Song Woven presents The Lanaya Expedition, a D&D 5th edition actual play campaign.
Episode 1, Spurred Forward.
You can catch us every Sunday at 8pm EST live on Twitch.tv slash Song Woven Show or watch
the video versions of this podcast on YouTube.
Thanks so much for listening.
Hello everyone and welcome to Song Woven, our very first stream.
I am your humble humble DM, your dungeon master, Tim Don Tran.
Can we please introduce ourselves in order from left to right?
Okay, um, yeah, I was like, I'm not sure which one even though I made the overlay, so I should.
My name is Jenny Sherard.
I'm located up in Hayden.
I am a voice actress and I'm also on Chaotic Fabulous on Wednesdays with Timmy.
And I guess the other big detail about me is I'm a little too obsessed with my dog.
And he's all I talk about online.
And yeah, I'm also a little too obsessed with D&D.
So I'm excited to start.
Hi, I'm Emma.
Hi guys, I'm Emma.
Emma Romosco or as in social media, you can find me as Emma Romama, also a voice actor
and a very lucky friend of these talented people.
First official stream, I think, other than our test.
I'm really excited to be here.
Some of you might I mean, I'm not I don't have that many followers, but it's been popping
off on the ticker talkers.
If you see a green half or necromancer named Pandora, that me love all things fantasy love
D&D love these guys.
And I hope you guys enjoy our stories and give us a follow on our socials.
We we've been working really hard and we we we did we done good.
We did good.
Emma's socials look so amazing.
So good.
We're so lucky.
Oh, my goodness.
We're we all, you know, I don't want to take up too much time, but we all in this weird
little way have fit like we all fulfill the roles of this stream perfectly.
So we kudos to all of us.
But yes, that's me.
Hi.
I'm in New York City.
Did I say I'm in New York City?
New York City, baby.
I guess it should have gone a little bit a little bit longer with my introduction.
Hi, I'm Don Trey.
Come on, DM.
Give us something.
I am from Philly, Delphi.
So if you're ever in an area, please drop by.
I am in my house all the time.
Yeah.
And yes, I have been I have been dungeon mastering for about a good five, five long years now.
Me and me and Jenny and Emma Denison's of my thousand.
What is a thousand?
I'm being a little bit nice with my numbers.
A thousand home games.
I cannot stop playing D&D.
It's kind of the thing.
I don't have a problem.
I don't like D&D, actually.
No, it's not your brilliant writer either.
You know, brilliant writer actor.
So he hates D&D.
It's time to pack up.
Yeah.
They dragged me along for this.
I was like, sure.
You guys are paying.
Not the stream for you, unfortunately.
All right.
With that said, as a bit of our introduction, this campaign is titled the Lanaya Expedition.
It's a new campaign set in my homebrewed world called Sangelor.
Now of course, Sangelor throughout the many thousand games has all of its little established
little pieces of history here and there.
So it's just been a world that I have been building along my fellow friends for many,
many years.
We have laughed.
We have cried.
They have made countless death threats against me.
Not Emma yet so far, I think.
Yet.
Just wait.
Just yet.
Not until the session is done.
Soon.
Well, we'll visit the statement.
And now we are bringing it to the public's eyes so you can watch the process unfold.
Now as far as homebrewed rules go, we're not going to get there.
It's just going to be introduced as far as it goes.
But if you have a problem with any ruling, message me on Twitter.
I will not care.
It's my game.
That's right.
And we stand behind our DM.
We stand with the DM.
With that said, is there anything else we should say to anyone?
Say hi in the chat if you pop in.
We'd love to say hello and see who stopped by.
We have a couple friends in there already.
Hi friends!
Thank you for coming.
Hi friends!
As I quickly do something real quick with my freaking notes because I'm still, I thought
the test was going to help me get past all these little pre-tech jitters, but now they're
all coming back to me.
But there we go.
Just getting my notes in place before we get this game going.
Hi friends!
I see you in the chat.
I see lizards and robots.
Yay!
Hi!
So, with that said, why don't we dive into our first ever song-woven session?
Yay!
Nerves in the chest.
A kokoro.
Welcome to Cadvarum.
Currently set in the sunset months of the year 1461 PR, or post-Reckoning, the people
of Cadvarum prepare to leave behind the ever-waning bites of winter and welcome, wholeheartedly,
the emerging balms of spring.
Founded over 72 generations ago, pre-dating the calendar era, the self-proclaimed flaming
star of Sandalore has the distinction of being one of the longest-standing human nations
in the world.
The nation's battle cry, Watch How We Burn, is but a hint of the nation's showcase of
their brash pride throughout the history.
Unfortunately, Watch How We Burn took on an unfortunate second meaning.
Cadvarum is coming off of a scalding nine-year civil conflict between the noble houses and
the ruling crown, which ended in the crown's favor.
As one conflict ends, others begin to rise, with whispers of the Lavalum dynasty and their
shadowy influence creeping past the border, permeating the ears of the people.
The people have yet to see how their new sovereign, King Leonardo Castamont, can rise to the needs
of the people.
And for some, they are ready to move on, past the turmoil, into new soils.
Despite my retelling of the dramatic history, our story, however, has a much more humble
beginning.
Here along the southern curves of the Apricot's Fields lies the small farming village of Adelera,
a sleepy town where humble agricultural endeavors take place.
Small farmsteads line the outer reaches of the town.
Below the Wolnlurk Lake, a large kidney-bean shape of water neighbors the west, and the
Corandor River, a river that extends all the way from the Salamander Coast, runs through.
Here, in this sleepy trade stop along the Lanaya Road, we are introduced to a dormant,
adventurous soul.
We began in the late hours of the night.
Inside of a rustic, rough-hewn, unsymmetrical house, thoughtfully pieced together over many
years, and through recent years, maintained by a caring community that surrounds it, we
are introduced to the sleeping form of Cecilia Idlewind.
Cecilia Idlewind, as you are currently wrapped tight in a blanket, sleeping the night away
with your star-endowed nightcap on your head.
Can you please describe what your character looks like?
Yeah.
So, Cecilia is a young, like, 18-ish human girl with light skin, and she...it wouldn't
be in it right now, but she typically wears her, kind of, like, between brown-bond hair
in low pigtails on the bedside table.
There's some round glasses, and she...um, I'd say she sleeps pretty peacefully, but
she's used to waking up at the crack of dawn and everything.
And just a side note is that, as I forgot to say, since we have art this time, our art
was done by Kate Owen Creations on Instagram, and she's amazing, and I love how she drew
her.
So, thank you, Kate, if you get to watch this later.
Kate, you're amazing!
We love you, Kate!
Yeah, that's Cecilia.
Cecilia, as you are going through a pleasant...um, as you are currently experiencing pleasant
dreams as brought upon you by your very own gifted nightcap, pleasant dreams have become
repeated and quite the normal experience for you, really.
But in the middle of experiencing the contents of your dreams, you are suddenly stirred awoke
by a gentle knock on your door.
You open your eyes, bleary-eyed, wondering if you thought you heard what you heard.
Usually the branches of the trees knock on the wood of your house, but nothing that loud
or present.
He puts her glasses on, and quickly thinks to take off the hat.
Oh, cute!
But she...she'll go check, kind of cautiously.
As you creep forward, please reach your hand towards the doorknob a second set of knocks,
right before you touch it.
Knock on it.
Hello?
Quiet.
Nothing.
Just to be clear, this is a knock on her bedroom door in the house?
Yes, yes, yes.
Okay!
I was like, is this a horror campaign?
Did we sign up for...?
Psych!
Big surprise, guys!
She...kinda just barely cracks it open to peek.
As you crack it open, you look into the dark recesses of the familiar hallways of your
house, small creaking, but that's just the natural sounds of the house.
You don't immediately see anything, but just to proc the first roll of this campaign, why
don't you go ahead and give me a perception check?
Ah, a perception!
Blessings of the stream.
Blessings of the stream test.
Is there supposed to be music right now?
No, not right now.
Just checking to make sure my roll 20's working.
Okay.
13, my perception.
Pretty mediocre.
It's okay!
Get an amount now!
On our test stream, both of our first rolls, by the way, were at 20s.
With the plus 8 modifier?
Or 28, yeah.
28, with the plus 8, so...
It was blessed.
Was blessed.
Hashtag blessed.
Cecilia, as you cautiously look out, currently in the presence of the safety of your own
home, you peek out straight down the linear hallway.
As you squint your eyes in this dimly lit hall, you see a wavering, shimmering field
of magic floating up transparently in the hall.
Something is here, and you feel it all of a sudden.
Lurch forward.
One footstep after another.
As the footsteps grow louder, as they stomp towards you, and you attempt to slam the door,
roll an initiative roll.
What the fuck?
We're not even...
Not even 20 minutes in!
Zero.
Zero!
Yes!
That's a nat 1 minus 1.
Yes!
I hope everyone's ready for campaign 2!
Everyone's freaking out in chat.
Okay, I'm dead, guys.
It's been two minutes.
It's been a good run.
This is now a single player campaign.
A 19?
They rolled a 19.
Excuse you, skillfully rolled a 19.
It's not hard to roll above zero, I'm just saying.
I'm gonna get some sage and just sage our roll 20 chat.
Cecilia, as you move to close the door, you feel this physical force shoot through the
air and clamp onto the inside of your door, holding it open.
It pushes.
It pushes forward the door, trying to fight against your strength, trying to forbid you
from closing it.
As it does, in this slight struggle, you feel a hand, this weight, get placed on top of
your head.
And you hear, I've been waiting to see you for a long time.
And I know whose voice that is.
The recognition stings you instantly.
As all of a sudden, kind of materializing in front of you, a woman says, a young woman
who shares a part of your appearance, wearing these long mage caster robes with white fluffs
adorning the hood.
You see someone who shares your smile, your hair, and much of your likeness.
As all of a sudden, your feet leaves the ground.
As her arms reach around you, pull you up and spin you around.
Why did you, your back?
That scared me.
Yeah, sorry.
I didn't mean to drop in the middle of the night, but you know, I always have to make
a big entrance.
Jesus.
Well, you're back though.
That's...
Sorry, that really scared me.
She puts you down.
Get some music going.
As she puts you down, you see it at last.
You get a full glimpse of it.
The adventure worn face of your big sister, Delmyra.
She just goes, yeah, sorry.
I'm not sure if that trick was nice or real advice, but you remember it, right?
How have you been doing?
Yeah, I guess.
Well, everything's been great here.
I mean, it's better with you back.
How did everything go?
Is Stanley okay?
She makes that face that she does when she doesn't want to tell you something.
You see the dimples sort of pop out as she just kind of makes a guilty face for a moment.
Stanley's fine.
I promised to you I'd bring him back.
I mean, you named him that way for a reason, didn't you?
I did.
I'm glad it's working.
Gosh, I am so looking forward to just leaving everything all behind and just getting some
rest, getting some time with you.
She brushes some hair from your face.
She just kind of like chuckles a little bit.
She just goes, your hair still does that thing when you wake up from sleeping.
Well, I didn't exactly have time to get ready.
She licks her hair and she just gives a big hand and just slaps it on top of your head
and just strokes down.
I thought you wanted to sleep.
I do need to talk to my little sister and catch up with everything so far.
I do got to say hi to dad too while I'm here.
I also got some things for you from where I went.
How is he?
Is he doing?
About the same.
Dominic's been helping a lot and I think he knows how to do almost everything now, which
is good.
But yeah, you should go talk to him.
I bet he'd love to hear from you.
Oh, Dom?
Oh, well, dad, but yeah, Dominic too.
Yeah.
I made sure to be as quiet as possible going through this village.
I mean, if anyone saw me, it's going to be 20 hours of, hey, how you been doing?
What's the adventure you been on?
You bring back any treasure?
Things like that.
I had to make sure that the first person I saw or the first person who saw me was my
little sister.
Aww.
Is that just the excuse you came up with for the invisibility?
It's okay.
I'll take it.
It'd be a pretty good excuse.
She looks towards your father's room and she takes...
She exhales.
You follow her as she walks her way up to the room.
It's been a while and despite everything, despite it being the two of you as fathers,
it seems like as she's flexing her hand and taking a deep breath in and out, it seems
like she's trying to quickly find some extra strength before she turns the door.
As she does, she opens the door, letting it slowly creak open.
She knows where the sconce, where the torch is, and she snaps her finger.
As she snaps her finger, the flame comes alight, shining light onto your father's bed and your
father.
A sleeping brown-haired man with a nicely trimmed beard, recently trimmed, dancing along
the edges of his chin up to his ears.
He lays there as he has for many years.
She walks in slowly, her eyes becoming soft.
She just goes...
And she bends down to the side of your father.
You see she pinches the front of his clothes.
She goes, it's clean.
Good job.
Good job, Cecilia.
Guess who's back, Dad?
She takes...
She gently scoops your father's hand into hers.
Then she goes, hey Dad, it's me, Del.
I'm back, and I'm gonna spend so much time with you and my sis.
I'm finally putting up the adventurous mantle for a good bed.
She looks at you, and then she looks forward.
She goes, maybe even forever.
She smiles at you.
She goes, I know, I know Cece here has been taking good care of you, and I know even Dom
is picking up the slack.
You remember Dom, right?
Remember when he was a little punk, you didn't really like him?
I missed you.
Thank goodness you had a really, really great daughter here to stay with you.
Now hopefully there's gonna be two.
She places the hand back, where it was, and she stands up, placing an arm around you as
she stares at her father.
She points at the hair, and how trimmed and neat it is.
She goes, Craig?
He came by just this week, and gave him a haircut and everything.
Alright, let's leave that to his rest.
It is really late.
Is it too late for your sister to shower you with gifts and to talk about everything that's
been going on?
I want to hear everything.
She, the two of you make your way out.
As she begins to lead you towards the dining room, passing the living room, you see that
she has entered the house and placed this big sack of whatever just laying in the corner
right there.
It is, you see indents of some weird shapes kind of like bulging through the sack.
It's pretty packed.
She just goes right towards it and begins to, it just lifts it up with a lot of effort.
She goes, Stanley's been carrying all this weight for a while.
She goes to help.
As you place your arms underneath it and you help, a lot of it gives towards you.
It's heavy, but you bring it up to a greater height than what Domira is carrying.
She just goes, whoa, where's that coming from?
Before just leading you towards the kitchen.
I always get a lot of time to work out and everything.
I thought you thought you were stronger.
Well, I've been traveling all this time and you know what they say about traveling.
It's got to work up my muscle sometimes.
Fighting monsters and things doesn't help.
All right, sis.
A couple more snaps of the fingers lighting up the dining room area.
You sit with the outsiders bast.
The outside is currently basked in dim light, partial moonlight, darkness, the sound of
crickets and the sort of like beeline patterns of fireflies.
You sit with your sister.
For what feels like the first time in forever.
For the first time in forever.
Nine months it has been.
Nine months?
That's a long time.
As you sit quickly, as she opens up the bag, her hand immediately latches on over your
eyes for a moment without warning.
As her hand rummages through the sack for a moment before she, it goes on for a bit
of an extended moment and you're simply sitting there confused for a bit before finally she
goes finally here it is.
All right.
Now you can open your eyes.
As her hand leaves your face, she has on the table presenting to you says a small sort
of like handkerchief wrapped in a small ball.
The ball wrapped in the handkerchief or?
It's a handkerchief that's wrapped over something.
Over a ball.
Okay.
I was like.
Should I go unwrap it?
I did get you a lot of other things, but this is what's going to start here.
As you unwrap it, it quickly unfurls.
You see before you a, it says a rectangular shape of something.
It is sort of brownish in its color and it gives off a pleasant floral scent.
