Legends of Avantris - Beneath Dark Wings | Ep. 37 | The Webs They Weave: Part 1

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

Our heroes have gathered all parts of the Rod of Law. They now prepare to re-forge the weapon...   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/rY-cJXlhdU8?si=i03vHD5GLGelyn7b

Welcome to Legends of Evantris. I'm Iris and you're listening to Beneath Dark Wings. Here's what happened last time. Well, unless anything goes horribly fuck-jingled in limbo, we should be fine. What looks like a group of creatures, it's hard to tell. They're all wearing hoods.

We see scaly hands raising their hands to the sky. You see them all praising a massive statue of a hideous-looking toad monster. You all hear a voice in your mind. Yes, more sacrifices coming for my mind, the rod. And no, you may not have the rod. This is the artifact that allows me to master what Primus himself could not. You are powerless compared to my mind. Now see what it looks like to have unlimited power.

He is completely boiled alive. As his veins pop, as you see Phyllis, his eyes rage with fire, his arms, he's now engulfed in flame, a piece no more than seven inches long, a silvery, bronzy color, and it almost like hums with light. You guys did it! With a flash of gold, you see the blossoms. You look down, you see the crystal clear water. You are in the grove of the eternal blossom. Oh my goodness, you're all alive.

What took so long? How long has it been? How long do you think it's been? Two hours, maybe. Two hours? You've been gone for a week. Yeah. The Horn Legion is almost here.

Yeah. Blinked into reality back to the prime material plane. From the horror, the horror is the chaos of limbo. Swarms of slottie, blue, green, red, black. We're all chasing after you. However, Hizaki v. Kieran was far too fast, and you managed to barely escape. You see ahead of you golden lotus in her golden robes, that same dragon-headed glave. She has been measured, incredibly measured the entire time that you've known her here. However, there is

a look of genuine concern however slight it is on her face. As you all realize and remember that you've gone through a horribly trying experience through a vicious, chaotic plane, and

she looks at all of you and says, how much time do you think has passed? It's only been a couple hours. Is it right? Yeah, like two at the most, I'd say. Are we talking like normal goodbye terms or like the Yona goodbye terms? It has been a week.

Oh, well, then yeah, that's about Yonah. That's about Yonah time frame. Yep, yep, I'd say so. A week? I think we would know if it's been like a whole week, you know. Well, it has been a week. I've been sitting here for seven days, meditating and waiting for your return.

We've done it. That sounds like a personal choice. It is all that can save our land. You sitting here and waiting for us for a week. I had faith that you would survive. I knew that I would know if Hezeki had died. So if he was alive, surely you were to. Great. Then it seems this should be a joyous occasion.

is you've been sitting here for a week and we have now arrived. Yes? Did you retrieve the piece of the rod? Yes, we did. Who has it? Do we know who has it? I'm in the corner using it like,

no. I'm sorry, using it how? Adam Sandler style. I don't even know what that means. I don't even know what that means. You put it between your legs and you pretend it's a giant penis. It's hilarious for everyone. Oh, he's like, neat.

Welcome back, everyone. I guess Capiz has it. I was definitely not the one who is responsible for that. Yeah, that's a great question, actually. I don't really think Joe had it. I would bet my money would be on tell. Let's just say. Oh, I have it, Rohingy.

No, Roy Felix. Yeah. You can't just like scream like that anytime you want. No, no. I mean, we did just go through limbo. Tell us it. Don't just put it back. Put it back in your bank.

But. She needs it. Toa, just, just, I will take it. It will be fine in my hands. Petra, shh, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, shh. No, no. Toa, just hang on to it for now, all right? I think I'll hang on for it.

I will be hang on for it right now. If Felix is telling you to hang on to it, then you should hang on to it. I will hang on to it for right now. How is it past? That's not possible. There was always a chance. this happening, the time in limbo does not flow the same way that it flows in our plane. In all of my studies and meditation on the planes, I knew the least about the plane of chaos.

It does not shock me that only four hours would pass in your time, but a week would pass here. We are fortunate it was not more. We are fortunate that at the outer wall, thousands of soldiers died. but they held off the Prince of Beasts and his army for far longer than we had expected. A true blessing and a gift from the eternal blossom. Well, Bravo. Where's the Legion now?

Are they still at the wall? Is they here? They are two days away by our best estimations. I want to know how you got the other six people. and I want to know every detail and you better not lie to me. We do not have time for all of these details. I can tell you that it was not I who collected the pieces. It was Hezaki.

And you see the Kieran, the draconic deer horse creature, prance around, looking very happy, overjoyed, and he says, And he says, I did it. I got all seven. I got all seven. I went around the plains and finally, thank you, friends. Thank you, friends, because I got the seventh piece. Finally, the eternal blossom will love me and return my affections. This is the happiest day of my life. And he lets out a strange, uh, whinny that sounds like wind chimes as he gallops and prances around. Oh, you charming creature. How many eyes does the eternal blossom have? Oh, well, I haven't seen her, but I have heard her voice. And she, she, I, I know that her eyes are large and beautiful and golden. I have seen it in my imaginations. And when you've heard them blink, do they sound like they blink twice or six times?

What does a blink sound like? Well, what are we going to do? I think it would be like, or... You see him like, as he's, uh, as he starts to go cross-eyed, as he like blinks as quickly as he can. Oh, no. I don't hear any blinking when I blink. We can all hear it, I promise.

We owe you many. You have really good ears. I mean, that's true. But what I'll say is, thanks for helping us not get killed in the plane of limbo. I mean, that was really close out there. Yes, that was very cool of you. Well, if you guys all died, then I would die

because I would have failed my mission. I couldn't get the final piece, and then the eternal blossom wouldn't love me, and then life isn't worth living at that point. Well, what's so, like, special about the eternal blossoms love? Oh, she has the most beautiful voice, and her song is enchanting, and she is so wise and good, and she cares about unity and peace and harmony and order. It's so noble. I care about, like, most of those things. So, and I think we all do, yeah?

Oh, yeah. I like those things, easy. Yeah, sure. Yeah, so, like, we're, like, six, six eternal blossoms. I'm sorry, I'm spoken for. Oh. Does she provide you with positive reinforcement? Now I just wanted more. When you're going to pieces, since you've got no seven now. Yes. I cannot wait to hear her voice.

You know what? I will go right now to where I hear her and where I've seen glimpses. Thank you, friends. Well, can we come with you? No, it is private. Only I am allowed. I am chosen. Hold on.

What if I give you? I'm ranging through my pack and pull out a piece of big turkey. If I give you the eggs. Oh, thank you. leans forward. Only if we can with you. Oh, fuck. Is it just straight death?

Yeah. Oh, 16? You see as the fastest creature you've ever encountered. Is no match for your dwarven leapwork? It's like, it's like, p. Got me there, pal. It is gone. Oh, no.

Oh, thank you. I am going to go to her great mountain. Goodbye, friends. Thank you. You push and you see here a crash and a blur of gold. Almost like a just a thunderbolt flying through the air as the Kieran takes off and you see faint, glittering gold following his trails. It gently falls down.

And you see him rocket through a cloud off into somewhere. Did we write that? Luffy. Yeah. I know it has been a long time since. Do you find me? Your nightly jaunce. Away from our hotel rooms.

But Akiren, were you honestly trying to sleep with Akirin? No, that's disgusting. I don't even really know physically how's that of work. I mean, I could figure it out, given enough time. I'm done here. Excuse me. I'm in shock. I'm ashamed.

I just thought maybe we could, like, you know, tempting me to our side. I know how you know. intent that it was lifting of Kirin. I can always give you some more jerky. I do not jerky. Well, golden lotus. Yes. It is for the, it is for future of not just

Mokai, not just of Cron, the orcs of the dancing blade. It is for the future of all of Striga, and perhaps the world. How do you even know how to use it? I have been given visions. I have been, I have seen. I have been told by the eternal blossom.

I mean, the beast army's two days away. How can we delay if millions could die, like she said, the entire world? These visions, when you put the rod all together, it means the end of the three, but how do we get from putting it together to them being... My question is this. Why were they broken apart in the first place? There must be some reason all of these pieces have been hidden in vast areas all around the multi-bovers. So why all of a sudden do they need to be combined for what reason? And how do we know that their appearance in Evantris doesn't have something to do with the appearance?

appearance of these demonic creatures. You have proven yourselves valuable and good and orderly allies and I appreciate all of you and now that you have retrieved the seven the seventh part the rod of the seven parts I can tell you what has been revealed to me. Oh that would be lovely. Yes please. I will need you to I swear that you will not tell this knowledge to anyone. Do not share. I do not demand that you kneel. I did not demand that you disavow Virgil Zern.

But should he learn this information, all hope will be lost. Well, as long as a newness is included in this circle, then I am fine. I respect gods of order. And so yes, I will permit that. Wait, I think Morgan's a god in order, right? Yes. Okay, he's lawful good. Okay, that's just what I thought.

Okay, just making sure. I have only seen glimpses, but there was a war of chaos versus order. Before the mortal races, before many of the gods and devils. It was in this battle where the prince of all demons was struck down by the windukes. This prince of demons was so powerful, it was able to subjugate the chaotic nature of all other demons that we know it. This entity was so ancient, so terrible, that it was a type of demon of which there were only a small handful. and the entire fate of the world was in the balance. A rod of pure law was all that could stop the destruction.

When it struck this prince, Miska the wolf spider, its demonic blood, coated the rod and shattered it. Miska was defeated. The war was over. After recent happenings, perhaps the war was simply put on hold. That is all I know. Well, that ends up the majority of the questions that I posed to you, so I'm satisfied. Felix?

Yeah, I don't know. If I'm being honest, I've got a lot more questions than we have answers. And I just, how do you intend to use the rod? What are you going to do with it? She slightly turns her head and she looks back at the, you remember the be willow fronds that had covered the entrance of this secret glade hidden within Mogukai. And she turns back and says, The war chief has been preparing his entire unnaturally long life for this moment.

We will re-forge it, fashion it into a weapon, and War Chief Frostfeng will put an end to Baffamette's reign on this plane. And how long has the war chief been allowed? It has been

nearly a century. How could he have been preparing his entire and naturally long life for this moment? It is only recently that Baffermott arose. I was told of great calamity when I was in Yul'Larn. I came here many decades ago.

I met him when he was just a boy. So we give you the piece of the rat. You re-forge it. He wields it, and he succeeds. Then we get it back. If it survives the process... It has to. We need it. Is that what you would like?

That's without a doubt. We must have it. And what will you use it for? We have other business with it. It doesn't matter. There are lots of demons around. We know that we need the rod to save the angel. You recall that, yes, it was a chaos corruption of some kind.

And the only way to stop it is just to stop it was to use the rod. And the rod was also critical in, at least the angels, the Windduke's surmised, in dealing with the the chain god. If the chain god were to be freed. Have you heard of this Miskah the Wolfspladder before? Either of you. It doesn't ring a bell. And it's the prince of all demons, et cetera.

Was. It was deposed, defeated. In that moment, there was a great flash of power. And Miska was not there. once everyone was able to see what was happening. And the prince lost his control over all of the other demons. So surely he is defeated, slain, banished. It matters not.

Well, if he has lost control over the other demons, is there someone who's claimed control over the other demons? There is... There is no control. control over demons. This, the type of creature that Misca the wolf spider was, was something older than any demon lord such as Baphomet. Baphomet is a mere child compared to the entities that came through from another world, another dying world. name for their kind, I fear to speak.

Can you write it down? You can write it on my back. I have parchment. She would have to shave your back first. I mean, like use my back as like a table, because I'm short. We need to stop sharing forbidden knowledge amongst ourselves. Every time somebody learns something new and we're not supposed to speak it, we're putting ourselves at risk. This is indeed forbidden.

I want to stress. I have scoured the libraries all the books of Evantris and can find no utterance of this it was only the visions of the eternal blossom that has given me this knowledge Wait, wait, you mean this, this knowledge Isn't anywhere on Aventress?

Not that I have seen Maybe she should write it down. Does that change just to me? Nothing permanent, I will tell you. Do not write this down. No, we would never. What? I don't know why I did that.

Are you sure it's safe to speak? It is not the name of a particular lord. So their kind, speaking their kind, should not bring calamity. An ancient beings from a dying world. The demons before demons existed. All of the demons that you now face, His kind. Anything that you have fought before is what is called a Tenari demon. But that distinction is irrelevant, for I know not of more than a dozen that still exist.

So you're saying that there are over with demons and Tenari demons? Yes. Demons, as you know it, are simply the Tenari. They are the ones that still exist and thrive, but they were not. the original. Where are these Oberif ones then? How are they still a lot? I do not know if they are still alive. They were defeated in that great chaos war. But I have not, I have not heard or seen from the eternal blossom, if any still remain. Baphomet should be nothing compared to the power of the rod if it was able to defeat an Oberith, the prince that of the Oberiths.

And this Prince Wolf Spider guy, he was, was he one of the O's or was he one of the T's? One of the O's, if you mean. Yeah, I'm just trying to shorthand it in case, you know, summon some sort of horrible nightmare. That sounds very scary and frightening indeed, may I please. As far as I am aware, the war saw the destruction of all of them. if any survived it would have been the various lords that were able to escape the bloodshed and flee and bide their time but if any survived I do not know I only know what the eternal blossom tells me what about the information that you shared is so secretive

that we can't tell Zern because someone of Zern's ambition will stop at nothing until the world is destroyed. You must not trust him. I can feel his power over you already. Why would we not trust him? We're his wings. We're the reason that we're here in the first place. I have already showed you his treachery. While the Horn Legion has marched through and ravaged our nation. The Korovakian military has followed behind. They are conquering our country.

Oh, that's right. As we speak, we are unable to repel them. We did not attack while they were being ravaged by the Horn Legion. We can fix this. It doesn't have to stay this way. It doesn't have to be this way. It's a good point. You're right. It does.

