Legends of Avantris - Beneath Dark Wings | Ep. 24 | Excecutive Power: Part 2

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

Our heroes attend a ball and learn more of the Grand Ruler's devious plans...   Gain access to an exclusive campaign, Shroud Over Saltmarsh, over on Patreon: https://legendsofavantris.com/patreon The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5e, is available for preorder! Get the Crooked Moon at: https://thecrookedmoon.com/ Watch more D&D adventures in the world of Avantris live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/legendsofavantris Check out our merch store: https://shop.legendsofavantris.com  Join our community on Discord: https://legendsofavantris.com/discord Watch our many campaigns on YouTube: https://legendsofavantris.com/youtube  All other links: https://linktr.ee/legendsofavantris   Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/jw9DWXFG2L4?si=5H_LG22ol3wR9Ha-

Welcome to Legends of Aventress. I'm Capricio de Cesto. You can call me Caprice and you're listening to Beneath Dark Wings. Here's what happened last time. This is Horhoot. Horrible. Yes, we are looking to procure some transportation to Caleri, yes. We thought you might make an exception for no roots such as our citizens. The bloody beak thug that was a flying on your chair at Crumple's dead. And you see the face of an owl with a small, beak, one eye almost blezing with this, a menacing orange, the other is this milky white glass

with a huge scar down the side. As you sort of see creatures through the storm, they look almost serpentine but feathery wings but made out of the storm itself. I never roll for a initiative place. You cannot stop the elders of tempest. We got to come up with a game plan because we look like shit. I think we need to press through to Kaleri. He is a bounty hunter. He's very good at what he He was the best. He is the one that found two of the spirits that they needed. Oh, shh. Which was spirits did he find? I think he found one of the ladies. I don't know. Welcome to Kaleri. I'm so sorry this happened to. Plains are going to be expensive as fuck.

I hope you understand. I would think that everything in Kaliri is going to be expensive as fuck. Yeah, but like, okay, fine. I was... We already met with no better than I do, but... I do. Try to get those better prices. Zat and, you know, for nobles, they can't expect us to have a pocket full of coin. We have accountants and people who take care of that on our tab, yeah?

Iris, does that sound acceptable? Or does that sound like loves he made that shit up? I hate being hoot. I'm not too speaking hoot anymore. It's who not so poot bad once you get hoot used to hoot it. I just hold her hand and I start crying with her silent. And I'd say nothing more. But who...

Do you have an alternative? Were you suggesting a hook? I don't have an alternative. I just figured I'd ask. It's probably going to be a pretty penny. I understand. I don't have much outside of my studies and doing the things that I need to do with the magic scrolls that we may find. I don't have much use for gold.

So I'm willing to offer it up. If at some point in the future, when I need some gold, you're willing to give it back. I don't have need for it now. But let's just give it a try. We were just robbed after us. I can't expect us to have a pocket full of gold right now. Yeah, we could pitch the matter, yeah. Fine.

I just don't think we'll be leaving... You know what? Fuck it. If we end up burning this whole place to the ground anyway, it won't matter. Exactly right. You guys still got the stuff, right? Oh, we've got the stuff, Debris. We've got the stuff.

We've got that stuff. Just don't tripping like. It's in the back of holding, which doesn't have any air, which won't allow for a fire reaction. Well, but does it, the physics matter in there? Can you turn it and then everything tumble around? Nope, it shouldn't matter. I think it's a separate, like, plane of existence. All right, well, let's make sure it's not pierced.

Also shouldn't matter, but fair enough. Otherwise, you know, wind tunnel into a vacuum of a black wholeness, and it would not be good. I will turn to the knockers. No, I'll join you. You take the left side And Flop and not And

Immediately you hear a voice Say, one moment And the doors creak open Those knock you start for playing with And you see a beautifully dressed Erikokra

In this pristine purple vest A puffing cravat a very elegant three-corner, tri-corner hat as he clasped his talents together, and as he extends and then extends an arm inside. Welcome to the rising elegance. And I see that you are nobility. We have plenty of accommodations.

Is it each of you, four couples? Welcome. I link my arm through whoever's next to me. I don't know who would be staying next to me. We are nobility and we just were accosted by sky pirates. That is terrible. Come in, come in. We just need somewhere to rest our noble hands.

Of course, of course. Come in, come in. Please, and you enter this room that's beautifully, plushly decorated. Not entirely unlike Gaborio's personal chamber, but rather than the attempt of looking super nice, this actually is beautifully crafted, pristine, high-quality materials, plush seating that almost looks like nesting. As he sits you down at a larger table and runs off. Please enjoy a complimentary bottle of wine for the table, and welcome to the rising elegance. I believe you need three rooms, or four rooms.

Do you have a suite of some kind that could fit more of us? You have to understand. We've just had an encounter with Sky Pirates, and it means that we're a little light of coin at this time. Well, we do have one suite available. It has two separate bedrooms. You may be able, if you want to get that to admit, that would be fine. Thank you. At least for tonight until we figure out our lines of credit.

We're all a little scared. we'd rather be together. How much was it for one night so that we can try to get in touch with our accountants? That'd be 60 gold pieces. Oh, I immediately just toss 60 gold. I'm going to be like, get us to our fucking rooms. Oh, well, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.

And he shuffles off to behind this huge desk and grabs a number of keys. You are on the floor, and he hands keys to everyone and please enjoy I suppose the intimate accommodations but so you know I know how things get for you know what the dear God and I just like walk off to the road of most indeed we'll let you know if we need anything and I give me chin ruby and then I

go oh my thank you so much well please take your bottle of wine enjoy your rest you do you do look like you needed I'm so sorry that you experienced a troll but I'm glad you were able to make it unskamed. Are you suggesting that I look tired? You told me you look tired. I was exhausted, but you didn't have to say it like that. I turned around and I'm so sorry. I'd plan the door in his face.

I give him an extra gold piece and I say, uh, if we need more booze, can we just order more? Yes, just, just ring the bell and someone will be up to serve you. The bell. The bell, of course. Of course. How could I assume otherwise? And I walk into the room and I'm like, Hey, Drake.

I grab the bottle, I just take it. That wine is gone. We'll end up ordering more whatever it takes. And as you all enter and you make your way up to the room, you all plop down. You see that there is this beautiful two-bedroom suite with this huge common room area. Lots of plush furniture. It can easily accommodate the slid. arrangements for all eight of you.

As it will be a little tight, but definitely you should be not uncomfortable. You see that there is a basket of meats and fish and fruits waiting for you. As you enter this room, there's a small, there's a number of windows, and it looks like just this little oaken cottage that you're in. And as you enter, you all sit down. you all sit down and you as you sit down you realize that now that you've had these forms on for so many hours all of the things that were kind of almost compelling you to act and feel in certain ways seems to have dissipated as you've gotten used to the effects while we're

really noble. While we're enjoying the food and whatever was in the room and the booze that we ordered, I want to detect magic on the room. Okay. You do that. I take 10 minutes as a ritual to cast. Okay. You do that.

You take your time as everyone else is settling in and discussing. And you cast detect magic and you are waving your hand or however that fucking works. Oh, I'll make 10 minutes to do a ritual as well. Okay. And there doesn't seem to be anything inherently magical. I'm taking my fucking owl ring on. Okay. Yeah, I instantly...

All right, all right, all right. We should be clear. I'm gonna set up some alarms, but I didn't detect any other magic, so we should be all right. And I'll begin to cast ritual alarm on the door, the windows, you know, wherever there might be entry points, just as extra level of security. Okay. One of the lay decoded, part of the room where 30 feet around her, if I can grab as many people as possible, she would alert us if we would be attempting to be surprised by enemies. Got it.

I'll start doing like a little jig and sing for the 10 minutes that takes me to cast unseen servant. Nice. And I'll sing, uh, oh, give me a clone of my own flesh and bone with its Y, chromosome changed to X. And after it's grown, then my own Capri's clone will be of the opposite sex. Clone, clone of my own With a thought, Y, chromosome change to X And when I'm alone with my own Capri's clone We will both think of nothing but sex Why should such sex sex or disturb or perplex

Or induce a disparaging tone After all, don't you see And for both of us me When we're having sex I'm alone And then all of a sudden a female caprice appears Hey guys, meet Alexa. She'll, like, take care of your clothes thing. She'll mend things.

She'll do whatever you want. Just tell her. Who are you talking about? This, uh... Oh, yeah, she's in... The one that's on TV. Sorry, I'll... I'll...

I'll take, like, my jacket off or something, or, like, my towel and I'll, like, wrap it over the shoulders. This is, this is my... She'll be around for a lot. Like the next hour. If you guys need anything, she can pour drinks. She can, no, no, I summoned her with my magical mind. She's a spooky ghost.

No, she's not a ghost. That is so sad. Alexa played a facet. Did she, like, pull out of classical guitar, it's a r-washed? You don't hear anything. It's unheard. God.

Well, don't get rid of a shitty towel. They haven't washed it yet. It's just been rinsed in the rain. Well, she's going to wash it. Go wash it, Alexa. And she goes and starts to make her wear. All right. She seems nice.

I wish I could see her. Maybe we can do her makeup later. You can have like a little girl's night. That sounds like a nightmare, but I'm into it. I don't think I've ever had a girl's night. And you see that both Hart and Zorbeck have taken off their rings as well. It feels so much good to be myself again. I want to take mine off in like in front of the mirrors or bathroom.

Yeah, yeah. I just want to take it off and then put it back on and see if I change in the same looking out. It's the exact same one every time you try it. Oh, so I'll pocket it. I'll keep it off and keep it pocketed. I will also take my mouth. Ew.

If we're comfortable, then yeah, I'll take my mouth as well. So if we've been up for like a while, the full day, right? Yeah, you guys have been up for a long time, yeah. I think we should get some sleep. But this, this masquerade ball, I think he mentioned. Don't you just love when you show up somewhere on Zoh? like a party. I love that. We could probably act like we're invited and go. I'm sure we're invited. And he probably assumed. Do we need an invitation though?

You could ask the bar keep. Maybe he could flip-lamp for us. I'm sure we could ask for clothes too or for the day. We could just say that us were stolen. I'm just going to keep riding the storm and drink. It's starting to look like the night you said right. Yeah, yeah, the sun is setting now, so it looks like night, so day, they're starting, starting their days. I'll assume we'll have the whole day tomorrow to figure that out and to shop and do whatever we need to do. I'm proposing that we just hit the hay. Well, isn't it going to be I that we're sleeping and the rest of the city's out? We just attacked by Sky Pirates. It's a pretty good excuse. We've been through an ordeal. Well, the sun was just coming. Uh-oh. Yeah, okay. All right.

Are they flipped on there? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, and the sun was coming up as we left Boo Box. So what time is it now? It's probably like if we travel all night. Yeah, I mean, it's probably, it's the sun is setting, so you could probably still go to sleep and wake up in the middle of the day and still have plenty of time. Okay, so let's just try to wait some seed.

Agreed. And then go shopping. That sounds nice. Sure. Sounds good. I can sleep on the floor. There's only two beds, right? Yeah, me too.

I'm fine. There's two, like, large beds. I'll lay out a mat or whatever I have. There's a lot of plush. There's like a little couch business area. There's enough where you could probably, you know, I'll sleep on the floor as well. I'm used to it. Is there a, is it, look like there's a way to lock the door from the inside?

Yeah. Like bolt it, lock it. Yeah, there's a whole bolt lock. There's a little privacy wooden sign. Can we have a large of all the entry points and you have Dakota? So we should be good. Oh, Pearl, next to Dakota in the middle of the room and make sure. the middle of the room and make sure the doors locked.

Okay. And with that, you all drift off to sleep and enjoy a long rest. I'm going to use my remaining spell slots and I, to put a mirror image level two, a flaming sphere level two, and a shield level one into my ring of stone store.

Sounds good. You are all in your hotel room of the rising elegance. You have rings that will turn you into. to Owl-Earocra that are nobles. And you have matching papers. And you have heard that there's a masquerade ball

where the grand lord himself will be. And it is being done. You've heard whispers when you're walking through the streets. That is to celebrate and unveil a big announcement. So you are all in your room. You're waking up. in the, I guess it's night. It's still night because you went to bed before sunset,

before the sun had sat. And you have managed to get a nice long rest. Your alibi had allegedly been bought by all the individuals that you talked to. And you're in your room kind of all settling in. What are you guys doing? I'm preparing my spells. This is the next morning?

Yep. I'm preparing my spells. And I'm drinking tea. Earl gray tea. Got it. Took that one out of the professor's notebook. But I'm not looking at the leaves. I'm going to shit about the leaves.

Fuck the leaves. Um, my unseen servant is attempting to serve you, depending on how you take that. Ew. I'm following the unseen sermon around just based off of where the towel over her shoulders to linger. And I am trying to communicate with her

and see if she wants me to do her makeup or anything of that. She tries to do your makeup. Oh, okay. I want to set out my figurines very quickly, kind of meditate to see if I get any sense now that we're finally here. Do I feel like the wooden spirits are close? Religion check.

Oh. Oh, 17. 17. So, as you place out all four of your figurines, you kneel down and you pray or you commune

with the spirits, you attempt to commune. And as you do it, you start to feel a light breeze on your skin and it starts to whip up more and more and more and more until you start to, all of you start to kind of feel the wind that's around you and you realize that it's circling around to him

and it's swirling and swirling and swallowing him. And then you, with a loud crash, the wind shoots, out and a rocket knocking the window open, nearly breaking it, as it rushes out of the room, sending these shutters and the window clattering. And, oh, I see if it goes in any direction. Oh, yeah, make a perception chat. Ooh.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's a few words. Um, 15. 15. You look and you see, you're trying to see the wind. and it looks like there's nothing there, but then you see a tiny little flick from the tea bag that, from the tea that Felix is drinking. It's caught in the wind and gets carried off and it heads north in the direction towards the great grand perch.

Gosh, I think we can save them. What was that? Cool. Did you see the wind? Yeah. None of the windows are open. I thought I told you to shut the windows. The wind spirits, they communed with me.

They're trying to tell me that they're here, that they can be saved. Because your alarm were allowed. How did you get all of that from Augusta, wind? I can feel it. Sorry, the alarm works in that I designate a certain number of creatures, and anybody that were to try to breach the threshold of the alarm that is not one of the designated creatures would cause an alarm to go off. So the key bag, they're from Calder.

The window just opening isn't isn't enough to turn to the along. It has to be like a presence trying to break for it. We should go right away. We shouldn't waste any time. I immediately put my ring on. Well, then we've got to find some clothes. Yeah, we've got to be able to look decent at this ball. Just use this again.

I'm still preparing, Toa, please. Give me a few minutes. Take it time, but please, hurry. And I put my ring on, and he will find that it's a totally different style. I'm assuming with how alter self works, we can probably make new clothes if we so choose. We don't have to go buy them. It's up to you, though, if you want to buy clothes. Oh, cool.

I think that's how it works. How did you get so fancy? Well, can we just change our outfits in a, just fast? Do you think about what you want to wear? Let me just confirm. Yeah, let's confirm how alter self works. If we're doing this guy's self, then I have the rules right here. No, it's alter self.

Yeah, this guy's self is different, unfortunately. Because it's not an illusion, it's actually altering yourself. Why can't I prepare more spells? Said the wizard. Change from your appearance, you decide what you look like. Oh, me. Highweight facial features. So in this case, we can't decide that.

And this is different characteristics. I did. That's what I'm trying to like mix some stuff up here. You can make yourself appear as another race. The bipedal up is in this, not bipedal. Use your action and change your appearance in this way again. He doesn't not mention clothes since I can Google that. I would say that it's up to you.

DMViat. I think that it would be something where you could probably easily go out and purchase some clothes. I would say for this, it seems to be super convenient and you could basically just kind of do whatever clothes that you want in the moment. But if there's some kind of ruling, you know. No, no, that's fine. Yeah, that works. And then the only thing I'm going to do is after I've prepared my spells is cast major armor

on myself. Could I over? For the whole eight hours. I'm going to start doing that every morning because it bit me the ass more times than I didn't fucking count. Oh wait, there's a fight.

I need to cast majeumer and mirror image and do all these things before I can attack. And now the fight's over. Right, exactly. Okay, we should get closed right away then.

Since I look the same as yesterday, I'll hold my ring back on. I will put my ring on and I'll have like the most gaudy, red and purple stripes, like insane with like frills on the end of the cuffs and one of those Victorian lacy, poofy things around the neck and just going all out ready for the mall. Have we seen any noble air croco with like fur lining of any kind or is it primarily just

like linens and cloth and leather? I don't know if they would wear leather. I would say it's been difficult. You haven't seen many nobles. Or any nobles maybe. I would ask Iris for her approval and basically tips on how I should look and I would alter my clothes based on what she said. We're going to buy clothes. I would buy my clothes based on what she said.

No, we're not doing this clothes for the park. Yeah, I think if you should keep your outfit, it looks very, very dashing. Yeah, I like it. I missed that part. Especially the frilly bit. Are we coming back here in the next eight hours? we think you were going to go straight to the... I wouldn't count on it. Let's bring everything.

