Hi, Benedict.

Hi, Scarlet.

Hi.

And you see that Benedict looks over at Scarlet and says, they said that they knew who you were, that they had met you.

Isn't that interesting?

You were both from Bracken Road.

Right?

And Scarlet looks at the two of you and looks at Benedict and says, my memory is so foggy, though.

I just I meet so many people.

I'm so sorry.

I don't recognize you, though.

What are your names?

Woah.

Scarlet, it's me, Crank.

We we, like, met at the bakery every morning for the past, like, month.

Yeah.

Yes.

I met a lot of people at the bakery.

Of course.

That's how I know you.

Well, I mean, like, you literally cried on our shoulders about the fact that you were being arranged to be married.

Like, that's how we know you, Scarlett.

I don't understand.

Like, what are you talking about?

Isaac put his hand

in there.

Hey, everybody.

It's me, your GM Isaac Allen Burns.

And last time we saw our heroes, they were in what I what some could say an Elizabethan pickle or in a Jane Austen faux pas.

They were in a Bridgerton penultimate episode.

Oopsie.

They were in a how what's what's gonna happen now?

Don't worry.

I've consulted the tomes.

I've consulted Pride and Prejudice at Northanger Abbey, and I've watched the first season of Sanditon.

And I'm ready, I think, to handle this the best way I know how.

So last we left our heroes, Crank and Pistachio, you were in the foyer Mhmm.

With just a pregnant moment of silence from what was just said.

Kapi, you are upstairs.

You have stuffed your jacket full of stuff.

You have two friends now, one in your hands and one in your ear.

What do you think Kapi would do next?

I think Kapi's just kind of walking around like he owns the joint.

And he's probably still talking to warmy ant quackers.

And he's just like, we did it.

Best day ever.

We're so back.

Make a date roll for me right now with your fear dice.

Oh my gosh.

I'm gonna say you want to roll a eight or hunter.

Uh-oh.

Would you roll?

No.

A two.

A two.

You step outside of the bedroom, and you see that the door across the hall is open and standing there looking at you is Anthony.

Hey, buddy.

Quackers are like, what are doing in my dad's room?

He asked me to grab something, of course.

I don't think he'd do that.

You don't like people in his room.

I'm never allowed in his room.

We're gonna cut back to the foyer while this is happening because you see here's exactly what's gonna happen.

I need you Hello?

To make a presence role for me.

I'm so bad at those.

Mark a stress, actually.

Okay.

And make a presence role for me.

It's with fear, Isaac,

so bank that.

Yeah.

Okay.

Cool.

14 with ear.

Nice.

Okay.

So I'm gonna say that that was a mock reaction that you just did to Scarlet.

From the courtiers snap block that was what all of these individuals are going to be.

I'm gonna say that because you beat the DC of this, I'm gonna say that that is a that counts as a failure on her part.

And she has marked too stressed and is vulnerable until the scene ends.

Oh, no.

And that also tells me that her reaction is going to be one where she does not save face.

And so in high society like this, reputation is everything.

You coming in and saying that aloud, Scarlet's face turns beet red

Uh-oh.

With embarrassment, And then she gets mad.

Uh-oh.

And she looks at the two of you and says, oh, I yes.

I remember you two now.

You were the ones always hanging around my clingy ex.

You couldn't figure out a way to get over me.

Now it looks like two of you are becoming just like him.

Why don't you leave now?

What are you even doing here?

Uh-uh.

Scarlet, why are you being so mean?

Yeah.

This is a nice Benedict kinda puts a hand up and says, I think I think it's time that you all left.

I did not realize what was happening here.

Listen, thank you so much again for everything you did to help my brother.

You see he pulls out a handful of gold, hands it to you, and says, I think it is time that you left.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Think Thank you so much.

He's like pushing you out the door.

I'm I'm so I'm sorry.

I think Pistachio just, like, doesn't know what just happened or what they did wrong, so they're, like, freaking out a little bit.

And then it's just like, yeah.

I'm I'm I'm sorry.

And then, like, just lets the door, like, slam in front of them and goes, we need Kapi though.

Speaking of which, Kapi, you're upstairs and you hear that altercation in the distance.

You also start to hear a conversation between Scarlett and Benedict.

You also hear doors open and closing and the sounds of two heavy footsteps heading towards the stairs.

You have a choice in this moment because Anthony also heard that you can hide, you can try and leave, you can go somewhere else, or you can go try and hear what the conversation is.

