Tales from the Stinky Dragon - Finale in Faunaloch - C02 - Ep 46 - Tempoor Unfortunate Souls
Episode Date: June 18, 2024Settled in on the Grotethe Express headed to Faunaloch - the party has a chance to learn more about S.H.E.A.T.H. from Countess Von Brath Join the Party and help make this show possible by joining us ...on Patreon.com/StinkyDragon! Get BTS content, access to our discord, live streams and more! And of course, our immensely stinky gratitude 🐉💨 This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — go to http://betterhelp.com/stinkydragon to get 10% off your first month. Go to http://HeroForge.com and use code STINKY to get 5% off all orders of physical miniatures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What if we told you you're already off to a great start with so many ways to squeeze
the most out of summer right here?
From our largest shrimp skewers ever to a Vietnamese-inspired dish ready in minutes, Good afternoon, all you Angatras!
Animate into the stinky dragon, imbibed our newest brew.
Sight until the bitter end.
It's a mixture of ancestral almond milk, burial butter, bound brown sugar, vanilla spirit extract, and a cloth
full of scab or cinnamon.
One gulp of this gazing guzzler will take you from entombed to exhumed in no time.
Give or take ten years.
Previously our adventurers vamoosed out of the violently vibrating vampspire.
While inside the tumbling tower, the party
revived their rogue, recovered the countess, mended Eddie, saved Bonicia's bacon, extracted
Quifly, heisted some hemo pieces, and freed the Farny family. Lastly, they leaped aboard
the Groteth Express with an enigmatic elf. Bring over a brew, let's buckle up for this bedtime tale.
Hello everyone, I'm Gustavo Sarlas, the Dungeon Master of our disgusting putrid party.
I'm gonna hit our four players with an arrow.
Do it.
Grab it and break it in half.
Aww.
This week's Role-Play and Warm-Up question is, which of the following is most important
to your character? Health, wealth or happiness?
I'll go first. Go for it.
Hey there, it's Chip Patey voiced by this guy, Blaine Gibson. I'm a level nine tiefling
rogue volunteer fighter, fighter, ex assassin and widower.
And I say that the most important thing is health. Cause you can't have wealth or the
other thing that I forgot happiness, happiness without it. You gotta have, you gotta be mentally
strong. You gotta be physically strong. Cause how are you going to make your bank? Take
two ready and how are you going to make your bank? If you can't lift it. How are you going to make your bank? Take two, ready and.
How are you going to make your bank if you can't lift it?
How are you going to get your money if you can't cut it honey?
Honey.
Please go to someone else.
I think it's actually very apt that Chip would say health because it's actually a statistical
fact that widowers survive shorter than widows.
Oh really? Yeah. That's really sad. Wow. What an inadvertent dig at Chip like in many ways.
You're going to die sooner and you're... Don't worry Chip, you won't be alone that long.
That's the worst statistic I think I can hear today.
here today. Hi, I'm Chris Damaris and I play Barney Farny, the level 9 human cleric.
And health, wealth, or happiness?
It's happiness.
Because, well, I don't care much for money.
The only thing I'd use money for is to make the people I'm I'm I care about happy
and wow. And then health. Well, I think it's okay. I just someone cannot be healthy. That's
as long as they're as they're happy. And that's okay. That's beautiful. So you're fine being
poor and sick as long as you have a smile on your face. Sounds like it. Yeah.
As long as I'm happy with the people that make me happy.
Okay.
I'll go next.
Me, Barbara Dunkelman, the voice of Elko Von Brath, the female half elf vampire barbarian
level nine.
It sounded like it was all cut together.
Maybe it was.
Maybe you guys are using snippets of my voice to make this
speech pattern.
Maybe I'm not here.
Barbara couldn't be here today.
So we asked Chad GPT to play us.
Just a soundboard that has Barb thing just saying like bet, bet.
I just speak randomly during the episode.
And you know, Elga thinks all these things are very important.
Some might think that she would value wealth
based on where she was living.
Because she's a nepo baby.
No.
But ultimately, I think Elga agree with Barney
that happiness is the most important.
Ah, father daughter.
Because no matter what else you have, happiness is just all you need Father daughter
Happiness is just all you need because you could be in any situation
But as long as you have a smile on your face is okay
Okay, if I feel like this whole discovery and like going to Elga's home It's like being a little kid and then you like go to your friend's house for the first time you're like, oh wow
My my friends rich like being a little kid and then you like go to your friend's house for the first time. You're like, Oh wow. My, my friend's rich. I had no idea.
I'm imagining the movie Richie rich where they all come over and it's like, he's got
a water slide and McDonald's in his house and like all this stuff. That's all good.
I had a few friends like that growing up. I was like, Whoa, your pool is a saltwater
pool that has like a beach kind of gradiation into it and
a rock feature, a waterfall alcove with led lighting.
We got a Nintendo at home.
But N64 is out already.
I had a friend who they had every snack imaginable, every dessert is like a grocery store.
And so I, you know, as a little kid, it was amazing.
So I would like, like my friend, I would take stuff home.
No, my friend would be like, here, you can have some.
And then I take some home with me.
Chris has been filling his bags with candy and chocolate ever since he was a kid.
Is this where your hoarding began?
No, no, but then I also like my little brother, I was like, I was like, what do you want?
I'll get, you know?
And so I was like getting, going back with all these snacks and my mom found out and she was mortified.
I bet she was like, yeah, I would be too. If I was, if I was the parent,
it's like, you cannot be taking like, I was like, but they have the best.
All you're trying to do as a parent is not like not all you're trying to do, but what you're
trying to, one of the things you're trying to do as a parent is like your kids, not to completely
embarrass you in front of other parents because you know that you're a bad parent because every parent thinks that and
then you just need your kids not to confirm it.
Also, I just want to point out the irony of Elga saying happiness is most important when
she's a barbarian and is full of rage.
Maybe that's what makes Elga happy.
That's true.
Killing.
The juxtaposition.
Murder.
Bonjour.
My name is John Reisinger and I play Matide Conficius who is an air cockering ghost monk
and I pick option for chocolate.
Chocolate.
Which also is happiness.
Yes it is.
Chocolate.
But honestly, if I were to answer the question, like I'll take the money.
I can figure out the rest elsewhere.
But if you want to give me the money right now, I'll take it.
Is it?
Is it?
This makes sense based on how Matide responded to the chest of
chemo pieces on the floor in the last episode.
I am a small business owner and it is a,
it is a aggressive economy out there right now.
And at Atra city is,
is just not working out as well as I want to right now.
And so I'm hoping to franchise very soon. So,
I'm a nice little loan would work out Mr. Arrow.
That's his name. Mr. Arrow. That's his name. Mr.
I don't know whoever's whoever this gentleman that's in this
Mr. Arrow Micah says that it's actually the economy in grotesque
Yeah, it's very apparent there's not enough rogues in this party if only one person said money or wealth
Is that a dig at me?
Not enough listen, you can't you literally can't have the other things if you don't have health.
I'll fight this to the grave.
To the death?
To the death.
It's true.
Health is very important.
Health is very important.
Go take care of yourself.
Go for a walk if you're listening at home.
And maybe you'll find some hemo pieces out on the ground as you're walking around as
our friend Matide did.
As everyone catches their breath, the Countess opens the train car door and urges all of
you inside with a nod of her head.
The Countess closes the door and you find yourselves in a train car stacked with luggage and box supplies.
She sets down on a nearby crate.
As I was trying to explain earlier, I'm not really a Countess.
I'm an agent of a covert organization called SHEATH.
We are protectors of a great secret that must be guarded at all cost.
That's why we're headed to Fonoloc.
My name is not von Brath, it's Tempore.
Sedate Tempore.
Sedate Tempore, have we heard that name before?
This has been eating me up.
Make a wisdom check.
Okay.
Bing bong, bing bong.
Well, like, if you think about like, Latin, like, what is it?
Sedate, tempers, time, so like sleepy time?
16 on that wisdom check.
You can't recall ever having heard this name before.
OK. It's a mystery.
Elga, you know her as mom.
Oh, do I?
Yes, you do.
Well, she left a long time ago.
After an exhausting, traumatizing day you
all decide to rest for the night in the sleeper car. Oh we'll take it. So everyone
can take a long rest. Yay! This is our first one in what feels like... I don't think we did a
long rest in Vania. You're always running. Do I recover my exhaustion level?
Yes after a long rest you do. Okay. And you all decide to rendezvous in the
morning in the dining car for a little brekkie.
For our Australian listeners.
I could use a second breakfast right now.
Are we in are we in a place where we can openly talk about private matters?
Well, I would say that you walk into the dining car chip
and you see your compatriots sitting down and.
I have the first of all, this is completely inaccurate, impossible.
Chip would be the first one there waiting 20 minutes before everyone else would get there.
Okay, in that case, Chip, you're sitting alone in the dining car.
The only other person in the dining car is a brawny disgruntled orc train conductor
with ferocious eyebrows wearing a blue vest with a name tag.
I know that guy.
You recognize him as Dysph.
He's slowly cleaning up
Wiping the counters down giving you a glance every now and then I just want to point out
This is hilarious that Blaine had the opportunity for us all to be there
But now he's alone in a train car with the conductor and he doesn't have a ticket
This knows me
Ohhhh Dysf knows me
I'd be oh- I'd be forthright with this. Dysf, I don't have a ticket
But I'm happy to help you seem to be cleaning up and as a train conductor you have bigger matters to go to
So let me hear you shoo shoo. It's fine. It's my last day on the job anyway. What?
That's sad. I can't- where are you going?
Oh, I'm finally realizing my dream. Gonna become a professor at Lofton College in Atra City.
Oh!
Yep, gonna be teaching transmutation.
Is that like a subversion of transportation?
Cause you know, you're so good at that with the trains.
As just kind of size letting out a gust of air,
your compatriots walk in.