Right. I'm with Toa here. There's no guarantee that we're even coming back here. And I'm not going to waste me time at all. There's a good chance that if we get any kind of lead, especially with the wind spirits, that we'll end up. This place, get the hell out. Okay, well, I'm going to try something that I haven't done before

that I feel like Iris would do it. So I walk over to the bed, and I tear a piece of the bed sheet off to get a strip of cloths. and I lay it on the ground next to Dakota and channeling the power of murdered I cast aid on everyone so you get up to

oh, three willing creatures so whoever would need the most at points you get five to Burrhic points probably me are tanks hit points or twice as good I'll be alright without him okay I can forego

in a non character sense yeah I mean it's up to you right it was whoever you'd like to design it I was trying to bolster the people who are low on each one. Up to you. You get to choose the three. I'll choose you, Caprice, and Hart.

Oh. Good. Thank you very much. What is the time? It's five temporary hip-points? For eight hours and, um, let me, yep. Five max, five? Five, uh, hit point max, that's right.

Each is a target, 10 maximum. And then current HP increases by five as well for duration. For eight hours. eight hours and... So are we going to just douse the whole thing in oil and just burn it down? Is that the plan? No, not yet. Not yet. We're trying to avoid an overly violent confrontation. I think it's more important that we follow through with what Toa had to find and find these wind spirits. That's our number one goal. I understand that we want to save the people of the forest, and we're going to do our best to do that. But we're not trying to emulate this entire city.

We're not. If we can avoid it, I haven't signed up for this. I understand we'll do what needs to be done, but I'm not comfortable just burning everyone alive. Well, then we're on the same page. I want to create something. I mean, hitting them where it hurts feels like both the grand ball and the grand ball. Yeah, so he's the balls. They're sort of a blamesful nobility.

They're responsible for maintaining the hierarchy of oppression that, uh, is trickling down throughout the area. So if we're going to douse anything and anything, I feel like it's probably going to be this high perch. I agree. As long as we follow through the lead that Toa has first, then we can do what we need to do to destabilize this horrible, horrible society. How many of the vials do we have?

A fuck, we have a whole case or two. Basically, they're all... But they're all inside the bagupego. They're all as like a safety measure out of character. I don't know how many we got, but it was a lot. A lot. It was like one per person at least. I think it was a lot more.

Yeah, like, you had a lot of... You had enough to feel like... You basically stuffed the bag of holding full of a little bit. Yeah. Is that all right with you hard in our back? We're not going to let you down. I don't even know anymore, honestly. I mean, that guard guy was really nice.

That's why maybe we just take out hard pitch and then... Perhaps that would be enough. Hart, are... Can we control where the dragon fire goes? Let me speak from experience, Hart, when I say that when we light things on fire, it's indiscriminate. We're not going to be... I can control fire, but only so much. And you add that dragon fire oil to the mix, and this whole place is going to go, and there's nothing we're going to be able to do to stop it once it starts.

That's why if you're having any reservations, we need to talk about it. I just... I don't know what's going to do. to do. You're the heroes that the Raven Man sent. We're not heroes. We're just people. We're just doing what we think is right. You're our last chance, though. I got up to Bubox once, but I've never been to Cleary. We have the vials in case we need them in order to accomplish our many goals. The wind spirits, toppling the Ericocococcusocracy, dealing with our larger priorities. that we've been sent here to do. You might call that heroic or you might not,

but we are going to have to take things as we draw them off the top of the pack. I agree. We're doing this smart, not fast. Agreed. Well, I trust you guys. You guys know the best way to defeat evil. Thanks, Art.

Everything I tried has failed. They'll figure it out, especially once we learn more from this, this masquerade thing where they're going to announce something but either way we need to I don't waste any more time I'm ready to go in danger

perhaps they're going to announce that they're going to kill them all so I'm going to go buy some clothes rings on I'm with things on I'm out of the door and I'm going to follow them earth fire water heart heart and I go by whatever the tailor recommends for me

to wear to the bubble whatever is the most generic like nice outfit. I want to be a little more fancied than generic, but same idea. How much of the top? Yes. What mask does everyone wear?

This again. Oh, shit. It's got to go with headway. What are the options? There's a wide variety of creatures. Some are magical beasts. Some are more humanoid. You see some that are more devilish and have horns.

Others look more demonic. I know. Any ox, ox, ones? I would say, that you know what there might be like a bull one like yeah an ox is a bull right well I don't want to I don't want to be like Moloch it's very similar to Moloch no we just killed him killed him so it's not like friendly looking at all it's pretty medicine yeah I mean it's it's elegant look it's like an elegant looking

bull I don't know if you've kind of like the object of like worship like the brass bull where it's very elegant that's a philosophical question but I wasn't Okay. I'll take anything that's, uh, maybe like a, maybe, is it like a green parrot mask or anything like remotely tropical or like aquatic? Um, yeah, fish. Um, I would say that there's a couple, you definitely do find more bird motifs here. You find a number of things that, uh, that there are, you see feathered serpent heads.

You see birds of a lot of different varieties. it comes to figures of humanoid faces, you see blue, dark-haired, almost these genie-like faces, genies of several varieties. And I would say that there'd be a parrot mask, probably. Anything aquatic? Aquatic is a little less. You see kind of probably like the stylized old-timey dolphin face. Maybe you see a fish face.

I'll do like a two-camp if they have it. I want a fox mask. Fox would be very easy to find. There's a lot of foxes. That's what I want. Yeah? I'm going to sort of go through real quick, and I'm going to look for an elephant or Loxidon. Elephant or Loxidon. I think that you would go through, and an elephant wouldn't be something that you can find in this.

I'll keep looking. Is there like a sheep or a lamb or goat? You do see a goat. Yes, you see a goat and a sheep. You see that there's a number of. of different farm animals. The sheep seems to be a lot more feminine, and several feminine colors.

I don't think Iris would like me to wear this one, but I think it goes with my feathers a lot better, and I'm going to try and purchase the sheep one. It's like a white bowl. Okay. I would like a midnight blue evening gown with a white snow hair mask with tall ears. Oh, snow hair meaning a rabbit.

Like a white rabbit? A white rabbit? Yeah. I think a white rabbit would definitely be easily... You feel like it's a lot more common with the woodland creatures are very easy to find. There's many of those, some of the more exotic ones. You mentioned that there were devilish options? Yes.

What varieties might I find in that arena? Very stylized looking... Is his face on the shelf? Oh, that's very snarling-looking, uh, devils and some demons and just in various different kind of evil-looking, wicked-eyed human ones. faces. So I'm having horns, others having just like spikes on the side of their faces. I'll pick the one with horns and I'll pick one that looks like it's got the largest teeth. Okay. Can I see, do I see him like perusing the...

Yeah, I'm just gonna like walk up to him and like nudge him while he's like focused and looking and be like, uh, it's like offensive to you, does it bother you? You know, you get used to it. You get used to it after a while. Man, I'm sorry. I know that we've had some conversations I'm saying this very, like, I'm saying this very, like, low, obviously. We've had this whole conversation about the whole, like, you know, devil versus demon thing, and I never meant to make that mistake. I just, I never imagined it was like this. I can't think the time you have.

All right, well, that's fine. I just, you know, hey, you live and you learn. I'll bally more of you if you ever do. Oh, and I, like, back away real slowly, back towards Tela, like, keeping my eyes on it the whole time. Yeah, like doing one of these. Okay. It's been nice talking, Caprice, I walk away. I'll laugh and buy the masks.

Disappointed that I couldn't find a mask of my favorite fleam-flow team. I was wondering if that's where you were going. Oh, they're riding trunks. I love them. I love them. I know them. I know. Is there a pants suit?

I would say that you definitely find, yeah, they're definitely like elegant pantsuits. It's not quite as common. Yeah. But you could find something where the tail can furl out and the wings obviously. a hole for wings, a hole for a tail. Perfect. I'm going for something very mage-like robes, like fancy robes that like an ericoker might wear.

Again, based on the tailor's, you know, whatever, based on the tailor's recommendations. I will again look for red and purple, puffy sleeves, puffy shoulders, puffy knees, just the gaudiest suit suit that I can find, Zoot Suit Ryan, of course. and then when I finish donning my garb, I'll

look at her job like, oh, you look like like a greenie weaver from working girl. That's not bad, that's all right. Oh, is that a compliment? Yeah, absolutely. 100%. Do you like my shoulder pads?

And I turn to show him, but I want them to look like curled into the horns that kind of match. Like Jafar? Like Jafar. It might be a little bit feathery, but they're same general shape. Like nice, elegant kind of curling. And it's like primarily like mocha color to kind of go with some of my underlying coats for a little bit of gray and browns that are in my pants suit

Oh, rest my head on a shoulder pad for a brief period. Yeah, I really like that. That's great. Yeah, it would be super convenient if you get really drunk. For both of us, absolutely. Heart will be like looking around like, I don't really know what to get. Why'd you get a pantsuit like me? Is that what I'm supposed to get? It just, I never really shop for nice dresses. I have a lot of chafing that happens whenever I wear anything that doesn't really protect my thighs. So I feel like like I need to wear pants. Um, you don't have to. I'm just offering that if you wanted to wear a pants suit, I'm wearing one too and it's totally acceptable. Okay, I guess I'll get a pantsuit.

It'll keep me nice and nimble. What's your favorite color? I'll help you pick one out. Oh, my favorite color is green. Oh, great. And I help her try to pick out a couple different shades that she might like and help try them on. Okay, great.

And so she picks out a mask of a badger. Someone has to chat out of a badger mask. Yes, Gleongar. So she picks out of a badger mask. And there's plenty of those available. And it looks, you know, it looks good with her pantsuit. And... Norbach, you come with me.

Okay, I don't know. I've never dressed this... Well, or ever before. You've never dressed before? Just wear the same thing I've always wear. boys wear well wait wait you need something simple that expresses your personality and I'll lead him to like just a full black suit coattails like almost a what's the name I can't remember I can't think of what's the name tuxedo the equivalent of a texedo but with like hot pink socks

oh I like okay and he like oh I guess I'm a match and he goes like for this really bright like gaudy pink bird mask yeah flamingo Yeah, maybe not quite a flamingo, but yeah. See, that matches the socks you're right on at, Zarbak. Oh, is this good? You look like one million coins. Oh, many variety. Oh, even Electrum?

I don't know what that is, right? No, we never speak of Electrum. Oh, okay. Electrum is cursed, you know that. Oh, yes. I never got paid in Electrum pieces. Hersia, what do you think? have I spicked my spam?

Oh, they look so good. Did you help him out with it? Absolutely. It looks good. I like the, well, I don't know what kind of bird that is, but it looks really nice. Even do I. It looks like something I would enjoy eating, though. That's why I picked it.

You probably shouldn't eat your out face. You should make sure it lasts through the night. But you can probably eat it later depending on how much all this runs us. Okay. And you all, it all runs. you, if you get the full outfit, we'll run you about 20 gold pieces. Okay. Done and done.

Done and done. The full... Oh, well, thank you. Oh, pay. And I will start to, start navigating towards the, wherever, like, the, that was it called high perch? I'm gonna follow him. I'm just basically the following Toa's lead at this point. The 20 gold?

Since he had... 20 gold, yeah. Our heart and Zorabek struggling to pay for this stuff at all? Or would... I believe you gave Zarbop like a hundred gold pieces, right? Yeah, I thought we did, we gave food and money to like buy his allegiance. Yeah, so he's like, oh, oh, I've never bought a shop. Just taverns.

This is fun, isn't it? And you can wear it all the diamond shop. Seems like a waste of money. Well. And he turns and he leaves and Hart pulls out some coins. Oh, this is new for me too, so I guess. This is a lot of firsts. And you all leave the Taylor shop.

And it's called Fancy Feathers, is really what that's called. And you all leave. And you begin, you all get changed, I guess, in the shop. And pack your current clothes away. And you begin to make your way through these streets, the long, long wide promenades, beautifully lit. And you see that there are these street lamps that are almost going to be growing out with these large lamps filled with these glowing fireflies of some kind. And they're glowing, and just every single thing is incredibly opulent and nice.

I think about a level of luxury that most of you probably have. experienced Caprice maybe obviously Iris actually has experienced that level of luxury but Caprice and maybe you've been in a few few areas or clubs or districts and golfing way in a few places yeah you've talked your way in a few places but probably for the rest it's it's a very it's huge culture shock especially two companions as they're all looking around and you begin to see to notice however as you walk the streets that you see mostly Erakowra but you see that There are a couple of individuals carrying, maybe pushing a huge cart.

You notice that there's no beast of burden here. All you have seen are the mounts, and you see occasionally giant owl flying with relatively large crates and things, pallets of goods. But then you see, you hear the panting and grunting of bug bears pushing these huge wagons that would ideally be pulled by a huge beast, but they're sweating and they look exhausted. You see the occasional gnome skitter out of maybe a cobbler shop looking ragged and run down.

The occasional lizard folk in the back kitchen of a tavern taking a break, maybe sneaking a nip of Nica-Hooch. As you see that there's these other denizens of the forest below mixed in but absolutely just at a low low low low low low of the society and there very very much seems to be an obvious caste system that there are individuals that do get to go up and you know that that that had been had been a sighting that had happened but it seems that if this is if it's not slave labor maybe indentured servitude or or just absolute poverty in this caste system obviously all non-aericrocro and

and then the common air-roker and then the nobles at the time. As you wind your way through the streets, you see that a lot of these commonerur-a-coker all flying around, but occasionally you pass a group not unlike yourselves, a group of owl people and all these varying masks as they are in these beautiful ballgowns and perfectly sculpted suits. you see that their feathers and their beaks and their talents all have that same shimmer and sparkle as the noble born. I've referred to approach this group.

I'll lean into the Zarbud. I'll be like, um, that listen to the thing you have to understand about nobles is they love to talk about themselves. So just ask questions. If anyone starts talking me, just say, you know, whatever, whatever you can get to learn as much about them as possible, you never need to say anything about yourself. Oh, that's good to know. That's good advice.

That's really good advice. Thank you. I was just going to let everyone. everyone else do the talking and I would stand by the punch bowl. Just in case we split up. Yeah, sure. I mean, the punch bowl is where people do the most talking. So you stay...

Oh, no. Oh, no. Well, I will figure it out. And occasionally you exchange very loose pleasant treats with the nobles that you pass and you find the sea. And you actually see that some of them are wearing furs and leathers. And you wonder where they're being... may have gotten those leathers. You knew that Umlanda had been fox hunting and had his trade was was was leathers and fur but some of these furs and leathers you see are there's also like

maybe some scaly accessory and some thick maybe feline-ish fur as well as you all make your way through and eventually you wind your way tree to tree to tree. And you realize that there's this huge network, but at the center is a massive trunk at least three times the size of the others. It's a mighty trunk. And you eventually arrive at this huge tree and you see that this is the beautiful promenades of other cities. It doesn't seem unlike Skyreach where you had spent much time in Zentra. But you just made entirely out of wood and in the trees, populated by bird folk and the occasional strange forest-dwelling species. As you make your way through, you kind of walk among

more and more of these noble Erecogra. As they, not a single one of them dares, uses their own wings in order to fly, and they prefer to not exert their energy as they stroll through the tree tops. And eventually you see directly up ahead a massive circular ring of what looks like a palace, but with branches at every single cardinal direction with more structures built out the very top of this tree directly beneath the thick canopy. And you see that there are these huge windows, some of this elegant, uh, stancholy. glass that forms various different species of Alarocra, wearing finery, some holding weapons, probably a long-storied history of the number of houses that had maintained control over the

Oaxian core. And as you all make your way through, you see that there's a huge door going up to where this ramp is effectively guiding you. And you see that's where all the nobles you basically join a group as they're all heading all wearing different massive a variety of things and as you walk through let's just get a group perception check to see what kind of stuff you hear No nothing on your shit No I hear some shit 13 10 20 Nice

dirty 20 30 20 390 3 9 So Lifty You were the only one that your ears are perked up. And you've been in high society before as well.

And you know that rich people and nobles especially like to chatter, and they are not very careful. Many of them are not very careful about the kind of information that they just talk about in pleasant conversation. And you hear a voice as you walk your way through. It was like, oh, I wonder, what sort of announcement? The high lord, the grand lord. is going to make. He's figured out a way how to destroy the horrible humans and the orcs and the elves that will be able to reclaim this continent the way it used to be.

And then you hear this older owl, this dark nearly black feather spotted with tufts of white and gray. Well, I don't think that's very likely to go back to how things used to be with just simply thunder and lightning in wind alone, I refuse to believe it. There's been very, very many inefficiencies, and I refuse to accept that comidus is the one that will lead us to that future. I don't think I will leave to see it. Commodus? Comedus.

Cominus? Commodus. That's a grand man? Grand lord. Grand lord. Context clues may need you to think. called reading between the lines context clues are they still talking or then it's kind of then they make their way out you don't you don't hear any of i want to oh i'm sorry

oh there's only left of your time my bad my bad but i would can i can i like usher everyone over to one corner on yeah while we're walking we don't know that you yeah so you would yeah i was going to say something and walking i would oh if you wanted to grab attention to say something. Oh, yeah. Feel free. I was going to urge you guys to decide anyway. Is everything all right? Yeah, I just want to make sure that we're all referring to each other

in our names that we have of course, absolutely. We understand the names. You've got it, specs. Of course. Yes, you are specularia. Hello, specularia. Eskeratarina. My name is Gustav Hamershmit.

