High Rollers DnD - The Therapy Tapes (Part 1) | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #98

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

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Pickax. You ever listen to an actual play podcast and think, I want to play at that table. No quest for the wickets got you. When a planet mysteriously appears in the Castleball Solar System, it sparks a chaotic scramble of corporations, scientists, and adventurers. Little do they know, a dark threat, hangs over them. And the only two who can stop it are Vlinnegut, a father looking for a new start,

and Flitwick, a privileged DJ setting out to prove himself to his family. But they have a secret weapon. You, the listener, join the council, and vote on important decisions, create and name NPCs, form factions with other. listeners and even influence the hands of fate themselves. So don't wait, visit noQuestcast.com to claim your seat at our table. Hello and welcome back to Hirola's D&D and Althea the Dragon Empire. The events that took place at Gallo's Erie came to an end and our heroes set off with the great with the gratitude of High Inquisitor Argus and doubts heavy in a few of their hearts.

They decided to head into the Azar Steb in pursuit of Rowan's strange dream, but first had to navigate the mountains that the Ecliptic Order's fortress was secluded in. After a few initial stumbles, the party managed to make their way without too much trouble and encountering a few of the steps' unique flora and fauna along the way. After reaching the vast, expansive plains of the step, they sought out the closest settlement they could to gather supplies and seek information, leading them to the small village of Yalt. In Yalt, they encountered Vricks, a wandering dynastian whose carapus and horn had been badly damaged

and was struggling to convince the locals to help her. The party took pity on Vricks and learnt that she sought the same place as Rowan, claiming it was a place to mend the broken. The group enjoyed a fine meal and comfortable beds at the rocking cradle inn and the hospitality of its trio of Dwarven sister owners, and were given the advice to seek out scaler of Storm Bloom Sanctuary before they continued on their journey. In the morning, Rowan and the crew got distracted

by a merchant selling tiny Thunderbeast creatures called Little Fangs, and Rowan bought one, naming it Gibson, before making their way to Storm Bloom Sanctuary. And that, my friends, is where we pick up today's session. to re-establish you in Storm Bloom's Sanctuary, you had made your way. Yolt is sort of built into a series of hills with this sort of crescent moon shape,

with a few freestanding yurts and tents and structures in the centre, but most of it is in these little hills. And you had been following signs that pointed to Stormbloom Sanctuary that sort of seemed to weave their way in and out of the hills themselves. There were great stone,

with trellises and plants and flowers of different colors blooming everywhere. And eventually you found yourself in a secluded pocket where winds and storm rain and things like that didn't seem to gather with a natural stream running through it. All around this little sanctuary, various vegetables and plants and flowers and herbs have been grown with great stone columns and archways

with tarps and trellises over it to protect them from the rain as well. And as you arrived, emerging from a little stone hermitage set into the mountain, into the hills, came out a green-scaled cobald woman, dressed in a very plain-looking sort of white dress with a sort of gardener's apron on, with shears and little tools and bits and pieces stuffed into her pockets. Also, because I had the idea of it, I'm now going to give her a lovely straw hat that she's wearing with her little horns cut holes. How big's the brim? Very, very wide.

And there are like little flowers and thistles and herbs that have been sort of decorated and woven through the hat as well. She sort of comes out sort of wiping dirt off of her claws and looked around and was just like, oh, oh, hello, welcome to Storm Bloom Sanctuary. Can I help you? Gibson, no, come back. You see the little creature runs up.

up and immediately wants to start digging and pulling at the vegetables. So sorry. She, look, this little Cobbold looks at Gibson and just is like, uh-uh, uh-uh, little friend, and sort of calls them over. And you watch as Gibson just immediately goes to her and starts like nuzzling and she reaches down.

I mean, she's not much bigger than Gibson being a little cobald, but kind of scratches his feathers and his little ears and scales. And it's just like, now you'd be good and sort of gestures back and Gibson just sort of kind of starts looking around sniffing a few of the flowers but seems to be behaving. That's very impressive. Just a little magic trick just to make sure that he behaves. We do get quite a few little critters coming in here.

Amazing. Just a little spell. Nothing to hurt the little fellow, of course. But how can I help you, travellers? I can see that you're not all from the step. No. Can I do the introductions? Oh, I'm from the Azar Step.

Oh, I gathered that. Scala, yes. We've been directed to you specifically. Oh, wonderful. Yeah, and I'm Rowan. Well, pleasure to meet you, Rowan. She's like looking up at you. I'm from the Azar Step.

Gathered that? Yeah. Whereabouts? Up the north. I see. I'm a nomad, so we traveled around. Yeah, yeah, of course. And these are my best friends.

First of all, Vricks. My newest best friend. Giant, you know, six, probably six and a half foot tall, dynastian, but they're carapus. I mean, for you guys, you've found out since that Vricks is female, but there is no way to tell them apart visually if you don't know the slight tiny, tiny,

sort of indescribable, indescipherable differences. But thick carapose that has been ripped and torn away in most sections, leaving quite fleshy pink insect, looking flesh underneath with a giant horn that's now been snapped and broken. Looks like a Herculees beetle, so like two horns, both of which have been snapped off. Little tiny, beady insect eyes, four sets of arms, too large, too small, dressed in sort of very ragged, ramshackle, sort of self-repared equipment

and just sort of is very shyly sort of stood behind everybody, and we'll just say, awkwardly, greeting. Hello there. That's Briggs. And then I've got my very old friends. Please. Daisy, Thistle Hart. Hi.

Hello, hello, Daisy. Nice to meet you as well. Zanthias, Oregon. Hello, hello, not from Yazos, Stowe. Clearly. I quite gathered. Yes, sir. By the way that you're dressed,

Cauldron, I'm assuming? Both of us, yes. Yes, I figured. Kind of. We have a neighbour from Icehart, Griffith of Tremoro. Yeah, most certainly could tell where you were from, sir. travel, get quite a few ice-heart travellers coming down this way, past Yalt.

Tell quite a few herbs and bits and pieces to people passing by. Pleasure to meet you. And a very distant friend, Ophelia Delarosa of the House of Blood. Thank you, really. From Osseus. Osseus, I never heard of it. Is it a village somewhere, miss? No, I'm from across the Great Western Sea. My goodness, from across the sea?

Yes. Oh, my well. Quite a rare visitor. I must say I get quite a few. sorts coming through here, but I've never had anyone, you said, Osseus is where you're from, I've never had anyone from Osseus come through. You come visit, it's wonderful. She sort of

cocks her head, sort of seeing you and introducing for the first time Ophelia, but sort of really now seems to see you, and you've encountered people, majors, beings, clerics, and you can tell that she probably can sense that you are there is some sort of

undead energy about you. But she just sort of like looks you up and down, and then smiles and is just like, oh well, what can I do for you all traveling through? Looking for herbs and potions, solves, that sort of thing? Oh, well, I certainly wouldn't say no to taking a look and figuring out prices, but no, we're traveling shortly out of this little settlement to the wet stone,

the giant's wet stone. Giant, oh, the Giants, yeah, to Ulface Crown. I dreamt about it and now we're here. You dreamt about it, you say? Yeah, we follow our dreams. here. How curious. Well, I don't, but...

Very curious indeed. Um, well, I'm certainly, I'd be certainly happy to tell you about it, what I know at least. Um, and if there's something else I can do for you, but, but you say that you dreamt about it, sir. Yeah, there was, there's no dream like it. It felt so real. Like I was really there. That's very interesting. I was following the path and these are steps. Don't tell me just yet. I'd like to save that, if I may. You want some music with it, I get it.

