WEBVTT

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Do you like games? Do you like beer? How about

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doing both of those things at the same time?

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If so, come on down to our sponsor, Reckless

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Brewing Company in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

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Every other Monday, we're hosting what we call

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Nerd Out Nights, where you can come in, play

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some D &D, match up the gathering, or any other

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tabletop game you feel like bringing in. For

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more information and to reserve a table, head

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over to RecklessBrewing .com. That's R -E -K

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-L -I -S. brewing .com and head over to the events

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page. Hope to see you there. of vice that started

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straw in the city of Zinda. For the next ten

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days, the good folk of Noari will engage themselves

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in hedonistic pleasures, devouring fine and fatty

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foods and guzzling bottle after bottle of Zinda's

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delicious jelly wine. For a people whose economy

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stands upon wine trade as a massive pillar, it

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only makes sense to celebrate their prosperity

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with such indulgence. But there is more to this

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festival than all that. It is in fact an old

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tradition meant to purge the vice of greed from

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the hearts of the people. Each year, one masked

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actor is chosen to be the prince of vice, and

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to ride through the city in parade after parade,

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engrossing themselves in sinful activities. Then,

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at the end of the ten day, this figure will ride

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off into the sea, their way being swept by animated

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brooms. Once the prince bathes themselves in

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the ocean, and leaves their masks to float away

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with the tide, they are said to have gathered

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up the greed of the city, stored it within themselves,

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and washed it clean into the water. I personally

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love this tradition. What could be better than

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drinking yourself silly and partying for a 10

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day on the name of Persian evil from your streets.

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He's just gone. That's going to make no sense

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to people who are listening. Cause I figured

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you'd leave it in. I'm going to put that post

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credits. Stupid. Like I felt it coming on and

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I was like, Oh no, Oh no. Ah, it's too late.

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It's music hits. We got to do this. Um, I don't

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think I guess. Your pot's rattling. Danny's causing

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hell over there. Like, what if there's food under

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the bowl? What if there's food under the floor?

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That's what she thinks. Yeah. I don't know if

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people know that, like, we do these things sort

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of completely in tandem. Like, the orange aren't

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something we do and then clip in. We just run

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those. Like, we have it queued up. Like, the

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music plays. The theme song plays. We all hear

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it. It jumps right into the Auron theme, which

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I run off of, and we jump right into the episode

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right after that. Do we do it all live, baby?

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Do it all live. Anyway, what are you guys up

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to tonight? What's going on? Tonight? We're playing

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a game, David. Ah, whatever. What do you have

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for banter? Well, I mean, I think we have kind

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of a cool experience to talk about. We experienced

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the... Total solar eclipse. Oh, yes, yes, yes.

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I forgot. You forgot? You forgot the total solar

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eclipse. You forgot what the world looks like

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without the sun for a minute. A little forgettable.

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I don't know. No, it was amazing. It was incredible.

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I believe I saw tears in your eyes, David. Come

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on. Come on. We were, me and Mr. Wolf here, we

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went to Stephen's house, which was awesome. I

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mean, you were right, and Stephen was in totality,

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so he got to just chill out in his backyard.

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And your wife was there, too. Gabby was there

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too. Who's in studio tonight. Gabby's also here

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in the studio tonight for a specific reason that

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will come up shortly. But yeah, yeah. That was

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really cool. Mm -hmm. Went to a cemetery. Went

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to a cemetery. I finally got to see Zebulon Black's

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gravestone. Zebulon Black's gravestone. Oh, Zebulon's

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stone is down. Yeah, fell over. Over the winter,

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I don't know if it was the plow truck or, because

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we could see marks on it, so it was either the

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plow truck or the lawnmowers, the landscapers.

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I have headcanon. The day Zebulon walked into

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the light, the stone just fell over. I was going

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to say the day he died. Yeah, except you can

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see the physical marks on his wife's stone next

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to it as well. They look kind of like saber marks

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to me. So, yeah. I guess we'll never know. We'll

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never know. Something we will ever know is what's

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in that box. Is that a phrase? That was both

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awful and incredibly impressive. Yeah, thank

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you. I think. We have a box, folk. We have a

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box here. And this box. Mail time! Yes! Mail

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time! Mail time! That was terrible. We have a

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box. And this box is from the captain. And this

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box is for none of us. It is, in fact, for my

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darling wife, Gabrielle. Will you step forward

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and open this box? For the good gents. For myself.

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Here, take my mic. I'm going to walk away. I'm

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going to walk away. I'll yell from over here.

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Hello. Stephen was kind enough to partially open

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the box for me. And we pre -opened the box. Make

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some opening noises. Lots of papers. Sticker.

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Ooh. Can I see that sticker? Yes. Here you go.

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Ooh. Hey, that's pretty cute. Dark health dice.

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Yeah. Dark elf dice. Cute. Container. Container.

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Oh, David's going to use that for something.

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Wait, I don't think these are for David, though.

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And nobody's going to use that as a cute token.

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Look. They're so cool. What you got? Describe.

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It's definitely dice. I can see that it's a dice

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set. It's a whole set. It is. That's awesome.

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They're black and white marbled with green cats

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on them. Hell yeah. Ooh, cat dice. Nice. Wait,

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there's cats on it? If you get a 20, it's a cat.

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Oh, can I see? Let's see, yeah. These are amazing.

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Thank you. May I call you Captain or The Captain?

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Nice. I think it's Captain. Captain. I think

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it's Captain. Yeah, all the six on the D6 is

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a cat. That's so cool. Yeah, the high numbers

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are all cats. So if you get a cat, that's the

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best rule. That's the max. Nice. These are great.

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These are great. And look, the Dark Elf, it has

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like its own little case with the Dark Elf. Logo,

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the same that's on the sticker. This is excellent.

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That's awesome. Thank you very much, Captain.

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These are amazing. I can't wait to use them.

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And we got a note from Dark Elf Dice that says,

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thank you, Bob. Nice. Thank you, Bob. Nice. Bob

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being the captain's human name. These are amazing.

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Human name. What does that mean? His God -given

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name. You and the word human to make you sound

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as unsettling as possible. So, Gabby, do you

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think you're going to try to use these dice at

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one of the Reckless Nerd Out Nights coming up?

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As soon as possible. Oh, he's plugging. Well,

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Captain. Oh, wait. Hold on. Hold on. What? I

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think you should roll in the Port of Pain. Unless

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you want them blessed. There's kind of like two

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paths. You can either bless the dice. Or you

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can bless them through the Port -O -Pain, which

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is more like a... What's the opposite of bless?

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Like a consecration? Yeah, I think so. Corruption.

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You can corrupt them through the Port -O -Pain,

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or you can bless them. The choice is yours. Gabby

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chooses corruption. All of them or just the deep

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one? Whatever you like. We have all the pants

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people against us now. She's rolling the whole

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set. She's rolling the whole set. Call out what

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you get on the 20. Go big or go home. Blowing

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for luck. That sounded great. Okay, okay. The

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D20 was a seven. Seven. All right. We're getting

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the low rolls out of the way early, folks. You

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know what? Crime doesn't always pay. There's

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a cat. Crime doesn't always pay. Oh, there is

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a cat. Wow. I mean, that's really, really, really

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nice, Captain. Thank you so much. Thank you very

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much. I can't wait to use them. And if you guys

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want to check out Dark Elf Dice, it's just as

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it's spelled, darkelfdice .com. These are awesome.

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I know I'm going to go check them out after this.

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Get out of here. Jesus, David. Kicking her out.

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Rude. My spotlight. I need it back. It's so greedy.

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I'm addicted. It's so greedy. I need the attention.

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That is super cool. Those are awesome. And very

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soon here, I'll have to run a game for you, my

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darling, so you can try those things out. So

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I'm looking at the shipping thing that came in.

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The set is called Kitty Klax Dice. Kitty Klax.

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Kitty Klax. Yeah. So we got the Kitty Klax Dice.

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That is fantastic. I love that. We have another

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question, burning question to answer this week

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beyond just what's inside that box. That question

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is, where's this button going? Oh, yes. The finder's

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keeper's button is in my hand. I'm holding it

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now. We have received Genie's wisdom in this

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matter. In this matter. Sorry. All I'm doing.

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You know where this is going? You know where

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it's going? I know where it's going. You know

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where it's going? I know where it's going. You

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know where it's going? Tell them where it's going,

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David. Back to the jar. Back to the jar. Back

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to the jar. This dice belongs to me and to nobody.

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Well, I mean, no, not to you. For Genie has decided

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Grinders Keepers is overthrown. Me and to nobody.

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You don't get that button. That goes back in

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the jar. It's not to me and to me. It's to me

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and to nobody. Okay. I have two sets of buttons.

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The buttons I can give to you and the buttons

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I can give. to me against you, which I have one

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of those. I'm going to kill John Franklin with

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it. Remember that. Keep that in mind, folks.

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It's coming. This arc, baby. Okay. Don't you

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hit me, wife. It's happening. If we ever do like

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a DraftKings betting sort of like sponsorship,

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be like, is David going to kill John Franklin

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this episode? Go to DraftKings .com to find out.

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Does anybody know like gambling talk? What's

00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:07.429
the split on? killing Sean Franklin. It's a 10

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to 0. It's happening. Oh, boy. I don't know how

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that works, but it sounds like you can make a

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lot of money off that if you're betting $0. Yeah.

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Or is that bet 10 and win 0? I don't know. You

00:11:22.710 --> 00:11:23.950
don't even want to bet on it because it's so

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certain to happen. I don't know how to speak

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Vegas. Before we can kill Sean Franklin. Oh,

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yeah. Speaking of choosing blessing or what was

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the word you said? Segways! What was the word

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you came up with? Corruption. Corrupting. Yes.

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I'm going to choose to bless something tonight.

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What? It's been a little bit. You don't want

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to put that dice tower through the other dice

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tower to corrupt it? Absolutely not. That geometry

00:11:53.059 --> 00:11:55.120
doesn't work well. It might fit. The Port -O

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-Pain is huge. Since the arrival of the Port

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-O -Pain, I have, well, unofficially because

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you still technically own it. I have commandeered

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a hand -me -down. Your old dice tower. You know

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what? That was given to me by Gabby. Gabby, will

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you officially allow them to take the dice tower?

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As long as somebody uses it. More wisdom! You

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heard it here, folks! More wisdom! The dice tower

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belongs to you, gentlemen. So I'm taking some

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holy water, and I'm ridding this of all things

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past. You try. You try. Of your corruption. This

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tower is now on our side. Okay. Prove it. Try

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it. I don't want to waste a good roll. I know,

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but I just... It wasn't a good roll. Okay. You

00:12:38.870 --> 00:12:40.330
didn't waste a good roll. It's on your side.

00:12:40.350 --> 00:12:42.110
We're getting the low numbers out of the way.

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It was a natural three. Oh, no. Oh, boy. Of course

00:12:48.570 --> 00:12:50.549
it's natural because I'm not fucking playing.

00:12:52.350 --> 00:13:00.500
There's no modifier to that. No. Speaking of

00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:03.120
modifiers. What do you got? Nothing. Damn it.

00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:08.259
Speaking of nothing. Let's get on with this shit.

00:13:08.740 --> 00:13:10.799
Because nothing's happened. It's time to play.

00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.200
This episode's going. It's time to start. What

00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:18.639
are we at? Like 25 minutes? Yes. Yes. Let's get

00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:25.980
some music going. Not that one. That one. As

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you stand. Most of you actually swimming still

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at the surface of the water, looking at this

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dead beast. This great caiman floating, sort

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of flopped over the side, a red sort of mist

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pulsing out into the water all around it. Chester's

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final shot, taking it like right into the sort

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of face, right into the head. Easy, perfect kill

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shot. Jaune is staring down at it with a sort

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of sad, forlorn expression. Perhaps memories

00:13:58.169 --> 00:14:01.009
of viewing this creature, this Tikalosh, with

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his mother as a child, or going through his mind.

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But it went wild. It attacked. It tried to kill

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him. It really tried to kill him. And so I think,

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amidst that sadness, there's very little regret.

