Legends of Avantris - Icebound | Ep. 34 | Til Death

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

Our heroes attend the ceremonial wedding as honored guests, bearing witness to vows, dances, and ancient tradition. As events unfold, they are reminded that death always lurks in the shadows.   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/BAIEgfynhpg?si=mPNhWjnm7lD7Q-9v

was very important. I know, I know! To the princess, that she would know if something had happened to him as if he was magically protected. She may already know that he's dead. I am Barnabon Stradwick. Chief Ten of the Iceborn.

We come seeking the princess of wrath. We have brought justice for a grave deed done by one of our own. That don't do it. Thank you, Bonapus. Well then. If she were here, then she would already be upon us. And I dare say you would be crushed under her talents. So, she's not here?

No, no. She's not at the fortress tonight. She's gone off doing her own princessy things. I have no idea. I can't guarantee that just one life is enough. The poet was one of one of her favorite friends, a confidant. You can heal him. I can... I'll make him again, yes.

Did you notice that his skull was split in two? You start to walk in and all of a sudden, Scrimm, you are very alarmed. When you look down and you see what looks like Graveyard Jack running straight at you. It is the eighth day of the third month. And you all find yourselves in the cursed glade, the district of Argentholm,

a city. that you've come to know, starting to learn more and more about the various tribes and peoples here under the rule, the reign, under the wing of the Princess of Wrath. You've come here for two purposes. Your first being, there's a wedding. As the leaders of your tribe, you've been invited to participate. But your secondary, more important reason is that you are here to participate in a ritual, a ritual that that the elves of this tribe, the Shadow Vale Cabal, they participate in in order to strengthen their magics.

They sacrifice themselves to their gods. You've learned quite a bit about this process. You understand that they call what Scrim calls his grim or the shadow that follows him. They're guardians, representatives of the gods that will consume their soul, stealing their years of life. for elves live very long, stealing those years, consuming them, and then gifting them to the gods. And in return, the elves are rewarded.

You've come to help because you've been offered a deal, a trade for Scrib's participation in this, because the Princess of Wrath has stolen these guardians away. You have agreed to lend your talent, your special power, Scrim, in order to allow them to complete this ritual. Yes, I have. And in return, the leader of this tribe, Elder...

Sorry, I've got it. Nightbane. Nightbloom? No, Elder Rosemary Nightbloom has agreed to break the bond that you so hastily entered into with the Princess of Wrath. The bond that created your tribe, the oath making a ritual that siphoned away some of your own power and lent it to the Princess of Wrath.

You're tired. It has been a long night for as recently as yesterday you discovered that the poet had been consumed by your very own ogre tribe, that they had perhaps mistakenly or perhaps willingly fallen back to their old ways. And knowing the strange value that the Princess of Wrath, reportedly places on the poet, you are, you spent the night trying to figure out how to resolve that situation,

so you do not benefit from the full night's rest that you would normally allow you to feel chipper. You're standing here now in the center square of the cursed glade, wearing formal attire. Attire made for you specifically for this occasion. There are banners and streamers in all directions, decorations of gold and green. It is actually quite beautiful.

Even though there is a chill to the air, you feel warmed by these clothes, as though they have been perhaps enchanted against the elements. And the smell is overwhelming. The smell of incense. The smell of food. The smell of festivities. You can hear music being carried throughout the space, and you can hear the boisterous and happy laughter and murmurs of the many people who are continuing to gather in this place as the party grows and grows before you.

Mus, the one that you've come to know as Glenn Mustard Seed, a young boy, a blossoming man is at your side, having escorted you from your own district, And... Drimbo neck snapper, you mean? All of you are... I think so. All of you are a little taken aback,

Scrim especially. As you see the children, anyone younger than adolescent, running around, wearing masks, masks of a pound face with red eyes, all racing around, chasing each other,

running up to the elderly, to the adults in this space, and carrying what looked like smoke-producing rods, almost, running around and creating these trails through the crowd as they dart in and out of the various peoples.

Mostly elves here in this grand celebration. I'll also say that this ritual is part of a larger wedding. This is the culmination of two sets of parents. Everything on

Okay. I'll figure it out. Okay. I'm short a bunch of decks and charisma for some reason. Keep going. Sure you are, Scra. I am. I am, Yon, I am.

I believe you, not definitely. I swear to God, Yon Yon is so I'm going to feed you to the down. Having gotten to know the Shadow Vail Kabal, you know that everyone participates in this religion, for lack of a better word. And the parents of many of the children here, having completed their achievements, their victories, their life's purpose and lent their strength to the next generation would normally lend their years. They can't because, as I mentioned, the Princess of Wrath has stolen away their guardians.

But tonight, Opharia and Teres, honey wine, Agra and Valamel, Sageleaf, the parents of the bride and groom are set to step beyond the veil, to be consumed themselves. I still have an other modifier minus two to my main stat. We all still have that. That's where I'm missing. That is exactly the bond that Elder Nightbloom has promised to break. Thank you. Is that you have been diminished in your... That's our fealty to the princess.

That's right. Your loyalty has lent its magids to the princess of wrath. Didn't have to say it's a sarcastic thing. This is... Yeah. I didn't want to interrupt, but now that we were doing it, I wanted to talk about, asked out something earlier. It was...

And it's okay if we didn't notice it. and the time has passed, did we notice, or did I notice as Barnabose, any other behavior in the ogres that is different, new, regressive. Beyond them just eating. Oh, like the longer they spent, it's like flowers for Altonon. I feel like they are becoming more and more aggressive

and turning more feral, so to speak. I don't know if I would have noticed it given everything else going on. No, no, and I think that this would be, this would be true for, everyone. You've known since when you woke up in ogerton that, and especially Scrib, because you woke up with perhaps a more fierce ogre than Mannyus, these ogres always ate other humanoids. They threatened all of the vassals with it every day. Once you're no longer useful, we will cook you in the pot, they said. You never witnessed or experienced this threat,

but you don't think that they've regressed into more ferality for lack of a better word. You feel that they have regressed back to their natural state and that those inhibitions without being told otherwise simply ran wild. Got it. Okay. Thank you. Good fucking question.

No, no, that's an important question. I feel like you would have said it if we had, but as we're at this wedding and we look around, do we see the princess anywhere? Is she yet in attendance? I'm not going to make you roll for it. You look around and you do not see the princess in the immediate vicinity. And looking around very quickly before, I think that that's a terrific segue.

What happens next is up to you. Looking around, you can see that in addition to all the food stuff, that there are a variety of people playing games, chatting, forming little groups. There is a massive stage, which you can hear the music in the distance, where people are dancing and celebrating. All of it feels a little alien to you, the cultural texture of the shadow of al-Kal

being largely unknown. But you are looking around through this space, and aside from a large banquet table that you can see to one side, you do not spy the princess of wrath. You do, however, see must buy your side. You see the parents of the bride and groom. You see elder Rosemary Nightbloom talking with two others.

And Nimrodel is helping himself to some of the food stuffs. All no meat, of course, as you may recall. All fruits and vegetables. It still smells quite hearty. But there's a lot of people saying. singing a chorus in the background for some reason. They got a lot of it. It feels very celebratory.

They got a lot of it. I have a question. Yeah. And this is a positive of the whole group to help me and remember, when was the last time we actually ate? Because we didn't eat the Poets stew. Oh, yeah. Oh, no, no, it would have been last night.

You finished your conspiratorial dinner at the rehearsal dinner. Oh, I cooked something too. Didn't I? No. No, you did not. You would have eaten what you would have eaten. That's right. The four of me of it.

So how long has it been? I would say that it's been not that long, 12 hours. It's mid-morning. I would say that you had a late dinner. No, that checks out. All of that checks out. Thank you. Dinner.

Yep. The confrontation with the Goliath who attempted to marry Barnabos. Your discovery of the poet pot and everything that happened over the many hours of the morning where you attempted to get back to the biting bastion, returned, tried to get a few hours sleep, must woke you up, brought you here. I want to be very clear that, and the reason I ask this is because I think after a conspiratorial dinner, I'm making a point to not eat. I may need to eat a little bit at this wedding, but I'm making an effort to not eat.

Scrimman's made an internal decision about this. Yeah. Wow. That commitment hits you, and what happens next is up to you as you were confronted by the festivities of the early morning of the wedding knowing that this is a all-day affair. They're just masks. It's a little. I'm all right. Did you think these were beasts?

It just took me a little bit by surprise. You can't say you didn't think the same thing. I mean, if some have been following you for all these decades, and then all of a sudden it was just, they were on hundreds of them, you'd be a little on edge too. Hundreds of... Elf children. Oh, they're little ones.

Get the masks. Oh, grids. You haven't seen this thing. I'll give you that. They look like proper rounds, proper grims. I gotta ask you guys a serious question here, all right? This is serious. I want all of your opinions.

Especially you two. You might have something to say about it. This thing, all right? Don't act. We can. Be cool. Be cool. Just been calling it like, Like the beast or the shadow.

I think it needs a name. All right? Back where I'm from, there's all sorts of tales about these beasts that stalked the graveyards and the moors and all of that, right? I was just thinking, you know, those stories, they call them Graveyard Jack.

I think I'm gonna give it the name, but I wanted to see, is that bad luck? I'm gonna piss this thing off. Now, you're Mr. Superstitious, and you just know things that nobody should be able to have a know. So, and if you got anything to say, Say it. Must lean in. Graveyard Jack is a cool name.

Hey, hey, hey! Grimbo Neck Snapper Step Off! Wasn't talking to you. I'm right here. Well, step off. It's a private conversation. I gotta go see my friends anyway. Cool, cool, cool, I'm sorry. Wait, Mr. Neck Snapper? Jackass. He starts to turn. Yeah? No. No! Go!

Fair morning to ye, young man? Well, yeah. All right, so what... Well done. Am I gonna piss this thing off? if I give it a name. Is that like, I want... I'm just happy to be included in the conversation.

It really seemed like you were trying to cut me out of this. No. Oh, you're awesome? I was a very strange way to start. I always appreciate your insight. I just didn't know if you'd have anything to say this time, all right? It's a very strange way to start a... Sometimes all you say is things about tea

and other times you have really poignant shit to say. While I'm working on it, I'm expanding my... It's a coin foot of my knowledge base. Beyond tea. The tales of, granted, I... It was anchored. up in Bargis a few times in the tales that he did here. There usually was a name associated.

