WEBVTT 00:00:01.890 --> 00:00:04.250 Hey, Pants people, if you love the original music 00:00:04.250 --> 00:00:07.269 we have in the podcast, you can find it all on 00:00:07.269 --> 00:00:10.689 Spotify and I think Apple and like, you know, 00:00:10.710 --> 00:00:13.550 the places you get music. Just search music from 00:00:13.550 --> 00:00:15.289 the Fantasy Pants podcast. I bet if you just 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:16.850 search Fantasy Pants, it'll probably come up. 00:00:17.429 --> 00:00:57.979 Check it out. has been spreading like crazy, 00:00:58.100 --> 00:00:59.899 and I'm sure by now many of you are aware there 00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:02.740 has been a spotting of Oozinoshikatsu on Senza. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.980 And now, we know the word is coming out of Anissa, 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:08.079 and that's it. We don't know anything yet. I 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:09.980 mean, this could easily be another false sighting, 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.219 alright? All I can say for sure is this. If you 00:01:13.219 --> 00:01:17.099 see the storm eye, stay away. And I am specifically 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:19.319 speaking to the kingdoms of Senza here. Hold 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.200 your militias back. Do not engage the storm eye, 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:25.280 alright? Hatashin is most trusted looking into 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:29.079 this right now. If he is truly on Sensa, he will 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:34.340 be apprehended. So heed my words. Do not engage 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:43.780 the Storm Eye! What the fuck is Kejo doing? You 00:01:43.780 --> 00:01:45.939 see, Rune Rusong slides his arm across the desk 00:01:45.939 --> 00:01:48.519 of his office, letting papers fly. Letting one 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:50.620 of his little experiments run loose in Anissa? 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:54.239 What happens when it's caught? Destroyed? Fear 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.719 of Ozen is the key to holding the situation together 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.480 and getting our assault force mounted against 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:02.200 the Incarnate. Yeah, it would be nice to have 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:04.900 a new Storm Eye to draw up some fresh fear, but 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:07.620 not one that can expose us. If the Invincible 00:02:07.620 --> 00:02:10.199 Ozen falls to local militia or is revealed to 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:12.840 be nothing more than a suit of empty armor, then 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:14.699 people are going to start asking some difficult 00:02:14.699 --> 00:02:18.199 goddamn questions. Goddamn the man and his fucking 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:21.699 ego. He'll be nothing, nothing without the Sapphire's 00:02:21.699 --> 00:02:23.939 guidance. Founder of the Crystal Network. What 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:26.960 a joke. And yet he has the power to shatter all 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:35.860 of this. I can't trust anyone to do their fucking 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:42.400 job. Can I? You see, Rune just seething looks 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:46.199 down at his desk or shaking his head. Yara coming 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:50.530 back from the dead. Jai turning coat. Sturgeman 00:02:50.530 --> 00:02:54.949 won't answer his stupid sending. Sturgeman! Sean 00:02:54.949 --> 00:03:01.090 Franklin! The Haringon! It all makes me wonder. 00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:05.750 And Rune Rusong looks up from his desk, his eyes 00:03:05.750 --> 00:03:08.289 falling on the figure standing before his closed 00:03:08.289 --> 00:03:12.930 door. Trace, the goblin, resplendent in his white 00:03:12.930 --> 00:03:17.069 armor. His eyes meet Rune's and there is a long 00:03:17.069 --> 00:03:24.139 silence. Triss shrugs. You let me in this Sapphire's 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:26.520 World business. I ain't spilled the beans yet, 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:33.340 right? No. I suppose you haven't. You know I'm 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:38.659 not being blackmailed, am I? No. No, you're not. 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:44.780 You're here because you want to be. You're going 00:03:44.780 --> 00:03:47.819 to be the first Goblin Luminary, right? I can 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:51.990 make that happen. Yeah. Yeah, it might just be 00:03:51.990 --> 00:03:58.689 that you're the only one I can trust. Yeah. I 00:03:58.689 --> 00:04:02.729 have a new assignment for you. A big one. Kejo 00:04:02.729 --> 00:04:04.969 knows the master phrase to interrupt the crystal 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:07.469 network. Hell, he could erase it, even destroy 00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:11.310 it forever. That egotist might use his new toys 00:04:11.310 --> 00:04:13.650 to make him move, and he has full access to the 00:04:13.650 --> 00:04:17.329 auroral diamond's transmission node. Well, not 00:04:17.329 --> 00:04:20.829 anymore. I'm officially placing you in charge 00:04:20.829 --> 00:04:22.670 of security for the node. The Crystal Network 00:04:22.670 --> 00:04:25.649 itself will be in your hands, and so it will 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:32.629 be in mine. And Trace just nods, stands at attention. 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:37.250 Yes. Yes, good, good, good, good. That should 00:04:37.250 --> 00:04:42.490 take care of things here. And as for Senza, thankfully, 00:04:42.829 --> 00:04:48.480 we did not leave Kejau there alone. When we see 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:51.199 Rudner's song, slide open a drawer on his desk 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:57.720 and fish us out, ascending stone. We slide upwards 00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:01.000 from the office, through the ceiling of the first 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:02.740 floor of the House of Convalescence and into 00:05:02.740 --> 00:05:05.639 the halls of the second. This region of the western 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:07.959 wing of the general care floor is a very different 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:10.399 feel compared to the rest of the Grand Hospital. 00:05:11.180 --> 00:05:14.220 It is equally as opulent with white marble tile 00:05:14.220 --> 00:05:17.100 floors and sleek, magically lit white walls, 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:19.500 but the impression given by the architecture 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:22.740 is somewhat undercut by portraits of posing luminaries 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:26.019 and a spread of toys on shelves, a few of which 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:29.279 bear the telltale accentuary mark of the Fallman. 00:05:30.029 --> 00:05:33.069 Perhaps we hone in on a single Zebulon dolly 00:05:33.069 --> 00:05:35.250 before it is scooped up into the arms of a little 00:05:35.250 --> 00:05:37.790 silver -scaled dragonborn girl who hugs it to 00:05:37.790 --> 00:05:39.649 her chest and moves to join a gathering crowd 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:43.970 of excited, white -robed children. We hear, mingled 00:05:43.970 --> 00:05:45.610 with the laughter and the chatter, the sounds 00:05:45.610 --> 00:05:48.129 of clanking armor and metal steps on polished 00:05:48.129 --> 00:05:55.540 stone floors. Four armored boots. Our camera 00:05:55.540 --> 00:05:58.439 whirls around to frame three figures approaching 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:02.259 the waiting children. In the rear of this group, 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:06.199 we see Director Felindora. The massive form of 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.300 the green -skinned planetar looks no less intimidating 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:12.519 for the plain brown robe she wears. Her long 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:15.459 hair falls over her shoulder in an almost casual 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:18.680 manner. Her wings are held tight to her back 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:21.279 and her feet fall silently upon the marble floors. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:26.490 An easy, confident stride. And so you can see 00:06:26.490 --> 00:06:28.689 the Children's Ward is reasonably well populated. 