Songwoven presents Ira Brin Dawnbreak, a level-up, Advanced 5th Edition, actual play campaign.
Episode 1.
Confluence.
You can catch us live every Sunday at 8pm EST on Twitch.tv slash Songwoven Show, or
watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube.
Thanks for listening!
Hello everybody and welcome to Songwoven, Ira Brin Dawnbreak!
Of course, I am your ever humble narrator Tim Don Tran, and I am joined by the ever
present, ever lovely, ever enduring two other people who will introduce themselves quickly
right at this moment, now!
We're playing characters who you can see on the screen now for the first time.
We're going to war school.
War school, yay!
War school!
It's Jenny Emma.
Jenny Emma.
It's Emma.
Emma, Jenny.
Gemma.
Gemma is a name.
You're Tim.
So real quick everyone, this is our new series starring the three of us, Ira Brin Dawnbreak,
which you all know, which if you see our stream title, you'll know that it's a Fire Emblem
inspired TTRPG using the advanced fifth edition system.
We will be playing this series up until a certain point into which we will dismount
and jump right back into the Lanaya Expedition, which we left off at a good point on, right
guys?
Mm-hmm.
If this is your first...
Not traumatized at all.
If this is your first series, just know that Lanaya Expedition ended very well and no one
was traumatized and none of that shit, none of that wacky trauma stuff happens in any
of these games.
We keep it nice things loosey goosey here.
Very nice, very loose.
They don't call him Trauma Timmy for nothing.
They don't call him TT Trauma Timmy for nothing.
His initials stand for Trauma and more trauma.
Trauma, trauma.
That's why they call these TTRPGs, because they're mine.
But yeah, thank you so much for joining our new adventure with new characters, a new setting,
same world, different time period, a different place.
This game takes place 10 years after Lanaya Expedition started.
So we're going to see what happens in this little place in the little pocket of time.
We are so, so very excited to show it to you.
Is there anything else we have to share?
You can follow along with my bingo card I made at 2 a.m. a month ago when I was thinking
about this game.
Some of them won't make sense to you because they're from prior games, because we have
played in this setting a lot, Timmy and I.
Emma has not played in this setting.
There are very few people who have played in this setting, but I have played in it a
lot.
And so some of them are characters who may or may not ever come into the game, but they
have been in this place before.
And that's why they're on my bingo card.
And some of them are things that will make sense.
So I will probably forget to check it.
So if you want to follow along, you're welcome to.
Or if you want to make your own, like, oh my why seems to have, then please do and let
us know in the Discord or here if you get a bingo, if you make your own.
I really hope we become known as the stream that does bingo, the TTRPG stream with bingo.
Like we'll put like, like song movement is streaming TTRPG and bingo.
There'd be like a super emotional moment.
And Timmy's giving like an evil villain monologue.
And I'm and it's like all 10s, I'll be like, yes, bingo, bingo.
He threatened her with that.
Yeah.
And that's when you make it.
That's what we make a saving throw.
But yes, bingo, the first tabletop game.
We pay respects to the to the old year.
But yes, as Jenny said, me and Jenny, this is something that this this setting, much
like Linaya, but this one in particular holds a very special place in our heart.
This is something that me, Jenny, but especially every single person has ever played.
One of my games have all carved a, you know, have carved a piece of themselves into.
Emma Ramosco unknowingly has done that before as well, playing in the Black Cards Gallery
as Aura.
But my baby.
But yeah, every choice, everything, everything that any of the any of my players have ever
said, anything they have ever done, every every quirky action, every every political
assassination.
Everything that they have done has culminated into this shared space that we call Sandralor.
And I'm I am super blessed to have the most talented people with me to make this know
you to make this know you to make this to a collaborative effort to make this world.
And we are very excited to share some more with you guys.
All right.
But that said, is there anything else?
I better know if you if you get Bingo in the chat, you got a little snow if you get Bingo
is all I'm saying.
Or if I forget one of them to mark one of mine or let you know to mark something because
I have a million tabs open right now with like lore documents and things.
Many.
OK, in that case, I'll begin.
And ironically, this is the pilot episode.
This is one of our shorter beginnings, probably because we didn't do any bits.
No bits.
I'm sure you guys have a tattoo I got.
I swear to Christ.
Kate is in the chat.
Hi Kate.
Kate made our art for this game and all of our other ones.
So we're happy to see you, Kate.
Always love.
I finally remembered to give her the artist role on here.
She's got that icon.
She's an artist.
OK.
Everyone.
Let's jump into the very first session of Ivar Bryn Donbreak.
The year is 1471 PR or post reckoning.
As the tepid winds of the summer began to scatter, the emerald green fields began to
flourish at full bloom across the kingdom of Anor.
As the people of Anor celebrate the downturn of the year, the people pray that they may
realize their full potential, just as a tiny sapling hopes to one day grow into a great
world bearing tree.
The holy kingdom of Anor, said to be blessed and ordained by the very gods of the Norse
pantheon themselves, has existed for almost a millennium.
Established 985 years ago, the kingdom of Anor was raised from the cinders of the desolation,
the setting where a holy war took place between good and evil, a war between Anor's first
king and the abhorrent, abominable Ash Tyrant.
From the cinders rose a unitary monarchy, a kingdom split into five constituent regions,
with each territory divided among the first king's brotherhood.
Each region is lorded over by a supreme power known as the Lord Paramount, and all Lord
Paramounts answer to one central power, the one who wears the crown.
Onto what these territories are, what they entail, and what they contain, we will get
into that in due time.
For now, we set our sights somewhere else.
But before we do that, I have a question for you. What shapes the immutable?
What moves the world?
What sparks the forge that is the will of man?
The will that, when exerted, can shape all lives, seen and unseen?
What form does a human will take when the human will is bursting and full bearing?
Fire.
Not to step on any toes on some other storytellers, but our story will begin, much like many other
stories, with fire.
Emma.
Fire.
I'm scared.
Fire raged in the air, choking all matters of space and cognizance around you.
Above you, the petals of Lucia daisies mingled with the ashes and embers that stalked from
above.
They clung to each other, and as the daisy petals lost more of their luster, they lost
their ability to fly in equal measure.
The petals, whose birthright was to take up love with the wind and share their breath
with it, were denied by the flame who raged about it.
This was the first act of war you've ever witnessed.
As around you the fire rages on, you see, you recall seeing the people of your village,
of your small town, waddling about, running about, screaming, their arms waving in the
air as flames take them.
As Anarian soldiers, the very people who were sworn to protect you, take torches to your
homes, to your bastions that you have built for generations upon generations.
You were a young child, but this memory burns ever so brightly in your mind.
You feel the smell of brimstone and sulfur choke up your lungs.
The fleeting warmth of what you were sure to be a caring hand has left you.
It has dropped you at some point inside of this very building where the fire rages about
you.
And of course, as the screams echo throughout your mind, you wait for it.
This always happens in this reoccurring vision that you have.
First, the appearance of this individual is heralded by the small whips and cracks of
fire.
A man drags himself through the barn door that you're situated in.
Even though he is on fire, he does not scream, but instead his eyes lock onto yours.
His eyes that despite his flesh growing around it, growing, cindered and burnt, they maintain
their verdant green colors.
He reaches a hand out towards you and walks towards you.
You in a bundle cannot move.
You cannot scream.
If you scream, the last time this happened, the last five, six times this happened in
this reoccurring vision, when you scream, your lungs fill with soot, you choke.
He walks towards you, arms outstretched, fingers pointed directly at you, as if to take grasp.
Yeah, I missed this.
Just a baby.
I'm just a baby.
You suddenly, consciousness takes you.
You find yourself onto your feet as you cough, trying to get any semblance of imaginary soot
out of your throat.
Your feet quickly flee towards outside of your door, opening a door, going into another room
where instincts lead you to a bucket full of water.
The splash, the imaginary heat that was inside of that vision, it all felt so real.
You feel it, the pinpricks of your skin, the inside of your lungs.
Even though it's just a vision, even though it's just a dream, it all still feels so real.
As you rub your face with the cooling water that snaps you back to reality, that centers
you in this world.
Your eyes perk up, your heartbeat slows to a normal as you see your reflection in the
mirror.
Lucia, can you describe what you see in the mirror?
I love this intro so much.
You see a small, pale, young human woman gazing back at her, much like those JRPGs we love
so much.
She has a sweet, open, wide face with porcelain clear skin, short, curly, wavy pink hair that
curls and bounces as she walks, occasionally held back by a bandana, and bright turquoise
inquisitive eyes that blink back.
She almost looks kind of doll-like in her petite little stature, a face and a disposition
that one would never suspect houses and hides all these dark visions and thoughts.
And you see she tries to give herself a little smile to perk herself up in the mirror.
As you exert your will with a smile, as the lips crest up, and you realize that you are
once again in this wonderful world that you live in, in this wonderful kingdom that saved
you from all of that.
You hear in the distance the clattering of something, of some kind of ceramic ware falling.
And you hear, oh dear.
Oh no!
I think she'll kind of like give her cheeks a little quick pat just to get ready for the
day, and she'll peek over in the other room.
Did you drop something?
As your head peeks out into the kitchen, you see before you the man you address, currently
hunched over a small mess that he's currently organizing with that ginger care that you
know him for.
You see an older man, what's sort of, his hair used to be much more vibrant and brighter
in color, but now it's dull to sort of a, to more of a grayed out sort of color.
He wears a robe decorated with the many insignias of the gods, of the Norse pantheon, a scale,
a hammer, a raven.
You see Arnalda Lusardi, and he just goes, oh, did I wake you, Petal?
What about that?
He calls her Petal, I'm gonna cry.
She goes, oh, I was up anyway, here, let me fix that for you.
And she's gonna go over and start to clean it up and pick up, because he's older, he
shouldn't have to lean over.
So she's gonna start cleaning it, picking up.
Oh, Petal, you don't have to pick up after me.
Oh, come on, it's good for me to stretch my legs.
Besides, it's a beautiful day outside.
That it is.
He picks, as you help him pick everything up, and the two of you stand up, the two of
you share this, this nod of, this reassuring nod, like, yeah, we did something.
He's always, he was always a strange, objectively speaking, a strange man.
A man who, before you came into his life, had lived by his lonesome for many, many years.
When you were plucked from that battlefield, the word was, he saw you.
And his heart had melted.
He picks up the little, the small tray of, the small assortment of, like, water bearing
pots and such, and places it to the side on a table.
You live in this nice little, this humble cottage on a verdant green field inside of
the secret district of the capital city of Anor, known as Tokor.
He just goes, I was just getting everything ready for our, for our prayers this morning.
Are you, yeah.
Are you all right, dear?
Of course.
You know, I was thinking.
