Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Hello, world. Hi. Hello. Hello.
Hello. Hello.
Welcome. I am DM Dan. This is Explorers of Elsewhere live. We're here for another the first tales from elsewhere of 2025. How's about that? Hey, I can see lots of bars going up, so I assume everyone can hear me. And I assume you can hear these five wonderful players. Hello, Nate.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Hello.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Hello.
Hello, Livy.
[00:00:40] Speaker C: Hello.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: Hello, Georgia.
[00:00:42] Speaker D: Hello.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: Hello, Theo. Hello. Hello, Dan.
[00:00:46] Speaker E: Ahoy.
[00:00:47] Speaker A: How. How was your 2025 treated you so far?
[00:00:52] Speaker C: Snowy, wet, flood and snow.
[00:00:56] Speaker D: Yep.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: How British are we, eh? When. When asked how the new year is, we default to weather.
[00:01:03] Speaker F: Extreme.
[00:01:04] Speaker C: It's been extreme weather, so it's extreme for us.
[00:01:08] Speaker A: It's extreme weather.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: It's been a whole flurry of snow.
[00:01:11] Speaker A: That's true. That is very, very true. Well, yeah, we. We are here to play some dagger heart.
We. When we last played, I had been usurped by.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: And you're going to be usurped again.
[00:01:30] Speaker A: Usurped by the man to my stage. Right.
I mean, it was all right, thanks.
No, it was very. It was very, very good to the.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: Views on that video, Dan.
[00:01:45] Speaker A: We. We had larks. You all found out why you shouldn't allow me to play a play a character.
But yeah, it was all. It was all good. But now we're back for spoilers. The final tale before Campaign 3 on the channel goes live.
We haven't really. Well, that's what. I suppose we've spoken a little bit about Campaign 3 on the channel. We've recently wrapped up Alicia Rising, of which Nate over was a.
A prime member.
Yeah, it was all. It was all fun. It was all good.
Yeah. Campaign three is around the corner in the mid. While we're waiting for that to launch, we have this final tale. It's going to last five streams, so there's going to be like 10 halves worth of content coming out over the next 10ish weeks.
I'm excited for it. Who would like to jump into the title screen and get this thing started?
[00:02:48] Speaker C: Yay.
[00:02:49] Speaker F: Let's do it.
[00:02:50] Speaker G: Yes, please.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: All across the unknown world, rediscovery pushes ever onwards to find the lands and people lost.
All thanks to our brave explorers.
[00:03:08] Speaker E: Hi, I'm Dan and I'm playing Vanya, the Wolfkin warrior.
[00:03:12] Speaker D: Hey, I'm Livy.
[00:03:13] Speaker C: I'm going to be playing Rayri the Sprite Ranger.
[00:03:16] Speaker F: Hi, my name's Theo and I'm playing Cal a Sang of Our Guardian.
[00:03:19] Speaker D: I'm Georgia and I will be playing Elfric Stormhall, a dragon scent bard.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Nate and I'm playing Azakar.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: On the Jani Seraph and my name is DM Dan, the gm. In these adventures, the further we go, the more we learn of these magical tales from elsewhere.
And so. Oh, hello Daisy. Oh, you're watching yourself. Hi. And so we find five explorers in the city of Avamore, a bastion of civilization arguably the strongest and most prominent in the since the the events of the calamitous eschaton just over 18, probably 19ish months ago.
A sprawling city of commerce, it's proven to be for all extents and purposes the capital of the recently and newly rediscovered elsewhere.
And as we saw between the spires of the Tower district, as we saw over the roofs of the Crown district of the Guilds district, we find.
Who do we find first?
We we head into the Merchants Quarter on the west side of the city to a curious shop with two entrances, one of air quote standard size six foot, just over six foot doors and a second slightly smaller door just to the right of it.
And a freshly painted sign hangs above the two hangs above the larger of the two doors that swings ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. A freshly painted sign that says Tippy Taps.
The sign has a pair of purple pointy shoes emblazoned on it.
And there's a lot of commotion as the citizens of Avermore appear at this new shop. It's recently been established, demonstrated by the swarm of sprites of all elements moving in and out, building things, potting plants, just kind of getting the place set up and watching it perhaps is a Ignan sprite, orange skins, hair that glows remarkably like magma.
Stood alongside a four foot tall Chihuahua type creature.
Rayri, what had you been doing to help the families of Islebridge set up their first venture in? Ate them all.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: Just rabies helping them find premises. I mean it was Raimi's idea to bring them over this way, she thought it'd be. There's a massive untapped market of people wanting tiny shoes and her and Vinnie have been helping set up shop. She's been using Vinnie as a cart horse to bring as many tiny shoes into the city as possible.
And spreading the word among anyone that might want to know about tiny shoes or large shoes. Not just tiny shoes, but mainly tiny shoes.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: Sure.
In which case, yeah, as, as you kind of as you're watching this, you spy from your, from your point or from your place in the crowd.
A slightly older.
Which one would it be? It would be a slightly older looking aquin sprite.
She's kind of Leaning on a cane, watching all the construction. And every so often she's like authoritatively kind of pointing and directing workforce into various directions. And Tiber Fisby, matriarch of clan Fisby of Islebridge, having recently relocated to the city of Avermore, notices you in the crowd, gives you a little wave you.
And sort of like, as she kind of glance at you, she turns around and kind of chastises her daughter Capulin, who's sort of like trying to. Who bumps into one of the workforce like one of the. The laborers. As she and her adventuring partner, Montana, kind of rush out, getting ready to head up to the Adventures Guild for their first assignment.
You hear Tiber kind of giving a very parental, very motherly like, talking to make sure you stay safe and you make sure you're right, don't come back. And I'm not, I'm not here. I'm not just here to clean your clothes and that, you know. And it's cuts through the chatter of the. Of the gathered crowds.
But you, as you watch this Rayri, you feel a presence alongside you. And you see a courier denoted by the gray and blue uniform that they wear.
Ms. Ray. Ms. Ray Ree.
[00:10:07] Speaker G: Yeah.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: I. I have a missive for you. The Loravar man says.
[00:10:15] Speaker G: Oh, okay.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: And he hands you a small little letter. And you notice it's stamped with a wax seal of, you realize, an emblem of a ring with three different crowns in like a triangle around the ring.
