Welcome back to Tabletop Diaries, where we'll be playing Shadow Dark Zine Volume 1 Diabury.

Before we get into this, couple things I've noticed or we've kind of fobbed up on, I've learned that crossbows, crossbows, when we're reloading, you technically should not have been able to move afterwards.

Yep, yeah.

I caught that in the listen back.

Yeah, yeah, same.

So you reload and you stop.

So you either, if you reload, you can't move, it negates your movement because it's going to take you time to reload it.

Action Yeah, you could choose to move and then reload at the beginning of your turn, then you can't move.

And then you could still do your action, but then you won't move.

So if you reload, that takes all your movement away.

Gotcha.

This story so far.

Our heroes prepare an attack plan on a nearby bandit camp that seems to be terrorizing the village of Warren Wood.

They all gather supplies of the fire persuasion and are accompanied by three Archers, Hera, Mort and Gertie, a dwarf, a goblin and a halfling.

Y'all make your preparations and decide to head out to the Bandit's camp.

You decide to wait until dark before planning your attack on the Abandit's camp, and in doing so during camp you come into contact with an owl bear with some quick thinking with your Ranger buddies.

You end up thwarting a possible conflict and basically feeding the owl bear and having to leave.

Pretty smart thinking on y'all, good job, good job.

However in doing so you essentially traded the lack of conflict for no rest.

However it didn't slow you down.

With a such a good strategy you guys decide to basically bombard the bandits camp with fire arrows and flasks and essentially just burn it down to the ground.

And in doing so with all this in frenzy you catch a figure with similar armor to a good friend of yours.

This person seems to be wearing the same armor of a certain Knight of Idris.

At first he seems to be leading the charge of the bandits, but quickly he surrenders when he realizes he's outnumbered before you all decide to leave with him as essentially A prisoner.

This tree in the middle of the camp breaks apart revealing this Morrow fiend, a giant hulkish wolf like creature with SUNY muscles and Bony Bony flesh almost in a sappy burning spit that essentially just holds you down.

You end up defeating this with the cost of one of your Archers, Gertie, and end up killing Greaves, this alleged knight of Aegis.

After this intense battle you all warily make your way back to Wardenwood where essentially you all are just gathered around.

It is about, I'll say about 10 AM.

Your two Archer buddies have left to go 10 to some other matters and tell everybody about the loss of Gertie.

Y'all are essentially in the middle of town licking your wound.

Where we are starting at.

I believe you all have the armor and the sword from the said night and here we see y'all essentially in the middle.

What would you all like to do?

It's about 10 in the morning.

The town's, you know, at its normal pace of going about things, some people see you and I, you and guys look pretty beat.

They kind of just look at you.

You give them that look of don't ask and they just kind of hurry and go about their business.

What would you like to do?

They'd probably go brief pipit and then hightailed it to the hotel.

Sounds good.

Let's go.

How?

When are you feeling OK?

Not really.

Missus Redcap.

No, you see, he's, he's like very downtrodden, kind of staring down at the ground the whole time as we make our way there.

What's wrong?

He's supposed to be supposed to be merry.

Supposed to be Merry Tobin.

Yes, I just his last this last week or two or three.

However long it's been, it's been the most insane and crazy time in my life travelling with you 3.

We we've added a lot of value.

You got to do the Tobin maneuver twice.

Gods, and that light that we saw before coming here, I don't know, It's probably just a trick of the woods, but I can't help but.

I thought I was shooting at first but I've been rethinking that.

If they said they were talking about a castle in the Magdo club was there.

I wouldn't trust anything in the shadow of the art.

Could be an illusion, kind of suck you in into something else.

I mean, we have been hearing a lot about this bit of mold keep in the Mugtel BLOB of whatever his name is.

Could be true, it could not.

But it also told us that the realms do not look upon us.

They do not.

We have learned that the hard way so far.

Well, maybe that's a good thing.

I can't trust it.

There's the only way I'm still alive right now is because of Gheed.

Why I'm I'm still alive because of you.

Well.

That is true.

Through through Gheed I, it's it's through her that I'm able to cast any magic at all.

And I mean, I don't know, I've I've just got a lot to think about.

We should tell Pippin all.

Right, OK.

Yeah, let's breathe, Pippin.

I can use a rest.

I can literally want to close my eyes for a few hours.

You know, slowly make your way to the 24 chimneyed in Tower Town Hall.

So many chimneys.

Why?

Because everybody.

Needs its own.

Fireplace.

The purpose?

So everybody could have their own fireplace.

Like.

Nobility.

Quality guest living and.

They didn't know how to route multiple channels of smoke through the same chimney back.

Then they lacked of Benjamin Franklin trying.

To.

Retain the heat.

Remember Mr.

Redcap and her statue situation?

Oh my God.

I.

Just remembered that.

We live to see what happens with that.

I forgot who I just popped in my head statue.

The Tobin maneuver statue my.

God.

I can't believe you did that.

What a waste of money.

It was so worth 12 gold.

So funny it's immortalized now.

I think just in case we die.

Because even if he doesn't make it, he's going to tell somebody about that.

Oh.

Yeah, that's right.

If we're going to die, we got to leave some kind of stamp somewhere.

Create.

Galore.

Just good thinking.

This is right.

So yeah.

Our future characters can come through Warden Wood like halfway through the campaign and be like who's Tobin?

I should Commission a a statue of me holding the hag there.

Yeah.

Oh, you, you print it.

That'd be cool too.

You all make your way to the town hall with his 24 chimneys.

You see Mary cleaning the corner she looks at you Miss red cap like then looks at all you and realized the state you're all in and it's like uh oh and just kind of backs up and goes back to sleeping.

As you all make your way to the door and knock on it, it opens up and you see Pippit, the familiar halfling.

Oh, thank the gods you're alive.

Hey, yeah, you guys look God awful.

Bandits look worse.

That's good news.

We purified them with a vile fire.

You no longer have a problem of bandits.

That's great news.

Oh, oh, there was.

Something else in there though.

That's why we look like this.

Something else in where the in the bandits camp?

It's a bloody tree demon thing in the middle and.

We took care of it, but that's why we look like this.

Oh, for pregnant's sake, that's great news.

Also Kirby.

Got eaten.

Kirby.

One of The Archers he provided.

Oh, Kirby, sorry, sorry.

Oh oh.

You know, that's it was an intense fight and I mean, we barely survived.

That's going to really lower morale.

He got a kill though.

He he got blooded.

That's good news, yeah.

He was heroic so his tails could lift morale up.

We also saw a an odd character in the camp.

It may have been a Knight of Idris.

I don't know.

No, no.

Someone else he might be impersonating a Knight of Idris, We couldn't be sure.

It had the armor, but when everything went S he discarded it.

So it and was using some kind of magic magic and.

His skin was branded and disfigured.

We got a sword too, if a lira wants to look at these things.

Yeah, I've heard from her today.

She's supposed to be on her way, but I'd assumed she'd be here by now.

I'm not really sure what this means.

It's very concerning, but at least the bandits are dispersed or all dead, right?

The bandits are gone, the monster is dead, and the weird character that we described is also dead.

You don't have to worry.

And you see him style like the heaviest of release.

Oh God, think her Agnes Gheed Ord, that's heavyweight off my shoulders.

Thank you all.

I still have a lot to do and I'll have to wait on word from Bauer and also I got this writ from you guys.

I got to disperse and see what's up, see how we want to handle this.

This is all great news.

I'm going to have to break the news to Gertie's, you know, family.

That's unfortunate.

I could do that for you if you want.

Me to oh would.

Now that I know his name, I'm ready.

Yeah.

Are you familiar with Susan?

No, I I don't know any Susan.

Yes, with the.

The bones haven't talked to me about any.

Susan, it's crazy.

Nancy's mother, Susan.

Yes.

Oh no.

Poor Susan.

Poor Nancy.

Perhaps Tobin should handle it.

Oh, I I don't know if I'm ready to do that right now.

Is there a body?

No, he was eaten by the monster creature.

He was eaten.

He was swallowed all in front of us.

It was an intense battle.

Like I said, the.

Thing that got him?

Though you see him like just put his hand to his face, rubs his temple.

Now that is awful.

They don't have any ways to even bury him.

I, I, I, I wanted to cut the creature open, but it's made out of these bones and the hard shell corpse of a wolf.

I, I, I don't even know how to describe it, but my intent was trying to cut it open and save him, but it was beyond what I could do.

I mean, like I said, we're, we're barely alive.

I mean, I think it was a matter of luck that we survived.

They all must have rolled high.

We have we rolled high.

I'll I.

Suppose I should be the one to break the news to Susan and Nancy.

Fair enough, we'll give him the sword.

I will pull out our halves of the Idris armor.

If you want to investigate these.

Things.

He glances over it, just carefully puts it on the desk.

I have one of the mages look at it.

If the Lord doesn't show up later, I'm sure she's going to have have words, but I guess I could send a message out.

It might take a few hours, but hopefully we'll get there.

That's very discerning, but I'm glad the threat's gone.

Probably going to have to have a memorial service either tonight or tomorrow.

See how how they want to go about that.

Probably be best to give them a day at.

Least now your farmers, can you resume their farming activities outside the walls?

Yeah, this is true.

To be honest, they never stopped.

Those bandits really didn't do hardly anything.

But it's good to know that the threat is gone and they'll be more adventurous and more up going and lighten up the mood.

Obviously they work a little bit better and better harvest.

So it's yeah, it's always better knowing that you don't have to watch your backs as hard.

They will be happy.

I wish I could at the moment offer you some sort of reward, but I I have to, I have to prep up some stuff.

Maybe, maybe tomorrow after the ceremony.

Well.

My reward right now is to go to sleep.

Great.

We are aching.

That's understandable I suppose.

I just because yeah, go back your day, going to break the news to the family and get back to work.

If y'all need anything, you know Maid Marian and any of the guards happy to oblige you in anything you need.

Thank you, Sir.

Yeah, let me know if you need anything else.

I'll either be here or around town or at Deeds Hearth.

If you don't mind, you know, spread the word and geeds to her so they can welcome us back again.

I think we.

Have Oh yeah, that's we have he looks that you know.

We would like to go back and behave ourselves and have a drink.

I don't know if I can face them right now.

Redemption is always humbling process.

Indeed, in October, we're still alive.

I had some miracle, yes, somehow.

We owe it to Gertie to go have an ale.

And.

Celebrate his name.

I need some sleep well.

Bid you farewell for now, all right.

He turns around, goes back to where you all exit, out the door, standing out in the halls.

Anything in particular you all want to?

Do I'm going?

I'm gonna go take a shower on a nap.

Yeah, straight upstairs, going to the room.

Get some food and just pass out for as long as my body wants to pass out.

You all do get free lodging and food.

Drinks are served if you wish.

One of the maids happily give you whatever drink you'd like brought to you by room to your room.

So basically room servers, You take it as a minimum that Pippi can do as of right now is to basically feed you and house you for, you know, job.

Well, Mission.

Mission accomplished.

Mary's going to be running up and down them stairs quite a bit.

She'll probably have.

She'll probably have.

Like a servant girl after like the second, after like the third time saying OK, you know, gather some.

Just bring the whole barrel.

Yeah, You know, just leave it.

Just leave a barrel.

Yeah, so Tommen, you're deep in your cups and you're probably like writing or just whatever you're doing, reading a book.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, just staring at the floor.

Your window is stuck kind of cracked open and you you're kind of beat.

You don't even really care to even try to close.

You try to close it once and you're just so exhausted, even like pushing it down is just Jimmy at a certain way.

And right now you're just not having it.

But your candle goes out and then you have to like get your tender and swipe it out and do it it again.

And then you're like the light keeps going out, the candle keeps getting snuffed out.

What would you like to do?

He's going to stare at the candle for a second and then turn back, sit on the edge of the bed, clutch his holy symbol, and then try and cast the light spell.

As you go to try and cast your light spell, your holy symbol burst in spikes.

What the Hell's?

It glows per second and then it's normal color, then turns red, and then the spike slowly start growing back into the normal shape of your holy symbol.

He's going to stare at it, hand shaking and, you know, bleeding a little bit.

As the blood drops on the floor and you're staring at it kind of confusing, bewildered, the blood slowly falls and starts dripping on the floor and starts spelling out with the word repent.

And you are without a doubt knowing your God is displeased with your actions of essentially critically failing the light.

So a penance must be made.

I'm going to stare with my mouth dropped open, eyes wide, and then just drop to my knees, elbows on the bed, head down, and just start praying and at begging for forgiveness.

My drunken stupor.

What do you say?

Oh.

Dear Goddess, please.

I don't know how I failed you to warrant this, but I have given my whole life to you and I always will.

I please, just however I need to repent, I I will.

Whatever you ask of me, I will do it.

I don't even know if I'm following your will, fighting all these crazy monsters and bandits and but whatever you would have me do, I will do.

As you say these words and then you open your eyes on the wall lit up the words sacrifice glowing and like golden on the wall that slowly changes and then an arrow just points outside I'm.

Going to stare for a second, nod, and then get up and I'm going to leave the direction the arrow's pointing.

You go outside and you're making your way.

Essentially, you just find yourself just walking in a certain direction.

And oddly enough, you eventually find yourself in this cemetery area.

You see another person there, kind of kneeled down.

Looks like they're tending to a greystone.

What do they look like?

Looks like a halfling that you might know.

I'm going to stop for a second, kind of get a look of recognition, then head over there.

I'm clutching my holy symbol with my bloody hand, by the way.

You go up there and you see, you recognize, Elena says.

I was like, oh, Tovin, how How have you been?

Hello, Elena.

I've been better.

How are you?

Are you OK?

Oh yes, just sometimes I like to come out here and, you know, check on my grandmother passed away.

It's been several, several years about like I can't remember maybe 1020 years ago.

I like to like clean it up at times and it's, you know, it's a pretty nice night out.

So when it's nice and cool like this, it's good to like clean up a little.

And sometimes I'll do with the other graves just to maintenance that I feel like the others, you know, the dead need to be remembered otherwise, like they're just a forgotten memory after a while.

They're not even that.

That's very lovely.

Do you mind if I help you?

I need to do something and you know.

Oh, are you all right?

It's been quite a rough day, week, month and and I'll glanced under my holy symbol, open my hand and the holy symbol has some blood on it now.

The glances at it.

Oh, are you all right?

Yes, we.

Took care of the bandits tonight.

Today, last night.

I don't even know anymore and well, there was more than we expected.

But anyways, that's beside the point.

How about I help you?

OK.

Yeah, just if you like to get some like little shears and cut these weeds out.

Can do.

So how did exactly did you get it on your hand?

I don't.

I've seen some of the guards but I've barely ever seen less than like on the palm.

You must have been clutching something really hard.

Oh, that that happened after.

You see, I never had this happen before, but.

I swear this is the first time.

It happens to everyone, don't worry.

I think Gid is no.