Sometimes she's like, kind of like trying to piece the little broken pieces together
of the bowl on the table.
Sometimes the gods give us challenges and, oh no, are you sick?
Go on, Petal, I'm sorry.
No, no, no, come on, come sit down.
And she's going to completely stop her chattering and lead him to a chair and gently cast, hold
on, what am I going to, cure wounds.
And she'll gently, you know, warm her hands together, give a little blow into them as
she places them gently on the side of his throat to heal his little cough.
As the soothing energy innervates from your hands and onto him, he makes a point to smile
kindly.
And he goes, thank you, Petal.
Of course.
After all, how can we praise the gods if you're hacking up along the whole time?
She gives you a wink.
He pauses for just a moment, but he looks up to you with those kind of droopy but still
bright eyes of his.
They have grown a bit darker over the years.
And you do know that his strength has waned, especially over the previous year.
No, I'm going to keep him alive.
He will never die.
He just goes, not for Shadow.
He just goes, well, since you've gotten me all pepped up again, and since we've gotten
almost everything gathered for the open air, why don't we go ahead and head out?
It's my favorite kind of prayer.
As she grabs a little picnic basket that has a fresh loaf of bread wrapped in it, a nice
chunk of cheese, they're pulling together this cute little parcel of goods that they
use.
Very simple, but to them, to her, it's her favorite time of the year.
He stands too, and normally you would always volunteer to carry the basket yourself, and
he would always chuckle mirthfully and let you have it.
In this case, as you carry the basket with your usual assortment, you see he walks over
to another basket.
You have baskets stacked next to the doorway, and he reaches over and grabs another one
that's currently covered in some sort of cloth.
Oh, I can hold that one for you.
Don't worry about it.
Oh, please.
This one's for me.
Consider it a surprise.
Oh, I do love surprises.
I know, Petal.
I know.
Well, just yesterday, I found a blueberry that was red.
What better surprise can you get than that?
A red berry?
You just can't.
Yeah.
A very first of its kind.
Yeah, or it might have been a strawberry, but I wasn't sure.
Either way, I thought it was a really cool surprise.
No, no, no, no.
You certainly would have known it was a strawberry.
I would have known exactly.
That's right, so it was, the gods must have blessed me and sent me a sign.
She's an idiot, guys.
Track makers, from what I've seen, Lucia is me.
Warning you guys in advance, she is toxically positive.
By the nine, a red berry.
I always knew you were capable of miracles.
I just thank Odin's wisdom for that I was able to even notice in the first place.
Thank the Allfather.
Thank you, Mr. Wednesday.
Thanks Mr. Wednesday.
Going to war school is going to be great, guys.
Going to war school is going to be so much fun.
I can't wait to kill people.
He shifts, walking in half steps over to the front door and he just takes it open.
The sweet air of jam on the inside.
Arnaldo was always one to make jams out of figs and different fruits and take you to
go pick stuff with him and pass out the gems out to people within the neighborhood.
The smell of the sweetness, the sugar on the inside of fermenting berries and such quickly
leaves the house as the cool spring air of the outside flows in.
You make your way out through the cobblestone streets of the secret district.
Good morning.
Morning.
Praise the Allfather.
Let's go.
You walk through the college.
Good morning, Belle.
Where are you off to?
The church?
I just read a wonderful story about a beanstalk.
This is the opening to a musical.
Good morning.
What are the opening to the musical?
Good morning, Arnaldo.
The music is so religious.
You begin to make tracks throughout the secret district, a district within the capital city
dedicated to the many dwells of the Asatru ministry.
The Asatru ministry, of course, being the big religion, the big religious organization
that compares in power to the crown, that ordains the nobles throughout the entirety
of the region.
The very reason why everything in the Noor is the way it is.
They understand the God's blessings more than anyone.
They study it their whole lives.
They are dedicated to it.
And that is why they are the powers, the powers that be.
In this entire neighborhood are dwells, little houses of people that are dedicated to the
Norse religion.
Normally, dwells are an assortment of different families.
It could be one house, it could be two houses, three.
But yours has the unusual distinction of being one man, a goathe or godman, the leader of
a dwell, and one follower.
You are a small but humble and very moving unit.
Dwell Busardi.
Trekking through the tight, compact cobblestone streets of the secret district, you, of course,
wave hi to the many neighbors that you've shared this place of living with for many,
many years.
But your destination is to the pledging fields, the verdant green fields located on the other
side of the city, dedicated to the open air prayers of that anybody can go onto.
A very picturesque, beautiful landscape, just a field in which the wind feels at its fullest.
You enter into the grand city that is Tikor, a far cry from the humble little neighborhood
that you're in, tall stone buildings, but still the same statues of the gods that you're
dedicated to are around the Allfather, the one-eyed man, two ravens on his shoulder holding
a spear.
You see Thor with his rotund belly hanging out, but unmistakable mule nearby his side.
As you begin to blend in within more of the general population of the people who aren't
as dedicated but are still thankful nonetheless, you stop by a typical location called Sorceress
Sourdough, where a family friend, a purple teetling named Vexia, always has a loaf of
bread to give away.
And as you come by, there she is, waiting already as the sweet air of her bakery is
leaving the door.
She just goes, good morning to both of you.
Blessed day, Vexia, what do you have today that's super special?
I can't help feeling that it's going to be a really important day.
A super special day.
Well, I got you a freshly baked sourdough loaf as she just presents the same thing that
she's given you.
Oh my goodness.
This one is so special.
I've never seen anything like it before.
Thank you so much, Vexia.
I'm so glad you're here.
I've never seen anything like it before.
Well this one's super special because I was thinking about it.
You weren't thinking about us before.
What a blessed gift.
She completely goes over her head and she goes, we are so blessed for this gift today.
Thank you so much, here, for all your troubles.
And she'll take out one of the jars of preserves and swap it out as an exchange because I don't
think they have much money.
As the planned exchange, because this is exactly why she does it, happens.
She takes the gem, she just goes, you really didn't have to.
Thanks to Arnalda with a knowing look, but thank you so much.
You're growing into a wonderful young lady, Lucia.
She just kind of like beams and you know, the little anime girl hands to the, you know,
I'm doing my best.
Gives you a thumbs up.
Not as devout as you, but she's like, I like your energy.
She's doing, she's doing, good energy, kid.
A little bit of a freak, but keep going.
The two of you continue on.
The morning is wonderful.
The people are out.
The place is in full bloom.
Tall, important administrative buildings pass you by.
You don't know what's inside of those.
You don't know the business that people conduct inside of those.
There are many storefronts and such, which, you know, so curious things that you've always
been curious about, but have never really, have never really entered.
Not through any restrictions, mind you.
It's just, it's just been a fair, it's just been a life that's been based around a cycle.
You can't, you can't help but see that the many, the many lives of the people, the people
around you, you see a dragonborn and a small, a small gnome share a kiss.
You see people with spell, people with these spell books and long robes that look like
the robes your, your, your godman wears, but they don't have any of the religious symbols
hanging on them.
They also carry on the strange wooden sticks.
These guards in these large silver armor wearing these large swords on their side always, always
walk by.
And they were scared.
You remember you were really scared of them at first, but you were eventually led to believe
that they were here to protect you.
And then they became less scary.
Finally walking through the city, the fields come into view.
You see the flowing, you see in this, in this large hump of land, verdant green fields with
a, with a small stream flowing through it.
What's at the end of the stream?
What's at the end of this river?
You don't know.
It goes very long.
You might've followed it at one point, but then the distance away from home might've
been a little bit too scary.
It stretches into the horizon.
It goes into the trees of the forest and extends beyond.
You don't know much of the world that extends beyond this place, but you're happy.
Ignorance is bliss.
After a while, as you walk out into the fields, finally stepping onto the familiar crunches
of grass, you hear,
Oh,
Are you doing okay?
Did my spell not, did that not work?
She turns back, like a little confused.
I'm all right, paddle.
It's just a little bit of a, a little bit of a hiccup here.
Why don't we set, why don't we set up near the stream?
Okay, but as soon as we get some honey, you got to have to start drinking that stuff like
raw.
Like, I don't even mean like putting it in your tea.
Like I need you to like start guzzling that honey so that your throat is going to be like
all nice and warm and cozy and so that you don't have to worry about coughing anymore.
So I think you should do that when we sit down.
I believe if I started chugging honey, I would have more problems to worry about actually.
Really?
Hmm.
When I did it at work last time, but I guess you're right.
Oh dear.
Well, if I'm sure to approach something like chugging honey with as much spirit as you,
then perhaps I could accomplish such a task.
Maybe pray to Idoon once in a while.
The power of youth will get you there.
Ah yes, youth, I could use some of that.
But it seems like you have it in full bloom.
Just enough for the both of us.
I'll always make sure to have enough for you.
Speaking of youth, as he starts setting it up, I've been pondering, Petal.
He takes a breath.
But before we get to that actually, he unfurls the cloth on the basket and he reaches into
it gingerly and you see he pulls out a small toy boat.
And he just goes, Tinkerton Guild, they stopped by to thank us for the service we did for
them cleaning up the yard the other day.
And they gave this to us.
Wow.
It's incredible.
Come here.
Come here, dear.
She'll kind of like slide over.
And yet again, like she's a young woman, but she acts like a child.
Like it's a little odd.
She just goes, he just goes, here, take hold of it.
Okay.
What do I do?
I want you to figure that out yourself.
Use your eyes.
Use your mind.
Let curiosity rove over.
Let yourself discover the nooks and crannies of this.
Wow.
I know what a boat is, but maybe this is a special kind of boat.
And maybe this boat can fly as she starts to kind of like, you know, float the air as
if it's powered by magic.
And it can go to all the different worlds and all the different lands and see everything
from high up in this boat.
Would you like that?
Like what?
And she'll turn back around, you know, a little confused with the boat still in her hand,
like mid swoop.
To what you said this morning.
To stretch your legs.
But not within our home, but the places beyond.
I have thought about it.
But would we be able to have our picnics?
I suppose those would have to take a pause.
But oh no.
And she's going to immediately drop the boat and, you know, come down to you and yet again
blow little soft air to her hand, warm them up and cast another healing word.
Before you cast it, his hand gently grips yours, halting the cast, halting the somatic.
And he just gently puts a hand on your shoulder and slowly sinks to his knees.
Yeah.
He reaches for the boat and you see it's just out of his reach.
And as he leans forward, you hear and he leans back.
You could tell that even that exertion hurt him a little bit.
Why isn't my magic working?
Can you take hold of the boat there?
Okay, but my spells normally work.
Maybe I did so if I pray hard enough, maybe it will be better next time.
And she picks up the boat, the back of your hand.
He gently brushes away a strand of hair from the side of your face.
He just goes, no, with your eyes and feel free to use your hands as well.