It gave it a little personal connection. I don't think that the men what whispered about it were especially cursed compared to you. The point is, I need its cooperation. I don't think it's gonna eat me because I named it Jack. I'm just saying I wanted to get you opinions, that's all. Do you believe that the name you choose to call it has any say or whole or effect on the being itself?

I don't know, maybe. Maybe I'm hoping if, you know, we get a little bit closer, we have a better connection. There's some sort of strength there, right? Huh? Not a bad thought. If his beast is called Graveyard Jack. Oye, if it's in the ale houses and the public houses and the taverns, that's his name. That might just be its name. That's his name.

It is Graveyard Jack, whether you speak it or or not. All right, well, I'm gonna speak it. Even if it wasn't the name, if it preferred you, you use its true name, would have given it. I mean, that's fair.

This is why I'm thinking about it, right? I mean, think about how many times we've been doing stuff and chores and stuff, and I don't want to do any of it, and you're like, hey, do that thing, hey, do that thing. And then finally, your owner's like,

scrim, do the thing. And I'm like, oh, shitty, serious now. I got to do the thing. And then I do the thing. Right, if I talk to this thing and I use its name, there might be some, you know, strength, power. I think that that's the right way you look at it, Mr. Stamaskatch. It hasn't torn you limb from limb yet. It wants you alive for a reason.

For now. Which gives you leverage. That's true. And our goals seem to align with its goals for now as well. I sound nothing like that. I mean, it's a little like that. You tell me it's past, Mr. Yon. It doesn't matter.

We'll work on that later. The point is, I'm glad we're on agreement. That's all. I just, I value all of your opinions. You're, you know, worldly people. Graveyard Jacket is. Oh, you can't get much more cursing than you already are.

That! Oh, no! I mean, you might be like one of these elves, and you might actually, you could be one of those ones who wants to get devoured. I don't want to get devoured. That's what I'm saying, you have a leg out one man.

True. Do you believe that knowing its name will allow you to call it, to call the hound? Do your bidding when the time comes? Do I believe that? I don't know. Am I hoping that? Yeah, absolutely. Look, I'm an odds guy. I'm gonna take every advantage I can get. Every percentage point, every little bit of... bit of one up. I need it.

Maybe this ritual, this ceremony for the wedding. Maybe the, what they'll do to bring Graveyard Jack to bear, to consume those that seek death. Keep it down, Tyshen. Maybe that'll strengthen your bond as well. Maybe something around, maybe something will awaken the connection between the two of you. Well, that's what I'm hoping for. I don't see. All I'm saying is I'm cooking up a plan, all right? Don't worry. Old Scrimbo's got a plan.

You always do. As long as I've known you, Mr. Stavis'clock, one thing that's been consistent besides the dependence on alcohol is your plans. Since way back at the prison. Oy, it's the egg. Begin of which, you guys think this is an open bar

or something, I hope it's not a cash bar. Nobody has a gold around you. I believe that whiskey is vegetarian, so I suppose so. You look at... I'm not going to see what I can find. You do see that there is a bar, where wine and mead is being served.

I would make my way over there, and I would take a look at their selection, and if I see that it's only wine or mead, I would take a cup. You set it down on the bar, and the person tending sort of takes it and nods for a moment. Adjacent to you, one of the other Shadowvale Cabal members,

an elf turns to you and goes, You better not pick a fat one and takes a sip of wine and then walks away. Hey! Is that a threat? And at the same moment you hear a sound. Ah, the iceborne! The iceboard are here! You see Nimrodell immediately walk up. You've come, you've come. Welcome, welcome, welcome. You all look so dapper! Aye, thank you. The tailor was very thorough.

Yes. In his cross-examination. Yes, everything looks like it's to fit, very bespoke. You know, I feel like I haven't dressed up this much in probably 20 years. I feel quite nice right now. It is to your customs. Yes, yes, it is. And to that point, I promise that everything is ready for the customs.

I remember we have to keep everything absolutely secret, even from everything. completely secret even from everyone here. Oh, I should have said your mom picks a fat one. Get gone already. What? It's a wording of patents. Mr. Savas got. A moment past.

Are you all right? I'm fine. All right. We're at a wedding. Mr. Nimrodale, I thank you for you and your Cabal's hospitalization. How is a young lad doing? How are his spirits? How are his feet?

Cold? Warm? Lukewarm, otherwise? Oh, the groom? He seems quite confident. seems good. All right. Very well. Can I see him? You look around and you do not see the bride or the groom anywhere. You see the parents. You recognize their faces, but you do not see anyone in the... This seems a little perussive. Let's get you out of meat. It's bizarre. You do not see anyone that match the bride and groom look and feel. You imagine that they perhaps have not been introduced. If you remind me, do we know that there's there's a certain point in this ceremony where we'll like break off and conduct the ritual or are we just kind of like waiting for somebody

to grab us or? Yeah. I would say the answer is yes. You went through a very detailed wedding plan when you sat down for the dinner. And so what you know is that this is a full feast day that there are celebrations, there are customs to be observed. Then the evening, in the evening,

once night falls because it is the night of the new moon tonight. And that's true if you pay attention to my calendar. Anyways. It's awful. You're aware that in dark of night, that the actual wedding vows will occur, and there will be a procession. And this procession, people will peel off from that procession,

leaving ultimately only the original, what's the word I'm looking for, only the closest inner circle of the family. Got it. And it'll be at that point that you'll be asked to rejoin and complete the final act. Understood. So we're basically enjoying the wedding up until your presence is very much sort of an excuse, a facade, part of the illusion. Got it.

Thank you. My pleasure. A child runs up and wearing one of these masks. He's got two of these smoking streamers in both hands. He runs up to Nimrodel and he says, what holds you here? Aren't you proud of your life? Ah, yes, yes, yes. He reaches down and he grabs like a little candy treat

and he hands it to the kid, thanks, and the kid runs off. Anyways, please enjoy yourself. This is a day of celebration. Oh, we will. I lean up against like a wooden post or something. There are a variety of tents all scattered around. Because he's the only one.

These are the only people I know at the wedding. It's a function. at the function. Fucking same. I will, uh, I will also go and grab a glass of wine, not the meat. Um, and I'll, I'll take the glass and I'll give a little stir and give a half check. Give a little, uh, reminiscent of recounts 43, the dormice would have liked this one. The who?

Oh, you've never met them. They're all throwing. You also recall that you had a variety of wine when you were an ogre. And tasting this wine, the ogres made much, much, much inferior wine. This is actually extremely delicious. And you get a sense that these are people of crafts, of artisanship, that they put pride into everything they do because of the, they're endeavoring to achieve in life as quickly as possible.

And so you're shocked by the... bouquet and by the range of flavors that hit you when you zip this one. Excellent. Not reminiscent of brick. That's what I threw it all. Well, I'll leave you to it. Please enjoy the food and enjoy the drink. In a little bit, we're going to have an introduction.

The bride and groom will arrive, and then we can perhaps dance and enjoy all the festivities. Okay. Thank you. We'll be here. And I'll be right over there by the pyre. I have a few things to say. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

He goes and he walks over and you can see that there are a number of people making a circle around a large bonfire. And there's a basket of gold and green ribbons hanging. They're taking them and then sort of scattering them into the flames. And you're left, they're all on your own. Knowing the only people at the wedding are each other. Now what? Should we partake in the ribbon burning ceremony? We wait to feed the graveyard, Jack, the souls of these elves that beg for death.

Oh, you what Mr. Yorner said. How long do we have? They say anything about when the dinner was going to start and then... Oh, geez. God, I can't even pass the time with any wine. And whatever we came here to do, Yorna, doesn't mean that we can't take place in their ceremony beforehand. There's still two people getting married today. I don't think the lad wants it.

What makes you do that? I think that he knows that he'll spend the rest of his life in her shadow. And he'll always be number two to her role as a spiritual leader and all this. And he'll say that because of it's his, she's his true love, that that's what he really. wants. He'll spend the entire rest of his life wishing that she would choose him over her duty.

You know what they say. Love is the death of duty, Mr. Fireblossom. This is true. Did he say something to you? Like that. It's very serious to consider heading into a wedding a choice they make for the rest of

their lives. He told me enough. It's what I will say. What if he's destined to just be a bum? And he'll be miserable for the rest of his life and he'll wake up. 40 years will unpassed. If he's unlucky and not devoured by the dog by then, I suppose. Well, maybe we'll end his pain early.

I don't think he's... He wants her, but I don't think he wants this life. That's... that's what I think. Introducing Valem and Sage Leaf, the groom! You hear a voice boom out, and you hear a variety of applause, cheers, and whoops as you turn, and you see the young man that Barnabos is speaking of wearing a beautiful outfit of woven greens and golds just parading through. His posture is one of confidence.

As he walks in, he waves and immediately goes over to the bonfire, tosses in one of these ribbons, and then starts to make his way over to the food area. He doesn't immediately spy the four of you, but he does have a few moments of a few words with Elder Night Bloom as you witness this introduction. And you hear the second announcement. Introducing the bride, Akila Honeywine. You're scattered applause, but the bride does not arrive.

Oh, uh-oh. in a moment in a moment you do not see the bride arrive even for another few minutes there seems to be some looks of confusion the groom is looking around do I immediately feel like this is going to fuck up all of the choreograph shit that we talked about

the night before and ultimately fuck up the evening plans there is no wedding then the life achievement of the parents can't be a final what fuck part of part of why they are doing endeavoring to do this

in the first place. I changed my mind, Bonobos. Now I'm pissed at you. If you fucked this up, you might have fucked this up for everybody. Oh, the lad is still here, isn't he? Yell at him. You always yell at me for this shit.

