Legends of Avantris - Icebound | Ep. 29 | The Clutch of Command

Episode Date: April 11, 2025

The party meets with the Princess of Wrath after the revelations of their naming ritual and are tasked with delivering a letter to Spiritcaller Greywind. Traveling to his district, they uncover ominous signs beneath his home.   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/sBQeJX5wYg4?si=RFf7RzYesMWTph97

Welcome to Legends of Aventress. I'm Barnabos' Dred Wake and you're listening to Icebound. Here's what happened last time. Record, mighty goddess of the land. The primal, the savage one, open my eyes and showed me. If we bring the human we call Daisy to this city, to this home, will danger befall her. I communed with Drkar this time.

It was a vision to answer the question I asked, and I believe you should bring her here. Oh, sweetheart, come here. She races towards you, and I'm just gonna rush up and hug her. And you are suddenly an embrace. She leaps over the railing and runs to embrace you, Tyshen, and you can feel her, pull her arms around your torso, and almost shaking, you feel this great embrace.

There was this black, almost invisible sphere or something that was floating around behind us at one point. You were seen. Well. Wow. By whom I am not sure. Right down the bridge, through the gate, a parting of all of the people, and you can see walking down that, at first small, but getting larger and larger, are woolly rhinos. In the sky, you see swooping down the massive white wings of the ice dragon, known as the,

the princess of wrath. She transforms and lands on the very first woolly rhino, starting to ride it into the assembly area, essentially making her presence known. Peoples of Dracar, for generations, few of you are alive to see the last oath-swearing ceremony. I am pleased you will be here to witness it today. Let me also remind all of you, as I'm sure you know of the dangers that threaten us now. For I have vanquished one, But you will have to vanquish the remainder with me when they come. She reaches down and she pulls out what you can clearly see as the head of Secundus. It screams out in this jarbled mechanical insanity and it reverberates through the space.

They come in search of this. And she reaches down and she pulls out. That's about the size of a wheel of cheese. Hexature armament. This is what they seek. A powerful artifact. It is mine. A final blessing to unite our tributes.

It is time to let the cold in. The silhouette of a massive giant. My children, my spirit now stands before you. Together we are united to build a world where the weak are called. You, and he looks down. And he looks down with these glowing, piercing blue eyes, and he turns and twists and looks at each one of you.

The ice-bound castorees, know this. My blessing is now upon you. Remember these words and feel my wrath. And you, my princess, my chosen, my sigdice. Together we will build a world of endless winter. It pleases me to declare that you, your return is less than a moon cycle away. We continue to collect the gold that would buy your freedom,

but chances presented an alternative path. I have retrieved a powerful artifact that may be enough to destroy your bonds, my husband. The giant man, it pulls free, and you seem to think he's shattering his bonds for a moment and that he's going to reach the crowd when his form turns itself to ice, and massive blocks land and crash and shatter across the granite's lore. No longer alive, quiet around everyone,

until a Frosthammer Clan jumps forward. Volkan Malandovacan! It was said that in the shadows of the craggy mountains where the trees bowed beneath the weight of snow and the winds whispered secrets, there stood a hut, unlike any other.

It was said that those foolish enough to even whisper her name risked drawing her twisted attention. It was said, that those who dared to seek her coveted treasures still lived, their cursed fates unknown to all but herself. It was said that those who gazed upon her were driven mad, condemned to wander the frozen wastes haunted by her gruesome visage. Yet was it not also said that the hag lived eternally?

Indeed, was it not proof that these rumors had pervaded for generations? Was it not known that there stood a hut in the mountains feared by beasts and monsters and men? Kastan and Sigdis approached this hut with cautious steps, their breaths hanging in the frigid air. Its walls were made from small bones, bleached white by the passage of time. The roof bulged like a burial mound, and thin blue smoke curled up from the modest chimney and lazy tendrils. The mouth of the hut gaped open like the ma'er, of a dead animal, frozen in an eternal silent scream. Kostan led the way into darkness.

Sigdis followed close behind. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of incense and wood and must. The walls were lined with dried plants and roots and hanging jars with contents hidden beneath layers of dust. No sources of light were evident, and yet Sigdis felt her eyes adjusts to a strange light that seemed to hang in the air as though in a dream. Then came a voice like the rustling of dead leaves. Welcome, children. Children seeking power like birds chirp for food. Kostan stepped forward, speaking into the empty space.

We seek your aid, witch, he growled. I want the power to crush our foes. I want to live. forever to slaughter and vengeance. It is said by the elders that you possess these talents. I, Costan of the Norveld's tribe

and of Dracar asks you to save my people. A low chuckle echoed through the room, sending chills down Signais' spine. Power! Invisible hands, gripped Kostan and Signaz by their shoulders,

guiding them forward to kneel in the center of the chamber. Sigdus held her gaze on the hard-packed earth before her, where before her a shallow metal basin sat and somehow babbled like a mountain stream. And what would you offer in return? Sigdus heard the voice whisper. Sigdice watched her husband gaze into the bowl.

A princely sum, tribute of gold, land, treasure, livestock, weapons, labor. When my foes are vanquished, I will be king. Name your price witch and grant us what we seek. When your foes are vanquished, you will be king, you say. The voice tittered back with amusement. Ah, fortune holds no interest for me, conqueror. No, the things I desire are far more precious.

There was something in these witches words, something hidden beneath the surface. Sigdis could only hold her breath, her heart pounding in her ears. I can grant you what you seek, my child. Immortality, strength beyond measure. I am no child, Kostan dared. Tell me, what is the cost of this magic? Your name and the souls of those you conquer. a fair price. One need only speak into the hollow, my child. Speak your heart's desire.

Kestan's words flowed freely and the water within the basin swirled and churned like a blizzard. A cold knot formed in Cygnus's stomach as she watched the ritual unfold. Ice in the water formed into a brilliant black jewel, which was then caged by the skull of a turn. And then, the skull of a hair. The skull of each a fish enveloped the hair, and next an eagle, a fox,

each skull nestled within the next, puzzling and mesmerizing Signaz. And as Kostan spoke, the dark magic took hold. Blood gushed from Signa's husband's eyes, and ears, and nose and mouth.

His muscles swelled and popped beneath the surface of his skin, shifting and cracking like clay beneath invisible hands. Kostan's humanity was being torn asunder. In three days' time he will be reborn as my deathless, my costcce. The voice echoed.

Signaz found her voice then and chirped, What have you done? What have you done to him? Which, what have you done? Answer me. I have done what was asked, child. You killed him. Look at him. We are doomed, Signaz pleaded.

your husband has what he wished for. No, there was love between us once. Sigdus cried out, her voice cracking with a mixture of sorrow and desperation. Our fates are intertwined. I have never strayed from his side. We are bound together forever, husband and wife, just as we are bound to those who depend upon us. Sigdus did not perceive the roiling vessel, not seeing the emerging shape of the ice forming within. Return him to me.

Costcogee. is mine now, little one. Return him to me. In spite of all that had happened, Sigdus could not help but grasp at the fleeting hope within her. No, not without a thousand,

thousand, thousand gold pieces. Would I do this? Sigdus was momentarily blinded. The hut was gone, displaced by howling wind and the bright of day. She could not bear to return home with the corpse of her husband,

She felt bound by love, by duty, by the fate of her people, and so she waited there for absolution, waited and watched. Before we get into the night's session, let's talk about what happened last time because it's been two months, and I want to make sure that we have a full refresher. I can provide sort of brief summary, but I would be curious if anyone else remember some of the more priority points. Yes, my name.

Dungeon Master? Yes. Is it thousand, thousand, thousands? a billion. I believe that is correct. Wow. Damn. Nine zeros, isn't it? Bob. Yago. If that may be who she is. Tung, ton, ton. Spoilers. She's on that hustle grind.

It's my favorite NPC. There's no way she's giving it up for a billion gold. The whole start of that speech was I don't care of our riches. Is there a billion gold in a ventras? Good question. How long ago was that? I mean with inflation. Oh yeah, was gonna say, you know, he's just waiting for inflation. This was a thousand years pre-inflation. There's no way there's that much at that time. Well, we can just talk about when Frant started his bank

in the Fay Wild and how much money he made. Thank you. That was very, I made like a trillion gold easy in just a simple inflation. What if gold pieces are deflationary? What's that man? Like they're... The opposite. Over time, they devalue instead of increase value. Presumably, that might be the case since magic consumes gold

in order to make spells occur. If there's a limited amount of gold on the planet, world building style, unless it can be grown or conjured, then yeah, you would have a... It would become more limited resource. Every single gold piece would increase in value. Yeah. If you are destroying gold.

Yeah. What happened last time? Last time. Important. You went through some trials and tribulations. I think that, very importantly, Daisy had... been restored and you knew that there was a ceremony that the Princess of Wrath had invited you to. You journeyed through the city from your district to the center of this larger lake

stronghold known as the Biting Bastion and crossing the bridge to it found that all of the tribes had been assembled for your naming. But before the ritual or festival could begin, you had a smaller ritual or ceremony to participate in. You were led up one of the taller spires where you met a white cobald, a member of the winged tribe that the Princess of Wrath commands, the Ivory Clutch. And he himself walked you through a ritual involving a basin filled with water, and the ice took form and eventually produced your, essentially sort of house relic or artifact, a small wooden woolly rhino.

With that task completed, and you having all contributed to this ritual, you made your way back down and enjoyed some festivities. Didn't we also discover the hexature armament there? The hexature armament would be revealed during the speech the Prince of Wrath produced. But you and your did sense it. I thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay.

Your near sense is, it's nearness. Literally your nearness. And no relation to my far. My farness. My farness. Best friends with my. And, yeah, my chipper. That was going.

There were some tribute conversations that happened where the chiefs all talked about their contributions to the city, to the kingdom, the empire, whatever you want to call it. And the Princess of Wrath accepted them with one exception. She took the gold, but refused to grant Nimrodell his wish for death. Yeah, that's brutal. The others were contributing gold and wood for burning for the various tribes. The things like livestock, men with arms, trained men, that kind of. And he gave away all of Skrim's gold, right? Yes, yeah, the 25 gold pieces that I gave him.

and he used this tribute. Yep, he tried to get away with it. And he said, superva, what are you thinking? That wasn't the point of all this. It wasn't Sukhumis. And he said, oh, I'm a superver. I don't know any better. Didn't we see Seekundas after getting,

beaten up by bugs? Oh, it was just his head. No, she ripped. She had his head. And he was like, ah! She insinuated that they had fought and that it had been a tough fight, but she lifted up the head of the Kunduz.

And it was screaming almost eternally before she put it back into a muted box. He was fine from the bugs. I think we had seen him again since the bugs. No, but he had been rough. Oh, did he go? Did he all fit up from bugs, and he killed his horse and, like, shlooped all of its, like, bits and bites

and wires his spanky, Rich. He shlooped the horse's energy in order to basically give himself a long rest. That guy's having a bad day. Greg Graham? It's more than a long of a day. This is having a rough time. He really is. I mean, he's in a hat box now.

He is. And finally, Woolly rhinos were brought in after everyone got to consume some food and enjoy some sort of networking almost. Some folks came and talked with you. And what happened to them? Tai Chen Winton spoke with the poet. But the rhinos' lives were taken when the pyre burned down and the Princess of Rath used the Hexlacher armament to produce a projection, a magical projection of massive giant, seemingly bound but screaming down. at her followers and presumably his. This was Koskuchi, and he beseeched the Princess of Rath to free him.

She claimed that she was close to getting the gold that she needed, but also that she had found another artifact that perhaps might be able to break his bonds. At the end, he crumbled. The projection turned real and became blocks of ice and shattered, and crashed down where the pyre had been, spilling ice and snow in all directions. And that's where we sort of pick things up.

But what I'll say is there's that moment of darkness as when one of the cobales scream, lights and torches are all put out. In the shock of what you've just experienced, I would say that you almost mutely watch as the various tribes, some sort of clapping, others just sort of solemnly

having taken in this naming ceremony, many of them which may have not seen. Did you have a question or is that just hand-up? No, I'm just trying to get the chicken stuff off of my phone. No, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a question. You see the cleaning of the ceremony space, this large open circle in the center of the biting bastion.

You see the Kobols racing to move the woollywis. rhinos, you yourself are led back up and into a tower. Not the same tower that you went up to reach the chambers of Whisper Fang, but instead to a wholly different space, a luxurious space, clearly meant for a conference, a place where probably chieftains and the princess meet. But the Cobolds leave you in, close the doors, and sort of leave you there with a few words describing that the princess will be with you soon. And that is where you find yourselves as we pick up our session tonight. What happens next is up to you.

That's my line, you're only adulting that. You're supposed to be self-assured. You are right. I apologize. I'm sure and doubtful. The dungeon master forgot the most important part of last episode. Oh, yeah. When the princess of wrath graced us with our clan's name. Oh. Yes.

I'm not talking to it. I'm not talking to you, God. I'm talking to scream. Oh, ah. The gods can hear us. Do they speak through you, yorna? They do. Oh, what do they say?

Haq. How many times have I done all of my cool shit? Haq, pray tell. What do they say? Yeah, but I have a feeling you got to do your cool shit for them to hear. hear us. In a place like this, I don't think the gods are listening to anyone. That was pretty cool. Also Barnabos and Daishen are there.

So is that the sea? We're in a different town. You are in a different town. We are alone. You are alone for now. You've just witnessed what happened. The light is dark out the windows. The sun is clearly completely set at this point. There is a good snowstorm happening.

There's a, a modern amount of snow just sort of thick fluffy flakes sort of drifting past the open window. And in this large space, there are seating and tables and pretty rich accommodations. There's almost certainly a few food items on the table, that sort of thing. But other than that, there doesn't seem to be anyone but the five of you in this space.

