Worlds Beyond Number - WWW #40: Aid and Comfort

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. And within the rills and jagged boughs, a beckoning abyss drinks in the light. If you are not careful, if you do not listen, if you speak or move without thought, it will gobble you up, like a sweet tomato, or a useful child, or a secret name, or an empty boat, its lines knocking and bobbing unseen down a river, into night. Worlds Beyond Number is:Brennan Lee MulliganErika IshiiAabria IyengarLou Wilsonand is produced, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse with exquisite design and editing help from Jared OlsonSPECIAL THANKS TO: Tazer Army, Shannon, and Amanda Freberg!Transcript of this episode coming soon! You can find transcripts of all our episodes here, for free, on our Patreon.Our 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 forest, tall trees. Somewhere up above, the stars are shining. But through the thick clouds that choke the shroud mountains and under all this canopy, Ursula, cool darkness invites you in. Distant places you can see some fireflies, hear spring peepers. But the darkness. is not unfamiliar to you at all.

Hallaker is what they call this forest, but what it calls itself can only be pronounced. In the song of frogs, the cooing of nightingales, the singing of crickets. It's a noisy, healthy, old forest. Still mountainous, high, highs, low, lows,

but a lot more greenery, a lot more moss, a lot more old stone. There's a song at the heart of this forest about glaciers that passed through here. Eons ago, churning up the deep heart stone of the world and depositing it as boulders covered it now in lichen and moss atop the crowns of these ancient mountains. Every stone here has had inches taken off its skin, by a thousand years of wind. They've been dancing together here for an eternity.

There are so many old spirits in this forest. And somewhere at the heart of this place, they worshipped night. There are spirits here that are walking down the road by his side. You know that they call this place haunted. But you've known people in their superstitions long enough to know that haunted may just mean untamably wild. And looking at the size of the trees,

it'd be hard to get a road in here. It's not a great place to go logging because moving anything out of here would be a huge trial. And you see that the trees here are kind of warped, just like the type of trees. There's a lot of places that sunlight stays hidden by the ridges so trees have to bend at an angle to get sunlight, which means they're not good for masts.

They're not good for big, You know, there's like straighter trees and taller lines easier to get to elsewhere in the Shroud Mountains. So this place has been left a little wild for a long, long time. I think you also feel that this is a place that will be unpopulated by and large, which means very little empire, which means very little Gouthmi. This is probably a safe place to get to where you need to get to. If you can navigate through it, then you're not likely to encounter any enemy forces in this place. The people are afraid of it. You're not. Uslan stands just kind of at the edge before the real darkness begins.

And let's go of his glamour. Takes his shield off his back, undoes his sword belt. He just sits and listens. Give me a wisdom check, just as a form of meditation. 23. Somewhere deep in the forest. A grizzly bear. Calling out, announcing itself to see if somewhere out in the night there's a mate

or some other bear who hunts in this territory. A healthy forest to support a big predator like that. There's probably a lot of them out here in these woods. This is the kind of forest that you would have searched through back in a calm. Hoping for a lake or a door, a gate of ivy. It's a magic forest. It's beautiful. You've put the sword and shield down. You have that ticker, you have that ticker,

ticket and that watch. Faraway locomotive. A hand under pressed glass. Shield and sword, Knight's Paldron. Three gifts from your sister. True friends. You've come a long, long way.

On a 23, that bear has called out into the forest in question. Does it have an answer? Are you allowed to join the chorus of the forest? Voice and your breath perfectly in alignment with your body and the forest. You announce yourself with no interruption to the singing of crickets. You have, at times in your life, and in fact, just moments ago, been made to alien. And as far as this forest is concerned, you are right at home.

A place has been waiting for you here for as long as you have walked this earth. And on that 23, your breath is much bigger and closer than it used to be. I think you remember the conversation with Orima about being wayshadowed and about how she had seen spirits hide their breath in an egg or a chest or somewhere in the world, and that you had hid yours in the reflection of the eyes of the people that had looked at Sir Curran. You had hidden your breath away in honor itself. Who knows when or how you will know if you have honor or what kind of honor has your breath in it? or if in fact you already have honor and maybe all living things have some portion of honor to them. But you do know that you have something you didn't used to have, which is a quest. There are spirits in this world that are bound.

There is family that you never knew you had. Some of them are your sister and her children and children's children, but maybe there's family everywhere. This forest certainly sings like it considers you family. and on a 23 wisdom check, your frustration is that your quest is delayed here, certainly and affirmatively. With no doubt, your quest has been put on pause to serve one you love and to fulfill a promise that you made to them, to protect them. But now that you have purpose, you feel your breath. kind and within and around you and have that sudden exhilarating thrill and fear something

greater it is a magical feeling and it is something that all people feel throughout their lives but you feel it now as an inkling of connection and you wonder if sooner rather than later that expansive spirit that is waiting to be called, to serve you, and to become you, will ask you to name it and its purpose. Ursulaan continues to breathe, inhaling and exhaling the night air, committing all of himself to this feeling, and to this moment, and to not forget. getting that this thing is waiting for him. Pick up his sword belt, reattach it, pick up his shield, turn around. At the base of the staircase, Ahme and the Fox,

arrive to find you. You see Ursulaan returning, he's dropped his glamour and is walking back. Give me a perception check. The forest is alive behind Ursula. I mean, it's truly come to life at night. This is a forest that it seems that its cycle of nocturnal life is like it's active, its most active cycle. And you just see Ursulaan moving and you feel weight and mass as if magical moving around him.

When you first found Ursula, he was a little magical cub that came out of fairy and you found and brought him home. And I think, Amé, for your true friend, all spirits are worthy of the respect and dedication of witches to form a bridge between the spirit. But some spirits, even being spiritual entities, are so small. Their stations are so small that you give them love and respect. but like when you first saw the ice fairies, you did not feel their sacredness as they tapped on the skylight of a bathroom, right? And that's just because they don't have any. It's just they have such a little small, bright, little divine moat that as they move through the world, it doesn't hit you unless they want it to. And I think in this moment, the, for lack of a better word,

divinity and sacredness that is omnipresent in the face of like niram and is almost nowhere to be felt unless you look really hard for it in like a little ice fairy you feel for the first time ursula move and feel a weight of that sacredness to him like your friend who you have always known as a spirit suddenly commands some of that reverence. Almost instinctively, I incline my head and I bow. It's an unusual way to greet a friend. But in this moment, I really feel like I see Ursulaan, and it's so beautiful.

