Worlds Beyond Number - WWW #7: Kahuna

Episode Date: May 23, 2023

The gang is undercover and overwhelmed. Office politics, a catering budget, special projects. Middle management, those implacable knaves. Morrow is a business, man. Field trips. Democracy. Bath time. Research and/or development. And finally. As if it wasn't bad enough: consequences.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 available on our Patreon. 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. Previously on, The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One. Our heroes arrived in Port Talon seeking wavebreaker, a sword capable of ending Ame's curse. They found the sword in the possession of crime boss Will Gallows, who was willing to part with it for a price, namely the Guildmage Pain, a man deep in dead to Gallows. Seeking pain, our heroes arrived at the chantry of the Scepter's Chorus,

a wizard's guild of the Saras Imperium, where Guildmaid Morrow treated our heroes to a fireworks show, and the glittering words welcome Suvi. Beautiful white sand, which to any observer that would recognize it, you can see, has been transported at great cost all the way from the desert of the citadel, now lines a beautiful rock garden,

quartz crystal slabs, covered in the sheen of the shone, of falling water, fountains into clear crystal pools, a single tree rising from the white sand, and flagstone marble pathways, moving in gentle curves that nonetheless bear the perfect symmetry of citadel geometry. You see this garden and our three adventurers! Suvi, Ame, and Ursulaan wearing his human glamour, correct? At Ami's feet is our friend, the fox.

As yet still unnamed, but that's okay. And before you are a number of white-robed Imperium wizards, all of whom were obviously trained at the Citadel, but no longer work for that institution, instead working directly for the crown. of the Saraz Imperium. The sanctum in front of you, this chantry of the Scepter's chorus,

has given you a great, warm welcome. Guildmage Morrow and his white robes. He's sort of a little bit sweaty, plump, blushing face as he clasps to, you can tell his hands are soft just by looking at them. Just soft hands, goes, looks and says, says, oh, you must forgive the theatrics. It's just such a blessing, an honor, a privilege.

I, of course, count myself amongst the untold, I'm sure thousands, that amongst those educated by the Citadel know of your late mother and father, whose memory is an honor to the Imperium forever and ever. However, I would say that my recollection and adulation of your noble parentage actually goes one step further, and I'm something of a collector of some of their works. There's many, I'm sure, and I'm sure people will tell you all the time, although you actually live at the Citadel, so maybe no one, everyone there sort of, you know. But I count myself very fortunate to be able to meet you.

And an apprentice to the Archmaid Silas, I'm rambling, I'm rambling, I'm rambling. I'm rambling. I'm so sorry. Oh, it's fine. Go on. Um, I just shoot, um, I just shoot, um, like the biggest shit-eating grin. Like, yeah, this is how, this is what it's supposed to be. After a long time on the lamb, kind of slum in it, it's nice to be back in the bosom.

I have never seen anything of this sort. I am from a village that has about 500 people, of course. Everybody knows each other. But the fact that thousands of people know Suvi? Is there food and drink being laid out at all, or is it? You've got tea. Yes, there are some small sort of rose chime glasses, these sort of very beautiful little ceramic things that have a tea that you're like,

there's a slight green tint to otherwise what looks just like hot water. Ercelon's not interested. I'm going to pass on that. It's also espresso. Yes. Espresso? Would anyone like an espresso? Yes, please.

Sure, I'll try it. Absolutely. I'd like to try one. You see, the Guildmage Morrow says, Three Espresos. Oh, Fox, you want to... Fox looks up and says, doesn't seem like I'm being offered one, so...

You can have some of mine. Jeez. I'm offended. I wasn't offered one. You see that, looking at the talking familiar, Guild Mage Morrow turns and says, Oh, I'm so sorry, are you, are you polymorphed, transmogrified, transmutated?

And Fox looks up and says, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Fox. Okay. Language. He's, uh, uh, uh, he, this is my familiar. You're familiar. Yes. Gifted with the power of speech.

Yes. Ah Apprentice Arkmage Would you be kind enough to instruct me as to the names of your companions That they might be welcomed into the arms of the Scepter's chorus? This is Amme, a witch of Toma A witch

It's a pleasure to meet you And I touch my hand to my brow And I say Naram You see, he looks at you saying Naram, and you see he goes, Ah, is that a customary greeting in Tomah? Oh, no, it's a customary greeting for here. Ah, I'm unaware.

Well, hearty Naram to you as well. And this is Ursulaan, my guardian. You can just call me bear. Well, bear, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, um, apprentice archmage. Uh, if there is anything you deserve, may I, well, first of all, let's see you fed and tended to before any business is, uh, died into it. Uh, that sounds great. Uh, it's getting up and kind of just trying to figure out where we're supposed to be walking to. Is it, is it this way?

Uh, uh, uh, no, no, no, we mustn't use the hallway. that's, here we do things a little bit differently at the Scepter's chorus. You see that he walks over to one of the shimmering, slightly slanted slabs of quartz crystal that glows with a kind of pink and yellow, warm light as water perfectly evenly cascades down in pure flatness.

Just perfect unrippling water streaming down the crystal. He goes, pushes a hand on it and simply walks through the courts. I gesture towards it to allow my friends to pass through before me. I'm going to like bad at it

a couple of times. Does my hand, can I, like, if I put part of my hand through, does it just goes away, like it's somewhere else? Absolutely. Yeah. I surreptitiously poke at it as well. I do not want to seem a yokel, but also I have never seen

the like of this before. You'd be very clear, the more you poke at it, the more I'm embarrassed. Sorry, it's just... Stooby, this is unlike. I mean, we... I mean, even at Grandmother Wren's College, something like this. I mean, I'm going to put half my body in, half... I mean, I'm in two places at once.

This has been what my home has been like since that summer. Wow. And I actually reach down, and I'm going to get some of that, like, Eruly and sand and just sort of, like, hold it in my hand. It has the feel in your hand of the finest silk. I'll let it run through, kind of dust my hands off. We should go. All right.

I'll just make the other half. I complete the transition into the new space. Fox looks at it and sort of tucks his tail and flattens his ears, and it's like, I had... Every... Every instinct I have is telling me not to walk into a wall. Yeah, that's fair.

This is truly terrifying, but it's okay. I trust Suvie. Yeah, trust me, dude. Brother. And see, the fox... The fox... Really?

Leaps through the wall. And then... And then gets on the other side with Ursula on, and it's like... And you see that Morrow is waiting there, saying, is everything all right? Yes, it's quite where in, I haven't done one of those before. A sort of wall passing.

