High Rollers DnD - Mystery of the Illusory | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #121 (Part 1)

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

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Hello and welcome back to Althea the Dragon Empire. The heroes, following a morale-boosting Alley Cat's win at the Junior Hatchball Tournament, made their way to the Ossian Gala, being hosted by Varys Evernite and Lady Glomeres, a black dragon noble of the Nightwalk District of Kelskaris. On arrival, before entering the event, Sister Ophelia was pulled aside,

by Shadow Walker Delilah Forrester, the representative for the House of Shadows. Delilah delivered a firm warning that Sister Ophelia was not to get involved in actions against the diadem again. To do so would be to risk the non-aggression pact the two had sworn. Whilst Rowan had to go through his bag of holding at security with Daisy keeping him company, the rest of the gang made their way into Lady Glamyrus's estate and began surveying the attending guests. There were numerous figures, counsellors, wealthy merchants, ex-adventurers, and of course, representatives of the Ossian houses. But amongst them were three academia students, including a young gold dragon-born woman named Ora. Xanthias approached her, and though initially

thrown off by her supposed lack of acknowledgement, with further pressing, she revealed her true colors as Orathera Oregon, one of his siblings. Lord Umbraxian, a politically outspoken black dragon noble, went off alone as an important tome of necromancy came up for auction, and Gruff went after in pursuit, but lost sight of the lord and chose to head upstairs in search of him but found no sign. Gruff did hear a spell being cast from a window overlooking the gardens, but saw only counsellor Jalia Winsinger leaving the gardens. In forming the party via daisy chain, Ophelia headed outside to the main entrance and sawed Lord Umbraxian leaving in a hurry,

only to fake a fall into him, passing straight through his arm, revealing it to be an illusion. As Zanthia stood up to make his way towards Lady Glomeris, Orah moved past him and with subtle spellcasting used suggestion on him. And that is where we pick the session back up. Juicy. Before, yes, Chris Trott. A question.

What was the name of the person outside that you spotted? What? Instead of seeing Lord And Braxia outside. It was the counsellor Jalia Winsinger. Thank you. Who had left previously. Tom Hayes, apparently it's time for question. I just wanted to apologize if there was a very loud click

during my intro. Loud click. I was trying to throw a chocolate into Trump's mouth. And it hit my microphone. Yeah. So I apologize. It happened to say. Big loud quick.

There might be another bit at that side because it shattered. It shattered. It shattered as well. It had a half of it. It was a very difficult introduction for all of us, basically. Well, yeah, you know, it's introduction,

a recap of very important things that were happening, very important clues. I was fine. I'm just saying a part of that might have been interrupted by, well, you know, maybe instead of throwing chocolates, listening would have been a great. And the sound of spicy. It's just to suggest.

It's just the suggestion. I mean, chocolate in my mouth. I reckon if the mite wasn't there, that was going straight in. That was going straight in. It was the force behind it, though. I was just checking my notes. Anyway, suggest. Oh, sorry, I thought this was the chocolate throwing podcast.

We don't think of that. Sure. Right. So, before we roll. Before we rolled fate, I have a slight retcon. Because Orathera is cleverer than me and knows her spells better than me, being the one who cast them. The wording of the suggestion,

what Xanthius was told as she walked past him, whispering into his ear, was, why don't you go for a long, silent walk in the city to think things over until tomorrow was the suggestion. Long, silent. Silent. It's also just to condense it into a single suggestion so it fits the ruling of the spell and everything else a little bit more.

And again, I've had a quick chat with Tom about how that's interpreted. We also spoke about the role play of suggestion. That's what I'm saying, yeah. It's meant to be like Xanthius has just had a great idea and that idea was to take a silent walk. And think about things. So it's not like, I'm like, I can't control my body, help me.

No. To Xanthius, it's like, to Xanthius, it's like he's just had the most reasonable suggestion and has to follow that suggestion. But it makes sense and is like, yeah, that's something that he should have to do. Maybe I will. So with that, we will now roll fainte. Fate. Fate time.

To fate, say. Number one. Oh, two. Oh, one, that's one for me. That's two, that's another one for me. Doreen up the slack with a six. Six, that's one for you guys. You guys. I got a five.

That's another one for you guys. It's another one for me. That's shit. It could be even. It's a four, it is. Steven. Steven. I'm happy to see Steven today.

Steven's back. Wow. Love to see you, Steven. See what happened. All the things I've said, run them through my head. So as a small recap to where everybody currently is, so Serafiela Delarosa, you are outside by the main gate into Lady Glomeris's estate. You have just sort of passed through you, sort of,

stumbled into this illusion, you sort of passed through the forearm and the hand, it looks like you've tripped and fallen. Lord Ambraxian, in air quotes, has rushed off and is making their way away from the estate at a rapid pace. Graff, you are currently wild-shaped as a cat, upstairs. Cat, cat, cat, cat, adult cat, upstairs in the sort of upper part of the estate, bedrooms, studies, that sort of thing, are all up there. I believe you were on the window cell looking down onto the gardens, which is where you saw Jaya Winsinger. Do you try your paws?

My little pause. Daisy, Rowan and Xanthias were present in the main ballroom where the auction was taking place. Yes. And that auction is basically wrapping up now. The necromancy tomb that was bought by Vizana, one of the merchants of Vodesquire. that's all now being wrapped up

and everybody's kind of stood up, people are getting drinks so it's quite a busy, crowded main whole ballroom at the moment. So that's just to recap where everyone is, yes, Trott. Chris Trott here, got a question. Yeah. Did the ornate painting sell? I believe I said it did and it went for a good amount of money.

It went for a considerable amount more than what it was... Was it stowed away before the two-hour window of the performance of creation frame? It will certainly, it will be taken off the stage before the frame vanishes, but whether or not, what happens next, who could say? It's certainly not present. Someone hit a piece of wood and said, deal. Yep.

That's it. That's their responsibility. I think most people care for the painting, not so much the frame. The frame was pretty good, though. It's only worth how much can your performance creation? I think it's like, what's the value of it? Not very much. That's just not...

I think it's like 50 GP or something. So it's not bad. How much money can you put on the creative? Yeah, 50 GP for a frame. That's quite a lot. But it's not... The painting is what's really valuable. Okay.

Well, that's... But that is now... Please remove that painting from everyone's inventory. It is no longer... It is gone. It is gone. It's... The painting is no more.

I think we should buy another one. I fooled you. The ornate painting was the performance of creation. It's still in the bag. No, it was not. We made that very clear it was the frame. I can't believe that came back again. No.

That's what this story was all about this entire time. It's actually a heist for the ornate painting. Ross, I'm going to buy another one. You can buy another one. It's just that one is gone. And more importantly, it's out of Ophelia's hands. That's the main thing. No, it wasn't in Ophelia's hands for the long.

It wasn't, actually, so... I was convinced it was still an average. I thought it was. $240 gold. How much the framers were? Yeah. Oh, okay. That's a nice frame.

Still nowhere near the value of the painting, but that is a very nice frame. So whoever has bought it will be very disappointed when that frame. I want to sell some great favor. Who did buy it? Let me, I'm going to roll to see who bought it, actually. Was it the guy who got really pissed about the necromancy time, so you missed out on?

That was actually Lady Glomeris, who was kind of pissed off about that. Oh. Is it a big racist? They were in a frenzy of auctioning. A big racist. That's why I was going to roll to see if it was Davian's Dad. Yeah, Davian's Dad. All right.

Davian Senior. Yeah. So this would be, um, I just want to know who's going to get a rude awakening. How, um... They come up on stage, just as the frame dissipates,

rolls onto the floor, they slip on it, plan thwarted. That's how we solve this. The person who bought the painting was actually high priest Zithos Mordecai, the head of the Ossian embassy. Oh shit. That was the one who bought it.

And this old man, this dude, Duddering old man with his two blanking death nights. He's just like, very pleased with my purchase. That will look marvelous above my fireplace. As is. That frame, so strange. I don't want to change a thing. That's a good point.

I would have said donated by you. Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely. Still, all the paintings aside. Well, is it bad? Who knows? Nothing's happened. auction, everybody stands up, they begin something. I think the most important question is Xanthius, what do you do?