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As he rinses his spear into the water and sort

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of stows it on his back, the banner of the Golden

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Bay still furled up near the tip. There are shrieks

00:14:23.990 --> 00:14:27.360
of excitement and... just screams of horror,

00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:32.200
just crying, sorrow all around. There's a sort

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of crowd that's built up at the front of the

00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:37.039
bridge, and you came from, that stumbled upon

00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:39.440
this whole scene, watching it, you know, faces,

00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:43.360
mouths agape, hands covering faces. Another part

00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.419
of the crowd is starting to leave, bustling ahead

00:14:46.419 --> 00:14:47.919
of the scene, pushing towards the city, joining

00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:49.860
with those that immediately had fled when the

00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:52.039
attack began, just rushing down the path, getting

00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:57.159
away from the mad creature. It makes these people,

00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.000
our names ringing out, just like, Deuce Rousseau,

00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:03.059
Deuce Rousseau, Fitz Blanche Trudeau, John Franklin.

00:15:04.059 --> 00:15:07.720
You're noted. And I should make this clear that

00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:10.320
I don't want to get repetitive with this, but

00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.500
you're at a point now when you go out, when you

00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:14.620
enter this place, when you walked off the jewel,

00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:16.940
when you're approaching here, you are noted.

00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:20.460
People are pointing, whispering, talking. I think

00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:23.210
there's a... And this is purely for the convenience

00:15:23.210 --> 00:15:26.330
of our story. I think there's kind of this culture

00:15:26.330 --> 00:15:28.350
around luminaries where people don't necessarily

00:15:28.350 --> 00:15:30.470
come up to bother them all the time. Because

00:15:30.470 --> 00:15:33.909
otherwise you'd be getting autographs, requests

00:15:33.909 --> 00:15:36.830
constantly at this point. You couldn't get off

00:15:36.830 --> 00:15:38.610
a jewel without having to go through a half hour

00:15:38.610 --> 00:15:40.590
of me asking you with different voices for different

00:15:40.590 --> 00:15:43.429
autographs. No, let's do that. No, there's a

00:15:43.429 --> 00:15:45.450
culture around it. People don't do that. They're

00:15:45.450 --> 00:15:47.129
like, luminaries, they're probably busy. They're

00:15:47.129 --> 00:15:50.299
probably busy. Let's just gawk and stare and

00:15:50.299 --> 00:15:53.539
point and smile and cry and laugh. I don't know,

00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:56.039
whatever things they do. That's dramatic. Yeah.

00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.860
People are dramatic, Steven. Where you been?

00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:06.340
So, we know that Tickalosh is going to be making

00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:10.700
saves for a couple of seconds. Maybe. I'm just

00:16:10.700 --> 00:16:13.159
going to kill him. Well, before that happens.

00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:15.159
Right, like mechanically. You know, when he goes

00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:18.529
down to zero. He's making saves. I just want

00:16:18.529 --> 00:16:21.570
to... Blanche wants to know. Okay, all right.

00:16:21.970 --> 00:16:23.789
Wants to try to figure out if there's anything

00:16:23.789 --> 00:16:28.190
magical going on. Like if it's being controlled

00:16:28.190 --> 00:16:32.350
somehow. If there's anything she can gleam. How

00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:34.629
do you intend to do that? With an arcana check.

00:16:35.090 --> 00:16:39.090
Yeah, arcana. You're analyzing its behavior.

00:16:39.409 --> 00:16:40.909
It doesn't really matter if it's dead or not.

00:16:40.970 --> 00:16:42.490
You're probably thinking more about what it was

00:16:42.490 --> 00:16:44.210
doing, how it was acting. Right, I'm thinking

00:16:44.210 --> 00:16:47.059
that she was kind of... She could kind of see

00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:49.600
that it was either just going after Jaune or

00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.940
maybe considering going after her. The two tortles

00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:55.080
in the party. Yeah. And putting that together

00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:57.919
with the horse accident, it's starting to seem

00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:01.960
a little fishy. Yeah. It's a 15. It doesn't feel

00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:05.000
like there was an element of control here. It

00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.119
doesn't feel like you were singled out because

00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:10.039
of who you are, but I think you are onto something

00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:12.960
with the whole idea of tortles. I think in this

00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:15.799
moment... You think back to what Jean said, that

00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:19.119
this creature, this great caiman, the ones that

00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:20.680
are near the Golden Bay are generally, you're

00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.220
supposed to stay very wary of them. They're one

00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:24.019
of those things where when they pop up, children

00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:26.819
go in their homes and people go out to hunt them

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:28.640
down and push them away because they have a taste

00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:31.220
for turtles. They tend to gather around the Golden

00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:33.279
Bay because I don't know what it is, but turtles

00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:35.700
are their favorite snack. Except for this one,

00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:37.099
though. But this one wasn't supposed to be that

00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:40.240
way. It just snapped. But you think that whatever

00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:42.980
caused the snap, this sort of sudden, like, wrath,

00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:45.180
this sudden, like, you know, predatory instinct

00:17:45.180 --> 00:17:49.779
that overcame it, it acted on its initial instincts.

00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:53.579
It went for the turtles because they're what

00:17:53.579 --> 00:17:55.980
it instinctually wanted to eat. Natural prey.

00:17:56.180 --> 00:17:58.799
That's what you think. Why it suddenly happened,

00:17:58.859 --> 00:18:01.759
why now? You don't know. Maybe Xion just smells

00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.900
really, really, really good. While Blanche is

00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:09.190
investigating Tickalosh, She's going to pull

00:18:09.190 --> 00:18:15.250
Chester's arrows out from the body and swim to

00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:19.549
shore and hand them back to Chester. Oh, thanks.

00:18:20.910 --> 00:18:25.130
That was some good shooting. You've got quite

00:18:25.130 --> 00:18:28.789
the eye. Honestly, it's not usually that good.

00:18:28.930 --> 00:18:31.450
I mean, sorry, not to tell myself short here,

00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:34.609
but that was especially good. Right, Jules? I

00:18:34.609 --> 00:18:37.130
mean, did you see that last one? Boom. Thank

00:18:37.130 --> 00:18:41.289
you for having our backs. Yeah, of course. Looks

00:18:41.289 --> 00:18:44.730
like his eyes focus around Jules. Always. Always,

00:18:44.809 --> 00:18:47.549
buddy. The crowd again, just all around Chester.

00:18:47.789 --> 00:18:49.910
He's not really known. The crowd's sort of super

00:18:49.910 --> 00:18:51.990
excited, booming around Chester. He might be.

00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:55.230
I think you might see a diamond flashing in the

00:18:55.230 --> 00:18:58.970
crowd. Someone recording all this. The elephant

00:18:58.970 --> 00:19:00.630
guy. We should probably go save the guy on the

00:19:00.630 --> 00:19:04.369
elephant. He was in the water. He went under

00:19:04.369 --> 00:19:06.289
the bridge. I think he's climbing under the bridge,

00:19:06.349 --> 00:19:07.750
soaking wet. The elephant's kind of starting

00:19:07.750 --> 00:19:09.890
to get to its feet now. I think maybe he moved

00:19:09.890 --> 00:19:12.269
over and started cutting the lines to the wagon

00:19:12.269 --> 00:19:14.190
so the elephant can kind of get back up. The

00:19:14.190 --> 00:19:16.750
wagon sort of fully submerges. The elephant,

00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:19.069
Penny, I think was the name I made up on the

00:19:19.069 --> 00:19:25.779
fly, begins to sort of stand. Oh, my gosh. I

00:19:25.779 --> 00:19:28.779
am so sorry. I am so sorry. I don't know what

00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:32.099
happened. That has never happened before. I've

00:19:32.099 --> 00:19:34.460
been down this road so many times. This is my

00:19:34.460 --> 00:19:37.619
job. It's my job for 15 years, and this has never

00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:42.480
happened. I'm so sorry. I don't think this was

00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:46.539
your fault. I don't blame you. So, are we going

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:51.680
to have to walk? Josh is staring down at the

00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.289
carriage down into the water. I told you, you

00:19:55.289 --> 00:19:58.069
could get up on my back. Father's going to hate

00:19:58.069 --> 00:20:00.630
this. It's not a good show. It's not a good look.

00:20:01.069 --> 00:20:05.690
But, well, goodbye, elephant cart. You'll be

00:20:05.690 --> 00:20:08.430
missed. He's kind of staring forlornly down.

00:20:09.369 --> 00:20:12.869
When we were crossing the bridge, did Blanche

00:20:12.869 --> 00:20:17.259
notice anybody who was watching Tickalosh? Somebody

00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:19.759
who was already there. There was a lot of people

00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.680
there. I think I noted before when you were crossing,

00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:23.559
there was a cool crowd on the bridge that was

00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:25.579
throwing stuff off the bridge to food to take

00:20:25.579 --> 00:20:28.720
a lash. He's very well known, very well fed by

00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.240
passerbys. And I think they all moved to the

00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.279
side. A lot of those folks have already left.

00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:35.359
A lot of them ran away when the fight started.

00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:39.019
Sure. Yeah, I don't think in hindsight you would

00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:41.160
be able to pick out anyone in particular. Just

00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:43.500
a freak accident. Now I'm trying to decide if

00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:48.319
I want to take 30 minutes asking around. And

00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.440
that's the episode, folks. Right, yeah, exactly.

00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:55.740
I hate it. Was anybody feeding Tikalash before

00:20:55.740 --> 00:20:59.880
this incident? Blanche will yell to the crowd

00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:01.839
who's watching. He just buries me like, everyone,

00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:04.720
I was, me, yeah, I threw him a piece of meat,

00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:07.119
you know, it'd be just jerky. Yeah, I fed him

00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:08.819
a little bit, yeah, yeah, a little pasta. I had

00:21:08.819 --> 00:21:12.259
pasta for last night. I mean, like, it's just

00:21:12.259 --> 00:21:15.009
everybody. People were just throwing food. All

00:21:15.009 --> 00:21:15.990
right. I don't think this is going anywhere.

00:21:16.069 --> 00:21:19.789
It's not going anywhere. Okay. DM opens up the

00:21:19.789 --> 00:21:23.210
screen and says, shut up. Keep moving. Never

00:21:23.210 --> 00:21:29.650
mind. Sorry to ruin your afternoon picnic. Dude,

00:21:29.670 --> 00:21:31.150
the people are like, everyone on the bridge are

00:21:31.150 --> 00:21:33.130
kind of like looking over the side, sort of sniffling,

00:21:33.190 --> 00:21:36.569
crying at this great beast that's sort of starting

00:21:36.569 --> 00:21:40.710
to float down the way, down the pond. What do

00:21:40.710 --> 00:21:43.299
you want to do? You guys heading away? Yeah,

00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:45.160
I think it's probably time before this becomes

00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:47.259
even more of a spectacle. Yeah, people are still

00:21:47.259 --> 00:21:49.880
lining up, more of a crowd, and you're already

00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:52.759
probably a little bit late to this meeting of

00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:55.839
the Kings of Coin. And this is a reminder to

00:21:55.839 --> 00:22:03.039
spay and neuter your caimans. And the crowd says,

00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:07.160
oh shit! You can't swear on the network, sir.

00:22:10.099 --> 00:22:14.839
So we're pressing on. Yeah. You guys, now on

00:22:14.839 --> 00:22:16.759
foot. I think Taryn Hollis, we're seeing to Penny,

00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:18.960
trying to take her off to the side, check for

00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.700
injuries. Again, just like profusely apologizing

00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:23.259
and thanking you so much because he was pulled

00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:25.960
in the water too. It could have been him. Thank

00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:29.259
you. Thank you so much. I owe you guys my lives.

00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:32.420
I mean, I just got saved by Jules LaRoche. Holy

00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:37.940
shit. He's stoked. People are probably running

00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:39.640
over to talk to him about the experience, interviewing

00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:42.680
him. You got cameras in his face. diamond cameras,

00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:48.079
and you guys are pushing down the way. Let's

00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.859
change the music up a little bit, huh? Because

00:22:49.859 --> 00:22:51.920
as you're about to move away from this scene,

00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:54.200
deeper into the jungle, away from this scene

00:22:54.200 --> 00:22:57.779
of tragedy behind this sudden, horrid affair,

00:22:58.019 --> 00:23:01.539
you're moving into a place of celebration. The

00:23:01.539 --> 00:23:02.619
closer you get to the city, the more you can

00:23:02.619 --> 00:23:06.480
hear the pounding of drums, the blaring of horns.

00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:09.680
The closer you get to the sounds of festivity

00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.779
and parade. So you're moving down the trail,

00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:15.500
which actually already wide starts to widen out

00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:18.240
even more as it gets closer to the city, as you

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:20.880
start seeing more performers on the sides of

00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.920
the road, as you sort of gather up with, like,

00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.839
a larger caravan of sort of people moving into

00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:28.940
the city, merchants with all sorts of wares and

00:23:28.940 --> 00:23:31.880
foods and the smells. Again, every city you go

00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:34.180
to always happens to be having a huge festival.