But the... will of Virgil Zern. As long as it is his own, there will be nothing but war. This is how things go. Is how it always happens time and time again. But we will stop it. We might be able to talk to him. I mean, we're the wings. That's right next to the ears where we can whisperer non-war times, speak. Where do you put your wings? Where do I put my... Are they on your head? No, they're like You know, they're pretty close

They're closer than the legs, I don't know That's true But further than the arms Further than the arms It's about the same distance Between my chest and my legs In my back Where I would put my wings

But if it's a bird The wings are the arms And is this important When there are armies Marching on this place right now I'm trying to give you the rod of love, but I'm scared to. How about

this? We give it to you, and you will help you defeat Bethamette, but as soon as that's done, you return it to us. I just looked at Iris. I'll look back at you and just stare at you. This is your choice. We can also make a deal. We can stay with...

We will escort the seventh part of the rod, and we will assist with the forging. I mean, hercha here. She worked in a for... Oh, yeah, she's very cool. We'd be happy to assist and witness the creation of this powerful weapon against all things. It has already been foretold.

You will be part of the ritual. Well, re-forge the road. Does that bring you peace to here? No. Yeah, but... Felix. Do you want to proceed? I don't want to be the only holdout. You're not.

But I have reservations, and as long as it's known. Would it be? help if I carried it until we arrive to wherever this forging ritual is done. You better not let it out of your hands. That cannot happen. Oh, why?

You are all horribly tainted by limbo. I can feel the chaos over you all. Well, then we'll just hold on to the rod until we're no longer tainted. It's not limbo that you're smelling. But

perhaps Perhaps she's right Perhaps If she's willing to let us take part Why don't we just give it to her? Well, that doesn't make sense, does it? If we need to take part in it Then they can't start it without us

So whether we're tainted now Or tainted later is irrelevant They still have to wait for us to be untainted To perform ceremony So we might as well deliver the rod to the ceremony It will require an evening of preparation with all seven parts of the rod for it to be reforged. We will lose a night, and we perhaps will lose our only opportunity

to reforge the rod of law and save the people. And if we had returned a day later, then we would have been doomed. That's not good. Just so I understand. It seems too convenient. What you're saying is we have to separate from the rod so that you can prepare it for the process.

process of being into the law rod, and then we have to go get untainted. Yes, we will purify you and our hot springs. Because that does sound nice. Well, it does make me a little bit of herpes, I agree. She's right, they've been, they've been honorable. They didn't attack Korovokia when Bephamet was at the walls of Zintra. And look at what Zunz done. He's, he's, he's an opportunist. This country has far more honor than Zoon ever did,

and I'm willing to trust her over anyone else, frankly, at this point. Well, hold on, that rat has been in limbo longer than we have, was to say that's not tainted tool. Maybe we need to dip it in the bath with all of us together. Did you see the power of the simple piece of the rod, while in limbo. You could argue that limbo was tainted by it. You've put us in a position where we really can't say no.

Yes, I have. So I commend you on that. Either way. The eternal blossom is very wise. I just want to say that this is... This is way more beyond Corvaccia and Garand and all of this. It's not about honor anymore. This is so far beyond that.

So we'll turn over the rock. That's fine. If that's what all we all decide. But if all of a sudden the rod goes missing, or we don't get the rod after all this is over, we're going to have problems. I understand that, but I will say that if you have concerns about the future of the rod of law, once Baphomet and the Horn Legion are defeated,

you are speaking to the wrong person. And her eyes will go to Caprice, and then back to you. All I'm saying is that Limbo send me back to a person that I didn't want to be anymore and I'm not so sure

I let go of that person. You are all feeling stressed. Your tranquility is gone. Chaos has tainted you. It will not be long until you transform into sloddy yourself if we do not stop this process.

Your emotions are wild. Your emotions are chaotic. We think you'll lead with feeling quite fine, actually. Most come I've been in a long time. Though I'm a little distressed that my new friend, acquaintance, really, lofty, wanted to sleep with a Kieran. Decide from that, you know. Do you want me to sleep with you?

No. I would like to sleep on top of you if we are required to sleep on the ground here together. I think we should do the spa, because I do now that you mention it, feel a little squirmy. Were we egged? I don't want to be egged. I'm too young to be egged, frankly. You've been egged many times in your life.

What are you guys talking about egged? I'm confused too. The frog, the frogman. You have the taint of limbo on you. We will take you to our terrace, the eternal hot springs, and we will purify you. I will guide the process.

you will be at peace, you will experience tranquility, you will be cleansed, the power of pure water. Out of curiosity, does Chief Frostfan go to these pods? Yes, of course. We all do. Let's do it. I'm just going to put my hand on toe to his shoulder and just not. I'll leave in a Felix and I'll say, huh. You're right, this isn't about honor anymore, but it is about doing the right thing.

We're gonna fix it. I promise. I know that this is the right thing. And I will take the wrong. She clasps it. I love it when he's so sure of himself. And she takes a very intricately woven

piece of silk, and she wraps it up very gently and places it within her robes. Thank you. You have saved are people. You have saved yourselves, and you have perhaps saved the world. Can I see the rod real quick just for one thing, and then I'll get it right back. I'm going to just like...

All right, just hold on. I will guide you now to the hot springs, where we will begin the purification ritual. Were you going to use it as your turgid manhood? Yeah. I assumed. That's with the Vinsalga. Next time, once it's all forged, it'll be bigger, right? Yes, it will be.

I'm ready to be detainted. Well, untainted? Cleanced. Oh, cleansed. Why are we not just saying cleansed? I don't have the same vocabulary as you do. I'm sorry. Unbelievable.

I would like the taint-no mountain high enough, in my opinion. Tain-no mountain high-n-hast-le-hout. Please follow me. Please leave it. And you all follow, you'll follow Golden Lotus. That's same written. smell of saffron about her. As you make your way through her shrine, you see the large offering bowl with all of the rubies, a small horde of gems and rubies and other strange trinkets.

As you make your way out, she guides you through the city of Mogherkai, and you stare off into the distance. You see the great serpent-spine mountains, and the mountains that effectively surround this entire nation. And you see off in the distance, plumes of smoke. The Horn Legion is incredibly close. And yet, despite war, almost on the door, the footsteps of this place, it feels familiar yet very different. You had been almost the exact same situation in Zentra.

And there was panic. There was fear. Here, there is no fear. Here, everyone is going about their lives, preparing perhaps, but going about it in a very orderly way. They seem to be ready for what's coming. These are 100% orms. Yes.

And just for my own visualization in my brain, has the weather changed? I can't remember if it's like tundra-ish. It's like a cool step kind of situation. So there's a little bit of a nip in the air for sure. It's been nine months. And it's not snowing or anything, but it does seem to be getting a little bit cloudier. But you manage to make your way through.

And even though it is in cooler climates, it still feels very comfortable. And you see even the Yetis themselves, the beast, the massive saber-toothed white tigers, the hawks that they train are all moving about with that same orderly level of restraint. and measured this. And you eventually are guided up a number of roads that continue to go higher and higher into the mountain

where Mogher Kai is built. And you see steam rising from tall stone walls. As you see a gilded arch with gold filigris and large braziers that have a very pleasant and inviting

inviting glow. And you see that there's a number of towers where spear-wielding orks are standing watch. And this complex seems to be huge. As it seems to be

this walled hot springs, almost like a fortress. As the walls are incredibly high, they're made of stone. You see guard towers, the walls are walkable. And you are guided beneath the arch and as soon as you pass the grazers

you feel this warmth and you smell that same saffron gets stronger and stronger and immediately you feel more at ease as you are guided down a long hallway you see that there are separate doors that go off into various small chambers which then lead out into different portions

of the hot springs and you realize that they all seem to be a wall off and separated. And you are guided all the way down the hallway to one on the right, and she stops and says, I will let you change into simple golden robes. You will enjoy the hot springs after that. Together, there will only be the six of you.

Get comfortable, get changed. And then I will be back after returning, the rod to its rightful place, to be prepared to be reforged, and then I will return to perform the purification process. And we have to leave everything? You may leave everything in this chamber here. It is very secure. You realize that on the outside of this, there are, there are two orcs guarding each one of these doors. And you actually look down as there's been a group that's coming after you. And there seem to be two

orc soldiers that are very severely wounded as if they barely escape perhaps the battle at the wall, the outer wall. Or rather, the inner wall. And you see that their eyes are wild, and they're shaking. They're filled with fear. And they're led by two guards

into one of the chambers closer to the main entrance of these hot springs. and the door closes behind them. Well, why don't we put everything in the bag of holding and then we'll put the bag of holding in exchange? Well, everything? I mean, you're going to make me get undressed too? Yes, you're asking.

Well, but if we're put everything in the bag of holding, we all have to get nude together. I drop my robe. I'm ready. There are privacy screens. You made. We have springs and neck bed. You may enjoy.

I'll kick my robe towards Toa. Get that for me. What are you doing? Toa. Oh, my God. Oh, what happened? Oh, God. Do you have a Kleenex?

You may find everything that you require. With a flick at the hand, I press to digitate the blood. Oh, that feels really weird. I'm looking, so it's like the magic is kind of just like hitting you in the face. And like, it's weird. Like, I don't really have really good aim, you know? If you've ever felt like a bugger, just fly out your own nose. You are guided in into this small chamber.

There's a number of privacy screens, and you see that there are stacks of folded, simple golden threaded robes, as well as towels. You once again, smell that saffron. It's beautifully decorated, but it's still simple. and you see that there is a large double wooden door that seems to open outward into the hot springs themselves. As Golden Lotus sees you in, she says, get comfortable, relax, try to feel tranquility come over you,

and I will return. Are these, and I'll pick one up, simple robes required? Yes. You cannot achieve true peace and tranquility, burdened by your... The weakest linen I've ever fallen. What thread count are these? Probably like 4.50.

How am I supposed to relax in something so scratchy against my skin? It will be critical for you to relax, to put aside the gilded pursuits of your noble heritage. You wound me. It's fine.

It's better to be warm. You will be safe. The guards here keep constant watch. I will return. Farewell. And she turns to leave as the wooden doors close behind you. You are now alone amongst yourselves. The guards on the other side of the door. I do not like her and I do not trust her.

Anyone to tell me I have to wear this horribly scratchy linen to get into a spa. to soothe and relax myself obviously knows nothing about relaxation. Is that so true? Do you get the robot right now? Yes, Choa. Have you, have your eyes been closed this entire time? I'm just... He ran into one of the guards, didn't you see him?

No, I was nearly, I was nearly skipping towards the room. I thought the hot springs were going to be in here. This is good to be fun, guys. Yes, I thought so. If I leave my dagger behind, I'm going to be vulnerable. Why don't... Can you hide it somewhere? I don't think so.

I have some ideas. I'm going to whip up a towel and slap you like some. No, Luffy, what are you doing? Why? Come on, this would be fine. This isn't a time for messing around. It's not a not a time for messing around. That's kind of what it implies.

Oh. Would you guys want to do shifts? You can go first and I can watch the stuff. Did you say shifts? I have a feeling that's not going to be accepted either. Okay. It seems like we're going to have to do this all together. All right.

I'm going to get changed and I'm going to go back behind one of the privacy screens and store all of my stuff, including my hat for the first time ever. So are we not doing the shifts then, Felix? Look, I'm not only the rules here, Erja, okay? from behind the curtain. I just don't think that they're going to let us take shifts. I think they're going to make us all go in there at the same. Damn it, this is the fucking rope.

I don't understand this. They're going to make us go in there at the same time. This isn't very secure. Do you need some help, Felix? I don't need any help. I can get undressed by myself. Are you sure? You left your dagger out here.

What? No, there's no way I would have done that. What if I helped you, Felix? No, Toa. I'm more comfortable with me. I'm fine. Yes, Toa, go in. Help him get his robe on.

Raven Queen. Damn it. It's got him. I think he's fun. I'll go behind one as well, and I will... I guess I'll get changed, too. I will turn invisible. You see the jacket?

Just slide off. It just immediately, every time he discards a piece of clothing, it just appears and falls in the ground. The tears falls in the ground. There's no underwear, just the pants. Damn, dude. Commander Caprice, I don't know what to tell you. A robe suddenly lifts up and then disappears

before I finally uninvisible. That was easier to put on than you made it sound, Felix. You guys go ahead. It's going to take me a while. There's a lot of heavy armor here. Yeah, just go on ahead. All right, well, I'm just going to leave the... Can I have your hand and everything?

Hersia. Are you done, Felix? Yeah, hold on. I just got it. What is it? I just peeked my head. around. We can't go on without you. We're waiting golden lotus. Oh, okay. I'll try to be quick then. I don't know how long it takes all the plate off clang, clang, clang, clang. I will emerge

from my private changing area with my hat, my clothing, my dagger, and my spellbook, and turn them over to Toa. They'll be safe in here, I promise. So you can still do some stuff without the dagger. It's not like you're totally helpless. And I just kind of do like a... Pseo! See? Very unimpressed. Here are my boots, my armor, and my viol. Be very careful with that.

Oh, shit, Paul. And let me just double check. I cast me each armor before I give up my dagger. Okay, you do that. You do that. Sloop. You feel the shimmering arcane power wash over you for your military training. Hold on, feel it. No, Caprice. Who are you? Put in the violin after your viol, sorry,

after I put in my armor so it doesn't get squished. We've got to put it on top, right? Well, it does everything just stack it in there? It's like a storage room in here. It'll be fine. I can organize it. You sure? Yeah, I can have like a little Vio section

that's totally separate from Hesha's armor. Well, I don't know. Is it going to fit? It should fit, yes, yes. It'll fit, yes. So I swear to God, if anything happens to this VOL, I'll have you put it in them. I throw him the bag. I don't understand how she thinks that we're going to be able to relax when we're all together.

Oh, you're right. There are all kinds of compartments. That's what I'm saying. So no one told you that was going to be this way. I throw the bag back to Toa. All right. While we wait for Hesia. No, I'm almost done.

I know that five more minutes. Oh, yeah. If you've ever read the dawning and doffing rules in Dungeons and Dragons, you'll find out that this process takes a ridiculously little amount of time. When you're wearing heavy armor. You spend the 10 minutes doing it as soon as everything is stored away in the little locker space that they have. You hear the creaking of wood as the door on the other side opens.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. It does not stop. Ah, fuck. Are there pockets on these ropes? No. No. Oh. So we don't get one of those like twisty arm things with the key?

No. No. As the door opens and you immediately feel the warmth, as you see a large pool that's steaming, you see the large wooden bamboo walls going very high along flinking the stone. Once again, that smell of saffron hits your nose and you feel the warmth of the these natural springs hit you in this small chamber, and it feels very inviting. Felix, that's a, that's called water vapor. My dad used to give me shit about this all the time.

