Worlds Beyond Number - WWW #12: Prisoner's Dilemma

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

The sword comes down. Worlds Beyond Number is:Brennan Lee MulliganErika IshiiAabria IyengarLou Wilson and is produced, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse.Transcript of this episode coming soon! You can find transcripts of all our episodes here, for free, on our Patreon.[BREAKING NEWS: Our first mini-campaign HAS DROPPED. The entirety of A COUNTY AFFAIR is now available on our Patreon! Go sign up before they raise interest rates again, am I right?  Let's see, what else is in the news..]We have so much more to show you. An entire campaign about Suvi, Ame, and Eursulon meeting for the first time as children, for instance. And would you believe, even more? Please, join us at Patreon.com/worldsbeyondnumberOur album art is by the great Corey BrickleySome additional ambient sound design comes from Michael Ghelfi Studios. You can get their sounds and music for your home games and VTT as well, which we enthusiastically recommend. .

This is the sound of Worlds Beyond Number. The white gravel courtyard. Stones flecked with small veins of mica. Decorate the courtyard of the barracks of the Azur Battalion. A squat rectangular building nevertheless painted using arcane illusory magic with a deep lapis lazuli exterior. Its windows gilded with gold. And assembled in the courtyard is a massive gilded standing mirror, positioned about 20 feet or so from an ornate carriage.

Behind the mirror stands the abjur Galani of the Citadel. And around you, sort of near the wagon that had just come here from the witchfire waste land outside of Port Talon, are about 40 armed members of the Azure Battalion, including Sergeant Laplow, with their imperial war staves, shouldered, standing at attention, as steel, sword of the citadel, the deck of a ship.

But as you look at the deck of the ship, you can see that the gunwels curve inwards. There's a deep, almost, midnight, like pitch black ebony wood on the surface of the deck. The polish or varnish of the wood, very reflective and glossy. The gunnels of that ship curve inward, and you see project a sort of scintillating purple haze above the gunwale, almost like the base of a stove fire. And you can tell that there is a projected,

there is a projected field of arcane force covering the deck of a ship flashing through the sky. Some wind still sort of seeps through. You can see that Steele's hair moves around, but at the speed the ship is moving, anyone standing on the deck would be flung out of the, you know, out of the sky in a ship, it would be like standing on the wing of an airplane. You see steel The white streaks across her face Her auburn hair tied up in a bun

White cloak over golden armor Spellbook and sword at her side Who's towering over you She's only about like five foot seven But she is close to this projected mirror So she's towering over the courtyard We're doing this right here, right now Abjur Golan

Are you present? You see Galani catches, like, her, you can tell that she has, like, fear dry mouth. Uh, and goes, yes, um, yes. Please produce the telemeton place it in front of the prisoners. Huh. And you see Galani rushes to the carriage, comes out with a small, purple cushioned podium. It's almost like a lectern, but it just has a little circular velvet cushion on top. Uh, and she opens a.

small, cubed treasure chest, like very angular, but still with like brass rivets and leather, opens it up and produces a perfectly mirrored orb. A completely reflective orb places it on the cushion. Anyone who would like to can make an Arcana check. Yes, please. Oh, no. The Telemant? A net one.

Not the Telement. Nineteen. I got a 15. Okay. Oh, the telemet? Oh, I know the tell of it. You know a magic thing when you see it. And you can see that it's reflecting things in all directions.

And I think on a 15, Ursula has just an instinctive sense of that's for her to do magic. Ursulaan's going to take a half step kind of not. He's obviously not trying to put Amé in the way of danger, but is going to kind of move his massive frame behind her. you know a telemet. It's a, it's not something that you've ever used before, but basically these speaking mirrors of which this is like a, you had a small one. This is like a massive one.

The telemet allows casting through the mirror, but she has one and then there's one over here. You see a similar cushion with a telemet sphere is set up, you know, like basically one of Steele's like Citadel soldiers comes in places one, like sort of war mages comes in places one in front of her. She places a hand on it. Hold on. Oh, God.

Okay. Hey, let me, I want to say one thing before whatever happens, happens. And I want to be very clear with all due respect, you are the sword of the Citadel and wise and just. But two of the prisoners here were arrested because, they were believed to be spirits fleeing into the city that is absolutely and provably untrue. So whatever comes, it is only right and just that you let them go. Do you imagine I'm about to do something unjust, Apprentice Archmage?

Presumed to know your mind in this moment. Do you imagine there is any world where I would do something unjust? So it seems a pretty foolish warning to give then, doesn't it? Everyone put your hands on the telemet sphere. Us? You mean us? The assembled prisoners, yes. Suvi does it. Ursulaan does it.

What are you going to do? Witch of Toma. I'm going to ask you to submit to a spell that will allow me to read your thoughts. There has been a great deal of chicanery, insubordination, and if we are being honest, Now, you don't have to submit to this if you don't want to. The alternative is we will place you in prison. You broke curfew and were found traveling across the witchfire waste, having ventured into the extremely dangerous plant-infested lands outside of Port Talon.

When guards told you that that was not allowed, I believe you, Witch of Toma, snuck into a military wagon to stow away and gain past. through the wall breaking curfew, that's correct? You don't want to know why we did that? Oh, I do want to know why, which is what the psychic magic is for. You don't trust Suvi, your ward enough? I don't trust people who lied to me. I think that's pretty reasonable.

Live it, Ursula. My hand's already on the telemet. I can't. You don't have to submit. If you choose not to, you will be in prison. That's all. If you tell me the truth, then the idea is that all of you are free in minutes. I trust you.

And I put my hands on it. You see, she whispers some words to herself. In the lingua arcana, her offhand, flicks a little bit. She is extreme. You can see the tendons are like very developed in her left hand because she always has her sword in her right. So her left hand is her spell casting hand. And all of you simultaneously. hear a voice in your mind.

The following conversations are occurring simultaneously. As Steele effectively wants to hear each of you tell the story independently. Though you can still see the courtyard around, you can see the mirror, you can see Steele, there is almost as if sound were so intimate and so interior to your mind. that it was able to construct shapes, that you were able to see as creatures do that only you sound to see. And an image of her face

swims into focus in your mind's eye outlined in pale blue light. I use your title of address as a means of respect. I understand that you have seen me quite furious. I am doing my best to calm myself. My fury is not directed at you. I know you are worried about Suvi.

I'm sure a lot of anger is due to your fear for our well-being. Insight is a credit to you and your mentor, a woman who I knew and honored and respected as deeply as it is possible to respect any in this world. I will first and foremost offer my condolences. I am deeply sorry to have heard of her past. to get leave for Suvi to be able to come and see her was the most I could do. And in a more ideal world, I would have come to Payment of Respects as well before she had passed. I deeply appreciate that, both your consideration and what you were able to do for Suvi.