But what do you do in this moment, Kapi?

Well, given everything I just heard and since Anthony is in front of

me, I'm going to grab him,

and

then yank him down, and put our backs up against the wall near the stairs.

Okay.

So that they won't see you as they step up.

Okay.

Because you have him, I think the DC will be a little higher, but go ahead and make a check to try and be concealed here, which I think for a rogue, this will just be an agility check.

My agility is plus one.

Here we go.

Oh god.

That's an eight with beer.

Do you have any of your experiences you can use?

Maybe like Cyrus, like Kapi.

Like Cyrus, like Kapi might be.

Here's a question.

Do you think you have anything in

your jacket that could help you out here?

Oh.

Could I take the bottle that the little Blarney was in and throw it in the opposite direction to cause a distraction?

I like that.

Go ahead and go ahead and add that, which would be I'll say this.

You can also, I'll just be very transparent with you.

The DC increased by two to a 12.

Mhmm.

You can spend two hope if you think there's a way that you could think like Cyrus in this moment.

And you could pass this with a fear, or you just take the fail and fear.

I feel like Okay.

Okay.

So Kapi flashes back to when he was about eight years old, baby Kapi.

And he's sitting across the street from the Adventurers Guild and he's trying to stake out the joint.

And he's been doing this for a while and that's when Cyrus comes up behind him without him even knowing.

And he's like, you know, if you're gonna watch the place this intently, you need to make sure something else is happening to draw the attention away from you.

And then we cut back and that's when Kapi has the empty bottle and he throws it to cause a noise further down the hall.

Nice.

You throw it and it breaks.

It shatters.

And coming up the steps is rich apple people and Edmund Zechthan, who you know is the patriarch Zechthan of this family, the dwarf I described earlier.

As they get to the top of the stairs, there's a shatter.

And do you see that they kinda turn towards it for a second, giving you enough time to get into place and conceal sort of behind, like, some really gaudy kind of decoration tapestry that's there?

And you hear Edmund Sashant say under his breath, must be my useless second son again breaking things.

All he's good for is breaking things.

Come in.

And they open up the office door, and the two of them step inside.

And you see Anthony, he's just kind of like, shivers a little bit when he hears his dad say that.

And you feel like you're in the clear.

So I look down at him, and I just like put my fingers up to my lips to just be like

He just looks at you and kind of nods.

His eyes are wide.

Mhmm.

You can hear you can because you're like holding him close, you can feel his heart racing.

Kathy feels he he feels really bad for him.

He feels some relation to him.

And then I I wanna try to hear whatever's going on down in the foyer.

Yeah.

So do you wanna hear what's in the foyer, or do you wanna hear what's in the office?

When do you think Kapi would go for?

Kapi wants to hear what's in the foyer.

Okay.

Okay.

So as you sneak up to the foyer, you see Scarlet.

Her arms are kind of crossed, and she you hear her sighing really heavily.

And you see Benedict is being very kind and very assuring to Scarlet.

A lot of I understands, I get it, this isn't what either of us really wanted.

We're doing what we have to based on our fathers.

You see Scarlet, she says, everything went so wrong both in the town and with someone that I opened myself up to.

And I'm still so hurt and to hear them come in and talk exactly like him hurt even worse.

I know that he's just he's probably putting them up to this just to get under my skin.

I don't love this, but I'm doing what I have to do.

And maybe someday they'll be able to forgive me and understand that.

But right now, this is what I have to do because I have no choice.

And you see that Benedict's kinda nodding, very understanding.

And he says, yeah, I didn't quite love the idea of an arranged marriage too, but I really hate it if someone came in and threw my business out there like that, so I can understand how you would be upset.

That was really tacky.

Say, weren't there were three of them that came in.

Are you talking about the blue one?

And Scarlet says, yeah.

His name's Kapi.

He's typically with the two of them.

He wasn't with them just now.

Where is he?

And he says, yeah.

I was wondering where the hot one was.

And at that, you see they just kind of start looking around And go ahead and make one more agility check for me as they start to put together the fact that you are not there.

14 with beer.

Okay.

That does succeed.

And I'm gonna go ahead and bank that fear for now because you're sort of hiding out of the way.

Antonia is sort of watching it.

And you see the two of them still sort of talking, start to head out to deeper into the mansion likely to go on a stroll around the yards.

I look over to Anthony.

I go, hey.

Hey.

Yeah.

That's me.

What's up?

What's going on?

Family can be rough.

Yeah.