It must be opening time for the dining car because the rest of your party walks in I walk in and I address chip
And I go finally you're here. I was here earlier
So I left for a bit
As you're waiting there Zuzu top also walks in oh
We've been traveling across Gros Teth to get away from the riots in Atro City along with my cousin Lizzie
She's still asleep though
Wait riots because why oh those or these think the Abrellians are behind the Wolfman's murder
Still and so they're
Riding because there's not a lot of Abrellians in Atro City are there no not a ton
So they're just riding by themselves. They are riding in area 15 trying to get us out of there.
Just blame us!
That's what I tried to do!
Tell you what, why don't we all have a round of soda pop in honor of the wolfman?
It's the morning, what are you doing?
That's the perfect time for soda pop!
When do you drink yours?
I don't, I'd...
Monsieur Diff, un café s'il vous plait. I'll take... Matisse. When do you drink yours? I don't I Miss you different cafe, see the play
I'll take
Matisse this starts making one cafe for matisse way and a zuzu starts popping open some bottles of
Soda pop two for Barney apparently nice Elgar chip y'all want one
Sure, I'll take one. I'll partake, you know.
A little sugary for my, you know, I prefer health over happiness and wealth, but
Ah, what the heck!
To be fair, uh, fun fact, my girlfriend, one of her favorite beverages to have with a bowl of cereal is a Coke.
It actually kind of works.
We should talk to her about that.
I will refrain from commenting.
Because I like your girlfriend.
So Zuzu pours out four soda pops, one for Chip,
one for Elga, two for Barney.
And you see it and you remember,
I think Barney, you may have had one before.
It's a fizzing blue viscous liquid
with squishy chunks floating inside of it.
Zuzu pours one for himself as well,
raises it and says, to the wolfman!
And then downs it in one big gulp.
To the wolfman!
Elga does the thing where she like puts her finger in and like licks it. Oh, I forgot it's got blood. one big gulp. To the wolf! To the wolf man! To the wolf man! Ow!
Ow!
Elga does the thing where she like puts her finger in and like licks it.
Oh I forgot it's a blood.
Yummy!
So what a delicious beverage of your home ones.
Barney do you drink both at the same time?
No I think you drink one and then like hold out the other one in case anyone wants seconds.
Chip do you just sip at yours or do you down the whole thing at once?
I want to check if there's anything in it.
Just just like breathlessly. Yeah there's like squishy chunks floating in it
I know but it's like a poison. Am I gonna die?
You can check it. You just saw him open in front of you, but if you want to check it for poison you can
Yeah, I'll do it. What do I do? We're all I have make it our Kana check. How are you checking it for poison?
I'm just curious. I don't know as an assassin. I think I've read. Yeah, I think ship has experience with poison
So I think he would know with an arcana check
that's a
22 you don't think it's poisoned, but you don't think it would be something good for you to drink
Mmm, okay
I do that thing where I purse my lips and I don't like liquid pass
It just kind of catch catch cotton my my mustache in that case only Barney makes a Constitution saving throw. All right
In that case, only Barney makes a Constitution saving throw. Alright.
Oh, ten!
Barney, you down it.
I think Barney would actually probably like it.
It tastes like black licorice and artichoke.
Eww.
Yum.
That means you're gonna poop.
Barney, you know, downs it, looks around, smiling at everybody, and as you all are looking
at him, in the middle of his forehead, a third eyeball opens up.
On Barney?
Yeah.
Barney! What? And at the same time, both of his ears fall off the side of his head down third eyeball opens up. On Barney? Yeah. Barney. What?
And at the same time, both of his ears fall off the side
of his head down onto the table.
You've never looked better.
Huh?
Can you still hear us Barney without your ears?
What do you mean?
I can't hear you.
What are you talking about?
I don't notice the difference with Barney.
What?
I would say you still have limited hearing.
It's like you still have the ear holes
in the side of your head.
You just don't have the ear lobes to like funnel sound in. Is he looking more like an Aurelian? He looks unusual for sure.
What do you say about my hearing? So you look
good Barney. And Elga does the thing where she like nods to everyone in points.
Right everyone? Doesn't Barney look great? Yeah.
He looks the same. I think y'all look great too.
And I've never seen you, you look so crisp and clear.
Would an extra eye give him like advantage on anything?
It would give him disadvantage on the three stooges I poke.
Yeah.
Yeah, cause he's got three to defend now.
Advantage on intimidating children.
I think like perception maybe. Advantage on intimidating children. I think like Perception maybe.
Advantage on 3D movies.
4D.
I think he would see more colors.
He only sees the auras in the third eye though.
In the back of the car
is Sadate pacing
back and forth by an empty booth.
Could I go up and talk to her?
Yeah, she's like we said before, she's an elvish woman
with dark features, black hair.
Right now she's wearing a navy cloak and matching double-breasted tunic, eggplant pants, leather boots, and around her neck is a red-ass scott.
That must smell.
Those pants made out of eggplant.
Eww.
Yeah, she sees you approaching and stops pacing for a moment to look at you, Elga. Hello mother, I mean Miss Tempor. So you said you're from Sheath. Have you been
following us at all or do you know what we've been dealing with the last week at
all? Do you know anything? I don't know a whole lot. I do know of Carol's death
which is what brought me back here to Vania to try to figure things out.
Chip's gonna walk up.
He was gonna give you guys distance
because I know you probably had some things
to settle with your mom,
but if we're talking about Carol.
So were you guys like partners?
Did you guys like know each other back in the day?
Well, I knew of Carol and we had met before.
However, I didn't spend a lot of time with her.
She was recruited as a double agent to gather information about Eddie and what he was up to.
I have so many questions. When did I first come to Vania?
Well, that's a long story. I was sent by Sheath to go undercover and get close to Hugo.
I needed to find out what he knew about Sheath and what we were doing. In order to avoid suspicion, I had to play the long game and it took decades before
he was able to trust me. Then he asked me to marry him and become a Countess. Not
long after we were married, I became pregnant with a child and nine months
later I was giving birth. During that process, I was given an elixir,
which helped with the pain, but lessened my faculties.
Next thing I know, I'm being given two twin baby girls.
But something felt wrong.
Hugo was acting strange, even more so than usual,
always looking at me curiously.
And in my stupor, I must have said something
to blow my cover. He never at me curiously. And in my stupor, I must have said something to blow my cover.
He never left me alone again.
Huh, so you gave birth to me?
No, your sister.
I think you've been, she was fooled.
Look, twins.
Ah.
Yeah, she was fooled.
Most likely.
So what's Sheath's position on Dagger?
I can't say too much about Sheath.
Well, too much specifically,
unless the director gives me approval.
I'm hoping that we can speak to the director
by infiltrating Fonologue to reach the secret entrance
of the headquarters, which is where we're going now.
So why would someone give you Elga?
Hugo held many secrets.
Some I was able to ascertain and get information on,
and some he never fully divulged to me.
And is it true that Elga's my calliope?
When I was first given Elga, I was very out of it.
Hugo never told me anything other than
that she was my daughter that I gave birth to.
And that was just a baby?
Yes, you were a small baby at the time.
Well, Elga, if it's true, I'm sorry.
Well, but I mean, I guess, dad?
I don't really know what to call you.
You, I'm not, I don't feel like I deserve to be your dad
because I wasn't there for you
And I know you already have a dad and I know I don't care for him much because he is he did
Do not agree stuff, but I I haven't been I haven't been around so I don't think I don't know
That makes two of us or not the big fan of my previous. Sadati says, I'd like to join in on that too.
And I really wish we had successfully drained his bank account.
That would have been extra.
So I know that there's there's a lot.
Hey, from one secret assassin agent person to another, there's not a lot of stuff that
you can share.
But if we're going to be helping each other out, then we need to give a little give and
take. So have we encountered any other Sheath agents
other than Carol? I don't have exact details on your adventures. As far as I
know, there were no others, but if you find out otherwise, I'm not deceiving you.
I genuinely don't know. Okay, and Dewey, can you tell us who the director is? I
can't divulge that unless I have express approval.
Do you remember if we've ever seen someone else with eggplant pants?
Because you describing eggplant pants sounds familiar.
Eggplant pants. Make me a wisdom check.
Barbara or Elga. Barbara.
I'm talking to Barbara.
We're trying to figure out Elga's memories.
16. You don't recall seeing eggplant pants in the past, or you can't place ever having seen
anything like that.
This is confusing.
So if Ugo was...
Ugo.
Ugo.
Yes.
Ugo's there.
That is his name.
If that gentleman, who I will not say his name again so that Gustavo does not laugh at
me again...
Sorry, Matide
He was up in, he was in the coffin of the jail because he had let you, Elga, go to Atrocity
Why'd he let you go to Atrocity if he's such like a villainous man?
And he then got himself absconded by the authorities
It seems like maybe he was playing the long game of wanting to get locked up so that everyone
would be gathered in the same place, all the important people, and Eddie would free him,
and then they would wreak havoc.
Why did the spire fall? Did we figure that out?
It's probably something to do with all the lakes and the rivers drying up, and then also
going off of what Elga's assumption is, if it seemed like Dracula was kind of like hidden away
because he was remorseful for his actions
and his, you know, partnership with Hugo,
you know, a trial could be a way
of bringing him out of hiding.
It was in his room.
He wasn't hiding very well.
Do you know anything about me or my family or why, like, how he came to be here?
I know that Hugo was a cruel person, and he often extracted cruelty as punishment on people.
Could be your family crossed him and this was his way of exacting revenge.
But he also killed Drogons?
