The Glass Cannon Podcast - Ascension Part 6 – Along Came a Rider (Portland)

Episode Date: May 17, 2025

A band of the king's outriders arrives early to Rosewood Vale to set up camp. Watch the video here: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/d9JozU862aE Join Troy Lavallee, Joe O'Brien, Skid Maher, Matthew Capodicasa, Sydney Amanuel, and Kate Stamas as they tour the country. Get your tickets today at ⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cn8wr0⁠⁠. Access exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes, and livestreams with a 30-day free trial with code "GCN30" at ⁠⁠jointhenaish.com⁠⁠. For more podcasts and livestreams, visit ⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cmY380⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are listening to the Glass Cannon Network, the premier source for role-playing game entertainment. I'm Joe. How are we doing in Portland? Look at you lovely people, huh? Three hundred plus people, not a bottle of shampoo to go around. We should sell glass can and bars of soap in the merch booth next year. I'm just kidding. We won't be back next year. It's good to be back in Portland. Last time I was here, I had to be reminded that I was walking around with a fucking cane because I had a herniated disc in my back.

Every step I took was excruciating. And oddly enough, my back's fine now and every step in this town, still excruciating! Real painful. Almost miss having a herniated disc. You could see less of the city, because you can't move anywhere. Limit your exposure to Portland. For the record, the rest of us love Portland. This is only Troy's opinion. This does not reflect like anyone else. And I'm not pandering. Love the city.

No, Skid literally talks about how he wants to move here every time we come. We drove down from Seattle this morning. Who was at the Seattle show last night? Damn. Nice. You guys are awesome. We stopped at a Target on the way here today. And it would have been hilarious if a Glass Cannon Naish member was hanging out in Target when the six of us walked in to the dollar section.

Well, it's actually, it was in, it's in Mick's hometown. It was in, it was in Kelso, which is where our friend makes it. Of all the Targets in all the world, she walked into mine. Using the bathroom and getting Starbucks. When we walked in, it's like a clown car. We literally come out of a minivan together. We go into Target, and I literally heard an employee say, because we walked in and just all took the left-hand turn to the bathroom, and I heard some guy go, they're all going to the bathroom. We were all so giggle-gaggling. We said a very inappropriate joke to ourselves that we thought was very, very funny the entire time.

Which one? The sock drain. What was the joke? I have cat-cake. Cackling. That's something I cannot repeat. I bet none of you will get to experience with this. Let the sock just live forever in your imagination.

The sock involved, and there were some hand movements. It was very funny. It's not what you think. It kind of is. It kind of is. We didn't have a lot of time here. Now that we're doing these back-to-back shows shows We're kind of in and out, but we went over to the shoots today after we checked in I

I had an elk burger wash it down with a couple of cold brews and then had some salt and straw ice cream And here's a spoiler alert didn't mix too well in my top And here's a spoiler alert didn't mix too well in my tongue Who knew the creamy painted brittle ice cream Would it mix well with elk meat? Undercooked elk meat I thought medium-rare was what the chef suggested Of course, I'd get food poisoning in this third world country

That's cool, I needed to lose some pounds and vision in my right eye Cindy can you host tonight? I have been waiting for this Troy I think you would like be literally on your deathbed and they would wheel you out on the hospital bed before you let me sit in the middle. You joke. That's how that mom gonna retire. My last show is gonna be me hooked up to an IV. Maybe I should call it quits. I didn't see you ladies at lunch. What did you guys do? We had our little girl lunch We went to what was it? We got some Thai food right by Powell's Yeah, I went to the bookstore and got sauce because we can read oh you went to the bookstore the one thing they have in this town girls can read and

We saw some nation members there, which was very funny because we also saw you in Pike Place in Seattle. But different combinations of you. Yeah, and together like notorious... Never all together. We are. We all just went to the places you go in each city. Hate to break it to you, those are called stalkers. I was just going to say, that is not a coincidence they're following us. We'll get on the group text tomorrow night,

it's so weird I saw those guys again outside my bedroom window in New York. What are the odds? What are the odds? Troy and I were talking about this earlier today. An old story, an old friend in a casino in Atlantic City many years ago. My buddy's talking to this girl and another guy comes up to me and he goes, does your friend know he's talking to a hooker? And I'm like, I have no idea, right?

It's a very similar situation. They're like, they happen to be at the bookstore. This was crazy. I think she really likes me. What did you do? Did you buy anything at the bookstore? Yeah, bought two books. That was it., that was it. I it's so hard because we pack light because we're traveling so much to the back to back shows. So there's not a lot of room in my suitcase for like a book. So I only got two. I've you pack exceedingly like we pack light but in between coming from Seattle to here, we could not close our suitcase.

We were sitting on them and trying to shut them. Yeah, I don't know what we did honestly I love this town. Yeah, I left I Left my dice in the hotel room from the first time so embarrassing But I manifested so much Delivered I've got cases of dice. I don't need to bring my own dice. We will not be rolling dice this evening. Fuck! It's a shame too, because Portland is a great dice town. You get a lot of good dice here.

It is. Always boosts my collection, and then yeah, Troy's like, it's gonna be all intense role play. No tie rolls. Not even funny role play, just dramatic. Skid and Matthew, you guys left lunch and walked about an hour to get here. It's true. Did you see any sights?

We walked by OMSI, which I love. I always love to see a submarine moored in a river. I'm just glad to see that. Honestly, that's the second time I've done that walk. It's great. It's a great walkable city. There's reasons I would love to live here I it's great. It's a great walkable city There's there's reasons I want I would love to live here like there's like Walkability is great. Yeah, it's very nice. The weather was great. It's awesome. Okay

You you talk a lot about leaving are you gonna leave? It's great dream of like leaving all of you It keeps getting further and further away. I think he's like, what's the one place Troy will never come? I know. It's like it's got a protective arcane circle surrounding it that Troy can't breach. Matthew got in the car this morning at 8.30 a.m. and he was on his little earbud like a Wall Street loser.

And he was just like making scripts. Yes, talking to his writing friends. Breaking scripts. It was very LA. It was very exciting. Was it very LA? Yeah, it was. And rude.

And Sydney started pitching as soon as we walked into the coffee shop. I was on the phone. It was very LA. It was very LA. Was it very LA? Yeah, it was. And rude. And Sydney started pitching as soon as we walked into the coffee shop. I heard his whole conversation and I was like, so they're gonna have a fight on the show. Do you want me to pitch you fun fight ideas? And Matthew was like, no.

And then continued typing on his laptop like a real writer. It was awesome to see. I could be a writer. How long until you're like, so Matthew did they need girls like me? Already. Casting director's number, that's weird. I don't know. Matthew? Matthew, I got all these new headshots and resumes. Which one do you like? I keep slipping them under the bathroom door in the green room to Matthew. Hasn't answered yet.

As if I got any time in that bathroom. Basic! You eat elk meat and ice cream! Surprised that wasn't a flavor at Salt and Straw. I'll take the elk meat chocolate chip. We're having a good time. Joe, how are you speaking of shit? How are you?

Fantastic, dude. Why? Well, I just love this game. I'm very excited to play. And I also have a... Fucking brown noser. It's so weird. I was so excited last night, I basically lost my voice in a very short amount of time.

I'm not going to be able to scream the way I normally do, sadly. What do you love about this game? Because I think you're full of shit. Yeah. I love playing with you guys. You literally are always like, I hate role playing. I roll like shit, I hate combat. I hate mysteries. I want only combat. That's all I want. Yeah, Joe's always like, I hate combat, I hate rules.

That's totally Joe. Joe loves combat. It's all rules. Well, he hates it when he loses. My favorite part. Rules and rolling dice, which is odd that that's your favorite part. You are getting to a good point here. This is my least favorite kind of session.

I think you guys know that my favorite start of a session is when the previous cliffhanger was the monsters all come out and then it's like and we'll see you next time because you know exactly how the show is starting you're like we're gonna roll initiative we're gonna get into some shit it's gonna be great I hate the ones that end right at the end of a combat cuz you're like I have no idea what's gonna happen where it's gonna go am I gonna be forced to act? It's the worst. I know. It's the worst. We're so different. Yeah, I mean, I know.

From so many players. They came off stage last night, and I wish we were filming this, because it was like a discussion that kinda turned into an argument. Joe had been drinking. Um, they were trying to figure out, like, what's going on. Joe ended up winning it?

No, Joe had been drinking. Oh, yeah. He head-butted Matthew at the end of it, and that's how we took him to the hospital. Boom! But you guys were just trying to figure out the plot, and I was like, oh, this is cool. They're really into it. But everything that Matthew said, Joe started with, no, that's wrong. It was so awkward.

Oh, dad and dad are fighting. Oh, God. That was the most belligerent I've seen you in It was so awkward. Oh, dad and dad are fighting. Oh, God. That was the most belligerent I've seen you in an argument. I was really fired up. He's really bad. I actually woke up this morning, I was like, I think I was a little hard on Matthew. I was like, we were just talking. I was like, I think my personal theory, actually I didn't even frame it that way at first.

I was like, is it possible? And then all of a sudden Joe's like, no! It doesn't make any sense! You can just, you can just like, why would Stuart Norville do it? And I was like, this is not Stuart Norville's theory, it's my theory. The lines are very blurred between the character and the player, like. But yeah, this is what, part six of Ascension? Ascension, part six. Part six in the home of Praislog, of course. May all your logs be smooth.

You can earn it back next year, maybe. But yes, St. Paul is the new home of Glass Cannon Nation. Oh, come on. Sorry. Wow. Sorry. Wow. Maybe their beer's better. Wow.

We got so much incredible beer backstage. Are you serious? Shut up, Kate. It's a bit. At least 60% of our fans know it's a bit. I'm the 40%. Part six of Ascension last night in Seattle. Things got a little hairy for our new party.

They're in the town of Rosewood Vale, a real up-and-comer in Galarian. And a lot has been going on since we started this new show. And one of the things that's gone on is the Lord of Rosewood Vale has basically decided to give his daughters to the crown in exchange for becoming a baron, in exchange for Rosewood Vale becoming a barony, a true barony, something his father, the previous ruler and leader of this town, always wanted, didn't get to see it before he passed away, but he got it. However, in exchange, it seems like he's giving up a lot. His youngest daughter is going to go foster at the capital in New Canaveras until she comes of age and then will marry the youngest son, who by all accounts is very sickly. He's confined to a bed or a chair and he has this disease that makes him look like a child

that doesn't seem like it's going to be cured anytime soon. And Lady Beatrix, the older daughter, is quite beautiful, quite a catch, and she's being married off to the second son who it seems may not even enjoy the company of women. This seems like an unfair trade just for a barony. And so the old guard, some of the original members of the town, are getting together to talk about this. They feel uncomfortable. And

the person that's bringing them together is a young elf by the name of Eldrin. His father came to this town with Cillian, with Helena, to found Rosewood Vale and he passed away. But Eldren feels like he would want to do his father justice, bring the original people together just to talk. Is this a good idea? Should we be doing this? And Killian very rightly is like,

who are we to question the Baron? And other people echo Killian's sentiments. We shouldn't be talking about this. It's treasonous. As this discussion continues, some people on one side, some on the other, smoke fills the room. The walls light up with fire and flaming skulls emerge. People are suffocating. The skulls are headbutting, shooting fire at the party,

while the others in the room are trying their best to stave off other flaming skulls. They get to the door, try to break through, someone has locked the trap door, the only way out of here. This young barmaid, Melinda, burnt to a crisp as one of the flaming skulls explodes. And of course, the iconic Pathfinder Ranger, Harsk, also is officially dead. He died in the space of the timecode, the Paizo. Yeah, it's canonical now. What an ignominious end to have to go into a non-canon town and never return. Harska's dead. He fled to Sidonah's Light and died by the Flame. They get out though.

