WEBVTT 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:05.139 Hey, Pants people. I just wanted to stop real 00:00:05.139 --> 00:00:07.360 fast and say thank you so much for listening. 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:10.660 We love getting to know you guys and interacting 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:13.759 with you, whether it's on the Discord, social 00:00:13.759 --> 00:01:02.560 media, anywhere. So this one's for you. Discovering 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:04.719 the city that vanishes in moments, in unexplained 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:07.819 deaths, at various points in the city. Mine is 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:09.939 all based on tips from concerned off -worlders. 00:01:09.939 --> 00:01:12.060 We didn't receive any information at all from 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:14.500 the Palace of Ionido, or even from actual citizens 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:17.939 of Hauri. It's all very, very odd. But it is 00:01:17.939 --> 00:01:19.879 worth noting that the city now's least favorite 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:21.879 troublemakers, Jules Laroche and Blanche Verdot, 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.219 traveled to Hauri early this morning, just before 00:01:24.219 --> 00:01:27.500 the rumors of strangeness began. Funny how that 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:31.420 always seems to be the case. Well... I, for one, 00:01:31.420 --> 00:01:33.060 hope this is just tall tales and little else 00:01:33.060 --> 00:01:35.480 and that nobody has been hurt. Keep checking 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:37.060 back for updates. I'll let you know if we hear 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:41.799 any more. In brighter news, Salome the Sight 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:43.480 Weaver has just returned from her first mission 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:46.280 as an official luminary. Having saved a child 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:48.680 from the maze of Thelmira's most notorious minotaur, 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.040 I'm sure she has one hell of a story to tell. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:58.930 Crack that beer. Yeah, crack it. That was a great 00:01:58.930 --> 00:02:00.750 crack. It was pretty good. You want to have my 00:02:00.750 --> 00:02:04.629 hand right here? Finally, I have a party in your 00:02:04.629 --> 00:02:07.689 mouth. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Let's party. Best 00:02:07.689 --> 00:02:11.310 beer brewed by our lovely sponsor, Reckless Brewing 00:02:11.310 --> 00:02:15.909 Company. You know, when they feel like it. When 00:02:15.909 --> 00:02:18.169 the season is right. Again, it's a summer beer. 00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:21.030 It's always the season for a good beer, Stephen. 00:02:21.509 --> 00:02:27.759 Maybe someday you'll learn that. Speaking of 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:29.560 reckless and good news coming from reckless, 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:33.900 Jules has... Oh, yeah. Right, right, right. Yes. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:36.819 Yes. We are back immediately after the episode, 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:38.719 but you know what? That's okay, because I... 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.699 Well, Steven, you take it away. What's the news? 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:43.280 What's the update? Come on. I actually thought 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.819 it was fun that we were able to, like, say, oh, 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:47.120 yeah, we'll get to blah, blah, blah, blah, and 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:49.900 then end the episode without revealing. It builds 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:52.719 a little suspense, right? Suspense. Yeah. Suspense. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:57.210 Suspense. What's going on? So... Jules thinks 00:02:57.210 --> 00:03:02.210 it is fair that I get to keep my button. And? 00:03:02.930 --> 00:03:05.169 And you get yours. Give it, give it, give it. 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:09.409 Mine. Oh, I do. Why do I have buttons? What's 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:11.229 your button there? Well, you have one. Well, 00:03:11.229 --> 00:03:14.110 give me one because it feels... No, trade. What? 00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:18.409 Fine. Give me yours better. Oh, look at that. 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:22.879 Oh boy, that won't... That won't turn horrible. 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:24.520 I already know. No, but now you've got three. 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:27.439 I know. I know when I'm using this. Sour grapes. 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:29.199 I know exactly when I'm using this. Sour grapes. 00:03:29.900 --> 00:03:34.659 I'm not getting on that. Wait. Sour grapes, sour 00:03:34.659 --> 00:03:37.120 beer. You guys ready for a sour episode of that 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.180 last cockamamie? Didn't he use his last button 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:45.300 to try and permanently kill John Franklin? Arguably 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:47.919 the closest thing David has to a PC in this campaign. 00:03:49.710 --> 00:03:53.530 I have many masks I wear. I don't get the bad 00:03:53.530 --> 00:03:56.189 guys. I close the thing to my PCs. And there 00:03:56.189 --> 00:04:01.909 are some bad, bad guys out in these worlds. Arguably, 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:04.409 you just helped Cholet kill one of them. Yeah. 00:04:04.610 --> 00:04:06.750 Although, very arguable. Because Hyronix was, 00:04:06.830 --> 00:04:08.990 you know, literally a divine being of law just 00:04:08.990 --> 00:04:12.210 wanting to get by and stop you murderers from 00:04:12.210 --> 00:04:15.129 getting away. We're all just trying to get by. 00:04:15.169 --> 00:04:17.639 Are you the good guys in the story? I don't know. 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:21.540 Hey, we didn't help kill anybody. She just did 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:26.800 that on her own. Motorcycle. Oh, I thought it 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.420 was in there. I was like, what music is this? 00:04:29.500 --> 00:04:32.420 It's a real big bass going on. Nah, just some 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:33.579 guy thinks he's cool. Is there something wrong 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:38.769 with what I just said? What'd you say? Listen 00:04:38.769 --> 00:04:41.069 to that bass. I said we didn't help kill anybody. 00:04:41.250 --> 00:04:43.230 Sholi did that on her own. It's actually true. 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:46.009 No one did damage to anyone until Sholi. And 00:04:46.009 --> 00:04:48.329 as far as anyone's concerned, Hyronix killed 00:04:48.329 --> 00:04:52.870 Omen. Right. Yeah, I know. You guys must think 00:04:52.870 --> 00:04:54.449 you're real clever. Blanch the secret dyes with 00:04:54.449 --> 00:04:58.629 us. Think you're real smart. Maybe just real 00:04:58.629 --> 00:05:01.050 lucky. Well, let's see if that luck holds out 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:06.389 as we keep going forward. We open on a ballroom 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:10.060 filled with smoke. crackling flames like the 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:13.120 air you see like flames ring around the uh this 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:16.620 massive hole blackened scorched hole where the 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:19.899 door and wall once was where an angel once stood 00:05:19.899 --> 00:05:21.339 you're not just looking out into the hallway 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:24.920 uh those double doors fully gone turn to dust 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:29.399 flames are building we just see shoelace staring 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:34.680 coldly towards them just She raises a hand, means 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:37.540 to make some somatic sort of gestures. When you 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:42.819 see the flames begin to die down and fizzle out. 00:05:43.540 --> 00:05:45.980 You don't get far as a dragon in the popular 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.180 societies if you don't have a way to control 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:55.079 flame, I would think. Damn, that was foolish 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:59.899 of me. Though I suppose any legal consequences 00:05:59.899 --> 00:06:07.689 matter not at this point. It's over anyway. And 00:06:07.689 --> 00:06:12.110 her eyes slowly turn towards you. What happened? 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:16.410 He mentioned murder. Do not tell me the victim 00:06:16.410 --> 00:06:20.189 of this crime is his charge, Ambassador Pastor. 00:06:21.649 --> 00:06:26.889 So I feel like if Blanche is trying to keep her 00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:31.370 cool, would that be a performance or a deception 00:06:31.370 --> 00:06:33.670 role? You know what? I think either of those 00:06:33.670 --> 00:06:37.990 sounds pretty good to me. Okay. I just really 00:06:37.990 --> 00:06:40.250 feel like, oh, actually, that's a pretty good 00:06:40.250 --> 00:06:43.730 roll. 17. Pretty good. Blanche, you're staying 00:06:43.730 --> 00:06:47.370 pretty cool. These eyes, this full -on ancient 00:06:47.370 --> 00:06:49.689 brass dragon, absolutely massive. You just watch 00:06:49.689 --> 00:06:53.930 this thing absolutely annihilate a being you 00:06:53.930 --> 00:06:57.629 had to run from. She kind of swallows a little. 