And the courier asks you to sign for the letter and then kind of bows and takes his leave. You see, he just sort of like jogs off into the crowd, like messenger bag.
[00:10:51] Speaker C: I give him a load of flies, his leaves.
[00:10:53] Speaker G: 25% off tippy tap.
[00:10:55] Speaker A: Thank you. That gets stuffed into the messenger bag, which then sort of like flaps behind him as he, as he runs back off into the crowd.
Yeah. You. You have this letter. I mean, is there anything, was there anything in particular that you were doing around tippy taps while I was setting up? Or were you just sort of like hanging around, see if you kelp.
[00:11:17] Speaker C: Just watching, talking, flyering.
[00:11:19] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:11:20] Speaker C: Giving out 25 off taps with code rabie.
[00:11:26] Speaker A: Okay.
Yeah. In. In which case, yeah, you look down at this small, like, enveloped letter. It is. The envelope is made from a very rich, very kind of heavy feeling vellum.
It. I mean, it looks pretty, pretty high end. And the sigil on the wax stamp is the symbol of Ava Moors, like ruling nobility, like ruling council. The culmination of the faith, the mages and the crown.
[00:12:06] Speaker G: Oh, I hope I'm not in trouble.
Hope it's not jury duty. I hate that.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: Well, as you peer at it and. And ponder, we move our attentions to so where we're in the Merchants Guild, Merchants Quarter. So let's head.
We head north east over the river that bisects the city of Avonmore, over the park and the the. The.
The walls of the. The castle dish of the Crown District to the very ostentatious Towers District, named for quite unimaginatively the rising towers that kind of pierce into the skyline.
Some even on like constructed on floating moats of land above the city, chained to other towers to kind of keep them in place.
And within the heart of the Towers district is a building of breathtaking architectural beauty made of gleaming white stone, polished silver and gold embellishments and proudly emblazoned in stained glass over the almost impossibly large doors at the top of a grand sweeping set of stairs. Stairway. The Grand Temple of Ar.
And inside, amongst the robed clergy of the Dragon Mother, the leader of the pantheon of 12, we find a Mijani man.
What's Azakar doing?
[00:14:14] Speaker B: Azakar is.
Azakar is probably meditating.
He's not been called onto for any missions.
So he is using that time to sort of reflect and meditate his mind, his body, his manner, just to prepare himself for what he might be called on for next.
[00:14:43] Speaker A: Sure as you like.
You hear. You hear a sort of like a murmured blessing from a passing cleric as they walk past you.
And there is a like a low but reverberant chorus of song kind of echoing through these vaunted halls, displaying There are 12 windows in total, each a stained glass display of the 12 dragons that make up the Pantheon.
You note that there are eight alcoves which once held stained glass windows which have since been bricked up. You know that they used to be the positions of the eight gods who turned against Aya during the war, the Betrayers.
But basking in the light that emanates down through these 12 windows at the far end of the of the temple is this 1516 foot tall slender white scaled dragon spawn, looking somewhat like his benefit his. His brood mother, Aya. This spawn of Aya sits on its kind of rear haunches, its long neck kind of weaving like from left to right as it leads the the choir of of hymnal song from the gathered kind of adherence.
His feather. His four feathered wings pulled in tight like cascading down his slender body and spilling out across the marble floor almost like a Gown and light emanates from the horizontal ring horn shape above his head, looking almost like a halo of light framing his skull, his head.
And as a spawn sort of like sings softly, you hear a voice behind you that's not as kind of quiet or reverent as the other voices in this place.
Mr.
Azakar?
[00:17:38] Speaker B: Yes?
[00:17:40] Speaker A: I have a missive for you. And you turn to see a even more courier, gray and blue uniform with a enveloped letter.
[00:17:52] Speaker B: He takes a letter. Thank you.
[00:17:55] Speaker A: The courier nods, has you sign and then as he turns to leave, he stops. This Larovar man stops and then looks back and he lowers his head, mutters a quick prayer to Aya and then runs out with this messenger bag flapping behind him.
We turn our attentions to the Guild district in a building significantly more quiet than the Grand Temple of Aya and ferreted away deep within the Ava Moore Archival Library is a blue. A light blue scaled dragon scent. Lost in the maze of corridors of four story tall, four story tall bookshelves with interconnecting walkways, staircases up and down, a veritable army of clerks and kind of library workers putting books back in, refiling kind of up, making sure that the books are in decent order.
But Alfric, what is it you're doing in this library?
[00:19:27] Speaker D: I feel like just sort of. To look at him, you would think he was a very studious student of some kind. He's kind of sitting at a table, he's surrounded by books, sort of to the extent where he's kind of built a little book fortress for himself. But then you look closer at the books and you realize he's basically taken all of the fairy tale like adventure books from what?
This library probably doesn't have a kids section, but if it did, this would be where they're from. And he's studiously pouring over all of the adventure heroic books that he's become so used to reading at home. And he's staring at them so intently. He is learning, he is absorbing. The last few adventures for him haven't gone very well. He is determined not to let that happen again.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: Okay.
In which case, yeah, as you like. Somewhat barricaded in by your kind of piles of books.
You hear a voice say, Mr. Stormhall. And the silence is punctuated by a shh. From a nearby clerk and this courier.
Mr. Mr. Stormhall.
[00:20:52] Speaker D: Hello. That's me. Yes.
[00:20:55] Speaker A: I have a. I have a missive for you.
[00:20:58] Speaker D: Oh, is it for my parents?
[00:21:03] Speaker A: The. The courier kind of looks at you for a moment and then. Oh, and then rifles around in the messenger bag and produces two envelopes.
Both look like, you know, both envelopes are made from good quality stock.
But yeah, you notice one is sealed with a, like a royal blue wax seal.
Well, one is, one is sealed with a royal royal blue wax seal which you in your time in Avmoore, you know, is like the, the colour, the hue of wax used denotes that it's part of the ruling councils.
But you notice the other envelope. You immediately recognize the handwriting on the front as being your parents.
[00:21:57] Speaker D: He'll take, he'll take both envelopes and sort of tuck, tuck that one away in his robes somewhere.
[00:22:05] Speaker A: Sure.