Steam is invisible. Water vapor is what actually appears when, I thought you would all want to know that. As an intelligent wizard as such as a soft, baby. You thought I didn't know that? You need to wrap the cord around and tie. I can see your penis. It's a cow's out of Zabar. I close it, but then my tail wrap.

around I'm gonna take my hat off and run my hands or my hair and I go oh it'll be okay I hope so yeah a little bit a little bit the tufts are like are like curling upboards underneath the where the hat should be and it's like awfully flat on the top and the and like it's weird it's you can tell that I have some hat head well uh it's just us in the room? The six of us, right? You're in the room right now, and it's open the hot spring portion. You see that it's walled on either side. So there's the, there's basically these large stone walls that go very high up, like, you know, several dozen feet up. And it's, it's, it's bordered with like wood and bamboo. It's, it looks very decorative, but there's a lot of privacy. What's the highest depth on the other side? I just need to know for diving. What's the temperature of the water? The temperature is a very, the temperature is a very, very, there's a very, you know. The temperature is a very, very, you know. The temperature is a very, you know. The temperature is a very, very pleasant hot tub. Is there a floaty division string to let Herzian know

where she will and will not drown? It is all, it's hard to tell. There's no division. There's no like feet, there's like big concrete, squares. It's a good, that's a good hot tub time? Is there a ramp in that I take a ramp? There are little stone steps that go down.

What type of stone are the steps? I'm just kidding. I swear to God. Guys, look, I found the rocks and the stony stone wall. They're made of styrofoam, and when you try to push them under the water, like, oh. God, they shoot right up in your nose. It hurts. It hurts a lot. Jesus, Lord Almighty.

The child. Two zero. I'm not using the thing anymore. I'm sure they are. You actually see that there's, there is a number of, like, very buoyant, like, hollow wooden or, like, bamboo, of carbon ones that are, that have air in them. or if you cared to do that. As you all enter, the gilded doors close behind you. You see that it's very elegantly carved,

and it just seems to be swoops and swirls, but it all is in a very pleasant, glittery gold that reminds you of Hizakia. And you are all alone in the hot spring. You can see a number of towers around, as this wall, this whole compound, rises very high above, and there are a number of guards, but they seem to be facing outwards away from you.

You feel like you have a good amount of privacy here. I'm going to walk up to the edge of the hot spring and look in, and then look to everyone else. Okay, nobody look, and I'm going to point my finger at the water and basically cast a firebolt to create lots of steam so I can drop my rope and jump in. No one ever did their eyes. Well, there's tons of steam, though, right?

It didn't find work. Didn't you just hear that it's not called steam? Sorry. Well, I'm creating lots of water vapor. Were you distracted by your thesis penis? Luckily, Andy said that and not my level, my 20 intelligence wizard named Felix. Right, right, right, right.

As you do. So I'll point to the water and I'll say, Feudor bolts and, and drop my robe and jump. Oh, lovely. Oh, the rope. Great. And I dropped my robe and I just walk in. If only I had my musical focus. Can I look now, Felix? I mean, if you want, I'm gonna just, you know, keep creating steam so that this is PG. Cannon ball, whatever a cannon is.

And then I should go out of the water. We destroyed those magical cannons. Remember outside of Zintra? We know what a-com. Yeah. Oh, okay. A magical vault. All right. That's canon.

Yeah, that's good. I throw my rope off when I walk in. Okay. The water feels incredibly pleasant. And it seems almost supernatural. The fact that the, that smell, the very strong scent of saffron is in the air. And you hear the light clanking of a clinging in the song of wind chimes as the breeze kind of whips kind of whips through very pleasantly as you feel is immediately more relaxed the second

that you all ease into these hot springs and it's just incredibly pleasant. Lofti, I don't trust it. Why not? We don't like water, our kind. I'm just like on the very edge, like dipping a toe in. Let's explain so much. Nope. Well?

So much. Don't trust it. This is the first time I've been in warm water since I lived home. Oh, she's amazing. Do you think when she comes back, she could just cleanse me just for being here, like a participation trophy that I don't have to get in the water? I'm really terrified of drowning. I don't know, Hershey. I think you're going to have to get in.

I mean, this is pretty nice. And then I'm going to whistle in. Beatrice, come on, just, just bathe. It's nice. And Beatrice will flutter in and be making bluebird noises and doing the bird. like water and making splashes and all sorts of good stuff. She does that. There's a little pool, a little shallow pool on one of the sides.

It's really not that deep. I mean, I'm sitting here and it's, this is nice. I don't trust it. How deep is it? Can you go into one end and tell me exactly how deep it is? I have an idea. What is the idea? I'm all yours.

So I'm going to get out of the tub and I'll collect some of these floaty things. The Caprice bonged in his face and I'll surround. that surround them around your waist and tie it with one of the golden robes so you have sort of like a kid floating oh yeah be nice could you put some around my arms too yeah yeah okay okay this is good idea thanks all right better now and so I like I weighed in and I jump yeah hersa kind of walks over like this and just like she just floats and is just carrying around I'm trying to like sink a little bit lower so that like my tits are underwater but they just I'm just like,

Are you done? It's not that D-Bustan. I'm looking at it only goes to my hands. Is it all from now? It sure does. Look, do. Look, do you have wind thing to blow all the steam away.

No, no, just blow me in the other side of the pool. I use my unending breath to clear the steam. No, no. And Lifting and Iris are just sitting, Tell us. What's happening? I have my hands on my hands.

I'm like, oh, they're not in the same. There are a lot of strange words in the wrong order. And I'll settle back down. Enjoy it. Enjoy it. This is so nice. Squeak, squeak. Lofty blow me that way.

I'm just going to jump around. She just floats. Oh. Ah. I go. Well, I don't feel contaminated anymore. Tainted. Well, to be fair, I don't even know it being contaminated felt like in the first place.

I'm not entirely sure that that wasn't the truth. Does this feel magical, Felix? I smell better. It smells nice and it feels nice, but is it actually magic? Well, I can actually cast that one. Are we allowed to just get out of stuff? Because I'm assuming that we can't cast them. Well, I mean, I can try, right?

I will try to cast detect magic, which does not require any material components. You do that. So I'll wave a hand and, you know, do what I need to do to try to detect magic. You do that, and your hands glow as you sense around for magic. And really the only thing magical is just how pleasant this is. This is magically pleasant.

It's a very magically fast. And friendship. Oh, friendship. You don't attack, it feels like a natural spring. No, there's nothing being organic about this. I mean, it's just

the spring. Well, to be fair, she did tell her she wanted us to relax, and then she was going to come to self and remove the taint, so. The ritual of all these. Oh, so I'm still tainted. Yes.

Potentially. I don't feel very tainted. I mean, Neither do I. I guess it's gonna see, we're gonna have to see what this, uh, you know, ritual and tales. I'm not sure. I'm not doing anything weird. Yeah, I mean, that makes two of us. I'm trying to like readjust all the floaties. I was just trying to figure out which of my spells don't require material components. And hideous laughter requires tarts and a feather. Tarts? Tarts. Tarts. Tiny, tiny tarts. Like, not big tarts.

Farts and tiny tart. Like cakes? Like cakes? No, like tarts. Like desserts? Like desserts? Like a tart. You imagine being like a wizard and you're like finished baking.

Oh, fuck, these are like a half an inch too big. God damn it. My diamonds has gone down because of the market. It's posted. I didn't train for 80 fucking years to have to learn I'm a fucking bake. People can't res people because the market's getting flooded with diamonds, and that drives the price down. There you have material components. Disgusting. Diamond inflation, man.

That's a real plot. Someone has done that in Dungeons and Dragons. I'm just relaxed. I'm enjoying that. Me too. I'm actually, I'm kicking back. I'm with Cabriss. Up to the neck and water, my tail is sort of swirling around the bubbly water. So what do we do if... If we can get the rob back and we defeat Baphimat, what do we do then? Well, then we have to go back, and we have to save the angel, Deva. We have to save that angel. Do we know her name?

Yes, me, it was a cooler. We have to save Akula. I mean, that was the whole point of getting this in the first place. Let's not be naive. We know something's going to go horribly wrong. We're going to have to deal with it before we can possibly save the angel. So let's relax and try to think of what is going to be horrible. going to go horribly wrong so we can get a foot, get ahead of it.

That seems counterintuitive. Shouldn't we see thinking about what should go horribly right so that we can relax? Perhaps all they do is they'll just walk up to Baffirmeet and hit him in the hoof, and he'll just explode into nothingness. Maybe they're just going to drive it in the ground and hope that he steps on it, form alone style. Toa, why don't you stand up and reenact what's going to happen to Baffirate it? Why would I do that?

Just stay in the water. I'm getting mixed signals here. Just stay in the water. It's for your comfort and for everybody's just comfort. You are no fun, Felix. All right. I'm a bit pleasant, so I'd like to stay in the water. It's okay.

What worries me is that the first suggestion upon asking that we could have it back was that it might break. But I don't see any part of that rod actually breaking once it's reforged. It's too powerful. I don't think so. I'm more worried that they'll make off with it and disappear. I share that concern.

I mean, the only thing that we know about why it broke in the first place is because it was blood-touched by this wolf-fighter prince. And that, I mean, we just have to take her word for it. We have no idea of why it was really broken. Well, even in her own word, Baphimed is nothing compared to this Miska. I mean, I just, I don't see it breaking. So if it suddenly goes missing, then we're going to have a problem on our hands. But if it's missing, then we can just get it back and find it. Well, not, not did you see how quickly that curing took my beef jerky?

Are you out of your mind? That's going to snap that. It's going to snatch you right out of her hands. We're never going to see that bad again. Are you fucking kidding me? They've teleported all over vast distances instantly without time passing. We have tools at our disposal. Because of her mom.

entity is not... We could get their help again. Yes. They want to save a cooler too. Sure. I would be more convinced if you were standing, told me. Is it because it's more stoic in leading life? Yeah, you look like manly and tall. There's a forcefulness about it. I appreciate that. I mean, I could stand up.

You could. She just wants to see your club, all right? I left that in the bag of holding. That's for a compliment. That's for a conference. That's the different... We're talking... I don't have any clubs on me. I don't know what you mean. You want to look at your penis, Toa.

Oh. Oh. It does not... I should not have said... No. You're much better at this sleeping with everyone thing than I. Yeah, I am.

Apologies toa. Does that make a better leader if I'll show you my penis? Sometimes, yes. I'm not opposed to it per se. I mean... Sometimes it's worse, but sometimes it's better. In most situations, I would...

say no, but today, yes. Yes, it would. All I'm trying to say, penis aside, is that... You know, to wait a bit. Which side? The lift, of course. Right, that checks out. This is a silly question. And Mike burns all his notes.

No, I warned you. I weren't everyone already, so I bear nervous possibility. You're right, Felix. If it broke on the Prince of all demons, that's one thing. But Befamette, this is some... We know that it's like an avatar representation. It's not like literally Baphimet showed up. You're not entirely sure, but there probably is a physical manifestation. And you did, you have heard the word that Baphimitt's called the Prince of Beasts,

but this Misk of the Wolf Spider was specifically the Prince of Demons and was some tier of demon far above even Baphemet. Yes. Which there were older, ancient. the original demons end of which there are only a handful, if any, remain. So I think you're right. I think it won't break. We'll defeat Baffirm. We'll save all of these innocent oaks. And then we'll take the rod back to Oka. Well, in the worst case scenario, we could always say that name three times.

I'm kidding, I would never. Why would you joke about it? Well, because I don't trust that though I wouldn't, that one of you wouldn't. Well, there's only one of us currently that knows the name. What's your name? The one that we're all talking about. Oh, yes. Right, that we are new a name.

Nope. No, we know the name of the... The lady that controls Caprice. Oh, oh, got it. I mean, she might. But we don't know the name of the evil demon bird statue, right? No, I kept that of secret. Only I know that.

I never told you that the name I read was Bosco. I mean, uh... It's not Bosco. I promise. Don't say that. Oh, that's twice. Caprician Bosco. Look at him. No! I use your flips upside down and so it's drowning. I use mine to create a face right in front of Joe on.

Oh, no. What have we done if we just ended the world? Caprice, this isn't funny. You can't mess around with things. I'm not messing with. No, we're dealing with things that you don't understand. You gotta relax. Right? It's fine.

It's obviously not Bosco. That's not a threatening name. You're rumbling. And luckily, only Caprice is dead. Oh, no. I'm going to wane up the Felix, and I'm going to put my hands in the water and make the squeak noise.

The fountain. The fountain, and I understand that, stop it. No, look, feel like wonderful. Stop. I understand that you're trying to, Persia. I understand that you're just trying to make light of things and make people laugh. But this isn't funny.

You can't joke about something like this. That's not funny. This is funny. I need your utmost confidence that you're not going to tell somebody that name. I'm not going to tell anyone that name. I'm not, I am absolutely 100% not going to tell. Would you like to tell me that name?

How would not? How can I know? You understand. I want to protect you. I want to help you. But I can't help you from something. something that only you know. You're gonna doom yourself.

Well, then maybe he should tell one other person. No, no, no one knows. No one learns. How we know if he's saying the name or not. At least if someone knows the name, when he says something like Bosco. Because he's never going to say it. I'm not quite sure of that.

No, Caprice, you have to promise me that you're never going to say it. This isn't a joke. I'm being serious. I can feel how serious you're being right now. You're going to pee in the spa if you continue. They have chemicals. It'll... Caprice, look me in the eye. Promise me.

You're not going to ever repeat the name, ever. I promise. You believe that? I do. We don't... Hey, ask me to do some. We don't have a choice. Why aren't you taking this more seriously?

You're taking it seriously enough for all of us. Well, I think it's hard to take it seriously when you're screaming like a small child. We're supposed to be relaxing here. And it's like none of you care. Oh no, I think we're all very relaxed. I think unless we have some horrible magic like pact that he physically can't break, we just have to take him at his word.

What more can we do? Wait a minute. I might give me an idea. Does that exist? Horrible magical pack? I wish I had my book. Hmm. Honestly, if there's a magical way that you can seal the secret inside of me,

that's probably for the best, because I don't know if you remember about the devil that may or may not be controlling me. There might be. There might be. I wonder if there's a library here. There have to be some sort of text. I mean, the golden lotus. She'll do a lot of things.