Ah, oh, yes. Well, of course, this is just simply a precaution, the wall passing. A true pass wall I have seen on a number of occasions. This is, I can't believe you've never seen this before. This is merely, and I think two features up through, it's like, have your friends never seen a simple illusion? Oh, they are from the furthest edges of the empire. Well, then, it is a joy, a privilege, and an honor to be able to show you the true hospitality of the Imperium. As you led through, what's going on with our heroes here?

Do you, are you like paying close attention? Are you keeping an eye on Morrow? Absolutely not. I think, I mean, I, are certainly. Adulence adulthood has not been fun. And the last, like, you know, weeks since he remet, met back up with his friends, there is, I think, a wonder and excitement to being in these new spaces. And, like, feeling like he's somewhere that only Suvi can, can, only Suvi is allowed access to places with wall passings and fireworks.

So I think it is, I think I'm just looking for other treasures. And then I am getting a bit hungry. So I'm also looking for food. and why. But no, there's no inside checks. They let me pass through the damn wall. They must love me. I think it's very obvious that as long as none of the guild mage's eyes are on Suvi, she is fidgeting quite anxiously with her father's ring and kind of fussing with something under her coat that you, that the audience would know. is her mother's necklace the pendant.

At the mention of her parents, she's sort of retreating a bit into herself, but will immediately come back to this incredibly rigid and proud stance whenever Maro looks at her or talks to her. I turn to you and I ask, so this is the sort of thing you grew up with after the cottage. Yeah.

It's really beautiful. It seems like, because to me, obviously, hospitality is expected, but everybody seems so excited about you. And also, you grew up around a lot of other people that knew magic. Yeah. I want to apologize again. I think I was very weird during the summer about magic, but this is why.

I kind of gesture at, like, just some weird thing that's lit, for no reason, like, it's kind of... How is that lit, and why is that lit like that? Oh, the, well, this is, um... Are you asking for... Just tell me anything. Uh, well... I've just never seen something lit in that way.

Uh, well, you know, I... it's... So, I don't actually design the chantries. Um, that's actually done back at the primary... at the prime chorus, which is in some... But I assume that the sort of evokers and archonists and artificers that do this sort of work had their... It looks beautiful. You can see Maro is... Because you know that the reason it's lit that way is to be impressive.

But when someone asks you that point in way, you're not... Like, walking to a rich person's house and being like, why is that gold? and you're like, I need you to know that I'm better. You can't say the truth. So you see Maro's just fumbling like, I'm sure it's very integral and significant purpose. And to all the design, of course, and there is a great deal of magic throughout.

Apprentice Archmage. Fascinatingly, so your companions that you have arrived here with, Are they, I know, of course, that Amé, our guest, is not of the Citadel, naturally. Is there, just your guardian? Is he of the Azur battalion, or he's of the Citadel, or has the, or have you procured his service? I suppose, well, these are the questions, but... I want to do my best in this moment to, I got to summon up.

I've spent so much time with the Arkmages. I just want a withering glance that will shut him up and keep me from having to explain myself. Okay, this is going to be intimidation 15. You need a 15 intimidation, but you are going to roll with advantage because this guy loves your shit. I love that he loves my shit,

and we got it with a 16. Hey, all right. He goes, he goes, manners was I raised in a barn? You are hungry. What's wrong with being raised in a barn? Barn. And he, you see that the fox looks at you and says,

Barn, that's the height of cultures. That's where all the fanciest animals are. That's warm in there. Exactly. They got hay. You got hay. You got hay. What else do you need?

You arrive at a beautiful crystalline chamber that has a long banquet table made out of that same sort of rose quartz material lit from the inside. It sort of is a incredible. incredibly long rectangle that then erupts into more natural crystalline shapes that anchor it to the floor on either side. So it's like this massive slab that has two roots on either end of this long banquet table. And you see a number of hovering circular white cushions. There is a circle floating horizontally and one floating at an angle to it vertically to create a chair floating in space of just a seat and back, independently hovering.

Ursula is going to go and push them separately. Can they go back into place? You actually see that the seats cannot be moved, but that the back can rotate slightly in orbit around the seat. Sufi. It moves. A sort of like very sage-looking but quite beautiful wizard with a shaved head and a little bit of green. eye shadow underneath comes over and says,

sir, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, did you know it moved, thank you, of course, thank you, of course, thank you, thank you, thank you, of course, thank you. And he's, I don't know that Ursula's ever had someone speak in this much politeness tangle yeah, of thank you meaning stop doing that. You're welcome, as he keeps pushing it, you hope it. Do you want me to move it more this way? Thank you, thank you.

And you see that she puts a hand on the thing. It's like, thank you. Help me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Sir? A little more left?

Thank you. I don't know how to say thank you. And he says, that Mara pulls and says, Ursula, you, sorry, bear, you may be seated on this. And obviously, feel free to rotate to your comfort level within reason. Of course, I don't want to break anything. You could not break it. Really?

Yes. Can I try? I hear Sufi gasp. I apologize. I'm going to sit down and kind of stop touching things for a second. Give me an Arcana check, Amé. That's a natural 20. You are looking at 20 floating chairs.

You know that the magic of this world is, unlimited. You don't have to be scarce or precious with magic. And, you know, the world of the spirits is endless and there's bountiful plenty in a world of wonder. But it would never, ever have occurred to Grandmother Wren to teach you how to make a chair out of anything other than some would. I have an appreciation for aesthetics and for art and for using. magic to do wondrous things simply for the purpose of doing it. But I can tell, even if first law can't, that this is meant to make an impression.

As I said, who are they trying to impress? It feels a little vulgar, I think. I appreciate hospitality, but in some ways it's expected. This goes above and beyond. There's something here that I don't quite understand. It's, I understand the nature of magic and I understand using magic for hospitality, but I don't understand this extra thing that's there

that they're trying to do with magic that's not quite for others' benefits. Plates of food are brought out to you. by seemingly just telekinetic force, the plates just sort of float out from an opening and land in front of you. Ursulaan Ame, Suvi, you see that there is a sort of spiced and seasoned chickpea puree,

a hummus-like kind of thick, rich substance on the platter in front of you that has a couple small pieces of food laid into it. There appears to be like a very delixtence. a delicate seared piece of fish, a couple of sauteed greens, and a lovely little selection of, like, cured, candied fruits as a garnish along the edge of the plate.