In which case the, the courier nods, has you sign for it and then good day. He whispers. And then like he, you see he, it looks like he's about to start kind of running like jogging from the spot where he's in. And then he stops, realizes he's in a library and then like tiptoes out as quiet as quickly and quietly as he can, leaving you in the library with your tomes.
We move away from the archival library to a much more rowdy location.
The sounds of clashing still feel of guttural grunts of practiced footwork ring out in this outdoor like fenced off courtyard.
There are a number of kind of practice target dummies. What practice dummies target like round archer archery targets.
And there are a myriad of curious looking folk of all heritages practicing their martial crafts, whether it be swords craft, bowcraft, spellcraft.
And in the middle, off to the side perhaps is a brooding slightly older ace of our man with piercing red eyes.
What's going on with you? Cal.
[00:24:04] Speaker F: Is very intently working through his sword techniques.
In particular one that is similar to the ability of the whirlwinds that he has. Trying to make sure that he has that down because it's such an important technique for him.
And he's just very focused and very set, not really taking in anything else. He's kind of drowned out the noise around him and focusing on this one technique as much as you can.
[00:24:42] Speaker A: Okay.
As you, as you attempt to perfect, perfect the. Well, as you go through the process of the practice regime again, as you kind of swing your sword out in a wide arc, you hear a whoa.
And as you turn to look, there's a courier that's on a back foot like chin pulled into chest, having seemingly just avoided the tip of your, of your new like of your short sword that you're, that you've recently started using along with the magic dagger that you've acquired.
The courier looks like immediate like he watches his face, this Laroval man's face blushes bright red from embarrassment. And then he.
Mr. He looks at a letter. Cal.
[00:25:39] Speaker F: That'S me.
[00:25:41] Speaker A: I have a missive for you. And he like gingerly holds an arm out with this letter towards you and like tiptoes in until you are able to take it from him.
[00:25:54] Speaker F: I take it.
[00:25:56] Speaker A: The, the courier nods and if I. If I could just get a signature, please, he says, I'm not going to bite you.
Well, it's not biting that I'm worried about. He says, eyeing the. The two blades in your hands.
[00:26:14] Speaker F: Like I think as before healer. He takes the missive with one like he puts the dagger away, takes the missive and then he kind of does this kind of very like impressive sword trick to put the other sword away on the sides. And it's quite casually just like I thought about being a courier once.
The signs are missing.
[00:26:40] Speaker A: The. The courier kind of like nods. And then you watch as this like Larovar civilian just kind of glances around this training courtyard and like he visibly flinches as this spellcaster conjures this motive fire and then accidentally detonates one of the training dummies. And you like, you see this young goblin girl going, oh no, not again, not again. She says as she looks at the flaming pieces of wood and hay on the ground.
And the courier looks at you and it's certainly a quieter life, he says and he sort of like nods and you see him sort of produce one final letter and then he. And he looks over his shoulder and you see him disappear into the drinks hall like the mess hall.
And inside the mess hall there are laugh raucous. There's raucous laughter, there's kind of jovial jeering, cheering.
The sounds of like tankards being crashed together like brag full boasts from one person to another as. As the heart of. Of the Explorers Guild draws all of the the proudest and loudest of the explorers.
And in the middle of the boasting crowds is a wolfkin, a wolfkin man with like shoulder length white hair and a large third cloak and Vanya.
[00:28:35] Speaker F: What.
[00:28:38] Speaker A: What gradacious brag have you just leveled at your accomplishments opponent?
[00:28:47] Speaker E: Yeah, so this probably was stemmed from a conversation from some other explorer party who's just recently arrived and they probably told tale of their successful mission in slaying some kind of beast. And Vanua sort of responds like I've.
[00:29:11] Speaker H: Never heard of such a creature before. I wish I had something like that to Fight. You know what I fought last. This strange magic golem.
What fun is that?
[00:29:24] Speaker E: And he's like, but like it's all like part bragging but part like sharing a tale of, of his recent exploits and like cheersing these local explorers and building like this sort of um, bantery camaraderie, um, as like almost like a welcome back folks.
[00:29:47] Speaker A: The, the Keeper kind of in front of you.
This kind of almost nine foot tall, bearded like giants of a creature. He like bare arms that are covered in tattoos and sort of like decorative scars and sort of like piercings.
Like his tail swishes as he kind of leans back as you, you know, complain about the golem and there's no meat on a golem, that's for sure. This Keeper bellows and as he sort of like laughs, the rings kind of punctured through his forehead. Horns kind of jingle slightly and he kind of slaps the. The table in front of you.
And then the Keeper looks down to you and although if it. What was it made of? Perhaps it was edible if you had tried hard enough.
[00:30:51] Speaker H: No, I did get something from it.
Cause magic sometimes leaves like a residue and sometimes stone builds minerals and such and there was this strange like salt on, on some parts of the joints. And while my comrades weren't looking, I was scraping a little bit and I've been testing it out, testing it out and it works a bit like assault.
Slight different taste, but it is good.
[00:31:24] Speaker A: This Loreval woman with like a shaved bald head like looks at you with this incredulous look and are you eating magic dust?
[00:31:35] Speaker H: Yeah, I mean do it as a name.
[00:31:42] Speaker A: The Lord woman just like blinks a few times and then you notice her eyes flick to somewhat to something over your shoulder. And as you all turn to to look, there's a courier that sort of like stood awkwardly at the side of this group. And I thought a rat once was the size of a dog.
And then there's this awkward silence that just kind of spreads across the table.
You gotta start somewhere, Mr. Vanier, he says, looking around the table.
[00:32:18] Speaker H: Yes, that'd be me.
[00:32:20] Speaker A: And he hands you a letter, like realizing he's kind of lost the crowd. He just also offers the, the signature pad and just like points at it rather than say any more in front of the explorers.
[00:32:37] Speaker H: Oh yeah, yeah, that's fine. Pass it here.
Words. Yes, there you go.
[00:32:46] Speaker A: The. The courier nods and.
Have a good day everyone. He says as he clears his throat and then like grabs his. The the straps of his backpack and messenger bag and then sort of like jogs out of the hall.
As you sniff the envelope. It smells very crisp.
Smells. Smells of a. Like whatever tree it was manufactured from was a ripe tree, to be sure. A strong. A strong tree.
[00:33:22] Speaker H: Good.
