hold all of the elements of vortensar together um it's incredible it's amazing do you know there's a legend we the statues they represent you know the four elements but there's a legend or even a rumor that that they can move well well, well, well. No. Kind of, sort of. Well, a little bit. So I saw...

I knew it! I saw the, I guess, the project activate. There were runes that were moving up their limbs, up their bodies, that sort of illuminated the entire thing. And then they cracked and twisted and all joined hands, the statues, the statues the giant giant statues joined hands and then something went wrong i don't know what went wrong but something went wrong um

stuff started to vanish and reappear and disappear completely and come back and everything was there but it wasn't and everything was falling in on itself and appearing back on top of itself it was but everything collapses everything falls to nothing in the end it becomes dust it becomes nothingness it will fail, the project, if, I mean, if the question was right, if all goes ahead as it currently is, I don't think it will work. That's what I saw. This is fine. I, sorry, I had to get it all out there as quick as I could before it all just vanished. This is fine.

This is fine. This is fine. We have at least ten days to do something about it. Yeah, maybe some hours. No, no, no. We know for sure it's ten days at least. We will fix this. We will do whatever it takes. Maybe less. You really threw me there yes i got chris trot i got you it was like you us watching rings of power we did a rings of power you got me with

it was a line about wars joke years ago well i just got you back oh yeah it was a line about our character goes like it could be hours it could it could be days. And we were like, that's a very vague... It was an elf. It was an elf as well. So it's like, that's a very vague amount of time. For an attack happening, it's like... Just for reference, Norfyr has said estimate may be around 10 days, but they don't know. Could be hours.

They are a storage fridge away from completion. You mentioned Quill in your vision. It was the statues had runes on them, you said. So the statues were what teleported the city or attempted to? Either... I mean, I didn't get a glimpse of where the project was housed or even activated from, I presume the center, but... Makes sense.

It might be that they've been inscribing these runes on the statues for... I don't know how long, but they might be a power source of a sort, rather than... Danica will say, no, I don't... The size of Vortensar, just from my own work with Horizon, I can channel the engines, but I channel the power from the center of the city, but the engines themselves receive that power from a number of systems, but the engines themselves are built into specific parts of the city.

I think that whatever system, whatever devices they've built must have been integrated into those statues if that's where you saw the runes if they move to join their hands it seems almost eerily similar to how i channel power into the engines from here there likely is someone feeding the power but the devices that the the devices must be built into those statues themselves. The actual wards and magitek that is required. So, I mean, they... I imagine they have somebody like me who is central providing the power to it,

but I don't know much about Vorten, so I don't know if they have somebody of magical power like me. It could even be Harmony. Harmony themselves are akin to a god. They are a child of the four elements. That is why they rule us, because they can balance the four elements.

They can speak for all the people. That's why they are harmony. These actions you've described are so unlike anything I've ever heard before. I think Norfyr is right, something is wrong with Harmony, whether Shansara has influenced them, but they are powerful, and if you are saying that, you know, someone like you would be needed to power such a great task, I would suspect it's them. I think so. I don't think that there is any, even with the astoria we

found that the astoria required velena's touch to move and power such an immense thing with horizon i am only able to do it through a series of elemental engines in my own power which i have to frequently recharge i think that i think that these statues might hold the physical devices that allow the teleportation, but the power must come from someone decentral. And I suspect that this harmony, if you say that they have access to all four elements, I mean, we all know that Ganassi have elemental connections and powers individually, but to have all four,

I think that does show some sort of supernatural power, similar to the phoenix that the energy that binds me to change the statues as well it's well i suppose it's how you look at it to me it sounds like a desecration but i suppose to those who want to go home well i want to go but not like this I suppose to those who want to go home, well, I want to go, but not like this. But to those who want to go home now and this is their solution, I suppose it is their way home. Stop looking at me, it's quite something.

They're not for you. I think this information that Quill has, I think that this is something you need to bring to the Seekers and to Norfolk. They'll know much more on the ground. They've been trying to find where these devices are, where this teleportation system is. I mean, imagine if these statues are so sacred to the Ganassian, maybe that they've not even considered that they may be built into them.

They might not have checked those statues. I don't know if sacred is the word. It's more that they're representations of the best of us. We're not particularly holy people, but... But still, something that perhaps... It's principles. They wouldn't have expected that something like that would be changed or used in this way. Exactly.

It could be that they might not have looked there. So this is something we should definitely let them know. I wonder if we do attempt to enter one of these statues and deactivate whatever it is that they've got running in there, maybe that will be enough to stop their progress entirely. They clearly are attempting to use all four to activate this thing, so maybe without one of them, it simply can't go ahead. I guess either that or we try to find this harmony and stop it at its source. You know, the Old Nova would have said maybe we can reason with them.

