High Rollers DnD - Operation Opal | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #113 (Part 2)

Episode Date: August 13, 2026

Ophelia and Xantheus grapple with their choices after using the Soul Cage and have to make amends with the party! Can't wait for Part 2 of each episode? Join our Patreon to get early access EVERY week (+ a few other bonuses)! www.patreon.com/HighRollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ _______________ Boost your Charisma with some HR merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://highrollersdnd.teemill.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Add official High Rollers Minis to your TTRPG collection here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://only-games.co/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bless your table with the Clever Toad Dice Set: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dispeldice.com/collections/high-rollers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enhance your bath time experience with the official Altheya themed DiceBombs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geekyclean.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highrollersdnd.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all the latest HR News! Love the podcast? Give us a glittering 5 star review! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-rollers-dnd/id1401508198?see-all=reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound, TCT Adventures (Solasta: Crown of the Magisters), Monument Studios and Jolene Khor! Check out Jolene Khor and all her wonderful work on High Rollers on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WX3ICiTmf4GpHwImnQMs6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠v Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pickax. Hey, I'm Arnie Kemp from the fully improvised comedy podcast. Hello from the Magic Tavern. I'm here with my co-hosts, Chun the Talking Badger, Bing Bong. And Usenor the Wizard. I greet thee, listeners. Look, I'm trapped in the magical land of foon. So I started a podcast interviewing elves, unicorns, and other weirdos.

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Everyone roll initiative. I got the highest roll with a 19. I moved 10 feet toward the listener and say, Hi, I'm Barbara Dunkelman. You should listen to our show, Tales from the Stinky Dragon. It's an immersive D&D actual play show with a fully voiced cast of characters plus sound design. And then I finished my action with a high five. Go ahead and make a dexterity check.

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You should really check out the show. It's funny, heartwarming, and perfect for everybody. I'm talking D&D veterans, people new to the genre, old people, babies, everybody. And then I do a backflip. All right, roll an athletics check. That's a net 20. Whoa!

Okay, that leaves Chris. Hi, I'm Chris Damaris. Please subscribe to our podcast. And then I draw my sword to attack them. Put the sword down! Put the sword down! Get them! Get them! Do it! Now it's your turn, listener. Subscribe to Tales from the Stinky Dragon wherever you listen to podcast today. Welcome back to Althea, the Dragon Empire. Our heroes have traveled to the Vault Watch District of Kalsaris to scout out the Opel Lounge, a diadem headquarters that they are, trying to investigate to learn how it could all be connected to the attack on Xanthius,

to all of their activities here in Kalsgaris. They have also temporarily split the party with Ophelia and Xanthius, renting some rooms in a nearby inn to use the sole cage, or the, I should say, modified soul cage given to them by Lord Obsidious that contained the soul of Nixomist. Having used all the charges to ask questions, to look into the Opal Lounge, to spy on the people present there, and to also gain Nix's experience with disguise kits.

But in doing so, Sister Ophelia de la Rosa of the House of Blood has learnt that by using up this power, this, perhaps version of the spell, or this version of the Soul Cage, has destroyed Nixomist's soul, rather than releasing it. And that was where we ended.

And we're actually going to leave that still. We jump over to Gruff and Rowan. Groin. Right, so I think the first thing we should do is go rent out some rooms. Oh, yeah, they probably haven't done that, right? No, I don't think. They've got a very important mission ahead.

Probably not the kind of things that they would think about doing. Yes, so we'll get the fundamentals in place. So we'll rent, what is it, maybe three rooms because we've got bricks as well. What was that place of that woman was saying, Kyoshi or something? Yes, that's not too far away from here.

So we'll go rent three rooms there. and then get this makeup sludge. Maybe we should do the makeup first. Alright, yes. Well, it's fresh in our minds. Well, it's fresh, yeah. Okay, right. So, I don't want to spend too much time on this. What?

Because I don't want to make this a shopping episode. What? So, all I really want to know is what are Gruff and Rowan, like, are you asking people, like, where can we buy makeup? Or are you just looking by yourselves and trying to figure out where you buy makeup? makeup. We start at a hardware store. How much you want to draw this out?

Loads. I would like to... We got an hour and a half, like. Yeah, yeah. We would be asking people. Please don't. You have a whole thing to do. Okay, I think Gruff would do the thing that, like, when he's trying to buy a gift for his wife, he sees a woman, she's got great makeup on. Yep, makes perfect sense.

Excuse me, madam. Yes. Hello? Sorry. I couldn't notice that you Your makeup is immaculous. Oh, thank you. Mrs. Doutfire. I want to buy some for my wife. Oh, what, oh, such a shame,

such a fine gentleman is married. What a kind gift for your wife. Oh yes, no, my wife back at, I start stabbing's from Rowan's feet. Oh, if you're still at my foot. Where can I go and buy some makeup? She will direct you to a series of, like, alchemists where you can buy, like,

makeup and skincare and things like that. It's really not that hard to find. It's a big, busy city. Here are some gold. Yeah, she does do the gild eye thing of waiting, expecting to be paid. Or, like, given, like, something in exchange for her help. Does it come with a spike? A what?

A spike. A spike. And a caterpillar. Caterpillar? No, but spikes. Caterpillard. Sludgy and wet. We're told sludgy and wet.

In a jar. Oh, I don't know who's been telling you about cosmetics starlings, but no. Sponge. Sponges, yes. That is more likely. Face is compatible. Brush, paint brush. Yes, like... Well, yes, there are brushes that one could use. Perhaps it would be better if I direct you, and then when you go into there,

you speak with the shopkeeper and you simply go on their recommendation. Right, okay. And how about that? Ask them about their caterpillars, okay. Perhaps don't use the word, brushes and sponges, yes. Caterpillar's less so. Oh, but they said, okay. So glad we found you.

Thank you so much for your help. You're more than welcome. Graff, he's already been paid. She's already been paid. One. That's more than enough. Like, I mean, it's literally gold is like a very nice, like, oh, thank you very much, thank you.

One. Wow. I mean, they're not going to be expecting, like, loads of money. Like, this is literally like, I've given you some advice, I've given you some directions. It is customary to, like, pay something.

She would have been happy with a silver piece, but a gold piece. Oh, I'll walk you to it, I'll walk you there myself, darling. Yes, and she'll, this lovely woman, like, will sort of take you on. She's a bit of an older lady, and she'll take you down, leading you off the plaza, down some of the other main streets. This is a lovely establishment I recommend here, and she kind of sends you inside. It is like an apothecaries, and yeah, you are able to. How much gold do you want to spend?

I don't know, how much his makeup worth? Well, you can... This is also Kim asking. I don't have a fucking clue. This is the thing. If you just want to buy like very basic, like kind of everyday stuff, it's probably not going to cost you that much. If you want to buy stuff to do like actual full like disguises and like everything else,

like you're not just buying makeup, you're actually basically buying the components of a disguise kit. You're like buying like wigs. You're buying like fake moustaches, like glues. You're buying like, you know, bold colors, different skin tones. like, I'm so lost. We would like a supply of accoutrement. Oh, well, we can do that for yourself.

