Crustaceans & Crushes

0:00:00 Fantasy High: Sophomore Year Emily Axford as Fig Faeth; Zac Oyama as Gorgug Thistlespring; Siobhan Thompson as Adaine Abernant; Lou Wilson as Fabian Seacaster; Ally Beardsley as Kristen Applebees; and Brian “Murph” Murphy as Riz Gukgak Episode 12: Crustaceans & Crushes < [Previous Episode] | [Next Episode] > This transcript is unfinished! Want to edit it? Here’s the link to the Google Doc. Please log any contributions you make here. [heroic orchestral music playing]

0:00:00 Brennan: Hello, one and all, and welcome back to Dimension 20 Live presents.

0:00:03 Lou: (laughing) I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

0:00:03 Ally: It wasn't even close. (Emily laughing)

0:00:04 Brennan: - Fantasy High Sophomore Year. I'm your humble dungeon master, Brennan Lee Mulligan. With me, as always, our intrepid heroes. Say hi, intrepid heroes.

0:00:13 All: Hi, intrepid heroes.

0:00:17 Brennan: Oh, boy. First of all, thank you so much for tuning in. This is Dimension 20 Live. You guys can check us out. We're an actual play show. We got a whole bunch of seasons of this that you can go watch. This is season two of Fantasy High. You can see season one on DropOut.tv where also every Thursday, that means in a couple hours from now it will be Thursday, we're also screening Dimension 20 Tiny Heist. It's a little side quest of crime and borrowers and tiny little people. Also, DropOut has recently had a big revamp. DropOut 2.0 is out. Now, you can download videos to watch offline. You can have your phone in your pocket and be listening to Dimension 20, if you want. All brand new features, very, very cool. If you have trouble logging into your DropOut account if you're already a DropOut subscriber, go ahead and hit up our customer support and they'll get you sorted out 'cause we did this big, new revamp and it's very cool, but if you find that your password's not working or whatever, just go ahead and hit up our customer support. Awesome. To do a little recap of last session, our heroes, the Bad Kids, teen adventurers from the Aguefort Adventuring Academy, the world of Spyre's premier high school for heroes, are on the quest to retrieve the crown of the Nightmare King, and they have just teleported from the pirate city of Leviathan to Arborly, a little village in the misty deep woods on the border of Sylvaire, the forest of the Nightmare King. They have come here after learning a tremendous amount from stolen books and research, learning about the history of the unnamed, mysterious Goddess of Mystery and Magic, the ancient goddess of Sylvaire, having learned more about Kalina, the Shadow Cat, with a very potent scrying spell, and however, not all was victorious last time, for indeed Adaine's sister, Aelwyn Abernant, stole her spell book and the Devil's Heart ruby containing Gorthalax the Insatiable, and teleported away, disappearing. Our heroes find themselves in the middle of the night in the village of Arborly, and we arrive now in the deep forest. [soft ambient music plays; vaguely creepy]

0:02:40 Brennan: [hushed] Looking around you, you see tall and ancient trees. The air is chill, but also damp. Mist clings to the floor and though the fog is not visible, you can not see roiling, billowing clouds of fog, visibility here is limited, sound muffled by an ambient mist hanging in the air, much dispersed, but present enough to make the far away leaves blur and vanish beyond a short distance. The trees here are not small, but tower overhead, unlike the straight, golden limbed trees of Fallinel, these are curling, twisting branches, limbs, and trunks creating circles and curves of spaces seen between the limbs and branches so that, as you walk through this place, curves of trees eclipse each other and images of glades and grottoes [snaps] vanish in a moment as you walk. The forest has a way of obscuring itself through you as you move. Down to the forest floor, there are deep, thick ferns and overgrowth. Vines grow up around the trees, there are tall reeds in areas where the grass becomes so high that it becomes reedy, and up above the top of your head even, but you see there's a small, kept path through the grasses and ferns of flagstones that leads to a iron gate. The gate is in an old stone wall around a massive tree. This tree is Holly Hill, which is the manor that your music business associate inherited. (laughing)

0:04:48 Brennan: This is like an old family estate. So, that thing of like, "Oh, my family moved to Spyre a couple generations ago, but we inherited this place back in Arborly." This gnome's name is Grover Tillythatch, which is the venue executive that you knew in Spyre. Holly Hill is a sort of gnome-ish manor, so what you see is the tree is this tall, enormous tree and set into the base of it there is a little birdhouse, almost, but an exquisitely wrought, shingled birdhouse, but set into the ground with a little curved, rounded-edged door. The door is big enough for human-sized people to move through, which lets you guys know that this thing is exquisite. This is like a big manor house for gnomes, but for you guys, for Gorgug, you had to duck your head to get through here.

0:05:49 Gorgug: I’m used to it. (laughing)

0:05:49 Riz: Look at this mansion.

0:05:53 Brennan: Up above, you see that the inside of the tree must be hollowed out because you see birdhouses, little hammocks, rope bridges, little sort of circular platforms high up above where the branches splay out and turn into leaves and the canopy of the forest that you are in. Anyone here that wants to can go ahead and make a Perception check for me. (dice rolling)

0:06:06 Ally: Ey.

0:06:19 Emily: 15. Probably not the biggest number.

0:06:21 Siobhan: Also a 15.

0:06:21 Emily: Ooh!

0:06:21 Ally: 23.

0:06:22 Lou: A cool 6.

0:06:24 Murph: Also, a 15. (laughing)

0:06:26 Siobhan: We're sleepy.

0:06:26 Brennan: Kristen.

0:06:27 Siobhan: It's dark in here.

0:06:29 Brennan: You look out at the edges of the forest, away from Holly Hill. Everyone's sort of looking ahead, you turn around and look behind you. You see a place where the trees begin to grow so thick that there is no dirt between them. The trees stop spacing out, so trunks and roots just commingle and begin to come up, almost like a massive wall, like all these trees just blended together and have this huge canopy, and where there would be gaps between them, you see, truly 80 feet tall of thick, barbed, razor-sharp briars, a enormous wall of thorns that fills the gaps in this huge layer of trees. As tall as the trees are out here, you see that wall made of thorns and tree trunks mixed together, and it dwarfs anything out here. It almost looks like a tidal wave frozen in place, like this forest wanted to keep rolling out and you see the gnarled branches of a green so dark that it borders almost on a purple or something so deep and profoundly menacing that you can see it like an oil slick on the leaves up at that larger, impending forest stopped there.

0:08:07 Fig: So, we might need to hang glide into the Forest of the Nightmare King.

0:08:10 Adaine: Hell, yeah.

0:08:11 Fabian: I think that sounds about right.

0:08:12 Kristen: Definitely. That's what I was just gonna say.

0:08:13 Adaine: Well, we have an artificer now.

0:08:13 Gorgug: I’m on it.

0:08:14 Fabian: Yes.

0:08:15 Fig: Build us a hang glider.

0:08:15 Kristen: There's a big wall. We gotta go hang glide into it.

0:08:17 Adaine: Can the van hang glide?

0:08:19 Gorgug: I'll ask it.

0:08:21 Kristen: Yeah.

0:08:23 Brennan: What do you guys do as you--

0:08:25 Ally: Are we walking distance to that wall?-

0:08:29 Brennan: Yeah. It seems like it might be 30 minutes away.

0:08:32 Ally: Oh, okay, yeah.

0:08:32 Brennan: With that high Perception, by the way, you also look, and it's hard, again, seeing through the mist. Obviously, you see no definition, really, on any of the stuff you're seeing. You can just see it 'cause it's so enormous, but you with a 23 can spot other platforms. You're like, "Okay, this is not just a little gnome-ish manor in the middle of nothingness," you are literally like, "Oh, we're in a town,” but it doesn't look like a town. It looks like wilderness, and then you're like, "Oh, these are like wood elves and gnomes that live here." They've constructed their town to be hard to spot.

0:09:05 Riz: We should talk to Grover before we go sneaking around too much.

0:09:08 Fig: Can I borrow someone's phone? I don't think that my phone will call Grover.

0:09:13 Fabian: I don't think any of them work.

0:09:14 Gorgug: Can we knock?

0:09:14 Fabian: Do our phones work now?

0:09:16 Fig: Oh, is Grover not there?

0:09:18 Brennan: It doesn't look like Grover's there.

0:09:19 Fig: Yeah, I think I would have to--

0:09:20 Riz: Did Grover say that it was okay to go in his house?

0:09:22 Fig: All he said was that there are three hot tubs.

0:09:25 Kristen: That's all he said?

0:09:25 Adaine: Well, isn't the code one, two, three, five?

0:09:28 Fabian: Let's just give it a buzz, shall we?

0:09:29 Adaine: It's one, two, three, five, right?

0:09:30 Fig: One, two, three, five. We can get in.

0:09:32 Lou: Can I go up— is there like a thing—

0:09:32 Brennan: You go up and see that there is a piece of Spyre technology on the outside of this, there's a little key pad. You see that this is about 10 years old. You immediately clock this as not very recent.

0:09:46 Gorgug: Not the newest— (Brennan laughing)

0:09:46 Kristen: Well, does the code work?

0:09:50 Emily: I try one, two, three, five.

0:09:50 Brennan: Be-beep. Goes green, and you hear something unlock in the little iron gate.

0:09:55 Fig: What did I say? Has your girl ever not delivered?

0:09:58 Kristen: Yeah, multiple times, actually. (laughing)

0:10:00 Fabian: Yes! Have you ever? Not ever? Maybe if we're looking at the full breadth.

0:10:02 Kristen: Maybe more than you have delivered, not to really beat you when you're down.

0:10:05 Adaine: It's always entertaining when you don't.

0:10:07 Gorgug: None of us have really delivered that much.

0:10:08 Kristen: Yeah, yeah, right, right.

0:10:08 Adaine: Yeah, right, right.

0:10:09 Fabian: No one's holding you to that expectation.

0:10:12 Emily: I dive headfirst into a hot tub. (Siobhan laughing)

0:10:16 Brennan: Awesome. You run--

0:10:18 Fabian: You gotta heat those things up. (laughing)

0:10:20 Ally: Oh, god.

0:10:22 Brennan: You guys run inside. What are you guys gonna do with the Hangvan right now? Because, the Hangvan hasn't really moved since Fallinel. You guys teleported it to Leviathan, and then teleported again.

0:10:35 Emily: Right.

0:10:36 Murph: Can we bring it beyond the gate?

0:10:38 Zac: Yeah, what's going on through this gate? Is there a garage situation somewhere?

0:10:42 Emily: Oh, I'll go inside and I'll look for a garage opener.

0:10:44 Brennan: You're looking around, you're suddenly like, "Oh, boy.” This whole situation with the van here, there's no roads and the terrain is so un-level, you're in deep forest now.

0:11:05 Kristen: Is there-- Let's talk quietly 'cause I don't wanna offend the van, but is there a way to take that crystal out so that we preserve, and we can keep the van where it is, but if it gets fucked with, we didn't lose--

0:11:20 Fig: In the hang glider.

0:11:21 Gorgug: Well, the van's pretty cool, I should say.

0:11:23 Kristen: Yeah.

0:11:23 Adaine: What about if I cast--

0:11:25 Kristen: Oh, well the van itself-- of course, of course, the van is really cool.

0:11:27 Fabian: Yeah, can it change? I mean it turned into a boat. Could it turn into a little van?

0:11:30 Riz: Can we ask the van--

0:11:32 Gorgug: I'll talk to the van. I'll talk to the van.

0:11:34 Fig: How about a lawnmower or a thorn-mower.

0:11:36 Fabian: Ooh, can it turn into a thorn-mower?

0:11:37 Adaine: What about a kind of thing that can walk over a devil wall?

0:11:41 Fabian: Yeah, could it turn into a Gundam?

0:11:42 Fig: Could we give it spider walk? Spider walk? (laughing)

0:11:45 Adaine: Yeah, is it a Transformer? Is the van a Transformer?

0:11:46 Gorgug: I'll go ask the van. I'll go ask the van. (laughing)

0:11:48 Kristen: Can we move the Hangman inside? Is he small enough?

0:11:50 Siobhan: Can I cast Fly on the Hangvan?

0:11:53 Brennan: Can you cast Fly on the Hangvan?

0:11:57 Siobhan: It's a willing creature. Does the Hangvan count as a creature?

0:12:00 Brennan: I'm going to say that because--

0:12:01 Siobhan: What about if I do it as a fifth level?

0:12:03 Brennan: In canon, the Hang Van cannot control itself. I'm gonna say no.

0:12:06 Siobhan: Dang. (groaning)

0:12:10 Brennan: It is a vehicle.

0:12:11 Zac: Can I go to the Hangvan?

0:12:11 Brennan: Hold on one second.

0:12:16 Murph: Brennan was just running through all the possibilities of the things you could do with a flying van in the future. [Music change - happy, tropical ukulele] (laughing)

0:12:21 Ally: Yeah.

0:12:21 Brennan: Cut it. Cut it.

0:12:22 Murph: I could see that. I was like, he would be fine with it right now, but you know the big bad at the end, it would just be like we fly away in our flying car. (cast laughing)

0:12:31 Lou: We get in our flying car and we leave.

0:12:33 Brennan: A flying car that I've allowed you to cast Hallow on, so it's like, "It's a flying car with infinite space inside that we're impossible to fuck with while we're in." (laughing)

0:12:41 Brennan: Cool. You go over, you see that the Hangvan starts playing some music and goes,

0:12:43 Hangvan: Oh, boy. Looks like we got the crash pad. Look at it, gang. Hey!

0:12:50 Gorgug: Hey, hey.

0:12:51 Zac: Just sort of dancing. I'm going to the Hangvan.

0:12:53 Ally: I'm watching this and just being like, "I don't do all that."

0:12:57 Gorgug: Hey, dude. I was just gonna ask you, we're going through this forest, not such a great road-friendly, van-friendly space.

0:13:06 Hangvan: Oh.

0:13:07 Gorgug: Is there anything you can do? I'm wondering if we can figure out a way to make you be able to cut through or get smaller. We can't fold you up or anything like that, right?

0:13:21 Hangvan: Dang. You know, if I were a cool, fresh slice of 'za, I'd say fold away, man, but I'm full— (Emily laughing)

0:13:31 Hangvan: —I'm a full vehicle, so--

0:13:33 Gorgug: Sure.

0:13:35 Hangvan: My gut instinct would be, and by gut I guess I mean my engine— (laughing)

0:13:43 Emily: He's on fire today. He's on fire. Ditch him.

0:13:45 Lou: Ditch him. (laughing)

0:13:47 Hangvan: — Would be, I don't know how to do that myself.

0:13:50 Gorgug: Sure.

0:13:50 Hangvan: But, I'm super down if you wanna make me fold-up-able or anything like that.

0:13:57 Gorgug: Well, I don't know if it's in my means to be able to do that. I just wasn't sure if I could press a button or something to make that happen, but I could tinker around, see what's going on.

0:14:07 Zac: Can I make a check to see if there's anything with the van that--

0:14:12 Brennan: Yeah, give me a tinker's tool check.

0:14:14 Zac: Okay. (dice rolling)

0:14:17 Zac: 7.

0:14:18 Brennan: 7.

0:14:19 Siobhan: Can I help him with that?

0:14:20 Brennan: Sure. Adaine can give you the help action. (dice rolling)

0:14:25 Zac: 13.

0:14:25 Brennan: 13. You look at it. This is like an intense project that you could-- you think there's a way to accomplish this. You would just need resources and a workshop. Repairing the Hangman was helped by the Mending cantrip, Fabian's wax that had a specific, magical attachment to the Hangman, plus your ability to use the parts-- like, you just had to repair damage that had been done to stuff. This is giving a functionality to a thing that doesn't have it.

0:15:02 Zac: For sure.

0:15:03 Brennan: But, if you had a workspace-- you would just, it's a question of resources.

0:15:08 Zac: Gotcha.

0:15:09 Brennan: You would just need some stuff. It doesn't feel impossible to do.

0:15:12 Gorgug: Why don't we just cover it in some leaves?

0:15:14 Kristen: Okay.

0:15:14 Fabian: Chill.

0:15:15 Fig: Okay.

0:15:15 Adaine: Great. Works for me.

0:15:16 Kristen: Is that where we wanna sleep tonight?

0:15:19 Fig: Can I do a Performance check—

0:15:21 Kristen: 'Cause I know we have this whole house.

0:15:23 Fig: -- on these leaves to make them very-- I think I'm gonna sleep in the house just because it seems like a rare opportunity to have a private balcony.

0:15:27 Adaine: I’m just worried that the-- We've kind of forgotten the Nightmare King.

0:15:32 Kristen: We're so close to the Nightmare King.

0:15:33 Fabian: We'll do a once over and we'll make sure it's chill, and if it’s chill--

0:15:36 Kristen: I'm sleeping in the van.

0:15:37 Zac: Can we put the van-- There's no big, open doorway in this tree, right? That a van could fit in?

0:15:45 Brennan: Big, open doorway.

0:15:47 Zac: It's not kinda like an indoor/outdoor open space?

0:15:50 Lou: Yeah, like a patio, big patio sliding door.

0:15:51 Emily: If it was a hollow tree, maybe you could just drive it--

0:15:52 Ally: Big patio sliding door.

0:15:54 Brennan: Everyone go ahead and give me an Investigation check.

0:15:57 Fabian: All right, everyone go find a big door for the van to drive into.

0:15:59 Murph: You’re gonna regret that.

0:16:00 Brennan: I'm gonna regret that!

0:16:04 Emily: I got a dirty 20.

0:16:04 Murphy: 22.

0:16:05 Siobhan: I also got a dirty—

0:16:06 Ally: 5.

0:16:06 Siobhan: Oh, 23.

0:16:06 Emily: No matter what, I'd like to find something cool, thank you.

0:16:09 Siobhan: Investigation 23.

0:16:09 Brennan: Investigation, got you.

0:16:10 Zac: 2 minus 1. 1.

0:16:10 Adaine: What about if I-- I can't do it yet, 'cause I would have to sleep, but I do have Enlarge/Reduce.

0:16:15 Kristen: Oh! That’s important.

0:16:18 Adaine: I would have to take a long rest, but I can Enlarge/Reduce the van.

0:16:22 Gorgug: For now, we could just park the van next to the house.

0:16:25 Fabian: Well, did anyone find a big door?

0:16:26 Fig: Oh, yeah. Did anyone find a big door? French doors?

0:16:29 Brennan: You guys, there is an area of the sort of fence that you see does have a little latch on it that you can pull aside and bring it into the interior of the yard, next to the tree.

0:16:40 Ally: We do that.

0:16:41 Murph: So, we just bring it onto the property.

0:16:43 Brennan: As you jump in and turn the van on, you guys hear a muffled noise coming from either under the hood or somewhere near the front of the van.

0:16:55 Fig: Gilear, get out of there!

0:16:55 Brennan: (muffled screaming)

0:16:57 Gorgug: I turn the engine off and I pop the hood. [whistling, good vibes, beach music]

0:17:01 Brennan: You don't see anything under the hood.

0:17:03 Fig: Oh.

0:17:04 Gorgug: Hello?

0:17:06 Fabian: Turn off the radio. This feels... (all laughing)

0:17:09 Riz: Where's Gilear, by the way?

0:17:11 Fig: Yeah, where—

0:17:11 Riz: Gilear?

0:17:12 Fig: Gilear?

0:17:13 Brennan: You guys hear another noise like (muffled shouting)

0:17:19 Siobhan: Can I check underneath the van?

0:17:20 Fig: Okay, that's gotta be Gilear.

0:17:21 Brennan: You check underneath the van. Gilear is caught up in the front left wheel well of the van. [Lou punches into his hand as both Ally and Emily cover their faces] (Emily high-pitched laughing)

0:17:28 Fabian: Gilear…

0:17:28 Adaine: How did that happen?

0:17:31 Brennan: You see that— [Emily punches her hands together twice, doubled over in laughter]

0:17:34 Riz: Did you just break the rules of teleport, Gilear? You got stuck in—

0:17:39 Brennan: You see that there is a clear tear on the hem of his trousers that got caught in the axle of the front left wheel and he got kinda sucked up into the wheel well, and also there is sort of an apple that got jammed into his mouth. It looks like he was in the middle of eating an apple.

0:18:00 Gorgug: Gilear, we kinda forgot about you last week.

0:18:02 Ally: Do we see his butt?

0:18:03 Brennan: What's that? Did you see his what?

0:18:05 Ally: Do we see his butt?

0:18:05 Lou: Do we see his butt?

0:18:07 Ally: Did his pants get ripped off?

0:18:09 Murph: Like a pig on a spear.

0:18:10 Emily: I Sleight of Hand to pull up his pants. I Sleight of Hand to pull up his pants. I got an 8. I got an 8.

0:18:16 Brennan: 8, Sleight of Hand to pull up his pants. Cool. (Ally laughing)

0:18:18 Emily: Wait, no, no, no.

0:18:18 Riz: Fig what are you doing?

0:18:19 Emily: I got a 10.

0:18:20 Adaine: Stop touching his butt. That's so inappropriate.

0:18:21 Fig: I'm pulling up his pants.

0:18:23 Brennan: I'm just gonna roll a luck check for Gilear to see what his pants situation is about.

0:18:25 Fabian: You can touch your dad’s butt.

0:18:27 Adaine: I disagree.

0:18:27 Fabian: You can touch your dad's butt!

0:18:28 Adaine: I have never touched my dad's butt, nor do I want to.

0:18:30 Brennan: Cool. (Emily laughing)

0:18:30 Brennan: You go to Sleight of Hand his pants. You pull. You hear something-- It's a very metallic noise. You don't know where it's coming from. It's coming from maybe the clasp of the pants, but you hear him go (muffled shouting) again and you see that it's a huge rip.

0:18:46 Adaine: Oh, no.

0:18:47 Riz: These pants are not made well.

0:18:48 Siobhan: I cast Mending on his pants.

0:18:52 Murph: Let’s mend his life.

0:18:53 Brennan: You see his pants-- Cool, are you-- So, Gilear is up in there.

0:18:56 Murph: I start yanking. I start yanking him out.

0:18:58 Fig: I'm gonna get him out.

0:18:58 Lou: Yeah.

0:18:58 Brennan: You yank him out. He is covered in rubber residue and oil from being up under there. He (spitting) spits the apple out and goes (groaning) [Emily laughs quietly, causing Brennan to chuckle. A chorus of quiet giggling ensues]

0:19:15 Ally: Did you just break yourself?