I'm Albert. Your tin. Well, I mean, you can't forget about the iron balls. I could never. I could never. Yeah, do we refer to each other as like... First names are fine. I believe we were... We told... What's his face? We only wanted to be from the same house, right? No, I...

Oh, no, you're all going to be. Different house with... We go by gentlemen's rules when we're in a high court of this nature. It's only natural. I picked up on the fact that Lowborn, they don't have last name. So perhaps just referring to each other with our last names is probably the house names is perhaps the way to go. My apologies, then. Sir, Power Bottom the Third, then, in that case. I don't think it's, I think Lord is the correct term. Oh, that's what we've heard.

Lord and Lady. Lord, Powerbottom, the Third. That's fine. That's fine. Thank you. I'm sorry. You've got a Power Bottom. I'm new to this. What Lord Power Bottom? I haven't been Power Bottom for very long. And it was Featherstyn? Featherton and

Hammerschmidt Powerbottom, Bombastus, and familiaria. I have Cotafly Flebe. It's Lord Powerbottom, the third. Right, yours is like, so I'll get this here in a second. Iron balls. I'm going to try to make everybody say it. Lord Powerbottom? No, not Lord Powerbottom.

Not Lord Powerbottom. I get them to say what? Lime, because nobody can say it. You're Your lady potato love, right? Cortefin. yes cutofflev libe cutoffle liben

lebe libe or liben is it in b an r it does not n lebe so it is libe so it is libe

so it is libe and what's our story we're all coming from different houses but what if they ask us like where are you from what is your house well it's out of character would all be in your

your people book So you can say what you want, right? As long as you stick to whatever it was in your... Oh, my God, he gave us free reign to make all that stuff up. So you would have your established backstory in the paperwork that what's his Garbonzo Bean gave us? Shot it. Okay. Gaboro.

Gaboro. Sorry. Yeah, that's like I said. Gaboroso bean is way better. Mr. Garbonzo bean, to you. As you all arrive, so you get that... I don't know if you're actually... If you relayed that loosey, by the way.

Oh yeah, I think people aside for this thing. I'm sorry. Yeah. So did you see those snuffy beeches over there? We saw lots of them. Are you referencing anybody in particular? We can't. Souls, I don't want to point too much. Make sure we stage whisper as we whisper.

Okay. Is this better? A little? Yes, a little bitter. How about now? Better probably should be better. Probably more better. Doesn't bitter means?

Bitter? Bitter? Bitter. Yes. No, that means it means like bitter. than bad or better than good your better. No, no, that's better. We're talking about bitter. That's what

I said, better. Fine. Like the opposite of sour? No, no, no, no. That's bitter. Bitter is in like, it's not the best, but it's better than than good. The rest. Oh, it's not being the best. What were you saying? Lozzi?

Then what I was saying is that those people over there were saying that they, they are thinking that maybe he is going to announce tonight that there's a way to destroy all the humans and the downstairs people. See, we should have no qualms killing all of these people. But they don't know, they're just gossiping. I gossip all the time. Do you believe everything I say?

Yes, I do believe everything you say. That's right, and you just go on doing it. You're a sweet boy. Hold on. There's something my dad told me with how he's a young girl, and the way stakes and stones can break. my boyance but words will never hurt me. Gassup is not going to make us the time. We'll find out in about five seconds.

Let's continue. The bottom line, we can continue to walk as we are discussing quietly. My vicious muckering. The camp trip would say otherwise, by the way. My problem here is that even if we decide that this is where we need to strike and that this may, are there enough high-powered

influential individuals here where a targeted strike will actually get the job done, right? Without destroying the people in charge, Then it's all for nothing anymore. I don't think we do anything until we can make sure that the wind spirits are safe. Then we can make, then we can... I think we should go straight to Plymouthus.

Then I... I agree. I'm going to back up to all on this one and say, I follow his lead. And when we understand more about where the wind spirits are, then we strike. And until then we do nothing because we don't want to lose his lead. Fair? Fine. I'll go right now and...

The whole reason I came here for the last, probably year of many months, was to be right here right now. And I'm not going to ruin my chance now. Lead the way. We'll follow you. Yeah. I trust you tall. Follow your shot. I have been.

I won't do that. Do what that means. Is a shot as in like a slingshot? Open to interpretation. It doesn't matter. Anyway, we should get in there and just keep an eye out of you over here anything about wind spirits, about islands, about anything that could sound like, anything related to what we're doing. Just please let me know.

Yeah, and I want to know, they said that they have like a blue woman with black hair. And like, that's one of the people they're stolen. I want to know who the fuck got stolen before me. Why was I not the first person they came after? They're just like a blue person. Yeah. Fair enough. That might help, I think, if you, if you, at least.

I mean, like, they got so many other people and like, I'm bestring? C-stering! Why have I not been stolen? All the way down to jeepstring. Just grab on down there and play the note. Take me down the jeetown. They did try to steal you multiple times. Yeah, but I should have been the first ones they came after.

I think you've been wearing you're a little too low. Yes, that must be why I refuse this way. But also, on a more logical note, what if they have more crystals? So do the spinny thing. Oh, I'm sure they do. I mean, that would definitely... You're going to have to be in trouble and we're going to have to dispel them or... Can you do that?

Because I can't do that? Are you seriously asking me if I can't reverse magical effects? You think I haven't studied my entire life to know how to make things and I wouldn't learn how to unmake them? I can't do it, but I can probably try... Can you believe that? Can you believe that? I'm absolutely fair. I don't know if you can do that. Can you do that?

I don't know. I would... Yes. I can do that. Thank you, complete. I'm just saying you do this. And the things happened. And I'm like, that's really cool.

I don't understand that. Kim, iron balls. While we're having this conversation and we're discussing what our goals are, I personally want to be on the lookout for people that look to be the elite of the elite. We don't know what this communist guy looks like, not that she told us yet. We don't know who the, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, high, you know, people are, I want to look for people who stick out who are like they might be extra regal. Because my goal is to say, is this worth where we immolate everyone, right?

Trying to decide whether or not we have a targeted strike place. So I'm going to keep my ears out for what tell us, but I also want to see if we can find extra special members of the elite. Yeah. One last thing. That was definitely not the last time we were going to see Eric Cobra Joe. He might be here. And if we see him, we need to learn how to deal with that problem. I'm just going to kick him right in the face. But we've all just been standing here doing nothing, so I recommend that we all laugh boisterously

and then continue on our way. As if I just made a hilarious joke about how I fired him. Oh, that is fantastic. Thanks, you're all. Let me's go. Come on, go forward. I want to leave away, good lord. I know.

It's good news. You pass, and then there's this very, you pass. And then there's this very, very well-dressed female owl air cochra that's wearing these layers and layers and layers of fern as she's passing you. She puts a hand on your shoulders. Oh, that sounds funny. I don't know what I threw a gnome off of my balcony. It's always funny to throw them into the unnome. What's your name?

Oh, they call me Tim Iron Balls, but you can call me Tim and yourself? Well, I don't know why someone so charming would pick such a scary mask. Oh, it's a bit of a joke, sweet and sour, sweet on the inside, sour on the out. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to try later. Toot-l-l-Loo. And she walks off as the man that she's wet, looping arms in, like, gives you a dirty look. I do this as I pass him and I like it just looks as you do that

and oh sorry oh no you could have done that man you can just let me know I can turn that on are we don't keep going to like edit stuff oh oh I have this out the sun is setting

this is real DMD folks this is real B&D folks all right oh yeah yeah so that's That's, we're just, we're following Toadley. So just so I understand, out of character, did you get some, you had a sense when you did your ritual, but are you like, do you have a destination in mind, or are you just, like, following a feeling? So I am following a feeling.

So my, so, he's talking about a feeling. So I'm looking at a feeling. So my goal is to basically learn whatever I can, and just try to get that sense again to see if I can feel the winds. And I'm, like, not even going to be trying to talk to people. I'm going around and just listening and looking at our doors, passages like I'm gonna be toes gonna be very like anxious to try to find something or some way that I'm following your lead 110% basically okay perfect oh Toa I'm gonna strut up and just grab him by the own it's Gustav oh yes and I just squeeze very

hard as I'm like did I say that I mean Gustav I'm just stupid who's oh right who I don't know who to is that was really a test and you answered so shame on you but I forget you already. No, my name is... Lord Hammersmith. You still... My little Gustav. I am, my name is Gustav.

So I was thinking that while you are exploring the party and looking for a grand thing that you are looking for, yes. That maybe you could use a little help and I'll give him a big hug and slick the crystal into his jacket pocket. Oh. I do like a wink and I'm like, yes, that's bad. Absolutely, thank you.

I totally forgot we had this. Anyway, yes. Um, um, lady, uh, uh, cult, cult of Fleeburn and Fleeberg. Cause enough. You can call me Hildervorn. Well, um, would you like a drink? Have you ever heard me say no to that? Well, then let's go.

Oh, okay. longest way possible, like just kind of going through the crowd, still holding on to Lufting... Well, you haven't quite arrived here. Oh, so we're not in the room yet. No, so it seems as if you hear a clash of thunder as the storm once again picks up, but no one seems to mind as the throngs of nobles make their way into the, this huge space and you see a massive ballroom through three sets of double doors out,

and you see numerous Eryokra dancing, chatting, mingling, and there seems to be various levels as well, all on the side, balconies looking down. You see a number of figures standing, leaning up against these railings, holding drinks. and as you as you step forward you see a young looking very well-dressed a slendered snowy owl

and she's my lords and me ladies may I please have your papers welcome to the the Grand Lord's ball I make like a big show of like pulling out my papers and flourish them over

I see that you make through a big show of it and I use minor religion to like put some fireworks out as like make an even bigger show Well done, me lord. Oh, of course, here you go. Welcome Lord Iron Balls. Welcome, Lord, Powerbottom, the third?

Thank you. How much new? Nobody crosses House, Power. Welcome, Lady. Eschatariate. Eschatariate, welcome. And welcome, lady, my lady. Okay.

And welcome, Lady. And welcome, Lady, That's easy to say. I'm sure hard. It happens. What happens? It was thicker in things. And they both give their papers as well.

As you all enter this room, and it is absurdly large and gaudy. It seems like every single bit of wall and floor and railing is intricately carved wood. Beautiful murals and artwork on every single inch. single inch, you see that there's a huge orchestral band playing in various rows all around you and then these string and woodwind instruments all melding together into echoing through this tree chamber as the glow from the light from outside which seems to be coming from these strange globes of fireflies, all shining through, paint this beautiful, colorful dance form that just looks like the most lavish thing that you've ever experienced. And you see to the side

there's various tables and bars where you can grab beverages and massive buffets. You see things that are basically standard like eggs and little pastries and the like, tea cakes. And then you also see strange things like roasted rats and squirrels and small creatures all all mixed in in this bizarre spread. I want to seeing them like linked up doing their armed thing, I want to go find a bar where I can grab a drink and try to find someone to talk to me. Okay. So yeah, you go and who's breaking up with me? Who's splitting up?

In the walk in the Thailand. I'm very anxiously. ripping... I can hang out with Caprice. I'm going to grab a Zorbaugh, and can birds... Can birds... I don't think birds can sweat. I don't know if birds can sweat.

And I'm going to see if they're like... I think I want to take a, like, a perimeter to sort of walk around. I don't think I'm going to go ahead and direct with the bar. Yeah, I'm just going to try to go off on my own grab a drink and see if I can talk to somebody and hear information that Toa asks me to listen for. Okay. So if I can find someone to speak. to. That's what I'll try to do. Okay. So you do that and you all make your rounds.

As you see that there's a variety of different masks, you see a variety of masks, even far more of a variety than you had seen in the shot that you had been in. As you see a variety of different Aricokro all dancing in this beautiful waltz. And you actually see that there, there are at the very top of this shot show, there is a place for, you hear these up above you through the music, the drunken hoots and the falls and lass above you. As you see a number of the nobles have already are three sheets to the wind, and they're drunkenly flying and dancing and tangle in a strange aerial dance. As you look all around, and we'll say Caprice is part of your perimeter, you see that there are various balconies. And at the very top, however, all the balconies seem to be connected in various partygoers,

but there seems to be a cylindrical, or not a cylindrical, a half-circle balcony, up towards the top with a door. And all the only individuals that are up here are heavily armored guards. As guards seem, actually, as you make your perimeter, it'd be very easy to see, that this whole building, you're passing guards holding huge halberds, and spears, longbows, and you see that the security here is incredibly tight as you make your way. I'll turn to the Zorbeck. Yes.

You know anything about the high perch in general or what those guards might be guarding? They guard the nobles. Well, they're nobles in all directions. Are they like even higher nobles behind them? There's McGrady, McGrady family. And their name is all common? Is there a variety? I don't know name.

Okay. I just know there's one family that always rules over the Ocaxian court. Ever since House Ocaxia, years and years and years ago. That is all I know. How did the new houses, maybe you don't know. How do the new houses get chosen from house to house? Essentially, there's treachery uprising murder. Oh, that's.

Then they change and nothing changes. Do they just kill each other and take power? Do they create a vacuum and buy the way in? Yes. Both? Okay. But I think we should all schmuse. I agree.

Zornbach, there's a punt. Punchbow over there by Powerbottom and Thedleton over there. Oh, I would go to Punchbowl. And you, as you're going and trying to find someone to talk to. So you go to the booze and you're at the Punchbowl looking for someone to chat with. And let me just pull this up. Okay. You see a barrel-chested Aero-cocry with these tall tufts arising from his hair,

this grayish-brownish feather plumage that's almost spotted. As you see him in a very tight-fitting effect as he is pouring himself a large glass of this part. that is this shimmering purple liquid. Oh, good, sir. Do you mind topping me off as well? Oh, of course. And, uh, what, uh, what, what family might you be from, my good friend? I am from Salute de Matio.

That is quite the mouthful. That is fantastic. And which house are you from, my lord? Oh, I thought you would never ask. I am Albert Sunshot Benedict Power Bottom the third from the Power Bottom family. Of course. We have a very, very rich, rich history of just getting absolutely railed by the worst circumstances that could ever possibly befall a family.

But you know what? It was about time us power bottoms took control for once. And here we are. We're here to change things. I take a large sip of this. Well, I'll eat to that. I mean drink to that. As he downs the beak hits the glass.

My, this is fantastic. So, what's the buzz tonight, as they may say amongst the people? Well, if you want my honest opinion. I do, I do. Well, I suppose I've already had three or four of these. I'll drink to that, and I take another swig of the... I'll drink to Power Bottom, as he takes another swig. And he says, I think the communist family is so...

knows they are on the way out. Interesting. And the old fool is making a desperate plea to not to prevent the inevitable. Well, I have my own theories as well, but... Oh, what is you're a theory? I've just been mingling and getting a feel of the land, but some people think that the, uh, commodist family might be in play for a very long time.

You never know. I suppose you never know, but these are you never know, but these dynasties never last very long here. I'll drink to that. No, me too. Are you faking drinking? Yeah, I'm like taking like little sips. I'm not like guzzling it down.

I'm just like taking little nips here. Well, it's been a pleasure. It will not be the last that you see of the power bottoms, I'm sure. I hope not. I never heard of the house power bottom, but every single day, learning of new houses there are so many of us there truly are and I'll just begin to wander off and and choose with someone else okay you do that what you guys are I guess you left with Zorbach I told Zorbach to leave us actually not

no so I think Iris and I are together are we all three of us together I am in Aloufee I would tell if she's working Oh, and heart. So, yeah. Yeah, the heart is, like, clinging to you guys. We are approaching the bar on a very windy path, and I want to listen out. And, like, look for any, like, doors or, like, basically any other, I want to get, like, a lay of the land of, what are the exits out of this room?

And he's just looking for some kind of chamber or something that might be nearby that they're holding wood spirits. And I would be looking at the same time just for, like, the richest list. looking person, like, in the room. Okay. You look around, and you see that all of them look absurdly rich. Make a perception check. Toa, you look, and there's other additional entrances and doors through this building. You see that there's actually directly ahead of the main entrance.

There is an open archway with these stairs that rise up, a grand staircase that rise up on either side. it seemed to go about to the same level as the different balconies. You see there is one in the same spot for every floor. You also notice that behind the food, the food buffet, that there is a large closed door, and behind the two of the bars, there are also doors. What do you think? I don't know.

I mean, do we, I'm just trying to, Did I hear anything? Like in passing, did you hear anything? 12? You listen and you hear the mutterings. And all of you, I would say at this point, have heard of the name comodus, house comadus. And you know that almost all of these nobles are very much fed up with this house,

and with this grand lord. And there's this level of malicious glee that almost all of these Erakokra have about guessing when the time will come that some house will be bold enough to put it end to House Comedus. And that they all know that this is for some grand announcement. But they don't.

they don't seem to they don't seem to believe that House Commodus is really going to be able to be announcing anything that they, of worth at all. And I'll say that let's just get a group perception check. One more. Ooh.

11. 50, 52. 52. $15. $2. $14. 9. Perception?

7. Sorry. I had a 16 when you asked me to roll before. Now I have a 6. A 16. Okay. Just to clarify. So, 16.

You do, you make your way through, and you find an older-looking air cochreel. That is covered in more jewelry and gems and necklaces, beautiful teeth. She's a lot shorter, this dark brown fur with rings around the eyes and with a small beak and a pristine fur fur boa around her beautifully bedazzled dress in real diamonds. And she seems to very much be the, at least the most opulently dressed person there as you're with Toa. However, as for that perception check, Caprice, you catch one little glimpse of a word, and you hear it's in a hush whisper. And it's probably middle-aged noble leading into his date.

