WEBVTT

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Hey, Pants People. Have you checked out the Discord

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yet? We'd love to see you there. So if you find

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us on social media, you can link to the... That

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was my, like, Simspeak. I don't know. It's pretty

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good. It's pretty good. Some sources from the

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other side have informed us that a storm over

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the Kamino region has mysteriously disappeared.

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In the wake of some kind of explosion and a roaring

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draconic light in the sky, I don't... Shearbell

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officers have filled the Pearl Conqueror Jewel

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to near capacity and are holding folks to the

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site under their protection while awaiting the

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order to leave. A large crowd of evacuees surrounds

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the site and are prepared to swiftly board the

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Pearl upon its return to the world. But whether

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the evacuation of our meson folk is even still

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necessary, we just don't know. We don't know.

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On top of this, we have heard that Jules Roche

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and Black Trudeau joined the Shield Belt Rescue

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Force and swiftly left the Docking Bay to pursue

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their own goals. Could this be connected to the

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Vanishing Storm? It has been noted that luminaries

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Crispin Dubois and Dresden Kellick were taken

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leave by Omiza before this all went down, and

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have not been seen since. Knowing these four

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in particular, I have to wonder what kind of

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trouble they may be facing again. The only thing

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we can say for now is that no fatalities have

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been reported yet on Omiza during this incident.

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So there's our hope and pray that this fact does

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not change and that our brave luminaries all

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make it back to porn. What a battle! You had

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to add that in, didn't you? You know I had to

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rub that wound. Rub some salt. It's weird when

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you don't say the salt part. Let me rub your

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wound. Yeah, okay, you gotta add salt. You gotta

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add salt to that. Otherwise you're a real freak.

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Dude, the tension was real in the studio. It's

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been two weeks since I last recorded because

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it's been crazy. It's holidays, madness. But

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I am still riding that high. Everything mattered

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in the end. You need every bit of damage to close

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that deal. Akio's Thunderball, Arlan's Breath,

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every strike of Blanche's Blade and Dresden's

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Warpick. So I believe I had 14 HP. during that

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last sequence of crab mech attacks. That's such

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a weird thing to say. And I realize in hindsight

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that I never used my last song of defense during

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that last attack, that flurry of attacks. But

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given the average damage that you would deal,

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which would be around six from each blow, it

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really is hammer's home that every point of damage

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was needed to close that deal. Like... And there's

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so much else. Imagine a world where Crispin did

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not stop the kangaroo from escaping with the

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apparatus of the crab. Or where you failed to

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convince Arya to let Arhalon come. Or I kept

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my lair actions and you didn't blow up the shrine.

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Like, in any of those scenarios, I probably would

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have won that fight. But I didn't. Because everything

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mattered. I fucking loved D &D. Yeah, it was

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really exciting. Some sad parts, but all in all,

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man, jeez. Yeah. What a fight. It's funny. I

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started this off, I remember, with this idea

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of the big, bold Hollywood action movie arc.

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That was my mind. And I kind of feel like I lost

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the path in that one pretty early on after Swordnado.

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But damn, did you sell it in the end with a crab

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mech assault as the closer on this overbearing

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villain. Yeah. I had this image in my mind, this

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dubious canon image of Dresden slamming four

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on those two levers to end this thing, but having

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taken serious damage from breath attacks and

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tri -explosion, the mechs that go malfunctioning,

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the levers lock up. We see Blanche and Jules

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just over each shoulder, grabbing onto one lever

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and just helping everyone together, pushing until,

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bam! I don't know. Again, dubious canon. I like

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that image. I choose to believe. I choose to

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believe. For me, the wildest part is like I had

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backed Akio up to stand near the mech so that

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he had like some sort of protection. But then

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like Ozen walked into like the perfect spot between

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Akio and the mech. And I was like, oh, well,

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now you don't have to waste movement on. It was

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like, yeah, like you said earlier, it was just

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like a perfect setup in so many ways. It's so

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fun, too, because one thing I kind of realized

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afterwards is like. When Ozen was ruling my instincts,

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when I was playing defensively, I was a duelist

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who was hitting, running, striking, getting out,

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getting in. I was winning that fight. I was dominating

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that fight. But right there at the end, that's

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when I did the thing Ozen would never do. I walked

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up to a... dying dog and held hostage and said

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i'm gonna kill this dog right but the second

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ice dropped ozen the second sapphire's hatred

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took control you fucking seized it like that

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was it that was my mistake ozen finally let down

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the cigar because it wasn't ozen anymore and

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that's when you you jumped in that's when you

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claim victory it's so cool to think about that

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narratively like ah i just love how how Things

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randomly just turn into something incredible.

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Yeah. This was supposed to be like a two episode

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little side blip with Crispin and Dresden. And

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this turned into arguably the greatest fight

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we've ever had on this show. Just like, I want

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to, I want to, I want to do an Oni fight. And

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then it just turned into this whole arc that

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ended up being honestly amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

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I mean, yeah, actually, let me ask you guys,

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because you just said. That was my favorite fight

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in the show. In hindsight, how do you feel about

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this battle? Are you as excited about this chunky

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boy as I am? Yeah. This big old chunky boy? Yeah,

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I mean, it was certainly epic. It was like, what,

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three or four fights just in a row? I think at

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the very least, this was the highest stakes fight

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we've had. Oh, God, yeah. At the very least.

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Well, except for maybe the Mesmerize fight. That

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one got dicey. That one got dicey. Yeah, yeah.

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That was one roll away from our main party dying.

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yeah true but the uh god the intensity of this

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fight yeah maybe unmatched so i'll tell you true

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uh in this rise fight i had a sort of backup

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plan if you failed oh really which would involve

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essentially some like uh waking up, sort of tied

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up in the middle of the desert area of them.

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And then your grave's being dug and giving you

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a chance to maybe try to do something else. Wow.

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All right. That'll be fun. This fight, it was

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like, nah, I killed them all. Right. Well, with

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one exception. I was going to do something pretty

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horrific to you, Jules. Yeah, you told me what

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you were going to do. That's fucking sick. I

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told you what I was going to do to Jules? Or

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Jermick, I told him. I was going to take his

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legs. Just take them legs. They're going to be

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mine. Yep. You don't need to leave. You can just

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crawl until this world falls to oblivion. Yeah,

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that's pretty messed up. Yeah. It's fun. It's

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fun. Anyway, that didn't happen. No. Because

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you won. You know what's not messed up? What?

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What, Stephen? The coffee that we got in the

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mail from our buddy Don. Yes. Oh, my goodness.

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You know, like David said, it's been a couple

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weeks since we've been able to record. And, you

00:07:29.610 --> 00:07:31.750
know, usually Jeremy and I will have, you know,

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a little special bag of coffee that we'll keep

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on hand to brew up before recording episode,

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recording session. Now it's the bag we got from

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Don. I don't remember what it was. It's not here

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anymore. It's in the kitchen. It's in the kitchen.

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It's in the kitchen. And it's super tasty. And

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to me, it tastes like chocolate. You know what?

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All right. You sold me. Hand it over. No, no,

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no. Hand it over. You sold me on it. Give me

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some of that. Come on. Let me see. You need to

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sound so good. Fuck. It's like the last like

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two sips. It's like I do this and then I'm like

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for the bit, you know? And then I'm like, I really

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don't want to actually. But I'm here. I'm in

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it. They're going to call me a coward now if

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I don't. Oh my God, David. I'm brave. The whole

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thing. Yeah, drink the whole thing. What the

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fuck? What the fuck? How is that like chocolate?

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It's like dark chocolate without the chocolate.

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It's just dark. It just tastes like dark. You

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know what? I'll take it. That's all right. It's

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awful. But you know what? I'll wash it down with

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this Arctic sauce that was given to us, I believe,

00:08:40.429 --> 00:08:43.509
right? By Andrew? Yeah. That was in Andrew's

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box. Thank you again, Andrew. And actually, guys,

00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:48.389
we have an Unzipped coming up very soon. Yes.

00:08:48.389 --> 00:08:50.960
And when that happens... We got to break out

00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:53.279
that Chianti from Kevin because we are drinking

00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:55.100
in victory. I know. It's sitting on the windowsill.

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And we were like, you know, at first it was like,

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okay, after this fight, we're going to do it.

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And then it was like, well, Unzip's coming. So

00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:03.460
let's wait another week or two. It seems like

00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:05.279
the special time to do it. I know. It's hard

00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.120
to wait, but I'm going to wait. I don't know

00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:08.440
if I like wine. This is going to be interesting.

00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:11.950
That's okay. More for us. Can't be worse than

00:09:11.950 --> 00:09:15.870
got coffee, so we're good. And one last bit of

00:09:15.870 --> 00:09:20.049
housekeeping, I guess, maybe. We got so overwhelmed

00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:22.330
with everything that was in all those boxes.

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Don also sent us... We talked about it. We just

00:09:25.850 --> 00:09:29.450
didn't distribute them, really. These grab bag

00:09:29.450 --> 00:09:33.769
dice sets from Misty Mountain Gaming. So there's

00:09:33.769 --> 00:09:37.000
three sets here, and... Since I'm the gentleman,

00:09:37.179 --> 00:09:38.940
I knew you were going to pick that one. Oh, my

00:09:38.940 --> 00:09:40.679
God. All right, Jeremy, now you pick. Oh, no,

00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:42.460
I hate this. I hate this, dude. David picked

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the, like, icy dye with, like, blue paint. Because

00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:47.019
I know which one I want, but I feel like that's

00:09:47.019 --> 00:09:48.000
going to be the one that you want. Take whichever

00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.720
one you want, man. Because this one looks just

00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.899
like your other set. Yeah. So it would be, like,

00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:56.000
weird to have two very similar sets. So they're

00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.899
both green. Yours has, like, a blue lettering.

00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:00.580
Yep. It's got blue lettering. It's got little

00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:02.419
sparklies on the inside of them. And mine is

00:10:02.419 --> 00:10:06.500
more like the classic. Like tiger green with

00:10:06.500 --> 00:10:10.220
the gold lettering. So now we got new sets of

00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:12.519
dice to play with. Thank you so much, Don. Thank

00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:14.320
you so much. And thank you, Misty Mountain Gaming.

00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.059
These guys are cool, too. That's what I realized

00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:18.779
in hindsight. We never had Danny Roll on the

00:10:18.779 --> 00:10:21.139
Danny D20. No, we haven't done a Danny Roll.

00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:23.600
It got so intense. I know. It got so intense.

00:10:23.779 --> 00:10:25.059
It's like we're like over the like, okay, no

00:10:25.059 --> 00:10:27.320
more funny. We can't be funny for a while. Stop

00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:31.379
it. Cyber serious time. Serious bite for serious

00:10:31.379 --> 00:10:34.480
podcasters. I want the Danny Rolls to be like

00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.659
something that's both. important but not like

00:10:38.659 --> 00:10:40.980
life altering you know what i mean like i don't

00:10:40.980 --> 00:10:42.879
want to risk like a pc's life on a danny roll

00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:45.899
yeah because if we're gonna blame anybody i don't

00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:48.480
want it to be poor little danny almost got uh

00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:54.759
with you and um yep uh uh oh boy larissa killed

00:10:54.759 --> 00:11:00.440
yeah maybe yeah maybe larissa ren names so many

00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:04.440
of those um but yeah I mean, maybe, you know,

00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:06.639
who did live? Akio. We'll get some Danny rolls

00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:07.980
for rolling for the dog. Oh, that'd be cool.