So that... Absolutely. ...can look like a different face. Well, that is the wonders of makeup, my good man. Wonders of my makeup. A little bit harder for the wild heart, gentlemen. What? Little bit hard.

No, it would be for a regular... I mean, for yourself, we could certainly... We can do... Yes, exactly. We can do some wonderful things. Not my complexion, though. Well, we can do a range. A range of different complexions.

A range of different. A range. Hair dyes. We can't go wrong. Yeah. Hair tints. All sorts. I mean, your white hair would take to it marvelously.

It's not gonna be for me, I'm afraid. It's again, it's the Gruff's wife. My wife. Your wife, I see. And Gruff's wife's brother. Right, very well. And you said you would like a sort of smog as

an accoutrement. I can put a kit together for you, yes, no problem. Are we looking how much gold would sir like to spend on his wife and his step-brother? I mean, price is no limit for my wife. Price is no limit, oh, price is no limit, how wonderful. And he starts immediately, like, pulls out the nicest box, like opens it up, it's like a fishing tackle box

made of lacquered woods and drawers. Oh yes, and a little close to the front doors, everyone get rid of all the customers. Starts like, you know, there's like sections to put like folded wigs and like fake. There's like so many fake moustaches and beards. My wife's sweet. Full like, you know, just like the whole thing, like hair dyes, hair tints.

Ooh, let's put it at 100 gold. Wow. Oh, right. That is. This would be basically what you're buying here is effectively. like a masterwork disguise kick. One, two, I've got 57 of me,

500 bronze coins, which I could. Oh, well, when I stop talking, five. You should have to 43. Six. You please don't actually count this out. I have, I can cover it. Is it on your fund or the party?

My fund. Are we got a party fund? We've got a 4,611 in the party fund. So maybe use that. Let's take it out of that. Let's take some going to the pub. Let's go buy boy stuff! I'm gonna get elderflower.

Let's go buy a fucking Xbox. I mean, to be fair, with the new prices, it is gonna cost you about $4,000 to get any Xbox. You'd be lucky with the price of RAM these days. Gras comes back, you just got fucking Xbox. No way. I've got Halo. It'd be such a weird thing for Gruff to buy.

I've always wanted to play Hado. Yeah, when Groff says, buy an Xbox, he means an original Xbox. Oh no, no, now I'm stuck with Combat Evolves. One of the best games ever made. With a giant controller. That I actually genuinely can't use because it's so fucking big. We can play Hitman.

Like Rowan mentioned. Yeah. What? I've never got a chance to play any of this. You purchased this Masked Makeup kit. It's custom made, full of all different options. They're going to be so happy with it. Yeah, especially with them.

So many options. Yes, well, I want to make sure that Sir has meant lots of options for his wife and stepbrother. And do you... You need a tip too, don't you? Oh, well, certainly a tip is always appreciated for my personal... Here's a one for you. It's quite right, thank you very much. Oh, I'll put one in. A 1% tip?

I'll put one in as well. Oh, 2% tip. 2%? More? Well, you are visiting Volt Watch. I'm assuming that you are both not familiar with Gildi in some of our customs. I'm from the Azar, Step. Oh, but you've never travelled to Gildai?

No. Well, it is quite customary for services perhaps in an artisan shop or a restaurant or an inn or the likes. A tip is normally a good tip. about 15%, 10 to 15%. Very good service, such as making a completely custom handmade, accoutrement. I've put it all together, I've chosen it very specifically. Now that would be about 20%.

So another 20 gold. You did choose an X-shaped box, so I quite like that shape, yes. Yeah, it's actually, it's like an X-shaped fisherman's tackle. And there is a little halo. We like drawers. Jewry Halo like that. Yeah, it pops out actually. It's what you put the wigs on.

Like, you know, when you're styling the wig. There's a little halo in there. It's a play music when the head comes up. Do, do, do. We've got to go give the diadem back their bomb. The X-shaped makeup box with a halo. With the wig halo on it. But he is expecting a good tip.

I put 10 and you put 10. All right, 10 and 10. All right. Excellent. two gold. No, I put 19. Oh, I counted the one. Okay, perfect.

Right, so yeah, you tip this guy, he's very, very happy, he's made excellent custom today. You've got your X-shaped makeup box with the halo and you can- High five. High five. Up top. High up.

I'm joking, Gruff, so you don't have to go that high. I mean, gruff, yeah, gruff would still need to stretch, but he's pretty tall. Stretching. I'd probably tweet my back while I do it. Ah. Oh, steady on that. And you make your way back to the pre-arranged meeting point.

Meanwhile, what is happening with Xanthius and Athenae? It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry about it. It's okay. We don't know that it was going to go that way, right? If that's what you think happened, then that's probably what happened, right? Are you certain? You're 100% certain. I felt it, Xanthius. They just...

I can't... It's definitely... That's just definitely not how it feels when a soul just... No. Goes up, you? Well, we saw of Tyria and Tyria's rest, right? Well, yeah, I suppose, yes, but that was more visible and not just a tiny little flame. But there was none of that energy, there was none of that presence.

It just, like a light, it just went out. It just disappeared. Uh, does, now, this is, I guess a risky question. Is the Grave father going to be upset about that? What delightful question. What about Saint Defeaer? I have a feeling... Probably not. Probably not. I don't think...

No. They were a... they were not a very nice person. Right? I mean, they tried to kill us. They tried to kill us. That's all did. I just... I just don't know if oblivion is... The right... Well, I don't think oblivion is right for anybody.

Is it right for anybody? anybody? Is anyone deserve to go to oblivion? Maybe their next life and their next life and their next life and their next life. It's all just very bad people. They're not, they don't have a next one. That's what I'm saying.

We prevented future crime. Minority report. Oh no. The cage, the silver bird cage, just lies sort of there, silent. What do you do with this? The obsidious wanted back? Is it, do I know...

You would be able to see Xanthias, all the runes, there were tiny, intricate arcane runes carved into this thing. They've all been, like, burnt out. Like, you can see that they've, like, scorched and no longer seem to carry any power. Is the cage itself anything more than just... It's made of silver, it's probably worth a good bit of money. Okay.

Maybe you should... Keep it to go along with our story. You know, the whole... What everyone else thinks about the cage. about the cage thing. Sure. I suppose. It's...

Yes, just make it just all look normal. Like, nothing has happened. Nothing happened. Nothing happened. Yes, just hide it away. File that entire memory in our head into a tiny little corner that we never open again. That's the way to deal with things.

Yes, you're absolutely right. Okay, so we are making great progress today. We... Yes, so much information was found. We've got the rooms. You took a lot of... You took a lot of... look at the inside of the Opal Lounge, you've gained experience from who knows where.

