WEBVTT

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Let me tell you about our exciting new partnership

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with Danny Pirate Studios. It is the Pants People's

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source for miniatures, terrain, and all your

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painting needs. Browse Danny's treasure chest

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of a gallery. And if you can't find the booty

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you seek, reach out to Danny himself in the Fantasy

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Pants Discord server. And now Pants People get

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15 % off your purchase on DannyPirateStudios

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.com with the code FANTASYPANTS. That's Danny

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with two N's, PirateStudios .com. spotlight.

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Now, we've been talking a lot about zapping on

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Black Lily here on the network, so I always think

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we might shine the spotlight on another of our

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more iconic luminaries. I am, of course, referring

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to Rory King. Now, Rory's origins are much humbler

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than most, raised solely by his mother in a small

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village on Danatu. We don't know at what age

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a spark of his red dragon heritage began to burn

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in his blood, granting him socialist powers.

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We also don't know at what point he discovered

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the crown that magnifies his magic. There are

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troubling rumors that Rory's rise was assisted

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by a darker presence. The cultists had said they'd

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inhabit the higher echelons of our world's political

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scene. These are, of course, faceless rumors

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and slanderous lies not to be believed. What

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we can speak to the truth of is Rory's incredible

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magical power. We know he stays true to his red

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dragon ancestry, utilizing primarily fire -based

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spells. We've even seen footage of Rory casting

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a full wall of flames with the power of his own

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burning breath. And when things get up close

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and personal, Rory's always ready to activate

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the spikes on his trademark mace. Victory through

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battle is, however, not Rory's primary goal.

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He insists on growing and gaining from the use

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of his silver tongue and razor mind. So remember,

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all you watchers out there, that skill and magic

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is all well and good, but the pursuit of knowledge

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is the true path of the king. Knowledge is power.

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Knowledge is power. And thank you, Hunter, for

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the knowledge you dropped on me, giving me access

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to this awesome character. Hell yeah. Yeah. Hunter

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from our Discord. Great guy. Great guy. He's

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been watching the show lately. Honestly, he marathoned

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through it pretty recently. Yes. It was wild

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how fast he grinded through the entire, what,

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70 episodes? That was incredible to watch. It

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was so fun getting all those updates every day.

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Yeah, exactly. It's awesome. To hear the blow

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by blow. Oh, I just listened to 26 and 27. Yes,

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yes. And then some thoughts. I love that. So

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thank you, Hunter, for doing that. Yeah, thank

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you, Hunter. And speaking of Hunter. Actually,

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a question for our unzip somehow slipped right

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through the crack in our pants. Our pants crack.

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Yeah, there's a little hole in my pocket. Yeah,

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so thank you, Hunter, and I'm sorry, Hunter.

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I felt really, really bad when I figured out

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that we accidentally skipped Hunter's question,

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so we'll read it and answer it now. Let's do

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it. It is a short and sweet one, and it's directed.

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Mostly at Jeremy. Mr. Wolf. What character will

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Jeremy play when Jules finally meets his end?

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First of all, I want to say I really love the

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certainty in that question. Not if, but when.

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It's not even if. When. When Jules dies. Yeah.

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And I got a really quick, easy answer to that.

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I won't be playing another character because

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Jules isn't going to die. Oh. Oh. Okay. All right.

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And you're opening beers. I'll crank a beer to

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that. Yeah. Yeah. Take that. I am curious though.

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I mean, of course we have Dresden out there and

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like, I'm so curious what happens to Dresden

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in a world without Jules. Like, I feel like there's

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a lot to be explored there. It's very interesting.

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Yeah. I think he would probably do what he can

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to finish what Jules started. Yeah. You know,

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yeah. I would be so, it would be so weird to

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not have a bard. on Fantasy Pants anymore. Well,

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that leads me into the next thing. I don't know

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if Dresden is somebody that I'd want to, you

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know, play as a main character. You don't think

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Dresden would take the mantle? No. Gotcha. My

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personal love image, whatever I'd love to see,

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would be like we go full Robin Nightwing sort

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of deal with Chester, right? It's like, all right,

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five -year time skip, and now Chester is this

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full luminary badass, actual 20 years old, just

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running around. He is fey -touched. He's fey

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-touched. He's fey -touched, so we could do a

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lot with that. 20 years, what kind of time skip?

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Five years, I said. Oh, I thought you said 20

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years. He's almost 60. He would be 20. Well,

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but even still, five -year time skip. Yeah. You

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think that's going to happen in this? Do you

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have any idea how fucking crazy I am? Yeah, actually.

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Yeah. Yeah. I'll do anything. I'll do anything.

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Hey, everyone, listeners, no one's safe. Wow.

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Not even you. Well, we already knew that. We

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already knew we weren't safe. I'm talking to

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them. Oh. They're not safe in their cars and

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their jobs. Zoo Beard Ruby Fist is coming. Yeah,

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Zoo Beard Ruby Fist is right behind you right

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now. All right. Cool. Question answered? Question

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answered. Yes. Thank you. And again, sorry. And

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a little more specific with you real fast before

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we move on. I don't have another backup. So don't

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die. Yeah. Or make one real fast. Yeah. Exactly.

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Exactly. On the fly. Yeah. Yeah. We also, before

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we get all wild and into everything here, we're

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talking about Jules. We're talking about Jules

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and his, sorry, Jeremy and his characters. And

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I'll say this, because I thought this was really

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cool. I was thinking about this all week, actually,

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that Dresden and Jules share this special relationship,

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but I thought it was really, really exceptionally

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clever that you had this planted idea that Dresden

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was mute for a lot of their time together. And

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so their relationship is so focused on nonverbal

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communication, which... Actually, that's awesome.

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Like so many of these scenes between these two,

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it's like so much can be said without saying

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anything, which is both really cool characterization

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and a fantastic way to not have to self -awkward

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role play. That was about 85 % of the decision.

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And so for that reason, I want to give you a

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button. Listen to that jingle. Listen to that

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jingle jangle. And while I'm giving you a button,

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Jeremy. There we go. I didn't have to remind

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you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaking of buttons. We

00:07:08.790 --> 00:07:10.670
do have two more belated buttons to give here.

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Two buttons for one hell of a song. Something

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we totally just skipped discussing in our Unzipped.

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You finally released the full version. Did you

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want to dance? Oh, yeah. Long time coming. Dude,

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it was awesome. It was really awesome. I mean,

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honestly, you sold that relationship. My inner

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dance was blushing. We kissed. We kissed. We

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kissed. We kissed. In real life, too. It was

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close. No, I was looking at you when I said that,

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David. Yeah. Take two buttons. Thank you. Uh

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-oh. That's two more buttons, which makes four,

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I believe. Yes, it does. Oh, no. That's above

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our usual cap. Oh, no. Oh, no. Well, wait. Didn't

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you decide we get more? You get more buttons

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while you're playing two characters each, which

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you technically are four. one more episode. This

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episode, in fact. So, once we close the book

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on Crispin and Dresden at the end of this episode,

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I'm going to need to take that surplus back.

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Yeah, I've been too nice to you guys. Guess what?

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I'm going to use this button this episode. I

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don't know what for, but I'm just going to use

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it. That's it. You find a reason, you use that

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episode. These are playground rules. No takesies

00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:25.579
-backsies. No, no, no. These aren't. My rules

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now. They're too nice. Too good. I got to lay

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down the law. I think you guys are getting too

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cocky. I think the pants people are going to

00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:33.600
need to stick up for us with this one. Yes, please.

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Look at that ponytail swinging. Too fucking cocky.

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So, yeah. Pants people, flood the Discord because

00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:43.659
we have a Discord. Let David know. Don't. You

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and your Discord. It's infectious. Is there any

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more? Wait just a damn minute over there. Don't.

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You even start with me. I have a full one behind

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me. Why, you guys are upset about the whole four

00:08:57.559 --> 00:08:59.720
-button thing? Who's more upset? Raise your hand.

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I fear retribution. I'm not raising my hand.

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Raise your hand. Same. Not in this episode. Nope.

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Fine. Fuck it. Whatever. I'll raise my hand.

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All right, Steven. You know what? That's not

00:09:10.100 --> 00:09:12.879
my damn problem. All right. Give me something

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to drink. You say that like that's punishment.

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Oh, no. Half of a bourbon shot. How are you going

00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:22.360
to do this, Steven? Oh, no. Yeah, I see your

00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:24.620
stupid face cringe when you drink that. Don't

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make that. Why are you making it look so good?

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Steven, I'm kind of jealous. I'm going to take

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a sip of mine. Can I have yours, too? Yeah. Let

00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:32.860
me take a sip of mine real quick. Is that all

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that's over there? Hold on. We have bourbon still.

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Steven, tell me. Tell me to wait just a damn

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minute. Jeremy. Wait just a damn minute. We have

00:09:41.259 --> 00:09:43.639
like other bourbon here too. No, no, drink that

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one. Not this potion. Drink that one. Yes, it

00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:50.379
worked. It's less for me to have to drink. Oh,

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David. Damn, that was awful. You fool. You little

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fool. Oh, that is so fucking good. Right? Holy

00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:00.059
shit. Yeah, the honey whiskey? Yeah. I've never

00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:01.919
had the honey whiskey. Thank you, D. Cheers.

00:10:01.940 --> 00:10:07.600
Oh, thank you. Yeah, that was lovely. Now. We

00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.679
got one hell of an episode tonight. So much information

00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:13.240
that has to get from my brain into your brains,

00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:16.320
and it's going to be a ride. Before we get to

00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:17.940
that, I think there's one more thing we should

00:10:17.940 --> 00:10:21.100
discuss, which is the events of this last Tuesday.

00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:24.899
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So

00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:26.659
we were part of a stream. Stephen, take it away.

00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:27.879
I've been talking a lot. My throat's dry. You

00:10:27.879 --> 00:10:30.100
go. Yeah. You should drink some of that whiskey

00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:31.379
then. I'm going to drink some of this Rockstar.

00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:35.370
There you go. Oh! We streamed the first half

00:10:35.370 --> 00:10:38.590
of a two -shot with our new buddy, DM Jeremy,

00:10:38.809 --> 00:10:42.110
over at Old Men Rolling Dice. And we had a great

00:10:42.110 --> 00:10:44.889
time. There were a couple other players. Ari

00:10:44.889 --> 00:10:48.610
was there. Queen Mother was there. And the three

00:10:48.610 --> 00:10:52.129
of us. We all got to play a game together. Affie?

00:10:53.009 --> 00:10:56.190
Affie. Sorry, Affie, if you're listening. I was

00:10:56.190 --> 00:10:59.929
one letter off. You are. Damn it! I wasn't calling

00:10:59.929 --> 00:11:02.909
her Affie. I was calling her Emmy, because that

00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:05.899
was her. character's name and we had a fantastic

00:11:05.899 --> 00:11:10.019
time we had a fantastic time dude was so awesome

00:11:10.019 --> 00:11:15.139
planted that recovery perfect yeah yeah was was

00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:17.639
that the first time the three of us have played

00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:19.960
as players together literally the first time

00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:23.179
wow david and i have played before yeah you've

00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:25.899
played before yeah i've played with david before

00:11:25.899 --> 00:11:28.259
but the three of us never i've always dm for

00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:30.139
the two of you so yeah this is this is really

00:11:30.139 --> 00:11:32.090
cool It was fun. This was really, really cool.