00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.940
So weird. It's so weird. You catch this sense

00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:42.190
of all sorts of, like, wonderful spices and foods.

00:23:42.470 --> 00:23:47.029
The air's just hot with them. You see this thoroughfare

00:23:47.029 --> 00:23:48.490
that's feeding into what's called the River of

00:23:48.490 --> 00:23:50.930
Gold. That's what they call the city as it gets

00:23:50.930 --> 00:23:54.309
closer to Zinda. It's paved with all these yellow

00:23:54.309 --> 00:23:57.130
pots that make it look like gleaming gold in

00:23:57.130 --> 00:24:01.410
the sun. The hot sun of Nowari. You're pushing

00:24:01.410 --> 00:24:03.849
ahead. People are cheering loudly. A bunch of

00:24:03.849 --> 00:24:05.650
caravanners that kind of fall in beside you as

00:24:05.650 --> 00:24:08.309
you're moving. As you begin to enter the fields.

00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:12.049
around the city. And this whole bustling community

00:24:12.049 --> 00:24:15.829
of Zinda comes into view. You see fields full

00:24:15.829 --> 00:24:19.509
of these pink, wide -petaled flowers, fully cultivated,

00:24:19.569 --> 00:24:22.269
all around the place. People are moving around,

00:24:22.430 --> 00:24:24.769
picking them, carrying them away. These are the

00:24:24.769 --> 00:24:28.549
jellyflower fields. They are everywhere. And

00:24:28.549 --> 00:24:31.750
this sweet, sweet scent seems to fill the air

00:24:31.750 --> 00:24:34.009
all around them, just all mixed with these sort

00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.460
of ocean, salty breeze. It's wonderful. And up

00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:40.440
ahead, you see the grand sort of marble white

00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:44.259
gates of the city, sort of gold -topped. The

00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:47.359
city of white and gold, the city of sin. It is

00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:51.299
Zinda, baby. As you reach the top, tax collectors

00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:53.920
are sort of harassing all the folks coming into

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:55.539
the city during this march of vice. And you can

00:24:55.539 --> 00:24:57.420
see already, it's partying all over the streets,

00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.380
drinking everywhere. People dancing, but no music.

00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:03.740
Just a wild, wild time. Parades running around.

00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:07.779
Beads, gem beads cluttering on every neck. feeds,

00:25:07.819 --> 00:25:10.119
baby. And you go to move up. I think the Texans

00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:12.460
come see you. Jaune quickly waves them off with

00:25:12.460 --> 00:25:15.299
a hearty, yeah, do you know who I am? Tell them

00:25:15.299 --> 00:25:27.359
who I am. Tell them who I am. You can tell them

00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:31.119
yourself, Jaune. Yes, I can. Very well, sir.

00:25:31.529 --> 00:25:34.009
It's more powerful if I say it myself. I, Mr.

00:25:34.210 --> 00:25:37.069
Tax Cutter, am Jean -Francois Montelio, future

00:25:37.069 --> 00:25:40.009
heir to... Wait, no, sorry. I am Jean -Francois

00:25:40.009 --> 00:25:41.710
Montelio, heir to House Montelio, future lord

00:25:41.710 --> 00:25:42.990
of the Nine Pools, and bearer of the banner of

00:25:42.990 --> 00:25:45.569
the Golden Bay. He waves his banner in the...

00:25:45.569 --> 00:25:48.130
He's got a little, like, pennant. No, he has

00:25:48.130 --> 00:25:50.009
a banner on his spear. He carries it everywhere.

00:25:50.349 --> 00:25:52.569
It's a big deal. Being the bearer banner is a

00:25:52.569 --> 00:25:55.190
big deal. There's only one. He bears the banner

00:25:55.190 --> 00:25:58.269
for his father. It's kind of like why he goes

00:25:58.269 --> 00:26:00.660
to a lot of these sort of functions. People kind

00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:04.319
of shrug, like, I don't... And the son of the

00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:05.980
seventh king of coin is like, let me through!

00:26:06.099 --> 00:26:07.480
And they're just, oh my gosh, they start to leave

00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:08.900
it out of the way. Like, oh, the turtle king,

00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:11.259
the turtle king! You guys go flooding through

00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:14.079
the gates. Yeah, they start to recognize him

00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:17.059
there. Again, eyes on you, Jules. And you're

00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:21.579
pushing into the city. You see most of the folk

00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:24.420
here are sort of dark -skinned, the hair growing

00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:27.509
in spiral curls. A lot of people just like to

00:26:27.509 --> 00:26:29.309
wear it very long, top with headscarves, top

00:26:29.309 --> 00:26:32.890
with wide -brimmed hats in a lot of cases, or

00:26:32.890 --> 00:26:35.849
set in, like, scalp -hugging braids. There's

00:26:35.849 --> 00:26:37.609
also a number of elves and halflings you see

00:26:37.609 --> 00:26:39.809
all around the place. Also, there's a number

00:26:39.809 --> 00:26:42.230
of humans as well. You see a few dwarves. There

00:26:42.230 --> 00:26:44.730
are a few orcs, actually, half -orcs in the lot.

00:26:45.869 --> 00:26:48.740
Again, just another melting pot city. You're

00:26:48.740 --> 00:26:50.660
pushing through on this golden road amidst silk

00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:53.339
draped booths and squat buildings with conical

00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:55.759
rooftops. The chatter of merchants and cheerful

00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:58.220
youth rings out along the road. Folks sell colorful

00:26:58.220 --> 00:27:01.099
flowers, beaded charms, and other wares from

00:27:01.099 --> 00:27:03.180
woven baskets atop their heads while street performers

00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:06.880
spin in tight circles waving long silk streamers.

00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:09.619
Hundreds of revelers, merchants, dilly wine vendors,

00:27:09.720 --> 00:27:12.460
entertainers pack the river of gold, the same

00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:14.740
major street that leads deeper, deeper towards

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:17.180
the palaces of the King of Coy to the city center.

00:27:18.340 --> 00:27:21.019
You see buildings bear brightly painted signs

00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:22.640
that are covered with colorful vines bearing

00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:26.079
lush flowers. As you're moving through, you can

00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:28.519
start to see the bustling city center called

00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:31.059
the Court of Flowers, lined with tropical trees

00:27:31.059 --> 00:27:34.099
whose branches droop to the pavement. Amidst

00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:35.539
them, you can see a collection of these great

00:27:35.539 --> 00:27:38.039
palaces. You're moving towards them, moving towards

00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:41.519
the centermost palace, the palace of Grand Messer

00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:47.039
Amos Nier, the Jelly King, most powerful king.

00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:51.029
And as you go, again, you just see people are

00:27:51.029 --> 00:27:53.730
looking, pointing at you. Some actually recognize

00:27:53.730 --> 00:27:57.890
who Jean Franklin is, the Prince of Coin. They

00:27:57.890 --> 00:28:00.869
recognize Blanche Trudeau for her role, her powerful

00:28:00.869 --> 00:28:03.210
role in the society. But again, most people,

00:28:03.309 --> 00:28:05.609
even though you're not part of this world, it's

00:28:05.609 --> 00:28:08.670
Jules LaRoche, baby. It's this big deal luminary

00:28:08.670 --> 00:28:10.430
who's done all this stuff. He's been on the network.

00:28:10.769 --> 00:28:12.650
I mean, people are pointing you out. People are

00:28:12.650 --> 00:28:16.309
whispering. There's some unusual attention here

00:28:16.309 --> 00:28:18.869
and there in the crowd as well. As you're going,

00:28:18.950 --> 00:28:20.710
Jules, every once in a while you look over and

00:28:20.710 --> 00:28:23.869
you see like someone fixes you with this stare.

00:28:24.450 --> 00:28:27.630
Not some cheerful stare, but something like determined.

00:28:28.130 --> 00:28:31.170
Something fiery. And they look at you and sort

00:28:31.170 --> 00:28:33.950
of nod their heads and raise a fist into the

00:28:33.950 --> 00:28:39.170
air. Some defiant gesture. I think there'll even

00:28:39.170 --> 00:28:40.970
be a time where as you're moving by you see in

00:28:40.970 --> 00:28:43.190
the shadow of an alley one such figure raises

00:28:43.190 --> 00:28:46.220
a hand. You swear that they're wearing some kind

00:28:46.220 --> 00:28:51.359
of mask and an apron stained by jelly dye. The

00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:54.680
stains are pink dyes, flowers in a strange circular

00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:57.920
pattern with a number of triangles pointing inwards

00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:00.900
towards the circle's edge. But you're moving

00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:07.000
on. All's well in Zinda. Can I roll something

00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:09.259
on that? Why don't you roll history? You can

00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:15.240
tell me who he is, what he's all about. Oh, that's

00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:19.960
only a five on the die. Plus three. Eight. Yeah,

00:29:20.099 --> 00:29:22.259
I don't know. Single digies through the newly

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:26.839
blessed dice tower. Getting them all out of the

00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:30.079
way. That's it. Practice, baby, practice. Okay.

00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:32.960
You push into the court of flowers amidst these

00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:36.059
grand sort of trees. And again, you push past

00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:41.900
a number of manners. You only see six. sort of

00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:44.559
great palaces here as the seventh king of coin,

00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:48.799
exists outside the city. DiPiero Montelli does

00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.380
not have a home here in Zinda. He travels from

00:29:52.380 --> 00:29:56.859
his place. Again, not chosen because he's accepted

00:29:56.859 --> 00:29:59.160
as one of the kings, but chosen because he's

00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:02.779
a shrewd businessman. And the city of Zinda simply

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:04.740
can't keep up with the Golden Bay when it comes

00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:09.500
to the fisher folk trade. So, as you push towards...

00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:12.720
the last of these grand manors, this huge white

00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:15.859
wall, three -story, just beautiful palace, huge

00:30:15.859 --> 00:30:18.720
sort of courtyard garden, fountains spraying

00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:22.980
in the courtyard before it. You can see a number

00:30:22.980 --> 00:30:27.059
of elephant carriages are just parked outside,

00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:31.259
kind of lined up. Poor Jean. Jean looks kind

00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:34.960
of sadly over like, well, everyone else had an

00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:37.019
elephant in the game, it looks like. Yep, that's,

00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:39.960
yep. Jules looks over and pats his back. Thank

00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:44.880
you, Jules. I'm here for you. That helps. Are

00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.240
you trying to set up a piggyback ride? Absolutely.

00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:53.940
Oh, Pat's at your back. Hey, Pat, John's back.

00:30:54.059 --> 00:31:01.339
No. That embarrassing misunderstanding out of

00:31:01.339 --> 00:31:03.440
the way. All right, well, no, no. Now he's at

00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:05.700
John's back. Oh, thank you. It's all right, buddy.

00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:11.849
We'll be equals. You stare at the sort of opened

00:31:11.849 --> 00:31:14.710
gateway. You stare beyond into the courtyard.

00:31:15.029 --> 00:31:16.910
And even from afar, you can see that there's

00:31:16.910 --> 00:31:21.309
a number of people standing outside. I believe

00:31:21.309 --> 00:31:25.410
seven. They're sort of scattered places. You're

00:31:25.410 --> 00:31:29.269
pushing towards this near Jean, just like, oh

00:31:29.269 --> 00:31:31.910
dear, oh dear, oh dear. Yep, as I thought, there's

00:31:31.910 --> 00:31:35.349
father. It's a sad father. He's, I'm sure, quite

00:31:35.349 --> 00:31:41.609
unhappy with my... Recent disappearance? Should

00:31:41.609 --> 00:31:43.710
I expect fire and brimstone and all the like?

00:31:44.049 --> 00:31:48.109
Or some of a cold fury? Well, I suppose we should

00:31:48.109 --> 00:31:51.890
probably go find out. Yes, yes. Quite into the

00:31:51.890 --> 00:31:54.589
fray, as it were. Into the fray. The tide is

00:31:54.589 --> 00:31:58.029
high and we're moving on. Be your number one.

00:31:58.750 --> 00:32:00.730
It's doing song lyrics. Never mind. Never mind.

00:32:02.569 --> 00:32:05.970
Come on. That was good. Yeah, that was funny.