00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:12.879
Ooh. Rolling for the dog. I like it. Damn, guys.

00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:16.419
You won. And that means we can sort of move into

00:11:16.419 --> 00:11:20.980
the aftermath of this fight. I am... There's

00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:24.779
so much to get to. There's so much to, like,

00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.480
I don't know, for your characters to absorb and

00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:31.149
to understand and to move past and... damn i

00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:33.190
mean i guess let's just get to it right yeah

00:11:33.190 --> 00:11:36.129
uh yeah before we do the real super fast what

00:11:36.129 --> 00:11:37.690
if you're listening to this it's coming out on

00:11:37.690 --> 00:11:40.450
monday and we're gonna be recording unzipped

00:11:40.450 --> 00:11:46.009
on thursday so uh let me just do dates to be

00:11:46.009 --> 00:11:49.309
less confusing that's a good point because yeah

00:11:49.309 --> 00:11:52.909
time so this will be releasing on monday january

00:11:52.909 --> 00:11:55.950
6th We'll be recording Unzipped on Thursday,

00:11:56.570 --> 00:12:00.529
January 9th. So you'll have until then to submit

00:12:00.529 --> 00:12:03.450
Unzipped questions. You can email us a voice

00:12:03.450 --> 00:12:07.629
recording thingy at fantasypantspodcast at gmail

00:12:07.629 --> 00:12:11.210
.com or you can just send me questions on Instagram,

00:12:11.409 --> 00:12:13.889
Discord, wherever. I still taste that coffee.

00:12:14.929 --> 00:12:17.570
Even through the sour? It's the back of my tongue.

00:12:17.629 --> 00:12:20.850
Oh, wait a minute. I'm going to... And I'm done

00:12:20.850 --> 00:12:23.830
with my coffee. Wash mine down as well. Let's

00:12:23.830 --> 00:12:28.289
get to it. Oh, God. Oh, no. That was horrible.

00:12:28.509 --> 00:12:31.929
That was the worst. Why are my USB ports broken?

00:12:33.269 --> 00:12:38.090
Damn it. That, yeah. Hang on. Oh, shit. Okay,

00:12:38.230 --> 00:12:40.769
that is the right one. I got it. Sorry. I'm sure

00:12:40.769 --> 00:12:42.450
Jim added it up, but there was a horrifying burst

00:12:42.450 --> 00:12:44.970
of static. Oh, no. I'm keeping it in. Okay, good.

00:12:46.029 --> 00:12:50.240
Be prepared to shrivel in pain. I will make it

00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.960
not as god -awful to listen to. You do it for

00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:57.639
Steven! You do it for Steven! That's what I love

00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:00.220
about this show, is that we will take the time

00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:04.639
to leave in the horrible static, but Jeremy will

00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:13.299
edit it down so that it is palatable. It's like

00:13:13.299 --> 00:13:15.240
authenticity, but we take the edges off just

00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:17.320
a little bit. Palatable, but for the ears? I

00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:18.919
mean, you don't have a palate in your ear, but...

00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:22.820
Hey. Shut up. Steve, Jeremy, edit that out. Make

00:13:22.820 --> 00:13:30.799
it palatable. Akio, in darkness. He's floating

00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:34.899
amidst this void, feeling something calling to

00:13:34.899 --> 00:13:40.279
him from beyond. Many voices. And he feels hands.

00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:46.279
Six hands. Six people. They stroke gently at

00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:49.200
his fur, along his back, his tail, upon the top

00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.039
of his head. And with these motions, there are

00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:56.720
smells distinct. The shrine guard, making good

00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:07.620
on pets owed. My friends, I'm so sorry. I couldn't.

00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:11.080
And these hands stop their petting motion, the

00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:14.500
feeling shifting to a light pressure. Focused

00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:18.039
in a forward direction. A push. Starting light

00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:20.440
but growing in strength. Until Akio feels himself

00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:23.860
being propelled through the dark. And all hands

00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:28.759
fall away as Akio is flying. Flying. And following

00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:36.259
him, a call. Six voices. One word. Go! And Akio's

00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:41.340
eyes open. I'm going to just hand wave the staying

00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:43.679
in initiative. I don't care. The fight's over.

00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.700
And so I assume Jules, seeing the dire state,

00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:51.179
immediately rushed out on the rod. And you are

00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:54.379
healing. Cool. And you roll die. Fight's over.

00:14:54.500 --> 00:14:58.139
I'll give you that. Yeah. His eyes open. He sees

00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:05.059
you, Jules. Who are you, brave one? Are you friends

00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:11.120
with Blanche? And with nobody? He never knew

00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:16.519
their names. He never learned their names. Oh,

00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:21.700
my God. Jules reaches down, gives him a little

00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:27.019
pat. We're all family here. I think at that you

00:15:27.019 --> 00:15:30.720
whirl around because Arlon still lies unconscious

00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.879
for like the third time in the last minute. Dude.

00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:37.639
He's eating all your spell blocks. You know,

00:15:37.659 --> 00:15:40.379
he's also in that void. And so I imagine you

00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:45.360
rush over. No. Yeah, of course. We see Jules

00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:47.139
sort of move away. We see Akio sort of weakly

00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:50.759
get to his feet, onto his paws, and he goes to

00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.600
Ozen, or to the pieces of Ozen that lie kind

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.419
of everywhere now. I think he's just sniffing

00:15:56.419 --> 00:15:59.379
through them and whining lightly, maybe nudging

00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:03.679
the pieces sort of into some pile, some hole,

00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:06.639
in a wholesome, not horrifying way. Yeah, Blanche

00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:10.600
is already there, you know, brushing Ozen's hair.

00:16:11.149 --> 00:16:13.789
putting him in the most normal position that

00:16:13.789 --> 00:16:17.929
she can. So Akio comes to your side. We slide

00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:22.230
back to you, Jules. Forgot to put repeat on.

00:16:23.110 --> 00:16:28.190
That's Dan, too. Damn it. We slide back to you,

00:16:28.230 --> 00:16:31.590
Jules. And maybe your light of your healing touch

00:16:31.590 --> 00:16:37.009
just leaving Arhalon. And his eyes flutter open.

00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:40.740
Great, meaty claw just comes up and, like me,

00:16:40.779 --> 00:16:43.759
grabs you around the shoulder. You see there

00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:49.000
are tears running down the half -dragon's cheeks?

00:16:49.639 --> 00:16:56.580
Sure, yeah. I guess. I heard him, Jules. I swear,

00:16:56.700 --> 00:17:02.620
I think it was you. You connect things somehow.

00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:08.740
Even impossible things. Thank you. For saving

00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:14.000
my life again. My friend. Jules will kind of

00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:18.220
grab Arhalon's head. Thank you. You saved our

00:17:18.220 --> 00:17:23.160
lives. Jules, in this moment, something between

00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:28.119
the two of you, something inside of you, roars

00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:32.859
to life. We've talked a lot about the power of

00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:34.579
the bond shared between you and your comrades

00:17:34.579 --> 00:17:38.029
and how that sometimes Comes to life. You remember

00:17:38.029 --> 00:17:41.650
with Chester. The way you granted him the same

00:17:41.650 --> 00:17:45.410
power you had. This fey ability. Now tell me

00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:47.789
true. You came very close to attempting an empowered

00:17:47.789 --> 00:17:52.170
inflict wounds during that battle. Yes? Very,

00:17:52.170 --> 00:17:56.109
very close. That was the plan. And then plans

00:17:56.109 --> 00:17:58.230
changed. Until you stepped into the perfect spot.

00:17:58.529 --> 00:18:01.390
Yeah. And in the end though, you didn't do it.

00:18:01.390 --> 00:18:03.250
I know you were planning on doing it before you

00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:05.589
went to save Blanche. When it came down to a

00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:08.539
final strike. Or to saving your friend. But you

00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:13.279
chose not to use that ability. Instead, you leaned

00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:16.039
into the trust you share in your allies. When

00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:17.920
faced with the puppeteer behind so much of your

00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.980
sorrow, you could have chosen to hate. To be

00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:23.259
consumed by hate again. And you chose to save

00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:27.359
the ones you love. And you pulled through. Crispin,

00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.819
your mind turns to him lying behind you and...

00:18:31.289 --> 00:18:33.430
He fought alongside you in Saint -Étienne. He

00:18:33.430 --> 00:18:35.730
was instrumental in saving Roundsleif and Miskin,

00:18:35.769 --> 00:18:39.049
and his loss hurts another bond, severed forever.

00:18:39.730 --> 00:18:42.589
But you now understand that there is beauty in

00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:46.089
death, in having held that bond at all. And in

00:18:46.089 --> 00:18:48.670
this moment, flooded by the pain of bonds broken

00:18:48.670 --> 00:18:51.230
and the joy of bonds preserved, a well of power

00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:55.599
floods you, and your loot... shines bright blue,

00:18:55.859 --> 00:18:59.099
a beacon of victory that drives away the last

00:18:59.099 --> 00:19:04.019
rays of the rainbow, signaling Storm's end. Your

00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:06.519
treasured loot has gained the properties of a

00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:09.779
magic item called a Rhythm Maker's Drum, granting

00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:12.400
you a plus one bonus to spell attacks and spell

00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:15.920
save DCs. You may also use an action to regain

00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:20.950
a bark inspiration once a day. Nice. Hell yeah.

00:19:21.170 --> 00:19:24.210
That's great. Hell yeah. It's about time. Cool.

00:19:24.269 --> 00:19:26.930
Hell yeah. Very cool. As you're kind of in this,

00:19:26.950 --> 00:19:29.289
I think Arhalon sort of slowly stands, almost

00:19:29.289 --> 00:19:32.329
like awed by you, by the light coming off of

00:19:32.329 --> 00:19:36.630
you. And then his gaze sort of turns behind you,

00:19:36.690 --> 00:19:42.210
deeper into the court, to Crispin. He just moves,

00:19:42.390 --> 00:19:45.890
rushes over, drops down beside him. I'm sorry.

00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:49.400
I'm so sorry I failed you, Crispin. You saved

00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:52.380
me on Sansatian. You showed me patience and kindness

00:19:52.380 --> 00:19:55.420
that you did not know me. Grandmother was right

00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:58.299
to praise her trust in you. He just reaches down

00:19:58.299 --> 00:20:01.700
for the body, looking so small. Just a furry

00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:04.799
little guy. Ears tucked away behind the folds

00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:08.079
of his bandana. I wonder in this moment if Crispin

00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:10.619
would have died if his last act had not been

00:20:10.619 --> 00:20:14.460
healing Jules, but rather himself. A selfless

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:19.819
act. At the very end. I feel inadequate as a

00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:22.940
vehicle for your body, but if I may have the

00:20:22.940 --> 00:20:28.400
honor. He reaches down. I will carry you home.