So, I mean, I guess really it's down to what Daisy and Rowan see, I suppose, in that there was a message in the Daisy chain about some happenings outside. The last message in the Daisy chain was Ophelia saying, I just seen Lord and Brackstein leave, he was an illusion. I like pass through him. That man is not real. That man was not real. That was like the last message.

Horridly, right. That's when I get up with the intention of going to... Start moving forward. That's when like the whole crowd's out, because the auction's over. Oh, okay. The cinema, right? Everybody gets up at the same time.

People like, the crowd, like, you're pushing through the crowd towards Lady Blamirez to basically be like, look, something's fucking going down. You get brushed by aura, subtly cast a suggestion, nobody knows that she's cast a spell, hits you, now the suggestion's taken up.

I mean, it's, like, from your perspective, then in that case is literally I am not quite frantically like trying to get across the room through people that's evident I think it's obvious to see that and then I just turn emerge from the back of the crowd and I just start walking out the entrance yeah like I just go I don't even think I communicate it I'm just like maybe I maybe it's maybe there's something outside I could find instead I'm going to try and not matter as much as possible here yeah I mean you guys act as your characters would act. Hearing the Daisy thing,

Daisy chain thing, and then seeing Xanthias abruptly get up, I kind of would take his lead, I think, and think that we need to do something. Well, the problem there is, is it makes sense because he starts heading to where Ophelia is. So he kind of pivots off,

he starts making his way through the cab, then he turns, starts making his way out into the main sort of entrance hall to go leave the estate. Like you follow behind Xanthias, Is Daisy doing anything different, or is she following with Rowan? I would follow, because before we even went to the event,

we agreed that Xanthia shouldn't be left on his own, okay? So she would be like, well, we're going to stick together. Okay. Perfect. So the three of you guys start making away, and this is a big ballroom. This is like a dragon's board. Climping on the way out.

Yeah, like people are sort of like, you know, they're mingling, they're chagin. Because the idea is that the evening's going to go on. It's now going to be a ball. It's going to be dancing. The auction's been successful. so everyone sort of like chatting away, blah, blah, blah. You do notice that, yeah, there were a couple of people that left.

There are, you know, a couple of people missing. But you begin following Xanthias, who just gets up and makes his way towards the entrance. Sister Ophelia and Graf, let's find out what you guys are doing. So we can kind of get a sense of where everyone's movements are and what's everyone doing? I'm going to start cleaning myself. Good. And then just crawl up for a nap.

Okay. Great. Okay. I'm not. I am going to, I can't jump out of the window, can I? Or is there like, I mean you could. Can I, I'm a cat. Is there like stuff I can climb down?

You are looking, I would say that no, there wouldn't be enough, like, there wouldn't be trees not this close to, like, the walls here in the estate. Because they wouldn't want people climbing up them and breaking in. So there is some distance. Like, you're looking down onto sort of a garden with trees and a pathway and things like that. But you are a cat. I mean, I'd say that this is probably a good 20, 25 feet down to the ground from up here. Because you're on the second floor.

This is a dragon estate. It's quite big. So you're looking at about a 25 foot fall from here. Is there a waiter that I can just like jump on their head comically as they walk past? That would still be a 25 foot fall. If gruff changes into a kitten, does the terminal velocity decrease? Grasphs not changing to the kitten. I am specifically an old cat.

I said he looks like Milo. Black, white speckled fur, scarred, grizzled. Can you clamber down the wall? Yeah, can I clench? You ever seen a cat clamber down the wall? They do clamber. They do clamber. They do clamber.

Well, the D&D cats. Well, for some. This is the question. That's five kims. Is there climbing eye on the wall? I'd say they could do like a kim and a half safely. Now, I'm glad to inform you, a cat has a climb speed of 40 feet. Wow.

So you climb down, you sort of climb onto the lattice, jump down, maybe jumping onto a lower window sill. You're very agile. They also have an ability called jumper. The cat's jump. distance is determined using its decks rather than its strength. Wow. So you're quite good at jumping.

So yeah, you can jump your way down. That's going to be like whilst, you know, the thing with Xanthus is happening, that's kind of what you're doing is you're making your way down. This is going to leave you in the gardens, basically. I kind of want to snoop around there anyway. Sure. Sister Ophelia. Yeah, I think Ophelia's going to stand at the front and wait for Percy to catch up with her.

So she kind of just darted off and left her. Oh, Percy would be like very close behind you. Okay. Yeah, Percy's like basically coming up to you, way before anybody else. Can Ophelia call Lady Delilah Forrester? You should call out for her?

Yeah. Sure. Let's see if she's nearby. You are outside of the... Yeah, I'm outside. Yeah, outside the aura, but is she present in the local area? She doesn't have any mental connection to her.

So you're literally just like calling out... Lady Delilah! Lady Delilah! I will give her... I think it's literally a 25. percent chance that she's here because she'd be patrolling outside. Hey there, Delilah. Yeah, nice. Let's see, I'll do this where you can see it.

So 25% chance, so we're looking for basically 25 and lower. At 68. She is not currently out the front section here. She's in another part, like, patrolling the border of this place. Mother, what is wrong? Lord Ambraxian is spectral for some reason. Oh, congratulations. I'm so pleased for him.

Well, in a formal setting, yeah, well, in a more ceremonial setting, I suppose that would be more telling, but right now this doesn't feel right. You give me a perception check, please. Okay, now. Buddy, that is a 10. 10. You are sort of distracted, you're calling out for Delilah Forrester,

and then I think that's when we, you know, so Rowan and Daisy, You follow Xanthius. Xanthius walks to the entrance hall, turns, and makes his way outside, and begins making his way out to the front. You see Ophelia stood there. Ophelia, you see the three of them approaching you.

Oh, hello. What's happening? Is there a plan? I don't know. Someone abruptly leave, right, and now we're here. Zanthis, Zanthias? Zanthas. Where are you going?

Hi, I mean, it is, like, in my best interest, Do you just... I assume we'd all turn around to, like, naturally form a circle. How do you interpret silent? I would interpret it as, like, not speaking. Because I'm... Yeah, I guess... Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Or even something as small as just being, like, turning around very quickly, just being like... I'm just going to... Just make a gesture. Zanthius keeps walking. You might have a plan. Yes, he's probably seen them.

But it would be great if he could tell us that plan. Santhias, don't walk on your own. Wait, we'll wait for Graf. Are you saying that in the chat as well? Wait for Graff. Yeah. I imagine I'll probably say, just we're here just now, Gruff. If you want to meet up with this, we're all here. I just want to investigate the gardens. See if I can find Jala. We're out the front, Gruffist.

I just want to see if I can track down the councillor Jala Winsinger. She was the last one to leave the garden. Weird. What's happening here? Can I cast Unseen Servant? Yes. Can I get it to just follow Lord Andbraxian for as far as far as it can? I think it's 60 feet it can go from me, or I can cast it 60 feet. Give me another perception check because I think that with everything that's happened,

you're calling out for a little delighter, he is like gone. Yeah. But let's see if you can remember which direction he went in and like see if you can catch any sort of like sight of him. Natural ones, that's not happening. You have no idea where he went. You lost sight of him. You saw him leave.

he turned down a side street and he was gone. You cast Unseen Servants still. Yeah. And the sort of form, but when you tell it to go off, it just sort of looks at you. Like, it doesn't know where to go. Sorry, sorry to somebody for no reason. Right, what can we do? What can we do? What can we do?

Who did you see? What happened? Lord Ombraxian, I, he walked past me. I brushed up against his arm and I just went through it. He was, like he was spectral, yes. Someone else, man. Maybe. But you went right through him. Through his arm.

Just disguised self, there'd be something there. There was nothing there. Are you having this conversation whilst you follow over after then? Because he is walking away from the entrance. I think we're kind of noticing. I don't know. Rowan is kind of like... I feel like we feel like...

Daisy feels like we've gathered to wait for gruff here. So you've waited there. Xanthius has walked off. He's like 30, 60 feet away at this point in your conversation. Santhius? Santhius? Oh, I guess maybe he has a plan. He has a plan.

Catch up with him. Gruff, we're moving away. Xanthus is on ascent, I assume. Okay, I'll catch up with you soon. Okay. Gruff, let's jump over to Gruff for a second and give Tom a second to think, I think. But Gruff, you wanted to,

so you sort of make your way from where Jarlia came from. Yeah, so sure. I want to see if I can track her down, basically, track her movement, or see if there's anything in the garden. Those are two different things. Which one would you like to do?