If he fucked this is his fault. I didn't say anything to the young lady. Well, maybe you were mistaken about whose feet have grown cold. What if he said something to her? Well, to be fair, I did say that if he did agree that she would grow to resent him

for not being fully on board for the life that she's chosen, so perhaps that she actually agrees with my assessment and if he did bring that up she might have said you know what you're right he was half correct just pick the wrong elf what if simply she doesn't want to be the elder I wouldn't blame her we need a wedding we need a goddamn wedding we can't do the ritual we can't feed the souls of the dog sir what are you suggesting mr. Savasconn't I don't know I haven't got that for get it well why don't you think of something you always

have plans don't you still in the angry face Well, you should probably let that set that aside, Mr. Stabber-Skunch. I'm not ready to yet. Give me 20 minutes. Maybe we should try and find her. Seek her out, see why she isn't here. Maybe she's in danger. Maybe she's been held up. Do we need the ceremony? What purpose does it serve to us?

If you can find a way to call your hound, perhaps it can devour on its own. What do I know about this rich, What Elder Nightbloom implied was that what every Shadow Vale Cabal member and any of these elves Attempts to do is essentially a bucket list a bucket list of items that they want to have achieved in life before they willingly give their years and that they try to do this as quickly and as aggressively as possible The tragedy of what's happened to them under the Princess of Wrath's rule is that she's taken away their ability to do this and so they're all growing old Many of them have achieved what they need to achieve, and they are starting to feel those years. This not only weakens their magic, but it also is deep shame, a point of soreness for them.

What do I know about them passing on or giving up their years before the bucket list is done? Would we have discussed that? Or is it like it truly has to be a willing thing? It's okay to say we didn't talk about it. I want to say I mentioned it, but I'll re-articulate it now. You would know that losing one's life before achieving all of your, all of the efforts, to one of these hounds would be okay because you're at least giving your soul to one of these hounds. However, if it's not gifting your years, if you die because you get run over by a wagon or something,

then that's not a gift at all. That's a tragedy. That's still a bad thing that happened. It might not count. It might not count. Well, there might not be at full strength. And then what if the dog isn't getting stronger? Then there's no point to any of this.

The souls might not count. We also need them to willingly sacrifice themselves, and they may not if the wedding does not take place. Boy, do we think there's a chance? We would poll that the Howard needs one powers, and souls did, were we not? Yes. Was there a qualifier

that they must be happy souls who give themselves or live full lives or were not devoured in a terrible tragedy at a wedding? We don't know! But the purpose here is not for the hound to feed. It's for the hound to be summoned

in this ritual so that they can shatter the bonds of fealty the princesses that shackled us with. Not simply to let the hound run amok. I hope. Is there a chance we even lied to? Yeah, what else would be new? That would just be another day that ends in why, Barnabos.

Is there a chance that, whispered, play do us, the princess does have eyes and ears, even here. She found out about this coup and decided to serve the bride, perhaps in one of these meat-free dishes. I mean, that would be, That would be really, really, really messed up.

And definitely something that she would do. As you stare over, you can see people just stuffing their faces with pastries and a variety of different goods. How much, like, you know, cannibal meat do you have to eat to turn into one of those things? Is it just like, you know? Just a morsel. A little bit of flesh here and that. Just a morsel.

Just kind of sprinkled throughout all the, fuck, Barnabot's fuck. I don't want my grim imagination. to perhaps cause any alarm. Well, now I'm thinking we should just try to let the dog run amok because it would stop them falling into horrible creatures. Like worst case scenario, it would be a preventative measure. My purpose is that if we can call the hounds, both of them, somehow, this is what we need, wedding or no.

You can fire, speak to the elder. If she does not arrive, I can believe that she would understand our goals and our plight. The elder is speaking to the groom right now, having a sort of a calming conversation. You can tell that he is quite apprehensive about the grooms, about the bride's not appearance. And she's seemingly calming him and endeavoring to... keep him from going and seeking around. I would like to peruse the buffet. Yeah.

And just use my experience as a cook. Mm-hmm. And knowing meat and knowing vegetable and animal and all of that, I'd like to just kind of fake being a picky buffeter, but being a, I don't know, maybe, and just kind of do basically the Tony Soprano food where he just moves his food around with the fourth. and never actually takes a bite. I basically want to do that with all of the food

to see if I see perhaps anything that I register as unauthorized meat, as they say. Of the poets bones in your mind. It doesn't leave my head. Yeah. Make a investigation check, and because of your cooking background, you can add your proficiency twice.

While he's doing that, can I just look at the elder reassuring the groom and see if I can get a sense if she seems like maybe like she's trying to mask being extremely nervous about the situation. Make a inside check.

That'll be 26. 26. Well, the natural 19. You make your way through and you are piercing the dumplings and looking at the guts. You are opening the fritters and then setting them back in.

You are taking the stew. And you are ladling through the stew and looking for anything that might be indicative of a... Meat. Of flesh, of cooked or otherwise. You do spice something that starts to shred for a moment and then, oh, it's more jackfruit. You start to pull up the marangs, the cakes, the puddings. You start to pull those apart as well. You fill your plate with pieces, not taking a single bite, but ripping it all apart and going through every crumb.

You are extremely thorough, and by the time you reach the end of this perusal, you feel very confident that not a bit of meat exists on this whole table as elaborate and expansive as it is. Roger that. It probably took me like 15, 20 minutes. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll probably, I'll be doing that. How did they source fruit that only grows in very tropical regions? I have something to do with that magic. Who knows? I do not understand it. It makes no sense. It is unnatural. How is Shen?

I rolled a one. I have a plus eight, though, so I got a nine. A nine. I got a nine. That's just not enough. Oh, rats. I needed a ten. No, no.

What I'll say with the nine is that it's hard to read her. She is a very practiced and elderly elf. She's the only one here who is hundreds and hundreds of years old aside from Yorneur. She's very demure. And she's mindful. She's demure. Find the hound. Call it right now.

As Yornear whispers this to you. You hear a voice cry out. Apologies, apologies, a simple wardrobe malfunction. The bride. And you see the bride. I like, I like, ah, like, laudably exhale I'm weaving against you or not. Oh my gosh.

O'Kila, honey wine. And she walks out looking absolutely gorgeous, a little flustered, but she is sort of apologetically waving at everyone for the delay. And she, uh, she clasped up. along with everyone and the room sinks with relief as he looks forward everyone seems overjoyed upon her arrival and the band picks back up everyone is dancing and enjoying themselves very much I'll have it on my plate like a couple a bit of like

shredded jackfruit I'll be looking at that and we'll be looking at her that's very funny poke at it a little bit your pipe yeah I go to like a waist bend and put it in there. The groom steps forward. Now that he has been joined with his bride-to-be, they meet and you can, on the surface, see a lot of love there. They seem to look into each other, each other's eyes dreamily.

Everything that you've been told is that this couple is desperately in love and hoping to be married. They've never been able to have a wedding like this because, of course, of the barrier. Culturally, the fact that the Princess of Wrath wouldn't allow their parents to experience their own end. But they look overjoyed that they're getting the day of their dreams, the day they always were happy about. The groom turns and waves his hand and says, thank you everyone for joining us. I hope you enjoy the food, the wine. I want you to all have an amazing day.

And if you'll join me, I will be happy to lead everyone in the ceremony of carrying a child. And he reaches down and picks up one of these hound-faced kids and puts it on his shoulder. The last one standing, of course, wins the day. And he's got this kid hanging on his shoulder. You can see other elves as well, immediately start grabbing kids and picking them up.

It seems that this is a reinforcement, a ritual to say, here's how we lift up the next generation. And you can see them all starting to participate. I guess I got to just participate in this thing with physical activity. I'm just going to do it. Okay. Are we doing this?

Are we doing this? Perhaps you start by grabbing a random child, Mr. Stavis, Scotch, and we'll see what happened. I try to find the smallest kid that I can't, because I'm not much taller than these kids. Make a perception, Jack. 17. Oh.

17. You do not find a fat one. You find the... Oh, I see. All of a sudden it dawns on me as I begin to look around. I go, oh, that's what he meant. Hey, you, come here. And I go try to find some small... This kid runs up to you with two darklers,

spitting around and... Feed me, feed me! Hold still, just stop moving, get on my shoulders, all right? And I kind of squat down, and I'm trying to get him to, like, shoulder, because I can't hold him by one shoulder. I try to do like the, you know, like literally do like a shoulder, like over the shoulder. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

He gets on the two smoking sticks in both directions, he holds the two smoking sticks in both directions, and you feel a little out of balance. He's a good, he's a good weight, but you do not find a fat one. Thank God. I chuckled to myself. That guy's kind of funny after all. And what anybody would notice while this is happening is

once I've gained my balance, you would think that the strategy would be to conserve as much energy as possible. My friends, if they were paying attention, might notice that I'd be kind of meandering in a small circle. Like moving with this kid on my shoulders. Just kind of not like, not like, you know, a lot, but just enough to be like, that's weird. That doesn't seem like a very smart strategy. And that's what I would be doing. Okay. Okay. Do any of you participate in the in the event? No. Yournier continues to drink his name. He would be up for literally. for you. Drink his meed, staring down the entire wedding party. Smash cut, there's a

montage of hundreds of years of these countless festivals that he's been. Oh, and it's just, you're doing all these different curves and settings with firelight on his eyes, like, sipping. Just all the, you know, human ritual. And you see like the baptism, like the birth celebration, the wedding, like the death ceremony of the same fucking people. Oh, yeah. You see generations go by. That's the same one. That's hard as fuck. That cinematic is fuck. Jeez. Yeah. This is what I'm talking about. Is what I'm talking about?

You're just some cold blood? It does. That's all he does. You're in the... Cold blood is a movie. You're just over here standing in the corner being the best character. I will find a kid. I'll kid. Make a perception check. Oh, God. You're going to find a kid. Oh, God. I'm going to find the best kid.

You'll look at for school. Stop. Derek did it. That four is so important. That four is so important. What did you say? Perception? Yeah. With a natural 20.

Natural 20. I've gotten a 24. You look around, and it looks like many of the kids are being scooped up until you look down at your side. And this is, there is a toddler right near your leg, starting to waddle over towards the food area. And you look like he just literally wants to be picked up. You get the kid.

attention. Oh, okay. Hey, he's actively running away from me. Get here, you little, get out of here! He's walking towards the food area. I gotta punch out my shoulders. Come back here. Come back here.