Brother, your song is so beautiful. raise my head from the bow. And when I look at you, you can see my eyes shining just with joy and adoration and something that's less patronizing than pride, but a kind of empathetic swelling of emotion. I think Ursula... Ursulaan gives you back like a kind and pleasant smile, not... Nothing too large, and kind of nods his head back at you. You've come to find me.

I'm sorry I stepped away. That's all right. It was quite a lot in there. A lot going on, quite a lot. It's a lot. You see the fox in this kind of absent-minded moment, rolls over a bunch, jumps, and runs back and forth throughout, and just has a moment of zoomies.

And he doesn't bother you, Ursula, but you can tell that he's just celebrating the sacredness of this moment as a fox should. And, you know, rolls around and some moss and twists his back and whips his tail around. It doesn't address any of it to you because he, on some intuitive level, understands that the thing that is being celebrated is a connection to the wholeness of the world. So the way to show respect and honor that is to connect to the wholeness of the world. What would you like to do? Are you all right? I'm fine. Well, I'm better than fine. The forest is an incredible place. It seems it's quite impressed with you, too. I nod my head towards the lively music out in the dark. Yes, there is. I feel more connected, more attached to...

to the spirit than I have been in some time. I feel my breath. I know my breath. Well, you have conducted yourself quite honorably and are on a path towards maintaining that. It would seem to me even coming all the way out here when I know we very much wanted to have pancakes instead. Yes. There will be time for that. I think that your family.

And your knight friend would be very, very proud of you. My knight friend? The Starling Forge? Oh, Sir Curran. Sir Curran, yes. Yes. You see Ursulon get a little solemn at the mention of the thing that brought him here. We should retire.

sleep alongside the horses in the stable this evening. Oh, that would be nice. I want to kind of at least go say good night to them and thank them deeply for what might have been a very dear sacrifice. Yes. Have you seen Suvi? No, but my assumption is that she is with Sylvia. Oh, yes, yes.

You can check on her or come watch. And I'm moving as we get closer to the village, I think stealth becomes a real concern. Go ahead and give me a stealth check. Now, do I have advantage? Yeah, you do. You have your boots. That's right. Natural 20.

Shut up. Oh, my goodness. You move in concert with the spirit. You are as welcomed by the shadows as if by the embrace of a long-lost loved one. Wherever you wish to go, you will go unseen. I seek rohan and a clean bed of hay. You nestled down in the stables by the horses, the smell of sweet hay, and the naying of horses who welcome you as one of their own,

and know that there is always some good in sleeping together in the herd. Amé, where do you retire to? I go and thank the horses and say good evening to Ursulaan. and then I think I'm just going to wander the village a little bit on my own. What are you looking for in the village as you wander it? Just in the way that Ursulaan was listening to the music of the forest, I want to hear the tales of this town. I want to find it in the architecture and the cobblestones in,

the little motifs crafted into the fences. Who are these people? You can give me insight or investigation. Say 18 insight. You look at the stones, and I think looking at the architecture here, you don't feel a profound understanding of this place because I think you realize on an 18 insight that this place was not built by the people, who currently live here. It was built by an older group of people whose language is gone.

You find a little bit of writing that is not an imperial. And so you know that these townsfolk speak imperial. They wouldn't, they wouldn't be able to. It's possible that some of these farmers would not be literate necessarily. So even if it was written in imperial, they wouldn't necessarily be able to read it. What language is it in? Do I know this? Give me a history check. Yeah, nerd. 17. Let's go, nerd. Yeah, you recognize this alphabet.

This is a, on a 17, you would bet this language is Teroy. And then you, but you don't know how to read Toroy, which is T-E-R-O-I. But you're like, this is Toroy or a language that uses that alphabet, which is really the only thing I'm paying attention. So you're like, looks like Toroy letters. Neat. I'm going to make a couple of etches. As you're making it etching, you hear the fox go, and what are you looking at? And you hear a little gasp, and you see up in a shuttered window, a shutter slams,

and you see what looks like the children of the town hiding in an upper story of a building. And you see when it says, I told you it was a shape changer. The fox says, I'm not a shape changer. I'm a familiar. And you see that one of those, what? And he says, a familiar, can't you read? And, Ami, what do you do as the fox roasts these little children? It's true.

He's a very well-learned, educated, familiar, which is kind of like a pet. Which is kind of like a pet. The fox looks at someone says, really? Yeah. Have you ever looked up the definition of a pet? I've ever looked up the definition of a pet? No. The only time we've ever been in a library, we were, well, you were doing something.

I don't know, I was distracted. I was looking for fish slurry. Yeah, that's, I'm going to tell you that that's what it is. You're like a fancy pet. The fox looks up and says, I am the fox, and this is my familiar ami. You see that the window opens a little bit. Go ahead and give me a persuasion rule. The Fox will give you advantage.

Yes. 23. The kids open the window. Understanding enough about the playful tone of these strangers outside, that they are not in danger. And the window opens, and there's about eight little kids in there, probably in the ages of, you know, the sense that around like 13 or 12 is where kids would kind of just be, like, working with their parents. And so these are all 11, 10, younger than they. that, mostly in the seven to like nine range. And you see, they peer out and one of them says,

she's not a familiar. She's a wizard. Look at her hat. I'm a bit similar to a wizard and that I can do magic. But I am what is called a witch. You see, they all gasp. And you see one of them says, you can put a curse on people? which is burn crops.