Really quick, did we also have our prime stats over in? Yes. Yes. When Koshkaji emerged, the ritual that you had committed to dropped to your primary steps. Yeah, my charisma was blown. By one.

Yeah, because I was looking. I was like, I have minus two. Oh, by one. By one modifier. By one modifier. Yes, yes. By one was minus two. Good eye. So I would say that you are feeling

dazed and diminished from the transformation that happened in addition to the information overload that you experienced. Not just the information of who the Princess of wrath, is allied with, but also the devastating news that your name has become the castaways.

Holy hell. Did you guys see that she just, she had Secundus's head and it was screaming? Yes. She said it was a tough fight? I mean, he's not dead. So there's that, I guess. Well, if she has the,

the Secundus imprisoned, doesn't that make The war won. No. He was just the first. First of many. The master of Secundus. He's the real enemy.

And if she struggled, if it was a tough fight, her words, not mine, against one, and they're going to send a whole army? What are we going to do? You think he's got a brother, Secundus? I mean, if there are more of him, it's likely, right?

Yeah, Secundus and... Blow undat. Oh, excuse me? Miss Marge. I'm just saying. Look who's being nasty now, Miss Mosh. I'm just in the name. Thurundus?

Huh? Not thirdundus? Thur? Like, third? Second, third. Oh, maybe it is second. I thought it was spelled S-U-C-K. Well, if you're nasty.

Or their cousin, Sigdis. Or coughed on. on. If that's true, I'm not going to be able to keep a straight face in the field of battle. I'm just telling you right now, it's not going to happen. And what about that image in the pyre? What was that? Don't even get me started on that, Tyshen.

What are you all feeling less than? Every day? Anybody but scrimmed. After we made that deal with her or whatever we did. I feel I feel less than and I'm worried about it like I knew we were getting in

over our heads by agreeing to anything with her but I feel weaker almost like my senses aren't as sharp like there's a haze around my mind I thought it was just because of my

fight with the Goliath fella oh yeah how you feeling a little less then, if I'm honest. But I just thought I was just tired. Getting turned into a giant

grab monster and cutting a guy's head off will take a lot out of you. I was hoping it was nothing. Feels hot in here, though. I do keep telling Scream to stop eating moldy bread. Well, look, you know, he lacks it. The moldier, the better.

I literally garbage. It's fine. It passes right through. I'm amazing. a loaf of bread that had no mold on it and he walked around for an hour calling me really bad name. That's right. No one's it doing. Perhaps he would feel better and not poorly if you stopped eating garbage.

I don't think that's true, even remotely. Have you seen him when he stops drinking? I don't know if I have it. Queenie's right. Kappa didn't raise no quitter and I'm not starting today. That's for sure. I saw him, he went 30 minutes without drinking once and he was miserable. I'm miserable right now.

Well, it's like Scrimm always says. You only get hung over if you stop. That's right. And if I stop now, the collective hangover might kill me all at once. I'm not willing to take that risk. I think we'd just let him eat the moldy bread. This is fine. I haven't seen any moldy bread.

I throw away any moldy provisions in my kitchen. I don't know what you're implying about my pantry. Are you sure about that? I am very sure I'm running very... Tight deli. Okay, well maybe the reason there's no moldy bread is because swim is around. I would know.

I run inventory every night. I keep a tight shit. As you're talking, the door opens, just one sign of the double doors that opened into this expansive space. And in walks the ivory clutch Cobold that you familiarized yourself with. His wings sort of back and down,

but he sort of hops in, and he's got, platter in his arms and good, good, good, oh, swearing ceremony. Very good, very good. Food? More food? He holds out a platter of crumpets. Oh. Oh, yes, please. Hey, yes, take, take, take, keep, keep, d.

Crumpt? Oh, I just ate. He sets them down. Always room for more food. I can't disagree with that. You have any fruit preservers? I am sure we could order some yes yes or I like my crumpets with peanut butter do you have any peanut butter Do you have any soft it's soft and salted butter I could put on this yes I do not know this peanut butter

That was the life's okay You're welcome you any questions or needs while we wait for the princess? Oh yeah, who is that big fella in the ice that the princess was commuting with and swearing all manner of unholy atrocities. That was the princess's husband. The prince, isn't he grand? One one for it, I guess. Why was he like stuck? He was tricked.

He was tricked into his damnation by a terrible woman, a horrible woman, a terrible witch. Oh, cursed. He's sealed away. We have been working to free him. A long time. Generations. Centuries. Okay. How's that going? It has not been going well.

Ah. Well, except the time is turning. The artifact that the princess was able to acquire. Right. It is, oh, it is a marvel. It is a remarkable thing. It is an endless, infinite unending in its... In its power, I have never seen such magic.

And if anything is going to be able to break the chains that bind the prince, it is this strange alien object from another world. What is said will happen when the prince is freed? Well, we will finally begin our full plans of commanding Drak, freeing Dekar. I believe the princess plans to spread her dominion cross of antress, to move into the other continents, so that they too can learn their beauty, her grace, her wisdom. So the ultimate aim of the princess's conquest once she frees her husband.

It is the only way to make sure that Strakar is safe. Her enemies all around us. And from other worlds, as I think you will know. When will this happen? When will what happen? The culmination of her plan to bring him into reality more than a frozen statue. It appears a race against time, a question of if we mine enough gold. The dwarves work very hard.

They're fast. but we have procured very little these last few years. Or if we are able to figure out the trick of freeing him with the artifact that the princess brought back, it could be tomorrow, it could be weeks or now, months, there's no way of knowing. I am working day and night, with the exception of this lovely ceremony in today's break. I lock myself away, studying and trying to try. to unlock the arcane and primal and divine mysteries of this strange device. Nerd.

Man that the prince has found with the construct. Oh, the young man, not the young man, the older man, the... With the sword. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Does he live? Yes, yes, he does. Yes. Absolutely. We've been asking him many questions. He is a stubborn man.

I would like to submit the formal request to claim ownership of He's keeping Oh, you wish to have him under your banner. Yes, a number of the I Spout Gasdaways I say true

He's an icebound cat. He's an icebound cat to ageist like us. That would be a question for the princess. Of course, I have no real power in the matter of politics, nor would I care to. Wait a minute. Isn't it your knowledge and magical power that hopes to unlock the device?

Well, yes. How you hang hold the greatest amount of power in this entire kingdom? It is you. You are the pivotal. member of this entire tribe. You are the keystone to her plan, are you not? It is a great honor. And I have worked very hard to reach the depths of magic as I have tried as my father. And his father and his father before him. We are descendants from a noble family. And there is no other spellcaster in this entire city that has your level of power.

I wouldn't say that. There are other powerful spellcasters. I happen to have talent. What I'm asking, though, is there any other spell weaver that could study this device and unlock its power? Or is it only you? The ivory clutch works day and day out. I am not the only one with magical abilities within the clutch. I am simply the leader

and in some ways the right hand of the princess. Ah, that sounds pretty important. So if you were to be killed in a tragic accident, you're saying... God forbid it. Oh, may God's forbid such an accident and tragedy that there would be someone to rise and take your place and be able to unlock the mysteries of the device in your stead.

I admit that it would cause tremendous delay. I am How long was I? I am a bit of a keystone Like in an arch I If I were to be removed The arch would crumble

And they have to start The number on it Are we talking wings Or months Perhaps even years Or decades I'm afraid that Should something happen to me

We'd be looking at a delay of months Quite a bit of time Terrible tragedy I might say And you saw the eagerness With which the prince desired to free himself to return to his seat of power and make sure that we could spread the togetherness of our people.

What was this guy's name again? Whisper Fang. Oh, you Mr. Whisper Fang. I truly respect someone with as much power and someone who has the knowledge and the mastery of their own skill set. Thank you, bottom of most. I appreciate the compliment. I believe that we should

discuss when it's not such a monumental day, perhaps out privately. I'd love to pick your brain. I mean, I'd like to ask you some questions. I understand your meaning. I am as you might imagine, a very busy man, as I say day in and day out. Feel free to call on me and visit.

But to leave the tower to delay even an hour, I know I would be doing my... They're the princess. A great disservice. How old are you? I have seen many winters. I'm old for a cobald. So you're in the winters of your life.

If there were... One wanted to put a season on it. That's... But you've lived a good life, yeah? I've lived a long and good life. Oh, you've... You might say a full life. You have no regrets.

Nothing you've regretted. I have no regrets. I've raised a beautiful family. No regrets at all you say. Almost none. Look up for that balcony. Look at Barnet was. And it's...

Oh. Yeah, go now. You... You... Are there any, like, guards? Places we can still kill them. Are there people outside? You know what I mean?

Your levels and levels up. Your floors and floors up. You had to climb many circular staircases to arrive at this special room for the purposes of consulting with the princess. So you're your ways up. If just to like, I don't know, have a metaphor.

Functional. If this room was like the private quarters of Tyrell, and I was Roy, and he was Sebastian, could I just slowly and menacingly approach him and brick up like a tooth thick? Is that what Barnabos is thinking, or is that what Barnabos is doing? I kind of want to turn this into a scene from Blade Runner, Derek. And that's so effective, we only have to show it on screen, because you just know what happens.

Just roll 1D20 for me to see if you kouda-graw the guy. Do you want to trust it? No, no, no, it's got to be straight. Okay. Oh, I'm nine. I should have done this one. No, that's a seven. I should have done this one.

That's an eight. It's a universe didn't want you to coo to grow up. In another universe that isn't ours, Barnabose walks up and just breaks this guy's neck. But in this universe, you are beginning to have these thoughts, these revelations, these ideas of, if we take this guy out, that could mean some good things, perhaps.

And it's at this point that both doors push open and in walks the Princess of Rouse. Oh, sweet Jesus, that would have been a nightmare. I have my brother. Here, Winter Vang! It's a little bit. It's Whisper, Whisper Fang. Oh, Whisper vang, whispers.

Please, please. He's going to waltz over to the fruit basket and start to pluck at some of the grapes and other fruits that are therein. And the princess walks in with a smile. She pushes both doors open and she pushes both doors open and walks, almost sauntered into the center of the room and glancing over. I see that you enjoyed the crumpets. How did you enjoy your oath-swearing ceremony?

It was something special, that's for sure. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I, as the great chief of the ice-bound castaways. Indeed. It brings me pride to stand before you as a member of this grand whore you've assembled here, my princess. Have you ever had the mantle of commas? and thrust upon your shoulders in this way?

Well, I guess from a technical point of view, a ship's cook is an officer. But to be standing at the top of the hill. I can't say I have. It is a great responsibility you find out. It is burdensome to lead. Oh, I have my great right hand and advisor, Grimeneer, and the rest of my

companions. I've Grimeneer and the rest. Oh, yeah, and the rest. It's a smash cut to the three of you. I mean, the professor and Marianne. And trust me, Barnabose did handle it many, many, many months ago. I lobbied really hard for St.

Mutiny to get him to be in the lead in the first place because I believed in him so much. If anyone's familiar with Barnabos' thrust, it's grim. What? She has to be to have the thrust on. There is no, I can wield a harpoon better than the rest of them. He fishes really well.

It's all in the thrust. Good fisherman. It is good to be a leader with such close allies and friends. I agree. Almost like your family. And to not have to lead alone means that the lives that you are responsible for are that much more protected, safe. including Whisper Splinter

Whisper Flank Speaking of the people that we are bound to protect we whisper Whisper Sister Whisper Fang Whisper Fang Yeah, no exactly

Whisper Fang was explaining to us about your running with Screaming Head and that there was a gentleman with him He is part of our group.

He's also a castaway, an ice band castaway. The one who had been captured by the metal man. Yeah. He is, you claim him. Yeah, we like to. Oh, we do. That would be nice. Uh-huh.

He came from beyond the stars to find us. It was his destiny. I believe that. And he was stolen from us by, the metal man, in from a certain point of view. I admit that he has not been very forthcoming with his information. If you would be able to get some answers about the artifact that I was able to pull from the ship and to help guide along the process that Whisper Fang and I prioritize so much,

I think that I would be happy to part ways with him and let him become a part of the placebound castaways. Yeah, we could definitely do our best to do that. I mean, we can't guarantee that we'll make him talk. But I think he's more likely to talk to us than he is to you, no fence for anything. We'll do everything we can to help. No, that would be wonderful.

Really, I... The circumstances of our meeting have soured our... ability to chat openly. Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Oh, you, but I'm sure that he can learn to put water under the bridge,

so to speak, just like we have, you know, the first time that we met, you murdered our captain in cold blood, and we put that all behind us, anyway. Yeah, we buried the hatchet. That's right. Knowing what we know now,

I think he got what he deserved. I only did it. because of his injury. You understand? No, I do. I didn't at first, but I do understand. I never relish taking the life of something so rare,

human. But he did not look long for this world, and I felt I was doing the mercy. Well, you know, it takes great strength to do what must be done when others do not have the courage to do it. Indeed. My princess.

Speaking of humans, I thought I would bring up a bit of a sensitive topic. It has come to my attention that you have found the human, the one you asked me of just before your hit fight in the giant step. I understand that you have brought her here. And I would ask that you let her join her people under my wing. No. Surely you can understand that she would be safer with the humans that were saved from Okerton. I implored her wants to consider her safety and she declined. She does not wish for safety.

She wishes to serve under our banner. She's a strong ally and is one of my pupils. I wish to develop her ability, her connection to the weird. That would not go away. She should be here in the biting bastion. She should be with her people. There are, and I know everything that happens on her. Dracar, there is only this handful of humans left.

