Legends of Avantris - Icebound | Ep. 32 | Fated Feast

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

A dangerous conspiracy is set in motion, and our heroes must decide where their loyalties lie. No choice comes without a cost, and the fate of an entire people hang in the balance.   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/U1P83cVuBOE?si=bwXIeBN-qC-MvzcZ

Welcome to Legends of Avantress. I'm Barnabos Dred Wake and you're listening to Icebound. Here's what happened last time. It's in this moment that Queenie chimes in. Saying that she will escort Daisy. Make sure that she arrives and sees safe passage into the citadel, this fortress. What we need to do is, uh, pick out pig and then we can go out on the hunt.

Okay, so this is the first time we're hearing about any kind of hunt. So what's the deal here? Why are we picking out... Well, it's a part of the wedding. They only, they want the freshest ingredients and it's being a tradition for forever. A person who brings the most largest and beautiful and perfect truffle will be able to sort of bring honor to the wedding. It has been many winter since Wilbur has been on the hunt. Wilbur is the best truffle hunter.

The best around. You collect your truffles. You eventually reassemble, and you start to make your way back. You turn, and Wilbur has been falling farther and farther and farther behind, looking and looking, and you see a shadow, flash over all of you and you hear a sound. As it disappears between two talents, massive wings, having picked Wilbur up off of the field.

Clearly, swiping down, the Princess of Wrath immediately grabs Wilbur and disappears into the sky as fast as you saw the shadow flash over you. Do you think she's gonna eat him? It is a mere certainty. We don't know why a dragon would make off with such small fare. Although I suppose he was a big pig, eh? Hello, uh, hey, you are, uh, uh, the newcomers, uh, was told that you might be visiting.

Yes, we're here to secure a gift for the, uh, wedding tomorrow night. I am Rosemary Night Blue. I'm very, very happy. From out beneath the mountains known as the spine, you crashed into a city of conquest and cold. Argentholm. You discover that many thousands live here under the reign of an ancient dragon

that claims Dracar as her dominion. These thousands are the disparate tribes of Dracar, now united under one banner by that same dragon, the princess of wrath. You also discovered the peoples you thought you left behind and the ogres of Ogerton had been brought to the city by facing and defeating Korakhan the unbroken. The Goliath's chief in mortal combat you forged your own tribe under the rule of the Princess of Wrath and are now bound by name and magic as the icebound castaways by an oath-swearing

ritual for all to see. Not all who were brought here from Ogerton could join you, however. many hundred others, the humans who once were called vassals, dwell somewhere within the biting bastion. A great fortress castle at the center of Argentholm. There now, perhaps, Daisy and Queenie are learning more about their own fates. Your first task brought you to the Circle District, where the spirit keepers to keep the city alive with their druidic magic. There you got a taste of the princess's wrath within the lodge of spirit-collar Greywind. The screams of his punishment still ring in your ears. Then another summons arrived, this time from the Shadow Vale Cabal, the elves of this land. Your experience with them began in the tavern known as the quiet quill, your first refuge upon your arrival here, which is where you find yourself again now in response to a wedding invitation, a seeming pretense for some other purpose yet to be known.

Now you are brushing off the cold to sit down for a dinner with the wedding party and elder Nightbloom. The tavern has been closed for the event. It is warm and smells of herbs and spices and freshly baked bread. What happens next is up to you. Moments ago, you walked in through the doors and you found yourself confronted by perhaps a little more than half dozen of these. elves, these strange elves, very tattooed, very serious expressions, turned bright into smiles as they face and turn you. The elder welcomes you, excited to meet you, and immediately you are confronted by a tray

of goblets. It's Nimrodel. He walks up to you. Oh, you came. You came. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Thank you. Let me get your things.

I have wine for each of you. Oh, thank God. You have wine. Yeah, I'll take some. Thank you. Thank you. It's good to see you, Nimrodel. I hope you enjoyed your day. I have other beverages if you are interested. We have... Thank you,

Mr. Nimrodel. Please, let me take your things. You must be cold. Fringe it from the... It was a harrowing day, to say the least. Thank you for... Thank you for... coming to my humble tavern for this is a rehearsal dinner. It's a great honor to have you, all four of you, here to... Hey, I don't know what's going on, but you seem a little nervous.

You can relax. We're here, all right? Of course, I just want to make sure you're feeling comfortable and happy and good. Have a little bit of wine, relax. Unwind yourself, you know? Good Lord, you wound up to... God knows what. You're extremely well.

Here, here. Everyone, everyone gather around. This is the chieftain of the ice-bound castaways, Barnabos, and this is Taichenne, Yornear, and of course, Grim. How do you do? You get some nods, eager nods, smiles from the group. You see a young couple.

Are you there? From across the room, holding hands. This is clearly the bride and groom to be. You guess, based on the age of the other assembled elves, that you're looking at perhaps their parents. This is very much the assembly that a family would enjoy before the day of a happy event, such as a wedding. And in one corner, still sitting at the head of one of these long tables in the tavern is this silver-haired, ancient, elderly elf, much, much, much older than the others, sitting there smiling, having said nothing more

since your entrance. Will the ice-born give their congratulations to the newly betrothed and our thanks for inviting our new clan to a sacred ceremony? Nimrodel gestures to Mus, who had escorted you here,

the young man who you knew as mustard seed, who preferred his shortened named Mus. And he steps outside of the door, seeming sort of to watch, to sort of keep watch outside of the tavern. And in the same time, you also watch as the bride and the groom walk up to you. The young elf woman is beautiful and clearly full of life. The man seems to you to hold himself as confidently as he can, but clearly has a tremendous amount of perhaps nervous energy or just energy overall. She raises her hand first. I am Moquyla.

It is a pleasure to meet all four of you. Thank you so much for agreeing to come out tonight and for accepting our invitation. It means so much to my husband, Valiman, and my husband. Of course, yes, at least we can do, you know, we're here, we're here. This wine's good, you know, looking for good food. That's, you know, just a little bit of rest, right? Easy. Well, we hope to enjoy a meal and to learn about your journey here and to car and to feed you and then, of course, to have the ceremony tomorrow.

Oh, yeah, the wedding, of course, of course, the wedding. The wedding, congratulations to whomever's getting wedding. And pardon our ignorance. We are a new tribe here. Who will be in attendance at the wedding tomorrow? Much of the cabal will be attending. Most of the heads of important families, many of our own relatives, of course. We mean beyond the cabal.

Other houses, clans, the princess? None of the other clans, but the princess says accepted our invitation as well. Ah, that's fancy. Does she usually do that? For a wedding like this, she's looking back now and the elder sort of gives a serious nod. You can be honest.

Yes, yes, yes. She does tend to attend these. Weddings are not very common in our culture. And this one is, well, I, I myself am here to hopefully take the reins as matriarch as Allmother to replace Elder Nightbloom when her time should come So I am sure I'm of great interest to the princess

This is my spiritual advisor Mr. Yornear, Grimnir, he goes by many names Please be seated and feel free to speak freely They sort of start to escort you. The others are also sitting down and Nimrodell is handing out fluffy rolls that have been toasted with herb-infused honey goat butter.

Real quick. Real quick. I was the rich you raised in the same. Can you remind me or maybe us on the nature of our blood curse that I don't know if we covered but we're like horribly cursed and we have to be loyal to.

Oh my God. We have all these de loss and shit. Holy shit. I forgot about all that. Oh, I totally forgot about that. Oh, we have like cold immunity now. You have more of resistance. You have had a bit of a bargain, a benefit in a boon.

You've been diminished in some ways by accepting the token of fealty going through this oath-swearing ceremony. We lost our main stat. You would have subtracted your main stat by two. As a sorcerer, if you were at a 20-year, that's why you're at 18. shot. That's exactly right. I ignore my role. I just rolled. Yeah, there's the minus two from other modifier.

I never would have even realized that. I was wondering, I was like, I don't have any 20 stats. That's very funny. Whether or not this is conscious or not, how much you feel the magic of this bond that has locked you in under her wing, as it has said, the Princess of Rath and you now seem to be, like the other tribes, connected by more than just words. I guess my question would be, like, in your name's position, would he feel like there's some level of surveillance at all times from the princess? I don't.

Or if you would even have that notion. I think that you could fairly deduce a few things in your experiences here in Arjunholm. The first is that this music is a little too loud, and you ask the choir standing nearby to stop at a few things. to diminish their volume a little bit. Can you turn it down, please? The elves in the corner flip a page and look shyly at you. You are aware of real surveillance that has happened. You are aware that there are white cobalds known as the Frosthammers

who are very much the city guard and police the streets and enforce the Princess of Wrath's own governance for policies or what have you, breaking up fights, that sort of thing. You're aware of an ivory clutch, which is a magical sect within the cobalts who worship the princess of wrath, they possess wings, and you know that Whisper Fang is perhaps a powerful magic user himself. That has been hinted at.

You have knowledge of some of this surveillance very literally happening because of the arcane eye that Daisy and Queenie spied when they were out in the mountain, as far out as the mountain. Whether or not those kinds of tools are being used in the space, you aren't sure, but you could make a guess that those kinds of tools could be anywhere at any time. But not necessarily that because we have the blood curse or whatever it is, she can like warging us and look through all this. Maybe that's a strategy. I don't know. Make an Arcona check.

Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. Use the shy Halussi. Hold on. Get in there. Oof. I'm going to twist that. You can twist it. You have to decide before you're going to. You can add five to it. You're right. You're right. Three.

These thoughts cross the back of your mind as you're watching people get comfortable at their seats at the dining table and you feel a tremendous amount of disturbance that you're not sure with the extent of this magical bond, that it could go beyond even the more obvious things as subtle as they are within your spirit,

within your magical being. Uh... Then I would sit down and say, I brought a juicer. Is that for tomorrow? Mr. Yonnier. I actually recall, and I didn't get a chance to watch every little minute. No, no, no, no.

My recollection was that you selected the gifts, but that they would be wrapped and delivered to the wedding. And so that there would be a moment of presentation similar to... It's still very Yornear coded for you to just tell them what you got. Yes. I'm talking to do, sir, basically stopping myself of maybe sharing more than I should in case there's surveillance. That's what else said. The elder speaks up. Rosemary Nightbloom, as you've come to know, her first and last name.

A very... I'm so sorry. Is the person we're talking to right now one of the parents of the betroth? You're speaking just to the bride and groom? Or speaking to the bride and groom themselves right now? Yes. Okay. Aquila and...

Vellic? She named... He hasn't spoken up, but Balim. Valamon. Valamon. I thought he said Valium. And um... Yeah, we got Valium that's body.

Sweet. That's fucking gal. Uh, and... They fucked up on Quailudes. Shit. Yeah, uh, Quailudes and Valium, uh, they, uh, seem to be a really tremendous pair. And, um, even as you're talking, they are giving each other looks that tell you they are deeply in love. Oh, that's sweet.

Thanks for having us, I guess. Some more wine? I could use more wine. Oh, yes. Yes, yes, there's more wine? Immediately with a pitcher. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Nimrodel shows up and pours this wine. It is very low alcohol fermented grape product, but it is extremely subtle and delicious. Even you recognize the luxurious premium quality of this wine for what it is. You mean even me? I believe you once drank like a gum rum or something. something from the ship. So what if I eat trash?

I'll take yours too. Yeah, I put mine in front of scrimm as I sit down. I'm double fisting already. We've been here for 50 years. A very generous gift. Thank you. You're near. I hope that your day was a comfortable one and one that we could

share together. We wanted you to understand a bit of our culture and a bit of our ways before the wedding tomorrow. It was not. comfortable, but thank you. What disturbed you? It was something that we did. We do not know your ways as newcomers.

Yonah was a pig. It was a pig. Yes. We scared some people. I was a pig. And then our pig, the other pig. Not Yon, a pig. Our trufflehog got snatched by the princess.

Perhaps on an evening hunt. I can't even say it. The princess picked up the truffle-hunting pig that you went on the hunt with. We were securing truffles for your very ceremony. I got the screams. I have led the shadow veil cabal under her wing for centuries. And she participates in the truffle hunt each year. Did she just take the pig from you?

It was instant. It was so fast. Why? There wasn't pension. Why our pig? There is a chance that she was taking the pig to her own hunt. Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

What does the Princess of Wrath need a truffle hunting pig for? Oh, you don't think she, you think she has a fine taste for save truffles? She, uh, has been kind enough to honor our tradition. She's very competitive soul. So she too participated in the truffle hunt for the ceremony. If she found a truffle, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw it tomorrow. And perhaps we might see Wilbur at the wedding, Mr. Yornear.

It is unlikely. There is out yet. He was squealing his... death throes. Sond of a bitch. It was clear. It pleases me that you are so caring, individuals, that you would

feel such heart for a simple beast. If she needed to feed, to eat, to live, then this would be the way of things. But this is not why she is. took Wilburne. She intended to show disrespect to the Iceborne and our war chief does not tolerate disrespect. You mean Barnabos, your chief here? Yes. How has she

treated your clan in court? Not well at all. We can be open with each other, honest. Our people are very much in decline. Our people are suffering. It is part of the reason I wanted to invite you here so that we could speak plainly about our situation. I mean, are you worried you're here? I mean, like, is it safe? Why do you think that we can speak freely here?

She has many eyes in Argentholm. Eyes only. They cannot. No ears. Understand the words we speak aloud. If someone were looking in through the window, or if their magics were to peek at us from afar, they would just see us enjoying a meal together.

Not a spoken word. In our short time here, we've seen the kinds of things that she can visit on a place. and decline. Has she cast any such terror on you? This is meant to be a celebration. I ask that we enjoy some food, enjoy a meal together. When we're done, the wedding party can make their way and we can have more private conversation about what the princess of wrath has visited upon. the Shadowville. Of course.

My apologies, I didn't mean to upset the ceremony. Oh, speaking of dinner, there's any meat. You guys aren't serving meat, are you? No, no, no, we would never. We don't do that sort of thing, no. Not tomorrow at the wedding either. Wait, what is on the menu?

And Nimrodell chimes in. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, salad greens. We have rosemary, vinaigrette and toasted parmesan, cheesy crout. for entree eggs poached in honey wine sauce, fried sage leaves, handmade noodles and a creamy pesto-like sauce, and of course for dessert. Oh, there are honey cakes with rosemary-infused cream cheese. Thank goodness. All right, no meat.

Don't eat any meat. Don't do it. Just don't do it. We never do. No, it isn't our way. You had lost me until I used that honey-case. I do like a good honey cake. Well, eat up, eat up, eat up, please enjoy.

Now, I thank you for this food. The rolls are delicious. Only bread, good breadless. I have procured the first step of a gift for the betrothed. But because I don't know them, I'm not prepared to customize it for them. Could you tell me a bit about the bride and the

groom? What are the things that speaks to their soul? Perhaps a spirit, a beast, a bird, a symbol, maybe in your case, a plant, fruit, vegetable.

Tell them of your love, of your, your, speak up. O'Quila turns to you and she says, A bird. A bird sounds nice if I were to choose a beast, an animal. A bird can be freed flying. What kind of bird?

Last. She names a Dracarian bird with an elvish word that you haven't heard quite before. Can you describe that? When she's finished describing the... bird, you are struck by sort of the image of some kind of a crane, but with much more long flowing feathers. All right, okay. I can work with that. And is the groom there as well? Yes. And you lad, what is it that resonates in your soul? You see, I've got many a tattoo, the things, species I've killed, but I feel like everything I've killed. I feel like everything I've killed

from the sea, there's a little part of me in each of them. They stay with me despite my harpoon plunging into their skulls or into their brains without the skulls for the octopus ears case. He looks a little taken aback when you mention killing beasts in this way, and curious at the same time, looking at your tattoos. So strange they are in this land. and he looks at you dead in the eye. He says, for me, a beast of burden, a cow.

I've worked with them my whole life. My family, we make cheese. We make with cheese mongers. And I'm proud to say that I have been friend to many, many animals like that, beasts of burden. Does he look like a little skinny or is he strongly? He looks like he's built. He doesn't look like he's stocky like he's overly muscular.

He's live. He's live. Well, you don't got the frame of an ox or a bowl, but maybe it's a spirit or maybe it's a love of cheese. Maybe a mouse would be a bit more fitting. Whatever you think is best, sir. I thank you. I look forward to the ceremony. I appreciate young lovers celebrating that love and sharing it with all of us. He takes another spoonful of food and Aquila speaks up. Anything you give beyond what you're already doing is more than generous. It is a mere, we appreciate it. We appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you. I'll get to this. Which fork do you all use? I think it's that one right there. Throughout this time, the parents are exclaiming how delicious the food is, speaking with each other, speaking with Nimrodel, listening in on the conversations that you're having with the elder and the bride and groom.

They are looking at you with karyon. when the older, more elderly husband of one turns to you and, uh, scrim. It's a scrim, yes? Yeah, that's, that's me. That's my name, Scrim. I must ask you, how did you find yourself here? There are no creatures such as yourself that we're aware of and we're, we've been here as long as memory is old. Oh, thank goodness. No, no other goblins anywhere around.

No, not that we know. Yeah, well, to be fair, to be honest with you, I haven't traveled a lot my whole life. And, uh, walked into the wrong inn one night, met this gang, ended up in a prison together. And the rest is history. From across the sea, I understand. Many seas, a lot of them, not just one. Amazing. Tell me, do all people like yourself travel so much?

I mean, goblins in general? I don't know, maybe, yeah, sure. I don't know, it's a hobby. Goblins, yes, that's what I mean. You're unique, then, as your... Are all goblins like you? I'm just trying to understand, to learn. No. No, not all goblins are like me.

See? Well, that is great. You are a unique and special goblin, certainly. That much is clear. Those are some words for it. Yeah. Yeah. What is the nature of this death hound that you worship? Well, said, Monsieur Yornear. There's a silence, a pall that sort of stretches out over the dinner, and Elder Nightbloom speaks up.

The hounds, plural. The two dogs that are a part of our tribe, they are sent from the gods, sent to protect, to empower, to strengthen our people. They are our... are our spirits, we are theirs. And do they not possess the power to free you from the influence of the princess? Quite the opposite. It is the princess who has captured them.

