High Rollers DnD - One Door Closes (Part 2) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #60

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

Xantheus reawakens and confronts the group about what happened in the Proto-Magi Vault as Gruff is forced to make a very tough decision! _______________ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/ Add official High Rollers Minis to your TTRPG collection here: https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers Bless your table with the Clever Toad Dice Set: https://dispeldice.com/collections/high-rollers Enhance your bath time experience with the official Altheya themed DiceBombs at https://geekyclean.com/! Check out https://www.highrollersdnd.com/ for all the latest HR News! Love the podcast? Give us a glittering 5 star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-rollers-dnd/id1401508198?see-all=reviews Support the High Rollers on Patreon and get early access to Podcast episodes, vods and more: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound, TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters), Monument Studios and Jolene Khor! Check out Jolene Khor and all her wonderful work on High Rollers on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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His name sounds quite good. Our heroes have found themselves on a very peaceful return journey to Colville, being guided by some mysterious forest force, providing them a safe space to rest for the evening. Important conversations have also taken place, whispered very deep emotional conversations about the party, about Xanthias, who perhaps overheard some of it. And now, visited by two fae beings who seem to inhabit the Rustwale Woods and have offered you succor

and seclusion and safety for your rest. As the lady Sylvilia and Sevol, sort of presented before you with various rewards. You see Sylvia touch, cupping Squire Pascal's face in her hands, him just muttering, sort of drawing the circuit. She brings her hands down to these like scars and wounds where he's been drawing the symbol into herself. Shhhh, shhh. Be still now. Be still.

And she holds her hand to the side of his face and you see that all around her little buds of flowers begin to bloom and pop and all of the hairs that she, these are like large, you know, much larger than they should be hairs, they spring forward and sort of surround Squire Pascal and they begin to nuzzle up against his body until you can barely see him, he's being covered by these hairs.

And then you hear her speak a word. It is in a word that you do not understand, but it feels old. And it feels like... Feels like fresh grass, it feels like the new dawn, it feels like a party, it feels like the first kiss of someone that you really liked, as this word has feeling and emotion. This ancient tongue of a place, not a material plane.

And then the rabbits, Scarpa, returning back to their stations at the edge of the woods. And you see Squire, Pascal, his arms scarred but healed. So the pattern is there, but now it is like an old scar. And he blinks, he looks up. Who are you? Where am I? He's like looking around, but this beautiful kind of

fae-like queen before him, and she's like, shh, sleep. Touches his head, and he just, immediately is knocked out and just falls into this incredibly restful sleep that he probably hasn't had since he was with the Galowak and just lays out completely.

You heard those brief moments of cognizance. She lowers him down, perfect mossy ground, like such a, almost like a soft bed. She just smiles and nods to you. Thank you, my lady. A favor for a favor. Absolutely. Actually, I was given the name Oathkeeper by one like yourself. So I guarantee I will carry out your favor when you need it.

A fitting name, I think. But I look forward to it. I promise, as I said, it will not be... you will not have to kill anyone who is innocent or go against your moral obligations. I will send word when that favour is to be called upon. This is the nature of my kind and our position. As you have my word that you will be safe here, you are be well treated, looked after all the way back to the village of these travelers. If that is all, we shall leave you to a good evening.

Sir Volpe will say there is one thing, my love. Night. I sense upon you and this tall, gentle fellow here, there is an understanding of the natural world. You feel a connection to places such as this. Absolutely. You too, yeah. Yeah. You seem to be an honorable soul.

You are knightly. It seems fitting that if you have the capacity to accommodate them, we could send a squire with them. A spirit. You remember that in your sanctuary, you can host spirits who become part of your sanctuary, host spirits who become part of your sanctuary. And he will gesture to you, one of my own, and there are these foxes present,

or one of my ladies, and you see these hares. Gruff, you may choose to have either a hare spirit or a fox spirit come and reside in your sanctuary as an extra reward. I can't make that decision. You're gonna have to. I love them all! Would you like to know their names before you decide?

Yes. That's gonna make things harder. Yeah, I love them all. The lady will gesture and a hare kind of hops forward and he speaks in a normal voice in a tongue that you only understand. He's like, hello, Sir Knight, I'm Leo. It would be my honor to be your squire.

Oh, I love him. And then one of the foxes, a slightly thinnest, kind of slimmer fox, Vixen, she steps forward and she will bow her head, and I am Chama. Good night, I would also be honored to be your squire. And sort of bobs her head. Mechanically, all I will tell you is, because I haven't worked this out myself yet,

so I wanna work on it, the Hare Spirit will probably be some sort of movement boon, whereas the Fox Spirit will either be some sort of stealth or cunning kind of boon or something like that to represent the two, their kind of natures. Oh, I can't choose between my children. You can have a long rest if you wish to tell me

in the morning, we can decide then. Is the hare the one that tried to sacrifice itself for feeling? It is the same one. I will say it is that rabbit, which implies that he's very brave. Yeah, he's very brave, he's a brave boy. I like Leo.

Leo's. I like Leo, but my stealth is plus one, so. Yeah, that's true. But then I'm probably gonna get some cool ass armor. No, because I can't, because I'm a druid. I need more. Well, druids can wear medium and metal armor now, so. New rules.

I need a long rest. All right, sure, I'll allow you to. And now we take a long rest. And now we're away. No! God damn it! Well, there's a lot of other things. So you are gonna get to take a long rest,

so you can mark a long rest, all of you can take a long rest. Ta-da! There's also, it is very worth perhaps rolling for Xanthea's to roll an eye, I think that's a gold sight eye, because you have a lot of unidentified magic items. I know that there's probably conversations to have,

but that's also something you might want to consider. Good point, good point, good point. Because there is a lot of unidentified magic items that I think you guys will be, that might also be difficult decisions that you need to make. So, yes, Chris Trotch. Can I recover a level of exhaustion, please? Absolutely you can, absolutely you do.

Are you back to normal now? Or are you? I don't think I'm quite. I've still got one level. Really, how? You had two, you took a long rest in the vault, which got rid of one, and then this one will get you down to zero.

So you should be at zero. Okay. Trust us. I think you forgot to mark it off. Mark it off. Probably. I think you did. Oh, you might have been away that week.

Oh, that's right, yeah, when they took the long rest. Yeah. So we took a long rest. So you are at zero. Are Oh, that's right, yeah, when they took the long rest. Yeah. So we took a little. So you are at zero. Are we spending hit points or are we doing? It's a long rest. Long rest. And for the purposes of this long rest,

it counts as if you are in a comfortable, comfortable inn. So you will all begin with inspiration, even though you didn't use it. Which means that for 24 hours you get a heroic inspiration. You did use yours, actually. So because it is a very good rest, you get that heroic inspiration. You did use yours, actually. So, because it is a very good rest, you get that heroic inspiration to start, basically. So, yeah.

And yeah, with that, you all, you know, it's up to you. The, the, Sylvia and Sevolpe will retreat, leaving some of the attendants here. Better play you out. Well, if you want to, or they'll like, because the pixies in that have been playing, they've been playing like little harps and flutes the whole time, like, and they're quite happy to stay

and keep playing music for you if you'd like, or, you know, they can leave it to you, or if you want to, you can convince them to stay. I'm just gonna have that sort of pixie. Rowan promised a ditty to the campfire, so he will take over. Okay. And if the pixies wanna join in, they can.

Absolutely, they do. Yeah, they love it. Cool. Give me a performance check. Yeah. I got a two, but plus six, so eight. It is perhaps not your greatest performance. It is, yeah, like your body hurts, your fingers ache,

and it is not the best performance you've ever done. Ache, do, ray, ding, ding, ding, ding. Maybe it's also, you know, it needs a bit of tuning. It's like a little, there's a couple of like bum like. In the middle, C. C. Maybe the strings are not. Maybe you should just rest. of tuning, it's like a little, there's a couple of like bum like, Rrrrngh! You hit me in the middle, see? See? Ha ha ha!