And you see that another one says, they don't burn crops, the crops get sick. And you see that another one turns over and says, do you do crop magic? I have done crop magic to help crops grow. Where I come from, we grow a lot of wheat and vegetables. You see that the kids sort of lean forward.

They know what it's like to grow vegetables. They know what it's like to grow crops. And you see that leaning forward and peering out, You see they say, I told you she was a good witch. And you see the other one says, you said she was a wizard. And you see the other one says, that's the same thing. And you see that the fox says, I too can do magic. And you see the one that says, really?

And you see it says, yes, I can turn a treat into a bird. And you see that one of the kids throw for something and gets a little piece of like toffee and throws it down. And you see the fox goes, kuk, kup, kup, kup, kup. And eats it really fast. And you see that, say, they all sort of gasped waiting for a bird to appear. And the fox goes, the stars are not in alignment. The magic is not possible. Give me another treat.

Maybe they're good now. Oh, well, I would say I'm a pretty okay witch. But also, it doesn't really matter if you want to call me anything. I am simply Ame. What may I call some of you? I'm Tona. My name's Weirin. This is my friend.

This is Pop. And then this is my... And you sort of start chattering excitedly. And you see that a light appears behind them. And you see that an older woman in clear night clothes sort of steps out. He goes, children, you're all supposed to be in bed. I don't... Looks down and says, oh, I'm so sorry, Your Grace.

Don't bother Citadel people. It's all right, ma'am. I'm from a farming village myself. and we were simply talking about what it's like having a little vegetable patch and how perhaps we shouldn't always trust foxes that ask for treats and promise tricks. Well, I'll say this. I don't mind foxes one bit. We got a big rabbit problem back west,

and as far as I'm concerned, the more foxes the better. And you see the fox turns over, turns to you and says, it's nice to hear some gratitude. dude. It's, you know, it is nice to be appreciated. Sometimes I do worry that you're not getting enough of that. You see the fox looks up and goes, thank you very much for your kind words, ma'am.

And you see the whole woman goes, and looks sort of terrified as the fox speaks. He goes, oh, oh. No need for alarm, ma'am. I promise that he won't get up to mischief. I look at him meaningfully. You see the fox looks up and says, says,

ma'am, it would be an honor to ridge your town of any rabbits. Are there any specifically nearby? And you see that the old woman says,

ha, hi, hi, no thank you. No thank you. And just sort of shepherding the kids away from the window. Thank you very much for everything you do for us.

And thank you for ridding the land of the shape changers. And we are very, very grateful. And if there's anything you need, we are happy to offer it. Oh, well, We're just here for a little bit for reprovisioning, and we'll be on our way soon.

But if the children would like a story or something, perhaps maybe tomorrow. That sounds lovely. Thank you. And you see the children say, goodbye, goodbye, Amme. Goodbye. Bye. And you see that the fox says, goodbye, children, and if you've learned nothing else, and he's the window shut. He turns to you and says, Nice kids.

Oh, yeah, they're very good. Very good kids. The next morning. How is Suv's night go? There's something about getting good sleep where all of the things, like, Suvie is a bit of a fitful and light sleep and remembers even across, like, how quickly, you know, and remembers even across, like, how quickly. she fell asleep in in Silver's arms, like the sound of her back, like, cracking and, like, her body untensing, like, she didn't realize she's been holding herself in that, like, boxers cramped, constrict everything in your torso between your ribs and your abs and your back,

like she's been waiting for a blow for a week straight because it was go. And if you cannot weather what's coming, Amme will do. eye. And if you cannot weather what's coming, you'll never make it to silver. And this is the first time she's like, oh, sleep and relax and safe harbor in his arms. And I think it's like one of those big sleep resets that she's up actually quite early. And it's going to be sort of joyful and lighter again. And in the morning is just not in a obsessive. scene way, but is straddling silver waiting for him to wake up? Silver opens his eyes.

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Who? Fumbling around, sleepily. He writes something on a piece of paper. Protect this with your very life and hands it to you. You see a name written on a piece of paper that says, Aza Fazeer. Aza is spelled E-Z-A

and F-Z-A and F-Z-A-R C-V-E-V-E-R. C-V-E-V-E-R. And it's not even like a spell. There's something natural in her that like consumes it from her fingertips. Like it's just the heat of her hands

as she remembers his name because she knew it when they were in school. Aza. And just sort of tackles him Hey your morning begins

marvelously I was told the waterfall dampens a lot of sound and I will put that to the test good morning it dampens sounds outside of the village not within the village

good fucking luck storm stone rail of you the camera Ramra pans to the waterfall. And on average, you know, 15 to 45 minutes after that, we move away. And you see that Silver, Aza, getting ready with you in this room, says, I just need you to know that everything we have, we owe to the citizen.

when I was trapped in that place, knowing that it was very likely that I wasn't ever going to see anywhere outside that lumber mill again. I was so ready to a hero. Something that feels like scampering away to the hearth depositories or getting into Grimhall back when we were at banners

or having this. Knowing each other's names like we used to, Suvi, it would be an honor to die protecting the citadel. And God knows we might yet still have that honor. But it is a joy, something that I never had an image in my head of what might happen if I survived. And when I look at you, I feel like I know what that might look like. I've been walking around since leaving you in Gavril, holding my breath, hoping I could correct the mistake of not tell. The feeling I was understanding, but didn't quite have a word for yet. I should have told you then.

You say everything we have, we owe to the Citadel. I think there's a, there's something inside that that makes it feel like it is. up to the discretion of a glass tower to take it all away and call it back. But of the things I know now and the things that I feel, nothing this feeling from me. I love you. God, if we die here, I'll be so fucking mad, because I've never felt like this before. Let's get the hell out of these mountains. It's so bad here. He forces gather again back in the gathering hall.

people are hung the fuck over. People look damaged. But they've rested, they've eaten. You're loaded up with rations. Sworn is speaking to one of the other sort of farmers and comes over to you and says, we can get packed up with enough rations to get out of here. And I think that we should take them up on the offer. Yeah.