Ursulaan's going to watch Sufi to see how she eats it. Ursulaan immediately sees the hummus like dish, and just gets two fingers ready to just kind of like... Joe Run. And then remembers the gasp, and is just watching Suvie to see how she eats it. and the ways in which she is like now studying her to take his cues.

Suvie's doing her best to try to telegraph, like, looking at the sort of like array of cutlery, she's going to give a little point of like this one and this one and this one. And then points at like the little finger bowl, like you can go with your fingers into the finger bowl. And it's just being trying to be very discreet in like, here's how we attack each one of these. So she'll take a bite of everything just to show this is how we eat. in the Cededale. I think Ame, just with your passive insight, you clock Guildmage Morrow,

who's the only other wizard in the room who sits. There's a couple attendants by the door, but he sits at the table with you. You notice him just clocking Sufi, kind of teaching Ursula on how to eat. And you see that a tiny little metal bowl of what just looks like a sort of chopped up, almost like a chum or like a seafood slurry,

just lands in front of the fog. I was like waiting for a guy. Who's gonna eat show? Yeah. Lanz from under the fox and he looks up at you, Ame, and this was once again like, I don't know why I got a different thing, but this is wonderful and exactly what I wanted.

Thank you. And it starts to chew on it. I look over it, too. Do I get some of that? Do I get some of that? No. No, absolutely. Looks good.

Okay, understood. Try the first. It's not an official It is like a bite in the half It's a bite Absolutely stymied Like that's a really good fucking point I think you realize like

You're honestly pretty fucking hungry too But also you realize like This is about what you ate at the Citadel Because when you're kicking it on cushions Reading books all day you don't You can see that moment Like there's like a vertigo pan behind Stevie's eyes I'm like oh no

Oh, shit. I'm going to try to look over at the other wizards and kind of gesture him over. You see that one of the attendant wizards comes over. Yes, apprentice Archmage. We've been traveling quite rough for the last few days. Would you? Can we again more?

You see that she like arches an eyebrow up and the Gilmage Morrow says, our guests are famished please, more, more, more. And wine. We'll also take wine. Oh, yeah. Let the vino flow, by all means. And you see that some glasses of wine begin to float out

and sort of, I'm going to say on that Nat 20 Arcana. You see that the wines do like, it's the first not perfect thing you've seen here. The flutes, it's like there's just, you begin to see like, okay, okay, it's not infinite because it's one telekinetic stream that the plates come out on and it's not quite balanced for the wine glass they have. So they do kind of like tip dangerously.

It's more of a half-pour because they bob a lot as they come out of the kitchen. I clock moro watching Suvi and Ursula and I too make a show of digging into my food in a way that denotes I am uncultured and I'm not familiar with this. And then I make a big show of looking at Suvi

and being like, how do I, how do I do this? Why are you? Suvi has not followed your train of logic and is simply horrified. Barcelona is now losing his mind because he's like, wait, is that okay? Because that's how I want to eat.

I am drinking the finger bowl. Oh my! Sucking bowl. I am going to, I've been interacting with a lot of these plates with just sort of a little bit of of presidition to push and pull things around because, again, we're very sumptuous with our magic.

And I'm going to, the moment you reach for it, without aiming to tip your fingers in, I'm just going to try to nudge it away from you. Like, don't be normal. Your first plate's clearing very quickly, this is like some point of etiquette that maybe like Ursula does not see, but you see very clearly of like the first plate being cleared,

Morrow feels that the time has come to sort of talk. Yes. And you see, he says, well, more food on the way, and please enjoy your wine. It's a very delicate vintage, one of my favorites. I will admit to some micromanagement of our cellar. Our Somalier is a well-meaning but somewhat green-horned quartermaster for our vintner. Let me ask if I might. To what do we owe this?

Your visit was unpressed and unannounced. And of course, you are welcome to stay for as long as you wish, but is there anything that the humble guild mages of the Scepter's chorus can do for you? There is definitely that half a heartbeat where I look over at my companions, like, are we just going to tell? An almost imperceptible nod. A nod? I mean, a...

Reverse nod. A reverse nod. A reverse nod. Yes. An almost imperceptible sideways nod from Amme. Arkmaid's silence saw fit to give me a bit of time to walk about our empire and learn more and experience more of the culture so that I can better serve it if and when he steps down. So this is a very informal trip with companions that I've made recently. She's lying badly.

It's very obvious. Yeah, so this is a whole hog lot. The whole hog. You're getting the whole hog. You're getting the butt. It's a bad lie and we didn't talk about our lie before. And you can see Suvie floundering because she's not used to being cunning. For sure.

Go ahead and give me a deception check. Can I have it with disadvantage? Yeah, if you want it with disadvantage. I do. I want it to be bad. Great. Well, it doesn't matter. I got four on both dice. Six.

A walkabout for an apprentice archmage. Incredible to journey on something of a pilgrimage. I can only imagine the wonders that you have found. And were your companions selected for this envoy by the Citadel, or have you seen fit to purchase their services on your travels? Oh, purchased services. I am hoping to forge new connections in some of the outskirts of the empire that might prove useful later.

Oh, she's just looking around like, help, help, help, help, help, help. That's right. Toma is a very humble little town, and I've been the only magic user in it for many years. I've recently come into my own, and I would also sort of like to do a walkabout of the world and learn more about the nature of magic as other powerful users wield it

as opposed to just simple country, which is... Give me a deception check. That's not one. We are good at it. He looks at you and says, not the only witch in Toma. Well, no. As I said, I recently came into my own. I see.

Were you the witch of the village of Toma or no? Now I am. Yes. Oh, my. Has something happened? Well, we live a long life, but we are not immortal. Oh. Well, I don't know if you had a relationship to the woman we now speak of, but I'm very sorry for, or my condolences or congratulations if you defeated her or took her place.

No, no, they were close. Oh, oh, understood. Grandma, the Wren was actually Amé's mentor. Ah! You knew Grandmother Run? Uh, by reputation. Um, not personally, no. Um, but I knew that there was, uh, upon taking this station in a calm,

there was a brief of some of the local, uh, hedge mages and other, uh, sort assembly, um, those who wielded various powers. And, and mostly from, from a, uh, a military, uh, angle. We're not, Grandmother Wren was not listed as a threat at all, not listed as an enemy or anything of that nature. Why would local mages be considered as threats? Well, you know, Asian saboteur of Gouthmi and Rube are ever prowling at the edges of empire

and a calm while, of course, being the province, of the Imperium is nevertheless certainly more contested than some colonies in the mainland. So we must be ever watchful. But there was never a consideration that Grandmother Wren was working with any sorcerers or warlocks or anything of that nature. It was just a part of the briefing.