The strings are like, new strings. Maybe you should just rest, I think you should just. I'll play louder. No, no, no, no, no, you should just rest a little bit, so it's like, shut up. Ha ha ha! This is hurting my ears. Quite tired, actually, yeah.

Yeah, you go to sleep, big fat, so I will take care of it, I will take it from here. All right. It's not the, you've not done the greatest performance of your life, unfortunately. But yeah, anything else from anybody else as you take a nice long rest? I think Groff will make sure he's settling down

near both Squire Pascal and Santheus so he can kind of at least be there in the morning and he just wants, he needs to meet near his boys. Yeah, it's probably, yeah, easily. His sad boys. Burrito! As always. I think Ophelia will make like a little makeshift shrine

to the grave father, like using Percy's heart and... I just want to check in that you're gonna do this in this very fey-touched grove that has been blessed by two babies. Dig up that moss. I just want to confirm that's what you're doing. I mean... If that's what Ophelia would do,

that's what Ophelia would do. I mean, they are accommodating us, like we're guests. Yeah, yeah. So, like... There's a level though, if someone came to my house and started digging up my garden and, you know. Put a pentagram on the floor.

Kim would love that. Actually, yeah, no. That's true, yeah. Bad example. Yeah, bad example. Put a big Jesus there. Yeah. Yeah.

Sure, yeah, it's up to you. I just wanna check that like, you are aware of the circumstances. Yeah, I've already kinda pissed them off with an eye. Well, no, I mean, like, surprisingly, they've sort of not interacted with you. They've kind of focused on others, but like, it could have gone a lot worse.

It's like a mutual misunderstanding, I guess. Yeah, misunderstanding. Yeah. Baby, not like beef or anything, we're fine. All right, yeah, she'll probably do it in a more suitable place. But. Sure.

Literally anywhere else. Yeah, I mean, it's just, yeah, yeah. Like a church. If nothing else, think of this, like, there is, I think Ophelia would recognize that like, it might not even, like, the grave father might be a bit like, why are you calling me from there? Like, you know, there's that like, what are you up to?

Like, you know, there's maybe that kind of sense there. Then she will fall asleep cuddling Percy's heart. Okay, nice. That's normal. Totally normal. Very, very good. Yeah. Throughout the long rest, if you have any particular interest, by the way,

I can tell you the names of all the NPCs that you're traveling with, the ones that you don't know yet, if you have any particular interest, by the way, I can tell you the names of all the NPCs that you're traveling with, the ones that you don't know yet, if you particularly care for them, but if not, we can leave them as nameless, you know, farmers and woodsmen. I'm gonna find out how they discover it through the long rest. Is it like a good night, Rowan?

Good night? Blur. No, it's more like in conversation, because you guys haven't asked their name yet, but you can overhear in conversation. Let's play a game of truth. Ah, 20 questions. If you want to try, if you want to role play that full out,

but I was just saying, if you did want to know, I do have their names. And I can tell you about them, but it's up to you. Or you can just be like, nope, no care, sleep time. I feel like you put the F into. No, I've come up with names, that's all it is. I go to sleep. Sure, great.

Great. All right, that's all it is. I go to sleep. Sure, great. Great. All right, perfect. Sorry Wikipedia. Sorry Wikipedia. No, it's fine. They'll ask me in the Discord and I'll tell them there, it's fine. You guys rest.

And for what seems like the first time in a week longer, it is the most peaceful rest. It is comfort. You feel like you are back in the inn, back in Ashen's Rest. There is a sense of softness and peace and you know you are safe in this place. And with that, sleep comes easily to you.

Those of you who do dream, which I think is all of you, have pleasant dreams of woodlands that are way too bright, the saturation turned up too high, of eating sweet fruits, of frolicking with pixies, or being a rabbit being chased by a playful fox, or being a rabbit being chased by a playful fox or being a fox chasing a rabbit. You know, you have very similar shared dreams in this space. Little glimpses into these two figures of not insubstantial power that seem to reside here. Witches and barks in his sleep. Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Absolutely. Get little glimpses of it. Thank you, Frank. You know that dog that gets more and more and then runs into a wall? Yeah. Poor dog. Rowan just stands up and runs into a tree.

But yeah, you get these little glimpses into this little peaceful moment, this little area here. And as you do, you probably rest longer than eight hours. I would say that this is, you sleep like 12 hours. Like it is, the sun is beginning to crest and rise as you begin to stir after a very long, very well-deserved and very well-needed long rest.

very well deserved and very well needed. Long rest. When you awake, you would find, like fresh fish laid out on leaves, sort of near the stream. You would find piles of berries and nuts and fruits have all been laid out for you and things like that. Nothing for Ophelia. Sacrifice here.

Oh, they didn't fish sacrifice themselves though. Maybe, you don't know. Maybe. But we didn't ask them to. No. Ophelia didn't ask them to. Bears and, you know, it's the cycle of things. So it's not that they don't eat meat, but yeah.

But there is sort of things laid out for you, ready to be cooked or made into a meal. You can immediately tell that the emotions of those you are traveling with the ones that you rescued, they are immediately in better morale, better spirits than they were before. Who is, I guess Gruff would be up early as always, right? Like Gruff's always up early.

Daisy, sleeping in as late as possible. Burrito! Yep, sleeping in as late as possible. Burrito! Yep, sleeping in as late as possible. I'd imagine that for Ophelia, sleeping on mossy ground under the stars is a little unusual. It's very unbecoming. Yeah, so maybe you wake up a little earlier, not quite used to it.

A bit of a stiff back, just, ugh. Rowan, this is perfect for you. This is exactly how you used to camp and you would go and find these kind of places to rest out in the wild when you were traveling. Just like his whimsical Disney dreams. Yeah. He's living it. Yeah, he's literally living it.

Like, hey, Rowan! Hello, Rock. Exactly, living that out. And as far as it goes, that's a sin. Hard cut, hard cut. What are you wearing? Hard cut.

No, we stopped. We've done this before, it's old. Old bit. But yeah, you guys wake up. What about Xanthius, like? Well I guess mechanically for like the sleep spell, right? Well this is not the sleep spell, this is like a slumbering touch.

You basically slept for like eight hours, basically. I imagine it was a dreamless sleep that was granted to me, so I don't have the same sort of whimsy that everyone else has, but there's almost a moment when this blackness, this void that Zan is peacefully sleeping in with no interruptions from anything, no worries about Gildai, no worries about Crownsteel, it is extremely peaceful for him until that vault crack appears

and a gold thing just launches through it towards him and that's enough to wake him up again. Breaking through that void, that peaceful void that he was in and then he wakes up and it's the sun, it's the sky above him. I imagine a similar time too when everyone else is properly waking up. Yeah.

Sure. You open your eyes and you see, you know, Gruff maybe cooking up that fish, you know, by the campfire, and you can hear the murmuring of conversations. The other NPCs are all kind of early risers, they're all like hardworking, like farmers and woodsmans, they're up quite early. You also begin to hear a grumbling like, I'll be fine, I'll be fine, but please stop fussing my little sister, I'll be alright. Fetch me that branch there, I'll make a crutch for now. And you kind of hear Theravall kind of grumbling and you can hear Valesa sort of like, please, there must be something.

Perhaps our friends can help us provide something more suitable, or he's like, no, let's not trouble him. And he's kind of grumbling to himself as he's getting ready, and he seems to be awake and recovered. But yeah, I hand it over to you guys. Gruff will come over, pipe in his mouth, and two bowls of food, or you know. It's like a smoked, like, kind of smoked river fish.

Yeah, a skewer. Yeah, a skewer and then like berries and nuts and stuff on the side, yeah. Good morning, Xanthias. Gruff, good morning. Time for your breakfast. Here you go, lad. Thank you.

We made it out of the vault, then. We made it out of the vault. Well, Percival didn't make it out of the vault. Percival didn't make it? What happened? He was crushed. By? As the vault fell in, we were the last to go out. The vault collapsed?