I also know that convalences and Suvies and my short glimpse in... to the things that she did are polite by the humble daily life we led. I have so many questions, and I know I won't have the answers to them until we do this important work that Suvie was helping with. There is much important work to do, and Phil shoes more enormous than I think many can fully understand. If there is any aid I can be in the tasks that lay before you, please do let me know. Thank you. I need to understand the situation on the ground in a calm. It is at the very edge of the empire's reach. Our ability to safeguard our denizens and keep them safe. Is stretched

very thin in that land. You spoke of a task set before you. Suvi had let me know that you and perhaps Grandma Wren, as she passed, were beset by a curse of some kind, and that the cottage was also visited by a spirit, a stranger in black upon the road. Yes. I don't know how those two are related. Were you aware of the existence of the curse prior to the arrival of that great honored friend? Yes. Grandma ran past. She and then her familiar realized and then informed me that she and I were under a curse wherein we could not remember the important things that I,

was supposed to know the knowledge she was supposed to pass down to me. That is, that is grievously important. And the restoration of those memories is of the utmost priority. Which is why Suvi violated curfew and did her best to get us out of this imprisonment and defied your orders and put her own safety in jeopardy. respectfully, Amé, no, that's not true.

If you're asking me to believe that the reason Suvi broke curfew, defied my orders, wandered into the bleak wilderness, was because she needed to break a non-lethal curse rather than waiting three days for the entire might of the citadel to arrive.

Have you put any thought at all into the origin of that curse. I understand you've been trying to break it. But if it appeared prior to Grandma Wren's passing and the King of Knight arrived after that, then it seems that the King of Knight's arrival was contingent not upon the curse, but instead upon Grandma Wren's passing.

Yes. My point is this. The reason Suvee broke curfew and ventured out into the woods, was to prove something. There are many ways to break a curse. Tell me I'm wrong. You know her. I think she also has very big shoes to fill.

Shoes that not even... Most people would understand the enormity of. You're a very good friend. I don't expect you to speak ill of Sufi. but what I do expect you is to understand the reality that me and my position must contend with. There were other ways to solve this problem on me. The one that was chosen was not the one most likely to work,

it was the one most likely to paint Suvi in a heroic light. She's a child. Neither are you. I need to understand the story of what happened. You were tending to grandmother Wren. Suvi arrived. The moments that have been laid out for me by Suvi, I understand, is there anything that you can do to fill in the gaps of that story?

Was there anything else of any significance that happened on that night? We were told, I'd like to make an inside check. Yeah, go for it. Let's go. 19. Okay. What are you looking for in particular? Is Steele asking me to fill in the blanks so that she can help?

or in order to enact judgment on Suvi, can I ascertain her motives? The motives you are getting from Steele in this moment are that she's been lied to? Or at the very least, like, she said, keep it locked down and then Suvee bolted to go on a magical woodland adventure. And she, so where she's at is like,

oh, a thing I thought was reliable is not reliable. That's her whole deal. Her whole deal is what I thought was solid ground is snow under my feet, right? And I'm slipping on it. And so everything has to do with, you called it fear. It's a lack of security. Everything to her is like, this was supposed to be reliable. I was supposed to be able to count on Suvi. That's not true. And so what she's doing is it's not like she thinks Suvi lied to her or you guys are part of like a vast criminal conspiracy. What you're getting is she's like, People are being real fucking glib around here. People are making stuff up when it benefits them. People aren't giving me the full truth. People are kind of freewheeling. And I need to, she is trying to catch you guys in lies. But it's not from a punitive place.

It's from a place of a woman who is in charge of a lot being like, I need to start understanding what's really going on. Would Sufi have told me how much she told, like, everything that she told. Steele. I think that's a no from Abria. It's a silent no from Abria? Suvi trusts you, and you raised her

and clearly care for her very deeply. And what's more, it seems that Grandmother Wren trusted you as well. With whatever dealings that she had outside of the cottage, I will take you into confidence with this. but understand that I have loyalties, not just to you and the rulers of this human realm, but also to the spirits.

And I know you respect that, as you respected Grandmother Wren. I do. Our honored friend travels with us. Our childhood friend, he has a question. He must help Spirit World. Only he can do it. If he's able to fulfill his mission, he'll be able to help break the curse on me. Who is with you?

We're going to move over to the simultaneous conversation happening over in Ursulaan's head. Please identify yourself. You may call me bear of Toma. Bear of Toma. How did you come to travel with the Wizard Suvi? Well, um, As Sufi and army were leaving Toma, they passed through Silbury. And I just so happened to be the strongest man in Silbury.

And in looking for protection, they thought, why not hire the strongest, why not, if we're looking for protection, a defender, why not hire the strongest man in town? Give me a deception check 12 You are spirit Oh I Where would you get an awful idea like that

How long have they known you are spirit Entire time in this world You're trapped here I am We have met We have You came to Collect Suvi

Yes that's right I was the young boy in the yard. Your glamour has grown with you. It has. I'm not going to reveal you. This is very troubling to this war. By what means, were you brought here by Grandmother Wren?

No. I found a door when I was very young. A door outside the woods of Grandmother Wren's Cottage. Did you ever try to re-enter the spirit world? Many times. What prevented you for? doing so. I still do not know, but I believe it may be tied to things I did when I first crossed

through and choices I made and the care I accepted from Sufi, Amé, and grandmother, Ren. You prefer to be called Bear. My name is Ursula. Most people in the Com do not say it right. So I would not have them say it at all. Ursula. All right, you can. It's important.

It's a matter of respect. Mm-hmm. Have you been living with Ame the entire time at Grandmother Wrens Cottage? No. I've been mostly on my own in search of things, but, um,

struggling to find them, but surviving. you have been way shadowed the way back to fairy barred from you yes I'm very sorry to hear that I know that there are many folk within a calm that keep the old ways of spirits

but I also know that there are many who would seek to take advantage of finding a lost spirit and I cannot imagine that your life has been an easy one you see that you're going to move over to Sufi. Violation.

Violation. How do you feel? You use magic to know my mind. You don't have to submit. If you want to go be in the prison cell, you can go be in the prison cell. We'll end the spell right now. No, we're here. You want to know my mind.

Then know it. I returned from our conversation to find Amé, the witch, already gone on the other side of the wall. And then you informed your fellow soul. soldiers of the Citadel, servants of the Imperium, to coordinate a rescue, yes? You told me to keep it on ice. Keep it on ice means going into the woods with all of the monsters and creatures out there ready to tear you limb from limb. That's keeping it on ice. Involving other people in what could have been a subtle...

It's one thing to lie to me. I just hope you're not lying. Yes, you are. No, I'm not. If through my inaction, harm came to my oldest friends in this world, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I did what I thought was best. If I was wrong or foolish, I accept that, but I have not lied to you. You tried to have your cake and eat it too.

I tried to protect my friends and leave. No! Yes! If you wanted to protect your friends, you could have put away your pride and told someone you'd made a mistake. What mistake did I make? You let her get away. You could have gone to the city.