There are some bodies downstairs. They get outside and Killian goes right after Eldren. Who did you tell? What did you do? And you find out that Eldren has perhaps an ulterior motive. He's in love with Lady Beatrix and he doesn't want to lose her. While he truly believes that this is in the best interest of Rosewood Vale, now you're questioning

what he's really all about. So you send him off. The others start to scurry about back to their homes. But we finish the session with the entire tavern lighting a blaze. I imagine lights in the town coming on in all the houses. They have electricity. I don't know if you knew that. They're lighting their candles one by one.

All the same time, lighting their little candles, lights popping on, popping on. I imagine the castle on top of the hill, the little keep. You can see this as well. There are two dead bodies in the basement and another one in an alleyway. We're going to start today with with a little flashback. Ooh! It's a good flashback town. Yeah. One sports team, they got nothing better to do. We see a bustling tavern! Perhaps as we're looking at this tavern ablaze,

we hear music somewhere in the fire, and then we're transported elsewhere. We're transported to another tavern. It's bustling, it's Friday night. Smack dab in the middle of anywhere, Galarian. There's a bard or two playing a torch song on a lute. People are drinking and dancing, carousing, gambling. The doors to the tavern swing open,

and a group of unsavory-looking characters begin to enter one by one, and you can tell by the reactions of the staff and the customers there that this group is known with a capital K. Should I write that, is that the name? No, I just assume that most people here can't spell. You guys are cool.

One by one these grizzled characters stroll in the known gang. The known guys. Gang The known guys We see there, you know, rise smiling faces juxtaposed by the People who are there who are maybe like looking on with trepidation and one of the men that walks in is Oswin

Always in the gang what yeah Os he's in the gang? What? Yeah. Oswin's in the known gang. Thank you, Sidney. We'll say the leader of this band goes up to the bar and the bartender says, Oh, Mr. Bader-Wulf, always a great pleasure to host you and your friends. What will it be?

This man, Beta Wolf, the leader of this outfit, what does he look like, Skid? He looks like, basically like a six foot five version of Lemmy from Motorhead. That's basically what he looks like. It's like Lemmy from Motorhead. He says, what it'll be. He says, what will it be?

What will it be? Well, it's been a good week, so it'll be whatever my men want. And as much as they want. They'll take good care of us, won't you? Looks at the bartender in the eye. Of course, Mr. Pettigolf, sir, snaps his fingers. Other people come to help start pouring drinks. The gang spreads throughout the room,

start playing games, talking with the ladies that are present, some of which are clearly on the clock. But we focus back on Oswin, who maybe, what do you think? Maybe you keep to yourself a little bit? Yeah, I think I may... well, I might be on the lookout for keeping my eyes open for a particular someone. Okay, so kind of scanning the room, looking about, and maybe another one of your buddies comes over. We'll call him Alden. And he says, hey, Oswin, look at that tasty morswain over there. And he nods his head in the direction of perhaps who you're looking for.

What do we see? Alright. A beautiful woman with sort of like strawberry blonde hair, like long strawberry blonde hair, and she's sort of holding court in a corner of the tavern, smoky, dark. And maybe her and Oswin's eyes like meet, they notice each other like at the same time. And Oswin's heart just like leaps in his chest And

He turns and he like he just gets this big smile like something like we've seen before but with less Less weight to it. Let's let's baggage attached to it and he turns To Alden and he like just taps him on his chest with his two intact fingers and says it you just watch what you say about her all right she's special what makes us so special well look at her I'm just look at her, come on now. This girl like that, she could, she could make her give up the life, you know.

We're long past that, but maybe she could give up a night. What do you think? Do I have a chance? Stop that. And he like, sort of like grabs him by the collar and he says I don't just don't Alright, alright, alright It's plenty of Plenty of opportunities here So go avail yourself of them

And look not any leans in like he pulls him in close and he like leans into his ear. He says, no, I'll work to the big man. I'll eat. All right. All right. He doesn't need to know about this. He's not of his business. All right.

Have a drink. All right. I'll lay off. All right. You walk away. Have a good time, you know. And Oswin goes and he gets a pair of drinks from the bar and he makes his way over to this woman.

Maybe from there we cut to later in the evening and we see her in bed, just a sheet covering her, and you're resting on your arm, just looking at her, smiling. That same smile. We come out of there with all of you standing in front of this burning tavern. Let's go to the map and take a look at it because I spent some time making it burning tavern. You haven't seen it yet. Ready?

Ready? Wait for it. Come on you piece of shit. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!

It's so close. Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on baby! So close! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! I'm gonna kill myself!

What is happening? Oh! We got another point! Come on! Dude, this must be loaded with good shit. I may have put too much on the map. I mean, I got it. We got another point, come on! You choked up! Dude, this must be loaded with good shit. I may have put too much on the map. I mean, I got it.

It was good for me. You got it? Wait, you're there? You're there? I'm there. I'm at 98% too. Oh! What?

Oh! Hey! Whoa! Yeah! Whoa! Yes! Whoa! Yes! My goodness! Wow, that is a big map though. No wonder that took so long.

This looks like... This looks like Napalm has been dropped on Vietnam. This looks like my computer is going to melt the tablecloth. Trying to run the 60 frames per second fire. Oh, God. Boundary virtual tabletop. Thank you, by the way, to the staff for the accentuated lighting on the side of the stage. That's awesome. Yes. Oh, look at the fire. So you're standing there. There is a fire blazing up through this bar full of high-proof liquor. You hear explosions. What is your initial, like, thought about what to do here?

You know that any minute the town guard is going to come, you're not on duty, you were just dismissed from the town guard. There's people going to come. Killing you, you're not on duty. Sir Oswin, you were just dismissed from the town guard. There's people who are gonna start coming. You're just gonna blend in with them? Are you gonna stand there and look guilty? What is your plan? I think I'm gonna go over here to the east and eat a Mario mushroom.

All right. All right. This got really big. I'm not going to help you if you do that. Speaking of help. Don't worry about the mushroom patch. Let's go wait, I'm worried about the mushroom patch. There's nothing there.

It looks like there's some sort of strange, slow-moving vortex in the mushroom patch. The more you try to ignore the mushroom patch, the more I want to go. Pay no attention to the mushroom patch. It beckons. I'm going to turn off the lights there. And Andromeda. All right, I'm less interested in the mushroom patch now. Now it's normal.

There's a fiery inferno. All right. We talked about this a lot today. And I think that we, I think what the idea that we maybe settled on was that we should sort of make a half commitment to the truth here. Which is say like, we acknowledge that we saw flaming skulls maybe entering into the tavern, and that maybe they were responsible for this thing catching a light. Are we spending ten minutes doing this?

What are you doing over there? Well, I think before we get to ten minutes... Well, Tillion's bleeding out of his eyes and mouth and ears. Yeah. I think he comes to Helena and is just like, quick, heal me, quick. And he's like- Yeah, because they see like if we're injured from combat, like that's going to raise further questions. Right, exactly.

So we can say we fought, Flamis goes a little bit, but he doesn't want to make it look too bad. And then he wants to, I think he's gonna say you have to get out here you've got go to Helena Kelly and I will handle will handle the affairs with the town authorities you do you ever the rest of you make yourself scarce we'll reconvene I don't think you want to be seen here if you can avoid it we can't but we'll try to keep your names out of it

Andromeda like looks at the bottom of her robe, which is completely singed. She smells like fire You know so she kind of feels panicked in that moment of I'm not supposed to be here at all I would be in trouble for being away during the night like I would get in trouble So she is like, okay. I'm going to go back to bed. You do not see me and I will talk to you tomorrow. Good night. Helena? Yes, oh, I'm sorry.

Should we walk? 29. Whoa, phenomenal. That's like two of them, I just said like two. Oh, okay. Do you need anymore? No, thank you. As you're do you need any more? No? Thank you As you're standing there an Andromeda is saying goodbye to scurry back to her post

You hear sounds coming from the wreckage sounds of like crying and screaming Sounds that seem to overlap each other's Sounds that seem to overlap each other's. And then that sort of coalesces into a chorus of voices. This, you cannot silence our souls. Your pride hammers the way at our tomb. You will not build the foundation of your future upon our bones. The cycle will forever repeat itself,

forever amongst your weak-minded kind. Your doom is inevitable. Everybody roll a will save. What? Whoa. What the? We are rolling die. And I couldn't possibly do justice to the voices you hear because you hear that chorus of voices all sort of overlapping each other men women

ethereal different languages Inevitable What you get? Sydney I Roll the die given to me that the inspiration for this specific die was emerald spire my for this specific die was Emerald Spire, my first aid. Oh, I got one of those. Yeah.

Six years ago on Glass Cannon, and I rolled a natural 20. Whoa! Thank you. Sick! I owe that to Emerald Spire. Wow, nat 20, okay, for a total? I don't know what the roll is.

You just said a save. A will save. A will save. Oh, you what the role is. You just said a save. A will save. Oh, you said will save. I thought you said a little save. Just a little save. 28. 28, okay. Joe, what'd you roll? 25.

Okay. Kate? 23. Mm-hmm, Matthew? 11. Ooh. Natural three. Oh, boy. Ooh. Natural three. Oh, boy. And Skitt?

I rolled a natural one. All right. A couple things are, yes. Do we have caps to dap? Undap your caps. Oh, undap it. Yes, your caps are available. Would anyone like to use them at the beginning of the show? 33 minutes in. No, I'm not gonna dab my cap this early.

Who knows what could happen in the next? Very fair, very fair. I'm sure this is gonna happen. Sir Oswin. Sir Norville. I got knighted already? What happened? Sir Norville. A knight can make a knight. And Oswin, take 50 points of mental damage. 50, five, zero?

Five, zero. Wow. Sir Norville falls unconscious. Yeah. I'mville falls unconscious. Yeah. I'm a dying two. So you would be a dying two as well, Sir Norville. The rest of you take no damage. Sorry to everyone.

I said- Oh my God. ... investigation episode. So like an explosion, you see Sir Norville and Oswin get blown back to the ground this this mental energy surging through them Let's roll for initiative. Yeah, what I suppose we should because they might die. Oh my god This is not also. Yeah, I told people I was like just gonna be a role play up tonight. Enjoy it We're at a combat. Did not see this coming. Wow the role play up tonight, enjoy it. We're at a combat. Did not see this coming.

