High Rollers DnD - The Court of Masks (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #67

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

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eBay, things people love. ["Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in E minor, Op. 16, No. 2 in C major, Op. 3 in F major, Op. 4 in C major, Op. 5 in C major, Op. 6 in C major, Op. 7 in C major, Op. 8 in C major, Op. 9 in C major, Op. 11 in C major, Op. 12 in C major, Op. 12 in C major, Op. 13 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. 14 in C major, Op. Hello and welcome back to Ulthaea the Dragon Empire. Our heroes have been relaxing and enjoying the wonders of Wavemeat, a seaside town in the province of the Suncrest Isles. The Lavender Gardens, a gaming hall, has proven quite to the distraction as the heroes indulge in strategic games, gambling, and even a little game of social deduction. And that will be my shortest recap ever, because that is literally all you guys did last week.

Gruff did stuff. Gruff also made the Barnacle Knight, that's true, but that is gonna hopefully be something we get into today. But a large amount of the session was spent on, I believe, Rowan constantly rolling slots. We got hats. And a game of Nine Man's Morris.

Yes. Everyone got hats. We did. Well, everyone didn't get a hat. You're hoping to get a hat from this current game. We don't get hats. Well, on that. There are tokens, but there are rewards.

I owe a certain Tom Hazel Xanthius an apology. What's that? For I short-changed you on fortune tokens in my distracted brain. Really now? I had originally said that if you won the Nine Mages game, it was 50 fortune tokens. I believe I only rewarded you with 20.

So you may have an additional 30. Get a hat. Let's see if Zandias has enough tokens. I don't know if I have enough. I don't think that's enough. I have 18. It's 50, isn't it? It was 60. 60.

I have 18. I can't remember how much I had or spent. Moot point then. Moving swiftly on. Yes, after Graf had met with Sjöðröparpa, the Barnacle Knight, and received a brand new nightly quest to seek out two champions of Ojanja, the Embered Goddess, he made his way to the Lavender Gardens

to go find his companions to tell them of what had transpired and their mission Heading out in the next morning, but in the process was roped into a game a game called the Court of Masks Very familiar game to the people of Earth who may be watching it But in here in all in Ulthair and in Elmira quite a unique little game to the Suncrest Isles. A game of social deduction. So fresh. So fresh.

You had been joined by several NPCs. Yes. Including your brand new best friend ever, Mateo. The best of us. The Deadeye, the bard. Yeah. Who has joined you. Who's coming up with a team name, right?

Who is thinking of a team name, yes. His suggestions was Matteo and... Fred Blah, or Matteo and Fred. Matteo and the Sunshine Squad. He was like, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah. Just go through it. I mean, do you really want to leave this to me to decide your team name?

We don't need a team name. Fine, you don't. We haven't done it. That's true. When have we ever prioritized getting a team name? It just happens when it happens. I think you did, you didn't prioritize it, but you did eventually do Storm Chasers. Because you gave us a ship with the name Storm Chasers.

So we went, okay, guess what? Yeah, that's true. If it happens, it happens. Right, with that, you have Matteo with you. There is also a Deswin, Sophia, a Dwarven lass, and Zael, Deswin is a human, a human mage, I believe, or was it, Zael was a human mage, I can't remember. One of them is a human mage.

And then Zael, who is, I believe, I believe Zael was the halfling with a grin. You entered into this social deduction games. There are costumes. You have been dressed up. I believe Gruff was a jester, dressed as a big jester. Rowan is a fairy in the sort of medieval fairy, very story time, very sort of cheesy, corny. Like fairy godmother fairy. Yeah. Perfect. We have various nobles, sort of masks, plain nobles.

Xenthias has a full covered mask. I have a full black robe and a white mask, yeah. Perfect. So no one can read my face. Do you look like Percy? I probably would look like Percy, yeah. Yeah, you would, yeah. Perfect.

And I believe that Daisy is not playing the game, but is just constantly changing costumes I probably would look like Percy, yeah. Yeah, you would, yeah. Perfect. And I believe that Daisy is not playing the game, but is just constantly changing costumes whenever she is perceived. Yeah. So. I think I left off in a clown way, good clown note.

Yes, that's correct. Quantum cosplay. Yeah. With that, we do need to roll for fate for this episode. Oh. But we are going to continue the game of a Court of Masks as we've started, so we'll finish. Good.

With the cliffhanger. So I need to win. And I believe that the players around the table do not know, but one roll was revealed to the audience. Who will know? And I trust you've all been good and haven't been looking and observing and reading your notes and things like that. I've been naughty.

I've deduced who it is. Okay. Katie, what'd you get on your D6? A two. A two, oh, it's lovely, it's a dice for me. I got a five, sir. Oh, a dice for you. That's right.

Quattro. A dice for you. One. Oh, lovely, a dice for me. Cinco. Five. Don't confuse me with your foreign language. And then a nice, for me, five.

Look at that. It's all in your favor today. Spend it while you can. That is where we begin. I believe that we are just, the night part of the game had taken place and poor Gruff had been executed. Slash Kim, because Kim's always the first one to go.

Whether it's Gruff or Kim, it was Gruff. I really am. I hate this game. Gruff has been sort of exiled to the waiting room where refreshments and such things are waiting. But it means that we begin as the vizier, the sort of referee, one of the Lavender Gardens attendants, a masked woman will say,

"'Ah, well, my guests, it is time for another day of banquet. You will have five minutes to converse with each other before we must retire, so please make yourself available to the private rooms if you wish and continue. I should remind you, before we begin speaking that at the end during the evening tonight, the traitor will learn who the monarch and consort are,

but not which is which. So, it's not one to consider. Assassin's also eligible to kill a player this beginning tonight. So, I leave it to you guys. You would probably see two of the NPCs, Deswin and Zael, will go off into a room together to have a conversation, leaving you guys, Sussie and Matteo.

Sussie, I say. Sure. Azanthius, canonically I say Sussie. Okay. They vented. Psychic damage, please. It's getting there. It's getting close.

So what would you guys like to do in this little mini game of games? I'm now dressed as a Leonin in honor of Gruff. Okay, so you just like a lion's mane. Yep. There's so many costumes. I miss Gruff! He only just got here, he knows he's gone again. Please, shh.

We did agree that you would not interfere in the game. I'm only talking about the costumes. I've got a lot of costumes. I think Athena will settle up to Rowan. Hello. Good party, right? Yeah, so, Brov died. Yes, that was terribly sad.

Did you do it or? Did I do it? I'm just wondering. Just to make it a lot easier. Why would you want to make it easier? So we win. Why? I want a hat.

I want a hat. I would like a hat too. I would really like a hat. Okay. I mean, you've already got a hat. I do already. Okay, so how do we win this so we get hats? We tell each other what we are.

Well, you can totally trust me. Should we? You see this little dwarf woman, it's like, but you, I mean, I said to trust both of you, but then we made it clear that there can only be two nobles and three of us were claiming to be the nobles. Wait, wait, wait. There's a charm.

Wait, what, are you claiming to be a noble as well? I am very noble. How noble? Exactly. So noble. That makes now four, potentially five nobles, including Ruff. Now, there could be. This is a classic.

I'm just a villager. There could be good reason. 100% trustworthy could be... This is a classic. I'm just a villager. There could be good reasons. 100% trustworthy. I'm 100% a faithful. So faithful. We could be all loyalists, but with a little twist, because they're worried about outing themselves

to the assassin who's clearly taken Gruff already. So we could still be good, just not a... named one. Okay. Ophelia, look me in the eyes. You can't lie to me. I'm not lying to you. You've got the rules on you, dearly.

What are you? So noble. Matteo is going to make an insight roll on you, Ophelia. I'm like Kirby of enthusiasm staring at you. Well, so you roll and you choose if deception or persuasion based on if you are lying on your partition. But don't say which one you pick. Don't say which one you use. Can I also insight?

You absolutely may. Katie, can I have all of my dice back, please? Thank you. I took an extra dice. Oh, a d6, that's nice. I was wondering where that went. Oh, I remember. It's the monarch that killed Gruff. Yeah. Yeah.

Thinking that Gruff was naughty. What did we get on our insight roll? Five. Five, excellent. Yeah, you and Matteo watching Ophelia. No real signs of, like, not... Can't just get a read. Ophelia's here. It's Antaeus.

I'm looking at the wall. Sorry, this mask gets slipped. But do we know who is it? Was it the executioner? There's an assassin and a traitor. A traitor and an assassin. The traitor's going to learn who the monarch and the consort are,

but they're just gonna be revealed as a monarch, right? They're not gonna know if they're at a consort. I think that's right, yes. I think it's the whole, the consort is sort of like a sort of body double, you know, to kind of protect the monarch. What are you? Fabulous!

I am the noble, noble of the court. Of course, of course I am! This is now like the sixth noble. Sixth noble, yes. I'm going to incite you, Mitch. Sure, please do. 10. Plus probably three, 13.

13, he's like, listen, I mean, what I will say is I am on the loyalty. How about that? That works for me. How about that? I trust him implicitly. But loyal to who? The other two come out of having their conversation

and Desperate will come on and be like, okay, we need to have a conversation here because he's claiming to be a noble, I'm claiming to be a noble, I'm pretty sure that everyone's doing the same thing. Everyone is a noble at this point. No one's gonna claim to be a usurper, are they? No, when does the mage activate?

Mage? I believe that should be tonight the mage gets to activate as well. That's what I'm thinking of, the mage, yes. So if you're a mage- I think Ruff is either the mage or the consort. That makes sense. It would be terrible if he was the consort.