I was told Galani. I was busy to be yelled at by you. No, you were not. You discovered Amay had left after we finished speaking. You could have gone to Galani. You could have asked for help, but you wanted to solve it yourself, yes or no. That's it. I'm not mad that you're brave.

I'm not mad that you make mistakes. I'm mad that when you make them, you lie. You broke curfew, you ran away, you disobeyed my orders. Fine. That's insubordination. That's in house. Then you come back and threaten to kill soldiers of the Imperium. That's not in the house, Suvi.

Those aren't Citadel soldiers. That's treason. That's treason. So now I have to work to make this go away. You're not in the Citadel. You feel so confident, wielding power, but it's not mine or yours. It's the Citadel's. The Citadel trained me to me.

I'm not seeing that right now. The Citadel trained you to not rely on others? The Citadel trained you to not see the benefit of what the empire brings us? No, that's not so. That's not what we taught you. That's you. What happened? Who is this guardian?

Yes, the Witch of Toma and this strong man from Silber you've picked up. Give me an insight check. I forgot my dice could go that high, 21. You don't know, you didn't know that it was a test, but you hear a sigh that Steele said like you just passed a test. If duty to Amay drove me from Toma to help deal with the curse is what sent me to Ursula. It's a child I did so sorry. His was not a secret I felt comfortable sharing. You kept that secret for more than a decade, Suv.

I had to protect him. I know what we do to honored friends of the ocean. Guildmage Morrow has him trapped at the bottom of the ocean, Suvi. I'm going to deal with him as soon as I get there. He wouldn't have thought to do this if he didn't think he would have the full backing of the empire behind him. I find that sometimes enterprising wizards take matters into their own hands. Do you know anything about that, Suvi? You are more enlightened than most.

I have learned more about respect for you, for witches, for honored friends from you than I have from any of my time in the Citadel. You do not represent the empire in this regard. So I fear for him. The hand doesn't always know what the left hand is doing and the empire has a thousand hands. You're right to try to keep your friends safe. I understand. Trisby told I'm honestly a little bit glad right now to be able to meet Amay. I remember you talking about her all the time when you got back from Grandmother Wrens.

Always these little stutter stops. You pause in the middle of a story about something wonderful. And now I know that all those pauses were Ursula. It was very hard spending a decade in training and keeping them as a secret. It felt very good to see them. And in my giddiness, I was reckless. Thank you for the apology. We're in a real pickle.

This is very hard. And you've given me a big knot to untie. The Azure Battalion going out after curfew. And I do need to know what happened beyond the wall, Sufi. We moved into the Khatou. Ursulaan, an honored friend, spoke with some aspect of, Arima. Amay was taken further in. We made our way to a shrine in Lammery. It's furious. She asked Amme to allow her passage into the world to save her partner.

The artifact. The thing that can cut curses do Norm. Do you know the name of the artifact and you have it? Wavebreaker. You have it in your possession? Yes. Well, in yours. What? The Misser Battalions now. I see. So this artifact that you've come to the possession of is at service of two purposes right now. Freeing Hamea of her curse and also... Yes. Freeing your arm, which we may have promised to do for Arima.

You're doing your voice like you think you're in trouble. No, that was, yes. Not from you. from the angriest spirit I have ever holy they're scary and she's so mad

finally feel a kind of energy that you haven't gotten from steel in a while come across and you see she says big spirit scary okay also I think she like couldn't hear me because I was threatening now I'm not going to say that part

no you haven't finish that Nah, it's great. It doesn't matter. No, I was, you know, trying to... So there's three of us, so we were like, everyone takes a different tack. And Erzalon was like, sister. And Amay was like, I am a bridge between worlds. And I was like, I'll fucking kill you.

It was nice that I was not heard in that moment. And maybe I yelled more because I kind of knew I wasn't. and it was very stressful, and I just wanted to get back before you got here so I could keep it on ice. So how are you not dead? Promise. That somehow we're going to free a great spirit. No, no, I mean, you mouthed off to a spirit.

How are you not dead? Because I'm a badass. That's not true. I know. I have no idea. I don't know. You have to understand, Sufi. One day,

You will be the big dog. Right now, you are the smaller dog barking behind the big dog, and you need to be very aware when you're not behind the big dog anymore. A good example of not being behind the big dog would be leaving the walls. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to go. No, listen, I understand. I have been in danger before.

I understand leaving. I don't understand leaving secretly. We need to drill down on why I'm mad. Secretly, secretly, secretly, secretly, no one knows, no one knows, no one knows. Yeah. I know we're both very aware that my answer to that is only going to make you mad again.

So just, yeah, wrong. That's your answer. It was because I was like, oh, if I could, this is a solvable situation. You go out in the bad grass and you grab a friend and you bring them back. And it was going to be an hour. And then it wasn't.

But no one's dead. And... And you have the sword. And we have the sword. All right. And so honestly, I feel... Okay, no, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm doing the...

I'm doing the barking thing again. No, no, no. Little dog. Little dog. Little dog. Little dog. Little dog. For now, you know, maybe when you, I don't know,

join an arcane school. Imagine that. Maybe then, in that case, maybe then you can start to threaten great spirits. Sweet. She couldn't hear me You know You couldn't hear you

Yeah I was saying stuff And then she was just kind of talking Like I wasn't there I have no idea why This is a free lesson in wizardry Ready? Sure

Don't try to get the attention of great spirits Oh I get that now I get it Wizards are best when we move at a diagonal I hear you We were kind of at a point emotionally in the argument Where she was like I'll kill you all and leave your bodies to, maybe I'm embellished.

No, she said she was going to kill us and then go get her husband herself. And I was like, well, you know, being nice wasn't working. So maybe like a little threat. Like a slap your lionfish of a husband in the face. It didn't work. Well, it didn't do anything. So net neutral. Wasn't bad.

I've learned my lesson. I got it. I can feel. Why can I feel your. this is bad. I don't like you in my head. It's a great way to get me out of your head. And it's to just not do whatever this whole escapade has been the last several weeks.

Sure. You're right. You're right. Hey, but let's look at it this way. Now we know what's going on in Port Dallon. And we didn't know that before. Don't spin this into a win. No, but it's a little, here's the thing. It's a little bit of a win. So now we know what Mara is doing.

Oh, and there was like a guy fully embezzling from the empire, handled. And... What do you mean handled? He's like, now everyone, we know, and he's kind of... So he's going to go get arrested. What's the name? Guildmaid pain. He's just, oh, the worst.