I know GID is upset with me right now.

He looks to see you.

Oh oh.

I don't exactly know why, but I need to keep my hands busy while I think of how to pay it back.

Well, I used to know a priestess who at times strayed and she, you know, might have taken away some of her abilities.

She actually built a little monument over here, actually.

And she grabs her hands like, if you will, yes, yes.

Walks around a little ways around a big oak tree and behind you kind of say like this little table with like, some food.

It's all made out of metal.

It's like a little statuette.

It looks like a miniature little peas table with like little cups whatnot, tankards for Meads whatnot.

She would usually place something of value here and usually we'd drink or do like, you know, pour out some blessings and pray to Gide.

And sometimes it works, dude, maybe, maybe try it.

I don't know if Gide listens.

I it seemed to work for her at least a few times before she decided to just leave.

I don't know how she's doing anymore.

This is.

Wonderful.

Thank you, Elena.

And a quick question, has she ever spoken with you, given you a sign?

Gheed herself, Yes.

I found signs here and there when I'm especially when I first met Carlin, I was praying to Gheed like for someone for support and, and maybe it's my imagination, but when I was walking, I tripped in my basket.

I was carrying all my fruits and a loaf of bread rolled straight to Carlin and he picked it up and we locked eyes and I'm it's going to sound cheesy, but I just kind of fell bell form right there, kind of figuratively and literally.

Lovely.

And I I don't suspect that's just a coincidence.

I like to think he has her eyes on me from time to time.

I'm not much of an adventure and I don't go spell casting as he more learnt priestess and devout, but I do resonate with Gheed a lot and I helped build a Gheed's hearth in her name and I feel very blessed with it.

In the Harvest have always been fruitful and I think that's a blessing with itself.

I think so too, and as a lifelong devotee, I can assure you she's definitely fond of you in your your temple, as I would call it.

Thank you.

Well, I'm going to finish stuff here.

If you'd like to take some time here, feel free and I hope to see you soon at Geez Hearst.

I know situation, yes, rough.

I'm very sorry about that.

Again, I it's.

Not the worst that's happened, believe it or not.

And maybe that has something to do with.

All of this could be.

I'd better ask for forgiveness then.

Thank you friend.

No problem, May God bless you.

And she Pats you on the shoulder.

Lily walks off.

I'll nod and wait till she's gone and then turn and face the altar, do you?

I'll kneel down in front of it and I guess I'm going to pull 5 gold coins out and I'll place the five gold coins on the table.

The little statuette thing and my head.

Dear Goddess, I do apologize for straying and I hope you you will accept the sacrifice and know that I do fully devote myself to you, your cause, and whatever you would have me do.

I am your humble servant.

Ask you this, would you besides the goal do anything?

Maybe additionally additionally.

After a moment or two, I'll start to kind of get that and that itch, that restlessness.

He'll reach in beneath the armor, pull out his flask, go to take a sip, and then stop.

And I'll kind of look at the flask, look at the altar.

This is what got me into trouble in the 1st place.

And I'll set it on the altar next to the coins.

Sit there for several moments just contemplating and having this sorrow and earnest feeling, and look on your face and the altar glows and your offerings glow and then just disappear and you feel that maybe after a long rest you might have your ability back.

Sweet, very cool pendants.

That was an intense thing, you.

Were going to talk to Kirby there, Kirby.

Ghost of Girty.

You cool.

Because of you, I have died.

Because of you, I should have never trusted you.

I was digested like a cheeseburger.

And you did nothing.

That's why I'm not Adm.

Tobin would have a freaking heart attack.

Bringing this to Redcap, is there anything you'd like to do?

She would like to consult her bones.

All.

Right, so soon they said I couldn't use the cauldron in here.

I don't recall anybody saying.

Anything about bones?

They didn't say anything about bones.

So we we got a message.

I thought it was from you, but now upon further reflection, the light was not vile enough for it to be you.

So I don't know what this message is, and I'm going to ask you about it.

Is the phrase the Realms are not watching us good for our adventure and she's going to shake the bones that she's going to cast it on?

The bones land in a scattered pile and for a moment they start shaking and then just shuffle and form a couple of words.

Your question was does the does.

The phrase The realms are not watching you.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing for our adventure words?

Not great.

Pop up, try again later, yeah?

Oh, OK, OK.

Well, then it might answer my next question.

She's going to scoop up the bones again.

She's going to be a shoon.

Shooni, Shooni, Shoon, goddess of violence, are we?

Are we strong enough to go to bitter Mold Keep yet?

She's going to throw the bones down.

Tough question.

The bones hit again on the floor, scattered.

They start to circle on the floor first kind of slowly just roll and then starts gaining speed before it turns into dust.

And then you still kind of see a little like dust devil of all the bone dust before it starts to slowly clear away and a sentence comes out in Elvin.

It essentially says strength comes from within.

The better question is, are you brave enough?

That's all you get, the balance.

Well, now it's just a bunch of pile of dust.

Bone dust.

I'm gonna, I'm gonna scoop up the dust and be like, well, OK, now I have to clean this up.

Can't have Mary do it.

Mary's gonna judge me real hard after those troll toes.

OK.

What?

What time is it?

Is she doing this consulting?

I guess she's.

I'm assuming this is at night now?

Yeah.

I would say you guys probably take a nap and you know, kind of because you guys are, even though it's been you guys are beat, you guys did kind of well you had broken sleep.

So yesterday you probably like short rest a little, but probably a long rest so we can start the day in the daytime.

I'll let you.

Internal now, yeah.

Yeah, that's a mess up, period.

You know, sleep cycle, right?

Yeah.

Other than that, Shun.

Wants me to be brave and so Mr.

Redcap is going to open up a window to see if it's light or dark out.

I would say it's still night time, but I'm assuming this is still night time unless one of you guys wanted to do something during the day before because y'all just said yeah we're just going to crash out, you know?

All right, so this is all happening at night here all.

Right.

All right, OK, so she's like, oh, it's night time.

OK, maybe I'll get a drink at Geez Hearth.

Maybe I got enough strength for that.

It's not like I can invite any of my friends.

OK, So Mrs.

Redcap's going to go to Geez Hearth.

OK, Val, are you doing anything this night?

Well, right after you know this crazy I.

Sank my body in a hot tub of water and I drank and I slept in that condition.

In the tub.

In the tub.

OK.

And while in the tub, all I can think of is like, how did I get so domesticated into this situation?

I missed the ocean.

You know I wouldn't have to deal with any of this.

Well, it is what it is.

I'll make the best of it and then I'll drink some more, sleep some more in the water until it turns cold and then I wake up feeling refreshed.

Still in the tub, naked?

Yep.

Pruning.

Pruning.

No.

And then I get out, get out and get dressed.

All right, Yeah, You spend the like the entire day, probably just day drinking in a tub, which sounds pretty awesome, honestly.

Yeah, that, that.

Could be its own form of like personal corral.

I was I was bucket.

List unlocked.

I was relaxing and contemplating how I got here and I started to like, miss, you know, the ocean because going through all that stuff made me think like, you know, I could have been freer.

But none of that Night Harbor, Night Haven Harbor stuff went down.

My life would have been different, which is the wrong way to look at things, but I can't help but think about the past.

I will say while you're the midst of your sleeping bits and drunkenness ish, while, you know, going in and out of sleep and maybe just the rhythmic motion of your body moving in the water kind of just plain drunkenly in it, and then your eyes closing in and out of sleep.

You envision yourself on a great ship and your buddy Vern's there and he's at the top.

What do you call that thing?

The Lookout.

The mast.

The mast, Bird's nest.

Bird's nest.

Oh, that too.

He's at the bird's nest, the mast looking up.

You're looking out and he look up and you feel just at ease.

You have this sense of accomplishment and adventure that you're just going forward as the boats rushing along and the sea breeze is hitting you and splashes and waves are hitting the boat and some of that it's like the waves kind of rippling off the boat and onto your face by the wind.

It gives you a real sense of freedom that you remember back before.

The clouds start turning real dark suddenly and very quickly, and the water start to get really troubling.

Waves are getting harder.

The boat's rocking back and forth, and then you see like a huge wave and out of the wave itself, a giant like tentacle or something.

A tendril hits the boat and cuts it in half, and you are by the pressure and momentum of how hard it's hit and how your boat's still moving.

You feel you're getting thrown off the boat straight into another wave before you just see the other end of the boat getting split in half and your face about to hit the other side of it and you wake up in a jolt but then you see yourself back in the room holding the cup.

It would have been safer from the shadow dark in the water.

You know how you got that from that?

But.

OK, it's a crow's nest.

It's going to bother me for the rest of the night.

It's a crow's nest, not a bird, and.

That's the technical a bird.

Yeah.

OK, yeah, I don't know boats.

I don't know.

Don't at me, people.

It's a.

Ship the ship.

When it's that big, it's a ship other.

Than that you still have kind of dreams of just freedom in general and you're nice.

It's pretty nice.

But there's still just that lingering thought of the world is not in a good spot right now and that message kind of itches in the back of your brain of the realms are not looking on you and mug to blow Bitter Mole, Keith, Dusk, Thorn Urets, all these names kind of just swirl in your head.

Or you get some more sleep and then eventually get up feeling pretty refreshed, probably donning on some nightgown and making your way to your room.

All right, if there's nothing else, we'll Fast forward to the morning.

Shouldn't we try to go to a earths keep and see if we can get in?

So now that it's the new day, there is one more day left from the band.

All right, I've been keeping, I've been keeping tabs.

We all went from 20 years of just the same old same old to a week of the most crazy monster fights and.

It's not like in those twenty years you haven't seen the.

Walls would get attacked but like.

Yeah, you, you, there's attack and you've been, especially Val and Vern being out there.

They probably fended off some creatures here and there, which is why, you know, you can always roll for an intelligence check to kind of figure out what this creature is.

You know, I always throw that out there, or at least I'm going to now if I haven't already, or at least if you ask about it.

Fair enough.

So it's a new day.

You all are fully rested.

Your hit points are back.

You don't got to expend a rest in because you you know you're in homie hometown for free.

Your hit points are back to full, but the day is yours.

Now that we have completed our mission, we head back home.

Well, we I guess we need to hear back from Pippit about power and the Mage.

We came here to deal with the bandits and they are dealt with.

Well, I don't.

I don't really have any preference other than we should probably check in with leadership.

You said it, they also have the information.

I wasn't intending on checking.

We did what we had to.

We came here to do and we can just Gedetto unless we all want to go to a bitter mold.

But I don't know.

I mean, are you all, are you 2, not 3, not very bothered by the insane things that we've seen and done these last few days?

Well, it's a break from the monotony of where we come from, you must admit.

I mean not just the fiend thing we fought yesterday, but I mean the troll and the our bear and the giant rock monster that came out of the ground and this just our lives now.

Well, I'm going to try to look at this positively.

Everything we have dealt with, it was only a matter of time for it to come towards us if we stayed in our little village.

So you know, the other way to look at it is we anticipated all these things and dealt with them before they even hear about our existence and come towards us.

Now they are dealt with and we made new friends.

Now with all these new skills and experience we acquired, we can go further.

Val, you never failed to inspire me with how brave you are all.

Right, keep them around.

Vern.

Well, that's why I keep Vern around.

Yeah, I suppose both of you are the bravest people I've ever known, and I can't believe I've been travelling with you and fighting all sorts of monsters and demons and what else?

No, you know what it feels like for me and Vern every time we head into the woods, you know, to hunt.

It's like you go shoot the deer and you try to find food and gather doll for your your family in a sense, but it doesn't really hold a lot of weight if you're not out there risking yourself.

Sure, you could put yourself shoot the net arrow and killing that rabbit, that deer, the the bull, but throwing your stuff out there all the time is a risk in itself and every time coming back alive and if you do catch something out there that would come and try to kill you or hurt your family, I'm I feel much more accomplished if we defeated after one.

Before it gets.

Worse.

Yeah, indeed.

You know, before we left home would have thought you were just a crazy man with a death wish for saying that, but after?

What?

What would?

You get troll with you.

Would you think those bandits, you know, if they finished off with this town, they will head our way and they discover our town and we are next, but now they are not.

And that attack went surprisingly well for us, too.

Yeah, we I also thought to it all going to die at that point.

Bandits weren't really the problem, it was under luck.

Yeah, yeah.

Actually, no doubt I think of it.

If we didn't do anything, it was only a matter of time for Under Luck to feed the bandits to that little monster.

Probably attack Warden Wood and then us.

And then attack Warden wood with bigger spray.

Excuse, excuse me.

And you see Maid Marian walk up to you.

I don't suppose you might be interested, but I figured I'd tell you all anyway.

There is a ceremony for Gertie happening around noon, if you all like.

It's in the cemetery, it's just further up the way, kind of in northeast of the barracks.

I know how to get there.

Oh.

Is there free food?

I don't, but a food at a funeral I.

Don't we can eat here, Mrs.

Redcap Oh, that's right.

Sure.

Forgive, Mrs.

Redcap.

We will be there.

Yes, thank you.

Odd.

Customs you all must be from hopes keep but yeah yeah, no obligation but I feel like you guys were the last ones to see him alive so he'd probably do the village of.

Course.

A a decent bearing and he fought.

Bravely with us and we owe him.

He was a good person to hear.

He was always, I know he's a little nervous a lot of times, but he was a good, he's a good person.

He was.

He will be sort of the miss I know in the community.

He was a good Arthur.

Yes.

Mary, did someone come and pick up those troll toes?

No.

Aren't they supposed to?

They they might just expect a visitor in elaborate garb.

OK, all right, There's another place with free food guys.

Anyway, thank you very much Mary, for telling us, of course.

Just walks off back to her.

Mainly duties.

What would you like to do?

It's early in the morning right

now, probably like 8:00-ish I guess.

We chill around, go around, buy things and then go.

Shopping.

Go to, I mean to the ceremony.

One second I got to make it over.

Something explodes in your face.

You're dead.

I all are just there for a moment before Pipit runs in Oh oh hey oh, great.

You're all here.

Perfect.

Please to the you know to the room at the office, please and hear.

I don't know if you'd hear anything.

Give me a wisdom check anybody who's.

4 + 2 for a six.

Roll 17 -.

1 Wisdom 16.

Total 1817 + 1.

Miss Redcap and Vern, Sorry Val.

You all kind of sense something coming out of the room, like a a weird pulse if you will, and a very weird low humming stone as Pipit rushes to the door and opens it up.

Come on, come on.

He opens the door and you see standing before you a very familiar female elf with these blacked out eyes.

The long blonde hair.

It is O Laura.

She stares at you.

All good you are here to come.

Oh oh I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to check out the weapons sorry there's a lot of provisions that had been made for the funeral and obviously Laura's here now.

Thank God you're here by by the way they did defeat the silence pivot.

I know and she kind of walks over sees the still placed armor and sword that y'all have looks at pippit sorry I forgot they ran into a night of eaters.