It's very small and not justifying wrapping a huge handkerchief over it, but she just
kind of looks at you.
You're not entirely sure what it is, but she just looks at you expectively.
Waiting for anything.
Is it like a box that opens?
It's rectangular shaped.
It's not a box.
It's just thin.
It's just a shape of something that smells nice.
Smells really good.
And what do you think?
And what do you do with things that typically smell pretty good?
Eat it.
She'll sniff it.
She'll smell it.
And.
She's just like.
She doesn't know what she means.
Chat sing, burn it.
I'm saying eat it.
We've got a couple options here.
She goes, what is it?
Why don't you take a bite?
Okay.
She'll take a bite.
As you take a bite, you invite a fusion of sweetness and bitterness into your into your
taste buds.
It's pleasant.
The floral scent comes through for for Cecilia.
She doesn't really know what this is, but for you, Jenny, this is chocolate.
It's delicious.
Where did you get it?
All the way at the Cainhurst Coast, all the way in the Lavalum dynasty.
It's a real nice place over there.
We ate a ton of this crap.
They have it growing all kinds of places up there.
It grows?
Yeah.
It's like it comes from a nut.
Crazy.
You know what you can do?
I learned this from my friend, Cal, because you just break off a piece of it.
She does so.
And you put this in some milk.
You have milk, right?
Yeah, of course.
As you fetch a cup of milk, she just plops it in there.
And she spins her little finger above it.
You see that the milk begins to swirl, becoming slightly brown in its color.
And you drink it.
As she gives it to you, as you move it to your mouth, she goes, no, no, no, wait, wait,
wait, I need to get mine first.
Jump into it just yet.
Gosh, see?
She quickly fixes up her own cup before going as, and now we drink.
She clinks the cup with you.
You have a cup to me.
Remember to drink water.
He didn't drink any water in the practice.
I'm going to buy you a jug like mine.
Hydration station.
The both of you drink.
The crackling of the warm fires surrounding you.
You drink.
Celebrating the end of a winter and the return of your sister.
As you are filled with this sweet warmth, you see your sister, your sister chugs it
all the way down.
Just taking bits by bits because it tastes really good.
She just kind of places her cup off to the side.
She goes, yeah, we've been adventuring all over the continent, just the same group, going
from place to place.
She holds up a fist and she goes, vampire castle.
Dragon lair.
The dragon wasn't even a dragon.
But what lair was it?
It was this real powerful dude and some skeleton, he was mad.
The locals call it the lair of the mad skeleton and he looks towards that direction and he
goes, he was mad.
It's really weird hearing curse words come out of a skeleton's mouth as they sort of
shout obscenities at you.
Like angry mad.
Yeah.
Crazy mad.
Not like crazy mad.
I thought it was crazy mad too.
And the mage, he was trying to become a lich and there's a phylactery, undead everywhere.
You're not really understanding the words coming out of my mouth.
But everything went well?
Well, I'm here.
All of us.
I'm here.
And I'm with you and I'm with you and I'm with you and dad and Dom and I'm gonna stay
here for a long time.
You said it might be, that might have been the last one?
Yeah.
Do you really mean that?
I mean, I'm pretty confident.
It felt kind of final, you know, our whole troupe just parted ways.
It felt like we were just wrapping up the end of a story.
That's great.
I'm with you now.
I promise I will not leave again.
You're gonna have to show me how to do stuff around the house.
I have no idea how to do anything.
Yeah, I think Dominic's ahead of you on that already.
Speaking, speaking of Dom, I want to set something up tomorrow.
Hey, the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning, I want to set up a big
surprise for Dom.
Can you go get him, make up some kind of nice little excuse to bring him over to the house?
Yeah.
Now come out and surprise him.
I mean, I mean, I'm not that good at lying, but I was probably going to talk to him tomorrow
anyways.
Oh, it could be something like, oh, I need you to come over and beat the horse or whatever.
Chop some wood.
I'll try.
No matter what, I think it'll still be at least a little surprising, even if he knows
something's happening.
Not a little surprising.
It'll be a lot surprising.
It's been a long time.
He talks about you a lot.
Oh yeah?
What kind of things is he saying about me?
I told him I wouldn't say.
Cecilia, I'm your big sis.
You can tell me anything, you know.
He just really missed you is all.
Really?
That's it?
He really missed me?
Plus, some of the stuff is really silly.
Sometimes he's like, oh, the moon's going to be a full moon tonight.
I wonder if she'll look at it too.
That's why I said I wouldn't tell you.
You're right.
You should have kept that a secret.
She finally lets out a yawn before she just stands up.
This weary smile on her face as she looks around at the abode, at this place that you've
crafted, your family has crafted over the many years.
One more huff before she goes, rubs her eyes.
All right, well, I interrupted your sleeping, so I should probably let you get back to it.
It's a worthwhile interruption.
We'll have a lot to talk about tomorrow.
Oh, yeah.
I have all kinds of adventures to talk to you yourself about.
All the stuff I can't talk about anyways.
She embraces you one more time.
This one a little bit more deeper than the one before.
Chin on top of your head.
She goes, I love you.
I love you too.
I missed you.
Lets you go.
As she just goes, by the way, I brought you back some books and other things.
I didn't just bring you back chocolate.
That'd be a horrible sister if that was the only thing I brought back.
I like it.
She just picks up the stuff again as you help and you make your way towards a room that
has the doors don't really open that often.
It's a delirious room.
As the two of you wave good night towards each other.
She goes, you see her sitting in her doorway as she turns towards the bedroom and begins
to walk inside.
She goes, all of a sudden, she just goes, oh wait!
Just really loud, just really sudden.
She just rushes into her room.
You hear bag of rummaging.
You hear the clang of metal as something's being thrown across the room as she's just
furiously scavenging through her bag before she just breathlessly runs out into the hallway
towards you.
You're gonna need this tonight.
Goodness.
Oh wow, she hands you a small paper wrapped object with a twine sort of covering it.
You open it.
Your previous sleeping cap, which when you put it on it gives you pleasant dreams.
A previous gift from your sister, who was gifted to you many years ago.
Now you are presented with yet another night cap.
This one with a door and with little bits of fur at the rim.
Decided for comfort.
With little moons sort of plastered on the top.
You found another one?
Yeah.
I mean, the other one must be getting all pretty beaten up, right?
Kind of.
Thank you.
Of course.
I keep forgetting to ask you, like, what do you see when you sleep and put that on?
But I'll ask you tomorrow.
She puts it on so that she can see, even though night caps look kind of silly.
As you put it on, she smiles and she quickly just takes the front of it and just puts it
over your eyes for a moment.
As soon as you bring it up, you see she's walking away laughing to herself.
Good night, C.
Sleep well.
You too.
And you fall asleep?
No.
Yeah, yeah, I will.
Do you imagine?
It's like I break out the window.
And then I run away.
It's my turn to adventure now, sis.
Fuck you, Delmyra.
My villain arc begins.
We cut forward towards the morning.
A snore permeates throughout the entire house, shaking the walls.
Your sister was always a big sleeper.
I mean, nine months of whatever she's been doing, it's all being shitted away right now.
But goodness gracious, you cannot sleep one more second.
She gets up, gets ready.
I don't know why I did this, to get ready.
This is how you get ready.
The symbolism of roving.
And she lets Delmyra sleep.
But she'll start her routine, her chores and everything.
Well, she wants to go see Stanley because she hasn't seen Stanley since him and Delmyra
came back.
You head out towards your small staple attached to the side of your house.
And you see Reigns attached to the hitching post.
He's a pony.
A familiar companion.
Battle hardened and sturdy and actually looks the same.
Cece would 100% be a horse girl, confirmed.
Stanley and his companion standing by his side, feeding from a trough.
Reginald.
Yep.
She just, you know, quietly talks to him.
She's like, is it good to see Reginald again?
Yeah, good to see you too.
Wait, wait, wait, are they drooling?
What the fuck is going on?
I'm glad you made it, she says.
She starts to mutter something like, nobody's, we haven't lost any since Edwards, so I think
the naming is working.
She'll get the horses taken care of, you know, and everything and the cow and the cat and...
What is the cat's name?
The cat's name is Orange.
What color is he?
Black and white.
What?
Orange is a really old man cat who's still in the name when she was very young.
And so he's getting really old, but he's still around.
We got a whole lot of animals here.
We got cow, horses, pat.
Reginald and Stanley the horses, Milford the cow.
Halloween.
People have named your cat Halloween.
Eventually in the mid-summer shores, Delmira enters into the dining room, bringing in her
entrance with a loud yawn, stretching, she stretches multiple pops you can hear throughout
her potty.
Good morning.
She's at the same time.
Sisters.
Here she goes.
Oh, hey Orange.
She holds out her fist.
You see Orange looks towards us.
She's like, oh, hey, Orange.
Oh, hey, Orange, she holds out her fist, you see Orange looks towards her and just begins
to do that little happy jaunt that cats do when they excitedly go towards someone.
And then she holds out her fist.
Orange excitedly curls his body against it.
She just picks him up.
I need to get everything ready for Dad and then do you want me to go get Dominic?
Yeah.
Why don't I go ahead and help you with that?
Yeah.
You go through the morning motions with Delmira.
Do you want to describe how you help your dad or just go through it?
I don't know how well I could go into specifics, but she does have more medical knowledge than
Jenny does.
She takes care of her father, makes sure he gets fed and everything and clean and everything
and has some motions she goes through and she speaks.
She talks to him and talks to Delmira normally.
Wow.
Ouch.
Now she goes through her motions.
Fucking ouch, Jenny.
Throughout the time you're doing that, Delmira is quiet but smiles at your many efforts,
knowing that you have been keeping up these efforts for many years.
There is a time where you hear her whisper, you're so strong.
You are insured it was supposed to be perceptible.
But as the day grows, you finish up your duties with your father.
Delmira pinches your shoulder and says, I think I'm going to get the hang of it.
Good job.
You got it down.
Yeah I think it kind of got the routine going now.
It won't be forever so.
I really uh, I asked everywhere.
I think-
Didn't find anything or?
Nothing that we tried.
But I'm always going to look.
Yeah, well-
I'm really proud of you.
I've just been here doing the same thing as always.
You're the one who's killing monsters and things, been talking to angry skeletons.
I'd say we're both doing some pretty worthy things to be honest.
For the people that we love.
Didn't mean for it to go there.
Well ready to get Dom?
Yeah are you ready?
Yeah.
Um, gosh.
You just bring him to the house and I'll just hide behind like that couch right there.
Okay, um we'll be back in a bit then.
Oh I can cast invisibility, what am I thinking?
Just start to head out.
You head out towards the open dirt paved roads of Adelera.
You're a small humble farming village.
Basically everyone knows each other here and everyone certainly knows you.
On your way to the chief's house, you are greeted with waves and showered with good
mornings by your fellow villagers as you make your way towards the clay stoned house of
the chief.
You already see Dominic outside.
If I'm correct he's brown haired right?
I think in my head, I don't know how well I thought it out.
A chestnut haired young man who has a sort of face that gives him a bit of a younger
appearance in what he actually is.
He's your older sister's age.
A kind clean shaven face with a little bit of roundness to the cheeks.
You see Dominic currently outside hitting a hammer onto a post.
He's currently building, you see he's currently tending to a small fence.
Something new, something that you haven't seen before so he's probably been at it this
whole morning.
Good morning Dominic.
Oh Cecilia, good morning.
What's this?
Dad wants to bring in a couple of sheep.
Not for any farming purposes, he's just really fond of sheep and wants to get introduced
to the whole cattle road deal.
For pet purposes.
Strangely enough, that's gotten a little strange over the years.
I'm going to go over to the crest later to help with some of the needy there if you want
to come with me.
Oh yeah, I'd love to.
Are you busy?
She realizes as she says that though that he actually is busy, it really sounds like.
I mean actually I came to get you because it's important and something happened.
Oh Dominic!
You hear an old lady walking by.
Miss Andreas.
Not Andreas, Andreas.
And he goes, oh Miss Andreas, one second.
One second Cecilia.
He just kind of jogs over and just places a hand beneath her back and grabs the bag off
of her hand.
She goes, oh thank you, you're so kind.
As he's walking along he looks at you, kind of like gesturing for you to come with.
Come on, we'll walk and talk.
Yeah, yeah, okay.
She's moving at a snail's pace.
She's making little steps, but Dominic is patient.
Good morning Miss Andreas.
Oh good morning Cecilia.
How are you doing this fine morning?
I'm doing great.
I mean except for the problem I was talking about.
Oh well if you have a problem.
I mean a problem but it's not that big a deal.
Oh this sounds dire.
No, no, no, no, it's not.
Did Reginald fall?
Oh no, no, Reginald's very fit still.
You know he's doing really good.
It was just a small problem in the kitchen.
A small problem in the kitchen?
A fire?
No, no, there's not a fire.
You see that this has stopped the progress of her walking towards her house as she's
now...
I mean there was a fire but now there's not and everything's fine so it's not a big deal
that's not a problem anymore.
So I just wanted you to come by and make sure there wasn't too...
Any...
I mean the fire's gone but...
No normally I would make someone roll.
Chat has asked for an attack roll?
Normally I would request a roll for any bit of line but...
Jesus Christ Cecilia!
I will respect your decision to suck Bongo ass.
Am I fighting the old lady chat?
Is that what's happening?
The old lady opens up her cane and sheathes her sword.
I know you're lying dearie.
You know what I do to liars.
I'm just gonna...
Dom just goes, I'll stop by being very merciful towards you.
Yeah it's not urgent.
Just kind of but not...
Yeah okay.
She shuts up.
I can walk on my own.
She needs some serious help.
It's okay.
No it's fine.
No no no I got it.
It's fine.
It doesn't sound fine.
It is.
It's fine.
I'm just gonna go by myself.
Are you sure Ms. Andreas?
Oh yes yes.
The mood has been tooken a turn.
And she goes, I do need help later with...
It says, it says, oh gosh what are the names?
Beef?
And you do know that her cow's name is Beef and then...
Oh something's off with her.
Roll that attack roll now.
Beef, steak and well done.
Oh Jesus what the hell?
And then the cow goes, yes I'll come by later.
She walks off.
She kind of looks towards you.
Hope you get that all sorted out.
Just walks away from you.
It's fine thanks.
So to bring it back there's a fire?
I'll just show you.
I'll just show you what happened.
Okay.
I feel bad now because I didn't want to make her walk by herself.
Oh she just wanted to have a conversation.
As you begin to walk back, kind of almost quickly, Dominic following in, he goes, can
I just have it be clear on what exactly is going on?
All of a sudden you hear, hello!
The thundering of hooves beginning to run past your small village gates.
You see Ferris, one of the only guardsmen in this town, rushing in on his horse.
And you see strapped, not strapped but placed along the back, prone, on the back of his
horse, a man who seems to be clutching his side.
The white robes that he's climbing underneath his hand turned a crimson red and something
clutched close to his chest.
You see the guard goes, this man needs help!
And Dominic just goes, just bring him over to his crest.
She casts Cure Wounds.
As you kind of rush over and place your hand on him, casting Cure Wounds, rolling Max.
Max!
Healing.
The healing holy magic permeates from your hand and sort of creams itself over the person's
wounds.
You see that the pooling blood has sort of almost stopped spreading but the man is still
in quite the dire state.
His half-lidded eyes and ragged breathing stop for a moment as his eyes widen at your
touch.
We need, please, please help me.
For that moment, as he says that, Dominic kind of steps forward, looking at the state
of the man.
You see that the man, he is old.
A sallowed face, sunken in cheeks, and already salty white hair.
He is currently in a state of shock.
