WEBVTT

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Well, hello there. Haven't seen you around these

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parts before. Might I tell you a little bit about

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Reckless Nerd Out Nights? Every other week at

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Reckless Brewing Company's Pine House. It's a

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hippity -hopping time. Seriously, guys. It's

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awesome. Every other week, we're hosting a game

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night at 6 o 'clock p .m. to 9 o 'clock p .m.

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Monday nights. It's super, super cool. I'm going

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to get in some magic this week. I'm so excited.

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I did a Commander game the other day. It was

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so cool. And then I'll be running some one -shots

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here and there. We're also getting some local

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DMs together to run one -shots of their own.

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Seriously talented, seriously cool people. Please

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come by. Please check them out. We're putting

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tickets up on Eventbrite. Just search for Eventbrite,

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Reckless Brewing, Nerd Out Night. You should

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find us, grab some tickets. The second they come

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up, you want to get them fast because they are

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selling out so quick. People are excited because

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it's awesome. So please, please, come on by.

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Yeah, come on by Reckless Brewing, where we make

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beer. Before they can chew there. Tres and Kellig,

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Blanche Trudeau, and Sean Franklin Mondelio.

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And who can be more surprised? I mean, Ardash

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himself has reported that their work on Santacian

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was instrumental in the arrest of Itzmin Del

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Prado and the nefarious big man. With the hand

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of the Sunweaver sees potential, you better believe

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the people of the Concord Worlds will jump on

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it. Now, now hang on. Whether or not they agree...

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to this locked position is yet to be seen. We

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know they have returned to the Sindel early this

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day for a proper hero's rest, so let's give them

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all some time, shall we? They've all three got

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a big decision to make. Jean, too, huh? Ooh.

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The offer is out there. Go Jean Franklin de Montelio.

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All three got a big decision to make. Are you

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thinking what I'm thinking? Hmm. I guess not.

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What do you think? Man, I'm like, I'm trying

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to decide if I should like, if I should save

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it for like the show or maybe a little bit of

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both. I'll play it. I'll play it out. Imagine

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this. Yeah. Imagine a world. Yeah. Where Jean.

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Yeah. Is sponsored by the pale moonlight. I'd

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argue ugly coyote. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just to

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piss him off. Oh man. It fits his brand. Speak

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of the pale moonlight. I had. I have things in

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this episode that were supposed to be last week.

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I had things I wasn't going to do this week that

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I'm doing this week purely because of your choice

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back there. That was some fun stuff. Yeah, I

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thought so. I wanted to try to get an extra week

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out of it for John. We're getting an extra week

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out of it for the viewers, the listeners, because

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we're here. We're going back to the pale moonlight.

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Before we do that, we have something to talk

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about. The pants people rose up. The pants people

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have spoken. And the rule of no takesies seems

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to be demanded. Shall we implement such a rule

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for our button chaos situation? I'd just say

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just for this time. It doesn't have to be like

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a blanket rule. I'm cool with going down to three.

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Yeah, just for this time. I'm just saying just

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for this time. I want my damn buttons. Okay.

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I think there are a couple of unspoken rules

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in our... world our society the first being the

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golden rule treat others the way you want to

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be treated yeah the second no takes these back

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seats wow i was genuinely wondering where you

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were going with that i should have seen it i

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think i think if we all play by those two rules

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the world will be a better place okay all right

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in that case i hereby declare A no takesies backsies

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on the buttons of last week. I see where you're

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going with this. You're going to screw us over.

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He's going to say butt. Which means pants people.

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He has two buttons. I get to keep my button.

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Yeah. And I'm going to tell you all. I think

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it was just one. I'm going to tell you all right

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now. Oh yeah, we joked about one. Yeah, but one

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button almost TPK'd you guys in the mesmerized

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fight. Remember that? I have one button. I'm

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going to tell you all what I'm going to do with

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it. I have a plan for this button. Okay? On our

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next major arc, I will use this button and I

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will kill Jean Franklin Montelio. That's it.

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I declared it. It's been declared. It's out there.

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Brace yourselves. Brace for riptide. Pants people.

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Yeah, what? Revolt. No, no, they did. This is

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the world they wanted. I gave that button with

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the understanding that this was all going to

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be erased. But you know what? I like it. Yeah.

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Yeah. I like it. Yeah. It's going to add some

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nice tension down the road. I hate it. But I

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like it. And that was really fast, too, because

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we are recording this on the day that that episode

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came out. So it's what? 2 o 'clock in the afternoon

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right now? Very quick revolt. 3 o 'clock? Very

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quick revolt. Thank you, Pants People. It was

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installed and ended in a couple hours. There

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were like 8 or 10 hours of revolt. Your voices

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have been heard. I just hope you don't come to

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regret it. You guys want to get into it? I just

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got some new headphones. Stephen gave me a GM's

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Day. I didn't know it was a thing. A GM's Day

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gift. I now have the headphones they have instead

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of the garbage headphones I've been using for

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a year and a half now. Wow. This is weird. It

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sounds really good. Now David knows how the podcast

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sounds. Yeah, seriously. Welcome to the show.

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It's a pretty good show, guys. Not too bad. What

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have I been listening to? You've done a lot of

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work here, Jeremy. Thanks. It's been painstaking.

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I'm ready to play. Oh, yeah. Give me some music.

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Where's that sirenscape? Hashtag sirenscape.

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Let's open into a room lit by a soft yellow light.

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See, glowing salt lamps sort of lining the walls.

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Incense burns on a table in the corner and the

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room just smells so good. Just think of a really

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good smell. I don't know what smells are. It's

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a good one, though. Give me a smell. How about...

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Jasmine tea. Hell yeah, that's great. Nice. Nice.

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In the midst of all this, this very quaint, very

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comfortable space, we see John Franklin is halfway

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submerged into an extravagant bathtub filled

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with a warm silvery mud. Two cucumber slices

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cover his eyes. In one hand, he holds a glass

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of a deep red wine. The other is reaching to

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the tray at the tub's side, where a delicacy

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of sushi rolls is stacked elaborately along this

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very long tray. I will say that this tub is easily

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big enough for two. These are the private apartments

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that Jean's been staying in, and they are...

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You have found Blanche. wildly extravagant. This

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is just the bathroom of this. And right now he

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is taking his pre -bath, post -shower mud dip.

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I guess a daily ritual. Sometimes twice. It's

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a big tub. Picking it up for two. Is Blanche

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possibly enjoying an amazing eel bath as well?

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I think it's even better. Oh. I think Blanche

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is maybe towards the other side of the room on

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a massage table getting her shell. Really worked

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and polished. Oh my, your shell is so nice. Oh

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God, he's back. Says Beauregard. Flippery hands

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are just kind of rolling over your shell. This

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feels very nice on my battle scars. Well, your

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battle scars feel so nice on my flipper. Not

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too familiar, sir. I'm sorry. I'm going to throw

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up. Jean's just sitting around letting little

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silvery eels in the mud just lick at his dead

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and damaged skin, feeling his legs sort of reinvigorated.

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Just a new thing, all the rage in the Citadel.

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Well, at least in the pale moonlight where those

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who can afford it can enjoy it. So, despite Beauregard

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just massaging her shell, I think Jaune kind

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of lulls. This is just excellent. It's been so

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long. Well, a few days, but it's so long for

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me. He kind of, like, takes a second, sort of

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grunts to himself, sort of getting comfortable.

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Then you see him reach up and pull the cucumbers

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off his eyes, and he kind of looks over to you,

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Blanche. So, you, uh, um... I suppose you'll

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be returning to your station then, sir. Back

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to Father's heel. I have a duty and a responsibility.

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One that I will not shirk. Right. Right, right,

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right. Yes, of course. Though you should stay

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with me. He's not what you think, sir. Father

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is a lying, betraying murderer. All the kings

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of coin are. Beauregard, please disregard this.

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Of course. Discretion is my absolute principle.

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Very well. They're all murderers, sir. And I'm

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going to prove it to the world. How do you plan

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to do that? Well, I suppose I'm on the path already.

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For now I can use jewels. He's gaining more clout

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as a luminary. Let's assume that I believe any

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of this at all. Why don't you tell me what you

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know? I suppose it's as good a time as any. But

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to God, you can stay. Thank you, sir. I'm just

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going to keep working on this shell. He's fine.

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He's got your trust, I guess. Yes. I will preface,

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Jean, that my station... is not dependent on

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the acts of those I protect. I understand. So,

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hear me out, and you may make whatever decision

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is best. I, of course, trust your judgment, sir.

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But I shall tell you why I left the Golden Bay,

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why I left Noari, and tried to become Illuminary.

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It's really quite simple. The truth is, on the

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day that I left, I broke into Father's private

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office. I was hoping to forge a mistake on his

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latest financial reports and get that damnable

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no -good Le Dulemois fired for good. Well, I

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didn't get that far, unfortunately. But there

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was a document on his desk, penned by his hand.

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A letter addressed to the Kings of Coins at large.

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A list of grievances he felt towards the rest

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of the merchant monarchy. He was upset that he

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was treated as lesser to the others, even though

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the Golden Bay's fishing industry easily made

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more overall revenue than a few of them, at least.

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I mean, we're up there. It was an angry note,

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quite personal. He probably never even meant

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to send it actually, just some sort of stress

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relief. I don't know, but... But it detailed

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another reason why he should be more respected.

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That he was complicit in a grave crime. We all

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know of the jelly flower. Probably the most commercially

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valuable crop grown on any world. I weep at night

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knowing I can never stomach the taste of its

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sweet wines again. But I couldn't stomach it

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now, knowing the truth. Apparently the jelly

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flower was purely the creation of someone named

00:12:33.929 --> 00:12:37.970
Eden. There was a trade with the kings of coin.

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Some unnamed price for the first jelly seeds,

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but the kings never intended to pay their side.

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They murdered this... Eden, and took the seeds

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for themselves. They must have known the financial

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boom Noari would experience from the flower,

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yet their greed was so great, so loathsome, they'd

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rather commit cold murder than make an actual

00:12:56.980 --> 00:13:00.100
investment. Now, father was not one of the kings

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before the jelly flower first bloomed, but he

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was in talks with them, and he certainly knows

00:13:04.460 --> 00:13:06.980
of their dark secret. He's only profited off

00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:09.720
of this villainy. I have profited off of this

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villainy. Even the speaker of our world knows

00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:14.700
about this. That they told me I should be grateful

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to the kings for what they've done. It's maddening.