He's very drunk. His eyes are kind of glassy as he, his talons are around her neck. in between the wings and he says I'm well that's jobonist actually may be up to something his eyes are wide as he kind of breathes in some

that punity bullshit well I'm with just her chants yeah do we go get a drink I wanted to go check out that balcony it looked pretty cool yeah you why yeah absolutely You know, I just heard that guy over there.

Did you hear that? He was saying, let's go get that drink first. Okay. And I will buy us two drinks and take us to the balcony. So included. Then I will, it's, oh, I will want. Pretty bar. Oh, I'll think about tipping and then realize that probably tipping

isn't something that would be done to such lowborn. Exactly right. All of the bartenders and the attendants are all, of that rougher plumage. And there's no tip jar, there's no coinage at all that you can say. I'll take you to the balcony. And just that that guy was saying,

though, that he thinks the commonest actually has a plan, that he's gonna maintain power here in the court. I wouldn't be surprised. I think he's got us all pulled. when he's, you know, genie, folk, and whatnot. He's going to use the genie out of that. Exactly right. Is that what, do you think the tempest comes into play here?

The elder tempest? I mean, I heard Tyber say that, but I don't know what that means. Well, I think we need to figure out how the mantle of power transitions from house to house. Could we grab someone real quick and I might be able to talk them into explaining how common escape into power? and then maybe we could understand a little bit better about how to transition things away from comments. So it sounds like he's up to no good. Yeah, we should also

probably talk to a few folks and see which one's the most drunk and maybe potentially the most kind-hearted. Well, my guy I saw seemed really drunk, but he didn't seem kind-hearted. Maybe we could start spreading the seed of good and getting these people convinced that maybe a new ruler doesn't need to be a tyrant. What's good to go? Absolutely.

All right. I'm into the plan. Let's do the plan. I'm going to look a and I'm gonna see if there are people who look like they are both drunk and if they are a gentle soul Okay, as you're doing that Felix But you are you are looking for any particular as you're mingling? No, I already did my power bomb a bit so I'm moving on to just trying to listen for the things that tow asked me to keep an air out for it Okay, my spirits and you know I'll say that you eventually meet up with to okay and you and uh, you connect with him and you fill him in on what you had heard. Hey, are you all right, big guy?

Yes, I'm fine. We're just trying to figure out. Do I get any, have I got any sense of windness or have I felt anything like tug at me since I've been here? Not since we've been here, no. I had some conversations with people, but really it's all just the same thing. They really just think that this communist family, this communist guy is going to be on its way out. That's it.

I've got anything. They're all kind of on the same page. Well, there are a couple entrances. There's that big door behind the bar there. There's a big staircase that goes up to entrances there, to all the balconies. I'm just wondering where they might be holding all of these wind spirits. So here's the thing. There are ways we can get in there, and I can get back out.

But we can't take all of these. It's risky because I don't know what's on the other side of those doors. Well, I think we need to wait and see what he announces. If there's some kind of big announcement, perhaps that would give us the correct information that we're missing. I agree as long as when whatever this announcement is made isn't too late. I just don't know what it could possibly be, but it doesn't sound good. Oh, no, do you think that it's possible that whatever the announcement is, they're going to kill the wind spirits or do something that is beyond the point of no return?

I don't know, but it could be beyond... Yes, it could be the case. I don't... I don't know what. I just don't want it to be too late. I don't know what to do. Let me... I suppose I could try to sense their presence at this point, but I'm going to need somewhere private to...

To get everything out in my... You might be able to find a private room or something for the nobles to retire to. I'm sure you can find something. Just demand. You're an artist. Yes, of course, of course. I'm going to find the nearest help or like waiter or whatever.

Okay. You see a small ground owl holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres and he looks at you. Yes, my lord. I need a place to rest, post-haste, just privacy and quiet. In darkness, I have terrible migraine and I just need to rest for like 15 minutes, so can you give me a private room somewhere nearby? somewhere in your bar. Yes,

yes, of course, no, there's plenty of private rooms. Please leave the way. Right now. Huh, yes, sir, yes, sir. And, uh, yes. I want to follow and basically just, like, stand guard outside of the room.

Okay. And, uh, it's just like, oh, please, please bear with me, my lord. As, uh, he guides you up, he's still holding the tray. And, uh, you realize that, uh, on the inner hallways around these balconies, there are all these small private rooms.

And, uh, hold on, and he listened. Not that one. No, no, not that one. Okay. Please, please please be with me. And he keeps listening, listening, listening to each one. And then finally, ah, this one is unoccupied. And he opens it. And you see that there's an empty, very small chamber. The lights are very low.

And there's nothing about really a bed in a nightstand. Well, thank you very much. My associate will be waiting outside to make sure nothing happens. And perhaps Lifties with us. I don't know how to care of flippies with us. But I won't be long, but they'll make sure that no one disturbs me as I coalesce. Yes, Michael. Holler if you need anything.

Of course. I shut the door, and I very quickly take out all the figurines in the north, south, east, and west as best as I can kind of figure, and just sort of meditate or pray or whatever, and try to get a sense of, you know, tap into my spirituality. Do I get any kind of sense of... Make a religion check, please. A windbiz. Winbiz. I'm going to use a twist of a fake. If you don't mind.

You rolled a four to three. Five. Five. So, as you place out all of your figurines, you pray, pray, pray. And you're sitting there, you're trying to get something. And with the music outside and this small, narrow room with a horrible incense, it's difficult to focus. focus and you're distracted and you get nothing. And then as you're dejectedly packing away your things, you look into your pack that you have

with you. And you could see that there had always been when you had the crystal, you had noticed that there was a faint point, a faint glow pointing in the direction of where you assume lift you'd be. And as you were, as you went further and further, got slightly fainter and fainter. And it got fairly faint when you're in this room. And then as you pick it up, you suddenly see it glow and rattle and point in a different direction entirely. Away from Lifting, away from Lifting, where you assume Lifty to be where it had been pointed. And then up, almost up above you and in a different direction.

So I paid heed to the direction that I'm kind of seeing on the crystal. and then I leave right away and I'll would you come with this? I'm sorry, where? We went to like a point. I think for the sake of this for the sake of what just happened

she would have not. Okay, so she's down for Mingling. She's with the rich, the witch, the witch old Oh yeah, Lord Parabotan is with me. Yes. Lord Parabarton, yes. May you join me very briefly

in this room here? Why? Yeah, I suppose. I'm looking around and seeing me is like looking at us weirdly like I'm going in the room with this guy. Everyone looks. And the music stuff. No, and as you look, you see

this one, this one Eric Cooper looking, and they just look at you, and as they see Tunez escaping in the room, they just shut the door. What's going on? Look! And I pull out the crystal. This is definitely pointing away from Lufty. It's pointing very strongly.

And I kind of move it around, and I just show, it's putting kind of vaguely up in that direction, whichever direction that I'm feeling. Do I get a sense that it's up in the, up and higher floors? Yes, up from a higher floor that you would guess. And it starts to glow more and more intensely as you're in this room waiting. More and more and more. Yeah, and it's kind of moving very slightly.

Look, if you're here, it's moving kind of... This is unbelievable. I haven't seen it do this before. Does that mean that he has the wind sphere? it's something powerful is obviously here I think I think we need to go and follow this

just don't let anybody see you have that no of course not of course not I'm just going to very nonchalantly wander and suddenly follow this all right lead the way and I've got your back all right and then you can get us out if we need to right I can get us

yeah time out we talked about this a little bit The idea is that the spell says that I can take a willing creature of my size or smaller, but it also says that I can't take more than I couldn't personally

lift. So you're not sharing me. So lifting is like, let's say there's a giant boulder, you can't like teleport with the boulders by home again. Right, right. But because I'm a medium creature, and I'm willing, it's a totally separate thing. I can get us in and out. One way in, one way out. That's it. I'm not. Well, let's just be very nonchalant about.

If somebody asks us, we just, oh, I don't know what you're doing, and we'll at least lay eyes on whatever this is. I've only done this a couple times. It's as long as you trust me, I think that I can do it. I trust it. All right. Leave the way. Okay, so I open the door and while you they were doing that, you see this very wealthy owl, you know, this this older hair cooker. So I would go up and oh my goodness those jewels. I can't get over them. I should know who you are. Who are you, my lady? I'm, you do not recognize me. I'm

Lady Minerva. Lady Minerva. I am so embarrassed. You should be child. Oh, yes. Kiss her hand. I don't know. You stupid cartoful. Stupid potato. Are you new blood,

I assume? Well, I suppose you could say that. I'm certainly new here. Well, I would ask what house you are. Well, I'm of the great cutoffle-lebe house. Definitely new blood. What did you say? I'm saying.

Definitely new blood, but I'm not surprised. Well, you must have been here forever. I mean, look at you. The shade! She pauses. She clacks her talons together. Is that for cutting words? Right. I'm going to print some big ones.

Indeed, my house has been around a very long time. Oh, God. Far longer will it last than your house, I'm sure there's no doubt. Sure. Well, um, so what do you say? think the big announcement is this evening? Well, he is hoping it's Commerdus's retirement. And who do you think would take his place?

Hopefully someone with more wisdom, more taste, more years, and she gives you like a knowing look. Hmm. That, I found a lot of gossip. You hear that from across the other. From a floor up. All the language shakes. I've had a lot of gossips this evening, as I'm sure you must have as well.

There's always gossip. That's true, that's true. He seems to have something up his sleeve, quite powerful. At least he thinks he does. He may have his little entourage of outside. as a menagerie of strange creatures, but I don't think it would be enough. What do you mean? I think that there are those that would do better for the Ocatsian court than House Cometheus.

There's no doubt. I mean, that is just agreed upon everywhere I turn. It's just a matter of who takes his place and how. Yes, a matter of whom I suppose. I'm confident it would be someone far more worthy. Your house perhaps? Some have suggested it. Are you suggesting it? Well, surely.

You must be in the wrong. I've already said too much. Ah! What are you coming? Oh, fuck. But I suppose there's little risk in talking to such a little risk in talking to such a lot. a lowly noble house such as yours. Yes.

No risk at all. Please, anything else you'd like to share? Like, where you got that piece? Which one? That one right there. And I'm going to flick it and see if I can get a gem out. Make a dex track. Straight dex check.

Oh, now. And Lifty's dead. You, you, the twist. He did. Please don't die. Death like across the face. Yeah. 13.

As you attempt to reach out and flick it, and she just quickly dodges out of the way and looks up at you. Despite you're not being super tall, she's going to be shorter. She looks up at you and says, well, I'm sure I must go. I'm getting the word that the, the grand lord himself was to speak. Oh.

And you look, she, her eyes gaze over the crowd, and you see that there is a vassal that is trying to get her attention. Then, age before beauty, go ahead. No, wiggle my little feathered fingers. Wisdom, first of all, child. Oh, shit. And she, uh, she waggles her fingers and, uh, and walks off.

So I'm going to look around and so they are in a back room still. Are you out now? You guys would have set right in the same time. Left the back room but I don't know where Tell is leading me. He has a lead. I'm falling in the first or something. So we're not in the main room. I'm not acting stupid.

I'm going to scan the room and just look for any member of my party that I can say. We're going to be on the floor. I think we're trying to look for a kind soul making you to talk to. if that is also very drunk, or at least very drunk. You are all looking around. So while that's happening, you're looking around, and you find a number, a lot of the people that are drunk

are either off in private rooms or flying around. You see one. Flying? Yeah, flying and dancing. So they'll fly here. They just won't fly. The ones that are drunk are flying and dancing. Well, they're having fun.

Care for a dance. Sure. work. Hold on to me real tight then. And I'll cast fly on myself. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. My ass tightens.

And I will go up and start swirling around. See if I can try to match the cadence of the dance that's holding on to her judge, spinning barrel rolls, the whole thing. Very Star Fox. If you can picture. Are they flapping their wings in flying? They're flying, yeah. And I'll keep an ear out for anyone who's the most drunk to try and see, like, when they go back down, I might be able to follow them down for this purpose.

So you're flying all around and you see one, one Eric Okra that looks me really drunk and he says, I'll tell you, I'm going to go fishing up and drink. I'll be right back. he leaves this far younger Erikaoka, and he kind of sloppily flaps his way down. He almost like crashes into a group of dancing. Oh, perhaps a drink, and I'll follow.

And you follow and then you land right next to go. Tricer Corsick or Eric Coker sick. We'll land behind him and okay, what did you want to say again? I just wanted to ask

about what Nielsman who's going to be. Okay. Oh, sir, are you getting a refill? I was just about to fill up my cup tool. Oh, yes, young lady. I was doing that, yes, yes. Oh, let me help you out there. You want some punch, bud?

Oh, yeah, yes. I'm a little shaky. Oh, no problem at all. I just grab it out of his hands, and I, like, as slowly as possible, start pouring punch in his cup. Thank you, love. Oh, no problem. Are you a dancer?

We just saw you dancing up there. Yes, I don't dance a good dance move. Oh, you're pretty quick on your feet. I'll tell you what. That's pretty impressive. Thank you very much, generally. Maybe I'll join you for a dance later if you're still up to it. Oh, I hope you do. Because who's this chap? Oh, this is Sir Tim Iron Balls. Well, hello. How are you doing, sir? Lord, Lord Tim Iron Balls. And I am Lady Specularia at Estracariot. Pleasure to meet you, my lord.

This is pleasure to meet you. And what is your house, good sir? I'm still slowly pouring questions. I am Balantras, of course. Balantris, sir, I heard of it. I haven't heard of either of you, but that's just fine. I like new friends. We are, as we have been referred to, a few times, young blood.

We're sure, why not? Blandress? Blandress, yes. Bless you. Thank you. Rumor has it a house of your maturity. Might, might know what the coming announcement might be if we could get to perhaps a preview. All I've heard are the same things.

All I've heard of the same things that you heard is going to be a way to crush the fool's zone. And all the other threats near the countries and were starting. with the humans. And how much credence do you lend that plan? It seems outrageous. He seems to think he has a leg up on the pile, as they say. What are your thoughts on that? How likely do you think he's going to achieve?

I have friends that are working to make sure that his plan does succeed. Very good. And those that are not quite the most trustful. I'm sure we'll get the corumptons come up and it's probably sooner rather than later. But are you of the opinion that this plan will come to fruition? I believe so. I believe those that ask questions like this might be joining those in the balcony soon. Good day.

The balcony? And he walks away as he begins to flap his his wings and he says, remind me to grab that dance later after the show. To-de-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-h. I hand him his drink back. Seon's good. Thanks for the chat. And he flaps up and he soars to the sky. Meanwhile, back to you.

We can't go on the mouth. You all, you two, are kind of nonchalantly taking a look at the crystal. crystal. We went through the hallways, and you start to realize that it's pointing in the direction of that circular balcony into this space deep within it. But it all seems to, as you pass it, it starts to turn, and then you make another pass backwards and it starts to turn in towards that semi-circle balcony that there seems to be no other connecting entrance, at least publicly.

This just looks like a dead end, friend. They're clearly holding them back there. Do we wait to do? We just go in right now. Well, I know how important this is to you, but we just need to think for a minute. What if it's not the wind spirits? We put ourselves in danger for no reason. I suppose that's true.

I trust you. I know. I know. I know. I believe you. And I want to help you. And I can try to get us in there. I just... It's a lot that could go wrong. Well, perhaps we just wait to hear whatever this announcement is,

but at a moment's notice, let's just get in there and kill whoever we have to. I can get us in there at a moment's notice. So my question is, based on what you described where the balcony is and where we were on the floor, what's the distance look like? You know what I'm saying? I mean, it would probably be within 500 feet, right? Well, I guess my point is I would tell... It's like a four-story building.

That I would want to position myself in a way where we could attempt to just mention door past. You know, I can even for a spot that I can't see, but I risk taking damage depending on what happens on the other side. So that's what I would explain to him, basically how the science works and whatnot, and that we would need to position ourselves in a certain spot. But we can wait, and, I mean, in the blink of an eye, we can go.

We can be in there, but it'll just be you and me, and I have a feeling the rest of the group is not going to be happening. with that. All right, well, let's meet up with the rest of the group and just wait for the announcement, and then we can make a decision. I'll find a position where we can all stand and we can make a decision, and I'll find a good point of venture. Of course, let's round everybody.

All right. So we're going to go back and just grab everybody together and, like, wait and find a good spot to... Okay. I will also, I'll be looking actively with Urnett for the rest of you, so as soon as we spot each other, we're in. So, you all, um, you all... congregate in the center of this ballroom as the hours or the minutes go by and it's not long after a heart joins you

holding like a drink and she's like, I haven't talked to anybody I think everyone thinks I'm probably a freak. Why? Why would you say that? Because everyone else is so social and not afraid. That's okay. You just have good news. It's okay not to say anything. You just puff your chest out like this

and then you put your nose up And it looks like you are choosing not to talk to anyone. Oh, I guess I should have done that. Remember what Iris said. Never too late to stop. Never too late to stop. If anyone's messing with you, you give them business. Everyone here's so much better at that than I am, though.

But you're not just practice. It's okay. You're small, but you're furious. Mm-hmm. Give them a small fury. You got this. If they mess with it. Okay, yeah, I hope that doesn't happen.