00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:33.519
I can imagine Blanche standing next to Dresden

00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.640
as they watch Arhalon lifting up Crispin. And

00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:41.519
Blanche puts a hand, you know, around Dresden's

00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:45.240
back. I am sorry about your friend, soldier boy.

00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:54.900
He was really, really, really, really cool. And

00:20:54.900 --> 00:20:56.900
Dresden, I mean, that's right, Dresden, a lot

00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:58.400
of stuff just happened to you here. In the wake

00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.539
of all of that, it might only be dawning on you

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:03.019
now that it's actually crazy to see Blanche and

00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:07.039
Jules here right now. Like, you know, actually,

00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:08.779
you've never met Arhalon. It's funny, you guys

00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:11.160
never crossed paths in Saint -Etienne. But like,

00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:13.359
yeah, like this whole scenario has just been

00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:17.680
miracle after miracle for Dresden. Dresden continues

00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:21.440
just staring at Kristen's body. Yeah, he was

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:25.259
pretty cool. Then he turns his head to Blanche.

00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:34.200
What the fuck are you doing here? We got the

00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:41.619
alert on the Citadel, and I had to see Ozen.

00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:47.329
I wasn't expecting... What we got. But there's

00:21:47.329 --> 00:21:53.650
some closure now. We can begin to heal. All of

00:21:53.650 --> 00:22:00.950
us. Thank you. I'm sorry. Should anybody ever

00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:09.609
rip my corpse in half, would you avenge me? They'll

00:22:09.609 --> 00:22:15.680
get the same. Thank you. Blanche, you're standing

00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:18.880
by Dresden, and we poised you before by the body

00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:20.079
of Ozen, which you've kind of said, yeah, so

00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:21.339
I think the two of you are standing together,

00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:24.299
Akio sort of by your side, perhaps kind of moving,

00:22:24.420 --> 00:22:26.200
you know, sort of perfecting the sort of display,

00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:30.579
and you notice something on the ground. Something

00:22:30.579 --> 00:22:35.460
catches your eyes. A black katana. Ooh, baby.

00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:41.599
Lying just before you, the handle just sort of

00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:45.519
like poised your way as if, Binders keepers.

00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:51.299
And Arlan's like, oh, take that. No, binders

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:56.500
keepers, no takesies backsees. The golden rules

00:22:56.500 --> 00:23:00.400
of fancy pants. You look down at Ozen's sword,

00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:04.059
Ichiginka. You know it was gifted to him by Damyo

00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:07.079
Hokeshi Takemi, whose son now rules over Kamino.

00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:09.799
Ozen solved the murder of the prior heir to the

00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:12.619
seat. Something we saw actually way back in,

00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:15.859
or heard about at least in a flashback on whatever

00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:17.900
world we just did. It's too many of them now.

00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:20.960
Yeah. I was counting on you to remember. There's

00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:24.079
a murder mystery, I think. I don't know. Ichigenko

00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:26.359
means unification. It was named for the desire

00:23:26.359 --> 00:23:29.900
to, of the ancestors of the Hogashi clan, who

00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:32.119
worked to conquer and unify the Kamino coast

00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:34.750
long ago. bring all the clans together to create

00:23:34.750 --> 00:23:37.529
the great city of Kamino, this whole region that

00:23:37.529 --> 00:23:40.430
is kind of like the sort of main primary sort

00:23:40.430 --> 00:23:44.210
of civilized region of Umizu. This blade, forged

00:23:44.210 --> 00:23:46.630
by a legendary smith, has been passed down through

00:23:46.630 --> 00:23:50.329
the clan from heir to heir for generations until

00:23:50.329 --> 00:23:53.130
it was gifted to Ozen Yoshikatsu. And he wielded

00:23:53.130 --> 00:23:56.049
it for most of his life, a constant companion.

00:23:56.609 --> 00:24:00.109
And should you desire it, it may now come to

00:24:00.109 --> 00:24:05.299
you. So Blanche is fixing Ozen's sword in the

00:24:05.299 --> 00:24:09.359
other side of her belt opposite her current sword.

00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:14.180
And she looks down to Akio. What will you do

00:24:14.180 --> 00:24:18.240
now, Shrinehound? Did Ozen ever finish your training

00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:23.220
formally? He looks at you with a slightly cocked

00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:26.460
head. You know the look. The dog look. The dog

00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:30.450
look. Where's your toy? Do you have a stick?

00:24:31.690 --> 00:24:34.950
And you see what he does. He doesn't say anything

00:24:34.950 --> 00:24:37.589
in response at first. He just reaches over his

00:24:37.589 --> 00:24:41.690
mouth and draws out his own blade. A thing of

00:24:41.690 --> 00:24:43.970
old legend, much like Ichigenka, handed down

00:24:43.970 --> 00:24:46.329
by generations of shrine dogs, gleaming silver

00:24:46.329 --> 00:24:48.990
sword with a white handle shaped oddly in order

00:24:48.990 --> 00:24:52.910
to best fit a dog's mouth. And he says, Behold,

00:24:52.970 --> 00:24:57.049
Igao Nisaru. A sword that shows our teeth and

00:24:57.049 --> 00:24:59.410
declares the foremost mission of every generation

00:24:59.410 --> 00:25:04.190
of shrine dog. To make people smile. But there

00:25:04.190 --> 00:25:07.410
is no longer a shrine. And no longer a need for

00:25:07.410 --> 00:25:11.150
shrine dogs. And I feel that whatever Master

00:25:11.150 --> 00:25:15.349
Ozen started is not over yet. That horrid jewel,

00:25:15.490 --> 00:25:19.890
that sapphire. I do not see it now. Master told

00:25:19.890 --> 00:25:23.950
me to wait. But I think... It is time I make

00:25:23.950 --> 00:25:27.950
a decision for myself. I am a wizened old hound

00:25:27.950 --> 00:25:35.630
after all. So, his eyes flashed the sword. Holder

00:25:35.630 --> 00:25:40.089
of Ichigenka, will you take Igao Nisaru as well?

00:25:40.670 --> 00:25:43.970
Along with the honored snoot that wields it.

00:25:46.230 --> 00:25:49.529
Blanche gets down on a knee and... I don't know

00:25:49.529 --> 00:25:54.619
if it would be like... to pet Akio in this moment.

00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:57.200
Like, I'm not trying to belittle him or anything,

00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:00.700
but maybe just, you know, like a hand on the

00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:02.440
back of his head. He fully accepts it. He's a

00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:06.720
dog. He loves me. Okay. It's an honor. To him,

00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:09.880
it's like, oh, I've been a good boy. This is

00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:12.500
a great honor. I have fought well. Yeah, well,

00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:17.400
it's an honor to Blanche as well. It would be

00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:22.369
my greatest honor to train the... Last pupil

00:26:22.369 --> 00:26:27.410
of our great master, Ozen Yoshikatsu. He looks

00:26:27.410 --> 00:26:30.250
to you, his eyes catching yours as your hand

00:26:30.250 --> 00:26:33.630
rests upon his head. And we pan back for a moment.

00:26:34.309 --> 00:26:38.269
Back in time, we pan to a quiet walk down a forested

00:26:38.269 --> 00:26:40.869
road. The very road that connects the Shrine

00:26:40.869 --> 00:26:44.549
of Storms to the Pearl Conquered Jewel Docking

00:26:44.549 --> 00:26:47.660
Bay. It's just a weird thing to say. The ocean

00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:49.740
is not yet the keeper of the shrine. The fields

00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:51.700
and tenements that make up his school rest nearby

00:26:51.700 --> 00:26:54.680
it. Perhaps we panda them now. A brief flash.

00:26:55.019 --> 00:26:57.579
A large cherry blossom tree rains pink petals

00:26:57.579 --> 00:27:00.299
in the midst of an open field. Simple, beautiful

00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:03.680
structures surround. Pools of steaming water

00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:09.619
lay sort of at the edges. And we see a wind cyclone

00:27:09.619 --> 00:27:12.420
surrounding him, catching the falling petals.

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:15.359
They swirl around his body, swirling around his

00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:18.480
limbs. Though older and more mature than the

00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:20.579
last time we saw him in a flashback, he has once

00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:22.839
again been left to commit to a thousand swings

00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:26.579
punishment rather than traveling to sea. Blanche

00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:29.380
Trudeau off. But let us move back to the road

00:27:29.380 --> 00:27:35.039
now. To master and disciple alone. You walk with

00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:37.680
Ozen, passing the occasional vendor or pilgrim

00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:39.799
on their way to the Shrine of Storms. Though

00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:41.700
very few are allowed entrance, many do go to

00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:43.339
see it from the outside and to make offerings

00:27:43.339 --> 00:27:46.579
and sales to the Shrine Guard and Keeper. But

00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:48.559
there are few in the road today, and so I think

00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:51.259
it is a quiet walk, heavier the weight of many

00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:55.079
unspoken words and feelings, until finally the

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:58.079
trees begin to part. In the pearl, Docking Bay

00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:01.079
comes into view in the near distance. Much akin

00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:03.380
to the worlds like Sonsonko, the Docking Bay

00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:05.380
is surrounded by stands and stalls and carts

00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:07.440
poised to take travelers towards the grand city

00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:10.920
of Kamino. You see there's a small crowd gathered

00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:13.809
there, and so Ozen... knowing his appearance

00:28:13.809 --> 00:28:16.410
to them would drown out your goodbyes and a tirade

00:28:16.410 --> 00:28:19.430
of questions and exclamations just abruptly halts

00:28:19.430 --> 00:28:22.849
while you step forward. As you realize and turn

00:28:22.849 --> 00:28:24.309
to meet him, you see that the shade of trees

00:28:24.309 --> 00:28:26.769
still falls over him while the light of the sun

00:28:26.769 --> 00:28:30.109
breaking through the cloudy sky falls upon you.

00:28:30.750 --> 00:28:35.349
And he speaks. So, the time has come to part

00:28:35.349 --> 00:28:39.829
ways. I am so very fortunate that I feel such

00:28:39.829 --> 00:28:42.890
profound pride in this departure. It does serve

00:28:42.890 --> 00:28:45.670
as a sheath of sorts. Covering over the sharp

00:28:45.670 --> 00:28:48.549
blade of sorrow the loss of your company will

00:28:48.549 --> 00:28:54.029
bring me. I am... I am sad to leave, Master Ozen,

00:28:54.049 --> 00:28:56.529
but I don't know that either of us would have

00:28:56.529 --> 00:29:00.430
agreed to this if we knew that I never would.