Mm. Good work. That's, uh, I guess one less problem for us to worry about. I didn't expect us to really destroy the place. Um, is Ophelia doing okay? She's keeping it together, but a kind word would not go amiss. I'll go speak to her. Um... How are you feeling?

It's still there, Gruff. There it is, son. Why didn't it work? What happened? What do you remember? Just a flash. You remember the figure. You remember their words. Yeah. You remember pain. Maybe a flash of light?

I saw its arms that... familiar an orc or something. You know... In her sleep... nine. It um... It tried something, but I passed out. I... the pain was too much. Even the runes were breaking apart. I tried to reinforce it, but it tore through everything I had. And then it was just...

It was just voices and a figure... telling me... telling me the Sovereign will return. Ah. And... Telling me the sovereign will return. And telling me how much I needed it. But I tried to keep an idea review in that cave. And then I just, I don't know. I fell asleep again. I guess... But what happened to...

I mean... Did it still turn around and start fighting you again? I mean, you killed it, right? You got it. You're out of here. Do you want the truth? No! I don't. Was it...

Did I do something? That I don't know. I'll tell you what I saw. I saw that thing. A million orcs or whatever the name is. Aye. They had removed your wounds. They whatever the name is. Aye. They removed your wounds. They took the guard down.

They were doing something to the Crown's deal, and for a moment, I thought it was gonna work. I saw your pain, Xanthias, and I wanted... I wanted to heal you. I wanted... But I couldn't get to you. And I'm sorry for that. wanted but I couldn't get to you and I'm sorry for that but something happened a flash of light brighter than I've ever seen and our thing was disintegrated nothing left

I killed it I didn't I. I'm not saying that. What it came from me? It came from the Crownsteel. Even that you don't know. Remember, all you saw was white. You don't know anything that happened. Just as a point of clarification, you didn't see something coming out of it. Like it was light and then the next thing you knew, oxamine was disintegrated, the

wall was cracked. that's it. I don't know that, Santhias. I saw a bright flash brighter than I've ever seen. I don't- But it was because of me. I suppose. And then after that, a crack formed in the walls, and the whole vault tore itself apart.

And now... I mean, everyone got out okay, but Percival. Because I... You don't know that. I know that we were there because of me. I know that we got to Vermillion Hooks or whatever, nine... to try to cure me... and I tore the place... to cure me. And I tore the place to shreds.

If I wasn't there, where would you be? If you weren't protecting me, who could you be saving? I can see. I can see a terror in you, Graf. You're holding a strong face, but... Something changed, then. Samthias, I am not scared of you. I am scared for you. I am scared for you.

But I will carry you. If you will have me. You said in the vault. You said things to me. You tried to push me away. That's fine, I understand. If you don't want me near you, if you don't want me protecting you, I won't.

What if you're better without me? That is not... That is not true. There is a moment, Gruff, as Xanthia says those words. And over him, like a memory flashing, you see a little Lianin, a little wildheart, flurry of snow, looking up at you. Not quite the right words, not the same,

but a similar feeling. I do not know that. I don't like that. I am not better off without you, Zanthias. None of us are. We choose to travel beside you because of who you are. We choose to do this for you. We chose to come to this fault, even though you shouted at us. We chose to stay with you.

We chose to stay with you inside the vault, even when Saren died, even now after Percival has died. And we know who you are, even if you don't know yourself. You may be giving up on yourself, but I will not give up on you. Do you hear me? I'm not... I'm not giving up on myself, Gruff. I don't want that to be... You are not, you don't live your life because of me. You have so much more to give to better people.

You're stronger than that and you're braver than that. You deserve more than that, and you're braver than that. You deserve more than this. I could go wandering into the forest right now. I could head straight to Kelskaris. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I get there. But there'll be a line. There has to be a line for you. And I don't want you to reach that line because of me.

Xanthias, you are not the first in my life. You are not the first in my life to challenge me like this. You are not the first in my life that I have tried to protect, that I have tried to guide, that I have tried to walk beside. You are not the first in my life who has tried to push me away, when they thought they knew better, when they thought they were not worthy. I failed. I failed them. I will not fail you.

I know, just whatever happens, Gruff, you haven't failed me. You're the best, strongest, most courageous, kindest knight I know. You say that, Saintheas, but you don't know me. You don't know... You don't know where I've come from. But I know who you are now. Then maybe I learned something. The last of my tenets now, from the Order of the Loyal Hounds. To bring hope and comfort to those in need,

to walk beside them along paths we have already taken. I walk that path beside you. You feel the tickle of a little dragonet tongue licking at your neck, a little burrow, trouble, looks, whips around. Gruff, you sense movement as Squire Pascal stirs as well. What is everyone else doing? How much of that did people hear, if they wished to?

What is everyone else doing? How much of that did people hear if they wished to? Probably wouldn't have heard it, but, cause it was burritoed. But if people are starting to stir, Daisy will probably, if she wakes up and sees that Xanthias is awake, she will get up and still in burrito, waddle towards him.

Xanthias, you're awake! Are you okay? and still in burrito, waddled towards him. Zanthius, you're awake! Are you okay? You are wrapped up in that thing. Do you want some blanket? I can unburrito. I can put you in it too. We can double burritos, Zanthius.

Overheat in there. I run hot, you know this. Oh yeah, that's true actually, no. I'm okay, Daisy, it's good to see you. It's good to see you again. You feeling okay? Daisy, here's your to see you. Um, it's good to see you again. Daisy, here's your breakfast as well. Thank you, Gareth. Thank you for keeping it and not waking me up.

Mm-hmm. It's a really good sleep. Rowan, Ophelia. Oh! He was still barking. Run into a wall. Hello? He's awake. Oh, good morning, Zephine. Run into a wall. Boom. Boom. Hello?

He's awake. Oh, good mornings. How do you feel? Arrested, extremely well rested. I feel like I slept far more than you did. Do you have pain? Do I have pain? No. No, nothing unusual. Should I? No, just, nothing, nothing unusual.

Should I? No, just, whoa. I don't know how the whole process was for you. It didn't look pleasant, so I didn't know if it would last. You should see the other guy. I, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

At least he was kind of horrible. Yeah. Evil, creating monsters. Oh definitely evil, yeah. Disgraceful. Yeah. So, profane. Good word.

Ophelia had a really big rant about how what they were doing was terrible and awful. It was a good rant. Thank you. It was, it was. It was a good rant. Thank you. It was, it was. It was disgraceful and a front to everything that all life stands for, but. Yes.

But. It's over. Are you holding Percy's heart? Yeah. Okay. Just like she's clutching it at this point, just. Holding it. It's good to see you still recovered,

that at least, of Percival. Does that mean you can bring him back? I can. I can, well, I hope I can bring him back. He deserves it, he really does. He saved us in there. Yes. Yes, he did.

Just hope I can do the right thing. And Rowan... Hello. Rowan, man of the hour. Did anyone else dream about some hair, right? It just kept getting away. I do, Ashley. Not me, no. I kind of wished for a peaceful sleep.

Yes, I thought I was chasing down dinner, but I woke up, then I was disappointed. Well, perhaps Ophelia's dream was more teasing than the others. It was a bit more sort of like, hehehehe, fuck you. I just want to say Rowan, Rowan, your performance, your whatever, your gambit in performance, your... Gambit.

Your gambit in the Smasterful was really good. Check it out. I am a vessel. I can't do it anymore, it's not the right... I just can't get into that role. You have to be there. You have to be there. It was very good.

Has someone taught you lessons? Has someone taught you on performance for that, for acting? No. No? You're really good at it. Really good at it. Yeah. I genuinely thought, I thought you had been taken over.

Stop it. It was only that there was two of you that kind of threw me. That was confusing. Now that wasn't me. Yeah, well. Well, we didn't, it could have been. One of you was talking like you'd been taken over. The other one was sort of confused.