0:19:17 Brennan: Sorry sorry sorry. It's not funny. It's not funny. You see, he goes— (Emily laughing)

0:19:22 Brennan: He goes (groaning) [Ally puts their head in their hands]

0:19:26 Gilear: [eyes closed] Children. Thank you. I got jammed up there under the wheel.

0:19:34 Fig: What happened?

0:19:35 Gorgug: We haven't turned the van on in a while.

0:19:36 Adaine: Yeah.

0:19:37 Gilear: I've been up there since-- It wasn't the Teleport. I've been up there for a while.

0:19:42 Adaine: Did you fully just miss your girlfriend?

0:19:44 Fabian: Yeah, my mother was there.

0:19:44 Gilear: What?

0:19:46 Fabian: Yeah, Mama came.

0:19:46 Gilear: Hallariel?

0:19:49 Fabian: Yeah.

0:19:49 Gilear: (sadly) Oh.

0:19:50 Fabian: I assumed that you had snuck away for a moment, but you were just fully in a wheel.

0:19:54 Gilear: No, early the morning that we awoke at Kei Lumennura, I thought I would just kind of wheel the van around to get ready for us to Teleport away and the grass was covered in the morning dew and I did that thing where you leave the driver's side door open, when you just do a quick reverse.

0:20:17 Fabian: You put it in neutral.

0:20:18 Fig: Oh, like you were having a little fun, doing something for yourself.

0:20:21 Gilear: I was doing a little trick for myself.

0:20:22 Riz: Gilear, were you ghost riding your whip?

0:20:25 Fabian: Yeah, it sounds like you were ghost riding. (Emily chuckling)

0:20:28 Adaine: Doing donuts?

0:20:28 Gilear: After our smashing victory at the rescue of Adaine, which again, I was mostly watching the van for that. I wanted to let my bare feet touch the dew of the morning grass.

0:20:43 Adaine: As you drove.

0:20:45 Gilear: Just sort of to let the van go into a slide. I wasn't even gonna break five miles an hour.

0:20:49 Adaine: How much were you leaning out of the van so that your foot could touch?

0:20:51 Kristen: To touch the dew?

0:20:53 Gilear: Just let my feet touch the dew on the grass.

0:20:55 Kristen: Where did that apple come from?

0:20:56 Gilear: I was eating an apple, so that's part of it is that I put the apple in my mouth, I put the apple in my mouth to shift and I had my foot out--

0:21:00 Riz: So many things to do while you’re driving.

0:21:03 Adaine: Fully stood up out of the van so that your foot could touch the ground as you had the car in neutral?

0:21:07 Gilear: No, I was just sitting on the edge and I had my thing in the-- but my right leg was bending.

0:21:13 Adaine: Are you okay?

0:21:13 Gilear: (loudly) No. (yells) (heaves)

0:21:15 Kristen: Oh!

0:21:17 Fabian: Let's get inside and get Gilear in a hot tub.

0:21:18 Fig: Yes.

0:21:19 Ally: I hug Gilear.

0:21:22 Brennan: He accepts the hug and goes,

0:21:25 Gilear: I heard a dance was happening when I was trapped up there.

0:21:31 Kristen: What?

0:21:32 Fabian: We did a big ceremony.

0:21:33 Riz: There was a dance. Everyone was there.

0:21:35 Adaine: Why didn't you call for help?

0:21:37 Gorgug: The apple was stuck.

0:21:37 Gilear: I tried, but if I screamed, I had an apple jammed in my mouth because my trouser got caught on the wheel because I went too fast and then I got sucked out of the--

0:21:45 Adaine: You couldn't spit the apple out?

0:21:46 Fabian: Yeah, why didn't you eat through the apple?

0:21:47 Adaine: I'm glad you're out. I'm so sorry it took us this long.

0:21:48 Gilear: No, the apple was pressed up against the carriage of the car.

0:21:52 Riz: He was like this up against the thing.

0:21:53 Fabian: Oh, okay.

0:21:54 Gilear: And, if I screamed, if I tried to scream too loud, I would create an opening on the side of my mouth from the apple, and the ants found me, so there were some ants that were-- and if I did that, the ants would get in my mouth, and a couple did.

0:22:00 Kristen: The ant-- oh.

0:22:07 Gorgug: Hey Gilear? I am so sorry that this happened. I just wanna double check. I forget what happened. Did I give you the extra set of keys, or was there another set of keys?

0:22:16 Gilear: To the van?

0:22:16 Gorgug: Yeah.

0:22:18 Gilear: I just had the one set. You haven't made—

0:22:19 Gorgug: That was in the-- okay, cool.

0:22:21 Gilear: Yes.

0:22:21 Gorgug: Good.

0:22:22 Kristen: Did you happen to see Aelwyn escape when you were under there? We had a thing where Aelwyn escaped.

0:22:33 Gilear: Ah, terrible. (all laughing quietly)

0:22:35 Gilear: Mostly for that day, I was just sweating and crying.

0:22:40 Kristen: You didn't hear anything or any plans, or her talking to the Tabaxi woman somehow?

0:22:45 Gilear: Until we got to Leviathan, I was mostly covered in ants, so I mostly didn't--

0:22:51 Kristen: Okay. Okay!

0:22:52 Fabian: All right.

0:22:52 Adaine: Wow.

0:22:52 Fabian: I think we've heard enough.

0:22:54 Kristen: Let's get you cleaned up.

0:22:54 Fabian: Yeah.

0:22:55 Riz: Throw that apple out. Don't eat that apple.

0:22:57 Adaine: Yes.

0:22:57 Riz: It’s covered in ants.

0:22:58 Kristen: Stop eating the apple.

0:22:58 Riz: Put the apple away. [Brennan mimes holding an apple up to his mouth, raises his eyebrows, and turns his head inquisitively]

0:22:59 Fabian: No!

0:22:59 Adaine: No no no.

0:22:59 Fabian: No. [Zac mimes slowly reaching out and snatching the apple away] (laughing)

0:23:03 Adaine: Oh, it's so brown.

0:23:03 Gorgug: Hey, buddy. Buddy. Ugh. [Zac mimes throwing the apple to the ground at his side]

0:23:04 Kristen: Oh, god.

0:23:04 Gilear: Oh, but Hallariel came.

0:23:09 Fabian: Yes. She uh--

0:23:10 Gilear: She must have been so concerned that she didn't find me.

0:23:12 Adaine: Mm.

0:23:14 Fabian: Oh. I mean, she was-- She had bigger issues. I guess there's been a food shortage back at home, and I think she was so hungry that she didn't think to ask for you.

0:23:28 Adaine: She was hangry.

0:23:29 Fig: She did mention you, though. She said she ate all your yogurt.

0:23:32 Gilear: She said that!

0:23:32 Adaine: Yes, she did say that.

0:23:33 Fabian: (singsong) She’s thinking about you.

0:23:35 Kristen: She said she was thinking about you.

0:23:36 Gorgug: She was thinking a lot about you.

0:23:37 Adaine: Yes.

0:23:37 Kristen: She actually--

0:23:38 Gilear: I want an honest response to this question.

0:23:40 Fabian: Of course not, Gilear! Don't be dumb. (laughing)

0:23:42 Kristen: No! Listen. No, don't listen to him. (laughing)

0:23:47 Fabian: You wanted an honest answer.

0:23:48 Gorgug: Whoa, whoa.

0:23:48 Fig: You know, I agree. I think he needs to know.

0:23:51 Kristen: She took Cathilda back with her so that they could make more yogurt for you, so you have a heroes’ welcome when you get back.

0:23:59 Adaine: A real heroes’ feast of wet dairy.

0:24:00 Fig: I'm not gonna stop this lying, but I kind of agree, Fabian. It's maybe time.

0:24:03 Gorgug: Why don't we go back to the house?

0:24:05 Riz: Guys, he's not dumb. He's just pathetic.

0:24:06 Gilear: [breath in] I—

0:24:08 Fig: Shh! At least take it to the Message chat. (laughing)

0:24:12 Fabian: Yeah, come on, The Ball.

0:24:13 Adaine: You can't even get the Message chat anymore with your dang—

0:24:16 Fig: Yes, I am. [Emily points from her head to Siobhan’s head, indicating the spell, Message]

0:24:16 Adaine: Oh, you mean that Message. I thought you meant on the phones. (laughing)

0:24:19 Gilear: I'm going to—

0:24:20 Fig: Wait, you guys have a secret chat without me?

0:24:21 Adaine: No, we have the same chat. You just have a bad phone that doesn't do text messages.

0:24:25 Fig: What have you guys been saying in the chat? Can I see the chat?

0:24:27 Adaine: We just have mostly been talking. Our phones are not working.

0:24:29 Kristen: Just a lot of really funny jokes.

0:24:31 Adaine: There are a lot of memes.

0:24:31 Riz: We should go in the house.

0:24:33 Adaine: Bluetooth-ing each other memes. Airdrop-ing.

0:24:34 Gilear: If I may be so bold, I don't intend to rigorously stand up for myself after having gotten sucked up into the wheel well of the van while I was reversing it, and crashed into the side of the house. Very--

0:24:47 Kristen: Do you need medical attention?

0:24:50 Gilear: No. I soiled myself, not in a pathetic way, just I was up there for a lot of hours.

0:24:52 Fig: Gilear--

0:24:55 Gorgug: You soiled yourself not in a pathetic way?

0:24:57 Kristen: Not in-- okay, you know what?

0:24:58 Gilear: Not in the way where like, "Oh, I'm so scared. I soiled--" It was just like, "Well, I'm up under here and there's this apple jammed in my mouth. I'm gonna piss." (laughing)

0:25:05 Fig: So, instead of accidentally wet—

0:25:07 Fabian: “I'm gonna piss.”

0:25:08 Riz: You were only there for like two hours. You had just, had pissed yourself?

0:25:09 Fig: Yeah, how quick? How quick did you--

0:25:12 Riz: How quick did you give in?

0:25:12 Gilear: What you don't understand is I did the thing with the van when I really had to go, so we made it a good 10 minutes into being trapped where I made the call. I made the executive--

0:25:21 Kristen: Let's set Gilear up with a spa day.

0:25:23 Fabian: Yes.

0:25:23 Kristen: Let’s just get you--

0:25:24 Adaine: One of the hot tubs is gonna be Gilear-specific. We'll take the other two hot tubs.

0:25:26 Fig: Yeah.

0:25:27 Kristen: Definitely.

0:25:27 Fabian: It will be the Gilear tub.

0:25:29 Adaine: Yeah, all about it, buddy.

0:25:29 Riz: He should shower first.

0:25:32 Kristen: Yep, definitely.

0:25:32 Gilear: I'm going to take a bath. Adaine, could I trouble you and your miraculous jacket for another set of pants or a Mending cantrip? Either one is fine.

0:25:42 Adaine: Absolutely. I’ll-- I'm not gonna mend your piss pants. Here's another pair of pants. [Siobhan mimes pulling something from her inside jacket pocket, similar to a magician with a handkerchief, Brennan responds by reaching toward her and taking the mimed pants]

0:25:46 Gilear: No? Have it your way.

0:25:49 Brennan: And, you see that he—

0:25:49 Fig: Those are kind of frumpy. Adaine, give him something nicer.

0:25:53 Adaine: Oh, yeah. Here we go. [Siobhan repeats her motion] (Emily laughing)

0:25:53 Fabian: Give him a boot cut.

0:25:54 Adaine: Oh, a boot cut. Okay. Do you want some cowboy boots, as well?

0:25:58 Gilear: I actually prefer very narrow ankles and a wide front and back carriage to the seat. (Lou high-pitched chuckle)

0:26:02 Adaine: Unfortunately. Ah, I'm all out of pants, so the boot cut is gonna have to do.

0:26:08 Riz: You just need the right boots. (quietly) Give him some boots.

0:26:09 Kristen: Give him some boots, give him some boots.

0:26:09 Fig: Yeah, give him the boots to justify the cut. [Siobhan excitedly reaches into her her pocket and holds out imaginary boots, beaming]

0:26:10 Adaine: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I do have these boots.

0:26:10 Kristen: Oh, my god. Chelsea boots.

0:26:13 Adaine: Yes! They’re Chelsea boots.

0:26:13 Fabian: Wow!

0:26:14 Kristen: These are gonna look great on you. [Emily’s mouth is wide open in a surprised smile, she claps approvingly]

0:26:15 Fabian: Honestly, Gilear, a boot cut with a Chels--

0:26:16 Kristen: Honestly, keep going.

0:26:16 Adaine: --a little bit of ankle--

0:26:18 Kristen: Let's do a denim vest.

0:26:18 Fabian: Ooh, yeah.

0:26:19 Adaine: And like a denim vest and a chambray embroidered shirt.

0:26:22 Kristen: Oh!

0:26:22 Fabian: Yes! Gilear.

0:26:25 Kristen: A beret! Final thing!

0:26:25 Adaine: Oh, and a beret. There we go. That's all I've made.

0:26:28 Kristen: A beret. Makeover!

0:26:29 Adaine: The full value of my coat, done for the day. [Emily shrieks and throws her head backwards in laughter]

0:26:30 Kristen: Take all those ants off and put these clothes on.

0:26:32 Fabian: Exactly.

0:26:32 Adaine: Get out of your pants.

0:26:33 Fig: I don’t know, he's gonna look so tasty in his new outfit, the ants are gonna come back.

0:26:36 Fabian: Ooh.

0:26:37 Fig: Right?

0:26:38 Kristen: Oh, my god, you're right.

0:26:40 Adaine: And, so will Hallariel, maybe.

0:26:41 Fabian: All the little gnome women are going to be going crazy in town.

0:26:43 Kristen: Oh my god, yes. [Zac holds out his hand towards a disappointed and sad looking Brennan]

0:26:43 Gorgug: Did you see the beret? The beret?

0:26:45 Adaine: We respect you.

0:26:46 Kristen: You're gonna look really good. I'm serious, Gilear.

0:26:49 Fabian: It's chambray!

0:26:51 Fig: Gilear, you're the chosen one.

0:26:52 Kristen: A chambray and beret.

0:26:52 Adaine: It's a chambray beret. [Brennan mimes hesitantly taking the beret from Gorgug and putting it on, he looks up at the group with a lifeless stare]

0:26:54 Fabian: Oh!

0:26:55 Kristen: Oh!

0:26:57 Adaine: Yes! Pointy.

0:26:57 Fabian: Now, that's-- That's a man who doesn't get stuck in a wheel well and piss himself. [Lou points his finger toward Brennan decisively]

0:27:00 Kristen: Yes! (all giggling)

0:27:00 Fabian: I'll tell you that.

0:27:02 Kristen: That's a man who avoids--

0:27:03 Riz: That dude would hold out six, eight hours.

0:27:05 Fabian: Easily!

0:27:05 Riz: Before he'd shit himself.

0:27:07 Fabian: Easily! (Emily laughing)

0:27:09 Riz: He wouldn't give in right away--

0:27:11 Kristen: Yeah.

0:27:11 Riz: Just 'cause he had to go to the bathroom a little bit.

0:27:13 Gilear: I understand that you are all teens and I take all of this in stride. I am, in all earnestness, extremely grateful for the beret. I actually do think this fits my general aesthetic. (sounds of agreement)

0:27:26 Fig: I think it looks really good on you.

0:27:27 Kristen: Gilear, you look like you just went on a shopping spree to Papaya.

0:27:31 Brennan: You see, Gilear says,

0:27:31 Gilear: I'm going to walk inside now and find one of these hot tubs and take a little--

0:27:36 Kristen: Take a shower first.

0:27:37 Gorgug: Shower first.

0:27:37 Adaine: Shower first, then hot tub.

0:27:40 Fabian: And then, shower after. You don't want it on you.

0:27:42 Adaine: Yes, you don't want those chemicals on you.

0:27:43 Gilear: Yes. Shower first.

0:27:43 Brennan: Gilear walks towards Holly Hill.

0:27:47 Fig: Love you, Gilear!

0:27:49 Gilear: Daughter, I love you, as well. Thank you for—

0:27:51 Fig: I'm really sorry I didn't know that you were in the wheel well.

0:27:55 Gilear: It's... all... what it is.

0:28:02 Brennan: And then, he walks-- (laughing) And, he walks away. You see Sandra Lynn.

0:28:06 Gorgug: He’s gonna be fine. He’s gonna be fine.

0:28:06 Fabian: He's gonna do great.

0:28:08 Brennan: Sandra Lynn walks up and goes,

0:28:14 Sandra Lynn: I'm gonna ask, ‘cause I'm older now, too. Are those clothes actually good or are the clothes bad?

0:28:20 Adaine: No, they're good.

0:28:20 Kristen: They're good!

0:28:21 Sandra Lynn: They’re good?

0:28:21 Fabian: I actually think Gilear would look good in a Chelsea boot.

0:28:22 Fig: Yeah.

0:28:23 Adaine: I mean, he needs a change.

0:28:24 Riz: I actually think none of us know.

0:28:25 Kristen: Yeah.

0:28:25 Adaine: And, maybe this is-- We're out on the road. Nobody's gonna see him.

0:28:27 Fabian: Okay.

0:28:28 Adaine: Maybe he'll take something from it.

0:28:29 Gorgug: I think maybe just trying something new might be good.

0:28:32 Adaine: Yeah.

0:28:33 Kristen: Mhm.

0:28:34 Adaine: Can't hurt. No lower than this.

0:28:35 Fig: If anything—

0:28:35 Gorgug: I don't know. I can't say if in the long run a beret's gonna be a permanent fixture on his head, but uh...

0:28:40 Riz: It's a huge switch.

0:28:41 Fig: He was the most excited about the beret.

0:28:42 Adaine: We've seen a lot of rock bottoms from Gilear, and maybe this'll be the thing that takes him up a step.

0:28:47 Brennan: Sandra Lynn nods and says,

0:28:47 Sandra Lynn: Okay, I'm gonna take— I feel very bad that we let Gilear get jammed up in that wheel well for so long. I'm gonna go make sure— Let's just all keep an eye on Gilear.

0:28:54 Fig: Yeah, yeah.

0:29:00 Kristen: Yeah, good call.

0:29:04 Brennan: So, Sandra Lynn goes in. Baxter, you see, flies up to one of the branches. Ragh is there with Tracker as well, and Ragh's looking up and he's like,

0:29:12 Ragh: Oh, hell yeah. We're gonna fucking wreck this place. Let's fucking do it.

0:29:19 Fabian: You trying to party?

0:29:20 Ragh: Dude, we should get all the fucking people in this weird, misty-ass sad town and fucking party.

0:29:25 Fabian: I mean—

0:29:25 Kristen: I'm down.

0:29:25 Fig: I'm definitely down.

0:29:25 Fabian: I know we've got big things to do.

0:29:26 Fig: I could go for that.

0:29:27 Fabian: Yeah.

0:29:28 Ragh: Hell yeah.

0:29:29 Adaine: This is somebody else's house.

0:29:30 Emily: Can I forage--

0:29:30 Fig: Yeah, my friend's house and I said it's okay.

0:29:33 Kristen: Let's do it.

0:29:33 Ragh: Yeah. Hey, Adaine? Yeah, I’m sure this guy--

0:29:34 Emily: Can I forage for all-natural drugs?

0:29:35 Brennan: What's that?

0:29:36 Emily: Can I forage for all-natural drugs?

0:29:37 Brennan: Yeah, give me a Survival check.

0:29:39 Emily: Survival check?

0:29:39 Ally: All-natural drugs?

0:29:40 Brennan: Or, give me a Nature check. Nature check.

0:29:41 Siobhan: I thought you were straight edge, except for hallucinogens.

0:29:42 Zac: Can I help you with it?

0:29:43 Emily: Yeah. All-natural. Oh yeah.

0:29:44 Brennan: Yeah, you can give the help action.

0:29:45 Murph: “Except for hallucinogens.” (Emily, Zac, and Siobhan laughing)

0:29:47 Emily: I just rolled a 2 twice in a row. (laughing) Okay. I’m gonna-- I got a-- what was it? Survival? Mm, okay, that's gonna be a 5.

0:29:56 Brennan: The only thing that you find that looks like it might be a drug is there is a ghost white mushroom that has a black imprint of a skull on the top of it.

0:30:06 Riz: Don't eat that.

0:30:07 Emily: I start to put it in my mouth.

0:30:08 Kristen: No!

0:30:08 Siobhan: No, I grab it!

0:30:08 Murph: I-- tackle Fig.

0:30:10 Fabian: All right, let's go inside the house. We've been trying to go inside the house for--

0:30:13 Ragh: Yeah, let's go inside the house. Honestly, listen. This guy, fucking Grover, Grover Billy, Bill-- Bill-- Bill-- Bill?

0:30:19 Gorgug: Grover Tillythatch.

0:30:19 Fig: Grover Tillythatch.

0:30:19 Ragh: Tillythatch. You think he invited a rockstar to his house and was like, "Oh, they're not gonna smash the place up."

0:30:27 Fig: That’s true. It's an honor to get—

0:30:28 Zac: Can I get a Perception check on this place?

0:30:30 Brennan: Yeah. Give me a Perception check.

0:30:30 Zac: I don't know.

0:30:30 Murph: Make sure there's no like, traps.

0:30:32 Zac: Or like, is this person--

0:30:33 Lou: We already sent Gilear in, so—

0:30:34 Murph: I just rolled a 3 and a 2.

0:30:34 Emily: I guess I can do some kind of-- I'll do some kind of-- I'll do some kind of Perception check on my memory of this guy. I got a dirty 20.

0:30:40 Brennan: Cool.

0:30:43 Emily: Is there anything I should know going in, like this is a tricky guy, does he have video cameras up everywhere? Is he some kind of freak?

0:30:50 Siobhan: Oh, yeah. Is this guy looking to watch teens make out?

0:30:53 Emily: Yeah.

0:30:53 Lou: Yeah, is he a freak?

0:30:54 Emily: My dirty 20's gonna tell me whether or not.

0:30:57 Brennan: You think this dude was extending an honest invitation to be able to say “Fig and the Cig Figs stayed at my summer place in Arborly.”

0:31:06 Emily: Well, cool.

0:31:06 Fig: This guy's chill.

0:31:08 Kristen: Okay.

0:31:08 Fig: And we can have a party.

0:31:10 Adaine: Do you think that they have fluffy robes?

0:31:13 Fig: Yeah, they do. He talked about the fluffy robes. Yeah. Emily looks at Brennan to check about the fluffy robes, and he nods.

0:31:16 Adaine: (faint, very high-pitched) Aw, yeah. Aw!

