Wow. Alright.
Well guys welcome to another episode of DND here.
I guess where we where did we leave off? So we left off you guys had taken on the, the thieves that were hidden in this airship in the middle of the Cradlewood Forest.
You had slain old man Brackle with the help of one of her her youngest son,
Deerwhistle.
You spent the evening in the airship as the snow descended on the cradle Cradlewood Forest. There,
you took turns taking care of this baby that was left from a mother who had recently given birth and died in childbirth.
You
hold on. Uno momento of course of war. Deyacita had fallen asleep next to the bed with the baby. And as he was nodding off, Yukon came over and got the baby for fear that the large paladin would would fall asleep on on top of the baby. And then he mistakenly woke up that baby and spent the rest of the evening trying to put it to bed. We were role playing our real lives last last So
you spent the night sort of exploring some of the books that you found learning about the airship, and you found the journal of the the captain who had disappeared. And you read about some sort of creature that had was kept within the the manifold of the ship and seemingly having escaped.
In the morning you helped lock up and reset all the traps and all the defensive systems of the airship and left gear whistle there with the promise to return very soon with potentially some information from the wizard's school in Vos about how to fix the, the airship. He departed into the Cradlewood Forest heading eastward toward towards the town of Vos. And, as this adventure starts, you have walked out of the
the forest and gaze at this beautiful
the this beautiful lake. In the middle of it stands these, you know several, translucent green crystals that, sort of jut into the air several hundred feet as if thrown from the sky into the middle of the lake. And around those crystals, a structure a school is built with a large wooden bridge that connects that island to the surrounding town of Vos.
Yukon you are currently holding the baby I believe.
And then the the whole the rest of you are all sort of just walked out of the forest. And as you walk down the the road,
you see pine built homes and low stalls circle the clearer lake.
You see the covered wooden bridge with the the four translucent pillars of unequal height. Can I see?
Boss right there. Over the next Mhmm. That's where you guys are Yeah. That's where you guys are. Alright. I've been
You see let's see. Alright. You see the the wizard school. You see to the north there's a small humble church and a cemetery sort of that's resting on a gentle rise.
Lanterns pale even in daylights. While to the south you see this large magistrate's house with barracks next to it.
The whole town feels very subdued almost half asleep as you look down upon it. And there's a path that leads towards the the bridge. And as you sort of peer towards the bridge, you see a a big crowd in front of the bridge around some sort of What would you guys to do?
Instead that the crowd was shouting?
You hear noise like shouting noises of a large crowd gathered. It almost a town center near the the where the the bridge meets the the town.
Alright. Cool.
Probably a person with the crowd?
Yeah. Probably the crowd because it seems most likely a temporary phenomenon. So if we don't go we might never know.
Alright. You follow direction of the crowd noise and you walk down a dirt road towards the heart of town. The road widens into what looks to be almost once had been a a marketplace. There's some vendor stalls that are cleared away and replaced by a massive dense crowd of villagers it looks And they're circling what looks to be a a rough wooden stage.
On the platform stands the broad arrogant countenance of magistrate Blaise Forret Forrenvold. He was the guy that you saw in the inn at the start of your adventure. And flanked to his right you see on the stage the massive bodyguard Sir Roma this big suit of armor that has this massive sword that's where the the handle of which you know juts out from his back. At the corners of each of the stage you recognize several guards that you once corralled with in The Eagle and the Child, but they're now standing very serious and they look stoic and dour. Their eyes are fixed straight ahead at the crowd. In fact a couple of them almost look they're scared.
In the center of the stage you see a human man with brown hair and short nearly kept beard. He stands in shackles and he faces the crowd.
Flanking him are two executioners. Their faces are hidden. They be behind these sorta brown stitched hoods.
And they have these these brown imperial robes that they're wearing. One is gripping a sickly looking glaive. And then behind the the prisoner, you see four figures in black robes. They have hoods drawn low, all except for their leader. His hood is pulled to pulled back to reveal a bald head a long narrow nose and pale northern skin etched with archaic ruins and tattoos. Where his eyes should have been there's only,
black holes. I'd you guys to roll to each of you roll history checks.
Wow.
Cal you got a two. What did you get John? Sorry. Day of CDA.
Negative one.
my god. One.
What? Wow. Twenty five.
Twenty five? Twenty five. Alright.
So Hess is the only one who knows what this thing is. Hess you know that this is an inquisitor of the empire. It's one of the highest ranks that you could get when you practice in their church, and it's somebody that can that that is very wise and well thought of but also strikes fear into a lot of commenters.
I kind of mutter that under just loud enough for my friends to hear an imperial inquisitor. I wonder what's on what's going on here.
The three other hooded figures, you can't quite capture too much of their details and their faces. They have their eyes, and they don't have any tattoos. And one of them looks Will why don't you describe what one of them looks?
So you have his hood on still
or no? You tell me.
So you kind of look and this one image is kinda angled to the side. So you can't quite see him directly but he's very short in stature, not really at the front forefront, but you do notice that he has a very unique presence about him. You can see that he has a hood similar to this, in white and he's got kind of these, red highlights in in a robe across his front.
That's the guy about to be executed?
No. This is one of the alkaloids of the inquisitor.
Okay.
You guys are about let's say, let's say about eighty yards away from the crowd. That's what you can see from where you are. You're sort of at an incline as you're walking down towards that that stage. You notice about I don't know, fifty people, surrounding the stage fifty plus people.
What is their general demeanor? Are they pleased that there's somebody that is being executed or argumentative?
Role perception check.
Evan.
You sense a general, like rowdiness, but you can't sense whether it's yeah. Kill them or don't kill them
from where you are. You're just too far away. Someone's gonna die. Is there anybody lingering back near us at all?
Yeah. There there's actually people walking from directions of the town still gathering. You actually see somebody that maybe was had come out of the woods before you dressed in you know green and brown sort of ranger garb.
I'll I'll speak to what might be a fellow ranger thing. Hey. Do you know what's going on over here?
What? What? hello. Hi. Yes. Come. Come.
Do you have any idea? are you from here? Do you know what's going on over here?
Well,
you haven't heard? You haven't heard? He
Ronan Ronan they're gonna execute him.
they're gonna execute Ronan?
Yeah.
It's terrible. Who is he and why?
Who's Ronan? are are you not from Voss then?
I haven't been in a while.
Well, Ronan you know he runs one of the one of the the magic shops. The the Root and Vile. Him and his his wife and and four four girls.
Yeah. I heard tell that they're they're gonna execute him because he violated this this new purity of light act or whatever bullshit the empire enforces now.
What's the purity of light act?
Hess I want you to roll a arcana check.
Peace baby. Come up good. No. Not great. Fourteen.
You've you've heard of the purity of light movement by the empire. The idea is that they feel that the use of magic in general is too dangerous for the normal populace. And that there's they've over the last several years have been limiting the rights of the the empire people people part of the empire to actually use any form of magic. You almost over time they sort of take took away more and more rights and sort of regulated it to a certain extent. But you haven't heard about this purity of light act. It sounds it's something that may have just literally just come out.
so it's a little cult that banned guns.