So you can either look for her tracks and try and follow where she went, or you can search the gun. You want to just try and follow it. Okay, that would be a survival role. And do I use, like, my cat stats? You, so, normally you use... It says... Game stats.

They are replaced by the Beets stat blocks, but you retain intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores. I would say you would retain your skill proficiencies then as well, especially for those skills. Survival. Yeah. So I'd say like you can use your survival. 12 plus 9?

21. Yeah, you find signs, not so much for footprints, or the earth is maybe slightly damp out here because it's like wintery time, the temperature's cold, but it's not like raw mud and dirt here, but it's kind of like a gravel path. And you find like some indentations, you can find some sections.

Maybe you catch like a whiff with the enhanced senses of a cat as well. You catch like a whiff of perfume that you recognize. And you follow, and you follow from the gardens back into that crossroad junction that you remember coming to, that led to the entrance hall, that then led to the stairs upstairs and then led out into the garden. You cross over to the entrance hall where you can see her sort of leaning up against a stone column sort of by the entranceway. and she's sort of looking quite pensively out the door. Out, going out. Yeah, looking in the direction.

And you can see maybe very far in the distance now, but you can see this lot basically moving down the street away from the estate. I'll say I've caught up with the, I've got eyes on Jalawin Singer. I'm just going to stay here. I want to see if someone talks to her, if she goes somewhere. She knows something about this. Did you see last episode them casting a spell? I saw a spell being...

You heard the spell go off. And then she came out of the gardens. She's a bronze dragon born. Hmm. Good job, Griffith. We'll see what Xanthus is up to. Xanthus come back. Is he in the daisy chain?

Just one last thing for Gruff. With your passive insight, she looks very nervous. the way that she's looking outside, she's constantly like glancing around, very worried about being seen and noticed, do you think? You also get the impression that she is concentrating quite hard.

Like she's trying to look casual, but you're a spellcaster. You have many spellcaster friends. When you are maintaining concentration on a spell, it takes quite a good chunk of your mental, capacity. And like she's able to sort of like, you know, she's like, maybe she's lighting a cigarette and she's kind of like, like, smoking, but you can see that, that mental focus is present. And she's also just nervously, like, looking around. And she's keeping her eye line on the entrance way,

out the door. But let's jump back to everyone else. That's what you think about what you want to do next. Probably what quickly run towards Santheus. I'll communicate that she looks like she He's concentrating, like, on a spell. Okay. Can I willingly leave the daisy chain? Yeah. I don't think Xanthius can choose to leave the daisy chain. I think only you can choose to win.

No, I'm pretty sure he can choose to. Okay. Well, check the ability, but... Because I, it's one of those abilities that I don't know super duper well. Because if my idea is to... A creature can end the tailpathic connection at any type. There you go.

Yeah. Okay. Bloop. All right. Xanthius. Zendius has left the daisy chain. You're such a shit. If I want to silently think about things

This is it I think like because the wording of it You know go for a long silent walk in the city To think things over until tomorrow So what is Santhius thinking about What am I thinking about? I'm thinking about farrier I'm thinking about obsidious I'm thinking about sovereign

Daddy Thinking about Oregonas All these potential threats I'm thinking about Father Barris Daddy Lots of daddy thoughts. Great, well, yeah.

Okay. No girlfriend, though. So the rest of you, Ophelia, Daisy and Rowan. I don't know. I think Ophelia would probably head back in. You head back towards the estate. I'm sorry to Ron and Daisy.

Tragesanthius, I'm going to try and see if anybody's inside that might help or know about Lord Umbractions, what he's up to, where his last whereabouts. I don't know. Stay, stay connected. I'll stay connected, okay?

You track, yes, tell me what he's up to as well. We'll do. Thank you. Yeah, she'll run after him. Santhius, you talk to me right now. So you, like, run ahead of him and I'm like, stood in. Yeah, I mean, like, I think you would, like, no, you kind of go to walk around him. Do you remember what happened?

Grab his arm. You're supposed to not be on your own. We said not on your own. Am I actively, I'm not actively walking, like, away from the place. I can, like, it was just a walk in the city, right? A walk in the city, but you can't go back until tomorrow. Yeah, yeah. Or until the suggestions balance, which is sooner than tomorrow.

So it's not like I'm actively just going away from it. Like if you step in front of me, I'll just like turn to side and just go to the right. Although Daisy does say she grabs your arm. Oh, yeah. And it's not you don't have to like pull yourself to free yourself. Like as long as you, you could stand still for a minute, as long as you are in the process of taking you. Because sometimes when you take a walk, you stand still for a minute.

But... Why are you saying? It's a no-talking thing that it's like... And this is what I wanted to write on because ORA would like absolutely have thought of that. So sometimes you play villains who are smarter than you. Speak to us, this is pivotal. What's your plan? I'm just like that.

Just shrugs. Yeah, like, just like, what's up with him? Did you get a gentle nudge in my hand? Like a go back in kind of thing? Well, we're not going to leave you because we said that we can't leave you on your own, specifically you. You're the one who can be left on your own. It's fine.

Come on, now's not the time. Now's not the time. Ophilus found something strange. with one of the members here. A nod. A thumb over my shoulder. Have you got a plan? Are we following your plan?

Yeah, you seem to know where you're going. Then what are you doing? He's just like, shrug, two thumbs over my shoulder, and I'll turn around and start walking. Something's wrong with Xantheus. He's just non-committal. Yeah, I'll say that the David churning. Something's opposite.

Xentheist, he's not talking to us. Well, that's unusual. Yeah, I know. He usually doesn't shut up. Forget that. I mean, this is like one of those things that A doesn't know about the Daisy chain and also does not know the detailed relationship of your party where like, she's like,

yeah, just be quiet, go for a quiet walk and you're all just like, that's not like Zambi's, he never shuts up. He has a thought, we will know. Yeah, you'll hear about it. I'll turn to you finger over lips, and I'll just carry on walking. She's going to be quiet.

Oh. Do you have, maybe he has a secret kind of plan. Santias, come back, Zantis. I'm going to assume that you're constantly walking off. There's moments where, like, I think me and Daisy stop, and I'm like, what's going on? And then catch up, and then stop and like, I'm assuming you're always saying this will rain.

I don't think we realize fully what's going on at the moment, but it's just from knowing that going into this, the plan was never leave him alone, we're like, ah, okay, we'll keep following him. Do either of you no suggestion? I don't want to meta-game it, but like... Oh, there's plenty of spells that people have access to.

I wouldn't know. Not just necessarily these two. Can I do an intelligence check just to see where Rowan's at? Because that feels less metery than me making a decision. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Leave it a chance. I got an eight.

Plus? plus my intelligence, I think it's plus one. Minus one. You definitely. Seven. It's very weird, but I mean, maybe he's just trying to clear his head. It's weird that he's not talking. It's just sand things. Come on, guys.

Just let me go. He's so quirky. Let's cut away to give you guys like a second to think about it. So, Athena, you said you wanted to head back inside. Yeah. Would Ophelia have known who Lord Armbraxia was speaking to when we arrived. You saw him speaking with Lady Glamyrus.

You would have seen him throughout the evening he would have spoken to the counsellor, Jalia Winsinger. I don't think that you necessarily would have picked up on the vibes of these conversations. You did see that aura approached him and sort of drunkenly pretended

or like flirted or like, you know, spoke to him very, very briefly. Not long, but briefly. spoke to him. And I mean, Lady Glomeris, like, he's clearly another, you know, black dragon. You also do remember that there were some chats about him having some pretty strong political views and things like that. Yeah, I think she'll go find Lady Glomiris then as, like, the host of the event as well.

Yeah, you make your way over to her. She's currently deep in conversation, probably with Varis, Evernight and Hypris Sithos. They're talking about how, like, you could just see, like, are you pleased? It seems as we've raised quite a considerable amount. I was rather unexpecting Vizana to bid so much on the necromancy tombs, but it's good for the temple. Yes, no, it's wonderful, wonderful for the temple.

I'm very pleased by it. Hello. Sister Ophelia. Good evening. You must be... Thank you for the painting. Oh, not a problem. I am most looking forward to hanging it above my mantle.