0:31:19 Ally: I think Riz and I, from our Compass Points Library book know where the temple is in Sylvaire. Is there a way for us to know how close we are to that currently at this house?

0:31:34 Brennan: Uh, yeah. I'm gonna say you guys have the maps. This temple is— The large temple is extremely close. It's right past-- It's sort of across the border into the forest of the Nightmare King.

0:31:42 Siobhan: Could I do--

0:31:51 Ally: Kinda on the other side of that crazy, impenetrable wall?

0:31:52 Brennan: A little bit--

0:31:54 Ally: Did it look like that was--

0:31:55 Brennan: If you were going to the center of the forest of the Nightmare King, you would directly pass this temple after a day or two's travel on foot.

0:32:05 Riz: Well, let's go into this treehouse.

0:32:07 Siobhan: Can I actually, before I go in, do a Locate Creature to see if the wood elf that I saw in my scrying is within 1,000 feet of us? [soft, slightly sad, piano music plays]

0:32:18 Brennan: Awesome. You do a quick Divinatory sweep. You don't detect that guy anywhere, and in fact, you look around and, I think for thoroughness’ sake Adaine would definitely cast Locate Creature, but looking at the flora of the place.

0:32:34 Siobhan: It just looks different.

0:32:35 Brennan: Yeah. You're just like, this is all— It's spooky here, but everything is healthy. Nothing is—

0:32:42 Siobhan: It's not drippy like it was.

0:32:44 Brennan: It's not drippy.

0:32:44 Lou: It’s not drippy.

0:32:44 Emily: I bet it is in Swamps of Ruin. I bet that's where.

0:32:45 Siobhan: Oh.

0:32:46 Emily: The Swamps of Ruin is where—

0:32:50 Siobhan: Oh, that's so far away.

0:32:51 Emily: Yeah, or the Barren—

0:32:52 Siobhan: Or, it could be right in the center of the forest in a way that's dark and creepy.

0:32:55 Emily: True, true.

0:32:57 Gorgug: Well, shall we go in the house? (laughing)

0:32:59 Adaine: Yeah, let's go in.

0:32:59 Murph: Yeah, we’ve just been standing outside the house.

0:33:00 Lou: We tried to go inside.

0:33:02 Brennan: You guys go in the house. Immediately—

0:33:06 Emily: Find the sound system.

0:33:06 Brennan: Find the sound system.

0:33:08 Siobhan: Hell yeah. I plug in my-- (Emily laughing) Ally/Siobhan/Emily: It's meditation. (laughing)

0:33:15 Murph: I thought it was like NPR.

0:33:15 Siobhan: “You are calm.” “Breathe.”

0:33:15 Ally: Oh, yeah. Talk radio.

0:33:16 Zac: Just imagining the soundtrack to a carousel. (laughing)

0:33:21 Siobhan: Yeah, it's a really, really interesting deep dive on Mage Hand and its invention and it's like three hours of the history of the Mage Hand spell.

0:33:29 Murph: Yeah, This Elmvillian Life was— (laughing)

0:33:31 Ally: Oh, yeah.

0:33:32 Adaine: I listened to this one, it’s great.

0:33:33 Brennan: You see also, before she leaves, Ayda comes into the house with you guys to give a little farewell. To give you an idea of what your NPCs in the house are up to, you actually see that Baxter's sleeping out, there's a sliding glass door in one of the things, Baxter's sleeping out in the front, a lot of Spyre technology has made its way to this dude's house in Arborly. You see that Sandra Lynn has actually got Gilear up on— sort of laid out on a day bed in one of the public rooms and is giving him a massage to help him out, 'cause he's—

0:33:54 Lou: Aw.

0:34:14 Fig: I feel like he's needed that for like three years.

0:34:17 Adaine: Just any kind of human touch.

0:34:17 Fabian: It’s just knots.

0:34:19 Brennan: You see that she's really help-- she's like,

0:34:21 Sandra Lynn: [kneading] Geeze, Gilear. This is something you should make a part of your routine.

0:34:25 Brennan: And he's like,

0:34:25 Gilear: I'm extremely broke. (laughing)

0:34:31 Riz: The cracks are so loud. This is unnatural. (Lou and Brennan make cracking noises)

0:34:36 Brennan: You see Sandra Lynn being a lot more affectionate to Gilear than she has maybe been for the rest of your trip. Ragh has taken huge things of food out of multiple fridges in this place.

0:34:48 Siobhan: How many fridges does this place have?

0:34:50 Brennan: Oh, it's got two in a storage space downstairs, there's another one, kitchen, there's another kitchen for a guest suite upstairs.

0:34:58 Siobhan: Amazing. Insane.

0:34:58 Ally: Cool.

0:35:01 Brennan: You see-- And then, Tracker's mostly hanging tight with whatever you're doing, Kristen. You see that she's been a little rocked since the whole Galicaea, this sister thing.

0:35:11 Ally: Can I talk to her really quick?

0:35:13 Brennan: Yeah, absolutely.

0:35:13 Kristen: Tracker, you know, I was thinking, you shouldn't feel guilty about giving me any sort of sickness or anything like that, 'cause I was thinking maybe it had to do with both of us. It seems like if I held-- withheld truth from you, maybe that's what passed the disease or whatever, you know what I mean?

0:35:38 Tracker: Yeah. I mean, I know we don't have a full lock on whatever it was. I guess I'm just gonna be more careful about that Life Transference spell. I took precautions to make sure that, obviously, when I'm thinking about blood magic, in general, I'm thinking about “how do I prevent lycanthropy?”, and so, there's things worked into the spell to prevent that, but I never thought about anything coming back the other way.

0:36:05 Kristen: Yes, totally. Yeah. You gotta use protection.

0:36:10 Tracker: Yeah, absolutely. I hear that.

0:36:14 Kristen: Maybe you could do the spell through a dental dam. (Lou chuckles)

0:36:19 Emily: (laughing) You piece of shit.

0:36:20 Tracker: Be hard to think of how the spell—

0:36:21 Kristen: I'm just saying, I don't know. Like, Jawbone was talking to me about those non-stop before we left. I have a whole bag of them. They look like weird—

0:36:29 Tracker: Yeah, I had a good talk with Sandra Lynn, by the way.

0:36:32 Kristen: Oh, no way! Good. (laughing)

0:36:32 Kristen: That's so great.

0:36:35 Tracker: It was weird. I, she was—

0:36:35 Ally: I'm opening a dental dam.

0:36:38 Tracker: I know what they are. You're good.

0:36:39 Kristen: Okay! Is it? It's like, can you imagine? I don't know. Not to shit on, you know, safe sex, but, anyway, sorry.

0:36:43 Tracker: No, I hear you. Absolutely. (Emily shrieking laughing)

0:36:46 Kristen: And so, what did you guys talk about?

0:36:50 Tracker: I just talked about how, you know, I didn't wanna get too much into her business, but I was basically just like, I care a lot about my uncle and he's gotten close to a lot of bad people who've hurt him, and this is the most stable his life's ever been, and I might've said something along the lines of like, "If you ever broke his heart, I would transform and stalk you in the shadows for the rest of your life." That was an emotional moment, and I think she interpreted that as a feeling and not as a threat.

0:37:19 Kristen: Cool.

0:37:20 Tracker: Which is how I meant it.

0:37:22 Kristen: Yeah, good. Well, good for you, babe. Honestly, you were so mad. Yeah. Being angry is a real emotion and I'm glad you were able to express that.

0:37:30 Tracker: Yeah. I’m— Yeah. Weirdly, I find myself dwelling a lot on the Galacaea stuff, on the Goddess of the Moon stuff.

0:37:39 Kristen: In how she could possibly be related to—

0:37:43 Tracker: What the elves did.

0:37:43 Kristen: Oh, yeah.

0:37:45 Tracker: Y’know? Like, again, like, I don’t—  None of the Priestesses of the Moon that I've worked with are similar to the actual elven church, but it's the same goddess, and I don't know, I just have questions, I guess, for the first time, which is hard.

0:38:06 Kristen: Yeah, I know the feeling. It is hard.

0:38:11 Brennan: She puts her face into the crook of your neck and gives you a hug, and then you see that Ayda is the last sort of NPC, who comes in, is sort of standing over in the corner and looking around, kinda of like— Just sort of, in an unfamiliar place, unsure of what to do.

0:38:32 Ally: Did you say there was a bird cage attached to this place?

0:38:35 Brennan: No, it looks like a birdhouse. The architecture of the little sheds look like bird houses.

0:38:37 Ally: Okay, cool, okay.

0:38:39 Lou: Also, if there was—?

0:38:40 Ally: I thought maybe Ayda lives here. (laughing)

0:38:46 Brennan: What are the rest of you guys—

0:38:47 Ally: I shove Ayda into a bird cage.

0:38:48 Siobhan: (impersonating the Wicked Witch of the West) My pretty!

0:38:48 Brennan: Are the rest of you guys doing anything in this little relaxed hang time?

0:38:54 Fig: Are we trying to have a party?

0:38:55 Fabian: I think so. Ragh, have you found any kippers?

0:38:59 Brennan: He's like-- Oh sorry. Ragh says,

0:39:01 Ragh: (sighing) Sorry, dude. I looked and looked--

0:39:03 Fabian: (quietly) Shit.

0:39:06 Ragh: --and the only kippers I could find are right here! You motherfucker! (chanting “Hoot, growl”) [Emily turns towards Zac and Siobhan with a confused look on her face]

0:39:14 Zac: Little—

0:39:14 Siobhan: Smoked fish.

0:39:15 Lou: Little smoked fish. [gentle acoustic music]

0:39:16 Brennan: I will say, by the way, obviously there's a lot that happened in Fallinel before you left, but Fabian is possessed of a spirit and grace— [Lou repeatedly mimes gracefully lifting and throwing a little fish into his mouth, exclaiming in delight each time] (laughing)

0:39:24 Kristen: He’s back.

0:39:32 Riz: He's almost too much.

0:39:33 Gorgug: He's spinning so fast while eating those—

0:39:36 Brennan: Also, don’t get me wrong, Fabian does still have the sheet with him, in addition to Fandrangor. Onscreen is Fabian’s new character art, which has the sheet elegantly billowing around him and crackling with red magic as he holds a dance pose and his new sword. (laughing)

0:39:42 Ally: Just flipping kippers out of the sheet.

0:39:44 Lou: Yeah, just tension.

0:39:47 Brennan: Incredible. Cool, so you guys just start to-- Ragh is about partying.

0:39:52 Fig: Should we invite people from the town? 'Cause I have this spell I can cast called Fear where I project a phantasmal image--

0:39:56 Gorgug: Fear?

0:40:00 Fig: --of a creature’s worst fear, but I thought--

0:40:01 Adaine: Is that how you're gonna invite people to this party?

0:40:03 Fig: I thought I can sorta try to twist it in a way that it's actually inviting, you know?

0:40:11 Kristen: Or, you can scare them into the house.

0:40:13 Fabian: So, we're full on party, I mean--

0:40:15 Zac: I'm gonna check out with my crystal and see if I have any service real fast.

0:40:18 Brennan: You do not have any service on the crystal.

0:40:19 Zac: Okay.

0:40:20 Fabian: Do people, I mean— Hey, I love a party and I love to throw a party, however, we are here for business. So, are people so business-minded that it would be an interruption to—

0:40:34 Siobhan: Is there a pool table?

0:40:34 Brennan: There is a pool table.

0:40:38 Kristen: Oh, I would play you in a heartbeat.

0:40:39 Riz: Just real quick, guys, and I'm just being real casual. This little conspiracy board I've started to set up, tiny conspiracy board— [Murph shakes his head casually and gestures to his side as if pointing to a corkboard] (cast laughing)

0:40:45 Adaine: I love it. It’s beautiful.

0:40:47 Riz: We're not even gonna elaborate on—

0:40:47 Fig: You put a lot of holes in the wall—

0:40:48 Kristen: How did you even get that photo of me?

0:40:50 Riz: You know, you take pictures, you hang 'em. That's what you do with them.

0:40:53 Gorgug: Is that a darkroom? (cast laughing)

0:40:56 Riz: Do we know the goddess's arcane focus, she turned into a tree?

0:41:04 Kristen: Yes.

0:41:04 Adaine: Yes.

0:41:06 Riz: Do we know what that tree is? Could it be this tree? This seems like a special tree.

0:41:13 Fig: I think that there's a lot—

0:41:13 Adaine: I don’t know.

0:41:14 Fig: If you consider this a special tree, I think there's a lot of trees like this all throughout.

0:41:17 Zac: Can we do an Arcana check on it?

0:41:19 Murph: Yeah.

0:41:19 Ally: Yeah let’s do it.

0:41:20 Murph: Can I-- I'm gonna snoop around--

0:41:20 Siobhan: Can I, I have--

0:41:20 Zac: Detect Magic?

0:41:20 Siobhan: I do have Detect Magic.

0:41:20 Murph: In a suspicious way, not in a party way.

0:41:24 Brennan: Go ahead and give me-- “In a suspicious way.” Go ahead and give me an Investigation check.

0:41:29 Murph: All right. You see I start going through their stuff in a not fun way. (Lou laughing)

0:41:32 Emily: I let it happen. That’s cool.

0:41:33 Siobhan: I guess, can I do a Detect Magic?

0:41:35 Brennan: Yeah, go for it.

0:41:39 Murph: (dice rolling) 20— da da da. 20. Flat 20. [quiet music, a little mysterious]

0:41:46 Brennan: You sneak all around here, Spyre technology. This dude-- You find out this guy is expensing stuff to his corporate card that has nothing—

0:41:57 Emily: Take pictures, take pictures.

0:42:00 Brennan: It's nothing to do with— like, dinners on weekends.

0:42:01 Riz: This is a tax haven. This is illegal, guys. This is illegal. (Brennan laughing)

0:42:07 Fabian: We’re not here-- That's not the business we're doing, The Ball. We're here for the Nightmare King.

0:42:12 Riz: We're committing crimes. I just hope everyone knows.

0:42:15 Fabian: (quietly) Alright. (laughing)

0:42:18 Brennan: Other than some looseness with his use of the company expense account, you don't really find anything here, but it takes you a while to go through that stuff. Otherwise, you notice general stuff about the architecture of the building and stuff like that. It doesn't seem like this tree in particular is that special, other than that it’s filled with that technology. You do Detect Magic. The magic you find here is mostly arcano-tech. It's like “Oh, there’s crystals and stuff here.” You see that there's a generator downstairs, like a little crystal pylon, similar to what you guys made for the arcade fight back in Season One. There's stuff to create energy that's magical. The only blast of magic you really get is there is a thick barrier of infernal magic at that briar wall that Kristen saw.

0:43:18 Siobhan: Okay.

0:43:18 Emily: Oh, that's my shit, though. I’m a tiefling.

0:43:21 Zac: So, that's the wall the warlocks made.

0:43:22 Murph: That's the wall that they wanna get through using Gorthalax.

0:43:24 Emily: Yeah.

0:43:26 Fig: Okay, if we're not gonna have a party then I'm gonna go moodily look at that wall.

0:43:28 Riz: I think we can still have a party.

0:43:30 Adaine: We can just have a—

0:43:31 Fabian: Ooh! The Ball said we could have a party!

0:43:32 Brennan: Give me a Perception check with advantage, by the way.

0:43:34 Siobhan: Great.

0:43:35 Kristen: I really wanna go around the town and maybe ask leads, something about the town as we invite them to the party.

0:43:39 Fig: That’s true. We could do a crawl.

0:43:41 Siobhan: Um, 15.

0:43:44 Brennan: 15.

0:43:44 Siobhan: Yeah. [slightly creepy string music plays]

0:43:46 Brennan: Cool. You look out, you see a couple things with that Detect Magic here, as well, that are kind of like, it looks like this town has a ambient druidic magic throughout it that extends a little ways away from Holly Hill, away from the briar wall, right to the briar wall where it becomes the strongest it possibly could be. That druidic magic is old at this point, maybe a small, like, low centuries count, 200, 300 years, but it looks like a powerful act of druidic magic a while ago took a bite out of Sylvaire, and you can sense that the briar wall used to be on the other side of town. In other words, it ate this town, and that these wood elves are here. We know that their MO is reclaiming the forest. It looks like the last bit of reclamation they did was 250 years ago. It took an intense piece of magic. You can feel that it got paid for dearly, so there's been no progress in like 200 years.

0:44:58 Siobhan: Wow, okay.

0:44:59 Brennan: So, this place is this kind of thing of a group of people reclaiming their homeland. Some of the magic also feels-- There's a thing that's similar to the vibe you get from the Thistlespring tree. So, there's a gnomish vibe to it, even though you know there's a lot of wood elves here. Fig, you were gonna say something. I mean, you vibe on that briar wall, for sure.

0:45:22 Emily: Yeah. Okay.

0:45:22 Brennan: 100%.

0:45:25 Emily: Then, I guess, maybe--

0:45:25 Fig: I'm into, Kristen, the idea of going into town and maybe getting some information.

0:45:31 Kristen: Just talk to a couple of people.

0:45:33 Ally: Is there anyone sitting in a rocking chair on their porch, looking like they have all the answers if we would just ask?

0:45:39 Brennan: It's like one or two in the morning right now, so it's late.

0:45:41 Siobhan: So like five people.

0:45:43 Brennan: Yeah, it's like five people. Probably would be better to rest and hit up the town the next day.

0:45:47 Murph: Cool.

0:45:50 Siobhan: Cool.

0:45:51 Brennan: You see that Ayda looks over at you, Fig.

0:45:55 Fig: Hey, I think people are talking about having a party here.

0:45:59 Ayda: Normal.

0:46:00 Fig: Yeah, I don't know what your plans are, but I think everyone was saying that you would be invited.

0:46:05 Adaine: You're invited.

0:46:07 Ayda: Incredible. My response is yes. R.S.V.P. “yes” to the party. I will be there. Is it happening now? Am I already here?

0:46:13 Adaine: Yes.

0:46:13 Ayda: Okay.

0:46:14 Fabian: I think it's tomorrow. Or, it’s tonight?

0:46:16 Riz: I think we’re-- it’s both--

0:46:16 Gorgug: I think we should--

0:46:16 Riz: We're gonna have the party now.

0:46:18 Gorgug: Huh.

0:46:19 Fabian: Are we gonna have a party? It's one o'clock in the morning.

0:46:21 Gorgug: It feels like we could rage tonight.

0:46:23 Riz: I don't wanna just like, go to sleep right now.

0:46:24 Adaine: Rage tonight?

0:46:24 Fabian: Let's rage tonight.

0:46:27 Kristen: ♪ Rage tonight ♪ (laughing)

0:46:30 Fabian: ♪ We're gonna rage tonight ♪

0:46:32 Riz: Spring break!

0:46:34 Fabian: Yes, The Ball!

0:46:34 Ayda: Spring break! (shriek) (Emily laughing)

0:46:36 Gorgug: Tomorrow's like maybe too long.

0:46:38 Fabian: Yeah.

0:46:38 Kristen: Yeah. That's what I was gonna say.

0:46:40 Adaine: We've gotta fight the break of dawn, you guys.

0:46:41 Riz: Tomorrow-- We're gonna get attacked. So, we need to party when we can.

0:46:44 Kristen: We might be gone.

0:46:45 Fig: I agree. I think tomorrow we-- yeah.

0:46:48 Riz: Also, I decided I no longer feel bad stealing from this person because they're stealing.

0:46:50 Adaine: Yes.

0:46:52 Fig: Hey, you could party without stealing.

0:46:53 Kristen: So, what are you stealing?

0:46:53 Gorgug: Maybe like, beers?

0:46:54 Riz: Well, I'm like Robin Hood that way. (laughing)

0:46:56 Riz: Just by being here, we're stealing.

0:46:58 Kristen: Wow, little Robin Hood.

0:46:58 Brennan: Ragh has a huge, one of those cartoon hams with a bone that is cut, and he goes,

0:47:04 Ragh: [speaking through a bite of ham] Yeah, man. You're exactly like Robin Hood. That's exactly what you're like.

0:47:07 Ally: I have a really nice watch. [Ally mimics sliding something in their pocket while turning to look at Murph]

0:47:10 Ally: No I’m just kidding, I put it back. (laughing)

0:47:11 Brennan: Cool. So, I'm gonna say that Gilear and Sandra Lynn both head to bed.

0:47:19 Ally: In the house?

0:47:20 Brennan: In the van. You see Sandra Lynn looks and says,

0:47:23 Sandra Lynn: Kristen cast Hallow on the van.

0:47:25 Kristen: True.

0:47:25 Fabian: You’ve gotta love it.

0:47:26 Sandra Lynn: We've still got a Nightmare King problem, we gotta crash in the van.

0:47:28 Fabian: But, there's a bed upstairs. It's so big.

0:47:30 Adaine: But the Hallow reaches outside of the realms of the van, right?

0:47:34 Kristen: 60 feet.

0:47:34 Brennan: 60 feet.

0:47:36 Adaine: So, we could camp outside of the van. We could pull a mattress out.

0:47:39 Fig: There's a solarium that’s—

0:47:42 Brennan: You see Ragh goes,

0:47:42 Ragh: (chanting) Pull mattresses outside of the van. Sleep under the canopy of the trees!

0:47:46 Kristen: Great, let's do it. Let's do it.

0:47:48 Ragh: [pumping his fists] Yes, yes!

0:47:48 Fabian: Yes!

0:47:48 Brennan: Sandra Lynn goes,

0:47:48 Sandra Lynn: Great. You guys have a mattress party on the yard.

0:47:52 Ally: I love it.

0:47:52 Brennan: She looks over, she points at the Hangman and says,

0:47:54 Sandra Lynn: Hangman, you're in charge while the adults are gone.

0:47:57 Brennan: Hangman goes,

0:47:57 The Hangman: Very well, Mistress Sandra Lynn.

0:48:00 Brennan: And then, the Hangman looks up at you and goes,

0:48:00 The Hangman: No rules.

0:48:03 Ally: Oh! [Lou moves his arms in circles in front of his body in celebration, imitating the Cabbage Patch dance move]

0:48:05 Fabian: That's my man! (laughing)

0:48:05 Adaine: Some rules, some rules.

0:48:10 Lou: I just Cabbage Patch for a really long time. [He repeats the dance move a few times] (laughing)

0:48:13 Brennan: You guys put on some music, you guys get some food. There are whatever kind of-- There are a number of alcoholic beverages, but also some soft drinks. [rhythmic party music plays]

0:48:23 Ally: Is there any like, crab?