There are no guns in this world. But I know. Know. Even Yes. Figuratively
speaking magic has always been the, you know the adventurer's gun. Alright. So I'll I'll share that. Be well it must be some new movement trying to continue the restrictions on magic. I mean the state the imperium must really really not want anybody else competing with them in that regard.
don't talk that. Not around the guards. Some of these local ones are okay but there's new guys around. And those those inquisitors and those alkylites, I don't trust them at all. But we gotta go hear what they're gonna say. I would just lay low. I don't think these guards should mess with. And he like bids you good day and starts walking down towards the hurrying down to where everybody's gathering.
real quick before you go. What's your name?
Donald.
Hey Donald. Donald where's Ronan's shop?
it's it's it's towards if you go around the lake towards the north, that's where the shops are. Starting at the bridge if you just go north, you'll see a row of shops a bunch of the magical shops. They essentially sell components and potions that are to the school or that are made from the school. And it's really the the main commerce up here in the in Vos. Seems
seems it might be in conflict with this purity of light. But thanks Donald.
Well not if you have a registration. Anyway I'll see you guys.
And he walks off.
Well, looks the backstory.
It's in person about to die.
You guys continue on?
What do
you think can be done about that?
I
don't know that we're strong enough to just stop this by brute force. And remembering what that magistrate was back at the tavern I don't think he's gonna be persuaded of anything. So I'm open to suggestion, but suicide may my top ain't the top of my list.
We arrived. I think the first thing we gotta do is get some help for UK over here. But Yeah. That's true. Maybe
a distraction or something could help.
I mean, what if there was just a fire somewhere down?
Fires can be pretty distracting.
Anybody know where the nearest government building is?
Well, there's some barracks over there.
That's gotta be something
We're
gonna come up a full fledged plan or are we just gonna go light something on fire and hope for the best? Because I don't know if that's gonna get running out of there.
This is usually when Yukon just shoots an arrow at somebody.
Yeah. I know Rich.
Holding a baby right now.
Yukon, do you think you're contagious? Do you think that's good for you to be holding that baby?
I don't think so because if I was you guys would be sick by now for sure. That's a good point. Definitely. With
how many times I've cleaned his pants that's that that's definitely true.
Yeah. I'm still holding this baby and I feel it's almost you know new life is coming in. And you know I don't know how much more time I have but hopefully you guys are, I don't know. Hopefully you're feeling better than I am right now.
But I need something soon.
Well
You don't wanna hold this baby?
Yeah. I mean I could take the baby if you need a break. That would help. That would help.
Yukon passes the baby to Cal. Cal I'd you to roll a slight hand check.
the wiggling babies. Gosh.
Cal is Cal knows how to hold a baby. Nineteen.
Nineteen. You definitely take the baby and it remains asleep as you tuck it into your
gonna try to do a a wrap. I'm gonna try to do a wrap a
well it's been too long since I've had an an infant.
What are those things called? Papoose? an ergo. Moby Moby wrap? Moby wrap. That's what it is. Yes.
I'll take roll take my kid. Roll yeah. Roll a slide of hand shake again.
Not not as good as six. still gonna be holding on to with slight of hand. You
basically tie the baby tube. You tie the baby tube to you and it does not look comfortable but it's still sleeping.
Alright. I'll I'll keep a hand on it.
You all see as you guys are sort of messing with the baby, you see the robed inquisitor step forward and he sort of beckons the crowd and and sort of cries out in a shrill, caring voice. For the crimes of blatant and continued violation of the Purity of Light Act, the prisoner Ronan Thatchroot is sentenced by magistrate Forneval to death by beheading. The prisoner is granted his final words.
And you see the executioner sort of push Ronan forward.
And there's a chopping block sort of at his feet. And and you do notice that it's sort of stained as if it has been used recently. And the young man he lifts his head and you see sort of tears in his eyes but not from sadness but perhaps anger. And he takes a deep breath and he raises one arm towards the sky with two fingers this pointing to the sky.
And he says, they took my livelihood. They took my pregnant wife, and now they take my life. And his voice starts to tremble.
And he says, he it's trembling but strong. And he goes, don't take your magic. Be with the light.
And that you see certain people in the crowd a few people raise their hands this kind of in as if they know what that means. But you see the guards in front of the station sort of walk towards the walk into the crowd towards those people.
And and I'd you all to roll a perception check if you don't mind. I knew that fucking name
sounded familiar.
Sure did.
Sixteen for Cal. Nice.
Wait. What'd you get Will? Sorry.
Twenty. Wow. Twenty one. John what did you get?
Nine.
Nine. Yukon, you noticed something interesting.
as the executioner sort of force run into the ground you see him sort of whisper something under his breath. They position his neck over the block, and the sec second executioner lifts that massive glaive high.
And in a single seam brings it down. The instant the blade touches Ronan's neck the executioner erupts into an inferno of flame.
What? So so fierce. I mean you guys are in the back of the crowd. That flame is so fierce that you can almost feel the heat coming at you as well.
The crowd explodes into chaos. Guards sort of surge forward and start just wailing like beating some of the crowd away with with clubs. Now the crowd is not necessarily rushing the stage. They just seem to be like, freaking out about what just happened. This this executor is literally on fire. But you notice that Ronan is his head is behead he's beheaded. He's dead. But in his final act he did something to this executioner.
Can I retcon one thing? Yes. As that that blade's coming down? Yes. And then you can give it to me if
if this is if too much of a leap for a count of made. But as that blade's coming down I would to cast message into Ronan's ear that just says the trial distinct.
With the last second as the glaive descends on Ronan, you speak to him through this message, and you almost see a sigh come out of his lips as the blade hits his neck. The ex the executioner bursts into flames, but his head severed. But those are the last words he hears.
The crowd is currently in chaos. Guards are surging, forward through the the crowds sort of beating people to disperse. And you see Sir Roma. He tears his massive two handed sword from his back, steel flashing amid this fire and screams. What do you guys to do?
Just kidding.
What are the rest of the the rogue figures doing?
Well, you see the inquisitor sort of shrinking back at the guard at the executioner that's on fire. Roll perception check.
World.
You it's very chaotic and people are yelling so you can't get a good look at the stage from your from where you're standing.
Are we able to tell
Will Are we By the way,
we've met before. With your
oops. Sorry. Little bit of lag on the audio.
Rob say again. Sorry about
that. That's alright. I'm trying to see are we close enough to the guards that we've met before the nice ones, to see their demeanor? Are they just doing a job? Are they oh shit. This or are they fuck. Yeah. Let's go.
perception check.
Alright.
Let's go. I'm just quick with this on the app.
Twenty one?
Twenty one. You know you your eyes have been lingering on a couple of the guards particularly the ones that Oz were hanging out with in the bar. You see there was if you recall there was one that was sort of this young really underage kid, and there was also a relative a pretty old guard. he's probably too old to be a guard at this stage with a plump belly. You see the the kid looks terrified. he's just trying to hold people back and like just scared of of he's never experienced something this where everybody's freaking out and villagers are you know he looks terrified. The old man though you see his face is transformed into he's trying to do his job. He's trying to you know disperse people push them away.