Wow. Voices from. What does one roll for, what skill does one use to roll for initiative when unconscious and dying? You still use your perception, but you add in all that unconscious stuff. Yeah, put in unconscious, prone.

You'll be a little slower on the pickup. No, I understand the mechanics, I'm just trying to justify the story. Is it perception, or is there some other skill? Yeah, do you know that your hearing is the last thing to go before you die? So you still you're perceptive you can hear Yeah, there's a tradition in Tibetan culture where you scream at someone to lead them to the afterlife like in Western culture It's like you see the light, you know, follow the light in Tibetan culture. You yell at the person as loud as you can You're dead You're dead don't come back. You're dead and it's supposed to help them transition

so Is that what you're yelling now doing what? Sorry my hearing oh no So perception? Yes. Yes. What did you get, Sir Nerval the Pious? Five.

That's what you want. Wow. I want to go last. I'll be moving you based on certain things anyways. Oswin, what did you get? 22. Okay. Killian?

Killian got a 24. Okay. Killian. Killian got a 24. Okay, very good. And what is your name? Helena. 13. 13, lucky 13 for the healer. And Andromeda. 26.

26. Okay, so what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna move Oswin and Sir Norval to the end, but keep them in the initiative based on what they rolled. Andromeda, you start. You see both of them hit the ground. You get buffeted by this, these voices, but you don't take any damage. Okay, um, I see them hit the ground. I see nothing else. I see... No, just flames and people starting to come out of their houses. Okay. Well, I think I would oh boy

I really need to leave but I think she would run let your friends die. Well, I think she would run over to Who's the closest sir? Norville? Hold on. I've got a move. She runs she sprints over to Helena and sir. Norville She doesn't have any healing magics at all. She is going to, you know what? I'll run over first action. Can I do another perception check or carry over

my perception check for initiative to like look to see what could possibly be happening? Or Arcana, if you want me to roll something. for initiative to like look to see what could possibly be happening or arcana if you want me to roll something yeah no um I mean I think I could just give you sort of a free perception here you're looking around you don't see anything except this burning building the voices came in your head and you look around very quickly as you're making your way to the fallen bodies and you don't see anything. Okay, so she'll run over and I guess can I do arcana? We never did it on the skulls either.

Can I do some sort of check in general on this clearly necromancy stuff and figure out? Yeah, give me an arcana and see what you see. I have recognized spell. I don't think that's a spell. Do you have religion? I have my arcana is better. I'm a wizard. I have recognized spell. I don't think that's a spell. Do you have religion? My arcana's better. I'm a wizard.

I could do religion. Do religion. Okay. 16. No, no. You don't know. You don't know what's going on. Okay, third action.

I cantrip shield. I just cast shield. Cantrip shield just to be safe. Killian. Killian is going to, he sees Norville drop, he sees, oh my god. Oswin? Oswin. I was thinking Orville.

Norville and Orville. He sees Oswin drop. That can be the Portmanteau for when you're shipping our characters. Yeah. Nice. He knows, he knows Helena can take care of this as well, but he feels a certain kinship developing with Oswin, and he runs over to him quickly and starts fumbling into his... Is there a stump there?

Yeah, there's a stump there. I couldn't see, but I couldn't move around it. Were you thinking what I was thinking, which is I hope he chooses not me? No, I'm dying to... No, it depends what he's gonna do. If it's anything to have to do with the die roll, yes, I would rather it be someone else. You know what? He steps past Helena and slits Norval's throat.

No, so he's gonna roll his head. You have one action left. Once again, Joe, that was Matthew, not Sir Norville. We have Gatewalkers PTSD with Joe as a healer. It's just like, don't touch me, don't touch me. He's like, son of a bitch. He's like, Oswin. And he comes, goes down on one knee and he starts fumbling into his pouch,

but he's not sure what he's looking at and it just, it looks like he's dying, right? And he's goes down on one knee and he starts fumbling into his pouch But he's not sure what he's looking at and it just it looks like he's dying right and he's not sure I probably like I've got like blood running out of my nose like my eyes are all dilated I'm so he's not sure what's wrong, but he's like perhaps this will help Hold on and he'll go into his pouch and he will quick alchemy out a an elixir of life. Nice. And just, whoosh, and he shakes this thing real quick like a coach hitting an ice pack to crack it. And he just shakes this thing and it creates this elixir and then third action he'll administer

the elixir. So it's just a minor elixir. You get two hit points back. Phenomenal. Nice. Phenomenal. That. Phenomenal. That's great. Yeah, but it'll remove the dying condition for the moment.

Yeah, yeah. I love when my coach poured random liquids down my throat. That's right. That's right. Uh, all right, Helena, it seems like Oswin has been stabilized. You want to just call it a night and go back home? Yeah, I think we're good here. I think everybody's gonna be just fine.

Alright, so... I mean, battle medicine, I guess, on Sir Norville, unless maybe a three-action heal would make sense to get everyone, because everyone's a little bit down. I'm actually... I didn't get hit at all in the last fight, and I'm chilling. Yeah. Being a wizard is sometimes very awesome. Wait, you escaped all of the death throws?

Yep. So. It's because she climbed up on those crates full of rum. Yeah. It was safe up there. There was a lot of crates full of rum. You didn't think it was, but it was. Yeah.

All right. I'll say I like the three action heal because battle medicine is still a roll. And you don't know, yeah. You could hurt us. Alright I'll say I like the three action heal because Battle medicine is still a role and you know. Yeah, you could hurt us and then it like I can only do it once per 10 minutes I think depending on my feats We're in a hurry Once a day do the three action do the three action well I think I have a feat that lets me do it once every 10 minutes. Continual recovery. Yeah. Or, no.

No? I don't know. Anyway. I just learned how to read today with my new book that I got. Yeah, I think you have something with battle medicine where it's like once an hour or something. That's pretty cool. But do you want to risk? No, I'm going to do the three action heal.

So that means... I mean, and everybody's in range, and so is the house and the fire too. So if whatever is happening, you can be hurt by vitality damage. Oh, true. Maybe you can heal the burning door. No. This one's fun.

Don't be silly, Troy. Joe said something dumb first. Like ghosts. So that's five points of healing to everyone. All right. The door comes to, oh thank god! Find me a new home! All right, so that brings Sir Norval up as well. I mean, at least you're awake, you're now wounded,

and so is Oswin, and I will say you are out of combat. Oh, okay. Whatever this was, was a one-time burst of mental, psychic, sort of in your brain from beyond bullshit. And this all happens, you know, when in the course of six, 12 seconds and people are now starting to congregate

and they're like, what were those voices? What were those voices? Did you hear that? Did you hear that? And you hear someone in the course of six, 12 seconds, and people are now starting to congregate, and they're like, what were those voices? What were those voices? Did you hear that? Did you hear that? And you hear someone in the distance, Melinda! Oh no. No.

No. No. Has anyone seen Melinda? Oh no. Well this is awkward. Her seven children and I are looking for her. Wait. Oh god.

You don't have to say anything, Sir Norville. You don't have to say anything, Mr. Norville. You don't have to say anything. Wait, this brings up another thing. Didn't you and Melinda get together? Oh. Oh. Life is a complicated series of twists and turns. Love knows no bounds.

And doing the work of the goddess sometimes requires a bit of moral calculation. Horses. Is anyone seen Harsk? No one is looking for Harsk. Stop. It's Mrs. Harsk. Literally everyone he knows is back in canon. It's Ezran. He's like, have you seen Harsk? Yeah, of course. My friend. All his friends and family are dead. It's it's Ezran. He's like every seat. Oh, yeah, my friend

All his friends and family are dead this is a hundred years after his heyday They're all dead anyway As when I was walking with the cane trips and falls into the burning building and that is the economic end of it We have a cover shoot tomorrow for the next adventure path tomorrow for the next adventure path. In drama scene that everybody is okay really really wants to leave she starts to pull this kind of like knit chainmail hood she has up and she's like okay this is this is nighttime now we have to go we have to go. Helena we have to go. I know but Oswin and Mr. Norville are still very hurt. Should we go somewhere else and I'll help you?

Or what? I need to help. Are you fine if you go on your own? Step back. Step back. Away from the house. And he's going to try to draw everybody away from the house. I'm saying in character, he doesn't know that was just a one-time thing, but he's going

to try to pull everybody back. Yeah, yeah. You have no way to know. And he's going to tell any passersby that are coming back, like, get back away from the house And yeah, we'll just back off Andromeda is going to leave I think that's smart. Yeah, she does not want to be seen by townsfolk She does not want to be associated with this Oswin to like I mean she definitely like he's already committed a murder tonight and like

Yeah, it does not want to be anywhere near this kind of scene. Helena puts on her masquerade scarf to disguise herself. Ooh. Oh, that's fun. We did discuss in the car that there have been three deaths in town in the past two days. Three deaths and a ram. And we've been involved with every one of them.

Yes. But. Um. Not a great look. You know what? I think maybe Killian is going to stop Oswin. He gets the look in his eye and he starts to move and Killian might grab him and say, no, don't.

Stay. Stay here. He's so fucked up. He's still really badly hurt. He's still wounded. There's still blood streaming out of his ears and nose, and he's like really woozy. He says, get out of here. No, no, no, stay. Yeah.

We told Tunk you were staying at my house. You were sleeping at my house. We saw the skulls. I woke you and brought you with me. You were here to help. You were here to help the town. All right. Me. He like grabs on to your arm for balance. He looks at you and says,

by the way, I owe you a potion. Thanks, me. I don't understand what you're saying. He's hilarious. I think you're owed something. I don't know if it's good or bad sorry I say I owe you a potion oh no don't worry about maintenance fine I day no he's gonna so he'll look to Andromeda leaves yeah she she knows that you're okay she trusts Helena can heal you or you will find help there's town

people coming but she needs to get back to her her annex and also silver frond is scary she does not want to run into Silverfron coming to find this. So she's going to run a fire. A fire in a small village like this is big news. So it's like, oh, yeah. The magic advisor. Yeah, the magic advisor would come to help if needed as well. So she's not wanting to be here.

Yeah. So you do see there are people now rushing from the keep. And it's not long before Barvis Tonk and the town guard that were on duty come rushing down and Tonk is just like directing people yeah we need water we need water and sure enough Riddian Silverfrond is there as well and he's like caster help and Riddian is like casting water spells filling up buckets and they're throwing it on there and Barvis sees you and says kill it I got your hand help. We must put out this place wait. Just give me a moment and he's

Treating wounds on Oswin. He's in the midst of attempting to treat wounds. Okay. You've got this. I'm going away now I rolled a natural one. Oh my god! It's so unbelievable. Oh my god. I am immediately forced into a cap-dap. I have to cap-dap. I mean he's wounded one. He has two hip points.