0:48:26 Brennan: (bewildered) Crab?

0:48:26 Ally: Yeah, like loose crab meat?

0:48:28 Brennan: You find a bag of loose crab meat.

0:48:30 Ally: I make cra-chos.

0:48:32 Adaine: How long has that been there? (laughing)

0:48:33 Kristen: I’m making crab nachos.

0:48:33 Gorgug: (in disbelief) Cra-chos?

0:48:33 Riz: Cra-chos. (Lou loudly laughing)

0:48:38 Fabian: I'm sorry, what is this? Kristen, what have you made!

0:48:40 Brennan: Ragh's shoving them.

0:48:40 Ragh: [eating] It's crab nachos, dude! Get on board!

0:48:42 Riz: Kristen, this is amazing. This is normal.

0:48:45 Kristen: This is a party food 'cause my parents wouldn't let me eat this. So, this is what I make whenever it's up to me!

0:48:51 Adaine: Nobody should eat that! I’m sorry your parents— Gorgug is shoveling cra-chos into his mouth.

0:48:52 Kristen: It’s delicious! Cheese and crab! Fig looks vaguely horrified.

0:48:54 Riz: Goblins and orcs eat it all the time.

0:48:55 Brennan: Tracker looks at you and goes,

0:48:55 Tracker: Adaine, what's your deal? It's crab nachos.

0:48:56 Kristen: Yes.

0:48:59 Tracker: You like crab, you like nachos, you like cra-chos.

0:49:01 Kristen: You like crab, you like sour cream.

0:49:04 Fabian: Crab-achos.

0:49:05 Siobhan: I did find blinis and caviar and I am making-- [Siobhan mimes delicately spreading something on a cracker]

0:49:08 Fabian: Oh, yes.

0:49:08 Kristen: (with her mouth full) You're missing out. (laughing)

0:49:12 Emily: I think I'm gonna, when everyone's partying, I think I'm gonna sneak off and just look at the wall, just look at the wall.

0:49:17 Brennan: Cool.

0:49:19 Emily: Just see if it speaks to me.

0:49:21 Brennan: You're there for a little while. Go ahead and give me an Insight check with advantage.

0:49:26 Emily: Okay. [Lou swings his arms above his head to the beat of the background music]

0:49:28 Murph: Just partying.

0:49:28 Riz: I hope no one’s off on the road right now.

0:49:30 Emily: I'm not going that far. I'm not going that far. (laughing)

0:49:35 Emily: Oh, I have bad Insight. So, that's gonna be a 15.

0:49:37 Ally: Oh!

0:49:40 Brennan: 15. You look at the briar wall. [the music abruptly stops]

0:49:44 Siobhan: Oh no.

0:49:44 Ally: Fuck. [menacing, dark, whooshing music fades in] [Zac, Lou, Siobhan and Ally pretend to dance quietly to the music for a moment]

0:49:48 Brennan: You look out and see that indeed, these briars, they're not like normal thorns. They're hooked and barbed with also a straight point coming out, almost like a bec de corbin. They look like the ends of fucking polearms. The thorns are nasty and serrated and everything else like that. You gaze at them for a while and you can almost hear in your mind's, sort of like, at the edges of your ability to hear, (haunting whispers) whispering noise as you gaze at the wall, and you feel something very hot right behind you.

0:50:39 Emily: Mm, I guess I look at it.

0:50:40 Brennan: You turn around, Ayda is standing there. (laughing)

0:50:44 Brennan: She goes,

0:50:44 Ayda: It seemed like you were focusing, so I didn't say anything.

0:50:46 Fig: Oh, that’s fine.

0:50:48 Ayda: But also, when you left the room, I didn't know which real conversation to listen to. It seemed like people were talking all at the same time and didn't really care who was hearing them or not. They just were laughing and all talking over each other, and I couldn't really make out who to listen to or what was important about what was being said.

0:51:09 Fig: Yeah, sometimes one of the fun things about friendship is just being a chorus of nonsense together, and you don't have to hear each other. It just feels really good to talk really loud.

0:51:21 Ayda: [mildly disbelieving] A chorus of nonsense?

0:51:24 Fig: Yeah.

0:51:27 Ayda: Yeah, that's great.

0:51:29 Fig: The way you say it doesn't seem great.

0:51:34 Ayda: Nonsense is... bad? If— but maybe it's not. Maybe nonsense isn't bad. Maybe nonsense is good. How do you feel about nonsense?

0:51:48 Fig: I mean, I feel like there's a time and a place for nonsense, like sometimes I really wanna think about things, but then sometimes things get too heavy or dark and I don't wanna think about things, so nonsense feels like a really good escape.

0:52:06 Ayda: So, you've developed a way to escape from thoughts that are scaring you.

0:52:14 Fig: Yeah, I guess so. I didn't expect—

0:52:14 Kristen: Gorgug's doing a crab stand!

0:52:18 All: (chanting) Crab stand! Crab stand! Crab stand! Crab stand!

0:52:22 Ragh: He’s fucking doing it! [Zac holding his arms over his head and makes exaggerating eating motions]

0:52:25 Fig: See, that's all just masking pain. (laughing)

0:52:27 Brennan: You see Ayda says,

0:52:27 Ayda: I don't wanna overstate this. I would give anything to develop that skill. That sounds incredible.

0:52:36 Fig: Do you think you could?

0:52:40 Ayda: It's certainly worth trying.

0:52:43 Fig: I definitely think sometimes some people are better at it, or sometimes I personally am better at it than others. I have days where I can just really-- (giggling) do a bunch of fucking crab stands back to back, metaphorically.

0:52:59 Ayda: What sort of nonsense things have you done to make yourself feel good? (Siobhan laughing)

0:53:08 Fig: Usually just pretending to be someone else.

0:53:12 Ayda: That's fun for you?

0:53:14 Fig: Sometimes, yeah.

0:53:18 Ayda: Yeah, that's interesting. I can't understand that.

0:53:21 Fig: Oh.

0:53:24 Ayda: Because if I was you, I wouldn't wanna be anyone else, because you're very exceptional.

0:53:30 Fabian: Look, The Ball's a little shrimp! (shouting nonsense)

0:53:32 Adaine: Shrimp! Shrimp! Shrimp!

0:53:34 Riz: I’m a little shrimp. I’m a little shrimp!

0:53:35 Ragh: He’s fucking doing it!

0:53:36 Kristen: Pass the shrimp. Pass the shrimp!

0:53:38 Fabian: Pass the shrimp!

0:53:39 Gorgug: I’m a crab. [Zac crosses his forearms under his chin and wiggles his fingers while shifting back and forth, like a crab]

0:53:40 Fabian: Oh!

0:53:41 Riz: He's a crab.

0:53:43 Fabian: He's a crab and he's a shrimp. (Ally laughing) [serious music]

0:53:49 Fig: Well, thank you. I wish I could take that compliment, but truthfully, I think you probably think I'm someone different than I am.

0:54:04 Ayda: Being mistaken about the nature of something and discovering its true nature is my favorite thing in the world to do. Are you engaging in this chorus of nonsense because the gemstone containing your father went missing?

0:54:26 Fig: ...Yeah, I just had a bad day. And uh—

0:54:31 Brennan: Her eyes glow bright as she looks over at the briar wall, and she looks back at you and says,

0:54:45 Ayda: Would you like a closer look at that wall? (Emily chuckling)

0:54:53 Fig: Um. Okay.

0:54:55 Ayda: Good.

0:54:56 Brennan: She opens the sliding glass door, turns herself and you invisible, and lifts you up and flies out through Arborly in the middle of the night. (blowing air)

0:55:08 Ally: Hot. (laughing)

0:55:11 Brennan: (whooshing air) Flying out. She alights in the saddle of two tree trunks that have fused together in this low, looped saddle of wood, and you see the briars grow thick up through in between the space between two trees, and even though you're invisible you see as you both land, a little bit of light is cast from the briars from Ayda's fiery hair and wings, even though she herself is invisible.

0:55:47 Fig: Okay, so you remember before when I was, like, why would someone who just did what you did think I'm exceptional? I can't do that. All my magic is just like, “Cool, I project the thing that you're most afraid of.”

0:56:05 Ayda: That's a hard to master spell.

0:56:10 Fig: (quietly) Well, that's very cool shit.

0:56:14 Ayda: Do you want me to analyze this wall?

0:56:20 Fig: Okay, yeah.

0:56:24 Brennan: (futuristic zapping) You see a translucent version, like a see-through version of her in her invisibility. Her invisibility has made you, you can both see each other as pale outlines that no one else can see, she (zaps) looks at the wall.

0:56:40 Ayda: Very powerful, very old. Keeps them out, keeps them in.

0:56:46 Fig: Keeps them in?

0:56:48 Ayda: It extends up over the canopy, as well. This is a full Abjuration. Even if you found a way through it, let's say that you were to Dimension Door to the other side, the only roads or pathways we would find would just lead us back out to the other side of the wall. This is very powerful.

0:57:06 Fig: Really?

0:57:08 Ayda: It's keyed to infernals, devils, and not all devils either. Powerful devils, leaders. The archons and princes and monarchs, et cetera of hellish dominions.

0:57:32 Fig: So—

0:57:34 Brennan: She reaches out a hand towards the wall and as she does so, the thorns grow kind of quickly, like (sucking), and she retracts her hand away.

0:57:46 Emily: I reach my hand out.

0:57:49 Brennan: You touch your hand to the thorns, and as you do so, they don't grow out as your hand approaches. Do you do anything else? Do you keep pushing?

0:58:10 Emily: (chuckling) Can I just do— (Ally, Lou, Murph laugh)

0:58:15 Murph: You simply have to.

0:58:17 Lou: You simply must.

0:58:17 Murph: You simply must.

0:58:18 Emily: Can I just gently do a little Burning Hands? Not in the normal radius. Just at my hand, like I'm makin’ s'mores.

0:58:30 Zac: Creme brulee.

0:58:32 Brennan: You hit the— You hit (whoosh) the thorns with the fire. (dice rolling) (blowing air) A burning hand print rests on the outside of the thorns, and as it does, you see that the light and heat of the fire is sucked up by the briar wall, almost like roots drinking at water. The glow dissipates and spreads, (blowing air) leaving just a charred hand print here at the outside of the wall, and you feel comfortable in the presence of this briar wall. This thing is meant to be ominous and opposing, but the thorns did not attack you and when you burned that wall, the fire went into it and went— give me a Perception check.

0:59:40 Emily: (dice rolling) 12.

0:59:47 Brennan: The fire— On a 12. That fire went somewhere. It didn't dissipate. It traveled away from here.

1:00:02 Fig: Okay. That was pretty cool of me, right?

1:00:06 Ayda: You're asking me if that was cool of you?

1:00:08 Fig: Yeah.

1:00:10 Ayda: Extraordinarily. I've found everything that you've done cool. (Lou laughing)

1:00:14 Fig: I just wanted to really gently bring this up. There might be a rumor of me that I said something to Fe— Feth back at the elf enclave. I just want you to know that's a total lie.

1:00:31 Ayda: [frowns] What— Telling someone to, "Choke on grapes, bitch," is a lie?

1:00:36 Fig: That's all you heard?

1:00:38 Ayda: That's the only thing I heard. Was there more to hear?

1:00:40 Fig: Okay, I did say that. I will own up to that, yeah.

1:00:42 Ayda: That's an excellent threat.

1:00:45 Fig: [chuckling] Okay, cool. [clears throat] Wow, okay. Well, I don't know if I just made that wall stronger or if maybe I can use some of my nasty legacy to get in there.

1:01:06 Brennan: Ayda nods and says,

1:01:11 Ayda: I understand that, and look, you have the blood of the Nine Hells in you, but I think we all have a nasty legacy in one way or another. Would you like me to take you back to the—

1:01:32 Fig: Party?

1:01:32 Ayda: Party, now?

1:01:33 Fig: Yeah. Yeah, sure, yeah. Hey, this one's on me.

1:01:41 Emily: And I cast Greater Invisibility on us. (Ayda shrieks in laughter)

1:01:50 Brennan: You see she looks at you and goes,

1:01:54 Ayda: I know today's been a very emotional day for you.

1:02:01 Brennan: Go ahead and give me an Insight check.

1:02:06 Emily: (dice rolling) 11.

1:02:07 Brennan: Cool. She's hard to read, you're partially translucent, she's got fiery eyes and fiery hair and stuff. She just says,

1:02:21 Ayda: I know today's been very emotional for you. I'm going to return to Leviathan, as I’ve said. I need to work on shrinking the Compass Points until it is travel size, and—

1:02:33 Emily: I take out my Compass Points Library card.

1:02:35 Fig: It's a good library.

1:02:38 Ayda: I have spent a lot of lifetimes building it, so I really appreciate that.

1:02:45 Fig: Lifetimes?

1:02:48 Ayda: Yes.

1:02:48 Fig: (very quietly) How old are you?

1:02:50 Ayda: How old am I?

1:02:50 Fig: Yeah.

1:02:53 Ayda: This version of me is 17, but I have been on Leviathan for a little over a century and a half in some capacity or another. I'm half phoenix.

1:03:12 Fig: Yeah.

1:03:13 Ayda: So, when I die, I come back, but I don't have any memories of my previous lives or anything. I’m kind of raised by— I leave extensive notes for myself. I don't remember writing them and I don't— It's an interesting philosophical question to say if in fact I am in fact the same person, but I do leave myself very thorough instructions each time. [sweet piano music]

1:03:47 Fig: Why wouldn't you just reinvent yourself each time? Not that you'd have to. I just say this as someone who constantly pretends to be other people.

1:04:00 Ayda: Every time I come back, I don't know anything, and I guess I trust the versions of me that knew more? I don't have a lot of self-confidence, and I don't want to make mistakes.

1:04:19 Fig: Okay. Well, you have said some very nice things to me, and I feel terrified to say something nice to someone, but—

1:04:34 Emily: I vomit real quick into a bush. (cast laughing)

1:04:42 Fig: I actually think that you're perfect the way you are.

1:04:45 Emily: And then I skateboard away. (raucous laughter)

1:04:48 Brennan: I'm gonna need—

1:04:49 Siobhan: Fully invisible through the trees.

1:04:51 Brennan: I'm gonna need a DC 20 Acrobatics check.

1:04:57 Emily: Oh, yes! I got a 22. (laughing)

1:05:02 Brennan: You grip the nose of that skateboard and take it 80 feet down a completely vertical—

1:05:10 Emily: I drop the invisibility so she can watch this all happen.

1:05:14 Brennan: Give me another Insight check.

1:05:16 Emily: Oh, no. Uh, 13.

1:05:21 Brennan: You get no bead on her. You're just being impressive. Cool. You skateboard down. When you get to the bottom, you do this rad trick. Do you do anything else? Do you keep skateboarding back to Holly Hill?

1:05:33 Emily: (laughing) I don't know. I didn't really think in the moment. I just panicked. I can't stick around!

1:05:36 Ally: You barfed, said, "I think you're perfect the way you are," and then dropped 80 feet on a skateboard down a tree.

1:05:43 Brennan: But then, you get to ferns and dirt and your skateboard can't go anymore. But you pulled the trick off.

1:05:48 Siobhan: You burnt a fourth level spell.

1:05:50 Emily: I don't know what to do. I can't show my face after I said that.

1:05:54 Brennan: Ayda flies down to you real quick and goes,

1:05:58 Ayda: (rapidly) That was an amazing trick. Look, I need to get back to Leviathan. You're very busy. You're going into a forest. I could die when I go back to Leviathan and attempt to—

1:06:07 Fig: What?

1:06:08 Ayda: Well, it is a dangerous city. You're going into the forest of the Nightmare King. The future's never guaranteed. We don't have anything but today, and even that might get cut short. I know it's been an emotional day and this might not be the appropriate time, but what I wanted to do is offer you a— I have information for you that might be actionable for you, but I prepared a contract. [Lou smiles widely and rocks back and forth in his seat, looking between Brennan and Emily, and crossing his arms in front of his chest]

1:06:34 Brennan: She pulls a scroll. Look at Lou!

1:06:36 Lou: What's happening?

1:06:36 Brennan: She pulls a scroll, this like, ancient wizard scroll, out of a little binder. She says,

1:06:43 Ayda: This is a contract. It's very simple.

1:06:46 Brennan: She puts it in front of you and says--

1:06:48 Fig: Is this about the library card, 'cause I took it out in a different name?

1:06:52 Ayda: No, no, no.

1:06:52 Fig: Oh, okay.

1:06:52 Ayda: That’s okay. Most people take out library cards under a pseudonym. It's a pirate island. The contract effectively states that I have information that might be actionable for you and of interest to you, and I will give it to you on the condition that you do not make any inferences based on that information, but rather, once you have that information you don't make any assumptions based on it, you don't, you know, basically you're not allowed, basically you're not allowed to think anything judgemental or critical once you get that information.

1:07:34 Fig: Okay, yeah.

1:07:36 Ayda: Great, so no inferences. That's the clause.

1:07:38 Fig: Yeah.

1:07:38 Ayda: If you would please sign there?

1:07:39 Fig: Okay, I'll sign it again.

1:07:39 Emily: I sign it.

1:07:42 Brennan: You sign it. It turns into bright fire and whips up into Ayda's palm. She looks at you and says,

1:07:47 Ayda: Very well. Some actionable information. At any waking moment, outside of combat, that you and I have been together, if you had tried to... kiss me on the mouth—

1:08:06 Ally: (excited) I knew it was gonna be this. I knew it was gonna be this!

1:08:08 Ayda: It would have been... received favorably. Bear in mind, you are under contract. (all giggling)

1:08:13 Ayda: You're not allowed to make any inferences or assumptions about how I feel or anything else. You've signed that. That's magical law. So, there's that.

1:08:22 Fig: Okay. I draft up my own contract that says if you make fun of me, I'll fucking give you a wet willy. [Ally holds their character sheets over their face] [laughing]

1:08:33 Brennan: You see she looks at it and you see she says,

1:08:33 Ayda: Legally, this doesn't necessarily have the structure of a contract. It's more of just a threat.

1:08:43 Emily: I kiss her and then I skateboard away! (laughing) (clapping)

1:08:50 Ally: Two Young Sheldons making out. (laughing)

1:08:55 Emily: I take her by the chin and I say,

1:08:55 Fig: Just so you know, I've never done this as myself before.

1:09:00 Brennan: You guys kiss, the fire of her hair swells out. As she becomes un-invisible, and you skateboard away right away?

1:09:14 Emily: I skateboard behind a tree and see what she thinks of it. (laughing)

1:09:17 Brennan: She looks over at you behind a tree and goes—

1:09:20 Emily: Wait, can I do a check to try and hide?

1:09:22 Brennan: Yeah, give me a Stealth check. (laughing)

1:09:24 Emily: Oh, I got pretty good!

1:09:26 Lou: It’s the best kiss ever.

1:09:26 Emily: I got an 18.

1:09:29 Brennan: She looks around and goes,

1:09:35 Ayda: Is it normal for people to run away after that?

1:09:38 Emily: I think I slink out.

1:09:38 Fig: I'm really sorry. I'm so used to being other people and this is absolutely terrifying.

1:09:50 Ayda: Can I get another shot at that? (Lou gasping)

1:09:53 Ayda: It was perfect. I think I can do better.

1:09:56 Fig: Yeah, why don't you show me? Ally and Lou both scream. Murph claps.

1:09:59 Lou: Yes-ah! Yes-ah!

1:10:02 Ally: Nat 20!

1:10:03 Lou: (fanatically) Yes-ah! Yes-ah! I bless this union-ah!

1:10:05 Zac: Wow. (laughing)

1:10:08 Lou: Yes-ah!

1:10:10 Ally: We're all neck-deep in shrimp.

1:10:11 Murph: We’ve moved outside, to do the shrimp and crab king outside.

1:10:13 Zac: Just covered in crab meat.

1:10:15 Brennan: I'm gonna say cut back to the party. It's gotten weird. Ragh's got his shirt off and you see that Tracker is crawling on the floor, balancing a crab nacho on her head, and you see that Ragh is going,

1:10:26 Ragh: More lobster! You're not lobster enough! (laughing)

1:10:31 Gorgug: The crab king! Crab king!

1:10:33 Fabian: I'm a little shrimp. I'm a little shrimp.

1:10:35 Murph: Riz is cry- Riz is getting emotional drunk.

1:10:38 Riz: [teary] Shrimp are so little and sometimes they just get caught in the nets and stuff.

1:10:43 Kristen: Kiss the shrimp.

1:10:44 Riz: I'm not gonna kiss the shrimp. It's dead, Kristen! (laughing)

1:10:46 Riz: And, we killed it.

1:10:51 Emily: I think I look at this and I say,

1:10:52 Fig: I started this whole party just so you'd stick around.

1:10:56 Brennan: Ayda bursts into fiery tears. She's like,

1:11:03 Ayda: [exclaims] Ah. Sorry. [wipes tears] That's so nice. I won't lie. I'll need to divulge information about myself. Parties frighten and terrify me, and the only reason I stuck around is because you were there.

1:11:20 Fig: Yeah.

1:11:20 Ayda: Yeah.

1:11:22 Fig: That's cool.

1:11:22 Ayda: Wonderful.

1:11:25 Fig: Does it give you a little bit of self-confidence, like, what just happened? I'm not gonna say the words, 'cause I can't.

1:11:33 Ayda: Again, I can't speak to all the Aydas who have come before me, but in this version of my life, this is the greatest moment of it, my life.

1:11:42 Fig: All right, well, I'm going for greatest of all the Aydas.

1:11:46 Brennan: She goes,

1:11:46 Ayda: Is it normal, ‘cause you've initiated a kiss twice. Would it be normal for me to start one off?

1:11:52 Fig: Oh, yeah. Yeah.

1:11:53 Ayda: (yelling) Ha!

1:11:53 Brennan: And just grabs you.

1:11:55 Emily: Woo! (laughing)

1:11:57 Brennan: You see that— You guys make out in the woods for a while. As the light begins to get, the sky begins to change color a little bit, Ayda looks up, looks at you and says,

1:12:13 Ayda: I should go, not only to do the work that I need to do, but I'm going to research Plane Shift as fast as I can for you.

1:12:27 Fig: Thank you. But does Compass Points really need a library? You should just come with us?

1:12:38 Ayda: That's— I just—

1:12:44 Fig: Yeah, I get it. It's not just your life's work, it's your lives’, plural, work.

1:12:51 Ayda: It meant a lot to many mes. It meant a lot to myself many times.

