The Glass Cannon Podcast - Gatewalkers Episode 64 – Sad Songs (Fey So Much)

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

Another casualty leaves the party in shambles as they return to the Smiling Wolves' camp. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Dbf4NM3QACQ This episode was sponsored by Foundry VTT and Norse Foundry. See why tabletop gamers everywhere have made the switch to Foundry Virtual Tabletop at https://foundryvtt.com/gcp For all your random number-generating needs, visit Norse Foundry at https://www.norsefoundry.com/discount/newyearnewdice. For a limited time, save with code "newyearnewdice". Visit https://mintmobile.com/GCP to get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month. ($45 upfront payment required, equivalent to $15/mo. New customers on first 3-month plan only. Speeds slower above 40GB on Unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details.) Visit https://playvesper.com/glasscannon to wishlist Vesper on Steam today. The Glass Cannon Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/GCN to get 10% off your first month. Visit https://auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code "GCN" at checkout. 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 glasscannonnetwork.com. Watch new episodes when they premiere every Thursday at 8PM ET on youtube.com/theglasscannon. 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. Last week on the Glass Cannon podcast. Should Asta fail her recovery save, the fire damage will kill her. It is now Zephyr's turn. First action, run up to Asta, drag her out of the 20 foot range. Okay. I need a death roll from Sydney. Seven. Back to dying two. Do you see it? Do you see a scenario of how this could end, this fight?

I see it. It is your turn! Of course it was going to be Cain. Of course. Schwamp schwamp schwamp. Tighten swing. 25 to hitch. And you kill her. No! All right, this is very, very important here though. Asta is dying too.

A natural one and you're permanently dead. Oh my God. Oh, come on! All of our characters have died this way. This is exactly how long we've done. It is an act of service we do. This mission, we cannot give up. Not yet, Brother Amius.

Did you navigate us back? I'll try. Wolf Howls start up as you carry Asta's body into the camp. You see Hubert. Is everything alright? No see Hubert. Is everything alright? No Hubert. The mark you all share or cursed. The adventure continues... now. I'm gonna be a good boy. ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"]

["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] ["Santa Claus is Coming to Town"] Folks, all I want for Christmas is you! And all Sidney wants is a character that lives more than 15 episodes. Oh my god!

I'll do anything. I'll do anything. What does your shirt say? It says, don't bother. Does that mean like, don't bother me, or just don't bother? Like, when stuff is hard, and you're having a hard time, don't bother, it doesn't matter. It all comes crumbling like ash in your hands.

But I guess my best wasn't good enough. like ash in your hands. I tried to make you all happy out there and look what it brought me. I think it made a lot of people happy. Sadness. People that were tired of your character. Oh man. All those Osta haters out there. Dope.

You know, wow, this was sitting, I was so sad when I left the studio. This was sitting on a one. I didn't, I need to. It was still there sitting on one. Ha! Little tombstone. That bag is so sad.

That's a tombstone. Oh yeah, if someone kills, if a die kills a character, it really should be like a, you start a graveyard of dice. I should have put it in jail. It needs something worse than jail. What I do, like with my, what I started doing is like, I will retire the die and I'll like write like the character's name, date of do, like with my, what I started doing is like, I will retire the die and I'll like write like the character's name,

day of death, like on it. Oh. Boom, never use it again. That's a really nice, that's like a nice memoriam. I like that. I was gonna say, you know what sucks though? It's like, I did it again. Yeah. I did it.

It could have been the smokey ash. Same thing. The same way the fight was over. The fight was, oh, I was replaying it in my mind and it's like, there's nothing I could have done. I simply rolled the die. All you could have done is just not rolled that number. Not rolled that one number.

That one number. Literally. I said it, I was like, is anybody going to see how this may end? I don't know if anybody picked up on it, but in my eyes, I knew that the cat had two hit points left. I knew one hit takes it out. But there were so many people that had to roll these dying

rolls, I just, I saw it happening. You're going to kill this cat and somebody's going to die. Right. It had two hit points left. Two hit points left. So I rolled on my force barrage, I rolled a two and a two on 2D4. Yeah. You get six points of damage at eight hit points.

So if I had done... Four and a four. Two more. Three and a three. Three and a three. Or four and a two. Or two and a four. Four and a two, yeah. So it's your fault.

Yeah, I accept the blame. But you know what? I take, I, Matthew, thank you, I take the blame back because Kate spent her actions to pull me out of the stupid fire stuff. I rolled fine, went up to die in one, rolled bad, went back to die in two. I just can't believe, I can't believe it. But it happened. It happened, yeah.

Yeah, I'll say it like Francis was saying, it's just like, if I had watched it happen in front of my eyes, I would not believe that this wasn't a scripted event. I wish like you watched it, Skid, and you just like nudged the table, like hit the table. I tried, I did the other time. Yeah, that's true.

The pen wasn't out. That's the thing. Now it's Sk sure yeah the pen wasn't out that's the thing that was my fault never again don't bother don't pop don't bother did this ruin your Christmas no because I think it's a it's a Christmas miracle for all of us when you meet my new character oh I didn't think we were gonna do that. I thought we were just hanging out. We can just hang out too. Okay. I said no to Hubert. That's the Christmas failure.

That is a sad, sad Christmas for everybody out there. So no Merry Christmas, no Happy Hanukkah. He said no to Hubert. Merry Christmas, Joe. Well, it's the greatest gift I've ever been given. Is it because I did a bad job on my audition for Hubert? Didn't help. Didn't help.

You know what's so funny is we recorded that in studio and you were still alive. We were just goofing because I don't know if I said to you yet or not, I was like, just so you know, if anything happens, you're not playing Hubert. And you're like, what? And I'm like, I decided that the minute you brought it up. But you did that as a joke just for social media content and you were very much alive with no thought of you dying. We had not encountered the cat.

Yeah, it wasn't like, that's just so funny. That went out and then you died. Can I make a pitch to the table that might contradict my earlier position? Oh. Wait on what? Maybe we should let Sydney play Hubert given her track record. Just this is what I'm gonna make it for. I can't believe I'm gonna do this her track record. Just this is what goes on.

I can't believe I'm going to do this. No, no, no. But listen. I'll let you keep speaking. Given Sydney's track record with PCs. I'm two for two. That's true. It's the surest way. Troy's NPCs never die.

And she'd only be first level. It's the surest way to eliminate any character. Yeah, it's the easiest way, short of actual murder. It's to give them to me. It basically is murder. Wait, am I? It's manslaughter at least. I feel so bad for your new character.

Are we equal? How, am I getting up to you guys? What? You mean in lifetime? Ave, ave, Asta, Lucky. Is there one more? No. I don't think so. I don't think, no, I thought I had one more.

Any of you getting the drunk characters? Oh, spoilers. No, not think, no. I thought I had one more. Any of the Get in the Trunk characters? Oh, spoilers. No, not yet. Spoilers abound. Not yet. I don't know. We're pretty worried about everybody. And three campaign deaths, what?

63, 64 ups in? I don't know what ep were on. That's pretty good. One every year. All of which happened on Death Saves. All which happened on Critical Failure on Dying 2. Except for Ave. Ave Maria got turned to stone and shattered and that was not her fault.

Two episodes into her introduction. Barely alive. Oh, that's amazing. I just want to play her again in an alternate universe. Just brutal. I said last week after we went up the air for Asta to survive that gauntlet between worlds. Seven episodes in a row, multiple combats, survived that, level up.

And then this is supposed to be the encounter, usually the first encounter after level up is like, hey, let's show off our new abilities. Just get stomped on the fumble. Everything went wrong for you. Everything went wrong. So many natural ones. Yeah. Literally, so many natural ones. Yeah, literally so many natural ones. It was crazy.

Statistically felt insane. Have all the bottle caps you want. Can't bottle cap away multiple natural ones. I didn't have them. Well, we could have bottle capped that all away. And then you told us that we wouldn't have even fought that thing if Brother Ramious doesn't fail the survival check. It's possible.