They are meant to be the ultimate diplomat. They are meant to represent all of us. They are meant to be open-minded and decisive, but... And that's what Old Nova would have believed, but after everyone we've met and the things we've been through, I don't know anymore. Especially if they are so far ahead with this plan. I wouldn't might actually agree, in fact, that maybe in a contained city like this, surrounded by this messaging, this propaganda, this idea of going home, maybe they genuinely believe they are doing the right thing. And maybe we can send a different message out,

instill just a little bit of doubt, and maybe we can send a different message out. Instill just a little bit of doubt and that could be enough to shut the entire operation down. As long as we could just buy time. If we could buy time and then we can set about changing the message. Because I do think they have a right to go back to Ganesh, but there are other ways, safer ways we can send them. But also they need to know the full facts, they need to know about the Empire, they need to know about other Gannas out there and the Jasavir elves. I don't want them to be forgotten.

Whatever happened to them, it needs to be brought to the light. It sounds like, Rain will say, it sounds like from Norfyr's reports, that the people of Vortensar believe that Eros, they're never going to get to leave. This is their only chance to get home. They believe that Eros wants to keep them here. Resources for their magical knowledge, for all of these different reasons. It's been impossible to try and even tell them what we're trying to work towards if they knew that the cradle was going to be removed that one day if we can

stop valkyria if we can stop this hadar we could send them home you know via ships now that we have access to this technology it wouldn't be impossible for us to do but as far as we're aware that's not even a message being spoken of to them. With regards to one thing though, Nova, that you said, I think it perhaps best if you think and you make sure you know what the Empire is. Lady Danica has said that you're entertaining the thought of working with Valkyrian about stopping Italicus. If we're willing to work with him on this, how is that any different to them working with the Valkyrians on going home? I guess what I'm trying to say is

we can't patent the Valkyrian Empire as the villain if we don't truly understand their empire. We don't really understand exactly what they're about. Even our own beliefs, we thought they were coming here to conquer us and now they've stopped because of whatever you've done. Just keep that in mind, is all I'd say. I'm not... I'm not saying I want to make their decision for them.

But I at least want to give them facts. And I'm just saying, make sure you know what those facts are. That's the hard bit, isn't it? Exactly. There's nothing worse than for me, if I was being told to believe that the sky was green by somebody who genuinely thought it was, but I can look up and see that it's blue. It creates a problem.

Facts are a difficult thing, especially for different people in different places. This Valkyrian Empire is a complicated matter as I am learning. We've interrogated people that we've caught who genuinely seem to believe that it's the best thing. And then we've met those who have suffered at its hands as well. I don't think it's a black and white answer. If at least we could stop them blowing themselves up first. That's our main objective,

and that's what we should try and keep in mind. So maybe you're right, maybe being able to buy yourself some time to try and get access to this harmony. One thing we know is that nobody's seen or gotten close to harmony apart from these public appearances that they do alongside this Shansara. And security is tight whenever they do appear. It sounds like they've been isolated, to be honest. Could very well be.

That would certainly be something that, if I'm being honest, if I were trying to manipulate a leader, I would want to isolate them from their people and from those who disagreed. And if Shansara is half as good as what we're led to believe, then that's probably what she's done. But, before anything, this is all very important news, but we need to decide how we're getting you inside the city. Now, you have allies that I don't know. You may have means that I'm not aware of, but this is the first thing we need to decide.

Because if I need to plan to smuggle you in, I need to make arrangements for that. If I need to arrange for an airport, an airship to take you over at a high altitude, then I need to arrange that. Well, I was need to arrange that. Well, I was just thinking. Tharnia's new squadron. This could be a good test flight for high altitude dropping. Single pilot ships. Well, there are five of them, are there not?

Currently made. About four to five. Might be a good test of something small, discreet, fast, that can go very high altitude and drop us into the canals. I think what Nova is saying, they only fit one person. They fit one person. Single pilot ships. You would not be able to have you and the pilot in them.

Could not be in some sort of magical box attached to... I've looked into it. Surely there's a way. There is a way. It ain't easy. Okay, well, that was... I mean, it wouldn't be difficult

to get an airship to take you up. We just have to, it would need to be a special, you know, something like the Stormchaser that has an environmental system. The Stormchaser would probably be the one that we would send, I'll be honest. It's either that or we straightforwardly disguise ourselves

and blend in with the local populace. I was going to say, Rain, I suppose you've been apprised of our previous missions, but not in incredible detail. Oh, I'm familiar with your specialties as Stormchasers, yes. So? There is a difference. There is a difference. incredible detail. Oh, I'm familiar with your specialties as storm chasers, yes. So... There is a difference. There is a difference.

I've read the reports on what happened in Jakesh. There is a difference between trying to be quiet and then there is a difference between trying to blend in. We've blended in before. I think it is possible. The difficulty will be... It's me, Lucius. Obviously for Nova, for Lucius, for Aayla,

I think it's actually much easier to disguise them. The difficulty will be for Sentry and yourself. You, Quill, will need magical disguise, or some sort of ability to shape shift. Are there gardens in Vordensar? No. Right, so yes, magical. It is Ganassi only, yes.

I mean, yes, unless you were to disguise Sentry as just a straight construct, like some sort of magical construct servant or some such, but obviously that's a very different matter. Also, we are very well known now. Yes, you will need to be heavily disguised. I was going to say. I will probably need to disguise myself.