1:13:00 Fig: Yeah.

1:13:02 Ayda: Not many times. It's only been about 175 years, you know? You know, it meant a lot to the previous three of me.

1:13:14 Fig: Okay, yeah. Then, you should totally go back and do that, and Plane Shift would be appreciated, but I just, when we were hanging out, I didn't want to ask you to do that 'cause I didn't want there to be anything transactional. I know you're all about transactional, but you know, there's a limit to that.

1:13:33 Ayda: Right. I won't charge you for Plane Shift. (laughing)

1:13:43 Fig: Oh, no. I'll definitely pay for Plane Shift. I guess I didn't wanna ask anything of you is what I was trying to say.

1:13:47 Ayda: No, no. Every time people ask something of me, they're people that— It's not that they're people I don't care about, it's that they’re people that don't care about me. When you ask something of me, you do care, and so it's different, and that's exciting. I'm... going to return, even though I desperately and only want to stay.

1:14:19 Fig: Trust me, I really wanna say all the things to make you stay right now, and it is only out of respect for your many lives of work that I'm not doing that. But, you should totally stay. Just stay.

1:14:34 Ayda: [big sigh] Right. (laughing)

1:14:36 Adaine: Where's Fig? Is she safe? Kristen shoves a shrimp into Adaine’s mouth.

1:14:36 Riz: (distressed) She’s dead! She’s gone.

1:14:39 Gorgug: You’re the crab king right now. (overlapping crab party chatter)

1:14:41 Brennan: Ayda says,

1:14:43 Ayda: I'm going to fly you back to Holly Hill, and then I'm going to teleport away.

1:14:46 Fig: Yeah, okay cool. Pretend like I didn't ask you to stay. That was rude of me.

1:14:52 Ayda: I only want that. I only want to stay, and the only thing I want more than to stay is to go and do something for you, and I'm not gonna shrink Compass Points. I'm just gonna research the spell. I'm just gonna research the spell and I'll get back to you, and I'll shrink it later.

1:15:10 Fig: Yeah.

1:15:10 Ayda: That's a priority, and I just would like to see you again.

1:15:15 Fig: That'd be cool.

1:15:17 Ayda: Yeah, absolutely.

1:15:17 Fig: Cool, let's fly.

1:15:20 Brennan: She pulls a fiery feather out of her own wing, (squawking) and hands it to you.

1:15:28 Ayda: You need only hold that aloft and speak my name and I shall know. If anything happened to you in the forest of the Nightmare King— I would just start over.

1:15:47 Fig: Honestly— Oh.

1:15:50 Ayda: I would never forgive myself.

1:15:51 Fig: Really? I was gonna say I'd like to see you in action taking revenge.

1:15:55 Emily: I rip out an ear cuff and I say, (others making disgusted noises)

1:16:00 Fig: If you hold this and speak my name—

1:16:04 Ayda: My thing, actually, there’s a spell for. Is there anything you're doing right now?

1:16:08 Fig: Oh, we're not doing gestures? I thought we were doing gestures.

1:16:10 Ayda: No, mine is extremely literal.

1:16:12 Fig: Oh, mine's a gesture.

1:16:14 Murph: Well if it has blood on it—

1:16:16 Ayda: I will treasure it always.

1:16:16 Fig: You can scry on it.

1:16:18 Ayda: If it does have blood on it, I actually can use this. (laughing)

1:16:21 Brennan: She pockets it, you see she says—

1:16:27 Fig: Sorry I'm not better at this.

1:16:29 Ayda: It's all right. Goodbye for now. By the nine winds and the seven stars and all the secret names of the earth and beyond, I shall see you again. This is my vow.

1:16:41 Fig: “Fuck yeah” is my vow. (Ally laughing)

1:16:44 Ayda: God, you're great and cool. Goodbye! (blasting sounds and others laughing)

1:16:50 Brennan: You guys, after truly an hour, see Fig walk back into the party.

1:16:55 Kristen: Hey!

1:16:55 Riz: She's dead, she ran away. She ran away.

1:16:57 Kristen: It's a shrimp-ret. It's a shrimp secret.

1:17:00 Fabian: Gorgug's the crab king.

1:17:00 Gorgug: I'm the crab king now.

1:17:01 Adaine: I had a.. A half of a beer.

1:17:01 Gorgug: Ragh was the crab king.

1:17:04 Fig: You had a beer?

1:17:04 Adaine: I had a half of a beer.

1:17:07 Fig: This is great, guys. I'm gonna go use the hot tub for awhile.

1:17:12 Adaine: I'll use the hot tub!

1:17:13 Fabian: Don't use the one upstairs. It's filled with shrimp. It's absolutely filled with shrimp.

1:17:18 Riz: It's a shrimp tub.

1:17:18 Kristen: It's a shrimp tub!

1:17:20 Gorgug: It's a shrimp tub and a Gilear tub. Middle tub is good.

1:17:22 Brennan: Tracker is blasted and goes,

1:17:22 Tracker: Let her use the shrimp tub!

1:17:26 Fabian: [pointing dramatically] No!

1:17:26 Adaine: Shrimp tub! Shrimp tub!

1:17:27 Gorgug: We need to talk about this. The rules don’t allow the shrimp tub--

1:17:30 Riz: Leave her alone! Leave her alone!

1:17:31 Kristen: We need you to catch up.

1:17:32 Ally: And I throw Fig two beers.

1:17:34 Zac: I shatter one out of the air. (laughing)

1:17:37 Kristen: Gorgug, you have--

1:17:37 Gorgug: Yeah!

1:17:38 Brennan: You see Ragh goes,

1:17:38 Ragh: 100 points! Hoot, growl, hoot, growl, hoot, growl!

1:17:38 Fabian: Hoot, growl, hoot, growl!

1:17:41 Kristen: That was amazing. Do it again!

1:17:43 Gorgug: Hoot, growl! Crab, king! (cheering, laughing)

1:17:48 Fabian: The Ball, it’s going to be alright, the shrimp will be fine.

1:17:49 Kristen: What sound does a crab make?

1:17:50 Gorgug: It goes, "I'm a little crab." (laughing)

1:17:52 Kristen: Oh, you’re right!

1:17:52 Fabian: I'm a little crab!

1:17:55 Kristen: You're a scientist. [Siobhan folds her arms across her chest and wiggles her fingers, moving left and right, imitating a crab]

1:17:57 Brennan: Fig, you go to the hot tub.

1:18:00 Emily: I lock the door.

1:18:03 Brennan: (laughing) Lock the door.

1:18:04 Ally: This is honestly too autobiographical for me. (laughing)

1:18:09 Brennan: You guys party, you're wasted.

1:18:10 Ally: I feel new.

1:18:12 Brennan: Cool. I'm gonna need a group Wisdom check right now--

1:18:15 Murph: Oh god.

1:18:17 Siobhan: Oh no.

1:18:17 Ally: Oh, ‘cause we’re not, oh—

1:18:19 Brennan: To make sure that mattress night happens. I will roll for Ragh and Tracker, as well.

1:18:26 Siobhan: Can I use Boggy for advantage?

1:18:28 Brennan: Yes, you can.

1:18:29 Lou: Can I wrap The Ball in my sheet and look at him dead in his eyes and say,

1:18:35 Fabian: I.. believe.. in you. Spring break!

1:18:37 Riz: Spring break!

1:18:40 Lou: And give him Bardic Inspiration.

1:18:43 Murph: Oh hey, thank you. (laughing)

1:18:43 Brennan: Hell, yeah.

1:18:44 Zac: I pass my crown of the crab king to you.

1:18:47 Kristen: This is all we needed!

1:18:49 Riz: Honestly, I just wanted to be the crab king.

1:18:51 Gorgug: You’re the crab king.

1:18:52 Riz: [tearily] The whole time, I've been the shrimp. I feel like I've been the shrimp my whole life. I just wanted to be the crab king.

1:18:56 Kristen: No. You're the king crab king.

1:18:58 Riz: It means a lot that you guys made me the crab king.

1:18:59 Gorgug: You’re the crab king now.

1:18:59 Riz: You’re the crab king.

1:19:01 Brennan: What are our wisdom saves? Let's go--

1:19:04 Ally: Interesting.

1:19:04 Emily: Seven.

1:19:05 Zac: 19.

1:19:05 Siobhan: 22.

1:19:06 Murph: Yikes. What is, how much--

1:19:06 Lou: A d6.

1:19:09 Ally: 13.

1:19:09 Murph: d6.

1:19:10 Emily: Can I get a help action from the jets of the hot tub?

1:19:13 Brennan: (laughing) Shh— Pfft.

1:19:15 Lou: 2.

1:19:16 Brennan: 2.

1:19:17 Zac: The most cut off I've ever heard a “sure.” Sure. (laughing)

1:19:21 Murph: 14.

1:19:21 Brennan: 14, and what did you get?

1:19:24 Ally: I think it was a 13. 13.

1:19:24 Brennan: 13, cool. Ragh and Tracker both pass with flying colors, majority of the group passes. You guys remember to pull mattresses out.

1:19:33 Ally: Hell, yeah.

1:19:34 Brennan: You guys awake the following morning—

1:19:42 Zac: (laughing) Sorry.

1:19:42 Brennan: And in the dim— Well, even at this— It's gotta be like one o'clock in the afternoon when all you guys wake up. As you guys do, you look up at the gate, there's some boulders in the forest nearby, as you guys all kind of come to, you see that Sandra Lynn is speaking in elven, Gilear's next to her, there are like 40 wood-elf rangers on boulders, all have arrows knocked in their bow, and you see that Sandra Lynn and Gilear are both talking to this wood-elf ranger. You see that she has got dark, forest green leather bracers, archer's bracers, the archer's gloves, she's got what looks like black hair here, and the sides of her head are shaved, but it's like her hair's graying there a little bit, so it's salt and pepper around here. She has an intense angular face, steel gray eyes. She's speaking, clearly the leader here, but you see that Gilear and Sandra Lynn are also talking to a fox on the ground, just like a red fox that is also speaking up to them, and appear to be directing as many of their responses to the fox as they are to the wood-elf woman.

1:21:11 Siobhan: Are they speaking Sylvan? Is that what they're speaking?

1:21:13 Brennan: They are speaking elvish right now.

1:21:15 Siobhan: Oh, so we all understand, except for Gorgug.

1:21:18 Brennan: Except for Gorgug, yeah. What do you guys do as you awaken?

1:21:21 Emily: I'm gonna turn off the hot tub, 'cause I left it on. (laughing)

1:21:26 Brennan: So, you get all the mattresses, run inside, turn the hot tub off, run back outside.

1:21:30 Emily: Oh, I thought I was waking up in the hot tub.

1:21:32 Brennan: Did you sleep in the house that night?

1:21:34 Emily: No, I slept on the mattress.

1:21:34 Brennan: [giggling] Okay. Cool cool. (Emily laughing)

1:21:40 Lou: I feel like I give a,

1:21:40 Fabian: (whispering) Hey, Gilear's talking to a fox.

1:21:45 Adaine: Yeah.

1:21:46 Fabian: I don't know why, I don't know what's happening.

1:21:47 Kristen: Are they all pointing their arrows at us?

1:21:50 Fabian: Did we party too hard?

1:21:53 Gorgug: Hell, yeah, we did.

1:21:54 Adaine: I shouldn't have had that half a beer. I feel bad.

1:21:55 Kristen: We should all look really respectable right now.

1:21:58 Adaine: Yeah.

1:21:58 Fig: Hoot, growl. Mom?

1:21:58 Brennan: As you begin to awaken, you see that the wood elf woman looks over at you guys and says,

1:22:06 Wood Elf: (a stern and disdainful voice) Ah, not truly children. These are almost adults grown. Come here. (beckons)

1:22:13 Fabian: What?

1:22:14 Brennan: Sandra Lynn goes,

1:22:14 Sandra Lynn: It's all right, guys. Just— (beckons)

1:22:16 Emily: Actually, I'm the representative. I just say,

1:22:17 Fig: Hey, we're here because I'm friends with Grover. Grover offered me this place to stay whenever I was in town.

1:22:28 Brennan: You see that immediately the leader of these rangers looks over and goes,

1:22:37 Wood Elf: You are friend, Grover Tillythatch—

1:22:40 Brennan: —sees that she immediately clocks your horns and looks over at the Hangman, as well. This woman is not about you guys. Go ahead and give me a Persuasion check.

1:22:53 Ally: Can I kind of reach over and cast Guidance on her secretly?

1:22:58 Brennan: Yeah. You can use Guidance. Plus one d4.

1:22:59 Ally: Now, you get a d4. (dice rolling)

1:23:02 Emily: Okay. That is a... 27.

1:23:05 Ally: Ay!

1:23:07 Brennan: (spitting) Cool.

1:23:09 Lou: The way you put that together, I thought it was way lower.

1:23:11 Ally: Yeah, me too.

1:23:11 Brennan: So, I'm gonna say that because you got that insane roll, you immediately look at this woman and clock her as a non-starter, never gonna be won over, nothing at all, but you also clock her body language, and she's second in command to that fox. That fox is actually running shit.

1:23:33 Fig: Hi, Figueroth Faeth.

1:23:33 Emily: I reach out a hand to the fox.

1:23:36 Gorgug: (whispering) Guys. What did the fox say?

1:23:36 Brennan: The fox looks up at you— Ally shakes their finger disapprovingly at Zac.

1:23:39 Fabian: Hey, what did the fox say?

1:23:41 Brennan: I mean, if we reference a meme that is truly 100 years old--

1:23:43 Siobhan: We're restarting it, baby.

1:23:46 Lou: It’s not a meme, it’s a song. It's an incredible song by two incredible artists.

1:23:51 Brennan: (groaning) You see that the—

1:23:51 Ally: Uh oh.

1:23:51 Siobhan: Get in the comments, guys.

1:23:57 Brennan: Not my catchphrase. (laughing)

1:24:00 Brennan: You see that the fox looks up at you, with 27 Persuasion, you hold out your hand, you see the fox goes,

1:24:03 Fox: (an old, warm, and kind voice) A handshake for a fox? My goodness, I accept.

1:24:10 Brennan: And you see he puts the paw up. [Emily and Brennan mime shaking hand and paw]

1:24:10 Fox: Hello!

1:24:12 Fig: Okay, I'm leading this handshake.

1:24:14 Brennan: You may see that this fox is an older animal. He's a spry, slinky kind of fox, but he's clearly up there in years. So, you see he looks up and says,

1:24:25 Fox: Well, I appreciate the deference and respect. Normally, outsiders don't necessarily pay me that sort of kindness.

1:24:35 Ally: I bow to the fox.

1:24:37 Fox: Oh, we're fully doing it. Okay.

1:24:39 Emily: All right, I bow, too.

1:24:39 Murph: And, I also bow to him.

1:24:41 Fabian: (bowing) Lord fox.

1:24:43 Brennan: You see that the woman speaks and says,

1:24:47 Mira: Good morning, or I should say afternoon. My name is Mira Silverbow. This is the leader of our encampment, Nuathera the Fox.

1:24:58 Brennan: You see the fox says,

1:24:58 Nuathera: I'm Nuathera. (laughing)

1:25:02 Fig: Hi Nuathera. I'm Fig. (pointing) This is Gorgug, that's Adaine.

1:25:06 Nuathera: Oh?

1:25:06 Fabian: Fabian.

1:25:07 Fig: (pointing) That's Fabian, that's Kristen, that's Riz, and this is Gilear.

1:25:11 Nuathera: You all smell like good food, like fish and shrimps.

1:25:14 Gorgug: And, we needed a lot of crab.

1:25:15 Adaine: You want some?

1:25:15 Fig: Cra-chos.

1:25:16 Riz: We went a little seafood crazy.

1:25:19 Fabian: Do you uh, want one? [Lou mimes patting his pockets then grunts, tossing a shrimp towards Brennan]

1:25:21 Brennan: You toss a warm pocket shrimp to the fox. (laughing)

1:25:23 Brennan: The fox jumps up and (slurp) grabs it.

1:25:23 Nuathera: Ooh, that's quite good.

1:25:29 Kristen: Right?

1:25:29 Nuathera: It's extremely good. And, you know Grover Tillythatch?

1:25:35 Fig: Oh, yeah, Grover invited me to stay here any time I wanted, so I'm taking him up on the offer. I'm a rockstar, so he's probably kissing a bit of butt, you know?

1:25:44 Brennan: Mira furrows her brow and says,

1:25:44 Mira: A rock star?

1:25:47 Adaine: A bard, a musician.

1:25:49 Mira: You're a troubadour. Oh, I see the stringed Solisian instrument on your back.

1:25:53 Brennan: You see that she looks around and says,

1:25:55 Mira: You come here bearing strange objects. You have a house on wheels, a very small house.

1:26:03 Brennan: And you see that she says,

1:26:03 Mira: Strange to bring such objects here.

1:26:08 Brennan: You see Nuathera looks up and says,

1:26:10 Nuathera: Mira, Grover Tillythatch lives in Solace. These are clearly Solisians. This all checks out. It's all right. Well, welcome to Arborly. (to Fig) Do you speak for the group here? Your guardian, Sandra Lynn of the wood elves, and your advisor, Gilear Faeth, were speaking on your behalf but said that they are in fact servants of yours, even though you are youths. Is this correct?

1:26:42 Fig: Yes.

1:26:42 Adaine: Well, they're actually her parents.

1:26:44 Fig: Yeah, they're my parents.

1:26:46 Nuathera: Your parents work for you?

1:26:48 Brennan: You see Sandra Lynn goes,

1:26:48 Sandra Lynn: I don’t, uh—

1:26:48 Adaine: Showbiz is a complicated—

1:26:53 Fig: Yeah.

1:26:54 Brennan: You see Gilear goes,

1:26:54 Gilear: I actually work for the collective. I'm an intern.

1:26:59 Fig: No, Gilear.

1:26:59 Adaine: No, Gilear.

1:27:00 Fig: You've been promoted to advisor.

1:27:01 Adaine: You're an assistant. (laughing)

1:27:04 Brennan: So, you see that Nuathera says,

1:27:06 Nuathera: I don't know those words too well, but it sounds like we've just seen a promotion! Congratulations.

1:27:13 Brennan: You see that Gilear says,

1:27:13 Gilear: Thank you. It's actually kind of huge for me.

1:27:19 Emily: I'm gonna message Adaine and say,

1:27:20 Fig: Should we just be straight with them, that we're going into the Nightmare Forest? [soft ambient music plays]

1:27:31 Adaine: Oh, uh.. Maybe? That makes me nervous. Everything makes me nervous. Sure, why not?

1:27:38 Fig: We're going into the Nightmare Forest.

1:27:41 Brennan: Arrows full back.

1:27:41 Emily: Okay!

1:27:43 Brennan: All of that. Go ahead and give me another Persuasion check with disadvantage.

1:27:51 Siobhan: Can I give her the help action?

1:27:54 Brennan: I'm gonna actually ask, hit a DC10 Persuasion yourself to be able to cancel out the disadvantage.

1:28:01 Siobhan: Nope.

1:28:01 Brennan: Nope. You have a little twinge of anxiety. You know that you should say something, but—

1:28:05 Ally: (to Emily) You still get a d4.

1:28:08 Siobhan: I just slightly slip behind her.

1:28:10 Brennan: Yeah.

1:28:10 Adaine: Yeah! (dice rolling)

1:28:15 Emily: It's gonna be a— Oh, wait! My Persuasion’s really good. Okay, that is gonna be an 18.

1:28:21 Brennan: 18. Cool.

1:28:21 Zac: That’s crazy. (laughing)

1:28:22 Brennan: That’s amazing. Cool. As they all draw bows, you see that Mira looks angry, but Nuathera doesn't look angry, but you see that his little fox's smile fades. What does Fig say in this sort of tense moment?

1:28:39 Fig: Sorry, sorry. I'm really sorry. That was an idea. We're part of a charity, we bring—

1:28:48 Adaine: I'm the Oracle, and was the Elven Oracle, but I decided to be the Oracle for all people because I think that being the Oracle for just the elves is immoral, and it's a thing that we have to do. It's a prophecy.

1:29:08 Brennan: Anyone who wants to go ahead and give me an Insight check. (dice rolling)

1:29:10 Murph: Sweet.

1:29:13 Siobhan: Hell, yeah.

1:29:13 Lou: Oh, that just went into the--

1:29:15 Siobhan: Into my coffee.

1:29:17 Murph: I got a 21 Insight.

1:29:17 Siobhan: I got a 25 Insight.

1:29:19 Ally: Oh, yeah! I got--

1:29:22 Brennan: Did anyone here beat a 20?

1:29:24 Ally: By far. I got a 25.

1:29:25 Siobhan: 25.

1:29:26 Brennan: (pointing) 25, 25.

1:29:26 Murph: 21.

1:29:28 Brennan: You guys all see it. As Adaine starts talking and says, "oracle," you see rangers whispering to each other and pointing at Adaine. Mira furrows her brow and Nuathera cocks his head to the side and says,

1:29:44 Nuathera: Yes. You are a high elf?

1:29:47 Adaine: Mhm.

1:29:50 Nuathera: And you are truly the Elven Oracle, I do not detect any lie in your words. [mystical, twinkling music]

1:30:01 Nuathera: Do you, as the Oracle who knows many secrets, know of any other high elves who are seeking passage into the Forest of the Nightmare King?

1:30:12 Adaine: Well, I think it's possible that two might have done that.

1:30:19 Nuathera: Two that bear your same flaxen hair, and the blue of your eyes.

1:30:24 Adaine: Yes, but we are not working with them. In fact, we are rather explicitly working against them. That's why we're trying to get into the forest.

1:30:32 Murph: Riz is really sweaty. (laughing)

1:30:36 Murph: Just super hungover and nervous about being around a bunch of people.

1:30:38 Siobhan: Shrimp sweats.

1:30:40 Emily: I'm prune-y from the hot tub.

1:30:43 Brennan: You see that Nuathera looks up and says,

1:30:48 Nuathera: You're not working with them?

1:30:49 Siobhan: No.

1:30:50 Nuathera: Huh. I see.

1:30:52 Kristen: Are you working for them?

1:30:55 Brennan: Nuathera smiles. Mira says,

1:30:55 Mira: Still your tongue, human.

1:31:01 Riz: (whispering to Kristen) So, that's a no.

1:31:01 Kristen: (whispering) That's a no.