I know, I know. I'm right here killing him. I asked you. Do you have the diehunt? Oh my god, if you dab this cap. So I mean you could kill him It's been a while since I've done this Son of a bitch Alright, there we go. That's a success on the reroll

Rough rolls six more points of healing. Yeah, he's so just, and he's only going to have time for one really. And he just sort of patches up what he can with some bandages and then he'll hop up and start trying to fight the fire. I love this. And so it's just like the casting spells and everyone's coming together and we just see this like, you know, this fury of people trying to put the fire out. Oh, can I do something cool? He's going to drink another extra... Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch- Inhuman speed. Inhuman speed, and luckily, with the help of the town guard and the other townspeople, you put the fire out before it spreads to the inn or the many homes of Rosewood Vale.

It's still on the map. It will take too much time to put it away. Wait. And the fire is out. Really? Yeah. There we go. It's gone. My favorite detail of this amazing Angeline poster is the flaming marshmallow in Sir Norval's hand. Oh yeah. Everyone's doing like bad ass shit and Sir Norval's like... Because she knows your character's a joke.

We're having a good time. I've killed like all of your mom's. How dare you? They're not mine. Alright, so now you can go back to the map. The fire's gone. I will flash forward. I could flash forward to the next day, but I don't want to speed through if there's things people want to do. Like part of me wants to, like

now it's the lights coming up. I mean, I think we should account for what we, what we say and do in the aftermath of this to the authorities. Yes, this is going to be very important. Right now it's hectic. Right now it's crazy. They're putting out the fire, but there's going to be a lot of questions. There are missing people. Melinda, Hearths, they're going to be very important. Right now it's hectic, right now it's crazy, they're putting out the fire, but there's gonna be a lot of questions. There are missing people. Melinda, Hearth, they're going to find this body. This is... Have you seen this man, this dwarf? And it's just all like covers of APs

like up all over town. Several pictures by several different artists. Yeah. He's fought so many creatures. Let's check in with Andromeda because you made a decision to sneak out of there. I imagine you're leaving and you see Rydian come up. And I just love this idea of a court wizard that comes in and is just fucking casting spells to help put out this fire.

Yeah. And Andromeda is like on the outskirts now moving away, but she knows it's Silverfron'd. And there is a part of her that despite Silverfron'd being so cold and kind of shitty as a mentor, not a very good mentor, Andromeda's not really learning a lot. She should be in this position. She doesn't seem like this is a priority for Silverfron'd to be teaching you.

Not at all. No. Silverfron'd, I was assigned this town, and Silverfron just completely does not care about teaching me as an apprentice. She doesn't respect you. No, which means she doesn't respect herself. I don't know that that's necessarily true, but.

And. That's a pretty big jump. Yeah. But there is this, despite Andromeda not feeling like a kinship like she thought she would with her mentor like so many people talk about she does see her casting these spells and she does kind of stop and just watches in awe of how cool Civic wizardry. Civic wizardry. Exactly what I went. I love that. I really love how you're selling this. I'm really I'm buying This is exactly how andromeda was

Regarded at school. She's like civic wizardry can't you imagine this helping of the people to stop a fire, to build a road? And people were like, that sucks. So she's in awe, and she starts to back away, and then she thinks she has what Andromeda calls a naughty thought. Oh. Oh. Sydney. Careful now.

Beedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle. I'm gonna just get out of this truss. I miss my fucking board so much. But she has a naughty thought, which she doesn't allow herself to have often, but she thinks, if Silverfront is helping with the fires, then that means her office is open. And you see Andromeda-

Civic wizardry at work. This is like civic responsibility in the same way, like the Watergate break-in was civic responsibility. The CIA is civic wizardry. So now you see Andromeda. Civically inclined arcana. It's for the people. She's doing this for the people.

She sprints back towards the, where Silverfraun's office office is and she would like to try to get into the office where Silverfond had that book about pregnancy and herbs she wants to find that book. This is the moment to strike. Back into Rydian's Study. Yeah. All right. Well, she did leave in a hurry. Give me a percentile roll. Let's see if she left. She had the time, the foresight to think to lock her door. Could we invoke the bell rule, the 86, 69 on this percentile roll?

I think that's fun. Are they critical successes? Well, if you roll an 86 the worst possible thing happens if you roll a 69 the best possible. We have like, Okini-chan, one of Dell's players in his home game is here tonight, so. So if you roll a 69 it's unlocked and the room is full of ice cream. Ice cream and money. Held in magic frozen suspension. Now with this sort of grading of the numbers, I don't know what this means, but a 15? 15, the door is locked. Okay. Do I know if she keeps a spare key anywhere nearby? Is Riddian a little forgetful? Yes, she keeps it on a necklace around her neck. Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Do you have a spell? How could you break the door? You're talking about telekinetic protection. Yeah, like I could break the door with spells, but I don't have...

I have like to spell magic, but I don't think this is a magic lock. Okay. I don't really have... No thievery. No thievery, untrained in thievery. I don't really have any... She's not a thief. Could I just actually try to break the lock?

Yeah, let's have some fun here. Okay. Don't worry about the repercussions. I'll worry about those. Don't worry about spending thecussions. I'll worry about this Don't worry about spending the next 30 minutes going boom boom What she wants to do is to take a small rock and push it up into the keyhole and then telekinetic Projectile just to like shatter the lock. Oh, that's fun. That's pretty cool. I like that. Okay

Yeah, that's worth three or four claps. That was exactly right, Portland. That was four players who have done this in their own game. Completely proportionate applause for that. And she whispers, Civic Wizard 3. And we'll say this pebble perfectly destroys the inner workings of the lock and the door just opens. I thought it was cool. It is so amazing that you'll be able to do that whenever there's a lock for the rest of the campaign.

I'm so psyched. Well, it's a basic lock. He's backpedaling already. For the record, I really hope you get business cards made that say, Civic Wizard. Sydney Emanuel, Civic Wizard. People will be like, what the fuck? A lot of people are thinking you're going to be like a community organizer or city planner.

You're like, no, I just play role playing games. No, I play a wizard. Okay, so she pushes open the door. Yeah. And then Andromeda thinks, oh I forgot to grease that today. That's one of my many jobs. I will do that. And I cast Light, another cantrip, and she's going to, low dim light and she's going to low dim light. She's going to walk into all those you around Yeah, she's like moving it across things It's really cool. I love this she's gonna look in the desk. All right, so you this really is just like the Watergate break-in Like exactly the trail of evidence They did a security guard has to come by notice the lock is busted and relock it.

We see a window across the way looking in at the light. Someone's staying in the hotel across the street. I do love... What's going on over there? I do love... Is that the Civic Wizard? I imagine there is security and they just go, locks broken. They just just magically fix the lock again I mean, there's no better time to commit this crime. People are very busy

I imagine not a lot of people are around you like that sounds like a song No better time parentheses to commit to You go back to where she was where she was in her cups with you, with all this shit on the table, she passed out, you started to take a look and then you bolted. And you see the books aren't all open now and laid out, but you do see notes from her journal or for something she's working on, and some of these books that you think are the books that were open to certain pages. What do you do?

She quickly flips through. She's just looking for those like drawings, those anatomical drawings. And sure enough, you see very sexy drawings. She gasps. I'm only half joking. There are drawings that now that you you you look at it you spend some time to really stare at it you see that they're like passages about certain like sex positions and levels of penetration to to... This crowd's great. You should...

You should consult a real expert. Tom's Sex Position. Give that guy another bottle cap! Give that guy another bottle cap! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Man, he's good. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Wow. Wow. She flips the book to the cover. Tom Sex position. The Karma Sutra by Tom Sex position. By Tom Sex position. Huh. She flips it back.

But even though the drawings are sexy, it's not a common stutter book. It's a book that it seems, this particular passage seems to be about like, if you kind of controlling the sex of the child based on positions and based on, you know, deeper penetration, they say could produce boys and this. And it's very, it's very interesting. Like it seems to be like a little old fashionedfashioned thinking but the idea is that like perhaps sex

positions and whatnot could be amenable to producing boys or girls yes like if you eat watermelon in the sims you'll have a girl Sims expert. She's like strawberries, strawberries. This is Justin, it's actually strawberries. Okay, so Sydney the player, I was thinking this exact thing. Only daughters, trying to have an heir, trying to get in with Mendev and grow as a city. Okay, so Andromeda sees this, she doesn't want to steal anything because that is extremely suspicious. Could I... Okay, that answers that. I don don't think there's a lot of stuff here though And you don't know how much time you have but if you're looking around and looking at the notes you see the notes Seem to follow along with that, but they're like notes on recipes and herbs that you gather to make various tinctures that could perhaps also

to make various tinctures that could perhaps also predetermine the sex of the child. And as you look at Riddian's notes, again, you're doing this all very quickly because you know if someone's gonna walk in any minute, you get the sense that she has made several of these tinctures over the past year. Huh. And the same, the same... You okay?

You all right, big guy? You okay? You all right, big guy? I can't wait till Philly. I can't wait till Philly. Do I get the sense from reading these, is there a name of the, like it's the same tincture, or it's like tinctures?

It appears to be a formula It appears to be a formula that she has made over and over again. Okay I'm gonna take one of these pages, these sort of journal pages. You're gonna steal a page? Well that seems less conspicuous than the book. So she's gonna take one page that has the formula and some information, tear it out of the journal somewhere inside, fold it up, put put it in a robe and then lastly before I leave I just want to do another quick search of her other books to see anything about necromancy because it's pretty taboo yeah you brought this up to her when you were mentioning what

happened what you discovered in the Mistwood, this desecrated statue of Iomadei and these bog, undead bog zombies wearing the clothing of a knight of Sidonah. Give me a perception check. Okay. A lot of books in here. 21? Man, you're looking, you're looking, you're looking, and you do see a book on necromancy.

Looks like one of the basics. You probably weren't allowed to. Intro to necromancy. Yeah, intro to necromancy. Necromancy 101. Grey's necromancy. Grey's necromancy. Saget's guide to necromancy 101. Gray's Necromancy. Gray's Necromancy.

Saget's Guide to Necromancy. Saget's Guide to Necromancy. Dead No More. A Beginner's Guide to Necromancy. Now this is very interesting though. Andromeda was not, you're not allowed to learn Necromancy unless you study more avant-garde magics of like beyond the veil type things. She would like to, Nadya thought, take

this book and from it bottom shelf stick another book in to just kind of finish out that shelf and hide it. She doesn't think Silverfron would be looking for this necromancy 101. Whatever. I think we're on the same page here. It kind of feels like you don't learn Necromancy until you're like a master and can be trusted because it's dangerous. So someone of your position would have never even been able to look at a book like this. Now you taking this is bad business and you slip a cookbook in its place. How to serve man. Something innocuous. Then she would like to leave. Leave with a forbidden book on necromancy and a recipe. Anything else anyone does before we flash to the morning here where questions are going to be asked.

We heal, go on. Okay. Yeah, any chance, yeah, cause we have to like cover up the fact that we've like incurred these wounds during this fight. Yeah. So we want to do that. Like any, any evidence of that?

Like Oswin is gonna, you know. I like to think there's so much going on. Maybe these questions will be asked later. But right now you feel like everyone thinks you just sort of arrived the same time everybody else did. Maybe the more keenly perceptive among them may know things that you worry about, but in the hustle and bustle there's not too much you can do. So we cut to the morning where

it's just a burnt-out tavern, soaked wood. You see the frame of the building that once was all blackened, smoke rising up from the ashes. Melinda. Oh my God. A lone man walks the hilltop, screaming the name Melinda. Ask. I feel like we should get into a meeting of the town guard. I feel like we should get into a meeting of the town guard. I feel like that's what we need to do.