They were to grow again, to become their own tribe, to become a people. Yeah, well, about that, I think that you know love, right? Love? Yeah. You know what it feels like to be in love? Of course. You'd never wanna pull someone away from their love.

loved ones like that, would you? If she had maybe feelings for someone who was not human, and I'm gonna glance to scrim for a second and then look away. Now, the thing is, young love is very powerful. And she is at a state in her life where she needs to be with those that she feels the most safe and the most comfortable, and that is not always blood. Sometimes found family is far more powerful.

those we find along the way, those that become part of our souls. I hope you know what that feels like. You understand I'm a family girl. So I definitely understand wanting to be with my kin, but now that I've found my family here, I could never imagine leaving them. So I wouldn't want to pull her away from that, would you? Hi. The short distance between this space and your district,

would be all the difference of her being here and think of what work you have as a new tribe just starting out. Think of the difficulties that you must deal with and governing

and rebuilding the district. Yeah, so having that extra hand would be great. Well, I want to say, Your Grace, what the beautiful words that Miss Mark says are true. You've lost a great love of your life, have you not? I know what that's like. Were I to have my love back with me, I would not want her even a short distance away. If you had your costage back, would you consider that distance so very short as you claim it to be?

From one lover to another. She belongs with her own people. And You're part of my rule, my kingdom now. I'm asking, do I need to make it a decree? No, you do not need to do any decreeing just yet. We are, of course, oath sworn to your cause. We are just trying to offer our perspective. And I hope that you are always as honest. And I will make you a promise.

promise. I think she will be safer with her family, with those that she should have been found with in Okerton before she was left all alone. If a season passes and it's obvious that you are trustworthy and safe and that the district is in good shape, then we'll ask her to choose and she can return. Is that a fair enough deal? No, but it doesn't sound like we got a choice, so... If she does go with her family, is it possible that we may call upon her as we need for her to spend time with your near-the-study,

though she may live with her family? That may certainly be arranged. Well, I appreciate your granting us with such an honored station and such a... hallowed position and name. And we will do your rulership proud

as your most mighty and valuable tribe. I am certain of that. I look forward to it, and you are most welcome. I would ask that you bring her to me in one or two days' time. There's no rush for these sorts of things, you understand. There's another matter on my mind unless you want to pick a topic. I want to make sure that you feel this is an open forum.

I reach and I get my pipe and I light it. It's behind me. We are just, I've got a topic if no one else does, if we are enjoying some nice after oaths wearing ceremony refreshments. She goes over and she starts pouring some wine out of a decanter to listen. Our friend Winterclaw here. Whisper fang. Oh, I, you know, I endorse. Whisper, Whisper, Fing. And when you notice when she says Whisper Fang,

she looks at him and he looks at her, it's like, has been this entire time looking at her with like awe and, like, obsessive love. She looks at him the way you look at a pet. Whisper Fang. Brutal. Hell, he, uh, he seems to be. the your right hand, so to speak, really? Is that true?

Exactly right. He is a powerful magic user. And he is the one who will discover the mysteries of that artifact from beyond the stars, correct? It is our greatest hope that he is able to solve the mystery, to be able to use that amazing device to pull my husband free from his bonds. That is great to hear. And to unlock the... These larger mysteries means power beyond power for all of us, for the tribes of Dracar and for those that we would share this power with.

It, as an example, you're your friend. Did you mention her name? Who? Your friend who's going to be joining us here in the biting bastion. Oh, no, I, something happened after we did that, that Pledge in Field Tea to you and I feel feel less than right now. She and her companions, one of our first priorities, once my husband has returned to me,

we think that we may be able to restore them the way that they've been scarred. That is a righteous cause, is it not? Well, I think it depends on if that's something that they want themselves. How are you gonna do that? This device that we found on that shit, that I pulled free from it,

it is an endless well of magic, of all types. You would have to ask Whisper Fang for the specifics, but I can feel it. It can feel it in my blood, just as I used it to create the portal that allowed you to see my husband. What purpose will you have of it once you achieve your goal of determining him

Yeah. Perhaps to grow our civilization, to protect our people, to, if an army comes, to defend ourselves, to help us cross the oceans and see the world. There are infinite possibilities. That is quite an impressive power, which brings me to my main point. It is truly Whisper Fang that will be the one to mock this great power

That is exactly right Well, he is quite old as far as I can tell Do you have a plan in case He tragically passes on In his sleep peacefully Pardon my saying Why do you keep bringing this up?

I presume that her grace has a battle plan. Failsafe, exactly right, Mr. Fire Blossom. You must with such an important task. If Whisper Fang's plans are delayed, and we continue to do what we have for decades and decades, collect gold, smelt coins, and take the long road. Well, I am glad that you have a backup plan.

You have it all figured out, Your Grace. I hope so. I don't mean to keep bringing up the humans, but just one point of business. Is there nothing that we could trade or give you to maybe expedite the process to have or come over a little faster? My husband or the one that you...

The human, the human. You mean shorter than a season? Yeah, like, like something. we could do to just, you know, have it with us tomorrow, maybe, or a few days, instead of her having to stay with the other humans for a while before making a choice to come over, you know, all that. We can just expedite that whole process if there's something we could maybe give you or, you know, trade or something. If you have anything to offer, I'd hear it. But I, from my perspective, know the position that you find yourselves in. Perhaps you don't even realize. Your tribe

has no credit with the other tribes. How will you survive without trees and fuel and food? How will you take care of the ogres and everyone else? This is my concern. I want to give you the best chance for survival. All right, all right, that's a good point. You raise several valid points. But if you have something specific you want to trade for this human,

would entertain it. That's right. Mr. Stavisketch has been wanting to gift you something quite impressive, but I feel like this is the right time to offer that in trade. What?

Bambos, you mean right this minute? I was thinking maybe like in the next like day or so or something. Right here, right now we're doing this. Um, of course. I mean, of course. What if?

What if? I'm just saying what if, you know. You like, you like, You like gold, right? You like gold, gold coins? It is a necessity. Okay, well, what if I, what if I had a very special coin?

A coin that you've never seen in your whole life, but anything like it, ever? Would that maybe interest you? I'm not saying I have that, okay, so don't go looking. But, you know, what if? A special gold coin? And I'm in theory. This is a very long story,

but I need many individual coins. One will be nice, but it would not be the tens or hundreds that I see from the doors and tribute each week, each month. It is not the economy that we bring in from the disparate tribes that scatter across the rest of Dracar. This is one coin? I don't know, I'm just saying, I don't think you've ever seen a coin like this before.

But he does agree that one coin is quite paltry, which is why this was just the appetizer the first course to his true offer that he's going to present to you. Bonobos. And convince you royal... Baramos! It's a very special coin. It's really special. And, you know, maybe more of them will follow.

When you return with the girl, present whatever gift you like, and we can see what we see then. You know, that sounds very fair. I'm so glad that Bonnebles is helping me out here. Thank you both, yes. Oh, he's just the prelude. The real gift is coming. Much more impressive than a single coin. I do have something else that I want to bring up.

Oh, all right. And it's your turn, please. Segways nicely from what we were speaking of, the food that you or ogres require and everything that you've inherited in this way. I will grant you credit for provisions for a week's time. If you do a task for me, the spirit

keepers, I think you saw them down there during the ceremony, the orc shamans. I need you to deliver a letter to their chief for me. Sounds like an easy task? I need you not to read the letter. I need you simply to deliver the message. And... Sure. If this deed is done, Then I will see to it that when you go to Winter Market next, you will have preserves and fresh fruit and vegetables and everything that you need. That seems like an easy deal, right?

Huh? Uh-huh? I think that is an amazing compromise. We can definitely do that, and we will not read the contents of that letter, especially Scrim. That is what I like to hear. Hell yes. Come on, man. I'm going to need you get all over my back right now. I'm sure that you will not read the

read the contents of the letter. They throw me up the carriage here, come. I think that's everything. Before you go, a very important topic by my sage advisor, Grimeneer. And the rest. I wish to make it known. I cannot.

for names, titles, what we are called, but as our leader, I must ensure that you know that we are not castaways. We are not lost, we are not stranded. Fate has brought us to this land. Fate has set us on this pilgrimage and we are where we are supposed to be. We experience experienced a death that day on the ice. A death of the past, the death of who we once were. We experienced the rebirth in this land. We are ice-born. Good day.

And I'll turn and if it's ending, I'll, you know, motion to leave. Yeah, she's sipping her wine from her goblet, and she's sort of of has her arms spread out on one of the longer couches. And when you say Iceborn, she thinks about the words that you said. And there's a long pause before she takes another sip. Is there anything else? And Grimnyer speaks with my voice, but he misspoke when he said that he was the leader. Don't worry.

I'm still the leader of the Iceborn. You are chief. Fron's the leader. I think you did. There's no mutiny. We're very aligned. There's no, there's no dissension there. Both of you have said mutiny. It was in the past.

You know, people had been you need, you know what you need. It was fine. Just to try it out. We're always born. Exactly right, Mr. Grimneyer. I was implying that she is our leader and that she should know. That's why. I'm retiring.

Go to bed. Deliver the letter tomorrow. the letter tomorrow and we'll see each other when we see each other. Good night. She turns and she walks away and whisper, fang, is whispering and almost like a puppy follows her out through the door, leaving you here. You're familiar with at least the knowledge that there are almost certainly like guards or escorts that would be able to guide you downstairs, yeah, and if you needed to. But you're left again alone. in this luxurious space.

Wine, vegetables, fruit. I do not know how you kiss her ass. That is a skill, Barnabos, I gotta say, because the way that she is just so relentless about allowing us to keep Daisy with us, it is driving me up the wall. And you just kept your cool. Is it working in the kitchens?

Was it all your time on the shit? How do you do it? The door bursts open. I don't know. And just as you say, I don't know, the Whisper Fang rushes in. And the princesses drafted the letter and they made sure. Let me go ahead and take that.

No, no, I want it. I want it. Scream has the letter. I will make sure it's safe, and I'm not going to read it. Be sure that you do not. If the queen does not like her commands to be diso-made... I'm not going to read it. Whisper Fang.

Thank you so much for delivering. I have one question before you go. So curious. Just so we can avoid any assassination attempts. Is there anything you're allergic to? It's going to be peanut butter. It's going to be peanut butter. Peanut butter.

I didn't know what that was. Earlier I said, I didn't know what it was. That doesn't make any sense. But that means he's never tried it. Which means he could be allergic to it. Continuity is very important. It's important. Not to my knowledge, Sparlandberg.

Thank goodness. as you are as strong as an ox. We're looking at the ice-born are looking out for you, our good friend Whisper Fang. I've always been very blessed in this way. Strong physique makes for a strong mind, I've always said. You know what, I have just the thing. If you find yourself stressed from the job

and the power of your position, have you ever smoked before? I keep a small amount of tobacco and a long pipe in my study for when really need to ponder. I will. I will give you some of my private stock.

It's very weak stuff, so you should smoke a lot of it. Best to enjoy with this. I'll get them a giant bag full of it. There you go. I recommend never stopping. It's good stuff too. I can attest to it. It's good. It's good stuff.

I know what this smells like because of what season it is. That was a feature on that magical item You had many years ago I don't know, I don't know I can't find the paper This thing is fucking 350 pages long I don't know where it is Thank you Barnabos for the gift

You're very welcome I will think of something for you You're very clever I thank you you are a friend to Barnabaut Shredwick and a friend to the Ice Board Maybe I will come visit I could teach you a game We would love it for you to come visit

and certainly alone. We don't want anyone else hearing of our game. It would be so cool if you came to hang out with us. We could try base jumping. Base jumping? Who? Cave diving. Yeah. No, this is a game of literary puzzles.

It is a game of guessing the letters of the words of each other and thinking of it's a laugh riot. If you have never done extreme sports, you have never truly opened your mind. There is nothing like jump, free-form jumping right off a balcony. I will. To truly open your mind to what the world has to offer.

I have wings. I know how to fly. You don't need to when you're strapped to a rope. You just let yourself fall. You close your eyes. You don't think about how close you're getting to the ground. And you just wait. And it's best when you're strapped to an anchor as well.

If you play a game or two literary puzzle, then perhaps the mood will strike. And honestly, the rope breaks not often. No, no. And what we won't spoil it. But when it done, it's purely an accident. We are ready to play literary puzzles whenever you are,

Mr. Fang. We can always play toss lawn darts and don't move. Oh, you'll be loose. I am going to go to see to the princess and do the next time. Thank you. Bye. And he makes his way out

through the double doors and disappears and you find yourself once again in private. the door closes, I would like to investigate the letter. The outside of it. I tried to tell him not to give it to scrim. To see how it's sealed and try to take in everything. This is a pretty straight-

Create some steam and maybe up and This is a pretty straightforward fold, fold, there's a wax sealed now. Close the door. I will ponder the wax seal and just think about, you know, the ways in which I might be able to eat it up and soften

it maybe to reseal. I'm going to ponder that. And then I'm going to look to Barnagos and say, Bonos! You really messed up my coin gambit there, man? I was trying to see if I could do something different, you know, before we dove into this is a very meager poultry.

Oh, exactly. No! He was building you up for the grand No, you don't understand. I was going to show her the coin and see if I could trick her into taking it. Well, he thought you just had something. Oh, you didn't know what you were going to do. I just thought you had something up your sleeve. I just, I don't know. I've only got 66 gold pieces left. I don't know how many we have all together, but the point is that she wants the gold regardless. I can't give her gold as a gift. She demands that we give it to her and she takes it regardless. I don't think we should read that letter. But the special coin, the special coin. I thought she'd take the bait. man. I don't think we should read that letter. Well, we can talk about that.

She will know. I don't think you should be holding on to that letter. Well, we can talk about that. Sting on my back pocket. And I sit down. I'm gonna try and sneakily use my bees to steal the letter from scrum. I'm sitting on it. Okay. I would say, because he's sitting on it, you can make a sleight of hand, Jack. I'm gonna sting him on the ass. Well, how would you like to do this? I don't know. I just know that Queenie does not feel comfortable with Scrib having the letter.