I want you to find a little secret, a little secret on this boat.
You have a natural curiosity.
It lets you to find a red berry of all things.
Use that to scout about, see what's interesting on this.
Well, it's not that it can fly.
And she's going to cast, like with her little pointer finger, the tip of her finger, she's
going to cast light so that she can kind of look into the boat with the light to look
in the nooks and crannies.
And she twists it all around as she looks for the surprise.
Make an investigation check with advantage.
First roll.
Don't fuck it up.
Roll with advantage.
That would be, oh no, hold on.
I can't see my sheet.
Well, so I'm confused what it did on my thing.
Oh, so you have to change the settings on the sheet manually.
I got you, but you rolled a 14.
A 14.
Okay, cool.
So that was at advantage because I also see a nat one on there, which would be fair.
Okay.
As you look it over with the assistance of light at your fingertips, you notice that
on the very side, on the very side of the ship, in hindsight, it's so obvious.
As you kind of narrow your perspective, you notice this very obvious thing in front of
you.
There is a small sort of like cog on the side that seems to be outstretched from the rest
of the structure.
Oh, you tinkerers, I should have known.
And she's going to start to turn the cog.
As you turn the cog, it gets a bit harder as it keeps going, as you begin to wind up
this boat.
This boat, which has wheels, like sort of like water wheels on the side, as you let
go of the cog eventually as you wind it up, there's a surprise as you hear this machination
in front of you, world to life, in your hand as the wheels on the side begin to turn.
You see Arnalda smile.
Any gestures to the lake?
Does it move?
And she jumps up and sprints over to the water to put it gently down in as the cogs are still
worrying.
The wheels move in tandem as it begins to move slowly, ever so slowly downstream, moving
by itself, but also assisted by the gentle down current.
As you watch it move, you notice that it's getting a little bit too far out of reach.
Uh oh, we've come back.
As that happens, a hand is gently placed against your shoulder and he goes, no, let it be.
But the boat.
Boats are not made to stay in one place.
It is where it's supposed to be, in the water, moving wherever the streams take it.
Seems kind of dangerous to me.
Yes.
But danger, uncertainty, makes for a full life.
The harbors are the ships at its safest, but that's not what ships are for.
That's a cool quote.
I know I made it.
I know.
I feel like we should put it on the plaque in our house or something.
Perhaps.
Yeah.
If the time comes for it.
And you watch as this toy boat leaves the stream.
It leaves downwards, getting farther away from you.
Scrunchy face on screen.
Oh, I feel the same, dear.
To hold something so precious to me.
But perhaps it's better if you allow things to go on their intended paths.
Here.
Let me pour you a cup.
I'm just going to put honey in your cup.
Can I ask for a small bit of mercy and mix up even a little smidge of water?
By Thor's hammer, it's granted.
Thank you, Thor's hammer.
He begins to pour and shake a little bit, but you learn your pouring technique from
him, a smooth stream nonetheless.
In the teapots that he crafted on his own, as he gently picks up the one that looks like
an elephant and pours it in and puts it off to the side, he takes a deep breath as the
both of you are kneeling and you know that it's time, with this deep breath, you know
that it's time to take in a prayer.
Open air prayers are prayers that take place in these open fields.
You have some kind of feast with someone and you dedicate this feast in thanks to the Norse
gods.
The ones that you and Arnald have are silent, quiet.
It is the both of you with your arms outstretched, head, chin tilted up, allowing the winds to
blow into you to take any of your prayers that you utter in your mind outwards.
As the wind blows gently, as your arms outstretched to the side, as you begin to give your thanks,
you feel it, this connection to the wind, tangible, it's something that you've tried
to explain to other people, but they've never gotten it.
It is, you feel a confluence, the joining of two rivers, of two streams, you, your choices,
everything has led you to here and to the world around you.
There's this ethereality, this outwardness that you always feel as you feel deeply connected
to the wind.
Few things go through your mind.
You pick, there's these things that you sort of cherry pick, the things that you grab out
of the ether.
You hear a prayer for a healthy child, a prayer for the return, the safe return of a wife
from sea, a warrior's a prayer to survive a battle and if not to have a glorious death.
You pick up these things, but you always have the choice, one thing among these things,
to zero in on it, to sort of get a, again, a deeper understanding, more clarity on something.
During this, during this particular prayer, as the clean winds of the plains fill your
lungs, you catch a small hint of soot.
It catches your lungs, just for a second.
As your, and as your eyes open, you look up into the sky, a red sky, dawn touched, a dawn
touched sky.
The sky was blue just a moment ago.
This must be a result of your prayers.
This must be a vision.
Must be one of the many visions you receive.
But what you see in this red sky, the shape of black breaks into the dawn, spirals into
the air, and as your eyes follow it, it is the only thing in the air.
You see the clouds, you see the clouds behind it begin to follow and twist and ride around
it as if the very act of it spinning is dragging the clouds along with it.
The very motion of this thing, everything around it begins to yield as this spinning
black object eventually, eventually resolves to still form in the sky.
You see these large black wings sprawl to the side, causing all the clouds to billow
off to the side.
As you see what almost looks like a dragon.
Are there any gods associated with dragons that I would know of?
Not here.
Interesting.
But for some reason, you feel a light coming from this, a warmth.
These are terrifying creatures, you know, but it taking, it crowning the sky and amongst
the red.
You strangely, for some reason, as you try to gain deeper insight into this vision, you
feel moved.
Not fear.
No.
You should feel fear.
These are tyrannical like monsters that can cause wanton destruction.
But you see hope.
You see a world beyond where you are.
And then you exhale.
And you open your eyes.
You're at the picnic.
Or not exhales.
Oh, no.
Shall we?
Did he have a weird interaction at all?
Like, can I see if like make an insight check or something to see if he also saw something
along those lines?
Okay, hold on.
I'm sorry that my screen goes dark.
My room has no lights in it right now.
Dramatic lighting.
Dramatic, super dramatic lighting.
The tension of when you're about to roll.
You're plunged into darkness.
Okay, so a normal roll.
Oh, cool.
22.
He is completely unfazed.
He is as he did his prayers and now he's ready to eat.
They moved.
So she knows that she's always been a little different, right?
Yes.
Okay, cool.
So she goes, Wow, today, I guess really is a special day.
Oh, really?
Is it because it's been divine touched by the many gods?
You could say that.
She says as she starts to go and like set aside the little tea, you know, put up the
little finger sandwiches, start to cut off the sourdough bread, you know, in a very methodical,
you know, calm manner.
Did you have this morning pedal and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to?
But did you have that vision about the fires again?
Oh, and you see she kind of like nervously tucks a piece of hair, you know, back into
her bandana of her short, you know, pink wisps and goes, it's okay.
No big deal.
It happens.
Just a reminder of how grateful I am to be in this present moment.
She kind of like gives a little bow to the tea set.
All right, well, let's have it eaten.
Go home.
There's much to do as much jam to make.
Maybe I can find those red berries and we can make a really cool jam.
That would be a blessing by the gods themselves.
Indeed.
You have a feast.
An assortment of sweets, of hot of hot bread.
Um, um, Lusardi has packed a couple of salted, assorted meats, which is a rare, which is
a rarity, but a nice delicacy now.
Um, you eat until your belly is full and you leave and you leave a slice, a little loaf
of bread out for the people who have passed.
As you begin, as you begin to clean as the open air prayer is now complete.
Um, as you see other people taking to the field and doing their prayers, you see a,
um, you see a figure making its way on the walk on the, uh, the beaded walkway coming
over to you.
She wears a sort of like sort of white vestments.
She has a, this largely, this like very, um, elegant rapier by her side.
Um, her hair is sort of like, sort of like a tied back sort of like bluish kind of, uh,
kind of hair.
Um, a half elf woman, um, whom you have grown to be, um, familiar with throughout your life.
Now she walks, she walks over with this sort of like same like elegant bearing gait that
she has.
Her name is Aurier Verlouin, a warrior of the Ferjandi, a dev, a, an elite set of devout,
a devout warriors that are dedicated to the ministry.
Um, and she just goes, I'll father be with the both of you this morning.
And I'll father be with you.
Good morning.
Good morning, Verlouin.
To what do we owe this pleasure of this visit?
Well, you see, I thought I'd find the both of you, uh, within these fields.
I was actually hoping to speak to, to speak to Lucia.
Oh, oh, was it because of the boat?
I didn't, I, I, uh, well, listen, okay.
So here's the thing.
Boats are supposed to leave the harbors sometimes and because the harbors are safe, but sometimes
when the boat needs to turn around, oh, nevermind.
Yeah.
Talk to me.
I got it.
She looks to Arnalda and Arnalda just goes, the girl said, nevermind.
Aurier chuckles slightly and she just goes, well, as you may, um, as you may know, your
presence is typically, it comes as a, as a special request throughout the years by a
few certain people.
Oh, that makes sense.
Does she want to see me?
She is here to see you this year.
Okay.
Well, um.
And then you see Arnalda just goes, only if she wants to.
Oh, um, um, turns to Arnalda.
I'm always happy to help.
I just feel bad because, well, it's kind of the same thing every year, but absolutely
happy to help.
I'll lead the way then.
I'll see you back at the house.
Oh, yes.
But before you go, I have one more thing for you.
Oh, not another boat I'm going to lose.
No, something I want you to keep.
Reaches into the same basket.
And you see, you hear the sounds of like a small chain.
He handles this item gingerly as he holds it up towards you.
The small circular object that he presses the button on.
And you see this sort of like clamshell design opens up and shows a clock.
What in the FMA is going on here?
A pocket watch.
Um.
With the date.
And he just goes.
For you to be able to tell the time wherever you are.
Wow.
Why am I getting so many gifts today?
Is it because I saw that red berry?
I'm telling you, the blessings today, they're coming in by the loads.
Yes.
Red berries, rare to be certain, but sweet.
Very very sweet.
I'm sure.
I'll see you at the house.
And as she takes it, she goes, is this, as she calls out as he starts to head back, is
this really mine?
Of course.
It's yours.
I love it.
And it's all yours.
It's the most wonderful thing I've ever had, Arnalda.
Thank you.
I'll see you at the house.
She'll turn around with the new pocket watch that she'll try to either hook onto her skirt
or, you know, wear it around her neck.
As she turns to look at, is it Oria?
How is it pronounced?
Oria.
And she says, well, what do you know?
I lost a boat and I got a clock.
As she holds up the little pocket watch.
I'm still unclear on this boat.
Well, here's the thing with boats.
They're not meant to stay in the harbor.
They're supposed to go out into the water.
You've said it before.
Yes.
Yeah.
I don't think they're meant to like drown though.
That's my question though.
That would be the complete antithesis of a boat.
Yes.
Yeah, that would be.
But sometimes they do that.