As far as I know, but that was before my time
Because I know a dragon I think and I don't know why
We met that one guy there's one that one that came from my watch
We also didn't go down into like a dragon belly or something like that. Yeah, there's like a dragon Broden graveyard We're searching for something we fought a guy but then Eddie got involved and because Phoenix was that no Phoenix wasn't there. Wait what was the thing about your watch? He made
the lost is gone the time of twilight whatever his thing he said. Whenever we were fighting the Phoenix
Phoenix uh my my watch it came alive and then it brought some and forth the Dragan. And then the Dragan knew me. He was very hip.
Fascinating. Dragan certainly were ancient powerful creatures that were here long before many of us.
Their knowledge was both vast, mysterious, and magical.
They knew me and my family.
Okay, so here's the thing.
One of Carol's dying wishes was that I complete her mission.
And I know that I'm not officially inducted into Sheath,
but it seems like whatever Carol was doing
has to do with whatever you're doing.
You know, Sheath has one collective mission
for the greater good, I'm assuming.
You're gonna have to fill us in on things
that we don't know about.
So what else is left on the table that you haven't told us
because I'm here to complete my wife's mission. To flesh it out just a little bit more, it's not much,
but when I learned of Carol's death and that Eddie and Hugo were responsible, that was what
motivated me to return to Vania. No matter what the personal risks were, which is when you all
encountered me at the triclinium, I knew I was in danger because in the past one night Hugo came home
blood drunken, which was not unusual for him, but he was also in an insatiable rage going
on and on about how the clans had ruined his plans. When I inquired, he lost it, and I
knew my mission was compromised and my life was in danger. That's when I tried to take
Elga and Evanna with me, but I was no match
for a ravenous and enraged vampire. So I ran for my life and returned to Sheath headquarters.
Time passed, and then that's when I returned to Vanya.
I have a question too. So, I assume at some point Evanna was pretty normal, but she's
acting very weird these past couple days. Do you know what happened to her or why she's acting very weird this past couple days do you know what
happened to her why she's like this that was not the Avaena I remember no me
either so it has nothing to do with the stuff that you were taking the kind of
drug you up during the pregnancy that's not some sort of like super soldier
serum I don't think so and they know she's not a vampire but
Elga is how does that work especially you know, hundreds of years have passed.
I mean, I know that Avena is an elf,
but elves don't just stay still in time during their youths.
You know, they grow up and then they kind of, you know.
It doesn't make sense why she's still a little girl.
There may be other magics at play
that occurred during my absence that would explain that.
You know what would be super helpful, gang if we had like a map of who the enemies
are so we know Hugh goes up there, we know Eddie for sure.
Is Evanna in league with them?
I mean it seemed like she was fighting with them.
She appeared to be.
Okay.
But that is not really her.
I don't know.
That book we found with the ancient writings and everything like that, maybe she got into some funny business and kind of influenced the way she was thinking.
Choo-choo!
Next stop, fauna lock, next stop, fauna lock.
Diss we're talking! Hey, go back to your studies!
Outside the windows you see lush trees, both broadleaf and coniferous, whizzing past the train,
and you feel the momentum of the train beginning to decelerate.
Those trees eat meat.
Okay, well, are there any other enemies that we need to be aware of?
Oh, yes, we. On your little board, can we put Miss Loftybottom on Zoom?
I agree.
She's number one public enemy.
Yes. Getting through Fonoloc will be difficult, but we'll deal with those situations as they
pop up.
In Fonoloc, what is our, what are we trying to stop Hugo from doing what?
We are going to Sheath headquarters.
Then hopefully the director will give me approval and I can divulge further information on what's
happening.
One last question for you, mother-ish.
Do you know anything about Benicia Wolfman?
Why she was locked up in the VAM Spire?
Who could have done that?
That seems like something that Hugo did.
I wouldn't put it past him, but I don't know.
I had just arrived at the VAM Spire
and had started my investigation when everything happened.
There might have been Evina working under,
or Eddie working for Hugo,
because he was incarcerated at the time.
I'm just wondering why they would take her daughter like maybe it's some type of blackmail or like...
Yeah the train comes to a stop at Fonoloc station.
Wait really quick where's the alchemist and is he a sheath agent?
The alchemist is most likely asleep with Francesca on the train.
Ah Francesca.
Well okay we're gonna go to Chief
Headquarters, we gotta keep pulling this yarn. Just do it. Does Barney know where like, like
Marnie would be on the train too? I assume you'd left her in the, like the sleeping cart. Well,
because I don't think Barney would just get off the train and leave them. Yeah. So, I, I, I,
would just get off the train and leave them. Yeah.
So I...
On a meta level, like...
No, I was going to make a joke about that.
That's what you did last time.
Oh!
But I did it!
I did it!
We heard it though!
I know!
Well, technically, I think they were taken from him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They left.
So Barney wants to go talk with his family before we go.
Barney, you journey down the train until you find the sleeper car your family's in.
Upon entering, Marnie and your two boys look up at you with smiles.
Marnie, boys, I'm sorry, but I have to go.
What? But we just found each other!
Look, it's just for a little while, I promise.
You see, Elga, I mean, Kaliope,
she has some unfinished business.
And that means, well, I do too.
Because as much as I want to stay here with you
and the boys where it's safe,
well, Kaliope, Chip, and Mateed, they'll be in danger.
And I'm not wasting a minute more of my life being safe while the people I love need me.
Barney, Barney, you make sure she comes back to us. Both of you.
I promise. And Stinker, you stay here. Look after them.
And Barney embraces his family one last time and then leaves.
Barney, as you leave the train car, Sadathe approaches and says,
They'll be safe on the train.
We will return to them after meeting with the director.
Chip puts his hand on Barney and says, Barney, I know that if I had a chance
to be with Carol again, I'd take it in a heartbeat.
Are you sure this is what you want? I but I can't. I don a chance to be with Carol again, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Are you sure this is what you want?
I, but I can't, I don't want to leave Elka.
Or you.
Well.
The bird I'm okay with.
Yeah.
Oh my God.
I could go either way with the birds.
Possible.
Matisse just drinking their coffee and enjoying their time.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Matisse is not, Matisse is enjoying their coffee and enjoying their time. Bar'm kidding. I'm kidding. The Matisse is not Matisse is enjoying their time.
It's OK. Don't be safe on the strength.
And you, Mitch, I've been made all best friends.
We'll go right to discover the she's no one's casting zone of truth right now.
Right.
Because I have to we have to find out what, you know, help
I'll go with her family and we're a family
as well Elga and and chip with our pet bird
Just I'm just kidding my teeth not a barna's family's bag Bartlett's all full of the chuckles
T I but Barney is all full of the chuckles. Mateed, Mateed, I genuinely care deeply for you
and the fact that you've come and helped me save my family
means more to me than anything I could say.
That's a very sincere sentiment from Barney.
Mateed smiles.
Alright, so everyone's getting off the train?
Away!
Yes.
This kind of reminds me, you know, it was a flawed movie for many reasons,
but I thought one of the interesting things about The Eternals was the Kumail Nanjiani
character at the end of the movie, just like, like, I'm not going to fight.
I'm not going to take part in this.
Yeah.
And it's kind of like where like the inflection point Barney's at, right?
He just stays on the train while the three of us go.
That's why I kind of presented the choice a little bit.
Yeah.
I mean, I think he would in some some ways but because Elga. Yeah, no it makes sense. All right you all
get off of the train and everyone make me a perception check. Percepting. 16. 13. 19.
11. So 11 Barney, 13 Chip, 16 Elga and was that a 19 Matide. Both Barney and Chip.
The two of you get off the train and you manage to avoid the steam cloud and take in your
surroundings.
Nary but a few streams of sunlight pierce the dense canopy of trees that now surround
you.
The balmy forest floor is carpeted with twinkling toadstools, flamboyant flowers and moist moss.
Elga and Matide, there's no noticeable trail or path headed in any particular direction.
However, to the south you hear a tree falling.
Sadathe turns to you for it says, sheath HQ is located in the hub of Fondaloc, which is
to the south, but we should trade carefully.
The forest is protected by all manner of beasts and natural defenses.
Which direction did the tree south?
So that's the direction that I guess we were in the forest when a tree fell and we heard it.
Solved that problem. So if like, Dracula is to Vania, what is...
Is Nessie the fauna lock kind of head-oncho?
Yeah, who's the ruler of the fauna lock?
They showed up at the festival.
Yes, that is correct.
Okay. So this is like forest, but also like there a gonna be a big body of water I'm assuming there's
a giant statue of a wonderful looking fear bog yes lock Cessna's would be the
giant body of water you're referring to here Cessna's lock Cessna's and that's
what we were probably supposed to come over in that big ship but all the water
was dried out yeah look at you correct yeah, sessed, not like landlocked.
It's not a lock.
Is all the water dried up here too?
You're not by a body of water.
You're not by the lock at the moment.
I think Sedate is just hearing Chip talk about and speculate and confirming his suspicions
about a big body of water.
Hey, since I heard a tree fall, could I take a little fly up and see if I see anything
else like more trees falling
or a hole?
Yeah, you can get only so high because the canopy is very thick, but you can take a little
bit of a peak, I should say.
Sure.
Yeah, you fly up and you see down to the south, like just more, well, in every direction,
you see lots of trees of various types, but specifically to the south, you see a bunch of coniferous trees surrounding one large tree in the center.
This is where they have the unobtanium.
What's coniferous?
What does that mean?
It's a type of tree.
It's like pine cones.
Yeah.
Someone else went to primary school in Texas, I see.
I like this place.
This is nice. Yeah.
Mateed would proceed south. All right. What's the weather? The weather.
Oh, it's really humid and hot. Chances are, right? Humid and hot. Yeah.
Yeah. Those are maybe a bit of Florida or Texas. Yeah. But this is...
Balmy. Is that better? Yeah. No, I'm just confused. Cause that's not how, what I would have expected this place to
it's almost like a rainforest. Oh, again, not what I would have expected. Do I see a
cafe? No, the cafe's rolling a way down the train tracks. Oh, is this fleeing? Oh yeah.