Where'd that come from? Divine intervention. Exactly. And now we need to, what time is it? Has it been about an hour? Ophelia? Yeah. Feea, wake up.

Sorry, I keep, it keeps coming back. Filed it away, further away. Hide it under all the other trauma that we don't talk about. I've never felt a soul just go to nothing. And you bury it down inside. Just turn it off like a light switch. You just click. They just went to nothing, Xanthias.

They just went, they just went. It's fine. It's fine, it's fine. Just composure and confidence. I'm sorry, great thought, right? I took a soul from you. I'm so sorry. Fricks, that is not the noise.

Please forgive me. We're okay. It's like, as you shout that, you see that like the door handle is like very well. There you go. If you need a moment, I can leave you in the moment. I just want me here. I could be here, or we can just go.

I may, I'm... I'm gonna pray. I'm just gonna kneel down next to the bed. I'm just gonna kneel down to the bed. I'm just gonna kneel down here. I'm just gonna, it's comfy, I'm gonna put my head in it. I'm just going to pray for five minutes. Okay. Oh, I have to say sorry so many times.

Okay. Um, maybe, maybe go, um, look at clothes. Okay, perhaps. Percival, you've, um, you can... Percival. Percival. You hear Percival? Perci. I believe Percival is here.

I lose track of how many MPCs you guys currently have. But yeah, Pursable is always there. He's always present. Okay. I'm just gonna go shopping. Thank you. Not alone, actually, Ophelia. Just thinking about that at a second time.

I will go with you. Okay. See you at the meeting point. I'll see you at the meeting point. Everything is fine. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for helping.

You're the best. So are you. Bye. Bye. Hi. Conspiratorially, I heard nothing. Fantastic, thank you, Fricks. I am not paid to hear things.

Why did you say conspiratorially? For we now share a secret. Right, okay. That I do know things, but I am saying that I do not know things. That was very quickly released. Okay. You were not very quiet. I realize.

But I'm saying, conspiratorially, I heard nothing. Okay, like this. We're like this. Yes. Now, was anyone else walking by when we were? that was all going on? I ensured that no one was nearby. Threatening me? Threatening me. We should probably leave then. Let's go shopping. You want to go shopping?

The small owner poked his head round the corner. He did not look again. What did you do? Nothing. Oh, okay, good. My form was enough to intimidate them. Great, perfect. Do you like shopping? No.

Where were going shopping? Painfully, understood. I know, I'm so sorry. I hope someone attacks you. Yeah. Thank you, Brooks. You're welcome. Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's go. The two of them, the greatest buddy-cote pairing that's ever existed.

I hope someone attacks you. Let's make something of this day. I want to make it clear, by the way. This is like an old thing that was referenced a long time ago in our previous campaign, where I can't even remember who said it, but an MPC once said, I'm going to punch you. I'm going to punch you a lot. I'm going to punch you a lot.

I'm going to punch you a lot. It is constantly referenced by Tom and Trott in Discord. I've never forgotten it. They've never forgotten it. It is referenced constantly. I can't remember the origin. I hope you are attacked. I need to know.

I'm going to punch you a lot. That sounds like an actual mummery thing. No, it was in Erois. I'm pretty sure it was in Erois. Someone please let us know. Meantra. I'm desperate to find the origin of it. Right.

Meanwhile, Ophelia, you would like. to offer a little prayer to the great father. Oh, wonderful. I have so much to repent for. Run me through it. What does this prayer look like? What do you do? I think, yeah, Ophelia would,

yeah, Ophelia and Percy, I think, if you would have Percy standing behind her. Of course. And she would do her ritual, taking out veracity and offering her blood to the Gravefather. and she won't like let it drip on the floor. I think she would kind of like just catch it in her hand. Like she's just sort of offering it up to him.

Yeah, she just shuts her eyes and she's almost just groveling. I'm so sorry, girlfriend, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I didn't know the soul was going to go. I thought they were going to go to you, to your eternal kingdom. You deserved him, you deserved them, you deserved all the wrong that they did to us. I let you down, I let you down. I'm so sorry. The room grows dark, far darker than it should,

for the middle of the day in this city of dragons. It grows so dark that only the wooden floorboards beneath your knees really can be seen. Around you is nothing but eternal gloom. And you feel the ice cold, chill of death. death fall around you. Your prayer is heard and it is answered. But not by the Gravefather. Oh, no.

For someone else stands there. A herald of the Gravefather. She almost, she would appear to you, there is something like of an ancient warrior to her armor. Valkyri-like, almost. Her skin, pale blue like a frozen corpse. Her eyes, pure white, her hair white as bone, dressed in this ornate armor with an enormous executioner's

flattened, flat-headed great sword, sort of in her hands, carried as if it was a child's toy. Black feathered wings spread out from her back. You've heard of these. These are the heralds of the grave. They are who the grave father sends when he does not wish to speak with one. Oh, you got ghosted.

Oh, no. No, not a herald. No, not a herald. Silence, acolyte. You understand what you have done, do you? I do, I do, I do. You have robbed him of a great soul. Your connection.

Your bond, the magic, the power that he grants you, his wisdom, his blessings bind you to him. And through that we know what you have done. The soul which you eradicated, stole from him would have been a beautiful soul. So skilled, so talented, so cunning, so nefarious. They could have been a great servant for one of the great houses, and instead your foolish actions have robbed us of that soul. So a penance must be paid. Yes, yes.

Soul for a soul. You must ensure that this debt is repaid. Find a soul as worthy as Nixomists and send it to his lord. until then he has no desire to speak with such a grovelling acolyte you stole from him you are lucky i do not take your head and your life force and give it to the wretches of the grey wastes but he has some favour in you so you are being giving a chance to redeem yourself i thank him for this chance i will not let him down again ensure that you do not acolyte i must say it is rather brave of you to pray to him for forgiveness so quickly after such a folly. I knew it felt wrong. I had to make amends. Yes, you do. Deliver the soul, as you have done in the past,

but ensure that this soul is a worthy one. He does not take kindly when good soldiers are taken from him. I'm sorry, I will not take another one again. Ensure that you do not. Or I shall visit again. And I assure you. She's sort of, she's instantly like in your face, like almost kind of leaning down to you

as you're on the ground and you feel this kind of cold edge. Or there will be consequences, haggone. And then the room is suddenly bright again. Yeah, if he just like rubs her face and she's just like smearing her, you're not even realizing, but her smearing. Mother, you are ruining your...

Face Maker, please. Oh, I must fix it. I need to amend. I need to repent. I was lucky. We both were. Without me, there is no you. Of course, mother, yes, of course. There is nothing. Right? Enough. You must carry on. There is much to do. Thank you, Percy.

Of course, of course. I will attend to your... Oh, sorry. Yes, I didn't even know. Sorry. It's all right. This is what I'm here for. that tends to you as you. Okay, let's go. Enough grovelling, enough pity. What's done has been done. Yeah, no feel he just walks out.

