WEBVTT

00:00:03.170 --> 00:00:05.870
Hello, friends. Just wanted to let you all know

00:00:05.870 --> 00:00:08.369
that we now have an official Fantasy Pants Discord

00:00:08.369 --> 00:00:11.789
server. Feel free to come on in, hang out, talk

00:00:11.789 --> 00:00:14.750
some nerdy shit, and just have a great time with

00:00:14.750 --> 00:00:17.329
us. You can find the link in our link tree, in

00:00:17.329 --> 00:00:19.710
the show notes, and on all of our socials at

00:00:19.710 --> 00:01:12.379
FantasyPantsPod. One such figure is a legendary

00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:16.739
enigma known only as the Mage Smear. His name

00:01:16.739 --> 00:01:19.299
and clan are known. The Dwarven Warrior Wizard

00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:21.239
has remained a figure of great mystery to the

00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:24.859
world at large. The Mage Myth was named for his

00:01:24.859 --> 00:01:27.200
unique weaponry, a smith and hammer for close

00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:30.000
confrontation, as well as a pair of long tongs

00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:32.640
used as a magical focus, and in the rare instance,

00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:36.319
as a tool for grappling foes. With a heart that

00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:38.939
burns hotter than a Dwarven forge, and the soul

00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:41.159
of a craftsman, the Mage Myth has worked hard

00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:43.980
to beat and burn the impurities out of our worlds.

00:01:44.759 --> 00:01:47.180
Tithos has been lost to us, and we will always

00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:50.319
mourn that loss. But we must always appreciate

00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.480
the incredible things our sapphire world has

00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.120
left behind after its fall. So as we move together,

00:01:56.340 --> 00:01:59.340
I want you all to remember this. Of all the great

00:01:59.340 --> 00:02:01.980
works our mage myth has forged, the most precious

00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:04.840
is a piece he's brought to many, many lives.

00:02:07.679 --> 00:02:09.979
Thank you, Hooli Forge, for filling out our world

00:02:09.979 --> 00:02:12.939
just a little bit more. Hey, hey. Sorry, I sniped

00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:14.580
your character off the Discord there. It just

00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:17.080
sounded so cool, I couldn't help myself. So,

00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:19.139
you know, this is a little thing I'm trying out,

00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:20.800
a little something new. Every once in a while,

00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:23.259
when I'm feeling like it, when Storyteller Orn's

00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:25.919
feeling like it, he wants to do a little Luminary

00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.740
Spotlight. Some of them will be characters in

00:02:27.740 --> 00:02:29.319
setting, and some of them could be characters

00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:32.439
we'll take from the Discord. Because, well, I

00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:34.280
want to get you guys in my setting! We want to

00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.500
fill the sale. We got 200 -plus luminaries out

00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:39.219
there doing their cool things up to their shenanigans,

00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:42.139
and you guys should be a part of that. What are

00:02:42.139 --> 00:02:44.840
you up to, fellow luminaries? What are you up

00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.039
to, fellow luminaries? Let me know. And thank

00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:50.280
you, Hooli Forge, for being my test drive. Hell

00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:53.919
yeah. First fan luminary spotlight. Hell yeah.

00:02:53.979 --> 00:02:56.479
First of many, I hope. Hopefully, yeah. I hope.

00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.340
Yeah, hit us up on the Discord. Drop your luminary

00:03:00.340 --> 00:03:04.020
in there. Hold on. I'm, like, really dry. You're

00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:08.599
always really dry, Steven. No, this is the end

00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:12.000
of the Steven with a cold. It's been the past

00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.639
like three or four weeks. A Steven cold trilogy?

00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:20.000
Yeah, but now I think I'm finally over it. And

00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:26.219
to celebrate. Hey. And to whet my whistle. That

00:03:26.219 --> 00:03:31.990
was probably awful. Anyway. Let's get this iron

00:03:31.990 --> 00:03:33.449
scape going. I'm going right into it because,

00:03:33.509 --> 00:03:37.969
honestly, my note page is massive. And I don't

00:03:37.969 --> 00:03:39.050
think we're going to get to it all today, but

00:03:39.050 --> 00:03:41.490
I so want to. No, you know we're going to get

00:03:41.490 --> 00:03:43.090
through like one line of it. We're going to get

00:03:43.090 --> 00:03:44.409
through one line of this note page. That's going

00:03:44.409 --> 00:03:45.530
to be it. It's going to be it. That happened

00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:51.550
last week, so hey. Here we go. You guys are in

00:03:51.550 --> 00:03:55.009
the preserve of the ancestors. And you are traveling

00:03:55.009 --> 00:03:58.210
to the north. Last we checked in, you were heading

00:03:58.210 --> 00:04:00.530
towards a rural town. And I don't believe those

00:04:00.530 --> 00:04:03.389
plans have changed. Am I correct? I don't think

00:04:03.389 --> 00:04:05.689
so. Yeah, let's head on to Aurora Town. Yeah.

00:04:06.009 --> 00:04:09.949
All right. Give me a moment, because I lost my

00:04:09.949 --> 00:04:11.669
map. I was going to say, I was like, was that

00:04:11.669 --> 00:04:14.830
not in your notes? Was that not in your extensive

00:04:14.830 --> 00:04:19.649
notes document? Look, my map is not in my notes

00:04:19.649 --> 00:04:23.839
document. It's in my notebook. You are such a

00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.699
mess. My map is not in my notes document. It's

00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:29.579
in my notebook. And my notebook is in my house.

00:04:30.019 --> 00:04:33.779
You put the map on Discord, actually. I also

00:04:33.779 --> 00:04:35.300
have it on my phone. Okay, I just want to get

00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:40.259
an idea. Okay. You guys are moving north. Soon

00:04:40.259 --> 00:04:44.319
the sandy dunes beneath your feet slope down,

00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:49.089
level out. and swiftly overtaken by grass, which

00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:51.129
grows and grows and grows to the point where

00:04:51.129 --> 00:04:53.889
you're running through this long grass or a savanna.

00:04:54.589 --> 00:04:56.790
Far ahead, you can see a sort of temperate forest.

00:04:57.009 --> 00:04:59.629
At the edge of this forest, where the savanna

00:04:59.629 --> 00:05:03.269
sort of meets it, you can see the heart of the

00:05:03.269 --> 00:05:06.850
citadel. You can see Auroral Town. Just these

00:05:06.850 --> 00:05:11.189
colorful spires of diamond jutting out from the

00:05:11.189 --> 00:05:15.189
sort of ground here, catching your eye, and you

00:05:15.189 --> 00:05:20.110
move. The savanna becomes rolling, hilly grasslands,

00:05:20.170 --> 00:05:22.550
much like the ones on God's Breath, as you have

00:05:22.550 --> 00:05:24.930
to cut. At some point, you basically see there's

00:05:24.930 --> 00:05:27.970
a river blocking your way, but a ways down it,

00:05:27.990 --> 00:05:29.850
there's a bridge heading towards the base of

00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:36.050
this larger sort of city inside this nature preserve.

00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:39.689
And so you cut down the river, go through this

00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:43.250
area that looks eerily like God's Breath, maybe

00:05:43.250 --> 00:05:48.339
far off on a hill. A jasper pecan tree. Just

00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:50.639
hanging out. It's all like, how you guys doing?

00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:57.920
And the ground shakes a little bit. And you move.

00:05:58.860 --> 00:06:03.600
As you go. I'll say this. Actually, give me an

00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:05.720
insight check. Let's do some dice rolling here.

00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:10.879
Oh. Alrighty. Insight, you say? Insight. Well,

00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:12.959
if you don't remember, I'm not great at that.

00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:18.720
Well. Zebulon's not great at that. That's a 10.

00:06:21.259 --> 00:06:27.639
That's a 14. 14, okay. Yes. Okay, Zebulon, Classic

00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:31.180
Zeb, you're kind of slow to catch this. Oh, dude,

00:06:31.259 --> 00:06:35.879
he's oblivious, like so enthralled by what's

00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:38.120
happening around him, just in awe of the beauty

00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.039
and the nature. He's following a butterfly. You

00:06:43.039 --> 00:06:45.759
catch a vague idea. Basically, John Franklin

00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:47.779
seems quiet. That's all you know. Doesn't really

00:06:47.779 --> 00:06:49.519
seem like anything more than he's just taking

00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:52.980
in the view, maybe. And then far ahead of you,

00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:57.399
you actually see Mesmerize and Grunt, who are

00:06:57.399 --> 00:06:58.620
kind of moving. You probably saw them as sort

00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:00.639
of dots moving along ahead of you this whole

00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:04.740
time. They actually stop and turn as if waiting.

00:07:05.980 --> 00:07:10.120
Jules, you read more into this. Okay. John Franklin

00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:16.110
is... With a 14, he's upset. Something is wrong,

00:07:16.129 --> 00:07:18.089
and he's been carrying something that seems like

00:07:18.089 --> 00:07:20.110
it's been weighing him down more and more ever

00:07:20.110 --> 00:07:24.029
since your scene earlier in the desert. Ever

00:07:24.029 --> 00:07:28.589
since you let Trace go, and he nodded. He wanted

00:07:28.589 --> 00:07:31.329
you to. And he just seems like he's been getting

00:07:31.329 --> 00:07:33.910
more and more brought down by this. Something's

00:07:33.910 --> 00:07:35.389
weighing on his mind, that's all I'll tell you.

00:07:35.810 --> 00:07:38.490
Apart from that, up ahead, you notice the same

00:07:38.490 --> 00:07:41.750
thing. The two figures ahead of you stop and

00:07:41.750 --> 00:07:47.009
wait, and you get the impression there's no danger

00:07:47.009 --> 00:07:50.589
in them, but there is something they want to

00:07:50.589 --> 00:07:52.810
talk to you about before you reach the town.

00:07:54.250 --> 00:07:56.269
You can do what you want with this information.

00:07:56.829 --> 00:08:00.230
All right, Jules will walk up and stand in between

00:08:00.230 --> 00:08:03.550
them, kind of looking out with them, not looking

00:08:03.550 --> 00:08:06.189
directly at them. Okay. Put his hands behind

00:08:06.189 --> 00:08:11.129
his back, kind of. sway back and forth. What's

00:08:11.129 --> 00:08:14.589
going on, guys? And this is to Yara and Grunt?

00:08:14.730 --> 00:08:19.329
Yes. So you move up, you stop to them. Yara is...

00:08:19.329 --> 00:08:24.490
She takes you in, then nods. I have been thinking.

00:08:25.569 --> 00:08:27.709
If I am to return to a rural town, if I am to

00:08:27.709 --> 00:08:31.930
be seen, all of the blackmail Rune has will be

00:08:31.930 --> 00:08:34.909
released. He will know if you are alive and I

00:08:34.909 --> 00:08:38.429
am alive, do we have come to terms? This cannot

00:08:38.429 --> 00:08:43.029
do. I must disappear. He must think you killed

00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:48.250
me. Grunt will be okay. Grunt can return. He

00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:51.570
cannot speak. Rune cannot ask him. Rune won't

00:08:51.570 --> 00:08:54.750
bother. He'll just simply assume I died, and

00:08:54.750 --> 00:08:56.590
that I'll be dead. I can vanish, and when the

00:08:56.590 --> 00:08:59.909
time comes to take him down, I will find you.