Maybe we can just make it so that he can never say it. Or that I forget it. Even better. What if I can't even let... What do we cut out his tongue? You know, at this point, I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. I was just kidding. I'm not a fan of that idea at all.

I need my tongue for all kinds of things. My eyes are briefly to look at it. Are you sure? Do you really need it? Yeah, all of my power is my ability to speak. We should cut it out. You can still, you know, play. You can stay back.

What is that? Skis-skis-skis-kis-kis-kis. Damn it! I'm very dexterous. You stay back. Fine, fine. I'm just kidding. We're not cutting anyone.

I think we should all relax. You can worry about magical pecks later. Let's just relax. We'll get de-egged, detainted. I've had enough with eggs and taints. I just want to feel relaxed and clean. Well, I do have had enough of eggs and taints. Someone want to teach me how to swim?

No. Caprice, what can you tell us it, Jim? Oh, okay. Oh, um, two cannibals are eating a clown, and one turns the other and says, does this taste funny to you? I really wish I had not laughed at that. Classic.

It's pretty good. Thank you. Thank you. You were all rubbing off on me. I should not find that funny. I don't get it. What's a clown? A clown like a jester. Oh, we don't have those.

You don't? It's a very somber place. That's starting to explain a lot. Well, they sort of like, they joke around, they do acrobatics. They're funny. Satire. They're like funny and a kind of very

comical. Oh no, there's no clapping in Korovacia. That's why the joke is, does this taste funny to you? Because eating a clown would be eating something that is funny. So that's why you can't cut out his tongue,

Felix, because then you can't eat clowns. Well, because if you, like, grinds them up first, like a smoothie. But you know, you know what a cannibal is, right? Oh, oh, you know, yeah, of course, we have cannibals in there. Okay, okay, yeah, no.

All right. So two clowns are eating a cannibular and one turns to the other and says, are you sure this is the right joke? I'm gonna work on you. I'm gonna find the perfect joke for you. I'll think about it. And I like over and start bubbling away.

All right. I'm just gonna like float on my back. Got your right. That where she was. All you see above the water, Iris's eyes and her tail just going back. How large is this?

Oh, it's pretty large. Like, we could just like spread out. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, there's tongues in the room. I'm picturing the hot springs episode from Outlaw Star and other animated. I see Toa floating along. Watch out through the snake!

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The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tone for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. And don't forget to snag all of the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. You all take some time to relax, and within the hour, you hear the doors open.

And Golden Lotus stands there wearing similar robes matching the ones that you had had. And she steps out, and the doors closed, and she's still holding the glave. And she looks at all of you, and she says, are you all feeling relaxed now finally up to yell how you doing yes I can tell that you are I'm still floating out of the far end of the pool are you now all feeling more amicable

I don't know how to swim that I may do well it is good to see that you are still alive then who would like to start with the purification process Yeah, let's get this over with. I just start like, give me out of the fucking hole. Just like trying to get the fuck out of the pool.

You'll need to reflect on your past in order to complete this process. Okay. What it will be one at a time. Past? Yes. By looking into our past, we are able to inform our present and future. I'm not sure that that's the future. I'm not sure that that's the future.

something that I want to partake in. You will not be cleansed otherwise. And surely you will turn into a slide. You may stay quarantined until that transformation takes place. And then be properly dealt with if you do not wish to be purified. Yeah, she means killed. Yeah. Don't die, Felix.

Please. I understood. Who would like to begin? I think Hesian wants to go first. I'm already. She beckons you over to a little alcove in this hot spring where you see that there's a little stone beneath a beautiful tree of blossoms

and she sits down and she continues to hold the glave and she looks at you invitingly as you swim up and she says, are you prepared to begin? Yeah, let's do it. Very well. I need you to close your eyes. Feel the warmth of the water, the purity that you are surrounded by.

And I need you to tell me about a time in your life when you felt at peace. Thinking of Grizzled paw mountains being out in the hills with my trusty steed, Peyton, got Dakota over my shoulder, the smell of freshly mown grass and ox turd. We're just listening. It's a beautiful day out. Doing some laps together and getting her her exercise so her lungs don't collapse.

I would say I'd feel I was pretty at peace then I think Ma was working at the Arms and Animal Shop and and Pa was probably you know at the bars 2 p.m. on a Wednesday just getting absolutely hammered you know yes

so we're all feeling we were all feeling pretty good that day so I was at peace because they were at peace and Peyton put me at peace it was your family that brought you peace oh yeah I would say family brought me a lot of campaign too. I see. Are we all able to hear this? Yes. No, it's not private. No, it's not private. It is open. Have, tell me about a time when you felt unity? Probably the time when we opened up. Anvil and arms. I mean, that was before I was born when they told me about why they did it and how they kept the

anvil hot. So Mark put on some, some dough in the... and bake some bread for all the people who couldn't afford food in the village. I remember handing out fresh loaves at like 8 p.m. every night. Cost us barely anything, you know. I really felt part of a community at that point. You followed the process that you and your family put forth. Thank you. Finally, when was a time you truly felt that you were

felt that you were good. Good or good enough? Good. Are we ever truly good enough? I don't think so. I think I have waning moments. One time, think on it. But I felt good. But I felt good. When you felt good, truly moral. I felt really good when we were. Well, I'm trying to, just like deciding whether or not she wants to share this information. I'm just looking into her eyes and trying to get a sense of... She's staring intently, I do. Yeah. Does she seem anxious? No.

Not at all. She's also very relaxed. I know you've been at war, your people, you're kind with a lot of others in your neighboring countries. But, you know, it's difficult to say. But I felt good when we saved all those owl folk. What did you do to save the owlfolk? It wasn't what we did. It was what Gufton's mom did.

We all helped, I suppose. And I felt good in that moment. I felt like lives were saved. We didn't have to sacrifice them. That there was an alternate path. They could be protected. You obeyed the laws of your morality. Think on these moments.

Let them consume your consciousness. Think about how you followed the rules of your family, the obedience to your mother and your father, and how that brought you you to peace and goodness. You followed the orderly path, close your eyes, and let that purify. And she closes her own eyes and she taps with the glave, and you sit there and there's a bit of a pause and then... Very well, you have been purified. That's you?

Yes. Do I feel any different? No. Okay. Am I excuse us now? Please swim away or float away. Could you use that to give me a good push? She flips around it.

Oh, thanks. Rhonda, Rusty Joe off, you do. Just too. Who is next? All right, I'm done. You don't know can be different. I don't feel any different. I can go.

You don't smell any different, do. I, uh, I, I, very, uh, sneakily, like, conjure mage and, like, push toe. It's, like, close. Oh, I'm happy to go, yes, of course. Oh, it's too. Uh, I will kind of wade up to her. Clues your eyes. Feel the warmth of the water, the purity that surrounds you.

Tell me about a time where you felt at peace. Time when I felt at peace. There was a day when I felt at peace. There was a day when I felt at peace. day when I went sailing. I was much yeah. The winds in the morning were strong and I was able to sail around the island and a little bit of spear fishing. But I was pretty far away from shore when the wind died. It stopped. And the first I got worried, how am I going to make it home? How am we going to cook these fish? And then I looked around at the

beauty around me. Crystal blue sea, bright blue sky, a beautiful green island, the gorgeous sand, the sound of the wind and the goals. And I just laid there. I looked up at the sun. I laid on my boat and I felt the warmth. And in that moment I let old worry wash away. I still think back to that moment And eventually the wind came back I didn't have to worry about it Life wasn't ruined I still cook my fish

And I still think back to that moment As being calm You don't have to worry To make the world spin Sometimes things just work their cells out And Returned to your people on your island part of your island life?

Yes. Was that part of your daily routine? Always, yes. Tell me about time where you felt unity. The most impactful time of the most important moments of my life was when I got my tattoos.

It is the greatest sign of being a member of the of the Macaumney Islands being a Goliath of Macaughney Islands is to wear our tattoos proudly and you have to earn them you have to deserve them if you're young and stupid and don't have have honor you don't respect family or our culture you don't get them but I did and I felt one with my family my plan my people my island You followed the traditions, of the old ways. Yes, the traditions of my ancestors.

Followed the laws, the ancient customs. Tell me about a time you truly felt good. This is a tough one. I've never meant to do bad in my life. But I think the time that I felt good was when I left home for the first time to come here. I didn't want to. I didn't have to.

I love my life at home and it was relaxing and peaceful and wonderful but doing the thing that was scary and daunting and risking my life to sail away from that island for maybe the last time to protect the people, to protect my people. people. I thought that was the first time that I truly did good. You were doing it for your people. Yes. For your customs, for your ways of your culture. Yes. You showed your obedience how willing you were to serve. Close your eyes. Let those thoughts, those memories fill your consciousness and be purified. She taps again. Roman. You are purified. who is next. And she looks around to the rest of the group. I feel really nice, Felix.

That was nice. I think you should go next. I'd really rather her not. It's not their bed. It's pleasant. The water's very comfortable. All right, well, I'm just saying. You don't have to be scared.

Don't worry about it. Well, though. Join me by the blossoms. As you swim up, she asks you, close your eyes. Feel the pure water all around you. Feel the warmth. Tell me about a time you were at peace.

Uh, was always at peace. Anytime I was in the back of our shop, the DeCestos, we, uh, we made, uh, different stringed instruments. We, we, we, uh, and, and there was a workshop where we could be, uh, I was working to be a luthier, uh, someone who makes springed instruments. And, uh, when I was all alone in there and just focusing on, um, you could be, uh, uh, I was working to be a luthier, stringing and resin and working the wood and making the instruments for our shop and and helping out in any way that I could mixing oils doing all that.

It was quiet, golden, beautiful. That was, I miss it a lot. With your family? Yeah, I mean, it was always a little bit more chaotic when we were with the family. That was a place where, you know, if my dad was running the shop up front and selling instruments, that was when I could be actually by myself a little bit. That aloneness was... Escaping the chaos, you say.

But because I was entering the flow of working on... Working with wood and creating the instruments that we sold to the shop. Their structure to hard work. Yeah. Very well. Tell me about a time you experience unity. Probably the opposite direction of where I just went with the family thing. I'm sorry, I know I'm going to keep my eyes closed.

There was nothing better than on a weekend grabbing the whole fam, all of my cousins and my second cousins and my uncles and my aunts and my great aunts and my great uncles and that one great uncle. We would all go down, we'd grab some food from gazpachos, we'd grab some Budwisers, we'd make our way down and it was game game. And we'd go down to the garden, we'd watch a game of flingflamm. There was nothing better than being all, you know, 30, 40 of us sitting in the crowd, just looking out and screaming for our favorite team. Did you watch us. I'm uniting over here, all right?

Fuck. Is you last looped? Would you say that was these game days? It was the time that your family was able to get together and unify and do one thing, bring some order to the chaos.

Absolutely. It was a it was that or go to church and the family made a choice. But still it brought structure. It was a matter of brought you

metty. Tell me about the time where you felt good. Feels good? Or feel good? Good.

I, that's tough. I like to think that I am a good person and that I don't kill a warranted out of malice or cruelty or anything like that.

But I will say that I think that we did good when we the six of us took down MOLA. I was able to deliver what I think was the final blow, and that moment felt like I was doing good. You achieve security for the people of Zentra. I mean, afterwards, Fawth, that got summoned.

But yeah, in that moment, it felt really like I was on the right side of history. You brought order to the chaos. I'd like to think so You followed those laws You followed the laws of family obedience to the will Of your people and your history And even

For all the distaste I have Virgil Zern You followed his laws And you brought unity Peace Fult felt good Thank you Close your eyes

Who is next? Are you touching me without a marriage? I usually am. I need you to go next. It's fine. Does this bother immensely? Good, then go. Okay.

All a doggy paddle. You do that. She looks at you and she says, Close your eyes, who are you being of air? Are you all right? Feel the warmth. the warmth, the purity around you. Tell me about a time you felt, the peace.

Well, I remember the first time I left the monastery. And I went to a city. And it was so loud. And there were people yelling at me. I stepped in a puddle of maybe mud, maybe shit. I don't know. But I knew right then as it was where I was meant to be overwhelmed. After stepping in mud or shipped?

Yes. You never know. You don't know how. In furiating silences until you've left it. Leaving your monastery? Yeah. Entering a city? Yeah. Tell me about a time when you felt unity.

I can really talk with my eyes closed and brings me. just pretends it close That is fine It's really hard It's unnerving You're a little dizzy You hear the wind chimes Playing a little too

Soger Rushi Never felt more peaceful than That is just our baby elephant Oh, he's so cute Don't mention it No one talk about the goddamn elope. Don't say his name three times. Demon lord erupts and do this and just, troughs win!

Truss will win! It all comes full circle. It always does. It always does. Well, I was abandoned as a child. And so, as you can imagine, I felt pretty alone for most of my earth. early life. But I remember the first time the Harvest Festival. But Le Pard was the first taste of wine I ever had. And the first times in the whole village, we rose up together in song. We sang to the Pard. And I knew that they were there for me always. And I would always be a part of them.

You found unity through. being with the people of your village. That's right, yes. You followed their customs in a festival as set forth by their old ways and by following that social construct and being obedient to the customs you found unity. Tell me about a time you felt good.

I'm thinking about this. I usually feel pretty good. Good. Yeah, but they don't always feel like, good. I feel good, but I don't feel like good, you know? My friends here. And I had to do something. I had to sacrifice something.

But it was like giving something away from me to get something more for everyone. And that felt like. I don't know that I would do it again, But it felt pretty good. You gave up a personal desire. You put yourself beneath what was good for all. You gave up your own personal whims.

Yeah. And that brought your goodness. I guess. But it could have been a fluke. I don't know. In a city. In your village. With your friends.

You followed the orderly path. And that brought you peace. unity and goodness. Tap, tap. She, her eyes dart between the people that are left. And she hesitates a moment. I suppose we could, I don't know, rape, play a rock, paper, scissors for it.

Oh no, I'll go before you. You're going to turn into one of those river codes. I mean, as much as sometimes I think about it might be better. Life might be better as a river toad. Jesus. I know that I can't. And I still have work to do. So would you like to go first then?