[00:33:23] Speaker A: Yeah. As you appear at this letter, it is sealed with a royal blue stamp like Van as you glance over Cal, are you heading in? Because you know, Van years. I mean, Vanya's always drinking.
[00:33:40] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:33:41] Speaker A: In the mess hall.
[00:33:41] Speaker E: But yeah, it's got letter in one hand, like tankered in the other.
[00:33:46] Speaker A: Yes.
You've. You've seen the. The courier also give Van year a. A missive.
So as you head in, who. Who of the other three do you spy coming in, like, arriving at the mess hall with Ray, Ri, African and Azakar.
[00:34:05] Speaker F: I feel like Ray is more likely to be in the mess hall.
I've got a vibe that he would want to come and find whoever's she'd know that Vanya and Cal probably spend most of their time in these particular rooms, whether they're training together or Vanya's drinking and Cal is sulking. I mean, brooding. I mean, whatever he's doing. So, yeah, so like, these are like frequent places to find the two of us.
So I don't think it's a surprise whoever is coming to find this, but I think gravy is the closest, unless it's between Africa and Ray. But I'm gonna say very, because I felt more.
[00:34:48] Speaker A: Well, Ravi, as you enter in, I can only imagine there are points where you almost have to sort of like drag your faithful mount Vinnie along by the collar as his head sort of like tilts towards the kitchens of the. Of the Explorers Guild.
You see his snoot going. Going into overdrive as he takes in the. The aromas of the slow cooking meats and sort of like veg that they're. They're preparing in there.
[00:35:22] Speaker E: Piece of jerky flies through the air.
[00:35:25] Speaker A: And Vinnie, there's an audible chomp as really catches some of this jerky.
Ray, as you kind of enter into the Explorer's like, mess hall, who was it you bumped into on your way back here between the other two?
[00:35:49] Speaker C: Bumped into Alfric and gave him a pile of leaflets to give out as he enters.
[00:35:57] Speaker D: Okay, he's dutifully got them in in his clawed hand.
[00:36:01] Speaker G: Oh, you can't speak to everyone.
I know you don't need shoes, but people do need shoes.
[00:36:09] Speaker A: Do you wear shoes?
[00:36:10] Speaker G: You got big feet. I don't know if you wear shoes.
[00:36:12] Speaker D: I'm sure you would find me a good pair of shoes.
[00:36:17] Speaker A: You could get four tippy tap shoes per foot and they'll go on each one, on each claw, on each claw, on each challenge.
Perfect. Show off the whole set. Perfect, perfect.
Okay. In which case, yeah, Ravi, as you and Vinnie like stride across to where Vanu Cal are a car, you're the, the last to arrive and you are confronted by Alfric who's kind of got a hand out with a leaflet for Tippy taps in the hand, a slightly.
[00:36:50] Speaker D: Glazed look in his eye.
[00:36:52] Speaker B: I just as a car just looks at him. Just no expression.
No.
[00:37:01] Speaker A: Just walks past.
Amazing. Well, as you, as you convene Alfric, you're able to use, you spot, you chance upon a passing kind of gaggle of goblins and you're able to just like hand out all of the leaflets in quick succession.
Like you one of the goblins sort of like, oh yeah, yeah, we'll have them. Oh yeah, 10 off. Oh yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And there's you miss the slightly mischievous swish of the goblin's tail as the, as he like takes the leaflets off you and yeah, yeah, grand, grand, grand.
[00:37:41] Speaker D: Thank you so much.
[00:37:44] Speaker A: And the five of you finally managed to take your seats on one of the, the long benches in the mess hall.
And between the five of you, how long do you reckon it's been since your trip to Islebridge in say, weeks, Couple of weeks?
[00:38:06] Speaker F: Well, yeah, I guess it depends on how long it takes to set up a shop.
[00:38:11] Speaker D: Yeah, I suppose that's kind of the.
[00:38:13] Speaker C: Not that long.
[00:38:15] Speaker E: I was thinking like four weeks. So four weeks.
[00:38:18] Speaker C: Okay, yeah, four weeks.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: Let's say four weeks. Yeah. It takes quite a while to get the, the permissions and the paperwork through the guilds and so all the shoes, all the shoes, yeah, all the shoes have got me made. Okay.
In which case, yeah, as the, the five of you take a seat, you all notice that Vanier has on the table on the bench in front of him a letter identical to the ones you've all received as well.
[00:38:50] Speaker G: Oh, you got a letter as well? I've got one of those.
[00:38:53] Speaker C: She takes like a half chewed one that, that Vinnie's had. Just.
[00:39:00] Speaker G: I haven't opened it yet though. I don't really like opening letters. I'm just worried it might be like a bill or something.
[00:39:06] Speaker E: Vanya at this point has definitely got a round of drinks coming on the way, seeing that his companions have been slowly come sort of coming through. Um, so hopefully the barmaid starts like putting down the tankards um, as we're.
[00:39:21] Speaker H: Talking, but he's like, um, I'VE opened it, but.
What is this?
[00:39:32] Speaker B: It's a letter.
[00:39:33] Speaker H: It is good to see you all again, my friends.
[00:39:36] Speaker E: And he like just goes. Switches from like this like two different like, emotions as he like starts trying to like, embrace everyone for a big hug, even if they don't want it. It's like.
[00:39:49] Speaker H: Come, come, come, come. Let's just let us figure this out.
[00:39:53] Speaker C: You got what just gets on the table. Just hugs his head.
[00:40:02] Speaker E: And. Yeah, a slip's like another bit of jerky for Vinnie.
[00:40:08] Speaker A: Just keep him happy Between Cal and Azakar.
Well, I say both of you actually, what do you make of the. The fact that these missives hold the. The seal of the Council.
[00:40:24] Speaker F: Means it's official. It means that it's important.
Cal doesn't like that.
Gives him the. It's just a bit. Oh no.
I think we should read these letters and see what they are.
[00:40:50] Speaker B: What are you talking if you've not read them yet?
[00:40:53] Speaker F: No, I've literally just received mine. I walked in and Vanya was here. I haven't read it yet.
[00:40:59] Speaker B: That's the only reason why I'm here.
[00:41:00] Speaker H: Is because I've read it, opened mine. But I was like, I need like a breakdown.
[00:41:10] Speaker A: Fine.
[00:41:10] Speaker F: I'm gonna. I'm gonna open my letter.