So, Barvis. Yes. Sooner or later we'll attempt. Oh, that is rude. In direct contradiction to your orders? I mean, I don't have a training program yet. It's only been six hours. All right.

So, we'll say Barvis is like- I'm good, but I'm not that good. We'll say Barvis is there and he's talking and he's like, thank you for, oh, Sir Norval. I- I'm here to help in any way I can. And I appreciate it. You've always been very helpful to the town guard,

but I have been instructed that you are no longer a member. Consider me a liaison from the Order of Sedana. Very well. Gentlemen, there is a lot going on. Today is fire day. There are scouts arriving ahead of the retinue that is arriving tomorrow. The scouts are arriving today. And there are three missing people. Well, one dead body and two bodies found in the wreckage. What? A dead body and two bodies found in the wreckage. What?

A dead body where? There's a dead body found outside of the other tavern in the alleyway. Looks like he was stabbed, perhaps from behind. Oh, alright. And then- Who was it? It is an outsider, as far as we can tell. Someone not from here.

Bar fight of some kind. I passed around and someone said they saw him at the Mockingbird the other day. But then he had sort of bounced around and again, no one really knows who he is. He's an outsider passing through. Maybe he made an enemy in his short time here, but there were... That hits forosterous. Ikellian immediately puts two and two together and it's just like, oh shit. Oswin killed him.

We have this body on our hands and then there are two burnt bodies in the basement. Who are they? We don't know, but it has been reported that there are at least two people missing from town. Do you know Frank Story? Frank Story? Surely you know Mr. Story. Oh, Mr. Story and I go way back.

You know his tale he tells about how he once went out into the mistwood, right? You know the story? Tell us the story, Captain. His wife's missing. His wife, Melinda, is missing, and that's all that's important about Frank. Melinda's story? Yes. wife Melinda is missing and that's all that's important about Melinda's story. Yes, one of the bodies did appear to be of a slighter frame. I don't know what she did work at the Mockingbird,

but I don't know why she would have been in this burning building. And then the iconic ranger Harsk is also missing. For striking resemblance to the iconic ranger Harsk is also Resemblance to the iconic Ranger Harsk. I thought I heard the name of Harsk on the wind this morning Being called in the distance. He's gonna say Boss who found them? Who found the bodies? Bodies? I had my men go and search the wreckage after we put out the fire and There were these two bodies found in the basement. Did they perhaps set the fire? Would they would they trapped in there? I do not know we searched the area. I

Believe they were trapped. It's it's a hunch. Of course, we'd need to investigate further, but I Saw something you arrived before I did did what did you see? We saw more undead threats coming up from the ground I guess I don't know but some of the other members of the group like undead. It's true I saw the same. There were green skulls flaming skulls that came he doesn't know how to lie he's a terrible liar it's like they came from the fire or made the fire I'm not sure it's hard to remember. It was such a hectic scene saw flaming skulls entering the building I saw if I saw flaming skulls in the building. I'll say that much. I saw wait wait wait. I'm sorry

You were in the building. No, I mean like amongst the fire. They came from the fire And you believe these skulls set the building on fire with perhaps? Well, they were on fire, but... Let's not jump to any conclusions. Do you think Melinda and Hask were lovers? Just trying to have a simple night of passion. Surrounded by crates of rum. And flaming skulls.

I hope that they were lovers. I hope In their final moments they were able to reach a moment of shared physical intimacy and their souls created a fire more holy And sacred than anything are you just are you suggesting that the friction of their lovemaking set this fire? Can that happen? Well, there was a lot of high-proof rum surrounding them, I mean.

One spark gets out of hands, you never know. Yes, yes, this is an open and shut case. Now you start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Similar principle, clearly these unshaven peasants' genitalia created a fire that sparked the high-proof rum. All right, now that we've solved that one, any other business today? Well, as I mentioned, the scouts will be here soon.

Perhaps. I'll tell Mr. Story we don't know what happened to him. I don't think he'll want to hear the cops on that fire. He's just gonna say, the sorceress. Don't burden him with the truth. Ignorance is bliss. Wait, wait, wait. This is just one theory. I can offer further evidence. I knew Melinda's story, and I can say, upon my oath, as a member of the Knight of the Order of Sadana, she was quite frictive.

I will swear. Just chill, Chernobyl. Your hero's a guest now. I'm not going to go to Mr. Story and say that his wife was having an affair, a tawdry, fricative affair with an iconic dwarf. With the iconic Ranger Huss? I'm not going to smear the reputation of the Iconic Ranger Huss. You go to Mr. Story and tell him that. Let it be written in the annals of the history of Golarion.

We need to at least consider that something else happened here. Let a picture of that grace the next cover of Pathfinder Weekly. Call me an old-fashioned detective, but we need to at least consider that something else occurred. Of course you're right. We don't want to get trapped in a confirmation bias and tell ourselves this story and only find evidence to support that. We need to find out what's going on with these undead infestation that we're seeing. It can't just be tied to the forest, Barvis. It has to be something else. Wait, I have something to report, Captain. As I approached the building seeking to help, you might have seen this, I was hit with a strange and undeniable mental experience

where voices cried out and I experienced immense physical pain and collapsed. Yes, I heard these echoes as well and there has been mention that other people in town heard remnants of voices but perhaps your proximity to the building hit you more strongly. The voices suggested that there were spirits or some sort of entity of some kind or multiple entities buried beneath the building, trapped beneath the town, like some sort of burial ground or something. Do you know anything about this? Well, I know of the history of this place.

There was an undead battle that destroyed the previous inhabitants, but the previous Lord Montrose believed that Saidana's cleansing light cleansed this place of that. The problem is is there are many problems. We have three dead bodies. Tomorrow, Mendeath is coming here and they're going to see a burnt-out husk of a building. We need to make this place look impeccable. We need to make sure that no more incidents occur while we are also trying to get to the bottom of this What if we delayed them?

What if we told them that it's not safe to come to the town right now? There's these undead threats coming from the left and the right we can't guarantee their safety The Baron would not abide a delay would make us look foolish and weak. It would make us look like peasants and not equals. He has instructed me of the importance of this event and you, Killian, should know. We cannot let anything mar what we have created here. I don't understand, Barvis. You say that we cannot mar what? This new barony? What do we care about that? What do we care about serving some king a hundred miles away? We do not serve the king. We serve the baron and the baroness, and they have made it clear

that we must make it look good. Just a form of clarification. So when evil ought to say well, I'm just a I'm just a generally chatty person None of these other soldiers have spoken up Yeah You're absolutely right I'd like to hear from each and every one of you Troy what is a Preston's Mike doing remember him You made him up a little while ago. Wait, what was his name?

I wrote down Prestians Mike? Prestians? What did you call him? I don't know. It was Mick Steele. He was a soldier. There was a soldier. His name's Mike? I don't know. Your notes are weird

You're weird. I put him as a less notable NPC. So clearly not that important. So normal continue Jim What do you suggest we say to the King's retinue when they see the burn down bill? I just think we should clear the building and Put a fucking tarp on it or something. I don't know We have hours for upgrades repairs We have to conduct an investigation we have to figure out what happened to the tavern We have to figure out if and how Melinda and hoss were tied up in this and what if this body is there a murderer? On the loose perhaps this man was involved with their murder and someone saw it?

I don't know. I'd like to investigate the inn if you don't mind. I'll clean it up and get the fucking top over to whatever, but I'll look around and see if I can't find out maybe what these... if there's some sort of, I don't know, magic runes, symbols, a circle of some kind that caused this voice we heard in our heads. Some sort of foul magics that have been cast by someone. Yes, there is some undead threat. Given the possibility of the undead, the order will assist as well. It could be a joint investigation.

Yes, we will need your holy power. I also have some experience with the alternate theory. I am, of course, but a peasant myself. My humble origins will not be denied. Kill him. (*laughter*) How about that tarp? (*laughter*) And we'll fade out of that scene.

(*laughter*) Let's check in! Let's check in with old Helena! Yeah! Helena, what are you doing during all of this? Let's check in with old Helena. Yeah. Helena, what are you doing during all of this? I mean, I think the first thing she does when she wakes up is she tends to the daughters and maybe goes into Lady Beatrix's room. Oh.

Helping her get ready for the day. Normal things, nothing really out of the ordinary. I'm thinking maybe she's brushing her hair, trying to do it in a nice braid, practicing for tomorrow perhaps, trying to figure out what style they want to go with. And as she's just doing that, maybe they're chatting, and she goes, Hmm, when were you going to tell me about Eldrin?

Kate's bringing the drama. This is her wheelhouse, for real. Woo! I don't know who that is. Beatrix, you know how I tend to know things. It's fine, you can confide in me. We don't have much time left anyways. Let's just chat. What's... She's very uncomfortable. As am I, roleplaying-ist. I'm going to go play this. Oddly, her feelings mirror my own at this moment. Are you in love with him?

It doesn't matter. I have to do my duty. It is for the best of the Barony, and I will do as I am told. Eldren will find someone else. Yes, he said you said that, but you would say that. You spoke with him. Well, how do you think I know these things? I don't know. What do you want me to do? Do we have to send you?

I don't have a choice in the matter. Can't you just tell your mom and dad no? No. I'm only 18. I'm an 18 year old girl. I'm powerless in this world. It just seems so sudden they sprung this on us. I'm sure the young prince and I will find a way to love each other. Do you think he'll favor me?

I think he'll have the same duty that you have to his family. Good. Please don't speak of Eldrin. I won't, but... To my parents. I guess... in exchange Are you blackmailing me? Well, we're keeping secrets here and I would like more information If you have it I mean I was surprised to hear

That you were going to be married off were you my my to hear that you were going to be married off. Were you? My mother and father told me that a day may come when such a thing would happen. Though I am surprised at the match, I was not surprised. Maybe not thrilled, but it is not my place to judge. Has your mother prepped you at all? I haven't spoken with her since the festival. What do you mean prepped? Talked with you about your bethrone. Is that what you call it? Bethrones. Bethrone. Bethrone. I've never been married. It's not for me. I know how

it all works down there. Wow. I mean more of what this trade is entailing. Why you're being sent there. Well, so that we can take Rosewood Vale into the future as a part of this country and not an independent village. I am doing a service to my father and my grandfather and for future generations and maybe someday Maybe someday the older prince could get sick And I could be queen Who put that into your brain?

Just daydreaming just Daydreaming. Just daydreaming. People get sick all the time. Like your mother. What do you know about people getting sick? She's pregnant. Sometimes pregnant women barf black bile. Is that what she told you in her talk with you? No, I read it.

You read it? Have you been hanging out with Silverfron? No. No, she's weird. Not as weird as her lame apprentice. She sucks. Listen, no, no, don't say that. She's odd, but she's nice. No, she stinks. I don't think she'll ever be a civic wizard.