00:32:06.109 --> 00:32:09.960
Anyway, we're pushing. into the courtyard. And

00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:14.900
you see Jean once again just goes, No. No, sir,

00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:17.579
he wouldn't. He wouldn't dare. Do you see? Look,

00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:21.079
there, by my father's side. It's that damnable

00:32:21.079 --> 00:32:25.059
Ledoux. As you guys peer into the courtyard,

00:32:25.259 --> 00:32:26.880
you see the foremost figures that are kind of

00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:29.460
standing there sort of in the wake of one fountain

00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:32.299
of the spray kind of wash over them, watering

00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:35.319
their total skin. You see, one of them looks

00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:37.779
like an older Jean Franklin. Green skin with

00:32:37.779 --> 00:32:40.900
flecks of yellow and piercing blue eyes. There's

00:32:40.900 --> 00:32:43.400
no mirth in those eyes, however. Just a constant

00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:46.759
roaring ambition. And a grudge against all his

00:32:46.759 --> 00:32:49.059
peers. He's kind of like looking at everybody.

00:32:49.099 --> 00:32:52.039
You can see just this vein bulging on his forehead.

00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:55.759
Definitely looks mad. Well, kind of mad? We'll

00:32:55.759 --> 00:32:58.859
find out. He wears an ornate ceremonial robe

00:32:58.859 --> 00:33:01.420
of red and gold. And his chest shell is bare.

00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:04.299
You see this sweeping regal skirt just spreading

00:33:04.299 --> 00:33:06.500
around him. Probably the most overdressed figure

00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:10.599
here. But to Piero, Montelio always overdresses.

00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:13.400
For he must be the grandest in the room. And

00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:15.839
he's just as good, just as good, damn it, as

00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:18.519
any of these other kings. He'll tell you at length.

00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:22.859
Beside him, you see a thin turtle with scales

00:33:22.859 --> 00:33:26.779
of a dark, mossy green. His eyes shining amber.

00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:29.400
They hold a great deal of haughty intelligence.

00:33:30.190 --> 00:33:31.829
As you approach, he kind of turns, and you see

00:33:31.829 --> 00:33:34.369
the smug plaster on his face. It's a work of

00:33:34.369 --> 00:33:37.569
perfection. Every muscle stretched to be as punchably

00:33:37.569 --> 00:33:41.809
annoying as totally possible. And Jules, you

00:33:41.809 --> 00:33:45.170
must realize this must be this Ledoux Jean Franklin

00:33:45.170 --> 00:33:47.049
spoke of. It's pretty obvious who the dad is

00:33:47.049 --> 00:33:51.029
and who the other is. Ledoux is the last name?

00:33:51.690 --> 00:33:55.750
No, it's Ledoux Lemoyne. Ledoux Lemoyne. Can

00:33:55.750 --> 00:34:00.990
you get any Frencher? No. As you begin to approach,

00:34:01.230 --> 00:34:03.990
I think Jean kind of, like, maybe he's a little

00:34:03.990 --> 00:34:05.470
stalling. Maybe you have to shove him a little

00:34:05.470 --> 00:34:10.610
bit forward. What does Blanche call De Piero?

00:34:11.230 --> 00:34:15.110
Ooh. I think he's, like, the other kings of coin

00:34:15.110 --> 00:34:18.530
have, like, a term they use. It's like messer,

00:34:18.530 --> 00:34:22.429
madame, or mix. It's sort of their noble term

00:34:22.429 --> 00:34:26.090
based on, you know, gender. But De Piero doesn't

00:34:26.090 --> 00:34:27.789
actually follow that tradition because it's a

00:34:27.789 --> 00:34:32.099
Zinda tradition. He prefers, I think, just Lord

00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:35.579
DePiero. I think he's fine with, like, Lord Montelio,

00:34:35.659 --> 00:34:37.679
Lord DePiero, Lord of the Nine Pools. A lot of

00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:40.179
times he will also break into his romanticized

00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:42.539
titles because that's just how turtles are. But

00:34:42.539 --> 00:34:44.900
he tries to distance himself. He wants to be

00:34:44.900 --> 00:34:47.960
part of this India league. He also tries to hold

00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:50.340
to his turtle heritage, like, deeply, you know.

00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:53.920
And so, like, he won't adopt their titles. He

00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:57.800
refuses to. So as they approach, Blanche will.

00:34:58.489 --> 00:35:01.929
We'll say, Lord de Piero, may I introduce you

00:35:01.929 --> 00:35:06.550
to Jules LaRoche and his sidekick, Chester Meeps.

00:35:07.110 --> 00:35:11.670
There's a silence. Piero's just looking at you

00:35:11.670 --> 00:35:15.989
for a moment. He turns towards his son, Jean

00:35:15.989 --> 00:35:23.309
Franklin. You are a bearer of the banner. You

00:35:23.309 --> 00:35:29.030
will introduce me to your friends. Yes, of course,

00:35:29.030 --> 00:35:33.730
father. Yes. He kind of unfurls the banner, places

00:35:33.730 --> 00:35:35.550
it down hard on the ground before, just like,

00:35:35.710 --> 00:35:39.369
this is none other than the Piero Montelio, patriarch

00:35:39.369 --> 00:35:41.369
of House Montelio, lord of the nine pools and

00:35:41.369 --> 00:35:44.949
seventh king of coin of Zinda. And Piero kind

00:35:44.949 --> 00:35:50.530
of nods. You're late. Thankfully, we are still

00:35:50.530 --> 00:35:56.780
waiting on one other. Mix Massimo Aine. And their

00:35:56.780 --> 00:36:01.059
son has not arrived yet, so we are not waiting

00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:07.139
on you, which is, I suppose, good. But that damnable

00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:09.960
Grand Messer Amos Nier will make us all wait

00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:13.579
here in the sun till everyone appears. Wants

00:36:13.579 --> 00:36:16.119
to make sure no one misses his grand entrance,

00:36:16.219 --> 00:36:20.119
no doubt. You look filthy, and where's the mount

00:36:20.119 --> 00:36:24.179
I sent for you? Apologies, my lord, we had...

00:36:24.570 --> 00:36:28.650
Trouble's on the trail. The mount was interrupted

00:36:28.650 --> 00:36:34.769
by a wild animal attack. Wild animal, you say?

00:36:35.190 --> 00:36:40.670
Yes, the caiman, Tikalash. He spooked the animal

00:36:40.670 --> 00:36:45.230
and, well, we had to dispatch of it. The caiman,

00:36:45.369 --> 00:36:48.949
not... The elephant is fine. She looks around

00:36:48.949 --> 00:36:51.449
at all the other elephants. The elephant is fine.

00:36:54.400 --> 00:36:58.599
Sort of, like, raises an eyebrow, nods. Very

00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:02.719
well, then. I will see if we can move things

00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:08.380
along. We must be given entrance soon. I will

00:37:08.380 --> 00:37:10.460
not be treated like this any longer. He starts

00:37:10.460 --> 00:37:12.820
storming off towards, like, the gateway, towards,

00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:14.659
like, some, you know, a person that's standing

00:37:14.659 --> 00:37:17.420
at the sort of front door of the actual manor

00:37:17.420 --> 00:37:21.360
itself, kind of being blown away. He moves away.

00:37:22.019 --> 00:37:25.159
Leaving only the other tortle. Every time they're

00:37:25.159 --> 00:37:30.179
the young. Who. As soon as like. DePiero leaves

00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:34.039
earshot. Just spins on Jean Franklin. That smirk

00:37:34.039 --> 00:37:38.099
gets even smirkier. And says. Hello Jean. You

00:37:38.099 --> 00:37:45.980
look. Dirty. Walks past him. Totally ignoring

00:37:45.980 --> 00:37:49.510
him to you guys. I am Ledoux Lemoyne, financial

00:37:49.510 --> 00:37:52.070
advisor to House Montelio, chosen ward of the

00:37:52.070 --> 00:37:54.750
Nine Pools, and bearer of the Banner of the Golden

00:37:54.750 --> 00:37:57.429
Bay. What? What? What? What? What? I'm the bearer

00:37:57.429 --> 00:37:59.329
of the Banner of the Golden Bay. Only your father

00:37:59.329 --> 00:38:01.329
chose to have another banner bearer, as he cannot

00:38:01.329 --> 00:38:03.670
rely on his son to see to his duties, and he

00:38:03.670 --> 00:38:06.809
certainly cannot bear his own banner. The Kings

00:38:06.809 --> 00:38:08.989
of Corn even made an allowance for my presence

00:38:08.989 --> 00:38:11.849
here, in case you didn't bother showing, Prince.

00:38:12.799 --> 00:38:14.619
Don't you expect me to believe that my father

00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:16.699
would have a bloodless rat like you bear the

00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:19.500
banner? Better a banner bear than one furled

00:38:19.500 --> 00:38:21.460
up in the arms of some spoiled, gallivanting

00:38:21.460 --> 00:38:25.480
child. Well, I'm here now, so I shall bear the

00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:27.800
banner in the palace of Amosnia, and you should

00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:30.400
hold off. What if father needs a second banner

00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:33.000
bear within the furthest depths of his own arsehole?

00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:34.880
You'll be right there anyway, won't you, Ladue?

00:38:34.900 --> 00:38:39.789
Won't you? How crude. And the two just kind of

00:38:39.789 --> 00:38:41.949
split off and start walking. Like, LeDoux just

00:38:41.949 --> 00:38:46.690
storms away. Practice some grace, Tadpole. John's

00:38:46.690 --> 00:38:48.610
just staring after him like, you'll get him to

00:38:48.610 --> 00:38:51.869
go. The rest is bolting slime. Ass stiff from

00:38:51.869 --> 00:38:54.909
keeping my seat warm, no doubt. Yes, an ass indeed.

00:38:55.809 --> 00:39:00.530
Such an ass. What an ass. That was also quite

00:39:00.530 --> 00:39:02.489
enjoyable watching you argue with yourself for

00:39:02.489 --> 00:39:06.989
like two minutes. Ass. Jean's just staring pointedly

00:39:06.989 --> 00:39:10.389
after the figure that's moving away from you.

00:39:12.809 --> 00:39:16.030
Chester's kind of like watching this with a kind

00:39:16.030 --> 00:39:19.989
of funny little smirk on his face. Nick picking

00:39:19.989 --> 00:39:22.949
on something that Blanche probably already understands

00:39:22.949 --> 00:39:27.130
from years with these two turtles. Jules, roll

00:39:27.130 --> 00:39:28.550
the insight check and see if you catch on to

00:39:28.550 --> 00:39:36.219
it too. Okay. It's a 19. A 19. I think Chester

00:39:36.219 --> 00:39:38.679
kind of nudges you. And as you kind of look down

00:39:38.679 --> 00:39:40.599
and smirk and look up, it kind of strikes you.

00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:46.159
Jaune's gaze is too fixed. As though this entire

00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:49.699
display was more than just a display of animosity.

00:39:50.539 --> 00:39:53.780
These turtles hold affection for each other.

00:39:54.380 --> 00:39:57.539
Very unspoken, very buried. But he's definitely

00:39:57.539 --> 00:40:00.139
looking at that ass he speaks of a little too

00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:06.820
closely. I was just about to turn as he was walking

00:40:06.820 --> 00:40:11.460
away and say, good to meet you, LaDoodoo. LaDoodoo.

00:40:12.219 --> 00:40:18.219
But now that I see that gaze. Yeah. Yeah, truly

00:40:18.219 --> 00:40:20.199
smoldering. I was going to make fun of him in

00:40:20.199 --> 00:40:22.920
solidarity with Jaune, but after I see that,

00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:26.099
I'll hold back. You'll hold back on LaDoodoo's

00:40:26.099 --> 00:40:29.960
for now. And Jaune just turns to you guys and

00:40:29.960 --> 00:40:33.690
says, I should attend to my father. Explain to

00:40:33.690 --> 00:40:35.789
him what's going on and hopefully learn about

00:40:35.789 --> 00:40:38.309
what we're doing here. So, remember, remember.

00:40:38.469 --> 00:40:39.670
Okay, it gets a little quiet. Like, because you're

00:40:39.670 --> 00:40:41.289
sort of, now that everyone's thrown away, you're

00:40:41.289 --> 00:40:42.909
in your own little spot in the courtyard. There's

00:40:42.909 --> 00:40:45.130
different pockets of people here and there. You're

00:40:45.130 --> 00:40:48.670
here for us, both a protector and a performer.