[00:41:12] Speaker A: Okay.
Alfred, did you say you were too nervous to open yours?
[00:41:19] Speaker D: Slightly nervous.
[00:41:20] Speaker A: Okay.
Dear Azakar. Ravi. Alfred. Cal. Than you.
I hope you are. Well, it would seem that you and your compact, your companions and yourself have been building quite a reputation within the Explorers Guild, the Explorer society.
And you have attracted the attention of one of our own.
At your earliest convenience, please see us at Fengarren Keep in the Crowns in the Towers district so we may discuss your new patrons requests further.
Yours faithfully and magically, Archmagister Meridius Radam.
And you remember Meridius to be.
Well, he. He is the. The Arch Magister. So the leader of the Council of Mages he's bumped into a few times. You've spoken to him? On occasion. He's effectively the leader of the.
The spell cast as the wizards of Avore.
Yes. It seems that you've. The five of you have all been summoned to Thengarren Keep, which you. You all know the location of. It's a very prim and proper like mana come almost like fortify. It's a fortified mana of sorts that serves as the base of operations for the Council of Mages.
[00:43:21] Speaker E: Yeah. Van like seeing everyone receiving a letter starts to like get a buzz and.
[00:43:26] Speaker H: He'S like, are we all going on Another adventure again.
I've been injured. I've been getting drunk and lazy of late. I need to get back in the action.
[00:43:39] Speaker G: You've always drunk.
[00:43:41] Speaker H: Well, only on our rest days. Which is every day.
[00:43:46] Speaker B: I would request that you sober up.
[00:43:57] Speaker D: See you in each hand.
[00:43:58] Speaker A: I'm fine.
[00:44:03] Speaker G: So we all got one.
[00:44:05] Speaker C: Alfred got one.
[00:44:08] Speaker H: He's an explorer now.
[00:44:15] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:44:15] Speaker B: Alfric got one.
[00:44:19] Speaker D: Yes.
I got one in the library.
[00:44:23] Speaker C: See.
[00:44:23] Speaker D: And he like pushes it across the table. I mean, I am.
[00:44:29] Speaker C: That's from your mum and dad.
[00:44:31] Speaker D: Oh, sorry. He like tucks me it away. Just the right one across.
[00:44:38] Speaker H: Your hard work is paying off and you're being recognized. Well done.
[00:44:42] Speaker E: He gives a massive pat on the.
[00:44:43] Speaker D: Back, like flat on the table.
[00:44:51] Speaker A: Is there anything that you're. Any of the five of you are burning to do before you make your way up to thing? Aaron? If not, we will smash cut.
[00:45:04] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:45:05] Speaker C: For everyone.
[00:45:09] Speaker A: Well, but beyond the ever present need for festive festivities and drinking, I. Have you got any kind of prior engagements before or shall we smash over?
Okay.
In which case, yeah, as you.
You take. You know you. Well, I mean when it comes to mages, they're usually quite tardy anyway, so you certainly are allowed to take your time somewhat.
Yeah, you finish your drinks. You finish them. You. You know, you order and finish your meals.
By the time you begin making your way north up through Ava Moore, following the river that bisects the city from north to south, the sun is beginning its descent towards the horizon.
The sky is turning ever so slightly, beginning to shift from like a sky blue to a more pinkish hue.
And before long you find yourself stood in front of the rather impressive looking Thingarren Keep.
The large arched gate that leads into the Thingaron Keep grounds is flanked by a number of made of like spell guardians.
They. They look. Well, they look at the five of you from under like royal blue hoods.
And you know the. The runes on their. On their magical gloves thrumming with energy. And they nod at you in turn as they bid you enter.
It's ever so good of you to join us. Meridius starts. Once you're in the kind of the meeting hall he's got. You sat around at one end of this long. This 25, 30 foot long table in this kind of grand hall.
And perhaps worryingly, food is being conjured onto the plates in front of you.
A second dinner if you will.
But it's. It's a good. I'm thankful that you joined so promptly. Meridius asks. Says, as I mentioned in my Letter, you have been making quite quite the waves throughout the city. And your recent exploits have drawn some eyes in your direction.
Tell me, how are you finding being explorers? And as he says that, you notice his eyes fall mostly on you, Alfric.
[00:48:28] Speaker C: I mean it's.
[00:48:29] Speaker D: It's wonderful doing what we do, isn't it.
[00:48:38] Speaker A: Mary? Meridius nods.
Yes, I. I'm always blown away by the bottomless courage and determination that the explorers have exhibited since the Eschaton. And for that you have my sincerest thanks. But unfortunately it was not myself who summoned you here.
Who was. Who was asked for an audience with you? That would be my esteemed colleague, he says. And he. As he gestures down the table like he seemingly gestures to nothing, like an empty space in the hall.
And then as he holds his hand, you see this kind of ripple of light materialize in the air and it spreads open to form a personal like a one person portal. And through it steps a Laura of our man with neat combed back brown hair. He looks quite young, younger than Meridius.
And he steps forward with this kind of deep blue, deep deep blue top with this kind of red maroon cloak hanging off. Hanging off his back. In fact. I could probably.
I could probably show you this.
Yes.
So yeah, deep blue, deep blue top maroon cloak from the. The cloak comes over his shoulders and meets a silver diamond clasp in front front of his breastbone.
There are kind of these golden prong like shoulder pads that jut from his his shoulders.
And as he steps through the portal there is a resonant boom as he places a white marble staff on the ground. The staff is topped with a. An almost trident like blue crystal tip like a power focus, a magical focus of some sort.
And like Meridius, like his hands now gesturing to the exact spots that this lore of our mage is now occupying, finishes his sentence.
Explorers, meet Ganis Morenz. Ganis, your explorers. He says.
And the young mage sort of like nods to you all as he approaches you notice that he sort of like he releases his staff and he just stays in place as he approaches you with his hands kind of clasped at the small of his back.
Thank you ever so much for taking the time to meet with me. I must admit I'm somewhat in awe that of the things that you have accomplished, I.
You've certainly been busy. He says as he looks to you all in turn. As the Archmagister has said. My name is Ganis Morenz.
I'm hoping that you will.
Well, I'm. I have an opportunity that I hope you will accompany me on. It is a mission that I'm sure your skills are would be a a fortuous boon to add to the add to proceedings.