He but he's he's he seems very serious about what he's doing but he doesn't look he's having any joy. That being said you see a few guards that are just beating people because they can beat people.
Yeah. There's always a few of those. What
about the magistrate? What's his reaction to all this? Is he at all afraid? Is he self righteous? Is he just whatevs?
He is shrinking back as well behind Seroma. Seroma has now stood in front of him almost as a bodyguard and you see almost a look of cowardice on the the magistrate's face.
I
don't care. I hate this. I hate this feeling about flaming the fanning the flame and just being it's a sign from the gods. The gods countermand the magistrate. Down with the magistrate. And try to whip the crowd into a fervor and make it really get real. That's a tactic. And then before you know it everybody's singing songs about the massacre of Vos.
So amidst amidst this chaos you see up the one hooded figure that I mentioned before very quietly and very deliberately goes up to the one in its flames. He puts his hand on the shoulder, and the flames go from red to blue and they diminish. And it seems suddenly that he's stable. He's still burning but he's he's stable. And then this figure just continues walking on kind of around the corner, kind of back hidden again very calmly not getting frazzled by the by the chaos, but just kind of keeps on moving.
Very well.
Guys I the idea of taking action here but just we don't really have a great sense of what's happening in this space yet.
No. We're definitely gonna die.
So maybe this chaos is a good opportunity for us to slip into town unnoticed because newcomers in a world where they just set on fire might not be, taken to kindly.
How about the modest church?
Can't imagine that they would be pro pro government if it's a modest church.
Possible. Who knows? Sounds
good.
I just don't think we should be drawing attention
at this moment. Do
you to walk north to the, you know through the town to the the church that you see on the sort of the other hillside?
How long would that take?
So imagine so this is not a great map of what is in my mind's eye but say you're down here.
You would travel sort of this way up to let's say this is the church up there. Probably take it's probably a fifteen minute walk ten fifteen minute walk.
What do you guys think?
That works for me.
Think so. I wanna get into a safer place than we are now.
Are we going to his shop you said?
No. He said the, monastery. Right?
The church? Yeah. I think it was a modest church.
modest church.
Yeah. Modest church. Is that
think about just one's very small steeple and just one
a very small type of structure. Alright. You start walking in on the northern road as people are running by, and the crowd starts to dissipate. You walk down a road that looks a main thoroughfare. There's these pine
wooden
homes and that that sort of start to turn into more of commercial area where there's several relatively large stores that have different emblems in front of them. Some that have fantastical creatures or potions. It seems to be the area that the gentleman that Donald was referring to before. You continue to walk and you sort of come to the end of this row and the the sort of dirt road winds up a small path on an incline towards this this small modest church that's actually has this very simplistic beauty to it. There's a cemetery on the left hand side of the church and on the right hand you see some beehives.
Beehives. Would you to approach the church?
Yes. Hess Hess is visibly upset. he's been clenching his fist the whole time. You hear a little bit of a stomp to his walk. But along the way he took note of the shops with potions. Looks at Yukon and says,
don't you think we should go check one of those out?
If you think I can get healed in there yeah I mean I need something soon.
Wouldn't hurt to stop in.
Alright. I'll head back to the nearest one.
Would you to stop there before you guys go to the church? Sure. You go to the nearest one? no. Okay. You see sorry. Okay.
You see there's there's sort of two shops I'll give you a an option for. One
you see one that is sort of on the forest side. It's built from pale logs and bark stripped beams. The structure is narrow and tall with bay windows that bulge slightly as if curious about passerbys. You see bundles of drying herbs hang beneath its eaves. They're rustling softly inside. The door is painted a weathered teal and inladen with simple, twines and charms and little crystals on it. And there's a lantern filled with a softly glow alchemical
fire out fronts. It looks a very friendly, you know Firefly
type of component shop. And you see the sign above it you see this this roots that sort of holds as if hugging a a small glass container. Across the way from that you see a similar shop, but it stands apart from the rest of VOS a raised eyebrow. It's got logs that are plain very smooth and stained nearly black. It's polished, wood.
There's iron fittings around the windows at very precise angles. It looks just very well designed and impeccable. It has this tall door that's heavily lacquered, and it has a single lantern of smoked glass hanging above it. It looks very important. Do have a preference for which one you guys enter?
Is that one labeled in any way?
It is
no. There is no specific, sign on it on the door.
Feel one of these is less conspicuous than the other.
As lean
Go ahead. Go ahead. I'm leaning towards this natural one over here.
Has looked skeptically back and forth between the two of them and says, yeah. That one's way too perfect. That's gotta be government. Let's go over this one.
Alright. You open the door and inside the shop, it just feels lived and, gently chaotic. It's equal parts an apothecary and a family home. You see shelves all up and down the walls. There's they're in uneven tiers. They're packed with bottles and jars and crates of roots and powders and other forest oddities. There's a wide work table that has scorch marks all over it and ink stains. You see one little girl a five years old painting something with some homemade paint and also painting on the the table itself.
The the air it smells itself has so many different smells. It's you smell faintly moss. There's citrus peel, and it's just there's a buzz in the air from the arcane. You see children's touches everywhere. You hear laughing from upstairs. You hear somebody screaming in the backroom, some all female voices. What would you to do? But you don't see any grown ups.
Sounds my house. Hello?
Anybody in?
You hear from the back room. no. no. Up coming.
And then you hear
you hear these little pitter patter footsteps coming from upstairs down these crude side of stairs. You see a roughly three year old girl with pigtails come down and say hi. Welcome to the the root and vile. What can I get for you?
Is this your establishment? Yes. Of course. I'm Piper.
Are are your parents here? Pipe?
Yeah.
Any chance they're around? I wanna talk to them.
Well I could you could talk to me. What do you need?
I'm Piper.
Piper any any chance you have any medicine in here any anywhere? anything that that could help? I you have any medicine? Okay. Yeah. Can you tell me what it is or where where it is? Five
gold coins.
Five gold coins. Gold
Five gold coins.
You got it.
Is that five gold coins for knowing where the medicine is or for the medicine?
I'll get you medicine. I have medicine.
Are you the only one here to get us medicine?
Suddenly you see a, roughly eighteen year old girl come out of the backroom. She's wearing an apron. She has very long blonde hair. It's kind of curly flowy. And she's like just smudges all over her. she's got just all over her. And she you see her walk out she goes oh sorry sir. Don't don't mind Bramble. Bramble go back upstairs. No. I'm Piper. You're Bramble. I'm Piper. You're Bramble. Go back upstairs. I'm I okay. Okay. Okay. But they were gonna buy something. And you see her walk back upstairs very sad. The eighty year old girl comes over to you and she goes I'm so sorry. I'm I'm I'm Piper Thatch Thatch Root. Thank you for coming to our establishment. Can I may I help you with anything?
Thatch Root. Is your dad around?
You don't know? You see her eyes start getting weak, and you see a a little tear come down she just kinda covers it up and sort of dodges away.
