Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome, everyone to Explorers of Elsewhere. I am DM Dan.
Greetings.
Hi, DM Dan from the future here. I wanted to take a moment to give you a content warning for this episode as there is a segment which depicts an act of torture, specifically including physical assault to someone under restraint and extreme harm to feet, inclusive of removal of toes by force.
Consent is extremely important to us at Explorers of Elsweyr, and prior to each campaign, we ensure that all players have informed and understood all collective lines and veils so we can create a shared experience in a safe and comfortable environment. But as a viewer or listener of this content, you will not have had the opportunity to inform us of the subjects you may be uncomfortable with.
The segment in question begins just after the one hour and five minute mark. I will provide another warning at the start of this segment along with the timestamp for the end of the segment, should you wish to skip this.
Thank you once again for joining us on this collaborative story, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it in a way that suits you best.
Right, let's get back to it.
How are you lot?
[00:01:23] Speaker B: Very Zen now, thank you.
[00:01:27] Speaker A: It's, you know, it's.
[00:01:29] Speaker C: It's.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: It's a new lifestyle that I'm trying out because there's just so much chaos happening in this campaign right now. I need to sense myself. I need to be the calm within the storm.
Yeah, I'm. I'm. I'm feeling. I'm feeling pretty Zen. Yeah. How. How are you lot? You. How. How's any you.
[00:01:50] Speaker C: On a scale of 1 to 10?
[00:01:52] Speaker A: Yeah, sure.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: On a scale of 1 to Zen.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: Yeah, we are feeling Daisy.
Yes.
[00:02:03] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: Daisy is feeling marvelous. We have arrived at the penultimate episode, not to alarm you, and the penultimate episode includes some prep for the final episode, not to alarm you.
And yeah, from what we've gathered over these, over the episodes that brought us to this point, I suppose shit's going down and you lot are here to wade through it. So I hope you've brought your wellies.
Who would like to jump in?
[00:02:44] Speaker C: Let's go.
[00:02:52] Speaker A: Welcome to Alicia, the Jewel of the North.
[00:02:57] Speaker D: On our gilded streets, fortune and fame.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: Can be found by anyone.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Julia and I'm playing Magpie and ace of our lurk.
[00:03:09] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Nate and I'm playing Kavren, a dragon scent slide.
[00:03:14] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Meg. I'm playing Frieda, a wolfkin cutter.
[00:03:19] Speaker E: Hi, I'm J.C. and I'll be playing Algernon, an ace of R. Spider.
[00:03:24] Speaker F: Hello, I'm Erol. I am playing Atta a Goblin Whisper.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: And my name is DM Dan. I will be the games master this adventure. So come on in and marvel at our wonders.
[00:03:39] Speaker D: Make sure you see the beautiful views we have to offer. And don't mind the ghosts.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: They're friendly.
[00:03:44] Speaker D: Really.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: Grab yourselves a seat and make yourselves.
[00:03:48] Speaker B: Welcome in the city of Alicia.
[00:03:56] Speaker A: In the face of something's imminent demise, we can sometimes find ourselves graced by the clearest clarity. Perhaps born of a certain perspective that is otherwise hard to capture. Finality can show us a clear route to our goals and endeavors. The sacrifices that need to be made to ensure victory.
Just over two years ago, the Myriad people of Elsweyr came together in defiance of the end of the world at the hands of the cataclysmic war between dragons.
Not even the will of gods could defy the unshakable mortal belief that tomorrow will come.
As Alicia, not herself present during the final throes of the Eschaton, faces her own final hours, the mortal beliefs encapsulated within her are not as unified as the peoples of Elsweyr.
And yet the goals are crystal clear. Nef, Ravabella, Valamar must be stopped if Alicia has any chance to see tomorrow.
And so we find the five of you in the entrance hall of Cadwaladr Manor. The acrid stench of teleportation lingers in the air as Magpie, Atta, Catherine, and Frieda look down at an Algonon who's fallen to one knee, having just witnessed his recently rediscovered sister Devira being spirited away by the Raven and some blackguard.
The four of you up on the staircase, looking down. What do you do?
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Magpie will probably run forward and get down on one knee in front of Algernon and just sort of start saying, algernon, what happened? What's going on?
[00:06:08] Speaker A: Algernon, how are you physically in this moment?
[00:06:16] Speaker E: My crutch has been sort of thrown to one side after I used it to improbably parry away the Black Guard's weapon.
And I'm sort of physically shaking and unable to stand.
But I'm also like.
Magpie might notice that as well as shaking, I might also like starting to laugh very quietly.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: Who is the second person to reach Algernon after Magpie?
[00:06:50] Speaker C: I'll go down there. Catherine will go down there. And not seeing much response from Algernon to Magpie. We'll probably try and grab him by the arm and try and lift him up.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Algernon, as you feel your body kind of being Lifted. And you're somewhat aware of these two around you.
How is Algernon, mentally?
[00:07:21] Speaker E: Algernon was just in a place where he was tying up loose ends. He'd been to visit an old friend, got some good advice about letting D'Avira into his life. He'd been realizing a lot of things about himself.
Blackthorn has been sort of acting as his sort of secret guardian angel in a way that Agadon had been doing to Fairfax and most of the other people throughout his life. And he didn't like it. So he was ready to change. He was ready to meet Dahvirah where she was and maybe bury the hatchet.
And now that's been snatched away from him. It's all been thrown back into chaos. And his brain is just working at a thousand miles an hour trying to predict all of the different realities that could sprawl out from this moment.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: As Catherine and Magpie pull Algonon to his feet between Atta and Frieda, who is the third to reach Algonon.
[00:08:34] Speaker F: I think Atta is moving down there.
But also, how did they teleport away? Does it just like.
[00:08:46] Speaker A: So you saw their forms fundamentally kind of collapse in on themselves and effectively kind of disciporate into a. Like a black mist, which is kind of fluttered away. Like they've almost kind of compressed down into nothing but shadows.
[00:09:04] Speaker F: Okay, so nothing. Nothing to try and no way to try and tell where they might have gone. Like saying, yeah, no portal. Okay, Yeah. I think after a moment of trying to see if there was something Attica notice magically about this and kind of failing to get any clues, like, it just heads down and kind of hovers.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: Okay.
In which case, lastly, Friede, as you look.
As you look upon Algernon, who seems to be in a place that you've never seen him before, you perhaps from experience, seem to have.
Seem to realize Algernon has become a bit more complicated than he once was. Much like yourself.
What do you say to Algernon in this. In this moment?
[00:10:16] Speaker D: First off, Frieda actually sort of sees that Algernon's been attended to and actually goes and sort of opens up the front door and does a quick cursory glance just to make sure there's no stragglers left. No one watching the house. No one, you know, sort of looking to get the jump on us after what's happened.
And then she goes back and.
[00:10:45] Speaker A: She.
[00:10:45] Speaker D: Sort of puts her hands on either one of Algernon's shoulders and looks directly into his eyes and just says, all right, my man. You've got this, okay?
You're good.
We got a. We've got a job to do.
I know you can do it.
It's gonna be all right.
I promise you. It's gonna be all right.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: Outgoing on as the face that you recognize as Frieda's kind of lows itself down, perspective and distance seem somewhat mutable in this moment. You feel like you're outside the veil, staring into the void once again where nothing really made sense.
And there's this loud thumping sound that deafens you. The. The noises coming out of Frida's mouth sound muffled and distant.
[00:12:01] Speaker D: Seeing that he's sort of like, you know, sort of drifting back away. I'm gonna just give him a sort of a firm. A bit of a shake. Just shaking. Come on, now. Don't you become untethered to me. And can I attempt to command him?
[00:12:19] Speaker A: What's the command?
[00:12:22] Speaker D: The command is to essentially pull himself together to come back to us, in which case, this.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: Algernon, are you still kind of laughing slightly hysterically?
[00:12:36] Speaker E: Yeah, my body still isn't responding to any sort of.
Any of my logical processes that I wanted to respond to.
[00:12:47] Speaker A: In which case, I will let you decide whether or not Frieda manages to cut through.
But either way, please tell me which trauma Algodon has inherited.
[00:13:07] Speaker E: The trauma of losing the sister that he's just discovered through impossible circumstances has left him unstable.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: And does Friede's command help to bring you around?