Eyes wide open, staring directly towards you.
Dominic sort of takes his face.
And he goes, Sir, what happened?
Please, they, they, they almost, all of us, I...
His hand, his hand shakes.
He just goes, You just cannot fall into the wrong hands.
Oh, Jesus, not a prophecy.
Dominic goes, Dominic looks towards Ferris and goes, Please, take him towards the crest.
Get him cared there.
The guard rides off with the man, the manatee, who is now more aware of his surroundings
from the cure wounds.
He, and in this slight panic, thrashes, falls off the back of the horse.
As he falls off the back of the horse, you see that the small item he was clutching flies
out of his hand for a moment.
A small metal box, cube-shaped, and it is, fits in the size of your palm.
He heads out, hits the ground, and just, and just creates a dent into the ground.
Just lands on the ground, goes into the dirt, stays there.
When he hits the ground, I kind of head over to him and try to help him.
As you help him, as you help him up, and he is being a little difficult in his current
state, he looks at you with wide eyes.
You, your, your faith, you must take this, you must take this to Honderoth.
Please.
Why?
This?
And by this, by this point, this commotion, you see, draws, draws people, draws the eyes
of people.
He goes, this cannot fall into the wrong hands.
He goes, you of the faith of Solune, of the faith of Solune.
He says, I can only entrust this into your, into your hands.
We need, you need to go to the temple first.
And by this point, you see, you see the door to your house opens.
Delmyra opens up the door.
And concern, for you see the man, look, kind of like holding on to you, just goes, please,
my time left on this, in this world is not long.
The moon and its children need your help.
You see Dominic, not really liking that his hands are currently grabbing you, kind of
like places a hand on his front and starts gently pushing him.
Just kind of goes, please sir, just come with us.
We're going to get you some rest.
The man, old man just lets you go.
His eyes lists, moves listlessly for a moment and he just falls backwards.
Is he dead?
You see, you see Dominic kind of like catches him as he falls, places his hand up to his,
to his chest and just picks him up.
Just for a second, just goes and just begins running towards the temple.
By this point, every bystander sort of watches Dom as his form and the man he's carrying
and Ferris following behind him disappear beyond the doors of the temple.
Before you know it, the mirror is by your side.
So they rushed off.
Did somebody pick up the box?
It's still there.
She goes to pick it up because she sees it's important to him and she doesn't want him
to be parted with it, you know, and she doesn't quite know what else to do in the moment.
You touch the box?
Yeah.
As you touch the box, you feel this, you're just touching the metal exterior of this box.
You feel a sudden coolness permeate your hand.
It shoots through and it crawls up to your wrist.
It shoots up.
It's a gentle coolness.
Something that feels familiar, but you cannot put your finger on it because it's not a feeling
of this plane, you feel.
I think it kind of startles her and she probably drops it again.
She wasn't expecting it.
As you drop it, you see Delmeer just kind of like reaches down and just catches it.
She is stunned a bit as she just kind of like places her hand over it and holds it up.
Did you see what happened?
I think I caught most of it.
Here, why don't you go inside?
I'm going to, I'll go get this all figured out.
I should, I'll come with you.
I want to make sure everything's okay.
Yeah.
You see that she, you catch for a second that she does want to object to it, but she simply
holds on to the box as you make your way towards the sofa crest.
Let's see one moment here.
Fun beginning.
Yeah.
This is going to be a good, this is going to be a fun, peaceful day.
I'm sorry, Emma.
No, no, why do you feel bad?
Literally chat and I are having a ball this entire time.
We've already determined that the BBEG of this campaign is the old lady.
Confirmed.
She will be coming back.
We know it.
We've got our note.
As you make your way into this relatively small sized church, the silver crest, a temple
dedicated to saloon, only two horizontally placed pews and a rather lavish statue of,
you see seven eyes surrounding a depiction of the moon.
I might have to rescind that later because I think that's the wrong description, but
I'll get it later.
But it's the symbol of saloon.
Maybe it's not seven eyes and then a moon.
Maybe it's seven moons and then an eye.
We'll figure that out.
It's the symbol of saloon, whatever it is.
Sorry, this is just player question.
Saloon as in moon weaver saloon or is this a different god?
Saloon moon goddess, yes.
Okay.
Technically, it's pronounced selenay, but I'm not doing that.
Selenay.
I've been putting cowboy gifts in the chat because it's saloon.
Hey there, saloon.
Cecilia, the patron is cowboy.
It's the cowboy game now, guys.
It's the cowboy game.
We're already exploring the wild, wild.
Are we going west?
Is our expedition going west?
We're going east.
East?
Never mind.
We're from the west.
The quick draw patron.
You see that you walk into a room that is already thick with a thick atmosphere.
Infusion.
You see that currently the abbots of priests here are tending to the man.
The main high prioress, looking at my notes here, high prioress, prioress, a shun avandras,
an elven lady with pallid white skin and white hair that crests downwards and straight down
her back that meets just at the top of the small of her back, is currently placing her
hand onto the man, applying an extra bit of healing magic to him, though he doesn't seem
to be responding to it at the moment.
His chest is going up and down.
As you and Delmyra walk in, Dominic turns around.
He does a double take.
He goes, Delmyra.
Hey Dom.
Surprise.
I was gonna, I had another box for you ready, but, uh, she, um, and you see Dom just, Dominic
just kinda heads up and just embraces her.
Yes, sorry, this isn't really the circumstances I really wanted to.
I was sent to fire by the way, just so you know, I'm sorry for lying.
Um, I just panicked.
Um, I knew you were lying.
No.
Oh.
Yeah, um, looks like you got something to do, but, uh, stop by the house.
Afterwards, maybe?
Um, it's so good to see you.
How long has it been?
Um, and you, and then you hear, um, you hear, uh, a shooting goes, Dominic, he goes, oh,
right, um, and starts, and heads back towards the, uh, the man.
He goes, uh, you see, uh, she just puts some pressure on there.
I'm not sure what's happening.
I'm not, just, his body's not incredibly, his body's not incredibly receptive to our
magic.
The wounds are opening back up.
Um, as that happens, uh, Domiri hears that, her eyes wind for a moment, she looks at
him, she goes, hey sis, can you just head back to the house?
Okay.
I'll tell you everything that happens.
I, I've been learning a lot from the Prioress.
Maybe I can help.
Um, we're, we're doing all we can.
I think there's enough here.
Come on.
You don't need to see this.
Okay.
She smiles, I usually go, I'll be back as quick as I can.
Um, you leave?
Yeah, she heads out.
You head towards the house, um, house awaiting your sister.
Um, it's an extended moment, about half an hour before eventually your sister enters
through the front door.
Um, she just goes, she, um, she seems immediately, uh, stressed.
Um, her eyes fall upon you for a moment before she goes, it's, uh, it's a bit complicated.
Um, and then there's a, there's a knock on the door.
Uh, it's very soon right after she entered.
As she opens it, you see the, uh, the priestess, um, Ashun waiting outside.
She goes, Damir, can we please speak?
She goes, there's nothing to speak about.
Um, Ashun looks at the side, she goes, outside.
Um, one moment sister.
One more moment.
Um, and she heads out, closing the door behind her.
Um, how far do they go outside?
She peeks through the window.
You peek through the window?
Um, yeah.
They're not, they're honestly like, you're right next to the door, you can hear, like,
the conversation outside.
She'll listen then.
Um, she just, uh, she just goes, I already told you my stance on it.
I cannot.
It says, I cannot, it says, I cannot head out again.
I made a promise.
It says, you've also made a promise when you were chosen by the moon weaver herself.
It says, that your duty, it says, your duty would be the safety of our people.
There is no larger, larger chosen quest than this.
It says, a fragment of the moon.
Don't you see?
You're destined to be the guardian.
It says, I've had enough about destiny.
It says, I've done, it says, I've done nothing.
It says, but work for this village.
Protect everyone.
It says, you have, it says, you don't have the slightest idea, the things I faced out
there.
It says, I haven't had time to spend with my sister or my father.
It says, I understand that.
I don't want to pull you away from your, I don't want to pull you away from your family.
It says, but please understand.
This is truly something that only you can do.
Why can't you hand it to some courier?
Some mercenary company will take it.
It says, send it, send it like by a ship, by mail, anything, fly it over there.
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
Why isn't it that simple?
It's holding onto something like this, it only invites danger onto someone.
This cannot fall into the wrong hands.
This is a part of the moon.
This is life itself, champion.
Please.
I do not, I do not want you to be torn away by your family.
But this is a duty that you have, that you have, that you have promised yourself to.
The foundation, it says, the foundation of all of your, of all of your promises, all
of your, all of your worth.
You were championed by saloon.
Is this not a sign that it has, this has came to our small village?
There's a pause.
I'll think about it.
Delmeira.
It has been so long since I last saw you.
You have grown into such a worthy and strong woman.
We must all do our part.
And I know you have been doing your part for a long time.
But now we need you now more than ever.
I head out first thing tomorrow.
Please stop by again.
We need to speak more before you go.
You see the priest, the priestess leaves.
We hear a loud thud as Delmeira could have, could have like, hit us with the side of her
fist, just hits a wall.
She's just walking back towards the house.
She walks away from the door.
There's a hesitation before the door opens.
But it does eventually.
Um.
Hey.
We should talk.
So um.
Kind of unlucky that this came.
You just got back.
Yeah.
And I need to go again.
Next time I come back, I'm staying.
I promise.
That's what you said last time and-
I'm sorry, I'm-
Why is it so important?
They need me to do this.
I asked them if they could just mail it over there or if they could just- they can't, they
can't.
Okay?
It has to be me.
Why?
Why does it have to be?
I can't, I can't explain it to you.
Alright?
It's just you have to believe-
If anyone you could explain it to, it could be me, couldn't it?
Listen, listen, listen.
She walks towards you, hands out, ready to like put her hand on your shoulders.
Hey.
Listen.
I'm just- I'm gonna go- it's gonna be just a big hike, okay?
Nothing dangerous.
I promise.
I'm gonna be back, I'm gonna be back before you know it.
I'm not a little kid anymore.
That's not- you've been gone for nine months and you were gone before that and before that
and- if it's so important, why can't you tell me why it's so important?
Why does it have to be you who does it?
Why can't they just-
I'm really sorry.
Why can't I know?
She thinks it over for a moment.
She goes, what's inside that little box?
There's the mages and Aether.
It's- they've been trying to study it.
But even with all of their magic, you know, the city that flies in the sky, but even with
everything, they can't figure out what exactly is it.
And that's not my job.
I don't have to do any of that, okay?
It's a piece of the moon.
It just fell from the sky.
Apparently, some people in the Salarian Empire, they're- they're gathering it all up, figuring
it all out.
People just- I heard that a lot of people are gunning for it.
I mean, it's a piece of the moon.
It's our- it's what we represent, you know?
So-
And why was it with him?
He was part of a- he was part of a group.
They were trying to bring it all the way over.
But somebody else wanted it.
I just- if it's so important, why would it be sent with him to begin with?
If they could trust it to a really old man like that, if it's so dangerous, then why
does it- all of a sudden, why does it need you?
Why can't it-
Because- because destiny has a really weird way of working.
Being a chosen anything, it's just gonna-
Why does someone else get to tell you what that destiny is or something?
You don't want to grow-
I know, I know, I know, she grabs your face.
I know, I know, I know.
I know it all looks so unfair that whatever this is just keeps taking your sister away.
And just- everything just kind of falls at our doorstep.
And I know I- I can't say no.
I can't say no to helping people.
Okay?
If I- there is this added- if I help the Magus Faith, or we'll grant a boon to our village,
I think.
So- that's nice too.
I'm helping everyone here.
I'm helping- I'm helping whatever research is beyond what- beyond my imagination.
And I'm- I'm helping people.
And I don't want to abandon them.
I can't.
I made a promise and everything to someone, but truth be told, it was such an easy promise
to make.
Dad helped people.
You help people.
It's in our heart.
Of course.
I want-
Are you leaving-
Mm-hmm.
The Marlboro?
Yeah.
First thing in the morning.
I think I'm gonna give Stanley a little break and get Reginald going.
Um, I'm going across the continent.
So the Euron Empire is a really, really long, long, long walk.
But there's one road that I just gotta follow, so, you know, it'll be really easy.
If you're going tomorrow, then I, um, I guess I'm gonna get ready and- you haven't even
gotten to talk with Dominic, really?
Yeah.
Um, I was really looking forward to that.
But you know, absence makes a heart grow fonder or whatever.
Let's just call this a tease for what's to come.
Okay?
Look up.
Look at me.
Come on.
She kinda places a hand on your cheek and push up a little bit.
I always come back.
And next time I come back, maybe I'll let you give the world a spin.
I'll go with you and I'll teach you everything and-
Someone has to be here.
Yeah.
Um, hey, I follow a goddess and things like that.
It's the moon and all.
And I know I was chosen and everything and- but I just want you to know where my faiths-
my faiths lie.
There's so much godliness, holiness, just divinity that walks this land.
So many things that a lot of people just worship, but I just want you to know that there is
nothing, nothing at all.
There is no living god that walks this earth that I worship more than you and our dad's
heart.
And I am- there will come a day and it will be next time.
I promise that I will not choose that over you and dad.
Okay?
I love you.
I hug her.
Let's see.
Okay.
If it's a day I want to enjoy today.
Yeah.
Um, I should get ready soon too.
I still gotta give you some of the things that I meant to give you, but um, I'll just leave
the bag here for you and you can go through it.
The whole bag.
Alright?
Just a big bag of gifts for you.
Alright.
Um, I'll be back.
Uh, she walks out.
Chat and I are pissed.
Let me make this very fucking clear.
Chat and I are fucking pissed.
For what?
I didn't do anything.
Pumey.
Chat and I are fucking pissed right now.
What did I do?
I didn't do anything.
What?
I was sitting here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nothing.
Did nothing.
I'm looking at the chat and everyone's revolting right now.
Sister is not allowed to die in the first session.
Well, I literally was like-
I'm like, I'm like, Jenny, did you?
I thought I heard her keep revolting.
I was like, Jenny, Jenny, did you?
I literally said here, I'm like, did Jenny literally write her sister's death for the
first episode of this back story?
I did not.
Because we're sitting here.
Cause we're like, what the fuck?
You know, a lot of this is surprising to me too, I'm just gonna say that.
But she's not allowed to die.
Timmy, you've got chat snarling at you.
Rapid talk!
It begins.
We're only in the first episode.
Oh yeah, look, it's just a quirky little family with their funny pet names and stuff.
Yeah, yeah, real cute and then fucking moon boxes.
Yeah, when we get channel points, is there gonna be something where the chat can fight
Timmy?
We gotta do that.
I'll have a small health bar or whatever.
Chat goes, I think we could win.
I definitely think we could win.
I'm gonna look you in the eyes right now and say that you can't do anything.
You can't do anything.
I am the final word.
Boom, boom, boom.
But don't worry guys, I'm reading it so maybe I can change the course of time.
Hey chat, you're powerless.
You suck.
No!
No, I love chat.
We're the final.
It's Twitch chat.
Game of Twitch chat.
Okay, okay, okay.
Honestly.
Oh, it's so dad's.
It'll die.
I'm gonna complain on Twitter.
I'm finally complaining.
All right.
So bringing it back to our really cool game.
Cecilia, the day moves slowly and even though your sister is here, it just feels freshly
empty all over again.
As she's sparsely comes in and out of the house, but it's constantly dragged back out
to attend to other means.
It's the same prophecy all over again.
It's your prophecy, Cecilia.
Your sister.
Just the promises of your sister being there with you.
And at the very last second, every time, denied.