Queenie, your bees are so strong at this level that you would be able to pick up... You'd be able to pick up Scrim. Like King Kong picks up the fucking lady in the movie. Like, you just see how to do this. Scrum. Here's the thing. You shouldn't have that letter.

Okay, we can talk about it. Okay, well, let's talk about it now. Who's in agreement with me that script should not be in position of that letter? Is it just me? Honnabose, do you intend to harm the Cobol? You know that? We have so many more important things to talk about. I give up.

That was really ominous, man. I can't believe he didn't pick up on that. You were laying it on thick like butter on toast and just buttering, buttering, and he's just like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. How did he not pick that up? Queenie is gonna go over and grab some of the fruit that's on the little platter and then just sit down on the table and just start eating it. Is it gonna be like the little rabbit's like... It's like a whichever.

Exactly right, exactly right. Yeah. Gosh, that's funny. I thought it was pretty subtle about it. Hold on, hold on. Why do you want to slow down what she's trying to do with her husband? I mean, if we're really in danger, if if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if we want the princess of rat to be ready to fight them, doesn't she need her husband back to, to, to, to do something to help us? I mean, am I crazy here? Well, I'm not beyond, you know, random acts of violence, but I'm just trying to understand here.

I think that the, I think that if we kill that, that's a little coward, then we disrupt. all of her plans. So you just want to sow chaos and, and, and, I mean, I'm not against it. I'm here for it. Well, does she believe that the way that we defeat the metal man is by resurrecting her husband or restoring him from his icy prison? That's the impression that I got by. It seems as though she believes that using the hexachio armament and reviving the prince,

along with wielding it as a weapon of sorts, will offer them victory against the Secundus' army. If he follows your instructions and smokes all of death, he will certainly die. Did you forget that in winter your snuffbox creates crack cocaine? To get to work. The purest Dracarian snow! That is a lot. Oh, my.

Bonobos. How could you? Oh, he's not... He's naughty, yeah, rude. He's ripping any slithing that. It's a buffet in time. You get to work on the hematur amama. I can't feel my face.

What is... Is anyone else tasting blue? Why do I have three hearts? Uh, yeah. Anyways, it's regular tobacco. Yeah, it's like, I can't remember which. Winter is... I'll find it.

Something. What I think is that we have to stop the princess arrive. And I look around like, well, you shouldn't be to speaking here. I don't know if we can even speak freely in our home that was gifted to us. So graciously. She will see everything. Everything if she knows of Daisy. She has eyes and ears everywhere.

For the winter, you smoke. Fernwa. The color of bruised plum tastes like coffee, peat and cedar. Mm. Mm. We-mm-mm-mm-wha. That's very funny.

I'm out of ideas. I just thought maybe we could get Daisy back, you know, with trying to trick her with a cool coin, you know? And now we're talking about killing Whisper Fang. and we've got to deliver this letter for a week's worth of rations I'm just saying it's an auction

It doesn't sound like what she wants for Daisy's is too terrible And she said that we could call on her At any time we might need And at any time we could potentially pry her away I mean maybe we talk to her Explain the situation She goes for a day or two

We commune with her again And maybe she's maybe she enjoys it She's set a whole season Faster than a whole season when I brought it up. That's a long time. I just... I don't like what the princess is doing trying to keep all the humans together like that.

I don't know what she's thinking. What her plan is. Why? Something doesn't sit right with me, you know? Well, I think for now, we... We have to play our parts. We have to play along until we understand how we can fit into the larger picture here. And take advantage of the opportunity

that arises. Hey. I think you're right. I think we have to just play our part until the time arises for we bring our anchor down atop her head,

metaphorically or literally, her and that whisper fame. You really got it out for that guy. He has one of the most powerful artifacts seemingly that the world has ever known

that could destroy reality that Mr. Yon. thornier said could flatten mountains and vaporize this entire land and all of its people and he is meddling with it, he is more dangerous than she is. That's fair. What happens when I hit this button?

It's just like a mushroom cloud. That's a nightmare. I like kind of sit there. Well, maybe instead of killing him, we can when we get Kett Rostin back. Maybe we can get information from him.

We can get an edge on it and potentially we can prove ourselves more valuable in the study of the armament. We could possibly rest it away in that approach. He's tried for generations to unlock a way to free the prince. If we could offer a guaranteed

or at least seemingly so, a clearer path towards her goal, possibly she would shift its ownership or at least its oversight to us. And then, when whispered fan his accident, Jesus.

There will be no one left to give it to after we earn her trust. Mr. Fireblossom, you are truly using this. I don't remember saying that. I think that we have to play our part. I'm not going to command anyone, even though I seem to be chief.

But what I am saying is that I think we deliver that letter to the Ork Chiefs and perhaps get some more information about what's going on from that tribe. And then we find the right time to smash it all down. And what of food? Aren't we being gifted credits for a week?

That's the idea if we deliver the letter. Yeah, we get supplies for a week. And then for the next week. Well, hopefully she'll have another mission or something. I truly believe that this is just her way to us to see if we will deliver this letter without opening it. And then once we do, she'll know that we're trustworthy. And then she'll provide us with more things to do for more credits.

How else do you think they're getting their credits? You think they're a bunch of gardeners or what? I mean, it's got to come from somewhere. Violence and loyalty. Maybe when we deliver the letter, we speak with the Spirit Walkers. See if they have needs that we can potentially offer services. They might be able to offer us something in trade.

It did sound like, one of the things she said was that we didn't have good standing with the other groups. It sounds like they barter amongst themselves to survive. Each one has a core output. And then they band together to truly come as one through these seasons. We have to find our place, offer it to the group and reap the rewards. But we have to deal with one thing at a time. And next is to deliver the letter. I could speak to the fellow shaman of the tribes and inquire how they provide services for her.

I just had a crazy idea. Yes. Can't you use your crazy eye to just like read through it and read it without opening it? Scream. But don't you tell me now, I've seen you do some crazy shit. All of us have the ability to read this letter, whether we open it or use magic or any other way. She will know, regardless.

I don't know, man. You got that crazy powerful eyeball. I know I have a crazy powerful eyeball. And of course I could read that letter in two seconds. The point is that she is testing us to see if we do not read the letter. Man, you're no fun. I got it.

The crazy powerful eyeball. You ran out of the plan. figured it out. Okay. This is about how to kill this guy. I'll think of a throat pillow on the couch. Just,

no one will suspect a thing. Have you thought of just poisoning his food? Well, I'd say poison is a cowards trick. Pillows on the other hand. That's a proper bootstack there. It's crazy. They talk about poison all the time.

Not a thing about a pillow. Exactly right. Exactly right. I don't. We'll workshop back. I don't think we should. I got to go to the bathroom. So I don't know if you talked about this or not,

but I don't think we should be giving Daisy up. She's not ours to give up. The only plan I have is to show her the coin. And maybe the princess is just enthralled by a coin that nobody on Avengers has ever seen before. And that's all I've got. I think that we, Tell Daisy to run.

Yoy. That's a good plan too. We don't take her to the queen, but she's not with us. We trust that she can take care of herself. She finds somewhere else to go. And we just pray that our faith in her is not misplaced. Did the princess not say that she would give Daisy a choice? In a season.

Yeah, that's what it sounded like. It's too much time. It's too long. Boy, well, I think that we should not be discussing plans until we ask the young lady or else. She might want to go in and meet her father and all of her friends and perhaps commune with them and share what she's learned. I think she would love to do that if she weren't going to be trapped there for a season

with no choice. That girl does not want to be told what to do or where to live. The princess knows. She wouldn't have left when she did. and gotten up to everything she's gotten up to, she didn't want freedom. A season is nothing in the grand scope of the universe. Sure. That's for someone.

I remember being in the egg. Season's a long time when you're trapped. And so I agree with Barnabos. We got to give her the choice. If she chooses she wants to run, I'm not going to stop her. Winter is here. If we tell her to run, we said her. We're not going to tell her to run. I agree with Barnabos. We give her the choice. We can, but it may have even untold dangers beyond just the season.

The princess knows that she's here. She may have, she may have us under surveillance. She may have people watching the house now. If she tries to flee, who knows how she would respond? I think that should be your choice. Yeah. A season will pass before we even know it. And then it will be spring. Perhaps even for our own sake.

Staying here for the winter, learning what we can, building our reputation amongst the clans and amongst the princess we need the hexature armament Right but I didn't say anything about us leaving I don't think with Sukunda struck down

I don't think a season passes before their response is felt Yes I think it's And I think there's a reason she wants those humans and I don't think she's giving her up in a season because what she wants with those humans is not going to be fulfilled.

So whatever she plans to do, she's going to do it to Daisy within that time. That's what I was saying. I don't like it. I don't sit right with me. I'm worried. But if she wants to go and she wants to do that, then we let her.

I'm just saying we don't get in her way. We let her know what's going on and what's happening, and that in two days, if she is still with us, we have to take her to the prince of the rat. And so if she's here in two days, we take her. And if she slips out in the middle of the night, then whatever happens to her is her choice and her life.

That's right. I could invite him fishing. Well, then provide him solace. Am I being replaced? I'm a fishing partner. If on the way... Are we still in the citadel? Also, Ms. Marsh is good privacy.

You're still in this luxurious room. Also, Miss March is correct. Like in multitask. We should invite him fishing first of all. Of all, recall that she referred to humans like a precious jet. And her husband was once a human. So what if there's some sort of ritual that we're... Now she needs to collect them in order to return his humanity to it.

Oh, what about like a sacrifice like those poor rhinos? I like the rhinos, exactly. Oh no. That's the big fear that we have where she, if she gets some, her claws on the young lady. That might be it, but I still think that we need to give Daisy a choice. Could also just be, she had mentioned that all of the humans of Drakar, these were all that were left. Could be truly she just wants to see the expansion of life across the ice again. Well, why wouldn't she take in the ogres as well? Why would she come across a mixed community

of ogres and humans and say okay all the ogres you stay with the gloys but the humans are mine and she scrapes them into her hoard. Arnold this is right. Something is definitely going on and if we take Wisprafan fishing we can easily tie rocks to his angle and we push him over. Exactly. Fishing accidents happen all the time. Nobody bats and I? No one. Would it provide solace if on our way back to our home we visit with the humans, Myelin, and the others. We request to see them. See how they are living.

Speak to them. Should be here in the Biting Bastion. I mean, we might just be able to find them. I don't see why that changes what we say when there are people that are fattened up before they're killed. Like, just, they could be living in the lap of luxury, but that doesn't mean nothing bad's not going to happen to them. I do believe she's taking very good care of them.

I'm not saying that for a time, Daisy wouldn't be happy there. But what I am saying is that Daisy's life has been controlled by everyone but Daisy for so long. She's an adult. She doesn't belong to us. She doesn't belong to the Princess of Wrath and she doesn't belong to her dad.

She belongs to Daisy. I have a meta question. Does I confirm something that's important for my context? as I will play. We don't know that she was formerly a human, correct? And that we don't know that she might just have a natural... I'm talking about Kossachi, not her.

But I... To us? We wouldn't know that his humanity's been stripped. We don't know even that he was a human. As our characters. Oh! As our characters, we haven't seen any of that. No.

Yeah. And this is a tricky part of separating the advanced story that I'm giving. So, Richie is like, oh, well, she was a fucking human. Like, of course she wants to rebuild this fucking human. As players, you all have to control. But as players, we're pulling it apart, I would say, I don't even think she's trying to rebuild the human tribe. I think Baba Yaga asked for souls and for gold. That's very possible.

And so these are the human souls and the gold. But we don't know what to them. But anyway, but anyway. Souls and gold. Queenie doesn't know that. Queenie doesn't know that. Queenie just doesn't trust her and believes that it should be Daisy's choice what she wants to do.

It serves with you 100%. Thank you for that, Clieny doesn't. clarification because yes, Barnabos would think of this creature as a giant, not a human thing. Either way. I didn't say any of that. Yeah, take all that back, but I scrims stands by the fact that he just doesn't like that she's collecting them.

For some reason, that's right. That seems quite fishing. We can align on that in canon, no metagaming. Yeah, the way that she talked about the captain before she killed him, that she doesn't like to kill these precious. So obviously she covets, and that's fine. She's probably taking good care of them. However, I will not be responsible for taking away Daisy's agency.

I won't. Then we're in agreement. We'll go back. We'll find her. We'll tell her what's going. I'm going to present the facts. She can make a choice. And if she wants to stay with us and then we have to, you know, try to convince the princess to turn her over.

We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But we'll at least present her with the facts. That may force our hand. That's all right. In what way? To violence. Against who? You know who?

Gwainter ass. Prince James. You're still talking about that guy? I think we should talk. Someone said fishy, made me think of fishing. That's just a quick trip. Look, sure, there is a possibility that when we show up, if we show up without Daisy, that she'll be frustrated

and she'll take it out on us. But we won't be lying. Or take it out on her. But that will be Daisy's choice to make. If she wants to put herself in danger, she can. Either way, Daisy's in trouble, whether it's out on the ice or beneath the wings of that dragon. She just has to choose which danger she's walking towards. We can't protect her anymore.

I don't like any of this either. But Queenie's 100% right. How to do it? There's no other way. Just if she chooses to leave, we have to have to, we'll see if she's amenable to leaving in a fashion that at the very least can seemingly cleanse us of any kind of hand in it. We could stage a fake fight. So people hear us yelling and being angry so that when

we wake up in the morning and she's gone, it would make sense that she would have left. Would she not be hunted? She's hunted now. It's certainly possible. I mean, it's absolutely possible. If she escapes, And the princess has some way to find her, and she'll never be able to escape. That's just, that's just, that's a life, right? I don't like it, but we have to just give her a choice.