The script gets like pale green. Pardon our ignorance, like I said, we are very new to this land. How does the princess, spite of it. her being a fearsome dragon, truth be told. How does she chain up beasts of the gods themselves? If we knew the answer to these questions, we would perhaps be closer to breaking their chains. But it is this that she holds over us.

Why we are in decline, why we cannot meet the gods. This isn't appropriate time for this. like a... You asked, we are not going to be dishonest. This is the way of things. Okay, all right. Okay. It's your ferryman.

You can't go to the locker without these dogs. They are the ones that ferry the souls. Exactly correct. I'm gonna ask. I'm gonna ask a question. We're all thinking I'm gonna ask it. Do you like see these creatures following you, stalking you. everywhere you go.

We hope to be blessed by their sight. What? It is a vision, a wonderful omen, that we will live a life of meaning, of purpose. That we will have children and families and achieve and be strong. It is our connection to magic to the world, to this land. Okay, all right, I don't want you to freak out here. I promise me, promise me you're not going to freak out.

No, they might freak out, Mr. Estabascotch. It's been... They're not going to freak out. It's been years. Relentless, non-stop years. I mean months and months without sleep. Relentless stalking of me by this thing. Everywhere I go, it doesn't matter how many miles.

I put between me and it. It finds me. Amazing. No! No, horrific, terrible, nightmarish. It's mean. It's angry. It, I'm sure, seems fearsome. It is a violent, uh, uh, image, and it is... More than just violent an image, let me tell you. It is, uh, not without its teeth. But it is, uh, it is, it is, it is, it is, a blessing. It is a strength. It is

chosen you. For whatever reason, that is... No, no, no, no, no, no. This wasn't a choice. This was no choice. I am so pleased to hear that you share this. Look, this, this magic, it is a miracle. Don't you understand? I entered

into something unwillingly. Stupidly, maybe. We could use that word, perhaps. It was, it was a deal. contract. It wasn't like, I woke up one day and they were like, we pick you. There was, there was this thing, this man thing. I signed a contract like an idiot. I didn't know what I was signing, and all this started. However you came to it, however it came to you, it doesn't matter. I believe that you are meant to bring this guardian to us.

Like, like you can just take him? That is what tomorrow can test. No. What's to stop the princess from chaining this hound up? Like the other two? She looks at the others at the table. Had meant for this conversation to happen after you left. As long as we're here,

I want to enter a limited conspiracy with the ice-bound castaways. The ice-born. Icebourne, sure. You do know the princesses will not... Do you think that we're happy with Shadow Vale Cabal? Someone needs to tell her. She needs to get better at naming things.

I think she does it on purpose to piss us off. Iceburn castaways. We are not castaways. I mean, that's true. She will keep you under her talent. She will use the token that binds you to for her whim and her will. She will keep you here.

She is domination. She is ownership. She will... This is why you see here these parents of the bride and groom, they should not be grandparents or a hundred or 110. They should have already joined the gods.

one final point. The princess is stealing our lives making it impossible for us to or give ourselves to our faith. Stealing your deaths, I suppose, is more appropriate. Our years. When we choose to join these guardians, it is us giving up our years.

I, myself, am many centuries old. Nearly a thousand years. but as matriarch, that is my sole responsibility. I am the only one who is meant to live this old to pass down the knowledge and the tradition. Everyone else, 30, 40, beyond that it is a shame, a dishonor, a waste of those years when they could be given up, given to our gods, and she denies us this.

Why does she do this to you? Why does she plunge your house into decline, if it would be of benefit to her to have your house at strength? Why does she do this to you? She does not see beyond the present. She sees us taking, removing ourselves from this plane to join our gods early and when we could be more soldiers, when we could give her more magic. She wants to grow our population, and it's a perversion, a twist of our,

culture, what we believe in. I would be remiss if I didn't mention one last thing. I'm not gonna deny that I'm only here, right here in this moment, partially because of my friends and the power that this thing has lent me. I'm not gonna deny it. It's my friends here who've told me to lean into it, use it, and I have to some effectiveness. there was a moment these people, they tried to send me to Ogre Heaven.

I know that sounds crazy. I didn't go to Ogre Heaven. I went someplace really, really awful. Do you know what happens to you guys when it comes to collect? It is not in our legend, this place you describe.

For us, we are giving ourselves up. It is a sacrifice for our souls. We are no different than the meat of an animal. We are consumed. It is oblivion that waits for us on the other hand. I only ask because, look, maybe it was Ogah Heaven. Maybe the whole thing was fucking crazy. But when I was there wherever I was,

in whatever nightmarous layer of hell, I saw, it felt like I was supposed to be there. And it wasn't good. I don't know when I go back. But it feels like that's all there is. I cannot speak to this vision that you had. And I don't know the full context of what happened to you.

I don't either. You're certain that it is related to your blessing? I don't know. No, I'm not certain. But something inside, I could feel it. It made me sick. If I could feel it like it was a part of me. or I was a part of it or something.

Maybe I'm wrong. But again, I just felt like I had to bring it up. I can't speak to your full experience. Your guardian may be different from ours. You're from another part of the world. But my hope is that we can test tonight that it is yours, that it is ours, that we share this bond,

and that you can help. Russell, you alone, with the permission of your watcheefe, of course. Look, I would give anything to get out of whatever I signed. I give anything. But again, not delusional. If I lose whatever's empowering me, I'm going to be useless to you people. Just going to weigh you down. Oh, you don't think you're going to lose it, Mr. Tabasconch.

If that hound wanted to chat, down on you, you would have done it already. And I believe it owns your soul. If you have the chance to doy at any moment, there's a reason why it hasn't killed you yet. Just promise me, promise me. If I don't, if I'm not as strong, I don't have this gift anymore after whatever we try. Leave me here and get out. I don't want to cause your deaths because you're worried about me.

Scrim, we're not all here together because you have the power of a hound. If you woke up tomorrow and it wasn't a part of you and you couldn't do fancy things and wield great power, we would still fight for you. I'd be dead like four hours, Taishen. No, you wouldn't. Mr. Estabascone, do you think? Do you think any of us fear death? Yes.

Why? I don't know. Because of what waits on the other side or what doesn't. We don't know what happens. It's terrifying. I know what happens. No, you don't. I do.

Then tell me. I will be met by the ferryman, and he will hold his lantern out. And I will gladly follow that light. I will step aboard his ship. And he will take me to the green flash. And I will be at the fiddler's green. But sea is green as the most beautiful eyes you ever seen, Mr. Samoskogh.

And from there I will sail for all time. And I know that. Mr. Yornyer knows that death is part of his natural world, I presume. and Mr. Fireblossom has wisdom and I presume he's face his mortality and at peace with it at this point

that's exactly right all right fine he's fine being killed in battle brutally disemboweled crushed perhaps beneath the claw of a dragon or other great beast torn apart tortured even look at peace with it I

says Barnabot's, says I? I... If there was nothing but abyss on the other side, I might even agree with you. That would be preferable, but what if it's unending torment? For all eternity?

Torture, pain. Isn't that a good reason to be scared of it? Scrim. I have heard stories like Barnaboses before. Many cultures here in Drak have their own ideas about what happens. I can assure you one thing. For us, there is nothing.

When one of us dies to a disease, when one of us falls and is trampled, when one of us is slain in battle, this is a tragedy because we were not able to give ourselves to the gods, to empower our tribe. Only through this special ritual, through what you possess, can we meet them. and revitalized, it makes strong our tribe. Hundreds of years ago, this was a very different world. We were young, ambitious, full of magic and life like you cannot understand. I cannot tell you what happens to you, but I can tell you that you have an opportunity

to do something very special for us. We wish to join your conspiracy. We are assembling We're going a horde, a war host, to fight against the princess. We are making ground under the war chief. Assamled hogers. Aye. We have parlayed with the orcs.

We won't do what it takes to gain your trust and restore your power if you're going to Can, even if this means we must go through these rituals, is there a way we can free this house for you? If you can, then you go beyond my wildest dreams. Even just inviting you here to tell you this meant risking much. Had you been loyal to the princess? We would have had a very different conversation.

And I historically have not been one for sea lawyers and mutineers, but we're a long way from the sea. And winter is here. We will do what must be done. And I know that the spirit walkers have been done a grave injustice by the princess. And I am certain that the other clans have suffered as greater, perhaps even greater. As you or us. Make no mistake. Something worse than the princess is on its way.

But what she does isn't right. And we'll do what we can to make good. Everything she does. She does with what you saw at the oathswearing in mind. She says she is here to protect. Drachar. But everything she has done to try to squeeze us and pull us here to this damned city has only hurt. She is selfish. She is only putting herself first. Not all the tribes agree, but I had to risk everything to speak with you and hope that

there was a chance for survival. I had a little too much wine. I'm a little tipsy. Oh, you shouldn't have given you, Mike up. No, no. It was a mistake. I was feeling generous. I got a little emotional

and I apologize for that. The point is, I'm in. I've grown a lot. You know, a different scrim, a different time would have said, I'm out of you. It's not my problem. But if you're telling me

that this is going to help you, there's a chance that I can do some good with this, maybe help my own situation, of course. And of course we can topple that evil bitch. I'm in. Tomorrow starts early. Wedding for our people is a long affair. We will have presents, dancing,

and all of the competitions, the truffle. These just enjoy them. The most important thing during your time is that you keep this a secret. Only the ones here in this room even. I am not telling the rest of my tribe until we are sure. There are so many who crave what you represent. And we must be sure. We call them malcontented.