Great. Let's do it. We're leaving two of the horses with them. Yeah. I think that's fair and kind. Yeah. You see that one of the imperial soldiers sort of walks over to the farmers and begins to write them something and seal it with a little wax signet, which is basically about the food that you have taken from them. Amay and Ursula, are you arriving here in the morning as well to rejoin Sufi?

Yes. Yes. Wearing my glamour. Amay and Ursula, give me a perception chart. Oh, that's a 19 out on the die, which means about 26. Let's go. You see those, the barn doors open and these soldiers being sort of packed up with rations. A lot of food is being taken.

And you see that the stores in there are pretty diminished. No, none of the farmers seem to, you know, you don't see any hostility. your attention in the conversation, but you just see there's like a lot, a lot of food being packed up on the remaining four horses. You see Sworn comes up and says, all right, if we're still making South, Halleker is enormous. It's a hundred miles, so it'll take four days' journey to get across. Okay. Uh, Wizard's Guy, may I have a word? Sure. Hi. It looks like the stores, the provisions that we were given. are, have severely tapped out this small town.

Huh. And I'm going to go, like, look in the direction that you're looking in. Like, it's not a lack of trust, but Suvie does, like, verification. Yes. I think you're also looking, as you do it, it's like a quick, just like your passive investigation, that this is, if you're four days away from your lines, this is a crazy amount of food to bring. Yeah. Okay.

Good catch. I've got it from here. Thank you. Good morning, Ursula. Morning, Suve. You see Silver walks over to you both. Looks over at you, Ursulaan, smiles. Seeing you and your glamour here is just like, still can't believe that whole time at the Citadel.

My goodness. Well, hopefully we have an easy time traveling, and it'll be really exciting. don't have to be any inclement weather, but as long as the soup he holds out, we should be fine. And you see he walks away. And you see he winks at you, Ame. And you arrive and you see Captain Lahoun,

sorry, Corporal Lahoun, walk over when you see his wizard sky. Hi, good morning. Lahoun, how much are we requisitioning? As much as the horses can carry. And then a parcel in each pack for the soldiers themselves. So it should be enough to get through Hallecker. Okay. How long do you think, how many days do you think this will provision us for?

Well, every soldier will be responsible for their own provisions to get through to lines. But the provisions for the horses, that'll be, you know, probably another 20 or 30 days, I would imagine. Okay. That's a bit much if I'm being, you don't know what? No. CV reconfigures herself put half it back

oh the wizard yes turns around and executes but you could tell that there was clearly some wizard that ordered her to like do it this way

and half of it is put back as you're getting ready to leave you see that sworn comes up to you and goes I just wanted to double-check we're putting half of it back. Yeah, we don't need provisions for 30 days. Understood. I just, just typically, we don't know,

we don't know the state that our companions are going to be and when we get back to our own lines. Fair, but also this group is tucked away in the middle of nowhere, and we have no idea how long it will take for them to be able to get back to their homes. Give me an insight check. 19. sworn is sitting on something. He's just sitting on it.

He's just not saying something. I have always appreciated. She almost says relied, relies, and walks it back. I've always appreciated your counsel. Is there anything you think I'm not considering? These villagers and a soldier eat the same amount of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And a soldier turns that food into food. victory.

And there's a moment of like chiding or like a lesson of respect and groups that's like for groups that Suvie feels and swallows. A fair point. But if we're walking into a big old forest, I'm going to have a really fun time hunting some fresh fucking meat. And I don't want to have to be making choices about old James. key provisions to toss out versus the stuff we're going to get in there.

Hey, you're the one who supplied us with a spirit and a witch, so if the forest is going to provide abundance out of the miracles that the wizard sky can rain down, that's fine with me. I am here to serve at your leisure, Captain. Anything else I need to know about?

No, we're good. Okay. And you guys get ready to roll out. As we are heading out, I would like to, Ursula, will pull up alongside the wizard, Suvi, I stepped away last night to be with the forest. And I do believe we can traverse it confidently.

I would encourage you to impress upon your men, your soldiers, that this is a deeply spiritual place. It is the sort that I sought out my time in a calm to return home, somewhere where the real is frayed. I believe you call it the near spirit. Oh, yeah, of course. Thank you. Is there anything specific? And there is like a dancing around it that you can see Suvie is bumping on. I need clear action words to convey that she, like, doesn't want to put her desire for taxonomy on you in this moment, but you can kind of see her like, ah, please more than a vibe.

Respect and restraint. Respect and restraint. Okay. Thank you. Is there anything you need? No. I would like to lead. That is all.

Of course. Circle up. Soldiers. Okay, I don't know why half of you look more dead than when I found you in Abbison. Laughter comes up. You're actually, yeah, absolutely nail the soldierly camaraderie. Soldiers are happy. The Wizard Sky has led them to food and beverage.

They are siked. Cool. All right. We're going to be heading into an old, supposedly haunted forest. What that means is bear. will be taking point. This man is my brother. So when you look at him

and you follow him, give him the same energy you give me, which is just do. Just do what he says. Unless we disagree, and then you listen to me. Beyond that, keep it tight,

keep it respectful. This place is old and strange. Yes, commander. Salute, heels together. Forces of the empire, heed and obey. CV salutes back, and, like, there is, like, a rolling of her shoulders that is, like, it's like an inhale of, like, power and command and understanding and exhales confidence. That absolutely wasn't there during the technique yesterday.