Or is it lost in the din of the noise clouding your mind?
[00:13:32] Speaker E: Algae stops laughing as Friede's voice sort of begins to coalesce and become intelligible.
And as she tells him to pull himself together, he says, what am I, a pair of curtains?
[00:13:54] Speaker D: Frieda breaks a smile. That's it. That's the Algernon I know.
Good lad.
[00:14:01] Speaker A: In this moment, Algernon, as the thumping pounds both sides of your brain, the world seems curiously clear.
And I will reduce your stress to zero.
[00:14:27] Speaker E: Heartbeat going through my.
My own arteries.
I say heart speaker. It's our Corvine acquaintance addressed my sister.
The reason why they want her.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: The Raven was here.
[00:14:45] Speaker E: Yes.
He's stolen Vera away from me.
[00:14:51] Speaker D: But why?
[00:14:54] Speaker E: I don't know. Frieda, what.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: What was it you called the. What did he say? The heart.
[00:15:02] Speaker E: He called her the heart speaker.
[00:15:04] Speaker B: What is that?
[00:15:05] Speaker E: Curious, I see. When I saw Blackthorn in my vision before, she had a crystalline heart. Something to do with the heart of Elysia. It's all connected.
I thought maybe Nephilim had offered her A seat on their escape boat. But seems they have other plans for.
[00:15:20] Speaker A: My sister as Algernon starts. Like unbeknownst to Algernon perhaps. But the rest of you notice that Algernon's eyes are wild and frantic looking from each to each of you in turn. As he kind of as this theory and these. These connections in his mind start kind of piecing together.
Frida, your quick scan outside showed that the street was the street of the Ivory. Outside was just as empty as it always has been.
It would seem that whatever has happened here tonight has been a very particular and targeted attack.
But perhaps most worryingly, especially for you, Magpie, if the rave the Raven was here and was accompanied by two blackguard who shared identical teleportation methods as the Raven.
Frieda, you will have you know that in this moment the danger has passed.
And Magpie, you've. You know, for having seen the Raven in action. That and Atta as well, through your arcane knowledge that tracking them will be nigh on impossible.
Perhaps it is time as best as you can to try to get some rest before the next day.
Unless. And if you want to work through the night.
[00:17:12] Speaker B: Is that a bad idea mechanics wise?
Is there a penalty to working through the night?
[00:17:19] Speaker A: Completely up to you. Well, maybe.
[00:17:24] Speaker B: It probably won't be very easy to sleep straight away.
[00:17:28] Speaker F: So, you know, I suppose ATA is probably going to fixate on that word Heart Seeker that Algonon said out loud and scour their mind to remember if there were any like, books in the library about heart seekers, like when they were looking through the catalogue and stuff like that.
[00:17:49] Speaker A: So just to clarify, it's Heart speaker.
[00:17:51] Speaker F: Oh, sorry, sorry. Heart speaker. Sorry.
[00:17:55] Speaker A: Well, how many of you are going to like. Well, fundamentally we have now entered into the gather information phase. Yeah.
But perhaps the. The first question to be answered is what particularly is Nef up to? What is her plan current? Like she has. She has just kidnapped Algernon's sister.
Well, you would assume she is. She has masterminded the kidnapper of Aganon's sister, given the Raven was complicit in it. But the why of why she did the why she did it, the. The where Davira has been taken to. All of these are completely unknown to you. So by all means you can begin gathering information now. Or you can sort of like take. Take a moment and.
I mean, who wants to start their investigation now?
[00:19:01] Speaker F: I don't think Atta would sleep immediately. I think it would be hard.
[00:19:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I think Magpie would probably do a little bit before going to bed. She's probably a bit wired then get a few hours before dawn.
[00:19:15] Speaker A: Okay.
What about Kevin?
[00:19:21] Speaker C: I guess there is a question I could ask, but I guess my question is, is that. Is Vauntham still in my bed?
[00:19:33] Speaker A: I guess he would be, yeah. You are fresh from the doings.
Wow.
[00:19:39] Speaker E: Could.
[00:19:41] Speaker C: Yeah. Could obviously try. Obviously will also try and get some sleep. But if Vam's still there, I'd like to ask him any information that he's possibly been. Because he's been a spy for Songbird.
Whether or not what information that he's gathered so far that Songbird has requested from him.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: Well, as you relay what's happened to Thorn, his.
Like, you know, that Vaughn from is a man that seemingly doesn't shock or startle particularly easy whatsoever.
But, like, his eyes go wide with surprise as you kind of recount what happens tonight. Especially as he kind of comes literally slithering over to see what's. What's happening. And like, in his shock, he. He begins kind of muttering to himself, like, not loud enough that you can hear what he's saying. But then he looks up to you and we have to contact Songbirds right away, he says.
And he.
He sort of like looks around. He. He has this energy of sort of like frustrated helplessness for a moment. And then he very quickly kind of begins getting himself dressed.
I did. I. I will fetch her.
[00:21:08] Speaker G: There's.
[00:21:09] Speaker A: There's no time to waste, he says.
And so, like, without. With very little ceremony, he kind of bids you goodbye and hurries out of the mansion.
Is anyone. Would anyone like to reach out to any other allies this moment?
Arguably, Musto. Musto returns from his late night of debauchery.
[00:21:43] Speaker B: Debauchery.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: Finding Algernon and whoever's kind of attending to him. And.
[00:21:49] Speaker G: Oh, you. You look. You look like crap, Algernon. Yeah.
[00:21:53] Speaker A: The little goblin says.
[00:21:54] Speaker E: Go fuck yourself.
[00:22:01] Speaker A: That. That is Musto's genuine expression. He like his little eyes open the widest you've ever seen them at his jowls quiver.
And then he sort of like. Like a chastised child just chips his hat and just kind of shuffles out of the room. No.
[00:22:19] Speaker E: Musto. Musto, come back.
[00:22:21] Speaker A: Oh.
[00:22:22] Speaker G: Oh, okay.
Oh, that was poor. Real flashbacks to a childhood right there.
[00:22:30] Speaker E: Oh, don't make your story any sadder in my eyes. Listen, we need all boots on the ground looking for Blackthorn.
I know you two were good friends.
She's been kidnapped.
We need to know where Nephene is hiding and what she's doing and how we get there. You have been paying attention to what's been happening around here?
[00:22:57] Speaker G: Well, I've been keeping notes. Yeah.
[00:23:03] Speaker E: Excellent. Well, we know that the Lodge reticent have taken custody of Odal Mercy's shroud device, and we need to know where exactly they might keep such a thing.
[00:23:18] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
[00:23:20] Speaker G: Right. Well, like, yeah. Whilst the cobbles officially belong to you, there is. There's one cobble in particular that I think is going to prove to be a real boon to this investigation. So you tell you what. Let me. Let me find.
Let me have a little scrabble around, figure out what.
[00:23:38] Speaker A: What hole they've.
[00:23:40] Speaker G: They've bought they buried themselves in. Oh, I'll dig them out and send them your way. I'll also also put out my little.
[00:23:46] Speaker A: Feelers, he says, wiggling his fingers. And.
[00:23:49] Speaker G: Yeah, I'll see what I can find out.
[00:23:52] Speaker A: And it's. In this moment, it's curious. This is the most sort of, like, direct and methodical that you've ever seen, Musto.
And it. He looks almost competent as he sort of gives you a firm nod and then kind of strides out of the house and. But as you go. That's right. As he goes, you hear him go, oh, hello, Songbird. As he disappears off.
There's. Where. Where is everyone else at this moment? Where is Algernon's first. Specifically whereabouts on the mansion are you.
[00:24:35] Speaker E: I. I think I've set up in the dining room.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:24:40] Speaker E: Where I had that. Where Songbird first came to. Not Songbird. Where Blackthorne first came to introduce herself to us. And I'm, like, thinking about how my father used to use that room as his, like, war room. I've got maps of the city. I've got. Or the little pieces.
[00:25:00] Speaker A: Who is with Algernon in the dining room?
A show of hands, Frieda.
[00:25:10] Speaker C: I was going to propose something to Frida.