But my My apologies. I. I do have a propensity for. For wittering.
May I? He says to you, Cal, as he gestures to the seat next to you.
[00:52:47] Speaker F: If you must.
[00:52:51] Speaker A: Gannis nods and pulls, you know, takes a seat.
I.
So the the role that the. The. The. Well, the mission that I would hope you will accompany me on is one of some peril. But that's why I decided to source you out. You. The five of you have proven yourself capable as well as adaptive to a wide variety of problems and threats. I've heard of your some of your your exploits at Cayley Point.
From what I understand, an undead apparition as large as that ghost ship being vanquished so quickly is quite phenomenal, I must say, he says, looking at you, Rayri, Ray and Azakar.
And from what I've heard, the your discoveries beneath the crystal tower to the north of Nuvant New Prosper, that has caused quite the commotion amongst our circle.
So we thank you for bringing our attentions to that.
But again, forgive me, I'm wittering. The mission that I would bid you join me on is to a region called Merathesos.
It is.
It is a region of some sadness for us in Avam.
It is the Our expedition to that region actually failed. One of the few and rare failures of explorer expeditions since the Eschaton.
It proved the. The environment proved a bit too inhospitable and there the. The. The expedition were harried by forces of the Betrayers whilst the Betrayers were defeated. You know, their Their. Their backs broken and cast the wind. The expedition weren't able to find the location of their stronghold before they had to retreat back to back to safer climates.
But I believe, he says, waggling the finger, that the. The power exhibited by those forces of the Betrayers that assailed the expedition were powerful enough that whatever they have stored within that stronghold will be positively it would be incorporated incredible for us to be able to acquire those, if nothing more than to deprive the enemy of their very power.
If you agree, and I truly hope you do, I would bid you join me venture to Merathesos, finds the location of this Betrayer stronghold and bring back any powerful magical items back to Avam for safekeeping and perhaps use in a more constructive and positive manner.
What say you all?
[00:56:25] Speaker H: Sounds fine to me.
[00:56:29] Speaker B: If it is anything to go against the Betrayers, I am always in.
[00:56:36] Speaker D: I'm in.
[00:56:41] Speaker G: Nothing better to do.
[00:56:47] Speaker A: His Ganis's face falls to you Cal, as the last to respond.
[00:56:57] Speaker F: That's what you need of me.
[00:57:00] Speaker A: Yes, I. I'm more than confident that your combined skills will is just what this journey, just what this mission needs to achieve full success. And I am greatly humbled that the five of you would would join me in this matter.
If there's nothing else, Archmagister, I have other duties to attend to.
If you have any questions about the mission.
The Archmagister is fully briefed, so he will be able to answer any and all. But once again, I thank you all. Gannis says as he rises to his feet.
He stops. And of course you will be generously rewarded. This mission is of the utmost importance, if not just for the Council of Mages, but also for the Faith and the Ruling Houses.
So yes, for the. For the. Any threat that you may put yourselves in the line of, you will be more than fairly rewarded.
And yeah, Gannis thinks to see if there's anything else. And then deciding there's not, kind of slaps his hips.
And with that, I bid you farewell. And he takes a step back, holds his hand out and the staff slides across the polished stone floor into his hand.
Explorers, he says for the bow. Archmagister, he says with a second bow.
And he begins to walk sort of like past you all towards the door that you came in. But before he reaches it, a portal opens and he steps through that instead.
Meridius is left sat at the head of the table. He's now kind of like leaning on one arm and there's this rice smirk on his face.
He's an eager little trap, isn't he?
[00:59:19] Speaker G: Makes a flashy entrance, that's for sure.
[00:59:22] Speaker B: Would any of us know who Ganis is?
[00:59:26] Speaker A: No. So Ganis is not a name that any. That any of the five of you have heard.
And Meridius seems to almost kind of read the. The question on your. On your mind as a car.
And then bolstered by what Rhaes just said.
Ganis is.
Well, he's our newest Archmagister elect and his. His intentions are true. The. The expedition to Merathesos was unfortunately a failure. We managed to save who we could.
But his theory is correct. Wherever those betrayers were hold up, there's probably some very powerful stuff in there that we could use to. For the rediscovery.
I.
[01:00:22] Speaker H: So this is a retrieval mission?
[01:00:24] Speaker A: It's.
It's.
It's a. Yes. Retrieval investigation.
Think of it as a more exciting stock take. It's a logistical mission of sorts.
[01:00:41] Speaker H: But there's a difference between, you know, securing the site to retrieving some goods to take back to Evilmore.
[01:00:52] Speaker A: Well, as. As he said, the expedition were able to defeat the the forces of the Betrayer that assailed them during their expedition. But unfortunately the casualties that were inflicted upon the expedition were too great for them to carry on. That combined with Merathesos's unfortunate circumstances during the Eschaton, they just. They just didn't have enough resource and supply left in them to be able to stick the landing, so to speak.
But yes, it's certainly a bold mission. I don't won't deny that I suspect that Ganis is striving to create as good an impression on the Council of Mages as he possibly can. Given that that will support his nomination to Arch Magister should this in. In the future.
I suspect he's just trying to impress as many people as he can.
[01:02:01] Speaker F: Am I right in saying that he'll be joining us from what he was saying?
[01:02:06] Speaker A: He will. Yes. He will be joining you. The he is a mage of surprising power.
So his. His abilities I'm sure will will complement your own wonderfully.
He will also then act as a lead, a decision maker. It will be like a mini expedition in of itself.
[01:02:35] Speaker B: And what were these forces exactly?
They were they mages, creatures.
[01:02:43] Speaker A: It was all from the reports from the expedition members. It was all manner of people, of beasts, of manifestations, myriad legions through from various like a number of the Betrayer gods.
We believe that the stronghold may well be a temple of sorts to Naravid he says. And there's a slight twinge in his face as he says the the God's name who got.
Who's got at least zero in knowledge?
[01:03:39] Speaker E: Me got zero.
[01:03:40] Speaker A: Okay, fine. So Rari, it's just you that's like I don't know who. I don't know who's who among the dragons. But you know that Naravid as is one of the Betrayer gods and is sometimes known as the Dooms. The Doomsayer.
During the war, Naravids precognitive visions of the future were sometimes both a blessing and a curse to the forces of Akhan during the war. Being able to see the future to manipulate events.