Family sucks.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You have a lot going here.

No, don't.

My dad hates me.

I'm the second porn here.

I'm not gonna get anything.

My brother could get all the good things.

Listen to me.

I have to go.

A lot of people You're leaving?

That are going to tell you what you can or can't be.

You can decide.

And with that, Kapi is going to use his grappling hook to go back through that bedroom he just came where you said there was doors to a balcony.

Yeah.

And he's going to exit that way so that nobody sees him.

I have to have this happen.

And this is in the you are aware this was in the back of the house.

Right?

Or the house or was.

No.

You I wasn't.

You grapple down,

you land on the ground, and you hear a little gasp as standing at the doorway is Benedict and Scarlet.

Benedict with a look of confusion and Scarlet with a look of just red hot rage.

Hi,

folks.

Lovely place.

This this has been fantastic.

Fritters, Scarlet, not as good as yours, admittedly.

Benedict pipes up and says, were

you just in my father's room?

You know, funniest thing, I was I had to use the bathroom.

Your butler took me there.

I thought that was strange.

And The butler took you to my father's room?

Well, he took me up.

See, your butler wouldn't he wouldn't spend time with me.

He kinda just pointed, and he

was like, meh meh meh meh meh.

And so I I took that to me and up the hall to the right.

Scarlett

Scarlett pipes up and says, so you're back to being a thief now.

Now you're just robbing places that I'm at too?

Is that what this is?

You put your friends up here to embarrass me in front of everybody, and now you're you're robbing from people?

Garlet, that's not How low can you go,

Kapi?

I think Kapi just kinda looks at her and kinda probably thinks she's right.

At least on the inside, he thinks that.

Strange times.

I'm gonna head out.

This has been great.

Benedict, nice to meet you.

Take care of her.

She's she's the best.

Yeah.

Hey.

No.

I understand.

He, like, walks up to you and says and, you know, if you need someone to take care of you, just I can be there for you.

He kind of puts he puts a hand on your shoulder.

Yeah.

He drops his shoulder again.

No one needs to take care of me.

I'm fine.

Thank you.

And he turns around and

leaves.

You leave and the two of them watch you go with wildly different expressions on their faces.

And you head around the side, and I think you look up to the side window.

And as you do so, you see that sort of looking out the window, their arms underneath them crossed.

Looking outside is Anton, who's just kinda watching you leave.

A little puppy kinda sat out next to his front paws on the little window sill, his tail wagon, and he watches you go.

Can I throw the dagger too?

The decorational dagger.

Oh, the decorational dagger?

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

Like a like a mean Joe Green throwing the Coke.

Yeah.

You throw it up to him.

Yeah.

I I pull it out and I look at it.

Mean, you said it was dull anyways.

Right?

Yeah.

And I'm just gonna

Like, toss it?

Yeah.

Just toss

it up him.

Toss it up to him, and you give him, you know, the two finger

salute.

Nice.

Make a make a finesse roll.

Oh, god.

Yeah.

No.

I need it.

I need it.

Do

one nice thing.

Need it.

No.

I need it.

Vanessa's plus toy.

Yeah.

Crit, baby.

Crit on two.

I wanted you to not

throw it up high enough.

You throw it up there.

And he catches it as you see a look in his eyes where he's looking at you with a mixture of, like, amazement and respect, and you can tell that he's looking up to you as a role model.

However, Kapi feels about that is, I guess, your decision, Joe.

But nevertheless, as he smiles as you walk away, you go around the place and you see Pistachio and Crank kinda standing outside, cranking Pistachio.

It seems like no sooner than you get thrown out and you have this moment to think about what happened, that you see Kapi coming around the side of the mansion.

Oh.

Oh, there you are, Kapi.

We were looking for you.

We saw Scarlet.

She was really mean to us.

She, like, pretended not to know us.

Why would

she do something?

Not to know us and then said that we were terrible and she hates us.

And how does she hate us?

I've known her my whole life.

Hey, gang.

Listen.

I think Scarlet might be going through some stuff right now.

I think maybe we should talk about this not here.

Also and I start like I show a peek into all the gold handfuls I have in my jacket.

He got paid.

Yeah.

That's right.

Oh, there you are, Quackers.

I think, pistachio hands Kapi the gold that they have in their hands from being paid and, like, takes crackers and just hugs Quackers really tight.

Like like Don't squeeze him.

Oh, fine.

He's fine.

He could take it.

I think Frank sees this happen and just, like, his shoulders, like, fall.