[00:25:14] Speaker D: Oh, interesting, because Frida was also going to propose something to you.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:25:24] Speaker C: Upon hearing Thorn from going off to get Songbird, Avrin's gonna go find Friede and relay this and say, I don't think we're gonna have the backing of the kindling. If Velka knows that Songbird knows first, they've got obviously still weird beef.
Should we go? Do we need to go tell him as well? So everyone's on board.
[00:25:55] Speaker B: Go get the kindling.
[00:25:57] Speaker D: I think that's a good idea. And in fact, this is an idea I want to pose to the group. But I think that it's time we shake down the Lodge reticent. They've taken one of ours, it's time to take one of theirs and see what information we can get out of them by any means necessary. I've heard rumors from Jocasta that a bunch of them like going down to the pits to bet on the fights. And I know that there's a fight going on tonight, so I reckon with the backing of the kindling, we might just have enough bodies to acquire an asset of our own.
[00:26:40] Speaker E: Blimey.
[00:26:42] Speaker A: Okay, well, the two of you have this conversation. Fundamentally, this is almost flat. This is basically flashback territory.
And as the two of you. So are the two of you kind of going to the kindling first to send, to give Velkan the message, and then head on to the fighting pits.
[00:27:04] Speaker D: If you're up for a cavalry.
[00:27:06] Speaker C: Oh, you know me, I always am.
[00:27:11] Speaker A: Okay. In which case, back in the present. Yeah, Algon on you here must have.
[00:27:16] Speaker G: Go, oh, hello, Songbird.
[00:27:18] Speaker A: Like, as his voice gets further away.
[00:27:20] Speaker G: And then, oh, hello, you.
[00:27:27] Speaker A: And you hear this sort of like, heavy footsteps accompanied by an increasingly louder.
As you've. You almost feel a chill run down your spine as Velka enters Cabolada Manor and the atmosphere between him and Songbird, who are clearly in the, like, the welcome hall, the main. Like, the entrance hall, just the temperature utterly plummets despite, you know, having somewhat buried the hatchet.
What is Magpie. So, Atto, you're doing researchy stuff on the heart speaker.
[00:28:14] Speaker D: What's Magpie doing?
[00:28:16] Speaker B: I was thinking Magpie might actually be helping Atta out in any way she can.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:28:22] Speaker B: So they could work together on a couple of things, hopefully.
[00:28:25] Speaker A: Okay. In. In which case, yeah, Atta. In the time between sort of everything going down in the entry hall to the present moment, where Velka and Songbird have both arrived at the same time, what are your Magpie's ideas for kind of getting the ball rolling?
[00:28:45] Speaker F: Do you have ideas?
[00:28:47] Speaker B: I think. Well, Magpie is probably quite interested in the. This apparent link that Nephene now has with the Black Guard. So the fact that they showed up with the Raven and also they seem to share the Raven's teleporting ability, I think she's quite curious about that. I don't know how much it will actually help us prepare for the finale, though. So maybe, yeah, trying to figure out what they want with D, I think. And what this heart sparks speaker concept is would be quite important, wouldn't it? I think if we can figure out any links between Nephene and the Black Guard as well, that would be because that might be Part of the. How, you know, are they going to be guarding her when we make our final play? I think that's probably. And what then? What can they do? That's probably quite important to know.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: Okay, so Catherine and Frieda are going to talk to have a gentle word, some Lord Pips. And as for Magpie, are finding links between NE and the Black Guard. Okay, well. Okay, so we got.
[00:30:01] Speaker F: Can I ask a quick question?
NE didn't have, like, a permanent base, right. NEF was using Rando's houses.
[00:30:09] Speaker B: Seemed to be she when we met her.
[00:30:11] Speaker A: Yeah, well, when you first met her, she. She had hijacked someone's house.
But, you know, she does.
She does live out of the Rabela mansion, so. Magpies. Magpie went there to get her eyes changed to red. Oh, that's right. To the bell tower break.
So, like, she does have a fixed abode for sure in Spire Park.
[00:30:37] Speaker F: Okay, thank you.
[00:30:41] Speaker A: Well, first things first, we will switch back to Algernon.
Like, your companions are sort of, like, out through the city, trying to track down some information as quickly as they can.
When you feel like you feel the presence of two people enter into the room. And as you look over.
Yeah, Songbird and Velka stand sort of like side by side at the end of the table, which is in itself a sight which is quite peculiar to see, given everything that we know about Alicia.
Songbird starts, it sounds like you've had a pretty rough nightmare. And Velka kind of tilts his head.
[00:31:32] Speaker G: And I heard from Frieda and Catherine what had happened.
You have my condolences.
How can we help?
[00:31:50] Speaker E: Thank you, Velka.
Condolences aren't what I need right now. I need. And I gesture to the sort of maps that I've laid out on the table, all these chess pieces.
What I need is people on the front line.
[00:32:06] Speaker A: The two of them nod, but do you know where the front line is, Algernon?
As Songbird says that, she sort of, like, steps around alongside you, like, to your right, and kind of looks at the map of the city.
And, like, as she kind of leans down to start, like, pointing something out on the map, she pauses and kind of glances past you because Velka has just sort like, appeared at your left side.
And, like, the two of them kind of loom. Loom over each shoulder.
Now, I've been doing a bit of digging, and I think I know where she is, she says, looking at you, but you're not gonna. And before she gets a chance to finish Velka's gauntleted finger, like, Points right into the middle of the city. Like on your map. The Ruby Keep.
[00:33:15] Speaker G: She's there, but deep, deep underground.
[00:33:21] Speaker A: And you see Songbird, just as a thunder gets stolen.
[00:33:29] Speaker G: You're not the only one with eyes and ears through the city.
[00:33:35] Speaker A: You hear VELKA GROWL well, we've. We've been looking through the tunnels and we. We've noticed, like I.
Thanks to. Thanks to a certain someone, I've got. I've had a tool.
Well, I had a tool that allowed me to pinpoint magical presences. Like a divining rod. It. It became a bit difficult because it disappeared at some point, but we're pretty sure that she is quite literally at the center of Alicia.
[00:34:18] Speaker E: The heart of Alicia. Yes, I suspected as much.
[00:34:22] Speaker A: The thing is, with people so worried about going underground because of, like, the rats and. And everything, it. Sometimes we forget that what remains of Elysia isn't just the streets and buildings that we live in.
The street level, it's not. It's not at the center. It's not across the middle of the veil, is it?
There's. It's a space beneath the streets.
And that's where I think she is. No, that's. I know she is.
And out the corner of your eye, you see Velka's mask, like, helmeted face just kind of nod in agreement.
[00:35:08] Speaker E: Well, I'm beginning to feel a third wheel.
I see what you saw in each other.
But yes, maybe we do need to start thinking three dimensionally.
If the veil is a sphere, we can find its epicenter.
[00:35:24] Speaker G: And at the epicenter, you will find the heart.
Getting there will not be easy.
[00:35:36] Speaker A: Have you got any ideas on that? She says, I understand you've had. You've already seen what stands before, the stands between you and the center of Alicia.
And certainly by the set, from what I gather, so did High Priestess Lucrative.
You'll need to figure out something to do away with those rats.
[00:36:02] Speaker E: The rats are connected somehow to Lady Valimar, the one who was currently lying at the heart.
Do you know anything about that?
[00:36:16] Speaker A: Velka and Songbird, both sort of like, well. Songbird takes in a sharp intake of breath VELKA LETS OUT a MECHANICAL yeah. We had our suspicions that it was.
It was Lady Turia, but it was. That was one of those things that was kind of hoping wouldn't be the truth.
[00:36:44] Speaker G: It would seem in the chaos of the war, she was not exiled as we had first assumed.
For whatever reason, she was kept contained within the bowels of Elysia, deep within its depths, as fate would have it. Perhaps she is the only reason we have lived long enough to have this conversation.
But if the veil is failing, one might assume that Lady Turia is failing as well.
[00:37:29] Speaker E: Yes, my sister already told me all of this.
[00:37:34] Speaker A: Your sister sounds pretty clued up then.
[00:37:37] Speaker E: Yes, I know. She's identical to me in almost every way. And superior in all of the others.
[00:37:47] Speaker A: You can't help but notice like a glance from Songbird to Velka. And whilst you can't see his face, you kind of get the impression he's giving the glance back.