Parents or other elves who have gone. beyond their years who should have been consumed decades ago, years ago. It is a tremendous dishonor. When a wedding happens, they would normally be met by the gods at the end of the wedding. In our current day, they are instead hidden away, shuffled away, and they become malcontented. The parents here, they are hoping that at the end of tomorrow's wedding, that you will be able to call forth your guardian. Ah, right. To consume them.

The bride and the groom. The parents. Ah, parents are the bride and the groom. Yes. This is... Jeez. Wonderful news. Yes.

Taking crazy pills here. Tys shit on me out of you. Come on, wonderful news. Aye. I got to call forth this thing to eat some poor. people these are nice people they will be grateful they'll be doing so much you will be empowering our tribe in a way that we have been desperate for for decades only only rarely does the princess grant us this this is sick it's unusual to me too scrimm but if if they're living in a form of eternal servitude and the only way to free them of that is

is this. It's what they want. And I, perhaps I'm too old for this and perhaps I've sailed too far and seen too much, but I've seen plenty of death cults. This seems pretty standard death cults, enough as far as I've seen, Mr. Devescotch. We've come this far fighting for the denizens of Drakar. They're right to choose their fate. This is another instance of that. It's really, it's the second most common cult I've encountered after sea cults. But usually the sea cults are just sea cults.

Death cult is that for sea cult? There's not a cult in between, it's more popular than people. Oh, you know, sea cult is one and death cult is the second. You think. And there's a lot of overlap between the death cult and the sea cult. Not like a size cult or something just a little bit more, you know, common. Yeah, I mean. I keep to the coast, mind you.

Something a little happier. We did not choose who. We did not choose who we are. We did not choose these lives. We can choose what we do with them, just as you cannot choose the sheen of your scales. I appreciate that. Just like I will be where I'm meant to be

on the fiddler's green, you will achieve oblivion devoured by a shadowy beast. When the wedding is done and the procession moves into the woods, we will have a private moment. We will divert the princess, and you will be sneaked into the final ritual, hidden from the princess. We can perform it there then,

and when the consumption is over, My hope is to ask your guardian to join us forever, that we will be able to keep it secret and safe, and we will be doing us not just an immediate boon, but releasing us in so many ways to grow our strength back. In return, I will share with you a magic that I have been keeping to myself from the princess. for a long time. Ah, you're holding out on us. When the release of this ritual occurs, we will be re-empowered with our magics again.

I will be able to break the link that binds you to the princess. She should not know. Y. And in this doing, I will make an ally of you and we will be able to muster our forces. That would be a great.

act of kindness if you could achieve that if we could operate unfettered and unchained we've spent too long on this god-forsaken rock chain we want no chains we only wish to follow our faith to live as we have if we can find this agreement together then I would also ask for your silence after the wedding. My tribe, until we are sure and news spreads, we will be needing to control it. We will still pretend that we will be whisking the parents away. We will fake their deaths,

so the princess does not know that they are gone. There are a lot of moving parts to this, and I need to know that you will be able to keep this close to your chest. Yeah, no problem. We will keep your secrets. What is to stop the hound of scream from the vour in all of you?

A loiser? He is. I'll give you this. He's always, he is. Of all of my interactions with it, it doesn't seem like a wild beast. It's intelligent.

It seems to be. It doesn't... It's a fairy man it is. It doesn't rampage. It doesn't... You know, it's... I don't know how I can tell you that I get that feeling. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have that concern, but there's something about it, knowing in its eyes.

It's like Barnabot says, and it's truly a bridge to the afterlife, a ferryman of sorts. It is possible that should it present itself, and it sees so many souls beyond their time, it might seek to. to ferry all that it can to oblivion. And that would be paradise to these lovely folk. Our own guardians did not consume us all. Only when we were ready and willing. I see no reason why they would take more lives than what is offered.

It's only spoken to me one time, but it can speak. And I've tried to speak to it a lot. I've shouted a lot of things at it, but it's only spoken to me one time. What did it say? You want me to say exactly what it said? I am all ears. All it said was, say the words. What word?

It was a long time ago. More crazy stuff that happened that you'd never believe about. It can speak these creatures. And if it had to speak with it. with you, then it must have been guiding you, guiding you on your path. I've tried yelling at it a lot. That was the only time I never said anything. We can unveil this mystery. If you'll let me, I may be able to see a vision with you. Sure. At this point, I got nothing to lose.

Then I ask, our dinner be done so that we can have a little more privacy. Or anyone goes, I'd like to look at the bride and the groom and see if they're into this. Or are they in love? Are they excited? Are they scared? It feels like they're being put up to this wedding so that the creepy cult can do its thing? Make an insight check. I would like to do that. I'm using two. I'm using two twists for the ceremony. I'm using two twists. Dad, plus two. Plus two? Yes, plus one, plus one, twist up to maximum move. Right, right, right. I'm using three twists. Yeah, I thought it was that you could. I forgot. Yeah, yeah. Because the changes is that you can call two and roll twice.

Yeah, yeah. We're using three twists. Altered how it works. I was happy I just remembered it was different. I remember one thing. And so we... What do I know? Plus three.

Not bad. Not bad. Plus three is 19 plus two. It's 21. Oh. With 21. You see a serious Oquila. She is hinged on every word.

You even see a little bit of what will make her into a future matriarch of this tribe, a young chief test to be. And she is taking seriously, listening to the elder, but not jumping in or trying to dominate the conversation, certainly. Her hand is being held by her husband to be, and he is interested, but you get the sense that he is here because he loves her and wants to support her in this role more than an investment in these conspiracies.

He just wants the suffering to end. Damn, I will keep an eye on him. To directly answer your question with the 21, they don't seem like they're coerced or hesitant about the plan. I'll just observe. I'll sit back in quiet contemplation. The family stand. The parents, each of them in turn,

come to you as a couple, thanking you. What you're doing is is beyond imagining. They never thought that they would be able to be fed upon and be, be, give their lives in this glorious sacrifice. If you, if you want any more wine, the other family seems to be, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, own an orchard. And that's the wine you've been enjoying tonight. They'd be happy to send you a case a lifetime supply.

Please do. I need it. They also are struggling with their age. They were afraid, afraid of growing older. And they're hobbling a little bit. They're weaker now. Jesus Christ. The other parents come to you. Again, firm handshake.

The mom explodes with a hug and wraps her arms before putting on her layers and starting to make her way outside to the transport that must have arranged and has been guarding. But finally Aquila and Valium comes up to the four of you and thanks you, wishing you the very best for tomorrow that you'll have a great time regardless and as newcomers to understand their culture and to be so generous with it. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you. We will be in your debt for generations. And, lad, Valium, was it? What was your name again? Valleman. Valleman. Valiman.

You mind if I grab a private word with you as the chieftain of the clan and you to be a new warrior, cultist, sage to protect your bright, to be, I'd love to chat one on one with you, giving your new station in this cabal. Uh, let us step outside. All right, man.

You go outside and you can see that, um. Thank you, young lady. I'll nod and I'll go out with him. I'll bring them back in one piece. Don't worry, I don't bite much. I will then transform my teeth into literal shark teeth and do a little bit of a... If your expectation is that they, like,

sort of, like, be frightened by this. It's more of a cheeky Joe. Okay, cheeky Joe. If it's out of touch and it does scare them, that's fine. Oh, no, they get it. They're into it. They seem, you feel like you could do almost anything with how serious they are about this agreement

that you wouldn't be able to offend them. And taking a few steps away from the entrance door, with light tufts of snow, slowly floating down, under the lantern light of the street, you find yourself alone with Valanum. Anything you need, please. Young lad, do you love this, young lady? With all my heart, to give up a normal life

so that I can be with her, I would do anything. What do you see when you look into her eyes? What is it that you see? Tell me, lad, you can't take that long if you're marrying her tomorrow. I see the night sky. I see a moonless sky with no clouds. I see that beautiful, inky expanse,

and I fall into it, and I am at peace. Boy, in that piece. Is your life that you want? Is that changing and giving up everything just so you can follow her? Is that your path, boy? I will gladly give my life to be with her. If you had never met her, what would your life have been? What will you have chosen to do?

I would have followed in my father's footsteps, and I would have become a master cheesemaker, and I would have found a way to... expand that enterprise into the market and feed all here in Argentholm. We would have to try and expand as aggressively as possible to make the very best. I would have been an artisan. And I still may be able to do some of that. But my role will be to grow old and live with her.

Oh, you, Lahn. it brings me no joy to say this and it breaks my heart makes me want to weak lad but I promise you she will know and if you really do love this girl the best thing you can do for her

is to let her go let her live the life that she needs and you live the life that you need both of you will be happier that one way, lad. And you will love her forever. Don't get that mixed up for the rest of your long cheesemongers' life. Now, just wait one minute. Just because I answer a question about what future I might have had if she didn't exist? You think I have doubt? I see it all over your face, boy. You see the passion that you spoke with selling cheese.