He just says, I think you're right.

Maybe we should leave.

And then he just turns around and starts, like, clomping down the steps very sadly.

We'll just follow the robot?

Yeah.

Let's get out of here.

I don't feel

welcome.

Yeah.

These people suck, Pistachio.

Yeah.

We're so much cooler.

Hey.

And I I get down on my knee, I look Pistachio in the eye.

Hey.

Yeah.

We're adventure guild.

Yeah.

We're the best.

We are the best.

These people want to be us.

Yeah.

But they don't have the bravery

They don't have

the guts No.

The charisma?

No.

But I have the charisma.

You're working on it.

I don't think I did that very well.

Yeah.

You'll get there.

Yeah.

You promised to keep teaching me?

Of course, kid.

You couldn't have a better teacher.

You're right.

I couldn't.

Let's go.

Alright.

I also love this duck.

Yeah.

Best addition to the crew.

Quackers, I

Crank just slouches a little bit more.

Because, yeah, he has the antenna that can hear

even better.

You can even hear it.

You hear all that, Crank.

Yeah.

Quackers Quackers is like my oldest friend.

Quackers rules.

Yeah.

I mean, I did you did I tell you?

Just shoulders getting lower and We're like walking

after His neck?

Talking about this.

His neck is, like, the first bit of magic I ever did.

I have a crank in my neck.

Oh, maybe I could fix it a little better then.

I've seen your work.

I'm

I you know, this was my first attempt.

I've come a long way, Cathy.

Can work.

It it adds character for

It does.

So here's a question.

As you're walking, Crank, are you the questions are, there's really two main places that you think you could go.

If you wanna bulk up on supplies now that you have some gold, you could go to the markets, or you can go back to the Adventuring Guild.

We have not slept.

Yeah.

We haven't been back to the guild yet.

But I think that he's just headed there.

Yeah.

Crank, you're leading the way.

We're walking.

What's going through Crank's mind right now?

That was a lot that happened in that manner.

Crank's feeling really down because, like, he was really excited to see someone that like, do and, like, considered a friend and, like, waved her and everything, and she, like, really just shit on him.

So he's like, he doesn't understand what happened and why she would do something like that.

And then on top of all of that, his two friends behind him are just talking about how great Quackers the duck is, and he just feels very replaced right now.

Oh.

So

he's just, like, trudging silently towards the adventurer's guild, being really sad.

Craig, as you're trudging, your audio receptor's brand new, brand fresh, so loud.

It's picking up the sounds of the city, you know.

It's midday.

People are going about their business, walking to and fro on these nice cobblestones.

And as you're walking, you hear what sounds like a scuffle.

You hear a little bit of a kerfuffle.

You hear a little tiny voice say something, then you hear a real gruff voice.

As you keep walking closer and closer to it, you see that there's an alley between two buildings.

As you look down there, you see three individuals.

You see two real rough neck looking guys.

They're one's a dwarf who's really short, and one is an elf who's really tall.

They're dressed almost like dock workers.

One of them has a club, and the other one has what looks like this ringed blade that he has around his fingers.

Looks like he can both hit something hard and also has a blade.

And you see between them, kind of clearly pushed onto the ground, is that purple robed Luna moth looking fairy.

He kinda looking up at them being like, and he'd say, boy, you coming hard tough walking around asking too many questions.

You go, eyes on you now, buh buh.

And you see the shorter one says, yeah, you tell them.

I'm gonna just yell down the alley.

I'm gonna go, hey, pick out someone your own size.

They they both turn around and look at you and say, oh, but you could even find a mountain yo saws.

You coming here messing with the Louvenhurst gang, are you?

Think you're brave and all that?

You tin can.

You got a bucket of bolts for a brain there, do you?

While he's talking, I'm gonna use wild flame.

Oh.

I'm just gonna, like, hold my hand out toward him and, like, use wild flame to just shoot fire

towards them.

Do it up.

Shoot that fire out.

I'm gonna use I've got the magic, baby.

Do it up.

Y'all that's a nine with fear.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh.

You how does this fire not quite happen?

Well, I think I'm too far away from them, first of all, because it says melee range.

So I just, like, fire comes out of my hand.

And I think, like, it's kind of intimidating and it feels, like, hot to them, but they quickly realize it's not gonna reach them.

And they're like, what are you doing?

Yeah.

So I'm just, like, standing there with my hand out after the fire's gone, like, looking at them.

And that was with fear.