00:40:48.929 --> 00:40:50.949
He kind of points to Blanchard, the protector,

00:40:51.050 --> 00:40:53.829
and Jules, the performer. Jester kind of sweeps

00:40:53.829 --> 00:40:56.590
him with that. Now, play your roles carefully,

00:40:56.690 --> 00:40:58.769
but you should have freedom here. Should you

00:40:58.769 --> 00:41:01.590
want to investigate the secrets these people

00:41:01.590 --> 00:41:04.050
know, these... monsters, these murderers. No,

00:41:04.110 --> 00:41:06.710
they're here. They're buried here. Grandmaster

00:41:06.710 --> 00:41:08.650
Amos Nia, he's the one that gives the orders

00:41:08.650 --> 00:41:10.809
for the Kings of Coin. He's the one my father

00:41:10.809 --> 00:41:14.110
had written to. There's evidence. It's in this

00:41:14.110 --> 00:41:17.969
palace. I'll be locked down for the most part,

00:41:17.969 --> 00:41:19.969
likely. There's going to be meeting after meeting,

00:41:20.110 --> 00:41:21.650
blah, blah, blah, all these financial reports

00:41:21.650 --> 00:41:24.710
too. But I will try to sneak away when I can,

00:41:24.789 --> 00:41:27.949
do my own investigations. All right? Good luck.

00:41:28.759 --> 00:41:30.119
And I don't know if you're hearing this and you're

00:41:30.119 --> 00:41:32.719
probably like, I'm supposed to guard you. Right,

00:41:32.820 --> 00:41:35.840
yeah. Where are you going? I'm your bodyguard.

00:41:36.619 --> 00:41:39.280
Just stay here with Jules. Just try to make sure

00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:41.039
he's doing all right, all right? I want to, I

00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:43.300
can, you know, move around these circles just

00:41:43.300 --> 00:41:45.380
fine. I'm worried that they're going to get Jules.

00:41:45.500 --> 00:41:47.199
Look at him. He doesn't know what he's doing

00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:49.260
here. Does this party have the stones of far

00:41:49.260 --> 00:41:56.099
speech? No. Well, that seems foolish. Yeah. All

00:41:56.099 --> 00:41:58.659
right, never mind. I must have left my stones

00:41:58.659 --> 00:42:00.820
at Farspeech elsewhere. Didn't Dresden give them?

00:42:01.159 --> 00:42:03.460
I think we touched on that. Crispin Dresden kept

00:42:03.460 --> 00:42:06.699
them. They were shoelace. Oh, ascending stones.

00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:08.119
That's what I'm thinking of. Yeah, ascending

00:42:08.119 --> 00:42:09.840
stones. Yeah, ascending stones. Never mind. Farspeech

00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:12.659
is a different term. Yeah. Ascending stones is

00:42:12.659 --> 00:42:13.679
the actual one. It's what it's really called.

00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:19.480
Must have left them in my other shell. Don't

00:42:19.480 --> 00:42:22.659
just nod so you guys like, all right. Sir, I'll

00:42:22.659 --> 00:42:24.059
see you around, I'm sure. You'll be following

00:42:24.059 --> 00:42:26.139
me to the side here and there, but for now, you

00:42:26.139 --> 00:42:28.139
should be free to go, free to move, check things

00:42:28.139 --> 00:42:31.260
out, meet people, whatever you do. Just be careful.

00:42:31.280 --> 00:42:34.420
Trust nobody. It's a sinful lot, all of them.

00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:38.519
Don't say it. I see your eyes. I wasn't going

00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:42.500
to say anything. Your face. It's just to say

00:42:42.500 --> 00:42:45.280
you don't have to tell me twice. All right. Good

00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:48.599
luck, John. He nods and... sort of scampers off

00:42:48.599 --> 00:42:50.820
after his father, who's yelling at the person

00:42:50.820 --> 00:42:52.239
at the door, like from across the courtyard,

00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:54.099
who then the person kind of opens the door and

00:42:54.099 --> 00:42:59.099
disappears inside, closes. Jean goes to meet

00:42:59.099 --> 00:43:01.000
him at the steps of the doorway. I'm getting

00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:03.940
Jean out of here. And I'll explain why. Yeah,

00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:07.320
we're going to find out three episodes. And David

00:43:07.320 --> 00:43:09.260
has one less button. It's much more meta than

00:43:09.260 --> 00:43:12.219
that. I want less characters to voice because

00:43:12.219 --> 00:43:15.059
I think I put this out there in our last unzipped.

00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:19.289
This arc. is a murder mystery. And when it comes

00:43:19.289 --> 00:43:21.309
to murder mysteries, you've got to introduce

00:43:21.309 --> 00:43:23.309
a lot of people, a lot of suspects. So get your

00:43:23.309 --> 00:43:25.489
notebooks out, guys. I've got a lot of characters

00:43:25.489 --> 00:43:27.730
to drop on you real quick. Let me open up Notepad.

00:43:28.349 --> 00:43:32.909
That's the best place to do it. Just don't do

00:43:32.909 --> 00:43:35.590
Google Docs. You can't trust it. Too late. All

00:43:35.590 --> 00:43:38.369
right, David. Does anybody look like a murderer?

00:43:39.210 --> 00:43:42.849
I don't think so. How about an insight check?

00:43:43.420 --> 00:43:45.480
Let's solve this right here, right now. One natural

00:43:45.480 --> 00:43:50.019
20. Before you do anything stupid, you, I think,

00:43:50.019 --> 00:43:53.019
are singled out by someone nearby. You hear like

00:43:53.019 --> 00:43:56.940
a slight commotion nearby, a burst of sort of

00:43:56.940 --> 00:44:03.320
haughty laughter from a young man talking to

00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:06.599
a woman kind of close to where you stand, maybe

00:44:06.599 --> 00:44:08.360
like on the other side of a different fountain.

00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:12.789
You're looking at this... smiling swag. He looks

00:44:12.789 --> 00:44:15.329
like a real playboy. Hair and beard are sort

00:44:15.329 --> 00:44:18.090
of dyed green. There's a white mask covering

00:44:18.090 --> 00:44:20.829
his eyes. He's got this, like, rolling shoulders,

00:44:20.909 --> 00:44:24.889
big, strong body. Kind of looks like he's sort

00:44:24.889 --> 00:44:27.309
of almost stumbling. Like, it's probably noon

00:44:27.309 --> 00:44:28.570
right now and he looks like he might be a little

00:44:28.570 --> 00:44:31.710
day drunk. And he's sort of, like, arm over this

00:44:31.710 --> 00:44:36.630
woman you see who looks, likewise, pretty built.

00:44:37.750 --> 00:44:40.110
Just a beautiful dark -skinned woman in a flashy

00:44:40.110 --> 00:44:42.519
pink dress that's all sequins and feathers just

00:44:42.519 --> 00:44:45.800
this lean musculature to her um and a dancer

00:44:45.800 --> 00:44:47.699
sort of precision to the way she she moves around

00:44:47.699 --> 00:44:49.699
the way he sort of she sort of flicks his hand

00:44:49.699 --> 00:44:53.480
off her uh shoulder um whispers something in

00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:56.699
his ear and he kind of oh yeah one second yeah

00:44:56.699 --> 00:44:59.340
oh one more time fine yeah he kind of turns starts

00:44:59.340 --> 00:45:01.440
running back towards like the the man you see

00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:03.739
he goes up to the doorway and it's fully allowed

00:45:03.739 --> 00:45:07.679
in um goes inside door closes uh the woman kind

00:45:07.679 --> 00:45:10.179
of watches him go, sort of shakes her head, rolls

00:45:10.179 --> 00:45:12.960
her eyes, and those eyes sort of fall on the

00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:16.179
two of you. She kind of spins in place, means

00:45:16.179 --> 00:45:18.519
to step over to you, almost like a recognition

00:45:18.519 --> 00:45:22.760
there, but kind of a casual wave, stepping over

00:45:22.760 --> 00:45:26.039
these sort of big, pretty long pink heels to

00:45:26.039 --> 00:45:28.760
match the outfit. I think you might even recognize,

00:45:29.119 --> 00:45:31.119
this is a person that's been on the network before,

00:45:31.179 --> 00:45:32.440
someone that's been mentioned to you before.

00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:36.500
This is a woman named, or at least, known to

00:45:36.500 --> 00:45:40.480
the public as Diva Luma, a luminary sort of battle

00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:44.579
diva, trained here on this world in the arts

00:45:44.579 --> 00:45:47.760
of sort of like bardic song and dance, but also

00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:50.099
trained to fight. I mean, I'll have a sing -off.

00:45:53.599 --> 00:45:57.340
T -Cons, moving over to you, just like, I hope

00:45:57.340 --> 00:45:59.139
you don't mind the company, though. The Grandmaster's

00:45:59.139 --> 00:46:01.719
son comes on a little strong. He's a fan, but

00:46:01.719 --> 00:46:05.659
a little too big. Yeah, he's a little odd. I

00:46:05.659 --> 00:46:07.579
got him around my finger, though. Sent him off

00:46:07.579 --> 00:46:10.500
on a little quest to impress me. Goes back and

00:46:10.500 --> 00:46:13.380
forth. Diva Luma. I know who you are, Mr. LaRoche.

00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:16.320
Pleasure to meet you. We'll be performing together,

00:46:16.500 --> 00:46:20.460
I hear. Oh? That's what I've heard. Think you

00:46:20.460 --> 00:46:23.639
got the chops? I'm excited to hear what you're

00:46:23.639 --> 00:46:26.079
bringing to the table. My repertoire's not that

00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:29.800
big, but it should be a good show. Good nods

00:46:29.800 --> 00:46:33.099
along. Yes, it is an honor being here like this.

00:46:33.440 --> 00:46:34.880
It's my second year at the estate, actually.

00:46:35.579 --> 00:46:39.260
As I said, Azrinir, the young prince, is a big

00:46:39.260 --> 00:46:42.780
fan. So they had me come back. And it looks like

00:46:42.780 --> 00:46:45.219
you've got a fan here, too. She kind of nods

00:46:45.219 --> 00:46:48.639
her head over. And I think maybe you might follow

00:46:48.639 --> 00:46:50.900
her gaze sort of subtly and see that there's

00:46:50.900 --> 00:46:56.760
this full orc staying nearby. Not nearby, kind

00:46:56.760 --> 00:46:58.360
of like on the other side of the courtyard, but

00:46:58.360 --> 00:47:01.699
like watching you very intently. You see this

00:47:01.699 --> 00:47:04.039
portly, gray -skinned orc with a grand, tusky

00:47:04.039 --> 00:47:07.280
smile, wearing colorful robes, layers of gold

00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:09.119
necklaces covering their neck, and an array of

00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:13.019
rings decorate their hands. And then next to

00:47:13.019 --> 00:47:15.960
them is a half -orc woman in her early 20s with

00:47:15.960 --> 00:47:18.579
dark gray skin and sleek black hair, sort of

00:47:18.579 --> 00:47:22.420
styled coolly over her eyes. There's black makeup

00:47:22.420 --> 00:47:24.320
on her eyes, black lipstick, black dress with

00:47:24.320 --> 00:47:27.400
spiked combat boots. I don't care. Just full

00:47:27.400 --> 00:47:31.530
of goth. And you just kind of hear like a, oh

00:47:31.530 --> 00:47:34.809
my gosh, Tata, is that Jules or Rose? And it's,

00:47:34.849 --> 00:47:39.190
oh yes, yes, my little darling, yes. Oh, anything

00:47:39.190 --> 00:47:42.969
for you. You hear like this. You hear that echoing

00:47:42.969 --> 00:47:45.949
down. Extremely unsettling. Jules kind of calls

00:47:45.949 --> 00:47:50.289
these up to Blanche a little more. Diva Luma

00:47:50.289 --> 00:47:53.030
sees you're kind of almost awkward and says,

00:47:53.329 --> 00:47:56.190
not used to it yet, huh? It'll come in time.

00:47:56.690 --> 00:47:58.590
Just remember this, when they're fans of you,

00:47:59.119 --> 00:48:01.739
You dominate them. You control them. Send them

00:48:01.739 --> 00:48:03.360
off on errands. Make them try to impress you.

00:48:03.940 --> 00:48:05.219
Don't let them think they're in charge of you,

00:48:05.260 --> 00:48:07.320
though. You know, I'm not even going to try to

00:48:07.320 --> 00:48:09.619
explain everything wrong with what you just said.