To be aware that Toma was of course protected by a witch. Can I insight to you? him. Yeah, go for it. I don't trust that one little bit. I only got a eight. I got a 16.

Homeboy only got a six. So you actually both see this. He is telling the truth. However, you know that he's not telling the truth in that I think this is maybe one of the first times I think talking about that Suvie in these rack-focused,

mind-blowing things. Suvie, you felt protected your whole life and kind of like compartmentalized and put to the side. You're seeing that compartmentalization in a very different light right now as you realize

how much you do know that other people don't know. Steele, who is the sword of the tower. She is the protector of the Citadel's secrets. She is one of the lead battle mages of the entire empire. When Grandmother Wren died,

she was like, this is a full stop, like, priority, both for personal reasons. You remember your mother and father as a child. You remember that of all the places they could have gone to keep you safe, they went to grandmother Wren first. But you realize that this guild mage, you know, this guy who's running this chantry here in Port Talon, that grandmother Wren was a bullet point on a list of just local people to be aware of that he sees her as having more in common with a hedge mage than he does with like an enemy sorcerer.

Yeah. So something's not adding up. One of you is wrong and you think it's him. Yeah. I do look at Suvi and I remember even from our childhood, knowing grandmother Ren went out on mysterious missions and there was that one time where Suvee and I had to step in and and there was great magic at work, something that's far greater than illusory wine glass

prestidigitation. Well, I am so sorry for the loss of your mentor. That is, of course, in many ways, when it comes to magic, whether witchcraft or wizardry, those that have imparted those secrets to us are, in a way, the parent of our magical selves.

And to think that Grandmother Wren was your teacher, I can only imagine the pain you now, Bear, and you have my sincere condolences. Thank you. So your travels through a calm have seen you take the witch of Toma quite far from Toma itself. And Bear is also a local of the... Isle of a calm? Yes. I'm from a calm.

Oh. What part are you? Are you a port-talon native or you're from elsewhere? Suviz's just trying to give a little like, come on, flex, flex a little bit. I'm from elsewhere. Uh, a particular place from Silbury or from, um, um. Suvies now just drinking. She's like, well, if someone's worse, lying than I am. From Joris, old thrice, Silbury.

Lovely, not very far from Thomas. Is that making sense? Well, that's kind of where I sort of started my journey. He sort of a local, strong man of great renown, and I figured, you know, enemies abound. I felt right to have muscle. Yes, I was the strongest man. In silvery.

That was my, uh, look, uh, something I can pick up. Uh, uh, you have like a plate.

Everything's like hovering or a like eight tonne slab of course. So you gotta, you're gonna have to. Um, I'll, I'm gonna give it a shot at the table. Um, uh,

go ahead and give me an athletics check. DC 30. DC 30. You've got this. All right. I add four. Athletics. Uh, that's gonna be a, um, that's gonna be a 17.

Yeah. Let's go. Yes, I was the strongest man in Silbury Sea. Oh, oh, sorry, this table weighs several tons. Well, I'm the strongest in, uh, um, all right, yes. I believe you, I believe you. Would you like us to fetch something for you to lift? Do you have anything available?

Uh, you see that he sort of puts two fingers to the side of his head and levitates a small, chest of drawers over from a corner that is again like this sort of birch bark covered thing sort of matching the courts in the room and just floats it over to you with his mind if you'd like to lift that with your arms sure sure yes and I would like to pick it up and raise it over my hair it's a DC-15 athletics great let's go um that'll be a that'll be an eight okay well it's it's filled with cutlery right now so we can get that out Can you get some of that out of there? Okay, great.

And can I get some help? And you see the other wizards put their fingers on the side of their head. And just the drawers all open and a bunch of forks and knives and stuff come out. When I did the show I already had, I already knew what I would be lifting. I understand.

I should have mentioned that the drawer. I mean, that's why it's in here. All right. Here we go. Okay, great. And this is going to be a DC-10. All right. This one I got.

Oh, man. That's a six. So here's it, Browling. You're so tuckered out from trying to lift the table. Can I just really quietly and very quickly rip the drawers out? Sorry, I don't want these sliding.

Okay, so this is just a five. This is DC5. I'm too. 17. Yay! Everyone applause from there. The strongest man in Silvery. Yes, all right.

Sir, I hope you'll forgive us. We come from Toma and Silvery. We don't know much. of the outside world, and we're a little, well, awestruck by the trappings of the empire and the magic that we see out here. So if there's any way that you can introduce us to the city and the sort of magic that you find here and create here, we'd greatly appreciate it. Well, if it is magic you are interested in, the Scepter's chorus has been hard at work on a very special project. Is it the flashy, blinky thing out in the ocean? You see his eyes go very wide, and then he smiles.

Why, it seems that your companion, Apprentice Archmage Sufi, is... extremely observant. The lights out at sea happened to be the culmination of more than a decade of study and observation, research, and feats of magical engineering on the part of none other

than yours truly. Oh? The project is something I've been pursuing for quite so. some time. And about four or five years ago, we received word from the crown that construction was finally given leave to begin. And begin, it has. If it is of interest to you, I would be more than happy to take you out for a tour of the Derek itself and to see what we have been working on for these long years.

Would you really? That would be wonderful, guilt me. I would be absolutely delighted. And it is... The Citadel holds wonders beyond measure. I feel that we have done something here which has some truly great potential, beyond merely its short-term utility to the Imperium, but magically, I mean, there is something here that we have found in Port Talon

that I believe is of true academic and arcane significance. What's Suve's attitude towards the wizards that get drummed out of the Citadel in their like third or fourth year of testing. I think there's something akin to the like sort of casual dismissal with which he referenced hedge mages is the way Wizards of the Citadel refer to any wizard not of the Citadel. So she has been just sort of staring down

this true like dropout of a human. You see this guy, you know that someone of this guy's station didn't make the cut. But on the last test, he was one victory away from being a mage of the Citadel and instead became a guild mage of one of many wings of the crowns kind of crass, you know, military mages, the people that get out there and do the grunt work, right? You see on his face on a 21 that this man knows deep in his heart that they got it wrong. And that he feels like his ship has just come in and that ship is you. Because you can see on his face a look of possibility that if someone as important as you, who has the ears of the people you have ears of, if you see what he's been able to do here,

all that's going to change. on a 21 for Amé you see a man who you just see someone who has a level of like hero worship and feverish adulation that is peeking out now like already you saw it with the welcome Suve and everything

but there's something here that's just a little bit more you kind of see there's like that fever sweat on his brow a little bit. Like he's keeping some composure, but it's taking him a lot of effort. For Ursula, you're not the hungriest person at this table. Ooh. Shit, that was the coolest description.