00:06:28.970 --> 00:06:31.649 Now, most of them await a simple curing of disease, 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:34.670 as well as some aftercare and assessment. There 00:06:34.670 --> 00:06:36.810 are a few awaiting restoration magics, though, 00:06:36.930 --> 00:06:39.810 the poor things. And with so many celestials 00:06:39.810 --> 00:06:41.850 being pulled to guard the conquered worlds at 00:06:41.850 --> 00:06:45.410 large, well, things have been difficult here 00:06:45.410 --> 00:06:48.839 in the House of Convalescence. As she speaks, 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:50.579 we see that the radiance of her eyes is focused 00:06:50.579 --> 00:06:54.040 not on the children, but rather on the two luminaries 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:57.800 that walk just in front of her. One that we see 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:00.379 is a tall, muscular form wrapped in bright, silvery 00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:02.899 armor. An image of a rose is emblazoned on the 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:05.740 chest of his plate. With his usual helmet removed, 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:08.180 we see a face of lightly tanned skin. We see 00:07:08.180 --> 00:07:11.199 short, platinum blonde hair and blue, silvery 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:15.879 eyes. There's a haunted air about the man. One 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.879 that seems to vanish as he smiles widely towards 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:22.959 the waiting children. Diamante Cloudbreaker, 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:27.500 the Knight of the Platinum Rose. The other we 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:29.860 see is an elven woman wearing ancient -looking 00:07:29.860 --> 00:07:33.120 bright mithril plate edged in blue enamel. The 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:34.879 chest of this armor is emblazoned with a platinum 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:39.009 star hanging over a swirling galaxy. We see long, 00:07:39.009 --> 00:07:41.189 blonde hair falling on a tail down the woman's 00:07:41.189 --> 00:07:44.050 back. Her eyes are cerulean blue and seem to 00:07:44.050 --> 00:07:47.050 hold a calm wisdom typically only seen in the 00:07:47.050 --> 00:07:52.509 elderly among humans. Platinum Knight Ahri. Two 00:07:52.509 --> 00:07:55.610 luminary paladins whose origins and fonts of 00:07:55.610 --> 00:07:58.550 power remain a great mystery to the larger, conquered 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:02.269 worlds, and even the most powerful beings that 00:08:02.269 --> 00:08:07.139 inhabit them. Felindora stops suddenly. The light 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:09.899 of her gaze intensifying on the two knights as 00:08:09.899 --> 00:08:15.459 she looks to both of them. I wonder. You both 00:08:15.459 --> 00:08:18.579 have some proficiency in the removal of diseases 00:08:18.579 --> 00:08:22.019 and toxins, do you not? You mentioned as such 00:08:22.019 --> 00:08:24.240 when you reached out about this collaboration. 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:28.480 Now, I'm aware that olds have a part to play 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.779 in your divine power, but one can't help but 00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:33.860 question whether there is a greater force behind 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:39.230 your... Gifts. A pause, and Philandora's lips 00:08:39.230 --> 00:08:42.490 curve into a slight smile that almost covers 00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:46.789 the eager hunger behind her words. Staffing as 00:08:46.789 --> 00:08:51.429 it is, I simply wish to understand if other healing 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:55.210 options exist outside of mine and Atash's own 00:08:55.210 --> 00:09:00.409 celestial forces. Another short pause, and we 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:02.870 see Ahari's about to respond when the hall fills 00:09:02.870 --> 00:09:05.940 with strange... back noise, the muted sounds 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:10.799 of blaring music almost shaking the walls. Distinctly, 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.600 we hear the sounds of a shamisen and a banjo. 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:19.379 Felindor's smile falls flat, her eyes glow brighter, 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:25.039 brow furrowed with suspicion. What is this? I 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:27.860 certainly don't approve of any sort of concert. 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:35.950 How anomalous. Her wings unfurl, filling the 00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:39.929 wide hall. I will attend to this immediately 00:09:39.929 --> 00:09:45.669 and make my rounds of the hospital. I do not 00:09:45.669 --> 00:09:49.370 trust this commotion. She turns to move when 00:09:49.370 --> 00:09:52.090 a platinum gauntlet firmly catches her hand. 00:09:53.129 --> 00:09:56.250 Diamante's hand looks so small against the angel's 00:09:56.250 --> 00:10:01.039 green skin, yet he stands unperturbed. as Felindora's 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:05.460 brow raises dangerously. Ari steps up between 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:09.940 the two of them and speaks. My Lady Felindora, 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:13.539 your duty is to the children, and in the spirit 00:10:13.539 --> 00:10:16.720 of our future collaboration, I insist you allow 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:19.860 us to deal with this disturbance. I will report 00:10:19.860 --> 00:10:24.340 back to you soon. Felindora's gaze is stone, 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.669 but that word... Collaboration seems to soften 00:10:28.669 --> 00:10:35.350 it just a touch. A trial, then. Very well. I 00:10:35.350 --> 00:10:39.129 expect to hear this noise quelled momentarily. 00:10:39.850 --> 00:10:44.690 Be swift. I would so like to continue our conversation 00:10:44.690 --> 00:10:48.730 about your gifts. In the spirit of collaboration, 00:10:49.129 --> 00:10:52.360 of course. She turns to the crowd of children 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.019 cramming the hall ahead, many of whom have started 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:58.820 swaying to the rumbling music. I am afraid your 00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:01.700 luminary visitation must be delayed, children. 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:05.559 Our brave knights have a matter to attend for 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:09.259 me. I will conduct your regular checkups in the 00:11:09.259 --> 00:11:12.600 meanwhile. The air is suddenly filled with the 00:11:12.600 --> 00:11:16.919 somber sighs and moans of exaggerated children 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:22.110 in distress. See a few of the youngest being 00:11:22.110 --> 00:11:26.029 to wipe it, tear -filled eyes. And Diamante, 00:11:26.110 --> 00:11:29.870 still smiling, steps towards them. Keep your 00:11:29.870 --> 00:11:33.669 shields bright and your hearts full. Hope is 00:11:33.669 --> 00:11:37.250 the best thing we can brew today. Happy Skylights, 00:11:37.289 --> 00:11:41.110 kids. And with a nod, Ari moves in and adds, 00:11:41.450 --> 00:11:45.169 Happy Skylights, children. May platinum wings 00:11:45.169 --> 00:11:48.980 guard your steps. And we see the two platinum 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:51.600 knights, servants of a god unknown to these worlds, 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:53.919 turn and sprint down the hall, the sounds of 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.679 rhythmic clanging armor joining the concert outside. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.139 Our camera follows their run, sliding slowly 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:04.299 upwards, they rush towards the center of the 00:12:04.299 --> 00:12:06.860 hospital, pushing past distracted crowds, gathering 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:09.080 at front -facing windows, and moving out onto 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.960 the surrounding balcony. And our camera rises 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:14.379 still and continues on as we slide up through 00:12:14.379 --> 00:12:16.980 the ceiling of the second floor and into a new 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:22.340 hall. A bell rings out as the stone -wrought 00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:25.799 elevator arrives on the third floor. Long -term 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:30.240 care. The floor that Orin is being held on. The 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:35.860 door slides open. And we see a number of heroic 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:43.389 figures charge out. Fade to black. Thank you, 00:12:43.450 --> 00:12:47.509 Mike and Zila. It's Hammer of the Discord, Astropathic 00:12:47.509 --> 00:12:49.330 Art. You know them and you love them. Hammer 00:12:49.330 --> 00:12:53.169 of the Discord. Moving this thing forward. Every 00:12:53.169 --> 00:12:55.070 time we switch between the arcs, I want to slide 00:12:55.070 --> 00:12:58.169 back over here and see what's going on with the 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:00.750 Auron Rescue. Damn. The Luminary's coming together. 