00:06:57.689 --> 00:07:01.509 You can see the swallow in her throat. She stands 00:07:01.509 --> 00:07:06.040 tall. When the fog came through, by the time 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:12.360 we came back around, yes, it was Omid Pastar 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:18.519 who was dead. And you had nothing to do with 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:22.939 this, correct? Jules, are you staying with everybody 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:26.240 else now? Yeah. Do you feel Chester tense up 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:31.060 hard beside you? You know damn well that we can't 00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:35.829 remember anything. That's all he says. Give me 00:07:35.829 --> 00:07:37.329 a deception check with advantage because you 00:07:37.329 --> 00:07:39.529 did not say much. I think that means that it's 00:07:39.529 --> 00:07:41.490 easier for you to hold back information without 00:07:41.490 --> 00:07:43.629 a being. I think advantage fits very well there. 00:07:43.689 --> 00:07:45.810 Can Blanche speak up a little bit maybe to try 00:07:45.810 --> 00:07:49.269 and help? Yes, and there was nothing that we 00:07:49.269 --> 00:07:53.269 could say that would appease Hyronix here. We 00:07:53.269 --> 00:07:57.449 didn't want to have more bloodshed. We did what 00:07:57.449 --> 00:08:00.339 we thought was the best to do. We ran. He went 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:03.199 crazy, I swear. He went nuts. I don't even know 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:07.339 why. No one knows why. Right? Go ahead and roll. 00:08:07.540 --> 00:08:09.540 Cool. I get advantage? You get advantage and 00:08:09.540 --> 00:08:12.360 a plus two. Fuck yeah. Those eyes are boring 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:14.459 into you. I don't need advantage. I just cry. 00:08:14.540 --> 00:08:18.180 Oh my god. Thank goodness. And a plus two anyway, 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:22.500 so it's like, what, a 32? 32. That's the highest 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:24.660 anyone's rolled in this show yet. Holy shit. 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:28.600 Holy shit. Oh my god. I thought about giving 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:30.920 you a button for this. I was like, man. Well, 00:08:31.019 --> 00:08:33.899 I mean, it's all downhill from here in this episode. 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:36.399 If I know David, it is going to come out that 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.960 we lied to Sholai somehow. Dude, she just kind 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:43.039 of fully nods, absolutely believing you. Almost 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:46.080 looks sorry for you. You can see in her eyes 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.120 just a tinge of sorrow, and she kind of turns 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:55.000 her head. A mess. Whatever the case, you will 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:59.039 lay the blame on me for this act. For Hyronix, 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:03.620 entirely on me. And do not worry about the D 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:07.200 .Va reporting to his master. It is a long story, 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.240 but the plane from which they came is sealed 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:12.899 off from our worlds entirely now. He will not 00:09:12.899 --> 00:09:17.149 be able to contact Atash any longer. The original 00:09:17.149 --> 00:09:21.409 god, Kameo, wants nothing to do with our world 00:09:21.409 --> 00:09:23.970 or with the defectors that followed Atash into 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:28.070 it. When they are destroyed here, they return 00:09:28.070 --> 00:09:32.370 to their original master far outside of our reach. 00:09:33.269 --> 00:09:37.470 But even without testimony, and she's turning 00:09:37.470 --> 00:09:39.570 away from you now, kind of, you see her like 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:43.429 looking down, thinking, there will still be some 00:09:43.429 --> 00:09:49.299 trouble. Yes. I will speak to her majesty, but 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:52.879 you should stay here under my wing until I have 00:09:52.879 --> 00:10:00.759 cleared your names. I have calmed somewhat. I 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:07.200 will not hurt you now. A little smile plays under 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.120 her draconic lips. You see, sharp, dagger -like 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:18.169 teeth. It was freeing. destroying the angel. 00:10:19.409 --> 00:10:23.029 Felt good for once to show those celestials how 00:10:23.029 --> 00:10:30.490 I've always felt about their presence here. Gosh, 00:10:31.090 --> 00:10:32.809 do you think it might take her like eight hours 00:10:32.809 --> 00:10:36.809 to clear her name or something? Want a long rest 00:10:36.809 --> 00:10:40.809 over there? Yes, please. Yes, please. I am pretty 00:10:40.809 --> 00:10:45.850 much out of everything. Yeah. So... Yeah. Hey, 00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:48.789 you mentioned the other day, David, that potion. 00:10:49.529 --> 00:10:53.230 Yeah. I don't have it in my inventory. Can you 00:10:53.230 --> 00:10:56.669 give me a quick... I believe it's a 1d4 minus 00:10:56.669 --> 00:10:59.029 1, and that's how many spell slot levels you 00:10:59.029 --> 00:11:01.230 gain back. So if you roll a 4, you can get one 00:11:01.230 --> 00:11:03.389 third level. Okay, that's... It's pretty cool, 00:11:03.450 --> 00:11:05.090 but if you plan on resting, you might want to 00:11:05.090 --> 00:11:06.669 hold off on it for now. Well, right, exactly. 00:11:06.809 --> 00:11:09.389 I was thinking about could I use that instead 00:11:09.389 --> 00:11:13.799 of a rest, but... Yeah, 1d4 minus one spell slot 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:15.440 levels. It's more just to give you one little 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:18.220 zing if you need it. Sure, yeah. That's all I 00:11:18.220 --> 00:11:20.639 have left is one third level spell slot. Jesus 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.039 Christ. That's crazy. Yeah, best case scenario, 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:26.220 I could gain one third level spell slot back, 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:33.779 and that wouldn't be enough. So I feel like I'm 00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:36.740 going to guess that we could actually full rest 00:11:36.740 --> 00:11:39.190 here. But I think Dave is going to keep killing 00:11:39.190 --> 00:11:41.269 people if we do. Absolutely, people will die. 00:11:41.929 --> 00:11:45.690 I mean, this is not going to stop. But I also 00:11:45.690 --> 00:11:51.669 feel like if we continue marching on like this, 00:11:51.850 --> 00:11:58.409 well, an army runs off its belly. If you march 00:11:58.409 --> 00:12:02.429 day and night and eat no food by the time you 00:12:02.429 --> 00:12:06.720 get to a battlefield, you're... You're as good 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:09.039 as lost already. Yeah, Blanche is right. Sholi, 00:12:09.139 --> 00:12:12.360 can you get us food? Yo, Sholi, food? She just 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:19.179 smoked, billowing. I would like some chow. Hey, 00:12:19.179 --> 00:12:20.820 wasn't there supposed to be a dinner going on? 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.340 You hear like, beyond her growl, you hear another 00:12:25.340 --> 00:12:27.440 sound down the hall, echoing sort of footsteps, 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:30.860 armor moving, people sort of shouting and talking 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:34.039 to each other. You hear guards approaching the 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.820 chaos. Smoke is still sort of billowing down 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:40.679 the halls. Before people get too close, I'm going 00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:44.740 to guess, but I want to make sure there's no 00:12:44.740 --> 00:12:48.840 like items of Hyronix left over. No, everything 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:52.059 that he was. He didn't have like adamantine something 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:57.500 that survived the fire or. Fully just returned 00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:59.860 to the plane from once he came. Okay. Bummer. 00:13:00.750 --> 00:13:03.269 At first I was like thinking to myself, oh, maybe 00:13:03.269 --> 00:13:05.429 he's got something weird in his pocket, some 00:13:05.429 --> 00:13:07.409 strange note that we could. And then I was like, 00:13:07.470 --> 00:13:10.190 oh, maybe he's got something valuable, but all 00:13:10.190 --> 00:13:15.110 gone. You see Sholay hearing this begins to sort 00:13:15.110 --> 00:13:18.549 of shrink down to her human guise. And even as 00:13:18.549 --> 00:13:20.070 she goes to her human guise, you see that like 00:13:20.070 --> 00:13:23.809 braid that's on her hair is like messed up. Her 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:26.490 hair is sort of loose and long and she looks 00:13:26.490 --> 00:13:29.720 older than you've ever seen her before. Her eyes 00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:32.179 are red -rimmed. Like, her humanoid appearance 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:36.500 is affected by her state of mind. Wow. She looks, 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:39.139 in a way, half -crazed, or like she's coming 00:13:39.139 --> 00:13:43.320 down from being half -crazed. As she looks to 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:48.700 you, stay here. She just gives this very forceful 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:53.840 glance. Yeah, and Blanche stands at rest. You're 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.179 not going to get an argument out of Blanche. 