00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:03.509
We got you covered. I will need to go invisible.

00:09:04.509 --> 00:09:09.149
For that. And she gestures towards Zebulon. I

00:09:09.149 --> 00:09:13.029
will need my focus. I've never seen a butterfly

00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:17.889
with six wings. This place is incredible. Zebulon,

00:09:17.950 --> 00:09:20.970
focus. She needs to focus, so you need to focus.

00:09:22.149 --> 00:09:27.129
Oh, God. Dude, I really don't want to give this

00:09:27.129 --> 00:09:30.309
thing back. It's up to you. I mean, for her to,

00:09:30.330 --> 00:09:31.870
like, pull this off, she'll need to go invisible,

00:09:32.029 --> 00:09:33.590
basically just to get out of here without being

00:09:33.590 --> 00:09:37.620
seen. Rune's got eyes. And I mean not just his

00:09:37.620 --> 00:09:39.480
eyes. I mean other eyes. He's got eyes everywhere.

00:09:39.539 --> 00:09:43.360
You know what I mean? So why should we trust

00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:48.120
you and return this? So long as Rune has blackmail

00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.679
of me, I cannot return to being seen, to being

00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:57.259
alive. I have perhaps more interest in stopping

00:09:57.259 --> 00:10:00.899
him, in defeating him than you do. I do not like

00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:05.159
Rune. I do not want to work for Rune. But I have

00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:10.059
to. Not for me. For my people. Well, if I give

00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:14.500
you this, you can use it on us and drag our bodies

00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:17.139
back to Rune and say, Oh, look at what I did.

00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:20.559
Such a good thing, Master Rune. I think at this

00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:24.940
moment, Jules moves around to the other side

00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:28.860
of Grunt, takes off his glove, puts his hand

00:10:28.860 --> 00:10:31.700
onto Grunt's shoulder and says, This is just

00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:36.649
a precaution. Once we know you go, he's safe.

00:10:37.769 --> 00:10:41.570
She looks between you two. Eyes wary. You gotta

00:10:41.570 --> 00:10:46.090
understand. I don't want to, but... I understand.

00:10:46.809 --> 00:10:51.549
I do. This is cutthroat, but it's... I respect

00:10:51.549 --> 00:10:54.590
it. You will need to be cutthroat if you want

00:10:54.590 --> 00:10:58.029
to stop Rune. This isn't trying to be cutthroat.

00:10:58.070 --> 00:11:02.019
This is just to ensure our safety. Taking all

00:11:02.019 --> 00:11:06.039
my fun away, Jules. He fucking tosses the fucking

00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:12.720
wand to her feet. I'm sorry? She just very carefully

00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.360
lowers down. You know, I mean, you could have

00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.460
just, like, got changed. Maybe some new clothes.

00:11:20.659 --> 00:11:29.139
You kind of stick out like that. Why didn't you

00:11:29.139 --> 00:11:33.029
want me to have that? I'm not going to say anything.

00:11:33.149 --> 00:11:38.750
It's too late now. God. Fuck. Oh. Hang on. Hang

00:11:38.750 --> 00:11:41.970
on. It's too late for that now. Hang on. No,

00:11:42.110 --> 00:11:45.009
your invisibility doesn't work on her. Oh, it

00:11:45.009 --> 00:11:47.909
doesn't? It doesn't. It does. No, it's not. I

00:11:47.909 --> 00:11:50.009
just always do it on myself. He's done it to

00:11:50.009 --> 00:11:54.370
Chester. It's anybody. Really? But I used all

00:11:54.370 --> 00:11:56.970
of my spell slots in that last fight. Oh, shoot.

00:11:57.129 --> 00:12:01.700
So I don't have that anymore. No. Yeah. What?

00:12:01.899 --> 00:12:04.039
For Shower Touch, you get to use it without a

00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:06.399
spell slot once a day. Well, we already passed

00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:11.299
that point, so. I'm genuinely a little upset.

00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:14.480
Well, now I am, too. I can't believe I didn't

00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:17.240
think about that. Shit. Well, when you said you

00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:18.539
were pulling your glove off, that's what I thought

00:12:18.539 --> 00:12:19.980
you were doing, and then you were going over

00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:22.259
to grunt, and I was like, wait. Oh. That's the

00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:24.759
wrong one to cast it on. No, that was my fault.

00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.440
Whoops. Yara's like, all right, that's it. Blast

00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:30.940
you both. She's very careful. Oh, my God. Shit,

00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.440
son of a bitch. She's very carefully listed up.

00:12:34.100 --> 00:12:39.559
Fuck you, Yara. Use your formal name. It's Mesmerize.

00:12:40.899 --> 00:12:45.559
Mesmerize looks at you both. You have shown me

00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:53.129
a great kindness. I will repay it. I will. I

00:12:53.129 --> 00:12:57.090
will be watching you. I will smile slightly.

00:12:57.490 --> 00:13:00.309
Don't say it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't

00:13:00.309 --> 00:13:07.629
do it. I will have my eyes on you. Now I'm even

00:13:07.629 --> 00:13:11.230
more upset. God. And she vanishes. We're like

00:13:11.230 --> 00:13:13.529
five minutes into the most upsetting episode

00:13:13.529 --> 00:13:16.950
of Fantasy Pants. I'm bringing the funny now

00:13:16.950 --> 00:13:19.250
because we won't be laughing by the time this

00:13:19.250 --> 00:13:21.970
episode ends. Oh, okay. Yeah. Fuck you guys.

00:13:22.889 --> 00:13:26.570
Anyway, boom. She disappears. You see tracks.

00:13:27.110 --> 00:13:29.409
You see grass swaying as she moves, basically,

00:13:29.529 --> 00:13:33.429
over to Grunt. What was it worth? Taps on him.

00:13:34.070 --> 00:13:37.149
I mean, it's a focus. I don't know. I didn't

00:13:37.149 --> 00:13:39.570
actually research it. Oh, so you were just fucking

00:13:39.570 --> 00:13:41.490
with me. It might have been worth some money.

00:13:41.990 --> 00:13:44.850
It's a rare... Is it an antler from a rare beast

00:13:44.850 --> 00:13:47.169
from the world of Arnikik? Yeah, it's worth a

00:13:47.169 --> 00:13:49.889
lot. It was worth a hundred... Thousand gold.

00:13:50.190 --> 00:13:57.090
So... She taps Grunt. You hear a visible... And

00:13:57.090 --> 00:13:59.330
he just looks up. Did you just say you hear a

00:13:59.330 --> 00:14:01.690
visible tap -tap? Yes, he absolutely just did.

00:14:01.830 --> 00:14:04.210
That's what I heard. You hear a visible tap.

00:14:04.950 --> 00:14:12.070
Clean your ears. So... Grunt just... And... You

00:14:12.070 --> 00:14:14.990
see he reaches down and, like, picks something

00:14:14.990 --> 00:14:17.519
up. dropping and putting it onto his shoulder.

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:19.500
It's yard. She's miserable. You can't see what,

00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:22.639
but he was, he was our leverage to make sure

00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.059
she doesn't blast us. And now they're going to

00:14:25.059 --> 00:14:27.139
walk away together. That was the idea. They're

00:14:27.139 --> 00:14:29.659
going into hiding. She didn't blast you. She

00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:33.899
said that she was going to be fine. Since when

00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:35.860
are they going together? You said that he was

00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:38.850
going to, but she said. Jules, like, is keeping

00:14:38.850 --> 00:14:41.490
Grunt until... Yeah, Jules, like, put a gun to

00:14:41.490 --> 00:14:44.309
his head. It was like, you leave. I was holding

00:14:44.309 --> 00:14:47.309
him hostage until she's gone. Let's zip -zop,

00:14:47.350 --> 00:14:51.730
zippity -back. You see Grass sway. You hear,

00:14:51.750 --> 00:14:54.730
like, maybe a tap on Grunt. Maybe some whispered

00:14:54.730 --> 00:14:57.750
words you don't quite make out. And then Grass,

00:14:57.909 --> 00:15:01.110
as she begins to move away from you, going in

00:15:01.110 --> 00:15:04.149
the opposite direction. And Grunt just kind of

00:15:04.149 --> 00:15:06.190
looks over, his eyes sort of following the moving

00:15:06.190 --> 00:15:09.759
grass, and just says, Aye. And just looks back

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:15.019
at you. Aye. Kev pointing at your hand. I'll

00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:17.899
take my hand off. Aye. He just starts walking,

00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:20.620
like, slowly ahead of you. He's heading towards

00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:23.740
a rural town still. As Zebulon watches back,

00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:31.360
he just mutters, I fucking hate this town. It'll

00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:35.700
be over soon, Zeb. You know, Jules, I don't believe

00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:42.149
that. Not for a second. Well, we'll see how it

00:15:42.149 --> 00:15:45.830
goes. And you guys continue moving towards rural

00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:49.370
town? Yes. Yep. Now, one short of your party,

00:15:49.490 --> 00:15:54.789
you begin to move. You notice John Franklin lags

00:15:54.789 --> 00:15:57.009
behind for a moment, just watching the moving

00:15:57.009 --> 00:16:00.610
grass, watching the pathway that Mesmerize just

00:16:00.610 --> 00:16:05.309
took, looking far off. And with a shake of his

00:16:05.309 --> 00:16:09.100
head, he turns and runs back to you. As you press

00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:12.539
on, you see a... Zebulon didn't notice anything.

00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:15.720
Zebulon saw an eight -winged butterfly and lost

00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:17.740
his mind. Did you want me to talk to him now?

00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.440
No, it's eight -winged now. Six of them before,

00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:21.799
now it's an eight -winged one over there. Oh,

00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:24.799
damn. Yeah, it's crazy. Have you guys ever seen

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.639
an eight -winged butterfly? No, but I've seen

00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:30.659
a nine -winged. That's insane! I don't know,

00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:33.299
dude. You were kind of saying it slowly, like,

00:16:33.340 --> 00:16:34.799
do you want me to talk to John Franklin now?

00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:37.299
No, I just... making sure it's out there that

00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:38.879
you notice he's upset by something. You don't

00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.679
need to bring it up. I mean, you know he's a

00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:42.700
very volatile turtle. He might not like it if

00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:44.820
you bring it up. Sorry, turtle. We've discussed

00:16:44.820 --> 00:16:47.740
it before. Turtles are not turtles. Don't, don't

00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:50.500
even. Okay. Jeremy, that's completely up to you.

00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:53.759
This is a role -playing game. Yeah, exactly.

00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:55.919
Don't, don't, don't. When I do things like this,

00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:58.889
I'm not, it's honestly, it's for you guys. For

00:16:58.889 --> 00:17:00.389
the back of your mind, and also for the audience.