Perfect. Xanthius, you don't have any money on you. Bricks. Yes. As you are in this kind of like, you know, a guild-eye, vault watch, Taylor's shop. Kind of a kind of off-the-rails place, not anywhere particularly fancy.

This is embarrassing. I'm like carrying clothes. You're at the cash register. I'll be just a moment. Your weakness. What? You said that it is embarrassing. What? That you're physically weak? No.

No. Should be. You said that I was magically very strong. Magically, you are. Yes, thank you. So let's focus on that. Anyway, that's not what I was going to ask about. I see. I know that you have...

how much gold. Like, well, the payment that they got from, that she got from Gruff. 200 gold plus what she's made. She spent some of it, but she also made some back on her bounties. I'd say she's probably got like 90-ish, 95 gold. You've got about 90 to 95 gold on you. This, uh, accurate.

Yes, is correct. Yes, see, magically very, very strong, intelligent and wise. For to, just a... Query. Wisdom, I have heard your conversations with the others. I suspect that your wisdom is not as great as you think it is. No, you're right. Dumpstatt. So, I'm a little bit strapped for cash right now.

And temporarily, I just need to borrow some of yours. That you will get back the moment we get back to Gruff. What services of mine? What services can I buy from you? You can buy these clothes for me. Why would I do this? Because I need them to survive. Define, explain.

I will die if not. Without these clothes? Yeah. I disbelief. Conspiratorily, you know our plans. Vaguely? Yes, and we need these clothes for the plan, otherwise I will die. And Ophelia, and Graf and Rowan.

And Daisy. Will I be re-compan. reimbursed. Yes. With a tip. No, I would have a sworn oath. With tip? Yes. How much tip? Because apparently that's the culture we're trying to cultivate here. How much tip? How much do you want?

20% of the purchase. 20% of the purchase. And I'm turning to the cashier, and how much was this again? For the two outfits? Yes, sir. About 40 gold. 40 gold. So, okay, eight gold. Eight gold. Forty-eight gold. Forty-gold for you. Repayment. Yes. Agreed. Agreed.

If I do not receive my payment, there will be consequences. Oh, I understand. I understand consequences very well. His consequences, your consequences. You really didn't have to get straight into my face and put the blade to my throat. She's like leaning down with this big bug face, but it's just like Xantius. I have four arms. I know.

I can punch you four times a second. You could punch me a lot. I know. Yes. I can punch you a lot. I understand. I understand. need to borrow for a very short while.

Very well. Thank you. There is interest every day I am not repaid. That's okay. You're getting paid in about 15 minutes. Very well. That is fortunate for you. It's very fortunate for me.

Thank you. So there you go. Sorry for the trouble. Vrix here has the money. Greetings, cashier. I have gold. This one is exceptionally poor and requires me to pay for them.

Yeah. They are also physically weak, but magically powerful. Magically powerful. Not that you need to know. I don't need to know this. Why are you telling me this? It's probably been a very long day for you, right? One, two, three.

I can take the back. It's a madness. Ricks looks at you when you try to take the gold, like, hmm, six, seven. I can interrupt. Eventually, it is paid, yeah. She has more arms. Yeah. Oh, so it should be quicker.

Yeah, but she's got her weapons held out in the other one. No, it is all paid. It is all paid. You buy just two kind of like quite good, like generic, but a bit more upper class. Like not like peasant level, but not like the kind of gorgeous outfits that you're wearing. But like good, formal looking, wealthy-ish robes.

Basically, you've bought fine clothes for the two. Is it at least on track with what we got from the soul that vanished? No, no. A little bit less than that. These are just sort of fine clothes. These are like what upper sort of like merchants that would wear. Nothing super fancy. I've tucked it away that efficiently.

Yeah. Who cares? They're gone. Who are they? And you find yourselves. You arrive probably a little bit before Ophelia. So Gruff and Roan, you've met back up with Daisy. Daisy's got like a whole range of...

Daisy, you would have helped so much. With what? I don't know why you didn't come with us. To do what? What did you do? Make up? Look at this egg. I mean, it looks like.

You've done a pretty good job. Look at this big X. Fult this guy's kid. And you're a rogue. You know how to... I don't know how to do that. Well, you do now. But this egg. Behold. My Xbox. The everything egg. X. Drop X. Not egg. Huh? It's an Xbox. Not an egg box.

I thought it was an egg box. No, it's X. That's the whole thing. That's the whole joke. I've heard eggs the first time as well. But it's a shape of an egg. Yeah. Not an egg. It's like a, you know these like hobby boxes.

like the sewing boxes, but this one's in the shape of an X. It folds out. It's okay, I heard egg as well to begin with. My brain is erasing the visual image. Daisy's like, I have no idea what any of that stuff does. I've never used anything. Look, he's got a halo. Look at all these moustaches.

Okay, that's a lot of moustaches. And a few wigs? She like, she puts one like, hmm? Will you wear wigs? When would you? When would I wear wigs? Where would I wear wigs? Oh.

gestures to loads of hair. You guys meet up. Xanthius and Vricks arrived shortly after. Hey guys, I got some outfits. Whoa, where's Ophelia? Oh, at a, we also rented a room. Oh. Did you, wait, you didn't rent a room, did you?

Oh, no, we were going to. Oh, very good of you. Good thing you didn't. But we did that, and Ophelia's just up there, resolving some, um, she's on the way. Yes. Okay. But I got some outfits.

Gruff, 48 gold for VIII. bricks please. Oh, okay. One, two, three. Is that an Xbox? Look, I got a halo in it. It's got halo, two halos, halo two. No, it's only got the one halo. If you listen really carefully, you can hear a little bit of music. No way.

Keep it together. It's a tiny hawk. Probe skater. No, that is a stretch, dude. I can make the Halo bit work as like a wig stand. Everything else is out. You don't get anything else. Why can't I think of any other Xbox games?

Yeah, what games were? We got the Forza's. We got the... Like, original Xbox releases as well. I'm trying to wreck my brain. I've got Gears and War, but that's not... Oh, Gears are not? No, but that's not like a slider.

Was that 360? Oh. Tompher's bad for they? That was N64. No, that was N64. I'm sure. Gives War. I think kids of war was on Xbox. I think kids of War was, yeah.

First one, Fable. Fable! Well anyway, Zandtius returns, you pay Bricks Bank, Markoff, me 48 gold, it came. Your debt is considered paid Zantius. Wait, yes. Blinks the Time Cat. That was on there.

Zanthius has lost his mind. The site of this Xbox has destroyed him. And two RELO. Sorry, what was the question? Only one halo. It is beautiful. Cosmetic Evolved. This really is a master kit.

It is a master work. It's the chief of masters. Yeah. And there's 117 items in there. I'm going to say canonically there is 170 items in it. There's also this weird bungee cord. All lit it together. Yeah.

Corr, gruff. Cortana. Gretting it. God, you make me regret. When I do approve a bit, I immediately have such regret, because you beat it to death. You take the bit and you beat it to death. This horse is so dead.