Okay. He says, absolutely. We can go right away, if you wish. But I will say that the, voyage and much of what we have is it's a little bit um well i'll put my cards on the table it's a little bit more impressive at night so if we could wait a couple hours we can get a ship arranged head out on the evening tide and you'll be able to see uh the wonders we have worked i am awfully interested in the showmanship i've seen thus far i think we can wait a couple of hours

or more absolutely um and until that time if there are any other, you see at this point the doors open and a tall, very reedy mage walks in, who is wearing, for the first time, like, deep red guild robes. The first sort of like non-cream, white, pink kind of thing you've seen. Deep red, brass rings around the shoulders of the robes, a brass lining to his very high collar. And you see he walks in sort of olive complex

complexion. He has like a long, almost a face sort of that seems carved for sadness and melancholy, a long face. He walks in and says, Mara, I'm going to have to bother you in the middle of one of your audiences. You see, he looks around at the three of you, seems fully uninterested, and then goes back to look at Maro and says, I'm going to need to resubmit the budget for today. And you see Maro says, budgets, budgets, budgets. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Not at dinner. I'll speak to you about it in a moment, Payne. Is that all right? And you see that... Oh. That pain turns around and says, yes, please come find me in the research library after you're finished with your audience.

And he just turns and whips out of the room to walk away. And who was that delightful gentleman? I'm so sorry. He is a, he's our effectively burser. That is Guildmaid pain. He's not involved. He runs our finances. He's not a wizard of any great renown or natural.

I like his red robes. They seem very cool and impressive. They denote that his tasks here are administrative rather than arcane. I mean, you know, it was, uh, to, you know, to have seen the wonders of the citadel and then to, uh, spend one's day with ledgers is, uh,

well, I'm so sorry. Roos? Yes. You see that you, like your second round of dinner, which comes in, which is a little bit more substantial, uh, you know, like two pieces of fish and some like salad and some greens and some other more, you There's like a more roughage comes out. And after that, he shows you to rooms.

You see that as you're going, he casts the message cantrip. So his voice just appears in your mind, Suvie. And he says, your companions, would you wish for them to be stabled a little bit more out of reach? Do you want them in your suite? I don't want to be rude. Adjoining. Thank you. So we'll put them in suites. we'll put them in full suites.

Thank you. All right, and full sweets for your guests. And he moves off, and you see a sort of row of these larger bedrooms. It's still a chantry. No, this is not like a hotel, but you see that there are sort of small apartment. So there's like a sleeping quarters

with adjoining studies that actually have like parchment and ink, and there's a small privy off to the side in a separate room, so it's not like the inns you've been where it's like, here's a room with a bed. It's like, oh, here's a couple of rooms in a small suite.

Everything is very compact. Nothing is very palatial. You know, they're not expecting Citadel mages to waltz in here, and they don't have a presidential suite to give, but they're quite well-appointed, clean, crystalline lighting, and, you know, small decanters of water that seemed to refill when poured. And he says, here you are. And Apprentice Archmage, if I could speak with you,

for a moment as your guests acquaint themselves to their quarters. I don't even look at them and follow the mage. I just kind of give you guys a little bit of a nod as I keep going down the hallway. You see, he takes you aside and says,

Apprentice Archmaid, your journey, equipped as you are and, you know, I just want to be make sure that you are safe on this mission. Your companion, your guardian. I understand, yeah.

I don't know how many people live in Silbury, but he's the strongest one. They were picked for very specific reasons, and I think you can appreciate if I was not forthcoming with the real reasons for my travels. I didn't want to say anything, but I, you are not required. through any means of either hierarchy, polity, or etiquette to share with me your secrets. I have questions about what your true purpose is here, but also respect beyond anything, the fact that for reasons of the Citadel's own, I am not required to know. It is an honor.

So he, he, he knows, he knows, sums up. Yeah, for sure. He looks and says, uh, it is not for me to know. And I do not wish to know. It is merely an honor to be able to show you what we have been working on here in Port Talon. Before I lose you, you mentioned having something works attached to my parents?

Yes. Yes. Oh, I'd be delighted. I'd be ever so delighted to show you. You see that he says, it's up in the research library. I believe the Guildmage Payne is waiting for me to have a short conversation with I can either bring you there or I can collect them and bring them to you. It's a very small collection, but I'd be more than happy to bring it to you. I wouldn't be a bother. Your business dealings are your own.

I would happily busy myself in the corner. Very well. Then come with me. And he brings you up to a glorious research library. You walk through crystalline hallways, move through a couple other illusory, sheaning fountains and walls. And you eventually arrive

at a place that for all of its crystalline architecture is suddenly quite dark and musty because yes, the Rose Quartz bookshelves are there, but they're stuffed with books thick, rich leather and

velvet covering some tomes with ancient kind of papyrus like scrolled up inside. You see that there are even some books here that appear to have like a sheen of some metallic covering to them. They appear in various wings, so there'll be an entire shelf of all leather bound and then something a little bit more local. And you see that the main sort of focus of this place are the long tables. They have clamps on the edge of them with silvery metal arms that can crane in

and out with different lenses and magnifying glasses. They are all sort of at about lower almost like sternum height as these like wizards stand with these lovely sort of kid gloves on moving over the parchment being very careful what they touch nothing is being touched with a bare finger and you can see that they are in the process of restoring ancient books and also appear to be going over a lot of sort of captured texts it looks like there's a lot of things that have been sort of scooped up from Port Talon and nearby places. Some of the wizards here are bandaged and seem to have some injuries they're recovering from.

You see the Guildmage Payne walks up and says, Maro, is this a good time? You see, he says, ha ha, pain, I would like to introduce you to the Apprentice Archmage of the Citadel one Suvi, daughter of soft and stone. You see that Payne looks over at you and goes, Ah, Suvi, apprentice Harkmage, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you.