He just, just was gone on the train. Good luck at the colleges. It's not Yampford. It's
the other one guys, the college, the call he's. He's getting a job as a professor. He's getting away.
Lofton College.
Lofton. Good luck at Lofton College.
Teaching what?
Transmutation.
Oh yeah. Look at that. Inspiration Diver Chip.
Oh my God. Did it.
Nice.
It's like the first Inspiration Diver that wasn't a joke.
For bonus points, what's the mascot of Lofton College?
I wanna say, no, it wasn't a potato.
That's a, I'm thinking of the yam for yams.
The Lofton tubers.
A tiger.
Oh, inspiration die for Elga.
That was a good guess, Barbara.
Are you kidding? Was it?
I don't think we had said what it was.
Oh.
I was about to say, wow.
Canonically, you just created it.
Yay. Also, Chris remembered Lofton College. I don about to say, wow. Canonically, you just created it.
Yay.
Also, Chris remembered Lofton College.
I don't know if we want to...
Yeah, he did.
But I'm giving, I made my decision.
I'm giving that one a blank.
Fair enough.
All right.
Yeah.
So you've reached like the forested northern border of Fauna Lock, which obviously that's
why you're heading south.
Sedate says,
There are magical natural hazards here, as well as some creatures will need to avoid as much as possible. Like what? Air Roamers and Defilins. I'll
point them out when we see them, but hopefully we can avoid them. Defilumps and Woozles?
Air Roams and... Air Roamers and Defilins. Air Roamers. That's Pokemon. Defilins must
be like zeppelins, but they're like... Definitely zeppelins.
Yeah.
Let's all travel as quietly as possible.
Uh-oh.
So everyone go ahead and make me a stealth check.
Okay.
Also, who's part of our gang? Is it just us and...
It's Euphora and Sadate.
Sadate.
And not the Alchemist and Francesca?
No.
Okay.
They stayed.
14.
25.
29. At disadvantage, I got. 14. 25. 29.
At disadvantage, I got a 17.
Wow.
I didn't say this in our last episode,
but with leveling up, I was able to add ability score
modifiers, and so now, Mateed has a 20 in dexterity
and 18 in wisdom.
Wow.
And because of my, what item does it?
Oh my God, you have pluses in everything.
Because of my, I haven't, what item is it?
I don't remember, but I've also, I'm 20 on Constitution.
That's cool.
But just so you know, Gus, still a plus one on intelligence.
Oh. That's all.
I wouldn't have my party any other way.
Yeah.
Next campaign, I'm gonna be so smart.
Yeah.
So weak, just like, just a little brain.
Just a brain creature.
Yeah, you all travel rather stealthily to the south and you come upon a copse of coniferous trees
Surrounding a large broadleaf tree in the center and at the base of the tree appears to be someone taking a nap
What does the person or the creature looking look? Taking a little chef with a chef hat.
It's a baker actually.
It's actually true.
A word I should have used.
Without getting closer, it's hard to see exactly, but it looks to be like a smaller dwarf-sized humanoid.
Hey Barney, you should do that classic Barney whisper to wake them up.
It's the most comforting way to awaken.
Do you want to get into combat?
Oh, is this, this is a combat thing?
No, I'm just saying, waking somebody in that way, but that clearly puts them on the, on
edge.
I pointed to Dante and say, bad guy.
She looks at it from a distance and like kind of narrows her eyes.
It's hard to tell from here.
Bad guy.
The tree, we're at the base of a,
where we are approaching that large tree that I saw.
Correct, you're like at the border of a circular opening
and the large tree is in the middle.
How big, how large are we talking?
We talking like there's a city in there
or like, man, that's an old tree, like a redwood.
Old tree, it's probably, you know, looking at the trunk,
it's huge, you know, the at the trunk, it's huge.
You know, the trunks probably could be seven or eight feet.
Could Link have an adventure inside this tree?
No, not that big.
I'd say the trunk's probably eight to 10 feet across, but the canopy itself is probably at
the biggest 50 to 60 feet.
Okay.
So just an impressive tree.
Barney, go over, take a sit next to the tree and start whittling some wood next to the person and
like kind of loudly so they might just kind of awaken the monkeys.
I gotta say if I was taking a nap in the forest and I woke up to an old man whittling next
to me, I would pee myself.
You walk over and sit down and start whittling.
Is there any specific you want to whittle or anything you want to make?
Um, a knife?
No.
Oh shit.
Just like a little like a mushroom figurine.
Like just a little.
Oh yeah.
Barney, you start whittling.
Make some kind of check.
Make a, I don't know what that is.
A slight hand?
I feel like there would be something better.
While he's doing that, could I see what kind of clothes this person's wearing?
Yeah, let me figure out his check and then I'll answer that.
Make a dex check with proficiency, Barney.
Make an unarmed strike versus this wood.
So how does the proficiency work with dex?
So just roll your dex check and then add your proficiency bonus, which is plus four.
Okay.
So that's 11 plus four would be 15.
Yeah. You start really carving out a nice looking mushroom. Elga, make an investigation
check. Am I close enough to do it with advantage?
If you get close. I think so far Barney's the only one who said he's walked up. You're
still at the edge of the clearing. I want to, sorry. I want to walk up very quietly.
12. I just got perplexed by a word that I found in D and D beyond recently. No, I
had a moment recently in a DM moment where I didn't know what kind of check to do for
a hand like thing. And I thought slight of hand would make sense, but it didn't feel
right. So a dex check for this kind of thing feels right. But on D and D beyond, you can
click on each of these checks and see the description of what they should be for.
However, there's a word in sleight of hand
I've never heard before.
And it says, whenever you attempt an act of leisure domain.
Ledger domain?
Ledger domain?
Ligar domain.
Ligar domain or manual trickery.
I've never heard that word.
That's such a fun word.
I've never heard that either.
Okay.
It is a skillful use of one's hand
when performing conjuring tricks is ledger domain.
Okay, cool.
Fun word.
Sorry.
Didn't mean to interrupt for learning good words.
Word of the day.
Yeah.
Ledger domain.
So Elga, you had a 12 on your investigation.
Yes.
You know, you're looking, you know, Barney walks over, plops down, begins whittling a
mushroom.
And as you're looking, you see that,
like I said earlier, it's a smaller dwarf-sized humanoid.
However, you notice the body's actually singed to a crisp
and its hands are clutching onto a small metal box.
Barney just sat down next to a corpse.
Is this person dead?
Most likely, yes.
Singed to a crisp. Could Barney not know this?
I figured Barney doesn't know.
Barney was so focused on whittling.
Barney is sitting there whittling like, hello there stranger.
Barney, good morning.
I have some awkward news to share with you Barney.
The person you are sitting next to is...
He's a new friend!
I can't wait to meet!
Well, you might be waiting a long time.
His name is Bernie, we're gonna have a weekend at his house.
Could I go up and see what the box this person's holding?
Yeah, both Elga and Barney, both of you make perception checks for me.
Eighteen.
Eight? I still think they're alive.
Elga, the little hairs on the back of your neck begin standing straight up.
Ambush.
Okay.
Dangerous sense?
Chip and Matide, you're watching this, you know, Barney sitting down whittling a mushroom.
Elga's, you know, looking at this small dwarf size humanoid when all of a sudden leaves
begin falling down from the tree and lightning seems to form very quickly under the tree and then strike down the ground around it at the base.
Both Barney and Elga make me dexterity saving throws.
Is it a weird forest?
We just got struck by lightning essentially.
Yes.
Dexterity savings?
Yeah.
So you're saying you're thunderstorm?
Got a nat 20.
That's a 12.
So that's the better day to let.
Is that you?
Sandstorm? Yeah, did you make that? Is that you making that sandstorm? Is that the better day to let? Is that you? Sandstorm?
Yeah, did you make that?
Is that you?
Making that sandstorm?
Is that anything making a storm?
Sandstorm?
Oh, the storm.
Sand, this lightning chip.
I'm just trying to make a callback.
I'm just trying to say I know some of your combat moves because we are friends and I'm
trying to make a joke.
Lighten the mood because there's a dead guy in Barney's trying to make friends with him.
And we're getting struck by lightning.
Elga, you dodge out of the way of the lightning leaves, but a couple of them fall on Barney's trying to make friends with them. And we're getting struck by lightning. Elga, you dodge out of the way of the lightning leaves,
but a couple of them fall on Barney and impact.
How does that conduct with his metal armor?
Not very great.
Actually very well.
Am I dextrous enough to also have pushed him out of the way?
I'm going to say no, there wasn't enough time.
Okay.
Ooh, that's a lot.
I finally just looked at the damage for this tree.
Sorry, I got a lot of stuff to roll.
And it seems to only have hit like in the vicinity of the tree, right?
Correct, like right under it.
Wow, I hope that wasn't damage.
Yeah, a couple of the leaves fall on Barney.
Lightning strikes.
There's a loud thunderous boom and the tree or the lightning does 53 points of damage on Barney.
Holy moly.
Well Barney look at the bright side.
You won't get struck twice.
Elga grabs Barney by the neck collar of his armor and pulls him out from away from the tree.
We can't leave that part brother.
It's not worth it.
All of Elga's hairs are standing out,
a butt on top of her head as she touches Barney.
Barney uses, while he's being pulled away,
he uses telekinetic reach to like pull the,
what he thinks is that other person away from the tree.
Yeah, you reach out and pull the person
and their head falls off
and their skull rolls around on the ground.
Oh my!
And you pull the body, still holding the box
alongside with you.
The team and I are still just watching this,
just absolutely horrified.
I mean, just a bad situation just keeps getting worse.
Could I go look at the box?
Yeah, it's a small metal box,
which strangely appears to be intact.
Could I pick it up and open it?
What's in that box?
If there's any symbols on it.