I may have skipped that detail.

I was in a rush.

There's been a lot.

Curry's dead and I'm still making those that the funerals, sorry, the memorial is later in the afternoon and come in as you all make your way into the office and the doors just closed behind you.

I've heard Evolve done great deeds.

I must personally thank you all for helping our town in behalf of Bauer.

Unfortunately, he cannot be here.

We are still studying the books from Derek Bit, the Mold and The Excavation of Titania's Hold, but I do have some information for you.

If you don't, please have a seat.

The chairs kind of just pull up next to you if you decide to take them or not.

Sit down.

So before I do this, have one of you roll AD 20 what you get?

9/9.

OK.

And roll AD 4.

4.

Nice.

Hopefully 4 trolls attack.

It has been some time and I do have a bit of information, but I came to make sure that Warton Wood was still holding our last communication and he looks at she looks at Pipit was a bit worrisome.

I know I I try to sorry.

I got in my cups.

They were giving me a lot of information and I'm it was hard to take in and I may have day drinking and I sorry forgot to send a message the the pigeon and yeah, I'm just have to try relax and got all the spills for that.

But here I am.

Bauer and Derek are still going through a lot of investigations, although it would be slowed heavily while I am away.

And I'm sorry.

That OK.

And he kind of just backs up, backs itself up into the back of a corner, and she kind of faces you all.

So I bet you all have many questions.

First of all, I just wanted to highlight that the armor and the sword that we acquired, we are not certain the individual who was wearing them was a knight of interest.

He had bizarre tattoos and engravings and his skin glowing red.

Something didn't match and he abandoned his armor easily.

So just wanted to highlight that perhaps Pippin wasn't eloquent enough to do that.

I'm sorry again, I was busy.

Gertie died and I had to deal with that and the, you know, other bookings.

I understand the city is not in ruins, so that is a good thing.

She pulls out an orb, looks at it, and then just says an incantation.

A familiar looking aura flies around.

Please do not take offense to this.

We have seen worse.

I'm taken.

She looks at the table real quick, says an incantation, cocks her head a little bit.

Her eyes turn blue for like a moment before flashing back to the known black that just seemed to be engulfed in it.

That is odd.

They are indeed.

Well, the armor is indeed a Knight of Egypt's armor, but is worth nothing more than Plate Mill would be for any other purposes.

The sword, on the other hand, most peculiar.

It is sentient sword.

What does that mean?

If it's either created or it's got the sword trapped in it, it can talk.

What is the sword telling you it Laura?

It has to wield it.

It does not seem cursed.

It's not cursed.

But also it doesn't really give you anything more than just it being a sword.

And I guess someone to talk to if you're lonely.

I'll look at Mrs.

Redcap.

Everybody else has a magical thing.

Do you want a talking sword?

I.

Don't know if I can wield a.

Sword.

Is it a short sword?

Long sword.

It's a long sword.

Long sword.

I.

Don't I?

Well, perhaps I can.

Do that, I got a.

Stick.

It was stolen from somebody.

Seems the character who was wielding the sword was serving another master.

And he was going to feed him the entire camp of the bandit.

But perhaps he seems to be someone who will take things she.

Turns around, walks up to the desk, picks up the sword and you see her just kind of look at it and her eyes turn.

They start flashing like kind of slowly though, flashing different colors from a green to white out to a blue, then to a purple and then back to a blue.

And she sets it down like oh that was weird not worth that is up to you.

These objects are useless to me.

In fact take them as a word for killing off this threat.

You mentioned something about a wolf like creature.

Yes I believe.

Encased in some Bony shell, it's hard to cut.

His follower called him underluck and he looked like some kind of a werewolf with a moral tree and kind of almost undead.

It was very disturbing.

He ate Gertie in one stronger he he heals by eating living things.

There's an incantation and you see a floating scroll just pop up with a feather and it starts writing that.

Awesome.

This is interesting.

Can you teach Pit pit that spell?

I think it'll make him less stressed out.

What are you talking about?

Never mind, we also got a message from a from a ball of light.

Would have been a trick of the woods or not, of course I know.

What was this message?

Well, they whatever it was, said Mugda Blub was in bitter mold Keep and he seeks the destruction of all.

And that the realms do not look down upon us or look upon us.

I I can't speak for the truth to the last part because I know the gods indeed are watching us.

I can attest to that.

We received the message in our way back here after we finished the job.

Somebody roll me another D20.

9.

Give me AD 4.

We almost know what's going on like.

Two, it might have been a trick.

It is hard to say.

I have investigated much of the statue of Titania under Pope's Keep.

Or should I say Satania's Tower?

So it is indeed Titania.

Yes, and her whole purpose for that tower and something nearby.

Apparently she traversed these lands before, before all this happened.

Before the gloaming is what it is now.

She doesn't appear to be interested in it as much, but from time to time she does come.

I also must add, I do not know if I was speaking to her directly or to possibly a servant, but there's strong connection to that tower and something nearby that tower that allows people probably from her rhythm to travel to and out of this rhythm.

But what would the Hey Queen have need of a portal to hear?

From what I can gather, especially now since the glowing is what it is, this whole realm is just a play thing to her.

Comforting.

We are toys.

Yeah.

Do we have access to that portal?

Hard to say, I don't think the tower itself, at least not from the statue.

Slight conduit for her to appear, but I believe there is a way to get either to her or to her realm of the Faye through something near the tower.

I'll tell everything I know about the Faye.

I'm not sure I'd want to go there just to say hi to Titania, especially if we're just playthings to her.

Lancet, Vern.

Real Quick.

Vern's just at the edge of his seat, lost in thought.

He's not excited by the idea of going to see Titania.

He's definitely interested, but give me a wisdom check.

6 plus no, that's another nine.

9 + 2 for an 11 he.

Definitely perks up at the all this mention of titanium, but he does show like a slight concern on his face, but it like you sketch a very small glimpse of it as he's kind of practicing the stone face, which you don't know if he's either trying to hide an emotion or if he's trying to impress a Laura or if there's something deeper there.

Be professional.

Yeah.

Gotcha.

All right.

But he's definitely paying full attention yes, this realm seems to be like her own personal play thing.

I do not know a whole lot much more and I barely got to look at the books that the Derek seems to have.

We've been picking and choosing which we can learn, but as days go by, it's either I can only my powers expense so much I must rest and thoughts with Bauer and Derek.

This a voice, you say the rhythms.

It could be Faye, it could be another Titania's chick.

It could be something else.

It's very hard to determine.

But if I had to guess, especially knowing that she likes to play with us and the whole purpose of this rhythm, at least to her, he does not much care for it.

And it seems like it's a ticking away, maybe to extinction may have if we don't stop it and find out what it is.

But I do feel that this mug, the blub might be the key to unlocking the sensor.

Speaking of Lady Elora, what can you tell us about this mug The blub?

Where can we find him or her?

It's.

Been about a week.

I will allow this.

Give me the Val row me a row me AD 6 on a six reroll 3.

I haven't been able to crack a lot of mugged up love.

It is in the books.

I know the books that Derek have, but since I've been communicating with either Titania herself or a stuff into hers, I did find a passage in one of his books about these gods, or should I say a false gods.

They're more of patrons.

They're not as strong as gods, but they do have great power, which makes me believe they could be defeated if a band was to overtake them.

Where can we find them?

They could be anywhere.

They cannot even be in this room for all I know.

Satania herself seems to jump in and out at will, but some of these gods, and I have a suspicion she might be one of these patients and not one of the true gods.

All the deity books I've seen, her name's never mentioned once.

But then we find this place and she's all over the wall.

She definitely has high power and if anything about the faith is true.

I've not been there myself, but I've heard many books.

I can see how some on this room would betray her as a God.

Seems like Titania might care if some other entity is messing with her plaything.

Maybe we could enlist her help against Magdo Club?

It could be working for him, for all we know.

There's still much to be found out about.

But of course, I had to come and make sure.

And he looks.

She looks at Pippit.

Everything is still of order here.

Yes, sorry, it's just popped up and I did the settlements.

I did not care.

I'm here.

I'll make leeway of what is right, but just know every moment I am here is unless we know about your home.

Well, we shall return to our home with you then.

You wish to go back to hopes Keep.

Our mission is completed here.

We cleaned up the bandit threat and whatever else that came with it.

You do not wish to go to your friend, go after him.

Which friend?

The night?

That is an option.

We do have Bertie's memorial.

I mean, after all that, yes, we have to make a decision.

I mean, we've been doing quite a lot together.

We can follow Urich's path or you.

Can come back to the keep.

Or take a sneak peek at the fair realm and set it on fire I.

Don't think why.

Would you want to do that?

Well, you know nothing about the Pharaoh.

She doesn't even know Harley.

I mean, she knows about it, but she just didn't even.

Bend that.

All I heard is there are a lot of trickery and confusion threats coming from certain portals and things and for me.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait you.

Want to see all the?

Hold on, didn't sound like he he he looks to Lord, that's it.

Did you sound like it could have been her with like maybe any affliction?

Maybe the largest stairs daggers ever?

I don't personally think I would like to go to the fair realm ever, and I don't know if I could close a portal to a Faye realm if we found one.

So I don't know that have all the suicidal things we've done these last few days.

I think that one that one would be definite.

I don't want to be turned into a flower.

Weird things happen in the Faye realm.

Well.

That's what I've heard.

From what it sounds like it is the Faye realm portal is in our the portal the neck of the woods.

It's your hopes keep originally at Titania's tower.

The portal itself does, It's nearby.

Have you noticed any obelisks out in the woods nearby?

Well, the.

Yes.

There is one.

There's 4 coffins around it I think.

Do you remember where did you mark it on the map?

Yes, it's on ours.

She grabs a map and points out.

You guys point out on the map and you see the floating scroll with the with the quilt furiously marking and making furious movements where you can surmise as she's copying the map.

I see, this is great.

This will probably help link a lot of things.

We did.

We decided not to spend too much time around it because we favored, we prioritized our actions, but we saw it.

This is good.

You wish us to go burn it down.

She looks at you angrily, stone face, but you can definitely pick up after a awkward 2 or a second and 1/2.

She does not like that response and doesn't even respond to it before looking at the others.

I don't mean to offend, but since we've entered out from our home, I found it learning experiences.

There are a lot of problems and it's best to deal with them quickly.

And and fire is the answer.

It seems like it works.

It works if you have a different solution.

I am all here.

In Teutani isn't some group of bandits OK?

It's like she's she's got probably the power to make other portals.

Even if we break one of her portals, it's it's just not.

I don't think it's worth it.

Think it's a bit above us.

Well, or we can play her game if she makes our rhymes.

Thing you want to talk to Titania herself?

No, I would say if this you.

Probably like in the face.

You might you might kind of find in her if you don't find out worse.

If this realm is a playground for her, we can find a way into her realm and turn it into a playground.

The second you mentioned something about this realm being her playground, her eyes kind of light up, widen.

Oh God, this makes too much sense.

This way it's done that time limit, it was never meant to last.

God, are we supposed to go to the Balem?

I do not like this.

And she just kind of crosses her arms and just looks to the side over all of you kind of pass you seems to be lost in heavy thought.

Maybe there's a better realm to go to than this one or the Fay realm, you know?

Maybe there's a third option somewhere if we just explore or not.

From what I've heard, the Fay realms just as dangerous as home and just it has a different flavor to it.

Well I'm I'm not a fan of going into a dangerous realm but like I said if they are playing in our realm we always tell ourselves to go find their realm and also poke at it to get the message through them.

Leave us alone, we leave you alone.

That's all I'm saying.

You play a dangerous game with such logic.

We have no choice.

It's not a game I.

Mean we don't have to go.

I died.

I don't think any of us could get back if we did it.

Could just be a pit stop.

I hear maybe the Faye realm is a gateway to many other different realms.

I guess that makes sense.

Can we steal the portals to demonstrate that we are aware of the portals and we can close them down?

Could you?

We don't have to go.

Close the portal.

I do not know.

I'd have to see this, as they're talking about objects and magic I never delved into.

I have to see it.

I have to study it.

Just you're the most powerful magic user I've ever met, and so I.

It's amazing.

I can even talk to the conduit at Pope.

I did.

Who knows how long it'd take.

I'd have to find this obelisk, study it, see if it is a two way, or maybe it's just a one way and you're stuck in the pay room.

Then what?

Have you been in the pay room?

I have not, and if there's another way out I will not be able to tell.

You would we be of help if we did go back of help in in the investigation?

Might be able to shed some light we might get in the way.

On the way it helps keep we could escort you there.

I do not need an escort.

You guys realized for a second after you kind of said that, that she just appeared in this room, right?

And you might have heard some sort of low resonating sound.

Well, Redcap and Val Wood, do they pass their checks that possibly some magic of great ability may have happened.

If you do wish to go back, I do have the means to get this out of back there, but that's up to you.

Missus Redcap, we could go and scout out the obelisk on our way back.

Yeah, I think we could do that if it's along the way.

We just got to be ready for anything.

We don't know what's in those coffins and all those ruins.

What what those ruins mean?

I would prefer if I was there so I could at least maybe possibly check it out as well.

DM Do we get one of the ruins or did we figure out what one of the ruins meant?

I think we all failed.

Marvelous.

Yeah, no, you all went there and basically looked at it and was like, no, and they just walked off.

Yeah, we skipped it.

We made the right decision.

Possibly.

I'm not even at the time.

Yeah, that could have gone a lot of.

Ways because at the time we were going for a specific direction.

Let you have the day again.

You said a memorial is to happen and from my understanding it seems it's prudent that you be there being as he put that the last two have been in contact with him.

Of course we have.

Yeah.

And what As for these?

And she motions her hand to the desk with the sword and armor.

These are yours.

Consider them.

They were word.

You probably could find a 50 penny for these if you ask Ingram.

Smith, Emma, I'm sure you can work out the deal.

The sword, I guess.

Have fun or whatever you wish.

I am going through my studies.

I'll leave you to it.

No walk out.

I'm gonna tell.

I'm gonna tell Vern.

Vern, you should pick the sword.

I already have a good sword.

Oh, oh, OK, good.

Well, yeah.

You know why not?

Might come in handy.

Take the sword, I'm thinking the armor.

Take it to the blacksmith and see if he can fashion an armor out of it for me.

And take mail into leather.

Well, I don't want to.

I don't want to wear it and look like I'm a knight of Egypt.

I will say for all mechanical intents and purposes, the armor itself is just regular plate mail armor.

It is worth 130 gold coins.

Long sword.

It's just a sentient long sword, but it acts as a long sword, so there's no plus one or anything, it's just long sword.

If we haggle, we might be able to sell it to Egram for more than a long sword because it's sentient.

So should we just sell the whole thing and collect the gold for whatever the case might be?

Let's be greedy.

As a player, I'm down to sell it all and carouse.

All right, let's do that.

The majority rule.

OK so y'all are carousing and get another four day ban.