Right?

Or was

that That was with fear.

Then they're gonna activate right now, and you see that they look at you and says, Look at that.

Can't even keep you flying to yourself.

Well, I'm a teach you a lesson.

You're never gonna forget.

And you see that they the tall one runs at you, who is the closest approximation to your size, and is gonna swing on you real fast.

Nice.

That's a 10.

That is.

Boom.

Awesome.

You take two points of physical damage.

Awesome.

I have a subclass feature called revenge.

And when an adversary within melee range succeeds on an attack against me, I'm gonna mark two stress and force the attacker to take a hit point.

Oh, what does that look like exactly?

Do you think?

What weapon does this guy have?

He's got a club.

He hits you with, like, a club.

I think he, like, hits me with the club and that thing that happens in cartoons that when you hit something metal with with something else metal.

Oh, the hitter was just like vibrating.

Oh, that's so good.

I love that.

Oh my god.

He vibrates and it hurts him.

You see the other guy.

I'm gonna use this red fear here to activate the other guy who sees him get hit and says, And he's going to reach down and grab the moth and, like, put the dagger up to his neck and be like, you give us everything you got right now and you tell us what you're doing here right now or I'm gonna poke you full of holes.

They call you Swiss cheese.

And you see the guy that's just sort of shaking his head and saying, no.

No.

No.

Don't do this.

No.

But it is now your turn.

I was gonna ask if we see this.

I think we're just I think we're just hanging out with quackers.

We didn't even notice.

We're we're just we're a

little boy's back, so we're just we're just hanging out.

I'm like

We're like I love that

bow tie, by the way.

Oh, thank you.

I made it Do

you think it

like a little

Like a little vest?

Vest?

Yeah.

Oh my gosh.

Yes.

We could go

get we could go to the tailor and get quackers a whole

out.

Okay.

But there has to be more tailors.

Right?

The last tailor.

Oh, yeah.

There's definitely probably more tailors.

And we could get you a matching out thing for quackers.

Maybe a little, like, what do they call it?

A boo boo where you put them on your back?

And you can, like, oh, yeah.

Yeah.

That would be really cute.

Annie's face is actually upset.

Annie's like, I

hate that.

I just like the idea that no matter what's going on, Crank can also hear this.

It's we're really messing with Crank's groove, really.

So, obviously, my order born dedication, I've said it a couple of times.

It's protect if you can, avenge if you must, above all indoor.

And, like, right now I'm in protection mode because I want to protect this, like, moon and moth fairy.

And so I'm just gonna, like, hold my hands up in, like, a placating gesture.

I'm gonna say, I'll give you everything I have.

Mhmm.

And I

I I just I gotta get it out.

I gotta get it out.

So I'm gonna open my chest.

I'm gonna grab the fritters and the bagels that I grabbed at the manor, and I'm gonna, like, slowly, like, step forward close enough to throw them in his face and try to, like, wrestle the knife away from him.

Oh, wow.

Okay.

So you're, like, you distract them with bagels and fritters, and you see the guy with the club who's, like, shaking his hand because it hurts him so bad.

He says, yeah.

Give us all your goat.

What?

And then he gets hit in the face with a fritter.

The other guy is definitely distracted and looks at you as he gets hit with a fritter as you fully just tackle him with the knife.

In this case, let's go ahead.

We'll do a strength check.

This won't be exactly an attack roll.

We'll say you're, like, trying to wrestle it out of him.

Maybe give me a strength check.

Do you see for this is just a 12?

I beat it, and that's 29 plus three.

29 plus three.

32 with hope.

What?

29 plus oh, because the d 20.

Because the d 20.

Wow.

What's your total roll?

It was an eighteen and eleven.

So 19 or 29 plus three for my strength.

32 with hope.

So you take the knife from him so easily.

And not only do you take the knife from him, you take all of his will to fight and all of the violence in him.

And you see that he puts the moth down, and you see that he takes a step back, and he crosses his legs and sits down.

And he starts pondering his life and he says, you know, all didn't have to be here.

I could have made different decisions to be here where I'm at.

And yet look at where I am, threatening a poor soul in an alley.

You've taught me the air of more ways, you tall metal metal man.

You're right.

I should I should give back to the community in more ways than I'm doing.

Don Luevenhurst is gonna be real mad at me, but, you know, I gotta do what's right.

And he stands up and goes off to start an NGO.

And you see his tall friend his tall friend watches him go and looks back at you and looks down at the bagels on the ground and he picks one up and he just kind of waves and says, alright, You in.