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:56.960 She doesn't really want to deal with these repercussions. 00:13:58.149 --> 00:14:01.210 Sholay steps out into the smoke, and you can 00:14:01.210 --> 00:14:03.690 hear her down the hall starting to speak to the 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.509 guards. After a moment, the combination is sort 00:14:06.509 --> 00:14:10.610 of muffled and almost leading away. Now, I will 00:14:10.610 --> 00:14:14.710 remind you that your jewels are holding a page 00:14:14.710 --> 00:14:18.350 you did not get to fully read. But there's that. 00:14:18.429 --> 00:14:19.889 There's many other things. What do you want to 00:14:19.889 --> 00:14:22.250 do now? You have this place to yourself for a 00:14:22.250 --> 00:14:27.360 moment. Sholay's ears have passed away. Oh, oh, 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:31.340 oh, oh, oh. Oh? What? What, what, what, what? 00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:36.440 Blanche is going to summon Turbo. Oh, shit. Yeah, 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:40.139 and send Turbo stealthily behind to try to hear 00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:44.220 what's going on. Damn. I like that a lot. Yeah. 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:46.259 That's awesome. There's a giant hole in the door. 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:48.700 Holy shit. And Turbo's also a bat, so it could 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:51.570 get out of. hell yeah doors anyway i think i'll 00:14:51.570 --> 00:14:53.629 give you like brief sort of glint i imagine kind 00:14:53.629 --> 00:14:55.269 of like are you phasing in and out sort of listening 00:14:55.269 --> 00:14:57.210 coming back as they're kind of moving right now 00:14:57.210 --> 00:14:59.190 when you first see turbo sort of following them 00:14:59.190 --> 00:15:01.029 quietly and you see that the guards have gone 00:15:01.029 --> 00:15:03.070 quiet they're just walking with shoelace she's 00:15:03.070 --> 00:15:07.649 moving to the throne room um moving to meet with 00:15:07.649 --> 00:15:10.149 queen jean may so we'll turbo follow the way 00:15:10.149 --> 00:15:12.610 there yeah and i think there's more emphasis 00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:16.250 on listening rather than seeing oh cool hell 00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:21.259 yeah Yeah, so, Jules, that was crazy, huh? I 00:15:21.259 --> 00:15:22.960 can't believe I got set up like that, right? 00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:26.620 Don't know what happened, Chester. Yeah. The 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:28.240 only thing that we know is that we don't know 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:31.080 anything. And then Jules will kind of peel off 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:35.399 and maybe sit down against a wall and open up. 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:39.240 You can almost see, like, as you peel away, you'll 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:40.820 see Chester's hand out reach out a little bit 00:15:40.820 --> 00:15:44.120 and then... Give me a second. Yeah, right, sure. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:50.899 Yeah. And he moves off onto his own. You read 00:15:50.899 --> 00:15:54.360 the page. You see everything Blanche had been 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:57.419 writing down underneath the top of the page where 00:15:57.419 --> 00:15:59.419 I imagine she's been writing the sort of encounters. 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:02.059 I think it was like the four gargoyles and it 00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:08.419 was like the ten tigers. No, sorry, you didn't 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:09.919 write four gargoyles. I just said that out loud, 00:16:10.019 --> 00:16:11.620 but you hadn't written a note at that point. 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.139 Whoopsies. There were four. Anyway, you just 00:16:15.139 --> 00:16:19.419 see on this page. Under all that, six gargoyles, 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:23.919 H fights. I'm not going to be roll sleight of 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:28.000 hand because of that fact. H, Hyronix, was doing 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:30.720 the fighting, which means you could freely write 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:35.059 everything. Oh, great. Oh, my gosh. Oh, oh, boy. 00:16:35.299 --> 00:16:40.220 Okay. And so you look down and see you have a, 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:43.700 it looks like, finished statement at the bottom. 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:46.100 You had been writing him a few sentences each 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:48.340 time. It looks like there's a full one written 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:51.600 beneath it now, not cut off by any sort of sudden 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:54.299 notes to yourself or a sudden lapse of memory. 00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:59.379 You have it all figured out, though, right? Daewon 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:02.700 Ha. It has to be her, because everything lines 00:17:02.700 --> 00:17:06.859 up. You have the mystery solved, which is why, 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:11.039 Jules, when you read this sentence, something 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.759 closes hard in your gut. Because nothing makes 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:21.000 sense anymore when you read, I was a hero, celebrated 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:26.099 and loved. You forgot me. I did it all for fame. 00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:30.039 I sacrificed all to be remembered. You forgot 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:34.819 me. I was a luminary, the best and brightest 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:40.500 of them all. You forgot me. Is that everyone's 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.700 father? Yeah. Daewon Ha was a magistrate, not 00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:46.450 a luminary. Fuck. But... Dude, I've got goosebumps. 00:17:46.450 --> 00:17:49.309 How does this... And we'll call it there. No. 00:17:50.049 --> 00:17:54.690 20 minute episode, guys. But how does this make 00:17:54.690 --> 00:17:56.730 any sense? Holy shit. How does this make any 00:17:56.730 --> 00:18:00.250 sense at all? Because... Yo, because the coffin's 00:18:00.250 --> 00:18:03.329 too big for one person. So there was someone 00:18:03.329 --> 00:18:07.230 else here at the time? You realize as you read 00:18:07.230 --> 00:18:09.549 this, Jules, this mystery is not solved yet. 00:18:10.470 --> 00:18:11.769 Blanche, I think you're kind of like phasing 00:18:11.769 --> 00:18:13.309 out. You're not hearing anything. You're like 00:18:13.309 --> 00:18:15.069 hearing through turbo. So you're probably seeing 00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:17.190 Jules read and kind of just like fully kind of 00:18:17.190 --> 00:18:19.529 get headphones on. It doesn't work quite the 00:18:19.529 --> 00:18:21.769 way I thought it does. I think I've made this 00:18:21.769 --> 00:18:23.970 mistake before, but you can both see and hear 00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:27.609 through your familiar, but you can't see or hear 00:18:27.609 --> 00:18:31.430 through yourself. So Blanche can't see or hear 00:18:31.430 --> 00:18:33.829 what's going on in the room. Yeah. I think you 00:18:33.829 --> 00:18:36.470 choose one though, right? I thought so too. No, 00:18:36.490 --> 00:18:38.329 I think it's both. Oh, wow. Interesting. Okay, 00:18:38.390 --> 00:18:41.029 so you have no idea what's going on. Within 100 00:18:41.029 --> 00:18:43.529 feet. I'm not going to go into the big detail 00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:45.549 because it's going to be a lot of just like jibber 00:18:45.549 --> 00:18:48.450 -jabbering, Sholay speaking with the queen. But 00:18:48.450 --> 00:18:52.470 you do hear Sholay is asking Jin Mi, you know, 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:56.849 basically using her standing, what remains of 00:18:56.849 --> 00:19:00.769 it, to push Jin Mi into backing off of you guys. 00:19:01.940 --> 00:19:03.859 assuring her that you will be leaving in the 00:19:03.859 --> 00:19:06.819 morning upon sunrise, but it is too dangerous 00:19:06.819 --> 00:19:08.500 to send you out right now given everything that 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:11.660 has been happening. There's no one else in the 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:13.319 room. Guards are all gone. It's just Sholay and 00:19:13.319 --> 00:19:15.339 Jeannie right now talking as you look around. 