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My family's honor, my honor, is absolutely tarnished.

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Now is that a man that Master Defense Blanche

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Trudeau should serve? Sir, someday, I will be

00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:34.580
Lord of the Nine Pools. And I will deserve your

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company. I will. But not before I see the kings

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of coin revealed for the villains they are, father

00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:45.620
included. Okay, so maybe we come back to the

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point where you said father included. Yeah. We

00:13:48.820 --> 00:13:51.139
might want to cut this out. I don't know yet.

00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:55.779
Let's go over real fast. See, this might be stuff

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that just you and I have talked about. Yeah.

00:13:57.620 --> 00:14:02.580
But the Golden Bay where the bioluminescent bug,

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fish, thing, whatever come in. Yes, the algae

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that appears. The algae. Condorola's blessing.

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A great sort of spirit that lives within the

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bay. And the fish come in to eat that, which

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is what. gives such wonderful bounty, blah, blah,

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blah. The Festival of the Golden Bay, the sort

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of tournament you had, it's done every year at

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the end of the Wage of Vice to appease this spirit's

00:14:22.809 --> 00:14:25.450
deity. Yes. And when this deity's appeased, the

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Golden Bay fills with this golden shimmer as

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this bioluminescent golden algae sort of floats

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to the top, appearing as if from nowhere from

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the bay's bottom. It draws in such a massive

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population of these huge, healthy fish that...

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The trained fishermen of the Golden Bay, the

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turtles there, snatch up and sell for incredible

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profit. They are the best fishermen, and this

00:14:49.009 --> 00:14:51.110
is the best fishing spot on any of the worlds.

00:14:51.309 --> 00:14:54.169
And this has nothing to do with these jellyflowers.

00:14:54.169 --> 00:14:55.870
No. This is a totally different venture. The

00:14:55.870 --> 00:14:58.649
jellyflower is more to the south of the Golden

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Bay, probably about a mile's journey, is the

00:15:00.690 --> 00:15:03.830
city -state of Zinda. It's the main powerhouse

00:15:03.830 --> 00:15:07.750
city of Noari. and generally what people think

00:15:07.750 --> 00:15:09.570
of when they think of Noiri. The turtles and

00:15:09.570 --> 00:15:13.110
their rituals are oftentimes just kind of, you

00:15:13.110 --> 00:15:16.210
know, sort of put out of mind. Zinda's where

00:15:16.210 --> 00:15:19.070
it's at, and the jelly flower, the gardens of

00:15:19.070 --> 00:15:21.590
this jelly flower grow all around outside the

00:15:21.590 --> 00:15:25.429
city. It is essentially this flower that's mostly

00:15:25.429 --> 00:15:27.330
used for wine, but it's basically used for many

00:15:27.330 --> 00:15:29.669
other things as well. It's this incredible resource

00:15:29.669 --> 00:15:31.830
that has caused, like, there's one king of coin,

00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:34.070
because each king of coin has their own, like,

00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:36.940
thing they oversee. And one of them literally

00:15:36.940 --> 00:15:40.259
just oversees jelly trade. And this king is the

00:15:40.259 --> 00:15:43.860
richest. Okay. It's a big deal. Yeah. Alright.

00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:48.480
If what you say is true, Tadpole, I will help

00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:53.399
you expose this as best as I can, but it will

00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:57.919
be from the Golden Bay. I'm tasked with defending

00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:03.179
the bay. And I will do that even if it is from

00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:07.460
the kings of coin but that is my place i understand

00:16:07.460 --> 00:16:11.600
i think you like you do see a moment he like

00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.360
swallows a little hard he's like not trying to

00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:16.039
show that i guess it kind of hurts him that you're

00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:19.879
leaving because he's he's committed to staying

00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:21.559
you can see that in his eyes he's committed to

00:16:21.559 --> 00:16:27.440
staying he had nods i can't go back not yet i

00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:33.580
just i need jewels I need a luminary. It's the

00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:36.980
only way forward. They have clout. They have

00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:40.059
the ability to say things, do things. You saw

00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:42.940
Jules when he got here. He set the whole place

00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:45.000
on fire with that word about Tythos. I mean,

00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.679
that's what I need. That kind of respect. That

00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:50.720
kind of... I think you actually hear another

00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:55.919
voice rise up. Then why don't you, Lord John

00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:01.690
Franklin, become a luminary? That's what I was

00:17:01.690 --> 00:17:03.230
going to ask. I was like, okay, so obviously

00:17:03.230 --> 00:17:05.569
our characters don't know that they were offered.

00:17:05.750 --> 00:17:09.390
You don't know. You don't just, ha, I've been

00:17:09.390 --> 00:17:12.210
down that road. Not popular enough. Us tortoise

00:17:12.210 --> 00:17:14.690
have kept to ourselves a long time. Some folks

00:17:14.690 --> 00:17:17.990
still look at us as monster races, like goblins

00:17:17.990 --> 00:17:20.029
and kobolds and such and such. They'll never

00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:23.670
make a tortoise luminary. I think, like, you

00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:26.349
feel hands come off your shell, Blanche. And

00:17:26.349 --> 00:17:28.390
you kind of see Beauregard starts shifting over

00:17:28.390 --> 00:17:30.829
towards one side of the room. And here, of course,

00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:32.730
is a crystal projector in every single room.

00:17:32.789 --> 00:17:35.809
Yeah, of course. So he kind of just walks over.

00:17:36.250 --> 00:17:40.710
You haven't seen it. And he kind of finagles

00:17:40.710 --> 00:17:43.049
the projector, and all of a sudden, on the wall,

00:17:43.230 --> 00:17:46.309
an image resolves itself against sort of the

00:17:46.309 --> 00:17:50.269
stark white sort of paper wall. You see images

00:17:50.269 --> 00:17:52.849
of Orin kind of like speaking, and I think almost

00:17:52.849 --> 00:17:54.549
belayed behind him, almost like on a green screen,

00:17:54.650 --> 00:17:59.849
are images of you, of your group arriving on

00:17:59.849 --> 00:18:02.509
the Jewel, stepping out onto the world, coming

00:18:02.509 --> 00:18:04.970
back from San Satyan, and you hear, The people

00:18:04.970 --> 00:18:07.829
have spoken, and the offer of luminary ship is

00:18:07.829 --> 00:18:09.869
officially being expressed towards Dresden Kellig,

00:18:09.930 --> 00:18:13.490
Blanche Rudeau, and Jean -Franco Montelio. We

00:18:13.490 --> 00:18:15.569
already did the intro. But you're hearing the

00:18:15.569 --> 00:18:21.349
intro, and Jean's eyes go. Oh, it's been playing

00:18:21.349 --> 00:18:32.390
all day long. We, we... Sir, is this real? Well...

00:18:32.390 --> 00:18:34.650
We've become luminaries. There you go, Tadpole.

00:18:34.750 --> 00:18:38.430
That seems like you're off and running. The first

00:18:38.430 --> 00:18:43.690
total luminaries. I didn't... But I told Jules

00:18:43.690 --> 00:18:48.200
I'd become his sidekick. Do you think? He might

00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:53.819
maybe allow me to stand as his luminary partner

00:18:53.819 --> 00:18:58.039
instead. That would be quite something. He would

00:18:58.039 --> 00:19:00.839
be lucky to have you. You think so? Anybody would.

00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:08.420
This is huge. For the turtles, for my plans,

00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:11.299
for everything. And I think his eyes fall on

00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:14.180
you, and he kind of looks at you quizzically.

00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:20.359
You too, sir. Tell me, do you wish to become

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:24.259
a luminary? And before you answer that question,

00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:28.420
I want to take us all back in time. I want to

00:19:28.420 --> 00:19:32.819
bring us back to a younger Blanche when she was

00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:36.720
still training in the art of the sword. The details

00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.420
of that will leave mysterious for a moment. Stephen,

00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:42.380
how young was Blanche when she was still learning

00:19:42.380 --> 00:19:45.490
to use the blade? It's certainly going to be

00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:47.549
before her victory in the Tidepool Arena that

00:19:47.549 --> 00:19:49.809
we have seen previously. I imagine some years

00:19:49.809 --> 00:19:55.650
previously. Yeah. She was probably about John's

00:19:55.650 --> 00:19:59.910
age now. Wow. Yeah, she was a young woman. Oh,

00:19:59.910 --> 00:20:06.069
that's awesome. Wow. Okay. Blanche, as we move

00:20:06.069 --> 00:20:08.170
back in time, we see that the rooms that surround

00:20:08.170 --> 00:20:11.049
you now are not nearly as ornately decorated

00:20:11.049 --> 00:20:14.190
as those of the pale moonlight. I would describe

00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:17.150
them as simple and efficient. Training rooms

00:20:17.150 --> 00:20:22.490
with little frivolity to see. But the Umizun

00:20:22.490 --> 00:20:25.450
architecture is very similar, as the training

00:20:25.450 --> 00:20:28.210
school you currently live in is on the world

00:20:28.210 --> 00:20:31.789
of Umizu. You are moving through a white -walled

00:20:31.789 --> 00:20:35.430
hallway, a steamy haze filling the space. As

00:20:35.430 --> 00:20:36.970
you pass by a small window, you can see that

00:20:36.970 --> 00:20:39.309
another student, a young man, is standing at

00:20:39.309 --> 00:20:41.750
the center of the training grounds outside, repeatedly

00:20:41.750 --> 00:20:45.430
swinging a blade. All other students have retired

00:20:45.430 --> 00:20:48.250
to their Romans and baths following a harsh day.

00:20:48.990 --> 00:20:51.670
The one outside is sort of the problem student

00:20:51.670 --> 00:20:54.849
of the lot, and so has unsurprisingly found himself

00:20:54.849 --> 00:20:57.690
committed to yet another thousand swings punishment.

00:20:59.390 --> 00:21:01.009
You can see as you stare out this window how

00:21:01.009 --> 00:21:03.349
the wind itself seems to wrap around his blade.

00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:05.890
It's his natural talent shining through as he

00:21:05.890 --> 00:21:11.569
grows deeper into exhaustion. But Pupil Eminrath

00:21:11.569 --> 00:21:14.210
is not the person you should be focusing on right

00:21:14.210 --> 00:21:19.710
now. That's so awesome. Because your master,

00:21:19.910 --> 00:21:24.250
Master Ozen Yoshikatsu, has summoned you personally.