We have to participate in this. As soon as you get his attention and he sees what you're trying to do and he realizes everybody else is being lifted up, you get the upie's arms. Got it, okay. This cute toddler does that and you easily lift this kid up onto your shoulder. So you're wearing a... Not at this time. Grave-dard Jack Mask. You can see that there's red makeup around the eyes, but he seems to either have lost or

has put away his mask making their way to grab a pastry or a dessert. Got it. I'll just kind of look at kind of like what's happening and I'll see kind of what most everybody else is doing. I'll try and get the best sense that I can in the moment of like what the... I mean, it seems pretty simple, but just to be respectful of their custom, to participate in it to enjoy it, I'll do what I can. People are starting to gather around that same bonfire where you saw people throwing the

ribbons and you are, it sort of gravitate along with the crowd. There don't seem to be many kids left that you can see as you start to make your way. Scrim, you're also making your way. Barnabost, do you choose to participate? I look for the finest kid. I look to see there's any like, there's any like, kid who's like sad and chunky in the corner he's not getting picked. Make a perception check.

And if there's not, if I feel like there's no one getting left out, I'm not going to do anything. But if I, okay, natural 20. Oh, you find the bad as sobbler. He's like he was a kid. He's like a sphere. He's a little off he loves berries in your game. 26.

You look through and around. You don't pay attention to the crowd in the center, but you, you know, you immediately thinking of how you might feel if you were in their their shoes you spy in one corner sure enough there's a kid who is what's the name of the fat kid from fucking a Gus's Gloom I just I just like I didn't need it I what's your name little boy a Gus is Gloob in Elf form is sure enough standing on the opposite side a You can circle around in Richmond and you start to make your way and the kid looks up at you. I'll kneel down and I'll say,

Hey there, young man. What's your name? My name is Barnabos dreadwake of the Iceborn. How are you? I will find my names just one moment because I always have names prepared. My name is hot. Little hones. Must be a shortage of chunky monkey around it.

Wow. Who doesn't have his names prepared? I'm going to have to find a random junkie monkey. generator. Barnamos, he stared down at this chunky kid. Oh, yeah. And he looks up at you with his round cheeks and his clothes that are

not a full size too small, but a little tight around the arms and belly. And he answers your question. What is your name? Mallow Leaf. Well, Mallow Leaf. I'll call you Mallow Leaf. I'll call you Mallow Cup for sure.

Mallow? My friends call me that. Oh. It's a great honor. I'll call you Mallow, who's the most useful party member in Super Mario RPG. For short of course.

He perks up. Oh, he's a great honor, lad. Everyone always goes for Toadstool or Bowser. Mallow's the best. Geno is overrated. Okay, lad. You know, lad, my name is Barbos.

You know, what do I say? is you, all your friends that got picked first, if it weren't, if it twerk for all of the strange and natural magic, they wouldn't survive the winter. Oye, but you lad, you would survive, you would outlive all of them. He laughs and struggles to balance on the top of your shoulders. He is doing his best to hold on. And even despite the fact that you are as strong as you are and you have your anchor,

you realize that this is perhaps going to be a challenge. as you watch Tishan and Scrim join this circle. Look at this fucking guy. He looks like an L-Virgin of Mallow. He looks like Morrow, for sure. Look at this little fucker. I love him. He was on my party all the way through.

The music picks up and shifts into this rhythmic, growing, repetitive melody. And you watch as the circle of men all start to walk backwards and forwards, doing this sort of legwork, and you realize that the difficulty of this is not just the stamina of having to carry the children, but the dexterity of having to walk around. I need everybody to make a strength ability check or acrobatics. Oh, I'm sorry. The strength one.

Acrobatics? No. Athletics. You could do a strength acrobatics check. Oh, you can't do that enough. Yeah. Strength acrobatics. You can use a different skill but swap out the...

The example that given the... DMGs if you're a barbarian trying to intimidate someone, you can use a strength intimidate. Not great. Like you get like shatter people. Yeah. With my plus zero on athletics, I got his 12. Oh, 12. With my plus zero on athletics, I got a three. I don't need to win this thing. I just need to last a while. With a three. Everyone is starting, you don't quite pick up the dance moves fast enough. You're struggling not to run into people. And it's not just this. Oh, you hang on, mellow. Behind your eyes, you are, you feel a sudden shock of emotion. It is not just the strange alien tradition, this weird thing that you're participating in,

but it is the fact that you have this toddler, and you're suddenly struck by a memory of melee. And you remember this feeling, and it's so distracting in this moment that you let yourself, you let the dance get away from you. Someone rams into you and both of you topple over, dropping the kid onto the ground. You keep the kids safe. There's no injury or anything like that. But you are knocked out of this ritual. The groom is going swimmingly.

Just one kid on one arm moving and you both are keeping balance. I'm good? I'm trying to keep up with, yeah, you're good. As I continue to march around, I look. I said, no fucking way! I mean, longer than dice! Hey, well done, Mr. Stavisgras! You're still going to go down, mellow noise.

They're gonna crush all of you. I'm like starting to sweat though. You are starting to sweat. Like I'm starting to sweat. I need everyone to make an additional strength bag of Radix check. Oh baby, 16. Let's fucking go.

24. 24. You both are able to hold on. It's getting harder and hard. Hang on there, kid. The music's speeding up. It's not. Right there.

Once you get into the actual dance, it's backwards, forwards, everyone's moving around. Some kids are, are getting dropped left and right. And the crowd of men who are making this parade are reduced by almost half in this next minute of music as you continue to dance. Everyone is clapping and cheering.

See what I told you about not surviving the winner, Mallow? They may not like it, but this is what peak male performance looks like. Right. Yeah, Barnabot, yeah. Okay. You need everyone to make a strength aggregate? There's no way.

I can't keep going up. There's no way. You can't keep getting away with this. Strength athletic. Okay. I'm huffing and puffing. I look at this kid and I'm like, ah, God, what did you eat? And then all of a sudden I stop, I squat down. And I say, all right, I quit. And I got, I huff him off? I don't know. Okay. Dead on my shoulders, kid. I quit. I quit. I roll six.

You do. You do. I'm done. I'm out. Justifying the bad roll, you immediately lose interest in the activity and you just sluff this kid off. Who wails and runs. I wipe my sweat-drenched brow and I find you're near and I go stand next to him. That's all I can. It's all I can. The three of you continue to watch as Barnabot's... With a 19, you're able to survive the third acceleration of this music. It's getting faster and faster and faster. There are now only five remaining elves, including the groom.

The groom isn't hugely strong, but you see a... will that you hadn't before. In this moment, as you lock eyes with him across the bonfire, you can see he is going to give everything to hold on to this kid and to win the day. I need you to make another strength athletics check. Can I kind of like saunter up to him? You can you can advance and catch up to him in the dance. Like dance alongside of him. Back and backwards and forwards. He looks up and impressive. Remember what I told you boy. Is that a life word for? living. Oh, come on, Mallow!

Jesus. Go ahead and roll. Holy. It was a fair effort. Oh, natural 20, folks. Wow. 28. 28.

Natural 20. You are the only two remaining after another minute of dancing. Sweat is beating on both yours and the groom's forehead. It is just the two of you. Heads up. lightning round style

as the music again picks up. The musicians are trying differently to get you to fall because you are trying to keep up with the forward, forward, forward, back, forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, moving around and around and around this bonfire. Everybody is chanting, mostly rooting

for the groom, but you continue to hold on to Mallow Leaf as you roll again. Ain't no life being second. Oh, come on, Mallow! I'm going to try to in this guy's head. I'll roll it as a man.

Oh. Oh. 15. With a 15, he got a 13. Oh! That's it. And you continue to whisper these things at him, and he looks angry.

He doesn't look shaken. He looks mad. And his foot slips a little bit on a small patch of ice, and he doesn't. and he doesn't go down, but he loses balance and he's forced to set the kid down or collapse on top of them. And he, damn!

Oh, Voss, Mallow, we did it. Yeah, we did it, we did it, yeah. Pink male performance, Mallow. Mallow and Barnaboth forever. Oh, oh, you lad, we're going to go and sail the horizons like Trotha and the Great Shark Puncher. The groom, we're gonna take Smithy down, kicks into the ground, and Elder Nightbloom walks up and says,

the winner, the winner, Barnabos Dredwig, chieftain of the Iceborn. He has managed to show us all how important it is to support the next generation. Oh, it was all Mallow. It was all his encouragement. What brought is this victory? It had nothing to do with me or the Iceborn.

It was all me. I give Mallow the victory here. for you both. Three cheers, Ramada! Aye! Even the groom is joining in.

This is intended to be a joyous celebration and despite his frustrations with not being able to hold out he recognizes your strength and bows. Elder Night Bloom walks up to you your prize for

winning the day and she grants you a blessing. A prize, right? And it is a, at your convenience, when you want it, a cast of heroism on yourself.

Oh. I'm going to make a note in my inventory. Not bad at all. Boy, thank you. Elder night bloom. Blumblum. Night bloom. Pretty soon the crowd disperses.

Some people continue dancing, enjoying the festivities, and you are back among the tent where your near has barely moved an inch. Better look next time, gentlemen. Better look next time. I look too sweaty. I still got it. You were great.

It was as noticeable. You did good. I did all right. Trying to work up a sweat a little bit, you know? You exerted physically. Yeah. You look fine. Thank you. I appreciate that.

What are you looking for? I don't want to look like I'm a complete mess of this wedding, all right? No, but you're asking if we looked like... You look like you worked up a sweat. Yeah, so I did? I don't look good now. I look like I just came from, you know, working out. No, no. Why? I don't want to be a complete mess at the wedding. I'm trying to be presentable. You're at the wedding currently.

Right. Do I look like a mess? Do I look like I'm a mess right now? Does it matter whether you do or you don't? Either way, you're at the wedding. I need to clean myself up if I look like... You know, you're the one person. Do I look all right? You just look like you've been having fun. Oh, perfect. That's all I'm going for. Thank you. I don't know why I even asked him. You all have your strengths. I should have come right to you. Yeah, I would have told you.

Yeah, we don't know why the person you went to is Mr. Yoran. He was the one standing here. We've been talking for a while. I've been standing here. Oh, you haven't said. I don't tell you. He's not moved, in fact. Barely an inch.