I'm sorry hon. I just realized.
Excuse me. dead on. I'm
sure it's done now.
Do you know? Did you come from the square?
Yes. Yes Piper. We did. And I'm truly sorry.
If there's any way we can help you we will.
It's been first mom's gone. Now dad's gone. I don't know what we're gonna do. Does she look familiar?
Roll roll a perception. Roll what what would it be? perception check I guess?
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. It would be a role perception check please.
Nineteen.
Yeah. She does. It keeps nagging at you these girls that you've seen. It's nagging at you and you're I've seen a woman that might have looked somewhat these girls.
Piper what happened to your mom?
She was she went into the forest. She went into the forest to pick mushrooms for the for for for here and she never returned. And she was just about to give birth too. She just never returned. And then dad did what he had to do and it led to this. And she's she's starts losing it. She's cry she starts crying profusely. She says I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Just give me a moment.
I appreciate it. You might
sit down. You see her walk actually walk back to the storeroom?
She walks back to the storeroom, and then you see the girl that was kind of like painting on the counter sort of stand up. And she's about seven years old. And she walks up to you and she looks just they all look so similar. They're these these long blonde hair kinda rosy cheeks just the most standard, wood dwelling human you'd you've ever seen. But this girl very different from the other two she almost looks has an overworldly stare at you and she goes, your adventures. My sister's sad.
My name is Maribel.
Can I sell you something? Do you need something?
Yes, Maribel. Our friend Yukon here is very sick and has been suffering from a very dirty rat bite some magical malefaction. Do you have anything that could cure disease?
She turns her head and stares at Yukon and she goes let me see. Where did the rat bite you? And she walks over to you. She now mind you she's seven years old but she looks more serious than anybody in your party.
Right right down here on my left leg.
You pull up your leg and and as you pull it up everybody around you smells the most horrifying smell of rotting. There's a scent of almonds. It's it's awful. Sorry guys. She looks down at it, and she looks at it. She goes you look that's a bad infection. We do have something for you.
To be honest we're being shut down tomorrow so this is our last day. So, I mean, we could part with a potion. Here. Just give me a moment. Let me Google how much this potion is.
Is she still with us?
Me? Is she still in the room with us or are we up by ourselves?
She is she's walking back to the back of the room and she you see her she's kind of out of hearing,
and she's looking up a looking some things up.
If we have a moment to ourselves, I'll whisper it to our group. I don't know if you all are putting this together but I'm pretty sure we know what happened to your mom. And I'm pretty sure that I'm holding their sibling.
Language magistrate. How? Does
does she look the woman on the ship?
Yeah. To me she does.
We need to find Tia and sort some things out but we should definitely make sure these children are safe somehow. Is the airship you think a safe place to get them to?
The guys you see that Maribel walks back over to you and goes sirs, I looked up the price. To be honest with you we usually list them at fifty gold coins. But seeing as we're gonna be shut down, I'm happy to part with one for twenty five.
Whatever you need I'll take it.
I empty out all my gold.
Do you have twenty five gold coin?
Thirty six somehow.
Very well. Yeah. You hand her some gold coins.
you give her everything?
Wow. Yeah. Feel bad and guilty so I just empty out my pockets of the gold.
Kind kind sir. Thank you. She takes the gold and you see she is very grateful for what you gave her. She hands you a bottle that has a sort of a cork stopper on it. It's it's in a bit of a clay it's not glass. It's a clay container.
And she asked it to you and she says just drink the whole thing and you'll you'll feel much better sir.
I grab it quickly and earnestly and without hesitation not no inspection no considering what this might actually be I throw it back immediately.
What hits your lips is you thought it would have been just what like a water or something that type of potion. It's actually really thick. it's almost a thick, pasty substance that you drink down. It has a faint grape flavor to it. And as it washes down your esophagus, you just and you feel a sudden relief. The the sweat sort of dries off your head or cools off your head. The fever breaks, and you are no longer diseased. And as you feel so weird you look up and little Maribel hands you. She goes sir, thank you for that extra money. I don't have much but well, I did draw this and she hands you what she's been painting. And it is it is certainly a child's
the it's a child's sort of art, but it is one of the most beautiful art pieces you've ever seen. How intricate and how the colors sort of weave together it is something very special that she hands you.
Wow. Thank you. I feel amazingly better and this is beautiful what you've made here. What is it a picture of?
Just my dreams.
In fact I dreamt of
all of you. Yeah. I dreamt of all of you a few weeks ago. Dad says I'm gonna be pretty good at this someday. And then she goes walks back to her table sits down gets a fresh piece of parchment almost a robot, and starts painting something.
Maribel what are you what is your family gonna do once this shop is closed?
She's painting while she says this but she does take a deep breath. She goes well, I'm sure Piper will know what to do. She takes good care of us but she's really upset about Ma and and Pa.
She keeps thinking that Ma will turn with with the baby but I know that's not gonna happen.
Could could we talk to Piper again? I think it's really important that we do.
Sure. And she you see her kinda stand up. She doesn't look at you. She just looks down. She stands up pops up and walks into the back.
After a couple weeks press digit patients Yukon's pants and clothes to make them not dirty or smelly anymore either.
Very well. For the first time Yukon in roughly, four or five days I think disease on the brink of death.
Do you feel Or eight months behind that? Yeah.
Yeah. Exactly. Pretty damn good. You guys see Piper come back out,
and she's now so she her eyes are really red but she's she would brush the tears away. And she says, can I help you sir? I don't mind Piper. She's she's a little different. She but she means well.
Sorry. Maribel.
Dana Sita while this is happening looks at the drawing or the painting to to try and study what it is that's depicted in the one that we have.
You know what she was drawing?
I will tell you. Yeah. Just
Daisy do you hold it?
And
second.
You see a temple.
You see a almost a spire of alabaster and gold that shuts up through clouds.
It's something very familiar to you.
Or is it? You can't tell whether it is or not but it brings back certain memories of a place
where you failed.
spacious. Piper Piper
just says sir what what do you need?
Piper it might be good if we could talk alone for just a second if you're okay with that.
Very well. Maribel why don't you go up and see your sister Bramble? God knows what she's into up there. And just on queue you hear a from upstairs. So Piper just starts or sorry. Maribel starts walking up the stairs. She goes she turns back and stares at Day of Seda and says, bye sir Knight.
And she goes back upstairs and it's just Mary it's just Piper down with you.
I'm gonna look to the rest of the group.
Or Piper? Yeah.
Cal I think he's doing the right thing.
Piper we've got a very unfortunate story, and we haven't quite pieced all of it together. But here's what we think we know.
But we think just got
Go ahead. You got it. Well we obviously just got to town. And so the news of your father very fresh for us and it hurts a lot because we could tell from a few seconds that he was a good man even before we got here.
But
looking at you and looking at your sisters, we've seen the light and
I'm afraid to say I don't believe your mother's coming back, but I think we have your sister.
There seems to be a very, very dark alliance among some terrible people and some members of the government, and we'd to do what we can to protect you.
I'm going to bring out the baby from my makeshift Moby.
