Anthony 0:00
Greetings adventurers and welcome to the Adventure Incorporated Podcast. I am your Dungeon Master, Anthony Reed. This is episode 56 and it is the final episode in the Path of Fire story arc. Path of Fire went some places, I get that, but I’m excited for this one. This will be a lot of fun. So I’m not going to spend a lot of time you know pontificating. I’m just gonna say thank you to the patrons at patreon.com/adventurineinc who support the show. They know they support the show, I don’t have to tell them that but I am telling you if you don’t support the show, you can by going to patreon.com/adventureinc by becoming a patron by joining that elite group of special people who support the show and do let us do amazing things. So thank you to them. Thank you to you when you decide to jump on the bandwagon. Let’s get started.
Nobles and farmers, knights and scoundrels, gather round, gather round to hear a tale of excitement and mystery. Brave adventurers, facing grave dangers.
Belroth, the Ranger.
Belroth 1:23
She’s a Grimalkin. That’s, uh, but that’s understood. No pets allowed, even though she’s not a pet. I will wait outside. Everyone, if anyone needs anything, I am outside.
Anthony 1:32
Skarpin, the Cleric.
Belroth 1:35
Should I just try and snipe them from over here?
Skarpin 1:37
Yeah, okay. I did say there was good as dead. I would hate for, you know, to break my word on our first contract with Adventure Incorporated.
Anthony 1:46
Ellori, the Bard.
Ellori 1:47
We would want you to leave this warehouse.
Anthony 1:52
He points behind it. Church!
Ellori 1:54
Oh, sorry. We want you to leave this church.
Anthony 1:59
Deeran, the Wizard.
He say, you no worship Shattered Fang.
Deeran 2:04
Yeah, man. He’s like super wrong. We love broken to shattered Fang, man.
Anthony 2:09
Prepare yourselves, for these are the tales of Adventure Incorporated!
Alright, everyone in good shape?
Belroth 2:19
Yup.
Deeran 2:21
Yeah.
Anthony 2:22
Do you guys want to do anything before you get back to town and rest or do we just want to shortcut that?
Belroth 2:28
Sell or check out what’s going on with these jewels.
Deeran 2:33
I figured we would do that with like.
Skarpin 2:37
The banker?
Deeran 2:39
No. What’s his face? Elder Riggs.
Anthony 2:46
Yeah, so why don’t why don’t we do why don’t we say that you rest before that?
Belroth 2:48
Yeah.
Deeran 2:49
Yeah.
Anthony 2:50
Okay. All right. So you guys head through the Standing Stone to the Standing Stone near the Wolf’s Eye Lakes and take a couple of days to march from there to the Brass Palace. When you arrive, you find a place to stay at the compound, the tower of Adventure Incorporated within the Brass Palace. And as you rest and rejuvenate, Skarpin are you resting now?
Skarpin 3:21
Yeah, yeah. Skarpin has kind of just mentally has easily he has some food around. And he feels better about life and death.
Anthony 3:33
All right.
Skarpin 3:33
Yeah.
Belroth 3:33
But he’s not satiated.
Ellori 3:34
You begin to rest. And everyone go ahead and we’re gonna level up and do some character management.
Belroth 3:41
Whoa, let’s go!
Skarpin 3:42
Pew, pew, pew.
Anthony 3:44
Pew pew pew. Okay,
Skarpin 3:47
So my level seven is level seven, you know?
Anthony 3:50
Yeah. Tell me about it, Skarpin. What is it?
Skarpin 3:53
So Skarpin has rolled the dice of life. And as as per usual got lower than the average. So he gets four more hit points. And he will be getting his first fourth level spell slot, which he’s excited about. So he’s gonna be able to control water. That’s it, that’s all he wants to do
Anthony 4:16
All right. Deeran, what’s your level look like?
Deeran 4:20
Yeah. Deeran gained three hit points. He also picked up a fourth his first fourth level spell.
Belroth 4:30
Wait, only three hit points?
Deeran 4:34
I mean, you roll a D6. Three. Bang average. I’ll take it.
Belroth 4:39
You didn’t add your CON?
Deeran 4:41
Well sure, I mean.
Anthony 4:43
That is his CON.
Belroth 4:46
I rolled a one.
Deeran 4:50
And so the fourth level spell that Darren took is Raulothim’s Psychic Lance which is out of Fizban’s, the new fun guy book there.
Anthony 5:05
Fun guy book.
Deeran 5:06
Yep. And basically I create a shimmering lance of psychic power from my forehead at a creature I can see. Or if I can’t see it, I can use its name. And then the shimmering lance of power bursts out of my face and smashes into them. Ha. The target makes a save and intelligence save and on a failed save, they take 7d6 psychic damage and get incapacitated.
Anthony 5:38
Casting spells by name is so fucking cool.
Deeran 5:40
Yep.
Belroth 5:41
That’s a great, that is really sweet.
Deeran 5:43
Yep.
Anthony 5:46
Anything else?
Deeran 5:48
I learned another fourth level spell but I probably won’t get to use it. Because I’m probably always gonna prep the psychic lance.
Anthony 5:57
Sure, you’ve learned the psychic lance and somethin’ else.
Deeran 6:01
Right, polymorph.
Anthony 6:02
Oh great.
Belroth 6:03
Sure.
Anthony 6:08
Belroth
Belroth 6:08
Belroth, he got an upgrade to his Ranger archetype. So now, Freya’s attacks are counted as magical for the purposes of overcoming immunities to non-magical attacks or damage. Which is useful.
Anthony 6:28
License to kill.
Belroth 6:29
Yeah, Freya’s claws got a little sharper. I mean we’re just like in a crazy place I imagine that makes sense. And then he got a new spell and he’s learning, also from Tasha’s, summon beast which basically he allows him to summon another Freya or some other chimerological creature like that might fly or swim. Or just a third just but it will be like a magical ghost version. So it’ll be fine.
Anthony 7:04
All right, Ellori.
Ellori 7:06
I got a new spell.
Belroth 7:08
Woohoo!
Skarpin 7:08
Woo.
Ellori 7:09
I took greater invisibility.
Belroth 7:13
Gregor invisibility.
Skarpin 7:19
Hey, nothing to see here.
Deeran 7:23
Um, can I make a change already?
Skarpin 7:31
Too late. Passed your turn.
Anthony 7:34
What do you want to change?
Deeran 7:35
I want to change polymorph and I want to do dimension door instead.
Belroth 7:42
Ah, that’s much better.
Anthony 7:42
All right everybody, roll back all your skills and let’s do it again. Can’t commit to the database yet.
Belroth 7:50
Alright, well Belroth is taking locate object now.
Anthony 7:55
Yeah, no, that’s fine. You can make that change.
Deeran 7:57
Okay.
Anthony 7:59
Approved. Approved.
Deeran 8:00
Great.
Anthony 8:02
After the add drop period as normal Deeran.
Deeran 8:05
Closing the ticket.
Skarpin 8:08
Add drop period, oh no, I hated that. When can I drop this without it appearing on my transcript?
Anthony 8:17
Okay, so you awake the next day, fully rested, sitting here in the capital, with a big old treasure chest full of treasure.
Belroth 8:31
Full of jewels.
Anthony 8:34
Jewels and powdered silver..
Belroth 8:35
Should Belroth says, I assume eating scone and drinking some coffee is how I imagined him in the morning, should we?
Deeran 8:46
I feel like Belroth is the kind of guy who would call it a scon.
Belroth 8:50
A scon?
Deeran 8:51
You know what I mean?
Belroth 8:52
Well, I mean, the continental breakfast here is quite, quite exceptional. I do love a good scon so. Anyways.
Deeran 9:01
Does it fit?
Belroth 9:02
Yeah, it really does. Really does. He says he says, vahz.
Deeran 9:09
A vahz.
Belroth 9:10
Yeah, he does. Should we should we go to Elder Riggs or get this appraised or did anyone do what detect magic on the you know, giant chest full of gems?
Skarpin 9:25
Oh no, but I’ll do it right now.
Belroth 9:28
Okay.
Skarpin 9:30
And he detects magic on them jams.
Anthony 9:33
Nothing appears to be magical.
Skarpin 9:35
Nothing. Just simple .
Belroth 9:37
Bunch of gems.
Skarpin 9:39
Yeah, I was thinking about the powdered silver. I like, I like going to Elder Riggs like you all suggestion. Suggested. You know what I mean. And then this powder, maybe maybe the the blacksmiths in town could use this to build weapons with you know.
Deeran 9:55
Deeran would like to do an arcana check on the gems. Uh, I know they don’t have magic power, like in them right now, but he would like to see if they are like magic quality gems or just like,
Anthony 10:16
Yeah, can you go ahead and give me a roll?
Deeran 10:17
You know what I mean?