00:13:00.909 --> 00:13:03.210 That's wicked cool. You remember Philandora? 00:13:03.450 --> 00:13:07.129 She came in the show once, like way back. The 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:09.090 Initiate? Oh, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:13:09.190 --> 00:13:10.929 Yes, of course I do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, 00:13:10.950 --> 00:13:12.950 funny. Like, a character I brought up because 00:13:12.950 --> 00:13:14.190 you went to the hospital is sort of almost like 00:13:14.190 --> 00:13:15.570 a character I didn't really have a plan for, 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:18.190 and now it's like, oh, no, she's a big deal here 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:20.110 because if she gets aware of what's going on, 00:13:20.269 --> 00:13:22.909 Planetar? Sure. It's over. Yeah, she's going 00:13:22.909 --> 00:13:23.830 to mess it up. The whole thing's over. She's 00:13:23.830 --> 00:13:27.129 going to mess it up. Yeah, got to love that distraction. 00:13:27.330 --> 00:13:32.889 Wow. But with that done and continuing on, I 00:13:32.889 --> 00:13:35.029 think it's time for us to move on. through the 00:13:35.029 --> 00:13:38.289 Radiant Citadel and onto the world of Dyalangan. 00:13:39.090 --> 00:13:43.590 Let's check in on Jules and Salome, huh? Yeah, 00:13:43.649 --> 00:13:47.309 I'm excited to get back to Salome. We open day. 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:51.990 Sky filled with gray cloud, light drizzle of 00:13:51.990 --> 00:13:56.110 rain pattering down upon the meadow -covered 00:13:56.110 --> 00:14:00.129 island of Malabulac. You have been traveling 00:14:00.129 --> 00:14:03.110 for some time now, probably took one night's 00:14:03.110 --> 00:14:06.190 rest. You left the city after a harrowing battle 00:14:06.190 --> 00:14:09.149 with storm giants. You hastily fled the city, 00:14:09.190 --> 00:14:13.029 and you're making your way now to a sky bridge 00:14:13.029 --> 00:14:16.269 known as Hope's Dagger, which leads to the cursed 00:14:16.269 --> 00:14:21.929 island of Limbacluha, where you know there is 00:14:21.929 --> 00:14:24.610 a great tree about the Langpuno. Beneath this 00:14:24.610 --> 00:14:31.179 tree, it's said that Apong Il. There are so many 00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:35.299 questions you don't have answers to. That creature 00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:38.899 in the sky, they say it is Pangil Nengbon, the 00:14:38.899 --> 00:14:44.360 last Bakunawa. But you know it is not. It is 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:48.639 Paul. You've seen images. You've seen visions 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:53.759 of a great cavern with huge twisted roots forming 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:58.879 the ceiling. It has to be there. Paul must be 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:02.019 there. Will he return there? Will there be answers 00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:07.139 there? You don't know really anything. You just 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:10.639 have a path before you. Really fast. I don't 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.019 think this is going to be relevant. I don't think 00:15:12.019 --> 00:15:14.460 we need to fix it right now. But I just took 00:15:14.460 --> 00:15:17.919 a long rest, and I was at like 19 out of 50 -something 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.720 hit points, and it reset my hit points to 19 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.759 out of 19. Oh, my God. That's actually canon 00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:29.779 in his days. You're here. 19 hit points on Salome, 00:15:29.779 --> 00:15:34.539 and that's set. You know it takes near a full 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:36.860 day to reach the southeastern coast of Malabulac, 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:39.259 and you're probably getting close now. I imagine 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:41.659 you traveled long into the night, slept a ways 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:43.899 into the afternoon. You've moved away from where 00:15:43.899 --> 00:15:48.000 the island is more well -populated, and now you 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.460 are... There's a skybridge you know hanging to 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:53.419 the south of Malabulac that heads to other islands 00:15:53.419 --> 00:15:57.860 in the archipelago. Nice job. There's a lot more 00:15:57.860 --> 00:16:00.419 traffic there. But where you're going, there's 00:16:00.419 --> 00:16:04.899 almost no traffic. Because no one, no one goes 00:16:04.899 --> 00:16:08.840 to Lombokluha. No one travels the Hope's Dagger 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:13.639 Skybridge. For beyond that is just a tragic past. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:19.000 And a land cursed. You are probably, I imagine 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.340 now, it's sort of getting into the late afternoon. 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:23.600 And you know that very soon here you should come 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:26.799 upon. The bridge itself. Perhaps you can vaguely 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.720 make out the coastline ahead in like a misty 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:36.059 haze. There's something huge rising up and curving. 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:41.559 You can't quite see it yet. Salome. That vision 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.559 you had. I think that was the night before now. 00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:49.039 You had it again two times. Short periods, but 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.059 it's strange. Every time it's the same thing. 00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:54.429 The world seems to... take on that dreamlike 00:16:54.429 --> 00:16:58.509 haze, that silvery quality, and nothing changes 00:16:58.509 --> 00:17:03.990 except for jewels overlaid with the image of 00:17:03.990 --> 00:17:07.829 the avatar of Zomade Shah, the demon that he 00:17:07.829 --> 00:17:12.109 will inevitably become. This vision is strong, 00:17:12.369 --> 00:17:16.710 Salome, a future that wants to be born. Is it 00:17:16.710 --> 00:17:19.789 the result of... Of inevitability? Or is it just 00:17:19.789 --> 00:17:22.490 maybe like a force on this world is pushing for 00:17:22.490 --> 00:17:25.529 this future? It's so hard to tell. And you could 00:17:25.529 --> 00:17:29.549 feel something with every step you take. Something 00:17:29.549 --> 00:17:32.509 repulsive in the air. Carry on the occasional 00:17:32.509 --> 00:17:35.450 warm breeze coming off of the southeastern sea. 00:17:35.890 --> 00:17:39.750 But you are moving ever closer to a rot infection 00:17:39.750 --> 00:17:45.990 in the body of this world. Salome looks less 00:17:45.990 --> 00:17:49.059 distracted. all the time now because she doesn't 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:51.980 have these visions constantly flooding. It's 00:17:51.980 --> 00:17:55.920 just this one that repeats occasionally. So she 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:58.559 seems more grounded as we're walking towards 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:00.980 the bridge. I think 19 HP will do that to you. 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:07.500 You trip on a rock, you'll die. It's canon. And 00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:15.490 she asks Jules, does your intuition... Act the 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:20.250 same as mine and give you a feeling of foreboding 00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:24.309 as we head towards the bridge. I'll say this, 00:18:24.390 --> 00:18:28.190 Jules. I think it's different for you. You don't 00:18:28.190 --> 00:18:32.130 feel that innate, like, presence of rot and wrongness. 