He's acceptable. I'm going to go look. Is Mallow like celebrating with his friends? He's getting more friend attention, thanks to your self-ration. There are three kids, including, including Musk, who are now talking to Mallow. What are these for? And he is puffed up with pride. I'm going to walk over and I'm saying,

oh, you lads, all well fought and well played. But you can't win him all. Mallow here was the champion. And I forgot to give you, Mallow. This charm right here, you have earned it. This will protect you from any curse, any negative boon, any sort of strange spirits or specters. When you're old enough to pierce your ear

or anywhere else, it'll do you fine. Bon of us, what the fuck? As I will hand him a hex, the spoon. Yeah. With the hexagon etched into it.

One of your superstitious trinkets, you hand this to Mallow. He, uh, thank you. I meant like your nose, you fucking perverts. He says to no one in particular. Yeah. Thank you.

I'll try to measure this. Well done, lad. I'll like pat him awkwardly. Are you gonna put your victories into the bonfire? Oh, you don't, maybe. What's that? The ribbons. You can take one. You can, if you've achieved something since the last wedding, then you can throw it in there. And it's a way of speaking to the gods. Well, that you know, I've already burned, uh, burned, uh, burned one wedding band or ribbon

in the last day or so. What's one more, eh? Okay. You're a good lad, you're a good lad. Remember, lad. Never forget, mass moves mass. He nods and looks at the spoon. Jeez.

Must and the other older adolescents, I'll continue to run around and leaves you there. Elder Nightbloom walks up to the three of you under the tent and specifically addressing Yornear. Yornear, you're not participating in the event.

I am present. But you're not dancing or throwing your victories into the fire. You're... People are asking questions. Are you okay? Why would I not be okay? This is supposed to be a joyous time. I am full of joy. Look at him. Look at his face. Look at how happy he looks.

My brow's like super grim. Hey, this is the happiest I've ever seen him. You've not known him long, but this is how he shows happiness. Look, he's smiling. It's like... I wanted to make sure that everything was all right here. If you just want to enjoy the mead, you have my blessing. This mead is very fine, I must say. Thank you.

I am grateful for this me. Glowing recommendation. Mead makers are very proud of the work they do. Yes. Pass on my respects to the beekeepers. I will. I will see you. Nightfall is almost

here, and you look up and it's like midday. And she turns and she walks away. Son, bitch. Don't we hurry this up? You hear another voice cry out. Gather round! The bouquet throwing ceremony is about to commence. More of this garbage. Okay, here we go. Alright. And Scrim's gonna like figure out what's going on.

You watch and you can see that the bride and groom have a collective bundle of flowers and they are preparing to toss it into the crowd. You understand based on the way that everyone is positioning themselves that the goal is not to be the last one holding the bouquet when it perhaps erupts in magical energies. You'll see that Scrim's kind of like trying to figure out this and like he's weirdly into like all the physical activities that are happening at his wedding. And like, Skrim's kind of like bouncing on his toes, like, okay, all right. I'm ready, I'm gonna play this one too.

Here we go, all right. The, you look and you see the, the bride. And she looks out at the crowd, and then she sees that you're actually seeming to like pump yourself up, and she laughs and she goes, Scrim and she tosses it into the air. It spins up. You can see a few petals start to float around

and it starts at you, almost like an arrow immediately sticking to your person. And it seems that by naming you, you are attached to this thing. It's almost like going off, starting to like bloom and start to swell with energies. I'm kind of dumbfounded that. This is just like landed in my hands. Everyone starts to scatter and run.

I'm looking at it. I try to throw it away. You throw it and it immediately snapped back to your chest. Shit. And I look around all these elves and I don't know any of their names. No, you don't. Ah. I believe your potential mate is out in the crowd.

Her name is Anna. I, oh shit. I try to just try to say the name Anna and throw it. Without being able to picture anybody in my brain, without knowing who he's talking to, just see if it works. You toss the bouquet into the air. I need you to roll a D2 for me and call it.

If it helps, her last name is chronistic. That's very funny. You want to know, Even or odd? You choose, and it'll be a question, call it, and if you call it, then you'll be successful. All right, I'll call evens. I'll call evens. I got odds.

So it just comes back to me? It does. There's no area here. The moment that I realize this happened, I get frustrated and I attempt to throw it and I say, Damn it, you're in here! And you throw it into the air and And as soon as it hits it, I go, Ah!

Yes! It smacks into you, and you can see these flowers are growing with color, green and gold, turning to bloom bigger and bigger and bigger, and you realize that there's very limited time. Is it going to explode? It may do something. You're unsure. Hold on. Hold on.

I got to manage my spells here. Let's see what I got. Oh no, there's a bomb. Scream, I told you. My name is Anna. But as I say, scrimm, I'll try to. immediately by naming somebody, it shoots forward and Scrim, you find yourself holding this bouquet again. It smashes into you, and you can see that it is almost full, pulsing with energy.

Do you think they're okay? Oh, I think it's fine. Just let it happen. Probably for the best. That's my work. We're staying like way too close to each other. You're near. Scrim! You're near, scream!

You're near, scream! I am done playing your game. Scrim. It smashes into you, and you know you have a fraction of a second to try to get this off of you before whatever happens happens. The moment that I realize what he's done, I just, I panic. and I throw it in the air and I say the first name

that I can think of and I say, Mustard Seed! It flies up into the air and then rockets down all the way across the entire party and you hear a, and all of a sudden you see this of green and gold feathers as it explodes. And everyone goes, Mustard Seed! And they all clap and laugh.

It seems that he is fated to be married within the year. Oh, wow. Anachronistic is chuckling down from heaven, having passed away just a month earlier, and everyone, Oh no, you've got a sore subject. Oh, no. She died on her way back to a whole planet.

If only I could have gotten in by a dog. The bride steps forward, and she says, Thank you all for coming. Thank you so much. It is nearly time for the wedding. And that means that it is time for nightfall. I will one day be your leader. I will one day be matriarch when we lose our dear elder nightbloom.

It's important that you all see that she has taught me very well. And she starts to focus her energy. And you see this crackling of magic as she starts to hone in on herself. And she looks up into the sky. She raises two hands. you see a pulse of this dark energy, this literally grays and reds, almost like the smoke that you see, it reminds you very much of Graveyard Jack

as it spirals into the air, hitting the stratosphere, and above you you are shocked to find that day turns to night, enveloping the entire space around you, as the, all the way to the horizon on each side, like a blanket, this curtain of night immediately falls down and they've extended the what would be day into a night of a full, of a new moon. There's nothing in the sky, there are no clouds.

You are now suddenly shocked by the darkness all around you, the bonfire suddenly being the only illumination of the faces that you see around. Well, incredible power. I wasn't expecting that, I'm gonna be honest with ya. To change day to night or at least to mask it. Unbelievable feat. She didn't even shout domain expansion.

Crazy. Not even bonkite. What kind of sorcery is this? Oh, that's what she meant. Oh, night bloom. I get it. Is it timely manipulation, or is it a parlor trick? Making an archana check.

I'm not sure it's either. Well beyond my abilities, you're near. It might be some kind of shroud. Just a covering. 11 plus 5. Nice. I think that you know well enough that if you were to leave the district that you're in, you'd exit an illusion.

Okay. That you do not suspect that time has been forced forward and that you've been forced into night, that they've literally added night today. And that what would normally have taken hours to reach sunset, the sun is just essentially hidden so that they can enjoy the festivities under dark of night for that much longer. Very cool. Would this still feel like pretty powerful though? Like would that be a powerful thing?

You would be shocked by this level. Yeah, that's pretty, okay. That is a, that is a illusion at this extent. An environmental effect like that, you, you, it clicks for you. The Princess of Wrath, as you know, sees the value of this tribe as their, they're, the magical contributions. Not the druidic contributions of the orcs, not the gold that she can procure from the dwarves who live uneas. in the under ice beneath Argentholm. No, these elves are proficient in magic, more than proficient.

There are dwarfs on them at the ice. You knew this. They were at the oaths' ceremony. Yeah, they were. The dwarf found out. You've walked past their district every single time you went back and forth between the... They presented gold to the princess.

Yeah. Oh, that sounds good. You should be hanging out. Oh, why don't we go to the dwarfs? I can't believe. How much of a dwarfaboo, Mr. Yorana. It's really the only time he animates. He's a da-he-a-boo.

What he's talking about, ice dwarves, and how cool they are. He just really, he opens up. There's a hush that goes over the crowd, and you realize it's not awe at what is impressing you. You realize that the dancing and the music is slowing, that there are voices that are almost like a wave of silence coming from one direction. And through the murmurs and everything, it becomes apparent. The Princess of Wrath has arrived. And looking through, you can see the princess starting to arrive. You spy her.

She has a contingent of a number of frost hammers, all carrying spears, guards, these small white cobalds who are standing at either side. But it's hard to take your eyes off of her as she walks forward. She's wearing this beautiful ice blue gown. It is backless, nearly glowing. The gown extends it into a one-legged high slit, revealing a pure white stocking underneath as she steps forward. She's wearing the equivalent of fantasy stilettos, these long icicles that make the back of her heels. And she's wearing these sleeve-long gloves as she walks forward.

I promise you I can fix her. And as she walks, as she waltzes into the space, the crowd parts so that she can approach the center space that you all find yourselves in towards this large bonfire that all of these festivities have happened around. And you realize that in addition to the cobales, in addition to her fearsome presence, she has two leashes in her hands,

connected to each leash is what you recognize to be the kind of equivalent of Graveyard Jack. Two of these bargots... I've always shit my pants. I don't know. Like, Jesus. Two of these bargis that she's brought

holy fuck. Hugging against, restraining against her leash. She can give them a yank and this ice cold crackling around the collar pulls them back and forth. And those red eyes that you recognize, they seem to be at her very heel as she walks in parading the fact that she has stolen

these guardians from the rest of the Shadowvale cabal. Everybody looks at each other nervously and attempting to show reverence, but with a combination of fear and hate. How does this make me feel? How does it make you feel? You are seeing what has been hounding you, pardon the pun, you, you are,

You are seeing what has been chasing you, something that you consider to be so powerful, so fearsome, being imprisoned, shackled by the princess. My question is not, I know how Strim feels about this. I'm wondering if that the entity who might see through me how they feel about that, how that makes me feel. Oh, that's very cool. Oh, it was anti-chromistic.