Everyone's just drinking and dancing and planting. There's a lot of soldiers here. They're just drinking and dancing and planning their next coup. They're not paying attention. Oh, that's really funny. I didn't even, you know, life is really cool sometimes. Hey, is there all right? You're fine. You guys all right. Is everyone good?

Oh, so I'm pretty sure that things are going to go to absolutely fucking crazy on the balcony. Uh, and that, and that we're going to have some sort of, uh, uh, a situation tonight during before or after the announcement. Yeah, we don't. We don't want to end up there to us. I think we're not a little bitch. All right. That's what we were afraid of. to to to toa i have a plan but we got to stand over there and i point to a location where i i think there's we'll have a tactical advantage i i i have ways where i can get toa up to where he

needs to be but we're pretty sure that place is up there in the balcony and we think that there's some kind of wind being that they're bringing out for the announcement i mean toa thinks it's the wind spirits we just talked to a guy who said that uh that that you shouldn't be out on the balcony if you are in support of condolence. What's like, like there's going to be some kind of like active, like coup right now? I, I, I, I, my impression was that if you support not common, but you don't want to be on that balcony when that happened. Yeah, I was asking one of the guys after a dance,

if you was hoping that the plan would happen. And he was like, well, that kind of thinking, you don't want to end up on that balcony now. And he went away and I figured that was a lowball threat. So we definitely don't want to say anything that would be one way or another, and we should try to be as neutral as possible. So if you don't like Kamid's, you don't stay out of the balcony. Oh, because he's going to come to. Maybe.

Something's going to happen on the balcony. It's called the bad news balcony and we don't want to be out. All it does is reinforce that we might have to wait and see what happens as awful as that feels. I want to get a good view because that lady was snotty. Again, I know where I need to stand with Toa. to be in a good position and you can all stay with me or not, but I'm going to do what I can to get taught there if we need to. Then I think we better stick together.

All right, and then I'll lead us to an advantageous point where I think I could shoot 500 feet past the balcony into the next room if I need to do. Okay, so you, and you do that, and as you're getting ready to kind of get towards a vantage point, and you get the sense where anywhere you're on the ground, you'd be able to shoot past it. and you're all kind of congregating. And then suddenly the band stops playing.

And then there's an eruption of trumpet fanfare that plays this bright celebratory tune as all of the Ericocra and the nobles applaud very politely as the soldiers in that top central balcony begin to step away from the doors. as a, the doors open and a young male Eryokra steps forward, a vassal, and holds out a scroll of paper and says, may I present the grandlord, Maestro, Codotus, and the trumpets blair. And the crowd erupts into applause and hoots and cheers.

Everyone that had been in the sky, in the air, is now standing firmly on the various levels, as well as on the ground. And Persia, as you are standing there watching, you kind of feel this presence next to you, and you see a cup raised up with punch. As that same Eric Hoker leans in and says, now here's the show.

As you see... I just stared at everyone else. Like, is this a night... I'm like... Give the big eyes. You see... As the trumpets are blaring, and the door darkens.

And you see three figures in the doorway. And the head is the shortest of them all. is a Ericocra, an owl, dark brown fur with flex of black, huge yellow eyes, in the finest, most elegant, regal garb

that you've seen yet, a white puff of feathers that matches his suit. As he steps forward, and this seems to be what you would depict as a great horned owl, a ceremonial sword at his side. Seems to be of older years, his feathers all around his neck, poofed out,

almost bulging outward as he steps forward, waving at the crowd, as they all are cheering and hooting and applauding. I look at a bellantress to my right just to see, or like trying to glance to see if he has any sort of negative or positive reaction to this gentleman stepping forward. You see him looking up and he's smiling as much as an owl can smile and applauding as he looks up and he gives one or two hoots. As you see Maestro Combinus stroll out onto the balcony as he's waving. Then the door is almost darkened entirely by two very large figures. that then step into the light of this room.

On the first figure that enters is the largest of the three. You see it's a feminine shape draped in an elegant ball gown, but rather than jewelry are these bright gold manacles on the wrists and the ankles and one large collar around the neck, glistening in gold. You see that this female figure has this brilliant mane of black hair draping down, past her shoulders. As she steps forward, her eyes are nearly vacant and emotionless. Her mouth, a narrow slit, as this woman that is massive. even larger than Utah

steps forward behind the behind into the right of commonus finally the third shape emerges you see

slate gray skin tattoos orange marking in strange tribal patterns as you see

the foe that you fought Damn it. This is Makutu. Flambender, Tejahe. Steps forward, but he looks a little different. His face is horribly marred, and where his lower jaw had been,

is a grossly fastened, iron-plated false jaw. Damn, we fucking up. As he steps forward, and all of the crowd is applauding. I'm like shaking. With rage. I'm just staring at the blue.

I'm sorry, at the woman. I'm going to put my hand and on my toe his arm. Like, I see Rukutu, right? Yeah. I'm just gonna try to like, be like, okay, it's all right, it's all right. And as he's,

you see, Maitreukamudus, a grand lord, waving. And then he puts out his talent. And then there's a quiet that falls. I'll pause this, why not? Before the applause stops, can I just scan the room real quick to see if there's any faces that seem to have like a disgusted look or they're not veiling there?

Make an inside check. And did you say skin color? Blue. Blue. This deep, dark blue. She's green. Sorry. Sorry, Kelms. Well, I didn't hear him say specifically.

I apologize. She's move. I mean, move. 18. 18. You look around and as you scan, you see a number of, you see a number of eyes look forward

with this smirking sense that this smirking grim satisfaction as they watch Comedus arrive. And there does seem to be a bit of surprise as they see the two figures with him. As you hear it kind of them whispering, oh, there are more, he is more of them unbelievable. As the applause and then stops.

And you hear him and little subjects. And they all erupt into very polite applause. but I say loyal to those that truly mean that they are loyal to house commodess

there are those that are truly happy to be here as I am so happy that you all came to wish me well I invite you into my home I invite you to this ground the announcement to the glorious future of the Oaxian court.

And I welcome you who have come with good intentions. They are those of you who have come and they are not as loyal as I would like. No, not at all. And you think you whisper in the shadows. Aye, you do. Call me an old fool. But there is nothing that get past me. You see, you look down upon all of those.

that are not feathered, they are not owl-born. But I believe in alliances, so that we may crush those that stand in our way. And so I have said for many years that I had a plan. I had a plan to destroy the raven man, to destroy the filthy orcs and the elves, Believe me, time went on. More whispers.

That, oh, truly, he does not have mastery over the elemental plane of air like he claims. Truly, he cannot find what he seeks, something powerful enough to destroy the nation of Goravakia, to reclaim Strigger. It was the god of the owl which forged this continent. Not the raven, not the vulture. not the hawk and the storms have increased as you've all noticed. And those of you with treacherous intentions, all of you know what the sound of thunder sounds like. You should have listened.

You should have left while you could. But why am I speaking to you? At least those who have I not proven are treacherous. Come out. And you hear the rattling of chains as the, once again, the door darkens in a number of figures steps forward. And first through the door, you see the barn owl Eric Okra with a slitted eye yanking a chain that connects to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Just ten of the noble houses. That's to have plotted against me.

To have doubted my grand plan. Is the old woman one of them? You look up and as you see last in line, white feathers or brown feathers. The old woman of Lady Minerva. Oh. As he leans forward and he says, I am so disappointed that my own. own people, you nobles who I've taken care of so well,

had intentions against me an attempt to plot an assassination in my own party. And so I like to think I'm a reasonable man, and he, a reasonable owl, and he draws his sword and immediately without looking slashes the throat of one of the imprisoned Eryokokra behind him. And you hear, as it colliders to the ground and all of the other prisoners get kind of pulled down along with the chains that connect all of them.

And then he steps one by one. And so some most memorable potsees that you have ever attended. I reached out of grab Paprice's hand. I'm backing you up with me to try to get towards like the back of the crowd very slow.

I hesitate because I motioned to who standing next to me. It is our people's greatest downfall, that we have squabbled and ended our own dynasties, that the great houses have been divided and decayed. I intend the House of Comedus to unite Strigger, and with my new associates, and he gestures to Kutu. Not one, not two, not three, but four of the seven that we need have been delivered to our very doorstep. They are right now in the hurricane's eye and the elder's tempest is one spirit away.

And ever since, my dear, dear Al-Qaeda, and I know that you all judge me. Ever since I found her, I knew I just needed six more. And Stricker would be ours. All you had to do is wait. And with that last one, you see the eyes widened. And as Lady Minerva makes eye contact with you, before her throat is cut and she collapses to the ground. Do I get a sense that when he said delivered four, he was explicitly referring to Makutu? Yes.

For those four? Yes. Okay. I'm like absolutely shaking with Ray Trayman. Easy, buddy. Come on. Easy, easy. And you see now the balcony up ahead as the only people that remain are the row of soldiers towards the back of the room.

And then Mycho Comitus, Tiber of the silent down. Macutu flamebender Tiachi and allegedly this Alpira. This is the dead-panned face. Giant. She's the Gini person. She's a jim. A jim. Her expression looks like she's there against her will.

She's like she's like she's shackled and he's kind of glowing. Robin William style. Robin William style, but there's also a choke and also the, she actually has lead feet. Is it connected to anything or is it just like, Each one is separately connected, but she is wearing a long, like, dress that covers it all up. And you can kind of see that there is a little chain business at each wrist. And so there may be some kind of connecting business, but it's all covered up. But not like someone's like holding up.

No, no, she is just walking forward, just slate-faced. Not seeming to be a part of this like the Kutu is where he maybe like... No, yeah. And as, as, as, uh, as, uh, comidus reaches up and he gives Makutu a big pan on the shoulder. You see, I have pride in being an Eryocra, and I will born Eryokokra more than anyone, but it is with the help of my new friends and anyone who wishes help me indulge my pride. Those are standing my way. The small folk have been crushed beneath us.

Please see, there's no chance for rebellion. It is these three other nations. and they have been torn apart by the beasts, a great fortune. Not even I could have foreseen in my most optimistic. Now is the time. And my dear friend, Tiber's asylum death. It's the greatest bounty hunter in all of Erius. He promises me that he knows the time is short until we have all seven of the spirits that we need. Do they need seven or five?

Because he said one more. He said one more until the Elder Tempest. They have seven. They need seven. They have four. They at least know that they have... They have four. That they have five.

You at the very least know that they have five. Oh. And ever since... But Mukutu delivered four. But you know that he said that after I found Al-Kira, I need six more. Right. Al-Kira is the first. So she's been in slavery for a while now with them.

So there are likely two more that they... Wait. five there's two left that they need because it's al-kira plus four that Mukuchi delivered and there's two more missing right he said that the only one needed one more yeah so there's one on okay one that hasn't been spoken that we don't know of okay got got I missed that hurt and he stops and so and he holds up his sword this completely covered in blood as is uh and and feathers as he uh scrapes it against the reeling. Nasty business, but it must be done. And so that has been the intermission. I hope I have made myself clear. Zentrophores, Korovacia falls, the rest of Striga falls.

The elder tempest will be generated in the eye of the hurricane. and the hurricane will destroy all those that stand in our way and it is you people that will benefit some more so please stop and he raises a talent and he turns and walks

away and with that there's a silence that falls and immediately the band starts playing again I immediately take out the crystal like once everyone's like sort of talking to themselves

as so as I can see if it's like pointing clearly at Al-Qura. The second that you do that, it is clearly resonating directly towards her. And it's kind of, as Lifty stands next to you, it's kind of like going slightly towards her, but it is very clearly pointing at Al-A-Kura. Dan Mukutu has him plotting against the windspirit from the beginning. I need to kill him now. We need to find him now. We need to stop this. We need to find this eye of the hurricane.

Right, right. So we need to free the wind spirits, but there's nothing stopping them from just getting recaptured again until we deal with Mukuju, correct? Yeah, we'll kill him on the way. You guys whispering this to each other? Yeah, amongst us. There's somebody next to me. I go away from you. So I think we need to, we need to, we should act now. That's fine. Dude, I took to the pudding.

We can. We can get in. We can force our way in, all of us, or we can try to do it stealthily. But if we're going to burn all this down anyway, we'd just bust in there. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress. And gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive camp ain't set on the high seas.

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miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. And so as you see Toa and Felix kind of duck away, the same Erika leans in and says, You love you, we're not there, right? To house comendous, it's ears.

A cheers with uh, uh, bellantress. Yeah, valantress. Valantress, yeah. Oh, is Vlantris? Yeah, but he, um, he walks away and, uh, with a grin smile on his face. I look around to see if any of his minions or anyone else could be with an earshot, uh, with a, uh, with a grin smile on his face. I look around to see if any of his minions or anyone else could be with an earshot, uh, of our group while we try to discuss?

Like, in the class, it seems that everyone is, is pretty shocked. Those that, you look around, those that had had these smiles and sick sense, sick, uh, senses of satisfaction that it would be, maybe a comeuppance to comadus are absolutely shocked and they are stone face and many of them are kind of cluttered in their own groups, like whispering very low. Uh, and so no one is really focused on, trying to listen to anybody else. I'm going to step in and talk to them,

but I want to face away from this, so I'm keeping an eye on anyone that might be approaching or if anyone comes back. That's fine. We need to find where there's great tempest is, and I'm sure some of these disgusting bird people know where it is. And then we burn all of this to the ground. All right, all right, we find,

we've got to get information on where the tempest is, you're right? Yes. I mean, is it just the source of the storms? Is that we've seen the storms multiple times? Is it, I just worry, it's far from here. Did it take Al-Cira back? Yep. Okay, that's in the same direction.

I say under my breath, we need to get to Tyburn before we get to come out. Comutus. Combinus. Comedus. Why? He knows us. We have to kill him first before he says anything. He would recognize us in this form.

We're wearing masks at the moment. So for now, at least until he discovers our faces, we have a little bit of of time but I agree we can't let him exist with Mukutu because they're going to get the last wind spirit they need or the last wind entity whatever it may be so I agree we need to deal with them both I just don't we don't know where this tempest is and that's what worries me we can deal with the immediate problem that's right here right now but I don't know where to go to find this tempest we we need we should ask around I'm sure somebody knows I'm sure somebody knows where these things are being I mean, he'll captive.

It can't be that far behind those doors that they brought around all the way out of here for a shout. Well, they put the other tempus in the hurricane. He said to himself. They're in the eye of the storm. Right. We'd have to go to the hurricane to release them, right? Right. Correct.

I mean, I would assume so, yes. It's interesting that Al-Qaeda's here. I mean, it sounds like she's been with the group since the beginning. She was the first one they enslaved. Why is she not part of the school? Why is she shackled here in keeping him company like some pet? I think the implication is that she is part of it, and they just brought her out as for pure show to prove his power. You think the other ones are here too?

I think that they're all, it's all part of it. They need seven, and they need one more, they have six. They have Alchira, the four wind spirits from the Makani Islands, and then somebody else. And you, there are four spirits from your islands, right? They have all four of them? We have all four of them? Yes, that's basically what he just said. What's who just said? And the last one he heavily implied was lofty.

This is all nearly like hushed enough where no one's... We're staged. We're staged. We're still right. Number six would be lofty, and then there's seven, six unknown? There's one that we don't know about. They have six. They need one more.

I thought they have five. No, they have six. They need one more. It's lofty. Can we break this down again? I'm sorry. So we know this one. One that's all.

Kira, four from the wind spirits. One that we don't know about. we have one we just don't know who it is and they need one more for seven we don't know of and have six they have six they need one more we don't know who the six one sorry we went from four five six so I'm very confused every good yeah all the same thing um so I think we can we can we get back through those doors yeah yes of course we can we can either magic some of us in or we just go in guns of blazing I don't think we should do anything during the party sorry to interrupt yeah I think we agree

There's way too much attention. I think we either so additional discourse somehow or because he's clearly concerned about an uprising and if we give him lots more evidence, then he's going to continue to come down on these people and they're going to continue to plot and be annoying. That could be a nice positive feedback loop that we could foster. But I don't know how to even start infiltrating all these powerful people inside of the actual house if we go and guns of blazing. It would have to be a nightmare.

I mean, it's just a matter of beginning to burn it all. We do have the burning burning. There's nothing that says we can't start it now. I think people are going to be too terrified to speak of their allegiance, either for or against him now after seeing that. I agree. It's so fresh in your minds. They're all going to just lie in our faces unless we, you know. No, I don't, I'm not talking about trying to convince them.

I'm just trying to say that if we do something right now, then, then, uh, they're. If we do something that we don't get blamed for, like cause an explosion or create some sort of weird illusion or whatever, then I assume that my astrocaponist would assume that that's the resistance that he was so trying to quell just now. An immediate reaction sometimes the next few minutes can look like additional resistance. If we use any of the fire in the next however many minutes, they're going to shut everything down, Security will be as high as it could possibly be, and there's no way we're going to get back there. We have to let him think that he's quelled everything. And then perhaps you're right.

We wait until after the party, and then we sneak in, and we figure out what the hell's going on. I'm going to glance back up at the balcony. The bodies that were there, are they being left, are they being intended to? They are just laying on the ground in chain's blood, just pouring out, dripping down the wood. people were kind of sidestepping these large pools that are formed on the ground. Let's go take a look at the bodies. Maybe get a closer look if it's successful. I just walk up there.