00:18:32.930 --> 00:18:36.289 But you know it's there. Because with every step 00:18:36.289 --> 00:18:39.869 you take, something inside and behind and beyond 00:18:39.869 --> 00:18:46.160 you seems to chuckle. Seems to... vibrate with 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:52.940 joy, so excited. Something is coming. I get it 00:18:52.940 --> 00:18:57.660 24 hours a day, and it just keeps growing and 00:18:57.660 --> 00:19:02.380 growing. So right now, right now is the worst. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:07.400 Choose the rush. Gabriela speaks up. Are you 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:10.400 going to become a demon? It's a very stark question. 00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:15.160 Her eyes are fixed on you. You just kind of turn 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:16.819 to see her just stand there, arms sort of folded. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:18.980 Arhalon kind of stops behind and kind of looks 00:19:18.980 --> 00:19:25.700 almost awkward. If I do, kill me. Of course. 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:32.960 Roll Perception for me. Or to Earl Insight. 17. 00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:38.240 You do see for a moment there is a struggle in 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:43.619 her eyes. Like a hurt. And a... hesitation, like 00:19:43.619 --> 00:19:48.519 she's trying to decide if she can kill you. And 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.059 then you see the moment in her dark eyes when 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:55.700 she decides, yeah. Yeah, she can. And her eyes 00:19:55.700 --> 00:20:02.000 just settle. But we won't let that happen. I 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:06.299 mean, that's the plan. But we'll see. Back home. 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:10.240 In the old city. Grindy told me what happened 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:14.079 when you fought with Jesseth Kellig. You touched 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.619 him and he was changed, becoming that thing of 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:23.339 shadows. And you were changed. He said you spoke 00:20:23.339 --> 00:20:26.500 in a voice that was not your voice. Is that going 00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:31.039 to happen now? And you remember that moment, 00:20:31.259 --> 00:20:35.039 Jules? You remember that searing hatred you felt 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:37.420 for Justin Kelly as you placed your hand over 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:40.480 his face? You remember that... feeling coursing 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.539 through your veins, hatred like a drug sparking 00:20:43.539 --> 00:20:46.019 a tingling, overwhelming joy in something just 00:20:46.019 --> 00:20:50.259 beyond you. You reached out then, and you changed. 00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:53.180 And you remember another moment, too, on God's 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:55.700 breath. The rattlesnake looming over Chester, 00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:58.920 your friend, your brother, in pain and peril. 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:02.680 And the fear you felt was so fresh, so cold, 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.859 like diving into a bath of ice water. And you 00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:10.559 reached out, and you changed. Fear and hatred. 00:21:11.059 --> 00:21:13.980 Twin fires burning inside of you, and they've 00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:17.599 always been there, Jules. Even now they linger, 00:21:17.660 --> 00:21:20.680 and you've grown so much. We've seen you grow, 00:21:20.940 --> 00:21:24.359 learn to push them aside, to stand defiant against 00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:29.009 them. Yet they linger. And the one who lit these 00:21:29.009 --> 00:21:32.349 fires, the dominant source of your fear and hatred, 00:21:32.430 --> 00:21:37.190 is here. On this world, on the path, before you 00:21:37.190 --> 00:21:43.170 now, Jules, you know, she is here. As Gabriela 00:21:43.170 --> 00:21:45.109 says this, I think you notice Arhalon is also 00:21:45.109 --> 00:21:49.390 keenly watching and listening. Listening to the 00:21:49.390 --> 00:21:51.410 recounting of what happened on San Satyan and 00:21:51.410 --> 00:21:54.109 the new Sarul. It's not new information for him. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:56.619 It's something you two have probably discussed. 00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:59.339 He at least heard it from Zavar back during that 00:21:59.339 --> 00:22:04.380 fateful combat in the mines. The role you played 00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:07.640 unknowingly and uncontrollably in his brother's 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:10.539 death. And I'll say, he's an open book. Your 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:12.079 passive perception will be enough to look into 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:15.220 his heart and you see there's no hatred or rage 00:22:15.220 --> 00:22:18.720 in him. Not even a spark. Because he's changed 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:23.509 and grown so much as well. He's just sad. Sad 00:22:23.509 --> 00:22:27.849 and worried for you. You just see eyes that are 00:22:27.849 --> 00:22:30.390 desperate to find some way to help his friend. 00:22:31.529 --> 00:22:37.509 You think he will not be able to kill you. If 00:22:37.509 --> 00:22:41.410 it comes to that. I have no idea what's going 00:22:41.410 --> 00:22:45.069 to happen. Your guess is as good as mine. But 00:22:45.069 --> 00:22:46.829 I know I'm going to keep fighting until the end. 00:22:47.690 --> 00:22:53.819 And if he gets me. and my end comes early. You 00:22:53.819 --> 00:23:01.299 kill me, and you keep fighting. A nod from Gabriella, 00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:08.859 and Arlon just turns away. And Salome, how did 00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:11.559 you react to these words? What goes through your 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:15.059 mind? You were there on Anchor and Sengar. You 00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:18.539 saw how the avatar of Zalmati Shab then tore 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:20.819 through the ranks. Once you've come to understand 00:23:20.819 --> 00:23:25.059 Jules, it could be so much more than that. Hell, 00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:28.720 if Zalmati Shab can fully claim a vessel and 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:32.740 step into this world again, he could rival Atash. 00:23:34.299 --> 00:23:36.940 It's difficult for Salome to understand because 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:40.240 she's not of this world. So she asks to the group, 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:43.089 maybe specifically to Jules, but... Out loud. 00:23:44.450 --> 00:23:53.130 Is it easy for mortals to give in to evil? Always. 00:23:54.509 --> 00:23:57.990 Then that means I must be surrounded by some 00:23:57.990 --> 00:24:01.009 of the strongest among you. For here you all 00:24:01.009 --> 00:24:06.589 stand against ever surmounting odds. Take heart 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:11.250 and have faith in each other. Jules, this is 00:24:11.250 --> 00:24:14.869 too grim. Right? Despite what my old Lucho Libre 00:24:14.869 --> 00:24:17.329 dress and name would suggest, I am not into the 00:24:17.329 --> 00:24:32.109 edgy types. Let's just keep going. God. She's 00:24:32.109 --> 00:24:36.130 just smiling. Just like a kind of light sort 00:24:36.130 --> 00:24:38.049 of hug over the shoulders and she kind of just 00:24:38.049 --> 00:24:43.109 drew her name. Her old name. dances ahead and 00:24:43.109 --> 00:24:49.230 you move on you move towards that mist towards 00:24:49.230 --> 00:24:52.210 that coastline until finally you step to a point 00:24:52.210 --> 00:24:56.950 where the mist breaks on a breeze filled with 00:24:56.950 --> 00:25:02.609 that warm feeling of corruption salome any any 00:25:02.609 --> 00:25:06.250 repulsive instincts you might feel are quickly 00:25:06.250 --> 00:25:10.470 and immediately dwarfed and flattened as you 00:25:10.470 --> 00:25:15.130 take in the sight of a sky bridge. You see this 00:25:15.130 --> 00:25:18.809 magnificent thing arcs into the air ahead of 00:25:18.809 --> 00:25:21.069 you, stretching high above the trees and over 00:25:21.069 --> 00:25:24.930 the sea beyond. The span soars without supports, 00:25:25.049 --> 00:25:27.869 its path bending in serpentine curves that stretch 00:25:27.869 --> 00:25:32.230 far into the distance. This thing hath to be 00:25:32.230 --> 00:25:37.839 over a hundred feet wide. Wow. End. days of travel 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:41.359 long with statues of stern draconic features 