Honestly, real piece of shit, don't feel bad about kind of snitching on him. What about your friend that had the artifact in Port Talon? How are they doing? Who are they? Uh, I Ursulan handled that So I'm not super sure I think it's fine Because he came back with the sword

Again, a lot happened When we were in the mansion I came back and things were solved And people were gone Ursulaan handled it Ursulaan knew your friend Yes

Look Ursulaan's lived a very hard Bad life Since I went away and every time I ask for a new detail, darker and sadder. So sometimes I just kind of like, let him go do whatever. And then he comes back and he's like, I got Wavebreaker. And you know, you know that feeling where you're like, I got to ask more questions. But then you're like, don't.

Well, you don't know that. You're in my head right now. Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. You got Wavebreaker in Port Talon. Yes.

Hit the walls. Found Orima. brought wave breaker to her. Yes. To her. And she was like, can only be wielded by a spirit. Big Bang, boom, we got one. So another tiny win for a little Suvi.

Well, the good news here. And then has he removed the curse from Ami? No, we, okay, remember the part where you're like three days on ice? I kind of hustled everyone the fuck back so I wouldn't get in trouble. And that didn't really work. Okay. Probably for the best. But we also, I'm sure that the sword being able to do something

doesn't mean that someone wielding the sword knows how to do it. So I'm going to offer something to your friends. We're going to go back to Ame. Steele asks for Ame's story of the trip beyond the walls. Does Ame more or less divulge? Does she add any details or keep any away? I tell the story as best I can that as factually as I can. Suvie does come off looking very good in it.

Thanks, buddy. What are some details you add in to make Suvie look really good in it? Oh. The truth, threading. The truth. How she blasted her way towards the shrine when she knew that I was in danger. And against her better judgment, she treated with this great spirit, who she showed the proper amount of deference to.

You see Steele pauses and says, oh, and she gave the honorific of the great orima of the reaching green. More or less, yes. Amé, I really enjoy you. Don't ever lie to me again. It was just a little fib. No. You know, she told you that she yelled at her, didn't she?

Yes. Best thing to do with me is tell the truth. I tell a story as it is. I still don't know how we are going to accomplish all of this. I assume that now you are here, you've been briefed on the situation, that you can't. help prevent any deep misunderstanding

between the spirits and the Azurbatalion. Yes? My intention on arriving to Port Talon is to arrest the Guildmage Morrow, see that whatever systems failed to allow this experiment to occur are dismantled, and rather than having to give, you know, and fundamentally that I will see that the Derek is dismantled and that the honored friend that is trapped there is not only set free, but more than that healed and deeply honored and given proper apology for this horror that has occurred.

I can feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. I don't know the empire very. very well, only what I've heard of from Suvi and what I've seen in these people. And I... Thank you. The Empire has done many perilous and terrible workings of magic to protect itself from those that would see our lands and people destroyed. I don't claim that we are a peaceful people. No, I'm sure you know better than that. However, this abomination does nothing to keep the people of the empire safe,

and even if it did, even if I were without a heart, Amé, what you witnessed at that Derek is madness. We've seen the people of the city and how they are suffering, because of what Morrow is doing. Morrow will be handled. You have a powerful curse on you. You have an artifact with you capable of dispelling the curse.

I am of the opinion that that curse is of the highest priority to dispel. And I want to make an offer that you must consider carefully. Once the curse is broken, it will disrepresent.

Magic, once broken, fades, reenters the spirit, becomes the stuff of magic itself. It is only given form by the will of spirits of witches of wizards. Once the spell dissipates, you will be free, and this is what you must consider carefully, because I am a general. I am the sword of the citadel, and this is where my mind must go. Once the spell is broken, we will not be able to learn anything about it. You will not be able to learn when it was put on you. They will not be able to learn who put it there. I would offer you an invitation to accompany Suvi to the citadel.

I cannot. I'm sorry. My duty is, you know, it is not a witch's place. The citadel. I must continue grandmother runs work. You feel still smiling in your mind. It says, not at witch's place. You would have to tell the late,

grandmother Wren then to apologize because she was there often. Often? Yes. Many times. Often, though. I mean... Well, as often... She has...

She has... An awful lot of chores every day in the cottage. I ultimately respect your wishes. You do not need to come to the citadel if you do not wish to. But I just put to you that... Well, not to stay. I mean, no, no, no, no. Not to stay, but for only as long as you wish.

To come as a guest and to, I know that the cottage is lonely and that most witches work alone or with an apprentice. And there is an opportunity to see the home of your friend Suvi. And if you felt inclined to accept our aid to learn and here you must forgive me I do not mean to condescend but you are very young so let me just remind a humble country witch of dangers that you may not have known in your upbringing whoever put that curse on you is still out there that's true we'll cross that bridge and we come to it I would be grateful for any help and insight that you have into how to

break this curse I defer to the wisdom of Grandmother Wren. If the sword can break it, then the sword is the safest route to use. We, of course, can help by some means instruct your companion Ursulaan in terms of how to wield it

to effectively manage to break the curse. It may not be intuitive, after all. But I would not disagree with Grandmother Wren's counsel, nor, in fact, the goal of coming to the Citadel is for us to be able to break the curse in such a way that we know who is responsible and we are able to gather sometimes people stab you with a knife and it sticks in your body and if you're clever enough

sometimes you have a new knife at this feel an unease in the back of my mind because i know that while her offer of help is genuine I know that there is a motive, motive to discover more and control this magic. But I nod and smile. Thank you very much for your kind offer. I shall have to think on it. How's Suvi doing? She's charmed me again.

She has a way of doing that. It's terrible. I have no one to blame but myself. The Citadel is a great college of peers, but somehow we've got one princess, and I don't know how it happened. Oh, the princess. Ursulaan, she comes back to you, and same thing, asks about the story beyond the wall. I think Ursulon's telling of the story beyond the wall is 100% factual, in fact, perhaps too factual. I think there's a lot of details about how he felt in it.

Like, I was drunk for most of the journey. And I don't know when the last time you hiked or being just absolutely shit-faced was, I must have stopped to vomit 10, 15 times. And like, we got to a point where I was like, I'm not sure if there's anything else in there. We don't need to. I mean, I could barely keep water down. We're actually, Ursula. Anyway, and I had been crying because of the whole kind of sister thing that was going.

It was a lot, man. You brought the sword then to Arima. Yes. And then made the promise to free Nura. Yes. I understand. Let me say very clearly that you will be able to keep that promise. We'll be freed.

In the telling of the story, does Ursula? mention anything about the pendant. He still has not mentioned to Suvi. Unless it comes up, unless she asks about why, unless she asks about Suvi's inability to be heard by Oremah, I don't think Ursulaan would offer it up. She doesn't. Ooh.

You kept one. Oh, yay. She nods and says, none of this battalion and none other than myself will know of what you are it is very kind of you you hold a great sword of the spirits one capable of breaking the curse on your friend but i do not know if you know how to wield it uh i've had some instruction in a in the ways of sort craft. I saw you, I believe, when you were a child fencing with a broomstick with the village baker.