Tell her the dangers and let her make a choice. There's just too much we don't know. We should provide what we do know to her, allow her to make her choice. We should spend our days currying favor with the other groups and our nights, learning what we can to see if we can destabilize this place, and set freed your car.

Wait, we're working to destabilize this place. How long was I in the bathroom? What are you? That was the last four sessions? You walked away for 30 seconds, and the next thing you know, Barnabas is talking about chaos, and I'm right there with him.

Oh, you're exactly right. We're destabilizing this, and maybe if we have to wait to do it until the metal men are defeated, then we do it then. Either way, she's not leaving the continent. I think Tishin had a good point. Like, with Secundus screaming in that box,

someone's gonna come. Oh, yeah, we're screwed. That was why, but that's what you missed. I asked Barnabos, why? I had too much fiber. It's all right. I asked Barnabos why he was so intent on killing Whisper Fing.

May we see speaking of Winter Splinter, please. And, master Winters Splinter. My question was why, because if we think that the Socondus is bringing a whole army of people that are coming behind him, then we would think that we want the Princess of rat to be ready. To have an army ever known to fight back.

And I don't see how to stabilize in this place is going to help her. I don't know. I kind of hope they kill her. Well, then then we should definitely deal with Whispofeng. If the forces of Sukundas get here and a war rages, all of a ventures will be ash.

That certainly doesn't happen. Well, even if that isn't the case, innocent lives will be taken. And that is what we want to avoid. Tai Shan is correct. The hexature, If the princess understands how to use it, maybe she could win. But it is of them.

I believe that she thinks she cannot smart them. They are not of this world. It is capable of ending everything. We must claim it before they come. This was the quest that we were sent upon. were sent upon. However we get it, I care not.

But we must claim the artifact. And we'll pry it from her cold dead body, if needs me. In the meantime, let us deliver this letter. I've never killed a full-fledged dragon before. Always wanted to. I look around. I kind of creep to the door. Grab a crop, that.

I like Pogue to see if old Winter Splinter still around. Lister Fang. You open the door and you can see down this long hallway. There's fudge. Oh, we're fudged. You, uh, there are guards, but they are not close in for the door for you to feel like you've been listened in on, assuming that that would be the method of eavesdropping in this place. Oh, geez.

And- Why didn't feel like that, Derek? you but you do not see Whisper Fang or the Princess of Wrath they are either

up or down this spire or perhaps somewhere else in this massive stronghold all right

I think that we've been alone I think that we need to go and do exactly as we said talk to the

young lady give her the choice help her however we can no matter what the choice

is and then we deliver that letter to the the farseers the spirit walkers

and get our peace Bull Fed. They're wearing a green. Right? Yes. Sounds good to me. Agreed?

Let's shake a leg. You shake a leg. And you make your way down. You don't need much direction from the guards. It's easy enough having come up here to take the paths to the ground floor and make your way back out. You can see that by now, after your long conversation with Whisper Fang, with the princess, and with each other, that most of the... the ceremony accoutreement has been cleared away, the pyre, but simmering coals, what was not destroyed by the melting ice.

And there's sort of some cleaning operations, but it's late, and it seems that it's only being handled by a few cobalds. The gate is open, and it's easy enough to take your path towards the one remaining bridge that still leads out of the biting bastion. You recall that one side had been completely collapsed. Originally, there were two spokes to this hub, and you take the only remaining bridge out to the edge of the city where you're able to curve around passing the district of the cabal,

the elves, and eventually making your way back to your own district. Now, the five of you seemingly leaders of this small, new tribe and you make it home. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventris and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, Shroud over Saltmarsh. You can also go to The Crookedmoon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published

supplement the Crooked Moon, a folk horror tone for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. You push into the structure that you have claimed as your home. The lights on the street of your district are dim. There are no ogres or anyone in the streets. Instead, you just make your way up the very rough, almost cobblestone-like street, and push through into the door into the space that you have started to familiarize yourself with. You find yourself in that sort of living area.

What do you all do? Do you see Daisy? You do not see Daisy. Hello? Anybody here? You yell out. You cry out for a moment and sort of listen. and silence.

She can't hear us, right? She's not deaf. Oh! She's mute, yeah. Never mind. I don't say that. She's just mute. It's been two months?

It's been a couple months. It has been. Searching around through the house, starting to feel a bit of apprehension, it's when Barnabos goes into the kitchen and opens the door. to the pantry, finds a sleeping daisy, curled up in one of the corners,

having clearly taken very seriously, the, not the command, but the warning, the caution, the meeting of her being kept a secret. And she's just passed out there underneath the shelves of the few food preserves that you have remaining. I will not wake her, but I will try to do a quick inventory. I know you'd say it's obviously dwindling.

We sent the ogres to go. So they obviously have not been back from the winter market. From the last time you sent them to the winter market, either they returned with some provisions or none. I'd take an inventory. But you take an inventory and everything is exactly where you left it. You keep a tight ship. And it does seem that with the exception of perhaps a jar

that Daisy snacked on, There's a Everything is where it should be I check for moldy bread You look for moldy bread You do not find any moldy bread I ain't told them You turn around his crumbs falling

I'm kidding I'm kidding She's all right God, great He's in the pantry We told her And Mary we don't have to wake her We could just go

You know leave me here Deliver the letter and come back What I think? Up to you guys Well, we're not delivering the letter tomorrow. That's what she commanded. We'll request it. We have to wait.

Ah, God. Well, let me, the bees are small enough to get under her. Let me get her moved to a bed at least. I'll use the bees to get under her and lift her very slowly, even pressure. Kind of like a white noise of bee humming, hopefully, as they will carry her too bad. She stirs a little bit, but you lift her up, and she sort of curls into herself like a cannonball, you guide this shape into the second floor where the bedrooms are located and are easily able to, even the bees are even able to lift up one of the heavy duvets that are on top of these

blanket, on top of these bed mattresses and sort of slip her in like a hand in the glove. Perfect. And feeling that she is sound asleep, the five of you, realized that it has been a long day. It's been a tiresome amount of experience. And you make your way to your own beds, assuming that you are ready for sleep. I'm imagining that the bees, as they're dropping her off, they are thinking about beds and say, what's the deal with California kings? Are people really that much taller in California?

They say this in a language that only Queenie understands. You all look at her as she giggles a little bit. He starts laughing abhorral slater. What the hell is California? What's the deal? Must be a place in the say wild. The spirits are familiar with that you are not and... But you each make your way to your own beds as...

Sleep takes you. And you all enjoy a long rest. Yeah! We did it. We did it. We did it. We did it. We did it.

We left the tower and we did kill West kill with Superfan yet. We did it. We did it. And we got back and made sure the days he was safe. We did it. We did it. Yeah. You're a dab. Benny the ball got stuck in the wall. The next morning, you, um, uh, each week, uh, almost at the same time. So in tune, uh, with each other's sleeping patterns from the long, uh, period of time when you were, uh, in dire, desperate straits on the ice sheets, uh, having to to get what rest you could before moving on, facing starvation, cold.

You almost on the dot, suddenly find your eyes blinking. And even though you're a little weary from the exertions of the last week, you feel a bit nourished from your sleep and you feel whole. You make your way downstairs and Daisy is already stirring as well. And, uh, comes up to you. How was it? Well, we gotta have a little bit of a talk. Is everything okay?

Depends on how you define okay. Okay. All right, we're just gonna, we're gonna present you with the information, and then we're gonna let you make your own decision. But the long and short of it is that the princess wants you to be with the rest of the humans. She won't let you stay with us. She knows I'm here? She knows you're here.

Some were close by, and she says in a few days, we're gonna have to turn you over. How did she find out? I don't know. Do you think Queenie that it was the thing we saw when we were out there in the mountains? That's my guess. I think, I don't think she knows you're in the city,

I just think she knows that you and I have been together. And so she's putting two and two together. She claims she. She knows everything that happens on Drakha, though. We don't know how true that is. It's also possible we're just in her kingdom, and she has eyes everywhere. She, uh, uh, is powerful, right? Vastly so.

When you told me the story of your arrival, she was on you almost instantly, right? And, no, you know, that's true. The ship. She somehow knew about the ship, right? We don't have any way of knowing how she does this. She knew of the gold, too. She knew which barrels have the gold. Boy, that is strange.

Could be possible she has some unnatural connection to the ice itself. She can sense through it, maybe. Or some kind of powerful divination. Perhaps she too can see into the world. weird. Boy, and she knew where the Exeter Armourman was hidden away in that great vessel. As he sorted through this guy. The point stands that we're not going to force you to stay here.

We're not going to force you to go. It's up to you. If you want to comply with what she's saying, and then we'll let you. If you want to run, if you want to try to escape, you can. And then if you do want to stay with us, well, then we'll have to come up with some sort of plan. But she was saying that if you go with the humans, you gotta stay there for at least a season. And then after that, once we get our new group up and running and it's more stable, then you can make a choice and come back over. But I gotta be honest with you. We don't like,

we get a bad feeling of what's going on with the humans that she's collecting. She's saying they're rare. And she just don't like it. It doesn't sit with me right. We also learned that her husband, this prince of wrath, is a giant, seemingly imprisoned somewhere beyond her reach. And the main goal of this entire horde of tribes is to bring him back and wage war across Dracore and then beyond. A giant? A giant? A giant. Huge hairy, fella. We only saw a projection through the ice after some rhinos got sacrificed. There's some, he spoke with a tremendous voice. Aye.

I'm not sure what the end goal is, how he can be brought back from wherever he is, imprisoned away. But I am certain the cost is a high one. If there was a way, we knew where. where she was keeping the gold. What if we were able to find it, threaten to destroy it in some way, or remove it or take it?

This is the only way I can foresee us bargaining with her. Otherwise, I personally believe we should do as she says. Your choice is your own. Before you guys came back, I wanted to try and rescue the... my tribe, the other vassals. I thought I could figure out a way to get into that stronghold and maybe break them out. Do I have to go right now?

I mean, unless I'm misunderstanding, as you said, we had a couple days. We'll support whatever you decide. We meant it when we said that you are the master of your own fate. No one else, not even a dragon. As ancient and as powerful as he claims to be. Thank you. And please do take some time by yourself and think on this. Reflect upon your choice.

We have errands to run. I... I will. I'm going to... I don't want to put you out or put you in danger. I'll think about it. Take your time. And if anyone says that if you hear through the great... that we are called the icebound castaways you inform them that they are misinformed and we are now the ice born ice-born is a lot cooler what do you

mean castaways you wish to call us iceborne is that what you said I just wanted her to know that we are not castaways oh I think that's a pretty cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before you form your own trying I was gonna say wow remember that time we were almost the ice-pom castor this instead of Iceborn? That was so much cool, though. I know that's sweet.

That's fair, fair point. I'm officially changing the name. I support your decision, Chiefen. I am the Chiefton of the Iceborn outside. I'm... I decree. I declare

as Chiefton that we are the Iceborn. The Nacassaway is no longer exactly one mystery. Giorney or said. And finally, you need to be careful of the true mastermind of this entire city. Oh, don't get him started. He's a little sniveling old, bony little wing cobald calls himself Fang and claw. Master Winter's Splinter. Master Winter's Plinter. No, no, remember. He hates. Lord Voldemort.

No, that's not right. Snake Jow. Whisper, fang. Whisper. Oh, that was it. If you see him, let us know right away. But if you think you can take the shot, and you got a clear shot, and no one knows where he is, you have my permission. It's cheap to take it.

Okay. I think I'm gonna hide in here, but if he comes knocking, I'll do what I must. Right between the eyes. And if you have some like cool Cy Warrior subclass features at this point, feel like, to use them. Yeah, just crush his brain. Leave no trace. I don't think I can crush people's brains. I thought I could just snudge arrows so that they hit their target a little bit right now.

Oh, you don't. You will get strong, and then you will be able to use your mind beans to endeavor to crush something's mind. I feel like I could barely lift that crumpet over there. It's very little. Oh, he's crumpets? Oh, good time, young lady. All in good time. I'm sorry we don't have time. or provisions for any kind of real breakfast. I'm hoping the ogres have not gotten lost in the winter market. Even if they did, we'll go deliver the letter

and then we'll have currency of some kind. That's right. We'll have some sort of favor and we'll get some food. We'll have a week to figure out what comes next. Yeah, once we deliver that letter, we officially have a social credit score. That's right. I think they came back with food.

I could hear and smell cooking. No way. Last night. I think I would know if the pantry was provisioned. And I would have been money. That was never gonna work. No one came inside. But on the street, you could hear,

they're very loud, the ogres. They supplied the district. I'm gonna go check it out. I gotta see how badly this went wrong. We'll check to make sure they did not, certainly they would not eat through. all the provisions in a single night. This has got to be so good.

Certainly not. Well, young lady, you continue to hide. Think about what we've told you and the choice is yours. Take care of yourself. Be safe. What happens next is up to you. That's a cool thing to say. Goodbye.

You make your way out after giving your goodbyes to Daisy. and she has a bit of a pensive look on her face as you close the door and make your way out into the street and sure enough, what Daisy said is true. You do see ogres. They have eaten through all of the provisions that they brought back from Winter's Market. But a humble breakfast for ogres,

they are still eating tons and tons of food, but it looks like they are eating through whatever happens to be remaining. Holy hell, Barrault let them go! These dozens of ogres are piling on sausages and eggs and moldy bread all on the plates and passing them down. What they've done is, is in a section of the district set up a communal eating area, and they are all laughing boisterously. Those that spot you cheer and wave their hand and wave their hands, wave you over.

They clearly have reserved some meals for you and you enjoy a breakfast when you arrive. I can't believe they even made back with food. Look at them go! This is unbelievable! Now what? As much as it would be easy to be mad about it, look at how happy they are. I was going to say, they deserve it after the several weeks that they've had. And with the credits we're going to get for turning in this letter unread, I think we'll be all right.