Normal, yeah. Yeah, so it was very weird. And also everyone vanished for me. Yeah, what's that all about? You were saying like, bring them back. Everyone just disappeared. I thought you'd all been teleported away. Oh, I was being chewed by something. Oh, okay.

Oh, yeah. That was horrible. It wasn't pleasant. I don't mean to interrupt, but who are you? Ah! As you see, this young man, very, very skinny. He's fine, like. Dark skinned, he has like, kind of dreadlocks,

but they're tied up kind of thing. Very skinny, like his clothing is all tattered and muddy and things like that. But you see this absolute clear cognizance in his eyes. And he looks very confused and very bewildered. And he's holding like a grumbling stomach. And he's just sort of like, where am I? This sounds delightful.

And I get the impression that you're all quite nice people but... Where am I and what is happening? That's actually quite a good question. Prof immediately shoves the food, like he brought three dishes over, he immediately shoves the food in... Oh, thank you, thank you. Oh my god, he's just like immediately, he's like... Oh my god. Slower, slower, slower. Yes, acid, breathe, between, bites. There, that's it. Breathe between bites.

That's it. There you go. There you go, lad. This is amazing. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. That's a good question, though. I've been asleep a while. Where exactly are we? Oh, we're in a really nice, little, protected bubble

that the nice Fae people made for us. We're in the woods. The Galowac is dead. It's very safe. The Galowac? Yes, I tried to see if it was real. I went to its lair, I got the old witch in Colville, the halfling witch.

Maggie. Yes, Maggie. Maggie, she told me where it was and I went up there to see if it was real or if it had anything to do with the disappearances that were going on. Dame Cassandra, I was waiting for, she said that she was gonna try and send backup to help me and I waited and I waited and eventually I just felt like I had to go

and find out what I could on my own and oh, it was awful, the Galloway, it was real. It started murmuring and saying these things. I could see this, he sort of like sees his arms, he's like, oh my, by the gods, what have I done? Did it, did you, what, who did this? Did it do this to me? In a roundabout way, I suppose, yes.

Oh, I suppose with some healing magic, the scarring will fade, but oh, oh, oh, goodness me. It trapped you and I guess hypnotized you to draw this symbol. The symbol was related to the vault in the area, the proto-magic vault. A vault? Is that what was, the proto-magic vault. A vault? Is that what was, the people were disappearing

because of a vault? Yes. You were in it. You were in it, yeah. What? Honestly, it's probably a good thing that you don't remember it. Yeah.

Well, I had to take you in because I couldn't leave you on your own. Right, but, and he sort of said, these people, they're the ones who went missing, they're from Colville, I remember hearing about them, they'd gone missing, and then the farmers, and they were the ones who went missing. They're from Colville. I remember hearing about them. They'd gone missing, and then the farmers, and they were the ones we weren't looking for. And they were in the vault.

And thanks to you and your investigations, led us on the path to the Galowack. So. Well, I guess I did something useful, I suppose. Well, thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for saving these people. Oh, gosh, I feel so tired.

Thank you. Thank you. Maybe just rest for now. We'll take you to the village. Not too far. All right, well, I really must get back to... I shall rest. We need to let Dame Cassandra know what happened. We will. Don't worry. Good. Are you heading back that way? Yes.

Oh, good. We're the backup, by the way. You're the ones that did something. Dame Cassandra said that she would try and hire some adventurers or folk in Ashen's Rest to send my way, but I guess it was just too late. I guess she couldn't get you until it was too late, unfortunately. Unfortunately, yes.

But thank the gods you were able to at least help me. I owe you my life, thank you so much. Tell you what, you can help. Okay. Let's find, in this area, a dew drop berry. A dew drop berry? A dew drop berry. Maggie wants one, and apparently if we find one, we'll be rewarded.

Okay, I am not much of a herbalist. Episode 52. I'm not much of a herbalist, but I can try and help you, I suppose. Really sort of more knowledgeable of magic and things like that, really. Oh, okay. If we find it on the way back, that'd be good.

We'll just get all kinds of berries. Enthius? Yes? You have a spell stone as well that makes you interested. Actually, it was Gruff. Oh, did Gruff take it? Yeah, because it was on our side of the vault. I haven't written it myself. The spell stone was in the...

In the sphere. It was in the middle. And I grabbed a load of shit from there. Yeah. I grabbed something else. No, the spell stone was in the center of In the sphere. It was in the middle. And I grabbed a load of shit from there. Yeah. I grabbed something in the middle. No, the spellstone was in the center of it, yeah. Okay, fair enough. You're taking that off my screen.

Yes, I do, yes, the wand and the gauntlet thing, there's a load of things we recovered from that place. I can identify a few of them, but if we want to go looking for this dewdrop thing, as I recall, don't eat it. It comes from a white flower, a white dewdrop. A white flower, the only thing I remember about that is stories that they were telling me in Colville

about the dancing ladies and the white flowers. I mean, if the Galowack was real, perhaps whatever that was is as well. To be honest, I think maybe we should just hustle back to Corvel and if we see... If we stumble across it. If we see them, we see them. If we find any wolves or deer as well, there's plenty of other things we could do. You could go to the Ash Hills, I suppose, I'm afraid, pal.

Damn. Try to find this hat. Quest failed. Quest failed. You've left the area for too long, you're too high level now. Damn. Now I'm trying to find this hat. Quest failed. Quest failed. I feel like I'm trying to make hats. You've left the area for too long, you're too high level now. Oh, damn. Now I'm trying to kill them, it just...

It's not worth the XP. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay, well... But yes, you'll be happy to know the Galowak has been slain. Actually, you might be able to see it on the way.

I don't know if I want to keep bringing it out in front of people. That's true. It feels a bit disrespectful. You see him. I'll be quite honest, if I never see the Galowak again, I'll be very glad for that. We did unearth the history of the Galowak,

if you're a scholarly type. Yes, yes, very much so, yes. Very much a scholar. In C major, I'll retell the entire story. Oh, sure. But yeah, on the way back, I'm happy with everyone else's input to fill in Pascal and the history of the Galowack. And then we went into the Proto Magi Vault.

Too many syllables, Enfius! Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not good at this. And the flesh of the skull. That's a little harsh. We don't need to put that bit in. It was quite pivotal, I felt. And its smell, at least. The journey, if you leave this little grove, once again, as you begin to travel,

you don't need to worry about travel rules, because like Sylviria and Savalpe, the journey is without issue. Anytime that would be an obstacle in your way or a path looks like it's going to be rough trekking, an easier path seems to sort of almost open up or like, you know, you get a hare draws your attention to a different path that's way easier or a fox kind of helps guide you

to a fallen log over a valley or something like that, or a river and things like that. And yeah, you make good travel, and likely within another day, you'll probably, sorry, within another day of travel, you will reach Colville. So if there's anything you wanna do before your next long rest, like spells or anything like that,

this is an ample time to do it. Before we leave the Grove, I would whisper thanks to... Yeah, you also need to pick which spirit you would like. Lady Sylvalia and Sylvalpyr, so I will thank them. And I still haven't decided. Well, the other thing I'll say is, because you're gonna have another night of resting,

you will, they will basically host you again. So you'll meet them again. Oh, okay. They'll basically provide you another safe space to rest and they come out, you know, the pixies come out and play music and this time Xanthius, you would be awake for it. But yeah, so you would have another night to basically sort of like speak to them directly.

Goodo. To decide. But what I'm saying is like, yeah, in between now and then, you have a whole day of traveling. Is there anything you guys would like to do? Yeah, I think any time, like if there's an obstacle, we have 10 minutes spare, I'll be ritual casting. I'd say you can ritual cast it as you're walking.

Okay, fair enough. Yeah, I'll cast Identifier. Can I only do it twice today, with the amount of charges I have on the Gold Sight Eye. Well, what would you like to do? Can I have the... The loot list. Loot list!