Well, that would be delightful, but no, no, generally whenever people come to me are asking about the crown, sorry, the giant sweatshstone as most people know. The crown, oh. What kind of crown are we talking about here? Well, that's how I know it. It's Ulthay's crown is...

But not... No. Right, okay, yes, good, not have one. Fascinating. Althay's crown. Wow. So regal. But when people come to me about it, I'm mostly a gardener and a herbologist,

but there are some who come seeking more spiritual guidance, and generally those who seek the wet stone are of that kind. And generally I ask that if we're going to talk about that, well, I'd like to talk about it in a particular way. I'd like to talk about it with you alone. and to maybe ask a few questions and what you intend and that sort of thing, if that's all right. Yes.

Have a question. Please. Ricks is also here on their own quest towards the stone as well. Desperately, yes, I also seek the stone. Maybe more so than me, in fact, so maybe they can go first. That's more than fine. I've got plenty of time to talk to whomever, really. And also, you know, it doesn't just have to be about the stone.

if any of you feeling particularly, I don't know, if there's things on your mind or doubts or heavy of heart. I'm always happy to have a cup of tea and talk about it with anybody. But yes, well, listen, oh gosh, I'm trying to think of the order

because you said you want to do some business as well. Oh, yeah, if there's potions and supplies that we could take with us. I can make some things. I don't really prepare things ready to go, but I can quite rapidly. put a few things together. It really depends what sort of things you're looking for.

Hmm, potions of healing? Very difficult. Difficult to produce. I could do something more like a solve, which is, it's not as immediate and instantaneous as these rare sort of healing potions and things like that. But it is very useful when you're sort of traveling on the roads and you've got a bit of time to rest

and play can help in those sorts of situations. but also potions that can give you a bit more vitality that can help you, you know, if you're encountering difficulty or hardship, they can give you a bit of boost of energy and fortitude. But also, if there's other things in particular that you have in mind... Well, we don't really know what we are potentially going to be facing on the road, how dangerous it might be. Is the wet stone...

Well, crown safe. It doesn't have to necessarily be for just your journey there. perhaps you've got something in your future ahead of you that you're thinking of. My limit, I'm surprised limited, but I can always, you know, do my best. But things like the healing self and the vitality potions, those are easy for me to do. I often do things like people traveling into ice heart. I can make potions that can help you fend off the bitter chill or things like that or make you more, you know, more resistant to poisons and things.

like that as well. I forgot the heating ones, then we'd have to go to ice-hurt to make the most of them, right? Oh, but it doesn't, it means you don't get the real ice-heart experience. Is that freezing to death? I don't find it quite cold. Yes, but...

That's because you're used to it. It's really quite cold. That little spot in the garden. No, too much. Bracing. No. Very bracing. I do find the heat of cold are quite oppressive, though.

So a little bit of cold, I wouldn't mind a little bit of cold. How dare you? That's our son you're talking about. Kind of fair enough, though, because we feel the same about gruff, so it's just what we're used to really. I guess that works. That's true. That's the wonderful thing of the arched dragons powers,

isn't it, creating all of these wonderful environments that, you know, suit to the, you know, you wouldn't normally get somewhere like the Azar Step right next to Ice Heart or an Ice Heart being so close to the wheat fields of Guildye, you wouldn't normally get something like that. I didn't think of it like that. Dragon's magic. That's a good point.

I suppose if you've always been travelling around, Mr. Rowan, you wouldn't really, perhaps, although I suppose you're used to our arched dragon storms most likely. I didn't connect the two. That's all right. It's always something new to learn, isn't there? Oh, you don't know the arch dragon's name? Eliodnir. That's probably why.

They're quite confusing, aren't they dragon names? Yeah, they are. There you go. You've learned something extra today. Eli. Eliodnir. Ellie. It's like Ellie, but Yodny. Eli Yodnir.

Eliodnir. Elie is a good one. I don't know if he would appreciate being called that, but you can do what you like. You never know. That's true. We have met. Strange things keep happening. We did see the storm that looked like a dragon, didn't we fly?

Is that? No. That's the arched dragon's magic. Yes. It was amazing. So it's, it's, it's, it's, it's. He has partial control over it, but sometimes these magical effects, they don't have full control. Eliodnear particularly, I think he's a bit more...

Blue dragons are all about sort of freedom and not being very constrained and... He's blue. ...being very... kind of like the wind in a storm, really. So sometimes I think he just... He lets the magic do its own thing, whereas I imagine like in Caldra, the red arched dragon, they probably have to be a lot more careful. They don't want volcanoes and... firestorms going off all the time, do they?

There are many firestorms, volcanoes, yes. But I imagine they're quite controlled. They don't just go off. Yeah, it's very regimented. Yeah, fully controlled. I haven't said fire yet. Yeah, I think that they've got a bit more, they care a bit more about their controlling their magic.

As Ellie Udney is sort of doing his own thing all the time. Oh, classic Ellie. You know them so well. Yeah. But yes, but yeah, I'm happy to talk about the old face crown. Like I said, so you and Vricks is it, you both, you

individually are seeking the Wetstone, sorry? Yes, yeah. Oh, then I'd like to speak to both of you. If it's got limited power, I think Vricks should probably go first, because of their carapids. What do you know of, what do you know of the Wetstone already?

I know that it came to me in a dream and I went to it. But you don't know anything else, You don't know what it can do, you don't know the stories. It made my sword sharp. Ah. And it had ulcerite in it.

Right. Which is a mineral. I can't say it's one that I've heard of before, but I mean, it does, the wetstone is supposed to contain the power of Ulfay. So I don't know what this ulcerite is, but that makes sense. And what about you, friend? Abashedly, I have been told it. repairs things that are broken. I am Rick's the broken. I wish to be mended. Oh yes. Yes, you're like,

now that's something that a lot of people come here for. You're like many of the people that travel there, the pilgrims. Lots of people want to be mended, maybe physically like you, but some go because they want to be mended mentally or emotionally. People that have their heart broken or suffer a great loss, they travel there hoping that the stone will, will mend them too. Some people go there with their families to mend broken bonds or to rekindle a love between two people. Yours is a different story. Never have I had someone come to me and say that they saw it in a dream and that it's called to them like that before. And you say you took a sword there to sharpen it. Oh, this is no normal sword though. This is

a stone razor that we found at the depths of wave meat. Just these big cobald eyes, you seem to take it all in. I found out because I have the ability to find this out. I don't know why. I connect with the land, you see.

Do you? Yes. And I found out that this sword is ancient, perhaps created by Althea themselves. to help fight the proto-magi. What do you know of Althe? Oh, they're great.

And they made the land, and the land's great. And... It sound like a five-year-old. And... It's the beating heart. It is what the land is, the world. Do you know how Althe became the land? Oh, I bet they just thought.

I'd love to be land. Nothing better than a rock. Well, maybe, but they know it was... You all know the story of the sovereign and the bright storm and Equinox war, as we're taught. We see when sovereign unleashed the bright storm, the gods and the powers, they all protected as many of us as they could,

and some pirates vanished away. and Melia protected some and Ulfei protected what they could. But the bright storm, it ravaged the world. All that the gods had built, all the mountains, the forests, the plains, it was all being burnt and wiped away. And when they finally imprisoned Sovere, Pyris and Malia became the sort of custodians, the wardens, to watch over the crown. But Ulfay, well, they were so sad.