The room spoke him correctly. Are you asking how you think your target? I'm wondering if the entity, the entity that watches over me or perhaps owns my soul, is if they are witnessing this and it makes me feel a certain way, if I feel something deep, if there's something deep inside me that is outside of my control.

You have this feeling and this secondary thought of like what would Graveyard Jack think, but you don't feel a tug, you don't feel a pull, you feel totally alone and only a scrim in this moment. Yikes, that's not the answer. I'm not compelled to owl at the moon. Well, scrim might. Okay, all right, so I don't feel like,

got it, just scrim. I just know how scrim feels about this, okay? She walks forward and Elder Nightbloom, the one person with the mindfulness to walk forward and greet her, Princess, thank you for accepting our invitation, thank you. We are so glad that you could make it to our celebration.

It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you. I am sorry I was a little late. I couldn't find my necklace. It must have been misplaced. It was a beautiful diamond necklace, but I unfortunately seem to have misplaced it. Well, I'm here now. Let's let us proceed.

I'm eager to see the wedding. Of course, of course, no. At your convenience, we have a seat here right at the head table, and she guides the, princess over to the one of the longest white widest table and the princess gives the Bargis another yank they don't quite whimper but you can see that they do not fight terribly much they seem to have been cowed so to speak you're left there watching as she sits down and she looks at her oh I I have a present

it is of course an I'm sorry that's not the princess's voice Of course, and I almost forgot. It's an important part of your little traditions, isn't it? I have brought to you the traditional truffle. And she pulls out a truffle much, much larger than yours. And she sets it down. This bitch. On the table amongst the others.

And then she reaches over and she picks it a pastry. Thank you, thank you, yes. Let me get you some wine. and Elder Nightbloom trying to be as subservient as possible, leaving the four of you here. The rest of the crowd starts to warm back up after this dramatic arrival, but for the most part, the party is very much muted

compared to what it was but 10 minutes ago. You're gonna hear you all right, shake it. We should not interact. No, we shall not. Nothing to be gained. We are not to engage whatsoever. Frankly, I don't even want her to look at us. We have a plan, do we not?

The Iceborn are here to enjoy the festivities and nothing more. I was hoping it was almost time, but then she bowed up with those things and collars. If we can go unnoticed by her, it'll be for the best. Yeah, but what the fuck is that? She just fucking has some chained up. Like, what the hell, man? I do not know. This is even before she gained the artifact, so this power... was within her capabilities long ago.

Think of what she's built here in this city, the power that each one of these cities, these clans can bring to bear. And she rules them all through fear and terror and strength. She's far more powerful than we've come to know. The bride and groom are now conversing with the princess, you're having this conversation. You can really feel the deadened emotion of the crowd because of what they know the princess represents,

this replacement of what they wish their culture to be, having been stolen. Mr. Yornear, enjoyed the linner of vetschinsky. Yeah, I don't know. Let's get rid of this. Oh, you give me three steps, Mr. Yornear. I'm but a simple man. I'm just gonna say that! You have a bitch!

You peep me to it! Ah! The equivalent of Tuesday is gone, they win. Formanately. Um, no, I said my piece. We was focused all of the plan. We just gotta get through this stupid dinner.

Why they gotta serve dinner so we can get this ritual? Nah. They've been serving dinner all. day if you watch more people go to the buffet. I wasn't getting anything. I just wanted it to be over. It's a grazing thing. I'm not eating it anywhere. I just wanted to be over. They're like hurt at him. When is it going to be over? I believe it's soon they'll start the procession.

That would begin at nightfall. And nightfall has come. If the princess takes a front position, as I assume that she will, I think Yon is correct and we should stay towards the back or out of sight as much as we can. And then hopefully she's gonna leave, right? And we can do what we gotta do? This was part of the plan. Yeah, I wonder on whisper, Fang, is that too. But the princess has had a

tension for showing defiance to everything we do, every step of the way. I will not be surprised if she tries to intervene. She has been known to break tradition and ceremony. Everywhere we've been. She may be listening. to every word that we say right now. Well, if that's the case,

and she already knows what we're gonna do, and then it's only a matter of time before she eats us. That means that Whisper Fang is a fucking lawyer, and this one's a heinous bitch. I kind of watch her reaction. I look for a reaction. You don't, uh, you don't think that you're overheard. The fact that she's here now and not

engulfed in rage. It seems Whisper Fang did as he said he would. Perhaps. Kept our confidence. Perhaps. The Kobold's are making a mess of this party. Not in the sense that they are ruining it, but that they are very much eager to take food as they will.

One of them swipes the darkler from one of the kids who runs away crying. They seem to be enjoying their positions of authority while the princesses. continues to converse. You can see the parents, the set of parents of the O'Kila and Valaman are receiving presents from them. The Kobols are there at the princess's side. She is very clearly and rudely giving them a cane, a finely crafted knitting set, a silver hand mirror, a chime to summon your children when you've gotten too old to get out of your bed and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. Everyone is sort of cowing and accepting these gifts,

but she's rubbing in their faces the fact that she has these bargots at her side. They're just a bunch of bullies. It's a show of defiance. It's a show to the cabal that they can't. They're powerless in the face of the princess. We don't know what the angle is here, unless she already knows what was planned. we don't see it.

I think we wait. There's no use engaging. Elder Nightbloom steps forward, and she addresses the crowd. The ceremony is about to begin. But before I wed these beautiful couple, I must tell you all what it is, an honor it is for the princess to be here,

as you all know. She came to us. We were very young and bravely protected us from these two creatures. The creatures that you see she has still. They were the mouths of our gods.

And she keeps them from taking us so that we can enjoy our many years here. As you know it, has been a hard time but it is because of the princess bringing us here that we are able to thrive and to be

together as a people here in Argentholm. I have named O'Kila to be my successor and I know that with the princess's guidance we will all flourish. Thank you.

Everyone offer some light applause. Yeah, all right. Sure. I just blow a puff of smoke. And very quickly, you witness the ceremony. Everyone gets together into the crowd and stands together, the couple walks forward and meets in the center, and you witness a very traditional vow swearing.

After feasting and celebrating, after feasting and celebrating, singing and dancing with your family and friends, you must now answer the call. Will you still marry? Both say yes. Are you certain? Both say yes.

Portnabas are so sweet. Hmm. I'm not certain. Do they seem certain? She speaks out to the crowd, and you hear the crowd go, yes, yes, yes. You hear voices after voices,

yelling out General Ruckus. clapping, shouting, stomping. You did it with me, you beat me into a bite pulp. You make sure you fucking stop him. I'll just, I'm gonna just kind of, I won't scowl at Barnabose, but I will look at Brignley. But that's what my face most of the time. That's true.

No, but this is a slightly more groom than usual. Mm-hmm. I wonder why Mr. Giorner is in a good loom today. The mead, he's, the mead's getting doomed. He's getting into the skewery. I can't believe they had enough to actually affect his beard, Bill's biology. Oh, God.

You hold your tongue, Barnabose, presumably. I do. Actually, no, I don't hold my tongue. I go, hey, oy they do! The young in protrose, young love. The groom looks at you a little bit, you get a moment of raised eyebrows and surprise, and then sort of a nod.

I give him a knowing look. He continues to look his beloved in the eyes. Very well. I tried. Valem and Sage Leaf, you are a unique groom. Your chosen bride will lead us all in the years to come. Your home will not only be yours, but will be open to all of us. Your bride will not only oversee your household, but those of all of our households.

When one of us is in need of friend or counsel, is sick or hungry, your bride will be there to lead and comfort us. You wish to wed this woman, knowing that by doing so you become father to us all? I do. And Aquila. Akela, Honeywine, my chosen successor, and dear friend, do you take this...

I don't know why we're doing this music one moment. I... I'm juggling... I'm juggling... You're fucking wasted. I'm juggling Cigna's music for the whole time. All right. Somebody cut this troll.

Hello! What did you call me? God I called you a troll. I kick scream. You're every room my body. You do know breaches keepers. Every rib in my body shatters. Do you take this man to walk beside you

for all your many, many years? Do you accept him as your right hand in the sacred task you have undertaken? And do you promise to always keep in reserve enough love and care for him even when your people will need all you can spare? I do. Then join hands.

Nightbloom loosely ties their left wrists to their right wrists, connecting them in a binding ceremony, a vow-swearing ceremony, a wedding. Akela and Valaman, from this day until your last, you are united. Your bond is enduring and indestructible. Go from here as one and never be parted. They lean forward, they kiss, and you feel the rush of applause, even in spite of the prince of Francis's presence, swim through the crowd as everyone cheers for this union, for this celebration.

I have a question. I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions. I feel like I'm either forgetting something or I miss something or I'm just dumb. Did we discuss, hey, Mike, I saw that look. Did we discuss, is there like a point that we all know that we're waiting for or like a go word?

Yes. Is there like an activation phrase? I mentioned it to Tai Chen. What you know is that after this moment, they leave the district. And a procession begins, parade of sorts. And that people start to diminish as they are less and less significant to the inner circle. Once it's only the family, you'll be miles from here. Deepen into the woods.

And it's there that you anticipate that the final consuming ritual will occur. How many people am I expecting to be there at this consuming ritual? You would have talked about it during the dinner. and you would know that the expectation is the four of you, yourself, and the bride and groom, the four parents, elder nightboards. That's what they'd say. No, I know. I'm just, I'm usually pretty good about remember this stuff. I don't remember any of the shit.

I don't know why I'm struggling to remember all this. I just want to make sure I have it fucking read. Is the rampage after a little bit of the city? No, I know you're kidding, but we would actually be having this conversation. Like secretly, like, I don't care if anybody else can hear it. The only person I actually trust with this shit is Your Honor. Yeah. And I am like trying to like figure out the optimal time and like way to pull this off.

I am a hundred percent. You have a conversation that like, yes. Yes. Your mirror is, would encourage you to somehow try to get Jacktelling front of the city and start eating like hundreds of people. Yes. We would have been, we would have had these conversations and I would be constantly like maybe like saying a thing to him quietly, checking on him quietly, like having these check-ins. And I would.

It was not. put my trust in you guys. I'm just here to serve, to be visible as the chieftain of the Iceborn or the Icebound Castaways and to basically, when it is time to smash and kill, then I will jump into action. But I'm putting my trust and faith into your inner and the script.