00:21:24.809 --> 00:21:28.940
Boom. Mic drop. Don't drop the mic. Yeah, please

00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:34.500
don't. Please don't. You move on. You reach the

00:21:34.500 --> 00:21:36.519
end of the hallway and stand before a sliding

00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:40.440
door that is just slightly open, releasing steam

00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:45.119
all around you. Do you step in? Before Blanche

00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:49.140
steps in, I just want to like, guys, that is

00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:54.519
so cool, right? Yeah. Blanche was taught by Ozen

00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:59.220
Yoshikatsu, the storm eye. The storm eye. Yeah.

00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.799
Alongside Emon Roth. Alongside Emon Roth. Did

00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:07.319
you originally plan that or did it just like

00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:10.740
start to make sense? I'm very curious. I think

00:22:10.740 --> 00:22:12.619
we can start bringing up our initial talks. Yeah.

00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:14.579
Okay. You want to be a blade singer. And I was

00:22:14.579 --> 00:22:16.480
like, you know who's basically a blade singer?

00:22:17.740 --> 00:22:19.839
And like, it just kind of came together. Yeah.

00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:21.480
That, that kind of fell together during character

00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:24.319
creation. Yeah. But I mean, like we've been sitting

00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:26.240
on that for a while and I'm so excited to get

00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:30.599
it out. How rich, how rich. Oh yeah. Yes. Blanche

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.980
enters. You step into a bathing room, uh, facing

00:22:34.980 --> 00:22:38.079
a wide, clear pool of bubbling, steaming water

00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:40.759
at the far end of this sort of spring in the,

00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:44.279
in a shape revealing in the mask. And at the

00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:46.420
far end of the spring is a shape sort of resolving

00:22:46.420 --> 00:22:49.599
itself in the mist. You see, as things begin

00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:52.000
to clear, the haze flowing out the door behind

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:55.680
you, the figure raises a solitary hand in your

00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:07.960
direction and says, Hello! No. I mean... He can't

00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:17.140
say no to me! Ah, Blanche, do come in. Feel free

00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:19.339
to join me. The water is exceptionally soothing

00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:22.839
and the sake is delightful. As things clear,

00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:27.200
you see Ozen. The storm eye sits casually and

00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:30.400
very, very naked, his arms resting at the frame

00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.240
around the spring. There's a sake jar in one

00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:35.640
hand. You see him take a long sip from it and

00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.039
place it back with a satisfied, ah -ha. As he

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:42.440
pulls the jar away, Ozen is... Sort of a light

00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.500
brown eye sort of sees you and softens without

00:23:45.500 --> 00:23:48.200
his helmet on. You can see the old scar running

00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:51.059
over his empty socket of his other eye. I don't

00:23:51.059 --> 00:23:52.539
know which eye it was. I said it before, I think,

00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:54.940
but that was like 70 episodes ago. It was that

00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:58.539
one. It was that one. And might I just say. Yeah.

00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:02.619
Like that younger Ozen voice is like on point.

00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:06.019
I remember exactly how he sounded in the first

00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:08.920
two episodes. Oh man, I did not. I tried. That

00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:12.900
is on point. point he was surprised i was very

00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:15.220
surprised it's literally just a little bit of

00:24:15.220 --> 00:24:18.299
a higher pitch of the same exact accent see if

00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:20.799
i can keep it up his long black beard is like

00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:22.579
trailing down into the water and spreading sort

00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:24.279
of floating amidst the bubbles where it touches

00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:27.160
on the surface um his form is well muscled with

00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:30.480
various battle scars etched into his body some

00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.759
might find it odd to be summoned into their master's

00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:36.119
bathing side but you know that's just ozen He's

00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:38.279
a type who is maybe too easygoing once you get

00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:40.460
to know him. Formality and prudeness are just

00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:44.460
a waste of energy and time. I would think that

00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:47.000
the whole school is probably like that. If you

00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:50.559
come here with vanity, it's probably taught out

00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:55.019
of you. So Blanche happily accepts the invitation

00:24:55.019 --> 00:24:57.400
and joins him. Just come right in the tub? Yep.

00:24:57.740 --> 00:25:01.619
Blanche is going right in. She's, after a long

00:25:01.619 --> 00:25:04.859
day of training, excited for a soak and a little

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:08.059
sake. He, like, stands up. You see too much as

00:25:08.059 --> 00:25:10.420
he walks over to you and, like, hands you the

00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:14.160
sort of bottle or jar and sort of goes back to

00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:16.559
his side of the tub, sits back, leans, and, ah,

00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:20.619
it's wonderful. I mean, this is, ooh, primo spring

00:25:20.619 --> 00:25:24.180
here. Fine work today. Your battlefield awareness

00:25:24.180 --> 00:25:28.259
is just exceptional. And did I hear you whispering

00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:32.079
some sort of oceanic phrase for that move you

00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:37.690
pulled in combat? Thank you, Master Rosen. I

00:25:37.690 --> 00:25:44.529
am pleased that you are pleased. Yes, I am building

00:25:44.529 --> 00:25:48.930
a little lexicon for myself. Oh, wonderful, wonderful.

00:25:49.089 --> 00:25:53.190
That is just excellent. It helps me to remember

00:25:53.190 --> 00:25:56.910
the forms as I practice. They form a story of

00:25:56.910 --> 00:26:01.650
sorts. Hmm. His eyes are closed and he leans

00:26:01.650 --> 00:26:03.859
back, almost thinking that over. He just, he

00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:07.279
seems very pleased with your, I guess, with that

00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:11.819
statement. And is, uh, Eminirath still working

00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:15.019
through his thousand swings? I saw him on my

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:19.180
walk over, yes. Good, good. He may tire, but

00:26:19.180 --> 00:26:23.200
he has kept his form. Yes, he is an odd one.

00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:27.359
Still insists that I kidnapped him from his goat

00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:30.480
farm. The nerve of that boy. So very odd, isn't

00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:33.000
he? Wonderfully. Wonderfully odd. Wonderfully...

00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:34.559
Did you know he's been calling me the Big O?

00:26:34.859 --> 00:26:40.759
The fuck does that mean? The fuck is a Big O?

00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:57.119
Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yes. That too. Hi, Stump. Talent

00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:00.099
with no discipline, like a fine blade left unwielded.

00:27:00.539 --> 00:27:05.500
One could cry. But that is the wind for you.

00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:09.160
Impossible to hold in shape. You want to harness

00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:13.279
it? You have to trick it. But the storm has many

00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:17.880
forms. The wind, the lightning, and the wave.

00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:22.029
Almost like with that. moves his hand slightly

00:27:22.029 --> 00:27:24.569
and like the great waves sort of moves across

00:27:24.569 --> 00:27:27.470
the tub, splashing down over you. He kind of

00:27:27.470 --> 00:27:32.470
laughs with delight. Yes. The wave. Its power

00:27:32.470 --> 00:27:35.390
is great, but there is a structure to it, a method.

00:27:36.049 --> 00:27:39.930
And there you are, Blanche. Incredible, raw talent,

00:27:40.069 --> 00:27:42.849
absolute discipline. You are an amazing pupil.

00:27:43.549 --> 00:27:46.269
Far and ahead, the best I've ever trained. Thank

00:27:46.269 --> 00:27:49.059
you, sir. I do hope someday you can understand

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:51.799
the sheer elation of being a proud mentor. It

00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:55.859
is a gift, unlike anything else. I'm focused

00:27:55.859 --> 00:28:00.079
only on learning now, sir. Yes, and that's why

00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:03.240
I brought you here, actually. Your focus now

00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:05.819
is on learning, but soon enough you will learn

00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:09.279
all I can teach. And so I want to ask you, what

00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:11.059
are your intentions following your time with

00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:14.099
me? Now, I'd never pushed you down any set path.

00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:16.420
Once your blade is honed, it is yours to wield.

00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:20.559
As you will, where you will. I wonder, though,

00:28:20.619 --> 00:28:22.839
if you will end up walking the very path I have

00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:26.660
tread. If you, too, will become a luminary of

00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:31.140
the Citadel. To be honest, Master Ozen, I...

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:37.160
Just Ozen. We're in a bath. Ozen? Or Storm Eye.

00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.180
It is cool. It's very, honestly. I don't know.

00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:43.319
I don't know what I would be called that would

00:28:43.319 --> 00:28:46.000
be nearly as cool as Storm Eye. I'm sorry, there's

00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:47.880
nothing. I didn't even coin that. They just did

00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:51.740
that. But to be honest, I know that I want to

00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:57.039
serve my people. Whether that is as a luminary

00:28:57.039 --> 00:29:03.259
or as a teacher, I have not yet decided. Serve

00:29:03.259 --> 00:29:07.700
your people. A noble answer. Now I will say,

00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:10.299
the path of the luminary may be able to do just

00:29:10.299 --> 00:29:13.700
this. I understand that there are reservations

00:29:13.700 --> 00:29:19.460
around turtles. Perhaps when one rises up, stands

00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:22.319
in the spotlight, this will change. It will be

00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.940
hard. But don't let that stand in your way, Blanche.

00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:29.920
Time changes all. Seeds become flowers. Tadpoles

00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:34.019
become frogs. And fools become less foolish.

00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:39.500
I hope to become less foolish under your tutelage

00:29:39.500 --> 00:29:43.609
and... If I were to ever be a luminary, I imagine

00:29:43.609 --> 00:29:47.430
that I would have only you to thank. Please don't

00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:50.829
misunderstand me, Blanche. You are not the fool.

00:29:51.349 --> 00:29:55.789
The worlds are filled with fools. Fools who do

00:29:55.789 --> 00:30:01.009
not see the potential in you. In those they deem

00:30:01.009 --> 00:30:05.069
less. But don't think about the world's want.

00:30:05.970 --> 00:30:08.200
Never... Think about what they want, what they

00:30:08.200 --> 00:30:12.099
expect. Think only of you. What do you really,

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:17.500
truly want? Glatch Trudeau. Simply to prove my

00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:22.680
worth. And I think a voice interrupts this memory.