They were so heartbroken at this beautiful world that they had all built together. and they knew that we mortals would be returning to it when I couldn't bear the thought of them going back to that burnt and blasted world. So Ulfay gave themselves to become the land. The church teaches us that Alfei died when they did that, that they gave up their very essence and everything that they are to become our world. But many of us, myself included, we don't believe Althe is dead, not like the church believes,

but rather Althe is dormant, like a tree in winter. They are just sleeping or dormant, perhaps, is a better word. And unlike the other gods, they can't manifest themselves. They can't send their divine power in the way that Pyrrhus and Malia can to their priests. But they can still influence things. can still speak to a few of us. I could dream. Ulfey speaks to me as well,

like they seem to speak to you. What an honor. You said that you can connect with the world, Rowan. Yeah. Can you show me how? Well, how do you do that? Yeah. You honestly now?

Please. Hellier. I'm gonna sit down. So I sit like this and I cross leg, but it's a bit difficult because my thighs are quite tight. But I do my best. Try and get the knees to the floor. Touch as much of leg to floor as possible. Ready, connect with the land.

And then I close my eyes like this. I'll keep one eye open so I can see you though. And then from there, I don't know. I just let my mind wander. And I feel my mind going down into the land itself. And then I sort of embody the land, so to speak. I feel like I become one with it. and then it speaks.

Well, I speak. It's like we speak. And I am flooded with its memories. I see. I see. Very interesting. Very interesting. Well, that's, yes, good.

I think it's very, I think it's very apt that you came here today, Rowan. I think you and Vrix, that's good. I had a similar thing once long ago. I used to work in Kelskaris with my family. But I always felt a calling. I always felt myself drawn back to the step. And I could, whenever I, whenever my claws touch the stones of the streets, or I went into a garden, or I looked out, I potted a plant,

I could always feel something. Do you feel it too? Like you said, like a conversation with something deeper and more connected to everything. And I just knew that my place wasn't in the city. So I left my family and I came here and I kept hearing the sound of water wherever I travel. But it grew louder and louder as I came to yolt. And then I found this little stream. And I just knew that this is where I'm meant to be to help people like you and other travelers who come by.

That's wonderful. I'm glad you think so. Yes. You found your purpose. Yes. But maybe Ulthay guided you. Well, I think so. You know, Ulthay is an interesting.

interesting one because, yes, it's, you know, a lot of people think of Olfay's, the land and and the springs and, you know, the spring and the flowers and the streams, but also, you know, nature can be a little violent sometimes, it can be destructive sometimes, but it can be nurturing and caring, can be predatory sometimes, you know, it's about survival. So it's It's balancing things. That's kind of what I see my job is. You know, I'm a gardener. I help things grow.

But sometimes you have to snip off like the disease buds or the weakened branches to help something flourish. And that's kind of my job. So I know that you and Ricks are here to talk about the wet stone. And then she sort of looks at you, Ophelia, and she looks at gruff. Her eyes, she sort of looks at Daisy but doesn't linger on Daisy. Kind of like just she smiles when she looks at Daisy.

Like, you know, there's almost this sense. And then with Xanthias, almost like a little scaled eyebrow kind of rises. Well, if any of the rest of you did want to, you know, have a sit down, maybe have a little quiet chat with somebody who can maybe just shed a little light on things or give you a bit of insight or, yeah, just be an ear to bend for things. I think that travellers who often come here, well, sometimes their hearts are a little heavy. But anyway, anyway, have a thing.

If you want to have a think about any business, but why don't we start with your friend, the Dynastian there, like you said? That makes perfect sense. And then you can all have a little chat out here. Please help yourselves. Thank you. There's fresh fruit and vegetables. Just pick whatever you want.

It all grows back. Don't worry. So I have whatever you fancy. The spring is all clear and fresh. You can drink that, that's lovely and drinkable. Very cold, very fresh. Oh, would you like some chairs to sit on? I don't normally do chairs out here,

but I don't know if you're all comfortable sitting on the grass and the floor. I'd like a chair, please. One chair? I'm fine, I sit on the floor out. Daisy Wells just sit cross-legged. Sure. And Daisy, like, this place is beautiful.

It reminds you of that little way you drew the orange tree back in Caldra. it is like this most beautiful, like, picturesque floral sanctuary. A chair? Oh, I just sort of wander around. Oh, right. He lingers. What about yourself?

Oh, I'll be absolutely fine, thank you. All right, one chair it is then, and she just puts her claws into the earth, and from sort of earth and stone and pebbles, this quite ornate chair just a really nice chair. Thank you. That's beautiful. You're welcome. All right.

Is it Vrix, you said? Confirmation, yes. Bricks is my name. Come on then and just offers a little claw and takes, and you see that Vricks has to like literally crouch to go into this hermitage. And they sort of lead in. And you get a brief look in

and you can see what is like this dainty little sort of round table with little chairs. You can see there's a little fire with like a teapot hanging off of it, all sorts of like earthen shelves with little herb, you know, jars of herbs and things like that. But then when they step in, you see Scala will just say, won't take too long, a little, little bit,

and then you just watch as this big boulder rolls into place and blocks the Hermitage entrance, basically, leaving the five of you plus Little Gibson on your own. Well, she's lovely. Simply delightful. Simply delightful. Fascinating. Indeed.

Fascinating? In a good way? Yes, yes. You had a sudden tone about you. Well, she looked at me funny. Oh, she looked at me funny as well. Did she? Yeah.

Oh, she just smiled at me. It's quite nice. Yeah. That's understandable. You are delightful. Yay! You are. You're a delight.

Are you ready to chat about your dream? How visual is it in your eye, right? Oh, it was... You remember it clear? It was like it was yesterday. Oh, great. Okay. Because it was.

It was two days ago. It was like maybe, maybe a week ago. Yeah, it was a few days ago. Was it? Yeah, because we've been traveling from the Ecliptic Order. That was... That took a few days. Galizari.

That was, yeah, that was... It felt like it was yesterday. It's so vivid in my mind. No, there's a lot of rain, a lot of Aphelia fell. I fell. Good pan. She fell hard. Maybe you could talk about that moment,

because that's probably quite traumatic for you, right? The pan. The pan. It's okay, I ate goat. I made up for it. But you did. I did. It was a good goat.

I ate the goat too. You all ate the root. It was in the stew. It was lovely goats. But, um, yes. Um, you had go too. Got a year is that a store if you know. Yeah.

Um, yeah, you were there the entire time. Maybe you could. I know all of this information. I was definitely not on holiday. I will inform you of anything that you need to know. I assume there was not anything that I needed to know. Not desperately. No.

Oh, Daisy's dead. Huh. Oh, bye! So there is that. Okay, so just a quick chat about your dream, hopefully pick up some information. What is the wet stone? What exactly is it?

It's just a big stone, right? Magic. I think it's Altheic. It's Altharite in there. It's probably a very, very close connection. I know Althea is all the land, but this might be a particularly, potent area of it.

Okay. Where I can really connect with, I'll say, closer than before. Leading you there to repair the sword. Makes sword better. It's sort stronger. Or maybe it's, you know, symbolic in some way. I don't know. It does look quite...