So you're not last. So that she forgets all the things you tell her? That's actually a pretty good idea. I suppose it'll go next. Great. And with my nose beneath the water and Beatrice sitting on my head, I will make my way over to the Golden Lotus.

Yeah, get over there, yes. And only peeked my chin out because I don't want to reveal my nipples to the rest of the group. So it's really just my head floating about the water. And Beatrice just sits pleasantly on your head. And once again,

she looks at you and she smiles. And there's a bit of hesitation as her cat eyes seem to zero in on you. And she looks back at the four that had gone. And then she hesitates and then asks, tell me about it. Close your eyes.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Feel the warmth and the pure water all around you. Oh, okay. And think of the time you felt at peace. I think the time that I was most at peace was when Mr. Mendel sent me to school. And I was able to learn.

And suddenly it was all about how much I could cram in my head. And I learned that I could learn all of it. And suddenly I had control. And it was just about how much information I could possibly absorb, and I could absorb all of it. And there was nobody that could beat me. And it wasn't an answer that I didn't know. And everything had structure and sense.

And it was regimented. Everything was sensical. And I think that's when I was most at peace, when I was top of my class. And I joined the talent going. I knew what I was doing. It made sense. Everything made sense.

Structure. You see her face, the rest of you, without your eyes closed, see her face light up. Structure. Order. Being regimented. Guess you already know that has brought you great peace. I can tell. Tell me about a time where you felt unity. The moment that my baby brother was born.

It was one of the last times that me and Milo. And my mom were all together. And Mr. Mendel, of course, he let us live at the bar. And that was it. That was unity. That was family. You felt like family was the strongest memory of unity. When things made sense, the family structure was maintained very well.

Tell me about a time where you felt good. I don't think I've ever been good. I burned all of my closest friends and family alive. Okay. Because I thought that I would spare them. And then I learned that my entire life was a lie. And from that moment on, I've spent every waking moment trying to save my brother and fix the things that I've done,

and I don't think that I'm good. But if my life continues the way that it goes, then maybe when I finally die, the Raven Queen will look upon my wretched soul. Deem me may be okay. Have been good. You can still be good. You found temporary respite in the orderliness, the life that you desired.

But constant misfortune, the threads of fate throw in your world into chaos, you can be good. You must give up your personal desires. Give up that which leads to the chaos. Find peace, tranquility, unity, and goodness in obedience. To the law and the order of this universe. And you will finally be good. She taps with the glave. She taps again.

Third time. She watches you... The cat. She watches you leave. her eyes linger. And she then turns to you, Iris. Just one more one way. And I will swim, go under the water,

look towards Toa, and then swim. Strip towards Golden Lotus. She watches you closely, once again, warm and inviting. Close your eyes. It's all right. Feel the warmth, the pure water all around you, and tell me of a tell you of a tell. you were at peace.

Far out from Siquet are the burial grounds of my ancestors. Beneath the warm sand they rise for eternity in the land of the news. And it is there and quiet swirling sands around me. It has a use, it was almost as if I could hear and whisper to me. And that is where I found peace. Amongst your ancestors? Yes. and with my God.

God. You know what it's like to serve a God, to serve the will of your ancestors and your family, and it truly is a peaceful thing. Tell me about a time you experienced unity. When I learned everything I had known, to travel further south, saving the gods of my family,

God of my heart, a new person becoming a priestess of a new best led me towards those that had my same ideas some outcast like myself

at the first time I felt like I was truly for you. Would you ever turn against the will of your God? Never. Even if a personal desire would stray from the path that he is set for you?

My greatest personal desire is to serve newness. Then you truly understand what it brings true unity. Tell me about a time when you felt good. I was in darkness as I stepped

out of the tunnel into a bustling city and in my arms I held an innocent life and with the grace of my family and my name I gave that innocent life a life of his own.

And yet that was not enough. A poor girl who had lost her child was never to bear fruit of her own. I gave her a son. And in that moment, I felt to follow in your footsteps at home, your family, your people, your God. Is that right? To know that all those that I love will one day find peace, whether by my hand or renews us. That is nothing. In the end, when it matters, they all will find the same peace and tranquility that you have. Our faith is all the same. Grants of sand of wind.

And all must be obedient to the gods, the forces of this universe. And that is what brings true unity. I nod ever with my eyes both. Very well. She taps again, waits. Well, experienced purity. None of us are going to turn into... You know the froggy things?

Slotty. You understand. You understand now. What has brought all of you peace, unity, tranquility, goodness, happiness. Happiness. You think of your family. Your friends, your peoples, your nations, your gods.

It is sacrificing the will of your individual once chaotic winds. And truly serving a good that's greater than yours. Serving, that is what purifies us. Your eyes kind of dart back and forth. Well, the purification ritual is complete. You no longer need quarantine. I, my goodness, I will continue to prepare the rod for forging tomorrow morning.

Your quarters have been restocked, refreshed, and are prepared for you, and your dear friend, Ravali, is waiting for you. Oh. Well, he's more having acquaintance. Well, he's a dear friend. He's healing. He's eager to speak with you. Can we stay in the hot springs?

I know I'm all reasoning. As long as you'd like, we will send an... escort for you in the morning. Sleep well tomorrow. Perhaps will be the day. But we see, if we can, achieve what hasn't been done in countless millennia. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Be at peace. And she turns and you see her, uh, as she walks away, you see her kind of look back a little bit and hesitate, and then she just continues with one final tap tap. Do I notice that like between all of us that she's tapped like different amounts of time? Inside check please. Oh,

Hersha. I'm not good at that. I can get some baby. Hersia get some. Get up in there. It's a 10 should I ever twist it. I mean I was plus one inside. That's more than half. Do you twist it? No, I'm sorry that's me. Yeah. Let's twist it. It's fun. Let's do it. Just twist it.

Yeah, we got money to burn. No problem. I'm going to use my new wormwood dice. My new undertow dice. My new undertow dice. Her's a dead it, girl. Dirty 20. Dirty 20.

I would definitely say that you noticed that there was, you've always noticed her tap once, generally. And this was the first time you've experienced, I think with a 20, you would have, you have noticed that she has tapped multiple times. Yeah. Well, to double tap, but basically attempting to... So basically tapping, like, six times at the most.

So it definitely was different. I'm going to, like, wade over to the group and try to get close, and I'll say, so I don't know if you are noticed. Oh, right, because... Stage whispering. Stage whispering. So I'm whispering.

but I'm talking you like yeah. I don't know if you noticed, but she tapped more for you than she did for me, and I don't know how I feel about that. I feel like she cleansed you more than maybe me. Maybe I mean, I feel like me. Well, no, I stink more than him, though. But I think it was a soul cleansing, not like an exterior.

I'm still not entirely sure that all this wasn't performing. Performative. Oh, no, I don't feel any different. I don't feel any different. I think she's a complete and not a joke. nice. I feel different. If you're relaxed. A kind of a nice relax sort of way. Yeah, because we just like

spent a whole four hour period in limbo and now we're in a hot spring. Yeah. But she just tapped differently for different. I don't remember what she kept. Look, I certainly don't know. But I would default to iris and say

that I'm sure that in her culture there are plenty of things where there are different amounts of things that you do depending on the thing that you're doing. Yes, of course, but this felt nothing like a cleansing ritual. More like she was prying into our lives. I didn't mean to insinuate that. Yes, more than that.

I hate that. Can I remember how many times I got tapped? You do it so freely when you're drunk. I know, but I don't like it. I think it was just once. Was the order? Yeah. It was three times for me.

It was Toa, and I was Hersia, Toa, Caprice, Bluffy, Felix. Yes. I guess. You're getting once. I think you're three. It was just one for me that I can remember. I had my eyes closed, and these springy boards are really difficult

to have control. Well, I think you're probably just overthinking it. And maybe if it was performative, then maybe just the medicinal properties of these hot springs. I find it highly unlikely that her asking us questions

and slamming a staff or whatever into the ground is going to cure us becoming frog creatures. It seems unlikely. I'm with Iris on this one. I mean, we saw them. You saw what they looked like. If I turned into one of those,

some simple hot spring and a couple questions isn't going to do anything about it. And I checked. This is not magic. I didn't want to be rude, but I thought about asking Iris in front of her earlier. She thought that I was tainted. Yes.

Because I trust her more than I trust her. Yes, but, You do have been tainted since the day I met you. Well, you know what I mean, like the limbo tentate. Well, no more than the rest of us. Am I gonna be a frog? No. I don't think any of us are any danger of becoming thwart.

Creatures, I don't think we were before we got into this hot spring. You think this was a distraction? I think they're using it as a way to take the rod and do something to it and then to extract information from us when we're at our most serene. That's almost like being drunk. drunk. Don't forget vulnerable. And we're naked. And they're going to take it and utilize it for whatever strange purposes

they have. It's interesting too, so we're supposed to be all cleansed now. Couldn't we just go and try to put the rod together tonight? Well, yes, of course. Which is why we couldn't wait to be cleansed. It keeps the rod with us because they had to do all of these things seated.

I'll be honest, I'm exhausted, but that's not a bad idea. Let's go kind of like poke around. I don't think they would be good let us here. I think it would be ridiculous. We've already succumbed to this strange, bogus ritual. I thought the entire point was we were going along with the fact that she's quite clearly a liar. And they are doing nefarious things, and we know that we're getting ourselves into something far above our head that we're going to have to climb ourselves out of.

So we might as well enjoy the evening. Have a lovely supper. I'll sleep on top of lofty. And we'll have a lovely night, and then come the morning, we'll deal with ramifications of our actions. and hopefully it won't be too extreme. Not to be a Debbie down. I heard that once. In a tavern.

I hope it means what I think it means. I've never met a Debbie. Let's just relax. That's fine. All right, and I think we should see what kept him freeing was to us. Oh. I have a stomachate. Do you think they've regrown his arm,

or do you think it's like only tiny, like, half-brown? Gapris, why would you say something like that? It's incestive! Look, I don't have the nicest things to say about Revolie of Free Wing, but arm and no arm, he is a match for anyone. That's true. So, the state of his arms are relevant. And if you would see him and sketch it in excruciate in detail,

that would be disgusting. And then if you were to share that with me later, I would say, no. Stop that. Don't, then yeah, definitely don't do that. Don't do that. Correct. If either one of you does that, I will walk from the room and pretend like this one.

This is ridiculous, and I'm exhausted with both of you. Great. No, I'm not condoning it. I think it's horrific. Terrible. But I have no more patience for the three of them, to be quite honest. Yeah, thank you, Iris. Please don't make fun of anybody for their battle wounds.

I'm not making fun. This is quite literally the reason. They said that they were going to go heal him, and I didn't know if that was going to include. the arm piece and if it was going to be a tiny like baby arm or it's a whole arm it's fine to bring this up with us but don't bring it up in front of him no he's very never and it's irrelevant thank you iris the end of the day this is the reason it took so long to become friends with lufti she's evil at her call lufti don't listen she's evil at her

call it's true get her drunk and see what she does to sail us I'm not really sure what's going on, to be honest. So I'm going to go get changed. I'm going to go with Tor. Don't you think it's weird too that they didn't offer Beatrice to get cleansed? She was in there with us. Beatrice isn't real, darling. She's real. Well, she's as real as magic. She's as real as that horrific hippopotamus thing that you have. I don't have a hymn full. But Payton's very real. Oh, well, they're only so you know what? Never mind. I think Beatrice is fine. She appreciates your concern.

I'm going to go with Toa. And then as I get out of the hot spring, it's like, and there's a lot of water vapor that follows me out of the... I'm going to my owl holder. Out of the... We all agree that we saw everything, right? I wasn't looking. I'm just staring at all.

And I'm going, I follow up. I'll throw my robe on, you know, respectfully. If you hold me up, I'm about to pass out. I keep just getting... I can't even hold myself up. Are you kidding me? Herge is spinning slowly. Don't sink your closet to my inflatables.

You shoot across the plane and start drowning. Just head first. Skipping like this. And that is where Herja is dead. This is how it dies. You arrive back in the small inner chamber, and everything is exactly where you left. Are we splitting the parties?

It's just two? They're going. Anyone who else would like to join, if you want to linger. I'm being in the hot spring with Irish. And you're able to get dressed and perhaps wait for your friends and just be alone. Yeah, I'll get dressed and I'll just sort of prepare and I'll wait for it. Yeah, I would say we'd wait, but we're in a, we're like, you know, we're looking to go meet Captain Free Wing. Right. Yeah. We're Captain Free Wing fan boys.

Well, I guess if the guys are going, I'll probably go too. Well, have a good evening, Chris. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah You fucking with some Wet ass pussy

Gonna bring a bucket And a mop For this wet ass pussy Give it everything You got For this wet ass pussy And I back out of the Fucking

Hot spring What What? What? I cast a Ceregrat on myself How rude It's like he's

Never seen The cat's Bain Strange. I will never understand. Herger. Oh, she's not in the innumer. Oh, Nenubis. I never met someone so strange as a teetling. And I'm just going to continue to hang out on the offspring.

God help us, Winnie. I'm so regret. Thank you, Winnie. I didn't do it the best justice, but I think I did all right. So you join your friends, the three ladies. These are still in the hospital. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna need some help getting out of it, freed. Hmm.

Yes, unfortunate. Maybe you can call one of those girls. Well, I have an idea. Oh, I can't for you to do that. Okay. So I'll get out of the water and go, Help! Help me!

What's wrong with you? Nothing. Oh, okay. Make a deception track. Oh, I should have left with Toa. 21. 21. You immediately, you hear the loud, heavy footsteps and a clangling of metal.

Although it's coming quickly, it's still very measured. And you see that there's a ladder in this as one of the orc guards runs down and begins to climb down. Do you need assistance? I dropped my rope. Is that what you need for assistance? Yeah. You see him like lean down and he grabs? Slower!

Here you go, ma'am. Oh, thank you. Are you in immediate danger? Not anymore. No, but I feel like I'm going to- Where am I? I don't know. Are you?

You like, like, get in on the sword? But maybe now? I don't know. His eyes are, he's maintaining perfect, complete eye contact on you. Maybe a little? No, it seems okay. Okay.

I think I'm okay. I'll tie my belt. But while you're here, if you could drag the dwarf out of the water, she can not swim. I see. He reaches around. And he actually pulls off.