She goes to check in on dad and talk to him and keep him company.
She's very used to ending up kind of like as she like works talking about her days and
things and she just can't help like complaining to him about everything.
And yeah, there's probably some tears.
I'm just going to say that in a happy voice because it's sad, but every now and then,
but she.
But yeah, she just when she eventually pulls herself more together because she wants to
spend time with Delmyra today, she doesn't want it to be unhappy.
She she'll tell her dad.
I'll make sure she comes to say goodbye to you.
And she'll be back.
And she leaves to wait and try to get some time, maybe try to make if she's not available
at the moment, just try to pull some things together to get ready for to send with her
sister off some food or something.
Hopefully your sister does return after your make a trip.
Just returns with equipment.
Restocking for the journey.
You see a rolled up a rolled up map.
She has to she currently has the box itself, which she would she just sort of like she
sort of places onto the living room table at all of her over all for different sorts
of equipment.
Even as a even as a mage user, she you see she she comes with a couple of accoutrements.
Most notably a sort of like falchion sort of blade, which she wrests against the mantle
where your father's axe sort of like hangs over.
And as she comes home, she sees she sees the food you brought her.
She just goes, Thanks.
Last time I forgot to pack food for the horse, but this time I remembered.
It's important.
And you have everything else you need.
Yeah.
Map and things.
Map.
I'm just gonna need Reginald outside.
Yeah.
I'm probably gonna go try and find some of my buddies.
See if they want to go with me.
But I can.
I think I'm confident enough to do it on my own.
I mean, you know, the thing about traveling outside.
And the thing about having the moon watching over you is that when you're traveling for
a while, the moon kind of comes out a lot.
So it's a it helps.
Well, I'll have Reginald ready in the morning.
So you don't have to worry about that.
Oh, don't worry.
I was actually gonna leave before the sun came up.
So it's better.
You know, when you beat the sun, you have more time.
So I'm just gonna say goodbye to you when we go to sleep tonight.
Okay.
You can wake me up.
Yeah.
Okay.
I'll wake you up.
Well, now is a bad time, but I guess now is better than ever.
She walks over to her room and you hear in a loud crash.
What is in that bag?
Before she comes back out, carrying a small sheath.
It's currently holding the sort of like a dagger with an ornate hilt with a sort of like
blue jam embedded in the middle.
She goes, I got this for you.
I started with something a little bit bigger than this, but I was gonna try to teach you
how to use it.
You know, Dominic's taught me a bit.
He did?
Is he good at it?
He's not as good as you, but.
Yeah, I thought so.
She looks at it.
She goes ahead and pulls out, slides the dagger out of the sheath a little bit.
It has this ornate inner carvings on it.
A blue inlaid material that catches the sunlight as it comes in.
She goes, I was gonna let you name it.
It's beautiful.
I don't know what to name it.
Something like this, though.
We'll figure it out.
We'll figure everything out when I get back.
I'm gonna I'm gonna teach you how to use it.
And everything.
Okay.
I like that a lot.
Thank you.
Yeah, can't be any worse than what I call my weapon.
Pointed her falchion.
You remember when I left, it was called like Faux Reaver.
I was like the coolest thing.
All of my friends told me was super lame.
I didn't think it was.
Yeah, I was like, yeah, it reaves foes, enemies.
That's what you want like it wanted a sword to do, right?
So it's called it's called Star Tide now.
That's nice, too.
Yeah, not with the Matic.
Anyways, I have the rest of the day with you.
You get to spend any time with Dominic.
Are you gonna stay up all night?
Well, I mean, probably not.
Maybe.
I don't.
But it's it's it's okay.
You should you should see him.
I'll pop by.
I'll be I'll be right back.
Okay.
Watch my things.
I'm kidding.
See you.
See you soon.
She walks out of the house.
She looks at the dagger for a bit.
And did she leave the the moon?
She left everything fragment.
Yeah.
She kind of looks at that.
I think after a bit she'd want.
She'll look at it closer.
Knowing what it is now.
She look at it closer.
Something is drawing you towards it.
A fuzzy feeling sort of encompasses the top of your head.
You're reaching towards it.
You will.
As you do, you pick it up.
The coolness that once shocked you before, but now you're but now you're ready for it
comes to her again.
But it's come it's comforting.
You have filled the moon's bask before.
And it's supposed to comfort someone of your faith.
You feel a sense of familiarity with it already.
And you're just touching the exterior.
The warmth I can describe as if when you're cold but then the blankets suddenly placed
over you.
You hear something.
Is it still like feeling calming though or is that enough to startle her?
It's calming.
Okay, let's just listen.
Hello, daughter.
Oh my god.
Mom?
Nothing.
She just kind of like, she sticks her head at that like, but she hasn't like, it's the
box is shut right and the pieces inside, right?
Yeah, it's completely shut.
I think she pauses a moment.
She kind of looks back over to the door where Delmeera left.
She has left.
She is gone.
Just like there's no there's really nobody here.
She wants to if it's she'll try to open the box gently.
If there's nothing locking it.
You open it.
Roll give me a wisdom save.
Okay.
See you guys.
You can't have both the sisters die.
16.
As you open it, this this wave of coolness rushes over your entire body.
And you open to see a luminescent chunk of gray rock glowing.
As you as you look upon it, you feel this again warmth going through your body up your
fingertips but now being presented with it.
It feels like a warm embrace.
A hug.
It's comforting.
You see the rock itself encased in this sort of glass cube with a with a with a sort of
blue sort of like cloth sort of like sitting at the bottom.
And you hear help.
And you hear breathing.
Please help me.
How follow the moon.
Follow the light.
She gives you.
Because at this time in your hand, it feels like you're even though your hand again is
holding the metal exterior of the box.
It's you feel like something like coming in.
Now you feel breathing.
You.
But she feels like comforted and like, yeah, so it's not like alarming.
Take me to under.
My sister is.
It's so.
It's OK.
Please.
Only you.
The idea was already forming in her head.
She puts it away.
You close it.
Even with the with the calmness and everything, I think she's starting to get a little bit
freaked out.
That is the first time you have interacted with a voice that is talking in your head.
Yeah, that's weird.
That's very strange.
She like kind of paranoid again, like checks up the door.
Her sister hasn't been that long.
And.
She would go to her.
Like think for a moment, you know.
And everything.
Just kind of slow.
She kind of she kind of like mutters to herself a bit like.
No, that's stupid.
But after a bit, she still decides.
She pulls out her herbalism kit.
She finds there are tools somewhere.
I think she uses these fairly frequently to help with her father.
And she'll start looking for some materials.
To just.
Make something.
To help speak better at night.
OK.
That comes easy to you.
You've had to make it.
You have to make this concoction for yourself a few times.
A little a little natural mellow flower nectar does wonders to help someone sleep.
So she spends the time doing that and.
Maybe looks at the box every now and then.
She kind of can't believe her sister just left it there, but also.
She was also holding on to it, so she was she should have told you maybe.
Yeah, she's like, did she feel this?
But.
She.
Get ready for the night.
Waiting for Delmira to come back.
Delmira does eventually return a little bit before the night.
And goes on to.
Hang out with you.
It's just you and me.
We're going to stay up all night and I don't think it can really wake you up.
I was wondering.
The.
Moon fragment or.
Whatever it is.
Is it like I mean, it's a part of the moon, but.
It's magical.
I don't understand it really.
I mean.
I think it's just a rock.
So you didn't feel anything special about it or anything like that?
I guess I'm supposed to be attached to it in some way.
Yeah, I mean, everybody wants this thing.
But I got a really good on the box there.
Where are you?
I'm just.
I.
Just curious about it.
Yeah, I'm really curious about it, too.
I mean, everyone's really curious about it.
The people look at it.
I mean, I did take a peek at it.
Yeah.
Did you look at it?
I.
It was right there.
And I did.
And.
I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking some big rule and ruin your whole everything.
Or something.
I'm just going to keep it all nice and locked up while I'm heading while I'm going there.
Apparently they're paying a pretty big penny for this.
Twenty five thousand gold.
The people you're delivering it to?
Yeah.
Of course, not going to pay it to me.
I just know that people really want it.
I'm not going to.
I'm sure I'll get all my answers when I get where I want to be.
But we're not talking about that now.
This is me and you time.
Come on.
The sun's gone.
I would like to throw a ball around or something, but.
We could just talk.
Yeah.
I would like that a lot.
She brings you over to the dining table.
Unless you have anything to say right now.
I saw.
Not right now.
But she won't let them go too super late.
Your sister at this moment in this time.
Perhaps like just in this moment the two of you forget of the overlying circumstances
as she simply just talks up what happened on her journey, telling you about her friends,
about Kai and Rievik, just the different shenanigans that the Platinum Vexillium, the adventuring
group that she leads, got up to.
She speaks about how the tiefling bard Creed, all the trouble he gets in.
All the trouble he gets in his mouth and him gets into and all of the tribulations of trying
to get him out.
How in another nation he was actually jailed for flirting with the warden of a jail that
he was trying to get his dragonborn sorcerer friend, Arjan, out of.
And then when he tried to sweet talk his way out of the prison, he was placed into an Oubliette.
Oubliette is a super cool thing.
It's sort of like a trap door in the ground.
You just throw someone in there and you just forget about them.
I understand now.
Throw them in the Oubliette.
Oubliette!
Throw them in the Oubliette.
Mouthful.
That's a mouthful.
What a fun word for a terrible thing.
Throw them in the Oubliette.
That's just a lot.
Like if you say like, hey I'm going to put you in the Oubliette, you're like, ooh this
is a little fun little like.
Like what?
I'm going to put you in the Ooby.
The Ooby.
Throw them in the Ooby.
Which is saying, she's kind of saying throw them in the Ooby Dooby.
Oobly doobly.
Put them in the Ooby Dooby.
I'd be betrayed.
I'd be like, okay I'm going to put you in the Ooby and I'd be like, ooh is that like
a little like, is it like a little room with like one of those springy like duck like things
you ride in front of a grocery store?
And then it's like the worst torture device possible.
That's just when you've got a room that has like little playground little duck.
What are they called?
Oh the little things, the little playground.
The little critters that move up and down.
Anyways.
JC wants to throw you in one.
Anyways.
He can try.
Ooby dooby.
Chat.
So aggressive.
Honestly, I'm really proud of chat.
Chat's been going strong.
If you ever like, you know, just kind of sit around and like outside and you know an ant
kind of crawls on your on your foot and just kind of like walks around but you don't notice
it because you're a lot bigger and stronger and way more powerful.
That's kind of like, you know what?
You're going to get so many Twitter threats.
I don't know the chance.
So we're just going to keep going.
Guys I need the chat to know that Timmy's weakness is that even just hearing the word
tickle makes him ticklish.
So that's your ammo.
Chat chat.
I'm not looking at the chat anymore.
For the rest of the life.
Look at me Timmy.
Look at me.
Chat and I shall prepare for next session's battle.
Yeah chat's weak.
Anyways.
Don't listen to him chat.
Listen to me chat.
I'm not going to listen to him.
Anyways.
Also hot take JT.
Penny was all you.
Okay.
So we're going to move on.
Only he will understand that.
So I know context.
No, no, it's okay.
I don't.
So everyone's typing.
Like I looked at it for a second.
That's terrible.
Thousand fey fingers is my favorite one.
The conversation.
The conversation does not go to that.
It goes to.
It goes to in the midst of talking as she's regaling you with the story about finding
a colony of Swaggin and actually the wizard that was with them, the cast of Copperhead
language.
So this Swaggin.
She says it wrong all the time.
She specifically tells you how it's spelled and then tells you that's wrong.
And then she goes into a tangent about how different names are said throughout the realm
and says this is wrong.
And she just goes, okay, the name is spelled a o i f e.
How do you pronounce that?
Wrong.
No, no, wrong.
Nope.
Let me close.
A o f e.
Now how do you pronounce a o i b h i n n?
You're not going to get it right.
A v e n.
Using Gaelic for evil.
And then telling the story about the about the saving the Swaggin people and how they
were misunderstood and blah, blah, blah.
But in the middle of the story, you catch and it's late.
She listens to the rest of the story.
And when she finds a good moment, she goes, oh, you're going to be traveling a lot.
And I mean, I have to take care of dad in the morning.
But I made something to help you get some sleep before everything.
Oh, yeah?
Mm hmm.
You don't really have to.
I mean, I'm going to look like a mess in the morning if I take that.
Well just to make sure, you know, get like kept up at night.
I'm supposed to be looking out for you.
Well, you're looking out for a lot of people right now, so I think I can take off a little
bit of that.
Thanks, Cece.
How long does it take to get in?
I could just take it now.
Yeah, that'd be good.
And you're sure everything's all ready and everything?
Yeah.
All right.
I should get some rest.
Do you have it?
Yeah.
Well, she goes and grabs it.
I can make tea too.
She starts just doing things.
As you put the concoction together and you put it into the tea?
Yeah, she can do that.
Yeah.
Okay.
And as the smell comes through and she sees that the mellow flower concoction has like
a sort of pink tinge to it and the tea adopts the color.
As it happens, she looks at it and she just kind of, she stares at it for a moment.
Folds her arms, she goes.
You learn how to make this?
I've been practicing a lot.
I've been at the temple a lot and everything too, so.
Mom used to make this for me.
Oh.
I wasn't really good at sleeping.
Yeah, you really didn't knew, Mom.
Not that much.
But she would make this same exact thing for me all the time.
I didn't know.
I know Dad used to tell you this all the time, but
Mom would be really proud of you, you know?
Yeah.
And she'd be proud of you too.
Oh, I know.
You've done a lot of cool things.
You've done a lot of really cool things too.
She drinks it.
It immediately hits her.
Already kicked in, wow.
I guess all that venturing is still on.
I really wanted to talk with you more.
Me too, but you won't be gone that long, so.
I'll wake you up, okay?
I love you.
I love you too.
See you in the morning.
Oh wow, that really hit.
It really scratched a big itch, wow.
She's like, walks to her room.
She goes, I'm going to see you.
I'm going to wake you up in the morning.
I might just leave you in the middle of the night.
And she just walks to her room, just really tired.
It really hit her so fast.
For you, it takes a bit, but that's because you're used to it.
Uh huh.
She's like, kind of nervous.
She's like, she waits a bit.
A while, just like.
Jenny, are you going to?
Are you going to?
She's just like, got to make extra sure.
And she's like, oh my god.
She's like, I don't know, this is terrible.
No, no, no, no.
And she's like, okay.
Oh my god.
Eventually, after sitting there a while waiting, she very carefully goes to get up.
And goes to find the things that Delmira packed.
You find it.
You find an empty sort of knapsack.
You pick it up, and there's nothing inside.
And as you peek inside, there's nothing inside but just seemingly a void.
It does have, on the outside, stitched on, it has an embroidery, it's idle wind on it.
Do I know what this is, or is this the first time I've seen this?
Actually, yeah, you would know what this is.
It's a bag of holding.
Oh, yay!
She's talked about it, certainly.
She's had this multiple times.
She thinks to pull something out, like the meal Cecilia packed.
Boom, it comes out in your hand.
She tries to think of anything that's really important that her sister might have in here that she doesn't want to take.
Oh my god.
Holy shit, she's doing it.
She's doing it!
She's doing a thing!
Is there something important at your sister?
Yeah, she's like, okay.
Peeking in Delmyra's room, though, does she have her sword out and things, or is it in the bag, seemingly?
Oh, like the equipment, her equipment is out, the map is out, the box is out.
Yeah, I just don't want to take anything that she knows her sister would need here.
You do pull out certain sets of clothes, you find that there's a suit in there and then a really lavish dress.
It's like, where have you been going?