And he walks out of the alley and walks away.

And, Crank, you're standing there in the alley with this this individual, this fairy, who once again looks like a Luna moth bedecked in this purple robe.

And you see that they're sort of just kind of like nervously holding their hands together, right, making a good foley right here.

Yeah.

This is what he's doing just like this.

He's like, hello.

Thank you for that.

It's it's helping me out there.

That would that could've been really bad.

Of course.

I mean, I I couldn't just let them, like, rob you or whatever they were trying to do.

They they were they were they were suspicious of me and all of my meanderings around town looking for information, and so they accosted me in this alleyway.

I thought I was a goner.

All I I thought I would have to use some of more more advanced magics to stop them, but I'm not quite good at those yet, so it could have backfired on me.

Oh, I'm a beginner too.

Maybe maybe we should compare notes.

I I meant I meant to ask you about that, actually, because you you're a mark two, and you did magic.

Yeah.

I'm quite frightened of you.

I'm so sorry.

Oh, was you couldn't be

frightened me.

You're not supposed to do magic, but you did help me and save me.

This is fascinating.

This is very fascinating, but I don't have time for research opportunities, although you look like one or need help.

Well, what do you need help with?

I mean, I already helped you.

I saved you from those guys.

You did save me, and that's why I come to you on bended knee, and he bent he bent down on the knees and says, I I I need help.

I'm looking for someone in this city.

Who are you looking for?

What do

they look like?

Well, they're very beautiful for a bulk.

They've got luscious skin, beautiful eyes.

What what color skin?

Well, the color is as green as the summer's days Green.

Fresh grass.

I don't know any green furballs.

Oh.

I know two blue ones.

Two blue ones.

Okay.

Mhmm.

They must be from Voldain then.

I think so.

I think originally Bracken Road.

Bracken Road?

That's the place that just recently had a terrible tragedy.

Yeah.

I'm I'm I was there.

I I wouldn't say I'm from there originally, but that's, like, a

place that I know the best.

Well, it's quite terrible.

Yeah.

It was it was pretty bad.

It was not very fun to be there during.

But my friends and I, I think they're still my friends.

You're not sure if your friends or not?

I don't I don't know.

They made a new friend recently, and it's it's just just feeling like I've I've been replaced a little bit.

That's really hard.

Yeah.

Have new friends in this city.

Can I be your friend?

Oh, yeah.

You can be my friend.

Yeah.

Of course.

I've made a friend.

Thank you.

But, anyway, we're here now, and and we're part of the adventurer's guild, so we're we're helping people.

You're the adventurer's guild?

Yeah.

That means you're able to help me in circumstances.

Exactly.

It's what I just said.

Can I give can can can I get a friend discount on a quest that I don't put in in official channels, but instead hand to you personally?

Of course.

Yeah.

I'm happy to help.

Okay.

Well, are you familiar with the name Clover of Towers?

No.

Oh, no.

I haven't been in town very long.

Oh, that's alright.

I have a reason to believe that they're being kept here in Alchanaboy.

You see, they were supposed to well, I don't wanna talk about it out here, but we are just alone in an alley with no one else listening, I assume.

So you and I are just gonna have this conversation right here.

You see that they kinda, like, do their hands up in a magical manner, and you see this kinda dome surround you.

And they say, alright.

I made a little dome here of silence so just the two of us can talk.

This is a one time use thing that I could only use from an item that I have that was specifically made in the place I'm from, which is Polaris University.

You're from Polaris?

Well, yes, I am.

I'm from Polaris.

Well,

yes.

Oh, I am.

I'm I'm a major apprentice.

You see, I'm under one of the high ranking members of the school of war, Enchanted Kalashay.

You see, she was supposed to have a marriage with Clover of Towers.

You see, Clover of Towers is actually the child of Adamantine Towers who, you know, Crank, is a Jethany war hero.

That name rings a bell to you flying back.

You're pretty sure you were probably on the opposite side of a battle with Adamantine Towers.

And so well, they disappeared.

They were on their way to Polaris, to the city of Eidolon to to to to stop the marriage ceremony, but they disappeared.

But no one's saying where they went.

You think they disappeared here?

Well, I know they were in they were in Volcani Airspace when they vanished.

I'm starting here and I'm getting some good vibes that they are here.

The person I apprentice under, she tasked me with Thorndon, Clover of Towers, who is quite wonderful, I must say.