00:29:01.089 --> 00:29:05.170
Can I last? I will never get you to call me Yoshikatsu,

00:29:05.250 --> 00:29:08.509
will I? Though in my eyes we stand as equals

00:29:08.509 --> 00:29:14.440
now. And know... Good things cannot last. It

00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:16.319
is simply the way of the world. We must grow

00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:20.420
beyond our constraints. And how you've grown,

00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:23.619
Blanche Trudeau. I can only dream of the heights

00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:27.019
you will reach. There is still so much life in

00:29:27.019 --> 00:29:30.359
you, so much potential. Think well on the path

00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:34.619
you will walk. You may find in time that the

00:29:34.619 --> 00:29:41.359
worlds will bend to meet your step. Blanche bows

00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:46.359
deeply. I never imagined in all of my life that

00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:49.539
I would receive such a great honor from such

00:29:49.539 --> 00:29:53.380
a great man. Thank you for everything. As you

00:29:53.380 --> 00:29:56.819
raise from your bow, you see that he has bowed

00:29:56.819 --> 00:30:01.400
to you. Still bows. Finally kind of raises up.

00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:05.640
Reaches a hand out. And Blanche meets his hand

00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:10.480
and shakes it. Farewell, my friend. If the fates

00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:12.640
are kind, we shall meet again someday in Spa.

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:20.880
A fight. I greatly look forward to losing. I

00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:24.400
will not stop training. I can assure you that.

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:28.400
Your hands break away. In the present, in this

00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:30.940
moment, we see your hand leaves Akio's head.

00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:35.859
And the two of you, the first pupil and the last,

00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:40.859
turn in tandem. to look at the body. You see,

00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:45.940
on his head, a great open gouge covers most of

00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:48.440
the face, around and beneath the eye where the

00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:51.059
gemstone had been implanted. But the other eye

00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:55.259
has faded back to a warm, light brown, and the

00:30:55.259 --> 00:30:58.319
half a mouth that you can see looks almost to

00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:01.819
be turned up into a serene, very Ozen smile.

00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:08.720
Blanche and Akio set about in the... closets

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:13.200
of the shrine or something and find some vestments,

00:31:13.220 --> 00:31:16.900
some garments, some robes, some things, and wrap

00:31:16.900 --> 00:31:23.880
Ozen's body up. And together they step down partially

00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:30.059
into the water. And after some contemplation

00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:36.039
and a few words, they set the body of Ozen to

00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:41.390
drift out of the shrine. very fittingly floating

00:31:41.390 --> 00:31:44.829
out from the Shrine of Beauty. The storm is gone,

00:31:44.869 --> 00:31:48.890
and so you see that form moves out into the waves,

00:31:49.069 --> 00:31:54.309
into the sparkling sea. I think Akio grabs maybe

00:31:54.309 --> 00:31:57.049
one leftover blanket and brings it to Arhalon,

00:31:57.089 --> 00:31:59.809
where he mournfully lies at Arhalon's feet, who

00:31:59.809 --> 00:32:03.269
then wraps the body of Crispin Dubois, such a

00:32:03.269 --> 00:32:08.619
tiny form, and holds it. Before we... Go too

00:32:08.619 --> 00:32:10.079
far off the mark. I should tell you a little

00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:13.420
more about that sword. Ichigenka. That you now

00:32:13.420 --> 00:32:16.319
wield, Blanche. This is the nicest thing I've

00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:23.039
ever done. In my entire life. I think it just

00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:27.819
makes sense. What you hold is a plus two sword

00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:32.000
of sharpness. When you attacked an object with

00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:35.230
this magic sword and hit... you always do max

00:32:35.230 --> 00:32:38.170
damage against the object. Not a creature. An

00:32:38.170 --> 00:32:41.009
object. So you can cut through doors or whatever.

00:32:41.150 --> 00:32:44.089
Always max damage. It's perfectly poised to cut

00:32:44.089 --> 00:32:46.690
through. I mean, it's a Samurai's Blade. When

00:32:46.690 --> 00:32:48.130
you attack a creature with this weapon and roll

00:32:48.130 --> 00:32:50.910
a 20 on the attack roll, that target takes an

00:32:50.910 --> 00:32:54.529
extra 14 slashing damage. Holy shit. You then

00:32:54.529 --> 00:32:57.329
roll another 20, or d20. If you roll a second

00:32:57.329 --> 00:33:00.509
20 on that, you lop off one of the target's limbs.

00:33:00.750 --> 00:33:04.670
Wow. Whoa. GM sort of decides the effect and

00:33:04.670 --> 00:33:07.230
what that means, but you do it. Sounds like fun.

00:33:07.390 --> 00:33:09.529
Holy shit. I hope it happens. In addition, you

00:33:09.529 --> 00:33:11.750
can speak the sword's command word to cause the

00:33:11.750 --> 00:33:13.750
blade to shed bright light in a 10 -foot radius

00:33:13.750 --> 00:33:19.130
and dim light beyond that. Speaking the word

00:33:19.130 --> 00:33:21.670
or shooting the sword puts out the light. This

00:33:21.670 --> 00:33:24.250
is also a finesse longsword. It's a katana, so

00:33:24.250 --> 00:33:25.730
it's a longsword with finesse. I don't care.

00:33:25.890 --> 00:33:28.380
Sure, sure. I mean, this is, as you know, conquered

00:33:28.380 --> 00:33:29.859
worlds are small in size, right? This is not

00:33:29.859 --> 00:33:32.400
a huge grandstand. This is not fucking Faerun,

00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:36.059
you know, the Forgotten Realms area. A plus two

00:33:36.059 --> 00:33:38.940
blade is an absolutely legendary weapon. You

00:33:38.940 --> 00:33:41.500
currently wield a plus one magical blade, just

00:33:41.500 --> 00:33:43.680
like Dresden gifted to you by the pigmen. And

00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:45.859
that weapon was a new creation, new magic, very

00:33:45.859 --> 00:33:48.759
much a high -end commercial product. A modern

00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:51.000
bladesmith in Marfil's magical forges. It is

00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:54.319
a product of industry, not artistry. All utility

00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:58.180
with little majesty. Ichigenka, however, is old.

00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:02.660
The magic imbued in the blade is old. Handcrafted,

00:34:02.660 --> 00:34:05.400
perfected through months, maybe years of masterful

00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:08.219
labor. Imbued with the resources of a rising

00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:13.159
warlord. This is a sword of legends. Well, even

00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:15.719
though you killed my character, I guess I should

00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:25.239
probably say thank you. Again, by the way. Again.

00:34:26.609 --> 00:34:28.769
I'll ask you now. Do you have any other business

00:34:28.769 --> 00:34:32.590
here before I do a thing? That's a good way to

00:34:32.590 --> 00:34:35.730
put it. Like immediately after the fight, anything

00:34:35.730 --> 00:34:37.969
you want to do right away. Not like saying, you'll

00:34:37.969 --> 00:34:39.469
get ready for a fight. Just I'm going to move

00:34:39.469 --> 00:34:41.309
things forward a little bit. I don't want to

00:34:41.309 --> 00:34:45.849
step on your scenes. Yeah, I think Dresden wants

00:34:45.849 --> 00:34:49.969
to go and find the recording diamond. Oh, yes.

00:34:51.289 --> 00:34:53.880
Excellent memory, Mr. Wolf. You know what? In

00:34:53.880 --> 00:34:56.059
the rear of the Corps of Beauty, not far from

00:34:56.059 --> 00:34:58.719
where you finished Ozen off, actually, you do

00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:01.539
see that beneath some rubble, the Kenku's body

00:35:01.539 --> 00:35:04.440
is crumpled. I think Singer was the name. He

00:35:04.440 --> 00:35:06.320
also wants to loot that body, too. It's just

00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:08.079
a sending stone, really. It's a really exciting

00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:10.980
note. Everybody! The sending stone lies right

00:35:10.980 --> 00:35:13.179
by it, kind of like just outside the reaching

00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:16.079
hand. You also realize, I guess, that Oni's bodies

00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:17.920
must have washed out to sea when the pool trap

00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:20.559
was reset on Ozen's arrival. Okay. Because they

00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:21.719
were in the water, and then when that came up,

00:35:21.780 --> 00:35:23.659
they just washed out with the waves. I was going

00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:25.400
to say, I was like, did they have magical items

00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:30.519
on their bodies? You see the sending stone, and

00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:32.920
you realize you could use this to speak to Sholei

00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.300
if you so desire. You know it's a direct connect

00:35:35.300 --> 00:35:38.079
to her. Unless there was a sending stone, not

00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:40.500
a diamond. What the fuck? Oh, sorry, yeah. Well,

00:35:41.420 --> 00:35:43.099
there was a diamond, but the diamond didn't work

00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:45.400
in Sapphire Wyvern's presence. And Jules still

00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:48.159
has it, yeah. He still has it. Oh, also, in that

00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:51.800
note, the letter. I guess Arhalon. You go to

00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:53.579
Crispin's body, or the last thing that happened

00:35:53.579 --> 00:35:55.079
was Crispin crumpled it up and put it in a pocket,

00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:57.300
I remember. So, like, I don't know if Dresden

00:35:57.300 --> 00:36:01.000
would want to retrieve that. Yeah. carefully

00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:03.360
reaching into the body of your friend. Very respectfully.

00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:06.840
You grab the letter and like... And Blanche respectfully

00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:13.079
takes all of his items. I'll just take this sack

00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:18.800
here. I think there's a... There's an immovable

00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:20.780
rod in there, I believe. You're never going to

00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:24.119
find it. Never going to use it. You retrieve

00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:27.039
that letter and you realize this is... so much

00:36:27.039 --> 00:36:28.960
of what you came here to fight for. This is the

00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:31.820
only evidence you have of what's to come. Crispin

00:36:31.820 --> 00:36:35.940
died for this. You take hold of it. Does anyone

00:36:35.940 --> 00:36:37.460
else want to... I mean, you already know what's

00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:38.659
on it. Does anyone else want to read the letter

00:36:38.659 --> 00:36:40.940
as it's kind of there? I think Dresden offers

00:36:40.940 --> 00:36:42.980
it out to anybody who wants to read it. Yeah,

00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:46.179
I'm sure that it's passed around. It's discussed.

00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:48.239
It's, hey, you know, this is this puzzle piece.

00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:51.360
Everyone's kind of brought up to speed. Everyone

00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:53.679
roll me an intelligence check. Oh, boy. Which

00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:55.659
die am I going to use now? I got so many. I'm

00:36:55.659 --> 00:36:58.000
going to use my Misty Mountain. Everyone in the

00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:03.440
teabag die. Oh, teabag. That's fun. It'll be

00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:04.860
straight intelligence, not room destination.

00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:08.920
Jules only got a four. That's a dirty 20 then.

00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:14.699
Ooh, that's pretty good. Dresden got a 17. Blanche,

00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:19.119
you read the letter. As you go over the words,

00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:24.280
your stomach sinks. You miss something. The storm

00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:28.280
is gone. You know that Ozen's powers, the Keeper

00:37:28.280 --> 00:37:30.179
of the Shrine, as written here, must have been

00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:34.199
used to create the storm over Tythos. And, assumedly,

00:37:34.340 --> 00:37:37.619
that storm would consume the world, right? Pull

00:37:37.619 --> 00:37:40.480
the gemstone into the Keen and Gloom, right?