Yeah, because the bad people- Do the nobles learn? Learn. Do they also learn who the nobles learn? Learn. Do they also learn who the consort is? No. No, the nobles are just sort of in the dark. The mage can pick one person. The mage picks a person and learns their role.

So they could also pick just a noble. Yeah. By accident. Well, okay, Death's Win, this human sort of mage, it's like, all right, well, one of us has to be the mage. Should we agree who the mage should investigate? Yes, without revealing who mage is. Yes, exactly, we don't know,

but we all say who out of us they should go for. So who is the most suspect? I think so. Or who is most likely to be monarch? To protect. True, true, yes. I mean, that's just an idea, just an idea. That's a good idea, it's a good idea, true, yes. I mean, that's just an idea, just an idea. That's a good idea, it's a good idea, makes sense.

Let's backtrack. Rowan and Sophia, can I have a chat? Yeah. Oh, all right, okay. Right here is what you need. Separate room chat. A little booth. Private chat, secret chat.

Well, perhaps, perhaps Ophelia, me and you and these two gentlemen should have a chat. We should have a chat, yes. I mean, he likes pulling people to one side. Yes. He does a lot. He does, he's quite, he dominates the narrative, doesn't he? He talks a lot. He does a lot. He does. He dominates the narrative, doesn't he? He talks a lot.

He does a lot. I think talking a lot is quite suspicious. It is so suspicious. So suspicious. Very suspicious. The four of them go off into a room. I'll come back to you in a minute. What a piece of shit.

Okay, so we're now only with Rowan and Sophia, right? Yes. And I guessed it. We're back where we were. Right. You were the only two people I mentioned that Gruff potentially lied about their role, and now Gruff is dead. You're right.

What does that mean? That means one of us. I'm trying to figure out why Gruff was targeted. And if they were targeted because I mentioned to one of you two that Gruff was suspicious... Well, it wasn't me. Which one of you two that Gruff was suspicious. Well, it wasn't me. Which one of you is the monarch? I'm just a noble.

I'm going to sneeze. This is too much. While he's sneezing, I want to... Maybe they just guessed. Maybe they just picked him randomly. Yes, maybe other people made a deduction on Gruff as well. But it's unlikely, it's likely. Who else did Gruff speak to? Um, I'm not sure.

You? I was so busy talking to everyone I didn't really notice. What if you're playing off on us and it's you that did it? Am I the monarch? Are you safe? Because we're safe and you can tell us. Am I the monarch? Are you?

You should know. It's on your card, right? I'm not the monarch! I'm not the monarch! You're not? I'm not the monarch? Are you? You should know. It's on your card, right? I'm not the monarch. I'm not the monarch. You're not. I'm not the monarch. Are you the... Conch roll? No, like I said.

You're just a plain old noble. Just a plain old regular noble. Now it would be really beneficial if you just revealed that you're a monarch. I'm not the monarch. She's like on the verge of crying. She's like, I'm not, I'm really not. Oh, this is an awful game.

Oh, why did I agree to play this? No one's, no one's. Read your cards, Bell Noble backwards. Um, um, I don't have, they took the cards away. Oh, I've got mine right here. That's for the purposes of the cards were for, like, you guys to remember, like, the OC. What does Daisy look like? Fuck's sake.

I'm dressed like a lobster now. You're a loco. There's a loco. Apparently there's a lobster costume. In amongst the court of nobles, there's a lobster costume. They sell lobster at the place. It's the banquet by the coast. Sure.

There's a lot of costumes. You can be anything you want. I'm a lobster. Okay, all right. So, let's worst case scenario this situation. Right. One of us is naughty. One of us is a naughty person. case scenario this situation right one of us is naughty One of us is a naughty person. It's got to be one of you Well, or not naughty good and made a good one of us is a special role if all of us are good. Yes

It's not me Rowan hello You Are you you gonna kill me? I'm not gonna kill you. You... Are you? Are you gonna kill me? I'm not gonna kill you. You're gonna poison me. What are you? Just say what you are. I can't say it.

Why not? Meanwhile, while that's happening, first thing's Gruff. You are in a very opulent... What is Gruff doing to keep himself busy? You can hear, like, murmuring through the door, but you can only hear conversation out in the main room. But there's, like, snacks, there's drinks,

everything laid out here for you. There is a little service to bring an attendant in if you want to request anything. You are free to like leave if you want to. You just can't go back into the main gate. Just go home. Just leave. I'm trying to decide if I'm furious.

But if you leave, but your team wins, you won't get a hat. They're not winning. Oh, does the whole team get a hat? If the good team wins, yeah, or if the bad team wins, the bad team gets a hat. They're not winning. Is there anything you want to do? Are you just chilling?

I was just trying to decide if I'm furious or if Gruff's furious. Right. Or if I'm furious through Gruff. I think it can... A little column A, a little column B. I think Ray role play, we all have a little bit of that. We have Bleed, there's a bit of Bleed.

Kim's here, Gruff's maybe here. But Kim's definitely the most furious. And it wasn't even my decision as well, it's great. I know exactly what went down. It's great. Not because I watched, but I knew it as soon as it happened. Um, Gruff is, um, he's gonna eat the snacks and he's gonna light up his pipe and he's grumbling. There is seafood like here, which is probably quite nice for Gruff.

It's not Iceheart cuisine, but like it's nice to have those kind of flavors and stuff again. He summons Saren, he's eating the food, and he's grumbling. He's giving prawns to Saren. He's grumbling hard. Stupid. Yes. It's like, Saren.

Don't know what they've lost. Don't know what they've lost. Amazing. Afina, you are sort of in the other side room with Mateo, Deswin, and Zael. And Mateo's like, look, I think until tonight, I don't think there's really much to talk about. I think we need to wait until we've,

hopefully whoever the mages will give us some information, and we can try and learn things from that, but. Perhaps, but. Do you have any ideas, Sousa affiliate? I don't really have, well, I don't have a huge amount of ideas, but I'm thinking. Do you have any ideas, Sister Ophelia? I don't really have, well, I don't have a huge amount of ideas, but I'm... Do you have someone you suspect? Hmm.

I mean... What do you think, Zael? What's your opinion? I'm not really sure this game is... I mean, I think that as somebody who enjoys a bit of games, it needs to be more ways of getting information, I mean, I think that as somebody who enjoys a bit of games, it needs to be more ways of getting information, I think. There's not quite, I don't think it's fully thought out.

I might have some feedback for the management afterwards. But I think that it's really gonna come down to we've lost one player already, and if they were the mage, or if they were the consort, then we've lost already. So really the only chance is for the monarch to try and nail the assassin tonight. Yes. So I think we need to know if anybody has any

clear suspicions on who that might be, just on body language and that sort of thing. That's the only thing I can think of. So if you have any information, Miss. I don't have any information. I'm just going off of laws of averages. There are four of us here. One of us has got to be an assassin or the monarch. Or it could be maybe the other three.

The other three, they have been grouped up. They have been off together. In fact, on the first day, the three of them went into a room together. They did, didn't they? Now I wonder what that might mean. Very suspicious. Meanwhile, is there anything you guys want to discuss further? Otherwise I'm gonna bring the day to an end. Sophia, I would like to speak to Xanthius alone if that's alright. Okay. Comes out and just sits on like the ground like looks at daily, like, he's like, I don't like this game very much.

I'm a chicken, no. Danthius? Yes. Hey, there's a chicken over there. That's a real chicken. Oh, it's Daisy. Oh, right. It's Daisy.

On three, we're gonna whisper our roles to each other. Whisper, okay, sure. On three. And in IRL, we're just gonna show each other our cards. I've written over- Are you in agreement? I've written over my one, it says good boy, but I can tell you what it is. I'll write it again. He literally wrote good boy on the card.

I thought you did it on the back. No, he wrote over it. Okay. So we're not actually whispering it. We're just showing. We're just going to show. And you're going to publicly announce, yes, but in character you are whispering. Three, two, one. Okay.

Okay! All right. That changes nothing. Changes a little thing. No, it changes nothing. All right. You guys eventually hear like a kind of dong noise, which is the summon back into the common room,

and the Vizier is like, ah, well, my friends, it is time for the evening to come to pass. I must ask you all to retire to bed, and thus, players, please close your eyes. And you feel that same magical music fills your mind, blocking out any sound, as, yes, we begin the night phase.

Night phase. Would the monarch please open your eyes and indicate to me if you would like to execute a player this evening. Please can you indicate which player? And thank you very much, Monarch. Next, unfortunately, I must ask for the Assassin to open their eyes and indicate who they would like to poison. Oh, interesting. Very good. Thank Oh, interesting.

Very good. Thank you, Assassin. Very, very good. And thank you. And finally, Usurper. Sorry, not finally. Usurper, would you please open your eyes? I will now indicate to you

who the two monarchs, which of the monarchs it may be. That is all we will need to see for now. And then finally, mage, you may open your eyes and indicate to me who you would like to learn the identity of. Alright, that information will be provided to you. Thank you, Mage. Alright, thank you very much. The kind of dong, dong, as you are all awoken with the information. Alas, I'm afraid to tell you that there have been

two deaths in the night. Okay, okay. Mr. Deswin, I'm afraid that you have been killed and I must ask you to go to the waiting room. Oh. And you see Des when he looks around and will sort of go, oh, okay, no problem, and begin making their way out. That's scary.

And make perception checks remaining players. Okay. He's about to kill someone. In real life. No. No. No. No.