00:48:10.400 --> 00:48:12.380
Good to meet you. She kind of shrugs sort of

00:48:12.380 --> 00:48:16.460
casually. Likewise. Winks to your blanch and

00:48:16.460 --> 00:48:21.929
sort of saunters away. As she does, you notice

00:48:21.929 --> 00:48:23.710
there is a figure moving towards you from the

00:48:23.710 --> 00:48:26.449
other side. Not the girl, who seems to be kind

00:48:26.449 --> 00:48:28.829
of like looking back sort of bashfully, kind

00:48:28.829 --> 00:48:30.670
of like hands over mouths, kind of watching in

00:48:30.670 --> 00:48:34.530
almost strict horror as this other figure, this

00:48:34.530 --> 00:48:37.869
full orc kind of steps over. Puts a hand out

00:48:37.869 --> 00:48:42.849
to both of you, just says, Mixmagus Ruba, king

00:48:42.849 --> 00:48:46.690
of coin of the tavern keeper trade. It's nice

00:48:46.690 --> 00:48:49.809
to meet you. I actually was the one that pushed

00:48:49.809 --> 00:48:53.170
your invitation through, Mr. LaRoche. Can you

00:48:53.170 --> 00:48:57.650
say their name one more time and also the Grand

00:48:57.650 --> 00:49:00.150
Messer's son's name one more time? Grand Messer's

00:49:00.150 --> 00:49:05.030
son is Azranir. This character is Margus Gruba.

00:49:05.130 --> 00:49:08.329
Mix Margus Gruba. Make them easier to spell next

00:49:08.329 --> 00:49:10.929
arc. They're from the book, actually. I'm just

00:49:10.929 --> 00:49:14.590
picking on you. But they sort of carry on just...

00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:17.539
My daughter is a big fan. The others were wary

00:49:17.539 --> 00:49:19.440
of her invite, but I made sure to push it through

00:49:19.440 --> 00:49:22.639
the works for my Xenia. Gestures towards the

00:49:22.639 --> 00:49:26.760
sort of gothish half -orc who's still just kind

00:49:26.760 --> 00:49:29.679
of looking terrified, stricken that their Tata

00:49:29.679 --> 00:49:33.079
is here talking to you. Looks around, just, I

00:49:33.079 --> 00:49:35.099
know it's not a lot to see. It's a small crowd,

00:49:35.300 --> 00:49:37.539
but it's always this way on the first night.

00:49:37.739 --> 00:49:40.400
It'll get bigger. Grand Messer Amos Niers is

00:49:40.400 --> 00:49:42.880
a man of stalwart ritual. He sentenced nearly

00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:45.099
all of his servants and... pretty much his entire

00:49:45.099 --> 00:49:47.760
family away for the night. This enormous building

00:49:47.760 --> 00:49:50.659
belongs only to our small lot until tomorrow

00:49:50.659 --> 00:49:54.019
eve. So just remember, all the space is yours.

00:49:54.219 --> 00:49:56.639
Have fun. Have a great time. This whole celebration

00:49:56.639 --> 00:49:59.139
is about letting loose. And I can tell you, you

00:49:59.139 --> 00:50:01.099
won't see me for a minute without a drink in

00:50:01.099 --> 00:50:04.840
my hand. Because I'm already just sipping a can

00:50:04.840 --> 00:50:08.699
from a little canteen. Do you have anything you

00:50:08.699 --> 00:50:11.179
want to ask? I think I'll stop and look at you

00:50:11.179 --> 00:50:13.179
for a bit. You think it's the appropriate time

00:50:13.179 --> 00:50:16.840
to be celebrating with everything going on? You

00:50:16.840 --> 00:50:20.280
say this big, tusky smile. I think if there's

00:50:20.280 --> 00:50:25.820
any time to drown sorrow, it's now. Perhaps this

00:50:25.820 --> 00:50:28.519
is a very fortuitous time to have this festival,

00:50:28.599 --> 00:50:31.739
don't you think? Yes, it's sad, tragic. What's

00:50:31.739 --> 00:50:35.300
happened to, well, our fellow royals? Ever the

00:50:35.300 --> 00:50:38.610
entertainer, our jewels taking all that... raw

00:50:38.610 --> 00:50:41.050
emotion and drama and bottling it up for his

00:50:41.050 --> 00:50:43.889
own art. I'm sure it will come out later tonight.

00:50:44.070 --> 00:50:47.190
You'll see. I certainly hope so. For my daughter's

00:50:47.190 --> 00:50:50.190
sake, she's such a sweet little princess. Oh,

00:50:50.409 --> 00:50:53.429
they look around and they say, oh, yes, it is

00:50:53.429 --> 00:50:57.250
sad. It's tragic. A horse riding accident. Can

00:50:57.250 --> 00:51:01.869
you believe? Poor, poor Aurolavim. Solon must

00:51:01.869 --> 00:51:06.449
be beside himself with grief. I kind of like.

00:51:20.419 --> 00:51:26.920
Sorry, do we know what's going on with the blood

00:51:26.920 --> 00:51:29.360
letters? Uh, it's been on the news a bit. You

00:51:29.360 --> 00:51:32.909
would know. Uh, with the last... Two weeks ago.

00:51:33.030 --> 00:51:34.750
Because that horse accident was one thing that

00:51:34.750 --> 00:51:36.690
happened. That was about a month ago, almost.

00:51:37.250 --> 00:51:38.989
You're saying that's connected to the blood letters?

00:51:39.530 --> 00:51:43.829
No. That was a different... So, Messer Solonovim's

00:51:43.829 --> 00:51:47.829
son, Arlovim, died from a horse riding accident

00:51:47.829 --> 00:51:50.050
about a month ago. Just a freak accident. It

00:51:50.050 --> 00:51:52.989
happens. What number? But Madam Kitmata's...

00:51:53.400 --> 00:51:56.019
son, Amomata, was also killed about two weeks

00:51:56.019 --> 00:51:59.579
ago when a protest of this revolutionary group

00:51:59.579 --> 00:52:01.900
called the Blood Letters broke bad out of nowhere.

00:52:02.199 --> 00:52:04.219
It just became suddenly violent and they rushed

00:52:04.219 --> 00:52:07.800
the sort of stage and stabbed this Prince of

00:52:07.800 --> 00:52:10.739
Coin to death. Ever since then, security's been

00:52:10.739 --> 00:52:12.920
tight here. The Silent Burst, which are like

00:52:12.920 --> 00:52:14.719
kind of the secret police of the Kings of Coin,

00:52:14.780 --> 00:52:17.599
have been like cracking down. It's all very hush

00:52:17.599 --> 00:52:20.739
-hush, but they're scared. They're terrified.

00:52:21.760 --> 00:52:25.460
Yes, I, uh, What precautions is the Grand Messer

00:52:25.460 --> 00:52:28.780
taking to keep this palace safe with everyone

00:52:28.780 --> 00:52:31.000
gathered here all at once and the blood that

00:52:31.000 --> 00:52:34.239
is still out there? Well, it seems the silent

00:52:34.239 --> 00:52:37.239
verse. I mean, take a look around. Take a real

00:52:37.239 --> 00:52:40.559
look around. Maybe you just, like, scan. All

00:52:40.559 --> 00:52:42.260
right, Blanche takes a real look around. Give

00:52:42.260 --> 00:52:43.860
me a look around. Do you want to roll a check?

00:52:44.159 --> 00:52:45.699
Yeah, you tell me. Roll a check. Full perception.

00:52:46.300 --> 00:52:50.860
Can jewels do the same? Yeah. Single digits.

00:52:51.599 --> 00:52:55.380
Uh, same. Eight. You don't. Maybe you notice

00:52:55.380 --> 00:52:59.079
there's some movement on the street. Some movement

00:52:59.079 --> 00:53:02.059
in, like, the sort of shrubbery in the garden.

00:53:02.380 --> 00:53:05.780
What about Chester? Give me Chester. Yeah. Yeah,

00:53:05.980 --> 00:53:07.460
he's good at urban stuff, too. I was going to

00:53:07.460 --> 00:53:09.500
say, are we in an urban setting? This would be

00:53:09.500 --> 00:53:11.699
an urban setting. I believe he gets advantage

00:53:11.699 --> 00:53:15.139
on this. Oh, baby. And I think he has something

00:53:15.139 --> 00:53:18.000
where he can, like, pick up whispers and stuff

00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:20.320
like that. Yep. He can learn, yeah, gossip as

00:53:20.320 --> 00:53:23.000
he goes. Yep. which can be very helpful in this

00:53:23.000 --> 00:53:30.099
arc. Oh, yeah. He also only got an eight. Advantage.

00:53:31.639 --> 00:53:36.039
And a six. Nope. Get out of here. I got nothing.

00:53:38.059 --> 00:53:40.619
The silent verse do their job very well, but

00:53:40.619 --> 00:53:42.659
they are everywhere. I'm telling you, they are

00:53:42.659 --> 00:53:45.480
everywhere. This place is essentially on lockdown

00:53:45.480 --> 00:53:48.920
from the outside and in. We're safe here. Believe

00:53:48.920 --> 00:53:52.889
me, they are all around. Their captain is attending

00:53:52.889 --> 00:53:56.809
as well. Oh, perhaps I could meet this captain

00:53:56.809 --> 00:54:01.690
of the silent verse. You are guests here and

00:54:01.690 --> 00:54:04.989
not necessarily a signed on part of royalty.

00:54:05.070 --> 00:54:08.389
Believe me, they will come to meet you. But in

00:54:08.389 --> 00:54:11.989
the Catholic turns, oh, what's this? You see

00:54:11.989 --> 00:54:17.389
the door is beginning to open into the actual

00:54:17.389 --> 00:54:20.360
manor itself. Looks like old Amos Neer got bored

00:54:20.360 --> 00:54:22.460
of waiting on the last family. Ha! Good, good.

00:54:22.539 --> 00:54:24.559
I should get back to my Xenia. He just kind of

00:54:24.559 --> 00:54:27.639
gives you a little sort of parting wave and sort

00:54:27.639 --> 00:54:32.420
of shambles away. And you see that door has opened.

00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:37.199
You see two figures come stepping out of it.

00:54:37.619 --> 00:54:41.019
The first is a very pale man with delightfully

00:54:41.019 --> 00:54:43.980
fluffy mutton chops. Tall and broad with hands

00:54:43.980 --> 00:54:46.940
scarred from years of perhaps culinary labor.

00:54:47.679 --> 00:54:50.840
who sort of looks out at everybody, kind of gestures

00:54:50.840 --> 00:54:54.699
broadly around, says, Welcome all guests. I am

00:54:54.699 --> 00:54:56.900
Fyodor Popov, and I will be honored to be your

00:54:56.900 --> 00:54:59.960
chef for this night. Just kind of, these people

00:54:59.960 --> 00:55:02.980
sort of, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's Fyodor, you know.

00:55:03.460 --> 00:55:06.179
Big deal. He's kind of like waving around. The

00:55:06.179 --> 00:55:09.360
one beside him is much less enthusiastic. You

00:55:09.360 --> 00:55:12.420
see a sort of girlish face with large eyes, shaved

00:55:12.420 --> 00:55:15.800
head, in a white service uniform, rows of gold

00:55:15.800 --> 00:55:17.960
buttons lining the front. And this is the very

00:55:17.960 --> 00:55:20.480
figure you saw earlier on that was kind of manning

00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:24.000
the door. She sort of looks out and says, And

00:55:24.000 --> 00:55:28.300
I am head of service, Larissa Rina. We now ask

00:55:28.300 --> 00:55:30.940
that you stand back in awe and bathe yourselves

00:55:30.940 --> 00:55:36.460
in the glory of Grand Messer Amos Nier. Then

00:55:36.460 --> 00:55:38.260
another figure sort of, they step to the sides,

00:55:38.300 --> 00:55:41.300
and the figure sort of sweeps out, arms open

00:55:41.300 --> 00:55:47.679
wide, just this flamboyant. of robes are blowing

00:55:47.679 --> 00:55:50.260
in this sort of sudden breeze, head shaved and

00:55:50.260 --> 00:55:54.920
shining. Ribbons of gold sort of run down off

00:55:54.920 --> 00:55:57.079
of his uniform, off of his clothing. He just

00:55:57.079 --> 00:56:01.420
looks out at everybody with his eyes that sweep

00:56:01.420 --> 00:56:04.739
the crowd very regal, this easy smile on his

00:56:04.739 --> 00:56:09.780
lips. Tonight, the present and future of Zinda

00:56:09.780 --> 00:56:15.650
will plan and party as one. Come in. Get settled.