If you've ever met Clover of Towers, they look at you like you're the only person in the room.

I haven't met them.

Oh, well, you'd be lucky to one day.

Anyways, I'm I'm looking for any information that I can find of where they are.

The other thing is I think I think that the reason they are just just accosted is because I think the Luvenhurst mob has something to do with it, but I'm not quite sure.

That is a name I've heard

about three times today.

Really?

Yes.

In various situations.

Wow.

But I didn't put it together until now.

Such foreshadowing.

I went to the docks recently to try and see if I could find anything.

And, you know, this real mean character came up to me and started asking me a lot of questions, so I had to get away.

And then they found me here in the street.

I'm not very good at magic, but I know something.

So I tried to escape by turning myself into an unseeable mode that some people call invisible.

I heard of invisibility.

Say, I hear that's very hard to accomplish.

Well, hey, I'll have an idea.

You help me find clover of towers, and if you find them, you bring them to me so we can go back to Polaris, and I'll help teach you some magic.

That would be wonderful.

Sounds great.

Where are you staying right now?

Well, right now, we're just staying at the adventurer's guild.

Oh, that makes sense.

You're adventurers.

Mhmm.

Yeah.

I'm staying at a real dingy inn on the down in downtown.

Well, I'm sure if you wanted to come with us to the adventurer's guild, we might be able to talk them into letting you stay there.

Do you

really think so?

Especially if

you're helping us with a quest.

Oh, if the adventuring guild is supposed to be politically neutral in all things, so I'm sure that me being from what is ostensibly an enemy country to Voldain won't be a problem.

This is very good.

Well, we can just tell them you're from somewhere else just in case.

Oh, and they kind of shake their hands and the dome goes away and you see Kapi and Pistachio.

You've been looking down this alley for a solid five minutes because Crank just kind of vanished for a second and just has come back into view.

You just see Crank standing there with this individual.

Oh.

Oh, wow.

Was that fantastic?

Yeah.

Hi.

Hi.

Hi, guys.

This is my new friend.

Oh.

Hello.

They're from Polaris.

Oh.

Oh.

That's fantastic.

Hi.

Is your name?

Are you trustworthy?

I'm not really supposed to say that out loud.

They're trustworthy.

Don't worry.

I'm trustworthy.

My name's Cerulean Prism, and I'm a mage apprentice to Enchanted Kalashev, School of War, and I'm trying to find out where Clover of Towers is.

Any of those a person?

They're quite the person, actually.

Just to look upon their face one more time would just bring me so much happiness.

Do any of these names ring any bells for any of us?

I don't think so.

Okay.

Not for you too.

Okay.

This is Pistachio.

Hi.

I'm Pistachio.

How about Crank?

Oh, dude.

Hi.

Crank's now my good friend.

I was really scared of crank at first, but now I'm not.

What's that effect on people?

I'm Kapi.

Hello.

And this this guy?

This is Quackers.

Quackers is so cool.

Wow.

Those are

Cerulean's also cool.

Yeah.

No.

Cerulean seems like a nice person.

I'm sorry.

Watch Quackers.

Say hi.

Quack.

Quack.

I

can't help but notice that the the the the duck's neck is a little wonky.

Oh, yeah.

That was my first attempt on a on a healing spell, and it was, like, just the first time, and it kinda went a little bit awry.

You know, you could you could probably summon him without the broken neck.

What?

Well, it's a familiar, isn't it?

One of you is channeling magics into the space in order to create a facsimile of a creature.

What did you say about Quackers?

Quack Quackers is a duck.

Well, he's a little duck.

Duck, but he's a he's a isn't he a familiar?

He's a he's a duck.

But Pistachio is, like, looking very, like, concerned at this person and is like like, this is a this is a cognitive dissonance to them.

And they're like, no.

No.

This is this is this is a real duck.

I I picked him up from I picked him up from home.

This is a this is my duck.

This is my duck.

Okay.

Okay.

He's stuck.

You're right.

Yo.

No.

I

I was just gonna have to

see my my mistake.

My mistake.

Yes.

I'm very sorry.

I

just Pistachio just kinda, like, grabs quackers and goes, if he would if he was a familiar, he wouldn't be able to do this.

And Pistachio will, like, pluck a feather from quackers.

See?

See?

Does this feel fake to you?

Does this feel magical

to you?

What did it mean to?

This is just Truly, it hides behind Craig.

Hey.

Stop being mean to my new friend.