Yeah, uh, that's where I, that's where I started, yes. And it's, I'm much older now. And then I imagine some stage combat? Ursula hasn't caught this much shade in a long time. Fucking brutal. Just, uh, a bit, a bit, yes. One of the other members of the company had some military service. and showed me a thing or two.

The witch, Amé, has a curse on her. If the curse is broken without being studied, we will never know who placed it upon her. We will never know if they are still abroad. We will not know what kind of magic it was. We will not know when it was placed on her or where or by what means. Her life in Toma will forever be in jeopardy.

I have made the offer for Amé to come to the citadel, that we may study the curse and understand what threats await her in the world. I offer you now the same invitation. Your glamour will be held. It will be a chance for you to see the home of your on-lost friend Suuvi. And if you play your cards right, I might teach you how to sword fight. Consider my options, but I'm not. I must say I'm leaving, yes.

She smiles and... One more thing. You want truth. I will give you all of it. I've three great spirits. While I've been walking the world. Cruel. One caught.

And it would be a lie if I didn't admit that I... I feel a little pride, that the ones that would walk our world with such impunity feel even for a moment, a moat of the dread I've felt in their presence. I'm closer than I thought I would be. Raging at the spirits is curses at the storm. They are of a fundamental nature. I have interacted with many that I can say have stirred great feelings in me for good or ill, but my hatred I reserve for people. People should know better. People get to choose what they do. And many of the spirits, though great, are for all of that vastness, they have to be something.

Maybe you don't get to be eternal without being singular. Does that make sense? I think so. I don't think you need to waste your rage or your loathing on beings that have watched a thousand generations of humans come and go. They are the legs of the massive beasts above us that we must carefully dodge and build our world around. And if we are clever, we can find ways to hold them at bay. they after all have a realm of infinite splendor and wonder to occupy their time with and occasionally come in here and knock a bunch of things down. Okay.

But it does feel like a little shitty that they do that, right? Like a little bit? I'm not going to follow you down this hating spirits rather. I know, I know. It's okay. It's just not efficient. It's just they're not going to care that you hate them. Yeah, I mean, we could make them care.

I'm going to make a Rima care. I'm going to eat more vegetables. The Dominion, the protectorate. Yeah, got it, got it, got it. Eyes on the ball. You have to keep your eyes on the prize. Okay. You see, the conversations end.

You are back in the courtyard. Steel looks out, says, Abjur Galani, please return the staff of the Citadel to the Archmaid apprentice. Archmage apprentice Suvi. there will be an official court-martial on your return to the Citadel to make sure that justice is served in the actions you have taken in your role as Archmaid apprentice in the city of Port Talon and the surrounding lands. Do you understand?

To the witch of Toma and to the protector of the Archmaidaventice, I offer the thanks of the Citadel that you have kept the Archmaid apprentice safe. Thank you for your service. and you may consider yourself in the esteem and gratitude of the Imperium in the land we serve. To help protect her ladyship. Any time, yes. As kick, I'm in the ankle.

The fox goes, I couldn't reach the ball. Shut up. You see, you see, you are given your belongings. you know, everything else like that. And you see Galani, Steele says, Galani, I wish to speak with you for a moment, and the rest of you were sort of brought away. I mean, you stand there and you see Steele has a short conversation with Galani, where she's basically just like, see to it that they are healed,

that we try to detect if there are any harmful poisons or effects from the Kudzu or any of the witchfire or anything of that nature. and please see that they get time for rest and relaxation. I will be there on the morrow, and we will handle business that day and hopefully take off by nightfall for the Citadel. Safe travels. Oh, thank you very much.

The mirror swirls and spirals as the image of steel on the deck of the ship disappears fading into the reflection of the courtyard in the three of you. Make awkward eye contact with any of the... members of these, your battalion. I give a big old hug to Sufi. Okay, one one second, one second. My deepest apologies for threatening to kill you.

I didn't mean it. The battalion does not make eye contact with you. They just continue to move. You know, you've just had a court martial announced and you're like, sorry. Yeah. That's okay. I'm sure you'll get back up on that pedestal. Galani motions to the carriage to take you all back to the Calabelle Chantry, the Chantry the Scepters course for like all your stuff.

Not bad. In terms of how things could have gone. I think I will. I got off pretty easy. Same. That's good. Hey, Galani, did she make you cry? No.

Must be nice. I'm going to clock that and then getting this plush-ass carriage This is gorgeous Do you ride around these In these sorts of things often As I just kind of get comfortable I follow Arsala

In his carriage but I give Suvie's hand a little squeeze Suvie will squeeze subtly back but She's actually quite used to Galani's response to her And it is always triggered fighting

when she came up. So she is swallowing a lot of like the building of bile and trying to be chill about it. You know how when you're trying to swallow something, you're looking for a reason to not pop off? Yeah. So you're like, I got to give myself

a reason not to give this fucking woman the business who just shot a stink eye my way. And in looking for a reason, you hit one that's a little bit too good. Oh, no. Which is just her life would be ruined if she'd done the things you did. Oh, yeah.

I think the last thing Suvie does outwardly is squeeze Ame's hand back. And then she absolutely folds in on herself. Arriving back at the Calabelle Chantry, it's about like three or four in the afternoon. Steelship is arriving on the morrow. Do you all go back to your rooms in the chantry? I mean, if no one's hanging out, I don't know. I'll go back to my... You go back and you see that little coral ring sitting on the bedside table.

Now I'm mad. I think Ursulaun sees that and it's... I think has like a brief pause. I think there's a moment where the excitement of the potential of going to the Citadel and getting trained more in the sword and the fact that... Steele said that he was going to finish, he was going to be able to complete his quest. I think there's a moment where all of that kind of sours. And there's the memory of Nauram in the space.

And I think there's even something to the idea that we're supposed to wait a whole day before we do something about it. In seeing Naram trapped, I think Ursulaan did have. have thoughts that he's pushed out of his mind for a long time with regard to his own situation and the feeling of being trapped here. And I think even he has not fully internalized this idea that he is on some kind of quest or that he's reconnecting with his breath. He, more like every situation that he has been in since he left grandmother, Renskottage,

said the things he needed to say to get to continue surviving. And I think this moment, seeing this ring again after accepting this quest, is an acknowledgement of anger and touching that feeling. I think Ursula just kind of stands in the doorway of his room for a second. angry and it's going to draw wavebreaker and swing on the ring with confidence. This ring feels like one of the many links in the chain that traps Naram here, and I wish to sunder it. And sundar it, you shall.

Wavebreaker from its sheath, holds it. Seven fingers. I think the sword for most of our salon's life has been in. a gift from Sufi. That that is, that's what it was. It wasn't so much like a blade that it was like, this is, you know, it wasn't so much like his weapon or he chose it. It's like this thing that he found with his friends that then one of his friends said should

be his. And I think in this moment as he looks at the waves and the crossguard, there's the feeling that this is his sword, and it belongs to him. to bring the sword down to the coral ring. I'm going to need a dexterity saving throw. Cool. Buddy! With disadvantage.