She looks at Hess at first trying to digest what he's saying and and she's I don't understand. And then she looks over and you pull out the baby. What what's this?
We
we broke into a thieves' hideout, and
we were trying to get our stuff back. And once we were inside and and eliminated any of the threats,
we discovered
what we believe is your your mother's body.
And What? What?
Yeah. And there was more. This child
was with her.
No. No. Mom mom is gone.
And
And she just she you see her almost in shock shaking. No. Not not her too.
Maribel kept saying,
baby.
And she sort of walks forward and puts out her arms to to hold the baby.
Yeah. I will hand the baby over.
Slide the hand check.
Christ.
Yeah. Okay. Twelve.
You hand the baby over and
she takes the baby and and holds it and looks into its eyes. And she's she's weeping, but there's a small smile on her face as she looks at the baby. And she holds it. She goes, Maribel Bramble come come down. Come down. These men brought your sister. And you hear with, the the two other girls run downstairs, and, they surround the baby and look at him and they're and you see even even, weirdo, pipe Maribel just has is beaming looking at this baby and holding this baby and they're staring at the baby, and they're crying
as they hold the baby.
Let's step back and give them
As you step back
as you step back a you hear that the the door to the shop open, and you turn to look, and immediately you don't see anybody because you're expecting to see somewhat of equivalent size looking at. But instead you look down and you see what looks to be the half the size of a man almost a pin automat automaton, a a robot of some kind. It has copper color,
body, a very rough looking face that is very you can almost not make out a human or a humanoid face on it. It's all sort of different shapes.
It's one of its legs is just a it's almost a pole down to the ground. It's a very crude make. And it opens the door and says, hello. Hello. My friends, my friends I've I've I've been sent by your benefactor to to bring you to the wizarding school. Seems you've met my friends as well the good thatch roots. Daughters are you doing well? And they're crying and you see Piper the oldest. She looks at this robot of some kind and says hi. Come. Come Fuhr. Come. Meet meet our our new sister. And he and it's this machine sort of just walks, waddles past you guys towards the baby and it's very disjointed movements and looks at the baby and they he seems to know them. They seem to know him. He seems to know you.
Well what do we call you?
Roll a you could roll either an arcana or a history check Hess.
I think I've same bonus on either. Twenty three.
Wow. Twenty three.
You know about these things. They're very rare particularly in this part of the empire. Usually in large towns for very wealthy people, they may have these these robots or automatons that's are caretakers or butlers or something that. They're usually built by, you know really smart engineers that have magical powers etcetera. That's what he looks to be.
This is rare.
I've heard of these but never seen one.
You see this before we this robot now holding the they gave the baby to the the robot and he's holding it in his steel arms gently, but very you know, rugged type movements with the baby.
Hyper before we go, you know where you're going? You're getting closed down. Are you staying here or are you moving out? Will you keep your inventory, or how can we help?
I appreciate that good sirs. First thank you for saving my my
sister I guess. We'll have to find a good name for her. But anyway, before before you found her we were going to sell the shop and all its wares to, you know to another purveyor across the street over there. And then we were gonna perhaps use the money to buy a horse or a carriage to take us to one of the larger towns. I have relatives
in Multamore. There's really nothing for us here. We're no longer able to shop. We weren't able to get a registration from the empire. But now with the baby I I don't know. I'm gonna need to sleep on it.
Okay. Do we still have Tubber with us?
You have Tubber and
and gosh.
Moe.
Tubber and Moe. Yeah. Tubber and Moe. You have both Tubber and Moe. They are outside. You guys tied them to a to a post outside of the shop.
Alright. So I raised my eyebrow over at at Osborne. He's there. Although I doubt he is. So I guess at Cal instead to be think Tubber or Moe might be willing to with them.
I think Tubbers would be eager to get away from us.
Yeah. For all the trouble we find ourselves in.
But I'll lean in particularly to Cal and
Hess will lean into Cal and whisper quietly Just for the sake of helping them Tubber or Moe may be persuaded to go if Osborne can sell the idea. I think the bag of holding may be a great way to preserve some of their inventory if that's possible. Beyond that the airship may be a good place to hide out as long as Clemens gear whistle doesn't end up wanting to fly away too soon. And it may be a faster way to Montemore or at least to its vicinity before we end up figuring out what's going on. That's just a couple spitballs, but I don't think staying here is smart and I don't necessarily want competitors to get their inventory because it just doesn't seem fair to let the blasted imperial bootlickers profit off of this.
Do do we know where Montimore is? Is that is that north of us? Is that The direction we came from or is that a different direction?
It's west. So you guys started in
so you were you guys were from this port city of Vichy Vichy? Vichy? And you traveled westward through the Cradlewood Forest to that you know the Eagle and
the the Eagle Inn?
North of the Eagle Child Inn is where Voss is. But if you kept going west which is what you guys did for a little while and you got to the edge of the Cradlewood Forest you would then open up into the plains, which is where Malta Amor is. And it's a very large city. It's probably a bigger city than any of you have ever gone to.
If they're trying to start a new life and seems a good idea for them to get away from this place for a while, I think going to Baltimore is probably a good start. But I where your head's at with Tubber.
I hate to see them I hate to see them struggle.
Certainly pay them for some of their inventory, and then we keep what the bag of holding can carry. Or if we have the time we could help them move more using the bag of holding assuming Osbourne, whose bag it now is, is willing to play along.
Yeah. And is it really smart to move them to Monte Amor though? Isn't that the actual seat of the empire?
Roll history check.
critical fail. No. Never mind. Sorry. I can't read. Seven plus six thirteen.
This is an easy one. It is not the seat of the empire. It is definitely one of the more prominent city states and respected ones and powerful ones but it is not the seat of the empire. No.
Do we know if this cult of pure light or whatever has taken hold there?
As far as you can tell this this this new law it's more of a law that that as far as you can tell I mean you know very little just from people that have told you or referenced. It's some law that bans the use of magic, but you don't know the details yet.
It must have come out over the last four days. It must be brand new.
Alright.
I'm gonna while they're talking to the robot, I'm gonna take some money out and just set thirty gold on the
table near the door in in a pouch.
Very well.
There is a lot. wow.
Yeah.
Minus.
Fjore hands the baby back to Piper and then sort of walks towards you Cal and says, as I mentioned before not to rush you but you are being beckoned by your your patron.
At your convenience, I shall escort you to the wizardry school.
How did you find us here?
well the mistress Did he say pecking was expecting it.
Pecking by your patron he said.
What what did you say John? I couldn't hear that. Sorry. You said beckoned by your patron? Yes.
What do you know of our patron?
Thea Margos and Cynthia Goodbarrow. They're they're with us now with with the Magnus up in the wizardry. They're they're waiting for you.
I guess we should get over there.
Piper when can I when can we see you again to make sure that you're all alright?
Well sir I said we'll we'll probably clean up and and take care of this this new baby girl find a good name for Come back tomorrow.
We should be here mourning our parents for sure but maybe maybe this new bit of life is something to look forward to. I don't know.
Would you us to protect your potion in the meantime?
I think we'll be alright to hear kind nights.