Ellori 10:19
While he’s rolling, did they? They put gems into the Demon Stone, right? Like a round.
Anthony 10:26
They did.
Ellori 10:27
Okay.
Deeran 10:29
That is a 15.
Anthony 10:33
Okay, yeah, looking at these gems, you have never seen gems so clear. And so, like precise. They are maybe the highest quality gems you’ve ever seen.
Deeran 10:46
So definitely would be like, able to take magic infusion.
Anthony 10:54
Yes.
Deeran 10:55
If we decided to do that with them.
Anthony 10:57
Yeah.
Deeran 10:59
Oh, man. So I’ve been carrying around these. And Deeran and pulls out the two, like, magic quality gems that we got almost a year ago.
Belroth 11:15
Oh!
Deeran 11:16
In play, like, I don’t know how long ago it was in story. Anthony, you might know.
Belroth 11:22
Yeah, Belroth also takes out his 50 bucks that he’s had this whole time.
Deeran 11:27
No, like, very early on.
Anthony 11:31
They’re legit.
Deeran 11:31
Yeah. And so he compares them to these.
Anthony 11:38
Yeah, the ones from the chest are much better than the ones that you had in your pocket.
Deeran 11:45
So like these, these gems here that I’ve been carrying around like they normally this is the type of stuff that we would enchant. Like you can see the difference between the two of these like these are these are crazy Ellori.
Belroth 12:04
So if we saved them, would we use them for are we making magic items with these?
Ellori 12:11
Well, I mean, the option is there. And also, you know, if we do have to make another Demon Stone, we would need more gems to put into it.
Belroth 12:24
Sure.
Ellori 12:25
So I do think it’s important to save them. Um, maybe Skarpin has some suggestions on how to keep them safe in the bank.
Skarpin 12:36
They do offer storage, safe deposit boxes, we could just keep them there seems as good a place as any while we’re off adventuring,
Belroth 12:44
That we could all have like some sort of control over that we would as a group have to vote on how it is handled.
Ellori 12:52
Belroth We told you it can’t just be one person in charge.
Belroth 12:55
That’s why I brought it up. This is why I brought it up that way.
Ellori 12:59
You’re always talking about who’s controlling the bank.
Belroth 13:02
Well, last time I.
Deeran 13:04
I feel like.
Belroth 13:05
No.
Deeran 13:05
I feel like.
Belroth 13:07
No, no, no, no, no, no, I’m not. The bank issue is not my fault. And everybody knows it.
Skarpin 13:14
It’s okay Belroth.
Belroth 13:18
Skarpin, listen. Maybe Elder Riggs would have a better idea about what we could do with these or maybe say how much we would need to save and could the rest with which we could invest into I don’t know magic items or something.
Deeran 13:34
Yeah, it woudl be a real shame for us to lose this.
Belroth 13:39
Okay, well.
Deeran 13:40
Just, dude look at this! And Deeran like, puts his hands out with like the two from his pockets and the two that like he picked out of the chest. Like, come on man, like.
Belroth 13:54
Belroth has like that face, um, that you make when someone is clearly excited about something. And they’re like very passionate about it and you like them as a friend. And you want them to continue to have this energy, but he’s not really sure. They’re just the same.
Deeran 14:09
A couple of rocks.
Belroth 14:10
A couple of rocks. So happy that his friend is excited about rocks right now. So yeah, all right. Yeah, no, okay. Sure. But I still think we should show that maybe, to what Elder Riggs has to say about these very impressive specimens.
Skarpin 14:32
Yeah, can you do that disk again? Again, Deeran?
Belroth 14:37
I don’t know if we should bring these through town. Like especially flaunting them about.
Skarpin 14:45
Okay.
Deeran 14:46
So we’re just gonna leave them in a hotel room? No way man. We’re definitely bringing these and I definietely.
Belroth 14:52
That’s a good point. Yeah, no, you’re right. I now understand.
Ellori 14:55
You know, what we should really pick up along our way is a bag of holdin’.
Belroth 15:00
We need a bag of holding for sure.
Skarpin 15:05
Yeah, I wonder if the shop will have one.
Belroth 15:07
I hate how rare they’ve been.
Deeran 15:10
Like, you people talk about them like they’re all over the place. Like I knew a story of a guy who had one. But it like it just is that like super common where y’all are from?
Belroth 15:26
No but like, you know, it’s like oh, it’s just like would be so much more convenient for literal moments like this. I just I know they exist I want one and but they’re like, out of my out of my reach.
Skarpin 15:41
Maybe we could special order something?
Belroth 15:44
Could we, do they have a catalog? Can we special order magic items?
Skarpin 15:54
I think Elgromon’s this way, I mean, Elder Riggs, they’re this they’re that way. Let’s go.
Ellori 16:00
Let’s go.
Belroth 16:01
Okay.
Anthony 16:03
All right. You head down to Elder Riggs’s house and it’s down in the square of old, old Mughamar. And yeah, and so yeah, there you are. You’re at the door.
Ellori 16:21
Okay.
Skarpin 16:21
Skarpin knocks.
Anthony 16:23
No response.
Skarpin 16:28
Skarpin looks back at a group and then jiggles the handle.
Anthony 16:32
The door is locked.
Skarpin 16:36
Okay, the doors locked. I don’t know.
Anthony 16:39
A guy walking by says can I help you?
Belroth 16:41
Oh, um, no.
Ellori 16:45
Yeah, we’re looking for Elder Riggs.
Anthony 16:46
Oh, you didn’t hear?
Deeran 16:52
Hear what?
Anthony 16:55
Oh, I’m sorry. I gotta be the one to tell you. Elder Riggs passed a few weeks ago.
Belroth 17:03
Oh.
Skarpin 17:07
How?
Belroth 17:07
Yeah, what happened?
Deeran 17:09
What?
Anthony 17:10
He went quietly, in his sleep. He was an old fella.
Ellori 17:20
Have they done a full investigation?
Anthony 17:24
I wouldn’t know, lass, but I I suspect not he was an old gentleman.
Ellori 17:33
Thank you so much for letting us know.
Anthony 17:36
Sorry my condolences, good luck.
Ellori 17:40
Thank you.
Belroth 17:48
Well.
Deeran 17:52
Deeran sits on the edge of the disk.
Ellori 17:59
Deeran, I don’t want to sound like you with your theories right now. But how likely do we think it is that Elder Carapath had Elder Riggs killed?
Deeran 18:11
I mean.
Belroth 18:12
Wouldn’t be the first time, right? Didn’t he, wasn’t he involved in.
Ellori 18:21
Oh oh oh oh.
Belroth 18:23
Not that Elder Riggs died.
Ellori 18:24
The first time Elder Riiggs died. He killed him the first time he died so why wouldn’t it be the second?
Belroth 18:32
He had three lives and that was the last one. No.
Deeran 18:38
Yeah, uh. I hadn’t even gotten there yet.
Ellori 18:49
I’m sorry.
Deeran 18:51
No, it just means like Wesley is are like most clued in connect.
Belroth 19:10
And.
Deeran 19:11
And Elder Carapath who hates us and may have been involved in murdering Elder Riggs or like Elder Rigg’s untimely demise. It just, this sucks.
Ellori 19:38
This does suck.
Skarpin 19:43
I think we should head up to the palace. Report to, I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to show this to Elder Carapath. It’s.
Ellori 19:58
Oh I, I don’t.
Belroth 20:00
I don’t either, do we?
Ellori 20:03
But maybe.
Deeran 20:04
What were the other elders that Elder Riggs was tight with?
Skarpin 20:11
Elder? Oh, I don’t know tight but Elder Willowheart was there and.
Deeran 20:18
God, I wish I paid attention.
Skarpin 20:21
Yeah.
Belroth 20:22
It’s hard to keep track of names. That was a long, that feels like a long time ago.
Yeah, well.
I haven’t really seen these people in a bit. I’m not surprised you don’t remember their name?
Deeran 20:31
Well, sure, but like now it’s important.
Belroth 20:34
No, I know.
Deeran 20:34
And now I’m realizing I’ve messed up, man.
Ellori 20:37
No, I know. But that was it. It was just Elder Riggs. Elder Hawk-talon is is gone as well.
Belroth 20:43
Gone.
Deeran 20:43
Right?
Ellori 20:44
Elder Carapath hates us.
Deeran 20:45
Yeah.
Ellori 20:45
And we’ve never met Elder Willowheart, but he seems like our only last they seem like our only last hope.
We didn’t speak with them much but they were there, so. They’re a little a little halfling, got a little pudgy blonde beard.
Oh.
Deeran 21:01
Oh, yeah.
Skarpin 21:01
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Deeran 21:02
Yeah, kinda. Yeah.
Ellori 21:04
Yeah, very forgettable.