00:11:32.210 --> 00:11:34.769
And like, I mean, all right, just mild spoilers

00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:36.590
because you guys have to check this out. Gets

00:11:36.590 --> 00:11:40.470
into some real Eldritch horror stuff. Yeah. DM

00:11:40.470 --> 00:11:44.789
Jeremy is not pulling punches. Hardcore. Yeah.

00:11:44.870 --> 00:11:51.230
You think David's an asshole? DM Jeremy. It's

00:11:51.230 --> 00:11:55.070
awesome. What he calls the stream is TPK Me Daddy.

00:11:55.330 --> 00:11:59.120
Yes. That is the title. Of what we did. That

00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:01.940
is the point of the whole thing. And we're about

00:12:01.940 --> 00:12:04.059
halfway through. Well, we are exactly halfway

00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:05.240
through because it's going to be a two -part

00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.860
adventure. And there very well may be a TPK.

00:12:10.299 --> 00:12:12.620
Yeah. Next stream might be 10 minutes. I don't

00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:16.159
know. We're going to find out. It's wild. So

00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.759
if you missed the stream and you want to watch

00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:22.820
the VOD, look up Old Men Rolling Dice. We have

00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:24.940
them on Instagram. So you can find them there

00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:29.919
and check it out. And next Tuesday, which for

00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.360
this episode will be tomorrow. Oh, tomorrow.

00:12:32.379 --> 00:12:35.460
It'll be tomorrow. Thank you, Jeremy. Yeah. We're

00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:39.419
going to be streaming 8 p .m. Eastern. You can

00:12:39.419 --> 00:12:41.899
find all our info on social media or on the Discord

00:12:41.899 --> 00:12:46.919
about where to watch. Hell yes. Yeah. All right.

00:12:47.019 --> 00:12:49.059
I'm waking up. I'm into it now. Let me slap my

00:12:49.059 --> 00:12:52.190
face real quick. What the fuck was that? That

00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:54.970
was a really hard slap. You got a black eye over

00:12:54.970 --> 00:12:56.470
there? Holy shit. You've been doing that a lot

00:12:56.470 --> 00:13:02.190
lately? A little bit. In that mass vacation,

00:13:02.429 --> 00:13:04.470
post -mass vacation burnout phase. Would somebody

00:13:04.470 --> 00:13:07.289
walk into the kitchen and punch you? Oh, I wish.

00:13:09.850 --> 00:13:13.769
Let's start the episode. I'm here. Now I know,

00:13:13.789 --> 00:13:18.460
I know everybody hates goodbyes. I'm afraid that

00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:21.440
we're going to start this episode on yet another

00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:25.000
one. This one is taking place in the early afternoon

00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.100
as the fire opal Concord Jewel has just landed

00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:33.320
on the Radiant Citadel. Here we see Jules, Blanche,

00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:35.919
John Franklin, Dresden, and Crispin all moving

00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.100
out into the passage of Respitha docking station

00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.320
for the Concord Jewels. Arhalon, if you remember,

00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:45.259
had gone ahead and should already be somewhere

00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:48.279
in the city. Dance, as she mentioned in the last

00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:51.039
episode, will be staying behind on her world,

00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:53.299
hoping to assist her in the great changes that

00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:56.500
are coming to the people there. You can, as a

00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:58.980
luminary, Jules, visit whenever you like, of

00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:03.039
course. I mean, you have the passport. And as

00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:04.700
for how Jules and Dance spent the rest of the

00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:07.360
morning before you guys left the world, well,

00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:09.379
let's just say we're all gentlemen here, right?

00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.240
That's behind closed doors. Behind closed doors.

00:14:12.580 --> 00:14:15.200
Fist bump. Fist bump. Saloon doors. Nice. Fist

00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:22.980
bump. Okay. Nice. Nice. Why am I nice -ing? Zoeyplex.

00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:34.860
Pigman taught me this one. So wild when it's

00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:39.879
me. I imagine at this point you are all exhausted.

00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:42.360
Having been up all night fighting, especially

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:47.220
Jules, planning and partying. What is your First

00:14:47.220 --> 00:14:50.080
intention upon leaving this jewel. Just curious.

00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:55.299
Whose? Each character. Blanche first. Blanche,

00:14:55.419 --> 00:14:59.899
her intention is to go back to Noiri. She kind

00:14:59.899 --> 00:15:04.559
of up and left. Okay. And she has a post. Okay.

00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:11.080
Yeah. Thanks for leaving me alone. Blanche didn't

00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:14.860
sign up for this, all right? We just met and

00:15:14.860 --> 00:15:18.960
you leave? Yeah, man. What's the conversation

00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.139
we get back to DiPiero, like, you know, John

00:15:21.139 --> 00:15:23.159
Franklin's father and you're like sort of, you're

00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:25.179
king, you're lord. Just like, yeah, so sorry,

00:15:25.220 --> 00:15:26.940
I had to leave real quick to overthrow a city.

00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.759
Right. Over a world government. We're back. My

00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:36.379
intention wasn't to overthrow the city. How about

00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:39.159
Dresden? What are you up to? I didn't think of

00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:42.000
this. Oh, God. You don't need to have a set thing

00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:43.559
in mind. I'm just curious what this character's

00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:44.659
like. Oh, right, because you don't have a job

00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:49.759
to go back to. No. No. You were tasked by Sholay

00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:52.980
to join Crispin. That's true. You were basically

00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:55.399
sent as partners. Initially, you were sent because

00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:57.340
Sholay wanted to protect you. So she was like,

00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.179
you'll be safer off -world. And while Crispin's

00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:01.879
investigating the Roche family. You know, if

00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:05.580
Crispin will have me, that makes total sense.

00:16:05.740 --> 00:16:07.500
Yeah, I don't want to skip over your turn to

00:16:07.500 --> 00:16:09.399
speak, but that's where Crispin's going. Crispin's

00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:11.000
going back to Sholay. Yeah, that makes total

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.779
sense. Yeah, we'll see what happens there. I

00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:14.419
think they're kind of partnered up now. They're

00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:16.480
holding hands. All right. So we have your...

00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.240
Love all around. Mm -hmm. Ooh, I love love. Uh

00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:23.679
-huh. Jules, how about you? I mean, I think his

00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:27.720
first intention is to go home and be with his

00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:31.220
loved ones. Back to the ugly coyote. Yes. Got

00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:34.779
to bring round stuff and miskin back. Yep. Missing

00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:38.419
one. Well, missing two, really. I think John

00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:40.240
Franklin feels the exact same way. Paul and Zebulon.

00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:43.419
Oh. Oh, yeah. John feels the exact same way.

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:47.539
He wants to go... Home as well. To the pale moonlight.

00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.899
The real inn. Fuck those guys. Fuck that place.

00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:55.840
Whoa, whoa. Hey, yeah. All right. A bunch of

00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.500
crumpet eating. It feels good to be talking about

00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:00.740
the pale moonlight again. I know. I hate it,

00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:02.960
but it feels so good. It feels good to be mad

00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:06.200
about something else. Yeah. Let's start talking

00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.769
about Blanche here. Blanche. If you want to go

00:17:08.769 --> 00:17:10.990
back, I will tell you that the next Bastite Conqueror

00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:13.289
jewel departure, the jewel that would phase to

00:17:13.289 --> 00:17:18.390
Noari. What'd you call me? Is not until this

00:17:18.390 --> 00:17:20.930
evening. You actually have quite a bit of time

00:17:20.930 --> 00:17:23.509
to wait here, to rest on the citadel before you

00:17:23.509 --> 00:17:25.750
can leave. It just happens to be a long window

00:17:25.750 --> 00:17:31.250
before you can take the next jewel. Shopping!

00:17:34.019 --> 00:17:37.500
I just got this image of a montage of Blanche

00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:40.220
just going nuts. With, like, the big, like, designer

00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:43.160
bags. This is where Sean gets it from. It's so

00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:46.420
good. I will say this, actually. Speaking of

00:17:46.420 --> 00:17:50.240
Sean, you know that going back to Zinda, there's

00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:52.140
more than just, like, your general duties there.

00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:54.980
You'd be aware that the March of Vice, the great

00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:58.240
festival of Zinda, is coming up soon. At the

00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:01.240
end of this... The Golden Bay will hold its annual

00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:03.240
tournament to gain Kondorala's favor. Noiria

00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.720
is going to have two major events. I'm so excited

00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:08.599
for that. Now, you've won this very tournament

00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.160
before, earning your position. We've seen this

00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:15.400
happen. Do you think, as you look at your young

00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:18.539
pupil, that he may be strong enough to claim

00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:20.960
victory in the melee himself? Oh, yeah. Yeah?

00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.980
Yeah. I mean, maybe not the last time Blanche

00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:30.609
saw him, but he has matured a lot. That's awesome.

00:18:30.769 --> 00:18:32.950
And like, yeah, I mean, I don't know if this

00:18:32.950 --> 00:18:35.509
is something that, Jaune left. He left for a

00:18:35.509 --> 00:18:38.569
reason, but maybe it's something to broach. It's

00:18:38.569 --> 00:18:42.970
his return. Jaune has taken the training that

00:18:42.970 --> 00:18:46.369
Blanche gave him and then applied his own real

00:18:46.369 --> 00:18:50.769
world experiences to it and has just flourished

00:18:50.769 --> 00:18:52.349
because of it. And I'll say you have about a

00:18:52.349 --> 00:18:55.950
month before this event occurs. Yeah. But it's

00:18:55.950 --> 00:18:58.420
coming up soon. I'm sure your duties back in

00:18:58.420 --> 00:19:01.700
Noiria are going to be pretty hectic for a time.

00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:08.019
So then, you all step out into the passage, and

00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:12.119
I'll tell you that you are met by a flood of

00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:15.440
black and yellow paparazzi guild members. Many

00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.160
diamonds are facing you from this crowd, some

00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:21.500
recording, some releasing bright flashes of light

00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:23.500
with some neat sort of still image feature the

00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:26.980
diamonds possess. They make shuddering noises

00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:30.720
for no reason. It's weird. Because they're cameras.

00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.519
Hey. They're cameras, guys. Don't do this. Let

00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:40.180
me feel smart. Thankfully, this crowd has been

00:19:40.180 --> 00:19:42.299
sanctioned off and pushed back by a line of shield

00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:44.920
bearers on either side of the steps leading deeper

00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:47.660
into the Citadel. And as you sort of move down

00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:50.299
into this sort of pathway, this walkway, one

00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:52.420
figure sort of breaks out and begins to move

00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:56.390
towards you. And... Jules, at least, would certainly

00:19:56.390 --> 00:19:58.890
recognize the captain of the shield bearers,

00:19:58.930 --> 00:20:04.589
Ariat. Wow. As he comes before you, his face

00:20:04.589 --> 00:20:08.089
is quite grim and serious. The memorial ash dots

00:20:08.089 --> 00:20:10.849
on his forehead are dark, very freshly applied.

00:20:11.930 --> 00:20:14.089
He immediately looks to Crispin and Dresden.

00:20:14.809 --> 00:20:18.849
How is his voice again? Hang on. Crispin Dubois,

00:20:19.150 --> 00:20:23.450
Dresden Kellig, I need you two to come with me.