00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:26.579
Sort of pulling you out of your aviary. Are you

00:30:26.579 --> 00:30:35.240
alright, Lady Blondie? Shall I continue your

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:41.039
massage? It's a good thing your flippers are

00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:49.420
smoother than your voice. Jean Franklin still

00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:52.299
looks to you. There's resolve behind his eyes,

00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:54.259
and you know he has decided he will take the

00:30:54.259 --> 00:30:57.200
mantle. Do you want to make the decision now,

00:30:57.420 --> 00:31:03.730
Blanche? Jean, I am deeply happy for you. But

00:31:03.730 --> 00:31:08.029
I can think of no greater title for myself than

00:31:08.029 --> 00:31:13.569
Master of Defense at the Golden Bay. Wow. Wow.

00:31:14.009 --> 00:31:19.210
Damn. All right. It's so, I never expected my

00:31:19.210 --> 00:31:22.509
sidekick becomes a luminary and your PC becomes

00:31:22.509 --> 00:31:26.049
not the sidekick. I don't know. It's wild. Yeah,

00:31:26.089 --> 00:31:29.549
I mean. It's cool. No, I love it. I think that

00:31:29.549 --> 00:31:32.369
was fucking awesome. And you know what? Take

00:31:32.369 --> 00:31:35.670
a button. All right. I'm playing Blanche so hot

00:31:35.670 --> 00:31:39.210
right now. Yeah, I still haven't decided exactly

00:31:39.210 --> 00:31:41.849
what Blanche is going to do, but right here,

00:31:41.890 --> 00:31:46.369
right now, she's ready to go home. She's ready

00:31:46.369 --> 00:31:48.490
to go home, get back to her post, back to her

00:31:48.490 --> 00:31:52.769
duties, and the rest will come. At least I'm

00:31:52.769 --> 00:31:55.829
hoping. I'm trusting. Something tells me the

00:31:55.829 --> 00:32:01.309
story's not going to allow that. Hell yes. So

00:32:01.309 --> 00:32:04.809
let's leave you guys. as your massage continues.

00:32:05.809 --> 00:32:10.750
Or however you say it. Before we go... What?

00:32:11.630 --> 00:32:16.369
Blanche looks up to Beauregard. Oh. Beauregard.

00:32:16.650 --> 00:32:23.170
Oh. What is the name of the one you work for

00:32:23.170 --> 00:32:30.069
here? Oh, my. Let me think about that. That's...

00:32:30.069 --> 00:32:35.480
Who's your boss, Beauregard? Let me... Give me...

00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:39.599
I have to remember. Maybe you can remember later,

00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:44.059
but how would your boss feel? That's Master Soze.

00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:48.259
I thought of it. Ah, Master Soze. How would Master

00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:51.619
Soze react? Shut up, Jeremy. I see your face.

00:32:54.559 --> 00:33:00.119
How? Don't. Does he also work with Kobayashi?

00:33:00.380 --> 00:33:07.619
Shut up. Ask your question about the Soze. It

00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:12.500
took you a second. How would Master Soze feel

00:33:12.500 --> 00:33:17.839
about having a luminary spawn C? Let's cut from

00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:24.359
there. That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool.

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:29.200
I think that would be awesome. I think that the

00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:32.869
pale moonlight could gain a lot. It also works

00:33:32.869 --> 00:33:35.029
so well because I realized that in hindsight,

00:33:35.289 --> 00:33:37.109
Jaune being a luminary means he gets payout.

00:33:37.950 --> 00:33:40.089
But now his payout, if you also end up becoming

00:33:40.089 --> 00:33:41.750
a luminary someday, I don't want to double the

00:33:41.750 --> 00:33:44.069
payout. That's ridiculous. So his payout could

00:33:44.069 --> 00:33:47.569
just be staying for free. Yeah. I'm just trying

00:33:47.569 --> 00:33:49.329
to get Jaune back in the pale moonlight, the

00:33:49.329 --> 00:33:52.029
poor guy. Very nice of you. That's very nice

00:33:52.029 --> 00:33:54.970
of you. I love it. And we will circle back to

00:33:54.970 --> 00:33:58.109
that. First things first. Let's go check on Jules

00:33:58.109 --> 00:34:02.400
LaRoche. Hey. Let's open up. A little later on

00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:04.940
in the day. Now it's late afternoon moving towards

00:34:04.940 --> 00:34:09.340
evening. So I'm day drunk? You're day drunk.

00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:12.940
I think Chester and Jeans have disappeared upstairs

00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:15.920
somewhere. Cherry Delights are all around her

00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:18.579
still just having a blast. Mulligan's kind of

00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:20.059
off cooking. I think pretty soon they're going

00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:21.920
to open up for the night crowd. I mean, Ayer

00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:23.980
doesn't give a shit about closing randomly for

00:34:23.980 --> 00:34:25.880
no reason all the time. And so that's kind of

00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:27.320
why he's like, eh, Jules is back. We're closed.

00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:30.219
I don't know. But I think Jeans is like... You

00:34:30.219 --> 00:34:32.599
know, you have to open. Fine, all right. I'll

00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:35.239
open it up. He's kind of just getting ready for

00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:39.719
that. Maybe Kiana's sort of giving a hand. You

00:34:39.719 --> 00:34:43.179
kind of find yourself alone at the bar. And then

00:34:43.179 --> 00:34:47.199
a very large figure comes and sort of awkwardly

00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:50.579
tries to squat down the stool beside you. Arhalon

00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:58.010
kind of just... Hello. I, um... He just looks

00:34:58.010 --> 00:35:02.750
awkward. Just staring. He's kind of looking towards

00:35:02.750 --> 00:35:06.210
you, looking down. I want to apologize for all

00:35:06.210 --> 00:35:09.550
this. I came here to explain myself, my actions

00:35:09.550 --> 00:35:15.289
to the good people here that I wronged. They

00:35:15.289 --> 00:35:18.309
are a surprisingly forgiving sort after what

00:35:18.309 --> 00:35:21.769
I've done. I tore your family apart, Jules, and

00:35:21.769 --> 00:35:28.230
I tore their family apart, and I'm sorry. I explained

00:35:28.230 --> 00:35:30.969
it to them and what happened on Sunset Yarn and

00:35:30.969 --> 00:35:35.949
they conscripted me into this. Hey, that's the

00:35:35.949 --> 00:35:45.809
past. Did you learn? Yes. Yes, Mama Jules. He's

00:35:45.809 --> 00:35:52.989
truly a cherry to light now. I learned. Did you

00:35:52.989 --> 00:35:57.880
grow? Yes. Not physically. That'd be terrifying.

00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:01.179
Do you feel better? I think he actually kind

00:36:01.179 --> 00:36:05.639
of, like, smiles, a sort of deep smile. I do.

00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:11.179
I... Despite everything, despite Zebulon, I feel

00:36:11.179 --> 00:36:16.659
better. I can do better. Well, there you go.

00:36:17.320 --> 00:36:21.820
We're here now. Now is now. Yes. That was then.

00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:25.500
And now... I can continue the real work, what

00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:28.639
I should have been doing this whole time. Tithos.

00:36:29.380 --> 00:36:32.400
I will find out what happened. I will. I'm going

00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:35.300
to investigate. I'm going to dive deep. I just

00:36:35.300 --> 00:36:38.500
need to know what this Shadra Khan has to do

00:36:38.500 --> 00:36:41.619
with it all. Ozen, he mentioned it, and I just,

00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:46.219
I know. Oh, you mean the World of Serpents? And

00:36:46.219 --> 00:36:49.480
like, should Fyros kind of stand right beside

00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:52.550
you guys? Yeah. Yeah, I went through a few more

00:36:52.550 --> 00:36:54.949
translations. I think the most crisp translation

00:36:54.949 --> 00:36:57.329
you could find, going back to a number of mythologies,

00:36:57.369 --> 00:37:01.210
especially looking at Umizan lore, that of Xing

00:37:01.210 --> 00:37:05.050
and Yanito, World of Serpents seems to fit the

00:37:05.050 --> 00:37:07.349
best. So yeah, Shadrach, come on, World of Serpents.

00:37:07.409 --> 00:37:12.969
That's it. You son of a bitch. Oh. Jules, Jules.

00:37:15.570 --> 00:37:17.510
Jules puts his hand on his head and shakes his

00:37:17.510 --> 00:37:21.719
hair. Jules. What would we do without you? well,

00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:23.860
it's really your doing, Jules. You gave Chester

00:37:23.860 --> 00:37:26.280
a bunch of gold last time before you left, and

00:37:26.280 --> 00:37:29.559
there's a bookstore that kind of just opened

00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:32.780
down the way, the Book Den. Pretty odd place,

00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:35.659
but I mean, Chester gave me some gold. I went

00:37:35.659 --> 00:37:38.500
in, and I've been visiting Penny, the owner there,

00:37:38.619 --> 00:37:41.599
every day. I mean, I've learned a lot. And you

00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:44.119
actually look over, there is that massive pile

00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:45.579
of books I mentioned he was hiding behind last

00:37:45.579 --> 00:37:47.619
time. It's a little bit ludicrous. You give Chester

00:37:47.619 --> 00:37:51.550
a lot of money for books. You can see now that

00:37:51.550 --> 00:37:53.289
most of these look to be, like, explorations

00:37:53.289 --> 00:37:55.070
of, like, the ancient histories and mythologies

00:37:55.070 --> 00:37:57.789
of the conquered worlds. Though there are a few

00:37:57.789 --> 00:37:59.809
mixed among them that kind of stand out. You

00:37:59.809 --> 00:38:01.829
can see a book called Touched by Arcanes, or

00:38:01.829 --> 00:38:04.889
Red Cover. Ones are a very dark -looking book

00:38:04.889 --> 00:38:08.630
that has dragon bones down the side. a light

00:38:08.630 --> 00:38:11.989
purplish novel called moon dust. And again, thank

00:38:11.989 --> 00:38:14.210
you, Meg. I'm having a lot of fun with this stuff.

00:38:14.329 --> 00:38:16.570
This content, uh, the book dens is, is, is from

00:38:16.570 --> 00:38:19.590
her new zine. And, uh, I've got early access

00:38:19.590 --> 00:38:21.170
to it and I'm going to, I'm going to flop that.