Skarpin 21:08
Agreed.
Anthony 21:09
Poor elder Willow.
Belroth 21:11
He’s about to become a major character, baby.
Deeran 21:15
Just kind of like, you know, blended in or whatever, you know.
Belroth 21:20
Well, do we want to try our luck with Elder Willowheart or do we want to go to Redbridge? Regoup there.
Ellori 21:30
I think we should try our luck with Elder. I think we should try our luck with Elder Willowheart. Wow, that is a difficult title and name combination to say.
Belroth 21:42
I think it’s why we forgot because we were just like, elder with whatever they’re not important. Elder Riggs.
Deeran 21:49
Elder Riggs, easy rolls right off the tongue. You know, Elder Carapath, sounds vaguely threatening. That’s how you know he’s not a good guy. Elder Talonhawk. Cool. But like also missing? It is crazy.
Ellori 22:03
No, he’d dead, remember.
Belroth 22:04
No, he’s definitely dead.
Deeran 22:04
Well, he’s dead now. Yeah, like, but at the time he was missing, remember?
Ellori 22:08
Yep.
Belroth 22:09
He was cool but missing. Those were the two things we knew.
Deeran 22:12
Cool name. Not around.
Belroth 22:15
And then we learned the third thing. Also dead.
Deeran 22:17
That’s right, deceased.
Skarpin 22:19
I mean, we spoke with the viscount directly, but they seem to be preoccupied and just letting Carapath do their thing.
Belroth 22:27
I also don’t think we could just speak to the viscount unfortunately. So I mean.
Deeran 22:32
Well, hold on, man. Why not? We’d like we just spoke to the Voice of Creation, well Ellori just spoke to the Voice of Creation.
Belroth 22:40
I mean.
Deeran 22:40
And Ellori spoke with Llaniere who apparently did a bunch of shady stuff behind the back of the Titans.
Belroth 22:50
I mean.
Deeran 22:51
Which is pretty cool.
Belroth 22:52
Deeran. I do, I do think that I wish we could speak to the viscount. However, having worked in if this works, anything like how the administration of an educational institution works, there is no way you’re going to just get in meeting with them at any point. Like now we can just bust in without a pre determined relationship and sort of, they don’t have office hours. I don’t know.
Ellori 23:19
Well, if there’s anything that I’ve learned from the travelling plays that I’ve been watching, a lot of lately, the best way to approach a viscount is to be an appropriate suitor for the season of marriage that’s coming up.
Belroth 23:34
Well, I don’t, I’m not, I’m not looking for anybody.
Ellori 23:36
Ideally, you meet at a ball, your eyes would connect, you’d have a moment and then the next day, the vi’. You make yourself enticing enough that the vicount shows up at your door to have tea, and then you’ll fall in love and get married.
Belroth 23:52
Well, I don’t.
Deeran 23:53
If it’s any.
Skarpin 23:55
I could do that. Yeah.
Deeran 23:57
I feel like.
Belroth 23:58
All right, well, yeah. Okay, cool. Perfect. We got Skarpin.
Deeran 24:01
Well, Belroth. If like, if there’s a problem with the bureaucracy of it, like I could just have my dad write a letter.
Skarpin 24:12
Honestly, that wouldn’t hurt.
Belroth 24:13
I mean, sure. Seems fine.
Ellori 24:15
You’re missing the point. I said balls. That there are dances and balls, and you got to dance.
Deeran 24:25
Yeah.
Anthony 24:25
And then balls.
Belroth 24:27
And then balls.
Deeran 24:31
Ellori, I appreciate you.
Anthony 24:32
I don’t want to get too far away from this without recognizing Deeran’s new anti-Titan stance.
Deeran 24:40
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anti-Titan necessarily.
Anthony 24:44
Hey, we did shady shit behind the Titans’ back which is pretty cool.
Deeran 24:51
Listen, I mean tell me it’s not.
Anthony 24:57
Alright.
Deeran 24:57
You know, nobody says about Prometheus, so you know it’s pretty lame that he stole fire from the gods. Nobody says that. Everybody’s like.
Ellori 25:04
Zues did.
Deeran 25:06
Yeah, but this is the man you expect him to.
Skarpin 25:11
He is the man.
Belroth 25:13
I think you guys are saying the man with different intonations. Why don’t we then here? Why don’t we try the options that have that take the least effort first, which is.
Deeran 25:31
That’s my style man.
Belroth 25:34
We’ll talk with the elder. Willow. Hawk. Willowheart? Willow he is so forgettable I can’t.
Deeran 25:43
You’re mixing him up with Hawktalon.
Belroth 25:45
What is his name?
Ellori 25:47
Willowheart.
Deeran 25:47
Willowheart.
Belroth 25:47
Willowhawk. Willowheart.
Deeran 25:50
Willowheart.
Belroth 25:50
Yeah, Willow heart. Understood. Why don’t we try and find him first because he might be easier than doing anything else.
Ellori 26:00
The viscount.
Belroth 26:01
The viscount.
Ellori 26:02
Who you address as my lord.
Deeran 26:04
Wait.
Belroth 26:05
Not my leige?
Deeran 26:06
Did you just say you’re gonna do the viscount?
Ellori 26:08
No, I said then the viscount. And I think I think while we go talk to I think while we go talk to Elder Willowheart. That Deeran I think that was a good idea about your dad even though it doesn’t involve any balls at all. And I think that we it might help us.
Deeran 26:25
You’re never had to ask me dad for anything.
Belroth 26:27
I mean, I have not. I mean, I’m still waiting to hear back from my father but this seems unrelated. I’m just I just made myself sad. I haven’t heard from him in a while. That’s all.
Skarpin 26:49
I feel like we need to get moving to the Brass Palace.
Belroth 26:52
Anyways, let’s move on.
Deeran 26:55
Do you think we have, what would we have mail for, Skarpin?
Skarpin 26:59
I mean, I probably have lots of letters from my family. Ellori probably does too.
Ellori 27:03
Yeah, I do.
Belroth 27:05
That’s good, let’s check the mail.
Ellori 27:09
Here’s the mail it never fails, it makes me wanna wag my tail.
Belroth 27:14
Da da da da da. Mail!
Ellori 27:16
Rob, you can’t sing along if you don’t even know the words to the mail song.
Belroth 27:20
You stopped!
Ellori 27:21
When it comes. Because you were off tempo from me. So I wasn’t gonna overload our listeners.
Belroth 27:27
Because we’re on Zoom and it doesn’t sync well!
Deeran 27:30
This is such good audio.
Skarpin 27:37
Think this will get cut?
Belroth 27:40
I hope not. Anytime we ask that it doesn’t.
Ellori 27:44
Joke’s on you. Nothing gets cut.
Belroth 27:46
Except that one thing that we never speak of.
Deeran 27:50
Well we try not to speak of it. Jesus Rob.
Skarpin 27:53
Quit bringing it up.
Belroth 27:54
I didn’t talk. I don’t know. We never talk about the orb.
Skarpin 27:57
We’re getting too close.
Deeran 27:59
Way too close.
Anthony 28:01
I think for letters. Um.
Belroth 28:04
Yeah, Anthony. Write some letters right now. Go.
Skarpin 28:09
I’m okay with that Skarpin has received letters and he’s happy about that.
Ellori 28:12
Yeah, same.
Anthony 28:13
Yeah, I received letters of no consequence. Just of affirmation and love.
Deeran 28:21
What did Deeran recieve?
Anthony 28:23
Nothing. We’ve been trying to reach you about your extended warranty.
Deeran 28:29
I was gonna say, past due balances.
Belroth 28:33
What about Belroth?
Anthony 28:35
Yeah, I think Belroth you you get stuff from your family in Prosperity. But it doesn’t like indicate anything.
Belroth 28:50
Hmm, okay.
Deeran 28:54
Just that they’re nervous about all their family on the isles.
Anthony 28:57
Yeah. Yeah. Like they don’t know anything you don’t know.
Belroth 29:02
He takes them all and.
Deeran 29:03
Just how terrible and said the whole world is for for the demon.
Our family?
Yeah.
Belroth 29:11
Yes. He takes them all and he a he fully plans to reply to them and let them know that he is okay. And that he is working in just chit chat. Fully intends to.
Deeran 29:23
He fully intends. Yeah.
Anthony 29:26
I want credit for the intention here because it’s not gonna happen.
Belroth 29:29
No, it’s gonna happen. Do you want me to write shit? I will write shit. I just also have other shit to do.
Anthony 29:35
That’s fine, just tell me he writes the letters don’t tell me he intends to write the letters.
Belroth 29:40
Okay, fair. He writes the letters.
Deeran 29:42
Nope, he only intends to.