00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:26.480
Speaker Sholay has requested your immediate presence

00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:30.339
at her home. This tone brokes no argument. Essentially,

00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.859
this is an order from the top. Crispin, his face

00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:37.619
doesn't give away anything, but maybe if you're

00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:40.119
standing behind him, you can see the backs of

00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:47.000
his ears sort of drop. And he agrees. Very well,

00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:50.920
I'm ready to go see Sholay. Yeah, Dresden just

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:55.190
gives a solemn nod. And follows along. Come with

00:20:55.190 --> 00:20:57.609
me then. My men will keep the crowds off you

00:20:57.609 --> 00:21:01.789
as we go. And he sort of turns and begins to

00:21:01.789 --> 00:21:05.230
walk. Is there any kind of moment to pass between

00:21:05.230 --> 00:21:08.269
one group and the other as you guys break away?

00:21:09.049 --> 00:21:12.250
I think Dresden would turn to Jules and give

00:21:12.250 --> 00:21:16.009
him the, you know, elbow, arm shake. I think

00:21:16.009 --> 00:21:18.069
Dresden's going to have to catch up because Crispin's

00:21:18.069 --> 00:21:20.589
just going to keep walking. Hell yeah. Dresden's

00:21:20.589 --> 00:21:24.319
tall. He can walk fast. Yeah. All right. With

00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:26.460
that, you two begin to follow. I think there's

00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:29.119
a moment where Arya just stops. He turns back,

00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:30.900
not just to face the two that are right behind

00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:33.160
him, but the two that are farther back, or the

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.559
three that are farther back as well. And I think

00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:37.759
it's almost like his eyes have a moment of, like,

00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:41.019
hesitance. This is a man that's not used to speaking

00:21:41.019 --> 00:21:42.960
from the heart. This is a man that's used to

00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.680
speaking what he's ordered to speak. And then

00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:47.519
he just kind of nods almost to himself and says,

00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:51.319
You are all heroes for what you have exposed.

00:21:52.329 --> 00:21:55.769
Step proudly as we march into a brighter future.

00:21:56.609 --> 00:21:59.130
And he just sort of nods again like, yeah, that

00:21:59.130 --> 00:22:05.509
was cool. And turns back to lead you guys away.

00:22:05.829 --> 00:22:09.250
And as we see Crispin and Dresden sort of moving

00:22:09.250 --> 00:22:11.890
further and further down the walkways, down into

00:22:11.890 --> 00:22:14.849
the Citadel, towards the sort of great gate leading

00:22:14.849 --> 00:22:17.789
inside the diamond itself, we're going to leave

00:22:17.789 --> 00:22:19.890
them. We're going to come back to them again

00:22:19.890 --> 00:22:23.000
a little later. One more time before putting

00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:25.539
those two in their own little box for a while.

00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:32.819
But for now... What is Danny doing? He's just

00:22:32.819 --> 00:22:36.140
dog digging. He's just... She's scratching at

00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:39.299
the pillow. Doing dog stuff. I can't lay down

00:22:39.299 --> 00:22:43.680
on this until I scratch it a hundred times. So

00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:49.420
much work to be a pet. Yep. For now. Let's stick

00:22:49.420 --> 00:22:53.500
with Jules and Blanche. First things first, I

00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:57.160
want a perception check. Oh. So if you were serious

00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:58.519
about that button, I'm going to use my goddamn

00:22:58.519 --> 00:23:03.859
button right now. You know what? Hell yeah. Okay.

00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:06.460
All right. It's happening. In fact, that's so

00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:11.420
good, take a button about it. We got to use it

00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:15.619
this episode. Oh, here. Here's a button, Dan.

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:20.740
We actually physically exchanged that back and

00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:24.259
forth. That was wonderful. So stupid. I thought

00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:25.740
I did pretty good last episode. I didn't get

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:30.680
any. Yeah, I'll give you a button in the unzip.

00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:33.559
Son of a bitch. I got seven. You got your related

00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:37.319
unzip button. You can play it. Even with advantage,

00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:42.599
I only got 12. Honestly, I think above 10 is

00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:45.400
fine for this because Jules specifically knows

00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:49.240
what to look for. You guys step off, and I think

00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:52.559
you see the paparazzi members all around you,

00:23:52.619 --> 00:23:55.079
all the cameras flashing, but I think Jewel's

00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:58.480
eyes do not linger on them. They move upwards

00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:02.700
to the rooftops, and you catch a glimpse of Chester.

00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:05.680
You see as you are stepping out, as you kind

00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:09.279
of look at him, he backs up almost nervously,

00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:15.339
almost harried, and then vanishes in mist. Gone.

00:24:16.540 --> 00:24:19.180
I don't like that. That's what you see. What

00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:21.700
do you do? Around you just see a stream of questions.

00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:25.759
Jules, Jules, Jules, what were you doing? Your

00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:29.019
family, Samuel L. Rose has been arrested. Just

00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:31.200
people, just a crowd just screaming, chattering.

00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:33.220
It's hard to hear anything over them. Yeah, I

00:24:33.220 --> 00:24:36.220
think Jules is in a state of shock, kind of like

00:24:36.220 --> 00:24:40.799
that where you see in the movies where, you know,

00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:44.390
everyone around is just muffled. His vision's

00:24:44.390 --> 00:24:46.690
kind of blurry, and there's just a high -pitched

00:24:46.690 --> 00:24:51.089
ringing going on. And unless Blanche wants to

00:24:51.089 --> 00:24:56.809
say anything, Jules will. No. Blanche is just

00:24:56.809 --> 00:24:58.950
trying to get out of the crowd. I think, yeah,

00:24:59.009 --> 00:25:02.470
as we continue to walk, Jules will stop and pause.

00:25:03.250 --> 00:25:06.069
And for a brief moment, that haze kind of breaks.

00:25:07.049 --> 00:25:10.309
And he's going to put up a hand, asking everybody

00:25:10.309 --> 00:25:13.839
to quiet down for a moment. Whoa. Yeah, they

00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:17.000
do. All the cameras focus on you. It goes quiet.

00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:21.019
There's this nervous energy all around. He looks

00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:22.940
around with just his eyes. He doesn't move his

00:25:22.940 --> 00:25:27.799
head. Don't believe everything you're told. Question

00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:34.019
everything. And ask yourselves, where's Tithos?

00:25:37.380 --> 00:25:40.279
Just immediately like explosion of questions.

00:25:40.299 --> 00:25:43.059
And the ringing and haze and shock comes back

00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:47.519
and he turns around to continue walking. That

00:25:47.519 --> 00:26:05.990
was cool. Hey, take a button. Man, Jeremy, when

00:26:05.990 --> 00:26:09.849
the pants people revolt and turn over that rule.

00:26:09.869 --> 00:26:12.769
I'm going to have so much fun. You guys are going

00:26:12.769 --> 00:26:15.009
to be complaining all this time. You never give

00:26:15.009 --> 00:26:16.650
out buttons. Remember that episode I gave out

00:26:16.650 --> 00:26:22.069
30 buttons, you assholes? To one player. That's

00:26:22.069 --> 00:26:25.630
a record. Fuck. This is fun. All right. You're

00:26:25.630 --> 00:26:30.539
moving down the road. Passing by the... The barracks

00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:32.180
for the shield bearers where Arhalon's apartment

00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:36.440
would be. Passing by the actual passage into

00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:39.859
the auroral diamond itself. Down the trade discall

00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:42.259
where all the inns and stores. And where at the

00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:44.480
very, very end, the very tail of the great fossil,

00:26:44.619 --> 00:26:48.779
you will find the ugly coyote. As you're sort

00:26:48.779 --> 00:26:50.940
of moving, at one point you're passing by a very

00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:54.839
grand looking building of sort of umizu make.

00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:59.579
Sort of, sort of... cool, like, arched ceilings

00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:02.160
and then the rooftops and I think as you're passing

00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:04.460
it. I mean, this is a fine, gigantic building.

00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:08.900
Highest class in around. The Pale Moonlight,

00:27:09.099 --> 00:27:12.200
they call it. And Blanchville will tug next to

00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:15.079
you. Actually, sir, I've been meaning to talk

00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:17.599
to you about this. I know I tasked you with handling

00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:21.220
my gold, but I will, uh, I do need to pay for

00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:23.319
another month at the Pale Moonlight. My time

00:27:23.319 --> 00:27:25.839
is, uh... Unfortunately, when we were gone, I

00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:28.299
would have run out, so if you would not mind,

00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:33.500
he puts out his hand. So here's, all right, let's

00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:37.559
do this real fast. Yeah. Blanche isn't staying

00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:42.579
here. She's going home. So Jean is going to have

00:27:42.579 --> 00:27:45.940
to start to, like, pay his own way again. And

00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:47.940
we've never really, like, counted Jean's gold.

00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:50.140
It's your gold. So it's kind of just been like,

00:27:50.299 --> 00:27:52.799
well, right, yes. He spent it all. He didn't

00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:55.289
have any more since it's Jean. So what you have

00:27:55.289 --> 00:27:59.250
is his gold. You came with the backup funds for

00:27:59.250 --> 00:28:00.650
Jean Franklin. That's what brought Blanche into

00:28:00.650 --> 00:28:02.990
the story. Yeah. My intention was that she came

00:28:02.990 --> 00:28:07.329
with her, like, her physical, what she owns.

00:28:07.549 --> 00:28:12.690
Yeah. And a purse for Jean. Yep. So we can't

00:28:12.690 --> 00:28:15.990
just be like, here you go, story, you know, hand

00:28:15.990 --> 00:28:18.690
wave, here's your gold. Or is Blanche just going

00:28:18.690 --> 00:28:23.569
to leave Jean with no money? Your call. You know,

00:28:23.609 --> 00:28:25.990
Jean, we always got room at the Ugly Coyote.

00:28:27.210 --> 00:28:32.089
That's hilarious. Sir, please. He's sort of reaching

00:28:32.089 --> 00:28:34.549
his hands out. And, like, you look. He gave you

00:28:34.549 --> 00:28:36.289
this money because he wanted you to, like, make

00:28:36.289 --> 00:28:39.009
sure he was making right choices. And you look

00:28:39.009 --> 00:28:42.230
at the incredibly lavish pale moonlight. You

00:28:42.230 --> 00:28:45.230
look at the incredibly well -to -do folk who

00:28:45.230 --> 00:28:47.250
are walking in and out. And you realize, okay,

00:28:47.369 --> 00:28:49.210
there's no wonder he blew through all of his

00:28:49.210 --> 00:28:51.630
savings when he went off in this little. adventure

00:28:51.630 --> 00:28:55.809
of his. This is where it went. Well, Jean, I'm

00:28:55.809 --> 00:29:02.930
not one to encourage such lavish overspending.

00:29:05.490 --> 00:29:10.569
It's not like that. It's clean. Why don't you

00:29:10.569 --> 00:29:15.250
prove its worth to me? Show me around. Convince

00:29:15.250 --> 00:29:18.829
me. Very well. Yes, yes. We should go to the

00:29:18.829 --> 00:29:21.769
spa post -haste. Is that weird? Do you want to

00:29:21.769 --> 00:29:23.710
go in right now? Yeah, I'd like to talk to the

00:29:23.710 --> 00:29:26.309
front desk. Okay. All right. Let's split this

00:29:26.309 --> 00:29:28.869
group up. I'm going to Jules. You're still going,

00:29:28.990 --> 00:29:31.190
right? Yeah. Jules is still going. All right.