00:38:21.269 --> 00:38:24.670
So it's really cool. Yeah. Find that stuff at

00:38:24.670 --> 00:38:28.010
the hungry familiar. Find it. Um, but he kind

00:38:28.010 --> 00:38:29.909
of likes these kind of, and hey, we have a, we

00:38:29.909 --> 00:38:31.469
have a wizard in the party. So, uh, perhaps we'll

00:38:31.469 --> 00:38:35.449
be visiting the book den before long. Man, keep

00:38:35.449 --> 00:38:38.170
it up. You keep doing what you're doing. You

00:38:38.170 --> 00:38:42.789
might save our lives one day. I, uh... Thanks,

00:38:42.949 --> 00:38:45.809
Jules. I think you realize, like, besides you,

00:38:45.849 --> 00:38:50.429
our lawn is just gaping. I see. So, the mystery's

00:38:50.429 --> 00:38:53.750
tied to the lore of our very worlds. What are

00:38:53.750 --> 00:38:59.329
you doing every day? I may have questions for

00:38:59.329 --> 00:39:01.409
you. Mazir Drakkar, do you know that one? Oh,

00:39:01.409 --> 00:39:03.889
yes, I've read that too. That is, uh, Speakers.

00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:06.559
with serpents is the general term you find with

00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:08.179
that. Someone who can communicate with these

00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:11.380
aforementioned serpents. Dracon being the exact

00:39:11.380 --> 00:39:14.340
translation of that word. Ancient ones can be

00:39:14.340 --> 00:39:16.440
used as well, but serpents, again, seems to be

00:39:16.440 --> 00:39:19.739
the older, more primary translation you'll find.

00:39:20.980 --> 00:39:24.059
Incredible. Jules, may I borrow this person?

00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.019
Fiber, what do you think? I just want to be helpful.

00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:35.340
Can I help? Help so fucking lutely. He's all

00:39:35.340 --> 00:39:40.639
yours, Arhalon. I'm going to rebuild my conspiracy

00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:45.679
board. Is that what they're called? That's what

00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:47.780
I call them. Just take it one step at a time,

00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:56.739
okay? Conspiracy board. All right. With that

00:39:56.739 --> 00:40:01.159
done and said, let's move ahead in time just

00:40:01.159 --> 00:40:04.030
a little bit. Maybe to just later on that same

00:40:04.030 --> 00:40:06.070
day. It could be a different day when you come

00:40:06.070 --> 00:40:08.789
back, Blanche. Time is going to be sort of immaterial

00:40:08.789 --> 00:40:11.590
here for a bit, but another thing we got to wrap

00:40:11.590 --> 00:40:14.230
up is you had information recorded on that diamond

00:40:14.230 --> 00:40:16.909
of yours. I'm going to assume that you transferred

00:40:16.909 --> 00:40:19.030
it all to Jewel's diamond and gave Palma back

00:40:19.030 --> 00:40:21.690
hers because flashbacks don't give you free expensive

00:40:21.690 --> 00:40:24.909
shit. Yep, that's totally fine. Yeah, I didn't

00:40:24.909 --> 00:40:27.469
intend on taking the diamond. I think when we

00:40:27.469 --> 00:40:29.519
asked for it. It was with the understanding of

00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:30.960
being borrowed. Cool. I just want to make sure

00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:33.800
that's out there. Yeah. But I think that going

00:40:33.800 --> 00:40:36.320
over this stuff would probably have to happen

00:40:36.320 --> 00:40:38.840
within the same day because Jaune only has one

00:40:38.840 --> 00:40:42.280
night at the Pale Moonlight. True, true. Okay.

00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:45.219
So unless we want to play that out. Right, right,

00:40:45.219 --> 00:40:48.940
right. Okay. So maybe everyone, I'm sure Jules

00:40:48.940 --> 00:40:51.400
isn't going to the Pale Moonlight. That sure

00:40:51.400 --> 00:40:52.719
as hell isn't happening. So I guess we're going

00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:56.949
to see Blanche, Jules, Jaune. all kind of crammed

00:40:56.949 --> 00:40:59.449
into the coyote. Maybe, you know, sort of later

00:40:59.449 --> 00:41:01.610
on before any sort of crowd comes in, maybe you're

00:41:01.610 --> 00:41:03.909
upstairs, you brought the projector up with you

00:41:03.909 --> 00:41:06.789
so you can get some privacy. Maybe Arhalon's

00:41:06.789 --> 00:41:09.050
there. Would you invite him? Yeah, of course.

00:41:09.170 --> 00:41:13.489
Hell yeah. Boy, one of these is going to be kind

00:41:13.489 --> 00:41:16.550
of a blow to Arhalon. Oh, God. We'll do that

00:41:16.550 --> 00:41:20.030
off screen. Let's go over what you heard. First

00:41:20.030 --> 00:41:23.250
of all, Doña Estela. Reading the file, you just

00:41:23.250 --> 00:41:25.369
kind of see his number of blackmail. Anyways,

00:41:25.409 --> 00:41:27.429
the stuff that Ichimin had in her, you realize

00:41:27.429 --> 00:41:30.050
he had it on all of the various Tresna. That's

00:41:30.050 --> 00:41:31.250
how he was controlling them, is just utilizing

00:41:31.250 --> 00:41:33.750
blackmail and, you know, gaining the upper hand.

00:41:34.150 --> 00:41:37.510
Very simple stuff. Is there anything else we

00:41:37.510 --> 00:41:40.769
can notice from when Dresden scanned the room?

00:41:42.069 --> 00:41:44.150
anything that would be important. I imagine not,

00:41:44.329 --> 00:41:46.369
but... I think in that room, mostly, apart from

00:41:46.369 --> 00:41:48.030
the files, there's all just kind of tools that

00:41:48.030 --> 00:41:49.550
were laid out. Things are being built. Maybe

00:41:49.550 --> 00:41:51.070
you see a couple of, like, Marfil prototypes

00:41:51.070 --> 00:41:53.570
that were on the sort of desks, but they are

00:41:53.570 --> 00:41:57.389
full, melted, gone now. Okay. Maybe show it to

00:41:57.389 --> 00:41:59.030
Fibro in case he can figure out how to put something

00:41:59.030 --> 00:42:01.489
together. You know what? Maybe. Maybe. He can

00:42:01.489 --> 00:42:03.869
reverse engineer it. Exactly. Oh, that's a nice

00:42:03.869 --> 00:42:09.309
wrench. Um... Pigman, in parentheses, Goltan.

00:42:10.110 --> 00:42:12.869
Let me give you a quick rundown of the gist of

00:42:12.869 --> 00:42:18.389
what this says. Golta -Porg was an ettin taken

00:42:18.389 --> 00:42:20.550
from the Risenor Peaks around eight years ago.

00:42:20.710 --> 00:42:23.309
The lone son of a female ettin named Shalmao.

00:42:23.489 --> 00:42:27.030
Golta -Porg was experimented on by Zavar, a cult

00:42:27.030 --> 00:42:29.550
contact shared by the LaRoche family. Physical

00:42:29.550 --> 00:42:34.010
strength was immense. After his changes, he was

00:42:34.010 --> 00:42:39.170
just mind -bogglingly strong. Mind tailored for

00:42:39.170 --> 00:42:41.809
reception to combat training. Porg, the more

00:42:41.809 --> 00:42:44.050
subdued personality, was buried during experimentation.

00:42:45.230 --> 00:42:49.190
His head removed. For ease of control, though,

00:42:49.349 --> 00:42:52.469
Porg's mind was brought to the surface. The pig

00:42:52.469 --> 00:42:55.590
mask worn serves as a conduit for the soul, or

00:42:55.590 --> 00:42:59.710
the head, that basically was Porg. Sleeping mind

00:42:59.710 --> 00:43:02.230
that was buried within. But Goltan would be the

00:43:02.230 --> 00:43:04.570
primary mind with nothing else there, with nothing

00:43:04.570 --> 00:43:08.800
sort of holding. a Porg in place, Goltan would

00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:13.119
take over. That's so fucked up. So, Pigman was

00:43:13.119 --> 00:43:14.699
not even the dominant personality. Pigman was

00:43:14.699 --> 00:43:17.880
buried and brought out by the Mask. Goltan, the

00:43:17.880 --> 00:43:20.099
dominant personality, the aggressive and dangerous

00:43:20.099 --> 00:43:23.739
personality, savage and brutal, that was the

00:43:23.739 --> 00:43:29.579
true Goltaporg. That was the true creature. Goltan

00:43:29.579 --> 00:43:31.840
is the true power behind the Pigman persona.

00:43:32.510 --> 00:43:34.469
And in case of emergencies, Golton can become

00:43:34.469 --> 00:43:37.269
awakened by being directly referred to by name.

00:43:37.670 --> 00:43:40.489
You remember Pigman freezing as it's been sent

00:43:40.489 --> 00:43:44.250
a message to his mind and saying, Who is Golton?

00:43:44.809 --> 00:43:47.250
Before everything went down. And that's what

00:43:47.250 --> 00:43:51.789
you know about the Pigman. Jules LaRoche. Here's

00:43:51.789 --> 00:43:53.889
a lot. Hot seat. Some stuff we know, some stuff

00:43:53.889 --> 00:43:58.170
we don't. A lot of stuff we know, but... Zavar's

00:43:58.170 --> 00:44:00.210
experimentation has opened Jules' body up to

00:44:00.210 --> 00:44:02.769
the purest influence of magic. Early tests of

00:44:02.769 --> 00:44:05.230
the Feywild instrument have proven this. The

00:44:05.230 --> 00:44:07.409
boys become a perfect vessel, one to be filled

00:44:07.409 --> 00:44:10.130
by Zomateshab. He touches the essence of the

00:44:10.130 --> 00:44:12.510
plane with such ease, his own will able to change

00:44:12.510 --> 00:44:15.849
the very shapes of souls. Bouts of powerful emotion

00:44:15.849 --> 00:44:18.650
currently serve as triggers for this power. It

00:44:18.650 --> 00:44:20.389
is also noted that Jules' escape from the Tower

00:44:20.389 --> 00:44:23.110
of Authority, Ceres' assure the rest of the cult,

00:44:23.329 --> 00:44:26.909
was only another step in his growth on this path.

00:44:27.510 --> 00:44:30.909
In the end, he will bow to the Horde Lord's will.