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.160 were adorning it as like almost like Guardians 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:46.559 of the gate as you're moving to step towards 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.259 it and you know what let me find a picture of 00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:52.380 this thing real fast cuz it's so Actually in 00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:59.039 an open roll 20. We know I'm sorry Like a sim 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:02.539 it look Hey, yeah, this thing is so cool. Come 00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:05.710 on. You find a good picture I had this pulled 00:26:05.710 --> 00:26:07.150 up yesterday. Are you going to find this and 00:26:07.150 --> 00:26:08.589 turn around your computer so that we can see 00:26:08.589 --> 00:26:10.089 it? Yeah. Is that what's happening right now? 00:26:10.250 --> 00:26:12.569 Imagine he just looks at it. He's like, yeah, 00:26:12.609 --> 00:26:14.670 this is really cool. You guys should see this. 00:26:15.170 --> 00:26:18.130 Dude, just put it out. I walk out of the room. 00:26:19.410 --> 00:26:22.089 Okay, this is a little different because it's 00:26:22.089 --> 00:26:25.640 longer than my version. Oh, God. Dude, I can't 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:27.700 see shit. That's not going to work. You can either 00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:30.400 knock over your mic or your water. You've got 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:32.519 cables coming out of both sides of your laptop. 00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:34.740 You have a dice tower on one side and a mic on 00:26:34.740 --> 00:26:35.920 the other. I'm going to take a picture of my 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:37.539 screen on my phone and I'm going to turn it around. 00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:40.019 Dude, what the fuck? Come over here. Come look 00:26:40.019 --> 00:26:42.259 at this thing. Then go back there and react to 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:47.079 it. How cool is that? Dude, that's pretty fucking 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:49.380 sweet. Isn't that rad? Yeah, super rad. That's 00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:53.000 pretty sweet. I like that. Just massive. Arcing 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:55.960 up. There's almost like. Golden design gleaming 00:26:55.960 --> 00:26:58.119 in the soft light where it breaks through the 00:26:58.119 --> 00:27:02.940 overcast sky. That soft rain still pelting you. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:05.180 And there's no like supports and buttresses or 00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:08.660 anything. It's just like there. It looks less 00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:12.779 organic than I thought. Is it? Constructed? I 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:14.859 thought it was a body. It's actually important. 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:16.819 You notice there's no supports. And you have 00:27:16.819 --> 00:27:19.960 heard that there are bones built into it. Much 00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:23.140 like the towers of Sru. It's built too tall to 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:26.119 make sense. They were magically empowered by 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:29.319 these strange fossils. They say it could be healed 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:31.980 and wound scars in the structure themselves. 00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:35.980 This thing should not be possible in any regard. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.720 It is the most impossible structure you've ever 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.940 seen. I thought it was going to look more like... 00:27:41.069 --> 00:27:42.970 like a snake skeleton. And we were going to be 00:27:42.970 --> 00:27:47.210 like climbing through like rib bones. Yeah. Now 00:27:47.210 --> 00:27:50.069 they did a little nicer look than that. And you 00:27:50.069 --> 00:27:52.190 can see actually where this thing is moving farther 00:27:52.190 --> 00:27:54.150 away from the coastline. There's a spread of 00:27:54.150 --> 00:27:56.809 violent whirlpools and churning white waves in 00:27:56.809 --> 00:27:59.390 the sea below the bridge. You see like the water 00:27:59.390 --> 00:28:01.849 is just impassable. You could not bring a ship 00:28:01.849 --> 00:28:03.849 between these islands. And so you realize that 00:28:03.849 --> 00:28:07.170 these sky bridges that connect the islands of 00:28:07.170 --> 00:28:11.680 the archipelago. They're essential. They have 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:14.059 to be here. They have to be maintained. If the 00:28:14.059 --> 00:28:17.579 serpents that were had not lent their bones to 00:28:17.579 --> 00:28:20.799 this cause, these islands could not be connected. 00:28:20.839 --> 00:28:23.259 Almost like the Radiant Citadel itself. An impossible 00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:26.640 thing connecting places that cannot touch otherwise. 00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:29.599 We have so much to thank for serpents and Dracon. 00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:36.799 You guys getting on that sky bridge? Nah. Actually, 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:39.599 I'm just going to turn around. I'm going to go 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:49.500 open a tavern. Salome's face maybe hints at fear 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:53.700 as she takes her first step onto the bridge. 00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:58.900 The bridge breaks. You have 19 HP? You die. Swallowed 00:28:58.900 --> 00:29:02.900 by a whirlpool. Crushed. Like a soda can. Great. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.259 You step onto the bridge and begin to move. And 00:29:06.259 --> 00:29:09.099 you actually notice, like, you haven't seen anyone 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:12.359 on the road for, like, the last number of hours. 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:14.279 A couple of farms have dotted the horizon here 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:16.339 and there. Very, very few even, like, residents 00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:19.539 on this side of the island. And you're surprised 00:29:19.539 --> 00:29:22.859 to see that there is actually a person up ahead, 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:26.460 just kind of standing on the bridge. You look 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:28.970 and see, like, where... Almost like there's a 00:29:28.970 --> 00:29:31.170 little crenellated wall kind of on the edge of 00:29:31.170 --> 00:29:33.089 the bridge. And there's a long sort of scar running 00:29:33.089 --> 00:29:35.869 down part of that and running out across as if 00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:39.410 it was struck by something. And this person you 00:29:39.410 --> 00:29:41.589 see, as you get closer, you see it's an older 00:29:41.589 --> 00:29:46.490 woman, a quite old woman, sort of crouching near 00:29:46.490 --> 00:29:49.490 this thing. And you see she has like a long spear 00:29:49.490 --> 00:29:51.210 that seems to serve as like a walking stick. 00:29:51.250 --> 00:29:53.329 She's holding it up. There's a sharp, dangerous 00:29:53.329 --> 00:29:57.470 looking blade in the end. As she's sort of standing 00:29:57.470 --> 00:29:59.430 there, you can vaguely hear something as you 00:29:59.430 --> 00:30:10.509 get closer. Just... She's singing. Singing to 00:30:10.509 --> 00:30:14.329 the bridge. Singing to the wound. Roll a perception 00:30:14.329 --> 00:30:18.650 check. Everybody or just, uh... Anybody can. 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:22.930 Ooh, dirty 20. Let's make it Jules and Salome. 00:30:23.029 --> 00:30:28.130 Okay. Salome already got it. Yeah, that was 21. 00:30:28.569 --> 00:30:32.430 21, damn. The two of you are kind of honed in 00:30:32.430 --> 00:30:34.869 on this. You're watching this. And your eyes 00:30:34.869 --> 00:30:38.789 turn from the woman to the wound, the scar, the 00:30:38.789 --> 00:30:41.630 crack in the stone. And you see as if responding 00:30:41.630 --> 00:30:44.890 to her voice and her movements of her hands, 00:30:44.910 --> 00:30:47.809 they kind of sway around it. The stone begins 00:30:47.809 --> 00:30:55.099 to knit itself together. Damn. You've heard the 00:30:55.099 --> 00:31:00.779 term bone singer a few times now. So cool! I 00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:06.579 want to be a bone singer! As the ritual is going 00:31:06.579 --> 00:31:08.819 on, as you close her, I think you see the crack 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:13.380 is like half sealed, and she stops to guard you 00:31:13.380 --> 00:31:19.019 as you pass. She's, hello, travelers. What brings 00:31:19.019 --> 00:31:22.420 you to Hope's Dagger Skybridge? I have not seen 00:31:22.420 --> 00:31:28.099 a soul upon the bridge in... might be months 00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:32.200 till today. Tell me, are you here to join those 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:40.000 fool hunters on their quest? I would hope you 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.799 are not. It's kind of like looks and glances. 