As we're.

What?

As we're walking to Ingram, though, I want to ask Vern.

Yeah.

Val and Vern.

I want to ask Vern.

Vern, do you hear any voice talking to you while you're holding that?

I.

Don't know, let me take it out and Vern just grabs a sword, holds it and just you see the shock face in his manner and then it confused.

Is everything OK?

Then he just lets go.

What?

The he drops it.

Hells.

This thing is, I think it's getting rude.

I'll pick it up and see what happens.

What did it say?

Val, you grab onto this thing and you hear your minds like in another thing that's that's just the wrong color.

Wait, wait.

Who?

Hey, who is this?

You're not the same elf.

Oh, who is this?

Identify yourself, Sir.

I.

Ask you the same thing.

Identify yourself.

I am Sir William of 3rd, 5th Rare.

Wait, No, I am Edward.

No, wait.

I am Sir William.

No.

Is Edward is a willing?

Is that really what you're wearing?

Yes.

Oh, that's a.

Horrible color.

No purple.

Really.

No purple at all.

That's terrible.

Hey, I'm.

Sorry, shopping standard of your fashion.

Oh.

God.

You.

Feel.

Gross.

Where do you come from?

I come from the north or the east.

So no, no SSSS definitely South.

Oh, no, no, no.

That if you go South far, I guess that's technically NI come from the north or no, maybe S maybe it is South, no.

God, really?

No.

Purple.

No purple at all.

I will.

I will dress in purple if you answer my question.

Do you remember the last person who wielded you?

Yeah, he wasn't wearing any purple either.

He's gross.

And he's also an elf.

Ironically, Yeah.

I I laugh and I was like, this thing is cute.

Then I was tossed it to Tobin here.

Tobin talk to it.

Oh dear.

Oh.

Hello.

Another thing.

What do?

Oh wait.

Oh, Halfling.

Hello.

Hello, are you the 1 trapped in the sword?

I trapped in a sword.

What are you?

Talking about I'm the greatest William Edward the third third William of Edward Edward's William Edward the third third William Edward.

I'm laughing in the corner.

Hello.

Sir Isaac Edward William the Third.

Can you see me?

I can feel you and you seem like you should have been wielding me.

Yes, this.

This isn't my usual go to.

You seem kind of short.

Wait, so you know you're a sword?

Do you feel?

Sword like a sword.

I feel like you should be wearing purple.

Excuse me, but I've got this lovely mithral armor on.

Yeah, but it's not purple.

It doesn't need to be purple, it's got the green leaves.

And the gold?

Yeah, sure, but just think of how better it'd be if it was purple.

Why can you talk?

You know, I don't remember.

It's been many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many.

He just goes on.

OK, I'm going to, I'm going to hand you back that this is an autistic.

Sword.

I'll hand it back to Vern.

I don't know if I want this.

I think we should.

Sell it, yeah.

I don't want to keep it.

She's, I mean.

It is very amusing.

As he seems she that he just like kind of shakes like oh shut up, gods.

Was he still saying many?

Yeah, yes, yeah, he went for a while.

Yes, gets rid of this thing.

He unhooks the sheath and starts carrying.

With the.

Sheath like off his belt.

So it doesn't touch him.

Don't worry, we will sell it.

It's an amusing item and we can get a lot of money for it.

So I rolled for that to give it an an ability but it literally it's on one of the tables.

I forget which one.

Either the core rule book or you design where it's a sentient thing that loves The Color Purple but despises all.

Other colors.

So.

That's all it does and it doesn't give you any buff.

It's just hilarious.

It just basically you're fashion, no other moments.

There's just a long story that Cindy and that talks dad that.

Is brilliant.

I wonder if it screams if Ingram melts it down.

Oh my God, I would like to be there to witness what happened the.

Problem is, he'd have to wield it while it was anyways.

So we take that 2 ingrams and we're going to sell the sword and the armor.

All right, so easily done I'll just fast track this unless you wanna buy something from him or anything I'm.

Just.

OK, so.

How much we got?

So you get this is 130 for the plate and a long store.

Give me one second long store, it is 9 gold.

OK, so 139 gold A.

139 gold for the plate mail and the sword.

What is our carousing table?

It's 3100.

And then what's the one above 100?

300, yes.

300 OK, so definitely not that, but if y'all want to carouse for 100 we can just yeah keep the keep and split though what is that 39?

39 We said we'll keep them in the pool in case we need some stuff.

Yeah, 'cause I mean, really, I think the majority of our gold should go to carousing.

But here's I'll write down survival, I'll write down 39 here.

Just so, yeah.

All right, so that means you all get a + 1 bonus to your role and you could all roll AD 8.

Sweet.

All right.

Risk, Redcap.

What'd you get?

5 + 1 that's 6 total.

So the Thieves Guild somehow managed to make their way into Wardenwood and bilk you for 5% of your total wealth.

My total wealth is like 6 gold and two silver pieces.

Right now, so pretty similar situation, yeah.

So.

Or did did we distribute the gold the party?

Yeah.

Do you want to do that?

No, we did.

Not the 39.

We just, he's kind of just holding into one pool.

Of course, if you want, we can give you some, but let them Rob.

You that would increase the percentage and would lose if he had more.

We got your back, gold.

Let them.

Rob you.

Just for whatever, hey, man, I'll do this, I'll do this.

I'm going to count it as in your inventory.

Yeah, I wrote it down.

So you can either split it up or that's going to be added to your wealth if you roll something like this is what I'm saying.

So you can either split it.

I wrote it down in my inventory, so as of right now it's in my inventory so they can rob her for $6.

But I'm saying if you rolled something and it's like, hey, they milk you for 25, that gold to your gold is going to be all on your own.

OK.

All right.

OK.

What you roll?

What you roll?

And I roll the two plus the one that's a three.

You gain 3 XP.

Do you wake up in a gutter with 15% of your total well spent?

That's what it says.

I told you no.

I'm cool, I'm cool.

I have, I have 33 gold plus 3039.

They're gonna, it's gonna come out of my gold.

The 39 No.

No 39 + 39 goes into your well.

39 + 33 gold is what you say.

Yeah.

So that's the 72.

What I believe Dean is saying is that whatever is cut from it, he won't take from the party gold, he'll take from his.

And OK, did.

I get any experience.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You get 4 experience.

Yeah.

How many did I get experience?

33 brings us to Tobin.

What'd you roll?

Rolled A5 plus one for a six.

The same thing, 5% of your wealth goes and you get 4 EXB.

Noise.

Somehow, every time we carouse, we get robbed.

I know, right?

It's like, what's up with that?

It's every line of the chance table is robbing us.

Just the lower ones that we can afford that.

Skilled knows.

Who has money on them, you know?

They can recognize adventures a mile away.

It's.

Like they smell that gold.

Maybe more told them what we did.

He's.

Probably 1 of them.

They're over here.

They're over here.

Yeah.

I'll make your way to the.

You see a large group at the cemetery that Tobin leads the way.

You see a bunch of people gathered.

You see Alora there in the crowd, decked out in this very fancy green and white robe attire and dressed.

She's sitting in front next to Pippet.

You can see the family, Susan holding Nancy as she's bawling her eyes out and a little basically like a little tombstone that's decorated with a little figure of the little halfling with an arrow on the top of it mounted under the tree, the big oak tree.

And there's about 30 people gathered.

Pippit walks up.

Pair gathered here today to celebrate and mourn the life of Gertie.

Gertie will be survived through his wife Susan and his daughter Nancy.

He was beloved by all in the community.

He will be missed sorely.

Is a great Archer and a brave, brave man.

Know this young Nancy.

And he looks to the sobbing girl who barely can get her eyes fixated on to PIPA as she wipes tears off her eyes.

Your father died a hero.

We will make a statue for him for this tombstone.

For this tombstone does not do him just this be missed by all.

And your father loved you very much, as well as you, Susan.

As in life, death comes for us all.

And these times are dark as we all know.

But it is men like Gertie who remind us that we can survive if we fight.

If we fight tooth and nail and never give up.

Gertie didn't give up.

He fought bravely to fend off dangers that could harmed us all.

But that's the thing about Gertie, He's a great man and a brave man.

That's what heroes do.

They step up and answer the call.

Answer the call to bravery, to justice and safety for everyone not thinking about themselves.

It is with great disheartening that can't bury him.

But this monument, may it serve as a reminder of a great fallen hero.

Gertie.

There's anyone who would like to say anything.

Now would be the time you see Hera stand up and walk by.

Cathy was a great friend.

As a fellow Archer, he always knew when to hold his tongue.

He was nervous at time, yes, but I knew, I know deep down in his heart he wanted to serve higher purpose.

All the cuts, I think he, I believe he found what he was looking for.

Most unfortunate that he fell.

But and he looks down at his hands and kind of clasped them, puts them to the side and kind of clutches his dagger built.

But no one wants to go with the death, of course.

But Gertie, he was the bravest I've seen in all my life that night.

But I tell you, I've never seen a brave man fight the way he fought that night against those bandits.

And then only your mom's in paps would have been proud seeing you still those arrows and burned them tensed and stakes.

Those bandits.

We dare to strike our home, our families.

May your gods bust over you.

You will be Sturly missed, my brother.

And he takes a bow and places it on the ground by the tombstone and kind of walks back off into the crowd.

I would like to say a word.

You make your way up to the front.

All of you here, you need to only remember one thing.

The only thing you need to remember when you hear the name Gertie.

He came face to face with a creature 10, perhaps 20 times his size.

He didn't cower, he didn't run away.

He fired an arrow.

That was the last thing he did.

And that says it all.

We do not need to speak any more than that.

The actions speak for themselves.

It was a great honor to have him among us and fight with us when we survived and we finished the job.

Thanks to brave men like Gert.

Thank you.

As you see Susan clutching a Nancy wiping a tear from her eye chokingly, he's like thank you, thank you, kind of nods in your direction and goes back to cuddling the child.

Anyone else like to say anything?

This red cap is just eyeing whether or not there's food around.

You see no food.

You see, no food is.

A little miffed, but nose to keep her mouth shut.

There's an appropriate time, like maybe after everyone starts filtering out.

I would head over to Nancy and Susan.

I'll say a couple more people talk or speak out and you can tell their friends, possibly family be good kindly of how warm hearted Gritty was always willing to give a hand helping build stuff and always being one of the first people to volunteer for building or helping out somebody in the community, a well loved individual.

After probably like a couple hours passed, this starts to slowly die down and fewer and fewer people and there's probably like maybe like 5 people left kind of like you know saying their condolences to Susan.

Alaura says her words as well as Pipit come up to her and say a few words and you tell if she approves of their message.

As they finally disappear, Alaura walks past, all young.

Give me just a moment and I'll run over there to Susan and Nancy.

Before you head off to like you all, give me a moment later tonight, I'd like to meet with you all in the hall, in the office.

When you're ready, of course.

She walks off.

You go up to Susan, who's still kind of holding Nancy.

And I'll walk up and Susan, I, I know lost pretty well myself and I'm very sorry.

There's nothing that really helps at 1st and don't see this as pity or anything like that, but just please take it and I'll hand her 3 gold coins.

It can keep your mind busy on dwelling on your husband rather than having to worry about food for a little bit or supplies.

I don't.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And she kind of just absent, mindly grabs it without even looking really.

It just puts it in a pocket.

I appreciate it.

I too.

Take care of yourselves.

Take care of yourself, Nancy, and I'll leave them be.

All right, it's right there.

Really hot at noon and this is just sweating and kind of uncomfortable.

She doesn't know why she showed up.

She kind of regrets it now.

In character.

We all lost a friend today.

Well.

She's wants to go up to Susan and Nancy and ask if Nancy was Susan and Gertie's first born.

She's not going to do it.

It's not the right time.

Finally, she made the right decision.

I guess y'all make your way to the town hall in Val Add a luck token for your speech.

Going to come in handy.

Of course, do do I get a luck token for anything?

No, this was for I want to see if anyone would stand up to kind of give a speech, noted Your God notices.

Don't say that.

God notices.

You feel a little warmer inside, but now?

Is there any other place to eat other than Gid's Earth?

I mean, you can always go to the town hall and just ask for food for.

Free.

Yeah, well, not necessarily for free depending on your circus size.

Like if your stays there for diplomatic reasons, you all have lodging there free of charge.

We killed their bandits for them, though.

We I think we could get a meal for two or three.

You could drive the risk around, yeah.

Yeah, try that.

Yeah.

Told you, Mr.

Redcap, you need money.

We have the pot.

And peckish, it's noon.

Let's, let's, can we, can we get some lunch?

OK, here's couple of gold coins going.

Do what you want.

Let's get lunch together and just make a.

You know what?

Yeah, I like that.

Idea next thing of.

It let's.

Have some Let's go eat.

And have a drink.

Have a meal.

And the girl is on there.

Funerals make me stressy.

All right.

I don't say there's probably like another, not like another pub, but kind of like a meat shop or like little shops that kind of sell food.

They could probably kind of pick some stuff up so you.

Like maybe the butcher sells, yeah.

In like in like little market stands on the side that you can kind of like grab stuff so you can kind of go back to the town hall and just eat your little lunch there that you kind of just bought off.

So you're not, you know, spending Tavern.

Money.

I mean, since we left, it was like my job to look after Missus Redcap, so I kind of noticed that she's getting jittery and stuff.

OK, it's time to go eat.

I'll take her to get some.

Food, right?

Yeah, you easily get shop around I would say 2 silvers for like some if you want to do the shopping and the eating back at the town hall kind.

Of thing, yeah, we're just going to go get a nice meal, yeah.

I'll pay for mine, yeah.

Yeah, 2 silvers all around.

Easily enough.

You're all just sitting around and doing lunch.

Yeah, at the town hall there's plenty of tables and little spots that you can sit around.

While we're eating our lunch, I'm going to look at Missus Redcap for a little bit.

Missus Redcap.

This Redcap is frustrated that she's interrupted in Yes, Tobin.

What what's kept you here with us through all this craziness?

And it just, it surprises me most that you've come out all this way and all this time I.

Mean Hopes Keep wasn't doing that well.

We were we're on the edge.

Sometimes you only live if you know when to move.

And I was, I was debating whether or not to give up my Hut and just leave because of I don't think it was sustainable.

We were losing people.

But now I I think Val said it before, but it's like the monsters show up on your doorstep or you go show up at the monsters doorstep.

We have been doing quite a bit of that.

Her back is to the wall in the shadow dark.

You got to fight or die.

She just takes a big bite out of whatever she's.

Eating.

Oh, it sounded very like menacing.

Mrs.

Redcap is metalist.

Yeah.

She's sounded very.

Menacing.

Like I can imagine her eating.

You got to fight or die.

I mean, she's kind of got off points.

Yes, you all do.

I'm pretty convinced I.

Think and she's gonna like like slop around like a drumstick or something.

Just like I think we should go to Bitter Monkey.

I vote for that.