Tobin and I tried. We were following the crystal, which was apparently leading to that woman, and we couldn't find a way up there. I had suggested blinking up there, but we didn't want to risk our lives without telling any of you. Here we are. There doesn't seem to be public entrances up there from what we could find. You said people were side-stepping it. The pool of blood that was pouring down from the third.

Yeah, it was dripping down off the balcony. And then, yeah, it's not just one's dripping off down the different balconies. We tried to find a public entrance but couldn't find anything. So, I mean, I'm going to ask around and I'm going to figure out if anyone knows me this eye of the hurricane. It's hurricanes. Perhaps we could go and pledge allegiance to come on. by telling him of some other upbizance we've heard of, say that we weren't sure he was the real leader

until this display that he's put on. I could plant some rumors that, you know, the people who've met so far have been spreading whispers about being against him. But this Volatra's gentleman that snuck up next to me seemed like he was pretty much drawn his side. Probably really hard-pressed convincing anyone from, anyone from his game that it's causing an uprising of some kind.

There's only one thing that I think is going to open the gates for him if we just want to go and immediately talk to him. And that's if we make a promise that we have one of the two, he's missing. He's missing. Just so we're all on the same page, he's only missing one. Just so we're clear, do we all agree that he's only missing one spirit? and that he has six, he needs seven, and he's missing one. Remember? So I think that if we could tell him we have one of the three that he's missing. I'm glad you would let it sit.

My end is almost 20, and I can't do basic connection. Anyway, I'm going to go off on them through asking people just very in casual. Like, oh, man, that was a crazy thing. He's very powerful. I'm totally in. Do you have heard of this? I have the hurricane thing? Do you know anything about that?

Just kind of trying to... So you do that, and most people that see you are just like, they immediately walk away. I need you to make, just make a general persuasion check for as you walk around the room. Nice. Can you twist? I'm using a twist. Twist it. Twist it up.

There we go. That's in 17. 17. And make your way around. And you eventually. find one person that's willing to talk to you.

And you see that it is a an air-coper-noble, it's a male. And it's a bit shorter with these light brown feathers, large round

rings around his dark nearly black eyes. As He is off by himself, which gives you some interest and some thought as he's not talking to anyone else, and he looks to be disgust. Disgusted. And there's a look of regretting shame on his face. He kind of stares off. I appreciate him. Okay. So he's standing there. He barely is recognizing, like, that you're even there.

Are we all together? Or are you just If you want to follow me She just kind of ran off I am going to not follow him I'm going to just keep my eye on him And he has to do Hang by the bar and keep an eye on top

When I realize that he's starting to like Go from person to person and talk to them I will be behind him I'll help out Felix I'm keeping watch I will approach this Eric Coker gentleman and I will say Hello their friend

That was some display wasn't it I'm trying to control my kind of anxiety and rage this whole time. Um... Don't barb out. Um... Barb out. Yes, it was. It was a display, for sure.

You, you don't look real, did you know one of the poor souls that lost their lives just now? Yes, I did. I'm sorry, it was my grandmother. It's terrible. I think it's my fault. Why would it be your fault? I went to a party a few months ago and I tried to impress a girl

by saying that my house would be the next ruler of Ereus. What's your name, friend? I'm Oberos. Oberos Minerva. I'm so very sorry for your loss. Please don't take it too hardly. You couldn't have known. I should have known.

She seemed so confident. She seemed like she had it all figured out. I thought it was a done deal. These things just happen. Eventually a dynasty falls and a coup happens and it's just the current nobody. house that is massacred in not other noble houses. I was foolish for a girl of all the things.

He's, well, do you know anything about the hurricane's eye that he mentioned? He looks at you as kind of snaps his attention back. Make a persuasion check, please. This is it. Or else the campaign ends. That was all the set three. I was like... Natural.

Eyes over here. What? 30. Come on, Warren. He looks around. Who are you, friend? My name is... My name is...

My name is... Lord Gustav. Hammeshment. Hammers Schmidt. Did you lose someone just now? You could say that, yes. Very well. Well, I...

I want to plan on talking something. Can you help me? Let's find a private place. Is it just you, or you're here with a party? You're here with friends. Very, very capable friends. If you want to restore your honour and makeup for what happened to your grandmother, where assistance would potentially bring this all down.

I'll click my ice and my glass, so I'll give my little little... Then I'll give him a little wink and inspiration to show... I love that. He looks at you and he says, If you can redeem myself in my house, he cannot be out here in Lohman talking about it. Make up Sway to check at Advantage. I'm using Loof to you to kind of body block them a little bit,

and I'm just like... Just laughing on reasonably. It's your... D8. So it's a 13-year-old. He's not 13, 14, 14, 16, 17, 18. 18. He looks around for the same.

He's going to make, because you're going to think of the idea. Yes, he is. He's going to look around and say, just go someplace where we can be private. Wait, wait, can we go? John, leave him. Follow me. Yes, of course. And he steps and as, as he just, right before he turned, I'm like, look at the priest's.

Now sort of knowingly nod and whatever you, whatever you speak for that, and he looks back at you and says, get friendly with each other. As he steps forward and all of a sudden the disgust and shock and fear and hatred of himself disappear. And he gets a large owl smile and he kind of starts to put some swagger in his step as he looks at all of the pages. Wonderful. And he occasionally will reach back and stroke. the ladies on the arm and the shoulders oh goes this way oh god I know the spots and he guides you up into the different rooms and then one of these vassals one of the lower born

vassals he says um to the group room if you don't mind and I'll uh I'll be behind uh taking uh bandrith and Iris and hi-ha nice you say I stabbed the big guy's face! Okay, get it over! Yeah, I'll get Felix's, I'll get everyone's attention, and they'll be like, oh, this way to the big orgy room, please, I'll be stroking my own harm, and I'm waking my way up the stairs. I'm fluffing my chest, cuddars, making them look more.

Lovely, and then you see this, you see this vassal, like this young waitress, Nazi, of course, Lord Meneva. I'll check to make sure it's not already in use. And this waitress guides you, listens in, knocks, opens it, closes it, it and says, it is ready, should accommodate all of you. And she, there we go. Sorry, I did. As the door opens, and it's similar to the private room that you'd been in, but definitely

considerably larger as a multiple of these plums. nest-like places, the smell of rich incense. There's bottles of alcohol with many goblets all around. And it's very overly perfumed, as if to mask, whatever normally happens here. As you all step forward into the room, and he closes the door behind him. I immediately try to lock it and listen and see if there may be anyone on the other side.

You're able to lock the door, make it just a general perception check for this business. Man, what does that smell? You'd think they'd never have water fit. 14? 14. 14, okay. So you're standing, listening, waiting at the door. Uh, Lord, uh, Lord Power about him?

Uh, yes. Do you want to do your... Maybe not in front of, uh... Who's our friend here, Grustov? Oh, this is Lord Oberos. Mnerva. Fantastic. I think that if maybe you and I just stand by the door,

we'll be all right. How did you meet her? He is the... He unfortunately lost someone to not. He is the grand son of one of the nobles that was unfortunately executed. Lady Maneuva, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, awful. I'm sorry to hear that. She was really something.

It was my fault. And he'll go into the story and tell you how it all happened again, kind of haunted by that memory. I think I should be near the door playing some music to try and drown out our voice. Fantastic, and I'll just step away from the door. So the viol-law is playing this exact music. Yeah, this music. The Godfather theme. which are appropriate, whatever.

That's fine as well. It's not like on the board or anything. As you are playing and in, well, Felix and Herger go to the thing. And I'll say that you probably introduced yourselves with your fake names. Your companions do the same as well. So what can you tell us about

this comodice? And what can you tell us about this hurricane's art? Any help that you can give us will aid in the tumbling of his, of his, of his extremely evil reign. I only know what my grandmother told me. He, she, she said that Grand Lord Comitus was working and had his eromancers, working around the clock in this little place at the center. Do I know what an eromancer is? I would say make an archa check.

I hope it's a mansor who makes arrows. It's pretty good. It's an acceptable 17. 17. You could probably guess that an aeromancer would be an arrow and a mansor, a mansor, a mancer of air, a magic. Air. A.E.R.O. AER.

AER-M-A-R-O. Oh, not A-R-O-W. Yes. Arrow. Not arrow. Arrow. He had his aeromansers working around the clock. and ever since five years ago

it was Alkira the thunder fury came through the plane elemental plane of air looking for someone but he was ready she'd come through the portal before years prior and no one had been there too he thought he would get a wish out of it he did not but he was told that he

He came up with another plan to create a creature of air and storm and water, rain and wind, thunder, an elder tempest. They told stories of it was children. The Erakokokora from millennia ago used it as a creature of war, almost a world ending. Beast, great feathered serpent made of storm, the size of building, or larger. And he planes on creating this beast once he hears all seven. I don't know what the significance of seven wind spirits is, but apparently there were seven, discovered that Al-Qaeda was one. He bound her with his magic, and was bored.

they found that there were seven others, six others. I just can't even do math. Just so wrong as place. There's seven and he has six. He has six, yes. Thank you. Pretty sure he only has five. And he's missing one of the three.

One of the four? Or the three. Which one of the four? No, no, no. No, no, you're right. It was one of the first. That was brain explodes. This is right.

No way. Out of RP, but in character, Caprice explains that he thinks that he was was lying when he said that he had six. Why would you just set? I think that he has five. I think he has five. Wait, are you fucking with me?

No. He thinks he has five. I think that he's lying about the six. He's saying he has six. Maybe he has a flex. Just to make it closer to the victory. He just put on a big show. We've heard over the last few weeks that

they needed one more. The Barbiers, I believe, said it. Yeah, but all the regular... that information from him right I mean what do we think that seventh is I don't say that in front of him to like motion that was a little this person who's clearly not in hell and definitely a genasi I mean oops Vamp is yeah so so are you saying do you do you know where this with with with it be they are holding these beings

It's a baron into the earth. The ring of mountains surrounds it. Ah, is it near by? Journey, but not too far. And it's where he keeps his aeromancers where they work on building the storm, all of the storms that have increased over the past months and years. It all stems from the eye. Can you take this there? How long will it take to get there? get there. I can show you how to go. But I fear if another maneuver is seen aiding in any sort of rebellion, my whole family will be killed.

No, no, you shouldn't risk it. You can just tell us how to get there. Risk it. How will you draw? What do you mean? Where, you can make a map? Yeah, well, none. I think I can do a respectable job. Art was one of the teachings that I receive as a boy. Well, there we know. But we believe in you. How many days travel there and back, roughly? B, it depends on how you go. I believe it's a two or three day journey by wing. It's not good. We can't go there first, right?

I mean, we have to do... How do the no-boys get there? Do they have some sort of special means inside the city that maybe teleports them there? Are they really flying three days to get to something so precious? But the nobles are not permitted to go unless you are appointed by Comedus himself. Because they have to be taking them back there. We saw Alkiah, if she's here, she's going to have to go back there and they're going to have to take her.

Is Kamadis fly? Is he flying there for three days? Or is he transporting himself in some other manner? He might not need to go there at all. Because he's aromances, they're doing all of this work. I believe that... the last a plan B

as it were if was not able to be assassinated this evening was to intercept him

on his way to the storm that he was planning on heading to the eye no more than a day after the

masquerade bomb and someone was going to intercept him the uprising was the plotters, my grandmother and her. But they're all dead now. They are dead, it seems, yes.

And you would be recognized as a Minerva? Of course. Everyone knows the Minervas. I can draw you a map to where the hurricane's eye is. Your grandmother, the rest of them may have fallen, but we will rise up and take their place. We will end this now. And perhaps we don't need to bring down Kaleri at all.

I look around knowingly. Well, I don't know who you are. I've not heard of your houses. But you seem to be good, noble folk, noble and the metaphysical sense, not just hybal. Our houses, honorability does matter. all you need to know is that we will hopefully avenge your grandmother

the other nobles here and everyone else that feels oppressed by comedies agree we're going to do what we can I worry though I worry with the six spirits that he has even if he doesn't get the seventh

what could be done with that power and with Kannick man he has with him whispers that combining storm with the power of magma, to cause even more destruction and damage. How does the volcanic man play into this? Where is he staying? Is he still he? I do not know. He moves was an informant where the burrowers would hide. But that can't be too close. I mean, we're up pretty high. I mean, how would he... Where is this... the burrowers? What is... what is? What is this? What is the burrowers? What is?

What does that mean? It's how all of them. The under-roots rebellions were all. They could burrow. He retted them out. All of them. I'm trying to put my, my boy, normal. Heart.

You see Hart kind of like back up a little bit. The good news is that he probably can't travel free up here. It's got to be more difficult for him. You can do what he does. But I'm sure they can, I'm sure they take him right to where we need to go. Of course, but we need to kill him tonight. If we again, we won't be able to escape. That's the point.

We'll have him this time. I worry they are long gone. Already? Now, if they're long gone, then he's going where we're going and we'll kill him there. All right? Are you done with the map yet? Oh, let me stop drawing. Oh, sorry.

Stop the map, please, please. I don't. We need to go as my nerves are shot. I apologize. Of course. You've been so much. I hand in my cup of unfinished punch. Thank you. Please finish it. I'm not really a big fan.

No offense. Just think back to your art days when I give him inspiration. Okay. Nice. It's a D-8, right? Also, we all agreed that... There are three. There are four...

That are left. Of the... Yep. Will kills everyone. Grabbed the map. But he does it one at a time. Slices her neck with a flourish one at a time. So I'm just like kind of...

No up. ...toe your shoulder, trying to get a sense of this mat and what he's doing. I find like... And I'll watch him if you guys are doing whatever. My favorite part of D&D is trolling your friends. No, I'm just going to wait for the mat to be done and just kind of listen to the conversation. And he spends time drawing it, and with a... With the bonus and the role, he...

It doesn't take him too long as he moves aside some vials of oil off a larger table. for some space and he draws out a loose map of erios. I sniff one of the oils. It's, yeah, it's some slippery biz. Oh, oh, no. Whoa. You do that. You don't wait for you to not be a promoted to Al anymore.

That's faded. This is just Capri. Yeah, that's gone. That's just Caprice. Oh, the things don't exist anymore. You don't have to be obsessed with jewelry anymore. But you can be if you want. And you see that he's just a little.

draws out a map and it goes toward the center of Ereos and there's a ring of ridges and mountains that seems to be, he draws out bits of forest and this whole ring seems to be bare. As the shape of this almost seems to be in the shape of an eye, as he's like drawing and with that standing roll is high detail and he notes that there's a small pass in one of the ridges that might be crossable. But he knows that in this ring is where this huge storm is brewing. He dots it out. And, you know, dots where he think the path might be.

And then he... See that, everybody? There's a ringed hole and we can find passage through the... Yeah, it's not the Tom. Good reason. I'm sorry. I'm not just... I'm not just...

Slip light into the link. My friend. You can do plenty of oiling and slipping in rings later tonight, perhaps. Or just some other time, I think we need to figure out. So this mountain pass, this is how we turn. A cower bottom. Don't make a face like that. If you need to go by foot undetected, that would be passable.

That would be passable. We don't plan on using your wings, but the skies are treacherous as well. The wind is nearly impossible to fly through unaided by aromancy. At least that's the tales that we were told as children. Is anyone here an aeromancer? Felix, you're a mancer of some kind, aren't you? I still don't really know what that word means. Maybe, but it sounds very magical, and Felix is very magical.

Aero magician? I mean, this is... I can hold my wings up something that I specialize in but for a long time. I might be able to learn a little bit more about it and see if there's something that I could do. I mean, without seeing it, I have no idea.

I don't even know where to begin. I'm not sure if you mean what you think you mean. There's supposed to be a space between the A and the I. It's actually AI-Romancy. Oh, so then Caprice? Well, Caprice has... a person with real thoughts. We need some kind of robot. Oh, I thought you meant like romancier's in romance.

Yeah. And like, eh, like how who says a sometimes? Like artificial intelligence. So like a romancer. What? Hey man, I'm a romance. What? A, look, I don't know what it means. Do you need like a sex tinker? Is that with your...

Yes, I believe that is what I'm called. A sex tinkerer. What is a robot? What is a robot? Like, you know, Clark work sexed us. You've seen golems before. Have I seen a golem? Like stone golems? Well maybe probably wood gole or have a Maybe a wood golem, a coral golem, I'm not sure. I think there's a very kind of solution to this. We kill Lifty.

I mean sure but why. Who is Lifty? I don't say that obviously. When he's done with the map, I ask him to, like, label things that we have. Yeah, he does. It looks. He rolled very well on the math. That is very nice. You should go to art school. I was taught.

You did go to art school. You know, get a job. You know, you're rich, but you should still. Jobs are beneath nobles. You know that. But if you do it for fun, it's not really a job. And then you can just rub it in other people's noses. But I dabble.

That's all. You get an engrific design, perhaps. I know it doesn't pay the bills per se, but you might just work your way up and... It's a whole project. Oh, that's right, you're unknowable. Perhaps your first work of art to be an image of commonus, but as a lady with lady's makeup on. You know, you could make maps like you just did, but every once in a while had a little penis in there, and I think everyone would really like it. They could play a game called Spot the Pino's.