Yeah, it's a plain metal box, nothing's any symbols on it. Yeah, you it's a plain metal box.
Nothing's etched into it.
You pick it up and Marnie's head.
Oh, no, no.
I just watched that through for the first time recently.
It's a good movie.
That's very good.
I just realized I just didn't had watched that David Fincher.
Why did you roll 3D10, Gus?
Oh, because you find 20 gold pieces.
Oh, and the picture inside of a dwarven man holding hands with a tender old Abrelian.
A tender old Abrelian?
Ten-drilled.
Oh, I thought you said like a ten-year-old Abrelian.
I was like, what is he holding hands with?
That's just what I thought.
And who was the other person in the picture?
It's a picture of a dwarven man with a tender old Abrelian.
Oh gosh.
He was dwarven.
We should name him Beggin.
And it was how many gold you said?
Twenty gold pieces. Sadate says, I should have recognized
that there are many dangers in Final Lock. Yes, don't say.
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Barney's just literally burnt to a crisp with his hair.
Just like... It's like a cartoon, you know? It's like smoking and all every hair is standing straight up.
The little hair that he has, it's all just like, yeah.
Guys, you're probably going to say no to this, but I, cause you just brought this up, but
I'm going to ask if on the train, Mateed would have looked for an exchange area. Is there
a place that would have been exchange area for pieces?
That's an exchange area. Is there a place that would have been an exchange area for himo pieces? That's an interesting question. Just thinking this, these trains are clearly
international. I would think that would be not on the train, but at the train depot or at the train
station. You didn't have time to look on the way there because you were barely able to jump onto
the caboose, but you could have potentially looked for one here when you got to Fauna Lock. You want
to let me have a retcon? How many hemo pieces you got?
32.
Yeah, there's a travel hex kiosk here that will exchange 32 hemo pieces for...
I mean, that's half a life.
Well, it depends on the level.
What level I was at, that was half a life.
You can exchange 32 hemo pieces for 32 gold pieces.
I will take it because you're being kind.
It's not a great exchange rate, but that's what you get at Travel Hex.
I'll take it.
Thank you.
Sorry to derail it for trying to get my monies.
Oh good.
I had some too, but I can't remember how much it was.
Whatever.
Yeah, if you do find and you have some, feel free to go ahead and just exchange them one
to one.
Okay.
Sorry.
So, Crispy Barney, don't go near that tree.
The metal box had a picture?
A picture of, yeah.
And a brilliant dwarf.
And holding hands, he said?
Yeah, well, tendril in hand.
Sadate points out off to the side, off to the southern edge of the clearing like...
There appears to be a trail there.
We can take that to continue to sheath headquarters.
Is there any good way to protect ourselves from, like, especially those lightning leaves?
Now that we see it, let's keep an eye out for more dragon leaf trees and steer clear of them.
I think that's gonna be it.
I'm gonna float.
Okay, all of you make me a perception check.
As we're walking down?
Yeah.
Very clear.
17.
18.
3. 11.
It'd be a saving throw if he was really about to do something to me, probably.
I'm fine.
Elga and Matide, you know, the two of you are keeping especially close watch on the
tree to make sure you keep a distance from it.
And you know, as you're looking at it, you can see that the leaves that have fallen on
the ground and the leaves on this tree actually still are shaped like dragon heads.
Dragon head leaves that caused the leaves were the source of the lightning damage.
Lightning leaves.
Lightning leaves shaped like dragon heads.
And is the bark of the tree or the tree trunk shaped in anything?
The tree's bark is scaly.
Is the tree...
I almost asked the dumbest question ever. I was about to ask, is the tree... I almost asked the dumbest question ever.
I was about to ask, is the tree alive?
Yes, it is.
It's almost like all plants are.
Does, I don't know, does Mateed have any history of knowing these kinds of trees?
Trees probably are important to Eric Cochran's.
I don't think Mateed has ever seen a dragon leaf tree like this.
Wish I had established earlier on this campaign that I can talk to birds because I'd like
to ask a bird a question, but that's not how.
Hey, Sedate, is there any way to weaponize these leaves?
They seem very powerful.
I mean, just look at Barney.
Unfortunately, once they fall in make contact with an object, their magic and arcana are
expended.
Do you want to go get one real quick?
I'm good.
I think I might go get one.
Sadatya, you know, moves some branches aside and says, come, the trail's right here.
I want to get one of the leaves.
Before it falls and hits the ground.
I can help you get one.
I want to get one.
Okay.
But one of the inert ones.
I just want to get it.
Yeah.
I go get one. While he's doing one. Okay. But one of the inert ones. I just want to get it.
Yeah.
I go get one.
While he's doing that, could Barney take a short rest?
That's up to the party.
How long is the short rest?
We would probably say 30 minutes.
He's old.
I mean, I can also just heal myself.
Yeah, but then you're going to blow your spell slots for, you know.
I could totally just heal myself.
Healing chip later.
Three points.
Yeah.
Do I get one of the leaves?
Yeah.
I'll say you very quickly dart Killing Chip later. Tree points. Yeah.
Do I get one of the leaves?
Yeah.
I'll say you very quickly dart out and get it and come back.
Okay.
I give Barney a, like a, if you have to go to sleep for 30 minutes, can I give him like
a little piggyback ride so he can sleep on my back?
Do that.
Yeah, that's up to you guys.
All right.
Come here.
Barney.
Yeah.
Nap time.
Okay. Okay. Gus set a timer for 30 minutes.
Chris has to be asleep for that one.
Chris, close your eyes.
Just go sit in the corner.
Sounds so good right now.
A little nap.
That does sound pretty nice.
I love some naps.
And everyone go ahead and make me another stealth check.
Okay.
Do I need to...
If I'm on his back...
Yeah, you do.
Okay.
16.
28.
23.
What's your modifier? I'm sorry. I... Plus 9 on stealth. It's a 5. I'm proficient. Okay. 16. 28. 23.
What's your modifier?
I'm sorry, I...
Plus 9 on stealth.
It's a 5.
I'm proficient.
Everyone rolled pretty good though.
Yeah, you all managed to continue making your way further south and you come upon this
winding trail beneath a dense canopy of coniferous trees and it's really difficult to see more
than 10 feet ahead because of all the trees, the thickets, fallen logs and a few stumps.
Oh, we're in final log?
Fallen logs.
Oh.
That's good.
Fa la la la la.
Fa la la la la.
Fa la la la la.
Ta da.
Burn.
I'm not laughing at your next joke.
Oh, that's not nice.
You know I will.
We're just waiting for the joke.
Oh.
I'm working on it.
Sorry.
As you all are walking along, everyone make a perception check for me.
Perceiving.
Now, if I'm trying to nap, do I?
Oh yeah, not you though.
Nine.
16.
19.
Elga and Matide.
You all are really on fire.
You all are really good with these perception checks.
I'm also proficient in perception checks.
That's my two, that's one of my proficiencies.
I have a plus five. good with these perception checks. I'm also proficient in perception checks. That's my two, that's one of my proficiencies. You know, as you all are walking, you see in the trees,
animals hopping around and there's like this weird hybrid, almost like a squirrel-like lemur
jumping tree top to tree top, eating leaves in the canopy. I turn to Sadatenegoza, an aromar or a
delphin? She looks at you and looks up and then stops her movement and whispers. That's an air roamer.
Are they dangerous?
Not directly, but avoid getting their attention.
Probably for the best at Barney's sleeping, he would definitely want to adopt that pet.
Oh, that's sweet.
So they're above us?
Yeah.
And what do they look like?
They're like squirrel-like lemurs.
Lemurs are monkey, right? Similar size and everything like that. Yeah, smallish. Yeah. Okay. What do they look like? They're like squirrel-like lemurs. Okay.
Lemurs are monkey, right?
Yes.
Similar size and everything like that.
Yeah.
Smallish.
Just before anyone gets mad, I don't think a lemur is a monkey.
Before any listener gets mad.
Is it related to them?
I don't know.
I don't think so.
Are they marsupials?
I believe so.
That makes more sense.
That's a marsupial.
Oh no.
Lemurs are primates.
I had no idea.
I thought they were primates.
I mean, they're very closely in the description. They're wet-n are primates. I had no idea. I thought they were primates. I mean, they're they're very closely in their wetnose primates
Yeah, did you see what's the movie with the King lemur seven? No, what what's the jungle one with Chris Rock as a zebra?
Good god, look at their little bulgy eyes
My cousin worked on a movie called Into the Wild.
Oh yeah.
Came out the same time.
That one got buried.
As Madagascar, because it was very similar, twin movies.
That was the ants to bugs life.
Yeah, yeah.
So it's just a big ol' squirrel.
So go check out Into the Wild, just for my cousin.
John, you get a bonus die for teaching me
about lemurs today.
I said that there are monkeys.
Inspiration die.
I'll take it.
Okay, they're above us.
We did a perception check.
We did a stealth check, so can we just pass these?
Yeah, you just have to move very stealthily through.
Well, I'm floating,
so I'm not gonna step on any twigs.
I'll be very, very stealthy quiet.
As long as Barney doesn't let out one of them old fan farts.
Stop provoking him.
It's gonna be just fine.
Do you want me to maybe carry you, Elga?
No, I'm okay.
I might be strong, but I'm very light on my feet.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of your axes clanging against each other.
Five axes dragging in the dirt.
You are a TSA agent's nightmare.
Also, I want to stay close to Sedante.
Okay.
All four of you make me one more self-check here.
24.
Nine.
So you don't want me to carry you?
I'm okay.
23.
16 at disadvantage.
That's not bad.
Andy's sleeping.
I think that's why I did so well.
Yeah. I'm not, Barney's not bad. Andy's seeping. I think that's why I did so well. Yeah. Barney's not walking. As you all are walking, you know, you're looking around
very carefully. You notice that Elga is glowing very dimly in a blue color.