They walk beside me.
She's just chattering the whole way.
She's patient.
She always listens.
She always enjoys you.
You begin to make your way towards the deeper parts of Takor.
These are where the real important places are.
And you normally only walk these places with Oria.
You see Castle Gimli in the distance.
The large stone castle where you know that a great evil once took hold of, but the first
king, the king blessed by Odin eventually slayed this evil, this ash tyrant, and took
over this very castle, purified it with just pure intention.
That's bless the king.
As eventually you are led to a component of the castle.
Walking in, you see other individuals.
You're inside of the castle now, but a smaller part of it off to the side.
You did not go through the main entrance.
Entering into this little section of the castle, you see other young men and women.
Some of them who you know came from other places of an era, other places in the same
country that you're in.
All also people who were just products of war, but were saved, much like you.
But you're special.
You didn't join the Varor Society, the society of wartime orphans saved by the Anorian army,
who were then brought here to Anor, brought to a safe place, nurtured by the ministry
and raised to be very capable servants of the many nobles of Anor.
You were destined to be one of them, but something was special about you.
Something about you caused, and something that was noticed from everyone around you,
caused you to be deviated from this path.
And instead you were put with Arnalda to lead a small yet interesting life.
And yet you wonder how different things can be seeing these servants of the castle who
came about the same situation as you, rushing about, seeing you seeing Aurier stiffening
up, all of a sudden this properness taking over them as if snapping to.
And they and they they bow to her, head executor, and they bow towards you and quickly dash
away, getting out of sight of your eyes.
But okay.
Eventually you are led through gilded halls until you reach this red padded door where
you see a woman dressed in.
She has a strict she has sort of a strictness about her.
Everybody that surrounds this, everyone that follows this woman that you're going to meet,
they have this sense of strictness and coldness about them that you that you were apparently
designed to respect.
She wears this military outfit, hair, kind of like brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.
She wears the symbol of House Alderbrand on her chest.
But it's but it's not the woman that's a request that has requested you.
This is not the woman that you get the visions of.
It is her right hand.
The one who tends to meet you up front.
You do know her.
Her name is Ada.
Ada Sigrid, a lieutenant.
She meets you with a stern captain that's hands behind her, hands behind her back and
then looks to Orië.
Orië goes, she's here.
Yes, I'm here.
Hi.
Ada regards you for a moment and she just goes.
Right.
There is the payment that's promised and reaches reaches to like the side of her boot, pulls
pulls up a bag and hands over this like large bag of like some it is a you can tell it's
a hefty bag.
But you do know that the people who come from this place, they're strong, lifting it with
ease and handing it over to Orië.
Orië takes it, the heft of it, kind of wang her hand out for a moment as she places to
her side.
She looks to you with a gentle smile and she just goes, I'll wait out here for you.
See you soon.
Thanks for walking me.
Of course.
You press your way through the red padded door and you see kneeling in front of you
this pale short woman.
She wears a fine soothed out clothes.
She has a pallid skin and sort of like jet black hair.
And as she opens her eyes, she was kneeling and was focused.
Her eyes open and she regards you with the flat regard of a reptile.
Her eyes are these fiery red and they are the most striking things about her.
You've always felt something from her.
There's always something, there's always this intense feeling about her.
You feel heat.
You feel strength.
She has the grace of a jungle panther and she looks like the underbelly of a glacier.
Dangerous.
But she's the one who saved you.
Kali Aldebrand, the high commander of the Firestorm Brigade.
She is an Aeon Mart noble among one of the most powerful noble families in the eastern
constituent region of the Grand Folger.
She looks at you and she bows her head slightly at you.
Good to see you again.
Blessed day.
You see she takes off her black glove, puts it off to the side.
She just goes, well shall we begin then?
Of course, yes.
You begin the process of the vision ceremony.
A small censure is in the room that you fill with, it's already filled with the proper,
you know, the unjuents and such.
As you light up the flame and this tangible, heavy scent fills the room, you kneel in front
of Kali Aldebrand and you close your eyes and you gently take her hand.
Immediately you feel the whips of fire closer than ever before in these visions.
Your eyes open.
These visions of her that you always give to her, that she receives from you every year,
this special occasion, they're almost the same every year, her victorious.
The grit, the sign of strength amongst the pyres and fires, the toils of war, she of
course stands amongst the ashes.
But this time it's different.
This time the fire feels closer, it feels more intense and you see her walking towards
a red sky, up a hill and on top of this hill you see she reaches out and her hand touches
upon a throne that looks much like the one in the king's room.
As that happens, you hear the galloping of a horse from behind, fast approaching.
And here, this sudden bellow, this is all new.
You see this woman in front of you turn around, sword at her side, and she swings at your
direction at whatever this approaching horse figure is.
And then your vision cuts and you are present once more.
I was going to say, so this is the first time this has happened, right?
Yes, this is the first time, it's different.
Her eyes open to regard you, silently waiting for the answer, the answer of what you saw.
Well, and you see she really doesn't know how to approach this.
Is it different?
Just a little.
Her eyes harden immediately.
Fear shoots through you.
Very, like, I mean, it still had the throne and everything and it was, you look great,
you look great in it, you really do.
Yeah, there's just a horse this time.
What did the horse look like?
Give me every detail.
It was just a horse.
You didn't see the horse, you just heard the galloping.
Yeah, you know, I didn't really see it, I more so heard a horse, but yeah, there's just
a horse kind of there.
You know, and you seem surprised by the horse and yeah.
Even though she's all about fire, she bears an Aeon mark, which are these mystical sigils
that every noble, like, every huge noble bears, that gives them abilities beyond their, like,
that separates them from the common folk.
Fire's is the mark of the inferno.
She masters fire.
She is the absolute control, the absolute controller of fire.
But you feel an ice, glacial coldness from her at your stuttering, at your lack of clarity.
You don't know if you're making her more annoyed.
So yeah, horses are really, you know, wonderful, intelligent, strong creatures.
So if anything, I think this is a good sign.
What was the horse doing?
Running.
Where?
I'm scared.
How much did, can I like make a roll for myself to see how much she admits?
Sure.
This is like the funniest conversation I've heard Kali Aldebrand have about a horse.
Where's the horse?
What's the horse doing?
What does the horse look like?
This is her being patient.
This is her acting within the mesh.
Yep.
She's not going to kill me.
She really cares about this horse.
Jenny.
Okay, hold on.
I'm trying to roll wisdom.
I hate Kali Aldebrand so much.
Okay, and that 20, so 24.
I was going to say for you, I thought that was, okay.
So that was rolling for how much she should reveal.
Does that mean you're going to reveal everything or not?
That's what I'm asking.
Oh, okay.
You want me to decide it.
What's the smartest thing to do with how she looks so scary?
So since you rolled a nat 20, and because nat 20s typically mean you want to do the
good thing.
The good thing.
There was something about this woman that's always made you fearful.
She's the one who saved you.
She's the one that you were taught to be thankful of.
But every time you've seen visions of her, it's destruction.
It's it reminds you of the fires that penetrate your home, the ones that of your visions.
Something tells you that perhaps you have said enough.
And yeah, that was it.
Same old, same old.
An exertion of breath.
This reserved woman eventually resigns herself to pick up her glove and put it on her hand.
And you do take note that her hands.
She's such a small woman.
But but but you hear her stories.
How fierce she is.
The war she has waged and won the odds she has gone up against.
The very cream of the crop.
A prodigy of Irobrin.
A prodigy of life.
And the sole survivor of her family who has seen some track has seen some tragedies throughout
the years.
But she had the strength to carry on and to and to endeavor.
The people who live under her all live a fruitful and full life.
Everything you've heard about her is that she is the most wonderful, most capable woman
ever.
And Jenny doesn't like that.
No, I hate her.
I hate her so much.
I also kind of hate I just had the thought in my head about this is probably like the
only time in a game ever that Kali is going to have more screen time than me for any amount
of time in the game's existence.
And that pisses me off just because it's her.
Jenny's like and for that I'll kill her.
Oh I was already gonna I'm killing her.
She's gonna die.
That horse is me.
She puts the glove back on and she bows her head slightly towards you.
Stands up.
And the five or six times you've done this she has stared up every single time.
She is nothing if not consistent throughout all of her motions.
And she just goes thank you.
And much like the other time she begins to just she does a pivot and walks straight towards
the door to exit.
You are left to clean up the things that have been left behind and as you exit you see that
Kali and her right hand is gone.
Right hand lieutenant not her hand.
Well her hand is also gone I bet.
Morie sees you because everything go well.
She nods.
The last few times have left you a little bit shaken up but this time was a little bit
more scary.
She takes her hand gently.
And you see that she has divvied up the gold into another bag.
And gently places it in your hand.
Here I'll walk you back home.
Thank you.
You're doing this kingdom a great service.
It's a gift from above.
She points.
It is.
And we are blessed to have you share it with us.
You are led back home the same path every single time.
As you as you had as you as you approach your house.
She just goes we really should talk.
Without standing on any other sort of business or predicate.
I should really just speak with you and Arnolda wants my duties loosen up a little bit.
I think we would like that.
I do apologize that the last few meetings have been fraught with pretenses but perhaps
next time.
But I'll let you get home now.
Have a good day.
Thanks for walking me again.
Of course.
You can ask me anything.
Of course.
She watches as you just you know as a safety precaution she watches as you go into your
house as you open up the door you see Arnolda sort of like the baskets been put up and normally
he'd be making jam but this time he's just been at a table.
You see just kind of like a hand over his face.
And as you open the door.
His head slowly rises.
No.
How was it Petal?
Well it was a little different.
Are you okay?
Yes I'm just feeling a little bit under the weather.
So under the weather that magic can't even help.
I am afraid that the grasps of time cannot be undone by magic dear.
What do you mean?
I um and as he looks up as he looks up he does speak you hear behind you.
Lusati.
Aurier is standing in the doorway.
She's noticed the situation and approached.
Are you all right?
Yes just getting a little long in my ears you know.
I don't mean to worry you for Luane.
No it's nothing.
Thank you for taking care of Lucia like always.
It's nothing.
I don't wish to keep you any longer.
I know I know the naming ceremony is coming up later today.
And that's the first time you've heard of it.
People were in full bloom out in the streets.
People were there was a buzz about in town.
Aurier goes yes that is true.
It'll be an important occasion.
The what ceremony?
Ah the leader of the well I'm afraid if I say a bunch of terminology towards you it's
not going to make sense but there is an important ceremony today when a lot of important people
are going to be there.
Someone's going to be named the leader of a house at a school.
Wow leader of a house like our house?
She points around.
And you see Arnold you see like his eyebrows crouches for a moment and he blinks for a
bit he just goes and as Aurier is about to explain he just goes something bigger something
beyond our scope.