1:31:05 Fig: (whispering) I'm sorry guys. I really thought maybe honesty was my new role in life, but I'm gonna go back to deceit. (various sounds of disagreement)

1:31:11 Riz: That's good. It’s good. I support you.

1:31:13 Adaine: Maybe, maybe context based—

1:31:15 Gorgug: (frustrated) What the hell are we talking about? (laughing)

1:31:17 Riz: You're the crab king. Crab king.

1:31:18 Brennan: Yeah, Ragh is in the back with you, also unable to speak elven. He's like,

1:31:21 Ragh: Things seem fucking tense.

1:31:23 Gorgug: I think they got it, though. (laughing)

1:31:26 Riz: We think there's a demonic plot to do something in these woods.

1:31:37 Brennan: You see that they look around, Mira says,

1:31:40 Mira: A demonic plot. Is that why your tiefling leader in this clearly infernal contraption—

1:31:49 Brennan: She points to the Hangman,

1:31:50 Mira: --have come here to attempt to stop this?

1:31:51 Adaine: This contraption's actually pretty celestial. If you'd like to do—

1:31:53 Brennan: The Hangman.

1:31:54 Adaine: Oh, the Hangman is definitely uh.. Yeah.

1:31:58 Riz: We have a lot of vehicles and they all have similar names.

1:31:59 Adaine: Morality is complex and the heavens and the hells hold more than we know or can understand.

1:32:06 Mira: Morality's complex.

1:32:06 Adaine: Yes.

1:32:09 Mira: I would expect a high elf to say nothing else.

1:32:11 Brennan: Nuathera cuts that off right away and says,

1:32:17 Nuathera: I understand. We are in a little bit of a tizzy as a village. For the past several months, a high elven woman took up residence here.

1:32:38 Fig: In this tree?

1:32:38 Nuathera: Not in this tree. She had a room in the Owl and Harp, which is an elvish tavern some small distance away. She took on the service of one of our own, a wood elf named Killian. Killian was a drunkard, and a bit of a cruel man, but he ended up offering his services to this high elf woman. She kept to herself and her business was much her own, but she did have some interactions with the gnomes at the Tinkerer's Hall. Last, I suppose now two nights ago, another high elven woman arrived here looking much the worse for wear.

1:33:32 Fabian: And gassy?

1:33:34 Brennan: You see that Mira says,

1:33:34 Mira: How'd you know that? (Emily laughing)

1:33:37 Mira: Her stench— Her stench filled the night as she walked.

1:33:43 Fig: I think someone had a really good idea, and it didn't work out.

1:33:45 Mira: It was extremely— I mean everyone farts, right? But it was extremely jarring 'cause she clearly couldn't control it and not all of them were purely farts. (laughing)

1:33:52 Fabian: Oh boy.

1:33:58 Mira: Many of them tread on the other side of the line.

1:34:01 Fig: They smelled and sounded so potently so someone could follow her, even if she was invisible.

1:34:07 Mira: She had to look for the other high elven woman at the Owl and Harp, and she, I think, was so embarrassed that she started crying.

1:34:14 Gorgug: Ragh, I think through body language, they're talking about farts. I don't know why. (laughing)

1:34:19 Ragh: Yeah, you can tell from the nose curl they're smelling the air.

1:34:20 Gorgug: It's a lot of. [fans his face]

1:34:22 Ragh: [copies the motion] Yeah, absolutely.

1:34:27 Brennan: You see Nuathera says,

1:34:27 Nuathera: Two nights ago, Killian and both high elves vanished.

1:34:38 Fig: Two nights ago.

1:34:38 Kristen: That's bad.

1:34:41 Fig: Into thin air or into the shadows?

1:34:46 Nuathera: Can't be sure.

1:34:46 Zac: Is there a world where I understood the elvish word for “tinkerer”?

1:34:51 Brennan: I think that Tracker is translating some of this for you guys, yeah.

1:34:58 Gorgug: I'm curious why they were meeting at the Tinkerer's Hall.

1:35:00 Adaine: Yeah.

1:35:01 Gorgug: What's going on with the tinkerers?

1:35:05 Adaine: Our friend's parents are gnomish tinkerers.

1:35:09 Zac: I speak gnomish. Can I come over here with--

1:35:11 Brennan: Yeah.

1:35:11 Fig: Yeah, could you take over?

1:35:14 Zac: (silly upbeat accent) Hey. (laughing)

1:35:14 Brennan: You walk over. You speak gnomish. You see that Nuathera speaks gnomish, as well.

1:35:18 Gorgug: Hey. I'm Gorgug, I'm also a part of this group.

1:35:22 Brennan: You see Mira turns to Nuathera and says,

1:35:25 Mira: [disapprovingly] This group travels with elves, orcs, and goblins?

1:35:28 Brennan: And Nuathera looks up and says something. Who here speaks Sylvan?

1:35:32 Siobhan: No.

1:35:32 Brennan: Nope. He says something in Sylvan and Mira kind of lowers her head and he says,

1:35:36 Nuathera: What is your name?

1:35:39 Gorgug: I'm Gorgug Thistlespring.

1:35:41 Nuathera: Gor— Thistlespring?

1:35:42 Gorgug: My parents are gnomes, tinkerers, and I think I overheard something about tinkerers, and I was wondering what they were doing with those?

1:35:50 Nuathera: Yes. We have a large part of our community are gnomes here. The druid who gave their life to reclaim Arborly from the Forest of the Nightmare King was a gnome, and the gnomes have lived here under the protection of the wood elves for some time, and in exchange for their protection have worked on their magic and made this place livable and safe, even under the shadow of the forest.

1:36:22 Ally: I message Gorgug and say,

1:36:22 Kristen: Ask what the person's name is. Everyone yells at me when I talk. (Emily laughing)

1:36:28 Gorgug: Wait, someone gave their life for that? Who was that?

1:36:33 Nuathera: Grafmy Rootdrinker. This was about 200 years ago.

1:36:42 Brennan: You see the fox, his eyes well up with tears a little bit.

1:36:50 Nuathera: Grafmy was a hero and a very good friend.

1:36:58 Gorgug: I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry. What were we talking about?

1:37:06 Riz: The tinkerers?

1:37:06 Gorgug: The tinkerers. Do you know why— do you have any idea why they could've gone over there?

1:37:14 Nuathera: We've asked the Tinkerers what business Killian would come on for occasion. We believe it to have been spell components. The Tinkerers are not necessarily wizards, but they do keep many of the components that both artificers and wizards would use in their doings, but the Tinkerer's Hall is a wonderful bloom to this place. They've helped us hollow out the trees without the trees dying, and create our homes, and keep this place hidden and safe. So, we owe them a great deal. If you wish to visit and you know gnomish ways, I'm sure they would be delighted. It's right near the Owl and Harp, which is the gnomish tavern, as well. Much of the, let me put it this way, this was originally a wood elven settlement, but much of the heart of our little town is gnomish, the tavern, the Tinkerer's Hall.

1:38:18 Brennan: The wood elves, you see, looks around to their companions, and he's speaking gnomish. You see a lot of the elves seem to not be understanding what he's saying in gnomish. He's like,

1:38:24 Nuathera: The elves, they're dedicated to their mission here. Most of the wood elves who live here are part of Mira's order and rangers. You are welcome here if Grover Tillythatch, I take you on your word, and you seem a lovely young bunch, though we have not had such a wild and a fascinating assortment of folks come through Arborly in some time. I would ask why you seek the Forest of the Nightmare King. You say that there are demonic pacts on the other side?

1:39:14 Gorgug: Well, I think, it feels like the Nightmare King, someone's trying to bring the Nightmare King back, and we're trying to stop it.

1:39:22 Brennan: You say the Nightmare King. The other elves don't know what you're saying because you're speaking in gnomish, but Nuathera's eyes go wide and he says,

1:39:30 Nuathera: The return of the Nightmare King? The Nightmare King was destroyed. His crown, I believe, taken to a deep pit under a pyramid or something along those lines, kept in one of the safest places and the group of adventurers from Solace came and stowed it away somewhere safe where it could never be found.

1:39:50 Riz: It was in, like a dude's office.

1:39:54 Nuathera: What?

1:39:55 Riz: It was just in like a dude's office.

1:39:57 Nuathera: (voice raising) What? It's an incredibly powerful talisman.

1:40:00 Adaine: Just at our school.

1:40:02 Nuathera: At your school?!

1:40:02 Fabian: I could have taken it. I didn't take it, but I could have.

1:40:05 Riz: Yeah we saw it. We went in-- we were going through this dude's garbage. We saw this crown.

1:40:09 Fig: It was practically next to the lost and found box.

1:40:12 Adaine: Yeah.

1:40:12 Gorgug: It was in a dude's office.

1:40:13 Kristen: This is just a different crown of seafood if you wanna crab—

1:40:17 Nuathera: (yelling) I don't want crab right now. That crown, if it gets to the Nightmare King—

1:40:22 Kristen: See, everyone yells at me.

1:40:23 Nuathera: Arborly's gonna be destroyed. All of this will be for nothing.

1:40:27 Riz: Trust me, this is our whole thing, is stopping the Nightmare King.

1:40:29 Gorgug: I'm gonna run over to the Tinkerer's place.

1:40:30 Fabian: It’s 60% of our grade.

1:40:30 Nuathera: What's that?

1:40:32 Fabian: 60% of our grade. We’re students.

1:40:35 Adaine: So, it's very important.

1:40:36 Nuathera: You've come here to save our entire way of life because the crown of the Nightmare King, instead of being deep inside some kind of temple, was on a shelf in an office—

1:40:40 Gorgug: (defensive) We didn't put it on the shelf.

1:40:44 Adaine: We didn’t put it there.

1:40:47 Fabian: We didn’t put it there.

1:40:49 Riz: We didn’t put it there. We go to the school. This is one of our teachers. This is one of our mentors.

1:40:52 Gorgug: I'm gonna run over to the tinkerer place at an alarming speed. (laughing)

1:40:55 Gorgug: I don't want anyone to shoot me with an arrow. Is that okay?

1:41:00 Nuathera: Oh, no. Well, where's the— I'm sorry, where is the Nightmare King's crown now?

1:41:04 Adaine: We think that my mother has it. So, she's gone with Killian and my sister with the crown of the Nightmare King into the forest.

1:41:14 Fig: That's why we're trying to stop her.

1:41:15 Adaine: That's why we're trying to stop it.

1:41:16 Fabian: Yeah.

1:41:16 Gorgug: Yep.

1:41:17 Brennan: Nuathera looks up and says something in Sylvan to Mira. Mira actually sort of is incredulous. They speak in Sylvan for a moment. Nuathera says,

1:41:26 Nuathera: We do not have a way to help you, but every resource of our village is at your disposal if indeed the crown of the Nightmare King has even a chance of crossing the border.

1:41:40 Fabian: Hell, yeah.

1:41:41 Fig: Okay. So, telling the truth can sometimes be good.

1:41:43 Gorgug: It worked out.

1:41:43 Adaine: Yeah. A good lesson for you.

1:41:45 Riz: I support you. Spring break.

1:41:46 Kristen: Do you guys think that they--

1:41:47 Riz: Spring break, everybody.

1:41:48 Fabian: I believe in you. I believe in you.

1:41:50 Brennan: Gilear looks at you all and says,

1:41:52 Gilear: Spring break.

1:41:52 All: Spring break.

1:41:53 Riz: I support you.

1:41:53 Adaine: I have a question. I had a vision, Oracle, of a wood elf who was sort of half-dead and attached to a tree that was feeding him, and he could see me. Is that a thing that you might know anything about?

1:42:09 Kristen: Can you ask to see a photo of Killian?

1:42:12 Adaine: Oh! Do you mean so I can scry on Killian?

1:42:15 Kristen: Or to see if it was the same person who looked at you.

1:42:17 Adaine: Oh, yeah.

1:42:17 Fabian: I don't think photos exist.

1:42:19 Adaine: I don't think it would be because Killian was in--

1:42:21 Gorgug: Killian's a gnome, right?

1:42:21 Brennan: No, Killian's a wood elf.

1:42:24 Kristen: Yeah, and they need a wood elf to--

1:42:26 Adaine: But they don't have photographs.

1:42:27 Fabian: Yeah. I mean we could describe him--

1:42:29 Fig: If we go to Killian’s house though, we could get his hair.

1:42:31 Riz: Do you know what-- do you know what um, Killian. Could you describe Killian to us, and can you describe what this druid hero Rootdrinker looked like?

1:42:39 Nuathera: Yes. Killian keeps his hair cropped short, brown hair, hazel eyes. Unlike a lot of elves, he actually has a small beard. He was able to grow facial hair.

1:42:54 Brennan: Immediately, you know it's not the person.

1:42:55 Siobhan: Great.

1:42:55 Brennan: Not the person you saw. Unless the dude grew a beard out in two hours.

1:43:00 Kristen: And the Rootdrinker was a druid?

1:43:02 Nuathera: Grafmy Rootdrinker was a gnomish druid.

1:43:04 Riz: Gnome, okay got it.

1:43:04 Kristen: Gnomish druid. Okay, cool. Okay.

1:43:05 Fabian: Cool.

1:43:06 Riz: Great.

1:43:06 Gorgug: (hesitant) Are you— Were you the familiar of that—

1:43:16 Nuathera: I was the companion for Grafmy.

1:43:18 Kristen: Aw.

1:43:18 Nuathera: He was very kind. He awakened me when I was a pup, and I had many adventures with Grafmy, and now I look after the town and the place he reclaimed. Places of note that would be helpful here, I would talk to the Tinkerers in their hall, the Owl and the Harp knew the comings and goings, at least, of that high elven woman. The only other thing I can think, we, of course, have been trying for as long as memory can give to find a way past the wall, and we cannot, but you are welcome to investigate it, and perhaps you have magic that we do not have access to, and you might also try, there is a possible entry point that might be easier, at least it's on the ground, which is the Shrine of Thorns.

1:44:13 Brennan: And, you see that Mira looks at him and says,

1:44:15 Mira: You offered them the Shrine of Thorns?

1:44:17 Brennan: He says,

1:44:17 Nuathera: If what they say is true, then we are all in grave peril unless action is taken quickly.

1:44:25 Brennan: Nuathera looks up at you and says,

1:44:29 Nuathera: (sighing) The Shrine of Thorns is not a special place. It is not any great temple. It was just this village's shrine to a forgotten goddess of Sylvaire, who--

1:44:44 Adaine: Heard of her.

1:44:48 Nuathera: [looks surprised] Miraculous. The shrine is called the Shrine of Thorns because it is at the very edge of what we were able to reclaim. Grafmy's sacrifice enabled us to reach the front of the shrine, but the actual dais of the chapel, and it is a small shrine, is still claimed by briars of the briar wall.

1:45:10 Kristen: Do you know anything about Landrin Lier?

1:45:14 Brennan: Hold on one second. (dice rolling) They look up. You see the people look around, sort of shrug. Mira goes,

1:45:24 Mira: It's a wood elven name, but not familiar.

1:45:30 Adaine: What about the Sylvairian Heresy?

1:45:37 Brennan: (dice rolling) You see that Mira shrugs, looks over at Nuathera. Nuathera says,

1:45:43 Nuathera: That sounds like the exact sort of cleric nonsense that Grafmy did everything possible to avoid. But...

1:45:56 Brennan: You see—

1:45:58 Kristen: Just to recap, do they need to put the crystal of the demon into—

1:46:05 Adaine: Into a person and then sacrifice them.

1:46:06 Kristen: A wood elf?

1:46:07 Riz: Yeah, I think it's likely that Killian is in great danger.

1:46:10 Kristen: Yeah.

1:46:12 Riz: I think Killian is a stooge, probably.

1:46:14 Fig: Do you think they're beyond though? Do you think they've already gone through?

1:46:18 Riz: No, I don't think so 'cause the wall's still up, right?

1:46:20 Adaine: I can Scry for them.

1:46:21 Fig: But I'm saying, I'm wondering if I could because I'm infernal, I know most magic won't be able to get by it, but if I did a really fiery Dimension Door, if I could just Dimension Door to that dais that's covered in thorns.

1:46:36 Riz: They want to-- So, here's something that's bad. It seems like the good guys here want to get rid of this wall, but so do the bad guys. Right? Is that wrong?

1:46:49 Gorgug: I thought that they had already gone through with Gorthalax's crystal.

1:46:53 Fig: Why don't you Scry on your mom and sister?

1:46:55 Adaine: Yeah. It takes 10 minutes.

1:46:56 Kristen: Can you do something to talk to your dad in the crystal? Is that crazy?

1:46:59 Fig: I don't have any spells. I'll Message if he's within 100-- No, I think I have to see him to Message. Yeah, I don't have any spells that do that kinda of stuff.

1:47:08 Kristen: No daughter's intuition?

1:47:08 Fig: I mean, I can try.

1:47:11 Fabian: Yeah, don't you have a feat, daughter's intuition?

1:47:14 Emily: Yeah, can I tap into my daughter's intuition? (laughing)

1:47:18 Brennan: Sure, what—

1:47:18 Adaine: Actually, can I do Locate Creature on my mom before I waste my one fifth level spell on scrying?

1:47:26 Brennan: Absolutely. You see Nuathera walks over to you and says,

1:47:29 Nuathera: You have your leave to venture through the town. I apologize for the aggressive welcome.

1:47:35 Adaine: Fully understandable.

1:47:37 Brennan: You see that he says,

1:47:37 Nuathera: You have your leave to travel here. The Nightmare King was defeated by a strange band of Solisians who came to these lands, even before my time, and we are delighted.

1:47:51 Brennan: You see that he eyes Mira and says,

1:47:53 Nuathera: Even if we don't look it, for a strange band of Solisians to once again appear at our doorstep.

1:47:58 Kristen: Thank you. Would you like a little shrimp on each paw?

1:48:01 Nuathera: [delighted] Each paw?

1:48:01 Kristen: Mhm.

1:48:02 Nuathera: Yes! (Emily laughing) (Brennan chomping)

1:48:06 Kristen: Yes, I love it.

1:48:09 Fabian: (clapping) Yes!

1:48:09 Brennan: So, you see the fox who's kind of the mayor of the town or something.

1:48:15 Lou: The fox mayor.

1:48:15 Brennan: You see that Nuathera says,

1:48:21 Nuathera: If you need me, the rangers will be active throughout the day, any ranger may call to me, I will come swiftly as my legs can carry me, but feel free, again, to the town's resources, such as I have the authority to offer them, are yours. And I will let the people of the town know you are to be helped and with all urgency in this matter.

1:48:45 Brennan: You see he looks at you specifically, Fig, and says,

1:48:47 Nuathera: Thank you for your forthrightness.

1:48:49 Fig: Oh, you're welcome.

1:48:49 Kristen: Great job.

1:48:51 Fig: Thanks, guys. Yeah. I'm trying it out.

1:48:53 Kristen: Something's different about you.

1:48:54 Fig: Nothing's different about me. I'm the same as I ever was. What are you implying?

1:48:58 Riz: Did you get your kiss--

1:48:59 Brennan: Tracker on a natural 17 looks at you and says,

1:49:03 Tracker: Something is different about you.

1:49:05 Adaine: Is your hair singed?

1:49:05 Murph: Can I investigate Fig to see if Fig got her kisses in? (laughing)

1:49:08 Brennan: Everyone roll an insight—

1:49:10 Fig: How did I get my kisses in? How? (dice rolling)

1:49:14 Riz: You were gone for a while

1:49:14 Siobhan: I got a 17 Insight.

1:49:15 Murph: I got a 28 Investigative. (laughing)

1:49:15 Brennan: (incredulous) A 28 Investigative?

1:49:19 Emily: Wait, wait, wait. I get to roll. I get to roll. Okay.

1:49:23 Brennan: Roll Deception.

1:49:23 Emily: Okay, Deception, and since I have my actor feat can I get advantage on it?

1:49:29 Brennan: I'm gonna say that you're not pretending to be another person, you're trying to conceal something, so this is a flat Deception check. What was your Investigation?

1:49:36 Murph: 28.

1:49:36 Brennan: 28.

1:49:37 Ally: You also have the four, the d4 from me.

1:49:42 Emily: Okay. Even with a d4 I can't. I got a 22.

1:49:48 Brennan: 22. Uh, Riz.

1:49:50 Emily: Wait, luck point! (laughing)

1:49:52 Zac: Oh, my god.

1:49:54 Emily: 27. Luck point. (laughing)

1:49:54 Zac: No!

1:49:57 Emily: 27 again. My last luck point.

1:49:58 Murph: Oh, my god.

1:50:00 Ally: You could roll the d4!

1:50:00 Siobhan: Idiot.

1:50:01 Ally: Roll the d4 on any of those!

1:50:04 Emily: I got a four. I beat it, I beat it, I beat it, I beat it! Woo!

1:50:08 Brennan: You burnt—

1:50:08 Ally: Oh my god!

1:50:09 Brennan: You were at the fucking threshold of the Nightmare King's forest—

1:50:13 Emily: I only burned through two of them, I only burned two of them!

1:50:14 Brennan: And you burnt through two luck points to not get found out about your crush!

1:50:20 Murph: Oh, my god.

1:50:20 Brennan: This is the most teen shit I've ever seen in my life. Hoo, baby!

1:50:26 Fig: What do you see, Riz? What do you see?

1:50:28 Riz: I don't know. I guess, did you have some good crab?

1:50:34 Brennan: Ragh looks and says,

1:50:34 Ragh: Fig had good crab!

1:50:37 Fabian: I left the good crab by the hot tub. Oh! Okay! You had good crab!

1:50:44 Brennan: Nuathera and the wood elves peel off, Sandra Lynn turns to you and says,

1:50:47 Sandra Lynn: All right, gang. We appear to be in a safe spot right now. Do we want to split up, cover more territory? Sounds like time might be of the essence, but maybe we should hold off for Adaine, for you to hit that Scrying?

1:51:00 Adaine: Oh, yeah.

1:51:00 Siobhan: Can I cast Locate Creature first and see if they're within 1000 feet?

1:51:05 Brennan: Cool. You cast locate creature, do not detect within 1000 feet.

1:51:07 Siobhan: Okay, then I will Scry on, yeah, my mother because Aelwen has Abjurative magic, so I feel like she would maybe be able to hide herself.

1:51:16 Brennan: Hell, yeah. Hold on one—

1:51:18 Zac: Gorgug’s gonna run towards the tinkerers.

1:51:19 Lou: Can I hop on—

1:51:20 Brennan: Sandra Lynn says,

1:51:20 Sandra Lynn: You're gonna head there right now? Do you need any company with you while you head there or no?