Let them have their fun. and all of that. We can procure more food if we need to. Right, we had a whole week's worth. They deserve this little celebration, this treat this feast. I feel like midwinter was in the new year. It was just yesterday. This also brings up a good point.

Perhaps once we figure out how much a week's worth of provisional bias at the winter market, we put someone in charge to help ration it. What do you think? Oh, glorious leader of ours. Fearless captain. I will need to. I was going to say, I was served on shit where that right there would at least be

10 lashes before the mast. Maybe you're hanging. Goodness. When you're in dire circumstances, every single morsel of food counts. Anyways, they deserve it. You take

what fill you can. There's enough reserved for you, for you to have a full belly. Hot dog. as you start to make your way to sort of the main thoroughfares of Argentholm and

you're familiar enough now with the city to know that the northeast of the city is what people here call the circle the district of the spirit keepers orc shamans they almost look like

Dracarian versions of Yornear, what you know of them from spying them at the ceremony is the dark deep earthy green skin. The facial features very similar, but to orcs that you may or may not have seen in your travels, but with, adorned with the sort of like druidic totems and ornamentation that you come to expect from people with more wisdom and serenity. And that is the expression that they had on their faces for the most part. You pass the district again of the elves and continue to make your way past the bridge towards the north

where you can clearly see a tremendous amount of greenery. This area, even though there's been snow overnight, there's clearly young, old, and in between forests that sprout up all around this space. Unlike the other districts that are purely urban in nature, what transformation has been undergone by the spirit keepers looks like a, like bringing the nature back, bringing nature in, as opposed to the buildings that you are living in, which are very evidently a relic of the culture that had been destroyed.

this is the most radical transformation that you've seen yet. It is, these buildings have been completely reworked or destroyed and grown perhaps or built out of wood and a thatched roof, roofs, longhouses, that sort of thing. You make it to sort of the entrance to this larger district and you can see, you immediately get the smell of smoke from what are clearly like smoke houses and preservation of food, that sort of thing. And it isn't very long before you can spy the orc shaman's making their way. They are moving briskly from space to space. They're moving with purpose.

They are not lazily sort of hanging about and just having sort of gatherings in sort of a social way. Everybody seems to be busy and active in this space. And that's what you are confronted with when you reach the sort of main entrance of this larger district known as the circle. Two works in particular catch your attention as you're walking in. You see them sort of arguing. One is a very elderly orc. And the other one is sort of tapping his foot and looking a little frustrated. overhearing the conversation.

I know that's... It's a raw deal. But your quota, it's low today. I'm sorry that you haven't been keeping up. The elderly man. I know that I am getting a bit less evil in my old age. I'm doing the best I can. The growing what I...

What I... I am able to grow. I work the same hours as anyone else. I... The chieftain may understand this month. I wouldn't count on it. That's for him to decide. I know it's been a hard year,

but there's... There needs to be fuel. Fuel and food enough to not just keep us alive. spiritkeepers, but also to make sure the city is fed and warm. You may not, you may be at the bottom of the list. I'm just telling you now, telling you now in advance of what may come. I understand, there will be younger men, younger man who can take, I will contribute to my best, I'll redouble my efforts. and you're hearing this conversation.

I am known as Grimnear, seer of the Iceborne clan. We wish to speak to your chieftain. Oh, Grimier. Oh, dear. Yeah, and where are the rest? This is Chiefen Barnabos, and these are the rest. Yes, yes, news has traveled that new tribe has been named.

The five of you are the ice-bound castaways. Ice-born, you've heard wrong. I-sborn. Aye. That is the name of our tribe. How can I help you today? We have a important message. We've got a letter.

We've got a letter. We have got a letter. I wonder who it's from. It's from the Princess of Wrath. It is from the Princess. Yes, we have. Messenger Marsh. A letter, you said.

Oh yeah, that's true. A letter for your chieftain, from one chieftain to another. You look for a spirit caller Greywind, our chieftain. No, that's true. It should be expecting us. If he is expecting you, then he might be at home, but he's a hard man to track down. He's not very present these days.

Well, how can we find him? The message is very important. It is from the princess herself. I understand. Well, if you were to make your way up to the circle, the center sort of ritual space, you'll see a large tree. Make a left there,

unless you'll find an orchard, a tree orchard. His cottage is there sort of remote there. Thank God it's not a spider orchard. Oh, those exist? I don't know. Oh, my God. Cats. And the orchard.

The tap roofed cottages. Yes? You can't see it from here. It's a bit of a walk, but yes. Thank you. I thank you. Have an extra credit from me. On the back.

Keep the bird. What the fuck are you talking about? He doesn't seem to know what you mean, and he immediately sort of turns back to his companion, and they continue to have their... conversation quieting as you walk away. You pass a number of these almost druidic shamanic orcs who are doing work. You don't pass any of the livestock pens that you expect to find in the district, but in this front area you do pass

more orchards. These grown trees that you're watching as these orcs are sort of circling and working together to push. And you can even watch very, very slowly as the bark expands, branches start to peel out and you can see new growth leaves, this sorts of thing. They're clearly accelerating the growth of these trees in order to speed up the need for wood.

And you can see almost armies of these orcs. All each of them attached to a single tree and then catching their breath and then moving on to the next one and going from tree to tree in this way. Are they fruiting trees or these trees, they're just growing for wood to build? These do not appear to be fruiting trees. These appear to be like furs and that variety. They are purely what can grow fastest. and others are, you can see very sort of solemnly cutting down trees and pulling up the stumps of these trees

and immediately coming to them with seeds and starting to plant a replacement. As quickly as they can grow these trees to maturity and bring them down, they are replacing them and beginning the process anew and pouring their primal energies into the land and into the nature of this space. You pass more buildings with some spirit totems carved in the front, small altars.

You can tell that this is almost a spiritual place, each of you, as you continue to make your way. And eventually you find what feels like an old orchard, but it is not getting the attention of the younger ones that you saw, these sort of factories of sorts. You instead get a sense that this is a protected place, almost a sacred place. and walking through and in, you do spy a number of cottages, but it's evident when you spot the chieftain's cottage, not because it's particularly grand, but because it seems to have an aura about it, a feeling of connection,

perhaps beyond even the nature itself to some sort of spirit place. It just glows with this primal light. And that's where you find yourself as you make your way through the circle. Mr. Yorne, given that you are akin to these shaman, I will allow you to do the talking. You are a spirit walker yourself. You might have something in common to talk about. I do not know the ways of these southern tribes, but perhaps I can learn it may be completely different.

You might be able to offer wisdom from the North. They've probably never been to the North Pole, have they? But you have? Almost certainly not. It seems like they too wield and respect the magics of the natural world. And you can be in great alignment here. You must find the chief. Is the chief in there, or do you just see the hut?

You just see the hut. The hut. Or the cottage. If he's not there, maybe he's got like a mailbox. We can just leave the letter and we can't go. We can go collect our supplies and be good for a week. What do you think? Gotta go knock, right? The task was to deliver the letter,

not necessarily to his hand. Let's go see what he's there. Let's go see if he's there. We've got nothing to lose, right? You make your way up the few wooden steps to the large, heavy wooden door that is the face of this cottage, and knocking a few times, you get no response.

Half a minute passes again. You remember the words of the, Orca greeted you and the chieftain may not be here. It was a chance. Why don't you try the door? Maybe he's resting. Instead of skipping right to B&E, maybe we just slip the letter under his door and then it'll be safely locked inside of his little cottage. Scream, try the door. That's always got to be me. I try whatever handle it appears to be.

You reach up and there is a wooden arcing door handle that allows you to pull the door forward. And you find that it glides extremely smoothly as you are able to pull it open. And looking in, you can see there is a living space, a very minimal area, small burning hearth. There's shelves that you can see are filled with herbs and other drying items on the side. This is clearly a small foyer an entrance. Hello? Is anyone home? I need everyone to make a perception check.

Our first roll of a night. Let's go. I'm about to get swish a smoke here. I said perception? Oh, let's go. I got a 22. Oh, wow. I also got a 22. Nice. 15. Natural one. Yeah!

Welcome back. Welcome back. Welcome back. Oh, that's a five. You're shaking on a lot of rust. It's okay. It was on the 19 and then clip to the one, like classic. Classic. Some of the cookie crumbles of this. I didn't want to alarm everyone, but before the session,

I rolled three separate dice. They all dot 13. Oh. And I don't want to want me to go on. We're about to get 1408 and a bunch of guys in the shelves on the room. Oh no! It's a tear in the wallpaper now.

We never left. never left. Yornear, anyone higher than 20? It was just, we have 22 of you. Oh. Yornear, you notice sound beyond the HUD itself. In the orchard, you sort of like are watching

as Scrim starts to speak and walk into the space, at least just getting to the threshold. I like stick my head in, but I'm not going to step in. Right, yeah. I'm not going to take away your agency there. Just saying that he's looking in and they're looking out. Fair enough. And you're near, you can see that there's a figure probably 50, 75 feet from where you are

now, sort of shuffling through the trees. At the same moment that you have this perception, Skrim, you were looking inside, and your eyes go down to the hearth, and then you can see that there's broken glass on the floor. What would normally be like a rug and a wooden floor? There's a broken glass, and your eyes go up, and you can see that a mirror, a window, has been destroyed on the side of this house, one that wasn't visible as you walked directly up towards it. Uh-oh.

Well, we're being trailed. And also, we got a problem because we can't be any of this place because it's already been being eaten. There's a bunch of broken glass and a window broken on the other side of the cottage. I grabbed the lantern off the front of the cottage and I hold it out of both. Who goes there? You're gonna give all the girls the inn. There are any women around?

No! The iceborne rislers. The ice-born Rizzlers. I know, you didn't hear that, my lover. Oh, the legendary is this gats will never be ours now. I do, I do. There's no lantern. but I say hold you goes there.

You yell out, and you know that this creature is well within hearing distance. The remoteness of the space, the calm serenity of these woods being what they are, you look closer, and it's shuffling forward in this sort of like jerky motion when it turns. And you can see that this is perhaps another orc. It seems different from this different distance. There's something that seems a little off about this shape as you're listening to Scrimm's words.

While this happens, since I know that Norenear's watching my back, I'm going to take a couple steps inward to see if I can see if anybody's injured. Or, you know, just assess the state of the situation with the broken glass. Is there light in this cabin? Yeah, I mean, it's morning. And so it's not, it doesn't need a tremendous amount of... a tremendous amount of light. Okay.

But the hearth, peaking over Scrim's shoulders as easy it is given how short it is. You're able to see the hearth. It almost seems magical. It seems like it's burning. It's putting out some light, but the light coming in through the windows and in the space is more than enough to illuminate whatever you need to see.

Yeah, okay. So it's not like, nobody's shrouded in shadows. No shadows. Okay. It is bright morning and the only, shade is what I'll call it, is because of the canopy of trees that are all around you. With my plus one to investigation, I got a 21. Oh!

Actually, 29. If you take a few steps in, and you can see that there's a kitchen to one side, and what is clearly a curtained off space that likely would be some sort of a sleeping area. This is a one-floor cottage, and you get a sense that its modesty is something that most of orcs here enjoy but that includes this chieftain rather than having some sort of glorious you know manner or something along these lines and you can see that there's a trap door that's open on the end of the kitchen next to what would be a dining table for two you can see that there's a door that's been open that

has a almost like steps ladders going down possibly to some sort of a storage room or larger I would take a few steps forward and kind of like poke my head. Hello, Chief Ten? Are you all right? Is anyone here? You peek down and the light does not touch this area. It's dark. Do you have dark vision?

I have dark vision. He's a goblin. I imagine he does. Yes, gobbling have dark vision. Yes, I do. Your eyes don't have to adjust. It's just a question of black and white. And you can see that the stairs go all the way down perhaps 10 feet to dirt floor.

And you can see, you can even spy looking around. There's some shelves going in, but you can't see anything more than that without actually traversing the ladder. Hello? Does it, if it feels, do you go by yourself? Yeah, I'm just done. I'm worried. I will say, now that I see that this has happened,

I'm going to crab leg it up. And I'm going to say, come on, Mr. Stamis, Coach, the Chiefton may be in danger. And I'm going to barrel with my 40 feet speed. You knock it. You knock on the ladder.

I scoop scream up and I tumble me. I scoop scrim up. I tempt you as I fucking spider my way down with my crab legs. You feel yourself getting lifted up. It's a tight fit for you, Barnumus. This is not a massive opening,

but you are able to slip through the portal and stomp your way. You feel almost like when you have to walk down the very vertical stairs of a sea ship and you make your way down to the bottom. There's no illumination in this space, but I think you have dark. I do. They added that. Looking around, you can see that there are preserves and barrels and this does appear

to be a storage room. But on the far end, what appears to almost be the side of a tree, instead of the not wet, but just dirty, dirt-packed walls of this space. On the other side, there's, if you could have a tree that's 10 feet wide,

this would be the bark of that, almost making like a barrier. And in the center of it, you can see splintered wood. Something has pushed its way out and through this space. Meanwhile, Yornear,

this figure is getting closer. It's not responding to your calls. It's... I would start approaching it. Walking forward. And letting them do their thing. When you get perhaps 60, 50 feet away, make an additional perception check.

That's pretty good. That's 26. 26, easy. 26. With a 26, this feels unnatural. You look at this orc. Did you say unnatural? It's...

skin is rotting. Its limbs seem... Thrawn. Not gone, but lacking flesh. Your, it's clothes seem bloodied as though it had been injured, but long ago dried and darkened with the stains of some injuries. There are cuts that go in where a stomach should be. Instead, you see a concavity. just underneath the ribs that themselves seem a little bit arrayed and slightly broken. It moves with a bit of a limp as it continues to walk forward to you. And its eyes white with almost like cataract lenses seem locked on you as it starts to lumber forward.