Ivar Bryn is a school where many people from all the five regions come together and meddle
and learn from one another.
There are five houses there and the one who's going to be named at the ceremony is going
to be the leader of the silver lions.
That sounds kind of scary.
Yes it's it is a load bearing responsibility which is why someone must be very capable
someone chosen by the king.
By the king?
Should we make sure that we go to like bless them or something just in case if they need
an extra oomph?
Next to Aurier.
And Aurier just goes we could have you be a part of the procession outside but as for
the the more inner as for the more inner ceremonies the more the more private ones I'm afraid
we can't do that.
And you see Arnara immediately jumps in he just goes but you can ordain our presences
correct to allow us to be a part of this.
Yes yes I know how to do that.
Keep in mind that I am going to have to be responsible if I'm going to allow you to take
part within within the inner ceremonies.
She looks nervously over to Arnalda.
Arnalda goes I have been thinking a lot about my dear Lucia here.
She is a flower in full bloom and flowers tend to grow in one place but eventually they
must allow themselves to be in the wind.
Can't I allow her to see something as wonderful and momentous as this ceremony?
I promise we won't embarrass ourselves among the high lives even says even if we do get
lost in the wonderful food they have there.
But I think it just be something nice for her.
See Orieth thinks about it for a moment she just goes ok but even if the two of you are
out of my sight then the two of you have to be with each other understand.
I wouldn't leave his side.
Yes she's always been by my side.
We're two peas in a pod.
We're two red berries in a bunch.
Red berries?
Do you mean strawberries?
Yeah no no a red never mind.
Very well I'll be attending to the personal guard in the possession outside but once the
ceremony begins to move inside the two of you will find me by the gates and I'll lead
you both inside.
That sounds wonderful thank you thank you Orieth.
It's nothing.
I wish you good health Arnolda.
Yes and you as well.
Because be mindful of the time.
She says good day and walks out.
He grasps your hand and gives it like a vigorous like little squeeze.
He just goes be mindful of the time.
Good thing I gave you that little pocket watch so you can always be mindful.
She swings it up around her finger like a yo-yo.
Skillful.
I know right it's my favorite new thing.
You've never stepped inside of the castle beyond doing those little sights those little
seer ceremonies for that lord.
Yes I figured today will be an eye-opening day for you.
Well I'm kind of hoping we might find someone who can help with your cough.
Time.
Everyone yields to it dear.
As does the condition of my body so does my grip on you.
There's much more for you out there Luciana just I would very much like for you to see
it.
Perhaps you will at the highest room at Castle Gimli.
Only if you're there with me.
Of course.
Let's get ready for the occasion shall we?
Yeah because you know us boats are supposed to go out in the water and not sink and sometimes
you have to make sure the harbor is left behind but you don't want to leave the harbor if
it's a safe.
Because when you turn around you forget.
I get what you're putting down yes.
I'm just watching the face get more confused.
You can see the pipeline of thoughts.
She is the gif of the woman with the numbers in the air.
You know you've never attended an occasion such as this but I think it's time to put
aside some of the to bring out a bit of our money that we saved up.
You see an occasion such as this you must dress the part.
Oh my goodness we have to get really fancy.
I'll get my most pretty apron.
No no we'll make something even better for you dear something for you.
And she starts to kind of like panic because the apron is the nicest thing she has.
This is a lot of pressure.
Starts to hyperventilate a little bit.
He presses the gold bag that you got and he tucks it in your pocket and he goes that's
for you.
But all these other all these other ones throughout the years we're going to have it all go into
you all right dear.
Let's fetch you a mighty fine dress for the occasion.
Yeah what are you gonna wear you can't wear that.
What do you mean by that?
I can't wear this points to her like you know they're very simple because you can't wear
that.
Oh my god the men I'll have you know.
These are fine vespids for every occasion.
Really though like a scarf or something we could maybe put on you.
I would like a scarf.
A scarf would be neat.
Cashmere I think is the thing nowadays I like some of that.
I've heard of cashmere but I've never seen it before.
I'll get you a cashmere scarf as well.
Oh my gosh.
Come down dear.
This child's gonna die.
There's a lot there's a lot to see within the day.
This child will die.
And all of a sudden this excited this there's excitement.
There's something big coming today something that you've never gone.
High life ceremony.
This is exciting.
And not to distract you from what's going on with Arnaldah.
If he dies this episode I swear.
Stop dancing.
You and your dancing.
As we zoom out from the scope of Tokor the large capital city of Anor of Castle Gimli
of this momentous occasion and of this humble soul that has not seen anything else beyond
the borders of this city.
We move from a perspective that started in fire to one cloaked in cold and snow the day
before.
And we will do that after this break.
See you in a bit.
Jenny's character comes after the break.
Oh no.
Maybe it's Emma's second character.
Yeah I'm playing with myself.
Jenny just gives us a watch.
I'm like I'm enjoying it.
Front row seats.
Jenny you need to help me.
You need to help my character.
Alright everyone we'll see you in a little bit.
Hello and welcome back everyone.
As everyone enjoying it so far.
Oh it's been amazing.
Old man.
Everyone loves the old man and little daughter.
Everything's great.
Everything's fine.
Don't you dare kill him.
Please give me something to live for.
What?
I wouldn't.
I wouldn't make him sick.
Nothing a little lesser restoration can't help.
Has anyone been playing Hades 2?
Can't escape time.
Alright let's see.
Alright so where we last left off as we exit out of the viewpoint of one small perspective
we entered into the wide eyed more all seeing perspective of another more belligerent less
humble full bearing soul.
Give me one moment where the hell is my sound effect?
This is what happens like the first 30 minutes after most D&D start times off stream.
You should have seen the power leading up this.
Where's my playlist?
Son of a bitch.
Why you guys do this?
We have all the tabs open.
It's a nightmare.
Quick Emma make sound effects.
Winter storm sound effects.
Wow that's very convincing.
That sounds even better what you just played.
Oh I couldn't tell that you'd stopped.
Add that to the resume.
Winter storm Emma.
Honey you got a storm coming.
Winter storm effects.
Pick up my Demeter boon real quick.
Alright that's cold.
Snow all encompassing ice.
As the wind howls across and blankets our vision with this angry rapid white unyielding
in its presence in its endless march.
We hear the sound of a pair of footsteps as a small figure carves a shadow in the squall.
We see a young woman halfling making her way through the squall.
Her voice calls out.
Ven!
As she calls out her dressed in her spiked shoes, warm winter garment she marches through
the storm.
She just goes Ven!
Ven where are you?
She steps one step forward another careful half step.
This calculated half step.
As she steps onto the white as she advances into just the purest form of the unknown where
everything around you is the same color.
Death is all black but this place is all white.
She takes a step forward and as she puts her whole foot down into the barren white that
she's always been stepping on she feels the front half of her foot tip forward and she
takes a step back.
As the weight that she puts on causes snow and a small portion of the rock face that
she's stepping on to fall off the side into a bottomless crevice.
She gets on her hands and knees and waves her hand at the ground until she feels nothing.
She has marked the distance of the bottomless crack in front of her a certain depth and
the small rock structure that she's standing on.
She calls out again towards the wind attempting anything to overpower the nature's natural
howl.
A second later she hears something in the distance.
Her ears do everything they can to latch onto the sound pulling it from the squall.
And as she hears it again.
And she takes note that the voice is coming downward.
She goes, Ven, Ven can you hear me?
Yeah, I can't.
I can't move.
Yes.
Don't, don't worry.
Stay down there.
I'll get you help.
Yes.
It is sorry.
It's getting really cold.
She the halfling woman gets up turns and with her with her with her trained with her trained
mind she recalls the steps even though the snow has covered up steps she she finds her
steps her educated steps bring her back.
And so she sees in the distance a amongst the whites the small flittering of an orange
flame.
As she comes close she comes close to a wagon that is being guarded by one soul woman.
This woman a large woman dark she has a dark skin dark and a very dark dour expression
covered up with with a scarf and such and sort of like messy swarthy kind of like brownish
hair.
She wears many scars that have already that she has none of them.
None of them strangely enough gathered from this hail storm.
All of them gathered gathered throughout her life.
She approaches this this tower this strong this strong like just warship built woman.
She just goes found it just then he fell.
And the woman goes can you get him.
No no I think it's I think it's too dangerous.
You see the other woman stand up walks around to the back of the wagon knocking it on the
side.
She just goes my lady.
And she and she forces the wagon door to open fighting against the wind sticks her head
into the cold inside of the wagon.
And Jenny can you describe the young woman she is addressing.
Yeah.
Valora Avonlea is dressed probably warmer than normal.
She has bright orange hair tied back maybe like halfway between almost being like acceptable
and messy you know.
And she has earrings that look almost like a little like serpent or dragon in nature
the fang hanging off one ear.
And she normally prefers her fingerless gloves.
I think she's wearing not fingerless gloves.
And she has green eyes light skin human and yeah.
You see your knight Rudra Pallavi a knight of house Avonlea dedicated serving the house
longer since you were born.
She gets you with colder eyes and she just goes we have a serious situation out there.
Did something did something happen nobody like fell again right.
You're met with an affirming quiet that she doesn't want to say.
I told them not to go too far with like without phantom out there but.
I hate she jumps up.
Hate to put you out there.
No no no it's fine it's fine.
I mean I should be helping anyways.
I know you don't hate it.
I mean I mean I do I mean we've got a day to wrap up so I should be helping and I'm
plenty warm enough so.
I mean where where who opens the door with a shove and as you as you you walk out into
the squall that that that that cold wind hits you doesn't does nothing to darken that expression.
And you see of gosh once they fuck you see for any of any Bill Stone one of the siblings
in charge of the Bill Stone Expedition Company the one that you've been traveling with to
come to this place specifically all the doing yeah approach you just goes up.
Sorry got to save our skin again my lady but my brother he he fell.
Okay.
You know.
Phantom I don't mind but I mean it was it is kind of hard to tell where the drop offs
are with all the just going and she calls over for.
For phantom.
She calls.
As you call for phantom the wagon that's hitched to your wagon it's suddenly you feel the wagon
that that hitch wagon shakes.
You see even through the snow on the slitted eyes go through open to see through the bars
of the other the windows of the.
The windows of the wagon as if called.
His eyes piercing it even even through all the snow you know where the where this person
is as this as all of a sudden the the back of the wagon shoots open.
And you see walking out pitch black forming a pitch black shape in this white snow.
Can you describe phantom.
Yes phantom is a large wyvern with four legs as is typical of wyverns.
That are not raised in captivity if you know the lore.
He has dark gray scales and sharp teeth and a like like other wyverns a stinger at the
end of his tail and he's saddled up and ready to go still because they're actively doing
things I imagine and he probably blends in pretty well with the snow except he's a little
bit darker but.