As they kind of finish, like, I dismissed them, and I want to go find Yule. Yes. the old farmer speaks up and goes, Wizard Sky! And you see that the townspeople have kind of gathered to send you off? You see they have some white blossoms and baskets that they're kind of throwing. Amé has a group of children around her and seems to be animatedly telling them some sort of story accompanied by things like bubbles and little sparkles of light, very Gandalf talking to hobbits.

out on a sort of a balcony looking over the big mossy cavern behind the tall waterfall was just a little bit of light coming through. A large portion of the town has actually gathered around. You see that they're sort of serving each other breakfast and getting ready for another day of like monitoring on patrols, trying to stay hidden, making sure that there's not enemies around. But you see that a lot of the adults, the first time you did a magic trick, a couple of adults looked really concerned like they wanted to come in and say something or stop something. and but over the course of a story you see that the actual adults around have been like very taken

and don't appear to be that afraid of what's going on especially as the fox like chimes in every once in a while the first couple of times that happened there's big gasps and stuff like that what is your story about loosely is there like a theme or a plot to your story or does there have anything in it is it like a fairy tale is it something about spirits what is your story about And by that time, the three little pigs were all gathered into the house made of stone. And this time, when the big, bad wolf blew, he couldn't blow it down. They built it too sturdy. And all the three pigs stayed in, cozy and warm, laughing together, and lived happily together.

You see, everyone clapped sort of like... And you see there's a moment of a door turning over to D'Mura, who's the matriarch. And you see, she says, the wizard Ame is beautiful. I've never seen spells. Do that for, and you see that D'Murra says, witch, witch, which, darling, witch. And you see Adora says, she's a witch? She's beautiful. And you see that D'Muera says,

Darling, some witches are very young and very beautiful. She says, you don't know anything. He says, you've got to learn. And turns over, and you see she comes up and clas your hand and says, our children are very, very lucky. This is from a couple of different townships nearby, so many people will be able to go home once this war is over, hopefully, and they'll be able to bring stories of having seen a witch.

When I was a little girl, there were many more witches around, and it's very lovely to have someone come through. The young ones don't know a thing. You've met witches in your time. Yes, yes, yes, yes, I have. Not for many long years, but I remember there were stories. There was a witch who traveled through my village when I was a very little girl on her way to Leisheva, off in Rhymer's Bay, to take counsel with an ancient witch who lived there, a very powerful sea witch, summoned storms.

and, you know, that was a, that's the kind of wish that a door knows about. I suppose just like people, witches also run the gamut of being very kind to terrifying. But I'm glad that you had a chance to meet one that others will talk kindly of. Of course, of course, it's very important to keep the old ways and, you know, Halika is a haunted forest and having witches around is always good. They say witches can sing the spirits to sleep and keep the forest calm, so we're very grateful for you to be here. Thank you so much for your hospitality.

Any time, please remember Stoneville. We hope you leave with full bellies and we'll be fine. We are resourceful. You don't have to worry about us. Oh, I have seats from where I come from. I hand her over little seats there. white, yellow, round, almost disc-like. And these will grow into something that I'm quite fond of,

especially when grilled up. They're little green... As you hand over this little thing, see, a couple farmers come over and actually begin to trade some seeds to you as well. Oh, goodness, what are these? And they do a little swap. You see, one of them says, these are the best tomatoes in the Shroud Mountains,

and they come from my family's old farm, And they say that the South Wind kissed the vines back long, long ago. Maybe it's five generations back. And so I defy anybody. And they start to sort of trade them. Oh, well, we want to talk about tomatoes, sweet tomatoes and Toma. And you see that there is a, I think, Ami, just through your presence here, you feel like an openness, a feeling of these people that were very, very frightened, are a little bit less frightened. And as you walk away, you see Dumura sort of smile and give you a big hug and say,

Our children are so lucky they got to meet such a good witch. And your little friend, that's a trick. Well, now who's going to be impressed by anything else after they've seen a talking fox? The fox sort of waggles his head. My head's already too big. And you see that a door looks over and you see one of her friends comes up and says, You talked to the witch? She's beautiful.

And you see a door goes, all witches are beautiful. Oh, no. No, oh. And you guys head out from Stone Rill. They're throwing the flowers and make your way down the stone steps. Marching out in the early morning light through Halliger Forest. Ursula, you are powerful. aware that this forest sleeps in the daytime. So walking through here during the day should be

totally fine. You think it will be thick, unpopulated. This is a place with like spring peepers, frogs, lots of crickets. There are owls nearby. I think the biggest things you smell that are in the woods that would be like any kind of threat would be bears or panthers. And, those aren't going to bother a group of 30 people marching with horses. Those are going to stay far away. This is a totally natural place. Anything supernal, anything of the spirit is going to be dormant and asleep during the daylight hours. And instead you're just going to have some lovely streams, some moss.

The honest to God biggest danger is going to be finding sure footing for horses, changing an elevation going through this place. Is there anything you do on setting out together? moving in the direction that the group needs to be headed to get to Bracken, which I believe is our destination. But I think kind of skewing around, I think there's something in Ursulaan that says maybe the heart of the forest is not somewhere we want to be caught or if something goes wrong and we have to stop.

The heart of the forest is not somewhere we need to be. So I think Ursulaan is headed in and trying to be. trying to keep and be aware of as they move deeper, kind of probably would have also looked at a map to see if there are any geological landmarks that kind of designate that we're getting closer to the center of the forest. So if you head by the fastest route available, you'll go straight through the center of the forest. And you do feel a kind of welling up of like it would do us well to avoid the center of this forest. We don't want to go through the center of this forest. you're probably like 15 miles west of Fort Kieran. You know that the lines for Fort Kieran are going to start within like six miles a bit.

So you're like way too close for comfort. This village is right under the nose of the forces that have taken Fort Kieran, right? But you can head south. It's like, you know, you're not going to be able to make a straight B line anywhere. So these straight lines are kind of calculated on the measure of days, more so than like minutes. Yes. As you begin walking,

the main thing you're doing is just following the stream from the waterfall because you've got to drop down an elevation to get sort of out of this little mountainous area down to where it'll be a little flatter,

and then you'll be able to follow ravines more safely and securely. As you are walking, Sworn, pulls up alongside you, Suvi, Wizard Sky. At the base of this stream, there is a pond with a family of Greno living there.

They're a group that is separate from the sort of native people of the Shroud Mountains here. They don't speak imperial as their first language, but they sort of live in harmony with the farmers in townsfolk here, mostly providing passage on waterways. Ewell communicated to me that by and large, the Grinot have been... helping goth my forces. Should we try to avoid them or incentivize them to ignore our passage?