Did you think we're ready, Vern?

We're never ready.

You're only ready when you just go there.

Got it on a good source that it's better to be brave than to be strong.

I like the way you think, Mrs.

Redcap.

Yeah, I already thought that way.

Well.

Too soon.

God, you're perfectly in character, though.

Oh, I got kind of squint a little bit at Mrs.

Redcap with that and well.

I waited till we were outside the viewer.

Yes, thank you for that much.

I.

Suppose she behaved, she behaved, she can give her a pass.

Missus Red Gamper turns to her meal.

Starts eating with more fervor.

So that's what we all want to do then is go.

At the bit amount.

Knocking on the doorstep of mugged or blub.

Well, we go to him before he comes to us.

And what?

Just fight and kill a God.

We don't have to fight.

It's not always about a fight.

We can go and find out.

What the What all do we know about this mug?

No bloom.

I don't really know much at all.

Remember that one Uzi fella who charged us?

Oh yes, he had.

A club or something?

He was yelling about him.

But the longer we don't know anything about this mother club, whatever his name.

Mr.

M.

The more we don't know about him, the the weaker we are.

We need to know something.

We don't have to fight or engage as we do in the woods.

Me and Vern, we never seek out a fight, but it's sometimes it's good to go and observe.

Knowing your enemy is the first step to victory.

If we don't know anything, might as well just return home and sit there and wait.

It's probably a counter to ooze you think.

I've been using fire a lot but.

Fire seems like it might work.

Maybe there's something else?

Acid as well, you've been doing quite well with those.

Maybe.

Maybe salt, like you put salt on a snail.

You ever heard about that guys?

Oh yes, it.

Maybe water?

Give him a bath, make him less oozy.

Drown hidden in the water.

Maybe if Elora has enough time, she'll research it and tell us.

We just gotta remember to ask.

So shouldn't.

We go with her back to hopes.

Keep and learn what we can about it.

Yeah.

And go go.

From there, yeah.

Scout out and.

But I would like to know my enemy, that's for sure.

I do not like to be in the dark.

We are already in enough dark and I like to know if I can and it seems like we can go find out we survive worse.

It will be nice to see hopes keep again.

Yeah.

You're not supposed though.

Stop in for a little bit before we try to kill a God or what might not be a God.

I just hope Jamie didn't take up housing in my spot again.

He likes to run in there when I'm not there and just kind of tennis his home.

I thought that was David.

That's probably both of them, to be honest.

Yeah, well, at least someone's watching your stuff for you.

Well, what kind of watching?

As long as nothing goes missing.

But to be fair, I know I ain't got a lot in there that's even that.

Dogs wouldn't care if it did go missing, but that's not the point.

They shouldn't be snooping in there.

But what do you have to lose?

I mean not like your Hut is filled with goods.

I got some fine, some fine already, kind of fletched sticks for arrows.

I've been meaning to make my airheads, but you know.

We have silver arrows now.

All right, that.

Is true Oh what limit them?

I'll buy you arrows.

I can buy my own arrows, but I mean, I'll take it.

And if you're, if you're offering, I'm never going to say no to that.

Yeah, I know.

You never say no to that.

So the day girls darker I.

Guess we just wait for Elora to.

Didn't she say we should come and see her in her office?

Yeah, later in the evening.

Yeah.

OK, Miss Redcap, do a few things.

Sure.

I do, yeah.

I wanna buy rations at some point, but that can be quick.

We can go shopping together.

OK, cool.

Do.

That after lunch.

All right, Yeah.

Unless there's some other business, lunch goes by and you're all free to do.

I guess.

Miss Redcap, we'll start with you.

Yes, we'll go.

We can go shopping.

I wanna buy torch, another torch and rations.

Definitely myself.

How many?

Torches and how many rations?

Torches are 5 silver I believe a piece.

Yeah, one torch, one group of three rations.

Torches are 5 silver, rations are 5 silver.

OK for three for three.

The gold then.

If I wanted to buy 4 rations, so not just a pack of three, but a pack of 3 + 1 to refill my pack

that's currently at 2:00.

So 5 / 3 you want.

To just call it 7 silver, Sure.

OK.

And then so I would, I'll buy 4 rations at 7 silver pieces and I want to buy a torch for another 5.

That's great.

Eagram there.

Yeah, he's there, hammering away.

Did he?

Cling, cling.

Hello, what can I do for you later?

How's that?

How's that sword doing?

You talked to it yet?

He turns and looks at the wall.

I got his hand there.

I couldn't.

I couldn't stand his beckon and not I'm.

I'm debating if I want to hammer the Hells out of it or if I want melted.

Awesomely.

Why are you there?

We're all together shopping.

I mean, I'm not buying anything about hanging because we're going to go to the office together anyway.

I don't know, maybe I could find someone who might fancy it and maybe sell it for a little bit more than a regular blade, but I've been looking at his craftsmanship and it's it's about as any other blade, but it just won't shut up.

Laura told us there was a soul in there.

You can't fight with a sword that won't shut up.

I mean, yeah, some kind of distracting you, honestly.

Do you have to melt it?

I don't know, I feel like I might have to.

We would dig.

Deeper into this.

We would like to be there to watch it and being melted.

They must be rehearse something a little bit more.

Seems a bit much, but you don't happen to really like the colour purple do.

You just like, hate the colour purple.

Well, you might not get along with him then.

Clearly he was stuck up about it.

He keeps he calls me fat and hairy all the time.

I wonder what's wrong with that?

I wonder if you wear all colour purple and just pick him up though.

He has nothing to complain about.

Would he shut up?

I ain't cut off.

Is anyone doing that?

No.

Is there anyone in Wardenwood that regularly wears purple?

Regularly from that, I mean the closest president wears all kinds of stuff that fancy artists over there, the sculptor.

Yeah, the.

Sculptor.

I think I've seen him about.

He might get along with the sword.

Maybe he was purple.

Catch him on the right day, I suppose.

Red Cap is gonna raise her eyebrows to me like I gotta go see a man about a horse.

A homeless.

She is.

She's gonna try to like, just backtrack out of the shop.

And leave everybody.

But and then she's gonna come back a bit.

Wait a second, Val.

Yes.

Where?

Where?

Where's this gold that we got?

From all this.

Stuff.

How much do you need?

Split it up.

How much do you need?

An equal share.

Are you trying to buy a horse, Mrs.

Red Cap?

It is just an expression Tobin.

Fine 39 / 4.

I'll take 9.

I'll take the 9:00.

You take the 99.75 S.

Everybody else gets.

10 dead.

OK, OK, cool.

That helps.

Miss Redcap is gonna go go about her errands.

Val, what do you think Mrs.

Redcap is sneaking off to go do?

I don't know.

I don't know where she's going, but she seems to need the money, so I'm going to stay.

She's going to go purchase some things.

Oh, you know, I bet she's going back to that alchemy shop to buy more perhapses for her cauldron.

He took interest into the content of that store.

Do you walk up to this familiar looking sculptor, painter guy?

Hey.

Sir, I'm I'm still alive.

Oh, indeed you are.

I'm sorry I had to postpone the sculpture you had me do, Pippet, if you know has overall I had to make help make the Hefling Archer on top of the tombstone.

What's my doing?

I think you think it.

I hope I did it justice.

But I'm also creating a better sculpted tombstone memorial for Gurney.

Such a shame, Such a shame.

So I'm going to have to postpone a little bit.

I have started on it over here and you see like this sort of makeshift in the works kind of clay thing with like basically the bottom half of the halfling and it's about the good foot size.

Yes, it has been started.

I'm going to have to finish this first though, on orders of Pippet, unfortunately.

But yes.

What can I help you with other than that?

I just wanted to check up on progress.

I paid good gold for this.

Of course then it takes good time.

OK, well I would not wish on my dear friend's recent death any distrust or dishonor of my capabilities and craftsmanship.

But I do have to honor our Lord and they unfortunately come first.

But after this, it is got to my full attention as he gestures gradually with his arms, kind of flailing every time he talks.

OK.

And misses.

Redcap just kind of lowers her face to him.

I'm just like, I'll be back.

I'll be I check up on my investment.

Give me about the 10 day or so and I should hopefully be about done, but that will be working endlessly as he sways his hand over this giant.

Well, it was not really giant.

It's probably about your size giant clay.

What you can surmise is probably Gertie got like a very, very rough shape of like you.

What you could probably tell is probably going to be a bow and like the makings of a hand.

Whatever it's it's very, very rough.

More like a giant BLOB with.

Blocking out the shape.

Yeah.

Miss Rick ever liked to leave, and she'd like to go try to find Mort.

Mort.

Oh God, all.

Right, you some mice.

I know where this is going.

He is.

You're headed to the Bears before we get to that, Val.

Is there anything?

I'm at the shop still with the Tobin.

Vern.

And Vern?

Yeah, we're at the shop.

You know, I'm good.

I have couple of tortures.

I still have the Lantern.

How are you doing on rations?

I have 3 rations, perhaps I shouldn't grab another 3?

I've got 2 batches of three right now.

I'm going to grab another batch of three.

Vern, you doing OK?

Yeah, I still got three.

I'm going to re up on some arrows though.

Other than that, I should be fifth in a fiddle.

All right, did that general store lady had she have, did she have health potions that one time?

Oh.

Yeah.

Do you think she might have more?

Perhaps we can check?

I remember I purchased one.

I still have it.

OK, I.

Haven't used it yet.

Maybe she's got some more meds.

Yeah, all.

Right, y'all making your way to the general store.

General store, it says.

General store, you go up to the general store and now the sign has a little added kind of hanging sign.

It says general store and goods.

They've made an upgrade.

Nice.

Perhaps she restocked.

Let's see what goods she has now.

You walk in and you see the familiar stuff all around and the Elvin lady in there.

Oh yes, how can I help you all?

Hello Madam, we saw your extra sign.

Yes, I'm trying to play with the name.

I don't I'm really bad at it.

It's been most changed over the years, but general stars kind of laid on for the last 10 years, I would say, but I don't know, I'm still kind of playing with it.

It's.

To the point and give you credit for that.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anything in specific you're trying to look for you?

Have any more healing potions?

Unfortunately, I do not Don.

When do you think you will get?

Healing potions are really hard to get in this part of the gloaming, unfortunately.

I, I, it's my highest priority, even for the guards.

But if they come, they come.

If they don't, I have no, I have no say in this.

I, it's not like I could go out and get these ingredients.

They're all over the place and I'm not even sure.

Who supplies them?

Adventures.

Honestly, some like you, I've heard tale of this really odd man who travels.

With a giant bag.

Yeah, we've met him.

Yeah, there's some what you make.

We've met him.

Twice.

And then we purchased healing potions from him.

He's very strange.

About the fourth time I've heard this, I'm starting to.

He's real.

He.

Appears out of nowhere and he disappeared.

Did Jonathan put you up to this?

No, ma'am.

No, ma'am.

No, we've, we've done business.

With him, we say the truth, we did not plan to meet this guy and we just ran into him when we were out on our mission.

Well, I must say I've never met this guy, but several people have and that's usually usually where I get these posters from and then I usually just sell them back to the guards or to other adventures like yourself.

We met him out in the woods.

He doesn't seem to come in town I guess only walks in the.

It's quite odd you must realize on my point of view of this, this sounds completely far fetched.

But again, you're the fourth people say this, so I'm sure.

And that makes no sense to me either.

Why is he peddling out in the gloaming when he could just go to a town and sell his goods to people who want to buy his goods?

You are.

In a town.

We we think he might be Faye, or at least something like that.

He, of course.

He is the the size of the backpack, it's enormous.

It doesn't look like he should be carrying it because the building well and he says that he travels realms.

Seems like he appears in the air.

He appears in different realms.

He has some kind of portal.

It's very strange.

I apologize if I'm a little unbelieving of this, but.

You are not.

It does sound.

I mean, it sounds unbelievable.

Yeah, the guy was the backpack the size of a house.

Just wander in the woods.

Maybe next time we come to potions this guy, we should interrogate him further.

Or tell him to stop by Warden Wood.

Or we can escort him into Warden Wood.

Is that we can try.

I don't know if he would come with us though.

I mean, if he's got these potions, I would be more than happy to buy as much as I can afford because I know they sell pretty well.

I'm sure Lore or methyled Bauer or Pip and anyone would be happy to buy them from me and I could probably get a pretty good pretty good price from it.

And perhaps you can find more strange items that he sells too, of course.

What that giant backpack over his carries?

Well, we'll indeed we'll try and send him your way.

Is can I help you with anything else you might need.

Did we ever get your name?

My name is Amarilla.

I've been here for several decades now.

I've been trying stuff for this good store.

I feel like shopkeeping is what I was meant to do, you know, It just feels right.

I like collecting things.

As a young little elf girl, I was always collecting stuff, and I always had a higher, bigger collection than most of my friends.

And then I started just trading and before I knew it, it kind of just fell in the suit where I'm just, you know, selling stuff people other people collected.

I get to see a lot of a lot of interesting items and I get to meet a lot of interesting people like yourself and these interesting tales of men with giant backpacks.

Well, it seems like a good business adventure comes to you and you don't have to go out.

Yeah, I don't have to risk my neck for these items.

Others do it for me.

Pretty profitable too, yeah.

Make a pretty good living off of this.

Well, that's lovely.

I'm glad you knew you're calling from a young age.

That's that's comfortable.

It is almost like I was built for this.

Well, we'll leave you to it and thank you again.

By all means, I'm always here, so if you need anything, you know where to find me.

He'd be with you, Amarilla.

Yeah.

He'd be with you.

I'm sorry I didn't catch your name.

Oh, I'm Tobin.

Tobin, Sunderland.

Tobin Sunderland.

He'd be with you, and with you and you too, fellow elf brethren.

Val and Vern.

Hello.

Hi.

Yes, he'd be with you as well.

Perhaps we should go fetch Mrs.

Redcap and resume our meeting with Aura.

Yeah, we might have a little more time, but we should start looking for.

Her It's been a while.

Mr.

Redcap might know.

We need to make sure she doesn't.

She might be at Tabitha's shop.

Wow.

Or around?

I suppose we could go check there or not, yeah.

Let's go see.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Let's go sniff around.

She seems pretty, pretty gung ho about the all that, all the things she had in there, you know, all those odds and ends.

I've never seen so much life in it before.

I know it's like she was made for her or something.

I just make your way.

Probably just have with us.

Yeah.

That brings us to back to Red Cap.

You make your way to the barracks.

2 guards of sign.

I was standing there.

One's sharpening a knife, one's emptying his boot of some dirt and rocks and just kind of complaining of bread.

They look at you and just kind of ignore you as you, I guess, walk in I suppose.

Red Cap is going to be a little teary eyed and dabbing her shawl on her eyes because she just went to a funeral.

Yeah.

And she's, she's going to ask the guards, do you know where I could find Mort?

Mort, I believe he's probably inside, either in his room or he might still be eating lunch.