00:29:32.569 --> 00:29:34.789
Holy shit. I did not see this coming. Let's do

00:29:34.789 --> 00:29:41.829
it. So this is wild. John grabs Blanche and starts

00:29:41.829 --> 00:29:44.150
leading her very, very excitedly into the pale

00:29:44.150 --> 00:29:45.769
moonlight. He gets to finally show it off. All

00:29:45.769 --> 00:29:47.490
of his friends pick on him about it. He's so

00:29:47.490 --> 00:29:52.109
sad. It's someone who cares. You know what? You

00:29:52.109 --> 00:29:53.190
know what? This is actually a really interesting

00:29:53.190 --> 00:30:01.609
direction. Jeremy, take a button. Hey, Steven,

00:30:01.789 --> 00:30:03.630
have my button. Don't you? You can't do that.

00:30:03.690 --> 00:30:06.089
That's against all the laws. Hey, hey. It is

00:30:06.089 --> 00:30:09.089
not. You're making a bogus law. What is this?

00:30:09.089 --> 00:30:10.529
Mr. No -takes -these -backsies. We're just breaking

00:30:10.529 --> 00:30:14.589
rules tonight. Pansy Bull, revolt. They broke

00:30:14.589 --> 00:30:18.549
all the rules. Well, they're already on our side.

00:30:18.650 --> 00:30:21.369
Damn it. Let's go to the pale moonlight. Fine,

00:30:21.410 --> 00:30:23.730
no more buttons. All right, going to the pale

00:30:23.730 --> 00:30:27.349
moonlight. Meanwhile, Jules is pushing onwards

00:30:27.349 --> 00:30:31.930
down the way. You move inside as you push through

00:30:31.930 --> 00:30:34.430
a sort of very nice, like a sort of a sliding

00:30:34.430 --> 00:30:38.609
kind of like paper sort of door. There's no strong

00:30:38.609 --> 00:30:40.470
winds here, so like they can kind of have very

00:30:40.470 --> 00:30:43.150
ornate stuff that's not technically like durable.

00:30:43.730 --> 00:30:46.420
So you slide into it. And immediately you're

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:49.339
facing this room that's just like well lit by

00:30:49.339 --> 00:30:52.480
these like sort of floating lanterns all the

00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:55.900
way down. This sort of like a grand sort of space.

00:30:56.259 --> 00:30:59.000
It's like most in the bottom floors of a pub.

00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:04.200
The smells are amazing. All the tables are lined

00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:06.099
with dishes that have almost no food on them

00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:09.359
because fancy people do that. A couple little

00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:12.200
sniblets in the middle of a plate. But it looks

00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:14.240
incredible. Pops! The color's amazing. There's

00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:15.779
a little deuce drizzle on the edges of every

00:31:15.779 --> 00:31:19.839
plate. Various colors. It's great. You sort of

00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:21.539
step in, and I think there's immediately sort

00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:25.640
of a desk beside you. A very well -dressed locata

00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:28.599
of fish folk, actually, is standing behind the

00:31:28.599 --> 00:31:32.019
desk. Got a little... catfish whiskers, but they're

00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:34.160
sort of done up very nicely, like waxed. I don't

00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:35.880
know. I don't know how that works. Shut up. And

00:31:35.880 --> 00:31:37.859
he looks at you and says, did you make me do

00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:39.279
this on the fly? Don't you give me that judgy

00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:44.640
stare. I'm not doing anything. Ah, Mr. John Franklin.

00:31:45.539 --> 00:31:49.299
I'm so glad to see you're back, but unfortunately

00:31:49.299 --> 00:31:53.059
your room is up for grabs if you do not bring

00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:57.819
us the, uh, well, the requisite pay. Ah, yes,

00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:01.279
of course, Master Beauregard. This is, I should

00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:04.720
say, Master Defense, Blanche Trudeau. Blanche,

00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:07.420
please, this is Master Beauregard. He is a delight,

00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:10.380
and he serves the best wine to your room every

00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:15.660
night. Hello, Mr. Beauregard. Hello. Blanche

00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:30.880
pulls out her coin purse and... All right. I

00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:33.960
have so much information to deliver this episode

00:32:33.960 --> 00:32:38.799
and I'm just wasting all of it on stupid. I guess

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:40.180
I didn't appreciate it the first time. Do it

00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:44.259
again. You gotta earn that. I'm sorry. What did

00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:53.380
you say? I said hello. So Blanche pops her Plops

00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:56.099
her coin purse down on the counter. Oh my, look

00:32:56.099 --> 00:33:03.099
at that coin purse. She says. How long, how long

00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:06.279
would Jean be able to stay in his room for this

00:33:06.279 --> 00:33:09.960
amount? Oh, let me see that. How much is it?

00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:13.140
Let me pull up my... It's all of it? Sure, yeah.

00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:16.819
For all of the gold in that bag, that would get

00:33:16.819 --> 00:33:19.539
him another month. He is currently staying in

00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:24.319
our month -time apartment complex in the upstairs.

00:33:25.980 --> 00:33:29.980
And how much has Mr. Franklin spent already?

00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:33.319
Oh, he's only been here for one month so far.

00:33:34.839 --> 00:33:38.660
This would be his second. Well, I am here to

00:33:38.660 --> 00:33:41.660
decide if it's worth it at all. We'd like to

00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:44.240
see the rooms and experience the pale moonlight.

00:33:44.859 --> 00:33:50.640
Are you going to pay for that? I can assure you

00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:55.720
the pale moonlight is such an exquisite experience.

00:33:55.940 --> 00:33:58.740
It's far well worth the money you'll spend, but

00:33:58.740 --> 00:34:01.440
I can't allow any pauper off the street to come

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:03.900
in without paying, and it would bring down the

00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:10.099
very rich vibes we have here. Blanche shakes

00:34:10.099 --> 00:34:14.239
her bag and her coin purse and puts it back on

00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:17.079
her person. We will not be spending another gold

00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:25.599
piece here until... Until... Until... Until we

00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:29.639
are treated to at least a week. Whoa. Without

00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:33.760
enough time to decide the worth of this. She

00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:37.300
looks around unimpressed. In... Another gold

00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:40.780
won't cross the desk from me. I'm going to need

00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:44.659
a check. Give me a persuasion check. Hey, Steven.

00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:47.800
You can't give him no. You can't do this. I'm

00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:51.940
using six buttons for an instant natural 20.

00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:59.920
Persuasion. Man, I wish Blanche's charisma was

00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:03.079
better. Fuck, come on. Please, please, just give

00:35:03.079 --> 00:35:07.750
me one. Eighteen. Eighteen. That's pretty good.

00:35:08.829 --> 00:35:16.670
Well, we have a wait already on our lavish rooms.

00:35:16.829 --> 00:35:20.730
Many of the wealthier of Tythos have been staying

00:35:20.730 --> 00:35:24.349
on our place since their world was sadly destroyed.

00:35:24.530 --> 00:35:34.329
But, but, Madame Blanchet. Without a gun. I'm

00:35:34.329 --> 00:35:37.389
sorry, who? Master John Franklin here has been

00:35:37.389 --> 00:35:43.130
a delight. Perhaps we can give you a night for

00:35:43.130 --> 00:35:48.389
free and then go from there. Well, it better

00:35:48.389 --> 00:35:51.429
be one impressive night if that's all you have

00:35:51.429 --> 00:35:56.050
to woo me to open my coin purse. Woo, madame!

00:35:56.050 --> 00:36:01.739
What a... That word is so dirty. I don't think

00:36:01.739 --> 00:36:04.219
you'd be up to that task, my friend. But we'll

00:36:04.219 --> 00:36:07.619
start with the room. Are you sure one night will

00:36:07.619 --> 00:36:11.940
be enough? He looks over very slowly at Jean

00:36:11.940 --> 00:36:14.320
with his very cocky, knowing, big fish smile.

00:36:14.500 --> 00:36:18.019
And Jean says, oh, dear, sir. One night would

00:36:18.019 --> 00:36:21.960
be enough. Please, let me show you the key, sir.

00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:27.260
Very well. Here's your key. He stands over the

00:36:27.260 --> 00:36:32.800
very ornate gold. gold, diamond -encrusted key,

00:36:32.940 --> 00:36:37.199
and, uh, gestured you forward. All right. As,

00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:39.980
uh, Blanche and Jean walk into the depths of

00:36:39.980 --> 00:36:42.980
the pale moonlight, she very quietly says to

00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:45.940
him, This is the last night you will ever spend

00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:49.719
here unless you can get creative. So enjoy it.

00:36:51.820 --> 00:36:54.619
He's just a stark whore on his face. But sir,

00:36:54.679 --> 00:36:56.579
you don't understand. Please, if I'm not staying

00:36:56.579 --> 00:37:00.039
here. Do not waste your 24 hours. Almost every

00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:03.340
inn has been taken in the city. If I'm not here,

00:37:03.539 --> 00:37:07.519
then the only alternative is, is, is. And we

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:13.159
hard cut to the exterior of the ugly coyote where

00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:19.000
Jules is standing outside the door. You better

00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:27.639
put that music on. No. I like this music. I'm

00:37:27.639 --> 00:37:31.719
fun. I'm vibing. I like that word today. Jewels.

00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:35.920
Jewels, jewels, jewels. You stand outside the

00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:38.619
ugly coyote. At this point, you're alone. You've

00:37:38.619 --> 00:37:41.139
been surrounded by people for days. It probably

00:37:41.139 --> 00:37:43.360
feels really weird to be on your own for a time.

00:37:44.460 --> 00:37:47.539
And now as you stand here before the coyote,

00:37:47.619 --> 00:37:51.739
there's a quiet. It's a quiet that you feel from

00:37:51.739 --> 00:37:54.820
being alone, but you realize as you stand before

00:37:54.820 --> 00:38:00.079
this building that it's too quiet. The coyote

00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:03.619
is too quiet. You saw Chester. Where are the

00:38:03.619 --> 00:38:05.360
Delights? Why are they screaming? Why aren't

00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:09.079
they coming out to attack you? No noise? I mean,

00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:11.960
I think that is definitely going on somewhere

00:38:11.960 --> 00:38:16.699
in the back of his head. But I also feel like

00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:21.000
Jules just stands. and just stares at the doorway

00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:26.440
in silence for probably 15, 20 minutes, just

00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:31.880
frozen. Wow. And no one, not one's facing the

00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:35.260
window. No one comes out. Are Brownstuff and

00:38:35.260 --> 00:38:37.760
Miskin just, like, standing there? Oh, right,

00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:39.000
I forgot they're there, too. Shit, I didn't see

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:40.960
them earlier. Oh, same, same. Damn, they're with

00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:44.219
you. Whoops. Imagine if you're with an adult

00:38:44.219 --> 00:38:46.840
and an adult is just standing still for 15 or

00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:49.039
20 minutes just blank staring at a door. Yeah,

00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:50.920
I gotta go back. So when they got the jewel,

00:38:51.260 --> 00:38:52.760
they were there too. They were watching all that.

00:38:53.179 --> 00:38:55.380
I had in mind they went with Arhalon. I don't

00:38:55.380 --> 00:38:56.460
know why I thought that. That would be silly.

00:38:56.659 --> 00:39:00.079
I think what probably ended up happening was

00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:04.920
once we got within half block of the coyote,

00:39:04.960 --> 00:39:09.059
they probably both ran forward and ahead. I love

00:39:09.059 --> 00:39:11.039
that, yeah. And went in. Yes. And then Jules

00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:13.780
comes up a moment later, and that's when he has

00:39:13.780 --> 00:39:18.559
his, you know, moment of just staring. His mental

00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:20.679
breakdown? Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Pretty much.