00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:02.409
It doesn't necessarily mean I'm like, get in

00:17:02.409 --> 00:17:04.730
here, lasso you into the scene. I think I'll

00:17:04.730 --> 00:17:08.529
let it simmer for right now. Okay. Given what

00:17:08.529 --> 00:17:10.690
just happened, just kind of let things settle

00:17:10.690 --> 00:17:14.410
a little bit. Okay. Tensions are high in the

00:17:14.410 --> 00:17:20.109
party. Yep. In many a ways. With that, you reach

00:17:20.109 --> 00:17:24.130
the edge of a rushing river, seeming to move

00:17:24.130 --> 00:17:28.529
from one sort of glacial bay to the east. To

00:17:28.529 --> 00:17:32.289
the more tropical bay that rims the sort of nature

00:17:32.289 --> 00:17:35.190
preserve. The inside of this diamond to the west.

00:17:35.430 --> 00:17:37.809
You see there's a singular bridge moving across

00:17:37.809 --> 00:17:42.069
it. A bridge that brings you to a rural town.

00:17:43.369 --> 00:17:46.230
The bridge itself is the first sign that things

00:17:46.230 --> 00:17:52.690
are different here. You see it is this crystalline

00:17:52.690 --> 00:17:57.559
structure. Strong and beautiful, ornate, with

00:17:57.559 --> 00:18:02.000
these sort of grand -looking edges to it. We'll

00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.660
call that the structure that kind of like, you

00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:06.940
know, builds up around the bridge. Like a wall.

00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:10.859
Yeah, it's a grand -looking wall. Bridge wall.

00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:16.200
A wall around a bridge? Like trusses? You see

00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.960
like crystalline cables running from like pillar

00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.599
to pillar all the way down this rather large

00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:25.460
river. And ahead of you, you just see this grand

00:18:25.460 --> 00:18:30.359
spectacle of light. And do you cross into a rural

00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:41.400
town? Yeah. Let's go. I love a rural town. Oh,

00:18:41.579 --> 00:18:46.380
yeah. You cross. I could live here. Wait, this

00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:49.630
is actually it? Oh, my God. You cross this bridge.

00:18:49.630 --> 00:18:52.849
I love it. And as you do, you watch this rapid

00:18:52.849 --> 00:18:55.809
shift as all surrounding nature is drowned out.

00:18:55.910 --> 00:18:59.730
And you step onto rough diamond streets shimmering

00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:02.740
with multicolored lights. Ahead and around you

00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:06.059
stands a mess of diamond domes, towers, and blocks.

00:19:06.420 --> 00:19:08.619
You see thick diamond cables seem to connect

00:19:08.619 --> 00:19:11.079
these buildings overhead where strings of luminance

00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:14.579
and text swims from structure to structure running

00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:17.420
through these cables. Constant spread of information

00:19:17.420 --> 00:19:20.160
running between every building in town where

00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:24.000
anyone can see. You see Atash discover Silent

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:28.299
Roar base. Captures 20 members. You see Sereno

00:19:28.299 --> 00:19:31.660
claim six more victims on San Satyan. You see

00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:34.559
benefactors send aid to families of God's breath

00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.680
tragedy. Just these snippets of news running

00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:40.339
all over the place before your eyes. All around

00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:42.859
you, the world is alive with swirling, vibrant

00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:46.240
color. Every facet of every building shimmers

00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.720
with it. Great spotlights dance in the air above

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:52.559
you. Frozen images of advertisements and posing

00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.519
luminaries greet your eyes at every corner. As

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:57.700
well as live feeds of the network itself, which

00:19:57.700 --> 00:20:00.059
is currently running a special. discussing the

00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:02.140
Mighty Pig Man's upcoming Lucha Libre challenge.

00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:04.920
There are not nearly as many people here as you

00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:06.900
would see in the outside, said Elle, and the

00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:10.539
ones you do see are very, very different. There

00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:12.680
are folks in white robes who seem rushed and

00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:15.559
frantic as they moved down the street, hurrying

00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:17.740
past well -addressed folk with easy smiles that

00:20:17.740 --> 00:20:21.180
just don't seem to touch their eyes. And almost

00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:24.539
nobody here seems to pay any mind to the luminaries.

00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:28.140
You see them here and there, moving between buildings

00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:30.619
or leaning against diamond walls. Figures who

00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:34.240
just stand out, wearing colorful attire and wielding

00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.400
impressive weapons and accessories. Many have

00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:38.319
their outfits or shields adorned by symbols,

00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:40.299
either representing themselves and their own

00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:43.359
sort of personal brand or their patron businesses,

00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:45.480
which, hey, may be something for you guys to

00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.960
consider. These folks seem more laid back and

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.960
casual here than they ever seem outside of this

00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:52.880
place. The luminaries just seem less big. They

00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.319
seem less grand. They're just people here. And

00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:59.599
you are in this place. You are in these streets.

00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:02.359
It is a world like you've never seen before.

00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:05.640
Every time your eyes catch those cables, music

00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:09.740
sort of erupts, playing in your ears. Whenever

00:21:09.740 --> 00:21:13.759
you can see the text, it's just... It's Aurora

00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.880
Town, baby. I feel like we just walked into,

00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:19.680
like, fantasy Los Angeles. Yeah, that's such

00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.299
an upsetting... idea that like if you can see

00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:26.140
the rolling text then the accompanying music

00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:30.319
it's like a just a constant like bullshit social

00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:36.599
media feed yep yeah I imagine Jules is he's getting

00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:39.880
really overstimulated right now it has to be

00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:44.180
a lot I mean this is your eyes look around and

00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:47.500
you realize like it's luminaries it's crystal

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:50.859
network like higher ups and sort of the sort

00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:52.799
of magical architects who work on things behind

00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:55.079
the scenes, who can actually work with the diamonds,

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:57.759
the auroral diamonds, sort of secret, magical,

00:21:57.900 --> 00:22:02.839
very powerful features. It's the elite. This

00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:04.960
is where the speakers for the ancestors live

00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:07.279
and their personal staff and families. This is

00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:11.339
the elite of the elite. Hidden gem inside the

00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:13.940
auroral diamond. I expected this to be a little

00:22:13.940 --> 00:22:17.079
more sacred. We're rubbing elbows now, Jules,

00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:21.460
with the... makers and the shakers of the world.

00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:25.259
You liking this, Zeb? This is where everything's

00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:30.440
going to happen. Jules puts his face in his palm.

00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:35.039
Oh, God, what are we doing? Zeb grabs him by

00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.059
the shoulder. Come on, Jules, can't you see it?

00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:42.339
Our names up on those lines. You don't know I

00:22:42.339 --> 00:22:45.740
can see it. A voice cuts in. Whoa, jeez. And

00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:48.339
just behind you, you see us sort of heading your

00:22:48.339 --> 00:22:51.420
way, sort of pushing out of a building and beaming.

00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.779
Storyteller Oren. See, y 'all made it. Took you

00:22:55.779 --> 00:22:57.819
a little longer than I thought. Oren, this place

00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:02.119
is incredible. Hey, isn't that right? Wow. So

00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:04.259
many, I mean, there's a lot of diamonds. So many

00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:07.420
diamonds. It's a far cry from God's breath, huh?

00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:09.660
Yeah, I mean. Takes some getting used to. Are

00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:12.980
any of these, like, coming loose, or? No, in

00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:15.680
fact, it's, Near indestructible. You can't break

00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:19.019
any part of this town. I have no idea. No one

00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:21.779
does how Kejau Kamal managed to mold the diamond

00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:24.680
the way he does. No one can do it still. I mean,

00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:26.559
after discovering the network way, way back when,

00:23:26.619 --> 00:23:29.119
I mean, man's incredible. That's why he's a legend.

00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.519
But, hey, nothing about the past. Let's talk

00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:35.500
about your future, huh? Yeah, let's, um, yeah,

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:38.720
take us, um, you know, wherever. So y 'all met

00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.940
the Incarnate then, right? Yeah. Yeah, not without

00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:46.339
a little bit of trouble. What do you mean? Getting

00:23:46.339 --> 00:23:49.720
like you? Well, that's not really, I mean, no,

00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:55.480
but we had a bit of a tussle out there. There

00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:59.660
was sort of an ambush. Who the hell ambushed

00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:06.440
you? Do you know Rune Rasong? His features darken

00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:08.980
at the name. Y 'all didn't get mixed up with

00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:12.019
Rune, did you? Tell me y 'all didn't get mixed

00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:14.519
up with Rune. Whatever he offered you, it ain't

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:26.500
worth it. No, that's the reason. That was fast.

00:24:26.940 --> 00:24:32.099
That was very quick. All right. No, we didn't

00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:33.940
get in with him, and that's why he's after us.

00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:39.079
I see. Well, we need to talk. Zeb shoots Jules

00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:42.099
a look. Yeah, he just doesn't like us for some

00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:46.160
reason. I mean, Orin looks very troubled. He's

00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:47.960
just kind of shaking his, you know, scratching

00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:52.519
at his beard. Yeah. But... This ain't good. Rune,

00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.299
let's just say he knows a lot of people in high

00:24:55.299 --> 00:25:00.000
places. Luminaries and such. Well, we sent those

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:02.339
lackeys packing, just like the rest of them.

00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:06.140
Jules shoots Zebulon the same look. I mean, we

00:25:06.140 --> 00:25:11.329
kicked some serious ass. I should be worried

00:25:11.329 --> 00:25:13.730
about y 'all. I can see if you're getting some

00:25:13.730 --> 00:25:15.130
kind of guard or something. I don't know what

00:25:15.130 --> 00:25:17.970
I can really do, but... I think we're good for

00:25:17.970 --> 00:25:21.029
now, but he might come back. Yeah, Zeb shrugs

00:25:21.029 --> 00:25:23.430
his shoulders. We don't need no stinking guard.

00:25:25.589 --> 00:25:30.029
Please. Well, all right, all right. I mean, yes,

00:25:30.029 --> 00:25:32.789
y 'all are my guard, so who am I to send people

00:25:32.789 --> 00:25:35.109
to help you? I know if I'm in danger, I'm calling

00:25:35.109 --> 00:25:38.609
you guys. Just be careful, all right? Stay wary.

00:25:39.150 --> 00:25:42.869
He's got some big allies. Yeah, let us take care

00:25:42.869 --> 00:25:45.670
of Rune, but if you hear anything, you know,

00:25:45.670 --> 00:25:49.789
give us a heads up. All right. Now, I think it's

00:25:49.789 --> 00:25:52.329
time we got you all your passports. Soon you

00:25:52.329 --> 00:25:54.009
become full -fledged luminaries. You got all

00:25:54.009 --> 00:25:56.049
your paperwork, you know, eyes dotted, teeth

00:25:56.049 --> 00:26:00.170
crossed. You'll be a lot safer then. Yeah, we've

00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:02.289
got places to go. How long is this going to take?

00:26:02.710 --> 00:26:05.630
Not long at all. Actually, again, I've been...