Feeding people, instead of sitting beside a matriarch of a death cult. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Now, as chief of your tribe, I understand what you say, and I hear you, and with everything that we have at stake, I must listen, and I won't do anything. But you offend me, sir. I don't mean the fence, sir. I mean to say that I, when I was younger, I was in a position similar to yours.

And I knew that my tides carried me in a different direction than hers. I loved her more than all of the sea and all of the sky. I would never be able to fool her. that what I really wanted was to give up everything to be in her wake. You understand, lad. You know what a wake is? It's when... To be in her shadow, like the night sky.

I let her go. It was the worst decision I've ever made. But it was the right decision. I encourage you to do the same. You can do whatever you want, lad. You listen to your heart, listen to your mind. Listen to that. Whatever you need to do.

do, lad. But think about it. You have one more night. I'll carve your wedding gifts all the same. That's a good lad. It'll smack him on the back. Shall I bring you back to your betrothed? Please. Carry him in. You both start to make your way. You make your way to a carriage, which is readying. O'Quila is standing one foot up into the door, waiting for her groom. And he gets in without another word to you. Kuehila looks into the carriage and then looks back at you.

I hope that your conversation went well. I went great. I know that this lad is ready. To spend the rest of his life at your side, young lady. That's a good lad. Have a good night. You slam the carriage door and you turn to make your way back inside. And the scene has changed in the time that...

that Darnabos has been outside, the table has been cleared. And a variety of parchments and papers have been put out. More pretense. These appear to be table configurations, wedding plans, calendars and timetables, these kinds of secrets for peering eyes to not be able to see what is happening inside. But more candles have been lit, just to give the place a little bit more illumination. And Nimrodel is passed out a little bit more wine.

In this... That's late. And finally, with everyone having departed the quiet quill, you find yourself alone with just Nimrodel and Elder Nightbloom. Are you ready, Scrim? Are you willing again to let us explore the past, to see what... What may be going on? Ready as ever. Take both of my hands. Then I do.

Close your eyes. Okay. Breathe. Think on the moment that you... First signed that contract... When you first started being harried... Mm-hmm. By your guardian.

Nah, I'm doing it. Look into the past. Now open your eyes. Mm-hmm. You open your eyes. and you are not staring at Alder Lightloom. You are staring at a creature that you've only seen once before. A creature with the head of almost a jackal.

Oh, shit. You are staring into a long snout, long sagely robes. You recognize this creature as the monster that was once a human that you met in a tavern and then transformed into, right before you melted into... into this person. It looks directly at you, and you hear the voice of Elder Nightbloom come from its throat.

We are here, yes? Oh, yeah, yeah. Whoa. Yep, yep, this is it. We're in a burial site of some kind. Yeah, yeah. Graveyard cemetery, I can never keep track of the two. This was where you... First were followed by the beast, by your guardian?

Well, it was right after the sign of the contract, but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, this was the one. A place for the dead, very appropriate. Okay. What happened next? The thing, the thing I'm looking at, it cornered me and it was speaking and strange tongues and saying all sorts of stuff and it said my name

and that I had to sign and I just didn't see any other way, so I did. And to be clear, you're putting in a very odd, position you're not looking at Elder Nightbloom and then also this creature you're looking at the creature but it is it is has been taken on as being commanded by the by Rosemary by the elder of the Shadow Vale Kival and she is looking at you and has the same mannerisms as the elf the elderly elf that you were just looking at moments ago she is getting used to her body she's getting

used to the space and you said you signed a contract there's smoke and it appeared And it was a writing implement. I just did it. My hand almost moved on its own. She manifests the contract. After a moment of feeling around, she picks it out of the air. And she holds a rolled up scroll. And she begins to, you may read it.

You said you signed it. You were forced to sign it. I'm asking for your permission to look at it. unless you want to take it. No, but I couldn't read this. You unscroll it, and it is written in a language you don't understand. You remember now in that fear that you felt almost like you couldn't read it because of the heart beating in your chest

because of the motions that were flooding through you. But looking at it again, it's almost like this isn't written in something that Scripps ever studied or a script that you could even read if you had an hour. No, I can't read this. Can you read it? This... This is the language of our gods. Okay. You're going to have a heart attack.

She starts to look through it. Yes. Well, this is very strange. Tell me what's in it! It says that the person who signs this contract. I'm using plain language. It irrevocably binds your soul to a graveyard jack until such a time as the beneficiary that this is graveyard jack.

Okay. That he has consumed a thousand souls or until he declares himself satisfied. Doesn't sound so bad? Is there like a number that I'm up to? Like what? It doesn't have a counter. How do I know if I've ever given him a soul? I can't tell you that.

I don't know your experience. You gotta be kidding me. You can tell me all this and you can't tell... Okay. During this period of time, your soul is subject to the laws and influences of Graveyard Jack's Plain of Existence. Your soul is held in shared possession. Shared possession between me and it? Yes. Yes. This is what binds you.

Interesting. Interesting. You retain autonomy over your actions, but part of your soul exists within this domain. I knew that wasn't ogre heaven. And if you should die, your soul is wholly and immediately forfeit. So there is except the line to sign.

A thousand souls. I don't even know how to... This is miraculous. A thousand souls. That is... There's never been a sure sign that you were meant to come here. That he has been driving you, pushing you to come here,

to find us, to save us. How many of you are there? There are thousands. Oh! That is by morning! Tomorrow night. I mean, you guys are practically begging for it. We will be able to...

Get our gods back. You know what? Things are looking up for old Scrim? I can't believe it. She claps her hands, and a moment later you blink. It's almost like your eyes come down, and you're holding her hands again, and you're back into the room.

For the rest of you, only a silent minute has passed unspoken as this trance or vision or binding has occurred between Elder Nightbloom and Scrim. and Scrim suddenly jerks back into awakeness. Tell me you heard that. No, you sat silently, Skrim. What?

You sat in meditation with the elder. Oh. I tell him really quickly about the brief experience. I was back in the thing. A thousand souls. It's only a thousand souls. I just got to give it a thousand souls and I'm free. How many of you giving it so far?

Nobody can tell me. It's very unclear. I don't even know if there's like a process of giving a soul to it, but it doesn't matter. Have you ever? killed? It's been necessary. Yeah, each one of those would count. We have killed. We've killed ogres and alien beings from beyond this world, beasts and beyond. Do these all count towards this deal? Yeah, yeah, what kind of souls? What kind of souls does it need to be?

Sensient, mindful. You can't just go and crush a bug under your foot or slay a beast. It must be a creature with a soul. Okay, so the point is that it's less than a thousand now, and she told me that there's thousands of them, and they all want a guy. Do squid-faced creatures from beyond the stars count as soulful creatures? Oh, those fuckers knew it. they were doing. They were intentful.

Are they... That's about sex? Were they aware of their own existence? Did they have intelligent thought? Did they have that perception? They knew how to perceive themselves? Oh, you say true. Then yes. Why, you had sex? At least? Eight? Sex?

I mean, that's just the beginning. Think about... Think about that. I think about all of them. I mean, we've been in a lot of conflict. Now, please, we must not rush. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We have to go through the ritual tomorrow. Okay. And when the torch has been passed, then we will be the ones who have a graveyard jack to work through our population.

But we can't do it all at once. We must keep this a secret until the princess is gone or until... We can't just do it all at one. But you said the power will come back. Like if we eat two people, what if we eat, like all the power with a thousand? If the princess catches winds of this will all be dead. And when we're crushed under her talon, we'll be unable to give ourselves to the gods, we'll be gone. How long before the next opportunity to do a similar ceremony?

We will have to try to go as quickly as we can, perhaps, every week, one? Two people a week for four people a week. Okay, that's a little better, but that... Boy, we don't have that kind of time. We're talking years and decades. We probably have just weeks before... Unless... With this close, with this...

You know how we can voice in time. Are you familiar with the co-boldt they call Whisper Fang? That fuck. She doesn't say that. Yeah! A powerful magic user. We suspect that it was his family who first unlocked whatever it is that

prevents us from reaching our gods. Aye, it's a whole clan that must go then. I see. We believe our entire clan supports me on this. I don't know if you knew this. That Whisper Fang is a mastermind of sorts. We believe he... would be better for our grand conspiracy, dead rather than alive.

We have not yet hatched a plan to achieve that, given how protected and cowardly he is. But what I will say is I am against mutiny. I am against mutiny. I stand against it philosophically, in this instance. I will allow it. I will compromise. Maybe.

Normally, I am against cowards tactics, kill, poisons, blades in the dark, in this instance. I will compromise. The princess doesn't have any love for her Frosthammer clan members or for the ivory clutch, I suspect. But she does keep things that are valuable to her. Close, as though they were precious. I would not make this move against Whisper Fang until you were sure

that you are ready to confront the princess herself, for she will come down on you as I have seen so many others. I may, to shoot him between the eyes of their first chance. No, no, shoot. You're right. I may have... I was just going to say, Barnabos, I know you got a mega hate bono for this guy,

but I was going to ask you if I could give him the old red smile, you know, just to dub my tally a little bit. The young lady. Oie, the young human lady that traveled with us as part of Ogerton. Oh, yes. She was a companion that has since gone to the Biting Bastion. When the people that joined your tribe arrived,

there was also another group that made their way into the fortress, the Biting Bastion. They have not come out. Do you think that they interface with whispered fang at home? I would imagine that it's a small circle there, but more importantly, I think she also keeps them in her heart somehow. They are special to her.