00:19:16.500 --> 00:19:21.319 She asks for bedding, food, supplies and such 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.380 to be sent to the room post haste that you will 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:28.220 be under her guidance. For the night, you will 00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:32.740 not leave. And that is a fact on her honor. You 00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:37.380 will not be doing any more meddling. When Jin 00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:40.500 Mi starts to put up a fight, Xio Lei quells her 00:19:40.500 --> 00:19:47.660 very quickly. You know that I know Jin Mi does 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:53.359 not use her royal title. You see, the queen goes 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:58.140 rigid. I will trouble you no longer soon enough. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:04.019 Neither will they. But you will acquiesce to 00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:09.700 my demands tonight. Or else. And that's basically 00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:14.000 the end of the conversation. Whoa. Okay, so my 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.799 immediate thought is that Jean Mee has a secret 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:19.400 to keep here and Sholay has a secret to keep 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.380 here. And you probably know Jean Mee's already. 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:24.180 My other immediate thought is we're about to 00:20:24.180 --> 00:20:30.470 get a long rest. yeah but um shit part of me 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:33.630 is like blanche comes out of this and shares 00:20:33.630 --> 00:20:35.630 everything with jewels it's like we don't want 00:20:35.630 --> 00:20:39.410 to stop now right so it's like do we fucking 00:20:39.410 --> 00:20:42.089 book it out of here or does someone book it out 00:20:42.089 --> 00:20:44.769 of here to try to like i i don't know because 00:20:44.769 --> 00:20:46.789 i think if shoelace gets back here i don't think 00:20:46.789 --> 00:20:49.369 she's gonna let us leave no and if she says we're 00:20:49.369 --> 00:20:52.980 leaving in the morning to to queen jean me I 00:20:52.980 --> 00:20:55.039 feel like I believe her. I feel like she's not 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.700 going to let us leave this room. How can we... 00:20:57.700 --> 00:20:59.779 If you go make a move now, if you try to get 00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:01.720 somebody out of there, you know they can't be 00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:03.559 seen. You've got to find a way to get them out 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:06.200 stealthily because the guards, given this, the 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:07.880 guards will be watching for you. What do you 00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:10.259 think, Jeremy? I don't... The thing is, I don't 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:12.839 have anything. No, I don't either. Nothing that 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:15.640 would get us out. I have one... Oh, hold on. 00:21:18.539 --> 00:21:21.349 So... All right, let's talk this out. I still 00:21:21.349 --> 00:21:26.190 don't think this is the smartest idea. I think 00:21:26.190 --> 00:21:29.390 I kind of feel like part of me almost feels like 00:21:29.390 --> 00:21:32.170 we need information out of Sholay in order to 00:21:32.170 --> 00:21:37.650 go forward. But I will say with my last third 00:21:37.650 --> 00:21:41.529 level spell slot, I could cast invisibility at 00:21:41.529 --> 00:21:44.710 level three, which would let me make two targets 00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:50.539 invisible. Oh, oh. Oh, damn. Jeremy, is there 00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:55.319 any, is there any, like, is there any intelligence 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:59.640 in Jules and Blanche getting invisible, getting 00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:01.500 the fuck out of here, and trying to figure this 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:03.339 out by morning? What happens when Sholay gets 00:22:03.339 --> 00:22:06.220 back to the room? I know. She's on her way. We're 00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:09.740 gone. Right now. Fuck. Any goodwill she may have. 00:22:10.190 --> 00:22:12.349 might be gone you heard her promise swearing 00:22:12.349 --> 00:22:15.230 in me this is such an intense decision i love 00:22:15.230 --> 00:22:18.509 this like i i love this you know i'm with you 00:22:18.509 --> 00:22:22.769 i'm with you so so we we know we know that shoelay 00:22:22.769 --> 00:22:26.970 has information to further this mystery the question 00:22:26.970 --> 00:22:29.190 is whether or not we can get it out of her if 00:22:29.190 --> 00:22:32.710 we leave we're not getting out of her if we stay 00:22:32.710 --> 00:22:35.490 maybe we can talk our way out of it or into it 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:38.119 through it The only way out is through. I don't 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:39.799 know. And on top of that, maybe if you leave, 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:41.680 you can stop more deaths from happening and solve 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.759 this thing sooner, but it's going to be pretty 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.880 hard getting a long rest when you're running 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:48.460 away from the guards and whatever this thing 00:22:48.460 --> 00:22:51.220 is, this entity that seems to want to kill you. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:56.559 Okay, Blanche lets out a big sigh just like that 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:01.400 and just sits down. She's tired. It's time to 00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:07.130 relax. I want to go. I do. Yeah. But... cost 00:23:07.130 --> 00:23:14.450 benefit right now and yeah what i love so much 00:23:14.450 --> 00:23:17.049 about this scene is earlier on we touched on 00:23:17.049 --> 00:23:20.450 a scene where i insulted jewels i just want to 00:23:20.450 --> 00:23:23.309 dance right in front of jewels and jewels learned 00:23:23.309 --> 00:23:25.910 to be more pragmatic and let things go walked 00:23:25.910 --> 00:23:29.319 it off understanding it was a trap And now we 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.660 see an influence Blanche has had on Jules. Blanche, 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:35.539 the very pragmatic strategist, slowly kind of 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:37.200 working her way. But I think we're seeing that 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:39.420 Jules has a similar effect on Blanche where Blanche 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:42.460 was like, what? My freedom shackles? I'm going 00:23:42.460 --> 00:23:44.839 to run. I'm going to riot. And it's like, wait, 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:49.099 let's not. Let's take it down. It's just so cool. 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:51.299 You're both really bleeding into each other. 00:23:51.380 --> 00:23:54.099 You're affecting each other. Oh, damn. I mean, 00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:55.559 she might be going crazy right now, but she's 00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:58.700 our closest ally here. Yeah. And she seems to 00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:00.180 think she's not going to be violent for the next 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:04.059 eight hours or so. Maybe she is, and that's our 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:09.039 excuse to run. Yeah. And so you hear footsteps 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.420 down the hall, a single pair returning. The smoke 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:14.440 is basically fully cleared out by now, and Sholay 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:18.299 steps into the room. And when she looks into 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:23.539 the room, final answer, does she see Jules and 00:24:23.539 --> 00:24:27.970 Blanche? Yeah, they're both there. Okay. Blanche 00:24:27.970 --> 00:24:32.609 is sitting, leaning against the wall, trying 00:24:32.609 --> 00:24:37.049 to decompress a little bit. Shirley sort of nods 00:24:37.049 --> 00:24:40.089 towards you both approvingly. They will bring 00:24:40.089 --> 00:24:43.990 food, drink, and bedding here. I have promised 00:24:43.990 --> 00:24:46.569 them that you will not leave my sight and protection 00:24:46.569 --> 00:24:50.589 for this evening. A promise that you will keep, 00:24:50.869 --> 00:24:53.849 else I'll be taking my vigil over only your ashes. 00:24:54.630 --> 00:24:59.599 Understood? The mist will continue, won't it? 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:03.440 While we rest here. We won't remember, but you're 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:06.740 strong enough to fight it off. Elsewhere in the 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:10.839 city, innocent people will die. They will die 00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:15.500 regardless. The city cannot be saved, Blanche. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:21.359 I tried to explain that to your partner. But 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:26.759 he does not listen. Perhaps you will. I will 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:32.359 listen. What do you know of the curse? She, like, 00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:36.299 winces, puts fingers to her head, and you see 00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:38.220 how much those fingers move back a little bit, 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:41.900 shaking towards the back of her neck, fingernails 00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:48.299 wanting to reach in. Then, no. Tell me. Looks 00:25:48.299 --> 00:25:51.660 to you, Jules. Have you learned of the Gwishin? 