00:56:16.250 --> 00:56:19.730
In one hour, lunch shall be served in our dining

00:56:19.730 --> 00:56:23.269
chamber and our meeting shall commence. And once

00:56:23.269 --> 00:56:25.909
business is concluded, we can embrace the festivities

00:56:25.909 --> 00:56:30.429
with live performances from Diva Luma and Jules

00:56:30.429 --> 00:56:34.630
LaRoche. Just a little small cheering, especially

00:56:34.630 --> 00:56:37.690
Xenia and his son, the prince, who kind of like

00:56:37.690 --> 00:56:39.789
is still actually out. I think he refound Diva

00:56:39.789 --> 00:56:42.269
Luma. He's talking to her again. He also kind

00:56:42.269 --> 00:56:45.340
of cheers. He smiles at everybody, his big white

00:56:45.340 --> 00:56:50.860
teeth. Now, please, enter my home. And everyone

00:56:50.860 --> 00:56:53.239
kind of starts finally muscling. You see Jaune

00:56:53.239 --> 00:56:55.119
is one of the first kind of following at his

00:56:55.119 --> 00:56:59.119
father's heels to slip into the door. Everyone

00:56:59.119 --> 00:57:02.420
moves away. Do you guys move to follow? Yeah,

00:57:02.440 --> 00:57:06.539
Blanche is waiting to walk behind Jules. Sort

00:57:06.539 --> 00:57:10.719
of, if Jaune is off, then she'll protect Jules

00:57:10.719 --> 00:57:14.460
instead. Hell yeah. as you're sort of uh moving

00:57:14.460 --> 00:57:16.639
one figure actually more sort of moves towards

00:57:16.639 --> 00:57:20.719
you a pretty squat figure uh with sort of dark

00:57:20.719 --> 00:57:25.079
gray almost stony skin a dwarf but not a typical

00:57:25.079 --> 00:57:27.460
kind of dwarf it looks like would you guys know

00:57:27.460 --> 00:57:30.320
what a duergar is a dark dwarf you probably would

00:57:30.320 --> 00:57:33.380
the hair they are just like you know this big

00:57:33.380 --> 00:57:37.420
beard is actually white braided um You see he's

00:57:37.420 --> 00:57:39.820
wearing a wide hat to keep the sun from his eyes.

00:57:39.960 --> 00:57:42.679
Seems almost like diminished teeth, grits, and

00:57:42.679 --> 00:57:44.900
kind of minor pain as sort of fighting against

00:57:44.900 --> 00:57:47.539
the rays of the sun. These are dark dwarves from

00:57:47.539 --> 00:57:50.039
the world of Rotham. They don't like the sunlight.

00:57:50.400 --> 00:57:52.420
And it's very strange to see one of these. They're

00:57:52.420 --> 00:57:54.599
very rare even in Rotham. To see one here is

00:57:54.599 --> 00:57:57.659
kind of wild. You see this sort of gold filigree

00:57:57.659 --> 00:58:01.480
armor, black armor is kind of clanging as they

00:58:01.480 --> 00:58:05.739
move up to you. He stretches and says, Captain

00:58:05.739 --> 00:58:08.599
Hall in burnt shadow. Head of the Silent Verse.

00:58:09.380 --> 00:58:13.599
It's nice to meet you lot. I'm afraid three of

00:58:13.599 --> 00:58:17.420
you, four actually, Nikav points out to Diva

00:58:17.420 --> 00:58:19.239
Luma, who's actually like seized and sort of

00:58:19.239 --> 00:58:22.519
moves over, aren't exactly permitted inside right

00:58:22.519 --> 00:58:24.739
away. I'm afraid with everything going on, we

00:58:24.739 --> 00:58:26.320
have to do a little interview with all of you.

00:58:26.920 --> 00:58:28.780
Master of Defense, I'm sure you understand this

00:58:28.780 --> 00:58:32.980
is simply protocol. I understand that it better

00:58:32.980 --> 00:58:37.219
be brief. My charge is inside. Very well. I'm

00:58:37.219 --> 00:58:41.260
going to let Mr. LeDoux LeMoyre pass. He's allowed

00:58:41.260 --> 00:58:42.719
through, but the rest of you need to come with

00:58:42.719 --> 00:58:46.599
me. And he kind of turns and starts walking away

00:58:46.599 --> 00:58:49.159
and actually leading you towards one other person,

00:58:49.199 --> 00:58:52.539
or two people. You see a very tall elven woman

00:58:52.539 --> 00:58:56.460
wearing this sort of sumptuous gown, a little

00:58:56.460 --> 00:58:58.760
mask over her eyes as well, and she takes you

00:58:58.760 --> 00:59:06.110
in. Oh, yes. There you are. I am Samira Ara,

00:59:06.190 --> 00:59:09.949
Madame Samira Ara, king of coin of the jeweler's

00:59:09.949 --> 00:59:14.150
trade and master of the silent verse. And Blanche,

00:59:14.150 --> 00:59:16.650
you would know that the king of coin actually

00:59:16.650 --> 00:59:18.829
did choose Samira Ara to be the one that oversees

00:59:18.829 --> 00:59:22.469
the whole policing force, silent verse. So this

00:59:22.469 --> 00:59:24.849
Dwargar, captain of the silent verse, answers

00:59:24.849 --> 00:59:28.409
directly to her. She takes you in with a nod,

00:59:28.469 --> 00:59:32.690
then turns over to her son, who... The best way

00:59:32.690 --> 00:59:37.329
to describe this half -elf man is he's a sweater

00:59:37.329 --> 00:59:42.090
vest. Very thin -framed, a man just dwarfed by

00:59:42.090 --> 00:59:43.789
literally a sweater vest he's wearing. Just this

00:59:43.789 --> 00:59:45.989
kind of weenie -ish looking, but pretty handsome

00:59:45.989 --> 00:59:48.650
in that sort of boyish way. Kind of a Tom Holland,

00:59:48.789 --> 00:59:52.550
if you will. Who just kind of looks up and speaks

00:59:52.550 --> 00:59:55.349
to him and is like, Mother, what's all this about?

00:59:56.949 --> 00:59:59.230
That don't sound like Tom Holland. I can't do

00:59:59.230 --> 01:00:03.179
Tom Holland. And she just kind of turns over,

01:00:03.260 --> 01:00:06.980
just like, oh, my sweetie. And she reaches down.

01:00:07.039 --> 01:00:09.639
I think you see like this sort of ritual, left

01:00:09.639 --> 01:00:11.900
cheek kiss, right cheek kiss, left cheek again,

01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:17.579
mouth and forehead. And we kings and princes

01:00:17.579 --> 01:00:21.340
are meeting in one hour, honey. Go and make up

01:00:21.340 --> 01:00:23.780
your room and get yourself ready, my handsome

01:00:23.780 --> 01:00:26.420
little man. Harlan will come collect you when

01:00:26.420 --> 01:00:29.400
we're ready. Oh, all right, mother. Kind of like.

01:00:29.829 --> 01:00:31.409
shakes, you know, when Billy looks at you guys

01:00:31.409 --> 01:00:33.349
and does a little kind of awkward, reaches up

01:00:33.349 --> 01:00:34.989
for a handshake and thinks better of it and kind

01:00:34.989 --> 01:00:37.130
of does a little wave, turns into a fist bump,

01:00:37.190 --> 01:00:40.929
just kind of walks away. Super awkward. Now,

01:00:41.050 --> 01:00:44.650
if you'll come with me, we have a small room

01:00:44.650 --> 01:00:47.329
I'd like to stage you in for now while we conduct

01:00:47.329 --> 01:00:50.690
a short interview and maybe go through your belongings,

01:00:50.889 --> 01:00:53.190
if that's alright. If everything goes well, you'll

01:00:53.190 --> 01:00:55.550
be able to carry your weapons inside. We see

01:00:55.550 --> 01:00:59.150
no reason to disallow that if you are trustworthy.

01:01:00.190 --> 01:01:02.849
Cal looks for, I guess, some kind of, uh, are

01:01:02.849 --> 01:01:06.230
you okay with this? Yeah. All right. Blanche

01:01:06.230 --> 01:01:10.030
nods in approval. Yep. Diva Luma just nods like,

01:01:10.150 --> 01:01:12.409
happens every time. Don't need to worry about

01:01:12.409 --> 01:01:14.869
it. I have been through this a few times. I don't

01:01:14.869 --> 01:01:17.010
know why passing it before doesn't let me pass

01:01:17.010 --> 01:01:20.570
it now. It's kind of, it's, you know, super protocol,

01:01:20.769 --> 01:01:23.510
man. Super protocol. Now, let's move. Can I roll

01:01:23.510 --> 01:01:29.349
insight? Sure. 18th? Yeah, just protocol. It

01:01:29.349 --> 01:01:30.630
doesn't seem like there's anything nefarious

01:01:30.630 --> 01:01:32.409
going on here. It's like Harlan even is annoyed

01:01:32.409 --> 01:01:34.630
by it. He's like, these guys probably are trustworthy,

01:01:34.809 --> 01:01:37.210
but I've got to do my job, protect people, whatever.

01:01:38.230 --> 01:01:41.829
So you're all kind of led inside. How long do

01:01:41.829 --> 01:01:45.909
you expect this to take, Harlan? Well, it might

01:01:45.909 --> 01:01:47.489
be just a minute, right? We've got to get things

01:01:47.489 --> 01:01:48.829
settled down. Everyone's moving in. We've got

01:01:48.829 --> 01:01:50.650
to do a quick sweep. I might need to step out

01:01:50.650 --> 01:01:52.030
for a minute to check on them. So we'll leave

01:01:52.030 --> 01:01:54.849
you guarded. I'll come back, get you. We'll sit

01:01:54.849 --> 01:01:57.199
all settled down, right? Very well, I'm not so

01:01:57.199 --> 01:02:00.500
much worried about myself as much as the kings

01:02:00.500 --> 01:02:03.460
and princes. Believe me, the kings and princes

01:02:03.460 --> 01:02:06.400
are my utmost concern. We, the silent birds,

01:02:06.539 --> 01:02:09.199
will do anything to make sure they're safe. And,

01:02:09.260 --> 01:02:11.360
I don't know, maybe rolling over the insight

01:02:11.360 --> 01:02:15.780
check, he seems believable. Nope, it's only a

01:02:15.780 --> 01:02:17.659
four. Oh yeah, I rolled it over. So I give you

01:02:17.659 --> 01:02:20.960
an 18 still. Oh, you roll, okay. Oh, so I should

01:02:20.960 --> 01:02:23.699
roll another. You're catching this guy. He just

01:02:23.699 --> 01:02:25.980
kind of nods like, he seems good. He seems cool.

01:02:27.460 --> 01:02:31.739
You are led inside. Madame Samira Ara is kind

01:02:31.739 --> 01:02:34.119
of guiding you through this place, effortlessly

01:02:34.119 --> 01:02:37.219
flowing through the palace, sort of grand entranceway,

01:02:37.300 --> 01:02:40.059
leading you down a side passage to a sort of

01:02:40.059 --> 01:02:41.980
parlor room. As the door opens, you can see a

01:02:41.980 --> 01:02:43.920
very comfortable -looking room. There's a big

01:02:43.920 --> 01:02:45.360
billiards table in the middle. There'll be a

01:02:45.360 --> 01:02:48.199
couple of them. There'll be some decanters of

01:02:48.199 --> 01:02:53.139
jelly wine lining a shelf on the wall. Um, the

01:02:53.139 --> 01:02:55.800
chef will send food for you if you desire it.

01:02:56.460 --> 01:03:00.099
Please wait here for just some time. I will make

01:03:00.099 --> 01:03:02.500
sure the guests are settled in and Harlan will

01:03:02.500 --> 01:03:04.840
join me. And once we know for sure everything

01:03:04.840 --> 01:03:07.059
is where it needs to be, my men are posted around,

01:03:07.260 --> 01:03:09.719
and you are safe, we will come back for you.