1:51:25 Gorgug: I don't know. If anybody wants to come, they can come.

1:51:26 Adaine: Take Ragh with you, right?

1:51:27 Gorgug: Ragh.

1:51:27 Fabian: I can hop on the Hangman.

1:51:29 Riz: I'll go to the tavern.

1:51:30 Brennan: Cool.

1:51:30 Fabian: I'll take us there if as many of us wanna ride on the Hangman, as possible.

1:51:33 Adaine: I could also go to the tavern.

1:51:34 Riz: Okay.

1:51:35 Brennan: Cool. Ragh's like,

1:51:35 Ragh: Hell yeah, man. Let's do it. Hoot growl.

1:51:39 Brennan: So, Ragh's gonna go with you. And Fabian, and are you heading with them? Cool. So, the Owlbears all with the Hangman, all head to the Tinkerer's Hall, Adaine and Riz are heading to the Owl and the Harp, but Adaine, you do your Scrying first. Okay?

1:51:56 Siobhan: Yeah. So, they-- the target must make their Wisdom saving throw, which is modified by how well you know the target. So, I know her firsthand. So, that's minus five to her, and I also have her likeness or picture, and that's minus two, so it's minus seven.

1:52:19 Brennan: Minus seven to her roll.

1:52:21 Siobhan: Do I get more than that because she's my literal mother and so I have genes?

1:52:25 Brennan: Your literal mother. You share mitochondria with her. Yeah.

1:52:27 Siobhan: Right.

1:52:28 Brennan: I'm gonna say minus seven is pretty good.

1:52:31 Siobhan: Great.

1:52:32 Brennan: So, we'll just go with a minus seven. ♪ Ba ba bum ♪

1:52:35 Ally: Do you have Divination, also?

1:52:39 Siobhan: Yes, but I rolled well for my Divination rolls, which is not useful.

1:52:45 Brennan: And, that is a Wisdom saving throw?

1:52:47 Siobhan: It's a Wisdom saving throw, yes.

1:52:48 Brennan: Cool.

1:52:49 Lou: That’s a Wisdom saving throw.

1:53:01 Brennan: (vibrating his lips) Adaine, your sensor shows you-- Hold on one second. [calm, light music stops abruptly and eerie, sinister music fades in]

1:53:09 Siobhan: Uh oh. The music changed.

1:53:17 Brennan: You put your sensor up. You are in a forest so dark and twisted. Describing how knotted, gnarled, and twisted the limbs are here, it is better and easier to describe this place as almost being subterranean than like a forest. Telling what is a trunk and what is a limb and what is a branch, everything is tunnel's of interlocked branches. It has the vibe of caves almost, made of knotted, gnarled trees. Sometimes traveling on the ground is possible, sometimes not. You get this image of this insane, nightmare-ish forest. You see three figures walking, your mother in a deep elven traveling cloak, you see that she has nasty scars on her. Give me an Arcana check.

1:54:26 Siobhan: Uh, 15.

1:54:26 Brennan: 15? You look at the scars on her. You're guessing related to the curse, and on 15—

1:54:34 Siobhan: The crown's curse?

1:54:36 Brennan: On a 15, you're wondering if the curse that your mom got broke was the crown's curse. You know that this crown has some intense stuff on it, but it's also a possibility that Fallinel just placed a curse on this to track it or stop someone from stealing, doing exactly what your mom did, and it looks like your mom suffered the consequences before she was able to get to Garthy and have them break the curse. Another figure is walking with her, Aelwen, who is dressed in wood elven traveling garb. [the music intensifies for a moment, dark and crashing]

1:55:14 Siobhan: Sneaky.

1:55:14 Brennan: Sneaky. And, there is a wood elf traveling with them. The wood elf isn't wearing boots or a shirt. You see that just bloody footsteps move behind him. His eyes burn with a dull, red glow, blood has seeped out of his eye sockets into his beard, and his throat has been slit. And from the slit in his throat, his sternum broken apart, and you see a fire roiling in the open, exposed wound of his wide chest, and a gem (rumbling) glowing inside him. Is there anyone near-- or when you cast the Scrying, where are you?

1:56:17 Siobhan: I feel like I'm where we were, like next to the Hangman.

1:56:18 Brennan: So, you do this real quick before people-- I think maybe you guys head to the Tinkerer's Hall, you do this.

1:56:23 Riz: Yeah. I’m with--

1:56:27 Brennan: As you cast this scrying, immediately, and you see that there is a dull, red glow ahead of them, like the burning ruby in this exposed chest that has been ripped open is just casting red light about 20 feet of radiance ahead of it as they move through. Killian, this wood elf, Riz was correct, this is now a puppet. This is just like moving through and this would have been Riz if you had not saved him at the Hotel Cavalier. The moment your Scrying happens, Aelwen turns up (dice rolling) hits your scrying sensor, dispels it.

1:57:17 Siobhan: I relay all of that to everybody that's still here.

1:57:21 Brennan: Give me an Insight check with advantage, if you'd be so kind.

1:57:28 Siobhan: (dice rolling) Ooh, baby. Uh, 25.

1:57:36 Brennan: None of the three people that were traveling spotted your sensor. It was too fast. [bare, spooky piano music that turns into something darker]

1:57:54 Siobhan: Mhm... Can I Message—

1:57:54 Adaine: I think Kalina might, can you see Kalina right here? Is Kalina here?

1:58:00 Riz: I don't see Kalina.

1:58:02 Ally: I look for Kalina also. I would be able to see her, too.

1:58:05 Zac: I can't see her. Or, I can't see that photo at least, I don’t know if—

1:58:12 Brennan: Yeah. You look around for Kalina. Riz, make a perception check for me, and Kristen, as well.

1:58:23 Murph: (dice rolling) 19.

1:58:26 Ally: (dice rolling) Nat 20.

1:58:28 Brennan: Kristen, off in the shadows you just see a pair of eyes looking out at you.

1:58:35 Kristen: Fuck you! (Ally laughing)

1:58:37 Brennan: The eyes are narrow and the pupils go until they are razor thin.

1:58:43 Kristen: We know who you are.

1:58:45 Kalina: You don't even know what I am.

1:58:47 Kristen: Uh huh.

1:58:49 Brennan: You see Kalina steps out. Riz, you cannot see Kalina right now. You see that Kalina steps out, looks at you and says, [eerie piano music]

1:59:03 Kalina: Here at the threshold. You got a big wall of briars ahead of you, kid. It's very good that you guys won't be able to make it through that briar wall because if you did, I'd kill you.

1:59:15 Kristen: (laughing)

1:59:28 Kalina: Laugh it up, ‘cause if you crack this case and get to the other side of the wall? You, Riz, you're all dead. But, to make it easy for you, 'cause I want you to know that I'm right, I'll take Tracker out first.

1:59:49 Kristen: Oh. Wow.

1:59:52 Kalina: Cool.

1:59:52 Kristen: Gosh, that's so crazy 'cause you've been hiding in the shadows for literally forever. Crazy that you came out in time just to make a couple threats. What's your name?

2:00:06 Kalina: My name?

2:00:06 Kristen: Yeah, do you have a name?

2:00:09 Kalina: You can call me Kalina.

2:00:11 Kristen: Okay.

2:00:12 Brennan: You see she looks and says,

2:00:15 Kalina: I'm gonna be really honest with you.

2:00:19 Ally: I take out a cortado. (laughing)

2:00:23 Kristen: [sips drink] Go on.

2:00:28 Kalina: The only reason you and your friends are alive is that you've been [holds hand in front of her chest] down here, a nuisance, not even a full problem. You've never for a minute been in between me and what I want.

2:00:48 Kristen: What do you want?

2:00:50 Kalina: I want you to stay out of that fucking forest.

2:00:52 Brennan: [snaps] And she vanishes.

2:00:54 Kristen: (frantic) You guys, I'm so scared. Hold me. Hold me. Hold me!

2:00:58 Adaine: You were so cool. You looked so cool.

2:00:59 Kristen: Hold me!

2:01:00 Emily: Can I try to walk through where she was talking to?

2:01:02 Fig: Where was she? Where was she? (laughing)

2:01:02 Kristen: (freaked out whimpering)

2:01:07 Adaine: I was fooled. You had me fooled.

2:01:12 Kristen: (freaked out whimpering) I need everyone to dogpile on top of me and just kinda hold me down.

2:01:15 Brennan: Tracker jumps on you.

2:01:16 Kristen: Oh, my god. Tracker, she's gonna kill you. She's gonna kill you first!

2:01:19 Tracker: Why, why, no why?

2:01:20 Kristen: She claimed she would kill you first.

2:01:21 Tracker: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

2:01:22 Ally: I barf. (laughing)

2:01:25 Adaine: Oh, my god, so foamy. So much coffee.

2:01:26 Fig: I recommend that bush over there. It's already been barfed in.

2:01:30 Ally: It's all coffee and shrimp. (laughing)

2:01:32 Kristen: (shouting in pain and fear)

2:01:35 Riz: If you barf, I'm gonna barf. (retching)

2:01:37 Tracker: We had too much shrimp, guys. Too much shrimp.

2:01:39 Fig: Everyone, use the barf bush.

2:01:40 Brennan: Sandra Lynn looks at you and says,

2:01:40 Sandra Lynn: What did Kalina say to you?

2:01:43 Ally: Okay, I relay everything to everyone.

2:01:45 Brennan: Cool. You see that Tracker's rubbing small circles on your back and going,

2:01:48 Tracker: Radical honesty. This is great. You just say everything. This is great, this is great. Kristen takes a couple grounding breaths.

2:01:54 Brennan: Sandra Lynn says,

2:01:54 Sandra Lynn: You okay, Kristen? That sounds really fucked up. Are you good?

2:01:58 Kristen: I mean, now that I'm being pressed into the grass by my friends, yes.

2:02:05 Brennan: (laughing) Sandra Lynn looks and says,

2:02:05 Sandra Lynn: Okay. I'm gonna take off on Baxter and I'm just gonna scan briar wall and give us some more ideas, see if anything else happened around here. It sounds like our Owl Bears went over to Tinkerer's Hall, it sounds like you two are gonna head off to the Owl and the Harp.

2:02:30 Ally: Before we all go, and in my state of shock, I just wanna say,

2:02:34 Kristen: Maybe this won't work. Hopefully, it will. But, we can't control that.

2:02:41 Adaine: It's gonna get inspiring any second. [Zac mimes running and Lou makes motorcycle revving sounds] (laughing)

2:02:44 Kristen: It's like, how many failures can you take? I love all you guys.

2:02:49 Zac: Are you texting?

2:02:51 Ally: I'm texting it to you guys. You're getting like part 1 of 48.

2:02:55 Brennan: All you get is failed to deliver, failed to deliver, failed to deliver.

2:02:58 Kristen: So really, trying is the most that we could do. She seems really powerful, and we're not, you know?

2:03:07 Ally: But yeah, now you guys all got 16 temporary hit points.

2:03:13 Brennan: Riz. Go ahead and give me an Investigation roll.

2:03:20 Murph: 28.

2:03:21 Ally: Whoa, yeah.

2:03:22 Brennan: [laughing a little] 28? You didn't see Kalina. You didn't see Kalina. Not only did you not see Kalina, you were looking at where Kristen was. While Kristen was having that conversation and everyone else was tense, you were clue hunting. You take out your little magnifying glass. The grass that Kalina was stepping on has no trace, no bend to it, no crease, no nothing.

2:03:58 Adaine: Look at that photograph.

2:04:00 Murph: I pull out the photograph and look at it.

2:04:02 Brennan: You see her fine.

2:04:02 Murph: I see her?

2:04:04 Brennan: You see her in the photograph.

2:04:05 Fig: Oh, so it was just some kind of hologram. It was specifically some sort of hologram just to Kristen.

2:04:09 Adaine: But, she cast Counterspell on me.

2:04:12 Kristen: Wait, didn't your sister cast Counterspell?

2:04:14 Brennan: Your sister cast Counterspell on you.

2:04:17 Siobhan: Oh, okay.

2:04:18 Brennan: When you were doing the Scrying.

2:04:20 Siobhan: Oh, to get rid of the scrying. Oh, it was Aelwyn.

2:04:22 Brennan: That was Aelwyn. Aelwyn turned around and zapped it.

2:04:23 Siobhan: Oh, okay.

2:04:23 Brennan: But, Aelwyn turned around. She didn't spot you.

2:04:27 Siobhan: Oh, she just knew, was told somehow.

2:04:31 Brennan: Almost, yeah. Was told it was there.

2:04:33 Adaine: Okay. So, she's at least watching us in some way?

2:04:36 Fig: She's at least— I mean, it means that she's somewhere that she's busy enough that she can't physically be here.

2:04:42 Riz: Right. I don't know if she's ever physically—

2:04:44 Fig: Anywhere.

2:04:44 Adaine: Yeah.

2:04:45 Riz: Anywhere.

2:04:46 Brennan: As soon as you say that, Riz, you think about the fact that Pok's sleeve isn't bent.

2:04:51 Ally: Yes!

2:04:51 Siobhan: Touching anything.

2:04:54 Brennan: Isn't touching anything. People that can't see Kalina don't see the sleeve there. The grass isn't bent. You're not sure if Kalina exists physically anywhere.

2:05:05 Riz: Yeah, I think she's full of shit when she says that we can’t—

2:05:06 Kristen: She has to work through workers.

2:05:07 Riz: The reason she's not going after us is because we're not a big enough nuisance yet, I think she doesn't—

2:05:13 Fig: She can't.

2:05:14 Riz: I think this ritual, whatever your mom and sister are working on is gonna make her whole.

2:05:19 Fig: Is gonna give her a body. [dark, sinister music]

2:05:22 Kristen: And, they're deep in there, right?

2:05:24 Riz: ‘Cause she’s the— she’s the what?

2:05:24 Adaine: When we were in Leviathan, didn't she hurt you or threaten to hurt you?

2:05:27 Fig: I think she’s the… goddess.

2:05:28 Riz: She threatened. I jumped out a window. (laughing) She didn't hurt—

2:05:33 Adaine: But, that was all you. You did all that damage to yourself? (laughing)

2:05:34 Brennan: You guys—

2:05:36 Riz: Well, I got sleep paralysis, so she can affect like, our dreams.

2:05:40 Zac: I'm running with—

2:05:40 Brennan: Yeah, you guys.

2:05:40 Fabian: Last night was so much fun.

2:05:44 Brennan: You guys, yeah, you head off, and Riz, you also come back to the fact that in the photograph, Kalina didn't drink, was not holding a glass.

2:05:55 Adaine: Can't hold anything, maybe.

2:05:55 Riz: She doesn't drink anything.

2:05:58 Fig: Did she eat?

2:06:00 Adaine: Maybe she can't, she's incorporeal.

2:06:03 Kristen: Yes.

2:06:03 Fig: Yeah.

2:06:04 Riz: But, I think she—

2:06:05 Fig: They're trying to give her a body.

2:06:07 Riz: Yeah.

2:06:07 Kristen: How could she be there enough to tell Aelwyn to Counterspell? Is she just kind of omnipotent, omnipresent?

2:06:14 Adaine: She's in our head, man. And, she's in your head and she's in your head.

2:06:18 Fig: She's been in my head.

2:06:19 Brennan: Give me Intelligence checks, those people that are having this conversation. So, this is just Fig, Adaine, Kristen, and Riz.

2:06:24 Siobhan: Just a check?

2:06:26 Brennan: Yeah. This is just a raw Intelligence check.

2:06:27 Emily: That's gonna be a really hearty 8 for me.

2:06:30 Brennan: Hearty 8, gotcha.

2:06:31 Siobhan: Mm 12.

2:06:33 Murph: Fuckin' 3. 4. (dice rolling)

2:06:35 Ally: 11.

2:06:35 Emily: I'm gonna give-- Oh, wait. Who had the highest one? Okay, nevermind. I was gonna do Bardic Inspiration for my—

2:06:41 Ally: Shady.

2:06:41 Emily: I know, I can’t.

2:06:43 Lou: Shady. (laughing)

2:06:44 Brennan: Cool. You guys are there having this conversation.

2:06:47 Ally: Oh, the 11 didn't crack it?

2:06:47 Brennan: The 11 did not crack it.

2:06:50 Siobhan: How ‘bout the 12?

2:06:50 Ally: Oh, wait! Human Determination. I get one re-roll.

2:06:53 Brennan: Yeah. Go for it. (dice rolling)

2:06:55 Ally: Don't look at me. Don't look at me! (laughing)

2:06:55 Ally: It was a 4!

2:06:59 Siobhan: You did throw it really beautifully, though.

2:07:00 Murph: You're still on the ground being held down by everyone, so. It might be hard to--

2:07:03 Kristen: (shouting) I love you guys. The weight of my friends. (laughing)

2:07:06 Siobhan: It's like a weighted blanket.

2:07:07 Brennan: Yeah, you were talking about Kalina, her not appearing to be corporeal or anything like that, and then you said the thing about being in your heads. I think that you guys dwell on that for a second because there is some— None of your rolls were super high, but there is something there about, she was asking you questions. How in your head can she— To what degree is she in your head if she's interrogating you?

2:07:20 Murph: Right.

2:07:33 Siobhan: Right.

2:07:35 Fig: She knew something really private about me though.

2:07:37 Riz: What did she know about?

2:07:39 Fig: That's not the point. I'm saying the point is—

2:07:41 Siobhan: I cast Detect Thoughts— I didn't.

2:07:43 Emily: Don't you dare. I've never disguised myself as you.

2:07:45 Siobhan: Smooches! (laughing)

2:07:48 Riz: I don't know what she knew about you. Yeah, she was asking questions about your— No, she was just asking about what we knew. So, she can go into our minds.

2:08:00 Fig: But not that deep.

2:08:05 Riz: But, she can't take anything from it, essentially, sounds like.

2:08:08 Adaine: Right, she can project herself into it, but she can't see what's going on.

2:08:11 Riz: She can like appear, yeah. But she can’t read our minds.

2:08:12 Kristen: But, she can choose who sees her, I guess?

2:08:14 Riz: She can watch us.

2:08:16 Adaine: Well, unless it's bodily fluids or some kind of lie-based disease.

2:08:22 Fig: I lie all the time and I can't see her.

2:08:24 Adaine: You do lie a lot.

2:08:24 Emily: Do I see her? (laughing)

2:08:28 Brennan: No, you do not see her. Cool. Sandra Lynn looks and says,

2:08:32 Sandra Lynn: This is creepy and fucked up. I'm gonna get on my griffon.

2:08:37 Brennan: You see Gilear looks and says,

2:08:40 Gilear: I'm going to go inside and make lunch for everyone. Sandwiches good?

2:08:43 Adaine: Yes, that sounds delicious.

2:08:46 Fig: There's leftover crab for crab salad.

2:08:47 Kristen: Wait, look at me, Gilear.

2:08:47 Gilear: Yes?

2:08:49 Ally: I stare at his eyes. Can I see, like, a flash of Kalina in there?

2:08:54 Brennan: Give me an insight check.

2:08:54 Lou: Nat 20 this shit.

2:08:58 Ally: Ooh! Ooh! Ooh, baby. We're talking 26.

2:09:07 Brennan: Gilear is looking a little different. He's looking like—

2:09:16 Zac: He's got a beret on.

2:09:18 Brennan: He's got a beret on.

2:09:18 Lou: Is he wearing the outfit?

2:09:19 Brennan: He's also standing up a little bit straighter. He looks good, better than normal.

2:09:27 Emily: Wait a second.

2:09:29 Ally: Hm.

2:09:29 Brennan: Hm.

2:09:30 Ally: On a 26? That's what I see? He's standing up a little straighter? Do I see her weird eyes in his?

2:09:36 Brennan: You don't see Kalina in Gilear, no.

2:09:38 Emily: I'm gonna hop on with, 'cause Sandra Lynn is going to the wall, right?

2:09:43 Brennan: Yeah.

2:09:44 Emily: I'm gonna go with her and just kinda show her that some of my infernal business can have an effect.

2:09:52 Brennan: Hell, yeah.

2:09:52 Siobhan: Great.

2:09:52 Brennan: Sandra Lynn actually looks at you, Kristen, and Tracker and says,

2:09:55 Sandra Lynn: Ladies, what do we think about— I wanna go a little farther afield just to cover our bases.

2:10:01 Fig: Yeah.

2:10:03 Sandra Lynn: Why don't I drop you guys off at that Shrine of Thorns they were talking about?

2:10:06 Fig: Sounds great, yeah.

2:10:06 Kristen: That's great. You know what, actually?

2:10:07 Ally: Can I take Tracker aside?

2:10:09 Brennan: Yeah, you can take Tracker inside.

2:10:10 Kristen: Hey, I need to chain you up in the Hangvan and I need you just to stay there. I have to chain you up in the Hangvan. I'll leave you snacks.

2:10:18 Tracker: Sweetie, it's not—

2:10:18 Kristen: You can't, you—

2:10:20 Tracker: Sweetie, it's not the full moon.

2:10:21 Kristen: You have to be in the van for the rest of our lives.

2:10:24 Tracker: Sweetie, what’s up? It’s—

2:10:24 Kristen: I can't lose you. She said that she would take you first. There's no way. I have so many heals and I can just be the six.

2:10:34 Brennan: (laughing) You see Tracker looks at you and says,

2:10:39 Tracker: Babe, I love you with all my heart. There are only—

2:10:42 Kristen: Put these handcuffs on.

2:10:44 Tracker: There are only two conditions that I ever want you to handcuff me, okay?

2:10:48 Kristen: Okay, one—

2:10:48 Tracker: We know.

2:10:50 Kristen: When I'm officer Kristen. (Emily cackling)

2:10:50 Kristen: And, two.

2:10:53 Tracker: And, two.

2:10:53 Kristen: When I need you to be safe.

2:10:55 Tracker: When I'm werewolfing.

2:10:55 Kristen: No!

2:10:55 Tracker: That's it.

2:10:55 Kristen: Oh, my god, okay. Consider it.

2:10:59 Lou: “When I'm officer Kristen.” (laughing)

2:10:59 Emily: Officer Kristen!

2:11:02 Brennan: You see that she says,

2:11:02 Tracker: We'll figure it out.

2:11:06 Kristen: What if Lieutenant Kristen says go in the van? What if Colonel Kristen says it as an order?

2:11:11 Tracker: I'm not gonna lie, that did do something for me. For right now, we still have time. Let's talk about this later, okay?