00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:42.159
I mean, the storm looks so much like the Keen

00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:44.599
and Gloom, it just made sense. But it's right

00:37:44.599 --> 00:37:47.059
there in the letter. This was a smokescreen.

00:37:47.949 --> 00:37:50.789
It mentions this was used to set up, this storm

00:37:50.789 --> 00:37:53.130
was used to set up and distract from their real

00:37:53.130 --> 00:37:56.869
intentions. And if you've dissolved the smokescreen,

00:37:56.969 --> 00:38:00.789
that doesn't mean you saved this world. You may

00:38:00.789 --> 00:38:03.710
still be in very real, very terrible danger because

00:38:03.710 --> 00:38:07.889
something is happening still. If this letter

00:38:07.889 --> 00:38:10.570
is to be believed. Can we go over the text of

00:38:10.570 --> 00:38:13.150
the letter one more time? Now with new insight.

00:38:13.900 --> 00:38:16.980
Let me open my 50 page note document of the last

00:38:16.980 --> 00:38:20.260
note document. Hang on. Control F. Control F,

00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:22.639
yeah. Give me one word that was in the letter.

00:38:25.260 --> 00:38:30.559
Kejo. Boom. Baby, here it is. Let me just get

00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:33.170
to the point that matters, right? Your granted

00:38:33.170 --> 00:38:35.130
talents as the Keeper of the Shrine of Storms

00:38:35.130 --> 00:38:36.909
will play a vital role in the events to come.

00:38:37.070 --> 00:38:39.389
As to your earlier concern, I can assure you

00:38:39.389 --> 00:38:40.869
that the panic created through the presentation

00:38:40.869 --> 00:38:43.309
of the Serpent Storm will be paramount to our

00:38:43.309 --> 00:38:45.750
efforts. Only through an epidemic of fear can

00:38:45.750 --> 00:38:48.110
our conquered worlds truly come together and

00:38:48.110 --> 00:38:50.750
evolve. On top of this, the obvious connection

00:38:50.750 --> 00:38:53.449
to the Keening Gloom will be necessary to facilitate

00:38:53.449 --> 00:38:58.610
and mask our primary plot. I will, of course,

00:38:58.630 --> 00:39:00.389
play my own part in this aspect of our endeavor.

00:39:02.339 --> 00:39:05.900
Facilitate and mask, but not to commit. Soldier

00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:09.639
boy, how fast can this crab go? I don't know.

00:39:09.679 --> 00:39:12.920
Tell us, DM. Not fast enough. Yeah. You'll have

00:39:12.920 --> 00:39:14.559
to go down winding paths through, like, forests

00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:16.900
and stuff. The mech is 15 feet wide. It's going

00:39:16.900 --> 00:39:20.099
to be a lot harder than flying out. He didn't

00:39:20.099 --> 00:39:22.260
want us to have it. In fact, there's two big

00:39:22.260 --> 00:39:23.639
demons in the doors out of this place. You'd

00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:25.460
have to, like, take it into the water and swim

00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:30.980
around. We have Abram. What's your play? Yeah,

00:39:30.980 --> 00:39:33.980
I mean... So were you... Okay. What is Blanche

00:39:33.980 --> 00:39:36.900
thinking? We gotta get off this world. Because

00:39:36.900 --> 00:39:41.280
the storm was just for appearances, but the world

00:39:41.280 --> 00:39:46.380
still might fall. I mean, Blanche still has bladesong

00:39:46.380 --> 00:39:49.800
she can use to get out. Or to move faster, at

00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:54.420
least. So, question. So we came from the Concord

00:39:54.420 --> 00:39:59.400
Jewel. Is that accessible by the water? No, it's

00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:02.199
inland. Okay, fuck. We have one broom that can

00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:05.039
fit two people. You can also just start running.

00:40:05.320 --> 00:40:07.500
Arhalon can fly. Arhalon can fly. Blanche can

00:40:07.500 --> 00:40:10.539
cast Haste and Bladesong and just get the fuck

00:40:10.539 --> 00:40:13.940
out of there. So Dresden Jewels on the broom,

00:40:14.059 --> 00:40:17.139
then. And Akio's fast. What's Akio's movement

00:40:17.139 --> 00:40:18.940
speed? I think 40 feet. So he's fast enough that

00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:21.619
he can somewhat keep up with Blanche. Okay. You

00:40:21.619 --> 00:40:23.559
guys just kind of move? Yeah, and maybe Blanche

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:25.840
can provide the help action to Akio, get him

00:40:25.840 --> 00:40:27.519
moving a little faster or something. Yeah, you

00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:28.659
know, I'm fine with that. Yeah, you guys are

00:40:28.659 --> 00:40:31.360
working together. You just see this, and what

00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:33.159
do you, so you just say that out loud to, like,

00:40:33.179 --> 00:40:35.820
Dresden, everyone hears it, and what's it look

00:40:35.820 --> 00:40:37.579
like? You guys just turn and start running? Yeah,

00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:40.559
once they realize what the letter really means.

00:40:41.300 --> 00:40:44.000
We have to get out now. The storm is gone, but

00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:47.860
this world, it may still be doomed. Ooh, I just

00:40:47.860 --> 00:40:50.090
had this really cool. image in my head oh give

00:40:50.090 --> 00:40:51.789
me that image of us all standing in a circle

00:40:51.789 --> 00:40:54.670
the letter gets to blanche and the camera's like

00:40:54.670 --> 00:40:58.329
zoomed out right but that ash zooms in close

00:40:58.329 --> 00:41:00.929
up to her face and her eyes just go wide i love

00:41:00.929 --> 00:41:05.389
it do you realize what this means blanche ever

00:41:05.389 --> 00:41:07.550
the investigator you know what you know what

00:41:07.550 --> 00:41:11.739
that's so cool whoa whoa for the scene, for the

00:41:11.739 --> 00:41:13.900
words, for the image. A button for Jeremy, a

00:41:13.900 --> 00:41:16.539
button for Steven. Take one of these new Don

00:41:16.539 --> 00:41:19.880
buttons. Try a Don button on for size. Hell yeah.

00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:24.079
Oh yeah, baby. Yeah, I think in that moment when

00:41:24.079 --> 00:41:27.300
Blanche says that, Jules looks around, takes

00:41:27.300 --> 00:41:30.980
stock of who's there, and then he gets on the

00:41:30.980 --> 00:41:33.739
broom and nods Dresden over. Dresden leaps on,

00:41:33.780 --> 00:41:37.559
I imagine. Yeah. Hell yeah, you guys, Arlon blasts

00:41:37.559 --> 00:41:40.300
off the sides. You kind of nod as you no longer

00:41:40.300 --> 00:41:41.980
fighting strong winds. You're just shooting through

00:41:41.980 --> 00:41:44.659
clear skies. But there is a darkness ahead. You

00:41:44.659 --> 00:41:46.699
can feel it now. Something is so very wrong.

00:41:46.920 --> 00:41:51.360
You fly underneath Blanche and Akio, blasting

00:41:51.360 --> 00:41:53.639
out of the shrine, moving her up the stairs through

00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:56.840
the court of discipline, out the destroyed dead

00:41:56.840 --> 00:42:00.300
doors that were alive and cool. Blanche is running

00:42:00.300 --> 00:42:03.380
at like a hundred miles an hour between her haste

00:42:03.380 --> 00:42:05.940
and her blade song. And she looks over her shoulder.

00:42:06.429 --> 00:42:10.369
First lesson, Shrown Hound. Shrine Hound. Shrown.

00:42:10.530 --> 00:42:19.690
Shrown Hound. How dare you. Keep up. Just going,

00:42:19.789 --> 00:42:23.050
rushing, rushing. As the next few moments pass

00:42:23.050 --> 00:42:26.630
in an absolute blur, your trees blurring past

00:42:26.630 --> 00:42:28.929
the two of you, Blanche and Akio, and beneath

00:42:28.929 --> 00:42:32.269
the three of you in the sky as you find yourselves

00:42:32.269 --> 00:42:35.349
launching forward. Will it have already have

00:42:35.349 --> 00:42:38.280
left? Could it have already happened? What does

00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:41.340
it mean to unify a world? You know what happened

00:42:41.340 --> 00:42:43.860
to Tithos now. It wasn't destroyed, but it was

00:42:43.860 --> 00:42:47.000
cut off. Could it have already happened to you?

00:42:47.519 --> 00:42:51.460
And so your heart sort of raised when you see

00:42:51.460 --> 00:42:54.400
the pearl still hovers above the docking bay

00:42:54.400 --> 00:42:57.880
as you, all of you kind of moving into the actual,

00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:00.940
like... field there uh you see a crowd of people

00:43:00.940 --> 00:43:04.539
huge now is built all over uh a trail of them

00:43:04.539 --> 00:43:06.980
leading down the road towards kamino towards

00:43:06.980 --> 00:43:10.760
like the actual city um shield bearers uh kind

00:43:10.760 --> 00:43:12.320
of at the scene at the side so they're kind of

00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:14.719
rooming around everybody um sort of scouting

00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:17.239
see you and kind of help commands people start

00:43:17.239 --> 00:43:19.780
parting and i think you see like rushing out

00:43:19.780 --> 00:43:22.320
from the crowd to feel part uh aria just comes

00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:26.440
um he's waiting to meet you as you all kind of

00:43:26.440 --> 00:43:30.030
come down yeah once people get into into sight

00:43:30.030 --> 00:43:35.449
blanche starts to yell and message is only 120

00:43:35.449 --> 00:43:37.789
feet i don't think that's gonna help too much

00:43:37.789 --> 00:43:41.030
that's you know at that point should be within

00:43:41.030 --> 00:43:43.909
shouting distance so message won't even really

00:43:43.909 --> 00:43:46.250
help but yeah she'll start she'll start yelling

00:43:46.250 --> 00:43:50.949
um we must get off this world the danger is not

00:43:50.949 --> 00:43:55.150
gone we must leave now As you hear that, Aria

00:43:55.150 --> 00:43:58.170
just spins around and just kind of, go, go! And

00:43:58.170 --> 00:43:59.590
you see people just start, like, the shield bearers

00:43:59.590 --> 00:44:03.489
start to move in. You realize the jewel is, like,

00:44:03.489 --> 00:44:04.610
packed. As you're kind of moving around, you

00:44:04.610 --> 00:44:05.989
see, like, people kind of filling in, and there's

00:44:05.989 --> 00:44:07.630
a line of people waiting to get on, but, like,

00:44:07.630 --> 00:44:09.449
they were waiting because they didn't know that

00:44:09.449 --> 00:44:10.829
this was supposed to happen. You realize, you

00:44:10.829 --> 00:44:12.809
come to find out, and Aria kind of just running

00:44:12.809 --> 00:44:16.750
over to you. What? What happened out there? We

00:44:16.750 --> 00:44:18.889
need to evacuate! What's going on? There's no

00:44:18.889 --> 00:44:20.949
time to explain, but anybody who can't fit on

00:44:20.949 --> 00:44:23.539
that jewel may die here. It's already packed

00:44:23.539 --> 00:44:26.400
full. I have space for enough for my officers.