So that was a natural two to so it's your fault Yeah, so it does all start here with with Ramious and and a natural to and that's what everyone's thinking too Like you should have died. You should have been the one not Asta. Sorry. That's what everyone Yeah, they just didn't want to say it Didn't want to say it but this they still are I didn't want to say it. They didn't want to say it, but they still are, I guess. They didn't want to say it. They told me. Because they really had no thought.

I'm just imagining you saying that. They told me not to say it. On the stand in a court of law. But Cindy's your friend. That's what everyone was thinking. Cindy's your friend, so she'll tell you in your face. And then just writing it down like, noted, that's good evidence for the record. Court's sonographer types it normally.

No one objects. Objection. All the lawyers at the bench are just. We're only talking in facts normally. No one objects. Objection. All the lawyers at the benches are- We're only talking in facts here. That's what everyone was thinking. Cindy does. I mean, it's interesting to see how this could shake the foundations of the party because

Zephyr, you're going into your backstory. You lost this boy that you were close to. You lost Lucky. going into your backstory, you know, you lost this boy that you were close to, you lost Lucky. It was the first time that maybe you had opened yourself up to any sort of close friendship or anything since this point. Lose Lucky. Now you're standing over the body of your new friend who, first episode we introduced Asta, nod into Asta. You're distancing yourself. Now you've unstoppered the potion and you're standing over the body. Again, the same thing.

Yeah. She gave me a gift like right before it happened and yeah, it's like awful. Don't give anyone any more gifts. She's still lucky. She's lucky for a month. Every time you give someone a gift, you go down. Don't give gifts during Christmas. Don't give gifts.

It's like oranges in Godfather. Christmas. That's right. When she's seeing orange, you know somebody's going down. Don't give gifts during Christmas. Don't give gifts. It's like oranges in Godfather. That's right, when you see an orange, you know somebody's going down. Sad. I do, you know, there is a part of me though that's like, you can't write this shit like the fact that she went down to a cat and Lucky went down to the fox.

That's amazing. I still think. That's like Lincoln and Kennedy's similarities. Yeah. Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln, Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy. One ran from a theater to a bookstore, the other one from a bookstore to a theater. Google it.

Google it. The punchline of that is not great. Because they died, people died. Right, people died. Weren't both their vice presidents Johnson? Yeah, both had Southern vice presidents named Johnson. It's crazy. I mean, it is to name Johnson. Yeah, both the Southern vice presidents named Johnson. That's crazy. I mean, it is the name Johnson.

Sure. I guess it's not that crazy. I got a France. That was a bad crazy. You know. So your cat was killed by a fox, and your fox was killed by a cat. That is crazy. That is crazy.

Like how a random encounter like is crazy. That is crazy. Like how? No, and random encounter like, no more animals. Kennedy was, Lincoln was shot in Ford's theater. Kennedy was shot in a Ford Lincoln. That's correct. That's true. That's true.

That's one of the things. That's the same fucking thing. There's like 40 different similarities that are very here. It's crazy. And her name was Lucky. Asta gave you this stupid token Ritual I was like it was definitely a lucky month for Asta. Yeah gave all your luck to sever the time

Tense well, how are you feeling? Yeah, how you feel you feel like? Man. Intense, what a way. Well, how are you feeling? Yeah, how are you feeling? You feel like, um. I feel like don't bothering. Are you excited about your new character? Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh good. That's the fun, that is, it's like moving. The moving part sucks, but you're excited to like refill a new space. Unpack. Unpack. Yeah. And discover somebody new, you know,

like I make this character and I think they're one thing and then they start interacting with the party and like maybe they morph a little bit over the next few episodes if they live, Troy. They won't. We're clearly in an unbelievably deadly place. Well, that's the only hard part is I asked Troy off air. I was like, okay, this is a very particular AP where you can't just bring in a random

person off the street. Well, in a way you can because with the gates, you kind of could. That's true. I guess Barnes did kind of come in that way. Yes. But it has to be connected to the Gatewalkers thing. So we were kind of talking about it, which makes it a little harder. It can't just be like an adventurer.

They have to be invested because we're in such a- You'll get more mileage out of it. Yeah. And it's so dire right now. So they have to be invested to go along with this crazy kill a god scheme. Well, it's sort of like Strange Aeons, a similar kind of thing happened where Matthew's character and my character are the only ones with any actual ties to the original event. Yeah.

Or sorry, I mean, Joe's character. I have my other glasses on. We both have beards. But no, it's the same kind of thing where it's just like, you did want that anchor, but not every character necessarily has to have that same anchor. Yeah. Yeah. As long as it exists in the party and they can assimilate with everyone else.

Yeah, this is a unique AP in which you could be as someone random, but I feel like the payoff is going to be so much choosier if you stay within it. But we'll see what choice you made. Yeah. The AP is a brilliant design for that, though. There's literally no limit to how many gatewalkers there are or could be, and no one knows. So like, you know, when what you're dealing with with strange aeons, it's like there's

really only so many people that could be specifically working for this one guy and have this specific thing happen. The way the Gatewalkers thing is written is you could be from anywhere in the world, any age, any experience level, and you could now be anywhere because of the gate. So it's cool.

It's like background players in Lost. Yes. Grab one here. This guy's from Thailand. He's a zoologist, there you go. That's awesome. Wow, how great that we happen to have a zoologist. Yeah, it's funny, we haven't seen you. But here you are.

Well, it's interesting, you gave me an idea of what you wanted to play and I said, all right. Oh no. Let's find out who this character is. Oh no. Right after this quick break. Shit. I recently made the switch for the GCN company phone line over to Mint Mobile and I thought that when that bill came in it would actually be a little bit more than $15 a month.

Well it's not. I've only ever used big wireless providers before and there is always some extra fee in there. They always get you, don't they? Not Mint Mobile though. When they say $15 a month, they mean $15 a month. And now we've got a 5G plan. I noticed no drop off in cellular speeds or coverage. And it is just shocking to me that more people aren't doing this. All their plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text. So

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at mintmobile.com slash GCP. $45 upfront payment required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customers on first three month plan only. Speed slower above 40 gigabytes on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. Today's episode of the GCP is sponsored by Vesper, which is this incredible growing library of unique narrative RPG games that are made by independent creators like the Glass Cannon Zone, Ross Bryant,

who is here with me today to talk about the game he is creating on Vesper. Ross, tell us about this project you've been working on. That's right on Vesper. Ross, tell us about this project you've been working on. That's right. Vesper is helping indie creators and I'm as indie as they come, baby. I'm straight from the streets and I'm bringing you a role playing video game, Never in my wildest dreams that I think it would happen. But Vesper launches for early access in 2025 and you can wishlist Vesper on Steam right now. Just go to playvesper.com slash glass cannon to wish

list the game. And you are if they do that, they're going to have the opportunity to get access to your game that's created in your own unique world. And you're not the only one making these games. Just lots of TTRPG creators doing this, right? That's right. My game is a cozy weird fantasy called Frog Hollow, where you will explore a mysterious forest with a group of plump little frogs and lizards. But the other games by the other creators are totally different, sprung from the imaginations of if you wadaway, Elisa Pearl, Amy Vorpahl,

Johnny Stand, the fourth and many more. That's that's just so awesome. And it sounds like it's very kind of choose your own adventurous like, right? Like it's not like you're leading them through a story Ross Bryant wrote top to bottom. You've made paths and forks in the road for people to make choices in their dialogue with these NPCs you created. Yes, there are literal forks in the swampy road that you will traverse and different narratives shall unfold depending on your choices.

So it's kind of like it uses strategic dice. It uses deck building challenges or deck based challenges to, you know, play on all tug on all those strings that we as gamers love in this world that you're creating and all the various other worlds that are that are joined by these other creators. Well, I'm really excited about it. I think Nish, you got to go out there and wishlist it. That's all you got to do right now. Just make sure you're on the list for when more news comes out about Early Access in

2025. Like we said, you can wishlist it by going to playvesper.com slash glass cannon. That's P-L-A-Y-V-E-S-P-E-R dot com slash glass cannon. I'm not saying you won't eat a mealworm pie in my game. Folks, we're back. I hope everybody is having a wonderful holiday season. For those who celebrate Christmas, I hope you're as fucking jazzed as I am right now. Having the best time.