Okay. That's going to be a 21. Oh, excuse me. The lower roll was 21. The lower roll was 18. Hell yeah. Sword hits the ring. The ring is sundered.

Shards fly in all directions. You see, as they scatter across the room, that they change. The coral hits the walls. It rests on the blade of the sword. And the sword shimmers and ripples as there is now blood. Gleaming white, translucent, rippling blood on the blade. As though the coral ring has reverted.

back. But you feel the sword. It's like clanging. The tables destroyed. It has that thing where it's like shaking the bone of your forearm with the reverberation of the blade. It feels sort of uncomfortable almost. And you see it's not really stopping. And there's something where like the sword has known this blood on it before, perhaps by accident as though in some great injury the blood of this creature has touched this blade before. But you see, the blood trickling down and it begins to pulse as though there was some life force in it can I make some kind of check about it? Yeah yeah what what skill do you think you would rely on are you just like perception or like

so I guess yeah just a perception check what the hell am I looking at Big 16 it ripples with light if that is indeed what they are feel like you can almost hear a voice. Do I recognize the voice? Somehow, you can't put a name to it,

but somehow you recognize the voice. But there's some magic here. You don't, I mean, it's magic of the spirit, but everything Arima screamed at you, like you're off the path. You remember what it is to be a spirit. Even as a cub, you didn't know how to do great magic of the great ones,

but there's something here, like this blood is calling out to you. There's some... Can I find more little... Can I like Ursula? going to get on the ground and start trying to scoop the little bits that he's... Honestly, get me like... I try to get enough.

Yeah. On, like, finding another surface in the room that he's like, yeah, I can smash this. Like... Give me, like, a nature check or nature or religion, whichever one you want. 11 nature. There's something... You feel your own heartbeat. Eleven's not high, and if you don't...

You're not a wizard. Not a witch, you weren't trained for this. But you have a sense that you have... to go to your instinct. Like, Amay has her, like, her mentor. Like Suvi has her citadel. You didn't have that.

It was a parade of beasts under the limbs of the great bear, and you haven't tapped into that in so long. It's been lost to you forever, but you just feel your heartbeat. You've got blood in your body, and your heart is pounding. Forgot all the shame and self-recrimination and wonder and all of these things

that the human world has piled upon you and just did what was instinct for you to do, what might you do? Break more shit. You just start breaking more shit. As you start wrecking stuff in your room and you gather up more pieces of the blood, right? Go ahead and give me, this is fun.

Go ahead and give me a constant. Saututuio saving for you want for as many things in the room as you want to break. So the first thing you see that has its own emotional connection with you is the bed. The bed you cannot sleep in. Yes, well, that will take down the bed. That's a natural one as I smash the bed. You lift up your arms. You bring them down to break the bed.

And assuming that the supports are right. wood, you find them to be iron. And bam! And raw cuts in your arms open up as you shatter the bed in front of you. All of the gleaming white blood that you attempted to scoop up off the ground, not knowing what, run in rivulettes, voices. The blood enters your wounds. And you, on a one constitution save, begin to go fully into a seizure on the floor. You leave this space and moment. Hands at the top of a mighty waterfall falling from a great pearly mountain. Salmon yards long leap up the waterfall as your father awaits to grab them and devour them in his mighty jaws.

In your play, you went too deep into the strong current. and fell down the waterfall, and was swept away from your brothers and sisters into the sea, air falling behind his long pointed ears, many rings and a band of gold around his upper arm. You see he swims towards you wearing a very friendly glamour, seeing you a little perfectly round bear baby, sort of in the tide.

you see him swim up. And this is, you're like, you know, like, maybe just verbal, like some words, you know, like the equivalent of like a two or three-year-old. Like, honestly, honestly, three is too old. Like a two-year-old. And you see he moves, and you see that his robes like go all the way to the ocean floor

as just like tide and water. And you see he swims up with his spear. you see that he has a spear He doesn't have his sword at his side right now Just the spear behind him And he goes, oh dear Lost little cub, hold on And lightly

grabs you, breathes in And you see gills open Along his neck And he goes Breathing in through his gills and goes And pure nisk Which is itself air and breathable Surounds you in a little ball.

as he holds you. It seems you've had a little adventure, haven't you? Want me, make a bunch of two-year-old noises? Yeah, I have to make fox noises. You make two-year-old noises. Let's get you home. And Naram rises from the waves, and he stands some 30, and now 40,

and now 50 feet tall. And he is holding you in the palm of his hand. Oh, that's all right, little one. You're safe. You're safe. I see you. feast upon the salmon. I, I hope that they find you well, you see, your father. What do you hold in your hand if it is a salmon's egg I wish to feed upon it?

I, I think it is your child, great bear. He's taken a little spill over the waterfall. I, I was driving the salmon towards you as, as a kindness, but I seem to have caught one of your children. Oh, you intend to eat him? And you see, he says, not in the slightest. No. No, I eat only the sunlight and the kelp and the fresh foam of the cresting wave. So I'm good.

I've had plenty today. Should he have you not been there to save him? He seems pretty wily to me. If anything, I've probably saved some of my fish from, from his. predation. He might have become some sort of aquatic. Oh, ha! He got me! You see, he smiles and says, says, no, great bear, yes, the seas can be stormy, but they are also sweet. And he found himself swimming in a great reef, and I am happy to see him return to his family.

Mom smiles. Spirits are vastly different from one another. He sees that the great bear hungers and wishes to eat salmon. And Naram's kindness and gentleness is not something that he feels a need to impose on the other spirits of this place. He looks down at you and his hand. Are you ready to go back, little one? As his massive hand places you on the top of the waterfall to rejoin Kalaya and Anarian and all of your other siblings here under the limbs of the great bear,

and you see him walk and slowly the bottom of his robe turns to foam amongst the cresting waves and he vanishes. Ercelon. On the sea. Erslan. Are you okay? Oh! Whoa! Are you okay?

You're bleeding, I think. I'm fine. What are you doing? I had a vision of a time when I met Naram. I have known his kindness. I'm going to free him. Where do they, where was that room? The armory.

I'm going to leave the room and head for the armory. You leave the room? Ame goes with him. You get to the armory. I'm going to roll a straight up luck check. 19. You see that there are people of the Azure Battalion. Oh, no, 19's good for you guys.

Sorry. Yeah. There's no one in the armor. Yeah. There's nobody there. I'm going to do. a few of those coral. I'm going to grab a coral, another coral. Oh, Woody.

Yes, yes, yes. Yes. There's wands in there. There's wands in there as well. I don't want a wand. I got a sword. You grab a coral ring, you put it on. Give me a Constitution saving threat with advantage. Nine. Nine. Okay. You begin to

begin to reject the ring. You can feel yourself like it's not work. Like there's something about the ring that's like, it's imperial magic, there needs to be a certain thing here. And you realize the ring, it's like, it's the same shape you hated before. It's control.