It still gives me vibes of what we've faced. There's a dark aura around it, for sure. Yeah. It's... Just very... It's kind of being corrupted in a sense. Well, hopefully it can chisel away at that. While you guys having this conversation,

just because Gruff is very quiet, I want to know what Graff's doing. Thinking? Is he just sitting off on his own, just lost and thought? He's kind of in the back of the group. Like, he's probably found like a little, you know, I don't know,

a mossy mound or something to sit on. And he's probably got his pipe out and having a puff while he's just, he's just absorbing whatever he's saying. Okay, I just wanted to check in. Check one thing. Mm. because this is written from 2023

about a group called the Dreamers. So would... Scala? My brain just went for a minute. It just turned itself off and went, no. Would Scala be considered? It certainly seems to align with it, that idea. Well, the Dreamers also, they're a little bit more

like they believe everything has spirits and things like that. She didn't mention anything like that, but like this idea that Althea isn't quite, dead that the church is misguided in that, that definitely seems to align. But whether or not she's an actual dreamer as a member of that sort of faction, not sure. Cool, I just wanted to check that that.

Yeah, sure. Laura was still accurate. I just wanted to check him with Graf because it's a bit quiet, so. Well, I think at this point we're all an open book, right? What would you want to go in there and talk to them about? Who talk to me? Anyone? Oh, I don't believe I've much to talk about.

No? I don't know. Quiet, gull? I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. That was three I'm fine in a row, which is a positive, then a negative, but then back to positive again, so grass fine.

Is that four? I did think you were quite quiet at the meal. Just taking it all in. Okay. It's your time to shine, boyo. It's your land. Oh, it's our land. We share it.

We're all stepping on it. It's our stepping on it. Oh, that's good. That is good. Write that down. Oh, I know. The gruff cracks like one. I will write that down.

Yeah, I can't wait for Rowan's type five. That's a one fang smile. That's dad joke level. Not that gruff can know anything about that. Little chirping as Gibson sort of makes its way back to you, Rowan sort of seems to have gone. Hello, you look very calm. It sort of just snuggles down next to your feet.

I need a full description of Gibson immediately. Gibson is a little velociraptor-esque creature. It's like one of the little ones, the little... Feathered bits of them. Oh, you do. And their coloration is sunbursts from red to orange to yellow. Like a gradient. I wonder why.

Yeah. And it's like a Gibson guitar. And it's like a Gibson less poor guitar. Or that flask by Holy. Mm-hmm. Different more. I have an aesthetic More that red to, yeah.

But yes, to the yellow. A little tiny feathered, little tiny dinosaur. About chicken size. About Stewart size. Tinosaur. And we were told that they might be prone

to attacking Stewart. So what Roan's doing every day is creating a silent image of Stuart and training them to leave them alone. I love that. I'm sorry. You did well on the first? Yeah, so that's an ongoing battle.

Is that like a role to see you all? Yeah, no, I'm keeping track of like Gibson's training in various different things as well. So he's got to go home at some points. Very hidden, hidden stats for Gibson. Might need to get him a leash. Maybe, maybe. Maybe I'm like a crate, like one of those big crates.

I don't know if you'd do well in the cave. Two, one for Stuart, one for Gibson. Trott does have stats for Gibson now as well. Do you have stats. Is it like two hit points? Not very many. Seven, I think. Not many.

But yeah, so do you guys just basically happily to just sit here and wait? Is there, you know, this is an opportunity if you did wanna have a conversation or if you want to, you can just let me know. And I will speed time ahead. Don't really know what I talk about. Nothing's really weighing on me.

Just readjusts like your clothes. Maybe it just slipped off your shoulder. Oh, thank you. Thank you. That's cut off that up. Yeah, the giant spike is showing there. Yeah. Yeah.

No, nothing ready to talk about openly. You know. What about your dream, Santhius? Yeah. God, just sufferance things, you know. It's pretty big, though. Is there anything we should know? Just, you know, they think they have a grasp on my mind.

But I've recently, as you've experienced, proven that I'm not his to control. So no more dreams since then. But wasn't it the last one happened? and then your arm did this. Yes. Doesn't have any control. You also died. That was when I...

Yeah. And that was him who killed you. Yeah. Because you were decided to taunt and I did have to forcibly extract you from... Yeah, I said some things I probably shouldn't have. Well, I should have. They needed to hear it.

I needed to say it. And then they killed me. So I think it all went... To plan? So that's me, that's what I would probably not talk about. Seems quite a heavy topic to not talk about. Yeah. That's what you guys are for.

Well, we're always here to listen, Xanthius. Exactly. I'm concerned of another layer to Xantheus, Oregon. No, I really, I do not contain multitudes. And it does relate to the arm. Do you like an onion? No, nothing like that. No, one layer.

I'm like a, just a sheet of paper. A really dull book. Oh, nothing bad about a book. Anyway. Not like a one-page book, though. Oh, those are the easiest to read. Xantheus, the end. That's the entire story.

No, no, I think there's something going on here. Of the arm? Yes, and I'm a little concerned. Are you a little concerned? Because we've seen the final effects of what Crown still does. Yeah. But we've not really seen the progression of it. we know their minds change as well as their bodies.

Does your mind feel like yours all the time? Honours, that's a good question, actually. Has there been a marked sort of disconnection recently in that I was, I guess I was more role-playing this myself, where there was a level of control that was sovereign versus Xantheus or a temptation that was pushing in a particular direction? I have told you what the flaw that you gained was.

and you know that that is getting worse. O-C, you know that that out-of-characterial that's getting worse. Xanthias probably wouldn't know, because to Xanthius, that is a interior, like, a gradual, but it's also interior. It's, like, how he sees himself. It's, like, you know, it's very it.

In terms of, like, you were sort of role-playing, like, whether or not... I think Zanthius has always been in control. Like, Sovereign does not have the ability to control you, but if Zanthius thinks that, like, he does... I think that's a good excuse. Sure, then that's totally there, right? But you know what you know O-C, but I would imagine that, yeah, Xanthius can interpret.

What Chris Trott's trying to get at. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is the prideful thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, ever since, ever since Crownfall and that fight, and, you know, when I did what I did, and you brought me back, I've never felt more in control.

I guess it must have been a confidence boost to tell them to go not take you over. Yes. Yeah, yeah. And then the immediate death. Yeah, I did call him weak, and then he kind of proved that he, you know, he's not. But he hasn't, I haven't heard from him since.

And I felt free and, you know, aside from the obvious, the usual, it's just been blue skies. But do you think... Can I do an insight? Well, not since he has our step. It's been grey skies since then, but... You can make an insight check. Do you think that he's sulking right now

And I'm going to do a secret role for Xanthias Do you worry that It's 14 That he might decide to go Hey I haven't spoken to in a while buddy I'm back at any minute No I think Playing on your mind a bit

No he discarded me I don't feel like Also weren't your protective layers down And that's how they got in Because you let them in I didn't know that did I I believe that Xanthius did tell me. Also, we should roll fate and then you should roll your insight check.

Just in case you would like to use fate. Okay. So we'll re-roll that insight check, but we'll do fate first. A five. A five, that's a dice for you. Two. That's a dice for me. Was that a roundup or a rounder?

That's a round that down from a two. That's me, six. That's a dice for you. That's a day to round up. I got a one. Oh, another dice for you. I'm running down for six. Thank you so much.

Two. Oh, another one for you. So many red ones. Are you gonna be even Stevens? No. No, it's not. It's more for me. Damn it, Steven.

You're you, Steven. So yeah, give me that inside roll again. You may choose to use fate if you want. A new roll. Yeah, brand new roll. A new ball. Even if you don't use it, even if you don't use fate,

let's just re-roll it because you would have the option too. That's worse. It's worse. So what I'm gonna do is use a fate? No, you can't use it afterwards. Why not? Three years.