You haven't told me stories about this.
There does seem to be multiple, because you're thinking about miscellaneous things, anything that comes to mind.
The strangest reason is that there is jars of teeth, sort of like ears of different creatures in assorted jars, too.
You're not exactly sure.
A lot of discarded posters.
There's a wanted poster of a really nasty looking kobold who's snarling.
The depiction, the drawing of it snarling towards the picture, it's a really nice drawing, and it says, Coco Bang Zoom 2500 gold pieces.
Coco Bang Zoom?
Yeah, Coco Bang Zoom.
That was a player character of Timmy's in a game I DM'd.
Coco Bang Zoom!
Bang Zoom is the sound he made when they fired him out of the cannons on his pirate ship.
Anyway.
I must be Coco Bang Zoom.
He's on a wanted poster, so...
We probably shall. We will.
Just this crazy assortment of items.
Until you think you've pulled out just a good amount.
It's filled up with a good portion of the living room already.
She just pulls an extra pot out and for some reason puts it in the bag.
Maybe a little bit.
Oh no!
In the shovel? No, I don't need a shovel.
Just puts it in the bag.
And then...
She wants to leave Delmyra with her...
She wants Delmyra to still have her equipment and things in case she would need it.
It's out. It's not in the bag. It's out.
But she looks for Delmyra's old chainmail that she doesn't wear anymore.
It has been...
You don't see it anywhere. It's probably in her room.
She's like, I'm gonna wait. Save that for last.
And she...
Writes. She sits in the...
Out of Delmyra's room.
And tries to write...
Detailed instructions.
About taking care of Dad.
And the animals.
And also...
Says...
I hope you're not...
Too angry or scared or worried.
But I feel like this is right.
And I love you.
And if Dad wakes up, tell him that I love him too.
And...
On the back...
She'll write...
She'll write, also Dominic knows how to help with...
But someone needs to be here to take care of Dad.
This is a callback to our little joke conversations.
Me and Timmy.
She...
Takes that.
Will leave it on the table.
She'll pick up the...
Box with the fragment of the moon in it.
And...
She'll put the letter where that was.
Oh, whoa.
And...
Before she goes into Delmyra's room one more time, she's going to go into her father's room.
Yeah.
And...
Tell him goodbye and that she'll be back soon.
That Delmyra will be here to take care of him and that she loves him.
And just like kind of double checking that Delmyra is still asleep.
She feel like she kind of...
She'll make just a tiny bit of noise and see if she stirs at all.
Just to make sure, because she wants to take the chainmail.
But...
As you make the tiny noise, just trying to stop for a moment.
She goes, is there a goblin in my boot again?
I'm going to get that goblin.
So I have to take it.
You take it.
If she thinks she can do it quietly with the Bag of Holding, she will try to take the chainmail.
Her old chainmail, not her current most...
Make a stealth check for me.
Okay, everything's fine.
I'm not very good at that, you know.
You've got low dex, right?
I don't have heavy armor on, so it's just a 4.
A 4.
Unless I have advantage, and it's a 17.
I mean, I guess you do have advantage because it's very heavily asleep.
I don't know, chat. What do you think? I'm kidding.
I don't need chat.
Don't enrage chat!
What are they going to do? Yell at me? Type big letters at me?
AR, AR.
Cute.
They're going to tweet at you. Just wait.
I will print the letters and I will mail them to your house.
Oh yeah, I need some to wipe my hands.
Ranged!
I love you, chat.
Thanks, chat, for coming by and making my night.
I did lie. Right there.
But we're just going to keep going.
Just kidding, I love chat.
Alright, so.
I can suck it. I'm sorry, I really thought about it.
That's true!
I keep thinking about it, I'm sorry.
Chat, I'm glad we're solidifying that chat is on the player side for this game.
Oh, and how is that going to help you?
If they were on Tim's side, honestly I would have been chill with it too, but alliances of...
Yeah, the ones who are right can be on my side.
Alright, anyways.
So, I love chat.
Okay, I thought about it at the end.
So we're going to keep going.
Chat sucks.
Okay, so.
As you creep forward.
As you tiptoe forward, the snoring del mira.
The snoring del mira, kind of like at your side.
You do see a, all of a sudden, a little in the corner of the room, two yellow orbs suddenly shoot up.
It's Orange, the cat.
Pets, Orange, gently.
There's a small purr before, are you heading over to the armor now?
He takes it.
I look at del mira to make sure.
Del mira is asleep.
Okay, I go to the armor.
You go to the armor.
And you slowly lift it up off of the small like piece that it's, the small like mannequin piece it's on.
And as you just pick it up and gently place it into the bag, you think you got it.
You look back to Orange, who is gone.
And then as you kind of like look around, you see currently perched on top of the bed rest.
Currently, even though he's an old cat, he's still a playful one.
You see he is currently like tipping, currently like pushing towards the edge, like very lightly.
A cup full of water.
She goes and grabs it quietly but quickly.
Roll initiative.
I have negative dexterity.
This should be our first combat, Orange versus.
That's 20.
That's 19 because I have negative points.
That's 20, baby.
I can beat a cat.
You rush forward.
As your heart pumps, you rush forward.
You leap off of your foot, dashing towards the other end of the room.
As this black creature threatens to disturb and rupture the peace of this entire village, you reach forward.
Bravery and heart.
Lightning in a bottle.
Starlight in an inkwell.
You reach forward with everything and pick up the cup.
So anime.
Bad Orange.
Sleeping.
He grows up next to Delmyra.
He considers putting him in the bag for a second and he's like, no, things, they will die.
So she lets him rest and keeps an eye on him.
So you got everything.
He's asleep in now like a cat.
Okay.
She doesn't really know what to do.
Like she's starting to feel like kind of the guilt.
She's never really done anything.
I will say on the map, it seems like the mirror is already written on the map.
Detailing.
You detailing the path.
Notes to herself.
One thing that your sister can be at times is organized.
The Lanaya Road.
Otherwise known as the road of Twines.
Lanaya, meaning Twines and Elvish.
A reminder that everyone on this continent.
This road, it forks throughout and a segment of it is found in every one of the eight nations on this continent.
Wow.
Chat's giving me burps for some reason.
Chat has cursed you.
They've been planning.
They've been plotting.
They've been waiting for their moment.
It's now.
Sure.
Chat.
It's just called.
I drink a little bit of club soda before the session.
Chat said the ritual was successful.
Oh, that's the extent of your ritual.
Timmie Timmie.
You guys are too much fun.
Too much fucking fun.
Yeah, you are very fun to toy with, Chat.
Anyways.
Where was I before Chat distracted me?
There's a map.
Yeah, okay.
Lanaya.
The Lanaya Road.
Otherwise known as the road of Twines.
Blah, blah, blah.
I shouldn't blah, blah, blah my way through that.
That's pretty important.
The road of Twines.
A reminder that everyone is connected to each other.
Eight continents.
A road.
Blah, blah, blah.
Okay.
I blah, blah, blah again.
But there comes a point.
You know about this road.
And maybe you've dreamt of traveling it.
Since travelers along the Lanaya Road heading towards the end of Katavarim usually pass
by your place, your village.
Acting as a trade stop of sorts.
Meeting individuals.
Interesting individuals always come by.
All the time.
A regular book merchant whom you've become acquainted with.
Or what is known, a dwarf named Donny.
Don't know his...
You have met all kinds of characters.
And you have seen many people going on adventures bigger than you who have traveled farther
than you could possibly imagine pass by your place.
As a small stop.
And now it's your turn.
Make the map.
Gently roll it.
Put it in the bag.
And she kind of looks at Dumbura like sleeping and a little guilty.
And she kind of waits a bit and then she doesn't know what else to do and she just kind of
like it's like a little, just a little wave.
Oh.
As you wave and you turn around and leave.
You do hear...
Cici.
Back out the door.
I'm finally back.
You going out?
She was just, she thought she was like about to get caught so like as she was like opening
the door, she just puts the bag out of view.
And turned around but if she sees her like still sleeping.
This time.
This time, Cici.
This time.
Sleeping.
I love you.
She shuts the door.
And she shuts the door.
Picks up the bag.
Make sure she has everything.
Especially the moon.
And the pot.
Don't forget the pot.
I have the pot.
I don't know what I'll use this for.
Maybe I'll cook.
I don't know.
And.
So go find, go get Reginald.
The horse.
You go out into the dead of night.
Most of the village have turned in by this point.
As you head on over towards the stable, you approach Reginald.
Reginald does almost as if knowing.
Reginald kind of looks at you as you approach.
Are you ready to go?
Well she gets him ready.
Obviously.
But.
The horse will remember this.
As you prepare the saddle.
And ride out.
In the dead of night.
During your travel.
You follow the notes presented to you on.
You presented the notes presented to you on Delmyra's map.
There's an X.
Over one of the airways.
It's the pathway that leads towards the Lavalip dynasty.
Your path will take you to Mosev Cadvaram.
To Auraheum.
Into Bois.
And then the Slyrian Empire.
It's a long journey ahead.
But how bad can it be?
I just have to follow a road.
You know.
Most of the night takes you.
Towards the town of Royst.
As you know you have to trek through the Lyramir forest.
Now the Lyramir's forest.
You have been told.
It's been expounded to you.
The beauty of the place.
But it is easy to get lost there.
However.
You do have the moons that like to guide you.
And also the roads are well traveled.
So there's lanterns along the road that you just follow.
As you pass through the small patchwork of watchtowers and stone walls.
Royst is a small sort of like farming.
A small farming village.
But you can see that the buildings are taller and more sturdy than the ones in Adelera.
Possibly some defensive or military purpose served here.
You move through.
You enter the town passing by small farm lands.
Where you see rows of weeds and farm animals and such.
It's in the early parts of the morning.
So not too many people out.
But not anyone is going to question you.
One field containing a few scarecrows defending very valiantly.
Very valiantly a row of corn.
You pass by.
But you do watch as one of the scarecrows is kind of like half way off already.
And as your eyes kind of fall upon it and you observe the scarecrows for a moment.
It just falls off completely.
Very silently.
There's no thud.
But you saw it happen.
So that means it did.
You move towards the edge of the Leramere forest.
Where you see a guard.
You see a sort of like a...
Gosh I forgot what it was called.
A buzz cut man.
Who seems to be...
A skirmish cut man.
He has his feet on top of the railing of the watchtower that he's on.
And you see he's currently cutting an apple with a dagger and feeding it into his mouth that way.
He sees you approaching and the way is already open.
As you pass by he goes,
Hi there!
Hello.
Don't see you around here that often.
Or at all really.
He kind of squints down at you.
He goes,
What's your business?
Um, I'm just passing through traveling east.
He kind of like looks around and goes,
A bit early to be traveling ain't it?
You should wait until the sun's out.
I wanted to make some distance.
Um, first.
Um, get ahead of the heat.
Aye, that's smart.
Quick question, how old are you?
He kind of like tilts his head.
I'm 18.
You're 18?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Well go ahead, make your ways quick.
Follow the lanterns.
Take you where you want to go.
I'll guide you friend.
You head in?
Yeah.
Alright.
As you head in,
we're gonna head on over to another perspective.
After this break.
I'll be back, chat, I'll be back.
Oh, damn it!
I need to see who Claude is.
All I know is your art and the little description we gave the artist.
He's coming, don't worry.
Insight rules, people!
Chat's ready, we're ready.
What, we're on break?
For what, losing?
Rip me!
Rip me, I know, rip me.
I guess you can get ready for that if you just lose all the time.
If I ever invite you to an alley, you better be wary because chat's invited too.
I already told chat I'm making team t-shirts for us.
It's gonna say, Chat V Tim.
I'm gonna go on a song-woven Twitter and type in the coordinates to a Denny's parking lot.
You're having so tomorrow.
You guys know the sound that a squeaky toy makes when you squeak it?
I imagine that's the sound of chat's fist punching and crumbling against my powerful body.
I'm fucking cool, guys.
Are we breaking?
What's happening, we're breaking!
I was gonna say, are we breaking?
Okay.
Hello again, everyone!
Smile like you weren't talking bad about chat again.
I do have to say something to chat.
And I'm not gonna trick anyone, this is very sincere.
Just to really put into perspective.
I just really want to create this imagery in your mind.
Do you guys know that scene from SpongeBob when he cracks his fingers and then it shows that he just destroyed all of his fingers?
All of them are just broken, completely desolate?
You know that scene?
That's the chat's fingers if they want their fingers to make any bit of contact with me.
If they ever try to tickle me.
That's what chat's fingers happen when any of their skin follicles touch a single strand of my epic, machismo-filled chest hair.
TNT, yeah.
It's no longer TNT!
It's turned into a completely other game!
Giselle, what if we don't use fingers?
Remember when she jabbed you in the throat?
For people without context, one time, my fair good friend Giselle, who's very nice sometimes,
we were leaving a restaurant and we both caught shotgun.
I made it there first.
She tried to tickle my neck, but instead she performed in many countries of felony.
She jabbed me in the throat and temporarily closed my airway so I couldn't breathe for a bit.
In most countries...
In Elvish, we call that attempted murder.
When they were racing for the car again after that, they both got there at the same time and she held up her fingers and then she put up a third one.
She needed to teach you a lesson?
Oh, Jesus.
Anyways...
I've reinforced my neck.
To prepare for our next encounter, by the way.
I'm really fucking cool.
You are! Of course you are!
I was kidding!
I'm not!
I'm gonna keep moving. By the way, my head conditioner is on. I need to turn that off.
I turned it on for a bit.
Don't look.
I'm not looking. I'll quickly snack.
Yeah.
I want to be clawed so bad. I know what's gonna happen now.
You said it!
Don't expect Dennis is all I'm saying!
I'm not expecting Dennis.
Alright. Let's do this.
Here in Royst.
In a ramshackled cube of a house.
A slanted roof with a roof containing both a mixture of tiny puddles and pebbles from the deterioration of the building over time.
What was once a shack has turned into a living situation.
For our next dormant, adventurous soul.
As the morning sun begins to creep into the air,
the light creeps through the thin curtains of this small house.
Sleeping peacefully is...
Jean Claude.
Can you please describe what your character looks like?
Yes!
So, I apologize. I get really descriptive with my characters.
So, what appears before you is a hulking bear of a man or should I say cow of a furbolg.
A gray furbolg!
When he opens his eyes with piercing cerulean blue eyes,
he has broad shoulders and the arms of a warrior but the tummy of a teddy bear.
Dark black curly hair brushes his cheeks covering the long bovine ears that extend from his head.
And a thick beard covers his jaw that if well maintained, if, would have shown a stronger jaw but it's scraggly and unkept and it merely ages up the 30-something furbolg.
A large axe with a wooden handle sits propped up near the door
and on his wrist is a woven bracelet with a few colorful beads hanging from it.
And while his clothes are never dirty, they are messily put together.
They're not very, you know, well put together.
Jean Claude.
You become unprone as you sit up.
The sleeping situation, the best you've made it.
You still afford a crack or two every other morning as you get up.
Large axe leading against the wall, guard, uniform sit against the...
placed against the wall.
As you ready yourself for what's bound to be just another day,
there is a knock on the door.
I think he definitely, he's hung over from the night before so it is loud.
And is he... sorry real quick, Emma making this character, I can fix him, how dare you.
How dare you.
I assume he's only got, he's only got, you know, like trousers on, sleeping trousers, so he's going to quickly stumble over and pull on, you know, a guard undershirt.
Check to see if he smells, which he might very much well, and open the door.
As you open up the door, you do hear a voice.
It's going, open up.
We got a warrant for your arrest. Make this easy for us, buckaroo.
You recognize this voice?
You recognize this voice.