I want to shout out our Christmas sponsors, Foundry, Virtual Tabletop, and of course, Norse Foundry, who has been good to some, not so good for others. Can I shout out the old Foundry VTT for a moment? It's a small thing, but in this most recent encounter that we had over the last few weeks, there was the combination of the bless and the cloud thing that the creature went into and everything. We just have never had that. We've never had that ability to just be like, whoop,

and like extremely easily see the legal area where everything is covered. We have the ability. We just didn't use it. Well, not that easily. Yeah, surely not that quickly. So easy and so clear. You know, you're just constantly be adjudicating, like is this square in it? Is this square? And the way that it lays it out for you takes not that quick. It is so easy and so clear. You're just constantly be adjudicating, like, is this square in it?

Is this square, you know, and the way that it lays it out for you takes all that away. So clear, especially those edges where it's boxy, like the fact that you were exact, be able to pull people out of that square made all the difference. Yeah, because that 2D6 fire would have been brutal. You were the only one hit by it. And it was a good test like guinea pig because that let the rest of the party know if you end your turn in there, you're going to take 2D65. Yeah, that's true.

Just insane. If you're looking for a last-minute holiday gift, may I suggest checking out jointhenesh.com and trying out the old Glass Cannon Network subscribership. You can get 30 days for free, but maybe you've already done that and it's time to take the plunge. You can also give gift subscriptions. So if that's special someone in your life you're trying to get in their pants, give them a gift, a gift of laughter.

Nothing more erotic than a Glass Cannon subscription. That's right. It's very titillating. Yeah. We will point. Like nine and a half weeks. I mean, it's We will point. Like, nine and a half weeks. I mean, it's kind of. It's the nine and a half weeks of our picture.

I'm basically going to say that. Depending on the AP, though, it kind of is. Have you listened to Strange Ions lately? Oh, it's kind of is. Yeah, it is. That's a lot of very graphic sexual content on some of our shows. By the time this airs, I don't know if it's come out yet.

But we did a show recently. I don't know if it was the LA yet, but we did a show recently, I don't know if it was the LA show or the Portland show, where we joked that the next poster for the show should just be an orgy of the characters. So Angeline, our artist, when they were making the poster for Philly, they were like, "'Do you wanna go with your original idea or not?'

I'm like, I don't remember what that was. But here's the idea." And they sent me a mock-up of the or not. I'm like, I don't remember what that was. But here's the idea. And they sent me a mock-up of the orgy. And I said, let's go with my Philly poster idea, but keep working on this. I'll find a use for it. So get ready for a hot coffee mug. It is sexy. Okay. I need, I need a mug. Yeah, you're all in bed. I need a t-shirt. I need a tote bag. You're all in bed together.

I need a t-shirt, a blanket, a coffee mug. It might be the sexiest thing ever made in this hobby. Wow. And I have to put it on everything. Oh my god. Who's not gonna buy this? Angeline is the best. It's the sriracha of art. It's the sriracha.

Yes. It goes on everything. Oh man, yeah, I didn't think. It's hot and it goes on everything. Oh man, yeah. I didn't think... It's hot and it goes on everything. Coffee mug would be great in hot coffee. Well, man, sad up, sad up, but I love those moments. I love when the table can go there and you let it happen, you understand it happens,

and you just kind of let it sink in. You come back to the camp and even these smiling wolves, these tough sons of bitches realize what has happened. If they lose one of their own, I'm sure they mourn in the same way and maybe they weren't super respectful when you rolled up, but they are solemn now. Then poor Hubert Hedge, who has gone through his own personal tragedies, sees this and just thinks that you're cursed and says, I don't like this world. He came from a horrible, horrible place, but everything he's seen since he's traveled

with you has been arguably much worse. So I think we pick up some time after that last moment back at your little makeshift camp. Maybe the smiling wolves bring over some food and they go to tally the food that they're giving you and Matz is like, Jorif, kind of waves them off. This one's on the house. Small gesture, but one that you might be able to appreciate at some point. Might not even be hungry.

I'm still not eating that meat. Right, Barnes has his own things going on. We have Bar-Barnes also gonna talk to Sac-a-Watchie. You. Don't let them eat her. I won't. Don't let them eat her. I won't. Don't let them eat. Don't let them either. Whatever you do.

I can only imagine if a warrior friend perished out there. Leaves me with very little hope about my companions. I don't want to make it about me.'m just just concerned we're in a treacherous space lives are going to be lost if we're going to go up against a God yeah all of us will surely fall I feel like I knew this going in obviously trying to sacrifice the living God there's gonna be some crossfire, but Yeah, I just don't feel prepared for this maybe I was the wrong Wrong person Maybe they should have sent somebody else

Think we all feel that way Whether or not they should have, should or should not have, you're here now, you are the person. You don't have much choice, do you? Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't wanna make this about me. Just don't let them try to eat her. Yeah, no, I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

But what... They come by with carving knives or something, or talk about embalming, preparing the body, you say no? Well, let me ask you, them eating her aside, what do you want to do? Well, we still have to recover your friends. Continue with the mission. Maybe we could ask Matt's if there's anyone that might join us to show up the numbers. Yeah, they seem reluctant to want to get involved. But maybe things have changed.

Maybe things have changed. How does this tribe do funerals? Well, we have our own traditions. I don't know what the Smiling Wolves do, but you should do whatever you think is best. We'll say a few words. And we'll commit her to the flames. No, don't, I'll go... He's seen life and death so many times. He's... he's fine.

Caesar. You're getting... he's getting better, he's getting better. It's alright right. It just burns a little bit. It's not uncommon. My people give children drugs. He's an adult in the goblin's hell. He's an adult. Get a new man., get some of that. Yes, Brother Ramius, please. I think your words would be most welcome. Probably not, Bones.

Probably not. Stuff is cheap. I know. You had the stuff that you gave me shit We'll talk that stuff is very good there's This is how it's no one come on this is how it started for me I Didn't always I never did I never smoked before always I never did I never smoked before

for the Rami's sorry perhaps about Oster but this is it isn't it it's the the So many, so close to us, so many lost. And I, oh shit. And I knew I took a massive, massive hit. And I began trying to find a way to forget. To forget the loss. I lost so many friends, family really, in the fire. And the Flayleaf, it helped. It helped me focus on the writings of the Keeper and not me focus on the writings of the Keeper and not constantly feel as if I had been singled out to suffer alone. And then it became a bit of a habit. I find in times like these it reminds me of that there is beauty in the world. He's looking at Zephyr. It's hard to see. that there is beauty in the world.

He's looking at Zephyr. It's hard to see. The Keeper saw it. He wrote so eloquently about it. His words, his very words are divine bonds. And I don't mean that as an opinion. That is literally the words that he wrote, ascended him beyond mortality. He is a book, and the book is him. The book is God, as is he. And it is an understanding that there is so much more to life than just being alive.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's hard to explain. Asta's sacrifice will reverberate far into the future. There are not many who can say that, but she can. We will none of us forget her, and none of us forget Lucky or Tulitha, sacrifices they made on such a difficult journey. And you, Sarcovachi, you are marked as we are. None of us chose this. None of us are trained for this. The first time our close friend Lucky fell, it was so similar, it's eerie. We had been attacked and tried

desperately to fight out of it and defeated our enemy. And we could not save her in the end. It was mere seconds. But we kept moving forward. And we didn't even know why then. Now we are starting to know why. The soil. This demon. God. What is it? I don't know.

But your people saw it. Either awake or breaking free of its bonds. Your description, it's so vivid. I see it now. It is breaking free and we must stop it. And we need each other to do that. All of us. We still don't even know our connection to it. There's still this big gap for all we know.

Hubert's right, we are cursed and we're the harbingers of Osoyo's destruction. That is one way to look at it. But I set out on this mission. When Middlesund sent me, I did not set out to save the world or your people. I set out to find my brother, who I knew was alive when they told me he was dead for years. I knew it. But now it's changed for me. I can feel it. I feel the difference.