00:44:31.920 --> 00:44:36.099
note says, the artistry inherent in Jules' alterations

00:44:36.099 --> 00:44:39.260
is remarkable. Serapio's own change was a rapid

00:44:39.260 --> 00:44:42.440
thing, where Jules was slowly changed. All the

00:44:42.440 --> 00:44:44.320
resources of the LaRoche family pushed towards

00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:47.820
a set result. Should this vessel be allowed to

00:44:47.820 --> 00:44:50.280
reach full maturity, all of my own efforts combined

00:44:50.280 --> 00:44:55.099
will be cowed by this one singular product. There's

00:44:55.099 --> 00:44:57.440
just this element of jealousy, even hatred, towards

00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:01.219
Jules in these notes. It means notes. It is clear

00:45:01.219 --> 00:45:04.239
that Serapio was Ichbin's greatest achievement,

00:45:04.380 --> 00:45:07.059
this Tlacatacolo, yet it stands as a mere prototype

00:45:07.059 --> 00:45:09.820
in comparison to the demonic weapon that Jules

00:45:09.820 --> 00:45:12.739
will no doubt become. In many ways, the earlier

00:45:12.739 --> 00:45:14.480
battle in the desert could be seen as a test

00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:17.679
drive, a conflict forced between the Fractured

00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:19.519
Horde's weapons to see which was the sharper.

00:45:19.940 --> 00:45:22.659
And the Tlacatacolo had reached near its peak

00:45:22.659 --> 00:45:26.599
in power, while Jules is still growing. The last

00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:29.000
and very recent note is an update from Zavar

00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:31.489
following the events. of the battle against Jessenth.

00:45:32.010 --> 00:45:34.150
Zavar, after hearing word of this battle, had

00:45:34.150 --> 00:45:36.210
excitedly concluded that Jules had matured enough

00:45:36.210 --> 00:45:38.949
now that he no longer needed a living soul to

00:45:38.949 --> 00:45:41.150
tether him. While Cerise would likely disagree,

00:45:41.469 --> 00:45:44.610
always erring on the side of caution, Zavar fervently

00:45:44.610 --> 00:45:47.070
believed that Jules' life is a detriment to the

00:45:47.070 --> 00:45:50.750
Horned Lord now, a shield against his will. If

00:45:50.750 --> 00:45:54.309
Jules is to die, Zavar believed, then the Horned

00:45:54.309 --> 00:46:01.079
Lord may take his flesh at last. Whoa. Whoa.

00:46:01.320 --> 00:46:05.860
Yeah. That's why Zavar did not hold back. It's

00:46:05.860 --> 00:46:10.699
also like Jules' biggest strength in his emotion

00:46:10.699 --> 00:46:13.599
is also his greatest weakness. Yeah. The entire

00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:16.559
time you were saying that, in my head, round

00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:24.099
and round, was future Jules. And hitting me that

00:46:24.099 --> 00:46:27.719
he's going to need to grow out of that. Yeah.

00:46:28.780 --> 00:46:31.079
Another note of interest. Sometimes maybe catch

00:46:31.079 --> 00:46:34.139
himself and think a little more rationally. Yeah.

00:46:34.219 --> 00:46:37.280
And I think that's maybe the realization that

00:46:37.280 --> 00:46:39.980
he needs. Yeah. And the image that he needed

00:46:39.980 --> 00:46:43.820
to see to kind of, it hit me, therefore it's

00:46:43.820 --> 00:46:46.280
hitting Jules. Yeah. Laying the ground for some

00:46:46.280 --> 00:46:48.960
character growth. Yeah. It only cost one Zebulon.

00:46:50.619 --> 00:46:56.409
So inexpensive. I'm kidding, Steven. So Monteshav

00:46:56.409 --> 00:46:58.949
got shortchanged. Hey, oh, sorry. Zebulon's small.

00:46:59.110 --> 00:47:02.829
Don't care. It's funny. Another note of interest,

00:47:02.969 --> 00:47:05.190
actually, is that Jules, what you read is, Jules'

00:47:05.289 --> 00:47:07.550
modified body can touch many planes. This isn't

00:47:07.550 --> 00:47:08.889
so much in the note as something you'd realize

00:47:08.889 --> 00:47:11.030
and think about. We've described how this gave

00:47:11.030 --> 00:47:13.210
Chester fey magic, and how it turned Jesseth

00:47:13.210 --> 00:47:15.989
into a demon. It also explained who was able

00:47:15.989 --> 00:47:18.590
to unknowingly guide Zebulon in the feud plane.

00:47:19.079 --> 00:47:21.039
especially when you consider the theory of planar

00:47:21.039 --> 00:47:23.940
absorption, and the idea that Sansatyan touches

00:47:23.940 --> 00:47:26.460
the feud plane just as the horror -filled God's

00:47:26.460 --> 00:47:29.059
Breath touches Shadowfell, and the very magical

00:47:29.059 --> 00:47:32.139
Samsonko touches the Feywild. One might wonder

00:47:32.139 --> 00:47:34.119
if Jules' own abilities bear similarities to

00:47:34.119 --> 00:47:36.559
this strange phenomenon that threatens all the

00:47:36.559 --> 00:47:40.539
worlds. One may wonder. But that's all for Jules.

00:47:41.099 --> 00:47:45.619
Moving on. Calypsania. Very little is written

00:47:45.619 --> 00:47:49.710
here. So much not known. All you really kind

00:47:49.710 --> 00:47:53.130
of gain from this is that Calabsani is the matriarch

00:47:53.130 --> 00:47:55.650
of the Cult of the Fractured Horn, an ancient

00:47:55.650 --> 00:47:58.030
black dragon and most hated foe of Sholay Brass.

00:47:58.630 --> 00:48:02.969
The first commander of Zomateshav. Current whereabouts

00:48:02.969 --> 00:48:06.750
unknown. And there's a line. It's actually from

00:48:06.750 --> 00:48:09.210
something you may have heard before. It's kind

00:48:09.210 --> 00:48:12.690
of a sort of chant that is used here and there

00:48:12.690 --> 00:48:17.250
in like the sort of lore and... What's the word?

00:48:17.389 --> 00:48:19.800
What's the word? I guess mythology surrounding

00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:24.559
Vosomateshab. Her words are his breath. I read

00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:26.059
it wrong already. I was going to say, you have

00:48:26.059 --> 00:48:27.980
never said that. I've never said that. Hang on.

00:48:28.739 --> 00:48:33.619
Her words are his words. Her breath is his breath.

00:48:33.900 --> 00:48:38.039
Her guidance, his hand. And her fury, his horns.

00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:40.920
I think you've seen this reference a lot. I heard

00:48:40.920 --> 00:48:43.519
this before in your life growing up. But only

00:48:43.519 --> 00:48:46.320
now you're connecting it to this Kalapsania,

00:48:46.440 --> 00:48:50.019
this dragon. who stands as a pillar of the cult.

00:48:50.820 --> 00:48:57.920
And last, Zebulon Brass. Son of Calypsania, foremost

00:48:57.920 --> 00:49:00.199
weapon of the Fractured Horn against the interference

00:49:00.199 --> 00:49:03.980
of Speaker Xole Brass. In bargain for his deliverance

00:49:03.980 --> 00:49:07.079
to Xole, the cult was granted leniency. It needed

00:49:07.079 --> 00:49:09.480
to lock down their horns into the politics of

00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:12.059
the worlds and the crystal network that informs

00:49:12.059 --> 00:49:15.719
them. Zebulon has since been handed over to Xole.

00:49:16.190 --> 00:49:19.550
His unknowing role fulfilled. Personal note,

00:49:19.670 --> 00:49:22.849
again, my mind is razor sharp, my memory is perfection,

00:49:23.070 --> 00:49:25.670
yet I cannot recall a single detail about Calypsoania's

00:49:25.670 --> 00:49:30.849
former partner, father to Zebulon. A curse? An

00:49:30.849 --> 00:49:35.750
impossibility. What did Xolay do? I don't want

00:49:35.750 --> 00:49:39.570
to linger on this long, but that line doesn't

00:49:39.570 --> 00:49:43.059
stay. for long in your mind. Almost like he's

00:49:43.059 --> 00:49:44.920
being pushed out. Arhalon has this moment of

00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:48.800
like sheer panic, sheer rage, like something

00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:51.300
is bearing into him. He grabs his head, almost

00:49:51.300 --> 00:49:56.159
like bellows out until he calms as if he'd never

00:49:56.159 --> 00:49:58.320
heard anything at all. And by the time that slide

00:49:58.320 --> 00:50:02.300
has moved past, his maze ticked by, that note

00:50:02.300 --> 00:50:10.880
goes forgotten. What note? All right. And with

00:50:10.880 --> 00:50:13.760
that, I've been playing really chill music this

00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:15.659
entire time. I know. We're talking about, like,

00:50:15.699 --> 00:50:19.239
demons and, like, if Jules dies, he's going to

00:50:19.239 --> 00:50:23.739
take his body all with the, like, funny pub music

00:50:23.739 --> 00:50:25.619
in the background. I was going to change it.

00:50:25.619 --> 00:50:29.659
I forgot. No, I loved it. Jules really can't

00:50:29.659 --> 00:50:32.460
die. Oh, that's funny. Yeah, Jules cannot die.

00:50:32.500 --> 00:50:34.559
We'd be in trouble if Jules died. Yeah. Yeah.

00:50:34.579 --> 00:50:36.610
I don't know if... I don't know if my backup

00:50:36.610 --> 00:50:38.349
character could handle what would be coming.

00:50:38.630 --> 00:50:42.949
We'd have like Jules in the ring and Zalmante

00:50:42.949 --> 00:50:46.809
Shab in Jules. And that's not a fair fight. That's

00:50:46.809 --> 00:50:49.650
how we keep the bard. Exactly. My backup puts

00:50:49.650 --> 00:50:53.650
the ring on. Yeah. Even if your backup's not

00:50:53.650 --> 00:50:57.690
actually a bard. Yep. Let's try not to let Jules

00:50:57.690 --> 00:51:01.110
die, though. No, I'd prefer not. All right. I'm

00:51:01.110 --> 00:51:02.829
going to move things forward very quickly now.

00:51:03.840 --> 00:51:06.260
We've been dawdling for long enough. Let's get

00:51:06.260 --> 00:51:09.519
some information out of the way. We're going

00:51:09.519 --> 00:51:11.260
to see a montage of events. Imagine them, if

00:51:11.260 --> 00:51:13.880
you will, like you're watching footage, like

00:51:13.880 --> 00:51:16.340
news footage over time, just a statue of the

00:51:16.340 --> 00:51:20.599
Crystal Network over the next few weeks. Firstly,

00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:24.199
luminaries. Jean Franklin is taking the position.