Yeah, I have changed that, to be fair, I have changed that back and forth, but you have to use it beforehand. So what was your total on the insight? Yeah, 12. 12, okay. I'm making a secret role for Xanthius. Secrets. Because it's not full of your role.

Okay. But if you're worried about the runes, don't worry, since I diminished them and brought them back and brought them back again, and then they would have diminished when I was, he must have gotten really good at that, then back again. Yes, you know, like, I'm really good at it now.

I understand it on a much more intricate detail. I can almost feel them like whirring around now, and I can, I feel like I've got a much greater control. Stronger? Maybe not. But, if that's what you're worried about, they're there to stay now. For Rowan, Xanthius' body language, his demeanor, he seems to be very comfortable and confident himself.

Like you don't detect any anxiousness or nervous. anxiousness or nervousness, no side glances, like he's keeping good eye contact with you. This is probably like the best you've seen Zantheus in a while. Like he seems pretty, pretty good. Roan is just 100% reassured. Completely happy now. And in terms of this, we'll have this sorted out in no time.

We will. We've got all of the essences now. Most of them, I think, wait, do we? I can't remember. It's been a while. Need a grey land essence. Which is fine, because all I need to do. do is harvest Ophelius salt.

No, I have... We have a solution. We have a solution. That's fine. But then when you have all of that, that's an extra layer of protection. We're doing it. We are doing it.

And it's never been easier. It took a lot. It was very difficult, but it was so easy. We're over the hill. Yes, Daisy. I still have concerns. Name six of them. He can take over your mind any minute.

One? No, not true. Hasn't in a while. He's got his rules back up, and he's super trick. He clenches. The arm is worse. The arm is worse, that's true. It depends how you look at it. We still have to get the Greylands essence.

Yeah, that's going to be really quick, though, right? That's number three. We need to go to Scaritalis, and then we need to work out if he can actually do the thing. Dup Sidious will teleport us. He can do the thing. He's a bronze dragon. They are Scaritalos. They are.

They can do it. That was their idea. Very smart. And six. They think they can. Six, Xantheus, is that. I cannot guarantee that I can resurrect you again. I just won't die.

There you go. Back to point one where he could take control at any minute. And if you say, you know, Xanthe's things to him again, which you are prone to do sometimes, I'm just going to be quite frank with you. Like I said. You are prone to insulting. Yes, sass.

That's the one, Buckchat. Back chat, talking buck. Yeah. So if you do that, Interrupting. No, yes, I had those concerns as well. But honestly, I could look at the moment and call it harrowing.

And terrible, but he killed me. Don't you see the silver lining there? No. Obviously, very bad. But he doesn't want me anymore. And that is so good. That feels pretty good. I don't think that's right, though.

I think he still wants you. He's just doing a little manipulation thing. Well, if he's manipulating... Right, gruff, this is the kind of thing that a big evil being could do is just, you know, make him feel like, oh, everything's fine, ha, ha, no, it's not wrong. I was so reassured by what Zanthea said.

Now I'm doubting it. I just think, I'm not saying, I just think we should still keep our guard up a little bit. I just don't think that people who refuse to contact you for your entire life can possibly do any harm to you. Oh, my God. Jesus Christ. Stansis, I have a question.

Yes. It's not a question actually. Yeah. We're going to a mending stone. You just get mended. Altharight. There it is. It's right there.

The last time we tried to mend him bad things happen. Don't bring the Altheus stone, the crown. I don't want to. Or melt a person in half. Yeah. We have the preservation from the essence. I don't need the Altheid. True, yes, we have our course.

Right now. There's the other aspect of the time that you fell. Right. Yes. It affected you quite badly. Maybe that's something worth talking about with Scala. As in you want to or I do? I know what happened, what it did to me, what it meant to me, it broke my heart, Santhius.

Seeing your body lying on the floor, no lights in your eyes, no beat from your hearts. Silver pining. Santhias, nobody wants to see that happen again. I know, I... It's not a silver lining that he's left you alone for a little bit, because we just don't want to see that. We don't want to see you lying on the ground again. Maybe just have a little chat, a little smithms of a chat. Okay, fine, I'll have a little smidge of a chat.

I'm sorry, I am really sorry. But I won't do it again. Do you better? Please don't. Yes. I'm still wrapping my head around you talking about death like a bad thing. It's still taking a while to adjust, but seeing you, like Kroft said, seeing you like that was not nice.

Thank you for bringing me back. Oh, there it is. What? What do you mean? Just a recognition of other people's part in this too. Watching you suffer his heart. I thanked you before, right? I don't remember.

I don't even look at me for help on this one. I think you might have, but it was very... I think the fact that, like, Xanthius Kant doesn't, isn't sure, because Tom doesn't remember. I think that in itself is kind of a fitting thing. Kim's face says you absolutely did not. I'm worried I did, but it was in like the middle of a sentence.

Yeah, I think it was a very passive thing. Or the classic thing of you thought you did, but maybe you did. It was in there. I was sure I had. Oh, he's hyperventilating. He's hyperventilating. So I'm gonna go in there and have a quick chat. Yeah.

Good idea. What about you? What about, what about, what about, let's just nudge that dancing light over to someone else. I'm fine. I want to put it on, Gruffeth, if I may. I am absolutely fine. I don't believe you. I called you our dad,

and I just wonder if that's something we should unpack. Wait, no, you're always our moral compass. You always take on our emotional burdens, and you've set things right, and you tell us that everything's going to be okay. Now, I know, That takes a lot of energy and time and thought to bury one's own fears and anxieties

to make sure everyone else is okay. But is Gruffeth okay? Of tremorow. I am of tremorough, yes. Neighbors. No, I am upset. I am upset about what happened at Erie's Gallo. I am as set that I let.

that thing take over my mind similar to when we fought the Gallowack it keeps happening to me and I'm upset that I still remember the looking your eyes, both your eyes when I turned my axe on you

I could have killed you I could have killed you both I'm too fast it's fine everything's fine you weren't though I hit you but Graf it wasn't It was scary, but it's scary because it wasn't you. But I know it wasn't you, and in the moment it's scary, of course,

but I also know it wasn't you. You would never do that. I was thinking in the moment, how do we get Gruff back? Because Gruff wouldn't do that, so I'm not scared of you, Gruff. I never would be. It wasn't so much that it was the lack of control I had. It was the fact that my body was moving and doing those things and hurting you both.

Yeah, you were... Trying to kill you. There must be tough. And I could not stop it. I was screaming inside, raging. I was trying every fibre of my being to stop, and I couldn't. But that could have happened to any of us. It has.