Belroth 29:44
He does want to try and he does try to pry his very, I feel like his father is someone who doesn’t like to divert from the point and like he has his own like just like Belroth he has this sort of like one track mind. And so his father has his one track mind and he’s trying to like, find out what his father might know related to the demons and other things. I know he’s not really researching that but he is a researcher so,
Anthony 30:15
Yeah, okay.
Belroth 30:16
As well as he’s sending his mom like I love you like a real sweet you know, hope you’re doing well been thinking about the cookies that you make. You should send me some.
Anthony 30:27
All right, where are you guys, so you guys are heading to Willowheart?
Skarpin 30:38
I like that ida.
Belroth 30:40
Yeah.
Anthony 30:41
Okay.
Belroth 30:41
Elder Willowheart.
Anthony 30:42
You head to Elder Willowheart’s office. He has a secretary sitting outside the office. As you approach they are half-orc. They have medium length hair, like just you know, like pulled back into a tail. And as you approach they say, What can I do for you?
Ellori 31:01
Oh, hello. We’re TESSA. I’m Ellori, this is Skarpin and Deeran and Belroth.
Belroth 31:09
And, and Freya.
Ellori 31:12
And Freya.
Anthony 31:12
Ah, TESSA. TESSA. Let me see about TESSA.
Ellori 31:17
Yes the, the Expedition Society of Stories and Adventures.
Anthony 31:21
Hmm. Oh, TESSA one?
Ellori 31:25
Yes, yes, that’s us.
Anthony 31:27
Ah, yes.
Skarpin 31:28
Oh, yeah.
Anthony 31:29
I see your file here.
Ellori 31:31
Oh, we were here. Hoping to speak with Elder Wallflower.
Belroth 31:37
Willowheart.
Skarpin 31:37
Willowheart.
Ellori 31:38
We speak with Elder Elder Willowheart.
Deeran 31:41
Yeah.
Anthony 31:42
Whoa, Elder Willowheart is in with someone else right now.
Ellori 31:46
Oh we’d be happy to wait.
Anthony 31:49
Well, it does say here this is a quite an old note. Apparently Elder Eillowheart expected you to visit the last time you were in the city. And it says to let you in immediately and it hasn’t been rescinded.
Belroth 32:01
Oh, well perfect. Then we should be let in immediately.
Skarpin 32:03
Hey
Anthony 32:04
Well, this is a very difficult situation. He is in there with someone else right now. And I think that they are they were told me not to let anyone disturb them.
Skarpin 32:14
Who is it?
Anthony 32:16
I don’t? The name on here I think is fake.
Deeran 32:20
What’s it say?
Anthony 32:22
It just says Puck, which feels like not a real name.
Belroth 32:25
Puck? P U C?
Anthony 32:28
Yeah.
Belroth 32:29
Or P U K? P U C K?
Anthony 32:32
Well I. It was only told to me verbally and I guess that the spelling I went P U C I don’t know if that was right or not. It doesn’t really matter because I’ll just say it. I think that says Puck to me. I’m just gonna say the name back. You know?
Ellori 32:45
Mmhmm.
Belroth 32:46
I do.
Ellori 32:46
Um. Out of game have we? I, I’m sorry.
Belroth 32:51
I do not remember this note.
Ellori 32:53
This is when I
Skarpin 32:54
Ctrl+F I can’t.
Ellori 32:55
But this is when I like have a really hard time what we know from campaign one versus this last year.
Anthony 33:00
You, ah. At the.
Ellori 33:04
The celestial, the um Llaniere.
Skarpin 33:07
Llaniere.
Anthony 33:07
Yeah, yeah. At the dinner. You met the Puck who introduced Llaniere.
Ellori 33:11
Yup. OK.
Skarpin 33:11
I have his name written name down, I have him as Puck.
Anthony 33:16
Cellian.
Skarpin 33:18
Yeah.
Ellori 33:18
Okay.
Belroth 33:19
Well.
Ellori 33:20
Thank you. Sorry, because Ellori would remember that?
Anthony 33:23
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
Ellori 33:25
So
Anthony 33:26
I know you were trying to determine what Ellori knew and versus what you knew.
Ellori 33:30
Exactly, exactly.
Anthony 33:31
She should know this. Yes.
Ellori 33:36
Oh, we know him. It’s okay. You can let us in?
Anthony 33:40
Well, I mean, if you say so, I. They reach over onto the desk and slide over a few like mechanisms, and the door clicks open behind them.
Ellori 33:52
Thank you so much.
Anthony 33:53
Good luck.
Belroth 33:54
Thank you.
Ellori 33:55
Thank you.
Anthony 33:56
A puff of smoke comes out the door.
Belroth 33:58
Whoa.
Deeran 34:00
Cool.
Skarpin 34:00
Cool.
Deeran 34:04
Deeran like wafts it toward himself? Does he recognize the smoke?
Anthony 34:09
Oh, yes. Yeah.
Belroth 34:13
Ah boy.
Deeran 34:14
Dude we should have visited Elder Willowheart a long time ago.
Belroth 34:17
Oh Boy.
Ellori 34:20
I don’t understand.
Anthony 34:20
You said.
Deeran 34:21
Oh, after you Ellori.
Ellori 34:24
Okay.
Belroth 34:26
Deeran I apologize in advance if I start just lecturing about Chimerology.
Deeran 34:31
I’ll just squeeze your arm. And just like that will be the signal that you’re talking too much.
Belroth 34:37
I don’t know if I’ll remember that but I will do my best and Belroth walks in the door.
Anthony 34:45
Inside the office, Elder Willowheart is sitting at his desk. His feet are up on the desk. He has a very long pipe. Like
Belroth 34:54
How did we forget this guy? He seems rad as fuck. Like, what the hell?
Deeran 34:58
Well, he definitely wasn’t blazin’ when we met him.
Anthony 35:00
Yeah, in the big meeting with the viscount.
Belroth 35:04
Sup brahs! It’s me Elder Willowheart. Come on in!
Deeran 35:06
Garunteed Deeran would have.
Belroth 35:06
Got a sick adventure for y’all.
Anthony 35:10
The pipe is very long like it reaches down to the floor.
Belroth 35:17
The pipe?
Anthony 35:18
Yeah well it’s just like a huge stem on the pipe that he like has in his mouth.
Belroth 35:23
Is it a bong?
Anthony 35:23
And he’s just, no it’s not a bong, it’s just a long wooden pipe but it looks like it was made out of like a significant portion of a tree even though I mean he’s short anyway but so he’s got his feet propped up on his desk and then across from him sitting in a larger size chair is Cellian, the klaxon that you saw at the meeting with Llaniere that he’s just sitting there with his own pipe much smaller, much more discreet, wooden like cob pipe and is they both look to the four of you as you enter and Elder Willowheart says finally I’ve been waiting for you to come around.
Ellori 36:10
Oh, Elder Willowheart and Ellori kind of like does a half curtsy.
Anthony 36:14
Sure.
Ellori 36:14
And Cellian we’re so sorry for interrupting your meeting. And also for not coming in sooner. We didn’t know we were supposed to.
Anthony 36:23
Elder Willowheart goes Cellian? And looks at Cellian and laughs a little bit and he looks back at you and says this is Puck.
Ellori 36:30
I’m I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Puck and she curtsies again.
Anthony 36:35
Puck’s eyes are twinkling as he nods to you with this pipe.
Ellori 36:41
Um, we’re, we’re here now was that there was something we wanted to talk to you about. But was there something that you wanted to address with us, before we get to that?
Anthony 36:55
Oh, yeah. Oh.
Belroth 37:02
Oh, boy.
Anthony 37:04
It’s it’s gone. It’s gone. I’m sure. I’m sure it’ll come back to me.
Belroth 37:09
This guy’s my favorite now.
Anthony 37:09
I’m sure I’ll remember eventually.
Belroth 37:11
Man. I’m never gonna forget him.
Ellori 37:16
Okay, well, so..
Belroth 37:25
Anyways, I’m going to get back to me meal. Om nom nom.
Anthony 37:34
What can I do for you? I can, how can I help?
Ellori 37:36
First of all.
Anthony 37:37
Puck, please forgive me for just a minute. I’ve been waiting to talk to these folks for months now. You know what, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to hear what they had to say. So please, please continue because, you know, it’s really been a long time coming, that we this meeting has been postponed so many times. I feel like I’ve been trying to get a hold in it’s just it’s never worked out. And I’m so excited to finally get the opportunity to to share.
Ellori 37:59
Oh we’re excited too, yes.
Anthony 38:00
To hear from you, what you have to say.
Ellori 38:02
We’re very excited and really interested to be here now.
Anthony 38:05
To get from your idea of what’s going on with the demons and what the state is currently.
Ellori 38:08
Because we’ve been really busy the last couple of years.
Belroth 38:10
What’s happening? This is stressing me out.