Welcome to the... You see, he says, welcome to the Calabelle chantry of the Scepter's chorus. It is a pleasure to have you. Morrow, I need to get this submitted before the end of the day. Give me an insight check. Eight.

I think that the offense prevents you from looking into why this guy's being so rude. You see that he just looks and says, can I just get you to sign it or do you want to? And you see Mara says, yes, give it to me, give it to me, give it to me. And you see he comes over with a ledger. Morrow signs it and goes, paperwork. I find that paperwork, dreary though it may be. can usually, I think Steve Hitchie sort of bites her blip and stops talking, and then kind of just turns and starts looking around.

She does not know what to do about pain, and she hates this man with her whole heart and has resolved to burn him apart. You see that pain waits for Morrow to sign off on some stuff and then just sees himself out of the research library. You know, takes a minute. He's unpleasant. Oh, pain? He's given you offense.

I will reprimand him so stern. No. It's already done, and it's not, you don't even have to ask for it. The way he's behaved is unacceptable. Do you want, I can go speak to him right now if you'd wish. That's not necessary. No, maybe you should talk to him.

I'm going to go talk to him. And here, and actually, and you see he goes and gets a book that you see is almost like one of those flower-pressing books, where it has like screws, that like you can tighten to press things into the page. He hands it to you and says, the collection is in here. The book is much, I have ambitions for the collection

that far outstrip what I actually have. There's several hundred pages, but it's only about the first 10 that are filled at the moment. Thank you. And he steps out to go chase down pain. Guild makes pain a word! As he scoots on out of there. And I'll, instead of staying in the room,

I'm going to hustle back and reconvene with the group. Okay. With a little bit of a shitty and green because I got someone in trouble and that felt right. I felt right and good. You arrived back at your friend's suites, at your chambers, Amé and Ursula. Hey, I knock on, I don't know, Ursulans first.

What's Ursula on up to? One second. You see that the door opens, and Ursulan is dressed again, but you can tell is, you see like bits of perspiration poking through, and you see that there's a lot of furniture in the room that is clearly out of place. Oh, hey, buddy. What's going on?

Let's grab Amme, we should talk. Yeah. Do you need to tell? Do you need to try that? No, no, no, I'm fine. I was just... I was just checking things out. And it's just very, very nice.

Oh, thanks. Yeah. And she's just going to kind of swallow the like, we don't have to talk about what's going on here, but we get it. And I'll run over and go grab up. Ami. I'm telling you, baths are good for you.

Look, I'm going to be honest with you for a second, if I can. I don't know what a bath is. It's something that's fun and good Okay, now get in the sink You see, the fox looks and says Oh, right, wait So you just want me to get in water Yes

And I get in water And then I wash you with soap See, here's the problem I don't know what that is And I don't like that Okay, look, what if I do it too? What if I do it too at the same time

And I show you that it's good and fun Okay, you get in the bath You let me know when it starts and when the soap part happens. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Oh. Hi. What? This isn't over. Are you threatening with... Yeah, that's fair. Can we circle up? Yeah.

Yeah. How you doing? Good. I like it here. Yeah. Oh, this is bad. This isn't... This is fine.

This is provincial. This is... This is fine. Oh, yeah. It gets better. Oh, my God. This is where the reject wizards go. Oh, my.

They do a rough approximation. It's, um, okay. So you're, the, we were in the woods, and you know how in your play, there was a painted backdrop that kind of look like the forest, but was nothing like the forest? Mm-hmm. This is. Like that. And that it's. Oh, okay.

We're going to do it. Word by word. Which is the painted backdrop? This is the painted background approximation of the glory of the Citadel. Got it. But I get it. They miss it. That's fine.

That's not about this. Hey, and I kind of just try to tuck the book that I got away. We need a better cover story. Really? I like the idea that I'm the strongest man in Silbury. And you know what? It's not exactly inaccurate, except for the man part. Yes.

And I mean, and I'm assuming there is someone stronger. Yeah, maybe maybe for the strengths part, but we don't know that. But I like it. It felt good to say. Right. No, that's good. And why we're here, what I'm doing out of the Citadel, he asked a question and then I felt myself begin to sweat. So what is the thing we are telling people we are doing that is not finding wavebreaker? Yes. The break occurs.

That's, thank you. Um, I don't have any ideas at this time. Okay. I suppose it depends on if you're dressed as a wizard of the Citadel or in plain clothes. I suppose amongst other wizards, you can cow them into silence as you did. A little bit for the first time. Do you see all that? I did.

That was pretty impressive. Oh, my God, thank you. Why do wizards leave the same? citadel. Mostly the ones that can stay, stay. But if they leave, it's usually for some sort of

fact-finding or intel before a military movement. Always acts of war. Well, you're on the leadership track, you said, yes? I am. I don't see anything wrong with the cover story

that you told him. The idea of of being out and about, learning about the empire so that you can help to run it. Well, I said that, and I thought in my head that that was like a very beautiful tur. And then he made a face like, that's bullshit. And then I thought about it more. And I was like, yeah, that's nothing for us.

So we're not going to do, that's not right. That's no. Perhaps you are looking for intelligence of some kind. Yes. Maybe, like, for instance, with this Morrow person, he seemed very excited about whatever that Derek out in the harbor is doing. Oh, yeah.

Maybe you have heard of his exciting discoveries or that there's exciting discoveries out in the edges of the empire that you've been sent to investigate. Yes, things they are going to use in their incursions against the scourge from the other places. That's good. That's good. Yeah, and I think maybe when you say it, we all are on the same page about it, you might not sweat as much.

Here it is. You know that you've got the strongest man in the silvery and your bag. Yes, and just a simple common country witch. No, that was weird. We were talking about her mother-in was strange, right? We all clocked that. Yeah. How come you and your parents and the people you know

think of her differently than it seems like the rest of the empire does? because even in toma she was just grandmother run to everybody I don't know the way my parents spoke of her before they sent me and the way Steele spoke about her

in the years since I think the people that knew what she was really capable of were few and far between and went out of their way to protect that information What do we think that Derek out there is, the flashy Blanky lights? Oh, some bullshit project from a, like, country wizard trying to find relevance.

But we can go see it. But what about pain? What about Wavebreaker? That was the man who walked in here. Yes, and he's a piece of shit. So I'm feeling very good about turning him in. Okay. We feel okay with that.