00:25:52.900 --> 00:25:58.670 Yes. Do you now know of the Dragon Clan's lie? 00:25:59.670 --> 00:26:07.690 Yes. We know. I'm impressed. But your efforts 00:26:07.690 --> 00:26:11.009 have changed nothing. You will rest here through 00:26:11.009 --> 00:26:14.509 the night. You will be safe, as you said. The 00:26:14.509 --> 00:26:17.049 creatures in the mist have not even come before 00:26:17.049 --> 00:26:21.750 me yet, have not deigned. I would vanquish them 00:26:21.750 --> 00:26:24.980 without effort, and I believe... Our adversary 00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:28.920 knows that fact quite well. When morning comes, 00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:33.359 we will talk one last time. And then you will 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:40.299 leave this city and myself to fate. I don't think 00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:43.640 now is the time to ask questions. Let's get our 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:47.259 rest in. Yeah. See what happens in the morning. 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:49.279 Maybe something has changed that we can take 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:53.819 advantage of. As you seem to. Reacting to the 00:26:53.819 --> 00:26:56.000 affirmative, Shirley kind of just nods again. 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:01.920 Her eyes kind of lose focus, seem to blur, and 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.839 she just sort of walks towards the back of the 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:09.480 room. As she steps, her steps grow larger and 00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:20.000 louder. And the full ancient dragon comes to 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.380 lie. In the rear of the room, in the shadows 00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:28.539 again. Bedding is brought, as promised, as is 00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:31.519 food. Quite the display, actually. It must have 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:34.119 been what was planned for the banquet. Yeah, 00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:40.819 Blanche heads over to make herself a little plate. 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:45.940 And she sits crisscross applesauce, eating her 00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:50.059 food, relaxing, trying to get some energy back. 00:27:51.849 --> 00:27:53.630 He's going to look at some foods, but I honestly 00:27:53.630 --> 00:27:55.250 don't know what the... I don't want to get it 00:27:55.250 --> 00:27:58.009 wrong and be like, oh, yeah, it's cool. Are there 00:27:58.009 --> 00:28:04.349 onions in this? As she points to Akio. There's 00:28:04.349 --> 00:28:08.250 onions in everything. Everything. Can you bring 00:28:08.250 --> 00:28:12.450 us something without onions for the dog? The 00:28:12.450 --> 00:28:14.049 guards that are walking in this room are absolutely 00:28:14.049 --> 00:28:16.589 horrified. It's like not even service, it's full 00:28:16.589 --> 00:28:18.549 armored guards are delivering food to you and 00:28:18.549 --> 00:28:19.789 they just keep looking to the back of the room 00:28:19.789 --> 00:28:22.829 to like the seemingly slumbering dragon, though 00:28:22.829 --> 00:28:28.470 you can feel her eyes on you as she quote unquote 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:31.210 sleeps. I believe Lady Sholay would like it if 00:28:31.210 --> 00:28:34.670 her companion was well fed. Okay, yeah, yeah, 00:28:34.750 --> 00:28:38.029 yeah. Fleas down the hall. No onions. No onions. 00:28:38.670 --> 00:28:42.549 Or raisins. And raw meat, please. It's been so 00:28:42.549 --> 00:28:44.869 long since I've had something really, truly juicy. 00:28:47.109 --> 00:28:51.730 Chester doesn't eat much. Kind of. Seems totally 00:28:51.730 --> 00:28:55.009 fine. Smiling. But he's more just playing with 00:28:55.009 --> 00:28:58.549 his food. Chester. Stabbing down at it. Eat. 00:28:59.069 --> 00:29:05.269 Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. Let's eat. So the message 00:29:05.269 --> 00:29:09.839 on the page. Yeah. It was. Full sentences, uninterrupted, 00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:12.900 blah, blah, blah. But the only thing that talks 00:29:12.900 --> 00:29:20.640 about the murder killing of Omid was just the 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:24.140 one word, Chester. Yes, scribbled very quickly 00:29:24.140 --> 00:29:27.359 in large hand as if something had just happened. 00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:31.180 You were writing and then the page was gone. 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:34.599 You know, it was torn from the book. Perhaps 00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:36.519 you were trying to write more before that happened. 00:29:37.049 --> 00:29:42.309 So I'll say this. Let's pretend Chester killed 00:29:42.309 --> 00:29:46.150 Omid. There's no way that Chester is going to 00:29:46.150 --> 00:29:51.029 murder Omid and then get to Blanche in the time 00:29:51.029 --> 00:29:53.650 that Blanche writes one word, Chester. Omid was 00:29:53.650 --> 00:29:56.470 right in front of you when you came out of it. 00:29:56.509 --> 00:29:58.069 He was walking towards you when the mist came. 00:29:59.210 --> 00:30:01.470 So it would have been a, if that was the case, 00:30:01.609 --> 00:30:02.730 it would have been a slasher reach. The master 00:30:02.730 --> 00:30:06.630 of defense with 25 AC couldn't stop. Chester 00:30:06.630 --> 00:30:09.710 meeps from ripping the page out of her book and 00:30:09.710 --> 00:30:13.430 putting it in his pocket. Much less fucking going 00:30:13.430 --> 00:30:18.250 and actually killing Omid. Right. I mean, who's 00:30:18.250 --> 00:30:22.289 to say? Who's to say? I think Blanche is very 00:30:22.289 --> 00:30:25.210 good at defending herself, but... She can't defend 00:30:25.210 --> 00:30:27.730 books for shit. Against the potential... Worst 00:30:27.730 --> 00:30:31.609 librarian. Let's DM here. Against the potential... 00:30:32.109 --> 00:30:34.910 sleight of hand check, AC doesn't really matter. 00:30:35.190 --> 00:30:40.430 Okay. Okay. Fair. I'm curious. I'm curious what, 00:30:40.549 --> 00:30:42.829 like, your expressions are towards Chester as 00:30:42.829 --> 00:30:44.950 he's just kind of doing his thing. Like, is Blanche 00:30:44.950 --> 00:30:46.490 suspicious, or do you think more is going on? 00:30:46.490 --> 00:30:48.589 Well, of course Blanche is suspicious, but Blanche 00:30:48.589 --> 00:30:51.450 also recognizes that this isn't really her place. 00:30:52.390 --> 00:30:59.190 You know, Blanche and Jules are partners. And... 00:31:00.090 --> 00:31:03.309 Blanche is here to help and support Jules, not 00:31:03.309 --> 00:31:07.809 parent for Jules. You know what I mean? Hell 00:31:07.809 --> 00:31:13.869 yeah. Can Jules sort of investigate the patterns 00:31:13.869 --> 00:31:18.410 of the blood on Chester? Hmm. Could I get any 00:31:18.410 --> 00:31:24.470 information looking at that or his dagger? Yeah, 00:31:24.470 --> 00:31:27.250 give me that. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. Fucking hell. 00:31:30.009 --> 00:31:32.049 Anyways. Let's go. Making us some new memories 00:31:32.049 --> 00:31:35.650 in the new studio already. Jesus Christ. I don't 00:31:35.650 --> 00:31:37.849 know where we were before Steven's drink exploded. 00:31:40.150 --> 00:31:43.230 We may have to institute a rule of, hey, let's 00:31:43.230 --> 00:31:46.250 pour beer in glasses. Dude, that was so wild. 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:50.869 Oh, God. Well, the thing is, unless I was in 00:31:50.869 --> 00:31:54.529 a World War II bunker, a glass isn't going to 00:31:54.529 --> 00:31:56.069 really, like, you know. It shouldn't have done 00:31:56.069 --> 00:31:59.430 that. I've never seen. Yeah, that was insane. 00:32:00.369 --> 00:32:03.049 Fuck, where were we? I don't remember. Blinch 00:32:03.049 --> 00:32:05.390 doesn't trust Chester, but it's like, man. No, 00:32:05.390 --> 00:32:07.170 and then Jules is going to see if there's anything 00:32:07.170 --> 00:32:10.049 he can kind of blood splatter. Gleam off the 00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:12.410 blood splatter. Do an investigation check or 00:32:12.410 --> 00:32:16.029 a medicine check. I'll allow that, too. I'll 00:32:16.029 --> 00:32:17.509 do an investigation because it's plus one versus 00:32:17.509 --> 00:32:22.950 minus one. Oh, gosh. I mean, I'm not hoping for 00:32:22.950 --> 00:32:26.049 anything crazy. Just something. leaning against 00:32:26.049 --> 00:32:29.210 the wall, and his eyes look over, very keenly 00:32:29.210 --> 00:32:30.829 analyzing Chester, who's just kind of standing 00:32:30.829 --> 00:32:37.430 there. That's a 15. 15. With 15, all you know 00:32:37.430 --> 00:32:39.970 is the obvious, which is that he was very, very 00:32:39.970 --> 00:32:45.009 close when it happened. Okay. Although, it just 00:32:45.009 --> 00:32:47.170 feels like there is a fair bit of blood on his 00:32:47.170 --> 00:32:52.710 sleeve, as if it was held right out. You think 00:32:52.710 --> 00:32:58.769 back to... With a 15. And you remember when you 00:32:58.769 --> 00:33:01.690 came to, your arm was protectively kind of held 00:33:01.690 --> 00:33:06.269 towards Chester. Blanche, you too. You were holding 00:33:06.269 --> 00:33:08.130 your arms pretty well towards Jules and Chester. 00:33:08.730 --> 00:33:12.190 This was noted as if both of you are reaching 00:33:12.190 --> 00:33:16.109 for him. Is there any blood on either of our 00:33:16.109 --> 00:33:19.490 arms? Jules had quite a lot of blood on him. 00:33:19.529 --> 00:33:22.099 Blanche, very little on you. Omin's body was 00:33:22.099 --> 00:33:24.559 right before Jules and Chester when whatever 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:27.599 happened happened. It seems. When you came to, 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:30.200 he was right there, five feet in front of you. 00:33:30.900 --> 00:33:33.259 Or less than that. He was in the five -foot square 00:33:33.259 --> 00:33:34.940 in front of you, so he was just in front of you. 