Deeran 38:15
Deeran’s like, he’s trying to watch the whole conversation as the smoke just like, like floats around his head because he hasn’t sat down right and the office is clearly hotboxed and so like he’s in the top part of it like of the cloud because like he’s also.
Belroth 38:35
This isn’t a fire drill we’re experiencing this.
Deeran 38:37
Moderately tall, right? Yeah.
Anthony 38:42
So far the only one who needs to give me a CON check is Ellori?
Yeah, absolutely.
Deeran 38:47
At this point.
Ellori 38:48
Ooo. Four.
Deeran 38:48
The, the disk has made its way into the room.
Anthony 38:55
Ah, so Ellori. The coughing, we’ll keep the cough.
Ellori 39:04
Yes, so first of all, I’m sorry to hear about Elder Riggs.
Deeran 39:11
Oh, geez. You’re gonna harsh the vibe already?
Anthony 39:14
Oh.
Belroth 39:15
Freya, can you wait outside? I don’t know if you should be in this much smoke.
Anthony 39:24
Freya heads out.
Belroth 39:27
I just don’t want my I don’t I don’t know if that’s safe. I don’t really know.
Anthony 39:34
Yeah, Elder Riggs. What a tragedy, but I don’t know to be expected I suppose.
Ellori 39:43
Um, is there is there this is just kind of a side question. Is there a process for electing new elders? You know, since you know Elder Hawktalon is gone.
Anthony 39:55
Yeah. Really the best way to become an elder is to get real old.
Ellori 40:06
First time I’ve wished so badly for this to be a video podcast. Because Anthony the way that he just cracked himself the hell up.
Deeran 40:17
That wasn’t even in character, that was.
Anthony 40:19
No, that was an in character laugh!
Belroth 40:20
I don’t know if it was.
Anthony 40:21
I need to be clear, that was an in character laugh.
Deeran 40:22
Uh huh.
Belroth 40:22
I don’t think you can tell me otherwise.
Ellori 40:23
It was in character and he was clearly fucking pleased with himself.
Anthony 40:27
I was yes that’s true. I mean that’s true.
Deeran 40:31
Just because you ended up wanting it in character.
Anthony 40:34
No, it was in character the whole time but also I found it hilarious.
Ellori 40:40
Yes, yes and.
Anthony 40:41
I can’t wait till I find it hilarious while editing also, that always really makes me happy.
Ellori 40:47
There are some times where I will laugh at something when I’m listening and then like I laugh on the recording. And I’m like.
Belroth 40:53
That does throw me too I’ve done the same thing.
Ellori 40:55
Consistent sense of humor.
Anthony 40:56
That feels better than when I laugh at something I say because I feel like that’s just embarrassing.
Ellori 41:02
No, it just means you know quality content.
Anthony 41:04
That’s right
Ellori 41:07
You’re welcome listeners
Belroth 41:10
Buy our shirts.
Ellori 41:16
Okay, um. Yeah, no, I totally get that um but.
Anthony 41:21
I think we had a method for you know we were we were looking for someone at one point to to move up when I went Elder Hawktalon disappeared at least in the interim well I don’t remember how that goes you’ll have to check with Carapath he knows that kind of thing.
Ellori 41:41
Yeah. I mean speaking of Carapath what’s the best way to maybe form like a strong connection one might say with him.
Anthony 41:50
He looks over at Puck and Puck looks at him and they both just start laughing. Be a document!
Belroth 42:05
No, that one was actually quite good.
Ellori 42:06
Ellori looks at Belroth.
Belroth 42:07
That was a good one. That was a good, wait, what?
Ellori 42:12
What he said.
Deeran 42:13
Yeah, like you might be our in.
Ellori 42:15
Yeah, you’re basically a document. But like one that walks and talks and has a personality.
Belroth 42:22
Oh, I didn’t think I was gonna get that last one.
Ellori 42:26
Basically a document. It’s a compliment because you’re always gonna have information
Deeran 42:32
I watched Rob react as like fuck you and then realize like actually Belroth, how would Belroth would like that fuck. I have to what do I do?
Belroth 42:46
I don’t know if I don’t think he thinks himself as boring but he knows himself as boring.
Deeran 42:51
I don’t say boring.
Belroth 42:53
Well.
Deeran 42:53
I said.
Belroth 42:54
You said document.
Deeran 42:54
A document.
Belroth 42:55
And what is that?
Deeran 42:56
What does Belroth think that is?
Skarpin 42:58
Exciting, according to Belroth.
Belroth 43:02
Belroth knows that he likes boring things and is okay with it.
Deeran 43:07
Then it sounds like he wouldn’t be upset about it.
Belroth 43:09
Well, you still didn’t expect to be given a personality compliment. That stands
Deeran 43:17
You can’t take that win from me.
Belroth 43:20
Well okay, I can talk to Carapath I guess. Not right now. I do not feel like I should talk to Carapath right now. Has anyone ever thought about.
Anthony 43:41
You can give me a CON save now.
Belroth 43:45
How like cold and wet or like really close?
Ellori 43:47
Oh no, not a wet conversation again.
Deeran 43:47
Oh, yeah, you guys you guys are gonna love this one though. So okay.
Belroth 43:47
No, but I mean the feeling not actually like because lava’s not wet.
Deeran 43:47
Lava.
Belroth 43:47
Lava is not wet. There’s no water.
Ellori 43:51
Okay, but actually actually sorry Elder Willowheart.
Deeran 43:53
Yeah, Willowheart. What do you think?
Ellori 43:56
Well no, no about.
Anthony 43:57
Whoa. He’s really in his head about it.
Ellori 44:02
What we came here for I she looks back to everyone I feel like we can trust Sally, uh Puck.
Skarpin 44:11
Yeah.
Belroth 44:11
Sure.
Deeran 44:12
Can we?
Belroth 44:13
I don’t know.
Skarpin 44:15
Llaniere seems to trust him.
Deeran 44:15
Well yeah, but Llaniere went against the Titans remember we found that out like regardless of how cool that is.
Belroth 44:22
You kind of have an anti-Titan stance Deeran I feel like.
Skarpin 44:27
That seems new.
Ellori 44:28
The Voice of Creation would never betray me.
Anthony 44:33
Pucks like, I don’t know what you’re all talking about. I, as everyone knows, I’m just one who can gather stories. Tales from the from the world at large.
Ellori 44:47
Oh, yes.
Skarpin 44:48
Ah.
Anthony 44:48
A collector of stories.
Ellori 44:50
Of course. No. That’s how we definitely know you. I was just speaking it was more of an internal religious conversation with myself. So um, can we trust you?
Anthony 45:00
Of course you can trust me.
Ellori 45:01
Okay.
Anthony 45:02
Of course.
Ellori 45:02
Sounds great.
Deeran 45:04
Deeran would like to insight check that of course.
Anthony 45:09
Yeah, okay.
Deeran 45:10
Just for himself. But he has been affected by the smoke in the room. And he rolls a two. So he feels pretty trusty.
Anthony 45:21
Oh, I don’t know that you do. I think like you hear this and you think to yourself like, why would anyone, what would someone we couldn’t trust say?
Belroth 45:33
Yeah, so you, no, so you have been affected by the smoke in the room, but the opposite way.
Deeran 45:39
Right. I didn’t realize that’s what we were smoking in here.
Anthony 45:46
Oh, yeah, man. This is this is the good shit.
Belroth 45:50
What’s what’s what’s the strain of?
Deeran 45:52
Yeah, exactly.
Belroth 45:54
Hybrid field really lightheaded right now. Not that I would know what any of those words mean. Let’s keep going.
Deeran 46:04
It’s legal where you are.
Ellori 46:06
Hey, listener, are you a cop? You got to tell us your cop listener?
Belroth 46:09
If you’re a cop listener.
Anthony 46:10
Yeah, if you’re not zero.
Deeran 46:12
If you’re fed you’ve got to tell us.
Ellori 46:14
Okay, um.
Belroth 46:16
By getting your friends to like and subscribe to.
Ellori 46:19
So.
Skarpin 46:22
Buy our shirts.
Ellori 46:28
Okay, so actually, we’ve been out trying to kill de’ well, we’re not trying to kill the demons we’re trying to balance and restore the balance of you know, we’re anyway.
Anthony 46:39
You’re not trying to kill the demons?
Ellori 46:41
Well, no.
Anthony 46:41
That’s the whole point we sent you out there.
Belroth 46:43
Well, we are.
Ellori 46:43
No, of course.
Skarpin 46:44
Create murder, I think that was it.