A hearing that works on every door, Captain Keyes, from Halo, character in Halo. Oh, thank goodness it's got a soft cushion gel layer on the inside. Right. Let's all take a second. Let's just do a little breathing. Jesus Christ. In.

3, 4, 3, guilty spark. That, Ophelia and Percy shortly join you. That's a spa tan, of it? What is it, a different type of spray tan? Different tanners? A cord. This is your core tanner, and this is your spa tan. Anyway, anyway.

Unfortunately, I'm completely tapped out on magic items. I'm tapped out on, like, you know, the Kaskara centuries are all done. I'm afraid. No, that will have to be a Patreon exclusive. The one day I actually put makeup on for the stream. You did, and you've cried it all up. Yeah, it's a shame you didn't have the Xbox makeup kit.

Disguise kit. It's got everything you could ever do. It's got everything you could ever need. This is amazing. Right? Hello, Ophelia. Hi. Look at this time. My mustache and we're moustache.

That's adorable. This one's good, though. Look at it. That's a massive. mustache. It's like a one-piece character mustache. It's like goes all the way up here. We couldn't find any of those, like, what was it,

spike with a caterpillar on it. No spikes. Well, it's okay. It looks like there's some... Muscarat. These are the spikes with the caterpillar thing I was talking about. Oh.

How else would you describe it? Miscara brush. Are you named these things? I had no idea. All right, well, we've got those. Do you think this will work? This is... Incredible.

Incredible. Excellent. Fantastic work. It was. Just to check, you guys remember that you've got the hoods of the false faces, right? I guess we need to check. Oh, for, because you just put it on, isn't it? It's like a full, like, magic, like, face.

Second layer disguise. Oh, so you take it off and there's another disguise. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's good. I have been lying to you. I am actually, and then I pull it off is exactly the same. That really depends on our job. Genuinely, that could so easily be a twist in a Mission Impossible film.

Two masks. Anyway. So, yes. I'm so, yes. The entire face is melting. They weren't too much. Oh, Jesus. It's sweat.

I do wonder about how did it make me stay on? We are, guys, we are streaming this. I need to remind you that this is a streamed game. I'm telling you, this is fantastic. This is gold. Content. Listen, we'll allow the Xbox thing, but we've got to get it back on track.

Okay. I need to get a tissue in a minute. So, we need to finish the fight. We can go back to the room. Fuck, fake. We go back to the room. Yes. Get these disguises put together.

Figure out. Let's go, we're there. We're in the room. These are the rooms we got. Come on in, everyone. After you, closed door. Okay. Right.

Disguise time. Wild shape into a mouse. That's fine. That's locked in, that's perfect. I can do that. Half drink an invisibility potion. Oh, thinks of invisibility potion, pulls out from a bag of holdings.

Perfect. Okay, so drink a tiny bit first to see if it would just affect the finger and then the rest for the entire body, right? I'm thinking it might be like slightly see-through, so see if you can see through me. Doesn't this last, though, only an hour or something? So as soon as... I'll do it once you're all finished.

Right, okay. Us, false faces. False faces. Now we need to have a person in mind that we are disguising ourselves. You either basically choose somebody that you want to try and replicate, so you could make a disguise of an existing person. Okay.

Or you can create like a generic kind of character. Like you can create your own persona, basically. So you could be like, I want to be like a green dragonborn who has a mustache and has different hair. Yeah, you kind of create your own version of yourself. But just remember it has to still be. So like Xanthias technically could be a dragonborn or a typhling because they have horns, they have tails. Right. And you could, but you couldn't be like a typhling who has like goat legs, for example.

Sure. Or like cloveen hooves or something like that. Okay. So you'd have to be like still, your tail would be roughly the same size and shape, but you could make it look more like a typhling's tail and your horns would look like typhling horns, but you couldn't make yourself look like a wild heart, for example. Yes. And Ophelia can basically be any sort of humanoid proportioned race.

So you could be an elf, you could be a human, you could be, um, you could be, you could be, you could be, like a typhling just without a tail and do like fake horns and stuff but you can't do anything like again you couldn't be say like a Yotnir or you can be a halfling you could be a dwarf could you change gender yes I would I would allow you to it will be harder though because remember this is just a it is a magical slash non-magical disguise and it doesn't change like your voice it doesn't change like you know if you know if they come up and touch your body your body's still the same, so I would say that that would be very risky to do, but is technically possible.

I know it was getting this like perfume with tracking and the spectacles and all that. This is why I'm like trying to pull trousers up and get this outfit on. So what have we learned about the Opel Lounge so far? Well... It's got an O is the Opal. That's one... And that no one goes there in the day. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it was pretty dead during the day, so...

Do we want to do this tonight or are we doing this now? We've got very little to go on here. It depends how much we think we want to blend in. I feel like we'd blend in better if it was busier, Linger. Yes, it would be darker as well. It would be darker, yes. But also during the day, the guards seemed pretty relaxed.

But there also may not be the people we want in there. Potentially, yeah. The other thing is if we wait, I could go back out, keep an eye on it, and then if I see people, like if I see a dragon-born, I could send an image of them to Xanthius, and then you could make the disguise look like that dragon-born, for example, or if I see somebody that, like, you know, but I don't know if you want to do that.

Did you tell me the things you were seeing as they were happening when you had the censor up? Yeah, no, I think Ophelia would have done, yeah. Okay, yep, so the two of you know what Aphelia saw. I'm just on making sure the vision had that person spoke to Peridot, right? Yes, Alejandro spoke to Peridot. So Peridot is there?

Peridot is there. Peridot is there. Right now. How do you know? Lead a little bit of sleuthing. Sloothing? Yeah. When you rented rooms and around those outfits. It was busy, busy, busy hour for us.

That's quite risky if you were going sleuthing without us. Well, we sort of caught a glance, didn't we? We bought a spell scroll. Oh, okay. That's expensive. Deception check, please. But you didn't have any money?

Aphelia has. I've got nothing. All those... Do this against passive insight, so graph passive insight on this one. You don't actively know that they're lying. Oh my fucking... But I know they don't have any money,

because they're always asking me for money. It's true. Well, no, you know that Ophelia has had money. I would say that let's leave this just passive insight. Was there, wasn't I, when she said that was her last gem? No, she said she had one more. What do we get on our deception checks? I have a plus eight.

I have a ten. Oh, a ten. Interesting. Would you get? Ten. Oh. I know they're lying. So does Dixie.

So do I. Yeah, everyone knows. Ricks literally just folds her forearms and is like, I say nothing. Okay. I will remain silent. What's going on? Talk to me again and tell me what you've done.

Yeah. Well, we... You didn't buy a scroll. You don't have any money. I had gems. They're all gone. Right, once more but the truth, thank you. I cast Scry in the building to see the room, and I thought it would work.