Perfect. Perfect. I will make a perception check for, you can make one, absolutely, Daisy. I will make perception checks for Matteo, Zayl, and Sophia as well. I only got 10, I see nothing. Wait, no, did I?

I might be lying. What'd you get? Quite low, right? 16. 16, no, you don't see anything. He just sort of like throws his hands up and he's like, oh, well, no worries. Thank you very much for the game, everybody.

And it kind of makes his way to the room. And then, and alas, I'm afraid Mr. Mateo is it. You begin to feel very unwell, and unfortunately you have also passed away. Mateo's like, me? Oh, bugger. All right, well, off to the waiting room, I suppose. Keep Gruff company, everybody.

And we'll make their way. Can you all make perception checks again? That's a really brutal loss, that one. That one hits deep. The best of us. The best of us. 11. Six.

No. It's such a dark room. 22. Where did you get smoke machines from? You see, as Mateo is trying to leave, he's trying to get the player's attention, but to be subtle, and he just does like, he does this. Like he kind of is like, oh, bye everybody.

As he tries to get the attention of like, the crew. Like not the other NPCs, but he tries to let these guys know. But you guys didn't see that, only Daisy saw that. I was looking at all the other players rather than instead of them. Yeah. I can't interview. Classic.

All right. So the Vizier will say, ah, and it is time for the third day. There will be another evening. But tomorrow, I must remind you, is the last day of the banquet. So there will only be one more chance to try and discover the potential identities of those who need to be executed as such. Hey, so I just gotta go real quick,

close the issue with you. All right, do. Wait, you two. Wait a minute, they've been going off together all the time. Who is the mage? Not I. None of you are the mage. So the mage has been killed.

That's not good. So we have no information. So, how many innocents are there? There's eight of us. One, two, three, four, five, six. Loyalists. Yeah, loyalists. So there's three nobles total.

Two nobles. Two. Two nobles total. Two nobles, a consort, a mage, and a monarch. Assassin and traitor. And then assassin and traitor, yeah. So, Sophia has left, Rowan... Two. That makes only seven rolls. Zan and me.

Uh, monarch, consort, assassin, traitor, jester, mage... Jester, I totally forgot about the jester. Shit! Eight. No, I know nothing now. That's the game end if the Jester's killed straight away? Jester. No, the Jester wins their own game. They win their own game. So we don't know if the Jester's been killed.

No. It could have been killed. And no one's really- But the Jester wants to be killed, right? Being sussy. The Jester wants to be killed by the monarch specifically. By the monarch specifically. So he doesn't wanna-

See, okay, right. Hey, all right, Ophelia. Hello. Darius. Hi want to. See. Hey. All right, Ophelia. Hello. Darius. Hi. Let's have a chat. No, let's all have, there's only five of us left. I'd like to have a little chat. I think I've got, okay.

Darius? Yes. What do you do? You okay? I think I know something. What do you know? I don't want to say. Who would you like to speak to, Sophie?

Well, we've been in, me, you and Rowan have been in chats all the time. But I don't know if I trust either of you, that I don't trust anybody. Who would you like to speak to, Sophie? Well, we've been in, me, you, and Rowan have been in chats all the time. Well, I don't know if I trust either of you, that I don't trust anybody. Who would you like to speak to? It's me. I want to talk to Mateo, but he's dead! Oh no.

This is me, I'm like, get me out of here! You trusted Mateo, then? I think so, he was just nice, and I don't like this game. I think it's just because of Mateo, rather than the role they were. Mateo is a very likable person. So why do you two want to speak to each other all the time?

Why is that? Do you know each other's roles? I like hanging out with Xanthias. You do know each other's roles? I mean, we've talked roles. Right. What if they're the traitor in the usurpers? That's what I'm thinking. The assassin.

What if you're the traitor in you serve the assassin? What if you're the traitor and you serve the assassin? Well why are neither of you two dead? You'll be killing each other alive. I will. Let's let them go off. And why don't me, you and Miss Sophia here go have a conversation. Okay, that sounds like a good idea.

All right, I think that's good. I think that's good. Well, Sophia's dead. I saw that. You move off into a private room and say, all right, I don't trust those two, so I'm gonna reveal something. I've been keeping this quiet. I'm gonna reveal something to the two of you.

I'm the mage, and I checked yesterday, and I'm pretty sure that, is it Xanthias? Yes. I think he's the traitor. That makes a lot of sense. I think him and Rowan are working together. Rowan, I need to be completely honest with you. Those are the two that have been like,

trying to convince me that they're good. They said they were both nobles. I have never trusted a failure a day in my life. Oh, hey, hold on. Let's not bring this into this. We're trying to have a nice game here. I am ready for this to to eke out into the real world.

You know what I am. I know what you are. Yes, yes, exactly. So, by powerful deduction, Xanthias, do your brain thing. Okay. My brain thing. My brain thing says this. I think you're a monarch. Wait, I've seen your card.

You've slipped, you know my, okay. Right, okay, brain time. You ready? You need to back me up on this one. Here I go. So be like a hype man kind of thing. Just really accelerate my thought. That gives you part of your inspiration.

Thank you. Thank you. I am, if you need to make a skill check, it might come in handy. I think the traitors believe there are both a consort and a monarch still alive, right? What? Yes, I think Gruff...

I think Gruff was the mage, because they said there was a special rule. You made me do that. Which means... How much can I actually say without everyone just listening to this? I mean, I'm playing the NPCs. I made a little note in my game plan of what the NPCs are. I don't think we've been 100%. I know. You've technically listened on to that contract.

So, Trini is just fully like, you're a... You're a traitor. You're a traitor, so... Whatever. Rhiannon's committed. Committed to the role. Okay. Why did you kill Gruff? Because you said, is he the...

You said they were suspicious. Yeah, I said they were potentially suspicious. So I went for it with the only information I had. Who this time? Who did you last night? Last night? I guess you got Desmond, right. Because I never spoke to them. That's such a move in these kind of games.

I didn't speak to them, so I killed them. Oh yeah? I like Ophelia, I like Xanthius. Thanks. Ophelia's lovely, I like Sophia. We should have a drink. If Sophia is evil, best actress, we should hire them for the tavern. I don't know for what role.

While you're having this conversation, so as you're having this conversation with Sophia, Sophia, okay, well, if you've, okay, you've told us that, Mr. Zeph. I think I should tell you something. I saw Deswin as he was leaving. I think he was pointing at Rowan. Like, he was trying to get,

I don't know who he was trying to get into, but he was like trying to point at Rowan. Okay. I don't know what that means. Did Deswin and, I don't think Desmond and Rowan really talked a lot. It's just been Rowan and Xanthius. They've just been talking the whole time. I know.

I think that, I mean, I don't know what that means though. Why would Desmond point to Rowan? Maybe he was trying to tell the monarch to kill the assassin. Maybe. Hmm. I believe this booth should totally have a made up conversation and come out laughing and stuff.

Just pretend we had a great time and that we've solved the game. Ready? Okay, let's leave, pretend we've completely solved it and watch their reactions. Yeah. Okay, ready? Three, two, one.

Okay, okay. We've got this. You dare. We did it. This is the easiest game we've ever played. Can I get deception checks from both of you and then insight rolls from the other three players? 14.

15. Okay. I don't know what I want. I'm gonna use your bardic for six. Oh, bardic? What is that, a D8? D8. Hell yeah, I'm using my bardic.

Another six, so 21. 21, what did you get Rowan? 14. 14. You definitely notice a flicker of nervousness with Sophia and Zael. Like they both are sort of like, when you say we've sussed it, they're both sort of like, when you say, we've sussed it,

they're both sort of like, what do you mean? Like, but they sort of try and recover and sort of cover themselves back up. Yes, Katie. I'm in my final form. Okay, it's the final costume. I'm dressed as the lucky frog. Right, okay.

Wow. But I imagine it like the Mario 3 suit, it's just like a big frog suit with your face in it. With a hat. Yeah. So what if you were, did you just then? Oh, you know. Because surely it would benefit the whole group

if you just, you know, share your plan. Not to the naughty people. If we let the assassin and the traitor know what we know. That would be horrible, terrible. Game ending, frankly. So. Yep, yep, yep. So as good guys, we withhold our information.

That's right. Unless you prove yourself an ally. Solved game, frankly. By the end of the night, we've already won. So you may as well just say your roles now. I don't know if we should do that. I think that I still don't... I mean, I don't know what Miss Ophelia is.

I know what I am. And I've got to say, Miss Sophia here did offer some interesting information. Apparently she saw Deswin point at someone. Shall we say that... Yes, let's just say someone. I saw him point at someone. Right. Okay. Well, really. And it wasn't me, and it wasn't Mr. Zale. That's all I'm going to say. Because I know that Ophelia is the Jester.

What's your reaction to that? Ophelia just, like, smirks. And I know that... Zael is either a traitor or an assassin. Absolutely not. I've told my team what I am. He has. He's been very open and honest. I think we know what you are. And that leaves you, Sophia.

You are? Noble! I've been noble! I've only been a noble! I don't know anything! Is there anything you guys wanna talk about? Can I finally insight this? I really want- Sure, sure.

Please, please just be noble. Damn it! No, I don't know anything! Ha ha ha ha ha! Just the boop. Crying. Why do you think... Unless there is anything else, you hear the sort of gong, gong. Oh, I am afraid to say that evening has come once again.

We must all retire to our chambers. I may ask all players to close your eyes and you hear the music once again. Monarch, please, could you wake and indicate who you would like, if you would like to have anyone executed this evening? Who would it like, who would you like it to be, Monarch? Very well, the executioner shall be informed.