Now I am here for Asta. I am here for Lucky and Zulitha, those who have made the sacrifice, though they may not have known it at the time, to stop this thing, seal it away. Stop this thing. Seal it away. I feel like we're here as part of some grand plan that we can't control and we don't fully understand and we're somewhat powerless over and I just don't know how to grapple with that and keep going confidently anymore.

I understand. It is. We are not strong enough. Even our travels from Galarian the first time to Cassavelle and back, I mean, we didn't even know about a Soyo then. We were just trying to get back to Riddleson. And every step we take, we're flung on a different direction. And it just feels like we're along for the ride, like we're tools, we're being used for something and we don't even know what it is. And what if we just say no? And did you say that some walked through and never came back?

Well, yes, these very people, the Smiling Wolves, have allies, friends, that walked through and never came back. Bonds wouldn't have come back if we did not find him on Castravel. Or it would have been stranded there. Stranded in the jungle. Probably mauled by a snail. We don't need to talk about details. I would have been stranded there stranded in the jungle probably mauled by a snail We don't need to talk about details. I wonder if these others were sent to faraway planets

scattered about the universe This is all part of some grand not even earth shattering evil, but Galaxy shattering evil. We cannot contend, we cannot comprehend the full scale of what we are facing. That's not the point, I believe, I can agree with Brother Amius that there is something greater at play that we do not understand,

but we must fight and continue on for what we do. Those we care for, those who have died, in service of the greater good. But perhaps it is easier for me. I'd spend so many years cloistered away, striving for this knowledge of the beyond. You get used to knowing that you know nothing. You get used to understanding how insignificant and incredible we all are and how we can never know the God's plans for all we know. The opening of the gates and our being chosen to walk through them

is not the great evil. It could be the only will of a god that is trying to help us. We just simply don't know. And you're not wrong, Zephyr. I guess I'm just a little more used to not knowing. The way I see it, perhaps we are cursed. Perhaps we are being treated as tools. Perhaps,

then again, we do have some great destiny and can do some good. We don't know, but we can make a decision. We can choose to act as though we can do some good, As though we are supposed to be here. And we have this destiny. That is a choice we can make. He's very wise, Buckles. Yes. Which of... The playle leaf is working.

Yes. I like it. I see why you do it. It makes the voice so much quieter. I can barely hear it at all now. I like it. And like, Remus, there's like a fleeting thought that's like, I like it. And like, Ramius, there's like a fleeting thought that's like, ugh, like this is the

same thing that happened to me. I can't believe I would start pushing him down this road to addiction. But he's also just like, who am I to say, like, what tortures he's going through internally that I don't know about with this thing this being inside of him If this gives him some relief who am I to say that he shouldn't use use it? You know? He I do you would know that flail if is a gateway drug. Yeah well Brother Amy is stabbled in a little shiver

But other than that about the forgot about the shiver times. He hasn't gone to Galarian heroine. Yet. That was the other thing that you lost when T'Litha's body was abandoned. Yeah, all that shiver. I mean, that was the worst part of her death. That's really what he was saying

when he said the loss of T'Litha. The loss of- The great loss that we've suffered. The loss of shivers. The great loss of this. The loss of like, two doses. Five dive bags of shivers. All the drugs that she had under her feet.

You'll never forget that loss. I know why the snail lost that fight. Yeah. He ate up all the shivers and saw the dragon and was like, what the fuck? Where? saw the dragon was like, what the fuck? I think as you're sitting here and speaking about, you know, everything that you're going through and trying to suss out your emotions, not only for Asta's death and the death of your former allies, but trying to think about the grand design here and your shared experiences, especially with these newcomers in Sakawatchee and Enuma

You You see Someone on the fringes Kind of lingering near your circle, I think that maybe Ramamius, you're the first one, be like, oh my god, is it father? See his shadow, looking over his shoulder, paranoid now. Yeah. Barth draws his kukri.

Does he have a worm? Does he have a worm on him? We're not doing a ritual. It's bath. We're just talking. Bath time. Oh my god, he said bath time. That's all he said? All he said was bath time. Oh my god, he said bath time? That's all he said?

All he said was bath time? Bath time? Kill him. Kill him. I mean, I am given, like definitely a little leeway here because that was a pretty fucked up story. Obviously he is suffering some mental illness from his time chain to a

wall I'm not gonna I'm not gonna go too far down the Kilham Road yet but I don't need that I want him around I want him around necessarily morning are dead After father announces his bath time, it slinks away into the shit. God, it just gets me so hard when I hear Francis' squeal in the bath house. His wheeze of laughter. After father announces his bath time, you realize that that wasn't the only, you know, sort of presence that you felt skulking about. I mean, give me a perception check. And give yourself a minus two, you're high. You're high.

Natural one, I'm high. You're on, you're back on castor mode. Yeah. Dirty 20. 26. 11, I'm at like Laser Floyd right now. Yeah! I think Zephyr and Buggles are just sitting together going, yes.

Ha ha ha ha ha. We're still lightweights. Yeah. You see a shadow that's kind of like, maybe eavesdropping, but it looks like a child from your perspective. You can't really see it's standing sort of behind your tents there, but you definitely know

that someone is he's dropping. You there, if you're going to listen, you might as well come into the light. Hello? You see her sort of like point to herself and then point to you guys? Yes. Yes, you. Who are you?

Don't close the... She kind of, you see, it does look like a child. Very short person walking up and then in the light, you see it's not a child, but a gnomish woman. And she has curly blonde hair and they're in two braids at her side. She's got like a handkerchief tied around her head. And she's wearing clothing that looks like

what the Smiling Wolves are wearing. I don't know if you described like their clothing. Yeah, like, you know, hunter clothes. Yeah, furs. Furs, yeah, it's cold. We didn't see her ever in the background of the camp when we got here. Maybe, she's pretty short.

All right, so she's like, maybe you didn't see her or maybe we did see her maybe you didn't see her She's pretty short like she seems like she's a smiling wolf. Yeah Howdy sorry I didn't think there was a greater one than what just happened. I'll tell you what, Sid, you're batting a thousand. Every time. I love gnomes. Zephyr is high and her friend again just died. She ran up to shake Zephyr's hand and then stopped reading the body language. It's quite all right. Come, join our fire. Is there any more of the flail leaf left?

Is there a friend with you? Are you alone? Oh no, it's your thing. Are you with him? He points to father walking away. Oh god, no. Don't look at him. Don't look him in the eyes. Everybody don't look at him in the eyes. He's under a tree and he's bathing in the nude like it was a shower, but there's no water. Just rubbing dirt and grass onto his nude body. He said bath time.

Oh yeah, he's gonna do bath time for about an hour. He's gonna do bath time for about an hour. There's no bath, you don't use no water, so it's not really bath time. He's got his worm with him. That guy's weird. You are a smiling wolf. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess you could say that.

What is your name? Sorry, I've been so dang rude. My name's Gic, Gic Muck. Gic. Gic, lastic Muck. Gic. Gic, last name Muck. Gic Muck. Gic Muck. What's your name?

I'm Buggles, man. Oh my gosh, pleasure to meet you, Buggles. Small folk like me don't see much of you around here. It's nice, you're like the same size. Wait, stand up. Yeah, look. Wait, who's taller? And she turns back to back with Buggles.

Everyone look. Who's taller? Who's taller? I think Buggles might be like a little taller? You know no it's kick Yes, really? Oh wait the fires flickering give it a minute stand still Wait let me take off my boots wait let me take off my boots I don't want cheap she takes off her boots okay now who's tall it's impossible that the exact same height you might be the exact Same height Wow I don't think I ever it possible that the exact same height? I think it might be the exact same height. Wow, I don't think I've ever met nobody that's the same height as me.

I haven't either, not since I left home. You're a cool little guy. Oh, thanks and all. Buggles, that's a cool name. I like Gik Muck, that's a, it's fun to say. It's always Buggles. Never met nobody named Buggles. I've never met anyone named Gik Muck, anyone named dick mark. That's a certain you got funny accent

You guys kind of a silly bunch I thought something bad happened y'all walked back into camp You'll seem so sad, but you guys are laughing giggling around the fire and whatnot. Well, unfortunately we we just We just lost a friend. It's very sad, but you're making me laugh. It's quite funny. She was hideously vivisected by some sort of smoke-cat-fire creature. It's good to laugh. I'm so sorry. Oh, no, it's good to laugh. I'm so sorry. Oh no, it's fine, we need it.