It's like, it's something you didn't want. You're beginning to feel the same, like, anger towards it that you felt towards the first point. I'm trying to flick that shit off. I mean, we're going now. We are not waiting. Naram needs to be freed. I'm going to leave.

I'm going to head outside. Hell yeah. I'm going to find a boat. There's a lot of kids. Just puts it. Okay. Ursula is possess. As you begin to go,

I will say this, both of you give me perception checks, Ame and Ursula. 21. Only an eight. Only an eight. Amé. As Ursulaan tosses the ring

and decides that he does it, he's like, fuck it. Like, I don't need it. His fur is becoming, it's almost imperceptible. It's hard to notice, but it has a familiar luster. Like there's that protective oil on it again.

Erslan We have to wait for suit Gone You can smell it on him The thing The way his fur changed When he first put the coral ring on That's back

He's that's there And he's not wearing a ring But that's there Um Ercelan begins to sprint As you sprint You just hear You hear the cry of a falcon

And banners waving in the wind You just hear the thumping Of hubs and you're just sprinting as fast as you can. Just to water. Just to water. Yeah, just going to water. I sprint after him and I whistle for the fox.

You whistle for the fox. Now, Ursulon's gone. Ursulans got Quest fever. Ursulans gone. Not Quest fever. It has a name and I got it, baby. He's got Quest fever and he's got it bad. And I'm caught up in the moment.

I think Ursulon's pupils are all the way dilated. Just fucking Comes up from whatever vision I'm having of the spirit world Just completely dilated Quest fever. Ame, you have enough presence of mind as you begin to sprint with the fox

To think of Suvi. Zuvie is in the tower. But I have to ask. So I just want to give you the hardness of that choice Because every party, you see the fox begins to sprint after Ursula Just like, what do you do? I go after them.

after them. You begin to run. Upstairs, Sufi. You are in your room and you hear a knock at the door. Knock, knock, knock. Yes? Hi. Yes? Apprentice Archmaid. I am so glad that you have returned. You gave us all quite a scare. Let me tell you. Where did you go? It's been such a long day. Can we talk about this any other time? I would be so delicious. delighted to afford you any amenities of espressos and salads. I'm so good right now, please. You sure?

You sure? I would love some questions because someone did mention to me that the Arkmaid's deal may well be on her way here. She is. She will be here on the morrow. Ah, well, morrow's my name. And, Candy, you, uh, we come back to you.

to Ursula, just sprinting for the water. As we hit the outside, you know, and I can see the tower, I scream, I want to go out to the window. I see Ursulaan sprinting. And I think in that moment, Suvigo's can't keep doing the same shit and thinking there will be a different result. And I'm going to go try to, I'm going to go down to their rooms and figure out what's going on.

Okay. but I will not pursue them. Give me an investigation check. 15. Broken bed. Coral blood everywhere. I think there's just a moment where Suvi tells herself that she's only human. We'll spend my time mending the bed and cleaning the blood and I will let them have their adventure.

Magic begins to wind off of Suv's fingers. Movements of your hands. simple, endlessly repeatable act of restoring order to something disordered. It will be a long time mending the broken things in this room. Ursula. Shirts being unbuttoned. Yeah. Let's go, let's go.

Sprinting towards the harbor. Give me a, you're just going towards water as fast as you can. As fast as I possibly can. You just find, you're near, like, civic part of this, so there's, like, warships and, people around it as your battalion, you're down near the governor's mansion and the chantry and shit, your shirt's unbuttoned, you've got wavebreaker. What do you do as you get to the harbor? I want to do whatever's going to be the least distance between me and the derrick.

Okay, so you're going to sprint down one of the main piers. Now, there's a pier with a sort of like quartermaster checking people in that looks officious. There's a shorter dock that has some smaller shifts that there's no one in. I'll take the ladder. Okay. You rust to that dock, dive in. I'm going to make a perception check. I think shirt comes off.

I'm going to adjust it so I can keep the paldron on. So it's just pants, paltron, and then I belt the sword on as tight as I can. I think honestly, the minute I jump into the water clamor comes off before I dive in. I'm also going to need a constitution check from Amay to see if you can actually keep up with Ursula. Okay. Try, Amay, try. Oh, no. Pink up.

That's 19 on the die. Wow. I mean, you do have that sturds ring. I am. Go, don't, do. Oh, don't, do. Incredible. So, you begin to sprint as fast as possible.

Amay's right behind you. The fox is right behind you. Ursulaan hits the edge of the dock and dives into the water. Oh. Is there a little boat? Are there any sort of little rowboats? There are some little rowboats, but you see with the big splash, a bunch of the imperial soldiers over on the other deck, just kind of look out.

and notice you, people just sort of looking. Get in one of the little rowboats. Okay. I untie the rowboat. You start entying the robot and you cast off. I'm going to use gust to try and to see how far that'll get me. Okay, great. As you go underwater, and you can see your fur doesn't soak.

It doesn't, you actually aren't remain neutrally buoyant. Like it captures just enough air in the right places that you can kind of go. down and go up, you don't sink. Do you try to come up for air? I just want to hit the water and swim like a Michael Phelps style, like hard, almost dolphin-like. Are you staying on the surface, or are you going deep? I would stay below for as long as I could. You head down and begin going as deep as you can. When you get to a certain point of depth, you have to make the decision. You either have to come up for air which will slow you down, or you can try to push your breath past the point of pain and keep going. Push the breath.

Give me Constitution Savings, three. 14. There is a moment where you, your body just reflexively sucks in some water, fills you like sweet air. I suck in more water. The relief of breathing in, even though you are breathing, you can feel your mouth, feeling like you are drinking, but suddenly fills your lungs and the pain of your muscles, the build up of tension and burn from pushing yourself past the limit, relieves as you breathe in this salty water.

You can taste the salt in your mouth. Whatever that ring had, it was bound and formed by wizards, but the magic of it was nirombs. For at least a time, his blood flows in you, and his gift is yours. Brother, I am coming. You will be free. Oof, whoo. Amay, you begin to cast off of a rowboat. A massive imperial schooner just whips around.

Excuse me, miss, where are you headed? The mage moro said I could go. What? Uh, so where? The Derek, the Derek. Oh, that's all. That's fully off limits. Even for, even if Remage Morrow said I could.

Maybe, I don't know who the fuck you are. I don't know who the fuck you are. Oh, I'm Mommy. Hello. Nice to meet you. You and your fox, I frankly stole that boat. We know whose boats they are. I've never seen you on this dock before. Well, give it back, though. I'm just borrowing it.