In that case, assassin now, if you could please indicate who you would like to have killed. Very well. All right, and finally, traitors. Mage, would you like to awaken and learn the identity of a Alright, and finally, Tracer's not in the version. Mage, would you like to awaken and learn the identity of a player using your mystic spells? Ah, yes, very good. You will have that information available to you for tomorrow's banquet, sir. Thank you very much. All players, you may now wake and return to the banquet,

but I am afraid to say that our game has come to an end. Because the assassin, before they could deliver their poison to the monarch's bed chamber, was executed, dragged from their bed, and has been slain. And you hear, I was like, ah, piss. Piss and shit.

It was you! It was me, I was the assassin. Oh, no, I don't know. So that means Deswin? Deswin was the traitor, yes. What a shot. Whoa. Shot in the back.

Yeah, why haven't I made it? I will indeed reveal all of our roles now. In fact, let us bring in our waiting guests, if any still remain, as the waiting chambers opened. Graf, Mateo, and Deswin are invited back in. Well, allow me to reveal all of your roles, and whom has won their challenges. Our monarch for this game was Mr. Rowan.

I'm so sorry, Graf. I'm really sorry I didn't mean to do that. It was that piece of spot. Kind of, it was a miscalculation of both parts. Would our two nobles please reveal themselves? And Sophia will be like, I told you! Yeah, I told you. Yeah. Would the usurp team, our assassin and traitor,

please reveal themselves? And you see Deswin and Zeo put their hand up, which would leave our consort to be, and Mateo's like, it was me, of course. I was the consort. Actually the Jester. And that would leave our Jester. Perfect, when you get it, I was like, she totally is. Yes, oh, I'm so happy.

As Ophelia is revealed to be the Jester. It helped. It helped. And this. I'm still here. It's not for the mage, yes, of course. Sorry, it's on the bottom of my list, that's why. You were the mage, okay.

I was the mage. I think because we all knew that Gruff was the mage at that point, I didn't think to mention it, but yes, you're right. It's like, you said he's not a noble. You didn't say he's, no, so he said he's not a noble, and you just went, fucking kill him. Oh, I see. That was the information.

Did I not say- You said, are you a noble? I said, no. Right, but you said you were something more. But I'm loyal. Did I not say you were loyal? No. You said, you did say to Rowan,

you said something along the lines of, but it could mean he's another role. Right. You know, not necessarily evil. Rowan's just like, yes! But Rowan's just like, kill him, fucking kill him. I mean, fair enough, fair enough. But the visitor will be like,

well, I must congratulate our loyalist team, you served us and sadly Jester, you were, you did not complete your challenges. Thus for, we'll let us take you over to the prize hall to claim your prizes. Prizes? Oh, good. Wait.

More hats. Does that, you can have my hat, if there's a hat. Can I get a hat? Oh my God. I'm afraid not, no, the Jester would normally win the Jester's Scepter, but you have not succeeded, I'm afraid. I'm going again, I'm going again.

Run it back. Run it back. As you make your way over to the prize counter, you are basically given a reward. You can choose to either have a very, you know, kind of fake crown that glistens, and it does have a minor magical illusion where it kind of glitters and glows. It kind of sparkles when you do.

Or you can have a masquerade mask, which has like, there's like different choices, like ones with like illusory butterflies, ones with like, you know, different kind of like little themes and ideas of it. So you can choose what you would like from your prize. I've already got a hat. Ophelia, what would you like?

No, it's okay, you wanted fair and square, Owen. You pick the hat that you want. I did, but as a benevolent monarch, I like to give to my people. I don't know how benevolent is the word. Gruff, you are on the Lord's Team, so you also get a prize even though you were killed. You do still win a prize.

Someone just came up to me and just gave me more chips, saying I was short-changed in the Nine Mages thing. So I actually have enough for a hat, all of a sudden. Okay. I mean, they don't run a tight ship then, if there's a short-changing players left, right, and center. I know. Unbelievable.

I will take a crown, please. One crown, you are given a crown, Rowan. You have a lovely shiny, on top of your purple lavender hat. You nailed the crown. Double stacking. Double hat. I mean, you're gonna be triple stacking when you put on your lantern as well. That's true.

I bet it. You cannot wear the lantern helmet and these other hats. I think Rowan three hats. The hat of hats. Rowan Three Hats. What would Xanthias like? I'll take the masquerade mask. What kind of design do you imagine having? You can kind of come up with anything.

Just a golden starfield kind of design. Love it, love it, love it. Gruff? Crown or mask? I'd like... That's not... That's me. There we go. Hello. My name is Gryff. Hello. Can I have the mask, please? The one with the blue flowers on it, please. Yep, they passed that one to you. Lovely, beautiful little blue flowers on it. Matteo will get one with a purple...

Yeah, we'll go with the purple butterfly mask. He'll take that one. He's like, oh, fabulous, I'll have that. Puts that away, matches my coat. And puts that away. And Sophia's just like, I don't know, the crown, I guess. I don't like this game very much. It's okay, Sophia, you won. I hated it, oh, I don't like it at all.

It's a stupid game, isn't it? It's a stupid game. It's as stupid as I was in, so you didn't believe me, and I didn't own a trap. it? It's a stupid game. It's a stupid game. I was innocent, you didn't believe me, and I didn't know who to trust! Just is traumatized by this game. That's me. The other two, Zayel and Deathwinn, will come up and shake your hands.

Oh, good game, excellent game. Thank you very much, everybody. Good game, everybody. As you are left to your businesses, you do have to return the costume, so. Damn it! Yes. I was gonna try and walk out with a frog head.

Just for fun, Zayel. I mean I was gonna try and walk out with a frog head. Just for funsies. I mean, you can try and stealth out if you want, but you are now wearing a bright green frog head. Yeah. Just the, like, head. That's not gonna reduce the difficulty of the task. But if you want to try and steal it...

You can. No. I don't know, do what you want. You're a rogue, you can do what you want. Ophelia, I was this close to setting Rowan on you. Why didn't you? Well, I just, you almost, you almost had me. I thought you were bad for a second there.

Honestly, when I called you out as a jester in the middle there, that was a complete shot in the dark. Oh. So, got very lucky there. You did, yes, you did get very lucky. I should have hidden it better, but... Rea had his face with you. It's just so like...

Twitch. How has he done that? No, no I'm not. You shouldn't even say anything. No, you. She just, they just clawed me off. It looked like Deary Pants, I was like, what?

She was just like... I don't fully know why I said it. It was so funny watching you. It was just going to gesture so well. It is kind of perfect that you got that. Amazing. Well, with that, you have enjoyed your lovely game of a court of masks. It is just A for fun, you've got your prizes,

there is no fortune tokens. Oh, that was great. I had a whale of a time in the costume pile. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh. I, that was great. I had a whale of a time in the costume pile. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh. Can I, it's only little, can I take a little fake mustache? Yes. I won't make you roll sleight of hand to steal a fake mustache. It is a Mario style big mustache. Yes. I'm gonna bring it out at really important moments. That's fine. That's, you know what, I'm okay with it.

I'm gonna get the camera and try. Go for it. I'm okay with that. So, what would you guys like to do now? Ruff, you do know that, yeah, you do wanna leave fairly early in the morning to go meet with Sojourn, but if there's anything else you guys would like to do,

it's sort of maybe mid of mid-evening. You also need to head back to where you're going to be staying at some point. That's right. Jar, the Radiance Hotel? Yes. It's a fancy one. It's not far away, but.

Yes. Well, I've never felt closer to all of you than right now. This place is amazing. Which is why I don't like playing these kind of games, because people get real mad. Oh well, no one really got mad. Gruff looks a bit mad. Did you hate it, Gruff?

It was a pointless game. You did kind of kill him by telling him. I didn't. Didn't really get a chance to experience it, to be honest. Well then, let's go again. I was really ready to do the mage thing. I was excited. Would you like a token, Gruff?

Yeah. No, thank you, boy. You spend that on whatever drink you want. I will. I can spend it on snacks. I'm going to go trade in three of them for three tiny sweets. Three candies. Lovely. Little Lavender Garden branded candies. Actually, yeah, if we're leaving, we're not coming back.

There are other places we can spend it too. They are universal across the Suncrest Islands. It's just a little German specific. So I'm gonna keep my- I will go with Rowan and I will also trade three of mine for three little candies. I would like three different flavors, please. There are only a limited palette of flavors,

but with three you can get three different flavors, please. There are only a limited palette of flavors, but with three you can get three different flavors, yes. These look good. I'm glad we did them. Pretty good, huh? Both snacks. This is cashing in your penny sweets at the end of it. I've got nothing left. I just give it back. How many sweets can I get? And I've been like a drawer for ten years.

Loads of people sticking their hands in there. Without washing them. Yes. Yeah. Loads of people sticking their hands in there without washing them. Yeah. Well, I think that was quite exhilarating entertainment for the day. It was. It was. The slots were peak.

They were. They were top. But. I might go again. No, I can't afford it. No, I think we should get some rest. You're right. We're heading off early tomorrow, right?

That's it. Okay. Should we get an early night then? Go find out where we're staying. We know where we're staying, Radiance Hotel. Not too far away. Okay. Haven't been there yet.

No, we haven't. We haven't checked it out. No, we just didn't. Nor have we actually taken our room. No. We've actually seen much of Wavemeat at all. Beyond, you know, just this place. Beyond the beach. We've been to a few places. You've been to a couple places. Looks like three places much of wave meets at all. Beyond, you know, just this place.