[00:37:59] Speaker G: Make your plans. You'll have to deal with.
Deal with the rats one way or another, or you will never get foot close to the heart chamber.
What do you intend to do about her allies?
If the Black. If the Black Guard are co. Opting with her, that will be an almost insurmountable obstacle.
And we must not forget the Onation.
[00:38:34] Speaker A: And Songbird stops.
What? What do you mean?
[00:38:40] Speaker E: The Ornate have taken up with Nephene's cause.
[00:38:45] Speaker A: Songbird like her mouth flaps.
[00:38:51] Speaker E: And they're the ones who stole your orb.
[00:38:55] Speaker A: Sons of bitches. She says.
Right. Well, looks like it's just us then. We'll need to figure out.
Nephi's a clever woman. She'll have. She'll only.
Whatever plan she has will be lean. Only with the exact amount of parts that it needs to operate.
So the Black Guard are going to be doing something. She's going to be doing something. The ill nature going to be doing something.
And it's all. It's going to be all part of one big plan.
At least we know where she's going to be.
But I'll keep my ears out to see where Lady Null and Erlot.
Where all those inbred bastards are going to be.
[00:39:45] Speaker E: Oh, Songbird. The Varen seed. You wanted it so badly. Gunkeepers, what exactly were you planning to do with it?
[00:39:54] Speaker A: Well, I was just expecting that if someone gets unexpectedly shot or something, we can.
We can use this to. To patch them up right proper. I imagine the fight's gonna get real rough, so we're gonna need all the aid we can get.
[00:40:14] Speaker E: Quite.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: So let's the. As the two of them kind of peer back to the map and they begin kind of strategizing with you. Algonon, we will switch across to.
We'll switch across to Atta and Magpie real quick. So, how are you rolling your. Like what. What would you like to do for your kind of gather information.
So the links between Nefnae and the Black Guard.
[00:40:45] Speaker F: I mean, I was going to. Atta was going to Study more on the heart speaker term and see if there's anything there. And maybe ask Tovarian for help.
[00:40:58] Speaker B: Ooh, I like that.
[00:41:02] Speaker F: Arian isn't otherwise disposed.
[00:41:04] Speaker A: She is not, no, she's. She's kind of around the mansion, very, very worried for Master Algonon.
But yeah. So between. Well, as if you're pouring through sort of like books and.
And the like.
Yeah. Are you doing a study for this gathering foam?
[00:41:28] Speaker F: I shall do a study, yes.
[00:41:30] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:41:30] Speaker F: And then maybe I'll.
Maybe I'll have a conversation with Magpie afterwards and we can do something else. Because I've got another idea if you're up for some prowling.
[00:41:43] Speaker B: Definitely up for some prowling. Okay.
[00:41:47] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, let's. Let's start with the study. So, yeah, two dice on the left. If we do a. Three dice gather information.
[00:41:55] Speaker F: Three dice gather information. And so three dice is with Tevarian helping or is Tarvarian not dice helping?
[00:42:03] Speaker A: Four dice? Yes, if she's helping.
[00:42:08] Speaker F: Make sure I get all the dice I'm allowed.
[00:42:12] Speaker A: Okay. So you get good details. Clarifying and follow up questions are possible. So very specifically, what was sort of like the question you were asking again?
[00:42:22] Speaker F: I mostly want to see. Well, I want to know if Tevarian has knowledge of that term, heart speaker or like, you know, versions, you know, like how through history sometimes there are different ways of calling something. Maybe there's different variations of that label. And then I guess I'm looking through Umi's notebook, I'm looking through other things that we may have, like gathered books wise from various places and just looking for references to heart speaker or. Yeah.
[00:42:58] Speaker A: So you go through the notes and like the notes and the journals and frustratingly, nothing relates to this term. And Tarian, like, if she had a face, she'd be looking at you blankly. But she, when she realizes that she's just kind of like looking at you emotionally, like not movingly, she. Oh, and then shakes her head to let you know she doesn't know either.
And like you keep on delving further and further into these notes and nothing's coming up.
And like when you feel like you're reaching a wit's end atta, you hear from the other side of the. Your little kind of workshop attic area.
Did you say a hard speaker?
[00:43:57] Speaker F: Yeah, but, you know, if. What, what do you know? Do you know anything?
Like, is pain in Atas voice, like asking the question, Bring him over.
[00:44:10] Speaker B: Bring him over.
[00:44:13] Speaker A: As you go and fetch Wizard.
[00:44:17] Speaker D: I love him.
[00:44:21] Speaker A: Well, I'm not entirely sure. If this is. Perhaps it might well be the wrong tree that I'm barking up. But there was certainly a strange phenomena, a particular branch of archival craft, which was crystal singing, you understand? Yes, it was a very oldie timey kind of thing back in my day. But perhaps there is some. Some relevance that there are some individuals that will allow you to almost commune with mana in its physical form, also known as crystals, and would allow you to communicate with. With you can feel emotions and almost intense, they say.
But perhaps this heart speaker is somewhat related to this idea of mana. Crystal singing.
But as I say, it's a very. It's a very old Italy profession. Very few who are versed in it nowadays.
Also, I mean, with. It's. It's somewhat of a moot point when the only sort of crystals we have to hand are small handheld artifacts, you.
[00:45:44] Speaker C: Know.
[00:45:46] Speaker A: Takes a lot of effort to commune with a crystal. It seems it would be a waste for something just quite small, isn't there.
[00:45:56] Speaker F: Wasn't there quite a lot of crystalline growth happening in the city at one point?
[00:46:04] Speaker B: The Ruby Keep, isn't it?
[00:46:06] Speaker A: So the Ruby Keep has vines through it, but it's bell tower prison that has.
[00:46:11] Speaker B: Yeah, the prison infused vines.
[00:46:17] Speaker F: Thanks. I'll. I'll see if there's any other questions left.
[00:46:23] Speaker B: Keep it back in your corner, wizard orbit.
[00:46:27] Speaker A: BS Azura. Magpie, if you have any follow up questions for Saffron the Wizard Orb.
[00:46:32] Speaker B: Interesting.
So. So Crystal singing was this. Does. Does Saffron know if there are any Crystal Singers left in the city?
[00:46:45] Speaker A: Well, I don't remember there being any Crystal Singers in Elysia around my time. As I say, it was. It was somewhat a peculiarity. It was a very rare phenomena to be able to crystal Sing. You see, it's like there didn't seem to be much market for it given the.
Given the. The amount of effort compared to the output when dealing with these small trinket like crystals.
[00:47:10] Speaker B: So what use might a Crystal Singer be to an arcane magic obsessed megalomaniac?
[00:47:20] Speaker A: Sorry, I've just realized I've done Safran's voice wrong. I will correct it for future communications.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
Yes. So that. That's the question. What. So to. To an arcane magic obsessed megalomaniac who's intent on dooming the city to its ghostly grave, what sort of use might a Crystal Singer be?
[00:47:43] Speaker A: Wow, that sounds disastrous.
It seems like a very fanciful set of circumstances that you find yourself in. But.
[00:47:53] Speaker B: But humor me.
[00:47:54] Speaker D: Well, from Ian McKellen to David Mitchell.
[00:47:58] Speaker B: Yeah. What's happened?
[00:48:03] Speaker A: Well, I.
The whole purpose of crystal singing is that you can more intricate. Intricately interact with and kind of prescribe the flow of mana. It. It allows you to fundamentally attune to magical. To. To sites of intense magical power.
[00:48:27] Speaker B: Oh God.
[00:48:28] Speaker A: And say. That's why it seems so. So, you know, pedantic when and. And useless when compared to a gem that might let you see in the dark or some such, because that does very, very little in. In general, it required that to see the most use. It required something of an extremely large concentration of mana.
But those, you know, those are so rare and like rare in occurrence that that's. That's why crystal singing is a. A bit of a lost art form.
[00:49:07] Speaker B: Is there any danger to the Crystal Singer?
[00:49:11] Speaker A: Wow. I mean, depending on the size of the. Of the. Of the crystal in question, there is always the. There is always the question of.
Well, there's a question of safety. If, especially if it's arcane magic that it. You know, it. It requires a lot of mental and physical fortitude to be a qualified Crystal Singer.