01:03:09.980 --> 01:03:14.320
Understand? Sure. All right. And she kind of

01:03:14.320 --> 01:03:18.599
closes. I think Diva Luma's like, well, anyone

01:03:18.599 --> 01:03:21.300
want to play a game? Chesta is over to the table

01:03:21.300 --> 01:03:26.380
and picks up a stick. Time passes here. I don't

01:03:26.380 --> 01:03:29.400
know how you guys spend it. Perhaps just fretting.

01:03:29.760 --> 01:03:33.559
Blanche worried for her young pupil. Chesta's

01:03:33.559 --> 01:03:35.420
going crazy. Hates being locked in her room.

01:03:35.460 --> 01:03:36.980
It's like, ah, come on, can we just sneak out?

01:03:37.159 --> 01:03:39.099
Make me invisible. I'll leave. I'll sneak out

01:03:39.099 --> 01:03:42.380
of here. Come on, come on. Oh, Jules. Hating

01:03:42.380 --> 01:03:48.059
this. Time passes. Maybe an hour goes by. Blanche

01:03:48.059 --> 01:03:50.059
is walking around sniffing all the decanters.

01:03:50.440 --> 01:03:55.119
It's good stuff. Really floral. Jelly wine. It's

01:03:55.119 --> 01:03:58.340
a black liquid in there. You see a bottle of

01:03:58.340 --> 01:04:00.320
it. Actually, the bottles have Sturge Man's logo

01:04:00.320 --> 01:04:03.119
on the front, like a Sturge symbol, stylized,

01:04:03.119 --> 01:04:05.420
but with almost like a bat symbol, you'd think.

01:04:05.599 --> 01:04:07.139
Imagine a stylized bat symbol. If you didn't

01:04:07.139 --> 01:04:09.619
know what a Sturge was. With a pointed proboscis

01:04:09.619 --> 01:04:11.579
or a nose coming out of the front. If you could

01:04:11.579 --> 01:04:14.079
possibly imagine what a stylized bat symbol would

01:04:14.079 --> 01:04:18.780
look like. Anyway, I'm done with that. Finally,

01:04:18.860 --> 01:04:21.800
the door opens. Samira Ara steps in the room

01:04:21.800 --> 01:04:25.739
with Captain Harlan by her side. The stout sort

01:04:25.739 --> 01:04:27.500
of duergar looks so much more comfortable now

01:04:27.500 --> 01:04:29.460
that he's in the shadows of the inside of the

01:04:29.460 --> 01:04:32.079
building. We're so sorry to keep you waiting,

01:04:32.159 --> 01:04:34.199
but it seems everyone has settled in. Everything

01:04:34.199 --> 01:04:38.340
is as it should be. Still no word from Mix Massima

01:04:38.340 --> 01:04:42.320
Ain, which is quite odd, but still trying to

01:04:42.320 --> 01:04:45.239
all of you. Harlan, will you attend to my son,

01:04:45.300 --> 01:04:48.400
make sure he's ready for the dinner? I will conduct

01:04:48.400 --> 01:04:52.539
the interviews quickly instead. Oy, sure thing,

01:04:52.599 --> 01:04:55.039
madam. The door sort of closed behind her as

01:04:55.039 --> 01:04:58.340
he steps out and begins to move away. Well, all

01:04:58.340 --> 01:05:00.880
right, then. This is really just a cursory thing.

01:05:01.320 --> 01:05:03.079
The fact that you're here at all means that we

01:05:03.079 --> 01:05:06.860
trust you enough. Your eyes flicker to you, Jules,

01:05:06.960 --> 01:05:09.420
who's probably the most odd one out here. But

01:05:09.420 --> 01:05:12.170
she more steps over to you, Blanche. Master Defense

01:05:12.170 --> 01:05:15.190
Blanche Trudeau, we know so little of the Tortles.

01:05:15.429 --> 01:05:18.389
How long have you been in your station? And I

01:05:18.389 --> 01:05:20.670
think, based on our last flashback, it's probably

01:05:20.670 --> 01:05:25.289
something like... My voice. It's probably something

01:05:25.289 --> 01:05:28.670
like 12 years now. Okay, yeah. Jean was pretty

01:05:28.670 --> 01:05:31.210
young when you first won the tournament. We watched

01:05:31.210 --> 01:05:34.150
you in awe as you were covered in golden light.

01:05:34.769 --> 01:05:37.210
I've been Master of Defense for over 10 years

01:05:37.210 --> 01:05:43.829
now. Quite. And do you think... What? It kind

01:05:43.829 --> 01:05:45.389
of turns. There's a shouting noise from outside,

01:05:45.530 --> 01:05:46.949
sort of muted by there. Sounds like it's coming

01:05:46.949 --> 01:05:49.329
from upstairs, perhaps. Then, like, a little

01:05:49.329 --> 01:05:51.769
louder, screaming, This house is on lockdown!

01:05:52.190 --> 01:05:54.750
Absolute lockdown! Nobody leaves! Nobody enters!

01:05:54.869 --> 01:05:57.969
Got it? Go! Go! Move! Make a perimeter! She sort

01:05:57.969 --> 01:05:59.809
of stands up, like, What is the meaning of...

01:05:59.809 --> 01:06:03.010
The door bursts open. And the duergar Harlan

01:06:03.010 --> 01:06:08.190
looks in. Madam, it's your son. Oh, gods. Oh,

01:06:08.210 --> 01:06:12.309
gods. Oh, no, this happened. Oh, don't. She just

01:06:12.309 --> 01:06:14.670
gets up, pushes past him, starts running up,

01:06:14.750 --> 01:06:19.170
clattering up the stairs. He runs off to follow

01:06:19.170 --> 01:06:23.210
her. What do you guys do? Run out the door towards

01:06:23.210 --> 01:06:25.869
John. Try to find John. Okay, you know, he'd

01:06:25.869 --> 01:06:28.190
also be upstairs. All the guests were all moving

01:06:28.190 --> 01:06:29.570
upstairs. Last you checked, a lot of the guest

01:06:29.570 --> 01:06:31.289
rooms are there. Yeah, I think if Blanche goes,

01:06:31.449 --> 01:06:35.309
Jules is following. You're pushing up. As you

01:06:35.309 --> 01:06:37.050
move, like, yo, into the grand hall again, move

01:06:37.050 --> 01:06:39.050
up the sort of grand open staircase to the second

01:06:39.050 --> 01:06:41.429
floor, you hear the sounds of other doors swinging

01:06:41.429 --> 01:06:45.429
open. Eyes peering out, eyes of guests, curious

01:06:45.429 --> 01:06:49.730
and afraid. You don't see Jean. Not right yet.

01:06:50.369 --> 01:06:54.989
You hear noises. You hear Samira Ara from an

01:06:54.989 --> 01:06:57.949
open door, kind of like down the hallway. Just,

01:06:58.030 --> 01:07:03.340
who did this? Who did this to my son? Just screaming

01:07:03.340 --> 01:07:05.260
out. She steps out of the room. Her eyes sort

01:07:05.260 --> 01:07:09.179
of, like, blurred with tears. Face streaked red

01:07:09.179 --> 01:07:12.699
and hot and angrier hair. She, like, runs her

01:07:12.699 --> 01:07:14.219
fingers through it. It becomes this, like, wild

01:07:14.219 --> 01:07:16.039
and unkempt mess. She's just looking around.

01:07:16.900 --> 01:07:19.159
Harlan just looks at you guys like, I think you're

01:07:19.159 --> 01:07:20.619
the two that are fully out in the hallway. He's

01:07:20.619 --> 01:07:22.739
like, oh, you need to go. Go back to the room

01:07:22.739 --> 01:07:28.139
and die. No! No! Harlan, let them in! Let them

01:07:28.139 --> 01:07:31.360
see! Perhaps they can explain this. Perhaps you,

01:07:31.519 --> 01:07:35.559
points to you, Jules, can explain this. We've

01:07:35.559 --> 01:07:37.239
been locked up in a room where the only ones

01:07:37.239 --> 01:07:39.280
here you can trust. And what's she talking about?

01:07:39.840 --> 01:07:43.159
She steps aside. Her eyes are like fixing you,

01:07:43.219 --> 01:07:45.400
wary Harlan has a hand on his, like, weapon.

01:07:45.539 --> 01:07:47.940
Not sure what's happening. Do you guys want to

01:07:47.940 --> 01:07:50.980
push towards the open door? Yeah, and Blanche

01:07:50.980 --> 01:07:52.760
is going to ready an action to cast True Strike

01:07:52.760 --> 01:07:57.599
if any weapons are drawn. Hell yeah. I think

01:07:57.599 --> 01:07:58.960
you have this, like, you and Harlan have this

01:07:58.960 --> 01:08:00.840
moment, this duergar and this total kind of look

01:08:00.840 --> 01:08:02.679
at each other like they don't want to fight.

01:08:03.039 --> 01:08:05.619
You both have your masters and you're kind of

01:08:05.619 --> 01:08:08.760
like this hardened stare of veteran sort of defenders,

01:08:08.940 --> 01:08:12.179
warriors. Harlan looks broken. He has failed

01:08:12.179 --> 01:08:14.280
in the most profound sense. You remember this

01:08:14.280 --> 01:08:18.699
mother and son, the way they kind of grossly

01:08:18.699 --> 01:08:21.800
kissed outside. They were close. Samira's rage

01:08:21.800 --> 01:08:24.140
is palpable. You can feel a heat coming off of

01:08:24.140 --> 01:08:26.520
her. You push towards the door and you sort of

01:08:26.720 --> 01:08:29.600
Let it creak open again. I'm not going to describe

01:08:29.600 --> 01:08:31.859
this whole scene. Because we've got to end this

01:08:31.859 --> 01:08:34.279
thing. So what I am going to do is tell you guys

01:08:34.279 --> 01:08:36.579
two things. A thing that each of your characters

01:08:36.579 --> 01:08:39.779
notice immediately upon looking into this room.

01:08:40.619 --> 01:08:43.119
The first thing your eyes fall upon. Things that

01:08:43.119 --> 01:08:48.460
make your blood run cold. Blanche. Your eyes

01:08:48.460 --> 01:08:51.220
are drawn immediately to the back wall. And here

01:08:51.220 --> 01:08:53.500
you see the very symbol that Jules failed to

01:08:53.500 --> 01:08:57.310
recognize earlier on the streets. A large circle,

01:08:57.569 --> 01:09:01.770
seemingly painted in blood, with jagged triangles

01:09:01.770 --> 01:09:04.170
facing in along the edge to a bunch of them.

01:09:04.529 --> 01:09:06.310
And I will tell you that I think you actually

01:09:06.310 --> 01:09:07.949
do know what this symbol is meant to represent.

01:09:08.510 --> 01:09:10.550
You've been researching this exact thing as the

01:09:10.550 --> 01:09:13.529
Master Defense. It's pretty common knowledge

01:09:13.529 --> 01:09:17.930
on Noari that this is the symbol of the Bloodletter

01:09:17.930 --> 01:09:20.989
Revolutionaries, made to represent the sort of

01:09:20.989 --> 01:09:25.890
toothy maw of a leech. You see that? Let that

01:09:25.890 --> 01:09:29.130
sort of wash over you. But Jules, what you see,

01:09:29.229 --> 01:09:34.250
I think might be so much worse. A sight that

01:09:34.250 --> 01:09:36.770
sends a shiver down your spine. I imagine you

01:09:36.770 --> 01:09:39.869
feel your stomach drop, your eyes unable to focus,

01:09:39.890 --> 01:09:43.130
blurring. You can't seem to understand what you

01:09:43.130 --> 01:09:47.909
see before you. This horrid scene. That aforementioned

01:09:47.909 --> 01:09:52.390
sweater vest. The son of Amira Ara, Prince Mello

01:09:52.390 --> 01:09:57.340
Ara. The young prince is lying face up. A number

01:09:57.340 --> 01:10:00.060
of stab wounds stand out on his chest and a pool

01:10:00.060 --> 01:10:05.479
of blood soaks his clothes. His clothes. A dark

01:10:05.479 --> 01:10:08.939
shirt and trousers, nondescript but wrapped in

01:10:08.939 --> 01:10:12.399
a very descript cloak of blue and black, swirling

01:10:12.399 --> 01:10:15.279
colors like a painting. His hair, though dark,

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has been moosed into the shape of a ragged pompadour.

01:10:24.070 --> 01:10:53.239
Just like you. And we'll call it there. Hang

01:10:53.239 --> 01:10:57.720
on. Hold. Hold. It's gone. There's doors with

01:10:57.720 --> 01:10:58.140
a hole in here.