You've been to a few places. You've been to a couple places. There are a lot of waves. Met a lot of waves. Saw so many waves. In the waves. Where are we going to set out? I imagine we're going to meet Sir Joran down at the docks. Okay. Do we need to bring our own packed lunches?

We will need supplies, yes. Okay, should we go do that now? Before we... What do you think we'll need on a boat? Yeah, I've never actually... Boated. Well, I've actually never been on a boat either. I noticely use rafts. What do we need on a raft slash boat? You've been on a boat. You must have been on a boat. You don't really know much about this fisherman's octet.

You don't really listen when I told you how I do my trade, do you? I would have thought you'd been on a small boat. Not really, no. Oh. I'm an ice diver fisher. Is that always by the coast? Yes.

Oh. It's rather dangerous to go out in the water, especially the deep water. I mean, even here, most of the ships won't be ocean vessels. They're not big ships. Most of the vessels of the Dragon Empire are small coastal ships.

Caravelle's at best. What do you think, Willne? What's the best things? I've certainly not been on anything big. Okay. I mean, it looks like they shake a lot. They do. It's quite on the- You've been on a big. Okay. I mean, it looks like they shake a lot. They do. It's quite on, it's quite on the-

You've been on a boat. Of course you've been on a boat. Okay. It was horrible. Oh. Right. And that's why I don't get on boats. Well, we're not going far into the- No, we'll be going around the islands.

That's good, so. But it's likely there might be some trouble if the people we're after are, you know, aligned with Ajania. What if the people we're after are under the water? Can you do the gill thing again? I can. There are charges on it, but I can do it again. Well, I can also cast it as well, water breathing. That's a lot easier. Remember when we were under the ground?

I feel better knowing that you can do that because I don't think I'm a very good swimmer. We do have to. I can do it a little bit, but yeah. Do you not remember when we were under water, underground with the whole crown seal? Oh yeah. Yeah.

Oh no, we were behind. I was just checking. But the caves were all like, little, and that's big. That's lots of water. There was a current kind of pushing us the entire way. I didn't know swimming. I just kind of.

I'm also gonna remind you, cause Gruff would know this, fighting underwater is very hard. So unless you have a swim speed, certain weapons, if you use anything other than certain weapons, you have disadvantage. If you try and make ranged attacks, disadvantage. Things like fire spells, basically everything has resistance

if you're underwater. The Adan things are going to be great. So if you have to go underwater, that is. Obviously if you're fighting up on the surface, these things don't matter as much. But if you do get dragged under, just keep that in mind, that like certain weapons and stuff. Generally anything that isn't a piercing weapon

is gonna be a struggle. And anything that isn't a crossbow, not a normal bow, but like a crossbow, has automatic disadvantage no matter how far it's going. And crossbows only go half their range normally as well. Well, if we ever encounter them, we should try to make sure that either on the shore or we lure them to it.

So we don't have to deal with that. Maybe we can try to determine what places they've attacked, see if there's any pattern to where they're. Iridia on Two Peak Islands, the west coast of Nettingham Sea and the bay opposite side of Riddia. Do you have a map? No, but I told you earlier. No, I know, but I don't have a map of this region at all.

I don't know. Perhaps we can ask one first from Sejora or we can ask one from if we go shopping tonight or something. I imagine all of the islands are relatively similar in this area. They seem quite touristy. Maybe they're trying to- Al Capulago.

Sorry? Excuse you? Al Capulago. Al Capul- They don't really have things around the ears. Fletcher. Al Cap- Fletcher.

I read it in a leaflet. Really? In the hall. And what is a- So surprised you couldn't read it. It's a cluster of islands. That's the way you said need. It's a plus for a virus. That's the way he said it really got me.

Arcapelago. Arcapelago. It's really fucking got me. As someone who's dyslexic, I can never say that word out loud. So I will now have that. I will now have that in my head. That's your only arcapelago. It's like Homer Simpson doing it.

Yeah. In March, Acapulco. It's really costly. Can you stop calling me? Ronan's looking really proud of himself. Yeah, no, I love it. I love it. Absolutely.

No, I didn't know that. Amazing. Me neither. I love that today. I love that today. So wait, so just a load of of islands, a cluster of islands. How long will it actually take? Where are we actually heading to first, sorry?

We're pretty close to each other, right? I'll be honest with you, I don't really know. I didn't have that much of a conversation with Satoru. Oh, right. He said that he wanted you to lead the thing, right? So I guess you have to decide. Yeah, yeah. Now what does that entail now? Can we correct Daisy? Bugger. now? Can we? Correct, Daisy.

Bugger. How much are we, Are you imputed? Are we simply yours to direct or are we allowed some insight into this? I don't know the rules of this. I'll be honest with you. The information I've been given is pretty bare bones.

Right, okay. That's okay. All right. So let's plan for the worst. Which is? Or the best. Can we plan for the best? Well, I'd love. So let's plan for the worst. Which is? Or the best. Can we plan for the best? Well, I'd love to.

I like planning for the best. I'd like us to be best prepared. As in more snacks. More snacks is good. More meals. Cran or rock snacks. Alcohol's really good on boats. Lasts a long time.

Does it with all the rocking and stuff? Yeah, with moving. It won't spoil. I don't really drink, but you guys go ahead. Okay. That would have been very different for Ophelia coming over as well, because your supplies would be very different to what other people would have.

You know, there would have been attendants there to provide blood and things like that, as they would back in Osseous. You know, your food walks around and can do jobs. It's very handy. It doesn't need to. Yes. Wait.

It's very rare that Osseous will kill unwillingly. It's actually like, normally it's people that volunteer themselves to be fed on. Blood boys. Yeah, kind of, yeah. Your blood boys. Boys. Blood boys and blood girls, there's both,

you know, blood non-binderies, but yeah, it's like a volunteer thing. And they normally cycle them so it's like, they don't let somebody get too weak, you know, they let people build their, you know, replenish their blood. It's very ethical. So lovely.

So lovely. I imagine people occasionally go too far and they end up killing them though. Correct. Yeah. Okay, well. It's ethical to that point, and then it's like, I imagine people occasionally go too far and end up killing them though. Correct. Okay, well... It's ethical to that point and then it's like, oh, murder. Frenzy.

If the beast hungers, the beast hungers. The beast does hunger, yeah. It's unfortunate. They're fairly... the families are compensated. If that happens, like, there is a payment. Oopsie doodle. Yeah, there's a lovely service. Whoopsie doodle.

They've given their body in the name of the great father. They get paid a bunch... their family gets paid something. Oh, it's love, it's love, service. Whoopsie-coos. They've given their body in the name of the great father. They get paid up, their family gets paid. So I'm like, oh, that's lovely, it's love fine. Free skeleton. Free, and then, and then the House of Bones is like, well, we can make use of this. No problem. And the cycle continues.

No problems. I'm like, I'm gonna be a blood boy. That's why you're here this whole time. One thing I will say, Gruff, in your brief conversation with Sir Joran, you don't think he is the kind of... He is not like Sir Norikel, he was very direct and straight. You don't think there is more information that he's going to give you

because you don't think... This isn't like a trick. This isn't like you've got a puzzle, right? He's just like, there are two bad things. Go kill him. You're in charge. That's it. Like, if you want to ask him, like, how far two bad things, go kill him, you're in charge, that's it. Like, if you want to ask him like, how far is it to these islands and stuff, he'll tell you that, it's not like,

it's gonna be some game or anything like that. I have a great idea. Remember when we came in here, in the big fancy university, they said there was a library. We should go and look and see which of the islands, what the islands are known for, and then look at what the most likely target would be.

Our library's open this late. Sure. I never mean. How late is it right now? It's like mid-evening, so probably looking at sort of like an 8 p.m., like 9 p.m., something like that. They had a lot of students around.

They study at strange hours, don't they? I don't know, I've never encountered them. So I'm a 24 hour, but this is a- We can ask. Kill Scarra. Excuse me, I'm just like waving someone down. You just like, are you like anybody that you see on the street?

Just like someone who looks like they've been here a while or- Okay, because like there's a lot of tourists around. So if you just grab the first person you see, high chances are they're not gonna know anything. Okay. So if you just grab the first person you see, high chances are they're not going to know anything. Okay. If you want to say go find a guard or a shopkeeper or something. Yeah, there's patrols walking by and stuff like that.

Yeah, you go up to her. She is a much more anthropomorphic wolf person. Guard, she's not a humanoid with ears. She's a full-on furry guard. like she's not a humanoid with ears, like she's a full-on sort of furry guard. And she'll sort of stop, she's got like a little squad with her and she'll just be like, hello, can I help? Hi, we were just hoping to do some research

on the sort of local area. Do you happen to know if the library is open at all hours? Library? The, sorry, the university. Oh, the Copper Crescent Academy. Copper Crescent Academy. Copper Crescent Academy. Generally, to the public, I don't think you will be able to access it now. They generally only have it open to the public during daylight hours.

It is open, obviously, to students and members of the academy, but you could ask them, but you might need to be quite persuasive to let them, for you to get access to their... Isn't there anywhere we could pick up just a map of the wider area? Not just Wavemeet itself. Wider area? I mean, you'd need to go find a cartographer or something like that. We don't have one here. Right.