Cause I think you're- Also, any of the resources, if you'd like to know more about them, Squire Pascal is a scholar. He is like a wizard, like a major apprentice kind of thing. So if you'd like to ask him about what some of these plain arm materials are, he might be able to give you some more information

on that as well. I'm gonna make a check for him, but he has a high bonus to his checks for knowledge. Yeah, Graf's got the cloak on, so should... And the cloak doesn't need identification. No, I'd say that one's fine. Okay. Well, with the two I've got now, I'll go for the...

There's a mysterious potion. Yes. I'll do that first, because mysterious sounds potentially dangerous. Okay. If you put your Andra, you'd be really into that. So I'll do mysterious. Ooh, mysterious potion. I wanna drink you.

Too many syllables. Mysterious. Tick tock, hip. Ooh. Mysterious potion, so I'll identify that one. Okay, so first one, Ophelia does have one. This is a nice and simple one. It is a potion of speed.

Like the hit game, Baldur's Gate 3. It is just available in D&D Beyond, I believe it is a purple, very rare potion. Basically cast a Haste spell on you, but without the concentration and stuff like that. Pretty dope. Really nice. There you go, you got yourself a potion of speed, Ophelia.

How fast can I go if I take that? You can go once before. Scarily fast, I believe, you and Daisy. I've got a taste on you. Me and you are the ones that hate that. So if you give it to me, I could do more looks. That's true, yeah. What color do you visualize a potion of speed be?

Blue. Is it purple? Yeah, blue with spikes. Purple's the color, and now I'm making it the color of the potion, purple. I've gotta make one. Could it be blue with spikes, it. Purple's the color and now I'm making it the color of the potion, purple. I've gotta make one. Could it be blue with spikes though? Yeah.

And like a red face. Please don't. I guess red and blue. Please don't, please don't do that. It's like shaped like a ball. Anyway, what else? Oh, I would like to also identify the crystal wand just in case I actually start shooting that off

into the distance. Who has that? You? I have that. Right, well, from... How does that look again? The what? The wand. Well, you can add it to your inventory for it is in D&D Beyond. It's called the Wand of the Sculptor.

This is a magical wand. It has 30 charges. 30? It does not regain charges, though. So it's a consumable wand. So once all the charges, well does not regain charges though. So it's a consumable once all the charges, well once the charges are all gone. It can cast a wide variety of transmutation spells. Depending on the level, it adds different,

they cost different things. So like a first level spell costs one charge, second level spell costs three charges, third level spell costs five charges, fourth level spell costs seven charges. Would you spell costs five charges, and fourth level spell costs seven charges. Would you like to know what spells this incites? One thing before you do, so this thing, if you want to cast a spell and the one doesn't have enough charges left

to cast the desired spell, you can still attempt to cast it, but must roll 1d20 on a result of a 1 to the negative value in charges of which you've gone over. So say for example you want to cast a spell that costs seven charges and you've only got two charges left, it would be a roll from one to five because that's the debt of charges you owe. If you roll that result, the wand erupts with magical force which has dire consequences

for whoever is using it. Two! Oh, you can keep that, you know? So it does a bunch of spells. It does. Yeah, it does some good ones. It can cast alter self, polymorph, bark skin, gaseous form, jump, long stride, a spider climb,

stone skin, enhance ability, enlarge reduce, water breathing. Jesus Christ. Lots of like utility spells. I'll do the hard part. Gotta catch em all. So, you wanna cast a spell, the rebel world.

You gotta mutate the enemy. Sounds pretty good. Sounds like a really cool thing. And it is a long, slender crystal wand that contains a multitude of colorful lights that pulse and shift. Very much like the vault itself. Sounds very keisterable.

Okay, you want to keister it? He's supposed to print all of these items. But yes, that is the wand of the sculptor. Yes, the wand of the sculptor, very nice. Seems really nice. Yes, are you interested in this one, Rowan? Lots of useful spells. It casts a lot of spells.

You wanna be the... Like Transmutation, Rowan? I'll take care of the singing. You handle the singing, I'll take care of the art. I mean, I'll hold onto it for now. You wish, yeah? Just be wary if you start to cast too much with it. It might, don't cast anything right now.

I don't think it will recover its energies. Oh, right. So it's... It's the Wand of the Sculptor, it is called. Okay. I'll hold onto it. Okay, yeah. You're in Venturing.

Wand of the Sculptor. Also requires a Tumen to attune to the Wand. Oh, wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee. Is that your attunement sound? Yeah. Wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee. Anything else you would like to do? Is that your attunement sound? Yeah. Wiyo, yiyo, yiyo, yiyo. Of course I can. Wiyo, wiyo, wiyo.

Yeah. Anything else you would like to do? Those are the two identify as you are traveling. Anything else you would like to do during the day? What's it called? The Wand of the Sculptor. It might just be under Wand of Sculptor. I was typing Wand of Attunement.

Oh dear. Oh, you silly little billy. Attunement. Oh dear. Oh you silly little. Attunement. Poor silly, who would I be? Bless you. Bless you. I'm so charmed. I'm not sure.

Carol. Kim, I believe that there should be a potion of healing, but you've got the card inside the box as well, so for the potion of healing. Anything else you would like to do during the day, or anything you would like to ask Squire Pasquale, or anything you'd like to ask Lady Sister of Alessa. Theravile, by the day, or I think you would like to ask Squire Pasquale, or if you'd like to ask Lady Sister of Alessa.

Theravile, by the way, has fashioned a very crude crutch, but he is slowing you down. Luckily, the forest is making this journey very, very easy, but yeah, he's basically limping along on this homemade crutch that he's carved. Has Rowan seen a wheelchair before? I would say... Yeah, we have, because, um. Has Rowan seen a wheelchair before? I would say. Yeah, we have, because.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, James Norkel. Yes, James Norkel has one, so yeah. I've got Performance of Creation too. How long's it last? Forever. I don't believe it does. Three hours.

Okay, that's still good. I could do it once a day as well, so. Yeah, so for three hours you can make it easier for him to travel and stuff. That's a, that's still good. I could do it once a day as well, so. Yeah, so for three hours you can make it easier for him to travel and stuff. That's a good idea. Yeah, like Theravar's like, well this is a, like as you kind of spring this thing into creation I guess you pluck a note.

What's it made out of, like wood or is it like? Yes, it would be like fiber and twine and leaves. Okay. All twisted together like a wicker basket sort of style. A wicker wheelchair basically. But made out of different sorts of nature. He like watches you do this, he's like, that's amazing, how are you doing that? And as he sees this thing to come to his mind,

he's like, that's a pretty good idea. He's like looking at it like, yeah, we've got something like this in midnight. Yeah, this is, thank you. Have a little seat. Yeah, it'll make the journey a bit easier. And he, but he'll wheel it himself. Like he's like, you know, you can see

he's got thick muscled arms. Like he's like, he kind of gets a couple. The last three hours, I'll give you some warning. Okay. And then. No, it's all right. I can keep time in my head, don't worry. Wow.

That's, see, I can do something that's interesting to you. And I think keeping time in your head is very impressive. Oh, thank you. Well, we have to, when you're wound in the gloom guard, you know, you can't be timepieces so that we don't have any of that down below. So from a young age you're taught a sort of, I guess it's like a little mental trick to keep time in your head basically. But he's like, yeah sure, no thank you. But he kind of like hops himself into it and he's like, yeah this is pretty good. And he starts to...

Maybe we could fashion something more permanent at some point. If we can get back to the Veil to midnight, to the Veiled City, my brothers and sisters and my friends will make me a replacement leg. Great. I won't be as quick on my feet as I used to be, but I'll be good enough to fight with. I can still do my duty. I can still protect Sister Velessa.

But thank you for this. This is gonna make at least the journey a little easier. I hate to think that I'm slowing any of you down. Oh no. I'll talk. But as long as this makes it. Thank you for getting me out of there as well. I wanted to make sure that everyone else got out first.

That's okay. Yes, you and Percival, our dear companion, was very stubborn about making sure everyone else got out first. And thanks to you too, we did. May I have the skeleton? Strike a similar chord, we're protectors. That's what we do, we look after our wards.