00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:22.820
Yeah, that's not a normal thing to do. Yeah,

00:39:22.820 --> 00:39:25.400
no. Blanche is like, she opens the curtains of

00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:26.900
the pale moonlight, and is like, he's fucking

00:39:26.900 --> 00:39:31.940
still standing there. That's really weird. I'm

00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:35.900
being dramatic, damn it. And then, yeah, and

00:39:35.900 --> 00:39:39.250
then he walks in. You push forward. You push

00:39:39.250 --> 00:39:44.889
open the door to see a darkened room. Not a soul

00:39:44.889 --> 00:39:47.610
starting with it. And you just saw round stuff

00:39:47.610 --> 00:39:49.750
and miskin ran inside the building, kind of screaming,

00:39:49.769 --> 00:39:51.949
hawing. They disappeared in. And, like, you assumed

00:39:51.949 --> 00:39:56.329
there'd be some kind of something. And then...

00:39:56.329 --> 00:40:01.639
Surprise! Oh, my God. Surprise, Jules. Everyone

00:40:01.639 --> 00:40:05.199
pops on the table. Chairs explode around us.

00:40:05.219 --> 00:40:06.519
Everyone's just popping out from their hiding

00:40:06.519 --> 00:40:08.480
spots behind the bar, behind the tables, behind

00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:11.099
the wall. Round Stuff and Miskit are like, I

00:40:11.099 --> 00:40:13.000
guess they got brought into this whole thing

00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:14.840
because they pop out too. Like, yeah, surprise,

00:40:15.099 --> 00:40:17.980
surprise. Hold on. One minute. Yeah. Surprise.

00:40:18.880 --> 00:40:21.900
One. Take a button. Wait, you, Steven, just took

00:40:21.900 --> 00:40:26.460
my button back. I'm putting it way back in this

00:40:26.460 --> 00:40:29.460
corner here. Fuck that. This whole system is,

00:40:29.460 --> 00:40:32.719
like, destroyed now. God damn it. Oh, yeah. It's

00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:36.300
anarchy. I was fully prepared for, and you see

00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:40.800
a note on the bar. Right. Saying, we've got your

00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:47.380
family. Right. That's the wrong song. That's

00:40:47.380 --> 00:40:51.579
the we got your family song. No, it's playing

00:40:51.579 --> 00:40:52.960
them both. I don't know why it's doing this.

00:40:53.869 --> 00:40:55.989
Hang on. Oh, these are both staying in. That

00:40:55.989 --> 00:40:59.090
was a combat song. Hang on. We got this. Yeah.

00:40:59.150 --> 00:41:05.989
Jules is so surprised. He goes in. All right.

00:41:11.969 --> 00:41:14.869
Everyone bursts out. You see like Ader kind of

00:41:14.869 --> 00:41:16.429
comes up behind the bar. I think round stuff

00:41:16.429 --> 00:41:17.949
is literally on top of his head now. Somehow.

00:41:19.289 --> 00:41:21.610
Miskin sort of just like comes out of the showers

00:41:21.610 --> 00:41:24.789
in the corner. Just like. Yeah, surprise. Yeah.

00:41:26.409 --> 00:41:29.510
Mulligan pops out with a full tray of cupcakes.

00:41:29.769 --> 00:41:33.050
He just drops down on the counter. Pink frosted.

00:41:33.050 --> 00:41:37.230
Looks delightful. Fibro comes out from behind

00:41:37.230 --> 00:41:39.579
a stack of books. That he probably was already

00:41:39.579 --> 00:41:42.260
just reading anyway. And just like, Jules, yeah,

00:41:42.380 --> 00:41:45.179
you're back. Everyone's just like going. Chester,

00:41:45.260 --> 00:41:47.219
I think, is the first one to just come charging

00:41:47.219 --> 00:41:49.619
down the way, jumping onto you. You see Jean

00:41:49.619 --> 00:41:51.760
to the top of the stairs, sort of smiling down

00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:55.519
at you. Though with something in her eyes that

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:58.920
isn't quite a smile. You're going to make those

00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:01.019
kids eat cupcakes knowing that Paul's still out

00:42:01.019 --> 00:42:04.829
there. Jules! Jules! Hey, sorry. You know what?

00:42:04.849 --> 00:42:06.929
I realize in hindsight, the way you are, that

00:42:06.929 --> 00:42:10.730
probably fucked you up real bad. We shouldn't

00:42:10.730 --> 00:42:12.989
do that. But, man, I was excited. Yeah, I almost

00:42:12.989 --> 00:42:14.750
killed you. Look, it was kind of their idea.

00:42:14.809 --> 00:42:18.630
I couldn't tell them no, right? Yeah, I guess

00:42:18.630 --> 00:42:21.610
not. Thanks, buddy. Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah.

00:42:22.329 --> 00:42:28.090
Hey, hey, come on, buck up. Jules. Jules. Hey,

00:42:28.269 --> 00:42:30.769
hey. And he kind of like... What? Puts a hand

00:42:30.769 --> 00:42:33.289
on your shoulder. And his face gets, like, very

00:42:33.289 --> 00:42:35.210
serious. And you can see almost, like, the smile

00:42:35.210 --> 00:42:40.969
is plastered on for you. Jules, I know. We know.

00:42:41.269 --> 00:42:45.750
All right? He told us. And at that, he kind of

00:42:45.750 --> 00:42:48.909
nudges his head towards the bar. And a very large

00:42:48.909 --> 00:42:53.230
form kind of, oh, surprise. Sorry, I fell asleep.

00:42:53.530 --> 00:42:59.030
I know you see Arhalon. I fell asleep. God. Sorry,

00:42:59.610 --> 00:43:04.260
I missed the. Do we get you, Jules? What you

00:43:04.260 --> 00:43:08.099
got? Yeah, you got me. You got me. Very good.

00:43:08.539 --> 00:43:16.599
I love that. I think Jules kind of makes his

00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:20.599
rounds to each one, giving him a hug. He's not

00:43:20.599 --> 00:43:25.800
genuinely smiling, but he's got a mask on. I

00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:27.639
think Chester's like your shadow at this point,

00:43:27.639 --> 00:43:32.030
right behind you. And then when he's done, he

00:43:32.030 --> 00:43:37.090
grabs a drink from the bar. Cloud of Judgment

00:43:37.090 --> 00:43:40.829
by Reckless Brewing Company. There you go. Drop

00:43:40.829 --> 00:43:43.570
that ad spot. Yeah. Oh, wait. I got to get another

00:43:43.570 --> 00:43:45.690
one, too. Get your Cloud of Judgment now. Jules

00:43:45.690 --> 00:43:49.469
cracks a beer. Oh, that's exactly how fantasy

00:43:49.469 --> 00:43:52.849
works. Yeah, it is. There are definitely cans

00:43:52.849 --> 00:43:55.840
in the Ugly Coyote. Absolutely. For sure. There

00:43:55.840 --> 00:43:57.440
is that moment, you know, everyone has that moment

00:43:57.440 --> 00:43:58.719
of hug. I mean, it wasn't like, you haven't been

00:43:58.719 --> 00:44:00.840
gone for a long time. It's been a couple of days,

00:44:00.900 --> 00:44:02.800
but still, every time you go, it's that concern

00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:05.119
that something could happen. Yeah, of course.

00:44:05.340 --> 00:44:07.860
In a couple of days? Yeah. Wow. And during the

00:44:07.860 --> 00:44:09.460
time, we actually saw it. They saw the Zebulon

00:44:09.460 --> 00:44:12.019
thing. Everyone saw the Zebulon death. It was

00:44:12.019 --> 00:44:16.079
on the network. They have grieved, and there's

00:44:16.079 --> 00:44:18.920
still definitely a solemn air here. Absolutely.

00:44:19.940 --> 00:44:21.639
As you sit down at the bar and you have that

00:44:21.639 --> 00:44:23.860
drink and you're trying to sort of bury this,

00:44:25.150 --> 00:44:27.250
But you're trying to keep yourself looking like

00:44:27.250 --> 00:44:28.909
you're happy, like this is fun. You know, it's

00:44:28.909 --> 00:44:30.690
very simple, basic. It's only the cherry delights

00:44:30.690 --> 00:44:32.929
here. Ader closed the day for the day. He's kind

00:44:32.929 --> 00:44:35.710
of just around, you know, kind of watching from

00:44:35.710 --> 00:44:37.469
the corner, happy, sitting with Kiana, having

00:44:37.469 --> 00:44:42.329
a drink with her. And Chester sits down on one

00:44:42.329 --> 00:44:45.989
side of you and Gene's on the other. And Chester

00:44:45.989 --> 00:44:47.750
just says, You're giving me the double whammy?

00:44:48.489 --> 00:44:52.590
Tools, hey, thanks for making it look good. The

00:44:52.590 --> 00:44:55.420
kids, you know, the other kids. They wanted this.

00:44:55.539 --> 00:44:57.599
They wanted to make you happy. Cheer you up.

00:44:58.199 --> 00:45:01.000
I know it's been hard, all right? I know. About

00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:07.039
Zeb? Um... Yeah. It's tough. And, uh... Hell.

00:45:07.659 --> 00:45:09.300
I'm sure you gave those guys hell that didn't,

00:45:09.320 --> 00:45:14.079
right? So, that's good. But... Hell, you're back,

00:45:14.260 --> 00:45:16.900
all right? All that, that was Sansatyan. That

00:45:16.900 --> 00:45:18.940
was then. And you're here, and you're with us,

00:45:19.019 --> 00:45:22.119
and... And... Yeah, but we're not done yet, Chester.

00:45:23.280 --> 00:45:26.159
I know. I think you feel a hand sort of reach

00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:29.179
down and touch your hand on the table as Jean's

00:45:29.179 --> 00:45:32.059
still kind of looking down. I think she's having

00:45:32.059 --> 00:45:35.940
the hardest time, I guess, like smiling. And

00:45:35.940 --> 00:45:38.420
you know that Jean's and Paul's relationship

00:45:38.420 --> 00:45:41.579
actually predates their relationship with the

00:45:41.579 --> 00:45:43.920
Cherry Delights. They joined you as a unit. She

00:45:43.920 --> 00:45:48.559
raised him when he was very young. She doesn't

00:45:48.559 --> 00:45:51.460
look at you. She's staring down at her own, an

00:45:51.460 --> 00:45:54.030
empty glass that maybe like... Never had anything

00:45:54.030 --> 00:45:55.989
at all, just for show, and she's just looking

00:45:55.989 --> 00:45:59.670
into the glass. I know you'll save him. I do.