It would have lovely. Lovely piece of Illmeran history. Very important to show solidarity. Yes. Lady Glomiris, sorry to interrupt it. Could I have a moment to speak with you, just off to one side, please. You definitely see... There's like a look from Varys, who sort of looks at you...

I don't mean to take the good lady away from you, Varus. No, no, no, of course. It is a party after all. Please, go ahead. Sister Ophelia. Hi, priest, why don't we go and see how... Well, let's go check on Poxysmus and make sure he's not doing anything to the food.

Yes, quite wise of you young, ever night, yes. Enjoy your conversation, sister. It won't be long, don't worry. This, you know, ten, nine-foot-tall, Maleficent-like dragon lady looks down. Yeah. Hello. Quick question about Lord Ambraxion, if you don't mind.

Yes, I certainly do. I'm not one to gossip, you are. I'm not gossip. More of like a checking in. How has he been tonight? Has he been okay? He has been, she looks at you. He's been fine.

He is his usual self. He is very outspoken, very politically minded, and even at a party, it seems that he cannot leave work behind. I know that he has had some rather harsh words with a few people here and has been impressing upon some of my wealthier guests, certain beliefs that he has and things that he thinks are important. But he's been very well, as I understand it, he's in quite good spirits at the moment.

Well, good, so nothing unusual, out of character. Is there something I should know, Sister Ophelia? Not to put a spin on your wonderful event, but I caught him outside earlier after the auction had finished and... Oh, is he left? Well, that's the thing. He left. I sort of passed through him like he was a spectre. Passed through him, you say? Yes. Give me a persuasion role.

Fake thing. Fake, fake, fake, fake. Oh, yeah, absolutely. This is more, she's trying to gauge here, is this like some sort of ruse, is this a joke, is this a scheme? It's quite a thing to claim. 26. Oh, well I know that Lord Ambraxian is not undead, but there is magic that could create a similar effect.

Pass through him, you say. Yes. But it looked exactly like Lord Ambraxian. It looked just like him and he was... Did he speak? No, did not say a word to me. He just left the estate. Come with me.

I will. She kind of swoops away and begins making her way to the entrance hall. We'll cut back to Gruff. I'm not going to bite. Okay. Because I don't want to give the game away too soon. I'm just a little kid. So I want to keep watching Council Jarla.

I just want to look around as well because I think I remember like the last person she was speaking to. was Abbott Lorkin, and it looked kind of, she looked very unhappy about that. Can I see Abbott Lorcan now? Here in the entrance hall? No. Yes not, no, yeah. You'll probably be back in another room.

Okay, just making sure that I'm safe and kind of maybe just like... And you're just watching, you're not getting too involved. It's been a little, it's been a few rounds. I try and creep a little bit closer so that if someone talks to her or something like that, I could try to know. Yeah, I mean, like you're a cat, right? I'm adorable. I think that, weirdly, Weirdly, she's like smoking and you can see her occasionally, like her head's moving around as if she's like, you know, things like that.

But again, like, you sort of draw a bit closer and you're a cat, you're stealthy, you can avoid being noticed by her if you want to. But like, a cobald attendant like passes and it's like, counselor, would you care for a drink? And she just blanks the cobald as if she can't hear and see her for a... And then maybe six seconds, 12 seconds later, sorry, what did you ask me? I said, would you like a drink lady? Oh, no, I'm all right, thank you so much. And then sort of almost seems to go absent-minded again.

Is it that same, like, listening to something? Because that was the clue that I got last episode was I saw a... Different. You got the sense of, like, he was aware of what was going on and then got a mental distraction of a sending spell. This is almost like she couldn't see and hear temporarily. Oh, okay. Interesting.

Like her sight hearing what else were for a few moments. Not trying to metagame it. You don't, like, guys, like, you don't have to worry too much about metagaming. Like, we're telling a story, it's a game, like, you know, like, if you want to roll for it, but also, like, you know spells and abilities. You know what happens when you look through Sarin's eyes. Yeah. It's the same thing.

Okay. You have a feeling that she is looking through the eyes of her familiar. Okay. Or a familiar, or some similar effect. You don't know exactly if it is a familiar, it could be a spell, it could be like a scry or a clairvoyance, but it's a similar effect where she can't, for those brief moments, she could not see or hear anything around her,

but she was acting like normal, and then it's like she's popping in and out. Could be on the cusp of a sneeze. I've been there. I would ask in my Daisy Chain, Cicerophelia, have you put any eyes on Avid Lorkin? He was just here a minute ago. I'm speaking to Lady Glomyssa right now.

No. That was a high priest's day. Oh, no. Give me a perception check, sister for you. It's a very busy ballroom. Nat 20. Nat 20. You glance around and you briefly see Abbott Lorkin.

He is, you see him sort of making his way. You're just about to leave with Lady Glomeris. You glance back and sort of scan the ballroom. And you see, into the corner, almost partially hidden, actually. So of using great statues, these draconic statues, these black dragon statues, and these big black silvery drapes,

sort of stood in the shadows of them. You see Abbott Lorkin and you see Orothera. Very briefly. And then they separate. El Daisy Chain, that to gruff, Abbottom, Orra. They were just together. Right, I think this counsellor, she's cast a spell, I think she's controlling the illusion.

She seems to be looking through it or looking through something. Right. I don't know whether or not to interrogate her or go after the... The abbot was the last person I saw her speaking to. Well, whilst that is happening, let's check in on the Xanthius crew. Ten days. I've got a question. Sure.

About suggestion. Yeah. So it says in the spell that... that if the task can be completed early, then it ends the spell. I know you said, don't come back until tomorrow or something along those lines.

But, like... Walk in the city to think things over until tomorrow. I would say that that would mean that you cannot complete the task. Yeah, until tomorrow. Which by then the duration of the spell will be up. Yeah. I was hoping to split the two

where it's like, all right, I just don't come back until tomorrow, but I have completed my silent thinking bit. I'm going to count, unfortunately. I'm still just walking. Zanthias. This is weird. At this point, the two of you, it is very clear that something is up.

He is not said a single word. He's left the daisy chain. If that person maybe is casting a spell in the garden, it could be Xanthius. Sure. We need to try and stop him. I don't know where he's going. I don't know where he's going, but we need to try and polymorph him.

Okay. That might break something. Oh, it's worth a try. In the daisy chain, I'll just say. Graff, sorry, I know you're watching. Zanthes is definitely something's happened to him. He's not talking to us at all. He's walking aimlessly.

He won't speak. He won't tell us anything. I don't think he has any plans. I think someone's messed with him. Someone's done something. Someone's done something. Does anyone have to spell magic? No, he did.

Get him to slap him. No, um. If I slapped him with that help, would it knock him out of it? I don't know. I don't know magic. When you get hit by things, you do often have to, you get shaken out of it sometimes if you're concentrating, but I don't know if.

Can I violently shake Zanthia? You go up and you violently shake him. Like I'm trying to wake you up. It has no effect. Enough for me to blame the song. I think it's the spell cast, right, that can break the conversation, not the person that's... Yeah, but...

I'm gonna polymorph him. Sometimes the charm if they take damage, it can cause them to make a new saving throw. Not the case, Mr. J. Stab him. Just try and stop him. I don't want to stab him if we do. Polymorph would be nicer than stabbing.

We've also done the whole beat the shit out of Zanthias when he's been. Yeah, he was really mad when we did that. Okay, I'll make a wisdom save him through Zemps. 16 to beat. 16 to beat wisdom, me, Zanthius, Oregon, of House Oregon. Yeah. If this works, what are you going to polymorph him into? You remember that giant snail?

Did I say thing? I'm a giant snail. I've got a two with my minus two. Big snail. It does not break the suggestion. You do now have the intelligence of a snail, but you still want to be quiet and go for a walk. But it means you're very slow now. Really slow.

Now I'm thinking about really, like, dumb shit, though. You're a snail. Let us. If you make upside down cake upside down, do you get upside down, upside down cake? What's tomorrow to a snail? Or regular cake? Think about it.

What is tomorrow to a snail? And tomorrow is still tomorrow. So the snail is just going to be. That's how I see. What silence to a snail. Yeah. So the snail's just moving really slowly in the same direction as Antich was.