We need it to laugh. You're a very bright person here in the wilderness with these treasure hunters. Are you a treasure hunter yourself? Yeah, no, not really. Oh, how do you? I don't see you like them, the ones that we've met. You dress like them, but apart from that. Yeah. Yeah, just kind of joined them because it was the thing to do and, you know,

bards got to eat. So they got... A what? You're a bard. Yeah. What is your story? Storyteller. Yeah. What is your speciality? Oh, let's see, let's see.

Used to be mimin'. That's what got me through school. Mimin'? Yeah. Great for a podcast. Fuck! Fuck! Shit!

You're still here! Thankfully you moved on from that one. Good choice. Figured it wouldn't do too well in these parts. What is the style of your performance now? Oh, now I play the lute, and I mostly write songs. Kind of about anything.

I'm honestly a lot of songs about death, to be honest, around these parts. Lately, stuff has been kind of messed up, just kind of all bad. We certainly can relate to that. I wanna hear a death song. Yes, I'd love to hear a song. Zephyr looks at you with bloodshot eyes.

Oh god. My favorite songs are about death. You all have bloodshot eyes. Oh, okay. Yeah, no problem. Okay, I'll think about, I wrote one a week ago. And she takes her lute, she slings it off her back. She brushes her curly hair out of her face. And she begins to pluck her lute. And slings it off her back. She like brushes her curly hair out of her face and she

begins to pluck her lute. And it's very simple, like she's not like jamming out or anything. It's just sort of like plucking simple notes up and down. see you go when you have to but I will always know that I loved you I loved you I always do. And she plays this sort of somber melody that just kind of carries and the camp is quiet. And maybe some people even know that she's playing when they hear her. So a few people pop out, some of the smiling wolves, and they kind of stand and they know who the song is about. It was about somebody from this group who died you know like two weeks ago and she wrote it for their husband for their partner to sing at the

funeral to be like from a gift from him so she plays this song Oh Wow a single here just streaking down Barnes' face. Sad songs are the keys that unlock our tears from eye jail. I feel like it's like feeling bad, but like in a controlled way. And it's like, it feels good. Like I want to feel, listen to it to feel sadder. Like it feels good. You are beautiful.

You're like, unbelievable good. You are beautiful. It's kind of unbelievable. Beautiful song. I don't only write sad songs. I do battle music too and stuff and and um um and she kind of looks around and some of the smiling wolves have like gone back into their their tents and and she can I ask can I ask you guys something? Yes. And she, can I ask you guys something? Yes.

Yeah. I overheard Mads when he talked to y'all at camp, but I didn't want to come up to y'all. Y'all have marks on you, right? Like tattoos, but you didn't get none? Yes, yes. He does as well, yeah. My grandmother gave it to me.

So you did get a tattoo then? Yeah, but she kind of branded me. We're different. Okay. But y'all didn't do it to yourselves? No. No. We stepped through the eye of Dara. We don't know how we got them.

And again, it was my grandmother. Not so much worried about you. She gave it to me. You all said you stepped through the eye of Dara. What did you do say? Are you Dara? Hey, you Dara? I didn't my grandmother he's different. Hey, is that like a big door? Do y'all step through like a big door that glowed and kind of in the elf gate in archway Big hello, but not like a giant one in the front of a city a smaller one. I just left my town There's a grandma came next to my. A cheap weed is making me feel horrible.

All right, well. It's my grandma. It's funny, this is kind of exactly, but I'm not gonna go into it. It's my grandma. It's exactly what a high person does. There's one person in the group. I know what you're saying.

It's my grandma. Can I show you something? Yeah. Yes, of course. And she kind of pulls her shirt down and she has the mark on her bicep. Right where a sweet tat would go? Right where a sweet tat would go. Oh no. Did my grandma do that?

I don't know, your grandma. Stop watching. Take a nap. I'm very tired. No, I... Did you pass through a... Wait, some other human mate. Okay.

Keep your voice up. Did you pass through a gate? I passed through a gate too. I went through a gate. Where were you? Where did you come from? Where did you go? I...

I never told you my name, did I? Yeah, get back. My middle name's kind of a joke. That shit's a joke. That's just a joke. That's just a joke for my friends. I like that guy. Can you sing that song? Maybe later.

I said, this corpse is five feet away. Oh. Yeah. Okay, so her PC. I kick it. We're all, for some reason, respected. We're all, for some reason, respected. I walked through a gate with some other smiling wolves and when we found one together and...

Oh, he has Matt's tortoise view. Oh. Yeah, but they didn't come back. But I did. But he doesn't know that I... He doesn't know you ever walked through. No, and he can't know. Oh. Why?

He wouldn't trust me. You're one of the ones that saw the others walk through, but you actually did pass through. You saw something. You saw something in the gate that drew you in. Yes, you are like us. You saw something, too? Yes.

We call ourselves Gatewalkers. Do we call ourselves that? Well, it makes it clearer, people. It makes it easy. Are y'all- Maybe we're on band or something. Are y'all bards? No. No.

No. No. So I wish- I sing a bit. I'm a teacher. I'm a monk. I'm a monk. Different monks. Different monk.

Oh. So y'all didn't see like a big clapping audience went at the gate and they're cheering you on and they want you to come to stage dive? No, but we we have found that the gate is showing you something you greatly desire. And that seems to be a common theme. Huh, greatly desire. Play concerts. Huh, that's interesting, isn't it? I'm gonna have to think on that one. So, y'all saw stuff? Y'all went through the gate? There is a man, a human. His name is Dr. Rudleson. He made it his mission to gather those like

you who stepped through, returned, but were unsure of how or where they went. And he knows why? No, he sent us to find the answer to that question. And so we are amidst this journey right now. This is incredible. This is incredible because I'm, to be honest, I'm not one for treasure hunting. I'm not too good at it. And I think they're getting pretty tired of me.

I was afraid they were going to leave me at Brevoid, but now I'm here and I was afraid they wouldn't take me back on the boat. But if I join y'all. Wait. It's getting hot. Sorry, join us. Yeah, I could come with you. I could play songs for you.

I could record all the information you find us. I'm sorry, I'm dying right now. Zephyr, are you all right? Zephyr, Zephyr. It's getting hot here. Zephyr, have some water. Here, here, have some water. Are you okay?

Just take a deep breath. I think I need to go. You need water from the. I think I need to go. Zephyr, have some water. Here, have some water. Are you okay? Just take a deep breath. I think I need to go. You need water for my- I think I need to go. Zephyr, you're fine. You're gonna go over there? We're with friends. No, and she gets up and walks away.

She's stumbling. She sick? She has had a bad reaction to the flail leaf we just smoked. Smoke? Y'all token, yeah. I did it in my youth. Kind of over it now.

I'm on to bigger and better stuff. Y'all heard a shiver? That stuff's crazy. Do you have any shivers? Oh, the rabies. Sorry, sorry. No, staying on point. Staying on point, we-

No, I'm all out. We just, we are quite, it is the city is, something strange has happened here. It is difficult to navigate and clearly infested by some terrible creatures, monsters that appear from nowhere. And there is this, as you know, the obsidian oath, these raiders have been harrowing the area

where we seek to defeat them too. And so- Yeah, they suck. I'm sorry, we cannot take you with us. We need a warrior. We need someone that would be relevant at all. You ain't seen me do nothing. We would never want a song singer as wonderful as yourself to be put in harm's way in an actual fight.

You think you can out-fight me? as wonderful as yourself to be put in harm's way in an actual fight. You think you can out-fight me? No, I'm just there to help these three. They are the fighters. I'm a teacher. Yeah, but you're a badass motherfucker. Is that her stride by herself 10 feet away? Yeah.