His room's up top.

It's the third on the left.

He's doing fine.

She's going to check his room for.

The one with all the scratches on the doors.

Don't ask.

I don't.

That he's weird.

If you walk in, you find this door that yeah, there's scratches.

On the outside.

On the outside of the door you see it.

It's really odd, like the corners of the door are like clawed scratch and at the very bottom of the door there's small little scratches.

OK, Miss Ready.

Cap is going to reposition her shawl to the normal place that is around her and she's going to knock.

You knock on the door.

After some scuffling, you hear on the other side.

You hear it and it slowly opens.

It's like, yeah.

Oh, hi.

Hi Miss Frank, I'm fine.

What can I help you with?

Hey Mart, anybody messed with you lately?

No.

Why would they?

Why?

What?

That's that's good.

OK, I suppose that is good.

Do you know where I could find the blood of a first born willingly given?

Mort stares at you mortifyingly.

I just need it for my culture and my.

Experiments.

My experiments.

Sorry I don't know where to go even to find this as a first born.

Willingly given.

Willingly given.

Have you tried the wild?

Does it have to be what I mean?

There might be.

Does it have to be a certain species?

No, no.

I mean, but say maybe some animal I don't well, I heard like certain animals like usually just like a run in the litter.

I don't know if it's the first born.

I don't know what classifieds as the first born the first born that pops out.

OK, I just thought you might know anyways.

I don't really hang around the family type.

I've seen you fight more.

I'm glad you got a strong arm with that one throw into the tents.

You're not so bad yourself, I think.

I'm part of a very small cult that wants to grow.

We follow the goddess Shoon the vial.

You ever heard of Shoon?

I think.

Someone might have mentioned that and I don't know.

There's a lot of God talk.

I I kind of tune out after.

It's like a complete snorfest to me.

Misses Redcap would like to convert more to believe in shoon over the X amount of minutes.

I don't know.

Can I roll for it?

Sure.

Invites you in his room and you see nuts and berries just scattered everywhere and sticks and like his bed's even kind of broken.

Like did he?

Say something about squirrels.

He's got a feed of squirrels or something.

OK.

Yeah, that's right.

You.

See, you see holes like in rent like a.

It looks like a hole in the wall where rats would claw all out.

But you also see holes in like kind of the corner of like a so like what would be the outside?

Like you see his room because he has a window and you kind of see out that kind of like drops down to the foyer.

Maybe we could bond over the whole rodent, his earth.

Bed.

Pull, pull out.

Mr.

Redkip, His.

Bed which looks like a traditional like kind of bed like stuffed with straw or whatever.

They had embarrassed, but like broken the framings and he kind of just mushed up all together.

And there's whatever, like, you know, wool blanket and makeshift pillow that looks like it's been scratched to hell.

Way less concerned about the scratches now.

And it's it's in a matter of saying that it's it's a mess.

But he offers you a seat in the heap of his bed thing if you like to sit and you continue to talk to him about the wonders of June.

Give me a charisma.

OK, I'm trying to convert.

I've only gotten Jordan so far I think, but who?

Is the first born.

Oh my God, what is that like a thing in the book that I shouldn't look up Rolled.

14 no, it's just like weird spell ingredients.

I don't know.

It's a it's a sub gold Mrs.

Red campaign.

OK, so roll to 14 - 1 on charisma.

So it's 1313.

So tell me more about this soon.

Just actually, she actually sounds pretty.

Interesting.

She she likes chaos.

He wants secrets to be revealed.

Yeah.

Why are people?

Keeping them dirty.

Secrets.

Secrets don't make friends.

You know it does make friends.

Fire.

Wait, No.

Well, sometimes no.

You make friends over fire, right there.

Got to be there's a connection there.

Hey, we should.

Start a fire.

Hold up.

No, no, we're.

We're it's, it's not even night time yet.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Oh, sorry, you suspect.

Down in the bed, it cracks a little more.

All right, well, I, I just wanted to spread the good word to you, the vile.

Yes, that's that sounds great.

How does one wash up this?

Shoe, you just, you know, do little chaotic things.

Sustainable chaos is what I like to call it and and.

Get that ROI on your case, yeah.

Mrs.

Redcap is kind of like, scared about what she started, kind of she's going to back out.

It's time to bail.

Embrace, Embrace the.

Game.

Maybe the squirrels can.

Help you like get right out.

You see like a few squirrels like come in and just kind of steal some stuff off the floor and run out in different holes.

Yeah, and so Missus Redcap is going to try to bail before she ruins it.

She's she doesn't usually have this productive conversations about that's.

Like a lot more success.

She was doing more.

Yeah, I set the DC to like 12, so I was like, gosh, you got it.

Yeah.

So congratulations, you converted Chaotic Mort Mort in towards the shooting worship.

OK, then she's gonna, she's gonna amble.

Towards Tabitha, I guess about this time you'd be closer to it.

So you make their make it there probably like a minute or two before you see Vernon, Val and Tobin show up all together.

That's the red cap, finally.

We knew.

All right here.

Yeah.

Remember are.

We outside Tabitha's or?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You meet up outside.

Are you guys casing the place too?

No, we're looking for you.

Remember, we have a meeting.

Oh.

All right, right with the the.

Laura.

Yeah, She, I try to think of her as the the truth person with the orb of truth.

That's really careful, True.

Yes.

I have to be careful about what I do in this town because of that orb of truth.

You don't have any secrets, do you?

It's.

Good practice for you misses, right Kev?

Well, I mean, I told you I have this case in the place.

What?

Why would you?

No what?

Does that even mean there's?

So there's so many unlabeled goodies inside.

Speaking of you.

Don't even remember that stuff is missing.

Uh huh.

Yeah.

I've been meaning to to ask you.

You can make healing potions, right?

You did it at the the Hags Hut that one night.

Yeah, the Hag had a whole bunch of supplies though.

So if we we burned.

That sucker down, didn't we?

True, you actually didn't.

Oh, we didn't know it was evidence.

That's but I think we, I think we used everything we could.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you, you scoured it thoroughly of any useful resources.

But if you could show us or tell us, you know, what those ingredients look like, if we're out and about fighting gods or trolls or our bears, maybe we can find stuff along the way.

And.

Yeah, make it, make it productive trip.

Miss Redcap is going to open and close her mouth a few times to kind of look up.

Think I remember how to do it.

Can she roll to see if she remembers what the?

Ingredients, the components, yeah, because it's kind of.

Complicated, I'm guessing.

Opponents.

Yeah, yeah, she knows.

We're like, we found them.

Not only could we sell them maybe to a shop, but she could just make potions.

Yeah, I I wouldn't make you roll with it because you, you know, or what you put into it to make it funny is the other problem.

Right, right.

What?

What were the ingredients?

Blueberries.

Strawberries.

Banana.

And whipped cream.

Whipped cream.

It was a lot of herbs, like certain herbs that you'd see in mushrooms that these mushrooms, you know, like grow into like, yeah, in certain fungal places, which could thrive or couldn't die depending on other, depending on the other ecosystems that are around there.

The nuances of the ingredients for these healing potions, they're like finding basically a four leaf Clover.

Some places it would thrive and in some places it's just there and it makes no sense.

That's why that's very hard to kind of take, but you can always check the lens as you travel feed with.

Miss Red Cab is gonna explain the urban shrooms that they should be looking for, I guess.

In your best ability.

Let's keep an eye next time we travel.

Agreed.

And maybe.

I'm tired of buying these books.

Same.

Yes, and after finding one or two, eventually we'll better know how to look for them.

All right, let's go see Laura.

Let's.

Do a a meeting.

You make it as the sun begins to set and you find Laura at the office in the town hall with Pippit.

Y'all go into the room, sit down or stand however you wish.

I hope everyone had enough time to grieve and do your business.

Very productive.

I would hope so, but now I do need an answer.

Do you wish to come back to Hopes Keep or do you wish to venture off, find your friend and whatever else the laziest?

We were talking about it and we all agree that we would like to know as much about Mugdelblub as we possibly can.

If that's through you, that's great.

If it means going to hopes keep, then we'll go and learn.

Well, it probably would be through me, but they would have to be through Hopes Keep.

I've only done so much in the 10 day that I had there and it takes a lot of energy.

They can only do so much per day.

And then of course we have the talks of Sir Bauer and direct me more than obliged to share anything they might.

If anything, I gave Bauer some instructions, but I don't know how well he'll follow them.

If you're not adept to this kind of power and ability, it's hard to translate these old ancient texts, I'd imagine.

But if that's it, your wish, meet me here in the morning and it will make our way back to hope to keep.

Well.

It is our wish.

We'll see you here in the morning.

It's OK.

Do not be late.

You are dismissed.

All right.

Yeah, I guess you all make your way back to your rooms unless you don't wish to do anything.

Have dinner down in the dining area, I guess.

Yeah, yeah.

And go to bed.

Eat up and go to sleep and think about.

It easily done.

The next day passes.

Y'all meet up back.

Dolores does y'all.

You got all your things y'all prepared?

Yep, ready to go.

Good.

She starts casting an incantation and you see this portal just.

Nice.

Pop up and she's like step through, step through.

Follow him, yeah.

Follows.

Vern as well.

And then she steps through and you see on the other side, you come out to the center of Hope's Keep.

Oh wow.

Nice, that's the way to go.

Wow, that's just amazing.

Yes, it is convenient.

Very convenient.

I'm shame saver.

I sure would love to be able to do that.

Maybe.

I would like to learn how to do that.

Same.

Maybe someday when Kelsey writes in multiclassing, we can figure that out, right?

I assume you'd probably want to go about in your check your houses and friends.

I'm going to go Dickham, Bauer and Derek.

They should be up by now.

We're going to stay high to our people.

Indeed.

It feels good being home.

It does.

I can't believe I'm staying this but I miss this place.

Yes, and we still have friends and family here so.

Indeed.

Tobin Hearn and you see running towards you a very familiar Hefling Tobin.

Durgin, come here, you.

He jumps and grapples you and like hugs and you both hit the ground and roll a couple.

Give him a big old hug.

He's.

Whoa, yeah, cificates.

Wow, it's been like a 10 day or so.

It has been, it has felt like years.

I mean.

Man telling me the work never stops here.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Yes, yeah, man.

Yeah, you got to, you got to see the the tent already.

Oh, I'm dying to.

Yeah, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Hi, Valverne.

Miss Redcap.

You there Durgin, We miss your lovely smile.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

He turns back to you, Tobin.

Yeah, they managed to the guards and I think with the help of the Lord, like they were just saying that chilling over at our tent and they were saying something in language I couldn't understand.

And I was like, you know, just doing the the business and serving and all this when a Bauer turned to me and says, like, this seems kind of, you know, in a weird accident.

It seems kind of like this doesn't need to be you could be better than this.

I'm like, well, I'm pretty humble this and that.

And then he turned to Allure and said some words.

And then like she manifests like these wooden these these weird magical like woods and what not just come.

Check.

Wait.

All right, let's go see.

Is he like start running over there, You see, like what was your makeshift tent actually has a more of a structure of a pavilion kind of thing that kind of like shades and the tables look more sturdier, better wood and stuff better.

Chairs.

Better chairs of wood and like actually like kind of a.

Actual building.

Well, the.

Beginnings of a building.

Like a frame for, yeah.

A better frame and it's no longer a raggedy tent.

Even the tent itself even flourishes with the colours that you'd surmise that Laura probably picked with, like her green and blue kind of what matches her robes.

Nice.

It's a good start I would say, but it's the world's above the raggeds, it's head we had.

For a moment.

Amazing.

That's what I love it so much.

We have armrests on the chairs.

This is beautiful.

Yeah.

The.

Bench actually has cushions.

Oh.

God, no more splinters up the arse.

Oh I love it so much and check check this out and he'll like I'll show off my mithril arm.

Oh my God, how did I not notice this right?

It almost.

I'm sorry, I just saw, I saw your figure and yeah, it is it's full plate.

It's it counts as plate but feel it.

It's super light.

Oh my God, that's amazing.

Where did you get this?

We found it in a troll cave after we killed it.

Just like his eyes just widening, his jaw drops.

After you trolling, you killed.

It that's right, and I'll puff my chest out a little bit.

We've killed a troll, and that's not even the most impressive thing I've.

Killed.

I I I have to hear this immediately.

Oh, let me get.

Tally.

Let me do that.

Tally.

Where's Tally?

Hey.

Hey, Jonathan.

Go get Tally and get.

Cups get cups.

Cups to nail.

Cups to ale, all of it.

You just stay away.

Peter, Get get some cheese and crackers.

Come on, come on, Burn Val.

He's like kind of waving at you guys.

The guys like crackers.

Come on, come get him.

Yes, that's impressive.

And he starts like, putting plates down and having others like kind of come help.

I'm like looking around at this structure.

Wow, what an improvement.

Right.

That looks beautiful.

It looks the world's better.

It seems like it still obviously needs work, but it seems more solid with structure.

From what you saw was like a makeshift tint and like wooden poles.

Now it looks like a sturdy more pavilion and like lavish looking drapes.

Of what?

What do you call those?

Like banners I guess.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Little like wall flag looking thing.

Yeah, yeah, those, those are kind of like all draped out and like kind of frilly and more solid.

The whole thing looks more solid and it's kind of got actual walls instead of just a tent draping.

No, that's the place I would like to have a meal in.

Well, come on in.

Yes, be merry and regale me of all your tales.

This troll thing that sounds insane and clearly this armor that you will.

This is this is I.

I can't wait to hear the tales.

It's quite the tale and we'll, I guess, hang out and tell Tally and Durgeon and the other Templeton homies, you know?

And a few others.

Sure, you're telling him about the Tobin maneuver?

Oh no, not this again.

That's the best piece.

It's the whole.

It's the best part of the story, of course.

Yeah, well.

I suppose, Mrs.

Redcap, you should regale them since you coined the term.

Redcap will stand up and.

You know, he started.

Yelling a little too loudly about each step of the fight and like, just like, try to pantomime.

To make it burn.

Involved.

And it just won't work.

But it it, it, it was communicated to them, yeah.

Yeah, you all make this theatric and goes on for a pretty good moment before the card comes up to you that you all know when we first met at Mordenwood.

I'd hate to break up the merriments, but you are all are requested at a Durex Bauer would like to talk to you.

Fair enough.

All right, be right there.

Nods and keep the food warm, Durgeon.

Yes.

And second, you're free.

I want to hear more.

I'm all ears.

This has been the most exciting day, honestly, that we've had.

Oh, by the way, look and you can see any points to the tower.

It's even more fruitful than it was.

All the planter boxes like blooming and.

Yeah, the trees, even for a week, are even growing like quicker than they should.

It's been a week and they're already like, surplasting more fruit.

Nice.

Yeah, that's how Tally was able to make all, like all this kind of me.

She's experimenting with this apple cider.

Right now.