00:44:26.460 --> 00:44:30.699
And I was waiting to see if you were to return.

00:44:31.380 --> 00:44:35.539
Stack them. I don't care. He just nods. As many

00:44:35.539 --> 00:44:38.260
as we can fit. Now. People just start rushing.

00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:41.099
The crowd, people were like, there's some people

00:44:41.099 --> 00:44:43.039
who are proffered, like, almost, like, bowing

00:44:43.039 --> 00:44:45.119
out in the direction of the shrine, who now kind

00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:47.159
of get up, and they look horror -stricken. People

00:44:47.159 --> 00:44:50.559
start screaming. There are babies crying. It's

00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:53.139
just chaos unfolding around you as everyone that

00:44:53.139 --> 00:44:57.059
can fit gets moved onto the jewel. Oh, yeah,

00:44:57.079 --> 00:44:59.579
just, I knew something was wrong. I felt it,

00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:01.760
but I didn't want to, I needed confirmation.

00:45:02.800 --> 00:45:06.599
I, he looks to you. Will you be taking the first

00:45:06.599 --> 00:45:09.920
jewel out? What the hell does that mean? What?

00:45:10.260 --> 00:45:12.679
Are you getting on? Does that mean that somebody

00:45:12.679 --> 00:45:15.599
else doesn't go on? There is a crowd of people

00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:17.800
that will not fit on this thing. It's already

00:45:17.800 --> 00:45:19.880
basically full. You'll be cramming yourselves

00:45:19.880 --> 00:45:22.179
in. I mean, you can fly on a rod, so, like, it's

00:45:22.179 --> 00:45:24.059
pretty easy for you guys to fit in there regardless.

00:45:24.300 --> 00:45:26.320
You won't necessarily be taking a lot of space.

00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:29.260
He's, like, looking to you, but, you know, he's

00:45:29.260 --> 00:45:30.840
in haste. He's, like, about to move on himself.

00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:33.019
He piled this thing. He has to drive it out.

00:45:33.099 --> 00:45:35.380
So he's, like, fucking, like, answer me. I'm

00:45:35.380 --> 00:45:37.780
leaving. I don't think he even waits for an answer.

00:45:37.820 --> 00:45:40.179
He just says that, looks at your expressions.

00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:42.079
Maybe you turn and see all the crowd of people

00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:44.039
around you looking terrified, and he just kind

00:45:44.039 --> 00:45:47.019
of moves and rushes. If you're quick, maybe you

00:45:47.019 --> 00:45:48.920
can beat it. Whatever this thing is, maybe you

00:45:48.920 --> 00:45:51.039
can catch it. What's happening? What could be

00:45:51.039 --> 00:45:53.519
happening? Is it happening here? Blanche puts

00:45:53.519 --> 00:45:57.840
a hand on each of Jules' shoulders. Jules, you

00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:00.360
have the broom. You won't take up any space.

00:46:01.340 --> 00:46:05.079
I can't do the same. You have to understand.

00:46:05.869 --> 00:46:08.630
What the fuck? I'll take the next jewel. I won't

00:46:08.630 --> 00:46:12.349
take another spot. Blanche, I have lost too many

00:46:12.349 --> 00:46:17.389
people. I am not getting on that without you.

00:46:18.010 --> 00:46:23.190
We will make this work. We also, if there's a

00:46:23.190 --> 00:46:26.670
plot, we could catch it. If you do not get on,

00:46:26.829 --> 00:46:31.889
I will not get on. You are all getting on. Arhalon

00:46:31.889 --> 00:46:34.789
just huge. He starts towering above you, big

00:46:34.789 --> 00:46:37.630
shoulders set, and a very disappointed, like,

00:46:37.710 --> 00:46:43.269
oh, no, you don't. Okay. So Blanche has Crispin's

00:46:43.269 --> 00:46:45.730
bag with Crispin's items in it. Yeah, you grab

00:46:45.730 --> 00:46:48.949
the bag on there. So two items that I'm finally

00:46:48.949 --> 00:46:55.070
going to use are the immovable rod, and I can

00:46:55.070 --> 00:46:59.889
pair that. with the pole of collapsing, which

00:46:59.889 --> 00:47:03.269
can extend into a 10 -foot -long pole. So if

00:47:03.269 --> 00:47:08.630
she rests that on top of the movable rod, that's

00:47:08.630 --> 00:47:11.409
like a bunch of extra space. Okay, so you're

00:47:11.409 --> 00:47:12.570
just trying to basically, you're creating vertical

00:47:12.570 --> 00:47:14.949
space so that the floor can be filled, the stands

00:47:14.949 --> 00:47:17.889
can be filled. Yeah, she'll set that up as vertical

00:47:17.889 --> 00:47:21.000
space. Blanche will get up there. She'll help

00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:25.420
some other people up onto the rod. Luminaries!

00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:27.539
And as you guys move in, people start partying.

00:47:27.559 --> 00:47:29.380
People are like, it's the luminaries! It's the

00:47:29.380 --> 00:47:31.239
luminaries! They're here! They're fine! They'll

00:47:31.239 --> 00:47:33.000
save us! You guys push in. You start getting

00:47:33.000 --> 00:47:34.780
people up off the grass as this thing's about

00:47:34.780 --> 00:47:36.820
to take off. Everyone that you can possibly fit.

00:47:37.480 --> 00:47:38.920
How many people are still there? Arlon throws

00:47:38.920 --> 00:47:40.539
a cure over his shoulder and flies and he's just

00:47:40.539 --> 00:47:42.559
hovering in the air. Jules and Dresden hover

00:47:42.559 --> 00:47:44.519
in the air. So it's maybe like I can go in. How

00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:45.860
many are still waiting to go on? How many are

00:47:45.860 --> 00:47:49.050
still on the world? Thousands. Maybe more. Thousands

00:47:49.050 --> 00:47:52.250
currently lined up from the city. I mean, you

00:47:52.250 --> 00:47:53.730
have to imagine there's so many more. This is

00:47:53.730 --> 00:47:56.250
a full city. I mean, the whole world cities aren't

00:47:56.250 --> 00:48:00.670
massive, but like thousands of people. What's

00:48:00.670 --> 00:48:04.150
Blanche's instinct? That they're not getting

00:48:04.150 --> 00:48:07.090
off? You don't know. You just know something

00:48:07.090 --> 00:48:09.309
must be happening. Something must be wrong here.

00:48:09.949 --> 00:48:11.710
It's all starting to come together. This whole

00:48:11.710 --> 00:48:17.519
plot. This letter. Sapphire. knew about the letter,

00:48:17.619 --> 00:48:20.780
knew about it from Ozen's memories, was watching

00:48:20.780 --> 00:48:22.559
the shrine to make sure it would never fall into

00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:24.860
hands, and the second Sholay had Crispin and

00:48:24.860 --> 00:48:27.719
Dresden make their move, had the Oni attack the

00:48:27.719 --> 00:48:29.400
shrine to give them permission to enter in to

00:48:29.400 --> 00:48:33.880
find evidence, Ozen sprung this trap, long awaiting

00:48:33.880 --> 00:48:38.480
this moment, and this war will be severed, if

00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:42.940
needed, to keep that information away from the

00:48:42.940 --> 00:48:45.409
network, away from anyone who could use it. But

00:48:45.409 --> 00:48:48.929
you have the letter. You are on the jewel. And

00:48:48.929 --> 00:48:51.789
as you stand risen above this crowd, all these

00:48:51.789 --> 00:48:54.429
people, you hear the screams and shouts and cries

00:48:54.429 --> 00:49:00.849
of those outside until the door closes and things

00:49:00.849 --> 00:49:03.389
get so much quieter. All the screams from the

00:49:03.389 --> 00:49:06.110
outside are shut off and you'll hear quiet, scared

00:49:06.110 --> 00:49:09.389
murmurs all around this place from the thousands

00:49:09.389 --> 00:49:10.929
of people that are currently inside this place.

00:49:11.210 --> 00:49:14.170
I mean, it's packed, packed, dangerously full.

00:49:15.499 --> 00:49:19.039
Ariat, you imagine, must be somewhere, you know,

00:49:19.039 --> 00:49:22.099
probably saying whatever words to say, rise,

00:49:22.139 --> 00:49:24.739
or they're in the book, to, like, get this thing

00:49:24.739 --> 00:49:28.079
to move because you feel it start to move upwards,

00:49:28.440 --> 00:49:31.119
upwards. You're watching, I imagine, for anyone

00:49:31.119 --> 00:49:32.679
who looks at anything that's going wrong and

00:49:32.679 --> 00:49:34.219
nothing seems out of place, nothing seems wrong.

00:49:34.300 --> 00:49:36.820
You're above it all. You all have this perfect,

00:49:36.880 --> 00:49:39.139
like, view on everything. Do you want to roll

00:49:39.139 --> 00:49:42.139
perception checks? I mean, yeah. Give me checks.

00:49:42.400 --> 00:49:45.789
Give me checkos. Jaws. We need to find a private

00:49:45.789 --> 00:49:55.050
place to update Sholay. Oh! I just crit my pants

00:49:55.050 --> 00:49:59.190
with Dawn's new dice. The first roll. Highest

00:49:59.190 --> 00:50:02.010
roll I got was a 14, so. Perception is a plus.

00:50:02.150 --> 00:50:03.710
Oh, no, that's, sorry, that's Crispin's page.

00:50:03.769 --> 00:50:07.789
Never mind. That's amazing. Oh, man. Fucking

00:50:07.789 --> 00:50:11.909
amazing. Blanche's perception is plus zero. Crispin's

00:50:11.909 --> 00:50:15.559
is a plus. No, within that 20, though, I'm going

00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:19.139
to give you something so cool here. I was not

00:50:19.139 --> 00:50:22.380
planning on this. I was not remotely planning

00:50:22.380 --> 00:50:25.079
on giving this away, but fuck, I think that's

00:50:25.079 --> 00:50:28.360
so cool. Hell yeah. You're looking around, trying

00:50:28.360 --> 00:50:32.619
to see, you know, everything. The jewel is rising,

00:50:32.880 --> 00:50:36.340
rising. And you begin to hear that warping sound.

00:50:38.730 --> 00:50:41.250
As you know, like, lights sort of shooting out

00:50:41.250 --> 00:50:43.309
everywhere around you. It's blinding, and you

00:50:43.309 --> 00:50:45.789
know you've just transported. And as the lights

00:50:45.789 --> 00:50:47.349
fade, you're still looking. You don't see anyone,

00:50:47.510 --> 00:50:51.630
anyone suspicious. And then something. You know

00:50:51.630 --> 00:50:54.269
you're hovering just outside of the Radiant Citadel.

00:50:54.329 --> 00:50:57.889
You know you are moving in towards the passage

00:50:57.889 --> 00:51:00.730
of Ritzpit, Ritzpit to the Concord Dual Jogging

00:51:00.730 --> 00:51:06.510
Bay. You know. Fuck. God damn it. Hey. Are you

00:51:06.510 --> 00:51:11.699
having a stroke? Serious moment for serious podcasters.