You're asking me for my advice. From what Ewell has told me, these people have a cultural affinity and a spiritual connection, with shape changers. And they have been approached as such by some of these gathmi forces, and it's possible that this initial incursion was successful because of prolonged planning with allied interests here in the Shroud Mountains. It sounds like this is a family that's lived here for a very long time. You will knew their names, and they've,

been here for a while. Look, you know, you're asking me to deliver a report to you based on the ramblings of a man who was covered head to toe in leaves and had been hiding in a field for the better part of two days. So, you know, either this is a family of people who live off the pond and look after old stone real and tend to it and have an arrangement worked out with the farmers in the air. area or their spies for Gouthmi living here in the forest. And I don't know which of those things is true. But if we wanted to play it safe, we would ask them to come with us to Brack. Copy. Thank you.

Under advisement. I will turn then and sidle up to Amme and Ursul. I like find Amme, move up towards Ursula in the front. So there is a family of Greno, which is sort of a native group, something close to, they're friendly with shifters and aligned with Gouthmi. Can I check to see history? Give me, yeah, history, yeah. 21. Yeah, Grandmother Wren had met with Grinneau before.

So immediately you disagree, or don't disagree. There's a bunch of stuff that Suvia said that can't be true. The Grinot are a wide-ranging group. There's like four different languages that they speak. They're all over, not only the Shrad Mountains, but like more broadly the entire like northwest of the Kemsar as an empire. You know about a reverence for a spirit called the Great Bullfrog. And there's a lot of them like the term,

like frog or like frog men is used very like affectionately in and amongst themselves as like a like oh we like do fit because like piloting fairies and like tending to waterways was like a thing that they did that was like a part of how they as like a group that was living here with other groups at the time that spoke different languages that was a trade that was like widely practiced by them at this time and it stuck around for a long long while the language that the language that they spoke as very different than Imperial and it stuck around. Like they never adopted Imperial as their language. And grandmother Wren talked about them as having a lot of heroes from their legends. And like amongst them as a people, great heroes and tricksters and witches would have, and sorcerers would have the ability to change into frogs. And like, leap great distances. and sing and they had a relationship with like the moon and water and like magic to like raise fog or like walk across water so in terms of like the greno are working with goutthmi that's like well what is that i mean there's no it's not an institution

it's like a group it's like a group of thousands upon thousands of people that speak a couple different languages and you know there's granoe that live in fucking Haverward. You know, like, it's like, it's a, it is a massively complex thing to describe this, like, language group. But you know that they are a group that has a shape changer myth that is really beloved and central to their culture. I do my best to relay to Suvie the things that I know without sounding like I'm trying to correct the intel, but saying this is, this is what I remember of my time with Grinombo.

and I share everything that I remember. I think halfway through that remembrance, he was like, okay, I'm just going to send a quick halt order. This is taking longer than I thought it was going to. Send that bad boy back. Yeah, go ahead. And it's a love of music. And then there were festivals.

And you know how you create fog. Many heroes of their myths do such things. And while they revere the heroes that could turn into frogs or frogmen, I don't know that they particularly have any allegiance to shapeshifters in general. Nor do I know that, you know, all shapeshifters have an allegiance to Gouthmi. Sure, okay. I appreciate the extra download. I think my point remains cogent.

that there is an assumption that here Grinot are more aligned with Gouthmi than they are with the empire. I think what I'm asking for is can we go have a conversation with this family to see if they'll let us pass undisturbed or if we will have to take them with us to Bracken to ensure that they do not pass intel to our enemies? A conversation seems like a good place to start. Oh, yes, of course. Three of us? Yes. Okay. I'm going to let everyone take a little break here,

and we'll continue down to the bottom of the stream. Leaving your soldiers behind the three of you and the fox, you see, Soren says, you're sure to need any other backup, or you're all right? We got it. All right. It's one family? Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Like a big family? Uh, no. About five. Oh, yeah, we're good. Arriving at a beautiful pond at the base of this stream where the water collects, tall reeds, a couple of blossoming lily pads, deep, rich green algae here at the base. You see there is a beautiful little sod cottage by the water side here. And you can smell goats and a couple sheep. There's a chicken coop.

And you see the fox goes, don't even. Think about it. And you see that the sort of sawed house is actually built partially out on a platform that overhangs the pond that both has a sort of bigger boat that is tied to that pier and also a tiny little coracle,

like a little circular round boat underneath the part of the house that is suspended over the water. So there's like a little trap door that someone could just jump on and plop into a boat from like the front half of the house. And you see, as you approach,

you see that there are two like rocking chairs out on the porch and there are some just kids swimming in the water. You see that these little sort of toe-headed babies are swimming around out there. And one of them looks to be about nine, another one's about seven, and then one is like four or five. And you see the two parents that are these sort of larger,

like delightful looking. One guy's got sort of like darker sandy blonde hair, sort of blonde mustache, bigger man. And then his wife, who's also sort of equally plump and looks healthy and got a big apron on. And you see that the two of them sort of look up. And as they do, look sort of shocked to see you approaching. You see that this guy sort of steps up and just grabs an oar off the ground. just holds it kind of just to have something in his hand. CIVs, by the way, disguised staff and no Citadel insignia or, like, Empire Insignia, is readily visible.

Just want to make sure we can have, begin a conversation. As you approach, do you say anything to announce yourselves as you sort of appear here? Do I remember, are there any proper greetings? On that 21, I think you do know some proper greetings in Grinot. You call out a greeting in Greno and you see that there's sort of a smile and you see that the sort of father speaks up and looks to you and says,

Roy, welcome, welcome to you. Are you lost then? Are you looking for the road? Hello, I am Amé, the witch of Toma and these are my friends Bear and Sky. We seek passage through your neck of the woods. Ah, passage, are you heading south and into Hallecker, farther south? Yes, yes, we are. Sorry, come, come.