He has a sword. He has a spear. He pulls out the spear. And he just kind of, it's like when you're trying to, like, there's something out of the pool. And he's, like, leaning in. Thank you, life, guard.

And he keeps, like, smoothing out. And he finally. He catches it, and then he... I'm hoping that the blade side. It's the back end, and he gets you in the back end. Pardon me. And he drags you in, and he reaches down, and heathes you out of the water. Thank you. I don't know how to swim. You seem like you have taken precautions.

With your help, yeah. If you didn't give me your spear, I might have drowned. Do you know what a wet-ass pussy is? I presume it is a feline that has experienced a level of moisture. Thank you. That's just exactly what I was thinking it was, but my friend Caprice was shouting at it and it admitted as he exited the Spahn. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It was very strange.

I see. I see. Golden Lotus, you told me to me to. keep special attention on this chamber, and that is why I am still here. I am obligated, and I must obey the call to help you with whatever else you need. May I be dismissed? Yes, please. Thank you.

No, you're not showing him your nipples anymore, Lifty. Good day. Good day, and he goes back to the ladder and he climbs up. He seems relieved. It's a steam. It's not called steam. Were you not listening to what Caprice was saying? It's the vapor.

Thank you. Okay. I think I'm focusing too much on things the priests say. I'm going to the room. Just to stand up, and I watch straight to the room without making up my robe. I don't know, but we need to go see Captain Freeway immediately. I look, I hate to keep harping on it, but it seems like nobody else seems to care. Yeah, you know, I mean, I do feel very calm, but there is a horrible, deadly,

the horde of demons right outside the city gate. So, you know, I'm just trying to save me. people. I'm sure whatever they're doing are talking about or involving gods about is very, very important. Well, it's like I said before. Either it's, it'll be our problem until it just isn't. It's a good way to look at it. Iris and Herja join you. Caprice is now in the room. He comes in a little bit later. And now Luffy is the only one in the hot spring. Oh, am I? Yeah. Help! No, I would have left.

You can stay behind of you. No, no, the guards were not resent them. I'll leave. I know what I'm not. It's because they're on fucking weird ass peace drugs. Regular. Mm-mm-mm-mm-knit. Nope.

Nope. I want to pull Lufty aside at one point when she comes back. Are you as surprised as I am that she only has two nipples? Are you talking about my nipples? No? Well, would you imagine? Nope. Not me.

I just kind of assumed that the rest were like under the waterline, you know? Well, I mean, she showed off. There was nothing to. hide would you like to shave me hirshel if you say yes this is i would kid you what gave her no i want to shave her you idiot then you should ask her i don't want to ask her she didn't say oh you'll shave me no so i always i think i think her well never mind lufti wants to shave you um not me i didn't i just wanted to know how many nipples you had well you would need to shave me to know how many nipples i have don't you

And like, is it on the table or no? I'm talking to her to listen. Who is this chose my father than I thought it would be? But now I'm here, so. Why do I have to shave you to find out? Can't you just kind of... That would require me to do the work. If you're curious, then you would need to shave me.

Do it. I don't... I feel uncomfortable. I don't want to shave. Good. That's exactly how I felt when I heard you talking to... Luffy about my nipples. So snap it. We have work to do. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you, Iris. I think we're going to leave. If you could guide us to where we need

to go, please. Thank you. Captain Freewing. Captain Freewing in our quarters. No, no. They meet. What? Let them continue. No, no. We're good. We're fine. Please, we are ready to go. There are our... Luffy, huffey, huffalo, please.

We can't hear you. Creatures at the gate. There are horrible creatures at the gate. Millions could die. Are you having problems breathing? She's frustrated that I won't let Hersia shave me. It's irrelevant. I think we're all frustrated. I've had enough with anything that you say today.

Enough of it. I've seen Taua's penis. We've all seen it. It's unavoidable. I do not like this place. I would like to go back to Limbo. Floral family. Well, I sure hope not.

The doors open. And... Oh, thank you. God! Do you have to save us? No, I love to do shit going on. I have my head show. I've been all die.

Oh, my God. You are all... You are escorted out and you recall where your quarters were on that nice little lake that had a beautiful view off into the mountains. As you make your way through the city, once again, you see this smoke and it's actually, it's a lot closer. Oh, like the war smoke? Yeah. And it's, you get the sense that the same level of peace and tranquility is over this town that people don't seem to be alarmed. and you make your way up to your quarters.

And as you turn in, you see someone sitting at one of the larger tables on a pillow. His legs are crossed, and there's some water vapor rising from a cup of tea. And you see Ravali Freewing as he sits there. He's wearing not his usual attire. He's wearing a very plain, simple. rope and he is holding the his teacup by the little handle and he's just drinking and he

just I'm gonna immediately walk up to him and I Captain Freelang! How are you feeling, sir? Captain Freeman, how are you feeling sir? Hey Freewing, what's up buddy? I'm feeling great, thanks, thank you. How are you? How are you? Relax, relax. What's the big deal? I was just worried that you might you know, still be in pain. I think he's had some of that strange, what did you call it? Com water.

Com smoke. What? Water paper? No. He's, like, he's strange. Why am I not strange? No. Everything's groovy.

Everything's groovy. Everything is great. I was healed. I had been feeling so much doubt and hatred and failure. And I spent days in the hot. And I felt, I felt great. I went underwent the purification ritual. And I feel like a new man. I feel like I have purpose again. Oh, that's good. Was it peace and unity and then good for you as well? Okay. Well, yeah, you were, you were purified as well? Yes. It was wonderful. Why did they say that you needed to be purified? Because I had been, I was injured, I was wounded. I had, was feeling doubt and shame and hatred. Nothing to do with the slod? No, nothing to do with what?

Never mind. Wait, so like, when you look out the window and you see all the smoke, you feel nothing. Calm? I feel calm. I feel good. I feel like I've, I feel a lot better than I have in a very long time. Oh, that's good. That's great.

That's great. Yeah, yeah, you haven't. I would like to ask a question. I'm going to cast in flip wounds on him. They, um... Wait, really? At a third level. How does that work?

I'm gonna do it. Hold on. I haven't played this character in a while. I'm gonna walk up to him. I'm going to touch him. And I have to roll to hit. I'm gonna roll my new dice. I don't know what it is.

Let me get this trash dice out of there. That's 16 to hit on him. Uh, I would say, I would say that, He's not in a combat scenario, so it would be a willing, he would welcome a touch. If you're, actually, roll deception check if you're trying to be. Okay, I don't like these dice, so these dice are not great. That'll just affect the AC. I'm not good at deception. I'm not decepting.

I don't know, where is deception? I can't understand that. My question was going to be while she's... Yeah, the time. Do we feel like we're different or like we don't have the ability to like be I mean, like, Felix would not just all of a sudden just be like extra calm unless you're saying that, yeah, you feel extra fucking calm. No, no, you feel as if you had a day in the spot. relaxing day at the hot spring at the spot. So I'm still myself. I'm not, I don't feel different.

I don't feel compelled to ignore obvious fucking danger. Right. Okay. I just want to make sure. I just check. And so what are you doing to him, describe them? As he, he let it. I was just going to touch him and cast inflict wounds.

Okay. How does inflict wounds work? You touch him and immediately you see this like as her Paul glows. It just does damage. The entire point of it is I want to see if he reacts normally, like someone who's just been damaged or if he seems like almost under a stupor. As you do that, you see those coursing channels of dark grave-like magic as it courses through his bare arm.

And he says, ah, Iris, why would you do that? Irish, what? What's going on? What the fuck? Oh. He's only got one. Does he seem like he's acting almost like muted? I would say you don't even need to roll an inside check.

You remember a bitter, spiteful guy, and he seems to be way more even keel. He is not bitter and spiteful enough for the info. He kind of stumbles back. Do you need some tea? Let's all just take a deep breath. My name is settle down. Everybody just needs to calm down.

look alike. I'm completely calm. You don't need to scream to me for this, Felix. You can quite clearly look at Ravali and see that he is not himself. The Ravali we know is far more PEP

and far more personality. He's relaxed. He's calm. Really? I can be relaxed and calm, but the moment I come up to you and I sink my dark magic into you, I promise you will no longer be relaxed and calm.

Oh, I'm... Can I please? Can you make me feel better, please? Can he... have some tea. No. Iris makes a good point. Why are you trying to chop her head off right now?

I used to be someone who was filled with anger and hatred and rage and bitterness, but that's not me anymore. I guess, oh, no, ow, how? I only have one arm, fuck. Ah, sorry. Inapropern. After experiencing the healing and the tranquility of the eternal blossom, I see that that is what led me to the failures, to the loss, to the anger,

and it was, there was no, there was no need for it. There was no need at all. You all look like you, did you even go to the hot sprints? Captain Freeway. We did, but that's not important. You would tell me if they did something, do you right? I underwent the purification. They purified me. They healed me. I feel better than I have in years. I thought about the times where I was at peace and where I felt good and where I was unity is when there was structure in the Lockfeather Lodge, and I felt like I was part of a larger thing, a process.

And I realized that that was my whole obsession with freedom, my obsession with this being a free spirit, having stupid wings of liberty. It was all useless. What? I see now No no No the wings of liberty

Freedom Freedom is important It's what we value It's the whole reason that we We joined up with you Look at what that got us I don't even know if the The lodge still stands

Look at Honest You took an oath Did you know I did but I I do not I do not care for that oath anymore The Eternal Blossom has shown me

That there is a better way There's a better way I'm at peace finally You're great Then you can have the Eternal Blossom He'll from your words And he's like kind of just sighs And he goes to sip

Some of his tea I forgive you I do not need your forgiveness But thank you nonetheless I'm defended for you I'll reach forward And pick up an M.P. He's not himself

He's under some kind of Can I try some of that tea? Yes, of course. No. He reaches out with his, he pours it. Smet it. Let's just smell it. Maybe he'll talk.

I'm going to smell it. It smells like some really delicious tea. Oh, drink it. If we're, uh, this is a little weird. You know what I'm like. You, it feels warm and pleasant. It has a beautiful aroma, and as soon as you swallow it, you feel warm. And it's delicious tea.

It seems nice. Just a hint of honey. Easy. I think I know what the problem is. I'm sure. You still haven't seen, and I know that Golan Lotus was worried about it. She probably didn't want to tell you because she was probably worried it would just make you less at peace. She worried that you would have a worse corruption than from limbo, like the touch of Zern.

You still have it on you. You haven't rejected him. Oh no. That is why you are so not at ease. But Toa did. I nailed for the king. Well, and that distrustful cat that I don't like told us that we did not need to do that. So, either you're lying, or she's lying, or the Golden Lotus is lying, because with your unity, you would think your unity or your peacefulness, that you would all be on the same page.

but I'm getting contradictory opinions. She did seem as if, despite Virgil Zern's talents in you, she did say that she believed that she would be convincing enough to undo any kind of bonds you still had. But I fear I can tell, obviously, purification ritual. You are not purified. You are not a calm.

You really should. She didn't act like anything was wrong or that it didn't work. She told us that we were purified. And she tapped us with her glazed. Yeah. I don't know. Perhaps she didn't want to worry you. Did you have something that you wanted to tell us specifically?

I was hoping that I wanted to tell you that I decided to stay here and live with the orcs of Mogherkai after this is all over. We saved the people. And I would ask you to do the same. So that's it. Why? You're just, you're just, you're just, you're just, you're just, you're just, you're just, just gonna say that that freedom and liberty doesn't matter anymore.

You're right. And you're gonna give up and stay here forever. Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying. You should do this again. You're not seeming to understand him, my darling, that this is not the revolier that we knew. This is a changed and corrupted revoling from the wonderful man that we had met. So we need to continue on our paths.

And hopefully he can be saved someday, but for now. Then... We will let him be a pawn of someone's... stronger. I can't believe it. Did you not feel at peace? When Golden Lotus purify you, did you not feel the power of the eternal blossom?

Yeah, for like a minute, but then I got out of the water. I'm done here. I'm leaving. I'm going back to our rooms. I can't believe this. I refuse to believe it. There's no way. I'm leaving. I'm getting out of here. I say, yeah, do that. I'm going back to my room and I'm gonna turn in I'm gonna go back to where we were Yeah I remember there was a little courtyard area and he's sitting at the table out there and then there were a little kind of like little

Not villas but little brooms and and as I leave I'm gonna pull my hat down and and move my collar up and I'm gonna put my my hands on my bottom Just kind of like look at Ravali as I as I leave would Beatrice you know falling behind you see a little bit of sadness come to Ravali's face and say I don't I wish I I wish that you, he was open, I wish you all were open to being, finally being at peace. I really, Sarn has done so much damage to you all. I was very open. I didn't feel what you were describing. How do I be more open? How do I feel like you?

He's not asking for you to be more open. Golden Lotus isn't asking for you to be more open. She's asking you to lose yourself, forgive yourself to whatever this be. is and become a simple puppet or a pawn, like our dear Ravali has done. I can't put the Golden Lotus. I serve the Golden Lotus. I'm obedient to the... I'm up to the Eternal Blossom.

I'm obedient to the Eternal Blossom, but that has brought me more peace than my obsession with my ideals and principles. It's foolish. It's not practical. I was miserable my entire life. But now I... Now I feel at peace for the first time. And I wish, I hope you all, I hope that we can save you.

Whatever has been done to you to cloud your judgment to corrupt you. I'm sure Golden Lotus will be able to figure it out. Can I have some more to you? Yes, of course. Thank you. And in the meantime, that's a piece of parchment. Can you write down how you're feeling now and sign it for me, maybe it dated, to sort of

just to get a status. Hmm. He takes it. Well, Ravali, free, wind, I have met you, and I'm glad to no longer know you. And I turn around and I'm going to follow and head directly to where I think Felix would have gone to.

Okay, you go into Felix and Lufty's room. I believe that was the sleeping arrangements. Oh, that's right. Yeah. That's a fruitful night. And so you, if you didn't lock the door, you'd be able to easily open to... Yeah, I definitely, no, I would not have locked anything. It would have just been me returning to where we were all staying.

Right? Yeah, so, yeah, there's the common area. Yeah, there's a common area. And so, well, he's in the common area. So you would have to get away from Robloor. Okay. So I didn't realize that he was, like, literally outside of where we're staying. Yes.