I don't... I don't think that I would be doing that. Iris, I hate to ask you this, but... Then you probably shouldn't. What, do it anyway? I was going to ask that, are there any air romances from where you're from? I feel like you're from a very high-born place with lots of nobles. We've a lot of golems, but none of them have any sex work. No, I'm not talking about robots or golems.

Well, at least not, that I'm aware. What are they like air romances? Magician or wizard magic types? They control the air as kind of... Oh, yes, of course. There would be, right? Yeah. Yeah.

You know that there is a heavy Ericoker population on neckbed as well. Do you know what? Yes, and what is the strange voice in the sky? I just said. Do you know anything that might be able to help us through these winds? Although maybe perhaps going on the ground would be safe. Would it be obvious if we took a couple chariots

and flew through the scar straight day? Would it be obvious that we know how well that worked for us last time? I think we should stick to the ground, what we know best and what yeah i agree i think that we just if we're approaching if we're approaching a big ring you got to you got to go in from the ground area are there any other houses that may feel the same way that you do i believe there are but after what just happened today i don't know who tonight i don't know what friends of your grandma? Has it a guess that they are not among the living, even the one,

the ten that was slain on the balcony? What I would say is don't risk approaching anyone, don't speak to anyone outside of this room about what we've spoken about tonight. Don't even think about rebellion, about a revolt, about overthrowing comedies. Please let us handle it. What do you plan to do? Plain to kill the molten man. You plan to free all of them in spirits of the future. You know, normally you don't want to give out your plans before you hand them, especially to a stranger no-fence. Tiro. I can trust him.

Oh, can you? He lost his grandmother tonight. That does not indeed require trust. You don't 100% trust someone because they lose someone. Villains have lost many people that could be part of the reason they become villains. What I normally do, if someone said, I usually trust. Well, I tell you, you are a liability, darling, and we should not allow you to speak. And never mind, we don't have a plan, but don't worry.

Just get that. Despite being plainly, we figure it out. We usually don't have a plan anyway, for what it's worth. And I think we should say, just to follow all of that, I think we should say, just to follow all of that, you've been very friendly and very helpful, and we are grateful to you. And also sorry for the loss of... your... For another.

You seem so... See ya. Thank you so much. I am going to go home to... I don't know that which one. ...my sister and my family and make sure everything's all right. We may be in touch with a voice in your head. So if...

What? Just... Just... Why would that not be surprising? I'm saying it's gonna be very surprising, but don't be surprised by it. I'm giving you a heads up next... Even your heads up now, so me informing you now is so you're not like, oh no, what is this? Am I going crazy?

Should I have like a neurologist? Check this out? No, it's very intentional and it's probably us. But it might sound like you or someone else. I don't know. Are you volunteering me to send him to me? That's exactly what he's doing, yes. I'm not saying we will.

I'm just saying it might. As a noble, you're not stupid, are you? No. You've received a sending spell before. I have, yes, of course. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You did not do a very good job explaining.

I'm sorry, I'm not very good at any of this. I just want to kill somebody and I want to freeze some things and I just want to go. We are not a low magic people. You know that. Well, I mean... Are you... I guess maybe the newer houses are not as a very... Well, very...

No, he has a lot of servants to do the menial tasks for him. I stopped talking and I turned nodding. You can get sending. sending of course I can have done it at least 50 times how many times can you cast it per day let's say I don't know um four no five and does the person who is receiving the sending know it's you of course they do know it's you yes okay thank you for the assistant's student on the test well I just I remember are you trying to have me drink calls yeah four or five times a day you're just wandering around

streets of wherever, like this commonest guy, all of a sudden you're just kidding, don't trust anyone. That could be a real nightmare. Yes, Caprici. If they know it's you, then the joke is ruined. But if they don't know who I am,

then it doesn't matter, does it? It's just the same voice, right? However, that would be a horrible idea because a madman like that would actually act on it. Exactly what? But the adult seating to distress seems like a good idea. You know, I'm getting way out the beaten path here. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Please continue. What do you plan to do? I'm going to go home, check on my family, hug my little sister, and hope that everything will be all right. And never speak of any of this ever again. Not even to my closest friends and family. You don't have to swear it.

I swear. on the life of my sister. I already spoke too much, and now my grandmother is two stories above us, bleeding out like a deer depicted part by vultures. I reached my hand down. He grabs him. Lord Minerva,

you've done well to trust us. I promise that your mistake, your perfectly well-intentioned mistake, will be a thing. I hope is so. Please be so. I hope there is hope. I opened up my arms. I count. And I offered him a hug.

Oh, that was getting a hug. Oh, that was almost a natural 20. Mm. Getting that hug. I am proficient in persuasion, so 25. Okay, so 25. He stopped from a moment. Bring it in, big boy.

And then you start to see tears well up in his large eyes. And he just rushes over and gives you a hug. And he just starts bawling as he's a young man. He's probably not that much older than Hart at this point. And he's hugging me. He's hugging. He's like, who. and you guys fucking out.

I pull away and I put his fluffy owl head in my talons and I put my beak against his beak against his and I widen my eyes and stare into his. I promise you we're going to free you from this oppression. I promise you, you are destined for greater things. We will not let you live in fear. Do you hear me? I lean over to Caprice and I'm like, this is getting a little weird. I could not fit. I can't be safe. I grabbed the map.

I just followed him. I'm just going to leave, dude. I'll just leave too. I'll just leave in freezing strong and walk out and follow the virus. Then I got a slow roll that like I grabbed the sides of his face. Then I put my beak against his beak and I open my eyes real wide. And then I loose my mouth. The last suck up is really nice.

It was really nice. As you do that, not shitting your pants this time. I don't have to rule a guy to save this time. You don't, Jesus Christ. How can't you have to roll a con save to shit her own pants? Not a save, a con. I wanted to see what the result of... It's a con check. No one does that. Oh, I see.

So I wanted to see the... Yeah. Got it. The, the, uh... Can you shi your pants on command? No way to find out. Kelsey, shoot you paint. Come on, dude.

The brown-fellow. That's a brown note. Just like playing one. Yeah. Does the brown note? Yeah. Oh. We have the important questions here at L.O.A.

So I will, I guess, start heading back towards the room, right? So yeah. He nods at you in the series. He says, thank you so much. Thank you so much. I will live in fear, but it's deserved fear. I just hope things don't burn down around our heads. Are you kidding right now? I'm sure. I'll be fine. Minerva. And you won't leave. And he stays in the room.

Okay. That's funny. I walk out as I am, oh, I feel refreshed. I pretend like I'm like straightening up my jacket and like zipping up my pants. What mask do you have on? Oh, I don't just whatever. We all pick the other. We have one of the creatures, we all picks whatever.

I'm just wearing something. Just pick one of my mask. What do you wear a cat? Um. That's cool. Well, I think we should be changed. We should return to our inn. It's been a long knot, isn't it?

Has the party ended? A lovely party. No one to leave too early. It looks suspicious. The party looks like it's still going on, but it's starting to dwindle a little bit. People are starting to drift out. You get the sense that the nobles are trying to do the similar thing and trying to kind of stay as long as they need to to have it not be weird,

and then leave. Everyone seems to have lost their appetite. The bar is completely slammed, but the buffet is a ghost town. Yeah. Oh, yeah, yay. Any jello salad as I glance over at the buffet? There's, like, no jell salad, but there's, like, a gross approximation of, like, some kind of sloth. No, I'll pass.

I have standards. Something jiggling. It's jiggly, but it's not jellos salad. Let's retreat for the note. Agreed. I agree. So I will turn and I guess we'll leave. Proceed.

Okay. Acting like, oh, the lovely, lovely party. Yes. I don't know if you can get my newest people, and I just turn on all the things that I just told me to do as a new bowl. But yeah, that rat souffle was really top-notch. Yeah, so good. Have to do this again soon.

Okay. I like when they cut all the throats. Uh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, no. It's a, yeah, I just put my hands on your shoulder. Oh, no. Sorry, sorry.

No, it's a asshole. I'm so stupid. No, no, no. I loved the show of power. I love the show of power. Comey, it's so cool. No, no, darling. Just I love this.

He's so awesome. I mean, I love the show of power, the great cool power. And then, uh, as your... You feel like a sucker and just pat her on the head. You're getting there. And, uh, she's like, oh, okay, okay. And you'll start up. And Zorbet leans in and says, hey, you're gonna sit up.

And Zorbet means in and says, hey, Caprice, do you think Herzegel likes that owl guy? Yes, very much, absolutely, 100%. I think a deception, Jack. Exactly right, 100%. Oh my God. Deception? Yeah, he's done. He's done. Oh, and he like walks off in him head dejectedly as he walks and follow the back of the group.

You don't move along, you long arm, fuck. You're a little competitive. He doesn't, he doesn't catch that. There's probably like 40 chess over here. Not today, you furry bastard. Today. Okay. You leave the masquerade ball.

So as we're walking out, Toa. Yes. What does the chrystal's having you now? But it's very subtling, assuming it'll now point to Lufty. You see, and then once again, that dim glow that's pointing toward Luffy. So it's not pulling. Same as it was. They must have lived already.

They wasted no time. If she was, anyway, yeah, yeah, it would be... But I don't know why, because, I mean, I'm late here. I agree. So just so I understand, the goal is to, once we arrive, at the eye to walk in, but we're going to fly there first. I mean, if it would take infinitely longer if we made the entire trip on land. I think that what he said was true, if we fly,

we'd be far more obvious. This bounty hunter found us easily. Let's just flying through. So if he has been crystal, it takes one year. Twice as long, then we're looking at six days out. It's almost a week there and then a week back. We've got hurt with us, though. She knows the ways.

That's true. She can lead us in the underbrush, right? Which is fine. It's just a difference between flying and walking. I mean, it... I don't think we would last three days at my end, frankly. All right. I really don't, I mean, unless anyone has any ideas. No, I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page as all. When we got attacked... We just tried it. It was very scary.

Um, it was... Um, it was... It was daytime. It was daytime. So like, their night. I've never been that far into the country. He's the thing... We get attacked. in the air, then if they're not in range of my totem, I can't do anything.

I totally agree. I'm not going to risk my boomerang and it flies and it's gone. It just, it was, I did not feel good being attacked. All right. I felt so powerless. Exactly. In that moment, I was trying to command him to get closer just so I could fuck him up and sit on him and he just fucking wouldn't.

And I almost fell off too. And I mean, I mean, you intentionally fell off, but at least you caught yourself. I can't do that kind of magic. Then we have to leave first thing in the morning. First thing, after we get some rest. Why do we just camp down at the bottom of the trees tonight? I'll think as soon as... Did I hear you, Crudgeon?

You were to sleep in the underbrush, this little beautiful, fancy hotel. Are you covering this time? Not at all. I can pay for my own food. Okay, so that's 120 gold to us all. What? It says 60 gold in the night.

Yes, I know. I'm fine with spending six to sleep in bed. What is it? Is it approaching day morning? Yes. Well, no, it's approaching sunset. It's approaching sunrise, yeah. Sunrise. Yeah. As the day, the night is winding down, and you sort of see little bits of rays, of sun, glow of the sun, the faint rainbow color of morning. But we woke up pretty late, right, and went like straight there.

So he's the thing, I was, I agree. If we could get some sleep before sunrise, I agree we should stay here, but I think we need to start traveling during the day and sleep at night. And given that we woke up that early, I said we tried a soldier through and we can leave right now.

They won't be that far ahead of us. They're about to probably lay down to rest. To be fair, I mean, you know, minus lack of sleep. I don't hate that plan. I feel all right. like I could probably do it. I've got plenty left in the tank.

And this might be optimistic, but given everything that just happened at the party, I don't think people are going to be at full command like these forces have been before. I'm going to be a little hungover too. That sounds like a personal problem, darling. So that's for you, Tua. I agree.

If they have a wind spirit and they want to kidnap, this one, we need to get, I had to, the situation. I agree. Just staying one more knot, if someone else has a crystal like this. They could easily find this. And can you use that crystal again? I'm going to use thaumaturgy so that everybody hears in an ominous whisper, kill the genasi.

Don't know. We have to leave rice away. It's very important that we do. We have to rest as little as possible until we freed the wind spirits. Then let's go. So that's you were right. What was he done? Is that voice?

What's yours? You came in horses lifting. You know, it was caught. Of course, it was me. Oh, we really need to get a... Oh, so funny. Rolling death lighting check. Deceptive, me.

I'm so deceptive. Did we leave anything? The rules? So we brought everything with us. Yeah, we didn't leave anything because we weren't planning to go back. To be fair, we don't have much. much. I wish we had a pre-posed. I have a shield. I don't have much. Could we have carried everything? There was no bag of hole in. Would there have been room to shut everything in the bag of

a whole thing? I mean, yeah, whether or not you stop by the room and get it, it's, yeah, it's okay, either way. You're able to get all your stuff. Yes, we have all of our stuff. Yes. And I guess as nonchalantly as possible, if there's okay with it, we just try to find a way Damn. I agree. Why don't we just jump? Oh. Was that not funny?

Well, yes, actually, we can, heart. That was a... Well, we can land on our feet. Yes. Yes, darling. Actually, we could climb down the trees with our fans, and then we wouldn't have to land, which is also... Either way. Can you guys float?

Okay. Yeah. Yes, yes. The rest of us all can. Wait, we can? Yes, sir. All right. just called Toa Sir. The house.

Yeah, I mean, we've been going by Lord and Lady all night. I just was trying to be polite. I appreciate it, Felix. I mean, I'd be happy to show you, Lord Perel Bottom. That is my assigned name, I suppose. Are we ready to go now, then? Is that the point? As quickly as we came.

How many, how tall are these trees? I mean, we're talking, like, the feet of hair. That's fine. I'm just getting a cast feather fall over and over again. Okay. I can choose five willing creatures. We don't until the last spot for a minute. Yeah, the last minute each time I cast it.

And if I don't know what the falling speed is when you're feather falling. You cast it on me. So as long as you two and heart are good. Mm-hmm. Because you can have a little. I would never. I would have a lot. So all of a sudden you just tie you to me and then as I'm glimbing down and it'll just levitate my name.

No, I'll take care of him. Because you can't, you can't move while levitating. Caprice, you can't. No. I can't let me. I can't levitate and the spell and I will grace with all the ground. Oh, nice. Good.

Up to you. Either way, I... Well, there's a spare though, right? We have one, two, three, four, five. No, but there are, the two... Heart is good. And we're gonna get to the eight of this. All right.

Right? Minus three, so it's five. Eight minus three is five. Yeah. The three of them and heart are fine. They can handle it on their own. One of three is missing. Five of us are covered by featherfall.

I'm guessing as what he's getting. I just thought there was a remainder and that I could cast levitate it on myself. You may if you'd like. No, no, no, no. If you've got feathers off, well, that's cute. Well, let's go to the trees. All right.

What are we going to do about this night? Oh, I'm sure. Did you know that they're still looking for five spirits? I believe they're looking for three or four spirits. We were never really clear about the number of spirits. Toa uses rage in the rage sensor the first time. like, it just

just like dead totems themselves. Yeah, no, I'm sure that you just like everybody in over that one. Let's get the shit out of me.

And well, Derek's now actually dead. That was good. That was a really good pantomime. That was good. And so, you make your way through these streets

and as a lot of these nobles are going to bed, The streets are far less crowded than they were when you arrived at the masquerade ball. And you managed to find a pathway out with a small perch walkway. Down below, you barely see the forest floor beneath you. And you get the sense that no eyes at least right now, you look around and you don't see that there are centuries all around, but pretty far away. And it seems as if things are a lot more dulled than they wore previously.

What are we standing on? I mean, I'm assuming we're getting ready to descend, correct? Yeah, you're standing basically on the edge. You see the occasion of the fever mud. A wood. Just wooded. Wooden platforms. Yeah, these large, like, plant huge, like, wooden streets and structures built into the street.

I'm going to take my dagger and focus on it. And instead of, like, I'm going to cast a featherfall, but. like basically draw a magic like transmutation circle with my dagger but like not carve it into the ground I'm just as I'm casting it's like leaving you know arcane yeah like arcane imagery and I'm going to draw this

transmutation circle around us and then cast feather fall okay I look around to see if anyone's watching it's so cool you look around and this is a you're behind an alley behind this this fancy taverns fancy restaurant

and it seemed as if all you see like this, shambling-looking lizard folk pour out this old stew at the end of the shift. And then he goes back inside, the door closes. The coast is clear. I'll look

at them and just say, well, since I've never done this before, I guess I'll just go first. And I'll take a step out over the ledge. You take a step and you jump. No, wait. Oh, no! And so I'm like,

Start freaking out. And with that, Iris, a heart looks at you and grabs her ring and says, it looks around, well, I get, should we? You're done. Okay, three, two, one, go. And you see two tabaxis show up and immediately heart digs for claws into the wood and starts climbing beneath and starts scuttling down. I run and jump and then off the edge, that will follow.

You leave. And with featherfall, levitating the climbing speed, you all arrive. Like, Mary Poppins. Yeah. I'm Merritt Poppins, y'all. Yes. And with that, the second we lay on my gram, I need we take my ring off. Yeah, I'll cast featherfall again if I need to. It lasts a minute at each cast. Our falling rate is 60 feet per second or whatever.

And as long as the spell is on, when you hit the ground, you don't take any falling damage. Especially feet per second seems like. It is. That's what I'm saying. Fallings make sense. And we decided we're just, from here, we're just going to continue on. Yeah, we're going to travel through the day. So I would like to find an area where I could set up a quick, um, alter to a new bus. Okay.