2:11:18 Brennan: You see that Baxter goes ahead and grabs Kristen and Tracker in his claws, you jump up with your mom, up there. You guys begin to fly off together through the mist! We're gonna cut over now to the Tinkerer's Hall.

2:11:27 Ally: Aye.

2:11:35 Zac: Yes! (laughing)

2:11:38 Lou: It's the boys.

2:11:41 Gorgug: I hope they're not too bored over there.

2:11:42 Fabian: Yeah. [music changes to something whimsical and bouncy]

2:11:43 Brennan: So, you guys show up. Fabian, Gorgug, Ragh, and the Hangman all arrive. You see that this place is actually built into a giant, moss-covered boulder, so there's a huge, moss-covered boulder and it's got a little chimney that smoke's coming out of and little windows. The windows have bright yellow light coming out from within them. You see that on the side of the building, there's just two big gears turning. Not clear what the gears do, but they're turning!

2:12:13 Gorgug: Classic Tinkerer's stuff.

2:12:15 Fabian: Oh, you don't say.

2:12:16 Gorgug: Yeah.

2:12:16 Brennan: As you guys walk in, rather, what do you guys do as you approach?

2:12:22 Zac: Can I fit inside this building?

2:12:25 Brennan: Oh, you're gonna have to crawl through the door to be able to get in.

2:12:28 Zac: I just knock on the door.

2:12:32 Brennan: As you guys knock on the door, you see that the door, a weird little gramophone like, (bobbles) comes down and you hear a voice say,

2:12:41 Voice: (blundering, silly, old voice) Who is it?

2:12:44 Gorgug: Hello, my name's Gorgug Thistlespring, and I'm a bit of a tinkerer. I was just seeing what's going on here. I can't fit inside very well, so I just thought I'd knock.

2:12:54 Brennan: You see that the door springs open and a crowd of gnomes barrel out. These gnomes are not-- they do not have gear like your parents have. You see that the guy who presents as leader is round as a pumpkin, he's got a shiny, bald head, and a mustache like a push broom, like it just shoots forward out, covered in soot, goggles up, you see that the guy next to him has a huge handlebar mustache and a top hat with a gear on the side of it, you see that the woman next to it has a backpack that clearly has folded canvas, like ornithopter wings. All this technology is like 50 to 100 years old, guaranteed. You see the little pumpkin guy's got a leather apron with tools in it. He comes out and says,

2:13:44 Gnome: [nervous, frantic] Bahahahahahaha. We want no trouble. [hands in the air] We're but humble Tinkerers!

2:13:48 Gorgug: I said-- It's okay. I'm also a bit of a tinkerer. My parents are gnomes, The gnomes look shocked to hear this.

2:13:52 Gorgug: And I mostly did other stuff, but I'm starting to do a little tinkering now, and I just wanted to see what's up here and also ask a couple other questions.

2:14:03 Brennan: You see they look around and (quietly whispering nonsense) These guys, especially for you and Ragh, come up to mid-thigh for you. (whispering and muttering) And you see that one of the gnomes in the back says,

2:14:20 Gnome: (thick, stuffed-up voice) Well, if you say you're a tinkerer, like you claim, then what kind of ding dang tinkering have you done?

2:14:28 Brennan: The Hangman roars and fires out of his eyes and he says,

2:14:31 The Hangman: You speak now to the sorcerer that wrested my soul from the night! [startled] What are you doing?!

2:14:38 Brennan: And the gnomes leap on the Hangman with artificer glasses. [Lou mimes picking up small figures and moving them aside]

2:14:42 Fabian: Hey, hey. Get off of me. Get off.

2:14:44 The Hangman: Sire, I'm under attack!

2:14:44 Fabian: Move, get off!

2:14:46 Gnome: What's this ding dang thing?

2:14:47 Fabian: Hey, hey, hey, hey. Stop.

2:14:48 Ally: Aw, they're so small!

2:14:49 Gorgug: (muffled) Well, that’s a tube. That’s another tube.

2:14:50 Brennan: Ragh just goes like,

2:14:50 Ragh: Easy, easy!

2:14:53 Brennan: You see that the lead, push broom-mustache gnome goes,

2:14:59 Gnome: Well, you repaired this monster? What is this? This is some kind of—

2:15:07 Gorgug: It's some sort of monster.

2:15:07 Crumpkin: Some sort of metal monster. Well, if that's the case, then a tinkerer you are for sure! My name's Crumpkin Springbuild.

2:15:17 Gorgug: Oh, I'm Gorgug Thistlespring. There's some similar letters in there.

2:15:20 Crumpkin: That sounds like a gnomish name. That's a gnomish name.

2:15:22 Brennan: (muttering) He sort of goes around.

2:15:25 Gorgug: I'm kinda new to actually tinkering, so I haven't done that much stuff. I tried to make a mechanical butt yesterday and it didn't work out.

2:15:32 Crumpkin: A mechanical butt?

2:15:35 Gorgug: To sh.. shit and stuff.

2:15:37 Brennan: You see they all look around at each other.

2:15:39 Fabian: It was for the mechanical monster to be able to poop.

2:15:43 The Hangman: I desire to make waste in the mouth of my enemies.

2:15:47 Gorgug: All this just to say I'm pretty new to it. (Lou laughing)

2:15:51 Gorgug: I was just here, just kinda thought I'd pop in, see what's going on in here 'cause I like this kind of stuff, and see what's going on, and also, we're trying to figure out, there's some people who came into town a couple days ago, some high elven folks, they took a guy named Killian out of here. We just wanted to see what was going on with that.

2:16:13 Crumpkin: Oh. Killian stopped by quite a bit, but a rude customer, all things considered, but we'd be happy to help you out. Could you tell us a little bit about how this contraption works?

2:16:25 Gorgug: Well, sure.

2:16:27 Crumpkin: Do you have any other tech or gadgetry things with you?

2:16:31 Gorgug: I've got my tinkerer's tools, and my ax feels like I could do something with that if I used them together.

2:16:38 Brennan: You see someone start examining your headphones. They're just kind of pawing you, and one follows the wire from your headphones down and pulls your crystal out.

2:16:44 Gorgug: Oh, yeah.

2:16:46 Brennan: And is like,

2:16:46 Crumpkin: Ooh! Look at this thing!

2:16:49 Gorgug: Yeah, I just kinda bought that. I don't really have— I didn't make that, or anything.

2:16:54 Crumpkin: Wow! Wow! Well, you have some gizmos and doodads that boggle the mind.

2:17:03 Gorgug: Yeah.

2:17:03 Fabian: Do we need to be afraid of a Butterfly Effect type thing if we give these people a cell phone or a crystal too early in their, like, cycle?

2:17:11 Gorgug: We’re not like, on another planet. (laughing)

2:17:14 Fabian: I just wanna check, alright.

2:17:14 Gorgug: Yeah.

2:17:15 Brennan: You see that it’s like—

2:17:17 Ragh: There's a gnome in this town who has four refrigerators. (laughing)

2:17:21 Gorgug: It's not bad. I think it's like—

2:17:23 Fabian: I just wanted to check.

2:17:23 Gorgug: I feel like it's--

2:17:25 Ragh: No, good call, dude. I get it.

2:17:26 Gorgug: Okay, check.

2:17:26 Ragh: Good call, good call, yeah.

2:17:27 Fabian: Hoot growl.

2:17:28 Ragh: Hoot growl.

2:17:28 Gorgug: Hoot growl.

2:17:29 Ragh: Hoot growl. Spring break. Believe in yourself.

2:17:30 Fabian: Spring break.

2:17:30 Gorgug: I forgot to ask. Yeah, I can try to tell you about it. I'm, again, new-ish to it, but what kind of stuff did Killian get from here before he skedaddled?

2:17:43 Crumpkin: Oh. He came by— He wasn't so interested in gadgets or anything like that. He needed some wax for some candles and he needed some different components for ink and things like that. Kind of your basics for the most part.

2:18:00 Gorgug: Okay.

2:18:01 Crumpkin: Y’know, fiddle-faddle and the like.

2:18:04 Gorgug: Classic fiddle-faddle.

2:18:05 Crumpkin: Classic fiddle— but, we’d be happy to show— we have receipts and everything. We'd be happy to come show ya, and we'd love for you to take a look around the shop. Maybe there's something we're doing here that we could be doing better.

2:18:12 Gorgug: Okay. Well, I'll give it a shot.

2:18:14 Crumpkin: Let him in the shop.

2:18:15 Brennan: And you see that they sort of tip you on your side and hep-hep-hep march you sideways through the door.

2:18:21 Crumpkin: Come on in, fellows. I don't think the motor vehicle can come inside, but everything else.

2:18:26 Fabian: Great. Well, Hangman, we'll be back.

2:18:28 The Hangman: I shall watch the front. I wish for nothing other than to trample over these hands-y, tiny children.

2:18:34 Fabian: But don't crush anybody, all right?

2:18:37 The Hangman: On your orders, sire.

2:18:39 Brennan: You come in and just see this incredible laboratory. Everything here, again, is ancient to you. Some of the more advanced stuff your folks have done, it would be beyond you, but all this shit is gears and stuff and simple machines, and you actually feel kinda confident in a lot of the stuff that's here. Immediately, it's like big work tables and shops and vices and drills and gears and presses and stuff, there's a big roaring fire over in the corner with big bellows next to it, and they say,

2:19:17 Crumpkin: [very animated, lots of arm movements] Welcome to the Tinkerer's Hall. We'd love to show you around. We'll give you the grand tour. Now, this is the gizmo-tron. Basically what this does is it hops up real high and then you gotta find it again, and then this—

2:19:30 Brennan: And they begin to bring you to the workshop. It's like you're a little minor celebrity. We are going to cut over from the Tinkerer's Hall over to the Owl and the Harp. So, it is the early afternoon. [jaunty string music starts]

2:19:50 Brennan: Adaine and Riz, you can see the Hangman across a little glade over at the Tinkerer's Hall. This is another place inside of a tree. You see there's a little wonderful sign outside that has a picture of an owl flying over a harp, and you see inside that there is— it's not too rowdy. It's early afternoon, but there's a couple people eating a meal. It's mostly gnomes in there having a little drink.

2:20:16 Riz: It’s a good thing the two most relaxed, chill people are going to the bar.

2:20:20 Adaine: Yes. What a time.

2:20:21 Riz: We're gonna get a lot of good info here.

2:20:22 Adaine: (awkward giggling) Brosef.

2:20:23 Riz: That's right... dude. (Adaine laughing)

2:20:28 Brennan: Cool. You guys both walk in. The place is sort of gnomish constructed, but it is actually wood elf scale. There's some gnome tables set up, but it's big enough and you see that there's a spiral staircase in the center that goes up and you can see doors. So, each level is a one room suite in this tree that are the rooms of the inn, basically.

2:20:40 Siobhan: Okay.

2:20:51 Adaine: Hi. My mom is staying here and she said that I could go to her room.

2:21:00 Brennan: You say this to the bartender?

2:21:01 Siobhan: Yeah.

2:21:04 Bartender: Okay.

2:21:04 Murph: Riz is super sweaty.

2:21:05 Adaine: So, can I go?

2:21:07 Riz: It’s just— It's her mom! (laughing)

2:21:11 Brennan: Each of you has— Can I get a Persuasion check? (laughing)

2:21:16 Lou: It's her mom, man.

2:21:16 Ally: Oh, my god.

2:21:20 Murph: I guess you could arguably say that what I'm doing is not helping. I was gonna say, "can I help”, but I think I've already role-played not helping.

2:21:26 Siobhan: Can I use Boggy to give me advantage?

2:21:29 Brennan: Yeah.

2:21:33 Siobhan: All right. Okay. Uh, 12.

2:21:37 Brennan: He says,

2:21:37 Bartender: Your mother gave you permission to go to her room?

2:21:40 Adaine: Mhm.

2:21:43 Bartender: Cool, thanks for letting me know.

2:21:45 Adaine: Great, so I'm just gonna— Which room is it? She's bad at details.

2:21:49 Bartender: I don't know who your mom is.

2:21:50 Adaine: Oh, this woman.

2:21:50 Siobhan: I show—

2:21:52 Brennan: He, first of all, is wilded out by your crystal and he goes,

2:21:56 Bartender: Oh. I haven't seen her in two days. She was staying here, but you can go.

2:22:05 Brennan: He looks at you and says,

2:22:05 Bartender: Her room is on the top floor. I actually— She has an outstanding debt. She didn't check-out.

2:22:16 Adaine: Oh, she's gonna come back. To do that.

2:22:19 Brennan: Give me a Deception.

2:22:24 Siobhan: Well, it's a 9.

2:22:25 Riz: What's her debt? 'Cause it's her mom, so.

2:22:28 Adaine: It's my mom.

2:22:28 Riz: We could pay it. (laughing)

2:22:29 Brennan: He looks at you and he's like,

2:22:29 Bartender: I sincerely doubt you two kids are gonna be able to pay it. You're those Solisians that are in town, right?

2:22:40 Riz: I see you've heard about us.

2:22:40 Murph: I give him a business card.

2:22:42 Bartender: The rangers that guard our town came and said, "There's a bunch of weirdos coming through.” So, hello.

2:22:48 Adaine: I think weirdos is a little strong.

2:22:50 Riz: It’s offensive.

2:22:50 Adaine: We're normal. Both of us are normal.

2:22:51 Bartender: It's a steep debt. She's got the top suite. She owes 10 gold pieces. [Siobhan mimes placing some gold on the table]

2:22:59 Brennan: He takes it.

2:23:00 Siobhan: I give two extra as a tip.

2:23:00 Adaine: For your trouble. I'm so sorry that she didn't check-out properly. She just probably forgot.

2:23:07 Bartender: Is she checking out? Is the room open again?

2:23:10 Adaine: Uh, no.

2:23:10 Riz: We—

2:23:10 Adaine: Well, let me make sure there's nothing in there that she needs, and then yes, she's checking out.

2:23:17 Murph: Another five gold. (laughing)

2:23:19 Brennan: He takes the five gold, pockets it, and says,

2:23:23 Bartender: You know that you come across like you're doing something wrong.

2:23:26 Murph: Five gold. (laughing)

2:23:26 Brennan: He takes the— He takes another five gold.

2:23:29 Murph: Just so sweaty. He doesn't know when to stop.

2:23:32 Bartender: These coins are wet. They're fully wet.

2:23:35 Riz: This is— is it hot in here?

2:23:37 Bartender: It's completely normal temperature.

2:23:38 Riz: Cool.

2:23:39 Adaine: You ever seen a frog this round before?

2:23:41 Riz: I'm noticing—

2:23:41 Ally: What?!

2:23:41 Bartender: Okay, you guys can go. Congratulations on your frog. Top floor.

2:23:44 Riz: All the other gnomes are just rocking t-shirts and stuff...

2:23:45 Adaine: We’re party animals. We're gonna go upstairs.

2:23:48 Riz: I had a lot of shrimp. I’m gonna go upstairs.

2:23:50 Adaine: You like shrimp?

2:23:50 Bartender: Where'd you get shrimp? [Murph shakes his head with a disgusted look on his face] (laughing)

2:23:54 Adaine: We haven't been there for a while.

2:23:55 Bartender: Okay, top floor. Thank you.

2:23:55 Adaine: Top floor, thank you.

2:23:56 Riz: I'm the crab king.

2:23:56 Bartender: Good day. (Lou laughing)

2:23:59 Ally: Crab king.

2:23:59 Murph: I go upstairs.

2:24:01 Brennan: Incredible.

2:24:01 Riz: Well, we killed it.

2:24:03 Brennan: The fucking research squad fronting one of the missions is so funny. You guys head upstairs.

2:24:10 Murph: Spent a solid 20 gold.

2:24:14 Brennan: Open the door— You guys open the door and see a room spattered with blood, covered in half-burnt candles, all kinds of arcane shit on the floor, and images that your mother clearly drew of a skeletal, robed figure wearing a crown etched into the wall of the room. This is the wrong music for this moment. [jaunty tavern music continues to play]

2:24:44 Emily: I know!

2:24:46 Brennan: Sometimes I remember to change the playlist, other times, guys, I don't.

2:24:50 Murph: This is in Riz's head because now Riz is comfortable. He's like,

2:24:53 Riz: Okay, this I can work with.

2:24:55 Siobhan: Yeah, this is our absolute—

2:24:56 Brennan: This is literally an arcane crime scene.

2:24:58 Adaine: Perfect. Yes. Perfect.

2:24:59 Brennan: You guys look at each other and are like—

2:25:01 Adaine: We got it. Great.

2:25:01 Riz: You and I have this.

2:25:02 Adaine: Oh, my goodness. We did it. This is perfect for us.

2:25:03 Riz: Talking to a bartender?

2:25:04 Both: No, thank you.

2:25:06 Riz: No thanks.

2:25:06 Adaine: No thank you. (laughing)

2:25:08 Brennan: Cool. Sandra Lynn drops Tracker, Kristen, and Fig at the briar wall at a place where the briar wall has partially crushed and consumed a small shrine made of mossy stones and plinths put together, with an old clay roof, and wood elven etchings around it. As she drops you guys off, you walk inside. Tracker blows into her hand and the room fills with motes of moonlight. [light, sweeping, creepy music fades in]

2:25:47 Brennan: As you enter this place, you see the shrine and you see briars that have broken through the stone of the shrine, past some stone seats where the shrine would begin, and move through, and you guys can make any Religion check you want here.

2:26:05 Ally: Yeah, definitely. (dice rolling)

2:26:10 Emily: I'll make a Religion check just in case.

2:26:12 Ally: 22.

2:26:14 Brennan: You see— 22. By the way, you see Tracker moves past the door and casts the Light spell, and then you see the goosebumps raise and she kind of shakes, and you see her eyes go yellow for a second, and she goes like,

2:26:26 Tracker: [wipes forehead] Babe, I don't feel good. I'm just gonna step outside for a second.

2:26:31 Kristen: What was that?

2:26:33 Tracker: It's not Kalina shit. It's just—

2:26:36 Kristen: Yeah, you're— Yeah.

2:26:37 Tracker: I don't feel good in this. I feel kind of sick or nauseous.

2:26:40 Kristen: Okay. Yeah, get out of here.

2:26:40 Tracker: I'm not gonna go away.

2:26:43 Brennan: She literally just goes past the doorstep, just watching you. You watch, this is like some weird church doorstep shit of a vampire not being able to enter a church or something.

2:26:48 Emily: Ohhh.

2:26:52 Brennan: There's something going on here of Tracker's kind of like repelled by this room. You see a mural covered by, not thorns, just regular vines up on the wall, and you immediately recognize it as a religious symbol. Fig, you look at the briars that are blocking the back half of the shrine. In that place, you see a charred handprint on the briars here in the shrine.

2:27:24 Fig: I made that.

2:27:24 Kristen: What?

2:27:26 Fig: I made that handprint.

2:27:26 Kristen: What are you talking about?

2:27:31 Fig: Oh, you don't see that charred handprint?

2:27:34 Kristen: Yeah, yeah, I see it, but what do you mean? You were here already?

2:27:37 Fig: No. I made that at the top of the briars.

2:27:42 Kristen: What were you doing? Ally smiles knowingly, then starts to laugh, dropping their head.

2:27:46 Fig: I was uh. I was working on—

2:27:47 Brennan: Tracker calls,

2:27:47 Tracker: What were you doing?

2:27:48 Fig: I was working on a song.

2:27:48 Kristen: Oh, cool, cool.

2:27:49 Fig: Yeah.

2:27:50 Kristen: So, wait. You made the handprint at the top and it's here?

2:27:52 Fig: Yeah.

2:27:52 Emily: Can I try— I'm gonna Burning Hands again that same thing.

2:27:59 Brennan: Cool. Kristen, I'm gonna describe what you saw on the mural first, covered in vines.

2:28:02 Ally: Yeah, yeah.

2:28:03 Brennan: I assume while you were walking, you had cleared--

2:28:04 Ally: Yeah, yeah. I used my staff and I'm like-- [Ally mimes waving a staff to clear something away]

2:28:07 Brennan: There is an ancient depiction of a woman carved and etched in a giant, dark gown, robe, and cape. Her hair, dark as the night, spreading out away from her in all directions, holding a book. You see that holding a book, she is in— Sorry, holding a book. Next to her, you see there is a small dwelling in the mural behind her, holding a book, and a broomstick. Crawling across her shoulders is a black cat.

2:29:01 Emily: Where on this mural is my charred handprint?

2:29:05 Brennan: That's the mural you see. Your charred handprint is on the briars.

2:29:07 Emily: Oh.

2:29:07 Brennan: As you approach the briars and cast Burning Hands on it, the hand catches and you see the fire spread. (rumbling) As it spreads, (intense rumbling, growling, and whooshing) it spreads into a full oval, it stretches, it goes into the briars, destroys them, and there is a burning doorway in front of you. Within the burning doorway that you see, you find, hold on one second, that burning doorway spreads and spreads and spreads.

2:29:45 Fig: Wanna do this, Kristen? [Ally nods]

2:29:47 Brennan: Sorry.

2:29:49 Gorgug: So, this is a gizmo-tron. (cast laughing)

2:29:53 Gorgug: And over here—

2:29:53 Fabian: Wow, that goes high.

2:29:54 Brennan: You see the doorway (rumbling) burn, spreads, fire moves and creates a burning doorway. It opens. You see a red sky of fire and a blasted red plane and a figure walks out of the door. A woman dressed in black steel plate armor, who, with a horned black helmet and an open face with the burnt skeletal remnants of wings, but just the bones and scarred, burned thing of wings, and a porcelain white face, ruby red lips, a beautiful woman's face that you can see doesn't meet her armor. All of her skin but her face has been flayed off her body and everything else is covered. You can only see it at the edge of her face because then the armor starts and fully covers her. She walks out with a burning scroll and says,

2:30:51 Woman: (stern and intense) Figueroth Faeth?

2:30:53 Fig: Yeah!

2:30:54 Vraz the Mean: I'm Vraz the Mean, executor potentate of the Dominion of Avernus, archsecretary to Blozo the Undiminished, Regnant of Sloth. You've been served. [Brennan holds out a hand towards Emily, as if holding a scroll]

2:31:02 Brennan: And that's all for this week.

2:31:02 Emily: What?!

2:31:04 Brennan: On Fantasy High.

2:31:04 Lou: Truly, what? (laughing) [NEXT EPISODE - Episode 13: Hellbound]

2:31:04 Captions extracted by: matthew

2:31:04 Edited by: Kathleen, natjennie, gluegunshots, rowan solsys