She she goes up to him and she pats him and goes are you warm enough you know the not
that he can reply and start to.
But ever ever dutiful and present as ever you brought him out here he knows it's a serious
task at hand.
As you take to him the he your ever your ever present steed immediately starts to warm up
as the four legs come out as the wings slowly begin to spread.
It's now just a matter of tell me where to go just think about it.
She climbs on and looks to.
Looks to then and is like are you want to hop on show me.
He gets goes to grab her.
As you as you latch on she you pull her up she goes OK just.
Just go that way and she points after after centering herself for a moment.
She his fear phantom she means sore.
And your conic and sore he does.
Moving with moving with strength he is a he is an arrow launched out of a fully drawn
back bow the winds around are howling and strong but nothing there is no wind there
is no wind stronger than phantoming you trained and you train him to do that you were the
one who oversaw all of that as he moves effortlessly gliding against the gliding against the storm.
As he moves forward as you begin to take flight and leave the ground you see phantom maintains
a very steady pace as you as you as you rush forward eventually we're giving the directions
from getting the directions from then you hear she eventually brings you to a point
and as you as you as you reach a certain point you hear you hear beyond her instruction you
hear anybody then.
Overcoming she will try to direct phantom to where she hears hears him calling.
As you begin as you begin to go towards that way you notice sharp there is there's a sharpness
to you things you have to be careful for because you've been in these situations you were trained
to be in these situations.
The small clattering of rocks things falling to this things falling around to the side
there's a slight shift in the landscape.
As you dive downwards make a perception check or survival.
Perception or survival let me look.
But is there the same I think so I'll do perception.
Twenty two that's pretty good.
You're you're your eyes lock on you have found you have found smaller needles and bigger
haystacks.
As eventually following as eventually following the sound you reach the side of you reach
the side of a crack phantom has to latch on to this this narrow side of this of this place
this place is two cracks and a huge crevice in between with only a few stone a few stone
like parts connecting one part to the other.
Which is why you were sent out here to try and make it a little bit more livable for
people for travelers.
You see as Phantom latches onto latches onto the crack you see Vin this other half this
other half thing the brother of Verony a python out holding on to dear life to this to this
almost flat side of the rock face cold snow getting into his jacket.
This goes hey what took you so long.
Sorry warming up but um okay we need to go fast I think I will I promise I will call
you pipsqueak again.
I never really knew where that came from but she starts working as you begin as you begin
to help and you reach out towards him you hear close and you hear movement coming coming
really fast from below.
Go ahead and make an initiative check.
Okay this is as I think also because we rolled on the mount table thing that um a5e has I
think phantom world spirited in the mountain it's brighter game plus one two initiative
checks.
Yes.
And I never put that on my sheet so let's it'll be plus one of 22 again then with the
plus one.
Okay that does that beat what I'm gonna roll.
We'll see.
I have notoriously bad initiative.
I don't not one for my first roll.
Okay.
Oh good job to me.
You watch as your hand is outstretched um we're normally we're normally um risk those who
are risk adverse will pull their hand back because they feel this fast moving presence
you instead commit to the to the risk to the risk grabbing the grabbing the hand because
the reward of the safety of a friend is much more than your own personal safety as you
grab his hand you pull you pull towards you as he as he flies towards you you see his
body is almost clipped by the by this rising of flying presence that lunged upwards that
will that would have almost grabbed your arm if you hadn't pulled it pulled it towards
you as you see this large humanoid furred creature shoot upwards you barely dodging
it as um as then is is like the falls onto the back of your back your wyvern this creature
grabs uh on like onto the side of the cliff face and looks down towards you lar um bloodied
fangs of like a white outset of her um this large hulking creature a yeti
she though she she feels she safely has has him on she just she just commands severed
severed which means up to like like go go go um as you see uh you see um you see a phantom
who is uh perfectly disciplined but also has to give a fierce face to whatever he is a
fierce protector of you begins to fly upwards you see the yeti
fiercely climbing along the side of the mountain almost almost actually like keeping pace of
as phantom has to fight against as the fight against the win um make a dexterity saving
throw okay
um you you um you see he grabs a rock he grabs a chunk out of the cliff face and just
tosses it uh tosses it towards you um fan you uh you you see it just in time and you
ins not being able to dodge it just in time you fear the um you fear phantom to turn um
shielding the uh shielding the um the two halflings on the on the back of your wyvern
taking uh the taking the brunt of the uh the rock let's see you take four bloodeding damage
as the rock shatters over your form but you shielding it the rock breaks over you a mild
bruise that you're gonna forget in the morning um how much do i know about yetis do i know
about their um dislike of certain elements yes okay then she she will try to oh wait
i don't think i'd have anything though actually now i think about it i was like oh it started
fire that's easy she probably doesn't have it oh maybe okay no no i know she goes um
she she goes ven can you get the the that saddle bag the torch yeah um she she quickly
she quickly starts scrambling um she's gonna roll an initiative okay 13 16 um as she as
she begins to scratch you see the the yeti begin just crouches as if he's about to leap
um and uh and you see he she pulls out the the torch um and she then once if she's able
to get the torch lit in time um you begin you begin to uh you begin to to start applying
with this cold wind is is working against you give me a d20 straight d20 okay here's the
nat one let's go 15 not a nat one as you're as you're fiercely trying to get this um torch
working the yeti sleeps off of the cliff face lunging towards you uh hands out at the ready
as soon as she gets the torch ready she steers phantom around to go towards instead
going towards the danger um the torch as soon as he leaps off the torch is the torch is
ready you your hair trigger command immediately followed by phantom as he looks towards the
danger and flies upwards the flame being carried by you the only fire within the only fire
within these squalls um immediately as that happens you see the yeti like uh like like
wide-eyed all of a sudden the the killer form uh the killer from lessons as he as he more
so brings his hands back leaving himself completely open in the middle of the air okay and with
that i think she'll just command phantom to at that point almost like knowing that he
probably will be too paralyzed by the by the fear from the torch to just um i think to
just like use the momentum of the yeti in the air to push off of and get further away
from it if that makes sense yes um as the form becomes open as again your you just you
basically just think it the little motion phantom turns all four legs on the chest of
the yeti it vaults off the the the opposing force sends the yeti who was lunging at you
all of a sudden now stop dead in the middle of the air and then send downwards into the
crevice poor guy um phantom using that momentum flies soars like a bullet through the air
been stoked been stoked good to phantom as she feels the danger cleared
you land back at the uh uh you eventually find your way back uh to uh to the wagon landing
with a gentle um a gentle perch on the snow rudra your knight makes her her way up she
just goes that was fast it's a bit of a hurry um um you see this you see verani begins helping
vin to into the wagon um um and vin goes hand them off the torch thanks i owe you a thousand
now you don't you there's no way you owe me more than i owe you
i really want i really want i really want to want to host something to you know basically
my boss but oh yeah oh that's my leg what what even happened did it did it cut off more
drastically than you expected i told you you probably shouldn't go near the edges i just
i just kind of had a patient with doing half steps i did a full step but the moment i did
a full step i kind of completely fell off yeah yeah that tracks i guess don't give me
the exhibition pots it helps and gets gets hopped into the wagon um van goes we still
need a clear way for the horses to get past um looking towards you're looking towards
you um and ru and ruja just goes of course she'll do it yep now take a break yeah you
know what i think we'll start using my vacation days you should um and ruja just goes you
know the lord really wants you to know your benefits come on says come on veloura get
us out of here i'm freezing all right then she'll do it you fly high into the air
phantom uses um you hug phantom's body clothes as he spins through the air beating away beating
away all of the uh the strong winds eventually you fly over the storm getting a clear view
of the area around you you see the what the white storm below and the clear path ahead
you hold this position for a moment this view this might not be what you're thinking about
you are definitely objective minded at the moment but this view is something that people
would kill for this view above all else the the the ability to see beyond all boundaries
to be a master of the sky to travel anywhere to you see feet to see sites that um to see
sites that no one else can see in the perspective that no one else can see but this is just
another day for you the daring heiress to house avanlea veloura
with your guidance you eventually make your way out of the storm making your way out of
the storm you uh you eventually get you you eventually uh find um you eventually close
the distance between between uh you and your next designated uh designated place of rest
you make your way towards this inn uh called the cherry tea cup in a small in a small village
called coslyn now of course such an occasion uh places that you stay at they know of your
arrival beforehand and typically they they rent out like the whole inn for you and this
one is no exception um as you um as you eventually make your way out of the snow uh in the um
fr you make your way towards this uh village um snow still piled up on the ground but none
of it whipping the airs around you um this is typical for this region of anor the northern
region of aurora a place that you've had to work in a lot your house house avanlea are
known as the the people who create sort of like the sort of like the road infrastructure
of uh says of the entire kingdom um many of the new roads and the and the things that
connect them supply stops the um the messenger birds the ones you have to especially train
everything of this entire kingdom can be attributed to your family's work um an undeniable part
an undeniably part like just makes up a huge part of the backbone of this entire kingdom
um and no one moves as swiftly as you do um and of course as you make your way towards
the end the individuals here bow their heads towards you um as is custom here you like
to think it's because it's because of the good work your family has done because you
have your family has done an immeasurable amount of work that is that doesn't happen
that you are not definitely not owed to the kingdom your family owns an aeon mark your
family's bloodline bears one which means by very by the very definition by birthright
you are among the highest echelon of the society here of anor that you own the aeon mark of
passage one that allows you impossible reflexes agility um to travel from one place to another
that no one else can do all in your blood and people venerate you for it respect you
um it's not problematic at all guys it's not hey no um it's a meritocracy um as you
approach this um as you push this uh tea house that has set aside all uh that has set aside
all of its openness uh and instead of close itself for privateness all they'd leave all
ceremony for you you uh make your way into the small village into this tea house to see
um an immaculately clean uh one um one tier uh one tier building um you see uh boots with
law with large pots hanging over fires or uh uh in the middle of these boots um this
is a uh this is a style of tea house that's popular with the people with the peoples here
who are whose origins come from another place of living uh where they where they serve themselves
tea out of a large pot in the middle uh in the middle of them uh but in this case even
though the fire is roaring everything is immaculately clean and it's only you and it's it's only
you and your procession of people uh then helps vin out into uh into a room and starts
to help and you see rudra pull off her like giant great sword her big iron uh big iron
gauntlet and just just kind of like does a little flourish big pounds of metal hit the
ground um as she just goes pops her pops her back her neck muscles kind of like strain
for a moment as she stretches um she is a rather big for a half elf uh valora sir rudra
like i wish dad wouldn't tell them they have to run out the whole thing every time feels
kind of like a waste security or whatever that's his thing who knows maybe your dad
just wants to make you feel special oh i'm sure dry chuckle um i should probably help