But I could give... I've lived here most of my life. I can try and give you some information if that's what you're after. That's what I was gonna say, ma'am. I'd really be grateful if you could give me some information of the locations, of several of these locations, and I'll give Iridia of the Two Peak Isles, the west coast of Netting on Sea,

and the bay, the opposite side of Iridia. Sure, I don't know much about the bay. It's just sort of loose, it's just rock and cliff face, really, it's picturesque. Neting on Sea looks onto it from the coast, I mean it's quite a ways away, you know it's tiny, distant from there. Neting on Sea, it's a small fishing village just out to the west. It's near one of the main rivers that flows down from the mountains up near Caldra and makes its way down here. So it's close to woodland, you know, it's a classic, you know, it's a small rural village really.

Nothing much to see there, it's more for locals, it's not a tourist place. Iriniya is a little bit different, that is much more of a sort of destination that a lot of people like to travel out to. It's about two, maybe three days by boat out, but a lot of people like to travel out to. It's about two, maybe three days by boat out, but a lot of people travel there to stay. There's a resort there in the village,

but also there's quite a few monasteries and shrines up in the two mountains. The isle is called Twin Peak Mountain because there are two large peaks there, and there are a lot of monasteries, friars, monks, people go and they've built shrines and temples and things like that there. Primarily to Pyrrhus and Maelir of course. So about two to three days by boat, what about netting on sea? How long does it take to get there

from here? I mean it's probably about the same but you can travel along the trade roads, you can travel along the golden road out to the west to get to Netting-on-Sea, but it's also you could sail along the coast and it would probably be about the same amount of time. There are, and if you're worried, there are points where if you can chart a ship, generally the captains around here know there's, you know, the Sun Crystals, there's dozens, hundreds of these little isles and pockets of land. And they normally have like a shelter built on them. You know, like it'll be a rudimentary place for you to just put your head down if the bad weather hits

or if you're traveling a long distance. Generally, they're always within a day of travel of each other. So if you, I don't know if you guys know, but when you go hiking and they leave these kind of like places for like hikers to go and stay in the night and be you go hiking and they leave these kind of like places for like hikers to go and stay in the night and be out of the thing, it's kind of like that. Like a shepherd's hut.

A shepherd's hut, exactly that. A bathy. A bathy. A bathy. But imagine them built on these kind of like little rocky outcroppings out at sea, and they'll probably be made of stone and protected against the elements and stuff like that.

Have you heard much about these recent attacks on these places? I've got to say, there's always attacks out on the islands. There's beasts and creatures, pirates... A place like Wavemeat, we're perfectly safe here. We've got the sea wall. None of those brigands and things like that aren't going to attack a place like this, especially with the duchess here.

But yeah, it's a common problem when you get out into the sort of in between, you know, parts of the sea, between areas of civilization. You have pirates, occasionally you get attacks by sea creatures and things like that, but... So you haven't heard anything specifically about two champions attacking, two particularly egregious monsters? I can't say that I have, but my business, you know, I'm focused on protecting here. champions attacking two particularly courageous monsters.

I can't say that I have, but my business, you know, I'm focused on protecting here. I honestly, I mainly deal with drunk tourists and, you know, troublemakers. I'm not out there, you know, I'm not a member of the Sea Guard and things like that, so. You got me. The Sea Guard?

Trouble. Where would I find the Sea Guard? And would they speak to me at this hour? You might be able to go and speak to them. They will be set up in Watcher's Point, the fort, up on the cliff. It's number 16 on the map. Watcher's Point. Watcher's Point.

It's right by the arcane... Sorry, the university. But I believe you have to go up the cliff, so... Oh, no, you're right. Yeah. It's quite by the arcane... Sorry, the university. But I believe you have to go up the cliff. Oh, no, you're right. It's quite a distance. That's generally... We don't have a large contingent of them here. Just the ones who are stationed at the fort.

But either that or the other best place for you to ask is down at the docks. Most of the folks there are traders. They travel around a lot more than I do. They're much more likely to have heard things like that. One last question. I won't waste any more of your time. Is there anywhere at this time of night that we can buy supplies, you know,

adventuring supplies, supplies going out on the ocean? Yeah, you'll find a few general traders all over the town. You know, points down the main street and things like that. You can find general traders for, I don't know exactly what you're looking for, but kind of anything run of the mill. If you need something a little unusual, your best place is probably gonna be Kett's place,

Kett's collection. It's like a pawn shop, it's like a junk trader, but Kett tends to get lots of weird stuff in there from time to time. And then if you need anything like in terms of weapons and armor, there's the smoke and steel armory as well. And she points her direction to that. That's three on the map is the smoke and steel armory. Exact opposite side of the...

And I guess if you were really desperate, you could obviously ask at some of the temples if they'd be able to offer you any arms or help and things like that as well. Well, thank you very much for your time. You're kind of shakes her fur a little bit. But yeah, that's... I'm afraid I can't help you much more than that, I'm afraid. No, you've been a lot of help already. Thank you. You're welcome. Well, good day. Stay safe. Stay out of trouble.

Makes her way off with the guards. Okay, right, you're right, Daisy. I need to lead on this, I need to come up with a plan, I need to get us organized for tomorrow. It's not good to turn up on the first day of the job looking like a mess. You're doing a good job, Graff. Flasking the right things.

Thank you. Shitting myself. It's okay, though, fine. You just need to pretend like you're not. Right, okay, yes. Shitting myself. It's okay though, fine. You just need to pretend like you're not. Right, okay, that's... I'm not very good at that. No, I'm not very good at that either. Okay.

Okay, that's why my wife normally, you know, she's the one who's always representing me and stuff like that. I just do the fishing and no. Anyway. Okay, I propose that some of us go and buy supplies while I go to look for a sea guard to ask for more information about these attacks. Alright.

One thing I would advise is if we all meet up back at the Radiant Hotel, Toresta, after this, I would advise that you all put your armour back on, those that have it. Oh yes. Put your armour back on, those that have it. Oh yes. I don't know how soon we're going to face combat or anything like that, but it'll be good to be prepared and obviously I can't really fight in this neat pox at his little shirt. Good plan. Which is definitely unbuttoned.

Does that sound alright? It sounds perfect, Gruff. Yes, I mean yes. Who would you like to go where? Well, in terms of supplies, I think we'll need things like food. Maybe a couple of days' food. Oh, so hungry. A couple of days' food. Things that can transport easily, especially out on the sea.

Big barrels. Rope. I feel like rope is a good thing to have. Rope's always good. What about... Are there things that... If the mics couldn't pick that up. A bottle just made a funny noise. Ophelia, you're stomach alright?

Sorry, I haven't, um... Are you hungry? I was thinking about, well, I'm getting a bit of anxiety about being on the open ocean. I should probably, um... You're also probably not fed. No, I know. I should probably stock up also probably not fed. No, I actually... I should probably stock up on my own personal stuff. And again, you don't need to,

but you definitely feel that hunger gnawing at you. I can go with Hugh Graff if you want, and then I can write down all the information so we have it on... Perfect, a scribe, yes. That would be perfect. I'll go to Kett's collection then, and get some supplies.

And I was going to say, is there anything that can improve our chances if we are underwater and have to fight off monsters? Is there anything that is suitable for underwater fighting? Well, I mean, I don't really know too much about it. A last thing. Exos tools, they're probably known. Best to ask them. Anything to help us underwater. I've got too gold.

Right, okay. If I give you this money, you're not going to go back and slendermon the frog. I will. Gruffus, you lead me and I will follow. Well, I have 48 and that's technically yours. Oh yeah. I don't know what happened in the hours that I left you all. I sold a rupee.

There was a rupee that was sold... For a hundred? I don't need to know. Well, we will protect this money with our lives. Yes, we'll figure it out. Yes, we're very responsible. If not, I've got them covered. Daisy's got everything you need on her coat.

I have rope and stuff. Coat. I could head to either... So got everything you need on her coat. I have rope and stuff. Coat. I could head to either. So don't bother with rope. Okay. Either the Radiance Hotel, just to secure a room, and then stay there for a bit while you guys are busy,

or I can go to the- I can just go have a nap. Yeah. While you guys do things. I can go to the Armory to ask them about what kind of, because like Roman says, I might be a little bit in trouble fighting underwater with all this fire.

I wonder what our spells are like underwater. I think mine will be significantly diminished. I mean, I have things that aren't fire. You could, tonight Xanthias, learn one of the Proto-Medjai spells, Aethera Compensate. I could indeed learn it. Because that would only cost you 100 gold to learn, because you'd just need to go and buy some essence and stuff.

I do have 100 Aetheric Armament. We'll do that again. You would have to replace one of your first level spells with it. Oh, I see. OK. That is a good one to have. For anyone else's benefit, it can also be learned by a bard or a warlock, and

some others as well, but for the relevant. That's me. You have the one spare scroll of it. You have the Spellstone and the scroll, so the scroll you can use to just cast it once, but if you want to learn it. Before I snarf it myself, that is. So the spell creates three weapons of magical energy that hover around the caster for the duration. When the spell is cast, as a bonus action on future turns, or as an opportunity attack reaction, the caster can make a melee or ranged 20-foot spell attack against a creature with one of these weapons. But if it's ranged, it's half-dismantled. Well, because these will be magic.

Does my dagger have... So your dagger would be the same thing. If it's ranged, it's have disadvantage. I don't know why. Well, because these will be magic. Like, because you can choose the weapon. Does my dagger have... So your dagger would be the same thing. If it's ranged, it's going to be at disadvantage. Even if it's magic. Because it's still a weapon attack. It still has to travel as a weapon does. Same way that like with these, it would depend on the type of weapon it is.