Does it look like it is mindful? meaning does it have intention and sentience or does it feel like like a mindless thrall or zombie? Like a shambling. Perhaps like the undead creatures that were animated by the Herald of Fear

that we made experience previous. You... Where I could tell that the owl wasn't really flying like an owl that it was being controlled. Make an intelligence check. Oh, not like a nature check. That's all.

pretty good. 15. 15. It's pretty worse. This creature seems to be shambling towards you because you're alive. You get a sense of not animosity, but you imagine that if you were to move 10 feet to the left or move 10 feet to the right, that it would continue to beeline towards you. feels intentional in its singular purpose but also mindless feel free to cut back to them while I just look at you yeah you are you two doing yeah yeah yeah I'm confused as to what's actually happening right now let me back up where's there where's everybody barbos and scrim raced into the home that that that that of the chieftain

the when scrim found the broken window he stepped in and continued to call out and Barnabos picked him up and took him down into a basement. So if you were following them, then you could be on your way down the ladder to that space. As opposed to Yornear, who, I don't know if he's indicated that he's seen this creature, but if you follow his eyes. Shut of who goes. Oh, he did? Okay. So yeah, you also watch, and you're taking in much of the same information that Yornear is, if you are with Yornear. Your choice is to whether you want to continue standing where you were standing out in the front of this home, or if you wanted to follow the more proactive actions of your companions.

Oh, I'd definitely just be standing outside of the home waiting. I think probably the, like, Yornear shouting would have caught my attention. And I would have turned towards him with the shambling or. You stand next behind Yornear, and he is gripping his staff and watching this creature very carefully with great suspicion. Queenie, you are watching and observing the same thing. I'll look towards them. They look like they got it. And then I'll hear them shouting the crab claws

against the, yeah, against the floor and scrim shouting, oh, what are you doing? And I'll be like, ah, it looks like they got it too. Someone should watch the door. A non-dead abomination. And I'm gonna, I'll turn my hand and snow and ice will start to coalesce and form into a snowball as I flip my hand.

And I'm gonna shoot a good ol' hail at this guy. Nice. And I'm gonna attack him to try to stop it or slow it down. You make an attack roll. When Yorner moves, I'll ignite flames on my fists, but I'll wait to see. I'll let him lead through it. You're ready in your action.

Yeah, I'm ready. In case you see a zombie, then you're gonna. Whipha! Suddenly, zombies. Yeah. That be kind that bitch. That is a 20 to hit. Beautiful.

That does hit. So it gets clobbered by this magical icy snowball. It's going to do 1D8 magical bludgeoning. What starts as a small beat of ice in your hand spins and grows larger and larger until this orb of ice is something that he can launch. It sails and arcs through the air and lands and hits this creature dealing. Dealing five points of damage and it needs to make a con save. It would make a con save, but when the ice crashes into the chest of this creature, it fells.

You watch as you push the life out of it with this simple blast. This was very weakened creature. And as soon as you hit it, two things happen. You watch it almost lose its animation. It drops. But at the same time, there's this shocking almost. almost explosion of roots as it holds shut and suspends itself as the roots sink into the ground

and crunch out in all directions. It looks like a spiky tumbleweed now, but it is completely lifeless. Is it continuing to grow? It just, it just grew out almost like a quick ball. So he's mid fall from death. locked in this position, but from his bones and from his flesh, small and large roots to seem to have shot out almost like one of those lightning balls at Spencer's. What is the sorcery? This can't be any of what they do?

I want to quickly look around to see if I see any others, if I see anyone else approaching. You took a good walk to get into this orchard. So looking around, you know that you'd have have to take a five minutes to get back to sort of the main path before getting into this cottage. I fast forwarded for the purposes of brevity, but you feel as alone as you did when you first approached the cottage. I will walk up to it carefully, and I will investigate the roots

and the body. And I think Taishen was following me at some point. So, OK. Taichin and Queenie are for the. No, I'm staying at the. You're staying at the entrance, sort of being this middle point as the two of you walk out. The century. How far was the hail blast?

It's 15 feet, so it was a quick. You would have had to have waited until 15 feet away. So just a few steps you take until you get close. And go ahead and make, what kind of checker you're looking to make? Just sort of what are you looking for? Yeah, basically, I want to sort of almost if I could investigate, the state of this creature, how it died, if I feel like it was killed,

if I feel like this is natural rot. So like a medicine or nature style... Give me a medicine check. 19. 19. You look at these that are jutting out of this creature, almost like corticence.

And you get closer. and it's... Don't like that. This creature looks like it was killed. Whatever happened to this orc, it looks like when you have come across other sentient bea-bein beings that have been attacked by packs of wolves

and not survived the encounter. This creature had clearly been bitten and clawed. Whatever injuries were on its surface were not from made weapons. It looked like a very primal attack to you with a 19th. Hi, Shain. What do you make of it, Yonin? Stay on guard.

This oracle was killed by beasts or something savage. Oh, maybe before whatever this is that's happened to him. What if you make of these roots that are planting in the ground? Perhaps. That's good. Do I know is this wood, is this wood, is this wood, fungus? It is very evidently would. This feels like, I think you have it or you've taken it previously and maybe dropped it in previous times, but something like Entangle. Okay. Where like all of a sudden, from primal magic, there's a burst of druidic energy and all of a sudden

a very quick growth, even in situations where nothing might grow in a natural world. This orc was animated by some sort of primal magic, I am not sure. This magic is unfamiliar to me as well, but there was a season once, a jade shell, growing the tea. I tried to plant mint to change the flavor, and it overtook the entire bed. Yeah, never plant mint. Never plant mint. It never planted. It ran through the crop.

took an entire season. I had to set fire to the whole bed, and I lost the, the, the, the, crop. We can't let whatever this is. Maybe he was attacked by wolves, but this, this is something else. We should cleanse it with fire. I will let you do so. We must return to the others and let them know. Queenie, you can hear all of this, so you get all of this. So you get all of this. information as we return to Scrim and Barnabos. The ceiling is surprisingly high up, and you are looking and watching as at this like gap, this almost hole that has been pushed through from the inside. If you let me jump out of your arms, the moment that I see a splinters all over,

you said, there's pushed out. It looks like something punched its way from the inside of this trunk. I would jump out of Barnaboz's arms and run over to, I guess, to get a better better look at it, but is it obvious or pertinent to us from the outside as we were approaching this cottage that it was built up against a tree? No. Okay, so this is weird. It's very strange.

It's like you're looking at a slice of a trunk, but there, to your knowledge, was never a trunk of this magnitude. It would have to have been, given how flat it is, it would have had to have been hundreds of feet in diameter. I would get right up to where it looks like something punched out of it, and I would like pick up a splinter. What hells are we looking at here, Barnabos? What devilry is this?

It's a tree. Oh, you don't. It's an underground tree. The side of a tree. We didn't see a tree growing up. It should be thousands of feet high to be the base of the trunk of a tree like this. Oh yeah, this tree's huge. What's going on?

This doesn't make any sense. What do you make of the, this wound in the tree here? I mean, like, something came out. Do you, so maybe, oh, maybe something didn't break its way. in, but something came out of the tree, and no, the glass was inside the cottage. Oh, yes, right. This doesn't make sense. What if something broke into the tree? And then something broke out of the tree? I think we're the greatest detectives in Evangis.

You're right, Mrs. Davis. Go ahead. How far does this wound, this whole go in the tree? I don't know, I'll find out. A little go in there. You put one leg over the other, and you start to creep in, and you can see that... I'm right behind them. There are winding tunnels. that make their way deeper and deeper and deeper into this area. This is the under orchard area, and immediately you're struck by the ceiling,

which is just covered in roots. It's so thick, it's almost like fur, just hanging down and going deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. Clearly stressing and straining and attempting to get lower and lower, but looking around, this is a dry space. There's, there's, it's almost human. Not human, that would be the opposite.

It's arid in the way that you reach in. And you make a perception check for me, both of you. Both? I will put my hand on Scrib's shoulder immediately. Not bad. 26. 22. 18. 18.

18. You both smell the dry air and the slight hint of decay. as you immediately enter the space, there's this rotten nature to the air as it fills your nostrils. But you, it's very quiet as you start to, like, observe in awe the space that you're confronting,

and you can hear this very, very, very quiet sound of some sort of burrowing animal or rodent. You hear this like... Queenie pops up out of the ground. Took you wrong way that I'm not like her. Hey, Mr. Savage's gone. Shh, do you hear that? Hear what?

I don't hear anything. Shh. Sounds like a rodent. Some sort of a creature. There's an animal down here, I think. Oh, you don't hear nothing. As you listen and you finally pause for a moment, you do get this sense,

this thin, high-pitched squealing noise somewhere deeper, deeper within the tunnel. It sounds like a ride on a ship. Well, if this goes deeper into the earth, we should fetch the others. Yeah, we should not go alone. This is some sort of crazy tunnel system. I mean, how can this even be down here?

It reminds me of Ogerton. More tunnels. All right. Who knows what devilry is down here? Stay right here, and I will race. Just back up the ladder and poke my head up out of the entrance to where we went down. The moment you do you use by Queenie in the open doorway. Hey! Hey, Queenie!

All right, does I ride the others with you. Oh no, they wandered out and do the orchard. Get them. There's a whole tunnel system out here, and I think we found a rat. You guys got a light. I ain't got dark vision. We have lights. We have lights.

Just get the others. All right, I'll loom. I climb back down. I probably should have mentioned that they're yelling about a zombie time. I will. There may be large weasels in this hole. That's the worst to worry, though.

It's like a rat. Giant rats. Giant rats. We can handle giant rats. It's all there is. Oh, what is a giant mole? Well, that might be. I've heard tales. about mole people on certain islands.

Moal people. Whole people. Entire civilizations under the ground. We go on like this while. And I will casually make my way down to Yornear and Tyshen. And I'll call it when I'm about 10 feet away. I'll be like, scrim, screaming about tunnels

under the house. Oh my god, is that a zombie? Taisham's burning this weird old orc zombie. I would just sitting over the whiff at like five. firing flame into it. And the second that it starts to take hold, assuming that it does, I would move to engulf it in flame. You-

Oh, it's not hard for you to immediately inflame this creature. It bursts into flame. The age of the body being what it is, and in fact that it has these sort of magically produced roots that don't feel that feel almost like not Tinder

Firewood, kindling You hear the pops and the cracks of the sound as it burns down and you control the sparks from flying too far up and hitting the canopy or hitting anything else. It takes only a few moments for you to reduce this to ash.

What did you say about mice? Oh, I didn't say anything about mice. I said, Scrim is screaming about there being tunnels under the house. Tunnels? Yeah. You think that that could have anything to do with this thing? I don't know.

Zombie tree root things? I don't think so. There are no coincidences. I'm gonna turn and start immediately hustling back to the house. And if you find, if you hear all the missing people, it always is near the caves that go deep underground. No. people wait one day plotting their eventual rise to the surface where they will take over and

slaughter all the surface dwellers. Oh no! It says you're talking about this, that the three companions that you know so well arrive on the other side of the bark barrier that has been pushed through. They're taking in all the same detail. Guys, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Whatever you found up though, I promise you were Barnableness and I found was cooler. a bunch of tunnels with potentially a rat,

or maybe Mo people. What did you guys find? Well, Tashin just burned to a crisp, the corpse of a zombie. An animated wood infected zombie. What? Our horse was so much cooler. If there's no people.

Oh, we might have a kingdom of mole people though. That's a toss-up. Yeah, but are they the undead? We don't know. They could be. The mole people could be anything, even undead mole people. I mean, that's true. How do you know that they're mole people, though?

Barnablish is really certain. They tell me all about their history. They're unbelievable on subterranean kingdoms. And so they're gonna rise and they're gonna take over everything. But you're saying an orc was reanimated. A zombie or. A zombie orc. That's how it sounds good.

Exploded into wooden thorns. All right. And took root immediately in the ground. So we burnt it. Uh. We need to go deeper. You guys hear that? The chiefs in my,

be in trouble. I watch them all people. You hear this. Stead behind burnerboos. You hear the sound of footsteps. And can I get a show of dark vision hands? Oh, is it pitch black for those without dark vision? It's pitch black. Oh, I can create flint. I feel like I can fire is only. No, just pull out a lighter, they pull out a bick. Yeah. It was extremely dark. Yeah, yeah. As soon as you cross the threshold, you would immediately be able to, or you'd feel compelled given the very dim light to pitch black quality of this space. This feels like a cavern. And so you're now all experiencing the flickering light on your faces. And it's in the flickering light that you

see coming down the hallway, yet another orc shambling forward. This is what we saw. Oh no. This is what we saw outside. Ride your name. I didn't see this, I just saw it on fire. It is the same. So why is one up there and why is there another one down here? What does he mean? What's what going on here? Is it the chieftain? We should be, maybe this is how they do things here.

Maybe we're just burning their ancestors alive for no reason. Should we go back and talk to that guy? The one we just killed? No! The one we talked to who told us how to get here. The two older people, the two older we met at the beginning. Yeah, of course.

I keep my eye on this thing as it. This is the way of things. You don't know that death gives way to rebirth and all that stuff, so what of how they're hastening the speed of these trees growing is by putting shambling org dead things down here to perpetually create the cycle of decay. I don't know.

It looks like they're just waving their arms and trees are getting bigger. I don't think that... I don't know. I'd say it's about 30 feet away. I take a couple steps back behind Martin And with a swirl of smoke, the brewble label appeared in my hand as I ready myself. Shhh! It's coming right for us!

Say the way! And I'm like, I give a battle yell on my turn behind those. My uncle Jimbo. My uncle Jimbo this shit. I run, I don't get behind Bartowas. Because we just meet, we're just like, fuck this shit. We're gonna chop this going to choppy's over a bit. Sea water.