I'm I'm not I'm not be I'm not being mean to anybody.

I'm not Your

new friend's being mean to quackers.

What did it mean to cause a Quackers is

is very sensitive.

You have to be careful.

I I think it'll be okay.

So I think we need to get pistachio and quackers back to the Avengers Guild Yeah.

So that they can sleep.

To the guild.

That magic.

That's so that's so funny, isn't it?

For quackers.

And that's funny.

Come on, kid.

Come on.

That's funny.

You all

head back.

I'm like guiding pistachio.

You all head back to the Adventuring Guild.

As you step in, you see Michelle is there.

We just look exhausted.

You look so exhausted.

You see that Michelle, like, raises her finger as if to say something to you and then sees the vibe and just kinda puts it down and says, we'll talk.

We can talk tomorrow.

And it looks like you need sleep.

Okay.

Nighty night.

Oh, this is my friend, Cerulean.

They're just gonna be staying with us for the night, if that's okay.

Oh, okay.

Yes.

Of course.

No.

That's totally fine.

Normally, I would say you can't bring people with you to sleep in the Adventuring Guild, but right now, we have a lot of beds and not a lot of adventurers, so you're totally fine to bring someone.

But just in the future, just but you're fine.

You're fine.

Go go to sleep.

Go to sleep.

You're fine.

We'll talk we'll talk tomorrow.

Okay.

Okay.

Good night.

Good night.

Do you have extra blankets?

Sure.

I can get some I can get some extra blankets.

And a pillow?

Extra pillow?

Yeah.

I can get you an extra pillow.

And milk?

Well Warm milk?

You have water.

Michelle, please.

Do you really want me to go out and get some milk?

You don't have warm milk?

I'm so tired.

I don't have warm milk.

I have water.

Yeah.

Go to sleep.

Go sleep.

You'll wake up feeling better.

You can get milk tomorrow in the morning.

You can go get it yourself.

Okay.

Night night.

You all head on up as you all bed down to rest.

Michelle's walking over to an empty cot, grabbing a blanket and pillow there and handing it to Kapi to add to his own blanket and cot.

Thank you, Michelle.

Of course.

She, like, pats you on the head and, like, gives your forehead a kiss in a very motherly way.

Thanks, Michelle.

Of course.

Yeah.

Nobody ever

wants to kiss me.

Do you wanna do you want me to kiss you too, Craig, on the forehead?

Kiss Craig, Michelle.

Michelle comes over and tucks you in, Craig, and gives you a kiss on the forehead.

Thank you, Michelle.

Of course.

Yeah.

Wait.

I didn't get a kissy.

Michelle, the

pistachio tucks you in Yay.

Puts a glass of water next to you and gives you a kiss on the forehead.

Wait.

You didn't tuck Quackers in.

I think Quackers is fine.

Well, you don't need it.

Pistachio.

Okay.

Okay.

Good turns on the side of his back facing them.

Goodnight, Pistachio.

Goodnight, Kapi.

Goodnight, Quackers.

What?

Good night, Craig.

Good night.

Good night, Craig.

Good night.

Love you.

Love you too.

Kisses.

Kisses.

Good night, Crank.

Good night, Cerulean.

Yeah.

Night.

New new new new tag along.

Good night, blue guy who is in his beautiful and amazing clover of towers.

I'm too tired to fight that.

I think Pistachio is staring at Quackers instead of going to sleep.

Quackers is like sitting on your chest as you go to sleep and just kinda like nuzzled in and just looks at you.

Right?

You're not a familiar, are you?

Quack.

That's what I thought.

Only the real Quackers quack.

Quack.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm not going crazy.

Goodnight, Pistachio.

Goodnight, Cathy.

Goodnight, Pistachio.

Goodnight.

I've learned your name again.

Goodnight, Cerulean.

You don't think I'm crazy.

Right?

What?

Yeah.

Thanks.

I never said that.

Go to sleep, new guy.

Alright.

It's, like, twelve in the afternoon.

Yeah.

It is.

We need to go to sleep.

Really bright outside.

We pulled the Michelle.

Hey.

That's you.

Go to sleep.

That is really.

I'm total bored.

Oh, we love a good night sleep.

And as you, dear listener, drift off to sleep listening to this no doubt at 11:30, you really should get more sleep.

But I'm glad that you chose our podcast to fall asleep too.

Have the best of dreams and the best of days.

And from all of us here at Dodoborne podcast, fuck on three.

One, two, three.

Hey.

It's a podcast.