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:45.920 Her eyes might be just a little, like, blurred. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:50.220 The starting of cataracts and... Oh, you are 00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:54.359 Celestial. And you... I respond to you, Jules. 00:31:55.180 --> 00:32:02.819 I swear I recognize you. I am Ina, Bonesinger. 00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:07.960 Who am I speaking to? Jules doesn't say anything. 00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:15.829 Oh. No. Salome will step up. I am Salome. These 00:32:15.829 --> 00:32:19.250 are my travel companions. We... we sense danger 00:32:19.250 --> 00:32:23.970 in the air. Do you not, Bonesinger? Everyone 00:32:23.970 --> 00:32:29.029 senses danger these days. Look at my own companions. 00:32:29.710 --> 00:32:33.970 The young, new Bonesingers who view themselves 00:32:33.970 --> 00:32:40.789 as a militia, peacekeepers. This is our... cause. 00:32:42.119 --> 00:32:45.000 To see the bridges stand and the gifts of the 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:51.900 serpents remain. Clear. Safe. Preserved. But 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:55.259 yes, there is danger. As I said, there are the 00:32:55.259 --> 00:33:00.559 hunters. Off to slay the last Bakunawa. They 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:06.279 will die in Lubakleha. You will die in Lubakleha, 00:33:06.380 --> 00:33:10.180 should you continue on. We do not wish to hunt 00:33:10.180 --> 00:33:14.509 the Bakunawa. We merely wish to understand it. 00:33:14.970 --> 00:33:19.829 Will that protect us, or shall we still die? 00:33:21.009 --> 00:33:28.069 You listen. Ah, no one listens anymore. You have 00:33:28.069 --> 00:33:35.069 a wisdom of you, Celestial. But no, it is not 00:33:35.069 --> 00:33:39.029 the Bakunawa that you must fear. The marshes 00:33:39.029 --> 00:33:45.180 are filled with spirits. Burned and dead. Horrors 00:33:45.180 --> 00:33:49.920 await in the swamps. They will tear you apart 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:55.339 long before you reach Athelang Puno, the great 00:33:55.339 --> 00:34:00.500 tree. What choice do we have? You could turn 00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:06.259 back. We must go. Has anybody ever made it? There 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:12.599 was one traveler who... Passed by recently. I 00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:18.820 almost forgot. Went and returned. At the very 00:34:18.820 --> 00:34:22.519 least, that one survived the journey. Do you 00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:27.420 remember who it was? No. Sorry, my eyes. I didn't 00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:32.099 get a name. We were not... It's not as courteous 00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:38.380 a soul as you. Anything would help. I'm sorry. 00:34:39.400 --> 00:34:45.000 Like to know how they did that. Yes. I would 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:51.699 be curious as well. There was mention among... 00:34:51.699 --> 00:34:58.960 Yes, I swear I heard the words... Guide through 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:04.559 the swamps. The hunters. They may actually know 00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:08.619 someone that could lead them through. But... 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:15.079 You must stop them. They will die in the swamps 00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:18.639 or they will kill the last of the serpent kin. 00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:23.559 Whatever the case, it is a tragedy. They march 00:35:23.559 --> 00:35:28.420 towards the hunters, the fool youths. If you 00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:31.599 are to tread forward, if I cannot ward you away, 00:35:31.820 --> 00:35:37.960 stop the hunters. Tell them of their foolishness. 00:35:39.560 --> 00:35:42.980 Please. Well, you were right. There is nothing 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:47.239 you can say that's gonna make us turn back. You 00:35:47.239 --> 00:35:50.260 see a little tear running into the wrinkles of 00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:55.480 her cheeks. This has to happen. What is to become 00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:59.659 of our worlds when the young are so eager to 00:35:59.659 --> 00:36:04.739 meet their deaths early? Does Salome think that 00:36:04.739 --> 00:36:08.880 she's telling the truth about not... Knowing 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:12.179 anything. Roll insight. Great. Got a button for 00:36:12.179 --> 00:36:15.219 that. There's a thing for that. Roll for that. 00:36:16.179 --> 00:36:18.840 Docella may think all the dice about it. What 00:36:18.840 --> 00:36:23.800 are we doing over here? Oh, damn. 27. Not a hint 00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:27.659 of deceit. Okay. You feel like this woman really 00:36:27.659 --> 00:36:29.920 is telling you everything she knows and she's 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:32.219 trying to like, she really is trying to ward 00:36:32.219 --> 00:36:34.139 you away. Everything she said, fully truthful. 00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:38.809 What can you tell us about the hunters? I know 00:36:38.809 --> 00:36:43.710 little I tried to tell them to stop. The rocket's 00:36:43.710 --> 00:36:47.250 lot stole my prayer beads, hoping they could 00:36:47.250 --> 00:36:50.889 aid them on their journey. And they just carried 00:36:50.889 --> 00:36:55.670 on. It was about, oh, just kind of like rubbing 00:36:55.670 --> 00:36:57.289 her head, kind of trying to think, you know, 00:36:57.309 --> 00:37:00.110 her eyes, she's, fingers are waving, she's trying 00:37:00.110 --> 00:37:03.909 to like count numbers. Oh, ten or more, I think, 00:37:03.909 --> 00:37:08.960 perhaps a dozen. How long ago? Not long at all, 00:37:09.099 --> 00:37:12.280 actually. They are not traveling quickly. You'll 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:15.639 likely catch them if you continue at a good pace. 00:37:16.340 --> 00:37:19.860 Do you remember anything that they said? Only 00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:22.880 that they want to slay the traitorous Bakunawa. 00:37:23.659 --> 00:37:27.079 That they have a grudge. The clan has a grudge. 00:37:27.960 --> 00:37:31.139 And again, that they have some sort of guide 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:34.420 to lead them through the swamps to find its lair. 00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:42.110 No mention of who that guide is? No. No. Okay. 00:37:43.230 --> 00:37:47.070 Salome gets down on her knee to be at least closer 00:37:47.070 --> 00:37:51.250 to eye level with the bone singer. You're blue. 00:37:54.090 --> 00:38:00.250 You're perceptive. Yes. I am known for my perceptive 00:38:00.250 --> 00:38:06.789 powers. She hands... She hands... The bone singer, 00:38:06.889 --> 00:38:10.809 a gold piece. This is for your prayer beads. 00:38:12.150 --> 00:38:15.630 Are there other bone singers on the bridge? I 00:38:15.630 --> 00:38:19.150 am the only one who tends to this. There will 00:38:19.150 --> 00:38:23.690 be no others on your path. Damn. Are there any 00:38:23.690 --> 00:38:27.389 secrets to the bridge that you could enlighten 00:38:27.389 --> 00:38:31.030 us with? Perhaps to swiften our journey to catch 00:38:31.030 --> 00:38:36.219 up with the hunters? The beads I had held. It's 00:38:36.219 --> 00:38:38.739 a few beads of wind walk. That would have helped 00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:43.820 you greatly, but the hunters have them now. Was 00:38:43.820 --> 00:38:47.619 one gold piece enough to compensate you for those? 00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:52.840 It was not yours to compensate, sweet Celestial. 00:38:53.820 --> 00:38:57.900 You should not go forward. You will die. You 00:38:57.900 --> 00:39:02.840 look like you only have 19 HP. That's the title 00:39:02.840 --> 00:39:11.000 of this episode, 19 HP. Salome will stand up 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:15.599 and start to move forward. I fear we must go. 00:39:16.679 --> 00:39:19.920 Despite your warning, thank you for everything 00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:24.019 you were able to tell us. I hope to see some 00:39:24.019 --> 00:39:28.800 fool youths running back this way soon. I hope 00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:35.179 she turns back what she's doing. Begins to sing 00:39:35.179 --> 00:39:47.460 again as you move past. You hear the sound of 00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:52.480 the stone knitting together. And you move. You 00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:56.519 push on, moving down the curves of this bridge. 