[00:49:38] Speaker B: Right. Okay.
[00:49:40] Speaker G: Weren't.
[00:49:40] Speaker F: Weren't the golems outside the veil? Chris. Chris, Were they crystally golems or am I misremembering?
[00:49:47] Speaker B: I think it might have been a crystal golem, you know. Yeah.
[00:49:49] Speaker A: In Castle Antel there, that one was sort of like made of marble, but it had kind of power. Crystal threw it like around it.
It wasn't entirely made of.
[00:50:03] Speaker B: So what I'm hearing is that heart speaker is possibly a synonym for Crystal Singer.
De Vera is probably one.
And Nefene's planning to use her as a conduit for getting herself and Lady Turia Vallenmar out of Elysia by redirecting the flow of the mana around the heart or something.
Is that possible?
[00:50:33] Speaker F: Yeah, I mean, I'm also thinking about like when a heart is failing and what it does to protect itself. And maybe the magic is trying to protect itself. So maybe there needs the heart speaker Crystal Singer to get actually at maybe to some physical location. Yeah.
[00:50:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Maybe amplify the mana or something. If it's failing, maybe it's a surge of power for them to then escape or something.
[00:51:06] Speaker F: We at the very least have some information that is useful to algae as far as Tavira goes.
[00:51:14] Speaker B: So you see, Zephyran's not in entirely useless. Atta Magpie says in full. In full.
In full presence of Saffron.
[00:51:23] Speaker F: I know, I know. It's just.
I like it's. It's just story. Well, I guess I'M learning an appreciation for long stories now. It just never felt like I had the time before.
[00:51:41] Speaker A: As you, as Saffron. Then, like, at length, goes on to explain this one time that he did in fact, meet a crystal Singer.
We will flick over to Frida and Catherine. So you've swung by Saints Hollow to kind of pick up Velka. What, to send Velcro on his way before heading over to Rookridge? Presumably just Caster's fighting pit. Yeah.
[00:52:12] Speaker D: So, as we're on our way, I'm explaining my.
[00:52:15] Speaker B: My.
[00:52:15] Speaker D: Sort of My. My thoughts, and I'm going so. Right.
Someone in that Loretticent, probably quite a few of them, must know what's going on and how to get to Neph and how to get to Tia. There's no way they could have organized all this with just themselves. Her being the leader. She's probably got plenty of underlings in the lodge reticent that will know what's going on and will just be following orders. And what we want to do is get hold of one of them and bust them up until they tell us how we can get to her. So this is what I want.
My idea is, Kav, I want you to go in there, and I want you to put the schmooze on.
I want you to find their group, I want you to get in there, buy them drinks, do what it takes, and then I need you to separate one of them from the group.
I don't know what you need to do. Offer him drugs, offer him sex, whatever it takes. You need to get him to the back room or get them to the back room. Jocasta. Her. I've already spoken to her. She'll let us use her back office. It's secluded, it's quiet, and there's a secret back entrance, so if things get a bit hairy, we can get out of there. Does that make sense? And I sort of, like, tighten my grip around my knuckle dusters.
[00:53:51] Speaker C: If that's the plan, then maybe there's something that you can do to get involved. People are a lot more malleable, shall we say, if they think they're on a winning streak. Is there anyone you know that you can possibly throw a fight for?
See if we can get them betting on the winning team.
[00:54:14] Speaker D: Let me have a word with Jocasta. I know she's got some people there that would. That owe her a favor. Sure. We can. We can arrange something and throw that fight.
That's a really good idea, Cav.
[00:54:28] Speaker C: I'm f. Of them.
[00:54:32] Speaker A: Okay, so Kavrun are you going in on your own to begin with?
[00:54:38] Speaker C: I think I'm going to wait until I found out some information about who.
If they're going to do a fake fight, who's going to lose, and then I'll go in with that information and try and weasel my way into the group with a tip that I know.
[00:54:57] Speaker A: Okay? Yeah. Catherine, as the two of you look, you can see, like, Jocasta talking to, like, the two fighters.
And one of them.
One of them looks a little. Well, between the two of them, one looks more confident, one looks less confident.
[00:55:17] Speaker C: If I see, then Jocasta's already been talking to them.
We've already sort of sorted this plan. Catherine is then gonna pop up to the.
To the more portly ace of R.
Ah, I thought I'd recognize you from somewhere. Do you. Is this. Was this seat taken?
[00:55:40] Speaker A: The. The man sort of like jumps for a moment and then sort of looks and.
[00:55:46] Speaker G: Well, I do say, it's been a while, dear. You good boy. Yeah, absolutely. Take a seat.
[00:55:53] Speaker C: He says, thank you very much.
Say, can see you're laying some rather hefty bets. Would you be interested in a. In a. Inside a tip?
[00:56:09] Speaker A: He. He sort of like, he pulled. Like he peers at you from. Away from his mask on a stick.
And. Well, if you've got some information that.
[00:56:20] Speaker G: I don't, I'm always. I'm always all ears.
[00:56:25] Speaker C: Well, you.
You see the. The little chap who's about to go in, apparently he's actually quite a. Quite a steamroller.
I've seen him fight before.
I would recommend putting quite a hefty bet on him.
[00:56:45] Speaker A: The Sangreva noble looks unsure at you for a moment, and I've.
He mulls it for moment and then eventually calls over one of the betting clerks and my.
[00:57:03] Speaker G: My bid.
[00:57:04] Speaker A: 300. 300 crowns. Switch it.
And the clerk nods.
[00:57:11] Speaker G: And if you're wrong, dear boy, he.
[00:57:15] Speaker A: Says, looking at you, you're going to.
[00:57:17] Speaker G: Cost me a lot of money.
[00:57:18] Speaker A: And he kind of like slaps your thigh a couple of times, and on the third slap, gives it an ever so slight and unwelcome squeeze.
[00:57:27] Speaker C: Cavern's gonna grit. Catherine's gonna grit his teeth and says, oh, well, if I'm. If I'm wrong, I'll make it worth your while.
[00:57:35] Speaker A: Okay?
The fight starts, and the. The more confident Lorevar seems to be dominating the open fight. And Catherine, you can feel sort of like the panic begin to set in as you're kind of peering over at Frieda in the corner.
And as the as the noble alongside you is sort of like grunting in disapproval.
[00:58:02] Speaker G: No, block with your hands, boy, your hands, he says.
[00:58:06] Speaker A: Is he sort of like waving his betting ticket towards the pit and sort of the crowds jeering. The smell of sweat and blood kind of permeates the air.
The. The cocky one opens up a barrage of sort of like haymakers at the smaller, less confident lore, who is bravely, futilely got their arms up weathering the storm. And as you. As it looks like this poor waif is about to get utterly pancaked, there's a moment where the larger missteps and the smaller lore of our steps in and with a rocketing uppercut, catches the. The larger lore of our. On. On the chin and just knocks them straight out. There's a part of you that thinks a tooth came out, like, hurtling across the. The fighting pit, but like, there's this chorus of.
From the gathered crowds as this cocky lor of arc slams into the ground and doesn't move for a very long time.
There are like, there are some cheers from the. From the punters, kind of drowned out by the groans and complaints from those that clearly bet against him.
And the lore of our. Sorry, the Sangreva noble looks to you.
[00:59:35] Speaker G: And, well, you've actually just made me a lot of money, boy. How about we.
How about we spend it out on a little night on the town?
[00:59:46] Speaker C: Well, I do happen to know somewhere where they have some particularly exotic beverages.
They keep it round the back if you're interested in joining me.
[01:00:00] Speaker A: He. He looks to you, and as he puts an arm around your shoulder, he. I do love exotic, he says, and, like, he then turns to the other Sangrevar, like the other noble sat next to him, who you realize is a relatively young noble, and with this dismissive flap of the hand, the, like the elder logo, just dismisses this young boy away as if to say, you've been replaced.
And yes, the. The two of you stand and begin making your way out, like, well, presumably round the back towards Frieda.
[01:00:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[01:00:46] Speaker A: Okay, the stage is set. Set. Frida, tell me how. Which ability you're using for this gather information.
[01:01:00] Speaker F: Oh, boy.