Yeah, if we disguise ourselves... Yours will be easier, at least, I think. I don't think we can simply disguise ourselves as Valkyrian soldiers. Well, because they'll see our faces. And also, I'm an Arakokra, and that's a guardian. A very pretty Arakokra. A very beautiful one. And that's a guardian. A very pretty eriko girl.

A very beautiful one. If we try to become the local populace that are not under military oppression, that are just, like the reports say, going about their lives. And Nova's lived there. She knows what daily life is like in Vortensar. We could get trained by her to act as if we are from Vordensar itself. I have a guidebook I wrote. Of course you do. Of course you do. How big is this guidebook out of interest?

That's bigger than my book of wisdom. How? That says a lot about you more than Novaquill. This is a book of infinite knowledge and it's smaller than that. This is just two of the quarters as well. Really? Hmm. It's not even finished.

I say we go to someone that can provide not permanent but lasting magical disguises for you two. Okay. And then we go into training of becoming someone different with Nova. Hiya! And maybe, do we need someone else with us? An expert? I can arrange to have somebody who's specialized in illusory magic or transmutation magic to sort of disguise you. To preserve food.

Didn't you say you spoke to a wizard? Sorry? Yes, I did, but he's busy. He's not working on the fridge. Is there a way to apply an effect into an object, like a stone, something like that, where they can have it on them, and then the disguise is so long as that crystal functions? It's not impossible to put spells into scrolls or wands or crystals or things like that. Gems. I mean, that is certainly possible, yes.

Yeah, it's definitely possible. I worry about, you know, I've seen some illusory magic. I'm not akin to it myself, but you can pass through certain bits and bobs, and if you're not the right shape, like, sentry's quite formidable. There's a lot of me to cover, yes. Yeah, also, like, the wings, I have to pretend they're just not there and avoid people with them.

I'm wondering if it should be... There's ways around it. I'm not an espionage expert, but yes, even though I'm familiar with similar illusory spells, but for example, with Quill's Wings, you know, you would disguise... You would be wearing arms, but you would have fabric, like a draped cloak kind of connecting to give the illusion so that at least that way you can move about them as normal.

But you are correct. These sorts of illusory disguises don't hold up to a physical inspection, which means you have to be even better at talking your way out of problems making sure that you know if you do have somebody who wants to check you over you make sure it's one of the three of you or rather than these two for example but there are other options as well transmutation magic can physically alter a person um polymorph spells uh disguise you as an animal temporarily. Could we perhaps receive some... But those tend to be shorter lasting. I know that there is one illusory spell

that lasts eight hours, the Seeming spell, but that is very... It is illusory in its appearance. It does not hold up to physical disguises. So I would want to send a specialist in with you if that's the way that you were going to go. Somebody who is trained in disguise, trained, maybe even another ganassi who is who is dedicated to our outside of things um somebody with knowledge and training but we can find somebody like that i might need a day or two

but uh that would be good i think regardless of the method of entry we're still going to need to blend in and disguise ourselves so once you're inside the city, yes, you can't, walking around as yourselves, you'll draw just as much attention to yourselves. Norfyr does have, I also have some instructions from her on how to find her and the Seekers once you get into the city. We're going to see Norfyr again. Very exciting. We're going to see my brother again. Well, in that case, I will begin looking for,

if that's how you want to progress, we will arrange a transport for you to arrange via the main gates, and I will find a specialist who can provide magical and physical disguises. Transmutation or illusion, I'll see who I can get, but I've got some ideas. And then we'll begin preparations. It'll take, you'll have a couple of days, and then we'll set sail.

We'll get you on your way. Well, we have to wait a week for a magic box. No, that's gonna go on in the background. When I get back, I'll check in on... Oh, I've forgotten his name. Was it Zim Zam or Zam Zim? I'm not telling. Zam Zim Zambalor.

I believe it was Zam Zim Zambalor. That sounds like a fake name. It does, but it does sound like a fake name. Do you have a contact or anything for like updates? That sort of thing? His name. Did you do a deposit system? Did you? I paid, well to be fair I paid less than I guess it would ordinarily. Can we have this conversation not here in front of all these people. Yep, Panicus is listening in. And with that, that's where we're going to end the episode. Because it is time. It's overtime. Quilly got scammed. Quilly got scammed. I don't think I did.

By a multiversal creature. I don't think I did. I think this is going to be fine. And if he thinks he can get away from me... In your burgeoning perspective? My burgeoning perception, and also my book of locate creature, among all else,

with... Do you need a name? Then I will use my eye. I will go... I will spend every resource. I am going to burn every spell slot to find this fucker if he scams me.

You're going to get the gods to... You're going to get... Wake up, Siaska. Hey, Siaska. Find this wizard for me. Actually, sorry. Kim, don't you have an item?

A quite readily available magic item that prevents any divination magic from finding you? Whoop! Oh, no. I am going to find this man.

Sure. I mean, if find this man. Sure. I mean, if you could be. Is he even a man? Is he even a man? We don't know. Set the sound off. And that's it. Thank you very much for watching.

That's it for this part. We'll see you in future High Rollers episodes. Thanks very much for watching. Till next time. Bye. See you later. See you later!