We are on the same page. I'm usually really, really good at recap shit. I don't know why I was struggling to remember all this. I apologize. I'm on the same page now. Thank you. You see the princess clapping, having not interrupted, just present and observing things, enjoying her authority.

And Elder Nightbloom claps her hands together and says, Now we will engage, of course, in a song. A song to celebrate this terrific union. And that's when the princess stands up. A song, yes, yes, a song. Well, where is our poet? He's always up for a song. See if it fucking works.

And she turns and looks around. and the rest of the crowd starts to look around and she she is where is he where is my poet where is he he can leave the song no poet or I oh shit you watch as as murmurs spread through the crowd I don't know I know I've never seen a poet where where is he how could he be he's he's never missed an event like this is there's free He's kind of a drunk. I don't think. She might be in a gutta somewhere. Elder Nightbloom, do you know where he is? No, no, we didn't send him an invitation. Of course, of course.

Well, he should be here. She looks at the four of you and then looks around in the class. Has anyone seen him? Has anyone seen the poet? Tell me now. No, you're not today. No, no. Or yesterday or any other time. Nope. You hear a voice. A terrified small. voice from across the crowd. The voice of mus. No. I saw him.

Oh, fuck. You idiot. He was, he was in the, he was with, uh, the, the, the, the iceborne. Oh, the fuck. The iceborne. Mustard seed. You mean the iceborne, uh, the icebound castaways, of course. Isn't that right, little lad?

The ice-farn, ice-bound castaways. Oh, this kid. Yeah, yeah, he was there this morning, I swear. I see. Barnabos. Aye, princess, you're looking well. Are you aware of where my precious poet is? I am not, your grace.

We've been separated from our tribe, our clan, in preparation for this fine event, the ogres have been tending to the preparations to our district that you have graciously gifted us. It is very possible that he was in our district this morning, but as Barnabos said, we have not seen him. Not since the chieftain ceremony. Oi, say true. He's been known to stumble through.

He's a bit of a drunk. He likes a good drink and a good tale, I'll give him that, but the ogres find his company pleasant. And what is this iceborne business? My spiritual advisor had recommended we choose a name and a moniker that best suits the nature of our very souls and the nature of our destiny, born of ice, bound in ice. I have chosen your destiny. Not your near. Oh, yeah.

You defy. You disrespect me when you change your tribe name. I went through a tremendous... I have given you housing. I gave you your ogres back when I didn't need to do that, did I? Oh yeah, that was very gracious and generous of you. But I do remind you that I had to earn it by beheading a Goliath. Oh, these fucking traditions.

Just to please the Goliath? I'll bet you didn't even know that by killing him, that the wife was going to perhaps try to kill you back. That they think it's a wedding ceremony as well. All these little fucking things that go around. No one can see the big fucking picture. Boy, on that, we both agree, Princess. Well, maybe you should step back in line.

I am You, more than anyone, should know that we are not cast to it We were reborn in this land We are not washed ashore We are not lost We have survived for months We belong here We were reborn in the ice, perhaps not unlike you

Princess But Regardless of that, Mr. Yornear we are here to enjoy a wedding and celebrate the love of two young betrothed. That is all we're trying to do. Your grace. I had such high hopes

that when I brought you into this city, that you would be able to show everyone what it looks like, to be good, to follow the vision, to understand what I'm trying to do to bring everyone here together to unite them. But here you are just letting everything go along

and refusing to take the name I have given you. I'm going to find my poet. And then we're going to have a little chat. I welcome it, your grace. I do. And I don't mean to speak out of line, but we both were there. I know that you saw us.

through the window of that ship. We were all there. And when both of us, all of us have experienced that, do you think the traditions, any of this, you're a poet? Why would you expect us

after experiencing that? Experience whatever the hell that came from? Why would we be the ones to playhouse in a place like this? Not that, But don't mean no disrespect, Mom. Pitiful.

Pitiful. You've been here less than a year and you think you've survived anything? I have survived here for centuries. I know what to do. I know exactly what to do. Thank you. If I hear Iceborne one more time, there will be consequences. As you wish, you're grace.

Castaways. We are castaways. As you wish. Ahoy there. She yanks on the leash, and she snaps her fingers. And a frost hammer at Cobold runs up and hands the princess a dagger, a ceremonial dagger. And she holds it out and walks over to O'Kila, the newly wet. Your gift.

a reminder that leadership sometimes requires sacrifice. She turns and she yanks the chain one last time before making her way out through the crowd. And all is quiet for a moment. Jeez, that was tense. Goodness gracious. Sure, I think that poet. Yes. The hell of things going on between those two.

That's one of the old there, isn't it? There's more there than what we're. We understand. I got the sense when speaking with him that there was so much more than he would say, but... This is something else. If Whisper Fang has betrayed our arrangement, trouble will come soon, I have no doubt. I just feel like if he'd betrayed us by now we'd know. I think that conversation would have been very different if Whisper Fang had betrayed us.

Did you hear the comment about the missing... necklace. I did, yeah. What about it? I hope this indicates that he has followed the plan. The diamonds? Yeah. You think he's taking the necklace as

form of components? A reagent. To resurrect the eviscerated flesh of the poet. You can, he can do that? Diamonds? Strong enough magic and... No, a vile... Dark magic.

You know about this? You all know. How do I, the only one that doesn't know about this. And diamonds of a established gold value. Small voice peeks out, pipes up from behind you. I'm sorry. Musse has approached you and looks shamed. Get out of our presence.

Do not interfere with our affairs ever again, young man. We wish to never see you. Again, do you understand? Be gone from here. Be gone from the ice-bound castaways. I was scared. He turns and he runs. Let's go back to the poet.

The whole relationship that he has with this princess, I mean, you think she got a third leash? It's like he's some kind of pet for her or something. There's got something freaky going on there, you know? She seems to enjoy his company. He was... Well, it's all theater. It's all showboating.

frames her wishes, her whims. Are irrelevant. She likes him because she does. All right? If you say so. We are castaways because she wants it to be. She is whim-driven. Almost mindless and unsurprising.

Boy, she is a dragon, ain't she? Yes. I don't think that she has the the proper vision to... face this war of the machines, if that is the case, if that is what's coming, these metal men. She believes she knows what doom is coming, but she does not.

She has no clue. She believes she's close to the power to stop it. Errogance. Yes. I'm worried that when Secundus comes back and brings his friends, there's just going to be a stain under his fucking boot. The time for something.

or diplomacy has come to an end, I fear. Very soon, we must make a play. I told you, Mr. Yorne, if I need to challenge her, take the blame myself, challenge her to one-on-one combat, perhaps give her a little handicap, get a lucky shot. Maybe while she swallows me, I'll be able to rip up her guts on the way going down, eh? No, we must do it together. One thing at a time.

Let's, you know, try a couple Plan A through Plan C's at least. Come on. We've been gathering forces. Present Company excluded. She holds great power. I don't think we could stand against her, even the four of us, under the best circumstances. But these people, I believe, are primed to turn against her.

We have to unite Arginholm against the present threat that is the princess. The crowd begins to move and you feel everyone start to follow and you can see at the head of that procession the newlyweds walk just behind them their parents and their and elder night bloom. And you can see people walking and running up. Saying goodbye, saying goodbye. You know from your dinner that everyone here except for those there in the lead believe that they're saying goodbye in a fake way. That this was always the tradition.

Back when those two bar guests were their guardians for real, they were truly saying goodbye, but they'll be seen in another few weeks. After the equivalent of a honeymoon, the parents would return in shame, as has been the case with their families ever since. falling under the reign of the Princess of Rath. And so they are saying their goodbyes, and you can't imagine what is going through the minds of those parents as you follow and make your way into the neighboring woods. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress

and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night, and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas. shroud over Saltmarsh. 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 Dragon 5th edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. As we are joining the procession at this point, to the heads. Where we were walking along with dozens and dozens of elves. It will be very apparent,

especially to Yornear, but if any of my other friends were to pay close attention to Scrim, that there is a grim determination that is kind of, he's for once not run in his mouth. Yeah. And he would still be every once in a while conferring with Yornear like having a

kind of a side comment. Nothing that you wouldn't be able to hear, nothing secretive amongst the four of us. But there's a grim determination that's kind of beset Scrim. I will walk. I will be relatively quiet. I'll be walking kind of far away from my companions relatively.

I'm going to be just kind of have a distant gaze, and I will be kind of moving my lips and maybe doing a little bit of muttering under my breath, and my hand will be like in my coat pocket. I'll be walking lockstep with scrim, right by the side. Yeah. Yeah, my, my thoughts are elsewhere. The first few miles of this trek. I was just going to say I would also be as close to scrim as I could.

Like careful to not get too close if they're trying to have a very private conversation. No, I mean, we're not talking. I'm just next to them just in case. Just ready. There might be like an off word, comment, but nothing like conversational. I would be at scrim side, like, in case anything pops off, ready for whatever comes next. It's a quiet march. It's aside from the conversation that you can hear adjacent to you, folks talking about seeing their guardians and how long it's been since a wedding.

that the Princess of Wrath attended, this being such a significant one given the handing down of the matriarch's role to Akela. And you can see people rush up, people catch up with the head of the party, some addressing the newlyweds, some addressing the parents, giving some tearful ideas, not ideas, tearful words, suggestions, guidance, All of them sort of sharing in this moment that is, in their minds, largely symbolic. And it's in this final mile as the procession begins to receive. People just stop walking and then turn and start to make their way back as they feel that they've said their peace. And fewer and fewer elves remain.

Before it gets too small, Nimrodell walks up to the side of all four of you. Ah, we, for show, we have to step away. I'm going to lead you a way around. People will be suspicious if you join the head of the party. In the way, we will follow you. He branches you off, and just the five of you walk through this adjacent wood. It is very similar to the wood that you remember from your truffle hunt. And you are looking at these large looming trees standing over you.

It is pitch black. There is no moonlight to illuminate anything. And if you have to produce light in order to navigate the space, you do. Without dark vision. Without dark vision, it would be difficult to avoid the roots and trappings of forest floor. They added dark vision than me. No way! That's fucking incredible. I mean,

that makes so much fucking sense. Why wasn't that the case from the very fucking beginning? In the depths of the sea. Thank you. Thank you, Watsby. I do. I do not. I do not. I would, I'll create a, I'll create a flame so that we can see. Unless I, unless I think that would be unwise to draw any attention to splitting off.