Yeah, he stumbles over, cracks open the door, and peeks an eye through.
He knows who he is.
You immediately have your eyes gazed upon, Kirkish Thistle Nash, your guard friend,
your guard companion who has been working alongside you since, well, the moment you became a guard,
he looks at you with a knowing sort of like, a knowing look.
He has this big shit eating smirk on his face, like looking at you, and as his eyes appraise you for a second, he just goes.
Goodness, man, look at you.
He, John Claw, just blinks sleepily and goes, what the hell is he charges this time?
I guess your charges is farting too hard, not looking, just not looking the best in the sunlight, just looking better in the dark.
I mean, I can't really charge a mushroom, you know?
At this point, he flings open the door.
Whoa, okay.
He's like, mushroom, what about me screams mushroom?
He's getting a little pissed, but he's still a little drunk.
Well, as someone who sniffs a lot of mushrooms in his life.
He just laughs and goes, I'm not sure if you would like to come in, but would you like to come in?
Wait, is it welk? Is it time? Is it that time already? I thought I had some more time to sleep in.
Yeah, it's about time.
Oh shit, and he's running over to his guard uniform.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, guess what?
What, what?
Something special, buddy.
There's a quirky little, there's a quirky little big nice thing waiting for you.
What?
I thought there was a hole on your like little, on your little like, in your little house.
So I threw it over thinking that it was gonna go in, but nope, you have a roof. Wow.
What did you throw over?
Over my house that you could have not just given to me.
Oh.
The door.
Important documents by Captain Valethani.
Captain Valethani, by the way, Captain Valethani says that you're in charge today.
Whoa! And he is, I don't know if there's like a back door or a back window, but he is already like struggling to pull on a boot,
struggling to pull on, you know, some chain mail and is like,
No, no, no, no, no, you are in charge. I am not in charge. I shall not be in charge.
I am exhausted. I will be second in command to you. There we go.
All good. It's solved.
I believe in you, buddy. This is all you. You got this.
He's screaming.
Oh, you're letting loose one of those hangover screams. That's really responsible.
His head's around him.
He goes, wait, did you really throw the papers? You did throw the papers, didn't you?
Yeah. I can like go ask for like one of the farmer's cows to stand on.
No, no, no, no.
See John Clough? He's trying to see if he can climb his house, his ramps, to get to the roof.
He goes, if I have to be in charge, I will do it myself.
Making athletics check.
Oh, John. Oh, God.
There are many, there's holdings on it, but like you're hungover and like you're just trying to find the hold in and like your hand is scraped across a rock.
It just doesn't feel nice. And all this time you hear a Kirkosh thinking like, you know, maybe I can like stack horses on top of each other.
You know, I mean, the kind of shit like lawn chairs, if you really think about it, you know, they're made to be stacked on top of each other.
No, no, you do not use, oh, you use goats because they have the interlocking horns.
So we can flip one on top of the other and then stack them up like this.
We should go, we should really tell these people to get some goats, OK?
We need some goats here. We need more resources to stack animals to get things that you throw on my roof.
Here's another idea.
I think everyone owns a ladder here.
Do you see John Clutch slowly turns and goes, I don't.
Yeah, that's pretty obvious. He kind of points at the house.
It's OK. It's not a big deal. He waves his hand.
What time is the captain coming? What time is it?
Oh, the captain already left. He just that's why he left the duties up to you.
What? What? What? Why?
He gave you the notebooks to take down people's reports.
You know, the captain, she likes to zip zap around a little bit, kind of like you at times.
But you were zip zapping around all night last night.
If I had known this, I wouldn't have actually know that it's a lie. I would have stayed out late.
OK, so I'm right. Taking down reports. Well, I'm going to improvise, they say.
OK, right. And he will just start pulling on, you know, the chainmail is closed, pulling it together.
It goes, and reports. What else is that?
It's just taking down people's names and getting the information and need to be.
We were supposed to get the other guards reports.
We were supposed to record it in that book up there. But it's up there now. That's sad.
And we have no goats to use to stack. But apparently everyone has a ladder.
Hold on. I got an idea. Oh, God.
He goes, all right. I learned this from I learned this from a kid two years ago when he was running away from me.
He takes off his boot and he throws it. He tried to throw it at the book.
That's the book. As you see the the ledger, it's a it's like a leather bound leather ledger.
It's it's hanging just off of the edge of the roof.
So he just throw it at it. And after he throws it, I'm going to say it.
He goes, now we need to get my boot and the ledger.
So tired. He's hung over. He goes, OK.
You were great last night, by the way. Oh, I think I saw you.
Oh, the drink was covering you. You were you were a quirked up little furball that's covered with the sauce.
Damn. What sauce? What's what's he's looking at us on?
I had this sauce on me. Where was the sauce? Oh, that's what I.
Never mind. What?
He goes, would a javelin be able to reach the book?
It's a little bit because they are tall.
Furballs are tall. So he's like, if I could, it doesn't matter if there is a hole in it, if I can just stub the ledger,
get it down. That is what she wants to be looking for holes.
She's merely looking for reports. I can't look around the hole.
We should be looking for holes in people's reports.
We should be looking for holes, but I think we're a bit false to get it off of the roof.
That's right. He's going to take his javelin and try to stab it through the books and bring it down.
Really easily.
Not a very hard target to hit since it's not fighting back.
The tip of your javelin pierces through the back of the ledger and you just bring it down.
OK, we have gotten this ledger. We could have gotten a different book, but I do not care.
I am the girl today. I am the captain. This will be my ledger.
And so he rips it off. Oh, oh, oh.
You need your boot, right? You need your boot.
I'll get your boot too. And he's going to try to stab through the boot to get the boot.
You get it. Yeah. So you bring it down. You skewer it.
There is your shoe. OK.
He goes, oh, now I can wear this in the rain.
It is perfect for the rain too.
Let me tell you something. I just figured out the leather cover is to protect it from water.
Oh, really? What?
But and then he taps his javelin goes, but no, jevelins.
No, I don't do that.
It just kind of gives him a little shove.
How tall are they? Is he taller? Is John Claude taller than?
John Claude is taller by like a head.
By like a head. Thank God. He goes, all right, my friend, let us gather the troops.
I am the captain today. Right, Cappy.
Oh, Cappy. Cappy, good work. Cappy, J.C.
Cappy, J.C.
That's not what.
And I assume they had to wherever they had to do whatever the fuck they do.
By the way, Captain, there is no there is no roaming god that I worship more than you.
I'm kidding.
Hey, Captain, I have to promise I'll be back next time.
I'm kidding.
So with the hole in the ledger, they had in and a boot.
You head towards the center area where it contains the the guards den.
You are you are you are a proud member of the Groven Guard.
The Groven Guard, a specialized guard force that is personally funded by the by the Lord of the Region of House Parvin.
The guards placed around different the different settlements of the Laramere Forest to both to both both enforced and forced the law and also to help people navigate through the forest itself.
The forest forest stated before is a well traveled road of them.
Well traveled road so much that like lanterns check marks everything so and so gets put on it.
But if there's a forest, someone's going to get lost.
That's what the Groven Guard is for.
And also to defend the forest.
As you head towards as you head towards the den, you see a awaiting you there is a collection of other guards.
I'm seemingly ready to start seemingly ready to start to shift, but waiting on you to arrive and other and other guards just awaiting to be relieved of their duty.
Those who have taken those are those who have watched over the night, apparently.
You you.
As you as you walk in.
You see Kirk, Kirk Oshkos.
Your captain today is a real party animal.
You guys should be real proud.
Actually, as he says that he swagger's in puts his hands on his hips, you know, pops out his chest and goes, well, I am quite the party animal as you've seen last night.
It is all done for today.
I am the captain.
I am entrusted with each of you and the people of these woods.
So drinks for the morning brunch.
Yes.
You see some guards, you see some guards is like looking around like, yeah, yeah, that sounds really good.
Yes, team bonding, as I would say, most imperative for you.
You see a woman.
You see a half elven, a half elven woman with blondish hair and sort of a French way it goes.
Captain, we have a we have a duty to uphold to the people of the people of this kingdom.
Yes, we do.
So we should be vigilant.
As we are as we are.
But they often find that those who are wound too tightly and he's getting up close to her.
You know, like she's half also he's leaning down to tightly often make many mistakes on the battlefield.
And as the captain, it is my job to keep the reserve of the troops up.
Would you like a drink?
Is it all right if I take watch over the gate?
He goes, yes, you may.
But first, let you know any hopes up.
What is he supposed to do with the ledger?
He doesn't even fucking know.
Take that report.
So he opens up the letter and goes,
Sarah, the claims you say you have a granger decided to not take a drink and has gone to work at the front post.
I love Jean Claude.
OK, I have other things to report to.
OK, all right.
He crosses out love, Jean Claude and goes, she has a zeal.
But before before I do that, Captain, is there enough space for you to point at the hole?
He's running around it.
When you're in school and you're running out of space on the papers.
I was technically not on duty this morning, but I but I did see a strange shambling figure walk into the woods.
And did you investigate the shambling figure?
I did.
Says when it disappeared into the brush, I tried to I tried to look for it, but it disappeared.
I investigated the area thoroughly for half an hour.
My tracking skill, my tracking skills, not the most impeccable.
I'm still quite green, but I'd say that they're good enough to find someone who is recent in my vision.
And yet I still cannot find this figure.
And where was the shambling figure?
It was past past the gate over there, going to going to the lyrm your forest.
Let me make this straight.
Guard, guard Claude Green was being relieved of his post.
So the entire time John Claude is taking notes, his notes are just pictures. He's drawing little doodles of what she's recounting to him.
So she's going she's going guard Claude Green has was being relieved of his post.
I'm not saying that she points at you.
She has come she has Claude Green, you know, with a big giant smile on his face because and big human ears because he knows he's human.
So he's got the big round ears stick figure.
Because this is we're done.
This is incredibly troubling as your captain.
Captain.
Yes.
Can I tell you something else that I find quite troubling?
And he's going to gently, you know, not not in a weird way, but gently place a hand on her shoulder and go.
Naturally, it's my job as your captain to protect the city and these trees and these people.
You smell like mushrooms, sir.
And he turns back to Kirk Osh and goes, what did you do?
No, I do not.
No, I smell like fresh green grasses.
Smell. Oh, shit, I smell.
OK. Like mushrooms.
Like fungi.
You got mushroom colony in those armpits of yours.
Yeah, I could.
It is pretty pretty horrific.
OK.
All right.
The sampling figure as the captain, it is my duty to investigate this.
Is there anything else anyone would like to add?
Perhaps sign their name in my yearbook.
I mean, my my my tome, my my we can make it a yearbook.
We could make it a yearbook. Indeed.
Yes. Like little good notes of like good luck, Captain.
Thank you for your first and last day.
We're so happy to have you.
Hey, Captain.
Thank you. Yes. Can I give my report because it's my job?
I think Jean Claude, Jean Claude turns and his eyes just narrow in on him and goes, oh, how do you think none of this?
This chitter chatter was for fun.
It is all in my report.
It's supposed to be me.
He's drawing the stick figure.
This is you.
I can scribble you out.
What is your report?
I think the claim here was relieving me of my duties. I did not see what she had claimed because I was just leaving my tower.
One per but all I can report on my own what I can what's valid and what could be put down in the ledger is one person only one person traveled through the only one person traveled through the town during my entire watch entering into the woods.
Okay, did we get their name in papers?
Was I supposed to?
He just blinks slowly and goes, you let a foreign entity.
Someone we do not know entity sounds quite devious.
The 18 year old girl on a.
Says on a sort of like a speckled brown horse.
What 18 year old girl comes through to our woods.
Think about it.
Many.
What I mean by that is that people just travel Captain.
Do you want to take a break?
See, see now and then he kind of leaves back now you see the difficulty of being a leader, you know, I open with a break right I say let's get drinks like relax into these duties and writing down our reports in the journal but now we want to take a break.
After one we have so much to do with the shambling figure was this 18 year old who again who is coming to our words. Yes, why you see another one of the guard raises their hand.
Seriously doodling in the ledger by the way it's not even things it's just swirls.
As you say why.
He just goes.
What.
Did you say the bed to act.
The bed is wet.
What.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I didn't even disrespect you Captain.
What.
What do you like and quicker goes, you set them off.
No, my bed.
My bed, and his bed.
Table.
Stand on the table.
Take the axe off his back, have it sunk into the wood and goes my bed is never a wet.
I do not.
I never get my pants. I have never done it.
And I shall never do it today.
As your captain, although I smell of mushrooms.
I have the health of a lawyer completely unrelated everyone but as the co captain.
If you dip someone's hand into a warm bowl of water.
Co captain.
So,
Captain, it's me.
Captain.
Keep saying it.
This is good. Do you like it. I like it. I think we have to give them ideas. All right.
Let us get to work now and my head is pounding I'm exhausted I wanted to drink wine this morning but I guess not we have to go to work.
Okay, so, shambling mound 18 year old villain.
What else any other reports I'm kind of losing space so if you guys could like hurry up because I only have a couple more pages left because you know that.
You should go ahead and investigate captain we'll have everything.
We'll get everything situated here.
I shall because I am sure that this is the most dangerous thing to do.
And as your captain, I will put my body in front of yours.
Smelling of my food.
Not having wet my bed.
I will defend this globe mushrooms are notoriously soft and I don't think they would make great shields captain.
No, but I can try and it's the fact that I tried that materials.
Remember that.
Yeah, I go now we go captain now.
That's your book your book send your names please send your names, include a nice message about me being a good captain. Thank you.
I'm just starting around the hole which meant that the hole was there before the site.
So,
all right.
Okay, go ahead.
I'm sorry.
I know please please please please please stop me.
It Kirk gosh goes. All right everyone I'm going to go with the captain to investigate this dubious entity.
If I don't.
If I don't make it back.
Leave five gold in my mailbox.
And all of a single one individually.
How many people are they. Yeah, how many people are there.
This is kind of like 12.
So there's 12 in the room right now. Yeah, they've been watching everything happening.
So John call goes, so with 12 of you that would be five good each that would be 10 good.
I've done the mass that quick.
Mm hmm.
Don't put them in and put it down immediately.
Because.
All right.
Everyone.
Good hustle.
Good luck to hold on hold on. Before I go. Everyone hands in the center.
Come.
Really. Put your hand in the center.
We are united as one and they're the house park green and we shall stands for them together.
And in the center.
I really want to start my do not make me use the command spell.
Put it in.
On the count of three.
Reluctantly.
We shall say clothing gold.
One, two, three, clothing.
We're done. Well done. All right, we go.
I just go and wait outside for a moment. Let me just go ahead and speak to these people real quick.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
As you walk away, he closes the door, but the windows still open.
He goes.
Everyone.
So, Captain.
Looking at my notes here, Captain Valeth Valethani.
Put.
Could.
Bush Ron and charged.
You know.
So we all are going to have to listen to him. But a Bush Ron went through a real tough time.
Real tough time.
That's why he's been drinking so hard last night.
Yeah, you see what happened was.
His his big his big brother on his uncle's side.
He got just absolutely into a horse accident.
Fell off a horse when he was just just just it was super nasty. Okay.
He broke like three bones and like two different places. It was real.
It was.
I threw up when I heard about it.
What I'm saying is I'm going to leave this bucket right here.
I can all put money.
His brother surgery.
Now, preferably, I think the surgery like I think the surgeon only takes silver pieces and up.
So if you can do that, that would be amazing.
So did Sean cloud hear all of this?
Yes.
And he to help assist his friend, he will moan and go, oh, if only I did not have just couple.
Copper.
He has not heard about it.
He told me last night he was taste.