Yes. Yes. But also. And this is not a judgment either way. We do have to understand that if he loses his connection to the empire, then he will be killed by Gallo. Look, I would never want to see a wizard of the empire, no matter how disrespectful they are,

hurt unjustly. But if what they're saying is true, and it kind of felt like it, he steamrolled Morrow into signing. some documents, the Empire is pretty clear about how we treat those that would abuse us in any way. Is there a way that we can ask him why he's doing it? Well, Amé, what if we do the same thing we did with Finley, where we create a situation at which he, yes, will likely be killed, but then we tell him that he's going to be killed, and so he can escape. That makes things okay.

Right? If you give someone a head start, that's about all they can ask for. Yeah? Feels like three votes? It does feel like... Is that how weird? I get a vote? Oh, where is it?

I want to walk that back real quick. Where's my vote? I want one. Do you know what a vote is? Yeah. What's a vote? It's something that I have that we just said I get. Or if he's exceasing.

if he's taking money from the empire, then there's got to be some sort of paper trail. There's papers everywhere. All we have to do is present Morrow with proof. Does that mean we have to go look through papers? Yes. Does that mean we have to go and look through papers? I have not done any reading since the summer where we read.

That sound... You sound hurt? No. That's a normal reaction. All right. Well, let's, in the couple hours that we have, Let's go to the library and do some research. You know, they don't keep, like, paperwork in the library, right?

No, I don't know that. Where do they keep the paperwork? They don't keep paperwork in the library. Well, where do they keep it, Fox? Not in the library. I don't know if the Fox can read, but I'm going to press to digitate, like, just a little, like, the office right in front of his paws. So he just give him the answer. Ha! Shapes!

Damn it! Where they come from? This is why he doesn't get a vote. What happened to my vote? I want him to have a vote because he tends to agree with me. Well, that's just because he likes your intonation because it's very confident. You see how he just kept saying the same words that you said with the same inflection? I like it when people say stuff they know.

I know a lot of things, and I like to say them. We should, let's, I mean, should we all go to the office? Should we, do you want to go to the office and we'll run some sort of, distraction or... I think if I go, people will notice and talk to me. So are you sneaky? Be sneaky?

I mean, I'm the strongest. I, uh... Fox and I can go check it out. Yes. Or perhaps what? Great. You're giving me a look. Yeah?

Oh, you like it. Check it out. I love it. I can also still, uh, and I, without using it, I would, I have the ability to become invisible. So I think I make just my hands disappear, or my right hand. That.

What? Do that. Yes. All over. Okay. And then sneak into the office. Sure. And bring me all the papers.

Okay. This is a perfect plan. You? Great. Should I go now? Oh, okay. He needs a couple hours. Maybe should we run a distract?

Do you want to... Distraction faction? Oh, yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Look at that. A plan. And while he's distracted, we'll get his vote.

Yeah. I mean, we can. There are all ways to accomplish what you've said, but this is not one of them. This is what I mean. We're laughing. You head out into the hall. I guess give me an investigation check

to just find, like, the Bursar's office. I'm going to assist Amé, because I don't want to roll. All right. Ame has help, has advantage on this role. Right, that's, uh, that's not bad. That is a, uh, 18. An 18. Uh, you wander the halls for a while.

As you are wandering them, go ahead and give me a group. I'll say this is like a performance check to just look like you're, like you're not snooping, to look like you're going where you want to be going. Six, ten. 20. Oh! Okay, okay. You are, before you can find this place,

you, some mage or some wizards would go, Apprentice Archmage, do you require any assistance? Oh, I was just sort of taking a little tour. Well, we could provide a tour for you if you'd like. That would be lovely. Great. So now you have some people flanking you. and sort of watching you.

As you do, they start looking around. There are several experimentariums, various laboratories. You see as you're walking along, they show you a couple different places. You see that there's one chamber that kind of opens up that heads to a big pair of double doors that you can see is in a different courtyard where like wagons and stuff drop people off. You see through the open doors of that area

looking at to like a gravel courtyard. There's mages of the Azure Battalion, like strong blue clothing that kind of looks similar, honestly, stupid to what you're wearing, but you see that they have, like, war staves that are mounted into, like, leather straps, holstered across their back. So a picture, like, bright blue coats

with war staves, like, holstered over their shoulders, you know, like crystalline rings on their hands, a large sort of sky blue, wagons that have a bunch of stuff. And you see that they have a bunch of barrels that are like quintuple iron banded with runes carved into the iron. And you see that there is sort of this big warehouse area.

They are packing this almost like venomous lime green salt into these barrels to take it out towards the wall. You see that there is in a different chamber you see some of these white rubbed wizards. There's a table of what looks like small slender wands made of coral that have like pink and purple hues to them and these enormous aquariums

of salt water. It's a big giant and like Olympic swimming pool style tanks. And you see that the mages are performing prestigitations in the water. Go ahead and give me a, Just a luck check for you as we move through here. Two. Yeah, you see them just sort of swinging the wands at the water.

You're swinging up, you know? You don't see anything too big head. They're just sort of like moving. And you see that as they are doing that, they're presidigitating with the wands. A little bit of the water will ripple. And they just put the coral wand onto a large pile of wands. but you also see that the pile they're building,

there's a very, very small pile on a separate table that has these beautiful, creamy marble cases that are hinged and clasped, that are about the size of the ones, but none of them are putting any in there. I definitely want to just sort of, I couldn't begin to know what you're doing with these tanks. May I ask?

Oh, a little bit of playing around with currents. There's a some small number of these wands that we are creating, seem to be able to channel a deeper form of magic. So we're testing them out right now. 99 out of 100 don't fail to properly channel the presidgetation. But if we were to wait for a little longer, it's possible that we would get lucky today and one of the wands that sort of come out from the Derek

would be, you know, worth it. And when they work, oh, my goodness, you can see, and she points to these big sort of, like, glass shields that you realize are like splash zone shields, almost, as, like, there's a gallery of wizards sort of clocking and looking. So you see that she goes, that would be the ideal. Once or twice a day, they do find one,

and it is extremely dramatic when they do. I cannot wait to understand more of what you're doing, but I don't want to ruin a surprise. You see that they walk away from here, and after a little while, you start walking through a place, and you see that she just, the wizard guiding you, points over and says, and this is the administrative wing, obviously, very humdrum, and then she...

I have to use the bathroom. Well, there is... I need to relieve myself. Naturally, and there is a privy. Let me actually bring you to... There is no need. Very well, there's a privy right down there at the corner. I will catch up to the rest of you.