Yeah, listen, I don't mean to be crass, but you got a sick girl, a dead girl, a child, a teacher, and you're looking for anybody, and when I offer my help, you turn me away and give me the coldest shoulder. I only look out for your protection. Sorry, I'm just going to real quick. He stands up, walks over to Zephyr, and he says, Zephyr. It's just a little paranoia.

No, it happens every time someone dies and someone comes in like I'm a gay walker too and she's cursed. Does she know she's cursed? Just the anxiety. Just the anxiety. It's like anxiety. Just an attack.

You'll breathe. Breathe. I know she's hard. She is going to die. I know. In fact, she is going to die. I know. She's, in fact, she might kill us all. The actual response to the game,

when Cezanne said I wanna play a bard was, his eyebrows went up really high, and he said something to the effect of like, I'm fine with it. But I don't know, I wanna see how much he tell O'Brien. Effective like I'm fine with it But I could not think of anything more we need in this moment in this Young gnome. Are you serious? Did you hear that song it was beautiful sure I

Don't know. It's like okay Imagine hearing no no never we will never With us into a fight We will never risk her life by bringing her along into some sort of Combat yes make a new friend so we can throw them to the walls or the cats or the foxes We would only bring someone that had a sword and a shield Just or the cats or the foxes. We would only bring someone that had a sword and a shield. Thick armor. I just... Meanwhile, Barnes is talking to Gek.

I can't deal with people. Don't listen to Brother Amius. He's very suspicious of newcomers. I can't deal with these people finding us. We would love to have you. I've been turned away from lots of places and lots of people. I'm not one to give up so easily. And she stands up on a chair,

and she gets another instrument out, and then she just waves her hand in the air, and suddenly she casts musical accompaniment, which is a cantrip, which creates an orchestral music that surrounds me, the volume of four people shouting. So you just hear louder music, and you hear, bum bum bum bum, bum bum bum bum Ba da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da tough. By playing loud music? Yeah, she's playing rock music. Well, I was telling you, so I was telling you and I think I said, I say it on legacy. I was telling you that I am reading Vagabond and you said you got it for your, so this is a Bernard Cornwell novel. Vagabond takes

place in 1300s historical fiction novel. Well, there's a battle in there between the Scots and the English after the events of Braveheart, the movie. That's like some 20 years later or something. It's an actual battle, but you're following some fictional characters. But they go into great detail. It's David the Second? David the Second, David the Bruce. David the Bruce.

Yeah, Robert the Bruce's son, David the Bruce. And so it is like, they go into great detail on the Scottish drummers. Oh. And how they're like incessant and they drive the Scots into like a frenzy and how the English are just like, God, those goddamn drums. And they just keep going and keep going

and it really starts to get in their head and some of the leaders are like, would you just shut the fuck up? And it gets them all off base, you know? So yeah, I mean, there's obviously history for that. There's some, like, there's a driving force, you know, that melody. The bard spells are funny because it's some, like, there's a driving force, you know, that melody. Yeah, I mean, the bard spells are funny because it's literally, some of it is like, you are

so fucking annoying that this other person is driven insane because you won't stop singing. Well, you know, the other book, who's read World War Z? Has anyone read World War Z? I read it years ago, but. Because there's a scene where they're, like, making, like, a first sort a first sort of stand organized stand against like the hordes of zombies And so they have this whole plan and like stand in a square and they have like all this like, you know this logistical like support everything and They stand there like just firing like over their shoulders that like wave after wave of zombies in the Arizona desert and they keep playing

Iron Maiden They're playing the trooper like the whole time. And it's just like, yeah, like everybody's getting fucked up, pumped up. And it was just like, that's one of the reasons that we won that day was because of that music. Yeah. It'd certainly be a driving force. Anyway, I bust balls. This goes back to Blood of the Wild too. We had a whole hilarious band about bards and like everybody loves you know

Everybody wants to play them and they suck. It's very But I'll tell you what your legacy the ancient legacy the ancients keep brought in a bard I played a best made us so powerful. Yeah, so yeah, absolutely Can I make an intimidation check? Sure. This is kind of for fun. Against my will DC. Against my will DC. Oh, jeez. Compared to my high will DC, dude. Go bring it.

OK. Eh. 17? Just under. Not intimidated. I was going to say, if you did it, I think Zephyr has a panic attack because you're making her feel intimidated.

And she doesn't want to, but you didn't. OK. She rolled a 17. So whether or not you feel intimidated and she doesn't want to, but you didn't. So. She rolled a 17. So whether or not you feel intimidated, she plays this music though, hoping to evoke emotion. That's really cool. If only you hadn't rolled. I mean, I don't have to.

I could just evoke emotion, but it says to provide a bonus to deception diplomacy. I appreciate it. I appreciate the roll. Maybe you hear a slow clap as you finish your second thing. No, no. Just kind of a...

He knows that clap. Puts her instruments down. She peeks over her shoulder. You see a little hedgehog. Oh. Maybe you don't know this clap. Oh. Oh, so we're having a party.

Playing music and celebrating. How nice. That's what we do now when we lose people. We sing songs and do your smoke drugs. Who's this little guy? This is Hubert. Hubert. Hubert, we are celebrating the life of, the life of Asta. Who are you? Well, howdy, little fella. My name's Cake Muck.

Hubert, nice to meet you. Mr. Hedge. Mr. Hedge, sorry. Hubert, don't be rude. Who is she? She's a smiling wolf. She simply came over to offer us a reprieve. No, no, I understand. You're no wolf.

Excuse me? You don't have a wolf anymore. He turns away, walks off. Well, as you know. She was a fox. People grieve in different ways. No, I'm- Hubert has taken the death of our companion very, very hard.

He's a friend of us. I understand. There's been a lot of deaths around me and mine, so... Take your time. Just wanted to put it out there that if you need somebody, I'm here, but I'll be shipping out when they do, so... Who are we to stand in your way if you want to die with us? I say if you want to go out in a blaze of glory with us or less glory Maybe just pain and suffering and To the whims of fate. Hey Come on, let's go. We'll go out tomorrow

That's the spirit. Yes I'm afraid we can't offer you answers to what happened to you, as we have not found them ourselves yet, but we are trying. We have gotten information. Yes, we are getting closer. If you wish to accompany our sufferers, Kurt, but not wrong. This is deadly. You take your life in your hands, but it is your choice. No, I understand. I like people who say it like it is. I respect that. And if I'm being honest

with y'all, I haven't felt normal since I came back from whatever I did or didn't do in the Ayodars. So the fact that y'all found each other, I'd rather be with you than with the wolves. Don't really feel like a part of that anymore. Well, alright then. Seem more... She seems more like one of us than one of them. He looks over at the, you know, fur-clad sort of treasure hunter, all tough crew. I think you're right, Buggles. Tabulating our expenses.

You are. You're right about a lot of things, Buggles. Buggles. Buggles, right before you came up, said something rather important, I feel. Gives kind of a side glance at Zephyr for a moment, then looks down. Yes. We all have to make a choice. We don't know what lies ahead, but we know that there is great danger there.

And we could try to stop it, or we choose to walk away. There is no right or wrong choice. I'd like to choose to continue down this path, and seal this soil away forever. What do you say, Barnes? seal this soil away forever. What do you say, Barnes? For me, there is no choice. The fate of the world, the fate of this beautiful, beautiful place, we all live in a beautiful, terrible place, is at stake.

We must do everything we can. I am with you. Bad fucking teacher, Barnes. What the heck? Wait, a bad teacher? Bad ass teacher, sorry. Bad teacher? Bad ass teacher. Bad in a good way. Bad teacher bonds.

Bad teacher. No, like bad. Like a Jackson card. Puggles? I've always wanted to see the crown of the world. I want her to come with us. Who are you referring to? to see the crown of the world. I want her to come with us. Who are you referring to? Her.

Me? You're looking right at me. You're a girl. Gic Muck. Gic Muck. Ms. Muck. She can call me Gic or Gigi. Gigi.

Gigi, if we survive long enough that we part ways with the wolves, we'll be heading to the frozen north. Oh, cold. Via the Skar, the what's it called? Sarkoris Skar. Oh, I've never seen that. I've always wanted to. Heard crazy stuff about it up there.