I think we'll be okay. Is
there anything you don't want the the guards to get their hands on?
Well,
as a matter of fact, sorry. I've been so happy to see my baby sister. I didn't even serve to thank you. One one moment. And she hands the baby to to Maribel, and she sort of pushes Bramble away because she's the little crazy one. And, she walks into the back. She comes back, bearing a a little
flat chest that she opens up. And inside there are
four red potions.
They look a little bit less viscous than what Yukon dragged down, and they're in glass vials. She hands one to each of you. She she says these are potions that will protect you and heal you in in times of pain and and hurt. So everybody can add a healing potion to their inventory. She's I'm sorry. I don't have more. But as I said we're no longer able to sell so we can't make potions.
But perhaps I'll I'll put together some of our wares that I could sell to you at a discount tomorrow perhaps.
That'd be great.
Certainly. We'd be delighted.
And in the meantime, if you need a horse to borrow or keep or anytime you need, there'll be one outside.
that's wonderful. Yes. Perhaps we can make an exchange. A horse would be perfect. It would get our family to Monte Amur. We do have some relatives there that could help help us. Perhaps if you have cause to go there you could escort us.
I certainly would. We can.
Very well. Good day to you sirs.
What what might I call you Vans?
What's the building where where Thea is?
Wizardry? She the the robot basically said that that she is at the wizardry school, which is in the middle of the lake with, the Magnus who who runs the school and Cynthia.
I see it asks, that may be possible but we need to to visit the wizardry school first. Would you be interested in coming with us?
No. I have to stay here with the baby but, but Fior here is a he's good. He's a good robot and he'll he'll escort you there. And you're welcome back here at any time. We'll we'll be here at least the next few days.
This question is to Fior and to Piper. Do do either of you know the name Benjamin Bell?
Fjord sort of perks up and goes, Yes. Benjamin. Yes. He he works at the the wizardry school. He's quite a brilliant lad.
You should meet him.
Yeah. It'd be good to meet him. His name came up.
Very well. Are are you all ready?
I think so.
Can I'm gonna clock I'm gonna take a look at Deocita real quick and and just clock Deocita's face
having a look at that that painting.
Is that for me to answer? Yeah. You tell me. Yeah. Yeah. Shook.
What do you got there?
A vision of the past.
Wanna take a look? Burned it burned into my memories.
Well if you don't wanna share that's okay. It sounds it's up.
The child as a gift.
Sorry.
I'll let you hold on to it.
Alright. Was me me from another time almost another life ago.
The the painting you're looking at is you from another time?
I was there.
That that and that's where I failed.
And what I must redeem.
You met this seven year old girl before?
Her vision was my reality.
Wow. That's some spooky stuff.
Paints the past. I wonder if she can paint the future.
I'm sorry. I keep this is a slide on here so I keep screwing that up. Go ahead Eric. Sorry.
No. I was just saying yeah. Well she said she saw us coming somehow. Probably have to figure out what that's all about.
Maybe we could talk about it on the way to the wizardry school.
As you walk out of the the shop the warmth of the shop sort of gives way to the cold night air as it starts to get become evening.
You do hear Deyacita as you walk out. Maribel just speaks up and says, buy Goodster Knight.
You'll redeem yourself. Ends the door shuts, and this strange robot just leads you through the streets back to where you came. You see that the crowd has dissipated from this the square. The stage still stands with the bloody headlock. The body's no longer there. There's just two guards sort of cleaning up some refuse around the the stage. But otherwise, it seems that most people have gone home or left.
You sort of see the start of the bridge to your left. As the robot starts walking there do you guys do you all follow?
I wanna ask the robot if you're as we pass that more polished
black wood building across the street. Hey. What's the deal with this place Fior?
Yes. The lighten licensed Al Khemerium. That's owned by Gorgamel and it's a it's a magic component shop.
Licensed means approved by
Yes. Yes. They he was very wise in his dealings with the empire. Let me say that.
Do you need a license to shop there or only to open up shop?
To open up shop. As I understand this new law,
you need to have a a writ or a license to practice magic and to sell magic in the in in the empire.
Is the wizardry school licensed?
Well, I would say we are we are licensed to do some things, but not what we used to. We can no longer teach. We must shut our doors to teaching. But we have been we've been engaged if you will to record spells and record spell books and provide them to the empire and certain of their
purveyors of magic wares.
So the imperium
holds more power than the school itself?
We're but a modest school. It may look beautiful with those crystals but it is a modest school.
Well I'm looking forward to seeing it.
we'll come. We'll see it in just a moment. You guys all start walking on this very long covered wooden bridge. You notice that the bridge is quite beautiful and really well carved and designed. As you walk and you look at the top of the the sort of the ceiling of the covered bridge there's these beautiful paintings of woodlands, creatures, and animals almost engaging it in harmony and talking. It's a really beautiful bridge and you it's very long too. You walk for a while. And and as you walk and you look at the murals it's it's almost it tells you a story as you walk. You don't know what that story is but it's something about the Cradlewood Forest. It's very beautiful. As you get to the end of the the bridge, you see a very large man,
sort of orange, shaggy hair, a massive man with muscles approach you and say Fjord. you brought some new people to us. And he comes over and
they see that he sees you immediately for whatever reason and puts out this big pall of a hand to shake your hand.
Take it back.
Strong grip there. Strong grip there. Come. Welcome. Welcome to the the Wizardry School of VOS. And he sort of turns his hand and he looked now and he finally see this wizardry school and it's what's shocking about it is very modest. It's it's there's some stone but there's a lot of wood. It's a wood old structure that's sort of built around these massive crystals that are jutting out of the ground. You know the crystals might be as wide as, a hundred feet in diameter. They're they're just huge.
And he sort of walks you to the the this this large double door. They're maybe twenty feet high. And he sort of grasps the the handle and pulls it back with immense strength. And this the the door opens up and Fior sort of
leads you into this this wizardry school.
As you enter you notice just very acrid smells,
but it it's somewhat warmed. There's some torches that that sort of light the hallway. As you walk down the hallway there's smaller doors that seemingly lead to rooms. Perhaps they're store rooms or libraries or something that. You get to a to a the very end of the hall, and there is a spiral staircase that you begin to climb.
The the robot sort of walks up the staircase in almost deafeningly slow steps as you guys stand behind them. And it's a very grueling walk up the spiral staircases because of how slow he's going.
You don't care because you're just very relieved from not shooting yourself every five seconds.
How you feeling buddy? You look a lot better.
I feel amazing. I feel I could do anything.
I don't think I've really seen you at your best man. I feel you've been you've been down and out for a while now.
Feels forever.
Feels eight months.
I think it has been eight months.
As you get to the top,
the the robot sort of opens up a small door that you all walk through. You go down another hall, and at the end of the hall you see it's almost the the structure is right up against one of the, these massive crystals that juts into the sky. So let's say it's this thing right here this one right here. And you see him walk up to the crystal, and he lifts one of his hands, and the hand pops up. And out from inside of his arm a key comes out and he puts it into the crystal and turns. And the crystal's face opens up. It looked seamless and it somehow opens up into a room and he leads you inside. Inside this room it's you're in the center of this crystal that's almost translucent. you can see outside. You can see below you. The floor is covered with rugs but otherwise you're on this translucent crisp hollowed out crystal almost.