A To the more disparaging members of the faith, Naravid was nothing more than a a a one like a ten copper fortune teller. But yeah. Now it could be argued how much of an effect Naravid's powers had on the War?
Yes. I. The. The vast majority of the. The forces were defeated, but we can't be sure for certain what's who or what's left.
There may be some forces that have retreated to the stronghold to this.
To this maybe temple.
But I suspect that's where the five of your abilities come in.
[01:05:24] Speaker H: I was thinking that it is most likely that it's been reoccupied since sometimes elapsed since this expedition.
[01:05:35] Speaker A: Perhaps it is. It has been a few months since. It has been about a month and a half since the expedition returned.
So it. There may have. There may be new residents in this temple.
Whether or not they were the exist the previous tenants or not.
We couldn't say.
[01:05:59] Speaker H: Well, I am ready for whatever may come.
[01:06:08] Speaker A: Marvelous.
[01:06:09] Speaker H: Going to go.
[01:06:13] Speaker E: He sort of looks over to everyone else.
[01:06:15] Speaker A: In which case, as the expedition to Merathesos was not successful, a stable portal was never established. However, I have advised the portals the portal at the concourse to provide you passage to Merithisos.
Partly. Also why Ganas is going to be quite crucial to your. To your group to make sure if nothing else, that you arrive in the right place.
So whenever is good for you. Please make your way to the concourse.
Ganis will meet you there. And then you can hopefully be there and back in time for supper.
[01:07:07] Speaker G: If the portal's not there, how do we get back?
[01:07:10] Speaker A: Ganis will be able to provide you passage back as well.
[01:07:15] Speaker G: What if we lose G?
[01:07:18] Speaker A: I would would rather you didn't actually.
[01:07:21] Speaker G: Ray wasn't planning to. I just regard think of all outcomes, don't you?
[01:07:30] Speaker A: G is more than capable. As are yourselves. So.
Well, in the unlikely opportunity. In the unlikely eventual. Not eventuality. In the unlikely circumstances. Circumstance that you were to lose Gannis.
Well, it's a long walk back and he gives.
[01:07:57] Speaker H: Keep him alive.
[01:07:58] Speaker A: Yes, Mary. Meridius gives you a face that just says Don't. Don't tempt the walk.
[01:08:06] Speaker D: Foreshadowing is a literary device.
[01:08:14] Speaker A: So if. Does anyone else have any further questions?
[01:08:22] Speaker G: Was it just us five you asked?
[01:08:25] Speaker A: Correct.
[01:08:25] Speaker G: Wasn't anyone else didn't ask a little goblin with a kind of lisp.
[01:08:32] Speaker C: With.
[01:08:32] Speaker A: Him before Meridius thinks about it and. No, no, no. It was just the five of you actually.
[01:08:38] Speaker G: Oh, I thought he had real potential.
[01:08:41] Speaker H: Oh, what about that lady? We traveled with that once.
[01:08:47] Speaker G: Oh yeah. With the point yet?
[01:08:49] Speaker E: Yeah.
[01:08:53] Speaker A: Luke. Ah, Lucretia. Yes. Lucretia has been. Has already been called away on another. Another mission unfortunately. But again, whilst Lucretia has has ties with yourselves. It was very specifically the five of you that Ganis requested.
[01:09:11] Speaker E: I just looked over Alric and I'm like.
[01:09:19] Speaker G: That'S our kid. That's our kid.
[01:09:27] Speaker A: Does Meridius looks to you as a car? I mean, any questions?
[01:09:33] Speaker B: No. If you believe this is a.
This is an important mission against the Betrayers, I am at your service.
[01:09:40] Speaker A: Meridius nods. Yes, I do. I do.
Again, any. Anything we can do to deprive the enemy of powerful weapons or artifacts.
Yeah.
He turns to Cal with raised eyebrows.
[01:10:02] Speaker F: I have no reason not to do the same.
[01:10:06] Speaker A: Meridius kind of claps. Marvelous. Well, unless anyone else has any. Any questions, please tuck into your meals.
It's getting to around dinner time. You. You must all be famished.
He says, as Faggy's just Tasmanian deviling his way through his food.
[01:10:30] Speaker E: Just like he's a bit shocked about magic food that's just been magic because he works hard for his cooking.
So he's like chewing through it almost with like this like, like over the top disdain for the fact this is just being whipped up magically. It tastes not real hard work.
[01:10:54] Speaker A: It tastes incredible. Like it. It's got the flavors that you would expect of it, but it's just got that little extra like ju that makes it really Moorish. And as Meridius watches you plowing through this food, he says, and the best thing is no calories.
[01:11:16] Speaker G: Yeah, we need that.
[01:11:19] Speaker H: Don't worry everyone. I have specifically packed a lot in case we went on some other adventure. I've got plenty of good, nutritious food ready to whip up a meal at any time.
I've got you.
[01:11:42] Speaker A: As like, are you producing? Are you. Are you going through?
[01:11:48] Speaker E: I'm like pulling out like producing more food.
Well, just like bringing like, just showing.
[01:11:53] Speaker H: Like I even bought veg this time and we're gonna make sure we get your carbs as well.
[01:12:00] Speaker E: And he's just like, just showing a few pieces that he's just like. He's. He's purposely gone to the market and like bought extra supplies just. Just on the off chance.
[01:12:13] Speaker A: Amazing.
[01:12:14] Speaker C: Okay, well, everyone's distracted. Ray's just gonna pour her plate into Vinnie's open mouth.
[01:12:21] Speaker G: Yum yum. Really good.
[01:12:27] Speaker A: Okay. As the. The sounds of van years and Vinny's trops smacking echo through this hall, we.
We fast forward to a little. A little while later outside of. Well you've left then Garren keep.
You feel well Vanier. At the very least you feel full. But it's.
I don't know. You know, when you eat a Chinese a Real world talk. When you eat a Chinese and you're really really full and then like a very short while later you feel really hungry again. That yeah, you've made your way to the Concourse. So the kind of the. It's effectively like a large plaza area, kind of ornamental decorative pillars surrounded by sort of like shrub like shrub type bushes and fences and walkways. The paving stones under underfoot are a meticulously kind of cleaned white like light white stone.