Just as the, if you've met him, there's a lone human who is in Argentholm, a strange man by the name of the poet. Oh, we haven't met him. Well, if you do, just know that he is considered protected, very special. For no reason anyone can explain. A poet protected.

We will find out, we will seek out this great sage. By the princess. The princess, I think perhaps just thinks him silly or amusing. But she has killed for denying him a place to stay. He sleeps where he wants, he drinks what he wants. So I shouldn't add him to my tax. I would consider him alongside Whisper Fang if you were ready to face the princess in a fight, only then.

And bear in mind, these tokens, she draws power from all the tribes of Dracar that she is under her banner. Each chief who carries one of these makes her stronger. By breaking this bond, we'll be able to diminish her and perhaps get her closer down to where we might. be able to change the way of this place. How many willing souls of your clan are there? It is not just a matter of willing.

There is, for lack of a better term, a bucket list. A list of things that you want to do before you die. Having children, a great achievement. It is all wrapped up in our culture. There are milestones that one must achieve, and the faster one can do that, the greater honor you bring your family and the tribe. How many have achieved all of these milestones

and are now ready to move on? Yeah, give me up a triple digits, come on. I don't have a tally off the top of my head. Let's start working on that. It's hundreds at least. Okay, good, good, good, good. We do not have... Years to wait.

Four per week. We might not even have weeks to wait. No, no, we don't have that kind of time. We will prepare. We will speak to the other clans that may hold ill intent against the princess, but when we are ready to move against her, Scrim's hound will have a great feast. If tomorrow is successful,

then I trust you to do what you think is right. We only care that... We can pursue our dreams again, to live our lives again, to be able to... We want this kept secret. That is all I ask. I swear this on the honor of the Iceborn. What did this poet look like again? It's starting to...

I'm starting to recollect. He had a sort of a thick frame, a balding, uh, uh, uh, a... slicked over hair. He was very alien to our eyes as the only human until the group that arrived a few weeks ago. The drunk, I see. I do know of this man. I believe I spoke to him at your chieftain coronation.

Yes, he was at the oath-wearing. If anyone says that the ice-born denied him firewood, and bald-faced lie, I says. And I presume that when the ogres arrived from Ogerton, that they were briefed on the importance of not snapping the neck of any such human? We specifically told them to do that. And I presume that they were briefed. He was trying to steal our stuff, and we were working really hard for it, and I told the ogres were very strong and scary that if he stepped out of line, they could kill him. And they were with only the Stormfest Legion for this time.

I have no idea if they told them. It certainly wouldn't have come from any of us. Oh, no. We may have made a tactical booper. It hasn't been that long, Mr. Stafford. I think that we can get to Manius and the rest of the ogres and keep them up to date. We've finished our business here.

If you need to go where you need to be, I ask that you join us early morning tomorrow, and we'll have a safe. celebration. We should make sure that we prevent the murder of this poet and get some sleep. We shall retire and the slavering hound will prepare to feast. I am so very, very pleased to have met each of you. You know, it may just be the wine, but things are looking up. I feel pretty good. For the first time in a very, very, very long time. You know your way home?

Yeah. I'm sure one of them do. We do. No, we do. Good night. Good night. He is our guide spiritually and literally. I am a little old to walk at night.

And she starts to make her way up the stairs to one of the in-rooms of the quiet quill. And you push out into the very frigid cold of Argent Holmes winter night. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com. of Aventras 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 salt marsh. You can also go to the crooked moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tome for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all of the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. You find yourself standing outside of the tavern called the Quiet Quill.

We should make a way back, right? You know how to get home? Follow me. While we're walking, I just, real quick. Yeah. Let's say, I get all these thousand souls. Right. And or until this thing is satisfied.

That was the other clause. Might not have to be a thousand. until the creature calls itself graveyard jack until graveyard jack is satisfied as the other stipulation of the clause of the contract and we're not going to debate what that means right now

but let's say I kill all these people I feed all of these people to this thing and I get out of this contract and I'm free what that am I going to be judged by some other

being gods there's so many of them What if I'm still punished for all of the bad things that I've done? To get out of this contract? What then? You could spend the rest of your life wondering what if, Scrim. You could be paralyzed by what if until the day that you die. And nothing will change what happens in the end.

Or we could deal with what's in front of us right now. I don't think... If we had ventured for 40 more years that you would kill a thousand souls. But if your near's vision was true and we're on a faded path to stop an apocalypse and graveyard jack was it? That's what they said. If he stepped out on that cliff and bade you commit yourself to this cause, stopping An Apocalypse is gotta be worth it.

I imagine that at that point, he might say, I'm satisfied. So a bunch of, a few for the many. Regardless of me, if I suffer one way or the other, I guess so be it. It's for everything. And what's a few hundred, what's a thousand souls? A thousand and one, I guess, compared to an apocalypse. Or the end of all things, I guess, I guess. I don't think

the beast that's craving a thousand mortal souls would be easily satisfied otherwise. Scrim, have you ever wondered why you are here? Just about every day. You're only just about every day since we've landed on this godfascan continent.

What you have learned today to bring you great peace and solace and conviction fate has led you here to this moment, to this place. You have traveled halfway around the world. Now we know why. You must feed the hound.

With every soul we can hope it grows stronger. Fate has brought the hound here. I believe, I feel it. to grow strong and aid us in the coming wars. I don't imagine a beast, a slobbering, meangy beast of a dog would have much of a taste for metalmen. I can't imagine Secundus had a soul. He was certainly aware of himself, sentient enough to... ...have a quest.

You need not flesh. to have a soul. He may be a metal man with a man all the same. And even if not, if Scrim is able to feed the beast, we've seen him grow in power alongside the hound. He's not one-sided in this way. If the deal is done and... Scrim regains full owner

of his soul, a powerful soul it will be. Okay, all right. So at the end of the day, what you're saying? Like you've always been saying since we've been here together, this isn't about me. No. Fine. It's about something greater. It's about none of us. Fine. We all must realize this. Realize it is greater. And the hound to devour one thousand elders ready to die. to die, it is worth every soul. You must feed him as much as you can, as quickly as you can.

The fate of the natural world depends on it. That's what I'll try to do. You've made your way, as you've had this conversation, about a third, maybe perhaps a little bit more, from the district of the cursed glade towards your own district when

and the streets are largely empty it's the middle of the night now your feast had taken most of the evening and the sky is clouded still drifting down lazily large tufts of snow coming down coating the streets

it's not too slick but it is of course, very cold. The only thing keeping you warm are the layers that you have, the furs and your own natural ability to resist such cold. However, as you are making your way down one street

to make a direct path back towards your home, you see two figures standing on the end of that street. As soon as they come into view, you can see by the torchlight that one of them carries, that these are two Goliaths.

from the Stormfist Legion. Presumably they all are of the same tribe. And I need everyone to make a perception check. I have my character shoot out. First dice, I rolled tonight. I don't know if...

Perception? I don't even know this. God. I'm good at that. I would like to use three twists to mump it up. So it's a total plus nine for me. 21 for Barnards.

Holy. Yes, 23. 13. Is this a minus? No. No. You must have gotten five. No.

Your wisdom is one. You don't have one wisdom. No, no, no, no. There's something override. Click on your wisdom. Is there a score overrides score is one? Yeah, delete that. Oh.

You must have tried to do minus one? His wisdom wouldn't a drop. His charisma would have... Is his charisma correct? Yeah, yeah. It should be 18. Your Christmas is 18, correct? Yeah, charisma's 18.

Okay. That was my high, that was 20, and then I lost it too. Oh my God. So, 18. I was talking to that squirrel. Barnabos Scrim, you recognize one of the faces. Not both, but you do see across this great distance flickering in the light, the new chief of the Stormfist Legion. You understand this to be the brother of the man that Barnabos slayed,

the Corvac and he is looking out and grim but it is not him who yells out and speaks out in this moment but instead a still moderately tall and fierce looking woman just to his side she yells out Barnamos Dredwick

I this is a Cheathen of the Iceborne I claim my right by law of the Storm I claim my right. You will wed me or die. I shall do no such thing, madam. So I suppose it shall be you who will die, just like I killed the last one,

what's another Goliath, or two or three more. You fell my husband, the father of my children, and I will have my vengeance. Perhaps. Perhaps you should choose your husbands more wisely. She takes a few steps forward and brandishes a dagger. A long thin blade that comes to a curved tip. We will finish it here if we must.

I'm going to, is she close? I would say that she is about 50 feet away. I'm going to approach. You take a few steps forward. As I approach, when I get a sense that I could lower my voice, and I'm going to say, I am not trying to shed any more blood, especially on account of your backwards customs.

But I already turned down to Maria Goliath, the love of my life, and she had far prettier eyes in you, did. She was the greatest woman I've ever met. And I still turned her down. What makes you think that I would say yes to you? And if you think I would not kill a woman right here in the streets, I suggest you try me.