Well, to me and Ophelia, remember, in the forest? We were trapped in there as well, and were fighting against it, making us do things that we didn't want to do, like Trek for multiple days across the forest. Yes. We were lucky, very lucky, that that's all it was asking us to do. Sure, sacrifice our bodies to a totem or whatever,

but walk all that way. I appreciate what you're saying, but frankly, to me, it was staring in Daisy's eyes when that axe came down. The look you gave me, It's not your fault But it's also not your fault It's not your fault

And if you're worried about that happening again Maybe we can Maybe we can all look at ways that we can Get stronger To resisting things like this We could ask for A salve or something Might be resistances to mind

Affecting things I think the only reason that it didn't happen to me Is because I was quick enough To not let the thing touch me but that it could change in a moment. It could have happened to any of us. Look, I appreciate what you're all saying, but the fact is, in the moment,

I mean, you said it yourself, Rowan a moment ago, I'm meant to be your protector. I'm meant, I'm meant to be all of you. You're my wards. And it's my duty to protect you. And in that moment,

I tried to kill you. I failed you. I failed you. my duty and I'm sorry and I appreciate you all trying to make me feel better but I'm going to have to sit with this for a bit. Would I help if I said that I accept your apology and gave you a hug? That does help a little bit I. Okay I'm gonna do that. Okay. I'll do it from the other side. Right I'm not hugging you back. Okay. I'm just gonna stand here and accept it. Okay. Maybe it's worth speaking with Scala.

someone outside of this situation, someone else to talk to, that isn't, wasn't affected by it directly. I appreciate what you're saying, Rowan, but, um, I know how I feel. It will take me time and I will, I will process it, but allow me to just carry this for a while and process it. Perhaps that is what I need to do to atone for myself. Okay, but I also want to thank you for just generally being our protector and being a good, good person in general because you always have our back. Even if some crazy magic thing makes you accidentally attack us, I know it's not you and I still felt very supported and protected in the fights that followed.

And that is all I will say. I'm sure Rowan will feel the same. Very much the same. We care about you a lot, and we're not mad at you, but I understand if you have to sit with it. And I'm going to hug you again. And I'm going to give you a hug every day.

And you're just going to have to accept it. Even if you don't hug me back, I'm just going to do it anyway. I haven't had a bath in a week. Maybe Rowan doesn't hug as much. I think at that, Daisy Gruff, will just kind of put a paw on your shoulder and you will see just for a minute like he looks at your eyes again

and really looks and it looks like he's about to say something else but he just kind of like and just you know pat pat pat pat goes back to sit back down yeah I think before gruff goes back down Daisy will just whisper to him and if you ever want to talk about anything at all

then you know you can talk to me. But she'll do it so that no one else here. I think at that point, after all these conversations, perhaps you're looking to future people, but you hear the stone, and you see, it's maybe been about sort of 10, 15, 20 minutes, something like that.

Vricks re-emerges, followed by Scala, who sort of like is sort of chatting to them like, well, you know, I've given you the, I make sure that you and your friends have the directions to the wetstone, and yeah, I hope that it's everything that you're looking for. And Rick just sort of nods her head.

But you see maybe stands a little bit taller, a little bit less hunched, a little bit less withdrawn and seem not entirely different, not like suddenly confident and blooming with sort of, but there is a change there. there's less of a weight that seems to be carried on Fricks's shoulders. And Vicks will just say, gratitude. I am very happy without conversation.

I will think much on what we have said. Kind of begins making this low humming noise and just sort of comes over and sits with the group, good conversation. was okay? Yes. I'm quite nervous now. I don't know what happens behind that stone. Comforting.

Okay. It is good. Right. Do I say anything in particular or? Uncertainly, I do not know what I should say. I think it best you find out for yourself. All right. Shall I go next?

You're good at talking to people, Roe. You'll be fine. Thanks. Yeah. All right. You wish, uh, you want to come in and chat next? Yeah. Yes, please.

Seems that I've been having a good conversation out here. The eyes glance round once more. Ophelia and Xanthius. Yeah, good conversation. Still lingering a little bit on the three of you. Well, Rowan, if you'd like to... Yeah, I'm happy to come and have a chat with you next, if you'd like. Come on in.

Yes, please. And we'll lead you kind of sort of, again, offer a tiny claw. You have to almost like scoot, you know, stoop to sort of take it. and will lead you into the Hermitage. You, again, like, Vricks, have to sort of really, like, duck your head, almost crawling through. I'm going to look back at the boulder and see how it works. So when you do, she sort of, she will say, like,

oh, I will just make it a little bit taller in here, so you're a bit more comfortable, and puts her claws in the ground again. And you see that the hummatage kind of reshapes itself, and the ceiling grows a little bit. Wow. Can we see that from outside as well? No, because it's all inside the hill.

But you do just see that Rowan can now, like, stand up fully straight. When you look behind, there is just this large flat stone, this enormous heavy flat stone that is to one side, and Scala just with a claw. On the other side of that stone, all of us just, you got this. It's out of luck. Just gestures, and it rolls into place. And you can see that there's like a groove in the floor.

It's all magic. It's all just my connection with Althe, really. Now, come and have a seat. Thank you very much. I was thinking green. When I have these kinds of conversations, I basically offer people, it's always nice to have a cup of tea

when we have these conversations, but this tea, and she has two cups, two quite large, you know, not quite yacht in there, but human-sized cups, two cups of tea. This one, and she points to one, it's a lovely little floral china sort of tea cup. That's just normal herbal tea with a little bit of wild honey in it.

It's very sweet. nice, a little bit of goat's milk. The other one is a specialty. It helps one kind of connect with yourself and connect with your thoughts. It is narcotic, but it's

not addictive. But it will open you up to maybe some truths you're not comfortable with. So I do offer that choice, But I do recommend it. Bricks took that tea.

So there's no patient confidentiality here then. Well, it's... Christ. It's just a matter of choosing it. It's just a matter of which one you prefer. I obviously don't want to force you into anything. Inconceivable. That's a GDPR risk right there.

Let me see. So one is just a tea. Just normal herbal tea. One's got goat milk, one doesn't. Well, I can add goat milk. I can add goat milk to the other tea if you like. Well, that's swing to the deal. You can add a bit of honey to it as well.

It's really, do you want to have something that will help you unlock maybe some thoughts and some feelings that you've been pushing down? Do you want a little bit of help to visualise and sort of just connect with yourself, really. Or do you just want to have a normal conversation? I'll take the tea on the right. Slides the special tea towards you. I can't imagine there's anything in there.

You wanted some goat milk in there? A little splash. Takes a little bottle out, pulls a little splash in, stirs it. Thank you so much. And it says, well, you drink that down. I'll just get things ready. And you see that she magically kind of alters the lighting to match this, you know, some soft greens, purples,

kind of a soft, gentle lighting. Can I do an Arcana check on it? Sure. On the tea? On the tea? Sure. See if I can see any residual magics or anything. 14. 14 on an arcana check.

There is definitely, you don't think that there is magic. She's not like cast a spell on the tea. It's not a, there's no active magical effect. Okay. It's what I will tell you. It's very sweet. There's a slight floral. It's a very slight floral.

Maybe the slight tint of licorice to it as you drink it. But that's counterbalance. I'm allergic. Are you allergic? I didn't think of Rowan's allergies. And I said it just tastes of licorice. It doesn't mean there's licorice in it. This is so many notes of things.

It's quite good, isn't it? More notes than my lute. Oh, that's a beautiful instrument. Thank you. Is that quite important to you? Oh, it's, yes, very important to me. How so? Tell me about it. It's a gift.

From who? From my family, my... Oh, that's nice. Well, my village. Yeah. And was it for a special occasion? Yes, it was part of our... Part of our culture, I'd say.

Local tradition. Yes, and that we all go on a journey and then help. And they made it for you? I think so. I don't know. It was just there when I got back. Just giving to you.

Yeah. I didn't realize that there was an artisanal wood crafter and a carpenter, a wood, a musician maker, instrument. Yeah. Whitler. It's a beautiful piece. It might.

It's quite an amazing gift. Yes. It must be quite precious to you then. It's... It has to stay with me, yes. Do you think that it connects you to home? I think all of my power... It goes through it, or it...