Oh, then I would just go right to my room. Okay, yeah. Absolutely. He's in... He's in our room. Right. Yes, Congress. Exactly right.

And Iris immediately turns. He looks at again. I don't understand. I thought that Iris, of all people, would understand the importance of serving. We're all here. You're acting very strange. He can do whatever you ask.

Would I heard him say that? Yeah, I would say so. I'd turn and pause for a moment. I do understand the purpose of serving. Not once in all the years I've served Anubis has he asked me to give up who I am. And that is the James. And I turn around and I go into Felix.

He just kind of hangs his heads sadly, and he shakes his head a little bit as he passes you whatever you asked for them. Primarily just like a, how are you feeling and can you phone? Oh, yeah. I'm just talking about the tea. No, no, no, no. I would say like at peace, calm, tranquil, content. And his name.

Oh, yep, Rivaldi Freeway. In his hand, right. Yep. Okay. Thank you. Very kindly. This seems kind of fun that you are in this state. Do you know any fun games? No, I don't think I've ever, when I was a kid, I think we didn't Zentra in the...

It's teaching a game. You never played a game? We did, like, hoopstick. Like hide Zipkney? Jeez. Yikes. And he grew up. You know how he grew up.

Hide the pickle. I think some of the girls at the beat. Just like Christmas time. would talk about that, but I had to leave the room when they would play that. Yeah. That was a silly game. Oh, why do you even play? I'm not fair. Stop looking at me. Who said that? Well, I would just suggest thumbs wars, but he can't play that.

Red Rover, but he can't play that. Oh, shit. Can't do the YMCA. Go play chess. Do you have a chess board? I do not have a chess board. I don't have a chess board. No. I don't know if I know what chess is.

Dragon chess. Oh, dragon. The tresses. Yeah. Well, I will stay with you for a little while because I'm sort of a night owl, and I'd be happy to just sort of chill and enjoy this pee with you. That's fine. Yeah, there's enough. There's enough tea for everyone.

I'll get another pot started. As peaceful as you feel, I'm telling you these words straight out, fucking cuckoo. Everything's crazy, bow jangles. And you need to understand that when I tell you this paper next, that's, that you're, that you will be incredibly shocking and feel tears down your face. Golden Lotus did say that you might say that to me, and that they're trying, I'm just trying to be, that you would try to kind of pull me away from the happy life.

They say that misery loves company. I would never try to pull you away. You should enjoy it. Let's play a game. Have some more tea. Thank you. And he drinks you. I'm going to get some sleep. I hope you're happy.

I really, I really, I really, I am. I am. I'm looking forward. I hope you all enjoy and stay with me and enjoy a life here once we save the people and defeat Baphimett. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I don't think we'll be doing that, but I'm looking forward to fighting by your side again. I'll miss you. Good night. Good night. I'll return it to my quarters. Hour. Yeah, which is actually, yeah, even though Iris is with me right now. So you return to your room, which is...

Your room. And I will, without a word, I'll start praying. Can you grab me one night? Yes. Thank you. You're the best. Thank you. That's all you, brother. That's all I'll kill you. I'm just kidding.

All right. Rivali, we're going to learn patty cake. Oh, fuck. You're such an asshole. I don't know what that is. No, I think I'll go to bed too. You guys ready for bed? I feel like kinda was like ramped up the game, but I guess.

I'm gonna ask him some questions. Yeah? Ooh, like, never have a year. We could try that too. What, 20 questions? 20, oh, that's a good one. What, 10 questions? If you don't have that much time.

You want to stick around or are you going to be? If you guys are going to play a game, I'll stick around. I mean, I'm exhausted, but I'm always up. Enjoy some tea, Syberhouse for this. the night. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Would you like some tea? It's surprisingly not effectual. Oh, yeah. And I'll just go out of this game. Is there like a, like a chair or she's something next to him that I could like

Yeah, there's like a series of like seats around the table. It's a circular. Seeing that there's some cups, they're all just like plop down and kind of put my shield and my Dakota down for a second and I'm going to grab like a tea cup. cup and like pour some ale in it that I have in my bag and just start sipping it. And then I will look at Lofti and say, well, are you still, you want to stick around for this? Question asking. Yeah. Orie.

I don't know. Do I not? You're scaring me, though. Well, you've seen this before. And I'm going to cast a zone of truce. Okay. What's the DC on that? Holy hell.

What's that? Charisma 15. 15. Are you able to see if he succeeds or fails? You would know that he succeeds. You know if they try to resist, right? You don't know if they fail or pass, right? You just know if they try to resist.

I should tell you. I'm pretty sure with zone of truth, no matter what happens, you know what state they're in. Okay. That makes sense. I think that's always we've always ruled it, I think. On a failed, say if a creature can't speak a deliberate lie in the radius,

whether each creature succeeds or fails on his side. There you go. Yep. And the effect of creature is aware of the spell and thus avoid answering questions. I'm plugging in my thing. I'm certainly not blowing there. Well, it's sorry.

Go ahead. Hold on. I got to check to see if it's good again. I got to make sure. I got to see if it's okay here. We're gonna get banned. It's so banned. I'm so fucking bad.

Oh, boy. My phone, my phone was done. What do you want? We used to dig a beyond. Thank you so much for the raid. We appreciate. We're playing. We're playing Dungeon Dragons, so enjoy.

With D&D Beyond. Great name. I'm upset. So as the magic glows, a kind of warm glow of the forge of Morridon kind of washes over everyone and he just kind of looks at you and he nods and says, what is your first question? Oh, what's it on the next? Wow.

I was going to ask you, when? Did you wake up today? I woke up at sunrise. Do you wake up by yourself? Yes, of course. I've been here for several days after I was fully healed and purified. You've been gone a week. I was very worried, but I was reassured by Golden Lotus.

She said that she believed you would return. Can you tell me a week ago what happened? A week ago, you all left. and I was brought to the hot springs. I was healed. My infection was purified, and I went through the purification ritual, and I felt at peace for the first time in so long. Can you tell me what you told her when she asked her the purification questions?

That's private. I'm sorry. Well, we're all sharing openly here. Yes, that's pretty rude. I'm happy to tell you what I told her. I'd like to keep that private. Thank you. Spoo, spoo. It's better to keep those sort of thoughts to yourself.

Why? Because the more that you share with just the eternal blossom, the tighter the bond. What do you know about the eternal blossom? I just know that I feel her presence. I feel her tranquility. I feel her unity. I feel her harmony. Her goodness.

The order. There was such a disorder and chaos in my life before. and as I have, as soon as I was purified and was worthy of the eternal blossoms, golden light. Did you feel her golden light when you came here first? Oh, no, I was blind. I was blind to it. I was bitter. I was angry. I hated myself. I hated the world. And I regret who I was. When would you say you first felt like a glimmer of the light? What were you doing? When I was purified in the ritual.

In the ritual that we all shared? Yes. And did you get tapped with the glaze? She tapped it on the ground, yes. And I felt just calm wash over me. I felt the chaos and the anger leave my body. I felt like I was a new man. Felt the calmness, the tranquility come over me.

And from that moment on, it was night and day. It was just as soon as she tapped, After Glave, you were as serene as a Hindu cow. I felt amazing. Do you remember what you said to Peyton on top of the mountain before we got here? I don't. That's because the DM doesn't remember. Oh.

Well played. Out of character, it would have been like, you said some pretty awful things when you were writing on Peyton. We had a back and forth, and I was like, hey, you need a hand. And we were like making fun of each other. and he was very hostile towards Sirja and Peyton. Oh, I do remember that. I'm so sorry. That's not who I am anymore.

You must understand that this is an improvement. I become a better person. I said such horrible things to you and Peyton, dear Peyton, who I love and appreciate very much now. And I see Peyton's place in this thing where the older volley would have been disgusted at such a thought. All right, I'm going to try something. Hold on.

Oh, boy, here we go. Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen. I don't know. I don't know. You don't know. Oh, it's one of my once per day packs. Hold on. He loses his penis. He puts his penis away and grab these cards. Yeah, Ravali is terrified of losing his member.

I do hope you'll all forgive me for the person I was. No, yeah, I forgive you. There was nothing to forgive. I thank you. I appreciate that. Okay, I will. Hey, hey, can I maybe give you a little bit of a massage just to continue to increase your piece? I sound like fun. Yes. Sounds very cool. See, the old me would have been disgusted by what an inappropriate creep you are.

But I would never believe that. It's fine. It's fine. Look, I can do the shoulders and then my tail can do the center of your back. See, that would have both. As this happens, I'm going to spend an action to cast Dispell Magic, which I can do once per day. Okay. How does that work?

And it allows me to end a spell of third level or lower, point blank. Instantly. But a spell of fourth level or higher on the target has to make an ability to check. And I have to go using my spell casting ability. D.C. equals 10 plus the spell level. And on a successful check, the spell ends. So if he's under a spell, then I can target and try to dispel that. Yeah, it's similar to counter spell.

Got it, got it. If it's higher than level three. Got it. So I would say that you use Dispel Magic, while you're, and you see kind of a faint glow around Caprice's hands. And he kind of washes over him. He says, oh, that's nice. Thank you. You're welcome.

Thank you. Yeah. I appreciate that. No problem. You feel even more at peace, perhaps? I feel very peaceful, yes. Thank you. I feel very relaxed.

I'm getting a little tense, worrying about you all dearly. I don't think you should feel tense at all. Not even a little. That's fine. Thank you for your time. And I return to my seat and pour myself some more, too. So what's on the... What's you got planning for tomorrow, Ravali? What's on your schedule?

I'm going to wake up at dawn and have some time alone with the Eternal Blossom. I will root you on while you do what you must to save Mogherkai and these people. You won't be joining us? I am not willing to fight. I am not able to fight. I've learned that, but I do not have to. Everyone has their own place.

Everyone has their own place in the order of things. So what's your place? What's your place in the city? I will do the best I can to find that place. I know that right now I just need to pray and increase my spiritual connection to the golden, to the age. eternal blossom. You're a strong fighter. I feel like you should join us. I mean, I know that you're

very peaceful right now, but the golden blossom flower isn't going to have any issue with you joining us in this effort to do good and achieve peace and unity. With one arm, I feel, I'm afraid I will be unable to be an aim. I know that I, if I desired it, I could. But That's who the old Rivali was. There is no path forward for me reverting to my old ways, bringing a sword and bowing to get revenge and kill. That would I have encountered as far as adversity.

What will you do if we fail, and the city is overrun, and everyone is slaughtered horribly? I do not believe that'll happen. I believe that Baphimet will be defeated. Hypothetically, if that were to happen, what would you do? at the time, I am sure the eternal blossom will give me a path forward, whether that's to run, to accept my fate or otherwise. So you will remain unemployed until the Eternal Blossom tells you what to do.

Yes, I'm going to sit here and pray and be at peace. And I was told that I had a lot of hostility and anger and bitterness. and it is a process to work through all of that. I'm still not quite at the level that I should be, but I'm working towards it. I just want you to know Rivali, that regardless of what you and I have been through, I had no hard feelings towards you.

I know that you have many regrets for the person that you once were, but it's important to acknowledge who you once were as a foundation of who you are now, rather than completely erasing who that person is and changing yourself to be someone you're not. I do acknowledge, but that is because I acknowledge is why I need to change. I, being as obsessed as I was, it brought me nothing but pain, nothing but pain. And so now I'm happy.

Now I serve. And you should do the same. I've served for a long time. This is, as you have said, I guess sort of my path. Who else will protect the city if not us? If you are not planning on fighting with us, then who, in the eyes of the Eternal Blossom, will fight. You all will fight.

The war chief will fight. The soldiers will fight. I am now, I'm no longer a fighter. I'm a spiritualist. I hope you can understand. That's why I've chosen not to follow your path, because I need to fight for those that can't fight for themselves. Well, perhaps after this is all over, we can all be together and serve. Thank you for the tea.

I wish you well, Mr. Wing, and I will see you in the morning, or perhaps after the terrible calamitous battle. I set down in the cup, and ladies, until next time. I make my way to my room. Sleep well, Caprice. Sleep well. I'll get up and do the same thing. I'll plop, I'll finish my ale and plop the tea cup on top of his and be like,

well, have a good night and all the best. I hope you survive this. Sleep well. Follow him into the bedroom. Do you need some more tea? I'll just back out of the room going. Now you go into the room and I guess when all that's been happening, you've been in the same room and you're just by yourself. Yeah, I would just be, given, I would be exhausted and I would have prayed and gone to bed pretty quickly.

There you go. Okay. I just opened the door and slide in. Felix. Yeah, well, Iris, what's up? First, I would like you to say, Iris, you are always right. Okay, fine. When you first, when you first mentioned it, I began to notice it. But I didn't believe it until that he said that he didn't believe in the wings of liberty anymore and freedom. Something's wrong with him, and yeah, fine, you were right, Iris, you were right. We're right.

I'm not going to stay long, but we both need to do some thinking about how we resolve this. The golden lotus cannot be trusted. Whatever this entity is, they speak of, cannot be trusted. They are taking They are taking everything From these people They took everything from Ravali And I did not like him initially

But I still wanted him to be him I know I agree I don't trust them And I don't pretend like we do I let Ravali know too much Just how much I distrust everything

In the morning We should Do walk We should tow the line. Pretend is if we believe what they're saying, and pretend that we are in it to help them, all the while knowing that they more than likely are the enemy. Forer Wally.

We have to do this for Wolli, and I need you to help convince Caprice, because God knows I never can. And someone's going to have to explain it to Hersia, Maybe we make, maybe we draw a picture book of something for her to understand. What do we mean? And then... We could take a chicken.

You see, I saw this once. You take chicken and you mince it and then you bread it and you form it into little shapes. We could make chicken shapes. And as we feed it to Hershey in the morning, we could explain the simple task of pretending that we believe, not actually believing, but pretending we believe. You lost me when you brought in chicken, but, but look, I don't, it doesn't matter. It's what.

Even so, if that's the case, then what? I couldn't save Ravali and now there's something wrong with him, and I couldn't save Milo, and I'm not going to be able to save Caprice, and I don't know what you want me to do. I'll play along for now, but we can't just keep, Pretending like these things are going to work themselves out. No, and they never do work themselves. We overcome them. We band together where I am weak, you are strong.