It was risky because it could have sent off an alarm. Santhius. Once more. Is that on a second check? I'm... Disadvantage. Okay. Because Graf knows how to cast Scry and knows you need an item.

I know. Can I use fate? You can. Great. I'm giving them a default flat bonus to their insight. Well, to Graph, only. Oh my fucking God. I rolled an 18 and a 20.

Mm. So 18 plus 6 with the fate, 24, 32. 32. Could I roll an insight at this point though? You can roll an insight. Check of that. Yeah. You can roll an insight.

I will fate. You can have advantage because you know how I think he works as well. Oh, another fake for me, lovely. So what did you? You got? Yeah, you've got very high. It was risky. I know it was risky, but it was a risk I felt like I had to take. We needed to get some information from the inside of the Opel Lane. She really tried to stop me, but, well, you know me. You can still, by the way, just be like, how did you cross cross right?

Like, it doesn't, like, it's not mind control, right? You don't just instantly believe him. You managed to get the spelled component for that, because I've been looking for one for myself. I've had one for a while. It's just been in my backpack. It's worth a lot of money, boy, oh? I realized, but I thought it would be the right use for it to try and... Can I see it?

It's gone. Is it consumed? Nope. I believe that Xanthius has given his answer. Sounds like Xanthius doesn't know how scrying works. But Gruff does because he's been trying to learn. Is it consumed? So I think that that was your in-character answer.

In that tone as well. It was going to do it. That's interesting, because it doesn't consume it. Because I've been trying to learn how to scry myself. If you remember, I was trying. I don't even know if we remember you ever, can you cast Scry? Like, I didn't know that you could do that. Zanthius is very powerful.

Yeah. Right, Santhis, I'm just going to say it. Say what? Okay. Back in Ashen's rest, Obsidius gave us something. He gave it specifically to me in Zanthius because he didn't think that the rest of you wouldn't understand why we had it or why we'd want to use it.

It was a sole cage. Oh, what? Your lantern. Yes. Which I notice right now you're not wearing anymore. It's not glowing anymore. A soul cage? That doesn't sound good.

Well, the house of shrouds use them all the time, which is why Bersidius gave them to us. Austrian tradition. Yeah, I stand by what I said. What does it do? We managed to use some of its power to observe what was going on inside the Opel Lounge. I'd gain some information on the diadem and their disguising strategies.

Well, if I don't like this. I don't like that... Why is... Why is it called a soul cage? because it contains a soul. Right. And Obsidius gave this to you. Yes. Obsidious insisted we take it.

You know how he's working against the diadem, just as we are. He didn't want information to get out that we had it. When he asked us to leave the room. Yes. He was really insistent we don't tell you. A powerful tool to use in our mission. Our ongoing mission to save the universe.

Cicerophelia? Yes. Why did he feel that we were not to know about this? Because of your beliefs. Mm. And he didn't want, he didn't want any conflict, I suppose. Yeah, trapping a soul means it hasn't gone to Saint-Dothea, or the Gravefather. It has no options, I guess, if it's in a cage.

And so you can use this soul to... to gain knowledge? Yes, which we did once we popped, we couldn't stop. So we wanted to free the soul after we... Oh, and it's freed now. Now that you've used it. Does it consume it? The soul is gone.

Good. Gone where? To the grave father? To Saint Dithia. There's another one? Nowhere. Nowhere. What does that mean?

That's not what happens to souls. I have repented. No one can reach it. No one can reach the soul. So you were given a soul in a cage as a tool. I didn't, I didn't know. Yes, Daisy. Whose soul? Nixir mist.

Nixom missed. Okay. That makes sense. Yes, the... One that went missing. Prison. We kind of guessed what Obsidius had done, right?

Yeah, kind of... Well, guess that he had them somewhere or did something. They can never come back. I have repented. I have apologized. And I apologize to you now. Apologized to who? All of you. To the soul that's gone now?

I mean, you say repented. Do you mean to the grave fire? I'm pretty uncomfortable about this. That, as it turns out, may be Obsidius's, um, interrogation method. Uh... Zanthias, you seem pretty casual about you doing this. I can see the toll it's taken on Sister Ophelia. We genuinely believed that the soul would have been freed afterwards.

We didn't know what was going to happen. Right? That's not how it normally works. Enoscius, that's not how it works. It's not a spell I'm aware of. We thought it was just a means to get some more information against the diadem, and that's what we're trying to get, right? You know, I would have thought, Zanthias, you of old people, especially what's happening with your father,

I would have thought both of you. I know you are not religious. I know you are, Sister Ophelia, and your religion perhaps is not in human mind, but I think both of us can appreciate that sin is when you start to use people as things. Like how your father uses you. Well, it's not... And how the grave father uses you.

And now how you both have used Nixir. It is not my place. Ricks walks out and leaves the room. We couldn't free it. Did you try? We didn't have the tools. It was given to us by obsidious with the explicit... Did you try?

If I tried, what would have happened? We destroy it and get nothing out of it. Did you ask? When I could hear it, when I could hear Nixir, he was crying. He was screaming. I believed he deserved it for what he did to us.

Until there was nothing left. And I know I don't believe he deserved. deserves that. If I can even comprehend what that is, to which way he's gone. In Osius, it doesn't work that way. Nixomistecide, I'm more sad that you took that and agreed to keep it from us. When we, I thought we were the party, not you to an obsidious. We talked a lot about trust. Absolutely. But it was a... Too... I don't want to say too.

Obsidious was insistent we take it. It was Assydius's request. I know not we shouldn't keep that from you, but... With trust in mind, we... I trusted Obsidius. Over us. After all, we've done for you both. And you used a soul to look at a lounge.

I wanted to... Trust in Obsidious as well as you. Because I know that we're all fighting for the same thing, right? We're all on the same team. You trusted him in spite of us. Was Obsidious the one who brought you back, Boyo? No, of course not. But we needed this information.

Obviously, I can't say that. Now this side of this operation... That's the thing I'm concerned about. As Rowan said, you couldn't trust us. There are other ways we could have got that information. It was less about trust that I didn't want to upset anyone. I do believe you, Afie. I know you wouldn't want to hurt us.

But I think you have. I think you've away always going to upset you. I'll be honest. I think that's always a choice. It is. You didn't need to take the salt cage. Obsetis could have used it for his own means. He's very smart.

I mean, even if you did take it, I think I'd still rather you told us that you had it. And then we could have decided together whether we used it or not. Gruff could have checked, tried to see if he knew how it worked or Rowan or Xanthius or something. Well, no, hang on. I want to make something very clear. I'm sorry for what's happened, but I was going to get that information out of it. Regardless. Yes,

Yes, listen to us. We are not concerned right now with the morals. We are concerned with the fact that you felt you couldn't trust us with this information. Sister Ophelia, I fed you my blood. You went hunting goats. Santhias, I have sacrificed someone's life and sent someone into exile for you. And you couldn't trust us. Yeah, that's fair.