Yeah, actually, if I could get anywhere far away from father, that would be super duper cool. That's another benefit. Yes, that is worth dying for. You see him ambling by naked in the background. Ran out of soap. Oh no. Everything he says is creepier. It's just like three words. It's worse than the last time. He says

It's father off looks back I'm unfortunately going wherever you guys go. Yes. Zephyr, you're the best. We need to get some rest. There's no difficulties that might be we have as we solve today, a fierce and terrible journey before us. We have Sakawashi's companions to find.

First let us... Let us commit... Asta... To the heavens. Yes. Let us send her to meet the Keeper, or whoever it is she desires to meet. On the other side. First remove her weapons. Yes.

And her gear. That rune. The baubles. She's just one. That's one brush plate Do you have a plus one breastplate? Really? Hey one? Yep. I'm digging that The amount of stuff you made up We got that by the Drake the dragon on the guys should pick her body clean during this quick break No mercy the dragon on the plane. Yeah, I should pick her body clean during this quick break. Ha ha ha ha, no mercy. The Glass Cannon podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. For the holidays, I'm not as big a fan of the holidays as some people I could mention, but I do really like them

and I love the food and I do like, I love getting around with the loved ones and I just love the movies. Man, I just love sitting down in Christmas movies and the weather changes, gets cold, sitting around like watching like, it's a wonderful life or a hundred different versions of Christmas Carol. It's the best. How do you stay cozy during the winter months? For some, wrapping up on a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate or watching a movie with family is the best way to spend the month of December, but therapy is a great way to bring

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In her honor. In her honor. In her honor. Yeah, no, it's very cool. It's very cool. Remember that. I don't even clean the blood or the gouges. I don't repair the gouges.

Her katana is there and her scimitar. I don't know if anybody can wield the katana. It's a rune though, right? Yeah, there's a rune. Yeah, we'll keep them for this. Two actually, a plus one rune and a striking rune. Yeah, yeah. can wield the katana. It's a rune though, right? Yeah, there's a rune. Yeah, we'll keep them for the runes. Two actually, plus one rune and a striking rune. Yeah, yeah. Definitely taking the striking one.

Okay, we can work that shit. All right, so walk me through Asta's, are we doing this tonight? Yeah, I don't wanna let the body sit out overnight. It might either. I have room on my belt. Go man. My belt can just become the graveyard of our friends. Maybe Barnes would know any lore about kitsune and their funeral practices.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. That's a good tradition to climb to the top of the tallest tree and hurl the body. I roll a natural 20. So do you know, Sydney? OK, so there is this such thing as called the fox's wedding, which is a thing in the kitsune world, which we would have learned about if we knew more about her background. I don't know if there's a funeral.

But I think maybe it's sort of you put her on a pyre that you then march through an area like it's very like showing off the body, you march it like through camp. And then I would say cremation. And then maybe a paper lantern. Put her on a bed of spaghetti and dowsard and sauce. I'm down for everything. Barnes is like, I actually have to know this exact subject. And he flips in his notes and he's like, yes, Sakuwashi. Grandmother, grandmother. You're gonna eat the good shit.

I know, I'm done. That stuff was horrible. I feel awful. What do you want to know? What's what? You're having your good shit. Yeah. But during the funeral?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm done. It's in my name. What's what? You're having a yoke good shit. Yeah. But during the funeral? Yeah. Yeah, I'm done. It's in my nights. You can try some. Brother Ramies, fire him up. And Barnes goes down and starts arranging a funeral pyre and fashioning paper lanterns together.

He deputizes everyone to get involved and even Hubert can get involved and makes his whole thing. And he talks to Matt to arrange special permission to do this procession the way he has in his notes. And he's like, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going this whole thing. And he talks to Matt's to arrange special permission to do this procession the way he has, he has in his notes and we, we commit Asta to. Yeah.

So we'll do this like parade through the camp. And Barnes is also a follower of Phyrasma too. So he also will inject a little Phyrasma flavor into it. Sure. Carried to the boneyard and can't return to be speedy. The lady of graves care for you on your way. A little fanfare for the smiling wolves. Maybe they're not too into it,

but they're not rude about it. But you do notice as you're walking by, Matt seems to be eyeing Gic, while also looking at you, wondering what's going on here. You would know Gic that once you join a going on here, you would know, Gek, that once you join a mercenary company, you join for life. And so, it might not be as easy as you think to get out of your duty to the company, not

without giving something. You burn the body of Asta. Light the pyre. Perlarimus will read a passage. The Keeper. Will get super high. I think he's not going to get any more high tonight. He's good. Send her on her way. Thank her. And I thank her, of course, and ask the Keeper to guide her to the halls of Nirvana. Flames lick higher into the sky until we just sort of pan upwards into the stars.

We look down at the body of Asta burning in the stars. You look down at the body of Asta, burning in the fire. Her corpse looking up at the stars just as she did in her dream. We fade out. It's the next morning. That pyre is just ash now. Just ash now. Maybe Zephyr is collecting the remains. Adding it to your collection. Keeping your friends close. What's your plan here? Back to the market. Back to the market.

Back to the market. Gic would like to the market. Back to the market. Back to the market. Gic would like to tell Matt. You come over and Matt's just like sharpening that gigantic sword on a whetstone. Guts. Shhh. Gotsu. Gotsu.

Gotsu. Shing. Hey there, Captain. Shing. Hi, Gic. Howdy doody. So you were getting friendly with the newcomers? Yeah, they're pretty funny.

Well, except that one of theirs died, so I was just going over to sing a hymn, you know? It's tragedy when one of your member dies. We would know something about that. Sadly, yes. What can I do for you? I was just gonna say, I'm gonna head out with them to go search for, uh, and she says the

name, um... I guess I was coming here asking more than telling. I see. I think it'd be good to keep an eye on them. Well, you do. I think I made it pretty clear to them that they were... working on their own. And that we had struck a bargain with them.

They help us. We help them. Yeah, but they lost one of theirs, Matt. Yes, it's a terrible tragedy. That's not fair bargain anymore, and you know that. It doesn't seem to be our problem. The Smiling Wolves, I mean. You are a Smiling Wolf, aren't you? You swore an oath to the company. You see me wearing your colors.

You know that I am. What's your tone, Gek? I've never done nothing but what you've asked of me. And if I wanna go out on a walk, I don't see why I can't. Looks over at the pyire where Asta laid. It's dangerous out there. Would be a shame if they come back, burying you in their house. Then I'd be down a member.

I can watch out for myself. If things get hairy, I'll head back. I know the way. Alright. Go. myself. If things get hairy, I'll head back. I know the way. All right. Go. Keep an eye out. We'll be here waiting for your return. Sounds good, Cabin. See you when I get back. Just watch as she's gonna stiffly walk away from that one. And then as soon as she turns a corner, sprints.

Sprints. Sprints. Where are you going? Oh, jeez. Sorry, Hedge. Mr. Hedge. I'm headed out to the group. Which group? Your group? Your friends? Oh. So you're your your group your friends. Oh So you're one of the group now? No, I was just saying I'm heading out. He told me How nice?

Just a bit of a revolving door with them. What do you mean? Oh? They didn't tell you People that damn spend time with him aren't long for this world. But you look tough, what, with your guitar? Sure you'll do just fine, yeah? Good for you. They're quite battle-ready. Always win their fights handily. Sure a singer would be the icing on the cake for them.

When did Hubert Hedge learn how to read like this? I thought he couldn't read. He's reading us to filth right now. Yield turn. I will take that as a lingering grief and guilt you're feeling, and I won't take it personally. I do hope that you're all right, little hedgehog man. Mr. Hedge. Mr. Hedgehog Man. Can I pass?

It's free country. You remind me of somebody. Excuse me. She sneaks by and looks back at him, weirded out by this hedgehog. Everyone else has been kind of weird, but he's been like really weird. She watches you just like mad. She walks slowly and then as soon as she turns another corner, she sprints, sprints, sprints.