00:39:56.539 --> 00:40:01.300 Each great, grand, sweeping curve is like hours 00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:05.409 to actually... go and fully see through. And 00:40:05.409 --> 00:40:08.269 you're just moving and moving. And eventually 00:40:08.269 --> 00:40:11.309 you begin to hear another sound somewhere ahead. 00:40:12.030 --> 00:40:14.130 The mist is beginning to sort of fade the further 00:40:14.130 --> 00:40:15.869 you get out to see. And you can just hear like 00:40:15.869 --> 00:40:22.869 a... Just some chatter. Sounds like a group. 00:40:23.869 --> 00:40:30.349 Mostly male voices. As the mist... retracts. 00:40:30.789 --> 00:40:35.349 A short ways ahead. You see kind of standing 00:40:35.349 --> 00:40:37.269 at rest. Some of them are just like sitting down 00:40:37.269 --> 00:40:39.349 upon the edge of the bridge. Some are laying 00:40:39.349 --> 00:40:44.409 out like, you know, cloths to sort of sit on. 00:40:44.489 --> 00:40:45.570 I think one of them, you see one of them sort 00:40:45.570 --> 00:40:47.409 of putting together some kind of like camp stove 00:40:47.409 --> 00:40:52.989 situation to make up a pot. You see a group of 00:40:52.989 --> 00:40:58.210 people. Maybe a dozen or so, as she said. All 00:40:58.210 --> 00:41:02.239 quite young. Late teens to early twenties. You 00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:07.519 think mostly human men? Do you get closer? I 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:10.940 mean, where else are we going to go? Truly. We're 00:41:10.940 --> 00:41:14.400 on a fucking bridge. Where else? We go around 00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:18.340 them. You do. Salome can fly around. Nobody else 00:41:18.340 --> 00:41:19.860 is going to. Yeah, Salome's not going to ditch 00:41:19.860 --> 00:41:22.780 everybody. And we all know Stomp has the route 00:41:22.780 --> 00:41:28.699 of flying. Shut up. Yeah, we'll continue to walk 00:41:28.699 --> 00:41:32.090 Salome and Jules shoulder to shoulder. In the 00:41:32.090 --> 00:41:35.730 most non -threatening way possible. Right. Gabriela 00:41:35.730 --> 00:41:37.690 is so threatening as she's walking up beside 00:41:37.690 --> 00:41:40.710 you. You just got to see her stride, just like 00:41:40.710 --> 00:41:44.289 full killer's movements. Arlan's kind of just 00:41:44.289 --> 00:41:46.989 sort of trying to, he's trying to look small 00:41:46.989 --> 00:41:48.949 and it's so hard for him. He's just this huge 00:41:48.949 --> 00:41:51.050 guy. He's like shrinking into himself and he 00:41:51.050 --> 00:41:54.550 just looks so awkward. As everyone's sort of 00:41:54.550 --> 00:41:58.630 moving forward, I even see faces being to look 00:41:58.630 --> 00:42:03.320 up towards you. Some puzzle whispering between 00:42:03.320 --> 00:42:06.539 them. As you get closer, you see that this group 00:42:06.539 --> 00:42:08.679 all seem to be pretty well -armed, with long 00:42:08.679 --> 00:42:11.460 bows and full quivers, as well as short blades 00:42:11.460 --> 00:42:14.500 similar in style to Ariat's and Zebulon's sheathed 00:42:14.500 --> 00:42:17.800 their hips. They don't wear armor, you see. Rather, 00:42:17.820 --> 00:42:20.119 they don vests of studded leather and short leather 00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:22.760 trousers, all with matching patterns of turquoise 00:42:22.760 --> 00:42:25.139 and brown. A few of them, you see, are wearing 00:42:25.139 --> 00:42:29.059 hoods. At this point, as we're getting close 00:42:29.059 --> 00:42:35.570 to them, Can Jules just slowly make his way a 00:42:35.570 --> 00:42:37.489 little bit behind Arhalon, just kind of passing 00:42:37.489 --> 00:42:41.630 by him so that for a brief moment, he is out 00:42:41.630 --> 00:42:44.670 of sight. And in that brief moment, he is going 00:42:44.670 --> 00:42:50.329 to cast Disguise South. Oh, nice. Holy shit. 00:42:51.070 --> 00:42:53.550 I didn't think far enough ahead to think about 00:42:53.550 --> 00:42:55.269 what he's going to look like, but he doesn't 00:42:55.269 --> 00:43:00.699 look like Jules. That's pretty cool. That's pretty 00:43:00.699 --> 00:43:03.099 cool. If you want to hear it, I have a weird 00:43:03.099 --> 00:43:05.360 little... I don't have this guy's self in front 00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:09.019 of me. I don't know what it can change. Can it 00:43:09.019 --> 00:43:11.710 change your race? Or just your appearance? Okay. 00:43:11.829 --> 00:43:13.530 Just appearance. You can make yourself, including 00:43:13.530 --> 00:43:15.730 your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings 00:43:15.730 --> 00:43:17.630 on your person, look different until the spell 00:43:17.630 --> 00:43:19.690 ends or until you use your action to dismiss 00:43:19.690 --> 00:43:21.949 it. You can seem one foot shorter, one foot taller, 00:43:22.010 --> 00:43:24.590 appear thin, fat, and in between. You can't change 00:43:24.590 --> 00:43:26.710 your body type, so you must adopt a form that 00:43:26.710 --> 00:43:30.170 has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, 00:43:30.230 --> 00:43:34.469 the extent of the illusion is up to you. My thought 00:43:34.469 --> 00:43:36.730 was if you could make yourself look like a celestial. 00:43:38.289 --> 00:43:42.059 I don't know. That might be hard to copy the 00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:45.260 wings, I guess. Sure, sure, sure. Might be hard. 00:43:46.219 --> 00:43:49.239 When held up to physical inspection, the spell 00:43:49.239 --> 00:43:51.920 fails. Okay, so they come over and touch you, 00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:54.360 basically. I think so, yeah. For example, if 00:43:54.360 --> 00:43:56.219 you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, 00:43:56.360 --> 00:44:00.159 objects pass through the hat. So basically, I 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:01.639 think Jules is going to make himself a little 00:44:01.639 --> 00:44:06.019 heavier, and he's going to be sporting a beard. 00:44:06.659 --> 00:44:09.840 Okay. Unrecognizable as Jules LaRoche. Yeah. 00:44:10.280 --> 00:44:12.360 I like that. I like that a lot. Yeah, I think 00:44:12.360 --> 00:44:18.099 that's pretty cool. Okay. With gloves on. Hiding. 00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:21.760 Oh, of course. Yes, yes. Interesting. Interesting. 00:44:21.940 --> 00:44:26.760 I'm going to roll a little something. Okay. You're 00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:30.440 moving close. We see not Jules, Salome, Arhalon, 00:44:30.500 --> 00:44:33.019 Gabriela, all stepping up towards this group. 00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:36.039 And you see they have gone very quiet. They have 00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:38.699 stopped everything they are doing. They are just 00:44:38.699 --> 00:44:40.400 waiting for you to approach, and there's this 00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:44.059 kind of tension in the air as you do. You remember, 00:44:44.300 --> 00:44:47.920 nobody comes this way. What are the chances somebody 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:49.760 else would have happened upon the bridge at the 00:44:49.760 --> 00:44:54.320 same time as these bold hunters? There is one 00:44:54.320 --> 00:44:57.960 amongst the group that steps forward as you get 00:44:57.960 --> 00:45:01.559 maybe around 30 feet away. A human in his early 00:45:01.559 --> 00:45:04.760 twenties, deeply tanned skin, black hair shaved 00:45:04.760 --> 00:45:07.579 to the sides, long oval earrings dangling from 00:45:07.579 --> 00:45:10.820 his ears. He smiles towards you, though it looks 00:45:10.820 --> 00:45:14.139 awkward and forced beneath a naturally furrowed 00:45:14.139 --> 00:45:17.460 and serious brow. You take this to be the leader 00:45:17.460 --> 00:45:22.199 of the group. Hello, travelers! What brings you 00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:28.440 to the road to Lomboklaha? It is so odd to see 00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:32.079 others. Upon the Hope's Dagger Skybridge. Is 00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:35.079 it not? I should mention before we continue with 00:45:35.079 --> 00:45:36.840 this, at the end of the spell, it does say, to 00:45:36.840 --> 00:45:38.739 discern that you are disguised, a creature can 00:45:38.739 --> 00:45:40.619 use its action to inspect your appearance and 00:45:40.619 --> 00:45:44.880 must succeed on an intelligence check against 00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:51.840 my save DC. What's your save DC? 18. 