get phantom in the stable i know they always offer but most people tend to be a little
scared at first all right after you do that why don't you share a drink with me sure um
she walks away she does not act like this towards anyone else this is her acting warm
very warm in fact this is the warmest she's ever been because she's known you since you
were a baby yeah i was waiting for it at most what is that oh okay okay yeah yeah we'll
get into that we'll get into that later it's not romantic that that i was i'm going well
there goes the ship another ship sunk you have another you have another woman built
like a fortress later um um i tend to phantom really quickly or whatever make sure not terrifying
anyone and then go back yeah phantom looks at you basically with the eyes that like did
i do a good job um as you help it towards the stable she's like ben felt phantom and
uh he rubs his head against you for a moment uh as a sign of affection you bring him towards
the stable and you see that there's a basket uh like a welcoming basket that says and you
see those it's in a little nest that has like a bunch of like like like painted eggs on
it that you think are supposed to someone's artistic depiction of a uh of a white of a
wyvern's egg even though they're definitely not that small um and there's a sign that
says welcome uh phantom but it's spelled f a n t o m
she she picks up an egg isn't it just a drawing of an egg or is it an actual basket of eggs
it's um there's there's eggs surrounding the basket but the actual basket itself is like
there's something in it um you have to open it yeah okay she'll look in the basket then
you open it to see that there is a whole there's a whole ass cooked mutton inside it is one
of it is one of those anime ass like meats it's just like a big slab of meat on a bone
she she's like oh well this is great she is you hungry you see phantom ever so disciplined
but his eyes are widened it's obvious that he wants it but he's not gonna lunge towards
it he's just looking at you like uh-huh she she picks it up and goes to she throws it
especially she's not super strong but she tries to throw it a little bit and it's red
koi which means get it um powerful wyvern powerful wyvern jaws bite on it as he slams
it down like it's prey and starts eating at it all right that's a good treat for it um
as uh fan as phantom eats and zoop at him he gives you a slight nuzzle again uh as he
just you see he settles he settles in very nicely
he's like i'll see you in the morning okay just and says her little goodbyes and i'm
gonna go look for rudra inside not that it's hard with it being empty but you go inside
to see that the there's a few um there's there's a few elven women away uh elven uh women and
men uh tending to this and pretty young uh elves uh tending to basically like every
whim most of them just standing around because they don't have much to do um you see rudra
sitting at the bar uh a large gourd in front of her that's uncorked looks uh looks towards
you waves you over she jumps up into the seat she just goes you know you shouldn't be doing
this much work a day before the naming ceremony well i would say i disagree it needs to get
done and um i mean how would you have liked to have climbed down and pulled him off the
cliff yourself
she sees that little smile of yours and you know little half smirk she just sighs reaches
over to clamp a bunch of like a tankard pulls it down puts one in front of you um she holds
the gourd and she just goes you know you're reminding me a lot of your mother leans over
and pours you a couple of uh whatever's in the gourd i'm not as bad as her you know she'd
probably keep working like she'd probably plan something for tomorrow morning before
heading over you know and just barely make it in time well at least she would plan it
um you drink you were you're expecting some kind of alcohol but you actually you're drinking
some like very refreshing like some some kind of some kind of juice it's new to you it's
it hits the spot really well what is this um you see um an elven man who was just waiting
for the opportunity to do anything uh walks forward and goes that um that my lady is is
juice from the winter prick fruit it only grows in the deepest hearts of the heartlands
it thrives in the cold but it's it's very sweet it's delicious would you like to bring
would you like to bring a um a crate with you uh to um to bring along with you um as
a as a souvenir oh i mean only if you could spare it you know but
of course we can we have that in full supply uh we here we here are very well versed in
traveling through the um traveling through the blizzard
how much is it oh please no worries i insist
she kind of like looks at rudra you see rudra puts an elbow down she and she she has that
enforcer look like she's being very intimidating and she just goes the lady asked how much
that wasn't her intent by looking at her but she's like okay that's rude that's her
that is modus operandi um and he just and he just goes well um since you asked i was
wondering if you could um he snaps his fingers and you see you see uh the other workers kind
of like retreat to the back and you see um you see you see you see the two of them come
out of the back one of them's holding a piece of paper and the other one has a stone um
and she she just uh he just goes i was wondering if you could uh read this and he he passes
uh one of the women passed the paper passes the paper to you and the other one uh touches
the stone which you know is like a stone meant for recording voices and gives you um gives
you this she looks oh gives it's a not it's a handout oh okay it didn't pop up okay she
kind of like squints at it and she goes oh oh was the prince here no no don't worry about
it um your name is right there that's these are your lines and go hello my name is velora
avanlea the heiress to house avanlea wait she keeps you okay okay try it again um give
me an abc but she you if you if you want me to record something recommending your services
and whatnot i mean like i'm happy to do it in my own words i mean you have been great
um and you see the the one presses the cubes goes we have to re-record all over that um
um it just goes it's goes oh it's um it's just if you wish but our um the store is located
within tokor so it's gonna be a little bit but if you could just read this um i mean
i can't recommend somewhere i've never been i'm sorry i mean like i really appreciate
everything you've done i just i mean i haven't been there it's all right um rudra gently
grabs the piece of paper and just puts it on the bar um these products my favorites
are especially the ones to the right right here kind of like reading the rest of it
you see the woman goes oh shit it puts it back up with that again and no rudra much
like a bodyguard puts a hand up to the microphone pushes it down she goes i mean i have a recommendation
for the for the end you know it's been really nice here or the or the juice i wouldn't mind
that the two ladies look at the man he just goes okay wait which one over both um it just
goes just um give a recommendation towards the intent everything talk about our service
and um how much you like staying here and how great this village is sure and she'll
genuinely talk about what she's actually liked here but she's she's i mean like a little
bit of like being coerced into it it's a little bit like yeah but she's like at least these
are her actual thoughts you see your night just kind of like shakes her head and drinks
as you're doing it um and is that good it goes okay you know what that's almost perfect
but you know what we can do a little we have a canned trip to kind of like fix something
so you're actually fine thank you so much my lady thank you so much yeah um no problem
no problem i mean also it's like you know i don't imagine we're gonna be doing much
more tonight if people want to like relax nobody has we don't need everyone like standing
around waiting oh well ask for something you know in that case there is there are there
are bells all around um there's all around the um around the tea house um and as you can see we
put a little touch on them they have horses does that remind you of anything the little
bells at the bottom they have horses she looks at them do they look like added recently yes very
recently they have wings oh yeah yeah like that's great great touch like like pegasi yeah exactly
you know like kind of like what your your family does yeah that's that's great all all of them
have it so you can just just just hit one and we will be right there yeah as as swift as um
any pegasi we train i'm guessing just thank you again my lady and they they retreat um you see
rude you're just because she also just like i don't i don't know if you've gotten that when you go with
mom does she does this happen often for her or is this like a kind of a one-time thing
she's much better at politely refusing the fluff yeah okay i was like realizing as i like
that maybe i shouldn't have you'll learn but i mean like i like the place i just i mean being
being coerced into it is kind of not even named leader yet and you're already moving the moving
the world around you big day tomorrow and i packed my dress just in case because i didn't know if we'd
get stopped up by the storm but it's kind of shoved into the saddle bag so i should probably try and
straighten that out a bit now that i think about it it'll just get messed up when i put it back
so i think your father would be upset but i don't think there's anything more you than
a little furled dress
yes i mean i don't want to look i don't want to look sloppy
also i'm trying not to rock the boat with him you know before spending you know yeah
yes
um she's she's goes if it's any consolation i will also be there
and i'm glad
she pulls out a small flask and pours a little bit into your cup
just i just want to celebrate with you before you're pulled off into the ceremony and
i basically don't get to see you anymore for a few weeks for a few weeks
don't get to see you anymore for a few weeks for a few weeks that'll go by holds up the tankard
that is some strong alcohol
uh
yes yes
how are you feeling
i feel great you know i'm excited i mean i would have gone last year if
dad didn't want me to push it off and you know he was right because
he was right getting picked to be the leader the timing works out a lot better this way
so it's worth the wait i'm excited
nods as she just goes how are you feeling about it how am i feeling about it yeah
i'm going to be doing the same thing i've always been doing
at least i'll get to see you every now and then
you're coming right that's what i heard
nods
mom's gonna miss you probably uh as much as she misses me
yeah well she was the well she was the one who put me with your father in the first place
how's reen doing how's that new night doing video you know i would shine me yet i don't never but
i mean he is pretty cool he's like thought remorasses and stuff like single-handedly made up word
i'm kidding
i don't know if i believe him but i think i do
i don't think i don't think dad knew what he was doing by hiring him i mean it's a good good choice
but i think he's a little bit more um i don't think he's as straight-laced as
as dad likes you know like he's not like uh like he's really good at looking all business perfect
night you know he's not like he's not like he's not like he's not like he's not like he's not like he's
you know when dad's around but so you like he warmed up to me pretty fast so you and your mother
broke him not come i don't think like completely i know i tried to convince him that he didn't have
to listen to dad but you know he was going for that so well not yet spends a night getting your
dress straight now we leave early tomorrow we're gonna we're gonna go ride into tukor
this get all your sleep that you can because we're gonna travel in minutes and then before
you know it it's going to be the ceremony after today i think sleep will come easy
so nods all right good night upstart
good night
and uh she leans in she leans her back into the bar she's just naturally she says she always does
this thing where she just she's just like all right now it's time to act naturally cool and just
be and just becomes like concept art of a badass character in a bar just just effortlessly um
she does pull out a pipe and just match throws it in
i can smoke in here right oh yeah
yeah can i or can i not
she's just kind of side eyeing as she walks up away um
you make your way towards doesn't need a room everything needs and of course um
um well a well-appointed um a well-appointed abode um
curtains are drawn to show that the um that the clea the very very clear um outside the skies
in aurora are beyond comparison clarity this you can count the stars above um and um almost in a
way makes you feel like you can reach out to them and grab it um you have a big day ahead of you
tomorrow the naming ceremony for the most for one of the most venerated houses of irobran officers
academy of all the five houses the silver lions house is the one that's represented
by the crown by arnador the central region the one that surveys over all the other regions
um on a door in the center but you have four other houses to contend with to contend with
and to cooperate with for that is the purpose of irobran in the first place
um so that people from all regions can come together and mingle with one another and you
guys can learn from each other's life experiences um
um built so um this place built over 900 built 971 years ago it's a place of history almost as
old as the kingdom itself and it's going to be one it's going to be your job to uphold the mantle
of the silver lions and make a lot of new friends while you're at it friends from the blue wolves
house um a house comprising of students from the northern region of aurora then there's golden moose
that comes from the western region of conica and then there's the crimson griffins which come from
the southern region of stravae and then you have to deal with the black boars that comes from the