00:51:24.760 --> 00:51:28.820
Blanche is not. What about you, Dresden? I will

00:51:28.820 --> 00:51:31.780
say surely you would find that useful. If you

00:51:31.780 --> 00:51:33.380
want to step out of the shadows to take up the

00:51:33.380 --> 00:51:35.719
role, that is something you are fully allowed

00:51:35.719 --> 00:51:39.300
to do. Can he do it without stepping out of the

00:51:39.300 --> 00:51:42.800
shadows? Crispin sort of does. You can stay somewhat

00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:45.099
muted. You'll get like, I think you'll be acknowledged.

00:51:45.179 --> 00:51:47.400
That's fine. But he is not going to take part

00:51:47.400 --> 00:51:51.880
in the crowds and the imagery, you know, the

00:51:51.880 --> 00:51:53.980
grandeur of it. I think the only one we see really

00:51:53.980 --> 00:51:56.619
basking in that in these news sort of feeds is

00:51:56.619 --> 00:52:00.199
Sean Frank. I think he would because it's a...

00:52:00.670 --> 00:52:04.210
It's a very easy way to actually have a life

00:52:04.210 --> 00:52:07.150
for himself. Yeah. Yeah, true. You've got to

00:52:07.150 --> 00:52:08.750
move on. You're on your own now. Yeah. Yeah.

00:52:08.809 --> 00:52:10.969
His own agency. I think he would, but he's going

00:52:10.969 --> 00:52:13.349
to have no part in the grandeur of it and the

00:52:13.349 --> 00:52:16.530
spectacle. Yeah. So in that sense, Dresden and

00:52:16.530 --> 00:52:18.489
Crispin would be like peas and carrots. Yeah.

00:52:18.710 --> 00:52:23.329
Like peas and carrots. I will say this. I'm still

00:52:23.329 --> 00:52:24.949
going to have you choose a sponsor because it's

00:52:24.949 --> 00:52:28.099
fun. Now, I will say there's a number of sponsors

00:52:28.099 --> 00:52:29.480
from Saint -Étienne that would be interested

00:52:29.480 --> 00:52:32.000
in having Dresden. The Limp Cactus is looking,

00:52:32.139 --> 00:52:34.199
as well as a few casinos, eating venues, even

00:52:34.199 --> 00:52:38.800
old Sandy Hill Inn. But there is another option

00:52:38.800 --> 00:52:41.480
that you might like. See, there was a sudden

00:52:41.480 --> 00:52:43.860
need for metalworkers, a gap that some members

00:52:43.860 --> 00:52:46.760
of the revolution had swiftly filled. And it

00:52:46.760 --> 00:52:49.280
turns out, Paloma used to be a master in the

00:52:49.280 --> 00:52:52.880
craft of forging, her magical scorpion -tailed

00:52:52.880 --> 00:52:55.639
dagger being a work of her own art. She and those

00:52:55.639 --> 00:52:57.340
loyal to her have been repurposing some of the

00:52:57.340 --> 00:53:00.019
Ironworks district into their own company, one

00:53:00.019 --> 00:53:03.079
focused on people over profit. They're calling

00:53:03.079 --> 00:53:07.099
it simply Freedom Ironworks. Where Marfle's slogan

00:53:07.099 --> 00:53:09.019
was, break your chains with something stronger,

00:53:09.320 --> 00:53:12.440
Freedom simply declares, we don't make chains.

00:53:12.980 --> 00:53:17.659
Damn, that's so badass. Would you want to take

00:53:17.659 --> 00:53:19.760
that sponsor? I was going to say Peppers Peppers,

00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:23.300
but... Peppers Peppers can only... It's too easy.

00:53:23.519 --> 00:53:25.639
Yeah, only so many luminaries can be carried

00:53:25.639 --> 00:53:33.619
by one small sponsor. It's a cart. Yeah. Okay.

00:53:33.679 --> 00:53:37.920
That sounds appropriate. Then as a bonus, you

00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:40.420
may add a dagger of venom to your inventory as

00:53:40.420 --> 00:53:43.460
Paloma has gifted you her prized creation, that

00:53:43.460 --> 00:53:46.440
scorpion -tailed dagger. I love this, actually.

00:53:46.579 --> 00:53:48.159
It seems like you two really kind of got along

00:53:48.159 --> 00:53:52.639
very well. So that's really cool. Cool. On this

00:53:52.639 --> 00:53:56.440
note, let's discuss Crispin's sponsor. You would

00:53:56.440 --> 00:53:58.139
have already had one since you were already a

00:53:58.139 --> 00:54:01.019
Luminary. And when I asked you last week, Stephen,

00:54:01.239 --> 00:54:03.599
who Crispin would pick, what did you say to me

00:54:03.599 --> 00:54:07.079
again? What were your words? Wow, I really, truly,

00:54:07.119 --> 00:54:09.829
I remember having this conversation. I don't

00:54:09.829 --> 00:54:12.250
remember. I saw that coming. Yeah. You wanted,

00:54:12.289 --> 00:54:14.809
like, something to be as nondescript, out of

00:54:14.809 --> 00:54:18.769
the way, slow brow, as humanly possible. And

00:54:18.769 --> 00:54:21.010
I was like, okay, you know what? Yeah. I know.

00:54:21.210 --> 00:54:23.929
Just the place. This has already been, exactly,

00:54:24.210 --> 00:54:27.150
yeah. So I think, despite the sort of distance

00:54:27.150 --> 00:54:29.309
created as you go off to see Shelley, there is

00:54:29.309 --> 00:54:33.280
a day where we see Crispin Dubois. Makes his

00:54:33.280 --> 00:54:37.820
way to the saloon doors of the Ugly Coyote. And

00:54:37.820 --> 00:54:42.260
moves up to the bar. I think Jules, you just

00:54:42.260 --> 00:54:44.099
kind of catch a smile where Adrian sort of nods

00:54:44.099 --> 00:54:47.199
down like, Hey, Crispin. Here for the usual?

00:54:47.599 --> 00:54:50.780
Hops up on a store. One quick drink and I'm out

00:54:50.780 --> 00:54:54.780
of here. All right. Slides you a glass. Slides

00:54:54.780 --> 00:54:58.199
you a bag of coin. You, uh, getting a little

00:54:58.199 --> 00:55:00.719
popular out there. People starting to come to

00:55:00.719 --> 00:55:03.099
my establishment. Maybe want to... Tone it down.

00:55:03.300 --> 00:55:08.179
I apologize, friend. Yeah. It's all right. Say

00:55:08.179 --> 00:55:11.519
hi to the family for me. Mm -hmm. He knocks the

00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:16.800
drink back, grabs his bag of coin, and heads

00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:19.019
out the door. To God's breathy and just got to

00:55:19.019 --> 00:55:22.059
love him. That was like the most awesome and

00:55:22.059 --> 00:55:24.239
the most boring conversation we've ever had on

00:55:24.239 --> 00:55:27.420
this show. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So we're going

00:55:27.420 --> 00:55:29.599
to try to not have those two in the room a lot

00:55:29.599 --> 00:55:32.159
together. Because it would just be that. It would

00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:36.039
be horrible. Oh, that's awesome. I will say,

00:55:36.139 --> 00:55:39.880
Jean Franklin becomes the, or becomes sponsored

00:55:39.880 --> 00:55:44.400
by the Pale Moonlight. Yes! I love it. He's going

00:55:44.400 --> 00:55:46.940
to get free board there from here on out as a

00:55:46.940 --> 00:55:50.130
luminary. Damn. Hey, he's... Hot right now. Yeah,

00:55:50.190 --> 00:55:52.269
for sure. He knows the place. He can speak to

00:55:52.269 --> 00:55:54.170
it. I mean, no one sells a Pam Boone like John

00:55:54.170 --> 00:55:56.510
Franklin does. It's his brand. That's like all

00:55:56.510 --> 00:55:58.570
he talks about on the media when he's up there.

00:55:58.710 --> 00:56:00.210
And not even because he's asked to, because he

00:56:00.210 --> 00:56:03.809
wants to. So it's perfect. Match made in heaven.

00:56:05.250 --> 00:56:10.030
Perfect. Then let's talk about money. Payout,

00:56:10.050 --> 00:56:12.530
guys. You all have sponsors. Here's what you

00:56:12.530 --> 00:56:18.190
get. Blanche, you get this too. yeah i mean i'm

00:56:18.190 --> 00:56:20.349
gonna say maybe she i don't know does she get

00:56:20.349 --> 00:56:22.809
this as a bonus when she comes back like hey

00:56:22.809 --> 00:56:25.289
you brought on you brought honor to the to the

00:56:25.289 --> 00:56:28.349
golden golden bay you're literally sponsored

00:56:28.349 --> 00:56:30.750
by a king of coin who oversees the fishing industry

00:56:30.750 --> 00:56:33.949
on noari yeah he's getting a boom and he's gonna

00:56:33.949 --> 00:56:37.429
give you some money totally here we go um base

00:56:37.429 --> 00:56:41.289
pay for each pc for this arc is 400 gold oh yeah

00:56:41.289 --> 00:56:45.030
that feels good mama footage from the jesson

00:56:45.030 --> 00:56:48.000
fight will net you another one 100 gold. Ooh,

00:56:48.059 --> 00:56:52.719
yeah. Damn. Footage taken during Atash's raid

00:56:52.719 --> 00:56:54.719
on Itzman's manor, getting the whole moment when

00:56:54.719 --> 00:56:56.019
he came down and started fighting the pig man

00:56:56.019 --> 00:56:59.219
and all that, will net Blanche and Dresden specifically

00:56:59.219 --> 00:57:03.500
200 gold each. Blanche and Dresden specifically,

00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:05.239
you said? Yes, because they were there in that

00:57:05.239 --> 00:57:07.179
moment. Before you get too worried about that,

00:57:07.260 --> 00:57:10.059
the battle in the lab, should you give it to

00:57:10.059 --> 00:57:12.059
Orin to show the world, will net Jules and Crispin

00:57:12.059 --> 00:57:15.750
also 200 gold each. And... You can, of course,

00:57:15.789 --> 00:57:17.389
cut the footage around bits you don't want to

00:57:17.389 --> 00:57:19.769
show, such as a certain necrotic -looking demon

00:57:19.769 --> 00:57:23.230
arm that has, as of yet, been unfeatured on the

00:57:23.230 --> 00:57:24.889
network. Oh, by the way, in all this montage

00:57:24.889 --> 00:57:27.429
shit, I've gotten a new glove. I'm assuming so.