00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:08.240
Called up to be your guide through here. Well,

00:26:08.420 --> 00:26:11.460
next step is... I don't know how y 'all gonna

00:26:11.460 --> 00:26:15.000
feel about this. But, uh... You gotta meet with

00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:17.279
a speaker from your world. They're in office

00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:20.839
right now. Hours are open. They've got your passports.

00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:24.059
They've got your papers. I am not looking forward

00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:28.960
to this. Neither am I. Fuck. Can we, like, show

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:33.779
up? Or... Pray that ain't part of the deal. And

00:26:33.779 --> 00:26:37.069
I wanna meet you with y 'all alone. I was just

00:26:37.069 --> 00:26:39.730
going to ask if we can go together. Is that normal?

00:26:39.970 --> 00:26:43.450
Oh, my God. Normally it's the case, but they

00:26:43.450 --> 00:26:48.049
were very firm about it. Y 'all are supposed

00:26:48.049 --> 00:26:52.190
to go alone. Well, I mean, we could just show

00:26:52.190 --> 00:26:55.289
up. Yeah, why not? What are they going to do,

00:26:55.349 --> 00:27:00.410
kill us? Jules will give Zeb a little nudge with

00:27:00.410 --> 00:27:06.180
his elbow. They can try. You know it. Um, John

00:27:06.180 --> 00:27:08.900
Franklin just, like, immediately perks up at

00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:14.980
all this, just, yes, yes, finally, my goal's

00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:18.359
at hand. Where are we going? I must see to this

00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:21.740
now. John, are you going to be good? Oh, I'll

00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:25.339
be more than good. Finally, finally, I can pass

00:27:25.339 --> 00:27:29.220
on the, well, the information I have. Finally,

00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:33.279
I can bring justice to those who've, well, brought

00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:37.380
dishonor. To my world and my house. Gentlemen,

00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:38.740
we can come with you. I don't care about what

00:27:38.740 --> 00:27:41.259
these people have to say. At the very least,

00:27:41.259 --> 00:27:44.359
we can wait outside the door. No. You've done

00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:47.779
enough for me already. This is my glory. And

00:27:47.779 --> 00:27:51.500
I... I'd like to be alone anyway. For a moment.

00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:57.700
Look at my eyes. What? What? They're very nice

00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:05.099
eyes. Are you... gonna be good? Absolutely. Make

00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:07.440
sure you take a short rest. Can I roll a check

00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:14.119
on that? Sure. Roll insight. 17. There is a major

00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:17.380
conflict playing out somewhere behind those eyes,

00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.400
but he doesn't feel concerned about this meeting.

00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:26.380
This meeting he has every confidence in. He thinks

00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:28.900
he's going to go in there and drop whatever bomb

00:28:28.900 --> 00:28:30.500
he's going to drop, and it's all going to play

00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:33.450
out perfectly. What's bothering him? Is not that.

00:28:34.170 --> 00:28:38.009
Okay. Jules won't press it any further. So, Jean,

00:28:38.049 --> 00:28:42.490
just very eagerly. By the stadium, correct? Or,

00:28:42.670 --> 00:28:45.869
yeah, you know a lot about this place. I've been

00:28:45.869 --> 00:28:48.849
preparing for some time now. Well, I'm not getting

00:28:48.849 --> 00:28:52.349
a passport, but they will meet with me, yes?

00:28:53.490 --> 00:28:57.150
Yeah. They'll meet with you. All right, then.

00:28:57.750 --> 00:29:00.589
And I think it just turns back to you guys. Good

00:29:00.589 --> 00:29:08.609
luck. You too, friend. He walks away. Nice. I

00:29:08.609 --> 00:29:12.170
try to make moments. I try to make moments, and

00:29:12.170 --> 00:29:18.789
this is what I get. You guys are left. You see

00:29:18.789 --> 00:29:21.890
Jean moving. You see there's a very large, you

00:29:21.890 --> 00:29:23.890
saw away too, there's a large amphitheater, like

00:29:23.890 --> 00:29:25.630
stadium structure sort of at the very center

00:29:25.630 --> 00:29:28.480
point of this town, and Jean is... beelining

00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:30.859
for that, pushing people out of the way ahead

00:29:30.859 --> 00:29:32.339
of them. People are running past me, just, boom,

00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:33.940
knocks them to the side, like, out of my way!

00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:37.240
Well, so wait, aren't we going the same way?

00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:40.180
Yeah, are they all in the same place? You could

00:29:40.180 --> 00:29:44.319
ask. Or are they all in the same place? It's

00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.319
like one of those things where we say goodbye

00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:48.359
and then we walk in the same direction. Oh, you

00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:51.039
just, yeah, you see the amphitheater there. That's

00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:52.740
the meeting place for the speakers of the ancestors.

00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:55.019
It's sort of the main focal point for the, uh,

00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:57.789
well, the auroral diamond's power. It's where

00:29:57.789 --> 00:30:00.109
you can activate a lot of the deeper functions

00:30:00.109 --> 00:30:03.210
of this place. Holy shit. All around it, the

00:30:03.210 --> 00:30:06.390
buildings you'll see, those are the 25 sort of

00:30:06.390 --> 00:30:09.950
manors that belong to the speakers. They all

00:30:09.950 --> 00:30:15.269
live close. And so we have to go right now. Y

00:30:15.269 --> 00:30:17.710
'all can take your time if you want. Just get

00:30:17.710 --> 00:30:20.250
there before nightfall. Why before nightfall?

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:22.319
Because then they're not open. They're sleeping.

00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:24.480
The speakers go to sleep, too. Oh, it's not like

00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:26.720
a vampire zombie. He literally said they're open

00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.519
right now. Okay. It's not 24 -7, sort of. No,

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:33.160
people have to sleep, Zip. Even the speakers?

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:40.220
Yeah, even. What? Oren walks away. He's walking

00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:45.700
to the amphitheater. Some guy. Come on. All right,

00:30:45.720 --> 00:30:48.819
George. Let's get this over with. Let's go do

00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:52.900
it. All right. You push down these streets, take

00:30:52.900 --> 00:30:56.720
it in the light show, and I think in a blur,

00:30:56.900 --> 00:30:59.640
you find yourself standing at the edge of this

00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:02.480
amphitheater, looking around this sort of open

00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:04.759
plaza that surrounds it and a number of, like,

00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:08.259
larger structures, all of them very differently

00:31:08.259 --> 00:31:11.240
shaped. You see a couple of, like, larger -looking

00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:14.890
domes, more squared -out sort of buildings. There's

00:31:14.890 --> 00:31:17.849
one that's very tall, a large sort of pointed

00:31:17.849 --> 00:31:20.049
diamond structure, taller than the rest, but

00:31:20.049 --> 00:31:24.450
like narrower as well. And Oren points to that

00:31:24.450 --> 00:31:28.690
and says, there be yours, Jules. You see on the

00:31:28.690 --> 00:31:31.349
far other end, basically, almost the polar opposite

00:31:31.349 --> 00:31:33.190
side, as you're kind of approaching this stadium

00:31:33.190 --> 00:31:35.190
from the front, he points to the east side of

00:31:35.190 --> 00:31:38.789
the stadium for the spire that belongs to Cirilla

00:31:38.789 --> 00:31:43.500
LaRoche. LaRoche. Let's get this right now. I

00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:45.880
forgot that she's the fucking speaker. Yeah.

00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:48.180
Oh, for real? God damn. Oh, this is going to

00:31:48.180 --> 00:31:50.299
be bad. That was the whole, you know. I know.

00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:52.599
I just, it's something that slipped my mind.

00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:54.940
Oh, my goodness. This is going to be bad. Yeah.

00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:57.319
This is bad. And I'll say, while Cyrillus is

00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:02.519
the tallest, Choles is the biggest. He gestures

00:32:02.519 --> 00:32:06.940
to the west, to this grand, gigantic, sort of

00:32:06.940 --> 00:32:12.119
dome -shaped structure, just almost dwarfing

00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:15.750
the other ones. And gestures. That's yours, Zeb.

00:32:16.210 --> 00:32:20.329
Your grandmother's waiting. Zeb, like, swallows

00:32:20.329 --> 00:32:26.569
real hard. All right. Well, I guess I hope I

00:32:26.569 --> 00:32:29.170
come out with a passport. Jules is going to pull

00:32:29.170 --> 00:32:33.109
Zeb in for a hug. Be strong, Zeb. Pat on the

00:32:33.109 --> 00:32:37.910
back. You be strong. Yeah, thanks. Oren's getting

00:32:37.910 --> 00:32:40.630
in on that. Oh. Are we like this yet? Are we

00:32:40.630 --> 00:32:44.009
close like this? Oh, thanks. Yeah. All right.

00:32:44.150 --> 00:32:48.049
Nice. Thanks for, you're a good guide. Yeah,

00:32:48.049 --> 00:32:51.829
Jules will pull him in too. Jules will get him

00:32:51.829 --> 00:32:55.049
in on this group hug. This might be the last

00:32:55.049 --> 00:32:57.069
time we all see each other. Yeah, right, exactly,

00:32:57.170 --> 00:33:00.190
yeah. Let's rip this band -aid off and then get

00:33:00.190 --> 00:33:04.500
to Saint -Étienne. Hugged you tight. Let's go

00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:06.259
for a second. Oh, wait, one more. Give this to

00:33:06.259 --> 00:33:08.819
Kiana for me. Give you another hug. Oh, yes.

00:33:09.220 --> 00:33:14.400
Okay. I love you guys. That's a long hug. You're

00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:20.599
a long hugger. Oh, we're so unhinged because

00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:23.220
we all know so much bad is about to happen. Is

00:33:23.220 --> 00:33:27.660
that chandelier? I feel like, yeah, at this point

00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:30.079
we're stalling and I'm okay with that. Even I'm

00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:33.619
stalling. I have the notes. And I'm stalling.

00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:38.079
He steps back and gives you a nod. What are you

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:40.660
guys doing? You have two different directions

00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:43.779
for your two different objectives. I think we've

00:33:43.779 --> 00:33:47.579
said enough. Yeah. I think Jules just nods and

00:33:47.579 --> 00:33:52.619
turns around and starts walking in. Okay. We'll

00:33:52.619 --> 00:33:55.500
cut the music for just a moment here. I want

00:33:55.500 --> 00:34:00.059
to know, and you can tell me, who's going first?

00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:04.180
Isn't this a same time sort of... Rock, paper,

00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:07.299
scissors? I mean, who's opening scene first?

00:34:07.339 --> 00:34:10.500
I thought you meant like... I'm asking the players.

00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:13.440
Let's flip this pick from Hooli Forge. Oh, yeah.

00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:17.139
There we go. Perfect. All right, the makers mark

00:34:17.139 --> 00:34:19.980
his heads, blank his tails. All right, you call

00:34:19.980 --> 00:34:24.460
it. No, it's your pick. Zeb his heads, Jules

00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:31.320
his tails. God damn it. Jules is going in first.