18. Pretty 00:45:51.840 --> 00:45:53.500 good save. Not bad. Pretty good save, good to 00:45:53.500 --> 00:45:56.059 know. Not bad. Good to know. I did make a roll. 00:45:56.539 --> 00:46:07.380 Anyway. Do you answer? Not not, Jules. What's 00:46:07.380 --> 00:46:11.179 Jules' new accent? Yeah, yeah. What? What's Jules 00:46:11.179 --> 00:46:13.480 trying to put on a different accent if he talks? 00:46:13.940 --> 00:46:18.480 You'll find out. You'll find out. But he won't 00:46:18.480 --> 00:46:22.059 talk at first. We travel to many unlikely places. 00:46:23.340 --> 00:46:26.980 Specifically today, we... Seek the end of the 00:46:26.980 --> 00:46:31.539 bridge to find out what has brought a rot to 00:46:31.539 --> 00:46:39.179 this world. You want to start that over? No, 00:46:39.300 --> 00:46:42.440 keep it in. It's Palo talking to you out loud. 00:46:45.139 --> 00:46:48.300 His name's Palo, by the way. He kind of just 00:46:48.300 --> 00:46:55.130 nods. I see. Celestial, you know that... your 00:46:55.130 --> 00:46:57.989 kind have a pretty hard time up here. So I've 00:46:57.989 --> 00:47:02.789 heard. Clips your wings, the rot you speak of. 00:47:03.289 --> 00:47:06.030 So far, I've found the journey quite simple. 00:47:06.849 --> 00:47:11.510 What brings you, gentlemen, to the bridge? Well, 00:47:11.590 --> 00:47:15.329 we are the soon -to -be slayers of the last Bakunawa. 00:47:15.909 --> 00:47:21.210 You can call me Paolo. Paolo Makerpa. And if 00:47:21.210 --> 00:47:26.079 you are interested in seeing this, rot, torn 00:47:26.079 --> 00:47:29.079 from the flesh of our world, then I would ask 00:47:29.079 --> 00:47:32.079 you to join us. We will slay the serpent and 00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:37.380 bring peace and glory to our clans. Well met, 00:47:37.480 --> 00:47:42.599 Paolo. I have a question. If you wish to slay 00:47:42.599 --> 00:47:46.539 the serpent, why do you not wear proper armor? 00:47:47.420 --> 00:47:51.519 We need no armor. We're strong, right? Right? 00:47:51.780 --> 00:47:54.849 Cat turns back and everyone's like, yeah! It's 00:47:54.849 --> 00:47:57.889 all bluster. You can tell. Passive. They think 00:47:57.889 --> 00:47:59.670 they're tough, and you're looking them over. 00:47:59.769 --> 00:48:01.329 You're seasoned fighters at this point, and you're 00:48:01.329 --> 00:48:05.210 like, oh, no. These people are going to die. 00:48:06.389 --> 00:48:09.110 Very likely. One of them, you say, okay. Tesla 00:48:09.110 --> 00:48:10.670 sets up. He's like, Paolo, what are you doing? 00:48:11.150 --> 00:48:13.250 That's a celestial. Do you know what they are? 00:48:13.349 --> 00:48:17.010 What they're doing to us? Huh? I swear, they're 00:48:17.010 --> 00:48:18.389 the ones about the storm giants on Calvary. You've 00:48:18.389 --> 00:48:19.929 heard of that, right? You were there? Were you 00:48:19.929 --> 00:48:23.199 there? Kind of points to you. We fought the storm 00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:27.320 giants. Fought the storm giants. Fought the storm 00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:31.079 giants. Amado, hey, come on. They're friends. 00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:35.059 They can help us. Help us! Why would they be 00:48:35.059 --> 00:48:38.000 here to help us? They're going to get in our 00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:40.519 way. You know they're going to get in our way. 00:48:40.579 --> 00:48:42.860 Nobody wants us to be here. And I'm guessing 00:48:42.860 --> 00:48:45.000 it's those celestials that are keeping things 00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:49.699 buried that we don't know. Right? Right? What? 00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:52.860 You have something to say? Turns to the bearded. 00:48:55.139 --> 00:49:00.559 Ordinary person. Excuse me, but I study herbology. 00:49:01.980 --> 00:49:06.800 And, uh... All I want to do is study this tree. 00:49:08.059 --> 00:49:12.199 And these people are kind enough to, uh... To 00:49:12.199 --> 00:49:16.639 help me reach it. Gabriella slides up close to 00:49:16.639 --> 00:49:20.949 you. in a very, like, sort of defensive... You're 00:49:20.949 --> 00:49:22.610 trying to play it so it's cool, and she's obviously 00:49:22.610 --> 00:49:25.670 still kind of on guard the way she should not 00:49:25.670 --> 00:49:29.090 be. Arhalon, again, just sort of hanging back. 00:49:29.389 --> 00:49:32.349 He chimes back in. This is purely educational. 00:49:33.269 --> 00:49:35.550 Once we get there, you let us do what we want 00:49:35.550 --> 00:49:38.590 to do, and then you can do what you want to do. 00:49:39.630 --> 00:49:44.349 The figure, Amado, just staring out. There's 00:49:44.349 --> 00:49:50.369 something in his eyes, like, wide. They're gonna 00:49:50.369 --> 00:49:53.429 arrest us. Amato, stop. They're gonna arrest 00:49:53.429 --> 00:49:57.409 us. Like my dad. Bet she works for Atash, huh? 00:49:57.670 --> 00:49:59.130 Bet she works for Atash. They're gonna, they're 00:49:59.130 --> 00:50:01.110 gonna stop us. They're gonna, his bow slides 00:50:01.110 --> 00:50:03.670 out, arrow knocked. They're gonna, and like everyone 00:50:03.670 --> 00:50:05.150 else hears your words and they're kind of like 00:50:05.150 --> 00:50:07.090 looking around. What are you doing? Stop, stop, 00:50:07.170 --> 00:50:09.210 stop. Amato, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Put that 00:50:09.210 --> 00:50:14.750 down right now. This young, he looks like he's 00:50:14.750 --> 00:50:19.519 only like 19. He has like dark hair, bound a 00:50:19.519 --> 00:50:23.079 short tail, blocky face, eyes just almost bulging. 00:50:23.239 --> 00:50:26.300 He looks just scared, his hand trembling upon 00:50:26.300 --> 00:50:29.340 the bow. But you do see he raises it and goes, 00:50:29.420 --> 00:50:32.420 no! Blanche casts a spell. Not Blanche. She's 00:50:32.420 --> 00:50:35.659 in the other thing. Roll for initiative. Okay. 00:50:35.719 --> 00:50:38.119 Roll for initiative. Oh, fuck. Roll for initiative. 00:50:38.139 --> 00:50:44.239 Come on. I have 19 HP. Oh, no! I rolled a two. 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:48.000 I have three initiative. No, this can't be. Oh, 00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:51.099 fuck. Oh, my God. What do we got here? Okay, 00:50:51.159 --> 00:50:56.920 let's see. Let's see. There is an 18 for jewels. 00:50:57.139 --> 00:51:00.360 18 for jewels? Not too shabby. What's Gabrielle's? 00:51:01.380 --> 00:51:03.900 Gabrielle has a, I think it was a plus three. 00:51:04.039 --> 00:51:07.159 Okay. Almost positive. What's it based on? Dex. 00:51:07.340 --> 00:51:09.480 Dex plus four. Oh, plus four. Hell yeah. Cool. 00:51:09.579 --> 00:51:14.750 So she's 11. Oh, my God. Yeah. Toothed off by 00:51:14.750 --> 00:51:22.150 your voice. What? Did you say? No. Arhalon. Arhalon 00:51:22.150 --> 00:51:25.070 has 19. 19, hell yeah. And that's going to be, 00:51:25.150 --> 00:51:28.150 who's the last one? Salome. Salome got a three. 00:51:28.349 --> 00:51:34.590 Jesus. 19 HP Salome got three. I wanted to just 00:51:34.590 --> 00:51:38.630 stop this right now. Unfortunately, the first 00:51:38.630 --> 00:51:42.380 to go is actually me. you stupid dumb head arrow 00:51:42.380 --> 00:51:46.599 knocked to bow string raises and twing it all 00:51:46.599 --> 00:51:50.480 happens in an instant you see something whizzes 00:51:50.480 --> 00:51:53.960 past the head of this young man you see a burst 00:51:53.960 --> 00:51:56.219 of red when his ear is torn apart from behind 00:51:56.219 --> 00:51:59.739 somewhere around in front of you there's a sound 00:51:59.739 --> 00:52:03.610 like a ping In the air, that same sling was bounced 00:52:03.610 --> 00:52:06.070 off of an invisible wall, and the young man, 00:52:06.329 --> 00:52:11.050 Amado's head, just explodes. Blood and bone and 00:52:11.050 --> 00:52:13.889 brain matter bursting out towards the crowd of 00:52:13.889 --> 00:52:16.710 hunters. The leader of Paolo just dives down 00:52:16.710 --> 00:52:18.389 towards the body, hands shaking. No, no, no, 00:52:18.409 --> 00:52:21.730 no, no! He turns towards the other hunters, the 00:52:21.730 --> 00:52:23.650 crowd, and screams. Sorry, initiative's over. 00:52:23.769 --> 00:52:26.570 This fight's over already. He turns to the other 00:52:26.570 --> 00:52:28.949 hunters and screams. What the fuck is wrong with 00:52:28.949 --> 00:52:31.969 you, trick shot? Amado was of our clan! He was 00:52:31.969 --> 00:52:37.289 your friend! Yeah, sure. Amado was my friend. 00:52:38.110 --> 00:52:43.010 But I know that guy. And he's family. And nobody 00:52:43.010 --> 00:52:47.599 hoits my family. What? And a figure steps out 00:52:47.599 --> 00:52:51.219 from the crowd, heavy crossbow in his arms. As 00:52:51.219 --> 00:52:53.239 his hood falls back, you see a mop of orange 00:52:53.239 --> 00:52:55.199 hair matched by the wispy beginnings of a red 00:52:55.199 --> 00:52:58.039 beard, freckled cheeks beneath eyes that do not 00:52:58.039 --> 00:53:01.139 show the slightest spark of joy in seeing you. 00:53:01.760 --> 00:53:06.519 And Chester says, Hey there, big guy. Long time 00:53:06.519 --> 00:53:09.400 no see. And we'll call it there.