In the middle of the room is a circular wooden table. Well crafted, but not very gaudy. It's just this plain table circle table but it's probably about twenty feet in diameter. It's it's very large.
Around that table sit certain people people that you recognize. You recognize Thea Margos, the lizard woman that brought you to the Eagle and Child Inn. You see to her right Cynthia Goodbarrel, the one of the owners of the Eagle and Child Inn and clearly a sorcerer of some or sorceress of some skill. You also see sitting next to her, Guy, who was the bugbear gladiator that sort of joined your team after you spared his life.
Next to him you see
you see a what looks to be a pixie, maybe about the size of three feet with wings sitting a woman sitting when she has she's actually really hot for for a pixie and she wears these spectacles. She's pretty cute. You see sitting not on a chair but almost on his hind legs, a huge old centaur. You see a little gnome man that's balding, but has a circle of hair that hangs behind his back. And he has these very thick spectacles on. Next to him you see a female owl woman of some kind that looks quite old as well and several other really odd characters. You also notice a someone that you've you saw as the beheading.
Will do you wanna describe the character again?
Yeah. So it looks
kind of a very small, quiet but with a big presence,
priestly looking individual. Again he's got a hood and he's got kind of red and and black, and tan looking robes. And he sits very quietly kind of looking down almost in a trance,
very very concentrated, basically.
Do we recognize him?
You recognize him as one of those alkylites from the beheading.
I'm gonna draw my bow.
just as if you're pointing it to him? Yes.
Stop. I said that a little too deeper than I should've that's a woman's voice. Stop. You see another figure stand up in a seat. She towers over everyone else, probably seven to eight feet tall. Clearly a some sort of giant kin of some kind maybe a goliath of some kind. She's dressed in white robes, very beautiful older woman but very beautiful face with short cropped hair.
And she says there's no violence here. No violence here yet.
Well that's a him. Well that's him. He just killed an innocent man.
He did not kill this man. He was there on my behalf.
He he was there on my behalf. Come sit and you will learn more.
I'll lower the bow, but I skeptically.
You see Thea Margo stand up and sort of beckon you to come sit at the table.
Still eyeing skeptically will move towards the table.
She says did you greet did you find what we left what we were stolen?
We think so. And then some.
Do you hand her back her the things that that you took? The spell books and the potions and things of that nature and the the platinum?
I will list out for her and ask her which things were hers because I expect that these thieves had some other things from other people in places.
So she takes back this all the spell books.
And she takes back the some of the potions that were there, and that's it.
And she says, thank you for this. These are so important to our cause. See Cynthia? I told you they were trustworthy. And she looks over at Cynthia and Cynthia looks and she takes the books and put them in front of the tall woman and says,
there. We have them now. We finally have them.
The the
woman then looks at you and says, you've done well.
You've demonstrated honesty. And what I hear from Fior and Fior is standing right next to her almost a lap dog sitting next to his master. You can see this love that he has. Even as a robot you can barely make out his eyes and nose and stuff. You can tell that he just he's so enamored with this Goliath woman and just stands next to her. And Fjord tells me that you demonstrated kindness today to the Thatcherus.
I welcome this. We need good people for our cause. Come sit at our table.
Thank you. I don't see how anybody could be anything but kind of the Thatcher Roots. They seem such nice people who've befallen such tragedy.
On the other hand I do wonder why the flames have been quenched in certain other events, but I suppose I'll learn that as we go.
You pop your head bubbles over feeling good all of a sudden sits down and goes, hey. How have you been? It's good to see you. I'm feeling great.
I've never seen you look so lively.
No. Feel a new man.
wonderful. Wonderful. And you'll need to tell me about where this man took our things and and all that you've seen.
Well we've got to there were there were bird guys and there were bird girls and we got into a tussle and we found your stuff. And then there was a baby there was a mom and there was all sorts of stuff. And I can't believe that we're here and you're here. Unbelievable. In this translucent thing I have no I can't believe it.
there will be more magic until the before the day's out. I promise. But but quick to business before Magnus here goes on her rant,
I must pay all of you. And she hands all of you the twenty gold that she owes you for this mission that she said that she would give you.
And she just she's eat teach you. She shakes your hand and says you know thank you for everything that you did and that you demonstrated a level of trust. And as she finishes the Magnus she looks at all of you and says,
you've proven yourselves worthy and trustful.
We are a small collective here, a small collective of friends, allies,
and others along the way and he looks at Will's new character that perhaps have seen the lights.
We can no longer stick sit by and let the empire take from us our magic, our culture, our world. We are here to put a stop to them,
and we need help. Many of us are magic users and sorcerers and wizards, but we have no army. We have no fighters. We have no people to combat the empire. You seem capable. Your group seems capable.
Perhaps you'd be inclined to help us. We will pay of course, but perhaps do some things for us to help with our cause whether you believe in it or not. You seem trustworthy folk. If if you would have us,
perhaps we could have a mutual relationship going forward.
How big is the movement?
It's growing every day. We have well, suffice to say and if you good sir knights if you know if you understand why I cannot tell the full extent of our strength, lest we betrayed I will tell you there are folk in every city and town amongst the empire and without the empire that don't want to see it continue.
Is the empire the problem or is there some corruption, some weird cult within the empire pushing for more control, can the empire be saved or must it be
thrown out with the bathwater as it were?
You see Cynthia interject and she says it needs to be cut out root and all. They're all terrible. They're all evil.
But you see Thea sort of settle her down. And you see the the old centaur stand up and say,
the empire was never was not always this. In the old days, they were honorable, and there's still honorable men amongst them. The knights of the light are one. Knights of the rose are two. There's still honor amongst their ranks I say I.
The gnome, the the odd looking gnome with the weird hair long hair and the bald. He goes well, I tell you, something's gotta be done. There's some rot that needs to be cut out of this and we're the ones to do it.
Let's say these new newcomers. And with this lad over here and he points to Will's new character, he says makes a fine crew. You could do a lot of damage with them.
And this character kind of has his, row over his haste, and he looks up. He pulls it back. He looks up, and he just says, I am Zeki.
I am Zeki.
And he stares at at the parties.
Well hi Zaki. I'm Hess.
It's either.
Are we friends?
We're the six best friends that anyone could have. Yes. We're the six best friends that anyone could have and we'll never never leave each other.
And that I singing. And
this is Osborn. I
singing too.
You see the dome laugh? I these guys. Well, Zaki, this is your new crew.
If it's okay Magnus I'll take care of these guys. And
are any of you Benjamin Bell?
You're looking at him.
We've heard model
over to you. gets down from his chair and waddles over to you and inspects you. He's how do you know my name?
Well, we we befriended a a guy named Gearwhistle. Did that ring a bell? No.
No. Well Who? Gearwhistle? Was it Gearwhistle that said it or was it it was. Okay. Well, it's not important but we've got some
ingredients maybe you can help with.