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:39.880 Yeah. Okay. Jules, while we're on the topic of 00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:42.119 you and what you're doing as you're getting ready 00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:44.759 to, it seems, turn in for the night, take that 00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:48.980 much -needed long rest. Do you wish to send a 00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:51.839 report back to Dresden via your sending stone? 00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:54.440 I know it's something you had talked about before. 00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:57.519 You left him one. He's been holed up with the 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:00.220 kids of the coyote all day. I don't know if you 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:03.279 want to let him know what's been happening. I 00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:08.599 think he'll just say, about to crack wide open, 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:15.099 be ready. Okay. Dresden has no context for what's 00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:17.250 happening on this world. No, actually, he's a 00:34:17.250 --> 00:34:19.510 little bit. He knows that there's been mysterious 00:34:19.510 --> 00:34:20.630 stuff. He's probably been worried about you. 00:34:20.710 --> 00:34:23.849 So you hear that. I love that. You, like, hold 00:34:23.849 --> 00:34:26.789 this open. We just see, like, the stone come 00:34:26.789 --> 00:34:30.349 towards your lips, Jules, as your eyes probably 00:34:30.349 --> 00:34:32.190 still linger on Chester, linger on those blood 00:34:32.190 --> 00:34:36.469 stains. You speak these words. He's going to 00:34:36.469 --> 00:34:43.130 add, Sholay protecting for now. Hell yeah. You 00:34:43.130 --> 00:34:45.909 know Dresden at least seemingly trusts Sholay. 00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:50.380 Word for her. We follow the echo of those words. 00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:54.300 We follow them into the open maw of your stone. 00:34:54.380 --> 00:35:00.920 It reacts to being awakened. We follow those 00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:07.400 words into the darkness. And we pull out from 00:35:07.400 --> 00:35:12.960 the darkness into the ugly coyote on the radiant 00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:17.730 citadel into the hands. Of Dresden. But before 00:35:17.730 --> 00:35:21.030 Dresden can respond, I think we have to go back 00:35:21.030 --> 00:35:25.750 and see exactly what he's been up to during this 00:35:25.750 --> 00:35:29.650 long day. Oh boy. So let's take a break from 00:35:29.650 --> 00:35:34.309 all the bleak and dark and bloody. And let's 00:35:34.309 --> 00:35:40.679 see what happens via, I guess, kind of a... Shit, 00:35:40.699 --> 00:35:42.760 what do you call it? Montage. Montage. Thank 00:35:42.760 --> 00:35:47.780 you. Vignette. Is that the term? Yeah, that's 00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:50.300 good. An apology for passing time. Montage. Let 00:35:50.300 --> 00:35:55.559 us montage through Dresden's day as the babysitter, 00:35:55.619 --> 00:36:00.579 I guess, of the Cherry Delights. I want to do 00:36:00.579 --> 00:36:02.920 a scene for every character. Oh, my God. I just 00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:04.599 want you to give me some quick things. All right. 00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:06.500 What's new with the round stuff? As it goes, 00:36:06.619 --> 00:36:09.460 we flashback this morning. Jewel's leaving. They 00:36:09.460 --> 00:36:11.659 rouse him. He just runs up like, Dresden, come 00:36:11.659 --> 00:36:14.860 on. Come on. Let's play. Her place is permanently 00:36:14.860 --> 00:36:19.639 on his shoulders. Yep. This is where she's at 00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:22.519 the entire time. She says that, but she's already 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:24.539 up there. She's pulling his hair. He has nice 00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:26.500 long hair. It's really fun to, like, yank it 00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:30.519 around. Ooh, yeah. Ooh, speaking of the Echo. 00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:33.179 Ooh, yeah. I mean, I don't know if you had plans 00:36:33.179 --> 00:36:36.050 for Miskin right now, but... I like to think 00:36:36.050 --> 00:36:39.250 maybe he's got his Echo manifested in the corner 00:36:39.250 --> 00:36:41.869 and he's training with... Hell yeah. ...with 00:36:41.869 --> 00:36:46.989 Miskin. As you're, like, around stuff, just hanging 00:36:46.989 --> 00:36:48.570 out, pulling, Miskin training with the Echo, 00:36:48.650 --> 00:36:50.829 and you notice Miskin's eyes are always, when 00:36:50.829 --> 00:36:52.389 they're not, like, they're almost like the Echo 00:36:52.389 --> 00:36:54.429 will almost get him every once in a while because 00:36:54.429 --> 00:36:57.349 Miskin's eyes will turn to you all, like, full 00:36:57.349 --> 00:37:00.289 of awe. And you realize Miskin just thinks Dresden 00:37:00.289 --> 00:37:03.030 is the coolest dude in the universe. Kind of, 00:37:03.030 --> 00:37:05.829 oh, and then, ah, oh, yeah. Almost gets hit. 00:37:05.869 --> 00:37:07.829 You know, blocks it barely with his little clubs 00:37:07.829 --> 00:37:09.170 in his hands. He's kind of, boom, boom, boom. 00:37:09.289 --> 00:37:11.829 You know, dual wielding just like you. Trying 00:37:11.829 --> 00:37:14.489 to really get that feel. He's been trying to, 00:37:14.510 --> 00:37:16.210 like, you see, like, fix things to the top of 00:37:16.210 --> 00:37:18.550 his clubs, make them look like war picks. Not 00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:20.489 really successfully yet, but, you know, he's 00:37:20.489 --> 00:37:24.789 shopping for a war pick. Hell yeah. And we're 00:37:24.789 --> 00:37:26.909 just like, come on, come on, be a horse. And 00:37:26.909 --> 00:37:28.429 just kind of trying to, like, giddy up. Trying 00:37:28.429 --> 00:37:30.630 to put your hand after us and run around the 00:37:30.630 --> 00:37:35.239 place. We flash from that. I imagine Mulligan 00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:37.460 at one point needs a little help in the kitchen. 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:40.699 I just want to imagine Dresden. What does Dresden 00:37:40.699 --> 00:37:42.679 look like if he's in the kitchen? I think Dresden 00:37:42.679 --> 00:37:45.559 comes in and immediately grabs an apron off the 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:47.679 wall. I was hoping so much for this. Like the 00:37:47.679 --> 00:37:50.539 red and white checkered. Yes. Dude, he's fucking 00:37:50.539 --> 00:37:52.739 Uncle Dresden now. He's Uncle Dresden. Yeah. 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:55.119 Could you quick mix that? It's boiling over. 00:37:55.300 --> 00:37:59.860 Oh, shit. Oh, no. Dresden. Mulligan, what do 00:37:59.860 --> 00:38:03.039 I do? What do I do? I got a splice splint right 00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:04.519 next to it. Just dump that in. Dump that in. 00:38:04.619 --> 00:38:06.440 Yep. Yep. All right. Keep stirring. Don't let 00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:08.360 it overboil. All right. Lower the heat. Just 00:38:08.360 --> 00:38:11.199 pull one of the woods out of the fire. All right. 00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:13.619 Thank you. Oh, shit, shit. And he just kind of 00:38:13.619 --> 00:38:15.519 runs over to the oven. He's pulling something 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:18.519 out of. Oh, it's burning. I'm sorry. I ruined 00:38:18.519 --> 00:38:20.739 it. No, no. It's me. No, no. No, you're great. 00:38:21.300 --> 00:38:23.619 I think this whole time round stuff's on his 00:38:23.619 --> 00:38:26.460 head. Like fucking ratatouille. Ratatouille. 00:38:28.299 --> 00:38:30.360 She pulls your hair and you throw the whole pot. 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:38.039 Oh, no! Oh, my God. We come back to Miskin, perhaps. 00:38:38.380 --> 00:38:41.219 We see you're stepping out of the kitchen, covered 00:38:41.219 --> 00:38:45.159 in stuff. Abram barely helped. And you step out. 00:38:45.159 --> 00:38:47.320 You see out of the shadows, Miskin just kind 00:38:47.320 --> 00:38:49.679 of appears in front of you. Just kind of like 00:38:49.679 --> 00:38:53.860 shuffling around, looking at the floor. So you 00:38:53.860 --> 00:38:57.190 were like a double agent, right? Rage between 00:38:57.190 --> 00:38:59.650 the light and the dark, forsaking all companionship 00:38:59.650 --> 00:39:01.730 and plunging yourself into your role as a LaRoche 00:39:01.730 --> 00:39:03.750 loyalist, forced to work beneath the thumb of 00:39:03.750 --> 00:39:05.730 the pick of the king, the witch queen, evil old 00:39:05.730 --> 00:39:08.409 woman. That's just... Miskin. That's so cool. 00:39:09.190 --> 00:39:12.590 It's not as glamorous as it seems. Don't get 00:39:12.590 --> 00:39:14.989 sucked into that part. That makes it even cooler. 00:39:15.090 --> 00:39:16.889 It kind of blushes a little bit. It looks down. 00:39:18.630 --> 00:39:22.329 Sorry, I just... You know, I was raised by Ettens 00:39:22.329 --> 00:39:26.039 once. For a little while. And my parents are 00:39:26.039 --> 00:39:33.139 dead, so I'm pretty cool. I feel you. Are you 00:39:33.139 --> 00:39:35.679 going to take on a luminary title? You could 00:39:35.679 --> 00:39:37.159 probably have a really cool one like the Half 00:39:37.159 --> 00:39:40.480 -Blind Butcher or the Killer Shadow, and I could 00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:42.539 be your sidekick, you know, if you aren't too 00:39:42.539 --> 00:39:45.119 much of a lone wolf type, so cool. We'll cross 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:47.320 that bridge when we come to it. I'm a train. 