For the Iceboard! The Iceboard drives! You rath forward. and Iceborne swing, make an attack roll. Don't let it infect you. What? Don't let it infect you. Light it in the media.

Look out for the brain. Natural playing. I'm not even going to roll. I'm just there for moral support. That makes up for Mesa's natural one. Yeah, exactly that. I guess I should roll. Something, something.

Features, hold on. Oh, God. Oh, God. That was that. 8 plus, oh no. Does raise give me plus 3 or plus 2? At this level, at least plus 3. Okay.

It's plus whatever. Yeah, so it'll be 9, 12. And you might have brutal critical? I don't know. I do. Nice. Oh, right. 9, 12, 15, 18.

And then that also is Great Welcome Master Hold on You just threw a snowball for the first one We're like I use a crusher

to knock it back And if there is a round of initiative It would be advantage on everyone for everyone The guys Well you kill it Oh

You push it back five feet And it's a good thing that you do When you smash into this thing It flies through the air, and then this same explosion of roots comes from the body as it shh. And feet never touches the ground because the roots reach the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. Creating this almost webbing of roots as it stops and silently, despite the blast, becomes lifeless and just hangs there. Bonobos, what the hell? I killed it

Are you sure? Yeah, I think it's an orc zombie I don't think it's a moment. Darn it. I would have been checking the faces of the one that I killed and this one since we talked to, presumably we saw and I think even talked to the orc chieftain.

Does it look like a different orc? No. No, the... It doesn't look like a different or not. Oh, yeah. You've killed... Oh, no, we killed him. You've killed two chiefsons. You've killed two chieftains.

It looks like... I'm Gork and my twin brother, Morg. Oh no! Neither appear to be the chieftain that you recognize. That was a taller, older. He had silver hair, braids, and all of the ornamentation. These were much younger men. Hmm.

So now I... We must continue. Yoy. Perhaps an assassination attempt? I don't know. Maybe. Is there any room for us to get by without, like, hacking away at this, this... this now root system.

You and Queenie could squeeze, but with the medium size that the rest of the party brings to the table, you would have to do a little bit of hacking in order to cut some of the root sway and perhaps let the body sort of fall to the side to create an opening large enough to pass through the tunnel now that that barrier has erupted out of this. How open is the tunnel where?

The ceilings are about 10 feet tall, but the roots come down perhaps two feet. And so just over your nears head by a few inches. That being, it feels low to you, but everyone else it feels like a good sized hallway. And it depends on where it's winding. It sort of undulates. It can be as narrow as five feet,

but in the section that you're in, it's, no, no, I would say the section you're in is about five feet wide, but it seems to sort of open up. And from this vantage point, given your fire, you feel like it's not just a long tunnel that you're headed down, that you're heading towards perhaps a room or some other opening. I would get to work burning. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, there's a lot of roots out of here. Holy smokes.

See that big boy? Put the flames down a little bit. It's okay, Scrim, I can control the path of the fire. I can control the burn. I looked behind a lot of it. Oh, hey, control burn is the thing I've heard of it. All right, all right. I'm trusting it, as I said.

Miss March, can you use your powers of your bees to sense if there's any, you were able to detect the mind fliers? I was. I'm pretty sure. The waterfall, you were able to detect either the Dream Taper. That's cool.

That's my point. She's like beans, her mango. Yeah, yeah. Her fun is since, dumb thing. What's Rango? Oh, yeah. I love beans. Oh, that's funny.

Um, yeah, that, um, maybe. We'll say. I can say. Oh, wait. I don't know how. See. You see me. What plants are I playing?

The worst clowns in the game. The worst clowns in the game. I mean, I was eating an knee-highout-a-hundredhand biscuit for breakfast. I mean, I was eating an ogre's breakfast. I'm not tired out. Makes me knee-high out of Grasshopper. I can my bees can sting people. I have prime evil awareness.

I think that's the one. Yep, this one sucks. He's a spell slot. Yeah, I will turn into beans. and my eyes will go very wide. My foot will be tapping as my ears are just going this way or that as I, the bees kind of rush for, almost create like a funnel of sound

as I attempt to sense whether any aberration, celestial, dragons, elementals, fay, fiend, or undead are present within one mile of me. The prim of all awareness takes hold and you get a sense that there are undead nearby. Yikes. Do you get the direction? No.

Just sense if they're nearby. Does it give you like how big? Doesn't reveal the location or number. Oh. But you know they're undead though. Yeah. Eventually the foot stops tapping and my eyes snap back. This is, I don't know how else to say this,

but they're beyond dead down these halls. Oh, no. We think we have to keep going until we find the chief to clear out this whole place. They die so easy, nothing could go wrong. And Tony Chin can control the burn. Plus the worst, they can happen.

It's the whole orchards a hell escape of burn at the It's the Indian jump scene where he ignites the flames. No, I can control it as long it doesn't leap beyond a five-flocks. No, this is fantasy tunnels. It's like a volcano layer.

It'll be fine. You don't have to mimic business. The smoke goes up. It just crouched down a little. That's what Custer said. As long as there's no movement, I think we'll be fine. We need to keep going.

Maybe the chief didn't found out there's some kind of evil corruption down in the roots of their orchard. And he came to, he came to investigated. It was burned the way through. I fear. He does not live, but perhaps we are not too late.

You make your way and you fire punch your way through the roots, not necessarily, well, up to you. If you destroy the body, you can destroy the body. Well, so, if you're going for speed, then you just destroy the opening that you would need in order for everyone to pass forward. If you burn as much as possible,

including the body, that takes a bit longer. I mean, how much does this look like some kind of like fungal root. It's not fungal. I know I said cortis because I was creating an image, but it is just for... I played the last one. You're really scared me. I know. That's a scary fucking game. All right. I just clear the I just clear the roots. I just clear the roots just enough for us to get by. Just our path to get by. You clear the roots. The body falls to the side. Reanimates and attacks you? Oh fuck! You know. You can continue to make your way another 20, 30 feet. Another 20, 30 feet after that. You feel it opens up. It opens up. It opens up. up. It widens a little bit into a larger sort of room isn't the right word because

this feels very much like a tunnel that has almost been molded. But there are a number of different tunnels that connect to this sort of central hub. And you can see in the center with your dark vision or with the flickering within the flickering light the stained floor violence. There's fabric pieces and bones and a tremendous amount of darkened soil, clearly saturated with blood. Walking a few steps further to begin to investigate and push on to see if there are any additional threats, there's this tingle on the back of your neck. And you just get this innate sense of fear for a moment. Horror. I shouldn't be here.

Something is very wrong. Well, that's we done. I need everyone to make... Oh, fuck. Horror. Uh-oh. Oh, I already rolled.

I can't use twists. A wisdom saving throw. Oh. Uh-oh. I've got plus six. We have a bunch of twists. We have a ton of twists. I'd like to take three.

Three? Is that reasonable? I think three is fine. Come on. Come on. take three as well. I got a five. You got a six. Okay. All right. I took nine. That gives me a sixteen. I don't think it's gonna be enough, but it's better than nothing. It's good better than most. What did you get part of us? I got five. Six. Six. Nineteen.

19. 25. 25? 16. 16. You all have this sensation of fear, but only yornear and Queenie are able to push it aside and continue to keep their wits about it. But the three of you feel this uncanny feeling of deja vu this horror creeps along the back and you realize that you can see your breath it is very cold cold colder than it should be even the devil under under underground and you you roll the five bar above I need you to make a a die roll. Charisma saving throw.

That's not the diet. I'm going to use five. Five twists for Barnabas. Okay. I have a plus zero to my charisma. Probably a good call. Oh! It was on 20 for like a minute and two seconds.

And then it went to an eight. That's the brief. Eighth. Oh, 13. That's not. You. Yikes. Never mind. That's not good.

Mechanically, you're incapacitated. But what happens in reality is that you are, you lose control of your body and something else steps in. A dark passenger walks into your body and looks through your eyes. You are, as Barnabose, completely lucid and aware of this transformation and full of fear, banging at the door, a windows of your mind, trying to figure out what's going on. But in this turmoil, you can't control yourself. Instead, you look down at your weapons and you look at the faces of your

companions and your allies and you pick one to attack. Shit. You may roll a D4. Why don't you roll a D4 and make Mace 1, Queenie 2, 3, 4?

Yep. Just missed me. I almost did. I knew it was going to happen. I almost said, Dice tell the story. The dice tell the story. So my question is, if I'm feared, a beard, am I able to take any actions? And mechanically, what I'll say is, I'm assuming he's going to roll off attack.

Like, would I be able to cast shield? I think that you would have a moment to go like this. Well, we'll say if he heads. Either way, I'm like, ah, ha ha ha ha. In fact, I would say if anything, you're even more on your toes right now and sensitive to fast motion, as strange as it would be for someone like Barnabas to do that,

You always have shield with the ready when you feel like you might be ambushed or like when you feel combat. I do, you're right, I do. That's right. Do I do my full action? I'll just crew in him. I presume so.

Yeah. I'm imagining that I'm near forward and suddenly I hear the muttering of the moles speak. I don't even see buttering up. Why? As I turn around and I see the short little leering mole person. This is the little mole person.

And Doom music starts playing in my head as the mole people are everywhere. And I go, not tonight mole people! As I'm going to, I'm doing it, so I'm hoping that I miss. You've seen the damage. So I'm using my great weapon master to drop my

plus my five, five. But if I hit it is a plus ten damage. I got a lot of end points. And you're recklessly attacking. You're recklessly attacking. He got a natural 20, didn't he? Did he? He had to have.

He got a natural 20 outscroom. That's going to pass a guy? He's got to do 162,000. There's no one. No, it's okay. It's okay. Oh, gosh. But we don't, Barnabos doesn't actually say anything, though.

No, no, no, no, no. He's just, like, bearing down on him almost zombie-like. He just goes for it. That's all for it. 13. Did you actually get a Nat, Tony? Yeah, oh yeah, he did. Yeah.

Was there just one attack? Well, I'm gonna do a second one. Yeah. Oh, technically two more. Oh, no. 13, hold on. You don't really, actual damage is. Yeah, no, hold on.

13 plus 10 is 24 points of bludgeoning damage. Fine, 23, a? 13 plus 10. Oh, that's not. Oh, that's 23 points of bludgeon damage. Plus your 10? That's with the 10. It's with the 10.

I added the 10. Yeah. Oh. I rolled low. 13 plus 10. It's 20. Yeah, because it's brutal critical, right? But he hasn't rolled the damage yet.

And then I'm going to attack again. That's a 19 plus... That's enough. Plus eight. That's enough. Okay. That is 11 plus... Hold on, sorry.

11 plus 4 is 15 plus 18, plus 18, 28 points. 208 plus 23. Yeah, 28. One more. There actually should be three more damage because I was raging. Sure.

And then I have to bonus action because I'm a great weapon master, and I crit. To a hit, come on, minus five. Oh my god. What is it? Hold on, it is minus five, so 14 plus eight is now 22. That's enough for that.

Meeter B, you still get me. You still get me. 22 is my max. Oh, God. Okay, okay, only five. Five, nine, plus three is 12. So that's in a time. Plus 10, 24.

Wait, five plus nine. 278. Yeah. That's pretty good. I'm alive. Damn. I like the image is like raising the shield. No, I have no.

Oh no, no. No, no. No, no. You slammed down. And I would, I don't know. I'm not always just one hit. Because this is, because it's, because it's signs. Did you roll 3D. 6?

6. 3.6. What's your weapon damage? It's long 3.6. Oh, okay. So using your crab clause. No, no. 2D6 plus 3D6, an extra one.

We don't go. You should double your damage. Oh, then I'm definitely conscious. Yeah, you got me. You got me. I was wondering when you broke... I thought you had to roll the... I'm not dead.

I drove two more. It's only two more. Plus nine. You got it. I was at one. Just the main thing keeps digging. I'm not dead though. I'm not dead.

I'm just unconscious. Oh, and you don't have... You can't like that same throw, right? Because you're zero? Oh shit. Damn, Barnum, Barton. I mean, for it's X. And once a crit.

Fortax. This is very reminiscent of when, uh... of when Zealic Sittlerguss was turned to by Toa, and I was like, oh. And he's like, wind fury prox. I'm like, what are they? You don't even have time to think about shield. When you...

And with two hands up, this anchor comes down and you've seen the damage into your... Your fear transforms into terror. Before it's lights out. As you are hit, you feel the spike of fear. But you are crushed down and crumbles down, and you are scrambling, hoping for something, but you are, it's beyond you. Sometimes those are the brakes. And Barnabos, this spirit leaves you immediately after this attack.

You stare down, looking down at what you have done. Looking at your hands, those are your hands. This is your anchor. That is scrim. You have dealt this mighty blow. You have put all of your strength into this, pushed and forced by this evil entity. Scrim's knees are broken.

It's buckled. I mean, it's six seconds passed, right? Well, should we roll initiative to see who can act before he needs to roll? It's up to you. Make it a saving throw. Oh, God, don't be a one. If you want to use this one.

Oh. Oh, and we all have to look away. So the red would be a natural one. Oh, right. would be a natural twigrant. That's right. Oh, God. What is it?

I'll hang on it. Just in case. Just in case. You guys are good. You can look again. And you are digesting what has happened in this moment. The feeling of sudden jumping into your body, you are still frightened.

And Mace, I mean, Tyshen, you are also feeling this terrible fear. You both are, yornyer and queenie feeling that this confusion when all of a sudden the pieces of this puzzle click into place as you hear a scream that you've heard before. And that's where we'll call the night session. I'll give you his back. What? What? I hate you?

That's not good. Oh. Well, we're down a player. Oh. Good luck. If we have like a boss fight, we're fucked. Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Aventra's podcast. We hope you enjoyed the session.

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