You do that? Off in the underbrush. And I'm not going to cast any spells per se. Okay. I'm going to pray. I'm going to light everything and, um, get down next to my lantern and, um, I'm going to And anubis, Lord of Judgment. Attrocities have been committed here today.

Please allow the souls into the afterlife and provide for them happiness and joy and hope. Lord of justice, please guide our hands to destroy those who have stolen lives today. I am your ward and I serve you. And then I'm going to blow out my lantern and then continue. Shua Shua 19. 19. So as you pray

and you stare into the flame on this altar, you're praying and you start to see a faint shape as you see a scale and on one side is that same familiar white feather and on the other is a brown owl's feather and you get a sense of recognition as it teeters and then levels out. And then, who disappears.

And with that, you continue. Roger. How are you going about your journey? I'm going to stick with heart and kind of teach her how to be a tall cat. Okay. Maybe I can get really tall if I wear like really big wooden shoes. Well, you know, it's a cat that aren't one of all as tall as I. Oh, really?

Yes, there are actually groups of tobacco see that are smaller than you are. That's amazing. So I'm kind of tall? Yes, in the savannas that are actually many tabasies that are the tiniest that they are in the world, similar to housecats. They're ferocious. They would bite your help. Okay, I don't want to mean, but that sounds really cool. Yes. That didn't go the way it meant. Um, I would think that we would travel during the day. day and then still kind of trying to stay in the underbrush as much as we can and then at night be very hidden from above and rest with I guess alarm and Dakota whatever and then I guess you know I guess we'll see what happens but I just if I ever get a sense that I'm getting closer or get any kind of communication from the wind spirits I'll just keep kind of I'll be mindful of how okay

So. Is that everybody else just before we... Yeah, yeah, I'm good. You'd hear objections if there were any... We'd all be like, oh, fuck you. I do what I won't. So you all journey. And you go through as far as you possibly can

when all of you are just trudging. So it is going to take us longer. Yes. Okay, I just want to make... So it's three day by wing. Two to three by wing. So depending on how you take it. Okay.

So it's one and a half by foot. Yeah. Two in the bush is worth one in the... Yeah, what is that line? Two in the bush is worth one in the pink? Something like that. Fuck, I haven't said it in so long now. Two in the bush is worth one in the stink, I think.

Either way, it's all good to me. Anyway, the point is that you continue on your journey. And you are ducking through the underbrush. You keep an eye towards the sky, and it seems as if the concentration of those centuries is a lot more tight. You see the occasional battalion of troops flying towards Kalir being pulled back as you continue to make your wet. and eventually you arrive into this small little thicket down in a small grove and beneath a ravine and you find a place to set up camp on your first rest and you all lay down to sleep and is there going to be walked on the first one?

Yeah, for sure. I'm going to cast all the shit out of alarm all over the place. We've got Dakota and we'll probably take shows. We can double up on watch. So I would recommend them these two people put watch. Sure. Yeah, I'm going to cast alarm, ritually cast alarm as many times

as I need to. I'll take first watch. Aris, if you'd like to join on your first watch? I, uh, wherever Hart is sitting, I staff the Dakota and the brand. She'll let us know if anybody's trying to wake us up.

What if that looked like? like we've been traveling for a while I've never seen that Dakota no the the act of the alarming alerting us there's it like it's a kind it naturally wakes you up as long as you are not it's like a warm it's like here you hear her and your head screaming brisket oh that's way cooler than my alarm brisket brisket brisket brisket yeah so you also settled out on your range watch and you settle in for the night and as as the party starts to drift off and sleep the two tabaxi are the only ones awake and poking at a small

campfire um Lifty you in the dream oh what Lay it on me comfortable hold on you are a little alone in the darkness. And suddenly you see this pulse of a bright blue light. And you feel something totally enveloped you. And it's difficult to see what it is. But it feels warm and comforting. And then suddenly it unfurls and you see feathers.

These beautiful white wings with specks of sky blue. emerging, beating all around you as you see extended in front of you. It doesn't seem to be your hands. A gleaming almost sapphire skin extending out a huge gleaming blue staff as the wings begin to beat. And you feel the sense of the separation around. you and suddenly you feel distraught as these as you see the staff and you see these wings being all around you and and there's nothing but despair and suddenly it all goes dark

and iris and heart as you watch Lifty you watch the group you suddenly see a pulse of blue light it's very easy to see as Lifty is sleeping you see it beneath her close, a pulse of blue light deep in your chest. For several moments, just as long as a dream. And then suddenly, it dolls

in her chest of her. Well, it's stopped, so I think it's fine. Did you see that? Yes, but it's stopped, so you don't think she's as she breathing. She'll wake her up? No, she's snoring. So...

It's a drool on her face. Oh, she'd get it off. Oh, God. Oh, it's gonna be sticky again, Hart. Oh, it's gonna... No, it's not. It's just drool. Lifty, wake up!

It's it gonna have to wake it. It's... Lofty, wake up, Hart, Lifty, Luffy, look up. Luffy, wake up. Lofty, wake up. B, Watt. B, Wifty, Lifty.

Are you irritated yet, Diamond? Lifty, Lifty, Lifty. Did the arrow matches give you? Yeah. Oh, you had blue chest bubbles. You mean these? They're always here. Oh no, I wasn't looking at your tits, I was looking up until further.

Also to your heart. Oh, you always say that I'm heartless. You have drool on your face, it was disgusting. You are, you're not. Deep sleeper. To me as a friend. You're welcome, but you said we're friends. I did.

So anyway, you had this strange blue thing, which was a one, which has a right heart. Yes, it was blue, it was glowing, it was pulsing, it was... You're saying too much, darling. Oh, it's glowing? Yes. It's very strange. Was it with the way she was breathing? Did it seem like a beating heart?

Yes, look at it. See? Heart said it was beating hot. It seemed like heart. I was... I was... No, I was... I'm Warrior's heart.

And your blue heart was beating, blue and glowing. My... Blue heart? But your heart? It's my name. Warriors' heart. Are you fine? Are you sick?

Are you okay? Well, I was having a very weird dream. Oh, no. We should wake up to her. He would probably get. care. Toa. Toa wake up. Yes. Lufti's trying to tell a story I don't care about. Will you listen to it?

I can probably care about it, of course. Thank you, darling. Give me a second. Lifty, go. Well, I don't remember all of it, but I was having kind of a weird dream. No, look at Towa when you get it. Oh, yes. No, I'll care about your story. And then you see the heart scampers over and like sits down, like her eyes are wide as she like sits and listens.

Her tail's flicking back and forth. How big is she? She's really small. She's smaller than you. She's like... Up and put her in my lap. She's like probably four ten. Four ten is what I would say.

Okay. This is fine. I just need the comfort, and you're very soft. Thanks? Yeah. What's strong? I'm a warrior soft.

So they don't see me coming. Yeah. Or hear me coming. Yeah, there's just a little fuzzy footsteps and no one knows who's here. Yeah, that we're in position. I'll keep your eyes close. I find. Toa would love to hear you strictly.

I'll be paying passive attention. I was having a dream and... Oh no, I'm so sorry. Very, it started out pretty good, okay? Oh, congratulations. Yes, thank you. You're weird... You're weird to talk to sometimes, but I don't appreciate your listening.

I'm trying to be an active listener. That's nice. You know, some people just kind of like nod and your nose are not really... I don't even nod. But I don't only interrupt you, so continue. So I was having this dream and I was like a light was all around me, a blue light. I make eye contact with heart. Yeah, and like white feathered wings.

They were kind of flapping, but kind of like a hug. It was nice. and it was warm and then I saw a hand reach out when it was blue but darker than my blue you know I'm like a very fair blue it's very nice tell me how nice like a sky blue it's very nice it's very nice I know don't but go on you know it's a nice okay so yeah it's like the sky yeah yeah just like I give her a little snuggle on the head so um and then this hand had like a stuff in it and it was like, oh, and it's bad and it was not woman happy anymore. And then it all went dark.

And then she locked me up. I did, yes. And then... I was being incredibly soft, far soft of the normal. She was... Why would you wake your chest was glowing? I didn't want to wake her, but Hart was concerned and I'm trying to teach her to be a noble. Her chest was glowing?

Yes. Like glowing with magic or something? Yes, like every time her heart beat. What color was the glow? Blue, like the one she described. So was it the same blue as this? And I pulled the crystal out. Is it kind of like this color?

God of the wand. Yes. Yes, it was. Yes. Oh, what if someone was crying? And they were in dreams. Exactly. What I'm worried about?

What if somehow they know in here? I thought you said crying at first and that's the way. The color of the blue. What? What? What? No. What?

Oh, great. No, so my question is this. You said that there was a dark blue hand that reached out to get you. But I don't think it was reaching to get me. It was like... Not to touch you. It was reaching out a staff. It was like, do I get the sense that it was like behind me,

it was like, either the coming out past you, you had your own hands and then this like almost like a jewel-tone, like sapphire skin. skin reached out with a staff. Was it the same color? Hold on. Was it the same color as that genie lady that we saw? I would say it seemed to be a little bit different. It seemed to be different. She is kind of this deep blue and it's more jewel tone.

That makes me feel better because I was concerned they were using her to hunt you. So that is not what we were. You asked a question about the staff. What did the stair look like? It was a star. A stir. It was relatively simple, a blue almost kind of a similar hard jet satire.

I just... I just realized something. We're only going to get half the information if we're already talking about it amongst ourselves. Everybody wakes the fuck up! Oh my goodness. Are we're dying? Oh no, not at all. We're having a conversation.

It comes to trant the fire. What are for owls? Oh, yes. No, I'm sure they couldn't hear that. I just like get up. I'm shell-shocked and sweating. And I just walk over to the fire and I just sit down and I say, you sure we're not dying? No, yes, of course. We want to us.

I know it feels that way, but it's just I was. I get up and I drag Caprice's bed roll to closer to the fire. A good Caprice's awake. Oh, oh. He's passively listening. Oh, do we have to pass him to listen? I don't want to even active or pass a place. You sit there and we're going to discuss.

He scratches his furry belly. We'll go back to beat. It's fine. I don't want to be a pirate. Me neither. And you see he's like half asleep. He grabs Caprice and he's like, I start snuggling with him. I tuck them both in.

They snuggle up by the fire. What's what's going on? Is everyone all right? Well, I just relay everything that we just told. And it was blue and glowing like this, the exact same color. Yes. That's weird. In my chair?

And if she hadn't been glowing blue, I wouldn't have woken you up because who would have cared about her stupid dreams? However, it's having real world consequences. So it's possible that they're somehow tracking her here. Let me, uh, do you mind if I just, I'm not going to know, I'm not going to know, I'm not. I'll touch you. I just want to see if you're all right. Make sure that you're not being... Well, okay, but be gentle. He's very gentle.

I'm going to cast detect magic as a ritual. Okay. And see... Didn't come back to that. And see if anything else happens other than whatever normal magic she might. Okay. You know, I'm looking... It tells me to school if she's like, you know, cursed or something.

But I'll take 10 minutes to cast a ritual on her. You do that. And you draw on the ground and suddenly your hands glow. and you wave them all around Lifting. And you get no sense of any kind of spell. No sense. You get the sense of magic from the crystal. But there seems to be no connection whatsoever

to any trend of tracking magic. And you kind of, you check your amulet of prevent from detection, which would be a similar kind of style. And you make sure, you know, get the same from the crystal, from this is the same general school of magic. And you get nothing from Lifty in that. Yeah, I got nothing. I don't know.

If there was something wrong with you magically, I hope I'd be able to detect it, and I've got nothing. Is there nothing? Nothing. I'm going to grab his head and put it against my chest. Listen, is my heart normal? You want me to what? Just listen.

I'm not a medical doctor, and I'm like trying to push away. I think I don't know the bitter at assisting it. You listen. Oh, God. I'm very close to my... You sound just... as vacant as you did yesterday, darling. Oh, cool.

That's good news, I guess. Full of hot hair. That was our secret. Yes. What did you just cast? Now she banished. There was something inside of you. No, but can I do a medicine?

Oh, yes. You can actually do a medicine check, yeah. Do you want me to re-roll? Oh, no. That was rolling for medicine check. I was going to ask you to do it, and then I got this right. Yeah, so it's 23. 23.

Her heart beating a little bit more rapidly, given everything was going on, but it doesn't sound like there's any kind of strange pattern. You get the sense that what you had seen matched up to the heart rate at which you're here. Oh, no, you seem perfectly fine. Your heart is a little quicker than usual, but we just have quite a scare in that in night America. Yeah, and I haven't been hitting the Cardio so much lately.

So you said it was like something was inside of her? Yes. What could have been inside of her? Well, there have been many things inside of her, but as of tonight, I'm not quite sure. Well, otherwise... I was very well behaved tonight, I swear. How's everyone feeling? Should we just leave right down and continue in case they've tracked us to this location? I haven't even slept yet. Yeah, I don't... I don't think we can keep going to keep going to.

Martin and I were on the first watch when all this happened. Then we go back to sleep, but we have to leave the first thing. But in the morning. Everyone who's on watch, keep an extra eye out for Lifty to make sure none of these strange occurrences happen again. Of course. Absolutely. I'm still asleep, so I just snort. Is it toward the end of the first watch?

Yeah, yeah, it's towards death. I'll take it lunch. Okay, I'm going to go to sleep. I mean, I'm already up. I'll stay up with you. It's fine. Could we get through the night without forcing Lovty to take a watch? Sure.

I think that keeping her by herself is not a good idea. Oh, good idea. You should always have eyes on. Is there a way? Fine. Can you use magic to make sure no one can track her? What? Can we use magic to make sure no one can even find her even if they have a crystal?

I take the angeloat off and I say, yeah, here, just take this and attune to it. What is it? It's, it'll protect you. I've used it to be undetected for longer. than anybody needs to know. Just keep... Oh, that's a great idea. I totally forgot you.

Yeah, to be fair, I kind of forgot. It's been a part of me for so long. I just, I... It's been kind of second nature, but I don't really need it anymore, so... Yes. You're sure? Absolutely.

Someone is still trying to detect you. I think we're all right. I think after talking to the High General, I think we're good. We're the Wings of the Raven. You're probably very fun. I think we're not just fine. Right.

Well, I'll hold it for you. Sounds good. Just you should put it on. We could trade something? Just wear it for now. We can worry about trading another time. Well, I don't know. I don't know if you're right to go out.

Are you trying to sleep with Felix? What? No. I thought you could do this with that strange man on the boat. You'd travel even scared. Oh, that was totally different. Oh, okay. Well, if you want to trade something, that's changed happen.

So then it's even Stephen. Or Feesies, squaresies. Even Stephen. You know even Stephen, do I? He's the guys that always get even. Oh, sure. was on the boat. My's your fan.

Good night to everyone. I'm gonna just pull some like random shit, like an old shirt out of my bag and like toss it out. It's like a little under shirt. Yeah, it's like ratty and stained. What is this?

Even Steven. Good night. I like Dusty's comment takes off Amulet. Enemy. We found him. I'm just sitting there. And then all of a sudden, you hear, and then I'm like, dead. It's like an arrow. I'm like, meanwhile, in Zentra, rapid-fire typing, we've out in. And italics is this, or we've got to put it.

I'm in. We have a mark. What? What is this? I don't know what is it? I figured you would know it is if she traded it for you. I don't. I don't.

I set it down like a log next to us and then basically I want to spend the hour with like going over our plan of like what our plan of attack should be looking at the map that was talking about the wind spirits and learning as much as I can from it. You do that. Hart and I are going to go and sleep one on either side of Lifty. We'll keep an eye on or two. Is there a watch? I don't. Yeah, I'll take a watch. And then you guys.

I'll roll over. I can see the man in the moon. Oh. He doesn't look so tall. I could take it long-armed fuck the evening

and you all enjoy a long-office So you're 10 pickpoints And so I've taken a long dress You You continue following the map that young Lord Minerva

guiding your way through the forest and as it gets, sometimes it gets denser. Other times, it gets slightly more sparse and then eventually the, after that next day, you hear the crackling of thunder as the clouds roll in and that's the last time you see the sun or the moon on the remainder of your journey. Oh, boy.

As the clouds get thicker and thicker. the wind howls at every moment when you've been traveling for four days it's even hard to sleep from how loud it is and eventually even the massive not just the wind but the creaking and the groaning as these massive ancient trees are being blown by the sheer force of the gusts

you're barely able to take cover in the underbrush and not be not struggle to march and eventually the forest starts to dissipate more and more. You see a high ridge that forms a ring out ahead of you. And that ring, you look up and as match as the canopy parts in a circle, and you see a swirling ring of deep, dark clouds, lightning, striking in all directions. And it seems as if you've arrived at the hurricane's eye. and that is we're one in session

Oh! Boom! Yay! Hell yeah. Holy shit, we made it. We did. Two days. Wow.

No, it took you probably two more days over that. So six days. Six days. So five days. We're missing one. We had five, but we need two more.

There was one day that we don't know about. We haven't seen it. We don't know what it looks like. Three, so three days, total? So like I said, it took four days. together. That's right. Right. Well, no, because there were four days, but then there were two additional days, and there was one that we'd never seen. Well, but it took four days, but we're missing.

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