Sure. Sure. Happy to help.
As he's talking Magnus finally stands up and says, I know we have a lot to catch up on. I'll leave you to yourselves, but two days hence, I will call another council.
We have a mission that will need help with this group. Meet us two days hence. Here. The rest of you may leave or stay and discuss. Come, Fior serve some some ale to our guests. Fior sort of walks away and and is is gathering some food. You see some of the folk that are were in the and around this room have now walked away.
for example
boy.
A a few of the people that that you'd had spoken to
sort of started walking away. But Benjamin Bell stays and starts chatting with you a little bit.
Before everyone leaves is
is this adventure gonna take us out to I forget the city. Montague Monteclair? Montemore. Montemore.
He goes we're gonna have some fun in Montemore, my friends.
We were gonna escort the out there tomorrow since they're being evicted. I don't know if that aligns with your plan or if maybe somebody else could could see them safely on their way but I hate for anything even worse to happen to them.
Yeah. I've got a very big soft spot in my heart for you know now that they've lost their parents there are definitely some school girls in trouble.
Another Easter egg drop. Yeah. Well,
I'm sure we could take care of them. They're good people those statutes and that was a damn shame that happened to Ronan. Let me talk to the magnets and we'll maybe something we can incorporate into our plan. If
you don't have an army, how do you think an airship would help?
An airship? Do you have an airship?
You see him very very intrigued.
Not as such, but we may know how to get one if we can get some components to make it return to function.
I you. And he walks over and puts his arm try to put it up on your shoulder but he's so short he can't reach that he's just
pawling at you and he goes I'm gonna you. Tell me about this airship.
Well I'm half gnome so I'm not quite as tall as he might think. Right? I lean down and I hoist him up onto the table and I sit down to the chair and start recounting everything about ear whistles studies and whatever I was able to make sense of out of them.
He's completely intrigued. just rivet asks you very specific questions about how many all the aspects of the ship. He's you know tell me how big the bow was. What was the shape? What was the manifold look? He's asking you every possible fit detail that you can remember. I'd you to roll an intelligent check.
Alright. Mhmm.
Sorry. Gotta flip things. Alright.
Please baby do it well. Week fourteen.
He says he's
amazing. Amazing.
I'd love to know more about it. I wish you could have remembered more aspects of it but it sounds it sounds it's missing some parts.
Maybe tomorrow It certainly is.
Yeah. Maybe we can spend some time in my my laboratory. You can help describe what this gear whistle needs from us here. Because I have the parts here. If I just knew what they were we could get that bad boy running again. And then think of the damage we could do on the Empire.
I where your head's at but we also need to keep in mind that we did sort of make a deal with Clemens' gear whistle that for all the trouble he went through and the bad times he had that shit's basically his.
I'd to meet this guy. Maybe maybe he's interested in helping. In any case let's regroup tomorrow, and maybe we can figure out what how to get this thing running.
I'd love how many airships does the Empire have?
He stands back and for the first time you see a little bit of his confidence fading from his face and he goes, many. Large ones too. Part of part of the problem is Mantamore, they used to build these things to ship food and their agricultural project products all across the empire.
But I fear they've been making ships of war more often and more often. I don't wanna spoil it for for the Magnus two days hence but I think our first mission, we gotta find out what they're making there.
I'm gonna need you boys to help me with that.
I think we'd probably all be happy to. I for one especially because any restriction on magic automatically means that I lose everything that I've ever worked to have. That's precious little to begin with. But are we sure it's wise to send thatch roots that direction for safety if we're going to go stir up trouble?
It's a fair point.
But Montemore is a very large city. Perhaps we can find one of its outlying villages to hide them or to keep them safe. In any case I'll I'll consult with the magnus and the council. Perhaps they'll have a good idea.
Very well.
For now, all of you may
go to,
it's it's evening now and you're probably tired. You may find housing and lodging for the nights at the Scholar's Crum. It's it's Rosie's old public house and bakery in town. You tell them that I sent you, and they'll know free accommodation for you. Spend the night there come back in the morning and we have work to do. We gotta plan this next mission.
I bid you good day. And so with that Fior comes over and leads the party back down the way they came out of the wizardry school. Now it's knights in the Crispair and leads you back down the bridge back into town. And you smell sort of the faint smell of, you know firewood burning as you approach a small
there's a road that sort of bends away from the town.
You sort of approach this very large structure. It's built of honey colored logs and wide windows and a low inviting roofline.
You see a brick oven bulging from one side of the of this almost honeycomb structure, And it has a chimney that's released this warm, yeasty scent.
You go up to the door, and he beckons you to enter. And this is where we will stop for the night.
Sorry that it was not a very action packed adventure tonight but feel there was a lot learned.
Yeah. That was a huge different feeling.
And you have no idea how tempted I was to just be let's just cast the best spell I have at pick that guy.
Well so I was ready for you. Because let me show you what I have here. no. I know we would have died. No. No. Meaning I there wasn't there was a wildly different outcomes that could have happened tonight. just because I spent time on the time on this have to show you. this was if you guys decided to get into a fight or something this is what would have happened or what what we would have been on. Jeez. So yeah that would have been interesting.
Sorry.
Let me just look. We could've taken them.
Boy was that all guards or was that all a whole lot of townspeople too?
There's a lot of townspeople. Yeah.
Yeah.
I will write in our Discord or whatever we're recording now the next thing. So you guys have now completed the, quote adventure. You've returned the baby to the Thatch Roots. You've returned all of the items to the this council of some kind.
So you all can now gain a level for all of your
If you are so moved that you're I'd rather have a different character and make another character Will did you're happy to. Going forward the way this is gonna work is you'll be able to interchange characters as you go on missions or doing different things. So the and if you wanna skip some sessions because you're this is a lot for me that's totally fine too because your character can just stay at the home base or move forward. This is just a good inflection point where we can do whatever we want from now take a break stop whatever you wanna do. But this sort of the the natural end of the first chapter I would say.
So Very nice.
Yes. I can do that really nicely.
how many sessions would you imagine before we end up arriving at Monday or more in in whatever comes next?
It sort of depends on what you guys wanna do.
Right now there's a lot of loose threads you've got a freaking airship and poor poor gear whistles just hanging out there alone with monsters in the forest. You've got potentially this mission these guys want you to go on. Or if you just wanna fuck around do something in town you can do that too. So there's a lot of different things you could do.
I mean it might be worthwhile to try and find that young guard that's afraid and the old guard that's I'm just doing my job, and and see if we can, without actually casting charm on them charm them into being more friendly to our cause and be hey guys. You know you're supporting the wait. Fritz are we the baddies?
We shall see. Thank
you Mike.
Yeah. Yeah Mike. That was an awesome one. Thanks.
Thanks for doing this again. We can plan whenever we wanna do it again. And
yeah so everybody can get so you guys are you guys will be what level three?
Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Okay.
And then Will for for Zaki, you can have him start at level three as you
That's where I have them.
Yeah. And this is a good level where it's more real D and D. I'm not gonna die of me.