00:51:13.260 --> 00:51:16.420
Passed a respite towards the conquered jewel

00:51:16.420 --> 00:51:20.840
docking bay. Nailed it. Second try. Got it. We

00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:25.119
edited that. It's the first try now. Nope. You're

00:51:25.119 --> 00:51:28.460
looking around and there is some strange regularity

00:51:28.460 --> 00:51:30.219
because you remember this place is packed so

00:51:30.219 --> 00:51:34.739
full. So full. And so a question enters your

00:51:34.739 --> 00:51:37.539
mind that... It first just feels like a weird

00:51:37.539 --> 00:51:40.440
little oddity and then strikes you with this

00:51:40.440 --> 00:51:46.000
icy stab of fear and realization. If this place

00:51:46.000 --> 00:51:50.679
is so full, why did Ariat kick all other officers

00:51:50.679 --> 00:51:55.639
out of the control room? As you see the door

00:51:55.639 --> 00:51:57.940
opens and people start funneling out, the door

00:51:57.940 --> 00:52:00.059
closes and you can just barely catch that. In

00:52:00.059 --> 00:52:03.699
this one room, this valuable space, only Ariat

00:52:03.699 --> 00:52:07.340
sits. Where is he taking us? And as the door

00:52:07.340 --> 00:52:11.699
closes. Where is he taking us? Turbulence. The

00:52:11.699 --> 00:52:15.300
whole thing begins to shake. It stops dead and

00:52:15.300 --> 00:52:17.320
you can see the whiteness of the pearl bleeds

00:52:17.320 --> 00:52:21.460
away into a clearness. It is happening again.

00:52:21.760 --> 00:52:26.360
You are falling again. Jules, you'd better get

00:52:26.360 --> 00:52:30.300
on that stone. Fuck. Uh, yeah. What do you say?

00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:32.360
Jules takes off the stone. 25. Give 25 words.

00:52:33.320 --> 00:52:38.480
Pause. I think as Jules is about to pull this

00:52:38.480 --> 00:52:41.340
out, maybe you're letting him know what you're

00:52:41.340 --> 00:52:43.719
feeling, Blanche? Yeah, exactly. Blanche is going

00:52:43.719 --> 00:52:47.500
to use message to send the important bits. And

00:52:47.500 --> 00:52:49.280
it's hitting you now, too. You're just realizing

00:52:49.280 --> 00:52:53.239
more. It's like, why? Why did he wait? With that

00:52:53.239 --> 00:52:54.500
crowd of people there, why wouldn't you just

00:52:54.500 --> 00:52:57.519
take them off world? He was waiting for you?

00:52:57.579 --> 00:52:59.500
No. He was waiting for Jules. He was waiting

00:52:59.500 --> 00:53:02.980
for the sapphire. He was waiting for Ozen to

00:53:02.980 --> 00:53:06.440
return. Because Ariat knew there was only one

00:53:06.440 --> 00:53:10.300
trip. He's waiting for the sapphire to return?

00:53:10.599 --> 00:53:13.480
Waiting for Ozen, you have to imagine. Well,

00:53:13.579 --> 00:53:17.440
so are you saying the sapphire wyvern is on the

00:53:17.440 --> 00:53:20.699
pearl? It seemed like it phased out, like it

00:53:20.699 --> 00:53:23.860
has some more features, but perhaps you would

00:53:23.860 --> 00:53:28.400
think the body... He wasn't going to do whatever...

00:53:28.400 --> 00:53:31.719
Ariat wasn't going to do whatever Ariat did that

00:53:31.719 --> 00:53:34.369
was going to trigger the fall of the world. until

00:53:34.369 --> 00:53:36.750
the Sapphire Wyvern was safely off the world.

00:53:36.889 --> 00:53:38.809
And maybe, like, the fact that you guys returned,

00:53:38.929 --> 00:53:40.309
maybe he wanted to restore the Keep the Body,

00:53:40.449 --> 00:53:43.070
keep Ozen's body. You actually know, Blanche,

00:53:43.150 --> 00:53:45.829
Ozen has the Sky Self. It makes sense that maybe

00:53:45.829 --> 00:53:47.329
that's how he got off the world the first time,

00:53:47.349 --> 00:53:49.449
off Tythos. Maybe he was on the gem with everybody

00:53:49.449 --> 00:53:52.530
else. Maybe he was supposed to come. And maybe

00:53:52.530 --> 00:53:55.130
when you guys returned, it was Ariat's, he realized

00:53:55.130 --> 00:53:59.469
in that moment that Ozen died. Sapphire's body

00:53:59.469 --> 00:54:01.789
vessel is gone. So he doesn't have to wait anymore.

00:54:02.329 --> 00:54:05.010
No reason to wait. You guys appeared. This thing

00:54:05.010 --> 00:54:08.630
takes off. This thing shudders. Bleeding. Falling.

00:54:08.650 --> 00:54:10.110
Falling. Everything falling away. The keen and

00:54:10.110 --> 00:54:13.530
gloom below you. This great maw of a storm. Fenneling

00:54:13.530 --> 00:54:16.869
into great darkness. To some disconnection from

00:54:16.869 --> 00:54:19.030
these conquered worlds. It's growing larger and

00:54:19.030 --> 00:54:21.769
larger in jewels. You raise the sending stone.

00:54:22.599 --> 00:54:26.860
Hold on. Hold on. Real fast. No! No, dude. Jules,

00:54:27.019 --> 00:54:29.960
do you or I'm looking through Blanche's spell

00:54:29.960 --> 00:54:32.739
list right now. Do we have anything that is going

00:54:32.739 --> 00:54:37.920
to keep Jules' mouth away from, like, everybody

00:54:37.920 --> 00:54:40.559
else who's in this giant... Fuck. You're up pretty

00:54:40.559 --> 00:54:43.119
high. I'm up. It's also kind of loud. Oh, by

00:54:43.119 --> 00:54:44.980
the way, right now, because this started falling...

00:54:44.980 --> 00:54:48.559
Okay. Screaming. If anything, it's going to be

00:54:48.559 --> 00:54:49.780
hard for her to hear you. You have to speak pretty

00:54:49.780 --> 00:54:51.760
clearly. Sure. Okay, I'm going to go into, like,

00:54:52.190 --> 00:54:54.190
An uppermost corner. You fly up to the very top

00:54:54.190 --> 00:54:56.429
of the circle. It's full of star pearl. And again,

00:54:56.489 --> 00:54:59.469
it's all clear now. You can look up towards the

00:54:59.469 --> 00:55:02.349
sky. It's the falling sand. And he pulls the

00:55:02.349 --> 00:55:07.449
stone up and says, Ariat, piloting the pearl

00:55:07.449 --> 00:55:14.730
into the gloom. Send luminaries now. Storm was

00:55:14.730 --> 00:55:21.599
a diversion set up by Sapphire Wyvern. He escaped.

00:55:22.800 --> 00:55:26.260
Don't know where. Okay, perfect. You just say

00:55:26.260 --> 00:55:27.860
all this as you're falling. You're looking up

00:55:27.860 --> 00:55:29.960
towards the sky, expecting Luminary, expecting

00:55:29.960 --> 00:55:33.440
Shola, expecting help. You're stoned as you kind

00:55:33.440 --> 00:55:36.019
of stop it. It's like you heard, I think when

00:55:36.019 --> 00:55:37.659
you pick these things up, the mouth moves. And

00:55:37.659 --> 00:55:39.980
when you know somebody is answering the phone,

00:55:40.059 --> 00:55:42.380
as to say, the mouth sort of opens up or in your

00:55:42.380 --> 00:55:43.900
case the ear opens up. It's like the three dots.

00:55:44.179 --> 00:55:46.260
Yeah, so you know they're there. You know Shola's

00:55:46.260 --> 00:55:49.440
there. But as you say all this, silence. Oh,

00:55:49.440 --> 00:55:51.300
fuck. Fuck, where's Shola? You're looking up.

00:55:51.639 --> 00:55:54.260
You're looking up. She'll be there. She'll be

00:55:54.260 --> 00:55:56.619
there. You're falling further, further. Gloom

00:55:56.619 --> 00:55:58.400
is about to consume you all. You're looking up.

00:55:58.900 --> 00:56:04.880
And you see lights in the sky. A similar, something

00:56:04.880 --> 00:56:06.579
that Blanche and Dresden, maybe a little lower

00:56:06.579 --> 00:56:07.900
than you are, as you were kind of raised all

00:56:07.900 --> 00:56:10.860
the way. They've seen this before in Saint -Etienne.

00:56:11.460 --> 00:56:15.940
They were there. When the stars began to fall,

00:56:16.179 --> 00:56:20.219
as celestials rained down from above, you see

00:56:20.219 --> 00:56:23.420
them, the faithful soldiers of Atash, and of

00:56:23.420 --> 00:56:25.800
course he falls with them, shooting down past

00:56:25.800 --> 00:56:28.679
the pearl. And he seems to find you as you linger

00:56:28.679 --> 00:56:31.260
above the crowd, above everyone, looking out

00:56:31.260 --> 00:56:34.980
in this clear, sort of once a pearl, his eyes

00:56:34.980 --> 00:56:39.139
of brilliant white seem to lock onto the three

00:56:39.139 --> 00:56:42.139
of you. He paints as imposing a picture of his

00:56:42.139 --> 00:56:44.559
ever -rippling muscles beneath a red, raw wings

00:56:44.559 --> 00:56:48.179
of firelight. The face beneath his crown is regal

00:56:48.179 --> 00:56:50.679
and strong, and every figure beneath you begins

00:56:50.679 --> 00:56:52.900
to start calming. The screams turn into light.

00:56:53.059 --> 00:56:56.900
Cheers at his presence. To even just like hooping.

00:56:57.019 --> 00:57:00.940
Woo! Woo! It's Atash! Save us! He'll save us!

00:57:01.019 --> 00:57:04.099
Yeah! I hate how awesome Atash can be. Yeah.

00:57:04.519 --> 00:57:09.070
As he now looks at you, you see he smiles. Enden

00:57:09.070 --> 00:57:11.489
just booms out as he flies down beneath the pearl,

00:57:11.630 --> 00:57:13.630
and a voice so loud it seems to resonate through

00:57:13.630 --> 00:57:18.550
the structure's walls. Fear not, citizens! We

00:57:18.550 --> 00:57:23.969
have come! Hold tight, and I will stop this fall!

00:57:24.809 --> 00:57:27.230
And Entar swoops down beneath the falling pearl,

00:57:27.429 --> 00:57:31.949
and just before... ...releases a beam of radiant

00:57:31.949 --> 00:57:35.789
light towards it, and the falling gem stops dead.