Are he still going? But at least you can pick him up now. Yeah. All right, you. Hey, Xanthius, listen to me. What's going on? Like crawling over your arm. I don't think he can talk.

He's a snail. Not that he was talking. before, but now he's a snail. Giant snail, do you say? No, just, no, normal. Not that. Because I was going to say, my strength is 15. I'm pretty short, giant snail is beyond the CR range of polynol.

Okay, absolutely. You are a big snail, not a giant snail. Well, we just need to snap him out of it now, and suggestion will be gone. Perfectly normal. Not knowing that it hasn't worked. Okay, well, we should just take him back and meet with Ophelia.

I could throw him on the floor hard. I don't think that. He wouldn't like that Let's not throw up Alright Just pick him up Okay So you guys start making your way back

You've got a fair way This has been several rounds of like walking So it's going to take a little I can just drop concentration actually On Polymoth Okay If I want Turning back to

Yeah I work yet What about you guys Go over the Phileverer first I'm going with Lady Glomeris So Lady Glomeris like Makes her way Into the entrance hall

She kind of comes to that crossroads again She immediately turns and goes up to the little cobald coat rack, like the coat staff, basically. Siri, did Lord Ambraxian come past here? Oh, yes, he did, ma'am. It was quite strange because he's left his cloak here, and I offered it to him, and he sort of just brushed me away and said, you know, he did say, like, I'll come back for it tomorrow. He spoke to you. Yes, ma'am, yes, quite, yes.

She kind of looks around. Was there anyone else present? There was a few people, I think, ma'am, a couple of the guests, the counsellor, and she points, and in the corner you see Jellar, who is now looking very nervous. And she points the counsellor had just come in. I think there was also a couple of others. I believe, yes, there was a few people that came by. The merchant's husband, and she names a couple of the other guests who would come by at this point. But yeah, he said, like, oh, I'll pick it up tomorrow, don't worry about it, and walked off.

I didn't think it was quite strange. It's a very nice cloak. It's very expensive. And she's like, thank you, Siri. And then, Tyn's, gruff, with your insight, you immediately notice, she immediately stops concentrating. And sort of comes back fully present in the space. Okay. Is she look like she moving anywhere, or just like...

I think that, like, you can now see that Lady Glomera is like, like, don't go fucking anywhere. Like, like, because she's been like, like,

oh, she was here when Lord Abraxian came in. So now she's like, if I move away now, it's probably going to look very suspicious. So she's just like, very casually.

Like, she puts out her cigarette. And she probably actually would say, like, is everything all right, Lady Glomeris? Yes, counselor,

did you see Lord Ambraxian come past this way? I think that he was on his way out just as I was coming in to have a little smoke. I didn't speak to him or anything. And you see the dragon sort of looks at her, trying to gauge whether or not

you seem, but it seems that the counselor is much more relaxed and sort of manages to steal herself and sounds very convincing when she says that. Oh, can I hear this as long? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you and Ophelia are in this section, basically. I'll say to her if she's lia. She came from the garden

I was following her Should I tell that to Lady Glomeris? If you trust her She's got me this far Lady Glomaris She's lying What? What was that? Are you saying this I'm lying? Yes

What grounds? Why would I lie about this? What is this ridiculous accusation? You know, Sister Ophelia, please to explain. You have been witnessed coming from the garden From the garden? Well, I would I stepped outside briefly. I didn't want to, you know, I just wanted a bit of fresh air. But then I saw Lord And Brexen come in.

But I only, I came through and only briefly stepped outside. But you did, so you briefly stepped into the Guardian. Where did Lord Unbrexian? I think he may have come from the gardens, actually. He had stepped out. That's right. I heard him. He was talking with someone.

perhaps he was responding to a sending spell, I think, perhaps. Yes, he looked like he had something important, and then he just very abruptly walked past. It seems that whatever it was, it was quite a stir. You could both make insight checks. If it's not obvious, you can both absolutely make insight checks. 7. 23.

23. you've seen this woman be nervous and she's definitely, this is an act. You're almost certain that she knows exactly that the Uraxian went out, that you're pretty sure that she was there because you saw her coming from the same direction. And she, yeah, I mean, she is lying at this point,

but it's part of, like, a ruse. But, I mean, like, your staff saw him leave. They saw someone leave, yes. And you see that the dragon is at this point very suspicious. I kind of want to disengage and go to the ballroom to see if I can snoop on Lorcan. Because now that, like, Ophelia and that are here. Sure. I don't know what to do.

Well, you're going to need to decide, I'm afraid. I don't want to chase my own tail and eat kitty treats. No, you don't. You have your own intelligence and personality. I will I will go to sneak to the board You sort of slink off

and I'll let Aphelia know like you've got this she's absolutely lying she's lying her teeth off she cast the spell she cast the spell and she was looking through it whatever that mirage of Lord

on Braxian was okay I'm gonna go see where Abbott Lorkin is like thank you gruff good luck you too Tempheus is a snail now! Okay, good. Good.

Have you got him? Are you holding him? You're everyone's guys! He's on my shoulder? Oh, where'd he go? Okay, so the snake is the best thing he can be right now. We're coming back, okay? Start, okay, good, good. We're in a good place at the minute, I think. Are you at the entrance? Yes, so currently, Sister Ophelia with Lady Glomeris and the counsellor are in the entrance hall.

So you come in through the gardens, through the main sort of house entrance. You come into this big entrance hall. That then connects to like a cross-junction room that goes to the gardens, the stairs going up, and then the ballroom. As you do that, so I feel you're sort of there for a moment, gruff, you start making a way back into the ballroom. And that is when you will overhear a quite a loud argument taking place. You see Abbott Lorkin arguing with Varys.

and with the high priest, as well as kind of a few other people. It is unacceptable that tome should never have been put into that auction. It is unacceptable that a prized piece of our history, our treasure, has been sold to one of these dragon empire citizens. That should not have... This is an outrage, Varys. This is shameful for our country and for our church. And Varus is like, Abbott, we agree.

It is an old tome. It has no deep, dark secrets. We are here to raise money to build a church of the Gravefather. We have to offer something compelling to the Elmerans. That is too far, and he's making this big, big argument. And with that, he's just like, I will not be part of this. This is an outrage. Good night, and basically makes this big, I'm leaving.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And goes to Storm Past. Um... You see, like, everybody... Varus is, like, genuinely, like, shocked and, like... Like, is so taken back, and you can see it's caused, like, a few people are sort of...

Oh, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, kind of, going on. And he's very sort of taken back, and you can see that he's starting to doubt, like, did I do the wrong thing? Like... Who is not here? Who is not?

there. Is Ora there? Or is there? She's hanging out with her two friends. And what about... They're drinking. They're having a lovely time. The... Taladus Umbris, who is the husband of Vizana, he is not here. You've seen that Councillor Jalia is also not here. Also Draxas Trey is not here, who's the Reave of Night Walk. Um, everybody else is there. Oh, sorry, and Namissia

Gallows, Varys' secretary is not there as well. Lettuce. I really like lettuce. Yeah, that's definitely the thought. Walking lettuce. Did I see, like, where the items and the auction were being taken to? They would have been, yeah, probably, you wouldn't actually see, no. There's definitely some sort of, you didn't really see where they were taking,

because you weren't here when the auction finished. Okay. So you weren't present. I don't know how to track down any of these people, but it's really sussy that they're not there. God, I hate this. I'm so bad at decisions. What's a decision?

I watched a lot of Piero before I wrote these sessions. Grab the person that's leaving and slit their throat. Okay, I'll do that. I'll do that. So yeah, my main question is, are you doing anything?

Otherwise, Abelokin is absolutely going to storm out. I want to... Do we trust, do we trust virus? I trust no one. We trust no one. Especially in Ossian. Leaves. I trust the snail for right now.

I would say in the group chat, Cisterophelia, Albert Larkin is coming your way. He's just caused a scene. He's absolutely doing something on this. See if you can intercept him on his way out. Right. Okay, I will. As you do that, he storms past you, makes his way into the crossroads room,

and then turns into the entrance hall. And, Afila, you just see... an exceptionally angry man. You know, priest of the grave father, representative of the House of Bone. He is furious and he's storming out. Yeah, I'll just, I'll just. I'm at Lordecken, my goodness, are you all right?