We share power, yes. Power? Yes. Magics like you have. And that's... And using that magic is, you know, something... Is that good for you? Is that something that you find good?

Uh, what... What's the tea doing to me? So, for the tea, this is an idea I've had. So as Rowan, this is, you will feel very connected and very sort of, find it very easy to internalize and introspecting of your own thoughts and feelings. But I would like everyone else at the table,

if I spend a point of fate, I would like to call on you to voice a thought that you think Rowan might have about something. And it doesn't have to be true. Only trot. You are the only person at this table who can decide for Rowan what is true. Interesting. But I'd like you all to suggest what you think Rowan might think. Or you might want to throw something out there

which is very contrary to what Rowan thinks. You are going to represent basically Rowan's other parts of, his self or like delusions or, you know, lies that he's told himself or maybe things that he thinks he should think, kind of, you're basically representing these sorts of thoughts. How do they portray, do they come as like questions or is it statements? Whatever you want, really. But I will call upon you to do it, basically. Okay, so let's try it out now. And I'll let you guys offer to do it. So I'll spend a point of fate. and who would like to answer that question of,

is Rowan's magic something he is happy with or something he's comfortable with? Hmm, if somebody has a good idea. If not, I can roll a dice and we can decide that way. I think he's a bit scared and intimidated by you. So if you phrase that, phrase it is Rowan speaking to himself about it. In my voice. It doesn't have to be in Rowan's voice,

but you could do if you'd like to. It scares me a little. I think it's quite intimidating at times. But you decide whether that's true or not, Rowan, because it's your actual thought. Well, it's very powerful. Hmm. Sometimes a little too powerful,

and where it comes from worries me. Why does that worry you? Well, uh... Where do you think it comes from? I'm hoping it comes from. I'm hoping it comes from me, but I don't think it does. I don't think... Sometimes I don't think it...

I deserve it. Like I'm a fraud. That's a very interesting way to talk about yourself. But let me go back a minute. Where are you afraid it comes from? Is it... Do you think it comes from a god? I think it comes from these,

and I show the geometric patterns on my arms. And I wasn't born with these. How did you get them? Well, you've heard of proto-maggi volts when I was very young, going on this journey that ultimately ended up with Sostruto, my instrument, stumbled across a cave entrance of sorts, but I was pulled in to it. And it's only recently that I've had fragments of what happened in there,

but I came out with these patterns. but we've been in vaults since then and almost all of them share the same pattern that the proto-magi change people experiment with people does that scare you

you've been changed yeah I feel like I'm one of those experiments sometimes that I'm just lucky I got away without it getting any worse what does that change about yourself I'm going to spend a point here to offer it to anybody who wants to... Let me go into my mind and think about it.

Sure. I got one. Go ahead. Row it, row it. What would I be? I sound a little bit like Richmond from the IT crowd. You do. Have to do it in Rowan's voice.

You commit now. Got to. What will I be without my... This is why I'm offering you the chance to back out of doing the voice. I'm scared of my own mind. Maybe try and take two. What would I be without my magic? I feel like...

What was the original question? How does that change me? Yeah, do you... Do you feel that that has changed you? and why does that matter to you, basically? On one hand, it's giving me lots of potential, and it's helped a lot of people, including my friends. Oh, great.

But also, without it, maybe I wouldn't have been able to do anything quite like that, and I wouldn't be on the journey that I'd be on today, helping the people I've helped. I'd just be me. So you think that without your magic, without those markings, you wouldn't be where you are today? You wouldn't be the person that you are today? No.

That's very interesting. I'd probably just be playing my instrument and roaming the wilds. What do you think would have happened if you had found your friends without your magic, if you'd been roaming and still met them? What do you think you would have done differently? I don't know. I don't know what I'd offer. They're all so strong and able

and we all got swept up in so many big things so quickly and I don't know. Sounds a bit like you don't think you're sort of worthy of them. I don't put fucking words on my mind. Rowan! That's Chris Trott. That's Chris Trot. Is that true? Do you think that that's true?

Yeah, I do think that's true, that I, I wouldn't be worthy of them. What do you think they would say to that? I'll spend a point here. Yeah. Do you go on? Yeah. Just, uh, You can do it in your, if it's something Ophelia would say, you could always say in your voice, because this is a, what do you think your friends would say about that?

They're lying, clearly. They don't, they don't really think I'm that great, what do I offer them? Okay. Nice. Yeah, it doesn't have to be a true statement. I know that some of them have secrets. And those secrets are kept from others, from hurting them. So I don't know what the truth would really be.

I know they're kind and nice people. Maybe they'd just be kind and nice to my face. When secretly, I don't deserve to be part. of their team because I offer nothing. How does that make you feel right now? I'm Chris trying. I like to think that despite not providing anything, all of my friends see people and love people

and don't value people based on their powers. I truly believe that. That sounds great. Sounds like that maybe maybe contradicts with some of the other things that you've got going on up there. Apart from a couple of them actually thinking about it. Gruffeth absolutely sees the heart of everyone. So does Daisy.

Xanthias would put himself first. And Ophelia, I thought she was like Xanthius. But I don't think Ophelia knows who she is. Do you know who you are? I'm Rowan. Sounds like you. I've always been Rowan. Or maybe that's something you can help her with.

I have tried recently. And frankly, I really don't like the Greyfather at all. She worships the Greyfather. Yes. Don't get me started, Scala. Frankly, I don't like Percy. No. You find it uncomfortable?

Yes. I'm presented with death and was supposed to be friendly and I am friendly. But he scares me. And we have to hide him all the time and there's a good reason for that because he's showing death to everybody

and death is what we fear. You fear death? I fear my friends dying. What about your own death? Oh, that doesn't bother me. Doesn't bother you. But you're afraid for your friends losing their life. Interesting.

Death's a part of life. We all die. What do you think about that? Oh, Dithea will fire the bow. Hmm? Or maybe Ulthay might have a word for me. I don't know. Maybe. But even Althe can't stop people dying forever.

No, but... Old age and people come and go. will come and go. I'll just become valuable in a different way. I'll become nutrients for the earth. Yeah, very much. I'll become food for the birds. But you don't seem to be worried about your death.

What about your friend's death, though? If I can help prevent their untimely death. That seems to be it, doesn't it? You don't want them to go before their time. They deserve their life. And do you think that your friend Ophelia and this Percy, they represent that? They represent dying before you should? It's an odd one because Ophelia's living.

And there's one thing I can agree with the Greyfather is to live life to the fullest. I don't agree with the bargain that is made. We should all be able to live life to the fullest without a pact, a deal. Now I don't know much, but what I know of the Gravefather and the realm of death is that he offers people immortality. So your friend wouldn't ever die? Wouldn't that be good? Percy doesn't know who he was. I'd lose a philia and gain a skeleton. I see.

And I don't like that. Wow. I feel like I've gotten to know you a bit better. I haven't asked you a single question. You don't need to. Sorry. You don't need to. So you're travelling to the wet stone.

Why? I dreamt it. Is it, was it something in that dream that you feel is important? We all have dreams, but why, why follow up on it? It's the closest I'm ever going to get to Althei. And I just want to be told that I'm not a fraud. So that's why you want to go. You want to speak to Ulthé.

Does Althe accept me and the powers that I've been given from the enemy? That's what, is that what you're afraid of, that she won't? I fear that I've just not been seen yet. And then I'm one of those experiments that escaped the vault. What do you do? do, that's true. What would you do if Ulthay rejected you and said that you're unnatural and that these powers are unnatural? What would you do?