Cut to Andromeda in her room, her covers over her head, her lights spell on as she reads this recipe about the black bile stuff in pregnancy. She's just smiling and reading. Zoom out, alone in her room. I don't know who put this in your head. If there was a chance that you wouldn't have to go, how would you feel about that? Do you know something I don't? No, just chatting. Just chatting. I have to do what my father says

Okay, then and she just keeps brushing her hair she's like maybe I'll talk to how lady violet We've got all these knots in your hair. What have you been doing? No, I don't know how to comb my own hair Never had to do it never had to do it you were off of the mistwood I can't believe they're going to take you away from me and she continues brushing. She goes perhaps. I'll talk to sister violet Yes, auntie violet she has not come around much lately And we fade out. What are you doing that tarp? We procures a giant fantasy tarp. Out of nowhere.

What an update on the tarARP initiative now. Operation TARP. Can we go TARP as a group? Do the group TARP? Group TARP. Just because I want to investigate those voices some more it would be nice to have a cleric. Yeah. Okay. So you head over there to try and like clean up a little bit. You're part of the group that is just trying to like make things look tidy so that there isn't a burnt building when the scouting party arrives today. Just putting a giant tarp over it. That's the laziest solution to this problem. It's like your dog pee's in the floor. It's like your dog pees in the floor.

It's like newspaper. All right. So you get over there and what do you want to do as you're tarping? Investigate. Investigate. All right. So you're looking around. So moving through the wreckage, you know, finding the bodies.

Yeah. The whole floor of the tavern has been hollowed out. There's maybe a couple little spots of it still left, but it looks straight into the basement, you know, where you were. The bodies have been removed. But you could, you know, climb down in there and look around. Yeah.

I'll climb down there and look around. He's looking for any sign of the... Can I roll a religion check on the voices I heard? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And while we do that too, Andromeda is there of course for civic wizardry. This is exactly what she would be asked to do

by Silver Frond, I assume, the next day, is to like go clean it up. Wait, are we all there? Andromeda, when you said group, did you say all of us? Yeah. Oh. You in particular. Oh, yes, just throw the top over there.

Just standing off to the side and not. Wait, did you just make yourself the boss? Huh? I'm helping. You can't see where you're throwing it, so I'm helping. In the guise of helping, Andromeda's also there with Sir Norval and Killian detecting magic to help them. She knows what we're doing. We're looking for evidence.

I will tell Helena that I didn't understand anything about the voices, but maybe she would? Maybe. I rolled religion, and I rolled a natural 20. Hell yeah! religion and I rolled a natural 20. I was just over here rolling my dope bone die that I got today. Thank you so much. It's actual human bone. So I guess we know necromancy causes uterine natural 20s. Wow. That's cheating. Which human bone is it? Femur. That is so cool. Yep. Who's femur? Don't worry about it. Bills. What? You know that little box on your license where you can say I want to donate my bones to RPGs? I'm on to North My, take that box, that's what happened. All right, so you think about these voices and with the help of your fellows, and you've been thinking about it ever since that experience, it felt like the voices of tortured souls have not been put at rest, you know? Like these souls crying out,

looking for an end to their perpetual suffering in the afterlife. Helena, what if the rituals that were done 30 years ago, what if they're weakening? What if they're finding, these undead are finding cracks within the, I don't know how to explain it, the barrier we created, and now they're coming through. We resolved that, that can't be. It would, I feel like something would need to remove the barriers. Well the barriers could weaken, couldn't they? I mean particularly if say, the caster of it, the one who oversaw the whole thing, his

son is an absolute piece of shit and doesn't know how to keep it all going. Would I be able to know if like the barriers were supposed to weaken over time, we have to maintain them or? Well when you say barriers, what do you mean? He's trying to, he doesn't know the right words, but he's trying to say the consecration that was done 30 years ago may be deteriorating or and there might be seams cracks in the consecration and now these things are slipping through little by little. The original Lord Montrose believed that Sidonah and Sidonah alone was the only barrier that

you would need. Praying to her strengthened that barrier. Right. It's more of a metaphysical barrier. And that's what he's suggesting, that the son, Percy Montrose, is not continuing such prayer. How dare you call him Percy, that's very rude. He's a little kid to me, man.

Are you familiar with him? You'll always be a boy. Are you chummy with him? Percy. Once was, briefly. I I mean I never liked him but I knew him when he you know before we don't now we don't speak anymore of course because he's a grand lord a baron and so you know doesn't have the time of day for me but but when he was young, yes. You think that Percy is a penis? I think it's possible that he's a bit of a penis, yes. And she lowers her voice.

I'm going to have to report this conversation. Just kidding, look at your face. So an oval, it's not a laughing matter, truly. No, you bring up- His penis-ness is bringing undead to our village. You bring up a good point. If he is such a peen, perhaps he, perhaps him or his father was the one that destroyed Iomade, the statues.

Perhaps they- Not his father, couldn't be. No, never. was the one that destroyed Ayomade, the statues. Perhaps they... Not his father, couldn't be. No, never. But we found the bug bodies. They were of older guard uniforms. Yes, perhaps they had fallen afoul of something else. There's no evidence there that the Lord Montrose is the one that slayed his own knights. I'm just thinking, perhaps he angered...

Knights of his own order. But what if he angered other gods by professing so much to Sidon? I'm sorry, Helena. I'm sorry, Sir Norval. I don't mean to be heresy to you, but... Sidon is... Sidon is an ally of Iomaday They should be Elena were you present for the consecration of this ground? I mean, yes, but I mean maybe there's some something there with what you're saying because Talking to I can't remember his name right now the like head father guy Father Selwyn Borbus.

Father Selwyn was very weird to me the last time I spoke with him suggesting that I would need protection from something that's going to come. I feel like maybe I could talk to him and inquire about his attendance at church and prayer. It'd be well a perception check. Well also does this like, is this making any sense? Troy, like does this kind of magic deteriorate over time? Is it a possible working theory?

If the overall faith of the village declined. Yeah, based on the religion check. Like is that something that could explain? It's overall faith of the village declined? Yeah, based on the religion check. Like is that something that could explain? It's not out of the ordinary. If Lord Montrose believed that pure faith alone cleansed the land, that Sidonah brought them there and gave this land to them as a gift, if the overall sort of faith has waned, perhaps that protective barrier has weakened as well. Barrier. Barrier. That can't be true.

I have been following Seidana's tenets in eschewing celibacy with great vigor. Well, it's fine. I think in a situation like this, I think about the Terry Pratchett book small gods Which I don't know if I know it's like what it's like the God the power of a God is determined by the amount of faith That the believers on this world like having them and so this God like he has this entire like nation devoted to his worship And so he's just like I'm gonna manifest in this in on disk world And let's like throw my power around. And he goes into Discworld and he manifests

and he's a little tiny turtle. And he's just like, what the hell? Like I can't do anything, what's going on? And what he realizes is that the, all this nation that's devoted to his worship is actually only devoted to the rituals around the worship and they've forgotten him completely. And so that's what I'm wondering if it's just like this people going through the motions and like actually lost some of their

faith in like what the religion is supposed to be about. Right. Well, that's up for debate. We're not here to solve everything. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Very good book by the way. Give me the results of your perception checks. I'd prefer not to. Okay, Bartleby.

I'm going to enact my right to not say what I rolled. That's right. My attorney has advised me not to reveal the results of my roll. On the advice of counsel, I decline to reveal the results of my dice roll. I'm not going to say what I rolled. 24 and detecting magic. Detecting magic, 24. 17. 17.

90, 19. For 25. Woo! Also 24. Okay. I assume I'm also there. Yes. Well, you're staying with Killian. Yeah, I'm just, yeah.

Come help me with this job. I feel like it's like work release or something for me. I don't know. After hearing those numbers, you would think that there are negative numbers on my dice with how low my number is. Well, Helena and Killian aside, the other three of you, as you're pulling this tarp over, you look into the hollowed out basement and you see a portion of the wall

has sort of crumbled away from the burning. And you see bones. Bones of several bodies. I could bake so many dice from this. several bodies. I could make so many dice from this. That's it. Bones of several bodies sort of like almost

you know, hidden away or built into the foundation of the building itself. And as you notice this you hear horns. Hr. Riders! And we'll be back right after this quick break. Oh!

Oh! Oh shit! Go get a couple of cocktails, we'll be right back! 15 minutes, we'll be back. We're back! Take your time getting back to your seats with your fresh cocktails. Are we taking shots? Take your time. Take your time.

We got some whiskey. Where did you get this whiskey? This is from, was it Tentor? Is that, yes, Tentor. Distilling and brewing. You brought so many delicious, delicious treats, and we're having some of the whiskey right now. Are we taking, are we taking, are we taking shots?

Oh, cheers. We're sipping like adults. Savor it, Kate, savor it. No shots. No one wants to party. I am so psyched to wake up. Passing it down. I'm so psyched to wake up at 430 AM. We have a 7 o'clock flight.

7 o'clock. 4 to 630. See you at the airport. Folks, we are in a bit of a situation here. You just found bones in the walls of this hollowed out, burnt husk of a tavern. A tavern where not but a few hours ago, you were trapped and about to be burnt alive. Flaming skulls attacking you.

There is some sort of undead menace that is slowly resurfacing to harm you. Nothing a good tarp can't solve. Nothing a good tarp can't solve. And you want to get that tarp out because riders are coming in. I would say, I mean, you tell me, Killian, are you like, shit, I gotta get this top out? Or are you like, hold on, let's get these, let's figure out these bones. The riders, the scouts are approaching.

You know, you've been told by Barvis that the scouts of New Canaveras, they're arriving a day beforehand. They're kind of like scouting the way for the retinue. You don't know who's coming from New Canaveras, but you know, they've sent out scouts to make sure that everything's safe. They're gonna come to Rosewood Vale and they're gonna spend the night and camp you hear these riders approach you know you can't just leave this hole in the ground what do you do I think that he he prioritizes the scouts

and not the bones maybe he looks to Helena and is like I've got to go up I've got to go up to the surface and meet this, greet this scouting part and see what they're all about. Can you look into these bones? Okay, sure. And he's... Novel, with me. And he'll... Have fun sorting through the undead solo. Bye.

What? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. As a player, I don't know what much more we're going to find out from it in this moment. I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that these undead souls are not at rest, you know what I mean? And so but I think that this this coming band of scouts is a very important situation. I'm assuming I've been healed up, right? Yes, we're all healed. Thank you. Okay, I actually, I kind of agree,

because I don't want to miss the moment of the scouts. I want to be there to observe. Helena wants to go somewhere else. She doesn't want to be where the tarp is. They're going to put the tarp over you, and just leave you in this. So look down there. We'll come back. And Dromedae will stay by the tarp is. They're gonna put the tarp over you and just leave you in this. Look down there. We'll come back. And Dromeda will stay by the top.