00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:53.099 But I'll keep you in mind. Oh, yeah, okay, yeah. 00:39:54.059 --> 00:39:57.860 I gotta go back to the shadows now. He takes 00:39:57.860 --> 00:40:04.460 a seat, walks back into the corner. I love Dresden's 00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:07.000 response, too. You know, I was kidnapped by ettins 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:14.460 once. Dresden's like, yeah, I getcha. Tale as 00:40:14.460 --> 00:40:16.619 old as time. Dresden has, like, a number one 00:40:16.619 --> 00:40:22.579 fan. Oh my god. As you're moving away from that, 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:25.699 perhaps, or a little while later, I think, you 00:40:25.699 --> 00:40:28.079 find Jean suddenly kind of, like, pulling you 00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:29.980 by the arm, just like, can I trouble you on your 00:40:29.980 --> 00:40:32.280 opinion on something? A little secret? Yeah, 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:35.599 what do you need? Um, come with me. She leads 00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:38.139 you upstairs, brings you up into, like, the attic, 00:40:38.320 --> 00:40:41.659 and just, so, if I show you what I'm doing here, 00:40:42.019 --> 00:40:43.460 you have to promise me you won't tell Jules until 00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:46.340 it's ready, okay? I just thought maybe, with 00:40:46.340 --> 00:40:47.980 your background, you might have some insight, 00:40:48.139 --> 00:40:52.889 but, um, look, I found this just sitting in the 00:40:52.889 --> 00:40:56.210 attic, and it was just filled with those fire 00:40:56.210 --> 00:40:59.949 literature. And she pulls out a little bag. It's 00:40:59.949 --> 00:41:01.750 a bag of holding, so honestly, there was a lot 00:41:01.750 --> 00:41:03.150 more than it looks like. You wouldn't believe. 00:41:03.449 --> 00:41:05.190 And I threw it all out. Thankfully, I think Hayden 00:41:05.190 --> 00:41:07.789 must have forgot all about it all. But I've been 00:41:07.789 --> 00:41:11.889 using it for something else, actually. Let me 00:41:11.889 --> 00:41:14.530 show you. And she starts reaching into the bag 00:41:14.530 --> 00:41:17.050 and pulling out, like, bundles of stuff. She's 00:41:17.050 --> 00:41:18.630 putting it down, all kind of tightly wrapped 00:41:18.630 --> 00:41:22.019 neatly. You see, like, bundles of, like, folded 00:41:22.019 --> 00:41:25.159 -up clothing, various kinds of uniforms, wigs 00:41:25.159 --> 00:41:29.320 and wax, and various kits of makeup. You just 00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:32.960 see, like, this whole bunch of, I guess, outfits 00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:38.039 and more. Just slowly filling the entire space, 00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:40.059 she pulls out more and more, stepping back, almost 00:41:40.059 --> 00:41:41.900 like a grid pattern of these little packages. 00:41:42.739 --> 00:41:45.219 I didn't want to just stand still, just waiting 00:41:45.219 --> 00:41:47.059 around here, so I've been busy with a little 00:41:47.059 --> 00:41:50.360 surprise for Jules and Chester. I've, well, I've 00:41:50.360 --> 00:41:51.840 been using my tailoring skills to make disguise 00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:54.699 kits. I've got a bunch of them in here. Kiana 00:41:54.699 --> 00:41:56.880 was helping me too before she left. We figured 00:41:56.880 --> 00:41:58.519 we may need to move around again someday and 00:41:58.519 --> 00:42:00.480 it would help to swap our looks on the fly, right? 00:42:00.980 --> 00:42:04.039 So, yeah, I know you have some experience working 00:42:04.039 --> 00:42:07.139 on a cover. Do you think these will work? Will 00:42:07.139 --> 00:42:09.860 they help? When the time's right, these will 00:42:09.860 --> 00:42:14.619 come in handy. And she just beams. And you do 00:42:14.619 --> 00:42:18.280 look and they are. Immaculate. So neatly organized 00:42:18.280 --> 00:42:22.920 and so many different personas. And don't worry. 00:42:23.699 --> 00:42:26.920 I won't spoil the surprise. I knew it could count 00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:29.699 on you. After all, you're the master of secrets, 00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:33.400 aren't you? Always looked after us. So they say. 00:42:34.039 --> 00:42:36.719 This guy just... Almost like very giddily kind 00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:41.599 of... Anyway, I should put these back. Uh... 00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:44.059 Maybe I should start sliding them back into the 00:42:44.059 --> 00:42:47.469 bag. Maybe we pan a little forward from there. 00:42:47.650 --> 00:42:50.369 Now, wait just a damn minute. What? What? Are 00:42:50.369 --> 00:42:53.050 we going to glaze over that you just made a cannon 00:42:53.050 --> 00:42:57.530 that the teenager stumbled across Ader's porn 00:42:57.530 --> 00:43:01.269 stash? She threw it all away. She's right. Oh, 00:43:01.730 --> 00:43:07.090 my God. You don't need to draw attention to weird 00:43:07.090 --> 00:43:16.230 things. You invented it. Damn you. Oh, my God. 00:43:18.050 --> 00:43:20.510 Probably open the bag up, and when you fold the 00:43:20.510 --> 00:43:22.030 bag holding it out, it just, like, sprays everything 00:43:22.030 --> 00:43:23.090 out. It's probably just right into the trash. 00:43:23.389 --> 00:43:26.070 Right off the edge of the sand, all under the 00:43:26.070 --> 00:43:29.510 Keenan glue, pages flapping. We just see rollouts, 00:43:29.690 --> 00:43:33.389 goddesses of God's breath, sucked up into the 00:43:33.389 --> 00:43:37.050 storm, going who knows where. Probably going 00:43:37.050 --> 00:43:40.570 to Tythos. Mimisu, one of those. Speaking of 00:43:40.570 --> 00:43:43.170 Aether, let's get to Aether. Let's cut a little 00:43:43.170 --> 00:43:46.050 later on in the day, when we see most of the 00:43:46.050 --> 00:43:47.690 cherry delights are kind of like moving into 00:43:47.690 --> 00:43:51.070 sleep. Maybe the sun is beginning to set now, 00:43:51.170 --> 00:43:54.789 or I guess in this case, the radiant Seydel, 00:43:54.829 --> 00:43:57.150 the auroral diamond is beginning to dim from 00:43:57.150 --> 00:44:01.809 its daylight yellow to like a soft nightly blue. 00:44:02.849 --> 00:44:05.510 Dresden, you're probably after a long, exhausting 00:44:05.510 --> 00:44:07.650 day of being Uncle Dresden, feeling a little 00:44:07.650 --> 00:44:10.590 exhausted, and you just feel... of presence move 00:44:10.590 --> 00:44:13.170 up beside you, the big form of Ader. Look over 00:44:13.170 --> 00:44:17.090 to see his big ear patch. He has a, he has canonically 00:44:17.090 --> 00:44:22.269 have an ear patch. I forgot the ear patch. Uh, 00:44:22.550 --> 00:44:26.130 see a fancy little ball with a label and something 00:44:26.130 --> 00:44:30.869 called a cloud breaker judgment. Ader just kind 00:44:30.869 --> 00:44:34.710 of holds it in front of you. It's, uh, called 00:44:34.710 --> 00:44:38.880 a TPA, Taib Paleo, whatever that means. It's 00:44:38.880 --> 00:44:40.780 pretty strong stuff. And you see Ader's swaying 00:44:40.780 --> 00:44:43.320 a little bit. He's a little drunk. You want to 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:48.820 share it with me? Yeah, why not? Got to take 00:44:48.820 --> 00:44:52.280 a swig? Take a little swig. Ader kind of just 00:44:52.280 --> 00:44:54.579 nods. Not a big one. He doesn't want to get drunk. 00:44:54.940 --> 00:44:57.000 Hell yeah. I like that. Yeah, Dresden always 00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:00.019 on duty. Ader has no reserve. You hit it back. 00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:01.500 He's just, whoa, huge swig down. He's giving 00:45:01.500 --> 00:45:05.539 it more of a show of camaraderie. You know. And 00:45:05.539 --> 00:45:07.119 you're just kind of looking out over, and you 00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:09.059 see, like, Jean's beginning to lie down. Everyone, 00:45:09.199 --> 00:45:10.920 I believe you had them all camping out in the 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:12.780 main room, right? Is that still happening? Mm 00:45:12.780 --> 00:45:14.900 -hmm. So Jean's just lying down, maybe just somewhere 00:45:14.900 --> 00:45:19.639 near the bar, and I think round stuff, and Jamal 00:45:19.639 --> 00:45:21.440 are beginning to, like, move in, to, like, snuggle 00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:23.900 up to her as she goes to sleep. And you're just 00:45:23.900 --> 00:45:28.500 kind of just watching them. You know, I don't 00:45:28.500 --> 00:45:32.300 have much of a family. I guess I didn't by the 00:45:32.300 --> 00:45:35.179 time I left God's Breath. chased them all off 00:45:35.179 --> 00:45:38.440 right around the time the coyotes took the ear 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:41.199 you know i kind of hated folks in general back 00:45:41.199 --> 00:45:47.480 then i did for a while the kids they changed 00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:50.760 that it's still weird being a part of a family 00:45:50.760 --> 00:45:54.179 again but it's also uh i guess it's kind of nice 00:45:54.179 --> 00:45:58.679 you know not to be sappy but um i'm glad you're 00:45:58.679 --> 00:46:01.480 part of this family now too we haven't talked 00:46:01.480 --> 00:46:04.659 talked much which Makes me like you a whole lot, 00:46:04.760 --> 00:46:06.920 actually. And you were friends with the good 00:46:06.920 --> 00:46:09.920 old Crispin Dubois. Can't believe this son of 00:46:09.920 --> 00:46:13.019 a bitch is really gone. I may not be sponsoring 00:46:13.019 --> 00:46:14.659 him anymore, but I'll still send money his way. 00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:20.099 To his people. At least I can do. Do you, uh... 00:46:20.099 --> 00:46:23.480 Looks down almost sheepishly. Reminds me a little 00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:26.199 of Miss Skinner earlier in the day. You want 00:46:26.199 --> 00:46:30.800 to join me in a toast? Sure. Raise up the glass. 