Rowan sits there for a minute and like really thinks about it. Sure. That seems like a perfect time for me to spend a point here. It doesn't really matter what I do. My friends will go on without me and live free and strong in their own right. I can just go back into the wild. They don't need me. I'll have to accept it and I'll have to do what's right And what if the opposite? What if Althe says, no

These powers are wonderful And I'm glad that you have them And I encourage you to use them What would that mean to you? Well, before I had this tea I would have said That's the reassurance I needed But even now there's parts of my mind

That have doubt that even Althe can lie You think that Althe would lie to you? If it benefits Othé, maybe. I think that's quite an important thing to think about. Would these gods lie to us? Would these spiritual powers lie to us? You're worried about your friend

making bargains with the grandfather. Are you worried that Althea just makes bargains as well? Yeah, actually. Yeah. Well, you said that you're taking your sword to... Yeah, it's right here. Do you want to see it?

You can bring it out, sir. Might have to raise the roof a little. It should be alright. I show the jagged stone razor and place it down. I take my elbow on... I'm sorry. I can help with... I ride on the humerus. Do you need a minute?

No. I'm taking it. Can it quite badly, Scala. God, this... Give yourself a minute. Thank you. God, that sword... How does it make you feel?

Oh, God. I look at it, and I think this is a true gift from Arthe. Mm. Mm. And once again, it has been bestowed upon me. Do I deserve it? Mm. And it's been corrupted over time.

It's been mishandled, mistreated, misguided, misguided. And here I am, potential experiment of the proto-magi, taking it to get fixed. So if you think that you're not worthy of it, why do you still carry it? It helps me protect my friends. It's a powerful thing. What do you... Do you hope that the... It seems like you want to cleanse the sword?

What do you hope that will do? Making a sword sharp is lovely. It was already powerful in its jagged state. I think I want the crown to mend me. So if the sword had no more magic, it didn't do anything, it just became a sword, but something changed in you, you'd be all right with that.

I think so. A sword is just a sword. And what do you want to change in you? Well, if I'm just an experiment, cast aside by Althe, then I think I wouldn't need it anymore. But if I'm not, then I'd like to feel more connected to Althea and be able to fully embody. what I'll say wants

What do you think that Althe wants Peace They brought Life back to a dead land It did But like I said outside Althe

Is nature Is the world Is land Is storms Is earthquakes It's violence Is the predator And the prey

Do you think Althe Would give you peace I I think they give me the tools to give peace to others. I don't need peace myself. Peace to others, I see. But a sword is a tool for killing?

Protecting as well, but yes. You're right, it's a violent weapon. But you want to use it to protect? Yes. It's benefited me. And there's been a lot of evil things that need defending against. against. And that's something that matters to you?

Yeah, but I did fine with my Sostanuto before that. Interesting. My elbow. Have you got any salves? I can put a cream on it, yeah. I'm trying to be strong. I guess my last question to you then, Rowan.

We're going to travel out to the crown, to the wet stone. You're hoping that Althe is going to connect with you, give you the answers to these mysteries that you seek. You have your friends with you. What beyond that? Where do you see yourself once that's done? Well, I don't want to go anywhere. I'll just go where they go. You just follow them. No ambitions, no dreams, no goals of your own. You just want to follow and be told what to do? Not really. What do you want?

I just want to be around people. The people I care about. Why? Because I care for them and I want them to reach their goals. So you want to help them be the best that they can be? Yes. That's very different, isn't it, to just following them? And Ophelia.

I can fix her. I want to help your friends. Yes. I think that's a very nice thing. Can you make a charisma saving throw for me? Oh, shit. You may spend fate. You have a lovely full-stacked pool of it.

It is fully stacked. We should probably get some red on there, so yeah, I will. Cool. I just get a bit of a little. Thank you. That's okay. It might affect the roll. 13.

13 total. this whole conversation, these thoughts, some of them still linger. Some of those doubts don't go away. But it comes to your mind, the tea, everything else, this conversation, and you begin to visualize yourself post-wetstone, post-this journey, going to Kelskaris. you begin to see a version of yourself standing beside Xanthius against their mysterious sibling, standing with Daisy against the Yeager, standing with gruff as he becomes a full night, and then with Ophelia.

And I think in Rowan's mind, standing up to the Gravefather, what do you see Rowan's demeanor and appearance? Like, how does he look in those moments? Ooh. Is he a warrior with a sword protecting Daisy and Xanthius and Ophelia, staying beside gruff as a warrior would? Or is he a bard playing music and lighting their steps and empowering their magic? Is he a barrier?

Is he a shield? What do you see him as in those moments? Oh, I like it. I think Rowan's going to stay true to his. what he's been this whole time, and that is a bard that empowers others. Okay. Scala just says, well, I think that's wonderful.

Here you are. I've prepared this, and she gives you a map of the current region. Oh, thank you. With it marked, well, this will help you find Althe's Crown. You know, it's a very sacred place. Let's have this conversation with everyone else, and the stone rolls back,

and light sort of fills in. For the rest of you, it's been like 15 minutes. It's the kind of same amount of time as Fricks. What do they see, what kind of look on Rowan's face as Rowan and Scalar sort of step out? Just wide-eyed and a little bit like, not shaken, but like, that was a lot. Deep in Thor.

Yeah. Deep in thought, yeah. Sort of Scala brings you out, like, wow. I've given Rowan a map to, just a little crude thing to where the wet stone is. It's a very sacred site, so there might be some pilgrims on the way. You know, the arch dragon has basically declared it like a sort of holy site, really. So there might be some pilgrims along the way and things like that if you need it.

But it's not too far, a few days travel, three-ish days travel from here. So it should be fairly easy to get to. Like I said, if there's any other business, or if anybody else would, like to come in and have a little chat and a tea. You're more than welcome to. But otherwise, I think I've talked with Rowan and Vricks about everything we needed. But yeah.

Everyone is saying I should. Well, it's what you want to do. Zanthias, wasn't it? It's whether you want to have a chat or not really. The tea is great. Tea? You've got tea at night? Yeah, yeah. Different kinds of tea.

can help with the conversation. But yeah, it's entirely up to you. It's obviously very, very much voluntary. But with Bricks and Roan specifically seeking out the wetstone, I think it's important to have that conversation before they get there, sort of set expectations and that sort of thing, really, but more than happy to have a chat with anyone.

Can I also say thank you for that? That was a wonderful conversation. I know it can be a hard conversation sometimes. And please understand, in what we talked about and my questions, I'm not trying to imply anything. Those are questions for you and for you to answer. And I hope that it is helpful. I hope that when you get there, you get the answers you're looking for.

It's very kind, thank you. Of course, yeah, of course. I'm here to help things nurture and grow. You know, I'm a gardener. That's why Al-Fei reached out to me, so... Yeah. I wouldn't mind a little help. little help.

Yes, of course. Ophelia, wasn't it? Yes. I couldn't. More than happy to give you some time. Why don't I leave your friends and you come on inside with me? Do I need to bring anything?

No, just yourself, darling. No, just yourself, my dear. Come on. She offers you a little claw. I feel like daintily takes it. She like leads you in. And that's where we're going to take our brain. Come back from the Amelia next time.

Taking a finger seat. I made a mistake standing up this entire time. We will take our five minute break. We'll be back shortly after the break. Enjoy the fan art video everybody. That's right. See you for part two. See ya bit.

Bye. Bye. Bye.