Where one of us fails, someone else will rise above it all. And together, we are unbreakable. So we will pretend tomorrow. And when the battle finally comes, we will save them all. Because we have to. I have faith in you. I do not know your dark past. I don't really care. It's a problem for someone else, that's for sure. But I do care about you a little bit.

So, I say this with all the kindness I can muster. Get the fuck over it, Felix. There are bigger things happening right now, and Toa might be naked in the room. I cannot do you guys I said that. It's been a long day. Yeah. I'm going to keep working on the caprice problem. Right. For now. I think we might need to switch roommates. I'm not sure.

Toa will feel comfortable having seen me naked. So I might send him here. If Loofti shows up, tell her to come over. I get your room with Toa again? Yes. Done. Perfect. You hear it in your brain.

It would be focused. Deal. I'm going to keep working. Yes. Think of anything you can? Yes. And tomorrow. We'll agree to work with

Ravali and I'll deal with Tau and Caprice. And Felix, you're stronger than you think you want. I have no doubt. Now, goodbye. Yeah, goodbye. Don't cry. It's pathetic. When the door and I leave.

And then they're all still doing their thing as I sidle over to the room. I'm going to sneak in, assuming Toa's asleep. Toa? Felix, that you? Doha. Oh, Aris. Oh, Aris.

Yes. Yes, Tehr. That's what I said. I need you to get out of this room. You need immediately to leave? Yes, immediately. Felix is in dire need of you. Oh, you need privacy?

Oh, alright. No, no, I'm perfectly fine. There's nothing wrong with me at all. I have no issues whatsoever. I'm clear-minded, clear-headed, I'm strong. I need you to get out of this room. Felix is very weak. He's pathetic.

He's sad. his eyes out right now. Is he hurt? Yes, emotionally and physically. I should really be late to help them. Yes. You'll watch my things? No, take them. Lufty will be rooming with me going forward. Oh, you mean that I'm... I'm kicking you out, Toa. Oh, even though I was already asleep, and you were awake. You could have switched rooms. And Felix is awake right now. You could have said... Him here. I'm just trying to figure, I'm just very asleep. I'm sorry. I'm not myself when I'm tired. When you wake me up abruptly, I'm sorry. Right, there was a folly in my thinking.

Yay. But that was because I'm so distressed of Felix's mental state. Yeah. There's no other reason. All right, well, I'll just, could you let me get dressed? Yes. Thank you.

I will wait. You just wait outside. Yes, yes. Wait outside. And I open the door and I... So I'll get out of all like, you know, just try to wake up and I'll get out of bed and I'll like get... Put your morning clock on. You're like, okay.

You're like, tie it and then retie it a few inches lower and then continue. Yeah. And so then I will leave the room and I say, okay, thank you, Aras, for letting you know that Felix needs me. You're very welcome to her. Do you not? Have a great night. We'll see you in the morning. It'll walk. So this is all happening while... Yeah, and so then you would get back to Felix.

Okay. Hey, Felix. Oh, hey, buddy. Turns out we're going to be rooming again together. Are you okay? Are you feeling all right? Are you in danger? I mean... Feeling poorly? No, I mean, I'm working on some problems. I'm worried about Caprice, and of course I'm murder of Havali, but...

I mean, I'm okay relatively. speaking, I guess. Really? I mean, Arish just told me that you were emotionally and physically distressed in some kind of way, and then I could help you somehow. Huh. That sounds like Iris, I guess.

Yeah, I'm just... He was just exigerating. I'm just trying to figure out how I can help Caprice. And I got to see if there's time. I mean, the goal mode is that we have two days, two days. And if they have some sort of library or collection of knowledge,

then maybe they have some access to magic. I mean, something's going on here. Something is not up to snuff. It doesn't make sense. And maybe they've got something that can help me help the priest. And whether that is sealing off that portion of his brain or making it so that he physically can't say the words, I don't want to have to cut his tongue out.

But, you know, I think if you could make some kind of magical... Well, that was Lufty's out. idea. I just want to say. No, don't go to his tongue out. I don't want to. I was Lifty who said those words. I didn't want it. I didn't want to do that at all. He tells funny jokes. How would you ever tell a funny joke again? Let me know when I would get back.

You're in separate room. You're in a separate room. I feel like with a deck right now. Well, that one. You're in a private room with that one. Yeah, you are. All right. Well, just... I'll be here. I'm going to go to bed. But just wake me up if you need anything. It's fine. I'm over. Okay, I appreciate you asking. I'm just gonna, I'm gonna work. I mean, you know me. I'll work into the evening and I'll get plenty of sleep. It'll be fine.

All right. Well, at the very least, I'll keep your company in. I'll just be right over there and I'll just point to my side of the hut. No, whatever. Thanks, tell us. Sleep well, friend. Thank you. Thank you. And I'll, uh, I'll get into bed and I will, uh, I'll hold my little wind spirit figurines out. And I'll just sort of like, I'll probably stay up for, for, a little while longer and just sort of keep an eye on Felix as he's studying and then I'll go to sleep. Oh, to our room? Yeah, because that's where she, that's where she was. Oh, yes, our room, Conrad. So Mike said, then Lofty shows up to our room and- It's a king of the door?

Of course not. No, he would never do that while we're alive. He would absolutely never do that while alive. And the players of the table should not expose him for that. He would never do that, by the way. So I'll sidel in the door. Oh. Not the toilet plushing, right now. Oh, uh, uh, Luffy, what are you doing?

What? What are you doing? What do you mean? What am I doing? I'm studying. Oh, you didn't get the memo. You're rooming with Iris again. Says who? Iris? Well, and me. I mean, I'm studying. Well, and me, I mean, Toa is here.

But you have no authority here. And I point to him to sleep. No, but I- You can stay. Iris told me. Iris is going to be really mad if you don't show up to her room. Luffy, what are you doing? You'll know what I'm doing.

No, I don't know what you're doing. Oh, yes. Are you going to make me go get Iris? I don't know, am I? What? She's going to be really mad if I wake her up. As you are not currently, I don't know, giving her a bed, a place to sleep on? Damn it you're right.

Well, I need something to get me through the night. Okay, what? I don't know what you have to offer. Um, I, I mean, I'm, I'm working on something. It's, it's very important. I don't know, I can show you what I'm working on. That boars me. Why, it's, it's pretty interesting.

It's magic. It has to do with... Leon. What? Excuse me? Just turn and face the wall. No, no, I need to keep writing. I need to keep reading. Why would I turn and face the wall?

I need to work. You need to go back to your room. You're with, you're staying with Iris now. Toa and I are roommates again. As the way it's always been and the way it always will be. The world is set right. Thank you. It's cold out there.

Yeah. And I will fake sneak out. What do you mean fake sneaker out of the door? I'm like, okay, well, you gotta roll something or something. I'm not like, I'm not blind. I mean, you know, the door opens, and then the Lofti just like standing there. She stood her head is very clearly, or her client is very clearly sticking out. Lofty?

Luffy, I've gotten away. Lofty. What are you doing? Go to Iris. Go. I have worked with you. Toa is sleeping. You're going to wake him up. He's going to be cranky if you wake him up.

I'm going to creep across the floor and climb into bed with Toa and big spoon him. What the hell? What in the nine house is going on here? Do I wake up? Do you? Do you? Do you? I'm being very gentle.

Like the wind. I would be pretty dead asleep. So like unless something were to happen that were to actively wake me up, I don't think Taylor would wake up. Then I will 90, 180 degree turn my neck and look at Toa. Or not Toa, Felix. Like an owl. And then I will sneak out of the door.

As soon as she crosses the threshold of the door, I like whip my hand around, slam the door with a major hand and lock the door. Are you okay, Felix? It's fine, Toa, go back to bed. Oh, thank you. Thank you for tuck. me in, by the way. I'm all getting up to sleep.

And then I'm just gonna look at Tella and look at the door and be like, Raven Queen, help me. And then I'm just gonna like get back to work. And then eventually, Luffy, I think that while, and then at that point, I guess you guys would have arrived back at your room. I would have arrived actually first

because I was the first of the ones to leave. So I would have made myself comfortable in my room and I discover a bowl of pistachios. all e-shelf. And I'm just thinking about musical compositions and sort of... It's so good. I'll enter. I'll knock. Thank you. Hi. I heard you. What do you mean? It's terrible.

Are you feeling relaxed, not relaxed? Oh, I know I'm super stressed out. Yeah, me too, very much. Extremely very. What the fuck happened to Rivali? I don't know. I called him Mr. Wing, and I thought he'd be like, Mr. Free Wing. And he didn't need say fucking things. No, he always corrects us. No, and I'd be like, no, free wing, and it was going to be a great comeback, but he completely avoided it.

That fuck. I know. I have these pistachios. You want a pistachia? Yeah, actually, I do. I take a handful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right.

You tired? Oh, I didn't have any of that tea. I don't know. Are you feeling good? I could go to sleep. Sure. As opposed to what? Not going to sleep?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I usually stay up till Louis hours, you know? And then I go to sleep, and that's why I'm always waking up late. Oh, oh, yeah, no, that makes sense now. You're always last to wake up, that's for sure. Okay, well, I'm probably going to head the bed then. Great. All right, cool.

There is your bed. I will try to chew quietly. Oh, that won't keep me up. You have to chew a lot louder than that for me to hear it. Sounds like a Hoover sucking up gravel. Jesus. Imagine it been shelled. You've tried to vacuum bolts.

I got a hair. It looks like you got some pistachios. You haven't deshelled there. No, I got hair. Oh, don't forget to brush your teeth. I will not forget that. Thank you, Herger. You're always very considerate. I'll start getting ready for bed and put some, like, fresh wool and puffy socks on. They're very puffy, they're warm. They've actually, like, done your laundry for you and everything is pristine and laid out.

So it's just, it's warm and the fluffies that you've experienced, probably since you've got to Stricka. And I'm going to just tuck her down into bed and roll, roll in there. The sweet dreams, uh, if you want to turn into some sort of animal, I still got a little juice left. Oh, what can any animal? And I just like, it's a 90 degree. Anything you want, I can do it. Oh, can you turn me into Peyton? Wait, no, I'll summon Peyton first and then you can turn me in a I mean, I can turn you into a mascot, so I can't turn you into Peyton. Well, yeah, well, that would be great. Would you like that? Yeah. Done. Do it. Okay, hold on. I need 10 minutes.

and I hop in a bed and take all my shit out and I start summoning Peyton for 10 minutes. Peyton erupts into the room. The bed is, is immediately splintered. As the mox, as you are pushed to the sides of the room, the corners, and, uh... It's very, it's very tight even with just the one Peyton in there. Okay, okay.

Now it's true to turn me into Peyton. I had to talk about this ought to be fucking good. Can we go outside or something? You're gonna, you're gonna turn to a hairy beast. There's probably, hold on, Pete, just back it up a little bit, girl. Yeah, just nice and easy. No, there's probably some room in the corner.

There is not the room in the corner. Back, what up? No, I'm talking to Peyton, not to you. Okay. You're a skinny legend, you don't take up any room at all. I just, where's the door now? I can't really see it. It's like, well, you're able to slip out merely.

So I slip out. Um, come on, her, her, her, you want to be a muscox? Find out what it's like to be Peyton? Yeah. Okay, I'll jump out. Hold on, Peyton, back it up. And then I'll, like, try to wiggle under her. She's stuck in the thing.

Her horns, like, kind of, she tries to join you, and her horn just kind of a clack against the doorframe. I cast polymorph on you and turning you into a muscox. I don't know what they sound like. Can you make the noise again? Hurt. Hurt. Some kind, right?

You're like a cow goat. Like a cow goat thing. Well, somewhere between a cow and a goat. Yeah. A cow. Trot up to Peyton and like in the doorway and I'll try to like nuzzle her through the Yeah There you go. It's not actually not there. So they're not more they're not yeah she lovingly nuzzles you. It's kind of like the like the glass and like a prison

And but she's very she goes she doesn't really fully get She probably she spiritually understands that it's you, but she has no idea what the fuck's going on Yeah, but she's like she she she she lovingly nuzzles you and is very very pleased and and confused, but very pleased. I'm in the outdoor area where we have that central fire room, and I'll just sit down on one of the chairs, watching her interact with Peyton. And you see off at the side, Rivali's still up,

but he's off, like, in the darkness, meditating by the lake. I communicate with Peyton. Oh, it's me, it's me, don't worry, it's just me. She seems very exciting. Can you come out? Maybe we can go outside the room. She tries. Oh, no.

She's stuck. She's stuck. You're a big girl. Oh, you grew up so fast. Guys, the dogger girl. The side table just shatters. You got it.

You got it. I don't have an image. That's okay. The pistachio shells are fucking everywhere. It's a poor boy. I'm trying to pay attention, but I'm And meanwhile, in Poha and Felix's room, they're hearing, bam, bam, bam, bam.

Does that sound like a muscox to you? Oh, never mind, Toby, you're asleep. Investigate muscox noises. I think I can dismiss her. That was a muskx at all. So I will dismiss her, and then I'll, like, look over kind of expectantly at Caprice. Here's a fun question. Does concentration end when you fall asleep?

Absolutely. So the moment that I go, overjigan. Oh, perfect. Okay. And I'll, like, I'll walk over to Caprice and see that he's in an uncomfortable position. And I'll try to, like, hey, wake up. And I'll just, like, fireman carry it right over my shoulder. And I'll say, you're doing.

That's exactly. And we go to sleep. Hey, you guys settle into bed and go to sleep. Lifty arrives at Iris. And Iris, I don't know. if you're sleeping at this point. I am just head under the bed pretending to be asleep. Lifty joins you a very sexually frustrated. Head under the bed.

Dear Diary, I got very close tonight. Tell you more later. Every single page is that sentence. 314 pages. Tell you more later. I'm going to start a journal tonight. I get that close to night. I'll take you more.

Oh, my God. And so you settle off to bed, Iris, you stop pretending to be asleep, and you are able to fall asleep. Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Aventrous podcast. We hope you enjoyed the session. If you want even more campaigns to listen to, a member of our Patreon at the Pearl Dolphin Tier or Hire to unlock Shroud over Saltmarsh, a patron-exclusive campaign set on the high seas. You can find that at patreon.com slash

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