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:37.519
Oh, thank fuck. All right, then. Jules, you move

00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:42.860
around this theater, approaching this crystalline

00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:45.639
spire. The first thing that catches your attention

00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:49.539
is that there are two men standing outside the

00:34:49.539 --> 00:34:51.719
one sort of singular entrance coming off the

00:34:51.719 --> 00:34:55.500
main sort of thoroughfare here. You see one is

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:59.190
a LaRoche family guard in fine plate armor. in

00:34:59.190 --> 00:35:02.789
a blue and white tabard. And the other is a very

00:35:02.789 --> 00:35:07.130
familiar man wearing shield -bearer brass. And

00:35:07.130 --> 00:35:09.969
you know, the one that's sort of facing you now,

00:35:10.110 --> 00:35:16.110
face locked in a scowl, is Jessenth Kellig. His

00:35:16.110 --> 00:35:22.449
eyes locked onto you as you get closer and closer.

00:35:23.570 --> 00:35:30.340
Jules? Ever the rat? And here you are, crawling

00:35:30.340 --> 00:35:33.980
out from the darkness. And you're going to regret

00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:38.440
crawling out where you can be seen. Looks like

00:35:38.440 --> 00:35:40.460
you're still trying to crawl out from your...

00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:53.239
Got him. From your butt. What? Never in my life!

00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:56.380
Well, look where I'm at now. Looks like you're

00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:58.420
still trying to crawl out of whatever swamp you

00:35:58.420 --> 00:36:03.559
came from. I'm a luminary. What are you? His

00:36:03.559 --> 00:36:07.579
face just kind of goes red. And there's something

00:36:07.579 --> 00:36:10.699
so defeated about him. You have to wonder, I

00:36:10.699 --> 00:36:15.380
mean, after his last showing, getting sent away

00:36:15.380 --> 00:36:19.619
by Arhalon, losing a letter. A very precious

00:36:19.619 --> 00:36:21.639
letter carrying some very precious information.

00:36:22.510 --> 00:36:25.630
What has happened to him since? His eyes just

00:36:25.630 --> 00:36:29.969
lock on you. Luckily for you, this isn't about

00:36:29.969 --> 00:36:35.989
us. But I'll have my day. Brother! He turns around,

00:36:36.010 --> 00:36:39.469
snapping at the man behind him. And you look

00:36:39.469 --> 00:36:42.449
up to see the LaRoche guard in plate armor who

00:36:42.449 --> 00:36:45.530
stands at the door. Cirilla's personal guard.

00:36:46.030 --> 00:36:48.750
And I would like you to describe this character,

00:36:48.929 --> 00:36:54.219
Jeremy. Jules is looking at... Dresden Kellig.

00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:59.480
He's a pretty tall, fit gentleman. Long, brown,

00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:03.599
greasy hair. You know, he's seen a lot of, you

00:37:03.599 --> 00:37:06.059
know, seen a lot of shit. Doesn't keep himself

00:37:06.059 --> 00:37:08.480
up all that much. He's got an eye patch over

00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:12.599
his left eye, which covers, clearly, a large

00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:15.820
wound. There's a scar that he has from the top

00:37:15.820 --> 00:37:18.579
of the left of his forehead all the way down

00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:21.480
under the eye patch, all the way down to his

00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:24.420
chin. Wow. And you can kind of... I'll leave

00:37:24.420 --> 00:37:26.300
it up to the imagination what it looks like under

00:37:26.300 --> 00:37:30.920
the eyepatch. Ooh. Yeah. That's all I got right

00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:35.199
now. Who got the looks in the family here? Oh,

00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:37.579
Dresden. Dresden's still got the looks. I read

00:37:37.579 --> 00:37:39.199
Dresden that's kind of like the... I mean, for

00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:44.019
Marvel fans, picture Bucky. Ooh, yeah. And that's

00:37:44.019 --> 00:37:47.420
exactly who... the image that came into my mind

00:37:47.420 --> 00:37:50.460
when I think of Dresden. All right. All right.

00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:53.159
You know. Bucky with an eye patch and a large

00:37:53.159 --> 00:37:56.300
scar going down the left side of his face. That's

00:37:56.300 --> 00:37:59.960
it. Jethens just like turns to his brother, makes

00:37:59.960 --> 00:38:01.800
a gesture with his hand, very aggressive, just

00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:05.500
sort of wiping the air with you. Sort of storms

00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:09.500
off to the side. As he does so, you catch Dresden's

00:38:09.500 --> 00:38:13.760
eyes. As he opens his hand up towards the door,

00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:17.719
pressing a certain spot, whispering some unheard

00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:22.539
word, the door begins to open. And your eyes

00:38:22.539 --> 00:38:28.619
move instinctively to his other hand, where in

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:32.099
a brief second, a flash so fast it's barely registered,

00:38:32.280 --> 00:38:36.260
you see he raises two fingers and puts them away.

00:38:37.139 --> 00:38:43.079
An old sign. Two enemies ahead. And he simply

00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:50.389
nods towards you. The door opens. Jules gives

00:38:50.389 --> 00:38:56.610
Dresden a nod and walks in. All right. You move

00:38:56.610 --> 00:39:03.570
past him into this spire. As you step in, you

00:39:03.570 --> 00:39:06.909
can see maybe there's some staff inside that

00:39:06.909 --> 00:39:08.650
kind of like wave you a certain direction. You

00:39:08.650 --> 00:39:12.050
look into this room that's just so lavishly furnished.

00:39:12.710 --> 00:39:16.019
Just... Paintings of all sorts hanging up on

00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:18.699
these sort of crystalline walls. You see a great

00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:21.659
staircase moving up in the middle to higher floors.

00:39:22.579 --> 00:39:26.179
But you are gestured to a room straight in the

00:39:26.179 --> 00:39:30.619
back. A private office. Where Serlo would have

00:39:30.619 --> 00:39:34.400
her meetings. I keep going. I don't think I look

00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:37.159
around at the lavishness. I think my face is

00:39:37.159 --> 00:39:39.880
straightforward the entire way. Hell yeah. I

00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:41.679
don't give a shit. You push through this room.

00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:45.260
Move to the back. Another servant at the door

00:39:45.260 --> 00:39:48.380
sees you. Whispers his own command word, touching

00:39:48.380 --> 00:39:51.340
a similar spot on this door. And again, slides

00:39:51.340 --> 00:39:57.199
open. And you see your cousin up close for the

00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:01.079
first time in how long? I don't remember how

00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:03.019
long it's been. Did we discuss this? I don't

00:40:03.019 --> 00:40:04.280
think we ever did. I don't think we ever did.

00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:08.760
I think it's probably been probably at least

00:40:08.760 --> 00:40:12.019
a few years before I left. So, I mean, we were

00:40:12.019 --> 00:40:16.619
probably around, you know, 10. Yeah. Maybe. She

00:40:16.619 --> 00:40:19.619
was a bully then, and she's a bully now. Yeah.

00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:22.500
And you've said it before, she is the spitting

00:40:22.500 --> 00:40:25.400
image of your mother, just a younger, maybe less

00:40:25.400 --> 00:40:30.000
fierce version. She's always had this hate for

00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.800
you. You were always so damn special. And you

00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.719
can see that same hatred now. Her eyes are cold

00:40:37.719 --> 00:40:41.199
as she sits behind her desk. A lavish chair.

00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:44.420
A number of, like, files and such revolve to

00:40:44.420 --> 00:40:49.199
one side. Fine brandies and a little stand on

00:40:49.199 --> 00:40:56.480
one side. And she speaks. Come in, Jules. Nice

00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:59.360
desk you got there. She doesn't rise to it, just

00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:02.719
waits pleasantly until you step through the threshold.

00:41:03.099 --> 00:41:07.920
I step through. Okay. You step through the door

00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:15.590
behind you. closes that smile drops your eyes

00:41:15.590 --> 00:41:18.530
look down just in front of her there is a couple

00:41:18.530 --> 00:41:20.829
papers just resting on the desk one looks like

00:41:20.829 --> 00:41:23.550
a little like leather almost like a little wallet

00:41:23.550 --> 00:41:27.030
resting on top of uh some larger certificate

00:41:27.030 --> 00:41:29.150
or something you know that's what you're here

00:41:29.150 --> 00:41:32.130
for she's got a hand resting on top of it wanting

00:41:32.130 --> 00:41:36.030
for all the world never to let you touch it why

00:41:36.030 --> 00:41:40.230
don't you take a seat Jules. Jules will walk

00:41:40.230 --> 00:41:43.369
up slowly, and he's not going to sit in the chair.

00:41:44.409 --> 00:41:46.150
He's going to lean on the back with his elbows.

00:41:46.730 --> 00:41:50.170
So you're, like, leaning on the desk? No, I'm

00:41:50.170 --> 00:41:54.190
standing behind the chair, leaning forward with

00:41:54.190 --> 00:41:57.050
my elbows on the back of the chair. Okay. There's

00:41:57.050 --> 00:41:58.889
a long moment. You guys just staring at each

00:41:58.889 --> 00:42:03.550
other. She raises an eyebrow and smiles. Well,

00:42:03.610 --> 00:42:07.550
where is it? Didn't you promise you were going

00:42:07.550 --> 00:42:10.429
to kill me? And now you've found your way into

00:42:10.429 --> 00:42:13.789
my office. Here you are. I didn't give you a

00:42:13.789 --> 00:42:19.590
timetable. Ever the comedian. You do have the

00:42:19.590 --> 00:42:24.210
worst jokes. Jules the Roche. Luminary for the

00:42:24.210 --> 00:42:28.590
Citadel. Hero of God's Breath? That's funny.

00:42:30.030 --> 00:42:31.789
Yeah, you never saw that one coming, did you?

00:42:32.590 --> 00:42:38.159
No. No, I didn't. It's grimacing. It won't last.

00:42:38.780 --> 00:42:40.699
You think you have what it takes to make it in

00:42:40.699 --> 00:42:45.880
this city? You have no idea what it takes. What

00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:49.539
it's already taken from me. You'll go gallivanting

00:42:49.539 --> 00:42:54.099
off to your little people. You'll run away, screaming.

00:42:54.659 --> 00:42:56.679
All those little people are bigger than you're

00:42:56.679 --> 00:42:59.460
ever going to be. I... She stands up from her

00:42:59.460 --> 00:43:02.039
chair just like, I will not... And she freezes.

00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:08.590
And her eyes... furious at you, change an instant.