[01:01:02] Speaker C: Well, I mean, he might like a little bit of bondage play. Can we tie him up a bit first beforehand?
[01:01:08] Speaker D: Yeah. So to set the scene, I'm gonna. I'm gonna wait until Catherine sort of gets him in the back room, and then I'm gonna sort of follow in behind and I'm gonna have the room set up improper. Like, it's dark in there. It is dark. In there. There is one single lamp flickering on the, on the, on the desk. And I'm gonna sort of follow in behind in the shadows, shut the door and lock it from the inside.
[01:01:46] Speaker G: Excuse me, do I know you?
[01:01:51] Speaker D: Sit down.
And I point at a chair.
[01:01:57] Speaker G: Do you know who I am?
[01:02:00] Speaker D: Sit down or I'll put you down.
[01:02:04] Speaker A: So is Katherine in the room? Yeah, yeah. He. He looks to you for a moment as if to say what, What.
[01:02:11] Speaker G: What is going on here?
[01:02:13] Speaker C: This is the kind of exotic I like. Now sit down.
[01:02:18] Speaker A: There's. There's a moment where this noble's face, like his jowls drop slightly as the gravity of his situation begins to set in. As he delicately plonks. Plonks a bum down.
Yeah. Which ability are you using for this gather information?
[01:02:36] Speaker D: I am using command specifically to intimidate and I have my knuckle dusters on, which is a scary welp and or tool. This item gives grants increased effect when you intimidate.
[01:02:49] Speaker B: Ah, nice.
[01:02:51] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
[01:02:52] Speaker D: So as I step forward, I have my bloodletting blade at my hip ship in full view. I have my knuckle dusters very, very newly polished and glinting in that sort of lamp light on the desk. And I step forward and we've got some questions for you.
[01:03:13] Speaker A: So between the two of you then I will say that the, the scary weapon in this case, there's no effect in the gather information. But. So we'll just call that plus one dice.
So please roll me. So two dice on the left, a four dice. Gather information.
Oh, information you can for a stress. That'll make it five dice. Gather information.
[01:03:40] Speaker D: And by helping. Can you. When he sits down, can you. Can you time up for me?
[01:03:45] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. Anything for you, babe.
[01:03:48] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
[01:03:49] Speaker D: So five dice. In fact, I sort of like look under in this sort of office. Jocasta uses it as sort of like a, you know, occasion. She sleeps there and she's got a cot and under the cot I just expertly pull out a sort of box and bring out some really heavy duty manacles and just pass them to you.
[01:04:10] Speaker C: How do you know they're there?
[01:04:13] Speaker D: Questions. Questions.
Maybe I'll tell you later.
[01:04:19] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, A five dice. Five dice. Gather information.
[01:04:24] Speaker D: Okay.
[01:04:28] Speaker A: Yeah, we've got a.
Exceptional details. So what was the question you were asking specifically?
[01:04:36] Speaker D: So I'm going to relay to this man that we. I'm going to make him well aware that we know everything. We know about Nef's plan. We know she's under the ruby keep. We know about like the fact that she's trying to high tail it out of here and she's going to use Tia to do it. I'm going to make it very clear to him that I know and there's no way that he can me and if he does, it's going to go very, very badly for him. And what I want to know is how do we get to her without setting off her weird little traps? Without setting off the rats? Like what her? What is her weakness in this?
[01:05:23] Speaker A: Hi, DM Dan from the future here. This is your content warning for the segment which depicts an act of torture as described at the start of the video. If you wish to skip this, please fast Forward to the 1:11:55 mark the Noble kind of laughs, somewhat incredulously.
[01:05:49] Speaker D: When he laughs at me, I punch him in the face.
[01:05:55] Speaker A: His head flicks like flicks back. His eyes water.
If you're.
[01:06:00] Speaker G: If you're asking these questions like how.
[01:06:02] Speaker A: Do you get past the rats?
[01:06:04] Speaker G: Then you clearly have no idea what you're setting or setting yourself up for, girl.
[01:06:10] Speaker A: He says as he spits out the blood from his mouth.
[01:06:17] Speaker G: She is the rats.
She controls the rats.
[01:06:23] Speaker D: Right. Then how do we stop them?
[01:06:30] Speaker A: He looks to you and sort of. He shakes his head as if he kind of doesn't understand the answer. Like the question, like, how do you.
[01:06:40] Speaker G: Stop an army of thousands of troops? All of those eyes and ears all doing the beck and call of Lady Turia.
[01:06:48] Speaker D: Right? Right. Hang on. She's. She's controlling the Vale and she's also controlling a thousand rats? How is she doing that?
How's she doing both of those things at once?
[01:07:01] Speaker G: Regent Esturia is one of the most powerful spellcasters that elsewhere knew. Why do you think the Irons wanted to dispose her? They were scared. Even in the state that she's in, she's still one of the most powerful beings that you'll ever meet. You're nothing in her. In her shadow.
[01:07:20] Speaker D: Oh, maybe so. But you know what? I've got very little left to bloody lose right now. And I tell you what, who is nothing right now is you, son. So if Nefene is planning on using her power, then she must know a way of preventing this turn Uria from turning on her. She must know a way of controlling her. Controlling her power. So how. How is she going to do it?
[01:07:50] Speaker A: He sort of like tuts, and as you threaten to punch him again, he flinches.
[01:07:58] Speaker G: Turia is dying.
She's been locked up in her prison for so long, there's barely anything left of her, except for her mind and her magical prowess.
Without Nephene, she. She. She can't escape on her own. And without Turia, neither can Nephene. And without Nephene and Turia, neither can we.
We. We cannot escape this hell without both of them working together. They are codependent on one another.
[01:08:32] Speaker D: But by we, you mean the nobles. You don't mean Alicia?
[01:08:38] Speaker A: He. You notice in this moment, like, he sneers as if to be like, why would we save Alicia?
[01:08:47] Speaker D: I punch him again.
So how do we get down there?
[01:08:54] Speaker A: He sort of like, laughs.
[01:08:57] Speaker G: And while Alturia is protected by all those flesh eating rodents, you and your friends haven't got a chance of getting down there.
Not while she controls those rats.
And even if you did get past them, you'd be cut down by the Black Guard. There is no situation in which you win. There is nothing you can do to stop our plans. You can do what you like to me, but we're all going to be spirited away in Nef's Ark and you are powerless to stop us.
Even now.
[01:09:39] Speaker A: And you realize he's kind of gotten to a point where he's just bragging.
[01:09:43] Speaker G: Even now, our friends in that cartel are preparing for their first. Preparing for the. The start of the plan. And you have no idea about it.
[01:09:54] Speaker D: While he's doing this, I draw the bloodletting blade and I say, well, I tell you what won't be going down there. Your left foot. And I chop his. The half of his foot off.
[01:10:03] Speaker B: Oh.
[01:10:09] Speaker A: We are going to roll.
[01:10:12] Speaker D: She's out for blood.
[01:10:15] Speaker A: It's quite reckless.
I mean, he's just a portly man. So we're gonna one dice a fortune roll.
The yelping and the screaming from this man as you like, carve off a chunk like three of his toes. Wait, was it the whole foot or just like part of the foot?
[01:10:38] Speaker D: Just his toe. Just like, yeah, you know, like slice across his toes.
[01:10:41] Speaker A: Okay. Unlike the beatings that you've received and walked away from, clearly this man is not as well versed. And through the screaming, bloody murder, as he thrashes in his seat quite pitifully. Pitifully. Question mark.
He then passes out from the pain off the back of a failure.
[01:11:06] Speaker D: What a wimp.
[01:11:08] Speaker B: Hmm.
[01:11:09] Speaker C: I think you went a little bit too hard there, dear.
[01:11:12] Speaker D: Can I resist that? And maybe like, throw water on him to revive him.
[01:11:19] Speaker A: This is a fortune roll, so there is no resisting.
[01:11:22] Speaker D: Rubbish.
[01:11:24] Speaker A: Okay, could I ask something? Well, I was gonna say off the back of the shouting and screaming and then him passing out the door opens and Jocasta is stood in the doorway. Just like, what is going on here? She says as she looks around and then sees a bit of a foot, like a bit of the end of a shoe with what appears to be some toes and sock in it. And she like, she wide eyes at you. Frieda. Yes, Catherine.