Stavner cannot remarry until I find peace here by our laws. I will take my vengeance. I know you are strong But unless you agree I must best you in combat Until you yield I must not Can not

I am sorry to hear That you are shackled By your tribe And your beliefs But I will do you A kindness I will not spare you from what you must do

but I will make sure your head gets put beside his after I cut it off just like I cut off your husbands don't try me you are strong I am and I don't need a weapon to kill you what is that knife going to do I

very skilled with this blade we would make very strong children Oh shit I am. I would. Not interested. I have my lover. She speaks to me.

I lost her for decades. I had her only in dreams. She returned to me. After things beyond stars open those doors and open those chests. If you think I will violate that memory. memory by degrading myself for something like you you insult me madam I suggest you take your manservant you forget we had this conversation and you go back and make up whatever lie you have to woman to get out of whatever fate

your tribe deems you must have I will not play your game. Do you understand? She keeps her eyes on you, but she very slowly turns her head a bit and shouts out. Chief Vornar, we fight. You will bear witness. She starts to circle around you, clearly ready for combat. We will not allow this. Vornar yells out. You must allow this.

It is not your right to intercept. You may not interfere. This is the way of the storm first legion. Have you not had enough honorable combat? Have you not already lost enough of your numbers? By our hands or his? you could have come at me with any other demand woman you understand that

and I may have hurt you out but I am not in the mood and my spiritual advisor perhaps is advising me not to cross your skull and I may heed his word but it will be him that stands between you and your brains being on the

straight right there. You will yield. She is breathing heavy. You can see the rage in her eyes for what you've done. She looks full of ferocity, emotion. Shall we do? Shall I pay for what I've done here? Or somewhere else at a later date?

She doesn't answer. Instead, she races forward. Leaps from her feet. put the dagger into both of her hands and starts to swing down to stab into you. I will attempt to, as she does that, to pull out my anchor and charge up my smash attack and intercept her with my anchor. Do I have time to act? What action would you endeavor to act?

I would like to use the magic action. Oh. How fucking dare you? I'd like to kill her before she gets to borrow us. Uh, I have a dark vision! What would you like to do? I would like to cast whole person. That's badass.

I would say that... It's pretty fucking good. You see the collision that is about to occur, and you immediately tap into the weird, and you cast your spell just as she leaves the ground and starts to leap. What is the... Wisdom saving throw. DC16.

Yeah. I think while this is going on, I would have walked up to be close to Barnabos, but I actually would not move to take a fighting stance But I would be very much like in the vicinity He would recognize that the chief is matching He clearly is ready to try to stop any of you from doing anything, but he's not familiar enough with magic to prevent your ear from doing things He is his eyes dead set-off

He looks fierce as fierce as his brother She fails Oh, got her All right. As she leaps, I will be holding my staff, and I'll just simply raise it up and do this, and all of a sudden you'll see ice start to hold her form. Barnabos step back.

Are you going to try to reason with her? She slide, still standing, but into the hard pack of the path in front of Barnabos, coming just a few feet away from me. from him. Her arm still locked in position directly above her. She's balanced and you can see the strain against your magic, but she is

still held in place. Um, go ahead. Sorry. I trust you, Mr. Yornear. You hear Vornar yell out. What magic is this? You dishonor this, this fight? You dishonor the Stormfest Legion? Fuck your honor.

If your honor take taste that this woman must wed the murderer of her husband that is no honor I want to kneel to. I won't kneel. And I may not be wed that is a decision and a mistake I made long ago.

But I am spoken for I have a lover. And I will kill this woman if I must. You better pray to the triad than Mr. Yorineer is more merciful than I am. You would leave this woman a widow. You would make this. Our people. an enemy, an enemy for all.

I, I might be a widower myself. It's not great, but it's not so bad. I promise you that. Give it a few more days. He races up and he is assessing what has happened. You can make a saving through every round. I will step back though. I am stepping back and letting Yorneur do what he's doing.

I'm going to... I trust... Barnabos... He implicitly trusts his york, trust Jorn. And I'm going to get between Barnabos. From where I am from, I am called Yornear. I am friend to giant, friend to man. I have acted as a shaman and as a wise man to yars and kings.

And without fail, brother their kills, brother, clan kills clan. Families are annihilated. It never ends unless you choose to end the cycle of violence. I long ago gave up hope to change the minds of mortals. But if you wish to be free from your petty honor and from the talents of the princess. Real freedom. I suggest you stand down. If she wants to fail a bunch of more times, I try to cast Gesh.

It was one minute. What? Would you cast Gash? I cast the spell Gesh. What does Gesh do? Code Gash. He's luchin. Um,

he looks at you and he says, you, are weak. You do not understand our ways. You do not understand what it is to defend someone. The world is a violent place, and you wouldn't be to join us. Try to marry into our tribe. You do not see the wisdom of what you took away from us.

You... It was your own honor, your own rituals, your own doucheos, your own duties to violence that leaves you leaderless and leaves her husbandless. Do you not understand? Let us say that we allow this to happen. And our chieftain kills her. And who is next? Her brother?

Her son? Will they come next? They demand honor. And then what? Then Barnabos will kill them too. And then what? His brother. Perhaps his wife.

They will come and demand honor. justice when does it end it would have ended when he was killed she would marry again and start anew you're not going to kill me she's not going to kill me worse things have tried i've sailed to see my entire life i grew up in the deeps and the one thing that i know is that there's always a bigger fish no matter how big and tough and strong you think you are no matter how shirt the teeth there is always the bigger fish and you do not know me I am the bigger fish you come one by one and you will be devoured one by one into the sea down to the locker I do not care I would have parlayed with you but I am spoken for I

have a lover you are not her You pale! She would never bow to your customs. Feeling this swell of emotion and memory in you makes you think of your show and makes you think of the green eyes. It reminds you of that moment in the beach when you were forced to visit these memories. And it is making you almost dizzy with it. And it's in this moment that the Goliath woman Stavna

unfreezes, and it's in this moment, you're near, that if you wanted to cast GESH, you'd be able to. As long as it's been a minute of casting time in my monologue counts as casting, which is my intention. Make a wisdom saving. I use all of the dreads against the DM. I use dread against the DM.

Oh, exactly. I don't know how GESH does. I'm going to use a twist of dread. You can do that? Fuck, it's genius. Why not I think of that? I'm going to use one more. Okay. To see if the dice really want to tell this story.

Wow. I got a seven, a four, and then a three. That's it. Gesh takes hold that you are using your connection to the triad, to the spiritual world, to the weird, and you feel that you have this ability to command. In the name of Alam. the all father of the giants,

the god of your king and mine, you will stand down and you will join our ranks if you choose to. That's that. So she has to read me Gession in... I give a verbal command to a creature

that I can see within range. I'm trying to cast it on her, not him. ordering it to carry out some service or refrain from action or a course of activity as I decide. The target must succeed in the way saving throw or have the charmed condition for the duration. The target automatically succeeds if you can't understand my command. While charm, the creature takes five detent psychic damage if it acts in a manner directly counter to your command. It takes this damage no more than once each day. You can issue any command you choose short of an activity that would result in certain death should you issue a suicidal command.

The spell ends. remove curse, greater resto, and wish can end the spell, and it lasts for 30 days. She doesn't have to listen, but it'll like crush her brain. When she unfreezes. 30 days? She races forward, and she pulls her knife up before. Oh, fuck. Oh, whoa.

What have you done to me, Magic Man? The weird connects us giants together. You have become one with the triad. For one moon. When the moon is new, I'll find you. We'll find you again. You will... Do not think that the princess will not know of this.

Yes. Not think that we will not speak with. Princess. You're more than welcome to tell her what occurred just now. You can tell her that I am not to be wed. that I am spoken for. I am not available. I am no one's husband,

especially not yours. Borner takes the dagger and puts it into his belongings and he spits on the ground before taking out another object. A thick woven rope that's decorated. You look at it and he tosses

out the ground and it moves a bit with the wind, you recognize this as perhaps bonds for a marriage, a hand fasting. And he gives you all one last look before turning Stavna, who's still gripping her head in pain and agony. And it's starting to turn, this is not the last you hear of the Stormfest Legion. The war chief has spoken. to make their way. I just glared. I just look at her. I don't say anything else.

They turn their backs and begin to make their wake, clearly evidently heading back towards the giant step. What the fuck was that? Arjun home is certainly never boring. Are you okay? I will be. What the fuck did you do to her? I stopped her.

You are lucky, Mr. Yornear that I trust you. Well, she should be good. We should be groveling and thanking you. I was ready to cave her skull. You may yet get your chance. It sounds like all we've done is delay her mission. She pledged once again in the moon to find you. Wow, you bought us some time at the very least, right?

I mean, good Lord! What the... We might not make you before. These people are a mockery. of the Makani. They make me sick. I tire of their culture and their customs. Their cruelty, they're all slaves to him. We must gather our faith, for if we cannot make a play to bring them under our banner, we will have to face their legions. I think it's safe to say that the Thunderfist clan stands with the princess.