00:46:00.250 --> 00:46:05.889
It's okay. Jules, you did good. You did really

00:46:05.889 --> 00:46:09.630
good, alright? I'll believe that when we finish

00:46:09.630 --> 00:46:15.030
this. And she just nods, still half -smiling,

00:46:15.030 --> 00:46:17.780
still staring down at her glass. Chester kind

00:46:17.780 --> 00:46:19.780
of sees this solemn moment and immediately tries

00:46:19.780 --> 00:46:21.780
to, like, intrude. He jumps off his stool, gets

00:46:21.780 --> 00:46:23.340
between the two of you, puts his arms around

00:46:23.340 --> 00:46:25.199
you both, and it's like, well, I'll tell you,

00:46:25.219 --> 00:46:27.039
I've been never, we've been all right here. I

00:46:27.039 --> 00:46:29.320
mean, me and Jeans have been hanging out a lot

00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:31.500
together, right, Jeans? Chester, I, no, come

00:46:31.500 --> 00:46:33.980
on, it's all right. We're being happy, and Jules,

00:46:34.099 --> 00:46:37.219
Jules, hey, hey. It's about damn time, man, come

00:46:37.219 --> 00:46:40.099
on. Speaking about damn time, that Sansa Tian's

00:46:40.099 --> 00:46:43.480
where Dance Macabre's from, did you see her?

00:46:43.900 --> 00:46:46.670
Yeah, yeah. Did you see her? Oh, yeah, yeah?

00:46:46.909 --> 00:46:49.949
Yeah, I saw her. All right. Come on, get this

00:46:49.949 --> 00:46:57.349
man. Ada, another drink, please. Do you stay

00:46:57.349 --> 00:47:00.989
and drink with Jeans and Chester? I think so.

00:47:01.670 --> 00:47:04.389
I think so. What is the conversation like throughout

00:47:04.389 --> 00:47:07.849
the night as things sort of move on? I don't

00:47:07.849 --> 00:47:11.690
think... It's not normal conversation. I think

00:47:11.690 --> 00:47:13.989
we have these niceties and these, you know...

00:47:14.239 --> 00:47:17.280
I mean, okay, we're back, we're all good. But

00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:21.960
he tells them everything. Anytime one of the

00:47:21.960 --> 00:47:24.960
others come up and, you know, gets close, they

00:47:24.960 --> 00:47:27.000
stop the conversation and act like they're, you

00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:29.559
know, having a good time. Because the others

00:47:29.559 --> 00:47:31.099
don't need to be, they don't need to hear this

00:47:31.099 --> 00:47:34.519
stuff. Yeah, yeah. Then they go away and we continue

00:47:34.519 --> 00:47:38.239
the rundown. And so I think we see just time

00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:41.170
pass there as you guys are talking as... This

00:47:41.170 --> 00:47:44.949
conversation is sort of happening. Maybe, like,

00:47:45.010 --> 00:47:46.929
in the corner of the room, we see Arhalon is

00:47:46.929 --> 00:47:49.610
just, like, sitting, like, looming over a table

00:47:49.610 --> 00:47:53.210
just way too big for the typical, you know, humanoid

00:47:53.210 --> 00:47:55.329
-sized chairs. And the other side of the table

00:47:55.329 --> 00:47:57.369
is Roundstuff, who's just chattering excitedly.

00:47:57.369 --> 00:47:59.230
You can hear just, like, yeah, and you, and bigger

00:47:59.230 --> 00:48:01.369
Zebulon, you can stay in my room, like Zebulon

00:48:01.369 --> 00:48:03.489
did, little Zebulon did. You can stay in my room,

00:48:03.530 --> 00:48:07.309
and you'll need a bigger bed. It's just not,

00:48:07.449 --> 00:48:10.300
oh, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The way

00:48:10.300 --> 00:48:13.059
you just described that, I had this image of,

00:48:13.079 --> 00:48:16.219
like, a full -ass grown adult sitting on, like,

00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:19.940
a tiny tricycle. Yeah, or like the Little Tikes

00:48:19.940 --> 00:48:23.420
plastic table. Yep, yeah. Like, he's just sitting

00:48:23.420 --> 00:48:24.500
there. I think you can see, like, occasionally,

00:48:24.579 --> 00:48:27.260
like, Miskin just jumps out of the shadows with,

00:48:27.300 --> 00:48:29.380
like, a sort of fake dagger sort of thing, trying

00:48:29.380 --> 00:48:31.239
to get him, and Arhalon just, like, brings his

00:48:31.239 --> 00:48:32.880
tail up and sort of slaps him just gently to

00:48:32.880 --> 00:48:34.960
the side. He's like, very nice try, but your

00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:37.239
step was a little too loud at the very end there.

00:48:37.300 --> 00:48:39.199
You want to try to really stick to the edge.

00:48:39.320 --> 00:48:41.199
My ear on the side is a little... He's, like,

00:48:41.239 --> 00:48:42.940
trying to, like, try to... to tell him, help

00:48:42.940 --> 00:48:45.420
him out. They're like combat training while he's

00:48:45.420 --> 00:48:47.280
chattering with round stuff. She's pouring like

00:48:47.280 --> 00:48:50.079
a fake teapot into, into, into a glass. And I

00:48:50.079 --> 00:48:55.119
love that so much. Teaching kids how to fight.

00:48:55.840 --> 00:49:01.300
Um, yeah, yeah. Teach kids how to fight. Um,

00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:03.880
and so I think that's where we'll leave this,

00:49:03.880 --> 00:49:08.119
uh, this group just reveling in just this, this,

00:49:08.139 --> 00:49:13.239
this, this moment. There is a lot unspoken. There's

00:49:13.239 --> 00:49:18.500
a lot to be done. But right now, I think a lot

00:49:18.500 --> 00:49:21.519
of the Cherry Delights, a lot of the people here

00:49:21.519 --> 00:49:25.940
are just happy to be home and to have you home.

00:49:26.420 --> 00:49:30.179
And for one night, perhaps, there can be a focus

00:49:30.179 --> 00:49:34.420
on that. Yeah, obviously Jules is not feeling

00:49:34.420 --> 00:49:39.400
happy and feeling joyous, but he's... breathing

00:49:39.400 --> 00:49:42.820
for the first time in a while. Hell yeah. And

00:49:42.820 --> 00:49:46.639
we'll pan away from the Ellie Coyote. I think

00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:49.260
it's time for us to take one little journey into

00:49:49.260 --> 00:49:53.260
the inside of the Citadel, into the Aurora Diamond,

00:49:53.400 --> 00:49:58.699
into Aurora Town. It's time for Crispin and Dresden

00:49:58.699 --> 00:50:04.500
to face the music, as it were. You stand in the

00:50:04.500 --> 00:50:08.639
plaza at the town center. The great crystal amphitheater

00:50:08.639 --> 00:50:12.460
where the speakers meet and confer looms over

00:50:12.460 --> 00:50:14.360
you, behind you, but you are looking at the great

00:50:14.360 --> 00:50:18.619
dome, the great crystal dome that is Sholay's

00:50:18.619 --> 00:50:22.360
residence, the dragon's lair. The guard at the

00:50:22.360 --> 00:50:26.380
door nods as Ariat sort of leads you there, and

00:50:26.380 --> 00:50:28.639
I think he just kind of gives you one sort of

00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:32.079
parting farewell and moves back to his duties.

00:50:33.059 --> 00:50:36.099
Crispin starts to walk in. Yeah, Dresden follows

00:50:36.099 --> 00:50:38.840
suit. You move up, the guard speaks the words,

00:50:38.980 --> 00:50:42.559
touches the right spot to the door, slides open,

00:50:42.820 --> 00:50:46.739
you step in. You haven't seen it before, actually,

00:50:46.840 --> 00:50:50.260
Crispin, nor have you, Dresden, the inside of

00:50:50.260 --> 00:50:55.280
Cholet's lair. A great hoard, not of gold, but

00:50:55.280 --> 00:50:59.159
information. Folders and papers and diamonds,

00:50:59.440 --> 00:51:01.960
so many diamonds, recurring diamonds with who

00:51:01.960 --> 00:51:05.099
knows what knowledge just littering the area

00:51:05.099 --> 00:51:08.369
around. Some stacked neatly in piles, some sort

00:51:08.369 --> 00:51:12.289
of tossed into more like, I guess, messy piles.

00:51:12.489 --> 00:51:14.289
I don't know. Shouldn't use the word piles already.

00:51:14.670 --> 00:51:17.389
And you see this sort of reaching back and back

00:51:17.389 --> 00:51:20.710
and back. No material wealth, but a wealth of

00:51:20.710 --> 00:51:26.329
something perhaps more powerful. A great draconic

00:51:26.329 --> 00:51:29.309
shape looms in the shadows at the back of the

00:51:29.309 --> 00:51:34.090
room. Huge. Head reaching near to the ceiling.

00:51:35.980 --> 00:51:39.340
only barely make her out as the room is quite

00:51:39.340 --> 00:51:44.019
dark. Quick, weird question that I can't get

00:51:44.019 --> 00:51:46.659
out of my brain. Tupperware is what you put cheese

00:51:46.659 --> 00:51:49.559
in. I told you already. No, no, no, no. Lies.

00:51:49.639 --> 00:51:54.980
No, no, no, no. Fuck, this is stupid. Did Crispin

00:51:54.980 --> 00:51:59.800
notice the sequence that the guard used to open

00:51:59.800 --> 00:52:03.280
the door? Huh. I'll need a really high perception

00:52:03.280 --> 00:52:05.610
check. I think it's one of those things where

00:52:05.610 --> 00:52:07.309
this would be like generally they'd be making

00:52:07.309 --> 00:52:09.469
measures to stand kind of in the way of it, doing

00:52:09.469 --> 00:52:11.909
it very careful. Steven, use my fourth button.

00:52:12.070 --> 00:52:13.829
Nah, it's all right. I don't think this is ever

00:52:13.829 --> 00:52:17.050
going to be a thing, but I'm just... You probably

00:52:17.050 --> 00:52:19.929
need to crit it at the very least. Perception.

00:52:20.349 --> 00:52:22.210
Wow. He has a pretty high perception. Yeah, I

00:52:22.210 --> 00:52:24.070
have the right character for this because he's

00:52:24.070 --> 00:52:26.710
got a plus eight perception. Holy moly. Whoa.

00:52:27.789 --> 00:52:31.590
On a 25. 13 on the die. Should have taken my

00:52:31.590 --> 00:52:34.920
button. Okay. You don't quite catch it. I think

00:52:34.920 --> 00:52:37.840
maybe with that, you catch, like, a sequence

00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:39.920
of words. They're essentially, like, magical

00:52:39.920 --> 00:52:43.119
-sounding gibberish, but you hear them, especially

00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:45.179
because, like, you have your, you know, leoprine

00:52:45.179 --> 00:52:47.579
senses. Your ears pick them up, but you don't

00:52:47.579 --> 00:52:49.960
quite see the hand gestures. Oh, shit. I was

00:52:49.960 --> 00:52:52.219
going to say, because I have, I think I have

00:52:52.219 --> 00:52:55.059
advantage with perception regarding hearing.

00:52:55.260 --> 00:52:57.619
Yeah, so I gave you the words, not the hand,

00:52:57.800 --> 00:53:00.739
not the places. Fair. So you have half the key.

00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:05.719
Okay. You move into this room. You see a long,

00:53:05.719 --> 00:53:08.840
almost like straight way through all the sort

00:53:08.840 --> 00:53:11.280
of opening and all the information and all the

00:53:11.280 --> 00:53:15.320
horde and Sholi at the other side. I take full

00:53:15.320 --> 00:53:25.579
responsibility for my failures. This massive

00:53:25.579 --> 00:53:28.260
head sort of turns down towards you, eyes that

00:53:28.260 --> 00:53:33.880
blaze. I simply ask that if you, If you kill

00:53:33.880 --> 00:53:41.039
me, please send my gold home. Stepping towards

00:53:41.039 --> 00:53:53.420
you. And out of the shadows, as this great form

00:53:53.420 --> 00:53:58.639
shrinks, steps an old woman. She's smiling slightly

00:53:58.639 --> 00:54:02.530
as she steps out, looking towards you. Almost

00:54:02.530 --> 00:54:06.550
like that remark was amusing. And she walks,

00:54:06.630 --> 00:54:08.909
so she's probably about a meter ahead of you.