Ellori 46:46
Yeah, we’re just trying to we’re trying to use Creation to to balance out the good and evil in this world rather than you know, being as just anyway, we just got a whole bunch of very expensive looking and maybe spell casting asset stones, and we were hoping you’d take a look at them and let us know maybe maybe if we weren’t, you know, to create a new a new Demon Stone if we should save them for that. I just we just wanted some advice from someone who knows more than us because we just feel like we don’t know anything.
Belroth 47:22
Well, we normally would go to Elder Riggs and well, we just found out what happened. Like, about an hour ago.
Anthony 47:31
Oh, yeah. Oh, I mean, oh, yeah I’ll take, I’ll take a look. He puts his pipe down across his desk. It just is the length of his desk.
Belroth 47:41
That’s so rad.
Anthony 47:44
Yeah, of course. I’m happy to take a glance. See what we can see.
Deeran 47:53
Yeah, Deeran, pops the the lid on the chest.
Anthony 48:01
He pulls out one of the stones. He looks at it. He goes. Yes. Yes. Interesting, I think. No, yeah, I’m quite sure this is a gemstone.
Belroth 48:13
Okay, go on, tell us more.
Anthony 48:17
Well, they are quite useful in some rituals if you are trying to store magic of some kind.
Deeran 48:28
Mmm hmm. Great, man. Thank you so much. That was really helpful.
Anthony 48:30
Very valuable. I don’t, I’ve never seen a gemstone like this before.
Deeran 48:35
Awesome. When he puts it back in the box Deeran closes the box and looks at everyone else.
Anthony 48:46
Puck says, oh, would you mind if an old traveler takes a look? I’ve seen quite a few things in my day.
Deeran 48:54
Yeah, sure, man.
Ellori 48:57
‘Course.
Deeran 48:57
Flips the box back up and then tosses him one.
Anthony 49:02
Ah, these are very exquisite indeed. And he tosses it back to you. And he says, I don’t know what you’d be looking to create with that. Powerful as they may be, I think you would find anything that you would do with them to be a waste of their splendor. Those are some of the finest stones I’ve ever seen. And I would hate for anything to keep them from whatever their purpose might be.
Deeran 49:35
That’s what I was saying, man. I was saying that like, these feel like they need to be used for something specific, right? Like the ability to hold magic power in these things just seem so much more innate to them. I don’t know. Like there’s just something about them, right?
Anthony 49:54
Even perhaps not anything specific but certainly something special. I, those are maybe some of the purest crystals I’ve ever seen.
Deeran 50:05
Thank you, man. Finally somebody who gets me, you know? And Deeran is like so excited to talk to someone else who like appreciates the magical potential of these rocks.
Belroth 50:17
Belroth is happy for his friend. He really, like when your friend finds the other friend who likes anime. Sorry, this has happened to me.
Anthony 50:30
You mentioned something, I believe you said your name is Ellori?
Ellori 50:35
Yes, that’s me.
Anthony 50:38
You said something about the Agrestal Spirit
Ellori 50:46
Ah, yes.
Anthony 50:49
I believe you mentioned something about defiance of will.
Ellori 50:57
Um.
Anthony 50:58
He leans toward you a little bit?
Ellori 51:01
Well, I don’t know how familiar you are with the Agrestal Spirit.
Anthony 51:09
I’ve, I’ve obviously collected many tales of the Agrestal Spirit.
Ellori 51:12
Of course. Okay. Um, so maybe, you know the one about when he took all of the the top all well all of the all of the touched before they were touched and.
Deeran 51:27
Touched them.
Ellori 51:28
Touched them.
Deeran 51:28
Yeah.
Belroth 51:29
Yeah, he did.
Ellori 51:31
When he gave everyone life and spirit and their their little spark of Creation.
Anthony 51:37
Yes, yeah, I am. I am familiar with that tale, certainly, the Heart of Creation, having stepped down from the realms beyond and gifting upon the world, his spark and light.
Ellori 51:52
Oh, well, we just heard that from a different source. Who is who is familiar with, you know, the reason that it happened. That, so we kind of talked to the Titans almost in a way. And they took all of the things away from people. And then the Heart of Creation gave them back. So I think what Deeran was maybe saying is that, you know, because the Titans didn’t know that he was doing it, it felt like he was erasing and the things that the Titans had done.
Deeran 52:23
Yeah, like, I think we should be pretty clear here. Right? Deeran like, makes like a quick furtive glance toward, toward the elder and says, like, you know, like, we were talking to somebody who like heard a story about a thing, right? We’re
Anthony 52:40
Elder Willowheart’s looking down at his hand and he’s like, if it’s a rock, can it be wet?
Belroth 52:48
I don’t think it can.
Anthony 52:49
Muttering to himself.
Belroth 52:50
I mean, it can be. Wait, what are we talking? Oh, my gosh, what’s in this room?
Deeran 52:57
But it was a story right? From the Titans’ perspective about how like, they took mind and spirit from those races.
Anthony 53:10
That story would be of great interest to me. I have never collected a story that old.
Ellori 53:18
Oh, well, is there maybe something that you could extrapolate from the story to help us?
Deeran 53:34
Yeah.
Anthony 53:35
From what I understand from what you’ve told me? The the Titans took away what you would consider the things that Llaniere gave you?
Ellori 53:44
Yes.
Anthony 53:46
He’s like, he basically is just ignoring Willowheart at this point.
Ellori 53:50
Yeah yeah yeah, so is Ellori.
Anthony 53:51
He’s speaking quietly with you. They took them away.
Ellori 53:59
Yes.
Anthony 54:00
Why would they do that?
Ellori 54:01
Because that was the only way that they could create the Demon Stone to lock the demons away.
Anthony 54:07
Ah, they powered it with your sparks. Not yours, of course, but those of your ancestors.
Ellori 54:17
Rright.
Belroth 54:17
And for as long as magic existed in the world, the Demon Stone would hold.
Anthony 54:27
Ah.
Deeran 54:28
Yeah. And then there’s a story of some great heroes. Wait, do we know this part?
Anthony 54:36
Let me tell you two stories.
Ellori 54:38
Okay.
Belroth 54:39
Excellent.
Anthony 54:40
One, I believe you know, somewhat already that the when Llaniere came to this place when he came to this land, this material plane from his home amongst the Fae people. He walked the world as we all did in those days. We played, we ran we frolicked with the creatures of this land, the animals that ran about. Animals, like insects and birds, animals, like cats, like mice, and animals, like humans, orcs and dwarves, creatures with no mind, but to frolic to eat to exist. Llaniere, once told us that he heard the sound of the elves singing reverberate from the forest and that he knew there had to be something more to them, something buried deep down. It was then that he first suggested that he might change these creatures, as is the way that our magic works. Now, our leader at the time thought this was a terrible idea. He forbade it, but Llaniere did not listen. Now I do not believe that Llaniere knew that what had happened was the will of the Titans. Nor do I think he would have cared. For Llaniere felt possibility of beauty and of life beyond the mindlessness these creatures held. And so he gave elves a gift. We had always wondered why this gift this change had caused so much to erupt into blossom. What Llaniere gave you, what he gave to the elves, to humans to orcs. He gave the gift of legacy. That is what his power was meant to change, to change your connection to fate itself that from one generation to the next, there would be everlasting memory connection to each other. For the elves, that legacy manifested in permanence but the society the other changes that came and people we always questioned but it seems those things were buried deep inside you already. They were simply reawakened by Llaniere’s touch. Obviously, each of those races that were so touched have their own legacies inborn. Those powers manifested something deeper within them. It has always been curious to me where people like our friend Skarpin here came from. How your powers came manifest again. Your spirit or Belroth.
Skarpin 58:38
Well that one we just got the answer to.
Anthony 58:45
That it also a story I do not know.
Skarpin 58:52
I keep on forgetting, y’all, I didn’t see that play with me. Llaniere’s Many Gifts it was a great Mendicant play I saw all by myself. But that was a great retelling, Cellian?
Ellori 59:02
Oh, that’s right, while Deeran was getting beat up.
Belroth 59:04
Oh, yes.
Skarpin 59:05
Yeah, yeah.
Deeran 59:06
Wait, I missed all of that?
Skarpin 59:07
You missed a great performance.
Deeran 59:08
Ah man.
Skarpin 59:09
It was a lot. I didn’t quite tell it as much as well as you did.
Belroth 59:13
I mean.
Deeran 59:13
Yeah, I feel like.
Skarpin 59:14
Thank you for.
Ellori 59:14
You talked a a lot about the special effects. Not so much about the content.
Belroth 59:19
But Belroth.
Skarpin 59:19
It was impressive.
Belroth 59:20
But Deeran was learning about the world when he was getting beat up.
Anthony 59:25
Allow me to tell you my second story.
Belroth 59:28
Oh.
Anthony 59:31
I know that you are, well most of you, are relatively young. This world is not. Three hundered years ago, great darkness came over this land. And there were heroes who banded together to stop that darkness.