So if you created like a bunch of spears, because spears don't have disadvantage to make attacks underwater, if you were making a ranged attack, it still would. Because because it's like it's got to travel through the water. Okay, so it also yeah it does 1d8 of plus spell casting of Force damage, and while you have at least one Etheric weapon you have plus one bonus to AC as well. And if you cast it at a high level you create more weapons. I don't know what this all means, Antheus.

I'm... This is Tom. I think you should have it. Okay, all right, cool. If you wanted it. That was the only reason I was mentioning it. But I could... So aside from buying the Essence for that, is there any like... It would just take you an hour of your long rest. So it's like you spend 100... So it's 100 GP per level of the spell. It's like learning it from a scroll.

It's 100 GP. Can I replace one of my first? One of your first level spells with it, yes. Or I suppose any of your spells, but I guess you'll probably want to get rid of, I don't know if you'll want to get rid of your high level spells for it. Can I get rid of my feature spells?

My class feature spells? Yikes, okay. I do not have a lot of first level spells, it turns out. Okay, fair enough. Sorry. Oh, I guess you're swapping out the first level. Okay, I'll figure that out. But, yeah, I could go there and try to get us

some new weapons, if people want new weapons. I don't have a lot of money to throw around, but. Ask them what would be good for underwater. I've got a longsword. I feel it's got a... I've got a longsword, a few has got a... My rapier and my whip. Nets. What about just a load of nets?

Nets are pretty helpful, yes. We might be able to trap them, drag them to the shore. Do you think a boat might just have nets? Oh, it could do. That's another question, we need to figure out what a boat might have. A boat net and a combat net are very different as well. Combat nets tend to have weights on them,

so you throw them out and it wraps around. If you're underwater using a net, it's very hard. But if you're on the surface and they're in the water and you throw them out, that would be great. I have these lightning metal bars. Could we, it's probably too late to do something with them. But I start wondering if I could tie them to my whip or something and maybe, I don't know.

I don't know. That's not really how armory works. It's probably floating. It would be mostly the same as tying like a gold coin to your whip, to be honest, yeah. I see. Just like, wonk! Wonk!

I mean, you can try to wonk them if you want. You can pick up a brick and do the same thing. It would essentially be like if you put a brick in a sock. Oh, is it because of the lightning effect? Yes, that's what I was thinking, yes. They have like a slight bit, it's like a resource. It's not like bursting with lightning, because otherwise you holding it,

you'd be constantly like, ah! Ah, ah, ah, ah! That'd be amazing. Also, your whip underwater, probably not the most effective. No, unfortunately. I think your rapier will be the weapon of choice there. Also, your whip underwater, probably not the most effective. No, unfortunately. I think your rapier will be the weapon of choice there. Which is fine.

I thought I'd be okay with that. I'll focus on supplies then. You focus on armory and whatnot. Supplies, armory, coming with me to be a scribe. I can stab people up close, it's not, I can do that. I just draw really lightly. You can throw it, it's just gonna be a disadvantage. No, but I can actually, I can use people up close, it's not, I can do that. I just draw really lightly. You can throw it, it's just gonna be a disadvantage. No, but I can actually, I can use it as a melee.

I mean, that is also hoping that we're not fighting actually under the water, you know? Hopefully that's the last resort. Last resort. Yes. All right, I'm going to give you two. What an asshole GM would do that. Yeah, exactly.

I will give Rowan and Ophelia 500 gold. That's the most I've ever heard. Is that wise? Two, three... Take it back when they're done. Get a receipt. Five... I'm just going to grab two handfuls of it

and it's going to be the exact amount. Not right now. You should know by now that Gruff doesn't care. I know. Gruff should know by now that I will just pick the right amount out of the hat. But Gruff knows that you know. Yeah. So therefore Gruff...

I know. Gruff, that was eight, I wasn't it? Let's start again. One. Lick the air. I know exactly how much Gruff has. Straight. He does.

Bam. Done. Xanthias will give you 500 gold. That's so many turns on the... No. So we'll go will give you 500 gold. That's so many turns on the... No. So we'll go around. No. Okay.

You two promise me that you will only spend this on supplies for this mission. We promise. Not the full 500, that's a ludicrous amount of supplies if you do spend the full 500. We'd be really... We'd be, we would be very prepared for everything. If they have anything like some nets that we can use to maybe try to slow them down.

Same for you. Yes, I will do the same. Ruff will fix you two with a very honest, open gaze. Full eye contact. I can't do that because Kim is an awkward human being. Ron is looking away anyway. And just be like... Both of you have my full trust with this. I know you won't let us down.

Oh, that's worse than you can trust me. I kneel. I swear in oath to you. No, don't do that. Just to use the crossbow. I will never let you down. I will never let you down, ever, ever, ever. Please do not spend this on any gambling games.

I promise. Or fortune tellers. To be fair, you can't fit any more hats on right now. You have too many hats. I have no hats, but you have too many hats. Would you like a hat? No. Not until we get back.

Then I will hat times 50. We have enough for one. If any of this money can help you find your own supplies, ethically, morally, then of course, use it. I will. Thank you, Greff. I feel like I've spent 500 gold on blood. Yes, I sell for factory. I mean, if it means that we don't deal with being on the ocean

with a hungry vampire... It does. It's worth it. The thing is, if she tries to eat meat, she's not going to have a fun time with it, so... You've got to chew it. It's so boring. There's a Celestial, but I'm just trying to give you a bit of trouble. It's hard getting through this in you, yes.

Xanthius, though, deals issues. A bit burny. A bit burny. I haven't tried Xanthias though, the little ichthyos. Bit burny. Haven't tried it yet. Bit burny. Haven't tried Xanthias yet. You've had Rowan? I've had Rowan. No, no, she's had Ruff.

You actually have had Ruff, yeah. And I've had the Crownsteel Water, so would it be the same effect of... Oh yeah, no, I mean... This is pure. Come on. Yeah, but she really liked the Crownsteel Water, so would she be able to...

Mixed with a little Celestial as well. Everyone liked the Crownsteel Water. But this is mixed with a little bit of Celestial as well. Dragon Balls as well. Oh, he's got Dragon in him. That's true, he's got all the things you need. They did their affair with Delectable. Probably the best blood you've ever had.

So good. I'm like a pina colada. No, you're like a spicy margarine. I'm like a fireball whiskey. Cinnamon. Cinnamon, yeah, aniseed, cinnamon. Oh my god. Polarized and burnt. I'm like a fireball whiskey. Yeah, fireball. Cinnamon. Cinnamon, yeah, aniseed, cinnamon. Oh my god. Polarizing.

I drink Sanctius. Wait, wait. He's spiced leather and cedar. Available now. That's what he smells like. It smells like a whiskey. It doesn't taste like whiskey. It has to be complimentary.

Right, for the love of god, one of you two, please write 500 gold down. I know that neither of you have done it. 250, 250. 250, 250. So. Not doing that ever again. Okay, Grosse, you're at the Radiance Hotel. I know that neither of you have done it. 250, 250. 250, 250. So. Not doing that ever again. Okay, Gruss, you're at the Radiance Hotel. I'm glad you trust me completely.

Salute, I'm leaving. All right, let's start with the thing that I think is going to take the most time, which is these two. Uh. Oh, no. Rowan and Ophelia. Look at Rowan's face.

You make your way to Kett's collection. We're done. Um. I bought. We're done. I bought everything we're done. This is a good point, right? Like what exactly are you looking for? Like you say supplies, like are you looking for something in particular? Can I make a saving throw?

What? Okay. Oh no. What did you get? What kind of saving throw? Okay. Oh, no. What did you get? What kind of saving throw? Sorry. I don't mean to imply a wisdom saving throw, because I don't know. But what sort of saving throw were you making? It was wisdom, and I got a five.

Do you want to use fate on that? So, Rowan is just... Imagine this is the animated version of Othin, which will come out 20... 2036. 2036. Don't even. It's just slowly zooming in on Rowan's eyes and then you see the thought bubble and it's a memory of Gruff that's like, swear to me, you will not spend this money.

A little tiny Gruff on your shoulder. Poof. But then overtaking that is another, it's Rowan on the other side with the lavender hat. You always wanted that, and you love the hat. You could have another hat. Oh no. Oh no.

So as you are making your way to Steadleplan, You're really good at such harsh groups, nightly quests like this, aren't you? you are, you know, you had really only gotten just outside of the lavender gardens when you had this conversation on the street with the garden, things like that. As you go to turn and everybody else goes off in their different directions, you and Ophelia sort of begin to make your way back up the main street towards Ketz, but you keep glancing back and you see the lavender garden

and its big, beautiful, purple sign glowing, you hear the music coming from within. What if we just had one go? Rowan, Rowan the music coming from within. What if we just had one go? Rowan, Rowan, we can't remember, we promised Gruff. We promised Gruff. But the hats are so nice. I know, and I don't even have one, and they're so nice.

Well, I can get you one. Can he still see Gruff from down the street? Because if we've only just... Like, is Gruff still in visible range? For the sake of the narrative, I'm going to say no. You've all gone off in your separate ways. Convince me if you think it's a bad idea. Gruff, we promised Gruff that we wouldn't spend the money. We did promise.

We did. And you took a knee. Knights are all about their word. Exactly. Knights are all about their word. And you gave your word. You swore an oath, remember? I knelt.

You knelt, exactly. To Sir Gruffydd of Tremorra. Yes, you did. Yet the pull... The pull is strong, but that's what makes a knight great. I'm not a knight. No, but that's what makes the journey of becoming a knight great. You have to let the mission be more important than your wants and needs and desires right?