He turns around, all right? At this gross injustice of our culture and our faith? Absolutely not. Your friend is no good true servant of the grave father. and then he was going to just he goes to leave like he leaves unless is there is there anything I can do to help to help you feel better with like a drink no and just he just bellows a no and makes his way out gruff he's gone he's a very unhappy man I've got he's gone he's gone he's gone he is quite adamant on

leaving right now I'm trying to track down some other people, but I don't know how... For you, Sister Ophelia, Lady Glomeras has, like, basically pinned the counsellor. Yeah, I'll come back to her. And is sort of asking her a bunch of questions. And you can see that you've done enough to convince that something is wrong. And the counsellor is acting kind of shifty as well. But they're sort of having a brief conversation.

Can I ask, can I ask the counsellor? So you step outside of the... garden, was that to have a smoke, was that to cast a spell? Cast a spell, what are you talking about? He's eaten leaves. I know he is, yeah. They do not taste kids. No, they're not real.

They're plastic, but like, they're coated in something. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's probably quite toxic. Nintendo 3DS cartridge. Don't want it in a man. Please already done it. So children don't chew on it. Okay.

Cast a spell? No, no. Why would I? She's, you know, like, stumbling, basically. Like, why would I... What sort of spell do you think I've cast? No, I just stepped outside for some fresh air. Okay, okay, just making sure you weren't concentrating

really hard on something. She, like, looks at you, and there is a moment between the two of you that she knows that you... Like, she looks you with such panic. Lady Glameras hasn't maybe picked up on the exact same vibes, but she calls over to the little Cobbold made series,

fetch me a scroll of sending. Of course my lady, he scutters off. Let us see, I will contact Lordumbraxian and we'll get to the bottom of this. Yes. You have never, this bronze dragon-born woman pales. Like, at the suggestion that they're going to sending spell Lord and Braxian, she goes so pale, like, all of her bronze color drains away.

Are you feeling unwell? Can I get you anything? Just the heat. I feel like I need some air. It's quite stuck. Not that your estate isn't lovely, Lady Glamaris, but all this socialising and she's kind of like pulling on her collar. Just, you know, dress. It's very warm. Yes, I feel a little faint, actually. Oh, it's like, is your chair? Just, I think just some air outside. I'll get a chair and I'm like, no, you're staying right here and I'll insert. assist, she sits on the chair.

She's like breathing hard at this point. The lady Glamouris is just like looking at her with this like intense, quite, quite, not malicious, but like intensity. She's just looking at with intensity. Right. Meanwhile, snail, snail crew. I'm gonna take... You're probably at the point where you're like

coming up to the entrance to the house again. All right. But you can do whatever you want on the way. I guess we should try and find Do we see the angry, angry person? Oh yeah, so yeah, you would. As you're sort of drawing closer to the entry. And we heard the days are chain, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. As you're drawing closer, you do see this very angry necromancer going to leave. And as he reaches the gateway, you see he sort of takes, you know, some belongings from the guards who is stationed there as the security. and as soon as he steps outside of the estate's kind of zone, he basically opens up his bag and casts a spell and six skeletons. And he hands one of them his cloak, he hands one of them,

he hands one of them, it's like stick, and he's kind of in a storm. But yeah, he conjures, you know, he's a house of bone. He's going to have his skeleton servants with him. So yeah, he conjures these six skeletons and is making his way. But yeah, you're going to walk past him. Oh, are you leaving already? Yes. Oh, that's a shame. A disgusting insult to my faith and to my people.

What, is there anything that we can do to help? Absolutely not. Oh, you're doing it? It's your kind. It's one of your people that has purchased an irreplaceable piece of my culture. I will not stand for it. Oh, but we, we didn't have anything to do with it,

but I'd be happy to see if we can resolve it for you. Our friend, you see, we are here with Sister Aphelia de La Rosa. I think you're, like, talking. He's, like, moving. He's not stopping to have a conversation. So, like, you're kind of talking as he walked past you.

No, it's... I think the Aphelia would be, would also feel the same. The house of blood has nothing to offer me, not after that fool, Varus. Be gone. I don't like him. No, he's a bit of an asshole.

He's left. He's gone. He's gone. He really wanted to leave. Also, he's very rude. Didn't like him. Anyway, there's that this thing, right? I'm coming with the snail. I'm going to put him in a box or something,

and then actually, no, a room. I'm going to take him to a toilet. I'm going to go to the bathroom. What if you feel as he himself does his toilet? I'm not going to do that. Not what if he does it. But I'm going to just bring him back and just try and pin him down

and find out what's going on. Okay. That's what I'll be. I feel like, Graf, do you have that? That spell that you mentioned? The dispel? The dispel, spell? That spell, I don't know.

No. Don't, just leave him as a snail so he can't move anywhere. Are you still trying to move? This is a thing. He's squirre me. Sorry, Tom, I didn't expect this to neutralize you for so long.

I thought that there was a potential solution. Rowan still thinks, Rowan doesn't know that suggestion hasn't worked, so he's going to take him to a bathroom, lock the door of one of the...

So you make your way back into the house. As you walk in, you see the scene of Ophelia and Lady Glamyrus basically have got the counsellor pinned up against the wall. She sat in a chair but is very clearly being interrogated as you step your way back in,

as you make your sort of entrance. And then what you want to kind of peel off and go find a bathroom, basically. Lady Glamyrus, where is your closest washing. Ah, to up the stairs on the left side. Thank you very much. I mean, I don't think she really plays.

There are people walking around with undead right now. If you're just carrying a snail, like a pet snail, she's not... It looks so normal. Yeah, she's not worried about it. Daisy, I'm going for a wee-wee. Do you, Ophelia, will I stay with you? Do you know some help?

Of course, yes, we're just here with the good counsellor. Oh, okay. Rowan, do you... I can... Keep in touch? Yeah. I'll keep you updated. If he starts moving towards the exit again, let us know and we'll try and intercept.

I will. Graff, what's Gruff doing? Can I go into a shady little corner? Mm-hmm. Um, definitely opposite direction of aura, so she can't see me. Can I decat? Um, before this happens, as you start stalking over, um, you, aura like, points, and it's like, oh, look at that cute cat!

Oh my god, what a cute cat! And he's like, walking over to like come and pick you up. I'll bolt. With her friends. I'll bolt. Where do you bolt to? Just out. I don't know. So you can either head back out into the crossroads chamber out of the ballroom or you could bolt to like the stage where all the auction items were. That one. Okay. So yeah, you bolt your way there.

Because what I wanted to do was decat and talk to Varus. Okay. So yeah, I don't want to go too far away. I want to why he's on Varus. Yeah. You bolt your way up onto the stage. A couple of people sort of look around. you probably hear Vathra the adventurer kind of be like, you don't mean me kind of like about seeing a cute cat

and sort of you hear a couple of ripples of laughter as you make your way up onto the stage you see that actually there are chambers that lead out from the back of the stage servants basically not tunnels but they're like servants corridors so they're not built for like a dragon they're actually built for cobalds

so you're a little cat So these are only sort of like four feet high tunnels, like four, five feet high tunnels. So most people wouldn't be able to move through them. But you can easily go through them. And you can see that several of the items probably were moved out this way as well. Maybe not the larger statues and things like that, but things like the painting, the book, the time, everything else would have been taken out back this way. And these lead around and seem to head back out into things like the kitchens, the gardens, all of that kind of stuff. I'll just bolt through, I just want to get away,

so he's probably not potentially thinking, like, strategically. So just, like, I will go. Let's determine randomly where you go. Like, there is a thought to be like, go where the time went, but. I mean, you wouldn't even know where that is. Because you can see it. You don't know where that is. So you just bolt, you choose, like, you go down one of these servant corridors.

You bolt, you follow it around. It kind of twists and turns for a few moments. And then you find yourselves in the kitchens. Is there a quiet corner where I can, like, Yeah, I think that as you are maneuvering around, you do hear a cobald, an older cobald men in sort of chef's whites. It's like, get that beast out of here, ruining my kitchen, like raises a rolling pin, like kind of,

so you jump around, you scamper out of the kitchens, and you find yourself in like another part of the estate, basically. Is there anyone I can see around here, like any of my suspects? No. No. Okay, I'll decap. Okay. Yeah, you go. you kind of go out and you're in like an ornate corridor at this point.