And in this sort of like large almost kind of coliseum like building in the middle of this plaza there are are a number of kind of spell guardians and portaleers kind of mingling about.
You can see that there are trading wagons kind of heading into the concourse presumably at the end of a day's work, a day's worth of work heading back to their respective expedition established settlements.
But as you approach one of the portaleers kind of notices the five of you and kind of gestures you over and as you approach you hear I. I must admit I'm very excited for this. As G G says as he kind of appears alongside you.
It's been quite a time since I've been been out in the wilds with.
With adventurers explorers such as yourselves.
[01:14:51] Speaker B: Did you not originally go on the exhibition?
[01:14:54] Speaker A: I. I was unfortunately not part of the expedition to mirror Thesis. No.
But from listening to the. The accounts from, from those who made it back most obviously were more than happy to with the safety of the expedition members. But I.
From their stories I realized that there was a facet of the tale that hadn't quite been explored. And here we are. Here we are.
[01:15:34] Speaker H: And you've done much adventuring before?
[01:15:38] Speaker A: I've. I've been on.
Well I. I've been on a few ventures but I. I assure you my arcane acumen and abilities is well honed.
[01:15:54] Speaker H: Well you can certainly count on us.
[01:15:58] Speaker A: I'm. I'm counting on it. He says as he smiles to the five of you.
Our portal awaits. Shall we?
Gannis speaks to the portalir. You're kind of moved into an area away from the sort of the traveling traders and other comers and goers and between Gannis and the Gannis provides a part like a parchment of runic instructions to the portalier. The portal is reading it and like looks a little shocked, looks a little surprised before kind of clearing her throat. And you see this sort of like this Wolfgang woman pulls the hood up over her head as she closes her eyes and begins in enchanting, encanting. Sorry.
And orange runes appear in a Circle around your feet and ganna, sort of like scurries in between amongst the five of you and sort of like clutches his staff, like clutches it close to his chest. And always the lurch in the stomach that gets me, he says.
And in a flash of light, the runes ignite. You're enveloped in this kind of sphere of energy, and a moment later you are in a different place entirely.
As the. The sensation of rushing wind leaves your ears as that lurch in your stomach settles after a feeling of plummeting through nothingness for both a short, an incredibly short and an incredibly prolonged period of time.
The smell of tangy ozone lingering in the air.
As your visions begin to stabilize, you find yourselves in this large kind of flat plain like area planes like area under, like around you. You can see that the runes have scorched, scorched themselves into this veritable bed of orange moss that covers what appears to be kind of rolling black, like a porous rolling black floor underfoot.
Who's got a instinct or knowledge of at least one me.
[01:19:18] Speaker E: Okay, so instinct too.
[01:19:20] Speaker A: So those four of you. Then, as you look down, you realize the stone, this, like the stone floor, the stone ground that you're stood on, is called magma flow.
It is volcanic rock.
And what is curious about this volcanic rock, as I say, is this rug of orange moss that carpets it so thickly it looks like an orange cross grassland.
[01:19:51] Speaker G: Almost like my hair.
[01:19:55] Speaker A: Very much like your hair. Yeah.
The like around you can see like from the ebb and flow of the stone of the ground that you're stood on, you can see that this volcanic flow once cut well, primarily originated from the mountains you can see in the distance and looking like putting two and two together. Based on what the majors were saying earlier, you suspect that during the eschaton, the volcanoes, like the mountain range, must have erupted and annihilated this area with lava flow.
And your suspicions are somewhat confirmed as. As you peer up to the mountains in the distance, lighting the sky like miniature suns in the.
The dusk, the dusk light are floating orbs of magma that just gently and lazily bob up and down and float through the air, carried around on stream like, well, just idly kind of floating. Every so often, you watch as two kind of collide into one another and they slowly kind of, there's resistance and then they kind of glob together. It's almost like the globules within a lava layer lamp.
And you notice that the cooler the, the, the brighter of these lava globes, the more active seem to Be a bit higher. But there are some which seemingly are beginning to cool down. There's a crust, like a black crust beginning to form on their outer surfaces. And they're kind of lowering down back to towards the ground a bit more.
Besides that, you see like pillars that look like.
Well, it looks like a magma flood, like a magma fall that is just kind of dried, encrusted that they stand, they stand, they drop from the ground like stalagmites.
And there's just this eerie but peaceful feel to the area.
And Ganis takes in a deep breath and ah, well, we've arrived where we were supposed to. He says as he, he looks around at this relatively featureless moss covered baron.
And he looks around trying to find like. Well, looking for the sun. It. Okay, so if we need to go that way, he says and he gestures. We'll.
We'll make as much time as we can while the sun's up. But we'll soon need to make camp.
We'll set up a watch and then in the morning we'll have a full day's worth of travel before we reach the temple.
I, I understand you've bought provisions. He says, looking at you, Vanya.
[01:23:28] Speaker H: Yes, I mean, I don't know how long we're out, dear Fooner, but I've got quite a lot of provisions.
[01:23:37] Speaker A: He nods. Marvelous. Well, I look forward to snacking on them tonight, but after you explorers. He says as he gestures in the direction of travel.
[01:23:53] Speaker C: I think Rayri, seeing the environment is, feels a little just.
It kind of brings her back to what happened previously to her hometown. And she just without really knowing what she's doing, she just holds on to Cal's coattail. It just holds on. She doesn't really realize she's doing it.
Just holds on and just kind of wait for somebody else to start moving.
[01:24:26] Speaker E: Oh, just looking a bit like going forward.
[01:24:33] Speaker A: In which case California. Well, Khalid, you watch Vanya stride on as you feel kind of rarely grip, grip at your side.
Yeah. The five of you look across this bizarre kind of globular shaped landscape in front of you as the orange moss, you know, changes hue slightly as the sky overhead descends into night.
And as the five, as the six of you begin your journey.
Let's have a quick break.
So we will go on a quick break for probably to about 22, so it's gonna be about 13 minutes. If you're enjoying the story or you're interested to see what happens next, make sure to hit the like button. So hit the subscribe button and hello if you're on Twitch. If you're watching this on Twitch. I I this is the first time we've been on Twitch. I think you follow us here. Something like that. Do whatever it is that you do to see us on Twitch. Yeah. We will be back at 20 to 10.
Thank you for watching. See you in a bit.