00:46:31.840 --> 00:46:37.860 To Crispin. A long swig. To Crispin. One of the 00:46:37.860 --> 00:46:42.300 best partners I ever had. Man. One of the best 00:46:42.300 --> 00:46:46.699 God's breathians to ever leave world. And one 00:46:46.699 --> 00:46:51.719 more. Raises it again. Looks around the whole 00:46:51.719 --> 00:46:55.300 sort of main room of the pub. Every face settling 00:46:55.300 --> 00:47:00.820 in for sleep. To our funny little family. To 00:47:00.820 --> 00:47:05.320 our family. Ader cracks a rare Ader smile. Takes 00:47:05.320 --> 00:47:09.000 one last swig. I didn't leave you any, I'm sorry. 00:47:10.099 --> 00:47:13.800 It's fine, I didn't want any anyway. Shit's strong, 00:47:13.960 --> 00:47:17.940 though. Anyway, it's been too much for me. Too 00:47:17.940 --> 00:47:23.099 much emotion. I'm tired now. Turning in. I think 00:47:23.099 --> 00:47:27.159 so. Keep an eye on the place for me. No, for 00:47:27.159 --> 00:47:29.619 them. I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. 00:47:32.460 --> 00:47:36.159 And he moves away, closing the door to the kitchen 00:47:36.159 --> 00:47:40.960 slash stable exit slash his living room, or his 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:43.420 sleeping room, because he already is very weird. 00:47:44.300 --> 00:47:48.360 And perhaps time passes again. How does Dresden 00:47:48.360 --> 00:47:49.940 handle sleeping? Do you just stay up through 00:47:49.940 --> 00:47:51.239 the night? Do you sleep in patches through the 00:47:51.239 --> 00:47:55.900 day? I think he's very regimented. I think he's 00:47:55.900 --> 00:47:58.099 able to fall asleep for an hour, and then wake 00:47:58.099 --> 00:48:00.760 up and check. Hell yeah. And then fall asleep 00:48:00.760 --> 00:48:03.480 for another hour. And then wake up and check. 00:48:03.940 --> 00:48:06.260 Let's say we're at one of those, like, periods 00:48:06.260 --> 00:48:09.179 where you wake up and do a check. And you notice, 00:48:09.239 --> 00:48:12.300 as you look around, you see Round 7 Jamal are 00:48:12.300 --> 00:48:14.860 sleeping peacefully against Jean still, who groans 00:48:14.860 --> 00:48:18.019 lightly in reaction to a dream. Mulligan has 00:48:18.019 --> 00:48:20.019 a little cloth -covered fort under a table nearby, 00:48:20.380 --> 00:48:22.340 and loud snores can be heard from within. You 00:48:22.340 --> 00:48:25.239 know, he likes to stay beneath things. He likes 00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:27.039 to feel like he's underground when he sleeps. 00:48:27.800 --> 00:48:30.460 Miskin sits on top of the fort, having slid into 00:48:30.460 --> 00:48:32.619 slumber during his own everlasting vigil. He 00:48:32.619 --> 00:48:34.119 was trying to stay up with you, but he didn't 00:48:34.119 --> 00:48:36.300 make it. You can see him snoring, head cocked 00:48:36.300 --> 00:48:39.099 to the side. You know, Ader's still in his bedroom. 00:48:39.679 --> 00:48:41.659 But you do see one cherry delight is still awake. 00:48:42.619 --> 00:48:46.019 Fibro. Reading a brown, leather -bound book engraved 00:48:46.019 --> 00:48:49.719 simply with the title, Brass. The letters are 00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:54.480 sewn on, off -kilter, an amateur job. I think 00:48:54.480 --> 00:48:57.329 it would be he. notices some movement and kind 00:48:57.329 --> 00:49:00.090 of almost like in reverie and the book kind of 00:49:00.090 --> 00:49:02.789 snaps out of it and looks over towards you. Oh, 00:49:02.809 --> 00:49:06.570 uh, hey, uh, uh, Dresden. Uh, are you and Jewel 00:49:06.570 --> 00:49:08.489 still planning on doing a check -in sometime 00:49:08.489 --> 00:49:12.590 tonight? I think so, as far as I know. Good, 00:49:12.630 --> 00:49:15.710 good, um. What do you got? I mean, it's not much, 00:49:15.750 --> 00:49:17.030 but I haven't been reading the Sholay like you 00:49:17.030 --> 00:49:20.610 asked. And, uh, well, it's not exactly credible. 00:49:20.849 --> 00:49:23.349 Some paparazzi stalker that was fascinated with 00:49:23.349 --> 00:49:25.139 Sholay wrote a... biography that pretty much 00:49:25.139 --> 00:49:27.480 never went anywhere. Only a few copies exist 00:49:27.480 --> 00:49:30.219 at all, Penny said. But there is some interesting 00:49:30.219 --> 00:49:33.019 stuff here. Marcelli, the writer, has a lot of 00:49:33.019 --> 00:49:34.639 insight into Shelley's personal life, though 00:49:34.639 --> 00:49:38.619 much of it is essentially just stalker and guesswork. 00:49:39.960 --> 00:49:42.260 I did find a neat little connection to Hallery, 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:44.599 though. Might be helpful for Jules to know her 00:49:44.599 --> 00:49:47.179 history of the place. Apparently, while Shelley 00:49:47.179 --> 00:49:49.219 used to be quite close with Queen Jean Mee and 00:49:49.219 --> 00:49:51.619 her ancestral line, she hasn't personally visited 00:49:51.619 --> 00:49:54.699 Hallery in... About nine years or so since her 00:49:54.699 --> 00:49:58.760 last visit with her daughter -in -law. Back then, 00:49:58.820 --> 00:50:00.460 she'd been called away early, and so she and 00:50:00.460 --> 00:50:03.139 Xena left some hours before there was, I guess, 00:50:03.139 --> 00:50:04.780 some kind of celebration in their honor in a 00:50:04.780 --> 00:50:07.079 place called the Phoenix District? I don't know. 00:50:07.800 --> 00:50:09.539 I guess there was some kind of draconic attack 00:50:09.539 --> 00:50:12.780 there just hours after they left. A lot of citizens 00:50:12.780 --> 00:50:16.079 died, and Shirley was real torn up about it all. 00:50:16.300 --> 00:50:18.579 Was she fleeing into the preserve of the ancestors, 00:50:18.800 --> 00:50:21.500 acting a bit crazy afterwards? She was real quiet, 00:50:21.559 --> 00:50:25.260 too. Feeling guilty for leaving, I guess? There's 00:50:25.260 --> 00:50:27.719 even a record mentioned saying that she had a 00:50:27.719 --> 00:50:29.300 special package delivered. Something big and 00:50:29.300 --> 00:50:31.099 expensive that was sent straight to the palace. 00:50:31.940 --> 00:50:34.059 I mean, that's... The bar's running good tonight, 00:50:34.179 --> 00:50:36.699 though. I am bushed, but... It's interesting, 00:50:36.860 --> 00:50:44.539 right? Yeah. Good. Well, I hope it helps. Maybe 00:50:44.539 --> 00:50:49.500 a little. I'm gonna turn in now. The little candle, 00:50:49.599 --> 00:50:53.760 maybe just... blows out on the table, extinguishing 00:50:53.760 --> 00:50:56.619 the light that is shining on the pages of the 00:50:56.619 --> 00:51:00.519 open book. And it's right about this time that 00:51:00.519 --> 00:51:04.539 your stone begins to activate. You hear Jewel's 00:51:04.539 --> 00:51:07.760 message come through. Does Dresden want to say 00:51:07.760 --> 00:51:18.280 anything back? Sholay. Not there. For Draconic 00:51:18.280 --> 00:51:24.070 Attack. Nine years ago. Sent package to the world 00:51:24.070 --> 00:51:30.449 following. Extreme guilt. Did not take it well. 00:51:31.429 --> 00:51:37.630 Be careful. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. With that message 00:51:37.630 --> 00:51:41.269 sent, Jules armed with maybe helpful information? 00:51:41.650 --> 00:51:46.190 You know, fibro. I certainly hoped so. Does Dresden 00:51:46.190 --> 00:51:49.909 go back to sleep? For one hour? Is that like 00:51:49.909 --> 00:51:54.230 an hour on the dot? Yeah. Hell yeah. Dresden, 00:51:54.409 --> 00:51:59.829 you wake up. You wake up. Give me a perception 00:51:59.829 --> 00:52:04.190 check. Oh. Oh, shit. Let me get Dresden's sheet 00:52:04.190 --> 00:52:07.389 open. Oh, my God. I haven't used this in a long 00:52:07.389 --> 00:52:12.230 time. Oh, boy. You said a perception? Yes, please. 00:52:13.510 --> 00:52:15.389 Then if it's lower than your passive perception, 00:52:15.469 --> 00:52:22.079 we'll be here. Okay. 18 on the die plus one for 00:52:22.079 --> 00:52:28.900 19. Damn. Okay. You wake up. And the first thing 00:52:28.900 --> 00:52:31.400 that happens is your eyes shoot over to the sort 00:52:31.400 --> 00:52:34.260 of clock. Maybe you sit in one of those old grandfather 00:52:34.260 --> 00:52:36.719 clocks. Some way of telling time. You look over 00:52:36.719 --> 00:52:39.059 and you realize something kind of strange. It 00:52:39.059 --> 00:52:41.719 hasn't been an hour. It's been about 42 minutes. 00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:46.420 Which isn't right. You have this regiment in 00:52:46.420 --> 00:52:48.099 the schedule. It's like something woke you up. 00:52:49.099 --> 00:52:53.019 But. I mean, as you're listening around, you 00:52:53.019 --> 00:52:56.079 don't hear a thing. I mean, and then you realize 00:52:56.079 --> 00:53:02.360 you don't hear a thing. Not the breathing and 00:53:02.360 --> 00:53:04.199 snoring of the cherry delights, or the far -off 00:53:04.199 --> 00:53:06.340 rumble of the keening gloom, not even the pumping 00:53:06.340 --> 00:53:09.900 of your own alert heart. The entire world, it 00:53:09.900 --> 00:53:14.539 seems, has gone fully, deathly silent. Perhaps 00:53:14.539 --> 00:53:20.679 magically silent. And carrying over that perception 00:53:20.679 --> 00:53:23.800 check as you, in a moment of, I imagine, panic, 00:53:23.900 --> 00:53:26.219 look around the room. You see movement out of 00:53:26.219 --> 00:53:29.900 the corner of your eye as a small object rolls 00:53:29.900 --> 00:53:33.659 down the steps leading to the second floor. A 00:53:33.659 --> 00:53:36.480 metal canister that, as it strikes the bottom 00:53:36.480 --> 00:53:41.900 step, begins to release a jet of light blue smoke. 00:53:42.500 --> 00:53:44.599 Fuck. And we'll call it there.