It's very honorable men. Thank you. That means a lot to hear. Pride ourselves on that. Well, as you should. Be proud of what you've done. Thank you. I am. So fine nods. Sweet. Yeah, make that a lot easier for him.

Anything else? Can I do a nature check to find a dew drop barrier? You can try. Berry, berry. Faint. Berry. Sure. Dew drop berry.

Dew drop Matt Berry. Matt Berry turns up. Father! Is it natural survival, you reckon? I would say survival. Well, well, plus eight. Really? Natural one. Wow! Payback for our screen. He, well, plus eight. Really? Natural one.

Wow! Payback from us, baby. You find. I agree that's it. Yeah, you find a beautiful white fruit, Rowan. Oh no. It is a 15 to be fair. It's still a 15, yeah.

Really? But it is a nat one. Well, nat ones aren't automatic failures. Oh, okay. Doesn't mean that there's not negative consequences. But yeah, you find a white. There it is! Oh, my ribs.

Sorry. What, what, what, what, what are you pointing at? The flower, look. Looks just like they described. It's like a white, you know, drop of water, but a big thick, like an aubergine, but white. Yeah. Gri Mmm. Yeah. Grippy.

Yeah, nice. Bright. What if you do, don't eat it? Don't eat it. Remember what she said, she said don't eat it. Something about the... Swim allergic. Ow.

Keep it away from Ophelia. Something about those dancing sisters or something. If you eat them, you'll start to see things. So don't eat it. It's delicious as it looks. It's in my satchel now. There it is. Okay.

And then if we see Maggie, we get a... We get a reward. Okay. You put it in your bag. Oh no. You just put it in your little satchel. It's in my satchel. Okay.

All right, just make sure it doesn't get squashed in there, okay? Why would it? Well, I guess, I guess, yeah. Because you carry a lot of rocks in your satchel. No, I don't. Anyway, I've got to go. Throwing rocks at them. Yeah, but does he actually throw the rocks?

No. No, I can't. Sorry, everybody. He goes in a circle. Get back in. Yeah, your face. He's going sorry, everybody. He's going in a circle. Get back in. Yeah, you picked this up. You guys continue on.

What is wrong with him? About two hours after Rowan picks this white fruit, first things first, Rowan, about an hour and a bit in, your hand starts going very tingly. Oh no. And then it goes completely numb. And you're like, hmm? I haven't seen any more of those.

You can't make your arm go properly. I'm trying to hide it. And then at the two hour mark, you all begin to hear like a, it starts off quite quiet. And then from Rowan's statue, you just hear, aah! What is that?

What is that? Aah! A screaming. Rowan, was that screaming, a horrid, aah! Roman, was that you? I don't know what it is. What's going on with your arms? What do you mean? Yes, I can't feel my arms.

How long has it been? A couple hours. Who's screaming? Who is screaming? I can't grip it. Get the bag off. Someone take the bag off. You reach in. Don't touch it with your.

I would touch it. You reach in. Who's my gauntleted hand? Oh, you are. No, no, no, no. You were gesturing with the other hand first. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you reach in,

well, you're on gauntleted hand, unfortunately, and you feel around, you feel lots of rocks. What was in here? You find like a squishy, you find in, well you're on Gorn Lettie Down unfortunately, and you feel around, you feel lots of rocks. And then you find like a squishy, you find the dew drop, and you feel like there's like an opening in this plonk. Like you feel like it's got like a hole in it. And you sort of grip around and you hear like a oh! And then you take it out.

Ah! What is that? I don't know, I just put my finger back in. Okay, yeah, it stops the screaming. What is it we can see? Yeah, you can make an H-strike. So it's just this bird with. So did you pull it out?

Yeah. So when Ophelia pulls out the thing that she's got to think, it is that white dewdrop thing, but you see these two black eyes, and its mouth is now, like, Ophelia's fingers are in its mouth. And, uh, Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh uh,

. can be found in woods and it's a living plant creature. It's not an actual plant, it's a creature. Oh bloody hell, Zeroh, when you picked a Mandrake. What does that mean? What's a Mandrake? Is it like a cross between a man and dragon? No, it's a plant that you shout at. Oh, thank goodness. Where have I killed it? No, no, I've just put my finger in his mouth

to shoot it out. But I plucked it. Wait, why are your arms numb? Why, I don't know. Ophelia? Oh yeah, Mandrakes are poisonous. They have like a kind of, they paralyze predators that try and eat them. And then they normally eat the predator from the inside out.

Oh bloody hells Rowan. Yeah? This thing's poisonous. Ophelia, maybe put it on the ground or something. I'll take it. Ah! Run, be gone with you! It sort of little legs kind of grow out of its body

and it picks itself up, looks up, it stops screaming, it looks around. I am so sorry, I am so sorry. We have taken him so far from his home. I don't care where he goes, as long as he's away from us. Why would Maggie want that? Why did you not tell us that you had no arms for like two hours? I didn't want where he goes, as long as he's away from us. Why would Maggie want that? Why did you not tell us that you had no arms for like two hours?

I didn't want to say anything. Right, you know that's poison, right? Normally they do it to incapacitate predators and then eat them. Normally smaller predators then Rowan. You guys. Ophelia, you could have taken your toes. You could have taken it again.

Yeah, you're right, your arms here. I feel okay at the moment. Yeah, you wait for an hour. It really kicks in. The tingle, you get the tingle first and then boom. You let us know if that spreads. We don't want to have to start dragging you back home. Skypuss goes, does anyone have any paper

or charcoal or anything like that? I would love to sketch it and write some notes about that thing that we just saw. I do! Really? May I have some paper? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you have like a charcoal?

He takes like a pencil and he starts writing things down and sketching the little mandrake. He's like, does this look right? And he's showing it to you. Is it just a picture of Velia with his? It's not Velia with a finger, it's the creature with his little legs. And he starts making a little sort of like,

then Rowan, paralytic limbs. Did you notice any sort of sensation when you first? Yeah, tingly. Tingly, good, good. Oh, I figured you were getting tingly. Um, how long has it been like five? It's only been like five or three minutes. I'm okay now, I'm okay now.

Hey. Bloody hell. Yeah, you wait. Oh, I don't know if I want that. Ruff, how long is this gonna last for? No, I definitely don't want that. Rowan's probably gonna be like a couple of hours and then it should wear off. Probably a couple of hours.

Big fan of it. By the time you reach somewhere to rest, that'll probably be all right. Oh, I think I'm allergic. If you're still feeling something by tomorrow, I can probably help. Well, surely I want to feel something. Currently I feel nothing.

He's not wrong. He's not wrong. He's not wrong. So I can... Nothing. Nothing there. Wait a sec. No, it's nothing. Don't worry.

Well, now's the opportune time. I see. No, no, no, no, no. I wouldn't feel a thing. That would be very mean. Wait, does that take it out for you or something? Ophelia needs to know that you feel it. In fact, actually, I think it's been established that,

yeah, when Ophelia did bite your arm, by the way, it was numb, like you didn't feel any pain. Like there is an aroesthetic, like she kind of numbs the air as she bites into it. Yeah, I do it naturally anyway, so. I just wanted to poke your arm. Vampires wouldn't be able to get a lot of blood from their thralls and things

if it was an incredibly magn Angerizing like, ah! Like I know in some media they do that, but in this it's quite a gentle kiss. So horrific. Sanguine kiss. Sanguine kiss. Ew. But yes, no, I wouldn't know.

Not unless you let me, you know how I am. So long as I don't pass out, you're more than welcome. Oh actually, yeah, you would have got the sort of palette of Rowan's blood as well. It's very verdant, isn't it? It's quite verdant, yeah, because I think you fed on Rowan before and it's quite earthy, but very hearty and strong.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, you wouldn't want it. Oh, it's quite fast. Wouldn't be a good thing. I'd describe it as a rain cloud. Yeah, I'd do that. But you're in a different plane. Why don't we start, what do you say about groth?