eastern region of the fozure now you've been told about all the different kinds of personalities and
and what the things you can expect at irobran officers academy but all everything said to you
things that were meant to build pressure or to build um experience it's just all built up if
anything expectations excitement you were always one to go head first into danger and this is no
different you don't just go head first you careen into it you um you venture it doesn't matter if
you're sure-footed or not even though you do tend you do like to make sure you are um there is
is you embody your the silver lions house motto exactly and you didn't you never meant to it was
just you naturally witness valor and who better to embody that is valora
uh the naming ceremony is tomorrow big occasion that means the king and queen will be there
probably the little probably probably the little prince boy at the moment um a bunch of the noble
houses maybe a bunch of other aeon mart houses from throughout the kingdom it's an occasion
the um the silver lions naming ceremony is special in the fact that it's the only one where the king
is actually present and when the king is present something everyone else tends to be drawn there
like moths to a flame you're going to be seeing a lot of people and the thing is the occasion
occasion is you and you will be the center of attention this is something that your father has
wanted um and this is a ceremony that your father has done a lot to organize for
because a part of this naming ceremony is a choice that you get to make you are named the leader
of the silver lions to lead the next three years of the server of the academic house at iraq rain
but there's another thing you have to do another tradition it is tradition for you for the leader
of a house to name a retainer their second a close a close ally who has all of the interest at heart
and who can who can lead the house in a pinch someone who is battle tested who has been with
you who you trust with your life and that's someone is someone you don't know exactly you
know him you know him a little bit but you haven't fought any battles together you haven't
you haven't fought any battles together you haven't he looks nice rich rich family but not a noble
apparently he knows how to wield a spear he knows how to fight well and when you met him it was
pleasant enough gram alizon who's going to be at the ceremony um who's going to be your retainer
in waiting until you name him right then and there big day tomorrow probably gonna be a whole
session and oh people gonna be waving at you and oh gosh are you gonna have to do more unsolicited
ads reads what would mom do work probably um your mom the lord of house avanlea the beacon of
progress in this entire almost in this entire kingdom endless efforts has done nothing but
improve the lives of people she's the one with the a on mark not your dad and but naturally you're
gonna be the one following in her footsteps not because she has an a and mark but because she's
good that night you settle in she's about to like leap into bed and then things like oh huh maybe
i should check for like more recording devices and then we can see all clear ghost of it
no recording devices well okay that would be massively bad that'd be very bad
because no one would want to mess with an a on marked house
but having but but having the um the blessings of one having the uh the sponsor sponsorship of one
it would do massive wonders for someone um you fall asleep eventually
and i'll have to ask um what is the most pertinent thing on velour's mind
as she falls asleep she's just excited is all i don't think there's a lot of stress
it's she's excited she wanted to go to ira brin last year she's old enough um
is encouraged to wait because then the previous house leader would be graduating
she did and she's glad to finally go
your eyes shoot open
morning's here it's the day
quickly smooth out the dress get everything ready
um as um you're getting uh everything ready there's a knock on the door it's van goes my lady you're
ready oh um yeah she opens up the door real quick and then she goes oh my god oh my god
oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god
um yeah she opens up the door real quick and goes do you think if i roll it rather than just shove
it in the bag it will like not get as wrinkly you know what i don't know my lady but like i think
that might work yeah okay like carefully she rolls it on the bed you see one of the
sir you see one of the servants who is ready to help goes
then oh what
i don't wish to argue with your methods you can say something we can we can just give you a bag
where you can just have it straightened that would make sense actually too much sense um
um that that would be great um oh okay i mean i was keeping it on with phantom but i've been
putting the carriage that makes more sense um uh you they've they quickly fetched your bags you
see vin is kind of like limping but he has he has his leg all patched up um as um as you're getting
ready um packing all your bags you see ruja's already there like sword on the side gauntlet on
her arm um just just just just ready the ever star work knight that she is goes all right you ready
i think so
yes i know so well once i the dress that that would be really bad to go without and yeah
and um you're all led into the you're you're all led into the uh to the wagon um and as you um as
you as everything is packed you go you go find phantom um as you go to the stable you hear the
sound of scrubbing um as you see two of the two of the uh two of the servants here the employees
at the academy you see phantom is on his uh back uh with like his legs up and they're both they're
all like they're both scrubbing him with like so but he's just enjoying it
it she is so he's getting spoiled today
um we're almost we're almost done my lady um do you need to be done faster
oh i i think we're good um i think i mean we're early you should be clean anyways
um and uh you you see you see phantom in response to do you want us to be faster
just gently nudges the bucket closer to them and it just lays his head back um
and they eventually to get him all cleaned his um some of the scales that are scarred are now
much more pronounced and just better you see he he definitely feels good
he he definitely feels good
and of course comes up to you and just gives you a little gives you a little headbutt to the head
she just rubs her hands along his neck i guess thanks you know you guys get a lot of like
wyverns and stuff through here well this is a first but um we figured that a good scrub
and some soap is a universal concept and he seemed to enjoy it
yeah well thanks i i know a lot of times people are pretty scared at first so
i'm glad he got to make some friends oh he was a gentleman he he made sure to hide this thing
girl away from us she does that's good um they bow politely towards you as a fan as you lead phantom
off towards his wagon right phantom uh gets into his part of the wagon he he's carrying a completely
separate part um and you get into yours and you begin to make your way towards destiny
getting into getting into the wagon seeing um seeing the seeing the seeing the sun barely
breaking uh the sky you travel early um you have nothing but visages of thoughts of what might
happen of what might happen what's going to happen oh gosh are you gonna have to give a speech um
this and that this and that um your father your father gave you an itinerary of like what's
gonna happen like there's like five stages i might have not looked at it exactly start going through
my stuff trying to look for if i actually took it with me give me a d20 okay
let's see 14 um you you search it through and like oh gosh there's a bunch of crump of the paper
um okay a bunch of this stuff was stuff you were like when you when you were when you were scouting
out the land uh and you have to throw away some stuff oh gosh it's one of these
straightening things eventually you find it a little wit from snow um i got into your bag
um you you you you do make out like okay procession come to this area of ruby cushion um and then
you kind of have to squint at a couple of things what does that even mean
you see rujas's look he's rujas is like like leaned behind you and like looking
you and like looking um you can't his handwriting is horrible it's not the snow it's not the snow
you're right
just don't worry i know what to do
um i could just throw this all out right
if you want
she's not gonna throw it out the window so she just puts it back
make that note to throw away later um
and you travel it's just being in the wagon uh being in the wagon with a heart that's too big
for your chest right now with a day that's too big uh ahead of you um
the hours pass and the sky grows red
um as the sky as the sky grows red um you see it ahead of you the walled city of tokor eventually
leaving crossing the border of aurora crossing getting out of the cold and into the verdant
greens you you eventually start changing your outfit to like better represent the the change
in temperature tokor in front of you and you see the castle that's where destiny lies
um ruja kind of like shoves like the uh the like kind of like shoves your the bag into your chest
um just goes you ready kid
i think so
something that's unbegniable is that that sky is so clear right now save for a few clouds
is so clear right now save for a few clouds
and you realize at this moment oh you haven't actually flown over tokor yet
you haven't flown over the castle you haven't flown over the heart the supposed heart
of the kingdom
um like yeah i think i should probably hurry you know i have time to get dressed i can go the rest
of the way the phantom she grabs the dress hanging up in the carriage because oh yeah you sure
that's not yeah not that's not gonna get mad that you're not traveling with a knife by your side
i'm we're basically here i mean it's the capital
well i'm gonna tell him i tried to stop you oh yeah but you're a slippery one
i mean that look of yours almost makes me want to stop so it's not a lie
um she smiles a little bit how's that
perfect and she like goes to jump out of the carriage but like um pretends like she's walking
towards rudra side and then like slips around to escape her she makes it she makes this really
half-hearted grasp emotion had nothing as you'd slip around her open up the wagon with the phantom
in it and you see he perched his head up like it's go time she she grabs him out and um tries to
gingerly lay the dress across so that it will get more wrinkled from the bag flattened but also
won't fall and hop some and his fear
shoots up into the air um as you as you shoot up in as you shoot up into the air
up into these uh up into this crimson red this beautiful dawn um you you soar up into the air
spiraling maneuvering upwards feeling the feeling the fresh wind of of of these special of the
of the special air discharged air in your face flying above the stone walls flying above the
ramparts with uh ballistas on them you see the guards on top of them kind of like kind of like
kind of like kind of like look and and when they see you when they see velour when they see the
wyvern they just kind of kind of like tilt their head like kind of bewildered at this um as you
fly over the walls over this says it says over the city you see the dotted um the dotted buildings
the the small beats of people below you people lighting the streets people people are gathered
for an occasion um you see as you fly overhead as you are undoubtedly the thing that catches
everyone's eye in the sky at the moment as you are a figure of you know gray and black amongst a sea
of red um she's and then she's gonna show off to is the thing what do you do to show off
she uh she's has him um you know spinning turning because she i think actually yeah she would have
strapped strapped herself in well enough so she's able to turn with him but then realizes like oh
wait the dress i laid across and like reaches to grab it to try to hold it flat as she goes the
dress flies off for a second you you command you command um you do like this little diving
motion with phantom like it's like a stunt um like those blue angel shows and you just grab it
and you see people you hear cheers from below okay that kind of works out she kind of says to phantom
and she goes okay she'll have him go straight up and then she'll like throw the dress on purpose
and then go to dive and catch it this time now that she's really showing off with it
the whole idea now um going up throwing the uh throwing the dress uh down and downwards
and you you leap off of phantom diving downwards in a free fall for a moment and then you are caught
by phantoms as he sweeps beneath you and
enjoy the rest of her flight and and she needs to go and as the flight uh as the flight you can you
see phantom he's disciplined but he does you do the fuel he looks back to you he wants to do something
shame says
oxen yes
and what happens next lucia as you
exit your house wearing your dress ready for the occasion the first thing you see
when you look into the sky this beautiful red a black figure spiraling into the air
and then wings spread out in full
out in full and that is where we'll end today's session part one
oh my god i'm so hyped i'm so hyped oh my god that's so good
hey guys so good i'm so hyped we did have to end it a little bit early but this is just part one
of episode one join us again next sunday same time same place and no technical difficulties
next none none none none of them
uh thank you all so much for our very first episode um we're still building uh we're still
building up we ran a little bit long but it was such a it was such a fun time and uh thank you
all so much for being here um please continue as we're establishing a lot of stuff we're we're just
doing a lot of establishing because we have a big story ahead of us we're gonna meet soon soon
next time next time on song wolven see you next time thank you for coming thank you