Silver and gold and not couple.
I'm so I feel so bad for him.
As he walks out, he didn't know that you heard him.
He just goes, Hey, copper ain't really that bad.
Because as you said, you did not want couple. You wanted anything over an app.
So I was merely trying to.
Oh, you heard me.
I did.
Oh, that means you played a lot.
That's awesome.
Yes, because yes, because I enjoy your company.
Even if you say I smell like mushroom.
Okay, we go and we go investigate.
Come, we go.
All right.
You got me, Captain.
I'm your co-captain. If you need me, I'll be your mushroom sniffer.
As long as I am not the bedwetter, that will be fine.
Yeah, it will be.
It will be.
For now.
For I am the captain.
For now.
And this we stage a coup.
You're the captain.
Against my.
I can't wait to do a coup de titi.
Oh, tot.
That was the worst slip of the tongue I've ever done.
Too bad you're going with it. You see John Claw kills.
How did I do that?
A coup de titi.
You know I like that because I do appreciate those titis.
You know why it's called a coup de titi?
Because there are two of them and two of them is always better.
And there's two of us. That is right.
A pair of companions, bosom buddies, a pair of coup de titi.
Bosom buccaneers, buccaroo.
Baby besties.
We're going on break.
Emma, you're giving chat ammo to use against me.
I'm dying.
Have you ever wanted to be somewhere else?
You know how when you guys write up a character, you're like, it's going to be this.
And then the moment you start playing them, you're like, no, it's this.
When you first, I was like, this is not what I wrote.
This is not what I wrote. This is not what I wrote. This is not what you read.
The real Jean Claude hits the posture and comes in and replaces him.
This is the Jean Claude that comes out after he was drinking the previous night.
Well, this is the Jean Claude if you give him a title.
Oh, got it.
Okay, focusing, focusing.
He does pat your arm and he goes, hey, Jean Claude real quick.
If there is a suspicious person, I think we should like.
Get sobered up real quick.
Punch them. We should punch them in the face.
No, no, no. It's just I'm actually worried.
I'm just actually worried about the moral consequences and the weight of our actions if we do this without giving it the proper amount of attention and care.
So I'm just saying that maybe we should splash some water on our faces.
Yes. All of what you said made perfect sense to me.
Just like everything you say.
Yes.
Sacrebleu.
Sacre-what?
He goes, do you have wet hair or does he have like a water skin or something that he can just.
Yeah.
Yeah. So he'll just full on dump it over his head, fluff up the hair, you know, go, oh, all right.
Okay. Good. What else? I have been watered like a plant. I'm ready to go.
Like a mushroom. Yeah. Let's go.
Like a fungi. Fungi do not need water. Do you think they need water? I cannot remember.
Let's go.
They go. They go. They go. They go.
I'm so sorry, Jenny, for whatever is coming. I'm so sorry.
I mean, I'm a suspicious individual, apparently. So.
Oh, God.
All right. In hindsight, you probably should have brought the ranger with us because they do the tracking thing really well.
But I think we got this down pat.
But she said she couldn't find it. And I was like, you are ranger and you cannot track something.
Like, clearly you are.
Perhaps we can get help from the Arsperu. The Arsperu Rangers.
Yes, the Arsperu Rangers.
Yeah, I said it like that.
Yes, you did say it like that. How do I call them? I forget. How do we call them? Is there a business hours we can?
We should head over to Arsperu, maybe.
Yes.
They're really good at this whole tracking thing. Way better than me.
Yes. Are we tracking the suspicious individual or are we tracking the shambling mound?
Well, what? Well, that's up to you, Captain.
We will do both. To Arsperu we go.
Let's go.
And I like to think that they think they like they're like they're suave walking through town.
They've never had a title before for good reason.
You're suave walking through town. Many of the denizens who are normal people.
Just kidding.
Many of the denizens who do not have the spunk or the machismo that you are currently possessing or the chutzpah.
Watch as you pass some of them kind of like part directions to give you a bit more space.
Because you are glowing a sort of aura. It's not your palette and stuff.
It's a mushroom.
You head towards the gate as the sun is now fully beginning to encompass the sky.
And you see nothing.
Nothing of notes at the moment.
The path is beaten.
So any chance of like getting getting trying to figure out what footprints what is a little hard.
But you and Kirkosh I was I was looking sort of going to be you and Kirkosh.
But you and Kirkosh are the full force forward.
So as you.
As you.
I broke tip.
I just I just recovered from all of that.
I just hit me again.
The previous 20 minutes.
I'm OK.
Thanks for nothing chat.
I'm kidding.
I love chat.
You make you make your way you make your way forward.
And you said you're going to go look for you're going to go go to our Spuru right.
Very quickly before people think too hard about the name.
Our Spuru was a is a nomadic community.
Once a once a group of painfully shy gnomes over the many centuries became encompassed into the into the society of the kingdom of Katvarim.
The gnomes of our Spuru who are also known as a gnomes usually naming their naming their towns like fun sounding fun sounding names.
And depicting their history as they were asparagus but now they are fully sprouted and fully visible in the eyes of society.
So there is a reason for it.
Oh gosh.
I'm lightheaded now.
Drink water drink water hydrate hydrate hydrate.
Our Spuru has become ingrained ingrained into society and they living in the living in a lyrical forest for centuries upon centuries.
Often the our Spuru often the gnomes of our Spuru are very experienced hunter gatherers of the of the region of the forest.
I mean.
So.
And you're making your way towards there. It's a bit of a it's a bit of a good distance away.
Yeah.
Totally fine.
And then just before they get there he'll just mentioned really quickly to Kirkosh will say.
And let's try to avoid incidents and things that they will have to report because I have no room left in the ledger.
I have filled it with my musings and do this after current events.
You can write it on my chest if you want.
I could I could.
Not my back.
Not your back.
No not your back.
Perhaps I could write it in the dealt as well.
Either way we will find another implement in surface to write our reports on.
Since I am the captain and you are the co-captain we take this very seriously here in the grove and guard.
Yeah.
It's crazy what power does to you isn't it.
I mean yesterday I was tired I'm still tired but I was so tired and melancholy and you know just you know blessing about everything.
The moment you are given a title changes your world your perspective.
So perspective right now.
So much perspective.
Yes.
I almost.
Yeah.
I'm stopping.
So ours was this way.
As you begin walking as we are walking down the road.
Jean Claude.
Please give me a perception check.
Oh baby's got negative wisdom.
Making us roll all our negative stats tonight.
Good.
Pretty good.
Yeah that's all good.
Good.
That's a DM.
Perception.
DM versus players.
Yes perception check.
Oh.
Oh that's good.
She ain't too bad.
Fifteen.
As you are as you are walking and getting and getting longer onto the forest roads.
By the way Learmore forest just this wonderfully emerald.
Emerald green sort of sort of forest filled with this sort of like sort of sort of these
of these trees with this sort of like purplish purplish blue exterior.
It's a very pleasant place to look at and perhaps in your in your walk it does.
The beauty of it does tend to.
The beauty does tend to be appreciated by any passerby.
Walking in this place is always so peaceful to you.
It's a pop.
It's a popular spot.
The people though the people in Royce has had it living near it has had enough.
Has had their fill of it.
But still to you Jean-Claude.
It's so it's a rather photogenic site.
It was.
Gosh where was I going.
Okay so.
Walking walking towards our sprue keeping your eyes among keeping your eyes amongst
the brush and despite the despite the throbbing pain that's that's nested itself in your
head.
You do you do have a vigilant eye that you have kept sharp throughout the throughout
the years.
And you do you do spot.
When it comes to the beginning of the trail the foot the footsteps overlap.
But when heavy creatures come around like horses.
And they come out recently they tend to make more of a make more of a track more of a print.
What you see what you see before you as the tracks begin to clear up heading towards
our sprue is a is a trailing.
A trailing.
Trail of footsteps of horse hooves.
And you see that they eventually.
Fade.
Stopped in the middle.
This is a problem.
What is.
We have horses vanishing.
Oh yeah.
Yes see look at these prints.
They are one moment gone the next.
They are invisible.
Invisible horses.
Why do you think that is.
Well.
Given that the woods are as they are.
And given that the horses are cleverly trying to revolt.
Maybe they are tired of carrying all of our equipment and carrying us on their backs and they said enough.
Enough of this.
We shall rise against those who feed us grain.
Awesome awesome idea Captain.
Counterpoint.
Maybe someone was riding and then they just kind of.
They killed their horse and dragged it somewhere else.
We should keep walking Captain.
We should keep walking.
As you as you as you continue as you continue to walk as you continue to walk along.
We're going to carry on we carry over we carry we do carry over that perception check.
Walking walking walking along adjacent to you.
Many acres of many acres of forest.
The Lyrium Forest is just a sort of like a labyrinth of multiple forest paths.
You do see you do you do see in the brush in the in the brush to your right.
You're not you're not too far from the entrance but something peculiar to this standout from the center from the greenery.
You see what you see a hat.
Kind of like placed upside down as it's just kind of like maybe just like it's like thrown off.
It's a pointy sort of clocked had and seems very rugged.
Very worn and just not.
It's not it's not it's not a fashionable like quality.
Not wearable I mean.
This is considered littering.
Who's hat is this?
I don't need to hear Captain.
What?
You know what these are?
The hats?
Yeah.
What are they?
I think these are the house the hats worn by.
Have I seen these hats before?
Oh yeah all them scarecrows in the fields they wear these little pointy little funny hats.
A scarecrow left their hat here.
It does sound a little bit weird when you put it like that.
And but remember this was after the horse vanishing rebellion.
I will piece it together eventually.
Why don't I take the lead Captain?
I can I got your back.
I mean you got my back.
I got your back.
Absolutely.
My back's got your front.
I've my front has your.
My front has your front.
No back has your back.
The t t t's are the tata's.
You should drink some more Captain sometime.
I really should.
It's kind of wearing off.
You know now that I don't have people around me to bus around like it's kind of wearing off and I'm bald now.
Alright let's get moving.
Yeah.
Let's get moving.
Yeah sure.
Yeah I can carry you if you want.
I got you.
No you don't have to carry me.
I will just walk is fine.
Being a captain is not is kind of hard.
It's really hard work you know.
Oh well tell me about it.
Yeah.
I'm here for you.
I'm here for you man.
You got my shoulder.
And you and you have my eggs.
Sometimes.
Toats my goats.
Toats my goats but we need more goats.
Let's keep.
So briefly we're going to switch over to Cecilia.
Oh yeah back to.
Whatever I was doing.
We're just switching the mood on its head.
Love these tonal shifts.
So I saw something with a scarecrow too.
You said that its eye fell out or something.
No it just fell.
It fell over.
It was half way off of its like post and then it just fell off.
Oh it fell over.
Okay okay.
I don't know why I remembered eye in my head for some reason.
That's Chad's fault.
So as you ride on top of Reginald making treks through the.
Through the Lyre and Mare forest.
I want to ask what is currently in.
What is currently Cecilia's mindset going through starting this adventure by herself.
He's been talking to Reginald.
She's like.
Do you think this was a terrible idea.
I mean.
It's not it's not a terrible idea because I.
There's so many reasons why this is better.
Like I can I can.
I know more about medicine than the Mira does in traveling.
I can maybe find better information than she did for dad and.
And.
You know like I'm pretty capable too.
Like she kind of doesn't act like that.
Like she always just like treats me like I'm just like.
Her sister and I mean I am just her sister.
But I'm also not just her sister.
She's just been like muttering like this for like a while now.
Because she also hasn't slept.
And like.
What if she like follows me because.
She shouldn't because she has to take care of dad.
And so she can't follow me.
But what if she does so I need to get far but.
I'm not sure.
Are you tired Reginald.
I was not respond.
Reginald will remember this.
Instead moves forward like a horse.
As you are.
As you are as you are going as you are going making your way forward.
Making treks to the woods you do look at the map to see.
You're not sure.
You read the curves of the forest like you don't know how to really travel with Babs.
You you now figured.
The winding labyrinth and with the.
And with the lack of sleep it's a little hard to like.
Get a real get a real feel of where you are.
Like.
Let's just pause a moment Reginald so you can.
Have a break.
That's why we're pausing and no other reasons.
She just mounts for a bit and tries to really sort out the map like glaring at the map.
As you clear the map trying to.
Perhaps if you look at a cross-eyed it's like one of those like pictures are like when you look at a cross-eyed that like it's reveals the answer but it doesn't.
I don't know if it works.
You.
You you you close your eyes for you close your eyes for a moment.
Trying to like just get a sense of your belonging and realizing.
Just just trying to deny the possibility that you are very lost right now.
And as soon as you open your eyes.
Something very strange happens.
You are basked in moonlight.
Currently currently currently cloaked in currently cloaked in the moonlight and in the and in the light of the lanterns around you.
You look around.
In confusion.
It had just been morning.
Had just been morning two seconds ago right before you close your eyes.
And now it's night.
Now the moon is out.
You hear the chirping you hear the chirping of crickets.
You.
You still have the map in your hand.
Reginald is still there.
I was about to ask.
Does he look like in the same state does it do I get the impression I like fell asleep.
For that.
For a moment.
Your questions glide through your head.
They rush.
Before you see.
Before you materializing in front of you a small orb of light.
It was for a moment it has a whisper thin sort of like.
Like membrane of of the sort of wavy wavy sort of arcane energy that surrounds it.
And then it begins to trail.
It begins to move.
And then.
He said follow the lights.
Do they mean literally.
She looks at the map again and then the kind of looks ahead and then just.
Reginald.
Decides to follow.
That's when.
As soon as you as you begin to follow.
You see the orb of light stops for a moment.
It curls around and actually starts going backwards.
Passing by you and going back down the path where you came.
Okay she instead is starting to like question things a bit more because it's suddenly night.
Because she's like why should have done that in the first place.
She.
Will cast.
Detect magic.
First spell baby.
Second spell.
And is what you can use.
And then you sense you do get a sense of magic.
In a strange in a strange sense you sense one that's currently.
That's kind of kicking you at the moment it's surrounding you divination magic.
The whispers self.
You're actually not picking up anything.
It's a part of the definition probably.
Does she sense the raises the question from wherever she has the box with the fragment of the moon does she sense magic from that.
It's true.
You do sense of faint sense of magic for that but it's strange and archaic.
And separate.
Yes.
Okay.
She just like.
She with the spell up.
She's going to turn around and follow the.
The whisk.
Okay.
Because she's completely lost.
She's hopeful.
You mount reginald again and began following the wisp.
Heading back the direction where you came.
I mean there were a couple of forks in the road you think maybe.
Maybe following the lights gonna.
Maybe follow maybe following the light will help you out.
Heading back.
John Claude.
Following a following Kirk gosh you began.
You began making your way in the path to our sprue.
It would typically take from here to our sprue be like a 30 to 40 minute walk.
With a good with a good hustle.
Making your way there.
And just kind of like trying to alleviate the headache in your mind rubbing your temple.
That comes apart where you roll when you kind of like close your eyes.
And as a and as and in a sudden blink as you open it.
It's night.
Lanterns being the only thing a light in there Kirk gosh is walking walking in front of you.
John Claude goes away.
What's bad did you cast. What was this. What did you do.
Me.
I don't know any spells cap.
He points around me goes what just happened.
What do you mean.
Did you do you see that it is dark.
Maybe you should like take a nap or some captain I think you've kind of.
This is a listen listen.
No I know we like to joke and stuff but I'm really serious this time it's not funny.
What did you do. Did you turn off a light. I mean it was day.
It's daytime captain I can't don't know what exactly what to tell you.
Can you do an insight check. Yes.
16 for some reason for the unwise man he's rolling rolling hot today.