Uh-oh. Hello. I wonder what Aramur's favorite color is. The monkeys.
Elga, are you feeling down?
Oh, create some great art.
You're in your blue period.
Listen, I'm trying here. I know.
I got it.
Yeah.
They all can't be winners.
Right over my head.
Sorry.
I art student here.
Do I feel anything?
No, you feel great.
I'm just glowing blue.
Yeah.
Um, is she growing in size as well?
Ms. Dunpour, what is happening to me?
Sadate looks at you and says, uh-oh.
Uh-oh, that's a bad thing.
Sadate does not have good bedside manner.
Oh, I mean, you're fine.
Yeah.
No, you said, uh-oh, I heard that.
She's like, we need to get her to a hospital right now.
She begins like patting you down, looking all over you, Elga.
One moment.
Oh, you have money cursed?
Did you take cursed money?
Was it the box?
I don't know.
But also she had the worst.
I had the lowest stealth check.
OK.
Oh, that's creepy looking.
Oh, good.
No, it's just a picture of what the the aromers look like.
It's not exactly what I had pictured in my mind.
It's a they look like flying squirrel lemurs.
They look like lemurs, but with skin between their front legs and their back legs.
What's his face from Momo Airbender?
I don't know what that is.
Yeah, I know what you're talking about.
Yeah, it's Gus.
It's your favorite film from Shyamalan.
That must not have been in the movie, which is the only're talking about. Yeah. It's Gus, it's your favorite film from Shyamalan.
That must not have been in the movie.
Which is the only thing that exists to me.
On the back of your leg, Sadate sees something.
She pulls out a little dart from your left calf.
A dart?
Yeah.
Good Lord!
And then the glowing around you begins diminishing and you you lose it all together
Sometimes the aeromers will do this
They got like tiny little weapons or they like have little blow guns that is the most cutest and
Horrifying thing I've heard today
Like what does it do it It just makes you glow?
They're doing it to help the deaf-elens.
Oh, they're working together for prey.
Yes.
So it's like they target them and then...
Wow.
So they make us glow so that
the other things can see us easily.
Can I perceive if there are any deaf-elens around?
Yeah, make a perception check.
Why did I use the word perception?
I'm curious to hear how this goes.
Sometimes you just say, yes, Barbara,
and then you see what happens.
I see a B. I see a nat 20.
So you're looking at you, Chip, you stop,
you decide to go ahead and look around for defilins.
Describe to us what you're looking for.
I guess anything that would have eyes.
You gotta break apart the words.
Okay.
What?
It's like defilins is probably some sort of amalgamation of Latin words or
prefixes or something.
Then it's probably some sort of balloon-like creature.
I'm just going to see if anything that stands out as organic that isn't a tree.
So you're looking for something?
Fauna.
An animal.
Yeah.
Okay.
You look around trying to find all the defilins you can with your many years of experience
looking for defilins and yeah, make a, yeah, let's call it a survival check.
Why not?
Okay.
Wait, is that the spelling of fauna lock?
Is it like fauna?
Like F-A-U-N-A?
Oh, okay.
That's fun.
16.
Yeah.
You don't see any defilins.
Oh yeah.
The only fauna you see are the aromers.
Let me know when I can wake up.
Okay, we'll give you just a little bit longer
and then you'll wake up.
Gus just wants a little bit longer.
All right, so you all continue.
And I'll say this time everyone but Barney makes self-checks.
You're deep in REM sleep right now, Barney.
Yeah.
21.
The key moment, I can't let you wake up at this time.
Otherwise you'll have sleep lag or whatever they call it. Sorry. 22. 25. Talking about train lag?
What? No, no, no. You know when you like break an REM cycle and you wake up and you feel
worse than you did when you initially took the sleep?
I hate that. Yeah. It's awful.
It wouldn't be train lag because we don't say plane lag. We say jet lag. So what would
be like, like... Well, jets are kinds of planes.
Well, but it's like the jet on the plane we're doing. I'm just trying to think of like, well, jets are kinds of planes. Well, but it's like the jet on the plane we're doing.
I'm just trying to think of like, what would be on a train?
What's the locomotion of the train?
Wheel lag, coal lag, coal lag.
Coal lag is when your blood gets all solid.
Did I get a stealth check from you, Elga?
I don't know if I did.
You did not.
My bad.
Steam lag.
That's a good one.
Steam lag.
That's oh yeah.
I like that.
I like that.
No, that's when the summer. Steam lag. Let's go, Micah. Oh yeah, I like that. I like that.
That's when the summer sale hits and I...
Pssst.
Oh yeah.
That's when you miss the sale.
Yeah.
Roll to six.
Six, okay, so it's a six for Elga.
Was that a 25 for Chip?
Yeah.
She's now just super aware of these little darts.
I look at Elga and it's just like...
Pssst.
There's just eight arrows going through her. It's just that scene from Ace Venture 2.
Yeah, darts all over.
And all of a sudden it's like, you know,
and when you're watching Dune and it goes from super dark to super light and your
eyes are like.
It did have moments like that.
What was your stealth check?
Matthea?
22.
Okay. Yeah, you all did good.
Yes, all of us.
You'll start stirring at this point.
You all come upon a grove of trees with enormous trunks, toadstools, and sizable stones.
In the center of the grove is a wagon.
I put Barney down very carefully, not to like jostle him too awake.
And I say, hey Barney, yeah, okay, now we're in the fauna lock, right?
And there's these tiny little squirrel monkeys and they'll shoot you.
And if you do that, then you'll glow really bright. Uh-huh, and then we're assuming you then get bombed by what we think is a
Zeppelin type creature. Okay. Okay. What do you glow bright?
You don't want to glow bright. You don't want to glow bright. It's not fun. Yeah
Well so far we seem blue. We don't know if that's the only color. Okay.
Okay.
Am I glowing blue right now?
No.
Okay.
So we see mushrooms and just all sorts of like stones and a wagon.
Yeah.
And the wagons in like the center of the Grove.
Can I sneak up on that wagon?
Investigate.
Make a, well, if you're sneaking up, make a stealth check first.
The T takes 10 steps back.
18.
Okay.
And then yeah, you, you know, make sure your sneakers are good to go and you slowly
make your way over to the wagon and make an investigation check on it.
That's a 17.
As you're approaching, you can see it's a broken down covered wagon that's missing a
wheel and as you get closer and closer, you're picking up more and more of the smell of vanilla.
And from the outside as you get close, there appears to be something
shiny glinting inside.
And, you know, as you finally, you get close enough to be able to peek inside
and see what it is, and you see a glittering dagger inside along on top of
an open chest of gold coins.
You know, since you were low and sneaking up, you notice an abundance of orange
fungus growing on the undercarriage of the wagon.
Oh, that seems tempting.
I do like knives.
I'm a bit of a knife guy.
I'm just picturing right now, Tom Hardy in Mad Max, just going, that's a trap.
Can I investigate for traps?
Can I see if there's any traps?
Investigate for traps?
Yeah, why not?
Check for traps like aate for traps. Yeah, why not? Yeah.
Doesn't check for traps like a good rogue thing?
Yeah, yeah.
In fact, I think I should get like advantage.
Like advantage on it?
Yeah, I think so.
You used to have a candle that helped.
Oh, that's true.
Make a perception check.
Yeah, you obviously would pick the worst.
Well, I'm looking.
I had to look it up.
Like it used to be something you could do.
Now it's just, you do a perception check.
17.
He had the most like smug grin It used to be something you could do. Now it's just, you do a perception check. 17.
He had the most, the most like smug grin as he crossed his arms and said that.
He's so proud.
You, you know, investigate, you know, before you touch anything, you're kind of like a Indiana Jones, you know, when he's looking at the, the, the gold
idol in Raiders of the Lost Star.
He wiggles his fingers and wipes the sweat away.
Yeah.
You like run your hand across your, your, your mouth. Yeah. You like run your hand across your, uh, your, uh, your mouth.
Yeah. Oh, is, is chip going to take an indigenous people's, uh, rare artifact away?
I look back at my team with a glare, you know, as you're looking, you don't find a
trap per se on it, but you realize that this whole Grove appears to be dusty.
It's like everything is covered in an orange, like pollen.
This is like every movie has taught me,
do not trust mushrooms.
I'm gonna hold my breath
and I think I'm gonna head back to the group.
I'm not gonna touch the knife.
I think I'm gonna head back.
It's a knife.
Knife on top of some gold coins.
Gold coins.
And you're not taking it. Spores in the air.
Should I?
You know what? You should. If you want I could, I could, we could get it far away and I could
use my telekinetic thing to grab it. Or mate it. To grab what? That's what I mean. My telekinetic
is like a different type of mate. To grab whated in character. Something lashes out at you doing
a hundred points of damage as you are walking back to the group out from under. It just
looks like a mushroom as he he walks back to us.
Guys, you gotta find Princess Toadstool.
Except he sounds like he's screaming out,
guys, what's wrong?
Out from under two of the trees,
pounce to what appear to be like ethereal looking lions.
Are those the deaf ones?
Deaf lions?
Definitely.
Oh.
Lions, why did I think ZEPPLY?
I was thinking I was gonna find a balloon, not a lion!
Everyone roll me initiative.
Oh no!
Kitties!
Well did- what's the- is the knife cool at least?
What knife?
I picked it up, the dagger.
16.
What knife? What dagger?
Oh no.
They do illusion- oh!
It was an illusion!
These are- these are um... Oh god. They're spectral. I have clothes made of this no. It was an illusion. These are, these are um, they're spectral.
I have clothes made of this thing.
16 Elga.
What?
Thank you.
18 Barney.
I did 18.
I didn't do my double initiative because I didn't specify.
You didn't specify?
Alright.
I have advantage on mine which is why I rolled twice.
Alright.
They're like, are they displacers?
No.
Oh.
Are they in the displacer family?