00:54:09.030 --> 00:54:16.309
Come in close. I thought I saw something. For

00:54:16.309 --> 00:54:19.530
a brief moment, just last night, something quite

00:54:19.530 --> 00:54:23.449
impossible. Now, I consider myself an exceptionally

00:54:23.449 --> 00:54:29.250
sane dragoness. Even in grief, I do not believe

00:54:29.250 --> 00:54:33.170
I would witness things that are not. True. And

00:54:33.170 --> 00:54:36.030
she gives you this look like Chris has been looking

00:54:36.030 --> 00:54:39.849
for some kind of confirmation. Wouldn't it be

00:54:39.849 --> 00:54:45.690
simply dragon? That wasn't conical. That was

00:54:45.690 --> 00:54:51.269
just me being a smartass. I wasn't sure. I was

00:54:51.269 --> 00:54:54.150
like, do I react to show like? No, sorry. I'd

00:54:54.150 --> 00:54:59.349
like to speak about the impossible, but yes.

00:55:01.710 --> 00:55:07.090
Tried to show you. Thank you. Brief as it was,

00:55:07.130 --> 00:55:12.190
it focused me. Though I fear it may have come

00:55:12.190 --> 00:55:18.389
too late. I have erred grievously. An art art

00:55:18.389 --> 00:55:20.889
has made swift and ruthless use of my weakness.

00:55:21.250 --> 00:55:25.510
The bastard wasted no time at all in exploiting

00:55:25.510 --> 00:55:30.079
my pain. Do you understand the... Extent of his

00:55:30.079 --> 00:55:33.460
victory on Sarsatian. The rise that will follow.

00:55:33.960 --> 00:55:43.619
I couldn't begin to. No. You could not. You failed

00:55:43.619 --> 00:55:50.219
in the quest I sent you on. But I am at the end

00:55:50.219 --> 00:55:54.980
of my ropes. My position has become dangerous.

00:55:55.559 --> 00:56:00.630
And I have so few allies. I can call upon. I

00:56:00.630 --> 00:56:05.389
fear the impossible might be exactly what I need.

00:56:06.170 --> 00:56:11.650
If I want to wrestle control back. You failed,

00:56:11.690 --> 00:56:14.869
Crispin. But I do not think you will fail me

00:56:14.869 --> 00:56:19.889
again. And you brought Arhalon. And Dresden,

00:56:20.010 --> 00:56:24.909
too. You brought them back safely. This is good.

00:56:26.110 --> 00:56:29.440
I won't fail again. Her eyes sweep over to you,

00:56:29.519 --> 00:56:34.280
Dresden. I told you that should you return, both

00:56:34.280 --> 00:56:37.780
of you, that should you serve me faithfully,

00:56:37.840 --> 00:56:42.639
I would bring you in, protect you, and tell you

00:56:42.639 --> 00:56:45.860
all that I know of these worlds. Do you wish

00:56:45.860 --> 00:56:49.800
for this knowledge? It is a burden. Believe me,

00:56:49.900 --> 00:56:56.679
it is a burden. But some must bear it. Nobody

00:56:56.679 --> 00:57:00.460
should bear such a burden alone. I don't want

00:57:00.460 --> 00:57:04.739
to turn back now. She takes this moment. Maven

00:57:04.739 --> 00:57:07.519
closes her eyes and leans back. She's pushing

00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:12.900
these emotions, this grief, back. But there is

00:57:12.900 --> 00:57:17.179
this, like, this coldness. Not a meanness, but

00:57:17.179 --> 00:57:20.599
just a coldness in her stare. A razor wit behind

00:57:20.599 --> 00:57:24.840
these eyes that is trying to hone itself. Sharpening.

00:57:25.840 --> 00:57:29.559
We'll start with politics. The real politics.

00:57:30.639 --> 00:57:33.840
For over 50 years, I have battled against Arthas

00:57:33.840 --> 00:57:38.000
for control of the speakers. As a king, he should

00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:40.119
not be able to pull any real weight on the citadel.

00:57:40.559 --> 00:57:45.739
But as a luminary, the whole system serves those

00:57:45.739 --> 00:57:48.760
pandering to the general populace and granting

00:57:48.760 --> 00:57:52.539
him power enough to challenge my control. Though

00:57:52.539 --> 00:57:54.960
I am the very speaker of the world he hails from.

00:57:55.469 --> 00:57:58.489
Of course, he was the only force utilizing the

00:57:58.489 --> 00:58:02.449
rise of the Crystal Network to gain power. His

00:58:02.449 --> 00:58:07.250
most hated foes, those servants of Zomateshab,

00:58:07.550 --> 00:58:11.369
the ones called the Fractured Horn, as your very

00:58:11.369 --> 00:58:14.510
point looks to you, Dresden, rose quickly to

00:58:14.510 --> 00:58:20.750
challenge him. I... I could not stop them. They

00:58:20.750 --> 00:58:24.570
had something on me. They used it against me.

00:58:25.389 --> 00:58:28.010
To my shame, I did not directly oppose the cult.

00:58:28.070 --> 00:58:31.050
I could not. But I did play the two factions

00:58:31.050 --> 00:58:36.389
against each other for years. Decades. Carefully

00:58:36.389 --> 00:58:39.110
crafting a stalemate in the speakers and in the

00:58:39.110 --> 00:58:42.150
network. Whenever one faction would gain even

00:58:42.150 --> 00:58:45.130
a speck of influence, I would see the scale tipped

00:58:45.130 --> 00:58:48.210
the other way. I would do so unnoticed as the

00:58:48.210 --> 00:58:52.449
two sides would focus solely on each other. But...

00:58:52.940 --> 00:58:55.619
In one fell swoop, Atash has done more than just

00:58:55.619 --> 00:58:59.480
tip the scale. He has destroyed it. Following

00:58:59.480 --> 00:59:01.840
Ichmin's fall, the fractured horn will be exposed

00:59:01.840 --> 00:59:05.099
at last to the public. Those in his confidence

00:59:05.099 --> 00:59:08.539
will be investigated by Atash personally. In

00:59:08.539 --> 00:59:10.800
social perception of any who oppose the angel

00:59:10.800 --> 00:59:14.599
king will be quite volatile. I too had hoped

00:59:14.599 --> 00:59:16.760
to unseat the fractured horn. That is why I sent

00:59:16.760 --> 00:59:21.420
you to investigate on San Sitian. My outcome

00:59:21.420 --> 00:59:24.400
would have differed greatly. The fallout from

00:59:24.400 --> 00:59:28.599
Atash's actions will be disastrous. Firstly,

00:59:28.719 --> 00:59:33.039
I expect Speaker Cirilla LaRoche will soon be

00:59:33.039 --> 00:59:36.139
removed from office pending her own investigation.

00:59:36.860 --> 00:59:40.199
Your former employer, Dresden, will be unseated.

00:59:40.360 --> 00:59:44.840
The Roche family, they will face hard times.

00:59:45.219 --> 00:59:48.570
In that way, we have accomplished our goal. We

00:59:48.570 --> 00:59:51.590
may take some pride in this, I'm sure, but there's

00:59:51.590 --> 00:59:54.650
more. I also expect that Speaker Infante will

00:59:54.650 --> 00:59:57.809
be replaced. You saw when we first met Crispin

00:59:57.809 --> 00:59:59.849
that I had already managed to blackmail him myself.

01:00:00.250 --> 01:00:02.289
You remember when you first met Shirley in the

01:00:02.289 --> 01:00:05.889
quarters for the Speaker of Saint -Étienne, that

01:00:05.889 --> 01:00:09.130
she cowed him with some information. The information

01:00:09.130 --> 01:00:11.269
I had gathered was not so difficult to obtain.

01:00:11.630 --> 01:00:14.610
Atash Shirley has already found enough to have

01:00:14.610 --> 01:00:17.579
him removed as well. Doubtless, his replacement

01:00:17.579 --> 01:00:19.619
will be someone loyal to Atash, probably one

01:00:19.619 --> 01:00:21.820
of the heroes of the recent battle for Papalatiyan

01:00:21.820 --> 01:00:24.900
Hill. The people of Sansatyan will, in their

01:00:24.900 --> 01:00:27.760
gratitude, serve their very world to the bastard.

01:00:28.199 --> 01:00:30.840
And so Atash will remove two of Zomateshab's

01:00:30.840 --> 01:00:35.000
agents and add one of his own. On top of that,

01:00:35.099 --> 01:00:37.639
he will gain even higher social standing, drawing

01:00:37.639 --> 01:00:41.030
other speakers to his side. In the coming months,

01:00:41.090 --> 01:00:44.190
the cult will go silent, so Monte Sharpe's sucklers

01:00:44.190 --> 01:00:46.449
will bury themselves away to lick at their wounds.

01:00:46.769 --> 01:00:49.610
This was a grave blow to them, though they are

01:00:49.610 --> 01:00:53.170
still not to be underestimated. An animal cornered

01:00:53.170 --> 01:00:57.050
is at its most dangerous, and the bitch Calypsania

01:00:57.050 --> 01:01:01.210
yet thrives in hiding. She is plotting something

01:01:01.210 --> 01:01:03.829
yet. I think she almost, like, looks away for

01:01:03.829 --> 01:01:06.789
a second, like, agitation entering her eyes,

01:01:06.809 --> 01:01:09.130
and just there's a moment of pause. Is there

01:01:09.130 --> 01:01:10.769
anything you want to jump in and say during this

01:01:10.769 --> 01:01:12.590
moment? I want to give you a moment because Mama's

01:01:12.590 --> 01:01:16.610
laying down some lore. I mean, I... I want to

01:01:16.610 --> 01:01:18.250
give you a chance to breathe. Crispin has something

01:01:18.250 --> 01:01:20.630
to ask about, but I don't think now is the time.

01:01:21.110 --> 01:01:24.869
Okay. All right. Yeah, Dresden's just open ears.

01:01:25.690 --> 01:01:28.949
Okay. She starts for a second. She's just...

01:01:28.949 --> 01:01:35.369
Calypsania. I suppose I should tell you of her

01:01:35.369 --> 01:01:38.730
as well. An ancient black dragon, my mortal foe,

01:01:38.730 --> 01:01:42.530
and Zalmante Sharb's most foremost... Shit, hang

01:01:42.530 --> 01:01:50.070
on. Let me say it again. An ancient black dragon,

01:01:50.289 --> 01:01:53.329
my mortal foe, and Zalmante Sharb's most fervent

01:01:53.329 --> 01:01:56.510
servant. I hated that, too. Yeah, fervent servant.

01:01:56.550 --> 01:02:00.010
Fervent servant. Ah, just go on. She leads the

01:02:00.010 --> 01:02:02.269
efforts to revive him and serves the true mastermind

01:02:02.269 --> 01:02:05.610
behind the fractured horn. She stands even above

01:02:05.610 --> 01:02:08.590
Cerise Laroche, who was the queen of one of our

01:02:08.590 --> 01:02:13.250
most influential worlds, as you know. In this

01:02:13.250 --> 01:02:15.050
one, she breathes in deep, like she's really

01:02:15.050 --> 01:02:20.269
thinking. Calypsania is also Zebulon's mother.