You dart behind a curtain and turn into growth. Okay. But you are quite far away from everything else at this point. And you can't go back the way you just came. Because you won't fit through the servant corridors. We can't. No, I'm just going to, because I don't know the geography, I don't know, I will try and head back.

Try and make your way back. It's going to take you sometime. And I will say, like, yeah, I will. I will date people in the channel and be like, I've had to run out that or it was after me, and I didn't want her touching me. She probably knows that that was me. I don't know.

I'm lost, I'm trying to get to Varys task where his secretary went. If anyone has eyes on virus, maybe you can do it. I don't know where I bloody well am. A Cobble chased me with a saucepan. Meanwhile, Rowan takes this into a bathroom. Locks the door. All right, you. I'm going to release you from your Snaily prison

and you're going to listen to me, right? And tell me what's wrong. I'm going to put you on the toilet, lid down. I'm going to stop concentrating now. So stood on the toilet seat, Xanthias. You have Xantheus again. What's happening? I'll step down.

I'll try and squeeze past the room. Unlock the door. Come on, no, don't do that. No. Open the door. Stop. I'm holding back. I mean, Rowan is like blocking the doorway at this point.

Can't open the door? Like, not with me in the way. It's full of yot-knit. I'm looking around. Santhius. Looking past you. I like look into his eyes. Can I just try and hold his head for a second?

Yeah, hold his head. I hold your head. What do you do? I try to, I mean like, like squirm and sort of try and pull your head away. What's happening? I'm not like trying to. to be like violent or anything. No, no, no, you're not...

You need to do this. It's just like... You need to go for a long, silent walk in the city if you think is over until tomorrow. He's not like fighting hard, but he's clearly just trying to walk away from you. Can you speak? I live up to you.

No. Yeah, you can shake your heads. You can be like... Not for yes and shake for no. I will shake my head then. You can't speak part of something that's going on. All right, can you write something down for me? Sure. I'll nod.

All right, I'll keep the door locked. Do you let go at me? No, I'm holding you by the scruff. Oh, okay. Get scruffed. I'm going to try and reach around just to unlock the door again. Have you... Sorry, have you...

Have you got any parchment on you? Stop there. So Zentheus, give me an acrobatics role. And Robatis. And Rowan, give me an athletics role. You can do athletics if you'd prefer. The way you're describing it is more wriggly. Yeah, well, yeah, I'm just trying to get past.

You're just trying to get pastime. Both same thing. Okay. You can use to fade it for a thing. I was thinking about it. Could have done. Three, two, what? 16.

Oh, I think you'd have three. That's going to a countdown. Okay. So yeah, he's got you pretty, pretty firm at this point. No, no. I slapped the back of his wrist. Stop that Have you got any parchment by the way

I don't have any writing chest Oh that's a shame Really trying to get to that door handle Hey I've got an idea And I pull him out the door So unlock the toilet door Pull him out Are there any mirrors by the sinks

Uh yeah All right You're still holding him at this point Okay Right there what's happening Am I reaching for the door Yeah, right there, what's happening. I mean, do I, would I even bother to?

I guess so. I have given you the wording of the suggestion. I will, thinking. You're thinking. Walk. Outside. Really trying to reach for that door handle, though, to get out of the bathroom. Look, don't make me do this, okay?

Don't make me do this. Can I lift a leg up to try and get to the door handle? door handle. Or... Podcast listeners, Chris Trott has wound his hand back in a motion as if to slap. Just really... There's the door.

This is for your own good. You slap him hard across the face. And there is no change in his hand. I'm so sorry, Sandus. I'm so sorry, but that's what it was for. I'm trying to snap you out of it. Do you feel better? No!

No! Reaching for the door! No! Got leg up again! Give me another athletics to an athletics. Okay. Wait, were you... Yeah, give me another athletic for all right.

I've got the mental image of someone like going to walk to use the bathroom and they hear all that's going on. Oh, I'm rolling. I'm rolling for that, don't worry. We'll see. I'm rolling for it, don't worry. Oh, hell. Two, one, 15.

13. He's still got you. Right? I can't break him out of it. I slapped him really hard. He's got like the scruff of my shirt, so I'm like trying to get under the... Stop it, damn, yes.

I think like you get a foot and manage to open the door, but you can't get away from Rowan. So now the door to the bathroom is open, like looking into a long corridor. I'm like sinking into my Oxyon outfit just to try and like, if he's got my shirt,

if he's got my shirt, In the Daisy chain and out loud. It's like, no, you can't get away from me, Zantius. He's staying right here in the toilet. You just see, it's like not one of the main guests. It's just like a merchant, not one of the suspect named guest. He just sort of comes up the stairs, looks at this. He sees like a leg kind of like flanking out of the doorway.

He is that. And he just is like, nope. It's like, no. So coming back, Daisy and Ophelia, Gruff is there anything. Well, Gruff, you're basically out of it for a little bit. Yeah, you're trying to make your way back. Do we trust anyone else who has magical capabilities who won't be able to dispel something?

Lady Glomisor, I keep saying... Glomeris. Glomiris. Lady Glomiris seems trustworthy. You make she would be open to her. I can see if she can help. Well, while you've been waiting and sort of having this conversation, the little Cobold maid, Siri comes back,

and she's holding on an ornate scroll. From your collection, Miss, I believe this is the one you ask for sending, yes? Yes, yes, thank you, Siri. Unrolls it. You see the runes on it flare to life as she uses it to cast sending. You would hear her out loud say, because I think sending you do speak it out loud.

And she's like, my dear Lord Umbraxian, where are you? Why did you leave so suddenly? Are you here? Are you all right? She didn't really need to say anything more. She waits.

Ex-o-X-O-X-O. Waits. There is no response. You should have responded by now. Why could he be? When was the last time you saw him? I saw him just as the auction was finishing. Well, that was the spectral one.

But he was in the hall when we were all gathering together. He was there talking to a few people. a few other people who was talking to. Siri, fetch my house guard, have them do, not see, no, my phone. Got a very different kind. I've been for that time. Yeah. Fetch my houseguard, conduct a search of the estate.

I want to know where Umbraxian is or is not. He left, he left, the councillor, is just like, no, no, he left. I saw him leave. The Golden Dragonborn, she bumped into him, I saw that. Golden Dragonborn. The students. Oh, one of the students are all right. Actually, she's had contact with him.

Let's go and question. Yes, well, let us do a search first before we start. That's really more of a job for the authorities and the worm guard. Let's, yes, let's see what's happened here. Also, quick question. Can you dispel a spell? Yes. One of my friends is currently under some kind of, I'm not quite sure,

an influence, a curse, something. He won't talk. My friend Rowan currently has him upstairs, the one who asked to use the bathroom. He's currently... The one with the snail? Yes. It's not the snail, isn't it? It's not the... No.

Well, it is the snail. It is the snail. He is the snail. It's shame too much, do I see? Yes. You do you believe that this is part of all of this? It's just very strange that these would be happening at the same time. Have him brought here and I will dispel it, if I am capable. If it is indeed a spell placed upon him.

Rowan, can you bring the snail? I'm like pushing against his face. to where we are, please. Just like Rowan's, like, a palm and, like, his face as he's being like. Do you want him as a snail or as Xenthius? Stop ringing! Stop ringing! Stryg!

A snail lift would be easier to transport him downstairs. But then he'll need to be Xanthius for the spell. Then bring him as Zanthius as you can, if you can. All right. Large form. Okay. Yeah, that'll do it. I get advantage on athletics.

Yeah. I mean, yeah, I mean at this point. Also, if you just let him go, he will walk in that direction. I don't know that. No, that's true. You don't know why he's not using. So yeah, you just large form and have him basically under your arm at this point.

Come on. Let's go. Just carry him down like a plank of wood. Yeah, but watch this drive. I'm actually playing. You are being carried. You bring him down. I'm an Italian boy.

I think it's at this point, rough. You've managed to realize you realize that the corridor that you had gone down actually had led sort of into part of the estate and sort of through the estate walls and it's connected to an adjacent building which is where the staff kitchens and things like that where they're preparing all the party so when you come out you have to go through the gardens you sort of realize that you're in a separate building you come through the gardens is it the gardens isn't the garden yeah yeah it's only there's just the main gardens

can i just see if there's any like evidence or anything like that like so my question's kind of similar to when Daisy was investigating the Opel Lounge, there are two different forms, right, of investigating things. There is the physical I'm searching for like clues, I'm like, you know, moving things around, like searching the shrubbery, I'm like looking for physical things.