00:57:36.750 --> 00:57:40.449
The doors slide open, and angels begin to swarm

00:57:40.449 --> 00:57:43.469
in. These glowing forms grabbing people and flying

00:57:43.469 --> 00:57:46.889
them out, flying them to safety. What do you

00:57:46.889 --> 00:57:50.449
all do? Jeez, I mean, Blanche can't fly right

00:57:50.449 --> 00:57:54.469
now. You better get out of there, man. You flying,

00:57:54.469 --> 00:57:57.429
Jules? Yeah. You look down. I mean, you know

00:57:57.429 --> 00:58:00.349
it stopped. Last time they got everybody, you

00:58:00.349 --> 00:58:01.809
feel like they're going to get them again. There's

00:58:01.809 --> 00:58:04.210
a lot of people flying. You look to Blanche.

00:58:04.570 --> 00:58:06.590
to Arhalon, who's already kind of, he nods to

00:58:06.590 --> 00:58:09.489
you, and he's taking a cue and flying out. He's

00:58:09.489 --> 00:58:10.849
got Crispin, he's got a cue. He probably can't

00:58:10.849 --> 00:58:11.989
carry you, Blanche, because you're a whole ton.

00:58:11.989 --> 00:58:14.730
Yeah, Blanche is standing on the movable rod,

00:58:14.969 --> 00:58:17.429
you know, just above the crowd, and she's reaching

00:58:17.429 --> 00:58:19.429
down, and she's grabbing, you know, the children,

00:58:19.610 --> 00:58:22.730
and she's holding them up above her head for

00:58:22.730 --> 00:58:25.969
the angels to grab as they fly by. That's so

00:58:25.969 --> 00:58:28.090
beautiful. I love that so much. And yeah, they're

00:58:28.090 --> 00:58:31.690
flying. You guys, mixed with the celestial lights,

00:58:31.750 --> 00:58:34.820
you begin to fly out. Yeah, I think he sees that

00:58:34.820 --> 00:58:39.960
Blanche is doing her duty, and Jules will fly

00:58:39.960 --> 00:58:43.320
down from his spot and grab Dresden and throw

00:58:43.320 --> 00:58:46.920
him on the back. You guys are launching out the

00:58:46.920 --> 00:58:49.420
main way, launching up, up, towards the tail

00:58:49.420 --> 00:58:52.059
of the citadel where the coyote rests, where

00:58:52.059 --> 00:58:55.559
home lingers. You're moving, and there's light.

00:58:56.079 --> 00:58:59.639
Suddenly, lights are shining down. You turn.

00:58:59.800 --> 00:59:04.900
You see that one celestial. approaches you, hand

00:59:04.900 --> 00:59:07.840
outstretched. You see the blue skin and red wings

00:59:07.840 --> 00:59:10.960
of a pari. She wears a similar golden chain to

00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:13.519
the rest of her kin over a flowing white robe.

00:59:13.559 --> 00:59:15.780
Her long black hair trails behind her as she

00:59:15.780 --> 00:59:18.500
glides towards you. You see eyes filled with

00:59:18.500 --> 00:59:21.059
radiance, pools of orange light surrounded by

00:59:21.059 --> 00:59:24.019
gold makeup and face paint. There is something

00:59:24.019 --> 00:59:26.760
strange in those eyes and their wideness and

00:59:26.760 --> 00:59:29.780
passivity, like someone caught in a daydream.

00:59:30.280 --> 00:59:32.159
The gentle smile beneath them only adds this

00:59:32.159 --> 00:59:35.800
air. She's right on your hand, but a touch in

00:59:35.800 --> 00:59:40.260
her mouth parts as she speaks a few words. And

00:59:40.260 --> 00:59:48.239
what does she say, Stephen? Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I

00:59:48.239 --> 00:59:52.059
am sorry, Jules LaRoche, but I must share a burden

00:59:52.059 --> 00:59:54.960
with you. Okay, I can't tell if this is player

00:59:54.960 --> 00:59:58.449
Jeremy or actually Jules. doing this because

00:59:58.449 --> 01:00:00.289
part of me feels like if this was just some random

01:00:00.289 --> 01:00:04.150
person, Jules would pay it no mind and pull away

01:00:04.150 --> 01:00:06.409
and keep going. Even if you try to pull away,

01:00:06.550 --> 01:00:09.210
she's right on you and that hand is going to

01:00:09.210 --> 01:00:13.989
touch you. I'm going to touch you. Okay, so in

01:00:13.989 --> 01:00:16.070
that case, I think he's going to stick with what

01:00:16.070 --> 01:00:18.989
Jules would normally do and cast a quick wound.

01:00:19.210 --> 01:00:25.030
Exactly. Everything explodes! As this is happening,

01:00:25.050 --> 01:00:27.469
he starts to try and speed away. You try to speed.

01:00:27.510 --> 01:00:30.030
You see this. You turn. You feel something wrong

01:00:30.030 --> 01:00:32.570
here. And then this hand reaches out. Grabs you

01:00:32.570 --> 01:00:36.510
by the shoulder. And there is a sensation flooding

01:00:36.510 --> 01:00:38.969
through your body. Like you are suddenly falling

01:00:38.969 --> 01:00:42.070
in a dream. Your stomach flips. Your vision fades

01:00:42.070 --> 01:00:48.250
away into light. And you see. A world connected.

01:00:48.710 --> 01:00:51.949
A great mass of land dotted with cities and settlements.

01:00:52.250 --> 01:00:54.989
You fly over the deserts around San Satyan City.

01:00:55.110 --> 01:00:57.150
You sail between the jagged peaks that surround

01:00:57.150 --> 01:01:00.329
the valley of Zantini on Samsanko. You see in

01:01:00.329 --> 01:01:03.190
a rush that the pieces of your world are whole.

01:01:03.829 --> 01:01:06.710
You see lakes and seas, a plethora of trade ships

01:01:06.710 --> 01:01:09.530
around, but no naval forces, no pirates. You

01:01:09.530 --> 01:01:11.989
see fields of trees stretching on and on with

01:01:11.989 --> 01:01:16.469
no scars or burns. No battlefields. You see settlements

01:01:16.469 --> 01:01:19.809
full of life and without guard or walls or weaponry.

01:01:19.969 --> 01:01:24.269
You see a world at peace. More mountains surround

01:01:24.269 --> 01:01:27.769
you as you fly. Familiar mountains. You see a

01:01:27.769 --> 01:01:31.210
lake ahead and great towers jutting up from a

01:01:31.210 --> 01:01:34.510
settlement that rests beside it. You see Sarul.

01:01:34.989 --> 01:01:38.500
You fly in and down and... And you are in the

01:01:38.500 --> 01:01:40.300
low city, but not in any way you've ever seen

01:01:40.300 --> 01:01:42.719
it before. The streets are clean. The structures

01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:44.239
that line them are well built and decorated.

01:01:44.500 --> 01:01:47.199
A morning sun shines down over the city and crowds

01:01:47.199 --> 01:01:49.260
of people move through these streets, not with

01:01:49.260 --> 01:01:51.420
the suspicious shuffling of criminals or the

01:01:51.420 --> 01:01:54.639
slow, somber gait of broken laborers, but rather

01:01:54.639 --> 01:01:58.139
with an easy, eager step. Friendly faces, waves

01:01:58.139 --> 01:02:01.019
and greetings, fine, comfortable clothing, shoes

01:02:01.019 --> 01:02:04.949
and socks on every set of feet. A miracle. And

01:02:04.949 --> 01:02:07.530
you see something else, someone else, that puts

01:02:07.530 --> 01:02:11.050
your mind into a delighted shock. Round Stuff

01:02:11.050 --> 01:02:13.909
sits along the edge of the street, on the steps

01:02:13.909 --> 01:02:15.869
leading to some kind of tenement. You barely

01:02:15.869 --> 01:02:17.909
recognize the little tiefling. She looks older,

01:02:18.130 --> 01:02:20.610
maybe by a year or so, and her rabbit onesie

01:02:20.610 --> 01:02:23.449
has been replaced by a formal yellow dress. She

01:02:23.449 --> 01:02:26.010
sits, kicking her legs and humming a song, waving

01:02:26.010 --> 01:02:29.030
and smiling to all passersby who wave and smile

01:02:29.030 --> 01:02:33.949
back. You see this and... and... You get a little

01:02:33.949 --> 01:02:38.150
closer. You stop moving now, Jules, stop flying,

01:02:38.190 --> 01:02:40.489
and you begin to see that something is wrong.

01:02:41.409 --> 01:02:44.670
The houses, they're all the same. The decorations,

01:02:44.789 --> 01:02:48.010
the furnishings, the people, all dressed similarly,

01:02:48.170 --> 01:02:50.949
fine, simple clothing. Even those that look like

01:02:50.949 --> 01:02:52.849
they may hail from different regions of this

01:02:52.849 --> 01:02:56.809
world. Their smile, their waves, all the same.

01:02:57.449 --> 01:02:59.590
Swirl had always been a bit of a cultural melting

01:02:59.590 --> 01:03:02.150
pot. Almost like the mixed paint of an artist's

01:03:02.150 --> 01:03:05.429
mixing board. But this, it's like the artist

01:03:05.429 --> 01:03:08.730
of this city only mixes one color. And you focus

01:03:08.730 --> 01:03:11.909
in on round stuff, you see her smile and laugh.

01:03:12.449 --> 01:03:17.230
It's not her laugh, though. There's no edge of

01:03:17.230 --> 01:03:19.949
mischief or burst of curious energy. It's just

01:03:19.949 --> 01:03:23.730
a laugh. No one's laugh. And as you listen to

01:03:23.730 --> 01:03:26.150
the crowd around you realize with dawning horror,

01:03:26.329 --> 01:03:30.389
it's everyone's laugh. Your fight and flight

01:03:30.389 --> 01:03:32.670
instincts go wild. Your heart is hammering a

01:03:32.670 --> 01:03:34.829
coldness, spreading through your veins. You are

01:03:34.829 --> 01:03:36.730
experiencing the feeling of seeing something

01:03:36.730 --> 01:03:39.409
that looks so near to right, but is in essence

01:03:39.409 --> 01:03:43.889
so horribly wrong. Off, just slightly. A perfect

01:03:43.889 --> 01:03:46.769
mask of a city with nothing behind it. You looked

01:03:46.769 --> 01:03:49.769
around, stuff again, and... Her eyes, Jules.

01:03:50.190 --> 01:03:54.289
Her eyes are not laughing. Her eyes are voids.

01:03:54.289 --> 01:03:58.610
Windows into nothing. Nothing. Except for a spark

01:03:58.610 --> 01:04:03.889
of light pulsing in the dark. A radiant sapphire

01:04:03.889 --> 01:04:13.769
blue. Jules, when you wake up in a cold sweat,

01:04:13.989 --> 01:04:18.550
lying in your bed at the Ugly Coyote, hours have

01:04:18.550 --> 01:04:23.989
passed and the worlds have changed. And we'll

01:04:23.989 --> 01:04:50.690
call it there. right here. Just shit. Thanks

01:04:50.690 --> 01:04:56.510
for those post credits. Fuck yeah. See, always

01:04:56.510 --> 01:04:58.690
say it. Never do it. I'm not scared anymore.

01:04:58.690 --> 01:05:00.889
I'm not scared anymore. I'm not scared.