Kids, are buried the water with you? And you see that the kids come up and the mom sort of like wraps them up in some blankets with towels to get them. You see, he turns around and says, Are you looking for a nearby town or something like that? We head through the woods to Bracken And we come with a company But we just wish to pass through Are you asking me for my permission to pass through the forest?

Yes That's not mine to give Me and my family just live here Yeah, all I welcome to do as you will I have no say in the matter One way or the other Well we were We were hoping that you would also keep word of our passage quiet if you take my meaning.

Right. We'll do. Absolutely. I have no desire to share your business with anyone. Can I make an inside, Charlie? Yeah, get me inside. 17? On the 17, the man is not saying things. This thing, it's hard to tell if this is a lie or the truth because he just wants you to leave so much. You know what I'm saying? He's just being like, okay, Sworn informed you about what the farmers of Stone Rill said about this family. And Sworn was basically saying we should invite them to come with Bracken with us because we can't be sure whether they're spies or not. So there's a very intense thing that Sworn was saying

should happen here. And Amay has turned it into a conversation about whether or not you guys have permission to go through the forest. So this guy is confused. because what's being presented to him is a fraction of what's going on on your guy's side of this interaction. So you can tell that he looks tense because he feels that there's something being kept away from him. Among our numbers are imperial soldiers. Some of them injured. We seek to get them safely to bracken and not to cause any trouble. Right.

me and my family I'll forget no trouble Do you promise That word of our passage Won't get back to our enemies I swear Where do your passage Will not get back to your enemies

Whoever they might be No one's come to speak to me here I've had no contact No word of anything Give me another insight to check 21 Arsenal that is a lie I'd offer to share with you

A meal I don't have food to feed 30 people. No, no, no. We do not wish for any of that. We simply wish to pass through and arrive and bracken in safety. I hope that you and your family remain out here. Unbothered. Very well.

Thank you for letting me know. And if you need anything at all, you're welcome to it. And I appreciate you coming. to check, but I'm no master of the waterways. So the stream, the forest, that belongs to you, me, and the spirits three. That's no one's business but your own. What is the spirits three? Do I know that? Give me a Arcana check.

Natural 20. Woo! You, me and the spirits three refers to three spirits that are revered. by the Grinot in this part of the world, the Queen of Coins, who is a great spirit of luck and chance and trade. And she is simultaneously a great spirit of trickery and honesty, like a spirit that always keeps her word,

but not quite in the way that it was intended. She's like a trickster spirit, and a lot of people hear, Grinot or otherwise will like use her symbol without even knowing it as a part of like, if you find old scales that are used in marketplaces here, it'll often have her symbol on it without even people knowing that that's what it means. The great bullfrog is a spirit of music and art and festival and poetry. And suddenly you remember the third spirit, the king of night.

Shut up. Well, we would also prefer it if it just be between you and me. Yeah, certainly. It's just an expression. Yeah, certainly. I think we are in agreement. Sufi and Hame, if you would like to retrieve our friends, I think I would like to have a bite if that is possible. Yes, we have honeycakes and some other fare inside. I'll be happy to feed you. Fantastic. Thank you.

I'm going to send a message over to Ursula. Are you good? Yes. Does Ame feel like we're good? Amé nods and says, oh, yes, I understand. This was just an expression, but, you know, the Spirits 3. Can I do an insight check on these two?

Suve's looking for an all-clear from the two of you before she goes and gets the soldiers. Yeah, you absolutely can't. Give me deception or persuasion. You guys don't have to tell me which one. 21. 10. Okay.

Describe to me Suvi's highest priority in this moment. Suvi's highest priority is, do my friends believe they understand this man is safe for, like, us to like move past. So if that is your highest priority, is Ursulon's emotional state of being that Suvia on a 21 can absolutely raid? Read,

is Ursulans bearing communicating that he believes this man is safe? Yes. Or at least that Ursulaan believes he can make him safe. But the thing that is stopping Ursulaan's plan is that three people are standing here and the fact that we can't all get on the same page without making, I think, this man only feel more uncomfortable.

There is like a, I think if we just keep making, there's less dams, more flow. Gotcha, cool. And on a 17, it isn't all clear, but also clearly I am thinking about something, perhaps something that I just remembered. It's that look, when you look into the middle distance, I go, oh, oh, hmm. I think also Suvi, give me an insight check. Ah, 11. On an 11, I think that Ame as a stand-in, as the communicator, I think there's a realization here because I think Suvi is smelling something's up.

Ame is an incredible communicator. Ame may not be the right communicator for what the empire's needs are. And I think having walked up here as a group of three true friends and deferring to Amme to solve a problem that Sworn had described, sworn and Ame might be the two most different people in Umore. And I think there's a moment for Suvi as a commander where you're like, yeah, Amet's great at this, and that still doesn't mean she's the right person for it. Yeah, getting just enough, like it's confident, but there's something I'm not getting. and that's not a lack of trust

but Suvi wants information and isn't getting it and Amay's had a realization and is not communicating it this is just enough of the thing that pings in the back of her brain that like as she allows herself to be swept back

to go to the troops with Amme Suvie is going to pour out vandal and she under the guise of being a little less sure-footed is going to warg into Vandal and watch whatever's about to happen. Okay, cool. You pour out Vandal. Vandal remains here.

The Fox remains here. The two of you go back to get the troops. Ursula, you remain with Alind, who looks at you and says, I'll get some honeyheets. Do you want to come inside? Please. You enter the Fox and Vandal come in after you. You can't see the kids anymore, but you see the mom sort of steps out, closes the door to a back room behind her. And you see that Alin says,

Johanna, could you find some cakes or other fare for a friend here? Just make sure he's fed. She says, right away, and thank you for blessing our home, traveler. Thank you so much for providing me with nourishment. How long have you lived here? we've lived here forever and ever. You see Johanna smiles and says, this was my father's house.

Oh, it's a beautiful, beautiful home. Thank you kindly. I appreciate it. It's a lovely place to raise a family, and we love the pond and the stream, and, you know, it's a fair boat ride down through the forest, but obviously there's not much cause these days to journey farther into Hallecker. So mostly we make use of the road.