It's wise today.
The athletic track damn screwed 16 for insight.
So Kirk gosh is a is typically is typically kind of a.
The words he says are up for interpretation interpretation how true they are.
But right now as you're taking as you're looking at these on us he's confused he doesn't know exactly what you're talking about.
If there's anything you can rely on Kirk gosh is that is that when he is confused it's and it's often.
You know him.
So as a fur ball I have speech of beast and leaf.
Yeah I can communicate in a limited manner with beast plants and vegetation.
They can understand my words but I cannot understand them in return.
Is there a tree that he's close to.
Absolutely.
He's going to take out his act. He's going to walk up to the closest tree take his axe off his back tap the trunk of the tree and with the speech of beast and leaf say.
How would that sound.
What the fuck did you just do.
You turned it tonight.
It's a couple times.
Come on man we don't have to do this.
Did you turn off the lights or something.
Why would I want to do that.
I want the lights to be on.
Oh wait they can understand your words but I can't understand them in return.
Sounds.
That's just the impression that you get that they would say the trees body.
My 16 insight check. That is what I believe that it's not the trees fault.
The tree cha cha real smooths.
He goes well okay that didn't work.
Okay well I have no fucking clue what is going on but I'm going to keep this moment.
You see in the path in front of you Kirk is watching you and seemingly genuinely concerned.
This is I have to.
Like this is not part of this is not drug and antics this is not hangover antics.
No.
You see an orb of light.
Descend.
In front.
I would say the moon is radiant it's full in the sky.
Maybe a little bit closer than you've ever seen it before.
And you see us is or this gigantic orb of light.
Descends.
Kirkosh obviously not noticing it.
Just looking at you and looking to where you're looking.
You see a small figure.
A small silhouettes carving the shape of a small figure.
You see that you see the you see you see the small silhouettes currently note down.
Hands play hands play still on the ground.
She this this silhouette is on is on their knees.
And it's doing a familiar it's doing a familiar motion.
That you have seen before it's.
It is a silhouette of a person on their knees on the ground currently scroll currently flipping through a book.
Looks looking up at the trees above.
Suddenly there's a small like small like shock this jolt of the shoulders.
And you see the and you see this silhouette picks up the book.
And begins rushing down the begins rushing down the forest.
Oh then come back hey well he starts running captain.
You see Kirkish begins to follow you.
As you begin to run and let me turn off this music.
As you as you rush towards this.
As you rush towards the silhouette.
You're cap wait.
As you sprinting towards figure you see that this that this silhouette is current enveloped in this light is currently distressed.
You see that they are covering their you see that they are covering their their heads with with the book.
As you as you see images of slight images coming from the shadows above.
Shadows beside the shadows beside you.
This is the force around you is caked in night.
And you see these large specters.
You see you see specters burr these large birds with these over exaggerated large eyes and claws.
The shapes of these creatures coming out almost reaching towards the silhouette but never touching.
She runs faster than them.
As that happens the silhouette picks up the pace.
Almost outpacing you causing you to go on a full a complete full on sprint.
You're you feel your you feel your heart your heart at the mercy of yesterday's drink begin to begin to beat.
But you feel it begin you feel it begin to melt.
Alcohol has alcohol has does alcohol typically does not have a boiling point where evaporates but you can feel it in your heart.
The mind your mind clearing up everything.
Everything splitting apart at the seams your mind being clear as you rush.
I use divine sense real quick.
Yes.
So just real quick as an action you can get good or evil until the end of your next turn you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial fiend undead within 60 feet.
That is not behind total cover. You can use this feature five times.
Absolutely.
Let me read it up for a moment 60 feet.
Okay.
So.
As soon as you set as soon as you sense it the woven bracelet on your on your wrist becomes a light for a moment.
Borrowing the light of the lantern that's around it.
The silhouette disappears.
And as you are holding your arm up just because you're naturally reaching toward you're naturally reaching towards it.
Your divine sense picks up a rancid noxious odor.
Oh no undead two of them.
Undead.
We're gonna head back over to Cecilia.
I'm gonna die.
Following the following the was following the wasp of light.
You follow it steadily.
For a moment.
Before you hear.
Help.
She's that way.
It is often is often decide in the brush.
She she goes if if Reginald can't make it she'll dismount but you dismount.
Yeah it's a little tough in there for Reginald to get through.
But you can like you could like quickly throw Reginald's like onto something so he doesn't go away.
As you rush towards that way this the the screams of pain only only heightened in the tentative.
This year.
Damn it.
Please anyone.
I'm bleeding.
You find him.
You.
It takes a while.
It takes a bit.
I would say like 10 seconds of following this voice as a heightened intensity.
Before you reach.
Before you reach this clearing in the forest.
A large you see this large pond.
This large pond sort of like in the middle.
A small stack of rocks form a small sort of like waterfall under.
Currently fireflies in the area but you can't quite comprehend the beauty of it at the moment because.
There's someone in distress right now.
You see currently a person.
A person grabbing a person at the sort of like upper edge of the pond.
Leg caught in this steel bear trap.
You see that they're grasping at it they're trying to pull the trying to pull it open you can't really figure out the shape of it.
Of everything no discerning features.
Stay stay still I can help.
Please.
As you hurry over.
And you approach as you approach the person the person all of a sudden falls flat.
As a person falls flat.
You witness the sight.
Of.
This is not a person.
You see you see inside of the bear trap a handful of straw.
You you see the person this humanoid shaped object is a cloth of cloth make.
And it's wearing it's wearing it's wearing like human.
This is designed to look like a human.
A scarecrow.
Make a wisdom.
So yeah okay.
17.
Maybe you've had some nights where you had sleep paralysis a feeling Jesus oh a.
Does this lingering feeling of something maybe something lodged in your chest that keeps you still in the night even though you are wide awake.
That feeling quickly permeates through your body.
But you shake it off looking around.
You see at the edge of the path.
You walked in a figure.
Humanoid in its shape again.
And it goes.
You see it raises its arm for a moment.
And it holds a dagger.
In its in its hand.
And then that moment you see just.
In this one violent jerk.
Place it there.
Right into its right into its cloth face.
It just.
Carves a small hole.
It's a scarecrow.
I know but it's creepy.
But yeah.
It didn't just drops the dagger.
It's a little bigger.
But I think you're the one.
What.
Hello.
That's not.
That's not me.
I don't know what you want with one step towards you.
His body moves in jerky movements shambles his whole body shakes.
But he still can he still finds the strength the will whatever this creature is takes another step towards you.
And goes.
Whatever you are.
You have something I want.
Yeah.
Was it I doubt it.
You're not del mira.
Who are you.
You're backing up.
Obviously.
Obviously the wrong person so.
Hey.
It's okay.
As he as he shushes you see straw.
Kind of kind of like fly out of his mouth.
And a puff of like black dark black smoke.
And goes.
It's okay.
Tell me your name.
Yeah.
All right.
Let's make this easy.
Just.
Two seconds.
That's all it takes.
Make a wisdom safe again.
Oh no no no no no no no.
She doesn't know how to act fast enough to surprise you.
Oh.
Twenty twenty five.
Oh thank God.
You're not getting me.
Today.
Yet.
You see the.
You see through like the like a thin the thin exterior of the cloth bag on its head.
A sudden ghastly green light just flashes.
But it doesn't mean nothing happens.
But you feel it again.
Let it happen.
She reaches to her holy symbol.
Don't reach for that.
If you reach for that I'm going to do something that I really don't want to do.
But.
It's a nice quiet place.
You could do a lot of things out here.
This.
Sanctuary.
On herself.
Holding up your holy amulet of saloon.
You see that the moonlight basking basking down becomes gathered.
And this whisper thin membrane of of moonlight surrounds you and encompasses your form.
His head tilts.
He goes.
Because I'll get to you.
He you see he kind of like you see as he he he raises his hand for a moment.
It's made us it's made a straw.
Again.
But you see the black smoke begins to pour out to the openings of the straws of the arm.
And a large hook shape forms.
Give it to me.
Give me.
Is she.
The moon.
Cornered.
Is there a spot to await a run.
Let me look real quick.
I hate.
You have to go around the.
Happy Halloween.
Just away from him.
You turn around and you go.
Into the water.
Which attack or harmful spell must first make a wisdom save.
This is technically I'm going to make a deal with them.
Thank you.
I was going to guiding bolt and I was like no I think she's more likely to go defensive.
I don't have any guiding bolts this time.
I got guiding bolt but I'm out of spell slots because I used a spell yesterday and I did.
Jesus I can get one back by spending two and he succeeds his same.
So make a wisdom.
That means you are paralyzed.
Oh no.
Your body is robbed of its movement.
As you are all of a sudden.
Still in your in your in your rush.
The for the force of your the force of your momentum actually forces you to fall over face first.
Helping the ground.
Because you don't know what you have there girl.
As he shifts clunks shifts drags his feet towards you shambling.
Obviously taking them taking the moment to capitalize.
You cannot see it you only hear him.
So you can't foresee the pounds.
But he goes.
You don't realize what you have.
So why are you carrying it.
You don't know who I am.
You feel the back of your shirt being picked up.
As your body is being lifted by something.
Definitely straw hands but something.
As you see with your open eyes watching.
You are being dragged towards the pond.
Oh my god.
I don't.
It's really unfortunate.
I did not want to do this.
But they sent a girl.
As a sacrifice.
So I must always respond in kind.
I am a force that is older than any.
Divinity that has ever existed.
You are as you are as you're ahead like this place over the water and you see your reflection.
You see that you see as you see the dark image of a shadow of a shadowy hand.
Grasping your the back of your shirt.
And it begins to lower your face directly into the water.
Oh my god.
Paralyzed.
Yes.
Oh god.
Good night.
Oh god.
Do not worry.
I will keep it becomes murky as your head.
It's okay.
Jean Claude.
You sense two undead.
A bit off the path.
And little specter girl is gone.
Yeah.
Charging.
Not even thinking.
As you just stop for a moment.
Kirkosh just goes like oh Captain oh finally I caught up to you.
Wait as you just charge into the woods.
He's not even you know games are done.
No more no more fun and games right now.
Axe in hand you charge into the woods breaking through into an opening.
You see before you a scarecrow.
Erecting off of its form these crooked these crooked shadows multiple eyes you can see manifesting in different parts of the darkness.
And currently.
It is currently standing next to.
A young a young woman.
Who is currently being pushed down.
Into the water.
And it's just not pushing her down like completely submerging her just holding her face there you see the air bubbles rising.
And it seems like the scarecrow is just.
Waiting.
Waiting for it to all be over.
Give me a con save Cecilia.
17 pretty good.
That's pretty good.
What are you doing John Claude.
He is full on charging forward.
And compelled dual is a bonus action and a verbal component is needed for the spell.
So to activate that he'll be screaming never again.
As he goes into attack the scarecrow.
So you're you're compelled dual.
All right.
One moment it's gonna be a wisdom say from him right.
Correct needs to be a 14.
I told you I like that spell.
That's 20.
That's OK because it's a bonus action.
It's OK.
It's a bonus action so I still have my action.
And his action is going to be to swing with his battle axe and since I believe I took.
My fighting style is dueling.
That's damage nevermind.
Yeah.
So it will be his battle axe.
I can take a swing sorry my computer all of a sudden is having a heart attack because I'm having a heart attack.
Feast off of the energy.
OK so I'm going to be swinging with my battle axe which is technically one handed.
Does a son of a bitch does a 12 hit.
It does.
OK so since I get the dueling I get plus two to my damage roll so I'm just putting that out there before I'd rolls damage.
So nine slashing plus two will be 11 points of slashing damage.
You you you rush forward.
Determine determination in determination in your hands and something something new awaken in your heart.
It says with your with your determination coming in the form of a says in the in the form of a swing of a battle axe you cleave downwards in a in a diagonal cleaving through the cleaving through the front of the scarecrow's scarecrow's body.
That's going to be the plus two is already added on there onto your damage.
Right.
I don't know.
I didn't know.
I don't know how to input it.
All right.
I'm going to get this real rushed.
Yeah it's OK.
You see that it's dumb.
It stumbles.
It stumbles backwards.
Usually when you attack a person they react in pain.
They read there.
There's they go into a defensive mode but there's something there's something off putting when you attack something and it just crumbles.
There's nothing no reaction whatsoever.
As you slap as you as you slash diagonally and it carves through parts of the scarecrow Cecilia your head jerks up.
You're no longer paralyzed as they see the shadow the shades begin to retreat towards the scarecrow.
And as you look up you see a large furball battle axe already standing between you and this whatever this creature is and also an approaching half work who's who's who has the great axe and goes OK serious time.
Yeah I'm not like grappled or anything anymore.
No you're not OK.
Moving away as you can on the ground as you stand steadfast towards this scarecrow Jean Claude you see the shade with almost a gentle touch began to push back in some of the straw.
It begins to kind of like kind of like keep certain things in place so it doesn't completely fall apart.
The scarecrow looks at you Jean Claude.
It has little drawn eyes on there but you see that the there's a there's a big like opening where a mouth should be.
He goes. You don't know what you're doing.
He's gonna say I know if I'll do and as a bonus action he'd like to cast hidden step turn invisible.
As you turn as you turn invisible. He goes.
The long way then.
And that's we're going to end this session.
Well well done. Oh shit that was fucking terrifying.
The drowning drowning.
Nope.
No I feel like chat went to bed as they should wait until they find out what the fuck happened.
There's a bunch of a bunch of old caps in the chat.
Oh well there are people still awake.
Well thank you for coming. Thank you for watching.
Thanks for watching. Chat are you still there.
The very first session of song woven.
Jesus fucking Christ. And yes so much for chatting like you so much it was there was a lot more chat than we expected to have here so that was it was very fun.
Oh God. Hey guys out of character for a moment. This is Timmy talking.
Genuinely from the bottom of my heart thank you so much for watching and chatting and I genuinely appreciate every single one of you. You guys are.
Gosh I feel I feel like I'm talking to like a fan base that we've had for years.
Because and we're we you know honestly beautifully done Tim we we look forward to having you guys on the YouTube.
But everyone we look forward to having chat and anyone who wants to come and join us to see where this crazy adventure goes if I don't puke my guts out with scarecrow drownings.
What if you puke and then straw comes out that'd be really.
It was the body dragging that I was like I can't I can't do it.
No yeah that was a pretty freaked out. She should have just guiding bolted him but she doesn't know she doesn't know.
Real quick a couple of extra things to add on here to the end.
So every Sunday 8 p.m. Eastern time.
As we throw down we weave.
Next week we song we're throwing hands with a scarecrow.
Starting off with combat baby.
Also we have as the the stream bot has been spamming more frequently than I expected because last week it didn't work so I added it in to do more this time because it didn't work at all last week.
Or two weeks ago so I might change that but but we do have our social media and stuff all episodes are going to be on YouTube this VOD will exist for a week because it's as long as which lets us have it.
And I'm also going to be looking into putting it in podcast form too.
But yeah so we'll always post when we go live or anything in discord on Twitter Instagram all that. So if you want to keep up to date with that I know most of you are our friends who are already in there but and join our discord if you haven't already too.
Yeah so but yeah thank you like seriously thank you for watching. I know it's a lot to watch and I had so much fun because Timmy's amazing and Emma's amazing and everyone's amazing.
You're all amazing. Hey chat you're all amazing too. Listen chat all I'm saying is gather gather gather the people bring them in we must unite we must build and prepare for the coup that will one day come.
Oh gosh what are we going to do with chat overthrows.
That's what our shirts will say.
I would love to watch Twitch DMs.
Until next Sunday guys I can't wait I really seriously can't fucking wait.