Or there is just the generic perception is something out of place, is something a bit wrong? I think I will go perception because I'm a plus nine on perception and I'm a minus one on an investigation. So you will get different information. You might not necessarily get the same information with the perception.

role versus investigation. Fuck it, you're like. 19 plus 9, 28. Fuck it. So you notice... I've overdended it. I think you realize... A lot of the gardens are quite narrow. You know, it's like thin, veins.

Also, you have a good knowledge of nature and plants and things like that. Allegedly. And looking around, you definitely, this is not the kind of garden that you can just wander off into like the rose bushes. because you see that there are all sorts of like quite poisonous plants and things mixed in amongst them.

So you kind of have to stick to this gravel path that's wound through. And as you are making your way, you sort of glance around and there's a section where it becomes a bit wider. And this you think would align to roughly where you heard that noise even though you couldn't see it because there's quite a thick canopy of late trees. But there is a section which is open that looks out onto the rest of the city. you can see various estate buildings you can see nearby houses

and things like that looking into the garden and as you're looking around something does catch your eye something that is out of place because you see a glint of metal you see a thin glint of metal in amongst the grass just off to the side of the gravel way

you also, with a 28, you would also notice that in the gravel of this sort of oval-shaped area, there are two things that stand out. One, it's almost like a line of the gravel has been slightly scorched or marked, not burnt, but probably some sort of magical effect has disturbed the gravel there. And then you see two lines that go to that line and then vanish. So it's like a single line and then two lines leading away from it. The piece of metal, when you go to investigate, when you go to pick that up,

you see is a very, very quite thick blow-dart needle, effectively. Or like a crossbow bolt, but like a needle, like an injector crossbow bolt, basically. Okay. And it's a broken half tube, like a glass tube. You don't see the rest of it, but it clearly... you know, some sort of injector. Right.

I found something in the gardens. I think it's evidence that Lorum Braxian has been kidnapped. It looks like two drag marks, two foot drag marks in the gravel and a line where some spell has been cast. I've also found the remnants of some dart with something in it. At this point, as Gruff says that,

that's when Rowan and Xanthius arrive. Hello. Oh, you're a little. considerably larger, I saw you. Riggly boy. This is the one you wish to have the spell. If you wouldn't mind, please, that would be very kind. Thank you.

She looks at you and, you know, with a wave of her hand, a brief glow of green flame in her eyes, she cast the spell magic and the suggestion spell ends. Man, I was, I realized I could have cast like Misty Steff at like any point. Hey, but like you were just like, no, I'm going for quiet. Why would you Misty Step? You just are going for a walk.

Yeah, but if someone's trying to stop me from going to be like, what I could have, like, Misty stepped out. Hey. Are you going to wriggle away? I'm not going to wriggle away, why? What's happened? Do you remember anything?

I was just going outside to take a walk. Here now, though, how's things? You wouldn't talk to us, and you wouldn't stop. I was just... Someone did something to you. You were under some form of spell. I've just dispelled it from you. Oh, that doesn't sound right.

I'm normally really good at resisting those things. Someone was trying to make you go away, alone. I think that was my idea. Thank you, my lady. Well, sorry. How's the investigation going? Yeah. I mean, she is looking curiously at Xanthias.

Well, we need to find out who did that, and why? Who have you spoken to since you've been here anybody. Oh, I was... You're at the auction and then you just got up. I got up. I was going to head over to you, actually, to tell you about the illusion. Did you mention the illusion?

I have, yes. Oh, good. Well, I was going to mention that and then I just thought... So someone that knows about that may have stopped you from ever reaching Lady Glomeris. But you were in the ballroom. If anybody had cast a spell, I'm sure it would have been noticed. Wait, what spell was it again? I don't know.

I know, I merely know that you were under, not a particularly powerful spell, as I did not empower the ability to dispel, but you were under some form of spell. It sounds like it was an enchantment spell that has clouded your mind, but... Well, yes, someone tried to stop me from, I guess, talking to you if, well, I had to go through the crowd

to try and get to you. It could have been... Been anyone, then. Or they wanted to get you on your own. Have we told... relayed what Gruffus has found to... I think that this is the point where then Gruffus' information about the abduction comes in. Cool.

But I need to you guys, so... Just had word, Lady Glomiris, if I may. Of what? From... Oh, you're not in... Not in the chain. Our friend, Gruffeth, who's investigating outside, has noticed two drag

marks in the floor that ends with some sort of spell in the ground and a metal device that looks like a blow dart. Have him bring it to a music. Seriously. Gruffeth? Bring the metal if you can. Maybe in a bag or something.

You would have been on your way anyway. Yeah, I would get Sarin to pick it up. Okay, yeah, yeah, you can have the familiar pick up. No thingies. I will come meet you by the door, Gruff, just so I can see you. Okay, well keep an eye on that counsellor. I will. She's got plenty of eyes on her right now. You see the counsellor is like trembling.

Like, she is physically shaking and it's just like holding her head in her hand. is very clearly upset about everything that's happening. As you make your way back in, Lady Glamaris will basically say, I do not think she'll kind of turn to one of her guards who's come up to her. My lady, you said that you wanted to search for Lord Ombraxian. I've not had any reports of where he has,

no, I think we perhaps are solving that mystery with another. but please ensure that no one else leaves, and send for the worm guard immediately. I believe that we have an abduction that has taken place here. As Graff enters, like, Groff enters, like, there's no problems. Like, Graff finds your way in.

And, yeah, you, what do, Graff? Like, as you... Well, someone's holding this dart in her beak. Um... I will just relay that kind of what I have been doing to Lady Glomeres, where I've gone,

and kind of the people I'm suspicious of because I think perhaps there are several people who have been acting a bit suspiciously and have either not been where they should be or have been causing scenes, I think, as a distraction. Who are these people? Varys' secretary.

I've noticed that Drux's tray is not around. There's also the woman who won the auction. No, I wouldn't know that. The husband. I wouldn't know who won the auction. But you know that it's the husband cowards. Yeah, yeah. Aberd Loken.

Abbott Loken was just here. He's left in something of a upset, it seems. I think he was causing a scene on purpose to draw attention away. Before he did that, I believe Cicester You said you saw him talking to the, um, Orra Sinclair? Yes. What, just before? I believe so, yes, yes.

Well, that is a difficult thing to prove, my guest, to say that he was making a scene to intentionally leave. The truth of the matter is he was still present in the ballroom when all of this happened. I saw him speaking with the counsellor before whatever happened with Lord and Bruxian happened. Paxian happened. You'll report this to the authorities and they can fetch Lork and for now we will search for the others. But we're at this needle and she conjures a draconic claw like a mage hand and sort of holds it out for you to pass it over,

holding out this mage hand expectantly. Oh yeah, Sarah and will... Yeah, drops it. She like pulls her over, she sniffs it. Widows sleep I can detect. This is a path. tranquilizer, exceptionally powerful, magically enhanced. And she begins sniffing at it, she probably like,

the broken glass, she kind of angles it, and the tiniest little drop she manages to, like, catch on her tongue. Yes. No, this has been, this is a powerful alchemical agent. I would not have been enough to analyze, but but even I can feel its effects. This was brood to knock out a dragon, most certainly. Very well.

Counselor, if there's anything you wish to say now, I suggest you would, I suggest you reveal it before us, before the wormguard gets here. I just, they told me I had to do it. They said that they would reveal things that... I didn't know what they were going to do. I didn't know that they were going to take him. I just know that I was to follow him outside

after he received the sending spell. I was to follow him into the garden and then cast a spell. That's all I knew. That's all they told me to do. And that's where we're going to end to part one. Oh, okay. And we've got to take our break.

Oh, nice. Very cool. Thickens. This is a very thick plot. There's a lot of things There's a lot of red herrings Yeah, so I'm wondering if there's a lot of things There's a whole

There's a lot going on But you have at least figured out what happened to Lord umbraxian which is very good So there may still be a chance To rescue him But with that we're going to take our break We will see you in part two

Nice See in a bit Good night Get sleutin