Does it look like a crypt or does it look like a tunnel? Looks like bodies were hidden within the walls. You don't know if they were hidden within the walls. Like when it was built, like they... It's hard to tell very quickly. It's like a Sicario situation. It's hard to tell if it was built when the tavern was built or if it's part Of the previous community without like taking a moment here

It's it's difficult to see but it does seem like you go within the walls and there are scales Was it skull skeletons was it built on like a grave site? Or was or a body's purposely put there. You can't tell with such a quick glance. We'll come back. Let's meet the retinue You head towards the retinue Oz when are you just kind of like tagging along? Yeah, I think he's Sort of unnerved by this like ossuary here that we've uncovered and he wants to like he's just thinking His instinct is like look at what's surrounding the bones, if there's any kind of artifacts or anything

that might indicate like when these were put here, how, why, but everyone else is leaving, like these riders are coming up so he pulls himself up out of the pit and joins the rest, but he's gonna like hang around the back. Yeah. Yeah. And you lay the tarp over, trapping Helena inside. Damn it! Yep.

How did this always happen? Seal it! We'll return in one week's time. You can knock on the tarp, see if anyone can hear us. Knock on the tarp. Knock on the tires like on the chart You Make your way towards You know sort of a greeting area barbis sees you gives you a thumbs up with the tarp

And calls you over and sir Lehman quince sees you sir, norval with Killian coming up the hill, and motions to you, like, the fuck over here. Hey! Over here. Me? Yes. Sorry.

Tongue's right here, Sir Norval. This way. This way. I'm here. You see a group of about two dozen men and women on horseback riding in. At first glance, they all appear to be human. Barbra Stonk, Killian, other members of the Guard, Sir Leemon Quince, Sir Norval are posted as well. And Quince is like, put on a good presence. There's only two of us. Look sharp.

Is he short? Is he a... Yeah, he's short. Is he special? Bald. Short and bald. Short and bald. Other townsfolk have started to like come out of their buildings to watching. The crown has arrived. These are outriders, but still this is a big deal. And from afar we watch Barvis and Sir Leemon step up to greet the leader of the scouts.

There's perfunctory bows back and forth, and they're pointing to places throughout the town. Tarp, tarp, tarp, tarp. This is our town tarp. This is our...doing some construction here. That's just a town tarp. Doing some construction here. That's just a basic tarp. There's no one underneath it. Andromeda is standing there to show face for civic wizardry and just motions towards the tarp. It covered up something.

Just doing construction upgrades. To the town. For more. You thought you were getting two members of our community to be betrothed to two princes of yours, but did you know you also got tarp manufacturing? It's one of our biggest tarps that we have. No one is listening to you. She bows deeply.

Barvis is directing them just north of the town, south of the Mistwood. This will be a good area for you to camp. We're not going to give them rooms or whatnot. They're going to camp out. They're going to set up camp. He's pointing in the direction. There's this. Don't worry about the tarp. There's the castle. Thank you. If you need anything, let us know. And now, Oswin, you said you hung back kind of watching all of this. And as you're watching all of this unfold and kind of taking in all of the riders

One of the scouts catches your eye It's been a while Maybe his beard is thicker than you remember it, but you know in a heartbeat It is Alden Former member of your gang. And as you spy him from afar, a man you probably haven't seen in years, you are brought back to a much darker memory. In the darkness, we hear a woman screaming, no, please, please, please spare me.

And now we see the scene. Some of the members of your gang, these poachers, they're holding you back by your arms. One has one of your arms, one has another one of your arms, and you're strong. There might be a guy grabbing you from behind, so there's three guys on you, and they're like forcing you to watch across the way as Alden and another man are holding this young woman that you were in love

with that you were in bed with also by the arms and they're making you sort of watch her being held against her will and the leader of your group. I think this is like, this is happening in the room where we saw him last. Oh god. This memory. So it's really- They burst into this like bed chamber and like this is happening like immediately after. So clothes are a shroom everywhere and the leader of your group, Beta Wolf, walks up

to you, Oswin. Oswin, Oswin. You're a good soldier, but you've made an all too common mistake. Once you're with us, you're with us for life. Yes, you can fuck whoever or whatever you like, but you can't be falling in love, and you're naked and being held back, and he grabs you by the chin and holds you up. This is for your own good, mate.

No, no, no, listen, no, listen, boss, look, this is whatever you've heard. She means nothing to me. This is just a dalliance. I don't, all my loyalty is to you and no other thoughts. Whatever you've heard, please, you can't do this. Listen, listen, this is a gift, brother. You learn this now and it's gonna make the rest of your life

that much easier and he nods towards alden and alden pulls out a dagger and starts sawing off is you are just forced to look on. And now we're back to this scene where you see Alden as a member of the King's Outriders. And as you look at him. What do you do? What do you do? You were like, you said we should bring out whiskey, like we would have fun together. Yeah, it was like fun. Like you were being fun. You were like, remember, we play a game.

And we were friends. What the fuck was that? I don't even want my whiskey. It's like sad. So I think like immediately it's like this mix of emotions like his blood starts running hot, his fists clench his eyes like blaze as he sees this. And it's a mix of like there's some terror in there because like he was just recognized the night before by another person like someone else recognized it and then all of a sudden someone from his past shows up here too but all of that is completely

overwhelmed at the fucking rage that he feels at what this person conspired in to do to him the the the the the participation that they had in like killing like the one woman that he ever loved. And so he's just like this passion overwhelms him. And he just, he moves away. He moves away from the throng to get to a spot where he can just watch this man and see where he goes and what he does. Watch this man. In your little moment there, in that memory, Beta Wolf said, once you're with us, you're with us for life. Yet here is this man who, like you, got out. And it's now, perhaps, a vision of your future. If you play by the rules, maybe you'll be a king's outrider someday. Let me come back to Barvis and Killian. Killian, please help them with their things, their tarps and whatnot.

They're going to set up camp. Show them. Bring some of the men, Jim and Steve. Yes, sir. And yeah, I'll just- I love that his solution for everything is tarp. It's sort of a metaphor for everything that's going on in this village. Just cover it up.

Just cover it up. Just throw something over it and cover it up. Put a tarp on it. Get a bigger tarp. They're the number one export. Help them. I told them that just north of town here, between town and the Mistswood, would be a good area to set them up. Yes? Can you just kind of show them? Be kind.

Yeah, as you say, sir. As you say. And he'll go to start helping, and he doesn't like that it seems like it's all humans, he said. So yeah, he is going to help out where he can, but he's keeping an eye out and particularly an ear out. He just kind of wants to listen to what they're saying, what they talk about amongst each other, if it seems completely unrelated to anything that's happening here, or if they seem skittish or on guard. Okay, so you very quickly get an unsettling vibe from these vibe. I knew it. There is a little bit of... He's just doing the math. He's like, 24. Osmond's real good. Could we kill them all at night? Wipe them all out. We have a tarp. Join the bones beneath the town. We have a tarp for just such an occasion. Yeah, so you get an unsettling vibe.

The vibe you get is this sort of like a little bit holier than thou, kind of looking down their noses at you and your little outfit here and your little town. You know, these are the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of, you know, the chain of command here. These are people who are meant to just, you know, if there are threats, die. And then they know like, oh, OK, let's not go that way. Like they're fodder. They're the van. But they're looking at you like, all right, we'll find our way out. And they start unloading their horses, their tarps and their tents.

And they start setting up a camp here. They move right in. You just don't like the way they feel a little too comfortable in the way they're just sort of looking at the whole town. Sir, Norma would like to approach them with a bottle of whiskey. Just come rolling in? Gentlemen, compliments of the order of Sedona. Who? She is our goddess.

You might feel her just tickling you you right now just by standing close to me What's your deal night? What's her? What the fuck is this what's happening? I just come to our camp with whiskey and talking of tickling I like her style man Many do. I'm here to say welcome, and welcome to our little town. We're so honored to have you here, and on compliments of the Order of Sidon. How many knights do you have here? We're in a process of rebuilding. It's a rebuilding year. It's a rebuilding year. We're hoping for a high draft for Knights of Sidon.

They start us out with a pretty good salary and great benefits, and there's room for growth and career advancement if you're interested. I see two of you here at the greeting ceremony. I figured there would be more. We're just a small out for right now but you know room to grow, room to grow. So there's just two knights. He's pouring whiskey from both of them. Oh thank you. Two knights. And how many are in your town guard? I don't know. That many, huh? Very interesting, very interesting. How long the two of you worked for his grace? Oh, long enough. Thank you for the whiskey.

Go hang out with your other night friend. Oh, well. If two of you get a little bored out here, we happen to have a certain number of diversions in the town. Just ask for Sir Norville, I'll take care of you. Okay, we'll be fine with our own diversions. Thank you again for the subpar whiskey. That's a bit rude, sir.

Oh no, it's just we have much better stuff in the cellars of the capital. You have that with you now, then, do you? Yes, but this might be nice if our fire grows dim. He throws it. Wow. Wow. You know what they say about those who refuse a gesture of hospitality.

No, what do they say in your little village? They say they're cursed, sir. Well then, color me cursed. Nice meeting you. Oh, shit. So Marvel just stands there for a full minute in complete silence, unmoved, and then turns and goes. I'm getting flashbacks to Kate on the plane turning to the man going, are you in a rush?

Cursing him with my eyes. I'm getting flashbacks to Kate on the plane, turning to the man going, are you in a rush? Cursing him with my eyes. Stand here all day. And so they set up camp. It is fire day, oddly enough. And... Too soon. Tomorrow's,

tomorrow's star day. Some people are coming from the capital to take Beatrix and Willow away, making the barony official. There's a lot going on and you are hiding things, you have found bones in the walls. What, if anything, do you do before the night ends and star day begins? We got a tarp to sneak under. You got a tarp to sneak under. I agree with Oswin's instincts. We got to investigate these bones to see if we can get a sense of how long they've been there. Oswin is nowhere to be found.

You keep looking for Oswin. He was just behind. Curiously, I have the same instincts. I said, now I'm opting for Oswin. Helena's not interested in the tarp. Sorry. What are you interested in? Finding Sister Violet. All right. Haven't talked to her.

Andromeda has been standing by the tarp since 7 a.m. It's just raining. She's like shivering. Soon they will come to look at the tarp. She's squinting in them our largest tarp. Civic wizardry is its finest. A beacon of civic wizardry. But really she's also waiting in case Killian or Sir Norville comes back. What if we just didn't? No! What do you want? In case Killian or Sir Norval comes back

It's a stormy night the coldest the coldest fire day and many years No, I imagine a certain point once you've done through these the ceremony of greeting these guards sir Norval and Killian return and you expected Oswin to return as well, but he is not, apparently. Is Oswin here? I have questions for him. I found, and she doesn't fully pull it out,

but she has the piece of journal with the recipe. I have to ask him about the herbs and plants. He would know what they are. When you two tend to talk to each other, it gets a little confusing for the audience. For them. And me. So you took him away?

From me? Thank you for standing watch over this tarp. Shall we check out those bones? Killian? Jomina? Yeah. I'll keep watch. I can detect anything you need, but it's important that I stay here.

I cannot arouse suspicion. We might need your knowledge down below. Huh. She looks around the completely empty town. I guess I could, if you need me. Jarman, I'm sure no one's gonna come by at this hour of the night. What time is it?