Yeah, not how it works. Well, you know where I'm going. Here, you can come with. They're off limits, Derek? Well, but again, I'm allowed to go there. I was just there the other night. You see? The whole time, it's like the

A little wind kicking up. Ma'am, you are not granted passage there outside of the council of the guildmaidged Morrow or any of those of the Imperium. You bear no crest of the Citadel. Oh, well, I got one of the, you see, and I, I pull out the jacket and I put it on. I, see, I, I'm, I'm with them.

You let me know how you want to play it, because I'll tell you this right now. You see that, uh, uh, you tell me how you would have played it. You see the, the, the soldier on the deck of the ship says, the jacket you were not wearing a moment ago hidden in your pack is not generally speaking how this works. Moreover, the Azure Battalion neither is granted access to the Derek outside of the council of the Guildmaid.

Morrow or the Sector's Quartz. Do something and he's not going to let us do what we want to do. You see the... Amme, give me an insight check. Nat 20. Woo! The soldiers aboard this ship will blow your rowboat out of the sea. And you, Ursulaan has quest fever. He's leapt into the water and has vanished

from sight. You desperately want to help free Naram. And in your enthusiasm, you have jumped into a rowboat to row in broad daylight out to the derrick guarded by wizards in the middle of the sea. I also cut quest fever. It was contagious. Ursulaan, swim through the dark water. You begin to swim further and further down into the darkness. You hear, see light, Naram's body, see images of magic, the base of the derrick, see a small fish swim going between the legs of the derrick, and as it goes, two very small incandescent. The less solid lines and more like a stream of connected moats, sort of slowly and then quickly traveling along a line,

intersect and slice the fish in half. Oh, shit. I'd like to start to swim closer to the surface, trying to get a, or as close as I need to, to get a sense of what is projecting those lights. Or if I remember from when we were on the deer. You don't, I mean, what you saw, you were way up at the fucking top. But you suddenly just go like wizards, man, fucking wizards.

It's like, of course you can't just fucking swing. Like, they thought of it. They thought of it all. Use any ability you want to use as you search for something here. I mean, yeah, let me give you perception. 16. A little piece of kelp flows through the water. You're using the light of Naram.

He's still somewhat far away, but you can see, you can see his form. You can see the blood oozing from him. There's two little modes of light. so beautiful. Really beautiful magic. The wizardry is incredible to behold. But you notice the thing that it originates from. It's a small gemstone.

It looks like an eye. A small green glass eye embedded in a sort of surrounding steel joint covered in ruins. And as you look at it, you don't think it's able to be. It can't be movement. It cannot be movement. Because the sea is moving. The current is down here. You can see the water.

Because the movement is like pushing the kelp in and out through the water. You think they're seeing. You think the eyes that are generating the beams are seeing. Seeing as in like it's, it notices something move through the space. Right. It's not the movement itself. It's not the force. Yes.

It is the, it is the presence. The visual. It's the, it is the ability to, it's, it's the, it is the ability to, it's, it's the space. Like the eyes look and see something crossing the barrier. And the barrier very much is the plane created by the legs of the Derek. That's the threshold. Do I get the sense that there would be a way for me to block the eye without, without putting, like, could I, in some way, get on either side of the eye to block it without putting it?

Potentially, if you could find them all, but you don't know exactly where they all are. I think there's a quiet... There's a part of me that just is sitting there in the water, floating, being like, can I get on other side of all the eyes? And just kind of... Could I just block all of them off? That I think... I think it actually comes to a salon that this is of Sufi's world.

And what would Suvie do? And how would Suvi approach it? And she would slow down. she would ask questions and then quietly in the back of his mind. Ursula realizes that being invisible might make a difference and is going to wish, or in the same way that his glamour works, desire to be unseen, and desire and want. to be

unperceptible and watch as starting at his fingertips where his hands once were is now seawater and as that feeling grows the glamour moves up his arms

and he slowly disappears a creature moving here in the wide sea the natural world as many derricks as they might want to build. Putting an index finger through, nothing happens. I'll reach my hand out and kind of moving around a little bit. You are safe.

I'll cross through. You swim through and feel the presence of the binding magic. You may now well be bound. You are here in this, you have walked into a trap. You've walked into a trap. I'd like to swim down to Naram. Ursulaan passed the threshold towards Naram. Not only is scintillating form filling the bottom of the sea,

the interior of the four legs of the Derek with light, pulling and flowing to its own current against the tide of the sea itself. As you swim closer, white perlescent magic to the bottom of the sea. to the center of a trap made for wild ones. You have walked directly into the heart of that which you have spent your many years, always seeking to avoid. Why on earth has Ursula done this?

It has been carried by the feeling that something must be done, and that someone must do it, even though the promise that Steele made that she would be here and free him. Impressing pause on doing the right thing. He has the sword. He made the promise.

He will make this right. Blood surrounds you. To reunite you with your love. Body that there's some kind of insie, he says. My name is Ursula. They use it. They use its power for their own. Their trickery brought them.

Can I free you, brother? I think Ursulon pauses for a moment, thinking back on how far he has moved away from his breath, from the desires, the things that brought him into this world. And he reaches down and unsheathes wavebreaker. Word moves in the sea. Feel yourself. Well, it's reverberating in your arm. It's so powerful. and there is some part of you that is eternal.

You are a spirit of yourself, which is eternal. Ercelon swims down to the bottom of the sea and plants his feet in the ground, gripping the sword with two hands. As he grapples with the thought that he has put out of his mind for most of the time since he left Grandma, cottage many years ago, that it was unfair, that returning to this world and the fact that it is not the one that he was promised or assumed that he would inevitably end up in meant that he had no

obligation to live up to the ideals that brought him here. He grips the sword tightly and realizes that it doesn't matter, that he is here in this time, that he is here. That he is He will walk the path of danger, that he will stand for the brighter tomorrow, and he brings the sword high above his head. And he accepts that this is a world where that is not upheld. But that doesn't mean that you fear, that you step aside. In fact, to have honor means that you meet it head on. And he's going to swing down hard. governed by dice rolls.

I can say that the fate of this campaign exceeds or fails can completely alter all of the events to come. In this moment, you are making an attack roll. You are doing so straight. However, should you choose, I would allow you to make this attack roll with advantage. But by planting your feet here on the ground so firmly, you know that you may be able to free Naram.

You may well be trapped here instead. Do you accept that? I accept it. Please give me your attack. Oh, God, I can't believe I'm rolling this dice. It feels like there should be some kind of like, I'm rolling these dice in a sunglasses box that I found in the back of my car. And I'm sorry, these dice rolls determine the fate of the world.

I had a plus five. Wavebreaker is a plus three sword. So it's a plus eight. First one's a 16. Second one's a 23. For themselves, over the thought of danger for another. If you do that, the sword comes down. That was Lou Wilson as Ursulaan, Erica Ishii, as Amay,

Abria Ayangar, as Suvi, and Brennan Lee Mulligan, as everyone and everything else. number is edited, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse, with additional sound designed from Michael Delphi Studios. For even more like this, join us on our Patreon. We'll see you there.