You bumping a father. Ah, no! Sorry, father, can't touch right now. I mean, talk right now, bye! Wanna help me make biscuits? It's just nuts like Hubert turning a corner like this. This plush soft face is going, it's Mr. Hedge. Like, I can't.

Mr. Hedge. Mr. Hedge now. It's a free country. Hubert's like holding his hat, just not even wearing it anymore. Heel turn. Heel turn. Heel turn.

Hedge turn. Hedge turn. So you're heading out. You wait for nightfall again? Yeah, we need all the help we can get wait for nightfall again and Ramious will lead the way out following the stars. I think we learned something last time Dr. Barnes does anyone call you dr. Barnes? I'm not a doctor. You're not a doctor. Yeah

How did you become a teacher exactly? My vast experience in the field. Ah, so you're not an academic. No, I am an academic. I don't participate in academia the way you're suggesting. Interesting. Not for lack of trying,

they just, I'm looked down upon. Sorry I'm late. Your little hedgehog friend held me up Hubert held you up. Yeah, how did he do that? I don't know. He's just been keep walking past him No, he's been real aggressive kept putting his arms out. He's trying to like Sleep with you. Well, what? He's was he trying to sleep. He does that. He's pretty, very aggressive. No, he was. He's got a high lib.

No, usually to like living things. I'm so sorry. Thank you. No, he was just saying that you guys have lost a lot of members. He was trying to tell me that I shouldn't go with y'all. I thought maybe you put him up to it and didn't want me to come. Oh, no, I would say that to your face. Well, you did.

You all said that last night, actually. Now I remember. that to your face. Well, you did. You all said that last night, actually, now I remember. We named them specifically. Yep. I think Hubert might be a bit angry with us for what happened to his friend, Oster. Oh. But we agree that coming with us is very dangerous. But if you're willing, we are leaving now.

We're following the stars. This time, we're going to find the right way to the market. You coming too? What are you talking to? Sakawatche. Can we talk to Sakawatche now? Is Sakawatche here? No. Anuma and I both agreed that I wouldn't be much help and I should stay here.

But I appreciate your help and you seem really nice. Thank you for joining this group. Well, I look forward to getting to know you. You seem cool. Hey, can I ask a favor of you? Me. Of both of you. Sure.

If you hear Matt say anything weird about me, could you just let me know when I get back? Weird like what? Just like, oh, oh, so mad. Just like, oh, girl killer. Or like, oh, oh, push her under the ice, like hold her under the ice and watch her face, the lifeliever face under the ice. If we hear that exact sentence, I'll let you. her under the ice, like hold her under the ice and watch her face, the lifeliever face, like under the ice.

If we hear that exact sentence, I'll let you. Something along the lines, we're like bear trapper legs, you know. Are you here by your own free will? Just want to know you're leaving. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yep. Perception check. Deception, deception, deception.

Deception. Jesus Sydney. 17. 14. Damn it. 18. Or deception, deception. Deception. She's a Sydney. 17. 14. Damn it. 18. Or no, 17. 18. All right, so anybody, anybody 18?

Yeah, 28. Fuck! Now you decide what you wanna do with it, but you know that she's not, she's holding back information. She's not gonna say anything. She's just, oh, whatever, she's just gonna die anyway. And, uh. She's just going to die anyway.

She's literally like a pub singer. She's going to go find a cloud cat. It doesn't make any sense. You were just a simple monk who can now shoot laser beams out of your hands. This thoughts were in my head. Get out of my head, teacher. He's going to roll survival. Get out of my head, teacher. Okay.

There we go, 24. 24. Following the stars this time. Ah, here's a clear night, a cool night. Trying not to be distracted by what your eyes see in front of you. You focus on the stars. Those of you who aren't looking up cannot understand where Ramius is leading you. It doesn't make any sense. It seems like you're going constantly backwards or in a circle. Yet somehow, someway, you see a market square in the distance.

There are cobblestone streets connecting to this open-air market from every cardinal direction. You can come from the south, the north, the east, and the west. It looks like in the center of the market square is a tall building, one story, with a wooden door. There are empty tents and carts. Maybe they used to be storefronts storefronts or like little shopkeepers like lining around the corners. You see what looks like a small stone fountain with some things around it, more cloth. There is this like low moaning sound coming from the northeastern corner.

You're away from all of this but you hear this. You hear that, Hans? I hear it. It's like a moaning. Is that somebody you're looking for? Maybe they're hurt. Maybe. Who created it?

You could come from any direction here because you're far enough away that you've kind of cased the square. You can come from the north, you can come from the south, east, or the west. That sound is coming from the north, east.

Let's circle around. Yeah. To the north east. Let's circle around to the north. Right at you. Let's try to come from that side and not cross the square before getting to it. Everyone be ready. We'll go around to the north, the north side, towards the east side of it, and try to close on the sound from outside the Market Square,

if we are able. So you want to come from the north? From the north. Okay. A hard time seeing. Have you rested enough to remove the wounded condition? Yeah, you just have to treat wounds. Okay.

So yeah, I'm good on wounded. I mean, we rested overnight, didn't we? Mm-hmm. All right, so you come in from the north. You see that building kind of is right in the middle, and it presents a, you know, there's a perimeter around it, but if you take a left, you can go towards that sound, which is now a little bit louder. We kind of flatten ourselves against-hmm, mm-hmm.

We kind of flatten ourselves against the building, maybe. Yeah. Go shimmy over. Shimmy over. You shimmy over. There's a sign coming out of this building that says Celestia's Place. It's coming out from the awning of this storefront. A very decorative hand.

There's a window. It's very dark, but it looks like there's like, dummies in there. Naked dummies. Maybe it was some sort of clothing store. Oh God. All right, marching orders. The moaning is coming from inside?

It seems to be coming from inside that building, yeah. The building. I'll go in front. I'm gonna go invisible. I'm gonna go last. I'll go with, I'll follow you. And I'll be right behind Barnes and Zephyr. Okay.

Who goes to the door? Zephyr will. Here, I'll open the door for you and then you go first. And I'm going to, I'm gonna cast Guidance on Zephyr will. I'll open the door for you and then you go first. And I'm going to cast Guidance on Zephyr. Oh wait, sorry, it's still the start of your next turn. I thought it was one minute. That was oney. And I will open the door. Open the door. It's not locked. You open the door. And there are these naked dress dummies standing there, most of them headless, some with heads.

Unspooled bolts are all that sort of remain of this once popular textile emporium. Now that you open the door, the moans are much louder coming from somewhere in the back of the room. It's pitch dark in here. I'm going to cast light. If you're saying we can't see, I'm going to cast light. Cast light. So Ramious is going to put a globe of light like farther away from us in the middle of the room, just like on one of those.

Actually, you can just cast like a globe of light. So you just go up by the ceiling, up in the distance where the moaning is coming from. How about a little more light? Camera shot from outside. We just see the storefront light up on the inside. Barnes, you and Sefer walk in the direction of that sound and slowly come around this bookcase. Are all of you inside now or some of you still outside? I think I'm last but I'm gonna come in if I can. Okay.

Come around here. Give me a perception check. Gic. Okay. Oh, never like when the person in the back gets called for the perception check. 18. 18. Turn the corner and you see a woman

dressed in furs, like shaking. Her skin is almost like green with sickness. And she's like, oh, oh. She's like got a little bit of foam coming out of the side of her mouth. She's dressed exactly the way that Sakawatchi and Enuma are dressed. She's like, help me.

And you hear a crunch of gravel somewhere behind you And we'll see you next week It's not what I wanted. It's not what I wanted. Fucking waste. This is gonna be amazing. I love the idea of this light coming on in the store. Yeah, that's cool. Oh, it's so cool.

A very eerie, like, but Christmassy vibe. Outside a storefront, the lights come on. Marley and Son. It's time to make your membership official. Start your 30-day free trial today and become an official member of the Naish at JoinTheNaish.com with the promo code GCN30. That's JoinTheNaish.com and use code GCN30 to gain access to exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes and content you can't find anywhere else.

Once again, it's jointhenash.com and use code GCN30 at signup to get your first 30 days for free. Tell your friends, come join yourself, and see what everybody's talking about, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,