No.
Like, you know, the lion, like panther, okay.
All right, no?
No.
I like Blaze, like Gus, I don't think you heard me.
Are they displacers?
What if we keep getting into the nitty gritty on this?
I rolled a nine.
I rolled a 10.
All right, Barney, from your perspective,
you see Chip walk up to the wagon
and then with a big dumb grin on his face,
turn around and start walking back to the rest of the party and as he does so two ethereal-ish
lions dash out from under trees and charge at him. Okay and I'm up first? Yes.
Alright. Sorry after Barney is Elga then one of them then Mattheod. I want to
cast a fairy fire. Okay. Each object in a 20-foot cube within range is outlined in
blue green or violent light. Violent light?
Violent.
Oh, okay.
Any creature in the area when the spell is cast also outlines the light if it fails,
the dexterity saving throw.
For the duration, objects that affect the creature shed dim light in a 10 foot radius.
So I want to cast that.
Is there a way I can cast?
How far is Chip from the lion things?
They're closing quickly from two different sides. It's almost like they had coordinated their attack. One's coming from the east, one's coming from the lion things? They're closing quickly from two different sides.
It's almost like they had coordinated their attack.
One's coming from the east, one's coming from the west.
They're both about 20 feet away from him.
They're both about 20 feet away.
Is there a way I could target a 20 foot cube
and not have Chip in it?
Chip's just saying they're way too close.
Not getting both lions,
because one's 20 foot west of him,
one's 20 foot east of him.
Okay, which one's closer to Chip?
The one coming from the east.
Okay, I wanna target a 20 foot east of him. Okay, which one's closer to Chip? The one coming from the east. Okay, I want to target a 20 foot cube
that encompasses the line on the west and everything around it except for Chip. Got it. Okay, I'm riding very far.
Okay, I just imagined this whole thing playing out in slow motion. Chip's just walking back really happy. He hasn't noticed yet.
He sees like Barry like pointing his finger to cast something. He's like, what's going on?
He sees like Barry like pointing his finger to cast something. He's like woods
So and I would pick blue light, okay, and that one line has to make a dex 18 safe
I just haven't had a use for it. Well plus
315 that's a fail. Okay, so that line and everything in the area is now
Glowing blue light.
Oh, good. Looks exactly like the blue you were covered in.
Yeah.
Is the idea that you trick it into attacking the yellow one. That's cool.
Smart.
And then as my bonus action, I want to do telekinetic shove and pull chip towards the party.
OK. And is there a weight limit on that?
No. Well, as a bonus action
you can try to telekinetically shove one creature you can see within 30 feet of
you. When you do so the target must succeed on a strength saving throw DC17
or be moved five feet toward or away from you. A creature can
willingly fail to save. So you'd willingly fail. Okay so then yeah you pull him and he moves 10 feet
closer to the rest of the party. five out of the path of the creature
Okay, if you've done this in the reverse order he's chugging then you can cast the thing and theoretically
Well, no, they're not within 20 feet of each other once 20 feet west you once 20 feet east
I'm sorry my ears
And then closed
But Barney your eye has closed
and your ears have grown back.
Thank goodness.
I forgot.
Did it happen during his short rest?
Yeah, he woke up refreshed
and back to his normal Barney self.
The other eyeballs at night.
Yeah.
Ooh.
And then I guess I'll kind of move Barney
like up a little so he's like within range
to attack both of them, but not like in their path.
Does that make sense? Yeah. I don't know where I am in relation to them exactly. to attack both of them, but not like in their path. Does that make sense?
Yeah.
I don't know where I am in relation to them exactly.
You're north of them,
because you all were to the north,
Chip went south to the wagon,
and then from his position,
they're west and east of that.
It's like a big T, an upside down T.
Okay.
And then I want to say the part,
if this works, we can try and run away.
Sounds good.
All right.
And then that's my turn.
At what point do I start calling you dad instead of Barney?
I don't know, it's weird to me still.
That's up to you to decide.
You can just call me Barney.
Okay Barney.
Papa Barney.
I grab my tea to sweeten.
Okay, so that's just gonna go after you Elga.
Healthy conversation.
Oh, I thought you meant she's gonna go after me.
No, no, no.
I was like, wait, what?
In initiative order.
Wow, what a turn.
I know.
I got you.
Mom too.
She becomes a lion as well.
Elga, you're up.
Okay.
And then after Elga Sedate, Adephalin, and Matisse.
Is there one close to Chip right now?
They're both equidistant from Chip.
The one, I guess I said the one to the east is a little closer
Okay, let me run up to the one at the east. Okay, and I'm going to well I'm going to rage
Okay, and I'm going to use my great axe of gaining
Okay to strike at it and that is a 27 that hits doing 20 points of damage
Oh, I don't like that.
That's a big hit.
That's a big hit.
Raging 17 plus 3.
Okay.
And I will do it again.
Yeah.
22.
Act so nice, she sings it twice.
That hits.
Doing 21 points of damage.
Wow!
Elga's so strong.
You leave my friendship alone!
You think?
I don't know what you're called.
Def-a-lion.
Def-a-lion.
I don't know that.
When you say friendship, it sounds like friendship.
My friendship alone.
Double entendre.
Okay, and then that should be it.
Okay. Did you take your form with your rage?
I did not specify. I will take the form of a tail.
Yeah. Reaction. the form of a tail.
Okay, it's Sedate's turn after Sedate's Defilein, the one that you attacked, Elga. So I would think Sedate would run up right next to you, Elga, to also be up in the face of that Defilein.
And as she's running up, she pulls out an intricately carved bow and then from point-blank range pulls back the string and
unleashes two quick arrows at the
She rush up to do that
I think metagame why she wants to help protect Elga and try to I think there's reason yeah
Present another target for the definitely so Elga doesn't necessarily get hurt. Okay
Yeah, I mean this woman the Defalant so that Elga doesn't necessarily get hurt. Okay. Such a mama bear. Yeah.
I mean, this woman did raise Elga essentially from baby.
Yeah.
So.
That's a 24 and a 13. The 24 hits.
She fires one of the arrows, hits doing 8 points of damage,
and it impacts into the ground through the Defalant's tail and kind of pins it in place and holds it to the ground.
Whoa, wow.
It is that Defolins turn, it is unhappy about now being restrained, and you see a puff of
gray smoke and it disappears from the spot it was at.
Spectro-lions.
I wonder if this is... are there two of them?
Or is this just one that's making a relation?
Oh, oh, oh.
Okay, Matide, it's your turn.
Could I... the lion's not within visualization?
The one that we attacked?
Is the lion in the room with us?
You do not see it.
Okay.
Defi-lion.
Right?
Yeah.
Could I... check to see if I see it?
Yeah, sure. Make me an Arcana check.
That's a nine.
Yeah, you do not see it. You do not know where one guy. Yeah, I guess I'll go for the other one
Okay, the one to the west that is glowing blue. Actually, which one did you cast fairy fire on?
That's the one that's left to the west. Perfect. Can I go up to?
Sadat a yeah madam. Do you still have that docked? No, I threw it on the ground
Do you still have that docked? No, I threw it on the ground.
Okay, well, just ruined my plan.
Hahaha!
They're worthless normally.
Okay, then I'll go attack this other Defiline.
Defiline.
Defiline.
Defiline.
Defilines and Woozles.
Frankesca.
Yeah, I want to use...
Actually, how far is Chip from that one?
He got pulled a little bit by Barney, so I'd say like 25 feet.
Perfect! I go right up on that lion, so I'd say like 25 feet. Perfect!
I go right up on that lion.
And I use...
Defilant.
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe I go right up on the Defilant?
of the sandstorm and I use sandstorm and I can expend three charges to create a whirlwind of coarse sand and a 20 foot sphere.
Sventered.
It's ventered on me.
Some might call it centered.
All creatures of your choice in the area have to make a deck saving throw and it's 12 plus
my proficiency.
So 16.
16.
I've got plus three on that.
The DC save is 16.
Well I rolled a four.
Just gotta roll me four lovely little damage 21
21 points of damage. What are you Elga?
Slashing damage and they're blinded until the end of their next turn
All right, and if they're blinded do I get like advantage on anything?
Well, you already have advantage on your attack rolls because of the fairy fire. Oh cool cool cool
Then I'm gonna go ahead and stab this cat with the
spear of the superior Baker.
18.
That hits.
And that is another D8.
Seven plus seven is 14.
Right.
And with my muffin of stardust, uh, when I make it a successful attack, I get, I
can choose to take advantage on a roll before before the end of my next turn.
Okay.
So I'm gonna proc that or just remember that I have that because I've forgotten I've had that since you gave me that muffin.
And then since I have a bonus action still I'll just do Flurry of Blows. That's a quick and easy.
All right.
That's an easy dirty hit. That's 16.
That hits.
Okay.
D6 or plus 5 is 9 all right and that is 21 is that 21 points is that 21 to hit 21 to hit yeah that hits and i rolled a 6 plus 5 11
there's a lot of damage what was that like 55 points or something yeah i don't know i'm just
saying i've learned to say yes to Gus Math.
It was 55.
Trust in the Gus, he's like a calculator.
I kinda.
And I'm done.
I used to do academic competitions
when I was in elementary school
where you just did math without a cue.
No calculator and no scratch paper.
You could only write answers down on the paper.
That is impressive.
Just beating the dates off with a stick, right?
I used to be okay at doing like long
Like multiplication and stuff in my head. They were like tricks to it. I don't yeah terrible
Chip Europe, okay. Anyway enough about that nerd stuff. Let's play some D&D
More math more math. So Matisse is within would you say Matisse within five? Yeah, I'm on I went to melee range for the spear
Okay, then I'm going to run up and use my Armblade of Blurbling.
And because Matita's within five feet, then that gives me the uh...
Because you, yeah, your ability to sneak dive?