We did definitely say something about groth. It's quite refreshing and cool. Is it rain clouds and moss? Mint, juniper, and frosted something. Frosted lemon. What do you say about gruff? We did definitely say something about gruff. It's quite refreshing and cool. Meant juniper and frosted something. Frosted lemon. Frosted lemon is probably a great... Quite honestly, not that far off actually. Anyway, you continue on and about an hour later,

I feel like your arm starts tingling. Oh, it's happening. High five. It's really hard to coordinate. It's really hard actually. To what's-the-face, the lady that's traveling with Valhalla. Alessa. Do you know, we're the heroes of Ashen's Rest. Yes, yeah.

Fair enough. Good to meet you. Even the greatest heroes have their quirks about them. They have their quirks that make them unique characters. But perhaps, yes, no more touching of strange plants, maybe. Check this out, I start whirlwind-ing. It's really going around. Just like without breaking eye contact,

we're like heroes, actions rest. I'm dizzy. Thera Varl, who's like, wheeling himself next to you is just like, oh, honestly, this is nothing. You should see a bunch of actual soldiers together. This is way worse than this. Way worse than this.

What if I come up with a lot of fart jokes? A lot, well, the thing is, is I'm used to fighting in very close quarters and confines. So a fart joke isn't something to... That's not a joke in our company, no. When you're packed into a tunnel, and that fart can give you away, you are trained to keep it in.

Oh, sounds uncomfortable. For days at a time. Right. That's impossible. No, no, turn you. Maybe you should try that, lad. I can control it like that. Oh. Express release. Wow, that's impressive.

That's, yeah. Like an instrument. Yeah. Can you play? Can change the pitch and tune. That's amazing. Rowan, you maybe could add that to your repertoire. I have now canonized that soldiers in the gloom guard

of the Dwemerica now control their farts. Because I did, it does make sense that they wouldn't wanna give loose things away. I mean that's probably an SAS thing, you know? Yes, an SAS thing. But yes, after a few hours though as you travel and as you come to another place to rest, the numbing is starting to go away.

Oh, it's getting painful now. You don't get that real big tingle when it comes back. Oh no. It's like I've drunk loads of blood and then I can feel it coming through my body. Yeah, I totally relate. Oh, that's so weird. It's like in one really specific location.

It sucks. Right, what have we learned from this? What did we learn, Grump? Don't grab things. You tell me. Gloves? Tell me what I learned, daddy, please. Maybe when you interact with strange plants that you don't really know a lot about,

don't touch them. In fact, leave them. Leave them where they are until you know what it is. Alright. In fact, leave them. Leave them where they are until you know what it is. All right. You are once again greeted, the large fox that you encountered the first night

leads you to another very similar place, maybe slightly different. This one's like a small pool with like a rock, like a small waterfall falling, cresting down from like a small hill down into it, but then it feeds off into a little stream. Pleasant sound of rushing water. More sort of natural foods and berries and things like that around you.

And once again, you are greeted by the court as the hares and foxes and the pixies and satyrs and the dryads all sort of welcome their lord and lady of the Rustwell Woods, who once again provides you a banquet of whatever bounty they can provide, music. Yeah. That's what you missed last night, Santhias. Isn't it wonderful? It is, it is wonderful.

I've noticed two of them keep sort of looking at you. The hair and the fox-like one. I've been offered an animal squire. Right, what does that? Have you come to a decision, Sir Gruff? Oh, Leo, I'm honoured, but I'm honestly a bit baffled. I've never been put in this position before and I've never... Oh, very understandable, sir. I don't, I don't...

Yes, it is a difficult decision for you, Sir Gruff. Well, perhaps you could tell me about yourselves. I feel... Do I feel about, you know, taking you away from the woods? Oh, please, no, it would be, we are spirits of nature, as much as we are beasts. We have come, we are not always of this place. We were in the Feywild as well, the Feywield.

And then we came to this place and met the creatures of this world and have had many joyous adventures with our lord and lady. I was once a scout for my lord, Sir Volpes, and would scout around and spy on the enemies. Looks at Ophelia. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yes, the dead do not tend to notice when we are quiet and still. But they do notice when you're talking about it. Makes that fox kind of like laughing kind of noise. Leo's just like, no, I wouldn't know that much about that. Generally, I served as messenger, actually. I would run messages between the different forces and things like that. I'm not one for fighting me, sir.

No, no, no, couldn't do that. But you know, I can carry a message and sometimes I carry my lady's belongings and things and find things that she needs when she needs them. And yes, I suppose that's me, really. I love them both! Oh, you can't have both. So what would, what does it mean to be a squire

for Night Gruff then? Well, I imagine that our spirit would travel with Sir Gruff and that would provide you some sort of bone and I suppose if you needed us for other things you could call upon us, to perform duties, I suppose, sometimes. Probably not all the time. We'll be needed here and back in whatever our lord and lady need as well.

But, you know. What do you both think about the cold? Ice, snow. Oh yes, that suits me fine. Snow, hairs, and things like that. Yes, my father was an arctic fox. I'm not bothered by the cold. Kim was like, I thought that would solve it.

What about resting near recently haunted taverns? What's haunted mean, sir? Ooh, ghosts. Ghosts? Oh, like the servants of's haunted mean, sir? Okay, well. Ghosts. Ghosts? Oh, like the servants of the great father, sir? Oh, well, I mean, I'm good at avoiding them. Yes, and I do know I am not bothered by the restless dead.

Not really bothered by it, no. No, still even. If you want, sir, I can keep an eye on the dead ones. The fox winks. She's all right. She's one of us. Mm-hmm. I'll keep an eye on her still anyway, sir.

Yes, you'd better. Right, if I go for this one, are you two gonna be Abe? Oh, of course, sir. You'd be nice. Of course I would be nothing more than nice to a friend of Sir Gruff's. But being nice does not mean one cannot be vigilant. LAUGHS Oh, oh, Chalmers, Chalmers quite a, she's quite a bold one, sir.

I'm very nice, I'm very polite, but please, as long as I won't be eaten, sir, is that a worry that I need to worry about, will I be eaten? Hopefully not. I wouldn't eat him. Well, if needs must, sir, I'm willing to put myself on the line. If worse comes to worse, sir, just like I would for my lady, I'd be more than happy to offer you my blood and my neck. If you need to eat me, sir, more than happy.

More than happy, sir. Just make a strong request, Ophelia, that you don't eat a spirit, okay? I won't eat the spirit's goodness, no. Okay. Not sure we would be much less than, sir. No, that's true, no. Would it be enough? Well, sorry, I'm a positive.

We wouldn't do it, we wouldn't do it. Just a small mortal, just a small mortal, sir. Okay. I love the mechanics of the fox, but the hair is just adorable. He's so adorable. but the hair is just adorable. He's so adorable. So speed and movement with the hair,

stealth of some kind and vigilance. Movement based, I will say. It might not necessarily be speed, movement based, it might be jumping or leaping or something like that. The other one will be stealth or cunning. I haven't quite decided on the actual benefit. I'm gonna give you a rough thing

and then I'll work it out. If I went with a hair, how close to my dream of being a dragoon knight? I could not say, because I don't wish to sway you. If it helps, Croft, we can try and discuss our usual tactics in combat. Hairs do jump. We have tactics. No. Right, I was going to say. I didn't know if there's been tactics this whole time.

There probably should be, but what I'm saying is we should, Right, I was going to say, I didn't know if there's been tactics assault type. There probably should be, but what I'm saying is we should, maybe we can figure out which of the two would suit us best in combat. Ophelia tends to run in and swipe away with Percival and bites all of the enemies. I tend to stay far back and blast things with incredible amounts of fire. And Rowan goes invisible as he is... I am brought. I've never seen it. He disappears entirely. You protect us in the middle as always

and Daisy hides off in the back. Kills everything. Basically, kills everyone. Becomes an angel. Yeah, becomes an angel. Oh, I like that one. I don't know if, if, if, if, I mean, look, if you'd like to start coordinating

some kind of tactics in the future, using these squires as a basis upon that, then we can do that. I do sometimes wish I could, you know, I had more movement in the battle, especially when I want to. Well, I can help you with that, sir. Think I can help you know, I had more movement in the battle, especially when I want to... Well, I can help you with that, sir. Think I can help you with that, sir?