00:43:09.389 --> 00:43:11.449
Can I roll a perception check to see who else

00:43:11.449 --> 00:43:17.190
is in the room? You can. It's only a 12. That's

00:43:17.190 --> 00:43:21.929
enough for you to see that her eyes go wide with

00:43:21.929 --> 00:43:28.010
fear. Fuck! They move not to you, but beyond

00:43:28.010 --> 00:43:31.829
your shoulder. Yep. And you hear a soft footstep

00:43:31.829 --> 00:43:35.900
on the diamond floor. And before you can react,

00:43:36.139 --> 00:43:40.099
I need you to make a wisdom saving throw. Uh

00:43:40.099 --> 00:43:43.460
-oh. This is not good. No. This is not good at

00:43:43.460 --> 00:43:50.380
all. It lands down now. Oh, my. Eight on the

00:43:50.380 --> 00:43:56.300
die. Minus two. How does Jules react when he

00:43:56.300 --> 00:43:59.460
realizes there's someone behind him? When he

00:43:59.460 --> 00:44:03.369
realizes who is behind him? He doesn't look because

00:44:03.369 --> 00:44:05.929
he knows who's behind him. So you stay in the

00:44:05.929 --> 00:44:09.090
same position? Still leaning on that chair? The

00:44:09.090 --> 00:44:12.650
cool principal position. Yes. No, that would

00:44:12.650 --> 00:44:16.289
be like putting my leg, putting my foot on the

00:44:16.289 --> 00:44:18.250
butt of the chair, lifting my leg up, hiking

00:44:18.250 --> 00:44:21.570
my pants up. I call that the cool gym teacher.

00:44:23.349 --> 00:44:26.510
That's accurate. I'll say this. He doesn't turn

00:44:26.510 --> 00:44:30.110
his body around. He looks over his shoulder.

00:44:30.809 --> 00:44:35.989
And just glares sideways out his eyes. You do

00:44:35.989 --> 00:44:40.710
this. And then your body is frozen. Of course

00:44:40.710 --> 00:44:43.070
it is. As you are under the effects of Hold Person.

00:44:44.090 --> 00:44:48.389
You see a hand outstretched, slender, white fingers

00:44:48.389 --> 00:44:53.269
glowing with magical energy. And Cerise LaRoche,

00:44:53.429 --> 00:44:59.309
with this easy, calm smile, steps out from the

00:44:59.309 --> 00:45:03.730
back of the room. Her body becoming visible as

00:45:03.730 --> 00:45:07.750
she had been cloaked before in a very similar

00:45:07.750 --> 00:45:14.090
magic to the one you actively use. Jules. Oh,

00:45:14.190 --> 00:45:21.949
Jules. Finally. Your body is locked tight. You

00:45:21.949 --> 00:45:26.570
cannot move your mouth. You can only glare. And

00:45:26.570 --> 00:45:31.550
her eyes flicker from you back to Cirilla. Cirilla,

00:45:31.550 --> 00:45:35.769
leave us. Cirilla just, you can't see her now.

00:45:35.829 --> 00:45:37.710
She's, you know, behind where you're facing.

00:45:37.789 --> 00:45:40.909
You can hear her almost like with some upset,

00:45:41.010 --> 00:45:45.530
just standing up. He's, he's nothing. We don't

00:45:45.530 --> 00:45:50.329
need him. I'm the one who, leave us. Without

00:45:50.329 --> 00:45:54.010
another word, just a long, agonized breath. You

00:45:54.010 --> 00:45:56.550
can hear your cousin just moving swiftly out

00:45:56.550 --> 00:46:00.170
of the room. A whispered word. An open door.

00:46:00.989 --> 00:46:03.849
And then... Did I hear what the whispered word

00:46:03.849 --> 00:46:08.030
was? Or can I roll for it? Go ahead and roll

00:46:08.030 --> 00:46:10.250
for it. Go ahead and roll for it. Go roll perception.

00:46:10.630 --> 00:46:14.929
Okay. Nah, probably not going to do it. It's

00:46:14.929 --> 00:46:17.170
a 10. Yeah, you don't quite make it out. Maybe

00:46:17.170 --> 00:46:21.110
there's an S to start off. The rest was too quiet.

00:46:21.710 --> 00:46:24.289
Okay. I'd like you to make another save. It's

00:46:24.289 --> 00:46:28.329
been long enough for you to try again. Nope.

00:46:28.650 --> 00:46:31.869
Three on the die, minus two. You try to fight

00:46:31.869 --> 00:46:35.769
these invisible bonds holding you, but your mother

00:46:35.769 --> 00:46:41.449
steps forward, moves right up to you, places

00:46:41.449 --> 00:46:46.090
a slender hand against your neck, taking in your

00:46:46.090 --> 00:46:50.210
face, a hand that you know is so much stronger

00:46:50.210 --> 00:46:59.559
than it looks. Jules, you are magnificent. Absolutely

00:46:59.559 --> 00:47:04.719
beautiful. I can sense it. Your power has grown

00:47:04.719 --> 00:47:10.699
so much. Her hand trails down your arm to your

00:47:10.699 --> 00:47:15.280
glove on your hand, and she just squeezes. And

00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:18.900
just, like, almost just takes in this long, delighted

00:47:18.900 --> 00:47:25.960
breath. Oh, Jules. And here you are, a luminary.

00:47:27.050 --> 00:47:30.110
You may actually get storyteller Oren on your

00:47:30.110 --> 00:47:34.469
side, already with the powerful allies. There

00:47:34.469 --> 00:47:38.510
are so many allies for you to gain. Oren's usefulness

00:47:38.510 --> 00:47:43.750
is waning. The speakers have him under close

00:47:43.750 --> 00:47:47.969
watch now. Cirilla has seen to that. The girl

00:47:47.969 --> 00:47:52.789
does have some uses. It's time for you to accept

00:47:52.789 --> 00:48:01.849
your role with me. Make another check. 14 this

00:48:01.849 --> 00:48:05.789
time. Are you kidding me? It's almost, you can

00:48:05.789 --> 00:48:09.130
feel almost, but like, your mother is powerful.

00:48:09.670 --> 00:48:13.469
I mean, to be fair, this is probably for the

00:48:13.469 --> 00:48:17.050
best. Oh, yeah. This is very much for the best.

00:48:17.130 --> 00:48:18.389
Yeah, you should stay where you're at. Yeah.

00:48:18.429 --> 00:48:22.889
I admit, my power base is not what it was before

00:48:22.889 --> 00:48:27.809
Tythos, before the fall. But my allies in other

00:48:27.809 --> 00:48:31.969
worlds and, well, my role under the Horned One,

00:48:32.110 --> 00:48:36.449
they still give me power. And I've been waiting

00:48:36.449 --> 00:48:44.389
for you to hand that power off. God, Steve. Just

00:48:44.389 --> 00:48:49.670
like over here in the corner, like popping popcorn.

00:48:50.230 --> 00:48:55.500
God. Her eyes just take you in sharply. Now,

00:48:55.500 --> 00:48:59.239
Cirilla, I don't know how much longer the Speakers

00:48:59.239 --> 00:49:04.320
will harbor a politician from a world that no

00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:07.840
longer exists. Right now, her entire position

00:49:07.840 --> 00:49:12.000
is reliant on the soft hearts of the other worlds.

00:49:12.699 --> 00:49:17.460
She holds no real power. She is useless. She

00:49:17.460 --> 00:49:20.639
has always been useless, but not you, Jules.

00:49:21.289 --> 00:49:25.789
Your power does not come from soft hearts. It

00:49:25.789 --> 00:49:30.429
is innate, an overflowing well I saw. To that,

00:49:30.630 --> 00:49:35.570
you are special. And she's like right up in your

00:49:35.570 --> 00:49:40.389
face now as she speaks. Hand just gently stroking

00:49:40.389 --> 00:49:43.630
at the top of your pompadour. Make another save?

00:49:46.050 --> 00:49:50.170
Nope. Nine. What's going through your mind right

00:49:50.170 --> 00:49:52.030
now? You're trying so hard to fight off this.

00:49:52.550 --> 00:49:55.230
I don't think... There's not really a whole lot

00:49:55.230 --> 00:49:58.210
going through Jules' mind. I think at this point,

00:49:58.289 --> 00:50:01.530
he knows and understands that it's probably better

00:50:01.530 --> 00:50:06.969
just to not say anything. And that's not from

00:50:06.969 --> 00:50:10.170
a position of being scared to say anything. He

00:50:10.170 --> 00:50:13.449
just feels more powerful and more in control.

00:50:14.389 --> 00:50:18.179
It's maybe from a position of... Being under

00:50:18.179 --> 00:50:21.079
a hold person and you can't say anything. But

00:50:21.079 --> 00:50:24.880
even without, I mean. I wasn't, Jeremy as a player

00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:27.260
was not planning on saying much. Right, right.

00:50:27.320 --> 00:50:31.920
Interesting. Also, Jeremy as a player is really

00:50:31.920 --> 00:50:34.420
pissed off that I didn't think about grabbing

00:50:34.420 --> 00:50:36.199
the diamond and hitting record before I came

00:50:36.199 --> 00:50:39.539
in here. Ah, shit. Oh. With that information.

00:50:40.099 --> 00:50:43.300
You see Cerise just suddenly takes a step back

00:50:43.300 --> 00:50:46.000
from you and. with this almost supernaturally

00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:49.079
quick flutter of dark skirts, vanishes from your

00:50:49.079 --> 00:50:54.039
view. You can hear the chair behind you as she

00:50:54.039 --> 00:50:58.039
sits behind the desk in Cirilla's place. Now,

00:50:58.059 --> 00:51:02.820
son, I want you to understand that if you want

00:51:02.820 --> 00:51:06.420
to protect your little people, if you want to

00:51:06.420 --> 00:51:11.579
save the children you've come to love so much,

00:51:11.780 --> 00:51:15.539
you will hear me out. And you feel the magic

00:51:15.539 --> 00:51:20.480
evaporates around you. Cerise sits at the desk,

00:51:20.559 --> 00:51:23.840
her hand, her fingers drumming on the passport.

00:51:24.760 --> 00:51:29.460
Do you do anything? No. Jules just turns his

00:51:29.460 --> 00:51:34.059
head to stare at her. You will find, as you press

00:51:34.059 --> 00:51:39.079
onwards into this new life, that great shadow

00:51:39.079 --> 00:51:43.570
surrounds your spotlight. The cult has already

00:51:43.570 --> 00:51:48.730
helped many luminaries survive these dark waters,

00:51:48.949 --> 00:51:53.210
and they have flourished. Now that you've reached

00:51:53.210 --> 00:51:56.949
this far, you need to know the right people if

00:51:56.949 --> 00:52:00.949
you want to thrive, if you want to stay alive,

00:52:01.269 --> 00:52:05.369
even. And you do know the right people, Jules.

00:52:06.389 --> 00:52:09.630
Did you think that a mother would ever give up

00:52:09.630 --> 00:52:14.039
on her son? I was so glad to hear you survived

00:52:14.039 --> 00:52:18.739
Tithos, and yet I knew, I knew you would. You

00:52:18.739 --> 00:52:22.920
would not die so easily. You have too large a

00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:26.900
destiny for that. Now I know you won't accept

00:52:26.900 --> 00:52:33.420
my hand. Not yet. But the time will come when

00:52:33.420 --> 00:52:38.119
you will. She slides the passport towards you.