We have a wagon under some... leaves up above that we make the run from the coast up and down. But is everything all right? Have we done anything wrong? No, no. I only asked for the cake because I wanted to speak to you directly. And in this moment, I'd like to drop the glamour from around my eyes and mouth. You drop the glamour.

Give me a persuasion check with advantage. 19. Both of them look on in awe. Johanna takes the sort of kerchief that her hair is tied up in and takes it off and holds it to her chest. And you see that Alan looks and just goes, I can't believe it. Thank you for blessing our house, honored friend. It is a good home and one that I'm lucky to stand. Honored friend, are you?

Do you travel under the banner of... Empire or the forces of Gouthmi. No. I only seek to protect those who do. I understand that this is a very difficult and frightening time. But I need those that you have spoken to in the past to not know that this group travels in this forest. I have been contacted by cousins of mine

who have asked me, to lend a hand and I want you to know for certain that I have not whatever adventurous streak I had in my youth it's done now and I am a father I have three children this is where I live

the only reason we leave is to run the wagon from Varick to Abison and back again that's it I believe you we haven't done anything wrong please don't take them take who just please don't you see that

Johanna looks and just, just, like, moves a hand and, like, almost, like, hit her husband, but just puts it on him. And he says, nothing. Just, please, we haven't done anything. Please don't take them. We just, we don't, we live here. We make a run from Farak to Abison, and that's it. I understand.

Has someone taken something from you? Not from us. If you don't know already, perhaps it's better you don't. Perhaps it's better you just leave this place. What has happened? Some number of us have the gift. They have the spirit, the great bullfrog. He's the one who taught us how to swim and sing,

taught us how to laugh and chart the water's courses. Some chance few in every generation. My uncle Johannes' great-grandfather They had the gift It started with A few Older folks

Would come And if they had it They'd be Taken And once they were all gone They started coming for the children It started I don't know The first rumours

First disappearances started about Maybe three Four years ago soon came to be that what was a rumor suddenly everyone knew someone that had vanished soldiers would arrive and say have you known any

shifters and they used this word Cambians people that could change people that had some other strange magic to them but it wasn't a strange magic it's when we'd known all our lives and by the time we realised it didn't have anything to do

with what we had done, but instead was about who we were. So many had already been taken that there was no way to stop it. And that's when they started coming for the children. I don't know why. There's nothing we can do. I'm not that person anymore. I'm not going to. I'm not going to help them.

They came and told me that Gouthmi, that the shape changers that had come from across the sea, were the only way to get them back, and that's not my responsibility anymore. I am responsible for my three children, and they'll be safe here as long as no one comes and... I'm not trying to be a hero. Please, please don't tell anyone.

No one will know. Sort of sighs, holds that oar at his side, and as he breathes in, you see his throat swell up a little bit, and swell back. And Johanna put some honey cakes together, and you hear some sort of horseplay in the back room. And she hands them to you and says,

thank you for blessing our home, honored friend. We haven't heard the cry of the great bullfrog in some time. But to have one of his kin here in our home is a great blessing. The honor is mine. You have a lovely home. A lovely family. And you have given me something great. Thank you.

We will speak not a word if you're passing. Not to anyone for any reason. Suvi. After hearing the father's like plea, trips and balls and cuts herself and wargs back out of Vandal. Just takes a minute on the ground and kind of fusses with the cut across her palm. Are you watching too?

Yes. You tell the fox to tell them. Pack it in. Act like you left, that it's abandoned. Okay. That's what we're going to tell them. Okay. The soldiers will give it a wide berth.

We're going to say that this place is abandoned and trapped. And that bear is trying to remove any goutth my... magical and mundane traps in the area, but we will give it a wide berth. Okay. Okay. Fox, tell them to make it look like they've left, that this place is abandoned.

We will tell the rest of the group that it's been abandoned, the place has been trapped, that Bayer has been making it safe, but they have to pretend like they've left. You got it, boss. Uh, Ursula, holding the cakes there, the fox looks up with a sudden solemnity that you're not used to seeing from him.

And he says, everyone here has to hide. You have to make it look like this is a burrow that's gone cold. Nothing living. You've all left. I'm speaking on behalf, not of myself, but my mistress, which of the world's heart. If you want to be safe, you must do what she says. And hearing the fox speak, and do very much his job,

you see that the family turns, having sort of not even heard the Fox talk before this moment, and you see that appears to be something they know how to do very well. And you see he gets up and nods and says, thank you, honored friend, sort of addressing the Fox as a spirit, gets up and goes back to his family's vandal

to use her. It says, Anything you require, mistress. I need markings in 500 feet in every direction around this area. Stuff that looks like you are trying to hide the fact

of where you've buried traps that only someone that would know to look for it. So, no words. Little pictograms. Go nuts. Danger, danger, danger. Any secret flies off.

the family gathers and you see the mom and dad walk out to the porch. You see that the wrap the kids up. You see that one of the kids, as you open it, another of the kids is just up on the ceiling clinging to it. The dad says, get down, get down from there, get down. And you see that taking him, the dad goes to the porch and you see he unhitches the main boat. They go in and you see grab a bunch of food and provisions, things like they make a quick escape from this place essentially, leaves the front door wide open, gets his kids, wraps his wife up in his arm, breathes in. The neck puffs up, but past that begins to almost glow until there's a scintillating bubble of energy, a little golden gleaming afternoon light rippling off the pond. and he holds his family in this little bubble

and hops mightily into the pond with an enormous splash and sinks to the very bottom of the pond, his wife with a basket of food, and they will spend as many days down there at the bottom as they need to in this magical sphere that the dad makes with the gift of the great bullfrog. Their boat floats aimlessly downstream. That was Lou Wilson as Ursuland, Erica Ishii as Amé, Abria Aynagar, as Suvi, and Brennan Lee Mulligan, as everyone and everything else. Worlds Beyond Number is edited, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortunate Horse, with additional sound designed from Michael Gelfy Studios.

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