I can aspire to be a great knight by gruff. A group of people start moving past you having a good time I can't wait to go to the level of guns we have such a good time Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, I'm a big strong boy. Rowan is a big strong boy. I gotta go. No, Rowan, don't! You're just running. I don't. Okay. I'm held. I'm held. No, it's not what Gruffers does want.

Let's get supplies. Yes. All right, you're just his hand. Well done, well done, Rowan. You make your way, staying true, remembering your oath, you make your way to Cat's collection. Now, are you just trying to buy regular supplies? Like, regular supplies, I'm not gonna role play out

because you can just buy those, it's fine. We'll figure out the prices for it. What exactly do you want? But when you go into Kat's, this is like a random shop full of eclectic stuff. If you're looking for something more interesting, this, you can ask for it. Have you got anything specific in mind?

So I was just gonna get rations. Rations is a good start, that's good. I was thinking, rope, wasn't it? They said it was a rope. I need some of the, I need some blood. I need some of the good stuff. Maga-thera had some, that was right. She did have loads.

So that it might be. She had a whole cabinet, it was wonderful. They might have some, I'll ask around. If not, I will... Okay. ...pay somebody, probably. It's gonna happen anyway, Mark. Let it happen. If you struggle, don't forget... I'm a big boy.

And I've got so much blood. Don't, Rowan. It's been a few days. I need to do this. I can't keep drinking. Do it the right way. Yes. But there's a fallback. That's what I'm saying. Okay. Don't go feral. Do you go feral? I haven't let drinking. Do it the right way. Yes. But there's a fallback, that's what I'm saying. Okay. Don't go feral. Do you go feral?

I haven't let it get that far. I've been quite on, but it's been a few days. The gambling kind of took a hold of me. Worst case scenario. Shout out. It's okay. Not too much, but we're gonna be stuck on our boat. Okay, yes, we will.

That's terrifying to me, actually. Hello. What do the two of you want? Where's the rest of your companions? And that's that funny dragonborn. Oh, they're retired for the night. What do you want? We're here for serious business.

All right. Spending coin? Do you have a few? It's okay. We're just looking for supplies for a sea voyage. What kind of supplies? Russian food... I don't know.

Go buy them from... There's a million traders to go and buy food and rations and things from. I forgot it was this place. I'll be honest. Sorry, Kett. All right then. Let's... Do you have any blood? Yes. Blood? Yes.

Blood? Yes. Like a strange supply of blood in a container. I'm going to roll a D100. On a 25 or less, he will have blood. That's what it means. Thesillaneous blood. Honestly, better chances than.

Eight, he has blood. Honestly, better chances than... Eight. He has blood. Yay! Hell yeah. He, like, looks at you, he, like, eyes you up, he's like, are you a god? No, I point at my teeth. Oh, what does that mean?

I've got any points he's got points as well. Yeah, he's a cat! What, to what? Oh, sorry, um... I required the human blood. For what, are you doing magic? You doing dark magic? No, I, I required human blood. For what, you doing magic? You doing dark magic? No, I consume it.

You drink it? Yes, it's quite nice. Disgusting. I do have some blood. Oh, do you, what kind? Do you have, you know? I don't know, blood, people blood. People blood.

People blood will do, people blood will do. It's better than animal blood. How well stored is it? Stored? It's not like a really odd, because there's lots of no effects. No, it's not, I mean it's airtight, it's fine. All right.

Magically preserved. Well that's, okay, that's helpful. People need it for, certain people need it for magic rituals and things, it needs to be fresh blood and so the magic keeps it in that. You can keep the jar, I think the enchantment should last another year. So it sounds.

Wait. What? A jar? A char, a char's a jar! I could put so much blood in it. Oh, okay. For a year. Also, and I have another thought bubble,

I remember Zant doing Hagley. So I'll take it from here. Okay, you take the lead, Rowan, I trust you. How much? For the blood? Yes. Well, it's clear that you need it. Very much so.

Oh, excellent. Sorry. So you're quite desperate. You won't find any other blood to be sold here in Wavemeat. So let us call it, 200 gold. I mean, it's an enchanted jar.

If you put blood in it, it will keep the blood fresh for up to a year. Too gold. No, get out. That's ridiculous, I'm insulting. That's not what happened with Xanthias. 150. You're getting closer, make a persuasion roll. You immediately torpedoed me.

No, no, no. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Uh, 19. Why are you rolling on the fidget spinner? It just went that way. Because he keeps everything in his fucking dice,

and it tries to be crazy. Okay, thanks. 19. 19. He will look at you and be like, 175. One. You gotta let him do you like that. That's disgraceful.

170. I can hear you. And he points at his big ears. Do I go up or down? Go down. Up. It says up. What do you say? 170. Oh my god. 170.

Done. Deal. It worked. Oh my god. It worked. 170. Well done, you did it. He goes over to a section of the wall

and with a claw he traces a rune and you watch as that wall vanishes and becomes like a little alcove closet and he goes in, sticks in there, like goes through a few things and pulls out like a couple of jars. He like looks at it, shakes it, no eyeballs.

Yes, this is blood. Then comes up to it and he like puts it on there and it's kind of like a glass, sort of like a, almost like a mason jar, but quite a bit larger. And it has like a stopper lid wrapped with like a binding. And you can see that the jar itself has like runes and sigils etched into it as well.

And there is a dark red liquid inside. Probably about two days worth for you. Question. Mark. Yes. How much would that actually cost? I'm not gonna tell you that. How would Daisy know that? No, it's not Daisy, it's Katie.

No, no, I don't know what to tell you. Well, this is a start. You don't have any nets, do you? I've got some, what, fishing nets? Yeah, I've got some fishing nets. Kind of. Something that we can use underwater. Nets go underwater.

They do? How much? Five gold. Huh. That seems too easy. I'm not bargaining for the nets. Okay, five gold. So blood, net.

Blood, net. Do you want anything else? Your friend was interested in this magic ring. Do you want the magic ring? What does the ring do? Magic. It's just magic. It does something.

Can I touch it? No, you can look at it. It points at it in the cabinet. And you can see that touch it? No, you can look at it. It points at it in the cabinet. And you can see that there's like a runic sigil on it. It's quite like roughly made. It's like very rough looking iron metal and it's got like a rune etched into it. It is beautiful.

We have very different tastes. 200 gold. Magic ring. I don't have that much anymore. I spent 170170 on... Five. $175 for the net as well. No, we went down.

Oh, yes. I've spent $175 total. Let's think about it. It might be gone tomorrow, but fine. Wait, it's going to go tomorrow? Could do. It could go tomorrow. It's okay.

It's okay. I'm sure it'll stick around for a while. If you say so. What, it's gonna go now and Tantius wants it. But do you want money for the lavender gardens? Or would you rather have the ring? I mean, how long's that magic ring going to stay? Somebody's gonna buy magic ring.

You're not helping. I love this guy. He's like a hairless Egyptian cat as well. So he's like, he's in like a big black robe and sort of like. So we needed, was it rope? They wanted rope, right? So do we have enough rope?

I think the rope is covered. The rope is covered. Because there's a robe that makes a rope. I'm trying to think, what is a, when I was on the boat. Magic ring. See, we just had blood and alcohol. That was all we needed, really, blood and alcohol.

I was going to get rations, but this was not the place for them. Okay, I don't think I'm going to be much help, to be honest. You've got some blood now. I have some blood now. For two days. For two days, I might need some more, but it's fine. I'll work on that. Well, our work here is done. I think I was going to do a great job.

That means we have the rest of the night. Lavender Garden. Lavender Garden. No, we couldn't possibly, could we? We swore an oath. We swore an oath. This is tough, isn't it? It is so hard.

It's like a quest. We need to get food. So you don't want the magic ring. We'll come back for the- Can I put a down payment? Yes, 200 gold and you can take the ring with you. Is that just 200 gold? 200 is a lot.

It's priced. But I gave you five. Shoo shoo. You're not there. Let's go. Yes, I think we should go. I think we should... We need to find food. Fine, fine.

And snackies. Your loss. I know. Thank you, Kert, for the blood. You're welcome. Thank you for the gold. That's how trade works. I suppose so.

I just felt like I had to thank you. It was a strange request. I could never own a shop. No, it's- That's stressful. Strange people, it goes back to like reading this book. Mwah, mwah, mwah. It just lets you guys make your way out.

Yes, Markov175, as you bought Blood and a Net. It is just a normal fishing net. But you have a fishing net now. Well done. You did it. You can put the vial in. Jar of blood. I'll put the jar of blood in.

That is an enchanted jar. An enchanted jar. But all it will do is keep blood fresh. But what's the enchantment? What, on the blood? On the jar? Because it is specifically keeping blood fresh, it's necromancy.

Oh, shit. Oh, I got caught. Because it has nothing to do with temperature. It's to do with necrotic energy. All right, yeah, yeah, you know what? You got me on that one. He was fishing for that one. Fair enough.

Come pull one over and I'll... Bucky. You know what? I, well done. With that, let us go to the break and then when we come back we will deal with the other people. Did we really do 10 minutes of that? I think it was longer than 10 minutes.

You also wrestled with yourself to not go back to the lavender garden. I did. Yeah, sorry. That's fine. No, that's fine. But with that, break time. We'll see you in five minutes everybody.

Take care, till then. See you in you in five minutes, everybody. Take care. Till then. See you in a bit. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Hi, this is Michelle Madison. And I'm Jon Jacobson.

And we're the Video Game Outsiders 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.