You see, the fox goes, I have to do that, too. Come along. Yes. Of course. Fox. It's only natural. As long as he doesn't do it on the rug. Tucks in behind Ursula.

Hey. Hey. Never let him make you take a bath. Bad, right? It's the fucking worst. I knew it was bad. You'll never smell the same again. Wait.

Did you ever take a bath? One time. I've done it a couple of times. But once you have it, once you do it once you can't take it back. It's a dark, it's a, it's a steep. Slope. Is that why you smell like plants even though... Don't do this to me, man.

Don't other me like that. No, I'm just saying. Yes, it's why I smell like plants. Okay. I'll never take a bath. You got it. Never. No matter how hard they try.

And they're going to try hard. Besides, it sounds like a bath is just licking yourself, which I can already do. Thank you. Thank you. You know, you're all right. You're all right. I get it. And he sort of snoops along behind you.

Go ahead and give me investigation. You're going to get a help action from the Fox. Right. This is such a bad idea. I get a plus one on an 18. That's a 19. You're in one of these sort of marble quartz hallways. There is a...

The doors here are no longer like, oh, you're walking through... It's like the administrative wing. So there's just like these sort of lovely red, like polished red doors in here that you see sort of accompany the robes of the administrative wizards that are in here and you walk up and see an office and see the guild mage pain so it's like in other words the guy is sitting in a place that belongs to him clearly okay one of those red doors opens into a very small office we're talking like eight foot by eight foot it's just like a seat his desk

scrolls and things up surrounded by ledgers and you see the guild mage in a sort of high-backed uh chair that is red leather, but is one of those sort of rotating floating chairs, turns up and just sees you approaching. So as you approach, as you approach, he's there in his office. Okay, great. Hello? Is there something I can do to be of assistance to you? It is at this moment that Ursula realizes he doesn't know at all what the plan was.

that he doesn't know he's now waiting for the distraction faction to take effect it doesn't so uh hello yes i am the uh the protector of uh citadel wizard suvi she wants to talk to you give me a deception or persuasion here. Okay. 15. He looks up at you and goes, very well. I will go and speak with her.

You see, he gets up to go, presumably follow you out to Suvie and begins to close the door behind him as he is, as he's going to join you. Wait. I put my hand on his shoulder. I take a step closer. He looks immediately like something's about to pop off when you touch him.

Oh, sorry, I didn't. I just, I know. What do you know? Your situation. Where's the fox? The fox looks like, gives you a look like, I can bail you out of here if you want. I want him to go in the room.

You want the Fox to go in the room? Yeah. The Fox is going to make a stealth check. It's cocked. Okay, a fox slinks into the room. It's going to be all right. Follow me. Give me persuasion with disadvantage.

Right? Six. He turns and he says, he says, very clear in this moment with you, bear. What is it that you are hinting at? I would speak clearly and honestly, because you are in our chantry, and as much power as a Citadel wizard might wield,

I am given provision to do whatever is necessary in order to protect my sanctum. Will Gallows. Um, he, uh, he looks at you and goes, I don't know that name.

What are you speaking of in this moment, and what have you heard? Just the knowledge that a imperial Citadel Wizard wields. Will Gallo send you here? You might want to go talk to the Wizard Sufi is all I have been asked to pass along. This is the opposite of why I was said. So here's what's going to happen. I'm gonna I'm gonna do a little bit of an unusual thing by just fully like tipping my hand towards you my players This guy's either gonna hear the reason and what you're saying which is that he's just heard something really fucking scary and if he's smart

He'll go get more information or he might be so rattled that he's just gonna try to kill you right here and now Oh my God. Okay So what I want you to do for me Lou is just to roll a luck deck Don't do this man don't make me roll I want you to relax and you get to call high or low. You call higher low for me. You said it, I don't know if you said it during the session. It is the craziest level one player of all time that I feel like is happening right now.

I felt like we had a plan. Then the moment to enact the plan happened. Then it didn't, then you realized we had no plan. Now I'm scared. Okay, we, Abria, Erica, Lou, know what's up. Yeah. We are smart. Yeah.

Our characters are little dummies. Oh, my God. When you just had him sitting in the office, I was like, well, this, and then he saw me, I was like, well, okay. Why would a guy be in his office? That's the crazy thing. Why would he be there? Okay. Team distraction.

Yeah. What are you doing during this time? I don't, I didn't want to like sort of met a game and be like, you know, because I also have telepathy with Fox, right? With 100 feet. Yeah. So at some point I was going to sort of jump in and, you know, ask, hey, how's it going? I'm in. Oh, nice.

I'm in the room. I'm in the room. Okay. This guy's got no idea I'm in this room. Okay. Teddy. Uh, minor illusion, the tree with the desert tree is on fire. Oh, I.

This tour has been. Lovely. Well, you know what? I... Fire! Fire! Okay. So you could do a minor illusion of a tree on fire in the hallway? Hi, why don't you go put out that fire? I'm gonna go put out the fire! Thank you, and I will continue the tour, or should I also help with the fire? I'm so sorry.

So your friend cast a spell to create an illusion of a tree on fire. Yes. And now, do you need help dispelling the illusion? Oh, yes, please. Okay, why don't we, this has been such a lovely tour, we're going to call it here. I'm sorry, I was bored. Go, I will follow you in a second while I wrap this up. And now we're going to roll this roll over here. Please.

Higher low, what are you doing? Don't kill my character. Higher low. I feel like I've never been in a situation. Oh, like I haven't felt this way, playing D&D a long time. Fuck me. Wait before you. Okay.

Do you want me to say it out loud? Do you need that information? I do. You can't just look at my crestfallen face and know the reality. It's a six. Guildmage Payne takes a curved, steely dagger from his belt, holds a fist out in his offhand. And across the outside of his upper arm, right where his tricep meets the bicep and his arm, he slashes through the fabric

and cuts his arms so that it's bleeding and the knife clatters to the ground. You struck me, and he reaches a hand out for your throat. As lightning crackles over his fingers and you see the pupils recede into electric, blinding whiteness in his eyes and he smiles ready to end. life. And that's all for this episode.

No! The Wizard, the Witch and the Wild One! Oh my God! It's about to be just the Wizard and the Witch, baby! Oh, no! That was Lou Wilson as Ursulon, Erica Ishii, as Ame, Abrea Aangar, as Suvi, and Brennan Lee Mulligan, as everyone and everything else. World's Beyond Number is edited, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore at Fortune with additional sound designed from Michael Delphi Studios.

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