Deeran 59:51
Yeah, five of them.
Anthony 59:55
The numbers are not important. Some might say five some he’d say a hundred. There were many heroes that rose and those times and many that fell. Some pin such things on the backs of a single person, that only one one person in a place in a different way, that everything would have fallen to ruin. But that story is not what I am here to tell you.
Belroth 1:00:26
Oh.
Deeran 1:00:27
Oh.
Anthony 1:00:29
What I am telling you is that there were choices made by those people, choices made to protect this place, and in doing so they cut us off from the powers beyond this world. Those heroes, with good intention, and truly without this I don’t know that we would be here to have this conversation, severed this plane from the planes of magic. And it sounds as though in doing so they stopped the protections that came to the stones within the Demon Stone. And for a good hundred plus years no one could touch the magics on this plane.
Skarpin 1:01:39
So that’s why the Demon Stone failed because magic no longer touched the world.
Belroth 1:01:45
But magic returned.
Deeran 1:01:49
Yeah, like I don’t see how this is like. Okay, so the great heroes that stopped the Shadowfall are responsible for the demons? That doesn’t feel right man.
Belroth 1:01:59
And also we still don’t.
Anthony 1:02:01
Magic, magic has returned to some. Magic has returned to you of the greater races. To you of those touched by Llaniere. Magic has returned to those of you who carry this spark. But there are those of us who still do not feel its touch.
Belroth 1:02:30
But
Anthony 1:02:31
How you have reconnected to the arcane? I do not know.
Belroth 1:02:35
Okay.
Deeran 1:02:37
So like in the before to it’s like a deer could use magic or like.
Belroth 1:02:45
Why is why do we keep bringing up deer?
Deeran 1:02:48
Somebody said it earlier and like it’s just all I can think about right now, man.
Anthony 1:02:53
No, no.
Me too.
But there are creatures in this world.
Belroth 1:02:59
A N That’s why That’s Oh okay.
Anthony 1:03:02
Creatures who are not mortal like you. Creatures, who come from realms beyond this place from the deep magics or who have been so steeped in them that they have changed, they have become something else entirely. It is creatures like those who no longer have the ability to touch the powers we once were able to. That does not mean we are devoid of power. The Fae people say that they are still connected to their home realm, and that the power of transmutation is still, sorry the power of transformation is still flowing within them. But to touch the arcane is beyond us. Any creature who has lost their mortality will have lost their ability to touch those powers.
Deeran 1:04:23
So.
Skarpin 1:04:24
Who do we ask about that?
Anthony 1:04:27
Who indeed?
Skarpin 1:04:30
Go ahead Deeran.
Deeran 1:04:33
So you’re saying that like, for example, if I were universally powerful entity, who, you know, could create a stone that would block creatures from another dimension from coming to this one. I wouldn’t have magic power like a connection to magic anymore because I wouldn’t have mortality right?
Anthony 1:05:13
There might be some magics you could touch, some that were deeply deeply ingrained within you but you would not be able to touch the powers of the arcane that no longer connect to this world.
Deeran 1:05:26
Yeah, okay.
Anthony 1:05:27
Why you mortals are able to touch the arcane I do not know you should not being able to it is not here.
Deeran 1:05:40
So the question.
Anthony 1:05:40
It is not touching this plane.
Deeran 1:05:42
So like it’s not even a question of like, magic coming back or whatever right because like it’s supposed to still be gone.
Anthony 1:05:53
There is no reason that I can see as to why you can touch the arcane.
Deeran 1:05:59
Whoa.
Anthony 1:06:05
I have spoken with one about this. And I believe he has his theories but he has not shared them with me.
Ellori 1:06:16
Who is it?
Anthony 1:06:16
I believe you know him is Silverblade.
Ellori 1:06:22
Oh.
Belroth 1:06:23
Oh yeah.
Deeran 1:06:28
Oh, he would have been way smarter to bring these stupid stones to.
Ellori 1:06:34
We can still go. We’ve got your letter going to the viscount and we’ve we’ve got Silverblade as an option. But I think this has been pretty valuable.
Deeran 1:06:43
Oh, for sure. I just Deeran nods over at Willowheart.
Anthony 1:06:50
He’s asleep in the
Deeran 1:06:54
Hey, just between us. Do you think it’s weird that Elder Riggs is dead?
Anthony 1:07:04
Elder Riggs?
Deeran 1:07:05
Yeah the the other I mean like he was old but like he seemed alright. Last time we saw him anyway.
Anthony 1:07:16
I personally no. He was very old but I have a hard time tracking how long you mortals live.
Deeran 1:07:26
Fair. Yeah. I just you know Deeran leans in closer. You know between you and me, Elder Carapath, I heard he you know like I heard they were on the outs and that guy’s like he seems like he’s really you know hungry for power around here.
Anthony 1:07:49
Carapath is ambitious. But I would not consider Riggs to have been a check to those ambitions anyway.
Skarpin 1:08:02
We do know that Carapath already murdered a different Elder that’s kind of also why we bring it up.
Anthony 1:08:09
Oh?
Belroth 1:08:09
That’s why we’re suspicious.
Deeran 1:08:11
Yeah.
Skarpin 1:08:11
Yeah. Yeah, Hawktalon. He was missing when we first got here and now we found out that Carapath hired somebody to kill him.
Anthony 1:08:21
Somebody told you that?
Deeran 1:08:23
Well, so they told us that there’s no way to pin it back on Carapath. Deeran like inhales a deep breath of the smoke and he looks back at his at his teammates.
Belroth 1:08:46
Belroth shrugs.
Deeran 1:08:46
Did we get played?
Belroth 1:08:47
No, I I don’t think we were given enough information to be dangerous with.
Deeran 1:08:54
Did we get played by the King of Beggars? Like did he just tell us what we thought we wanted to hear man? Like, who’s telling the truth anyway, man.
Ellori 1:09:04
Um, I don’t think he had any reason to lie to us.
Deeran 1:09:09
Really. If I were the King of Beggars and like my whole thing was like own in a you know, an underground den of like lies and deceit and duplicity and, and you know, trying to like, spin as many people twisted as possible. I would definitely be doing that.
Belroth 1:09:25
Or he didn’t think we were a threat having the information he gave us.
Deeran 1:09:33
Unless that’s what he wants us to think.
Belroth 1:09:38
Yes.
Deeran 1:09:41
And really wasn’t giving us any information?
Belroth 1:09:45
Well I don’t.
Deeran 1:09:48
Like he wants us to think that we’re not a threat. And so he’s given us the truth when in reality, he knows that we’re a threat and he’s not given us any information man.
Belroth 1:09:59
I don’t know if I follow it anymore and I don’t think it’s the smoke that still lingers in the air.
Deeran 1:10:10
All right, let me spell it out for you.
Belroth 1:10:11
No that’s all right.
Ellori 1:10:13
No I understand what you’re trying to say I just had never really considered it before that it might be anything untoward.
Belroth 1:10:21
I mean he’s the King of Beggars, I mean.
Ellori 1:10:25
I know but I know but we successfully did a thing that we would that we told him we would do and then he gave us information.
Deeran 1:10:36
Yeah, but now.
Anthony 1:10:37
I find it important to know you check your sources see what you can verify. I have known Elder Carapath to be ambitious certainly. But I have also known him to be reasonable.
Ellori 1:10:56
I think that’s honestly good news for us to know because we’re we are going to try really hard to you know be like choo choo all aboard the Carapath train like we’re going to build a relationship and a connection so maybe that’s helpful to know that he might not be.
Anthony 1:11:11
That might not be easy but
Ellori 1:11:15
Well, we’re gonna try though.
Skarpin 1:11:17
Because he’s our boss we want to be good employees here at Adventure Incorporated. We don’t want to lose it.
Belroth 1:11:22
Well, yes. Belroth slowly recovered like slowly he was like a flashback to the dream state him and he just like really wants to say synergy. He’s not really sure what he wants to say synergy. And I don’t think he knew what it meant.
Anthony 1:11:36
I do not want to I do not want to imply that I find Carapath incapable of this. It is possible he did that. I find it far less likely that he would be involved in the death of Elder Riggs. Elder Riggs and he did not see eye to eye often but there was no denying from anyone where the power in their dynamic lied. Oftentimes in situations like this power tends to rest in future power. Not what can you do for me today? But what can you do for me in the future. Elder Riggs did not have a lot of future power to trade on.
Deeran 1:12:27
That’s sad but fair. Was this guy worth anything? Deeran points to
Anthony 1:12:41
Willowheart?
Deeran 1:12:41
Yeah.
Anthony 1:12:42
A smile breaks out across his face. He says I love Willowheart and he would be a great asset to you in your corner. The things that you deal with in the world are beyond his scope. But that does not mean he does not have his uses. There are many types of things that happen in Adventure Incorporated, many things that pass through these doors. There are many things that are his purview, things that Carapath has no patience for.