We have so much apples, we don't even know what to do with them.

And making apple pies, apple ciders, apple bread, apple cinnamon rolls.

That tree just won't stop producing it.

It's weird.

Laura mentioned something about Faye Realm.

It might have to do with it, but I mean God's.

I I, I think in honor of her blessing and the tents amazing upgrade.

I think it needs a new name.

I don't think it should be the temple tent anymore.

I think it should be Gee's bounty.

Gee's bounty.

I like that.

Yeah, Gee's bounty.

You know, I'll have one of the the the newcomers start working on a sign.

That would be good.

Yeah.

That's that's great.

Oh, so I'm sorry.

Don't let me hold you up.

So good, I'll be back to tell you more indeed.

I'll be here working.

See you soon.

Indeed.

Yeah.

I'll make your way to Derek Peter Mullen's house, where you find Elora Derek Bauer, the guard who ushers you all in, and just close the doors and stands guard.

Good to see you're all alive and by the sounds of it, been doing a good job keeping Warden Woods safe.

We have seen too much.

Man.

Yeah, we have.

That's the polite way of saying it too much.

Good.

That means that will harden you, especially for our what's to come.

I couldn't.

And he looks at a Laura.

I wasn't able to transcribe as much, but I've gotten a little bit of leeway on the books real quick.

Somebody roll AD 6, it's a six or three reroll one.

It's probably going to take a little more time, but thank goodness the Lord's here.

Hopefully like just a day.

But I think we might be able to pinpoint where Bitter Mold's keep is.

Well, this passage I've found it hard to translate, but from what I can gather, and again with her here, it looks like coordinates, if you will, are the medieval term for coordinates.

Again, it's hard to translate.

Have you found out or already know about Mugdal Blub?

Fortunately, not much other than what Laura has already found out about this false God business.

And is that supposed to mean all the gods or only some of them?

Some of the deities.

It's a rough translation, but it seems like there's pretender gods, lesser beings but more powerful than us mortals.

They have great power.

There's also tales of some of them dying by mortals, and as far as we know gods can't die by mortal hand.

Gods are immortal is the traditional sense.

So it definitely seems like some lesser.

Some charlatans.

Am I explaining to some of the gods we know?

It's also hard to read some of it, but most of it says some favor the mortals, some don't.

Some won't even offer boot if you worship them like God, but it plainly states that they are not true God.

The gods we know are the gods we still know.

Her Agnes, Deed Ord seem to be in that mix.

This Titania.

We are still trying to figure that out and borderline if she's an actual deity or as the book says, a patron pretending to be a deity but holds great power.

Maybe the gods bless certain creatures with certain gifts, or maybe it's the aftermath of something unexplained that we know is unclear.

For our sake, we only seek those who are threat to us.

When it comes to gods or pretender gods, they're all potential threats in my book.

In this in these stories where the the mortals killed the pretender gods, did they have any special weapons Autumn.

It's rough to say, but they did have help with either other beings or possible other artifacts.

Oh, I got to have more than a flask of acid for this.

One most likely.

Most definitely.

Is Muggle blub 1 of IS?

Is he usually spoken of as a God or one of these potentially false gods, these pretenders?

I have traversed the book and we barely scratch the surface of deciphering his name and if it is what we think it is, then it is mentioned way more than once in this book and it is concerning.

But again, it's going to take some more time.

Since Alaura's excursion I've been especially at a standstill and only learned what I'm assuming are coordinates for location of of bitter mold or possibly mug to BLOB.

I'm not sure.

The translation gets kind of rough.

That's where we go.

And if that sign we heard but the light was correct, then.

We can go learn as much as we can, perhaps come back and just die.

There is something else.

While we were exploring underneath this keep, we found the water underneath this keep opens up to Finamere Lake.

There's an underground passage that essentially leads to the river that leads to Finamere Lake.

Obviously, we can't traverse through that.

And he looked at Laura.

We've tried to cross the lake 3 * 3 times.

We found debris and one survivor who died immediately and only mentioned horrors.

It was mad, couldn't barely understand.

He kept repeating, don't go, don't go in the water, and since then we never have.

He made mention of finding one of the other ships or the remains of the other ship in pieces before he floated back to shore with his madness, and then somehow traversing through the woods to the gate before dying.

And this is the only word we've heard from one of the guards who found him wandering towards the gate.

Since then, we have never traversed the lake again.

You have an opening to the river, which we believe is how that bog thorn came here.

We have an entrance through the river, yes.

There's something in the river that's destroying ships.

I will say the entrance to the underground will not hold a ship.

The sizes that we've put out I am confident, but confidence can mislead you to ruin sometimes as pride is before a stumble.

But I do feel that it probably is either too big to traverse into the river and under whatever is in the lake.

The ships we set out are big, were big.

They were completely destroyed by the account of our lost scout.

And we go around the lake to get to Bitter Mold Keep.

Hey Laura, Portal is there.

He looks at the Laura.

I have not been there.

I cannot teleport without great tragedy.

And since everything I know about the magic, since the Gloaming, this became what it is.

I dare not transport.

Perhaps sending big ships is a mistake.

They are too big, too obvious, perhaps going small.

Something clearly attracted, so you might be right.

Going small, unnoticed.

It's quite possible.

But could we go around like Mrs.

Rick?

Get past.

Yes, if you head east and head north, we know somewhat there is the lake basically just circles back up to where we surmise where you all came from this night.

Haven Harbor actually pinpoints kind of close to the river.

If we were to be able to cross this river, I want to say we might be able to make it, but I have to decipher more of this book of Dirk.

Dirk, as you noticed, has just kind of been quietly sitting, just kind of taking it all in.

Another thing, Alora has informed me that you've seen this obelisk that might be a conduit to the Pharaoh.

So not too far off the road between here and Wardenwood.

I've seen the map.

No, we've seen the obelisk in person.

From a safe distance.

Before we do anything else guys, does anyone know any friendly flying creatures, eagles, Dragons that could give us a ride somewhere?

Laura and Bauer look at you when you speak of the mention of Dragons.

And in unicism, no.

OK, All right.

It was just a thought.

Unison, but unison.

What did I say in?

Unisonism.

OK.

But I couldn't remember the word.

In unison.

In unison.

Seems like we just should have just to go for it.

Just travel around the side the long way around the follow the lake edge around.

Travel around it.

How much food would we need?

What's the how long is the journey around it perhaps?

Days.

Sure.

We came somewhere from there yeah.

Decades ago so.

It's faster to go through the water.

If you could make it, we tried three times to get across, see what was on the other side and we've only met ruined.

There is clearly something powerful in the water and we have no idea what it is.

It could be a creature, it can be a ward for all we know well.

Like I said, you travelled big.

Perhaps if we travel small, we should be able to avoid it and.

Can we risk our lives on that?

Because if if it doesn't matter the size, then we're just going to die on a boat?

What if it's a ward or just really terrible storms in the middle I mean.

I think I could stay all my way through that in the small.

It's a pretty Big Lake.

We could.

We could try to do the best of both worlds.

We could.

Instead of going straight through the lake, we could go along.

Skim around the edges of.

The lake, we get the speed of that transport and if we need to bail, we can get to the shore.

Quick, that is correct.

We don't have to cut across.

I would.

I would rather stay near the shore.

Yeah, yeah.

It takes slightly bit longer, but you always have an exit.

And not as long as walking.

Yeah, staying near stores is an exit, and if we stay small and quiet, we shouldn't be able to.

We should at least not attract the attention of whatever is destroying large ships.

Softly paddle Vern, can you softly paddle?

I could try it for sure.

I mean, I've never been on a boat since then and he's got more experience than I do.

And he points the bell.

Spell would be our captain.

I will do my best and I think that can keep us quiet.

If we actually want to do this, I don't ever want to be far from the shore.

That's the only way I'll go is if we can see it the whole time.

All right, well.

We keep it at in our eyesight.

It's all well instead, but we don't have the means to make a boat and it clearly take a.

We just need a small.

Do we have trees?

Because we have trees, we can make a boat.

Going to take time.

For sure we don't need a big boat, we just need a small raft.

Canoe.

Yep, just big enough to hold four of us.

The size of three people, maybe I'm not.

I don't take much room.

Yeah, so.

3 1/2.

Yeah, well, I'm a whole person.

Yeah, like I said, yeah, we need to stay as small as possible.

He looks at a Laura, Derek.

God, I mean, we I guess could start, but you're looking probably about a month in like we're going to have to go to the water, start building there because it's, I mean, are we going to build a boat here at the keep and then transport it across to the river to make it?

That's like at least half a day just to get to the river and then we have to secure it and then chop down a bunch of trees.

And does anyone here know how to make a boat?

I mean, you probably just carve out of a fallen tree until it looks like a boat I imagine.

Small boat.

We put a line of, we take the fallen tree, put a line of oil on the top, you know, carve out a little niche, then burn that oil and then you keep doing that again and again and again.

Then you got a little canoe, pretty good seals on it.

Have you made one before Mrs.

Redcap?

No.

OK.

Large times in for a small one, it's at least take about the 10 day.

That's if everything goes well.

The experts did not let.

Otherwise I'd probably double it, maybe even 2 1/2 ten days.

Is there any amount of distance you could teleport us to give us A and start knowing anywhere?

Like even to the lake or?

Along the road beside the lake.

She pauses for a moment.

I'm not quite sure how it works.

I haven't been there and she looks at Bauer in many years.

This might not be the same Bauer, so she said and puts up a hand.

Absolutely not.

Unfortunately, this will have to be by foot.

You can make a boat and we can lend some aid.

But like she says, it's going to take time.

I cannot risk a teleportation to some unknown or even to known that is now unknown.

You can end up in a volcano for a window, or in a sinkhole or underground, or in a den of thieves, a den of wolves who knows bears or Dragons.

What do you recommend?

I mean, our options are thin.

Anybody.

Well, we.

We walk or we swim.

I don't like swimming.

It direct pops up.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

So you you're you're trying to get the wait, what?

What's the.

You're trying to get the bitter molds.

What is what you're saying?

Yeah, well, you don't have to know where it's at.

And they just start scratching the surface.

I mean, we know it's across the lake at least that everything that allures sense kind of all makes sense.

Where exactly might be in this book, but it's going to take at least a day or two.

We can at least scout it out, get some eyes in the area it's.

More took about several days, probably several 10 days.

The Walking to it takes 10 days around the lake A.

Couple 10 days, which is 20 days yeah, I.

Don't know if we can hold that many rations.

That's leaving from Wardenwood.

We could get you back to Wardenwood, obviously, but there's a lot of things in between that I would say give us a day and maybe we can decipher all.

Right.

This actual location.

Then take your time and tell us what do you find?

But if you do want to make a boat, like I said, that'll probably take a week, 10 days during pops up.

All right, how about this?

Give us a day.

Go be with your families and friends.

Let us, I guess, try to find the location of this bitter moan keep you kind of Snickers looks down.

It would be nice to see where my ancestors came from.

But if the tales are true, that is probably nothing what it was back in the day.

Barry Stefson no doubt treachery is nothing from the east to the north.

And if we would we know is true what seems to be true just trying to cross the lake.

There's nothing but treachery and death.

Or we can give you the time to do your research.

Meanwhile, we can go investigate the obelisk.

He looks at it.

Laura, would you be up for that?

But that also means if you're doing that, you can't scribe more.

Laura looks around, gathers her thoughts.

I could probably decipher the rest of this tonight, at least for location if we wish to test faint Tanya and check that out.

It is of high interest, so I've been delving largely into that, but might I should be able to get this And if you really wish to traverse to this obelisk, it'll just slow the other information down.

But I am highly intrigued with the obelisk.

It is up to you, Bauer.

It turns to you all.

Honestly, it's up to you all.

Well, she doesn't have to come with us.

We can go to the.

I have to go with you.

And transcribe the writings for you.

If you wish to come with us, that's fine too.

I'd wish to see this.

If you go, you do not know what you're doing.

Or maybe you do.

Maybe luck bested you and you figure out what and how.

Or maybe you'd explode the realm.

Who knows?

Yeah.

All right, we will gather as much informations and then.

Durek stands up.

What is clear to me is we're not going to figure anything out squabbling over this.

Look, you all just came and I'm.

It's great to see you all be with your friends.

Take the night and let us.

And he, he looked at Bauer and Elora.

Let us figure out the script.

If we can find this location, I want to know where my family resides or where they did at least.

Maybe there's some secrets that I don't know that's locked in there.

There has to be.

Let us figure that out if we can.

And then we can have talks of going to this obelisk or, or crossing the lake or, or venturing off further into the shadow dark and around the lake or however the Hell's you wish to get to this very moment.

But I think we should know the location first.

All right.

At this out first you see Bauer just look incredulously at Derek before going back to this more what you all recognize as a more stern professional for like a better term demeanor himself.

I have to agree with Derek.

Take your time, see your friends, family, be well.

All right, we wish to help you.

Let us know how to proceed.

You all leave direct bitter molds house.

What would you like to do?

I guess we go back to a Gid's restaurant.

It's Bounty.

Gid's Bounty restaurant.

Yeah, Because, you know, we were about to bust out some food and stuff and to hang out with the partying.

Easy enough, you see it's now it's starting to get a little bit later in the day and it's getting a little more lively as people recognize y'all's presence and start to kind of be more cheery.

You see some bars come up and start playing some more music and it's starting to get more lively here.

And you regale them with your tails and they tell you about like, you know, you know, some nonsense here and there and what they kind of guess and tell some tall tales of what they think Bauer, Durick and Laura's been doing.

And you kind of laugh at it and throw your own little two cents and jokes here and there.

Is the right guy.

I'm not going to check out your Hut.

Yeah, later on in the evening, I guess.

Get some food, check.

That out, She hasn't been to her cauldron in a while.

That's her main goal, no?

Let us enjoy all this meal.

Look at this new building.

Amazing.

Love it so much.

Come on Durgin, fill up the table.

Yes, yes, of course.

Yes.

More Mead.

What?

Was it called June's bounty?

No, absolutely not Gee's.

Bounty Gee's Bounty.

I require a lot of cheese.

Jesus splayed out.

Everyone's having a merry time.

You notice that this is probably the most bountiful feast you've seen in a minute.

It brings a tear to Tobin's eye.

Like whatever is going on here, like there's pies, more pies than you've ever seen in the entirety of you being here.

And you've had festivals where like you probably had like 30 pies at some time.

There's like there's like there's they're pulling pies out of like storage, which is unheard of at this point.

There's just.

So many pies.

It was like the.

Tally just went on a binge of making pies and other like, desserts and stuff just because everyone wanted their own pies.

Like, well, how far have 5 have 10, you know, And it's insanely bountiful and you're all having like this a great, great time.

That's awesome.

This brick cat.

She was gonna go to her cauldron eventually.

Okay, later then, yeah.

Not really big any big plans.

Gonna try to go back to her old habits I guess.

Just you don't wanna try and meet up with Jordan.