00:57:27.590 --> 00:57:31.250
A really nice glove. Oh, absolutely. It matches

00:57:31.250 --> 00:57:34.309
my cloak. Oh, that's cool. Honestly, though,

00:57:34.309 --> 00:57:37.449
I'm so... Lovely. And actually, I think at this

00:57:37.449 --> 00:57:41.369
point, he actually bought a pair of gloves. Because,

00:57:41.489 --> 00:57:45.039
kind of weird, just a guy having one glove. On

00:57:45.039 --> 00:57:47.260
one hand. I don't know. It's very Midnight Prince

00:57:47.260 --> 00:57:51.940
-y. It's so Midnight Prince -y. Imagine one Midnight

00:57:51.940 --> 00:57:55.199
Prince glove, one Midnight Prince cape, and it's

00:57:55.199 --> 00:57:57.179
like attached with a little rope, kind of like

00:57:57.179 --> 00:57:59.860
very opera. Is that an opera thing? I was like,

00:57:59.900 --> 00:58:05.480
at this point, am I just Prince? You almost have

00:58:05.480 --> 00:58:08.199
a purple guitar. I do. You almost do. I do. Wow.

00:58:10.860 --> 00:58:12.900
June was the roast of Midnight Prince getting

00:58:12.900 --> 00:58:15.920
his payout. Yeah, so I think in total, what's

00:58:15.920 --> 00:58:20.760
that like? So right now for each PC, I have 400

00:58:20.760 --> 00:58:24.760
plus 200. And then it seems like there's 100

00:58:24.760 --> 00:58:28.539
for a party split. No, 100 each for the Jester

00:58:28.539 --> 00:58:32.400
fight. 700 each for what you've done. For PCs.

00:58:32.800 --> 00:58:37.239
For PCs, yeah. Not that nice. You got your payout.

00:58:37.420 --> 00:58:40.000
Wait, that includes like Dresden and Crispin?

00:58:40.179 --> 00:58:43.500
Yes. Woof. All PCs get this, so you put Mark

00:58:43.500 --> 00:58:45.219
on all your sheets. Okay. Yeah, so right now,

00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:47.780
all four PCs are up to 700 gold. 700. Oh, I got

00:58:47.780 --> 00:58:49.860
to add another 100. Whoops. Oh, my God. We're

00:58:49.860 --> 00:58:51.119
rolling in the dough. You're rolling it. Hey,

00:58:51.139 --> 00:58:53.280
this was a big swing. This was a swing, man.

00:58:53.340 --> 00:58:55.539
This was a big swing. Yeah, for real. And let's

00:58:55.539 --> 00:58:57.119
talk about how big a swing this was, because

00:58:57.119 --> 00:58:59.659
it turns out, Shirley knew what she was talking

00:58:59.659 --> 00:59:04.059
about. As we push forward in time, we see footage

00:59:04.059 --> 00:59:07.980
showcasing the fall of the LaRoche family. Samuel

00:59:07.980 --> 00:59:11.789
LaRoche arrested, sent to the Sky Prison. Cirilla,

00:59:11.929 --> 00:59:14.949
removed from office during investigation, locks

00:59:14.949 --> 00:59:17.769
herself away in a rural town, not making any

00:59:17.769 --> 00:59:21.309
contact. Cerise, as far as anyone can figure,

00:59:21.469 --> 00:59:25.230
has vanished into thin air. And right now, there

00:59:25.230 --> 00:59:28.010
are no plans to elect another speaker for Tythos,

00:59:28.030 --> 00:59:32.809
as there is no Tythos to speak for. One speaker

00:59:32.809 --> 00:59:36.250
against Atash, gone. And speaking of speakers...

00:59:36.510 --> 00:59:39.710
Speaker Infante of Saint -Étienne has been taken

00:59:39.710 --> 00:59:41.449
into custody as well. Evidence connecting him

00:59:41.449 --> 00:59:43.949
to the cult has been discovered. And a new speaker

00:59:43.949 --> 00:59:47.570
has already been chosen. There was a great stirring

00:59:47.570 --> 00:59:50.510
as one of the surviving Pari angel warriors named

00:59:50.510 --> 00:59:54.809
Artevazda was chosen by the populace as the new

00:59:54.809 --> 00:59:58.750
speaker. The first time in history that a speaker

00:59:58.750 --> 01:00:01.030
not native to a world was picked to represent

01:00:01.030 --> 01:00:03.429
them. It should be pretty much illegal, and yet

01:00:03.429 --> 01:00:08.210
the popular vote took it. That, yeah, that legitimizes

01:00:08.210 --> 01:00:10.730
the hostile takeover. The leaders of Sansatyan

01:00:10.730 --> 01:00:12.829
had failed their people, and it was the angels

01:00:12.829 --> 01:00:14.769
of Ankara and Singhar that set them free, finally.

01:00:15.449 --> 01:00:18.570
Maybe this is a good change? I don't know about

01:00:18.570 --> 01:00:20.670
that. It stems from another change in Sansatyan.

01:00:20.889 --> 01:00:22.650
See, whilst the Tresna have been removed from

01:00:22.650 --> 01:00:25.070
office, some of Atash's forces have remained

01:00:25.070 --> 01:00:28.329
within the city to help maintain order and guide

01:00:28.329 --> 01:00:30.510
Sansatyan into the future. They're just hanging

01:00:30.510 --> 01:00:32.250
out. It's a good thing. Good stuff. Do you mean

01:00:32.250 --> 01:00:35.820
it's the occupying? And as we move forward, I

01:00:35.820 --> 01:00:38.059
want us to take this one last scene, I guess,

01:00:38.059 --> 01:00:41.400
before we cut to whatever's next in our little

01:00:41.400 --> 01:00:45.940
story. Big crowds surround the gateway into the

01:00:45.940 --> 01:00:49.980
diamond. We see the great iron doors open. We

01:00:49.980 --> 01:00:53.400
see Artavazda himself is leading a figure bound

01:00:53.400 --> 01:00:57.900
by thick, thick chains, magical chains, too strong

01:00:57.900 --> 01:01:01.719
for the typical sort of crystal prisons that

01:01:01.719 --> 01:01:05.900
they keep as the pig man. shackled and hated,

01:01:06.019 --> 01:01:09.960
is being led out into the trade disc all up towards

01:01:09.960 --> 01:01:11.820
the jewel. He'll be taken to the Sky Prison.

01:01:12.500 --> 01:01:16.000
You see him weeping openly as he looks into the

01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:19.159
crowd. There are fruits thrown at him, splashing

01:01:19.159 --> 01:01:22.579
against his sort of bare chest, against his head.

01:01:23.099 --> 01:01:26.900
He's, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean

01:01:26.900 --> 01:01:33.039
to do it. I'm sorry. And just like moving around,

01:01:33.119 --> 01:01:37.219
all these people, The children throwing, hating.

01:01:37.900 --> 01:01:41.679
And as his eyes look up, they fall on someone

01:01:41.679 --> 01:01:44.000
in the crowd who has just pushed their way to

01:01:44.000 --> 01:01:48.199
its front. Blanche Trudeau, perhaps you came

01:01:48.199 --> 01:01:52.139
back when you heard this was coming. Do you think

01:01:52.139 --> 01:01:55.719
you would? Oh, yeah. To see him off? And so I

01:01:55.719 --> 01:01:58.420
think our news footage falls in this moment,

01:01:58.559 --> 01:02:03.480
falls on you as the pig man's... Weeping, defeated

01:02:03.480 --> 01:02:07.579
eyes meet yours. Does anything transpire in this

01:02:07.579 --> 01:02:11.539
frozen moment between these two souls? Yeah,

01:02:11.579 --> 01:02:15.659
Blanche is going to cast message. Oh. Take heart,

01:02:15.780 --> 01:02:19.679
pig man. I don't know when. I don't know how.

01:02:20.280 --> 01:02:29.239
But I will get you. I meant to say like... Save

01:02:29.239 --> 01:02:32.340
you? Or, like, I meant to mix, like, save you

01:02:32.340 --> 01:02:40.239
and get you out. Oh, God. It didn't come out

01:02:40.239 --> 01:02:45.980
the right way. Oh, shit. I mean, I thought you

01:02:45.980 --> 01:02:47.980
were channeling Liam Neeson. Not what I expected.

01:02:48.260 --> 01:02:50.159
Let me try one more time. Let me try one more

01:02:50.159 --> 01:02:54.980
time. Recoils of fear. Frozen moment. His eyes

01:02:54.980 --> 01:02:58.559
meet yours. I don't know when. I don't know how,

01:02:58.659 --> 01:03:04.000
but I will save you. Be strong, as I know you

01:03:04.000 --> 01:03:08.219
are. And as the chains sort of pull him forward,

01:03:08.340 --> 01:03:12.079
his eyes sort of stay locked on yours. This glimmer

01:03:12.079 --> 01:03:19.119
of something. Gratitude? Hope? Maybe just happy

01:03:19.119 --> 01:03:22.099
to see one soul out there is still looking out

01:03:22.099 --> 01:03:24.440
for him. Maybe just happy to see his friend.

01:03:25.219 --> 01:03:28.030
And the pig man is pulled away. You're a monster.

01:03:28.510 --> 01:03:32.349
Towards his fate. When we see this party again,

01:03:32.489 --> 01:03:35.190
following the events of the return from Saint

01:03:35.190 --> 01:03:39.889
-Étienne, nearly a month will have passed. I'm

01:03:39.889 --> 01:03:41.250
trying to think of a segue to say we'll call

01:03:41.250 --> 01:03:43.210
it there. I didn't feel right. Give me something.

01:03:43.230 --> 01:03:44.269
Give me something to work with here. I actually

01:03:44.269 --> 01:03:45.710
thought that was a great place to call it. Yeah.

01:03:46.170 --> 01:03:50.010
Yeah? Like a really sad note? Yeah. And now it's

01:03:50.010 --> 01:03:51.389
perfect because then we can leave this all in

01:03:51.389 --> 01:03:54.090
now and you can say... We'll call it there!