Question teacher.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, you can use sneak dive if I'm close, you don't need to go hide.
As long as someone else is within five feet, yeah, you'll get use sneak dive if I'm close you don't need to go hide as long as
someone else is within five feet yeah you'll get the sneak dive prop cool then there just want to
make sure you're using your sneak dive good so I get advanced in that so that's a 21 that hits okay
and then I do the that's 10 piercing and then I do an additional 1d4 acid damage
So that's 12 total 12 total are yeah and then
Sneak that you got 5d6 Wow, you want to roll? Sure. Okay. Okay. Here we go
That's a 4.
Plus 6.
That's 10. Plus 3.
That's 13. Plus 6.
That's 19. Plus 2.
That's 21. That was 5.
Was that 5? Yeah.
20...
4.
Wait, what? How many D6 was it?
Oh god. Wait, 5? Wait what? How many d6 was it? Oh god.
I thought it was 6.
5? Wait 5?
Wait, oh!
Wait, was she saying the 2 was a...
How many d6?
It's 24, you're at 24.
5d6.
Okay, you got to 21 at 5 rolls.
Okay, then 21.
21, okay.
21 additional damage.
Wow.
How's it looking?
It's pretty beat up.
It's not looking good.
Okay, and then I'm gonna use my bonus to go into hiding.
I'm gonna use counting action.
Okay, so roll for stealth then?
Yep.
Okay.
Use an advantage. That's a 27 and a...
24. 27.
Okay, yeah, you're real sneaky.
Okay.
Alright, it's that defilant's turn.
Who's it gonna attack?
T-t-typical humanoid harassment.
Oh!
I would never expect anything more from your kind.
And it disappears with a puff of smoke. Oh my God, I feel terrible.
Let's give up on us first, did it not? Yeah, but like he's talking. He's he's a talking
deaflin. He's so cute. He's crying too. Deaflin, if you can hear me, I am so sorry. You did, you know, attack us first, but like,
did they? Yeah. Oh, well they were running at us. Well, he told us to roll initiative.
So it's Gus's fault. Yeah. We can all agree on that. Okay. It's Gus's fault. If you can
hear us Deflin, it's Gustavo's to roll initiative. I wasn't trying to attack you. I was trying
to make you attack each other. It's almost a roll initiative.
Well, I hope you all are happy with yourselves.
Yeah, I hope you're happy.
I'm not.
All right, so you, uh, Sadathe just kind of like shakes her head.
Don't listen to those, Deflin.
But they talk.
I think they're just manipulating us.
It's working.
They're difficult. Come on, let's continue.
Okay.
All right.
After a bit more trekking through trees and thick thickets, It's working. They're difficult. Come on, let's continue. Okay. Alright.
After a bit more trekking through trees and thick thickets, you all start to hear the
soothing sounds of water lapping on shore.
You also notice more gnarly roots cropping up from the soil in this part of the forest.
Sadate holds up a closed fist with one hand, and then a single finger to her lips.
Everyone roll a perception check.
Oh.
She lost her big lip.
Seventeen.
Sixteen. Sixteen perception check. Oh. She wants us to be quiet. 17.
16.
16 as well.
Seven.
Just subtract nine for everybody else's.
10 for Chris's.
There's a lot of purr checks.
Persuasion, perception, performance.
Chip, it's taking everything in your body
not to make a sound.
You're thinking of a funny joke you heard earlier.
And for some reason, it's just like really tickling you right now. The other three of you just pass some trees up
ahead, you hear footsteps and you can make out two voices chatting to each other. It
sounds like one of them mentioned something called corner cops. And the other says ma
have mercy on us. And a moment later, Sadathe lowers her hand. It sounds like we're in the
clear. There were a couple of faunalotions nearby,
and we don't exactly fit in with the locals.
Faunalotions?
Faunalotions?
Yes, the locals.
Are faunalotions kind of like the same thing as nessie?
Like kind of aqua-faring creatures?
Yeah, what's a faunalotion?
Not always necessarily.
They're more bestial-looking creatures.
Bestial as in, like they're furry.
They can be.
And a cornucop? Is that like...
That's what they were... we thought they might be saying.
Yeah, they might be saying.
Oh, might be saying.
We did well enough to bypass Fonolox's defenses, but now comes the hard part.
Sneaking through town and reaching Sheath HQ.
Yeah, why do we need to sneak into this town?
The Fonolotians aren't fond of humanoids. We're going to have to deal with some more racist people? The Fondalotians aren't fond of humanoids. But we have to deal with some more racist people.
The Fondalotians aren't fond.
Oh.
We are currently sitting a few hundred feet from the shores of Loch Sessness,
and headquarters is due southeast at the shoreline.
But there are potentially several dozen locals between us and our destination.
We need to find a way to sneak through town unnoticed
or blend in with the Fondalotians.
Usually I'm alone and well-stocked
with the resources from sheath,
but I'm afraid we are on our own
until we sync up with HQ.
Any ideas?
How do we blend in with them
if we don't know what they look like?
Well, we just don't want to be noticed.
You said we are approaching water.
Is loxessness along the shore?
This water is lo Sessness.
And there is water, right? Like it's not dried up?
Correct.
And you all heard the sounds of water lapping or hitting the shore.
Well, that's what I'm asking. Is this a city that is on the land or is this a city that is on the water?
Land, on the land.
Okay.
I realize in D&D you have to ask those kinds of questions.
Perhaps we could approach it via the water?
Like swim across?
We can try that. I wouldn't recommend that though.
There are many hazards in the water. It would be more difficult.
Is there anything we could maybe do to ourselves, our person,
to make us blend in and not seem like humanoids?
If you have anything that helps disguise yourself.
I mean, I have some concealer of unsightliness.
I'm not familiar with that, but we can try that or we can try sneaking.
What's the concealer of unsightliness, dude?
Does it give it a zits?
It turns you invisible along with anything you are wearing or carrying on your person
lasts for one hour.
Oh, dang.
That does sound like that would work very well then.
Yes.
But that's got like one use.
I'm assuming it's just one.
So that would cover one of us. Another one of us has a visibility powers. Well, I can go invisible for one minute and...
Can you just keep casting it over and over?
No, because it's a fourth level spell.
Do you have like a disguise kit or anything like that?
I have a disguise kit.
She hears you Barney and says...
You could try sneaking along in the trees to close as much distance as possible and
then use your ability for the final minute to run through the clearing to get to the
entrance to Sheath headquarters.
I'm going to go with the first one.
I'm going to go with the second one.
I'm going to go with the third one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one.
I'm going to go with the fourth one. I'm going to go with the fourth one. I'm going to go with the fourth one. I'm going to go with the distance as possible and then use your ability for the final minute to run through the clearing to get to the
entrance to Sheath headquarters.
Can I look up and see what's the light?
He wants to know if he can fly.
Yeah, is it dim?
Sure, because of all the trees I'll say sure.
Yeah, I could fly.
Okay, I'll put on my concealer.
Chip is going to disguise himself and then I assume metede and Barney are going to fly.
Who is Chip?
And you look and Chip has already disguised himself.
I am...
CARL!
From Foniloc!
Another human name!
Pleasure to meet you!
I can think you're like Gene Parmesan in Arrested Development.
He's got like a crappy disguise on.
Alright, everyone make me stealth checks, but I'll tell you what, everyone have advantage
except for you Barney, just make a normal one
since you're normally disadvantaged.
And I'm flying up.
Just cause you all came up with some creative solutions here.
I did a 15.
Nat 20, 30.
23, I rolled a one.
I critically failed.
I think a 30 is the highest check I think I've ever gotten.
Yeah. That's pretty good.
It's really impressive.
And that was a one Barney?
Yeah. Well, then luckily for you, this is a
group check, so everyone
manages to do okay. You all make
your way sneaking and trying your best to avoid
the locals and eventually you come upon an isolated
cocks of shady trees where you
find a lonely stump covered in lichen.
Sadate looks around for a moment,
then furtively steps forward. She
brushes off some moss from the trunk and you see it, the sigil of sheath hidden in
the grain of the bark.
Sadate reaches out into the air and grabs something just above the stump.
Then she lowers her arm into the stump and you all hear the soft sheathing of a blade.
The stump twists and lowers into the ground, revealing a spiral staircase beneath the earth.
Quickly now, everyone inside.
Okay, here we come.
You all make your way down the staircase into humid darkness until you finally
reach the floor of a vague room veiled in shadow. The stump and staircase twist back
into place above you, thus extinguishing the last bit of light from the room. A voice echoes
in the chamber. You hear the striking of a match, and a small flickering flame illuminates way down here, I was beginning to think you were getting cold feet.
You hear the striking of a match and a small flickering flame illuminates the face of a
plump, mustachioed man wearing a blue coat with a high collar.
Welcome, detectives.
I'm Director Carl Weiser of Sheath. What? The Weezer! I knew he'd come back! Did we have a Columbo incident here?
Yeah, it seems so.
Find out who Columbo is on the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon.
I knew it.
I knew we'd see Carl Weezer again.
Oh yeah, he was gonna be near your stipend.
He had to see him.
He's gonna pit you.
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! Columbo is on the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon. I knew it. I knew we'd see Carl Weiser again.
Oh, yeah, he was going to be near your stipend.
He had to see him. He's going to pay you.
Give me my money.
Get your money next episode.
Bye. Thanks for listening, everybody.
So long.
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Listeners that interacted with us on social media and discord had NPCs named after them
this episode, like Zuzu Top was named after the animal overlord.
Also want to thank some friends who provided voice over for characters in this episode,
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Tune in next time for another thrilling episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon. I can't get, or he just said ancestral milk. I feel like you can get more fresh milk than
ancestral almond milk. Yeah. But it's a, it's a, it's a heritage. I have no idea what that means. Blaine looked around to see if anybody else had a reaction.