[01:11:53] Speaker C: While he was saying about sort of not being able to get past them, not being able to get past the Black Guard, could I use one of my abilities, which is like looking into a mirror and tell whether he was lying or not?
[01:12:09] Speaker A: He was not lying.
He genuinely thinks that you have no chance of getting through the barrier of rats that will gobble you up. And even if you, whatever's left of you, if you did manage to get through, would then be cut down by Blackguard, who now officially you feel I have you. Like it's confirmed that they've thrown their lot in. But yes, you also know that the ill nature are doing something already.
[01:12:35] Speaker C: Come on, Frieda. I think we need to relay this information and quickly.
Jocasta, sorry about the mess.
[01:12:44] Speaker A: Like, Jocasta's just like, like speechless as the two of you sort of like rush out and she's just left with.
[01:12:51] Speaker D: This sang with our noble as I sort of like turn to go. I just grab her arm and I'm like, I know this seems mental, but I promise you it's worth it. If I were you, I would dump his body in the river before he wakes up.
[01:13:10] Speaker A: Jocasta, like looks to you and whatever you're doing this, make sure you don't lose yourself in it.
[01:13:22] Speaker D: She says it's either I would rather lose myself if it means not losing you and every other goddamn person in this city. And I turn to leave.
[01:13:36] Speaker A: Okay. Jocasta is left with. Yes, with the remnants of your investigative. Your interrogations in her in her office.
I guess to recap, you know where Nefne and Turia are at the center of the city. You're still not 100 sure how you're going to get well physically you'll be able to figure out a way of getting there, but the question of bypassing the rats is on the table.
That seems like the. The first very insurmountable hurdle.
Yeah. You know, the Black Guard are allied with Frieda and Catherine. Report back that the Ori are doing something, but you're not entirely sure what that is.
You think you have an idea of what de like Blackthorne is whole purpose in this grand plan is which is seems be a crystal singer.
You know that Turia and Nef are codependent on one another.
[01:14:46] Speaker F: The other thing I was going to suggest that we could do if you're up for the prowly. Prowly is whether I don't know whether Nefuna would have kept information in her mansion or not.
[01:15:01] Speaker B: It's worth a look.
[01:15:02] Speaker F: I feel like at some point it's worth a look to see if there's any clues that have been left because one would assume that they are not there because they are elsewhere doing things.
But, yeah, it's up to you. I'm not very prowly, so I'm mostly.
[01:15:20] Speaker B: No, no, I can definitely take that suggestion and run with it.
[01:15:26] Speaker A: Yeah, I can.
[01:15:28] Speaker F: I can cause a distraction and help if you want some help, try and, like, distract any guards.
[01:15:35] Speaker A: So what. What question specifically are you asking for this gathering for?
[01:15:39] Speaker B: Really? It's a really good question. Could we maybe see if there's any information on the role of the illness in all of this? Maybe that could be the kind of thing we might find, like, communications, like letters, correspondence or whatever, in which case.
[01:15:57] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So that'll be a three dice if you're using prowl. If Adam wants to spend a stress, that'll be a four dice instead.
[01:16:05] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Well, I'm not gonna pressure you for.
[01:16:08] Speaker F: That, but I stressed it up. Take another dice.
[01:16:12] Speaker B: Thank you. That's very kind of you.
So we're gonna add one die.
Is it risky? Standard.
[01:16:21] Speaker A: No. So two dice on the left.
So it's a four dice. Gather information.
[01:16:26] Speaker B: Four dice. Gather info.
Number of dice. Four. Cool. Let's see.
[01:16:34] Speaker C: Yeah, boys.
[01:16:35] Speaker A: Okay. Exceptional details as you get to the Ravabella mansion.
You're correcting your assumptions that NE is not there, but you do notice that the mansion as a whole is on, like, high alert. There seem to be a lot of guards patrolling as you like at a. You watch as Magpl. Magpie just flawlessly infiltrates him through, like, a window. Magpie, using your knowledge of visiting the mansion before really helps on this.
And as you're kind of going through Neph's like things, in this sort of like, study area, you chance upon a leaflet, a pamphlet, interactive remembrance. It says along the top.
Are you worried by recent events?
Would you feel at peace amongst lost loved ones?
Join us in Memorial, in Memorial park for a sanctions communion with the dead.
Allay your fears with the knowledge of those no longer amongst us.
[01:18:06] Speaker B: Blimey.
[01:18:09] Speaker F: Okay, they're doing a seance.
[01:18:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:18:16] Speaker A: And Magpie, in this moment, like, you as you look at this and Think.
And then you realize, depending on how many people turn up to this, that is a potentially a park full of people focusing on dead relatives.
And you now all know what happens.
[01:18:41] Speaker B: When you do that, right, Angie? Memories, angry memories will attack. Right, so this is possibly what, this something that Nefuna is going to unleash on the city via the illness.
Will they be leading it?
[01:19:00] Speaker A: Well, so as you kind of, as you start to kind of piece this together and you ask yourself that question, you then think like, what would Nefune get from unleashing a port, like a park's worth of memories, like wrathful memories through the civilized, like through the civilians? That doesn't make sense.
So why would she do it? Why would she conjure all of these spirits?
[01:19:27] Speaker B: Is it something to do with needing more mana power for the heart or something? It's part of her ritual to get.
[01:19:36] Speaker A: Out your mind turns. So this is one of your follow up questions. Turns to that nugget of information that Neph has secured the shroud, which, you know, powered by souls, powered by spirits.
[01:19:53] Speaker B: Oh my gosh. Okay, so she's using the people and their remembrance ceremony to power the shroud.
[01:20:02] Speaker A: Yeah, but you know, with your, you know, from your limited experiences with fighting against these memories, like that will not be a bloodless affair.
There will be chaos and carnage before these conjured memories get slurped up by the shroud.
And presumably you then, like, if this is happening after Catherine Fried have reported back from the pits, you would then that perhaps the shroud is empowering whatever Nephene interior are doing okay, part of the plan. So yeah, there's a, there's a time fundamentally it is happening sort of like tomorrow, quote unquote, at dusk. So when the lamps of Spire park we put out, everyone's kind of going to be gathering there, sponsored by the illness, it would seem to do a mass remembrance.
[01:21:13] Speaker F: Oh, damn, we need to sabotage that.
[01:21:18] Speaker B: We do indeed need to sabotage.
[01:21:21] Speaker A: Any other questions? You may expand into related areas.
[01:21:25] Speaker B: Oh, reveal more than you hoped for. I definitely want to see if there's anything about the Black Guard here because they're also involved.
[01:21:39] Speaker A: You, you happen to see a tome on like a bookshelf about the Black Guard and like it's bookmarked and you like looking at the bookmark that Ne's left herself.
It, it just sort of like confirms that the Black Guard, like the loyal, the purpose of the Black Guard, like their, their inception, their creation.
And they were created, you know, centuries and centuries and centuries ago to protect the, the ruling Leader of Alicia.
[01:22:18] Speaker B: Right.
[01:22:20] Speaker A: And it dawns on you that if Tyria is alive and quote, unquote, well, then in the Black Guard's eyes, under House Antalya, she is the ruling leader. So the Blackguard all this time have been loyal to her.
[01:22:40] Speaker B: I really feel like we need to figure out a way to neutralize Blackguard because there's no way we can fight through a whole pack of them. There.
[01:22:53] Speaker A: You start to hear. It sounds as if someone's beginning to make their way to the study. And by the time they kind of. The guard peers in the room and sort of looks around, you are gone. The only evidence of you ever being here, the slightly open window causing a slight draft.
[01:23:11] Speaker D: I have a thought about the Blackguard.
We know that they. The thing that they use to see, essentially, are those ruby glasses that make souls appear sort of bright white against a sort of ruby background, like a bright blinding light. So is there a way we can use that to our advantage to almost blind them in some way? For example, like flashing a torch at.
[01:23:43] Speaker A: Someone looking through night vision?
[01:23:45] Speaker D: A little bit. Yeah.
[01:23:46] Speaker E: Like if one soul we know, we know how to compel souls and what the nature of souls really are.
And if there's going to be this mass remembrance of souls happening, we could maybe divert some to our advantage.