00:52:39.019 --> 00:52:42.460
She's keeping two fingers still on it. Jules

00:52:42.460 --> 00:52:44.500
grabs it quickly off the table. Roll athletics

00:52:44.500 --> 00:52:47.800
check. For a piece of paper? She's got fingers

00:52:47.800 --> 00:52:53.500
on it, and she is strong. A four is not going

00:52:53.500 --> 00:52:56.840
to do it. You go to grab it, and you hold it,

00:52:56.920 --> 00:53:00.500
her fingers easily pressing the passport down

00:53:00.500 --> 00:53:03.139
to the table. I don't try to tug of war it away.

00:53:03.340 --> 00:53:07.800
Once I feel that she's got it, I let it go. She

00:53:07.800 --> 00:53:12.780
just beams at you, gently lifts it, and holds

00:53:12.780 --> 00:53:16.880
it out to you and says, Oh, and good luck on

00:53:16.880 --> 00:53:21.420
Saint -Cityon. Chessanth Kellig lost a formal

00:53:21.420 --> 00:53:24.719
document of mine during a struggle with you.

00:53:25.860 --> 00:53:28.980
Don't worry, I'm not upset. But you should be

00:53:28.980 --> 00:53:33.900
wary. Your father is not as understanding as

00:53:33.900 --> 00:53:38.369
I am. If you meddle in his affairs, He will kill

00:53:38.369 --> 00:53:44.769
you. Are we done? No, my son. We're just getting

00:53:44.769 --> 00:53:47.710
started. She puts the passport in your hand.

00:53:48.469 --> 00:53:51.690
I grab the passport, fold it up and put it in

00:53:51.690 --> 00:53:56.010
my pocket, and walk toward the door. Can I open

00:53:56.010 --> 00:53:57.469
the door, or does it have to be open for me?

00:53:57.730 --> 00:54:03.190
As you get close, it strangely just opens. You

00:54:03.190 --> 00:54:04.989
see, as it opens up, there's a figure on the

00:54:04.989 --> 00:54:07.989
other side. Maybe there's like a... Small stone

00:54:07.989 --> 00:54:11.690
near his ear. He steps to the side. It's one

00:54:11.690 --> 00:54:14.550
of the servants. Before I crossed the threshold,

00:54:14.829 --> 00:54:17.989
I turned my head just like I was when I was frozen.

00:54:18.909 --> 00:54:24.010
You are just the woman who had me. And you are

00:54:24.010 --> 00:54:30.389
too arrogant and stupid to realize that your

00:54:30.389 --> 00:54:35.969
time is up. And you have failed in everything.

00:54:35.840 --> 00:54:39.199
Everything you've tried to do. And I turn my

00:54:39.199 --> 00:54:42.760
head back and walk through the door. The last

00:54:42.760 --> 00:54:50.219
thing you see is her smile. Zebulon. No, not

00:54:50.219 --> 00:54:53.559
Zebulon. Your turn. It's your turn. And we'll

00:54:53.559 --> 00:54:59.280
call it there. It's the next two -parter. Zebulon.

00:54:59.880 --> 00:55:04.980
You approach the door to Sholay's massive, like,

00:55:05.150 --> 00:55:09.170
dome -shaped manor. As you come close, the shield

00:55:09.170 --> 00:55:15.130
there at the doorway takes you in. Um, Zebulon,

00:55:15.210 --> 00:55:19.489
hey, um, I, I, I am a huge fan. I was there on,

00:55:19.550 --> 00:55:22.090
uh, on Tithos. I saw you clear the way to the

00:55:22.090 --> 00:55:24.869
sapphire. I just... Oh, wow, yeah, Tithos was,

00:55:24.989 --> 00:55:29.210
um, Tithos was really, it was really tough. Wow,

00:55:29.349 --> 00:55:32.489
you were there, huh? And, and, wow, you're, you're

00:55:32.489 --> 00:55:34.409
here with your passport, right? That's what I...

00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:40.199
I mean, I'll be watching. Hey, thanks. What's

00:55:40.199 --> 00:55:42.800
your name? And Zeb reaches a hand out to shake.

00:55:43.039 --> 00:55:46.480
Brent. It's really great to meet you, Brent.

00:55:47.880 --> 00:55:54.940
Wow. You should go in. She's, um... Good looking

00:55:54.940 --> 00:56:00.139
there. Yeah, how's, um... So, not good? He doesn't

00:56:00.139 --> 00:56:04.019
say anything, but his posture tells you everything.

00:56:04.900 --> 00:56:07.239
He just turned to the door, touched it in the

00:56:07.239 --> 00:56:10.199
right spot, whispers a command, and it opens.

00:56:10.860 --> 00:56:14.900
Well, wish me luck, Brent. I did just a minute

00:56:14.900 --> 00:56:17.440
ago, like a second ago. Double luck. Oh, yeah,

00:56:17.579 --> 00:56:19.880
sir, shit, luck again. Thanks. Double luck. You

00:56:19.880 --> 00:56:20.960
don't need it, though, because there's Ebulon.

00:56:21.079 --> 00:56:29.659
Yeah, no crashes count. And you move inside,

00:56:30.059 --> 00:56:36.059
where Cirilla's... Home was what you might expect

00:56:36.059 --> 00:56:40.480
from a politician. Just this lavish, lavish,

00:56:40.480 --> 00:56:42.860
sort of well -furnished, well -decorated building.

00:56:43.500 --> 00:56:47.860
Tall and impressive. Shoelace is so bizarre.

00:56:48.480 --> 00:56:54.500
You step into this vast, open space. This crystal

00:56:54.500 --> 00:56:59.219
cavern. It reminds you for a moment of Xenas.

00:56:59.800 --> 00:57:02.840
A dragon's horde, except... No, this is different.

00:57:03.320 --> 00:57:06.380
You see stacks and stacks and stacks of files

00:57:06.380 --> 00:57:10.539
and papers and neat rows, sort of almost lining

00:57:10.539 --> 00:57:13.460
a sort of open walkway heading straight towards

00:57:13.460 --> 00:57:16.880
the back. You see dozens of recording diamonds

00:57:16.880 --> 00:57:20.599
lining the edges of this paperwork. You see that

00:57:20.599 --> 00:57:24.260
Cholet's treasure is found in written word and

00:57:24.260 --> 00:57:27.340
recordings, not any kind of material wealth.

00:57:27.400 --> 00:57:32.309
But this is a hoard. You see this path in the

00:57:32.309 --> 00:57:35.610
midst of these stacks leading all the way to

00:57:35.610 --> 00:57:39.289
the back to a large form sitting in the darkness.

00:57:39.590 --> 00:57:43.050
All you can make out amongst the shadow is the

00:57:43.050 --> 00:57:47.969
outline of scowling dagger teeth backlit by bright

00:57:47.969 --> 00:57:53.769
flame. Zebulon starts to walk forward from the

00:57:53.769 --> 00:58:00.019
way back of the room. Hey, Shelly! It's me, Zebulon!

00:58:00.480 --> 00:58:05.059
The figure steps forward, where her face catches

00:58:05.059 --> 00:58:09.880
the light, where her brass scales shine brilliantly.

00:58:10.559 --> 00:58:15.480
You see her full draconic majesty, Sholay in

00:58:15.480 --> 00:58:21.420
her natural form, towering and fierce. And you

00:58:21.420 --> 00:58:24.340
know that Sholay does not enter her draconic

00:58:24.340 --> 00:58:29.010
form easily. Her... Use of it during the fall

00:58:29.010 --> 00:58:31.030
of the sapphire was one of the only times she's

00:58:31.030 --> 00:58:33.929
publicly actually shown herself in that way.

00:58:34.809 --> 00:58:38.030
This is a private thing you're witnessing. And

00:58:38.030 --> 00:58:40.849
you see that there are a number of scales missing.

00:58:41.969 --> 00:58:45.030
Interesting. But she steps into the light, her

00:58:45.030 --> 00:58:49.130
eyes boring and down on you. Trying to decide

00:58:49.130 --> 00:58:50.309
if she has a different voice than the dragon.

00:58:53.269 --> 00:58:55.449
Go ahead, make it harder for yourself. I know,

00:58:55.469 --> 00:59:01.960
right? I think I have to. Zebulon. Black. Black.

00:59:03.099 --> 00:59:07.320
I've been meaning to ask you how long you've

00:59:07.320 --> 00:59:11.460
known about your mother. I suppose I shouldn't

00:59:11.460 --> 00:59:15.820
be surprised. Your horns. The coloring of your

00:59:15.820 --> 00:59:20.760
scales. There was no hiding it forever. But to

00:59:20.760 --> 00:59:27.219
think you would take that name. In lieu of mine.

00:59:27.719 --> 00:59:34.199
Well, I mean, you drove me away from it. From

00:59:34.199 --> 00:59:40.539
brass. I drove you away from foolishness. Well,

00:59:40.559 --> 00:59:44.420
it might be foolish, but you can't stop me now.

00:59:46.739 --> 00:59:51.260
It's all over the crystal network and people

00:59:51.260 --> 00:59:54.820
will be mad. Do you think you're self -clever?

00:59:55.500 --> 01:00:01.599
Child. I mean, at least clever enough. I do as

01:00:01.599 --> 01:00:05.400
well. I was almost killed just earlier today.

01:00:05.900 --> 01:00:09.619
And I was clever enough for that. So it's already

01:00:09.619 --> 01:00:17.739
begun. I wanted so badly to protect you. And

01:00:17.739 --> 01:00:20.159
to think you could summon such lofty allies as

01:00:20.159 --> 01:00:24.500
Auron. I hadn't expected it. So you have your

01:00:24.500 --> 01:00:27.880
win, Cebulon. I'll give you your credentials,

01:00:27.980 --> 01:00:31.579
your passport. I will make you a luminary, but

01:00:31.579 --> 01:00:35.980
you will first hear three things. You will know

01:00:35.980 --> 01:00:41.639
three things. Do you accept? I mean, yeah, of

01:00:41.639 --> 01:00:44.199
course I accept. Grandmother, we don't have to

01:00:44.199 --> 01:00:46.679
be enemies. The Incarnate said that you could

01:00:46.679 --> 01:00:50.559
help me. She takes another step. Boom! Pounding

01:00:50.559 --> 01:00:54.519
on the floor. Her massive leg just driving in

01:00:54.519 --> 01:00:58.320
front of you as her body shifts forward. First,

01:00:58.420 --> 01:01:00.920
know that you've entered a game that you cannot

01:01:00.920 --> 01:01:04.880
hope to win. To survive and prosper as a luminary,

01:01:04.900 --> 01:01:06.980
you will be forced to choose between a plethora

01:01:06.980 --> 01:01:11.699
of lesser evils. You will lose yourself in the

01:01:11.699 --> 01:01:16.110
system, or you will lose your life. This network,

01:01:16.210 --> 01:01:18.969
this place is corrupt to its core, and I have

01:01:18.969 --> 01:01:22.590
spent the last 50 years in a losing battle against

01:01:22.590 --> 01:01:27.329
it. What do you think you can do? Well, I mean,

01:01:27.329 --> 01:01:31.389
I guess we're already luminaries that don't send

01:01:31.389 --> 01:01:35.369
anybody to jail, I think, so... I mean, it seems

01:01:35.369 --> 01:01:41.110
like we're probably on the same side. Just a

01:01:41.110 --> 01:01:44.360
long, growling breath. Done a lot of breaths

01:01:44.360 --> 01:01:47.000
this one. Let's not do that. It's a long growl.