Nippy little guy, this one? I think, sir, Leo, I would be honoured if you joined my office. Oh, I'd be more than honoured, sir. More than honoured. As long as that is with my lady's permission. And you see, Sylvia, of course, Leo, it would be wonderful if you could help our good night friend. I would say to the fox, thank you so much for the offer of your skills.

I'm sad I can't have your blessing as well. Please not worry, I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future. You do owe a favor to our lady after all. I do. You owe her what now? She will just nod her head and then she goes back to join the night, basically.

We are coming up to the end of the episode. We're just gonna, I know you haven't rolled for your charges on the identify, but I'm assuming you would identify. I'm just gonna say you can identify the last two items that we know. Let's say numerically, I do. Yeah.

I'm completely out of charges again, but I recovered two. Cool. So the last two items are the Injector Device. The multicolored fountain pen, yeah. Yep, and then the Spell Stone. The Spell Stone contains a third level transmutation spell called Copy Aspect.

Oh. It is a, there is detail, I will have to put this into D&D Beyond, it's not in there yet, but I have the item, I believe there should be an item of it. But I have the information here. It is a bonus action to cast. Its range is touch and one creature

you can see within 60 feet. It lasts 10 minutes, not concentration. Basically, the way this works is you choose a creature within 60 feet and one feature you know or believe that creature to have, you then gain a copy of that feature for the duration of the spell. If the chosen feature deals damage, you deal damage equal to a number of D8s equal to your proficiency bonus instead, and any saving throws the feature uses use your spellcasting DC instead. The chosen feature cannot be something external to the target,

it must be an innate feature, magical or mundane. For example, you could use copy aspect to copy the breath weapon attack of a dragon, or the wings and flying speed of a griffon, but you could not copy a divine blessing on a cleric or a magical barrier created by an artifact or a magical item. You cannot copy legendary actions or unique powers of especially powerful creatures.

The DM has the final say on whether a feature can be copied or not. There has to be because. But if you cannot copy a feature, the spell slot is not used and you are not considered to have cast a spell for the purposes of casting another spell that turn. So, you know. That is amazing.

So it's the idea of like, we're fighting a green dragon, I'm pretty sure it's immune to poison. Copy aspect, I'm now immune to poison. Very cool. Right, so you can do things like that. But it has to be a feature. Is it one use per? It's when you cast a spell, so if you learn that spell,

because remember it's a spell stone, so you can learn it. It's consumable for now. It's consumable for now, but you could learn that spell. Sam just can teach it to... And then you can make scrolls of it and things like that as well. What level is the spell? Third.

Bonus action. Third transmutation spell. No concentration as well, for 10 minutes. And I would say that that would be wizard, druid, sorcerer. I don't think I'm gonna make it a bard spell. I think it would be. I got this crystal wand, I'm happy. Yeah, but I think that for the purposes

of what this kind of spell does, it's not a bardy spell, I don't think. But I think it is a druid spell, a wizard spell, sorcerer spell, maybe warlock as well. I'm gonna copy Ophelia's bite and we go feasting. Oh no. Yeah? I'm gonna copy a club.

Well, keep in mind, it is a creature, which means you can copy your party members. Oh, that's pretty cool. As well, but remember, it has to be an innate kind of ability, it can't be something bestowed upon them. So I would say for example, you couldn't copy like anything Nim does for Daisy, because then it's an external power.

You could copy Ophelia's spider climb ability. Oh yeah, that's a wild shape. No, because it's a class feature I would say. Now let's be real, this is a brand new never before seen spell. Yeah, this is a, and it might be broken as hell. I just want to be clear. It might very well be completely broken.

I just want to clarify, yeah, this isn't a 2024 B&D spell. This is a brand new thing. Mark Humes, hence the GM disclaimer at the end. Yes, very much that. And as I was writing it, I was like, you cannot copy legendary actions or any special cool boss powers. That's right, go for that.

And the other was the... The multi-pen, the injector. Yes. So, this does have an item. Okay. It is a mutagenic adapter. Of course it is. You can look it up and I'll read it out. This is in my inventory.

I'll read it out. This silvery cylinder has six chambers, each with a gem-tipped rod that can be slid up and down, revealing long needles and different colored liquids in each one. As an action, you can choose one of these rods and use its needle to inject yourself or another creature. unwilling targets must be restrained or otherwise helpless – with one of the six chambers. The creature becomes poisoned for 8 hours, during which they gain no benefits from either a long or

short rest. At the end of the 8 hours, another effect will occur depending on the colour of the chosen needle. Red increases strength by one, reduces intelligence by one. Purple increases dexterity by one, reduces wisdom by one. Blue increases constitution by one, reduces charisma by one. And then the same, increases intelligence by one, increases intelligence by one, reduces strength by one. Yellow increases wisdom but reduces dex. Orange increases charisma, reduces strength. Yellow increases wisdom, but reduces dex. Orange increases charisma, but reduces constitution. That's great. These increases can take a statistic above 20.

Each needle can only be used once. Permanently. After the six hours, it's a permanent. It's a permanent stat increase and a stat decrease. So this is basically swapping a point of one thing for a point of another thing. It can be used six times, but it's one use for each one only. So you can only increase strength once.

No. If you did all of them, it would be utterly pointless. Like, it would be completely rendered mute. That's really cool. Well, I guess that's amazing, actually. That's really cool. Yeah. I guess what-

It has a slight downside, but- Because like, for you, you use decks quite a lot, don't you? Yeah, I use decks a fair amount. Do you care about your wisdom? Yes. Ah, okay, okay. What would wisdom do for you? But do you care about wisdom more than you care about boosting your decks, though?

If you want to wisdom-grap, your decks will go down, yeah. But again, might be valuable. Increase strength, reduce intelligence. Yeah. But again, might be valuable. Increase strength, reduce intelligence. Yeah. Increase charisma, reduce constitution. Yeah. You've paid them off, yeah. Yeah, so I've paid them off, so if you did an axis,

it'd be like strength to index, to increase your constitution. Cool. I might as well dump stat my wisdom even more, why not? So that's a thing to think about over, as we prepare for the next episode. Think about if you want to be using that and stuff like that.

Think about who wants to get which items and all of that good stuff as well. Yeah, that's great. It's very cool. But with that and with Gruff's new Squire, Leo, the spirit that will now join the sanctuary that you've built in Ashland's Rest, that is gonna be the end of today's episode.

Very good. In the true spirit of today's episode. Very good. In the true spirit of Easter. True spirit of Easter. But rabbits and everything. Which wasn't planned until today. I had the idea of the fake call and stuff like that. I'm glad we had a nice chill journey back home. I feel like you guys had earned it.

Yeah, yeah. Some nice stuff. I felt like you deserved a nice, chill, easy walk back. It's okay. Next time we'll hand in the quest at Colville. Say to Maggie, sorry we found one but it screamed at us. And then ran away. And tried to eat Rowan's toe. Nice, well thank you very much everybody.

That is going to be the end of today's episode. Hell yeah. We will be back next week. Until then, take care. We love you. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye. See ya.

Bye. Bye. Hi, this is Michelle Madison. And I'm Jon Jacobson. And we're the Video Game Outsiders podcast podcast and we just joined the Pickaxe Network. That's right. We've been covering video game news and reviews for the past 20 years. On everything from Xbox, PC, Switch and PlayStation.

Sony's dead. They're not dead. PC Master Race. Anyway, if you want to hear us, if you want to know more about the show and listen to Jon and I argue every week, you can do that on videogameoutsiders.com or anywhere podcasts are available.