That's the disappointment. I am disappointed in you both But it was done for the good of all of us Ultimately I'm going to need a moment Gruff leaves the room Ricks is As you step out

Vricks is leaning against the wall The opposite wall Her arms folded Like her weapons and stuff away And just sort of the bug nondescript unreadable bug face Just looks at you as you kind of step out Are you gonna head off like outside

Or? I think yeah Gruffs just needs air Like, he's just... Yeah, Rick's just watch as you go. Daisy and Rana, still in the room, I guess. It's done now. We've got the information.

So, let's not put that soul to waste. I'm going to go back to the plaza and keep an eye out for anybody who maybe we could disguise ourselves as or use it in that way. I'll keep the daisy chain up if you need me. I guess you two better put on your outfits. Yes, yes. I'll see you outside.

Rowan heads out. You see Ricks as well, standing opposite. When you and Daisy leave, I think Ricks gives it a beat and then sort of steps briefly into the room, looks at the two of you. Agreement. You cannot betray your enemies.

You needed information. You were given a tool, a resource. It would be foolish not to use it. trust is difficult, even amongst those you fight closest with. I do not think you did anything wrong. Well, thank you for X. It is not my place to say. I am just a hired sword.

I will keep a watch on the other two. Thank you. Please. Is it about three o'clock? I think that we're definitely getting to that time where like, Graff, it's going to probably need to head out. So do we... We have the daisy chain up.

You have the daisy chain up, yeah. So I think everyone would hear a brief message saying, I'm heading to the training. I'm back later. Yeah. And then... The training's only, like, two hours, yes, so you'll be back in time for the evening

where I imagine that this is going to go down, potentially, unless people want to go now, basically. Hope it goes well, Graff. Go Alley Cats. Yeah, go Alley Cats. Yep. Do, do. I think like Daisy starts just giving a running commentary of like

oh there's kind of a dragonborn guy maybe oh he's what he looks like is he good what about this lady um maybe this one and like just keeps like sending images of people that she's like people watching yeah yeah well she's like she's sending it to like pretty everybody I think she wouldn't send it to gruff she's like I'm not gonna yeah well because it's like Daisy she's like I'm not sending these messages to gruff but it's just trying to feel the awkward

like feeling with like, what about this guy? Look how funny this halfling man looks. He's funny. Ha! Thank you for getting the clothes, Antheus. It's okay. It all fits, right?

Yeah, good. It might be all right. I can take it in for you, Sister Ophelia, if you need me to. Thank you. It's just like, just like... But we genuinely believe the soul was going to

leave the cage, right? After it was done and used. If anything, Us keeping it like that unused was the cruel thing to do. They were being tortured. While they were in that cage, I could hear it. They were ready to be released when I said the final question. They wanted to go. I just didn't know where.

I was stupid. I was stupid to believe... No, you know, we... It doesn't perhaps excuse everything that's happened. But how could we even know? that it would destroy the soul. We should have checked, like I've said, we should have... I just wanted to be right about something. So bad.

I want to be right, I want to do the right thing, I want to... You always know the right thing, Mother. Do I? Of course. You are guided by the Grafathers. You are guided. You always know. Greyfar is a lot less complicated.

He's very cut and dry, I suppose. In a way. I can only blame myself. I was also there. I had every opportunity to do something different. No, because I can't blame you. We both used it.

We both... I should know more. I should know more about this. About necromancy, about how it all works. I'm just... I fight. I don't...

I try to do... You know, the magic like you and Graf can and you, Rowan can. I'm just not that good at it yet. But I don't know it. I don't know that magic. You're the fighter. I'm the magical one. Friggs calls me physically weak, but magically strong. Apparently, magically not strong enough to understand this spell and how it works. The effects it has on the soul.

That's not up to you to know that, is it? It's not up to you. It should be. And even then, like you said. a modified version of it. What's done is done. We got the information that we needed. Just I didn't mean to let Gruff and throwin down.

Or Daisy. I didn't want to. But we didn't want to let... We couldn't have let Obsidius down. We couldn't have let... we... There was no winning position in what Obsidius gave us there. I've got to find another soul. What to put in a cage? To...

To send you to the Grapefather. Oh. Oh, uh, and that means the ritual sending to the right? One that was as strong as Vrix's. Not frixes. Nixers. Nixer. That's not too hard.

It's more the talent and skill set. Very skilled individual. It's... They were good. The Grafathers didn't want to speak to me. Ah, uh... He sent a herald. Can you believe that?

After all you've done? I've just, all I've done is let him down. No, that's... The... the... the... the... the message that you've spread, the following you've gained in just one city? Every time I talk to him, it's always about how I failed, about how I've done something wrong. It's never about...

...any of the other stuff. He never praises you for your efforts. Oh, I keep... I keep doing the wrong things, that's why. But what about all the right things? It's not enough. Will it ever be enough? Have you seen what Brother Varus has done?

So much and so little time. I've done nothing compared to him. Measly meager, worthless. According to who? Me. Probably. Him or you? Which one?

Post-poff, 50-50, I guess. Because I've told you this a million times, and I'll tell you a million more times. I say you're not worthless. Gruff would say you're not worthless. Rowan definitely wouldn't. Daisy 100% wouldn't. Obsidious, all the people you've seen and saved

and helped in Ashen Rest, and maybe not the guy from the hotel in WaveMeet, but everyone else would say you are. very much not worthless, and you've changed their lives for the better. Would you not agree with that? Would you not agree with that? I wish I could believe you. You know, it's so stupid.

You all tell me so much, so many nice things, and I can't believe it. It's like those words just don't exist, you know? Like my brain just can't comprehend it. Because you've been trained not to. Do you ever hear it from the Great Father? I do. He just tell me when I've done well. And then it comes with something else, you know.

It's, I've done well. Then you must, now you must do this. Or, you know, it's onto the next thing, you know. It's one thing after the other. I just, I, how can I be good at something when I don't do anything? You know? I'm just here. And I don't, I just, I'm just, I don't know.

I'm just with you all. And, you know, we talk and we fight. And, you know, we just do what any other adventuring group do. And that's enough. It's, but it's not, though, is it? It absolutely is. Within this realm, within the eyes, of the people that you know around you,

and outside of the overbearing voice of the Gravefather, it is enough. We are doing so much good, but unfortunately, he expects so much more than a mortal can give. Such as the nature of Osce, being mortal is... It's hard. That's why immortality is so tantalizing.

Right, but... For someone who hates work so much, you work an awful lot to get his approval. It's so we don't have to anymore. You know, it's we put the work in now and then we earn our rest. Thank you for coming with me on this. You know, I know it's... I... You know, I don't think the Grave father is a very good person, Pelia.

I don't think it's... I don't think it's very good for you. I know you don't like to hear that. Of course you don't like to hear that. You'll fight me on it. I know you will. But it's just tearing you apart. It's... It's...