01:02:20.889 --> 01:02:25.110
Knew it. I think we literally knew it. You kind

01:02:25.110 --> 01:02:26.889
of had it. Yeah, I think it was pretty much out

01:02:26.889 --> 01:02:31.159
there. Yeah. What? In the files. When they first

01:02:31.159 --> 01:02:33.519
tried to seize power, I stood in their way, snuffing

01:02:33.519 --> 01:02:36.500
out every political flame they lit. And then,

01:02:36.599 --> 01:02:41.260
Zebulon was born in secret. The child of a brass

01:02:41.260 --> 01:02:44.179
half -dragon, a full black. He was a child that

01:02:44.179 --> 01:02:47.059
should not have been. Chromatics and metallics

01:02:47.059 --> 01:02:50.400
simply cannot procreate, and so he was born small.

01:02:53.480 --> 01:02:57.079
You're breaking my fucking heart. Yet, he was

01:02:57.079 --> 01:02:59.539
the most beautiful thing I have known in my life.

01:03:00.139 --> 01:03:02.679
I let them gain power, let their master come

01:03:02.679 --> 01:03:05.079
to threaten the world again so I might be allowed

01:03:05.079 --> 01:03:08.059
to raise my grandson outside of their influence.

01:03:08.559 --> 01:03:12.619
I only wanted to keep him that way. Keep him

01:03:12.619 --> 01:03:17.139
following the footsteps of... I can only imagine

01:03:17.139 --> 01:03:20.019
the horrors you have put through, Dresden, raised

01:03:20.019 --> 01:03:24.000
in the shadow of my greatest failure. I am sorry.

01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.440
I will say, though, this thing does strike you

01:03:27.440 --> 01:03:30.440
both here. Sholi mentioned that Zebulon was born

01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:32.900
to Calapsania, a black dragon, and to a half

01:03:32.900 --> 01:03:35.840
-dragon, which is presumably her son, but...

01:03:35.840 --> 01:03:43.219
Leave it in. Leave it in. David is getting a

01:03:43.219 --> 01:03:46.900
phone call. Shame. Shame. For shame. For shame.

01:03:46.900 --> 01:03:49.000
Where's the handbell? Where's the handbell? Shame.

01:03:49.199 --> 01:03:54.880
Shame. Presumably her son, but Sholi doesn't

01:03:54.880 --> 01:03:58.480
have a son. No, no, no, no, she must. She has

01:03:58.480 --> 01:04:00.800
grandsons. But why can't you remember anything

01:04:00.800 --> 01:04:02.500
about such an important person? Why did this

01:04:02.500 --> 01:04:05.219
oddity never strike you before? You never even

01:04:05.219 --> 01:04:08.400
considered it. And it feels like there's something

01:04:08.400 --> 01:04:11.900
there, some memory, something at the top of your

01:04:11.900 --> 01:04:14.860
mind being yanked back before you can focus on

01:04:14.860 --> 01:04:18.219
it. Something is wrong here. Even this moment

01:04:18.219 --> 01:04:20.940
of revelation is quickly fading as if being buried

01:04:20.940 --> 01:04:24.639
by new mundane thoughts. You have to fight to

01:04:24.639 --> 01:04:26.679
keep it in your mind. But what are you fighting

01:04:26.679 --> 01:04:29.960
against? Do you want to say anything in this

01:04:29.960 --> 01:04:35.800
moment of clarity before it is lost? Yeah, maybe.

01:04:37.320 --> 01:04:39.099
Crispin reacts if he's having a headache. He

01:04:39.099 --> 01:04:44.059
reaches up. Who is he? What are you? Are you

01:04:44.059 --> 01:04:49.889
doing this? You see the bearish nod almost. Despite

01:04:49.889 --> 01:04:52.409
my promise to share all, there are some truths

01:04:52.409 --> 01:04:57.090
that you simply can never, ever know. But understand

01:04:57.090 --> 01:04:59.190
that I am not ashamed of what I have done. I

01:04:59.190 --> 01:05:02.130
simply fear its consequences more than anything

01:05:02.130 --> 01:05:06.510
else in the world. And there's a real awkward

01:05:06.510 --> 01:05:11.889
pause. Yeah, I'm sure. Real awkward pause. I

01:05:11.889 --> 01:05:17.469
have so many questions that I want answered.

01:05:18.599 --> 01:05:23.079
Now this is one of them. Ask me another. A different

01:05:23.079 --> 01:05:28.619
question. One that I can answer. Please. I'm

01:05:28.619 --> 01:05:33.320
kind of imagining that the whole issue magically

01:05:33.320 --> 01:05:36.440
sort of wipes away and Crispin starts to feel

01:05:36.440 --> 01:05:39.019
a little more normal. Starts to forget what he

01:05:39.019 --> 01:05:41.280
was even so concerned about. What were you guys

01:05:41.280 --> 01:05:45.880
just talking about? Huh. Uh, questions, right?

01:05:47.630 --> 01:05:55.769
The boy, Paul, can you help get him back? That

01:05:55.769 --> 01:05:59.670
was one of the children. One of Jewel's boys,

01:05:59.949 --> 01:06:05.050
yeah. The Citadel, they sent men to take them

01:06:05.050 --> 01:06:08.469
away and bring them to the LaRoche family. And

01:06:08.469 --> 01:06:12.590
now, well, I can't help but imagine that the

01:06:12.590 --> 01:06:17.059
authorities hold some responsibility. I wanted

01:06:17.059 --> 01:06:20.139
to stand in the way of it, but I couldn't. Every

01:06:20.139 --> 01:06:22.340
time you step out of line to protect anyone,

01:06:22.519 --> 01:06:27.599
you open your back up to attack. Knives in the

01:06:27.599 --> 01:06:30.940
dark. And I speak not of physical, but political

01:06:30.940 --> 01:06:35.579
attacks. Well... The Roche family is weaker now,

01:06:35.699 --> 01:06:39.380
though. Perhaps we can make moves. Perhaps. I

01:06:39.380 --> 01:06:44.199
think it'll be worth it. I showed you, or I tried

01:06:44.199 --> 01:06:49.230
to show you. The boy Paul, he's... he's like

01:06:49.230 --> 01:06:55.590
me. She takes a full step back. Her eyes... wide.

01:06:56.570 --> 01:06:59.869
You do not see Shirley react like this. Ever.

01:07:00.909 --> 01:07:06.650
Monsieur Drakon. No. No, no, no, no. No, you

01:07:06.650 --> 01:07:11.150
know the word. Who has him now? Not Calypsania.

01:07:11.269 --> 01:07:17.550
No. I don't know where they took him. We found

01:07:17.550 --> 01:07:21.630
the others, but he was gone. What does it mean,

01:07:21.909 --> 01:07:26.789
Mazia Dracon? She sort of nods, and then just

01:07:26.789 --> 01:07:31.090
stunned, shocked, horrified, her eyes sort of

01:07:31.090 --> 01:07:33.210
staring out into space. Then she kind of comes

01:07:33.210 --> 01:07:36.730
back to herself. Yes, yes, there's still much

01:07:36.730 --> 01:07:40.050
I want to tell you, but I will not be the one

01:07:40.050 --> 01:07:42.969
to tell all, and I cannot be the one to tell

01:07:42.969 --> 01:07:46.690
you of this. Crispin Dubois, you should be made

01:07:46.690 --> 01:07:49.070
aware that it was not my idea to reach out to

01:07:49.070 --> 01:07:52.050
you at the start of all of this. I have allies

01:07:52.050 --> 01:07:55.010
that pushed me into making contact with you.

01:07:55.889 --> 01:07:59.550
Stalwart allies, my closest. Those that we all

01:07:59.550 --> 01:08:04.510
should heed, but do not any longer. The Gemstone

01:08:04.510 --> 01:08:08.409
Incarnates. You met with the Jasper Picantry

01:08:08.409 --> 01:08:11.070
when you first became a Luminary, and they saw

01:08:11.070 --> 01:08:15.019
something within you. They know. what you are.

01:08:16.020 --> 01:08:19.079
Dresden, they have sensed your presence as well.

01:08:19.760 --> 01:08:22.340
You are not, Monsieur Drakon, as Crispin is,

01:08:22.340 --> 01:08:26.899
and yet, as this Paul is, yet you carry a similar

01:08:26.899 --> 01:08:30.340
fragment of great power within your body, a piece

01:08:30.340 --> 01:08:35.760
of the Ancient Ones, their kin. When you have

01:08:35.760 --> 01:08:39.600
prepared, you must go to them, to the Incarnates.

01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:43.960
Travel the Preserve. Meet them all, learn, and

01:08:43.960 --> 01:08:47.840
hone your powers. I fear the time will come soon

01:08:47.840 --> 01:08:50.739
when we will all need to be at our strongest.

01:08:52.739 --> 01:08:58.520
I'll do it. I'll go. I'll do the same. The slightest

01:08:58.520 --> 01:09:02.220
smile touches her lips. Some of that fear washing

01:09:02.220 --> 01:09:07.359
away. And she even chuckles. As I said, my allies

01:09:07.359 --> 01:09:09.760
are few and my position is weakening. If you

01:09:09.760 --> 01:09:13.369
side with me, You will be standing on the losing

01:09:13.369 --> 01:09:17.390
side of a secret war. Yet I am confident that

01:09:17.390 --> 01:09:22.170
this is the right side. Will you do as I ask

01:09:22.170 --> 01:09:27.329
and join my fight in all fields of battle? Will

01:09:27.329 --> 01:09:32.630
you serve me in this war? I will, of course.

01:09:32.689 --> 01:09:36.750
I have to send something home. I have to send

01:09:36.750 --> 01:09:40.890
protection, but I'm here, but I can't go there.

01:09:41.630 --> 01:09:44.869
I will care for those you love. Do not worry

01:09:44.869 --> 01:09:48.229
for them. For now you must protect yourselves.

01:09:49.229 --> 01:09:53.750
For you two may be the greatest weapons we have

01:09:53.750 --> 01:09:57.970
to stand against the evils of this world. Leave

01:09:57.970 --> 01:10:02.510
the rest to me, please. If they have you, then

01:10:02.510 --> 01:10:05.789
you can see his shoulders drop. He's feeling

01:10:05.789 --> 01:10:12.949
relief. Okay. When do we start? She turns away

01:10:12.949 --> 01:10:16.590
from you, sort of beckoning you deeper into the

01:10:16.590 --> 01:10:20.310
shadows of her chamber and begins to walk. Now

01:10:20.310 --> 01:10:27.729
will do. We start now. And as we pan away from

01:10:27.729 --> 01:10:32.569
the two of you, outside the door, up and over

01:10:32.569 --> 01:10:36.869
a row without staring down at the preserve, we

01:10:36.869 --> 01:10:40.920
will leave Crispin and Dresden for a time. Give

01:10:40.920 --> 01:10:44.100
these heroes time to shine outside the spotlight.

01:10:45.859 --> 01:10:50.539
Crispin likes it best. We'll come back to them

01:10:50.539 --> 01:10:55.800
when they are needed. And they will be needed.

01:10:56.800 --> 01:10:59.539
But for now, we'll call it there.