No? No, you, you were able to, once you feel that you're out of eyesight, um, produce a small. holding a tea candle-sized flame. You know, you're holding a little small. You just sort of hold something to lead. Just enough. Yeah. Nimrodel pulls out his own illumination source,

and you continue to make your way through the forest as you loop around. Imagine that you're hooking towards the, whatever sacred spot this ritual would normally be. And after another 10, 15, 20 minutes of walking, you emerge into a small clearing, a circle of trees, there in the center of the woods. And you see Elder Nightbloom, the newlyweds,

and there are two parents on both sides, standing there saying goodbye. There's the groom and his parents saying very much, very little. They've seemingly already said their farewells privately. They know what to expect and what's to come. You can hear the mother of Akela. I've known you since your first breath. Live a good life.

Earn a good death. Farewell. Good fare. And she puts her hand on the side of her daughter's cheek. And that's when Elder Nightbloom spies you and Nimrodel. You've made it. Thank you. Welcome.

Welcome. We're here as agreed upon. The way this usually goes is once we've said goodbye, we would send the parents off into the woods to meet the two guardians you saw the princess has captured. Scrim, I don't know your connection to yours. If I ask them to run, do you think he will chase? You have lived good lives, each of you.

It is my honor to help you gift your souls to our gods. It's been so long. and you grant us great magics in your sacrifice. Know that your children will live happy lives and that they will be right behind you. Now, are you ready? Parents all nod. She whispers, and the parents turn

and holding each other's hands start to dart into the dark woods. I, in this moment, I watch as they take off. and hear the sounds of their footsteps on the fourth floor. I close my eyes and up to this point I have not eaten at all. I focus. I can hear my stomach rumbling. I focus on the hunger in my stomach.

And I close my eyes and I think inward. And I would like to use my ninth level feature contact patron. You always have contact other plane prepared. Once per long rest, you can cast the spell without expending a spell slot to contact your patron. and you automatically succeed on the spell saving throw. I mentally contact the demi-god, the spirit of a long-dead sage or some other knowledgeable entity from another plane.

Contacted his otherworldly blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You may ask your questions before the spell ends. I get up to five questions. The DM answers each question with one word such as yes, no, maybe never irrelevant or unclear. If a one-word answer were to be misleading, the DM might instead offer a short phrase. You contact your patron and you all.

automatically succeed on the saving throw. I focus inward, I focus on my hunger, and the first question I ask is, and I would say this quietly to myself, but you or would definitely be able to hear it staying next to me. My friends would be able to hear it if they're close enough. Graveyard Jack, can you hear me?

There's this long, slow silence. As you, for a moment, reach out, you think maybe the creature can't hear you. You stretch out with your magic again, and then you feel its presence. You feel its breath on the back of your neck.

None of you see Graveyard Jack, scrimmed this sensation and solely your own, and you hear... If consumed, will these souls count? Will you come if called? Can you feel my hunger? Are you hungry? then Graveyard Jack. Feast. Feast on them all.

You're pushed forward as this massive hound jumps and rams into the side of your shoulder. And the three of you do see for the first time this shadow beast that's a massive smoking hound burst forward. You steady you steady scrim trying to keep him up

and it's gone in a second. Disappearing into the, the trees, racing forward. A flash. The hunt. He's done it. He's done it. They're away. Incredible.

Incredible, scrim. I'm lying inside, scream. Whatever happens next. We're with you. And I'm trying to focus. I don't know how this makes me feel. I'm probably lightheaded from the day, just the anxiety, the stress, calling this thing and having it answer

and feeling this presence. But I'm trying to focus and I'm trying to see if I can feel what it feels. as it runs through the forest. You have this strange feeling of symbiosis, this strange feeling of being on the hunt. You have this hunger rising up into your stomach. You can feel your heart, almost two hearts,

beating at the same time, and your mouth starts to water. As you hear the sounds of cries in the distance, hold my head, hold my head, hold my head, hold it, hold it. You hear the sound of leaves and, and cracking branches is a, you hear this initial screams cry out. And it's able to be over sooner, but you hear, you hear crunching.

You feel iron, fill your mouth as all of a sudden this sensation of being full, races down and deeper into your stomach. The first two parents are done. You know that they are. Don't stop. Don't stop. All of you can hear very, very,

This, going, keep going. You hear two other voices, did it get them? I love you, I love you so much. Please, oh, you hear the scream yell out as the, it'll be over soon, it'll be awful. It's just, just, just, just, More, more. This screaming stops as quickly as it raised up,

and you are shaking. Your hands are, The sensation of power, something that you never felt. Fear turned on its head. Power and control. And there's silence. The dark woods, as though no one was there. You look over each of you, and the groom is holding the bride very closely.

Tears running down both of their faces, knowing that this is what they were, raised to believe, to do, but still horrified by the sounds of their parents. Elder Nightbloom steps forward and puts a hand on Akela's shoulder. Be all right. Be all right. She turns to you, Scrim. If I may. Guardian! Guardian, please hear me.

I am Elder Rosemary Nightbloom of the shadow of Vail Cabal and I beseech thee I beseech thee to join us To join me To join Akila, our tribe There are more souls There are more feasts for you here

We We believe We know you are the mouth of our gods Come Come and Be our guardian again Be our zan again Be ours and

And we will make sure that you are never hungry again. From between the trees through which it leapt, Graveyard Jack steps and emerges out from the shadows, eliminated only by Nimrodell's torch and by your tea candle flame. Please. Please, I beg of you. Will you join us? And instead of turning, it just turns to smoke.

And the eyes hover there. for but a moment, glowing red, looking at you, and then fading, leaving all of you there alone in the dark woods. No! No, no, wait, wait, please! What do you mean? What do you mean? Stay, stay! Please, we need you. We need you for our magic. We need you. Our strength! Now, please! It takes a long moment for Elder Night Bloom to gather herself, and all of you stand in silence. still feel a connection or does it feel like what has happened is severed and ended? That contact, that connection faded as the last moment those embers disappeared.

The moment that this happens, the whole time that this was going on, urnir would be there like steadying me and there would be this this bloodlust, this almost this uh uh sneering you know, the smiling this this feeling of of satiation, right? being sated from this hunt. And the moment that Graveyard Jack begins to fade, they would almost be like a, ah, ah, ah. People out, they did well,

but it's God, it's God. It's God, it's God. I tried to urge it on, I couldn't help myself, but it's God. This is a good beginning. Damn it! What did you do? What did you tell that thing?

And we offered it's hundreds of souls. Hundreds. I tried to sell it to keep going. Do not stop. I just didn't. They didn't want to listen to me to a certain point, I guess. Didn't want to join us? Oh, you know, a beast like that.

You sort of a look at its eyes. It doesn't want to feast upon docile cattle. He wants to hunt. Hey, that's right, lads. This whole time we've forgotten. Who we are. All of us were born to hunt. And that's what we'll do. That's what we'll do we'll hunt, just like your dog.

We have gone through with the plan. Now please, if you could break the curse as discussed. We agreed. I'm disappointed. We do not have a guardian of our own again. But you are here. Perhaps you can compel it the next time we have a ceremony. Perhaps, perhaps there's hope yet.

I, I will, I will use my magic. Bonobos, you have the trinket that binds you to the princess? Aye. Oh, you do. I'll rip it off of the, uh, the lanyard or whatever that I would have, the cord. I spit on the snow. She holds it up and you watch it dangle and twist her. for a moment.

And then she releases it, and as it drops, it suspends in the air and starts to turn and spin. She catches it between her two hands. She begins to speak a few arcane words. Energy crackles around it. This orb suddenly emerges, and you can see it suspended, not in light, but darkling. submerged in shadow. Only the vague

outline of the shape starts to form lines around it. Crystylizing, flaking away, and it spreads and fills as almost being sapped, something that's being drawn from this object.

And she continues to murmur this incantation. I need any spellcaster here to make an archa check. That's a Guys, I only have a plus one. I get to sit here and relax, folks. I gotta relax.

18. 12. 11. You're near. You pay close attention to the words in what order, the cadence, the inflection. You would listen very, very, very closely. And by the time she has completed her ritual and the orb vanishes, she's able to catch the trinket midair, you feel very confident that you'd be able to perform this

ritual yourself. Oh, let's fucking go. Oh, shit, dude. It is done. The princess will not know that you have sapped away her power, as I did with mine so very long ago. Here, keep it on you. She'll want to see it. But she'd be none the wiser that you are free. And you may now restore your diminished state. Yes! Big fucking money. Hell yeah. Things that make you say,

hell yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Elder. Thank you. You won't regret this. I hope that we will remain allies. You saw the princess. She goes off at the littlest things,

always trying to crush us under her weight, under her power. We're sailing waters that we cannot return from. She will move tonight. Perhaps she's already moved. Anything that you can do to contact the other elders, the leaders of the clans, who certainly must be suffering and filled with wrath and hate as much as she is. We will lead if they need a leader.

We will lead the hunts behind, Mr. Stavisotch's beast, behind the grim, behind Graveyard Jack. Let that princess, that dragon, that monster fear the name Graveyard Jack, and all who stampede behind him and howl with him. As the chieftain says, you are wise and powerful. The time for hiding swiftly approaches the end you must understand. I believe that my gods and yours, their goals are aligned. But please, tell your gods to prepare for blood.

I will include it in my prayers. This is why I chose to come to you. Something told me that you would be able to do what I have failed to do. The other chieftains, they will not listen to me. They have refused to end against the princess. You can see why. We've been powerless. Perhaps you can convince them.

We will. I have a feeling will be quite persuasive. Let's make our way back. You start to turn and you walk away. There's no burial or ceremony. You imagine that. they are perhaps totally consumed or gone, but you do not see whatever it is that Craviard Jack left with them. You continue to make your way through the woods, back

towards the district of the Shadow Vale Cabal, thinking of what it will take to perhaps overcome this mercurial villain. And that is where we'll call tonight's session. And you all level up. Oh, okay. What? Thanks for running this session, Derrne. Thank you. Yeah, thank you.

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