01:01:47.619 --> 01:01:51.280
The guys who tried to kill us, we let them go.

01:01:52.300 --> 01:01:55.900
You don't intend to follow the role of Atash.

01:01:56.219 --> 01:02:01.699
I mean, after a stern talking to, and they stole

01:02:01.699 --> 01:02:04.639
their weapons. I mean, I had to give one of them

01:02:04.639 --> 01:02:11.699
back, but... The prison, it's too much. It's

01:02:11.699 --> 01:02:16.340
not fair. Of course it's not fair. But that is

01:02:16.340 --> 01:02:19.320
the system. You want to change it. You're now

01:02:19.320 --> 01:02:22.860
a part of it. You can't change it from the inside.

01:02:23.380 --> 01:02:27.300
I have been working tirelessly. Have you tried?

01:02:28.860 --> 01:02:35.420
You don't understand anything. You don't know

01:02:35.420 --> 01:02:38.460
what I have been putting... You don't know what

01:02:38.460 --> 01:02:42.239
I have sacrificed. In the position you've put

01:02:42.239 --> 01:02:46.900
me in now. That is the second thing you will

01:02:46.900 --> 01:02:50.719
know. That your actions hold dire consequences.

01:02:51.820 --> 01:02:55.119
Your brother trained you in the art of dueling.

01:02:55.280 --> 01:02:59.019
And so you must understand. A person's strength

01:02:59.019 --> 01:03:03.119
is easily overshadowed by their weaknesses. And

01:03:03.119 --> 01:03:07.380
you are my weakness, Cebulon. You break me. You

01:03:07.380 --> 01:03:10.260
break your brother. Know that every step you

01:03:10.260 --> 01:03:12.719
take on this fool ambition of yours will break

01:03:12.719 --> 01:03:17.639
your family again and again. Well, if somebody

01:03:17.639 --> 01:03:21.500
would... If somebody would let me help instead

01:03:21.500 --> 01:03:25.440
of just trying to set me away. You could have

01:03:25.440 --> 01:03:29.800
helped by stinging out of it. That's not helping.

01:03:30.960 --> 01:03:36.239
That's not a life. I can't live like that. Another

01:03:36.239 --> 01:03:44.820
step forward. My protection hurt you. That's

01:03:44.820 --> 01:03:48.380
your argument? You will stand before me and tell

01:03:48.380 --> 01:03:53.760
me that I hurt you by keeping you safe in the

01:03:53.760 --> 01:03:56.920
same sentence that you will admit that you fought,

01:03:57.099 --> 01:04:01.139
barely survived by the looks of things? An encounter

01:04:01.139 --> 01:04:03.320
earlier today. You still look like you're in

01:04:03.320 --> 01:04:05.900
bad shape. Yeah, he's got eight hit points here.

01:04:06.699 --> 01:04:11.179
Already, you find yourself in danger. It's not

01:04:11.179 --> 01:04:16.239
just you, Sebulon. You are my weakness. My enemies

01:04:16.239 --> 01:04:20.400
will come for you. You endanger yourself, your

01:04:20.400 --> 01:04:23.920
family, and your friends. You can argue all you

01:04:23.920 --> 01:04:27.300
want that your life was no life for you, but...

01:04:27.630 --> 01:04:32.289
Your choice here is selfish. Then why are you

01:04:32.289 --> 01:04:39.030
protecting me? Why? Why? I mean, this doesn't

01:04:39.030 --> 01:04:48.670
feel like love. Step forward. Approach me. You

01:04:48.670 --> 01:04:54.550
will know a third thing. Yeah, Zebulon will take

01:04:54.550 --> 01:05:00.159
a step forward. You approach. At this point,

01:05:00.159 --> 01:05:05.559
she stands towering above you. I imagine you

01:05:05.559 --> 01:05:11.280
feel very, very small. You step forward, and

01:05:11.280 --> 01:05:16.039
she lunges at you. You feel strong claws wrap

01:05:16.039 --> 01:05:19.820
around you in a blur of speed, yanking you violently

01:05:19.820 --> 01:05:24.630
forward. You are pulled. Pressed into her chest,

01:05:24.670 --> 01:05:28.070
her great wings close around you, blotting out

01:05:28.070 --> 01:05:32.949
the outside room. And you are locked in an embrace.

01:05:33.809 --> 01:05:38.610
What? What? You feel boiling tears falling around

01:05:38.610 --> 01:05:42.150
you as Xole's face lowers and hangs just above

01:05:42.150 --> 01:05:46.230
you. And she whispers, a voice only for you.

01:05:47.050 --> 01:05:52.480
You will know that whatever happens now... I

01:05:52.480 --> 01:05:55.679
love you. With all the fire in my breast, with

01:05:55.679 --> 01:05:59.340
every scale in my body, I love you, Zebulon.

01:06:00.199 --> 01:06:04.219
And I cannot protect you now, but I can offer

01:06:04.219 --> 01:06:09.519
you this, my love and my blessing. And in this

01:06:09.519 --> 01:06:14.500
place, everything begins to glow this soft orange.

01:06:14.940 --> 01:06:18.639
You can feel a great warmth pressing in around

01:06:18.639 --> 01:06:22.199
you and then filling you. surging through your

01:06:22.199 --> 01:06:25.059
veins, pooling in your chest, in your heart.

01:06:25.579 --> 01:06:29.380
You feel a well of power opening within you,

01:06:29.480 --> 01:06:32.579
and you have gained the gift of the metallic

01:06:32.579 --> 01:06:40.340
dragon feet. Whoa. Holy shit. This is not what

01:06:40.340 --> 01:06:44.860
I was expecting. Zebulon, whatever name you take,

01:06:44.960 --> 01:06:50.840
whatever path you choose, just know, That I love

01:06:50.840 --> 01:06:56.099
you. I pushed you away, but I... I wanted to

01:06:56.099 --> 01:07:02.300
save you. I've always done what's right for you.

01:07:03.840 --> 01:07:10.159
I... I love you too, Sholay. And you scare me

01:07:10.159 --> 01:07:15.400
to death, but... I just want to fly too. I want

01:07:15.400 --> 01:07:22.500
to be my own... You know. You feel her pull away,

01:07:22.659 --> 01:07:25.820
the wings opening up around you, the room visible

01:07:25.820 --> 01:07:29.940
again, the warmth swiftly retreating. You see

01:07:29.940 --> 01:07:31.880
the warmth fade from her as well, from her eyes.

01:07:32.679 --> 01:07:37.539
That usual coldness slowly overtaking her features

01:07:37.539 --> 01:07:44.280
again. The mask is back on. Xiole, I need your

01:07:44.280 --> 01:07:48.900
help. I don't know where to go. What to do about

01:07:48.900 --> 01:07:54.619
Arhalon? I'm still new at all this, and I'm scared.

01:07:55.320 --> 01:07:59.239
The worlds are falling, and it's not just Tythos,

01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:04.760
is it? She looks away from you, and that's it.

01:08:05.519 --> 01:08:08.559
The very thing I most wanted to protect you from.

01:08:09.059 --> 01:08:11.840
The truth I never wanted you or your brother

01:08:11.840 --> 01:08:18.979
to know. I'm scared, too. And she picks up her

01:08:18.979 --> 01:08:22.130
paw. Claw. Is it dragons of paws? I don't care.

01:08:22.329 --> 01:08:26.310
Takes her hand up. Her claw. And you see, resting

01:08:26.310 --> 01:08:30.310
on the ground before you, is a wallet -like passport.

01:08:31.229 --> 01:08:35.270
A certificate beneath. And Zebulon bends down

01:08:35.270 --> 01:08:40.510
to pick him up. I know this won't help me save

01:08:40.510 --> 01:08:44.670
the world. Kind of your job right now, but this

01:08:44.670 --> 01:08:47.630
will help me save my friends. This is kind of

01:08:47.630 --> 01:08:52.300
all I can do right now. Stay safe, grandson.

01:08:53.699 --> 01:08:58.560
Pretty strong now. She turns and begins moving

01:08:58.560 --> 01:09:00.479
back into the shadows in the back of the room.

01:09:01.359 --> 01:09:06.420
But wait, what can I do about Arhan? He's...

01:09:06.420 --> 01:09:13.340
Have you seen him? I have. He spoke to me a few

01:09:13.340 --> 01:09:16.640
days ago. He requested leave from the Citadel.

01:09:17.350 --> 01:09:20.989
To go on a humanitarian mission. To put his healing

01:09:20.989 --> 01:09:24.550
magic to some use. Naturally, he has ulterior

01:09:24.550 --> 01:09:28.909
motives, but... I hope he finds his heart again.

01:09:29.470 --> 01:09:32.050
When he's faced with good people in true and

01:09:32.050 --> 01:09:38.850
dire need. Where's he going? San Sityan. To help

01:09:38.850 --> 01:09:42.409
with the victims of Serenno. What's Serenno?

01:09:43.130 --> 01:09:47.010
Doesn't matter. i suggest you stay away from

01:09:47.010 --> 01:09:52.649
your brother you can't help him you -you can

01:09:52.649 --> 01:09:57.569
only hurt him more he bears deep wounds you -you

01:09:57.569 --> 01:10:02.970
both do and there's something else said bullon

01:10:02.970 --> 01:10:06.390
you don't understand the weight of what you have

01:10:06.390 --> 01:10:13.020
done you can't and that is my fault We are on

01:10:13.020 --> 01:10:17.340
opposing sides now. You may not believe it, but

01:10:17.340 --> 01:10:22.960
it is true. I love you, Zebulon, but I can never

01:10:22.960 --> 01:10:27.819
trust you. We will not meet like this again.

01:10:28.739 --> 01:10:34.720
With a stiff lip, Zebulon curtly nods his head

01:10:34.720 --> 01:10:40.399
and turns to leave. The great form behind you.

01:10:40.890 --> 01:10:44.989
Slowly lowers. Fully vanishing into the shadows.

01:10:45.909 --> 01:10:51.109
That soft, growling breath. It could be crying.

01:10:52.449 --> 01:10:57.050
And you push your way. Past the files. Past the

01:10:57.050 --> 01:11:00.329
recording diamonds lined up all around you. Through

01:11:00.329 --> 01:11:05.329
this horde of information. Away from your grandmother.

01:11:05.649 --> 01:11:11.000
And back towards the exit. And as you step out

01:11:11.000 --> 01:11:18.739
into the plaza, you on the western side of the

01:11:18.739 --> 01:11:21.560
great amphitheater and Jules on the eastern,

01:11:21.699 --> 01:11:25.460
the two of you finally holding your certificates,

01:11:25.520 --> 01:11:28.880
your passports, finally facing down that last

01:11:28.880 --> 01:11:34.800
hurdle, you have finally become luminaries. And

01:11:34.800 --> 01:11:35.520
we'll call it there.