I'm not surprised. There's a reason that Marker left this icy hell. I'll spit on the ground. Let them kneel. Truly, let them lick the claws of that scaly beast. I've killed plenty of scaly beast in my life. what's one more? There's another 30-minute walk before you reach the district that you,

your own little home, the number of houses that were afforded to you by the Princess of Wrath as part of your failed thing, agreeing to house and home, those that you call your own tribe, those of the ogres. And it's still late at night, but you can see that there are fires, rolling windows, and it's relatively quiet before you see that your house is in sight. As you walk into your own space, you're left with a decision to make. Do you continue to go into the district, or do you make your way home to rest and see the morning?

I would be going straight home. I would be trying to lead the gang to our home so that we can rest and get ready for this ritual tomorrow. Also, I think, well, we have picked up that, a wedding thing. Oh. I would, I would walk up after they're gone. And I would kneel down and pick it up. And I'll look at it.

What does it look like? What is the vibe here? This is a braided fabric that clearly would be used in the union of marriage. Had you agreed to marry, you imagined that you might have joined hands in that very instant and been wound around the wrists together as something like a ritual of marriage in this space. Nothing is elaborate and full of pomp like the elves. Instead, a short, simple, singular moment that would have bound your lives. Such a delicate little thing for a heart.

and cruel woman. Mr. Fireblossom. It burns. And I throw it as it burns. Was it just like a piece of cord? Like rope? Yeah. It would have been decorated, perhaps painted.

Not all of the fabric was of the same color. You might even have seen symbols on it, but those symbols turn to ash as like a snake, it burns up and turns into a very stark shape again. the white snow of the street. And much later, you find your way, working your way into unlocking and opening your way into your home, and you're confronted by a more delicious smell than you enjoyed in the tavern.

The smell of vegetables, of broth, of some form of stew. And looking at the hearth, you can see that there is a pot that is resting on some coals, very, very dying down, but clearly a meal has been left for you and cooked in the time that you have been away from home. Oh, come on, somebody's doing Bonnebos' job now. Who's here? You don't get any edge. I look around for just any kind of sign to see if anybody's been here. Uh, make a perception check or investigation, your choice.

I will... As Scrim is looking around, I will... I will go to the kitchen and I will try to see what's cooking. You go to the kitchen and you can see that things have been shuffled around. Clearly tools of cooking have been moved. There's open cupboards. The actual pot where the food smell is coming from

is coming from the hearth. A large, almost iron cauldron that is sitting against the dying coals, which is where Scrim is looking around. I don't, I got an eight, I don't see anything, but as I'm investigating, as I'm perceiving, I'm gonna just be like, nobody fucking ate this. Let me take a look. It doesn't smell like meat, but regardless, don't, there's no point, don't eat it.

I'm going to grab a ladle, and I'm going to attempt to use my long storied history as a ship's cook to see if I can discern the ingredients in this broth and this stew, the best that. I can. It is roughly made. It is not have much in the way of seasoning. You imagine that it was all just put into water and then put over flame. The ingredients include some of the potatoes and carrots that you've been able to get from the marketplace in your short time here.

The perhaps an onion, whole, unchopped. The water isn't particularly, like it hasn't been anti-scumbed or anything, which gives you indication that there is bone in this and flesh and it doesn't smell like anything you've smelled to cook before not at a meaty level I am going to fish around to see if I can find a bone or meat chunks as I my my face will fall and I would have been seething still like quiet seething and then I just would have kind of just a stillness would come to my face as I would try to scoop out bone, try to see what I can. Getting down in with your ladle, you start to scoop up the very bottom and define those bones,

and you're able to pull out the criss-cross mash of what has been settling at the bottom of this broth clearly laid out for you to consume, and there does appear to be bones in here. I need you to make a nature or survival. I'm using five twists. Yeah, absolutely. Amazing fact. 100%. Exactly right. Who has the highest passive perception?

Uh, mine's... Passive perception, mine's 16. 18. Nice. Oh, 14. Is you're wiser than me? Is that 8? Wisdom.

22 survival. Perception is wiz. 22 survival. You put together that these are not bones from a beast. Hosh. As you are, you're near, you see it on the back of the door that you're closing it, that there's a note there. Written in big script says, food. I walk up and I'll pull it down.

You may not be alone. This isn't beast in the stew. What? I want to look at it and just see if I can tell, like... I don't know if I can discern like a forgery if someone's pretending to look like an, you know, an o... or manning or if it was like placed there though. I'd say that feels investigation-y. What are you looking for?

That's fine. Yeah, I mean, or whatever we're... 20. With the 20. This is written in common, but it is written by a hand that was probably holding the pen like this. A big, meaty paw that just put,

without further explanation, like you would write in plain language, a full letter, the word, assuming that you would know what that means. This leads you to deduce that this was written by it. I believe it could be the genuine, but... This are your near, you deal in bones. What do you reckon this is?

If the ogres cooked this, what meat would they have used? Did we even have any for them to prepare? I thought we just had vegetables. Well, we sent them out for errands and all sorts of stuff. I mean, who knows where they found it, but... Clearly, there's... Clearly there's a mistake. Tai Shan and Scream, you find Mannyas.

I will investigate the bones. Okay, let's go. And let's make sure we don't miss anymore. Stand back. I'm going to grab my anchor and stand to the side and hammer it down on the lid of the holden to tip it over and spill all of the contents. Okay.

On the floor. With a great rush, you hear the sound of the water broth, the contents of this cauldron splash against the floor of this living area, and all of the vegetables spill out, eventually coming to rest. You can see all of the bones there out, spilled out in front of you. I will kneel down, and I will

try to collect as many bones as I can. You don't need to. You start to push through, and one of the bones stops in sections. And you can very clearly see a fingertip with a fingernail that is very evidently from a human. This human, she knows. What is this some kind of threat? What else could it be?

Can you tell which human it is? Mr. Yornear. So anyway, the ogres definitely couldn't have done it. Peer into the weird with your eye. The ogres couldn't have known, you're right. They couldn't have known. This is, this is a... This is a clear threat.

She knows the laws of the land. She knows this about work on us. It's a scare tactic. At first glance, just with my natural ability, am I able to discern anything about it? Who might have come from? Would we even maybe get a sense of just like, like from sizing of the bones,

like male, age, female, like is this like... I can see a cypricor. I'm just on this. I'm just saying, the femur is exactly 27.8 millimeters. I don't know if- Do you think Tyshen would have... I think Yorneur would, as our surgeon medicine, man. Okay, you're just justified.

As our doctor, as our doctor, I think. That's an officer. No, I'm not helping. I don't know. Dude, I'm here right into the weird to find this big man. From Yornear, I feel like you're made... I think you may be able to... You do.

I'm not like a surgeon and I'm not a sci-in investigator. Right. But you're bone. Whatever. Man from Yarn. I don't think that I'm going to let you have a role. I think that it would be impossible to deduce what human, particular human this game. Yeah, there's no fucking way.

Right? It could be fucking a random person. It could be fucking anyone, right? Let's use the weave. And so you're looking through it and all you can see is, yes, it's confirmation. This is clearly from the same human, right? This isn't multiple humans. You don't seem to be finding duplicates of any.

particular bone. And you're all watching Yornear sort of make this initial hook and push through, picking things up, starting to try to put the puzzle together when you hear... Almost without even thinking, I spin around in a puff of smoke the Bruttle Blade is in my hand. I run over. Who's there? Many. I move to the side of the door just right next to the gym. I look, I peek out. with one eye.

What I see? You get home later than thought. I... You see in front of you the very familiar figure of the man you originally knew as Mannyus, Blighinius. Blade's still behind the door.

I cracked the door open a little bit more and I look a little bit farther left. I look a little bit farther right to see if I can see around him to see if anybody else is with him. Make a perception check. Oh, fuck. it. Five.

Give me five. Five twists. Five. Five twists. Thank God. Because that's going to be a total of 12 after I got a natural one. Oh.

You reach. Wow. I know. I had too bad rules. And we don't do critical fails here. No. No. That's just the rule.

So a 12 is still pretty good. And you peak. You'd have to stick your head out in order to see more of the range of vision. But what vision you get, you feel very confident Manny as this alone. Mani. He's smiling down it. I don't stick my head.

I don't open the door anymore than I just previously did. And I say to him, who made this food? Are you aware of this? Do you know about this? Mani make food. Where did you get the ingredients? Yes, the vegetables and the poet and water. Fuck.

Oh, fuck. Wait, you're saying you got some of the ingredients from the poet? Yes, from a certain point of you. What do you, what do you mean? Like, you gave him, you gave him, uh, uh, uh, money, uh, trade, and he gave you me. No, no, no. A poet in soup.

Poet, gift for you and friends. I, I step back in the door will swing open. Guys, he killed a fucking poet. What off your thaw? And that is where we'll end tonight's session. Okay. Holy hell! Okay.

I guess it's true. He really did become the superverner. Holy shit. Oh, also, I did not want to ruin the tension. But I was trying to find. away the entire rest of the session to fit this in. As soon as they mentioned that there were two Bargis or Grims, I almost ended up.

This is getting out of hand. Now there's two of them. You could have found. That would have been fine. No, attention. No, attention was too much the whole time. The time was never right, but I had to say it now to prove that I'm funny and clever. By just the preferences.

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