Jordan.

Bitter mold.

She's already, yeah.

She's already in bed so.

She misses her cauldron more than anybody.

Else.

To be honest, she's just going to try.

She didn't have Cauldron action in a long time, so that's.

True, that's true.

I can only imagine.

Yeah, easily done.

Go there, have your little cauldron time.

Important.

Important, yeah, which is going to like, keep their culture skills, though.

Brush up on your cauldronism.

Bask in the fumes.

Passing the intoxicating nude thigh and troll toes.

Yeah, got some troll troll toes to boil.

You, you didn't bring the toes with you.

No, they're either.

Mary's still got them.

Big mistake.

Yeah, but you guys got nothing.

Don't want to do?

We can skip to the next.

Yeah, we're just going to party at our all night and then.

Sleep, you know, hang out with Durgeon and Tally and the gang and we're all going to regale them of our tails and.

And they soak up so much of everything you all say, even few onlookers are like, you guys are basically like the bar.

Even the bars who are there playing, they'd be playing back, paying attention to like a moment in your tails where like, the music just stops and you have everybody's eyes and attention.

Especially when you tell him about the Tobin maneuver.

Oh.

My God.

Whether you tell it or or Vern jumps in or even Val just gonna like and he did the Tobin maneuver again and it was slidden and blah, blah, blah.

And they're just like everyone's just like.

So intense in the revelry in the moment, even Tobin, he'll like he'll hop up on on his chair and like strike a pose.

So he.

Actually stood underneath a big troll and just slammed them into the.

Sack and Vern like even like real quick while you're like doing that, like shoot arrow, like high speed, like you're just holding, you know, your mug, whatever, just to give it more effect, you know, a spark hitting and like, you know, the people just cheer and it's just it's just non-stop.

All that rivalry going on and, you know, people try to tell you tales that don't even like, you know, come close, but like you're just happy to hear him at the same time.

And other than that, yeah, you're all night goes fantastic.

Sun rises and it's a new day.

Yeah, I'll make your way eventually back to Derek's house and have a similar meeting where you see Bauer pacing back and forth.

Thank you all for coming back.

Obviously, we have learned the whereabouts of this bitter mode keep and it is further north than we have kind of feared if we are to.

We were to across the lake from here, it would be easier and faster to get to, but everything being told about this it's heavily heavily guarded and the lake that we still don't know what is guarding the lake.

If there's a way to cross this river, it would be easier to manage, but it is directly east from here.

What are our options?

Your best bet would be go back to Warden Wood, head east as your friend Yurich did.

Once you cross the bridge, head north and when you get to a point if you were to follow the river, follow the river all the way around back up to the north to basically the center of the lake and then head north from that where Bitter Mold Keep is.

You might have to cross the river on the other side though.

It's shorter so it'd be easier to reverse hopefully, but that is treacherous.

After heavily rely off of catching our food, we can't carry that many rations I don't think.

We don't have any horses, Chariots, nothing.

Steak would be nice though along the way.

Well, we hunt.

There'll be no different.

I'm assuming there's things to hunt out there and not just monsters and.

We've got the two best scouts in the keep right here.

That's right, me and Valerie.

If there is anything to be eaten, we'll find it.

And if there's nothing to be eaten?

We'll find it.

Oh dear.

There is always something to be eaten.

There was otherwise for a reason.

Yeah, there's always something out there, hunting or being hunted.

Just hope we're not only being hunted.

I get that.

Then it is our destiny to go that way.

We.

Have had a crazy tremendous amount of luck recent recently.

Well, you know, if we get to go this way then we might catch up with our old friend it.

Would be nice to see him again, make sure he's doing all right.

Oh, we follow in his tracks.

You could still cross the river, but there is a stretch of force that is extremely dangerous a you'd have to build a boat, which we demise would probably take a week to even build a swallow boat.

Enough to get across the river.

Then there's about four or five miles of forest more treacherous than probably what you would go through if you left from Wardenwood, but you will get there in a shorter time.

Or you traverse through the east from Wardenwood, but you'll be way South and we'll have to cross the bridge and then start heading north around the lake, which will take probably a 10 day or two or more.

Who knows what's on the other side there?

But that treachery was still pretty treacherous.

But from what Ellora has sent, and through the transcriptions, and for all the years that's been passed since this book has been passed to Derek, all signs.

It takes a moment, gets 1/2 hearted smirk, looks up at all you, make sure you looked at each and everyone of you in the eye.

All signs mark death.

Honestly, no matter which way you take.

But the choice is still up to you.

Or you could take a Laura here and go to this obelisk, see what you can surmise from it.

Or go yourself to this obelisk.

Maybe you can figure it out by your own, I will.

None of them is good.

Give you this one guarantee, though not dissuade you in either way you wish to take, but I can't get you back to Wardenwood, obviously.

Any points to Laura the way you came.

Just know the Laura pipes up.

Doing this will cost me time.

I could probably get back as if you back here and back, but if I don't for whatever reason, if I don't pass my spell check, then I at the days added to me deciphering given more information and I can actually maybe I do this and she looks at each and everyone of you and looks at you, Val.

I'll let you know what they know when I know.

Most appreciated, I will take that.

It's a one way communication.

If I and it has happened before you tingle, I will assume you're dead and your party is lost and we'll have to go from there.

And you look, she looks too Bauer.

But if you I stood there and hear my message, hopefully it'll aid you whichever path you take.

It seems all the paths are treacherous.

If we are going, might as well take the shortest because none of them seems to be safe.

Might as well take the shortest route and deal with it.

Go to Wardenwood and go east or.

No, the shortest route was the one through the woods.

Would be to make a boat and cross the river to get to the other side.

Yeah.

The closest way to get to bitter mode.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I might as well do that.

Build a boat.

I mean, if we if we go from Wardenwood E, there's a small chance we run into Urichs and do.

You want to do that?

I mean, all of it sounds dangerous.

I'm just trying to lay out the pros and cons.

There's the.

There's so many options.

I, Ellora pipes up.

I could tell you now if you decide to go to the boat.

I cannot decide heavily.

I cannot see pass there is a heavy fog to bitter mode.

Then let's take the Warden words route.

Everything I know tells me that is extremely treacherous.

Not impossible, but the treacherous.

You have to choose.

Do you want to go across and do the hard work or do you want to buy yourself more time?

But in a sense, they both cut the time because we got to build a boat and that's going to take time.

Then let's go to Wardenwood.

Let's take the Urich route.

See if we can find him along the way perhaps?

It's the DM method persuade.

I don't know, coming up third way, but basically if you want to mechanically speaking across the river, I'm basically going to be doing checks like every round for encounters as opposed to going the other way through the yurt way.

My very is taking longer.

You might bump into stuff that may or may not help you.

Or starve to death.

Or yeah, I mean, you can.

You can leave water, wood and die.

I mean, technically you can just leave.

Yeah, we can leave right now.

I guess that's a bad example anyway.

Now, that's just not to sway you in anyone way or another, but just trying to throw that mechanic out there, yeah.

Mrs.

Redcap Burn.

The butt, as they say, it's in your court.

Though the Eric's route you can at least map out the area much better.

We were warned about that bridge.

We were and the lake and the woods and everywhere.

So.

Is everywhere.

If we got to go to dangerous places, I'd rather have an ally, maybe somewhere around the area.

I have two slots open.

I'm going to buy more rations.

That's a good idea.

If that's what you choose, Laura, be more than obliged to get you back to 11.

Let's do that.

So the obelisk you don't wish to check out, I'm hearing correct.

We will get to it, but that's going to take a lot of time.

Our business here is to decipher the books in the further of this Keep Tanya statue and while we have the conduit to speak to either the Tanya or whoever is on the other side who seems to be speaking for Titania allegedly.

Oh, Laura, let me ask you a question.

She looks at you.

Which one is your priority?

Do you wish us to check out the obelisk or pursue Warden would if you have a choice right now?

It is pertinent to me to gather as much information as I can right now.

You are better equipped but an enemy if you know everything about your enemy.

I wish to stay here in Titania's Tower, whatever you wish to call it now.

But if you had the choice to send us to do 1 mission, would you send us to investigate the obelisk or would you send us to Wardenwood?

Possible.

Your studies here will reveal more about the obelisk anyways.

This is true, I cannot censor this question, for you are all your own individuals, and time is of the essence from this, even if it is from the Fae.

And if it is Titania's trick, again, this on this voice that told you the realms are not watching it is most disturbing.

It also justifies the clock on this realm, the ticking time bomb that is our home.

So yes, we should disperse efforts.

Although I do wish Chef this obelisk, it seems to be at the very least a backup plan.

If the whole world goes to the hills, maybe we can escape if what I read is true.

But I need to know more and I cannot do that all in one day.

If you want to diverse this bit the most, keep.

I do feel there are stickers there.

And if what you say is true from this voice, from the gods or whoever it may I'll be it be, then maybe the answer is there the whole time.

Either way, I must stay here.

I feel obvious.

Could probably wait.

The answers are probably at this keep.

If you wish to venture to it and expedite that you will get no fight from me.

If you want my help from it, you're going to have to wait.

You're proud.

Let us go.

It is final.

Oh, I suppose you want me to say yes, yes, please take them back here.

Save us at least a day or two, she says.

Get the provisions ready and meet me at the Town Center in an hour.

See you there.

Nods.

Bauer stops, looks at Dirk.

Dirk.

There is a weird kind of awkward stare between the two before Dirk kind of stands up.

Yes, you all are dismissed.

And I hope your choice that you make here today bears fruitful.

And thank you for everything.

I cannot tell you how much you all, you all know, how much you've helped this community and me myself.

Yeah, you're all dismissed.

Sorry, we have work to do.

I'll.

Give a little bow before exiting.

A Verne falls suit y'all make your way out.

If you got anything last things to do, now is the time to do it before.

I got my directions.

I'd like to go to the blacksmith, I guess a boutique.

Yeah, a boutique.

Make your way to a boutique.

You see the familiar door.

Try to open the door.

Yeah, so it's unlocked.

The opening you see Taber Teak seems to be in the middle of pushing some metal with some tongs into some hot coals.

Hey, hey, Taber Teak, do you have Oh, you're.

Southern me last.

Oh well.

What can I do for you?

Do.

You have any axes?

Of course I got axes on the walls, which, yeah.

How much is an axe?

You know, that's great because I have a Ledger right here as I pull the.

Core rule book.

Look at the Ledger.

They just have a great X for 10 gold pieces.

You looking just like a regular hatchet X?

Yeah, I will say a regular hatchet would probably be, I would say a gold.

A gold for a regular hashed X finally made that does about AD 6 of damage.

Yeah, I'll do A1 axe, 2 torches and some rations.

OK, y'all ready to make your way back to Warden Wood?

Yeah, walking towards the center of town to meet with Alora.

I'm going to look over towards the newly updated temple tent now, Gid's bounty, I'm going to see Durgeon in there, Tally in there, and they're all, you know, talking over pies or serving pies.

And I'm going to just kind of stare, smile, nod, and then.

Durge looks at you and gets as he's like talking to a customer and just kind of knows to you and just kind of like gives you a wave.

I'll give him a little nod.

I'll just totally.

Blissfully and aware that you're about to leave.

Yep, the most dangerous mission yet.

And yeah, I won't go over there.

I'm just, I'll leave it as it is, kind of capture the memory of it and its new bounty.

Some dirt from the ground, just rubbing my hands in it.

Take a little home with you.

Probably that's the last time I'll see it.

All right, Red Cap, would you like to?

Burn your Hut down.

It's.

Time to move on.

She's such a Bertie since she's, you know, got her, she's feeling good, got her, got her stuff ready to go for her trip.

She got a backpack the size of a building.

Happy, just happy to have a full load of gear.

Mr.

Redcap bouncing along in your head.

Oh, I, I meant to, I meant to say this way earlier.

I totally forgot when you were throwing the bones at Water Mug that he was going to come through your window or whatever and come back.

But you get reunited basically.

Because I know that bothered me and I just, I don't know.

We were busy, but yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, Mr.

Redcap is always there and.

He's he's there.

Back you all ready?

Yes, ma'am.

OK, this is an incantation.

This is going to be embarrassing.

Oh, thank God.

That would have been embarrassing if she felt that 19 nice you spell cast plus all of her bonus is, which I'm not going to.

Say keep it a mystery for.

Reasons you don't know what level she's at because by the way you get spell scrolls, apparently you can cast them still.

Even higher level.

Stuff.

I'm pretty sure as I might have to check that.

As long as you have the scroll.

But from my understanding, yeah.

But anyway, that adds up to the.

Four in the Hags Hut.

Where's that fireball?

Are they one time use like scrolls?

Yeah, OK.

Yeah, yeah, She does an incantation and a familiar portal pops up and she says through and.

I'll step through.

And before you walk in, she stops.

Do what you say you will.

I am not going with you.

Understood.

And let's go and let you all walk through.

You all follow suit, and when you step through, you feel this sense of, dude, you feel like the whole world to shift upside down for feels like a fraction of a second, but also at the same time an eternity before shifting back.

And then you just step through and you're back to the center of Wardenwood and you'll stand there and it's about mid morning.

You see people getting their stuff, readying to go with a sense of a guest direction of where your guys are gonna headed, and that's where we're gonna leave off.

Nice.

That was intense.

Very story, lore and dialogue heavy.

Yeah, that's a very enriching.

That was very stylized.

That was very stressful.

Like too many choices.

Everybody's talking the other way.

I was getting like confused and stressed out.

It was like, yeah, I couldn't make a decision.

Literally, I couldn't.

Emotional moments in there too.

We had a funeral for a guy.

No, I was trying to be strategic and I was like, yeah, I'm not sure about the all the list.

I'm not sure about this.

I'm not sure about anything.

Yeah, there's like you literally painted a picture that was like really confusing.

I'm giving you a big option and honestly this the scene is very sandboxy so I'm leaving a lot up to you, but I mean by all means let you all play your characters how you want and lead the way.

I tried to go with it that way, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I was.

I was full on like, let's go across the river.

Yeah, hell, go across the lake, you know?

I was thinking about it as like hunting, you know, trying to go for the biggest fish.

What you say makes sense.

I mean the shortest route too.

Yeah, I was trying to go for the biggest fish, but that was good.

It was very cinematic.

Well, I hope you all enjoy this episode.

Let us know in the comments what you think of where should they go next?

Did we make the right decision?

Did we?

Build a boat.

Should we build a boat?

You can't still technically like, you know, just say hey, where water would there's more resources here and you know, just build a boat.

Yeah, dude, yeah, we're.

Going to fight something next episode.

Yeah, there's probably going to be some battle.

Definitely.

Probably more likely.

Yeah.

We you, you mean we going to get hurt next episode?

Yeah, someone's.

Going to die.

You know I.

Was fishing for that TPK.

Just kidding.

Thanks everybody for listening to Tabletop Diaries again.

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