Belroth 1:13:13
So he’s the gossip.
Anthony 1:13:16
No. The things that he has make his business tend to be more straightforward type of adventuring than the things that Elder Carapath likes to deal with. Carapath is a politician at heart. Willowheart is an adventurer, one who is past his prime no doubt. But one who understands and is a good man.
Belroth 1:13:44
Understood.
Ellori 1:13:45
That’s really helpful to know. I’m sorry, we almost blow up your spot at the beginning of this.
Anthony 1:13:51
I’m sure he won’t remember.
Deeran 1:13:53
What gives you that impression man.
Belroth 1:14:04
Wait,.
Anthony 1:14:04
But it is time for me to take my leave, regardless.
Belroth 1:14:06
Wait, were you.
Anthony 1:14:06
Well, you this is how I tend to leave a conversation anyway.
Belroth 1:14:09
Were you pretending to be affected by the halfling pipe leaf just to be friends with your friend or?
Anthony 1:14:17
Oh yes, this does not affect me.
Belroth 1:14:18
Oh, I feel it.
Anthony 1:14:21
It would be nice. I just love to I love the look on his face. Makes brings me so much joy.
Belroth 1:14:25
It’s very sweet.
Deeran 1:14:27
You said there was someone that you had talked to that might have more information about this just a minute ago.
Ellori 1:14:37
That was Silverblade right?
Deeran 1:14:39
Oh, right. Sorry.
Anthony 1:14:41
It’s, I understand.
Deeran 1:14:42
Yeah. Deeran looks at the smoke.
Belroth 1:14:45
Is there is there anyone else you think that we can and should trust with our current goals? I guess anyone we should.
Anthony 1:15:00
He leans forward. He says, I’m not telling you you can or should trust me.
Belroth 1:15:05
Well, that’s something that a trustworthy person would say.
Anthony 1:15:10
These are decisions that you are going to have to make. Fate swirls around you for a reason. And it will be your judgment that allows you to make these calls.
Belroth 1:15:20
Then.
Deeran 1:15:21
Alright man, but like.
Belroth 1:15:22
Let me let me rephrase my question. Whose guidance would help us make the decision confidently? Not necessarily tell us what to do. But give us the information.
Anthony 1:15:37
I appreciate that you have reframed, I appreciate that you have reframed your question.
Belroth 1:15:40
Give us enough information to basically not shoot ourselves and potentially the world in the foot and feel bad about it later? Or.
Deeran 1:15:51
In a different.
Anthony 1:15:51
These are not things I can tell you.
Belroth 1:15:52
But.
Deeran 1:15:53
In a different way, right? Like, bow drawn, arrow to your temple, right? Whose homework are you copying off of, man?
Belroth 1:16:03
Right.
Anthony 1:16:04
At this point in the world? I’ll be looking at your sheets.
Belroth 1:16:07
Oh, my God. I’m okay.
Anthony 1:16:12
I wish I could give you this answer.
Belroth 1:16:14
No, I know.
Anthony 1:16:15
Truly, I this is not an answer that I’m holding back from you. It is something I can’t tell you. Because I do not have the information you’re looking for.
Belroth 1:16:26
Understood.
Anthony 1:16:27
You have to decide who to trust. You have to decide who is telling you the truth and who is lying. And in reality, everyone is doing both.
Belroth 1:16:41
Belroth is thinking of the paradox that he’s clearly saying, Oh, nope. Smoke in the room again, it’s still there.
Deeran 1:16:51
Hey, man, if you’re like going around collecting stories, we met the craziest spaghetti mouth monster. You go down into the scar where the mole people live.
Belroth 1:17:04
There’s no mole people.
Deeran 1:17:04
In there, there’s a portal that that takes you out to this place with a guy with like, tentacles hanging off the bottom of his face. Super nice guy. Crazy nice guy actually. Ah, crazy stories for sure.
Anthony 1:17:21
Of course, I will have to remind you that the stories that I am collecting, they will have to go back with me. The meeting comes again soon, and the stories I carry will have to be relayed.
Skarpin 1:17:42
Okay, is that, are your warning us. Is that, should we not be telling you things?
Anthony 1:17:47
It would be behoove you to decide which things you tell me and which things you do not. Because the things you tell me are not from my ears alone.
Ellori 1:17:59
Yeah, I think that’s I think that’s fair.
Belroth 1:18:01
I don’t think we’ve told you anything that.
Deeran 1:18:03
Wait, which ones next? Is it Winterbone or the Green Man?
Anthony 1:18:08
Winter bone is overseeing things now.
Deeran 1:18:14
Okay, so next will be the Green Man.
Anthony 1:18:20
Indeed.
Deeran 1:18:22
Ah, Ellori. Does that mean anything? Like is there a difference?
Belroth 1:18:27
Between
Ellori 1:18:28
Oh, there there are a lot of differences actually.
Deeran 1:18:31
Oh no.
Ellori 1:18:34
Oh, like, well, I guess they’re more like two sides of the same coin. We don’t, we don’t practice any differently. But the way that you experience things, the stories that you tell there is, you know, someone might say that’s a tale for Winter Bone.
Belroth 1:18:48
Amelia would say that, sometimes. She was Winter Bone. She liked Winter Bone stuff.
Skarpin 1:18:57
Oh.
Belroth 1:18:59
Did I say something weird?
Ellori 1:19:00
Oh, no.
Belroth 1:19:01
Okay.
Ellori 1:19:02
Sorry.
Anthony 1:19:02
She’s trying to figure out who Amelia is.
Belroth 1:19:03
Yeah, sorry. I know. I don’t bring her up very much.
Ellori 1:19:08
I’m sure it must be super painful for you. I understand.
Belroth 1:19:10
No, it’s fine. I’m just very very very high right now.
Deeran 1:19:18
So like, Ellori. What story should we not have told for the Green Man to hear? Or I guess everyone hears it.
Anthony 1:19:31
It will be everyone who hears it.
Skarpin 1:19:32
Sounds like everyone.
Ellori 1:19:33
I don’t think we’ve I don’t I don’t I can’t think of anything. We’ve said the besides the fact that we have this whole chest of precious stones.
Anthony 1:19:45
That is not important.
Belroth 1:19:46
Yeah, I don’t think they care.
Deeran 1:19:49
I feel like.
Skarpin 1:19:50
I feel like I, go ahead Deeran sorry.
Deeran 1:19:53
No, you you’ve tell me what you feel first man. And then we’ll talk about our feelings more.
Skarpin 1:20:00
Yeah. Okay. So I feel like we should just tell everybody everything, and I just really can’t decide. I feel like I just don’t want to, like keep secrets and, and I feel like everyone needs to know about the demons not enough people know about the demons. So maybe if everybody knew about it, so that’s that’s where I am.
Deeran 1:20:20
Yeah, I get that feeling a lot, man. It’s really good to be open and like, share with everybody. The thing that I was feeling is fear. Cause like, I’m afraid of magic creatures who are more powerful than me deciding what my fate will be.
Anthony 1:20:42
I think that it is always very good to share your information. That is what I do. I gather stories, I share them with others. But I think that in your line of work, it is naive to think you will not find things that people will use against you.
Deeran 1:21:00
Yeah.
Anthony 1:21:04
Maybe you have not found those stories yet. But they exist. And they will be part of you.
Skarpin 1:21:09
That’s fair.
Belroth 1:21:11
Well, this has been very enlightening, but I think I need a breath of fresh air right now, I think.
Anthony 1:21:19
I must take my leave and.
Belroth 1:21:20
Oh, perfect.
Deeran 1:21:21
I’m crazy enlightened right now.
Anthony 1:21:22
It is time for me to.
Belroth 1:21:22
I feel quite lightened.
Anthony 1:21:25
It is time.
Deeran 1:21:25
Super need a sandwich.
Belroth 1:21:28
That sounds incredible. Let’s get sandwiches.
Deeran 1:21:31
Finally man.
Belroth 1:21:32
Oh, my gosh. Where can we get a sandwich right now?
Skarpin 1:21:37
I could eat.
Belroth 1:21:42
Perfect.
Anthony 1:22:08
Hey, everyone. DM Anthony here just reminding you that if you’re enjoying the show, tell your friends, tell your family, let people know word of mouth. And you can support the show at patreon.com/adventureinc, or you can check out the shop at adventureincpod.com/shop. Make sure you check the show notes on the website for all our social media including our Discord where you can come and hang out with some great people. We’ll see you there, and until next week, I wish you nothing but Critical Success.
Adventure Incorporated 1:22:43
Serious business.
We’re super serious!
Transcribed by https://otter.ai