[01:24:04] Speaker G: It's gonna be like the ending of Predator when he's sitting under the fire.
[01:24:09] Speaker D: If we can kind of overwhelm them in some way, maybe we can. Either we can slip past them or we can get the drop on them or. Yeah.
[01:24:17] Speaker F: I wonder if there's a way to encourage people to think about memories of Sanguivar specifically, because don't Sangwivar have beef with the Black Guards specifically for being pretty.
[01:24:34] Speaker A: Well, I know that the. The memories that are conjured don't seem to have any kind of memory resemble, like, any connection to who they were in life. You know this because you. You thought of Nana and she was passive for a moment, and then the. That fury came over. And you know that Nana would never try to eat you. So, yeah, it's so clearly Nef knows the secret, but she's just using.
Using the. The civilians to create a power source, it would seem. Does Algernon have any questions that he wants to do a quick gather? I think that the time for gathering information is drawing to a close.
[01:25:19] Speaker E: I would like to RSVP to Nethane's invitation.
[01:25:26] Speaker F: What?
[01:25:27] Speaker D: Okay, you're in an envelope, because that is the only acceptable answer.
[01:25:35] Speaker A: Okay, so you are.
[01:25:39] Speaker E: So from what. From what I've Heard from Frieda and Catherine's expedition. The are other noble people who have been invited on this ark, so I'm assuming there's some way of getting them to the heart.
[01:25:57] Speaker A: Okay.
Okay.
[01:26:00] Speaker E: And I want Nephene to think that I want to be one of them.
[01:26:04] Speaker A: In which case.
Yeah, I mean, she literally left the door open for you. So I'm.
I mean fundamentally, you've got your.
Is that your point of contact? Almost like the RSVP accepted. So you're ferried down to where it's all going down.
[01:26:32] Speaker E: Yeah. I'm not expecting anything to happen immediately.
[01:26:36] Speaker A: No. Okay. But it's. Yeah, it's good to know that you've got that rsvp. So, yeah, that's a potential point of entry to the score.
So what, what's your plan? So you, you realize that NEF's plan is quite wide spanning, you would imagine Atto, especially with how you suppose this kind of shroud would work, that once the, once the remembrance summons, all these memories, the timeline from that happening to presumably Nefna Interior, completing whatever it is they're like completing their plan is going to be a quite a. Quite a tight, it's narrow window of opportunity.
[01:27:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:27:24] Speaker A: You do kind of get the impression that depending on how far down into Alicia you need to go, and especially if you're kind of piggybacking off the back of Algonon's invitation, you realistically won't be able to stop the Remembrance Service Inspire Park.
So you're going to need someone else to do that, presumably.
[01:27:48] Speaker C: It's almost as if we need a B team.
[01:27:50] Speaker A: It's almost like we need a B team.
[01:27:55] Speaker F: Back to like a.
[01:27:59] Speaker A: So Algernon. Yeah, I guess you would suppose like looking at it, you know that fundamentally you, the five of you will have to start the score with faith that the B team completes their objectives in order to fundamentally kind of open the way and pull down some of the obstacles facing you in whatever happens between the five of you and Turia and Nephone.
The question then, I guess is who the B team is.
Who do you trust to do this mission?
Let's start with who's available.
Yeah. Algernon JC which NPC do you think should be the first on the list for the B2?
[01:28:58] Speaker E: Well, there's that slimy little sprite, isn't there, who wears a skin tight wetsuit, goes digging around in the canal. I've always trusted him.
[01:29:09] Speaker A: So we have Roof Magpie. Who do you. Who does Magpie think is going to be good for the team.
[01:29:17] Speaker B: I mean, I feel like fiends has not really been given a chance to fully shine her explosive glory. So, yeah, what better way to protect the innocence of Alicia than throwing bombs at the situation?
[01:29:36] Speaker D: And if all fails, she'll make us great meat shield because that's all she's good for.
[01:29:40] Speaker B: Wow.
[01:29:43] Speaker A: Errol, who do you think would be a fantastic addition to this B team?
[01:29:50] Speaker F: Gosh, I mean, he was vaguely nice to me recently. Lorenzo's probably not got much to do, right?
[01:29:59] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, that's fair. I mean, Lorenzo could be free. Lorenzo could be free.
Nate. Catherine, who do you think would be a good addition to this B team in a mission that involves kind of a lot of the citizens of Alicia?
[01:30:17] Speaker C: Well, considering that she's been aimlessly walking around the mansion quite a lot, maybe Tarvarien would like to join in.
[01:30:27] Speaker A: Interesting proposition we've got, Veri. Yeah, let's put it to use.
And that just leaves you, Frida. It leaves you, Meg, and love it. Well, Frida, as you, as everyone else kind of pictures in their. Their votes and then all eyes turn to you to figure out who's going to wrap out this beating.
From the doorway into the dark dining.
[01:30:54] Speaker G: Room, you hear, hold up, hold up. I'm here, I'm here.
[01:31:00] Speaker A: Don't worry, don't worry, I'm not late. I'm not late.
[01:31:02] Speaker G: You just started early.
[01:31:05] Speaker A: And Musto walks in and looks around at the lot of you gathered around the table.
[01:31:13] Speaker G: Well, it looks like you're all very, very busy doing something very, very important. And, you know, I just, Just wanted.
[01:31:19] Speaker A: To pop my head in, you know, just let you know that I. What?
[01:31:22] Speaker G: You know, I'm gonna help out where.
[01:31:23] Speaker A: I can and do. Do whatever. What needs to be done.
[01:31:29] Speaker G: What's everyone talking about? What's everyone talking about?
[01:31:32] Speaker D: Oh, my God, please don't make me play Musto.
[01:31:34] Speaker A: No.
[01:31:36] Speaker G: Well, you. You've all got your planning faces on.
[01:31:38] Speaker A: What?
[01:31:39] Speaker D: What?
[01:31:39] Speaker A: You.
[01:31:39] Speaker G: What? What are you thinking? Go on, you can tell me.
[01:31:41] Speaker A: You can tell.
[01:31:41] Speaker G: Good old muscle.
[01:31:42] Speaker D: Go on, breeder. Just seeing where this is going, goes thinks, no, no, we can't. Not Musto, not again. She goes, hey, Musto, happened to your toms?
[01:31:59] Speaker G: Well. Well, I mean, arguably they're. They're Algonons toms now, but.
[01:32:04] Speaker A: Yeah, actually.
[01:32:05] Speaker G: Oh, yeah, thank you for.
[01:32:06] Speaker A: Thank you for reminding me, Frieda.
[01:32:07] Speaker G: Yeah, Algonon.
[01:32:09] Speaker A: I dug him up, he's good to go.
And through the doorway steps a relatively uninspiring, very non descript individual. And Musto claps a hand on this individual's back.
[01:32:31] Speaker G: And I would like to introduce everyone to Capable Tom.
[01:32:39] Speaker A: What did you, what did you need him for, Algernon? He says as he, as he blinks at you and between the five of you, you feel that between your four crew members, your auxiliary crew members and Capable Tom, you might well have a B team.
So, yeah, I think we do. We feel we're ready for the finale.
[01:33:08] Speaker D: Yes. For a second there I thought you were going to make me play musto, but it's all good. I'm quite happy playing Capable Tom.
[01:33:15] Speaker G: Capable Tom, yeah. He's the most capable of all of us. Right.
[01:33:20] Speaker A: In which case, I reckon we take a little break there and when we jump back in, we will see the inaugurals. Inaugural mission of the B team.
[01:33:32] Speaker B: The inaugural and only mission of the B team.
[01:33:37] Speaker A: So, yes, we have arrived at the start of the final score.
I'm feeling confident. You all look very confident with the abilities of the B team. We're going to open, we're going to open up the final score with the B team's mission to see if they can stop, you know, the machinations of the illness in Spire Park. So if you've enjoyed this madness, make sure to hit the like button and if you are curious to see how the beating get on, make sure to hit the subscribe button and the bell icon for notifications of when we release new videos because we're releasing them super frequently and we're like basically at the end. So the brakes are off. Brakes have detached long ago. We are hurling towards the end.
Thank you all for watching. Thank you all for playing, playing and planning and we'll see you next time.
Bye.