It's not the great father that's tearing me apart. It's... I feel like I'm travelling on two different roads at once. I think that's what's tearing me apart. Like Rough said, it's... We've done this. We've done this same song and dance more than once now. It just... we just...

It just can't keep continuing on. We're hurting each other. But, you know, despite our beliefs, despite, you know, what we're doing. here, what our purposes are. Something has to change. I don't know what that is, but maybe not keeping secrets. That might help change things a little bit, but I just, I'm so worried about hurting people all the time and I feel like I just get it wrong. Well, you haven't hurt me. You haven't wronged me. I just don't want to wrong anyone else. Thank you. Thank you.

What are the choices ahead of you? These two roads. Maybe I can help you make some kind of decision on it, which one to follow. I don't know. Well, there's... I don't know how.

I don't know how I'd... Escape it all. I think I'm in too deep now, really. I owe everything to him. I can't... I just can't just leave. You know? Not that I don't even know

if I'd want to leave. Right. Then then I don't want to... But I also just, I love you all so much. And every time this happens it hurts so much. See a failure in this moment, Xenthias, this pain, this heartbreak. And that moment crystallizes into a stillness. You realize that time is sort of frozen briefly.

You see out just outside the door hovering there in your... peripheral, gold-skinned person. If it is an escape she seeks, we could help her. You and I, if it is a god that she fears my power. And then time seems to snap back. There are ways out of everything, Ophelia. Things you can do, things we can always do to break away from whatever life we have. whatever life we have.

You can be anyone, you can do anything. You're not trapped in this life. And if you want to figure out a way out of it, then I will help you. If you want to stay on that road, then I will help you. But I'm sorry to say that as much as it hurts, this will keep happening until a decision is made. Whatever you want to do, I can help you.

Thank you so much. Just for everything, really. I'm a great guy. Um... Well, unless you guys want to get... No, that's, yeah. I think, uh, we have this wonderful moment, which by way... Cool. Cool, cool, cool.

We... I'm gonna kill a great father. I think that the last thing... I can't punch him a lot. Yeah, I'm gonna punch him a lot. You know, graph you're making your way. towards the peach house, towards your training, kind of trying to blot out the thoughts of everything that's happened today.

Trying to just focus on what's to come. Focusing on your test, focusing on these kids who are kind of relying on you now. Rowan, you are outside. I don't know if you've made your way over to where daisies or if you're just kind of catching your breath outside. Rick's probably following you to keep an eye on you to make sure you're safe. and yeah, hearing the thrum of the city, hearing that beat, that sound,

kind of in a bit of a discordance with how maybe your own heart is feeling. You know, this place is alive, it's full, but there's something kind of weighing you down from that conversation. It reminds me of the dream I had. Thinking of the song that's here in Kelskaris, but also that there's this discordant song going on as well.

It's like in the two things opposed, the hum of the city, the life of the city, but then this rhythmic stone that's present and stable, there's all these people and emotions and these difficult stories. It's a medley of sound, but there is something of a harmony there, but it's buried so deep and needs to be pulled and teased out as you're making your way. I think the last thing is to everybody but gruff, you know, Daisy sort of let up for a while and like sending these images.

And then I think the last one is like, oh, Zanthius, here's another dragon born. And we see a red-skinned, a red-scaled dragon-born. A bit more draconic than Xanthius. But his clothing is kind of familiar. It looks a little cauldron, a little gilder. die. You can see that there's some element of a blacksmith, you know, kind of like, or like some sort of Smith's tools, an apron. As they very nervously look around, you can see that they're sort of rubbing at their hands, looking quite downbeaten.

You can see that they're covered in bruises and scars. And they sort of look around nervously as they begin making their way up to the guards at the Opal Lounge, they exchange a few words, and he heads inside. And the very last thing that Daisy sees is he sort of this dragon-born turns and looks, and he pulls his hands apart, and we see that there's three, a bronze, silver, and gold ring on his fingers. And Xanthius, you know exactly who this is. Oh, shit.

And that's where we're going to end the episode. That's my best friend. And that is where we're going to end today's episode. and a figure from from Rust End appears in Xanthius's mind and that is where we're going to end the episode He's got three rings

Good for him You know what? It's making waves. Good for him. With that, gosh, another episode where I have a whole thing planned out of the Opal Lounge but thanks to role play we don't get there just fuck this off

We'll get there And what a delicious, what a juicy way we're getting there, eh? Boy howdy. I know it was quiet, like, from all three of us. I don't mind. But, like, that was great. Yeah. Are you guys okay?

Little check-in, everyone good. I don't think we're going to be able to play on the Xbox. No. No. It snapped. Goodness me. What a way for it all to come spilling out as well. Like, after all, everything, like, happening.

And, like, oh, we got this great information. Where? How? Yeah. Yeah, that was good. I try. And you nearly got away with it if it wasn't for gruff knowing how the spell was. So I went hard on that.

I went hard on that because literally a couple of episodes, I asked the cobalds to buy me a spell component. So that's why I went hard on it because I have been looking for it. You know exactly how it works. And when Tom was just like,

it's gone, it's consumers. Like that was it. Is it consumer? Is it consume? Bullshit. Read your spellbook. But it's also nice that like this thing that's been sort of dying around and especially after, just after it's been used as well,

it's great that it's kind of out in the open. Yeah, good. A couple of little things, like, you've got the names of a couple of people inside now. You've got, like, you know a couple of the agents who are working there, that you know the Peridot's inside. But also the mysterious farrier, who we've not had referenced yet. Making his way in the world. Yeah, like a whole thing.

No, I think it has. Apparently I mentioned it, like, maybe. once long long time go. But we see that as the last thing. Meanwhile, Gruff's like literally about to do the training. We've got like a nice kind of like, oh, the parties all like split up and like everyone's kind of mad.

I was going to pick them all off right now. Yeah, well, I mean, now would be the chance. But yeah, Vricks. Ricks has got your back, dude. Like, Ricks is listening to all this and is like, what the fuck is Gruff talking about? Like, they did the right thing. Yeah, I know. We know. Like, gruff is like

the moral thing. It's your trust. And the moral thing probably is still an issue, but the issue right now is the trust thing. But obviously, Ricks, like, is like, you did the right thing. Like, you did the right thing. Because also I want to twist the knife as Ricks. I want to be like, I want to have the MPC be like,

I want the MPC to be like, yeah, you guys fucking good job. Thanks, Ricks, I agree. Thanks, Bricks. Yeah. Sidius told us not to. Yeah, good job. Excellent stuff. Great work, great role play all round, love that.

We got an Xbox. Yeah. Sorry to star. Comedy bit of the episode is the fucking makeup Xbox. So dumb. So good. A little pissed off you didn't get Halo 2 though. No, just Halo Cosmetic.

Yeah, Cosmetic involved, yeah. Very good. Right, with that, we will be back next week. Ready for a fresh new episode of High Rollers. So we will see you then. Take care. Farewell. Have a good time.

Say goodbye. Bye. Bye. Bye. It's German.