It's freezing. Is it late? Just get under the tarp. Let's go. Go under the tarp. Let's go. Go under the tarp. Jesus. At that moment, somebody walks up and is like, I was hoping for a tour of the tarp. She hears that and a piece of her breaks inside.

Committed to being under the tarp now. I can't help them. You duck under the tarp now. I can't help them. You duck under the tarp. Cast light, obviously. Yes. It's dark under the tarp. And you go down there and now all of you see these bones and you begin investigating them. And the first thing you notice is that there are no skulls. All of these you know remnants of bodies or whatever their heads or their skulls

are nowhere to be seen as if they've been decapitated or removed posthumously you know you just you would you'd have to spend a lot of time to try to figure that out but you do see know, half a dozen bodies buried within the walls. If you start digging away more and more, it's unclear because of the great damage done by the fire, whether they were put here during the construction of the town or whether the town just happened to dig and foundations into a place that had bodies, either buried or just left there. You know, any of you who've studied your history, that there was a great plague that came over this place,

that people were murdered and the place was abandoned. So it's possible that these bodies just over time sunk deeper into the ground. So it's not necessarily a burial ground, but just bodies that were left behind by this undead march on Highbury. This place does not seem an ideal location for a town. Sedona's Consecration aside, does not seem an ideal location for a town.

Sidonah's consecration aside, why would the elder Lord Montrose choose such a place? Killy and you were there. Because no one else could live here. Because Sidonah had to be the one that consecrated it. It was a holy land for us. It was a place that no one else could find fertile land or build a settlement around, but Lord Montrose could. By the power of Sidon, we were able to keep those spirits at bay, or we thought, put them to rest but apparently it was only a temporary solution a band-aid can I do a either a history with society or a religion check about the headless nature

of these bodies to determine if that was ritualistic anything tied to ergothoa or if it was in the history books that there were a bunch of headless corpses found or something Yeah, you can roll any whichever one you prefer. I'll do the history. I'll do this society aspect I've rolled a lot of society, but he is he is an expert in that action Contrary to this shitty die roll die roll. It's your bone die too. That's really sad. Did you Dap your cap yet? Oh, I Dapped that cap when I killed Oswin.

That's right. It's a 16. 16. You know, your cursory memory of ergothoa, you don't remember anything specifically about head removal. Your sort of immediate gut reaction is that removal of heads is like an act of desecrating a corpse. But you also think maybe if it was done purposefully, it's to make it harder to identify the bodies. Mm-hmm. So you don't... In further searching there's nothing else but bones. Yeah.

There's no evidence of jewelry or trinkets or... Magical swords. Yeah. Nothing carved into the bones? Well, no, but seriously, there's no evidence of like culture or anything like that? No, no. The bones look old. There's no vestiges of clothing or flesh on them. If you rip away some of the other walls

that have started to give way from the fire, you feel like there's about half a dozen, six, maybe seven bodies. A couple of them have been like mangled together. It might be one, it might be two. But you're looking at six, seven bodies tops. Andromeda, do you feel any magic emanating off of these? She's looking at the bones, looking for carvings,

glyphs, runes, doesn't see anything. Detect magic? No, you don't detect any magic. But you do start to wonder, like, if these voices were crying out and somehow tied to these bodies, like, this might be a perpetual pain that they're suffering in the afterlife

because they're not properly buried. Now, not having their skulls is gonna be a problem, but you might, part of you thinks maybe you can put them to rest, but like there's a lot going on here. You start walking around with bones through town. Do we get the feeling that the flaming skulls we saw last night were skulls from this? Perhaps. It seems a little coincidental. Andromeda kind of relays that idea about proper burials. She's not very religious but she says we should come back later. We should not disturb them further. We should not touch them or take them. Helena should come. She knows

what to do. Wait, didn't you just say you knew what to do? Yes, tell Helena to come. I thought you just found out we needed to put them to rest, right? Yes, I don't know how to do that. I am not a priest. I think we just bury them. No, they don't have heads clean. You cannot be buried without your head. Where are we going to find them?

If Sir Noval is correct, we destroyed them in the night. I don't know where their heads are. I am telling you the best. Their heads attacked us last night, is what Sunovel thinks. And they're gone now to the wind, yes? Yes, so there is no head. I think the best thing we can do is bury them. Maybe we could write a little IOU for the head.

In case we find them later on. Really think we should consult someone who knows about this more than me and you and you. But Andromeda, who knows more than you? Melinda! Someone really needs to tell Frank's story. What happened to his wife? Andromeda. I'm going to need you to talk to that man. Andromeda, yes. You should be the one to talk to Mr. Story.

You have a way with words, Andromeda. And I fucked his wife. I forgot his name was Frank. I think we end that scene there. Okay, we end that scene there. I want to, I honestly, I want to know what I want Helena to talk to the sister. That's Violet DeWitt. Okay. Oh, right. She said she was going to do that. That's what I want to see. Well, I want to check in with her too, but I'm curious what Oswin's been up to.

So Oswin has just been tracking, stalking this guy from the minute that he arrived in town, the minute he spotted him, he's been hiding in shadows, watching him, waiting for him to settle down, waiting for him to be in some kind of spot where he can confront him privately. So if they're like setting up, if they're bivouacking, if they're like setting up camp, like tents and everything, like he's watching him set up his tent. And if the hour gets late, like he watches him get into his tent, light a lamp,

he's looking at the flickering light, waiting for that light to go out. Okay, yeah, I imagine you're watching them all set up camp, trying to track him. You see him. You might lose him for a second again, then you see him and he's laughing with his friends. They're joking and they're drinking and they're eating around the campfire. And then slowly as the night wears on, they start going into their tents one by one. And you see his tent. And they're not like, you know, traditional camping tents.

They're a little bit bigger, not ostentatious, but enough that, you know, the roof isn't this close that you'd have to squeeze in there. They're like, you know, little huts. And you see his. And the light goes out. So he slips through the encampment, silently as he can in the darkness, with all of his practice skill honed over many years, and makes his way to the tent, slices any bindings, like holding the flaps together, and slips in.

You slip in to the tent. And... Alden... is... sleeping. Okay. So he sidles up to his sleeping form, gently places his hand over his mouth, and with his other hand he has his kukri, and like places it against his throat,

and just presses it in until he wakes up and he comes to and he goes to like try to grab it his side but then he feels your blade you know what happens if you cry out right not not how did you fleet me slides his hand down I didn't know you were here. I didn't find you. How did you find me?

I saw you, I spotted you, you cowardly cunt. I'm no coward, but if I am a coward you are one as well. Don't you fucking look at me! Turn your eyes away, don't you fucking look at me! Turn your eyes away! Don't you look at my fucking face! Listen now, Oswin. It's been a long time, brother. And we both got out.

Can't we just move on? I have, seems like you have. Let's just continue to go our separate ways, eh? Maybe I can put in a good word for you, and, uh, get you a job in the capital. Or you could just fuck right off and leave me be. Move on. You want me to move on? Move on

Who want me to move on The way you've done with your fancy job He like leans in like really close like right next to his ear This time is past. I how long do you think it would take for me to forget what you fucking did? at his best It would take for me to forget what you fucking did and his past What are you talking about? Fucking bedwoolf!

You don't want to fucking talk about! We did lots of things! You know what I'm talking about! He's pressing the blade like firmer and firmer into his throat Alright, alright, alright The girl? What? Are you still mad

about that fucking whore? Do you even know her name? No. And his hands are shaking. He's like, our name was Lily. Lily. Say it.

Whisper it. Lily. Lily. Hi. That'll do. And he just presses the kukri like into his throat with his shaking hands until it splits the skin in the Adam's apple. And he just starts sawing, sawinging sawing with his hand over his mouth and it's like his hands are shaking so until he gets until he till he reaches the bone in the in the vertebrae just He's back. I trust you won't forget it

And you like We fade out. Four bodies. To be fair, we've only killed about four of them. We've only killed about four of them. That's going to cause some problems in Ann Arbor. Skip off! I love about four of them. That's gonna cause some problems in Ann Arbor. Skidmore! Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Now we'll cut to Helena. Helena, you crawled out from under the tarp. Yeah. Yeah. Just snuck by Andromeda, left her there. Army crawled past Andromeda. And at some point in the evening, you went to check in on Sister Violet DeWitt, who,

if you've been following the story so far, we met in episode one during the Founder's Day Festival. She was staring at the ponies. Very into the ponies. Burying the ponies. Ponies! An inordinate amount of time. She seemed to be rather distracted.

And when last Helena went to meet with Father Selwyn, she assumed that Sister Dewitt, this is the sister of the Baroness as well, but also a holy sister, would be there as well. And Father Selwyn said that she was feeling under the weather and maybe he was just bullshitting because he obviously made a sexual pass at you. You go to her chambers. What do you do? You're outside, you're approaching the door

to her chambers. Yeah, I feel like she's pretty comfortable with Violet, so she walks up to the door. Is it late at night? No, I would say that, uh, is it like eight, eight or nine? Yeah, so yeah, I feel like she feels comfortable to knock on the door. Say,

Dum dum dum dum dum. Sister Violet, it's me, Helena. No answer. Knocks a little harder. Hello? Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum. Nothing. It listens.

It listens at the door. Give me a perception check. Perception. Oh, come on, come on. Ooh. Oh, so big. Oh, God. 28. 28. Ooh, oh, so big. Oh, God. 28.

28. Yeah, it was big. Woo! Woo! It was big. It was big. All right, so you knock, you listen, like maybe nobody's in there, maybe she's out.

And you hear, you definitely hear movement, like somewhere in the room, deeper in the room. There is some sort of movement there. Huh. I feel like she makes it a point to like, loudly walk away, but then sneak back up quietly. Like, well, I guess you're still feeling under the weather I'll just be gone now

But the record reflect it's 907 And she sneaks back up to the door and is it locked You check the door and is it locked? You check the door and the door is unlocked. She slowly opens it and peeks in as she opens it. You open the door quietly and it's a pretty large chamber. You walk into the room, and you look around. You don't see anybody, but you hear movement way off to the back left of the room. Do you continue towards that direction? Yes.

Very carefully. It's a back corner of the room. Is there a curtain? The room is almost L-shaped. It turns and goes this way. She makes a wide turn. Around there. A wide turn cake. Around there. A wide turn Kate. Look around.

You're wearing armor, right? Oh, do clerics wear armor? Let me see. She's always turning so wide. I know. That's so like her. Old Katie wide turn. That's what we call her in the van.

Old Katie wide turn. That's what we call her in the band. Old Katie wide turn. She loves the Katie part. That's her favorite. So this unarmored wide turn in Cleric sidles towards the right side of the room to kind of peer stealthily around. And I imagine there is like camera shot. You're like coming up, coming up, coming up.

And you see Sister Violet DeWitt, completely nude. I know. Holding, like covering her breasts and admiring herself in the mirror and she's pregnant And we'll see you next month We love you Portland! It's time to make your membership official. Start your 30 day free trial today and become an official member of The Nish at JoinTheNaish.com with the promo code GCN30. That's join

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